25022024_First India Newspaper Jaipur.pdf

Jaipur, Sunday | February 25, 2024
RNI NUMBER: RAJENG/2019/77764 | VOL 5 | ISSUE NO. 260 | PAGES 16 | `3.00 Rajasthan’s Own English Newspaper
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Prime Minister Narendra
Modi to inaugurate the
“Sudarshan Setu”, India’s
longest cable-stayed
bridge in Gujarat today.
IN BRIEF
U’khand UCC panel meet
on web portal for live-in
Dehradun: Rules Making
and Implementation Com-
mittee for Uttarakhand’s
UCC had its first meeting
on Saturday, during which
it formed panel to simpli-
fy the registration process
for live-in relationships,
marriages and others.
Key accused in Haldwani
violence held from Delhi
New Delhi: The Uttara-
khand Police has arrested
the key accused in the
Haldwani violence, Abdul
Malik, and two others, a
police said. IGP Nilesh
Anand Bharne, said, “We
have held key accused,
Abdul Malik, from Delhi.”
Navalny’s body handed
over to his mother
Moscow: The body of
late Russian opposition
leader Alexei Navalny
has been handed to his
mother, more than a
week after he died in an
Arctic prison colony,
his spokesperson said
on Saturday. Navalny,
President Vladimir Pu-
tin’s most vocal critic,
died on February 16.
ERCP DHANYAWAD AND AABHAR YATRA
We had promised to give gift of ERCP
to Rajasthan & we did it: CM Sharma
Vinod Singh Chouhan,
Ashvini Yadav & Ravi Katara
Jaipur
hief Minister
Bhajan Lal
Sharma said
that under leadership of
PM Modi, double engine
govts of centre and State
are engaged in fulfilling
the promises made to the
people. “We had prom-
ised to give the gift of
ERCP to state and within
one and a half months of
forming the government,
we signed MoU for the
integrated ERCP project
by talking to Centre and
MP Govt,” he said. Shar-
ma was welcomed by
showering flowers and
garlands at various plac-
es in Alwar, Deeg and
Bharatpur districts. P2
C
PM Narendra Modi with Union Ministers Amit Shah, Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda & BL Verma during
inauguration & foundation of multiple key initiatives for cooperative sector in Delhi on Saturday.
Moni Sharma
New Delhi
Modi on Saturday inau-
gurated 11 godowns for
grain storage in primary
agricultural credit socie-
ties (PACS) spread across
11 states as part of the
government’s flagship
‘World’s Largest Grain
Storage Plan’ in the co-
operative sector.
Modi also laid the
foundation stone for an
additional 500 PACS
across the country for the
construction of godowns
and other agri infrastruc-
ture. He also inaugurated
a project for computeri-
sation of 18,000 PACS
across the country. Ad-
dressing a gathering, PM
Narendra Modi said the
cooperative sector is in-
strumental in shaping a
resilient economy and
propelling the develop-
ment of rural areas.
PM Narendra Modi and Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah
greet each other during the event at the Bharat Mandapam.
Modi’s vision to sow,
grow and empower!
PM Modi inaugurates pilot project for the world’s
largest grain storage plan in cooperative sector
SHAH PRAISES MODI’S
MINISTRY OF COOP
BJP MAY NAME 100 LS
CANDIDATES ON FEB 29
Union Cooperation
Minister Amit Shah
applauded PM Modi
for transforming cooperative
sector, fulfilling long-stand-
ing demand for a separate
ministry for cooperation.
Shah emphasized that Modi
created a dedicated ministry
for cooperation, addressing
a concern that had been
overlooked for years.
Ahead of anticipated
announcement
of the Lok Sabha
elections by the Election
Commission likely between
March 13-15, BJP is ex-
pected to reveal the names
of 100 candidates on Febru-
ary 29, including Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and
Home Minister Amit Shah,
sources said on Saturday.
First India Bureau
Kasganj
Twenty-four people, in-
cluding eight children,
died when their tractor-
trolley overturned and
fell into a pond in UP’s
Kasganj district on Satur-
day, police said. They
said 15 to 20 people were
injured in the accident
that occurred on the Pati-
yali-Dariyavganj road
under the Patiyali police
station area when the oc-
cupants of the tractor-
trolley were going to take
a bath in the Ganga river.
IG of Aligarh Range
Shalabh Mathur said CM
YogiAdityanath has con-
doled the loss of lives
and announced financial
assistance of Rs 2 lakh to
the kin of each of the de-
ceased and Rs 50,000 to
the injured.
Fatal Plunge:
24, including 8
kids lose life
Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, CM Bhajan
Lal Sharma and others during the yatra in Deeg on Saturday.
3new criminal laws, replacing the Indian Penal
Code (IPC) and the Indian Evidence Act from
the British era, and the Code of Criminal Procedure
(CrPC), will come into force from July 1, the
government said on Saturday. The three new criminal
laws which will completely overhaul the country’s
criminal justice system. According to three identical
notifications issued by the UHM, provisions of the
new laws will come into force from July 1.
NYAY
REDEFINED!
3 criminal laws replacing
the IPC and CrPC to come
into effect from July 1
THE 3 KEY BILLS ARE
The Bharatiya
Sakshya Sanhita
Bill, 2023
01
The Bharatiya
Nagarik Suraksha
Sanhita Bill, 2023
02
The Bharatiya
Nyaya Sanhita
Bill, 2023
03
The government,
however, has
decided not to
implement the
provision related
to cases of hit-and-
run by a vehicle
driver as promised
to truckers who
had protested
against it
24°C
14°C
Min
Humidity 25%
Max
Hazy sunshine in the
morning across the state
FORECAST
CM Bhajan Lal
Sharma, Deputy
CMs Diya Kumari and
Prem Chand Bairwa
took part in BJP core
committee members
meeting in New Delhi
on Saturday
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event was graced by bol-
lywood playback Singer
Alka Yagnik as chief
Guest besides esteemed
leaders from First India
News: CMD and Editor-
in-Chief Dr Jagdeesh
Chandra, Director Viren-
dar Choudhary and CEO
and Managing Editor
Pawan Arora. More on P3
(From Left to Right)
Virendra Choudhary,
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra,
Alka Yagnik, Pawan
Arora and Jinendra
Singh Shekhawat
during the soft launch
ceremony of First India+
Entertainment at the
RIC Auditorium in Jaipur
on Saturday. (B) Pawan
Arora felicitates Alka
Yagnik with Ganesha
idol during the event.
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F
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on Android, Apple store from March 10

Gul Mohmmad
Kota
Police have traced coach-
ing student Piyush Kapa-
sia, who went missing 11
days ago from Jawahar
Nagar police station area
of Kota. He was in Him-
achal Pradesh’s Dharam-
shala from where police
brought him back to
Kota. Initially, police
got an input that Kapa-
sia was in Haridwar.
When they reached
there, his next location
was traced to Dharam-
shala. It is yet not known
why he went missing.
It has come as a relief
to Kapasia’s family
members who had been
worried for the past 11
days. Notably, cases of
missing students are be-
coming common in Kota.
First India Bureau
Jaipur
The Jaipur Development
Authority (JDA) has re-
leased the draft plan re-
garding the state’s first
land pooling scheme pro-
posed in villages Shiv-
daspura, Chandlai and
Barkheda on Old Tonk
Road. A land pooling
scheme is proposed on
approximately 163.5
hectares of land, for
which a total of Rs 223
crore will be spent and
facilities like roads, road
lights, drinking water
will be developed.
For this, objections
and suggestions can
be given regarding
the scheme in the next
30 days.
In Shivdaspura, Chan-
dlai and Barkheda, devel-
opment of 40 to 200 feet
wide roads have been
proposed by the depart-
ment. Account holders
will be able to get land as
per the draft prepared by
the JDA. Of these, 40.60
percent developed land
will be available as com-
pensation. Besides, the
JDA will get 10 percent
land for auction.
RAJASTHAN 02
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Promoted by
Ashiana Housing Limited
शान्ति एवं अहिंसा ववभाग
शान्ति एवं अहिंसा निदेशालय, राज. जयपुर
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Notice Inviting Bid
Bid for Service, Bus, Residence, Food and Water Arrangement
are invited from interested bidders up to 22-02-2024 at 11.00 A.M.
Other particular of the bid may be visited on the procurement portal
(https://eproc.rajasthan.gov.in / https://sppp.rajasthan.gov.in) of the state.
Sr. No. Particulars UBN No. Amount
(In INR)
1. Bus, Residence, Food
and Water Arrangement PNV2324SLOB00015 37.00 lac
उप निदेशक
शांनि एवं अनिंसा निदेशालय, जयपुर
DIPR/C/1224/2024
First India Bureau
Jaipur
Rajasthan Chief Minister
Bhajan Lal Sharma on
Saturday flagged off 21
mobile veterinary units
here.Apart from this, 159
units were also inaugu-
rated in the functions or-
ganized at the district
level in the state.
The Chief Minister
said that one mobile vet-
erinary unit will work for
every one lakh animals.
He said that under this
scheme, a state level call
center will also be estab-
lished, which will pro-
vide telemedicine ar-
rangements for the treat-
ment of common diseas-
es of animals and also
advice for animal man-
agement, nutrition
among others.
“Through the call cen-
tre, priority treatment of
animals in case of emer-
gency will be ensured,”
he said at the function at
his residence. He has
said that the state govt is
committed to healthy
livestock.
“In this sequence, our
government has started
mobile veterinary units.
Through this, medical
services will be availa-
ble to the animals quick-
ly and the cattle rearers
of the state will be pros-
perous,” he said.
First India Bureau
Jodhpur
Pulkit Gupta, Professor
and Head of theArchitec-
ture Department of the
prestigious Maganiram
Bangar Memorial Engi-
neering University in
Jodhpur, has been ac-
cused of harassment by
38 girl students. Ajay
Kumar Sharma, Vice
Chancellor, suspended
the accused Professor
Gupta. On the whole,
Prof. Gupta stated that all
claims against him are
false. In addition, a com-
plaint was filed with the
Governor and Chief Min-
ister about collecting
money from students in
the guise of the event.
First India Bureau
Dungarpur
Thousands of devotees
reached Beneshwar
Dham on Saturday to
participate in the Magh
Purnima fair. Devotees
took a dip in the Triveni
Sangam and went to the
temple. Mahant Achyu-
tanand Maharaj’s palan-
quin procession and roy-
al bath were the centre of
attraction.
In the last five days,
lakhs of devotees have
arrived here. Devotees
from all over the country,
including Rajasthan, Gu-
jarat, Maharashtra, Mad-
hya Pradesh participated
in the fair. The police
administration has made
tight security arrange-
ments and ensured there
were no traffic related
problems at the fair.
Vinod Singh Chouhan,
Ashwani Yadav, Ravi Ktara
Jaipur
Praising CM BLSharma,
Union Jal Shakti minister
Gajendra Singh Shekha-
wat on Saturday said that
he is lucky for the state as
the issue of Eastern Raj-
asthan Canal Project was
resolved soon after he
became chief minister.
“Like a lucky bride’s
‘pagphera’ brings happi-
ness in the family, simi-
larly Bhajan Lal Sharma
is lucky for Rajasthan.As
soon as Bhajanlal be-
came CM, an MOU was
signed between the Ra-
jasthan and Madhya
Pradesh governments re-
garding the ERCP which
was kept in abeyance by
the former Congress gov-
ernment,” he said.
He said that ERCP has
proved to be the second
biggest project in the
country for irrigation and
drinking water.
Scores of devotees flock the Baneshwar Dham on Saturday.
700 police personnel have been deployed in the fair to keep a
vigil and ensure no untoward incident happens.
CM Bhajan Lal Sharma dedicates to the state vetrinary vehicles in Jaipur on Saturday. On this occasion, Joraram Kumawat,
Ramcharan Bohra, Sukhbir Singh Jaunapuriya, Balmukund Acharya, Kailash Varma and Gopal Sharma were also present.
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma along with other BJP leaders flags off the vetrinary vehicle in
Jaipur on Saturday.
Land pooling scheme
is proposed on 163.5
hectares of land, for
which a total of Rs
223 cr will be spent
Govtcommittedforwelfareand
protectionofcows:CMSharma
CM flags off 21 mobile veterinary units for animals
‘Gau Seva Param Seva’
JAT COMMUNITY ENDS
MONTH-LONG PROTEST,
LAUDS CM BHAJAN LAL
ANOTHER STUDENT
FROM KOTA MISSING
FINANCE EXEC CHEATS
COMPANY OF `3 LAKH
PNB INCIDENT ACCUSED
A ‘REPEAT OFFENDER’
In another master
stroke of Rajasthan
Chief Minister Bha-
jan Lal Sharma, the stir by
Jat community of Dholpur
and Bharatpur which was
going on for more than a
month has finally ended.
Leaders of Jat movement
expressed gratitude to
Chief Minister Sharma
today. Inspector General
Rahul Prakash played an
important role in ending the
stalemate in the movement
by the Jat community. SP
Mridul Kachhawa was also
in constant touch with the
agitators and helped bring
discussion to conclusion.
Another case
of a coaching
student gone
missing has come to
light in Kota. Aryan
Mitra (17), a resident
of Siliguri. He left the
hostel on the evening
of February 21 but did
not return. His Class
12th exam was on Feb-
ruary 22. The hostel
manager has filed a
missing complaint.
Ajmer: A instance of
Rs 3 lakh misappro-
priation by collect-
ing personnel of a private
finance company has been
discovered in Ajmer. The
accused took money from
people but failed to deposit
it. Even after notice, the
payment was not deposited.
The Kotwali police station
has filed a charge against
Abhishek Kilak and initiated
an inquiry.
Many details have
emerged from the
two accused who
attempted to rob a bank at
gunpoint on Friday. The
police have found the
weapon used in the crime.
Accused Bharat Singh also
admitted his role in another
robbery at Central Bank of
India along with his relative
Vinod Meena at Chomu
House circle and Indian
Overseas Bank as well.
IAS Kuldeep Ranka’s mother passes away
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra reached the Moksh Dham in Lal Kothi to pay last respects to IAS Kuldeep
Ranka’s mother on Saturday.
(L) Pawan Arora with Kuldeep Ranka and Mahesh Joshi; (R):
IAS Samit Sharma and Ravi Jain offer condolences at the
Moksh Dham in Lal Kothi. MUKESH KIRADOO
IAS Kuldeep Ranka’s mother passed away at her residence in Gandhi
Nagar. She was 80. Former CM Ashok Gehlot consoled family by
visiting their house paying tributes to Ranka’s mother.
UnionMinShekhawatlauds
CMSharmaforbringingERCP
MissingstudentfromKota
foundinHP’sDharamshala
JDA releases the draft plan for
state’s 1st
land pooling scheme
Seizure action
against Vaidik
Kanya college
Mahavir Prasad Jain was simple,
outspoken, says Vasudev Devnani
First India Bureau
Jaipur
Action of seizure was
taken against Vedic Girls
PG College Raja Park by
court order for not paying
the outstanding amount
of Rs 24.70 lakh to a for-
mer lecturer. The college
office, rooms of Chair-
man and Secretary of
Management Committee
were seized by the court.
Dr. Usha Jain had pre-
sented petition to comply
with order of the tribunal
dated October 24, 2019.
Advocate Kinshuk Jain
advocated for Dr. Usha
Jain, former lecturer.
First India Bureau
Jaipur
Rajasthan Assembly
SpeakerVasudev Dev-
nani has expressed
grief over the demise
of former government
chief whip Mahavir
Prasad Jain and said it
was his personal loss.
“He took everyone
along. His contribu-
tion to the politics of
Rajasthan will always
be remembered. His
work will continue to
inspire us. His demise
is an irreparable loss
to the state,” he said.
Devnani said that
HOD of pvt univ suspended after
complaint by 38 female students
Devotees throng Beneshwar
dham fair on Magh Poornima
CRIME
ROUNDUP
SERVANT MAKES AWAY WITH `32 LAKH
WORTH OF CASH AND JEWELLERY IN JAIPUR
In Jaipur’s Jawahar Nagar police station area,
a servant stole Rs 32 lakh in cash, gold, and
silver jewelry. When the family apprehended
the servant, he explained that he had made a mistake
and that he would soon restore their money and
valuables. On this, the family employed him again.
After a few days, the accused servant ran away once
more. Now, the victim’s family has launched a lawsuit
against the accused. SI Ramkesh stated that the
victim, Sharad Gaur (54), had filed a complaint.
Jain coordinated between
the party and opposition
members in the House in a
better way and always
helped the needy.
CM Bhajan Lal Sharma
on Saturday condoled the
demise of former Chief
Whip, senior BJP leader
Mahavir Prasad Jain. Ex-
pressing his condolences
on X, he posted that he
prays to Lord Ram to grant
peace to the departed soul
and strength to his be-
reaved family.
Former CM Ashok Gehlot reached Kuldeep Ranka’s house to
consoles him and his family on Saturday.
FROM PG 1...
The Chief Minister addressed public meetings in
Barodamaev, Nagar, Deeg and Bharatpur and
informed the people about the benefits of the ERCP
project to their areas. “We have set a target to
complete this project in five years by working rapidly
on the ground,” he said. Sharma said that the previ-
ous government only stalled the ERCP. “The former
Congress govt had repeatedly mentioned ERCP in
budget but did not take any steps to resolve it,” he
said. Sharma said that from year 2013 to 2018, the
then BJP had started Chief Minister Jal Swavalam-
ban Abhiyan to encourage water conservation and
storage. “Taking this forward, we have started Chief
Minister Jal Swavalamban Abhiyan 2.0 by making a
provision of Rs 11,200 crore in the budget,” he said.

BIG CAT MATTERS
Night patrolling starts in Jhalana
First India Bureau
Jaipur
ollowing orders
of Principal
Chief conserva-
tor of Forests (PCCF)
and Chief Wildlife War-
den (CWLW) Pawan
Upadhyay, night patrol-
ling has started in the
Jhalana forest area to
strengthen leopard pro-
tection and stop forest
crimes.
Assistant Forester and
three personnel have
been ordered to do regu-
lar patrolling. The areas
where night patrolling
will be done are Jagat-
pura, Kho-Nagorian,
Todi Ramjani, Jhalana
Hari Singh Bhomiya
Temple and Chulgiri.
DCF Jagdish Gupta
will monitor and give
regular feedback to
CWLW. Instructions have
been given toACF, Range
Officer and other staff for
regular field visits.
Leopard trapped in night camera. FILE
F
RAJASTHAN 03
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FIRST INDIA NEWS LAUNCHES FIRST INDIA+ ENTERTAINMENT OTT
‘AplatformforRajasthanRajasthanis’
Sports council writes to BCCI for
organising IPL matches in Jaipur
Naresh Sharma
Jaipur
The Sports Council has
written a letter to BCCI
demanding the organisa-
tion of the IPLmatches in
Jaipur. It said that the
RCA does not have the
rights of the stadium after
the MoU ended and the
Council would provide
all facilities in stadium.
Meanwhile, former
CM Ashok Gehlot post-
ed on X that the Sports
Council took a hasty ac-
tion against the RCA.
“The action taken against
RCAis motivated by po-
litical malice. If the end-
ing of MoU was the rea-
son, even then this action
could have been taken
gracefully instead of
suddenly locking it. Such
actions will reduce the
trust of national organi-
zations in the sports as-
sociations of Rajasthan.
The sports environment
created during our gov-
ernment’s term will dete-
riorate. Thousands of
cricket lovers and play-
ers are upset with this
action,” he posted.
Notably on Friday,
due to non-payment of
dues of about Rs 40
crore, Rajasthan Sports
Council had taken the
possession of offices of
Rajasthan Cricket Asso-
ciation (RCA) and Ra-
jasthan Cricket Acade-
my and had sealed the
office. Both sides have
spoken about their side
of the story and in such
a situation former CM
Gehlot has now also
posted his views on so-
cial media platform.
Medicosboycottworkfor2hrs
demandreviewofAPOdoctors
No big fat wedding for MP CM
Mohan Yadav’s son in Pushkar
Vikas Sharma
Jaipur
The controversy over the
death of a patient due to
wrong blood transfusion
in SMS Hospital contin-
ued. After the govern-
ment put three doctors on
APO and suspended a
nursing officer in case,
the resident doctors of the
medical college boycott-
ed work for two hours on
Saturday in support of the
doctors. They demanded
3 doctors to be reinstated.
Angry resident doctors
said, “If the govt does not
fulfill our demand, resi-
dent doctors across the
state would boycott work
for a day.” Meanwhile, a
large number of patients
returned without treat-
ment due to OPD being
shut. However, some pa-
tients waited for doctors
till 11.30 am.
Shubham Jain Anil Sharma
Ajmer
MadhyaPradeshCMMo-
han Yadav’s son Vaibhav
got married to Shalini, a
resident of MP on Satur-
day at Sahdev Resort in
Pushkar.Thegroom’sside
stayed at Pushkar Resort
while bride’s family was
in Sahdev Resort, where
the wedding was organ-
ized. The main events
were held in Pushkar Re-
sort.There was tight secu-
rity at the Pushkar resort.
MP CM Mohan Yadav
also visited the Brahma
temple here.After this, he
reached Brahma Ghat
along with his wife, fam-
ily and friends. While
talking to media, Yadav
said that he chose Pushkar
becausehewantedtosend
message and stay away
from the VIP culture.
Death due to negligence at SMS
High-profile wedding in Raj
PM to inaugurate
railway works worth
`300 crore in
Bikaner tomorrow
Cong’s soft Hindutva:
Randhawa, Dotasra,
Jully visit Pitambara
Shakti Peeth in MP
First India Bureau
Jaipur
Divisional Railway Man-
agerAshish Kumar, while
addressing a press confer-
ence,saidthatPrimeMin-
ister Narendra Modi will
lay the foundation stone
inaugurate railway pro-
jects worth around Rs 300
cr on Feb 26 in Bikaner.
Redevelopment works
of stations under Amrit
Station Scheme at 11 sta-
tions of Bikaner division,
as well as foundation
stone laying/inauguration
of ROB/RUB work worth
Rs 227.07 crore at 11
level crossing gates of
Rewari-Bathinda, Bikan-
er-Bathinda Bikaner-
Rewari railway sections
will be done. Of these,
foundation stone of four
ROBs will be laid.
First India Bureau
Jaipur
Ahead of LS polls, Con-
gress leaders are adopting
a soft Hindutva stand.
State Cong incharge
Sukhjinder Singh Rand-
hawa, PCC Chief Govind
Singh Dotasra, LoP Ti-
karamJullyvisitedPitam-
baraShaktiPeethinDatia,
Madhya Pradesh on Sat-
urday. The three prayed
for prosperity of the state.
Guvreviewstribalareaschemes,
asksofficialstoropeinyouths
Governor Kalraj Mishra during meeting of development schemes related to Tribal Areas Development
department at Raj Bhawan in Jaipur on Saturday. BL Kharadi and Gaurav Goyal are also seen.
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, Pawana Arora, Virendra Choudhary, Alka
Yagnik, Bal Mukundacharya and Mohan Singh Tada during the
event at the Rajasthan Information Centre in Jaipur on Saturday.
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra felicitating bollywood singer Alka Yagnik
during the programme at RIC in Jaipur on Saturday.
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra and Pawan Arora honouring the 15 years of
‘Bhule Bisre Geet’ by felicitating Rainu Singh during the event at
the RIC, Jaipur on Saturday. Virendra Choudhary, Jinendra Singh
Shekhawat and Alka Yagnik are also seen.
Vinod Singh Chouhan
Jaipur
Governor Kalraj Mishra,
while addressing a spe-
cial review meeting of
the development
schemes related to the
Tribal Areas Develop-
ment department at Raj
Bhawan on Saturday,
said that it should be en-
sured at all levels that the
people of scheduled ar-
eas get proper and timely
benefits of schemes be-
ing run for them. He
gave instructions to take
timely action to fill the
vacant posts of various
cadres in tribal areas.
Governor Mishra in-
structed the officials to
work to connect the
youths in tribal areas
with the mainstream.
He called for working
together to get the lo-
cals rid of poverty and
deprivation.
Governor Mishra ex-
pressed his displeasure
over scholarship cases
and said that students in
tribal areas must get
benefit of the scholar-
ship. He also directed
officials to speed up the
Jal Jeevan Mission.
Rachna Singh
Jaipur
In another milestone, First
India News launched its
own OTT platform - First
India+ Entertainment on
Saturday at the RICAudi-
torium, Jaipur. The Ra-
jasthan-centric OTT plat-
form had renowned Bol-
lywood Playback Singer
‘Alka Yagnik’as the chief
Guest besides the es-
teemed leaders from First
India News: CMD and
Editor-in-Chief Dr
Jagdeesh Chandra, Direc-
tor Virendra Choudhary,
and CEO and Managing
Editor PawanArora.
Welcoming Alka Yag-
nik and unveiling the ini-
tiative managing editor
Pawan Arora said, “Diya
Kumari, deputy Chief
minister was to come and
grace the occasion but due
to the BJPcore committee
meetinginDelhishecould
not make it. The Chief
Ministertoocongratulated
usontheinitiativeandsent
his best wishes.”
Addressing the gather-
ing with eminent person-
alities from various
sphereshesaid,“OurOTT
platformstandsapartfrom
others, with a dedicated
focus on Rajasthan with
Alka Yagnik as the Brand
Ambassador. We aim to
showcase the rich cultural
tapestry of the region, in-
cluding music, dance, her-
itage, and tourism. This
marksthebeginningofour
commitment to providing
a platform specifically for
Rajasthan and Rajasthan-
is’across the world.”
“In our times we didn’t
have such opportunities.
The people of Rajasthan
are very lucky to have a
platform like this. This
will go a long way in nur-
turing talent in the youth.”
saidAlka Yagnik.
The launch of First In-
dia+ Entertainment prom-
ises an array of exciting
events, including the un-
veiling of a Rajasthan-
based “Singing Talent
Hunt” reality show that
would give a platform to
the budding talent in the
state. The launch also saw
thecelebrationof15glori-
ous years of the team’s
musical extravaganza
‘Bhule Bisre Geet’ with
the captivating show an-
chor Rainu Singh, and a
mesmerizing journey
through“TheGoldenEra”
of Hindi cinema with the
spectacular ‘BLACK
AND WHITE SHOW’,
bringing the magic of mu-
sic alive on stage. “The
OTT platform would be
available on android and
ios March 10 onwards,”
said PawanArora.
Doctors protesting in SMS hosp
in Jaipur on Saturday.
Mohan Yadav giving blessing to
his son and daughter-in-law in
Pushkar on Saturday.
SS Randhawa, Govind S Dotasra
Tikaram Jully at Pitambara
Shakti Peeth in MP on Saturday.
Governor said, it
should be ensured at
all levels that people
of scheduled areas
get proper and timely
benefits of schemes
being run for them
The action taken against RCA is motivated by
political malice, such actions will reduce the
trust of national organizations in Raj bodie,
tweets former CM Ashok Gehlot
Assistant Forester
and three personnel
have been ordered to
do regular night
patrolling in
Jagatpura,
Kho-Nagorian, Todi
Ramjani, Jhalana
Hari Singh Bhomiya
Temple and Chulgiri
area of Jhalana
forest during the
night time
(L-R)) Virendra Choudhary, Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, Alka Yagnik, Pawan Arora, Jinendra Singh Shekhawat Shweta Mishra Awasthi, at RIC, on Saturday, during the logo
unveiling of reality show ‘Super Singer+ Rajasthan’ that will be streamed on newly launched OTT, First India+ Entertainment by First India News. SANTOSH SHARMA
Pawan Arora addressing the programme as Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, Virendra Choudhary and Alka
Yagnik listen keenly during the event in RIC, Jaipur on Saturday. SUNIL SHARMA

ndia boasts a de-
mographic land-
scape where a
substantial por-
tion of its popula-
tion comprises children, and
they play a pivotal role in shap-
ing the nation’s future. These
young minds represent the fu-
ture innovators, leaders and
workforce of the country. Their
education, health and overall
well-being are paramount not
only for their personal develop-
ment but also for the progress of
the entire nation. Nurturing and
investing in this pool is essential
for India’s economic growth,
and social development. As per
WHO estimates, in India 63
million people are suffering
from significant auditory im-
pairment and an estimate of
childhood deafness at about 22
million.Anationwide survey by
the National Program for Pre-
vention and Control of Deafness
(NPPCD), has concluded that
the incidence of deafness is 4
per 1,000 live births in India.
Hearing impairment in a
child, especially when present
from birth, can profoundly im-
pact their quality of life. Sound
plays a fundamental role in a
child’s development, from lan-
guage acquisition to social in-
teraction and learning. They
may struggle with developing
spoken language and communi-
cation skills, leading to difficul-
ties in expressing themselves
and understanding others. It can
affect educational progress,
making it harder to keep up with
classroom instruction and hin-
dering literacy development.
Cochlear implant (CI) is an
established treatment for patients
with bilateral severe to profound
sensorineural hearing loss. It is a
medical device that uses electric-
ity to stimulate the spiral gan-
glion cells of the auditory nerve.
This device is the most success-
ful one to replace sensory depri-
vation. Neuroplasticity, the abil-
ity of neurons to change or reor-
ganise, underpins the success of
early implantation. Everything
comes with a price and so does
cochlear implants. In a develop-
ing country like India, the chal-
lenges of accessing cochlear
implants are exacerbated by the
economic disparities that exist in
the country.
A significant portion of the
Indian population faces eco-
nomic constraints, making it
difficult for them to afford spe-
cialised treatments. “Parents are
living Gods. They do everything
to make their children happy
and expect nothing in return.”
Therefore parents try every pos-
sible thing to arrange funds for
a cochlear implant for their
child, but this process can be a
lengthy and daunting journey
and sadly during this time, pre-
cious years crucial for early in-
tervention slip away.
As stated earlier, early inter-
vention is vital in unlocking
their full potential for language
development and overall com-
munication skills. Every day
lost can hinder their progress
and limit their ability to catch up
with their hearing peers. While
parents tirelessly work to secure
the necessary funds, the clock
keeps ticking, and the window
of opportunity for timely inter-
vention narrows.
This underscores the critical
importance of improving acces-
sibility to such life-changing
treatments, ensuring that chil-
dren can receive the care they
need without unnecessary de-
lays, thus maximising their
chances of a brighter future.
Back in the 2000s India’s
healthcare infrastructure was
often strained, and public subsi-
dies for such treatment were
limited. This disparity under-
lined the urgent need for im-
proved accessibility and afford-
ability of essential healthcare
services in India. Therefore, the
role of government-funded
schemes and non-government
organisations aiding this popu-
lation becomes important who
can provide this advanced and
expensive technology free of
cost or at minimal cost?
In India, the first cochlear im-
plant surgery was done in the
1990s and that too in a private
setup. Medical insurance com-
panies did not cover cochlear
implants and still do not but the
government has been convinced
to support many cochlear im-
plant programmes. The journey
of cochlear implants in Ra-
jasthan began in September
2010, marking a significant
milestone in the state’s health-
care history. Government fund-
ing for this life-changing proce-
dure officially commenced in
January 2011, thanks to the
Chief Minister Relief Fund. In
those early days, there were no
specific age criteria, reflecting
the pioneering spirit of the ini-
tiative. However, recognizing
the importance of early inter-
vention, in 2015, the maximum
age for cochlear implants was
reduced to 6 years.
Notably, in 2022, this age
limit was further lowered to 4
years, emphasising the govern-
ment’s commitment to provid-
ing this essential service to the
youngest of patients. The gov-
ernment’s efforts didn’t stop at
age restrictions. Understanding
the significance of bilateral im-
plants for comprehensive hear-
ing rehabilitation, in 2022, they
introduced bilateral cochlear
implants for children as young
as 2 years old.
This progressive approach
ensures that children can benefit
from the best possible auditory
experiences from an early age.
Recognizing that the journey to
better hearing doesn’t end with
surgery, the government also
prioritized speech therapy.
In 2011, speech therapy was
provided free of cost for a year,
and this duration was extended
to 2 years in 2021. This holistic
approach to hearing rehabilita-
tion underscores the govern-
ment’s commitment to
the well-being of
cochlear implant re-
cipients. Economic
constraints can be a significant
barrier to healthcare access, but
the Rajasthan government has
shown a remarkable commit-
ment to breaking down these
barriers.
In 2021 and 2023, they pro-
videdfundingforaccessoriesand
upgrades for cochlear implants,
acknowledging that these im-
plants are long-term investments
in the future of these young pa-
tients. Early identification of
hearing issues is crucial, and in
2019, universal neonatal hearing
screening was introduced in eve-
ry district of the state.
This proactive approach en-
sures that children with hearing
impairments are identified and
supported as early as possible,
improving their chances of suc-
cessful intervention and a bright-
er future. Through the combined
efforts of the government, re-
sponsiblesociety, dedicated
doctors, and speech therapists,
Rajasthan’s cochlear implant
program has flourished. To date,
approximately 1,200 patients
have benefited from this initia-
tive, and more than 7 govern-
ment centres now regularly per-
form cochlear implant surgeries.
Additionally, an equivalent
number of speech therapy cen-
tres have been approved for
cochlear implantation, further
enhancing the comprehensive
care and support provided to
these children. This program
stands as a shining example of
how collaborative efforts can
transform lives and pave the way
for a more inclusive and acces-
sible healthcare system. “Start-
ing something new in a state as
vast and diverse as Rajasthan is
like navigating through a desert
– challenging, but with the po-
tential to discover hidden oases
of opportunity.” So in the early
stages of this program, there was
a noticeable hesitancy among
patients, especially parents of
children. The prospect of a ma-
jor surgical procedure and the
idea of introducing a foreign de-
vice into their child’s body were
met with understandable appre-
hension. Many parents were
hesitant to proceed, even when
it was offered free of charge.
However, the dedicated team
of doctors played a pivotal role
in alleviating these concerns.
They provided invaluable coun-
selling sessions to parents, tak-
ing the time to explain the ben-
efits and safety of cochlear im-
plants in detail. To further as-
suage fears, doctors arranged
meetings between hesitant par-
ents and children who had al-
ready undergone successful sur-
geries. These interactions al-
lowed them to witness first-
hand the transformative impact
the implants had on the lives of
these children. In addition to
these efforts, routine coverage
by print and electronic media
outlets played a crucial role in
spreading awareness about the
cochlear implant and its pro-
gram. Through informative arti-
cles and heart-warming stories
of children who regained their
hearing, the media generated
significant public interest. Gov-
ernment-funded cochlear im-
plant programs are a testament
to the power of collective efforts
in transforming lives. They of-
fer not just the restoration of
hearing but the promise of a
brighter, more inclusive future
for children who would other-
wise be trapped in silence.
As governments continue to
invest in these life-changing
initiatives, they are not just
providing aural rehabilitation
but also sowing the seeds of
hope, opportunity, and a har-
monious world of sound for all.
Let’s join hands in making this
world a better place to live,
laugh and love. “In the sym-
phony of silence, cochlear im-
plant recipients are the com-
posers of their melody, en-
joying a life transformed by
the gift of sound.”
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED
BY THE AUTHORS
ARE PERSONAL
TOP
TWEETS
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
THE TIMELINE
1990
In India, the first cochlear
implant surgery was
done and that too in
a private setup
2000
India’s healthcare in-
frastructure was often
strained, and public
subsidies for such
treatment were limited
2010
The journey of cochlear
implants in Rajasthan be-
gan, marking a significant
milestone in the state’s
healthcare history
2011
Speech therapy was
provided free of
cost for a year
2021
Speech therapy duration
was extended to
2 years in 2021
2022
Age limit was lowered to
4 years, emphasising the
government’s commitment
to providing this
essential service to the
youngest of patients
2023
Funding was provided for
accessories and upgrades
for cochlear implants
TRANSFORMINGLIVES:COCHLEAR
IMPLANTS,ABOONFROMGOVERNMENT
Dr Tanmaya
Kataria
The writer, an Assistant
Professor in the Department
of ENT at Mahatma Gandhi
Hospital in Jaipur
Dr Mohnish
Grover
The writer is a Professor,
Department of ENT at SMS
Hospital in Jaipur
I
The entire life of Saint Shiromani Guru
Ravidas Ji was dedicated to the respect and
social equality of the deprived class. Today,
I pay my respects to him on his birth anniversary.
The spirit of unity and harmony which he spread
across the country to end social evils and
discrimination will always remain an
inspiration to the countrymen.
Jagat Prakash Nadda @JPNadda
Congress first makes promises
and then shows their back. In a
video, Priyanka Gandhi says 5 lakh
government jobs will be given to youth,
however, the state CM and other ministers are
denying which indicates that before the ballot
they make big promises and later they deny...
People will show them the exit door this time.
Anurag Thakur @ianuragthakur
l Vol 5 l Issue No. 260 l RNI NO. RAJENG/2019/77764. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Press, D.B. Corp Limited, Shivdaspura, Tonk Road, Jaipur. Published at 304, 3rd Floor,
City Mall, Bhagwan Das Road, C-Scheme, Jaipur-302001, Rajasthan. Phone 0141-4920504. l Editor-In-Chief: Dr Jagdeesh Chandra l Managing Editor: Pawan Arora l Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act
PERSPECT VE 04
Jaipur, Sunday | February 25, 2024 www.firstindia.co.in firstindia.co.in/epapers/jaipur thefirstindia thefirstindia thefirstindia
SONIC HARMONY:
A GLOBAL VISION
Nurturing and investing in this pool is essential for India’s
economic growth, and social development. As per WHO
estimates, in India 63 million people are suffering from
significant auditory impairment and an estimate of childhood
deafness at about 22 million. A nationwide survey by
the National Program for Prevention and Control of
Deafness (NPPCD), has concluded that the incidence of
deafness is 4 per 1000 live births in India
As governments continue to invest
in these life-changing initiatives,
they are not just providing aural
rehabilitation but also sowing the
seeds of hope, opportunity, and
a harmonious world of sound for
all. Let’s join hands in making this
world a better place to live, laugh
and love. “In the symphony of
silence, cochlear implant recipients
are the composers of their melody,
enjoying a life transformed by the
gift of sound.”
INTERNATIONAL
COCHLEAR
IMPLANT
DAY TODAY

FOLLOW OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL TO 'READ FREE' THE FIRST INDIA
ENGLISH NEWSPAPER EVERYDAY, AND WIN EXCITING PRIZES
CLICK HERE

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www.firstindia.co.in firstindia.co.in/epapers/jaipur thefirstindia thefirstindia thefirstindia
Jaipur, Sunday | February 25, 2024 05

INDIA 06
STOCK TAKING EXERCISE
Zero-tolerance towards misuse of money in polls: CEC
PTI
Chennai
hief Election
Commissioner
Rajiv Kumar on
Saturday issued a stern
warning to political par-
ties, emphasizing a “zero-
tolerance policy” towards
the “misuse of money”
during the upcoming Lok
Sabha elections.
The CEC accompanied
by senior ECI officials,
on Friday commenced his
two-day review of Tamil
Nadu’s preparedness for
the Lok Sabha elections.
At a presser the CEC
chief on Saturday assert-
ed that the Election Com-
mission determines to
ensure free, fair, and
transparent elections.
“The Commission is
extremely determined
and all the collectors, all
the enforcement agencies
have been told about this
that we want an induce-
ment free elections. Free,
fair, and transparent elec-
tions,” he said.
He declared the Com-
mission’s zero tolerance
towards the misuse of
money, distribution of
money, or distribution of
freebies in any form, em-
phasizing a commitment
to conducting elections
free from inducement.
“And by inducement
we mean the misuse of
money in the elections
would not be tolerated.
The commission is abso-
lutely zero tolerance to-
wards the misuse of mon-
ey and distribution of
money,” he added.
CEC Rajiv Kumar with EC Arun Goel, Senior Dy Election Commissioner
Dharmendra Sharma and others at a press conference on poll
preparedness for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, in Chennai. PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually attends the ‘Viksit Bharat, Viksit Chhattisgarh’ programme on Saturday. PTI
C
PTI
New Delhi
BJP president JP Nadda
on Saturday chaired a
meeting of party leaders
who have been made in-
charge of different states
for Lok Sabha elections
and took stock of the on-
going campaign and mass
outreach programmes.
With Prime Minister
Narendra Modi setting a
target of winning 370
seats for the BJP, sources
said the party leadership
stressed the need for an
intensive drive to reach
out to different sections of
society and connect with
voters at the booth level.
Nadda and Union
Home Minister Amit
Shah later attended a sep-
arate meeting with the
BJP’s Uttar Pradesh lead-
ers, including Chief Min-
ister Yogi Adityanath.
The party is looking to
boost its tally in the coun-
try’s largest state and has
targeted the seats where it
had lost in 2019 when the
SP and the BSP joined
hands.
The BJPhad won 62 of
the 80 seats in the state
last time.
The meetings come
amid the likelihood of the
BJP holding its Central
Election Committee
meeting soon and an-
nouncing its first list of
candidates for the Lok
Sabha polls expected in
April-May.
Agencies
New Delhi
Thirty-six per cent of Ra-
jya Sabha candidates
have declared criminal
cases against themselves
while the average assets
of candidates analysed
stood at Rs 127.81 crore,
according to poll rights
body Association for
Democratic Reforms
(ADR). TheADR and the
National Election Watch
analysed the self-sworn
affidavits of 58 out of the
59 candidates in the fray
for 56 seats in 15 states.
The Rajya Sabha polls
are scheduled to be held
on February 27.
Agencies
New Delhi
The I.N.D.I.A. bloc con-
stituents AAP and Con-
gress on Saturday an-
nounced their seat sharing
tie-up for the forthcoming
Lok Sabha polls for Del-
hi, Gujarat and Haryana.
Out of seven seats in
Delhi, AAP will contest
on four Lok Sabha seats
while the Congress has
been allocated three seats.
Though an agreement
couldn’t be reached in
Punjab, AAP has been
givenoneseat,Kurukshet-
ra in Haryana while Con-
gresswillbecontestingon
nine seats in the state.
In Gujarat, Congress is
contesting on 24 out of
26 Lok Sabha seats,
while the AAP has been
given the two seats of
Bharuch and Bhavnagar.
Agencies
Karnataka
Karnataka BJP has de-
manded a comprehensive
probe over the alleged
threat to
burn down
the train re-
turning from
Ayodhya.
F o r m e r
Karnataka BJP minister
CT Ravi has urged the
state government to inves-
tigate the Congress MLC
BK Hariprasad in connec-
tion to the alleged threat.
Speaking to reporters,
Ravi said that Haripras-
ad had given a statement
about the possibility of a
Godhra-like incident in
the state.
The BJP leader further
said that the action must
be taken before any trag-
edy would take place.
Agencies
New Delhi
Ahead of introducing a
Uttarakhand-like bill on
the Uniform Civil Code
(UCC), the Assam gov-
ernment has decided to
repeal theAssam Muslim
Marriages and Divorces
RegistrationAct of 1935.
The State Cabinet, on
late Friday night, ap-
proved the Assam Re-
pealing Ordinance, 2024,
for repealing the British-
era marriage and divorce
Act specific to Muslims.
State Minister Jayanta
Malla Baruah told media
after the meeting that the
decision to repeal the Act
was made as the State is
headingtowardstheUCC.
“The Chief Minister
(Himanta Biswa Sarma)
has been clear about the
UCC. So, we took the
veryimportantdecisionto
repeal Muslim Marriage
and Divorce Registration
Act, 1935,” he said.
Agencies
New Delhi
Finance Minister Nirma-
la Sitharaman experi-
enced the daily commute
of millions of Mumbai-
kars on Saturday, taking a
ride on city’s local train.
Sharing pictures of her
journey from Ghatkopar
toKalyanstation,Nirmala
Sitharaman Office wrote
on X (formerly known as
Twitter):“Smt@nsithara-
man was received by Shri
@KapilPatil_, Hon’ble
Union Minister of State
for Panchayati Raj, upon
her arrival at the Kalyan
Railway Station.”
The photos show her
interacting with fellow
passengers, engaging in
friendly conversations.
This move has been met
with mixed reactions
from the public.
ECI ISSUES NEW DIRECTION ON TRANSFER OF
OFFICERS AHEAD OF LOK SABHA ELECTIONS
New Delhi: Taking exception to officers posted
for more than three years in a district, being
transferred to an adjacent district in the same
parliamentary constituency to show token compliance
of Election Commission’s pre-poll transfer policy, the
election body on Saturday directed all the states and
Union Territories to only transfer such officers to a
different parliamentary constituency. States/UTs com-
prising no more than two parliamentary seats, would
however be exempt from following this instruction. As
per Election Commission’s standard policy implement-
ed in the run-up to Lok Sabha and assembly polls,
all the officers posted either in their home district or
who have completed three years of posting at a place,
must be transferred out, in the interest of maintaining
a level-playing field. This applies to officers who are in
any way connected to the election work either directly
or in supervisory capacity.
Assam govt repeals
Muslim Marriage Act
The Assam Govt said the said
Act was being misused for
marriages of minors. FILE
Lays foundation stone of various development works
PM’s Gift to Chhattisgarh
First India Bureau
New Delhi
Modi on Saturday inau-
gurated and laid the foun-
dation stone of multiple
development projects
worth Rs 34,400 crores
in Chhattisgarh under
‘Viksit Bharat, Viksit
Chhattisgarh’.
Theprojectscatertosev-
eral important sectors in-
cluding Roads, Railways,
Coal, Power, and Solar
Energy among others.
Addressing the pro-
gramme virtually, the
Prime Minister hailed the
development undertaken
in Chhattisgarh saying
that the dream of building
a Viksit Chhattisgarh will
be realised through the
empowerment of farmers,
youth and Nari Shakti.
“Today, we are moving
ahead with the resolve of
‘Viksit Chhattisgarh’!
The BJP has made it, and
only BJP will improvise
it!,” he said.
“Chhattisgarh has
hardworking farmers,
talented youth and a
wealth of nature. What-
ever is needed to devel-
op, Chhattisgarh had it
earlier and is there even
today. But those who
ruled the country for a
long time after independ-
ence did not have a big
vision,” he said.
`34,400croreprojectsunder
‘ViksitChhattisgarh’programme
Agencies
New Delhi
PM Narendra Modi will
inaugurate the four-lane
cable-stayed bridge be-
tween Okha and Beyt
DwarkainGujarat’sDwar-
ka district on Sunday. The
2.3 km bridge connecting
theBeytIsland,believedto
be the seat of Lord Krish-
na’s kingdom and palace,
will make travel seamless
for lakhs of pilgrims.
A road transport and
highways ministry offi-
cial said that the bridge
will provide a reliable all-
weather connectivity be-
tween Dwarka and Beyt
Dwarka as presently pil-
grimsareentirelydepend-
ent on the ferry service.
The bridge will ensure
safe and convenient
movement of devotees
between Dwarka and
Beyt Dwarka. The iconic
bridge will be a major
tourist attraction of Dev
Bhoomi Dwarka.
Officials said it’s In-
dia’s longest navigation-
al span in a cable-stayed
bridge at present. The
project features a wide
pedestrian walkway and
cycle track with solar
panel roof. Carving and
slokas on life and teach-
ings of Lord Krishna
and Bhagavad Gita have
been put along the pe-
destrian walkway.
“It has a theme based
decorative illumination
system on stay cables
and the Bridge Health
Monitoring System has
been used for efficient
monitoring of the bridge
during service life,” an
official said.
PM Modi to inaugurate cable-stayed bridge
to connect Beyt Dwarka in Gujarat today
The project will have
12 viewing galleries
and peacock’s
feather has been
engraved on top of
pylons
TUNE IN TO HEAR PM
MODI’S MANN KI BAAT
PROGRAMME TODAY
PM Narendra
Modi will share his
thoughts with the
nation through his Mann Ki
Baat programme on Akash-
vani at 11 A.M. Sunday. It
will be the 110th episode of
the monthly radio pro-
gramme. Mann Ki Baat pro-
gramme will be broadcast on
the entire network of Akash-
vani and Doordarshan, the
AIR News website and the
Newsonair mobile app. It
will also be live-streamed
on the YouTube channels
of the AIR News, DD News,
PMO and Information and
Broadcasting Ministry.
Akashvani will broadcast
the programme in regional
languages immediately after
the Hindi broadcast.
Saffron party in a huddle
EyeonLSpolls,Naddachairs
meetwithstates’in-charges
36% RS candidates declared criminal
cases against themselves: ADR report
Sitharaman’s Mumbai local train
ride, selfies with commuters
BJP chief JP Nadda at a party meeting regarding the upcoming
Lok Sabha elections, at BJP headquarters in New Delhi. PTI
Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman takes a ride in Mumbai’s local
train on Saturday during which commuters took selfies with her.
N Chandrababu Naidu with
Pawan Kalyan. ANI
AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj, Atishi and Sandeep Pathak with
Congress leaders Mukul Wasnik, Deepak Babaria and Arvinder
Singh Lovely at a joint press conference, in New Delhi. PTI
17%ofcandidatesfaceseriouscriminalchargeswithonecandidate
havingcasesrelatedtoattemptedmurder. REPRESENTATIONAL
Probe threat to
burn train from
Ayodhya: BJP
AAP, Cong’s seat sharing
tie-up for three states
TDP,JanaSena’sfirstlistof
118seatsforAndhrapolls
Lok Sabha Elections
PTI
Amaravati
TDPchief N Chandrababu
Naidu and Janasena chief
PawanKalyanonSaturday
announced their first joint
list of 118 candidates for
the forthcomingAssembly
polls inAndhra Pradesh.
The two leaders, how-
ever, said the seat alloca-
tion had been done keep-
ing in mind the need to
accommodate the BJP in
case the saffron party de-
cides to join the alliance.
“This union is for the
future of the state. This is
the first step for a great
effort,” said Naidu, at a
presser at his Andhra
Pradesh residence.
Seat sharing arrange-
ment for the remaining
57 of the 175 Assembly
constituencies are
expected to be an-
nounced soon.
JANA SENA GETS 24
ASSEMBLY, 3 LS SEATS
UNDER SEAT SHARING
The TDP will contest
151 seats and Jana
Sena 24 seats
under the seat adjustment
announced by the two
parties on Saturday for the
forthcoming elections to
the 175-member Andhra
Pradesh Assembly. The TDP
has also left three out of 25
Lok Sabha seats for Jana
Sena. The announcement
was made at a joint press
conference by TDP chief and
former CM N. Chandrababu
Naidu and Jana Sena leader
and actor Pawan Kalyan.

INDIA 08
Mumbai: The Mumbai
crime branch has arrest-
ed a 19-year-old student
from Pune for allegedly
giving death threats to
Chief Minister Eknath
Shinde and his son and
MP Shrikant Shinde via
social media, police
said on Saturday. As per
Mumbai Police, the ac-
cused identified as
Shubham Warkad is a
first-year student, who
is a native of Nanded
district and had been
studying in Pune.
Student,19,heldfor
givingdeaththreatsto
EknathShinde:Cops
Srinagar: The National
Investigation Agency
(NIA) on Saturday at-
tached houses of four
accused in a narco-ter-
ror case in Jammu and
Kashmir’s Kupwara
district, the agency said.
The case relates to the
use of the “proceeds of
narcotic drugs” to fund
violent terror activities
by proscribed terror
groups Lashkar-e-Taiba
(LeT) and Hizbul Mu-
jahideen (HM) operat-
ing in Jammu and
Kashmir, the NIA said.
JK: NIA attaches
houses of 4 accused
in Narco-terror case
New Delhi: Delhi Police
have busted a gang of
thieves and arrested four
persons -- who used to
pretend to be deaf and
dumb mostly targeted
students living on rent in
the early hours under the
pretext of charity collec-
tion, said an official on
Saturday. The gang used
to dispose of stolen
items in the open market
in Tamil Nadu and po-
lice have also recovered
27 stolen phones 11
laptops from the gang.
‘Deaf dumb’ gang
robbing students
busted in Delhi, 4 held
New Delhi: An interna-
tional drugs trafficking
network has been busted
with the arrest of three
people and seizure of 50
kg narcotics-making
chemical that was being
sent to Australia and
New Zealand by con-
cealing it in mix food
powder and desiccated
coconut, the NCB said
Saturday. An additional
input from the US Drug
Enforcement Adminis-
tration indicated that the
source of these consign-
ments was Delhi.
NCB ‘busts’ narco
racket; arrests 3,
seizes 50 kg chemical
New Delhi: Bihar Gov-
ernor Rajendra Vishwa-
nath Arlekar on Satur-
day visited the ancient
city of Ayutthaya --
home to archaeological
treasures -- in Thailand.
The governor is current-
ly heading a 22-member
Indian delegation.
BiharGuvArlekarvisits
ancientcityinThailand
VISION FOR THE SUBCONTINENT
Adani hints at future collaborations with Uber
PTI
New Delhi
illionaire Gau-
tam Adani on
Saturday met
Uber CEO Dara Khos-
rowshahi, who is cur-
rently on a visit to India,
and hinted at possible
future collaborations be-
tween his conglomerate
and the ride-hailing app.
Taking to X, both
business leaders appreci-
ated their conversation
on the Indian growth
story and their vision for
the subcontinent.
“Absolutely captivat-
ing chat with @dkhos,
CEO of @Uber. His vi-
sion for Uber’s expan-
sion in India is truly in-
spiring, especially his
commitment to uplifting
Indian drivers and their
dignity. Excited for fu-
ture collaborations with
Dara and his team!
#UberIndia,” Billionaire
Gautam Adani said in a
post on X.
The Uber CEO said he
met the head of ports-to-
energy conglomerate
over breakfast for an “ab-
solutely terrific conver-
sation”. He also high-
lighted the mobility ser-
vice provider’s commit-
ment to accelerate EV
transition in India.
Adani also posted
pictures of the meeting
but the two did not say
where the meeting took
place. The pictures
seem to suggest the
meeting took place at
Adani group’s head-
quarters in Ahmedabad.
Gautam Adani posted pictures of the meeting but he did not say where the meeting took place. The
pictures seem to suggest the meeting took place at Adani group’s headquarters in Ahmedabad.
B
IN BRIEF
Two successive wet spells likely in JK
Agencies
Srinagar
Sky was partly cloudy in
JK on Saturday as the
MeT office forecast an-
other spell of rain/snow
between February 27 and
28, as well as between
March 1 and 3.
An official of the MeT
department said that while
thefirstspellbetweenFeb-
ruary 27 to 28 would be
light to moderate, the sec-
ond spell between March
1and3wouldbemoderate
to heavy and widespread.
Srinagar had minus 3.1,
Gulmarg minus 9 and Pa-
halgam minus 7.4 degree
celsius as the minimum
temperature today.
Leh town in Ladakh
region had minus 16.7
and Kargil minus 20.2
degree celsius as the min-
imum temperature. Jam-
mu city had 8.3, Katra
5.4, Batote 0.1, Bhad-
erwah minus 2.2 and Ban-
ihal minus 1.6 as the
minimum temperature.
CAPITAL RECORDS MINIMUM TEMPERATURE
OF 8.7°C: METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT
New Delhi: The national capital on Saturday
recorded a minimum temperature of 8.7
degrees Celsius, three notches below the
season’s average, according to the India Meteorologi-
cal Department. It said the humidity level in Delhi was
recorded at 92 per cent. The weather department
predicted partly cloudy skies during the day. The
Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital was
recorded in the “moderate” category with a reading of
166 at 9 am, according to the Central Pollution Con-
trol Board. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered
“good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “mod-
erate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”,
and 401 and 500 “severe”.
“Quadisastatementthatothers
cannothave‘veto’onourchoices”
EAM calls Quad ‘Creative Flexible’ at Quad Think Tank Forum
First India Bureau
New Delhi
The Quad is a statement
that others cannot have a
“veto” on choices of like-
minded nations and the
coalition is here to stay,
grow and contribute to
global prosperity, Exter-
nal Affairs Minister S
Jaishankar said on Satur-
day, amid mounting
global concerns over
China’s rising assertive-
ness in the Indo-Pacific.
In an address at a
think-tank forum, Jais-
hankar described the coa-
lition of India, the US,
Japan andAustralia as an
“overhead light” that is a
“creative, flexible, nim-
ble, responsive and open-
minded” enterprise.
The Quad has largely
been focusing on bol-
stering cooperation to
ensure a free and an
open and inclusive Indo-
Pacific in the face of
Chinese belligerence.
The external affairs
minister said the Quad
reflects the growth of a
multipolar global order
and its central approach
is collaborative, and not
unilateral.
“All four govern-
ments have behaved dif-
ferently from how they
normally do. The Quad
is an overhead light —
creative, flexible, nim-
ble, responsive and
open-minded enterprise.
These are not adjectives
we normally associate
with the bureaucracy,”
he said explaining the
principles that the
grouping stands for.
Jaishankar also said
that the Quad has five
messages, “One — it re-
flects the growth of a
multipolar order; two —
it is post-alliance and
post-Cold War thinking;
three — it is against
spheres of influence;
four — it expresses the
democratising of the
global space and a col-
laborative, not unilateral
approach and five — it is
a statement that in this
day and age, others can-
not have a veto on our
choices,” he said.
Marathas launch 'road-blocks' in Jalna,
Solapur, other parts of Maharashtra
Agencies
Jalna (Maharashtra)
The Shivba Sanghatana
chief Manoj Jarange-Patil
intensified the ongoing
agitationforMarathaquo-
tas by staging road blocks
in parts of Jalna, Chhatra-
pati Sambhajinagar,
Solapur and other parts of
the state on Saturday.
Scores of Marathas
squatted on major roads,
state or national high-
ways including the
Mumbai-Nagpur Sam-
ruddhi Expressway,
blocking traffic from
10.30 a.m. – 1 p.m., and
later from 4-7 p.m., as
per Jarange-Patil’s call.
While ensuring that
students hurrying to write
their HSC Board exams
were not inconvenienced,
the activists carried ban-
ners, posters and raised
slogans against the state
government demanding
full Maratha quotas as
promised, including for-
malisation of the January
26 draft on ‘Sage-Soyare’
(family bloodline).
70K hectares rubber plantation achieved
Agencies
Guwahati
In a major boost to rub-
ber plantation drive in the
Northeast, nearly 70,000
hectares (ha) of land has
been brought under natu-
ral rubber plantation un-
der the Indian Natural
Rubber Operations for
Assisted Development
(INROAD) project in
three years, top Rubber
Board officials said.
According to an offi-
cial of Rubber Board,
70,000 ha represents one
of the highest new plan-
tations ever achieved in
the mountainous north-
east region in a block of
three years. He said that
in tune with the spirit of
‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’,
INROAD, a project for
supporting development
of 2 lakh ha of rubber
plantations in the north-
east is being undertaken
under active mentoring
of the Ministry of Com-
merce and Industry.
The INROAD is the
first such project in the
world where the natural
rubber consuming indus-
try (tyre sector) has come
forward to partner with
government agencies and
fund the plantation of
Natural Rubber (NR).
Automotive Tyre Man-
ufacturers Association,
the apex body of tyre
manufacturers in the
country, has collaborated
withRubberBoardforthe
INROAD project, under
which over three crore
trees have been planted so
far benefitting nearly
80,000 beneficiaries in 93
districts in NE states.
Under INROAD project in Northeast region in 3 years
UP govt cancels police
constable recruitment
exam, orders re-test
Agencies
Lucknow
The Uttar Pradesh gov-
ernment on Saturday
cancelled the recently
held police constable
recruitment examina-
tion following allega-
tions of question paper
leak and ordered a re-
test within six months.
The state government
also announced a probe
into the allegations by the
SpecialTaskForce(STF).
More than 48 lakh can-
didates appeared in the
examination conducted
on February 17 and 18
across the state.
In a post in Hindi on
‘X’, Chief Minister Yogi
Adityanath said, “There
can be no compromise
with the sanctity of ex-
aminations.”
A view of the Aharbal waterfalls, also known as “Niagara Waterfall of Kashmir”, covered with a layer
of snow on a cold winter day, in Kulgam on Saturday. ANI
Raisina Dialogue
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addresses the inaugural
Raisina Quad Think Tank Forum, in New Delhi on Saturday. PTI
Manoj Jarange had called upon his supporters to maintain peace,
shun any violence and also make video recordings of roadblocks.
THE WORLD IS FACING DEEP DIVISIONS: JAPAN MIN
Joining through virtual mode, Australia Foreign
Minister Penny Wong said Quad stands for a region
that is free from intimidation and coercion”, where
competition is managed responsibly and disputes are set-
tled in accordance with international law. Japanese foreign
minister Yoko Kamikawa, in a brief video message, said
the world is facing deep divisions and it is necessary to
maintain and strengthen a free and open international order
based on the rule of law. “For this reason, Japan with its al-
lies and like-minded countries is working to further develop
a free and open indo-Pacific based on the rule of law,” she
said. “Quad is one of the most important initiatives to this
end, has steadily implemented initiatives in maritime critical
and emerging technologies, cyber and counter-terrorism,
initiatives must continue to move forward,” she added.
US deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell said the Indo-
Pacific remains the world’s most dynamic and rapidly evolv-
ing region and that the strength of the Quad is its ability to
harness the capabilities and resources of the four nations
together to deliver concrete outcomes that benefit all.
Around 500 delegates from India abroad are attending the meet.
Candidates celebrate after
cancellation of examination in
Lucknow on Saturday. PTI
Apart from an existing western disturbance
present as a trough, a fresh system will affect
the Western Himalayan Region starting
February 26. Hailstorm activity is also possible
over isolated parts of Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand on February 26.
Rajnath approves
financial incentive
for service athletes
DefenceMinisterRajnathSinghaddressestheInauguralSession
of‘FirstpostDefenceSummit-2024’,inNewDelhionSaturday.
ANI
New Delhi
Defence Minister Ra-
jnath Singh has ap-
proved a financial in-
centive for armed
forces’personnel who
won medals at the
19thAsian Games and
4th Asian Para Games
held in Hangzhou,
China, in September-
October 2023.
For both Asian
GamesaswellasAsian
Para Games, Gold
medal winners will re-
ceive a cash reward of
`25 lakh each, Silver
medal winners Rs 15
lakh each and Bronze
medal winners Rs 10
lakh each. According
to a press release by the
Ministry of Defence,
the initiative aims to
reward and motivate
these athletes for their
dedication and excel-
lence on the interna-
tional stage.
After their trium-
phant return, the med-
al-winning service ath-
letes were honoured by
the Defence Minister
who praised their ex-
emplarydisplayofskill
and sportsmanship.
PTI

NEWS 10
PTI
New Delhi
The security of the nation
can neither be outsourced
nor be dependent on the
“largesse” of others,Army
Chief Gen Manoj Pande
said on Saturday, asserting
that becoming self reliant
in critical military hard-
ware will be essential to
dealwithfuturechallenges.
In an address at a de-
fence conclave, he said
weaning away from im-
port dependencies for
capability development
requirements of theArmy
remains pivotal in its
strategic planning to be
“future ready”.
“As the guardians of
the nation’s security, we
are seized of the need to
completely wean away
from import dependen-
cies for our capability
development require-
ments. This aspect re-
mains pivotal in our stra-
tegic planning to be fu-
ture ready,” he said.
Nation’s security can neither be outsourced nor
be dependent on ‘largesse’ of others: Army chief
YASHASVI JAISWAL’S RECORD-BREAKING SERIES
5th Indian to score 600 runs in Test series
Ranchi
ANI
pening batter
Y a s h a s v i
Jaiswal on Sat-
urday became only the
fifth Indian to score 600
or more runs in a Test
series, during the second
day’s play of the IND vs
ENG 4th Test.
The left-handed Jaisw-
al, who made his India
debut last year during the
tour of the West Indies,
achieved the feat in his
seventh innings of the
ongoing five-match Test
series when he took a sin-
gle off Shoaib Bashir to
reach 55 not out during
the final session.
On a run-making
spree, Jaiswal struck two
double hundreds in the
second and third Tests
against England in the
ongoing series.
The 22-year-old Jaisw-
al joined Indian batting
legends Sunil Gavaskar,
Virat Kohli, Rahul Drav-
id as well as Dilip Sard-
esai to amass more than
600 runs in a Test series.
Former Indian cap-
tains Gavaskar, Kohli
and Dravid had amassed
more than 600 runs in
Test series twice in their
careers while Sardesai
recorded his feat during
the away series in the
West Indies in 1970-71.
Yashasvi Jaiswal celebrates his
half-century, in Ranchi.
O Bengaluru: Former India
captain and Gujarat Giants
mentor Mithali Raj said
organising the Women’s Premier
League (WPL) in more than one
city will help the teams develop new
audience and enhance the tourna-
ment’s profile. The first edition of
the WPL was held only in Mumbai,
but this time the BCCI is organising
the tournament in Delhi and Ben-
galuru. “If WPL moves to every city,
it gives the franchise a chance to develop a new audience,
who can come and watch it play. This will only improve the
profile of the tournament and the franchises,” Mithali said
in a Gujarat Giants release on Saturday. The former Indian
skipper touched upon her role at Giants and said she was
enjoying working with the team in a big platform like WPL.
Worldleadersoffersupportto
Ukraineon2ndanniversary
Agencies
Kyiv
Western leaders have
been voicing their soli-
darity with Ukraine on
the second anniversary of
Russia’s full-scale inva-
sion. US President Joe
Biden said, “The brave
people of Ukraine fight
on, unbowed in their de-
termination to defend
their freedom and future.
NATO is stronger, larger,
and more united than
ever. And unprecedented
50-nation global coalition
in support of Ukraine, led
by the United States, re-
mains committed to pro-
viding critical assistance
to Ukraine and holding
Russia accountable for its
aggression.
GermanChancellorOlaf
Scholz said, “Ukraine is
standing because Ukraine
is strong and courageous,
andbecauseithasfriendsin
Europe and all over the
world. We are proud to be
among her friends - today
and in our common Euro-
pean future.”
European Commission
President Ursula Von Der
Leyen said, “More than
ever, we stand firmly by
Ukraine. Financially,
economically, militarily,
morally. Until the country
is finally free.”
French President Em-
manuel Macron said,
“Two years of war. Bat-
tered and bruised, but still
standing. Ukraine is
fighting for itself, for its
ideals, for our Europe.
Our commitment at its
side will not waver.”
PTI
London
Prime Minister Rishi Su-
nak marked the second
anniversary of the Rus-
sia-Ukraine conflict on
Saturday with a pledge to
renew the UK’s determi-
nation to support the
Ukrainians and declared
the free world united in
its response to President
Vladimir Putin’s “illegal
invasion” of Ukraine.
The British Indian
leader reflected upon his
recent visit to the Ukrain-
ian capital of Kyiv when
he announced a major
package of defence aid to
Ukraine, taking the UK’s
total support to GBP 12
billion. It comes as the
UK Foreign, Common-
wealth and Development
Office (FCDO) pledged
GBP 8.5 million in hu-
manitarian funding allo-
cations to the Red Cross
Movement and the
Ukraine Humanitarian
Fund.
On war anniversary, Sunak vows
to back Ukraine until it prevails
IndianConsulateraisesJaahnavi
Kandula’scasewithUSauthorities
US President Joe Biden
Kuldeep Yadav plays a shot on Day 2 of the 4th Test match
against England in Ranchi on Saturday.
New Delhi: As
Ukraine marks the
grim milestone of
two years in a devastat-
ing conflict with Russia,
the prospects for peace
appear bleak. The war-
torn landscape, depicted
vividly in satellite images,
tells a tale of widespread
destruction inflicted by
Russia’s relentless bomb-
ing campaign.
Despite initial setbacks
for Russian President
Vladimir Putin in the
winter of 2022, recent
developments indicate a
resurgence of Moscow’s
military ambitions. The
once-hopeful signs of
negotiation seem distant,
with Putin’s recent
remarks suggesting that
any talks would be on
Moscow’s own terms,
leaving little room for
compromise.
The relentless bombard-
ment was a single terror-
ising event in a Russian
offensive that recently
resulted in the capture
of the war-torn indus-
trial center of Avdiivka by
Vladimir Putin’s forces,
situated 30 kilometers (20
miles) to the east.
SATELLITE IMAGES SHOW UKRAINE’S
DEVASTATION 2 YRS SINCE WAR WITH RUSSIA
WESTERN LEADERS VISIT KYIV IN SOLIDARITY
ON SECOND ANNIV. OF RUSSIAN INVASION
Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
welcomed Western leaders to Kyiv Saturday
to mark the second anniversary of Russia’s
full-scale invasion, as Ukrainian forces run low on
ammunition and weaponry and foreign aid hangs
in the balance. Zelenskyy posted a video from the
Hostomel airfield together with Italian Premier Giorgia
Meloni, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo
and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as well
as the the European Commission President Ursula
von der Leyen. “Two years ago, here, we met enemy
landing forces with fire; two years later, we meet our
friends and our partners here,” Zelenskyy said at the
airport just outside of Kyiv, which Russian paratroop-
ers unsuccessfully tried to seize in the first days of
the war. The Western leaders arrived shortly after a
Russian drone attack struck a residential building in
the southern city of Odesa, killing at least one. Three
women also sustained severe burns in the attack on a
residential building Friday evening, regional Gov. Oleh
Kiper wrote on his social media account. Rescue ser-
vices combed through the rubble looking for survivors.
Agencies
Washington
The Indian Embassy in
the United States on Sat-
urday reacted strongly to
recent developments in
the Jaahnavi Kandula
death case and said it has
raised the issue with local
authorities for appropriate
redressal. The King
County prosecutor’s of-
fice on Wednesday said
the police officer can not
be charged with a felony
due to sufficient lack of
evidence.
The Consulate General
in Seattle on Saturday
tweeted, “On the recently
released investigation re-
port of the King County
Prosecution Attorney on
the unfortunate death of
Jaahnavi Kandula, Con-
sulate has been in regular
touch with the designated
family representatives
and will continue to ex-
tend all possible support
in ensuring justice for
Jaahnavi and her family.”
It added, “We have
also raised the matter
strongly with local au-
thorities, including Seat-
tle Police for appropriate
redress.The case has now
been referred to the Seat-
tle City Attorney’s office
for review.”
PTI
Ranchi
India reached 219 for sev-
en at stumps against Eng-
land on the second day of
thefourthTest,trailingthe
visitors by 134 runs here
on Saturday. England
were all out for 353 in
theirfirstinningsearlierin
day, having resumed from
their overnight score of
302 for seven.
In-form young opener
Yashasvi Jaiswal top-
scored in the home team’s
first innings with a 73 off
117 balls. Dhruv Jurel
(30) and Kuldeep Yadav
(17) were unbeaten at
stumps, having helped In-
dia recover from 177 for
seven. Among England
bowlers, off-spinner
Shoaib Bashir shone the
most and ended the day
with figures of 4/84.
India reach 219/7 at stumps,
trail England by 134 runs
New Delhi: The
death of 18-year-
old Akul Dhawan,
a first-year student at the
University of Illinois Urbana-
Champaign (UIUC), has
raised serious concerns as
his parents
seek answers
regarding the
circumstanc-
es surround-
ing his death.
He was
found dead
on January 20, reportedly
due to hypothermia, having
been exposed to freez-
ing temperatures of -2.7
degrees after being denied
entry to a local club. Now,
Dhawan’s parents have
written an open letter to the
police.
PARENTS OF DEAD
18-YR-OLD ACCUSE
POLICE OF ‘NEGLIGENCE’
HAVING WPL IN DIFFERENT CITIES WILL IMPROVE
PROFILE OF THE TOURNAMENT: MITHALI RAJ
By Tridib Raman
The author is a journalist and political commentator
and views expressed are his personal
FIRST INDIA SUNDAY SPECIAL
Mirch Masala
CONG STOPS THE GROUND SURVEY WORK
WHY DID ‘KAMAL’ REJECT KAMAL NATH?
hy did Kamal Nath, who was
once considered the third son
of Indira Gandhi, fell short of
changing his color to saffron? Why did
a new lotus not blossom in the political
atmosphere of his ambitions? Recently,
when a leader wanted to know from Ka-
mal Nath why there is so much
speculation about him joining
BJP, so Kamal Nath did not
completely deny this, and
emphatically said that ‘He
was emotionally connected
to the Gandhi family, but
now the new generation of
the family is in front, the tone
of their talk and behavior has
changed. This thing pierces
the heart.’ But sources say that
Kamal Nath’s ambitions did not
go well in the BJP’s house
only because the list of demands of
this Congress leader was very long and
the BJP was not able to understand his
usefulness. Kamal Nath was demanding
Chhindwara seat from BJP for his son
Nakul Nath and he wanted Rajya Sabha
for himself and also wanted to be made
a minister in the central-led Modi gov-
ernment. But probably it was said
by the BJP that their candidate
from Chhindwara has already
been decided (this name
can also be of Shivraj Singh
Chauhan). Anyway, in this as-
sembly election, BJP had lost
all the seven seats of Chhind-
wara, due to this also the
party is now weav-
ing a new policy
and strategy in
Chhindwara.
W
achin Pilot may
fill millions of
political shoes,
but like his father Rajesh
Pilot, he is always fond
of reminding people that
he is the son of a farmer
family. When Rajesh Pilot
was also earning a lot of
name in Delhi politics,
sometimes he used to
gather a quartet of his
favorite journalists at his
Delhi residence and used
to feed them village food.
This food was widely
known as ‘Kisan Lunch’.
The same tradition of his
father has been carried
forward by his son, Sachin
Pilot who has a lot of
influence in the media.
Especially in the Delhi me-
dia, he has personal and
deep relationships with
many renowned print and
TV journalists. Recently,
Sachin Pilot organized
a ‘Kisan Lunch’ for his
journalist friends at his
official residence at Pandit
Ravi Shankar Mishra Lane
in Delhi. At this lunch, he
had political discussions
with the journalists over
Makke Ki Roti, Sarso ka
Saag and Makhhanr. The
rounds went on. When
journalists wanted to know
from Sachin, ‘Will Rahul
and Priyanka contest the
Lok Sabha elections this
time from Amethi and Rae
Bareli’, Pilot in his own
style dodged this question
and said – ‘This is an in-
ternal matter of the family.
There is really no informa-
tion about this.’ Sachin
further said that ‘this time
a huge crowd is gathering
in Rahul’s Bharat Jodo
Nyaya Yatra and he is
happy that Rahul took him
along with him in his Yatra
at many places.’
S
he BJP has not sent Bhupendra Yadav,
who is very close to Amit Shah, to the
Rajya Sabha only because he has been
asked to contest from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh
seat in Haryana. It is said that Bhupendra Yadav
has also opened his office in this parliamentary
constituency. In recent days he has also held a
public meeting there. The current BJP MP from
Bhiwani-Mahendragarh seat – Dharamveer
Singh – has approached the state CM Manohar
Lal Khattar to register his
complaint in this regard.
The MP claimed that
while Yadav voters will
unite in favour of BJP
if Bhupendra Yadav is
fielded from this seat, in
response to that, Jat vot-
ers on this seat can also
unite and move towards
the Opposition camp. It is understood that Khat-
tar has explained to Bhupendra Yadav that he
should also look for some other alternative seat.
According to the latest information, people close
to Bhupendra Yadav are also considering Alwar
seat of Rajasthan as suitable for him. Anyway,
BJP MP Mahant Balaknath, who had won from
this seat, was fielded by the BJP high command
in the recent Rajasthan Assembly elections, from
where he registered victory. Although many other
heavyweights of BJP are also staking their claim
on Alwar seat, Bhupendra Yadav has put his foot
down here too.
he country’s oldest party – Congress –
is facing shortage of funds in this elec-
tion. In an old case, the Income Tax
Department had also seized the accounts of the
Congress and asked the party to pay a penalty
of Rs 210 crore. Later, after depositing Rs 115
crore in lump sum, the income tax was ready to
remove the freeze on the
party’s accounts and in
this regard the Congress
was informed. The court
also supported. So, giv-
ing relief, the IT Tribunal
lifted the freeze on the
accounts. Congress
Treasurer Ajay Maken
has told the party high
command that ‘Now his first priority is to over-
come the income tax problems and for this he is
putting a stop to the party’s expenditure under
various heads.’ As that the Lok Sabha elec-
tions are round the corner and many different
companies are conducting the opinion polls of
Congress in the field, so as soon as the payment
of these companies was stopped, they have
stopped the work of opinion polls at the ground
level, due to which the Congress leadership is
facing a lot of problems in finalizing the names
of its candidates.
T
T
BHUPENDRA YADAV FROM BHIWANI PILOT’S ‘FARMER
LUNCH’

12
Failure and success both are a part of life. The
truly successful man is one who learns to take
both in the stride and learn from them.
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, CMD Editor-in-Chief
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Postal Reg No. JPC/004/2022-24
zYou started your politi-
cal career as a Sar-
panch. Did you ever con-
sider that one day you
would become Chief
Minister?
Vishnu Deo Sai: Truth
be told, I had never
thought of becoming
CM. In fact, I had not
even thought that I would
become Sarpanch. I was
ten years old when my
father passed away and
as the eldest son, the
weight of responsibility
rested on my shoulders.
Since we had some land
for agriculture, so I
thought that I would get
into farming to support
my brothers’ studies, but
I had actually never
thought I would become
a Sarpanch.
zBut now you have be-
come Chief Minister.
Who would you give the
credit for this achieve-
ment of yours?
See, along with complet-
ing my education, I took
on my family’s responsi-
bilities and when I com-
pleted my studies, I
joined the BJP and what-
ever responsibility the
party gave me, I carried
it out with utmost hon-
esty, so the party kept on
giving me without me
asking for anything. I
was a Sarpanch for six
months and was chosen
without any opposition.
Within six months, the
assembly elections were
announced and BJP
made me its candidate
from the Tapkara assem-
bly constituency which
fell in the then undivided
Madhya Pradesh. I was
merely twenty-six years
old at that time and was
unmarried. I would like
to tell you that in the
1990 assembly elec-
tions, there were 320 as-
sembly seats in the undi-
vided Madhya Pradesh
and the Tapkara constit-
uency from which I con-
tested the election, the
Congress was not allot-
ted the symbol there due
to some technical fault.
Congress’candidate was
then announced as an in-
dependent candidate by
the then DM and was al-
lotted cycle as the elec-
tion symbol. However,
even though the Con-
gress symbol was used
during campaigning to
inform people that it was
a Congress candidate,
the candidate’s security
was forfeited as he could
get only four thousand
votes. It was the first
time that the BJP won in
Tapkara by fifteen thou-
sand votes.
zPrior to the recent as-
sembly elections, surveys
indicated that Bhupesh
Baghel would become
Chief Minister yet again.
But the Prime Minister
started campaigning in
Chhattisgarh and sud-
denly there was a
marked shift among the
voters and the BJP gov-
ernment was formed. Do
you think PM was a
game-changer in the en-
tire scheme of things?
For fifteen years, Chhat-
tisgarh had a BJP gov-
ernment, under the lead-
ership of Dr Raman
Singh and during this
time several works were
carried out and multi-
directional development
of the state took place.
In the 2018 assembly
poll, the Congress party
gave a populist mani-
festo promising Rs2500
per quintal to paddy
farmers, slashing their
electricity bills by half
among others. The peo-
ple of Chhattisgarh, at-
tracted by the populist
manifesto, gave a huge
mandate to Congress
but even though Con-
gress was in power for
five years, It could not
fulfil even one of the
thirty-six promises it
made to the people. On
the contrary, in these
five years, Congress
made corruption rife
across the state. Let me
give you an example.
When an elderly dies in
any family in the rural
areas of Chhattisgarh,
the records are updated
with the names of the
next head of the family
and next of kin being
registered. During the
fifteen years of BJP
rule, this work was giv-
en to Gram Panchayat
and Sarpanch would
call the Patwari to get
this work done. But un-
der Congress rule, Sar-
panch were stripped of
their power and this
power was given to
tehsildars. So the tehsil-
dars would call the ag-
grieved family members
multiple times and then
demand bribes from Rs
5,000 to Rs 50,000 and
we have proof of that.
So such kind of corrup-
tion was rampant in the
Congress government.
Since I was the state
president, I had even
challenged Congress
CM Baghel that I would
retire from politics if he
or his government com-
pleted even one of the
promises made. But he
could not fulfil any
promise and the Con-
gress had to face the
flak of breaking its
promise. They were
overconfident and till
six months before the
elections, they would
not even consider the
BJP as being an opposi-
tion party. In addition to
this, the line - Modi Hai
To Mumkin Hai - also
applies here. See, I got
a chance to work with
PM Modiji from 2014-
19. I was elected as MP
from Raigad and when I
went to witness Modi-
ji’s oath ceremony, I did
not know that I too
would have to take the
oath. But Modiji showed
trust in me and appoint-
ed me as MoS. During
this, I observed that
whatever projects or
policies Modiji makes,
he gets behind it. It is
not so that he makes a
policy or project and
forgets about it or does
not take feedback on it
or does not follow up on
it. On the contrary, he
gets behind the work
and ensures that if any
project has been made
then people should get
benefit from it.
zWhen did you first
meet Narendra Modi?
When did he observe you
as being capable of
heading a government?
Modiji was the organisa-
tional in-charge of Chhat-
tisgarh. When Chhattis-
garh state was carved out
of Madhya Pradesh, at
that time he was in-
charge of the Madhya
Pradesh BJPorganisation
and owing to this, he was
in-charge of Chhattisgarh
too. During this time I
came in contact with him
and he started knowing
about me.
zWhat is your take on
PM Modi as the Prime
Minister of a nation and
as a global leader?
Today Modiji is the most
popular leader in the
world and his personality
exudes confidence. He
works extremely hard for
eighteen hours out of
twenty-four hours. He is
strong-willed and thus
we have faith that what-
ever he will do, he will be
successful in it.
zSo do you think PM
Modi will form the gov-
ernment for a third
time?
Definitely! There are no
ifs or buts about it. He
will form the government
for the third time and will
get even more seats than
the previous two tenures.
BJP won 272 seats in the
first tenure and 303 seats
in the second tenure. This
time around the party
will get more than 370
seats because PM Modi
has removed Article 370
from Jammu and Kash-
mir and hence he will get
more than 370 seats and
NDA will win more than
400 seats.
zDo you think that des-
tiny has chosen PM Nar-
endra Modi to remove
Article 370, construct
Ram Mandir, and intro-
duce CAA, and UCC
among other issues?
We definitely feel so.
When the Ramshila wor-
ship was started for Ram
Temple, that is when I
started my political jour-
ney and when Ramshila
was taken to homes, the
shila was worshipped by
people. People used to
chant a slogan of making
Ram Temple and today
we have witnessed con-
struction of Ram Temple.
zAmit Shah had told the
voters to make you win
the election saying that
the BJP leadership will
give you bigger responsi-
bility. Did you feel that
day that you could be-
come CM?
No, I had no idication
about it. But Amit Shah
visited the Kunkuri as-
sembly constituency and
said this to the people.
But I did not think that I
would be made CM. It
has been my good for-
tune that I have been a
two-time legislator and
four-time MP and every
time the people gave me
all their love. When I be-
came MP in 1999, I had
won by merely 5800
votes. When I became
MP for the second time,
I won by seventy-four
thousand votes. The third
time I won by fifty-four
thousand votes and the
fourth time I won by 2.17
lakh votes. Thrice the
BJP made me state presi-
dent and was also made
MoS in PM Modi’s first
tenure. In all this while,
I was never asked or con-
sulted that you will be
made so and so. The
party has given me lots
without me asking for it.
zAmit Shah praised you
a lot when he held a
meeting of the Bastar
cluster. What mantra did
he give all of you to en-
sure victory on 11 seats?
We have divided the 11
Lok Sabha seats into three
clusters namely Bastar,
Raipur and Bilaspur clus-
ters. Amit Shahji held a
meeting with the Bastar
cluster in-charge and par-
liamentary constituency
in-charge. Regarding the
mantra, we have been
asked to work a hundred
days and connect with the
beneficiaries. Narendra
Modiji has been Prime
Minister for the past ten
years and in his capacity
as PM, he has worked for
farmers, labourers, poor
and everyone else in the
nation. He has a special
focus on “GYAN” - in
which G stands for poor
(Gareeb), Y stands for
Youth, A stands for farm-
ers ( Annadaata) and N
stands for women (Naari)
and he works continu-
ously for them.
zSo are you confident
of winning the eleven
Lok Sabha seats?
Definitely. The sheer
amount of work that has
happened for the poor,
villagers, farmers and
overall for the nation, is
stupendous. Even a small
child in the village today
knows who the PM of
India is. They may know
or may not know other
leaders, but the children
definitely know about
PM Narendra Modi. This
is his popularity and he is
working in every field. I
think there is no house
which has not benefited
from any of the policies,
programmes or projects
by Modiji. There are so
many schemes for rural
India for example proper
housing under PM Awas
Yojna, gas connection,
toilet construction or the
Jan-Dhan account which
can be opened on zero
balance which was a fa-
cility which the poor did
not have access to in the
past. So Modiji has
worked for everyone.
When we tour villages
and check on people, we
find that in certain hous-
es, they are getting ben-
efits from over half a
dozen schemes. You will
see when the general
elections come, people
won’t see candidates but
everyone will cast their
vote on Modiji’s prom-
ise.
zWhat if Rahul Gandhi,
Priyanka Gandhi and
Sachin Pilot tour the
state? Will that make any
difference?
No, it won’t matter since
wherever Rahul Gandhi
tours, the Congress par-
ty’s graph goes down sig-
nificantly. The entire na-
tion knows what hap-
pened to Congress after
Rahul’s Bharat Jodo
Yatra. Now he is carrying
out the Nyay Yatra for
which I would like to say
that he should first give
justice (Nyay) to the peo-
ple within Congress. To-
day entire Congress is
being abandoned and it is
more like a sinking ship.
ModijiwillsurelybecomePrime
Ministerforthethirdtime,heis
nowagloballeader:VishnuDeoSai
During the show
#JCWithCGCM
trended top
All-India on X
Click to watch
The JC Show
In a tête-à-tête with Dr Jagdeesh
Chandra, a seasoned politician
and newly appointed Chief
Minister of Chhattisgarh, Vishnu
Deo Sai, reminisces about his
days from being a Sarpanch to
becoming CM now. Sai also gives
entire credit to the BJP for giving
him responsibilities for which he
has never asked the party. He
reveals how PM Modi functions
and how he came in contact
with him from his days in
Madhya Pradesh as in-charge of
the state. CM Sai also targeted
the Congress and claimed
that the Bhupesh Baghel
government could not fulfil any
promise it made to the people;
hence, it was ousted, and Rahul-
Priyanka or Sachin Pilot’s tour to
Chhattisgarh did not mean
anything to people. Excerpts...
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra in conversation with Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai during The JC Show.

JAIPUR, SUNDAY | FEBRUARY 25, 2024
Glamour | Fashion | Bollywood | Hollywood | Lifestyle
A MEMORY TO CHERISH!
he annual ‘Vintage Car Rally’ evokes
fond memories. The festival of
vintage classical automobiles in Jaipur
is an occasion to celebrate the tangible
pieces of artistry that transcend time. P15
T
13
firstindia.co.in
firstindia.co.in/epapers/jaipur thefirstindia thefirstindia thefirstindia
As summer approaches, it’s time to
ditch the layers and embrace the
vibrant world of summer fashion. From
floral freshness to funky prints, we’ve
compiled a guide to keep you cool and
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experiment with styles, and get
ready to make a lasting impression
– whether you’re chasing a
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sneak peek into the hottest
summer outfits for men that
effortlessly blend comfort
with runway-worthy appeal.
Stay cool, stay stylish!
s the mercu-
ry rises, the
desire for
i c e - c o l d
drinks re-
places hot chocolate crav-
ings, and layers give way
to skin-baring ensembles.
Summer is not just a sea-
son; it’s a celebration of
clear skies, longer days,
and, of course, the hottest
trends in summer fashion.
We’ve curated a list of siz-
zling summer outfits for
men that will not only keep
you cool but also make a
lasting impression, wheth-
er you’re chasing a sum-
mer romance, embarking
on a road trip, or just soak-
ing in the sun.
Mohit
Choudhary
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
n The concept of summer fashion
dates back centuries, with lighter
fabrics and breezy silhouettes
prevailing in warmer climates.
n The popularity of floral prints in
summer fashion can be traced
back to the 1960s, marking a
cultural shift towards vibrant and
expressive styles.
n Linen, known for its breathability,
has been a summer fashion
favourite for centuries, with
origins in ancient Egypt.
n Baseball caps became a
fashion staple in the 19th century
and have since evolved into a
versatile accessory for casual
summer looks.
HISTORY
AND FUN
FACTS
A
FLORAL FRESHNESS
Embrace the blooming spirit of
summer with half-sleeved floral
shirts paired with classic cotton
shorts. From micro-sized designs
to oversized patterns, floral shirts
are a casual yet standout choice.
Opt for beige or khaki shorts to
complement the vibrant florals.
Perfect for a casual day out or even
a vacation escape.
NEUTRAL CHIC
Make neutrals your go-to palette
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plicity at its best.
PRINTS SHORTS COMBO
Embrace the summer vibes at pool
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paired with printed shorts. Whether
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With its laid-back yet fashionable
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BASEBALL CAP COOL
The baseball cap, a timeless accessory, adds a
touch of practicality and style to any casual
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Complete the look with sunglasses, and you’re
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LINEN LOVE
For those lucky enough to en-
joy a relaxed dress code at
work, linen co-ords are a
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tailored linen pieces in neutral
tones like brown or beige.
Keep it sharp, not too loose,
not too tight – the epitome of
sophistication for your 9-to-5.
ARTSY ELEGANCE
For the experimental souls, an
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contrasting cigarette pants
creates an ensemble that turns
heads. Strappy sandals add the
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ing it a daring choice for those
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JOGGERS BLISS
Stay max-level comfortable
with your favourite joggers
paired with a loose-fitting tee.
This fail-proof summer outfit
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style, with an option to add a
hip-hop twist with high tops
and chunky chains.
FUNKY PRINTS
Bring out the funk with dis-
tressed shorts paired with a
vibrant graphic shirt. Add a
chain or cap for an extra edge,
and finish the look with white
sneakers. A perfect ensemble
for a casual day out or a fun-
filled evening.
COLOURFUL VIBES
Summer is all about embracing
colours, but balance is key. Choose a
specific colour palette, mixing shades
of blue with neutrals, and experiment
with prints like stripes or mini-florals.
Mastering summer fashion is all about
striking the right colour balance
without going overboard.
CARGO COOL
For the perfect balance be-
tween comfort and style on
off days, cargo pants come
to the rescue. Pair them
with an oversized tee for
a laid-back yet trendy
look. Neutrals or pastels
will never fail you.
T

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