First India-Jaipur Edition-08 June 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

27°C - 38°C

ALERT JAIPUR l MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

4,03,400 DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 3060 DEATHS 85,975 CASES

70,38,621 CONFIRMED CASES

TAMIL NADU 272 DEATHS 31,687 CASES

RAMBAGH PALACE REOPENS TODAY!

RNI NO. RAJENG/2019/77764 l Vol 2 l Issue No. 2

7,206 DEATHS

INDIA

2,57,157

CONFIRMED CASES

DELHI 812 DEATHS 28,963 CASES

RAJASTHAN

240

DEATHS

GUJARAT 1,249 DEATHS 20,097 CASES

10,599

CONFIRMED CASES

UTTAR PRADESH 275 DEATHS 10,536 CASES

Rambagh Palace, Jaipur opens its doors today, after remaining closed for 76 days, the first time in its history that it was ever closed to its patrons and elite clientele. The Rambagh Palace is not just a symbol of the rich heritage and culture of Rajasthan but also a byword in the world of hospitality and luxury across India and abroad. It has been featured amongst the 101 Best Hotels of the World in the prestigious Tatler Travel Guide 2020 and ranked at #07 as Top 100 Hotels Worldwide.

—PHOTO BY SANTOSH SHARMA

Record single-day spike 820 ASI monuments, religious places to open today, sans Maha of 10,535 cases; toll 7,206 New Delhi: India registered its highest single-day spike of COVID-19 cases for the fifth consecutive day on Sunday, with 10,535 new infections taking the country’s tally to 2,57,157, while the death toll rose to 7,206, according to the Union Health Ministry.

India registered 287 deaths in the 24 hours since Saturday morning.

India had raced past Spain on Saturday to become the fifth worsthit nation by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, only the US, Brazil, Russia and the UK are ahead of it.

The number of active COVID-19 cases stands at 1,26,153, according to the Health Ministry.

A total of 1,23,785 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, the Ministry said.

Turn on P6

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

GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS DEATH TOLL CROSSES 40,00,000 London: The worldwide death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 400,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University that health experts say is still an undercount because many who died were not tested for the virus. The milestone was reached Sunday, a day after the Brazilian government stopped publishing a running total of coronavirus deaths and infections. Critics called the move an extraordinary attempt to hide the true toll of the disease rampaging through Latin America’s largest nation. Brazil’s last official numbers recorded over 34,000 virus-related deaths, the third-highest toll in the world behind the US and Britain. Worldwide, at least 6.9 million people have been infected by the virus, according to Johns Hopkins.

New Delhi: The Union Culture Ministry on Sunday approved opening of 820 Archeological Survey of India-protected monuments which have places of worship from June 8, Minister Prahlad Patel said.

However, sources said around 65 such monuments in Maharashtra are unlikely to be opened in view of the large number of corona-

virus cases in the state.

The culture ministry has decided to open only those monuments among the over 3,000

ASI-maintained sites where religious events take place, such as Nila Mosque at Hauz Khas enclave, the Qutub archaeological area and Lal Gumbad in Delhi.

As many as 3,691 Centrally-protected monuments and archaeological sites maintained by the ASI were shut from March 17 in view of the coronavirus crisis.

Turn on P6

Five militants killed in encounter with security forces in J-K’s Shopian Srinagar: Five militants were on Sunday killed in an encounter with security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, a defence official said.

“Five terrorists have been eliminated in operation Turn on P6

Security personnel take positions during an encounter with terrorists in Shopian on Sunday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

‘Under Nitish, NDA to retain power in Bihar’

Union Home Minister & BJP leader Amit Shah addresses ‘Bihar Jansamvad Rally’, through video conferencing, in New Delhi on Sunday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

Aditi Nagar Patna: NDA will retain power in Bihar with a two-third majority under the leadership of CM Nitish Kumar, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah here on Sunday while addressing ‘Bihar Jansamvad Rally’ through video conferencing.

Shah added that crucial issues which no earlier government had dared to touch in the last 70 years had been resolved in the first year

of the Modi government’s second term, making a reference to CAA, abolition of triple talaaq and scrapping of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

“There are elections in Bihar in the coming days. I believe that under Nitish Kumarji’s leadership NDA will form the government with a two-third majority but this isn’t the time for politics. We all should fight COVID-19 under Modiji’s leadership,” said Shah.

Turn on P6

GEHLOT’S ‘FORESIGHT’ SAVES 3-YR-OLD’S LIFE! 

CM’s ‘Dil Without Bill’ scheme proves to be lifeline for labour’s daughter suffering 4 heart ailments

Naresh Sharma Jaipur: Over the years, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has centred his several policies around public health. Whether it was the free medicne scheme, or the free test scheme, or free dialysis or the more recent Nirogi Rajasthan initiative, Gehlot has always had a keen eye for bettering the health and lives of denizens of the desert state.

One of the most impactful scheme announced by the ‘sensi-

CM CHAIRS FINANCE DEPT MEETING

Anshika Teli

tive’ CM, the ‘Dil without Bill’ scheme has proved supremely beneficial to a labour couple and it not only saved their three year old

daughter, but also has ensured that the family does not loose its smile.

3 year old Anshika Teli, a native Roopa village near Jahajpur in

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot

Bhilwara district is the beneficiary of the scheme. Her father, Ramdhan, is a farmer who was devastated when he learnt that his daughter was suffering from four

heart ailments! Anshika was in dire need of Intra Cardiac Repair surgery, but the poor father could not afford the medical and clinical expenses.

Turn on P6

NEWS JAIPUR | MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2020

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

02

RAIN BRINGS MILD RELIEF Jaipur: Heatwave has subsided across Rajasthan due to western disturbances.

Normally, mercury rises during the months of May and June but this year, these months have been cooler as compared to previous summers. It has been the coolest June in the last decade as the temperature which soars to 41°C within first 10 days of June, has not touched 40° C yet. This year ‘Nautapa’ (traditional nine days of heatwave) was also effective for 4 days.

A rainbow on the skies of Jaipur was captured by photojournalist Santosh Sharma after the rains on Sunday evening at 6.55 pm.

Collector Jogaram has an uphill task as city gears up for unlock 1.0 A DILIGENT COLLECTOR ENSURES JAIPUR SAILS THROUGH CRISIS Shivendra Parmar Jaipur: The young and dynamic Collector of Jaipur district—Dr Joga Ram—has established himself as a hardworking official over the past three months since the outbreak of Corona.

Toiling day and night for the past hundred days, Rajasthan’s ‘son of the soil’ has ensured that although Corona spread quickly in Ramganj and surrounding areas, the rest of the city remained unaffected from it. In addition to combating Corona, he has also discharged his other duties too.

Jogaram while demonstrating his management skills by successfully roping in allied departments, not only

Dr Joga Ram

successfully contributed to the lockdown implementation, but also spearheaded tasks like preparation of food packets and dry ration delivery, sanitisation and crucial cash distribution to the needy, who did not feature in any list.

Door-to-door delivery in the curfew bound areas was one responsibility, which ensured that the dreaded stage of

community spread never posed a threat in city.

Now, with ongoing super crucial Unlock 1.0, Joga Ram has an immediate task of ensuring that shopkeepers strictly follow social distancing as they go about restoring their business. The malls, hotels and clubs opening from today, will present a new challenge of social distancing too.

The Collector has formed teams under RAS officers and tehsildars to ensure social distancing isn’t flouted.

Moreover, CM Ashok Gehlot has once again reposed his faith in district administration by letting them take forward talks with the religious leaders, heads and mahants regarding the re-opening of reli-

gious places which will open on recommendations of committees formed under collectors of all districts.

According to a reliable input, CM is not in a mood to reopen religious institutions before July 1, but he is likely to take a final call after studying the recommendations of committees.

So apart from ongoing fight against Covid-19 for which collectors are the nodal officers, now they will oversee such critical matters related to unlock 1.0 too. Jaipur Collector surely has an uphill task as he performs these duties apart from routine administrative obligations as all govt offices in the district open up for public service.

Shekhawat betrayed people of Jodhpur: Harish Chaudhary First India Bureau Jaipur: In a press conference after the meeting with the officials of water supply department at Jodhpur Circuit House, on Sunday, Revenue Minister Harish Chaudhary accused central government of cheating Rajasthan in development schemes.

Chaudhary said that despite Jalshakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat representing Jodhpur in the central government, the problems of western Rajasthan are not being solved. On the contrary, many schemes have been stopped by them or rules changed in the ones which are running so that the benefit could not reach the common people and rural areas.

He said ‘Jal Jeevan

Mission’ scheme has been implemented by Centre in which the main objective is to deliver water to every household, while its provisions are such that all villages deprived of water connections will not be connected. In this scheme, the target group has been fixed to 20 houses or 100 persons, whereas the average population density of Rajasthan is 200 persons per square kilometre and this density is even less in Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Nagaur districts.

Union Ministry has given relaxation in the provision of this target group for the hill, tribal and forest areas, then the same relaxation should be given in the desert region too, said Chaudhary.

OFF THE RECORD RAS’ FIGHT FOR RIGHT!

appears that there will be a bureaucratic tussle in the days in Rajasthan. It is said that bureaucrats Idotcoming not like their ‘rights’ being trumped upon and this is

precisely the reason why the tussle could occur. Word within the RAS circles is that their postings are being encroached upon by departmental officials and they have valid examples also. The post of excise office at Ajmer has been ‘snatched away’ from RAS officials and for the first time I n history, an excise department official has been seated on the position. Furthermore, the post of Managing Director of ‘Bunkar Sangh’ has traditionally been held by RAS officials, however this time around an official of the Industries Department is seated as MD. There are murmurs within the RAS association of discontentment in the officials and word is that the association would have to fight for its right!

FIR against Morari Bapu for objectionable comments First India Bureau Jaipur. A complaint against religious speaker, Morari Bapu has been registered at the Kalwad police station alleging that he made an objectionable comment on Lord Krishna, a few days

ago, while reciting Ram Katha at the Aadi Shakti Peeth in Mirzapur. Complainant Saurabh Raghvendracharya alias Saurabh Bhardwaj of Raghunath Dham, registered the complaint on the basis of a viral video on social media.

THE MILKMAN

He kept all of us utterly-butterly during 70 days of solitude!

Lockdown or no lockdown, corona or otherwise, there is one constant in the lives of most Indians—utterly, butterly—Amul. Even in the toughest of the Covid curfew, there was one shop which never closed, there was one supplier whom no residential society stopped, the doodhwala. And could it be anything else but Amul? Among lakhs of people who ensured you never missed your morning cuppa, your Bournvita, your paneer, your cheese, stood out this unassuming softspokenman, RS Sodhi, the Managing Director of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), the mover and shaker of good old Amul, who has beaten the lockdown more than Corona. Darshan Desai caught up with him. z Despite such a huge crisis, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), and so Amul, has maintained the supply of milk and milk products. How

did you meet this huge challenge?

Milk is an important ingredient of Indian diet and this is why when the lockdown was announced, it was considered an essential commodity. In rest of the other industries, a supply chain means going from factory to the market. But in our industry, the supply chain means (C to C) Cow to Consumer and (B to C) Buffalo to Consumer. This is why we had a double duty one, to ensure the livelihood of our 36 lakh cattle-breeder farmers and two, to ensure our milk supply to 1,000 cities is maintained.

So, when the lockdown was announced on March 25, we immediately communicated to all stakeholders in our supply chain, from the farmers, to transporters and distributors. We told them clearly that it was not only a question of their survival but also a national duty in this crisis. We got encouragement when Union Ministry of Home Affairs and chief ministers of different states called us

The post-Covid lockdown may have broken all chains, but Amul milk supply is one chain that remained intact through the 70 days of partial curfew across the country!

RS Sodhi, MD, GCMMF

to inform that milk supplies must continue. Our supply chain never stopped even for a day, in all circumstances.

This is the reason there was no panic buying, which was our biggest challenge. People had faith in us. z How did you ensure this, right from the village to the ultimate consumer, in this strict lockdown period?

There was a clear communication, right from the cattle-breeders in 19,000 villages to trans-

porters, loaders and to distributors. We had been following the necessary protocol from at least a week before the lockdown was announced. At the village level, where they supplied milk to the mandlis (cooperatives) and through the chain, social distancing, sanitisation and other measures were strictly followed. z And what about protection of the workers at the Amul plants?

At the factory too, there was daily thermal

screening, a sanitisation channel, gloves and masks were all mandatory. Usually, there are more workers at our packaging line. We ensured this strictly there too and in fact, we slowed down the mechanical speed too. Our warehouses and tankers too are being sanitised. z How about the production of milk and its products? It must have been affected?

There was obviously no increase in the production as such, but we procured some 45 lakh li-

tres extra milk and ensured the farmers and supplies don’t suffer any losses. There was extra milk because the “mithai-walas and icecream-walas” and small dairies were closed and could not procure anything. But we had a demand from other states like Maharashtra, UP and Rajasthan and we ensured 100 per cent procurement from the farmers there.

But, we found that household consumption of milk and milk products increased during the lockdown - just imagine, there was an increase of 30% to 40% in consumption of cheese.

Other dairy products too like paneer and butter were used more and there was an increase of around 30% there too.

Yes, ice-cream was initially hit by 80 per cent to 90 per cent, but now it

has recovered to 30 to 40 per cent. z Was there any impact on the income of cattle-breeders or dairy farmers?

Not at all. In fact, we paid Rs 9,000 crore in cash to farmers for their milk supplies-- in fact, we paid extra Rs 900 crore for the milk, we ourselves bought. z How did you as the MD of a brand like Amul cope with the 70-day lockdown?

At Amul, we are a team, where everyone is on an equal-footing. My job was to ensure the supply chain was not broken and there were no hiccups. It was more of problem solving and coordination as well as ensuring everyone is safe. For instance, our tankers were not allowed in Goa, so con-

tacting the Chief Secretary there, drivers was a problem in West Bengal -- to sort it out.

At a personal level, it was not much of an issue, since Anand is a small town, home and office are very close, so I continued attending office. However, other office staff worked from home; there was remote billing and invoicing. z Any future plans?

How do you plan to deal with competition from the increasing number of private players?

The market share of the cooperative sector has and is bound to increase.

We saw the trust of the cattle farmers and the consumers in the cooperative sector during the lockdown and this will only strengthen going forward. Our other items like butter cookies are getting a fabulous response -- we will ensure that our butter cookies will be butter cookies only and not use vegetable oils as many others are doing. And our cookies taste good, try it and you will know.

RAJASTHAN JAIPUR | MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2020

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

03

MALLS, HOTELS & CLUBS READY FOR A COME BACK

Truck hits bike killing couple; They are reopening after 75 days, Tourism Min appealed all to follow social distancing norms; gyms & sports facilities will remain shut driver on the run Jaipur: The malls, hotels, clubs and bars across the city have started to prepare for the re-opening after a massive 75-day dud after the state govt permitted them to reopen with certain guidelines.

Almost all malls, hotels and clubs were seen busy sanitising their complete buildings on Sunday. They are also making provisions for sanitisation inside their facilities wherever the interaction with guests or customers is

in

BRIEF  Jaipur: HC has refused to ban the transfer of more than 50 agricultural supervisors made by the government to prevent the locust attacks in the state.

While hearing the petitions filed by the agricultural supervisors, Justice Pankaj Bhandari said “the biggest priority is to save the crops of the farmers from locusts attack in the state. In such a situation, state government can send you to South Africa as well.”  Jaipur: Regarding the board examinations, Advocate Poonam Chand Bhandari and Advocate Dr TN Sharma, on behalf of Public Against Corruption, have sent contempt notice to the Home Secretary Rajasthan government, Chief Secretary Government of India, Rajasthan Board and Central Board of Education. PAC had filed a petition in HC for cancellation of the exams, in which the court ordered the conduct of the examinations in full compliance with the guidelines of GOI.The notice states that as per the notice issued

by MHA, the govt was ordered to make special arrangements for special buses, masks and sanitisers, for board examinations.

But only 4,000 buses are available in state, while 70,000 buses will be required for about 20 lakh students. Also, the govt has neither bought thermal scanners nor sanitisers so far.

First India Bureau

their establishments.

He also assured action soon for the Hathi gaon residents of Amer.

World Trade Park was seen preparing itself, with sanitisation facilities working at all entry points after sanitising the whole building, which has many leading brand showrooms apart from many famous eateries. World Trade park management has issued special instructions to all the shops, bars & restaurants and entertainment zone owners to strictly follow guide-

lines laid by the govt.

WTP management itself has made arrangements for the thermal screening of everybody entering the mall. All incoming persons will have to wear a mask right from the entrance to their full stay at the mall. Similar arrangements are also being made by individual outlets in WTP and other malls in the city.

The clubs in the city are resuming the restaurant and bar services but gym and sports facilities will remain closed for now.

9 deaths reported in state including 6 from city; 262 new cases in last 24 hrs

Taxi driver kills self due to financial issues

First India Bureau

nagar 8, Hanumangarh 30, Jaipur 2226, Jaisalmer 74, Jalore 169, Jhalawar 327, Jhunjhunu 161, Jodhpur 1843, Karauli 29, Kota 512, Nagaur 503, Pali 591, Pratapgarh 14, Rajsamand 162, Sawai Madhopur 24, Sikar 260, Sirohi 191, Tonk 169 & Udaipur 587.

In Jaipur, 5 cases were from Shashtri Nagar. Sanganer 4, Amer 3, 2 each from SMS Hospital, Mansarovar & Govindgarh, 1 each from Vaishali Nagar, Hasanpura, Harmada, Chandpole, Mahesh Nagar, Jhotwara, civil Lines, Kotputali, Ghatgate, Ramganj, Jyoti Nagar, Gangapole, Transport Nagar, Bassi, Jhalana, Riddhi Siddhi Choraha, Tonk Road, Dudu, Jagatpura and Malviya Nagar.

First India Bureau

Modi govt 2.0 first anniversary: BJP to distribute PM’s letter

ACB traps doc for second time, finds more proof

Mother leaves child home alone, runs away with paramour

expected. In all, everyone is trying to create a Covid-19 free atmosphere which makes the incoming clients, customers and guests feel safe & secure.

Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Vishwendra Singh held a press conference at the circuit house and appealed the management of all malls, and hotels to strictly adhere to the social distancing guidelines. He asked them to ensure measures like thermal screening, masks and sanitizers at all requisite points in

Jaipur: State found 262 new cases on Sunday taking total tally to 10599. 9 deaths were also reported, 6 from Jaipur and 1 each in Baran and Sawai Madhopur. One patient from another state also died taking death toll to 240.

81 new cases were reported from Jodhpur, 63 from Bharatpur, Jaipur 38, Sikar 11, Nagaur 9, 6 each from Kota & Tonk, 5 each from Dausa & Sirohi, 4 each from Bhilwara, Chittorgarh & Pali, 3 each from Dholpur & Jhunjhunu, 2 each from Ajmer & Churu and one each from Alwar, Banswara, Baran, Bundi, Sri Ganganagar, Jalore, Jhalawar, Rajsamand, Sawai Madhopur & Udaipur, 6

—PHOTO BY SUMAN SARKAR

Kavita Chauhan

Malls in Jaipur are being sanitised on Sunday to welcome customers on Monday.

NEW MOM TESTS POSITIVE

‘MINI BOMBAY’ NOW CORONA FREE

were from other states.

So far Ajmer has 365 cases, Alwar 83, Banswara 86, Baran 59, Barmer 106, Bharatpur 672,

Bhilwara 170, Bikaner 110, Bundi 5, Chittorgarh 195, Churu 154, Dausa 69, Dholpur 69, Dungarpur 374, Ganga-

DIYA CALLS FOR ACTION AGAINST DANISH ABRAR! Aishwary Pradhan Jaipur : The two day old controversy of Sawai Madhopur MLA , Danish Abrar entering the ‘Closed during lockdown’ Ranthambore National Park, accompanied by his private bouncers and some activists/ workers, all throwing the Corona protocols to the winds, has found one more critic as Rajsamand MP and former Sawai Madhopur MLA, Diya Kumari, has strongly condemned the entire incident.

Through his rash actions, the MLA has exposed the people and also the tigers to the risk

Diya Kumari

Danish Abrar

of Corona.

Diya has said that the video clip circulating on social media clearly shows that the behaviour of the MLA is highly irresponsible. Govt should take disciplinary action against its MLA. It is to be noted that Sawai Madhopur, MLA Abrar had entered Ranthambore National

Park along with private bouncers and activists on Friday totally disregarding the guidelines of ‘staying masked and maintaining social distance’.

Entry of outsiders to the national parks have been closed due to the danger of spreading Coronavirus to tigers and other wildlife.

First India Bureau Bundi: In the investigation following the arrest of Osteologist Dr OP Dhakad for taking Rs 5000 bribe, ACB searched his residence and reportedly found Rs 54,000 cash, papers of a hospital in Deoli, bank passbook and other documents. The Ojas hospital on Jahajpur road in Deoli was registered in 2016 under his mother & brother’s names. Dr Dhakad was caught by ACB once before, and was reinstated in the job only a short while ago. ACB are investigating the case further to know all the relevant details.

Dungarpur: A taxi driver from Aaspur police station area committed suicide due to his financial constraints. 26-year Kantilal Nanoma had purchased a second-hand Bolero 6 months ago on finance. Due to lockdown, he couldn’t get any taxi assignments and failed to pay his scheduled EMI. He took his wife and two kids to his in-laws a week ago, left them there and returned home and hanged himself in his room. His body was found by his nephew who came to serve him morning tea. Police have recovered a suicide note from his body citing financial constraints as the reason.

First India Bureau Jaisalmer: In the nuclear city of Pokaran, a married woman left her child and husband and ran away with her lover, with jewelry worth about Rs 18,000.

After the husband left for work, both of them left the place, leaving alone the child who is too young to take care of self.

When the husband got to know about the matter, he came back from work and went to the police station with his child. He filed a case and appealed the police

Karauli: A tractor hit a bike near Devlen turn on Hindaun-Mahwa road on Sunday, killing a couple. The police have seized the tractor and are looking for the driver. New Mandi police informed that retired soldier Tan Singh Gurjar, resident of Devlen, was going to Hindaun with his wife Hansadevi on a bike. A tractor trolley at high speed hit them. He died on the spot, while his severly injured wife was referred to Jaipur.

First India Bureau Jaipur: State BJP will set out for door to door distribution of letter from PM Modi to celebrate the first year of Modi govt2.0.

State chief Dr Satish Poonia has assigned various state leaders to inaugurate the campaign from various locations. According to the schedule, Poonia himself will be in his constituency Amer, while National co-organisation Secretary V Satish in Civil lines, state organising General Secretary Chandrashekhar in Malviya Nagar, Central Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Jodhpur, Kailash Choud-

to find the woman.

According to the information received from the police, a resident of Suraj Pol of Pokhran city, Ghanshyam submitted the report that a youth living in their neighbourhood Govind took his wife, who is the mother of two, while he was at the office. They also took away jewelry worth about Rs 18,000.

Based on the report given by the husband against his neighbour and wife, the police have registered a case and started searching for both.

Dr Satish Poonia

hary in Balotara, LOP Gulabchand Kataria in Udaipur and Deputy LoP Rajendra Rathore in Jaipur will inaugurate the campaign.

All this is being done under their campaign whil will held from June 8 to 14 to spread awareness of the achievements of Modi govt’s first year in office in its second tenure.

GST theft case: Sugar filled truck caught at Nokha First India Bureau Bikaner: State Tax Department team caught a truck loaded with sugar in the GST theft case in Nokha. This sugarfilled truck was operating under fake documents, and were unloading the sugar in Nokha. Sources say that, these trucks loaded with sugar, come from Uttar Pradesh and get fake documents at Haryana and Gujarat.

About Rs 76,000 tax is stolen in each truck, including 2.60% market tax. The State Tax Department is investigating the matter and will start a campaign against such practices.

REMARKABLE FEAT

RAJ TOP 3RD STATE TO CONDUCT MAX CORONA TESTS Vikas Sharma Jaipur: Rajasthan has achieved another feat by enlisting in top three states to conduct maximum numbers of corona tests.

Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma said that we will not rest on this achievement and want to quickly move forward as per CM Gehlot’s wishes by touching the figure of 5 lakh tests. Only Tamil Nadu and Delhi are ahead of

Rajasthan in terms of the number of corona tests conducted.

Dr Sharma said that the number of positive cases is on the rise due to increased tests but the state also has a great recovery rate of 73.24 per cent to balance it. The Health Minister said that the combination of 21 days of the doubling rate of cases and low death rate of 2.5 per cent along with other favourable parameters makes

Rajasthan a model state in the country.

Dr Sharma said that it was due to alert and pro-active state government that according to data released by the center for 10 states, the state has the testing rate of 6612/million and only 24.86 per cent active cases. As of now, the state is testing 20,350 samples every day. He credited CM Gehlot for developing the testing facilities so fast which soon will be con-

Dr Raghu Sharma

ducting 25,000 tests per day with every district having the corona test

facility.

Raghu said that the state had prepared all

necessary infrastructure like ventilators, ICU, Oxygen, Quarantine beds, etc during the lockdown and now is ready for any eventuality.

Dr Sharma said that CM Gehlot has mandated to spend the MLAlad funds on health infrastructure for next two years which will be used to equip the PHC, CHC, Sub-district Centers and District Hospitals with x-ray, sonography

and modern machines with due maintenance.

The Health Minister is also hopeful of strengthening the health infrastructure with ‘Nirogi Rajasthan’ campaign under which 2 ‘Svasthaya Mitra’ appointed at village level will contribute immensely to the public health by not only making them aware of health issues, treatment, government schemes but also prevention of diseases by

regular checkups. Dr Sharma said that the central government has sent a medical team twice to the state to observe the ground situation and on both occasions, they have openly praised the steps taken and provisions made in the health arena.

Dr Raghu Sharma reminded that there is no cure or vaccine for Covid-19 as of now so following guidelines is the best way forward for people at large.

PERSPECTIVE JAIPUR | MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2020

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

IN-DEPTH

COVID PATIENTS AT MERCY OF HOSPITALS & GOD

SUSPENSION OF THE IB CODE UNDERSTANDING THE LAW DHRUV GUPTA Advocate, Supreme Court of India

I

n April this year, the railways announced with much fanfare that it has converted 5000 coaches across the country into isolation wards and Level-1 Covid-19 Care Centre facilities. These coaches were to be deployed in rural areas in consultation with the health ministry. Railways planned to convert 20,000 coaches into COVID wards to meet any exigency arising out of a sudden spurt in cases.

It was also claimed that “5,000 coaches with 80,000 beds were ready to be deployed.”

One official was quoted as saying that “the idea to convert these coaches was to ensure that in rural areas, in regions where medical facilities were not available, care for Covid-19 patients could be provided”.

The ministry of railways also claimed that the department will “deploy more than 2500 doctors and 35,000 paramedic staff to meet the Covid-19 challenge”.

Luckily the pandemic has not yet infested rural areas. The real chaos is in Delhi where the Central government and Aam Admi Party-led state government seem to be working at cross-purposes. The real shortage of beds is there, and in Mumbai, due to private hospital’s reluctance to admit Covid-19 patients and treat them at minimal charges. Some hospitals were quoting a rate of Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh per bed. Others included the price of PPE kits in their rate lists.

One doesn’t know how much of the demand for isolation beds in villages or if any or all of those 80,000 beds promised by the Indian Railways are in use. What one can certainly ask is if any of these beds can be redeployed from rural areas to somewhere near Delhi and Mumbai to meet their acute shortages at these two places.

The situation turned worse in Mumbai in the week after Unlock 1 with a surge in new cases. In the country’s financial capital, 90 percent of all Covid-19 beds were reported to be occupied. Data showed that 8,570 of the total 9,092 beds in dedicated units were occupied, while 98 percent of the 1097 ICU beds were also full. What is particularly disturbing is the unresponsive Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation helpline doesn’t work and patients have to go on a merry go round looking for beds.

Delhi’s situation turned more complicated after the Arvind Kejriwal government lodged an FIR against Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and passed a decree that Delhi hospital facilities will be accessible to Delhi patients only. With the spat turning ugly, Delhi’s top hospitals said they didn’t have beds even as a smartphone app showed the availability of beds.

Kejriwal said these hospitals were blackmarketing beds.

The blame game is not what we need in this hour of crisis. After seeing the plight of migrants the Centre and states should ensure that their concerns for Covid-19 patients are not as superficial as they were for migrant workers.

A

The IB Code is an Act of Parliament that allows creditors such as banks, financial institutions, and suppliers of goods and services, to take companies that default on their installments or other payments, to the National Company Law Tribunal. The Act also empowers a company to itself make an application before the Tribunal where it is unable to pay its existing obligations

fter months of speculation surrounding COVID-19 induced suspension of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, the Government has finally notified the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, and its text is finally available in the public domain.

For the uninitiated, the IB Code is an Act of Parliament that allows creditors such as banks, financial institutions, and suppliers of goods and services, to take companies that default on their installments or other payments, to the National Company Law Tribunal. The Act also empowers a company to itself make an application before the Tribunal where it is unable to pay its existing obligations. Once the default is established before the Tribunal, the management of the defaulting company is taken over by an Insolvency Professional, who then invites bids to sell the company to a third party and use the consideration for payment of the Company’s existing obligations. The law is widely considered to be a very punitive piece of legislation and therefore, companies fight tooth and nail to prevent its invocation.

Because of the widespread disruption of business operations across the country, it was apprehended that many businesses, especially MSMEs, would most certainly default in payment of their existing obligations and consequently, go down the insolvency road.

However, as a relief to several thousands of companies across the country, the IB Code, 2016 will now be suspended for at least six months, extending up to a year, if need be. Meaning thereby, that many companies will now be protected from the clutches of insolvency thanks to the amendment Ordinance.

The Ordinance begins by identifying that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted businesses, financial markets, and economies all over the world, including India, and created uncertainty and stress for busi-

nesses for reasons beyond their control. It then notes that the nation-wide lockdown has been in force since March 25th, 2020 which has added to the disruption. Given the same, amendments are being made to the existing legislation to prevent creditors from invoking this legislation against companies that are experiencing distress on account of the pandemic.

Now, according to the Ordinance, no creditor will be able to take a defaulting company to the Tribunal, under IBC, for any default arising on or after March 25th, 2020, at least for a period of six months, which may even be extended to a year.

As if that was not enough, the Ordinance further prohibits any application from ever being filed for the said default occurring on or after the said date. It is further clarified that such protection will not be accorded to companies for defaults that arose before the said date.

To explain, the amendment protects all companies from being pushed into insolvency, even where the financial health of the company may have been wavering before the lockdown, for failure to make payment of the obligation that falls due during the period of insulation noted above. Further, in a situation where a company defaulted on obligations both before and during the lockdown, the

The Ordinance begins by identifying that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted businesses, financial markets, and economies all over the world, including India, and created uncertainty and stress for businesses for reasons beyond their control

default arising on or after 25th March 2020 will now be protected from the clutches of insolvency while for the former, the default would entitle the creditor to take the company to NCLT under the IB Code.

Coronavirus has changed our sense of place

I

s it time to reimagine our fundamental relationship with cities?

People bring cities to life. They interact, work, socialise and travel. Without this, cities are just collections of buildings and infrastructure.

This relationship is now on hiatus all over the world. The COVID-19 pandemic left thousands of cities empty, eerie and listless.

We connect to cities by developing a “sense of place”. The concept describes how we perceive and attach to places through use. Our connection with cities changes over time but is always grounded in sense of place.

COVID-19 is fundamentally disrupting sense of place. It is causing trans

04

risk of city life.

What was a distant worry becomes an immediate threat when a transformative stressor hits a city.

Things that were once reliable and comfortable no longer are. Our behaviour changes in response, causing us to reconsider our sense of place over time.

formative change in cities all over the world. Daily parts of city life, like shared seating, busy trains and eating out, have suddenly become threatening.

TRANSFORMING THE PRESENT It is useful to consider what exactly the COVID-19 pandemic represents for cities and why it can change people’s sense of place so profoundly.

The pandemic impacts are so severe it can be classified as a “transformative stressor”. These rare events cause severe and intense social, environmental and economic impacts.

They are felt at every level of society and throughout social institutions.

Profound shocks are felt all at once in economic activity, human health and social order. Impacts occur

CO-CREATING THE FUTURE

COVID-19 is fundamentally disrupting sense of place. It is causing transformative change in cities all over the world

at all scales. Almost everybody endures multiple forms of disruption.

COVID-19 also fits the transformative stressor model because it might not be possible to fully manage it. Recovery planning needs to account for the possibility COVID-19 might never disappear. It could become an ongoing

The transformative impacts of this pandemic are upending established norms. But policy innovation can flourish at times like this. Transformative stressors give policymakers unique opportunities to work outside their normal methods.

People have stoically endured lockdowns in many countries. Working from home with limited mobility will further prompt

many to re-evaluate their sense of place. Many people will want a big say in the fundamental deci As they seek innovative ways to help cities recover, planners can learn important lessons by consulting urban residents. Online cocreation processes and workshops are excellent tools for gathering the people’s thoughts and aspirations at this unique time.

Participating in workshops can also help residents redefine their sense of place in cities disrupted by COVID-19. They can describe how the crisis changed their perceptions and use of space. This allows them to redefine their sense of place by considering the future with full acknowledgement of the past.

FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO WWW.THECONVERSATION.COM

It is also very pertinent to note that as per the law before the present Ordinance, where, in the face of an imminent insolvency resolution process, a director of a defaulting company had failed to act with diligence to minimize the potential loss to the creditors of the company, upon initiation of the insolvency resolution process, such a director could be called upon by the Tribunal, on an application of the Insolvency Professional, to contribute such assets to the company as deemed fit. However, with the present amendment, directors have been protected from such a course of action, in as much as, through the present ordinance, any such application to the Tribunal is barred for defaults that are protected as noted above.

Finally, it may be concluded that while protection from insolvency has been accorded to defaults where the due date falls on a date after the period of lockdown first began, such protection has not been accorded to any default where the due date fell before 25th March 2020. Consequently, for such insulated defaults, creditors will now have to turn to other forums and mechanisms for their realization, such as by approaching the commercial courts under the Commercial Courts Act, 2015.

Top

TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp Food is thae starting point of our energy, our health and well-being.

From farm to the table,food safety is a shared responsibility.

On #WorldFoodSafetyDay, let us pledge to strengthen food safety management systems and prevent food-borne diseases for human health and prosperity.

Smriti Z Irani @smritiirani Don’t be a mute spectator to child abuse. Speak up & initiate action. Dial 1098 #Childline.

Let our children know there is a system that seeks to protect, rescue & rehabilitate them.

Spiritual SPEAK

Calmness, gentleness, silence, self-restraint, and purity: these are the disciplines of the mind. —Bhagavad Gita

Vol 2 Issue No. 2 RNI NO. RAJENG/2019/77764. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Press, D.B. Corp Limited, Shivdaspura, Tonk Road, Jaipur.

Published at 304, 3rd Floor, City Mall, Bhagwan Das Road, C-Scheme, Jaipur-302001, Rajasthan. Phone 0141-4920504. Editor: Jagdeesh Chandra, responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act

To Receive Free Newspaper PDF Daily Whatsapp: http://bit.ly/whatsappjpr

Telegram: https://t.me/firstindiajaipur Click the above link� & subscribe us on your preferred platform.

INDIA JAIPUR | MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2020

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

05

‘Hospitals open for residents only’ Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also announced that restaurants, malls and religious places will open from today along with the opening of Delhi borders New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced that hospitals in Delhi, except those run by the Centre, will only be available for people from the national capital in the view of rising COVID-19 cases here.

He said that private hospitals in Delhi will also only treat patients from national capital except for those hospitals which provide treatment that is not available anywhere in the country. The Chief Minister also announced that restaurants, malls and religious places will open from today along with the opening of Delhi borders. He said that hotels and banquets will remain closed as the government might need to convert them into hospitals in coming time.

Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said: “In the cabinet meeting, a decision has taken regarding healthcare facilities. There are 10,000 beds in hospitals of Delhi government and the same number of beds are available in those hospitals run by Centre.

We are opening borders from today. Delhi hospitals will be available for the people of Delhi only, while hospitals run by the Central government will remain open for all.”

“Anyone can get treatment in hospitals run by the Central government. Private hospitals in Delhi will also be reserved for people of

A worker sanitizes Smart Bharat Mall ahead of its re-opening during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown in Noida on Sunday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

A worker sprays disinfectant inside a Hanuman temple on the eve of its re-opening for the devotees during the COVID-19 induced nationwide lockdown in New Delhi on Sunday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

DMA SLAMS KEJRI FOR ‘WARNING’ DOCS

KASHMIRI WOMAN HELD FOR PLANNING TERROR ACTS TESTS +VE New Delhi: A Kashmiri woman, who was arrested earlier this year for allegedly planning a terror attack in the country during anti-CAA protests here, has tested positive for COVID-19 while in the custody of NIA. The judge directed the NIA to admit Hina Bashir Beigh to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital with immediate effect. The court sent her husband Jahanzaib Sami and another accused Abdul Basith to judicial custody. —PTI Delhi BJP Prez Adesh Kumar Gupta holds a placard as he is detained by police for violation of COVID-19 lockdown at Rajghat.

Delhi. But there are some hospitals which offer surgeries/treatment like neurosurgery which is not available in other parts of the country. Those hospitals will remain open for everyone. I think this is a fine balance to protect the interest of people of Delhi and people from outside Delhi,” he said.

The Chief Minister

said that a majority of people and the fivemember committee which was constituted to look into healthcare facilities in the national capital suggested that hospitals of Delhi should be reserved of its people only.

“We are opening Delhi borders from today.

We thought that if we open our borders then many people will come

for treatment in hospitals in Delhi. Will hospitals treating COVID-19 patients be able to take a load of those patients as well?

We have asked suggestions from people on this. Around 90 per cent people said that hospitals of Delhi should be reserved of its people only,” he added.

Kejriwal said that restaurants, malls

and religious places will open from June 8 but necessary precautions should be followed there.

“Delhi government will allow the opening of restaurants, malls and religious places from June 8 according to Central government’s directions. Precautionary measures need to be taken in those places. A guide-

line will be issued by the Delhi government regarding this. Hotels and banquets halls will not be opened as of now.

Keeping in view of rising coronavirus cases, Delhi government might convert hotels & banquet halls into hospitals,” he said. He appealed to senior citizens to take all precautions as they are most vulnerable to COVID-19.” —ANI

ONE MORE MAHA COP COVID-19 INFECTED Mumbai: One more police personnel has tested positive for COVID-19 in last 24 hours, informed Maharashtra Police. The total number of Maharashtra Police personnel who have tested positive for COVID-19 so far stands at 2,562.

So far, 33 policemen have died in state due to infection. —ANI

Rabri Devi, Tejashwi clang utensils to protest Amit Shah’s virtual rally

HOMECOMING...

INS Jalashwa reached Tuticorin Port bringing back 700 stranded Indians from Maldives, in Tuticorin on Sunday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

New Delhi: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress launched a protest against BJP chief Amit Shah over his scheduled virtual rally to sound the poll bugle in Bihar.

While the RJD, led by former Bihar CM Rabri Devi and party chief Tejashwi Yadav, observed ‘Garib Adhikaar Diwas’ by beating utensils, the Congress took to posters to urge citizens to mark ‘Shraddhanjali Diwas’. The posters read ‘virtual se actual muddon ka en-

RJD leaders Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav, and others beat dishes and other utensils while observing Garib Adhikar Diwas in Patna.

counter’.

Senior RJD leaders Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav were also spotted at the party’s

protest.The ruling Janata Dal (United), which is in alliance with the saffron party, opposed the RJD pro-

test by clapping their hands.Speaking to news agency ANI, a JD(U) leader said: “People of Bihar have come to know about 15 years of misrule. The citizens here know very well about the RJD. Everyone is clapping their hands while they’re beating the utensils.

That’s all they know, they haven’t done anything to respect anyone till date.” BJP chief Amit Shah addressed party workers at 72,000 booths to reach out to its cadres. —ANI

‘SPECIAL CORONA FEE’ ON LIQUOR WITHDRAWN

New Delhi: The Delhi government decided to withdraw the ‘70% special corona fee’ on liquor sale in national capital from June 10 onwards, PTI reported.

However, the AAP government raised the Value Added Tax (VAT) on all categories of liquor from 20 per cent to 25 per cent, an official said. —PTI

K’taka: Hunt on to find BSY’s heir Bengaluru: BJP top brass has a tough task on handhunting for an “acceptabl e ” successor to 78-yearold Lingayat strongman & CM BS Yediyurappa whenever he decides to hang up his boots.

It’s a challenge for the party leadership in New Delhi, with none of the second-rung leaders showing enough promise to fill the old warhorse’s shoes.

GEORGE FLOYD’S DEATH

White House, Pentagon tensions near breaking point over Trump remarks Washington: Tensions between the White House and Pentagon have stretched to near a breaking point over President Donald Trump’s threat to use military force against street protests triggered by George Floyd’s death.

Friction in this relationship, historically, is not unusual. But in recent days, and for the second time in Trump’s term, it has raised a prospect of

high-level resignations and the risk of lasting damage to the military’s reputation.

Calm may return, both in the crisis over Floyd’s death and in Pentagon leaders’ angst over Trump’s threats to use federal troops to put down protesters.

But it could leave a residue of resentment and unease about this president’s approach to the military, whose leaders welcome his push for bigger budgets

BEING REGRETFUL

A man waves an upside-down American flag defaced with the letters ‘BLM’ at the ‘Black Lives Matter Plaza’, near the White House in Washington, DC.

but chafe at being seen as political tools.

The nub of the problem is that Trump sees no constraint on his authority to use what he calls the unlimited power of the military even against US citizens if he believes it necessary.

Military leaders generally take a far different view. They believe that active-duty troops, trained to hunt and kill an enemy, should be used to enforce the law only in the most

extreme emergency, such as an attempted actual rebellion. That limit exists, they argue, to keep the public’s trust.

Vincent K Brooks, a recently retired Army four-star general, says this sacred trust has been breached by Trump’s threat to commit active-duty troops for law enforcement in states where he deems a governor has not not tough enough against protesters. —Agencies

INDIA JAIPUR | MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2020

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

06

New Delhi: The national capital witnessed another bout of rain on Sunday morning as strong and cold winds swept across the city.

The rains and cloudy weather are expected to restrict the maximum temperature around 36 degrees Celsius.

The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative figures for the city, has been recording a below normal maximum temperature for the last few days, owing to light rains. On Saturday, it recorded a high of 36.8 degrees Celsius, which was three notches below the normal.

Kuldeep Srivastava, head of regional forecasting center of IMD, said the region is not likely to witness a heat wave till June 15.The maximum temperature will rise by two to three degrees Celsius but it is expected to remain below the 40 degrees Celsius-mark till June 10, he said. —ANI

—PHOTO BY PTI

WINDS, RAIN BRING DOWN MERCURY IN DELHI The rains and cloudy weather are expected to restrict the maximum temperature around 36 degrees Celsius

People run for cover as it rains in New Delhi on Sunday. According to IMD, the region is not likely to witness a heat wave till June 15 & maximum temperature will rise by two to three degree celcius.

‘Low-pressure area over Bay of Bengal by June 9’

A man carries his daughter as he wades through a flooded area to reach a safer place at flood-affected Pramila village in Guwahati.

New Delhi: A low-pressure area likely to form over the east-central Bay of Bengal during next 48 hours, by 9 June, said the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday.

It is likely to move west northwestwards and become more marked during the subsequent 24 hours,

by June 10, the weather agency said. “Conditions are becoming favourable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon into more

parts of central Arabian Sea, Goa, Konkan, Karnataka, Rayalaseema, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Central and North Bay of Bengal, Northeast and the remaining parts of Tamil Nadu in the next two to three days,” said Rajendra Kumar Jenamani, Head, Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre at IMD. The south-west monsoon has advanced into some parts of certain areas in the country. —ANI

Yogi meets with ‘COVID-19 mgmt team-11’

Yogi Adityanath holds a meeting with the officers of the management team-11 in Lucknow.

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath held a meeting with officers of ‘COVID-19 management team-11’ and directed them to inspect all hospitals regularly.

“All the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 hospitals must be regularly

inspected,” Adityanath said in the meeting. He added that specific schemes would be worked upon from June 15 to empower the labourers and provide them with job opportunities.

“Once the development projects of ex-

pressways, medical colleges, universities, roads, etc begin, the low-wage workers could be paid,” he added.

While reviewing the lockdown measures, he instructed that effective police patrolling should be maintained to prevent accidents. —ANI

Anshika underwent successful open-heart surgery and now she will be discharged in a fortnight,” said managing trusty of Satya Sai Trust - Manoj Bhimani.

On Sunday, two former BSP MLAs, and now Congress legislators, called upon CM Gehlot at CMR. MLAs Sandeep yadav and Lakhan Meena met Gehlot and although four former BSP MLAs including Rajendra Gudha and Jogender Awana had sought CM’s time and were scheduled to meet him together, only two of them met Gehlot.

Five militants...

Reban in Shopian,” defence spokesperson Col Rajesh Kalia said. He said good drills ensured no collateral damage took place during the operation.

A police official said the security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Reban area of Shopian, in South Kashmir, this morning after receiving specific information about the presence of militants in the area.

He said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants opened fired at a search party of the forces, who

A vehicle plies on a waterlogged road during rains in Kolkata on Sunday.

‘CYCLONE AMPHAN CAUSED DAMAGE OF OVER RS 1LAKH CRORE’ Kolkata: The West Bengal government gave an estimate of more than Rs one lakh crore for damages caused by Cyclone Amphan to the visiting inter-ministerial central team (IMCT) after its twoday survey of the devastation.

As per the list submitted to IMCT by the state, the total estimated damage in the May 20 cyclone is Rs 1,02,442 crore with the maximum of Rs 28.56 crore being quoted for destruction caused to dwelling houses.

The second maximum loss of Rs 26,790 crore was in the industries sector, including the MSME, while the assessment for the agriculture sector was Rs 15,860 crore, a government release said.

The list of damages was given to the seven-member central team during its hour-long meeting with state CS Rajiva Sinha and other senior officers of departments like home, finance, agriculture, power, PWD. The IMCT, headed by Anuj Sharma, the joint secretary, had visited the two mostly affected districts of North and South 24 Parganas to assess the damage caused by the cyclone. —PTI

—PHOTO BY PTI

Odisha govt arranges spl flights for stranded

NCW seeks action report in gangrape New Delhi: The National Commission for Women sought an action taken report from Kerala Police on the rape of a woman by her husband & his friends in front of their fiveyear-old child.

The 25-year-old woman was sexually assaulted after being forced to consume liquor. The NCW has taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and expressed concern about the safety of women in the state, which it said, ‘cannot be overlooked & needs attention.’

1ST QUARANTINE CENTRE

Chargesheet filed by ED in Manesar scam

Raipur: A quarantine centre exclusively for pregnant women, among the groups most vulnerable due to coronavirus outbreak, has been set up in Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh.

The facility has come up at a community health centre which is 120 kilometres from Raipur, and presently houses eight pregnant women, all migrant workers who had returned from different states amid the lockdown, an official said.

New Delhi: ED has filed 2nd supplementary prosecution complaint against Private builders/entities in Manesar land scam case under the provisions of PMLA, 2002. This prosecution complaint involves the attachment of properties worth Rs 108.79 crore, said ED. ED initiated money-laundering probe on the basis of FIR registered at Manesar, police station.

Jammu: Nearly 350 stranded people from Odisha are being sent back from Jammu Airport in three special flights with all arrangements for their return being made by the Odisha Government. , Dr Tahir Firdous Additional Deputy Commissioner Jammu said, “Government of Odisha has arranged for their plane tickets, they’ll be going via Air Asia chartered flight with passengers’ capacity of 122 per flight. These people were stranded in different parts of Jammu

retaliated. The identity and group affiliation of the slain militants is being ascertained.

“I want to tell the dynasts to look at Bihar’s development today.

From 1990-2005 under their rule, Bihar’s development rate was 3.19 per cent. Today under Nitishji led NDA government, it has reached 11.3 per cent,” said Shah.

Taking a jibe at the RJD, Bihar’s principal opposition party, Shah that Bihar has moved into the LED era from that of the lantern.

“We have covered the journey from loot and order to law and order.

From the Jungle Raj, we have reached ‘Janata’ raj.

We have travelled from muscle politics to devel-

opmental politics. From fodder scam, we have reached the milestone of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) under Modiji’s leadership,” he said.

The Home Minister lauded the contribution of the State’s workers in building the nation’s most developed regions and said that Modi-led government at the Centre is focused on developing the eastern region including Bihar of the country.

“Modiji had said in 2014 that there is a vast gap between development in western and eastern India. The eastern part had a huge con-

during the lockdown, we provided all the facilities to them. Today nearly 366 passengers are to board the flights to Odisha from here.”

Passengers here expressed their satisfaction on being sent back to their state. —ANI

FROM PG 1 Gehlot’s ‘foresight’...

However, doctors informed him about the Chief Minister ‘Dil without Bill’ Scheme wherein heart treatment is done however to no charge to the patient or the family rather the state government pays for the same. Ramdhab somehow managed to contact the Shri Satya Sai Hospital at Ahmedabad. “ The Rajasthan government has an MOU with Prashanti Medical Services Research Foundation of Gujarat for free of cost treatment along with conveyance expenses.

‘Under Nitish...

“The BJP’s strength lies in the organisation. I request all workers of the party that Modiji has urged all to continue serving the people till the fight against corona goes on,” he said.

Shah lauded Nitish Kumar, also JDU president, for developing the State and targeted the dynastic opposition parties, accusing them of withholding Bihar’s development during their rule.

tribution to the country’s GDP during independence, but the governments which came to power later turned their face away from the eastern region, which resulted in the development going downhill in this part of the country,” Shah said. —ANI

Record single-day...

During the last 24 hours, a total of 5,220 COVID-19 patients have been cured, the ministry said.

“Thus, around 48.37 per cent patients have recovered so far,” a senior ministry official said.

The tally of confirmed cases includes

foreigners. —ANI

820 ASI...

The minister said all coronavir us-related protocols issued by the Union health ministry would be followed by the monument authorities. According to sources, wearing of masks might be made the norm for visitors at such sites. In a tweet, Patel said, “Today, the culture ministry has approved the opening of 820 of its living monuments under the ASI from June 8. All protocols issued by the MHA and the health ministry will be followed.” —ANI

TALKING POINT JAIPUR | MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2020

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

07

THE UN CELEBRATES WORLD OCEANS DAY EVERY YEAR ON JUNE 8. MANY COUNTRIES HAVE CELEBRATED THIS SPECIAL DAY SINCE 1992, FOLLOWING THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT & DEVELOPMENT, HELD IN RIO DE JANEIRO STAY THE COURSE ON OCEAN PARKS nly 7.4% of our O ocean is currently protected. These ocean

parks benefit marine biodiversity and help boost breeding fish populations that spillover to enhance regional fisheries, create jobs in tourism, and potentially sequester more carbon. Some have suggested, however, that because of COVID-19 we must open up these ocean parks to industrial fishing. This would be folly. These

parks are long-term ocean investments that take decades to mature, but only days to erase. In addition to short-changing future fishers, dissolving ocean parks would be a blow to sustainable blue tourism. Such actions would be akin to dismantling and selling off all the rides in Disneyland during COVID-19 - a shortsighted disservice to local jobs and economies.

HOW TO REBUILD A STRONGER OCEAN ECONOMY AFTER COVID-19 A

AVOID SQUANDERING A POST-COVID-19 FISH BOUNTY nlike other investU ments, living ocean resources literally grow

during downturns. During World War II, many fishing vessels were forced to stop fishing.

This reprieve allowed fish populations, such as cod, to increase. Should any such gains be accruing during COVID-19, we must resist the urge to immediately over-harvest

them. Instead, we should use fisheries science to design intelligent harvestyield protocols that maximize the long-term benefit of any possible COVID-19 gains.

BLUER BLUE TOURISM cean tourism, before O COVID-19, was directly valued at $390

billion globally and comprises a significant portion of the GDP of many nations. The millions of people that depend on ocean tourism, and consequently have a stake in ocean health, cannot be abandoned during the pandemic. Recovery funds could prevent fur-

loughs by hiring people to restore coastal ecosystems, such as coral reefs and mangroves, given the massive return on investment that such ecosystems deliver to blue tourism. Similar nature-based job creation programmes were developed during the Great Depression, such as the Civilian Conserva-

tion Corps in the US. Stimulus funds could also keep workforces active installing sustainability upgrades in now empty hotels - drinking water stations to reduce plastic pollution and water treatment systems, for example - and training staff to diversify their sustainability skillset.

REDUCING SHIPPING EMISSIONS aritime shipping M carries an estimated 90% of the planet’s

cargo. This ocean traffic contributes significantly to global emissions of carbon and other air pollutants. The International Maritime Organization

has mandated that shipping emissions be reduced by 50% by 2050. A reduction in shipping activity during COVID-19 provides a valuable opportunity to move towards this goal.

Quiescent vessels can be

fitted with upgrades to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.

Quieter shipyards can retool and secure political support to prepare for future demand to be met with zero-emission vessels. Such opportunities are greatest in Asia, where China, together with South Korea and Japan, represent more than 95% of the world’s shipbuilding by tonnage. Any aid directed to accelerate progress towards decarbonizing shipping should also include opportunities to electrify ports and prepare them to provide zero-emissions fuels.

lmost no facet of our global economy has been immune to the COVID-19 crisis.

Much has been said about the disruption in more familiar sectors such as airlines, restaurants, and sports but the long arm of COVID-19 has also reached out to sea, and is affecting our “blue economy”.

This collection of formal and informal marine jobs, products, and services has been valued at $2.5 trillion a year. If the ocean were a nation, it would rank as the 7th largest economy in the world.

Maritime shipping has seen COVID19-associated drops in activity of up to 30% in some regions.

Lockdowns and reduced demand for seafood have seen fishing activity fall by as much as 80% in

China and West Africa. Entire nations dependent on ocean and beach associated tourism have shut their borders. Globally, COVID-19’s impact on tourism may amount to a $7.4 billion loss and could put 75 million jobs at risk.

Some of the COVID-19 stimulus packages that are being designed to recover land-based industries and communities are also exploring ways to leapfrog forwards into greener modes of operation. However, little is being considered for bluer modes of operations.

Similar opportunities, however, await us in our ocean and on our coasts.

Here are eight pathways for rebuilding an ocean economy that is both stronger and more sustainable after COVID-19.

SUPPORTING OUR MARINERS - DELIVERY TRUCK DRIVERS OF THE SEA hips are arguS ably the world’s most challenging work

environment in which to confront a pandemic.

Vulnerable mariners, such as those in the shipping and fishing industry, are vital to the

S

functioning of society.

Ramping back up these sectors will require that crews be provided with viral and antibody testing and that they be extended dignified, safe transit home after being at sea for one month or more.

Crews should also be given access to secure communication channels linking them to home.

In the fishing industry, enhanced communications would confer the added benefit of combating slavery at sea.

FARMING THE SEA TO FEED BILLIONS

cientists estimate that around 845 million people worldwide are nutritionally vulnerable to any decline in seafood.

COVID-19 could exacerbate these challenges via disruptions

to blue food trade and labour networks. We can avoid some of this trauma to food security systems by using stimulus funds to bolster smart aquaculture, or ocean farming which can provide nutritional

support to vulnerable local populations, while minimizing environmental impact. Such investments could be patterned after environmentally and nutritionally aware investments in agriculture.

DIGITIZING OUR OCEAN nother way to fastA track the reopening of our blue economy is to direct stimulus investing towards marine technologies that can help us more efficiently and effectively observe and understand our ocean.

For example, fisheries observer programmes that help the industry collect vital data to enhance catch, enforce laws and protect endangered species have been suspended because of COVID-19. New AI-pow-

ered electronic monitoring systems can play a role in maintaining these data pipelines. Myriad other opportunities exist from expanding machine learning-powered interpretation of satellite data and enhanced drones that can curtail illegal fishing in regions where COVID-19 has reduced conventional marine patrols to connecting sustainable fishers to local consumers via apps when restaurants and markets are closed.

DON’T PREY ON THE MOMENT e must be intolerant W of efforts to misuse COVID-19 to advance

agendas of self-interest.

For example, much positive progress has been made transitioning us away from single-use plastics, a major source of ocean pollution. Since COVID-19, however, interest groups have successfully reversed or suspended these regulations for products like plastic bags. There are many things that we must do together to slow the spread of COVID-19 - but using single use plastic bags, instead of paper or reusable bags, is not

one of them. Similarly, while external investment in hard-hit nations, like ocean-dependent small island states, can be positive, we must not allow the attachment of predatory terms that take advantage of these nations’ financial vulnerability. COVID-19 has exposed

SOURCE: WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

just how profoundly linked our economies and wellbeing are to the ocean. These actions illustrate the need to inject more blue into COVID-19 discussions of ‘green recovery’. We cannot miss a chance in the times ahead to benefit both people and our ocean.

CONCEPT: DIVYA HEMNANI

DESIGN: ABHISHEK GUPTA

If one has a supportive loving family to go home to, to be there in time of happiness and sadness, then one has found heaven on Earth!

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

POSTAL REG NO. JPC/010/2019-21

JAIPUR | MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2020

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

SUDHANSH PANT UNLIKELY TO RETURN TO THE HOME CADRE!

Rajendra Chhabra

Jaipur: It appears that senior IAS Sudhansh Pant, who is currently on deputation to New Delhi, will not be coming back to his home cadre Rajasthan. Pant had been called to the Health Ministry on temporary basis for a period of two months and from March 29 Pant has been handling the work on the position of Joint Secretary.

Now the centre has sent a letter to the state government saying that Pant can not be relieved off his current assignment for the next two months as well i.e. till July end.

The manner in which the Pandemic has created havoc, it is possible that even after completion of another two months i.e. till July end - Pant

IAS Sudhansh Pant

might not be relieved. According to highly placed bureaucratic sources, Pant might be permanently kept in Centre.

Those in the know how of bureaucratic work claim that it is first of its kind of example wherein a senior IAS has been called from state cadre on temporary basis and hand-

ed an important task.

The reason for this sudden call to Pant is his experience and knowledge on all things concerned with the Health Ministry.

During his deputation, Pant had served as Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry from March 2018 to December 2019. During that time he had carried

out several important and innovative works and it is due to this experience and innovative work culture that the Central government remembered Pant in the ongoing Corona crisis.

But what will stop Pant’s return to his home cadre? Well, as far as the rules and regulations go, a Joint Secretary level officer, on completion of deputation, have to serve in the home cadre for a period of three years as part of the ‘cooling off ’ period. However, for the position of Additional secretary the time period is just one year.

When in January 2020, the 1991 batch IAS returned to Jaipur after completing deputation, he was a Joint Secretary. Sources reveal that

by July 2020, Pant may be empanelled as addi-

tional secretary and could be promoted to the post during his current temporary deputation itself. Under such a situation, his cooling off period will no longer be three years but only one year.

By July 2020, he would have completed seven months away from Centre and the remaining five months could be spent by increasing his temporary deputation period or a special concession could be given to him in the rules.

All in all, there are very slim chances of Pant’s return to Jaipur and as such he wants to stay in Delhi due to the treatment met to him when he returned on completion of the central deputation. He was kept on APO for a long duration and then posted into a simple department like forest.

08

RHB’s mega sale scheme to start today!

Shivendra Parmar Jaipur: Even as the Rajasthan Housing Board (RHB) prepares to open its gates for customers interested in its most simplistic and customer-friendly scheme in the past 50 years, the RHB officials witness another ‘flood’ on Saturday and Sunday when hordes of people reached the Board’s offices and sites for viewing the properties up for grabs. The Board has announced that anyone interested in owning a house can pay 10 per cent of its sale price and rest can be paid in EMI over 13 years. Moreover, a discount of upto 50 per cent is also available across 45 schemes in 39 cities of Rajasthan!

“Under Wednesday Auction Festival, e-bid submission un-

People reached RHB offices and sites for viewing properties.

der Housing Scheme for all will start from June 8. A great enthusiasm is seen in people to get themselves registered for taking part in the ebidding process.

There is an influx of people who register and view properties under this scheme and thus special arrangements were made by the board on Saturday and Sunday to show the sites,” Said Pawan Arora, Commissioner - Housing Board.

Interestingly, people

from walled city area thronged to RHB’s sites at Pratap Nagar, Mansarover and Indira Gandhi Nagar. “Under the Wednesday Auction Festival, now bids/auction offer can be submitted at all the offices of Housing Board every Monday from 10 am till 4 pm on Wednesday. These proposals will be opened online every Wednesday at 4.30 pm and the successful bidder will be allotted accommodation on installments,” he said.

22 Guj Cong MLAs in Mt Abu, I OPERATE BY THE BOOK: DR CP JOSHI will shift to Jaipur on Monday First India Bureau

Paresh Dhanani, Arjun Modhvadia, Hardik Patel along with other MLAs having a conversation at Neel’s City Resort in Rajkot.

Ahmed Patel

Gargi Raval Ahmedabad: Resorts are quickly turning into the Gujarat Congress’ preferred method of protecting its MLAs from horsetrading ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls slated to be held on June 19. On Sunday, as many as 22 MLAs were taken to Mount Abu, from where they will head to Jaipur on Monday, sources said.

With this development, all 65 MLAs of the Congress party in Gujarat have been sequestered. Most are in one of three resorts, while some have been placed

at different bungalows.

However, even this has not kept the party out of trouble. A police complaint has been lodged against owner and manager of Neel’s City Resort in Rajkot--where some lawmakers from Saurashtra were kept.

The FIR was filed under IPC Section 188 in an alleged violation of lockdown notification which does not allow hotels to open until Monday. “We have lodged FIR against owner and manager of Neel’s City Resort for flouting the lockdown notification by opening the resort,” University Road police station inspector RS Thakar said.

TETE

TETE

-A-

Kartikey Dev Singh

I

t is said that politics is a bittersweet game. What may be considered a bad development or a bane at one point of time may ultimately turn out to be a boon. Such is the nature of politics since it is continuously evolving. Take for example the recent phenomenon in Madhya Pradesh when Congress’s young gun Jyotiraditya Scindia left the grand-old party and joined the BJP, after his over two decade long personal equations

Similarly, the BJP district head of Sirohi had reached the police station to file a complaint against the Congress MLAs and the owner of the resort for violating Section 144.

Congress Treasurer, and veteran leader, Ahmed Patel said, “Rather than battling against COVID-19, the BJP is using its time to poach Congress MLAs. The BJP is not interested in doing public welfare work, but they want to remain in power. They have thick skin and they have taken people for granted. They are using people just for votes.”

Jaipur: Assembly speaker Dr CP Joshi interacted with Rajasthani expatriates of UK. Rajasthan UK Association organised a digital interaction aptly naming it ‘Zero Hour with honourable Speaker’.

Dr Joshi spoke of Rajasthan’s rich culture and traditions. He said

that CM Ashok Gehlot organises programmes on the heritage of the state which many NRIs attend. Dr Joshi was asked about the secret behind his keeping both treasury and opposition benched satisfied in the house to which he replied that he strictly operates by the book and makes it a point that the house functions

Dr CP Joshi

as per the laid rules which makes the whole process impar-

tial and thus satisfying for both the sides.

There were many expatriates hooked to the LIVE on Facebook and YouTube organised by the Rajasthan UK Association. Dr Joshi extended invitation to his audience to visit Rajasthan promising that he would show them the house proceedings LIVE. On a particular question, Dr CP Joshi

said that he has never unduly worried about anything in life by quoting an old Hindi melody “Har fikr ko dhuen mein udata chala gaya.”

A poet, an intellectual and a philosopher by nature, Dr Joshi is running the entire show from his civil lines residence during an ongoing corona crisis.

Raj sets up spl teams to get borrowing benefit Jaipur: State government has formed special teams to ensure maximum benefit is derived in the wake of increase in the borrowing limit by the central government. Centre had announced an increased borrowing limit for states from 3% of their GSDP to 5%, but subject to certain conditions.

CS DB Gupta said that Centre has chalked out a point-based system for

states, according to which they will have to show the results before getting benefits. Basically, 3% borrowing is permitted for states by the GoI. The 2% difference has been divided into point system under which the states will have to show their report cards about points earned against the set targets to the central governments to get additional 2% more borrowings.

CONGRESS’S LOSS IS CONGRESS’S GAIN!

Few ‘defiant’ Rajasthan Cong MLAs now stare at Scindia’s fiasco with Gandhis.

The move sent shocks across the Congress party and it was believed that the development would be the party’s reckoning since there were strong rumours of more individuals, specially the youngturks leaving the party fold and shifting into the saffron party. Even senior journalists, political observers, commentators and various political parties had started writing-off the Congress party claiming that the ‘house’ was not in order.

But perhaps this was the shock that party needed to endure to bring it together.

At least in Rajasthan it appears that MP debacle is proving to be a cementing force, especially looking at upcoming RS polls.

And here is why it is so.

Scindia had joined BJP on the assurance that not only would he be sent to the Rajya Sabha, he would also be appointed a minister in Modi cabinet too. But even as 90 days have passed since the erstwhile royal joined the saffron party, Scindia is still on the lookout for his ‘monsoon’ amid the political ‘summer’.

According to sources, last week Scindia

tried to speak with PM Modi to share his disappointment but he failed to connect with him. Subsequently he was advised by PMO to speak to Home Minister Amit Shah.

To Scindia’s disappoint-

ment, the Home Minister advised him to take up the issues with BJP President JP Nadda. Accordingly, the Gwalior Royal spoke to Nadda at length about his political future in the party and what was promised to him. However, a smart and tactful Nadda convinced Scindia that because of ongoing Corona crisis, it will not be a prudent time for PM to carry a cabinet reshuffle and rather it will send a bad message among masses.

Side effect of Scindia story is that while he may have been stalled in his hot pursuit of a ministry, it

appears that situation he is in has become an untaught lesson for Congressmen in Rajasthan, specially the fence-sitters.

Rumour has it that Scindia’s current situation has become a butt of jokes for several Congressmen, who had vouched that Scindia would not be successful in raising his political stature outside of Congress. Moreover, in Rajasthan, where BJP was trying to entice Congress and independent MLAs towards itself - as already claimed by CM Gehlot - the move has had a reverse effect on the MLAs since now they are questioning BJP’s

commitment based on the situation Scindia is in. It is this situation that has made MLAs stick together with their parent party. In totality, Scindia’s flop story has deeply demoralised a few defiant and dissident Cong MLAs who were trying very hard to arrange cross voting of at least half a dozen Congress MLAs to embarrass political might and stature of CM Ashok Gehlot in front of Central leadership.

Meanwhile, Deputy CM and PCC Chief Sachin Pilot returned to Jaipur on Sunday after his day-long ‘discreet’ visit to New Delhi on Saturday.

www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia JAIPUR, MONDAY JUNE 8, 2020

SHAPE IT UP

FITNESS ENTHUSIASTS ARE WAITING KEENLY FOR THE GYMS TO OPEN, BUT ARE WORRIED ABOUT HOW TO KEEP SAFE. CITY FIRST TELLS YOU HOW!

NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

F

itness is an essential part of everyone’s lives, and with the gyms and other fitness centers being shut down due to the pandemic, it has become a bit difficult for people to keep track of their health. While there are a few fitness enthusiasts, there are still many of them who have always been dependent on these centers, in order to stay fit.

Even after the gyms open, precautions will have to become a daily part of life, City First suggests a few ways by which you can be safe, and at the same time, be fit. There are strict physical distancing and sanitization protocols that would be taken up, and you must know what they are!

what they had to say: “There are a few precautionary measures that we will take such as, allowing only a limited number of members in the gym at a time, reserving time on equipment and have cleaning staff sanitize everything each time it is used, screening all members and demand a doctor’s health certificate. Other precautions include discontinuation of towels and closed steam bath/shower facilities, disinfection of the gym every hour, social distancing and asking members to bring their own towels, mats, foam rollers,” said Sheshang Lakdawala from Ahmedabad.

Ajay Singh from Jaipur said, “I have planned to

SPACING OUT

Social distancing is the most important thing that is to be taken care of. Make sure you maintain distance with the people working out with you, in order to be safe and secure.

BYOB

No, it’s not booze- ‘Bring Your Own Bottle’. Make sure to take your own bottle of water to the gym, which would prevent you to get in contact with anyone else.

SANITIZATION

Make sure you sanitize your hands before and after using the equipment; try to use gloves as and when you can, to be a bit more protective.

City First got in touch with a few gym owners from Rajasthan and Gujarat about what precautions they would be taking up once their gyms open, and this is

keep 5-7 sanitizers on every corner of the gym, and outside shoes are strictly not going to be allowed. Since mine is more of a personal training gym, I won’t have more than 4-5 people at the gym at the same time. I’ll also have the machines sanitized every 2 hours.

I’m also keeping useand-throw masks, in case they’re required.

We’ll also be checking everyone’s temperature before they enter the premises.”

09

ETC JAIPUR | MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2020

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

10

‘MYSTERY SPOT’ ANUBHA JAIN

cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

A

FA CE OF TH ED AY

ll laws of science fail inside this 17-degree angle ‘tilted wooden hut’ that is North America’s most notable and oldest vortexes. Challenging gravity the ‘Mystery Spot’ is based in the dense redwood forest, on the outskirts of Santa Cruz, California. My tour guide of this place through a narrow steep five minutes uphill walk took me to the gravity hill where this mysterious wooden hut is sited.

I felt somewhat dizzy and off-balance as I entered inside the circular area of effect with a diameter of around 150 feet (46 meters). Geographers and surveyors are surprised to see that in this radius any compass fails to give absolute correct results. They are still finding the actual cause of creating such vortex in the specific diameter. Related to this, there are many speculations formed like there is a possibility that any spacecraft or metal cones might be hidden deep beneath the redwood forest or in the hills that are causing specific current here. Other theories include carbon dioxide permeating from the earth, a hole in the ozone layer, a magma vortex or any sort of dielectric bio-cosmic radiation. But the real cause is still unidentified.

Talking about history my guide informed me that an electrician and mechanic by profession George Prather first discovered this odd place in the year 1939. The very next year in 1940 Prather with a few

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

Mystery spot is a major tourist attraction today. The site is what is known as a gravity hill and was the first of its kind to be built in California. It was officially declared as California Historical Landmark in August 2014. In the end, seeing a series of strange things inside this crazy house has made me completely puzzled and many unanswered questions are still crossing in my mind.

I still want to know that is the place really suspicious or things are fabricated here through our intelligence. But with fun and amusement, I left the place with the “Mystery Spot” yellow-black coloured rectangular sticker that one can see on cars rear window very often all over America and in India as well.

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

A time for feeling the excitement of wanting to pursue a goal or ambition.

You feel most appreciated and motivated. You may be in a position to shine. With today’s enthusiasm, it can be tempting to overdo or take on a little too much, but with this tendency kept in check.

You might focus on a cause that inspires you or an activity that expands your mind. There is some tendency to overshoot with this transit, but with this inclination under watch, it can be a good time to enjoy yourself. Your performance and responsibilities are in the spotlight.

You may be feeling especially motivated to improve and learn. Watch for taking a good thing and pushing it a bit too far. It’s a fine time to gain insights into a partner, a relationship, or your own behavior.

You’re thinking in terms of possibilities, and you feel purposeful.

You may be finding special joy in a partnership or your relationships, although you might struggle with a matter of responsibility. A relationship problem reaches a happy resolution. While you’re open to others today, you’re not interested in restrictive or limiting connections.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

You might take pride in your usefulness and enjoy working on a particular project or your work/duties.

You’re generous with your time and support. Taking care of business can be especially satisfying now. You may be tempted to overdo, but while stretching yourself a little is good.

You feel especially fulfilled when you bring something special to the world. You could have the opportunity to express yourself uniquely, spiritedly, and creatively. People recognize and appreciate your unique vision, and emotionally engaging activities are a huge draw.

Feeling good about your home life is a desire now, and if you’re feeling discontented, you’re especially motivated to make changes. You recognize the qualities and habits that support or delay your growth. You’re seeking a stronger sense of belonging.

You’re in terrific shape for guiding, connecting, and learning and warmth can figure strongly in your interactions. You have a fabulous ability to show others where there’s common ground. You’re likely to focus on the practical side of your domestic world or personal life.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

It’s a time for enjoying yourself and settling in, as well as for connecting with the practical affairs of your life. A bit of indulgence may be what you need now but avoid excess. Seek a happy place where you have a strong sense of abundance. A bit of self-discipline can go a long way.

Expressing yourself through spontaneous and engaging activities can be especially rewarding. It’s not a time for dwelling on the past–you’re focused on what you can accomplish.You radiate natural confidence. A step-by-step approach to resolving problems makes sense.

It’s a good time to put something behind you, such as a frustrating issue or an attitude. Enjoy benefits from working behind the scenes or making preparations.You could very well have additional obligations to attend to now.

A moderate approach to your goals is best at the moment.

There can be a stronger desire to connect, mingle, interact, or focus on inspiring ideas and plans.

Enjoy feeling stronger and happier without going overboard for best results. You’re in a good position to identify those things that may be undermining your happiness.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

AASHNA SHROFF, Blogger

INSIGHT!

other surveyors while walking on that 3 acres land they purchased on the gravity hill felt somewhat dizzy or heavyheaded as if something trying to force them right off the hill.

Their compass too started fluctuating and giving wrong results in that specific area. At last, Prather constructed this crazy house there and opened the place for the public in the same year.

Situated on a slope and the slant of the wooden hut too form a false impression or misperceptions of the height along with the orientation of objects.

This misapprehension makes people strongly believe that all illusory things they are observing inside the house are real like ball rolls uphill, water flows in the reverse direction and people can even walk on the walls or can bend onwards at different angles without falling.

In this vein, because of the tilted floor, I also misinterpreted and laughed to see that the person standing next to me was looking shorter and the next moment he was taller than me. For creating a more the realistic look of the house distorted objects are placed in a manner that forms the illusion of normalcy and makes people believe that they are on perfectly level ground.

But they are not. Geographers have theories to explain this illusion and they say that the house is slanted at a 17 to 20-degree angle from the ground and hence a person is also bending on a certain angle that creates the distorting impact on vision. Another point they feel is that distorted orientation causes other senses to fall back while one’s visual senses become heightened.

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

ETC JAIPUR | MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2020

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

AGAINST

10 MILLION

Body-shaming!

MARK

B

illie Eilish opened up about her body image issues by delivering a powerful message against body-shaming in the arena tour video earlier this year. In the moving video that was posted on YouTube on May 26, the 18-year-old songstress can be seen slowly stripping off her clothes while addresses body shamers in the background. In Billie Eilish her latest interview, the ‘No Time To Die’ singer revealed that her body image issues are the result of not feeling physically desired by anybody in her past relationships.

She stated that he wears baggy clothes because she does not feel desired. Speaking about her past boyfriends, the singer said, “Here’s a bomb for you: I have never felt desired,” she said.

—Agency

A

ctor Sushmita Sen, who has made a striking comeback to the industry with her debut web series -- Aarya -- has thanked her fans for the overwhelming 10 million views for the trailer within a day of its release.

The enthralling trailer, which was officially dropped on Friday, has managed to grab the attention of 10 million-plus people by now. Sharing the good news with her followers, Sen during the late hours of Saturday wrote on Instagram: “I need to sleep but I CAN’T ....10 MILLION VIEWS IN ONE DAY!!!!”

“You guys know just HOW to show your love!!

Ufffff !!! Sooooo happy!!!

On behalf of the entire #aaryafamily THANK YOU!!!! #duggadugga I love you guys!!!,” the ‘Main Hoon Na’ actor added.

The web series ‘Aarya’ to be premiered in Disney

Deadly Accident

A

ustralian actress Cate Blanchett revealed that she recently suffered a head injury due to a potentially deadly accident during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown.

The 51-year-old actor casually shared a few details from her near-death experience in a podcast interview with former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. The actress mentioned that she took a ‘little nick to the head’ while using a mechanical saw but Cate Blanchett thankfully it did not turn into anything serious. She even asserted that the incident was very exciting.

“I’m fine. I had a bit of a chainsaw accident, which sounds very, very exciting, but it wasn’t. Apart from the little nick to the head, I’m fine,” she told Gillard Reacting to her shocking revelation, Gillard said “Be very careful with that c h a i n s a w.

You’ve got a very famous head, I don’t think people would like to see any nicks taken out of it.”

—Agency

STORY OF ‘DIVINITY’

THE SWEET

EQUATION

A

fter Manikarnika, actor Kangana Ranaut has now turned director for her ambitious project ‘Aparajitha Ayodhya.’

“The plan wasn’t for me to direct the film. I started it as a project that I worked on from the concept level. I wanted to produce it and rope in another director for it,” said the ‘Queen’ actor. The upcoming movie, written by the ‘Baahubali’ scriptwriter KV Vijayendra Prasad, and bankrolled by her production house, revolves around the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid case.

“I was quite busy at that time to even think of direction. However, the script that KV Vijayendra Prasad shared was that of a film set on a large canvas, somewhat on the lines of the historical that I have directed before,” Ranaut said in a statement.

She noted: “My collaborating partners were also keen that I direct it. Eventually, even I felt that maybe it’s best if I helm this film.

So, it all happened organically.”

The 33-year-old actor says that she is not ‘nervous’ about it.

“It does not make me nervous. It’s tougher when you have to carry forward someone else’s vision and find your own vision somewhere in it,” she said.

—ANI

Ekta Kapoor and Karan Johar

E

Vulnerable and CHALLENGED

A

Plus Hotstar, from June 19 onwards, marks the return of the ‘Dastak’ actor to the acting industry after a gap of five years.

In the series, the 44-yearold actor plays the protagonist, a powerful and strong character, who goes beyond boundaries to protect her family from the world of crime.

The trailer shows the strength and determination of Aarya (Sen’s character), who transforms from a good wife and dutiful mother to a fierce woman.

The plot takes a U-turn when her husband, essayed by actor Chandrachur Singh, is shot in broad daylight by some unknown. Aarya further takes up her husband’s business to discover if there are any dark secrets.

The story gradually unfolds several twists and turns with a mother putting her all efforts to save her children.

—ANI

Sushmita Sen

Reese Witherspoon

ctress Reese Witherspoon says she moved to Los Angeles to escape the very conservative society she grew up in. The actress was raised in Tennessee. In an interview, she revealed that she always challenged the belief systems that surrounded her.

“When I would go back home I was always the person who comes from Los Angeles with all the crazy ide-

11

as. I grew up in a very conservative family and a very conservative society, so I have always challenged the ideas and the belief systems that I grew up with. That’s probably why I moved so far away to meet people who have similar ideas to my own,” she said.

The actress said she felt like she could do anything after becoming a mother.

“After you have a child, you

h a v e this amazing feeling that you can accomplish anything because it is so challenging on your body and your mind. It changes your entire life. I feel like if you can adapt to that, and do it to the best of your ability, it’s a great achievement in life,” she said.

—IANS

Kangana Ranaut

xplaining the equation that he shares with Ekta Kapoor, filmmaker Karan Johar on Sunday extended warm birthday wishes to the TV film producer on her special day.

Johar hopped on to Instagram to share a throwback picture of the two, which the filmmaker dubbed as his “favourite.” The ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ filmmaker wrote how special Ekta Kapoor is to him and noted they have a ‘Karmic cosmic connection.’

“I love love our one on one dinners and our conversations! We have a karmic cosmic connection and I know you will always have my back .... can’t wait to come and have dinner with Shobha aunty and you!!!! Hugest hug and kiss from Roohi Yash mom and me!!! We love you!!!,” Johar further wrote.

Daughter of veteran actor Jeetendra and producer Shobhaa Kapoor, the creative head of Balaji Telefilms Limited has been a mentor to many stars, including actor Sushant Singh Rajput, by giving their first break in TV soaps.

Television shows like ‘Ye Hai Mohabbatein,’ ‘Bade Achhe Lagte Hain,’ ‘Pavitra Rishta’, to name a few, are all under her credits.

Kapoor has also entertained moviegoers by giving films like ‘Kya Kool Hai Hum,’ ‘Love Sex aur Dhoka’, ‘Once Upon a Time in Mumbai’, and more.

On January 27, 2019, Ekta Kapoor welcomed a baby boy via surrogacy.

—ANI

CITY BUZZ JAIPUR | MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2020

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

LIFE OF A

In a candid, Tina Ahuja opened up about her journey in the film industry and what she has planned for the future

12

GLAM GIRL

NEHAL NAYAR

L

IVE sessions have become a statement since the lockdown, and this is the best way to interact with people you cannot personally meet. In a candid Instagram LIVE session, Tina Ahuja opened up about her journey in the industry, and how it is to be superstar Govinda’s daughter. Her debut film as an actor ‘Second Hand Husband’ released back in 2015, and her music video ‘Milo Na Tum’ alongside singer Gajendra Verma was a huge success.

Initially, Tina aspired to become a Fashion Designer, but that’s not what she pursued. Talking about this, she stated, “My Dad didn’t want me to get into this line, be-

Nehal (above) and Tina during the LIVE session

cause he thinks there’s a lot of running around, and he didn’t want me doing all of that. That’s how I decided to give it up; if he wasn’t happy about it, I chose not to take it up.”

A fun fact about Tina Ahuja is that her real name isn’t Tina- it’s Nar-

mada- Tina happens to be her ‘nickname’.

“Right before my debut film, one of my friends suggested to go with the name ‘Tina’ since it is short and crisp; Narmada happens to be a comparatively longer name.”

Tina is a huge fan of Jaipur, as she feels this city gives are really warm vibes. “The colours of the city, the people, the food, the vibe- everything is so great!

I just can’t wait to be back in the city once everything gets over.”

During the lockdown, Tina has shot for something exciting, which will be out soon.

hat was your claim to fame as an eight-yearold? Meher Kumar has just released her first original song, and with a video to go with it!

Musician dad Arnav Kumar says, “She’s been singing since she learnt to talk. And since she’s musical, we came up with a plan to create a single and music video. She wrote about 60% of the song and even had a tune in mind, which we built on together.”

Meher says she likes singing, and sings whenever she wants to.

Her mom Dhaara encourages her

CITY FIRST, JAIPUR

to embrace her musicality.

“Right now, I want to become a pilot but maybe I could do both singing and be a pilot!” she told City First.

Only time will tell if Meher earns her pilot’s wings, but she’s certainly soaring with her singing. ‘I Wish I Were a Bird’--with video credit to “Papa and Mamma”--has already witnessed nearly 1,000 views since it was uploaded to YouTube on Friday.

“Since I cannot teach music, I wanted her to get professional training. She’s been learning Hindustani classical singing for about two years now,” her dad says. cityfirstgujarat@gmail.com

FACEBOOK POST!

Tina Ahuja

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

LITTLE WINGS W CITY FIRST, AHMEDABAD

A

A

Arnav and Meher Kumar

n International webinar on ‘Endgame of Tobacco: Protecting Next Generation’ was organised by Poornima University, Jaipur and Jodhpur School of Public Health (JSPH), where health experts and academics from across the globe discussed the possible ways of protecting the young generation from Tobacco. CEO and Founder of JSPH, Anil Purohit and Co-Founder of Poornima University, Rahul Singhi were also present during the panel

discussion, moderated

by Deputy Director of Centre for Cancer Epidemiology, Pankaj Chaturvedi and Executive Council Member, Rati Godrej.

The panellists for the

Barmer MLA Mewaram Jain (left) and IPS Malini Agarwal celebrated their birthdays on 7 June, Sunday. We wish them all the best!

times becoming a norm, togetherness with loved ones a priority, acceptance of this overall change...

The law of evolution is that the strongest survives!’ ‘Yes, and the strongest, in the existence of

any social species, are those who are most social. In human terms, most ethical...There is no strength to be gained from hurting one another.

Only weakness.

We are strong and we will survive!!”

—Vaishali

discussion include Additional Professor of radiation oncology from AIIMS, Jodhpur, Puneet Pareek; Additional Professor of PHFI, Manu Mathur; Founder of Dr Roy’s Health Solutions

Multispecialty Clinics, Sitesh Roy; CEO of Solutions 4 Health, Kishore Sankhla; Director of Harvard Chan India Research Center, K ‘Vish’ Vishwanath; Director, Asian Center for Medical Education, Research and Innovation India, Arvind Mathur; Director, Healis Sekhsaria Institute of Public Health, Prakash Gupta; Founder, Mobiloitte Group of Companies, Jagdish Harsh; and Chairperson of JSPH, Jodhpur, Bhawna Sati.

WHAT’S HAPPENING!

Uttar Pradesh: Congressmen led by National Secretary, AICC, Vivek Bansal protested at Dharmpur Courtyard, Aligarh, demanding the release of Pandit Subodh Nandan Sharma, a veteran environmentalist from Aligarh district, who has been detained in prison for nearly 3 months.

HAPPY B’DAY!

We Will Survive

Protecting Next-Gen

Vaibhav Gehlot

Rajasthan: A leadership webinar was organised by Manipal University, Jaipur, on Saturday, where prominent personalities discussed the changes in the education system due to the current challenges caused by COVID 19.

During the webinar, the Chairman of AICTE Prof. Anil Sahasrabuddhe hinted at doubling the role of digital studies in higher education. The program was hosted by DD news anchor Punit Sarma and MUJ Deputy Registrar (Academics) Dr Neetu Bhatnagar.

midst our f i g h t against the pandemic, Robert Vadra posted a strong message through his Facebook account, on Sunday, that reads, “A forced correction, a change for the better, a reality check, but a time to adhere and protect.... a time to test our endurance, with tough

Rajasthan: Looking towards the rising temperature in the city, two residents of Jaipur, Ishan and Kapil Sharma have started an initiative of distributing Earthen Pots (matkas) and fruits to the needy people of the city.

New Delhi: Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), an autonomous society under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology set up in 1991 with the objective of promoting the Software Exports from the country, celebrated its 29th Foundation Day on 5 June. For this, a daylong online session was organised with the participation of eminent speakers from across the country. STPI broadly provides services like Statutory, HighSpeed Data Communication (HSDC), State-of-the-art Incubation services, and project Management & Consultancy services among others.

Rajasthan: As a part of Jawahar Kala Kendra’s (JKK) ongoing ‘Online Learning – Children’s Summer Festival’, a 3-day Folk Dance session by dancer, Anita Pradhan concluded on Saturday, where viewers learned about the varying styles of the folk dances of Rajasthan. During the session, the artiste demonstrated a step-by-step choreography of one of the most popular folk dances of Rajasthan ‘Ghoomar’.

Rajasthan: A Rajasthan based magician, Aanchal, has won the Senior category (Illusion) award in an online competition organised by Magicians Association, in various categories of magic art of the year 2020.

Rajasthan: In an ongoing series on Facebook, initiated by Rajasthan Progressive Writers Association (RPWA) every Sunday, Film writer Ramkumar Singh expressed his view on the current scenario of films in the Bollywood. He also shared that the whole new world of entertainment will see a shift to the screens of cell phones, tablets, TV and i-pads.

Rajasthan: Shooter Manavaditya Singh Rathore, son of former Union Minister Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, spoke to Union Minister of State for Environment, Babul Supriyo, about the case of the murder of Elephant in Mallapuram, Kerala. The discussion took place during his live episode of ‘Collabonation’ on Instagram.