11122021 first india new delhi

Puri, Nadda carry Guru Granth
Sahib brought from Afghanistan
SIKH DELEGATION FROM KABUL
New Delhi: Union Min-
isterHardeepSinghPuri
and BJP chief JP Nadda
carriedGuruGranthSa-
hib brought by a Sikh
delegation from Kabul,
Afghanistan on Friday
.
The delegation has
brought three copies of
theGuruGranthSahibto
New Delhi in a special
repatriation flight. The
flight from Kabul with
over100peopleincluding
Afghan citizens belong-
ingtotheHinduandSikh
communities arrived in
New Delhi. The flight
was operated under Op-
eration Devi Shakti and
bought 10 Indians and 94
Afghan Hindu-Sikh mi-
nority community
.
“Under Operation
Devi Shakti, a special
Kam Air flight ar-
ranged by India has ar-
rived in New Delhi from
Kabul,” the Ministry of
External Affairs
spokesperson Arindam
Bagchi said in a tweet.
“It has brought 10 In-
dians and 94 Afghans
including members of
the Afghan Hindu-Sikh
minority community.
Among the evacuees
are 9 children, includ-
ing 3 infants,” Bagchi
added in the tweet. —ANI
Union Minister Puri and BJP chief Nadda carry 2 Saroops of
Guru Granth Sahib brought by a Sikh delegation from Kabul.
NEW DELHI l SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2021 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNITITLE NO.DELENG/2021/19840 lVol 1 l Issue No.102
OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD, LUCKNOW & NEW DELHI
The United States won an appeal in London’s
High Court to have Wikileaks founder Julian
Assange extradited to face criminal charges,
including breaking a spying law and conspir-
ing to hack government computers.
A 50-year-old man was lynched by a mob in
Bihar’s Araria district for allegedly stealing
cattle, the police said Friday. The police said
stolen cattle are often sold to nearby slaugh-
terhouses as viilage falls near Nepal border.
Sensex ended the day with a minor loss of 20
points at 58,787. In the process, it did snap
its three-day winning streak. The NSE Nifty
declined to a low of 17,405, before settling
six points lower at 17,511 on Friday. P6
US WINS APPEAL
OF EXTRADITION
OF WIKILEAKS’
JULIAN ASSANGE
50-YEAR-OLD
MAN LYNCHED IN
BIHAR OVER
CATTLE THEFT
SENSEX, NIFTY
FALL FLAT
ENDING 3-DAY
WINNING STREAK
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
Union Home Minister Amit Shah pays tribute to late Chief of Defence
Staff Gen Bipin Rawat on Friday.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pays his condolences to Tarini, daughter of
CDS Gen Bipin Rawat on Friday. —Photos By ANI & PTI
UNPRECEDENTED FAREWELL TO RAWAT: People participate in the funeral procession of late Chief
of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat from his residence to Brar Square in Delhi cantonment in New Delhi on Friday.
NATION’S LAST SALUTE TO CDS
EMOTIONS RUN HIGH: TWO PROUD DAUGHTERS
PERFORM LAST RITES OF FATHER AND MOTHER
New Delhi: The nation
on Friday bid farewell
to Chief of Defence
Staff (CDS) General Bi-
pin Rawat as he was
laid to rest with full
military honours at
Brar Square cremato-
rium in Delhi canton-
ment.
As per protocol, Gen-
eral Rawat was ac-
corded a 17-gun sa-
lute at his funeral
where 800 service
personnel were in at-
tendance. His daugh-
ters Kritika and Tarini
performed Rawat and
his wife Madhulika’s
last rites.
General Rawat, along
with wife and 11 armed
forces personnel, died
in an Indian Air Force
(IAF) chopper crash
near Coonoor in Tamil
Nadu on Wednesday
.
Several political lead-
ers such as Home Min-
ister Amit Shah, Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath, Con-
gress leader Rahul Gan-
dhi, Delhi CM Arvind
Kejriwal, Uttarakhand
CM Pushkar Singh
Dhami, and DMK lead-
ers A Raja and Kani-
mozhi, among others,
paid tributes to the CDS
and his wife.
Defence Minister Ra-
jnath Singh, National
Security Advisor Ajit
Doval and Haryana
Chief Minister ML
Khattar on Friday laid
wreaths on the mortal
remains of Brigadier
Lidder. He was laid
to rest at the Brar
Square with full mili-
tary honours. More on P5
FIGHTING BACK TEARS Kritika and Tarini, daughters of late Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Bipin Rawat and Madhulika
Rawat, look on during the cremation of their parents at Brar Square crematorium in New Delhi on Friday. —PHOTO BY PTI
ARMY WORKS TO IDENTIFY REMAINS OF
TEN CASUALTIES OF CHOPPER CRASH
NO CLEAR LINE OF SUCCESSION, CCS
WILL HAVE TO DECIDE ON NEXT CDS
New Delhi: While the mortal remains of only three
persons—General Rawat, wife Madhulika and Brigadier
Lidder—were positively identified and cremated on
Friday, the remains of the remaining 10 will be kept in
the mortuary of the Army Base Hospital till positive iden-
tification is completed. The bodies will then be handed
over to their families for the last rites. The condition of
bodies after crash had made identification difficult and
identification will be done on basis of DNA matching.
New Delhi: The creation of the post of CDS had
come after the demand had been made for decades.
So, when the country’s first CDS, General Bipin
Rawat, died on Wednesday with another year
remaining in his tenure, it created an unforeseen
situation for the establishment: filling a dual-hatted
vacuum. The CDS is also the Secretary of the
Department of Military Affairs (DMA). It is up to the
government to take the call on who would handle
his responsibilities, whether temporarily or taking
over completely. The call, sources said, would be
finalised by Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
We are in dangerous
zone,warns covid task
force chief on Omicron
India to strengthen
democratic values
globally: PM Modi at
Summit for Democracy
New Delhi: The usage
of masks in the country
has declined to pre sec-
ond surge levels and
now India is in the dan-
gerous zone operating
at a risky and unaccep-
table level, said Dr VK
Paul, chief of India’s
Covid-19 task force and
Member-Health, NITI
Aayog. India reported
nine new cases of Omi-
cron variant on Friday
– two from Gujarat and
seven from Maharash-
tra. With this India’s
tally of the new variant
infection rose to 32.
Meanwhile, the gov-
ernment should assess
the requirement of
booster doses and make
sure all the adult popu-
lation is vaccinated
through a door to door
campaign in view of the
threat from Omicron
variant of the coronavi-
rus, a report by a stand-
ing committee of Par-
liament has recom-
mended.
New Delhi: Prime Min-
ister Narendra Modi on
Friday reaffirmed In-
dia’s support to
strengthen democratic
values globally, as he
participated in the
‘Summit for Democra-
cy,’ hosted by the US.
“Happy to have par-
ticipated in the Summit
for Democracy at the
invitation of US Presi-
dent Biden,” PM Modi
wrote on Twitter. Lead-
ers of more than 80
countries participated
in the virtual event.
CRUCIAL READ
TOMAR IN RS: NO FARMER DIED DUE TO
POLICE ACTION DURING FARMERS’ STIR
New Delhi: Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar
on Friday said that no farmer died to police action during
the protests. Responding to a joint question by Con-
gress leader Dhiraj Prasad Sahu and AAP leader Sanjay
Singh, Tomar in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, said,
“the subject of compensation, etc. to the families of the
deceased farmers in the farmers’ movement is with the
concerned state governments. No farmer died as a result
of police action during the farmers’ agitation.”
MALIK APOLOGIZES
FOR COMMENTING
AGAINST WANKHEDE
SEDITION LAW: MHA
NOT CONSIDERING
SCRAPPING
Mumbai: Maharashtra
minorities development
minister Nawab Malik on
Friday tendered an un-
conditional apology to the
Bombay high court for his
remarks against Dnyandev
Wankhede, father of the
Narcotics Control Bureau
(NCB) officer Sameer
Wankhede, in violation of
his earlier undertaking to
the high court.
New Delhi: Law Minister
Kiren Rijiju on Friday said
in Lok Sabha that the
Ministry of Home Affairs
has no proposal under
consideration to scrap
Section 124A of the Indian
Penal Code (IPC) dealing
with sedition. He also said
that “the question of law”
regarding Section 124 A is
pending for adjudication
before the Supreme Court.
CORONA CATASTROPHE
NEW DELHI
INDIA
8,402
new cases
32
omicron tally
41
new cases
00
new fatalities
Declining mask
usage worrying

CAPITOL
NEW DELHI | SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2021
02
No small aircraft to and from
city for 2 months from Dec 15
New Delhi: In the
backdrop of com-
plaints of overcrowd-
ing at the airports on
social media, the cen-
tral government has
asked airlines to re-
schedule the flight
timings, said people
with knowledge of the
matter.
In order to provide
smooth operations at
the airports, the gov-
ernment has also
asked them to stop op-
erating smaller ATR
andBombardierQ400s
aircraft to and from
Delhi for two months
starting December 15.
According to the
available information,
some flight timings
have been changed but
airlines are said to be
resisting too many al-
terations to the sched-
ule. Airlines say it will
be impossible to tweak
flight timings in the
middle of the winter
schedule. The Directo-
rate General of Civil
Aviation (DGCA) di-
vides the year into
summer and winter
flight schedules.
They also say any
ban on smaller planes
will lead to a closure
of stations such as
Kullu and Dharam-
shala.
“For smaller play-
ers like us, if they ask
to move a morning
flight to evening, we
can’t do it,” Vistara
chief executive Vinod
Kannan was quoted as
saying by Economic
Times.
According to the re-
port, the aviation min-
istry wants carriers to
ensure that too many
flights don’t arrive or
depart around the
same time. Agencies
New Delhi: A fine of
`382.06 lakh has been
imposed on as many as
2,146 constructions and
demolition sites in the
national capital for vio-
lating the Delhi gov-
ernment’s anti-dust
campaign, Department
of Environment & For-
est stated.
According to the Ac-
tion Taken Report
(ATR) by the govern-
ment, 22,764 construc-
tion and demolition
(C&D) sites were in-
spected by 585 teams
deployed to check pol-
lution, in 19 days.
The data shown the
figure from November
17 till December 6.
Earlier on November
14, the Commission of
Air Quality Manage-
ment (CAQM) had ad-
vised the states of Har-
yana, Rajasthan and
Uttar Pradesh to shut
down schools and halt
construction and dem-
olition activities this
week for the districts
falling in the National
Capital Region (NCR)
to minimise the impact
of severe air pollution
on the citizens.
Since then, a ban has
been imposed and lift-
ed quite a few times
depending on the se-
verity of the air pollu-
tion. However, on No-
vember 29, all the con-
struction and demoli-
tion activities in the
national capital were
banned until further
orders. Delhi Environ-
ment Minister Gopal
Rai had made the an-
nouncement following
orders from the CAQM
and added that finan-
cial assistance of `5,000
to the construction
workers for the time
being. —Agencies
Over2KC&Dsitesslappedwith
`382.06 lakh penalty in 19 days
Delhi Police
scrutinising CCTVs
New Delhi : Special Cell
of Delhi Police, which is
probing the blast case in
Rohini’s Court, has got
no clues for suspects
from CCTV so far, sources
said on Friday. “Special
Cell of Delhi Policehas
not got any special hand
from CCTV so far,” said
sources. —ANI
AAP releases second
list of candidates for
Punjab Assembly polls
Chandigarh: Punjab
unit of AAP on Friday
released the second
list of candidates for
the upcoming assem-
bly elections in the
state.
Earlier in Novem-
ber, AAP had an-
nounced a list of 10
candidates for the up-
coming polls.
The second list, an-
nouncing candidates
for 30 constituencies
of the state, enlists Ra-
man Bahl who joined
AAP after quitting
Congress in Novem-
ber as the Gurdaspur
candidate.
Jagroop Singh
Sekhwan is given a
ticket from Qadian.
Punjabi singer Anmol
Gagan Mann is given
a ticket from Kharar.
Vibhuti Sharma will
contest from Path-an-
kot, Shamsher Singh
from Dina Nagar (SC),
Sherry Kalsi from
Batala, Balbir Singh
Pannu from Fatehpur
Churian, Kunwar Vi-
jay Pratap from Am-
ritsar North, Inderbir
Singh Nijjar from Am-
ritsar South. —ANI
GANG IMPERSONATING CANDIDATES IN
SSC EXAMS BUSTED IN NOIDA
Noida: A gang of four men are arrested from Noida
for allegedly impersonating candidates of SSC candi-
dates during their written exams, Noida Police said. It
had busted a racket that allegedly impersonated Staff
Selection Commission (SSC) candidates during their
written exams. The police have registered a case and
arrested four persons in this connection. Speaking to
ANI, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Uttar
Pradesh Ranvijay Singh said, “A gang was caught
on Thursday by the Station House Officer (SHO) of
Sector 58, Noida.
New Delhi: The air quality in the national capital con-
tinued to remain in the ‘poor’ category on Friday. The
Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city (overall) read 293 at
7.40 am. According to the System of Air Quality and
Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the level
of PM 2.5 and PM 10 in the air at 7.40 am stood at
‘poor’ and ‘moderate’ levels, respectively. However, in
the NCR region of Noida and Gurugram, the air quality
has again deteriorated. With the AQI at 306, the air
quality in Noida has worsened to the ‘very poor’ cate-
gory, while the air quality in Gurugram has declined to
the ‘poor’ category with AQI at 249.
AIR QUALITY REMAINS ‘POOR’; NOIDA,
GURUGRAM’S AQI DETERIORATE
New Delhi: Police on Thursday booked two uniden-
tified persons for allegedly attempting to extort `3
crore from a Sushant Lok
resident by claiming to be
associates of gangster Neeraj
Bawana. Police said the
complainant alleged that the
accused threatened the complainant with dire conse-
quences if the money was not paid soon. According
to the police, the complainant alleged that on Decem-
ber 5 evening, he received a call from an unknown
number.
2 BOOKED FOR ATTEMPTING TO EXTORT
`3 CRORE CLAIMING TO BE GANGSTER
NEWS DIGEST
New Delhi: Tajuddin
Vegetable Shop in cen-
tral Delhi’s Hazrat Niza-
muddin takes the art of
showcasing vegetables to
greater sophistication.
The effect is so intense
that the awestruck spec-
tator is convinced that
the person behind the
exhibit is an aesthete of
high order.
With some shyness,
veggie seller Mohsin
Qureshi confesses, “I
built the new arrange-
ment ahista, ahista
(slowly, slowly), over sev-
eral days.”
The slim man, in his
30s, is seated on a chair
behind the stall’s coun-
ter. Dressed in a black
jacket and a cap, he ges-
tures towards his elder
brother standing on the
street, after whom the
establishment is named.
Tajuddin founded the
shop about 25 years ago,
here on the intersection
of three narrow by-
lanes beside the Nal
Wali Masjid. The shop’s
new look is a month old.
Tajuddin notes that al-
most every visitor is
gushing at the decora-
tion. “When people stop
by to get gaajar, mooli or
tamatar, they just want
to rush back home. And
then they gradually
start to notice...”
Artwork satisfies veggies at shop in Delhi
EYE-CATCHING

“When people
stop by to get
gaajar, mooli or
tamatar, they
just want
to rush back
home. And then
they gradually
start to
notice...”
Delhi Jal Board rolls
out new billing system
New Delhi: Water Min-
ister and Jal Board
Chairman Satyendar
Jain has said now water
bills cannot be more
than 1.5 times of the
previous month’s
bill in the city
.
This decision is
made at a meeting
chaired by Satyen-
dar Jain with DJB
officials to strength-
en the Revenue Man-
agement System of the
board. In an official
statement, Jain said,
“The DJB has updated
its billing system today
.
Now your bill cannot be
more than 1.5 times the
previous month. If it ex-
ceeds this, an explana-
tion will be provided
to the customer,
and he or she
may file a com-
plaint.’’
He said that
there will be
an automatic
system check to
stopbillingfromthe
meter readers tablet if
consumptionvarianceis
morethan50%higheror
lower in comparison to
the previous bill. —ANI
Delhi Govt to rejuvenate
lake with treated water
New Delhi: Delhi gov-
ernment plans to reju-
venate the Tikri Khurd
lake in outer Delhi area
with treated wastewa-
ter flowing in from Har-
yana. Water minister
Satyendar Jain visited
the site on Thursday
and said that the trap-
ping and treatment pro-
cesses had started at a
sewage treatment plant
in Narela for this pur-
pose.
Delhi Jal Board plans
to increase the capacity
of the Narela sewage
treatment plant from 10
million gallons per day
to 20 million gallons per
day, allowing for the
treatment of sewage
water flowing in from
Haryana into the Ya-
muna. With this treated
water, the government
will revive a lake in
Tikri Khurd and the re-
maining treated water
will be discharged back
into the drain, which
further meets the Ya-
muna. —PTI
GOODBYE GENERAL!
DELHI CHIEF MINISTER ARVIND KEJRIWAL PAYS LAST RESPECTS TO THE MORTAL REMAINS OF THE FIRST CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF (CDS)
GENERAL BIPIN RAWAT AND HIS WIFE MADHULIKA RAWAT, WHO DIED IN AN IAF MI-17V5 CHOPPER CRASH IN COONOOR, AT THEIR RESIDENCE, IN
NEW DELHI ON FRIDAY. —PHOTO BY ANI
HIGHLIGHT
Delhi reports
41 new COVID
cases in 24 hrs
New Delhi: The Na-
tional Capital has
recorded 41 new
COVID-19 cases dur-
ing the last 24 hours,
said the state govern-
ment on Friday.
With this, the
count of COVID-19
cases in the national
capital has gone up
to 14,41,610. The posi-
tivity rate for the day
stands at 0.07 per
cent. A total of 59,763
samples were tested
during the last 24
hours.
During the last 24
hours, 57 people re-
covered from the in-
fection, taking the
total number of re-
coveries in the na-
tional capital to
14,16,140.
A total of 25,100
people have lost their
lives to the deadly vi-
rus, with zero deaths
reported during the
last 24 hours.
There are current-
ly 370 active COV-
ID-19 cases in the
state, out of which
169 are in home isola-
tion. —ANI
Sharjeel Imam gets bail
in Jamia violence case
New Delhi: A Delhi
court on Thursday
granted bail to JNU stu-
dent Sharjeel Imam, in
a case of alleged vio-
lence at Jamia Millia
Islamia in December
2019 during protests
against the amended
citizenship law.
Imam will, however,
remain in jail as he is
accused in three other
cases related to violence
in Delhi.
The FIR under which
he was granted bail in-
volves offences such as
rioting, conspiracy, at-
tempt to commit culpa-
ble homicide, voluntar-
ily obstructing public
servant in discharge of
public functions, and as-
sault. Chief metropoli-
tan magistrate Dinesh
Kumar granted him bail
on furnishing `25,000
bond, with a surety of
like amount. —PTI
HC directs police to form team for
security audit of all Court complexes
New Delh: In a bid to en-
hance security measures
in all court premises,
Delhi HC on Friday di-
rected the Delhi Commis-
sioner of Police to consti-
tute a team of experts to
undertake the exercise
of security audit of High
Court Complex as well as
all the District Court
Complexes in city.
A division bench head-
ed by Chief Justice of
Delhi DN Patel has is-
sued several directions
in regards to upgrada-
tion and enhancement
measures of security in
court premises in the
light of the Rohini Court
shootout incident. ANI
CLEAR SKY IN DELHI
GOVT’S EFFORTS FOR...
Image for representational use only.
Image for representational use only.
REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE

INDIA
03
Panaji: Congress Gen-
eral Secretary Priyanka
Gandhi Vadra on Fri-
day promised 30 per
cent reservation in jobs
for women if her party
is voted to power in the
upcoming assembly
polls in Goa and asked
people to be aware of
new parties coming in
the state from “outside”
in an apparent dig at
the AAP. She criticised
the Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP), which is seeking
to play a major role in
Goa’s electoral politics,
holding it responsible
for the air pollution in
the national capital
where the Arvind Kejri-
wal-led outfit is in pow-
er.
Priyanka Gandhi,
during her day-long
tour to the coastal state,
visited Morpirla village
in the Quepem assem-
bly segment where she
interacted with tribal
women. The Congress
leader also joined the
tribal women in per-
forming their tradition-
al dance. When you go
to vote this time, first of
all think about yourself,
your state and your
family
. Vote for the par-
ty that will solve your
issues, she said in a
brief address to the
gathering. —PTI
INDIA SAVED MILLIONS OF LIVES THROUGH
FREE, UNIVERSAL AVAILABILITY OF VAX: PREZ
New Delhi: President
Ram Nath Kovind on
Friday said India has
been able to save mil-
lions of lives by adopt-
ing a policy of free and
universal availability
of Covid-19 vaccine. Ad-
dressing a Human
Rights Day event organ-
ised by the National Hu-
man Rights Commis-
sion, Kovind said the
humanity is grappling
with the worst pandem-
ic in the history
.
“While the pandemic
is not yet over, and the
virus seems to be one
step ahead of human-
kind, the world has so
far responded to it by
placing our trust in sci-
ence and in global part-
nership,” he said. He
said that though the
pandemic affects the
humanity universally,
it is also seen that it has
disproportionately dev-
astating impact on the
vulnerable sections of
society. “In this con-
text, India, despite the
obvious challenges, has
been able to save mil-
lions of lives by adopt-
ing a policy of free and
universal availability
of vaccine. With the
biggest vaccination ex-
ercise in history, the
Government has also
been able to provide
protection against the
virus to nearly a billion
people,” he added.
He praised doctors,
and all other “corona
warriors” for their he-
roic efforts to uphold
people’s right to life and
right to health. —PTI
While the pandemic is
not yet over, and the
virus seems to be one
step ahead of human-
kind, the world has so
far responded to it by
placing our trust in
science and in global
partnership
President Ram Nath Kovind
New Delhi: India ‘s cu-
mulative Covid-19 vac-
cination coverage has
exceeded 131.18 crore
doses on Friday, said
the Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare.
As per provisional re-
ports, till 7 am on Fri-
day, with the adminis-
tration of 74,57,970 vac-
cine doses in the last 24
hours, India’s Covid-19
vaccination coverage
has exceeded 131.18
crores (1,31,18,87,257).
This has been
achieved through
1,36,76,290 sessions, in-
formed the Ministry
.
Meanwhile, India on
Friday reported 8,503
new Covid-19 cases and
624 deaths. With this,
the country’s active
caseload reached 94,943.
Active cases constitute
0.27 per cent of the
country’s total positive
cases, which is the low-
est since March 2020.
The recovery of 7,678
patients in the last 24
hours has increased the
cumulative tally of re-
covered patients to
3,41,05,066. Consequent-
ly, India’s recovery rate
stands at 98.36 per cent
that is the highest since
March 2020.
The testing capacity
across the country con-
tinues to be expanded.
The last 24 hours saw a
total of 12,93,412 tests
being conducted. —ANI
Mumbai: Amid mount-
ing concerns over the
emergence of the Omi-
cron variant and its
large number of muta-
tions, Maharashtra
Deputy Chief Minister
Ajit Pawar on Friday
said a booster dose
against Covid-19 comes
into picture only when
the eligible population
is fully vaccinated
against the viral infec-
tion and that is the cur-
rent priority for the
State Government.
However, a decision
on the booster dose has
to be taken by the Cen-
tre, he said.
As Pune district
achieved 100 per cent
administration of the
first dose of vaccines,
while speaking about
the booster dose, Pawar
said doctors from the
task force have suggest-
ed that the district ad-
ministration should
first ensure that both
the doses of vaccines
are administered.
“It has been proved
that those who have
taken both the doses are
less impacted by the vi-
rus. There are cases in
some areas where
booster doses have been
administered... such
people experienced
mild effects when they
got infected,” the Minis-
ter said. —PTI
New Delhi: Instances
of fake Covid-19
vaccination camps
and vaccines have
come to the Central
Government’s notice
from Maharashtra,
West Bengal and Ut-
tar Pradesh, the Lok
Sabha was told on
Friday. The Ministry
of Health has directed
the State Govern-
ments to investigate
these instances and
take stringent legal
actions so that such
fraudulent activities
are not repeated in
the future, Minister
of State for Health
Bharati Pravin Pawar
said in written reply
to a question. —PTI
Panaji: The Goa
Congress faced a spate
of resignations and
confusion prevailed
over its alliance with
like-minded parties for
the upcoming polls
in the coastal state as
the opposition party
was getting ready for
a series of meetings
by general secretary
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
today. A group of
Congress leaders from
the Goa’s Porvorim
assembly constituency
resigned this morning.
The group, supported
by Independent MLA
Rohan Khaunte,
claimed the Congress
was not serious about
contesting the assem-
bly polls likely to be
held in early 2022.
“The Congress party
does not seem to be
interested in contest-
ing the upcoming Goa
elections seriously. It
is a non-starter due to
the attitude of some of
its leaders,” Gupesh
Naik, a former zilla
panchayat member,
who led the group
from Porvorim, told
reporters.
In yet another set-
back for the Congress,
its senior leader from
South Goa Moreno Re-
belo too resigned. —PTI
FAKE COVID
JABS NOTED
IN UP, MAHA,
BENGAL: GOVT
GOA CONGRESS HIT BY RESIGNATIONS
ON DAY OF PRIYANKA GANDHI’S VISIT
Pune: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar
and State Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil on Friday
held a meeting to review the Covid-19 situation in
Pune, said sources. “The meeting is currently under-
way at Pune Council Hall. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and
Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil are joined by other
senior officials of the district,” informed sources. This
is the first meeting after cases of new Covid-19 variant
Omicron were detected in the city. —PTI
MAHA DY CM, HM HOLD MEETING TO
REVIEW COVID-19 SITUATION IN PUNE
Cumulative vaccination
coverage exceeds 131.18 cr
Booster shot only after completing vax drive: Ajit
Panaji: Three passen-
gers, including a Brit-
ish national of Goan-
origin, who arrived at
the international air-
port in Goa on a flight
from the United King-
dom on early on Fri-
day, tested positive for
Covid-19, State Health
Minister Vishwajit
Rane said.
Mr Rane said the
three passengers have
been shifted to an iso-
lation facility in
South Goa, while all
other travellers on the
flight who tested neg-
ative will be kept in
home quarantine for
eight days before un-
dergoing another test
at the end of it.
The Health Minis-
ter tweeted, “This is
with reference to
flight AI 146 that ar-
rived from the UK to-
day morning. 237 trav-
ellers tested on arriv-
al. 3 patients (passen-
gers) have been tested
positive.” —PTI
EX-COP TO FIGHT
PUNJAB ELECTION
ON AAP TICKET
SBI SERVICES TO
FACE OUTAGE FOR
5 HOURS TODAY
Chandigarh: Former
Punjab Police officer
Kunwar Vijay Pratap
Singh, who had headed
the SIT probing the
2015 Kotkapura and Be-
hbal Kalan firing cases,
is among the list of 30
candidates released by
the Aam Aadmi Party
on Friday for the Punjab
Assembly polls. This is
the second list of candi-
dates announced by the
AAP. Earlier, the party
had announced names
of 10 candidates who
are all sitting legislators.
Singh has been given a
ticket from the Amritsar
North seat. —ANI
New Delhi: Due to a
technical upgrade, SBI
internet banking ser-
vices will be suspend-
ed for five hours on
Saturday. On December
11, 2021, the upgrade
will take place from
11:30 pm until 4:30 am.
In a tweet on Thursday,
the State Bank of India
warned its consumers
of the outage. INB,
Yono, Yono Lite, Yono
Business, and UPI are
among the SBI online
banking services that
would be unavailable
during this time. Cus-
tomers were also asked
to remain patient. —ANI
Vadodara: Bhadarwa police recovered Rs2.58 lakh
worth of Indian-made foreign liquor from a hidden
tunnel in the backyard of a house near Mahisagar
in Dodka in Vadodara district. They are now looking
for absconding house owner Arjunbhai Jerabhai
Mali, against whom they have filed a complaint un-
der the Prohibition Act. Officials said that personnel
had been out on patrol when they received informa-
tion that Mali had ordered a large quantity of liquor
from outside the village and hid it in his backyard.
The tunnel was large enough to hold several adults,
they added.
New Delhi: India on Friday evacuated 104 people, includ-
ing 10 Indian nationals, from Kabul in a special charter
aircraft. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam
Bagchi said the flight was
arranged under India’s operation
Devi Shakti. The operation was
launched to evacuate Indians
from Afghanistan after it fell to
the Taliban on August 15. “Under Operation Devi Shakti, a
special Kam Air flight arranged by India has arrived in New
Delhi from Kabul,’’ Bagchi tweeted. —ANI
COPS DIG UP LIQUOR WORTH `2.7L
HIDDEN IN BACKYARD TUNNEL
INDIA BRINGS BACK 104 PEOPLE FROM
AFGHANISTAN IN SPECIAL FLIGHT
CRUCIAL READ
Priyanka promises 30% quota in jobs
for women if voted to power in Goa
Ultras attack
police party in
Bandipora, 2
cops killed
3 UK passengers test Covid-19
positive at Goa airport; isolated
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joins the folk dance performance of tribal
women, in South Goa district of Goa on Friday —PTI
Srinagar: Two police-
men were killed after
terrorists attacked a po-
lice party in Gulshan
Chowk of North Kash-
mir’s Bandipora dis-
trict on Friday
.
Inspector General
(IG) Kashmir Police Vi-
jay Kumar told India
Today that two cops re-
ceived bullets when
militants attacked the
police party
.
They were shifted to
a nearby hospitalin a
critical condition, the
officer added.
However, both the po-
licemen, identified as
Mohd. Sultan and Fayaz
Ahmad, succumbed to
their injuries, Kashmir
Zone Police tweeted.
—Agencies
New Delhi: The Nation-
al Green Tribunal has
asked the joint commit-
tee of Central Pollution
Control Board (CPCB),
Uttar Pradesh PCB and
Uttarakhand State PCB
to submit a joint report
mentioning the details
of groundwater extrac-
tion and the compliance
of conditions for pre-
venting pollution of riv-
ers in their vicinity
.
The NGT Bench head-
ed by its chairperson
Justice Adarsh Kumar
Goel said that it consid-
ers it appropriate to re-
quire a joint report by a
joint committee within
two months. “It said that
the joint committee may
also furnish details of
groundwater extraction,
compliance of condi-
tions for preventing pol-
lution of rivers in the
vicinity
, the extent of
discharge of pollutants
and compensation as-
sessed and recovered in
the past and also recom-
mend further remedial
action, if necessary
,”
Justice Goyal said.
Thereafter, the bench
listed the matter for fur-
ther consideration on
March 14, 2022.
The NGT was hearing
a plea seeking execution
of order dated March 18,
2021, whereby directions
were issued for remedial
action against pollution
by the polluting indus-
trial activities discharg-
ing polluted effluents in
River Bhella which
meets Kosi river in Ram-
pur, which is a tributary
of Ramganga, which in
turn is a tributary of
river Ganga. The Tribu-
nal had found that pollu-
tion of river Bhella was
acknowledged.
According to the exe-
cution application, the
State PCB, Central
Ground Water Board
(CGWA) and other statu-
tory authorities have
failed to take steps for
enforcementof theorder
of this tribunal.
Apart from the con-
tinuous discharge of ef-
fluents, groundwater ex-
traction has been taking
place illegally
.
The reports filed sepa-
rately by CPCB stated
thatit,alongwithUttara-
khandStatePCBandUP-
PCB carried out moni-
toring of water quality
of the rivers in question
and in a few stretches,
water quality was found
deteriorated as com-
pared to other stretches.
VideletterdatedSeptem-
ber 9, 2021, the reports of
water quality were for-
warded to the concerned
State PCBs to take reme-
dial measures, CPCB
said in its report. —ANI
Submit joint report on pollution: NGT tells Centre, UP, U’khand
GROUND WATER EXTRACTION

PERSPECTIVE
04
Vol 1 Issue No. 102
RNI TITLE NO. DELENG/2021/19840
Printed and published by
Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of
First Express Publishers. Printed at
Impressions Printing and Packaging
Limited, C-21, 22 Sector-59,
Noida-201301. Published at G-20,
3rd Floor, 309, Preet Vihar, New
Delhi-110092. Phone 011-49846474.
Editor-In-Chief: Jagdeesh Chandra.
Editor: Sharat K Verma
responsible for selection of news
under the PRB Act
Piyush Goyal
@PiyushGoyal
Resounding acknowledgement of
PM@NarendraModi ji’s vision on
climate action.In just 6 years, @
iSolarAlliance has been granted
Observer Status by UN General
Assembly. A sign of overwhelming
global support for India’s efforts for a
sustainable world.
Bhupender Yadav
@byadavbjp
An acknowledgement of PM Shri@
NarendraModi ji’s vision of establishing
solar energy as a shared solution that
simultaneously addresses climate,
energy, and economic priorities across
geographies. Congratulations @
isolaralliance
SPIRITUAL SPEAK
Change is the law of
the universe. You can
be a millionaire, or a
pauper in an instant.
—Bhagavad Gita
IN-DEPTH
NEW ZEALAND
SHOWS HOW TO
PHASE OUT
CIGARETTE SMOKING
TO SAVE ITS YOUTH
moking is injurious
to health. Smoking
causes cancer. These
warnings have had
little impact on those
who find it difficult to curb the
habit and also those with the be-
ginner’s urge. Increasing the
price of cigarettes also has had
little effect. Banning cigarettes
is out of the question because of
the clout the manufactures have.
They contribute revenue to the
government’s kitty after all!
New Zealand’s Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern has come up
with a well chalked out plan to
root out the bad habit. The
unique plan unveiled by the as-
sociate health minister Ayesha
Verrall includes a lifetime ban
on those aged 14 years or young-
er. According to the plan, which
will be unveiled next year, the
minimum age to buy a cigarette
will keep rising year after year.
“We want to make sure young
people never start smoking so
we will make it an offence to sell
or supply tobacco products,”
Verrall said. And in UP, we can’t
even ban tobacco mixed paan
masala!
TOP TWEETS
S
oe Biden’s ‘Sum-
mit for Democra-
cy’ has come when
the world is wit-
nessing rise of
despotic leaders who preach
democratic values from the
pulpit while practising none.
Not just authoritarian re-
gimes, rightist forces are
gaining strength in several
parts of the world, including
the US and India, to alter the
democratic framework. Some
countries, like Russia and
China, retain the semblance
of democratic processes as a
front to hide subversion of
institutions and violation of
citizens’ rights. In the US, Re-
publican supporters of Don-
ald Trump set a new prece-
dent by storming the Capitol
after their leaders lost the
prez poll. Republicans are op-
posed to Biden’s policy to-
wards migrants, minorities
and blacks and accuse the
Democrats of doing it to ex-
pand their vote bank. The
Democrats accuse Republi-
cans of suppressing these
sections. Similar charges are
being exchanged between the
right wing BJP supporters
and liberals (contemptuously
called libtards). Questions
over media freedom, inde-
pendence of judiciary keep
cropping up in India, while in
the US the media is clearly
divided on party lines. China
and Russia were not invited
to the Summit. Pakistan,
where democracy is managed
by the army, did not attend.
In “Modi’s India: Hindu
Nationalism and the Rise of
Ethnic Democracy”, Chris-
tophe Jafferlot talks of differ-
ent variants of democracy.
There is liberal democracy,
‘which is “an ideal form”, the
“hybrid” form include “peo-
ple’s democracies”, “guided
democracies”, “illiberal de-
mocracies”, or “authoritari-
an democracies” India has
“gone from “conservative de-
mocracy” to experiencing a
democratisation of democ-
racy” and today inventing a
variant of “ethnic democra-
cy”.’ Ideal democracy has
been crowded out.
WHICH DEMOCRACY
BIDEN’S PROMOTING?
Questions over media
freedom, independence of
judiciary keep cropping
up in India, while in the
US the media is clearly
divided on party lines
J
ROHIT: A BETTER ODI
CAPTAIN THAN VIRAT?
he BCCI surprised the crick-
eting world by axing Virat
Kohli and handing over the
ODI Captaincy to Rohit Shar-
ma on Wednesday. The sud-
denness of the decision has
created a furore among fans
and the playing fraternity as
India begins a new era of
‘Split Captaincy’. With dress-
ing room dynamics expected
to change, cricket circles are
busy debating the logic of
dumping a captain who has a
more than enviable record as
captain and is one of the bat-
ting legends of the game.
Meanwhile, the BCCI has
justified the decision to re-
move Virat saying that it
wanted a complete separa-
tion of leadership in differ-
ent formats. BCCI President
Sourav Ganguly has stated
that the BCCI had requested
Virat not to quit as T20 Skip-
per but he chose to go ahead
with his decision. In the end,
it was left to the selectors to
take a call. Kohli has a splen-
did captaincy record but has
no ICC trophy against his
name. In addition, the loss in
2019 ODI World Cup along
with the shocking failure in
the recent T20 World Cup
didn’t help his cause.
A form slump over the past
two years also diminished
his aura to an extent. He has
scored 560 runs in 12 ODIs
without a century. His aver-
age during this period is
46.66, well below his career
average of 59.07. In 20 T20Is
during the same period, he
has scored 594 runs at 49.50,
while in 13 Tests in the last
two years, he made 599 runs
at an average of just 26.04.
Former Coach Ravi Shastri,
however, had defended his
captain’s lean patch and said,
“in the last 24 months, they
(the players) have been home
for 25 days. I don’t care who
you are, if your name is Brad-
man and you are in a bubble,
your average will come down
because you are human.”
A small comparison be-
tween the personalities of
the Virat-Rohit duo reveals a
lot about their captaincy
styles. Virat, being fierce and
the one who wears his heart
on his sleeve, is more emo-
tionally involved during the
game. Rohit is calmer and
more analytical, a fact re-
flected in his field place-
ments and bowling changes.
This subtle difference often
makes Rohit a better reader
of the game while Virat’s
hyper-aggression and over-
involvement makes him an
excellent cricketer but often
an ordinary captain.
An important aspect to
consider between the two is
the lack of any major titles
won by Virat. His captaincy
record in the IPL is the poor-
est of all captains. India has
lost some big matches in his
tenure, which also goes
against Kohli. In contrast,
Rohit has not only enjoyed
IPL success but has been phe-
nomenal in the sporadic cap-
taincy opportunities he has
had at the international lev-
el. He has led India in 10
ODIs, of which the side has
won eight and lost two. In
T20Is, India have won 15 of
the 19 games that Rohit has
led the team in. He has also
won 2 trophies in 2018 for
Team India without Virat
Kohli and other senior play-
ers. In addition, in his first
T20 series as full captain, Ro-
hit proved to be a super hit
knocking out the Kiwis 3-0
last month.
Some inside sources also
say that Rohit Sharma was
also deemed a better option
as he has a history of guiding
the younger generation. Virat
was seen a bit aloof beyond
the ground. Rohit on the oth-
er side, takes the junior play-
ers out for meals, motivates
them and makes a special ef-
fort to understand and nour-
ish the mental aspects of
younger players in the team.
But this change in captain-
cy announcement could have
been more professionally
handled. No matter what
politics goes on inside the
dressing room or in the cor-
ridors of power, a media re-
lease can be better produced
especially when it involves
two legends of the game.
Split Captaincy at best of
times is a tricky prospect.
Both Virat and Rohit will play
together in all 3 formats. Bal-
ancing personal equations is
bound to be a tough task.
What the two will be grap-
plingwithisacasewherethey
will be receiving commands
in one format and be the com-
mander in another. They will
need to show the kind of ma-
turity which ensures that the
two greats play under each
other without ever allowing
their egos to come in the way
of team goals. If the Virat-
RohitCombocandisplaysuch
sagacity, the duo can take
Team India to greater glory in
the days to come.
For the moment, Rahul
Dravid’s coaching assign-
ment has become a lot tough-
er as Split Captaincy and its
complex challenges can test
the best. In the interplay be-
tween Kohli and Rohit, Rahul
Dravid will have to play a
criticalroleasabridgeandan
affectionate, fair-minded big
brother for India to lift World
titles in the coming years.
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY
THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL
T
Split Captaincy at best of
times is a tricky prospect.
Both Virat and Rohit will
play together in all 3
formats. Balancing
personal equations is
bound to be a tough task.
What the two will be
grappling with is a case
where they will be receiving
commands in one format
and be the commander in
another. They will need to
show the kind of maturity
which ensures that the two
greats play under each
other without ever allowing
their egos to come in the
way of team goals.
A small comparison
between the
personalities of the Virat-
Rohit duo reveals a lot
about their captaincy
styles. Virat, being fierce
and the one who
wears his heart on his
sleeve, is more
emotionally involved
during the game. Rohit is
calmer and more
analytical, a fact reflected
in his field placements
and bowling changes
SIDDHAARTH MAHAN
The writer is a specialist on Sports
and Cinema who works as an actor
in the Hindi film industry

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INDIA
05
Mahseh Sharma
New Delhi: When the
Parliament is in ses-
sion, every Tuesday a
meeting of the BJP Par-
liamentary Party is
held and two news in-
evitably come out of it.
The first news is that
the party’s MPs honour
the Prime Minister on
some issue and the sec-
ond news is that the
Prime Minister advises
or reprimands his MPs
regarding their pres-
ence in Parliament.
Both these things hap-
pened in the meeting
held this Tuesday also.
PM was honoured for
announcing Tribal
Pride Day on November
15 and after that he rep-
rimanded the MPs say-
ing that if they do not
change themselves,
they will be changed.
The Prime Minister
again said in very clear
words that the MPs
should ensure attend-
ance in both the houses
and compete, within
themselves, for highest
attendance.
He has said this in
almost every meeting
before this, yet his MPs
do not listen to him.
This became evident
and infact turned out to
be an embarrassing mo-
ment for the govern-
ment when in the Lok
Sabha, where the BJP
has more than three
hundred MPs, there
was no quorum to start
the discussion on Coro-
na, due to which the dis-
cussion started later.
Many knowledgeable
leaders are also believ-
ing that due to the
weakness of Parliamen-
tary Affairs Ministers,
the attendance of MPs
is also decreasing.
ARE MPs NOT LISTENING TO PM?
PARLIAMENT SESSION
New Delhi: PM Naren-
dra Modi on Friday
held a meeting with
senior ministers in Par-
liament to discuss strat-
egy for the ongoing win-
ter session. Union
Home Minister Amit
Shah, Finance Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman,
Union Sports Minister
Anurag Thakur, Union
Minister for Consumer
Affairs, Food and Pub-
lic Distribution Piyush
Goyal were among the
attendees.
The winter session of
Parliament began on
Nov 29 and is scheduled
to conclude on Dec 23.
Meanwhile, both Hous-
es of Parliament have
witnessed repeated ad-
journments over the
Opposition's demand
for revocation of sus-
pension of 12 MPs from
the Rajya Sabha. The
MPs were suspended
over alleged unruly
conduct towards the
end of the monsoon ses-
sion in August. Both
Houses of the Parlia-
ment observed two-min-
ute silence over the de-
mise of General Rawat
and others.
PM Modi meets ministers
for winter session strategy
ONELASTTIME...ADIOSHEROS
This was PM Modi’s third consecutive meeting over the ongoing Winter Session
New Delhi: In his just-
published memoir,
Justice Ranjan Gogoi,
former Chief Justice of
India, defended his de-
cision to join the Rajya
Sabha 4 months after
retiring from the SC, a
move that had come
in for widespread criti-
cism. I have submitted
a letter to the house
saying that because of
Covid, I am not attend-
ing the session. I go
to the RS whenever I
feel like it, when I think
there are matters of
importance on which I
should speak.
I GO WHEN I
FEEL LIKE:
JUSTICE GOGOI
New Delhi: We
must give a good
farewell, a smiling
sendoff. I am a sol-
dier’s wife. I have
nothing more to say
.
It is a big loss, Gee-
tika Lidder, the wife
of Brigadier Lakh-
winder Singh Lid-
der said.
“I am going to be
17.Sohewaswithme
for 17 years, we will
go ahead with happy
memories. It’s a na-
tional loss. My father
was a hero, my best
friend, Aashna Lid-
der, the Brigadier’s
daughter said after
the funeral.The
scenes at the funeral
were heartbreaking.
Meanwhile, Group
Captain Varun Sin-
gh, the only survivor
of the horrific crash
remains critical but
stable, sources in the
Indian Air Force
said. —Agencies
Must give him a
smiling send-off, says
wife of Brigadier Lidder
LS Speaker Om Birla pays last respect to the mortal remains of CDS Rawat and his wife Madhulika. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh pays last respects to the mortal remains to CDS his wife.
Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane pays his last respect to the mortals in New Delhi on Friday. Meanwhile, the ashes of CDS
and his wife Madhulika Rawat will be immersed in the Ganga at Haridwar around noon on Saturday, said a source. BKU leader Rakesh Tikait pays his last respect to CDS.
Wife of late Brigadier Lakhwinder Singh Lidder pays her
last respects,also seen is Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
MODI TO INAUGURATE
SARYU NAHAR IN UP
New Delhi: PM Modi
will be inaugurat-
ing a 43-year old
irrigation project in
UP Balrampur district
on Saturday at around
1 pm. According to
the PM office, the
Saryu Nahar National
Project will provide
assured water for irri-
gation of over 14 lakh
hectares of land and
benefits to farmers.
PM Narendra Modi
New Delhi: Communist Party of India (Marxist) Rajya
Sabha MP Elamaram Kareem on Friday slammed
Centre for not adjourning proceedings of the House
until the cremation of CDS General Bipin Rawat and
others who lost their lives in a tragic chopper crash.
Kareem said, “It is very sad news for the nation. But
the government has to respect them while they are be-
ing cremated in Delhi. They are smoothly conducting
the House. What is the meaning of this? What respect
is the government showing to the deceased personali-
ties? That is to be questioned.” “Why are you conduct-
ing the House? Why don’t you adjourn the House up
to noon and then resume the House?,” he said.
New Delhi: At present, there are 33 Sainik Schools
functioning in the country, out of which five were
set up during the last three years and the total funds
earmarked to Sainik Schools Society is Rs 300 crore,
informed the Ministry of Defence on Friday. Currently,
there are five Rashtriya Military Schools function-
ing in the country. In the current financial year, the
total funds earmarked to Rashtriya Military Schools
is Rs 6.174 crore, said the ministry. According to
the Defence Ministry, the Government has approved
a scheme for setting up of 100 Sainik Schools in
partnership with NGOs/private schools/ state govern-
ments, etc on an affiliation basis.
GOVT SHOULD HAVE ADJOURNED
PARL FOR RITES OF CDS: CPM MP
`300-CR FOR SAINIK
SCHOOLS: DEF MINISTRY
The Rajya Sabha on
Friday witnessed
the 2 consecutive
‘smooth’ day as it
completed almost all
listed business with-
out any ruckus, while
the scene outside the
House was different
as the protest of 12
suspended MPs.
RS FUNCTIONS
AMID PROTESTS
New Delhi: Supreme
Court on Friday direct-
ed the Commission for
Air Quality Manage-
ment (CAQM) to exam-
ine various intervening
applications seeking
lifting of construction
ban and relaxation on
industrial restrictions
within a week.
A bench headed by
Chief Justice of India
NVRamanaaskedAQM
to decide on lifting on
construction ban and
relaxing industrial re-
strictions. The Court
said that it expects that
the commission will
take a call in one week.
The Court was hearing
various intervening ap-
plications of various
builders, forum, sugar,
rice and paper mills etc.
SC asks CAQM to decide
on lifting construction ban
New Delhi: The Del-
hi High Court has
directed the Commis-
sioner of Delhi Police
to constitute a team
of experts to under-
take the exercise of
security audit of the
HC Complex. Divi-
sion Bench of Chief
Justice D.N. Patel and
Justice Jyoti Singh
said: the team so con-
stituted would take
considered decision
on the various securi-
ty-related aspects.
New Delhi: WB Chief
Minister and leader of
Trinamool Congress
Mamata Banerjee ap-
pears to be sternly ad-
dressing her party
member Mahua Moitra
at a meeting in a video
that is being widely cir-
culated online.
‘Cops to form
expert team for
courts security’
MAHUA,MAMATA
BANERJEE VIDEO
GOES VIRAL
Mumbai: The Bom-
bay HC on Friday said
the Enforcement Di-
rectorate's adjudicat-
ing authority can hear
and pass final orders
on the provisional at-
tachment of assets of
Maharashtra's former
home minister Anil
Deshmukh and his
wife Aarti in a money
laundering case, but
no coercive action
shall be taken with re-
gard to these proper-
ties till January 10.
Anil Deshmukh, an
NCP leader, was ar-
rested in the case last
month and is present-
ly in judicial custody
.
No coercive action in Deshmukh
asset case till January 10
IN THE COURTYARD
Only70medcollegesfunctional
inIndia’sbackwardareas:Min
New Delhi: Union
Health Minister Man-
sukh Mandaviya on Fri-
day said out of the total
157 newly approved
medical colleges in the
country’s backward ar-
eas, only 70 institutes
have become functional
till date.“Health is a
state subject, and pri-
mary responsibility to
ensure availability of
public health facilities
lies with the state gov-
ernment. However, the
Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare admin-
isters a Centrally Spon-
sored Scheme for ‘Estab-
lishment of new Medi-
cal Colleges attached
with existing district
and referral hospitals’
with preference to un-
der-served areas and as-
pirational districts
where there is no exist-
ing government or pri-
vate medical college,”
he said in Parliament.
New Delhi : The Eco-
nomic Offences Wing
of Delhi Police has ar-
rested a former Group
CEO of Religare En-
terprises Limited in
connection with si-
phoning off public
money of over Rs 2,300
crore, officials said.
The accused has been
identified as Krishnan
Subramanian, a resi-
dentof Rohiniinnorth
west Delhi, they said.
According to police,
Manpreet Singh Suri,
ARof ReligareFinvest
Ltd, filed a complaint.
These firms willfully
defaulted in repay-
ments and caused
wrongfullosstoRFLto
tune of Rs 2,397 cr.
DelhiPolicearrestsex-ReligareCEO
Mansukh Mandaviya
—FILE
PHOTO

BIZ BUZZ
06
INDIA NEEDS TO GROW AT 8-9%
TO CREATE JOBS, SAYS RAJAN
New Delhi: How do we
multiply jobs and is our
growth strong enough
to help meet that chal-
lenge? That’s the ques-
tion former RBI gover-
nor Raghuram Rajan
feels we should be ask-
ing as India claws its
way up from pan-
demic lows.
In an interview to
a publication, Rajan
delved on the chal-
lenges that confront
India even as he ac-
knowledges that the
picture is mixed and
certain sectors have
done well
while others have
struggled to recover.
Dismissing talk of a
V-shaped recovery, he
said growth after a bad
enough
downturn
will always be V-shaped
and the real challenge
before the country is to
achieve a sustained
8-9% growth.
“India has to do a lot
of things to try and get
the growth it truly de-
serves. Where we
should
be grow-
ing is at
8-9%. That’s
what is necessary to
create jobs for the
young people coming
out,” Rajan observed.
India achieved a
growth of 8.4% in the
second quarter of the
current fiscal. It was in
line with estimates but
came on the back of
contraction in the
same quarter last
year.
The former RBI
governor thinks
addressing the
challenges on
the job crea-
tion front
should be a
priority. He
said that the
p o p u l a t i o n
dividend only
becomes a divi-
dend when jobs are
created.
He underline the fact
that India has covered
the lost ground in
terms of reaching the
pre-Covid level but the
goal is to get back to the
trend level of growth.
“We just made up the
ground that we lost in
going down but we
haven’t made up the
ground that we lost be-
cause we were growing
already at a fast pace,”
Rajan added.
—Agencies
Former RBI governor thinks
addressing challenges on job
creation front should be a priority
November passenger
vehicle wholesales
lowest in seven years
New Delhi: Passen-
ger vehicle whole-
sales in the country
declined by 19% in
November as the
semiconductorshort-
age continued to im-
pact vehicle produc-
tion and subsequent
deliveries to dealer
partners, auto indus-
try body SIAM said
on Friday
. The pas-
senger vehicle (PV)
dispatches last
month stood at
2,15,626 units,
down 19%
f r o m
2 , 6 4 , 8 9 8
units in
Nov 2020.
Similar-
ly, total
two-wheeler sales de-
clined sharply by
34% to 10,50,616 units
last month from
16,00,379 units in the
year-ago period. To-
tal three-wheeler dis-
patches stood at
22,471units,down7%
from 24,071 units in
Nov 2020.
Total automobile
sales across catego-
ries drooped to
12,88,759 units last
month compared to
18,89,348 units in the
year-ago period. “In
the festive season, in-
dustry was hoping to
make up for the lost
ground, but the sales
in the month of No-
vember 2021, were
the lowest in seven
years for passenger
vehicles, the lowest
in 11 years for two-
wheelers and the
lowest in 19
yearsforthree-
wheelers,”
SIAM Direc-
tor General
said in a
state-
ment.
—PTI
The
PV dispatches last
month stood at 2,15,626
units, down 19% from 2,64,898
units in Nov 2020. Similarly, total two-
wheeler sales declined sharply by
34% to 10,50,616.
LIC gets RBI approval
to hike stake in
IndusInd Bank to 9.99%
New Delhi: Private
bank IndusInd Bank
on Friday said the
RBI has given ap-
proval to Life Insur-
ance Corporation to
increase stake in the
bank to nearly 10%.
The bank has re-
ceived an intimation
from the RBI on De-
cember 9, that it has
granted its approval
to Life Insurance
Corporation (LIC),
shareholder of the
bank to acquire up
to 9.99% of the total
issued and paid up
capital of the bank,
the bank said in a
regulatory filing on
stock exchanges.
The state-run in-
surer holds 4.95% of
the total issued and
paid-up capital of
the bank.
The RBI approval
is subject to the com-
pliance with the di-
rection on ‘Prior Ap-
proval for Acquisi-
tion of Shares and
Voting Private Sec-
tor Banks’ as well as
regulations of the
Sebi and any guide-
lines or regulations.
—PTI
India has to do a lot of things to try and
get the growth it truly deserves. Where we
should be growing is at 8-9%. That’s what is
necessary to create jobs for the young people
coming out.
—Raghuram Rajan, Former RBI governer
‘Fintech industry to be valued
at over $150 billion by 2025’
New Delhi: The fin-
tech industry has seen
tremendous growth in
the country in the last
couple of years and
Amitabh Kant, CEO,
Niti Aayog, on Friday
said the country has
established itself on
the global stage as a
vibrant fintech hub.
He attributed the
fintech growth sto-
ry to the Digital In-
dia initiative. “The
first requirement
that had to be ad-
dressed was that of
a digital identity sys-
tem with a built-in
authentication mech-
anism and with the
development of the
Aadhaar, we had the
first building block of
the FinTech ecosys-
tem ready,” he said.
This was followed by
shifting the emphasis
in the digital infra-
structure layer to peer-
to-peer transfer of
money
, he said, lauding
the initiative
United Payments
Interface (UPI), which
recorded over 3.5 bil-
lion transactions by
October 2021.
Kant explained that
the fintech ecosystem
can now focus on lend-
ing for both consumers
and MSME-based. At
the same time, more
traditional financial
services such as insur-
ance, personal finance,
and gold lending have
also come under the
fintech radar.
“There are over 2100
fintech companies in
India, out of which
more than 67% have
been set up in the last
five years. The fintech
industry has a cumula-
tive funding of over
$27.6 billion and is ex-
pected to be valued at
over $150 billion by
2025,” he said. —Agencies
Rachna to
lead Byju’s
global
expansion
plans
New Delhi: Edtech
major Byju’s on Fri-
day said it has ap-
pointed former Bain
Company Partner
Rachna Bahadur as
the senior vice pres-
ident to lead its
global expansion
plans. In this role,
Bahadur will lead
the overall planning,
strategy, and road-
map for Byju’s ex-
pansion in new and
existing markets, a
statement said.
In addition to de-
signing Byju’s next
growth phase, creat-
ing new partner-
ships, reinforcing
sales, and solidifying
the company’s mar-
ket positioning
across the globe, she
will also be responsi-
ble for strengthening
the footprint of
Byju’s recent acqui-
sition of Epic in the
US market, it added.
—PTI
Vedanta group bags top
awards at CSR summit 2021
New Delhi: Vedanta
Group was conferred
with two prestigious
awards at the 7th CSR
Impact awards by CSR-
Box at the virtual India
CSR Summit 2021 held
on December 9. These
awards recognise Ve-
danta’s CSR flagship
project Nand Ghar as
the CSR Project of the
Year under ‘Large’ cat-
egory and e-Kaksha,
the digital education
initiative of Ve-
danta group
c o m p a n y
Cairn Oil
Gas, as the
CSR Project
of the Year
u n d e r
‘Small’ cate-
gory
.
T he
NandGharprogramme,
in partnership with the
Ministry of Women
Child Development,
aims to provide
critical access to
n u t r i t i o n ,
healthcare,
education to
children and
women em-
powerment.
Around
2800 Nand Ghars have
been set up across 12
states in India with the
vision of transforming
the lives of 7 crore chil-
dren and 2 crore women
across 13.7 lakh angan-
wadis in India.
The e-Kaksha project
was implemented in
collaboration with De-
partment of Education,
Government of Ra-
jasthan, with the intent
of providing free and
quality education to
students of Class 6th to
12th in Hindi medium
schools of Rajasthan
through digital plat-
forms and offline desk-
top applications. As
many as 66,221 Govt
schools and 87,13,460
children across 33 dis-
tricts have benefitted
from the project. —FIB
GOVT ROLE
Mumbai: Equitybench-
marks Sensex and Nifty
ended marginally lower
on Friday, led by losses
in index majors HDFC
twins, Infosys and Ko-
tak Bank amid negative
global cues.
The 30-share BSE
Sensex declined 20.46
points or 0.03% to end at
58,786.67. Similarly, the
broader NSE Nifty
slipped 5.55 points or
0.03% to 17,511.30.
Titan was the top los-
er in the Sensex pack,
shedding over 1%, fol-
lowed by HDFC, Axis
Bank, Kotak Bank and
Tech Mahindra.
On the other hand,
Asian Paints, SBI,
MM, TCS and Bajaj
Finserv were among the
gainers.
Domestic equities
gave positive returns
this week amid easing
concerns pertaining to
the potential severity of
the Omicron vari-
ant of COV- ID-19,
said Shrikant Chouhan,
Head of Equity Re-
search (Retail), Kotak
Securities.
Sensex and Nifty
gave positive re-
turns of around
1.7% this week.
BSE Midcap
and BSE Small-
cap index out-
performed the
l a r g e r
indices
w i t h
gains ranging between
2-3% this week. The
majority of the secto-
ral indices saw pos-
itive re-
turns.
—PTI
The awards
acknowledge
Vedanta’s
contribution
towards child
welfare and
education
Sensex falls by 20 points, Nifty ends at 17,511
RUPEE HITS 18 MONTH LOW AGAINST DOLLAR TEXTILE INDUSTRY GOES ON STRIKE OVER GST
New Delhi: More than 4,000 textiles
wholesale, retail shops and textile
producers and merchants dealing
with yarn in the district closed
shutters on Friday as part of a one-
day strike called for by the Erode
Textile Merchants Association. The
strike was to protest against the
increase in GST (goods and services
tax) from 5% to 12%. President of
Erode Cloth Merchants Association
Kalaiselvan said the textile industry
and its allied industries into weaving, dyeing, printing and textile trading are
already facing problems of yarn price hike and pollution. Now, he said, the hike
in GST would affect the manufacturing and sale of textile goods. In order to
draw the attention of the Union government to the GST, the textile industry went
on strike, the association president said. —PTI
Mumbai: The rupee dropped by 18
paise to an over 16-month
low of 75.78 on Friday
amid consistent
foreign fund
outflows and
growing concerns
about inflation. At
the interbank
foreign exchange
market, the rupee
opened lower at 75.65 a
dollar and later tanked to the day’s
low of 75.85 in line with a lacklustre
trend in equity markets. The local unit
pared some of the losses in the
closing session to end at 75.78
(provisional), its lowest closing level
since June 22, 2020. The rupee also
declined for a third straight week with
a weekly loss of 66 paise or 0.88%
against the dollar. The US
consumer inflation data for
November would be released later
with experts expecting
t h e CPI to
rise
further.
—PTI
The
local unit
declined for
a third straight
week with a
weekly loss of
66 paise

07
NEWS
ON THE LINES OF ECONOMIC ZONE
GORAKHPUR WILL BECOME ‘SPECIAL
EDUCATION ZONE’: EDU MIN PRADHAN
Gorakhpur will be developed as knowledge city says Union Minister
First India Bureau
Gorakhpur: Union
Minister for Education,
Skill and Entrepreneur-
ship Development
Dharmendra Pradhan
announced to make
Gorakhpur a ‘Special
Education Zone’. Gora-
khpur, developed as a
knowledge city through
three functional and
one under-construction
university, will be made
‘Special Education
Zone’ on the lines of
‘Special Economic
Zone’, said the Union
Edu Min Pradhan while
addressing the conclud-
ing programme of the
89th Founder’s Week
celebrations of Maha-
rana Pratap Education
Council on Friday as
the chief guest.
He said that idea be-
hind this Special Edu-
cation Zone was to
groom students as glob-
al citizens and address-
ing problems of the
world through academ-
ic pursuits. He said the
new education policy
had been prepared in
line with the strategic
changes in the global
scenario and it is aimed
at making the children
of India as global citi-
zens. Describing UP CM
Yogi as an epitome of
successful leadership,
Pradhan lauds that his
leadership never both-
ered about the issues
but always looked at the
solutions. He also ap-
preciated the Goraksh-
peeth in the field of ser-
vice along with religion
and spirituality
.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan during Founder-Week Festival and Prize Distribution Ceremony
of Maharana Pratap Education Council along with UP CM YOGI Adityanath in Gorakhpur on Friday.
The new education policy is based
on producing coming up generation
as a valuable member of global soci-
ety. The objective of this is not to rule the
world but it is for welfare of humanity.
—Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Education Minister
In UP, desertion
continues in BSP
First India Bureau
Lucknow: There is no
end to the political prob-
lems of BSP chief
Mayawati. Even as de-
sertion continues in the
party, the BSP has been
finding it difficult to re-
gain the lost ground.
While the BSP has been
trying to win over Brah-
min community and for
this purpose it has de-
ployed general secre-
tary SC Mishra to un-
dertake extensive tour
of 86 reserved constitu-
encies to mobilise the
Brahmins for the party
a powerful Brahmin
community of Purvan-
chal, which has long
been associated with the
BSP
, has been knocking
atthedoorsof theSama-
jwadi Party
.
In view of anti-party
activities Mayawati has
expelled two sons and a
nephew of former min-
ister Harishankar Ti-
wari. Mayawati not only
sacked party MLA from
Chillupar (Gorakhpur)
Vinay Shankar Tiwari
but also sacked former
MP Bhism Shankar aka
Kaushal Tiwari and for-
mer chairman of Vid-
han Parishad Ganesh
Shankar Pandey
. The
move will give major jolt
to BSP in Purvanchal.
BSP Supremo Mayawati and Gen Secy SC MIshra. —FILE PHOTO
NITI Aayog’s report taps onto gaps
in secondary and tertiary healthcare
First India Bureau
New Delhi: Govt’s
think tank Niti Aayog
released two reports on
comprehensive coun-
try-level assessment of
emergency and injury
care at secondary, ter-
tiary level centres and
district hospitals in In-
dia, on Friday. The re-
ports highlighted the
scope and load of emer-
gency cases, prevailing
gaps in ambulance ser-
vices, health infrastruc-
ture, human resources
and equipment in the
provision of compre-
hensive care.
Dr VK Paul, Member
(Health), Niti Aayog
highlights the impor-
tance for India to em-
bark towards creating a
world-class, efficient
and integrated emer-
gency-care system. He
has pointed out that the
assessment conducted
in this study would be a
key starting point for
these deliberations.
Mathura: The Akhil
Bharat Hindu Mahasa-
bha has made a fresh
request to the adminis-
tration here to allow it
perform Arti of Lord
Krishna on the Shahi
Masjid Idgah complex
on December 10, an of-
fice-bearer of the outfit
said on Friday
.
ABHM national pres-
ident Rajyashree
Chaudhuri said they
has sent a letter to the
district administration
on September 7 also, but
there is no response.
“Without permission,
we will not perform
Arti,” she said.
DM Navneet Singh
Chahal said permission
has not been granted as
there is no question of
allowing any new ritual
there. The admin is
alert and any attempt to
spoil the harmony of
Mathura would invite
deterrent punitive ac-
tion, the DM said.
Officials said nobody
would be allowed to dis-
turb the peace and tran-
quillity of Brajbhumi.
The district administra-
tion had also declared
the temple complex a
Red Zone after deploy-
ing additional security
personnel. —PTI
ABHM makes fresh plea to allow Lord Krishna Arti
MATHURA ‘MUHURAT’?

‘Without
permission, we
will not perform
Arti’ said the
Akhil Bharat
Hindu
Mahasabha’s
national prez
Rajyashree
Chaudhari
THE CLASH
District admin deploys additional security personnel after
declaring temple complex as a Red Zone. —FILE PHOTO
During second wave of Covid Healthcare system was struggling.
Channi lays foundation
stone of Lamrin Tech
Skills University
First India Bureau
Shaheed Bhagat
Singh Nagar: With a
view to increase the
employability and
applied skills of the
youth of the State in
the northern region,
the Punjab CM
Charanjit Singh
Channi on Friday
laid the foundation
stone of the Lamrin
Tech Skills Univer-
sity at Rayat campus
in Railmajra.
In his address, CM
Channi described it
as a red letter day in
the annals of Punjab
when the leading
players of the indus-
trial sector namely
IBM, Tata and Ansys
have joined hands for
a Skill University in
state. “ The idea of
this university took
shape when I was the
Technical Education
and Industrial Train-
ing Minister”, said
Channi.
He exuded confi-
dencethattheUniver-
sity would serve the
purpose of generat-
ing employment and
the three industrial
companieswouldpro-
vide jobs to the pass
outs from the univer-
sity
. Earlier, the pres-
entation of ‘Malwai
Giddha’ completely
mesmerized the audi-
ence with the CM par-
ticularlyappreciating
the stupendous per-
formance.
Punjab CM Channi
wasalsofelicitatedon
the occasion.
CM Channi laying foundation stone. Nirmal Singh Rayat
and Dr. Sandeep Singh Kaura are also seen.
Community engagement is key to achieve
‘Har Ghar Jal’ by 2024: JJM MD Bharat Lal
First India Bureau
New Delhi: A day-long
national workshop on
Information, Education
Communication
(IEC) was held on Fri-
day to deliberate on the
importance of commu-
nity engagement in Jal
Jeevan Mission which
aims to bring ‘ease of
living’ to the people es-
pecially woman and
children living in vil-
lages. More than 70 par-
ticipants from States/
UTs including WSSO
Directors, Chief Engi-
neers and IEC-in charg-
es participated in the
workshop held as a part
of ongoing Jal Jeevan
Samvad.
Additional Secretary
Mission Director, Na-
tional Jal Jeevan Mis-
sion, Bharat Lal deliv-
ering the keynote ad-
dress emphasized the
need for planning. “We
need to understand the
criticality of commu-
nity engagement in
planning, implement-
ing, management, op-
eration and mainte-
nance in-village water
resources, water supply
and surveillance man-
agement system. We
need to strengthen the
PaniSamitis and build
the capacity of various
stakeholders.”
Guj man who made derogatory
remarks on Gen Rawat held
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: The
Ahmedabad Cyber
Crime Cell detained a
44-year-old man in Gu-
jarat on Thursday for
reportedly making in-
sulting remarks on his
Facebook page over the
death of Chief of De-
fence Staff General Bi-
pin Rawat. The police
informed that he was
arrested for his previ-
ous problematic posts
that were discovered
only after the new posts
surfaced.
The accused, Shivab-
hai Ram, is a resident
of Bherai village in Ra-
jula taluka of Gujarat’s
Amreli district. “He is
arrested for his previ-
ous posts, in which he
had made derogatory
remarks about Hindu
deities as well as elected
representatives on his
Facebook page Shivab-
hai Ahir”, said Assis-
tant Commissioner of
Police Jitendra Yadav.
GENERAL’S EXTENDED FAMILY
Family members of army soldiers light candles to pay tributes to Late Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, at
Army Headquarters, in Srinagar on Friday. —PHOTO BY ANI
THE TWO REPORTS
BJP’S ENDEAVOUR TO
WIN OVER MEDICAL
PROFESSIONALS
Gyanendra Kumar Shukla
Lucknow: In order
to retain its power
in UP
, the BJP is
maintaining a bal-
ance of caste equa-
tions as well as fo-
cusing on many
p r o f e s s i o n a l
groups. BJP strate-
gists are going to
launch a special
campaign to con-
nect the profession-
als working in the
medical field. Ac-
cording to data, the
number of people
associated with the
medical field in UP
is quite remarka-
ble. As per the Na-
tional Health Pro-
file 2015, total
65,343 doctors are
registered in UP out
of which 52,274
practice in the state.
On estimating the
number of people
and their families
associated with
govt-pvt hospitals
and pathologies,
they have an impact
on more than two
million people. The
‘Chikitsa Prako-
shth’ (medical cell)
of BJP has been
playing a crucial
role to connect all
these people with
the party. To meet
the challenge of
Mission-2022 BJP’s
medical cell is going
to organize ‘Chikit-
sak Mahasam-
melan’ on Decem-
ber 12 in Lucknow.
Additional Secy Mission
Director, National Jal Jeevan
Mission, Bharat Lal

08
2NDFRONT
WOMEN’S ENROLMENT RISES IN
DefenceServicespostSCverdict
First India Bureau
New Delhi: Post Su-
preme Court order dat-
ed February 17, 2020,
Women Officers are be-
ing granted Permanent
Commission in 10
Arms/Services of Indi-
anArmysubjecttotheir
meeting the Qualitative
Requirementalongwith
the Short Service Com-
missionedMenOfficers.
Women Officers are also
being inducted in Army
Aviation Corps as Pilots
fromJune2021onwards.
This information
was given by Minister
of State (MoS) for De-
fence Ajay Bhatt in Lok
Sabha on Friday
.
He said the govt has
sanctioned enrolment
of 1700 women in Corps
of Military Police in a
phased manner. The
induction of
w o m e n
h a s
commenced from the
year 2020. First batch of
women Military Police
personnel have com-
pleted their training
and reported to units.
Bhatt said the De-
fence Forces have
opened entry for wom-
en candidates in NDA,
allowing girls to appear
in NDA entrance exams
from July 2022 courses
onwards. For the first
batch, written exam
was conducted on No-
vember 14 this year.
The Indian Air Force
(IAF) undertakes vari-
ous induction
publicity
meas-
ures to encourage youth
including women to
join IAF. Modules like
direct contact pro-
gramme, print and elec-
tronic media is exten-
sively used to create
awareness about IAF
and educate students
about various mode of
entries, Bhatt said.
He said the women in
Indian Navy are ap-
pointed onboard war-
ships. Currently 29
women officers are ap-
pointed to ships. Until
2019, women officers
were being commis-
sioned as Pilots and Ob-
servers only for
shore based
aircraft.
However,
in order to employ
women at par with male
officers, women officers have
also been streamed as specialist
Observers into helicopters
commencing 2020.
New Delhi: To ensure
women safety in cy-
berspace, the National
Commission for Women
(NCW) has launched an
online resource centre
to offer help for women
in distress on issues
pertaining to online
safety like cyber bullying,
cyber stalking, financial
frauds, etc under ‘We
Think Digital’programme,
run collaboratively by
the NCW, Facebook and
Cyber Peace Founda-
tion. The online resource
center was inaugurated
by Jharkhand Governor
Ramesh Bais and NCW
Chairperson Rekha
Sharma in the presence
of Major Vineet Kumar,
Founder and Director,
Cyber Peace Founda-
tion, in Ranchi. At the
launch, NCW Chairper-
son Sharma said, “The
Resource Centre will be
a milestone as it will help
women the safe usage of
technology and will also
help them to be safe from
online threats. It will act
as a source of information
and support for online
presence. The centre will
also help in fighting cyber
violence against women
and will help prevent tech
abuse against them.”
The centre will provide
information on cyber
security in the form
of posters, awareness
videos, quizzes and self-
learning modules which
will include lessons with
tips for safe usage and
reporting and redres-
sal of cybercrimes. The
users will also find byte
sized information on
various topics of cyber
security on the website.
The e-learning section of
the resource center will
also let the users take
a short assessment to
gauge the level of knowl-
edge taken through the
course. —FIB
NOW, NCW AIMS TO PROTECT
WOMEN FROM CYBER VIOLENCE TOO
Youthbrigadelasthope
forLefttogainlostground
Kolkata: Pushed to
the margins of West
Bengal politics, the
CPI(M)-led Left Front
is pinning hopes on its
young brigade of ‘Red
Volunteers’ to recover
its lost ground among
the urban electorate in
the upcoming Kolkata
civic polls.
The Left Front,
which had ruled the
state uninterrupted
for three decades, has
for the first time failed
to open its account in
the 294-member House
during the assembly
polls held earlier in
the year.
It had last won civic
polls in the metropolis
in 2005.
Faced with an exis-
tential crisis, the
CPI(M), this time, de-
cided to field young
candidates from its
Red Volunteers bri-
gade — a group of Left
activists in their twen-
ties, who earned acco-
lades for their human-
itarian services amid
the COVID-19 pandem-
ic-induced lockdown.
The front is contest-
ing 127 of the 144 seats
in the Kolkata Munici-
pal Corporation, of
which 47 are members
of the newly formed
brigade.
AccordingtoCPI(M)
sources, the party de-
cided to field young
candidates for the
KMC polls and relieve
some of the aged lead-
ers as a part of the on-
going organisation
overhaul.
“In the past two
years, following the
last state conference,
we have slowly limit-
ed the number of aged
leaders at all the lev-
els of the organisa-
tion. As the party had
been going through a
major overhaul at the
organisational level,
we decided to field
more young faces dur-
ing the assembly polls.
“Although all of
them lost, the vote
share that they man-
aged to get was far
higher than our aver-
age vote share. So this
time, during the KMC
polls, it was a con-
scious decision to field
more young candi-
dates,” a senior CPI
(M) leader said.
—PTI
KOLKATA CIVIC POLLS
SHRINKING BASE
Haryana to send proposal for two-tier
Rly station in Jhajjar dist to Ministry
First India Bureau
Chandigarh: Haryana
Chief Minister Mano-
har Lal Khattar has
said that a proposal to
set up a two-tier railway
station at Asoda village
in Jhajjar district on
the Sonipat-Palwal Or-
bital Railway Corridor
would be sent to the
Ministry of Railways.
Thousands of daily
commuters going from
Bhiwani-Rohtak to
Manesar-Palwal will be
benefited by its con-
struction.
The Chief Minister
said this while speak-
ing during the Janata
Darbar held at his resi-
dence on Thursday
.
Khattar assured that
the demands put by the
villagers of village Aso-
da would be resolved at
the earliest.
During this, Khattar
met about 250 people of
21 delegations and di-
rected the officers of the
concerned departments
to solve their problems.
He assured the baler
machine operator and
the delegation of all
Haryana Crop Residue
Management Commit-
tee that a Committee
would be constituted
under the chairperson-
ship of Additional
Chief Secretary Sumita
Misra for the purpose
of proper management
of stubble.
This Committee will
work towards making
such a system so that
farmers do not burn
stubble in the field and
come forward to cut it
(baling).
Presently the baler
involved in stubble
management is work-
ing on No Profit-No
Loss basis. Under the
upcoming plan, efforts
will be made that Baler
and Farmers’ organiza-
tion should work to-
gether and do proper
management of stub-
ble.
The Chief Minister
assured the delegation
of Ambedkar Student
Association that the
scholarships given to
the students belonging
to Scheduled Castes and
Backward Classes of
Haryana would be re-
leased soon.
MORNI UPLIFT
Gehlotnomics provides Raj
with a ‘positive push’!
ECONOMY BACK ON TRACK?
First India Bureau
Jaipur: The FRBM re-
port has reflected the
positive impact of the
efforts made by Ra-
jasthan Chief Minister
Ashok Gehlot to handle
the economy which suf-
fered a setback during
the corona pandemic.
As per the recently is-
sued report, a reduction
of Rs9,000 crore is there
in revenue deficit com-
pared to last year. The
revenue deficit last year
was around Rs27,000
crore, which was
Rs18,508 crore this year.
As per the report,
which has revealed
the figures from
March to September
2021, there was an in-
crease of 41.85% in ex-
cise revenue while the
revenue from stamps
and registration in-
creased by 38.72%.
The increase in VAT
revenue is 32.04%. Non-
tax revenue of the state
government also in-
creased by 62.76%.
The revenue collec-
tion has seen exponen-
tial growth in the petro-
leum sector. Revenue
from petroleum in-
creased by Rs1,105 crore
in April-September
2021. The state’s reve-
nue deficit for the peri-
od April-September
2021 is Rs28574.72 crore.
Thereporthastermed
the increase in revenue
despite the second wave
of Covid as a positive
sign for the economy
.
However, growing debt
continues to be a chal-
lenge for the state.
GEHLOT TO PAY TRIBUTES TO CDS,
OTHERS AT AMAR JAWAN JYOTI TODAY
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot will pay
tribute to India’s first CDS late General
Bipin Rawat and other officers and
personnel of the Armed Forces, who
died in a helicopter crash, at Amar
Jawan Jyoti at 10.30 am on Saturday.
The general public will also be able to
pay homage. On this occasion, mem-
bers of the Council of Ministers, public representatives,
army officers-soldiers and their families and state gov-
ernment officers-employees will also pay floral tributes.
Rahul’s ‘Relaunch’ through ‘maha-rally’ at Jaipur, once again!
Yogesh Sharma
Jaipur: With the day of
‘Maharally’ approach-
ing, the Congress has
intensified its work to
make the rally against
inflation as major suc-
cess and as a result, the
grand-old party has put
into use all its ‘resourc-
es’. However, perhaps
an even major develop-
ment for the party
would be the ‘relaunch-
ing’ of former party
president Rahul Gan-
dhi from this ‘national
rally’ at Jaipur!
In fact, political ob-
servers believe that
signs of re-emergence
of ‘Rahul era’ are being
seen again in the Con-
gress, and the inflation
rally will serve as the
perfect platform for the
purpose. The sheer
number of hoardings of
Rahul Gandhi put up
around Jaipur speak
volumes in this regard
andthe‘relevantcircles’
of the party are abuzz
with the talk of project-
ing Rahul Gandhi as the
future President
through this rally
. Nota-
bly, Congress organisa-
tional elections are to be
heldinAugustnextyear.
During the UPA era,
a ‘Chintan Shivir’ had
been organised in
Jaipur wherein the is-
sue of making Rahul
Gandhi the National
President of Congress
was proposed for the
first time, although for
some reason at that
time Rahul could not
become the President,
but by making him the
Vice President, the
road was cleared for
making him the Na-
tional President in the
future, and later, Rahul
Gandhi became the Na-
tional President.
Now preparations
are on in full swing to
re-launch Rahul
through the December
12 rally, in the midst of
the pan-India organisa-
tional elections in the
Congress.
So, one of the rea-
sons for projecting Ra-
hul Gandhi as the fu-
ture President is that
party leaders believe
that the chance of hold-
ing such a big nation-
wide rally, wherein, a
crowd of lakhs of peo-
ple can gather and all
the workers and leaders
of the party would also
be present, by Septem-
ber next year, is very
slim.
A Mumbai-based agency on Friday, shot a song on
inflation with Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot at the
CM Residence. The song based on the theme of
the rally ‘inflation,’ has been written by the famous
lyricist Swanand Kirkire and will be released during
the Congress’ ‘Mehangai Hatao Maharally’ on
December 12. According to the sources, a studio in
Jaipur was opened as early as 6.30 a.m. on Friday to
procure the equipment for shooting the song.
GEHLOT SHOOTS SONG FOR RALLY
A huge poster of Rahul Gandhi being put up at the Vidhyadhar
Nagar Stadium in Jaipur on Friday ahead of Congress’
December 12 Maharally. —PHOTO BY SANTOSH SHARMA
We all win and lose in life, the
point in either one is to
remember the lesson.
—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO Editor-in-Chief, First India
Haryana Chief Minister Khattar presides over a meeeting officials in Gurugram on Friday.

NEW DELHI, SATURDAY
DECEMBER 11, 2021
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia
facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia 09
UNFETTERED SOUL
ead ahead for a
s n e a k - p e e k
into the life of
this young
model as she
reveals her as-
pirations and
future plans in an ex-
clusive interview
with City First.
Q: Tell us some-
thing about your-
self.
A: Myself Priya
Arora, I’m cur-
rently perusing
BA. I’m very fond
of acting, danc-
ing, modeling
and travelling.
I’m a very opti-
mistic woman
and I love being in
front of camera.
Q: What does
the future hold
for you?
A: My future plans
are that I want to do
modeling in more
shows like First
Miss India as it was a
great opportunity for
me. I see myself to be
a supermodel and
actress in the com-
ing years where I
live a peaceful
life with my
family
.
Q: When did you de-
cide to take up model-
ling?
A: When I was a child,
whenever I saw TV and
girls doing modeling in
shows and songs,
I wished that one day
,
Iwouldalsowanttostand
on that place. Also, I love
creatingvideosandenjoy
being in front of the
camera.
Q: If not a model,
what would you be?
A: I never thought this
but if not a model, I
would be an air hostess
because I like to meet
new people with differ-
ent nationality and I
also enjoy visiting new
places and chance to
learn new thing.
Q: What inspires you?
A: I am my own inspira-
tion. I may not be the
best but, I try to be bet-
ter than my previous
self. My mother is also
my inspiration because
I see a bit of her in my-
self. Whatever she does,
she does fearlessly
.
Q: Is there anything
else that you would
like to share with the
audience?
A: Yes, I would like to
share that whatever the
profession you choose,
do it with full dedica-
tion, efforts and confi-
dence. Never make your
weakness into a fear.
Rather, turn it into your
strength. Never give up
in life and remember,
‘Practice makes a man
perfect’.
Young, fearless and a woman with big dreams, Priya Arora from Phagwara,
Punjab, aced every talent round in the First Miss India Teen 2021 held in Goa
POORVI SINGHAL
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
R

ppreciation, like
a good meal, is
more enjoyable
when shared. We
are happier when
we feel appreci-
ated. And when
we express our apprecia-
tion, we make others hap-
py. Our words are always
remembered and treas-
ured by the recipient.
The word ‘appreciate’
means to esteem, to value
highly and to approve
warmly
. If there is appre-
ciation, it will be evident
in the things we say and
do. Just like plants need
light and water to bloom,
we need to feel appreciat-
ed to thrive.
In this era of throw-
away marriages, it is all
too easy to take a partner
for granted and to magni-
fy flaws and downplay
good traits. Such thinking
erodes marriage, turning
it into a burden.
Both partners work
hard and sometimes, they
may feel that their efforts
are unappreciated. Some
wives tend to overlook the
incredible pressure there
is on husbands. Also, hus-
bands often underesti-
mate a wife’s efforts to
support the house,
through earning, raising
children, or homemaking.
One can ask oneself,
“do I regularly say ‘thank
you’ to my partner for do-
ing daily chores that are
easily taken for granted?
Is my partner really with-
out good qualities?”
What if the other part-
ner does not reciprocate
the appreciation shown?
Realization, that thankful-
ness leads to inner satis-
faction and is a sign of
maturity
, will prevent one
to respond indifferently
.
When a commenda-
tion is withheld, rela-
tions do not remain as
warm and pleasant as
they might be. This
was once noticed by a
guest. After a deli-
cious meal, he said to
his host that his wife
was a good cook. The
husband said, “I
know it, but I’m not
telling her.” The
husband felt that
praise would make
his wife conceited.
Genuine words
of thankfulness
give the assurance
that what has been
done is acceptable, and
one’s efforts are not in
vain. Both verbal and non-
verbal reassurances can
do much to improve the
health of a marriage. A
phone call or a message
can be very heart-touch-
ing and can deepen the
bonds of a relationship.
Praise and gratitude
leave no room for cruelty
behind closed doors, nor
for words that hurt and
humiliate, or for the cold
shoulder treatment where
days may pass without a
civil or kind word being
spoken. Marriage is not
automatically a shelter
from loneliness. Among
the loneliest people are
couples trapped in a mar-
riage in which there is no
real communication.
One couple, who had
been married for nearly
twentyyears,suddenlysaw
their marriage was shat-
tered. How could this
happen? “When I
analysed what
happened over the years,”
said the wife, “I realized
thatwemostlytalkedabout
household matters, but
there was no real talk on a
personal basis.”
Personal communica-
tion can be hindered due
to differences in tempera-
ments of both partners.
Some are reticent, shy
about expressing
themselves. Oth-
ers can be capti-
vated by the
recreation-oriented cul-
ture and always desire to
have many people around
them. There can be times
when partners confide in
each other but if feelings
are disregarded or belit-
tled, or even used against
each other; both partners
might put up a wall of re-
serve.
Valuing one’s partner
offsets stress and severe
tension and prevents
painful breakups.
Emotional distancing
results when one does not
feel appreciated by one’s
partner. Then, it is easier
to be drawn to someone
who does make one feel
special.
A husband and wife
who truly value each oth-
er will always honour one
another. They will do so
not only when they are
in public, but at all
times.
After being married
for many years, one
can stop noticing the
good he/she does and
tend to focus more on
what he/she is not do-
ing. Making a goal to be
observant and being
grateful for all the ef-
forts, generosity, care –
both large and small –
will help one to discern
what to say
. This type of
deep thinking is the soil
in which appreciation
grows.
May we try each day to
praise and thank our fam-
ily members. This may be
just what another person
needs to make it through
one more day. We can
strengthen marriage and
build bonds of friendship
that can last forever.
Expressing
Appreciation
MARITAL
BLUES
REKHA KUMAR
The writer is a personal development
trainer working with the corporate
and SME sector
10
ETC
VRAT
ACHARYA,
Video
Editor
FACE
OF
THE
DAY!
Aries
MARCH 21 - APRIL 20
Those looking for
buying a house can get
a good bargain.
Appreciation is in store
for some homemakers.
A professional victory is yours if you
play your cards well today. Those in
business will be able to maintain good
earning. You are likely to enjoy good
health. Young lovers are likely to enjoy.
Gemini
MAY 21 - JUNE 21
Your professionalism in
handling problem areas
will be appreciated. You
will find family life more
than fulfilling. A senior
is likely to put in a good word for you to
the higher ups. Financially, you will be
able to consolidate your position.
Exercise care in matters of health.
Lover may become your strength.
Leo
JULY 24 - AUGUST 23
Remaining on the good
side of those who
matter on the academic
front will help you
achieve much. Good
tidings of your well wishers will keep
you going on the professional front. A
family elder may look up to you for
guidance. Keep an eye on your
spendings.
Libra
SEPTEMBER 24 - OCTOBER 22
You may get busy
organising something
on the social front. You
may need to put your
ideas into action, if you
want to prove yourself. A party may be
thrown in your honour at work. Your
good performance is likely to be
noticed by higher ups. Health-wise a
good day is foreseen.
Sagittarius
NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 22
A change of job is likely
to give you better salary
and perks. This is the
time when you enjoy
yourself with a new
group of friends or colleagues. Those
in business will soon get a chance to
make profits. A new deal is likely to
come through and give you a taste of
success.
Aquarius
JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 19
You will succeed in
putting your stagnant
love life back on the
track. Professionals will
be able to give their
best in a new situation. Financially, this
day may prove lucky for you, so go ask
for the raise that is keeping you on
tenterhooks. Don’t take any chances
with your health today.
Taurus
APRIL 21 - MAY 20
Good luck promises to
brighten your day. Some
positive changes can be
expected on the home
front. New avenues for
earning open up as you get more
determined. Fitness through extra
efforts is assured for the deskbound.
Chances of making a plan together fr
lovers is possible.
Cancer
JUNE 22 - JULY 23
Buying new furniture or
a major appliance is
possible. With good
networking, a prized
posting can be yours .
Those trying to get back their money
will succeed. A healthy phase of life
begins for some. Your love life is likely
to give you immense joy, so make the
right moves.
Virgo
AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 23
Your reputation is likely
to boost your image on
the social front. This is
an excellent day to
spend time with family.
Good planning will see you complete a
task at work in record time. Monetary
front grows strong for some. You enjoy
excellent health. Those seeking love are
likely to get lucky.
Scorpio
OCTOBER 23 - NOVEMBER 22
Praise and honour are
likely to greet you in
something that you
have managed to
achieve. You will be a
pillar of strength to a friend or
associate. A good day at work is
foreseen as you make your mark.
Financial front remains stable. Health
remains fine.
Capricorn
DECEMBER 23 - JANUARY 20
On the social front, the
day finds you in your
element. Something
special awaits you on
the romantic front
today. A family youngster is likely to do
you proud. Your strategy to promote
yourself on the professional front will
bear fruits. You may need to speed up
things on the academic front.
Pisces
FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 20
Those in love with the
adventures are likely to
chase the excitement
very soon. Your own
happiness is in your
hands today. This is a favourable day
for completing pending jobs.
Financially, no problems are foreseen.
It is best to avoid outside food. Much
fun is in store on the social front.
YOUR DAY Horoscopeby
SaurabbhSachdeva
Whatsapp Subscription
Subscribe “First India” Daily
E-News Paper For Free On Whatsapp
To Receive the Most Exclusive News from
the Power Corridors of Rajasthan Delhi.
A
“I have a full
schedule, but when
my husband tells me
that he is proud of
me for all I do, I
feel reassured
and comforted.”
—SAYS A WIFE
“Daily life is full of
challenges that sap
my physical and
emotional energy.
My wife’s words
of appreciation
recharge me.”
—SAYS A HUSBAND

ETC
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia NEW DELHI | SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2021
11
CHALO, PAHAADON
PE CHALTE HAI!
PE CHALTE HAI!
PE CHALTE HAI!
PE CHALTE HAI!
PE CHALTE HAI!
PE CHALTE HAI!
PE CHALTE HAI!
PE CHALTE HAI!
PE CHALTE HAI!
PE CHALTE HAI!
PE CHALTE HAI!
PE CHALTE HAI!
ASTHE WORLD CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN DAYTODAY, CITY
FIRST ASKED ITS READERS ABOUT SOME OFTHE CRAZIEST, MOST
ADVENTUROUSTRIPSTHEY’VE HADTOTHE MOUNTAINS ANDTHE
RESPONSES WILL HAVEYOU PLANNING ONETOO!
remember my first
trip to the moun-
tains, exhilarated
by the snow,
weighed down by
the coats, I dragged
my feet while lug-
ging the backpack to my
lodge, welcoming the
most breathtaking view
of my 19 years of exist-
ence through a creaking
window. From a raging
party in Kasol to a 26 KM
trek in Tosh, a gushing
cold-hot stream in Cha-
laal to snow caped moun-
tains of the Solang, the
trip with my cousins
(read siblings) was as
soul-warming as spine-
tingling. I had the time of
my life with ‘Pahaadis’,
coyly smirking at us
while we hopped from one
Israeli cafe to another,
climbing up mountains
we didn’t know existed!
Looking back at my
time in Himachal, I’m all
the more intrigued to lis-
ten to other fulfilling sto-
ries of globe-trotters from
across the country and
how they found comfort
in the most majestic
peaks of the world. To
mark International
Mountain Day on Decem-
ber 11, our readers shared
some magnificent pic-
tures shot by them amid
the gigantic mountains
while narrating tales of
their travel!
I
POORVI SINGHAL
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
It was 2019, I went for a trip with my cousins to Kasol, Himachal and it was by far,
one of the best trips I’ve had in terms of thelandscape, engaging with the locals,
treks and just the overall experience. From snow to cafes, we saw it all and trust
me, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. —GAURAL GUPTA, GUJARAT
One of the best trips of my life, could never get over the
joy it filled me with, was to a temple in Itharna Village,
Dehradun. One of the purest yet underrated places, the
journey to this destination fills you with giddiness and joy as you
pass via the narrow winding roads, it adds adventure and thrill
as you go along. —AKANKSHA SHARMA, GUJARAT
My hometown is cosily nestled in the Garhwal hills of
Uttarakhand. Chamoli is a scenic cliff dotted with fasci-
nating cascades, towering mountain peaks, with a string
of beautiful Pahadi houses. Amidst the milky white clouds
and silver streams here, I have learnt to work and live for my
dreams. —BABITA NEGI, DELHI
“Sab kuch
bhul gyi
me us
nazare me,
ehsaas mila
mujhe esa,
kho gyi me un
vadiyon me
jese”
These lines
are dedicated
to my best
Mountain
and Trekking
experience to
Chandrashila
peak (12000
feet). I will
forever cherish
that time.
—NISHI GARG,
RAJASTHAN
I once went to Manali with my friends and that was
my first time in the mountains. I felt so relieved to be
amidst nature that I wanted to keep coming back to
it. I thoroughly enjoyed the hot Maggi + chai combination
and loved the Rohtang Pass. I guess I felt like a kid, experi-
encing snow for the first time ever.
—RAHUL TAK, RAJASTHAN
The
trip from Leh to
Ladakh is close to my
heart. It was initially a solo trip
I was going to do. But somehow
our whole group got convinced to do
a Leh Ladakh road trip. This trip is very
special to me because nobody saw me
riding bikes in the city that much and
never expected to be riding it on the
highest motorable road in the world.
It was like the highest point of
my life
—SIDDHARTH, UP

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