06012024_First India Newspaper Jaipur.pdf

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02
16days
to go
RamAayenge
RamAayenge
On the auspicious
occasion of the
consecration of Lord Shri
Ram, the entire country,
along with Ayodhya, is
celebrating. This welcome
bhajan of Jubin Nautiyal
ji, Payal Dev ji and Manoj
Muntashir ji, filled with
devotion to Ram Lala, is
heart-touching
#ShriRamBhajan.
NARENDRA MODI, PRIME MINISTER
AYODHYA RAM
TEMPLE TRIVIA
The Mughal ruler had written in his decree, “The Babri Masjid, built at the place
where Hindu God Ramchandra ji was born, should be happily handed over to
the Hindus because this is the biggest root of Hindu-Muslim harmony”
British scuttled
alleffortsbyIndianstoliberateRamJanmabhoomi
close look at Indian His-
tory will show that be-
tween 1847 and 1857,
Nawab Wajid Ali Shah
made efforts to end the
contentious issue of the
disputed site of Ayodhya
and had even formed a
three-member committee comprising
one Muslim, one Hindu, and one mem-
ber of the East India Company.
According to this committee’s brief
on the said site, “Mir Baqi had con-
structed it by demolishing some build-
ings because it is clearly written on it
that it is the place of descent of angels.
The site also contains debris from build-
ings. Baba Ramcharan Das, the Mahant
of Hanuman Garhi, along with his Mus-
limfriendAmirAli,hadledthefreedom
fighters against the British. Baba Ram
Charan Das had taken an oath in the
Badshahi Mosque to hand over the Shri
Ram Janmabhoomi land to the Hindus
with the general consent of the Muslims
and had also administered this oath to
the Muslims of the entire Awadh.
THE BRITISH ROLE
In 1857, Amir Ali and Bahadur Shah
Zafar issued a decree according to
which, “The Babri Masjid, built at the
place where Hindu God Ramchandra Ji
was born, should be happily handed
over to the Hindus because this is the
biggestrootofHindu-Muslimharmony.
On page 36 of the Sultanpur Gazet-
teer, Colonel Martin wrote, “The news
of giving back the Babri Masjid of
Ayodhya to the Hindus spread panic
among us (the British) and it began to
feel that the British would be elimi-
nated from India.” After the failed
revolution, the British hanged Amir
Ali and Baba Ram Charan Das on the
tamarind tree in Kuber Tila in front of
thousands of Hindus and Muslims on
March 18, 1858. In this context, Mar-
tin further writes, “After which, the
back of the rebels in Faizabad was bro-
ken and our authority became domi-
nant in the entire Faizabad district. In
this way, the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri
Masjid dispute came to an end.”
Litterateur Amritlal Nagar has also
mentioned in his book “Gadar Ke
Phool” that had the freedom struggle of
1857 been successfully fought under
the leadership of Mahant Ramcharan
Das, the Mahant of the fort-like Garhi
guarded by 24 cannons, then the Mus-
lims ofAwadh would have demolished
the disputed Babri Masjid with their
own hands and handed over the entire
land of Ramkot locality to the Hindus
for the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple.
MUGHAL WRITERS ALSO
MENTION ABOUT RAM TEMPLE
Abul Fazal described the site as the
residence of Lord Ram inAkbarnama/
Aina-e-Akbari in 1598AD.According
to pages 4 to 7 of the book Hadiqa-e-
Shahda, published from Lucknow in
1856, the mosques of Mathura-Ba-
naras-Awadh were built by demolish-
ing the temples. In 1878AD, Haji Mo-
hammad Hasan, on pages 38–39 of his
book Zia-e-Akhtar, also described the
demolition of Raja Ramchandra’s pal-
ace and Sita’s kitchen. According to
Maulvi Abdul Karim’s book Gulgaste
Halat-e-Ayodhya Avadh, in 1885 AD,
after demolishing the birthplace and
Sita Rasoi buildings, Emperor Babar
built a mosque at that place.According
to Allama Mohd Janmulgani Khan
Rampuri’s book Tarikhe-e-Awadh
(1909), Babar built a mosque by de-
molishing the birthplace.
OTHER HISTORICAL
EVIDENCES
In 1785 AD, Jesuit priest Joseph Tie-
fenthaler of Australia, who lived in
Awadh from 1766 to 1771 on pages
252-254 of his book, mentions the
demolition of a fort called Ram Kot
and the subsequent building of a three-
domed mosque there. His book was
translated by Sher Singh, IAS.
According to the Encyclopedia of
the India-Surgeon General Edward
Welfare (1858), there is also a mention
of the construction of mosques on at
least three holy places of Hindus, in-
cluding Ram Janmabhoomi.
Similarly, the Faizabad Settlement
Report of 1880AD also mentioned that
Babur was said to have built the
mosque by demolishing the structure
at the Ram Janmabhoomi in 1528.
The Imperial Gazetteer of Faizabad
of 1881 also mentions the construction
of three mosques by Muslims, which
are in the Janmabhoomi, Treta Thakur,
and Swarg Dwar areas. Similarly, even
the Faizabad Gazetteer (1928 AD) by
HR Nevill mentions on page 155 that
Babar stayed in Ayodhya for 7 days in
1525, demolishing ancient temples and
building a mosque.Areport in the Bara-
banki District Gazetteer of 1902 by HR
Nevill also mentioned the Janmabhoo-
mi and accepted the dispute around it.
MENTION FOUND OF
KILLING OF 10,000 HINDUS
IN ONE ASSAULT
Muslim poets and scholars have ac-
cepted the idea of the Ram temple at
the disputed site, and on pages 623-630
of “Aurangzeb Alamgir”, it is clearly
written in detail about Ram Janmab-
hoomi that the kafirs (infidels) i.e. Hin-
dus attacked 30 times to liberated Ram
Janmabhoomi. Ten thousand Hindus
were killed in a similar attack in 1664
AD. The book ‘Sahifa-e-Nasair Baha-
dur Shahi (1700-1800)’written by Ban-
garuAmatuzza-Johar, the granddaugh-
ter of Aurangzeb and daughter of Ba-
hadur Shah I, also known as ShahAlam
wrote on pages 4-7 that there are plac-
es of worship of infidels (Hindus) in
Mathura, Banaras and Awadh (Ayod-
hya), which they consider to be the
birthplace of criminal and infidel Kan-
haiya, Sita’s kitchen and Hanuman’s
memorial. Regarding these places,
Hindus believe that they were built by
Ramchandra after conquering Lanka.
But all this was destroyed before the
power of Islam and mosques were built
at all these places.
A
PANKAJ SONI
The writer is
Associate Editor
at First India
Had the War of
Independence in 1857
not failed, efforts for
Hindu-Muslim
reconciliation would
have been successful
The British hanged peace
brokers in the Babri
Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi
dispute, AmirAliandBaba
RamCharanDas
A shila in the Assam State Museum, which starts
with the auspicious crown title “Shri Ram”.
Students make a
graffiti depicting
Lord Ram, Laxman,
Bharat, Shatrughna
and goddess Sita
on the wall of an
overbridge near the
Maharshi Valmiki
International
Airport, in Ayodhya.
Hi-tech equipment and
infrastructure worth
`90 crore will be in
place for foolproof security of
the Ram Janmabhoomi temple.
This security is supposed to
last over 1000 years, to thwart
attacks and foil intrusions.
The foundation of
the Mandir has been
constructed with a
14-meter- thick layer of roller-
compacted concrete (RCC),
giving it the appearance of
artificial rock.
At the four corners of
the compound, there
are four mandirs,
dedicated to Surya Dev, Devi
Bhagwati, Ganesh Bhagwan,
and Bhagwan Shiv. In the
northern arm is a mandir of Maa
Annapurna and in the southern
arm is a mandir of Hanuman Ji.
A huge ‘Diya’ (earthen
lamp) will be lit on the
day of consecration,
symbolising the ‘diyas’ of Treta
Yug, the era of Lord Ram.
Named ‘Dashrath Deep’, the
lamp would have a diameter of
around 28 metres and would
require at least 21 quintals of
oil to get illuminated.
Iqbal Ansari, a
litigant in the Ram
Janmabhoomi-Babri
Masjid case, received an
invitation for the Ram Temple
consecration ceremony, or
the Pran Pratishtha of the
Ram Temple in Ayodhya, on
January 22.
Many women of Ayodhya are climbing their attics and looking
towards the sky. On seeing Shri Ram’s Pushpak Viman, they
start singing auspicious songs in the melodious voice

ALLOCATION OF DEPTS IN BHAJAN LAL COUNCIL OF MINISTERS BEFORE ARRIVAL OF PM
RNI NUMBER: RAJENG/2019/77764 | VOL 5 | ISSUE NO. 211 | PAGES 14 | `3.00 Rajasthan’s Own English Newspaper
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CM keeps Home, Diya gets Finance and Bairwa is Transport minister
Shivendra Parmar,
Yogesh Sharma, Aishwary
Pradhan, Nirmal Tiwari &
Pankaj Soni
Jaipur
ours before
Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
reached Jaipur, Rajasthan
Chief Minister Bhajan
Lal Sharma distributed
portfolios to his minis-
ters. The Chief Minister
has retained the depart-
ments of Home, Anti-
Corruption Bureau, Per-
sonnel, Excise, General
Administration, Planning
and Department of Infor-
mation and Public Rela-
tions. The responsibility
of the departments which
have not been given to
any minister will also re-
main with the Chief Min-
ister, which includes the
department of mines.
Both Deputy Chief Min-
isters have been strength-
ened by assigning them
the responsibility of im-
portant departments.
Diya Kumari has been
given the important re-
sponsibility of the Fi-
nance Department, which
has been kept by the
Chief Minister for a long
time. Apart from fi-
nance, Diya Kumari has
been assigned six depart-
ments, which include
Tourism, PWD & Wom-
en and Child Develop-
ment depts. TURN TO P10
H
DR KIRODI LAL
MEENA
RAJYAVARDHAN
RATHORE
JHABAR SINGH
KHARRA
GAJENDRA SINGH
KHIMSAR
Agriculture, Rural
Development, Disaster
Management, Relief
and Civil Defence
Public Grievance
Redressal
Industries and
Commerce, DOITC,
Youth Affairs Sports,
Skills, Employment
and Entrepreneurship
Sainik Welfare
Urban Development
and Housing
Department Local
Self Government
Department
Medical,
Health and
Family Welfare
Department
l Full trust on experienced ministers as
well as new faces, given responsibility of
big departments l After a long time, the
finance dept was removed from the CM
DIYA
KUMARI
DR PREM
CHAND BAIRWA
l Finance
l Tourism
l Department of
Art Literature
l Culture and
Archeology
l PWD WCD
l Technical Education
l Higher Education
l Ayurveda
l Yoga and Naturopathy
l Unani
l Siddha
l AYUSH
l Transport Road Safety
DEPUTY CM DEPUTY CM
MoS (IND CHARGE)
BHAJAN LAL SHARMA
CHIEF MINISTER
DIYA KUMARI: FIRST
WOMAN FINANCE MIN,
ASIDE FROM THE CM
Deputy Chief
Minister Diya
Kumari, who
belongs to the erstwhile
royal family of Jaipur, is in
charge of Finance. Diya
Kumari will be the first
woman minister to hold the
position of Finance Minister
(without being the Chief
Minister). Former Chief
Minister Vasundhara Raje
had the responsibility of
the Finance Department
in both her tenures and
presented the budget.
Apart from the Chief
Minister, the responsibility
of the independent Finance
Minister was last held
by Pradyuman Singh
during the first term of
Ashok Gehlot. After that,
the finance department
remained with the Chief
Minister for twenty years.
l Home
l DoP
l Excise
l ACB
l Planning
l General Administration
l Policy Making Cell CM
Secretariat DIPR
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma welcomes Union Home
Minister Amit Shah on his arrival in Jaipur on Friday. Also
seen here are CS Sudhansh Pant ACS (Home) Anand Kumar.
UNION HOME MINISTER INAUGURATES
58TH DGPs/IGPs CONFERENCE 2023
Shah spotlights India’s legal
revolution in ‘Amrit Kaal’
PM Narendra Modi will attend the conference today
Union Home Minister
Amit Shah inaugu-
rated 3-day 58th DGPs/
IGPs Conference 2023 at
Rajasthan International
Centre, Jaipur on Friday.
The conference is being
held in hybrid mode with
DGPs/IGPs and Chiefs
of Central Police Organi-
sations attending physi-
cally from Jaipur and
over 500 Police officers
of various ranks partici-
pating through VC from
across country. PM Modi
will attend conference on
Jan 6-7. He will interact
with the country’s top
cops before addressing
them at a formal session,
whileAmit Shah is going
to be present throughout
the conference that will
span several sessions. P5
Amit Shah with (L-R) Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Nisith Pramanik, Ajay Kumar Mishra, Tapan Deka and
Nityanand Rai during inauguration of DGPs/IGPs Conference 2023 at the RIC in Jaipur on Friday.
Over 81% voter turnout in Karanpur
election, counting of votes on Jan 8
Tripti Gautam Sunil Sihag
Sir Ganganagar
A tentative voter turn-
out of over 81% was
recorded in the polling
in Karanpur Assembly
constituency in Sri
Ganganagar district
which ended late Friday
evening. Minister
Surendra Pal Singh is
contesting as the BJP
candidate from Karan-
pur. The election for
this seat was postponed
due to the death of the
Congress candidate and
the then MLA Gurmeet
Singh Koonar. The
Congress has fielded
Koonar’s son, Rupinder
Singh, from the seat.
Apart from BJP and
Congress, 10 more can-
didates like AAP, BSP
and independents are in
the fray. Results will be
declared on January 8.
MORE ON P4
ISRO SET TO PLACE ADITYA-L1 IN
FINAL ORBIT TODAY: SOMNATH
Scientists from Mission Operations of
ISTRAC will execute manoeuvre which
will bind Aditya-L1 to an orbit around
L1 at 4 pm today, said S Somnath.
AYODHYA
AIRPORT
GETS INT’L
STATUS
INDIA NAVY
RESCUES
ARABIAN
SEA CREW
The Union Cabinet on Friday approved
the proposal to name newly inaugu-
rated Ayodhya airport as ‘Maharishi
Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhy-
adham’, an official release said. P9
All 21 crew, including Indians, aboard
the cargo ship, ‘MV Lila Norfolk’, that
was hijacked late Thursday evening
near the coast of Somalia have been
rescued and are safe, said officials. P8
ICC ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE
FOR 2024 T20 WORLD CUP
The ICC has announced schedule
of the T20 World Cup 2024 set to be
played in the West Indies and USA.
India will face Pakistan on June 9.
PM Narendra Modi being welcomed by CM Bhajan Lal Sharma, Deputy CMs Diya Kumari Prem Chand Bairwa, as he reached at BJP headquarters in Jaipur on Friday.
RAJASTHANAGLOW
WITHPMMODI!
l From Good Governance
Mantra to Mission-25 tasks
in a 2.5-hour class by Modi
l PM Modi said that if you
want to be successful then
put the filters in your ears
l PM joked with newly
appointed ministers, how
did you get this dept?
rime Minister
Narendra Modi
took over
2-hour class of ruling and
organizational leaders of
BJP who returned to Ra-
jasthan government.
During this, Modi gave
mantra of good govern-
ance, gave a task for the
upcoming LS elections
and also gave a warning.
Modi remained among
BJP MLAs and key offi-
cials for about 3 hours.
During this, there was a
questions and answers
session and he also asked
about experiences of
those present. After be-
coming the PM, Modi
reached state BJP office
for 1st time at 6.30 pm on
Friday and was wel-
comed by CM Bhajan
Lal Sharma, Deputy CMs
Diya Kumari Prem
Chand Bairwa, State
President CP Joshi, State
Organization Minister
Chandrashekhar and oth-
ers. Modi appeared very
happy here. He also jok-
ingly asked newly ap-
pointed ministers about
their department and
said, ‘How come you got
this dep, you should have
got another one.’ P10
Reporting By:
Aishwary Pradhan,
Yogesh Sharma, Nirmal
Tiwari, Shivendra Parmar,
Satyanarayan Sharma,
Ziauddin Khan, Naresh
Sharma, Bharat Dixit,
Vinod Singh Chouhan,
Abhishek, Shrivastava,
Pankaj Soni, Ayushi
Maharishi, Kamal Kant
and Navin Sharma
Prime Minister Narendra Modi being welcomed by CM Bhajan Lal
Sharma on his arrival at Jaipur International Airport on Friday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi being greeted by Governor Kalraj
Mishra at the Rajasthan Raj Bhavan in Jaipur on Friday.
P
During this occasion, Vasudev Devnani, Diya Kumari,
Dr Prem Chand Bairwa, CP Joshi, UR Sahu, Biju
George Joseph, Prakash Rajpurohit, Ramcharan Bohra,
Avinash Gehlot, Babulal Kharadi, Jogaram Patel,
Suresh Rawat, Zoraram Kumawat, Kanhaiyalal, Sumit
Godara, Dr Somya, Rajendra Rathore, Arun Chaturvedi,
Satish Poonia, Ashok Parnami and others were present.
VISIONARY
VISIONARY
LEADER MODI!
LEADER MODI!
The hoardings of
Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
titled ‘One Nation,
One Leader’ put up
by First India News
and Bharat24 in
the Pink City are
catching eyeballs
of the populace
and being highly
appreciated as
they capture the
mood of the nation
and popularity of
Narendra Modi!
Moni Sharma
SANTOSH SHARMA
INDIRARASOIRENAMED
SHRIANNAPURNARASOI
CM Sharma men-
tioned before PM
Modi the 100-day
plan of every depts. He
announced to change the
name of Indira Rasoi Yojana
to Shri Annapurna Rasoi.
PM MODI ENJOYED
RAJASTHANI FOOD
PM enjoyed Rajast-
hani food at dinner.
He was served Bajra
Khichdi, Maize, Bajra Roti,
Kair Sangri vegetable, Bajra
Churma and other dishes.
One of the hoardings near BJP office, Jaipur

RAJASTHAN 04
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Tripti Gautam Sunil Sihag
Sri Ganganagar
A tentative voter turnout
of over 81 percent was
recorded in the polling in
the Karanpur assembly
constituency in Sri Gan-
ganagar which ended late
Friday evening.
Minister Surendra Pal
Singh is contesting as
the BJP candidate from
Karanpur.
The election for this
seat was postponed due
to the death of the Con-
gress candidate and the
then MLA Gurmeet Sin-
gh Koonar. The Con-
gress has fielded Koon-
ar’s son, Rupinder Sin-
gh, from the seat.
Surendra Pal Singh
has already been induct-
ed into the Rajasthan
ministry after the BJP
won the assembly polls,
bagging 115 of the 199
seats where the elections
were held. Apart from
BJP and Congress, 10
more candidates like
AAP, BSP and inde-
pendents are in the fray.
Voting began at 7 am
and will continue till 6
pm. Chief Electoral Of-
ficer Praveen Gupta
said 72.10 per cent of
voters had cast their
vote till 5 pm.
REAPING BENEFIT OF PUBLIC WELFARE SCHEME
Over 90l attend Sankalp Yatra camps
First India Bureau
Jaipur
good 90,01,192
p e o p l e
(47,99,494 men
and 41,52,476 women)
have participated in the
Viksit Bharat Sankalp
Yatra camps being organ-
izedinRajasthan.Atotalof
6640 camps have been or-
ganizedatthestatelevelin
rural and urban areas. Peo-
ple are taking benefits of
thepublicwelfareschemes
oftheGovernmentofIndia
at these camps.
At these camps,
1,13,279 people have
availed the benefit of se-
curity insurance, 49,975
of Jeevan Jyoti Insurance
and 2,29,727 of Kisan
Credit Card camps. Be-
sides, 1,81,438 people got
registered under the
Ujjwala scheme and
18,79,930 Ayushman
Bharat cards were issued.
Apart from this,
39,25,285 people got
tested in health camps. A
total of 23,21,032 people
got tested for TB. An-
other 73,56,193 people
took a pledge to make
India a developed nation
by 2047 and 3,34,310
people got registered un-
der My Bharat Volunteer.
ACS, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department Abhay Kumar reviews progress in
the implementation of Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra with Divisional Commissioners and District
Collectors through VC at the Secretariat on Friday. Also seen is Ravi Jain.
A
Over81%voterturnoutrecorded
Surendra Pal Singh TT shows
his ink-marked finger.
Rupinder Singh shows his ink-marked finger after casting vote in
the Karanpur assembly constituency in Sri Ganganagar.
Birds fly over the Statue Circle in foggy and cold weather, in Jaipur
on Friday. SANTOSH SHARMA
Farmer protecting his crop in a field on a cold winter morning in
Jaipur on Friday. MUKESH KIRADOO
Apart from BJP Congress, 10 more candidates are in fray
Voting in Karanpur
ADEQUATE SECURITY
ARRANGEMENTS
There are 2,40,826
voters in Karanpur
assembly constituen-
cy, which includes 1,25,850
men, 1,14,966 women and
10 transgender voters.
Adequate security arrange-
ments were made for voting
at 249 polling stations. The
poll results will be declared
on January 8, the collector
said. Polling for 199 of the
200 Assembly seats was
held on Nov 25 last year.
Smack worth `10 lakh
seized in Jaipur, 1 held
First India Bureau
Jaipur
In an action against illegal
drug trafficking under the
instructions ofAdditional
Director General of Po-
lice, Crime
and Anti-
G a n g s t e r
Task Force
( A G T F )
Dinesh MN,
smack worth about Rs 10
lakh was seized.
The action was taken
under the supervision
of Asharam Choudhary
Additional Superinten-
dent of Police and un-
der the leadership of
Ram Singh Nathawat
Police Inspector.
Acting on the informa-
tion of CID Crime
Branch, head constable
Ramniwas, Hemant and
Kani Devendra Singh ar-
rested accused Irfan with
50 grams of smack in a
private bus in Shivdaspu-
ra police station area.
HC stays constable, VDO
recruitment process
1-yr-old dies
due to cylinder
blast, 4 injured
Kamal Kant
Jaipur
In a case related to Con-
stable Recruitment-2023,
theHChasimposedastay
on the appointment pro-
cess. Justice Ganeshram
Meena’s single bench is-
sued orders on the plea of
applicants Hariram Gur-
jar and others. Lawyer
Ram Pratap Saini and Dr
Gunjan Sharma told the
court that as per rules 15
fold candidates were not
called as per the vacancy.
In another case related
to VDO Recruit-
ment-2021, the High
Court division bench of
ActingCJMMSrivastava
andJusticeShubhaMehta
put a stay on the appoint-
ment. The recruitment
was for 5900 posts.
Orders were given on
the appeal of the Staff Se-
lection Board. Advocate
Vigyan Shah appeared on
behalf of the petitioner.
The matter pertains to dis-
puted question answers.
First India Bureau
Jhunjhunu
A one-year-old toddler
died a tragic death due to
a cylinder explosion in
ward number 23 of Sul-
tana town of Jhunjhunu.
The explosion led to roof
collapsed. Four other
members of the family
were seriously injured
after being buried under
the roof. All the injured
have been admitted to the
BDK Government Hos-
pital in Jhunjhunu.
Sultana police said that
Fatma (1-year-old)
daughter of Arif died in
the accident.
TWO SMUGGLERS ARRESTED WITH BROWN SUGAR
WORTH `5 LAKH IN PRATAPGARH, PROBE ON
Pratapgarh: Brown sugar valued at Rs 5 lakh was
found with two smugglers. The scooter being used for
smuggling was taken by police. Police used their pa-
trolling duties as part of the campaign to take action against
drug trafficking in the district. A case has been filed under the
NDPS Act against Javra, Madhya Pradesh, residents Nadir
Nilgar and Umar Khan, who are smugglers. Officer Nirbhay
Singh of the Kotri police station has taken this action.
TWO MAIN ACCUSED OF MURDER OF HOTEL
OPERATOR ARRESTED IN BHILWARA
Bhilwara: Murali Puri and Shubham Sahu, the two
primary suspects in the murder of the hotel operator,
were taken into custody by the police on Thursday.
According to SP Shyam Singh, on October 10, Udairam
Regar, a resident of Raipur, said that his son Puranmal left
for the hotel early on Oct 8 but did not return home until late
at night. He went to the hotel after the call was not returned
saw that it was open the utensils were all over the place.
SOG ACTION: 2 ACCUSED WANTED IN RAS PRE EXAM PAPER LEAK CASE HELD
Jaipur: ADG VK
Singh, head of the
SIT formed in the
paper leak case, said that
the team of SOG has ar-
rested two accused wanted
in the paper leak case of
RAS Preliminary Exam
2013. The duo have been
identified as Ashutosh
Meena (30), serving as JEN
in Haryana and Babulal
Soni (32) who operates a
jewelery shop.
Singh said that in the year
2014, SOG had exposed
the paper leak case of the
RAS Preliminary Exam
2013. In this case, the
SOG team is continuously
searching for the abscond-
ing accused. In this se-
quence, both the accused
were arrested on Friday.
The ADG further said that
during the interrogation of
both the accused, it came to
light that they had received
and read the papers of the
RAS recruitment ex-
amination even before the
examination. The arrested
accused are being inter-
rogated thoroughly.
BSF GUARDS ENDURE
EXTREME WEATHER
Jaisalmer: From
enduring 55 degrees
Celsius in summer
to zero degree Celsius in
winter BSF personnel have
their share of woes, as
they keep a watch on the
Indo-Pakistan border in the
sprawling desert terrain in
Jaisalmer. The vagaries of
nature also include blinding
sandstorms, when SUVs
have to give way to camels
and the border guards need
to know how to ride them
to protect the interna-
tional boundary. There is
a proposal to introduce
“cool jackets” for the troops
patrolling this patch of the
International border.
GIRL RAPED IN JAIPUR,
VIDEO GOES VIRAL
Jaipur: A girl was
raped in the area of
the Malpura Gate
police station. The police
has opened a case based
on a family member’s
complaint. Bhim Singh, a
young man, is accused of
both making pornographic
videos viral and of raping
the girl. The police station at
Malpura Gate is looking into
the matter.
DRUNK MAN CREATES
RUCKUS IN FLIGHT
Jaipur: A drunk
passenger on
Indigo flight 6E-5607
Delhi - Jaipur caused chaos.
Because of his inappropri-
ate behavior toward other
passengers, especially a girl,
the passenger is accused
of being drunk. Passengers
voiced their complaints to air-
line employees. The traveler
was turned over by airline
employees to the police.
Courtesy Visit!
State Congress president
Govind Singh Dotasra
met Congress National
President Mallikarjun
Kharge and AICC General
Secretary KC Venugopal in
New Delhi on Friday.
Country’s 1st AC
sleeper Vande Bharat
to chug off from Jodh
Coldwavealertin11districts
STATE UNDER THE GRIP OF EXTREME COLD WEATHER
First India Bureau
Jodhpur
The country’s first AC
sleeper Vande Bharat
will run from Jodhpur.
Initially, its route will be
between Delhi and Mum-
bai and the fare will be
the same as chair car and
executive category. A
centralized maintenance
depot is being built in
Jodhpur for this at a cost
of Rs 166 crore.
The train will run at a
speed of 160 kilometres
per hour. The work for
this is expected to be
completed by February
and the train is likely to
start by March.
Indian Railways had
gifted three Vande
Bharat trains to Ra-
jasthan in the year 2023.
The first train started be-
tween Ajmer and Delhi.
After this the train ran
between Jaipur-Udaipur
and Jodhpur-Sabarmati
(Gujarat). Meanwhile,
the Railway Ministry an-
nounced thatAC Sleeper
Vande Bharat will run
start from the year 2024.
FILE
Rajasthan on Friday experienced a chilly day as icy winds swept across many districts. The
coldest night in Rajasthan today was in the hill station Mount Abu, where the temperature
was recorded at minus 3 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature was recorded at 2.8
degrees Celsius in Bikaner, 7.6 in Jodhpur, 6.8 in Udaipur and 4.8 degrees Celsius in Ajmer.
CRIME
ROUNDUP
Strict action!
Ajmer Municipal Corporation takes action against 22 places selling illegal meat seizes 7
shops 15 kiosks, carts, cabins in Ajmer on Friday. ANAND SHARMA
FI TOON
SHEKHAR
Work is expected to
be completed by Feb
the train is likely
to start by March

RAJASTHAN 05
FIRST WETLAND CITY OF RAJ
Udaipur to get wetland city tag
First India Bureau
Jaipur
daipur, Bhopal
and Indore will
become wet-
land cities. The Central
government has sent a
proposal to the states re-
garding this. A proposal
has been sent to the Swit-
zerland Ramsar organi-
zation. These three will
be India’s first accredited
Wetland Cities. A pro-
posal to declare Udaipur
as Wetland City was ap-
proved in October.
The Union Forest and
Environment Ministry is
preparingtodeclarethree
cities of the country as
wetlands. The proposal
for this has been sent to
the Switzerland Ramsar
organization. This in-
cludes Udaipur city of
Rajasthan along with
Bhopal and Indore cities
of Madhya Pradesh.
Union Environment
Minister Bhupendra Ya-
dav has shared informa-
tion regarding this in a
post. He wrote, “Indore,
Bhopal and Udaipur, the
3 cities of the country,
have been presented for
nomination as Ramsar
sites.The scheme aims to
promote socio-economic
benefits for the local
population with conser-
vation and proper utiliza-
tion of wetlands adjacent
to the urban area.”
In meeting of the Dis-
trict Environment Com-
mittee of Udaipur on Oct
9, 2023, the proposal to
make Udaipur a wetland
city was approved. Com-
mittee chairman District
Collector Arvind Poswal
had discussed and ap-
proved this in a meeting.
Udaipur has several interconnceted lakes. FILE
U
First India Bureau
Jaipur
The Rajasthan High
Court, Jaipur on Friday
adjournedhearingintothe
PIL filed by Omprakash
Solanki, challenging the
oath of Dy. CMs Diya ku-
mari and Prem Chand
Bairwa, because of his
non appearance before
the court. Addl. Solicitor
General Rajdeepak Ras-
togi argued that writ peti-
tion may be dismissed as
being devoid of any merit
and it was grossest abuse
of process of court, as
petition has been filed
only because of political
reasons and for publicity.
He argued that this is-
sue has already been de-
cided and petitions have
been dismissed with costs
in the interest of justice
the Court adjourned the
matter for one week.
Vimal Kothari
Jaipur
The Income tax depart-
ment has started open-
ing the lockers found
during raids at two big
hotel groups of Udaipur
and their business asso-
ciates related to destina-
tion weddings. Cash,
jewellery and invest-
ment documents were
found in lockers. The
cash seized until late
Thursday is more than
Rs 5 crore.
Raids were conducted
at 30 locations in
Udaipur and 2 locations
each in Mumbai and
Kolkata. The depart-
ment started the raids on
Wednesday. Raids are
being conducted on
Fateh Group and Rock
Wood Groups of
Udaipur.
Kelwa family is the
owner of Fateh Group
and Jitendra Rathore is
the CEO of Fateh Group
of Hotels. Raids were
conducted on the resi-
dence of Rock Wood
Group director Somesh
Aggarwal also. Besides,
an event manager, tent
house, sound services,
travellers and people as-
sociated with catering
business are also sus-
pects. Many documents
of cash payment for ser-
vices in the wedding
ceremony were also re-
covered. Income Tax
Department's investiga-
tion branch is conduct-
ing raids.
Dy CMs’ row: HC
adjourns hearing
in PIL for a week
I-Traidsat2hotelgroupsin
Udpr,lockersbeingscanned
The cash seized during the raids in Udaipur until late Thursday
night is amounting to be more than Rs 5 crore.
IN BRIEF
University students
to submit affidavits
of not taking drugs
Jaipur: The government
college Uniara in Tonk
has declared holiday on
January 22. The princi-
pal of the college issued
orders in this regard. All
academic and adminis-
trative work in the col-
lege will remain closed
on the day, when the
consecration ceremony
of the Ram Temple in
Ayodhya will be done.
On this occasion, Deep-
otsav will be celebrated
in Jaipur. On this day,
five lakh earthen lamps
will be lit at major inter-
sections, government
buildings and temples
across the city. A special
cleaning campaign has
also been started by the
Municipal Corporation
Greater from January 2.
Jaipur: University stu-
dents will now have to
give an affidavit of not
taking drugs during ad-
mission in a university.
The UGC has issued this
guideline to all universi-
ties, including Rajasthan
to prevent drug addiction
among youth. This has
been done under the drug
free India campaign.
Uniara govt college
declares holiday for
Jan 22 ‘deepotsav’
First India Bureau
Jaisalmer
In a tragic incident in De-
vikot, Jaisalmer, a speed-
ing car collided with a
parked vehicle, resulting
in deaths of four individ-
uals, including a mother-
son duo. The harrowing
accident also left numer-
ous others injured, who
were promptly taken to
Jaisalmer Govt Hospital
for medical attention.
Local authorities, po-
lice, swiftly responded to
the scene, initiating a
thorough investigation
into the circumstances
surrounding the devastat-
ing collision.
First India Bureau
Jaipur
Rajasthan high court has
asked center and ACB to
submit affidavit in two
weeks explaining what
investigation has been
done so far in the matter
related to JJM scam. The
bench of acting CJ MM
Srivastava gave order
while hearing a petition
filed by Public Against
Corruption. In the peti-
tion, it has been alleged
that a scam of Rs 900 cr
took place in scheme but
ACB has not taken any
action. The petitioner has
also demanded to hand
over case to CBI.
First India Bureau
Sawai Madhopur/Jaipur
Mahant Balkanand Giri
of Padadi Topkhana of
Sawai Madhopur has re-
ceived a threatening call.
The caller has de-
manded extortion of Rs
20 crore in the name of
the nephew of gangster
Lawrence Vishnoi. Ma-
hant Balakanand has
lodged a report at
Khandar police station.
Balkanand said he got
the call on 29th Decem-
ber from an unknown
number. The caller, who
claimed himself to be
SachinVishnoi, the neph-
ew of Lawrence Vishnoi,
threatened him of dire
consequences if he did
not give him Rs 20 lakh.
Police have registered
the report and started
searching for the miscre-
ant on the basis of mobile
number and the matter is
being investigated.
Mahant gets `20 cr ransom
call on name of Lawrence
Mahant Balkanand Giri of Padadi Topkhana of Sawai Madhopur
interacts with media in Jaipur on Friday. SANTOSH SHARMA
Mother-son duo,
2 others die in a
road mishap
HC seeks reply from ACB,
Centre in `900 cr scam
Amit Shah with (L-R) Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Nisith Pramanik, Ajay K Mishra, Nityanand Rai others during
inauguration of 58th DGs/IGs Conference 2023 at the Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur on Friday.
Home Minister Amit Shah distributed Police Medals for Meritorious Service to Intelligence Bureau
officers awarded trophies for the three best police stations during the event in Jaipur on Friday.
He also paid homage to the personnel of the security forces who had laid down their lives in the
service of the nation and commemorated their supreme sacrifice.
Shah:OptforAI-drivenapproach
totacklesecuritychallenges
First India Bureau
Jaipur
Technology in policing,
left-wing extremism,
prison reforms, activi-
ties of pro-Khalistan
groups, and terror at-
tacks in Jammu and
Kashmir are among oth-
er key issues to be dis-
cussed at the three-day
58th DGPs/IGPs Con-
ference 2023 that started
on Friday at Rajasthan
International Centre,
Jaipur.
Union Home Minis-
ter Amit Shah men-
tioned that the new laws
namely the formulation
of the NEP and enact-
ment of 3 New Criminal
Laws replacing British-
era laws are focused on
the delivery of justice
instead of punishment
and the implementation
of these laws would
transform the criminal
justice system as most
modern and scientific.
He stressed the need for
adopting an AI-driven
analytical approach to
tackle emerging secu-
rity challenges.
The Union Home Minister Amit Shah observes that this Conference
over the years has emerged as a ‘Think Tank’, facilitating decision-
making and formulation of new security strategies
Shah also highlights role of internal security in realising PM Narendra
Modi’s vision of India becoming a 'developed nation' by 2047
Three-day 58th DGPs/IGPs Conference 2023 begins

TOP
TWEETS
SPIRITUAL SPEAK
Teach this triple truth to all: A
generous heart, kind speech, and a
life of service and compassion are
the things which renew humanity
BUDDHA
Respected Kalyan Singh ji, a symbol
of intense nationalism and a strong
supporter of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi
movement, has laid the foundation stone of
good governance and social justice in Uttar
Pradesh. Today, with his inspiration, the
state is moving on the path of public
welfare and historical development.
Jagat Prakash Nadda
@JPNadda
Hearty birthday greetings to
senior BJP leader, our guide,
Padma Vibhushan respected Shri
@DrMMJoshiBJP ji. From the Shri Ram
Janmabhoomi movement to the empowerment
of the organization and the development of the
country, your important contribution will
always remain inspiring.
Piyush Goyal
@PiyushGoyal
ho said Test
m a t c h e s
were boring?
The gripping
manner in
which Team India out-
played South Africa at a
venue they have never won
before in just under 2 days
was simply sensational!
The series-levelling win at
picturesque Cape Town
came in just 642 balls,
making it the shortest Test
match in cricket history!
The roller-coaster win also
saw India swing from the
6th position on the World
Test Championship table to
the first after the superb
victory. But the talking
point of the match was the
pitch, which made wickets
tumble like a pack of cards.
Rohit Sharma played it
up at the post-match con-
ference too saying- “don’t
mind playing on pitches
like this. As long as every-
one keeps their mouths
shut and doesn’t talk too
much about Indian pitch-
es.” An interesting com-
ment indeed given that in
3 weeks India starts a 5
match Test series with
England in India!
Coming into the match
India was under a lot of
pressure as they had per-
formed well below par in
the first Test. The pictures
published in mainstream
media before the match
showed a green top waiting
forthevisitors,whocouldn’t
bat well on a bouncy pitch
at Centurion just a week
ago. While everyone
thought India might capitu-
late, they drew the first
blood and bundled the Pro-
teas out for a meagre 55.
SouthAfricancaptain,Dean
Algar, chose to bat first in
his final Test match but In-
dianbowlershadanicefare-
well planned for him as he
was dismissed for just 4.
Indian pacers, especially
Siraj, were relentless and
had learnt their lessons
from the loss in Centurion.
Siraj bowled short of good
length and the pitch, which
was misbehaving in that
particular zone, did the rest.
The result was that South
Africa was decimated be-
fore lunch on the first day
with Siraj taking 6 wickets
for just 15 runs. He was
ably supported by Bumrah
and Mukesh Kumar who
picked up 2 wickets apiece.
South African bowlers
weren’t like their counter-
parts and sprayed the new
ball all over which helped
India get off to a steady
start. Yashasvi Jaiswal fell
early but Rohit along with
Shubman took India past
the South African total and
in the lead. It looked as if
India would bat the opposi-
tion out of the contest. But
it wasn’t to be. Once the
effects of the hard roller
wore down, the pitch start-
ed playing tricks again. In-
dia lost both the settled bat-
ters in quick succession.
It was a Virat show after
that, as King Kohli took the
responsibility of run scor-
ing on himself. In a partner-
ship of 43 with K.L.Rahul,
he did the bulk of the scor-
ing while Rahul added just
8. At 153 for 4, India was
sitting pretty as the lead had
swelled to 98. But the
cricketingGods hadwritten
the script of the Test very
differently! India, in an-
other world record, lost 6
wickets for 0 runs!As stun-
ning as it was, India was
dismissed in just 2 overs
after the steady partnership
between Kohli and Rahul.
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY
THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL
Team India
Dominates
Importantly though, on a
pitch that had made run
scoring extremely tough and
tricky, India had a substantial
lead. Dean Algar couldn’t do
much in his last Test inning
as he edged one to Kohli in
slips off Mukesh Kumar. His
stupendous knock of 185 in
the first Test earned him a
joint Man of the series along
with Bumrah. With Mukesh
Kumar doing the early
damage, the stage was set
for India’s star pacer to take
the bull by its horns.
On the second morning,
Bumrah demolished the
Proteas picking up 6 wickets
and would have had a 7th
as well but for a dropped
catch by Rahul. His incredible
spell made sure that despite
a swashbuckling hundred
from Markram, India had to
chase just 79 to level the
series. Eventually, India won
with 7 wickets in hand and
the victory put them back in
contention for the WTC final.
TEAMINDIABEGINS2024ONA
HISTORICHIGH,CRUSHESPROTEAS
INSHORTESTTESTEVER
Indian pacers, especially Siraj, were relentless
and had learnt their lessons from the loss in
Centurion. Siraj bowled short of good length and
the pitch, which was misbehaving in that
particular zone, did the rest. The result was that
South Africa was decimated before lunch on the
first day with Siraj taking 6 wickets for just 15
runs. He was ably supported by Bumrah and
Mukesh Kumar who picked up 2 wickets apiece
IN-DEPTH
CM LALDUHOMA
WANTS BORDER
TO STAY POROUS
THE VATICAN’S ORDER
CAUSES TURBULENCE
he Central government may be thinking of
fencing the porous Mizoram-Myanmar bor-
der but Chief Minister Pu Lalduhoma is op-
posed to the idea. He has conveyed his feelings to
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also to External
Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The government wants
to end the Free Movement Regime in areas close to
the north-eastern states to prevent Myanmar nation-
als’ entry. Lalduhoma not only wants the free move-
ment regime to continue but also wants a Greater
Mizoram on the lines of BJP’s Akhand Bharat. The
Mizoram chief minister has argued that refugees from
Myanmar “are not strangers but brothers of the same
blood”. He blamed the British for dividing Mizos.
Mizoram is host to nearly 30,000 Myanmar people
since 2021. They are a financial burden on the state.
On the other side of Burma is China and the two
countries share about 1,300 miles of border. India’s
concern about the free movement of people into its
strategically located states is, therefore, genuine.
T
n a surprising turn of events, the Vatican’s
recent order permitting priests to bless same-
sex marriages is encountering resistance.
Pope Francis, on December 18, issued an eight-page
directive aiming to embrace inclusivity within the
Catholic Church. However, the announcement has
sparked dissent among Catholic bishops, leading to
a reassessment by the Vatican. Reacting to the dec-
laration, several Catholic bishops’conferences issued
statements saying that the blessings were in no way
approval of gay sex or imparting divine grace to such
same-sex couples.
The document said, “One should not prevent or
prohibit the Church’s
closeness to people in
every situation in
which they might
seek God’s help
through a simple
blessing.” The new
declaration did not
alter theVatican’s po-
sition on marriages.
The turbulence
aroseasbishopsraised
their voices in disa-
greement,particularly
in countries where
same-sex marriages
are considered illegal.
TheVatican,acknowl-
edging the conten-
tious nature of the is-
sue,hasconcededthat
offering blessings in
such jurisdictions might be deemed “imprudent.”
Thisunexpectedbacklashhighlightstheinternalten-
sions within the Catholic Church regarding its stance
on LGBTQ+ issues. While Pope Francis intended the
directive to symbolize a more progressive and accept-
ing Church, it seems to have encountered resistance
from conservative factions within the clergy.
The evolving narrative underscores the challenges
of steering a centuries-old institution towards a more
inclusive path. As discussions unfold, the Vatican
finds itself at a crossroads, navigating between tradi-
tion and the winds of change. The outcome of this
internal struggle will undoubtedly shape the Church’s
stance on same-sex unions and influence its relation-
ship with the LGBTQ+ community worldwide.
I
The evolving
narrative
underscores the
challenges of
steering a centuries-
old institution
towards a more
inclusive path. As
discussions unfold,
the Vatican finds
itselfata crossroads,
navigating between
tradition and the
winds of change
W
 Vol 5  Issue No. 211  RNI NO. RAJENG/2019/77764. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Press, D.B. Corp Limited, Shivdaspura, Tonk Road, Jaipur. Published at 304, 3rd Floor,
City Mall, Bhagwan Das Road, C-Scheme, Jaipur-302001, Rajasthan. Phone 0141-4920504.  Editor-In-Chief: Dr Jagdeesh Chandra  Managing Editor: Pawan Arora  Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act
PERSPECT VE 06
Jaipur, Saturday | January 6, 2024 www.firstindia.co.in firstindia.co.in/epapers/jaipur thefirstindia thefirstindia thefirstindia
Siddhaarth
Mahan
The writer is a specialist
on Sports and Cinema
who works as an actor in
the Hindi film industry

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Jaipur, Saturday | January 6, 2024 www.firstindia.co.in firstindia.co.in/epapers/jaipur thefirstindia thefirstindia thefirstindia
2nd DAY OF IIJS SHOW
Maharashtra will have 20% participation in the five trillion economy
Vimal Kothari
Mumbai
IJS Signature,
the premium
jewelery show
of IIJS, the country’s
largest and world’s sec-
ond largest business-to-
business jewelery show,
started on Friday at the
Bombay Exhibition
Center in Goregaon. Ma-
harashtra Deputy CM
Devendra Fadnavis cut
the ribbon to inaugurate
the IIJS Signature Jewel-
ery Show in Goregaon.
Addressing the inaugural
function of the show or-
ganized on this occasion,
Fadnavis said that India
has set a target of reach-
ing the level of 5 trillion
dollar economy, and Ma-
harashtra’s contribution
will be 20 percent, that is,
the size of Maharashtra’s
economy will be one tril-
lion dollars by this occa-
sion. He also offered all
possible govt help from
the state govt for the de-
velopment and expan-
sion of jewelery industry.
Referring to the jewel-
ery business in the econ-
omy, Fadnavis said that
Mumbai’s share in the
total gems and jewelery
exports from the country
is 75 percent, which will
further increase with the
new Gem and Jewelery
Park being built here. Re-
ferring to the increasing
participation of lab
grown diamonds in the
gems and jewelery busi-
ness and India’s increas-
ing influence in it, he said
that the Maharashtra govt
is determined to help the
industries in the state.
Discussing the difference
between ease of doing
business and cost of do-
ing business, he said that
these two are different
things and with the help
of the state government,
business will increase
further in the state.
Addressing the pro-
gram, Maharashtra In-
dustries Minister Uday
Samant promised all pos-
sible help to the jewelery
industry and said that de-
velopment in this indus-
try will create more em-
ployment opportunities
in the state, which will
increase the scope of de-
velopment. Vipul Shah,
Chairman, Gems and
Jewelery Export Promo-
tion Council, organizer
of IIJS Signature, said
that this is the 16th edi-
tion of IIJS Signature in
the series of jewelery
shows organized in the
premium category. He
believes that the new
Gem and Jewelery Park
to be built with the help
of the state govt will
prove to be a milestone
for this industry in the
country. In this park, all
types of services and fa-
cilities related to the jew-
elery industry will be
available at one place and
all areas of the country
will be present here,
hence whoever comes to
this park will not need to
go anywhere else in the
country. This ambitious
project of GJEPC will
start in the month ofApril
and the target has been set
to complete this project in
32 months.The event was
also addressed by Guest
of Honor Paul Rowley,
ExecutiveVice President,
D-Beers and Sunil Nay-
ak, Chief Executive Of-
ficer, Reliance Jewels.
Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis being felicitated
after inaugurating the IIJS Signature in Goregaon, on Friday.
IIJS Signature, which
is being organized at
two places in Mumbai
for the first time, saw
a large crowd of
people associated
with the jewelery
business at both the
places. Visitors also
appreciate the
availability of fine
jewelery and gems
displayed at the show
I
Navy team rescues 21 crew members
PTI
New Delhi
Indian Navy’s elite ma-
rine commandos on Fri-
day rescued 21 crew
members including 15
Indians from a bulk car-
rier in the North Arabian
Sea and sanitised it in a
swift operation while re-
sponding to attempted
hijacking of the Liberian-
flagged vessel by around
five-six armed personnel.
The Navy deployed a
warship, maritime patrol
aircraft, helicopters and
P-8I and long-range air-
craft and Predator
MQ9B drones following
the incident involving
MV Lila Norfolk.
“All 21 crew including
15 Indians onboard the
vessel were safely evacu-
ated from the citadel,”
Indian Navy’s spokes-
person Commander
Vivek Madhwal said.
“Sanitisation by MAR-
COs commandos has
confirmed the absence of
the hijackers. The at-
tempt of hijacking by the
pirates was probably
abandoned with the
forceful warning by In-
dian Navy’s maritime
patrol aircraft of inter-
ception by naval war-
ship,” he said.
Madhwal said Indian
ship INS Chennai is in
the vicinity of MV Lila
Norfolk and it is render-
ing support to restore the
power generation and
propulsion in the vessel
besides assisting her
commence voyage to
next port of call.
Earlier in the day, the
Navy diverted frontline
warship INS Chennai
from her anti piracy patrol
and it intercepted the hi-
jacked vessel at 3:15 pm.
Parliament security breach
Five of six accused
give consent for
polygraph test
Agencies
New Delhi
Five of the six accused
persons arrested in con-
nection with the Parlia-
ment security breach on
Friday gave their consent
before a court here to con-
duct their polygraph test.
Additional Sessions
Judge Hardeeep Kaur also
extendedthepolicecustody
of all the accused persons
—Manoranjan D, Sagar
Sharma, Amol Dhanraj
Shinde,NeelamAzad,Lalit
Jha and Mahesh Kumawat
— by eight days. The
judge extended the cus-
tody of the accused per-
sons on an application
moved by the Delhi Po-
lice after they were pro-
duced before the court on
expiry of their custody
granted earlier.
All the accused, ex-
cluding Azad, gave their
consent for the test be-
fore the court.
India logs 761 Covid
cases and 12 deaths
Agencies
New Delhi
India on Friday recorded
761 fresh Covid-19 cases
and 12 deaths due to the
viral disease, according to
Union health ministry
data.Thenumberofactive
Covid-19 cases in the
country came down mar-
ginallyto4,334from4,423
on Thursday, the data up-
dated at 8 am showed.
Kerala has the highest
number of active cases at
1,249, followed by Kar-
nataka at 1,240, Maha-
rashtra at 914, Tamil
Nadu at 190, and Chhat-
tisgarh and Andhra
Pradesh at 128 each.
Of the 12 fresh
deaths, five were re-
ported from Kerala,
four from Karnataka,
two from Maharashtra,
and one from Uttar
Pradesh, the data stated.
The number of daily
cases was in double
digits till December 5
but it began to rise
again amid cold
weather conditions
and after the emer-
gence of a new COV-
ID-19 variant.
Delhi: Liquor worth
over `245 cr sold
in Dec last week
Notorious gangster killed in shootout
with Uttar Pradesh cops in Sultanpur
PTI
New Delhi
The liquor sale increased
in the last week of De-
cember with booze lov-
ers in Delhi gulping over
1.37 crore bottles of al-
coholic beverages worth
more than Rs 245 crore
during the Christmas and
New Year. In 2022, more
than 1.14 crore liquor
bottles worth over Rs
218 crore were sold.
Agencies
Lucknow
The Uttar Pradesh Police
gunned down a notorious
gangster, with a bounty of
Rs 1 lakh placed on his
head, in an encounter ear-
ly on Friday in Sultanpur.
The gangster, Vinod
Kumar Upadhyay, had
criminal cases against
him in several districts
with charges ranging
from murder to viola-
tions of UP Gangsters
Act, UPGoondaAct, for-
gery, and cheating.
Special Task Force
Circle Officer Deepak
Kumar Singh said that
the sleuths have seized
firearms from Upad-
hyay, following the en-
counter in Sultanpur dis-
trict. Upadhyay had un-
successfully contested
the 2007 Assembly elec-
tion from Gorakhpur on
a Bahujan Samaj Party
(BSP) ticket. A native of
Gorakhpur, Vinod
Upadhyay had cases
against him in Gorakh-
pur, Basti, and Sant Ka-
bir Nagar districts.
Highjacking bid foiled
IndianNavyinterceptsship
afterattemptedhijacking
PHOTO CAPTION - New Delhi: Indian Navy continues to monitor the maritime security situation in
North/ Central Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden. PTI
More than 4.5 crore people have been infected and over 5.3 lakh
have died across the country in four years. FILE
Cold weather to continue for 2 days
First India Bureau
New Delhi
Cold day to severe cold
day conditions are likely
to continue over some
parts of Punjab, Haryana,
Chandigarh, Delhi and
Rajasthan for next two
more days and signifi-
cantly decrease thereaf-
ter, the India Meteoro-
logical Department
(IMD) said on Friday.
The IMD also predicted
dense to very dense fog is
likely to continue over
NorthwestIndiaduringthe
next two days and gradu-
ally decrease thereafter.
In its daily bulletin,
the India Meteorologi-
cal Department said that
the minimum tempera-
tures are in the range of
6-10 degrees Celsius
over most parts of Pun-
jab, Haryana, Chandi-
garh, Delhi, West Ra-
jasthan and some parts
of East Rajasthan, West
Uttar Pradesh.
MHA orders CBI
probe into supply
of substandard
medicines in Delhi
PTI
New Delhi
The Union Home Minis-
try has ordered a CBI in-
quiry into the alleged
supply of “substandard”
medicines in Delhi gov-
ernment hospitals and
whether the drugs were
also distributed through
mohalla clinics, sources
said on Friday.
The CBI probe was or-
dered following a recom-
mendation by Delhi Lt
Governor V K Saxena on
the matter in December.
Saxena said the drugs
allegedly “failed quality
standard tests” and had
the “potential of endan-
gering lives” in hospitals
run by the Delhi govt.
Delhi Health Minister
Saurabh Bharadwaj wel-
comed the inquiry and
demanded the immediate
suspension of the health
department secretary.
“I had given directions
for carrying out an audit
of medicines immedi-
ately after assuming of-
fice in March last year
but the health secretary
did not follow the direc-
tions,” Bharadwaj said.
Parliament security breach accused being brought to Patiala
House Court by the Delhi Police in New Delhi on Friday. ANI
A drone view of the AIIMS area as fog grips the national capital
amidst cold waves, in New Delhi on Friday. ANI
Gangster Vinod Upadhyaya
died during treatment. ANI
The Delhi Police had
earlier moved the
court seeking
permission to
conduct the
polygraph test of all
the accused persons
TRAINS AND FLIGHTS
AFFECTED BY FOG
New Delhi: A cold
spell continued its
grip over Delhi and
the NCR on Friday morning
with Safdarjung, Delhi’s
main weather station,
recording a minimum tem-
perature of 9.4 degrees Cel-
sius, which is 2.5 degrees
Celsius colder than normal.
The city recorded its lowest
daytime temperature of the
season on Thursday.
511 JN.1 INFECTIONS
SO FAR FROM ACROSS
THE STATES OF INDIA
PUBLIC COOPERATION
NEEDED TO HANDLE
COVID CASES: PAWAR
New Delhi: A total of
511 cases of JN.1
infections have been
reported in the country so
far with the maximum re-
corded in Karnataka. They
said 199 cases have been
reported from Karnataka,
148 from Kerala, 47 from
Goa, 36 from Gujarat, 32
from Maharashtra, 26 from
Tamil Nadu, 15 from Delhi,
four from Rajasthan, two
from Telangana and one
each from Odisha and
Haryana. The Centre has
asked states and UTs to
maintain a constant vigil.
Pune: Maharashtra
Deputy CM Ajit Pa-
war in his remark on
covid cases in the state said
“We are conducting a daily
review of the covid situation
in Maharashtra. All the of-
ficials of the administration
and health department have
been instructed to take pre-
cautionary measures”. “We
expect people to cooper-
ate like the previous time.
Cooperation from all made
it possible to control the
situation earlier”, Maharash-
tra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar
appealed to the public.
Varanasi court to decide Saturday on making
ASI survey report on Gyanvapi mosque public
Delhi court sends Hizbul terrorist involved in 11
terror attacks to 7-day police custody
Varanasi: A Varanasi court is likely to
give a ruling Saturday on making the
sealed ASI survey report on the Gyanvapi
mosque complex public and providing copies
of it to the Hindu and Muslim sides. Counsels
of both Hindu and Muslim sides and that of
the ASI were present in court on Friday.
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday
sent a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist,
Javed Ahmed Mattoo, an accused in 11
terror attack cases in Jammu and
Kashmir, to seven-day police custody. The
Delhi Police on Thursday arrested Mattoo,
who carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh.
Justice Ahuja to be
permanent judge of
Bombay High Court
New Delhi: The
Supreme Court
Collegium, headed by CJI
DY Chandrachud, has
recommended appoint-
ment of Justice Abhay
Ahuja, an additional judge
of the Bombay High Court,
as a permanent judge. On
4 September 2023, the
Collegium of Bombay HC
has unanimously
forwarded the name of
Justice Ahuja for appoint-
ment as permanent Judge.
The Collegium said that it
has consulted other judges
of apex court, who are
conversant with the affairs
of the Bombay HC.
Nodforappointment
of2permanentjudges
inJKandLadakhHC
New Delhi: The
Supreme Court
Collegium, headed by
Chief Justice of India DY
Chandrachud, has
recommended appoint-
ment of 2 additional
judges of the Jammu
Kashmir and Ladakh
High Court as permanent
judges. The High Court
had forwarded its
recommendation naming
Justices Moksha
Khajuria Kazmi and
Rahul Bharti for
appointment as perma-
nent Judge on November
18, 2023 and August 21,
2023, respectively.
IN THE COURTYARD

BOOSTING DIPLOMATIC TIES
India, Bulgaria tried tested friends: Birla
First India Bureau
New Delhi
okSabhaSpeak-
er Om Birla on
Fridayexpressed
hope that the formation of
a “friendship group for In-
dia” in the National As-
sembly of Bulgaria will
actively contribute to fur-
therstrengtheningbilateral
relations between the two
nations and parliaments.
Birla’s statement came
as a Parliamentary dele-
gation led by the Presi-
dent of the National As-
sembly of the Republic of
Bulgaria, Rosen Zhelyaz-
kov, called on the Lok
Sabha Speaker in the Par-
liament House Complex.
He also informed the
delegation that a similar
‘friendship group’ has
also been formed in the
Indian Parliament.
Addressing the delega-
tion, Birla referred to the
age-old and strong friend-
ly relations between India
and Bulgaria and noted
that both nations believe
in the shared values of
democracy, rule of law
and people-centric and
transparent governance.
Mentioning that De-
cember 2024 will mark
thecompletionof70years
ofdiplomaticrelationsbe-
tween the two countries,
Birla expressed happiness
that relations between the
countries have strength-
ened over time.
Underlining India’s
growing stature in the
worldunderthe‘visionary’
leadershipofPMNarendra
Modi, Birla said under the
latter, the country is under-
going a major socio-eco-
nomic transformation.
Headdedthatduetothe
strong and stable govt led
by PM Modi, India is pro-
viding solutions to global
problems and setting the
agenda around the world.
Speaking about India’s
leadership of the G20,
Birla said during the Sum-
mit, based on its demo-
cratic values India was
able to set the global agen-
da and build consensus on
some of the most impor-
tantandcontentiousissues.
Om Birla in a meeting with President of National Assembly of
Bulgaria Rosen Zhelyazkov, in New Delhi, on Friday. PTI
L
INDIA 09
Vice Prez Dhankhar inaugurates NCC Republic Day Camp
First India Bureau
New Delhi
Vice President Jagdeep
Dhankhar addressed the
NCC Republic Day
Camp 2024, inspiring ca-
dets to become “leaders
of tomorrow” and con-
tribute to India’s rise as a
global leader by 2047.
“I am confident that
you all will continue to
work with the same en-
thusiasm, valour, and
dedication to make our
Bharat, a larger democ-
racy, a truly developed
nation, and a world leader
by 2047,” Dhankhar said.
He praised the NCC
for instilling values like
punctuality, resilience,
and loyalty, shaping ca-
dets into “active, produc-
tive citizens” and the na-
tion’s “most valuable
human resource.”
“Dear cadets, you em-
body the youth’s dyna-
mism and reflect NCC’s
instilled discipline. You
all are leaders of tomor-
row and are the most vi-
tal stakeholders in the
growth and rise of Bharat
which is home to one-
sixth of humanity. NCC
instils punctuality, resil-
ience, loyalty, and hard
work that shape you into
active, productive citi-
zens and the most valua-
ble human resource of
this great country,” said
the Vice President.
Dhankhar emphasized
the importance of NCC’s
role in promoting “Unity
in Diversity” and foster-
ing integration across
cultural, religious, and
geographical lines.
“Dear cadets, your ac-
tions and conduct all ex-
emplify “Unity in Diver-
sity,” you are role models
for the nation’s youth.
You have exemplified
your conduct by adhering
to discipline which then
can be emulated by youth
of the nation. I urge you to
continue to conduct your-
self with the highest dig-
nity and discipline. Even
after NCC training, you
must remember that the
cadet spirit is eternal and
lasting. You have to nur-
ture it and it will blossom.
The qualities of discipline
and patriotism must re-
main alive in your hearts,
this is the greatest tribute
we can pay to our mother-
land,” Dhankhar said.
He commended the
growing participation of
female cadets, highlight-
ing their upcoming
march down Kartavya
Path in two exclusive
contingents with female
bands during the Repub-
lic Day parade.
Recalling his own
NCC days at Sainik
School, Chittorgarh,
Dhankhar encouraged
cadets to exemplify con-
duct and discipline for
the nation’s youth.
“Seeing you all in this
vibrant mood, I vividly
recollect my own NCC
days at Sainik School,
Chittorgarh and the posi-
tive impact it has had on
my life,” Dhankhar said.
Union Cabinet Meeting
`4,797CRPRITHviSCHEME...
tounderstandEarth,predictnaturaldisasters
First India Bureau
New Delhi
Union Cabinet Chaired by
PM Narendra Modi has
approved a scheme
“PRITHvi VIgyan
(PRITHVI)” of the Minis-
try of Earth Sciences, for
implementationduringthe
period from 2021-26 at an
overall cost of Rs 4,797
crore.Theschemeencom-
passes five ongoing sub-
schemes namely “Atmos-
phere Climate Re-
search-ModellingObserv-
ing Systems and Services
(ACROSS)”, “Ocean
Services, Modelling Ap-
plication, Resources and
Technology (O-
SMART)”,“PolarScience
and Cryosphere Research
(PACER)”, “Seismology
andGeosciences(SAGE)”
and“Research,Education,
Training and Outreach
(REACHOUT)”.
LAKSHADWEEP TOP-SEARCHED KEYWORD ON
GOOGLE FOR 2nd DAY AFTER PM MODI’S VISIT
New Delhi: For two days in a row, “Lakshad-
weep” has topped Google searches following
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the
Union Territory, where he shared stunning photos
of the picturesque archipelago. Over 50,000 users
searched for it on Google after the Prime Minister said
that he is “still in awe” of the “stunning” beauty of the
islands and the “incredible warmth” of its people.
CABINET NOD FOR NAMING AYODHYA AIRPORT AS
MAHARISHI VALMIKI INT’L AIRPORT, AYODHYADHAM
The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi,
has approved the proposal to declare Ayodhya Air-
port as an international airport and name it “Mahari-
shi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhyadham”. According
to an official release, elevating Ayodhya Airport to interna-
tional status is paramount for realising Ayodhya’s economic
potential and its significance as a global pilgrimage site,
opening doors to foreign pilgrims and tourists.
ED officers attacked
during raid in W Bengal
First India Bureau
Kolkata
ED officers were attacked
by the loyalists of a TMC
leader during a raid in
West Bengal, triggering a
political showdown with
Opposition baying for the
imposition of President’s
Rule and Governor CV
Ananda Bose signalling
his intent to explore con-
stitutional options and
take appropriate action.
The BJPhas character-
ised the incident at Sand-
eshkhali in North 24 Par-
ganas district as a direct
assault on the federal
structure, leading to an
urgent call from the Con-
gress for the imposition
of President’s Rule.
The ruling TMC, how-
ever, rejected the charges
and accused the ED of-
ficials of inciting locals.
The incident occurred
when ED officers execut-
ed a raid on the residence
of TMC leader Sheikh
Sajahan.
Agencies
New Delhi
The Aam Aadmi Party
has nominated Swati
Maliwal, Chairperson of
the Delhi Commission
for Women, as its candi-
date for the Rajya Sabha
while giving second
terms to Sanjay Singh
and ND Gupta.
Maliwal will replace
Sushil Kumar Gupta in
the Rajya Sabha.
The Political Affairs
Committee of the Aam
Aadmi Party (AAP) on
Friday finalised its
nominations for the up-
coming Rajya Sabha
elections in Delhi
scheduled to be held on
January 19.
Chaired by AAP Na-
tional Convenor Arvind
Kejriwal, the committee
decided to endorse two
existing members for re-
nomination, whereas in-
cumbent AAP Rajya
Sabha MP Sushil Kumar
Gupta expressed his in-
tent to redirect his focus
towards the electoral
politics of Haryana.
Sanjay Singh is in jail
in connection with Delhi
excise policy scam case.
A Delhi Court has al-
lowed him to sign docu-
ments for his Rajya Sab-
ha re-nomination, as his
current term ends on
January 27.
AAP nominates
Maliwal for RS,
retains Gupta
Sanjay Singh
WILL TAKE ACTION,
SAYS WB GOVERNOR
EDRAIDSATPLACES
OFSHARADPAWARKIN
West Bengal Gov-
ernor CV Ananda
Bose on Friday said
that he will take appropriate
actions as per constitution-
al provisions against the
attackers who attacked ED
and CAFP teams who tried
to raid TMC leader Sheikh
Sajahan’s residence at
Sandeshkhali in North 24
Parganas district.
The ED on Friday
searched premises
of Baramati Agro,
a company owned by
MLA Rohit Pawar, grand
nephew of NCP supremo
Sharad Pawar, and linked
entities as part of a money
laundering probe in the
alleged Maharashtra State
Cooperative Bank scam,
official sources said.
Army is symbol of strength and
courage, says Yogi Adityanath
CelebrateDiwalionJan
22withdiyas:JPNadda
YS Sharmila meets
Cong chief Kharge
PTI
Lucknow
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi
Adityanath on Friday said
the IndianArmy is a sym-
bol of strength and cour-
age of the country’s 140
crore people. Addressing
theinaugurationceremony
of the three-day ‘Know
YourArmy’festivalorgan-
ised at theArmy’s Central
Command here, he said
only a strong army can re-
alise the vision of a secure
and sovereign nation.
He formally inaugu-
rated the festival by re-
leasing colourful bal-
loons into the sky, the UP
government said in a
statement. Adityanath
also paid tributes to the
gallant soldiers, who
have laid down their lives
to defend the nation.
PTI
Solan/Shimla
BJP chief JP Nadda on
Friday urged people in
Himachal Pradesh to
light five diyas in their
houses to celebrate “Di-
wali” on January 22, the
day of the consecration
ceremony at the Ram
temple in Ayodhya.
He also told a public
gathering in Solan that on
June 11, 1989, it was in
Himachal Pradesh’s
Palampur that a national
resolution to build the
temple was passed.
Nadda, a Rajya Sabha
member from Himachal
Pradesh, urged people of
the state to “light five di-
yas (earthen lamps) and
celebrate the January 22
consecration ceremony
at the Ram temple in
Ayodhya as Diwali”.
Agencies
New Delhi
Aday after mergingYSR
Telangana Party into the
Congress party, YS
Sharmila called on Con-
gress Chief Mallikarjun
Kharge at the latter’s
residence in the national
capital on Friday, and
later said that she is ready
to take any responsibility
given to her.
Sharmila told the me-
dia persons that the Con-
gress party is thinking of
giving her some respon-
sibility on which she had
discussion with party
president Kharge.
“As I have already said
I am ready to take any
responsibility given to
me,” said Sharmila, sister
of Andhra Pradesh Chief
Minister YS Jagan Mo-
han Reddy and daughter
of former Chief Minister
YS Rajasekhara Reddy.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath during the inauguration of
‘Know Your Army Festival’, in Lucknow on Friday. ANI
Security personnel stand guard
at the site where vehicles of
ED team were attacked in West
Bengal’s Sandeshkhali, in North
24 Parganas on Friday. (Inset)
An injured official. ANI
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar felicitates NCC cadets during the NCC Republic Day Camp 2024, in
New Delhi on Friday. Second Lady Sudesh Dhankhar is also seen. PTI
BJP chief JP Nadda.
Mallikarjun Kharge with YS
Sharmila in New Delhi on
Friday. PTI
Jaishankar returns after
wrapping up Nepal visit
Agencies
New Delhi
ExternalAffairs Minis-
ter S Jaishankar on
Friday returned to New
Delhi following his
two-day trip to Kath-
mandu during which
he co-chaired the sev-
enth meeting of the
Nepal-India Joint
Commission and also
inaugurated several
projects. Besides at-
tending the meeting,
also visited the Pashu-
patinath Temple, wit-
nessed some agree-
ments being signed and
held talks with Presi-
dent Ram Chandra
Poudel, PM Pushpa
Kamal Dahal, Nepali
Congress President
Sher Bahadur Deuba,
Leader of Opposition
KP Oli, among others.

10
Ability is definitely needed for success in this world,
but equally one needs stability in thoughts and deeds.
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, CMD Editor-in-Chief
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Postal Reg No. JPC/004/2022-24
‘Ramrajya being established within country’
ANI
Jaipur
ajasthan Minis-
ter Rajyavard-
han Singh
Rathore on Friday, said
that as the consecration
ceremony of Ram Lalla
in Ayodhya nears, Ram-
rajya is being established
within the country.
He was speaking at
the Vikasit Bharat
Sankalp Yatra pro-
gramme in Jaipur. “The
country will be able to be
successful only when the
country’s money reaches
its citizens. Till now, there
was a lot of theft in the
government schemes, but
Modi ji has stopped the
leakage of thefts. Now
banks come to your house
and everyone’s accounts
are opened... Today the
schemes of the Central
Government under the
Viksit Bharat Sankalp
Yatra are reaching you...”
said the state Minister Ra-
jyavardhanSinghRathore.
“Now Viksit Bharat is
taking out Sankalp Yatra
in which two things are
happening. 100% bene-
fits of the schemes should
reach every home and
family. The second reso-
lution has to be taken that
we should contribute to
making a developed In-
dia,” he added.
Rathore also urged the
people to make India a
developed country.
“It is the responsibility
of all of us to develop In-
dia and make it the most
powerful nation in the
world while we are
alive...” said the Minister.
Speaking about PM
Modi’s tenure, Rajya-
vardhan Singh Rathore
said, “Since Modi ji took
office in 2014, he has
done two big things...
firstly, to strengthen India
economically... secondly,
to bring economic power
to every citizen and fam-
ily... in these two big
works, everyone got the
right to live and move for-
ward...” Rajyavardhan
Singh Rathore said.
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore hands over a gas cylinder to a
beneficiary of ‘PM Ujjwala Yojana’ during the Viksit Bharat
Sankalp Yatra at Vaishali Nagar in Jaipur on Friday.
Yogesh Sharma Nirmal Tiwari
Aishwary Pradhan
Shivendra Parmar
R
GIVEIMPORTANCETOWORKERS
WORKLIKEPUBLICSERVANTS:PM
PM Narendra Modi being welcomed by
Rajendra Rathore at the Jaipur Airport. Dr
Satish Poonia and Alka Gurjar are seen.
PM Modi being welcomed by Assembly
Speaker Vasudev Devnani at the Jaipur
Airport on Friday.
PM Narendra Modi being welcomed by CP
Joshi by presenting the PM with a ‘shawl’
at the Jaipur Airport on Friday.
PM Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma during
the meeting at BJP HQs in Jaipur on Friday.
PM Narendra Modi welcomed by Chandrashekhar, Rajyavardhan
Rathore and Gajendra Singh Khimsar at BJP HQs in Jaipur on Friday.
VIKSIT BHARAT SANKALP YATRA
RajCabinet:Portfoliosassigned
tonewlyinductedMinisters
Shivendra Parmar,
Yogesh Sharma, Aishwary
Pradhan, Nirmal Tiwari
Pankaj Soni
Jaipur
Governor Kalraj Misha
onFridayapprovedalist
of portfolios for Minis-
ters, who were recently
inductedintoCMBhajan
Lal Sharma’s Ministry.
Twenty-two Minis-
ters were sworn in at a
ceremony at Raj Bha-
wan on December 30.
Chief Minister Sharma
and his two deputies
had taken oath earlier.
“ThegovernoronFri-
dayapprovedaproposal
of CM Bhajan Lal Shar-
ma to distribute depart-
ments,” a statement
from Raj Bhavan said.
Laterintheday,theport-
folios were allocated.
HIRALAL
NAGAR
Energy
Department
SURESH SINGH
RAWAT
Water
Resources
Department,
Water
Resources
(Planning)
Department
JOGARAM
PATEL
Parliamentary
Affairs
Department,
Law Legal
Affairs
Department
Legal
Counsel
Office, Justice
Department
JORARAM
KUMAWAT
Animal
Husbandry
and Dairy
Department,
Gopalan
Department,
Devasthan
Department
SURENDRAPAL
SINGH TT
Agriculture
Marketing,
Agricultural
Irrigation
Development,
Indira Gandhi
Canal,
Minority Affairs
and Waqf
Department
OTARAM
DEWASI
Panchayati
Raj, Rural
Development,
Disaster
Management,
Civil Defence
Department
VIJAY SINGH
CHOUDHARY
Revenue,
Colonization
Department
and the,
Soldier
Welfare
Department
KANHAIYALAL
CHAUDHARY
PHED and
Ground
Water
Department
SUMIT
GODARA
Food Civil
Supplies
Department
and the
Consumer
Affairs
Department
HEMANT
MEENA
Revenue,
Colonization
Department
GAUTAM KUMAR
DAK
Cooperative
Department
and the Civil
Aviation
Department
DR MANJU
BAGHMAR
PWD, Women
and Child
Development
Child
Empowerment
Department
JAWAHAR SINGH
BEDHAM
Home
Department,
Gopalan
Department,
Animal
Husbandry
and Dairy
Department,
Fisheries
Department
MADAN
DILAWAR
School
Education,
Panchayati
Raj and
Sanskrit
Education
Department
AVINASH
GEHLOT
Social
Justice
Empowerment
Department
BABULAL
KHARADI
Tribal
Development
and the Civil
Defence
Department
SANJAY
SHARMA
Forest,
Science and
Technology
Department
and the
Environment
Department
KK
VISHNOI
Industry and
Commerce,
Youth Affairs
and Sports
Department
CABINET MINISTERS
STATE MINISTERS (Independent Charge)
STATE MINISTERS
First India Bureau
Jaipur
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi during his more
than two-hour long stay
at the BJP Headquarters,
interacted with BJP lead-
ers and also gave the
mantra of good govern-
ance. Modi told the
MLAs and officials that
now you have come to
power. “Many types of
people will come around
you. Therefore, the first
thing to do is to put filters
in the ears. Don’t imme-
diately believe anything
anyone says. Give impor-
tance to the workers and
work like public serv-
ants,” he said.
Modi interacted with
more than 30 MLAs and
officials sought info
about experience of As-
sembly polls the short-
comings of previous
govt. He also answered
many questions and also
asked MLAs about their
experiences about Cen-
tre’s schemes the ‘Viksit
Bharat Sankalp Yatra.’
CM Keeps...
Deputy CM Dr Prem
Chand Bairwa has been
assigned four depart-
ments including trans-
port, higher and technical
education.Both experi-
enced and new faces
have been given impor-
tant responsibilities. Re-
gional needs have also
been kept in mind.
The most experienced
and senior Cabinet Min-
ister, Dr KL Meena, has
been given the responsi-
bility of the agriculture
and horticulture rural de-
velopment department
of redressal of public
grievances. Colonel Ra-
jyavardhan Rathore, has
been given Industry and
Commerce as well as
Youth, Sports, Informa-
tion Technology and
Sainik Kalyan.
Among other experi-
enced ministers, Gajen-
dra Singh Khimsar has
been made the Minister
of Medical and Health
Department and Madan
Dilawar is Minister of
School Education, San-
skrit Education and Pan-
chayati Raj Dept. First
time Minister, KL
Choudhary got PHED
Dept, Jogaram Patel got
Parliamentary Affairs,
Law and Legal Affairs,
Suresh Singh Rawat got
Water Resources Dept,
Avinash Gehlot was al-
lotted Social Justice and
Empowerment, Sumit
Godara was given Food
and Supplies and Jorar-
am Kumawat was en-
trusted withAnimal Hus-
bandry, Dairy and Dev-
asthan Department.
Hemant Meena, who
comes from the tribal re-
gion, has been given
Revenue and coloniza-
tion depts, while BL
Kharadi has been entrust-
ed with the Tribal Area
Development Dept.
The CM surprised eve-
ryone by giving inde-
pendent charge of a big
and important depart-
ment like UDH and LSG
Depts to Jhabar Singh
Kharra. Handing over in-
dependent charge of For-
est-Environment to San-
jay Sharma, Cooperative
to Gautam Kumar Dak
and Energy Dept to Heer-
alal Nagar was also a big
step. On the day of voting
on Karanpur seat, MoS
(Independent charge)
Surendra Pal Singh was
given independent re-
sponsibility of Agricul-
tural Marketing and In-
dira Gandhi Canal Dept.
He is contesting election
on Karanpur seat.
FROM P1…
CHIEF MINISTER SHARMA WELCOMES UNION
HOME MINISTER AMIT SHAH IN JAIPUR
Jaipur: CM Bhajan Lal Sharma welcomed Union
Home Minister Amit Shah on his arrival in Jai-
pur. Shah will participate in the three-day DG-IG
Conference being organised in Jaipur in the presence
of PM Narendra Modi. During this, Assembly Speaker
Vasudev Devnani, Dy CMs Diya Kumari, Dr Premchand
Bairwa, MP CP Joshi, Ramcharan Bohra, Minister
Gajendra Singh Khimsar, Dr Kirodi Lal Meena, Ra-
jyavardhan Rathore, Madan Dilawar, Avinash Gehlot,
Babulal Kharadi, Jogaram Patel, Suresh Rawat, Jor-
aram Kumawat, Kanhaiyalal, Sumit Godara, Rajendra
Rathore, Satish Poonia, Ashok Parnami, CS Sudhansh
Pant, DGP UR Sahoo, ACS (Home) Anand Kumar,
Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph, Jaipur
Collector Prakash Rajpurohit others were present.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah being welcomed by CM
Bhajan Lal Sharma at the Jaipur Airport on Friday.
PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI AT BJP HEADQUARTERS IN JAIPUR
Raje skips BJP meeting
owing to ill health
Former CM Vasundhara
Raje did not reach the BJP
meeting held in Jaipur on
Friday due to ill-health. She
informed PMO and State
President CP Joshi. Raje
is currently taking health
benefits in Delhi.
First India Bureau
Jaipur
On Friday, First India
News Channel defeated
everyone in the news
about the allocation of de-
partments in Rajasthan’s
Bhajan Lal Sharma’s
CouncilofMinisters.Two
andahalfhoursbeforethe
list came out, First India
correspondent Shivendra
Singh Parmar started giv-
ing information to the au-
dienceabouttheportfolios
given to the Ministers.
During this period, other
channels were not even
near these names. First In-
dia was the first to give
information about the ap-
proval of the list of Minis-
ters’ departments by the
Governor at around a
quartertotwo.Evenwhen
the list of departments
came at 4.30 in the even-
ing, First India remained
at the forefront. The de-
partmentsoftheMinisters
werealsointhelist,which
were mentioned.
Under the direction of
Editor Jinendra Singh
Shekhawat, along with
Shivendra, Political Edi-
torYogesh Sharma,Aish-
wary Pradhan, Associate
Editor Nirmal Tiwari,
and Pankaj Soni contrib-
uted significantly in
keeping the First India
News ahead of other me-
dia outlets.
First India News beats everyone in
breaking news of portfolios of Ministers
Pankaj Soni
DON'T GET TOO
MUCH ENTANGLED
IN TRANSFERS,
SHEKHAWAT WAS
ALSO WORRIED
PM Modi ex-
pressed displea-
sure over the
threats of transfer by
some BJP MLAs to the
government officials. Modi
advised them not to get
entangled in this matter of
transfers. “Desire, transfer,
I also stay away from
these,” Modi said. Modi
said that Bhairon Singh
Shekhawat was also upset
with the transfers. Officers
and employees do not
belong to any party, they
belong to the government.
BJP MLAs should behave
in a gentle and friendly
manner. Work to provide
maximum benefits of the
welfare schemes of the
Central Government to the
poor and needy people.

Glamour | Fashion | Bollywood | Hollywood | Lifestyle
MISS MRS INDIA GLAM !
r Jagdeesh Chandra graciously
hosted a celebratory dinner
at Hotel Rambagh Palace for the
winners of Miss and Mrs India Glam
2024, Season 5. P13
D
11
firstindia.co.in
firstindia.co.in/epapers/jaipur thefirstindia thefirstindia thefirstindia
esigner sarees,
a harmonious
blend of tradi-
tion and con-
temporary aes-
thetics, have transcend-
ed eras, captivating the
hearts of women across
the globe. From intri-
cate craftsmanship to
innovative designs,
these sarees stand as
a testament to the ar-
tistic evolution of
traditional Indian at-
tire. In this explora-
tion, we delve into
the world of de-
signer sarees, cel-
ebrating the crafts-
manship, versatil-
ity, and enduring
appeal that de-
fines this iconic
garment.
Designer sa-
rees are crafted
with meticulous
attention to detail,
often featuring
hand embroidery,
sequins, beadwork,
and intricate weav-
ing techniques. Re-
nowned designers
draw inspiration from
diverse sources, blend-
ing traditional crafts-
manship with modern
sensibilities to create
pieces that are truly
works of art.
Designer sarees
come in a rich tap-
estry of fabrics,
ranging from
luxurious silks
and delicate chiffons to con-
temporary georgettes and
crepes. The choice of fabric
not only adds to the visual ap-
peal but also determines the
drape and feel of the saree,
making each piece a unique
and luxurious experience.
Designers continually push
boundaries by experimenting
with innovative designs and
patterns. From traditional mo-
tifs to abstract modern art-in-
spired prints, the variety is
endless. These sarees often
feature unconventional colour
combinations, adding a re-
freshing twist to the classic
silhouette and making them
suitable for a range of occa-
sions.
Designer sarees cater to a
spectrum of events, from for-
mal gatherings to weddings
and festive celebrations. The
versatility of these sarees al-
lows women to choose from a
vast array of designs, colours,
and embellishments, ensuring
that there’s a perfect ensemble
for every moment in life.
Designer sarees have found
favour among Bollywood ce-
lebrities and international
icons, gracing red carpets and
high-profile events. Celebrity
endorsements have played a
significant role in populariz-
ing designer sarees, showcas-
ing their elegance and sophis-
tication to a global audience.
Drapedin
Elegance!
Introducing the timeless allure of designer sarees, beyond mere garments,
they epitomize a blend of artistry, cultural significance and personal
expression. Dive into City First’s collection to explore their versatile designs
that remain a cornerstone in every woman’s wardrobe!
Tripti
Mahawar
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
D
JAIPUR, SATURDAY | JANUARY 6, 2024

12
firstindia.co.in
firstindia.co.in/epapers/jaipur thefirstindia thefirstindia thefirstindia
12
n recent years,
therehasbeenano-
ticeable shift in the
number of women
choosing to pursue
off-track careers.
Many groundbreaking women have
been breaking stereotypes and fol-
lowing their inner voice, steering
away from traditional career paths
andblazingtheirtrails.Thisempow-
ering trend is shaking up society's
expectations and encouraging more
women to listen to their inner voices
and embrace unconventional career
choices.
For decades, women have faced
societal pressure to conform to cer-
tain expectations. Society has often
dictated that women should pursue
careers in fields such as teaching,
nursing, or administrative roles,
reinforcing traditional gender
roles. This limitation has perpetu-
ated stereotypes and hindered
women from exploring their true
passions and potential in alterna-
tive professions.
Embarking on adventurous jour-
neys or choosing off-track career
options is an authentic approach to
breaking stereotypes, listening to
the inner call and discovering the
self. For example, when we think
of a biker, an image comes to mind
of a macho man like Hrithik
Roshan, John Abraham or Salman
Khan with a cool bike stealing the
hearts of girls.
Contrarily, to reject such a stereo-
type, the Movie ‘Dhak Dhak’stages
suchthestoryoffourordinarywom-
en who as bikers decide to reach
KhardungLaPassintheLehdistrict
of the Indian Union Territory of
Ladakhwhichisfamousasthehigh-
est motorable pass and a favourite
spot among bike riders and override
social schema showcasing their pas-
sion and determination.
In the show, Fatima Sana Shaikh
as Sky, a motorcycle reviewer and
influencer, aims to break free from
her scandalous social media image
andshinesasastrong-willedwoman
battling her inner demons and fight-
ing chauvinism. She gathers all
other three bikers to embark on a
transformative journey that is inspi-
rational in many ways to chase their
adventures and follow their hearts
overcomingallhurdlesthoughmany
called it an overdose of feminism.
In the role of Mahi, a loving and
mischievous Punjabi grandmother,
Ratna Pathak Shah seeks apprecia-
tion and recognition from her fam-
ily and wants to prove she, does a
commendable job. While Dia Mir-
za a Muslim woman Uzma, a
housewife and mother of a teenage
daughter and a resourceful me-
chanic with suppressed dreams
feels unappreciated in her own
home and makes many women her
story as their own. Manjari’s moth-
er forces her, who is a clumsy
young girl from Mathura and an
ardent devotee to Radha-Krishna,
into an arranged marriage being
over-protective of her and unfortu-
nately, she is not able to deny it.
‘Dhak Dhak’ takes the audience
to crisscross a medley of sub-nar-
ratives woven into the main story,
each a unique brushstroke that
shades the struggle, agony and au-
dacity of these lady bikers who
have come from different back-
grounds yet are ready to shatter
stereotypes, to raise voice against
patriarchy and to speak for ‘Self’.
It revolves around their experi-
ences, misadventures, and the
bond they form as they embark on
a life-changing journey.
The prejudices are highlighted
against female drivers and the lack
of safety for women, however, as
we progress, the issue of women's
safety is yet a big shark in society
driven by males who are not ready
to change their mindset as it is fa-
vourable to them in many ways.Yet
as an exception, a truck driver when
finds Manjari in a problem, encour-
ages her and offers the advice of
becoming a good neighbor herself.
Reel versus real-life heroines if
we take, for example, Neharika
Yadav, a dentist by profession,
have raced at the JK Tyre Super-
bike Championships. On the other
hand, the Author of ‘Road to the
Mekong’, Piya Bahadur says- “It
all starts from within, you have to
decide your destiny and that comes
with your inner confidence. There
are multiple things to hold you
back, it’s you who needs to eval-
uate and reprioritize yourself.”
Rightly advised by Bahadur to
listen to one’s inner voice, since
itisoneofthemostpivotalfac-
tors in women opting for off-
track careers. Society often
dictates that women should
prioritize nurturing and caring
roles over their ambitions. They
lack the confidence to express
what they desire and wish to do.
Shilpa Shetty through her role as
Sukhpreet in the movie
‘Sukhee’ exerted to
deliveramessage
that this culture
of self-sacrifice
andconforming
tosocietalnormshas
forced many women to suppress
their desires and aspirations.
However, empowered women
have now realized the importance
of following their inner voice and
pursuing careers that align with
their true passions. The decision to
pursue an off-track career requires
immense courage, determination,
and resilience. Women who choose
this path often face an uphill battle,
encountering scepticism and
doubters along the way. However,
by breaking stereotypes and
achieving success in areas tradi-
tionally dominated by men, these
women become beacons of inspira-
tion for future generations.
The impact of women embrac-
ing off-track careers reaches far
beyond the individual. By chal-
lenging stereotypes, they are erod-
ing societal limitations for all
women. They are paving the way
for a more inclusive and equitable
society where opportunities are not
dictated by gender but rather by tal-
ent and passion. To illustrate,
Founder of ‘Biking Queen’, a
Women’s Biking Club in Surat,
Sarika Mehta entered the world of
this due to someone making a nas-
ty comment on women riding bikes
and took it as a challenge to learn
and make other women learn.
Rubbernecking female biker de-
lineates prevailing sexism yet has
not been able to stop women from
riding bikes. Additionally, when
women choose such off-track ca-
reers, they bring their unique per-
spectives and strengths to tradition-
ally male-dominated industries
fostering innovation and driving
progress but males are not mentally
ready to accept that and it takes time
and more energy for women to es-
tablish in such arenas.
However, in recent years, wheth-
er it is reel life or real one, there has
been a notable rise in women play-
ing bold roles coming out of con-
ventional shells, challenging these
stereotypes and opting for off-track
careers. We are witnessing a surge
of women choosing careers in
fields, which were earlier domi-
nated by men such as spying, bike
racing, wrestling and even mafia
leaders or it is about talking about
their sexuality or desires.
Acclaimed Authors and hosts of
the podcast ‘NotYourAunty’Kiran
Manral and Shunali Khullar Shroff
become loud enough to shun the
sexist remarks with their puns and
punches picking up new and trend-
ing issues in their episodes. On the
other hand, Seema Anand, a my-
thologist, sexual health influencer
and author of ‘TheArt of Seduction’
speaks boldly about doubts and ta-
boos prevailing in the social amphi-
theatre related to sexuality and sex.
By making these bold choices,
women are shattering societal
boundaries and proving that talent,
dedication, and ambition surpass
gender norms.
Moreover, to instil audacity, the
feminist approach has been a trend
in contemporary Indian Cinema,
which accentuates and discovers
those aspects that have hitherto
been overlooked. ‘P.I. Meena’ and
‘Kaala Paani’ are also such web
series that unsheathe the layers of
patriarchal mindset with strong
witty female lead characters and
the intricate threads that make up
the fabric of the human struggle for
survival and existence.
In ‘P.I. Meena’, a complex narra-
tive and gripping mystery, Tanya
Maniktala as a young female detec-
tive, exerts to fathom the unfathom-
able with her will and wit though
goes through an unfavourable
course being a female detective. On
the other hand, in ‘Kaala Paani’, a
survivalthrillerNetflixseries,Mona
Singh, Arushi Sharma and Radhika
Mehrotra as medical practitioners
with their sharp intellect, strong
willpowerandfirmdeterminationto
discard patriarchy to safeguard hu-
manity from nature’s wrath.
Different shades of new wom-
en are portrayed through shows
like ‘The Trial: Pyaar Kanoon
Dhokha’, ‘The Night Manag-
er’, ‘Saas Bahu aur Flamingo’
and ‘Scoop’ where Kajol acted
as a lawyer and mother, Tilotama
Shome played the role of RAW
Officer, Dimple Kapadia as Savit-
ri who runs a drug cartel and Ka-
rishma Tanna as journalist
Jigna Vora where they
utterly discarded pa-
triarchal codes and
led as powerful and
stimulating women.
Nothing is impossible
Nothing is impossible
in this world. Firm
in this world. Firm
Determination, it is
Determination, it is
said, can move heaven
said, can move heaven
and earth. Things appear far beyond
and earth. Things appear far beyond
one’s power because one cannot set
one’s power because one cannot set
the heart on any arduous project due
the heart on any arduous project due
to a want of strong will.
to a want of strong will.
—Yamamoto Tsunetomo
Beyond
Dr Shalini
Yadav
Professor Writer
I

Pageant
13
firstindia.co.in
firstindia.co.in/epapers/jaipur thefirstindia thefirstindia thefirstindia
Miss and Mrs India Glam 2024 Winners
Toast to Success at Rambagh Palace!
r Jagdeesh Chan-
dra graciously
hosted a celebrato-
ry dinner at Hotel
Rambagh Palace
for the remarkable
winners of Miss and Mrs India
Glam 2024, Season 5. This
extravagant evening fol-
lowed the recent con-
clusion of the pageant
at Ananta Resorts,
marking a dazzling
triumph for
Saumya Gupta
and Poonam Gidwani.
Saumya Gupta emerged as the
epitome of grace and poise, secur-
ing the prestigious title of Miss
India Glam 2024. On the other
hand, Poonam Gidwani clinched
the esteemed Mrs India Glam title,
captivating hearts with her ele-
gance and charisma. Aishwarya
Sadh and Payal Daryani shone
brightly as they claimed the posi-
tions of first and second runner-up
respectively for Miss India Glam
2024. Meanwhile, Siddhi Sharma
and Maya Sharma celebrated their
success, achieving first and sec-
ond runner-up positions for Mrs
India Glam 2024.
PawanTank, the revered Found-
er Director of Miss and Mrs India
Glam, graced the occasion and ex-
pressed immense gratitude to-
wards Dr Chandra for his unwa-
vering support and guidance. Dr
Chandra's support has been pivotal
in our journey to empower women
through the realms of fashion, en-
tertainment, and glamour, Tank
mentioned in a heartfelt tribute.
The event also highlighted the
concerted efforts of First India and
Bharat24-Vision of New India in
promoting women empowerment.
Their commitment to fostering the
talent and aspirations of these ex-
ceptional women has been lauded
across the industry.
During an informal interaction,
the winners shared their dreams
and aspirations, radiating enthusi-
asm and determination. This plat-
form has given us the wings to
chase our dreams fearlessly,
exclaimedSaumyaGupta,en-
capsulating the sentiment
echoed by her fellow
winners. The
evening resonat-
ed with joy and
celebration as
these stunning
women were
applauded for
their achieve-
ments, marking
yet another mile-
stoneinthejourneyof
empowerment
through beauty
and grace.
Mitali
Dusad
mitalidusad@firstindia.co.in
D
FromDreamsto
REALITY!
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra with Khwahish Saini, Saumya Gupta, Sushmita Puri and Somya Sharma
(L-R) Reva Sharma, Gayu Sharma, Ridhima Sarin, Priyanshi Sisodia, Nikita Rathore, Akansha Shekhawat,
Khwahish Saini, Pawan Tank, Saumya Gupta, Sushmita Puri, Payal Daryani, Urvashi Poonia, Ankita Rathore and Somya Sharma
Pawan Tank
Saumya Gupta (Miss India Glam Winner)
MUKESH KIRADOO
(Anticlockwise) Sushmita Puri (Miss India Glam Rajasthan), Shivani Parmar (4th runner up),
Khwahish Saini (Miss India Glam International), Payal Daryani (2nd runner up),
Ridhima Sarin (Miss India Glam Star) Akansha Shekhawat (3rd runner up)
Nikita Rathore (Miss India Glam Vivacious)

06012024_First India Newspaper Jaipur.pdf

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