18032022 first india new delhi

Like Delhi, AAP will end corruption in Punjab too: Kejriwal
New Delhi: Aam Aadmi
Party National Convenor
and Delhi Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal on
Thursdaysaidhisgovern-
ment has eradicated cor-
ruption in the national
capital and his counter-
partBhagwantMannand
his ministers will now
run an honest govern-
ment in Punjab as well.
He welcomed Mann’s
announcement of re-
leasing a WhatsApp
number on March 23 --
iconic freedom fighter
BhagatSingh’sdeathan-
niversary -- for people to
share recordings if they
are asked for bribe by
government officials.
“Next time, if some-
one asks you for a bribe.
Don’t refuse. Just take
out your phone and re-
cord the incident and
share it on the number
that will be released. It
will be his (Mann’s) per-
sonal WhatsApp num-
ber.Wewillinitiatestrict
action against that offi-
cial,” Kejriwal said dur-
ing an online briefing.
Kejriwal recalled he
haddonesomethingsim-
ilar in his first stint in
Delhi that lasted 49 days.
“When I had formed
the government for the
first time, I had also is-
sued a WhatsApp num-
ber and during those 49
days, we took action
against 30-32 officials by
sending them to jail.
Corruption was eradi-
cated in Delhi and the
phone became the big-
gest weapon of empow-
erment of the common
public,” he said.
Kejriwal claimed that
the prime minister later
issuedanorderandtook
away the Anti-Corrup-
tion Branch from the
AAP dispensation.
“It’s been 75 years
since we have gained in-
dependence but we still
have to pay bribes. All
parties have indulged in
corruption. Aam Aadmi
Party is the first party to
run an honest govern-
ment. Kejriwal and his
ministers,Mannandhis
ministers are not cor-
rupt. We don’t want
‘hafta’ (protection mon-
ey). Just like we eradi-
cated corruption in Del-
hi, we will end it in Pun-
jab as well,” he said.
Arvind Kejriwal with Bhagwant Mann. —FILE PHOTO
AAP supremo says we eradicated corruption in Delhi,CM Mann & ministers will end it in Punjab
SOME SURVIVORS EMERGE FROM
UKRAINE THEATER HIT BY STRIKE
Kyiv (Agencies): Sur-
vivors began to emerge
on Thursday as authori-
ties worked to rescue
hundreds of civilians
trapped in the basement
of a theater blasted by
Russian airstrikes in
the besieged city of
Mariupol, while fero-
cious Russian bombard-
ment killed dozens in a
northern city over the
past day
, the local gover-
nor said.
The strikes the previ-
ous evening had left a
large section of the
grand, 3-three story
theater building in the
center of Mariupol col-
lapsed in a smoking
ruin, according to pho-
tos released by the city
council. Inside, hun-
dreds of men, women
and children — up to
1,000 according to some
officials — had taken
shelter in the basement,
seeking safety amid
Russia’s strangulating
3-week siege of the stra-
tegic southern port city
.
Rescuers worked to
clearing rubble that
had blocked the en-
trance to the basement,
despite new strikes re-
ported elsewhere in the
city Thursday. Miracu-
lously, the shelter stood
firm, officials said.
“The building with-
stood the impact of a
high-powered air bomb
and protected the lives
of people hiding in the
bomb shelter,”
Ukraine’s ombuds-
woman Ludmyla Den-
isova said on the Tele-
gram messaging app
Thursday.
‘Reform, perform,
transform’, says
PM to IAS trainees
New Delhi (ANI): Bu-
reaucrats need to learn
everything about data
governance and artifi-
cial intelligence, Prime
Minister Narendra
Modi said on Thursday
at the valedictory func-
tion of the common
foundation course of
the LBSNAA in Mus-
soorie, Uttarakhand,
which he addressed
through a video link
from New Delhi.
“I request the direc-
tor of the academy: let
there be a lab on artifi-
cial intelligence where
civil servants can
learn. Also, data is go-
ing to be a big power in
the future. It already is.
We need to learn and
understand everything
about data governance
and also implement
them wherever we go,”
he said.
Modi said the cur-
rent batch was special
because it was getting
inducted during Azadi
ka Amrit Mahotsav in
the 75th year of Inde-
pendence.
Modi asked the new
crop of civil servants,
about to be posted
across India’s various
districts in their first
assignments, to write a
long essay on why they
joined the civil service
and what they hoped to
achieve.
New Delhi: Just days
after senior Congress
leader Kapil Sibal
called for ‘Sabki Con-
gress’, his colleague
Manish Tewari, once
a powerful figure in
Congress, has claimed
that the party may be
looking down the bar-
rel. While speaking to
media, Tewari
stressed that ‘Con-
gress-mukt Bharat’, a
call given by PM Nar-
endra Modi, may just
become a reality.
“It cannot be over-
emphasised that the
Congress faces an exis-
tential crisis. It per-
haps could be looking
at the spectre of a Con-
gress-mukt Bharat. We
lost in 2014 and 2019…
Since 2014, out of 49
Assembly elections, we
have lost 39 polls. We
have only won four
elections…So, there-
fore we are really look-
ing at an extremely
grim situation. And
under those circum-
stances, the situation
does not call for intro-
spection alone. It calls
for a very deep and im-
mediate surgery to ar-
rest this portentous
drift into oblivion,”
Tewari told media.
Congress-mukt
Bharat may be
a possibility:
Manish Tewari
New anti-Mafia era:
Sidhu praises Mann
New Delhi (PTI): A day
after resigning as Pun-
jab Congress Chief, Nav-
jot Singh Sidhu hailed
Punjab’snewChief Min-
ister Bhagwant Mann,
stating that he would
unfurl“anewanti-Mafia
era” in the state.
Mann took oath as the
18th CM of Punjab on
Wednesday at the native
village of freedom fight-
er Bhagat Singh.
“The happiest man is
the one from whom no
one expects…Bhagwant
Mann unfurls a new
anti–Mafia era in Pun-
jab with a mountain of
expectations,” Sidhu
tweeted on Thursday
.
RAHUL TALKS TO
HOODA AFTER
G-23 MEETING
New Delhi: A day after
the crucial meeting of
G-23 leaders, former
Congress president Ra-
hul Gandhi on Thursday
met Bhupinder Singh
Hooda and is learnt to
have discussed revamp-
ing the party and the
way forward following
its loss in five Assembly
elections.
Cyclone Asani, first of 2022,
set to brew in Bay of Bengal
Pune (PTI): This
year’s first cyclone is
set to develop in the
Bay of Bengal around
March 21, said the
IMD on Thursday.
Once it intensifies
into a storm, the cy-
clone will be called
Asani, a name given
by Sri Lanka.
Over the North In-
dian Ocean region,
covering the Bay of
Bengal and the Arabi-
an Sea, the pre-mon-
soon months of March
to May remain an ac-
tive cyclone season.
The department has
said the cyclone will
not affect mainland In-
dia as the likely cy-
clone track is headed
towards Bangladesh
and north Myanmar.
The cyclone will move
past the Andaman and
NicobarIslands,bring-
ing heavy rainfall on
March 20 and 21.
PM Narendra Modi addresses
the valedictory function of
the 96th Common Foundation
Course at Lal Bahadur
Shastri National Academy
of Administration (LBSNAA),
through video conferencing, in
New Delhi on Thursday.
This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows burning buildings in a residential area in
northeast Chernihiv, Ukraine on Wednesday.
When you go in the field you should
not hesitate in taking a decision
that you think might make a
difference in the life of the man on the
lowermost rung of the social ladder.
—Narendra Modi, Prime Minister
NEW DELHI l FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2022 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI TITLE NO. DELENG/2021/19840 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 198
OUR EDITIONS:
JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD,
LUCKNOW & NEW DELHI
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HOLIDAY NOTICE
The press and offices of First
India will remain closed on
March 18, 2022, on account of
Holi. Therefore, there will be no
edition of the paper on March 19,
2022. Wishing all our readers a
very happy & safe Holi. —Editor
HOLI HAI...!!!
Devotees take part in devout celebrations on the eve of Holi at
Govind Dev Ji Temple in Jaipur, as they immerse themselves in the
spiritual bliss of love for Lord Krishna. —PHOTOS BY SUNIL SHARMA
The theater was
targeted on
Wednesday by
Russian airstrike;
Moscow denied
responsibility
CRUCIAL READ
HOLI CELEBRATIONS BEGIN ON DALAL
STREET AS MARKET GAINS 2%
New Delhi: Indian indices rallied on Thursday
for the second consecutive day as Sensex added
over 1047 points to close at 57,863.93, while
Nifty ended at 17,287.05, up 311 points. The
indices surged despite the hike in interest rate
announced by the US Federal Reserve.
COAL SCAM CASE: ED NOTICE TO
TMC’S ABHISHEK BANERJEE, WIFE
Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has is-
sued fresh summons to TMC MP Abhishek Baner-
jee and his wife for question-
ing in a money laundering case
linked to an alleged coal scam
in West Bengal, officials said
on Thursday. Banerjee, nephew
of West Bengal Chief Minister
Mamata Banerjee have been
asked to depose before the investigation officer.

CAPITOL
NEW DELHI | FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2022
02
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AAP MOVES SC OVER DEFERRAL OF
DELHI CIVIC ELECTIONS
New Delhi (ANI): The
Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP) has moved Su-
preme Court seeking
directions to the State
Election Commission to
conduct Municipal Elec-
tions in Delhi in a free,
fair and expeditious
manner, without any in-
terference from the Cen-
tral government.
The plea was filed af-
ter the Delhi State Elec-
tion Commission indefi-
nitely deferred the MCD
elections citing a com-
munication from the Lt.
Governor conveying
that the Centre was in-
tending to pass legisla-
tion to merge the trifur-
cated Municipal Corpo-
rations of Delhi.
The petition filed by
AAP and its leaders An-
kush Narang and Manoj
Kumar Tyagi sought to
conduct Municipal Elec-
tions in Delhi according
to the initially conceived
schedule of the State
Election Commission
before the expiry of the
tenure of the Municipal
Corporations of Delhi,
in May 2022.
“The brazen influ-
ence of the Government
of India over the State
Election Commission
and its flagrant med-
dling with the conduct
of Municipal Elections
forms the subject matter
of this writ petition,”
stated the plea filed
through advocate
Shadan Farasat.
The plea has stated
that the State Election
Commission was pre-
paring for the Delhi Mu-
nicipal Elections and by
way of multiple notices,
notifications and orders
had indicated that the
same would be conduct-
ed in April 2022.
On March 9, 2022, it
circulated a letter indi-
cating its intent to hold
a Press Conference at 5
pm on the same day to
declare the specific
schedule of the Munici-
pal Elections, to be con-
ducted in April, said the
plea. However, immedi-
ately thereafter, it re-
ceived an unofficial
communication from
the Lt. Governor of Del-
hi as per which the gov-
ernment of India was
intending to pass legis-
lation to merge the tri-
furcated Municipal Cor-
porations of Delhi, it
added.
Notably, no formal
State communication is
issued to this effect, yet.
Even in the ongoing
Budget Session, no
agenda is declared re-
garding the tabling of a
Bill to this effect, it add-
ed. The petitioners fur-
ther stated that in light
of this communication,
the press conference to
declare the election
schedule was indefinite-
ly postponed resulting
in the Municipal Elec-
tions consequently be-
ing deferred.
INDEFINITE DEFERRAL OF THE ELECTION IS COMPLETELY ARBITRARY: AAP PLEA
WRIT PETITION
Security increased in Delhi
ahead of Holi, Shab-e-Barat
New Delhi (PTI):
Ahead of Holi and Shab-
e-Barat festivals in the
city, the Delhi Police
said they have increased
deployment across
schools, localities and
markets to prevent any
anti-social activities or
violence.
Since both festivals
will be celebrated on the
same day, police have
beefed up security ar-
rangements to avoid any
large gathering affect-
ing the law and order
situation. Officials said
this is also the first time
in two years when the
public will celebrate fes-
tivals without Covid re-
strictions. In Northeast
Delhi, where there are
areas with a “mixed
population”, police said
all staff members will
be deployed on the
streets on festival days.
Sanjay Sain, DCP,
said, “We have been con-
ducting meetings with
RWA heads and reli-
gious members (head)
for weeks now. There
are people who are go-
ing to temples and
mosques to maintain
communal harmony
. All
our ACPs and SHOs
have been asked to over-
look the meetings and
see the patrolling. All
staff will be on the
field.”
Since religious gath-
erings or other gather-
ings/rallies are allowed
in Delhi, police said
they will allow gather-
ings but have advised
locals to keep the num-
bers “limited” and not
indulge in “nuisance”.
“We can’t allow big
rallies. There can be
cases of rash driving
during Shab-e-Baraat
and nuisance during
Holi celebrations. Our
personnel will be patrol-
ling on bikes and vans to
prevent this,” said an of-
ficer.
‘OUTSIDERS’ MIGHT COME TO CITY, CREATE
NUISANCE IN MARKETS, SUSPECT POLICE
Deployment and checking at borders have been in-
creased since police suspect that “outsiders” might come
to Delhi and create nuisance on streets and in markets.
DCP (Central) Shweta Chauhan said her team will be
patrolling day and night to overlook the celebrations.
Pickets will be placed near heavy footfall areas at night.
Police are also planning to use drones. In West Delhi,
police staffers have been asked to focus on areas such
as Raghubir Nagar, Khyala, Madipur, Moti Nagar and
Inderpuri with heavy student and mixed population.
BATTLE AGAINST BOTTLE!
BJP supporters hold placards during a protest against the new excise policy that allegedly
increases the liquor sales, at Civil Lines in New Delhi. —PHOTO BY ANI
New Delhi (Agencies):
Holi is among the festi-
vals that are celebrated
with utmost fervour in
most residential colo-
nies and condominiums
of Delhi-NCR.
However, Covid-19
fear had forced resi-
dents to scale down cel-
ebrations in the last two
years. And now, with a
dip in cases, revellers
are back with renewed
gusto to usher in the fes-
tival of colours, with
chaat, dhol and the
likes.
“Our society is plan-
ning to celebrate Holi,
but with strict Covid
protocols,” says Kuldip
Bhanot, president, Park
View Spa Condomini-
um Association, Guru-
gram. “Our events team
has planned Holi with
only dry colours, fol-
lowed by the traditional
lunch, ordered from
popular joints in Chan-
dni Chowk. Volunteers
will ensure Covid proto-
cols are followed. All the
residents are looking
forward to celebrating
the event as a commu-
nity, after a gap of two
years,” adds Bhanot.
Similarly, many soci-
eties in Delhi are also
limiting celebrations to
dry colours. At DDA
flats in Shalimar Bagh,
the highlight of celebra-
tions will be dance per-
formances. “We are do-
ing Holika dahan today
and playing Dhulandi
with dry colours tomor-
row. We will have a
dance performance by
youngsters, dressed up
as Krishna and Radha.
We’ll have pakode and
gujiya to mark the occa-
sion,” says Pummy Na-
rang from the society
.
“To make this festival
special, we have a DJ
and some food stalls,
too. We are trying to al-
low people in such a
way that we maintain
social distancing,”
shares Prabhat Bhard-
waj from Bellevue Cen-
tral Park 2, Gurugram.
RWAs are ‘holiready’ in Chandni Chowk
HOLI FESTIVAL CRUCIAL READ
MOMO SELLER ROBBED, STABBED
TO DEATH IN NORTH DELHI
New Delhi: A 35-year-old man was brutally as-
saulted, robbed, and stabbed to death in North
Delhi recently. The deceased, identified as Rou-
haan, ran a momo stall at Sadar Bazaar, and lived
with his family and
other known per-
sons in a one-room
set. Police said the
accused had initially
planned to rob the
man’s wallet and phone, but when he overheard
the victim talking to his mother about carrying Rs
8,000- Rs 10,000 in cash, the accused planned
to kill him. After strangulating him, the accused
allegedly stabbed him to “confirm” he was dead.
The victim’s body was found on the second floor
of a residential building. According to police,
they received a call on Monday around 1.40 am,
and found Rouhaan lying in a pool of blood with
injuries on the neck and abdomen at the spot.
BROTHER OF IB STAFFER
KILLED IN DELHI RIOTS,
GETS GOVT JOB
New Delhi: Ankur Sharma,
the brother of IB staffer
Ankit Sharma who was
murdered during riots in
northeast Delhi in February
2020, was on Thursday
appointed by the Delhi gov-
ernment in its education
department. “Honourable
CM @ArvindKejriwal gave
certificate of government
job to Ankur Sharma, the
brother of Delhi riots victim
and Intelligence Bureau
staffer Ankit Sharma. He is
appointed to the education
department, government
of Delhi,” the Delhi CMO
informed in a tweet.
New Delhi (PTI): Com-
muters on the Violet,
Green and Pink lines of
the Delhi Metro faced
delays because of a sig-
nalling issue on Thurs-
day morning during the
peak hours.
According to com-
muters, many were
stuck on crowded sta-
tions for around 45 min-
utes, waiting for their
trains.
“I have been at the
Kalkaji Station for the
past 30 minutes but
there are no trains. The
officials at the station
do not have any answers
and now the station is
packed,” said Rashmi
Singh, who works in a
private firm in
Faridabad.
Delhi Metro tweeted
at around 9 am: “Ser-
vice Update. Delay in
services on Violet,
Green and Pink lines.
Please allow for some
extra time in your com-
mute.”
Once there is a tech-
nical glitch on a metro
line, services are affect-
ed for a considerable
amount of time because
of the bunching of
trains.
Metro services on Violet,
Green and Pink lines hit
Edu dept suspends 2
teachers, fires 2 staffers
New Delhi (PTI): The
Delhi education depart-
ment has suspended
two teachers and termi-
nated the service of two
staff members of a gov-
ernment school follow-
ing a surprise inspec-
tion ahead of examina-
tions.
Director of Educa-
tion Himanshu Gupta
visited two schools in
South Delhi on Wednes-
day
. He observed that in
one of the GBSS School,
Moti Bagh No.1, a few
tew teachers were not
taking classes and “syl-
labi in their subjects
are lagging” as a result
of which two of them
were suspended with
immediate effect.
The Delhi education
department has sus-
pended two teachers
and terminated the ser-
vice of two staff mem-
bers of a government
school following a sur-
prise inspection ahead
of examinations.
Director of Educa-
tion Himanshu Gupta
visited two schools in
South Delhi on
Wednesday. He ob-
served that in one of the
GBSS School, Moti
Bagh No.1, a few tew
teachers were not tak-
ing classes and “syllabi
in their subjects are lag-
ging” as a result of
which two of them were
suspended with imme-
diate effect.
New Delhi (PTI): The
Delhi Police said they
have appointed 82 legal
consultants for different
districts across the city
and in units like special
cell, crime branch and
economic offences wing
to provide legal assis-
tance to IO and improve
the quality of the probe.
On Thursday, officials
said that the legal con-
sultants will help pro-
vide legal assistance to
police personnel, help
train new recruits and
improve investigation in
important criminal cas-
es. This will help the po-
lice in better conviction
rate and understand the
law better.
Initially, only 54 legal
assistants were hired by
the force to help in legal
matters in trial courts,
Delhi High Court and
Supreme Court. With
the Delhi Police facing
criticism in the courts
for important riots cases
and other criminal cas-
es, they have appointed
28 more consultants.
82 legal
consultants in
police stations to
‘improve probe’
Delhi riots: Court denies bail to Gulfisha
New Delhi (ANI): A
Delhi Court dismissed
the bail plea of Gulfisha
Fatima an accused in a
larger conspiracy case
related to Northeast
Delhi Violence consid-
ering that the allega-
tions against the ac-
cused are prima facie
true.
She was booked by
Delhi Police Special
Cell under Sections
of the Unlawful Activi-
ties Prevention Act
(UAPA).
It is alleged she was
organising a protest at
Jafrabad. The court
held that the allega-
tions against the ac-
cused are prima facie
true.
However, she was
granted bail by the Del-
hi High Court in anoth-
er related FIR in con-
nection with violence at
Jafrabad in which one
person named Aman
died.
Additional Sessions
Judge Amitabh Rawat
of Karkardooma Court
on Wednesday dis-
missed the bail plea of
student activist Gulfi-
sha Fatima.
He said on the perus-
al of the charge-sheet
and accompanying doc-
uments, for the limited
purpose of the bail, I
am of the opinion that
allegations against the
accused Gul alias Gulfi-
sha are prima facie
true.
Accused ‘has clean past antecedents’:
HC while granting bail to rape accused
New Delhi (PTI):
Granting bail to an ac-
cused in a rape case, the
Delhi High Court said it
cannot be ignored that
he “has clean past ante-
cedents” and that the
nature of the relation-
ship between the par-
ties “was initially con-
sensual and (later) went
sore”.
Justice Anoop Ku-
mar Mendiratta in the
order also noted that
the investigation in the
case has already been
concluded and it is list-
ed for framing of charg-
es in July. It cannot be
ignored that he is in
custody for over a peri-
od of nine months, said
the bench.
The case regarding
the sexual assault was
registered by the police
on a complaint moved
by a woman against her
ex-boyfriend last year.

INDIA
03
Lucknow (Agencies):
Many factors like wom-
en, caste combination,
education qualification,
age and performance of
the MLAs will be taken
into consideration be-
fore the formation of
the Yogi government 2.0
in Uttar Pradesh (UP),
said sources on Thurs-
day. Several rounds of
meetings have taken
place within the Bhar-
tiya Janata Party (BJP)
after poll results on
March 10.
“Many new leaders
who joined the BJP
within months before
the election have also
come out victorious and
they are likely to be in-
ducted into the govern-
ment. However, what is
come out from the exer-
cise that has been car-
ried out so far is that
without a doubt the
caste combination of a
particular region and
the representation of
the elected MLA from
that area will be taken
into consideration
while announcing cabi-
net,” the sources said.
According to sources,
there was open public
displeasure against sev-
eral ministers and
MLAs of the last term
largely owing to the fact
that theseleaders would
hardly go and meet peo-
ple in the constituency.
“Like Bihar, this time in
Uttar Pradesh women
voters who stood up in
huge numbers to vote
for the party were in-
strumental to BJP win-
ning a majority in the
state. It is also given to
understand that the
women representation
in the Yogi Cabinet will
be a substantial one and
quite a few women
MLAs would be induct-
ed,” sources added.
In the next couple of
days, the BJP will also
be finalizing the candi-
dates for MLC elections
on 36 seats. A few min-
isters, who have also
been MLCs before, are
likely to get repeated.
Chief Minister Yogi
Adityanath has made at
least two visits to the na-
tional capital after the
election results to meet
top leaders of the party
.
Need to expand trade with neighbours: HM
Union Home Minister
Amit Shah on Thursday
said India needed to ex-
pand trade with the
neighbouring coun-
tries, as in the next 10
years,itwouldbeamong
the top manufacturing
countries. Strong infra-
structure along the bor-
der would also help in
stopping the migration
of border population.
India shared bounda-
ry with Afghanistan,
Bhutan, China, Bangla-
desh, Myanmar, Nepal
and Pakistan and every
50 km there was a new
challenge for border se-
curity
. “I can see clearly
that in the next 10 years,
India will be among the
top manufacturing
countries. But what will
be do with the products?
Need to expand trade
with the seven neigh-
bouring countries,” he
emphasised. Recently,
India sent tonnes of
wheat to Afghanistan
via one of the land
ports, he pointed out.
Due to the past mis-
takes in drawing In-
dia’s boundary, Kartar-
pur, a revered Sikh pil-
grimage site barely six
km away, was left out-
side the Indian terri-
tory, he noted.
The Kartarpur corri-
dor links two impor-
tant Sikh shrines —
Dera Baba Nanak in
Gurdaspur district of
Punjab and Gurdwara
Darbar Sahib in Kartar-
pur, Pakistan, where
the Sikh founder
breathed his last. “Hin-
dus and Sikhs in India
and across the world ap-
preciate the corridor,”
Shah stated.
GOOD NEIGHBOUR DIPLOMACY
 UP govt
formation: Nadda
meets Anupriya Patel
and Sanjay Nishad
 Priyanka
meets UP leaders
individually to
discuss poll debacle
WOMEN, CASTE COMBINATION, AGE, PERFORMANCE
KEY FACTORS IN YOGI 2.0 GOVERNMENT: SOURCES
Chandigarh (PTI):
Punjab Chief Minister
Bhagwant Mann and
other newly elected
MLAs were adminis-
tered oath as members
of the 16th Punjab Vid-
han Sabha here on
Thursday
.
The first session of
the 16th Punjab Assem-
bly began on Thursday
.
Protem Speaker In-
derbir Singh Nijjar ad-
ministered oath to the
newly elected legisla-
tors, most of them the
first-time MLAs.
Mann, who was
sworn-in as Punjab
Chief Minister on
Wednesday at Khatkar
Kalan village was the
first to take oath as a
member of the House.
He ended his oath with
‘Inqilab Zindabad’
(long live revolution)
slogan.
Several MLAs of the
Aam Aadmi Party had
come with their family
members for the oath-
taking ceremony
.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Aditiyanath greets party workers during celebrations following their win in the Assembly polls, at the BJP office
in Lucknow. —FILE PHOTO
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann looking on as MLAs were administered the oath by protem speaker Dr
Inderbir Singh Nijjar at the Vidhan Sabha on Thursday.
Home Minister Shah addressing at the 10th Foundation Day of
Land Ports Authority of India, at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
Newly-elected MLAs take
oath in Punjab Assembly
Leadership
crisis not yet
resolved, says
Manipur Min
Islamic body
asks mosques
to change
prayer timings
G-23 meet for
second time
in 24 hours
The core group of Con-
gress’s G-23 dissidents
metagainatthehomeof
senior leader Ghulam
Nabi Azad this evening
-- their second gathering
in 24 hours. Among
thoseattendingwereKa-
pilSibal,AnandSharma
and Bhupinder Hooda.
The meet is expected to
be a feedback session,
with Hooda meeting Ra-
hul earlier on Thursday
.
Imphal: T Bishwajit,
senior Minister in the
previous BJP-led gov-
ernment, on Thursday
told reporters at the Im-
phal international air-
port that the leadership
crisis in Manipur ahead
of the formation of the
new Min-
istry was
not yet
resolved.
Hesaid
that dur-
ing a two-
day stay in Delhi, no
national BJP leader dis-
cussed the matter with
him or caretaker Chief
Minister N Biren Singh.
On Biren Singh’s re-
selection as the next
CM again, Bishwajit
said “it is mere specula-
tion”.
He further said that
observer Nirmala Sita-
raman and co-observer
Kiren Rijiju may visit
soon to resolve the im-
passe. On the basis of
their report, the higher
authority would take a
decision on the issue.
The directive from the
high command would
be final and binding.
Lucknow (PTI): To
maintain peace and or-
der, the Islamic Centre
of India has urged
mosques to change the
timings of Friday
prayers given that Holi
will be celebrated the
same day. Since Holi,
Shab-e-Barat and Fri-
day prayers are on the
same day, all efforts
should be made to en-
sure peace and order in
keeping with the com-
posite culture of the
country, appealed the
chairman of the Islam-
ic Centre of India Far-
angi Mahal and Luc-
know Idgah Imam
Maulana Khalid
Rasheed appealed on
Wednesday
. Apart from
seeking change in the
timings of Friday
prayers, he urged Mus-
lims to offer prayers in
local mosques.
New post-pandemic world order shaping
up, India needs to grow fast: PM Modi
Venkaiah Naidu greets
people on eve of Holi
`3 crore demand made
to free Malik from jail
New Delhi (ANI):
Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi on Thursday
said that India needs to
develop at a faster pace
to find its role while
the new world order
shapes up in the back-
drop of the COVID-19
pandemic.
The Prime Minister
said that the whole
world is looking at In-
dia. “In the circum-
stances created by COV-
ID-19, new world order
is emerging. In this new
order, India has to de-
velop itself at a faster
pace,” he added.
The Prime Minister
was addressing a vale-
dictory function of the
96th Common Founda-
tion Course at Lal Baha-
dur Shastri National
Academy of Adminis-
tration (LBSNAA),
Mussoorie via video
conferencing.
New Delhi (PTI): Ex-
tending greetings on the
eve of Holi, Vice Presi-
dent M Venkaiah Naidu
on Thursday said
on the occasion
of the festival of
colours people
should strive to
strengthen the
bonds of friend-
ship and amity that hold
the society together.
Celebrated with tradi-
tional fervour and en-
thusiasm throughout
the country, Holi is the
time for family and
friends to come together
and rejoice in the
spirit of the spon-
taneous, joyful
celebration of
life, he said in his
message. The
vice president
hoped the festival
brings peace, harmony,
prosperity and happi-
ness to people’s lives.
Mumbai (PTI): Maha-
rashtraministerNawab
Malik’s son has lodged
an FIR after a person al-
legedly demand-
ed Rs 3 crore
from him to get
his father out on
bail, a police of-
ficial said on
Thursday. Na-
tionalist Congress Party
(NCP) leader Malik was
arrested by the Enforce-
ment Directorate (ED)
last month in a money
laundering case.
Following a com-
plaint filed by the min-
ister’s son Amir Malik,
the VB Nagar police
registered the FIR
against the uni-
dentified person
late Wednesday
night, he said.
According to
the complainant,
he received an
email in which the
sender, who identified
himself as Imtiyaaz, al-
legedly said he will try
to get Malik out on bail
and demanded Rs 3
crore in Bitcoins.
HARBHAJAN MAY BE NAMED
FOR RS FROM PUNJAB BY AAP
New Delhi: Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh
will be the Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab candidate for
the Rajya Sabha elections this year, the party has an-
nounced. The AAP is going to get
five seats in the Rajya Sabha, by
the end of this month. According
to the sources, the newly-formed
state government of Punjab,
led by Chief Minister Bhagwant
Mann, may also give command of
a sports university to Harbhajan
Singh. Right before the Punjab election, specula-
tions of ‘Turbanator’ Singh joining the BJP were rife.
Many media outlets reported claimed that a senior
BJP leader had said, “We have them [Harbhajan and
former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh] on the radar.
Let us see.” ‘Bhajji’ later dismissed the rumours.
You always
have to keep
the goals of
21st century India in
mind. The goal of
building an
Aatmanirbhar
Bharat, the goal of
laying the foundation
of New, Modern India.
—PM Narendra Modi
Tainted leaders to
be excluded from
new UP Cabinet
New Delhi: The
Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP)iskeepingthe2024
Lok Sabha elections in
mind while deciding on
the Cabinet formation
in Uttar Pradesh.
A detailed exercise is,
therefore, on and every
effort is being made to
balance the regional,
caste and geographical
issues.
The BJP has also de-
cided not to induct
tainted faces in the Ut-
tar Pradesh Cabinet.
There will be two
ministers from the
Apna Dal, including
Ashish Patel, in Chief
Minister Yogi Adity-
anath-led Cabinet.
A leader of the Ni-
shad Party will also be
included in the Uttar
Pradesh Cabinet.
Uttar Pradesh BJP
chief Swatantra Dev
Singh will be the new
face in the Cabinet. Sin-
gh, who will be reward-
ed for the BJP’s splen-
did performance in Ut-
tar Pradesh, was a part
of the Cabinet prior to
his appointment as the
party’s state chief.
Keshav Prasad Mau-
rya, Shrikant Sharma,
Siddharth Nath Singh,
Nand Gopal Nandi,
Brajesh Pathak, Ram-
pal Verma, Surya
Pratap Shahi, Ashutosh
Tandon, Mohsin Raza,
Anil Rajbhar and Sand-
eep Singh will be in-
cluded in the Cabinet.
BJP MLA Brijesh Sin-
gh, who retained the
Deoband Assembly seat
for another term, will
alsobeapartof Cabinet.
BJP leader Rajeev
Singh alias Babbu Bhai-
ya, who won from the
Dataganj Assembly
seat, too will be a part of
the Cabinet this time.
POLITICAL BUZZ

Vol 1 Issue No. 198
RNI TITLE NO. DELENG/2021/19840
Printed and published by
Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of
First Express Publishers. Printed at
Impressions Printing and Packaging
Limited, C-21, 22 Sector-59,
Noida-201301. Published at G-20,
3rd Floor, 309, Preet Vihar, New
Delhi-110092. Phone 011-49846474.
Editor-In-Chief: Jagdeesh Chandra.
Editor: Sharat K Verma
responsible for selection of news
under the PRB Act
SPIRITUAL SPEAK
All conditioned things are
impermanent—when one
sees this with wisdom, one
turns away from suffering.
—Buddha
IN-DEPTH
Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
It was a pleasure to speak with
President-elect @sukyeol__yoon.
Conveyed my congratulations on
his recent victory in the Presidential
elections in Republic of Korea. We
discussed the potential of further
deepening the India-Korea Special
Strategic Partnership in many areas.
Kiren Rijiju
@KirenRijiju
Fondly remembering Shri Manohar
Parrikar Ji, one of the finest leader
who was sincere, simple and able who
served the nation selflessly till his last
day in this world. He left us on this day
of 17th March 2019.
TOP TWEETS
LAW CAN’T PREVENT
BEGGARY BUT A
SOCIO-ECONOMIC
STANCE MAY HELP
egging on roads is
both a social and eco-
nomic problem. Re-
movingbeggarsfrom
roads, or “making
them invisible” at the time of
VVIP visits is no solution. Cor-
rective measures to rehabilitate
beggars by involving them in
constructive work have failed in
the past. So have laws prohibit-
ing beggary. At times beggars
are a nuisance but society has
learnt to live with them. The Su-
preme Court and the Delhi High
Court have struck down laws
banning begging on humanitar-
ian grounds taking a holistic
view of beggars’ rights and
their socio-economic problems.
A public interest petition has
beenfiledintheMadhyaPradesh
High Court challenging the con-
stitutional validity of the state’s
anti-beggary Act, the MP Bhik-
sha Vritti Nivaran Adhiniyam.
The petition argues that the pro-
visions of the Act violate the
right to equality and the right to
live with dignity. At the core of
the problem is extreme poverty
and unemployment and there’s
a need to focus on that. Anti-beg-
gary laws won’t help.
B
ongressdissenters
led by Kapil Sibal
have baulked at
the idea of split-
ting the grand old
party
. At the end of a long
meeting called by Sibal at
Ghulam Nabi Azad’s resi-
dence the dissenters, includ-
ing Shashi Tharoor and Mani
Shankar Aiyar, climbed down
a few notches from their ear-
lierdemandfortheGandhisto
relinquishleadership.Instead
of directly targeting Sonia
Gandhi,hersonRahulGandhi
and daughter Priyanka Gan-
dhi Vadra, the leaders de-
manded that the party should
get rid of Gandhi family loyal-
ists who were misguiding the
leadership. But they also
warned of “drastic next steps
and no one wants that” if the
party leadership fails to meet
the demand. In other words,
the dissenters want to weaken
the leadership by seeking the
removal of loyalists.
Butwhoamongthedissent-
ers has the leadership quali-
ties to guide the party for bet-
terelectoralresults.Isanyone
from among Sibal, Azad,
Manish Tiwari, Prithviraj
Chavan, Anand Sharma and
Shankar Sinh Vaghela has
the requisite leadership qual-
ity to hold together a national
party? Will any of them be
willing to accept Sachin Pilot
as leader? The warning
sounded by the dissenting
group seems like a threat to
split the party
. That move will
be helpful only if they can
mobilise majority support in
the party for their action
plan. State-wise, too, the dis-
senters will have the task of
revitalising the Congress to
prove that the Gandhis and
their loyalists lacked the com-
petence. That may not be easy
.
It will be in the interest of
both the sides to thrash out
their differences.
CONGRESS FACTIONS
MUST SINK DIFFERENCES
Congress dissenters led by Kapil Sibal have baulked at
the idea of splitting the grand old party. At the end of
a long meeting called by Sibal at Ghulam Nabi Azad’s
residence the dissenters, including Shashi Tharoor and
Mani Shankar Aiyar, climbed down a few notches from
their earlier demand for the Gandhis to relinquish leadership
C
PERSPECTIVE
04
artin Luther King Jr. had a
dream. Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
, invok-
ingKinginhisvirtualaddress
toCongressonMarch16,2022,
said he has a need. “We need
you right now,” Zelenskyy
told U.S. lawmakers.
Since November 2021, the
U.S. has provided three ship-
ments of military aid to
Ukraine,sendingweaponsand
equipmentfromitsownstocks
held at bases throughout Eu-
rope. The U.S. has provided
everything from rifles and
bodyarmortoStingermissiles
capable of shooting down heli-
copters or fighter jets, as well
asJavelins,anti-armorweapon
systems used to destroy tanks.
Once the U.S. approves a re-
quest for military aid, how do
the weapons get from the U.S.
storagesitesinEuropeintothe
hands of Ukrainian soldiers?
What steps are involved in the
logistics of moving US$350
million worth of weapons and
equipment from Europe into
an active combat zone?
SUPPLY CHAINS
As a logistics scholar who
also served in the Iraq War, I
see parallels between civilian
and military supply chains.
To help understand how mili-
tary goods, or materiel, as it
is known, move from storage
to soldiers, consider a generic
e-commercesupplychainlike
that of Amazon or Walmart.
First,asuppliersellsandde-
liversrawmaterialstoamanu-
facturer. The transportation
segment of that transaction is
known as the “first mile.”
Next, a manufacturer
transforms the raw materials
into finished goods. These
goods are then sold at whole-
sale to retail customers like
Amazon or Walmart and
then transported to an e-com-
merce distribution center
over a segment referred to as
the “middle mile.”
THE FIRST MILE
Materiel that Ukraine needs
isstoredatU.S.basesthrough-
out Europe. Once the weap-
ons and equipment are pulled
from these U.S. stocks, they’ll
be transported by air, truck
or rail across the “first mile.”
The length of the first mile in
this case could be up to 600 or
700 miles to a location or loca-
tions in a NATO territory
bordering western or south-
western Ukraine, including
Poland, Slovakia, Hungary
and Romania.
The movements along the
first mile within NATO terri-
tory will need to be concealed
to maximize security and pre-
vent Russia from predicting
thedestinationof themateriel.
In military jargon, the first
destination is known as a
“staging area.” To maintain
security of the materiel, the
staging area will likely be an
armory or ordnance depot
located on a NATO base be-
fore transporting it into
Ukraine. An important stra-
tegic decision for U.S., NATO
and Ukrainian leaders plan-
ning the mission is whether
to use a single staging area or
multiple staging areas.
THE MIDDLE MILE
Once the staging area deci-
sion is made, plans are devel-
oped to coordinate the trans-
fer of materiel to Ukraine’s
military. At that point,
Ukraine will be responsible
for transporting the materiel
from the NATO country
along the middle mile to the
next set of staging areas
within Ukraine. The impor-
tance of operational security
grows drastically in this seg-
ment, and complicates trans-
portation.
NATO’s refusal to estab-
lish a no-fly zone allows Rus-
sia to maintain air superior-
ity over Ukraine. This pre-
vents Ukraine from trans-
porting the supplies by air
and as a result, Ukrainians
are forced to use vehicle con-
voys to travel from the west-
ern border to the next loca-
tion in the supply chain. Rus-
sian air superiority also pre-
vents deploying one large
convoy to transport military
resupply because Russian at-
tack helicopters or fighter
jets could easily destroy such
a large target.
THE FINAL MILE
The final staging areas are
likely within major cities.
Once a convoy reaches these
ultimate staging areas, the
shipments will be broken
down from their bulk packag-
ing into smaller quantities
for further distribution to
soldiers fighting on the front
lines.
This “final mile” in a com-
bat zone is more precarious
because there are active Rus-
sian aerial and ground at-
tacks. As a result, the logis-
tics units traveling the final
mile also need protection,
including small arms, as well
as anti-tank weapons.
SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION
HOW WEAPONS GET TO UKRAINE
AND WHAT’S NEEDED TO PROTECT
VULNERABLE SUPPLY CHAINS
M
VINCENT E CASTILLO
The writer is assistant Professor
of Logistics, The Ohio State University
Ultimately, while the
materiel supply chain
required to fulfill the Biden
administration’s agreement
to support Ukraine with
military aid has some
conceptual similarities to
that of an e-commerce supply
chain in the US, the stakes in
Ukraine are obviously much
higher. A missed delivery in
this case doesn’t just mean a
dissatisfied customer. It
means that over time, a
sovereign nation may not be
able to defend itself against
an invading force
The Ukrainians are
fighting a war against
a larger invading force,
and military aid is needed
as soon as possible. What
differentiates the
military supply chain
from commercial supply
chains is the need for
speedy delivery while also
maximizing security

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INDIA
05
SL SIGNS USD
1 BILLION CREDIT
LINE WITH INDIA
JAPANESE PM TO
VISIT INDIA ON
MARCH 19-20
New Delhi: Sri Lanka on
Thursday signed USD
1 billion credit line with
India for procurement
of food, medicines and
other essential items,
amid the island nation’s
worsening economic
crisis. The agreement
was signed between the
State Bank of India (SBI)
and the Government of
Sri Lanka, during Sri
Lankan Finance Minis-
ter Basil Rajapaksha’s
two-day visit to India.
This agreement was
signed after Rajapaksa
held a meeting with
Union Finance Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman and
External Affairs Minister
S Jaishankar in New
Delhi on Thursday.
New Delhi: Japanese
PM Fumio Kishida is set
to pay a two-day visit to
New Delhi from March
19 for the 14th India-
Japan Annual Summit.
Speaking at a weekly
media briefing, the MEA
spokesperson Arindam
Bagchi informed that
this will be the first
meeting between PM
Narendra Modi and the
Japanese PM Kishida.
“India-Japan Summit
will be held on March
19th. At the invitation of
PM Modi, PM of Japan
Fumio Kishida will be
undertaking an official
visit to Delhi from 19-20
March for 14th India-
Japan Annual Summit,”
said Arindam Bagchi.
CRUCIAL READ
Bengaluru (ANI): De-
fence Minister Rajnath
Singh on Thursday said
the defence needs of In-
dia have increased and
the country is constant-
ly working to enhance
its strategic capabili-
ties. He said economic,
political and strategic
equations are changing
all over world and major
world powers are in tus-
sle.
“Our defence needs
have also increased and
constant modernisation
of the Armed Forces is
the need of the hour.
Keeping ourselves ready
is our top priority and
we are constantly work-
ing to enhance our stra-
tegic capabilities,” Sin-
gh said. He was speak-
ing after inaugurating
complex in 45 days.
7-storey RD facility built by DRDO in record 45 days
DEFENCE NEEDS OF INDIA

DRDO has built
a Flight Control
System
Integration
complex in
record 45 days
to be used as
Research and
Devp facility in
Bengaluru
Our defence
needs have
also in-
creased and
constant modernisa-
tion of the Armed
Forces is the need of
the hour. Keeping
ourselves ready is our
top priority and we
are constantly work-
ing to enhance our
strategic capabilities.
Rajnath Singh,
Defence Minister
Rajnath Singh unveils Flight Control System Integration facility in Bengaluru. Also seen Basavaraj Bommai.
WAR-HIT UKRAINE
TECHNICAL FAULT HALTS POLAND’S RAILWAYS
SLAWOMIRCYZA,THECHIEFEXECUTIVEOFALSTOMINPOLANDSAID
THATTHEOUTAGEHADRESULTEDFROMTHEDATACODINGFLAW
BAGCHI SAID THAT INDIA AT UN HAS BEEN HIGHLIGHTING NEED TO
RESPECT UN CHARTER AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF COUNTRIES
RUSSIA CALLS ITS ASSAULT ON UKRAINE A “SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION” TO
PROTECT BREAKAWAY UKRAINIAN REGIONS FROM FASCIST REGIME IN KYIV
Warsaw (Agencies):
Railways ground to a
halt in many places
across Poland on Thurs-
day, disrupting an im-
portant means of trans-
port for Ukrainian refu-
gees after what the
transport minister said
was a traffic control
system outage impact-
ing several countries.
Infrastructure Minis-
ter Andrzej Adamczyk
said that identical
faults in the traffic con-
trol systems, which are
produced by a unit of
French train maker Al-
stom, had also appeared
in India, Singapore and
possibly Pakistan.
“The cause is still be-
ing determined,” Ad-
amczyk wrote on Twit-
ter. “(Railway operator)
PKP PLK is working
non-stop to minimise
the effects of the out-
age, which has affected
about 80% of rail traffic
in Poland.”
Slawomir Cyza, the
chief executive of Al-
stom in Poland, told me-
dia agencies that the
outage had resulted
from a data coding flaw
they are looking in it.
A man walks near railway track after crossing the border between Poland and Ukraine in Kroscienko. Almost two million people have fled to Poland from Ukraine.
Regarding
transport of
the refugees,
which has been
key task of Rail-
way over the past
few days, we are
in full coordina-
tion of the process
together with min-
istry of infrastruc-
ture, so that pro-
cess is not halted
can be carried out
to extent possible.
Miroslaw Skubiszynski,
PKP PLK Dy Chief Exe
COUNTER-TERRORISM TALK!
India and Indonesia on Thursday carried out talks over
cooperation in counter terrorism, maritime, defence, and
cyber security and also signed MoU for a Security Dialogue, a
statement said. India’s National Security Ajit Doval co-chaired
the second India-Indonesia Security Dialogue.
Abu Dhabi: CJI NV Ramana on Thursday said the
strong relationship between India and UAE will only
grow in the times to come
and the strong bonds of
friendship are bound to flour-
ish and achieve new heights.
Speaking at a felicitation
function organised by the
Indian community in UAE at
the India Social and Cultural Centre, Abu Dhabi, Jus-
tice Ramana said major reasons for the strong ties
between 2 nations is that Indians constitute one of
largest ethnic groups in UAE and they have signifi-
cantly contributed to devp of the UAE over the years.
STRONG BOND OF FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN
INDIA, UAE BOUND TO FLOURISH, SAYS CJI
KREMLIN REJECTS
TOP COURT ORDER
UK TO DEPLOY AIR
DEFENSE SYSTEM
INDIAN JUDGE VOTES
AGAINST RUSSIA
IN A CHILLING THREAT,
PUTIN’S BIG WARNING
VOLUNTEER FIGHTER:
STAKHOVSKY, ROGER
MEA: INDIA CALLS FOR
DIPLOMACY, DIALOGUE
Kremlin on Thursday rejected
an order by UN’s top court
for Russia to
suspend mili-
tary offensive
in Ukraine, a
day after judg-
es in Hague
announced
their ruling. “We cannot take
this decision into account,”
Peskov said, adding that Rus-
siaa and Ukraine had to agree
for ruling to be implemented.
UK Defense Secretary Ben
Wallace said on Thursday
that the UK
will send
its most
advanced
air defence
system and
100 troops
to Poland to bolsters NATO’s
eastern flank amid Russia’s
ongoing military operation in
Ukraine. Lorry-mounted weap-
on consists of radar units.
In 2013 he achieved one of
the great shocks in tennis
history, knock-
ing defending
champion
Roger Federer
out of Wim-
bledon. Today,
the Ukranian
player Sergiy Stakhovsky is a
volunteer fighter on a military
patrol in Kyiv, which he vows
to defend “to the end” against
Russian forces.
The Russian Federation
shall immediately suspend
military
operations that
it commenced
on 24 Feb on
the territory
of Ukraine,”
pending final
decision in case, presiding
judge Joan Donoghue told Int’l
Court of Justice. India’s judge
at ICJ, Justice Dalveer Bhan-
dari, also voted against Russia.
Putin warned he would
cleanse Russia of “scum
and traitors”
he accuses of
working co-
vertly for US
and its allies.
Facing eco-
nomic melt-
down 3 weeks, Russian leader
lashed out at domestic critics.
He accused West of wanting to
destroy Russia in televised VC
with dark undertones.
India has called for diploma-
cy and dialogue to address
the ongoing
Ukraine-Rus-
sia conflict,
said MEA
spokesper-
son Arindam
Bagchi. “We
have been clear and consis-
tent, we feel that only way out
is through dialogue which has
been emphasised by PM Modi
in his conversation,” he stated.
Over 2.6 lakh Covid vaccine doses
administered to kids aged 12-14 yrs
government said that
more than 2.60 lakh
Corbevax vaccine doses
were administered on
the first day of the Cov-
id-19 vaccination drive
for the children in the
12-14 years age group.
Besides, more than
52,000 ‘precaution dos-
es’ were administered
on Wednesday to those
above 60 years of age.
Vaccination for chil-
dren in the 12-14 years
age group commenced
on Wednesday with
the Corbevax vaccine,
which is manufac-
tured by Hyderabad-
based Biological E.
The second dose to the
vaccinated children
will be given after a
gap of 28 days.
The co-morbidity
clause for administer-
ing precaution doses to
those aged 60 years and
abovehasbeenremoved.
The eligible people are
being administered the
‘precaution dose’, which
will be the same vaccine
as given earlier.
OUCH! A child reacts as a medic inoculates with a vax dose of
Covid vaccine during a vaccination drive in Mumbai on Thursday.
HIGHLIGHTS
INDIA MANAGED THE
OMICRON CASES BETTER
THAN OTHERS: CENTRE
proactive measures in
India’s Covid vaccination
drive helped
country
control the
spread of
Omicron,
which was
globally 6 times higher
than previous wave,
informed MoHFW on
Thursday. During a
webinar, Lav Agarwal, Jt
Secy, Ministry of Health
speaks in webinar.
BARC India resumes
ratings for individual
news channels
NewDelhi(ANI):Broad-
cast Audience Research
Council(BARC)Indiahas
resumed ratings for indi-
vidual news channels,
with the release of data
forWeek10of 2022.BARC
India temporarily sus-
pended the viewership
ratings of news channels
in Oct 2020 amid allega-
tions of a TRP scam.
“Sensitivetotheindus-
try’sneedforpastdatafor
informed and equitable
decision making, and as
advised, BARC India will
also release data for the
previous13weeks,i.e.,for
the period of Week 49,
2021 to Week 9, 2022, only
forthechannelsthathave
notchosentooptoutfrom
receivingthisdata,which
will also be based on a
four-week rolling aver-
age. This data will be re-
leasedoverthenextthree
working days,” it said.
Body releases data for Week 10 of 2022.
BARC IND STATES
SURGE IN COVID CASES GLOBALLY: WHO CHIEF
Geneva (PTI): Fresh cases of Covid-19 are again spik-
ing globally, especially in parts of Asia, af-
ter several weeks of decline and this rise is
“just the tip of the iceberg”, WHO Director-
General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has
warned. ‘We call on all countries to remain
vigilant, continue to vaccinate,’ he said.
MANDAVIYA LAUDS NGOS, HEALTH WORKERS
New Delhi (ANI): Union Health Min Dr Mansukh Mandavi-
ya on Thursday appreciated NGOs, stake-
holders and healthcare workers for working
tirelessly among communities during
pandemic. “I seek your continued partner-
ship for connecting with communities to take
healthcare services to them,” he said.
 Israel claims new
variant detected
 UP withdraws
Covid curbs; pools
to reopen, allows
100% capacity at
weddings
 5k kids aged 12-14
jabbed in Odisha
 Mizoram allows
schools, colleges
to reopen

BIZ BUZZ
06
Promoted by
AU Small Finance Bank
New Delhi (PTI): In-
dia’s oil demand is pro-
jected to jump 8.2% to
5.15 million barrels per
day in 2022 as the econ-
omy continues to re-
bound from the devas-
tation caused by the
pandemic.
The Organisation of
Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC) in
its latest monthly oil
market report project-
ed the world’s third-
biggest energy con-
sumer to add 0.39 mil-
lion barrels per day
(bpd) of crude oil de-
mand in 2022.
India’s oil demand
rose from 4.51 million
barrels per day in 2020
to 4.76 million bpd in
2021, recording a 5.61%
growth.
But, this was below
pre-pandemic levels.
Oil demand in 2018 was
4.98 million bpd, which
rose to 4.99 million bpd
in the following year
before the pandemic
struck.
“With expected
strong economic
growth of 7.2% in 2022
and expected rapid
containment of Omi-
cron in the near future,
oil demand is expected
to recover,” the OPEC
report said.
Mobility has contin-
ued to improve, as av-
erage driving activity
in India increased. Oil
demand this year has
increased as states re-
laxed COVID-19 re-
strictions in line with
declines in new infec-
tions.
“Gasoline (petrol)
and diesel are likely to
be particularly fa-
voured by the expected
rise in GDP and the al-
ready recovering mo-
bility and consequent-
ly driving activity,” it
said. Similarly, in line
with a forecast for a ro-
bust economy in 2022,
the industrial sector
will provide support
for diesel, LPG and
naphtha requirements.
Jet kerosene de-
m a n d
improvement is ex-
pected to be slower in
2022 because of travel
challenges, particular-
ly business-related, it
said. “Nevertheless,
India is projected to
grow by 0.4 million bpd
year-on-year in 2022.”
India's oil demand may jump 8% in 2022
AFTER IOC, HPCL BUYS 2 MN
BBL RUSSIAN CRUDE, MRPL
SEEKS 1 MN BBL
New Delhi (PTI): After Indian Oil Corporation,
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd has bought
two million barrels of Russian crude oil as Indian
refiners stepped up efforts to secure Russian oil
available at deep discounts. Just like IOC, HPCL
also bought Russian Urals crude through Euro-
pean trader Vitol, sources with knowledge of the
development said. Separately, Mangalore Refin-
ery and Petrochemicals Ltd has floated a tender
seeking one million barrels of similar crude oil.
Western sanctions on Russia has prompted
many companies and countries to shun its oil.
This has led to Russian crude being available
in the market at deep discounts. To capture the
opportunity, Indian refiners are floating tenders
to buy such discounted oil. The tenders are
mostly won by traders, who would have stocked
inventories of the cheap Russian oil. The sources
said IOC, the nation's top oil firm, late last week
bought three million barrels of Urals through
Vitol for May delivery at a discount of $20-25
a barrel to dated Brent. HPCL this week made
the rare purchase of two million barrels of Urals
crude for loading in May, they said.
RELIANCE MAY AVOID RUSSIAN FUEL AFTER SANCTIONS
New Delhi (Agencies): Reliance Industries Ltd, operator of the world's biggest refining
complex, may avoid buying Russian fuels for its plants following Western sanctions
on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, a senior company official said. Even if we
can source some of the feeds (from Russia), probably we will be out of it because of
the sanctions, Rajesh Rawat, senior vice president and business head cracker, told
an industry event. Reliance buys Urals crude and straight run fuel oil for its refiner-
ies from Russia. The private refiner mostly buys its petrochemical feedstock from
the Middle East and the United States. Rawat said in India most of the oil supplies
from Russia are going to the state-run companies.
Moody’s slashes
2022 India
forecast to 9.1%
New Delhi (PTI):
Moody’s on Thursday
slashed India’s growth
estimate for the cur-
rent year to 9.1%, from
9.5% earlier, saying
high fuel and fertilizer
import bill could limit
the government’s capi-
tal expenditure.
In its ‘Global Macro
Outlook 2022-23
(March 2022 Update):
Economic Growth will
suffer as fallout from
Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine builds’ re-
port, the rating agency
said Russia’s invasion
of Ukraine has signifi-
cantly altered the
global economic back-
drop through three
main channels -- spike
in commodities pric-
es, risks to global
economy from finan-
cial and business dis-
ruption and dent in
sentiment due to
heightened geopoliti-
cal risks.
It said Russia is the
only G-20 economy
that will contract this
year and forecast that
its economy will
shrink 7% in 2022, and
3% in 2023, down from
projected growth of
2% and 1.5% respec-
tively, before the inva-
sion of Ukraine.
With regard to In-
dia, it said the country
is particularly vulner-
able to high oil prices,
given that it is a large
importer of crude oil.
Because India is a sur-
plus producer of
grain, agricultural ex-
ports will benefit in
the short-term from
high prevailing prices.
“High fuel and po-
tentially fertilizer
costs would weigh on
government finances
down the road, poten-
tially limiting planned
capital spending.
Direct tax collection soars 48% in
FY22,advance tax payment up 41%
New Delhi (PTI): In-
dia’s collection from tax
on personal and corpo-
rate income jumped
over 48% in the current
fiscal after a 41% surge
in advance tax pay-
ments, mirroring sus-
tained economic recov-
ery in a year that wit-
nessed two waves of
coronavirus infections.
Net collections of di-
rect taxes until March
16, 2022, in the fiscal
year that started on
April 1, 2021, stood at
`13.63 trillion compared
to `9.18 trillion in the
same period a year
back, an official state-
ment said.
The net collections in
direct taxes, which is
made up of income tax
on individual income,
corporation tax on prof-
its of companies, prop-
erty tax, inheritance
tax and gift tax, in the
current fiscal is 35%
higher than the collec-
tion of `9.56 trillion in
the pre-pandemic year
of 2019-20 (April 2019 to
March 2020).
Advance tax collec-
tions, the fourth install-
ment of which was due
on March 15, rose to
`6.62 trillion, up 40.75%,
the statement said, add-
ing refunds aggregat-
ing to `1.87 trillion have
been issued in the cur-
rent fiscal. Almost 53%
of all direct tax collec-
tion was from corporate
tax, while 47% came
from personal income
tax, including securi-
ties transaction tax on
shares.
Britannia aims 50% women staff by 2024
Kolkata (PTI): FMCG
major Britannia Indus-
tries said it aims to
achieve a diversity ra-
tio of 50% by 2024 by
increasing the partici-
pation of women in its
workforce.
Britannia Industries
Chief Marketing Of-
ficer (CMO) Amit
Doshi said that at pre-
sent 38% of the com-
pany’s workforce is
women.
“We want to promote
gender equality in the
company,” he said.
AtBritannia’sGuwa-
hati factory
, the propor-
tion of women in the
workforce is 60% and it
will be increased to
65%, he said.
For empowering
women, the company
has already launched a
start-up challenge
among woman entre-
preneurs, Doshi said.
So far, the company
has provided seed capi-
tal of Rs 10 lakh each to
30 woman entrepre-
neurs for start-ups in
areas like e-commerce,
digital services, oph-
thalmological care
through mobile vans
and child education,
among others, he said.
The company has
also tied up with Goog-
le for providing skill
training to women
across the country, he
added.
Export reaches $390 bn as of March 14
New Delhi (PTI):
Commerce and Indus-
try Minister Piyush
Goyal has said India’s
merchandise exports
have reached almost
$390billionasof March
14 and will cross $400
billion in the current
financial year.
He also said the auto
components industry
has, for the first time,
recorded a trade sur-
plus of $600 million.
The minister urged
automakers to buy lo-
cal products and sub-
stitute imports.
Goyal pointed out
that India could no
longer afford to be
closed and protective
but will have to open
up domestic markets.
Further, he asked the
auto industry to invest
more in RD (research
and development), es-
pecially e-mobility, set
higher benchmarks for
performance and as-
pire to take five Indian
companies in top-50
global automotive sup-
pliers club.
“India’s merchan-
dise exports have
reached almost $390
billion as of March 14
and will certainly cross
$400 billion in the cur-
rent fiscal,” the com-
merce ministry said on
Thursday quoting the
minister.
Many GI-tagged products hold potential
to boost exports: Comm Ministry
New Delhi (PTI): There are several GI-tagged
products in different states that need proper
marketing to reach more potential buyers in the
international markets, the commerce ministry said
on Thursday. The ministry said that to promote
exports of locally Geographical Indications (GI)
tagged agricultural products, the government is
identifying new products and export destinations.
SUGAR EXPORTS JUMP OVER 2.5-FOLD TO
47 LAKH TONNES IN OCT 21-FEB 22: ISMA
New Delhi (PTI): Sugar exports have jumped over
2.5 fold between October 2021 and February this
year to 47 lakh tonnes on higher production and
better demand of the Indian sweetener in the glob-
al market, according to industry body ISMA. Sugar
marketing year runs from October to September.
Sugar exports stood at 17.75 lakh tonnes in the
year-ago period.
Sensex surges 1,047 points as
Realty, Financial shares shine
Mumbai (PTI): The
BSE Sensex vaulted
over 1,000 points for
the second straight ses-
sion on Thursday,
tracking an overall
bullish trend in global
equities despite the US
Federal Reserve hik-
ing rates and signal-
ling further policy
tightening to tame in-
flation.
The 30-share BSE
benchmark rallied
1,047.28 points or 1.84%
to finish at 57,863.93.
Likewise, the broader
NSE Nifty surged
311.70 points or 1.84%
to 17,287.05.
HDFC was the top
gainer in the Sensex
pack, spurting 5.50%.
`JUMPS 41 PAISE TO CLOSE AT 75.80
AGAINST US DOLLAR
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee spurted by 41 paise to
close at 75.80 against the US dollar on Thurs-
day. At the interbank forex market, the local unit
opened at 75.96 against the greenback and wit-
nessed an intra-day high of 75.77 and a low of
75.97. The rupee settled at 75.80, registering a
rise of 41 paise over its previous close of 76.21.
GOLD OUTPUT COULD
RISE MULTIFOLD IF
HURDLES REMOVED: WGC
Mumbai (Agencies): India’s
annual gold production could
surge to 20 tonnes from a mere
1.6 tonnes if the government
removes bureaucratic hurdles
and encourages investment in the sector, the
World Gold Council (WGC) said in a report. The
South Asian country is the world’s second-big-
gest consumer of the metal and fulfils most of
its demand through imports. Higher local output
could help New Delhi in capping imports. India
splurged a record $55.7 billion on gold imports in
2021, buying 1,050 tonnes - the most in a decade,
and far more than the 430 tonnes imported in
2020. “It makes sense for India to develop mining
capacity. But change is needed for this to happen,
legacy hurdles must be reduced considerably,
and investments encouraged,” said Somasunda-
ram PR, regional chief executive officer of WGC’s
Indian operations.
BIZZ BRIEFS
MERCEDES TO HIKE PRICES FROM APRIL 1
OYO REJIGS TOP BRASS AHEAD OF IPO
SEBI AMENDS RULES GOVERNING AIFS
New Delhi (PTI): Mercedes-Benz India on Thurs-
day said it will increase prices of entire model
range by up to 3% from April 1 in order to par-
tially offset the impact of increase in input costs.
The prices of the cars retailed by the Pune-based
firm would go up in the range of `50,000-`5 lakh
from next month onwards.
Bengaluru (Agencies): Travel tech major Oyo on
Thursday announced that Ankit Gupta, currently
the CEO of its Hotels and Homes vertical, will
now be heading its India business as CEO. The
company said it is elevating Rohit Kapoor to a
global role as the company’s marketing head,
from his current position of CEO – India South-
east Asia.
New Delhi (PTI): Capital markets regulator Sebi
has amended the rules pertaining to investment
aspects of certain category of alternative invest-
ment funds (AIFs). Under the rules, Category
III AIFs can invest not more than 10% of the
investable funds in an investee company, directly
or through investment in units of other AIFs, Sebi
said in a notification.
VULNERABLE
The OPEC in its latest
monthly oil market
report projected the
world’s third-biggest
energy consumer to
add 0.39 million bpd
of crude oil demand
in 2022

07
NEWS
New Delhi (ANI): Un-
ion Minister Jitendra
Singh on Thursday crit-
icized Congress over
Vivek Agnihotri’s latest
directorial ‘The Kash-
mirFiles’sayingthatthe
hiddenfactswhich“they
were trying to bury” are
now coming out.
Referring to Con-
gress leader Digvijaya
Singh’s recent tweet
over the film projecting
lives of Kashmiri pan-
dits, the minister said
that the latter has either
not studied the entire
event or forgotten his-
tory
. Taking to Twitter,
Digvijaya Singh said,
“The exodus of Kash-
miri Pandits happened
when the Congress was
in the opposition. The
Janata Dal government
of Vishwanath Pratap
Singh was supported by
the BJP. Mufti Moham-
mad Sayeed Sahab was
the Home Minister. Jag-
mohan ji was the Gov-
ernor.”
The Congress leader
said in a tweet, “Then
why are you cursing
Congress? Because BJP
and PM Modi are afraid
of the Congress. The
only objective is to
spread hatred in the
country
. Hatred leads to
violence and creates un-
rest in the country
. Have
you ever thought about
those Hindus who are
earning a livelihood in
Muslim countries?”
Speaking to ANI, Ji-
tendra Singh said, “The
story begins in 1947
when every policy in
Jammu and Kashmir
was made in accord-
ance with the conveni-
ence of Sheikh Abdul-
lah. Everybody knows
that that election was
rigged by Sheikh Ab-
dullah, Jawaharlal
Nehru, and after that by
Rajiv Gandhi and Fa-
rooq Abdullah at that
time.”
Singh slams Congress over ‘The Kashmir Files’
FRESH SALVO

Referring to
Digvijaya
Singh’s recent
tweet over the
film, Singh said
that the latter
has either not
studied the
entire event or
forgotten history
Relief for Indian students as Ukrainian med varsities start online classes
Vishu Adhana
New Delhi: Several
Ukrainian medical uni-
versities have started
online classes, giving a
ray of hope to the Indi-
an students who feared
a bleak future after flee-
ing the war-torn coun-
try amid a fierce Rus-
sian military offensive.
Some students are,
however, concerned
about not being able at-
tend practical classes.
Several medical uni-
versities, mostly locat-
ed in western Ukraine,
have started online
classes from Monday as
holding physical class-
es in Ukraine has be-
come impossible amid
continued shelling by
Russian forces.
Other universities
have also planned to re-
sume online classes in
the coming days, ac-
cording to the Indian
students.
Danylo Halytsky
Lviv National Medical
University, Ivano-
Frankivsk National
Medical University,
Vinnytsia National
Pirogov Medical Uni-
versity and Bogomolets
National Medical Uni-
versity have started on-
line classes from Mon-
day
.
The Indian students
said their teachers are
taking classes from
their home or safe plac-
es amid continued
shelling.
Kanishk, a first-year
student at Danylo Ha-
lytsky Lviv National
Medical University
said he is relieved that
the classes have re-
sumed as they were un-
certainties around
their future.
“Something is better
than nothing. I am hap-
py that the classes have
resumed, finally
. We
were really worried
about what would hap-
pen to our future now
thatUkraineisengaged
in a war with Russia,”
Kanishk told PTI.
Kanishk said he and
other students received
anoticefromtheDean’s
office about the re-
sumption of classes
from March 14.
“As of today
, the uni-
versity is working and
is ready to resume edu-
cation online,” the noti-
fication read.
Another first-year
student Manogya said
the classes resumed on
Monday and termed it a
“very emotional” mo-
ment.
“Teachers got very
emotional. We dis-
cussed a little about the
war. They have been
teaching us from hide-
outs and safe places. I
am glad the classes
have resumed,” she
said. Giving details
about the classes, she
said, “We had four
classes yesterday from
12:30 till 7. Today also,
we have several classes.
The time table has been
provided to us. Its good
and I am happy to see
the effort of the teach-
ers even during such
times.”
Thousands of Indian
students had to leave
their studies mid-way
and flee Ukraine follow-
ing the Russian offen-
sive. —PTI
First India Bureau
Chandigarh: Congress
MLA from NIT
Faridabad Neeraj
Sharma has demanded
Rs 150 crore for his con-
stituency in 2022-23 year
budget. Keeping the de-
mand in the budget,
Sharma said that Rs 10
crore for 8 municipal
corporation ward, Rs 20
crore for rural develop-
ment and Rs 10 crore for
child welfare pocket
ward five be given for
his constituency
.
He said that Rs 25
croreshouldbegivenfor
roads, sewerage and
drainage lines mainte-
nance. 15 crores should
be given for parks, green
belts etc, he demanded.
MLA Sharma de-
mandedthatChaudhary
Ranbir Singh Singh
Hooda Leisure Valley
Park in his assembly
should be developed as
Ramayana theme park.
Allot `150 crore for NIT
constituency: MLA Sharma
WBASSEMBLYACCEPTSPRIVILEGE
MOTION AGAINST LOP ADHIKARI
Suvendu allegedly threatened 4 rebel BJP MLAs with IT raids for disrupting his speech in the House
Kolkata (PTI): The
West Bengal assembly
on Thursday accepted a
privilege motion
against Leader of Op-
position Suvendu Adhi-
kari who allegedly
threatened four rebel
Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) MLAs with in-
come tax raids for dis-
rupting his speech in
the House.
A privilege motion
has been accepted by
the House against
Adhikari and it is being
forwarded to the Privi-
lege Committee, speak-
er Biman Banerjee an-
nounced as proceed-
ings began at 11 am.
The treasury bench-
es thumped desks, wel-
coming the announce-
ment, while BJP MLAs
protested.
Following this, dis-
cussion on the state
budget began, in which
both ruling and opposi-
tion MLAs participat-
ed. The speaker later
told reporters, “After
the four MLAs sent a
joint letter to me, citing
two charges against Su-
vendu Adhikari. I
checked the records
this morning and pri-
ma facie found the alle-
gations true.”
“Prima facie there is
a case. It is unprece-
dented and unfortunate
that a leader of opposi-
tion would use such
words in the House. I
have never come across
such behaviour during
my long tenure in the
state legislature. This
is a criminal offence,”
Banerjee said.
Hesaidthecommittee
willsubmititsreportbe-
fore the current session
ends on March 28.
TEACHERS TAKING CLASSES FROM HOME
LoP Suvendu Adhikar in WB Assembly. —FILE PHOTO
Kolkata (ANI):
Mamata Banerjee to-
day said her govern-
ment had turned
down an offer to buy
Israeli spyware
Pegasus a few years
ago. The use of the
spyware to snoop on
political rivals is
“not acceptable”, the
Bengal Chief Minis-
ter told reporters.
“They came to our
police department to
sell their machines.
They demanded Rs
25 crore for it, five
years back. It came to
me, I said no we don’t
want to buy such ma-
chines,” Mamata Ba-
nerjee said.
“If it was for anti-
national activities
and for security, it
could have been a dif-
ferent thing. But it is
used for political rea-
sons,it’susedagainst
officials and judges,
which is not accept-
able,” she added.
A political cata-
clysm followed alle-
gations that the
Pegasus spyware -
sold only to govts.
Was offered Pegasus
Spyware for `25 Cr: Didi
FSL Delhi signs MOU
with NFSU Gandhinagar
New Delhi (ANI): Fo-
rensic Science Labora-
tory (FSL) Home De-
partment, Government
of NCT of Delhi signed
a memorandum of un-
derstanding (MoU) with
National Forensic Sci-
ence University (NFSU)
Gandhinagar, Gujarat,
on Wednesday to pro-
mote mutual coopera-
tion in educational and
forensic research activ-
ities and establish a
framework for pro-
grammes of exchanges
and collaboration in
areas of forensic for the
needs of the criminal
justice system as well in
the interest of the na-
tion.
As per a press release
from FSL, the key areas
are the joint research
programme, joint hold-
ing of conference/semi-
nar/workshop/train-
ing/symposia etc, ex-
change of knowledge
resource, teaching,
training, research, ex-
change of research ma-
terials, publications, li-
brary, scientific equip-
ment, software and
guidance and co-guid-
ance facility for scien-
tists and research stu-
dents. The MoU was
signed in the presence
of Dr JM Vyas, Vice-
Chancellor, NFSU;
Deepa Verma, Director,
Forensic Science Labo-
ratory (FSL), Home De-
partment, Government
of NCT of Delhi and CD
Jadeja, Executive Reg-
istrar, NFSU for devel-
oping academic ex-
changes and coopera-
tion in teaching and re-
search, keeping in the
mind the needs of the
Criminal Justice Deliv-
ery System.
The MoU envisages scientific and aca-
demic personnel exchanges and visits,
and research in areas of academic and
scientific interest. The MoU will support well-in-
tegrated collaborative forensic focused research
through the development of specific projects.
—Deepa Verma, Director, Forensic Science Laboratory
Daughter not entitled to expenses from
father if she refuses relation with him: SC
Supreme Court on
Thursday said that a
daughter would not be
entitled to any expenses
from her father if she
does not maintain any
relationship with him.
A bench of Justices
Sanjay Kishan Kaul and
MM Sundresh ruling
came while granting
the decree of divorce to
a couple on account of
irretrievable break-
down of the marriage
between the parties.
The apex court has di-
rected the husband to
deposit costs of Rs 10
lakh as full and final
settlement of all claims.
The amount is to be de-
posited in this Court
within two months and
would be released to the
appellant’s estranged
wife. If the amount is
not sought for a period
of one month from the
date of deposit, it will
be kept in FDR earning
interest for a period of
91 days to be kept re-
newed, the Supreme
Court clarified.
The top court noted
so far as the daughter’s
expenses for education
and marriage are con-
cerned, it appears from
her approach that she
does not want to main-
tain any relationship
withtheappellantandis
about 20 years of age.
“She is entitled to
choose her own path but
then cannot demand
from the appellant the
amount towards the ed-
ucation,” the Supreme
Court said.
‘Chair of Excellence’ in memory of Gen Rawat
New Delhi (PTI):
Army Chief Gen MM
Naravane earlier this
week announced set-
ting up of a ‘Chair of
Excellence’ in memory
of India’s first Chief of
Defence Staff Gen Bi-
pin Rawat at the United
Service Institution of
India (USI), a leading
military think tank.
The announcement,
made at a ceremony,
came a day ahead of the
65th birthday of Gen
Rawat who was killed in
a helicopter crash near
Coonoor in Tamil Nadu
on December 8 along
with his wife Madhu-
lika and 12 armed forc-
es personnel.
The ‘Gen Bipin Raw-
at memorial Chair of
Excellence’ will focus
on the field of jointness
and integration among
the armed forces.
“Late Gen Bipin Raw-
at who served as India’s
first CDS as well as the
27th Chief of Indian
Army was an outstand-
ing professional and
was in the midst of
steering one of the most
radical transforma-
tions of the Indian mili-
tary,” the Army said.
“The Chair of Excel-
lence is a befitting trib-
ute to the astute leader-
ship and professional-
ism of the General,” it
said in a statement.
In his remarks, the
Army Chief said Gen
Rawat was passionate
about strategic
thoughts and invested
considerable time and
energy in the activities
of various think tanks.
“And, therefore, his
65th birthday provided
an opportune moment
to reinforce the servic-
es’ bond with their in-
tellectual institutions.
The Chair will be open
to veterans of three ser-
vices and civilians hav-
ing expertise in the
field of national secu-
rity,” Gen Naravane
said.
The Army Chief is
also serving as the offi-
ciating Chairman,
Chiefs of Staff Commit-
tee (COSC).
The topic for this
year’s research has
been chosen as “joint-
ness and integration in
the context of land war-
fare in India”, officials
said.
TRIBUTE
Union Minister Jitendra Singh
MLA Neeraj Sharma
Late CSD Gen Bipin Rawat
Mamata Banerjee

COVID-19
UPDATE
WORLD
60,83,323
TOTAL DEATHS
39,70,49,482
TOTAL RECOVERED
6,17,93,995
ACTIVE CASES
46,49,26,800
TOTAL CASES
INDIA
5,16,162
TOTAL DEATHS
4,24,54,546
TOTAL RECOVERED
30,769
ACTIVE CASES
4,30,01,477
TOTAL CASES
08
2NDFRONT
Dischargeyourdutiesasapublic
servant:BhagwantManntoofficers
Mahesh Kumar
Chandigarh: Punjab
Chief Minister Bhag-
want Mann on Thurs-
day exhorted the top
brass of state Civil and
Police Administration
to discharge their du-
ties as public servant in
the letter and spirit,
thus respecting the mas-
sive mandate got by
AAP in the recently con-
cluded assembly polls.
Addressing a maiden
meeting after assuming
charge as Chief Minis-
ter here at CMO this
afternoon, the Chief
Minister said that the
people who have given
us an opportunity to
serve the state are the
real rulers in the de-
mocracy having the
power to make the lead-
ers to rule or show them
the door.
Taking a cue from the
performance of Indian
cricket team, Mann
said, ‘’Matches are won
or lost but it is the team
spirit which matters.’’
Therefore, he urged the
officers to display team
spirit immaculately to
make Punjab as the
frontrunner state. He
further said, “Our
prime concern should
be to make our state as
real Punjab not the Lon-
don, California or Par-
is.”
Pointing out further,
the Chief Minister said
that his government
would not indulge in po-
litical vendetta and
asked the entire state
administration to dis-
charge their duties fear-
lessly without any po-
litical pressure, unlike
earlier regimes, with
utmost dedication, sin-
cerity and honesty to
cherish the aspirations
of the Punjabis who
have voted AAP to pow-
er with unprecedented
verdict. Mann further
said, “I don’t keep red
diary like the earlier po-
litical parties and have
only green one so you
need not worry about
any vendetta.”
Appreciating the
enormous capabilities
and capacities of both
civil and police officers,
Mann said, “I expect
you to respect the com-
mon man and in turn
we would too give you
respect and due recog-
nition in exhibiting the
real spirit of being a
public servant.” With-
out mincing any word,
he said, “Corrupt offic-
ers have no place in my
government and if any
such complaint comes
to my notice, then don’t
expect any sort of sym-
pathy for such officers.”
Punjab CM
announces
anti-
corruption
helpline and
quarterly 'Best
Performing
Award' for
officers
MANN’S LANDMARK DECISION
BSF seizes two
Pakistani fishing
boats in Bhuj
First India Bureau
Bhuj: The BSF seized
two Pakistani boats in
the Sir Creek area here.
The BSF said on
Thursday, “The move-
ment of two Pakistani
fishing boats and four-
five Pakistani fisher-
men was observed by
the troops of BSF Bhuj
while patrolling in the
Sir Creek area.”
The troops immedi-
ately rushed to the spot
after crossing swamps
and brooks on foot, the
statement added.
“The Pakistani fish-
ermen on observing the
BSF troops coming to-
wards them fled into
the Pakistani territory
taking advantage of
marshy terrain. The
BSF troops chased them
and seized two Paki-
stani fishing boats,
1.5km inside Indian ter-
ritory,” said the BSF.
“The seized boats
were thoroughly
searched but nothing
suspicious has been re-
covered from the boat
except for fishing nets
and fishing equipment.
Athoroughsearchof the
area has been launched
and nothing suspicious
recovered from the area
as yet,” it added.
BSF also found an abandoned Pakistani fishing boat in the same
area just a few days ago. —FILE PHOTO
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann chairs meeting with officers in Chandigarh, on Thursday.
TROUBLED WATERS
117 online gaming
ads complaints since
Jan 2021: Govt in LS
New Delhi (PTI): Over
100 complaints against
advertisements related
to “online real money
gaming” have been pro-
cessed by the Advertis-
ing Standards Council
of India since January
last year, the govern-
ment told the Lok Sab-
ha earlier this week.
In a written reply,
Minister of Informa-
tion and Broadcasting
Anurag Thakur said
the ministry has issued
an advisory to private
satellite TV channels to
comply with the guide-
lines of ASCI on adver-
tisements relating to
online gaming to pro-
tect consumers and in-
form them regarding
the financial risks and
other factors involved.
“The ASCI is a self
regulating body which
examines complaints
relating to gaming ad-
vertisements of off-
shore gaming compa-
nies in the context of
contravention of the
ASCI code or guidelines
on online gaming for
real money winnings,”
Thakur said.
“FromJanuary2021to
January 2022, ASCI has
processed117complaints
related to online real
money gaming,” he said.
On being asked if the
govt is aware of the mis-
leading advertisements
by illegal offshore bet-
ting and gambling web-
sites on TV and OTT,
Thakur said the Cable
Television Networks
(Regulation) Act, 1995
and rules require all ad-
vertisements telecast on
private satellite TV
channels to adhere to
the advertising code.
Thecodehasbeenpre-
scribed under the Act,
whichinter-aliaprovides
thatadvertisementshave
to conform to the laws of
the country
, he said.
IB MINISTER SAYS
India at forefront of uplifting empowering women: Irani at UN
New York (ANI): Un-
ion Minister Smriti
Irani on Wednesday
said that India has been
at the forefront of up-
lifting and empowering
women at the socio-eco-
nomic and political
front while addressing
the 66th session of the
United Nations Com-
mission on Status of
Women (UNCSW).
“India is witnessing a
rapid transition from
women’sdevelopmentto
women-led develop-
ment,wehavedeveloped
a multi-pronged ap-
proach in our strategy
under the leadership of
our honorable Prime
Minister,” Irani said in
her address. She high-
lighted several aspects
of the socio-economic
and political status of
women in India, giving
various statistics relat-
ed to female literacy
, sex
ratio, female ownership
of land, houses, and
bank accounts, and also
political participation
of women in parlia-
ment.
“We are firmly com-
mitted to eliminating all
forms of discrimina-
tion, disadvantages, and
violence against wom-
en. This is the funda-
mental framework that
underpins our develop-
ment story in which
women’s agency and
leadership plays a key
role in the realization of
our aspiration of an ‘
At-
manirbhar Bharat’, that
is an India that is self-
reliant, not just for our
own sake, but in the in-
terest of the global com-
munity in the post-COV-
ID world,” she said.
She also paid homage
to female healthcare
workers and scientists
for their major role in
handling the COVID-19
pandemic in India.
“I pay homage to the
service and resilience
of over 6 million Indian
female frontline work-
ers who have protected
our communities dur-
ing the pandemic and
Indian female scientists
who have immensely
contributed to the de-
velopment of the vac-
cine and test kits in In-
dia,” she said.
Union Minister Smriti Irani during her address at the 66th session of UNCSW.
Greetings on the occasion of Holi!
I wish you the best of colours and
joy in your life!
—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO Editor-in-Chief, First India
Haryana Governor Bandaru
Dattatreya welcomed Punjab
CM Bhagwant Mann, as
the latter reached Haryana
Raj Bhavan to participate
in ‘Holi Milan Samaroh’ on
Thursday. Likewise, Haryana
CM ML Khattar and Deputy
CM Dushyant Chautala
also felicitated Bhagwant
Mann with flowers on the
occasion. Punjab Governor
Banwarilal Purohit also
graced the occasion. All
these dignitaries showered
rose petals and splashed
gulal on each other to mark
the Holi celebrations.
HOLI MILAN
Haryana Guv Bandaru Dattatreya, Haryana CM ML Khattar and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann play Phoolon ki Holi.
6 Sri Lankan fishermen held
for fishing in Indian waters
Chennai (PTI): Six
Sri Lankan fisher-
men were arrested on
Thursday and their
boat seized for alleg-
edly fishing in Indian
waters by the Coast
Guard.
The officials said
that the Lankan fish-
erfolks were illegally
fishing in the Indian
Exclusive Economic
Zone on March 16 and
Coast Guard ship Va-
jra while on maritime
surveillance sighted
their boat about 117
nautical miles south
east of Kanyakumari.
The six member
crew was arrested for
violating the Mari-
time Zone of India
Act, 1981 and their
fishing boat was im-
pounded. The crew
was fully aware that
it was poaching in In-
dian waters and the
automatic identifica-
tion system on-board
the vessel was delib-
erately turned off.

NEW DELHI, FRIDAY,
MARCH 18, 2022
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia
facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia 09
estivals are
special an-
y w h e r e
and every-
where but
there is
something
so essentially beau-
tiful about Holi at
Vrindavan that if
you can head there
for this festival of
colours, then do it.
Peacefully nest-
ling on the banks of
the river Yamuna,
Vrindavan, where
Lord Krishna spent
his childhood is
otherwise also a
must destination
for the religious
and the spiritual
and one of the most
important pilgrim-
ages for devotees of
Lord Krishna.
The events dur-
ing this festival are
one of a kind and
you cannot help be
immersed in the
colours of Radhe!
The unique Lath-
mar Holi celebra-
tion where women
beat the men play-
fully with sticks
and men trying to
protect themselves
with shields amid
waves of colours is
super exciting to
watch and partici-
pate in! This Lath-
mar Holi has been a
proud ritual of Bar-
sana and Nand-
gaon. It is said
Krishna and his
friends went to Bar-
sana to play Holi
with Radha and go-
pis but ended up
with playful beat-
ings with sticks
from the gopis.
At the famous
Banke Bihari Tem-
ple for 20-minutes
flowers are show-
ered on the devo-
tees of Krishna
coming from all
over the country
and also the world.
The priests and oth-
er members of the
temple also take
part in this celebra-
tion along with the
visitors.
Another event
which is so special
is the Holi of the
Widows of Vrinda-
van, as it also
breaks the stereo-
type that widows
should embrace
white and give up
all other colours! It
was the Pagal Baba
Widow Ashram
that broke the ste-
reotype in 2013 and
asked all the resid-
ing widows to play
with colours.
Since then,
every year
on Holi,
w i d o w s
gather in
the Gopi-
nath Tem-
ple and cel-
e b r a t e
with col-
ours.
Of course
the Krish-
na’s Leela is
a must watch.
At Guland
Kund in Braj
(near Govardhan
Hills), stories of
Krishna’s child-
hood and Holi an-
tics are enacted.
The icing on the
cake, so as to speak
is the Holi proces-
sion takes place in
Mathura, from
Vishrama Ghat to
the Holi Gate. The
road between the
two destinations
stays filled with
people adorned
with multiple col-
ours and a festive
mood. Very charm-
ing are the vehicles
decorated with col-
ourful flowers and
children dressed as
Radha and Krish-
na. Do not forget to
partake Gujiyas
and bhang which
are common on the
menu. And re-
member , the cele-
brations last for 9
days.
MOHE
RANG DE…
ON HOLI OR DHULANDI, AS THIS DAY IS KNOWN,
THE DAY OF COLOURS AFTER HOLIKA DAHAN,
CITY FIRST BRINGS TO YOU THE EXTRA
SPECIAL HOLI AT VRINDAVAN! AND A VERY
HAPPY HOLI TO OUR READERS!
ANITA HADA
anita.hada@firstindianews.com
F

10-11
ETC
HOLI KHELO
MAGAR DHYAN SE!
ONTHE DAY OF HOLI IT IS NATURALTO FORGET EVERYTHING EXCEPTTHE ENJOYMENT OF PLAYINGWITH COLOURS
WITH OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. BUTTHE NEXT DAY MAY BRING SKIN ALLERGIES AND OTHER ISSUES. CITY FIRST
BRINGSYOU SOMETIPSTO ENJOY HOLITOTHE FULLEST AND BE AS SHINING ONTHE NEXT DAY
he festival
of Holi has
convention-
ally been
played with
n a t u r a l ,
skin-friend-
ly and healthy col-
ours made from var-
ious flowers and
herbs. However,
times have changed
and natural colours
have been majorly
replaced by syn-
thetic tints made
up of several harm-
ful chemicals. The
trend has changed
tremendously be-
cause now all wish
and expect a safe
Holi over a happy
one. Therefore, to
avoid any allergies
or diseases one
should take all the
necessary precau-
tions.
Application of suf-
ficient mustard oil
or moisturizing
cream before play-
ing Holi prevents the
colour from sticking
to skin and facili-
tates easy removal.
A good sunscreen all
over the arms, legs
and face also dimin-
ishes the effect of
colour on the body.
There are several
simple home reme-
d i e s
such as the applica-
tion of gram flour
and fuller earth
paste to remove the
dark colours. This
paste should be
rubbed on areas
where the colour is
deepest to gently re-
move it. Application
of a soothing face
wash and a good
moisturizing lotion
after bath also helps
in restoring the radi-
ance and suppleness
of the skin.
Eyes should al-
ways be closed when-
ever someone is ap-
plying colour or a
pair of sunglasses
would help pro-
tect them. Eyes
should be
washed with
plain water if
colours get
into them. It
is always a
better
idea to cover as much
skin as possible
while playing Holi.
Scarfs to protect
hair, full-sleeved
clothing and long
pants significantly
reduce exposure.
Dental caps protect
teeth from getting
damaged hence
mouth should be
tightly shut when-
ever someone ap-
plies colour.
Apart from this
well oiled tresses are
less prone to danger.
Hence oiling makes
a protective shield
on hair and prevents
the colour from seep-
ing into the scalp.
Last but not least
nails are also equal-
ly important as they
bear the brunt of all
the colours. Nail
paint application is a
must to ensure the
protection of nails
from Holi colours.
DHANUSHREE VYAS
cityfirst@firtsindia.co.in
T

KEEP YOUR SKIN HAIR HEALTHY
To ensure your skin and hair remain in the best
of health, Natasha Singh Chauhan of Tangerine
Salon says: “Prepping your skin is a big must
before holi. Use sunscreen and oil your hair
before you step out to play Holi. Post holi,
shampoo and condition your hair thoroughly
to avoid dry and frizzy hair.”
12
CITY BUZZ
GET VACCINATED
STAY MASKED
t’s time to go all
out and enjoy
the festival of
colours but it is
always good to
be a little cau-
tious for your
health and the envi-
ronment. Experts and
influencers from the
Pink City share their
tips for a happy yet
eco-friendly, safe and
healthy holi.
CONSCIOUS FASHION
Fashion influencer,
Shreya Jain suggests
keeping it simple and
practical and making
conscious choices this
holi. “Instead of pur-
chasing something
new, simply reuse
whatever you’ve
stopped wearing from
your wardrobe. An old
kurta or a top with an
old pair of jeans is the
perfect pick”, says
Shreya.
OFCOLOURS!
W
ith the rise of
the Social
V i r t u a l
World, every-
thing becomes about
putting up the best ide-
as and being more
creative in our
fields. And the
most common way
to represent your
skill is by photogra-
phy. People or we can
say the bloggers/influ-
encers never miss a
chance to portray their
art and amaze people
with their creative pho-
tography ideas. They
start creating content
prior to 10 to 15 days of
the festival to give
you the best ideas
for your shoot. This
year also we have
witnessed a few very
creative ways to click
the Holi pictures.
Choosing the perfect
colours and playing
with them adroitly can
makeyourpicturestand
out. We hope you use
these ideas and click
some really good shots
with happy colours. But
do not forget to smile as
this festival is all about
love, fun and smiles. We
wish you a very Happy
and safe Holi.
CITY FIRST
A
colourful release for Kriti
Sanon with Bachchhan
Paandey, said, “I am so ex-
cited.” Kriti Sanon is one of
the leading names of Bollywood,
with a variety of massive films set to
release within this year alone and the
first one is all set to release on Holi
by bringing the theatre charm back
with a full-on masala entertainer.
Talking about Bachchhan Paandey
releasing on Holi, Kriti shared, “Cin-
emas are finally back after two years
of the pandemic, getting the same
butterflies in my stomach as always.
I am so excited for the release of
Bachchhan Paandey also because it’s
the first of my many releases to come
this year! It is a full-on massy enter-
tainer” cityfirstdel@gmail.co.in
FESTIVE EXCITEMENT!
ashion trends
are ubiquitous
and they
spread like
wildfire, par-
t i c u l a r l y
among young
men and women in
metropolitan areas.
Youth are increasing-
ly fashion-conscious,
and having access to
Social Media en-
sures that you are
always up to speed
on the current trends.
City First spoke to a Del-
hi based fashion designer,
Arohi Pareek, as she gives
us some valuable tips and
tricks to style the blazer.
They desire to appear so-
phisticated, up-to-date,
charming, and fresh in
their attire, etiquette, shoe
styles, and hairstyles,
among other things. Blaz-
ers are now worn by wom-
en with nearly every type
of outfit, and there’s no
doubt that they go with
everything. Women who
like a more basic and ele-
gant appearance would
lookstunningwearingthis
style. At the same time, it’s
totally stylish and trendy
.
Blazers are currently
considered as being in-
credibly lively and colour-
ful. They have evolved
into one of the most adapt-
able items of apparel, hav-
ing the ability to be worn
with casual, party, or pro-
fessional attire. And I be-
lieve that wearing a blazer
gives you a sense of confi-
dence and boldness.
STYLE YOUR BLAZER IN
DIFFERENT WAYS-
1
Wear it as a Dress- You
don’t always need a pair of
trousers to style a Blazer.
This incredibly elegant way of
arranging your blazer may not
be for everyone, but it is an
excellent way to add a touch of
class to your ensembles in a
very easy and classy manner
2
With cycling shorts- Cy-
cling shorts are really
popular these days, and
they’re usually worn with
oversized t-shirt or a crop top
and a classy handbag. Wearing
a jacket with the same clothing
offers it a polished look for a
midday look.
3
Houndstooth blazers-
This is another iconic
blazer style. This is such
a simple piece of outerwear to
dress and can be worn with
a casual or formal ensemble.
This is a terrific pattern for
those who don’t like plaid
and can be found in a range
of neutral colours, so pick one
that suits you best.
4
A brightly coloured
Blazer- Adding a bright
flash of colour to your
attire is a fashionable way
to elevate your outfir. Make
a monochromatic ensemble
based on the blazer if you
want to go for a strong
appearance. Wearing vivid
coloured pants may also
colour block.
5
With maxi dress-
When worn with
a maxi dress, the
blazer may be worn
open or closed, creat-
ing a sophisticated
effect. Wearing a lot of
junk jewellery or put-
ting on a good belt
would improve the
overall appearance.
BLAZER AND IT’S VERSATILITY
SHUBHANSHI PATHAK
cityfirstdel@gmail.com
F
BLAZER HAS BECOME THE LATEST
TREND AT THE MOMENT, AND IT’S NO
LONGER SOLELY CONSIDERED WORK
CLOTHING. CITY FIRST BRINGS TO YOU,
SIX WAYS YOU CAN STYLE BLAZERS TO
BRIGHTEN YOUR OUTFIT
A HAPPY, HEALTHY
AND SAFE HOLI!
TUSHARIKA SINGH
(Freelance Writer and City Blogger)
I LOOK YOUR BEST
A printed cotton
Dhoti Jumpsuit,
the classic white
suit or a white
kurta with jeans,
and a casual
printed shirt with
jeans are some of
the outfit recom-
mendations by
Fashion Designer
Dia Ajmera for a
chic and fashion-
able Holi look.
POST HOLI DETOX
For that post holi detox, nutritionist Nandini Agarwal suggests: “After in-
dulging in sweets and fried foods during the festival season, including a
green juice with amla, coriander, ginger, salt and lemon juice can be ben-
eficial to start the morning. Include some nuts and light-cooked meals.
Keep yourself hydrated while drinking alcohol and after that to curb hang-
overs. Sugar should be used sparingly and give yourself ample rest.”
Dr Maulik Shah
was felicitated
and conferred
the “Excellence
in Design
Journalism
Education”
award by
Bhaskar Group
during the
MFFM 93.3
Achiever’s
Awards - 2022.
The felicitation
was done by
Pujya Gyaan
Vàtsal Swamiji
recently.
FELICITATIONS!
YASHASVI SRIVASTAV
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
Natasha Singh Chauhan
Shreya Jain
Nutritionist Nandini Agarwal
A floral outfit by Pasha India Kriti Sanon
Arohi Pareek

18032022 first india new delhi

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