First India-Jaipur Edition-22 May 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

24°C - 41°C

ALERT JAIPUR l FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

COVID-19 UPDATE

RNI NO. RAJENG/2019/77764 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 345

INDIA

WORLD

RAJASTHAN

3,31,737 51,41,142 3,584 1,18,222 151 DEATHS

DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

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CONFIRMED CASES

DEATHS

6,227

CONFIRMED CASES

#CYCLONEAMPHAN

A TRAIL OF DESTRUCTION

PM Narendra Modi will travel to West Bengal and Odisha on Friday to take stock of the situation in wake of cyclone Amphan and conduct aerial surveys.The development comes hours after West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee requested him to come and visit affected areas. At least 72 people have died in West Bengal due to Cyclone Amphan, CM Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday. PM has assured of every possible help to the two states which faced the havoc caused by the cyclone. CM also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh for the family members of each of the deceased. Kolkata and several other parts of West Bengal wore a battered look after the extremely severe cyclone ‘Amphan’ left a trail of devastation in the state, blowing away shanties, uprooting thousands of trees besides swamping low-lying areas. The ravaging cyclone left some portions of the Kolkata airport flooded as some portion, including tarmac getting water-logged. P5

Civil Aviation’s Corona travel plan: Cap on fare, 1/3rd flights to operate New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said that a minimum and maximum fare for three months has been set for the domestic flight services, which resume from May 25.

“We have set a minimum and a maximum fare. In the case of Delhi, Mumbai the minimum fare would be Rs 3,500 for a journey between 90-120 minutes.

The maximum fare would be Rs 10,000. This is operative for three months—till one minute to midnight on August 24,” said Puri at a press conference here.

Earlier this week, Puri had said that domestic flight operations will resume from May 25, noting that all airlines and airports were ready.

Puri said that guidelines have been issued for the passengers and airports, which are to be followed during flight operations.

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Air routes divided into 7 categories

RULES FOR YOUR OWN GOOD  On May 25, flights commence but only one-third operations permitted  Passengers will have to report at airport two hours prior to flight’s scheduled departure  Only those with web check-in will be allowed to enter terminal  Passengers will have to wear masks

have to provide their medical details through the Aarogya Setu App or by filling up a selfdeclaration form

to ensure easy availability of hand sanitisers at all entry points and also to be available at various touch points

 Passengers staying

 All F&B, retail outlets

in containment zone can’t travel

to be opened with COVID-19 precautions

 Passengers who have been tested positive for COVID-19 will not be allowed to travel

 Take-away, digital payments, self-ordering booths at F&B and retail outlets to be encouraged to prevent crowding

 Airlines won’t provide meal services in flights

 Vulnerable persons such as very elderly with co-morbidities, pregnant ladies, passengers with ailments advised to avoid travel

 All passengers will

 Airports would have

 Only one check-in bag allowed

 Mats or carpets soaked with bleach (sodium hypochlorite solution) would be placed at the entrance for disinfecting shoes

New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said that all the air travel routes have been divided into seven bands based on duration of flights ranging from 40 minutes to 210 minutes.

The aim of the exercise is to prescribe upper and lower limits of fares and the caps on fares would be in place till August 24.

The minister said the first band will consist of flights that are of less than 40 minutes duration. Second, third, fourth and fifth bands of upper limit would be of flights with durations of 40-60 minutes, 60-90 minutes, 90-120 minutes and 120-150 minutes, he said.

The sixth and seventh bands would consist of flights with durations Turn on P6

India rejects China’s claims of troops trespassing LAC New Delhi: India on Thursday rejected China’s allegations that Indian troops crossed over to the Chinese side of the frontier in Ladakh and Sikkim, asserting that New Delhi has been taking responsible approach towards border management.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said it was the Chinese side that recently undertakook activities hindering India’s normal patrols in the areas.

‘1.78 LAKH TRAIN TICKETS BOOKED WITHIN 3 HOURS’ New Delhi: Indian Railways on Thursday said that over 1.78 lakh train tickets were booked within three hours of opening of the online bookings for some trains that are to start operations June 1 onwards. Booking for trains, which will have both AC & non-AC coaches, can be done only online.

INDO-CHINA FLARE-UP: US BACKS INDIA

“Any suggestion that Indian troops had undertaken activity across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector or the Sikkim sector is not accurate,” Srivastava said.

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Washington: The US has backed India amidst a flare-up of border tensions with China with a top diplomat describing Beijing’s aggression as “not always rhetorical” and accusing it of continuing with its “provocative and disturbing behaviour” to try to shift the status quo. Turn on P6

FIR AGAINST SONIA GANDHI OVER TWEETS ON PM-CARES FUND Karnataka: Sagar police in Shivamogga district have filed an FIR against Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi over some tweets posted on the official Twitter handle of the party criticising the utilisation of the PM CARES fund and the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi has handled the COVID-19 situation. P5 PAK GOVT’S COVID SITE SHOWS PAK OCCUPIED KASHMIR AS PART OF INDIA New Delhi: A map on a government website of Pakistan shows PoK as part of India, as it rightfully is. Pak govt’s site to give info on Corona covid.gov.pok describes PoK as part of India. This comes at a time when Pakistan is constantly violating ceasefire violation along the Line of Control even as the world fights deadly Coronavirus.

HUMANE GEHLOT

CM announces special buses for immersing remains of deceased “It is unfortunate that people can’t even go to immerse remains of their loved ones, the govt is aware of their pain,” Gehlot said Naresh Sharma Jaipur: It is a well established fact that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is highly sensitive towards the pain of others and this also reflects in his politics and policies for people. The ongoing lockdown has

created problems for people and Gehlot has been proactively working towards providing the people with some relief. In this connection, Gehlot realised that families who lost their loved ones in this traumatic times, could not immerse the re-

MAJOR RELIEF IN KRISHI KALYAN SHULK

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot

mains in the holy waters of Ganga and thus the Chief Minister has decided to run special buses to ferry people to Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh for the pur-

pose. Gehlot has asked officials to speak with their counterparts in these two states to coordinate the successful running of these buses.

Holding a review of

the Corona situation and quarantine arrangements in state, the humane faced CM said, “Prompt talks should be held with the Uttarakhand and Uttar

Pradesh governments to agree on the operation of these buses. It is extremely unfortunate and painful that the mournful families could not go to immerse the remains after the death of family member due to lockdown.

The state government is aware of this poignant situation and keeping this in mind, it has been decided to run these special buses,” Gehlot said while interacting with officials.

Turn on P6

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JAIPUR | FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020

WAITING FOR A QUICK DIP

Birds taking a dip in water kept in an earthen pot at Hari Singh Bhomiya Ji temple near Chulgiri in Jaipur at 4.45 PM on a hot Thursday amid the nationwide imposed lockdown. First India advises you to always keep water pots on terraces and balconies to help your feathered friends.

—PHOTO BY SUNIL SHARMA

Much awaited: UDH dept releases rules for the Land Pooling Act First India Bureau

Jaipur: The Legal department has cleared the way for the UDH department to go ahead with its far-reaching Land Pooling Act. This act will make it easy for builders to get land for their projects. UDH department on Thursday released rules for the same. According to new rules to apply the land pooling act, the largest chunk of the land will be notified first and suggestions and objections will be invited for this draft.

The settlement report of the same will be sent to

—Pic for representational purpose only

the government by the concerned agency. The scheme will be permitted

after government clearance. The rules reserve 15% land for builder’s

Migrants’ bus row: Pilot lashes out at central govt First India Bureau Jaipur: PCC chief and deputy CM Sachin Pilot remembered former PM Rajiv Gandhi as the person who laid the foundation of modern India. Pilot paid his respects to the late leader on his death anniversary at the PCC along with large number of Congressmen.

Pilot offered floral tributes to the statute of Rajiv Gandhi. The function was attended by ministers Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, Vishwendra Singh, chief whip Dr Mahesh Joshi, AICC secretary Kuldeep Indora etc.

Speaking on the sidelines of the function Dep-

Aadhaar centres resume services First India Bureau Jaipur: After a gap of two months Aadhar centres have reopened in Jaipur. District collector Dr Jogaram Patel issued orders for restarting Aadhar services in the city. The order mentioned that Aadhar making machines and photo scanners would require to be sanitized. Those working in the Aadhar centres must wear masks, gloves, and other protective equipment.

personal development scheme, 15% for roads, 15% for parks and other amenities. The rest of the land will be distributed between landowners by way of giving them the same percent developed land as was their contribution of undeveloped land. The developed land given back to the owner either will be the same piece of land surrendered by him for the project or the nearest piece of land to it and if the original land DLC rate comes greater than the DLC of the developed land then the difference will be paid by the builder.

These rules will usher in landowners shying away from land deals until now as they would be getting as much as 45% developed land in return.

Since the process will not be tedious as the existing acquisition one, it will help in faster returns on land. This act will also expedite the execution of the long-pending sector and zonal plans. This will bring ease in land conversion and road construction.

Above all the new act reduces the expenses by a good margin which itself will be a stimulus for the real estate sector.

RTO to restart driving license work from today First India Bureau Jaipur: After two months of the lockdown the driving license work will begin in the district transport office in the Red, Orange, and Green zones from Friday. However, the offices will not open in the curfew bound areas.

The transport department has issued guidelines for the same. According to it, one-third of applicants will be called to maintain social distancing. First, those applicants would be called who had applied before the lockdown and their licenses have been pending. Considering huge applications, the offices will remain open on Saturday as well.

Nandi Gaushala: 21 labourers reach Bhilwara Scuffle between in special bus from Delhi two public reps First India Bureau First India Bureau

Sachin Pilot paying floral tributes to Rajiv Gandhi on Thursday.

uty CM Pilot lambasted BJP for playing dirty political games while Congress under leadership of Priyanka Gandhi was sincerely trying to help the migrant workers. He said that his department of Panchayati Raj and Rural development was committed to resurrecting the

rural economy. Pilot said that MANREGA works worth Rs 19800 crore amounting to 90 working days will be started with the approval of PM Avas Scheme. Pilot will hold a press conference on Friday regarding the bus controversy and the politics done by BJP on it.

Bikaner: Politics is rife over an altercation between the husband of Bikaner Mayor and deputy commissioner of Municipal Corporation. Both of them had an argument yesterday about breaking of the lock of Nandi Gaushala’s kitchen. Mayor Sushila Kanwar held a meeting with ward councilors on Thursday. Later, they held a demonstration against deputy commissioner Jagmohan Harsh and the commissioner demanding action against them. They went to SP’s office and handed him a memorandum accusing the deputy commissioner of misbehaviour.

Bhilwara: The free special buses being run by the Rajasthan government for labourers are proving to be a boon for the Rajasthani migrants stranded in other states.

A total of 100 special buses have been used for the migrant Rajasthanis stranded in Delhi, which are bringing Rajasthani labourers from different district headquarters of Delhi to different districts of Rajasthan.

In this sequence, 21 labourers of Vijayanagar in Bhilwara, who were living under a flyover in the Dwarka area of Delhi, were sent by a special bus.

Commissioner of Rajasthan Foundation

Dheeraj Srivastava

Dheeraj Srivastava said that all these 21 labourers, including elderly women and children, used to sell toys and balloons at traffic signals in Delhi. Due to the corona outbreak, these people were living below a flyover for the last two months.

RHB, PHED solve water woes of Indira Gandhi Nagar First India Bureau Jaipur: Rajathan Housing Board Commissioner Pawan Arora has given another good news in form of solving a major problem of the Indira Gandhi Nagar residents.

Arora informed that the residents of Indira Gandhi Nagar will soon get drinking water from Bisalpur which was a long standing demand by people and local representatives. In order to solve this problem Commissioner Arora called a

Pawan Arora

meeting which was chaired by RHB chairman Bhaskar A Sawant and was attended by Principal Secretary

(PHED) Rajesh Yadav and other senior officers. The meeting concluded that RHB will immediately pay PHED Rs

5 crore and in return PHED will make 4 MLS drinking water to Indira Gandhi Nagar.

RHB will also prepare and send the project report for the same to the finance department for approval. Arora added that apart from 4 MLD from Bisalpur 1 MLD will be drawn from ground water which will be sufficient for the existing 4000 inhabited houses in the colony.

This decision coming up with immediate solution with the advent of

summers will not only prove a boon for the existing residents of Indira Gandhi Nagar but will also be a motivation for others to think of this colony as new option for investment.

Original plan by RHB in 2004 conceived the colony to be of 10000 houses so the new drinking water facility will pave way for further appreciation of the RHB colony hitherto languishing. This certainly is an example of vision and coordination by the RHB management.

GLOBAL STATE OF AFFAIRS COUNTRY TOTAL CASES

TOTAL NEW DEATHS DEATHS

1,603,929 95,502 RUSSIA 317,554 3,099 SPAIN 280,117 27,940 BRAZIL 296,033 19,148 UK 250,908 36,042 ITALY 228,006 32,486 FRANCE 181,575 28,132 GERMANY 178,864 8,273 TURKEY 153,548 4,249 IRAN 129,341 7,249 USA

+566 +127 +52 +254 +338 +156 +85 +3 +27 +66

WWW.WORLDOMETERS.INFO LAST UPDATED: MAY 21, 2020, 11:40 PM

IN RAJASTHAN DISTRICT

TOTAL CASES

273 40 75 5 56 130 92 71 168 60 39 28 275 1 14 1686 61 130 52 71 1142 10 339 229 227 10 68 17 69 78 156 433 9 6114 2 61 50 GRAND TOTAL 6227

AJMER ALWAR BANSWARA BARAN BARMER BHARATPUR BHILWARA BIKANER CHITTORGARH CHURU DAUSA DHOLPUR DUNGARPUR GANGANAGAR HANUMANGARH JAIPUR JAISALMER JALORE JHALAWAR JHUNJHUNU JODHPUR KARAULI KOTA NAGAUR PALI PRATAPGARH RAJSAMAND SWAI MADHOPUR SIKAR SIROHI TONK UDAIPUR OTHER DIST. TOTAL OTHER (Italy) EVACUEES BSF

SAMPLE RECEIVED SAMPLE NEGATIVE UNDER EXAMINATION

3,060

NEW TOTAL CASES DEATH

+7 +4 — — +6 +1 +10 +6 +1 +8 — — +42 — — +21 +2 +22 +1 +2 +14 — +2 +16 +10 +3 +7 — +5 +8 — +13 +1 +212 — — — +212

5 2 1 — — 4 2 3 2 1 — — — — — 75 — 2 — — 17 2 13 5 4 1 — 1 4 — 1 1 5 151 — — — 151

2,75,974 2,66,687

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200 MORE TRAINS TO RESUME OPERATIONS FROM JUNE 1 NWR to operate 9 trains from within the state Kashiram Chaudhary Jaipur: Railway will start operating 200 trains from June 1, apart from the Shramik Special and already operational 30 Rajdhani Special trains. Booking for all these trains began on Tuesday morning.

These 200 trains will have both A/C and Non A/C coaches but no general coaches. Tickets will be available 30 days in advance. Waiting tickets will be issued for these train but commuters will only be allowed to board with confirmed tickets.

The timings and stops of the trains are as it was before the lockdown. North Western railway will operate 9 of these trains from

Limited RSRTC buses to run from May 23

TRAINS STARTING FROM JUNE 1 BY NW RAILWAY 02463/64, JodhpurDelhi Sarai RohillaJodhpur sampark Kranti Express (Tri- Weekly) 02479/80, Bandra Terminus-JodhpurBandra Surya Nagari Express (Daily)

02955/56, Mumbai Central-Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express (Daily) 02307/08, HawaraJodhpur/Bikaner-Hawra Express (Daily) 02555/56, HisarGorakhpur-Hisar (Daily)

02477/78, Jodhpur-Jaipur-Jodhpur Express (Daily)

02916/15, DelhiAhemdabad Ashram Express (Daily)

02963/64, Hazrat Nizamuddin-Udaipur Mewar Express (Daily)

02065/66, AjmerDelhi Sarai Rahilla Jan Shatabdi (5 days a Week)

within the state. Cities in state to directly benefit from this development are Jaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Kota,

Udaipur, Bikaner, Alwar and Sawai Madhopur along with other scheduled stops on their respective routes.

Jaipur: After a hiatus of two months, the government decided to run a limited number of Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation buses.

These buses will start operating from May 23 in green and orange districts. At the same time, buses will not be operated in the 12 red zone districts of the state. If the red zone area is located in path of the transit, buses will move via bypass.

For travel, advance online bookings would be done through the RSRTC website, mobile app and e-Mitra. Tickets will not be available from the window at bus stands. Also, social distancing will be maintained while travelling in the buses and face masks will be mandatory.

Kitchen named after ‘Kataria ought to make Raje, a boon for needy plan to control locusts’ Aishwarya Pradhan

First India Bureau

Dholpur: For almost a month now, Vasundhara Raje community kitchen has been operating in Dholpur, with the contribution and help from BJP leaders, public representatives and Bhamashah.

They provide food and drinking water to migrants workers walking back home on NH 3 and to the needy alongside state border.

MLA Shobha Rani

Jaipur: Deputy LoP Rajendra Rathore advised Agriculture Minister Lalchand Kataria to formulate an executive plan to control the locusts crisis in state.

Rathore said that, Centre is responsible for the desert areas, but the problem has reached Lalsot. Even though there is not much crop at present, but vegetables, fruits

Vasundhara Raje

Kushwaha, former MLA Jaswant Singh Gurjar and other party leaders regularly help in preparation and distribution of food. They also contribute with money.

Rajendra Rathore

and other yields are in danger. He added that agriculture is the subject of the state, therefore the Agriculture Minister should make a concrete plan.

Poonia launches drive Soni meets CS for advertising issues to help pandits First India Bureau

First India Bureau

Dholpur: BJP State President Dr Satish Poonia launched a campaign to provide financial help and ration materials for the in-need pandits. About 1,100 people will be helped in Jaipur through this campaign. A similar campaign will be launched in all districts of state. Social participation would be key to this campaign.

At the inauguration

Jaipur: Commissioner and ex-officio special secretary of DIPR Mahendra Soni met Chief Secretary Devendra Bhushan Gupta, on Thursday, to discuss various issues regarding publicity related to the war aginst Corona.

Soni put forward several points to broadcast and sensitize the public before Gupta, which were ap-

Satish Poonia

of the campaign, Poonia was accompanied by Bhagwan Sahai Joshi, Vijay, Puran, Hazari Prasad, Mahesh, Pawan, Raghunandan and Tamradhwaj.

Mahendra Soni

proved by the CS. Soni also discussed with him, various issues concerning advertising and broadcasting in print and electronic mediums.

4 deaths, 212 record cases found, SMS hosp employee tests positive Jaipur: Thursday witnessed 212 new corona cases in the state along with 4 corona related deaths taking the death toll to 151. 2 deaths were from Jaipur while one each was from Bharatpur and Sikar. An employee of the central microbiology lab in Dhanvantri Block of SMS Hospital tested positive. After getting the information, work was stopped immediately and the lab was

—PHOTO BY SUMAN SARKAR

First India Bureau

Cops try to maintain social distancing among people gathered to buy rations in Topkhane Ka Rasta in Chandpole on Thursday.

disinfected. However, work resumed at night.

Meanwhile Jodhpur administration came on its toes when son of

BJP Jodhpur MLA Suryakanta Vyas was tested positive while she herself is test3ed negative. 42 new cases

were from Dungarpur followed by 22 from Jalore, 21 from Jaipur, 16 from Nagaur, 14 from Jodhpur, 13 from Udaipur, 10 each from Bhilwara & Pali, 8 each from Churu & Sirohi, 7 each from Ajmer & Rajsamand, 6 each from Barmer & Bikaner, 5 from Sikar, 4 from Alwar, 3 from Pratapgarh, 2 each from Kota, Jhunjhunu & Jaisalmer and one each from Bharatpur, Chottirgarh & Jhalawar.One positive was from other state.

JAIPUR | FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020

03

PERSPECTIVE JAIPUR | FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020

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IN-DEPTH

CAUTIOUS MOVE TOWARDS A NEW NORMAL

ECONOMIC STIMULUS FOR SMALLMEDIUM SECTOR IS OXYGEN KEWAL KHANNA

E

ither coronavirus pandemic has loosened its stranglehold or there is pressing urgency to breathe life in the economy, we are emerging from paranoia to restart a normal life, or what is going to be the new normal.

The first step towards restoring normalcy was taken with the announcement of a relief package for different sectors. This was followed by the easing of restrictions in lockdown 4.0 to boost supply and consumption demand. For relief of citizens stuck here, there and everywhere and also to revive the aviation sector, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri on Thursday announced the resumption of domestic air travel, keeping the interests of airlines and air travellers in mind.

This was preceded by Railways Minister Piyush Goyal asserting “that it was time to take India towards normalcy after weeks of the shutdown”. Online booking of tickets for about 100 trains is to start on Friday. More Shramik specials are to be added to ease the rush of migrants. Despite the stringent safeguards required to make one eligible both for train and air journey, flying would be a preferable option for many given the lesser time needed to reach a destination.

Inter-state road transport was permitted when lockdown 4.0 guidelines were announced. There was a rider, however, that respective governments had to agree to allow entry of buses into their states. This makes the bus and car travel a complicated affair. Keeping in view how Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have sealed their borders with Delhi, the civil aviation ministry has taken all stakeholders on board so that passengers from Noida and Delhi do not face any inconvenience in reaching the airport.

The minister said that all commercial flights which remained suspended from March 25 in view of the lockdown will resume from May 25.

The airlines will book tickets for only 33 percent of capacity to keep air passengers safe from Covid-19 which is yet to peak in India.

Passengers will have to mandatorily walk through a thermal screening zone and have to have the Aarogya Setu app on their mobiles. As there was an apprehension of airlines jacking up fares to make up for their losses, the ministry has put a cap on the maximum chargeable fares and also ensured that airlines don’t bleed due to fare restructuring. In the case of trains, railways will charge normal fares.

As 80 percent of cases are asymptomatic requiring proper testing at airports and railway stations, the former is better equipped than the latter. For instance, the flow of passengers can be better regulated at airports where the staff will be wearing PPEs. With only 33 percent passengers per flight capacity being allowed screening too will be easier. Railways may find implementing the SOPs cumbersome.

While everyone seems weighed down by forced confinement, one should enjoy this freedom but with caution.

The writer is author of Indian Economy Towards Globalisation & Former Financial Advisor, Indira Gandhi Canal Board

T

According to a survey conducted by the All India Manufacturing Organisation (AIMO) of 5000 MSMEs has revealed that 71% of businesses were not able to pay salaries in March. The survey further disclosed that 43% would shut their shop if panic extends beyond eight weeks

he coronavirus crisis has spelled havoc globally shattering the economy of a number of countries in the world and India is not free from its ramifications causing millions of job losses and productivity. Governments all over the world have resorted to lockdowns and imposing social distancing has become a new norm, the post-pandemic world will wake up to a new trading culture.

Here in India too this global calamity has battered all sectors of the economy with micro, small and medium enterprises among the worst-hit causing massive unemployment, productivity loss, vanishing demand, and purchasing power.

Considered as the growth engine of the Indian economy, the MSMEs account for 33.4% of India’s manufacturing output, employing about 120 million people and generating 45% of India’s exports.

As a consequence of COVID 19, stoppage of economic activity has triggered panic across the country with business and manufacturing units facing widespread extinction and losses being majority of them rely on day to day business to say afloat.

According to a survey conducted by the All India Manufacturing Organisation (AIMO) of 5000 MSMEs has revealed that 71% of businesses were not able to pay salaries in March. The survey further disclosed that 43% would shut their shop if panic extends beyond eight weeks.

Looking at the prevalent conditions and widespread unemployment along with shrinking demand, necessitated on the part of the government to usher in immediate measures which could prove as oxygen to the Continuity and commencing production in this important sector of the Indian economy. Thus, to inject lifeblood to MSME sector, the GOI while announcing economic

stimulus for revival of the economy, announced a number of concessions for this important sector of the economy. Nirmala Sitharaman the Finance Minister while announcing 20 lakh crores mega Economic stimulus for the Indian economy, six economic stimuli were for the small and medium sector since this sector has been constantly clamoring for relief since the lockdown, being worst affected by the downturn.

This sector doesn’t have large buffers that blue-chip companies have, the economic relief package for MSME’s aims at their revival and growth.

The blue map of economic stimulus for MSME’s sector lays down measures to streamline their operations and continue productivity by:

l Further announced to inject

Considered as the growth engine of the Indian economy, the MSMEs account for 33.4% of India’s manufacturing output, employing about 120 million people and generating 45% of India’s exports

l MSME’s having declared Non-

Performing Assets or those Stressed will be eligible for equity support as the govt will facilitate the provision of Rs 20,000 crore as subordinate debt.

l To meet the complaints of

entrepreneurs about their Payments, it has been decided that all receivables by the MSME’s sector shall be cleared within 45 days by all central public sector enterprises.

l COLLATERAL FREE AUTO-

MATIC LOANS FOR BUSINESS: The eligibility criteria for this loan is that the borrower should have less than Rs.25 crore outstanding and turnover of Rs.100 crore. An emergency credit line will be granted to businesses (MSMEs) from banks, NBFC’s up to 20% of the outstanding credit as on 29.2.2020. The tenure of the loan would be four years with 12 months moratorium on principal repayment. 100% credit guarantee cover will also be given to banks and NBFC’s on principal and interest by govt. One can avail this facility till October,20.

l Another vital concession pro-

vided to this sector is Reserving purchases from MSME’s for procurement of government supplies up to the tenders of Rs 200/- crore where no global companies will be allowed to participate except domestic ones.

l RBI has also declared several

monetary measures to accelerate credit pipeline having the lowest repo Rate of 4.40% of the century.

Protecting women during the pandemic L

ast month, Sheuly rushed into a Dhaka hospital in need of emergency treatment. The 25-year-old Bangladeshi woman had just given birth at home – thinking it a safer setting than the hospital during a pandemic. But as she began to suffer from post-partum hemorrhage – one of the leading causes of maternal death worldwide – avoiding exposure to COVID-19 was the furthest thing from her mind. The same was true of Majufa Akter, the midwife who sprang into action and saved Sheuly’s life, despite not having yet received adequate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Giving birth is an intense moment in a woman’s life under any cir

04

cumstances. Doing so during a pandemic imbues the experience with a new form of stress. Mothers do not know whether to go to hospitals – where they fear exposure to the coronavirus, personnel shortages, or separation from their partners – or to give birth at home, where medical complications often become far riskier. This is just one example of how the imperative of managing the COVID-19 pandemic is complicating the delivery of essential health services – and leaving women, in particular, highly vulnerable.

Around the world, when health systems are overstretched, services for women are often among the first to suffer, resulting in increased maternal and child morbidity and mortality. To illustrate

Giving birth is an intense moment in a woman’s life under any circumstances.

Doing so during a pandemic imbues the experience with a new form of stress the risks, we have modeled the pandemic’s possible impact on three key sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services:

births assisted by skilled health-care providers, including midwives; births taking place in health facilities; and access to contraception.

While reduced access to SRH services is a problem in many parts of the world, including developed countries like the United States, we focused our analysis on 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific region that are particularly vulnerable: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan,

Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. All already have high maternal mortality ratios – more than 100 deaths per 100,000 live births, which often reflect lower use of health services, such as giving birth in medical facilities or with the help of skilled birth attendants.

The best-case scenario, according to our model, is a 20% decline in use of the three key services. That would lead to a 17% increase in maternal mortality ratio, equivalent to 25,493 additional deaths this year alone. The worstcase scenario – a 50% decline in use of services – would produce a 43% increase in maternal mortality, or 68,422 additional

deaths. Of these additional maternal deaths, a considerable proportion would be attributable to the increase in fertility resulting from reduced access to contraceptive services.

In fact, reduced access to contraception and family planning services further exacerbates risks.

Border closures and other supply-chain disruptions could reduce the available supply of contraceptives, which are often out of stock even in normal times. Movement restrictions could prevent women from getting to pharmacies or clinics, particularly if family planning is not deemed “essential.” And fear of exposure to the coronavirus could stop women who have access from pursuing services.

FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO WWW.PROJECTSYNDICATE.COM

Rs.3.74 lakh crore liquidity in the system besides providing another Rs. 50,000 crores for refinancing window to NABRD, SIDBI, and NHB where the banks are required to make this investment within one month.

All said and done the economic stimulus provided to MSME’s sector has kept into consideration the three key issues facing the sector of delayed payments, procurement policy of the government and liberal credit line to the manufacturing units whose balance sheets stand badly battered and production having come to halt due to the economic impact of COVID 19.

It is expected that the economic stimulus will prove a game-changer in removing the pains of the sector whereby restoring the productivity and Supply chain vis a vis ensuring that the unemployment curve gets flattened.

The government’s economic stimulus package is focused on local shops that are responsible for 40% of employment and drive more than 90% of retail commerce. One should be optimistic of a quick recovery by taking it with a Pinch of salt the government agencies and institutions do their homework efficiently, impartially, and punctually under the stewardship of competent Minister Nitin Gadkari to minimise the impact of COVID 19.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

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TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp In this challenging hour, the country stands in solidarity with the people of Odisha and West Bengal. I urge everyone to stay safe and pray for the well-being of all. May Lord Jagannath bless our people to weather this storm. #CyclonAmphan.

Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal Govt led by PM @NarendraModi ji approves procurement of 26 defence items from local suppliers to boost ‘Make in India’.

Thanks to RM @RajnathSingh ji’s initiatives, manufacturing capabilities will improve to provide quality products for India’s defence.

Spiritual SPEAK

The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows. —Buddha

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72 died in Bengal due to Amphan: Mamata Bengal is yet to decide on the losses it has suffered in the cyclone that made landfall Wednesday afternoon New Delhi: Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that the country stood in solidarity with cyclone-hit West Bengal, the state’s CM Mamata Banerjee requested him to pay a visit to see the havoc wreaked by the storm. “I would request PM Narendra Modi to come and visit Cyclone Amphan-affected areas” she said at a press briefing. She said 72 deaths have been reported due to Cyclone Amphan.

“There have been casualties.I announce a compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh to the families of those who died in cyclone Amphan,” she said. Bengal is yet to decide on the losses it has suffered in the cyclone that made landfall Wednesday afternoon before heading away towards Bangladesh.

NCMC reviewed the situation in cyclone affected areas of Odisha and West Bengal decided to send additional teams of the NDRF to the latter to speed up restoration work, especially in Kolkata. —PTI

Prez accepts credentials of 7 envoys online New Delhi: A new chapter in digital India opened in Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday, when President Ram Nath Kovind became the first ever titular head of a state to receive and accept diplomatic credentials of seven foreign envoy digitally.

“This was the first time that credentials were presented through the digital medium. The President remarked that digital technology has enabled world to overcome challenges posed by COVID-19 & carry out its functions in an innovative manner,” the Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted. —Agencies

‘Massive challenge’ for NDRF to carry out restoration work New Delhi: National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General SN Pradhan said that it is a “massive challenge” for NDRF to carry out restoration work in view of COVID19.”But our teams were semi-prepared for cyclone Amphan as they were preparing for the combination of COVID-19 and floods. Our personnel observe pro-

The Union Cabinet Secretary held a meeting with the West Bengal and Odisha Chief Secretaries to estimate the damage and response, earlier in the day. The situation in Odisha is under control, and hopefully, normalcy will return in the next 24 to 48 hours in Odisha.

A car parked along a road, damaged by an uprooted tree after super cyclone Amphan in Kolkata.

—SN Pradhan, NDRF Chief

People retrieve belongings from their houses, damaged in aftermath of Cyclone Amphan in a slum.

‘Defence sector more affected by Corona’

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addresses MSMEs E-conclave themed on ‘Business Continuity for MSMEs in Defence Sector’ in New Delhi.

New Delhi: Acknowledging the hardships faced by the Defence industry, Rajnath Singh said, “Manufacturing sector has been affected the most due to lockdown and disruption in existing supply chains and the defence sector is no exception to this. Rather, it can be

said that the Defence sector is more aggravated than other sectors as the only buyer of defence products is the government.”

The Minister was addressing, via vc, MSMEs E-conclave, jointly organised by SIDM, CII & Department of Defence Production.—ANI

Congress condemns FIR against Sonia New Delhi: The Congress has condemned registration of FIR against interim chief Sonia Gandhi in Shivamogga in Karnataka for questioning PMCARES fund. Congress Spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill in a statement said “Registration of FIR against Smt Sonia Gandhi in Shivamogga Karnataka for raising questions on PM Cares Fund depicts BJP’s dictatorial mindset.” “This is an attempt to threaten transparency, avoid answerability and exposes the BJP’s nervousness on audit of the Fund,” added the Congress spokesperson Shergill. —ANI

RAJIV GANDHI’S 29 TH DEATH ANNIVERSARY

Priyanka pens emotional tribute to father Rajiv Gandhi New Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra penned an emotional tribute to her father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 29th death anniversary on Thursday.

Taking to Twitter, the Congress General Secretary wrote, “To be kind to those who are unkind to you; to know that life is fair, no matter how unfair you imagine it to be; to keep walking, no matter how dark the skies or fearsome the storm.”

“To nurture a strong heart, and fill it with love no matter how great it’s sorrows; these are the gifts of my father’s life,” she said in another tweet.

She also shared the last photograph of her-

To nurture a strong heart, and fill it with love no matter how great it’s sorrows; these are the gifts of my father’s life.

—Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Cong GS

self with Rajiv.

Rajiv Gandhi took over the charge of the Congress in 1984 following the assassination of his mother & then PM Indira Gandhi. He became India’s youngest

PM at the age of 40. Born on August 20 in 1944, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a LTTE suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991. —ANI

I am proud to be the son of a true patriot, liberal and a benevolent father. As Prime Minister, Rajiv ji had pushed India on the path of progress. He took many important steps to empower the country with his forward-looking vision. Today, on his death anniversary, I salute him with affection and gratitude.

—Rahul Gandhi, Congress Leader

tocols of social distancing and sanitization,” Pradhan said. Road clearance process has picked up pace & has been completed in some localities. “It will take some time to restore electricity & telecom services in affected areas which will need assistance of technicians, & we are ready to help them wherever required,” Pradhan said.

PM Modi to visit West Bengal, Odisha today New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to West Bengal and Odisha on Friday to conduct an aerial survey of the damage caused by Cyclone Amphan, a government spokesperson said.

“Tomorrow, PM @ narendramodi will travel to West Bengal and Odisha to take stock of the situation in the

wake of Cyclone Amphan. He will conduct aerial surveys and take part in review meetings, where aspects of relief and rehabilitation will be discussed,” PMO tweeted. This will be PM Narendra Modi’s first visit anywhere since the first lockdown to halt the spread of coronavirus was put in place on March 25.

CABINET SECY GAUBA REVIEWS SITUATION New Delhi: Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Thursday, reviewed situation in the cyclone-affected areas of Odisha and West Bengal with the States and Central Ministries/Agencies concerned in the aftermath of cyclone Amphan, the officials of the Government of India said.

TOLL REACHES 15 IN BANGLADESH Dhaka: The death toll due to severe cyclonic storm Amphan rose to 15 on Thursday in Bangladesh.

Cyclone Amphan made landfall along the coastline of India and Bangladesh leaving a trail of destruction in the region.

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‘More than 20,000 Indians brought back’ During Vande Bharat mission, clear emphasis was on evacuating our citizens who were genuinely stranded New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said that upwards of 20 thousand Indian citizens have been brought back to the country under the Vande Bharat mission so far and the number will rise further in the coming days.

“Under Vande Bharat mission, we have brought back more than 20 thousand of our citizens from various destinations. We have at the same time utilised the outgoing aircraft to carry our citizens who are normally residents abroad, and needed to travel because they have jobs to do and other commitments,” Puri said at a press conference here.

The Minister added that some countries are “at this point of time not allowing foreign nationals to come back,” stating that six countries in the Gulf and the Middle East, and some others in East Asia are included in the list.

MP Congress MLAs told to vacate official bungalows

Bhopal: The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government has started the process of sealing the official bungalows of many former ministers of the previous Kamal Nath regime. Some of the MLAs had not vacated their ministerial bungalows.They were all issued notices last week to vacate the houses. None of them had, however, responded.

Uddhav to take part in Sonia’s meeting Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will join the video conference meeting of opposition parties called by Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that Maharashtra Chief Minister “will join” video conferencing organised by Sonia Gandhi. Thackeray heads the coalition government in Maharashtra in which Congress is a partner.

‘MORE TRAINS TO RESUME’

MIGRANTS AT KANDIVALI

Migrants board a train at Danapur station in Patna to reach their destination.

It is important to note that the Indian government launched the first phase of the Vande Bharat Mission on May 7 and the second phase was started on May 16.

He further said that the Vande Bharat mission had started “somewhat cautiously”, and the intention in be-

tween May 6 and 13 was to bring back 12,800 people, but the numbers were ramped up in the second week, and a substantial increase in the number of flights from Air India, with the private players also joining in the coming days will be seen.

He, however, added,

—PHOTO BY PTI

“During Vande Bharat mission, our effort was not to bring back everyone who wanted to come back. The clear emphasis was on evacuating our citizens who were genuinely stranded and in distress abroad.”

Civil Aviation Minister Puri had earlier

Mumbai: Amid the coronavirus spread, hundreds of migrant labourers on Thursday gathered at the grounds in Kandivali’s Mahavir Nagar in the hope to board Special Shramik trains to return home.

Notably, today two out of three trains scheduled to leave from Borivali for Uttar Pradesh, were cancelled today.

The police have requested the migrants to return to their shelter homes and vacate the spot as a precautionary measure to halt the spread of the virus. said, “When we announced #VandeBharatMission on 5th May, we met virtually.

The very fact that we are meeting on May 21 physically, it is a reflection of the fact that we have gained more confidence in the normalisation of the situation & resumption.” —ANI

FUND WORTH RS 218.50 CR TO SHGs

cases, only about 2.94 per cent are in ICU. The case mortality rate in India is 3.06%, which is much lesser in

comparison to the global case mortality rate of 6.65%.

A Health Ministry release citing an analysis

‘Nepal’s border issue with India is mere politics’ Kathmandu: Nepal’s recent friction with India over a land dispute is just politics for domestic consumption, according to a leading Nepali analyst Man Bahadur Basnet.

Recently, Nepal released a new political map that shows the areas of Kalapani, Limpiyadhura, and Lipulekh within its borders. However, India regards these areas as part of its territory.

“We haven’t been able to re-

KP Sharma Oli with PM Narendra Modi.

turn to our settlements due to the sealed border,” said Ashok Singh

—FILE PHOTO

Bohara, chairperson of the rural municipality’s Ward No 1. —ANI

said that 64 per cent of those who have died are males and 36 per cent are females.

In terms of age distri-

APPOINTMENT OF NEW SEBI CHIEF DELAYED

12 PMG GET ONE YEAR EXTENSION IN THEIR PRESENT POSTING

New Delhi: As the government prepares to steer the current situation in the country towards normalcy despite the rise in COVID-19 cases, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal announced that development of protocols for resuming ticket booking at counters is underway and in next 2-3 days, people will be able to book their tickets from the counters as well.

As of now, tickets can only be booked online through the IRCTC website. More trains will be resumed by the government, adding that it is now time to take India towards normalcy. From Friday, booking of train tickets will resume at around 1.7 lakh common service centres across the country, he said. —ANI

bution, 0.5 % deaths are reported in less than 15 years age group, 2.5 per cent in 15-30 years age group, 11.4 % in people aged 30 to 45 years, 35.1 per cent in those between 45 to 60 years and 50.5 per cent in people above 60 years.

The release said that 73% of death cases had underlying co-morbidities. Elderly people (above 60 years of age) and people having comorbidities are identified as high risk groups for COVID-19. —ANI

As many as 12 Indian Postal Service officers working as PMG have been given extension in their present place of posting for a period of one year. They are: Anil Kumar Singh as PMG, A & N Island with HQ Kolkata; Jaleswar Kanhar as PMG, Berhampur; Veena R Srinivas as PMG, NK Region, Dharwad; Lalitendu Pradhan as PMG, Sambalpur region; Anil Kumar II as PMG, Bhagalpur; Dr N Vinodkuamr as PMG, Goa region; Shobha Madhale as PMG, Navi Mumbai; T Mangminthang as PMG, NE-I region; vinod Kumar Verma as PMG, Kanpur region; S S Kujur as PMG, BD & M, Ranchi; Sanjiv Ranjan as PMG, South Bengal region and TM Sreelatha as PMG Kurnool.

UPGRADED POSTING OF PRAMOD PATHAK AS JS, AYUSH TO ADDL SECRETARY LEVEL EXTENDED

The upgradation of the post of Pramod Kumar Pathak as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of AYUSH to Additional Secretary level, has been extended tupo June 30, 2021. He is a 1986 batch IFS officer of Kerala cadre.

UPGRADED POSTING OF SK DEV VERMAN AS JS, MINORITY AFFAIRS TO ADDL SECRETARY LEVEL EXTENDED

The upgradation of the post of SK Dev Verman, as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Minority Affairs, to Additional Secretary level, has been extended upto March 17, 2021. He is a 1988 batch IAS officer of Manipur cadre.

UPGRADED POSTING OF JUTHIKA PATANKAR AS JS, SKILL DEVELOPMENT TO ADDL SECRETARY LEVEL EXTENDED

The upgradation of the post of Juthika Patankar, as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, to Additional Secretary level, has been extended upto July 1, 2021. She is a 1988 batch IAS officer of UP cadre.

UPGRADED POSTING OF RASIKA CHAUBE AS JS, STEEL TO ADDL SECRETARY LEVEL EXTENDED

The upgradation of the post of Rasika Chaube, as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Steel, to Additional Secretary level, has been extended upto July 8, 2021. She is a 1986 batch IDAS officer.

RAMESHWAR PRASAD GUPTA TO JOIN AS SECRETARY, EF&CC ON JUNE 1

Rameshwar Prasad Gupta will be taking over the charge as Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on June 1, 2020. He is a 1987 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre.

PRADIP KUMAR TRIPATHI TO JOIN AS SECRETARY, STEEL ON JUNE 1

J&K policeman killed in militant attack in Pulwama Srinagar: A J-K Policeman was killed and another was injured after militants attacked security forces in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday afternoon.

Thursday’s attack took place in Prichoo area of Pulwama.A senior police officer in Srinagar confirmed that one cop who was critically injured in the attack has succumbed to injuries. “Another one is injured,” he said.

Police sources said that it was a joint naka

POWER Gallery Appointment of new SEBI Chief is believed to have been delayed because of the Covid 19.

India’s recovery rate improves to 40.23%: Govt New Delhi: A total of 3,002 COVID-19 patients have been reported cured in the last 24 hours and India’s total count of cured COVID-19 patients stands at 45,299, Health Ministry said on Thursday.

It said the recovery rate has improved to 40.23 per cent from 39.62 per cent a day earlier.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in India stand at 1,12,358 including 63,624 active cases, 3,435 deaths and one migrated. Of the active

Pradip Kumar Tripathi will be taking over the charge as Secretary, Ministry of Steel on June 1, 2020. He is a 1987 batch IAS officer of J&K cadre.

10- DEPUTATION TENURE OF SUNIL SHARMA EXTENDED

Central deputation tenure of Sunil Sharma working as Joint Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare has been extended upto May 18, 2021. He is a 1985 batch IRPS officer.

TS TIRUMURTI ASSUMES CHARGE AS INDIA’S PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO UN of J-K police and CRPF men when militants fired at the party. Additional forces were rushed to the area and a cordon & search operation has been launched to nab the attackers.

TS Tirumurti has assumed charge as Permanent Representative of India to the UN in New York.

B R SHARMA IS NOW CHAIRMAN J&K PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

B R Sharma has been appointed Chairman of the J&K Public Service Commission. He is former 1984 batch IAS officer of J&K cadre.

FROM PG 1 CM announces...

The Chief Minister said that there should be no negligence on the quarantine of migrants from other states. Senior officials at the district level should constantly monitor institutional and home quarantine arrangements. For institutional quarantine, it should be ensured that all basic facilities including food and water are provided.

Additional Chief Secretary Veenu Gupta, Chairman of the State Level Quarantine Management Committee, said that more than

10 thousand centers have been arranged for better quarantine facilities in the state. “ At present, there are 7.18 lakh people in quarantine in the state. Of these, thirty four thousand are in institutional quarantine and the rest in home quarantine,” she said. Principal Secretary, Information Technology Abhay Kumar informed that till now about 6 lakh people have completed the quarantine period.

During the meeting, Director General of Police Bhupendra Singh said that continuous action is being imple-

mented against those violating the quarantine and lockdown.

Air routes... between 150-180 minutes and 180-210 minutes, said Puri. Aviation Secretary P S Kharola said 40 per cent of seats in any flight would have to be sold at the midpoint of the lower and upper limits of air fares. The minister said he can’t comment right now on when flight operations would be restored completely.

India rejects...

“Indian troops are fully familiar with the align-

ment of the Line of Actual Control in the India-China border areas and abide by it scrupulously. All Indian activities are entirely on the Indian side of the LAC,” he said. The LAC is the de-facto border between the two countries.

Indo-China...

Alice G Wells, the senior US diplomat for South and Central Asia, said China’s border tensions with India and Beijing’s increasing assertiveness in the contested South China Sea have some correlation.

“The flare-ups on the border, I think, are a re-

minder that Chinese aggression is not always just rhetorical. And so whether it’s on the South China Sea or whether it’s along the border with India we continue to see provocations and disturbing behaviour by China that raises questions about how China seeks to use its growing power,” Wells, the outgoing head of the South and Central Asia bureau in the US State Department, told reporters in a conference call on Wednesday.

Civil Aviation’s...

“The cabin crew will be required to be in full

06

protective gear. Only one check-in bag will be allowed. Passengers should report at least two hours before the departure time,” he said.

“A passenger will be required to wear protective gear, face mask and carry sanitiser bottle.

Airlines shall not provide the meal on board.

Water bottles will be made available in the gallery area or on seats,” he added. He also said that self-declaration or Aarogya Setu App status on a compatible device would be obtained to ensure that a person does not have COVID-19 symptoms.

“Passengers with red status on Aarogya Setu App will not be allowed to travel,” he said.

Stating the rules for different routes for the carriers, the Minister said: “For operations from the metro to non-metro cities and vice-versa, where the weekly departure is less than 100, airlines are free to operate any routes of one-third capacity of approved summer schedule 2020.

For all other cities, airlines are free to use one-third capacity of approved summer schedule 2020. —ANI

TALKING POINT JAIPUR | FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020

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Not so-sweet story of that survived

2 PARTITIONS THE 114-YEAR-OLD TALE SPREADS TO THREE COUNTRIES, BRAVES CATASTROPHIC PARTITION AND RISES FROM THE ASHES WITH UNDEFEATED CRAZE FOR TASTE. READ ON:

Ishara us nigah ka Rooh Afza ho naheen sakta Ke jadooogar se ejaze masiha ho naheen sakta —DAGH DEHLVI If you look at its color, it enchants your heart If you taste it, you find its flavor enlivening, In fragrance, it excels other flowers, In efficacy, it is quite an elixir, It’s refreshing and invigorating effect is beyond reckoning, A sherbet like Rooh Afza has never been produced, nor shall ever be —SAHIL DEHLVI

MOHD FAHAD

The author is Jaipur based journalist

M

any years ago while climbing down the stairs of the Eastern Gate of Old Delhi’s Jama Masjid opposite the towering Lal Qila, I notice an array of glasses, filled with red and blue drinks, lined up neatly on the sidelines of the Chor Bazaar street market. The counters were similar to the shabeel served during Muharram festival, but these were meant to quench thirst of tourists and shoppers reeling under scorching heat. While the green sherbet was of khas khas flavour, the bright red was Roof Afza, the queen of sherbats in the Indian subcontinent.

The sherbet was made using large chunks of ice and its freezing essence would reach the soul of the drinker. My curiosity to try it came from the childhood fondness for the drink, the 114-yearold tale of which spreads to three countries, survives catastrophic partition and rises from the ashes with undefeated craze for taste. Read on:

RIGHT CHOICE FOR IFTAR

With its cooling properties and rose flavour, Rooh Afza has always been an integral part of iftar as a must-have drink after long hours of fasting. As a child I was very fond of Rooh Afza and a glass or two would never satisfy me. So one lazy afternoon during Ramazan, while all the other family members of the house were napping, an elderly uncle of mine from Delhi narrated the beautiful story of Rooh Afza, which I remember till date.

Back in the early 20th century, for the common Delhiites heat stroke, dehydration and diarrhoea were the major issues in summer.

Hakim (herbal doctors) shops or dawakhanas were always filled with people suffering from all these. So in the early 20th century Hakim Abdul Majeed in a bid to combat this issue, started working on a drug that would help the common people of the city during the hot summer days.

Thus in 1906, from

Dawakhana (Medicine House) came out the magical syrup named Rooh Afza, which is a Persian name meaning “one that enhances the spirit and uplifts the soul”. Its ingredients included juices of the flowers rose and keora, and extracts from carrot, spinach, mint, dried grapes, sandalwood, waterlilies, in addition to orange and pineapple juice.

It was an instant hit in Delhi. Not because of its medicinal properties but initially because of its taste. The sales started increasing rapidly.

SHERBET IN WINE BOTTLES

When Rooh Afza was introduced in 1906 they had no idea that the drug would be such a hit and thus they were not prepared for such huge demands. There was no arrangement for any special bottles or any kinds of marketing. So the used bottles of wines of any size, colour and shape which could be available were used to fill the syrup for sale.

For this magical sherbet, transparent bottles of uniform size (750ml) and almost of the same shape were collected.

These were then referred to as ‘pole’ bottles. The price started increasing as the demand was such that it had to be concocted in the off-season as well.

It was the drink for the common people of Delhi, a treat for the eyes and soul. Hakim Abdul Majeed spared no effort and no consideration was given to the huge expenses involved by the founder of Hamdard in the preparation of a syrup, possessing such a host of qualities. He focused his attention on giving to the public something was of a very high standard.

POETIC PATRONAGE

The sherbet got immense love, so much so that even the poets of Delhi started writing about it.

The famous poet Dagh Dehlvi wrote, “Ishara us nigah ka Rooh Afza ho naheen sakta Ke jadooogar se ejaze masiha ho na-

heen sakta”. Another poet named Sahil Dehlvi writes, ‘If you look at its color, it enchants your heart If you taste it, you find its flavor enlivening, In fragrance, it excels other flowers, In efficacy, it is quite an elixir, It’s refreshing and invigorating effect is beyond reckoning, A sherbet like Rooh Afza has never been produced, nor shall ever be’. The lines stand true till date as Rooh Afza is yet to find its match.

JOURNEY FROM PAKISTAN TO BANGLADESH

It is said that the first consumers were so mesmerized by the taste of this ambrosial drink that over a hundred bottles were sold in just a few hours. To meet the rising demands, Hakeem Abdul Majeed started to mass produce Rooh Afza at a factory in Ghaziabad, just outside Delhi. Soon this drink became one of the most iconic delicacies of Delhi along with Nihari.

By 1940’s, Rooh Afza was found in every kitchen in Delhi and also abundantly in the United Provinces.

Then came the year of 1947 that destroyed cultures, cities, language and most importantly families. In September 1947, deadly riots started in the city.

Delhi’s Muslim population started to flee their homes, taking shelter in the refugee camps. Many families were torn apart, as one part opted for Pakistan and the other chose to stay behind.

Hamdard, the manufacturer of the iconic Rooh Afza, was no exception.

During Partition, the founder’s elder son stayed in India, but his younger son migrated to Pakistan. He took Rooh Afza along with him and set up new Hamdard in Karachi.

Hamdard Pakistan was started from scratch in a two-room rented space. The magic of Rooh Afza worked once again, and in no time Hamdard Pakistan became very successful. The creation of Bangladesh in 1971 resulted in a final partition when Hamdard Pakistan gave birth to Hamdard Bangladesh.

This is the story of a product which started from a small shop in the lanes of Old Delhi and is now famous worldwide.

It is more than a drink. It is now part of our culture. For some it is nostalgia of their childhood, for some their absolute essential to break the fast in the holy month of Ramazan.

But what is common is that we all love Rooh Afza. It’s been 114 years and charm of Rooh Afza is still the same. That is the power of honest businesses. Even after they go global, essentially they are a part of our close knit diverse family and the essence of it thus stays on for years.

Why is sherbet a good option during hot Ramazan days?

BEATS DEHYDRATION Sherbet contains many cooling minerals like sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sulphur and phosphorous, which regulate the water balance in the body and keep it hydrated, especially after a full day without food or water during Roza.

HELPS IN GAINING WEIGHT Sherbet contains certain ingredients that promote nitrogen balance of the body, which results in bulking up of mass. People, who are underweight but want to observe Roza, can avail the weight-increasing benefits of this drink.

SUPPLIES ENERGY Sherbet concentration boasts of tremendous amounts of carbohydrates and sugar, which refuels the body with all the energy lost during the long fasting period.

IMPROVES DIGESTION Staying hungry the whole day and eating all at once in the evening may lead to overeating, which may cause indigestion and stomach ache. It makes sure that the food eaten is broken down and digested easily.

DESIGN: VINOD KUMAR SHARMA

It is a bitter truth that a goal achieved easily does not give us the same degree of satisfaction as the one we have to strive and sweat for.

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

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2ND FRONT JAIPUR | FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020

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Immunity plays vital role in Pande remembers Rajiv, raps thwarting corona: Raghu central govt for non-seriosuness Health Minister released immunity THE RAJASTHAN INCHARGE ALSO HAILED CM GEHLOT FOR ‘TAKING booster by AMAR

EVERYONE ALONE’ AND ‘EFFECTIVE HANDLING OF CORONA CRISIS’ Aditi Nagar New Delhi: Almost three decades since Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was killed in a terrorist strike, the Congress party still wonders where the party would have stood and how the national politics of the country played up.

On his 29th death anniversary, AICC general secretary and Rajasthan Incharge Avinash Pande remembered the former PM. Paying obeisance to the young PM who is credited to have propelled India towards an age of IT and telecom, Pande said, “IT and

Avinash Pande

Telecom was given to us by Rajiv Gandhi.

He played an immense role in strengthening nationalism in India.

The youth of today

need to study Congress party’s achievements since power comes and goes but we are still standing firmly on our ideology and never veered

Centre helping states immensely: Thakur Vaishali New Delhi: Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur said on Thursday that the amount of over Rs 46 thousand crore released by Central Government towards states as their part in the central taxes will further strengthen the states in fight against Corona Virus.

The Central Government has recently released Rs 46038.70 crore towards all the states.

“The Central government has released Rs 8255.19 crore towards Uttar Pradesh that will bolster the government’s efforts to fend off Corona.

This is in addition to Rs 15 thousand crore announced by the union government towards health-care facilities off which Rs 4,113 crore have been released. Rs 3,750 crore have been released for necessary services and 550 crore rupees for testing lab and kits have been released,” Thakur said.

The young BJP leader observed that the entire world is battling Corona and is taking every step pos-

tary claimed that the central government decided on lockdown without having second thoughts and said that Rahul and Priyanka have capability to lead.

Interestingly, he also termed Centre’s 20 lakh crore rupee package to be a mere gimmick.

“Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot showed how to take everyone along,” he said. On the issue of political appointments, the Rajasthan incharge said that the decision will be taken by Gehlot and Pilot jointly and claimed “CM and PCC Chief will consider the feelings of party workers.”

No need to be scared of corona, fight it, says Dr Joshi

Those who dare to run are not afraid to fall: DB Gupta

Dr CP Joshi

First India Bureau

Anurag Thakur

sible to ensure safety for the citizens. “India too is fighting off Corona together under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi.

To provide relief to the common man, an economic stimulus package by the name of Atmanirbhar Bharat has been released worth Rs 20 lakh crore. The central government is doing all that is possible to help states considering that it is our responsibility towards each and every state,” he stressed.

Thakur also informed that union cabinet has also approved

Rs 10 thousand crore for the unorganised sector to further strengthen the farmers.

This amount will be used in centrally sponsored schemes wherein sixty per cent will be borne

by Central government and remaining by states. According to sources, both Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are reportedly happy and impressed with the performance of SitharamanThakur team in handling media on Rs 20 lakh crore package briefing that was carried out consecutively for four days.

Vikas Sharma

away from it.”

Pande termed it unfortunate that migrant labourers have been forced to walk afoot to their homes, thousands of kilometers away.

Giving a sound advice to Central government, Pande said, “You should take inspiration from steps taken by Rajasthan during Corona war.

The government should open its treasury during such a time of crisis. The entire bus episode of Uttar Pradesh is unfortunate and the Central leadership is not serious toward those facing the crisis.”

The General secre-

Rajsamand: Assembly Speaker and Nathdwara MLA Dr CP Joshi told people and public representatives of 10 gram panchayats during interaction through VC that there is no need to be afraid of COVID-19, there is a need to fight it. This fight can be fought by making the people aware.

On Thursday, during the public interaction in Gunjol, Dr. Joshi took information related to corona from Sarpanch Kishan Lal Gayari, former Sarpanch Virendra Singh Chauhan, Sarpanch Gram Panchayat Kuthwan Shambhu Singh, Sarpanch Shishoda Sajjan Singh, Shyam Lal Dadwal, Sarpanch Sayon ka Khera Maya Purohit, Mukesh Purohit and Yashwant Srimali in Bagol.

Jaipur: Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma paid his respects to former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary. Dr Sharma said that Late Rajiv Gandhi was among the founders of modern India, who ushered in IT revolution in the country, inspiration for the youth of the nation and the catalyst for strengthening Panchayati Raj. Dr Sharma released 35,000 bottles of immunity booster by Ayurvedic Manufacturer Association of Rajasthan (AMAR). He said that immunity plays a vital role in

Dr Rituraj Sharma Jaipur: With the migrant workers coming back to the state, the responsibility of state government has increased by many folds, Chief Secretary DB Gupta, while talking about the quarantine of all the workers said, “Our emphasis is on home quarantine where the person himself will have to be self-disciplined. Of course the administration will step in and shift to institutional quarantine if anybody is found flouting the rules. This will be key to success of our strategy.”

Talking to First India about reopening industries and providing relaxations he explained, “Everything was standstill for last two months, the state government revenue too was a meager 20-25%.

In order to help the poor and destitute and to fight the coronavirus we couldn’t possibly do it without the help of central government. We didn’t open up everything at one go. We are opening slowly with phased relaxations that too zone wise. We have 8 lakh incoming workers but we also had 2.5 lakh

CS DB Gupta

skilled labour who moved out. So no industry is functioning at its 100% capacity. Philosophically, I would say fear of falling is not for the ones who dare to run but for those who keep sitting in a corner. The fear has to be shed.”

While responding on the question of relief provided by the Central and state government, he said that the central govt had mandated that there should be no salary cuts but the small industrialist said that they don’t have income to pay.

Similarly people don’t have money so where will they pay taxes.

Main focus of the state is to bring the economy back on track and get revenue from it and not by taxing the people.

He further added, “the central package doesn’t

Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma releasing immunity booster by Ayurvedic Manufacturer Association of Rajasthan on Thursday.

thwarting the corona infection and Indian traditional medicinal practices including Ayurveda have the potential of bringing forth immunity boosters. Immunity booster released by Dr Sharma contains herbs like Giloy, Haldi, Ashvagandha, Pipal, Dalchini, Neem, Sonth, Kali Mirch and Tulsi. AMAR secretary Hariram Rinwa and other office bearers of the association and officers

have ex gratia payments, it is mostly loan based with limits for certain sector increased. There is some stimulus for MSME and power sector.

We have given relevant portions to the concerned departments to analyse in-depth. I am holding a meeting on this the next Tuesday to discuss in detail.”

The state government has taken many steps to help the poor and needy. Talking on the same lines, he said, “we have already transferred two-month pensions to bank accounts under palanhar, widow and other schemes. We also gave Rs 2,500 per month to the unlisted group identified through survey apart from dry ration. To sustain our efforts we are continuously demanding from the central govt that they give us ex gratia payment as gratuity.” He added, “The wheat allotment is under central govt and we can distribute only if they permit any section. We are already doing survey with such sections in mind which will cover sections like cobblers, potters etc. We receive wheat for 4.46 crore people. Rest we distributed at our own cost.”

of the Ayurveda department were present on the occasion. AMAR has decided to distribute 20 thousand bottles of the booster in Jaipur, 10 thousand in Jodhpur and 5 thousand in Sri Ganganagar. 10 thousand bottles have been reserved for police men, 1,000 for SMS hospital and RUHS employees, 3,000 for secretariat staff, 2,000 and 5,000 for collectorate and Municipal Corporation staff.

Vasundhara Raje @VasundharaBJP Congratulate @ DrHarshVardhan ji on being elected as chairman of the @WHO executive board. His expertise in leading India’s fight against polio and now #Covid19 will prove to be of great advantage in these unprecedented times. A proud moment for India!

Ahmed Patel @ahmedpatel Salutations to the late Shri Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary, who dreamed of taking the lives of the people of the country to new dimensions by incorporating the vision, technology and human values of modern India.

Courting allegations, Vadra sets out for image makeover!

Vaishali New Delhi: After being hounded for several years by the media and agencies over alleged involvement in money laundering activities and corresponding appearances in courts, it appears that Robert Vadra, husband of Congress general secretary and Gandhi family daughter - Priyanka, is eyeing an image makeo-

ver. Off late, the businessman, has been seen running various charities and sharing several posts on social media, urging people to do their bit for society.

With the ongoing lockdown, as lakhs of migrants are struggling to reach their homes, Vadra has been forthcoming with his activities sometimes distributing shoes and at other times distributing

Robert Vadra

food and water to these stranded individuals. Posing for pictures in front of the vehicle laden with items to be distributed, one can see Vadra’s name is prominently placed in the posters put up on these vehicles. However, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s brother-inlaw Vadra has taken care not to mention Congress party anywhere on the poster and

observers this is a brilliant marketing strategy since neither him nor the Congress would want to attract more attention towards it with the court cases going on and yet somehow in an extremely subtle way develop the image as pro-poor.

But why would Vadra want an image makeover? To this question, Robert has himself given an answer almost a year back. In Febru-

ary last year, even as elections for Lok Sabha were around the corner, Vadra had hinted ‘Once all these accusations and allegations are over, I feel I should dedicate a larger role in serving the people’. And the Congress general secretary’s husband is quite confident of doing good in the polls too and that too from Uttar Pradesh since he spent his early life in Mo-

radabad. In the same post he said, “The years and months that I spent campaigning and working in different parts of the country, but mainly in UP, game me a feeling to do more for the people and make smaller changes possibly by me.”

Could Priyanka Gandhi being chosen as UP General secretary be a part of the larger picture yet to unfold?

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09

JAIPUR, FRIDAY MAY 22, 2020

SPEAK UP During this quarantine period, I have designed and painted more than 200 masks till date and gave it to the needy people, who are working amid lockdown like the cleaning workers, milkman, vendors, watchmen etc.

I am a teacher at Maharaja Sawai Man Singh Vidyalaya Jaipur and after getting done with my zoom classes, I utilize my creativity and passion for painting into making masks for those who are working tirelessly.

—KAMNA KAUL Masks are in Vogue and now an inseparable part of our lives and we are following the 3-layer filtration system in making them. As it is Summers in India, we are using 16 mm thick silk in pastel shades carved with Embroidery. Apart from this, Khadi and Linen fabric and traditional prints are also doing well with the season. We are also prepping up for wedding season and designing matching Embroidery, Zardosi and Gotta-Patti masks to match with heavy traditional attires.

—KIRTI RATHORE I do not belong to this stream but with the thought to control the COVID-19 spread and to give people a better experience of wearing such a useful accessory, we started designing the face masks keeping the different choices and preferences in mind from May. Our masks are made up of completely organic cotton fabric and we provide sober checks and solid designs for men, Sanganeri block and Dabbu prints for women and nursery prints for kids in masks.

—SMITA JAIPURIA Given the tropical weather in India, cotton is the most comfortable material to make masks. There are different techniques such as the button masala, a creation of designer Anuj Sharma, where one can make their own mask using a few rubber bands, handkerchiefs and buttons without stitching. I have been making masks with painted floral designs on handkerchiefs and also using stamping techniques. Artists can also use embroidery and stitch quotes or patterns onto their masks for a bohemian look.

—AAKANKSHA CHAWDA INPUTS BY TANVI SHARMA

Safety with Style The usage of Face Masks has become the need of the hour and designers have wasted no time adding flair to them.

City First got in touch with a few makers from Jaipur & Ahmedabad to know more about the current fashion trends! longed periods.

Wearing a designer mask doesn’t mean that anybody is trivializing the global pandemic, but as we lose our ability to communicate through smiles and visual cues with most of our face covered up, it’s no harm to come up with alternative ways of making a first imp r e s sion.

KIRTI CHAUHAN

kirti.chauhan@firstindia.co.in

W

ith just a matter of time, ‘Face Masks’ will be an everyday fashion staple from being the much-coveted item during the coronavirus outbreak. Although, taking facial protection isn’t new for a few, but it was never as essential as it is now.

Since the government has made it compulsory to cover nose and mouth when going out in public, it is a clear mandate for fashion lovers, especially girls, to go beyond those boring plain masks and start making their cool and funky chic mask collection that can go well with their personality and dresses.

Grabbing the opportunity, designers, as well as some naturally creative people, have entered into the mask market, making facial coverings in breathable fabrics equipped with high specification N95 air filters, thus providing the fashion-conscious with protective options. They are leaving no stone unturned in making comfortable high-end fashion fabric-based and transparent face masks featuring animal

prints, butterflies, strawberries and more unique as well as funky prints that embody the youthful spirit of a person from using comfortable cotton fabric to other materials like silk, lace, organza etc.

Interestingly, the journey of the invention in this field has led ‘AirX’ to develop and launch the world’s first-ever coffee mask made from Viet-

namese coffee, which is antibacterial, reusable and biodegradable.

However, the invention goes beyond when a student at Eastern Kentucky University developed transparent face masks that allow clinicians to more clearly interact with the patients they’re taking care of, especially who are deaf and use visual cues to help them understand what a speaker is saying.

Reusable and washable masks are the only sustainable option, just ensure that they are comfortable as you will wear them f o r pro-

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JAIPUR | FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020

10

WOULD POETRY ‘PADDLE THE COSMOS’ THROUGH CORONA? ASHISH GAUR

cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

A

supererogatory furloughs for some and solitary confinement for some. Books filled up spaces between couples and wriggled across the homes in tripod gaits.

So, where does poetry enter here? With April being National Poetry month “cherry on the cake” is that the creatives amongst us are being poetic in this pandemic. Poems are wriggling through those padlocked grey matters which were shell verged in cocoons of subsistence.

Glancing historically the twenty line poem on Quarantine with five stanzas was first penned by Eavan Boland amidst Irish famine and it being political was baptised as being quarantine ballad. And then here we are with our second phase in accordance.

We too amongst us coquettishly winked those proses off our clandestine wings of dexterity.

Pages filled daily and are typo shared amongst what’s app groups, social media and on vivid poetic platforms. Talent plat-

FA CE OF TH ED AY

s the virus was mumbling viremia and squeezing its eye balls to capture the world into its pangs and slowly when an epidemic out broke into a pandemic we were silently getting ourselves along to stay put in confinement.

Least we knew that this unaccustomed earth under our feet is actually preparing us for Bon Voyage to the season of perplexities and thoughts of tribulations and phantasms.

‘We’ to start with were fed heavily on enthusiasm with daily boluses of, unsought for few and fervent to majority, the pedantry and rambunctious sycophancy. Obviously it filled our reins with determination to sail through and stuffed our lungs with enough air to blow the damn virus to inferno.

Who would not appreciate a pat on his back!

Doordarshan rushed to get the fervent minions off the pandoras box and held us in arms as the overzealous channels glared across those evil blue corneas.

As the father’s taught the family to donn the masks like a superman and swoop across the kindle to fetch those crispy colourful chips, the mother’s chivalry churned the culinary skills aided heavily by Haber Kitchen and Tara Dalal’s videos.

Ordeal of binge watching series on Netflix and sleeping cosy in cushioned air-conditioned rooms with no hustle to be in the beeline next morning were as

They teach us to use full stop in those differentiating phrases and use blank exclamatories towards bigotry and extremism.

Sitting across the table is Mademoiselle Amrita Pritam oozing eros and pragmatic platonic adulation for Sahir and Sahir resonating the desires in Talkhiyaan and through many more kabhi kabhi’s helping us claim those lost cosmic connections.

Holding the mic to our soldiers in love is Kumar Vishwas being modern Ramayanian orator as well as singing impersonating ek Deewana Kehta hai to ek Pagli ladki ke bin and on other perspect is Piyush Mishra

forms are buzzing with performers and ballads are being trumped anon.

Amongst many Poets cheesed across the dough of life I cherry pick my marigolds and tulips amidst the meadow.

As I see them all, Rumi gives wisdom and inextricably links souls, Shakespeare says emotions find thoughts which travel in words and Emily Dickinsons disseminates experimentation with expressions and with them shoulder to shoulder are Ramdhari Dinkar and our nom de plume Nirala narrating in bohemian tradition the much needed rebellion against social injustice, acceptance and exploitation. They wield the light of wisdom to our sights inspiring us to

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

hold the ancillary hapless palms across muddy hungry streets and pull them with us to be amongst us.

Standing around is our own lean machine Bachchan inspired by Persian writings and penning in Devnagiri, teasing us with his Madhushala specially in this sans spirit quarantine and raging couplets of Agneepath thereby making us walk those extra miles in confinement daily.

At closed quarters are our models of young angry men Dhumil, Agyay, Adam Gondvi and Pash personating idealistic, communistic, rebellious and ferocious ballads and Muktibodh leading experimentation,cretique and modernism to Hindi literature.

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

Do whatever it takes to reach your fitness goal as it is the need of an hour.

Problems come and go, remember its your attitude that defines everything. Some of you may become successful entrepreneurs and will bring lots of prosperity to home.

You spend a lot of money on lifestyle and there is no harm in that as far as your pocket allows. Business deals will turn out to be profitable.

You may have to face some healthy competition in office today. Don’t take too much tension over trivial issues.

Money invested in some foreign scheme will give multiplied returns.

Professionally, people admire you and look upto you. Your worries have come to an end and life feels good again. It will be really refreshing for you to go on a short trip to someplace close to nature.

You are doing whatever it takes to get your health back on track. Don’t delay in taking decisions when need in financial matters. Your positive phase has started and things will be just fine as you move along.

You may get romantically involved with your colleague.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Money is not a problem for you anymore, life is sorted that ways. Your are very conscious sometime about how you look, remember the way you feel inside reflects outside so feel confident inside. Homemakers may bring three sixty degree change in the house.

You have managed to achieve your set goal so move ahead and decide what’s next. Encourage people when you see they are loosing their mind. Your family is your priority today and you will really pamper them. Never be scared of competitions.

You are full of energy and ready to conquer the world. You must be very judicious in your spending.

You will participate in lots of competitions in the coming time. You will take some time off from work to rejuvenate yourself. You have a good friends circle.

Your mantra of life is to live and let other live. You are peaceful inside and thats what will reflect outside. You can expect a bonus. On professional front, you will help others in meeting their deadlines.

You will spend some fun time with friends today.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

You are satisfied with your life and you are making all the efforts to make it better.

You are handling your financial matters really well and you have all the support you need. You have started to enjoy your work and now going to office is no more a burden for you.

You pay a lot of attention to what you eat and when you sleep and thats the secret behind your well being. You may give a lot of attention today to your financials. Those in hospitality sector will get lots of appreciation for the hard work you have been doing lately.

You must try and be regular with your exercises to see visible effect. Go right ahead with your endeavours and help will come when you may need it.

You are aware of all the changes taking places around you on work front and nothing effects you. Your spouse is your strength.

In the pursuit of being absolutely fit, please don’t over staring yourself. Your monetary strength will rise with time. You will be firmly established in your profession. You may not get much time to spend with family today but you will compensate for it in the future.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

LAVINA TANDON, Model

being our own Khalifa of thought-provoking lyrics, catchy percussions and soul-stirring themes. They are moulding many amongst us to be like them and not as them.

Gulzaar is father to foetuses, new born, born again and self proclaimed ones holding hands with firmness and softness at

same time. He guides us through simplistic words with deep feelings and his patent idiosyncratic Triveni.

Watching from gazing stars amidst poetic galaxies are flying wish stars Robert Frost, Kipling and Wilde elated, contended, ecstatic and appeased at breaming - grinning bouquet of proses, Sonnet, Tanka ,Sestina and Cinquians. The gaze of Ghalib, Mir and Daag Dehelvi with amazed corneas and lightened brims is visible to pitch perfect Matla, Radif,Qaafiyaa and Nazms.

Laughing they go to clouds raining down those acclaims.

Poems give hope, poems transpire strength and also does it gives wings to fly. Aren’t these the things humanity is looking for to be saved and to get saved? Isn’t this is what the soul nourishes with?

Shouldn’t these be used to heal wounds of religious bigotry and social stigma? Haven’t they in past as well healed the world?

So, as our labs overtime on brainstorming the solution, Lets vaccinate ourselves with proses, couplets, nazms, shayaris and poems, quarantine ourselves with those beautiful octavos of the stalwarts and when not wielding the scalpels of our breads -let the blotch quill in thoughts, imaginations and ebb on the pearly bleached cellulose fibres moulded into papers.

I already see cosmos paddling across!

- The writer is a health care professional in Department of cardiac transplant and cardiac surgery in Mumbai.

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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JAIPUR | FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020

A ‘QUARANTINE’ CUT!

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Decisive Sia!

K

riti Sanon got a ‘quarantine cut’ from her sister, singer Nupur Sanon, amid lockdown. She took to Insatgram Stories, where she shared a boomerang video and a picture of herself along with Nupur.

In the boomerang video, Nupur holds a pair of scissors and a spray bottle of water even as Kriti gestures with her fingers to suggest a haircut.

With a ‘quarantine cut’ sticker on the image, Kriti wrote: “Lets do this!!! @nupursanon.”

In the second image, Nupur is seen chopping Kriti’s long tresses even as the actress seems nervous.

“Wait for it a lil longer... Gonna post the look tomorrow,” she wrote.

On the work front, Kriti will next be seen in ‘Mimi’, directed by Laxman Utekar. The film is a remake of the National Award-winning 2011 Marathi film ‘Mala Aai Vhhaychay’.

—IANS

Sia

S

inger Sia has shared that she adopted two 18-year-old boys last year. “I actually adopted two sons last year. They were 18, they’re both 19 years old now.

They were ageing out of the foster care system,” the 44-year-old Australian artiste said in a recent interview.

On how they are handling being in quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic, Sia admitted that they “are both finding it pretty difficult, one more so than the other”. “But they’re both doing things that are really good for them right now, that are really helpful,” she continued.

“They’re really doing a lot of educational stuff that’s good for them.” Sia did not share their names or any additional information about her new family.

—IANS

Kriti Sanon; (inset) Her posts

Adorable wishes for SONSHINE!

S

hilpa Shetty Kundra’s son turned eight on Thursday and the proud mother could not help but gush about her little one, Viaan Raj. The 44-year-old actor shared a video on Twitter and expressed love for her son to mark his special day. The ‘Dhadkan’ actor posted a oneminute and 19-second video which comprised of many photographs of the mother-son duo and some more with businessman husband Raj Kundra.

“Every step of the way, I promise I’ll be by your side. Whenever you need a hug, I’ll be right here, with my arms spread wide. I’ll never stop loving you & believing in you, Coz you’re my Sonshine & my pride! Happy 8th birthday, Viaan-Raj,” she captioned. Viaan now has a younger sister as well. The actor and husband had welcomed a little angel Samisha on February 15 through surrogacy.

The couple announced the arrival of their baby girl through an Instagram post. —ANI

Not Retiring!

P

op star Britney Spears is not thinking of retiring, says younger sister Jamie Lynn. She also said when the star wants to make music, shell make it. Asked about the singer’s retirement, Jamie said in a recent interview: “No, no, no. Obviously, right now, she’s just trying to quarantine.” “She’s taking it day by day. And when she wants to make music, she’ll make it. I don’t think you can ever retire someone from their passion,” she added. Though, when asked if the ‘Baby one more time’ singer had plans for new music, Jamie said: “I don’t think so.” But she said the during the pandemic her sister, 38, is just relaxing at her Los Angeles home.

—IANS

ROKAFIED!

Britney Spears; (inset) Her post

STRUGGLING! W

hile speaking about her experience of mental health issues, Dakota Johnson recently revealed that she has struggled with depression since she was 15-years-old.

And now, amid the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, the actress opened up about finding it hard to stay positive while dealing with the depression during the lockdown. It’s been about two months since the ‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’ actress put an end to her social life to practice social distancing, and just like a lot of other people across the world, staying alone at home is not getting any easier for her.

During her latest interview, the 30-year-old Hollywood star said she feels lonely. “You are at home, you’re not with your friends, you’re not with your family, you are not able to do the things that make you feel worthwhile,” Johnson said.

—IANS

Rana Daggubati and Miheeka Bajaj

A

fter recently confirming his relationship with Miheeka Bajaj, Telugu superstar Rana Daggubati has now made it official with a roka ceremony. The actor took to social media on Thursday to share moments from the private function with his fans and followers. ‘“And it’s official,” the ‘Baahubali’ star wrote on Instagram while sharing a happy picture of the couple. For the daytime ceremony, the couple opted for a colourful, floral decor and fairy lights. In the photographs, Rana is seen beaming with joy in a white shirt with a matching Shilpa Shetty Kundra; white dhoti.

—IANS (inset) Her post

Dakota Johnson

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JAIPUR | FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020

CORONA WARRIORS! CITY FIRST, JAIPUR

A

s the graph of the corona case rose in Jaipur, many helping hands also came forward. But there were some warriors who got infected in the war of humanity against COVID-19, but their passion remained the same. It is worth mentioning that thousands of Anganwadi workers of Jaipur district along with many others, who are going door to door in every village, town and urban area, are on the front line. Out of these, three Anganwadi workers, who got infect-

ed while performing their duties, want to get fully recovered and get back to their work despite suffering from the disease. Deputy Director of the Integrated Child Development Department, Usha Sharma said that there are about 2,000 Anganwadi workers in Jaipur district. Among them, Anganwadi Sahayika, Aasha Sahyogini, Anganwadi workers and mini workers were involved in the prevention of the spread of coronavirus in the district. While giving their duty as a corona warrior, 3 workers and 2 Asha Sahyogini of the department got infected by the coronavirus. But their

NUANCES

12

desire helped them recover from the disease and now all the three workers, previously admitted in Naraina, NIMS and SMS Hospital, have been discharged. However, they have to stay home due to medical protocol and weakness. In such a situation, they are in constant touch with their field worker colleagues and officers and want to return to their job again. Their families are also supporting them in this decision.

Still, 2 Asha Sahiyogini are undergoing treatment and would recover soon by defeating coronavirus. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

TWEETED!

WHAT’S HAPPENING!

OF KATHAK CITY FIRST

O

n the sixth day of the ongoing on Thursday, ‘Online Learning – Children’s Summer Festival’, viewers learned about the nuances of Jaipur Gharana style of Kathak in the session ‘Jaipur Kathak’. The 3-day online learning session is being conducted by Kathak exponent, Namita Jain. During the session, the viewers had the opportunity to explore various dance sequences, hand gestures, feet work and much more. It was a unique opportunity for viewers to learn and revive dance skills, gain knowledge on Kathak, and understand the significance of the

Vaibhav Gehlot

dance in today’s time.

The session began with a brief introduction of Kathak as a dance form.

The term Kathak is derived from the word ‘Katha’ which means ‘story’, and ‘Kathakar’ which means ‘the storyteller’. Specialties of the Jaipur Gharana style of Kathak were also shared.

This was followed by a brief discussion on the importance of ‘Taal’ and ‘Leh’ in Kathak. Similarly, the type of instruments used or played during a Kathak performance and what is played on these instru-

West Bengal: Shades of Colours, a Bengali cloud short film, directed

by Pradip Dhar, co-story writer, Ayanjit Sen, editor, Abhinaba Halder, and concept writer, Souvik Biswas, shows how the family bonding has changed for the better in recent days, especially at a time when the entire country is in a lockdown mode. This film was made indoors without breaking the rules of lockdown, including social distancing.

ments during the performance were also discussed.

Today, 22 May, the second day of the ‘Jaipur Kathak’ online learning session ‘Jaipur Kathak’ will be conducted by Kathak exponent, Namita Jain. The session will begin with a short revision of the previous day’s teachings. The day’s lesson will focus on ‘Hast Sanchalan’ (hand postures), movements used during the dance to make the body look graceful, Mudra, Taatkar and much more. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

MICRO EVENTS! O

Rajasthan: Amid the lockdown, the young sculptor from Studio Shilpik, Gautam Vyas, paid a tribute to former PM Late Rajiv Gandhi on the occasion of his death anniversary, by giving the final touch to his sculpture, under the guidance of his father renowned Sculptor Laxman Vyas.

—PHOTO BY MUKESH KIRADOO

Rajasthan: During the ongoing online musical series ‘Sumiran’, initiated by Rajasthan Forum, in association with Shree Cement and Raghu Sinha Mala Mathur Charity Trust amid the nationwide lockdown, a Jaipur based young singer Rohit Kataria along with Father Chandra Kataria, partner Akanksha Kataria and sister Vrinda Kataria, mesmerized the online audience with their performances on popular patriotic songs, on Thursday.

CITY FIRST

wing to the global pandemic, large size weddings and events are not possible; however, weddings and other landmark life events are taking place with limited friends and family around. Realising the need to design these events aesthetically, a Jaipur based firm ‘Event Crafter’ has taken a first of its kind initiative in the country to make these events special while strictly following the relevant safety procedures. They have introduced ‘Micro by Event Crafter’ to design these events in a minimalist yet contemporary way with a well trained and equipped team to ensure all safety SOPs are followed.

Throwing light on some of the safety SOPs to be fol-

lowed in the events, Founder and CEO of Event Crafter, Siddhartha Chaturvedi shared, “The Safety SOPs have been broadly divided into pre-event, during the event and post-event categories. There are as many as 60 safety procedures that are to be followed in an event. These include sanitization of decor material, temperature screening of every individual before en-

tering the venue; seating arrangement according to social distancing norms; limited staff, among others.

Wearing of masks, gloves and sanitizers both by guests and staff will be mandatory. The hallmark of these events will be sustainable, minimal waste and intimate experiences combined with great aesthetics.” cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

HAPPY B’DAY!

IAS Rashmi Gupta (top) and IPS N Ravindra Kumar Reddy celebrated their birthdays on 21 May, Thursday. We wish them all the best!

Gujarat: Irfan Pathan talked about COVID-19 from the point of view of a sportsperson with Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani via video conferencing with Vadodara collector Shalini Agrawal and other officials at the Vadodara Collectorate office on Thursday.