First India-Ahmedabad Edition-30 June 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

29°C - 38°C

ALERT AHMEDABAD l TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

5,06,091 1,03,32,175 DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 7,610 DEATHS 1,69,883 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

TAMIL NADU 1,141DEATHS 86,224 CASES

RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 215

INDIA

16,904 5,67,233 DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

DELHI 2,680 DEATHS 85,161 CASES

AMID CHINESE PERFIDY, INDIA UPS VIGIL ON SEAS, TO SIT ON TABLE FOR TALKS

New Delhi: After weeks of escalated tensions between India and China following the violent clash at Galwan Valley in Ladakh earlier this month, both the countries have agreed to hold a weekly dialogue at the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) meeting to resolve the dispute.

India and China will once again engage in Corps Commander level talks on Tuesday beginning 10.30 am. According to reports, the third round of military level talks will be held on the

1,828 DEATHS

32,023

CONFIRMED CASES

RAJASTHAN 405 DEATHS 17,660 CASES UNLOCK 2 ON TILL JULY 31

3rd

vessels and submarines are making frequent formeeting between ays. India and Japan are XIV Corps Commander part of the influential Lt General Harinder “Quad” or Quadrilateral Singh and South coalition which also Xinjiang Military Region comprises the United Commander Major States and Australia. AcSURVEILLANCE ON General Liu Lin cording to sources, INDIAN OCEAN “This time the Corps  The Indian Navy has increased its Commander level surveillance missions and beefed up operational and June 22 talks will be held We are increasing deployment in the Indian Ocean region. meetings were held at in Chushul on the surveillance to Moldo on the Chinese side Indian side. The  Is also ramping up its operational cooperation with track Chinese activities while Tuesday’s meeting various friendly naval forces like the US Navy and last two meetings will be at the border point Japan Maritime Self Defense Force in view of the fast in Indian Ocean region.” were held in Moldo in Chushul evolving regional security landscape, said sources.

MILITARY EXPERT on the Chinese side,” said sources while adding that the agenda Indian side this time. its alert level in the In- been making regular nese Navy in the Indian of the meeting would be Meanwhile, after Indian dian Ocean Region forays, they held a cru- Ocean region, an area to take forward the proNavy was asked to raise where Chinese Navy has cial exercise with Japa- where Chinese naval posals made Turn on P6

June 6

Geelani ‘Govt ‘extorting’ people MODI’S DIGITAL STRIKE ON separates with fuel price hikes’ 59 CHINESE MOBILE APPs from Hurriyat Srinagar: Veteran separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Monday announced his dissociation from the faction of the Hurriyat Conference that he floated in 2003 by enforcing a vertical split in the amalgam.

In a four-line letter and an audio message to the media, a spokesperson for the 90-yearold leader said, “Geelani has announced complete dissociation from Hurriyat Conference forum.” Geelani said the activities of Hurriyat Conference members currently in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir were being investigated by the amalgam for various allegations.

In his 2-page letter, he referred to inaction by Hurriyat members post the abrogation of the special status of J&K, and the division of the erstwhile state into two Union territories. —ANI

GUJARAT

UTTAR PRADESH 672 DEATHS 22,828 CASES

GALWAN VALLEY CONFLICT

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New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday attacked the BJP government at the Centre for raising fuel prices 22 times since the lockdown, accusing it of extorting people, and sought an immediate rollback of the hikes.

She charged the government with profiteering at the expense of the people, saying its duty

was to help them in times of crisis and not make profits out of their hardearned money. Turn on P6

New Delhi: Modi-led NDA govt on Monday banned 59 mobile apps, including China’s TikTok, SHAREiT and WeChat, terming them prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and national security.

In an official statement, the IT Ministry said it has received many complaints from various sources, includ-

Terrorists attack Pakistan Stock Exchange; 11 killed Karachi: Four heavily armed militants, believed to be from a banned Baloch terror group, on Monday made a brazen attempt to take over the Pakistan Stock Exchange building here, killing four security guards and a police officer & two civilians before being shot dead by security forces.

The militants, who arrived in a car around 10 am, opened indiscriminate fire and lobbed grenades at the main gate of the multi-

Security forces kill all 4 terrorists who attacked Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi on Monday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

storey building situated in the city’s high-security commercial hub as they tried to storm it.

Armed with automatic machine guns, grenades and explosives, they tried to Turn on P6

PMO INDIA @PMOINDIA Prime Minister @ narendramodi will address the nation at 4 PM tomorrow.

ing several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS

platforms for “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users.

Full report P6

Wide yellow circles are made for people to maintain social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Mumbai.

Shut: Metro, schools, colleges; Int’l flights to remain grounded New Delhi: Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued new guidelines for Unlock 2 to open up more activities in areas outside the containment zones.

According to the new guidelines which will come into effect from July 1, the process of phased reopening of activities has been extended further. After extensive consultation with States and Union Territories, it has been decided that schools, colleges and coaching institutions will remain closed till July 31.

“Domestic flights and passenger trains have already been allowed in a limited

Maha lockdown extended till July 31

NOT ALLOWED

manner. Their operations will be further expanded in a calibrated manner. Night curfew timings are being further relaxed and curfew shall be in force from Turn on P6

CJI

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Monday extended the coronavirus-triggered lockdown till July 31 without providing any further relaxations amid mounting cases of COVID-19 in the state.

Announcing the extension, an order issued

by Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta said wearing face covers or masks, maintaining social distancing, restricted gatherings, and other measures shall continue to prevail.

Turn on P6

Swagger!

Social media was flooded with pictures of Chief Justice of India SA Bobde sitting on a Harley Davidson superbike, prompting several reactions among netizens. The 64-year-old, who was an ardent biker when he was a lawyer, was photographed checking out a guest’s motorbike at a ceremony in Raj Bhawan.

Unlock 1.0 throws up alarming Covid numbers in Surat Haresh Jhala Gandhinagar: Basking for long in an allis-well belief, Unlock 1.0 has thrown open a can of worms in diamond city Surat with every single day since June 1 bringing in a bunch of corona positive cases.

The numbers speak -- as on June 1, Surat had 1,659 positive cases, and, in a space of 28 days, as on June 29, the number stood at a whopping 4,630. In other words, an average 106

cases every day.

On Monday, Surat Municipal Corporation declared Hira Bazar of the Mahidharpura area as a new cluster containment zone covering 1,262 houses. A total 217 cases were reported during the last 24 hours, 185 of which were from the city and 32 from rural areas.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani is likely to chair a meeting on Tuesday to decide the guidelines for Unlock 2.0 on the basis of the Central Gov-

—PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE

GUJARAT REPORTED 626 FRESH CASES AND 19 DEATHS DURING LAST 24 HOURS, TAKING THE TOTAL TO 32,023 CASES; SURAT SAW 2,971 CASES SINCE JUNE 1

MASK BOYCOTT!

A health worker collects a swab sample from a woman at an urban health centre in Vejalpur area of Ahmedabad.

ernment’s directives to this effect.

Meanwhile in Ahmedabad city, the

Agriculture Produce Market Committee market remained closed on Monday in

protest against the district administration’s decision to allow only 43 traders to

conduct trading on a daily rotation basis.

They claimed that only 43 traders could not meet the needs of the city.

In Mandvi constituency, the Congress Anandbhai Chaudhary while participating in protest against the price hike in petrol diesel has boycotted wearing face masks, he alleges that the state is misleading people on corona and it’s spread.

According to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation,

there were 2,936 active cases as on Monday morning, while the death toll stood at 1,387. Of total active cases, 645 were from the West Zone, 439 in the South and 438 in the North.

In Vadodara, there are 612 active cases, of which 129 are on oxygen support and 32 are on ventilators. New cases have emerged from city’s Lalbaug, Chokhandi, Vaghodia, Dabhoi Road, Ajwa Road, Bajva Road, new VIP Road, Mandvi and Turn on P6

NEWS AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020

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National Joint General Secretary (organisation) V Satish, Union Minister of State (Panchayati Raj and Agriculture) Parshottam Rupala, BJP State President Jitubhai Vaghani, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel at the BJP core committee meeting held at Gandhinagar on Monday.

With Vaghani lease, poll-smart BJP gets active,

WAITS FOR BALLOT DATES CRUCIAL MOVE

Haresh Jhala Gandhinagar: After registering a won at the recently concluded Rajya Sabha elections, the state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gearing up for Gujarat Legislative Assembly by-elections. Despite receiving no official word from the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding the election dates, the ruling party seems to be in no mood to slow down.

Running high from the momentum from their triumph in the RS polls, the party organized a core committee meeting at Kamalam in Gandhinag ar on Monday, to discuss future agendas.

To guide the state unit, National Joint General Secretary V Satish, who is in-charge of the

BJP to appoint two in-charges for each constituency, one from govt, one from organisation

West Zone, was present at the gathering.

He was joined by Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Panchayati Raj Parshottam Rupala.

Addressing the media, BJP Spokesperson Bharat Pandya said that two in-charges had been appointed for each assembly seat. He added that the statelevel coordinators will be State Vice President Bhargavbhai Bhatt and former minister Shankar Chaudhary.

Several key decisions were taken regarding the party’s forthcoming plans at the meet. One of the main decisions taken

by party leaders was to appoint two in-charges for each constituency, with one from the state government and another from the party. A total of 16 in-charges have been appointed to ensure smooth sailing for the party in the impending Assembly byelections for eight seats.

Another main resolution passed was the extension of the current

party State Unit President Jitubhai Vaghani’s tenure.

Even though his tenure ended in December last year, Vaghani has continued to discharge his duties of his position. With the Assembly byelections and civic polls in the pipeline, it is likely that he will hold on to his tenure until January next year. But, if the by-elections are held

National Joint General Secretary V Satish

in January, then the possibility of party re-organization in the near future cannot be ruled out.

According to sources, there was talk of appointing a new state unit president before July this year, but it could lead to re-organization of the state unit as well as the district and city committees. But, if one re-organization is postponed, other state organizations will be swept in the cascading effect.

Therefore, the party decided to keep the appointment for a later date.

If a party has to take a call on whether or not to replace the state unit president, it also has to decide if it has any plans to reshuffle the state cabinet. A very delicate subject which comes into play while choosing the state unit president is the caste equation. Since,

IN-CHARGES FOR EACH SEAT Constituency

In-charges

1. Abdasa

Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, State General Secretary KC Patel

2. Limbdi

Agriculture Minister RC Faldu, Party leader Nitin Bhardwaj

3. Karjan

Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja, State General Secretary Shabdsharan Brahmbhatt

4. Dangs

Forest and Environment Minister Ganpat Vasava, Party leader Purnesh Modi

5. Kaprada

Minister Ishwarsinh Patel, State General Secretary Bharatsinh Parmar

6. Morbi

Energy Minister Saurabh Patel, State Vice President IK Jadeja

7. Gadhada

Water Supply Minister Kunvarji Bavalia, State Vice President Gordhan Jadafia

8. Dhari

Minister of State for Food and Civil supplies Dharmendrasinh Jadeja Party leader Dhansukh Bhanderi

the party cannot afford to lose its strongest vote bank – the Patelcommunity- the party chief or the chief minister has to be from the community. The BJP has been making pro-

gress when it comes to the Other Backward Class (OBC) to tap into the tribal vote bank, which was once a stronghold of the party’s political opponent Congress.

ALL FOR WATER CONSERVATION

CM Rupani calls for rainwater harvesting in all govt-run schools 

Launches the project in Vadodara virtually, initiative to cover 1,000 schools in the district

Haresh Jhala Gandhinagar: With the aim to develop a self-sustained water supply in government-run schools, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani launched a rainwater harvesting project via video conferencing in Vadodara district on Monday.

The project will enable all primary and secondary schools in the region to meet their water needs locally rather than depending on other sur-

face or groundwater resources.

Talking about the initiative, Rupani said, “There are more than 30,000 government-run primary schools across the state. If each school takes a leaf out of the book from the schools in Vadodara district, it will resolve the water shortage issue in all schools.”

The Vadodara district administration completed a rainwater harvesting project at over 1,000 government primary and

(L-R) Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and State Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama.

secondary schools across the district in a short span of nine

months. The project, which was completed in phases at a total

cost of Rs6 crore, received financial support from public enterprises under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities and also through various government grants such as the District Mineral Foundation Fund. Under the project, approximately 10 crore litres of rainwater per year will not go wasted and put to proper use.

Applauding the efforts of the Vadodara district administra-

tion, Rupani said, “Water is a gift given

by God and we must use it judiciously keeping in mind our future generation.

We should all put in collective efforts to conserve water by adopting ancient traditions of underground water storage tank systems.”

He also called for rainwater harvesting to be implemented at all government schools and offices in the state.

The chief minister also laid the foundation

stone of various schemes at Dabhoi via video conferencing and released a book titled ‘Varsha Jalnidhi’.

Rupani was joined

by Speaker of Gujarat Legislative Assembly Rajendra Trivedi, State Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Secretary to the Chief Minister Ashwani Kumar and other MLAs, MPs, office-bearers of Vadodara city and district in this e-launch via video conference.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020

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The continuous rise in petrol and diesel prices has sparked protests across the state

Cong goes ‘traditional’ Gujarat Congress chief, 50 at RMC board meeting workers detained by cops Masuma Bharmal Jariwala

Gargi Raval

Rajkot: The ongoing protests against fuel price hike continued on Monday when Congress corporators of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) reached the local civic body’s general board meeting by commuting through traditional modes of transportation including horses, horse carts and bicycles. The party members also chanted slogans against the inefficiency of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in controlling the rising prices.

Leader of opposition Vashram Sagathiya and corporator Makbool Daudani rode horses to reach the RMC general board meet organised at Pramukh Swami Auditorium. Corporators Jagrutiben Dangar and Jayaben Tank used a horse cart for their commute there and Congress women wing head Gayatriba Vaghela, Vijay Tank and Mansukhbhai Kalariya rode

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda and nearly 50 other party workers were detained in Ahmedabad on Monday while they were trying to take out a rally against the fuel price hike enforced by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Central government.

“They were not given permission for such a gathering,” said a senior police official.

The opposition party also organized similar protests in Rajkot, Vadodara and Surat districts of Gujarat and demanded roll back of the hike.

Congress MLA Gyasuddin Shaikh was detained near Sardar Baug area while trying to take out a rally against the increased prices of petrol and diesel.

The Congress workers gathered in a busy area without procuring any prior permission. We have detained nearly 50 protesters,

Leader of opposition Vashram Sagathiya and corporator Makbook Daudani. (Inset) Women corporators holding placards at the meet.

KIND ACT DISMISSED

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bicycles to the meeting.

Protestors were seen carrying placards and banners with ‘Mongha karya petrol na daam, Bhajap (BJP) ne aapo have aaraam’ (Get rid of BJP for in-

creasing fuel prices), written on them.

Meanwhile, one of the corporators named Sneha Bipin Dave arrived for the meeting on a stretcher in an ambulance all the way from

Ahmedabad. When Rajkot mayor Bina Acharya asked Congress members to bring Dave inside the auditorium to mark her presence, they protested against the humanitarian attitude of BJP. In all the ensuing brouhaha, the meeting had to be ended in 30 minutes. However, Dave was marked absent.

Members of the opposition party were also detained by the police, a move which was called out by them by terming it, ‘the death of democracy.’

Congress party members chant slogans against the Central Government during a protest against fuel price hike at Sardar Baug in Ahmedabad on Monday. (Inset) A bullock cart pulls a car during the protest.

—PHOTOS BY NANDAN DAVE

GOING OLD SCHOOL

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including Chavda and Shaikh, for holding protests and trying to take out a rally without permission,” said Dharmendra Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 2.

Before being detained, Chavda slammed the government over the fuel price hike and also for denying permission for the protest. “This government is not ready to

understand the plight of the people, who were first hit by novel coronavirus and now by the fuel price hike. We will continue to raise the issues concerning citizens, who were literally abandoned by this government. We want the Centre to roll back the hike,” Chavda stated.

Diesel price scaled a new high on Monday after prices were hiked for the 22nd time in just over three weeks, taking the cumulative increase to Rs11.14 per litre.

Ahmedabad: Starting out as a buffer zone, then a red zone before being declared as a COVID-19 hotspot in the city, the Central Zone has had quite a cumbersome journey amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

But now, the zone has bounced back from having hundreds of cases to reporting just one case of SarsCov-2 on Sunday. According to officials, it is a good sign for the people living in the Central Zone.

On the other hand, other zones that come under the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) have been reporting new COVID-19 cases in the double digits. According to the list shared by the local civic body, the East Zone reported the highest num-

Ahmedabad: The weatherman has predicted steady showers across the state in the coming days, with some pockets likely to receive heavy rainfall.

According to the weather bulletin, light thunderstorms with lightning and surface winds of less than 40 km/hr (in gust) accompanied by moderate rain is very likely at isolated places in all districts of the Saurashtra- Kutch region. On the other hand, isolated places in the districts of Sabarkantha, Dahod, Valsad, Junagadh, Amreli and in Daman, Dadra Nagar Haveli will, in all probability, receive heavy showers.

On Monday, some parts of the state re-

WORK MODE ON

—PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE

First India Bureau

A containment zone in Jamalpur area. —FILE PHOTO

ber of cases on Sunday at 46, followed by the West Zone (39), North Zone (33), Southwest Zone (32), South Zone (27) and the Northwest Zone (20).

Currently, there are 191 active cases in the Central Zone, which again is the lowest among all zones.

Though, the highest number of COVID-19 positive cases so far, has been reported in the Central Zone, which stands at 4,007.

Farmers plant saplings in a paddy field located on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on Monday.

No ration, employment for Dalits First India Bureau Surat: The Dalit community staged a protest at the Surat Collectorate on Sunday. According to protestors, the state government failed to provide them ration supplies, which led to the outcry. They also demanded em-

ployment opportunities for unemployed youngsters of their community. More than 100 people were detained by police since a large number of people had gathered at the spot with no prior permission.

After being assured by the state government

about the distribution of free ration among daily wagers, the underprivileged people from the Dalit community complained that they did not receive any benefits of the initiative. They also lamented about the lack of jobs leaving them financially insecure.

—FILE PHOTO

First India Bureau

IMD forecasts moderate to heavy showers in the state

Central Zone bucks up, only one case reported

Rain pattering down hard on Ashram Road in Ahmedabad.

ceived light to moderate rainfall while a few pockets received more than one inch of rainfall in 24 hours. Gondal of Rajkot district received 100mm of rainfall between 4 pm to 6 pm. And, Songadh of Tapi district received 45mm of rainfall from 4 pm to 8 pm.

As per the rainfall pattern and the Indian Meteorological

Department (IMD) forecast, Lower Narmada, Tapi Basin, Damanganga, and other independent basins are expected to receive light or moderate showers at isolated places in the next 48 hours. But, no flood-like situation is expected to develop in all three river basins and independent basins.

EDUCATIVE MOVE

HC allows PIL challenging UGC’s university exams decision Petitioner calls for the court’s intervention to resolve matter

BAN ONLINE CLASSES FOR TODDLERS



Haresh Jhala Ahmedabad: The state high court on Monday allowed a petitioner to circulate a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the University Grants Commission (UGC) decision to conduct university examinations and admissions in colleges.

Priyank Pandya and others have moved a pe-

tition challenging the UGC’s resolve to grant permission to universities to hold final examinations. The petitioner’s submission is that the statutory body’s guidelines for examinations were ‘contrary and vague, which could create inequality and chaos in the education system and also jeopardize the safety and welfare of students and

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the society at large.’

According to the petitioner, the examination dates announced by

UGC were arbitrary in nature. Therefore, the decision comes as bad news in the eyes of the

law and needs to be quashed and set aside.

The petitioner further argued that the an-

nouncement came post Unlock 1.0, when the reopening of schools, colleges, educational

and training institutions was to be decided on in its second phase, that too in consultation with concerned stakeholders. A call on this issue was to be taken in July, based on the feedback received from various states and union territories. The petitioner termed the UGC’s decision ‘contrary to said agreement.’

It was also pleaded by the petitioner that the court must intervene and put a stay on these examinations im-

mediately. The petition also stated that the UGC submit all grievances it received from students, student unions and parents regarding the concerned issue. Also, it should elaborate on the steps taken by the task forces of the body to assuage the grievances. The petitioner asked to direct the respondent on how to hold examinations and prepare standard operating procedures in wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020

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ZORAWAR SINGH KAHLURIA

IN-DEPTH

CONGRESS MAKES FUEL PRICES A RALLYING POINT

T

he hike in fuel prices may not be hurting the supporters, better known as bhakts, of the Narendra Modi-led government as they may have either cushioned themselves against its impact or they feel obliged to defend the government against all criticism. Even some ministers of the Union cabinet who used to take to the streets at the smallest hike when the Congress was in power are in the forefront to defend the indefensible.

With no other opposition party ready to question the government, the Congress finds itself alone while taking on the Modi government, whether it is Chinese transgression or the fuel price crisis. While former president Rahul Gandhi has persistently raised the Chine issue, Sonia Gandhi, the incumbent party chief, has been raising the red flag over oil prices.

On Monday she attacked the BJP government for raising fuel prices 22 times since the lockdown was imposed in March. Calling it extortion and profiteering at the cost of the people, she demanded immediate rollback of the prices. She also urged the government to withdraw the rise of excise duty on petrol and diesel since March.

The increase in excise was effected at a time when crude oil prices were relatively low at $23.86 a barrel. An official was reported to have said, “The revenue generated from these duties shall be used for infrastructure and other developmental items of expenditure.” He had gone on to add, “Retail sale prices of petrol and diesel will, however, not change on account of increase in duties, so it will have no impact on the consumer.”

Launching a nationwide campaign “Speak Up Against Fuel Hike” Sonia said in a video message, “I, along with all Congressmen and others, together with demand from the Modi government to immediately roll back the increase in prices of petrol and diesel raised during this crisis due to the pandemic.”

Lashing at the government, Sonia said that instead of helping people in these difficult times the government was busy filling its coffers. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joined the campaign on social media.

The country-wide protests are planned to be launched between June 30 and July 1 at the tehsil, block and district levels. In some states, party members responded by staging protests.

The BJP now says that the party cares more for the poor than the Congress party. Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan blamed the pandemic for the sky-rocketing prices. “Demand for petrol went down by 70-80% in AprilMay months in the country which directly impacted the economy,” he said. He said that prices in India will stabilise in sync with global markets but wondered why Congress-ruled states weren’t reducing excise duty.

With Unlock 1.0 the demand has gone up.

As fuel prices soar, it is people’s turn to feel the pinch.

THE GENERAL WHO WANTED TO WIN TIBET SHUBHRANSHU SINGH The writer is a corporate professional, marketing leader, columnist and a social and political commentator. He writes on brand building, marketing, history, politics, technology and business

T None of the Indian books on Zorawar Singh mention that he led Sikh soldiers in his campaign to Ladakh and Tibet. In his book ‘Footprints in the Snow: On the Trail of Zorawar Singh’ the then Brigadier GD Bakshi, gives credit to Sikhs for the revival of military spirit in the region and acknowledges Maharaja Ranjit Singh as a ruler with a vision who modernised his army. It says, “The Dogras under Gulab Singh and Zorawar Singh were part of this Sikh military renaissance”

oday when the world is watching China’s aggressive transgressions on the Line of Actual Control with India, rarely does anyone know the historical context of how this border emerged in the first place. It was due to an intrepid military genius called Zorawar Singh Kahluria.

The treaty of Chushul signed in 1842 between ‘Sri Sarkar Khalsa Ji’ (the Lahore Darbar) and the Dalai Lama of Tibet not just marked the conclusion of the campaign, it defined and demarcated the border between India and Tibet in modern times.

This campaign into Ladakh and Tibet was led by Zorawar Singh, a Dogra Rajput general in the service of Raja-iRajgan Gulab Singh of Jammu, who was a subordinate ruler owing allegiance to the Sikh ruler at Lahore.

But the army marched under the sovereign banner of Sarkar Khalsa Ji of Punjab and its then Maharaja Sher Singh son of the legendary Sher-e-Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Indian history books barely do any justice to Zorawar Singh’s desire and persistence to acquire the Western Tibetan territory, and thus his role in defining the critical northern Indian border.

Zorawar Singh had expressed his readiness to ‘kindle the fires of victory’ and take possession of Tibet when he met the then Maharaja, Ranjit Singh, in village Jandiala Sher Khan in March 1836; a request which was politely declined by the Maharaja.

This has been documented by Sohan Lal Suri who wrote history in 5 volumes, a monumental work in Persian called Umdat ul Tawarikh keeping a record of all important events at the Lahore court.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s apprehension can be understood

Zorawar Singh is duly credited with the conquest of Ladakh, which remained, culturally, Tibetan Buddhist. He later led a successful campaign against Gilgit-Baltistan (now part of Pakistan administered Kashmir) in 1839-40

from the letters of French botanist Victor Jaquemont which gives insight into his conversations with the Maharaja. The wily monarch quizzed him on Tibet. Victor described it as a poor country with cold weather and barren land where subsistence was very difficult. This and other intelligence made Ranjit Singh mentally write off the adventure.

But ambition motivated Zorawar Singh and he remained adamant in his desire for acquisition and glory. Following the victory over Ladakh in 1836, he again sought permission of the Maharaja to attack Tibet and annex it to the Khalsa Sarkar, which was declined again citing it as being an inopportune time for the invasion. The astute Maharaja was well aware of the problems such an invasion may lead to given the difficult terrains and long lines required for logistics.

Zorawar Singh had better luck with Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s successor Sher Singh, who agreed to his long-pending proposal of wanting to invade Tibet, and the rest is well, not

very well documented history.

None of the Indian books on Zorawar Singh mention that he led Sikh soldiers in his campaign to Ladakh and Tibet. In his book ‘Footprints in the Snow: On the Trail of Zorawar Singh’ the then Brigadier GD Bakshi, gives credit to Sikhs for the revival of military spirit in the region and acknowledges Maharaja Ranjit Singh as a ruler with a vision who modernised his army. It says, “The Dogras under Gulab Singh and Zorawar Singh were part of this Sikh military renaissance”.

The Ladakh and Tibetan campaign of Zorawar Singh and the subsequent treaty eventually formed the basis of the McMohan Line, the border agreed by British India and Tibet in 1914. China disputes its legal status and on that basis has occupied the area of Aksai Chin which belongs to India. At the time of the campaign in 1841 –China had no role, militarily or otherwise.

Zorawar Singh is not seen as an aggressor by Tibetans but remembered in a more positive light because his

How inequality fuels COVID-19 deaths T

hree countries – the United States, Brazil, and Mexico – account for nearly half (46%) of the world’s reported COVID-19 deaths, yet they contain only 8.6% of the world’s population.

Some 60% of Europe’s deaths are concentrated in just three countries – Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom – which account for 38% of Europe’s population. There were many fewer deaths and lower death rates in most of Northern and Central Europe.

Several factors determine a country’s COVID-19 death rate: the quality of political leadership, the coherence of the government’s response, the availability of hospital beds, the extent of international travel, and the popu

04

lation’s age structure. Yet one deep structural characteristic seems to be shaping the role of these factors: countries’ income and wealth distribution.

The US, Brazil, and Mexico have very high income and wealth inequality. The World Bank reports the respective Gini coefficients for recent years (2016-18) at 41.4 in the US, 53.5 in Brazil, and 45.9 in Mexico. (On a 100-point scale, a value of 100 signifies absolute inequality, with one person controlling all income or wealth, and zero means a completely equal distribution per person or household).

The US has the highest Gini coefficient among the advanced economies, while Brazil and Mexico are among the world’s most unequal countries. In Europe,

Italy, Spain, and the UK – with Gini scores of 35.6, 35.3, and 34.8, respectively – are more unequal than their northern and eastern counterparts, such as Finland (27.3), Norway (28.5), Denmark (28.5), Austria (30.3), Poland (30.5), and Hungary (30.5).

The correlation of death rates per million and income inequality is far from perfect; other factors matter a lot.

France’s inequality is on par with Germany’s, but its COVID-19 death rate is significantly higher.

The death rate in rela-

tively egalitarian Sweden is significantly higher than in its neighbors, because Sweden decided to keep its social distancing policies voluntary rather than mandatory.

Relatively egalitarian Belgium was battered with very high reported

death rates, owing partly to the authorities’ decision to report probable as well as confirmed COVID-19 deaths.

Moreover, higher inequality leads to lower social cohesion, less social trust, and more political polarization, all of which negatively affect governments’ ability and readiness to adopt strong control measures.

Higher inequality means a larger proportion of lowincome workers – from cleaners, cashiers, guards, and delivery persons to sanitation, construction, and factory workers – must continue their daily lives, even at the risk of infection. More inequality also means more people living in crowded living conditions and therefore unable to shelter safely.

FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO WWW.PROJECTSYNDICATE.COM

campaign and the subsequent treaties between Tibetans and Lahore Darbar proves even now that Tibetans had a legitimate claim of sovereignty.

It is perhaps time to rewrite the campaigns of General Zorawar Singh by incorporating Tibetan and other non-Dogra sources. The Jammu & Kashmir Rifles, an infantry regiment of the Indian army, celebrates 15th April every year as Zorawar Day to commemorate the birth and career of the legendary commander who is considered as an architect of this regiment, which now takes recruits from J&K and Himachal Pradesh.

Zorawar Singh is duly credited with the conquest of Ladakh, which remained, culturally, Tibetan Buddhist.

He later led a successful campaign against Gilgit-Baltistan (now part of Pakistan administered Kashmir) in 1839-40. However, he is mostly remembered for his daring campaign in Tibet in 1841 and enjoys an iconic status among the Hindu Dogra community of Jammu.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Top

TWEET Dr Harsh Vardhan @drharshvardhan #covid19lockdown cannot hinder an innovative mind! The National Innovation Foundation–India (NIF), an autonomous institute of @IndiaDST, recognized the work of an #Assam tea garden owner, for having developed a tea dehydration machine & an agar wood oil extraction machine.

Anand Sharma @AnandSharmaINC A government that ruined the economy by its monumental mismanagement is now profiteering at the cost of the people who are suffering, by raising petrol & diesel prices without any justification as crude prices at historic lows in the global market. #SpeakUpAgainstFuelHike

Spiritual SPEAK

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

—Isaiah 40:29

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‘Speak up against rising fuel prices’ RaGa shared a video wherein, a person could be heard saying that the government is ‘rubbing salt on the wounds of people’ by increasing prices at a time when they are either unemployed or not receiving salaries New Delhi: Keeping up with his daily criticism of the Centre, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday again took a swipe at the Modi government for the rising fuel prices and urged people to join the protest against it.

Gandhi took to Twitter to show his resentment and stated, “Come and join #SpeakUpAgainstFuelHike campaign.”

This came after the state-run oil marketing companies raised the prices of petrol and diesel on Monday, a day after there was no hike in rates that were increasing continuously for three weeks.Diesel price on Monday scaled a new high after prices were hiked for the 22nd time in just over three weeks, taking the cumulative increase to Rs 11.14 per litre. While, petrol price was increased by 5 paise per litre and diesel 13 paise a litre across the country, according to a price notification of state oil marketing companies.

Fuel prices may come down in India soon, says Pradhan Vaishali

Congress leader DK Shivakumar with Congress leader Siddaramaiah carries a bike on the shoulder in protest against fuel price hike, in Bengaluru on Monday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

SIDDARAMAIAH RIDES BICYCLE TO PROTEST AGAINST PRICE HIKE

Bengaluru: Former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah along with Congress leaders rode a bicycle from his residence to Minsk Square to protest against the hike in fuel prices. KPCC President DK Shivakumar too accompanied him.”We are carrying out our duty. At the time of UPA government's rule, when there was any hike in fuel prices, several BJP leaders had made bold statements. It is ironic that at the time of this COVID-19 pandemic, even despite the price of barrels falling, they have increased fuel prices,” said Shivakumar.

The Wayanad MP also shared a video wherein a person could be heard saying that the government is “rubbing salt on the wounds of people” by increas-

Maharashtra Cong joins the protest Pune: Congress staged a protest in Maharashtra’s Pune against the surge in petrol and diesel prices across the country.

Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat said: “The protest is happening all over the country today.

When petrol diesel prices are hiked it impacts common man, today when the common man is in problem already

due to coronavirus the government is putting another burden on them by increasing petrol and diesel prices.” Former MLC Mohan Joshi “Today the prices in the international market are less but still govt is taking more money from Pune for fuel. The government should provide fuel at the price of international crude oil price,” he said. —ANI

ing the prices at a time when people are either unemployed or not receiving salaries.

“Amid coronavirus pandemic and tensions with China, the Centre

has left the common man to fend for themselves. It is looting the country by increasing the price of petrol and diesel from the past 21 days. The poor and middle class people are helpless,” the video narrated. The video, shared

by Rahul Gandhi, went on to urge people to raise their voice against hike, so that it lands on ‘deaf ears of the govt.’

“The Modi government has ‘unlocked’ the Corona epidemic & petroldiesel prices,” tweeted Gandhi with a graph showing a spike in Coronavirus cases and fuel prices. —Agencies

New Delhi: Amid the rising fuel prices, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday hinted that the prices of petrol and diesel in India may soon come down. “World economy as well as Indian economy is going through a challenging time. Due to COVID19 pandemic, energy industry is going through a tough time. Demand for petrol went down by 7080% in April-May months in the country which directly impacted economy,” the minister said, amid protests by the Opposition over the skyrocketing fuel prices.

“Now the demand is picking up again. No one can predict oil prices, but we've estimated that as prices in international markets stabilise, prices in India will also stabilise,” the Petroleum Minister said.

bul Mujahideen when he was on the run, the Kashmir police said. He

Rampur: Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that the Gandhi family is unable to understand that the current government is not that of former PM Dr Manmohan Singh which they used to remote control.

Reacting to Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi's comment stating, that PMCARES Fund has received donations from Chinese companies

which is ‘alarming for national security,’ Naqvi said, “Gandhi family is not able to understand that this is not Manmohan Singh's government which they used to remote control.

Modi government is dedicated to nation’s development & security. Congress should stop giving dictation.

Congress party is fitted in a family photo frame & will never accept ground reality.” —ANI

had shifted his area of operation to Kashmir.

“Doda district in Jammu Zone becomes totally militancy free once again as Masood was a last surviving terrorist of the Doda District,” Dilbag Singh said. “Doda district in Jammu Zone becomes totally militancy free once again as Masood was a last surviving terrorist of the Doda District,” Dilbag Singh said. —ANI

Anirudh Tiwari Bhopal: The way for first cabinet expansion of BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, is now cleared. After several rounds of meetings with BJP High Command in Delhi, names of 25 to 28 ministers have been finalised for the Cabinet. For the first time in MP, the post of Dy CM is being created in a BJP government. According to

DEFENCE MIN LAUNCHES NEW PORTAL FOR SECURITY CLEARANCES New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday launched a new portal for according security clearances to various organisations for projects in areas nearby defence installations and also for RSSE activities in Indian Territorial Waters and EEZs, said the Office of Defence

Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Minister of Steel, Government of India.

Views personal. RTs not endorsement.

Unlike @INCIndia’s legacy of transferring money into the accounts of middlemen, ‘National Daamad’, ‘The Family’ and Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Modi ji’s DBT is about putting money in the hands of the poor, farmers, migrant workforce and women.

‘This isn’t govt which Gandhis used to control’ ‘BORN TO FOREIGNER, CAN'T BE PATRIOT’

Doda is militancy free, after Hizb MP: PAVING WAY FOR terrorist killed in encounter: Cops CABINET EXPANSION New Delhi: Masood, a so-called commander of terrorist group Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed by security forces in an encounter in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Monday. Masood was the last surviving terrorist from the Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir police chief Dilbag Singh said.

Masood was wanted in a rape case in Doda and had joined the Hiz-

Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp

Minister. The newly developed Ministry of Defence portal will facilitate the applicants in submitting their proposals online for seeking MoD Security Clearance. The online system will establish an effective, speedy and transparent mechanism to process these proposals, said the officials.

sources, it has been agreed to make Scindia supporter, Tulsi Silavat & senior BJP leader and Home Minister Narottam Mishra asDy CM. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan immediately left for Delhi after returning from Tirupati, wherein, he held met with BJP President JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah as well as Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

05

IN THE COURTYARD

Functioning of Delhi HC, district courts suspended till Jul 15 New Delhi: Delhi HC extended the suspension of the functioning of the HC and courts subordinate to it till July 15 in view of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Taking note of the prevalent situation in Delhi, the Administrative and General Supervision Committee of Delhi HC said that the regular functioning of high court as well courts subor-

dinate to it shall continue to remain suspended till July 15. All the pending matters listed before the court in this period will stand adjourned.

It said that the suspended functioning of HC of Delhi shall stand extended till July 15 on same terms as contained in order dated June 13. However, hearing in urgent matters would be held via VC. —ANI

HC junks plea seeking uniform SOP for arrests New Delhi: Delhi HC refused to entertain a PIL seeking uniform standard operating procedure for arrests claiming there are no guidelines for the same in Gazette of India.

A division bench of CJ DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan disposed of the plea filed by Abhijit Mishra but granted him liberty to approach an appropriate forum if there is a violation of legal provisions concerning arrest in any individual case. Mishra, in his plea, said that to date there are no uniform guidelines or SOPs in regard to arrest of citizen as published in the Gazette of India.

Hearing on pleas related to Jamia violence adjourned New Delhi: The Delhi HC adjourned to July 6 hearing on several petitions relating to the violence that erupted in and around the Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI) University in December last year.

A division bench presided by Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan adjourned the matter as many of the parties had not received a copy of the replies.

The Crime Branch of Delhi Police had earlier submitted before HC their response on several pleas, including one filed by lawyer Nabila Hasan through advocates Sneha Mukherjee and Siddharth Seem seeking action against cops over Jamia violence.

Police said that there is no need for a separate inquiry as it is already probing the matter. —ANI

‘India stands together with Bhutan in dealing with various challenges’ New Delhi: Terming India and Bhutan relationship as 'truly unique', External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the two countries are fighting the coronavirus pandemic together and assured that New Delhi stands with Thimphu in dealing with challenges post the global crisis.

The minister's remark came at the signing ceremony of Concession Agreement for

U’KHAND GOVT TO BEGIN CHARDHAM YATRA FROM JULY 1 Dehradun: Uttarakhand government will begin the Char Dham Yatra for residents of the state from July 1, Uttarakhand Chardham Devasthanam Board Chief Executive officer said. “Uttarakhand government will begin Char Dham Yatra for the residents of the state from July 1, following standard operating procedure (SOPs) issued by the government in view of COVID-19,” the board said. It said that people from containment zones and quarantine centres within the state will also not be allowed to take part in pilgrimage.

600 MW Kholongchhu JV-Hydroelectric Project in Bhutan. The agreement was signed between Bhutan gov-

ernment and Kholongchhu Hydro Energy Limited. Jaishankar called the joint project as yet another milestone in “diverse” and “multi-faceted bilateral cooperation” between the two neighbouring countries. “600 MW Kholongchhu JVHydroelectric Project is the first joint venture to be implemented in Bhutan. I congratulate both for this feat,” he said. —ANI

‘PUNJAB TO BE SHORT OF 30,000 CR IN REVENUE THIS FISCAL’ Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said that the state is estimated to be short of Rs 30,000 crore in revenue this financial year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.“I have just sent to the Prime Minister a memorandum of the Government of India seeking fiscal and non-fis-

cal assistance from the government. We have covered all our areas. We estimate, that by the end of this financial year, we will be short of about Rs 30,000 crore in revenue,” Singh said in a press conference.He observed that trade is going down and added that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) will be reduced.

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COVID 19 UPDATE

The plasma bank at ILBS Hospital, will probably be the first such bank of the country

‘Delhi to get plasma bank soon’ ABHISHEK MANU SINGHVI IN HOME QUARANTINE

New Delhi: The Delhi government will set up a plasma bank to help Covid-19 patients in the city, announced chief minister Arvind Kejriwal at a press conference this afternoon. It is likely to be the first such bank in the country.

Use of plasma therapy involves injecting blood-component plasma extracted from a cured coronavirus patient into a positive case.

The plasma of a cured patient is considered to carry virus-fighting antibodies which boost the immune system’s response to the disease.

Plasma is the almostclear liquid left behind after red and white blood cells and platelets are removed from the blood.

The plasma bank – which will operate largely like a blood bank – will be set up in the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences

Arvindkejriwal @Arvindkejriwal “Dr Aseem Gupta, a senior doctor of LNJP Hospital succumbed to Covid yday. He was known for going out of his way to serve his patients. We have lost a very valuable fighter. Delhi salutes his spirit and sacrifice. I just spoke to his wife and offered my condolences and support.”

(ILBS) hospital in south Delhi and the services can be availed by patients admitted in both government and private hospitals, but it has to be recommended by a doctor, the chief minister said.

He further said, “The

Delhi government has decided to set up a plasma bank in ILBS Hospital. This will probably be the first plasma bank of the country.

Any Covid-cured individual would be able to donate plasma and active Covid patients admitted in both private and government hospitals would be able to avail it. But only a doctor can recommend plasma therapy and it cannot be randomly sought by any Covid patient. After recommendation, the concerned hospital has to inform ILBS for plasma.”

He said that government is working out the modalities of plasma bank & they shall be finalised in another two days.” The CM also announced an honorary amount of Rs 1cr to family of Dr Aseem Gupta, who died of Corona. —ANI

New Delhi: Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is being treated for coronavirus, tweeted on Monday that while he didn’t need plasma “by god’s grace” as he had a mild infection, he had pledged his own as it was the most effective remedy available. The Congress spokesperson tested positive for the virus last week and has been in home isolation.

PUDUCHERRY CM TESTS NEGATIVE FOR INFECTION Puducherry: Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and the staff at his residence on Monday tested negative for COVID-19.However, the Chief Minister has been advised seven days home quarantine, Director of Health and Family Welfare S Mohan Kumar said.

Narayanasamy and staff at his residence underwent examination for COVID-19 on Sunday after one of the staff had tested positive a few days ago. The chief minister and all the 52 staff tested negative. —ANI

A man holding an umbrella is silhoutted during light rainfall in Jalandhar. —PHOTO BY PTI

Ashwini K Singh is new BSF south Bengal IG Kolkata: Ashwini Kumar Singh took over as the new IG of BSF’s south Bengal frontier that mans over 940 kilometres of the IndiaBangladesh international border, a senior officer

said.Singh is a 1984-batch officer of BSF cadre.

Singh, who took over from incumbent Y B Khurania, also undertook a tour of the border areas in Malda district and reviewed the secu-

rity preparedness.The IG asked troops to ensure “zero” trans-border crimes. He also asked his personnel to use technology tools to prevent cross-border crimes, an official said.

treated in private hospitals and 69 in the government-run civil hospital. There are 36 cases in the city and 33 in rural areas.

planes,” MHA said.

Dates for the opening of activities will be decided separately, based on the assessment of situation, MHA said.

Lockdown shall continue to be implemented strictly in the containment zones till July 31.

The new guidelines, issued on Monday, are based on feedback received from States and UTs, and extensive consultations held with related Central Ministries and Departments.

“Shops depending upon their area can have more than five persons at a time. However, they have to maintain

KAUN BANEGA CAG?

It will not be a surprise, if former Finance Secretary, Hasmukh Adhia is appointed as new CAG. He is a 1981 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre.

There is a shortage of two Members in the CBDT. After the retirement of Akhilesh Ranjan in November last, second vacancy has been caused because of the superannuation of PK Dash.

Now third vacancy is expected in July. And the Chairman will also retire in August. Why so much delay in appointments in the CBIC and the CBDT?

India’s recovery rate reaches 58.67 pc: Govt New Delhi: India’s coronavirus recovery rate has reached 58.67 per cent as the gap between recoveries and active cases stands at 1,11,602, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

A total of 12,010 COVID-19 patients have been cured in the last 24 hours. According to the Ministry on Monday, the total coronavirus cases in the country stands at 5,48,318 including 2,10,120 active cases, 3,21,723 cured/ discharged/migrated and 16,475 deaths.

“The gap between recoveries and active cases is 1,11,602 as of today.

So far, as many as 3,21,722 patients have been cured of COVID-19. The recovery rate continues to steadily improve. It has reached 58.67% amongst COVID-19 patients today.

50L PPE SUITS’ MONTHLY EXPORT

ORDERS OF DR RAJ KIRAN RAI AS UBI MD & CEO ISSUED

Orders regarding the tenure extention of Dr Raj Kiran Rai, MD & CEO of Union Bank of India, were issued on Monday, the sources said.

NOTIFICATION OF PP SENGUPTA FOR MD & CEO OF INDIAN OVERSEAS BANK TO BE ANNOUNCED ON TUESDAY?

Notification for appointment of P P Sengupta as MD & CEO of Indian Overseas Bank is expected today. He is supposed to take over on July 1.

K RAJESWARA RAO IS NOW ADDITIONAL SECRETARY, NITI AAYOG

K Rajeswara Rao, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Mines, has been appointed as Additional Secretary, NITI Aayog. He is a 1988 batch IAS officer of Tripura cadre.

VINI MAHAJAN SUPERSEDES FOUR OFFICERS TO BECOME PUNJAB CS

During the last 24 hours, a total of 12,010 COVID-19 patients have been cured. Presently, there are 2,10,120 active cases and all are under active medical supervision,” said a release by MoHFW. —ANI

Govt bans 59 China-linked phone applications New Delhi: In a huge move, the Central Government on Monday decided to ban 59 mobile applications linked to China on grounds of national security.

A formal order, asking phone companies to block the applications, was issued after weeks of discussions that started much before the Ladakh border standoff with China.

The government said the apps were blocked “in view of information available they are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.”

The statement from the Ministry of Elec-

POWER Gallery NOW TWO VACANCIES IN CBDT

Digital strike on China!

RAIN RELIEF...

06

APPS THAT HAVE BEEN BANNED

Vini Mahajan, a1987 batch Punjab cadre IAS officer, appointed Chief Secretary of Punjab, has superseded four IAS officers including KBS Sidhu of the 1984-batch, senior-most officer in Punjab due to retire in July 2021. Three other officers, all of 1985-batch, are Satish Chandra currently Home Secretary who retires in September 2020, Kalpana Mittal Baruah, who retires in November 2020 and Arun Goel, who retires in December 2022.

PESB YET TO HOLD INTERVIEWS FOR CHAIRMAN, SAIL

The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) is yet to hold interviews for the post of Chairman, Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), falling vacant next year on January 1, 2021. The names of five internal candidates including two Directors and three Executive Directors are doing the rounds for the post, informed the sources.

PP SHARMA APPOINTED SC’S VACATION OFFICER FOR AUG 2020

Prem Prakash Sharma, Deputy Registrar in the Supreme Court has been appointed as Vacation Officer in the Supreme Court for month of August 2020.

SASHI SHANKAR RELIEVED TO JOIN CENTRAL DEPUTATION

Sashi Shankar, DCF, Chittorgarh, has been relieved to join central deputation as Assistant Inspector General of Forests (Central), Regional Office, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dehradun. He is a 2009 batch IFS officer of Rajasthan cadre.

GOPAL MEENA IS ALSO ADDITIONAL CEO IN BIHAR

Gopal Meena has been assigned an additional charge of Additional Chief Electoral Officer (ACEO) in Bihar. He is a 2007 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre.

SAJEEV KRISHNAN QUITS AS PARTTIME CHAIRMAN OF DHANLAXMI BANK tronics and Information and Technology said it had received an “exhaustive recommendation” from Indian Cyber Crime Coordination

Centre & MHA. The ministry said it received representations from people on “security of data & risk to privacy” regarding few apps.

movement of people as well as long-distance travelling without any emergency. —PTI

Congress’ “Speak Up Against Fuel Hike” campaign across the country, she said on the one hand, the COVID-19 pandemic was wreaking havoc and on the other, the rise in petrol and diesel prices was making life very difficult for the people.

The Congress launched the countrywide campaign on Monday to press the central government to roll back fuel prices as they were hurting the common people. Party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also joined the campaign on social media,

Sajeev Krishnan, Part-time Chairman and Independent Director of Dhanlaxmi Bank, has resigned from the Board of the Bank w.e.f June 29, 2020 due to personal reasons, informed a few reliable sources from the Bank.

FROM PG 1 Unlock1.0...

Khodiyarnagar areas, and Padra, Savli, Bhayli Road, Karodia, Samiyala and Chandod rural areas.

Though the Vadodara health statement reported two deaths on Monday, there was no mention of it in the state health statement.

In Bharuch, two patients died of Covid-19 and the number of deaths has reached 13, according to the district administration.

Ten fresh cases were reported on Monday, taking the total to 220.

In Rajkot, there are a total of 98 active cases.

Of these, 29 are being

Shut: Metro,...

10 pm to 5 am. Further, relaxations in night curfew have been given for the seamless operation of industrial units in multiple shifts, movement of persons and goods on National and State Highways, loading and unloading of cargo and movement of persons to their destinations after disembarking from buses, trains and air-

adequate physical distance. Training institutions of the Central and State Governments will be allowed to function with effect from July 15, 2020. SOP in this regard will be issued by the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India,” MHA said. —ANI

Maha lockdown...

No new loosening of curbs have been announced and relaxations granted earlier under “Mission Begin Again” will continue for citizens.

The order clearly prohibited inter-district

Amid Chinese... by both the countries for disengagement.

It is also being said that all contentious areas during the ongoing standoff will be discussed in tomorrow’s meeting to stabilise the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The last two meetings at the Corp Commander level were held on June 6 and June 22.

‘Govt ‘extorting’...

Participating in the

and urged people to join them in pressing the government to reduce fuel prices.

“I, along with all Congressmen and others together, demand from the Modi government to immediately roll back the increase in prices of petrol and diesel raised during this crisis due to the corona pandemic,” Sonia Gandhi said in a video message.”—PTI

Terrorists attack... enter into the compound leading to PSX building through a parking lot but security forces foiled their attack within the com-

pound itself, Deputy SP Jamil Ahmed said. DG Rangers Sindh Major-General Omer Ahmed Bokhari, said the attackers intended to not only enter the building but also carry out violence and hold people hostage.

“The PSX is an important symbol of economic activity hence the objective of these militants was to increase casualties here and hold hostages.

Four security guards, a police sub-inspector and two civilians were killed in the heavy exchange of fire at the PSX compound. —PTI

TALKING POINT AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020

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07

FOR PEOPLE LUCKY ENOUGH TO KEEP THEIR JOBS, AND FOR THOSE OF US IN PROFESSIONS WHERE IT’S POSSIBLE, WORKING FROM HOME HAS BECOME THE NEW NORMAL

O

ne of the most profound ways the COVID-19 pandemic has affected our lives has been in the way we work. For people lucky enough to keep their jobs, and for those of us in professions where it’s possible, working from home has become the new normal.

Australia’s success in “flattening the curve” means restrictions are now being lifted. With this, many employers are bringing their staff back into the office, or at least contemplating doing so.

But as the current outbreaks in Victoria show, it’s dangerous to think we’re now safe from the threat of COVID-19.

So, what do we need to consider as we take those first tentative steps back into the office.

HEADING BACK TO THE

FIRST, HOW DOES THE VIRUS SPREAD? hile there’s a lot we W still don’t know about SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, we do know it spreads most effectively from person to person in droplet form. Infected people emit these droplets when they sneeze, cough, and even speak.

Those droplets can be transmitted directly through the air — say when an infec-

tious person coughs in the direction of someone else close by — or they can settle on surfaces, where they can remain viable for hours.

The virus enters the body of a non-infected person through contact with mucous membranes in the nose, mouth or eyes and attaches to cells in the upper respiratory tract to establish infection.

OFFICE WORKERS n many workplaces, emIspace, ployees share a small office work in an open-plan office, or use “hot desks” that are shared between several different employees on different shifts.

Workers in these situations are often required to work for long periods in environments that make it hard to maintain the recom-

mended 4m² distancing rule.

This combination — several hours spent in close contact — increases the risk of COVID-19 transmission. This is illustrated by an outbreak in an open-plan call centre in Seoul, where more than 43% of workers contracted COVID-19 during February and March.

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

each employee in a Fableirst, shared office should be to have at least 4m²

CONSIDERATIONS FOR EMPLOYERS

to themselves. If this isn’t possible, it would be a good idea to stagger staff or allow them to continue working from home for now.

Second, think about airflow. Small offices often have insufficient airflow to dilute the virus, and, if an infectious person is present, could end up with high concentrations of viral particles over the course of an hour or so.

Conversely, higher rates of airflow combined with poor ventilation can also lead to infection, as droplets can be carried further.

So where possible, increase ventilation and air exchange in open-plan workspaces. Increasing the ratio of fresh air intake to recirculated air can reduce the concentration of virus particles in air conditioned spaces. Even simply opening windows can reduce viral spread.

Third, cleaning protocols need to be increased.

Where once a twice weekly visit from a contracted cleaner to vacuum the floors, empty the bins and quickly wipe over surfaces was considered sufficient, during COVID-19 you need irst, you should clean Fboards, equipment like keyphones and mice

regularly, and definitely between each user if desks are shared. Simply wipe your desk and equipment with a domestic spray cleaner.

Second, the best protection against the virus is personal hygiene. Washing your hands with soap and water offers excellent protection against SARSCoV-2. When you can’t wash your hands, use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser instead.

You should wash or sanitise your hands regularly throughout the day, especially any time

CONSIDERATIONS FOR EMPLOYEES

to ensure a thorough daily clean of all surfaces.

Frequently touched surfaces, such as desks, light switches, door handles, phones, staircase railings, touch screens, keypads, taps and toilets should be given special attention and may require more frequent cleaning.

Fourth, if a worker becomes sick with respiratory symptoms, isolate them from other staff and arrange for them to go home.

Advise them to get tested for COVID-19 and not return to work until they have a negative result.

Similarly, reinforce the message, “if you’re sick, get tested and don’t come to work”. Now more than ever, the culture of “soldiering on” while unwell puts others at risk. Finally, you might also consider asking employees to wear face masks at work. Face masks are unlikely to protect the person wearing them but can limit the disease being spread by coughs and sneezes.

Cramped shared offices and free-for-all hot-desking are both known for their negative impacts on quality of workplace life. The results are often interpersonal conflict, reduced productivity and higher rates of sickness. you touch anything you suspect someone else has recently been in contact with.

Third, maintain a distance of 1.5m from other people to protect yourself from airborne droplets.

Fourth, practise good respiratory hygiene by coughing and sneezing into a tissue or the crook of your elbow. This prevents viral particles spreading over surfaces and toward people around you.

Lastly, if you have any symptoms, don’t go to work. Get tested as soon as possible and stay at home until you receive the results.

Perseverance is hard work. It is hard work continued, once you finished working hard on something which is still not complete. It is also the key to success!

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020

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CM assures saints, Manek will tender apology to Bapu A delegation of saints met CM to ask what action was being taken against Dwarka ex-MLA Shishir Awasthi Gandhinagar: Incensed over the misbehaviour of BJP leader from Saurashtra Pabubha Manek with prominent spiritual preacher Morari Bapu recently, a delegation of saints from different religious places in Gujarat on Monday called on Chief Minister Vijay Rupani demanding to know what action was being taken against him.

After the meeting, the saints told mediapersons that Chief Minister Rupani had given them an assurance that Pabubha Manek would visit Mahuva to meet Morari Bapu at his ashram and tender an apology for his behaviour Manek, whose election as an MLA from the Dwarka constituency was recently invalidated by the Gujarat High Court, had earlier this month charged towards Morari Bapu at a public function in a fit of anger apparently to harm him. It was because of the intervention by BJP MP

A group of saints met CM Vijay Rupani over BJP leader’s insult of Morari Bapu.

Poonam Madam and others present that Manek was unable to reach closer to the spiritual leader.

The Dwarka BJP leader was angry over Morari Bapu’s public remark two years ago that Lord Krishna had set up the rule of “dharma” everywhere else but could not do so in Dwarka, a video of which went viral recently. Morari Bapu has already apologized for that remark more than once.

A day after this incident, a group of saints

4 persons drown in a stream in Jamnagar First India Bureau Rajkot: Four persons, including two children, drowned in a stream while they were crossing it on a mobike between Udaipur and Sattapar villages of Jamjodhpur taluka in Jamnagar district on Monday.

Police said while they fished out the bodies of Awal Sindhav (27) and his sister Manju Solanki (33), they were searching for the bodies of Anandi Solanki (13) and Minal Solanki (3), both daughters of Manju.

Police said the incident occurred while

Sindhav was driving Manju and her daughters on his bike from her in-laws place in Ranavav of Porbandar district to their home in Udaipur.

“It appears that Sindhav misjudged the depth of the water and decided to drive through his bike on which Manju and her daughters were seated. When he reached the middle of the stream, the current in the water was so strong that it swept away within seconds,” said VD Rawaliya, head constable with Jamjodhpur police station.

MLA’S ANGER

had called on Morari Bapu to inform him about their decision to meet the Chief Minister over this issue.

State Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama and Gujarat BJP Spokesperson Bharat Pandya had

also called on Morari Bapu later for a reconciliation.

Besides Chudasama and Pandya, Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja and other leaders were also present on Monday when the saints were

in Gandhinagar to meet the Chief Minister.

A long-time MLA from Dwarka, Pabubha Manek’s appeal to the Gujarat High Court to let him move the Supreme Court to seek a stay order was also refused. Justice Paresh Upadhyay had stated, “This request is rejected, considering the fact that, the very acceptance of the nomination of the respondent No.1 was illegal... The said illegality cannot be permitted to be perpetuated any further.”

Law student seeks live access to HC hearings First India Bureau Ahmedabad: A young law student has knocked the doors of the Gujarat High Court seeking open public access to courts when they conduct virtual hearings.

A third year law student at Nirma University, Pruthvirajsinh Zala, has filed a public interest litigation stating that the present system of virtual hearings provides video links to court proceedings only to the advocates concerned while it all remains “inaccessible” to the people, including the litigants, media and law students.

Zala went on to argue that even in normal circumstances, physical hearings ought to be made

Gandhinagar: With many farmers believed to be adopting cow-based ‘natural’ farming in Gujarat, the State government has announced a financial assistance for farmers to cover maintenance of the cattle.

The government has announced to provide `900 per month per animal assistance to all such farmers, who are using only indigenous cow breeds for natural farming, using their manure and gau mutra.

The assistance amounts to `10,800 annually for each registered farmer.

The farmers are required to register themselves on the State Government’s iKhedut portal to avail the benefits.

“The registered farmer will get quarterly pay-

ment of `2,700 directly in their bank account.

The decision is aimed at doubling farmers’ income as envisioned by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” a Gujarat Government statement said.

“This is a timely and

more accessible by setting up live-streaming mechanism, in terms of Section 327 of CrPC and Section 153B of CPC, that relate to open trials and access to the public during hearing of cases before the Court.

He contended that the right of access to justice flows from Article 21 of the Constitution. “The concept of justice at the doorstep

would be meaningful only if the public gets access” to the live proceedings since it would provide an opportunity to the people to witness proceedings in having an impact on their lives, the petitioner stated.

He has cited the instance of the Kerala High Court, which has successfully started live-streaming of court hearings through the Zoom App.

ROBOT FIRE-FIGHTER

Ahmedabad Fire Brigade’s 1 crore fire robot Sheshnag capable of operating at a high temperature of 400 degrees.

State govt to provide farmers aid for ‘desi’ cow breeding First India Bureau

08

encouraging support from the Government.

In past couple of years, we have seen many farmers turning to complete natural farming using inputs from indigenous cow breeds.

As of today, about 5,5005,700 farmers across the State are involved in such natural farming.

“With this support, the government has provided encouragement to farmers to have more indigenous cows,” Praful Senjaliya, a farmer leader and expert on cowbased farming, said.

Two Filipinos test Covid positive at Alang yard First India Bureau Bhavnagar: Two Filipinos and two Indians, including the captain of a ship, were among those who tested positive for coronavirus at Asia’s largest Alang ship-breaking yard in Bhavnagar district on Monday.

The two foreign nationals were among the 14-member crew who had beached a vessel “MV Jakarta” on Saturday at Alang and were immediately quarantined.

Ever since Alang ship-breaking yard restarted after the lock-

down, the district administration has laid out a procedure where the crew of vessels coming to the beach at the yard to be dismantled are quarantined in a special facility set up at a hotel in Bhavnagar, about 50 km from Alang.

The vessel had beached on plot number 134 belonging to Mahavir Steel.

“The crew of the ship was quarantined at a paid quarantine facility at a hotel in Bhavnagar and the samples were taken on Sunday,” Gaurang Makwana, District Collector said.

ANGRY OUTBURST!

PATEL’s CLARION CALL: Fight ‘looters & selfish’ government 

The Cong leader says though people suffered from ‘notebandhi’ and GST and are passing through the worst phase post-Covid-19 outbreak, the ‘insensitive’ BJP Govt takes people for granted

Dr. Anita New Delhi: Congress’ senior Rajya Sabha MP and AICC Treasurer Ahmed Patel on Monday gave out a clarion call to the people to fight the “back-breaking” hike in petrol and diesel prices imposed by an “insensitive and selfish” government till it is rolled back.

“It is a high time that we see through the game of this BJP Gov-

ernment to misguide and mislead us and fight for this just demand.

It is not about the Congress or any other party, it is the serious issue that needs to be understood,” Patel twitted in a video message, as part of the “Speak Up Against Fuel Hike” campaign across the country by the Congress.

The Congress launched the countrywide campaign on Monday to press the

@ahmedpatel

We welcome the decision to ban Chinese apps. In light of the grave intrusion of our territory & the unprovoked attack on our armed forces by the Chinese army, we expect our government to take more substantial & effective measures Congress leader Ahmed Patel at his residence in New Delhi.

central government to roll back fuel prices as they were hurting the common people.

“First in the name of notebandhi, then GST and now when corona has hit the common man so hard, the government has hiked the prices when it is very much possible to bring them down, given the low crude oil prices,” the Congress leader asserted.

Patel went on, “In

such tough times, this government is forcing out money from the pockets of the poor; what should I call this, nothing but a white loot’’! This is such an insensitive government, which thinks people would anyway vote for them.

And whenever the elections come -- in this case, they know it is four years away -- they will use the same loot money to woo the people.”

www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia AHMEDABAD, TUESDAY JUNE 30, 2020

SPLIT THE STYLE

Slits have taken over the world of fashion by storm in more ways than one!

NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

A

t one time, thigh-high slits were a rage but those days are bygone, high and higher slits are all the rage with the celebrities but also make heads turn like never before!

From the thighhigh slits, we have moved to the waisthigh slits or a slit all the way! This fashion is now increasingly common among the town celebrities too across.

Before you decide to carry the slit, City First brings you a few tips so that you make heads turn for the right reasons and not for a fashion blooper!

Follow these tips and you will have people wondering what sartorial sorcery have you been up to carry the slit with such aplomb!

The first and foremost is to make sure the dress fits like a glove, there should be no extra spaces for the dress to move or lift up. Or if you don’t have the fig-

ure to carry the slit in a long flowing skirt which looks lovely too, use strapless undies to ensure there is no nudity in case the dress moves. Also, remember high slits are only for the night parties, a modest slit is a norm for the day, purely to ease movement. The day time slit skirts look good with high boots and neon sneakers too.

You don’t actually have to go with a thigh-high slit. You can take a midcalf or just a small slit.

Just the idea of having a front or side slit will add to your look and you can decide the length as per your choice and comfort.

Keep the focus on the legs subtly and please ensure that the legs being shown-off are worth it, waxed, moisturised and toned or you can wear light skin colour stockings too if you want. And make sure you wear the highest heels you can comfortably walk in for the evening party look. Monochrome with the slit with a few accessories as possible, is the look to kill for. Splits work best when everything else is covered. So, if you are showing off your legs, give the cleavage a rest.

Last and the most important is comfort, don’t show off the skin you are not comfortable with. The style will seriously take a back seat if you are not confident and comfortable.

09

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AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020

10

GO DIGITAL! View of ‘Pathfynder’

S

atisfying their creative appetite and delivering pathbreaking campaigns since 2010, Pathfynder has been handling 360 degrees branding for various industry segments and brands across Pan India. It has been the proud pioneer of social media in Rajasthan since it was started by the visionary, Gaurav Hajela. Apart from being the lead photographer with unmatched energy levels, Gaurav heads the marketing and video production wing along with his wife Anisha who heads the content department and manages the day to day operations. The duo has created some unique campaigns for their clients in the past. Various brands have increased their awareness and created a good relationship with their audience because of their campaigns.  How do you manage to deliver excellence in these challenging times?

After the world has been hit by this pandemic called COVID, like everyone, we too were confined to our houses. This was very challenging as team Pathfynder was left with no set working hours and all the team members were working 24*7 for the customers during the lockdown. Be it a big or small brand, at this time everyone wanted to grab the attention on digital media as the time spent by masses on digital media increased manifolds. Despite the challenges of work from home, our team was working each day without complaining to achieve excellence day-in-and day-out. In fact, we successfully launched and carried out some dynamic campaigns for our new and existing customers during the lockdown. I believe that the determination to win is the better part of winning, and our team strives for this in any circumstances.

As a digital agency, how are you handling this process?

Post lockdown, we are getting many inquiries because people have realized that now they can not ignore the digital platform.

With so many businesses/ emerging struggling for visibility, any brand can easily lose focus. And let us not forget that even now we are in partial lockdown. Hence people are still confined to their houses.

We are helping our clients to focus on what they are best at like planning for the present and future of their business. And we will take care of their digital presence to reach out to a wider audience especially in today’s time.  How do you define these testing times in terms of branding?

Consumers/clients expect more mindfulness in these testing times by addressing the larger issues than being just opportunistic and marketing their products. This is not an ideal time for direct product marketing. Compassion and concern towards society and humanity is the need of the hour.

FA CE OF TH ED AY

 Digital transformation for brands has become almost mandatory in a very short time.

Anisha and Gaurav Hajela

We are driving our strategies to communicate around the purpose and values of a brand instead of resorting to product push strategies. The empathetic communication to connect with consumers will now define the success of brands while reinstating positivity.  How has COVID affected your Business?

As said, with all the negativity and issues that COVID has presented for businesses, I think it’d be naive of us to not see this as an amazing opportunity to challenge our business model and use it to generate newer, smarter, more robust business strategies. As an entrepreneur, you have to see this as just another business challenge and face it proactively rather than simply placing yourself in ‘defensive mode’. After the COVID-19 crisis, it is expected that the need for digital promotions will increase. Companies will invest in digital more than ever. We are geared up to get involved in new campaigns to help companies in their digital branding as well as transformation.

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

 What makes you take this decision to shift to a brand new workspace when the world is learning to work from home.

A creative person can’t work from home. We need a lot to feed our creativity. “This new space situated in the centre of Jaipur is an exciting, creative and progressive hub with an amalgamation of culture and character, says Gaurav. When everything around us was so negative and depressing, I wanted to design a space with only positive vibes in every corner. A visit to this premise is not just a visit to an office but it is a visit to free-flowing positivity. And of course, a good cup of coffee is also one of the excuses.”

Sushmita Sen wearing Jaipur Jewellery by Birdhichand Ghanshyamdas Jeweller during IIJW Mumbai

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

Helming an organisation is not a child’s play and you are doing a commendable job. You may get reminded to get it touch with someone from the past and a long lost relationship may revive. You will find yourself free of any pain that you had for some time. You may deal in profit.

Solemn music makes you think deeper. You like to spend some good quality time with your loved ones everyday. You want to become rich and powerful and you will surely succeed in your endeavours. You take care of people around you and stand by their side.

A whimsical sense of humour is your trademark.

You will get some outstanding investment opportunities today that will make you financially stronger even for the future. You may have to lead your team to do extra work so make sure to be very convincing.

Laden with responsibilities and still you smile. Some people deliberately like to friendship you for your money and status, keep miles away from such people. On professional front, the atmosphere is office is highly competitive so make sure you are seen and heard.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Exquisite site will catch your attention for building a new house. You will get full family support in new business ventures you share a very special bond with your father and he is both your best friend and your mentor. You may take help from a health care expert.

Venting your anger on someone close should be avoided. Your parents will help you in times of financial crisis be rest assured but first you must try on your own to get out of it, remember there is always a way. Your good karma will reciprocate with interest.

Put a Pep in your step while working towards your goal. Goddess of money has blessed you with money comfort and security.

Luck is favouring you in every way today. There is a happy atmosphere at home today and you will simply relax and breathe fresh air.

Hustle bustle should be avoided when it comes to building a firm. You are very kind to other and without giving a second thought you go out of the way to help others and sometimes even at the cost of your own well being so please take care of that. Try and eat healthy food today.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Philanthropic work is a good way to channelise your energy in doing something worthwhile. Money is no big deal for you as you always earn back the money you loose such is your luck.

Don’t let your piled up work become insurmountable, you must stop procrastinating.

Quirky sense of humour put you off. You will make big profits from clinching a lucrative deal. You will surely get shortlisted and you will get the appointment letter from your dream firm. Today you may be in the mood to reminisce therefore you may sit back at home and smile.

Hoarding essentials may be on your priority list.

Investments are returns are all under your control and you have worked very hard to be at the current position in life. Things are moving smoothly as far as your career is concerned. Pursue what you truly want to and don’t compromise with it.

Stand by the side of people who are left destitute because of this pandemic.

You may go for some speculative business or job. You share a keen interest in stock market.

Your work contribution on professional front will give your image some must needed boost.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

DIVYA CHOUDHARY, Model

About the new office space: Visualizing the growing need for digitalization and to strike a chord with this new demanding situation, Pathfynder took a step further and has redefined its creative space as they moved-in to a brandnew office. Boasts of stunning views, quirky interiors with an element of yellow and grey, the new office set up is not only inviting but stirs the team to deliver the best. The stateof-the-art décor has deeply looked into every aspect of space planning and presentation. With dedicated sections for Content writing, graphic designing, photoshoots and video editing, each individual has a lot to perform and perform to their full potential.

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020

ESCAPE

TRIBUTE TO THE

DEAR FRIEND

GATEWAY

B

humi Pednekar on Monday pledged to feed over 550 impoverished families as a mark of tribute to late Bollywood actor and her ‘Sonchiriya’ costar Sushant Singh Rajput.

Pednekar made the announcement through an Instagram post where she shared a pic- Bhumi Pednekar ture of the departed actor and penned down a note along with it. “I pledge to feed 550 impoverished families through the Ek Saath Foundation in the memory of my dear friend. Let us show compassion and ...her post love towards everyone that is in need, now more than ever,” Pednekar wrote. The two actors shared screen space in the Abhishek Chaubey directorial. Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai’s residence this month. The detailed post-mortem report has also confirmed that he died by “asphyxia due to hanging.” —ANI

H

ailey Baldwin and Justin Bieber recently escaped for a quarantine getaway to Utah.

The quintessential couple headed on a road trip from California to Utah and won the internet with their PDA. Justin and Hailey shared a romantic moment while on their road trip and left their fans gushing as they gave a glimpse of the same on social media.

...her post

Hailey Baldwin took to her Instagram handle a day ago and gave fans a sneak-peek into their Utah road trip.

“Went on a road trip pt. 1”, Hailey Baldwin captioned her post as she shared a few snaps from her vacay with her hubby. One of the pictures shows Hailey chilling in the pool and soaking the sun in a yellow bikini. Another picture shows Hailey and Justin Bieber giving each other a romantic peck on the lips. Hailey also shared a picture of a pair of blue slip ons with a smiley face on it. Her brown hat gives a glimpse of her holiday mood.

—Agency

Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin

‘LOVED EVERY BIT’ S

Mis-recognised

R

eese Witherspoon had a hilarious encounter with a Carrie Underwood fan!

On Sunday, Reese Witherspoon took to Twitter to share an incident where a fan came up to her and confused her for country singer Carrie Underwood. “To the woman in the parking lot who just asked me if I was Carrie Underwood,” the Wild actress wrote on the social media platform. “You officially made my day,” Witherspoon sweetly wrote in response to the misrecognition. The ‘Two Black Cadillacs’ singer caught a wind of Witherspoon’s tweet and replied to her fellow doppelgänger, writing, “YOUR day?!?!?!?! That lady just made my whole life!” On top of that, the woman who allegedly mistook Witherspoon for Underwood took to Twitter to share her run-in with the Legally Blonde actress on TikTok. Saying: “Okay, so craziest things just happened. I’m with my husband eating at —Agency

Reese Witherspoon

hilpa Shetty Kundra on Sunday penned an appreciation note for Sushmita Sen’s comeback with web series ‘Aarya,’ and said that she’s so happy to see her ‘back with a bang.’

The ‘Life In a Metro’ star put out a throwback picture with the former Miss Universe and heaped praises on her and the web series. Beginning the appreciation post with a rainbow, Shilpa shared, this Lockdown has taught me a few things, the first being how important it is to

appreciate if you do then acknowledge and also Praise... I feel we are so miserly with praise ..” and added that she’d binge-watched the web series ‘Aarya’ on Sunday.

Appreciating the splendid performance by Sen in the series, the ‘Apne’ star added, “So (Sunday) binge-watched #Aarya , and I have to say I’m soooo sooo happy to see you back ( with a bang) WWWHHHAATTT a splendid job, such a nuanced performance.”

—ANI

Shilpa Shetty Kundra

K

D

Khloe Kardashian; (inset) her post

...her post

LIGHT, CAMERA, ANNOUNCEMENT

Extravagant celebration

hloe Kardashian turned 36-years-old on June 27, and her sister Kylie Jenner was sure to give her a bash just as extravagant as the birthday celebrations she gave her daughter, Stormi. If you’ve been following the Kardashians then you know how extravagant their parties can get, and this one for Khloe’s birthday was no exception. From inflatable slides and giant cakes to throw pillows, this celebration had everything.

S p r e a d across Kylie Jenner’s sprawling mansion, Koko’s birthday celebrations were extravagant beyond imagination.

Getting into detail, there was even an inflatable slide with Khloé’s face at the top, an array of balloons, including some that spelled out Khloé’s nickname, Koko. —Agency

11

Alia Bhatt

isney+ Hotstar is looking forward to hosting a bunch of Bollywood movies in the coming months. Films such as Sadak 2, Bhuj, The Big Bull and Laxmi Bomb are all skipping theatrical releases and arriving straight to the streaming app.

The announcement was made during a special live event on Monday evening, attended by all the big stars of the movies, including Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Varun Dhawan and Abhishek Bachchan. The films will be released between July to October, starting with late

Still from the live session

actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s Dil Bechara.

All actors shared posters of their upcoming movies, Ajay said the good thing about the pandemic is how the industry has realised how they can release their films on digital. “We can make more films, we can make a different kind of films for theatres and digital platforms,” he said.

Akshay said that wearing the sari in the movie was graceful. He appreciated how women are able to do so many things while wearing a saree. Also, Varun spoke about Vidyut Jamwwal and Kunal’s films Khuda Hafiz. —Agency

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GET, SET, CLICK!

AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020

—PHOTO BY JOHN ABNER ANDREW, COMPETENCE PRODUCTIONS

CITY FIRST GOT IN TOUCH WITH A FEW PHOTOGRAPHERS TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL CAMERA DAY, ON MONDAY I started photography as a hobby four years ago with my Canon 700D and I have been using it since then.

I honestly feel that the camera body doesn’t make much of a difference for me it’s all in the composition of the picture and the lighting. I am still using my first camera for professional shoots and I am pretty satisfied by its results. Joanie Simon and Neha Sethia are two of my favourite food photographers who have inspired me a lot in the past few years.

—SHUBHAM JAIN

I love photography and it gives me the joy to be able to capture people, their happy moments and emotions in my camera. The minute details which can often be overlooked in person shine through in a photograph. I feel fortunate that when I click a picture, it means that people will enjoy the precious moments of their lives later on and cherish them for years.

CONNECTIONS T

oday is World Social Media day and besides connecting with our friends and family in an easier way, social media has led to a whole new world of business growth, such as e-commerce brands popping up all over the world, advertising is displayed on every page in the web, and media sharing important news with people in a matter of minutes. Social media has had a significant impact on our world, and millions of people can’t imagine living without it now. City First talks to a few of its readers who are active on various SM platforms and also use it effectively. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

YouTube is the world’s 2nd largest platform which gives equal opportunity without spending a single penny.

It gives you a chance to stand out and share your talent with the world. You can create your own unique content in your field.

Like cooking, singing, stand up comedy, beauty, fashion, lifestyle, tech knowledge, etc. You can start making videos and share them with your audience. You just need to be original and creative. If you qualify and monetize your channel, soon advertisements will appear on your videos and as per the view time, you will start earning.

—RJ MAHEK

As humans, we are always attracted to visuals. Cameras have been used for a very long time and I believe photographers are very lucky who make a living out of what they love! From pinhole to the latest high-end digital cameras and lenses today, the camera has made an astounding journey! The camera is a very powerful tool, it has the power to change, educate, protect, preserve, motivate and most importantly bring a smile to your face.

—JOHN ABNER ANDREW

—ABHISHEK SADANAND TALLA

BUILDING CITY FIRST

12

Twitter is today a political tool of communication. The biggest of the politicians from Trump, Modi to the youngest cadre use it to call out the opposition, make a formal statement and even communicate with the Head of a Country, directly or indirectly!

Wars are fought on Twitter and cause bloodshed of words among not just the common people but also leaders! Many a celebrity has taken refuge in ‘My A/C was hacked’ and many a Screenshot from the past does the rounds calling leaders and celebs to the docket by the common Twitterati!

Ever since I did my first post on Instagram I knew this platform was a boon for me.

I started blogging in March 2017 and got associated with 200+ brands. Being a travel bug, I commenced travel blogging and gave a new direction to my blog in 2019. Since then, I was fortunate enough to explore 16 cities and 2 countries.

Blogging didn’t just change me professionally but as a person. It has taught me to be creative, to work hard and provide value to brands and my audience. It feels so good to meet different people, explore destinations and see content creators exchanging new ideas everyday. For me, an ideal blogger is the one who provides remarkable value through every piece of their content.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

AUNTY ZINDABAD@94 Shakuntla Mathur turned a glorious 94 on Monday. The family celebrated the occasion with love and thankfulness. Seen here on her right is her daughter Meenu, Samdhan Sarla Srivastava, daughter Neelima and grandson Vatsal with Jagdeesh Chandra, sons-in-law Sunil Diwan and Sanjeev Srivastava on her left.

—NITIKA PANJWANI

Shakuntala Mathur cuts the cake flanked by her family

WHAT’S HAPPENING!

I was one of the early users of Facebook when I abandoned Orkut a decade back. And today I can back Facebook as the best Social Media platform for business promotions. With more than 2.5 billion users worldwide and around 320 million in India, it has an enormous audience. Apart from that, the dynamics to reach the right people in paid-promotions is the key differentiator for Facebook as a marketing platform.

Corona has changed the market dynamics and digital marketing is an integral part of the new normal. Videos are a fantastic investment area with unparalleled targeting and off-course we cannot overlook Facebook’s upper hand on GIFs, Mobile app, and desktop integration.

—GAURAV HAJELA

RAJASTHAN: In an ongoing series of ‘Education for Generation Z’ webinar organised

by Manipal University, Jaipur, CEO of Akshaya Patra Foundation, Sridhar Venkat and ONGC Foundation CEO, Kiran DM talked about Society, Values and Connect: with the Generation Z Perspective, on Sunday.

RAJASTHAN: Bigg Boss participant and TV Artist, Arhaan Khan came to his hometown, Jaipur on Monday, where he met his little fans and gave them tips on how to learn acting at home. Many kids celebrities including Bhavya, Sambhav, Shivanya were also present during the event.

RAJASTHAN: The digital poster of Mrs Ocean India was launched in Jaipur, by CEO of Jaipur Marathon, Mukesh Mishra, Owner of Mrs Ocean World Organization’s India franchise, Yogesh Mishra and Via Miss India, Amisha Raj, on Monday. Yogesh shared that Mrs Ocean India is a platform for women to resume their journey in the fashion world.