First India-Jaipur Edition-30 April 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

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ALERT JAIPUR l THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

COVID-19 UPDATE

RNI NO. RAJENG/2019/77764 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 323

INDIA

WORLD

2,25,604 31,87,952 1,077 32,936 DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

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DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

55

RAJASTHAN

DEATHS

2,438

CONFIRMED CASES

Classy Irrfan finally surrenders to death aipur’s very own Irrfan Khan, the versatile Bollywood actor, passed away on Wednesday leaving a void in the world of cinema!

Born Sahabzada Irfan Ali Khan on 7 January, 1967 in Tonk, Irrfan’s mother’s family had a royal lineage and his father was a wealthy, self-made businessman.

A veteran character actor in Bollywood movies, he is termed as one of India’s best-known exports to Hollywood. Irrfan made his screen debut in the Academy Award-nominated 1988 drama “Salaam Bombay. He later worked with directors like Mira Nair, Wes Anderson and Ang Lee and gave movies like Life of Pi, The Namesake, The Warrior etc,.

Irrfan was hospitalised due to a colon infection on Tuesday and died of subsequent complications.

“Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him,” a statement released by the actor’s team said.

Turn on P6 , More on P2 and City First

The

Narendra Modi @narendramodi Irrfan Khan’s demise is a loss to the world of cinema and theatre. He will be remembered for his versatile performances across different mediums. My thoughts are with his family, friends and admirers. May his soul rest in peace.

FINAL

ACT!

Rahul Gandhi @RahulGandhi I’m sorry to hear about the passing of Irrfan Khan. A versatile & talented actor, he was a popular Indian brand ambassador on the global film & tv stage. He will be greatly missed. My condolences to his family, friends & fans at this time of grief.

Ashok Gehlot @ashokgehlot51 I am saddened and shocked to know about the untimely demise of one of our country’s most versatile actors, #IrrfanKhan. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and fans. May God give them strength. May his soul rest in peace. #IrrfanKhan was one of the most talented actors of Rajasthan, who rose to heights on basis of his acting. He would always remain an inspiration for theatre artists & budding actors in #Rajasthan.

7 JANUARY 1967 - 29 APRIL 2020

‘Stranded migrants can move with caution’ Buses used for transport will be sanitised  Will have to follow safe social distancing norms in seating

New guidelines to fight Corona war a day after lockdown ends: MHA Meanwhile, the government is also working on a mega plan to deploy a raft of naval ships as well as military and commercial aircraft to evacuate thousands of Indians stranded in the Gulf and other regions after the nationwide lockdown ends, official sources said on Wednesday. Government has already reached out to several states asking them to make neces-

New Delhi: The Home Ministry Wednesday said the government will issue fresh guidelines on May 4, a day after the nationwide lockdown ends on, which shall give “considerable relaxations” to many districts. This comes even as Ministry issued revised guidelines allowing movement of migrant workers, students, tourists and pilgrims stranded in different states.

Only asymptomatic people would be allowed to travel & second assessment of their health would be made upon their arrival in their home state, said MHA.

New Delhi: Migrant workers, tourists, students and other people, who are stranded in different parts of the country, were on Wednesday allowed to move to their respective destinations with certain conditions.

In an order, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said buses shall be used for transport of such groups of stranded people and these vehicles will be sanitised

and will have to follow safe social distancing norms in seating.

“Due to lockdown, migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons are stranded at different places.

They would be allowed to move,” he said in an order issued to all states and union territories.

Listing the conditions, the ministry said all states and union territories should desig-

nate nodal authorities and develop standard protocols for receiving and sending such stranded persons.

The nodal authorities shall also register the stranded persons within their states and union territories, it said.

In case a group of stranded persons wish to move between one state and union territory and another state and union territory, Turn on P6

UGC ISSUES NEW CALENDAR FOR VARSITIES New Delhi: The new academic session for freshers may begin in universities from September and for already enrolled students in August, the UGC told varsities on Wednesday.

The admission process will begin in universities from August 1. UGC said exams for final semester students be conducted in July.

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COVID VACCINE: WHO LOOKS UP TO INDIA New Delhi: Countries like India, Indonesia and Thailand that are among world’’s largest vaccine manufacturers from the South-East Asia region must play a lead role in overcoming the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” WHO said on Wednesday.It has organised a virtual meeting of vaccine manufacturers and national regulatory authorities from the region.

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sary arrangements for the Indians when they are brought back home under the multi-agency operation.

The Civil Aviation Ministry has conveyed to the core group planning the operation that it is ready to make available majority of the nearly 650 commercial planes including freighters for the mission, the sources said.

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‘ONLY 0.33% PATIENTS ON VENTILATORS’ New Delhi: Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said, “Only 0.33% patients are on ventilators, 1.5% patients are on oxygen support and 2.34% are in ICU, which reflects the quality of care being provided across the country.

Highlighting India’s approach in combating COVID-19, he said, Turn on P6

IN RAJASTHAN DISTRICT

TOTAL CASES

AJMER 146 ALWAR 7 BANSWARA 64 BARMER 2 BHARATPUR 111 BHILWARA 37 BIKANER 37 CHITTORGARH 16 CHURU 14 DAUSA 21 DHOLPUR 11 DUNGARPUR 6 HANUMANGARH 11 JAIPUR 878 JAISALMER 35 JHALAWAR 40 JHUNJHUNU 42 JODHPUR 413 KARAULI 3 KOTA 192 NAGAUR 118 PALI 12 PRATAPGARH 2 RAJSAMAND 1 SWAI MADHOPUR 8 SIKAR 6 TONK 132 UDAIPUR 8 OTHER DIST. 2 TOTAL 2375 OTHER (Italy) 2 EVACUEES 61 GRAND TOTAL 2438

NEW TOTAL CASES DEATH

+11 — +1 — +1 +2 — +8 — — +2 — — +22 — — — +13 — +3 +1 +9 — — — — — — — +74 — — +74

— 1 — — 2 2 1 — — — — — — 30 — — — 7 — 6 1 — — — — 2 1 — 2 55 — — 55

MIGRANT RAJASTHANIS’ RETURN

Gehlot welcomes PM’s move, demands special trains to ferry people CHIEF MINISTER WRITES LETTER TO MODI Naresh Sharma Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister, on Wednesday, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi yet again, welcoming the Centre’s order allowing stranded labourers, tourists and students to return to their home state. Gehlot observed

that a huge number of Rajasthanis had been stuck in other states and people from other states were also stuck in Rajasthan, and were looking to reach back to their homes. “The state government understood their feelings and continuously worked in this direction as result of which their return to

CM HOLDS MEETING Late on Wednesday night, CM Gehlot called a high level meeting at CMR to discuss the impact of relaxation in lockdown. The meeting was attended by health minister Dr Raghu Sharma, Chief Secretary DB Gupta, ACS Home Rajeeva Swarup, ACS Health Rohit KUmar Singh, ACS Finance Niranjan Arya amongst other officials.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot

home has been made possible,” Gehlot said.

The Chief Minister has demanded that the central government should start special

trains to facilitate the return of people. “Till Wednesday evening around 6.35 lakh migrants have registered themselves through on-

line registration and in the coming days more people are expected to get registered. Under this, it would be practical to start long distance trains, keeping in mind the huge number of people coming back.

Thus the trains should be started without any delay,” Gehlot observed in the letter.

Notably, the Chief Minister has continuously brought the problems faced by migrants

in the notice of PM Modi during the various video conferences and through letters he wrote to PM. Moreover, at his level, Gehlot appointed officials to handle the management and coordination aspect needed to bring the migrants back.

Meanwhile, Gehlot also said on Wednesday that the Congress party has made two recommendations to save the MSME sector, Turn on P6

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02

Irrfan dies at 54: Tributes pour in on social media Khan battled a tumour for several months & returned to Mumbai some months ago He died at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital New Delhi: As India mourns the death of Irrfan Khan, people from all walks of life paid tribute to the extraordinary actor. Irrfan Khan, who was admitted to Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital with a colon infection, died on Wednesday afternoon.

The Piku star battled a tumour for several months and returned to Mumbai some months ago after being treated in London.

The 54-year-old actor lost his battle with a rare form of cancer and died in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday.

He was buried at the Versova graveyard in the afternoon.

President Kovind called Irrfan a “brilliant actor” and said that his remarkable performances will forever be remembered by the audiences.

“Saddened by the un-

President of India @rashtrapatibhvn

Kalraj Mishra @KalrajMishra

Sachin Pilot @SachinPilot

Vasundhara Raje @VasundharaBJP

Saddened by the untimely demise of noted actor Irrfan Khan. A rare talent and a brilliant actor, his diverse roles and remarkable performances will remain etched in our memories.

A big loss to the world of cinema and millions of film lovers. Condolences to his family & admirers.

I mourn the passing away of the famous actor Irrfan Khan, who made a mark in the Hindi film industry with his acting, This legendary artist from Tonk, Rajasthan will always be remembered for his outstanding performance. May God bless his soul with peace and support to his family and admirers.

Saddened to know about the demise of acclaimed actor Irrfan Khan. His contribution to the world of cinema will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his loved ones and fans. May his soul find eternal peace.

Deeply saddened by the passing of actor #IrrfanKhan. An artist par excellence, the face of #ResurgentRajasthan - today the World of Cinema has lost a powerhouse of versatility and talent. He will be missed.

My sincere condolences to the family.

timely demise of noted actor Irrfan Khan. A rare talent and a brilliant actor, his diverse roles and remarkable performances will remain etched in our memories.

“A big loss to the world of cinema and millions of film lovers.

Condolences to his family & admirers,” the president said on Twitter.

PM Modi said that Irrfan’s death is a loss to the world of cinema

Guv Mishra to hold meeting with vicechancellors today

Governor Kalraj Mishra

First India News Jaipur: Governor Kalraj Mishra will interact with vice-chancellors through video conferencing regarding higher education on Thursday.

The governor had constituted a high-level committee on higher education three weeks ago in wake of lockdown. The task force has made several recommendations regarding e-education, training, and examination in state universities.

The governor who is also chancellor of the state universities will hold discussion with vice-chancellors

on these recommendations. Besides, he will also deliberate on updating the syllabus, state university management system, and learning management system.

Mishra is quite concerned about the education of youth and girls. He said that because of a global pandemic the lockdown has forced educational institutes to close, which has affected studies of students.

According to the governor, the state has an important responsibility to secure the future of children. He said that the children must not suffer.

and theatre.

“He will be remembered for his versatile performances across different mediums. My thoughts are with his family, friends and admirers. May his soul rest in peace,” the PM said in a tweet.

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray also condoled Irrfan’s death, saying he was a hard-working and multi-faceted artiste whose journey from the Indian cinema to Holly-

HC: Provide all the facilities to migrant workers First India News Jaipur: While hearing a PIL related to sending migrant labourers back to their homes, the Rajasthan High Court has directed the state government to provide all the facilities to the migrant labourers, which are being given to the local residents. The division bench of Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Satish Sharma passed the orders while hearing the PIL filed by James Bedi and Public Against Corruption.

The High Court said that despite the migrants having Aadhar cards of their state, they are not being given the same benefits if they do not have a local identity card. The Advocate General has sought time to reply to these points on behalf of the state government. At the same time, in the matter of sending migrant labourers back, the Advocate General said that as soon as the central government forms the policy, they will implement it immediately.

wood was an inspiration to budding actors.

“He has been snatched away despite putting up a valiant fight against the rare form of cancer,” he said, adding that Irrfan accepted the reality of his diagnosis and faced the treatment bravely.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted, “His acting broke the boundaries of languages, nations and religions, creating an accent of acting that united all hu-

manity through art and compassion.”

Congress leader Ahmed Patel also condoled Irrfan’s death, saying, Extremely distressed to learn about the untimely demise of Irrfan. A talented & versatile actor, a genuine human being, he made a difference in lives of millions of people. This is a huge loss to the cinema in-

dustry & the nation.

My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

—Agencies

Corona suspects try to flee from PM 1st to offer prayer as Kedarnath shrine opens quarantine centre in Dholpur First India News Dholpur: Nearly two dozen corona suspects broke walls and windows of quarantine center of Dholpur district hospital on Wednesday. There are also allegations against them of misbehaving with the medical staff.

The health department informed the police about attempt of corona suspects to escape. Additional superintendent of police Rajendra Verma reached the hospital with heavy police force. He spoke to

—PIC FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSE ONLY

quarantined people and straightened them out.

Principal health officer Dr Samarveer Singh said that corona suspects kept in district hospital have been misbehaving with medical staff. They are misbehaving with nurses who go to give them medi-

cine and throw food.

They are not cooperating, he said.

Today, they even broke windows and walls in a bid to escape.

However, the police controlled them and warned that those who try to break the law will be dealt with strictly.

Rudraprayag: The doors of the Himalayan shrine the Kedarnath Dham were opened on Wednesday at 6.10 a.m. and the ‘Rudrabhishek Pooja’ was offered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On the occasion, Uttarakhand Chief Minister also greeted all devotees.

This is the first time when the ‘abhishek’ and ‘arati’ have been conducted in the absence of devotees as the Lord Shiva shrine opened as per schedule even amid the Covid-19 lockdown following the

coronavirus outbreak.

No one was allowed to visit the temple.

A special worship was conducted at the temple at 3 a.m. and thereafter chief priest Shiv Shankar Ling did the ‘Samadhi Pooja’ along with other formalities.

Stranded workers vent ire on Ambuja Cement First India News Jaipur: Around 2000 migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and some other states have been stuck in Ambuja cement factory in Mundwa in Nagaur district.

They have been facing problem after work stopped here due to nation-wide lockdown because of Corona pan-

Migrant workers protesting at the plant.

demic. They even held protest a month ago demanding return to their home but neither the company nor the administration took any notice.

The workers once again held protest on Wednesday. Senior officials from local administraton and police reached the spot to reason out with them but

the workers got agitated and started pelting stones at them thus forcing the officials to run for cover.

The workers then vented their ire on

bikes kept at the company campus and also the hospital run by the company. Only after reinforcement came that the workers stopped. They told the administration that despite the government order the company has not arranged for them to go home.

They are not receiving any facility and the contractor is not listening to their problems.

AMID CORONA WOES, IAS SHUFFLE ON CARDS Rajendra Chhabra Jaipur: DOPT might release a transfer list of IAS officers on Thursday. The list becomes imminent in the view of the fact that Divisional Commissioner of Kota LN Soni and Collector of Pali are due to retire at the end of this month and their posts can’t be left vacant in these crucial corona times. The vacant post of Divisional Commissioner Bikaner also needs to be filled. Apart from this, two Divisional

Commissioners, Jodhpur’s BL Kothari and his counterpart in Ajmer LN Meena are also due to retire on May 31 so there are fair chances to fill in these posts also in the same list.

As far as the choice in front of the state govt for the post of Divisional Commissioner is concerned, it doesn’t have many. As per traditions, a Secretary-level IAS is posted on this hitherto coveted post so the choice zeroes down to 2001 to 2004 batch officers. Interestingly, 2001 batch IAS NL Meena

didn’t even join his post of Divisional Commissioner in Bikaner. Most of the officers of these batches are already discharging responsibilities on important posts so it would be unwise to unnecessarily disturb them.

The names which can be considered as available are Suchi Sharma, Neeraj K Pawan, Somnath Mishra, Veena Pradhan, and Samit Sharma. There is also a possibility of appointing officers below Secretary level rank which means

considering officers from batches after 2005 which gives the govt a wide choice.

As far as the reshuffle of the Collectors is concerned there are few

names doing rounds like Vishwamohan Sharma, KB Pandya, Dinesh Nayak, and Dinesh Kumar Yadav.

Pali posting will certainly have the influ-

ence of a senior and influential IAS officer.

Apart from Pali there are half a dozen other Collectors in the queue due to either their controversial orders or uncalled for actions and off course due to ‘Performance Not Up To The Mark’.

Sirohi Collector Bhagwati Prasad Kala, Jalore Collector Himanshu Gupta and Bharatpur Collector Nanumal Pahadia have in the recent past made the state govt uncomfortable due to their administratively immature

and incomprehensible orders which went viral on the social media. There are other reasons associated with the Collectors of Kota, Ajmer, Jhunjhunu, Banswara, and Jodhpur.

For instance, Kota Collector Om Prakash Kasera was on cloud nine claiming that his district was corona free but when Kota exploded with Covid-19 cases and crossed the 100 figure in no time, Kasera was short of both words and remedy.

There are reports of local political

heavyweights from Barmer not being happy with Collector Vishram Meena too.

Sources in the govt also say that the state govt is seriously considering appointing, 2014 batch IAS officers, as Collectors as their performance has been praiseworthy in recent times.

This could give a chance to Ashish Modi and Bharti Dixit. There is also mulling on for giving the 2016 officer their due promotion and appoint them as ADMs to strengthen the administration.

JAIPUR | THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020

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in

BRIEF z Jaipur: Two smug-

glers selling liquor at expensive prices to people in Vaishali Nagar were arrested on Tuesday night by DST Branch and Vaishali Nagar police from a liquor shop located in Murlipura.

z Ajmer: In Kekri,

police arrested the accused of raping an 11-year-old girl within 48 hours.

z Jaipur: The su-

perhit Raj Recording studio of Rajasthan caught fire due to a short circuit. The incident took place in front of the Rayla BSNL office.

z Jaipur: The PIL

filed on Shahban Naqvi’s letter regarding coronavirus was dismissed by the division bench of Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Satish Sharma.

z Jaipur: In the

matter of firing from the job during the lockdown, the bench of Justice Ashok Kumar Gaur has imposed a stay on the decision and sought reply from the state government, Director of Modi University Lakshmangarh Sikar and Registrar in four weeks. Jaipur resident Abhinav Swami works at Modi University as Lawn Tennis coach, who was relieved on March 31.

z Jaipur: A total

of 5 IAS officers of the Rajasthan cadre, including a collector and divisional commissioner, are retiring today. Pali Collector Dinesh Chand Jain and Kota Divisional Commissioner Lakshminarayan Soni are retiring today. At the centre, National SC Commission Secretary Pritam Singh will also. Ajmer Revenue Board member Modu Dan Detha and TAD Cooperation Federation MD Vinita Bohra are also retiring.

z Jaipur: In the mat-

ter of arrangements for birds and animals during lockdown, Advocate General presented the response on behalf of the state government in HC. He said that the government has made control rooms at the state level, along with all districts. Animals and birds are being provided with food and medical facilities.

FIVE DIE IN SMS HOSP, 72 NEW CASES REPORTED First India News

Jaipur: Five corona deaths were reported in last 24 hours two of them confirmed by the health department late at night, taking the total to 57 along with 74 new corona positive cases. All of deaths were reported from SMS hospital, Jaipur.

22 new cases came from Jaipur,13 from Jodhpur. 11 from Ajmer, ( from Pali, 8 from Chittorgarh, 3 from Kota, 2 from Bhilwara and one case each from Bharatpur, Nagaur & Udaipur.

The state total for corona positives stands at 2348. State has tested 97790 samples so far out of which 80108 have reported negative while reports for 5244 samples is awaited.

New positive cases that reported in Jaipur were attributed to Ramganj (6 cases), Jo-

—PHOTO BY MUKESH KIRADOO

er

RAJASTHAN

Cops ensuring curfew in Saraswati nagar area in Tonk Phatak where a positive case was reported.

hari Bazar (6 cases) and one case each from Chandwaji, MI Road, Sodala, Police Lines, Tonk Road, Purani Basti, Shashtri Nagar and Sikar House. One positive patient was from other state.

Jaipur leads the most positive cases tally with 878 cases followed

by Jodhpur 413, Kota 192, Ajmer 146, Tonk 132, Nagaur 118, Bharatpur 111, Banswara 64, Jhunjhunu 42, Jhalawar 40, Bikaner 37 & Bhilwara each, Jaisalmer 35m Dausa 21, Chittorgarh 16, Churu 14, ali 12, Hanumangarh & Dholpur 11 each, Sawai Madhopur

& Udaipur 8 each, Alwar 7, Dungarpur & Sikar 6 each, Karauli 3, Barmer & Pratapgarh with 2 cases each and Rajsamand one case. Apart from this 2 Italians and 61 Indians evacuated from Iran also tested positive. 28 out of 33 districts are officially infected.

Dist admn to aid zayreens reach home First India News Ajmer: District administration of Ajmer has begun making arrangements to send back zayreens who came for Urs in Khwaza Moinuddin Chishti’s dargah. District incharge Bhawani Singh Detha informed of the same.

Senior district officials held meeting with members of dargah committee and office bearers of Khadim’s organisation to discuss the plan to send thousands of zayreens, stuck in Ajmer, back home. Several key decisions were taken to ensure their return during the holy month of Ramzan.

Chief of dargah committee, Amin Pathan appreciated steps taken by district administration and state government.

He said that because of government’s order these zayreens will now be able to go home without any trouble.

RCDF hit by lockdown crisis First India News Jaipur: Lockdown has decreased RCDF’s daily milk collection, where earlier, RCDF used to collect 41 lakh liters milk every day, now it only gets 27 lakh liters, raising doubts on the decreased quantity of either being adulterated or spurious. At present only 21 lakh liters milk is being consumed daily, shrinking demand by 2530%. RCDF collects milk from 21 district milk federations.

With lockdown and onslaught of summers coupled with decreased price, RCDF is only collecting milk from federation members, avoiding temporary suppliers.

Currently, member dairies are supplying 21 lakh liters

per day out of which, RCDF supplies 16 lakh liters while 5 lakh liters being procured from private dairies. Unlike prelockdown, when 8 dairies were supplying dairy products, now only Saras, Amul and Lotus are in the market. Experts say milk consumption has increased in rural areas up to 4 lakh liters so rest of the shortfall can be ascribed to spurious supply which is unable to make it to market.

Maximum adulterated cases surfaced from Alwar, Bharatpur, Dausa, Karauli and Dholpur.

Experts feel that lockdown has forced producers from these areas to shut their shops for the time being giving respite to the consumers for the present at least.

HC: Ensure safety of Panel created to monitor movement of migrants health workers in state First India News

First India News Jaipur: On Wednesday, while hearing the PIL filed by an individual named Ramvir, Chief Justice and Justice Satish Kumar Sharma directed the State Government to prepare immidiately the guidelines for testing and protection of Health Workers. The Advocate General on behalf of State sought time to file an affidavit on record mentioning complete update with respect to safety of health workers in Rajasthan in-

SK Singh

cluding supply of PPE according to WHO standards. Three weeks time was granted to file the affidavit, now this PIL will come up on May 22. PIL was argued

by Advocate SK Singh on behalf of Ramvir.

‘Bring stranded Rajasthanis home’

Jaipur: After the Gehlot government approved to help the migrant workers to get home, 5.5 lakh people registered for the same in 3 days. There are more than 1.5 lakh migrants who have to be migrated from Rajasthan to other states, while the number of migrants who would be coming to Rajasthan from other states is more than 4 lakh.

Initially, 17 buses have been arranged for 350 workers so far.

Among the registered workers, Maharashtra

5.5 lakh workers have registered in 3 days seeking help to go to their respective homes.

has the highest number of more than 1.05 lakh migrant workers while West Bengal has the lowest number.

A committee has been formed for complete monitoring of the movement of migrants, under the chairman-

ship of Additional Chief Secretary Industries Department Subodh Agarwal. Additional Director Tourism

First India News

Nirmal Tiwari

Jaipur: BJP State President Dr Satish Poonia has welcomed the exemption of going home given by the Union Home Ministry to migrant workers, students and tourists stranded in various states during the lockdown.

In compliance with the order of the Home Ministry, the BJP state president has appealed to Chief Minister

Jaipur: To provide relief to the farmers, the state government has decided to distribute 5 kg free hybrid maize seeds to 5 lakh farmers of the Scheduled Tribe area, worth about Rs 25 crore.

Similarly, 10 lakh small and marginal farmers of major millet producing districts of the state will be distributed 1.5 kg hybrid millet seeds for up to 0.4 hectare area to 10 lakh farmers. It would

Satish Poonia

Ashok Gehlot to make arrangements to bring the Rajasthanis who are stranded in other states to back to their homes.

FORTI’s youth wing under its president Dhirendra Singh presented addl commissioner (Traffic) Rahul Prakash with umbrellas exclusively made for the police force on the road as a gesture of support for towards the corona warriors, who are toiling in the merciless heat.

Coldest April in a decade, May to make up for it —PHOTO BY SUNIL SHARMA

First India News

City was swept by rainstorm late in the evening, a view of temple situated in Choti Chaupar.

decade. The day and night temperature has dropped more than usual. However, extreme heat conditions are likely in next couple of days. The weather department says that cyclonic system will weaken at the beginning of the month of May. This indicates that the state would reel under extreme heat.

However, the weather department expects areas of state to see

Department Sanjay Pandey has also been appointed to cooperate in the assignment. On the other hand, after the revised order of Chief Secretary DB Gupta, various officers have been made nodal or incharge officers for different states.

The in-charges have been made for Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

Raj Govt to provide free seeds to farmers

HUMBLE SUPPORT

WEATHER FORECAST

Jaipur: According to the weather department a new cyclone system is to be blamed for the change of weather.

The state could witness dust storm and rain in the state over next two days. Already, the temperature has been moderated by the westerly winds.

The month of April this year has been the coldest in more than a

03

dust storm and rain in last two days of April.

These area include 14 districts including Bikaner, Churu, Sriganganagar, Hanumangarh, Nagaur, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Tonk, Dausa, Bharatpur, Karauli, Dholpur, Jaipur and Alwar.

In state capital Jaipur, the day temperature was 4 degree less than normal but people were troubled due to slight increase in night temperature.

cost about Rs. 30 crore.

Preparations to start this process have been made by Agriculture Department. On the instructions of Agriculture Minister Lalchand Kataria, Agriculture Commissioner Dr Omprakash has sought details of the number of farmers and seed requirements from the respective districts.

From the first week of May, distribution of kits to eligible farmers would begin.

12 foreigners stuck in state leave for home

Foreigners being screened before they board the bus to Delhi.

First India News Pushkar: On Wednesday, 11 British citizens from Pushkar and one from Ajmer left for Delhi.The British embassy arranged special buses

and flight to take them first to Delhi and then home.

Though, there were 15 British citizens in Pushkar only 11 left while four stayed back for unclear reasons.

PERSPECTIVE JAIPUR | THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020

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IN-DEPTH

IRRFAN, AN ACTOR EXTRAORDINAIRE PASSES AWAY

SOMETHING’S WRONG WITH QUALITY OF VCs The practice in India is such that a VC is barely allowed to complete a single term

E

ven as India counts it dead from coronavirus the news of actor Irrfan Khan’s demise has come as a tragic blow. One of Bollywood’s most versatile actors, a trailblazer, Khan passed away in Mumbai’s Kokilaben hospital where he was admitted on Tuesday where he lost his battle to cancer.

Aged only 53, he has left behind his grieving widow, two children and lakhs of fans. An aspiring cricketer he was definitely Indian cinema’s big gain.

Khan had been ailing since 2018 when he was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour and went to Britain for treatment. Aware of the seriousness of his ailment, Khan said in a profound statement, “I trust, I have surrendered.” Yet the fighter that he was, he came back strong enough to deliver another powerful performance in Angrezi Medium. Because of his illness the actor could not attend the movie’s promotional events at which his recorded message, in which he talked of “unwanted guests in his body”, was played to audiences. His alma mater, the National School of Drama, New Delhi, has all the reason to feel proud him.

He has bequeathed a rich body of cinematic work to perpetuate his memory for generations to come. Irrfan won wide acclaim for his phenomenal and earthy acting in Pan Singh Tomar, Maqbool, Haider, Piku, The Lunchbox, The Namesake, Hindi Medium and Madaari to name some of them. In each of his films he put his heart and soul in the character he portrayed and left a lasting impression.

He was one Indian actor who was as comfortable in Hollywood as he was in Bollywood. Salaam Bombay, Danny Boyle’s award winning Slumdog Millionaire and Life of Pi made him a global star.

At times outspoken, he strongly denied Bollywood aped Hollywood films.

Success did not come easy to Irrfan who struggled for almost a decade doing theatre and TV soap operas. It was a little known British director Asif Kapadia who cast him in his film The Warrior, which was shot in Himachal Pradesh and released in 2002. The film went on to win the Bafta award for best British film. That gave Khan the much-needed breakthrough. After Slumdog Millionaire, in which he played a police inspector, he did not look back.

Not just for his acting prowess, Irrfan was a good human being who loved his family. He was modest and soft-spoken.

In his death Rajasthan has lost a talented artiste. Angrezi Medium gave a chance to Khan, who was born Sahabzade Irfan Khan in a Pathan family, to meet his kin. Sadly, he could not attend his mother’s funeral in Jaipur when she died on April 25 due to the lockdown.

Khan has left a void in the film world but one can draw solace from the old saying that those whom God loves die young.

Adieu Irrfan Khan.

DINESH SINGH The author is the former vice-chancellor of University of Delhi, a distinguished mathematician and an educationist

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The UGC lays too much emphasis on highly technical criteria that are extremely detrimental towards attracting talented and wise individuals to serve as vicechancellors. On the other hand, it pays no heed to qualitative attributes such as placing a premium on possessing some knowledge of the history of higher education

he debate about colleges holding timely online exams versus delaying them until after the coronavirus lockdown ends is being conducted without any historical knowledge.

It is almost a myopic debate between the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the vice chancellors (VC). At the heart of this debate are two problem areas – the traditional insistence on completing syllabus instead of pruning it and the quality of Indian VCs of late.

PRUNE THE SYLLABUS As an illustration, I recall, from my student days at Delhi University during the period 1972-73, an occasion when the university had to be shut for more than three months at a stretch due to student disturbances. Yet the university did not extend the session but managed to conduct its examinations without too much delay. My exams were over by 12 May. It was decided to prune the non-essential parts of the syllabi in wise ways.

Even the next session commenced on time. This was due to a very wise pruning of the teaching material, not an obsession with making sure every single thing in the syllabi is taught in complete detail.

The history of higher education in India is replete with innovative solutions for such issues. In addition to the instance of Delhi University, the example of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1985-86 and of the Allahabad University in 1981-82 come to the fore.

Both these institutions had dealt with such a problem in creative yet simple ways.

At the Allahabad University the academic session was running three years behind schedule. It’s then VC UN Singh (my late father) decided to provide greater autonomy to the teachers that helped the university

correct its academic calendar.

The BHU had also faced a similar problem when Dr. RP Rastogi was the VC. Rastogi too initiated similar steps to restore the normalcy of the academic calendar.

QUALITY OF VCS Such decisions to tricky problems depend a lot on the quality of university VCs. It all comes down to the business of recruiting vice-chancellors and the UGC has not displayed much wisdom.

The UGC lays too much emphasis on highly technical criteria that are extremely detrimental towards attracting talented and wise individuals to serve as vice-chancellors. On the other hand, it pays no heed to qualitative attributes such as placing a premium on possessing some knowledge of the history of higher education.

It insists that to be eligible for the post of VC, an individual should possess ten years of standing as a full and formal professor. What the UGC has failed to notice or has willfully ignored is that some of the truly great vice chancellors in India’s history would not have been eligible to be considered for the position had this always been the case. In this galaxy of distinguished names, we identify Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, Maurice Gwyer and Hansa Jivraj Mehta. They did not have a doctoral degree and had never held the formal title of professor. In fact, they were not academics in the formal

meaning of the term. Yet they are easily amongst the truly great VCs that India has had.

This does not mean that good VCs are not to be found amidst formal academics. In India, I can cite the example of none other than Dr. Zakir Husain who proved to be an outstanding VC at the Aligarh Muslim University and Dr. Amar Nath Jha who steered Allahabad University so adroitly during the years that spanned British rule and beyond.

Another outstanding example that comes to mind is that of Robert Goheen at Princeton University in the 1960s. Goheen was a 37-year-old assistant professor on a contractual appointment at Princeton when he was appointed its president in 1957. He proved to be one of the most successful presidents of Princeton University.

REFORM NEEDS LONGER STAYS FOR VCS There is another unfortunate practice that has become almost the norm in India during the past few decades. It is but rare for a VC to be re-appointed beyond one term. Once again, it has not struck the powers that be that the truly great achievements of the names that I have mentioned above happened over an extended period of time. Hansa Mehta served for 9 years. Maurice Gwyer served for 12 years. Amar Nath Jha served for 16 years and Robert Goheen served for 17 years. Only then were they able

Coronavirus: The role sports play in our lives

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ost of the sports world has ground to a halt over the coronavirus pandemic.

The Tokyo Olympic Games, the NBA season, and soccer’s Champions League, along with many other major tournaments, have been postponed. Wimbledon has been canceled for the first time since World War II. These cancellations and postponements go all the way down to recreational competitions.

Given the impact that any large gathering could have on the further spread of the pandemic, several sports commentators, noted that at this point in time, sports did not matter. The New York Times sports commentator wrote, “Postpone it, cancel it, whatever.

There are more important things to think about. It is a sport, after all,” referring to the cancellation of soc

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cer’s Champions League.

The present sentiment is a reminder of a popular phrase typically attributed to former coach and player Arrigo Sacchi that soccer was “the most important of the unimportant things in life.”

At a time when the utmost urgency on everyone’s mind is the fragility of life itself, this couldn’t appear to be more true.

At the same time, as philosophers of sport, we believe that it is important to recognise the role sports play in our lives – even in difficult times.

THE NATURE OF SPORTS The point of sports, as philosopher Bernard Suits argues, lies in voluntarily attempting to overcome artificial problems erected by the rules.

Such rules stipulate the

of solving the problem.

THE ATTEMPT TO ACHIEVE DIFFICULT GOALS REQUIRES A CERTAIN DEDICATION. IN THIS SENSE, ENGAGEMENT IN SPORT REPRESENTS A PERFECTIONIST WAY OF LIFE use of specialised physical skills to achieve the goal of the game. For instance, the rules of soccer prohibit players to hit the ball with their hands but allow kicking and heading to put the ball into the net.

Sports are activities governed, as Suits explains, by a “gratuitous logic.” Under this logic, participants attempt to solve an unnecessary problem, such as kicking a ball around a field and into a net, just for the sake

THE VALUE OF SPORTS At the same time, there are those who argue that sports fulfill human functions that are far from gratuitous. For instance, sports provide an arena for honing different kinds of capacities and fostering character development.

Philosopher José Ortega y Gasset argues that the gratuitous character of sports is a model for living well – for a life with plenty of vitality.

He recommends individuals approach their lives with the “same spirit that leads them to engage in sport.”

That is, individuals should fill their lives with challenging activities that are not necessary but voluntary.

Similarly, philosopher Thomas Hurka includes sports among some of the

challenging activities that require dedication, planning and precision.

Hurka highlights that these activities are valuable because of the effort required by the experience of trying to achieve. In his words, “We don’t call crossing your fingers an achievement because it’s too easy.

Achievements have to be challenging, and the more challenging the better.”

The attempt to achieve difficult goals requires a certain dedication. In this sense, engagement in sport represents a perfectionist way of life.

As philosopher John Rawls proposes in his discussion on justice and the good life, perfectionism requires the utmost dedication to achieve human excellence; in this case, we argue, of the athletic variety..

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to build great institutions. Unfortunately, the practice in India is such that a VC is barely allowed to complete a single term.

In fact, during the last five years, there has been a very disturbing trend that has begun to manifest itself. It so happens that VCs of five central universities viz. Allahabad University, Central University of Uttarakhand, Central University of South Bihar, Central University of Odisha and the Maulana Azad National Urdu University, appointed by the current government have resigned before the completion of their tenures.

This does not augur well for higher education in India, particularly in the light of my assertion that for a university to fare well, as history tells us, a good VC must stay for more than a single term.

The coronavirus lockdown has put a lot of pressure on universities, impacting their activities, both on administrative as well as academic fronts. Completing courses, conducting exams, and starting a new academic session are the biggest challenges.

Perhaps, a well-structured academic administration would have helped them sail through the crisis with minimum difficulty.

Academic administrators would do well to take this pandemic as an opportunity to identify the systemic problems that hamper decision-making in these difficult times and otherwise.

SOURCE: THEPRINT

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TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp #ModiGovt is committed to alleviate the economic hardships of the poor evolving from the #COVID19 situation. Shram shakti of Odisha thank PM Shri @narendramodi for resumption of work and higher wages under MGNREGS amid these difficult times. #IndiaFightsCorona Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal Aiding uninterrupted supply of essential goods amid COVID-19 pandemic, Ministries of Railways and Commerce & Industry have set up helplines for citizens.Promptly responding to queries, our Govt under PM @NarendraModi ji’s dynamic leadership is committed to resolving all issues.

Spiritual SPEAK

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. —Ephesians 3:20

Vol 1 Issue No. 323 RNI NO. RAJENG/2019/77764. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Press, D.B. Corp Limited, Shivdaspura, Tonk Road, Jaipur.

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Arogya Setu app must for central govt staff In a memorandum, the Centre has asked all its officials to download the Aarogya Setu app to help in the fight against novel coronavirus New Delhi: The Centre has made the use of Aarogya Setu app compulsory for all central government employees saying the use of the mobile application will help in breaking the chain of transmission of deadly Covid-19.

In the latest memorandum on the use of the Aarogya Setu app by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, the government said officials who are categorised as high risk or moderate based on recent contact with infected person should not come to office.

Such persons should self-isolate for 14 days

until the status comes to low risk. “Before starting for office, they must review their status on Arogya Setu and commute only when the app shows safe or low risk,” the order dated April 29, 2020 states.

The order has been sent to all departments, ministries, Cabinet Secretariat and the Prime Minister’s Office.

Arogya Setu is a mobile application developed by the government of India to connect essential health services with people in the fight against novel coronavirus.

Those who have downloaded the application are informed if

Asymptomatic COVID-19 patients to be treated at home: Delhi Min

Workers spray disinfectant on a car at the entrance of Shastri Bhawan in New Delhi. —FILE PHOTO

New Delhi: Those COVID-19 patients who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms of the infection will be kept under home quarantine for 14 days and will be treated at their homes, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said.

There are currently 3,314 COVID-19 cases in Delhi. So far, 1078 have been cured. 53 are currently in ICUs and 12 patients are on ventilators, the

Satyendar Jain

Health Minister said.

“According to the new protocol, those who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms of COVID-19 will be

kept under home quarantine for 14 days and will be treated at their homes. There is no need to hospitalise such patients,” Jain told media persons here.

The decision taken by government comes after Ministry of Health has issued guidelines for home isolation of people who either have very mild symptoms or are in the pre-symptomatic phase. —ANI

they have come in contact with Covid-19 positive cases in their surroundings.

It detects other devices that have the ap-

plication installed that come in the bluetooth or GPS proximity of the phone and captures information regarding Covid-19 positive cases.

All departments have been asked to issue similar instructions to autonomous, statutory bodies , PSUs attached to them. —Agencies

Make screening of arrested mandatory: Activist to NHRC

Muslim vendor rebuked in Lucknow

TRAI RECOMMENDS STRUCTURAL REFORMS IN BARC GOVERNANCE

Lucknow: “I reprimanded him as he was lying,” said BJP MLA Brij Bhushan Sharan on Wednesday after a video, in which he was seen harassing a vegetable vendor here and asking him not to enter the area, went viral.

“Some time back, I got a death threat.

When my security personnel asked him his name, he lied. Yes, it was my video. I reprimanded him because he was lying. He said his name was Rajkumar while his name is Rehmuddin,” BJP MLA, Brij Bhushan Sharan told ANI. “He was accompanied by a child. Both were not wearing masks and gloves. It is a violation of lockdown. 16 vegetable sellers in Kanpur and one in Lucknow tested COVID-19 positive,” he said.

New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued its recommendations on ‘Review of Television Audience Measurement and Rating System in India’ on Tuesday.

As a studied response to concerns raised by stakeholders relating to neutrality and reliability of the existing rating system, TRAI is-

Dharavi Medical Practitioners Association practice thermal screening for residents in Mumbai.

New Delhi: A complaint was moved in the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday seeking directions to the Centre, States and Union Territories for mandating “medical screening” of all arrested persons before sending them to jail in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The complaint, filed

by social activist Vishnu Kumar Gupta through lawyer Gaurav Bansal, said that several accused involved in heinous and non-heinous crimes are being arrested and sent to jail by the police across the country. The complaint expressed reservations that if coronavirus infected persons are sent to prison, they might

IIT Guwahati & pharma firm to develop vaccine Guwahati/Ahmedabad: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati is collaborating with Hester Biosciences Ltd to work on vaccine development against COVID-19, both organisations said on Wednesday.

IIT Guwahati and Hester expect the vaccine to be ready by the year-end to start animal studies. The work is currently in its ear-

ly stage of development. “The vaccine will be based on recombinant avian paramyxovirus based vector platform,” they said in a statement.

Rajiv Gandhi, Managing Director and CEO of Hester Biosciences said that in the current pandemic situation of COVID-19, the world is looking at developing preventive and curative measures to safeguard mankind. —ANI

infect all the inmates and staff in the jail.

It sought the intervention of the commission to direct Union of India, States and UTs to forthwith draft and implement a policy related to making mandatory the medical screening of all the accused persons who are being arrested during this period. —ANI

sued a set of recommendations for India’s sole TV Viewership measurement agency, BARC India, a joint industry body of the broadcasters, advertisers and the advertising agencies.

TRAI said that the recommendations are culmination of a one and a half month consultation process to review the television audience measurement and rat-

The PM said he would look into the matter.

Although the Maharashtra cabinet had reco m m e n d e d T h a cke r ay ’s name to be nominated to the Legislative Council, the upper House in Maharashtra, from the Governor’s nomination quota, Governor B S Koshyari has not approved it.

BJP leaders have point-

Shopian: Three militants were killed while as an army officer, a soldier and a civilian were injured in an encounter at Melhoora village of Zainapora area of South Kashmir’s Shopian district officials said. The Mehloora gunfight started on Tuesday and

all three militant bodies have been recovered while as a woman sustained injury. Pertinently. Meanwhile, security forces are sanitizing the area and have appealed the people not to go closer to the encounter spot till the site is properly sanitized.

ed out that the approval had legal barriers, as it would be violating the provisions in The Re presentation of the People Act, 1951.

A party leader familiar with the development added that Thackeray wanted the BJP’s cooperation for resolving the issue.

“Knowing that it would be the PM who

would be taking the final call on party’s decision, he approached him directly. He wanted BJP’s Maharashtra leaders who are not willing to cooperate with the Shiv Sena, for what it has done to the party, to be directed by Modiji,” the leader said.

Thackeray who took oath on November 28 last year, will have to get elected to either of the Houses in the state legislature before May 24. —Agencies

Kochi: Chief Justice of Kerala High Court S Mani Kumar is presently on a two week isolation at his residence after his visit to his home town in Tamil Nadu. He secured permission for travel from both Tamil Nadu and Kerala government.

On arriving at the Palak-

New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary education (CBSE) reiterated that there has been no change in the decision of the board regarding the holding of Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations. It further stated that its decision to conduct board exams for 29 subjects of Class 10 and Class 12 remains the same.

The clarification was issued amid specula-

Punjab CM announces to extend curfew for 2 more weeks

Volunteers shower flowers petals on medics to appreciate their work, during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against COVID-19 in Amritsar.

—PHOTO BY ANI

308 TEST POSITIVE IN HARYANA

ister Singh in a video address to the State’s people. The nationwide lockdown was imposed

on March 25 to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which was to end on April 14. It is now

kad border he went through the mandatory tests and then only his vehicle was allowed to pass. His staff who were in the vehicle would also be in two week isolation.

Kumar will take part online in a retirement ceremony of a senior judge to take place later this week.

‘Will conduct exams for 29 subjects of class 10 and 12’

PREVENTIVE MEASURE

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday announced to extend the curfew for two more weeks to check the spread of coronavirus in the State.

“Though the curfew has been extended by two more weeks, there will be relaxation from 7 am to 11 am every day.

During this time, people can come out of their houses. Shops will also be allowed to open,” said Chief Min-

ble & Satellite homes, but the viewership of television channels is measured through an average of 1700+ meters .This issue is prevailing since inception and the directive by TRAI has been taken in the right spirit by all stakeholders and corrective measure by BARC, will lead industry towards accomplishing many progressive milestones.

MELHOORA GUNFIGHT: THREE Kerala HC Chief Justice MILITANTS KILLED,OPS OVER goes into isolation

CM seat in crisis, Uddhav seeks Modi’s help Mumbai: Caught in a constitutional entanglement over his membership in the state legislature, Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray has approached PM Narendra Modi for cooperation in resolving the crisis, sources said.

“He (Thackeray) called Prime Minister to talk about his nomination. He asked for help saying if it does not happen he would have to resign,” said a source.

ing system in India.

“After considering all comments received from stakeholders during the consultation process and further analysis of the issues, the Authority has finalised its recommendations,” informs the regulator.

Meanwhile , Mahipal Singh, Convener NBF, said that Rajasthan has close to 90 lakh plus Ca-

slated to end on May 3.

However, during a recent video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several state Chief Ministers have requested to extend the lockdown period.

Union Ministry of Health, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country stands at 31,332, of which 7,696 have recovered/discharged and 1,007 people have succumbed to the disease. —ANI

tion regarding the conduct of board exams, the CBSE said.

“Recently there has been a lot of speculation regarding 10th CBSE Board exams. It is reiterated that the board’s decision to take board exams for 29 subjects of class 10 and 12, stands the same as mentioned in circular dated 1st April 2020,” the CBSE tweeted on Wednesday afternoon. —ANI

3 more cases in Varanasi, count reaches 52 Varanasi: Three more coronavirus cases have been reported from Varanasi on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases in the district to 52.

According to Varanasi DM, Kaushal Raj Sharma, three people have tested positive for coronavirus in Varanasi today. “They were in contact with a businessman who was the first person in ‘Saptasagar Dawa Mandi’ to be tested with COVID-19,” he said. —ANI

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MAKE BOLD DECISIONS: PC TO CENTRE Senior Congress leader, P Chidambaram urged the Centre to announce wage protection package New Delhi: Former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said that in the absence of a clear signal of assistance from the Centre, the private sector will be forced to resort to large scale retrenchments and lay-offs.

The Congress urged PM Narendra Modi to announce a package to protect the wages, salaries and pay cheques of about 11 crore people working in the MSMEs sector.

He said workers are waiting with bated breath to know if they will be paid their salaries/wages for the month of April. “There is palpable tension and rising uncertainty among the working people of India and their families,” he said.

Citing the annual report of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), he said 11 crore people are engaged in 6.3 crore MSMEs. He asked: “Most of them would not have worked a single day in the month of April because the entire country was in a lockdown imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

How will these people feed themselves and their families without

an income?”

He said the businesses have had no sales this month and their payments to their vendors are also stuck, leaving the vendors also in distress. “The time to make bold decisions to save the MSMEs is now.

If businesses do not see hope, they will decide to close,” he warned.

Chidambaram said it is bewildering that there has been absolutely no financial package for businesses since the onset of Covid-19. “The Government may have the luxury of time, but the MSMEs do not.

They need to know right away whether they will be helped to stay afloat and thereby pay salaries/wages to those dependent on these businesses,” he said. —Agencies

RaGa assures help to patients in Wayanad New Delhi: Congress leader and MP from Wayanad Rahul Gandhi has interacted with the local leaders of the party in his constituency and took stock of the situation during the covid lockdown. During the video conferencing, the local leaders raised the issue of the condition of patients suffering from chronic ailments like kidney and liver disease.arty sources said Rahul Gandhi assured his help to these patients.

Don’t twist facts: Cong to Sitharaman New Delhi: The Congress has hit back at Finance Minister who alleged that party is misleading on facts on issue of wilful defaulters.

Congress Chief Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is twisting facts instead of giving answers.

Surjewala said, “And Nirmala Sitharaman ji, cleaning the banks of people’’s money by writing off loans of absconders and fraud-

sters, is not called cleaning the system. It’’s called weakening the entire bank architecture fiscally and imprudently, if not maliciously.”

After Congress alleged that government has written off loans of wilful defaulters, Finance Minister said, “Rahul Gandhi & RS Surjewala, spokesperson of INC India have attempted to mislead people in a brazen manner. Typical to INC India, they resort to sensationalising facts.

‘Remote controlled Fudging death counts: Vijayvargiya to Didi steps are unworthy for men of worth’ New Delhi: BJP’’s West Bengal in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya has shot off a 6-page letter to Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of “manipulating death counts” due to COVID-19.

The subject of the letter reads, “Manipulating the reporting of death count due to coronavirus in West Bengal, confrontationist atti-

Kolkata: Governor Jagdeep Dhankar has written a letter to TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee urging him to listen to ‘conscience’ and call of duty rather than be driven by an external ‘script’. This came after Banerjee’s letter to Dhankar in which he stated that the Governor is acting as ‘loudhailer of the ruling party’ at the Centre.

“Final response to Kalyan Banerjee. Urged him- listen to ‘conscience’ and call of duty rather than be driven by external ‘script’. Remote controlled steps are unworthy for men of worth. Time to engage in Covid 19!battle than be part of emerging strategy to combat Governor,” Dhankar tweeted along with pho-

tos of the letter to Banerjee.

“In Covid 19 combat have had enormous benefit of counsel from leaders of all political parties except TMC. Outreach to TMC yielded no result. I am ever available to discuss issues concerning welfare of people of Bengal. Let us not bicker.

Time to beat Covid 19,” he tweeted. In the letter, Dhankar stated: “I am surprised that you are positioning on behalf of Hon’ble Chief Minister while you are nowhere in loop on this.

This pseudo defence is unfortunate and you are ignoring that my communication is a response to what Hon’ble Chief Minister started and put before the public to take a call.” —ANI

Sensex rallies 606 points, Nifty reclaims 9,500

On one hand, the people of West Bengal are suffering due to the coronavirus pandemic. On the other hand, you have been playing dirty politics.

—Kailash Vijayvargiya

BJP’s West Bengal in-charge

tude with Honourable Governor and the central government and

high handedness against BJP leaders”.

The letter comes days

CENTRE TO EXPAND JAL SHAKTI ABHIYAN ACTIVITIES

Mumbai: Extending its gains for the third session, equity benchmark Sensex rallied 606 points on Wednesday, buoyed by banking and IT stocks amid positive cues from global markets.

Investor sentiment improved on hopes that gradual lifting of lockdowns across world would help start economic recovery, traders said. After surging 783.07 points during the day, the 30-share BSE index ended 605.64 points or 1.89 % higher at 32,720.16.

NSE Nifty advanced 172.45 points, or 1.84%, to close at 9,553.35.—PTI

New Delhi: The Centre has decided to utilise the forthcoming monsoon season to expand its water conservation efforts under the national Jal Shakti Abhiyan.

“Ministry of Home Affairs has allowed to take up MGNREGA works/ drinking water and sanitation works during lockdown with priority to be given to irrigation and water conservation works,” it added.

Central and State sector schemes in irrigation and water conservation sectors

UGC said. “Universities may follow a six-day week pattern and devise proforma to record travel or stay history of staff and students for the lockdown period.

Extension of six months will be granted to MPhil, PhD students and viva-voice be conducted through video conference,” it added.

The commission clarified that the guidelines are advisory in nature and varsities may chalk out their own plan taking into consideration issues pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic.

after ‘Operation Raahat’ when India brought back over 6,700 people, including citizens from 41 countries, from strife-torn Yemen in 2015. The Navy has identified the INS Jalashwa, an amphibious ship, and two other landing ship tanks for the operation.

The sources said the Indian Air Force is also keeping a number of its transport aircraft ready for the operation. The operation will begin after the lockdown is lifted.

The current phase of the lockdown ends on May 3.

It is not immediately clear whether the government will further extend the drastic measure.

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POWER Gallery RAJIV KUMAR IS NEW CHAIRPERSON, PESB

Rajiv Kumar has been appointed as new Chairperson, Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB). He is a 1984 batch retired IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre.

39 IAS OFFICERS RETIRING IN APRIL 2020

As many as 39 IAS officers of various cadres and batches are retiring in April, 2020. They are: M M Kutty of AGMUT; L V Subramanyam, Preeti Sudan, Dr D Sambasiva Rao, Dr M Padma of Andhra Pradesh; Rabindra Panwar of Bihar; Arvind Agrawal and Atanu Chakraborty of Gujarat; Dhanpat Singh of Haryana; Madhu Bala Sharma and Raghubir Singh Verma of Himachal Pradesh; , Khurshid Ahmad Shah and Salma Hamid of J&K; N Sivasailam, V Yashwanth and G C Vrushabendra Murthy of Karnataka; Renu Pant, Raja Bhaiya Prajapati and Sabha Jeet Yadav of MP; Sanjeevanee Kutty and Shreekant Singh of Maharashtra; M Patton and Alan Gonmei of Nagaland; Dr Arun Kumar Panda, Prasanta Kumar Senapati, Prasanna Kumar Jena, Dr Tribikram Pradhan, Prafulla Kumar Rout of Odisha; Pritam Singh, Laxmi Narayan Soni, Modudan Detha, Vinita Bohra, Dinesh Chand Jain of Rajasthan; Tenzing Dolkar of Sikkim; G Govindaraj of Tamil Nadu; C Pardhasarathi of Telangana; S Ramaswamy of Uttarakhand and Gopal Krishna and Amit Chaudhuri of West Bengal.

EIGHT IPS OFFICERS RETIRING IN APRIL 2020

after Mamata Banerjee tried to block the inter ministerial team sent by the Centre to the state to assess the ground situation as far as tackling the Coronavirus is concerned.

Vijayvargiya said, “On one hand, the people of West Bengal are suffering due to the coronavirus pandemic.

On the other hand, you have been playing dirty politics.” —Agencies

As many as eight IPS officers of various cadres and batches are retiring in April, 2020. They are: P Hari Kumar of Andhra Pradesh; Prabhat Singh of AGMUT; RP Agarwal of AM; RS Nayak of Chhattisgarh; V N Sasidharan of Kerala; Anil Kumar of Madhya Pradesh; Tajdeep Kaur Menon of Telangana; V P Srivastava of UP cadre.

Take tuition from Chidu: Javadekar to Rahul Gandhi

RAVEESH KUMAR MAY BE SENT TO FINLAND

have also been allowed to be implemented with suitable dovetailing with MGNREGA works.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has stated in a press note that due to the current health emergency in the country, “Central Government officials will not be deployed in Abhiyan this summer.” The Ministry of Jal Shakti also ensured that all the work will be carried out under strict implementation of social distancing & other measures. —ANI

New Delhi: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar dismissed the claim made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that Centre has waived off Rs 65,000 crore of loan defaulters, stating that he must take tuition from former Finance Min P Chidambaram to understand the difference between writing off & waiving off. “I was taken aback

by Rahul Gandhi’s comment that Modi govt has waived off Rs 65,000 crore. Not a single penny has been waived off.

Writing off is not waiving off,” said Javadekar in a video message.

taining a continuous situation awareness, (ii) Pre-emptive and proactive approach, (iii) Graded response as per continuously evolving scenario, (iv) Inter-sectoral coordination at all levels, and lastly, but most importantly (v) Creating a people’s movement to combat this disease.”

Commenting on India’s strengths in tackling the disease, he said, “India has successfully tackled public health emergencies of international concern and pandemics in the past as well.” —ANI

those found asymptomatic would be allowed to proceed, according to the home ministry.

The states and union territories falling on the bus transit route will allow the passage of such persons to the receiving states and union territories, it said.

On arrival at their destination, such persons would be assessed by the local health authorities, and kept in home quarantine, unless the assessment requires keeping the persons in institutional quarantine, the order said. They would be kept under watch with periodic health checkups, it said. —ANI

INDRA MANI PANDEY LIKELY TO BE NEXT AMBASSADOR TO UN

There are whispers that Indra Mani Pandey, Additional Secretary (Disarmament & International Security Affairs), Ministry of External Affairs, is being sent to Geneva as India’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to United Nations. He is an Indian Foreign Service officer of 1990 batch.

Former MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar is likely to be made Ambassador to Finland. Whispers are in that he was earlier being considered for being sent to Vienna. He is an Indian Foreign Service officer of 1995 batch.

17 IPS OFFICERS OF 1991 BATCH EMPANELLED AS ADG IN GOI

As many as 17 IPS officers of 1991 batch have been empanelled for holding Additional Director General or equivalent posts in Government of India.

GP SINGH EMPANELLED AS ADG IN GOI

G P Singh has been empanelled for holding Additional Director General or equivalent posts in Government of India. He is a 1991 batch IPS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre.

PRAVEN VASHISHTA EMPANELLED AS ADG IN GOI

Praveen Vashishta has been empanelled for holding Additional Director General or equivalent posts in Government of India. He is a 1991 batch IPS officer of Bihar cadre.

FROM PG 1 Gehlot welcomes...

“The Central Government should provide a package of one lakh crore rupees for saving the laborers. Government should announce a one lakh crore credit guarantee fund for MSME,” he said.

Meanwhile, during the day Gehlot tweeted his elation on Rajasthanis helping people thousands of kilometers away in London.

“Rajasthanis are helping locals in London by providing food and dry ration. I am proud of the people. This is Rajasthan’s culture,” he tweeted. The Chief Minister also thanked the former legislator association for donating towards the CM Relief fund as more than one crore rupees have been donated in the fund.

UGC issues...

The varsities may decide whether to conduct exams online or offline keeping in view the support system available with them and ensuring fair opportunity to all students.

The UGC has said the lockdown period may be considered as “deemed to be attended” by all students and if the situation demands, the universities can have summer vacations for 30 days in June.

“Intermediate students will be graded based on internal assessment of the present and previous semester.

In states where the COVID-19 situation has normalised, there will be exams in the month of July. For terminal semester students, exams will be held in July,” the

New guidelines...

They said the Navy and the Indian Air Force have also been told to keep some of their platforms on stand-by for the evacuation which is likely to be the biggest

‘Only 0.33%...

“This time the hallmark of our approach has been fivefold: (i) Main-

‘Stranded migrants... the sending and receiving states may consult each other and mutually agree to the movement by road.

The moving persons would be screened and

Classy Irrfan...

Irrfan loved Jaipur from the bottom of his heart. Although he has

travelled across the globe, Jaipur remained his favourite destination. He is survived by his wife, Sutapa Sikdar, and sons Babil & Ayan.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot along with numerous Bollywood and Hollywood actors took to twitter to pay tributes to the industry’s most versatile actor.

As news of his death broke, #IrrfanKhan, #RIPIrfan and other hashtags related to the actor became the top trends on Twitter.

Irrafn’s was an endless story of talent, just like the mathematical constant pi, whose value

cannot be expressed!

Covid vaccine...

“The manufacturing capacity that exists in our region is of the quality and scale required to produce and roll-out a COVID-19 vaccine globally. This region is a vaccine manufacturing powerhouse and must now also play a lead role in overcoming the ongoing pandemic,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia.

Leading manufacturers from India, Indonesia and Thailand discussed timelines and production capacity at the meeting, while regulatory bodies deliberated on adjustments that would be needed in processes to make COVID-19 vaccines available at the earliest.

TALKING POINT JAIPUR | THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020

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Governments have listed exercise as one of four essential activities.

Increases in the number of people walking and cycling, including children

T

PHYSICAL DISTANCING IS HERE FOR A WHILE EXPERTS CALL FOR ACTION

T

he call by more than 100 health and transport experts for infrastructure to enable safer walking and cycling has been supported by key organisations including the Heart Foundation, Public Health Association of Australia, the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine,

the Australasian College of Road Safety, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Trauma Committee, Kidsafe, the Australasian Injury Prevention Network, Doctors for the Environment Australia, The Committee for Sydney and The Committee for Adelaide.

f you have walked or ridden around your neighbourhood, you have probably noticed more people on footpaths and shared walking and cycling paths. This increase in numbers is exposing much of our walking and cycling infrastructure as inadequate. It simply doesn’t provide enough space to follow physical distancing rules, leading to reports of overcrowding on these paths.

The pandemic has highlight-

ed the volume of street space given to motor vehicles, at the cost of space for people to walk and cycle. Given the far lower traffic volumes on roads, cities across the globe have been reallocating road space to enable people to walk and cycle safely while adhering to physical distancing. Australian cities appear to have lagged behind.

The pandemic has highlighted the importance of our local neighbourhoods and the need to provide safe space locally for

he coronavirus pandemic has dramatically shifted our lives and the ways we move about our cities. Despite tight restrictions on non-essential work and outings, and on social gatherings in every state and territory, governments have listed exercise as one of four essential activities. As a result, we have seen increases in the number of people walking and cycling, including children.

Physical activities such as walking and cycling are perfectly compatible with physical distancing – but only with the right infrastructure. More than 100 Australian health and transport experts have signed an open letter calling on governments to enact urgent measures to support safe walking and cycling and social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A TURNING POINT FOR OUR CITIES

Across the world we see many examples of the rapid roll-out of social distancing infrastructure to support cycling and walking during the COVID-19 pandemic:  Paris is rolling out 650km of emergency bicycle lanes  Milan has announced 35km of streets will be transformed for walking and cycling  Oakland is allocating 10% of the city’s streets for walking and cycling  New Zealand has announced funding to help councils create more people-friendly spaces in towns and cities.

These are just a few examples.

We must also consider lowering the default urban speed limit to 30km/h and reducing traffic on residential streets and around local business areas.

INCREASED NUMBERS LEAD TO CROWDING

I

07

walking and riding, particularly for our children. As many Australians are staying home, most of our physical activity occurs on the streets and paths around our homes.

Therefore, we must focus our efforts on our neighbourhoods, local streets and shopping centres, where residents need safe and easy opportunities to be active. This includes providing safe routes to children’s schools, activity centres and other hubs.

P

ublic transport typically moves up to half of all people travelling to work in some city centres. However, physical distancing is often a challenge on public transport. As restrictions are eased, shifting even a proportion of these passengers to walking or cycling trips will have infection-control advantages that limit transmission.

If there is not a significant shift to cycling or walking, private car use is likely to increase.

The results will be increased

congestion and pollution and reduced community amenity.

Never before have we seen such a shift to active modes as our population has sought to stay healthy and active during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our immediate priority must be to tackle the inadequacies of current walking and cycling infrastructure to enable physical distancing.

Beyond this, we must look to the future. To promote active transport, we need more space

that encourages these modes.

We need space for health.

This is one moment in time to undo the wrongs of past transport policies that promoted the use of private cars and harmed population health and the environment. We must use this opportunity to futureproof our cities, invest in active modes of transport, and ensure we provide safe and equitable mobility solutions for people today and for generations to come.

AUSTRALIA LAGGING BEHIND

D

SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION

CONCEPT: DIVYA HEMNANI

DESIGN: ABHISHEK GUPTA

espite the urgent need for connected networks of walking and cycling infrastructure in Australia, we have not seen a similar response from federal, state and territory governments.

At the moment, local councils often don’t have the authority to make changes locally or take road space without the approval of the state or territory government. We need these governments to recognise the need for rapid action and provide temporary delegation powers to local councils to enable quick infrastructure changes to support safe walking and cycling. This has happened in New Zealand and the UK. The roll-out of this infrastructure will also be critical in reactivating the economy when phys-

ical-distancing measures are relaxed.

Financial and planning experts have recommended against investing in major road projects.

Instead, they recommend small-

er-scale projects that focus on sustainable modes of transport.

Such projects will enable people to travel to work and school using transport modes that are both safe and healthy.

There will always be something that will not be entirely in our control. Our acceptance will make things easier, once we accept, we can handle and mould it.

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

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CM, RAGHU OPEN WAY FOR FRESH EMPLOYMENT CM Gehlot and Dr Raghu Sharma have come forward with the govt employment bonanza with new openings of 9,000 ANM and GNM Vikas Sharma Jaipur: Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma have come forward with the government employment bonanza during the most unexpected time of dismal lockdown when everyone is talking of layoffs and wage cuts.

CM Gehlot has set aside the sub-judice posts of nursing employees and opened the way for fresh employment of 9,000 ANM and GNM. Health Minister Dr Sharma hailed the decision by the Chief Minister and called it historic. The health workers tirelessly involved in the corona war were also elated with the news. Dr Sharma reassured that the government will not let the manpower fall short.

He said that govt has already inducted 735 doctors and has also started the process to induct 2000 more doctors.

Dr Sharma, who is

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot with Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma

on a mission to achieve 10,000 tests per day, informed that Bharatpur and Kota will immensely benefit from 2 RTPCR sent to each place. He said that the CBNAAT, used for Tuberculosis tests, will also be plied for Covid-19 tests using the RTPCI technique which will add to the testing capacity of the state.

He said that the state is fully prepared for the

plasma treatment and are awaiting the ICMR permission. He reiterated that only maximum tests will be able to give a true picture of the infection spread and help in defeating the virus.

The Health Minister expressed satisfaction on 98,000 tests being done in the state so far with 6,500 tests per day.

Speaking on the sidelines, Dr Sharma said that the TB patients

will be given one month medicine in advance and now the orders have been given to cover the nonregistered TB patients also.

Dr Sharma congratulated the health workers across the state for playing such an important role during such pressing times which has helped reduce the doubling rate of positives to one day from the earlier eight.

2ND FRONT JAIPUR | THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020

Nizam Kantaliya

Raj govt’s counselling of migrants stuck away from homes intensifies

Jaipur: The Supreme Court has set aside all the pleas by Judicial officers from advocate quota and promoted officers and ratified decision by five-judge Committee of the Raj HC. SC has also given relief to judicial officers of limited category by ordering merit based seniority. SC also directed HC to release seniority list within 4 weeks.

Verdict was delivered by bench of Justices UU Lalit and Vineet Saran while deciding petition

by DJ Dinesh Gupta, Kishanchand, Rajasthan Judicial Officers Association along with 10 special leave petitions. Rules for Raj Judicial officers were amended in 2010 which mandated 65% seats for promoted judicial officers, 25% for advocate quota and 10% for limited category selected through competitive exams. Controversy started when judicial officers selected in 2013 demanded seniority from 2010.

Committee constituted under CJ Pradeep Nandrajog released amended seniority list in 2019 in which 1993 batch judicial officers were ranked senior to advocate quota officers.

Jaipur: Rajasthan’s Labour Department has intensified the psychological counselling of stranded migrant workers staying in different shelter homes as many states including West Bengal, Telangana and Bihar have refused to allow their residents to return from other parts of the country, officials said.

Stuck in shelter homes for over a month during the nationwide lockdown and with some states refusing to facilitate inter-state transfers of people, migrant workers are increasingly being affected by distress, fear and anxiety, they said.

“West Bengal and Bihar have refused interstate transfer of migrant workers whereas other states have agreed. With several leaving shelters for their homes, fear and anxiety has increased among those who are left out. We have intensified counselling to assure them that they will be sent back to their homes soon,” Labour Minister Tikaram Jully said.

Seniority to be merit based: SC’s relief for judicial officers

Tikaram Jully

Niraj K Pawan

He said till Tuesday about 3.75 lakh migrant workers stranded in other states registered with the Rajasthan government to return to their homes in this state whereas about 1.25 lakh workers stuck in Rajasthan want to move to their respective states.

Rajasthan government had started registration of migrants and labourers willing to return home on the helpline number 18001806127, eMitra Rajasthan portal, eMitra mobile app or at e-Mitra Kisosk. After registration of the workers, the state government would obtain consent from the concerned governments of the registered workers’ states of residence.

“We knew that such

circumstances may arise. So, a fortnight ago I had asked officials to start counselling of migrants.

Now, there is fear and anxiety in workers who are left out as a few states are not ready to accept interstate transfer, said Niraj K Pawan, Principal Secretary, Labour Department.

Pawan, who has a clinical psychology background, said a large number of migrants from Bihar and Telangana are stranded here and want to go back to their homes and do not eat food. In such a case, the department is counselling them and assuring the workers that soon they will also be able to go their homes. —PTI

Five from Kota sign up for TURNING LOCKDOWN INTO COVID-19 vaccine trial ‘RE-INVENTION’: THE RAJE WAY First India News

Aditi Nagar

Kota: As the world awaits a vaccine for the deadly coronavirus, five residents of Kota have come forward and offered themselves for the vaccine test on them.

President of Society Has Eve (SHE) Dr Nidhi Prajapati, along with four others, said that they are ready to be used for human trial of corona vaccine.

Apart from Dr Nidhi, the other four who offered for vaccine test are government teacher Shobha Kanwar, national weight lifter Madhulika Dharmendra, director of Prerna Fire and Safety Institute Kavita Sharma and research fellow

Jaipur: Former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje knows that it is the smallest of steps that make the biggest of differences in the life of a leader. The two time Chief Minister of Rajasthan has been holding up in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow since the time she attended a party where singer Kanika Kapoor was present.

Since the time she went into home quarantine, Madam has been proactively ‘reinventing herself ’ keeping track of Corona situation in Rajasthan.

The BJP leader has made a routine of daily speaking to a dozen party members, lead-

Dr Nidhi Prajapati

Shobha Kanwar

Kavita Sharma

Madhulika Dharmendra

Pawan Raj

Pawan Raj. They made this request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the copy of their consent was handed over to medical college Princi-

pal Dr Vijay Sardana who thanked them and assured them that whenever required, their help in this noble cause will be taken.

08

Vasundhara Raje

ers, former district presidents, current organizational members, contacts, priests, saints and volunteers of social

organizations to take latest stock of Covid-19 spread in Rajasthan. Interestingly, she has not confined herself

with gathering information, but using her position, Madam has been getting food packets delivered from her side for the poor. The details that she gathers everyday along with the suggestions and ideas of scores of people she interacts through telephone, Raje shares the same with BJP National President JP Nadda during the daily VC that Nadda holds.

While her entire day passes by in doing her bit for the state and its people in the fight against Corona, late in the evening Madam reserves time for herself which she spends reading a book or getting a hands-on experience with technology.

Maha buses to bring back Kota kids Dhule: A fleet of 70 buses have started for Rajasthan’s Kota to bring back an estimated 2,000 students from Maharashtra stranded there, an official said on Wednesday.

The buses have been sanitized and will maintain adequate ‘physical distancing’ precautions during the 650kms journey to and from Kota. Each has two drivers. The bus fleet is expected to reach Kota on Thursday and after the students board, will return to the state on Friday, said an official from Dhule. —Agencies

State issues guidelines for expecting moms TS Tirumurti appointed India’s First India News Jaipur: Separate health guidelines were on Wednesday issued for pregnant women during the coronavirus crisis in Rajasthan. Additional Chief Secretary Medical and Health Rohit Kumar Singh in an order directed officials to ensure that specialist services are available in the district to pregnant women on time and that high risk pregnant women can be referred to the appropriate institute.

He said pregnant

Rohit Kumar Singh

women in containment zones, hotspots and cluster areas, who are likely to have a delivery in the next two weeks, should be screened for COVID-19 at the nearest institution by ANM or Asha

worker, so that delivery services are provided as per their reports.

The official said general delivery services should be made available at all primary health centres, com-

munity health centres and sub-district level.

Antenatal services at all these centres are to be provided to all the women who are found negative in the coronavirus confirmatory test.

He said that emergency services including caesarean delivery services are to be given at all medical colleges, district hospitals. Separate medical colleges or district hospitals have been selected for pregnant women who are either coronavirus positive or suspected cases, he said.

Permanent Representative to UN New Delhi: TS Tirumurti has been appointed the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations (UN) at New York, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday. Tirumurti will be replacing Syed Akbaruddin, who held the post since January 2016 and is now retiring.

The other key appointment announced was that of Deepak Mittal, an IFS

TS Tirumurti

officer of the 1998 batch and currently joint secretary (Pakistan-AfghanistanIran) as the next am-

bassador to Qatar.

The current envoy to Qatar, P Kumaran, is expected to be appointed the new high commissioner to Singapore.

Piyush Srivastava, an IFS officer of the 1998 batch and currently joint secretary (north), has been appointed as the next ambassador to Bahrain.

The high commissioner to UK, Ruchi Ghanshyam, who too is set to retire this month, is expected to

be replaced by Gaitri Kumar, currently the envoy to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union.

Namrata S Kumar, Joint Secretary in MEA, has been appointed the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Slovenia. Jaideep Mazumdar, the Ambassador of India to the Republic of Philippines, has been appointed the next Ambassador of India to Austria. —ANI

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IRRFAN

GONE TOO SOON “Dariya bhi main, darakht bhi main ... Jhelum bhi main, chinab bhi main ... dair bhi hoon, haram bhi hoon ... Shia bhi hoon, Sunni bhi hoon, main hoon pandit ... main tha, main hoon aur main hi rahoonga HAIDER ALI ZAIDI

I

cannot believe that Irrfan is no more.

On Wednesday at 11:30 am, I got a call from Irrfan’s brother Imran, who said that he had just been informed of Irrfan’s demise and the first phone call was to me.

I choked with emotion when he has aid that Irrfan was no longer in this world and now I was in his place for the family.

Irfan and I spent our childhood together, we were neighbours. He used to study in St. Paul’s and I studied in St. Xavier’s. We did not go to the same school but used to spend time together after school.

His father had a tyre shop at Chandi ki Taksal. They had a jeep, which was modified and worked on kerosene, but while starting, he used to put some petrol, Irrfan would laugh and say that we were fooling the jeep. His father would take all of us ion the jeep to Amer, Irrfan was very fond of his father though he did not share his interest in hunting.

We were fond of flying kites as children and would often get hurt due to falls, in one such incident Irrfan’s right hand was fractured. The bone did not mend with the result that the healed right hand was mildly crooked. He made that very thing a weapon in his fast bowling.

From the very beginning, he was a man who

Haider Ali Zaidi with Irrfan Khan

stood by you. Once when we were in college, I bumped into a roadways booth at Ajmeri Gate, where the current was flowing and I was stuck to it. All our friends ran away, but Irrfan stayed and saved me using his canvas shoes made of rubber. He ran and brought water and milk to revive me.

When he was selected in the National School of Drama, he came to meet me at 2 o’clock in the night and said that it seems that the connection with Jaipur is ending forever. After completing his studies at the National School of Drama, he moved to Bombay. Irrfan lived a life of immense struggle. He used to tell me that he had to eat such food that it strains the mind.

When I travel in local, I fantasise that some tiffin will fall in my lap and I will get good food for a change.

When his film Maqbool was released, I could not see it immediately, he kept on calling constantly to tell me to watch the film once.

When I finally went to watch the film, he called every once in a while, on every scene to ask how me and Rana (my wife) are liking it. He was a very intense and hard-working human. He was interested in all living and non-living things, used to live through everything, be it books, trees or the characters he played. He was an avid reader and would read a different genre of books, coaxing me to read as well by giving me choicest books.

Whenever he met, he would ask hundreds of questions to get all the news about each member of the family. We would go to Murali paan shop late at night during his trips to Jaipur and would walk together on the empty roads.

We would revisit the places of our childhood Jal Mahal, Amer, and all the places which carried the stamp of our escapades.

I even went to England in Novem-

ber 2018 to meet him. He hugged me as soon as I saw him and said, “See, I called you to London.” During those seven days, his talks were not focused on his illness but on where should I eat, sightsee, and do activities to make the trip memorable. When I went to him to take his leave before returning to India, he said that today there is a programme of Shreya Ghoshal and Rahat Fatah Ali Khan, so I should stay back to enjoy. Later, whenever we met, he did not discuss his illness, nor did I ever mention it publicly, but his eyes were such that they would speak loud and clear.

He was born a fighter and lived like a fighter. Even now, it seems that he will come back after defeating death and say that look, I have come back.

I am remembering the poetry of Faiz, as I think of Irrfan: “jis dhaj sy koe maqtal me gaya, woh shaan salamat rehti hai… ye jaan tu aani jaani hai iss jaan ki tu koe baat nhi…”

VERSATILE AND IRRESISTIBLE IRRFAN KHAN

09

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10

FA CE OF TH ED AY

City First takes its readers to the flashback of the tremendous films actor Irrfan Khan had been a part of, and stunned everyone with his great acting skills, may it be in Bollywood industry, or Hollywood

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

You will have to deliver an outstanding performance on professional front to come into the limelight, if that’s what you desire. You have to take care that you hire the right person or people to manage your finances. You will work hard like anything on academic front today.

You will get lots of praises today in your office specially from your colleagues. A simple trip may become the most memorable trip ever leading to soul satisfaction.

You must always come to your spouse’s rescue. Near and dear ones will keep you entertained.

Those of you who have just entered your professional life must give your all in terms if efforts and hard work. Those of you feeling a bit restless today must try and meditate a little. Your kid will make your proud and you will be left totally surprised.

You get disheartened easily.

You must prevent yourself from thinking a lot today and try and keep yourself calm. However tempted you feel to spend beyond your pocket, you must refrain from it.

Your family will be in really good mood today and you together will have some awesome time together.

MAR 21 - APR 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Networking is really important for your career so try and become more socially active.

Homemakers will remain occupied in rearranging everything in the house as a new obsession. You will be able to keep upto the expectations of the family members.

You need to know the tactics to get your work done. You must make all the efforts to get your dream job and don’t stop in the middle. You will easily manage to get into your desired college. Your smile will win many hearts today so make sure to keep smiling whole day long.

You will be rewarded for your performance by higher ups. You can expect some raise very soon.

Keep away from stress and take things easy, tough time will soon pass and happy days will be back again. Don’t focus on impressing people; work on yourself.

You must do whatever it takes to maintain your relationship with those who matters. You are confident and ready to conquer the world. You must know there are others like you in this world and they can see through you therefore don’t consider anyone fool.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Not everything can go as you have planned but there is nothing wrong in that, life surprises you in unexpected ways. You must refrain from flaunting your money or lifestyle as people can misunderstand you to be rude. On home front, your presence will keep things peaceful and calm today.

You have so far managed to keep yourself absolutely fit and others derive inspiration from you. You must not commit to something that you won’t be able to fulfil. On home front, you will have to deal with things with lots of patience. You have to get over your fears.

You are back to normal routine after a little break.

Things are really good with you. You will be in much demand in family today. Somehow fitness has become your primary focus for now. Exciting experiences in your work place will make your day. You will receive a good news today.

You will be able to complete a very time consuming work within allowed time. Sources of earning will open up for you from nowhere and you will be left surprised. You will have much enjoyment will your colleagues today.

Whatever you do, give your best.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

LARISSA D’SA, Influencer

APR 21 - MAY 20

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

ETC

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JAIPUR | THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020

11

INDIA’S IRREPLACEABLE IRRFAN The perks of being a journalist are many, one among them is meeting your favourite celebrities.

When I look back I think of so many inspirational people I have met in my career but today all I can think of is one man - IRRFAN KHAN!

Irrfan Khan KAVITA CHAUHAN

M

... at Jal Mahal, Jaipur

y very first assignment as a journalist was to interview Irrfan Khan. The actor was in Jaipur to shoot an ad film, Resurgent Rajasthan. I followed him from one set to another but all in vain. Owing to his tight schedule the interview never happened and I had to suffice with a glimpse of him. I cannot forget how inspiring he looked even as he sat there looking up at the sky.

Those sharp eyes melt my heart even today.

Later in 2016 when he was in the city to promote ‘Madari’ I got a chance to meet him in flesh and blood. As I waited for him at the hotel suppressing the fan in me to take over, I saw him walk towards me wearing a dark blue suit, his messy locks of hair falling on his face. When makeup man tried to give him a touch up he said, “Ab isse jhaada kya accha dikhunga, yeh chehra hi aisa hai.” My heart skipped a beat but I managed a good interview with him. With his

Kavita Chauhan with Irrfan Khan

humble behaviour he put my nervousness to rest.

Luck has often been on my side. In 2017 I met Irrfan once again. It was a rendezvous to discuss his then-upcoming film ‘Hindi Medium’. This time he was a guest at my office (God! I did make quite an effort for that). A lot of excitement began to build among the team members as his visit to our office would be exclusive footage. At the last minute, his team called up to cancel the visit. I was devastated. O wouldn’t give up so easily. I did my best and

convinced his team to get him to our office. Finally, there is the guest room of my then office sat, The Irfan Khan. He was a little low owing to some tension that had happened earlier in the day.

With a view to settling the tension I spoke to him off camera and asked him how difficult it was for him to understand the English accent when he first went for his Hollywood auditions. He chuckled and said, “Oh bahut mushkil tha starting mein, per ab mujhe unka accent samaj mei aa jata hai.. the way

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they roll their rrrrrrs.” The light chat off camera helped and he was on a roll during the actual interview.

Post that interview we were almost friends. We chatted at length and I told him about my first assignment, the one where I had to return emptyhanded. To this, in a very jovial mood, he replied, “Iska matlab meri wajah se aap journalist bani, dekhiye usse waqt aap mera interview lene aayi thi aur woh hua nahi.. lekin aaj mei khud aapke paas aaya hun apna interview dene”. Such was his humility.

I smiled and said, “Promise me that whenever you are in the city, you will come to our

...a flashback photo of his childhood

office.” To which he replied, “Mein yeh toh promise nahi karoonga ki mei isse office mei jaroor aaoonga but mei yeh promise karta hoon ki mei jab bhi Jaipur aaya aapse milne pukka aaounga.”

Such was my experience with one of the most versatile actors and an amazing human being. His words still echo in my ears. He is not among us today but the impressive works that he has done will always keep inspiring us. He, as his name suggests, was indeed a repository of knowledge and wisdom.

An actor par excellence and an artist in true sense. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

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

BRINGING OUT

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Meditation is a practice used by many different cultures to quiet the mind – and could be key to surviving Coronavirus quarantine

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s physical distancing measures continue, more people are turning to meditation, and Google searches for information are at an all-time high. It is a practice that has been used by many different cultures and in many different ways, but always to quiet the mind and make us less reactive. In recent years, research on this ancient practice has shown that meditation may improve immune response, and also decrease stress and depression.

With everything that is happening in the world today, with everything that is out of our control, could meditation be the key to surviving quarantine?

City First talk to a few of its readers about how they are turning to meditation for not just survival but also mental well being!

Meditation simply means reaching a thoughtless state.

You can reach this state through any activity. Like when you exercise, sometimes you get in the zone so much that you forget everything around you, your body is performing activities but your mind is no longer there, that is meditation. Because you have managed to turn thoughts off.

As far as the current situation is concerned, we can use this time skillfully to help ourselves and our family members. We can meditate to heal our souls, read good books to enhance our understanding of the beautiful world and learn some new skills etc. We tortured nature not nature is retaliating. We will have to bear the consequences of our deeds patiently.

—DR MADHUSHREE CHOUDHARY

—ROSHNI SANGHVI

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Lockdown Opportunities!

THE INNER PEACE

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JAIPUR | THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020

Lockdown was the government’s choice; locking myself up in my ‘inner’net was mine! As the external din of life was further subdued, the inner stillness spoke louder still. My meditative practice took a deeper plunge.

Positivity heightened; perceptivity sharpened; connectivity with other hearts deepened; and I? … I changed.

Meditation, something which I learned as a student at the National Institute of Design (NID), has been a great tool for anchoring my inner self. With regular meditation practice of heartfulness (SRCM) technique, I have been able to overcome initial fears after the lockdown. The deep calm attained has certainly boosted my sense of well-being.

—PANKHI CHAUHAN

—- SWASTI SINGH GHAI

o encourage visual artists from Rajasthan to showcase their creativity, Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK) is inviting artists to send online applications of any artwork or print work created by them during the COVID-19 lockdown. Director-General, JKK, Kiran Soni Gupta shared that the artwork must be created and submitted by the participants from 1 May to 10 May, by 12 midnight. Selected artwork will be displayed in the ‘Virtual Gallery’ of the JKK’s official website.

She further informed that the artwork can be based on any subject.

Participants will have to present their artwork in 4 stages: firstly a sketch on the medium, second when the work is completed 20% and successively when the artwork is 50% completed and fully completed. The artwork selected by the committee will win Rs 10,000 as a first prize, two artists will receive Rs 7000 as a second prize and 3 artists will receive Rs 5000 as third prize. Also, seven consolation prizes worth Rs 3,500 will be given and any other selected

artwork will receive Rs 2500 each.

Participants can email their entries on exhibition.jkk@rajasthan. gov.in with the title of the work, medium, size and name. It is compulsory to include the bank account statement as well as the IFSC code.

Other than this, a copy of the PAN card and aadhar card will also have to be provided. It will have to be verified that the submitted artwork has been prepared during the lockdown period. All selected participants will receive a certificate which will also be sent to them online. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Maintain work-life balance!

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IHMR, Jaipur organised a webinar on ‘How to Balance Personal Life & Professional Life during this Lockdown’, where IIM Indore Director Dr. Himanshu Rai said that achieving a good work-life balance while working from home takes careful thought and planning. There should be designated time, space, and a method to work and focus on family

also. This we can achieve by practicing mindfulness.

We should derive our identity from what we love to do rather than relating our self-esteem and self-worth with our superficial designation.

Apart from Dr. Himanshu Rai, the panel also had Dr. Bhimaraya Metri, Director; IIM Trichy, said that we should learn from our Indian leaders like Shivaji, Vikramaditya, Chanakya. He said contextual leadership is in

the DNA of the Indians and this is why India is going to lead during this pandemic.

Dr. Pankaj Gupta, President, IIHMR University said that only 18% of people are living in a mindfulness state. Either they are carrying the burden of past or anxious about the future, which is hampering their worklife balance.

The webinar was attended by 630 participants. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

WHAT’S HAPPENING!

Rajasthan: As the news of Irrfan’s death came in, there was a wave of shock and grief in his home, colony and everyone who knew him. Rafiq Khan also reached his residence at Ramgarh mod to convey his condolences in person. Most of the relatives conveyed their condolences telephonically in the wake of the national lockdown.

Ahmedabad: Patients practise yoga at the dedicated COVID-19 hospital in Ahmedabad to speed up the recovery process.

Rajasthan: Considering the safety of medical staff at Jaipuria Hospital, where more than 100 patients have been kept in isolation, 40 face shields, 50 N95 masks along with financial contribution have been made on Wednesday by the family members of Dr. Pankaj Saini, who is the President of Jaipuria Hospital Resident Doctors’ Association. The initiative was taken in the loving memory of Retired DSP Social worker Late Narayan Lal Saini by their family members.

Rajasthan: With the deadly virus affecting the people in the city, 45 Corona positive patients were admitted to the NIMS Hospital during the lockdown, out of which 29 patients have been recovered and reported negative recently. The patients will be discharged from the NIMS hospital soon. During the pandemic situation, the hospital management is providing facilities to the patents including treatment and food free of cost. SDM Lakshmikant Katara congratulated the staff and management for their incredible work.

Ahmedabad: Peak summer is still a while away, but this tree in Gandhinagar seems done with the hot weather, even if it does look dramatic against the blue sky.

Rajasthan: A free Webinar by real estate consultancy firm, Wealth Clinic is going to be held on 1 May, where CMD of Wealth Clinic, Amit Raheja will talk about the current state of the World and Indian economy, along with the future of the real estate industry. This will be for the benefit of Wealth Clinic customers and for anyone who is interested to listen to the views presented by Industry experts on the subject.

Ahmedabad: In addition to providing them with masks, personnel from the Border Security Force also ensured that people in the border areas of Kutch have enough water to drink, as temperatures soar to 42 degree Celsius amid the lockdown.

Rajasthan: Renowned Bollywood actress Samiksha Bhatt, originally from the Pink City is making a come back again on the national television. Earlier the actress was seen playing the role of Sita in the famous TV show ‘Sankat Mochan Hanuman Show (2012)’ along with many other Bollywood movies and short films.

Rajasthan: Amidst the countrywide lockdown, Former Councilors Santosh Sharma, Shankar Sharma, and Vijay Sahu are fulfilling their social responsibility by distributing 2,000 food packets at Sri Krishna Paradise Garden, Pratapnagar every day since 1 April. Many needy people from nearby areas are receiving those food packets regularly.