02022024_First India Newspaper Jaipur.pdf

There has been unprecedented change in
Indian economy in last 10 years, says CM
2024-25
UNION
INTERIM
#VIKSIT BHARAT
Jaipur, Friday | February 2, 2024
firstindia.co.in firstindia.co.in/epapers/jaipur thefirstindia thefirstindia thefirstindia
RNI NUMBER: RAJENG/2019/77764 | VOL 5 | ISSUE NO. 237 | PAGES 12 | `3.00 Rajasthan’s Own English Newspaper
Pankaj Soni
Jaipur
Chief Minister Bhajan
Lal Sharma said that
there has been unprece-
dented change in the In-
dian economy in the last
10 years. “Under the
leadership of PM Modi,
about 25 crore people
have come out of pov-
erty during the 10-year
tenure of the govt,” he
said. CM said that in-
terim budget of 2024
presented in LS is in line
with what PM Modi had
said that there are only 4
castes in India — poor,
women, youth and farm-
ers. In this budget, there
are possibilities of the
growth in rail-air sector,
more housing for com-
mon man, increase in
medical sector under
Ayushman Yojana, loan
of Rs 75,000 crore to
states,” he said.
CM Bhajan Lal Sharma watches Interim Budget 2024 in Jaipur,
presented by Union FinMin Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday.
IN THE BUDGET
SPOTLIGHT
`47.66 LAKH CR
`11.1 LAKH CR
`6.2 LAKH CR
`1 LAKH CR
2 CR HOUSES
NEARLY 40,000
SIZE OF BUDGET 2024-25
INFRA BOOST
DEFENCE OUTLAY
RESEARCH-INNOVATION
TO WOO MIDDLE CLASS
VANDE BHARAT-BOGIES
LEADERS CELEBRATE A ROADMAP TO PROSPERITY
The size of Budget 2024-25 has increased 6.1%
because of rise in expenditure and higher allocation
for capital expenditure and social sector schemes.
Sitharaman said that allocation for big infrastructure
projects to be taken up in 2024-25 has been raised,
which is an 11.1 per cent increase over the previ-
ous year. “This would be 3.4 per cent of the GDP,”
she said. She said that the “massive tripling” of the
capital expenditure outlay in the past 4 years has
resulted in a multiplier impact on economic growth
and employment creation.
The Modi-led central government has also
increased the defence budget this year by
Rs 6.2 lakh crore, which will constitute around
8% of the total expenditure. Separately, Sithara-
man said that a new scheme will be launched to
strengthen deep tech for the defence sector.
A corpus of Rs 1 lakh crore will be established
with 50-year interest free loans to encourage the
private sector to scale up research and innovation
in sunrise domains. “This will encourage the private
sector to scale up research and innovation signifi-
cantly in sunrise domains. “This will encourage the
private sector to scale up research and innovation
significantly in sunrise domains. We need to have
programmes that combine the powers of our youth
and technology,” Nirmala Sitharaman said.
Sitharaman announced a scheme to help those liv-
ing in rented accommodations or slums to acquire
a house. “Our govt will launch a scheme to help
deserving sections of middle class ‘living in rented
houses, or slums, or chawls and unauthorized colo-
nies’ to buy or build their own houses,” Sitharaman
said. Furthermore, she also announced building of
2 crore more houses for rural poor in next 5 years.
FinMin said that many normal railway bogies will
be converted to Vande Bharat standard to enhance
safety, convenience and comfort of passengers.
She also said that the Centre will implement three
major economic railway corridor programmes: en-
ergy, mineral and cement corridors, port connectiv-
ity corridors, and high traffic density corridors.
The Union Budget 2024 is a
document that brings to
the fore PM Modi’s role as a
statesman par excellence, who is
leading nation on path of greatness.
AMIT SHAH, UNION HOME MINISTER
Heartfelt greetings to PM
Modi for this budget of all-
inclusive development.
Congratulations to Finance Minister
for glimpses of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’.
GS SHEKHAWAT, UNION JAL SHAKTI MINISTER
Inspired by PM Modi’s
vision of making India a
developed nation by 2047,
this Budget gives glimpse of India’s
rapid economic transformation.
RAJNATH SINGH, DEFENCE MINISTER
Union Interim Budget 2024
includes a provision of
`75,000 crore as a 50-year
interest-free loan for implementation
of necessary reforms in the states.
JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA, BJP NATIONAL PREZ
CM SHARMA HAILS INTERIM BUDGET 2024
PM MODI’S VISION ‘VIKSIT BHARAT BY 2047’
MODI-SITHA
‘SHECONOMY’!
Moni Sharma
New Delhi
nion Finance Min-
ister Nirmala Si-
tharaman on
Thursday present-
ed Union Budget 2024 in Par-
liament. The Interim Budget
for 2024 was presented in the
Parliament, marking Sithara-
man’ssixthconsecutiveBudg-
et presentation. Sitharaman
announced that there would be
no change in tax rates for di-
rect and indirect taxes, includ-
ing import duties. Meanwhile,
the fiscal deficit for 2024-25 is
estimated at 5.1% of GDP
against 5.8% in the current fi-
nancial year. With the Lok
Sabha polls right around the
corner, Sitharaman kicked off
her Budget speech by high-
lighting the economic tri-
umphs of the Modi govern-
ment over the last decade. The
interim Budget also expanded
the scope of several social
welfare schemes for the ben-
efit of four groups that Sithar-
aman said were the “highest
priority” of the government
— the poor, women, youth
and farmers.
MORE ON P2, 3 & 4
 Finance Minister delivers the 6th consecutive budget
 No tax changes, but nearly 1 cr taxpayers to get relief
 Last budget of the Modi govt 2.0 ahead of LS elections
PM Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Pralhad Joshi,
Ashwini Vaishnaw, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Kiren Rijiju, S Jaishankar, Dr Jitendra Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, VK
Singh, Hardeep Singh Puri and others, lend ears to Interim Budget speech in Lok Sabha at Parliament on Thursday.
Nirmala Sitharaman with the Budget tablet
at the Parliament in New Delhi on Thursday.
President Droupadi Murmu extends her best wishes to Union Finance
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman by feeding her with curd and sugar before
presenting the Interim Budget 2024 at Rashtrapati Bhavan, on Thursday.
EMPOWERING
‘SAKSHAM NARI,
SASHAKT NARI’
Sitha announced several
measures focusing on women
empowerment. She spoke about
incredible success of Centre’s
Lakhpati Didi scheme - which
aims to train women in SHGs so
that they can earn a sustainable
income of at least Rs 1 lakh/an-
num. She decided to enhance
beneficiary target for Lakhpati
Didi from 2 crore to 3 crore. Si-
tha said healthcare cover under
Ayushman Bharat scheme will
be extended to all ASHA work-
ers, Anganwadi workers and
helpers. Govt will also fast-track
upgradation of anganwadi cen-
tres under “Saksham Anganwadi
and Poshan 2.0” for improved
nutrition delivery, early childhood
care and development, she said.
THIS BUDGET
MIRRORS THE
DREAMS OF
YOUNG INDIA,
SAYS PM MODI
SITHA SETS RECORD FROM 2
HRS 42 MINUTES TO 57 MINS
‘SWEET’ START TO BUDGET!
Shortly after Sitharaman presented the Interim
Budget, PM Modi lauded her team for budget
which he said “reflects the aspirations of young
India”. “There are 2 important decision in this
Budget – for research and innovation, a fund
of Rs 1 lakh crore has been announced, the an
extension for the tax exemption given to start-
ups has also been announced,” PM Modi said.
Sitharaman surprised the Parliament with her
brief and concise delivery of Interim Budget
2024 — the shortest Budget speech in her ca-
reer — lasting only 57 minutes. This comes as a
significant departure from her lengthy address-
es, particularly in 2020 when she set record for
longest Budget speech in India’s history, lasting
a staggering 2 hours and 42 minutes.
Click code for full
Interim Budget
2024 speech by
Finance Minister.
Illustration
by:
Uttkarsha
Shekhar
The interim budget has the
vision of ‘Developed India’,
the resolve of Antyodaya
and the ‘road map’ to make ‘New
India’ growth engine of the world.
YOGI ADITYANATH, UP CHIEF MINISTER
We set a big goal, achieve
it and then move on. We
have built more than 4
crore houses for poor in villages and
now we aim to build 2 crore houses.
PRALHAD JOSHI, UNION MINISTER OF PARL AFFAIRS

1 cr houses
to get up to
300 units free
solar power
11%increaseininfraexpenditure,
measuresforagriculturesector
First India Bureau
New Delhi
inance Minis-
ter Nirmala Si-
tharaman on
Thursday an-
nounced a Rs
11.11 lakh crore spending on
infrastructure and vowed to
continue reforms as she re-
sisted resorting to populist
measures in Modi govern-
ment’s last Budget before
general elections, instead
choosingtostayonthepathof
cutting deficit while bolster-
ingmeasuresforfocusgroups.
Presenting a vote on ac-
count or an interim Budget
for 2024-25, Sitharaman pro-
posed no changes in income
tax rates for individuals and
corporates, as well as import
duty but offered amnesty for
disputedincometaxdemands
of the period prior to 2014-15
as a relief to small taxpayers.
In her close to an hour-
long Budget speech in the
Lok Sabha, she listed her
government’s achievements
across sectors in the last 10
years and announced meas-
ures to boost tourism, hous-
ing and renewable energy.
Giving a sneak preview of
what will be the Modi gov-
ernment’s priority in the
third term, if re-elected, she
said economic policies that
foster and sustain growth,
facilitate inclusive develop-
ment and contribute to gen-
eration of resources to power
investments will be adopted
towards making India a de-
veloped country by 2047.
“Thenextfiveyearswillbe
yearsofunprecedenteddevel-
opment and golden moments
to realise the dream of devel-
opedIndiaby2047,”shesaid.
“Guided by the principle
‘reform, perform, and trans-
form’, the government will
take up next generation re-
forms, and build consensus
with the states and stake-
holders for effective imple-
mentation,” she said.
The interim Budget seeks
Parliament’s authorisation
for spending for four months
and the full Budget for the
fiscal year startingApril will
be presented in July by the
government elected inApril-
May general elections.
Sitharaman’s Budget pro-
poses to cut food, fertiliser
and fuel subsidies by 8 per
cent in 2024-25 over last
year while keeping the allo-
cation for rural employment
scheme MGNREGA un-
changed.
GREEN GROWTH
TOP PRIORITIES
First India Bureau
New Delhi
The Central government
announced a slew of
measures for the promo-
tion of green growth and
renewable energy while
tabling the Interim Budget
2024-2025 in Parliament
on Thursday.
Finance Minister Nir-
mala Sitharaman, in her
Budget speech today, said
that through rooftop so-
larization, one crore
households will be ena-
bled to obtain up to 300
units of free electricity
every month.
This scheme followed
the resolve of Prime Min-
isterNarendraModionthe
historic Pran Pratishta of
Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
According to the gov-
ernment, the benefits ex-
pected from this solarisa-
tion are savings up to Rs
15,000-18,000 crore an-
nually for households
from free solar electricity
and selling the surplus to
the distribution compa-
nies; charging of electric
vehicles; entrepreneur-
ship opportunities for a
large number of vendors
for supply and installa-
tion; and employment op-
portunities for the youth
with technical skills in
manufacturing, installa-
tion and maintenance.
To meet the commit-
ment of ‘net-zero’ by
2070, Finance Minister
Sitharaman proposed vi-
ability gap funding for
harnessing offshore wind
energy potential for initial
capacity of one giga-watt,
coal gasification and liq-
uefaction capacity of 100
MT to be set up by 2030.
This will also help in
reducing imports of natu-
ral gas, methanol, and am-
monia.
Housesformiddle
classfamiliesmulled
Railways allocated `2.52 lakh crore
First India Bureau
New Delhi
Union Railways Minister
AshwiniVaishnaw onThurs-
day said that an unprecedent-
ed budget allocation has
been made towards the rail-
way sector in the Interim
Budget for the financial year
2024-25, which was present-
ed by Finance Minister Nir-
mala Sitharaman.
Ashwini Vaishnaw in-
formed that Indian Railways
has been allotted a total of Rs
2.52 lakh crore outlay for the
financial year 2024-25.
“PM Modi changed the
entire strategy (for Rail-
ways) over the last 10 years,
and now the focus is being
made on investment to mod-
ernize the Railways. For this
year, the budget that has
been allocated for the Rail-
ways is Rs 2.52 lakh crore,”
the Railways minister said.
Highlighting the budget
allocation of several states in
the Railways sector,Ashwini
Vaishnaw said, “In a land
where so much innovation is
happening, Tamil Nadu has
received an outstanding out-
lay of Rs 6,331 crore to carry
out several rail infrastructure
and safety projects.”
“Kerala has received an
exceptional outlay of Rs
2,744 crores for several rail
infrastructure and safety pro-
jects,” the Railways Minister
said, adding that Himachal
Pradesh is set to get Rs 2,681
crore for similar projects.
Stating that 100 percent
electrification of the railway
network has been achieved
in Haryana, the Railways
Minister informed that Rs
2,861 crore has been allo-
cated for the development of
railways in the state.
First India Bureau
New Delhi
While presenting the in-
terim Budget for 2024-25
on Thursday, Finance Min-
ister Nirmala Sitharaman
said that govt will launch a
scheme to help deserving
sections of the middle class
living in rented houses, or
slums, or chawls and unau-
thorized colonies to buy or
build their own houses.
Highlighting the
achievement of PM Awas
Yojana (Grameen), the Un-
ion Finance Minister said
that despite the challenges
due to COVID, implemen-
tation of the scheme contin-
ued and the government is
close to achieving the target
of three crore houses.
She said that two crore
more houses will be taken
up in the next five years to
meet the requirement aris-
ing from an increase in the
number of families.
PMAwasYojana (Rural)
is close to achieving the tar-
get of 3 crore houses.
PM AWAS YOJANA
Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw addresses a press conference
on Interim Budget 2024, in New Delhi on Thursday. PTI
BIG BOOST TO ROADS,
PORTS & AIRPORTS
Spending on infrastruc-
ture such as roads, ports
and airports has been
raised by 11 per cent to
Rs 11.1 lakh crore in a
bid to sustain the current
world-record beating
economic growth and cre-
ate more jobs. The Union
government will also
provide Rs 1.3 lakh crore
long term loans to states
to spend on infrastructure.
Govt is guided by the
principle of ‘reform,
perform & transform’,
says Sitharaman
F
PATIENT LISTENERS!
Business leaders watch the live telecast of the presentation of the Interim Budget 2024 by Union Finance Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman, at the CII headquarters, in New Delhi on Thursday. PTI
RAILWAYS
l 3 major economic railway corridor programmes identified under the PM
Gati Shakti to be implemented to improve logistics efficiency and reduce cost
l Energy, mineral and cement corridors
l Port connectivity corridors l High traffic density corridors
l Forty thousand normal rail bogies to be converted to Vande Bharat standards
Extending my
heartfelt thanks and
congratulations to
Prime Minister Shri
@narendramodi Ji and
Finance Minister Smt.
@nsitharaman Ji for
presenting a dynamic
budget that paves
the way for India’s
significant progress
towards becoming an
economic superpower
by 2047.
NITIN GADKARI
UNION MINISTER
Gratitude to @
nsitharaman for taking
special care of women
in the budget. Under
leadership of PM @
narendramodi ji, the
target of creating 3
crore Lakhpati Didis
in country and your
decision to benefit all
Anganwadi and Asha
sisters is welcome.
JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA
UNION MINISTER
The budget presented
today accurately
captures the unwavering
pursuit of PM @
narendramodi ji of
inclusive development
centred around people.
My sincere thanks to
FM @nsitharaman ji for
putting out a budget that
is balanced and places
a strong emphasis
on infrastructure &
innovation.
ANURAG THAKHUR
UNION MINISTER
Today’s interim
budget is a public
utility, national friendly
budget, which will
bring change in the
living standards of the
poor and will help in
making the country a
developed India.
NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR
SPEAKER OF MADHYA
PRADESH ASSEMBLY
I think the budget
speech was both short
and disappointing.
There was very little
of substance, major
omissions and lots of
issues were not even
touched about.
SHASHI THAROOR
CONGRESS MP
2024-25
UNION
INTERIM
#VIKSIT BHARAT
MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS
AVIATION SECTOR
l Number of
airports in the
country doubled
to 149
l Five hundred
and seventeen new routes are
carrying 1.3 crore passengers
l Indian carriers have placed
orders for over 1000 new
aircrafts
GREEN ENERGY
l Coal gasifica-
tion and liquefac-
tion capacity of
100 MT to be set
up by 2030.
l Phased mandatory blending of
CBG in compressed natural gas
l CNG for transport and
PNG for domestic purposes
to be mandated
PM AWAS YOJANA (GRAMEEN)
l Despite COVID challenges, the target of
three crore houses under PM Awas Yojana
l (Grameen) will be achieved soon
l Two crore more houses to be taken up in
the next five years
ROOFTOP SOLARIZATION AND MUFT BIJLI
l 1 crore households to obtain 300 units
free electricity every month through rooftop
solarization
l Each household is expected to save
Rs.15000 to Rs.18000 annually
Spending on infrastructure such as
roads, ports and airports has been
raised by 11 per cent to `11.1 lakh
crore in a bid to sustain the cur-
rent world-record beating economic
growth and create more jobs.
11%
RAIL, ROAD
INFRASTRUCTURE
&
www.firstindia.co.in firstindia.co.in/epapers/jaipur thefirstindia thefirstindia thefirstindia
02

Ayushman
Bharat cover
extended to
all ASHA,
Anganwadi
workers
HugeinvestmentsforLakshadweep
todrawtourists:FMSitharaman
First India Bureau
New Delhi
he govern-
ment will in-
vest signifi-
cantly in the
tourism sector
in the country, Finance Min-
ister Nirmala Sitharaman
said in her interim Budget
2024 speech on Thursday.
She said the island Union
Territory of Lakshadweep
will get undivided attention
from the government to
improve its tourist infra-
structure.
Many Indians have been
looking at Lakshadweep as
an alternative destination af-
ter a diplomatic row with the
Maldives, an archipelago na-
tion where Indians used to go
in large numbers.
To address the emerging
fervour for domestic tour-
ism, projects for port con-
nectivity, tourism infrastruc-
ture, and amenities will be
taken up in Indian islands–
including Lakshadweep.
“This will help in generating
employment also,” the fi-
nance minister said. While
presenting the interim budg-
et in the Lok Sabha, FM Nir-
mala Sitharaman highlighted
the comprehensive develop-
ment of tourist centres.
HEALTH
TOURISM
First India Bureau
New Delhi
Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman on Thursday
extended Ayushman
Bharat-Pradhan Mantri
Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-
PMJAY) to allASHAand
Anganwadi workers.
There was no budget al-
location in this regard.
Last Budget, FM Sithara-
man earmarked Rs 7,200
crore for FY24. A sum of
Rs 88,956 crore was allo-
cated to the Health and
family welfare ministry in
FY24.
THE KEY HIGHLIGHTS
z There are plans to set up
more medical colleges. To
facilitate this, a committee
shall be set-up to examine
the existing issues and
make recommendations
z Anganwadi centres
under Saksham Angan-
wadi and Poshan 2.0 — an
Integrated Nutrition Support
Programme introduced by
the Union Health Ministry in
2022, will be expedited for
improved nutrition delivery,
early childhood care, and
development
z The MoHFW’s newly
developed app for managing
vaccinations, U-Win will be
rolled out soon throughout
the country
z Healthcare cover under
the Ayushman Bharat
scheme will be extended
to all ASHA Workers and
Anganwadi workers and
helpers
z Existing schemes for ma-
ternal and child healthcare
will be brought under one
comprehensive program for
frictionless implementation
z Cervical cancer vaccina-
tion in girls between 9-14
years will be encouraged
State Budget’s focus: Vision of Bhajan Lal, Modi’s guarantee
Pankaj Soni
Jaipur
The command of expendi-
ture and income i.e. budget
in the Centre and State is in
the hands of women minis-
ters. On Thursday, Union
FM Nirmala Sitharaman
presented the Centre’s Vote
on Account in Parliament
due to the Lok Sabha elec-
tions. At the same time, due
to no estimate of the share
to be received from the
Centre, vote on account for
four months will be taken
in Rajasthan also. As Fi-
nance Min, Dy CM Diya
Kumari will present the
Vote on Account in Assem-
bly on Feb 8.
No major schemes will be
announced in the Vote on
Account, but projects like
ERCP can be mentioned in
the Vote on Account. The
road map of the Bhajan Lal
government for the coming
days will be presented in the
interim budget. Along with
this, the revised estimates of
the previous budget will also
be put forward.
VISION OF CORRUPTION
FREE ADMINISTRATION
It is believed that in its first
interim budget, the Bhajan
Lal govt will mention the
zero tolerance policy on
corruption in the vote on ac-
count. Apart from this, such
decisions taken by the pre-
vious govt which caused
loss to state exchequer will
also be mentioned through
Vote on Account. The govt
will also present figures of
the deteriorating financial
condition of state in House
through Vote on Account.
Looking at the preparations
for the Vote on Account, it
seems that the govt may also
put forward some of its pol-
icy decisions through the
Vote on Account.
NO MENTION OF
SCHEMES LIKE METRO
There will be no mention of
big schemes like Metro in the
Vote on Account. But the
Bhajan Lal govt will present
many schemes and policies
related to social security,
farmers, youth & women be-
fore the general public
through Vote on Account.
Apart from this, the govt can
also present its vision regard-
ingsolarenergy,drinkingwa-
ter scheme and law and order.
COMPLETE BUDGET FOR
THREE DEPARTMENTS
The govt will seek permission
fromAssembly for 4 months’
expenditure. But the estimate
of expenditure for whole year
regarding polls, disaster relief,
cooperation and drinking wa-
terwillbeapprovedbytheAs-
semblybecausethesedeptsare
suchinwhichmostofexpend-
iture is incurred only in four
months of the financial year.
AFTERAYODHYA,SPIRITUALTOURISMWILLBEA
GATEWAYTOOPPORTUNITIESFORSTATES
With the inauguration and consecration of Ram Man-
dir in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, and the subsequent
$10 billion investment-based transformation plan
of the city, the FM mentioned that spiritual tourism will be a
gateway for opportunities for local entrepreneurship. Going
forward, the government will also encourage Indian states
to take up comprehensive development of its iconic tourist
centres—branding and marketing them at a global scale.
A framework for rating of the centres based on the qual-
ity of facilities and services will be established. “Long-term
interest-free loans will be provided to states for financing
such developments on a matching basis,” Sitharaman added.
INDIAANATTRACTIVEDESTINATIONFORBUSINESSES,
CONFERENCETOURISM,SAYSNIRMALASITHARAMAN
The promotion of Indian islands including Laksh-
wadeep, hosting global events (G20 Summit and
ICC World Cup), and the recent focus on spiritual
tourism with the inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya
were indicative of the government’s focus on making tourism
an integral part of the Union Budget 2024. “The success of
organising G20 meetings in 60 places presented the diversity
of India to a global audience. Our economic strength has
made the country an attractive destination for business and
conference tourism,” she said.
Sitharaman said that
Lakshadweep will get
undivided attention
from the Union govt
T
It is budget of powerful,
brilliant and Developed
India by 2047. On behalf
of entire country and
people of the state, I
express my gratitude to
the budget presented
by Fin Min Sitharaman
for the all-embracing
interim budget for women
empowerment and poor
welfare & upliftment.
CPJOSHI
BJP STATE PRESIDENT
It is clear that this
budget will be helpful
in building a glorious,
illustrious, prosperous,
and powerful India.
Despite being an
interim budget, I thank
PM Modi and Finance
Minister Sitharaman for
presenting an
all-inclusive and
all-touching budget.
VASUNDHARARAJE
FORMER CHIEF MINISTER
The govt has not
suggested any way
to deal with inflation,
petrole and diesel
prices. This is a
directionless budget.
BJP does not want to
provide electricity, roads,
water and employment.
Its aim is to fight in the
name of religion and to
make people fight.
GOVIND SINGH DOTASRA
RAJASTHAN PCC CHIEF
This interim budget,
presented by FM
Nirmala Sitharaman,
will have an adverse
impact on the country’s
economy. The budget
does not provide relief
to any section of the
society and has no
effective plan to control
inflation, which has hit
the common man.
NEERAJ DANGI
CONGRESS MP
The Budget is reflection
of ‘AatmaNirbhar
Bharat’. The budget’s
focus on developing
additional dedicated
freight corridors, setting
up a corpus for interest
free loans to sunrise
domains, promoting
solar power will facilitate
overall economic
development.
ABHINAV BANTHIA
CHAIRMAN, CII RAJASTHAN
2024-25
UNION
INTERIM
#VIKSIT BHARAT
2.3L vendors benefitted
PM SVANIDHI has provided credit as-
sistance to 78 lakh street vendors, from
that total, 2.3 lakh have received credit
11.8 cr farmers get aids
Farmers are our ‘anndata’, every year
under PM-KSY finance assistances
provided to 11.8 crore farmers: FinMin
`6.21L cr to Defence
PRecord over `6.21 lakh crore
allocation to Ministry of Defence
in Interim Union Budget 2024-25;
4.72% more than FY 2023-24.
`1.72 lakh crore - 27.67% of total
defence budget - allocated for capital
acquisition; Budget to Armed Forces
for revenue expenditure (Other than
Salary) stands at `92,088 crore
FI TOON SHEKHAR
MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS
EMPOWERING AMRIT
PEEDHI, THE YUVA
l 1.4 crore
youth trained
under Skill India
Mission
l 43 crore loans
sanctioned under PM Mudra
Yojana
l AIIMS increased from 7
in 2014 to 22 in 2022; IITs
increased from 16 in 2014 to 23
in 2023
AGRICULTURE AND
FOOD PROCESSING
l PM Kisan
Sampada
Yojana has
benefitted 38L
farmers & gen-
erated 10L employment
l PM Formalisation of Micro
Food Processing Enterprises
Yojana has assisted 2.4L
SHGs & 60K individuals with
credit linkages
WELFARE OF FARMERS-ANNADATAS
l Crop Insurance to 4 crore farmers under PMFBY
l Integration of 1,361 mandis under e-NAM,
supporting trading volume of `3 lakh crore
l Increased procurement of Wheat and Rice in
the year 2023-24
ENHANCING TOURISM ACROSS THE NATION
l States to be encouraged to take up
comprehensive development of iconic
tourist centres including their branding
and marketing at global scale.
l A Framework for rating of the iconic
tourist centres based on quality of facili-
ties and services to be established.
l Long-term interest free loans to be provided to states to
encourage comprehensive development of tourist centres.
l Projects for port connectivity, tourism infrastructure, and
amenities to be taken up in islands, including Lakshadweep
Jaipur, Friday | February 2, 2024 03
www.firstindia.co.in firstindia.co.in/epapers/jaipur thefirstindia thefirstindia thefirstindia
TOURISM
HEALTH
&
(L-R) Naresh Sharma, RC Choudhary , RP Vijay, Pankaj Soni, Shweta Mishra Awasthi, Nirmal Tiwari, Vimal Kothari,
Yogesh Sharma, and Manish Gupta during the FI news special budget talk show in Jaipur on Thursday.
SANTOSH
SHARMA

2024-25
UNION
INTERIM
#VIKSIT BHARAT
udget2024isjusta
maiden budget
Conventionally,
2024 being an
election year in In-
dia, the Modi government was
expected to present an interim
budget, which, essentially is a
vote on account, whereby the
parliament sanctions funds for
the government to function in an
uninterrupted manner till the
new government is voted in and
takes charge. The new govern-
ment then, based on its stated
election manifesto and the avail-
ability of resources, tables a full-
fledgedbudgetintheparliament.
However, flouting this conven-
tion, the government has doled
out massive fiscal concessions
and benefits to the farm sector as
well as the poor and women,
whose disappointment with the
central government’s previous
policies is said to have cost the
ruling part dearly in the state
elections last year. Union Fi-
nance Minister Nirmala Sithara-
man on Thursday presented the
last Budget of the Narendra
Modi government before the
2024 Lok Sabha elections, with
a particular focus on women,
youth,poorandfarmers.Inkeep-
ing with the tradition of the in-
terim budget, the government
kepttaxratesuntouchedfornow.
Fiscally responsible move
amidst social focus: Interim
Budgetturnedouttobeafiscally
responsible Budget despite the
politicalcompulsionaheadofthe
national elections. Though the
speechdidhighlightthatthegov-
ernment’sprimaryfocusissocial
justice, and the need to provide
support to the poor, farmers,
youth, and women, the fiscal
deficittargetof5.1%forFY2025
and net government borrowing
of Rs 11.75 lakh crore (lower
than FY2024) has come as a
positive for the markets. Bond
marketsarecelebratingthesame,
with a rally in bond prices and
appreciation in INR against
USD. This is also good news for
the banking system and overall
sentiments for the markets.
Government’sComprehen-
sive Initiatives: Housing, De-
fence, FDI Promotion, and In-
novation Boost: Support is pro-
videdtodeservingsectionsofthe
middle class residing in rented
accommodations, slums, or
chawls to facilitate the purchase
or construction of their own
houses.Additionally,thegovern-
ment plans to construct 2 crore
more houses for the rural poor
over the next five years through
thePMAwasYojana(Grameen).
The defence sector sees in-
creased funding with the an-
nouncement of a higher defence
budget, accompanied by the
launch of a new scheme to bol-
ster deep tech capabilities. Last-
ly, to boost domestic tourism,
projects focusing on port con-
nectivity, tourism infrastructure,
and amenities are set to be
launched in island groups, in-
cluding Lakshadweep.
Impetus To An Ecosystem
Of Startups: The interim budg-
et presented today shall provide
an impetus to an ecosystem of
startups, technology companies
and aspirants, providing them
with ample opportunities to set-
up, enhance technological offer-
ings and bolster innovation.
These are positive sentiments
that will further strengthen In-
dia’s technology landscape
throughresearchandinnovation.
A corpus of Rs 1 lakh crore will
be established with a 50 year
interest-free loan. Further, the
government has extended tax
benefits for start-ups to March
31, 2025 and withdrawn some
outstanding direct tax demands.
Deeptech and GenAI have the
potential to revolutionize a vari-
ety of sectors. Ethical practices
and its usage will lead to Indian
brands and artists being recog-
nised from local to global mar-
kets creating a seamless experi-
ence and put India on the global
map for technological prowess.
Game-Changer For Rural
Healthcare And Youth Em-
powerment: A significant boon
for the healthcare industry, par-
ticularly benefiting the rural ar-
eas where the need is greatest.
The government’s strategic ini-
tiatives, notably Mission Indrad-
hanush, exemplify a transforma-
tive commitment to immunize
against measles, polio, hepatitis
B, tetanus, diphtheria, TB, and
pertussis, empowering women
andsecuringabrighterfuturefor
children.Thevisionaryestablish-
ment of additional medical col-
leges resonates well with our
youthful nation, addressing the
aspirations of many prospective
doctors who currently seek edu-
cation abroad.
Viability Gap Funding For
Offshore Wind Aids India’s
Net-Zero Commitment: The
announcement of viability gap
funding for offshore wind as a
measure to meet India’s net-zero
commitment is welcome as the
sector needs some support to
kickstart.AsperCEEW(CEEW
Centre for Energy Finance)’s
analysis, while 65 per cent of the
USD10 trillion of investments
required for India to achieve net-
zero by 2070 can be mobilized
from conventional sources, bal-
ance 35% will need interven-
tions.
Elevating Seed Industry
AndPropellingIndiaTowards
Agricultural Self-Reliance:
The Finance Minister of India
has set a vision for India to be-
come Viksit by 2047, focusing
on agriculture reforms and self-
reliance in oilseeds like mustard,
groundnut, soyabean, sesame,
and sunflower. The Seed Indus-
try is pleased with the govern-
ment’s emphasis on high-yield-
ing seeds, modern farming tech-
niques, market linkages, pro-
curement, value addition, and
crop insurance.
ChartingACourseForEco-
nomic Transformation And
Skill-Driven Growth: The
budget’s long-term focus on in-
frastructure development for
higher education and skill devel-
opment is helping the youth of
India become job-ready. Initia-
tivesliketheadditionof390uni-
versities, skill development for
over 2 million youth, and a 28%
improvement in female enroll-
ment in higher education will
yield rich dividends for the in-
dustry and economy.
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY
THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL
inance Minister Nir-
mala Sitharaman was
kind to the tax-payers
by not making any changes in
income-tax slabs in the elec-
tion year’s interim Union
Budget. Indirect taxes also re-
mained unchanged. The Fi-
nance Minister also did not
lose sight of Narendra Modi
government’s welfare schemes
for the poor, youth, women
and farmers.
Significant among her an-
nouncements was the creation
of a one lakh crore rupees cor-
pus to promote research and
development in the private sec-
tor. The loan can be availed at
zero interest for a period of 50
years. The visionary initiative
emphasizes the golden era for
tech-savvy youth and aims to
propel research and innovation,
particularly in sunrise domains,
fostering a dynamic synergy
between youth and technology.
This initiative embodies an
important stride towards a fu-
ture where technology and
private enterprise converge for
transformative advancements.
The move, which builds on
the foundation of the National
Research Foundation set up
last year, aligns seamlessly
with the government’s com-
mitment to elevate private sec-
tor participation in research.
The Finance Minister spoke
of plans for an upcoming ini-
tiative focused on bolstering
the key areas of deep-tech ca-
pabilities. Deep-tech encom-
passes cutting edge technolo-
gies such as nanotechnology,
biotechnology, artificial intel-
ligence, quantum technolo-
gies, cyber security, semicon-
ductors, and data science.
These technologies hold the
potential for transformative
changes and are the need of
the hour. Sitharaman said that
a comprehensive national pol-
icy for facilitating startups in
these sectors is being finalised.
The policy aims to tackle chal-
lenges faced by startups in
these domains, fostering an
environment conducive to en-
hanced productivity.
SPIRITUAL SPEAK
HAPPINESS WILL NEVER COME TO
THOSE WHO FAIL TO APPRECIATE
WHAT THEY ALREADY HAVE.
BUDDHA
CORPUS FOR R&D IS
A VISIONARY STEP
TOP TWEETS
Gratitude to PM @narendramodi Ji
& FM @nsitharaman Ji for presenting
a future- proof #ViksitBharatBudget.
The conscientious focus on people-centric
inclusive development paves the way for
India’s poised ascent to a Developed
Bharat by 2047.
Smriti Z Irani@smritiirani
Modi government is ensuring
sweetness in the life of every person!
Under the leadership of Prime Minister
@NarendraModi ji, the government approved
the decision to extend the scheme of sugar
subsidy for Antyodaya Anna Yojana families
distributed through PDS for the next 2 years.
Piyush Goyal@PiyushGoyal
F
Farmers listen to live broadcast of the Budget 2024 in South Dinajpur on Thursday.
 Vol 5  Issue No. 237  RNI NO. RAJENG/2019/77764. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Press, D.B. Corp Limited, Shivdaspura, Tonk Road, Jaipur. Published at 304, 3rd Floor,
City Mall, Bhagwan Das Road, C-Scheme, Jaipur-302001, Rajasthan. Phone 0141-4920504.  Editor-In-Chief: Dr Jagdeesh Chandra  Managing Editor: Pawan Arora  Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act
Prof ND
Mathur
The writer is
Dean, Jaipur School of
Economics, JECRC University
Sumant
Kaushik
The writer is
Assistant Professor
B
BUDGET
REFLECTS
TIGHTROPE
WALKING
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday
presented the last Budget of Narendra Modi government
before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with a particular
focus on women, youth, poor and farmers. In keeping
with the tradition of the interim budget, the central
government kept the tax rates untouched for now
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with MoS Pankaj Chaudhary, MoS Dr Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra, Secretary of Dept of Economic
Affairs Ajay Seth, Secretary of Dept of Investment and Public Asset Management Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Secretary of the Dept of Financial Services Vivek Joshi, Finance Secretary
TV Somanathan and Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran, outside the Finance Ministry ahead of the presentation of Interim Budget 2024, in New Delhi on Thursday.
The Interim Budget
is being viewed as
fiscally responsible,
with a focus on social justice
and support for various
sectors. The fiscal deficit
target for FY2025 is 5.1%, and
net government borrowing is
lower than FY2024. Market
reactions have been positive,
with a rally in bond prices and
an appreciation in the INR
against the USD.
Notable initiatives include increased capital outlay, housing
development plans, defense sector funding, and the India
Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) for economic
collaboration. The budget also supports startups, healthcare, India’s
net-zero commitment, agricultural self-reliance, and skill-driven growth.
At we can quote that “Government budgets are like recipes; the
success depends on the right ingredients, careful measurement, and a
dash of fiscal spice.”
INTERIM BUDGET
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the Interim
Budget 2024-25 reflects the
government’s continued
focus on inclusive growth, economic
stability, strategic global positioning,
sector-specific developments,
environmental sustainability, and tax
reforms, with an overarching vision
towards a developed India by 2047.
PERSPECTIVE

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RAJASTHAN 06
DyCMDiyaKumariinauguratesJLF2024
Country is becoming overly
centralised: Raghuram Rajan
First India Bureau
Jaipur
The Front Lawns on day
one of the Jaipur Litera-
ture Festival saw a
packed audience for the
session, ‘Breaking the
Mould: Reimagining In-
dia’s Economic Future,’
by Raghuram G Rajan
and Rohit Lamba in con-
versation with Naushad
Forbes.
“India is standing on
the crossroads and it
must choose where it
wants to go not just po-
litically but also econom-
ically. We do not need to
choose the Chinese path
of manufacturing and ex-
ports. It may be very dif-
ficult to go there not just
because China is already
there but also because
that path has diminishing
returns because of in-
creasing trade protection-
ism. India needs to focus
on its strengths and build
on them,” said former
Reserve Bank of India
Governor Raghuram G
Rajan.
First India Bureau
Jaipur
The 17th edition of the
Jaipur Literature Festi-
val, 2024 to be held be-
tween 1- 5 February, be-
gan with verve and en-
thusiasm at Hotel Clarks
Amber. Inaugurating the
much-awaited event
Deputy Chief Minister,
Diya Kumari thanked the
festival and its organizers
for putting Jaipur on the
world map, emphasizing
that Jaipur today is syn-
onymous with the Litera-
ture Festival.
“The JLF boosts tour-
ism in Rajasthan. The
contribution of the festi-
val in just 5 days is more
than what any individual
or government could do
for the city of Jaipur, and
the state of Rajasthan,”
said Diya Kumari. The
2024 edition is being or-
ganized with the theme
“Stories Unite Us”. This
theme underscores the
transformative power of
literature and how it re-
flects and brings society
together.
The festival will ex-
plore the profound im-
pact of storytelling, em-
phasizing the unifying
nature of narratives
across cultures and lan-
guages.
Reminiscing the 17
years journey of the
Jaipur Literature Festi-
val, at the inaugural cer-
emony, Sanjoy K. Roy
Managing Director of
Teamwork Arts fondly
recalled the growth of the
Jaipur Literature Festival
from the Diggi Palace to
Clarks Amer and across
the globe to the United
States, thanking all the
people that have partici-
pated in the festival since
its inception.
JLF does more for Raj tourism in 5 days than what we do for entire year: Diya SpiceJet inaugural
Jaipur-Ayodhya flight
operates full capacity
Ziauddin Khan
Jaipur
SpiceJet flight SG 3421
left for Ayodhya from
Jaipur airport on Thurs-
day with the first batch of
pilgrims. Passengers
were welcomed at Jaipur
airport and a copy of
Ramayan was presented
to each passanger. The
plane departed at 7:15
am. The 88 seater aircraft
was full to capacity.
The direct flight from
Jaipur reached Ayodhya
Airport at 9:15 am. Flight
SG-3426 will depart
fromAyodhya at 3:45 pm
and reach Jaipur airport
at 5:30 pm. It will operate
four days a week which
is Tuesday, Thursday,
Saturday and Sunday.
Until now, there has
been no direct flight from
Jaipur to Ayodhya.
Non-trade cement being sold freely,
are officials unaware, or in cahoots?
Tarun Dave
Nathdwara
Along with the loss of
crores of rupees of reve-
nue to the government,
trade traders are counting
their last breaths. In-
formed officials remain
silent despite informa-
tion. There seems to be
suspicion of collusion
with the officials.
Despite giving infor-
mation to the authorities
several times, no action
is taken. After giving the
information, many times
the officers refer to the
rules and sometimes ask
for approval from higher
officials. In such a situa-
tion, cement traders have
also started getting wor-
ried about trade.
Also, due to a higher
profit margin, now regu-
lar shopkeepers have
also started selling non-
trade cements on their
retail outlets.
Last rites of Manvenvdra
Singh’s wife performed
New excise policy: No
increase in number of shops
RCDF MD Arora inspects
Bharatpur milk dairy
Shivprakash Purohit
Jaipur
The mortal remains of
Chitra Singh, former MP
Manvendra Singh Jasol’s
wife, Chitra Singh, were
consigned to flames to-
day at the family’s farm
house in Pabupura in
Jodhpur. Their son,
Hemir Singh, performed
the last rites. Manvendra
Singh, who was injured
in the incident, could not
be present as he is under-
going treatment.
Former BJP state pres-
ident Satish Poonia, BJP
leader Rajendra Singh
Rathore, former MP
Bhanwar Jitendra Singh
along with many legisla-
tors and leaders from
both BJP and Congress
were present at the fu-
neral. Chitra Singh had
died in an accident on
Delhi-Mumbai express-
way inAlwar on Tuesday
evening while Manven-
dra, his son Hamir Singh
and driver were injured.
Chitra singh’s body was
brought to Jodhpur on
Wednesday morning.
The gathering of rela-
tives and acquaintances
at the farmhouse besides
their family members
had started since the
morning on Thursday.
Hamir Singh was dis-
charged after treatment.
First India Bureau
Jaipur
The state govt has re-
leased the new excise
policywherethenumber
of shops have not been
increased. But existing
licensees will have op-
portunity to renew their
shops, as per the new
policy. The liquor shops
which cannot be re-
newed will be auctioned
online. There will be an
increase of 10% in an-
nual guarantee. As per
the new policy, two
warehouses can be kept
foreachliquorshop.The
rates of excise duty, li-
cense fee, etc. have not
beenincreased. Pricesof
country liquor and Ra-
jasthan made liquor have
been increasedinthenew
policy. Besides, maxi-
mum selling price and
MRP may increase by a
rupee. Thenumberofliq-
uorshopswillremainun-
changed at 7665; no in-
crease has been made in
the number of shops. Mi-
cro winery plants will be
set up in state. To boost
tourism, hotel bar li-
cense fees have been
reduced in cities of Jais-
almer & Kumbhalgarh.
Ravi Katara
Jaipur
Rajasthan Cooperative
Dairy Federation
(RCDF) Managing Di-
rector Sushma Arora in-
spected the cooperative
milk dairy in Bharatpur.
The technical team and
quality control team were
also present during the
inspection.
A complaint was made a
few days ago regarding
irregularities after which
the dairy was inspected.
Arora said that the in-
spection was conducted
regarding increasing
milk and cheese produc-
tion and other matters.
JLF 2024
Dy CM Diya Kumari inaugurates the five-day JLF 2024 at Hotel Clarks Amer on Thursday. Also seen
are Sanjoy K. Roy, Apoorva Kumar, William Dalrymple, Timmy Kumar and Namita Gokhle.
Raghuram G Rajan at a session
Due to profitable deal and no fear of any kind of action, non-
trade cement is now easily available.
RCDF MD Sushma Arora inspects coop milk dairy in Bharatpur.
11 FLIGHTS DIVERTED
TO JAIPUR DUE TO
DENSE FOG IN DELHI
Eleven flights from
Delhi were diverted
to Jaipur due to
dense fog at Delhi airport
on Thursday. There were
six domestic and five
international flights which
were diverted. The diverted
flights are Indigo flight 6E
5369 from Pune to Delhi,
Air Arabia flight G9463 from
Sharjah to Delhi, flight from
Singapore to Delhi, Air India
flight AI383 diverted. The
MeT has warned of similar
fog conditions to persist for
the next 2-3 days due to
changing weather patterns.
Rajeev Sharma takes
charge as new ACB DG
Naveen Sharma
Jaipur
Rajiv Sharma assumed
the charge of Director
General,Anti Corruption
Bureau on Thursday at
Jhalana Institutional
Area, headquarters.
Addressing a meeting
of top department offi-
cials, Sharma said that
the state government
wants to prevent corrup-
tion. “We will have to
take effective steps
against corruption by
making an action plan.
We have to understand
the pain caused to com-
mon people due to cor-
ruption in government
work. We must work to-
wards eliminating this
corruption in the internal
working of the govern-
ment. Taking strict action
against organized corrup-
tion will be our priority,”
Sharma said.
Third Indian
Horticulture
Summit
begins
Vinod Singh Chouhan
Jaipur
Agriculture and Hor-
ticulture Minister Dr.
Kirodilal Meena said
that the ERCP pro-
ject will transform
the agriculture and
horticulture sector in
the state.
“The fate of farm-
ers in 13 districts of
eastern Rajasthan
will change due to
availability of abun-
dant water for irriga-
tion and drinking
water,” he said while
inaugurating a three-
day National Horti-
culture Conference
here. He said that
PM Modi has given a
gift in form of ERCP.
The minister also
said that along with
saving water, its
proper use will have
to be encouraged. He
said that with the ap-
proval of the ERCP
project, 13 districts
of the state will be
provided adequate
water for drinking as
well for irrigation
purposes by connect-
ing five rivers.
“This will make
it possible to increase
the productivity
of horticulture in
Eastern Rajasthan,”
he said.
UEM JAIPUR LIT FEST 2024
ACELEBRATION OF LITERARYARTS & INTELLECTUALEXCHANGE
First India Bureau
Jaipur
n the “UEM
Jaipur Lit Fest
2024,” organ-
ised by the University of
Engineering & Manage-
ment (UEM), Jaipur, in
collaboration with
“VOICES” at RIC, a gal-
axyoflitterateursspokeon
interconnections between
languages. The day-long
event was sponsored by
the First India Group.
The esteemed guests
who graced the event
were, Prof. Sudhi Rajiv
the Vice-Chancellor of
Haridev Joshi University
of Journalism & Mass
Communication, Prof.
Anisur Rahman, former
Professor and HoD Eng-
lish at Jamia Millia Isla-
mia, Prof Sangeeta Shar-
ma, former Professor and
HoD History and Indian
Culture, RU, Dr Lakshmi
Kannan, a bilingual nov-
elist who writes in Tamil
under the pen name
‘Kaaveri’, Prof Sukriti
Paul Kumar, former Fel-
low of Indian Institute of
Advanced Study, Shimla,
Prof Dr Nilufer E Bharu-
cha Co-Director of the
Mumbai Muenster Insti-
tute ofAdvanced Studies.
Also present were dis-
tinguished speakers, cel-
ebrated writers like Prof
Malashri Lal, English
Dept, DU who has au-
thored & edited seven-
teen17 books, Sanjukta
Dasgupta, Prof & former
HoD English, Calcutta
Univ, Gopal Lahiri, bilin-
gual poet, Dr Rashmi
Chaturvedi Director Ka-
noria College, Jaipur,
Reema Hooja, archaeolo-
gist & author, Mini Nan-
da who has 37 years of
teaching experience par-
ticipated in enlightening
literary discussions. Prof
Rajul Bhargava, founder
& editor of VOICES,
Prof.(Dr.)BiswajoyChat-
terjee,VC,UEMJaipur,&
Retd. IAS Pawan Arora
inaugurated the event.
I
Prof Rajul Bhargava, Pawan Arora, Prof Biswajoy Chatterjee.
Prof Anisur Rahman & Prof Sudhi Rajiv
Dr Lakshmi Kannan and Prof Sangeeta Sharma
Prof Rashmi Chaturvedi Prof Mini Nanda Prof Sanjukta Dasgupta
Prof Sukriti Paul Kumar Prof Malashri Lal Prof Dr Nilufer E Bharucha
Commissioner: Police stations
must hold public hearings daily
First India Bureau
Jaipur
Police Commissioner
Biju George Joseph has
instructed all the police
station officers,Assistant
Commissioner of Police,
Additional Deputy Com-
missioner of Police and
officers concerned under
the Commissionerate to
hold public hearings dai-
ly from 12 pm to 1 pm or
4 pm to 5 pm. He said
that this would build trust
among the common peo-
ple and instil fear among
criminals.
Joseph directed all offic-
ers to address people’s
problems and complain-
ants on priority. He said
that during the public
hearing at police stations,
investigation officers
should also be present.
Joseph said that every
complaint received dur-
ing the public hearing
and the action taken by
an officer should be en-
tered on the e-Sugam
portal. He said he would
conduct surprise inspec-
tions at police stations
and take updates.
Police Commissioner Biju
George Joseph
This initiative aims to
foster trust among
the public and create
a deterrent for
criminals. Joseph
emphasized the
importance of
addressing citizens’
concerns promptly
during the sessions

NEWS 07
THE POINT OF ATTRACTION
Remembering
Kalpana Chawla
Murmu inaugurates ‘Udyan Utsav 2024’;
Amrit Udyan to open for public from today
First India Bureau
New Delhi
resident Drou-
padi Murmu on
Thursday inau-
gurated ‘Udyan Utsav
2024’ at the Amrit Udy-
an, which will be opened
for the public from Fri-
day, the Rashtrapati
Bhavan said.
Spread over 15 acres,
this time the famed gar-
den will showcase over
85 species of flowers be-
sides a floral clock and a
selfie point among others.
“The President of In-
dia, Droupadi Murmu
graced the Udyan Utsav–
I, 2024 (February 1,
2024),” a statement is-
sued by the President’s
office said. Under the
Udyan Utsav-I,Amrit Ud-
yan will remain open for
thepublicfromFebruary2
to March 31, 2024 (except
on Mondays which are
maintenance days), it said.
President Droupadi Murmu during the Udyan Utsav-I, in New
Delhi on Thursday. PTI
P
Vehicles covered with snow amid snowfall in Shimla, Thursday. Tourists play with snow at Ridge amid snowfall in Shimla on Thursday. PTI
A view of the snow-covered area as the upper reaches of Himachal Pradesh receive fresh snowfall, at Keylong, in Lahaul and Spiti on Thursday. ANI
Devotees gather to visit Ram Mandir, at Ram Path in Ayodhya
on Wednesday. ANI
SHIMLASEESSEASON'S
SHIMLASEESSEASON'S
FIRSTSNOWFALL
FIRSTSNOWFALL
Srinagar and other plain
areas of Kashmir received
this winter's first snowfall
on Thursday, bringing cheer
to the residents. The
snowfall in the plain areas
began late Wednesday
night and continued till the
morning at most places,
officials said.
MORE WEATHER UPDATES
 240 Himachal Roads closed
due to Rain
 Heavy rains disrupt traffic in
several parts of Delhi
 IMD decides to shut down
all 199 district agromet units
across country
 Wet spell over northwest
India to continue for next 24
hours: IMD
 Scientists decode reasons
behind ongoing cold wave
conditions in North India
Agencies
New Delhi
Prayerswereperformedin
a cellar of the Gyanvapi
mosque here on Wednes-
day night following court
orders allowing the re-
sumption of a practice set
to have being discontin-
ued three decades back,
Kashi Vishwanath temple
trust president said.
Earlier on Wednesday,
the district court ruled
that a priest can perform
prayers before the idols
in a cellar of the Gyan-
vapi Masjid, a significant
development in the legal
battle over the mosque
adjacent to the Kashi
Vishwanath temple.
"Vyas ji's cellar was
opened after 31 years for
prayers," temple trust
president Nagendra Pan-
dey told PTI.
First India Bureau
Jaipur
Rajasthan secured 5th
position in the 6th Khelo
India Youth Games 2023
held in Tamil Nadu. The
state won a total of 47
medals including 13
gold, 17 silver and 17
bronze medals.
Yug Chailani from Ra-
jasthan won a total of 5
medals including 4 gold
and 1 silver medal and got
thedistinctionofbeingthe
bestplayerofthecompeti-
tion. Khelo India Youth
Games were held in four
cities of Tamil Nadu from
19 to 31 January in which
Maharashtra stood first.
First India Bureau
New Delhi
Kalpana Chawla, the
name that leaves al-
most all Indians with
pride - the first Indian-
born woman to fly in
space, was born in
Karnal, Haryana on
March 17, 1962.
OnFebruary1,2003,
when she was just min-
utes away from landing
on Earth was lost in the
Space forever.
Nation remembers
its shining star Kalpa-
na Chawla on Thurs-
day, February 1 who
conquered the space.
PREZTOINAUGURATE
SURAJKUNDINT’L
CRAFTSMELATODAY
New Delhi: Presi-
dent Droupadi
Murmu will visit
Faridabad in Haryana on
Friday to inaugurate the
Surajkund International
Crafts Mela, a statement
issued by the Rashtra-
pati Bhavan on Thursday
said. The mela is being
held from February 2 to
18 to showcase regional
and international crafts
and traditions. Presi-
dent Murmu will visit
Surajkund on Friday to
inaugurate the Sura-
jkund International Crafts
Mela-2024, it said.
Hoursaftercourtorders,prayers
performedinGyanvapimosque
AFTER CONSECRATION CEREMONY, 25 LAKH
DEVOTEES VISITED RAM TEMPLE IN 11 DAYS
Ayodhya: After the consecration ceremony
of the Ram temple on January 22, around 25
lakh devotees visited the temple in the past
11 days and the amount of offerings and donations
has crossed Rs 11 crore. According to Prakash
Gupta, office in-charge of the temple trust, in the last
11 days, about Rs 8 crore rupees were deposited
in the donation boxes, while the amount received
through cheque and online is around Rs 3.50 crore.
6th Khelo India Youth Games: Raj
ranks fifth with 47 medals; 13 gold
Court reserves order in Soren case;
ex-CM to be in 1-day judicial custody
Agencies
New Delhi
The special PMLA court
here sent former
Jharkhand chief minister
Hemant Soren, arrested
by the Enforcement Di-
rectorate (ED) in a mon-
ey laundering case, to
judicial custody for a day,
lawyers said.
The ED sought 10
days remand for Soren.
The court reserved its or-
der for Friday.
The JMM executive
president has been sent to
judicial custody for a day,
lawyers said.
Advocate General Ra-
jeev Ranjan, who ap-
peared for Soren, said
outside the court that the
JMM leader was sent to
judicial custody till an
order was passed.
“The entire case is
driven by wrong inten-
tions. This is a conspira-
cy to topple the govern-
ment. There is no evi-
dence in the entire pro-
ceedings against the
former chief minister.
His arrest was made
when proceedings were
on to record his state-
ment, which is illegal,”
he said.
Former Jharkhand chief
minister Hemant Soren
“SOREN HAS ILLEGAL
POSSESSION OF DOZEN
LAND PARCELS”
Ranchi: A dozen land
parcels in Ranchi
measuring about 8.5
acres in total are in “illegal
possession, occupation
and use” of arrested former
Jharkhand chief minister
Hemant Soren and are
proceeds of crime under the
anti-money laundering law,
the Enforcement Directorate
has claimed. The agency,
as per official records,
recovered 11 trunks holding
voluminous property docu-
ments from Prasad’s prem-
ises along with 17 original
registers. Bhanu Prasad was
a custodian of many original
registers of land records and
their ownership details of the
state, the ED claimed. Soren
was arrested by the ED on
Wednesday night.
The players pose during 6th Khelo India Youth Games 2023
held in Tamil Nadu.

Aishwary Pradhan and
Kailash Choudhary
Jaipur
Chief Minister Bhajanlal
Sharma while address-
ing the inaugural session
of the 12th edition of In-
dia Stone Mart-2023,
held at JECC Sitapura on
Thursday, said that in-
dustries have an impor-
tant role in strengthening
the economy of the state
and given its immense
potential, an industry
summit will be organised
in the state on the lines of
Vibrant Gujarat so that
entrepreneurs get ade-
quate opportunities to
invest in the state.
Sharma was He said
that the single window
system will now be ef-
fectively implemented
by the state government
to provide all depart-
ment-related clearances
to entrepreneurs under
one roof. He called upon
the entrepreneurs to
come forward to invest
in the state, adding that
the state government is
ready to provide all pos-
sible help to the entre-
preneurs.
The CM honoured en-
trepreneurs Kiran J
Trivedi and Yashwant
Kumar Sharma with
‘Lifetime Achievement
Award’ for their remark-
able work in the field of
interior designing, land-
scaping and green archi-
tecture. CM Sharma also
released the ‘India Stone
Mart Directory.’
CM Bhajan
Lal Sharma
chaired a
virtual meeting with
Divisional Com-
missioners, Range
IGs, Collectors,
SPs, CS Sudhansh
Pant, ACS of major
departments, SDMs,
ADMs, and Zilla
Parishad CEOs. Sharma underscores the importance of ef-
ficient governance, urging officials to streamline processes
and empower lower-level authorities. He stresses account-
ability, stating, “No one can escape from the eyes of God.”
In a significant move, Sharma announces plans for modern
technology jammers to be installed in major state jails, aim-
ing to curb unauthorised mobile phone usage. Expressing
dissatisfaction with current practices, he directs ACS Home
to implement suggestions received.
Jaipur: The Central Government has released
an amount of Rs 137.5 crore for Rajasthan under
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)
Phase-3.Deputy Chief Minister and Public Works Depart-
ment Minister, Diya Kumari has expressed gratitude to
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Rural Develop-
ment and Panchayati Raj Minister Girraj Singh.She while
expressing her views, said that the State Government
under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma
will establish the best road network to every corner of the
State. “No village in the state will be without roads,” the
Deputy Chief Minister said.
Edu Min Dilawar: Misleading info
should be removed from syllabus
First India Bureau
Jaipur
ducation Minis-
ter Madan Dila-
war has object-
ed to calling Akbar as
“great”. He said that Ak-
bar worked for the uplift-
ment of his community.
“Akbar was not great. In
some school books,
Chandrashekhar Azad
and Bhagat Singh have
been called ‘terrorists.’If
patriots are called terror-
ists, it will have an ad-
verse impact on our chil-
dren. Changes will be
made in such texts,” the
Education Minister said.
Dilawar said that
NCERT syllabus will not
be implemented in Ra-
jasthan at present. “Con-
troversial and misleading
information should be
removed from the sylla-
bus,” he said, adding
that all students will
have to wear the same
uniform and warned of
action against teachers if
this is flouted. “We are
not anti-hijab but stu-
dents have a dress code
in schools,” he said.
Madan Dilawar
E
08
Great leaders are always people who wanted to
make a difference and change something for the
better, leadership is the by-product.
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, CMD & Editor-in-Chief
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Postal Reg No. JPC/004/2022-24
Jaipur, Friday | February 2, 2024 www.firstindia.co.in firstindia.co.in/epapers/jaipur thefirstindia thefirstindia thefirstindia
SingleWindowSystemtobeexecuted
efficaciouslyforentrepreneurs: CM Nirmal Tiwari
Jaipur
Deputy Chief Minister
and Finance Minister
Diya Kumari has given
the nod to a substantial
proposal aimed at driving
smart development
across Udaipur, Jaipur,
Kota, and Ajmer under
Smart City Mission
Phase 2.0.
With an allocation of
Rs 553.90 crore, these
cities are poised for sig-
nificant urban transfor-
mation.
The Deputy Chief
Minister also extended
appreciation to Prime
Minister Narendra Modi
and Union Minister for
Housing and Urban Af-
fairs and Minister for Pe-
troleum and Natural Gas,
Hardeep Singh Puri for
their support in advanc-
ing these crucial initia-
tives. Asserting the State
government’s unwaver-
ing dedication under
Chief Minister Bhajan
Lal Sharma’s leadership,
Diya Kumari reaffirmed
their commitment to real-
ising Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s vision
of a ‘Developed India.’
l Stone industry’s role imperative in bolstering State’s economic growth, the CM says
l Stone industry is providing employment to 10 lakh people in Rajasthan, he adds
CM Bhajan Lal Sharma unveils the ‘India Stone Mart Directory’ during the inauguration of the 12th
edition of India Stone Mart-2024 at JECC, Sitapura in Jaipur on Thursday. Rajyavardhan Rathore,
Sudhansh Pant, KK Vishnoi, Aneesh Shah, Ajitabh Sharma, Manju Rajpal, Anandhi, Sudhir Kumar
Sharma and others are seen. MUKESH KIRADOO
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma greets the workers of
Mansarovar and Riddhi Siddhi Mandal at the Chief Minister’s
Camp Office in Mansarovar area in Jaipur on Thursday. He also
addressed the concerns of people of Sanganer constituency
during a ‘Jansunwai’ and directed the concerned officials to
resolve people’s problems at the earliest.
The Dept is committed to achieving
unprecedented growth in the Stone
industry over the next 5 years. The
‘Make in India’ vision is being
actualised through the dedication and
craftsmanship of our artisans.
RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE, INDUSTRIES MIN
State govt is poised to streamline
rules, fostering an investor-friendly
climate to empower traders. With vast
potential in industries like stone,
renewable energy, gems, our govt is
to unlocking their growth.
SUDHANSH PANT, CHIEF SECRETARY
After all that he (Akbar)
did, how could he be
considered great?
Akbar was not great at
all. Some school
textbooks are labeling
Chandrashekhar Azad
and Bhagat Singh as
‘terrorists’. If patriots
are taught as terrorists,
it will have an adverse
effect on our children.
Changes will be made
to rectify these issues.
MADAN DILAWAR,
EDUCATION MINISTER
Undertheleadershipof
ChiefMinisterBhajan
LalSharma,theState
governmentis
unwaveringlydedicated
torealisingPMModi’s
visionofa‘Developed
India.’Thisallocation
willfacilitatethe
comprehensive
developmentof
infrastructureinfour
majorcitieswithinRaj.
DIYA KUMARI, DEPUTY CM
The inauguration of the Ram Temple
in Ayodhya by PM Narendra Modi
marks a historic moment of pride for
our nation. Utilising pink stone and
marble sourced from Rajasthan, this
grand edifice stands as a testament
to India’s rich heritage. India Stone
Mart has played a pivotal role in
catapulting the state’s stone
industry onto the global stage, with
Rajasthan’s stone now revered not
just domestically but
internationally.
BHAJAN LAL SHARMA, CHIEF MINISTER
CM BHAJAN LAL SHARMA CHAIRS VIRTUAL MEET,
EMPHASISES GOOD GOVERNANCE ACROSS STATE
PMGSY PHASE-3, CENTRE RELEASES `137.5 CR
‘Vision of developed
India is coming true’
`554 cr for Jpr, Ajmer, Udpr, Kota
12th India Stone Mart -2024 in Jaipur
Courtesy Meet!
Expressing Gratitude... Meaningful Talks
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra with Nisith Pramanik,
(Minister of State) Ministry of Home affairs Ministry of
Youth affairs and Sports and MP Coochbehar Lok Sabha
at Jaipur International Airport on Thursday.
Bharatpur MP Ranjita Koli presents a floral bouquet to
Union Jal Shakti Minister GS Shekhawat on behalf of the
people of her constituency for implementing the ERCP
in 12 districts of Rajasthan including Bharatpur, during
her visit to the Shram Shakti Bhawan in New Delhi on
Thursday. Koli also apprised the Union Minister about
works being undertaken under JJM in Bharatpur.
During the interim Budget session of the Parliament,
Jogaram Patel, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and
Legal Justice in Raj Govt along with Union Minister of Law,
Arjunram Meghwal, called on the RS Chairman and
Vice- President Jagdeep Dhankhar at New Delhi on
Thursday. Patel held a meaningful discussion with both
the leaders on various issues related to the development
and good governance in Rajasthan.
Shubham Jain
Ajmer
Assembly Speaker Vas-
udev Devnani took a sig-
nificant step towards the
permanent solution of the
city’s oldest water supply
problem, inspecting the
filtration plant at Foy Sa-
gar Lake, while reviving
the old proposal for water
supply on Thursday. He
inspected the plant with
the officials of the Water
Supply Department and
also witnessed the entire
process.
Devnani said that be-
fore Bisalpur Dam, the
city got water from the
lake, but the Congress
government did not take
positive steps in this di-
rection. He said that the
department officials have
been directed to provide
information about the
scheme by February 10,
after which, the city resi-
dents will get additional
3 MLD water daily.
First India Bureau
Jaipur
On Thursday evening,
the State government
shuffled 17 IAS officers
while also appointing a
new Secretary to the
Governor. Competent
and brilliant officer
Gaurav Goyal will now
serve as Sec-
retary to the
Governor.
Subir Ku-
mar wanted
to shift from
Raj Bhavan and for this,
Subir Kumar had re-
quested the Governor as
well. On the other hand,
the Governor had seen
the work of Gaurav Goy-
al as Constitution Park
was built in Raj Bhavan
under the supervision of
Gaurav during his tenure
as JDC. Governor Kalraj
Mishra was impressed by
Goyal’s work and when
Subir Kumar requested
to shift from Raj Bhavan,
so the Governor himself
put forward the name of
Gaurav Goyal. Notably,
the post of Secretary to
Governor is very impor-
tant because Raj Bhavan
plays a role in all the im-
portant works of the gov-
ernment.
Moreover, IAS Anu-
pama Jorwal has also got
a major responsibility as
MD of RTDC whereas
IAS Neha Giri was given
the responsibility of
Medical Services Corpo-
ration Limited as MD. In
Giri’s place, now IAS
Mukul Sharma will take
charge. Mukul was ear-
lier transferred to the post
of Salumber Collector
but he refused to join the
post of Salumber Collec-
tor and then that transfer
was cancelled.
Young IAS Suresh Ola
has been given the re-
sponsibility of DLB Di-
rector. Interestingly, in
the previous list, he had
got the additional charge
of DLB Director. But in
the list that came on
Thursday, he has been
given the responsibility
of DLB permanently and
the Sanskrit education
department has been
withdrawn from Ola.
Notably, there are 2
IAS officers, who have
been transferred for the
second time in 21 days. In
the list that came on Janu-
ary 10, Prithviraj was re-
moved from agriculture
and appointed as Princi-
palSecretaryintheSports
Department. But after 21
days, he was removed
from the Sports and trans-
ferred to Labour Dept.
Foy Sagar Lake: Devnani
inspects filtration plant
17 IAS officers shifted: Gaurav Goyal
is now Secretary to Governor Mishra
Vasudev Devnani inspects the filter plant located on Foy Sagar
Road in Ajmer on Thursday. Also seen are the officials of the
Water Supply Department.
Bhanwar S Charan
Kota
The demand of the peo-
ple of Keshoraipatan and
Kapren areas for expan-
sion of rail facilities has
been fulfilled due to the
efforts of LS Speaker Om
Birla. Railway Board has
issued orders for the
stoppage of trains at Ke-
shoraipatan Kapren
stations.
After the Corona pan-
demic, stoppage of many
trains at the stations was
stopped, due to which,
the people were facing
problems. People of Ke-
shoraipatan area were
demanding stoppage of
Kota-Nizamuddin Jan
Shatabdi Express and
people of Kapren were
demanding stoppage of
Jodhpur-Indore Ranth-
ambore Express train.
Birla had assured people
to fulfil their demands.
Om Birla secures
rail stoppage for
Keshoraipatan
Kapren Stations
Click code for full story
of IAS transfers

n the heart of
Jaipur’s vi-
brant land-
scape, the
R a m b a g h
Palace stood as a beacon of
luxury, hosting the illustri-
ouswelcomedinnerforthe
Jaipur Literature Festival
2024. Amidst the lush
greenery of The Botanist,
the palace’s sanctuary of
sustainability and gastro-
nomicdelight,asymphony
of refined tastes and intel-
lectualdiscourseunfolded
on Wednesday evening.
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra
received a gracious wel-
come from Sanjoy K.
Roy, Managing Director
of Teamwork Arts and
Ashok Rathore, Area
Director-Operations
and General Manager
of Rambagh Palace.
Dr Chandra extended
his congratulations to
GM Rathore for the
unparalleled hospi-
tality extended to
guests from around
the globe.
The event was
gracedbyluminar-
ies from diverse
sectors,including
Rajasthan Chief
Secretary Sud-
hansh Pant, ac-
companied by
his wife; Col. Rajyavardhan
Singh Rathore, Minister of In-
dustry Commerce and
Youth Affairs Sports De-
partment; renowned poet and
lyricist Gulzarst Lt General
Dhiraj Seth, Rajiv Arora,
Chairman of the Raj Export
Promotion Council among
other notable personalities
from various walks of life.
Adding a touch of glamour
were city icons like Rishee
Miglani and supermodels
Akanksha Bhalla and Astha
Khandelwal.
Ashok Rathore, in his re-
flection on the evening, ex-
pressed profound gratitude,
remarking, “Hosting the icon-
ic welcome dinner for the
JaipurLiteratureFestival2024
at Rambagh Palace, Jaipur, is
both an honour and a privi-
lege.Theeveningwasnothing
short of a masterpiece, attend-
ed by the crème de la crème of
the nation.”
Under the guidance of leg-
endary chef Raghu Deora, the
palace’s culinary artisans cu-
rated an extraordinary ban-
quet, blending local flavors
with international culinary fi-
nesse. Cultural performances
and literary elements wove
together to create an ambiance
of enchantment, marking the
JLF Welcome Dinner as a
cherished tradition within
Jaipur’s social sphere. The
ambiance of the evening was
furtherelevatedbycaptivating
cultural performances that
showcased the rich heritage
and artistic diversity of Ra-
jasthan. From classical music
renditions to mesmerizing
dance performances, each act
transported attendees on a
journey of sensory delight and
cultural immersion.
JAIPUR, FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 2, 2024
Glamour | Fashion | Bollywood | Hollywood | Lifestyle
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Rambagh Palace’s spectacular JLF welcome
Rambagh Palace hosted the JLF’s prestigious welcome
dinner at Botanist Garden on Wednesday. The event not
only epitomized luxury and hospitality but also served as
a vibrant celebration of literature, culture and creativity!
Mitali
Dusad
mitalidusad@firstindia.co.in
I
SANTOSH SHARMA
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra and Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore greet each other
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra with (L-R) Astha Khandelwal, Akanksha Bhalla,
Sanjoy K Roy and Ashok Rathore CS Sudhansh Pant Chavi Pant
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra with Gulzar
(Top To Bottom) Akanksha Bhalla,
Astha Khandelwal Tusharika Singh
Literary enthusiasts pose joyfully
International guest
caught in a candid moment
09

JLF 2024
firstindia.co.in
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10-11
The 17th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival 2024 kicked off on Thursday, igniting the
literary landscape with its theme, 'Stories Unite Us'. With 550 writers and artists set to participate
at Hotel Clarks Amer, the anticipation soared after a captivating opening dinner at Hotel
Rambagh Palace on Wednesday evening. As the festival unfolded, engaging sessions captivated
guests from near and far, celebrating the essence of literature. Against the backdrop of Jaipur's
majestic heritage, minds mingled, hearts resonated and cherished memories were woven into
the fabric of this timeless event. City First highlights some beautiful glimpses!
JAIPUR LIT FEST 2024...
WhereWords
WeaveWonders
MUKESH KIRADOO, SUNIL SHARMA SANTOSH SHARMA
Amrit Mathur, Ajay Jadeja and Venkat Sundaram in conversation with Amrish Kumar on the topic, ‘Cricket: The Spirit of Game’
Celebrating the Birth Centenary of Pandit Kumar Gandharva, Kalapini Komkali thrills the crowd with other artists
(L-R) Gaurav Rungta, Tarang Arora, Rajiv Arora and Rajesh Ajmera
(L-R) Sanjoy K Roy, Ashok Rathore
and Islam Choudhary
Savouring the moment, Ani finds solace
in coconut water at JLF
(L-R) Richa Singh, Ram Rathore and Ashok Rathore
Simranjeet Singh and Asmita Seth
Ajai Singh and Ambika Kumari Artist welcoming the guests with traditional music Apra Kuchhal caught in a candid with Ashish Vidyarthi
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra and Ashok Rathore, Area Director, Operations and General Manager of Rambagh Palace with (L-R) Dinesh, Suchita, Ajeet, Vardhman, Vinay, Rohit and Disha
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra with (L-R) Akanksha Bhalla,
Astha Khandelwal, Komal Seth and Asmita Seth
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra with (L-R) Komal Seth, Vineeta Sahni, Digvijay Rathore,
Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, Arun Sahni and Shailesh Pathak
Kartikeya Vashisht, Kartikeya Sinha Makrand Sanon during the performance
Marcella Baur
Shailendra Singh, Sanjoy Roy and Manisha Rathore Kuldeep Chandela
(L-R) Shikha Durlabhji, Aditi Singh, Madhuvanti Singh and Ruchi Durlabhji
Adhiraj Singh Rathore and Shailendra Singh
Rishee Miglani
(L-R) Vinod Bharadwaj, Jaimini Uberoi, Jagdeep Singh and Ritu Uberoi
Gulzar, Rakhshanda Jalil and Pavan K. Varma in conversation from the session, ‘BAAL-O-PAR THE BEATING HEART OF POETRY’

City Buzz
12
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City First
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
he Rajasthan
International
Film Festival
(RIFF) 2024
culminated on
Wednesday with a grand
awards ceremony, graced by
notable personalities and ce-
lebrities. The event, held at
Gem Cinema in Jaipur, cele-
brated cinematic excellence
across various categories.
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra along
with Hawamahal MLA Bal-
mukund Acharya graced the
occasion as the Chief Guests.
During the ceremony, they
honoured 66 films and celeb-
rities, including actor Tinu
Anand and actress Iti Achar-
ya, who received the Lifetime
Achievement Award and
Pride of Rajasthan Award, re-
spectively.
A total of 77 awards were
presented, recognizing films
in 13 languages from 8 coun-
tries. The ceremony was en-
riched by cultural perfor-
mances, including a captivat-
ing rendition of ‘Kurjaan’ by
Moti Khan and the mesmeris-
ing ‘Kalbeliya’ dance by
Meena Sapera.
Special awards highlighted
contributions to Indian and
international cinema, with no-
table recipients including Pat-
rick George for Contribution
to International Cinema and
Mohan Kavia for Contribu-
tion to Rajasthani Cinema. Iti
Acharya, expressing her joy,
emphasised her commitment
to elevating Rajasthan’s art
and culture on the global
stage.
The event also acknowl-
edged excellence in various
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra with Dr Shashi Kant Sharma (Consulting
Editor Bharat24), Richa Sharma and Anil Wahal at the
Taj Mansingh, New Delhi on Thursday.
GREETINGS!
MEET GREET!
DOG SHOW!
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra was greeted by members of the Shri
Ganganagar Hanumangarh Nagarik Mandal at his residence on
Wednesday. During this cordial interaction, the team extended
a gracious invitation to Dr Chandra to serve as the chief guest
at a felicitation ceremony for the newly elected MLAs of Shri
Ganganagar Hanumangarh, scheduled for February 4 at the
Pink City Press Club in Jaipur.
T
categories, with films such as
“Navras Katha Collage,” “2018:
Everybody’s a Hero,” and “Batti –A
Boy Who Dreamed of Electricity”
receiving accolades.
Additionally, special audience
and critics’ choice awards recog-
nised outstanding contributions
across regional and international
cinema. The success of RIFF 2024
reflects the festival’s growing
stature and its commitment to
showcasing diverse cinematic
talent.
As Iti Acharya aptly noted, with
its expanding reach and vision,
RIFF is poised to embrace films
from around the world, further en-
riching its cultural tapestry and cin-
ematic offerings.
MUKESH
KIRADOO
LOCAL VOICES,
NATIONAL IMPACT!
City First
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
he Finance
Minister un-
veiled the
I n t e r i m
Budget 2024 on
Wednesday, sparking
discussions nation-
wide. With a focus on
economic recovery and
growth, the budget ad-
dressed key sectors
such as healthcare, in-
frastructure and educa-
tion. Measures to tackle
inflation and unem-
ployment garnered at-
tention, along with pro-
visions for small busi-
nesses and rural devel-
opment. City First
reached out to locals to
gauge their opinions.
Responses varied, with
some applauding initia-
tives for farmers and
job creation, while oth-
ers expressed concerns
about implementation
and fiscal sustainabili-
ty. Overall, the budget
left a significant im-
pact, signalling govern-
ment priorities and set-
ting the stage for future
economic policies. As
discussions continue,
stakeholders analyze
the implications for
various sectors and
communities across the
country.
T
Sitharaman’s interim budget
sparks a business bonanza,
teasing with populist measures
and fiscal finesse. The
limited-scope
spectacle is a savvy
overture for
entrepreneurs,
promising tax breaks
and infrastructure
boosts. The strategic
focus on tech,
healthcare, and
housing rings music to business ears,
igniting hope for a robust economic
encore post-elections. With renewables
shining and GDP in the spotlight,
entrepreneurs brace for a dynamic act.
—Apra Kuchhal, Social Entrepreneur
As a homeworker glued to the
budget buzz, Sitharaman’s sneak
peek brought unexpected joy.
Limited scope,
populist perks, and
hints of the future -
it’s like working
from home with a
surprise snack! Tax
breaks and welfare
boosts are my
workday pick-me-
ups. The sectoral
spotlight? A Zoom call to boost my
spirits. Rooftop solarization? Now my
workspace can be eco-chic! Overall, the
budget dance promises a smoother
WFH playlist.
—Megha Jain, Home maker
In a courtroom of financial theatrics,
Sitharaman’s budgetary sneak peek is akin to a
cliffhanger, leaving citizens
on the edge of anticipation. The
limited scope hints at populist
measures, playing to the election
gallery. As a legal maestro
examines the numbers, the revised
fiscal deficit dance and tax
collection crescendo raise both
applause and scepticism. The
judicial jest? Awaiting the full
financial drama post-election, with hopes for a
blockbuster that aligns with India’s economic script.
Legal verdict: The courtroom drama continues; the
budgetary stage is set!
—Tej Prakash Sharma, Advocate
The budget did not include
any major
announcements, but
efforts have
been made to
expand the
Namami Gange
project and
boost tourism.
The extension of
the timeline for
startups is
commendable.
However, there hasn’t been a
significant relief as this was an
interim budget.
—Sarita Rathore, Writer and social
worker
BUDGET 2024
Sitharaman’s budget ballet is a page-turner for India’s financial script!
Limited scope, a prudent chapter for the first four months. Populist measures
- a thrilling plot twist with tax breaks and welfare drama! Future clues, a
suspenseful saga, hinting at agri, edu, and healthcare tales. Fiscal deficit is the
climax, aiming for a blockbuster reduction. Taxation, the revenue thriller, with
receipts hitting Rs 26.02 lakh crore. Housing, tech, healthcare - diverse genres
explored. Rooftop solarization and interest-free loans are an eco-financial fantasy!
The budget - an economic bestseller, leaving us eager for the full sequel!
—Sanjeev Jain, Banker and Publisher
Get ready for the ultimate
canine extravaganza at the
25th Edition of ‘THE JAIPUR
DOG SHOW’ on February 3
and 4, from 9 am to 8 pm,
at Dussehra Ground, Raja
Park, Jaipur! Organised by
Viren Sharma, Secretary for
the Kennel Club of Rajasthan
founder of IDB/MAD. From celebrity sightings to on-
the-spot dog registrations by the Municipal Corporation
and Kennel Club of India, it’s a must-attend for all pet
enthusiasts!
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra along with MLA Balmukund Acharya, felicitate Tinnu Anand. Also seen are Anand Mehta,
Dr KL Jain, Charles Thomsan, Somendra Harsh and Anshu Harsh
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra along with MLA Balmukund Acharya,
felicitate Iti Acharya.Also seen are Dr KL Jain, Anand Mehta,
Charles Thomsan and Somendra Harsh
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra and MLA Balmukund Archarya greets each other.
Also seen are (L-R) Sudhir Kasliwal, Sudhir Mathur and Dr KL Jain Nandish Sandhu
Tinnu Anand honoured
with the Lifetime Achievement
Award for Contribution in
Indian Cinema at RIFF 2024
Actor Akhilendra Mishra
enjoys a moment at the
closing ceremony
Iti Acharya
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

02022024_First India Newspaper Jaipur.pdf

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