02122021 first india new delhi (1)

BJP Chief JP Nadda Hails
Steadfast India-Russia Ties
New Delhi: Lauding
the deep India-Russia
ties at a seminar organ-
ised by Russia’s ruling
party, BJP president J P
Nadda said on Wednes-
day the two countries’
response to three prin-
ciple challenges, Cov-
id-19 pandemic, climate
change and the threat
posed by radicalism,
terrorism and its sanc-
tuaries, will shape the
trajectory of the re-
mainder of the 21st cen-
tury. Addressing the
seminar on “Global
Challenges of 21st Cen-
tury: Interparty dimen-
sion”, Nadda said the
two countries are stead-
fast and long-standing
friends, and their part-
nership has been stable
in the period after the
second world war.
“The modern 21st
century bilateral rela-
tionship can be traced
back to 2000 when Pres-
ident Putin and the-
then PM Atal Bihari
Vajpayee Ji inaugurat-
ed the Indo-Russia Stra-
tegic Partnership.The
growing association
between the BJP, the
world’s largest political
party, and the United
Russia Party adds lus-
tre to our friendship. It
draws inspiration from
the mutual respect that
Putin and PM share.”
he said. —PTI
BJP Prez JP Nadda
CRUCIAL READ
JAISH’S IED EXPERT AMONG TWO
TERRORISTS KILLED IN PULWAMA
Pulwama: Terrorist commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad
(JeM) Yasir Parray and a foreign ultra were killed in an en-
counter with security forces in Pulwama
district of Jammu and Kashmir on
Wednesday, police said. The encounter
took place at Qasbayar area of the south
Kashmir district. Inspector General of
Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, said one of the slain
was Parray, commander of JeM and an IED expert. P3
RAJYA SABHA WAS
ADJOURNED TWICE
NEXT R-DAY PARADE
AT CENTRAL VISTA
New Delhi: Rajya
Sabha was adjourned on
Wednesday as the Opposi-
tion continued ruckus over
the suspension of 12 Op-
position members of the
House. Earlier, the upper
house was adjourned till 3
pm, but the protests went
on after that also. P5
New Delhi: The Republic
Day parade on January
26, 2022 will take place on
the revamped central vista
avenue and the process
of handing the site over to
the local authorities is on-
going, the mega project’s
architect Bimal Patel said
on Tuesday.
There is no UPA now:
Didi’s barb at Cong post
meet with Sharad Pawar
Mumbai: Declaring
that “there is no UPA
now” and it will be
“very easy to defeat the
BJP” if “all regional
parties are together”,
Trinamool Congress
leader and West Bengal
Chief Minister Mama-
ta Banerjee took a
swipe at Congress lead-
er Rahul Gandhi on
Wednesday when she
said “you can’t be
abroad most of the
time”. Banerjee met
NCP chief Sharad Pa-
war in Mumbai and
they spoke to the media
after the meeting.
DEFEATING BJP WITHOUT
CONG A DREAM,WARNS KC
New Delhi: Congress General
Secretary KC Venugopal re-
plied to Mamata’s comments
saying “defeating BJP without
Congress is merely a dream”.
“Everybody knows the reality
of Indian politics. Thinking
that without Congress any-
body can defeat BJP is merely
a dream,” said Venugopal.
CM Mamata and Sharad Pawar.
ELGAAR CASE
Bombay HC allows Sudha
Bharadwaj’s default bail plea
Mumbai: The Bombay
High Court Wednesday
granted default bail to
lawyer-activist Sudha
Bharadwaj, an accused
in the Elgaar Parishad
case, but rejected the
pleas of eight others
who had applied for bail
on similar grounds.
A Bench of Justices
SS Shinde and NJ Jama-
dardirectedthatBharad-
waj, who is lodged in
Mumbai’s Byculla wom-
en’s prison, be produced
before the Special NIA
Court here on December
8, for the conditions of
her bail and date of her
release to be decided.
Sudha Bharadwaj
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
NEW DELHI lTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNITITLE NO.DELENG/2021/19840 lVol 1 l Issue No.93
OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD, LUCKNOW & NEW DELHI
Sensex jumped 619.9 points to close at 56,684.
Meanwhile, Nifty ended the session 183.7
points higher at 17,166. Broader markets also
advanced. The BSE mid-cap and small-cap
indices ended with marginal profits. REPORT P6
Comedian Kunal Kamra on Wednesday
said that his shows scheduled in Ben-
galuru over the next 20 days have been
cancelled over seating requirements to
venues shutting down forever threats.
The country saw heaviest rainfall in Novem-
ber, the highest in five years, IMD said. It
reported most of rains in south that claimed
44 lives in Andhra Pradesh, 16 in Tamil Nadu,
15 in Karnataka and three in Kerala.
SENSEX ENDS
620 POINTS
HIGHER, NIFTY
AT 17,166
NOW, KAMRA’S
BENGALURU SHOWS
CANCELLED AFTER
SECURITY THREATS
645 HEAVY, 168
VERY HEAVY RAIN
IN NOV, MOST IN
FIVE YEARS: IMD
Omicron puts India’s
plans to resume int’l
flights on backburner
New Delhi: India may
not resume scheduled
commercial interna-
tional flights December
15 onwards, as planned
earlier, in light of the
evolving situation per-
taining to the Omicron
variant of Covid-19.
In an order Wednes-
day
,theDirectorateGen-
eral of Civil Aviation
(DGCA) said: “In view
of the evolving global
scenario with the emer-
gence of new variants
of concern, the situa-
tion is being watched
closely in consultation
with all stakeholders
and an appropriate deci-
sionindicatingtheeffec-
tive date of resumption
of scheduled commer-
cial international pas-
senger services shall be
notified in due course”.
A senior DGCA offi-
cial confirmed that this
means, as of now, the
December 15 date is be-
ing kept in abeyance.
FOUR FLIERS FROM
‘AT-RISK’ COUNTRIES
TEST +VE IN DELHI
New Delhi: In the wake of
the threat posed by corona-
virus variant Omicron, four
international passengers
— three from Amsterdam
in the Netherlands and
one from London — who
arrived at Delhi’s IGI Airport
from ‘at-risk countries’ early
on Wednesday tested posi-
tive for Covid-19 and have
been sent to hospitals for
quarantine and treatment,
said officials. Three arrived
from Amsterdam and one
from London.
PCR TEST MUST FOR
ANYONE LANDING AT
MUMBAI AIRPORT
Mumbai: Those flying
to Mumbai must have
a negative RT-PCR test
taken within 72 hours of
the flight, say new rules
spurred by the Omicron
variant. Maharashtra’s 7-day
institutional quarantine for
fliers from at-risk countries
has been deferred by two
days. In exceptional cases
like family distress, says
the statement, testing may
be allowed on arrival at the
Mumbai airport, said the
airport officials.
CORONA CATASTROPHE
SKIES UNLIKELY TO OPEN ON DECEMBER 15
INDIA NEW DELHI
39
new cases
00
new fatalities
8,954
new cases
267
new fatalities
Int’l passengers subject
to random COVID
sampling can leave
airport after giving
samples: MoCA
‘This is not the way’
LOK SABHA SPEAKER OM BIRLA SLAMS
OPPOSITION FOR CREATING RUCKUS IN HOUSE
New Delhi: On a day
Lok Sabha functioned
without any major dis-
ruption, Speaker Om
Birla took strong excep-
tion to sloganeering by
a small group of Telan-
gana Rashtra Samithi
MPs who have been de-
manding that the Cen-
tre introduce a uniform
procurement policy and
procure paddy from
their state.
The House also wit-
nessed heated ex-
changes between the
nine TRS members
and a Congress MP
from the state, Uttam
Kumar Reddy, who al-
leged that the TRS gov-
ernment took no step
to procure the Kharif
season paddy.
“Members of Parlia-
ment who are protest-
ing here should go
back and tell their
Chief Minister (K
Chandrasekar Rao) to
buy the paddy now,”
Reddy said, triggering
protests by the TRS
members.
Earlier, the Speaker
criticised the MPs for
their protests in the
Well of the House. Birla
Wednesday said pro-
ceedings cannot take
place normally when
some members disturb
the entire House. P5
You are a
member of the
House. Senior
members are speaking
and you are waving
placards in front of
them. Go back to your
seats. Proceedings can’t
take place normally
when some members
disturb the entire House.
—Om Birla to TRS MPs
BILL CANCELLING THREE
FARM LAWS GETS
PRESIDENTIAL SIGN-OFF
New Delhi: President Ram
Nath Kovind has signed a bill
to cancel three controversial
farm laws, against which
farmers - especially from
Haryana, Punjab and western
Uttar Pradesh - have been
protesting for a year. The bill
to cancel the three farm laws
was passed in record time in
Parliament on Monday.
CLIMATE CHANGE HORROR
Brands like Nike, Zara, M&S, Puma
linked to using deforestation leather,
largest contributors to Brazilian
Amazon rainforest destruction
The pastures for cattle account for 63% of deforestation on Amazon
Forest in Brazil where leather industry thrives at the cost of nature.
LEATHER
SWAG KNOCKS
AMAZON FOREST DOWN
Mohd Fahad
ew research has shed
light on the negative
contribution of fast
fashion brands and de-
sign houses to the destruction
of the environment. The study
by STAND.earth named the
many brands which are at high
risk of contributing to the larg-
est scale deforestation in the
Amazon rainforest owing to
their links with leather suppli-
ers and tanneries.
HOW LEATHER IS LINKED
TO DEFORESTATION
z Due to its significant cattle herd,
Brazil is a key source of global
RAWHIDE (ANIMAL SKIN THAT HAS
NOT BEEN EXPOSED TO TANNING), and
a significant number of leather articles
originate from animals raised in Brazil
z The recent rise in Amazonian
deforestation means that it is likely
that more cattle will be raised on
deforested land in the future
z HIDES USED IN THE LEATHER
INDUSTRY CAN ORIGINATE FROM
ANIMALS REARED IN DEFORESTED
REGIONS OF THE AMAZON BIOME,
WHICH MEANS MORE AND MORE
LAND WILL BE DEFORESTED TO
CREATE PASTURES FOR CATTLE
z If rates of deforestation continue
to rise, it is likely that organisations
involved in the leather industry may
begin to face a growing pressure to
assure customers, investors, and non-
government organisations that their
products are not linked to deforestation
N
All companies sourcing directly from JBS
(largest beef/leather company in Brazil) or
indirectly from JBS via leather processors are
therefore linked to deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.
—THE REPORT STATES
AMAZONIAN
DEFORESTATION
HAS BEEN
IDENTIFIED AS THE
MOST SIGNIFICANT
CONTRIBUTOR TO
GLOBAL WARMING
IN THE WORLD
RESEARCH
BASIS
5,00,000ROWS
OF CUSTOM DATA
16.5MM ACRES OF
FORESTS LOST
10YEARS TIME TAKEN
FOR WIDESCALE DAMAGE
100+SHOE AND
FASHION BRANDS
HAND IN GLOVE!
200MN BRAZIL’S
CATTLE POPULATION
70MILLION LOCATED
IN AMAZON BIOME
Other
2%
Fire
9%
Small-scale
12%
Pasture
63%
Selective
Logging
6%
Plantations
1%
Crops
7%

CAPITOL
NEW DELHI | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021
02
New Delhi: In view of
the seriousness of the
new COVID-19 variant
Omicron, the Delhi Dis-
aster Management Au-
thority has issued an
order regarding passen-
gers coming from abroad
at Delhi Airport.
It has been said in this
order that the guidelines
issued by the central gov-
ernment regarding Omi-
cron should be strictly
followed. At the same
time, through another
order, the Delhi govern-
ment has imposed duty
of Sub-Divisional Magis-
trates (SDMs) and addi-
tional district magis-
trates (ADMs) of differ-
ent districts at the air-
port. According to the
order issued by DDMA,
airlines will inform pas-
sengers coming from “at-
risk” category countries
that they will be tested
for COVID-19 after land-
ing at Delhi. If tested
positive for the virus,
they will be kept in strict
isolation and their sam-
ple will be sent for ge-
nome sequencing. Such
passengers will be kept
in a separate isolation
facility. For this, a dedi-
cated ward of 40 beds has
been made in Lok Nayak
Jaiprakash Hospital in
Delhi.
If the passenger’s test
report comes negative,
then they will be home
quarantined for seven
days and will be tested
again on the eighth day.
If the report comes back
negative again, they will
be asked to self-monitor
for seven days. The cost
of the test will have to be
borne by the passenger
only.
There will be no such
restriction on the pas-
sengers who are not com-
ing from “at-risk” cate-
gory countries, coming
from any other coun-
tries. But they will be
advised self monitor for
14 days.
However, random test-
ing will be done at the
airport itself for 5 per
cent of the total such
passengers. The Minis-
try of Civil Aviation will
bear the cost of testing
such passengers and
their samples will also
be sent for genome se-
quencing. —ANI
New Delhi: The Delhi
government has decid-
ed to extend the validity
of all the documents
related to the Motor Ve-
hicles Act, 1988 and
Central Motor Vehicles
Rules that expired be-
tween February 2020
and November 2021 up
to December 31, 2021.
The press release
from the department
said that the extension
of validity is to avoid
the recurrence of the
COVID pandemic-like
situation in the city
.
However, this exten-
sion shall not apply to
the buses of DTC and
Cluster. —ANI
Pathankot: Delhi Chief
Minister Arvind Kejri-
wal will visit poll-bound
Punjab to attend the
AAP’s ‘Tiranga Yatra’ in
Pathankot today
.
He will be accompa-
nied by Delhi Deputy CM
and AAP leader Manish
Sisodia who is already on
a five-day visit to Punjab.
The AAP chief has been
frequently visit-
ing Punjab
ahead of
the 2022 As-
s e m b l y
election. In
the last two
months, this will be his
sixth visit to the poll-
bound state. Punjab As-
sembly elections have
been scheduled to take
place early next year.
In the 2017 Punjab As-
sembly polls, Congress
wonanabsolutemajority
in the state by winning 77
seatsandoustedtheSAD-
BJP government after 10
years. Aam Aadmi Party
emerged as the second-
largest party winning 20
seats in 117-member
Punjab Legislative As-
sembly
.TheShiromani
Akali Dal (SAD) could
only manage
to win 15
s e a t s
while the
BJP se-
cured 3
seats.
—ANI
New Delhi:
BJP MP
G a u t a m
G a m b h i r,
who has re-
ceived a se-
ries of death threat
emails, said he is not
afraid and added that the
Intelligence Bureau is in-
vestigating the matter.
The cricketer-turned-
politician inaugurated
the first match of East
Delhi Premier League at
Yamuna Sports Complex
on Tuesday. Speaking to
ANI, the BJP MP said,
“The Final of East Delhi
Premier League will be
played on December 15.
The is the first time that
thiskindof leagueishap-
pening in Delhi where
young talents take part in
professional cricket.—ANI
High Court on Wednes-
day asked the police to
reply on a plea by JNU
student Sharjeel Imam,
arrested in a sedition
case for allegedly deliver-
ing an inflammatory
speech during the CAA-
NRC protests in 2019.
Justice Rajnish Bhat-
nagar issued notice to
the prosecution and
asked it to file a reply to
the bail plea while listing
the matter on February
11 next year.
Imam, represented by
senior advocate Sanjay R
Hegde, challenged the
trial court’s October 22
order by which his bail
plea was dismissed.
Imam, 32, submitted
that all the co-accused,
who were arrested for al-
legedly causing the vio-
lence, have been granted
bail in the case while he
was still incarcerated for
over 20 months now. —PTI
government on Wednes-
day decided to reduce
VAT on petrol, bringing
down the price of the
fuel in the city by about
`8 per litre, a move
Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal said will give
relief to Delhiites from
inflation.
The petrol and diesel
prices in Delhi have
now become cheaper
than other cities in the
National Capital Region
(NCR), Kejriwal said.
The price of petrol
after the reduction in
VAT will go down from
the current rate of `103
per litre to `95 per litre.
The change will come
into effect from Wednes-
day midnight, the offi-
cials said.
According to a Delhi
government statement,
the city’s diesel prices
are already the “cheap-
est” in NCR at `86.67 per
litre while the rates of
diesel in Noida and Gur-
gaon are `87.01 and
`87.11 per litre, respec-
tively. —PTI
New Delhi: According
to the Central Pollution
Control Board (CPCB)
data, Delhi’s air quality
for November was the
worst in the past seven
years with the city wit-
nessing “severe” air
pollution on 11 days and
not a single “good” air
quality day.
Experts reasoned
this to the shifting of
the peak stubble burn-
ing period by around a
week due to a prolonged
monsoon season, PTI
reported. The 30-day av-
erage of the national
capital’s air quality in-
dex (AQI) stood at 376,
compared to 328 in 2020.
OMICRON
SCARE
DDMA issues orders to battle
COVID-19 at Delhi’s IGI airport
New Delhi: Delhi air-
port on Wednesday
said operations for in-
ternational arrivals
are running smoothly
after the implementa-
tion of the new COVID
guidelines, and a total
of 1,013 passengers
have completed their
arrival formalities, in-
cluding taking RT-PCR
tests.
The strict guide-
lines for international
passengers, especially
coming from ‘at-risk’
countries, came into
effect from Tuesday
midnight amid rising
concerns over the
emergence of the
COVID variant Omi-
cron.
In a series of tweets,
Delhi airport said op-
erations for interna-
tional arrivals are run-
ning smoothly after
the implementation of
the new guidelines
laid down by the Union
health ministry
.
“Total 1,013 passen-
gers from 4 ‘at risk’
flights, successfully
completed arrival for-
malities due to availa-
bility of Rapid PCR
Test along with RT-
PCR test.
“792 passengers de-
cided to take Rapid
PCR Test, and 221 pas-
sengers opted for RT-
PCR Test,” it said.
Three flights were
from London, and one
was from Amsterdam,
according to an air-
port official.
Under the new
norms, RT-PCR tests
are mandatory for pas-
sengers arriving from
‘at-risk’ countries, and
they will be allowed to
leave the airport only
after the test results
come. —PTI
New Delhi: Two persons have been arrested for
allegedly stabbing to death a 26-year-old man over
personal enmity in west Delhi’s Raghubir Nagar
area, police said on Wednesday. The incident took
place on Tuesday around 10 pm, police said. An
information was received at Rajouri Garden Police
Station from Guru Govind Singh Hospital regard-
ing a patient Dablu Singh, a resident of TC Camp
in Raghubir Nagar, who was stabbed by some
persons, Deputy Commissioner of Police (west)
Urvija Goel said.
TWO HELD FOR STABBING YOUTH TO
DEATH IN DELHI’S RAGHUBIR NAGAR
GROUP OF PEOPLE ATTACK WOMAN,
DAUGHTER IN DELHI’S SHALIMAR BAGH
ONE HELD FOR RASH DRIVING, CAUSING
INJURIES IN DELHI’S MANGOLPURI AREA
New Delhi: A group of four people, including two
women, allegedly attacked a 38-year-old woman and
her daughter in northwest
Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh area,
police said on Wednesday.
The entire series of events
was caught on a CCTV cam-
era and one of the footages
which surfaced on social media showed that just after
the woman parked her car, her daughter, who stepped
out of the vehicle, was physically assaulted by the ac-
cused women.
New Delh: A man has been arrested for rash driving
and causing injuries to two youths after he allegedly
hit their motorcycle with
his speeding bike in outer
Delhi’s Mangolpuri area, po-
lice said on Wednesday. The
accused has been arrested
and his motorcycle was also
seized, the police said. The incident took place on Tues-
day night around 10 pm, when Sahwney along with his
cousin Prakash reached P-Block of Mangolpuri on their
motorcycle and suddenly hit by another bike which was
coming in rash and negligent way from B-Block of the
area, the police said.
New Delhi: Delhi wit-
nessed a 16.8-per cent
dip in incidents of
crime in 2020 as com-
pared to 2019, according
to the NCRB, the gov-
ernment informed Par-
liament on Wednesday
.
In a written response
to a question in the Ra-
jya Sabha, Minister of
State for Home Affairs
Nityanand Rai said the
NationalCrimeRecords
Bureau (NCRB) com-
piles the data on crime
as reported to it by the
states and Union terri-
tories, which is pub-
lished as “Crime in In-
dia”.
The published re-
ports are available till
2020, he added.
“As per the published
reports, there is a de-
cline of 16.8 per cent in
the total IPC crimes reg-
istered in NCT of Delhi
during the year 2020 as
compared to the year
2019,” Rai said.
He said the Delhi Po-
lice has taken several
concrete measures to
curb incidents of crime
such as dynamic identi-
fication of crime-prone
areas and deployment
of police resources, in-
cluding pickets, foot-
patrolling, PCR vans
and emergency re-
sponse vehicles (ERVs),
to enhance visibility
.
The steps taken also
include the identifica-
tion, surveillance and
arrest of active crimi-
nals, integrated patrol-
ling by the local police,
the PCR staff and the
traffic police, and com-
munity-policing pro-
grammes, the minister
said. —PTI
‘Delhi records 16.8% decline in crime in 2020’
CRIME RATE IN CITY
Delhi Police has taken several measures
to curb crime such as dynamic
identification of crime-prone areas
CPWD to get notice over
construction work at
Central Vista project site
New Delhi: The Del-
hi government will
issue notices to the
Central Public
Works Department
(CPWD) for carrying
out construction
work at the Central
Vista project site de-
spite a ban and vio-
lating dust control
norms, Environ-
ment Minister Gopal
Rai said on Wednes-
day.
“We had been re-
ceiving a lot of calls
regarding work be-
ing carried out at the
Central Vista project
site despite a ban on
construction and
demolition activi-
ties. During an in-
spection, we found
that it was indeed
true,” Rai said.
“We will ask the
Delhi Pollution Con-
trol Committee to is-
sue a notice to the
Central Public
Works Department ,
asking it the reason
for continuing the
construction work
despite restrictions
in view of air pollu-
tion,” he said.
Rai said a separate
notice will be issued
to the agency for vio-
lating dust pollution
control norms at the
site. The Delhi gov-
ernment had earlier
said the ban on con-
struction and demo-
lition activities in
the capital will con-
tinue till further or-
ders in view of the
high air pollution
levels. —PTI
CRIME
BRANCH
Int’l arrivals running smoothly; 1,013 passengers
completed arrival formalities, says Delhi airport
Police asked to
reply to Sharjeel’s
bail petition
Don’t fear threats,
IB probe on, says
Gautam Gambhir
DELHI AIR QUALITY this November worst in 7 years
CM to attend‘Tiranga
Yatra’ in Punjab today
Arvind Kejriwal
Petrol to be cheaper by `8 per litre as Delhi Govt decides to cut VAT
Delhi government imposes duty of SDMs and ADMs of different districts at the airport
Delhi transport dept extends validity
of documents by one more month

INDIA
03
RANAUT REACTS
AS PLEA FILED IN
SC AGAINST HER
Mumbai: Controversy’s
favourite child Kangana
Ranaut has declared
herself the ‘most
powerful woman’ in the
country after a plea was
filed against her in the
Supreme Court. Plea has
been submitted in the
Supreme Court seeking
censorship of the actor’s
future posts on social
media to maintain law
and order situation in
the country. Kangana’s
Twitter account was
permanently suspended
earlier this year for
‘repeated violations of
Twitter rules’.
Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla
meets White House official
New Delhi: Launching
a veiled attack on the
Centre over the LPG
price hike, Congress
leader Rahul Gandhi on
Wednesday said the
sentiments of the rhet-
oric fell with rising in-
flation.
Rahul Gandhi’s re-
marks came after the
national oil marketing
companies have in-
creased the price of
commercial 19kg LPG
cylinder by Rs 100.50,
taking the new price to
Rs 2,101 in Delhi, in-
formed the sources on
Wednesday. This is the
second-highest price of
19kg commercial cylin-
der after 2012-13 when it
used to cost around Rs
2,200 per cylinder. —ANI
Rahul Gandhi attacks Centre
over inflation, LPG price hike
PM Modi to launch
projects worth `18k cr
in Dehradun on Dec 4
IN THE COURTYARD
New Delhi: PM Naren-
dra Modi will visit Deh-
raduntoinaugurateand
lay the foundation stone
of multiple projects
worth around Rs 18,000
crore on December 4.
As per the official
note released by PMO,
PM Modi will lay the
foundation stone of pro-
jects which includes the
Delhi-Dehradun Eco-
nomic Corridor which
will be built at a cost of
around Rs 8,300 crore. It
willsignificantlyreduce
the travel time from Del-
hi to Dehradun from six
hours to around 2.5
hours. It will have seven
major interchanges for
connectivity to Harid-
war, Muzaffarnagar,
Shamli, Yamunanagar,
Baghpat, Meerut and
Baraut. It will have
Asia’s largest wildlife
elevated corridor (12
km) for unrestricted
wildlife movement.—ANI
New Delhi:ForeignSec-
retary of India, Harsh
Vardhan Shringla met
US Senior Director in
theWhiteHouseNation-
al Security Council Su-
mona Guha on Wednes-
day and discussed India-
USstrategicpartnership
and regional issues of
interest. Both of the dip-
lomats have interacted
ontheIndia-USstrategic
partnership and region-
alissues.InformedMEA
official. —ANI
New Delhi: The Con-
gress’s alliance in Goa
with a former BJP ally
ahead of polls next year
has drawn a trenchant
attack from TMC leader,
which had pursued par-
ty for a collaboration.
TMC MP Mahua Moi-
tra’s tweet targets Goa
Forward Party led by
ex-minister Sardesai,
which sealed an alli-
ance with the Congress
Tuesday evening. —ANI
Rahul Gandhi addresses media outside parliament.
PM Narendra Modi
Rahul Gandhi
@RahulGandhi
In the past, a job in
the railways was a
matter of honor, there
are no jobs in railways
today. Soon, there
will be no railway like
before! Stop injustice
from the public. We
want #JusticeForRail-
waysStudents
‘GOA, YOU’RE BETTER THAN THIS’
...TMC AS BJP’S
EX-ALLY PICKS
CONGRESS
Mahua Moitra
@MahuaMoitra
INC win 17 seats in Goa 2017,
BJP won only 13. Yet while
AICC’s Digvijay Singh “ob-
served” , BJP sealed deal with
GFP to form unholy govt. GFP
suddenly on poll eve realises
BJP is evil, hugs INC! Come on
Goa- you’re better than this!
New Delhi: Incidents
of infiltration and ter-
rorist attacks have de-
creased significantly in
Jammu and Kashmir
since 2018, MoS for
Home Nityanand Rai
informed RS on
Wednesday. Minister
shared data regarding
details of estimated net
infiltrations and ter-
rorist incidents since
the year 2018. —ANI
INCIDENTS TOOK
PLACE IN J&K...
October 2020 to October
2021, 251 terrorist inci-
dents took place in J&K
followed by 14 in Sep-
tember, 36 in August, 26
in July, 22 in June and
13 in May, 12 in April, 11
in March, 7 in February
and 8 in January. Total
28 incidents reported in
December 2020, 15 in
Nov and 22 in October.
Terrorism, infiltration dropped in J&K after 2018: Centre
Jaish’s IED expert among 2
terrorists killed in Pulwama
n Central government on
Wednesday shared data
with Rajya Sabha
n Cong leader asked if it
is a fact that there is a
rise in attacks in J&K
Terrorist commander of JeM Yasir and a foreign ultra were killed.
Nityanand Rai visited Border Security Force Sector headquarters in Kupwara on September 30.
Srinagar: Terrorist
commander of Jaish-e-
Mohammad (JeM) Ya-
sir Parray and a foreign
ultra were killed in an
encounter with securi-
ty forces in Pulwama
district of Jammu and
Kashmir on Wednesday
,
police said. “Terrorist
commander of pro-
scribed #terror outfit
JeM Yasir Parray, an
IED Expert & foreign
terrorist Furqan # neu-
tralized. Both were in-
volved in several terror
#crime cases. A big
#success,” the IGP said
in a tweet. —ANI
CONG LEADER
SHARMA ASKS
NITYANAND RAI
Rai’s reply came as
Congress leader
Anand Sharma asked
“whether
it is a fact
that there
is a rise in
incidents
of Infiltra-
tion and
terrorist attacks in
J&K” & “number of
terror attacks during
October 2020-Octo-
ber 2021”. He also
asked about “casu-
alties suffered by
Paramilitary forces
and J&K Police”, and
“number of terrorists
apprehended and
killed during last 12
months”.
51
143
infiltration incidents
reported in 2020
infiltration incidents
reported in 2018
28
infiltration
incidents
reported
up to
October
31, 2021
INFILTRATION INCIDENTS REPORTED
141infiltration incidents
reported in 2017
T
he world is rac-
ing to decode the
genome of the
Omicron Covid strain
and figure out how far it
has spread. At stake are
millions of lives and the
global economy, which
is still recovering from
the havoc wrought by
the Delta variant.
Data at this time
shows Omicron was in
circulation well before
it was flagged in South
Africa last week. The
US, India and China -
the three countries
worst affected by the
entire pandemic - have
not yet reported Omi-
cron cases. Internation-
al airports across India
have begun stringent
screening and testing
of incoming passen-
gers, particularly those
from ‘at risk’ countries.
A senior doctor at the
government-run ICMR,
however, told it is likely
Omicron is already pre-
sent in country
. —ANI
WORLD RACES TO TRACE
OMICRON
12 countries
confirm
Omicron is
more lethal
than earlier
variants...
z Quarantine manda-
tory for passengers
coming from at-risk
countries in Maha
z Covid test must for
int’l passengers ar-
riving in Karnataka
z Punjab orders 40k
testing daily amid
possible third wave
z Sequencing results
of Delhi travellers for
Omicron awaited
z Meerut starts
monitoring of people
coming from foreign
z Saudi Arabia detects
1st case of new
Omicron variant
z Malaysia bans entry
of travellers from
eight countries
z Japan begins admin-
istering Covid-19
booster shots
z WHO urges countries
to take ‘rational’
measures against
Omicron variant
z Moderna vaccine
is less effective
against Omicron
OMICRON UPDATES
THE ‘OMICRON’ VARIANT COULD
OUTCOMPETE DELTA: SA EXPERT
Johannesburg: Omicron coronavirus
variant detected in southern Africa could
be the most likely candidate to displace
the highly contagious Delta variant, the
director of South Africa’s communicable
disease institute said.
Geneva: DG of the WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that
the first meeting of the organization’s commission to discuss new
treaty on the pandemic will take place on March 1, 2022, and its
final document will be presented in 2024. “I welcome your com-
mitment to hold the first meeting of the INB no later than the first
of March 2022, and to submit its outcome for consideration to
the World Health Assembly in 2024,” Tedros said.
1ST MEET
OF WHO
OVER NEW
PANDEMICS
TO BE HELD
ON MARCH 1
ASSAM LEADER
LYNCHING: PRIME
ACCUSED DIES
BANK UNIONS
THREATEN TWO-DAY
NATIONWIDE STRIKE
Guwahati: The prime
accused in the lynch-
ing of AASU leader
Animesh Bhuyan died
on Wednesday, allegedly
in a road accident while
trying to flee police
custody. Niraj Das was
among 13 arrested,
including his father and
brother, after Bhuyan
was beaten to death on
a busy street in Jorhat.
Das had “revealed some
information on a hidden
drug assignment”, and
that they were escorting
him around 1.30 am.
New Delhi: The United
Forum of Bank Unions
(UFBU), an umbrella
body of 9 unions, has
given a call for a two-
day strike from Dec 16
to protest against the
proposed privatisation
of two state-owned lend-
ers. In the Union budget
presented in February,
Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman had an-
nounced the privatisa-
tion of 2 PSBs as part of
its disinvestment plan.
Strike notice for Dec 16
& Dec 17 is served.
MANJINDER JOINS BJP AHEAD OF PUNJAB
POLLS IN BIG BLOW TO EX-ALLY AKALI DAL
BENGALURU: CONGRESS LEADER CAUGHT ON
CAMERA ‘PLANNING MURDER’ OF BJP MLA
New Delhi: BJP made a key acquisition ahead of Pun-
jab polls, but at cost to its ex-ally Akali Dal. Manjinder
Sirsa, an Akali Dal leader
close to Badals, joined
ruling party. BJP is in
touch with many Jat Sikh
leaders like Sirsa in Pun-
jab. The party’s strategy
for polls is to tap disgrun-
tled leaders from Cong and AD, shore up its prospects
in a state where it has only ever played second fiddle.
Bengaluru: A video clip showing Congress leader
Gopalkrishna talking about “killing” and “finish-
ing” Karnataka MLA SR
Vishwanath of the BJP
has gone viral on social
media. The video clip
shows Gopalkrishna
purportedly planning the
murder of Vishwanath,
who represents Bengaluru’s Yelahanka in K’taka As-
sembly. Police said the video was “undated” and that
they were probing the matter.
CRUCIAL READ
GUJARAT RIOTS: SC
DISMISSES ZAKIA,
TEESTA’S PETITION
New Delhi: SC has
passed an announce-
ment regarding the Gu-
jarat riot case in 2002.
The Supreme court has
dismissed the plea and
petition from Zakia and
Teesta. SIT said that
Teesta wants to keep the
pot boiling of the Gujarat
riots and this agony
must come to an end.
Teesta still demands that
Supreme Court should
provide closure on the
matter. According to the
sources, there was no
material or evidence to
lodge the charge sheet
and take probe forward.

PERSPECTIVE
04
Vol 1 Issue No. 93
RNI TITLE NO. DELENG/2021/19840
Printed and published by
Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of
First Express Publishers. Printed at
Impressions Printing and Packaging
Limited, C-21, 22 Sector-59,
Noida-201301. Published at G-20,
3rd Floor, 309, Preet Vihar, New
Delhi-110092. Phone 011-49846474.
Editor-In-Chief: Jagdeesh Chandra.
Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan
responsible for selection of news
under the PRB Act
SPIRITUAL SPEAK
When meditation is
mastered, the mind is
unwavering like the flame of
a lamp in a windless place.
—Bhagavad Gita
IN-DEPTH
Rajnath Singh
@rajnathsingh
Best wishes to the wonderful people of
Nagaland on their Statehood Day. The
state is known for its natural beauty and
vibrant culture. Praying for Nagaland’s
continuous growth and development.
Smriti Z Irani
@smritiirani
The paradigm shifted in 2014; A stable
Government and bold Leadership
boosted the world’s confidence in
India @sgurumurthy Ji’s article makes
for an interesting read.
TOP TWEETS
NO JOKING, AFTER
FARUQUI IT’S
KUNAL KAMRA
SHOW WHICH
GETS CANCELLED
fter stand-up come-
dian Munawar
Faruqui cancelled
his show in Bengalu-
ru, it was Kunal
Kamra who was forced to call
off his show. The organizers of
Faruqui’s show were told by the
police that it could lead to law
and order problems. A frustrat-
ed Faruqui, who spent a month
in jail for a joke which some
Hindu fundamentalists said he
intended to make, said in a so-
cial media post, “Nafrat jeet
gayi, artist haar gaya. I am
done…” It is not about Faruqui,
a Muslim, but our inability to
appreciate satire and comedy.
Kunal Kamra, another comic,
was also warned against stag-
ing his show in Bengaluru.
Kamra tweeted that his show
was cancelled “over threats to
shut down the venue… I suppose,
I am seen as a variant of the vi-
rus now.”
Laughing does not mean
standing in a park and guffawing
as a yogic exercise. It is about
spontaneity
. “Laughter is a med-
icine”, a magazine column, was
all about jokes.
A
ven as there is
global alarm over
the new Omicron
variant of Covid,
cheerful news
camefromtheeconomywhich
grew by a healthy 8.4 percent
in the second quarter of 2021-
22. Data released by the Na-
tional Statistical Office has
given hopes of a double-digit
growth in the financial year
2022. This is slightly better
than RBI’s projection of 7.9
percent.Thegrowthcomeson
the back of all-round growth
in different sectors like agri-
culture, manufacturing, con-
struction sector, services sec-
tor and private consumption.
Services sector, which saw a
contraction of 16.1 percent
bounced back with a healthy
8.2 percent growth in July-
September quarter.
Despite the promising pro-
jections, the shadow of Omi-
cron requires a cautious ap-
proach not just towards the
new variant of the virus but
alsotowardsitseconomicfall-
out.Thegovernmentistaking
all possible precautions to
avert any pandemic-like situ-
ation and has put in place
strict testing and quarantine
rules for those arriving from
the affected African nations.
Several countries have al-
ready banned flights from
these countries as they watch
the situation unfold. Noted
virologist Dr Gagandeep
Kang is of the view that travel
ban is not the answer to the
Variantof Concern(VOC)but
tracking and quarantine of
those infected will be a better
approach. She also warned
that the mutant may escape
immune response.
Yet the fear of the virus
has not dampened the spirit
of economic revival, not-
withstanding the soaring
prices and a low consumer
confidence level. If people
adhere to the protocol of
wearing masks and hand-
washing there is no reason
why growth trajectory can-
not be maintained.
ECONOMY MAY BRUSH
ASIDE VOC THREAT
Data released by the
National Statistical
Office has given hopes
of a double-digit
growth in the
financial year 2022
E
LOOKING BACK,
GOING AHEAD
s we slowly inch towards the
end of 2021 it would be worth
looking at how the year
panned out for humanity and
in particular the business
world. The year started with
the world still mired in the
Covid19 pandemic though a
solution in the form of vac-
cinesformulateddiligentlyby
afewpharmacompaniesslow-
ly started appearing on the
horizon. But even before we
could test and rejoice the suc-
cessof vaccines,camethesec-
ond Covid wave sweeping
across many countries. The
tollwashugeaswasitssudden
appearance. To make matter
worse, the impact and brutal-
ityof ittookmanybysurprise.
With chaos all around
amidst an obvious shortage
of life-saving medicines and
healthcare equipment, sur-
vival became paramount.
Though it took some time
eventually we braved the sit-
uation well and helped us
emerge that much tougher.
As we confidently look for-
ward, many organizations
amongst us who have been
fortunate enough to come out
unscathed of the pandemic
owe a lot to five ‘R’s namely
Resolve, Recover, Reimagine,
Reform and Resurgence.
z Many organisations exhib-
ited strong resolve in smother-
ing the impact of the pandemic
on their business. They were
quick to adapt to the chang-
ing scenario and embraced
technology as working remotely
became the norm. Employee-
safety and Business-continuity
called for a deft balancing act.
Working-from-office gave way
to working-from-anywhere as
what mattered most was one’s
deliverance. Physical offerings
got merged with Digital ones
giving us an all-new ‘Phygital’
experience – and one that’s go-
ing to stay for long now.
z Economists have come
up with varying degrees of
estimate that prove the global
economy ravaged by Covid19
dipped into the negative zone,
shrank massively and erased
trillions of dollars cumulatively.
Recovering fully from this
economic damage may well
take a few years. Reactivating
both supply chain and distribu-
tion networks poses an arduous
challenge for many businesses.
Sectors like Hospitality and
Tourism have faced massive
blows, but most indicators
point that we are in the midst of
a swift V-shaped recovery.
z Many were taken aback once
the magnitude of the pandemic
truly dawned upon them. It
compelled to quickly revisit
the drawing board looking for
alternative and viable solutions.
Problems never faced before
were to be dealt with effectively
by reimagining the future pos-
sibilities. This not only has-
tened technology adoption and
improvisations but also opened
doors to boost business per-
formance in the fast-changing
landscape.
z There’s no denying that
many amongst us loathe to
change. Those who loved
sticking to a routine and stay-
ing within their comfort zone
were brutally forced to reform.
Showing flexibility to every-
day situations almost became
mandatory as there were no
rules or handbooks to look up
to. Innovative ways were not
only encouraged but became
de rigueur. Old started giving
ways to new as reforms – often
silently – swept across the
business world. Noticeably,
long-term behaviour change
has been set in motion courtesy
of the Covid19 pandemic.
z Many organizations rewrote
their SoPs and understood that
practices like routine office
meetings or across-the-table
interviews weren’t necessary.
These lost their efficacy with the
changing time. Many also drew
contingency plans to handle
curveballs thrown their way and
became agile to mission-critical
projects. Resetting goals, recti-
fying flaws, and learning quickly
from a global crisis heralded a
visible resurgence in multiple
sectors.
The corporate world of
2022 may not look different
extrinsically, but inherently
huge transformations have
happened to help us to
emerge smarter and strong-
er, collectively
.
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY
THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL
A
SABYASACHI DUTTA
The writer is a business executive with more
than two decades of corporate experience
spanning across the globe
The year started with the
world still mired in the
Covid19 pandemic though a
solution in the form of
vaccines formulated
diligently by a few pharma
companies slowly started
appearing on the horizon. But
even before we could test and
rejoice the success of vaccines,
came the second Covid wave
sweeping across many
countries. The toll was huge
as was its sudden appearance.
To make matter worse, the
impact and brutality of it
took many by surprise
With chaos all around
amidst an obvious
shortage of life-
saving medicines and
healthcare
equipment, survival
became paramount.
Though it took some time
eventually we braved the
situation well and
helped us emerge that
much tougher

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INDIA
05
First India Bureau
New Delhi Delhi
Pradesh Congress Com-
mittee president Ch.
Anil Kumar said that
duetothepersistentpro-
tests by Delhi Congress,
Delhi Chief Minister
Arvind has been forced
to reduce Value Added
Tax (VAT) on petrol, but
unless VAT on diesel is
also reduced, Delhiites
willcontinuetosuffer,as
soaring prices of all the
essential commodities,
due to high rates of
transportation costs,
have disturbed the
household budgets of
the people.
Ch. Anil Kumar de-
manded immediate re-
duce of VAT on diesel if
the Arvind Government
is sincere about provid-
ing some relief to Delhi-
ites, ravaged by the Cov-
id-19 pandemic, and its
after-effect.
Ch.AnilKumarsaidthat
Delhi Congress has been
agitating,demandingre-
duction of VAT on petro-
leum products, after the
Central Government
made marginal reduc-
tion on Excise Duty on
petrol and diesel, but it
wasnotmakingmuchof
a difference to the com-
mon people. He said that
withtheArvindGovern-
ment refusing to reduce
VATonpetrolanddiesel,
petrol was being sold in
Delhi for over Rs 100 per
litre till yesterday
.
the frequent hike in the
prices of petrol, diesel
and cooking gas had
wrecked the lives of the
people,asithadacascad-
ingeffectonthepricesof
all the essential com-
modities. He said that
that Central and Delhi
Governmentshadlooted
lakhs of crores in oil
taxes from the people,
and despite persistent
protests by the Congress
party for the past eight
months, and Modi and
Arvind making hollow
promises, the taxes on
petroleum products
were reduced when pric-
es of all the essential
commodities had soared
past the roof, and both
PMModiandCMArvind
had run out of all the ex-
cuses to further fool the
people.
despite many State Gov-
ernments reducing VAT
on petrol and diesel, in-
cluding Congress-ruled
States Punjab and Ra-
jasthan, Delhi CM
Arvind tried to delay it
as far as possible, and
when he half-hearted re-
duced VAT on petrol, he
still did not reduce VAT
on diesel. He said that
DelhiCongresswillforce
the Arvind Government
to roll back VAT on die-
sel as well, if he does not
lower the price with im-
mediate effect.
‘Delhi Congress’ persistent protests force Delhi CM to reduce VAT’
CUT ON FUEL VAT
Ch. Anil alleges that despite many
State Govts reducing VAT on fuel,
Delhi CM Arvind tried to delay it
Ch. Anil Kumar, DPCC Prez
Rakesh Ranjan
New Delhi: The Ap-
pointment Committee
of the Cabinet on
Wednesday appointed
BJP spokesperson Dr.
Sambit Patra as the
chairman of India
Tourism Development
Corporation (ITDC).
Since Dr. Patra is a
medicine and surgery
man, it will be interest-
ing to see how he medi-
cates the sick PSU or
whether he goes for a
‘surgical operation,’
withoutgoingforunnec-
essary medication. Ear-
lier,hewasanindepend-
ent director on ONGC.
Dr. Patra’s appoint-
ment follows the simul-
taneous ACC clear-
ance of the Ministry of
Tourism’s proposals
for splitting the ITDC’s
single post of CMD
into two separate posts
of chairman and man-
aging director. So the
first part of nominal
surgery is already done
for Dr. Patra to facili-
tate his job.
Dr. Patra will hold the
post of part-time non-
executive Director and
Chairman of ITDC for a
period of three years
from the date of as-
sumption of charge or
until further orders, an
official release stated.
The release also stat-
ed that the tenure of
1990 batch IAS officer
Ganji Kamala V Rao as
ITDC managing direc-
tor will continue till
further orders.
Won’t apologise to re-enter
RajyaSabha:suspendedMPs
New Delhi: Twelve sus-
pended Rajya Sabha
MPs of the opposition
parties holding day-
long protests in front of
the Mahatma Gandhi
statue inside the Parlia-
ment complex will con-
tinue to do so every day
till their suspension is
revoked.
Opposition party lead-
ers including Congress
MP Rahul Gandhi
staged a protest at the
Gandhi statue.
The leaders termed
the suspension order
“autocratic” and assert-
ed that they will not
apologise for “raising
people’s issues”.
“Our protest will go
on until this illegal sus-
pension is revoked. Our
MPs have been protest-
ing in LS and RS. “Eve-
ry day from 10-11 am
Opposition MPs are pro-
testing and will contin-
ue to do so. The sus-
pended MPs are also
sitting in protest and
will do so every day
from 10 am to 5 pm in
front of the Gandhi stat-
ue,” said Ripun Bora, a
suspended MP
. —PTI
New Delhi: The pro-
ceedings of the Rajya
Sabha were adjourned
for the day on
Wednesday amid unre-
lenting protests by op-
position members over
the issue of suspension
of 12 MPs.
When the House as-
sembled at 3 pm follow-
ing an adjournment
post-lunch, the opposi-
tion members again
started their protest in-
side the Well and contin-
ued their sloganeering.
The members did not
allow Union Minister
for Jal Shakti Gajendra
Singh Shekhawat, who
was moving The Dam
Safety Bill, 2019 for con-
sideration in the House,
to complete his speech.
Bhubaneswar Kalita,
who was presiding the
proceedings of the Up-
per House, persuaded
the opposition members
to return to their seats
and allow the minister
to complete his speech.
As soon as the House
resumed in the after-
noon, Deputy Chair-
man Harivansh, who
was in the chair, asked
Union Minister for Jal
Shakti Gajendra Singh
Shekhawat to move the
bill. He also assured the
agitating members that
Leader of Opposition
Mallikarjun Kharge
would be allowed to
speak on the suspension
of 12 members of the
House, once they return
to their seats.
Earlier, when the
house met at 2 pm, Dep-
uty Chairman Hari-
vansh, who was in the
chair, asked Shekhawat
to move The Dam Safety
Bill for consideration in
the House. The minister
moved the motion for
consideration of the bill
by the House and there-
after, the deputy chair-
man asked him to speak
on the bill. —PTI
RS ADJOURNED AMIDST OPPN PROTEST
LS too was adjourned till noon amid protests by TRS over farmer issue; 12 suspended MPs wont apologise for re-entering RS
WINTER SESSION OF PARLIAMENT
Reproductive tech
Bill: Oppn flags
exclusion of
singles, LGBTQ
MPLADS
RESTORED, MPs
TO GET `2 CR
FOR 2021-221
AN INSULT OF
FARMERS, SAYS
KHARGE
New Delhi: Opposi-
tion members in Lok
Sabha Wednesday
attacked the govern-
ment for excluding
live-in couples,
single men and the
LGBTQ community
from the ambit of the
Assisted Reproduc-
tive Tech (Regula-
tion) Bill, 2021, at-
tacking legislation as
“discriminatory” and
“patriarchal”. Con-
gress member Karti
P Chidambaram, who
opened the debate on
Bill, said: “This law
is not a Hindu law, it
is actually a Victorian
law.” He invoked
the Mahabharata
and Puranas several
times.
New Delhi: Govern-
ment has restored
Member of Parlia-
ment Local Area
Development Scheme
(MPLADS) for the
remaining part of
2021-21 with release
of Rs 2 crore per
MP in one install-
ment, Parliament was
informed on Wednes-
day. “The Govt has
approved restoration
of MPLADS during
the remaining part
of the financial year
2021-22 with release
of MPLADS fund
at the rate of Rs 2
crore per Member
of Parliament in one
instalment,” Statistics
Minister Rao Inderjit
Singh said in LS.
Slamming Centre
for not having a
record of farmers who
died during farm stir,
LoP in RS Mallikarjun
Kharge said it is an
“insult” of farmers. He
said, “If govt doesn’t
have a record of 700
people then how they
had collected data of
lakhs of people during
pandemic.
New Delhi: The Centre
on Wednesday said it
has no record of farm-
ers who died during the
agitation against the
farm laws.
In its response to a
question on whether it
proposes to provide fi-
nancial assistance to
the kin of farmers who
died during the agita-
tion, the Ministry of
Agriculture and Farm-
ers’ Welfare replied in
the Parliament that it
has “no record in the
matter and hence the
question does not
arise.” On the third day
of the winter session,
the Leader of Congress
Party in Lok Sabha
Adhir Ranjan Chowd-
hury raised the issue of
the death of farmers
during the protest
against farm laws. —PTI
No record of farmers who
died during stir: Centre
‘CBI probe in 64 cases pending for 5 yrs’
New Delhi: A total of
64 cases are under CBI
investigation for more
than five years, the
government informed
Parliament on
Wednesday.
In a written reply to a
question in the Lok Sab-
ha, Minister of State for
Personnel Jitendra Sin-
gh said as many as 1,256
cases are under investi-
gation by the Central
Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) and of these, 64
are pending for more
than five years. —PTI
Anita Hada
New Delhi: WestBengal
CM and TMC Supremo
Mamata Banerjee is put-
ting more power than
even the BJP in defeat-
ing the Congress in the
Assembly elections of
five states to be held next
year. Although Didi’s
party TMC is not in any
fight in these five states,
yet Mamta has put her
feet everywhere and is
running a campaign to
harm the Congress in
some way or the other.
She took former Con-
gress CM Luizinho Fle-
rio in Goa and merged
him in her party, and
made him responsi-
ble for ‘coup’ against
Congress in Megha-
laya. She broke the
Congress in the
eastern state too.
The breakup of
Meghalaya will have
a major impact on
M a -
n i p u r.
While she has already
brought Congress leader
Sushmita Deb with her
inAssam,nowcampaign
to break Congress is go-
ing on in Manipur. In UP
,
Mamata has included
old Congress leaders
Rajesh Pati Tripathi
Lalitesh Pati Tripathi in
TMC. She has openly
said that if Samajwadi
Party national president
Akhilesh Yadav wants,
then she is ready to help
him. She is helping SP in
UP both directly and in-
directly. In this way, in
Goa, Manipur UP,
where polls will be held
next year, Mamata is do-
ing politics to harm Con-
gress.
As far as Punjab is
concerned, she is not di-
rectly involved in the
politics of Punjab but
she is helping Aam Aad-
mi Party from behind
the scenes and has en-
gaged her election strat-
egist Prashant Kishor in
this work. It can also be
said that Kishor is work-
ing according to her
strategy to harm Con-
gress in Punjab. He has
also been an election
strategist for the Aam
Aadmi Party and has
also been an advisor to
Captain Amarinder Sin-
gh, who recently broke
away from Congress and
formed a new party.
Through them, Mamata
is harming Congress by
helping these two.
Now the question is,
what is Mamata’s think-
ing behind harming
Congress? In fact,
Kishor has explained to
her that if she has to be-
come the pivot of Oppo-
sition politics, then, for
that, the Congress has to
be weakened. If the Con-
gress breaks down and
loses in the states, it will
not be able to become the
centre of politics in its
efforts of Opposition
unity before 2024. At that
time, Mamata can come
to the centre by replac-
ing the Congress. In this
way
, by making Didi cen-
tre of Oppn politics,
Kishor is making her
PM candidate for 2024
polls. To make it a Modi
vs Mamata in next Lok
Sabha polls, Congress
needs to be weak. In this
work, indirect support
of other Congress allies
is also with Mamata.
IS GOAL OF PM POST AT EPICENTRE
OFDIDI’SONGOING‘WAR’ONCONG?
Patra appointed as ITDC
chairman in ‘surgical op’
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge along with
Opposition MPs protest outside Parliament on Wednesday.
Proceedings of RS adjourned following sloganeering by Opposition MPs during Winter Session of Parliament on Wednesday.
LOK SABHA ADJOURNED
New Delhi: Lok Sabha proceedings were ad-
journed till noon on Wednesday amid continuous
protests by members of the TRS over farmer
issues. This is the third consecutive day that the
Question Hour was disrupted since the winter
session of parliament commenced on Monday.
Members of the TRS shouted slogans and dis-
played placards over farmer issues in the Well of
the House during the Question Hour. Speaker Om
Birla told the protesting members it was not the
right thing to do and emphasised that the Ques-
tion Hour was important.
—SANSADTV
Mamata Banerjee
Dr. Sambit Patra

BIZ BUZZ
06
New Delhi:
Goods and Services
Tax (GST) collections
jumped to over 1.31
lakh crore in Novem-
ber, the second highest
since its implementa-
tion in July 2017, in
line with the trend in
economic recovery, the
finance ministry said
on Wednesday.
“The gross GST rev-
enue collected in the
month of November
2021 is `1,31,526 crore
of which CGST is
`23,978 crore, SGST is
`31,127 crore, IGST is
`66,815 crore (includ-
ing `32,165 crore col-
lected on import of
goods) and Cess is
`9,606 crore
(including `653
crore collected on im-
port of goods),” the
ministry said in a
statement.
CGST refers to Cen-
tral Goods and Servic-
es Tax, SGST (State
G o o d s
and Service Tax)
and IGST (Integrated
Goods and Services
Tax).
The GST revenues
for the month of No-
vember 2021, are 25 per
cent higher than No-
vember 2020, and 27
per cent higher over
November 2019.
“The GST revenues
for November 2021
have been the second
highest ever since in-
troduction of GST,
second only to that in
April 2021, which re-
lated to year-end reve-
nues and higher than
last month's collec-
tion, which also in-
cluded the impact of
returns required to be
filed quarterly. This is
very much in line with
the trend in economic
recovery,” the minis-
try said.
In Oct 2021, the rev-
enues were `1,30,127
crore, while in April
2021, it was the high-
est at over `1.41 lakh
crore. The recent
trend of high GST rev-
enues has been a re-
sult of various policy
and administrative
measures that have
been taken in the past
to improve compli-
ance.
A large number of
initiatives undertaken
in the last one year
like, enhancement of
system capacity, nudg-
ing non-filers after last
date of filing of re-
turns, auto-population
of returns, blocking of
e-way bills and pass-
ing of input tax credit
for non-filers has led
to consistent improve-
ment in the filing of
returns over the last
few months, the minis-
try added. —PTI
April 32172 139708
May 62151 97821
June 90917 92800
July 87422 116393
August 86449 112020
September 95480 117010
October 105155 130127
November 104963 131526
MONTH 2020-21 2021-22
The GST
revenues
for the
month of
November
2021 are 25%
higher than
Nov 2020 and
27% higher
over Nov 2019
November
GROSS
collection, 2nd
highest ever
New Delhi: India’s
manufacturing sector
recorded the highest
production growth in
nine months in No-
vember, as per the sur-
vey-based IHS Markit
India Manufacturing
Purchasing Managers’
Index (PMI), which
rose to 57.6 from 55.9 in
October.
A reading of 50 on
the PMI indicates no
change in economic ac-
tivity levels. The No-
vember PMI signals
the strongest improve-
ment in the health of
the manufacturing sec-
tor for ten months,
with factory orders ris-
ing for the fifth succes-
sive month at the fast-
est pace since Febru-
ary. The long-run PMI
average for India is
53.6.
There was
an improve-
ment in hir-
ing activity
among goods
produc-
e r s ,
w h i c h
was frac-
tional on the
whole, but
s t i l l
marked
o n ly the sec-
o n d expansion
in jobs over the past 20
months. The survey
data also suggested
that the domestic mar-
ket was the main
source of sales growth
in November, as new
export orders rose at a
slight pace that was
weaker than in Octo-
ber.
“Although
manufacturers re-
mained upbeat to-
wards growth pros-
pects, the overall level
of positive sentiment
slipped to a 17-month
low. Companies were
concerned that infla-
tionary pressures
could dampen demand
and restrict output in
the year ahead,” the
firm said. —PTI
GDP likely to
grow more than
9.5% in FY22
Mumbai: The coun-
try’s gross domestic
product (GDP) is like-
ly to grow more than
9.5% in fiscal 2021-22,
an SBI research re-
port-Ecowrap said.
The economy grew
at 8.4% in the second
quarter of the current
fiscal, according to
data released by the
National Statistical
Office on Tuesday
. The
growth in the April-
June quarter of this
fiscal stood at 20.1%.
In October’s mone-
tary policy review, the
RBI had retained its
projection for real
GDP growth at 9.5% in
2021-22, consisting of
7.9% in Q2; 6.8% in Q3;
and 6.1% in Q4.
We believe that the
real GDP growth
would now be higher
than the RBI’s esti-
mate of 9.5%, assum-
ing the RBI growth
numbers for Q3 and
Q4 to be sacrosanct,
the research report
said. The real GDP
growth may be near to
10%, it added.
The report said the
GDP grew by 8.4% in
Q2 FY22 on the back of
double-digit growth in
mining quarrying,
public administra-
tion, defence other
services. The real GVA
increased by 8.5%, a
tad higher than the
GDP growth. —PTI
The long-run
PMI average for
India is 53.6, which
rose to 57.6 in the
month of November
from 55.9 in
October
MANUFACTURING HITS
10-month high in November
Omicron’s impact depends on curbs: Moody’s Investors Service
New Delhi: The eco-
nomic impact of the
Omicron variant of
COVID-19 on emerging
economies will depend
on a mix of govern-
ment restrictions, pub-
lic comfort with social
interactions, and ca-
pacity of governments
and central banks to
provide additional pol-
icy support to the pri-
vate sector, Moody’s
Investors Service said
on Wednesday
.
The emergence of
the new variant poses
new risks to the global
economic growth and
inflation outlook, as
concerns mount about
the variant’s health
risks and several coun-
tries have imposed
new travel restrictions
in recent days.
These restrictions
will likely increase
over the coming weeks
until scientists learn
more about the vari-
ant, it said. Continued
progress in global vac-
cination efforts and
public compliance
with the use of tools
such as masks and so-
cial distancing will be
important factors in
determining the eco-
nomic impact of the
new variant.
Countries with an
assured supply of ef-
fective vaccines and
delivery systems,
and high levels
of vaccine ac-
c e p t a n c e
by the
p u b l i c ,
will re-
m a i n
better positioned, Moody’s said.
The economic im-
pact on other
emerging
m a r k e t
countries will
differ, and will
depend on a mix
o f government re-
strictions, public
comfort with social
interactions, and
the capacity of govern-
ments and central
banks to provide addi-
tional policy support to
the private sector, if
needed.
Emerging market
countries facing travel
bans, including South
Africa, as well as those
dependent on tourism
revenue face further
downside risks,
Moody’s said in a re-
port.
The new, and poten-
tially more contagious
variant Omicron, was
first reported to the
World Health Organi-
zation (WHO) from
South Africa on No-
vember 24.
Moody’s said the
emergence of the new
variant also comes
during a period of frag-
ile economic recovery,
with stretched supply
chains, elevated infla-
tion and labor market
shortages.
Business disruption
resulting from the
spread of the new vari-
ant could prevent sup-
ply chain stresses from
easing, dampening
productive capacity
and stoking further
cost pressures in sec-
tors with exposure to
global supply chains.
—PTI
New Delhi: India’s
power consumption
grew by 3.6% in No-
vember to 100.42 billion
units (BU), showing
consistent recovery for
the second month in a
row, according to Pow-
er Ministry data.
The country’s power
consumption had
grown by 3.9% in Octo-
ber this year to 113.40
BU compared to 109.17
BU in the same month
last year.
Last year in Novem-
ber, power consump-
tion stood at 96.88 BU
and in the same month
in 2019, it was at 93.94
BU.
During November,
the peak power demand
met or the highest sup-
ply in a day stood at
166.19 GW, higher than
160.77 GW in the same
month last year.
The data shows that
there is recovery in
power consumption as
well as demand in No-
vember.
Experts said the re-
covery in power de-
mand as well as con-
sumption would in-
crease further with
government’s efforts to
scale up coal supplies
at plants and improve-
ment in economic ac-
tivities following the
lifting of lockdown re-
strictions by states.
—PTI
Powerconsumptionrises3.6%to100.42bnunitsinNov
Sensex rebounds 620
points; Nifty above 17,100
Mumbai: Equity benchmark Sensex rebounded 620 points on Wednesday,
boosted by gains in index majors Reliance Industries, Maruti and SBI
amid a positive trend in global markets. The 30-share index ended 619.92
points or 1.09% higher at 57,684.79. Similarly, the NSE Nifty surged
183.70 points or 1.08% to close at 17,166.90. IndusInd Bank was the top
g a i n e r in the Sensex pack, rising nearly 6%, followed
by Axis Bank, SBI, Maruti, Tech Mahindra and
Reliance Industries. On the other hand, Dr.
Reddy’s, UltraTech Cement, Sun Pharma, Bharti
Airtel and Titan were among the lag-
gards. Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in
H o n g Kong, Shanghai,
Seoul and Tokyo
ended with gains.
Stock exchanges in
Europe too were trading
on a positive note in mid-
session deals. —PTI
Mumbai: The rupee gained 22 paise to close at 74.91 (provisional) against
the US dollar on Wednesday as positive domestic
equities and a weak American currency
in the overseas markets boosted
investor sentiment. At the
interbank forex market, the
domestic unit opened at
74.96 against the greenback
and witnessed an intra-day
high of 74.79 and a low of
75.02 during the day’s trade. It
finally ended at 74.91 a dollar.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which
gauges the greenback’s strength
against a basket of six currencies,
declined 0.03% to 95.96. Brent crude
futures, the global oil benchmark,
jumped 4.75% to $72.52 per barrel.
—PTI
` gains 22 paise to end at
`74.91 against $
Kong, Shanghai,
Seoul and Tokyo
ended with gains.
Stock exchanges in
session deals.
g a i n e r in the Sensex pack, rising nearly 6%, followed
H o n g
Stock exchanges in
session deals.
The rupee gained 22 paise to close at 74.91 (provisional) against
investor sentiment. At the
interbank forex market, the
and witnessed an intra-day
high of 74.79 and a low of
—PTI
IN 17+ COUNTRIES
TRENDS IN GST COLLECTION (IN ` CR)

07
NEWS
New Delhi: Delhi Wa-
ter Minister Satyendar
Jain on Wednesday di-
rected officials to use
modern technology
and upgrade all sew-
age treatment plants
(STPs) and biogas
plants in the city with-
in 12 to 15 months.
In a meeting focused
on upgrading all such
plants of the Delhi Jal
Board (DJB), it was de-
cided that ‘STP-treated
water’ would be sup-
plied to farmhouses in
areas such as Satbari,
Sultanpur and Jaun-
pur where groundwa-
ter is extracted for hor-
ticultural needs.
About the tariff mod-
el, the DJB has decided
to charge Rs 5,000 per
acre each month from
the consumer apart
from a one-time infra-
structure cost of Rs
10,000 per acre, a state-
ment said.
‘’It is expected that
more than 15 million
gallons per day of wa-
ter would be supplied
to farmhouses so that
tubewells could be
closed and precious
groundwater could be
saved,’’ it added.
Jain instructed the
officials to upgrade all
STPs and sludge bi-
ogas plants using
state-of-the-art tech-
nology instead of the
conventional one,
which he claimed
takes four to five years.
‘’In the new method
of upgradation, exist-
ing plants will be re-
vived according to the
latest standards with-
out additional civil
work, without tree cut-
ting and with minimal
effect to the neigh-
bourhood.
‘’Incentives will be
provided for the usage
of energy-efficient
equipment in these
STPs. The DJB should
try to achieve comple-
tion of all these works
at least six months be-
fore actual deadlines
set for ‘Clean Yamu-
na’,’’ said a statement
quoting Jain, who is
also the chairman of
DJB. He also directed
the officials to upgrade
all the 20 biogas plants
and make them fully
functional within one
year so that they could
handle sludge from
STPs, septage from
septic tanks, cow dung
from dairies and mu-
nicipal solid waste.
—PTI
First India Bureau
Vadodara: Young lead-
ers from across the
world visited Vadodara
as part of Gen-Next De-
mocracy Network pro-
gramme hosted by the
Indian Council for Cul-
tural Exchange (ICCR).
The delegation visited
Maharaja Sayajirao
University of Baroda‘s
(MSU) Faculty of Per-
forming Arts for an en-
riching experience of
the country’s rich cul-
ture. The highlight of
the evening was a drum
performance by Rhoda
Crawford, youngest
member of parliament
from Jamaica.
Delegates from Bhu-
tan, Jamaica, Malaysia,
Poland, Sri Lanka, Swe-
den, Tanzania and Uz-
bekistan are in India to
witness the functioning
of Indian democracy
and culture by visiting
different states and cit-
ies.
“It is an effort to
spread the knowledge
about India’s democra-
cy and culture to other
countries through this
delegation. After visit-
ing Delhi, Agra, Luc-
know and Varanasi, the
delegation has been in
Gujarat since Novem-
ber 28. They visited the
historical Faculty of
Performing Arts on No-
vember 30 and experi-
enced our rich culture
and heritage. This is
their first visit here and
we are privileged to
welcome them,” said Ji-
gar Inamdar, Regional
Director, ICCR. After
her performance, Ja-
maica MP Rhonda
Crawford said, “I en-
joyed the cultural pro-
gramme at the Faculty
of Performing Arts.”
First India Bureau
New Delhi: Chief Elec-
tion Commissioner
(CEC) of India ad-
dressed a virtual semi-
nar on “Story of World’s
Largest Democracy’s
Election” on Tuesday
and mentioned that the
election commission of
India (ECI) sets up poll-
ing booths within walk-
ing distances with the
aim of ‘No Voter to be
Left Behind’.
The election commis-
sion of India, the High
Commission of India,
Pretoria; Consulate
General of India, Jo-
hannesburg and Elec-
toral Commission of
South Africa, partici-
pated in the said semi-
nar, along with 50 par-
ticipants from the Indi-
an diaspora, academi-
cians and students from
different universities in
South Africa, informed
election commission of
India in a statement.
A short film titled
‘Making of Indian Con-
stitution’ to commemo-
rate Constitution Day
was also screened dur-
ing the webinar on
Tuesday
.
As mentioned by the
election commission in
a statement, Chief Elec-
tion Commissioner of
India Sushil Chandra
stated that conducting
elections in India is a
mammoth task with
over 937 million regis-
tered electors in the
country by now.
While sharing the ex-
perience of conducting
elections in six states
amid the pandemic,
Chandra mentioned
several initiatives
adapted to ensure
smooth conduct of elec-
tions despite challenges
posed. He highlighted
curtailing the maxi-
mum number of voters
at a polling station from
1500 to 1000 and extend-
ing polling hours by an
hour in order to decon-
gest polling spaces;
postal ballot facility for
80+ senior citizens,
PwDs and COVID af-
fected individuals
where ECI literally
brought the polling sta-
tion to the doorstep. In-
sight on women’ partici-
pation also provided.
Kannauj: A case was
registered against Face-
book CEO Mark Zucker-
berg and 49 others on
the order of a court in
Kannauj district of Ut-
tar Pradesh over an al-
leged defamatory post
against Samajwadi Par-
ty chief Akhilesh Ya-
dav, police said on Tues-
day
.
A senior district po-
lice official, however,
said, “During the
course of investigation
Zuckerberg’s name was
dropped, while investi-
gation is being carried
out against the admin-
istrator of the (Face-
book) page.”
Chief Judicial Magis-
trate Dharamveer Sin-
gh on Monday directed
the police to lodge the
case on the complaint
of Amit Kumar, a resi-
dent of Sarahati vil-
lage. Following the
court order, a case was
registered at Thatia po-
lice station, SHO Pray-
ag Narayan Bajpayee
said. In his application
before the court, Amit
Kumar had said that on
the Facebook page by
the name of ‘Bua
Babua’, an attempt to
tarnish the image of SP
chief Akhilesh Yadav
was made. The term
“Bua Babua” was
coined when BSP chief
Mayawati and Akhilesh
Yadav had entered into
an alliance in the 2019
parliamentary election.
—PTI
New Delhi: In continu-
ation of the celebration
of Azadi Ka Digital Ma-
hotsav week from No-
vember 29 to December
5, Tuesday witnessed
insightful discussions
on the use of emerging
technologies like AI,
Blockchain, drone and
geospace.
Driven by the Prime
Minister’s vision of an
AatmaNirbhar Bharat,
Digital India is paving
the way forward to fulfil
the PM’s vision of a ris-
ing new India, where
technology has the pow-
er to unleash the vast
potential of our citi-
zens, and improve their
lives, bringing in trans-
parency and inclusive
development.
Abhishek Singh,
President CEO,
NeGD, highlighted the
importance and role of
emerging technologies
for digital transforma-
tional and effective im-
plementation of Digital
India initiatives for so-
cial benefit.
He also enumerated
various activities on
emerging technologies
undertaken by the gov-
ernment, industry and
academia.
Neeta Verma (DG,
NIC) talked about the
significance and poten-
tial of Artificial Intelli-
gence (AI) and how it
can bring “true social
empowerment” by over-
coming literacy and
language barriers in
India.
“AI has immense pos-
sibilities and huge po-
tential. During the
COVID-19 pandemic,
when government offi-
cials were not available,
we made chatbots using
AI for anyone to pro-
cure the required infor-
mation,” said Dr Neeta
Verma.
She said that there
are around 20-30 crore
people in India who ei-
ther do not have smart-
phones or are facing
language and literacy
barriers to use the tech-
nology
.
AI emerges as solution to literacy barrier in India
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
Experts discuss use of emerging
technologies such as AI and Blockchain
during Azadi Ka Digital Mahotsav
FUN TIME FOR TOURISTS
Tourists seen enjoying the snow-capped mountains near Granphu, in Lahaul and Spiti on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY ANI
Jamaican MP Rhonda Crawford during her drum solo performance.
Foreign delegates
visit MSU Faculty of
Performing Arts
Case registered against
Zuckerberg over FB
post against Akhilesh
GST dept uncovers bogus bills scam worth `5,000 cr
First India Bureau
Surat:: The Goods and
Services Tax (GST) was
introduced to make
lives of traders easier
but, an investigative
team has uncovered
fraudof fakebillsworth
Rs5,000 crore to evade
tax in the past two
years.
Small traders in-
volved in textile, dia-
mond and chemical in-
dustries have been tak-
ing advantage of loop-
holes in the GST system
for tax evasion. The in-
vestigation wing of the
GST department has
discovered that with the
help of fake bills, trad-
ers have claimed more
than Rs500 crore of in-
put tax. Officials have
managed to recover
Rs125 crore from the to-
tal amount so far. The
department has nabbed
bogus bills worth
Rs3,500 crore in the
year 2020-21 and Rs1,500
crore in the present
year.
Traders who sold bo-
gus bills to others by
forming dummy ven-
tures earned 2% com-
mission. On investiga-
tion, officials found that
they had used IDs and
address proofs of la-
bourers by giving them
a small amount of mon-
ey
. They used those bills
to claim input credit
from the government.
Delhi minister asks officials to
upgrade STPs, biogas plants
Satyendar Jain says it will also help reduce the burden on
existing network for supply of electricity and gas
Incentives will be
provided for the usage
of energy-efficient
equipment in these STPs. The
DJB should try to achieve
completion of all these works
at least six months before ac-
tual deadlines set for ‘Clean
Yamuna’.
—Satyendar Jain,
Delhi Water Minister
Commission sets up polling
booths for voters within
walking distances, says CEC
Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra addresses the
virtual seminar in New Delhi.
CEC addresses virtual
meet on ‘Story of
World’s Largest
Democracy’s Election’

08
2NDFRONT
New Delhi: Prime
Minister Narendra
Modi on Wednesday
greeted the Border Se-
curity force (BSF)
Troopers on their 57th
raising day and said
BSF is widely respect-
ed for its courage and
professionalism.
In his message on
Twitter, Prime Minis-
ter said, “On their
Raising Day, greetings
to the @BSF_India
family. BSF is widely
respected for its cour-
age and professional-
ism. The force makes
a significant contribu-
tion towards securing
India and is also at the
forefront of many hu-
manitarian efforts in
times of crisis and ca-
lamities.”
Union Home Minis-
ter Amit Shah said
BSF is an excellent ex-
ample of might, cour-
age and dedication.
“@BSF_India is an
excellent example of
might, courage and
dedication. Today, on
the 57th Raising Day
of BSF, I convey my
best wishes to all the
brave guards of the
country’s first line of
defense and their
families. The whole
country is proud
of your valor and sac-
rifice to protect
the motherland even
in difficult
circumstances” he
tweeted.
Defence Minister
Rajnath Singh also
greeted the security
force and said, “The
BSF plays a significant
role in securing In-
dia’s borders”.
“On their Raising
Day, greetings to @
BSF_India personnel
and their families. The
BSF plays a significant
role in securing In-
dia’s borders. It has
exhibited exemplary
courage on several oc-
casions and made sac-
rifices in the line of
duty. India is proud of
their valiant efforts,”
he tweeted. —AGENCIES
PM greets BSF personnel
ontheirRaising Day
AMIT SHAH
@AmitShah
@BSF_India is an excellent
example of might, courage
and dedication. Today,
on the 57th Raising Day
of BSF, I convey my best
wishes to all the brave
guards of the country’s
first line of defense and
their families. The whole
country is proud of your
valor and sacrifice to pro-
tect the motherland even
in difficult circumstances.
RAJNATH SINGH
@rajnathsingh
On their Raising
Day, greetings to @
BSF_India personnel
and their families. The
BSF plays a signifi-
cant role in securing
India’s borders. It has
exhibited exemplary
courage on several
occasions and made
sacrifices in the line
of duty. India is proud
of their valiant efforts.
PM Modi: Greetings to BSF troopers
on their 57th raising day, BSF is
widely respected for its courage and
professionalism across the globe
DELHI DELINQUENCY WITH STERN HAND,
SOCIETY LOSING FAITH: DELHI HC
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said
society is losing faith in the system due to delinquency
which has to be dealt with a stern hand. The high
court, which was dealing with appeals against
conviction and life sentences of an accused
in a murder case, said safety is paramount for
people to lead a good, dignified life and even
if one life is lost, it is an irreparable loss of the
nation. A bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul
and Anup Jairam Bhambhani dismissed the appeals in the case
in which the two accused had murdered a 25-year-old factory
worker while robbing him of his mobile phone. The bench said,
“Before parting with the case, it would be trite to note that the
present is an extremely unfortunate case where a young boy,
who worked hard in order to make ends meet, tragically lost
his life because of the menace created by the delinquents of
society.” “Owing to delinquency, society is losing faith in the
system. Thus offenders need to be dealt with a stern hand. —PTI
DELHI HC PULLS UP AUTHORITIES OVER
FAILURE TO CONTROL DENGUE MENACE
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday remarked
“Administrators are not administering, policies are
being made only in a populist way, that’s what is
happening,” while expressing its displeasure
over the failure of authorities to control the
menace of dengue in the city. A bench of
Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh
further remarked, Justice Sanghi added,
“If only elections were fought and won on these issues, real
issues, we would have a different city. It doesn’t work that way.
Today they are being fought on what is free.” The bench was was
dealing with a petition filed by South Delhi Municipal Corporation
assailing the Delhi Government’s decision directing retrospective
recovery of grants in aid on the SDMC and other local bodies
with effect from 01.04.2016 as being arbitrary and void. The
development came after Advocate Sanjeev Sagar appearing for
the SDMC apprised the Court that in terms of the earlier order, a
meeting was held to identify fresh measures. —AGENCIES
Efforts intensified to enhance
coal production supply: Joshi
Bhubaneswar: There
is no shortage of coal in
the country. Due to in-
creased demand of pow-
er, less power genera-
tion by imported coal
based power plants and
some interruption in
supply of coal due to
heavy rains, the coal
stock at the power
plants depleted to 7.2
MT (sufficient for 4
days) as on 8th October,
2021, Union Minister of
Coal Pralhad Joshi stat-
ed in a written reply in
Lok Sabha on Wednes-
day
.
“Subsequently with
increased coal supplies,
the coal stock has start-
ed increasing and has
now reached 16.74 MT
(sufficient for 9 days) as
on 25.11.2021. Coal India
Limited has dispatched
around 54 MT more coal
during Apr– Oct’21 in
comparison to the last
year,” Joshi’s said.
Union Minister of Coal Pralhad Joshi. —FILE PHOTO
‘Secular regimes did
nothing to highlight the
significance of Vedas’
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Uttar
Pradesh CM Yogi Adi-
tyanath on Wednes-
day said that none of
the previous govts in
Uttar Pradesh had the
courage to construct
Ram Temple in Ayod-
hya and present the
real value and impor-
tance of the Vedas to
the world.
“The world has
been mislead and pre-
sented distorted and
incorrect information
about the Vedas and
the our previous gov-
ernment did nothing
to correct this as they
were secular,” he said
adding that this yagya
is completely based on
the science of Vedas.
He said it was Mahari-
shi Mahesh Yogi, who
took up cudgels and
spread the true spirit
and significance of
the Vedas. “He spread
the importance of Ve-
dic period in the world
especially in Europe-
an, African, Ameri-
can countries and ex-
posed the importance
of Indian culture and
Vedas in the world,”
the CM said adding
that he too had got an
opportunity to com-
municate with Maha-
rishi Mahesh Yogi.
He was speaking at
the concluding pro-
gram of Shri Vishnu
Sarv Adhubut Shanti
Mahayagya organized
by Maharishi Veda Vi-
gyan Vidyapeeth and
MaharishiRamayana
Seva Nyas in Ayod-
hya.
The UP CM said
that every person
of the country
feels proud to be as-
s o c i a t e d
w i t h
Ayodhya. “The king
of Thailand consid-
ers himself a de-
scendant of Lord Shri
Ram. The tradition of
Laos also connects it-
self with India. The
entire tradition of
Cambodia is influ-
enced by Indianism.
Sri Lanka’s Ramlila
team also came in the
‘Deepotsav’ of the
year 2021. Also, the
Ambassador of Sri
Lanka brought the
rock of Ashoka Vati-
ka to be donated for
the construction of
Shri Ram temple. The
whole world is con-
necting with Ayod-
hya,” he said.
The yagya was
started in November.
The UP CM paid flo-
ral tribute to Mahari-
shi Mahesh Yogi. A
short film based on
the life of Maharishi
Mahesh Yogi was also
screened.
UP TET EXAM CONTROLLER
ARRESTED BY STF
Lucknow: The UP Special Task Force (STF)
has arrested suspended UP TET Examination
Controller Sanjay Upadhyay over the leak of
the question paper of Teachers Eligibility Test
(TET) 2021. Initial investigations have revealed,
police sources say, that Upadhyay failed to
secure the privacy of the examination process.
Earlier, the STF had arrested Rai Anup Prasad,
director of RSM Finserve Limited, the agency
responsible for printing the question papers,
from New Delhi. The work orders for printing
of examination papers were passed by Sanjay
Upadhyay. Earlier UP CM Yogi Adityanath
ordered stern action against the culprits
involved in the paper leak. The STF has arrested
more than 40 suspects in the matter so far.
Rakesh Ranjan
New Delhi: NDMC
chairman Dharmen-
dra, a 1989 batch IAS
officer, is seen to have
the superior experi-
ence to his competitors
for post of Delhi chief
secretary that will fall
vacant in January 2022
when Vijay Kumar Dev
may take VRS in prepa-
ration for his new as-
signment as election
commissioner of Gov-
ernment of NCT of
Delhi in April 2022.
Dharmendra is said
to have all the right
qualifications for CS
job. He has served in
Ministry of Housing
Urban Affairs and as
the incumbent chair-
person of NDMC, he
has gathered the skills
to handle affairs of the
Capital. He has also
earned goodwill by his
quiet competent way
of doing his job without
causing any controver-
sy
.
Dharmendra could
have been the sole
choice if luck had not
thrown a spanner by an
unpredictable turn of
events. The Mizoram
state government
wants the recently-ap-
pointed 1988-batch AG-
MUT cadre officer
Renu Sharma, who was
not too long ago ap-
pointed the state CS,
replaced by an officer
who knows the Mizo
language. Of course,
the Mizoram govern-
ment’s move is seen as
curious if not highly
objectionable. Howev-
er, the central govern-
ment, not to be seen as
insensitive to an ‘ordi-
nary’ demand of the
Mizoram government,
may accede to the state
CM’s request.
So, when Sharma re-
turns, Central govern-
ment may be under
compulsion to find her
a respectable slot befit-
ting her CS stature.
That’s how she has
entered selection scene
of a new CS for Delhi.
She is said to have, like
Dharmendra, gathered
creditable experience
for handling Delhi’s af-
fairs from her previous
posting as Principal
Secretary of Finance
Urban Development.
Interestingly ,
Arunachal Pradesh CS
Naresh Kumar is also
an aspirant for the job.
However, his prolonged
dispute with a
1985-batch IAS officer
and several com-
plaints, including
anonymous and frivo-
lous ones, may ruin his
chances.
Government has a
lot of other choices as
well. Manoj Kumar
Parida (1986 batch IAS),
Satya Gopal (1988), and
ACS (Urban Develop-
ment) Pravin Kumar
Gupta (1989) are also in
the reckoning but the
short residual service
of Parida and Satya Go-
pal may neutralise
their chances. Parida
and Gopal are slated to
retire in February and
July 2022.
Since the period of
residual service does
matter in considera-
tion for top posts, Nar-
esh Kumar and P K
Gupta, scheduled to
retire in November
2023 and January 2024
do qualify for consid-
eration on this count.
Dharmendra has long-
est residual service till
September 2025 while
Renu Sharma will re-
main in service till Oc-
tober 2024.
Even though a few
others too may have
chances for considera-
tion, they are way too
junior to be taken seri-
ously as real aspirants.
Even the ruling AAP
leadership is awaiting
the Centre’s decision
for this top position.
The reason is obvious
as chief minister
Arvind Kejriwal may
not be in a mood to hurt
his cause of emerging
as a PM contender.
Next Delhi Chief Secretary: Choices obvious yet not limited
HIGHCOMMAND‘EMPOWERS’RAJ CMGEHLOT
IN BID AGAINST INFLATION AND UNION GOVT!
First India Bureau
Jaipur: With Ra-
jasthan CM Ashok Ge-
hlot publicly endorsing
that it is the high com-
mand’s word that
‘moves’ the Congress
party as he himself
handed the entire pow-
ers to the high com-
mand decide on the im-
portant cabinet rejig
issue of his cabinet and
did not intervene in
high command’s deci-
sion, now it seems that
the high command, im-
pressed with Gehlot’s
long standing loyalty
towards it, has decided
to let Gehlot run the
show for its ‘mega-ral-
ly’ to be held on Decem-
ber 12.
The Congress’s mega
rally against rising in-
flation in the country
will now be held in
Jaipur instead of New
Delhi’s Ramlila
Ground on December
12. Displaying com-
plete confidence in Ge-
hlot’s administrative
abilities the Congress
high command has
placed its trust in him
to make the rally a me-
ga-success and there-
fore Congress general
secretary KC Venugo-
pal and Rajasthan in-
charge Ajay Maken
will come to Jaipur on
December 3, Friday for
making preparations
for the rally.
Notably, Gehlot,
Maken and Dotasara
held a meeting on
Wednesday morning
wherein Raj CM Gehlot
had put the proposal in
front of the high com-
mand to hold the rally
in Jaipur to which the
party high command
gave its immediate as-
sent and approved Ge-
hlot’s proposal. It has
been learnt that party
president Sonia Gan-
dhi and former presi-
dent Rahul Gandhi will
attend the rally. The All
India Congress Com-
mittee has announced
a ‘mehangai hatao ral-
ly’ on December 12
against the rising infla-
tion in the country and
the alleged failure of
the Centre to bring
down the skyrocketing
prices of the commodi-
ties needed by the com-
mon people.
Raj CM Ashok Gehlot
UP CM Yogi Adityanath
Let us do our bit to make the
world pollution free - not for
ourselves but at least for the
coming generations.
—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO Editor-in-Chief, First India

This Throwback
Thursday, City
First brings you a
classic- The Sound of
Music! Watch this
movie to understand
that music is beyond the
borders of language –
music is the expression of
love, togetherness, and the
human spirit- drown today in
the heartwarming sound of music.
THE SOUND
OF MUSIC
his is a tough one! What
do I love about ‘The
Sound of Music’ – EVE-
RYTHING!
The music is incom-
parable, the story
heart-warming (and
true), the direction and charac-
terisations are close to excellent
… I want nothing more!
The Sound of Music, released
in 1965 still holds the position as
one of the best musicals ever
made. Watch it today and you
will be transported to Salzburg
and if you allow, it will gently
draw the curtains of your sad-
ness aside and fill your heart
with joy and faith in human-
kind! There is a simplicity, a
spirituality to the movie which
enthralls you and it is gay,
makes you laugh and hum! The
songs will grow on you over the
years…
Julie Andrews as Maria is
simply phenomenal, she is not
conventionally beautiful but
brings charm, verve, and
strength, to her role as the pos-
tulant at a convent, then the
governess to the seven mother-
less children of the Baron, and
finally as the Baroness!
Plummer fits into the role of
the Baron perfectly and the chil-
dren are super cute as they try
to scare their governess away
and then fall in love with her,
parading in identical clothes!
Based on the true story
of the Von Trapps, the movie
gives us many glimpses –
of life in a convent, Life in
Nazi-Austria, love and relation-
ships and more- all set to a
musical mood!
‘Confidence in me’ with a pep-
py Julie and the spectacular all-
time “Do-Re-Mi,” which is more
than just a song – it is time-lapse
with a captivating conclusion!
‘These are a few of my fa-
vorite things’ is doable togeth-
er while ‘Sixteen going on Sev-
enteen’ was my favorite song
when … well... when I was Six-
teen going on Seventeen!! The
yodeling number, “The Lonely
Goatherd,” is delightful as the
puppet number and I love the
charming roundelay “Good
Night,” where the children
chant their farewells for the
evening and especially in the
climax! The nuns singing
‘what shall we do about Maria’
is cute!
Watch it today to under-
stand that music is beyond
language and borders and the
human spirit cannot be caged
and love knows no class…
ANITA HADA
anita.hada@firstindianews.com
T
NEW DELHI, THURSDAY
DECEMBER 2, 2021
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia
facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia 09

10
ETC
F
A
C
E
O
F
T
H
E
D
A
Y
VISHNUPRIYA, ACTOR
LEO
JULY 24 - AUGUST 23
Someone close may pay
you a visit and brighten
your day .You will get the
opportunity to acquire new
property at a good price. Health may
become a concern. Think twice before
investing in anything big. A healthy is
likely to open up your mind to the
possibilities in your field at work.
LIBRA
SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22
Praise of a family member
will make you proud.
Getting unwell due to
changing weather cannot
be ruled out. You may need to
monitor your finances closely. You
may win the day on the professional
front by your original ideas. Keep
options open on investment front.
ARIES
MAR 21 - APR 20
Joining an online exercise
routine will prove
beneficial. A new plot or
apartment can be acquired
by some.Be more assertive in dealing
with workplace issues, otherwise you
can be taken for granted by others.
Those trying to boost income may
figure out newer ways.
SAGITTARIUS
NOV 23 - DEC 22
You may find it difficult to
convince a family member
regarding something you
want to achieve. Clarity of
mind and retentive power will help you
forge ahead on the academic front.
Some of you can safely say goodbye to
depression, as positivity enters your
life once again.
GEMINI
MAY 21 - JUNE 21
It will be in your interest to
speed up a financial
transaction. Positive steps
should be taken to restore
health. You will come out with flying
colours in a competitive situation on
the academic front. Appreciation for
the work done on the professional
front is in the pipeline for some.
AQUARIUS
JAN 21 - FEB 19
A new health routine may
start giving health benefits
right away. You gel well with
a new acquaintance.
Opportunities to further your career
will come only if you make efforts.
Self-discipline may help you achieve
peak physical fitness. Financial scene is
likely to stabilise.
TAURUS
APR 21 - MAY 20
Taking up a regular fitness
routine will help you get
into shape. Your initiative
will help mend fences with
someone you were not in talking
terms. Academic pursuits will be
fruitful. Increase in household
expenditure is possible, so take all
steps to cut it down.
CAPRICORN
DEC 23 - JAN 20
Your performance may
leave you feeling good
today on professional or
academic front. A diet plan
adopted recently will suit your
system well. Maintain confidentiality
regarding a property deal being
negotiated by you. A chance for an
outing with lover finally arrives.
VIRGO
AUG 24 - SEP 23
Do not misunderstand the
motives of someone trying
to help you. A friendly bet
with a friend or a colleague
may turn into a fight, so be careful.
Will power, will be your key to remain
in shape. An exciting time lies ahead
as travelling with friends is foreseen.
You are set to grow professionally.
CANCER
JUNE 22 - JULY 23
Your efforts at work will be
richly rewarded by getting
noticed by those who
matter. Getting quality time
at home will help in focussing on
activities that appeal to you. A
balanced diet will be the first step in
achieving good health, so stick to it.
Help people out as much as you can.
PISCES
FEB20 - MARCH 20
Things may move
favourably on the
professional front. Health
may become a concern.
You will need to muster all your
persuasive powers to swing a deal in
your favour. Good negotiating skills
may bring a lucrative deal within your
grasp on the professional front.
SCORPIO
OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22
You may feel the home
environment serene. There
is a fair chance of some
property getting allotted to
you. Good opportunities are likely to
appear on the academic front. Good
health is assured through own
efforts. A healthy bank balance will
allow you to buy a major item.
YOUR
DAY
Horoscope by
Saurabbh Sachdeva
EF’s 2020 Global
Gender Gap Index
figures indicate that
just 25% of women
formally engage in
India’s labour mar-
ket, compared with
82% of men. This is one of
the lowest workforce partici-
pation rates in the world for
women, ranking India 145th
out of 153 countries. Is it a
coincidence?
In our country where near-
ly half of the population is
female, the contribution of
the female workforce in the
total GDP is only 17 per cent
which is one of the lowest in
the world. This is not satisfac-
tory as well.
Despite so many women
empowerment programs,
women leaders are rarely
seen. Their number is far
lesser than men. Today, wom-
en are educated and prefer
financial independence,
which is good for them, their
families, and also for the
growth and development of
the whole nation. There is
another side of this story too.
Working and going outside
requires a lot of sacrifice for
a woman. Sometimes she has
to leave her family and go to
other places for establishing
her career. It is very difficult
for a woman to stay away
from her family, leaving be-
hind all her duties and re-
sponsibilities, especially her
children. Women are natural
caregivers.
They aren’t involved in
any competition with men
for equal status in a patriar-
chal society. They need spe-
cial care and support. A
woman is the foundation of a
family. If she is disturbed
then the whole family gets
disturbed. A working woman
rarely gets the full support of
her family and this society
. In
such a case, she and her chil-
dren are worst affected.
As per article 3 of our consti-
tution - Children’s interests
should be at the forefront
of all decisions that affect
them in every situation.
Children are the future of
our country
.
Women are not equal to
men, they are much more
than this baseless compari-
son. They are entrusted with
a highly significant duty and
powerful mission in life-
motherhood. Men and wom-
en are genetically different.
Not only genetically but they
are different biologically,
mentally, emotionally, physi-
ologically, and psychologi-
cally
. Both genders are equal-
ly important and play a sig-
nificant role in the growth
and development of our so-
cial-economic structure. Of-
ten the needs of women are
underestimated and remain
unfulfilled. If a woman is in
a positive state of mind then
only future generations will
be healthier, physically, men-
tally, and emotionally. A
woman is a foundation for
the formulation of sensible
society
. In our culture, we put
mother as equivalent to God.
If we continue exploiting
women, we are paving the
path of destruction, by mak-
ing the entire generation ab-
normal, unhealthy, and dys-
functional.
The policies and infra-
structure at present are not
conducive for a woman to
grow and perform her full
potential. It’s a social mental-
ity of underestimating the
need of women. They carry
the burden of being a woman
in a harsh society where
their needs are never consid-
ered important.
Policies in favour of the
working women should be
formulated along with pro-
viding her adequate infra-
structure. We need this para-
digm shift towards women.
Positive changes must be in-
troduced to improve the pre-
sent position of women in
our society. We can bring
positive changes if we are de-
termined for our progress
and growth. Remember- A
person with courage is a ma-
jority. This change is not
about gender equality. This
change is not about taking
advantage of being a woman.
This change is not to chal-
lenge someone’s decision.
This change is all about
strengthening the roots of a
woman in society so that she
can get what she deserves. A
woman is the foundation of a
house. She makes innumer-
able sacrifices for the sake of
her family and society. This
change is all about minimiz-
ing her obstacles so that she
can grow in her career as
well as take care of her fam-
ily and children.
The need is to understand
women and provide them
full support. Her family can
support her with their un-
conditional love. Our society
can support her by provid-
ing a healthy and unbiased
atmosphere to grow and de-
velop. The government can
support her by formulating
women-centric policies and
proper infrastructure for
her to spread her wings and
soar high.
W
ESHITA SINGH
MANAGER, STATE BANK OF INDIA

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