First India News Paper-Gujarat-English News Paper Today-22 April 2020 edition

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

28°C - 40°C

ALERT

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AHMEDABAD l WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 146

COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

1,74,726 25,30,095 645 DEATHS

GLOBAL STATE OF AFFAIRS COUNTRY TOTAL CASES

TOTAL NEW DEATHS DEATHS

803,575 SPAIN 204,178 ITALY 183,957 GERMANY 148,007 UK 129,044 TURKEY 95,591 IRAN 84,802 CHINA 82,758 RUSSIA 52,763 BELGIUM 40,956 BRAZIL 40,814

43,663 21,282 24,648 4,939 17,337 2,259 5,297 4,632 456 5,998 2,588

USA

+1149 +430 +534 +77 +828 +119 +88 +5 +51 +170 +1

WWW.WORLDOMETERS.INFO

LAST UPDATED: APRIL 21, 2020, 11:00 PM

IN GUJARAT DISTRICT

TOTAL CASES

AHMEDABAD 1375 VADODARA 199 SURAT 347 BHAVNAGAR 32 RAJKOT 40 GANDHINAGAR 17 PATAN 15 BHARUCH 24 ANAND 28 PANCHMANHAL 11 CHOTA UDAIPUR 7 KUTCH 6 MAHESANA 7 PORBANDAR 3 GIR SOMNATH 3 DAHOD 4 BANASKANTHA 15 JAMNAGAR 1 MORBI 1 SABARKANTHA 3 BOTAD 7 KHEDA 3 ARAVALLI 12 NARMADA 12 MAHISAGAR 3 TAPI 1 VALSAD 3 NAVSARI 1 TOTAL

2178

SAMPLES TESTED NEGATIVE CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

53 7 12 5 — 2 1 2 2 2 — 1 — — — — — 1 — — 1 — 1 — — — — — 90

36,829 34,651

UNDER EXAMINATION

0

CORONA IN GUJARAT With the world hunting for a cure for COVID-19, the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (SVP) Hospital has launched a plasma therapy trial on COVID-19 patients. The trial aims to study the safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma in limiting coronavirus-associated complications in a patient. For more, see P3

20,080

90

CONFIRMED CASES

DEATHS

GUJARAT

2,178

CONFIRMED CASES

Gehlot leads & shows the way Raj says kits provide only 5.4% accurate results; ICMR promptly advices states to stop using it for 2 days Vikas Sharma

 Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot blew the bugle, on the Rapid Test Kits imported from China after state experienced incorrect results for a large number of samples  After Rajasthan complained about the kit, ICMR conducted an inquiry with three more states and then decided to stop it’s use

NEW TOTAL CASES DEATH

+125 +11 +78 — +2 — — +1 — — — — +1 — +1 +1 +5 — — +1 +2 +1 +5 — — +1 +3 +1 +239

DEATHS

INDIA

Jaipur: Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s timely advice has averted a major catastrophe in the country that is seated on the cusp of a steep fall towards ‘Corona-Day’.

Gehlot blew the bugle, on the Rapid Test Kits imported from China after Rajasthan experienced invalid and incorrect results for a large number of samples. Simultaneously the Rajasthan health department, on Tuesday, stopped using rapid test kits for coronavirus and hours later the ICMR advised other

states to not use the rapid test kits for two days.

Even the Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED) has withdrawn the consignment of defective COVID-19 testing kits from

some of the state-run laboratories in West Bengal, a senior official of the medical body said on Tuesday.

In its daily press briefing, ICMR’s Dr RR Gangakhedkar said, “Too much

variations were being reported in results of rapid test kits. In next two days, kits will be tested and validated in the field by our teams. States will be advised not to use these kits for two days. ICMR will give advisory on its use in two days.”

Rajasthan’s Health Minister Raghu Sharma said on Tuesday that the kits were giving mere five per cent correct or valid results and a report has been forwarded to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in this regard. Doctors at Jaipur’s SMS Hospital Turn on P6

US MONITORS REPORTS OF KIM’S ILLNESS

WORLD EARTH DAY

Washington: North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, is in grave danger following a surgery this month, according to a US intelligence official with direct knowledge.

Kim recently missed celebration of his grandfather’s birthday on April 15, which raised speculation about his well-being. P5

COUNT 20,080, RECOVERY RATE 17.48 PC

World Earth Day is celebrated across the world on April 22, to spread awareness about Earth’s well being. It is a day to thank the Mother Earth for giving environmental protection to mankind. While Coronavirus pandemic continues to remind us that our human health is deeply connected to the health of our environment, it also gives us the opportunity to think of creative ways to come together at home to celebrate our—Planet Earth!

—PHOTO BY MUKESH KIRADOO

Politics over Corona: Mamata & Centre again at loggerheads Kolkata: The Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) was blocked by West Bengal government from carrying out their duty of assessing Covid-19 risk zones in the state, said IMCT leader Apurva Chandra.

The Union Home Ministry-constituted IMCTs are crucial bodies, which visit coronavirus hotspots for assessment, issue directions to combat the spread of the lethal virus in those areas and submit report to the central government.

“We came here yesterday morning and since then we have been asking the state government to provide us logistic support and now it has been more

than one day and we have only visited Nabanna and NICED. These are the only two places we have visited,” Chandra told ANI. The IMCTs comprise of officers from various departments, including the NDMA, public health specialists from the Department of Health and Consumer Affairs. The teams have been fanned out to various states to contain the spread of Covid-19 but are faced with roadblocks in West Bengal. Turn on P6

MP Cabinet: 2 Scindia men among 5 get berth Anirudh Tiwari Bhopal: Narottam Mishra, Kamal Patel, Meena Singh, Tulsi Silawat and Govind Singh Rajput on Tuesday took oath as ministers in Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s cabinet.

Silawat, a Jyotiraditya Scindia loyalist, was health minister in Kamal Nath government, and was among the first lot of MLAs to rebel against

him. While Rajput was the revenue minister under Kamal Nath. In the course of the rebellion, he alleged that Nath had only taken care of his region, Chhindwara, and spent hundreds of crores on it.

This is the state’s first Cabinet expansion almost a month after Shivraj Singh Chouhan was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.

New Delhi: Number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India reached 20,080 on Tuesday, with Maharashtra being worst-hit state, even as government said the recovery percentage for the infection stood at 17.48 per cent. Out of the total number of cases, 15,122 are active cases, while 3,260 patients have been cured/discharged.

DELHI-NOIDA BORDER SEALED New Delhi: Gautam Buddh Nagar district magistrate said on Tuesday the NoidaDelhi border will be completely closed as a preventive measure to fight the coronavirus pandemic, while taking to Twitter. Among those allowed to travel are officials engaged in COVID-19 works.

5-star care, zero tolerance go together in Guj, No. 2 in worst-hit list With 239 new cases and 19 more fatalities, state now has 2,178 positive cases and death toll of 90 Gandhinagar: As many as 28 of the state’s 33 districts are in the grip of Sars-Cov-2, with three new districts reporting positive cases in the past 24 hours. The 239 new cases detected in this time frame brings the tally up to 2,178, making Gujarat the second worst-hit state in India. With 19

more fatalities, the state has lost 90 to the virus so far. In another bid aimed to arrest the spread of the disease, the state government has designated a five-star hotel in Ahmedabad as a Covid Care centre for asymptomatic patients.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of Police issued a strongly

—PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE

44 POLICE PERSONNEL INFECTED: DGP Director-General of Police Shivanand Jha on Tuesday said till date 44 police personnel are infected with Sars-Cov-2 infection. All are asymptomatic. Seniors officers are ensuring that they all get good medical treatment. A total of 231 persons have been arrested for the violation of curfew in Ahmedabad, Surat, and Rajkot; 129 complaints have been lodged against them. In all, 2,838 complaints have been lodged for violation of public orders and quarantine guidelines, with 3,449 persons being arrested in this connection.

Personnel from the Border Security Force patrols a street in Ahmedabad’s Danilimda area on Tuesday.

worded statement announcing that state police personnel will show zero tolerance

for those attacking or assaulting medical and health teams while they are on duty.

Principal Secretary for Health Jayanti Ravi said that asymptomatic patients may check into the Fern Hotel, where they will receive all facilities at Rs3,000 per day. Patients will have to bear this cost themselves.

She said the facility is meant for asymptomatic patients who do not want to stay at state-run care centres.

The state government has also hired two hotels in the Shahibaug area, Turn on P6

NEWS AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020

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President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. —FILE PHOTO

PREZ, PM LAUD CIVIL SERVANTS’ EFFORTS IN FIGHT AGAINST CORONA P

resident Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday lauded civil servants on the occasion of Civil Services Day. Kovind said that civil services have played a key role in implementing policies and programs for public welfare. “On Civil Services Day, greetings to all civil servants, past and present, and their families. Our civil services have played a key role in implementing policies and programs for public welfare,” the President tweeted.

“In the present

times too, the steel frame of our country, the civil service, has shown its strength and resolve in handling COVID-19 situation, with sensitivity and professionalism.

Confident that our civil services will continue to serve in the best traditions of public service,” the President said in another tweet.

Prime Minister Modi also appreciated the efforts of civil servants in combating COVID-19.

“Today, on Civil Services Day I convey greetings to all Civil Servants and their families. I appreciate their efforts in ensur-

ing India successfully defeats COVID-19.

They are working round the clock, assisting those in need and ensuring everyone is healthy,” he tweeted.

The Prime Minister also shared his speech from Civil Services Day in 2018.

“On Civil Services Day, tributes to the great Sardar Patel, who envisioned our administrative framework and emphasised on building a system that is progress-oriented and compassionate. Sharing my speech from Civil Services Day in 2018,” the Prime Minister tweeted.

—ANI

AMIT SHAH GREETS BUREAUCRATS ON CIVIL SERVICES DAY, APPRECIATES THEIR COMMITMENT TO DEFEAT COVID-19

U

nion Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday greeted bureaucrats on Civil Services Day and also appreciated their dedication, commitment and efforts to defeat COVID-19.

“I extend my warm greetings to all Civil Servants and their families on Civil Servant Day. They have played a pioneering role in India’s pro-

gress. Today at these challenging times their dedication, commitment and efforts to defeat COVID-19 are truly appreciable,” Shah tweeted. Earlier, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also lauded the role of civil services in implementing policies and programmes for public welfare. —ANI

Home Minister Amit Shah

Lockdown relaxed in favour of Sujalam Sufalam Jal Abhiyan First India News Gandhinagar: Chief Minister Vijay Rupani’s has taken a number of decisions that will help the rural economy, agriculture sector and workers.

Now, his government has decided to kick off the Sujalam Sufalam Jal Abhiyan to increase water conservation capacity of water bodies. In addition, the state will also start wheat procurement from April 27. Further, 27,000 medium, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs) have resumed operations in the two days since

lockdown norms were relaxed for industries.

SEVEN MORE IAS OFFICER SELECTED FOR COVID DUTY l Sonal

WATER BODIES Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Secretary and Secretary to Chief Minister Ashwani Kumar said Sujalam Sufalam Jal Abhiyan will continue to run until June 10. Under this initiative, lakes, ponds including those on farms (Khet Talavdi) and rivers will be dredged. The resultant mud and soil will be made available to farmers at no cost. Since the programme is being undertaken under MGNREGA, the state plans to further relax lockdown norms for all stakehold-

Mishra, Secretary (Narmada): Bhavnagar District

l Mamta Verma, lA

M Solanki, MD, GMDC: Banaskantha District

l Shahmeena l Rajesh

Kumar, Secretary (Cottage Industries): Anand District

l Roopwant

ers, including participating public and state government departments in rural and urban areas.

WHEAT PROCUREMENT The I&B Secretary further said that the state government pro-

cure wheat from farmers from April 27 until May 30, at 219 godowns of the Gujarat State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd. Once farmers register with the corporation, they will receive an SMS stating when and

—FILE PHOTO

where to bring their produce. So far, 29,122 farmers have already registered with the corporation.

27K MSME OPERATIONAL Kumar further said that 27,800 MSMEs have re-

Husain, MD, GUVNL: Bharuch District

Manjhu, Commissioner (Transport): Panchmahal District

l Sandeep

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in a video conference with Chief Secretary Anil Mukim.

Secretary (Tourism): Patan District

Singh, Secretary (Finance-expenditure): Aravalli district

ceived permission to resume operations over the past two days. On Tuesday, 1.8 lakh workers reported for duty at these units. Most of these units operate in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Surat, Kutch, and Bharuch districts.

He said permission is given online, offline

and, in some districts, via blanket clearances.

NFSA/APMC The state government on Tuesday further transferred Rs85-86 crore to 8.55 lakh ration cardholders falling under the National Food Safety Act (NFSA) in 12 districts

of the state. Meanwhile, with the state government having relaxed lockdown norms to allow farmers to sell their harvests, 1,34,720 quintal of crops were traded at 120 at APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) market yards on Tuesday.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020

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CM takes to social media to assuage worries over hosp facilities First India News

force and one was a hospital staffer, who had been infected with Sars-CoV-2.

The live chat started with the CM in conversation with two doctors Kartikey and Sanjay. Both doctors brief Rupani stating that there were 718 patients admitted at the dedicated hospital, and assuring him that it had good infrastruc-

ture and facilities.

They told him that all medical staff had been provided with PPE kits, and that the majority of patients were in stable condition.

Another patient, constable Rajesh Mackwana, who had previously complained of not been allotted a bed, praised the facilities, food and medical treatment at the hospital.

SVP Hosp begins plasma trials

Couple commits suicide in Gota

Gandhinagar: After multiple videos of COVID-19 patients sharing their grievances about lack of facilities at dedicated hospitals were posted on social media in the last couple of days, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani took to Facebook Live to perform some damage control on Tuesday.

The move was aimed at combating the backlash received by the government after the first video went viral on Sunday night, where 25 patients complained of being stranded at a hospital for hours without admission.

On Monday, another patient made a video complaining about poor infrastructure

and unavailability of water at a hospital in Ahmedabad. The same day, patients from a COVID-19 hospital in Surat also complained about the quality food being served to them.

Rupani spoke to three patients and inquired about the facilities at the hospital they were admitted to, of which, two were constables of city police

CM Vijay Rupani in conversation with doctors on duty at the COVID-19 hospital in Ahmedabad.

Two people receive blood plasma from a recovered donor in ICMR study on limiting coronavirus-related complications Ahmedabad: With the world hunting for a cure for COVID-19, the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (SVP) Hospital has launched a plasma therapy trial on COVID-19 patients. The trial aims to study the safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma in limiting coronavirus-associated complications in a patient.

The development follows an MoU signed between SVP and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) earlier this week, which granted the city-run hospital to carry out plasma therapy trials on COVID-19 patients.

Convalescent plasma therapy is an experimental treatment method, in which blood plasma from a recovered COVID-19 patient is administered to current patients. The idea is that once a patient recovers from the in-

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

First India News

Medical workers head to private office on Ahmedabad’s Ashram Road to collect samples for testing.

RAJKOT TO CONDUCT CORONA RAPID TESTS FROM TODAY

fection, his or her body creates antibodies against the virus.

Ideally, this could

eventually mean the possibility of a vaccine against SarsCov-2. However, the

ICMR does not recommend this as a treatment option outside of clinical trials at

this time.

“It is not to be done on one or two patients, but a detailed research will be carried out and is a complicated process. We have been in constant touch with ICMR on this,” Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nehra said.

So far, SVP has one donor and has, as of Tuesday, injected her plasma into two recipients.

Nehra added that the trial is part of ICMR’s multi-centric collaborative study for phase-2 open level randomized control trial to assess the safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma to limit COVID-19 associated complications in moderate disease.

“An MoU was signed between ICMR and SVP Hospital, and a fast-track approval for the study centre, the first in the country, has been granted,” Nehra said.

ICMR suspends RTK use for 2 days Ahmedabad: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) issued the order to suspend use of the new rapid antibody test kits for COVID-19 in all states for two days. The country’s nodal body in the fight against Sars-Cov-2, said that it would investigate the issue of faulty testing kits and “definitely not ignore this defect”.

Despite the order, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) commissioner Vijay Nehra on Tuesday said that the civic body will continue using the test kits.

However, after Rajasthan suspended

Universities will hold State’s first case under PASA lodged final exams: Chudasama against four in Chhota Udepur

First India News

Gandhinagar: State education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama on Tuesday declared that college and university examinations will be conducted for the current academic year.

He said all colleges affiliated with government universities or private universities will have to hold final exams for the current academic year. To that end, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has set up a task force, which will consider suggestions from

First India News

universities and submit a detailed report to the commission, following which, a decision will be taken.

He also held a video conference with the vice-chancellors of private universities to discuss the issue in detail and asked them to submit their suggestions at the earliest.

Vadodara: In a first, the state police invoked the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act (PASA) against four people for assaulting policemen in Tanakhla village of Naswadi taluka on Monday. The assault took place while the local police were enforcing the lockdown in the village.

Chhota Udepur local crime branch has arrested Raiyanbhai Memon, Ashfakbhai Memon, Ashrafbhai Memon and Mukesh-

Chhota Udepur police station. —PHOTO BY AVINASH PANCHAL

bhai Bhairva, and sent them to different prisons in Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Ahmedabad.

According to a press release, the complainant assistant

sub-inspector Manubhai Chandubhai and three other policemen were on patrolling duty in the village for strict implementation of the lockdown on April 16.

5-star food for Surat’s COVID-19 patients

They came across the four accused roaming on a street and asked them to head home.

This irked the accused who assaulted the sub inspector. When other police officers tried to intervene, they too were beaten up by the four accused.

After their arrest, the four were presented before the Naswadi JMFC, and were sent to judicial custody. On Monday, they were released on bail but arrested again after the district magistrate approved their arrest under PASA.

the use of the anti-body rapid test kit, Surat municipal commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani followed suit and suspended its usage, stating there were irregularities in the results.

Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi said, “The state will continue using the kits on a trial basis. The kits received from Delhi will be put on hold, while we will continue using the kits provided by the ICMR.” ICMR’s advisory comes after several states complained that the kits had yielded several false positive and false negative results.

First India News Ahmedabad: City police on Tuesday recovered the bodies of a couple from a residential scheme in Gota area.

They have been identified as Kalsona and Paromita Roy. The police control room received a call on Tuesday afternoon, when the caller complained of a foul smell emanating from Dblock of Shayona Tilak-3. A police team rushed to the scene and identified the origin of the foul smell. Since the apartment was locked from the inside, officers broke open the door and discovered the couple’s bodies in separate rooms.

The police searched for suicide notes or any other evidence pointing to the reason for the couple’s suicide, but came up empty. Police have informed their family members and hope to ascertain the reason for the suicides upon their arrival.

LG Hosp: OPD, emergency ward shut until April 27 First India News Ahmedabad: The out-patient department (OPD) and emergency ward at LG Hospital will remain shut until April 27 for sanitization after 13 medical personnel tested positive for COVID-19.

The development comes amid claims that the administration ignored requests for additional testing.

Dikshank, a nurse, said, “Around 21 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19.

We have appealed to the superintendent to con-

Hospital staff had released a video asking for more PPE kits.

duct our tests, to no avail. There are 270 staff members who are at risk of infection.”

Meanwhile, Commissioner Vijay Nehra announced that the state’s first C-Section on a COVID-19 patient was successfully performed at SVP Hospital.

CITY LIGHTS

First India News Rajkot: With the number of cases surging in the state, there has been a rise in complaints from patients at dedicated COVID-19 hospitals in Surat about poor quality of food, no access to drinking water, and others issues. To remedy that, a private five-star chain of hotels has come forward to provide free meals to COVID-19 patients.

Most patients in Surat, which accounts for the second-highest

Our hotel has taken on the responsibility of delivering food to COVID-19 positive patients. We will not be charging any fee for the initiative.

—Hotel Official

The change is being implemented to address concerns over the quality of food being served to patients in Surat.

number of patients in Gujarat after Ahmedabad, have been receiving medical assistance at the Surat Civil Hospital. Paying heed to the

complaints of patients, nodal officer Mahendra Patel and BJP MLA from Majura area Harsh Sanghavi made arrangements for their

meals to be delivered from the Marriott. A formal announcement regarding the initiative was made by the hotel on Tuesday. A hotel representative said, “Our hotel has taken on the responsibility of delivering food to COVID-19 positive patients. We

will not be charging any fee for the initiative.”

Meanwhile, vegetable markets in city areas such as Pandesara, Limbayat and Varachha have been shut down by authorities after a few positive cases surfaced near these markets.

Lights reflecting off the Sabarmati near the deserted River Front in Ahmedabad on Tuesday evening make for a pretty sight.

—PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020

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MARKET – THE CHANGING TRENDS

IN-DEPTH

FAULTY RAPID TESTING KITS QUEER THE PITCH

EVEN AMIDST THE STILLNESS CAUSED BY THE CORONAVIRUS MENANCE, THE MARKET CHANGES ITS TRENDS BUT NEVER STOPS

A

fter several complaints about the Chinese rapid testing kits (RT-PCR), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has called for a halt to the use of these kits for two days due to the huge variation in the results reported by some of the states. Considered the gold standard for COVID-19 tests, the ICMR said it “found a lot of variation is there in the accuracy of test results of positive samples, in some places it is 6 percent while others it is 71 percent”. These results, the ICMR said, can’t be ignored. It announced sending eight teams of experts to validate these results and requested all states not to use these kits for the next two days.

The ICMR will raise the issue of inaccurate results with the manufacturer if the variance persists.

The ICMR had ordered for 500,000 of these antibody rapid testing kits for use in high containment zones. The kits failed quality tests in China, the main supplier, which held back the consignment. The Chinese kits were earlier found sub-standard or defective by Spain and Turkey. According to a BBC report, Spain’s government said that “nearly 60,000 could not accurately determine if the patient had a virus”.

Similar complaints of faulty results against Chinese kits were received from Turkey.

In India West Bengal was the first to raise the red flag with the state’s health department blaming the ICMR for sending large quantities of defective testing kits. This forced officials to go in for multiple COVID-19 tests. With only 245 active cases Mamata Banerjee, who is also the health minister, was accused of not doing enough tests but the government claimed that it was doing 400 tests daily.

The holding back of tests for two days has given a breather to the Trinamool Congress government which has accused the Centre of using the pandemic to play politics. With gloves off, the state government stopped the inter-ministerial Central team from visiting some of West Bengal’s districts where lockdown rules were being violated. The state claimed that five of the six states where Central teams have been sent are ruled by the opposition parties.

Besides West Bengal, Rajasthan is the other state where the Central team has been sent to assess the situation in Jaipur. It is also one of the states to have pointed out the rapid test vaccine’s inaccurate results. The state’s health minister Raghu Sharma said that against the expected 90 percent accuracy, the tests were only 5.4 percent accurate.

With 80 percent of the cases being asymptomatic, there is growing concern over the accuracy of the number of positive cases in the country. The present figures would suggest that the prevalence of the disease is low. How will two days’ pause in rapid testing impact the fight against the microscopic enemy has to be watched.

GARIMA ARORA The writer is a fourth-year law student from OP Jindal Global University

T

In the contemporary world, consumerism remains to be the driving force for the market to keep itself alive at all times. Even after coronavirus ends and the movement of goods and people is back to normal, there will probably a huge change in the way consumerism works today

he world is facing the unprecedented challenge of the coronavirus which has taken the globe in its tight grip, causing an irreparable harm. The world might not ever get back to what we know it as. The global economy is sinking, isolation is the new norm, the existence of the entire human race is under threat. Individuals as well as corporates are financially insecure and uncertain about their income levels and growth.

The events that have unfolded have undoubtedly hit the basic playground of the economy with a bang- THE MARKET but the market never stops.

It has its highs and lows, but it does not come to a halt. The economy may be at a slower pace but even after the world comes out of this horrific phase, the market will still be on. However, what may be different about the markets is the change in priority to certain sectors and the trend of sale, purchase and investment.

In the contemporary world, consumerism remains to be the driving force for the market to keep itself alive at all times.

Even after coronavirus ends and the movement of goods and people is back to normal, there will probably a huge change in the way consumerism works today. The society will incline towards materialistic goods and services. The uncertain spread of the coronavirus has sure delivered the message of ‘carpe diem’ or ‘seize the day’ as it has made people realize that the past was imperfect and the future is uncertain, hence what is important is to live in the present to its fullest.

People will increase investment in goods that promise them a more comfortable and luxurious lifestyle. A growth in the sale of products such as washing machines, dish wash-

ers, big screen TVs and even services like high-speed internet connections, travel and tourism is expected to happen in the near safer future.

The pandemic has also made people aware of the importance of having a good immune system and a healthy lifestyle. More and more people are seen to be adopting to healthier and hygienic practices. Industries which provide sanitation/ disinfectant goods and services have seen an increase in demand. This extended period of malady has inculcated higher sanitation practices around the world thus ensuring a continued rise in demand for these industries.

The frightening number of deaths across the world caused by coronavirus will probably lead to an increase in the number of people availing health and life insurances. It will be a tool for people to be better prepared for any such future epidemics that may happen, as health and life insurances will help them to afford medical expenses and to pay out death benefits respectively.

The trend in investing money will certainly change after the pandemic is over.

The recent times have shown

The trend in investing money will certainly change after the pandemic is over. The recent times have shown an undreamedof fluctuation in the stock markets

an undreamed-of fluctuation in the stock markets. This has led to a large number of people losing a lot of money and hope in the stocks. The episode of demonetization had changed the trend of storing cash, as now people continue to live under an uncertain atmosphere with respect to the currency.

Consequently, it promoted people to invest in stocks along with commodities such as gold and silver. The prices of gold and silver have also been fluctuating due to the instability in

How on earth did oil prices plunge below zero?

I

t’s hard to believe that the price of any commodity, let alone oil, can dip into negative territory.

But that’s just what’s happened to oil prices. Covid-19 has prompted lockdowns, shuttered factories and stopped people from travelling. The global economy is contracting.

The pandemic has also reduced global demand for oil by about 29 million barrels a day from about 100 million a year ago.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, better known as OPEC, and other producers agreed to cut production by 9.7 million barrels a day, far less than the decrease in demand, leaving a huge surplus of oil on the market and no buyers.

Storage capacity on land

04

has filled up quickly. Many oil-importing countries have stored large quantities of oil, taking advantage of cheap prices that may not last. Some oil producers, hoping to maintain their market share, have taken to storing their excess oil at sea, leasing tankers at high costs. Some are believed to be paying in excess of US $100,000 per day for each tanker.

PRICES WILL GO BACK UP So how have Alberta oil prices and even future prices for West Texas Intermediate slipped into negative territory? It starts with the futures’ contracts for West Texas Intermediate – oil to be delivered in a few months at today’s price. It lost $6 a barrel on Monday, fetching $11.66, but ended the day at -$37 as holders of future contracts tried to

The longer the Covid-19 pandemic lasts, the greater the damage oil producers will endure dump their contracts before oil is actually delivered with nowhere to store it.

But Alberta oil, primarily derived from oilsands and referred to as Western Select, typically sells at $10 to $15 below the price of West Texas Intermediate, because it has to be extracted from deep rocky terrain. That makes it harder to refine, and it also has to be transported thousands of kilometres to American refineries.

And so Alberta oil prices have become negative in the

sense that the benchmark price is now lower than the cost of production, transport and storage.

COLLATERAL DAMAGE Alberta oil is now the collateral damage of the oil war between Russia and Saudi Arabia, with Covid-19 launching an additional attack. Either of these two factors could have disrupted Alberta’s oil production. But the Saudi-Russia hostilities combined with the global

pandemic have proven to be catastrophic for Canada, and could have a similar outcome for the United States energy industry.

Russia and Saudi Arabia depend heavily on their oil revenues to sustain their economies. Of course, Saudi Arabia’s economy is less diversified than the Russian economy, but both share a similar distortion, where oil revenues represent a very high share of their gross domestic products –50% in Sadi Arabia, 38.9% in Rus-

sia; budgets – Saudi Arabia at 87% and Russia at 68%; and exports – Saudi Arabia at 90% and Russia at 59%.

It’s difficult to believe that either country can do with such low prices.

WHAT SAUDIS NEED Saudi Arabia, which remains the lowest-cost oil producer in the world, can make money when the price per barrel exceeds $20, and Russia can at a price of $40.

But making a profit when prices are higher than cost is not sufficient.

Saudi Arabia needs an $80-per-barrel price to balance its budget, realise its plans to diversify its economy and sustain a heavily subsidised economy. In the balance is the stability of both the Russian and Saudi Arabian political systems and current regimes.

FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO WWW.THECONVERSATION.COM

the market which has left people with little or no other choice than investing in real estate. Since real estate remains to be intangible, the investment trend is likely to flow towards it. This sector will definitely see an increase in investment in the coming days.

Another change in the market will be in its very form of existence. A layman thinks of a market to be a street full of shops, each offering different products.

The lockdown has inevitably resulted into shutting of such spaces. This has in turn increased the cliental for ecommerce businesses. People have gained faith in their services and opt to stay at home and order online. More people will be selling and purchasing goods and services online. It is safe to say that the future of ecommerce is certainly bright.

Only time will tell how these trends in the market and the flow of investment will actually shift once the world triumphs over the deadly coronavirus. Nevertheless, it is anticipated that the Indian market will be at advantage and continue to grow.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Top

TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp Held a meeting with representatives of Odisha Sponge Iron Association. Discussed several aspects related to the industry, including raw material security, liquidity, operating with social distancing post lockdown.

Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal On #CivilServicesDay, I salute all civil servants who are serving the nation with diligence, hard work and efficacy. I specially laud them for rising to the occasion with utmost dedication & promptness in our fight against coronavirus.

Spiritual SPEAK

Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD! —Psalm 31:24

Vol 1 Issue No. 146 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet Survey No.148P, Changodar-Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist. Ahmedabad.

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

INDIA AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020

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ENSURE ADEQUATE AVAILABILITY OF BLOOD IN BLOOD BANKS: HEALTH MIN

05

TMC terms central teams’ Bengal visit as ‘Adventure Tourism’

blood in blood banks will be monitored via an online portal, 'eRakt Kosh.'

A 24x7 control room for blood services has been started in Delhi and their phone num-

bers are 011-23359379, 9319982104 and 9319982105. Any individual who needs blood or wants to donate can call on these numbers," Agarwal said.

—ANI

New Delhi: The Centre is on "adventurous tourism", said TMC leader Derek O'Brien on Tuesday, attacking the Government's decision to send two ICMTs to visit and monitor some districts of West Bengal without informing the state government.

"If you wanted adventurous tourism without informing the state government, calling up Chief Minister three hours after you have arrived and the Chief Secretary half an hour before, then that is not the spirit of federalism," O'Brien in a video conference.

"What were the parameters by which the states have been selected (selection of states to send a central team

115 families at Rashtrapati Bhavan asked to self isolate

Corona positive police officer dies in Indore

50 lakh compensation if any Odisha healthcare staff dies

Maruti Suzuki aids in COVID-19 relief

New Delhi: Family members of at least 115 houses on the Rashtrapati Bhavan premises have been asked to isolate themselves as a preventive measure after a relative of an employee, working in the housekeeping department, was detected with the COVID-19 disease.

Spread over 330 acres from the famous Raisina Hill till South Avenue, the Rashtrapati Bhawan houses nearly 1,000 families who are engaged in various duties which include maintenance of the majestic palace with 340 rooms, a central lawn, Ashok Hall and Durbar Hall.

The detection of the COVID-19 case from the premises of the President’s Estate prompted

Indore: A police officer infected with Covid-19 has died in Sri Aurobindo Hospital on Tuesday, officials said. He was undergoing treatment here for last 12 days. The police officer named Yashwant Pal was posted in Ujjain as station in-charge.

Indore’s chief health and medical officer Praveen Jadia said, “Yashwant Pal’s report of sample had come positive for corona. He was being treated in this hospital but even after continued medical treatment his condition deteriorated and we could not save him”.

Just two days ago, a police station in-charge of Juni, D Chandravanshi had also died due to coronavirus. —Agencies

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday announced that Rs 50 lakh will be given to all healthcare personnel who lose their lives in the fight against COVID-19.

The Chief Minister, in a video message, underlined the importance of the healthcare staff or “Covid Warriors” on the frontline of the fight against the deadly virus.

“The state government in convergence with Govt of India initiative will ensure that Rs. 50 lakh is given for all health personnel (private and public) and members of all other support services who lose their precious lives in the fight against

New Delhi: Maruti Suzuki has undertaken some more measures to fight against COVID-19.

It is directly supporting employees and communities around its Haryana manufacturing facilities for difficulties they might be facing due to the lockdown.

The company’s inhouse canteens have been preparing hygienic meals daily for lunch and dinner. These food packets are being distributed to the temporary workmen and students in villages.

With over 5,400 cooked meals being prepared every day, the company has managed to deliver more than 1,20,000 such food packets within the last three weeks.

—Agencies

Real-time status of availability of blood will be monitored via an online portal New Delhi: Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has written to all the states and directed them to ensure adequate availability of blood in blood banks, the government said on Tuesday.

At a press briefing, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said, "Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has written to all the states and has asked them to ensure adequate availability of blood in blood banks. Services especially blood disorder such as thalassemia and haemophilia, which requires regular

27 staff of TV channel test positive

Chennai: Twentyseven employees of a Tamil television channel have been asked to get admitted to hospital after they tested positive for coronavirus, according to a senior channel official.

“Twenty-seven employees, both editorial and noneditorial staff, tested positive for Covid-19,” a senior official said.

After a journalist from the channel tested Covid-19 positive recently, corona tests were conducted on 96 employees. Test results for several journalists are awaited. Officials are counselling the family members of the those who have been asked to get admitted. —Agencies

blood transfusion, will be continued in all the hospitals."

He said that a 24*7 control room for blood services has been started in Delhi. "Real-time status of availability of

‘NO EMPLOYEE WITH COVID-19’

Rashtrapati Bhawan to issue a statement in which it was clarified that “no employee of the President’s secretariat has tested positive and the secretariat along with local administration is taking all the preventive measures required under the govt guidelines.”

A patient from central Delhi, who was neither an employee of President’s secretariat nor a resident of the President’s Estate, died on April 13, 2020. —Agencies

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has written to all the states and has asked them to ensure adequate availability of blood in blood banks.

Services especially blood disorder such as thalassemia and haemophilia, which requires regular blood transfusion, will be continued in all the hospitals.

—Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik

COVID-19,” said CM Patnaik.

“The State will treat them as Martyrs and provide State funeral with State Honors,” he added. He also said that a detailed scheme of awards will be instituted recognizing their unparalleled sacrifice.

These awards will be given on national days.

“The families of all government personnel

will continue to receive full salary till the date of retirement. I appeal to everyone that as a community we should be very grateful for this bold and selfless service being rendered by our doctors, health professionals and other support services. Please remember, that any act against them is an act against the State,” said Patnaik.

—ANI

Derek O’Brien

there)? What are the criteria for selecting these states? We want to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah," he said.

"Anybody who wants to come to Bengal to help the people and to further improve whatever we have already done is welcome. But it has to be done through a process. If you don't follow it, you make things difficult for yourself," he added.

—ANI

India heaven for Muslims, their US OFFICIAL SAYS KIM JONG UN IN rights are secured: MA Naqvi GRAVE DANGER AFTER SURGERY New Delhi: Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday said that India is heaven for minorities and Muslims and asserted that their social, religious and economic rights are secured in the country.

“India is heaven for minorities and Muslims. Their social, religious and economic rights are secured in India than any other

country. If someone is saying this out of a prejudiced mindset then they must look at the ground reality of this country and accept it...

Secularism and harmo-

ny is not political fashion but a passion,” Naqvi said at a press con.

“We are doing our work. Modi ji talks about the interest and well being of 130 crore people of India. Those who can’t see this, it is their problem. All sections including minorities are happy. Those who are trying to vitiate the atmosphere cannot be friends of Indian Muslims,” he said. —ANI

Washington DC: North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, is in grave danger following a surgery this month, according to a US intelligence official with direct knowledge. Kim recently missed the celebration of his grandfather’s birthday on April 15, which raised speculation about his well-being.

He had been seen four days before that at

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un

a govt meeting, according to intelligence reports cited by CNN. The National Securi-

TO COMBAT CORONA CRISIS

Avoid confrontation with centre: WB Guv 

According to the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, 392 +ve cases have been reported from WB out of which 12 have died and 73 have been cured

Kolkata: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday requested CM Mamata Banerjee to cooperate with the centre to combat the corona crisis and avoid confrontation.

“My appeal to all: Support government @ MamataOfficial to contain and combat corona curse. My request to CM Mamata Banerjee to synergetically cooperate with the Central Team @PMOIndia to

Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar

wean away the miseries of people. Cooperation and not confronta-

tion between Centre and State must,” Dhankhar tweeted.

According to the data published by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 392 COVID-19 positive cases have been reported from WB out of which 12 have died and 73 have been cured. A total of 18,601 confirmed cases have been reported in India including 590 deaths. 3,252 people, who were COVID-19 positive, have recovered, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

—ANI

ty Council and Office of the Director of National Intelligence have however declined to

comment on the matter.

CNN has also reached out to the CIA and the State Department for comment and sought comment from the South Koreans. Kim’s absences from official state media often spark speculation and rumors about his health. North Korea has no free press and is often a black hole when it comes to the country’s leadership.

—Agencies

Covid-19: LS Secretariat housekeeper tests +ve New Delhi: A senior housekeeper working with the Lok Sabha Secretariat has tested Covid-19 positive and been admitted to the Safdarjung Hospital, here on Tuesday.

A resident of Kalibari area in central Delhi, the 58-year-old employee was admitted to a special ward in the hospital at 10.30 a.m. after his report was found positive on Monday, K.P. Balyan, Deputy Director (Welfare), Lok Sabha Secre-

tariat, said.

Balyan said the infected employee had not attended the office for the last 35 days. “He had stopped coming four-five days before the lockdown was imposed,” Balyan said.

—Agencies

INDIA AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020

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BOOK COPS FOR MURDER: UMA BHARTI BJP VP Bharti urged Maha CM to register a case of murder against the cops who failed to save 3 men New Delhi: BJP vice president Uma Bharti on Tuesday urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to register a case of murder against the policemen who failed to save three men, including two seers, from being lynched by a mob in Palghar district.

In a letter to Thackeray, the former Union minister termed the lynching of seers as a great sin and said she was observing a oneday fast on Tuesday to repent the incident.

She said all those found guilty of the crime should be punished.

“I request that you (Thackeray) punish the murderers, including all the police personnel, otherwise you will also be a partner to this sin,” Bharti said in the letter.

She said the “helpless sadhus were holding hands of policemen and pleading for protection”. “But instead of saving the seers, the po-

Babita hails corona warriors

Babita Phogat

New Delhi: Indian wrestler Babita Phogat on Tuesday visited Najafgarh police station and hailed the women police personnel for their contribution in the fight against the deadly coronavirus.

Phogat praised the efforts of the women police personnel who after their duties engage in making masks.

She visited the manufacturing room where the women police were busy making masks.

When the 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist enquired about the community kitchen which the police team organises for those in need, the policemen set up the temporary kitchen and cooked food. Phogat also helped in the cooking.

—Agencies

BJP has no locus standi on Palghar lynching: Shergill STORY OF HELPLESS SADHU I request that you punish the murderers, including all the police personnel, otherwise you will also be a partner to this sin. Instead of saving the seers, the policemen handed them over to the crowd and saved themselves. The policemen are also accused of killing, she said in the letter. licemen handed them over to the crowd and saved themselves. The policemen are also accused of killing. A case should be registered against them under IPC sec 302. If they wanted, they could have saved the seers by firing in the air,” she said.

Bharti said she will

Uma Bharti

visit the incident site after the lockdown is lifted.

“I am observing fast at my residence in Bhopal today for atonement, and I have appealed to the sadhu samaj to observe a daylong fast while staying at their places,” the BJP leader said.

—Agencies

New Delhi: Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill on Tuesday hit out at the BJP over the Palghar lynching incident and said that it had no right to question the coalition govt in Maharashtra over it as its own party member was an accused in incident.

“Congress condemns the horrific lynching incident of Palghar.

BJP has no locus standi as BJP member, a political leader is himself an accused in the Palghar case. Maha govt will ensure the strictest punishment,” Shergill said.

The Congress leader went on to further slam BJP and alleged that several of its members had previously been seen with those accused in such incidents. “BJP has no locus standi because on one hand, Maha govt has ensured

PAWAR CONDEMNS LYNCHING INCIDENT

Congress condemns the horrific lynching incident of Palghar.

BJP has no locus standi as BJP member, a political leader is himself an accused in the case.

—Jaiveer Shergill, Congress leader

110 arrests, on other hand, BJP ministers, Jayant Sinha had garlanded a lynching accused while Mahesh Sharma had wrapped the Dadri accused in the Tiranga. —Agencies

Mumbai: Nationalist congress party chief Sharad Pawar has condemned the recent incident of mob lynching in Mahara’s Palghar in which 3 people were beaten to death on suspicion of being thieves.

“Whatever happened in Palghar should not have happened, it is unfortunate and condemnable. Police acted quickly on them and arrested over 100 people involved in the incident on the same night,” he said.

ED hopeful of getting custody of Mallya soon

Sensex tanks 1,011 points to end at 30,636

Sanitisers for rich from poor’s rice share: Rahul

New Delhi: A day after the UK High Court in London rejected embattled businessman Vijay Mallya’s appeal against extradition, the ED on Tuesday said that it was hopeful of getting the custody of the former Kingfisher Airlines chairman once he is extradited to India.

A senior ED official linked to the probe said, “Mallya’s appeal was rejected by the UK High court yesterday and now he has the option to appeal to the Supreme

Mumbai: Equity benchmark Sensex on Tuesday sank over 1,011 points on heavy losses in banking, IT and auto counters as historic oil plunge brought more unease into markets already reeling from coronavirus crisis.

After hitting a low of 30,378.26, the 30-share index ended 1,011.29 points or 3.20 per cent lower at 30,636.71.

Similarly, the NSE Nifty plummeted 280.40 points, or 3.03 per cent, to 8,981.45.

—PTI

New Delhi: Reacting to reports that the Centre has decided to use additional rice in stock to make ethanol, which could be used for making sanitisers, Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday that the poor were dying of hunger and the government wanted to make sanitisers for the rich.

Rahul Gandhi said in his tweet, “When will the poor of Hindustan wake up, you are dying of hunger and from your share of rice they

Vijay Mallya

Court there.”

The official said that the system in the UK is a bit different, as Mallya needs to reach the top court there via the High Court again, citing the reason why he needs to move the SC. —Agencies

President Champat Rai said in a statement, “I don’’t think there will

be any religious leader wor entity in the world who would want any ac-

conducted for confirmation if anyone tested positive in the rapid test.

Meanwhile, the faulty kits in Kolkata were replaced by those provided by the Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV), officials said.

The West Bengal government alleged that the COVID-19 testing kits supplied by the NICED, the Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) nodal agency in the state, a fortnight ago were “apparently defective” as they showed inconclusive results leading to repeated confirmatory tests and delay in diagnosis.

The ICMR-NICED authorities said it could be possible because the kits

have not been standardised and it is considering the matter “very seriously”.

These materials (kits) had the approval of the US Food and Drug Administration, but it was learnt that these kits show error results when kept above 20 degrees Celsius. We are investigating the matter, the official said.

Rapid testing kits take roughly 15 minutes to deliver results, compared to the currently used RTPCR tests, which are conducted in laboratories and take around 6 hours.

Since last month, after the ICMR issued tenders for the procurement of 5 lakh antibody test kits,

scores of companies -- domestic and international – are queuing up to provide rapid testing kits to India.

The slow pace of the current testing system and inadequate number of laboratories have kept the rate of testing very slow in the country. Aggressive testing and subsequent quarantine is the only way to gain the upper hand over the virus, the World Health Organisation has said.

The ICMR has recommended that every resident in coronavirus hotspots, or areas with a large number of cases, will be tested with a fasttrack kit.

India has procured

POWER Gallery M K GUPTA LIKELY TO GET AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE OF CHAIRMAN, PESB?

M K Gupta, Member, PESB, is expected to be entrusted with an additional charge of Chairman, Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB). He is a 1979 batch retired IRSE officer.

WHY DID E L S N BALA PRASAD MISS THE BUS ?

Trusted IAS officer of the President Ram Nath Kovind, E L S N Bala Prasad missed the bus of his posting as Secretary and K D Tripathi was brought in as new Secretary .In fact, Bala Prasad was Principal Secretary to the President Ram Nath Kovind when he was Governor of Bihar. 1986 batch Bihar cadre IAS officer was recently empanelled as Secretary and it was almost certain that he would succeed Sanjay Kothari as Secretary to the President. What is the mystery ?

B R SHARMA RE-APPOINTED SSC CHAIRMAN

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has re-appointed Brij Raj Sharma as Chairman, Staff Selection Commission, New Delhi for a period of two years. He is an IAS officer of J&K cadre of 1984 batch.

NO EMPANELMENT AT SECRETARY LEVEL FROM EIGHT CADRES

No IAS officer of 1988 batch from eight Cadres has been empanelled for Secretary and Secretary equivalent posts in Government of India. However, no IAS officer of 1988 batch was from two States: Chhattisgarh and Orissa to claim for the empanelment. Names of six Cadres are missing in the list include: AGMUT, Bihar, Manipur, Sikkim, Telangana and Tripura.

SUDHANSHU PANDEY ONLY OFFICER OF 1987 BATCH EMPANELLED AS SECRETARY

Sudhanshu Pandey is the only officer of 1987 batch IAS officers, whose name has been included in the empanelled list which was released on April 13 this year. His name was not figured in the last empanelled list which was released on October 9, 2019. He is a J&K cadre IAS officer.

ICD TENURE OF MRS M SUDHA DEVI ENDING SOON

Rahul Gandhi

are going to make sanitisers for the rich.”

The Congress has been demanding free ration till Sept 20 and Sonia Gandhi has also written to the Prime Minister on this. —ANI

No temple activity till lockdown is lifted: VHP Ayodhya: Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has decided not to hold any meeting or event related to the Ram temple in Ayodhya till the lockdown is lifted.

The proposed ‘’Bhumi Pujan’’ of the temple that was tentatively scheduled for April 30 has also been indefinitely postponed.

Ram temple trust General Secretary and VHP International Vice

06

tivity at the cost of the lives of devotees. We are not in favour of organizing any event in Ayodhya till the lockdown is lifted.”

The VHP leader said that the trust will not flout the lockdown rule.

“There is no way forward but to wait and watch,” he said, adding that the trust will not act irresponsibly like the Tablighi Jamaat in fulfilling its religious goals at the cost of

country and lives of scores of people.

VHP sources said the trust will decide another date and time for starting the Ram temple construction by convening a meeting in Ayodhya after the lockdown ends.

The work of stone carving at the workshop at Karsewakpuram has already been stopped until the lockdown is lifted and normalcy returns. —Agencies

around 5 lakh rapid test kits, most of which are from China. —With Agency Inputs

ernment liaison officials only, yet they were blocked by the state authorities.

“It would have provided support to the state government for the Covid purpose and also have a look at the situation prevailing in the area. Since the time, I landed seeking support from the state government to visit the areas. We also met him last evening at Nabanna, we were assured that we will again have a meeting and we will be going out for being taken around. But today we were informed that there are some issues and we will not be going out,” he said.

A three-year inter cadre deputation tenure of Mrs M Sudha Devi from Himachal Pradesh to Tamil Nadu is coming to an end in June this year. She is a 2003 batch IAS officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre.

INTER CADRE DEPUTATION OF R SUDHAN TO TAMIL NADU ENDING SOON

A three-year inter cadre deputation tenure of R Sudhan, from Manipur to Tamil Nadu, is coming to an end in June this year. He is a 2006 batch IAS officer.

TWO IAS OFFICERS SHIFTED IN MP

Mahesh Chandra Chaudhary has been appointed as Commissioner, Jabalpur division while Ravindra Kumar Mishra is Secretary, Secretariat in Madhya Pradesh.

Three IPS officers get new postings in MP Upon return from central deputation, A Sai Manohar has been appointed as IG, Vigilance, PHQ with additional charge of CID, while Amit Singh, SP Jabalpur, was shifted to Bhopal as Assistant IG, PHQ, Bhopal and Siddharth Bahuguna will now be SP, Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. Top Prev Next Click here for Your AP HIGH COURT TO GET THREE JUDGES

Boppudi Krishna Mohan, K Suresh Reddy and K Lalitha Kumar have been recommended as Judges of Andhra Pradesh High Court.

FROM PG 1 Gehlot leads... informed the state government that the rapid testing kits were mostly giving negative results even when conducted on COVID-19 patients who were already tested positive in laboratory tests.

“All the tests were conducted as per ICMR guidelines and there was no compromise. If the ICMR also suggests discontinuing the rapid testing, the kits could be returned,” the minister said. Rajasthan was the first state to start rapid testing on Friday to detect coronavirus carriers in its hotspot areas.

However, it was not a confirmatory test and PCR based tests had to be

Politics over...

“IMCT teams have gone to other states like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, there they are getting the full support of state governments.

They were given the same notice as West Bengal but they have faced no problems since yesterday,” Chandra added.

Chandra, who is also Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, said that the team had made it clear that they would be moving around with state gov-

5-star... where doctors and medical staff serving at the dedicated COVID-19 hospital will stay when not on duty, she added.

The latest districts to be added to the list are Tapi, Navsari and Valsad districts, with a total of five cases. Ahmedabad accounts for 125 of the 239 new cases and Surat, for 78. The remaining 31 are spread across the state.

Ravi also said that seven more senior IAS officers have been assigned one district each, where the COVID-19 are in double digits. These officers will supervise the Triple-T (tracking,

testing and treatment) protocol.

Further, the state has decided to move asymptomatic patients to Covid Care centres (Samras hostels), after initial treatment and observation at the hospital. In addition to a doctor and paramedical staff, each of these care centres has an ambulance on standby.

She added that 6,887 people are being quarantined in 98 quarantine centres. Of these, 5,102 opted for Ayurvedic treatment, while 1,688 have taken homoeopathy. None of these has been confirmed as being infected by SarsCoV-2 as yet.

TALKING POINT AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020

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07

WHO has started using the phrase ‘physical distancing’ instead of ‘social distancing’ as a way to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus from people to people, a move widely welcomed by experts as a step in the ‘right direction’

D

uring the World Health Organization’s (WHO) press briefing last Friday (March 20), the phrase “social distancing” was used sparsely, but for good reason. To better highlight the need to physically separate yourself from others, but still remain socially connected, the WHO is now advocating the phrase “physical distancing.”

“We’re changing to say physical distance and that’s on purpose because we want people to still remain connected,” Dr Maria Kerkhove, a WHO epidemiologist said in the press briefing. “So find ways to do that, find ways through the Internet and through different social media to remain connected because your mental health going through this is just as important as your physical health.”

Maintaining a physical distance between yourself and others plays a crucial part in helping to prevent the spread of the virus; as the coronavirus is spread from person to person when someone with the virus coughs or sneezes.

Advice differs from country to country on what the “safe distance” to practice is. In Australia, the government is recommending people stay 1.5 meters away from each other; in the UK, Public Health England recommends that you should stay at least 2 meters away from others; the WHO recommends that you keep at least 1 meter between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing; and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention simply says that you should put distance between yourself and other people.

Despite these slight discrepancies, the overwhelming general idea is to not get close. In fact, our knowledge of influenza is partly helping to draw these estimates. As the flu virus is also spread via droplets, studies that map how far these infectious droplets travel can help to inform physical distancing advice, until similar research is done for the coronavirus.

Whilst the WHO stressed

IS ‘PHYSICAL DISTANCING’ BETTER THAN

‘SOCIAL DISTANCING’?

at Stanford University, explained in a Q and A. “We should think of this time as “physical distancing” to emphasize that we can remain socially connected even while being apart. In fact, I encourage all of us to practice ‘distant socializing.’”

Social distancing comes from epidemiology and it means that people should stay far enough away from each other to limit the spread of the virus from one person to another. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes social distancing as staying away from mass gatherings and keeping a distance of six feet (or two meters) away from other

that keeping the physical distance from people is absolutely essential, “it doesn’t mean that socially we have to disconnect from our loved ones, from our family,” Dr Kerkhove said.

“Technology right now has advanced so greatly that we can keep connected in many ways without actually physically being in the same room or physically being in the same space with people.”

The WHO’s recommendation to use the phrase physical distancing instead of social distancing has been echoed by others. “‘Social distancing’ was the wrong term to begin with,” Jamil Zaki, Associate Professor of Psychology

WORKING TOGETHER, STAYING APART

HUMANS ARE SOCIAL BEINGS

I

n 2010, Julianne HoltLunstad, a professor of psychology at Brigham Young University published research showing that people with weaker social ties had a 50% increased likelihood of dying early than those with stronger ones. Being disconnected, she showed, posed danger comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and was more predictive of early death than the effects of air pollution or physical inactivity.

“Humans need others

people. It is critically important public health guidance and should be followed. But social distancing implies not socializing; physical distance means not being physically close.

Proponents of the term “physical distancing” fully support staying home in this time in general, and cocooning—i.e. staying isolated even from those in your home, if possible— when potentially infected or exposed. But since we are in this for the long term, they’d like more intentional language to make it clearer what we need to do: stay apart, but stay connected.

We need to work together to stay apart, to be in constant contact to understand

MILLIONS OF LITTLE BOATS

P

to survive,” she told me in 2018. “Regardless of one’s sex, country or culture of origin, or age or economic background, social connection is crucial to human development, health, and survival.”

This is precisely why this pandemic is so challenging. We exist in a moment that calls for a different social contract, one that connects us more to one another.

And yet COVID-19 tells us to socially distance ourselves, to self-quarantine, to self-isolate.

aul Nurse is chief executive of the Francis Crick Institute, a biomedical research institute in London. Speaking recently to the BBC’s Radio4 program about repurposing the lab to carry out COVID-19 tests, and rolling out ways to make sure other research institutes could join, he invoked a lesson of World War II: “A metaphor here is Dunkirk—we are a lot of little boats, and the little boats can be ef-

I

f a new concept of capitalism is hammered out, it will be a more collective one, one that honors our need to be in something together and not have life be an endless, zero-sum game.

In pockets, that’s happening. In the US, socialized medicine was taboo only years ago. Today it is conversation taking place among mainstream presidential candidates. Towns like Frome in England have

spent more than half a decade rebuilding communities and health care, tapping into people’s desire to help and be helped, and reaping the benefits of a healthier, more connected population. When the UK health secretary asked for volunteers to help fight COVID-19, 400,000 Brits immediately signed up. These efforts are all predicated on working together, not being apart.

So why are we calling the thing we need to do most of the thing that goes against our most essential human nature?

Thomas Perls, a professor of medicine at Boston University, argues we probably ought to change the language of social-distancing—but not yet. “We are absolutely in the throes of this right now and the last thing we can do is begin confusing people,” he says.

the fast-changing dynamics of civic life, but also to support each other in illness, and as we die, something so many people have gone through alone in Italy and Spain. It was originally for the more vulnerable that we were asked to stay inside; now it is for the fate of our health systems. These are both collective actions.

“This pandemic response effort requires full community investment,” Northwestern’s Russell says. “To achieve that, we need active solidarity, not passive compliance.”

Those with knowledge of the power of language to sway behavior are advising governments and choosing their language carefully.

fective.”

He continued, “The government has put some big boats, destroyers in place. That’s a bit more cumbersome to get working and we wish them all the luck to do that, but we little boats can contribute as well.”

It was an apt analogy, and it demonstrated just how powerful language can be to give people an image of what is being asked of us in this moment—to work together but stay apart.

SOURCE: THE CONVERSATON AND QUARTZ DESIGN: ABHISHEK GUPTA

Earth is not called Mother just like that, she nurtures us, gives us life. It is our responsibility to take care of her, Mother Earth.

2ND FRONT State would be vigilant and do its best: HC —Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020

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08

HC takes notice of the plight of 90K Maharashtra sugarcane workers stranded in Gujarat districts after media highlights their plight First India News Ahmedabad: After media published the plight of migrant workers prominently, HC words were a respite for the state govt in otherwise pressing scenario. The Gujarat High Court has said it “expects and trusts” that the state would be “vigilant and do its best” to ensure the safety of nearly sugarcane 90,000 workers from Maharashtra, working as sugarcane workers in four South Gujarat districts viz.

Bharuch, Surat, Valsad and Navsari along with several lakh inter-state migrants from Bihar, Odisha, Rajasthan and West Bengal but stranded in South Gujarat following the lockdown announced on March 24 by PM Narendra Modi.

The observation came in a writ petition filed by senior counsel Anand Yagnik followed

by AG Kamal Trivedi stating that that the “government is not only bound to but has already taken up the grievances”, even as assuring the court that

WORDS OF SOLACE

CM

“all necessary steps would be taken in this regard, if not already taken.”

The observation by HC bench consisting of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Ashutosh Shastri was made during the hearing of 18 public interest litigations (PILs) alleging hardships faced by mar-

ginalized sections of society. Remarking on the HC hearing Yagnik told “The bench did not give any specific directions.”

In a note submitted to the HC, Yagnik had submitted that sugarcane migrant workers, known as “koita”, consisting of round 90,000 workers from Maharashtra of 38,000 fami-

lies, all of whom worked as sugarcane workers in Bharuch, Surat, Valsad and Navsari districts of South Gujarat, are “stranded.

The unpaid workers are not being allowed to live in villages because of the apprehension surrounding the spread of coronavirus, hence they are living in

clusters, wherever they could. As for the inter-state migrant workers in Surat city and surrounding areas, mostly working in textile and diamond polishing sectors, the note, even as citing specific sources, said, around 10 lakh inter-state migrants from Odisha, UP, Bihar and West Bengal are stranded in Varaccha, Paandesara, Vadod, Bamroli, Bhestan, Unn, Laskana, Sayan, Delhad and Pipodara (Kim) areas.Then, the note continued, in around 2.5 to 3 lakh construction workers from Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal are stranded in, South Surat, Sachin and adjoining areas From Umra to Udhana Magdalla and Magdalla to Sachin, Dumas, Bhatar Althan Bamroli.

Also stranded, said the note, are 1.5 lakh workers in the Hazira industrial belt, and about 35,000 truck drivers and conductors.

Ever since the lockdown, the workers have been starving without govt help.

Jagan plea to Guj to take care of Andhra fishermen First India News Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday spoke to his Gujarat counterpart Vijay Rupani over phone and requested him to take care of fishermen from A n d h r a Pradesh stuck in Gujarat due to the lockdown.

According to the Chief Minister’s

Office, Jagan Mohan Reddy urged Gujarat Chief Minister to ensure proper accommodation and food for the fishermen. CM Reddy has been receiving SOS messages from the stranded fishermen of Andhra Pradesh to bail them out of the precarious situation they were in. AP fishermen, in routine, come to coastal areas of Gujarat for fishing and return

with the catch. Most of them have fraternity connections in the state as well but the ongoing lockdown restrictions have put the, otherwise courageous fishermen, at the mercy of their destiny. The stranded fishermen, after trying their local connections, finally communicated their plight to their family and friends in AP who in turn got in touch with their local representatives. The plight finally reached to the young CM Reddy who took it up with his counterpart Rupani on phone. Gujarat CM responded positively and assured Reddy of the well being of the stranded fishermen. With modified lockdown guidelines in force, problems should be bearable by now.

Send Central team to COVID- 14 lions captured in Gir forest, after cubs fall ill hit Gujarat: Ahmad Patel First India News

First India News New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP from the state Ahmed Patel has asked Home Minister Amit Shah to send one Inter Ministerial Central Team (ICMT) to Gujarat also so that the state can benefit from inputs of the experts in its fight against Covid-19. “Given that rising cases and lockdown violations were criteria for sending central teams to states, I request Amit bhai (Union Home Minister Amit Shah) to deploy similar teams to Gujarat.

This exercise shouldn’t be limited to selected states, all affected states must ben-

Ahmed Patel

efit from constructive inputs of Central Govt,” read a tweet by Patel.

He also tweeted pictures of lockdown violations in Bharuch along with the tweet.

The tweet comes in the wake of ICMTs sent to Maharashtra, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to check the

ground situation of the rising numbers of corona positives and violation of the lockdown guidelines issued by the central govt. The Centre has constituted six IMCTS, two each for West Bengal and Maharashtra and one each for Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday stating “While I appreciate the pro-activeness shown by the Central government in sending their teams to West Bengal, the same was done without prior information and hence is a breach of established protocol,” stated the letter.

Junagadh: Not less than 14 lions were captured from Gujarat’s Gir Wildlife Sanctuary and shifted to Jasadhar care centre in the forest, after some cubs in a pride fell ill, informed a senior official from the state forest department on Tuesday.

One of the sick lion cubs was infected with Babesia, a protozoan parasite, while two others were found to be anaemic, sias DT Vasavada the Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) of Junagadh Wildlife Circle.

Noteably, Babesia, canine distemper virus (CDV) and other bacterial infections were responsible for the death of 34 lions in September 2018.

—Pic for Representational purpose only

Vasavada refuted the media reports suggesting that the 14 rescued lions may be infected with the deadly CDV. He said only four of

the animals were sick, including a cub suffering from Babesia infection and clarified that reports of 10 lions dying of serious illnesses in Gir

were false.”

I want to assure you that no lion has died due to CDV in recent times. I also disagree with the death figures.

If a lion is sick, then we

have to capture the entire pride and keep them together till we treat that lion,” he said.

“In all, including a lioness, 14 lions were captured from Tulsishyam and Jasadhar range of Gir forest. Out of these, only four are sick,” he said. The animals will be released after treatment, he added.

In February last year, the state government had informed the state Assembly that 34 lions had died in 2018 due to diseases including CDV, babesia, streptococcal bacteria and gram-negative bacilli infections.

As per the last census carried out in 2015, Gir forest had 523 lions, while the current estimates have put the count at 600.

Aadhaar mandate for free ration: Guj HC disposes off PIL First India News Ahmedabad: Gujarat HC on Monday set aside the mandatory requirement of Aadhaar card for the purpose of availing free ration from PDS. Noting that a 2018 state resolution continues to entitle Non-NFSA APL-1 families to free ration and grocery on the basis of 13 documentary proofs of identification, the Gujarat High Court on Monday disposed of a PIL praying that the April 11 Notifi-

cation of the Food and Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department, placing a mandatory requirement of producing Aadhaar Card for the purpose of availing free distribution, be set aside.

The Division Bench observed that the Notification in question contemplates a policy decision for distribution of free ration and grocery to Non-NFSA (National Food Security Act) APL1 (Above Poverty Line) category persons, in order to facilitate this

A ration shop in Gujarat in tribal blocks.

class to get the essential commodities-grains etc “during the present crisis period when the country and the State has been facing lockdown due to which pub-

—FILE PHOTO

lic distribution has also suffered leaving the needy class of the society with serious hardships in getting the essential commoditiesgroceries and grains”.

In the said Notification, it was contemplated inter alia that the distribution of free grocery would be allowed only on production of Aadhaar card by the intended beneficiary and that no other identification would be treated as valid.

The petitioner moved the High Court seeking to set aside the said condition in the Notification and to permit the citizens to provide other identity proofs as well.

The argument canvassed was that when

the scheme of distribution of free grocery to the needy is during the hard pressed times of outbreak of COVID-19, it would be arbitrary and against the equality principle to insist for Aadhaar card only, to the exclusion of other valid identification proofs.

It was submitted that such solitary prescription would be self defeating to the purpose sought to be achieved, as all needy may not possess the Aadhaar card.

Fake Distress Call For Ration Invites Show Cause Notice Ahmedabad: Lockdown loneliness has led a couple into trouble with the authorities. District administration of Ahmedabad served show cause notice to a couple that called Collector office control room, claiming they had no food left to survive.

On a visit to their

place, the team found the couple had sufficient ration including APL-1 free ration.

The wife is a retired teacher, son has a job in Chennai, and the family lives in a selfowned Rs1 crore flat but had collected free APL-1 ration two days ago, making them guilty of criminal behaviour.

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IN MY GENES Jeans is daily/outside wear which is with you, hugging your bottom even in this lockdown era. City First takes a quick look at this ‘everyday’ favourite garment!

NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

J

eans, we wouldn’t know what to do without them.

Each one of us have a specific brand, cut and style we swear by and do not budge from. They are a staple part of our wardrobe like potatoes is of the diet.

Jeans, one of the first truly American garments remains a booming business — the average American owns not one, but seven pairs of blue jeans and approximately 450 million pairs of jeans are sold in the United States per year, it remains primarily leisure and style wear, the steep prices notwithstanding.

Jeans, the garment as such celebrates its birthday on 20 May, and the year was 1873. This was the day that Levi Strauss and a tailor

Did you know that the most expensive pair of blue jeans is sold for $250,000? Did you know that the longest pair of blue jeans is sixty-eight meters long? named Jacob Davis received the patent for their process of reinforcing pants with rivets. The partial credit of making jeans as a sexy and stylish part of the wardrobe rather than ‘rough workwear’ can be attributed to John Wayne and the Western genre of movies.

By mid-century, American soldiers had taken their blue jeans to war, which had people in other

countries coveting the style, while civilians at home had begun wearing them for leisure activities.

Marilyn Monroe helped lead the way for women to don blue jeans with her starring role in the 1952 movie ‘Clash by Night’.

Today, jeans are one of the major essentials, and with the new stretch fit coming in, they are super comfortable for all sizes.

With an unimaginable range of styles, ‘washes’ designs in the market it is definitely a ‘jean lovers’’ paradise moment.

Just find a pair that fits you, makes you feel good and team it up with confidence, and the world is yours to conquer.

09

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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them A

Them,” which dips into the dark side fairly regularly, is at its best when it serves as a more exotic version of all those cute puppy and kitten antics that fill your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts? Instead of dogs sporting holiday attire or cats falling off kitchen counters, you can go “aww” when a naughty Niffler, a mole-duck-billed platypus hybrid, goes on a crime spree while greedily stuffing gobs of shiny objects such as coins and gems into its belly pouch. Or when a majestic giant Thunderbird, destined to live in the wilds of Arizona, spreads its eagle-like wings. Maybe

FA CE OF TH ED AY

h, distractions. Be it with junk food or Netflix binges, many are craving safe havens away from post-election fallout these days.

But what we really need are the right distractions, ones that lift spirits, engage minds, delight eyes and don’t pander to our baser instincts, including those alarming posts that dribble down social media feeds, stirring up unease about the future.

Perhaps a fable embellished with fantasy trappings that’s spun off from the Harry Potter universe.

One that touches upon such issues as the inherent danger of outing a magical community to an intolerant public while No-Majs, the Americanized term for Muggles, are equally distrusted by wizards and witches. Some young people are forced to suppress their very natures by those who inflict physical and psychological harm upon them. Not to mention that a strange deadly force has been somehow unleashed, leaving mass destruction and fear in its wake.

OK, that doesn’t sound like that much fun, does it?

But what if I tell you that J.K. Rowling’s “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find

a teeny leafy twig-like critter known as a Bowtruckle, reminiscent of a shrunken Groot from “Guardians of the Galaxy,” is more your style. There’s also an amorous Erumpent, a big-butt cross between a hippo and an elephant, who causes a ruckus at a zoo. That this expansive menagerie and more are able to fit into the best piece of enchanted traveling luggage in a movie since Mary Poppins’ bottomless carpet bag is a welcome bonus.

Besides, who better to conjure an entertaining yet relevant remedy for our nation’s unsettled state of mind but Rowling? It was

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

her unfettered fertile imagination that afforded

ised film adventures, directed with more whimsical panache than usual by “Harry Potter” stalwart David Yates. Rowling’s debut as a screenwriter is inspired by a same-named, catalog-style textbook that is supposed to be the work of a “magizoologist” and Hogwarts alum named Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne in eccentric shyguy mode). Prediction: I expect this endearingly clumsy oddball guardian of endangered magical creatures might just become a spokes symbol for animal rescue groups, even if he keeps on having to recapture them

rives this ambitious first entry in a quintet of prom-

after they escape from his suitcase.

The action is rooted in a make-believe New York City during the Roaring Twenties, a period of prosperity and hedonistic pursuits but also repression and intolerance that took such forms as Prohibition and the rise of the KKK. If that sounds like a lot of ground to cover, it is. There are plot points that rush by without being fully explained and characters who will hopefully become more fleshed out in later installments. As is all too common in blockbusters lately, violence primarily takes the form of destruction of urban landscapes. If you’ve seen one major metropolitan thoroughfare gutted like a fish and spilling forth with chunks of asphalt rubble, you have seen them all.

But the actual period recreation and production design of a Jazz Age Big Apple is quite the accomplishment. I especially enjoyed the foray into a hidden wizard-friendly speakeasy with a sassy elfin blues singer where Newt attempts to strike a bargain with the establishment’s owner, a shady goblin named Gnarlack played via motion-capture by well-cast Ron Perlman.

Source: https://www.rogerebert.com/ reviews/fantastic-beasts-and-whereto-find-them-2016

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

You have the whole right to choose your own career and field and let no one force you otherwise. Some angel investor will come in your life to take the burden off your shoulders and when that will happen, everything will be just fine. Don’t disappoint those who believe in you.

Don’t take too many responsibilities at once just to impress your boss rather concentrate on quality work. Someone elderly will bestow lots of blessings upon you.

On the work front, you are about to buy a land to start some new business.

You must practice concentration enhancing exercises. You will be able to get yourself and other out of any problem today as your cards show that you are the saviour of the day. On professional front, You will work very hard to meet the deadlines.

You are very conscious about where you spend your money. Think twice before investing your time in some business. You will manage to excel in the task assigned to you by your professors. You will help someone today from falling in some trap.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

You are ready for the competition and you will excel. You are very good at convincing people and this will prove to be your asset in long run. You are very passionate about your career and you will do whatever it takes to make a mark for yourself and then sky is the limit for you.

You are a good influencer so use it for the right cause. You will do whatever it take to help someone in need even if that person is a total stranger. Your life is easy in terms of facilities and you always wish that those around you shall also prosper.

You don’t believe in wasting money and you save wherever and whenever possible for you.

Your effects in the direction of your endeavours will pay for you and you will get the success that you desire very soon. Right opportunity will strike at the right time.

On the work front, your working schedule will keep you on your toes but you need to take care of your health too. On the personal front, you will spend a lot of time with your parents today trying to make them understand your point of view towards some situation.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

You will spend some quality time with your family. On the work front, you are very passionate about your hobby and you may find it hard to understand whether you should pursue it or not as a full time career. On the personal front, you may buy a joint property with someone close.

Your love life is on natural pace. You are trying very hard to balance your personal and work life and so far you are doing a good job. You can expect some gains from parents.

You may socialise more often in future to develop professional contact for the future sake.

You are good at sports and you get lots of encouragement from those who loves you. Take one step at a time while claiming the success ladder and don’t get impatient. On the personal front, your parents will be always there for you to guide you in life.

On the work front, you will earn a good commission today in some deal. On the professional front, you will be ultra efficient at work today and you will definitely get the promotion.

On the personal front, keep having a balance diet so that you keep getting strength to exert.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

JAISHREE CHHANGANI, Model

moviegoers comfort and joy in the aftermath of 9/11 with “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” the first of eight big-screen installments based on her megaselling book series about the exploits of a boy wizard. Yes, there was a monstrous, near-unbeatable evil afoot throughout the franchise. But there was also abundant goodness, profound wisdom and selfless decency to be discovered amongst the wand-waving denizens of Hogwarts Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Now, 15 years later—and not a moment too soon—ar-

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020

Back in the

11

GAME! ... her Instagram post

The ‘Anarkali’

MOMENT!

S

onam Kapoor Ahuja on Tuesday had an ‘Anarkali’ moment yet again.

The 34-year-old actor took to Instagram to share a stunning dramatic capture of herself from an earlier photoshoot.

In the stunning photo, the ‘Delhi-6’ actor is seen in a red velvet lehenga, draped with a sheer yellow dupatta.

Connecting the caption with an old Bollywood classic song, the actor wrote: “Pyaar kiya to darna kya” followed by a heart emoticon. Besides her ensemble, the actor’s expressions too oozed el-

egance as she posed just like Madhubala did in the iconic song. For Halloween last year, the actor had dressed up as Anarkali in chains while her husband Anand Ahuja was seen as Salim.

Earlier, the ‘Neerja’ actor took a trip down the memory lane and shared photos from her wedding function.

Giving all her fans the perfect ‘Veere Di Wedding’ frame, the actor also posted a picture of her girl gang from her wedding functions. —ANI

Still from the video

A

nushka Sharma has shared a short teaser of her upcoming web project. The project is said to be a cop-based crime drama and although produced by her banner, Clean Slate Films, Anushka will not act in the show. The series is created by ‘NH10’ writer Sudip Sharma, and is said to be an investigative thriller that also acts as a scathing commentary of modern-day Indian society and poli-

tics. The short clip the actress posted on Instagram gives an intense glimpse of the narrative.

“The countdown has begun. To change the laws of the land, worms have crept in, who will spread terror and shed blood. They will turn the world into a living hell,” said the narrator in the clip.

The video hints that the project will be gory.

At the end of the clip, out of the blooded screen appears a silhouette with a sharp blunt

weapon -- suggesting that he will be the person behind the bloodshed.

“Sab badlega, samay, log aur lok (Everything is about to change time, people and era),” Anushka wrote along with the video.

She shared details about the new series, tagging screenplay writer Sudip Sharma and actors Jaideep Ahlawat, Neeraj Kabi and Gul Panag and Bengali actress Swastika Mukherjee among others.

—IANS

Anushka Sharma

EMBRACING

AGEING D

Drew Barrymore

rew Barrymore, who became a star as a child artiste in Steven Spielberg’s 1982 global sci-fi hit ‘E.T. The ExtraTerrestrial’, is 45 now. Barrymore who has courted success as an actress, producer, director, and model over the decades, says she is less worried about her appearance these days, after having children and turning 40.

The actress has daughters Olive, seven, and Frankie, five, with former husband Will Kopelman. “Now I’m a mom and in my midforties, I have the hair I like drama-free and more natural. It takes 30 minutes to do my base of greys. I only barely cover them, so that the follicles can still grab the light as it grows out. (Yes, your greys can double as highlights with the right tint!),” Drew said.

She also shared that she was never afraid to take risks with fashion.

The actress said: “I have always experimented with style over my life too. I wasn’t ever the classic girl. I remember at my 10th birthday party putting eyeshadow up to my temples.” —IANS

RESCHEDULING

CONCERTS S

Sonam K Ahuja

inger Taylor Swift is pushing all her scheduled shows of this year to 2021. “I’m so sad I won’t be able to see you guys in concert this year, but I know this is the right decision,” Taylor said on Instagram Stories, addressing her fans. “Please, please stay healthy and safe. I’ll see you on stage as soon as I can but right now, what’s important is committing to this quarantine, for the sake of all of us.” This summer, she was scheduled to perform at select arenas as part of her Lover Fest.

Meanwhile, Taylor has been practicing social distancing during the coronavirus

pandemic. “During this time I know that a lot of my friends and I have been doing a sort of weekly family FaceTime, which is always hilarious,” Taylor said on a show. “I think it’s really important that we all stay connected because, you know, isolation doesn’t have to be an all encompassing thing. We may be all isolated physically but we can still keep in touch with people, we can still play games with our friends and families on our phone that is one of the great things about modern technology.” “So I hope you guys are doing a lot of self care in terms of staying connected to the people that remind you of home, even if the situation is strange and really confusing at this moment,” she added.

—IANS Taylor Swift

Reese Witherspoon

Battled with postpartum depression

A

ctress Reese Witherspoon has opened up on her difficult battle with postpartum depression. She says that she has had very different experiences after each birth.

During a recent interview, she opened up about her battles with mental health over the years, admitting she first had therapy at the age of 16.

Witherspoon said: “I definitely had anxiety. My anxiety manifests as depression so I would get really depressed.”

Talking about different experience after each child, she said: “One kid I had kind of mild postpartum, and one kid I had severe postpartum where I had to take pretty heavy medication because I just wasn’t thinking straight at all, and then I had one kid where I had no postpartum at all.”

—IANS

CITY BUZZ

GOLDEN

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On the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day today, 22 April, City First wishes for quick healing of the planet!

NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

I

n order to signify the support for environmental protection, Earth Day is celebrated today, 22 April every year. With the existence of over a billion people with every passing year, this day is marked to record the human behaviour, and also the policies that apply to the people Globally.

Looking at the present situation of COVID-19 and the lockdown that has been taken into action worldwide,

the Earth is finally breathing and taking its own time to heal itself. The nature that was going from bad to worse is now growing back beautifully, the animals across the planet are free to roam around fearlessly, the ozone layer which was destroyed because of the pollution is being formed again, and the air in the environment of the over-crowded cities is as fresh as the one in the outskirts of the cities.

City First got in touch with a few people from Jaipur and Ahmedabad, about their views on this special day.

—Inputs by Tanvi Sharma

YEAR FOR

EARTH

AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020

When the corona times stop there will be tremendous pressure for economic growth and hence on the environment. We must not let the healing reversed. These lockdown times have shown us that we can consume less and survive. That should become our motto- consume less, conserve more. And let the earth, and therefore us, heal permanently!

—RASHMI DICKINSON

Oceans are breathing with cleaner shores, While humans are trapped indoors.

Suddenly life has become quieter, more serene and cleaner air is leading to a brief respite in our city.

We are all delving deep into the recesses of our soul, trying to figure out and gauge a newer tomorrow! There is a definite calm and destressing of planet Earth, nature is healing, we are the virus!

—RINA

ART IN THE TIME

BHANDARI

A

s many as 478 students, amateurs and professional artists from 22 states of India, and nations such as UK, Canada, France, Ukraine, US, Monte Negro, Iran, Egypt and Israel participated in an International Online Art competition on the theme of COVID-19, organized by sculptor Krishna

HAPPY B’DAY!

IAS Bhawani Singh Detha (Top) and IPS Saurabh Srivastava celebrated their birthdays on 21 April, Tuesday.

We wish them all the best!

—VIVEK SINGH PAL

As the wildlife returns to its habitat, Nature sure knows the art.

While less is more, thoughts are pure Lesson learned, wisdom earned!

We never cared but Mother’s love is to be shared..

Thank you, Mother, While you recover, I rediscover!

—VINNIE KAKKAR

Amid the COVID-19 crisis going on around the world, I urge people to ‘Go Vegan’. A lot of things will change in the world after the pandemic, which includes food habits. All major epidemics including Ebola, Swine Flu, Spanish flu, and the ongoing novel coronavirus, have been linked to the consumption of animals. Maintaining a vegan lifestyle will help prevent violence against animals, and facilitate the reversal of climate change on the environment.

—ALOK THAKUR

WHAT’S HAPPENING! Rajasthan: Artist Ram Kumar Bhadani from Bikaner is making the proper use of lockdown and his artistic skills to create awareness among the people about the deadly COVID-19 with his artwork. Recently, while depicting the current scenario of the country on a wall, he portrayed the Doctors, Police officials and Cleaning staff as the three pillars of Ashoka and made an appeal to people to stay at home.

OF CORONA

CITY FIRST AHMEDABAD

With regard to climate action, the foremost need of the hour is population control. It shall then give way to improved sustainable development, and perhaps tackle the problem of deterioration of the climate from the past century. We need to get our act together and strive to make amends and move ahead with the aim to salvage the situation before it is rendered irreversible.

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Rajasthan: Jain Social Group (JSG) Northern Region and JSG Jaipur Gold organised an online concert on Facebook on Tuesday. The music show was based on patriotic songs dedicated to our corona fighters which include medical staff, cleaning staff, police officials, basic needs providers, etc. During the show, renowned local artists Dr. Gaurav Jain and Deepshikha Jain presented a melody of patriotic songs like Ae mere watan ke logon, Har karam apna karenge, Kar chale hum fida and many more. The programme got an overwhelming response on social media.

Padiya and painter Umesh Kyada, under the aegis of Gir Valley Artist Village, Akolvadi earlier this month.

The participants expressed their creativity through paintings, drawings, cartoons, posters, digital art, rangoli and sculpture. The art was judged by selected artists from around the world, and 279 artists were given e-certificates. cityfirstgujarat@gmail.com

SILENT BIRTHDAY!

Rajasthan: Yogesh and Nimisha Mishra, organisers of Miss Rajasthan and Mrs Rajasthan, celebrated their 14th Anniversary on April 21, Tuesday.

We wish them all the best!

Rajasthan: The members of Sukhmani Seva Society from the Gurudwara, Nehru Nagar have started ‘Sukhmani Sahib’ Path on Whatsapp and through conference call from 15 April. Owing to the lockdown this year, the women devotees cannot go to the Gurudwaras for a 40 days Path on ‘Shaheedi Diwas’ of Guru Arjan Dev so they decided to do the Path on group calls virtually.

Rajasthan: Rajendra Rathore’s birthday was on 21 April. Looking to the pandemic situation he did not celebrate it as such, but spent it simply at Churu, his constituency, where he gave grains to birds and fodder to cows on this day. He also distributed ration to the needy.

B

ritain’s Queen Elizabeth who turned 94 on Tuesday, decided not to publicly mark the occasion in any special way, including the artillery salute she traditionally gets on her birthday. It will be the first time in her 68-year reign, the gun salute in London’s Hyde Park and Tower will be silent.

Ahmedabad: Janitorial staff in protective gear ensure the wards and hallways of Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital remain sterile.

Ahmedabad: A couple plays with their infant by the side of the road outside Bima Nagar in Ahmedabad’s Satellite area, where they live.