23032022_First India_Ahmedabad.pdf

‘BANKING SECTOR MUST PRIORITIZE
AGRICULTURE, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY’
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: Calling
on the banking sector to
prioritize agriculture,
Chief Minister Bhupen-
dra Patel on Tuesday
addressed a meeting of
the 172nd state-level
Bankers’ Committee in
Gandhinagar.
He asked the banking
sector to undertake ini-
tiatives for agriculture,
animal husbandry, fish-
eries and ensure that
people receive full ben-
efit of provisions made
in the Budget for loan
financing. Patel further
requested for digitiza-
tion of banking servic-
es so that everyone,
even a citizen living in
a remote rural area,
could access banking
services at home.
“Banks will have to
develop their own
framework to achieve
the targets set in the
Budget this year for
providing loans at zero
percent interest, as well
as the benefits of the
Kisan Credit Card, in
the livestock and fisher-
ies sectors,” he said.
The CM added, “Over
9,800 branches of differ-
ent banks are serving
the state and more than
12,000 ATMs are also
easily accessible to the
citizens. The campaign
launched by the state
government for survey
of beneficiaries and
property cards in 14,800
villages under Swamit-
va Yojana will facilitate
banks in its implemen-
tation.”
CM Bhupendra Patel addressing dignitaries at the gathering in
Gandhinagar on Tuesday.
At the 172nd state-level Bankers’ Committee
meet, CM Patel asked banks to frame
initiatives to ensure benefits reach citizens
RUSSIA WAR COULD LEAD TO FAMINE
IN OTHER NATIONS: ZELENSKYY
Rome: Russia’s attack
on Ukraine risks caus-
ing famine in countries
around the world,
Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
told the Italian parlia-
ment on Tuesday, urg-
ing greater help to de-
feat the invaders.
Inhislatestaddressto
Western lawmakers,
Zelenskyy said that his
people were clinging to
survival, with the Rus-
sian military devastat-
ing Ukrainian cities and
slaughtering civilians.
“For Russian troops,
Ukraine is the gates of
Europe, where they
want to break in, but
barbarism must not be
allowedtopass,”hesaid,
adding that the conse-
quences of the war were
already being felt in
manypartsof theworld.
“The most terrible
thing will be the famine
that is approaching for
somecountries.Ukraine
has always been one of
the largest food export-
ers, but how can we sow
(crops)underthestrikes
of Russian artillery?”
Washington: US President
Joe Biden has said that India
was an exception among
Washington’s allies with its
“shaky” response to the Rus-
sian attack of Ukraine. Biden
lauded the US-led alliance,
including NATO, the European
Union and key Asian partners,
for its united front against
President Vladimir Putin.
Kyiv: The Kremlin said on
Tuesday it would like the
ongoing
negotiations
with Kyiv
aimed at
ending
Russia’s
military
action in Ukraine to have
more substance. “There
is some kind of process
happening. We would like
more active and substantial
(talks),” Kremlin spokes-
man Dmitry Peskov told
journalists. “We would like
a more substantial and
swift answer,” he said.
Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, a co-
winner of last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, said
on Tuesday he would donate his Nobel medal
to be auctioned to raise funds for Ukrainian
refugees. The Novaya Gazeta newspaper, where
Muratov is editor-in-chief, in early March said
it would remove material on Russia’s military
actions in Ukraine from its website because of
censorship, in response to threats of criminal
prosecution of journalists and citizens who
veer from the government’s official line.
New Delhi: SP president Akhilesh
Yadav and jailed SP leader Azam
Khan on Tuesday resigned from
the Lok Sabha, after being elected
to the State legislative Assembly.
A senior SP leader confirmed that
Akhilesh and Azam have resigned
from their parliamentary seats of
Azamgarh and Rampur.
New Delhi: Noting that
various mathemati-
cal models meant for
predicting coronavirus
waves have repeatedly
failed to give reliable re-
sults due to a small sam-
ple size, the Centre on
Tuesday said it is closely
following the virus
trajectory globally, given
the emergence of new
variants. INSACOG Con-
sortium of laboratories
is undertaking genome
sequencing of samples
for a timely detection of
the mutant variants, the
Govt replied.
US PRESIDENT BIDEN
CALLS INDIA ‘SHAKY’
WANT MORE ‘ACTIVE
AND SUBSTANTIAL’
TALKS: KREMLIN
RUSSIAN NOBEL LAUREATE
DONATES MEDAL FOR REFUGEES
‘MLAS’ AKHILESH &
AZAM RESIGN FROM LS
CLOSELY
FOLLOWING COVID
TRAJECTORY
GLOBALLY: GOVT
Ukrainian president called Tuesday on Pope Francis to mediate in his
country’s conflict with Russia to help alleviate human suffering
WB: 8 burnt alive
after murder of
panchayat leader
Kolkata: At least eight
people were burnt alive
and bodies were found
from burnt-down homes
in Rampurhat village in
WestBengal,hoursafter
a local TMC panchayat
leader was killed in a
bomb attack on Monday
night. Soon after he was
declared dead, several
people set ablaze homes
in his village Bogtui.
Bengal Chief Minis-
ter and Trinamool Con-
gress chief Mamata Ba-
nerjeehassetupathree-
member team to probe
the incident. Local me-
dia has reported that
there was tension in the
Bogtui village of Ram-
purhat since Monday,
when the Barshal Gram
Panchayat vice-presi-
dent Bhadu Sheikh was
allegedly murdered.
The houses which
were set on fire are 200
metres from Sheikh’s
house. At least seven to
eight houses were found
completely burnt in the
fire, media reported.
CRUCIAL READ
PM: Let’s reaffirm our
pledge to save water
Thackeray’s
relative
raided by ED
New Delhi (Agencies):
On World Water Day
,
Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi reiterated his
callforsavingeverydrop
of water and said it is
heartening to see water
conversation become a
massmovementoverthe
lastfewyears.Healsoap-
preciated all individuals
and organisations work-
ing towards conserving
water. “On World Water
Day
, let’s reaffirm our
pledgetosaveeverydrop
of water. Our nation is
undertaking numerous
measureslikeJalJeevan
Mission to ensure water
conservation and access
to clean drinking water
for our citizens,” Modi
said in a tweet.
“It is heartening to
see water conversation
become a mass move-
ment, with innovative
efforts taking place in
all parts of the na-
tion,” he added.
Mumbai: The Enforce-
ment Directorate on
Tuesday provisionally
attached immovable as-
sets belonging to Maha-
rashtra Chief Minister
Uddhav Thackeray’s
brother-in-law Shridhar
Madhav Patankar. The
properties, including 11
residential units in
‘Neelambari’ project in
Thane, are worth more
than Rs 6 crore. They be-
long to a firm, Shree Sai-
baba Grihanirmiti Pvt
Ltd &, owned by Pa-
tankar. The investiga-
tion is currently under-
way
. Earlier, the MVA
govt had accused Cen-
tral agencies of working
in a vindictive manner.
Sonia now meets G21’s
Sharma and Tewari
Fuel,gas price hike rocks Lok
Sabha,Opposition stages walkout
New Delhi (ANI): Days
after meeting Ghulam
Nabi Azad, Congress
president Sonia Gandhi
on Tuesday met some
more leaders of the
G-21 grouping includ-
ing Anand Sharma,
Manish Tewari and
Vivek Tankha at her
residence and held dis-
cussions on resolving
internal party issues.
It is learnt that dur-
ing the meeting, the
leaders suggested ways
to strengthen the Con-
gress party and revive it
to help take on the BJP
in the upcoming polls.
According to the par-
ty sources, Gandhi is
likely to meet some
more leaders of the
G-21 in the coming days.
Thesemeetingsarebe-
ing held amidst indica-
tions that some of these
leaders may be accom-
modated in the CWC.
New Delhi (ANI):
Members of opposition
parties protested
against the rise in the
prices of petrol, diesel,
and domestic cooking
gas in the Lok Sabha on
Tuesday and staged a
walkout demanding a
rollback. Raising the is-
sue during Zero Hour in
the Lower House, Con-
gress leader Adhir Ran-
jan Chowdhury said the
prices of petrol, diesel
and LPG cylinder have
been increased sudden-
ly. “All the apprehen-
sions we had expressed
about fuel price hike
after the assembly polls
have proved true today
,”
Chowdhury added.
Jagdeep Dhankhar
@jdhankhar1
Horrifying violence
and arson orgy
#Rampurhat #Birb-
hum indicates state
is in grip of violence
culture and lawless-
ness. Already eight
lives lost. Have
sought urgent update
on the incident from
Chief Secretary. My
thoughts are with
the families of the
bereaved.
Cops inspect site of incident in Rampurhat village on Tuesday.
The prices of petrol and diesel have been raised by 80 paise per
litre and LPG cylinder has become costlier by Rs 50.
HARYANA
PASSES ANTI-
CONVERSION
BILL
LALU’S HEALTH
DETERIORATES,
TO BE SHIFTED
AIIMS DELHI
New Delhi: The Hary-
ana Government on
Tuesday passed the
Haryana Prevention
of Unlawful Conver-
sion of Religious Bill,
2022. The Bill was
tabled in the Vidhan
Sabha on March 4.
According to the Bill,
the onus of proof lies
with the accused. If
conversion is done
by allurement, use
of force, fraudulent
means of coercion,
then there is a provi-
sion of imprisonment
of one to five years
and a fine of not less
than Rs 1 lakh.
New Delhi: Incarcerat-
ed RJD supremo Lalu
Prasad’s health condi-
tion has deteriorated
and he will be shifted
to AIIMS New Delhi for
better treatment, of-
ficials said on Tuesday.
A medical board of
the Rajendra Institute
of Medical Sciences
(RIMS) referred him to
AIIMS New Delhi. Dr
Vidyapati, head of the
team said, “The board
has recommended
that Prasad be referred
to AIIMS. We have
forwarded the recom-
mendation to the jail
superintendent.”
Anand Sharma
Sonia Gandhi Manish Tewari
AHMEDABAD l WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2022 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/79050 l Vol 3 l Issue No. 116
OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD, LUCKNOW & NEW DELHI www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
.
New Delhi: India’s air pollution worsened in 2021, according to the World Air Quality
Report released by IQAir, a Swiss firm. This ends a three-year trend of improving air
quality. The average air pollution, measured in the lethal and microscopic PM2.5 pollut-
ant, is 58.1 micrograms per cubic meter, which is more than 10 times the World Health
Organisation’s (WHO) air quality guidelines. No city in India met the WHO standard.
63 INDIAN CITIES
IN 100 MOST
POLLUTED PLACES
ON EARTH: REPORT
Pokrov: A Russian court on Tuesday found jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny guilty
of additional charges and extended his sentence to nine years in a higher security
prison as Moscow seeks to wipe out remaining pockets of dissent. The sentencing
came on the 27th day of what Moscow calls its “special military operation” in pro-
Western Ukraine, with thousands killed and some 10 million displaced.
PUTIN CRITIC
ALEXEI NAVALNY’S
SENTENCED TO 9
YEARS IN PRISON

NEWS
AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2022
02
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
First India Bureau
Mumbai: Industrial
and logistics parks de-
veloper IndoSpace on
Tuesday said it is en-
hancing its presence in
the west region with
investments in two sig-
nificant projects near
Ahmedabad. Spread
over 90 acres, these two
facilities will be locat-
ed in Becharaji and
Bavla. However, the
company did not dis-
close the quantum of
investment in the two
projects.
“After establishing a
strong presence in Cha-
kan (Pune) in the west-
ern region, we are ex-
cited to further
strengthen our pres-
ence in Gujarat, which
is one of India’s impor-
tant industrial hubs,”
said Rajesh Jaggi, Vice
Chairman-Real Estate,
Everstone Group.
IndoSpace is jointly
promoted by Everstone
Group, GLP and Re-
alterm.
The location of the
two facilities are ideal
for the development of
industrial, warehous-
ing and logistics facili-
ties, the company said,
adding that the park in
Becharaji is strategi-
cally located on the out-
skirts of the Mandal
Becharaji Special In-
vestment Region (MB-
SIR), adjacent to state
highway SH-19, and ac-
cessible to both indus-
trial and transit hubs.
The park in Bavla is
in proximity to the
Changodar-Bagodara
industrial belts, on the
Ahmedabad-Rajkot Na-
tional Highway 47, of-
fers Grade A infrastruc-
ture to many large and
medium industrial and
warehousing develop-
ments, it stated.
“We aim at serving
companies in the auto-
motive (including Bat-
tery Electric Vehicle
(BEV) and BEV batter-
ies manufacturing), e-
commerce, and retail
industries. We plan to
leverage on the manu-
facturing growth in
the state and provide
our world-class Grade
A logistics infrastruc-
ture to customers
across industries,”
Jaggi added.
Gujarat accounts for
nearly a quarter of the
country’s exported
goods, and many global
industrial developers
and major businesses
have their headquar-
ters in the park’s vicin-
ity
.
Additionally, Maruti
Suzuki, Honda, Toyota
are a few automotive
companies located
around the parks, and
therefore IndoSpace in
Becharaji and Bavla are
ideal for businesses
across the sectors that
are looking to expand
and strengthen their
presence in the state, it
added.
IndoSpace to set up two logistics parks near Ahmedabad
EXPANSION IN THE WEST

Facilities will
be located in
Becharaji and
Bavla, which
are in close
proximity of
industrial,
transit hubs &
warehouses
80% jari production ceased due to Ukraine-Russia conflict
First India Bureau
Surat: Surge in prices
of commodities such as
steel and yarn due to on-
going tensions between
Ukraine and Russia
have indirectly affected
the Surti jari industry.
Around 80% jari units
have had to stop produc-
tion. Owners are asking
workers to stay at home
for longer periods of
time, due to inflation in
raw material prices.
Boasting of over 2,000
jari manufacturing
units, Surat city only
has 400 that are current-
ly in production.
Purvesh Rana, a jari
unit owner from Surat,
said, “The jari industry
forms a very old busi-
ness on a local level. It
has been transferred
from one generation to
another through time.
And, the cost of materi-
al has increased to such
an extent for the first
time. I believe it is the
effect of the Ukraine-
Russia conflict.”
The demand for Surti
jari has decreased over
time due to the price
rise of gold, silver.
Moreover, the low har-
vest of cotton last year
has affected prices of
the cotton thread. Even
silk prices have surged
Rs7,000 per kilogram to
Rs35,000 per kilogram.
Thus, manufacture of
silk sarees has declined
and that has affected the
jari industry as well.
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: In order
to brainstorm strate-
gies to usurp Bharati-
ya Janata Party (BJP)
in the upcoming Guja-
rat assembly elections,
state Congress leaders
are camping in New
Delhi to hold meetings
with national leader
Rahul Gandhi. Gujarat
Congress In-charge Dr
Raghu Sharma and
Gujarat Pradesh Con-
gress Committee
(GPCC) President Jag-
dish Thakor discussed
strategy to be followed
during polls in a meet-
ing held on Tuesday.
Arjun Modhwadia, La-
lji Desai and other sen-
ior leaders were also
present.
Leader of Opposition
Sukhram Rathva, who
was to join Thakor and
Sharma, could not do so
as his flight from
Ahmedabad was can-
celled on Tuesday.
Turning back from the
airport, the LoP then
showed up at the Vid-
han Sabha in Gandhi-
nagar for the ongoing
session.
After an abysmal
show in five state elec-
tions, Gujarat polls are
important for the Con-
gress party. In election
mode, state leaders are
consulting with senior
guards in the party to
outline its programmes
for the campaigns.
Meanwhile, as part
of its series of events to
commemorate the 75th
year of India’s Inde-
pendence, the Congress
will take out two ‘paday-
atras’ to highlight its
contributions in the
freedom struggle and
spread the message of
communal harmony
.
One of them -- the
‘Gandhi Gaurav Yatra’
-- will begin from the
Gandhi Ashram in
Ahmedabad on April 06
and will end in Delhi on
June 01, after covering
1,200 km through Guja-
rat, Rajasthan, Hary-
ana and Delhi.
The march that will
be managed by the Con-
gress Seva Dal coin-
cides with the end of
Mahatma Gandhi’s
Dandi March on April
06, 1930 to oppose the
salt law introduced by
the British.
Gujarat Congress leaders
camp in Delhi to meet RaGa
To discuss strategies for state assembly polls slated for December this year
Rahul Gandhi Dr Raghu Sharma Jagdish Thakor
First India Bureau
Rajkot/Gandhinagar:
Two leaders of the Koli
community have ignit-
ed quests to gain more
power and establish
themselves as the main
political representative
of the community in
Gujarat. In response to
former cabinet minister
Kunvarji Bavaliya’s re-
cent gathering, Bharati-
ya Janata Party (BJP)
former Surendranagar
MP Devji Fatehpara has
decided to convene a
separate meeting of the
community
.
Addressing media
persons on Tuesday,
Fatehpara said, “For-
mer state cabinet minis-
ter Kunvarji Bavaliya,
union minister of state
Ayush Mahendra Mun-
japara and Dhran-
gadhra MLA Parshot-
tamSabariyaarebarred
from attending this
meeting.”
Criticising the par-
ty’s Koli leaders, the for-
mer MP stated, “None
of them are community
leaders in the real sense.
They were imposed
upon the community by
party leaders. If senior
leaders continue to side-
line real leaders of the
community, they will
have to pay for it. There
are 54 assembly seats of
the Saurashtra region,
and Koli community
voters decide the fate of
candidates in 32 of
them.”
Muslims, Koli Tha-
kors vote for the same
party, and around 80 to
90% electors in the com-
munity exercise their
voting rights, he added.
After being ignored
by party state leader-
ship in favour of Baval-
iya, sources believe that
Fatehpara is looking to
prove his political im-
portance as his ego has
been hurt.
Meanwhile, Koli com-
munity leaders from the
Congress party are si-
lently watching on as
theinternalfightamong
BJP Koli leaders un-
folds. Congress MLA
from Chotila Rutvik
Makwana told First In-
dia, “It is a war of exist-
ence. Fatehpara be-
lieves his importance is
at stake as Bavaliya is
grabbing more power.
Let them decide inter-
nally on who is more
powerful. The Koli com-
munity has nothing to
do with their power
struggle.”
‘BJP LEADERS WANT TO JOIN CONG’
Koli community meeting convened in Rajkot
last week; (inset) Former Surendranagar
MP Devji Fatehpara. —FILE PHOTO
First India Bureau
Palanpur/ Jamna-
gar: Hundreds of
women gathered at
the Malana village on
Tuesday to chalk out
a plan for a major
protest on March 25,
demanding the re-
lease of water for ir-
rigation purposes.
For almost a month,
Banaskantha farm-
ers have been de-
manding water from
the government, but
the state remains un-
moved.
A week ago, farm-
ers from the area had
carried out a tractor
rally, requesting the
government to re-
lease water from the
Narmada canal or the
Sujalam Sufalam
scheme and fill the
Malana Lake. They
believe that if the
lake gets filled with
water, underground
water levels will im-
prove, which will
solve drinking water
and irrigation woes.
Earlier, farmers had
submitted a memo-
randum to the dis-
trict authorities with
their demand.
Water shortage is
not limited to only
Banaskantha or
North Gujarat, as
people from Kutch
and Saurashtra are
also demanding more
water. Farmers in
Jamnagar’s rural ar-
eas have asked that
the government re-
lease additional wa-
ter reserves from the
Kankavati water res-
ervoir.
With the onset of
summer, water levels
in the reservoirs are
declining. This
means that the state
may be hit by severe
water shortage if the
monsoon rains are
delayed even by a
week.
Women at the planning session in Malana village onTuesday.
Tussle for power
between BJP Koli
leaders evident
Rajkot dist panchayat allocates
` 26.85 crore for 2022-23
First India Bureau
Rajkot: The financial
budget of Rajkot dis-
trict panchayat for the
year 2022-23 was an-
nounced on Monday.
Total allocation of
funds to the civic body
came to Rs26.85 crore,
which is four crore ru-
pees more than the
Rs22.83 crore budget ap-
proved last year.
Giving importance to
the agricultural sector,
a separate provision of
Rs2.89 crore has been
set aside for irrigation.
Apart from promoting
the Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employ-
ment Guarantee Act
(MGNREGA) scheme,
the budget has also giv-
en importance to wom-
en empowerment, cam-
paign against malnutri-
tion, organic farming
and wi-fi internet con-
nection in villages.
However, the opposi-
tion bench of the civic
body termed the budget
as “a figure game” and
said that agriculture,
animal husbandry, edu-
cation and health sector
have not been given due
importance.
As compared to 2021,
the budget for educa-
tion has been brought
down from Rs1.17 crore
to Rs97 lakh this year.
The opposition also al-
leged a shortage of
staff in the irrigation
department. “Despite
repeated reminders, the
vacancies have not been
filled. The budget provi-
sion for irrigation in
the absence of adequate
staff is a waste of mon-
ey,” said an opposition
member.
Surprisingly, after
questions were raised
on the budget by opposi-
tion members, the rul-
ing Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) elected of-
ficials staged a walkout.
Rajkot district panchayat building.
Women take
matters in hand for
irrigation water
MATERIAL PRICE (PER KG)
February March
Silver `62,000 `72,000
Polyester yarn `275 `295
Copper wire ` 900 `1,034
Gold `48,000 `52,000
Only 400 units are currently open for production in Surat.

GUJARAT
03
First India Bureau
Vadodara: Reshma
Arif Nawaz Makra-
ni, daughter of Pad-
ma Shri recipient
late Khalil Dhantej-
vi, received the
award on behalf of
her father from Pres-
ident Ram Nath Ko-
vind at a ceremony
at the Rashtrapati
Bhavan on Monday.
Commemorating her
father’s work, she
vowed to continue
writing on general
topics of impor-
tance. “I will contin-
ue with my father’s
legacy of writing ar-
ticles on general top-
ics and news like he
did as a journalist,”
she said.
“I felt proud of my
father and received
the honour on his be-
half, in front of other
great dignitaries and
personalities, who
were also felicitated
for their work in
their respective
fields. Prime Minis-
ter Narendra Modi
met me after the
award ceremony and
was happy to know
that I have now taken
to writing after my
father. Union Home
Minister Amit Shah
also met and inter-
acted with me,” said
Reshma.
Reshma has a B.Ed
degree from Maha-
raja Sayajirao Uni-
versity (MSU) and
PhD in Gujarati Sa-
hitya (ghazal writ-
ing) from Mumbai
University. Her in-
spiration for writing
has been her father,
who wrote between
2003 and 2012. She
took a break after the
birth of her twins.
Padma Shri
Khalil Dhantejvi’s
daughter vows to
continue his legacy
VHP leaders visit Gujarat legislative assembly,
seek resolution of issues faced by Hindus
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: Lead-
ers of the Vishwa Hin-
du Parishad (VHP) vis-
ited the Gujarat legisla-
tive assembly on Tues-
day and met with Con-
gress Leader of Opposi-
tion Sukhram Rathva.
Claiming that they
regularly met with
elected representatives
of the Parliament as
well as the Gujarat Vid-
han Sabha, to appeal
for issues faced by the
Hindu community
.
According to Ashok
Raval, Regional Secre-
tary, VHP Gujarat, the
organization had de-
manded a strict law to
prevent religious con-
version.
“We raised our voice
in the Lok Sabha for the
safety and security of
Hindus in Pakistan and
Bangladesh, so that the
Indian government can
create diplomatic pres-
sure on these countries.
If any tribals convert to
Christianity or Islam
then their reservation
rights must be scrapped
immediately
. There are
several issues which
need to be raised at the
state assembly level,”
said Raval.
Insisting that Hindus
needed protection and
justice on the gau rak-
sha issue, Kirti Mehta,
Special Contact Presi-
dent, VHP Gujarat,
stated, “Many gausha-
las (cow sheds) are be-
ing run by trusts or
through donations.
Funding is needed to
maintain them. The
government or the
Gauseva Aayog should
pay 50% of their main-
tenance bills. Moreover,
religious institutions
should be given relief
from tax and be exempt-
ed from commercial
taxation.”
The leaders also said
that religious institu-
tions should be provid-
ed with security. “Re-
muneration should be
given to the pujaris of
Lord Ram and Lord
Krishna as well as oth-
er Hindu temples in
every village. Also, all
revenue-related issues
must be cleared imme-
diately,” they said.
SMIMER FORMS
COMMITTEE TO PROBE
RAGGING INCIDENT
First India Bureau
Surat: Management
of SMIMER Medical
College has formed an
inquiry committee to
investigate a ragging
case of medical stu-
dents by seniors. The
action comes after
CCTV footage of two
students running for
almost 30 minutes
was circulated on so-
cial media platforms.
In the video clip,
two students are seen
running from the
cash counter to the
casualty ward and
then on to the first
basement, from 10.30
pm to 11 pm. Senior
doctors can be seen
sitting near the trau-
ma ward, and the two
students stop near
them after every
round. Both juniors
can be seen breathing
heavily and perspir-
ing in the video clip.
While family mem-
bers of patients ad-
mitted in the hospital
witnessed the entire
incident, no one dared
to inquire or question
the senior doctors.
The ragging occurred
on March 19.
In their defence,
senior doctors said
that it was part of
training. But college
dean Dr Deepak How-
ale has admitted that
the two junior doctors
were subjected to rag-
ging. “The incident
will be probed by a
committee compris-
ing five department
heads of the college.
We will take action
against the seniors re-
sponsible once the in-
quiry committee sub-
mits its report,” he
assured.
Kejriwal, Mann to attend AAP
roadshow in A’bad on Apr 02
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: Delhi
and Punjab chief
ministers and top
Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP) leaders Arvind
Kejriwal and Bhag-
want Mann will hold
a roadshow in
Ahmedabad on April
02 in what is likely to
be the party’s first
major event in the
run up to the Gujarat
assembly polls sched-
uled for later this
year.
A senior AAP leader
said the roadshow will
take place in Bapuna-
gar locality between 3
pm and 8 pm, with Ke-
jriwal and Mann cover-
ing areas Thakkarna-
gar, Jeevanwadi and
Nikol.
“Kejriwal and Mann
will hold a roadshow in
Ahmedabad on April
02. They will hold an-
other programme in
Saurashtra region a
few weeks later. The
Delhi CM will be visit-
ing the state frequently
in the run up to the
2022 elections,” said
senior party leader Isu-
dan Gadhvi on Tues-
day.
Gadhvi said the AAP
will contest the Guja-
rat assembly polls in a
full-fledged manner,
adding that “I believe
the state will witness a
tsunami in Gujarat
like we did in Punjab”.
“The Bharatiya Ja-
nata Party (BJP) gets
seats in the urban ar-
eas in the name of
Hindutva and also
because people do
not like the Con-
gress. We believe we
have a good chance in
the state,” said Gad-
hvi.
He said Kejriwal is
also likely to visit a
temple during his visit
to the state, though the
programme is not yet
finalised.
Another leader said
the complete schedule
of the visit of the two
leaders will be released
in a few days, even
though formalities for
the roadshow are al-
most complete.
The AAP is upbeat
after decimating the
Congress and Shi-
romani Akali Dal in
the Punjab Assembly
polls, with top lead-
ers of both the tradi-
tional parties of the
state biting the dust.
First India Bureau
Vadodara: Duringsum-
mer, the level of water
bodies either goes down
drastically or dries up.
Keeping in mind the
harsh conditions, the
Vadodara wildlife de-
partment has made pro-
visions for drinking wa-
ter in areas inside the
Jambughoda Wildlife
Sanctuary and Ratan-
mahal Sloth Bear Sanc-
tuary to quench the
thirst of various species
of wild animals and
birds inhabiting them.
In both sanctuaries,
around80watertroughs,
wells and check dam
wells have been con-
structed.
Talking about the ini-
tiative, Assistant Con-
servator of Forests HD
Raolji said, “Around 13
windmills have been
connected to borewells
situated in remote areas
tofillthewaterholesand
pools as regular supply
from vehicles is not pos-
sible. A total of 13,000
hectares of forest area
in the Jambughoda and
Shivrajpur ranges have
been provided with wa-
terholes for the summer
to help wild animals
slake their thirst.”
Insummer,waterbod-
ies dry up mainly in the
interior areas of the for-
est. The ones recently
built in both Jambug-
hoda and Ratan Mahal
are currently being
filled with the help of
tankers attached to trac-
tors.
The Jambughoda
Wildlife Sanctuary is
home to wildlife, includ-
ing pangolins, zebras,
pigs and deer, while the
Ratanmahal Sloth Bear
Sanctuary boasts of
slothbears,leopardsand
several bird species. Wa-
terlevelsaremaintained
in water bodies of these
sanctuaries till around
June 15, after which, in
accordance with the
natural cycle, water en-
ters the river channels.
80 water bodies built for wildlife in sanctuaries
A trough being filled by a tanker.
Forest dept keeping check dam wells,
waterholes filled with water to help
animals, birds quench their thirst
BOON OF LIFE
Reshma with her father’s Padma Shri award.
Kejriwal with Gadhvi on his visit to Ahmedabad in June last year. —FILE PHOTO
Both CMs will campaign for the party ahead of Guj assembly polls in Dec
Reshma also
met PM Modi
and UHM
Amit Shah after
the ceremony
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: Members of
the Ahmedabad Hospitals
and Nursing Homes Asso-
ciation (AHNA) on Mon-
day boycotted their outpa-
tient department (OPD)
duties in their respective
hospitals and private nurs-
ing homes on Tuesday
. The
demonstration was an act
of protest against the
Ahmedabad Municipal
Corporation’s (AMC) deci-
sion to implement a rule to
produce Building Use (BU)
certificates.
AHNA President Dr
Bharat Gadhvi said, “If it
(the rule) is made manda-
tory, then, by March 31,
over 500 hospitals and
nursing homes will have
to pull down their shut-
ters and next year, anoth-
er 500 will have to do the
same.” They fear that al-
most 2,000 to 3,000 build-
ings do not have building
use certificates, and now
it is difficult to implement
the rule.
AHNA protest AMC’s BU certificate decision
I believe the state (Gujarat) will witness a tsunami in Guja-
rat like Punjab. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gets seats
in the urban areas in the name of Hindutva and also because
people do not like the Congress. We believe we have a good chance in
the state.
—Isudan Gadhvi, senior Guj AAP leader
Action comes after video of two junior
medical students running for 30 minutes
was shared on social media

PERSPECTIVE
04
Vol 3 Issue No. 116
RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/79050.
Printed and published by
Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf
of First Express Publishers.
Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet
Survey No.148P, Changodar-
Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist.
Ahmedabad. Published at D/302
3rd Floor Plot No. 35 Titanium
Square, Scheme No. 2, Thaltej
Taluka, Ghatlodiya, Ahmedabad.
Editor-In-Chief: Jagdeesh Chandra.
Editor: Haresh Jhala
responsible for selection of news
under the PRB Act
SPIRITUAL SPEAK
From passion comes
confusion of mind, then loss
of remembrance, the
forgetting of duty. From this
loss comes the ruin of reason,
and the ruin of reason leads
man to destruction.
—Bhagavad Gita
IN-DEPTH
Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
Happy Bihar Day to all brothers and
sisters of Bihar. I wish that this state,
rich in historical and cultural heritage,
continues to set new records of
development.
Jagat Prakash Nadda
@JPNadda
I am stunned by the death of 10
innocent people in the violence that took
place in Rampurhat in Birbhum district
of West Bengal. This incident proves
that the Mamata government has no
control over law and order. I strongly
condemn this incident and demand
strict action against the culprits.
TOP TWEETS
PETROL, DIESEL,
LPG PRICES MOVE
UP, MAY SEE A
FURTHER RISE
uel prices have been
jacked up after a hia-
tus of four months
and more such in-
creases may follow.
The increase in retail price of
diesel should be seen together
with the price of bulk diesel
which was hiked by Rs 25 per
litre on Sunday. Together, the
twin price rise of the commod-
ity will hurt the consumer hard.
Other than to grin and bear the
cost there’s little that a consum-
er can do.
These are unusual times and
globally fuel prices are on fire.
First, OPEC is not increasing
crude production and second,
US sanctions on Russia have
crippled oil supplies. Thanks to
India’s independent stand, Rus-
sian oil is still available to us but
it is only a small fraction of our
oil imports.
If the Ukraine crisis does not
abate and US sanctions on Rus-
sia are not lifted consumers will
have to brace up for a long ardu-
ous haul. The already high infla-
tionmaygofurthernorthwardto
makehouseholdbudgetsgoawry
.
F
tudents, don’t take
stress about the
high cut-offs in
Delhi University’s
colleges which, in
recent years, bordered on in-
sanity! And you also don’t
have to worry if the grades in
your last board exams were
just above average. In a land-
mark policy decision the Uni-
versity Grants Commission
hasdoneawaywiththecut-off
system and replaced it with a
common online entrance test
for all 45 central universities.
Based only on the results of
the Common University Ad-
mission Test (CUET), all cen-
tral universities will have to
admit students to under-grad-
uate courses. To make it more
convenient for students, the
computerised CUET will be
conducted in 13 languages.
The course material will be
from the CBSE syllabus.
The change not only pro-
vides a level playing field to
students, who need not be
proficient in computers as
even smart phones will be al-
lowed inside a test centre,
but also comes as a dose to
de-stress parents who detest-
ed the idea of their children
scoring not enough marks to
get admission in a good col-
lege. Anything less than 95
percent was unacceptable to
a large number of parents.
The UGC Chairman M.
Jagadesh Kumar is bullish
about state, private and
deemed universities to con-
sider CUET scores for admis-
sions. Kumar described as
“ridiculous” the 100 per cent
cut-off for admission in some
topuniversities.Kumarhoped
that students will be able to
focus more on learning now.
The change will also rein-in
different examination boards
like the ICSE and CBSE who
competed with one another
for extra lenient marking
leading to distortions in un-
dergraduate admissions.
CUT-OFFS GO, STUDENTS
CAN BREATHE EASY
Based only on the results of the
Common University Admission
Test (CUET), all central
universities will have to admit
students to under-graduate
courses. To make it more
convenient for students, the
computerised CUET will be
conducted in 13 languages.
The course material will be from
the CBSE syllabus
S
hat is happening in Bangla-
desh? Despite repeated inci-
dents, the administration has
nottakensternandexemplary
steps and it is high-time, the
Indianauthoritiesshouldtake
up these cases seriously with
their counterparts in Bangla-
desh. This recent attack com-
ing close on the heels of The
Kashmir Files… is it a coinci-
dence or anything more to it?
It may be recalled that on
last Tuesday, members of the
General Assembly adopted a
resolution proposed by Paki-
stan to mark March 15, the
anniversary of the 2019 at-
tack on two mosques in New
Zealand that left 51 Muslims
dead, as International Day to
Combat Islamophobia.
France, the European Un-
ion (EU) and India had ob-
jected to the decision to de-
clare 15 March the Interna-
tional Day to Combat Islamo-
phobia, adopted by the UN.
InastatementtotheGeneral
Assembly
,theEUexpressedits
concernaboutthemultitudeof
internationaldaysandsaidthe
focus on Islamophobia was an
“unnecessaryrepetition”after
in 2019 the UN adopted August
22 as the International Day
Commemorating the Victims
of Acts of Violence Based on
Religion or Belief.
“Weareconcernedwiththe
approach of addressing only
one religion through a Gen-
eral Assembly initiative,” the
EU’s statement expressed.
Two days later, on March
17… a 200-strong mob on
Thursday allegedly vandal-
isedandlootedanIskconRad-
hakanta temple in Dhaka. At
least three members of the
templeat222,LalMohanSaha
Street, in Wari, Dhaka were
injuredintheattack.Themob
was reportedly spearheaded
by one Haji Shafiullah.
Back in Kolkata, slamming
the attack, vice-president,
Iskcon Kolkata, Radhara-
man Das, said: “Hindus have
to stop looking towards
namesake institutions like
the UN which is mute to the
cries of Hindus.”
Das tweeted… “It’s a very
unfortunate incident that
took place on the eve of Dol
Yatra Holi celebrations.
Just a few days ago, the Unit-
ed Nations had passed a reso-
lution declaring March 15 as
the International Day to
Combat Islamophobia.”
He went on to say
, “We are
surprisedthatthe(same)Unit-
ed Nations is mute on the suf-
fering of thousands of help-
less Bangladeshi Pakistani
minorities. So many of the
Hindu minorities have lost
their lives, properties, have
been raped, but alas, all the
United Nations can do is to
ponder upon Islamophobia.”
“Unlike October-Novem-
ber, when the attack hap-
pened in Noakhali… where
one Iskcon priest was killed
and police did not come, a
massive deployment of Bang-
ladesh police was rushed to
the spot, who drove the mob
away,” Das informed.
Last year, at least three
people were killed after vio-
lence took place after news
spread on social media that
the Quran was allegedly des-
ecrated at a Durga Puja pan-
dal near Nanuar Dighi lake
in Comilla town.
Earlier, similar incidents
were also reported from Tipu
Sultan Road in Dhaka and
Kotwali in Chittagong.
RECEIVING THREATS
FOR YEARS?
A couple of days after a mob
reportedly led by Haji Shafi-
ullah vandalised an Iskcon
temple in Dhaka, a temple of-
ficial said they had been “re-
ceiving” threats for years to
leave the temple.
Shafiullah had also report-
edly offered them money to
leave the temple, Rasmani
Keshavdas, the medical of-
ficer of Iskcon temple, told
news agency ANI.
Keshavdas, a witness of the
attack, also said, Shafiullah
and Sufi, along with 500-600
people, vandalised the tem-
ple’s wall. “Two of our people
were hit when they tried to
stop the mob,” he said.
He further stated that the
unruly mob was not even re-
pentant even before the cops.
“Police supported them. They
didn’t want to listen to us.
Theyaskedustoleavethetem-
ple but it’s ours. No arrests
havebeenmadeyet,”headded.
Meanwhile, RSS national
executivememberIndreshKu-
mar on Saturday condemned
the alleged incident of vandal-
ism at a temple in Bangladesh
and urged New Delhi to inter-
vene, saying the Sheikh Hasi-
nagovernmenthas“complete-
ly failed” in protecting the
minority Hindus there.
On every festival, Hindus
are targeted in Bangladesh
under a “pre-planned con-
spiracy”, the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)
leader said, adding that the
community has faced 3,679
attacks, which include 1,678
cases of armed attacks and
vandalism at religious plac-
es, in the last nine years.
Citing a few incidents, he
said, “During Navaratri last
year, attacks were carried out
and around 200 houses of
Hindus were burnt, Durga
Puja pandals were vandal-
ised and the Iskcon temple in
Dhaka was also attacked.
“ThePrimeMinisterSheikh
Hasina government has com-
pletely failed in providing pro-
tection to minority Hindus in
Bangladesh. It is a horrifying
situation,” he alleged.
Seeking the intervention
of the Indian government,
Kumar said due to the “una-
bated targeting of Hindus” in
the neighbouring country,
the population of Hindus
there has “come down to 9 per
cent from 29 per cent in 1971”.
It is time Bangladesh PM
restrains these elements to
stop their atrocities on mi-
nority Hindus to display her
intentions of having an ami-
cable relationship with India
and also New Delhi has to
take the matter with utmost
seriousness to instill faith in
the Hindus living there.
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY
THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL
DELHI MUST ENSURE THAT
HINDUS IN B’DESH ARE SAFE
W
“The Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina government has
completely failed in providing
protection to minority Hindus
in Bangladesh. It is a horrifying
situation,” he alleged. Seeking
the intervention of the Indian
government, Kumar said due to
the “unabated targeting of
Hindus” in the neighbouring
country, the population of
Hindus there has “come down to
9% from 29% in 1971”. It is
time Bangladesh PM restrains
these elements to stop their
atrocities on minority Hindus
to display her intentions of
having an amicable
relationship with India
and also New Delhi has to take
the matter with utmost
seriousness to instill faith in the
Hindus living there
It may be recalled that on
last Tuesday, members of
the General Assembly
adopted a resolution
proposed by Pakistan to
mark March 15, the
anniversary of the
2019 attack on 2
mosques in New
Zealand that left 51
Muslims dead, as
International Day to
Combat Islamophobia
ROBIN ROY
The writer is Senior Associate Editor,
Free Press Journal, Mumbai and
former Managing Editor, First India

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INDIA
05
Amaravati (ANI): The
suspense continues on
whether Jagan Mohan
Reddy-led government
in Andhra Pradesh
will table a revised Bill
for three state Capitals
in the Assembly during
the ongoing Budget
session.
That the YSR Con-
gress Party (YSRCP)
government has not
given up its plans de-
spite the recent adverse
judgment by the High
Court was evident when
Finance Minister Bug-
gana Rajendranath told
the Legislative Council
on Monday that the gov-
ernment desires to have
three capitals, one in
each region, to ensure
inclusive and balanced
growth. Replying to a
query by some mem-
bers, he told the house
that the state has adopt-
ed the policy of decen-
tralisation to take ad-
ministration close to
the citizens. This, he
said, will bring the com-
mon man into the main-
stream of development.
With only three days
left for the ongoing
Budget session to come
to an end, all eyes are on
the government to see
whether it tables the re-
vised Bill in place of the
two Bills repealed last
year or keep the matter
in abeyance for now to
avoid any confrontation
with the judiciary
.
Assembly Speaker
Tammineni Sitaram
has already agreed to
the demand of YSRCP
legislators for a discus-
sion on decentralisa-
tion of development.
This is likely to be tak-
en up in a day or two.
During the discus-
sion, the government
may reiterate its com-
mitment to three capi-
tals policy and reveal
how it plans to achieve
the same.
Suspense continues over Jagan govt’s 3 capitals Bill
POWER DECENTRALISATION

HC had directed
the government
complete the
infrastructural
development
like roads,
drinking water in
the Amaravati
Capital Region
within a month.
ED searches premises linked to Nawab Malik in Kurla
Mumbai (PTI): The
Enforcement Directo-
rate (ED) officials on
Tuesday carried out a
survey at the Goawala
Building compound at
Kurla, in order to col-
lect details of the ten-
ants at the premises, in
connection with its on-
going probe in which
the agency had last
month arrested NCP
leader and minister
Nawab Malik.
According to the
agency officials, the ED
is ascertaining how
many of those who are
currently occupying
premises in the build-
ing are genuine accord-
ing to the original land
owner’s record and how
many of them were lat-
er introduced by Malik.
The compound is in Ma-
lik’s control.
Malik was arrested
by the ED on February
23 for allegedly hatch-
ing a criminal conspir-
acy for usurping one
Munira Plumber’s an-
cestral property in Kur-
la having current mar-
ket value of around Rs
300 crore. ED had
launched a money laun-
dering probe linked to
the activities of fugitive
gangster Dawood Ibra-
him and his aides fol-
lowing a case registered
by Nation Investigation
Agency (NIA) against
Dawood and his aides.
The ED had alleged
that Plumber’s proper-
ty was usurped by Ma-
lik through Solidus In-
vestments Private Lim-
ited, a company owned
by the family members
of Nawab Malik and
controlled by Nawab
Malik, with active con-
nivance of the mem-
bers of Dawood Ibra-
him gang including
Dawood’s sister Hasee-
na Parkar. Plumber in
her statement to the ED
had stated that she was
not aware that her prop-
erty was sold to Parkar
and Malik and that she
had not received any
consideration for the
property from any per-
son. The ED in its re-
mand application filed
against Malik last
month had stated, “In-
vestigations have re-
vealed that Nawab Ma-
lik introduced fake ten-
ants in the said proper-
ty to lower the registry
value of this land and
currently this property
is under ownership of
Solidus Investments
Private Limited which
is controlled by Nawab
Malik. Inspite of lower-
ing of the registry rate,
market value as per the
sale deed is Rs 3.3 crore
whereas total payment
made was only Rs 15
lakh by Nawab Malik.”
Nawab Malik - The minister in the dock: ED is ascertaining
how many of those who are currently occupying premises.
New Delhi: Shiv
Sena MP Sanjay
Raut lashed out at
the BJP on Tuesday
for misusing Cen-
tral agencies such
as the ED to malign
the image of the Shiv
Sena-led MVA government. He also admitted
that the party had made a “mistake” by accepting
the resignation of former state home minis-
ter Anil Deshmukh, who was nabbed by the ED
last November in an alleged money-laundering
case. “We have seen the kind of evidence
available against Deshmukh. His resignation
was taken in haste (in April 2021), and it was a
mistake. He was targeted and the central probe
agencies like CBI and ED were let loose against
him,” Raut said.
Mumbai: Bombay
HC directed the
BMC not to take any
action against Union
Minister Narayan
Rane until a deci-
sion is taken on his
application seeking
regularisation of the
alleged illegal al-
terations made in his
bungalow. A division
bench said that once
a decision has been
taken by the BMC, in
case of any adverse
order, no coercive
action against Rane’s
bungalow shall be
taken for a period of
3 weeks thereafter.
EX-MIN ANIL DESHMUKH’S
RESIGNATION A ‘MISTAKE’,
NAWAB MALIK WON’T
RESIGN, SAYS SANJAY RAUT
HC PROTECTS RANE’S
HOME, ASKS BMC TO
TAKE DECISION ON
REGULARISING
ED surveyed area to check the identity of original tenants living in compound
RS expresses grief
over Chinese
plane crash
New Delhi: The RS
expressed grief over the
crash of a China Eastern
Airlines plane, which had
132 people on board.
Soon after the House
assembled at 11 a.m.,
Chairman M. Venkaiah
Naidu informed the House
about the crash that
took place on Monday in
China’s Guangxi Zhuang
Autonomous Region,
after which the members
observed silence as a
mark of respect. “This
House joins me in ex-
pressing our condolences
as well as deep sympathy
and sorrow on the losses
suffered by the people
of China and conveys
India’s stand of solidarity
with them in their hour of
grief,” he said.
`4,000 crore given as
hardship allowance to
security agencies:Centre
New Delhi
(PTI): The Ministry
of Home Affairs has
spent nearly ` 4,000
crore on payment of
risk and hardship al-
lowance given to the
central security or-
ganisations like the
CRPF and the BSF,
the LS was informed
on Tuesday
.
The risk and hard-
ship allowance is
given to all central
government officials
working in difficult
or operational areas
like Jammu
andKashmir,Ladakh
and the Northeast-
ern region.
“Out of the total
budget of all Central
Armed Police Forces
and the Assam Rifles
under the ‘salary’
head amounting
to ` 68,623.73 crore
for 2021-22, an ex-
penditure of ` 3,944
crore has been in-
curred on payment
of risk and hardship
allowance (up to Feb-
ruary 2022).
PM Modi to inaugurate Biplobi Bharat
Gallery in Kol on Shaheed Diwas today
New Delhi (PTI): PM
Narendra Modi will in-
augurate the Biplobi
Bharat Gallery, which
displays the contribu-
tion of the revolutionar-
ies in the freedom strug-
gle, in Kolkata via video
conferencing on
Wednesday
.
The purpose of this
new gallery is to provide
a holistic view of the
events that led up to In-
dia’s Independence in
1947 and highlight the
important role played
by the revolutionaries,
the Prime Minister’s Of-
fice (PMO) said in a
statement on Tuesday
.
On the occasion of
Shaheed Diwas, Modi
will inaugurate Biplobi
Bharat Gallery at Victo-
ria Memorial Hall, Kol-
kata, on 23 March at 6
pm via video conferenc-
ing. Shaheed Diwas is
observed to pay tribute
to freedom fighters Bha-
gat Singh, Sukhdev
Thapar and Shivaram
Rajguru. The three
young freedom fighters
were hanged at the La-
hore Central Jail in La-
hore on 23 March 1931.
The prime minister will
also address the gather-
ing during the event, the
statement said.
The gallery displays
the contribution of the
revolutionaries in the
freedom struggle and
their armed resistance
to British colonial rule.
This aspect has often
not been given its due
place in the mainstream
narrative of the free-
dom movement, it said.
PREZ, PM MODI GREET PEOPLE OF BIHAR
The purpose of this new gallery is to provide a holistic view of the
events that led up to India’s Independence in 1947, says PM Modi
New Delhi (ANI): Pun-
jab Chief Minister
Bhagwant Mann will
meet Prime Minister
Narendra Modi in Delhi
on March 24. This will
be his first meeting with
the Prime Minister af-
ter taking over as the
CM of the border state.
Mann is also expected
to meet Union Home
Minister Amit Shah
during his visit to Delhi
on Thursday
.
The Chief Minister
tweeted in Hindi, “Af-
ter taking over as the
Chief Minister of Pun-
jab, I have sought time
from the Prime Minis-
ter and Home Minister
for a courtesy call and
to discuss the issues of
Punjab.”
Bhagwant Mann took
oath as the 17th Chief
Minister of Punjab on
March 16 at Khatkar Ka-
lan, the village of
Shaheed Bhagat Singh.
Prime Minister Nar-
endra Modi had con-
gratulated Mann on be-
coming the Chief Min-
ister and said that they
would work together for
Punjab.
“Congratulations to
Shri Bhagwant Mann ji
on taking oath as the
Chief Minister of Pun-
jab. Will work together
for the development of
Punjab and welfare of
the people of the state”,
PM Modi had tweeted.
The Aam Aadmi
Party returned to
power in Punjab
by winning 92
seats in the
117-member assem-
bly
, defeating all
rival parties.
Punjab CM Mann to meet PM
Modi, Shah in Delhi on Mar 24
Chandigarh
(PTI): Congress
leader Navjot Singh
Sidhu today took
on AAP chief Arvind
Kejriwal over his
party’s five nominees
for the Rajya Sabha
polls, saying except
for former cricketer
Harbhajan Singh, the
rest of the nomina-
tions are a “betrayal
of Punjab”. The Aam
Aadmi Party nomi-
nated former crick-
eter Harbhajan Singh,
Lovely Professional
University founder
Ashok Mittal, AAP
MLA Raghav Chadha,
IIT Delhi faculty Sand-
eep Pathak and indus-
trialist Sanjeev Arora
for the March 31
Rajya Sabha
polls.
SIDHU FLAYS AAP
FROM PARLIAMENT
Infighting in T’gana
Cong intensifies
New Delhi (PTI): The
growing infighting in
the Congress party
in Telangana reached
the doorsteps of the
party’s central leader-
ship as senior leaders
rushed to Delhi on
Tuesday
. With the party
high command taking a
serious note of the se-
ries of meetings held by
dissident leaders who
are unhappy with the
style of functioning of
state party chief.
Haryana House passes
anti-conversion Bill
Yogi resigns from Legislative
Council ahead of swearing-in
Lucknow (PTI): Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath has
tendered his resigna-
tion from the state Leg-
islative Council days
after he was elected as
an MLA from Gorakh-
pur.
Adityanath was elect-
ed to the Uttar Pradesh
Legislative Council in
2017 after he took oath
as the Chief Minister
following the Bharatiya
Janata Party’s land-
slide victory in the As-
sembly polls.
He also represented
the Gorakhpur Lok Sab-
ha seat several times
until 2017.
Yogi Adityanath,
who led his party to a
thumping victory in
Uttar Pradesh, is likely
to take oath as Chief
Minister of the state
for the second tenure
on March 25, according
to sources.
Adityanath will be
the first Chief Minister
in the last 37 years to
return to power after
completing a full term
in the state.
New Delhi (ANI):
Amid protests by the
Congress and even a
walkout from the As-
sembly, the Haryana
government on Tues-
day passed the Haryana
Prevention of Unlawful
Conversion of Reli-
gious Bill, 2022. The
Bill, to prevent reli-
gious conversions
“through force, undue
influence or allure-
ment,” was tabled in the
Vidhan Sabha on March
4. According to the Har-
yana Prevention of Un-
lawful Conversion of
Religion Bill, 2022, the
onus of proof lies with
the accused. If conver-
sion is done by allure-
ment, use of force,
fraudulent means of
coercion, then there is a
provision of imprison-
ment of one to five
years and a fine of not
less than Rs 1 lakh. Sim-
ilar Bills in the recent
past have been passed
in BJP-ruled states in-
cluding HP and UP.
Bhagwant Mann
CM Manohar Lal Khattar
Jagan Mohan Reddy

Kolkata: West Bengal
Governor Jagdeep
Dhankhar on Tuesday
said that the death of
eight people at Ram-
purhat was horrific and
the incident indicates
that the state is in the
grip of a culture of ‘vio-
lence and lawlessness’.
Following the murder
of a Trinamool Con-
gress deputy panchayat
chief, eight people were
charred to death after
some houses were alleg-
edly set on fire. The in-
cident had taken place
at Bogtui village in
Birbhum district. Ex-
pressing pain at the in-
cident, Dhankar sought
an urgent update from
the state chief secretary
.
“Horrifying violence
and arson orgy #Ram-
purhat #Birbhum indi-
cates state is in grip of
violence culture and
lawlessness,” the gover-
nor tweeted.
Rampurhat incident horrific: Guv
CM: REFRAIN FROM MAKING
UNWARRANTED STATEMENTS
Kolkata (ANI):
Chief Minister
Mamata Banerjee on
TuesdayurgedGover-
nor Jagdeep
Dhankhar “to
refrain from
makingunwar-
rantedremarks
and allow ad-
ministration to
conduct an impartial
probe” regarding the
Birbhum violence.
In her letter to the
Governor, Banerjee
said the state admin-
istration has taken
immediate steps and
formed a SIT. Senior
Minister Firhad
Hakim has been
rushed to the
place to oversee
the situation,
she added. Slam-
ming Dhankhar,
the CM said it is
“highly improper to
make sweeping and
uncalled for state-
ment instead of pav-
ing the way for im-
partial probe.
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.
‘West Bengal in
grip of culture
of violence’
INDIA
06
Punjab declares
holiday on
Shaheed Diwas
Chandigarh (ANI):
Punjab Chief Minister
Bhagwant Mann de-
clared a state holiday
on March 23, the mar-
tyrdom day of legend-
ary freedom fighter
Bhagat Singh.
He made the an-
nouncement in the Pun-
jab Vidhan Sabha in
Chandigarh on Tues-
day. The House also
passed a resolution to
install statues of Bha-
gat Singh, Dr BR
Ambedkar and first
Sikh ruler Maharaja
Ranjit Singh in the Vid-
han Sabha.
Three LeT militants
involved in Srinagar
shootout identified
Srinagar (ANI):
JK Police said that
the militants who
were engaged in a
shootout with the se-
curity forces on
Tuesday, in which a
policeman was
killed, have been
identified.
Talking to report-
ersonthesidelinesof
the wreath laying cer-
emony of the slain
policeman, Imran
Ahmad,KashmirIGP
Vijay Kumar said
that the militants en-
gaged in the shootout
at Soura have been
identified and are be-
ing tracked.
Earlier, doctors at
the Sher-i-Kashmir
Institute of Medical
Sciences, Soura,
where the injured po-
lice constable was be-
ing treated, had said
that after being ‘as-
sesseddead’,theyhad
revived the cop.
COP KILLED IN
GUNFIGHT WITH
TERRORISTS
Srinagar: A constable
was killed in a brief
shoot-out between
police and terrorists
in the Soura area of
Srinagar on Tuesday,
officials said.The
terrorists fired on Con-
stable Amir Hussain
Lone of Kupwara at Ba-
lochipora in the Soura
area during a cordon-
and-search operation
around 2.30 pm, they
said. Amir Hussain
sustained critical bul-
let injuries and was
rushed to a hospital,
where he died, a police
official said. The area
has been cordoned
off, and the search is
going on, the official
said. Earlier, a police
official had said that
a constable named
Imran was fired upon
by terrorists during the
search operation.
Security personnel conducting search operations.
Bommai: Will take all measures
to implement Mekedatu project
Bengaluru (PTI): Kar-
nataka Chief Minister
Basavaraj Bommai has
said the government
will take all measures
to implement the Meke-
datu project, which in-
volves building a bal-
ancing reservoir to
store 67 TMC of water
near Kanakapura in Ra-
managara district.
“As decided in the re-
cent all party meeting a
Detailed Project Report
will be submitted and
Environment clearance
would be sought from
the Centre. We will take
all measures to imple-
ment the Mekedatu pro-
ject,” Bommai said in a
statement.The multi-
purpose (drinking and
power) project is aimed
at ensuring drinking
water for Bengaluru
and neighbouring areas
(4.75 TMC). “The Cau-
very water issue has
been resolved by the
Cauvery Water Dis-
putes Tribunal and wa-
ter shares have been al-
located,” a release from
the government said.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Danish’s kin take Taliban
to court over his killing
New Delhi Agencies):
The parents of Reuters
photographer Danish
Siddiqui,whowaskilled
in a Taliban attack in
Afghanistan last year,
have begun legal action
at the International
Criminal Court (ICC)
against the Islamist
group, a lawyer for the
family said on Tuesday
.
Siddiqui, a Pulitzer
Prize winner, was em-
bedded with Afghan
special forces when he
was killed on July 16
during a failed attempt
by government troops
to retake Spin Boldak, a
town near the Afghani-
stan-Pakistan border,
from the Taliban.
A Delhi-based lawyer
Avi Singh told an online
news conference that
Siddiqui’s parents were
seeking legal action
against six leaders and
other unidentified com-
manders of the Taliban
at the Hague-based ICC.
Danish was killed during a
clash between Afghan security
forces and Taliban fighters.
Fresh notices to
Gandhis, Kapil
Mishra, others
DELHI RIOTS CASE
Delhi High Court on
Tuesdayissuedfreshno-
tices to several promi-
nent political leaders,
activists and others
while hearing a batch of
petitions in connection
with North East Delhi
violence and alleged
hate speeches of politi-
cal leaders.
The Division Bench
of Justice Siddharth
Mridul and Justice Ra-
jnish Bhatnagar issued
notice on the implead-
ment application moved
by the petitioners seek-
ing registration of FIRs
against several politi-
cians for their alleged
hate speeches.
Fresh notices were is-
suedtoCongressleaders
Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka
Gandhi Vadra, Rahul
Gandhi and BJP leaders
AnuragThakur,Pravesh
Sahib Verma, Kapil
Mishra and others. The
Court also showed dis-
pleasure with the coun-
sel for calling these new-
ly amended parties as
accused.Itsaidtheseare
just proposed respond-
ents, and not accused.
BJP leader Kapil Mishra
Congress’ Sonia Gandhi
New Delhi (Agencies):
India’s air pollution
worsened in 2021, ac-
cording to the World
Air Quality Report re-
leased by IQAir, a Swiss
firm. This ends a three-
year trend of improv-
ing air quality. The av-
erage air pollution,
measured in the lethal
and microscopic PM2.5
pollutant, is 58.1 micro-
grams per cubic meter,
which is more than 10
times the World Health
Organisation’s (WHO)
air quality guidelines.
No city in India met the
WHO standard. North
India is worse. Delhi is
the world’s most pol-
luted capital for the
fourth consecutive year,
with pollution rising
almost 15 per cent over
the previous year. Air
pollution levels here
were almost 20 times
above the WHO’s safety
limits, with PM2.5
clocking in at 96.4 mi-
crograms per cubic me-
ter for the annual aver-
age. The safe limit is 5.
While Delhi’s air pol-
lution ranks at No. 4
globally, the world’s
most polluted place is
Rajasthan’s Bhiwadi,
followed by Uttar
Pradesh’s Ghaziabad on
Delhi’s eastern border.
Ten of the top 15 most
polluted cities are in In-
dia and mostly around
the national capital.
With 63, Indian cities
dominate the list of 100
most polluted places.
More than half are in
Haryana and Uttar
Pradesh. An air quality
‘life index’ developed by
the University of Chi-
cago shows that resi-
dents in Delhi and Luc-
know,forinstance,could
add about a decade to
their life expectancy if
airqualitylevelsmetthe
WHO’s standards.
63 Indian cities in 100 most polluted places on earth: Report
INDIA GASPS
lll
In Nov last year,
several large
power plants
around Delhi as
well as many
industries were
shut down for
the first time due
to severe levels
of air pollution
Vehicular emission is one of the major sources of air pollution. —FILE PHOTO
ALL SIX METRO
CITIES EXCEPT
CHENNAI SAW A
RISE IN AIR
POLLUTION LEVELS
LAST YEAR. THE
ECONOMIC COST OF
THE CRISIS TO INDIA
IS ESTIMATED AT
OVER $150 BN
ANNUALLY
deep depression over
north Andaman Sea is
unlikelytointensifyinto
a cyclonic storm and is
expected to cross the
south Myanmar coast at
Thandwe with relatively
lessferocitythanexpect-
ed earlier, the weather
dept said on Tuesday
.
The weather office
had earlier said the deep
depression was likely to
intensify into a cyclonic
storm after skirting the
Andaman Islands and
heading towards the
south Myanmar coast.
No cyclonic
storm, says
weather dept
INDIA, AUSTRALIA CALL FOR EFFECTIVE
‘CODE OF CONDUCT’ IN SOUTH CHINA SEA
New Delhi (ANI):
Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi and his Aus-
tralian counterpart
Scott Morrison called
for an effective “Code of
Conduct” in the South
ChinaSea,whichisfully
consistent with interna-
tional law.
“Leaders underlined
the importance of being
able to exercise rights
and freedoms in all seas
and oceans of the Indo-
Pacific region, consist-
ent with international
law, particularly the UN
Convention on the Law
of the Sea (UNCLOS),
including freedom of
navigation and over-
flight,” the Ministry of
External Affairs (MEA)
saidinajointstatement.
Both the leaders em-
phasised that resolution
of disputes should be
carried out through
peaceful means in ac-
cordance with interna-
tionallawwithoutthreat
or use of force or any
attempt to unilaterally
change status quo and
thatcountriesshouldex-
ercise self-restraint in
the conduct of activities
that could complicate or
escalate disputes affect-
ing peace and stability,
added the statement.
Theleadersreiterated
the importance of ad-
herencetointernational
law, particularly as re-
flected in the UN Con-
vention on the Law of
the Sea (UNCLOS), to
meet challenges to the
maritime rules-based
order, including in the
South China Sea, the
MEA statement read.
“They called for any
Code of Conduct in the
South China Sea to be ef-
fective, substantive and
fully consistent with in-
ternational law, not prej-
udice the legitimate
rights and interests of
any nation, including
those not party to these
negotiations, under in-
ternational law and sup-
port existing inclusive
regional architecture,”
theMEAstatementsaid.
Tensions in the South
China Sea area have
continued to rise in the
context of China’s naval
expansionandtheestab-
lishment of military
outposts on illegally
built artificial islands.
The “nine-dash line”
claim that China has
unilaterally and illegal-
lymade,coveringalmost
the entire South China
Sea area, has been clear-
ly rejected by the inter-
national community
.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. —FILE PHOTO
Tensions in the South China Sea area have continued to rise in the context of China’s naval expansion
CALL FOR INCLUSIVE,
PROSPEROUS REGION
Both the leaders expressed their shared commit-
ment to a free, open and rules-based Indo Pacific,
supported by a robust regional architecture, with
ASEAN at its centre. They reaffirmed their commit-
ment to an inclusive and prosperous region.
Leaders affirmed their
commitment to further
strengthening cooperation in
the Indian Ocean region and with other
Indian Ocean countries.
—Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)

BIZ BUZZ
07
Promoted by
AU Small Finance Bank
Petrol,dieselpricesup80paise
alitre;`50hikeinLPGrates
New Delhi (PTI):
Petrol and diesel
prices were on
Tuesday hiked by
80 paise a litre
each while domes-
tic cooking gas LPG
rates were increased
by `50 per cylinder as
state oil firms ended an
over four-and-half
month election-related
hiatus in rate revision,
fanning inflation fears.
Petrol in Delhi will
now cost `96.21 per litre
as against `95.41 previ-
ously while diesel rates
have gone up from
`86.67 per litre to `87.47,
according to a price no-
tification of state-
owned fuel retailers.
The rates, which dif-
fer from state to state
depending on the inci-
dence of local taxes
such as VAT, are likely
to continue to rise over
the next few days as
state oil
firms recoup
losses from keeping
prices on hold for a re-
cord 137 days.
Simultaneously, the
price of non-subsi-
dised LPG cylinders
has been increased to
`949.50 per 14.2-kg bot-
tle in the national capi-
tal and Mumbai, and to
`976 in Kolkata.
While LPG rates
were last revised on
Oct 6, 2021, petrol and
diesel prices had been
on a freeze since Nov 4.
LPG prices had gone
up by close to `100 per
cylinder between July
and October 6, 2021, be-
fore criticism halted
the monthly revision
in rates.
N o n - s u b s i d i s e d
cooking gas is the one
that consumers buy af-
ter exhausting their
quota of 12 cylinders at
subsidised or below
market price. However,
the government pays
no subsidy on LPG in
most cities and the
price of the refill
that consumers,
including the poor
women who got free
connection under the
much-talked Ujjwala
scheme, undertake is
the same as non-subsi-
dised or market price
LPG.
This is the highest
rate ever that subsi-
dised LPG users will
pay. The non-subsi-
dised rate had peaked
at `1,241 in January
2014, but at that time,
the government pro-
vided as much as `600
per cylinder subsidy
.
The direct LPG sub-
sidy was stopped by the
central government
from May 2020. A small
sum is paid to cooking
gas users in the far-
flung areas to compen-
sate for higher freight.
The resumption of
fuel price hikes has
fanned concerns of
stoking inflation,
which is already above
the targeted 6% lev-
el.
Both LPG and
auto fuel prices
had been on a
freeze despite
the cost of raw
material spiral-
ling, first because of
demand returning
with economies glob-
ally - rebounding from
the pandemic-induced
slowdown, and then
due to the Russia-
Ukraine crisis.
A 5 kg LPG cylinder
will now cost `349,
while the 10 kg compos-
ite bottle will come for
`669. The 19-kg com-
mercial cylinder now
costs `2,003.50.
Petrol in Delhi will now cost `96.21
per litre as against `95.41 previously
while diesel rates have gone up
from `86.67 to
`87.47 per litre
Govt closely monitoring
global commodity price
movements: FinMin
New Delhi (PTI):
The government is
closely monitoring
the global commodity
price movements and
their impact on the
Indian economy
through trade in the
aftermath of global
supply disruptions
amid the Russia-
Ukraine war, Parlia-
ment was informed
on Tuesday
.
Minister of State
for Finance Pankaj
Chaudhury said the
government is also
committed to sup-
porting initiatives for
releases from Strate-
gic Petroleum Re-
serves to mitigate
market volatility and
calm the rise in crude
oil prices.
To a question on
whether the govern-
ment has made any
review of the econo-
my consequent upon
the breakout of war
between Russia and
Ukraine, the minis-
ter said the geopoliti-
cal tension between
Russia and Ukraine
has led to global sup-
ply disruptions, re-
sulting in a steep in-
crease in global com-
modity prices, in-
cluding crude oil,
gas, edible oils and
fertilisers, among
others. “Government
of India is closely
monitoring the glob-
al price movements
and their impact on
India’s economy
through trade,” he
said. He said India’s
GDP in 2021-22 is esti-
mated to grow at
8.9%, which will take
the country’s GDP
past the most recent
pre-pandemic output
of 2019-20 to complete
the recovery process.
“In addition, Gov-
ernment is also com-
mitted to supporting
initiatives for releas-
es from Strategic Pe-
troleum Reserves, for
mitigating market
volatility and calm-
ing the rise in crude
oil prices,” Chaud-
hury said.
India ranks 51st in annual home price movement
New Delhi (PTI): In-
dia ranks 51st in an-
nual appreciation in
housing prices with a
2.1% rise in rates dur-
ing the October-De-
cember quarter of the
last year, according to
property consultant
Knight Frank.
In its latest research
report titled ‘Global
House Price Index – Q4
2021,’ Knight Frank
said that India has
climbed up five spots to
the 51st rank in Q4 of
2021 against the 56th
rank in Q4 of 2020.
Global House Price
Index tracks the move-
ment in mainstream
residential prices
across 56 countries and
territories worldwide
using official statistics.
The index tracks nomi-
nal and real price
growth in local curren-
cies. The rankings on
the price movement
have been accounted
basis the nominal price
growth change.
The average annual
price change across 56
countries and territo-
ries was recorded at
10.3%.
As per the data,
housing prices in-
creased by 2% year-on-
year in Q1 (January-
March) of 2020. How-
ever, prices declined by
1.9% in Q2 of 2020, 2.4%
in Q3, 3.6% in
Q4, 1.6% in Q1
of 2021 and
0.5% in Q2 of 2021.
After a gap of five
quarters, the housing
rates increased 0.1% in
Q3 of 2021 and 2.1% in
Q4 of 2021.
Knight Frank India
Chairman and Manag-
ing Di- r e c t o r
Shishir Baijal said: “In-
fluenced positively by
the pandemic, the re-
covery in housing pric-
es is a global phenom-
enon, which was sup-
ported by government
policy measures and
cost inflation in
m a n y
overseas
m a r -
kets.”
“In case of India,
nominal prices have
registered a marginal
growth, bucking the
negative trend experi-
enced in previous quar-
ters, indicating a simi-
lar trend of growth in
demand,” he added.
With renewed enthu-
siasm of consumers
towards home owner-
ship, competitive
house prices and low
home loan interest
rate, Baijal expects the
market momentum to
continue.
BIZZ BRIEFS
TATA MOTORS TO HIKE PRICES OF
COMMERCIAL VEHICLES FROM APR 1
VEDANTA SEEKS MINIMUM $19 FOR
GAS FROM GUJARAT BLOCK
GOVT HIKES MSP OF RAW JUTE BY
`250 TO `4750 PER QUINTAL
ARCELORMITTAL, GREENKO TIE UP TO
DEVELOP A 975 MW RE PROJECT
NISSAN INDIA ROLLS OUT 50,000th
UNIT OF SUV MAGNITE
New Delhi (PTI): Homegrown auto major Tata
Motors on Tuesday said it will hike prices of its
commercial vehicles range by 2-2.5%, depend-
ing upon individual model and variant, from
April 1. The increase in the prices of com-
modities, such as steel, aluminium and other
precious metals -- in addition to higher costs of
other raw materials -- has incited this price hike
of commercial vehicles.
New Delhi (PTI): Billionaire Anil Agarwal’s
Vedanta Ltd is seeking a minimum $19 price
for natural gas produced from a field off Gujarat
as it looks to cash in on the recent surge in
global energy prices. The firm has called for
bids for the sale of 0.25 million standard cubic
meters per day of gas produced from CB/OS-2
block located in Suvali, Surat district of Gujarat,
according to Vedanta’s tender document.
New Delhi (PTI): The government has increased
the minimum support price of raw jute by `250
to `4,750 per quintal for the 2022-23 season.
“The MSP of raw jute (TDN3 equivalent to TD5
grade) has been fixed at `4,750 per quintal for
2022-23 season with an increase of `250 over
the previous year. This would ensure a return of
60.53% over all India weighted average cost of
production,” an official statement said.
New Delhi (PTI): Global steel and mining firm
ArcelorMittal on Tuesday announced its strategic
partnership with Greenko Group for developing
a round-the-clock renewable energy project with
975 MW of nominal capacity. According to the
statement, the project worth $600 million will
combine solar and wind power and be support-
ed by Greenko’s hydro pumped storage project
which helps to overcome the challenges due
to intermittent nature of wind and solar power
generation.
New Delhi (PTI): Automaker Nissan India on
Tuesday said it has rolled out the 50,000th unit
of its SUV Magnite from the Chennai plant of
the Renault-Nissan alliance. Magnite has so far
received over 1 lakh customer bookings in do-
mestic and export markets, Nissan India said in
a statement. Since its launch in December 2020,
50,000 units of Magnite have been produced
from the Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt
Ltd (RNAIPL) plant in Chennai, despite the chal-
lenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing
semiconductor shortage, the company said.
Mumbai (PTI): Benchmark stock indices Sensex
and Nifty rebounded from early lows to close
over 1% higher on Tuesday, helped by heavy
buying in index heavyweight Reliance Indus-
tries, Infosys and TCS amid gains in
global equities. The 30-share
BSE Sensex closed up by
696.81 points or 1.22% at
57,989.30. It rallied 760.38
points or 1.32% during
the day. The broader NSE
Nifty climbed 197.90 points
or 1.16 per cent to finish at
17,315.50.
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee
pared its initial losses to
settle flat at 76.18 (provi-
sional) against the Ameri-
can currency on Tuesday,
tracking a positive trend
in domestic equities. The
rupee opened sharply
lower at 76.39 against
the US dollar. However, it
recovered all its losses to
closed at 76.18.
SENSEX, NIFTY BOUNCE BACK TO
CLOSE 1% HIGHER
` PARES LOSSES TO
SETTLE FLAT AT
76.18 AGAINST $
Mumbai (PTI): The
Bombay High Court
on Tuesday allowed an
appeal filed by Invesco
Developing Markets
Fund, the largest
shareholder of Zee Entertainment
Enterprises Limited (Zee), against a
single-judge order granting interim in-
junction on holding an EGM to remove
Zee’s CEO Punit Goenka. A division
bench of Justices S J Kathawalla and
Milind Jadhav quashed and set aside
the single bench order of October
2021.
New Delhi (PTI):
Rating agency ICRA
on Tuesday said
there are strong
demand prospects
for RE projects in the
commercial and industrial segment but
regulatory risks pose challenges. The
demand prospects for RE capacity ad-
dition by CI segment are expected to
remain solid, given the improved tariff
competitiveness and strong sustain-
ability/green initiatives by CI players
to meet their energy requirements
through renewables.
HC ALLOWS INVESCO APPEAL
ON ZEE EGM
Strong demand prospects for
RE projects in CI
FITCH CUTS FY23 INDIA GROWTH FORECAST TO 8.5%
New Delhi (PTI): Rating agency Fitch on Tuesday
slashed India’s growth forecast for the next fiscal to
8.5% from 10.3%, citing sharply high energy prices
on account of the Russia-Ukraine war. “However, we
have lowered our growth forecast for FY 2022-2023
to 8.5% (-1.8 pp) on sharply higher energy prices,”
Fitch said while revising up its inflation forecasts.
Energy
transition to
create 3.2 mn
jobs by 2050
New Delhi (PTI): Un-
ion Minister Bhag-
wanth Khuba on Tues-
day stressed the need
for the energy transi-
tion in view of rising
demand, which can
eventually help create
3.2 million jobs by 2050.
“Energy transition is
an important step to ca-
ter to the increasing de-
mand and can help the
economy by creating
jobs, which is estimated
to employ 3.2 million
people by 2050,” Khuba
said.The transition will
help reduce the depend-
ence on imported fuel,
which will improve
trade balance and cut
the GHG emissions, he
noted. Acc to minister,
economic growth, in-
creasing prosperity, a
growing rate of urbani-
sation are the key con-
tributors to increasing
demand for energy
.
EVs to get cheaper
in2years:Gadkari
New Delhi (PTI):
Road Transport Min-
ister Nitin Gadkari on
Tuesday said rapid
strides in technology
and green fuel will re-
duce the cost of elec-
tric automobiles,
bringing them at par
with petrol-run vehi-
cles in the next two
years.
Urging Members of
Parliament to adopt
hydrogen technolo-
gies for transport,
Gadkari asked them to
take initiative in their
respective districts for
converting sewage wa-
ter to produce green
hydrogen.
Hydrogen will soon
be the cheapest fuel
alternative, he said.
“I can say within
maximum two years,
the cost of electric
scooter, car, autorick-
sahw will be same as
petrol-driven scooter,
car, autorickshaw.
Prices of lithium-ion
battery are coming
down. We are develop-
ing this chemistry of
zinc-ion, aluminium-
ion, sodium-ion bat-
teries. If petrol, you
are spending `100,
then on electric vehi-
cle you will spend Rs
10 (for using),” Gad-
kari said.
REALITY SOON

Choose to be content, be humble
and do not attempt to conform to
some dramatized version of
yourself.
—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO Editor-in-Chief, First India
08
2NDFRONT
 Who do you consid-
er to be a serious can-
didate among the pos-
sible chief ministeri-
al faces for Uttara-
khand and Manipur?
Jagdeesh Chandra:
See, the Chief Minister
in Manipur will be re-
peated there are no
doubts about it. Al-
though the high com-
mand will decide on the
name for Uttarakhand,
but the ones doing the
rounds is of Ajay Bhatt.
Then they are also con-
sidering on Dhami,
even though he lost the
election, since he
worked relentlessly for
the party. The name of
Satpal Maharaj is also
doing the rounds. These
names are doing the
rounds but the high
command believes in
giving surprises. last
time when the delibera-
tions for Uttarakhand
CM were going on, Na-
dda had travelled to the
state. Infact, till the last
moment, when he was
to enter the meeting of
the legislative party, he
did not know of the
name to get con-
sensus for or
announce in
the meet. He
called up the
leaders in
Delhi and in-
formed that he is now in
the meeting while re-
questing to tell the
name. It was then that
he was told the name
and he later announced
it. Something on the
same lines happened in
Gujarat also. We all
know how Modi and
ShahchooseBJP’s CMs.
As such there is no is-
sue in Uttarakhand and
whatever name will be
approved by central
leadership will be an-
nounced as CM.
 How do you gauge
this unexpected victo-
ry of Kejriwal’s AAP
party in Punjab?
This victory for AAP is
basically the cumula-
tive result of frustration
of people against all na-
tional parties. They re-
alised that all other par-
ties were fighting with-
in themselves. People
didn’t wanted to vote
Akalis to power since
their experience with
Sukhbir Badal wasn’t
good. That is why his fa-
ther also lost. In Con-
gress, both the main
leaders fought with
each other. Chan-
ni was sure to
win and be-
come CM, but
the situation
changed com-
pletely
. So, people then
decided that a new per-
son should be given a
chance. But what I can’t
get my head around is
the point that whenever
people choose AAP
, why
does it come riding an
electoral tsunami? I feel
that if Kejriwal keeps a
close supervision then
AAP will be a success in
Punjab and for that they
actually do not have
to do a lot. They
just have to do a
few things i.e. not
get involved in
corruption, sec-
ondly
,people’sworks
should not get stopped
and thirdly there
should not be any
vendetta politics.
As such Kejriwal
hasbecomemore
mature as a
politician and
he is not like
his earlier
self.So,Ithinktheirgov-
ernment will be a suc-
cess in Punjab and after
that they can carry out
their experiments
where ever they want to.
 They (AAP) are eye-
ing Haryana and Gu-
jarat.
Yes, but like I said in
Gujarat it is next to im-
possible since there is
Narendra Modi’s wave
in that state. And I have
seen that last time AAP
had 20 seats in Punjab
and this time they have
92, so they don’t rise
slowly
, rather they jump
to the next big number.
But it is impossible in
Gujarat for any party to
have a jump like AAP in
Punjab, with the Naren-
dra Modi factor being
there. I don’t think
there is a silent under-
current on Gujarat poli-
tics that would turn ta-
bles on the Narendra
Modi model.
 After the elections
in five states, what
will be the calcula-
tion of BJP’s seats in
Rajya Sabha now?
By this year end, BJP
will be in major-
ity in Rajya Sab-
ha. The total
strength in Rajya
Sabha is 243 and they
need 122 seats for ma-
jority and as of now
they have 97 members.
So, by year end they
will achieve majority in
the Upper House.
 For the past few
months, CM Ashok
Gehlot seems to be
quite confident about
his return to power in
2023. Is his confi-
dence still intact af-
ter the UP election re-
sults?
His confidence is due to
his homework, his strat-
egy, his truth and faith
on his team. he has seen
and gotten over so many
crises and I think no
other CM has seen as
many crises as Gehlot in
these past three years,
and in each of these cri-
ses he has come up as a
hero and saviour. He has
his own equations on
the basis of which he is
confident.
 What is the possi-
bility of a BJP gov-
ernment in Ra-
jasthan in 2023? And
who can be the possi-
ble faces for the Chief
Ministerial assign-
ment in your view?
There are fifty-fifty
chances of BJP coming
to power in Rajasthan
and I don’t consider that
any local person will
have any contribution
in it. Yes, Satish Poonia
is working extremely
hard and I see a tie, of
sorts, between Satish
Poonia and Gajendra
Singh, that is my analy-
sis. Although I have said
in the past that Shekha-
wat is the CM designate
from the party. But all
things are irrelevant.
There is just a fifty per-
cent chance of BJP
coming to power, as of
today, considering to-
day’s environment. The
confidence that BJP has
under Modi and Shah
and their leadership
has re-emerged, in a
way, keeping that in
mind. Rest we need to
see. I don’t think that
any person can afford
the displeasure of Amit
Shah within the party
. I
don’t think Vasundhara
Raje is going to form a
new party. Madam will
be given her honour by
the high command. In-
terestingly, there is an
astrologer who stresses
that she will again be-
come the chief minister.
I spoke to that astrolo-
ger and told him that in
current scenario it does
not seem that anyone
can become CM on their
own terms. He said that
his astrology points at
Raje’s third term. How-
ever, as of today and in
today’s situation, no
leader, including Mad-
am, is in a position to
bargain with the high
command. There is one
more thing. in BJP, no
one other than Naren-
dra Modi can be the face
of election. Perhaps af-
ter that one may be ap-
pointed as CM. Names
of Om Birla and Om
Mathur are also taken
as CM probable, but
these are dark horses.
 What is the future
of Sachin Pilot in
Rajasthan?
His future in politics is
bright. Time decides
who stands with which
party
. In Congress he
hasonepointthathehas
to become the Chief
Minister of Rajasthan.
He may be right in his
own way
. As of now I
don’t see any chance, es-
pecially after Channi’s
experiment in Punjab
which has demoralised
the Congress high com-
mand. Although there
are people in Delhi who
have conveyed to the
high command that
whatever happens,
change of leadership
should happen even for
merely ten days, in Ra-
jasthan. They listen to it
but the ground realities
do not allow it. As of to-
day there is just one ray
of hope for Congress i.e.
Ashok Gehlot. How will
you disturb him? And if
they do bring about a
change of power, the
government will fall. Pi-
lot has said he wants to
become CM, he may be
right in his place, but he
can become CM only
when there is a vacancy
.
As of now there is no va-
cancy in the state. Yes,
he can be given impor-
tant roles in Centre. He
was one of the handful
of people who accompa-
nied Priyanka in UP
elections. So, he is a
bright and smart leader.
Fewpeopleclaimthathe
should wait for 10 years.
But I do not agree on
that point. However,
whenever Congress gov-
ernment is formed in
Rajasthan, Gehlot will
be the CM. Even if it
comes for the fourth or
fifth time, when Gehlot
will be of 81 years, he
will still be CM. So, if he
waits, he waits. He has
two options, first, join-
ing BJP but he will not
gotheresinceheisaself-
respecting individual.
Second option is that he
can form his own party
where he will not feel
humiliated and get 25-30
seats on his own. So, I
think he must be in a
deep thinking process
these days.
During the show
#JConModiUPWave
trended top All-India
on Twitter
Whenever Congress comes to power in Raj, it will
always be Gehlot as CM, even after 10 or 15 years
Editor-in-Chief of First India,
Jagdeesh Chandra,in The New JC Show,
speaks about victory of Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi
Party in Punjab, confidence of Congress party in
Rajasthan and more...(Concluding part)
Jagdeesh Chandra with Shweta Mishra, Aditi Nagar, Megha Kaushik,
Ayushi Vijayvargiya and Srishti Khatri on the New JC Show.
—PHOTOS BY SUNIL SHARMA
Jagdeesh Chandra with Shweta Mishra, Aditi Nagar, Muskan Kamdar, Neelanjana Jangid and Yogesh Sharma on the New JC Show.
Jagdeesh Chandra
during the show.
be given her honour by own way
. As of now I
YOU READ PART-3 ON
MARCH 22, 2022
PILOT HAS A BRIGHT FUTURE, PERHAPS IN AICC

CITY FIRST BRINGS TO
YOU AN EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEW WITH A
GORGEOUS FASHION
DIVA, AMRITA KHURANA
FROM DELHI, WHO
HAS MADE A MARK IN
THE FASHION WORLD
ashion model-
ling is more
than a job, it is
a childhood as-
piration for
every little
girl. Modelling
is perhaps the most
common modern desire
held by young women
from all walks of life.
City First brings to
you an exclusive inter-
view with a gorgeous
fashion diva, Amrita
Khurana from Del-
hi, who forged her
way into the fash-
ion world.
When asked
about her journey
she said,” I’m a 22
years old
girl who was born and
brought up in Panipat
and is currently resid-
ing in Delhi to pursue
my dream. My journey
as a model started in
2018 when I registered
for a pageant. Though I
couldn’t win it, through
it I started working as
an Instagram influenc-
er. As a model, I have
collaborated with
many renowned brands
and I am currently
working with future
style labs, ‘Coverstory
and Ancestry’.”
Modelling is often
frowned upon by many
people so it’s fair to say
that any woman
p u r s u i n g
this ca-
r e e r
w o u l d
f a c e
difficulties. When
asked about her hard-
ships faced during her
remarkable journey,
Amrita said, “My ca-
reer requires me to live
far away from my fam-
ily which is not easy. I
always have had the
support of my family
but because of society’s
preconceived notions,
sometimes they are
doubtful of my choice
of career. I know my
parents would never
want their children to
fail in the path they
choose for themselves.
I have a life mantra, if
you want success you
will have to sacrifice to
win your battles.”
I really enjoyed and
also learnt a lot from
the Queen of Cosmos
event held at Fairmont
Jaipur and am really
grateful to Jagdeesh
Chandra Sir and First
India for this wonder-
ful opportunity,” added
Amrita.
Talking about her
aspirations and goals
she said,” I want to
start my grooming in-
stitute, which will pro-
vide free grooming and
personality develop-
ment courses to gor-
geous young
divas.
AHMEDABAD, WEDNESDAY,
MARCH 23, 2022
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia
facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia 09
F
REACHING
REACHING
FOR THE
FOR THE
STARS
STARS
SHUBHANSHI PATHAK
cityfirstdel@gmail.com

10
ETC
ARIES
MAR 21 - APR 20
Your own
happiness is
in your hands
today. Spouse
may need her
space, respect
that. This is a
favourable day
for completing
pending jobs. Financially, no problems
are foreseen. Much fun is in store on the
social front. Adventurous people are likely
to chase the excitement very soon.
LIBRA
SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22
A family
youngster is likely
to do you proud.
A business trip is
indicated and will
achieve much.
Your strategy
to promote
yourself on the
professional front will bear fruits. You
may need to speed up things on academic
front to remain ahead. On social front, the
day finds you in your element.
TAURUS
APR 21 - MAY 20
Your reputation
is likely to boost
your image on
the social front.
On the work
front, you will
manage to keep
your superiors
in good humour.
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.
SCORPIO
OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22
You will manage
to achieve what
you had aimed
for on the
academic front.
A celebration
can find you in
your element
today. 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.
GEMINI
MAY 21 - JUNE 21
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. You
will succeed in putting your stagnant love
life back on the track.
SAGITTARIUS
NOV 23 - DEC 22
Some favourable
developments on
the social front
are foreseen.
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.
CANCER
JUNE 22 - JULY 23
Your desire for
an exciting time
on the social
front is likely to
be fulfilled today.
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.
CAPRICORN
DEC 23 - JAN 20
You are likely
to take up
someone’s
cause and earn
appreciation from
all quarters on
the social front.
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.
LEO
JULY 24 - AUGUST 23
Some positive
changes can
be expected on
the home front.
This seems a
good day for
job seekers.
New avenues
for earning open
up as you get more determined. Fitness
through extra efforts is assured for the
deskbound. If you are in love, chances of
making an exciting plan is possible.
AQUARIUS
JAN 21 - FEB 19
Those fond of
travelling may
get their chance
soon. This is
time when you
enjoy yourself
with a new group
of friends or
colleagues. A
change of job is likely to give you better
salary and perks. Those in business
will soon get a chance to make profits.
Spending time with lover proves fulfilling.
VIRGO
AUG 24 - SEP 23
You may wait
for someone’s
invitation for
a trip. Tenant
troubles are
foreseen for
some house
owners. 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.
PISCES
FEB20 - MARCH 20
You will have
to be more
focussed on the
academic front.
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 performance
will be noticed by higher ups.
YOUR
DAY
Horoscope by
Saurabbh Sachdeva
unning is a great
form of exercise with
a lot of growth poten-
tial. Are you planning
to take your love for
running to the next
level? Want to partici-
pate in marathons? Then keep
these tips while improving
your running endurance.
Whether you’re an elite mar-
athon runner or starting week
3 of a 5K program, running fur-
ther and faster are two com-
mon training goals for people
of all fitness levels. While
there’s no hard and fast rule or
“one best way” to boost run-
ning stamina, there are some
general guidelines you can fol-
low that will help you perform
better while staying injury-
free.
To increase your stamina
First India brings in an Inter-
view with Health and Wellness
coach, nutritionist Disha Gu-
lati from Indore. She Says,
building up your stamina for
the long run is as crucial as
preparing for an exam. You
simply cannot miss it and ex-
pect great results. Many new
runners often overlook the im-
portance of building endur-
ance for running. Marathons
or any other long run requires
serious training and prepara-
tion. Always start your train-
ing with baby steps, working
on your leg speed, strides and
long-distance runs, compli-
menting it with mobility and
strength training.
“Building running stamina
can be exhausting both physi-
cally and mentally
,” says fitness
expert Disha. “It’s easy to get
discouragedwhenyougooutfor
a run and your legs are burning
and you can’t catch your breath
after a mile. Throw in a pesky
side stitch to the mix with the
mental tediousness of running,
andyou’vegotarecipeforarun-
ning meltdown. But if you fol-
low some essential tips at hand,
you will be crushing that 10k in
no time.” She further added.
“Even if you feel ready to
bump up your distance or
speed, it’s a smart idea to go
slow and aim to make incre-
mental gains in your training
program. This is especially
true if you’re new to a regular
running schedule. If you’ve
been averaging 4-mile runs,
don’t bump it up to 7 miles. To
avoid injury and burnout, go
up in small steps, such as in-
creasing by 1 mile each week.”
CORRECT
RUNNING FORM
 Eyes should be focused
on the ground about 10 to
20 feet ahead instead of
the feet.
 Shoulders should be
relaxed and square (facing
forward), almost like you’re
squeezing a pencil between
your shoulder blades.
 Our centre of gravity
while running lies in our
core so always keep a
tight core while running.
 Torso must stay slight-
ly forward of our hips.
 The Knee should be
in line with the middle of
our foot so that when our
foot strikes the ground,
it’s right under the knee.
 Drink enough water to
stay hydrated.
 Have enough water
before going on your run.
Staying hydrated helps
your body regulate tem-
perature and deliver en-
ergy to your cells. It also
protects your joints from
impact which is important
when you’re running.
 Running with a group
of people is also a great
way to stay motivated,
make friends and discov-
er new places to run.
R
SHIVANI SHRIVASTAVA
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
F
A
C
E
O
F
T
H
E
D
A
Y
SALONI KHANDELWAL, Blogger
IT IS NEEDLESS TO
EMPHASIZE THE IMPOR-
TANCE OF MAINTAINING
THE CORRECT FORM
WHILE RUNNING.
QUICK TIPS TO PEP UP
QUICK TIPS TO PEP UP
YOUR RUNNING ENDURANCE
YOUR RUNNING ENDURANCE

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