First India Mumbai 18012023.pdf

BJP’S MISSION 2024
‘CHIEF’
‘CHIEF’
NADDA HERE
NADDA HERE
TO STAY…
TO STAY…
SHASHIKANT SHARMA AND ADITI NAGAR
he stature of any politi-
cal leader can be estimat-
ed, in Indian politics, by
two things: Firstly, his or
her standing amongst
the people i.e. if the lead-
er gets massive votes for
his party, and secondly, by the way
the party leaders support the said
leader, in unison, in everything.
Tuesday was one such day when the
nation witnessed one such leader
whose abilities have yet again been
honoured by the top politicians of
the saffron party
.
Jagat Prakash Nadda, who has
become a synonym with BJP’s ‘no-
friction’ running and excellent man-
agement of polls, has yet again been
given the party’s Presidency as
Nadda has come up as the
unanimous choice
of Prime Min-
ister Narendra Modi, RSS Chief Mo-
han Bhagwat and Home Minister
Amit Shah. In fact, once Defence
Minister Rajnath Singh moved the
proposal to extend Nadda’s tenure
till June 2024, the party leaders
agreed on it immediately
.
In fact, Nadda’s second innings
has largely been a reward for merit
and loyalty! Nadda has got an exten-
sion for little over a year and this
underlines the fact that the BJP will
contest 2024 general elections under
Nadda’s anchorship. In 2023, the As-
sembly elections of 9 States will also
be held during his tenure and high-
lighting BJP’s good performance.
As per knowledgeable sources, this
year, elections are likely to be con-
ducted in Jammu and Kashmir as
well. Amit Shah said on Tuesday,
“We performed well under JP Nadda
in elections in several States and
strengthened our organisation
across India, including northeast.
The party has emerged as a force to
reckon with in Telangana and Ben-
gal under his leadership.”
The praise coming from the ‘Mod-
ern Chanakya’ of Indian politics
and a mastermind strategist Amit
Shah, speaks volumes about Nadda
and his capabilities. Therefore,
there is an atmosphere of happiness
in the party and the Sangh Parivar
due to Nadda’s extension.
Notably, during THE JC SHOW,
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra had also
given hints that JP Nadda’s tenure
will be extended till the next Lok
Sabha elections.
According to insiders, spe-
cially during the last one year,
Nadda has further gained the
trust and confidence of Nar-
endra Modi and now is being
consulted on certain key is-
sues and policy decisions re-
lated to governance also. In-
spite of a recent defeat in his
home state Himachal, Nadda’s
elevation or extension gives a
clear message that he contin-
ues to enjoy the basic faith and
confidence of the Prime Min-
ister in Nadda’s organisational
talent and capabilities.
First India family congratu-
lates and conveys its best wish-
es to JP Nadda on his new chal-
lenge of 9 Assembly polls and 1
Parliamentary election.
T
MUMBAI l WEDNESDAY,
JANUARY 18, 2023
Pages 12 l 3.00
RNI TITLE NO. MAHENG/
2022/14652 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 252
OUR EDITIONS:
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JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA
AMIT SHAH NARENDRA MODI

PERSPECTIVE
MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2023
02
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SPIRITUAL SPEAK
However many holy words you read, however
many you speak, what good will they do you if
you do not act on upon them?
—Buddha
Smriti Z Irani @smritiirani
Team India comprising of reps
from Government of India, State
Governments, Industry Captains
and members of civil society
got together ahead of @Davos
engagements to discuss and
deliberate on positioning as a
global investment hub. #wef23 #IndiaAtDavos2023
TOP TWEETS
l Vol 1 l Issue No. 252 l RNI TITLE NO. MAHENG/2022/14652 Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Dangat Media Pvt Ltd, No.22, Dighe MIDC, Vishnu Nagar, TTC Industrial Area, Dighe, Navi Mumbai-400701.
Published at Plot No. 3 Scheme C of Manglorean Garden Home, CHS Limited, Survey No. 5, 6C (Part) Ville Parle East, Mumbai 400057. Phone 022-46031417. Editor-In-Chief: DrJagdeesh Chandra Editor: Kartikey Dev Singh responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act
Anurag Thakur @ianuragthakur
Delighted to witness such
love pouring for hockey!
There is something about a
team sport especially hockey
that can truly unite a nation.
The past few days have brought
nothing short of a flurry of
feelings from the drama of last-minute…
INDIA’S RICH-POOR GAP GETS WIDER
ndia is a coun-
try of the rich
whose wealth
keeps growing
like Jack’s
beanstalk. Others keep
wallowing in poverty. Ox-
fam’s “India Story” in its
‘Survival of the Richest’
reveals the shocking truth
of income inequality in
the country. The report
said that 5 percent of Indi-
ans own more than 60 per-
cent of the wealth. On the
other hand, the bottom 50
percent of the population
possesses merely 3 per-
cent of the wealth. Simul-
taneously, the number of
billionaires in India went
up from 102 in 2020 to 166
in 2022. Total wealth of
the 100 richest, which
adds up to Rs 54.12 lakh
crore, is enough to fund
the Union Budget for 18
months.
Despite the wide gap the
government has been shy
of telling the super rich to
part with only a fragment
of their wealth for the bet-
terment of the hungry
poor whose number has
jumped from 190 million in
2018 to 350 million in 2022.
“The widespread hunger is
resulting in 65 percent of
the deaths among children
under the age of 5 in 2022,”
Oxfam’s CEO in India said
citing the Union govern-
ment’s submission in the
Supreme Court.
The pandemic and the
Union government’s bla-
tant pro-rich tax policy is
to be blamed for the
chasm. The reduction in
corporate tax from 30 per-
cent to 22 percent with
new companies paying
only 15 percent tax led to
heavy revenue loss. To
cover the loss the Central
government imposed GST
on several goods and
hiked prices of diesel and
petrol. Today, India has
228.9 million poor, the
world’s highest.
I
India is a country of the
rich whose wealth keeps
growing like Jack’s
beanstalk. Others keep
wallowing in poverty.
Oxfam’s “India Story”
in its ‘Survival of the
Richest’ reveals the
shocking truth of income
inequality in the country
he 150-day Bharat Jodo
Yatra which began on Sep-
tember 7, 2022, will culmi-
nate in Srinagar on Janu-
ary 30, 2023… on the Mar-
tyr’s Day to mark the an-
niversary of the assassi-
nation of Mahatma Gan-
dhi… by then, the Bharat
Jodo Yatra, however,
would have traversed the
length of the country
from the Kanyakumari to
the Himalayas.
With a motive to fight
against communalism,
unemployment, hatred,
inflation, and political
centralisation, the Bharat
Jodo Yatra has definitely
pumped in the much-need-
ed zeal into the Congress
cadre. It has been seen in
several visuals across the
country how much re-
sponse the yatra received
especially from the youth.
Yatra to boost Cong?
However, the million-dol-
lar question is that will
this Himalayan task un-
dertaken by the Gandhi
scion be able to translate
the same into electoral
success for the Grand Old
Party? A question, one and
all have been asking. It
may be remembered that
during the Bharat Jodo
Yatra, the high-octane Gu-
jarat assembly election
was held, but notwith-
standing the political fren-
zy, the party campaigned
in “its way” while Rahul
remained with the yatra.
However, the outcome is
there for all to witness.
Even as Congressmen
say in unison that Bharat
Jodo Yatra’s purpose was
not political, but then the
glaring question would be
what purpose the yatra
would ultimately serve…
in the bigger perspective
for the party in the com-
ing years, especially keep-
ing the 2024 Lok Sabha
elections in mind and not
to forget that in two states
where its party is ruling
will be going to the polls
in 2023.
Whether the combined
Opposition Front or
strength or call it what
you want… likes it or not,
even today after this fall
and the current electoral
status, the Congress is
still the largest Opposi-
tion party across the
length and breadth of the
country as far as statistics
is concerned.
It may be recalled that
the Congress, in the 2019
Lok Sabha, won a mere 52
seats, but the party stood
second in a whopping 196
seats and bagged around
19.5 per cent of the total
votes polled.
Cong still a factor
It is still a fact that despite
the advent of several re-
gional parties, the Grand
Old Party still stands as
the main Opposition in 12
states in the country cur-
rently and they are…. Na-
galand, Mizoram, Megha-
laya, Manipur, Goa,
Jharkhand, Maharashtra,
Haryana, Kerala, Assam,
Karnataka and Punjab.
Which is no mean feat.
Apart from this, the
Congress is in direct head-
on political contest with
the Saffron Might in states
like Chhattisgarh, Guja-
rat, Himachal Pradesh,
Madhya Pradesh, Uttara-
khand, Rajasthan and
Arunachal Pradesh.
All said and done, de-
spite the din…hustle and
bustle of the Opposition
parties and their sudden
emergence in a state or
two, no other party has
such a presence despite
the relentless erosion of
their votebank.
Hencealltheseeffortsby
theBiharchief ministeror
at times KCR and even
Mamata Banerjee’s meet-
ingwithSharadPawarwill
bedifficulttotranslateinto
any kind of electoral chal-
lenge without the presence
of theCongressinthethird
front at least for now. For a
collective fight from the
Opposition camp (if that is
at all going to happen) the
Congress presence is re-
quired given the “ground
reality
.”
What’s the reality?
So long we have spoken
about the Congress’ huge
footprint across the coun-
try as a major Opposition
political force, now let’s
analyse the party frame by
frame on its weaknesses
and find out through our
arguments whether the
Congress has that bargain-
ing capability given the
current scenario keeping
theelectoraldecayinmind.
The Grand Old Party
has seen a steady decline
in its electoral fortunes
since the Nineties. We
need to assess how the
party gradually lost its
grip over the grassroots
organisations. The party
had become completely
centralised and all deci-
sions were coming ONLY
from the top.
Inabidtomaketheparty
moreandmorecentralised,
the orgnaisation thereby
weakened and this led to
factionalism and heart-
burn and mass desertions.
Even as Mallikarjun
Kharge was chosen as the
party president, the high
command status and the
Gandhifamily’s“presence”
is undenying as far as top
decisions are concerned.
One more important is-
sue the Grand Old Party
has to take into account is
that elections to the Con-
gress Working Committee
have not been held since
1988. And what has worked
even worse for the party
was Congress committees
and party offices started
having people through se-
lection instead of election.
Complete centralisation of
theGrandOldPartyfinally
pulledtheplugonthegrass-
roots organisations, which
actually translate the sup-
port of people into votes.
Unhappiness among the
ranks has led to wide-
spreadfactionsandthatate
up the unity of the party
from the base and the par-
ty’s fortunes collapsed like
nine pins. Even in the
states where the party is in
power, it is not unknown to
one and all about intra-
party factionalism and re-
ported dissatisfaction. The
G-23 group of senior lead-
ers,whodemandedorgani-
sational reform and an in-
clusive and collective deci-
sion-making system…
have to an extent further
divided the party
.
Though the Yatra is not
aimed at political reforma-
tion, it is a welcome move
to see that the Congress
has invited 21 “like-mind-
ed” political parties to join
the concluding event of
the yatra in Srinagar. The
Trinamool Congress, Ja-
nata Dal, United, Telugu
Desam Party, CPI(M),
Rashtriya Janata Dal, the
Samajwadi Party and BSP
are among those who have
been invited. And mind
you, even here the AAP
has not been invited. How-
ever, even this move does
not seem to be doing
enough to amalgamate the
Opposition force in the
right earnest.
Meanwhile, as I dis-
cussed above, with some
degreeof success,eachOp-
position party has created
a buffer zone around itself,
thinking and dreaming of
taking up the mantle of
leading the Opposition
front. It is to be seen how
the Bharat Rashtra Samiti
rally organised by Telan-
gana Chief Minister KCR
in Khammam on January
18reallyshapesupatform-
ing a non-BJP, non-Con-
gress,nationalalternative.
The BRS rally is likely to
be attended by leaders like
Mamata Banerjee and
Arvind Kejriwal.
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY
THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL
CAN BHARAT JODO YATRA BRING
OPPN PARTIES TOGETHER?
T
ROBIN ROY
The writer is Senior Journalist and
former Managing Editor, First India
l The 150-day long
Bharat Jodo Yatra
began on Septem-
ber 7, 2022
l It will culminate in
Srinagar on Jan 30,
2023 on the Mar-
tyr’s Day
l Yatra will cover
length of nation
from Kanyakumari
to Himalayas
l It has definitely
pumped in the
much-needed zeal
into Congress
l Yatra has a mo-
tive to fight against
communalism,
hatred...
l ...unemployment,
inflation and politi-
cal centralisation
Key
Highlights
AAP’S BABY STEPS
AAP may be sitting on the
seventh heaven following
the recent MCD verdict and its
presence in 2 states, but take a
look at how it performed in the
Lok Sabha… Arvind Kejriwal’s
AAP won just 1 seat in the 2019
Lok Sabha and was placed
at the third position in most
constituencies.
TMC ON STRONGER GROUND
The TMC, however, is in a better status as far as the AAP is
concerned. Mamata Banerjee’s All-India Trinamool Congress
won 22 seats in 2019 Lok Sabha as a rejuvenated BJP wrested
18 in West Bengal and that is a matter of concern for TMC as
it had won 34 Lok Sabha seats in 2014. TRS meanwhile, won
9 out of 17 in comparison to
11 in 2014. Thus, as far as
seats and poll-arithmetic are
concerned, if the Opposition
stalwarts plan to wage a battle
against the Saffron Might
at all and decide to keep the
Congress out of the meeting, it
is in all likely not going to work.
Also, one important factor is
that Arvind Kejriwal has till now
shown his cards and has not been present at any mega show
put up collectively by the Opposition supremos. That is another
factor that is good enough to wreck the Opposition ship. But
all said and done, will the Congress get its act together and
rejuvenate itself in about a year’s time to collectively convince
the Opposition camp to prepare for the Maha Yudh?

IPS PK SINGH IS
DEPUTY NSA
Jaipur: Retired IPS Pankaj
Kumar Singh has got a big
responsibility
in the Centre
as the Modi
government
appointed
him as the
deputy NSA.
A Rajasthan cadre IPS,
Singh has retired from
the post of BSF DG
recently. Ajit Doval is the
present National Security
Advisor.
CRUCIAL READ
BSE SENSEX 60,655.72 562.75 | NSE NIFTY 18,053.30 158.45
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OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & MUMBAI
UNPAID TAX ON
NASHIK LAND:
WILL CLEAR DUES
TODAY, SAYS AISH
Srinagar: The two terrorists, who were killed in a gunfight with the security
forces on Tuesday outside district court in Central Kashmir’s Budgam
district, have been identified. “Both killed terrorists are identified as Arbaaz
Mir & Shahid Sheikh of Pulwama linked with the proscribed terror outfit LeT.
Mumbai: Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan,
who owes non-agriculture tax of `21,960 on her
one hectare land in Adwadi village of Sinnar taluka
in Nashik district, has promised to pay the tax by
Wednesday, Sinnar Tehsildar said on Tuesday.
HINDU TEMPLE
VANDALISED IN
AUSTRALIA,
2ND IN A WEEK
Melbourne: “Khalistani supporters” have
allegedly vandalised a Hindu temple in Australia
with anti-India graffiti, a media report said on
Tuesday, in the second attack on a temple in
Victoria state within a week.
2 LASHKAR TERRORISTS KILLED IN GUNFIGHT IN BUDGAM
First India Bureau
New Delhi: BJP chief
Jagat Prakash Nadda
will continue to head
the party till June next
year, the party’s senior
strategist Amit Shah
announced on the sec-
ond day of its national
executive meet on Tues-
day
. The term of Nadda
— who took over the
party’s top post from
Shah in 2020 - was
scheduled to end soon.
BJP leaders agree
that Nadda enjoys the
confidence of PM Modi
and his good perfor-
mance has enabled the
party to decide on an
extension. Shah today
underscored that the
BJP won many state
elections under Nadda’s
leadership. He also
lauded Nadda’s work
during the pandemic,
saying he connected the
party organisation with
the service of people.
Besides, caste equa-
tions are also in favour
of Nadda. More on P5
PM Narendra Modi exchanges greetings with JP Nadda during
the second day of BJP National Executive Meeting on Tuesday.
400 DAYS LEFT TO POLLS, USE THEM
TO SERVE PEOPLE, SAYS PM MODI
Addressing the two-day BJP National Executive meet-
ing on Tuesday, PM Narendra Modi urged BJP work-
ers to dedicate themselves to working for people from all
sections of society in the run up to the 2024 LS elections.
PM Modi laid special emphasis on the 18 to 25 year olds
and asked his party to spread awareness among them
about India’s transition from misgovernance to good
governance under the BJP rule. Modi also stressed on
connecting more with villages, especially in border areas.
Nadda unanimously elected
BJP Chief till June 2024
Party will contest
the Lok Sabha
polls in 9 States
under JP Nadda,
says Amit Shah
I am confident
that under the
leadership of
PM Modi and JP Nadda,
the BJP will win the 2024
LS elections by an even
bigger majority. Modi will
return to lead the country
as the PM.
—Amit Shah, Union Home Minister
Heartfelt gratitude to PM Modi and all
the respected members of the National
Executive. Together we all have to form
the BJP government in LS elections with more
than two-thirds majority under leadership of Modi.
Our resolve is to help poor. Jai Hind, Jai BJP.
—JP Nadda, BJP National President
Passenger opens emergency door
of IndiGo; DGCA orders probe
Terror plot busted in
Delhi ahead of R-Day
First India Bureau
New Delhi: A passen-
ger on board a Tiruchi-
rapalli-bound IndiGo
flight opened the emer-
gency door, triggering
panic among the co-pas-
sengers. As the incident
came into the light, the
DGCA ordered a probe
into the matter. The in-
cident took place on Dec
10, 2022 when a passen-
ger accidently opened
emergency exit doors
of 6E 7339 from Chen-
nai to Tiruchirapalli
during the boarding
process.
First India Bureau
New Delhi: Delhi Po-
lice is hunting for four
terror suspects, besides
the two who were ar-
rested last week from
the Jahangirpuri area
in the national capital,
sources said on Tues-
day
. The terror suspects
received weapons from
Pakistan through the
drop-dead method and
were in contact with
their handlers on the
other side of the border
through a social media
application, according
to Delhi Police Special
Cell. The weapons re-
covered from the terror-
ists were found at an
unknown location in
Uttarakhand which is
now being verified.
CONGRESS CLAIMS
TEJASVI OPENED
EMERGENCY DOOR
Congress on Tuesday targeted
Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi
Surya, amid reports that
passenger, who accidentally
opened emergency exit of an
IndiGo plane after boarding
at Chennai airport last month
was the BJP Yuva Morcha
chief. It has also questioned
as to why the govt hid inci-
dent so long. Neither Surya or
his office have reacted to the
allegations so far.
Info about involvement of 8 people: Police
WHAT DID KAPIL SIBAL
SAY TO ELECTION BODY?
“Uddhav
Thackeray’s
Shiv Sena is the
real Shiv Sena.
There is no split
in Shiv Sena. The
alleged division is
imaginary,” Sibal
said, refuting the
claims made by
the Eknath Shinde
group last time. Sibal has also said, “We
are the original Shiv Sena and whatever
division has taken place in Shiv Sena, it
has not affected the party. This division
should not be accepted at all.”
Subsidies, better road connectivity, faster clearances
‘magnets’ attracting global investors to Maha: CM
Barun Jha
Davos: Having signed
MoUs worth Rs1.36
lakh crore with global
investors in just two
days here, Maharash-
tra Chief Minister
Eknath Shinde on
Tuesday said the ‘mag-
nets’ that have worked
in favour of his state
include promise of sub-
sidies, faster clearanc-
es and an impressive
road infrastructure.
Here for the World
Economic Forum An-
nual Meeting, Shinde
said he has met a host
of potential investors,
who have expressed
plans to immediately
visit Mumbai to put
their plans into action.
Asked what Maha-
rashtra had to offer
foreign investors,
Shinde said the state is
committing to offer a
lot more than others,
including subsidies,
better infrastructure
and faster clearances.
“Whatever they
want, we are ready to
offer. The state is fully
committed to fulfilling
all their genuine de-
mands. Road connec-
tivity is one of our big-
gest assets and indus-
try is also getting at-
tracted to our state be-
cause of our access,”
Shinde said.
On new areas of
growth, he said there
is still a huge poten-
tial, including “data
centres, logistics,
pharmaceuticals and
renewable energy”.
He continued: “I’ve
also met a lot many
people here including
those working on skill
development, infra-
structure, urban trans-
formation, climate-re-
lated issues, transpor-
tation etc. I’m happy to
tell you that there have
been positive discus-
sions with regard to
our state for invest-
ments in sectors like
data centre, pharma-
ceuticals, logistics, au-
tomobiles and renew-
able energy.”
“This is a big
achievement for our
government. These in-
vestment decisions are
made only when the
investors have got
faith in a government
and they are convinced
about our potential.
They know we have got
skilled manpower,
good infrastructure,
land availability and
good business atmos-
phere,” he said.
Shinde said his gov-
ernment believes in
promoting new indus-
tries. “Ours is a pro-
industry and pro-de-
velopment govern-
ment that works for
the benefit of the peo-
ple. These MoUs will
generate thousands of
new jobs,” he noted.
—PTI
State govt has so
far signed MoUs
worth `1.36 L cr
at WEF in Davos
WHICH IS THE REAL SHIV SENA: SHINDE’S OR THACKERAY’S?
Splitimaginary,don’thurry
verdict:UddhavSenatoEC
Kartikey Dev Singh
Mumbai: Controversy
continues in the Elec-
tion Commission (EC)
on which faction of the
Shiv Sena is the real
one. In this regard, emi-
nent lawyer Kapil Sibal,
appearing for the
Thackeray faction on
Tuesday, stressed that
the division was “im-
aginary”. The EC hear-
ing aims to ascertain
who gets the party's
symbol, the Bow and
Arrow. Earlier, on Janu-
ary 10, Mahesh Jethma-
lani, who represents the
Shinde faction, said
that they had the num-
bers. Sibal refuted this.
Arguments from
both the sides were
heard on Tuesday. The
Thackeray group de-
manded that the EC
should not give a ver-
dict on the issue until
the Supreme Court,
which is also hearing
the issue makes its de-
cision. Jethmalani dis-
agreed. Now, the ball is
in the court of the EC,
which will now hear
the issue on Friday.
Claiming that Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena is the real
Shiv Sena and not the one with Shinde Group, Kapil
Sibal argued that this is an imaginary division. Kapil Sibal
also said that the MLAs themselves leaving the party will
have no effect on the party and requested the Election
Commission not to take any decision till the decision of
the Supreme Court. Kapil Sibal has also claimed that the
affidavits filed by the Eknath Shinde group are fake.
“DON’T DECIDE ON PARTY SYMBOL JUST YET”
WHAT WAS THE CLAIM OF
EKNATH SHINDE GROUP?
Mahesh Jethma-
lani had told the
Election Commis-
sion that since the
Shinde group has
the strength of
MLAs and MPs,
so Shinde faction
of Shiv Sena is the
real Shiv Sena. But
on Tuesday Kapil
Sibal rejected this claim. In the last hearing,
Jethmalani had told the EC that the Shinde
faction had decided to split the party as
Thackeray had made changes to its consti-
tution and compromised on ideology.
Election Commission hears
arguments from Thackeray group in
the ongoing tussle for ‘official Shiv
Sena’ status; next hearing on Jan 20
Dawood Ibrahim
has 2nd wife,his
sister’s son claims
First India Bureau
Mumbai: Fugitive
gangster Dawood Ibra-
him has a second wife
who is a Pakistani and
he has lied about divorc-
ing his first wife, his
nephew has told the Na-
tional Investigation
Agency which is prob-
ing a case pertaining to
a global terrorist net-
work and a criminal
syndicate involved in
terrorist and criminal
activities in India.
The statement of
Alishah Parkar, son of
Dawood’ssisterHaseena
Parkar, is part of the
charge sheet filed by the
NIA in the case in No-
vember last year.
Thecaseisrelatedtoa
global terrorist network
and a transnational or-
ganised criminal syndi-
cate, namely ‘D-Compa-
ny’, which it claimed is
involved in various ter-
rorist and criminal ac-
tivities in India.
“Dawood Ibrahim
Kaskar wife’s name is
Maizabin and he is hav-
ing three daughters
Marukh (married to Ju-
naid, son of Javed Mi-
andad), Mehrin (mar-
ried) and Maziya (un-
married) and one son
Mohin Nawaz (mar-
ried),” Alishah Parkar
said in the statement,
which was made avail-
able recently
.
“Dawood Ibrahim is
having a second wife,
she is Pakistani Pa-
than,” he said, adding
that Dawood Ibrahim
shows that he has di-
vorced his first wife,
but the fact is it’s
wrong.
He also said that Da-
wood Ibrahim lives be-
hind Abdullah Gazi
Baba Dargah in Kara-
chi, Pakistan, along
with his family
.
The NIA in its charge
sheet alleged that Ibra-
him had sent a “huge
amount of money”
through hawala chan-
nels to accused arrest-
ed in the case pertain-
ing to aiding terrorist
activities of ‘D-Compa-
ny’ in India.
CM Shinde will return from Davos in time for PM Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Mumbai.
Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim —FILE PHOTO
NO STAGNATION

NEWS
04
MAINTENANCE
WORK TO AFFECT
WATER SUPPLY
Navi Mumbai: There will
be no water supply at
New Panvel, Kalamboli,
Kalundre and Karanjade
node in Navi Mumbai
from 9 am of January 18
to 9 am of January 19 as
the Maharashtra Jeevan
Pradhikaran (MJP) will
carry out the maintenance
work at the water treat-
ment plant. According to
CIDCO, water supply will
be affected in at least four
nodes due to the repair
work.
EASTERN FREEWAY
EXTENSION WILL
HAVE FOUR EXITS
Mumbai: Eastern Freeway
extension project from
Ghatkopar to Thane will
have four entry-exit ramps.
The 14km extension having
two lanes in either direction
will have a total of four entry
and exit ramps at Chheda
Nagar, Kanjurmarg, Airoli
Bridge and Mulund octroi
naka. Estimated cost of the
project is Rs3,140 crore.
“The locations for the four
ramps have been decided
as per the traffic volumes,”
an official source said.
PANVEL CIVIC AGENCY STARTS SECOND
ROUND OF MEASLES-RUBELLA VACCINATION
Panvel: As per the instructions of the state government,
a special second round measles-rubella vaccination
campaign is being carried out by the Panvel Municipal
Corporation (PMC) area from January 15 to January 25,
2023. The first round of this campaign was completed on
December 25, 2022. In the second round, 150 teams are
conducting door-to-door measles preventive vaccination
drives. Ganesh Deshmukh, Municipal commissioner said
that citizens should cooperate with the volunteers visiting
their houses for vaccination.
53 PASSENGERS INJURED AS PUNE BOUND
MSRTC BUS OVERTURNS IN LATUR DISTRICT
Latur: Fifty-three passengers were injured when a Maharashtra
State Road Transport Corporation bus heading towards Pune
from Nilanga overturned near Borgaon Kale village in Latur
district on Tuesday morning, head constable Ratan Shaikh
said. The driver lost control over the wheels while trying to
prevent hitting another vehicle coming from the opposite side
on a narrow bridge. Some villagers immediately dialled ‘108’,
and all the injured passengers were taken to nearby hospitals
for treatment.
CRUCIAL READ
Approachspecialcourtforbail,
BombayHCdirectsaccusedSen
First India Bureau
Mumbai: The Bombay
High Court on Tuesday
directed activist Shoma
Sen, an accused in Elgar
Parishad-Maoist links
case currently in judi-
cial custody
, to approach
the special National In-
vestigation Agency
(NIA) court for bail.
A division bench
comprising Justices
AS Gadkari and PD
Naik disposed of Sen’s
plea in the HC seeking
bail and directed her to
file a bail application
in the special court. It
also noted the trial
court did not have a
chance to consider the
plea post the filing of a
charge sheet.
The bench directed
Sen to approach the spe-
cial court so that it can
consider the supple-
mentary charge sheet.
In the event of the
court rejecting her bail
plea, then the HC can
take benefit of the ob-
servations of the lower
court on the charge
sheet, the bench said.
Sen, an English lit-
erature professor and
Dalit and women’s
rights activist, was ar-
rested on June 06, 2018.
She is currently in judi-
cial custody
.
She had applied for
bail in the Pune ses-
sions court in Decem-
ber 2018 before the
charge sheet was filed.
She moved a separate
application after the
charge sheet was filed.
Both applications
were rejected by the
sessions court through
a common order dated
November 2019.
After the investiga-
tion into the case was
transferred to the NIA
and the trial to the spe-
cial NIA court, Sen ap-
proached the HC in
2020 seeking a default
bail. Her plea was re-
jected in 2022 following
which she filed a peti-
tion in the HC seeking
regular bail.
THE CASE
Div bench notes
trial court didn’t
have the chance
to consider plea
before filing of
charge sheet
Bombay High Court
Housing society chairman
booked under Atrocities Act
First India Bureau
Thane: The chair-
man and other func-
tionaries of a housing
society in Thane city
have been booked un-
der the Atrocities Act.
for allegedly hurling
casteist slurs at a flat
owner amid a dispute
over the maintenance
bill for the latter’s
house, an official said
on Tuesday
.
The flat owner, who
belongs to a Scheduled
Caste, in his police
complaint said he had
raised an objection
over the maintenance
chargesworthRs5lakh
levied on him, an offi-
cial from Kapurbawdi
police station said.
He claimed the
housing society func-
tionaries were harass-
ing him since 2016 by
way of “wrong bill-
ing” and did not give
an explanation for it,
the official said.
When he ap-
proached the society
office, the chairman
had in the presence of
other office-bearers
allegedly abused him
over his caste, he said.
Based on his com-
plaint, the Kapurbaw-
di police on Monday
registered the case
against the housing
society’s chairman,
secretary, treasurer
and two other mem-
bers of the managing
committee under pro-
visions of the Sched-
uled Castes and Sched-
uled Tribes (Preven-
tion of Atrocities)
Act, the official said.
No arrest has been
made so far.
Flat owner alleges he
has been harassed
over ‘wrong’
maintenance
bill since ’16; society
chairman abused
him over his caste
when he attempted
to sort out issue
Marathi play to depict Balasaheb
and Raj Thackeray’s relationship
First India Bureau
Mumbai: A play based
on the relationship be-
tween Shiv Sena found-
er Balasaheb Thacker-
ay and Maharashtra
Navnirman Sena
(MNS) chief Raj
Thackeray is set to
make its debut in Mar-
athi theatre.
According to sourc-
es, there is a possibility
that the drama will be a
twist on the relation-
ship shared by both the
Thackerays. Raj Thack-
eray left Shiv Sena,
while it was fighting for
survival, to form his
own party
.
A two-part play, “Bal-
asahebancha Raj”, will
be staged on January
23, which happens to be
the birth anniversary
of Balasaheb Thacker-
ay. It has been directed
by Aniket Banderkar
and produced by
Pramod Gandhi and
Ganesh Kadam.
The theatrical drama
has also received sup-
port from MNS leader
Bala Nandgaonkar and
party MLA Raju Patil.
MNS’s Thane-Palghar
district chief Avinash
Jadhav and leader
Amey Khopkar have
also lent special sup-
port to the play
.
A poster of the play
was unveiled by Jadhav
in Thane recently and
its inaugural staging
will take place at Ravin-
dra Natya temple in
Prabhadevi area of
Mumbai at 4 pm on
January 23.
Activist slams Mumbai police
for displacing the homeless
First India Bureau
Mumbai: Citing the Su-
preme Court’s order not
to inhumanely dislocate
homeless people sleep-
ing on pavements dur-
ing winter season, Right
to Information (RTI)
activist Anil Galgali has
accused the Mumbai po-
lice of violating it.
He also alleged that
despite apex court’s or-
der to build 125 night
shelters for the home-
less, the state govern-
ment has not built any
.
Galgali has written to
Deputy Chief Minister
Devendra Fadnavis,
who is also in charge of
the Home portfolio, and
Mumbai Police Com-
missioner Vivek
Phansalkar to take ac-
tion against senior po-
lice officials responsible
for failure to implement
the SC’s directives.
When contacted,
Spokesperson for the
city police and Deputy
C o m m i s s i o n e r ,
Prashant Kadam, de-
clined to comment. Ac-
cording to Galgali, the
SC had, in response to a
PIL filed by the People’s
Union for Civil Liber-
ties, ordered chief sec-
retaries of all state gov-
ernments to implement
measures to help the
homeless urban poor.
Galgali alleged that in
the past five days over
50,000 homeless have
been subjected to severe
treatment by the police,
despite the chilly weath-
er.Thehomelesssleepon
pavements, below flyo-
vers, foot over bridges,
among other places, be-
cause they have no place
to take shelter, he said.
SPECIAL MELODIES
Around 30 flautists participated in a rehearsal for the 14th edition of the Bansuri Utsav to be held in Thane on January 21,
at Marine Drive on Tuesday morning. Seen in the picture are visually-impaired children, young female flautists led by flute
maestro Vivek Sonar. —PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE
Promotional poster of the play.
I met the police
commissioner
and requested
him to stop taking ac-
tion against the home-
less; but my pleas have
fallen on deaf ears. He
said pavement dwellers
pose a nuisance to pedes-
trians. They also dirty
the surroundings since
they cook and eat in the
open.
—Anil Galgali, RTI activist
Highlights the
need for 125
night shelters as
ordered by the
SC, pulls up
Maha govt for
not building any
Cold weather has made life difficult for those without homes
this year. —FILE PHOTO
Stuck in strings: Over
900 birds saved in city
First India Bureau
Mumbai: Several
NGO’s in Mumbai have
saved over 900 birds
stuck in kite strings
tangled in trees, poles
and buildings. Accord-
ing to these NGOs, it
was Brihanmumbai
Municipal Corpora-
tion’s (BMC) job to
make sure these strings
are not left hanging
anywhere in the city
but the civic body failed
to do so.
The representatives
of these organizations
said that they struggle
to rescue birds stuck
high on the trees and
have to take the help of
the fire brigade and
they further appealed to
the citizens to remove
strings they find by
their windows or on the
terrace.
Mitesh Jain, Honor-
ary Animal Welfare Of-
ficer, Animal Welfare
Board of India (AWBI)
and trustee of Karuna
Trust Virar, said that
they have been carry-
ing out the rescue op-
eration since the past 16
hours. “However, we
are not getting any help
from the BMC to re-
move these strings. The
BMC is maintaining
roads, trees, street
poles, but it does not
bother to remove the
kite strings.”
More than 650 birds
have been rescued in
Dahisar, Borivli, Kandi-
vali and Malad areas
alone.
‘Balasahebancha
Raj’ will be
staged at
Ravindra Natya
temple in
Prabhadevi on
January 23, birth
anniversary of
Balasaheb
Thackeray

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05
INDIA
IN THE COURTYARD
IDENTIFICATION OF MINORITIES: THE SC’S
DISPLEASURE OVER 6 STATES AND UTs
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed
displeasure over six states and Union Territories (UTs),
including JK, not yet giving their comments to the
Centre on the issue of identification of minorities at
the state level. “We fail to appreciate why these states
should not respond. We give last opportunity to Centre
to obtain their responses failing which we will presume
that they have nothing to say,” said a bench comprising
Justices S K Kaul, AS Oka and JB Pardiwala.
HC SETS ASIDE GIC’S ORDER DIRECTING IT
TO GIVE INFO ABOUT JUDICIAL OFFICERS
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday set
aside the state information commission’s order direct-
ing the court administration to provide information
about the transfer, action on complaints and reason for
termination of certain judicial officers. The court of Jus-
tice Biren Vaishnav set aside the order of the GIC dated
June 23, 2014, directing the public information officer
of the high court to provide the information to the ap-
plicant within 15 days from the receipt of the order.
WE DON’T BELIEVE IN UNNECESSARILY
KEEPING PEOPLE BEHIND BARS, SAYS SC
New Delhi: “We don’t believe in unnecessarily keeping
people behind the bars,” the Supreme Court observed
on Tuesday while hearing the pleas filed by the Delhi
Police against the bail granted to three student activists
in a case of the 2020 North East Delhi riots. A bench
headed by Justice SK Kaul said spending hours hearing
the bail petitions in the case was a “complete wastage”
of time of the Delhi High Court. Bench comprising Jus-
tices AS Oka and JB Pardiwala, was hearing the pleas.
TAJ CASE: SUPREME COURT ALLOWS
INCREASE IN AIR TRAFFIC IN AGRA
New Delhi: In a relief to the Airports Authority of
India, the Supreme Court on Tuesday modified its
order and allowed AAI to increase
the airport traffic in the Agra airfield
and construct a new terminal in
Agra. A bench headed by justice
Sanjay Kishan Kaul passed the
direction while hearing an applica-
tion moved by the Airports Authority
of India. AAI has moved an application through
advocate Ashwarya Sinha.
EXPEDITE APPT TO VACANT THE PUBLIC
PROSECUTOR POSTS: HC TO DELHI GOVT
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has granted a
final opportunity of four weeks to the AAP govern-
ment to expedite process of filling
vacant posts of public prosecutors
in courts, observing that the huge
backlog of cases in the criminal
justice system can be remedied only
if these vacancies are filled up at the
earliest. A bench headed by Chief
Justice Satish Chandra Sharma sought a status
report from the government.
RaGa’S TAKE ON COUSIN
“My ideology doesn’t
match with Varun’s”
Hoshiarpur (ANI):
Responding to a ques-
tion whether his es-
tranged cousin and
BJPMPVarunGandhi
could join the Bharat
Jodo Yatra, Rahul
Gandhi said on Tues-
day that it can be prob-
lematic because their
ideologiesdon’tmatch.
“Varun Gandhi is
in the BJP and if he
walks here, it might
be a problem for him,”
Rahul Gandhi said at
a presser here on
Tuesday
.
Rahul Gandhi said
he cannot accept
Varun Gandhi’s ideol-
ogy
. “My family has an
ideology
, Varun adopt-
ed another and I can’t
accept the ideology he
adopted. I cannot go to
the RSS office, I’ll
have to be beheaded
before that,” the Con-
gress leader said.
A video of the Con-
gress leader’s press
conference was post-
ed on Twitter.
There was specula-
tion about Varun Gan-
dhi joining the Bharat
JodoYatra,andeventu-
ally
, the Congress as he
has been taking stands
on people-centric is-
sues through his
tweets, newspaper
pieces, besides public
andParliamentspeech-
es—many of them not
in line with the BJP’s
official position.
This has caused dis-
comfiture and embar-
rassmenttothecentral
government, also giv-
ing ammunition to the
opposition to sharpen
its attacks on the BJP
.
On its part, the BJP
has sought to dismiss
these remarks by say-
ingthatVarun,athree-
time MP
, is “fond of
giving personal opin-
ions on a daily basis.”
Rahul Gandhi with party MP Jothimani and others during
Bharat Jodo Yatra, in Hoshiarpur, on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY PTI
CAN’T SEE EYE TO
EYE WITH RSS: RaGa
Hoshiarpur: Rahul Gan-
dhi on Tuesday issued a
strong statement against
the saffron brigade led
by the Sangh Parivar
as he made it clear
that nothing can ever
force him to see eye to
eye with the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh,
and that he prefers to
be “beheaded” than step
into an RSS office.
“MEDIA NO LONGER
A WATCHDOG”
Hoshiarpur: Lashing
out at the “structure of
media”, Rahul Gandhi
on Tuesday claimed that
“hatred is being spread
in the media”, while also
alleging that it is playing
the role of “distraction
instead of a watchdog”.
Gandhi called for an
“independent media and
institutions” citing his
party’s philosophy.
I HAVE HUGE RESPECT FOR SIKH
COMMUNITY: RAHUL GANDHI IN PUNJAB
Hoshiarpur: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on
Tuesday said he has huge respect for the Sikh com-
munity and added India would not be India had it not
been for their contribution. His remarks came in the
backdrop of opposition parties in Punjab targeting
the Congress and seeking Gandhi’s apology over the
1984 anti-Sikh riots. Gandhi told a press conference
here on the sidelines of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
First India Bureau
New Delhi: Union Min-
ister Dr Jitendra Singh
said here on Tuesday
that the Governance re-
forms introduced by PM
Narendra Modi provide
enabling environment
for working women.
Briefing about several
measures undertaken by
the Ministry of Person-
nel, which is the nodal
Ministry for personnel
management, Dr Singh
said that DoPT has taken
concerted efforts to in-
crease the representation
of womeninCentralGovt
jobs and to provide them
a balance between profes-
sional and family life.
He cited the example
of Child Care Leave and
saidthatincontinuation
of grant of 730 days
CCL, some new meas-
ures have also been tak-
en and those are like an
employee on Child Care
Leave may be permitted
to leave headquarters
with the prior approval
of appropriate compe-
tent authority
, the Leave
Travel Concession may
be availed, while an em-
ployeeisonCCLandcan
also proceed on foreign
travel provided clear-
ances from appropriate
competent authorities
are taken in advance.
Moreover, minimum
period for Child Care
Leavereducedfromman-
datory 15 days to 5 days
and the limit of 22 years
in case of disabled child
for the purpose of a gov-
ernment servant avail-
ing Child Care Leave
under the provisions of
Rule 43-C of the CCS
(Leave) Rules, 1972 has
been removed, he added.
He said that Special
Allowance @ Rs.3000/-
p.m. to Women employ-
ees with Disability has
been granted for child
care with effect from
01st July, 2022, which
will increase by 25% on
increase of DA by 50%.
He said that Special
Leave provision made
connected to inquiry of
sexual harassment, as
leave up to a period of 90
days can be availed by an
aggrieved female Gov-
ernment Servant, which
will be granted during
the pendency of the in-
quiryandtheleavegrant-
ed to the aggrieved fe-
male Government Serv-
ant under this rule shall
notbedebitedagainstthe
leave account.
“Our govt enabling environment for working women”
MoS JITENDRA SINGH SAYS
Dr Jitendra Singh addressing media in New Delhi, on Tuesday.
The MoS Spells Out Special Women-Centric
Measures taken by the Ministry of Personnel,
PG Pensions in the last 8 and half years for
welfare of women officers and staff
Kejriwal lashes out at
Delhi LG VK Saxena
New Delhi (PTI): On
Tuesday
, CM Arvind Ke-
jriwal lashed out at Lt
Governor VK Saxena
over the ongoing tussle
between the AAP gov-
ernment and the LG of-
fice over sending gov-
ernmentschoolteachers
to Finland for training.
“We have the money
of the people of Delhi
who pay taxes. It is on
taxpayers’ money that
the elected government
of Delhiissendingteach-
ers for training to Fin-
land. Who is L-G to stop
them,” Kejriwal asked.
“It seems like ‘Begani
Shaadi Mein Abdullah
Deewana’ (a person
who takes too much in-
terest in the affairs of
others). Why is the L-G
sitting on our head?
The L-G is saying get
the training done in the
country itself... Why get
it done here,” he said.
Kejriwal said that in
a bid to motivate them
and increase their effi-
ciency, 30 teachers need
to go to Finland for
training.
“This has been decid-
ed by the elected Chief
Minister and the Educa-
tion Minister. But
strangely, all the files
have go to the L-G for ap-
proval,” he said.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in
Legislative Assembly.
BJP DUBS KEJRIWAL
‘EGOISTIC’ AFTER HIS
TIRADE AGAINST LG
New Delhi: After Arvind Kejri-
wal launched a tirade against
Lt Governor VK Saxena, the
BJP dubbed the AAP chief an
“extreme egoistic leader” who
believed that winning an elec-
tion had given him the “right
to misinterpret and override
Constitutional provisions”.
BJP said that it was shocking
that a party that did not have
a single MP in Lok Sabha
was dreaming of forming a
government at the Centre.
BJP retains Chd
Mayor’s post by
defeating AAP
Chandigarh: The BJP
on Tuesday retained the
top post in the Munici-
pal Corporation Chan-
digarh by defeating the
Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP) by a single vote.
BJP’s Anup Gupta
got 15 votes, while AAP
candidate Jasbir Singh
managed 14 votes in the
Mayoral polls.
It was a close fight af-
ter the Congress, which
has six members, and
the Shiromani Akali
Dal (SAD) with a lone
member abstained from
voting. After both the
BJP and the AAP got 14
votes apiece, Chandi-
garh’s BJP MP Kirron
Kher, being an ex-offi-
cio member of the
House, cast the decisive
vote in favour of the saf-
fron party
.
COURTESY MEET
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath presents book “Sanatan
Dharma” written by Annie Besant and Bhagwan Das to
President Droupadi Murmu, in New Delhi on Tuesday.
2-day BJP National Executive
Meeting concludes in Delhi
New Delhi (ANI): The
two-day National Execu-
tive meeting of the BJP
concluded in the nation-
al capital on Tuesday
.
Earlier in the day, JP
Nadda’s term as the na-
tional president of BJP
was extended till June
2024, on the second day
of thenationalexecutive
meeting. Addressing a
press conference, Union
Home Minister Amit
Shah said, “I am confi-
dent that under the lead-
ership of Prime Minis-
ter Narendra Modi and
(JP) Nadda-ji, the BJP
will win the 2024 Lok
Sabha elections by an
even bigger majority
.
Modi-ji will return to
lead the country as the
Prime Minister.”
According to sources,
the proposal for Nadd-
da’s extension was
mooted by Union De-
fence Minister Rajnath
Singh and was agreed
upon unanimously by
the members of the Na-
tional Executive.
Earlier on Monday,
PM Modi asked party
workers to sketch more
events like Kashi-Tamil
Sangamam in future for
strong cultural national
unity, sources said.
Laying emphasis on
programs that bind the
nation in one thread,
PM Modi asked party
workers, to insist on or-
ganizing more pro-
grammesliketheKashi-
Tamil Sangam, so that
all the states share their
culture, civilization and
heritage with each oth-
er and the country
unites culturally in the
one thread of unity
.
The attendees also
discussed a nine-point
political resolution,
moved by Union Law
Minister Kiren Rijiju,
sources added.
PM Narendra Modi being greeted by BJP National President JP Nadda as he arrives for the second day of BJP’s National Executive Meet, at NDMC Convention Centre in
New Delhi, on Tuesday. (R) BJP leaders during the second day of BJP National Executive Meeting, in New Delhi on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY ANI
“WE DON’T BELIEVE
IN SLOGANEERING
BUT IN ACTIONS”
New Delhi: Union Educa-
tion Minister and BJP lead-
er Dharmendra Pradhan
said on Tuesday that the
BJP government under the
leadership of Prime Min-
ister Narendra Modi never
believes in mere sloganeer-
ing, but in “taking actions
and bringing results” with
the spirit of ‘Sabka Sath,
Sabka Vikaas’.
BJP MEET PASSES RESOLUTION PRAISING
PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI
New Delhi: The BJP’s national executive meet on Tuesday
passed a socio-economic resolution praising PM Narendra
Modi’s leadership for transforming India into the fifth larg-
est economy from a ‘Fragile Five’ economy. The resolution
underlined that now the country is moving towards politics
and governance of saturation, suggesting that the govern-
ment’s progarmmes are fulfilling the requirements of the
people, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said.
PM MODI TO INAUGURATE 2ND PHASE OF
‘SAANSAD KHEL MAHAKUMBH’ TODAY
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on
Wednesday virtually inaugurate the second phase of the
‘Saansad Khel Mahakumbh’ being organised in Uttar
Pradesh’ Basti district, his office said. The ‘Khel Maha-
kumbh’ is a novel initiative that provides opportunity and
platform to the youth of Basti and neighbouring areas to
showcase their sporting talent and motivates them to take
sport as a career option, a statement issued by the Prime
Minister’s Office said.

06
INDIA
U’KHAND GOVT SAT
IDLE: CONG LEADER
WHY WERE STEPS
NOT TAKEN: DIDI
Gopeshwar (PTI): Congress
leader Pradeep Tamta on
Tuesday blamed the state
government’s working style
for the Joshimath crisis and
accused the BJP-led dispen-
sation of sitting idle despite
being aware of the imminent
danger. He said the govern-
ment was still not as active
as it should be in taking
steps to save Joshimath.
Kolkata (PTI): Describing
the situation in calamity-hit
Joshimath as “very danger-
ous”, WB CM Mamata Baner-
jee said the residents of the
tiny hill town in Uttarakhand
were not responsible for the
disaster and the Centre must
take steps on a war-footing
to protect people.
Dr Ahtesham Siddiqui
Lucknow: The Uttar
Pradesh government
has rejected VRS of
1989 batch senior IAS
officer Suresh Chan-
dra. He is Additional
Chief Secretary La-
bour and Head of Em-
ployment Department.
Chandra applied for
voluntary retirement
from the government
in November 2022, but
his file was sent back.
Chandra has been
elected to the post of
Vice-President in the
State Public Service Tri-
bunal. That's why he
wanted to take VRS and
take over the responsi-
bility of the Tribunal,
butthegovtbelievesthat
he can take over this re-
sponsibility after Janu-
ary 31, after he retires.
The Uttar Pradesh
government has a total
of 10 IAS officers of
1989 batch, including
Chief Minister Yogi
Adityanath's ACS
Shashi Prakash Goyal,
ACS Appointment and
Personnel Devesh
Chaturvedi, ACS Mi-
nority Monika S Garg,
ACS Ayush Anuradha
Shukla, ACS Finance
Prashant Trivedi, ACS
ManojSingh,ACSAmit
Mohan Prasad, ACS
Suresh Chandra, ACS
Sanjay R Bhusreddy,
ACS Anil Kumar. Many
of these senior IAS of-
ficers will retire in 2023.
Nairobi (ANI): Lok
Sabha Speaker Om Bir-
la, who is leading an
Indian Parliamentary
Delegation to Kenya
and Tanzania, met Ri-
gathi Gachagua, Depu-
ty President of Kenya
on Monday
.
Speaking on this oc-
casion, Birla said that
India and Kenya have
historically close rela-
tions and both coun-
tries have fought
against colonialism. In-
dia and Kenya share a
common perspective in
the fight against terror-
ism, mentioned Birla.
He urged for collective
efforts to eliminate ter-
rorism for peace and
development. Mention-
ing about India and
Kenya’s cooperation at
the UN, Birla called for
closer cooperation be-
tween the two countries
inglobalfora.Referring
to India’s G20 Presiden-
cy
,Birlaemphasizedthe
priorities of India’s G20
stint and assured that
India will make efforts
to include concerns of
the Global South in the
G20 framework.
Birla said that India
has already taken the
initiative of the Inter-
national Solar Alliance
and working with the
objective of harness-
ing energy from renew-
able sources. The dig-
nitaries also discussed
expanding trade, eco-
nomic and cultural re-
lations between the
two countries and en-
hancing people-to-peo-
ple contact.
Birla also called on
his Kenyan counter-
part, Moses Masika
Wetangula E.G.H.
Speaker, National As-
sembly of Kenya.
“Will safeguard global south’s concerns in G20”
OM BIRLA IN KENYA
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla meets Deputy President of Kenya
Rigathy Gachagua during his visit, in Kenya. —PHOTO BY PTI
UPrejectsVRSofIASSureshChandra
IAS Suresh Chandra
11 PCS OFFICERS PROMOTED IN UP
ANATOMY OF A HIMALAYAN DISASTER
The UP govt has promoted 11 PCS officers, who have
done five years of regular and satisfactory service.
They have been promoted from 5400 grade pay to 6600
grade pay. PCS officers who got promotion include PCS
Prasun Divedi OSD Noida Authority, Santosh Kumar
Upadhyay Lalitpur, Jyotsna Bandhu Etawah, Gyan
Prakash Tripathi Bahraich, Ramesh Yadav Auraiya, Pankaj
Kumar Kasganj, Rahul Sharma Hardoi, Anjum B Aligarh
Development Authority, Manglesh Dubey Balrampur,
Dipendra Yadav Kaushambi and Prakashan Mathura.
Joshimath (PTI): Joshimath is a town on the edge. It’s
the very precipice for thousands of people, despairing as
the lives they have always known slip away just as their
mountain town sinks a little more each day and cracks
on their homes get dangerously wider. Families are
segregated, and pets and cattle remain unattended as
people move out to safety. Many small businesses have
shut shop or are in the process of doing so. The future
looms dark and uncertain.
Joshimath (PTI): Amid
evacuations and demoli-
tions in sinking Joshi-
math, several residents
and activists are calling
fortheNationalThermal
Power Corporation to
shut down its activities
in the region, alleging
that one of its projects
contributed to subsid-
ence in the area. From
the numerous small and
big shops in the main
markets to the residen-
tial properties, vehicles,
and billboards, posters
with the slogan “NTPC
go back” have come up.
Locals allege the digging
of a 12-km tunnel for the
520 MW Tapovan Vish-
nugarh hydroelectric
project exacerbated the
subsidence in the area.
In sinking Joshimath, chorus
of ‘NTPC go back’ grows louder
Locals protest against NTPC project in Joshimath on Tuesday.
New Delhi (Agencies):
Indian military’s much
awaited quest for mod-
ern assault rifles is fi-
nally coming to an end.
India and Russia have
begun the joint produc-
tion of AK 203 rifles at a
factory in Amethi.
“With the launch of
series production of
Kalashnikov AK-203 as-
sault rifles, high-quality
,
convenient and modern
small arms will begin to
enter service in India’s
defence and law enforce-
ment agencies,” Sergey
Chemezov, general di-
rector of Russia’s de-
fence conglomerate Ros-
tec said in a statement.
More than six lakh
rifles are to be manufac-
tured in India as part of
a joint venture — Indo-
Russia Rifles Private
Limited — established
between the Indian Ord-
nance Factory Board
(OFB), Kalashnikov
Concern, and Rosoboro-
nexport, (both subsidi-
aries of the Rostec State
Corporation).
While OFB has a 50.5
per cent stake in the
joint venture, Kalash-
nikov has 42 per cent
and Rosoboronexport
7.5 per cent.
According to the
roadmap, an initial lot
of 70,000 rifles are to be
Made in India with less-
er indigenous content.
The first batch will con-
sist of 5,000 rifles that
are supposed to have
only 5 per cent indige-
nous components.
Mumbai (PTI): The Re-
serve Bank has sounded
a note of caution on re-
version to the old pen-
sion scheme by some
states, saying it poses a
major risk on the “sub-
national fiscal horizon”
and would result in ac-
cumulation of unfund-
ed liabilities in the com-
ing years for them.
The observations in
the RBI’s Report titled
‘StateFinances:AStudy
of Budgets of 2022-23’
comes in the backdrop
of Congress-ruled
Himachal Pradesh be-
coming the latest state
announcing reverting
to the Dearness Allow-
ance (DA) linked Old
Pension Scheme (OPS).
Earlier, govts of Ra-
jasthan, Chhattisgarh,
and Jharkhand in-
formed the central gov-
ernment and the PFR-
DA about their decision
to restart the OPS for
their employees.
India-Russiajointventure
produces first batch of
AK-203 rifles in Amethi
RBI cautions states
against reverting to old
pension scheme
Bengaluru: A two-
wheelerriderdragged
a 71-year-old man on
road for almost a kilo-
metre on Magadi
Road on Tuesday
. The
victim,Muttappa,has
been admitted to the
hospital. The inci-
dent took place when
Muttappa, a native of
Bijapur district, was
driving a Boleno car
on Magadi Road. Sa-
hil (25), the accused
who is a resident of
Nayandahalli in Ben-
galuru, suddenly his
rammed his two-
wheeler into the car
from behind, the po-
lice said.
Lucknow (PTI): This
wedding had all the es-
sentials like ‘Band,
Baja, Baraat’, lavish
food cooked in ‘desi
ghee’ and guests danc-
ing to filmy songs, but
the bride and groom
who took the ‘pheras’
were dogs named Tom-
my and Jelly. The mar-
riage was held on the
auspicious day of Ma-
kar Sankranti.
New Delhi (PTI): The Un-
ion Health Ministry on
Tuesday said media re-
ports claiming admission
of ‘multiple side-effects of
COVID-19 vaccines’ by In-
dian Council of Medical
Research (ICMR) and Cen-
tral Drugs Standard Con-
trol Organisation (CD-
SCO) officials are ill-in-
formed and erroneous.
Citing an RTI response,
a recent news report had
claimed that ICMR and
CDSCO officials have ad-
mitted to side-effects of
COVID-19 vaccines, citing
a plethora of ramifica-
tions arising out of them.
Two-wheeler
rider rams into
car, drags driver
Dogs’ wedding
performed with all
rituals in Aligarh
“Report on side-
effects of Covid
vaccines is wrong”
First India Bureau
New Delhi: Chief of
Defence Staff General
Anil Chauhan visited
the NCC Republic Day
Camp 2023 at Delhi
Cantt in New Delhi on
Tuesday
. This is for the
first time a CDS has
visited NCC Republic
Day Camp.
A contingent of all
the three wings name-
ly Army, Navy and Air
Force presented an im-
pressive “Guard of
Honour” to the Chief
of Defence Staff on
his arrival. NCC ca-
dets thereafter pre-
sented a fine band dis-
play. The CDS also vis-
ited the ‘Flag Area’
prepared by the NCC
cadets, depicting vari-
ous social awareness
themes and cultural
activities. The cadets
briefed him in detail
about their respective
State Directorate
themes.
The CDS also visited
the recently renovated
‘Hall of Fame’ a proud
possession of NCC
with display of rich
archival collection of
alumni photographs,
models, motivational
and other visual de-
lights of the three
wings of the NCC.
The Chief of De-
fence Staff along with
other distinguished
guests later witnessed
a spectacular ‘Cultur-
al Programme’ by the
cadets in the NCC au-
ditorium.
PREPARATIONS FOR REPUBLIC DAY
In a first, Chief of Defence
Staff visits NCC R Day Camp
Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan arrives at the camp.
ARMY HOLDS SAINYA RANAKSHETRAM
2.0 — A CYBER THREAT SEMINAR
New Delhi: The Indian Army under the aegis of HQ
Army Training Command (ARTRAC) organised the
second edition of Hackathon aptly named “SAINYA
RANAKSHETRAM 2.0” from October 2022 to January
2023 with an aim to seek solutions to operational cyber
challenges and to jump start and telescope the develop-
ment time for innovative solutions in the field of Cyber
Security. The prize winners of the event were felicitated
by Gen Manoj Pande, Chief of the Army Staff during
a virtual function on Tuesday. The event was aimed at
providing a platform to identify indigenous talent in
niche domains and enhance the standard of training
in domains of Cyber Deterrence, Security Software
Coding, Electro Magnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO)
and Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (AI/ ML).
The participation was open to all Indian citizens and
participation permitted in an individual / team manner.
Moni Sharma
Abu Dhabi/ New Delhi: Pa-
kistan PM Shehbaz Sharif
has called for “serious and
sincere talks” with PM Nar-
endra Modi on “burning
points like Kashmir.” In an
interview, Sharif said that
Pakistan has learned its les-
son after 3 wars with India
and stressed that now it
wants peace with its neigh-
bour. He said, “Wars have only
brought more misery, poverty,
and unemployment to the peo-
ple. India is our neighbour
country. Let’s be very blunt,
even if we are not neighbours
by choice we are there for ever.
He said both countries have en-
gineers, doctors, and skilled la-
bourers. “We want to utilise
these assets for prosperity and
to bring peace to the region so
that both nations can grow.”
India in Nov, 2022 lashed out at Pak for raking
up issue of Kashmir at the UN debate
PAKISTAN PM’S ‘SHARIF’ MOVE!
My message to the Indian
leadership and PM Modi
is that let’s sit down
on the table and have
serious and sincere talks
to resolve our burning
points like Kashmir. It is up to us to live
peacefully and make progress or quarrel with
each other and waste time and resources.
Pakistan does not want to
waste resources on bombs
and ammunition. We are
nuclear powers, armed to
the teeth, and if God for-
bids, a war breaks out,
who will live to tell what
happened?
THE KASHMIR TALKS...
Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif also brought up
the subject of Kashmir
and said “Pakistan wants
peace but what is happen-
ing in Kashmir should be
stopped.”
POLITICAL INSTABILITY...
Pak is also going through a politi-
cal instability with ousted PM
Imran Khan saying President Dr
Arif Alvi will soon ask PM Shehbaz
Sharif to obtain a vote of confi-
dence. Dr Alvi belongs to Khan’s
PTI and the federal coalition is
surviving on a very thin majority.
INDIA WELCOMES
GLOBAL TERRORIST
TAG FOR LeT LEADER
ABDUL MAKKI
India on Tuesday
welcomed the listing of
Lashkar-e-Tayyiba terror-
ist Abdul Rehman Makki
by United Nations Secu-
rity Council’s (UNSC) ISIL
and Al-Qaida Sanctions
Committee, saying
threats from terrorist or-
ganisations in the region
remain high. The UNSC
listed Pakistan-based
Makki as a global terrorist
on Monday. Makki is also
brother-in-law of LeT
leader Hafiz Saeed.
—Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Prime Minister
Pakistan Prime Minister
Shehbaz wants honest
talks with PM Narendra Modi
Shehbaz stresses, Pakistan
has learnt its lessons and
wants to live in peace with India

07
Commodity Price Change % Chg
GOLD 56,680.00 130.00 0.22 (Per 10g)
SILVER 69,793.00 232.00 0.33 (Per 1kg)
COMMODITIES
Currency Price Change % Chg
USDINR 81.77 0.19 0.23
GBPINR 99.73 0.15 0.15
CURRENCIES
73%CEOsexpecteconomicgrowthtodecline
Davos (PTI): In the most
pessimistic outlook in
more than a decade, a glob-
al survey of CEOs showed
73% of them expecting the
global economic growth to
decline over the next 12
months. PwC said this is a
significant departure from
the optimistic outlook of
2021 and 2022 when more
than two-thirds thought
economic growth would
improve.
This is the most pessi-
mistic CEOs have been re-
garding global economic
growth since PwC began
asking this question 12
years ago.
The survey further
showed that nearly 40% of
CEOs do not believe their
organisations would be
economically viable in 10
years if they do not trans-
form. Inflation, macroeco-
nomic volatility and geopo-
litical conflict ranked as
the top global threats while
cyber and health risks fell
from a year ago.
PwC SURVEY
MAJOR
FINDINGS
z The survey further
showed that nearly 40%
of CEOs do not believe
their organisations would
be economically viable
in 10 years if they do not
transform
z Inflation, macroeconomic
volatility and geopolitical
conflict ranked as the top
global threats
business
BRIEFS
New Delhi: Capital mar-
kets regulator Sebi has
returned the draft IPO pa-
pers of Lava International
and asked the home-
grown mobile maker to
file documents again with
certain updates. The
move might delay the
company’s initial public
offering (IPO). Lava Inter-
national had filed draft
red herring prospectus
(DRHP) with the Securi-
ties and Exchange Board
of India (Sebi) in Septem-
ber 2021 to raise funds
through an initial share-
sale. —PTI
SEBI RETURNS LAVA
INTERNATIONAL’S
DRAFT IPO PAPERS
New Delhi: Gold price fell
`130 to `56,680 per 10
grams in the national cap-
ital on Tuesday amid weak
global trends, according
to HDFC Securities. The
precious metal had closed
at `56,810 per 10 grams
in the previous trade. Sil-
ver also declined `232 to
`69,793 per kilogram.
“Spot gold prices in the
Delhi markets traded at
`56,680 per 10 grams,
down `130 per 10
grams,” said an analyst at
HDFC Securities on Tues-
day. In the overseas mar-
ket, both gold and silver
were trading in red at
$1,911 per ounce and
$24.03 per ounce, re-
spectively. —PTI
GOLD PRICES FALL
BY `130; SILVER
ALSO DECLINE `232
New Delhi: Reliance Jio
has expanded its 5G ser-
vices to 16 more cities,
taking its total coverage
to 134 cities. Jio 5G ser-
vice, under the name Jio
True 5G, are now availa-
ble in Kakinada, Kurnool
(Andhra Pradesh), Silchar
(Assam), Davanagere,
Shivamogga, Bidar, Hos-
pet, Gadag-Betageri (Kar-
nataka), Malappuram,
Palakkad, Kottayam, Kan-
nur (Kerala), Tiruppur
(Tamil Nadu), Nizamabad,
Khammam (Telangana),
and Bareilly (UP). —FIB
RELIANCE JIO TRUE
5G LAUNCHED IN 16
MORE CITIES
New Delhi: Network18
Media Investments Ltd
on Tuesday reported a
97% decline in its consol-
idated net profit to `8.82
crore for the third quarter
that ended on December
31, 2022, due to a jump
in operating cost and a
decline in advertisement
revenue. The company
had posted a net profit of
`306.94 crore during the
October-December period
a year ago. However, its
consolidated revenue
from operations was up
11.64% to `1,850.49
crore as against
`1,657.43 crore. —PTI
NETWORK18 MEDIA
Q3 PROFIT TANKS
97% TO `8.8 CRORE
*Rates till the edition went to print.
SUGAR MILLS ENTER
CONTRACT TO EXPORT
55 LT OF SWEETENER
New Delhi: Sugar mills
have entered into contracts
to export 55 lakh tonne of
sweetener so
far in current
marketing
year ending
September
and out of
that, 18 lakh tonne have been
shipped already, according to
ISMA. The government has al-
lowed sugar mills to export 60
lakh tonne of sugar till May in
the 2022-23 marketing year.
In the previous marketing
year, the mills had exported
around 112 lakh tonne, an
all-time high. —PTI
ASSAM TO ACHIEVE
100% ELECTRIC 3W
SALES BY 2025: STUDY
Washington: Assam is
likely to achieve 100% electric
three-wheeler sales by 2025,
making it the
first Indian
state to reach
the milestone,
according to a
study carried
out by a top US university. “At
the current pace, Assam will
likely achieve 100% electric
three-wheeler sales by 2025,
being among the first states to
achieve this. Total 3W sales in
Assam have grown while re-
covering from the pandemic,”
the University of California
Davis said in its study. —PTI
GREEN HYDROGEN MISSION TO HELP INDIA MEET
NET-ZERO TARGETS: EXPERTS
New Delhi: The National Green Hydrogen Mission is a “signifi-
cant step” towards achieving the country’s net-zero targets and
will help in reducing input costs of clean energy source, besides
generating lakhs of job opportunities
in the renewable energy sector, experts
say. The Union Cabinet on January 4
approved the National Green Hydrogen
Mission, which aims to make India a
global manufacturing hub and a clean
source of energy. The objective of
the Mission is also development of a
production capacity of at least 5 MMT (Million Metric Tonnes) per
annum with an associated renewable energy capacity addition of
about 125 GW in the country by 2030. —PTI
SEBI PROPOSES BLOCKING OF FUNDS FACILITY
FOR TRADING IN SECONDARY MARKET
New Delhi: Sebi on Tuesday proposed to introduce a blocking
of funds facility for trading in secondary markets, a move aimed
at safeguarding investors’ money from misuse and default by
stock brokers. In its consultation paper,
Sebi said the proposed introduction of
a blocking of funds facility for trad-
ing in secondary markets would allow
investors to trade in secondary markets
based on blocked funds in one’s bank
account, thereby eliminating the need to
transfer funds to stock broker. Also, the
facility would provide client level settlement visibility (both pay-in
and pay-out) to clearing corporations (CC) by direct settlement of
funds and securities between client or investor and CC. —PTI
OTHER STORIES
‘Indiamaypauserate
hikesinFebruary’
New Delhi (Agencies):
The Reserve Bank of India
may pause its rate hike cy-
cle as early as the next
monetary policy decision
in February, according to
Ankita Pathak, an econo-
mist at DSP Investment
Managers Pvt.
With India’s headline in-
flation for the October-De-
cember period falling be-
low the RBI’s estimate, the
central bank could reeval-
uate its strategy amid an
ongoing global growth
slowdown, Pathak told
Bloomberg Television.
India’s retail inflation
cooled for a third straight
month in December, as
higher borrowing costs
dampened demand and
eased pressure on the RBI
to raise interest rates next
month.
To rein in prices, the cen-
tral bank has delivered five
straight increases in FY23
to take the benchmark rate
to 6.25% — the highest in
four years.
Pathak said growth is a
major area of concern for
2023, as issues surrounding
high inflation and hawkish
monetary policies recede.
India’s gross domestic
product will grow 7% in
the fiscal year ending in
March, according to the
first official estimate re-
leased by the Statistics
Ministry. That’s higher
than the RBI’s forecast
of 6.8percent.
Pathak expects India to
continue on a path of fiscal
consolidation and focus
more on capital expendi-
ture in the FY24 budget,
which is likely to be pre-
sented on February 1.
TOP TALKING
POINTS
z According to Ankita
Pathak, an economist at DSP
Investment Managers Pvt,
The Reserve Bank of India
may pause its rate hike cycle
as early as the next monetary
policy decision in February
z With India’s headline
inflation for the Oct-Dec
period falling below the RBI’s
estimate, the central bank
could reevaluate its strategy
z India’s retail inflation cooled
for a third straight month in
December, as higher borrowing
costs dampened demand
Analysts expect FM to
cut FY24 deficit to 6%
Mumbai (PTI): Finance
Minister Nirmala Sithara-
man will keep on the path
of fiscal consolidation and
opt for narrowing the FY24
fiscal deficit to as low as
5.8% in the upcoming
Budget, analysts said.
The government may go
for a fiscal deficit number
which will be far lower
than the 6.4% of GDP budg-
eted for FY23, they said,
pegging the Budget figure
for the next fiscal in the
range of 5.8 – 6%.
Given the fact that this
will be the last full Budget
of the present government,
there may be a temptation
to make it into an expan-
sionist one. In the two
years following the pan-
demic, the fiscal deficit —
one of the key parameters
while assessing macroeco-
nomic stability which also
influencesinflation—went
up till 9.3%.
India will have to con-
tinue on this journey of
fiscal consolidation and it
does not have the luxury
of pausing for the next few
years, the analysts made
it clear.
“The government’s
promised fiscal consolida-
tion path will require a
herculean effort over the
next few years. Think of it
like a long-distance cyclist
that needs to keep pedal-
ling hard to reach the fin-
ish line; if it were to sud-
denly stop, it risks falling
over,” HSBC India’s chief
economist Pranjul said.
Partner with India
to make world
healthier place,
says Mandaviya
Davos (PTI): Health Min-
ister Mansukh Mandaviya
on Tuesday invited global
leaders to partner with In-
dia to make the world a
healthier place and said
the government is institu-
tionalising medical tour-
ism. This will create an
enabling framework for
providing health services
to the world at large, the
minister said. He invited
all the stakeholders to look
at India as a land of oppor-
tunities and take advan-
tage of the same by part-
nering with India.
“This endeavour would
lead towards making India
and the world a healthier
place,” he said. “We are
working towards augment-
ing health infrastructure
and have initiated multiple
schemes to strengthen
health systems and im-
prove health service deliv-
ery with fo-
cus on qual-
ity, accessi-
bility af-
fordability
of health-
care.”
Govt cuts windfall tax on crude oil,export of diesel
New Delhi (PTI): The gov-
ernment has reduced the
windfall profit tax levied
on domestically-produced
crude oil as well as on the
export of diesel and ATF, in
line with softening inter-
national oil prices, accord-
ing to an official order.
The levy on crude oil
produced by companies
such as Oil and Natural
Gas Corporation (ONGC)
has been cut to `1,900 per
tonne from `2,100 per
tonne, the order dated Jan-
uary 16, said.
Crude oil pumped out of
the ground and from below
the seabed is refined and
converted into fuel like pet-
rol, diesel and aviation tur-
bine fuel (ATF). The gov-
ernment has also reduced
the tax on export of diesel
to `5 per litre, from `6.5 and
the same on overseas ship-
ments of ATF to `3.5 a litre,
from `4.5 a litre.
The new tax rates are ef-
fective from January 17.
Windfall profit tax on
domestically-produced
crude oil is the second low-
est since the new levy was
introduced in July 2022.
The tax had fallen to `1,700
per tonne in the second
fortnight of Dec 2022.
‘US taking steps to facilitate
issuance of biz visas in India’
New Delhi (PTI): The US
said there has been signifi-
cant progress in issuance
of business visas in India,
and America is taking sev-
eral steps like increasing
the number of staff to fur-
ther facilitate the process.
Arun Venkataraman, US
Assistant Secretary of
Commerce for Global Mar-
kets, also said that “incred-
ible” progress has been
made for issuance of visas
for students here. At the
business side, “we have
also made significant pro-
gress by issuing more H1B
and L visas in 2022 than we
did even in 2019 before the
pandemic, that is a signifi-
cant improvement. We are
in the process of ramping
up our staff... Is there more
work to do? Yes, there is
more work to do and we are
committed to doing that.
“We are doubling the
number of direct hires, we
have to facilitate the issu-
ance of visas here at the
embassy and we are also
working to bring on diplo-
matic spouses to also work
in the process.
Sensex surges 563 pts
as RIL,HDFC twins shine
Mumbai (PTI): The
Sensex and Nifty ended
nearly 1% higher on Tues-
day amid buying in index
majors Reliance Industries
and HDFC twins.
The 30-share BSE bench-
mark Sensex rallied 562.75
points or 0.94% to settle at
60,655.72. During the day, it
jumped 611.51 points or 1%
to 60,704.48. The broader
NSE Nifty climbed 158.45
points to end at 18,053.30.
From the Sensex pack,
Larsen Toubro, Hindu-
stan Unilever, HCL Tech-
nologies, HDFC Bank,
HDFC, Reliance Industries,
UltraTech Cement, Tata
Consultancy Services and
NTPC were the prominent
gainers. State Bank of In-
dia, IndusInd Bank, Bajaj
Finserv, Wipro, Tata Steel
and Bajaj Finance were
among the laggards.
Elsewhere in Asia, equi-
ty markets in Tokyo settled
in the green, while Seoul,
Shanghai Hong Kong
ended lower.
` FALLS 19 PAISE TO CLOSE AT 81.77/DOLLAR
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee settled 19 paise lower at 81.77 (provi-
sional) against the US dollar on Tuesday, tracking a rebound in the
greenback overseas and
firm crude oil prices. At the
interbank foreign exchange
market, the rupee opened
at 81.79 against the green-
back, then lost ground
and fell to an intra-day low
of 81.89. The domestic
currency finally settled at
81.77, down 19 paise. The
rupee had settled at 81.58
against the US dollar.

08
2NDFRONT
Do not neglect your talents and waste
your time focusing on the negatives.
Know yourself, celebrate your
positives and improve daily.
— Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO Editor-in-Chief, First India
Renni Abraham
N a g p u r / M u m b a i :
With elections in more
than 20 civic bodies
just around the corner,
the state government is
all out to showcase its
“big heart”.
To this end, during a
session in the recently
concluded Winter Ses-
sion of the state Assem-
bly, Deputy Chief Min-
ister Devendra Fad-
navis was quick to give
the green signal to regu-
larize unauthorized
constructions under
the Pimpri-Chinchwad
Municipal Corporation
(PCMC), as well as in
Pune and Gadchiroli.
Maharashtra’s Addi-
tional Chief Secretary
(Revenue, Registration
and Stamp Duty, For-
ests), Dr Nitin Kareer
however, feels that regu-
larization of unauthor-
ized structures, while
okay, does not address
the real problem.
“You can only regu-
larize what is other-
wise admissible in law.
That is the big differ-
ence between regular-
izable and non-regular-
izable. For instance,
you cannot regularize
something that may
not have existed in the
first place,” he told
First India.
He adds, “Corpora-
tions will get some
money to regularize
these structures pro-
vided, they don’t waive
off all penalties as there
is a stipulated fee struc-
ture mandated for the
same such as ‘side mar-
gins’. Similarly, if some
structures have built
over the permissible
number of units, they
may have to purchase
extra FSI on premium
at market rates to legal-
ize their projects.”
However, and ironi-
cally, there is still a ma-
jor legal hurdle, given
that justice Abhay S
Oka of the Bombay
High Court expressed
reservations about reg-
ularizing unauthorized
constructions in the
same Pimpri-Chinch-
wad region less than
five years ago.
“This is not the mes-
sage we can afford to
send,” Justice Oka had
pronounced about regu-
larizing the roughly
80,000 unauthorized
structures of the Pim-
pri-Chinchwad region
at the time.
Uddhav signed nominations, he
is still party chief: Sanjay Raut
First India Bureau
Mumbai: Even as the
civil war between the
two factions of the Shiv
Sena drags on with the
Thackeray faction ask-
ing the Election Com-
mission for more time
to complete arguments,
leaders from both sides
continue to take pot-
shots against each oth-
er, outside of the offi-
cial hearings.
Sanjay Raut, of the
Shiv Sena -Uddhav Bal-
asaheb Thackeray
group, on Tuesday,
pointed out that Ud-
dhav Thackeray's signa-
tures are present on the
nomination forms of all
party legislators--in-
cluding those who left
the fold under the lead-
ership of Chief Minis-
ter Eknath Shinde in
June last year.
“The MLAs of the
Shinde group have been
elected on the bow and
arrow symbol. Their
AB form is signed by
Uddhav Thackeray as
party chief. Some of
those to whom we gave
the symbol of bow and
arrow, went away. It
cannot be said that
there was a split in the
party. Some MLAs and
MPs may have left, but
the party is still there.
Therefore, until the Su-
preme Court takes a de-
cision, the Election
Commission should not
be in a hurry to judge
and give its decision,”
the MP said.
Later in the day, Su-
shma Andhare attacked
Shinde group leader for
his claim that Uddhav
Thackeray’s post as par-
ty president is illegal.
“Some paid trollers
are trying to spread
wrong information. If a
person like Sanjay
Shirsat is saying this,
then has the Election
Commission come
house and told you this?
Is the EC colluding with
you? If not, should a
case be filed against
you?” she fired at the
MLA for Andheri West.
Both factions of Shiv Sena have been warring for party's bow and arrow symbol. —FILE PHOTO
Andhare tells off
Shinde faction
leader for
terming Uddhav
Thackeray’s
position as party
chief ‘illegal’
Leader of the Oppo-
sition in the Maha-
rashtra Legislative
Council, Ambadas
Danve took a veiled
swipe at the Bharatiya
Janata Party, through
its ally in the state
government, the Bala-
sahebanchi Shiv Sena
on Tuesday, claiming
that “the Shiv Sena
does not need to hire
any private agency”
to spread its word.
“The Shiv Sena was
established at the
village level. All the
units, such as taluka,
and district, were
formed later. The
party is not just its
MLAs and MPs. Shiv
Sainiks like us go to
people's houses and
get them involved
in Shiv Sena. We do
not need to hire any
private agency to do
out work. Shiv Sena,
which is truly natural
in the minds of the
people of Maharash-
tra, works under the
leadership of Uddhav
Thackeray,” he said.
‘SHIV SENA IS
MORE THAN
JUST MPs, MLAs’
This is conspiracy, we will not be
afraid: Sena MLA after ACB grilling
First India Bureau
Mumbai: Shiv Sena
-Uddhav Balasaheb
Thackeray MLA from
Balapur constituency
of Akola District Nitin
Deshmukh appeared
at the Amravati Divi-
sional Office of Anti-
Corruption Bureau
(ACB) for questioning
in connection with the
p o s s e s -
sion of unaccounted
assets. He was inter-
rogated for three
hours by the corrup-
tion department.
Agitating over the
same, Shiv Sainiks
from Akola and Amra-
vati districts raised
slogans against the
government and Bad-
nera MLA Ravi Rana.
Speaking to the me-
dia after interroga-
tion, Deshmukh said,
“Arjun Khotkar had
said in the general
meeting that I have
received an ED no-
tice. I have to think
of my family
. That
means they were
also threatened. A
total of 24 Marathi peo-
ple from Maharashtra
were forced to join the
BJP. Why did the in-
quiries on him stop
when he joined BJP?
Why is no action tak-
en? Marathi people of
Maharashtra should
understand why police
protection is being
given to them.”
“The officials did in-
vestigate us, but we
were surprised to see
their general question-
naire. In fact, they
should have inquired
howIwenttoGuwahati
by charter plane. I
would have given them
detailed information,”
added Deshmukh.
He further claimed
thatitistheconspiracy
of the ruling party and
said,“
Afalsecomplaint
was lodged with ACB.
Thisisaconspiracy
.We
will not be afraid of
any inquiry
. I faced the
inquiry today
, but the
ACB officials asked
general questions.”
Actually, only Mar-
athi people are being
targeted through ED,
CBI, and ACB and ac-
tion has been taken
against 24 Marathi
people. It appears that
the ruling party has
deliberately launched
a campaign against
the people of the oppo-
sition, he added.
‘ASK THEM WHY’
MLA Nitin Deshmukh claims that a total of 24 Marathi people from Maharash-
tra were forced to join the BJP. Why did the inquiries on him stop when
he joined BJP? Why is no action taken? Marathi people of Maharashtra
should understand why police protection is being given to them.
Ahead of PM’s Mumbai visit, his cut-outs put up near Matoshree
IN PREPARATION
First India Bureau
Mumbai: With barely
two days to go before
Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi arrives in the
city
, several images of
him have popped up
around Matoshree, the
residence of former
Chief Minister Uddhav
Thackeray in suburban
Bandra,accompaniedby
cut-outs of CM Eknath
Shinde and his deputy
Devendra Fadnavis.
Modi is slated to ad-
dress a public gathering
in the area, when he vis-
its Mumbai to lay the
foundation stone of
various projects and in-
augurate two Metro
lines, which will give a
boost to the transporta-
tion facilities in the me-
tropolis.
Local leaders of the
Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) are buoyed by the
PM’s imminent arrival,
and hope that his pres-
ence will boost morale
and set up a favourable
pitch for the BJP and
the Shinde-led Balasa-
hebanchi Shiv Sena for
the Brihanmumbai Mu-
nicipal Corporation
(BMC) elections, which
are overdue.
The Sena faction led
by Shinde and the BJP
are eyeing control of
the cash-rich BMC,
which was earlier un-
der the Shiv Sena rule.
The civic body is now
governed by an admin-
istrator since its term
ended in March last
year.
“PM Modi's visit will
definitely boost our
morale and help in
making a favourable
pitch for the BJP and
the Shinde camp for
civic body election. The
large size cut outs are
our message to citizens
and political opponents
that we can handle the
BMC and we should get
a chance (to govern the
civic body),” said a BJP
leader.
Notably, the BMC’s
annual budget is about
Rs45,000 crore--more
than that of several
small states. Cut-out of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mumbai city.
lll
It is expected
to boost
morale,
help set a
‘favourable
pitch’ for BJP-
Sena alliance
ahead of
overdue BMC
election
Jan 19 to mark PM
Modi’s first visit to
city after CM Shinde-
led govt gained power
‘Plan’ to regularize illegal
structures a pipe dream?
You can only regularize what is other-
wise admissible in law. That is the big
difference between regularizable and
non-regularizable.
—Dr Nitin Kareer, Additional Secretary (Registration, Stamp Duty)
Ex-Maha min asks
CM to lift ban on
certain devt works
Mumbai (PTI): For-
mer Maharashtra
Home Minister Anil
Deshmukh has written
to Chief Minister
Eknath Shinde de-
manding the lifting of
a ban imposed on some
development works
which he said were
“unreasonably” sus-
pended by the incum-
bent government.
Deshmukh, currently
onbailinallegedcorrup-
tion and money launder-
ing cases being investi-
gated by the CBI and the
ED, stated the common
man was suffering be-
cause of the ban.
“There was an unrea-
sonable ban invoked by
the Shinde-led govern-
ment on several develop-
mentworksrecommend-
ed by the elected repre-
sentatives. The common
people are suffering due
to the blanket ban. I re-
quest you to kindly re-
voke the ban and get the
pending works complet-
ed,” he said in a letter
written on Monday
.
The 73-year-old Na-
tionalist Congress Par-
ty leader walked out of
Mumbai's Arthur Road
prison on December 28,
2022, more than a year
after his arrest, after
the Bombay High Court
refused to further stay
its order granting him
bail in a corruption
case registered by the
Central Bureau of In-
vestigation (CBI).
Anil Deshmukh—FILE PHOTO
Look into all scams
between 2011 and
2022: MNS leader
First India Bureau
Mumbai: Maharashtra
NavnirmanSena(MNS)
leader Sandeep Desh-
pande reacted to Shiv
Sena –Uddhav Balasa-
heb Thackeray leader
Aaditya Thackeray’s al-
legations of irregulari-
ties in tenders floated
for concretization of
roads in Mumbai city
.
On Tuesday, Thack-
eray held a press confer-
ence and demanded an
inquiry into the road
‘scam’. Reacting to the
demand, MNS has now
launched a strong at-
tack on the Thackeray
faction of Shiv Sena.
Deshpande has de-
manded an investiga-
tion into scams reported
between 2011 to 2022
along with alleged road
concretization irregu-
larities. He cited the
2012 scam of school sup-
plies distribution worth
lakhs of rupees, and
also the 2013 Waste Man-
agement Committee
logo scam of Rs32 lakh
exposed by the MNS.
While criticizing
Thackeray, the MNS
leader remarked, “The
sleeping ‘Kumbhakarn’
has woken up (in refer-
ence to the elder broth-
er of Ravan as cited in
the epic Ramayan).”
He further alleged
that the Thackeray fac-
tion had “woken up” af-
ter the Shinde group
launched investigations
into various scams.
Some MLAs and MPs may have left, but the
party is still there. Therefore, until the Su-
preme Court takes a decision, the Election
Commission should not be in a hurry to judge and
give its decision. —Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader
Deputy CM
Devendra
Fadnavis
—FILE PHOTO

www.firstindia.co.in I https://firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/
thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia 09
andita Shekha-
wat is a dynam-
ic entrepreneur
and jewellery
designer who
has been a guid-
ing force in the
journey of Shree
Nandita Jewels.
She brings her
innovative, cus-
tomized, versatile, and nature-
inspired designs to this jewel-
lery store to ensure they align
with the needs of the contempo-
rary woman.
Shree Nandita Jewels is a
Jaipur-based jewellery store
that specializes in offering an
extensive range of the finest
handcrafted jewellery
.
At Shree Nandita Jew-
els (www.nanditashekhawat.
com), one can get fine hand-
crafted jewellery from their ex-
cellent in-house craftsmen that
stand testimony to India’s
rich heritage and culture
while matching the latest
jewellery trends world-
wide. Every piece of jew-
ellery find in their physi-
cal and online store has
been crafted with a
lot of love and care
to blend tradition-
al values with
contemporary
vibes. Whether
one needs a roy-
al wedding
necklace, a
unique piece of
statement jewel-
lery for their
Sangeet ceremo-
ny, or bespoke
jewellery for a
special occa-
sion, one can
get them all
here and even
more.
When asked about their
brand, the talented designer
said, “You can browse our ex-
tensive range of magnificent
jewellery in diamond, gold, and
platinum that sport precious
and semi-precious gemstones to
make you stand apart in the
crowd. From polki and meena-
kari to kundan meena partash
work, our pieces exude un-
matched grace and charm to
become heirloom items and sig-
nature pieces in your jewellery
box. If you need a customized
piece of jewellery, we welcome
you to talk to our in-house team
of jewellery artists, designers,
and jewellery professionals,
who’ll help bring your imagina-
tion to life by creating magnifi-
cent wearable pieces that you’ll
cherish forever!”
She further said, “Our job
doesn’t end at creating and de-
livering high-end jewels depict-
ing innovative and intricate
designs complemented by an
excellent finish. We make sure
to back it up with our excellent
customer service to ensure you
have a remarkable shopping ex-
perience and continue to be our
patrons. We’re fully committed
to achieving excellence in all
facets of jewellery craftsman-
ship, design, and service to wow
every single customer of ours.
And perhaps it’s our unwaver-
ing commitment that has
helped us become a leading
name in the jewellery industry,
which is trusted by celebrities
and the common people alike.”
UTTKARSHA SHEKHAR
uttkarsha.shekhar@firstindia.co.in
N Nandita Shekhawat with Ranveer Singh
Ravishing models showcasing astonishing jewellery designs
Nandita Shekhawat with Shah Rukh Khan
Nandita’s finest collection
MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY,
JANUARY 18, 2023
Nandita Shekhawat with Karisma Kapoor during a ceremony
Jewellery Partner of 14th season of The Fashion Connect
Nandita Shekhawat shares her journey with City First!

10
ETC
www.firstindia.co.in I https://firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
F
A
C
E
O
F
T
H
E
D
A
Y
KANCHAN SANGWAN, Doctor
LEO
JULY 24 - AUGUST 23
Gifting something to your
beloved is likely to make
the day memorable.
Matrimonial match for
siblings will bring happiness for entire
family. You will get a good price for
your property. Those awaiting results
are assured of succeeding with flying
colours.
LIBRA
SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22
Despite hectic schedule
you will manage to find
time for family. Seek the
opinion of your family
before finalizing a property deal. Your
bold initiatives on romantic front
bring back passion and spark in
romantic relationship.Overall health
remains fine.
ARIES
MAR 21 - APR 20
Happiness in the domestic
sphere will only come with
a changed mind set. Some
of you are likely to become
a part of an overseas official trip.
Better to consult an expert in
financial matters before making an
investment. Harsh words may create
a rift in your romantic relationship.
SAGITTARIUS
NOV 23 - DEC 22
Your intuition will save you
from a tricky spot today.
Yoga would help in raising
energy levels and improve
your metabolism. You will manage to
achieve your aim through travel. This is
a great time on the academic front,
when you manage to render your best.
Live a healthy lifestyle.
GEMINI
MAY 21 - JUNE 21
You will succeed in
resolving misunderstand-
ing with family members,
normalizing ties. Despite
your misgivings, you retain good
health. You will do much to bring
peace and harmony at home. You will
remain much in demand on social
front.
AQUARIUS
JAN 21 - FEB 19
Avoid raising controversial
issues at home to maintain
harmony. Successful
implementation of new ideas
and projects would add to your
prestige on the professional front. It is
a wonderful day to build new
connections. Your relationship requires
you to be tactful.
TAURUS
APR 21 - MAY 20
It’s a very good day to take
calculated risks in financial
matters. Your efforts on
the professional front will
be recognised. Opting for some
healthy choices will ensure you
remain in perfect health. You will feel
much happy and contented on the
family front.
CAPRICORN
DEC 23 - JAN 20
Family will be most
supportive, when it really
matters for you. Some of
you may add to your list of
properties by booking a new one. It
is good day to confess your love as
stars appear favourable for positive
reply. A long drive is likely to help
you get over mental tiredness.
VIRGO
AUG 24 - SEP 23
Using your initiative at
work will be much
appreciated. You may get
a chance to pursue old
hobby. Health tips from an expert will
enable you to get closer to your
fitness goals. Your generous
behavior would enable to enjoy some
lovely moments with family.
CANCER
JUNE 22 - JULY 23
A friend or colleague may
motivate you to take up a
healthy activity. Parents
may appear more than
happy with what you deliver. Plans
for overseas travel are likely to
materialise. You are likely to get
clearance or approval for your
construction plans.
PISCES
FEB 20 - MARCH 20
Distant relatives may drop
in for a surprise visit. On
professional front,
recognition for good work
would motivate you to work harder.
Those awaiting an affirmation on
romantic front are likely to get lucky
today, as partner responds positively.
You will feel better today.
SCORPIO
OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22
Following a health diet will
be a good idea. Luck
favours you today on the
professional front.
Focussing on health now will help
you in keeping physically fit. Clarity
of mind and retentive power will help
you forge ahead on the academic
front.
YOUR
DAY
Horoscope by
Saurabbh Sachdeva
R
ecently over
dinner with
my family I
dined at Azula
Kitchen and
Bar, located in
the heart of
Delhi at New Friends
Colony
. Azula stood out
to us with its fabulous
neo-contemporary de-
cor and the Pan-Asian
food menu with Latin
influences. In every
family, everyone has
different dietary prefer-
ences and sometimes it
can be challenging to
find a place that caters
to everyone. However, at
Azula, the menu has
been carefully curated
to serve everyone’s
plate. My sister is aller-
gic to gluten and also
found an array of op-
tions to choose from on
the menu. The ambi-
ence of the restaurant
stood tall yet comforta-
ble whether it is a cosy
dinner for 2 or a party
of 10. The vibe blends
perfectly for all. The de-
cor too is a visual treat
- clean, stylish, and tres
chic! This revolution I
talk about is fine dining
for a sensory experi-
ence almost like chemi-
cal gastronomy which
is also easy on the pock-
et. Having said that, one
would still get the feel
of an urban chic lounge
like the Cipriani’s of
the world. As I entered
and sat down, whimsi-
cal blue and sweet mel-
low lights captured my
gaze and I swirled in my
element of being in the
mood to eat a good meal
and relax with fond mu-
sic. For our first course,
we chose the Sichuan
Cucumber Rose Salad;
the cucumber was heav-
enly marinated in soy
sauce, thinly sliced
and carefully
rolled. Its in-
t r i g u i n g
fresh taste
in my
m o u t h
made me
w a n t
m o r e .
The delec-
table sushi
platter came
in a boat fash-
ioned from wood
and held an assort-
ment of 24 delicious Su-
shi consisting of Avo-
cado and Asparagus
Maki, Azula Miduri,
Black Salmon and
more. We dug right in
with our chopsticks
and enjoyed the gently
rolled rice treat which
also paired perfectly
with the delicious in-
house chilli oil at Az-
ula. The entry was a
mixture of soft crys-
tal dim sums, Bang
Bang Cauliflower
Tacos and their
E g g p l a n t
Fries, which
was a pleas-
ant sur-
prise for
me as I
don’t take
too well to egg-
plant. The edible
flowers served with
every dish also stood
out to me and made
the dining experi-
ence that much
more beauti-
ful. The
prawns were
succulently
brimming
with flavour
and the
smoked noo-
dles were a pi-
quant addition
to the palate. My
mother also ordered
their
in-house
mock tail
‘Macau’, is an
incredible infusion of
sweet, fresh guava juice
with a kick of
green chil-
lies; satis-
f a c t i o n
for one’s
soul. To
sweeten
the deal
the Chef
sent over a
delectable
Yuzu Pan-
na Cotta,
which just
melted ever so
slowly in my
mouth that I had to
come back for a
second, even a
third! It was per-
fectly sweetened, fluffy
and the invigorating
orange glaze married
the flavours together
marvellously
. Azula is a
sensory experience,
from its stylish interi-
ors to its charismatic
staff and service. The
ingredients used are
fresh and mindfully
sourced, giving every
dish a belonging of its
own.Thisiswhatmakes
Azula an asset to the
city’s restaurant scene.
Dining at Azula is
nothing short
of an experi-
ence, a
360-degree
turn for
one’s sens-
es - an af-
fair of taste
to remember!
THE AZULA WAY INTO YOUR HEART
USHERING IN OUR INDIA IS A NEW WAY OF ENJOYING A FINE DINING EXPERIENCE
SHABRI PRASAD SINGH
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

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