SMC spent Rs3.5 crore on stray dogs but population surged: LoP Togadia

SMC spent Rs3.5 crore but, stray dog population surged: LoP Togadia
First India Bureau
Surat: In a shocking
claim made by Lead-
er of Opposition
Praful Togadia of Su-
rat Municipal Corpo-
ration (SMC) alleged
misuse of funds by
the civic body allo-
cated for neutraliz-
ing the stray dog pop-
ulation in the city.
“The city has spent
Rs3.5 crore to capture
and sterilize stray dogs
in the last six-and-a-half
years. But instead of
falling, their population
has only increased, giv-
ing a boost to dog men-
ace,” stated Togadia.
In response to Right
to Information (RTI)
activist Tushar Mepa-
ni, SMC has claimed
that between January
2014 and September
2020, it caught 47,133
stray dogs and cas-
trated 43,791 of them.
It further mentioned
that zone-wise bids had
been invited and an or-
ganization called Vet’s
Society for Animal
Welfare and Rural De-
velopment had been
granted the contract
for Rs3.48 crore.
In the RTI, Meplani
has questioned the
corporation’s claims
of castrating stray
dogs. Citing his own
experience, he stated
that just a few days
ago a dog had bitten
her sister-in-law.
When his brother took
her to SMIMER Hospi-
tal for treatment, the
hospital did not have
rabies vaccine and she
was referred to
Maskati Hospital.
Addressing the issue,
Togadia also pointed
out that the corporation
had claimed that the
sterilization of stray
dogs had been executed
but a surge in their pop-
ulation did not corrobo-
rate their assertion. He
further implied that the
irregularities cast sus-
picion over possible
misuse of funds allo-
cated to curtail dog
population in the city.
With the number of
people getting bitten
by stray dogs increas-
ing, the issue has be-
come a serious cause
for concern in Surat.
Shefali Pattharwala,
resident of Ghod Dod
Road, said, “I am a
resident of Karima-
bad Society, near Ram
Chowk. Turn to P6Stray dogs scrounging for food in Ahmedabad. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI
Civic body standing its
ground on the issue while
residents want it to intervene
24°C - 37°C www.firstindia.co.in | www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia | instagram.com/thefirstindia
AHMEDABAD l SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 316
OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD
BJP NATIONAL PRESIDENT JP NADDA
ON SUNDAY WILL ADDRESS HIS FIRST
ELECTION RALLY IN POLL-BOUND BIHARP5
‘SOLDIERS ARE GETTING MARTYRED IN
NON-BULLETPROOF TRUCKS WHILE THE
GOVT BUYS COSTLY AIRCRAFT FOR PM’
The rare Brahma Kamal, the only flower to bloom after sunset and just once a year, has been
spotted near Hemkund Sahib in Himalayas in Uttarakhand. It takes about two hours to bloom
to about eight inches in diameter. The flower only blooms for a few hours, and is said to
bring good luck and prosperity. Brahma Kamal is the state flower of Uttarakhand.
BRAHMA KAMAL:
ONE NIGHT BLOOM!
BRAHMA KAMAL:
ONE NIGHT BLOOM!
Washington: After the
Quad grouping in To-
kyo, Mike Pompeo gave
three interviews during
which he spoke of Chi-
na’s “bad behaviour”,
and said the “tide’s be-
gun to turn”.
Addressing the
“threat” China poses to
the Quad nations, Unit-
ed States Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo
said the country has
deployed 60,000 sol-
diers at its border with
India. He also said In-
dia “absolutely need
the United States to be
their ally and partner
in this fight”.
Foreign ministers
fromtheQuadcountries
— the US, India, Aus-
tralia and Japan — met
in Tokyo on Tuesday for
the first in-person talks
since the pandemic be-
gan. On his return to the
US, Pompeo gave three
interviews during
which he spoke of Chi-
na’s “bad behaviour”,
and said the “tide’s be-
gun to turn”.
“I was with my for-
eign minister counter-
parts from India, Aus-
tralia, and Japan… four
big democracies, four
powerful economies,
four nations, each of
whom has real risk as-
sociated with the
threats attempting to
be imposed by the Chi-
nese Communist Party.
And they see it in their
home countries too,” he
said on The Guy Ben-
son Show. Turn to P6
CRITICISM OVER HATHRAS PROBE
Pompeo:60,000Chinesesoldiers
atLAC,IndianeedsUSinthisfight
Jaipur: After the
Supreme Court re-
fused stay, the State
Election Commis-
sion of Rajasthan
on Saturday an-
nounced the elec-
tion for the six mu-
nicipal corpora-
tions in Jaipur,
Jodhpur and Kota
in two phases on
October 29 and No-
vember 1.
Counting will
take place on No-
vember 3.
Jaipur Heritage,
Jaipur Greater,
Jodhpur North,
Jodhpur South,
Kota North and
Kota South Munici-
pal Corporation will
be going to polls on
these dates.
CIVIC POLLS
ON OCT 29,
NOV 1 WITH
NOV 3 VERDICT
Must accept that
talks with china
won’t help: US
Washington: China
has attempted to “seize”
control of the Line of
Actual Control (LAC)
with India by force as
part of its territorial
aggression, US’ nation-
al security advisor has
said, underlining that
time has come to accept
that dialogue and agree-
ments will not persuade
Beijing to change.
India and China are
locked in a five-month-
long tense border stand-
off in eastern Ladakh
that has significantly
strained their relations.
Both sides have held a
series Turn to P6
STATE GOVT SHOULDERS
GRIEF OF PRIEST’S KINSPOTBOILER AVERTED: A ‘surprise troubleshooter’ Dr Kirodi
plays Gehlot’s ‘peace card’ as law & order remains intact in Bukhna
village a day after horrific death of temple priest over land dispute
Mike Pompeo
Mohd Fahad
Jaipur/Karauli: Effi-
cient government ma-
chinery and true grit of
political willpower were
on full display on Satur-
day, a day after a temple
priest who was burnt
alive allegedly by land
grabbers in Karauli.
Chief Minister Ashok
Gehlot, acting rational-
ly, wasted no time in ful-
filling demands of the
victim’s family while
his ‘arch-rival’ BJP MP
Kirodi Lal Meena met
the aggrieved family in
Bukna and despite be-
ing in the opposition ad-
mitted that justice has
been done to an extent.
The family, facing
economical hardships,
initially sat on a dhar-
na with the body, but
later agreed to perform
cremation.
CONCERNED GOVERNOR
SPEAKS TO CM GEHLOT
Jaipur: Governor Kalraj Mishra held a meeting
with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and discussed
the law and order situation in the state. The
governor discussed
with Gehlot the law
and order situation
in the context of
several incidents,
including the
Karauli incident
and the alleged
gangrape of two
minor sisters in
Barmer. Mishra
expressed concern
over these
incidents. Gehlot
told him that the
state government has taken cognisance of all
these incidents and the police are investigating
them. The chief minister assured the governor
that the culprits will not be spared and action
will be taken in all these incidents after the
investigation has been completed.
Family members sitting near the body of priest Babulal Vaishnav
in Bukna village of Karauli’s Sapotra region on Saturday.
 Financial assistance of `10 lakh
 CONTRACTUAL JOB TO A FAMILY MEMBER
 Removal of Sapotra police officer
 ACTION AGAINST THE PATWARI
DEMANDS MET
New Delhi: In a fresh
advisory to states, the
Ministry of Home Af-
fairs Saturday directed
the police to strictly ad-
here to guidelines and
adopt stringent action
while dealing with cas-
es related to crimes
against women.
The directive comes
amid criticism of the
Uttar Pradesh police for
its handling of the
Hathras case. The police
has drawn flak for alleg-
edly intimidating the
kin of the deceased, re-
fusing to hand over the
body of the victim to the
family, and collecting
forensic samples 11 days
after the crime.
“It is requested that
states/UTs may suita-
bly issue instructions to
all concerned to ensure
strict compliance with
the provisions in the
law. It is also requested
to monitor the cases on
the Investigation Track-
ing System for Sexual
Offences (ITSSO) to en-
sure that suitable follow
up action is taken for
chargesheet of the
guilty in a timely man-
ner as required in the
law,” the MHA said.
Itsaidthegovernment
has over the years taken
steps to strengthen the
legislative provisions to
deal with such cases.
“Even with stringent
provisions Turn to P6
MHA advisory to states
on crimes against women
CBI TAKES OVER HATHRAS
PROBE FROM UP POLICE
New Delhi: The CBI will take investigate the
alleged gang rape and murder of a 20-year-old
Dalit woman in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district
by a group of so-called “upper caste” men, tak-
ing over the case that has triggered a nationwide
outcry. Under searing criticism over the incident
and pulled up by the Allahabad High Court, the
Yogi Adityanath government had recommended
the probe last week.
P6P6

NEWSAHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2020
02www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: Ahead
of the upcoming civic
body, nagarpalika,
taluka panchayat,
district panchayat
elections in the state,
the Congress camp
has received yet an-
other blow as leaders
from Leader of Oppo-
sition Paresh Dhana-
ni’s stronghold of
Amreli district joined
the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) on Satur-
day. The grassroot
leaders including two
former taluka pan-
chayat presidents Mi-
tha Lakhnotra and
Balwant Ladumor
were inducted into
the ruling party in
the presence of min-
ister in-charge Dhar-
mendra Singh Jadeja
and former parlia-
mentary secretary
Hira Solanki.
The Congress lead-
ers were welcomed into
their new party with a
scarf. This change in
allegiances has left the
opposition party shak-
en causing uproar
within its ranks.
A few days ago,
more than 200 Con-
gress workers from
Kaprada constituen-
cy of Valsad district
had joined BJP.
Meanwhile, a few
Congress leaders have
been demanding the
removal of Dinesh
Sharma as the leader
of opposition at
Ahmedabad Municipal
Corporation (AMC)
since the past few
months. This develop-
ment has forced the
internal strife of the
Ahmedabad city Con-
gress to the surface
once again, with the
issue reaching the par-
ty’s high command.
All India Congress
Committee (AICC)
state in-charge Rajiv
Satav declined to
comment on the is-
sue by saying that
the decision would
be taken at the state
level by the regional
president and oppo-
sition leader.
On hearing of his al-
leged ouster plan,
Sharma said that he
will welcome any deci-
sion of the party high
command. It is worth
noting that former
Leader of Opposition
Badruddin Shaikh,
who passed away from
COVID-19 earlier this
year, served at the post
for five years before
Sharma’s induction.
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: In re-
sponse to the state
government’s decision
not to hike the fees of
government-run medi-
cal colleges, the Guja-
rat Pradesh Congress
Committee (GPCC) de-
manded a fee waiver
for students of medi-
calanddentalstreams,
on Saturday. Manish
Doshi, chief spokes-
person of the party,
asked that the fees
charged from medical
students be rolled
back for at least for
one semester.
Addressing the issue,
Doshi stated, “The COV-
ID-19 pandemic has cre-
ated an employment cri-
sis and people are strug-
gling to land jobs. The
feesof medicalandpara-
medical programmes
are quite high. The stu-
dentswhowanttodevote
their future to the medi-
cal field cannot manage
without studying for it.
The private education
sector alone logs more
thanRs1,500croreinfees
each academic year.”
He termed the an-
nouncement of no fee
hike in government-run
medical colleges by Dep-
uty Chief Minister Ni-
tin Patel as “hopeless”.
“Around 20,000 medi-
cal students pay hefty
fees for a total of four
out of five and a half
year’s worth of medi-
cal education every
year. We requested the
state governor to waive
their fees for at least
one semester since col-
leges are also shut
down,” said Doshi.
“On Friday, the dep-
uty chief minister
provided a small con-
solation to the parents
of medical students
regarding payment of
fees. There are a total
of 72,000 students en-
rolled in government
and self-financed col-
leges in the state. We
demand that an imme-
diate announcement
on fee relief be made
by the government,”
said Doshi.
State committed towards development of tier-two towns: Rupani
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: Chief
Minister Vijay Rupa-
ni while dedicating a
town hall for Vi-
ramgam on Saturday
at an investment of
Rs2.88 crore stated
that the government
will provide financial
resources to the small
towns to help develop
basic infrastructure
to ease conduction of
business.
Committed to urban
development, the state
government seeks to
provide major towns as
well as tier-two towns
with basic amenities to
boost their growth and
development.
Talking about the
state’s vision, Rupani
said, “The development
of townsmustbedoneon
the lines of smart cities
by making them habita-
ble for everyone. They
should be at par with
towns world over in
termsof infrastructure.”
The state’s total pop-
ulation habitation is
equally divided among
urban and rural areas.
As people in the latter
have taken to migrating
to the former, it is the
prime duty of the state
as well as local bodies to
ensure that these cities
are equipped with the
necessary amenities.
Launching the Digital
Seva Setu programme
on Thursday, the chief
minister had said that
the objective was to en-
sure that people do not
have to make ‘physical’
visits to various offices
for securing govern-
ment documents. In the
first phase, over 2,700
villages will be provided
27 services by the gov-
ernment. The state also
empowered talati (vil-
lage-level administra-
tive heads) to file affida-
vits. This move has in-
vited the ire of the Bar
Council of Gujarat.
On the same day, CM
Rupani had also given
the nod to Surat City
Development Plan
2035, covering 1,085
square kilometre area
under Surat Munici-
pal Corporation (SMC)
and Surat Urban De-
velopment Authority
(SUDA). With the ap-
proval, the lands that
were put under reser-
vation for the past 30
years have been re-
leased. Also, 850 hec-
tares of land will be
made available for
construction and de-
velopmental purposes.
l Govt seeks to boost in-
frastructure, provide basic
amenities to facilitate growth
l Mitha Lakh-
notra and Bal-
want Ladumor
from Amreli
district were
inducted into
their new party
on Saturday
CM Vijay Rupani while dedicating a town hall to Viramgam on Saturday.
PROGRESSIVE APPROACH
DHANANI’S STRONGHOLD SHAKEN
AS CONGRESS LEADERS JOIN BJP
In a bid to bounce
back, Alpesh
rides Thakor crest
First India Bureau
Palanpur: After
losing the 2019
state assembly by-
election from Rad-
hanpur constituen-
cy of Patan district,
Other Backward
Class (OBC) leader
Alpesh Thakor has
been trying to make
a political come-
back. During a Fa-
cebook Live session
on Saturday, the
Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) leader
announced that the
Banaskantha Dis-
trict Cooperative
Milk Producers’
Union Limited (Ba-
nas Dairy) was set
to appoint a direc-
tor belonging to the
Thakor community
on its board.
Sources from the
cooperative sector
said that Thakor has
been sending signals
within the party as
well as to the Banas-
kantha political cir-
cuit that a new politi-
cal axis is shaping up
between him and Ba-
nas Dairy chairman
Shankar Chaudhary.
The rumour mill in-
dicated closeness be-
tween the two lead-
ers even before Tha-
kor crossed over
from Congress to the
BJP in 2019. In fact,
in a few political cir-
cles, it is said that
Chaudhary was in-
strumental in bring-
ing Thakor into the
ruling party.
Addressing his fol-
lowers on Facebook
Live, Thakor said, “If
anyone is spreading
rumours that no Tha-
kor will get a seat on
the Banas Dairy
board,thenthosepeo-
ple are lying and mis-
leading the commu-
nity. I assure the Tha-
kor community that
therewillbeoneof us
among the directors
on that board.”
What Thakor has
been trying to convey
to his community is
not something that
will happen for the
first time in the his-
tory of Banas Dairy.
In the last terms
alone, three directors
were appointed from
the Thakor commu-
nity including
Muljibhai Patel,
Thaljibhai Patel and
Karsanji Thakor.
Reacting to the
BJP leader’s state-
ment, Bhabhar talu-
ka Thakor commu-
nity president Kar-
sanji Thakor said, “I
was appointed one of
the directors five
years ago by Shankar
Chaudhary. And I am
still serving as a di-
rector on the man-
agement committee.
So I do not know
which injustice
against the Thakor
community is Alpesh
Thakor talking
about.”
Shankar Chaudhary,
Chairman, Banas Dairy
Medical students at a protest in Ahmedabad. —FILE PHOTO
Paresh Dhanani, Leader of Opposition
Congress Chief Spokesperson Manish Doshi
Alpesh Thakor,
OBC leader
CONG DEMANDS FEE WAIVER
FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL STUDENTS
Chief spokesperson Manish Doshi
expressed dissatisfaction with DyCM
Nitin Patel’s ‘no hike’ declaration

GUJARATAHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2020
Masuma Bharmal Jariwala
Rajkot: After the suc-
cessful launch of
Gomaya Ganesha
(Ganesha statue made
from cow dung) dur-
ing Ganesh Chaturthi
this year, the Rashtri-
ya Kamdhenu Aayog
has now geared up to
promote the manufac-
turing and sale of
Gomaya Deepak
(lamps made from cow
dung) across the coun-
try as part of their
‘Kamdhenu Deepawa-
li’ campaign.
Planned strategically,
chairman of the Aayog,
Dr Vallabh Kathiria, has
beentouringextensively
to meet leading dignitar-
ies in various states to
take the campaign
ahead. So far, he has vis-
ited 13 states to promote
the concept among
gaushalas, women self-
help groups, gau sevaks,
youths and those inter-
ested in the business of
manufacturing cow-
based products.
“There has been a tre-
mendousresponse.Moth-
ercowhasheldanesteem
position in Indian cul-
ture. In states like Guja-
rat and UP we estimate
sales of around 5 crore
lampsrespectively.Asfor
other states such as Ma-
harashtra, Karnataka,
Telangana, Madhya
Pradesh, Haryana and
Tamil Nadu, sales may
touch 2 crore lamps. This
year,wearelookingtosell
a total of 33 crore lamps
and I feel we might sur-
pass this target too,” Dr
Kathiria told First India.
“In fact, making Go-
mya Ganesha using cow
dung was our first ex-
perimental project
which explained the im-
portance of cows. We
managedtosellaround1
lakh statues across the
country, despite the pro-
ject getting launched in
a short period. But the
lamp concept has been
carefully planned.
Gomaya lamps will cost
people Rs1 to Rs10, de-
pending on the size of
the diyas. Members of
organizations such as
Khodaldham, which has
around 25 lakh mem-
bers, have already
agreed to use Gomaya
DeepaksthisDiwali,”he
added.
Dr Kathiria further
said, “We are also com-
ing up with corporate
Diwali gifts which have
been made from cow-
based products. Basical-
ly,theAayogwillworkas
a motivator and facilita-
tor to help people who
want to get involved in
starting a business of
such products.”
After ‘Gomaya Ganesha’, 33 crore ‘Gomaya Deepaks’ to light homes
ECO-FRIENDLY FESTIVITIES

The Rashtriya
Kamdhenu
Aayog launched
its ‘Kamdhenu
Deepawali’
campaign in
13 states of
the country to
promote cow-
based products Dr Kathiria with 'Gomaya Deepaks' and other products made from
cow dung.
GARBA EVENTS BANNED
organizers threaten doctors
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: Due to
the ongoing COV-
ID-19 pandemic, the
state government
took a decision to dis-
allow commercial
Navratri events, af-
ter paying heed to
the advice of medical
experts and doctors.
However, this has not
gone down well with
the organizers of
Navratri events in
the state, who ex-
pressed their dissent
on various social me-
dia platforms.
In the face-off be-
tween organizers/ar-
tistes and doctors, a
few event organizers
havealsoissuedthreats
to doctors using social
media platforms.
The outrage about
loss of livelihood
among artistes has
sparked a controversy
after indecent remarks
were posted against
doctors online. In re-
sponse, doctors report-
ed the issue to cyber
crime police and asked
for a crackdown on
those responsible for
the abuse.
“There is a rise in
the number of COV-
ID-19 cases. We (doc-
tors) have been work-
ing around-the-clock to
curtail the virus ever
since it reached the
state. The advice that
we dispensed to the
government was in
larger public interest.
At this point in time,
large gatherings must
be avoided at all cost.
We have not opposed
any religious group or
congregation. But,
there are some people
who are defaming our
fraternity,” said Dr
Chandresh Jardosh,
president of Indian
Medical Association,
Gujarat Chapter.
“We have been re-
ceiving threats. They
have warned us that
they will organize
plays and dramas at
our clinics and homes,
which I strongly con-
demn. If there are
looking at financial
losses due to the can-
cellation of garba
events, then we will
urge the state govern-
ment to announce a
special package for
them. We request the
government to inter-
vene in the matter and
put a stop to such on-
line harassment,” he
added.
Dr Jardosh has
also written a letter
to Chief Minister Vi-
jay Rupani, seeking
intervention from
the government.
All public Navratri events have been barred by the state government due to the pandemic.—FILE PHOTO
PUBLICITY STUNT
DPS East derecognized
by CBSE, fined `50 lakh
40.7K cases in a month,
3K more than Aug-Sept
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad : The
derecognition of city-
based Delhi Public
School (DPS) East has
finally come through
following a dispute over
allotment of land for
the controversial Nity-
ananda Ashram. The
school has also been
fined Rs50 lakh for func-
tioning without accred-
itation from 2008 to
2011. As per the order of
the Gujarat High Court,
action has been taken
after statements from
school administrators
and perusal of relevant
documents by officials.
The school will offi-
cially be shut down
from April 2021. The
matter came to light
upon investigation into
the Nityananda Ash-
ram, which revealed
that DPS East had been
operating without a No
Objection Certificate
(NOC). The school had
been functioning with-
out the approval of the
government at that
time. School adminis-
trators obtained a bo-
gus NOC and submitted
it to the Central Board
of Secondary Educa-
tion (CBSE) for recogni-
tion.
After a police com-
plaint was lodged
against the school,
CBSE finally cancelled
the affiliation of grades
IX to XII and proceeded
to revoke the school’s
accreditation due to
lack of requisite per-
mission and insuffi-
cient land documents.
The Department of El-
ementary Education
also later repealed the
school’s accreditation.
In response, the
school then filed a peti-
tion in the state High
Court, which resulted
in the court ordering
derecognition of the
school. It also asked the
state government to
take judicial action
against the educational
institution. As per offi-
cials of the district pri-
mary education depart-
ment, the accreditation
of DPS East was re-
scinded by the educa-
tion department last
December.
Notably, the main is-
sue that drove derecog-
nition of the school was
the safety of students.
This was because 24
kids living in the Nity-
ananda Ashram had
been granted admission
in the school without
any prior verification
procedure. It raised
concerns about the safe-
ty of other students en-
rolled in the school.
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: The
state health bulletin has
been putting in a lot of
effort to show that the
COVID-19 situation is
being brought under
control. Even the sin-
gle-day jumps in new
cases have decreased
considerably, with just
1,221 being reported in
the last 24 hours. How-
ever, reality is yet to
catch up with the gov-
ernment’s narrative.
According to the data
released by the state
government, 37,507
COVID-19 cases were
reported in the state
from August 10 to Sep-
tember 10--a daily aver-
age of 1,209 cases. How-
ever, from September 10
to October 10, the state
has reported 40,788 cas-
es--a daily average of
1,359 cases. Thus, the
numbers show that far
from falling, the num-
ber of COVID-19 cases
is actually on the rise.
In the past 24 hours,
the state has tested
51,288 samples. There
are 15,958 active cases,
with 81 patients on ven-
tilators. Of the 10 pa-
tients who died on Sat-
urday, four were in
Ahmedabad, three in
Surat, two in Gandhina-
gar, and one in Rajkot.
Although the state
health bulletin contin-
ues to show just one or
two deaths from Rajkot
every day, local dailies
are reporting double-
digit fatalities--on Sat-
urday, local sources put
the number of deaths at
12.
Surat reported the
highest number of cas-
es, with 252, of which
171 were from the city
and 81 were from rural
areas. Other cases
emerged in Ahmedabad
(176), Vadodara (119),
Rajkot (114), Jamnagar
(96), Gandhinagar (37)
Junagadh(37),Mehsana
(35), Bharuch (34), Pa-
tan (31), Kutch (25), Sa-
barkantha (24), and
Bhavnagar (22).
In Ahmedabad city,
the civic body has iden-
tified 13 new micro-con-
tainment zones, taking
the total to 162 such
zones.
LOAN FRAUD CASE LODGED AGAINST NINE
ACB team to
probe Ketan
Patel case
First India Bureau
Surat: The Crime
Branch of the city regis-
tered a loan fraud case
against nine persons,
including the former
branch manager of Un-
ionBankof India’sRam-
pura branch, on Friday.
They were arrested for
allegedly causing
wrongfullossesamount-
ing to Rs97.10 lakh, po-
lice sources said.
The First Information
Report registered by the
Crime Branch named
the accused as KC Par-
mar (branch manager),
Dinesh Ranchodbhai
Bhimani, Harshadbhai
Himmatbhai Kachdiya,
Dineshbhai Bhavchan-
dbhai Chovatiya, San-
gramsinh Ramsinh
Chauhan, Janak Him-
matbhai Gajera, Yo-
geshbhai Ramesh Sav-
lia, Ashwinbhai Harib-
hai Gondalia and Chan-
dresh Harshadbhai Sar-
vaiya.As per the FIR
registered by current
branch manager of the
bank Hemanthari Var-
ma, the accused alleged-
ly availed of loans from
the Rampura branch be-
tween 2010 and 2012. The
then branch manager of
thebankKCParmarwas
also involved in the
crime.
According to sources,
the accused persons
jointly defrauded the
bank and caused wrong-
ful losses in the name of
buying manufacturing
machines.Theloanhold-
ershadallegedlysubmit-
ted fraudulent quota-
tions and rental agree-
ments to the bank. All
the loans passed by the
branch did not have a
guarantor and the ma-
chinery was reported to
have been sold by the ac-
cused. Therefore, the
loan amount and the in-
terestwerenotpaidback
to the bank.
First India Bureau
Surat: A team of An-
ti-Corruption Bureau
(ACB) officers ar-
rived in the city to
initiate the investiga-
tion of Deputy Com-
missioner Ketan Pa-
tel in a dispropor-
tionate asset case.
The team will also
question other offi-
cials of the Surat Mu-
nicipal Corporation
(SMC). Sources said
that they may put Pa-
tel’s relatives and
friends under sur-
veillance.
At present, Patel’s
family members said
that he is in his native
place while police sus-
pect that he is in a farm
house near Anklesh-
war or Bharuch. This
is the second time Ket-
an Patel has been ac-
cused of corruption.
Earlier, he was grilled
by the ACB and the
crime branch in the
Takshashila fire inci-
dent where 21 people
died.
Several artistes, event managers expressed outrage over loss of income on social media
ZOR
LAGAKE
HAISHA
Pedestrians help
push a police vehicle
which broke down
on a busy road near
Bhadra Market
in old city area of
Ahmedabad on
Saturday.
—PHOTO BY
HANIF SINDHI
A woman undergoing COVID-19 test in Ahmedabad.
The school will be ofﬁcially shut down in April 2021.
—PHOTOBYHANIFSINDHI

G Vol 1 G Issue No. 316 G RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet Survey No.148P, Changodar-Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist. Ahmedabad.
Published at D/302 3rd Floor Plot No. 35 Titanium Square, Scheme No. 2, Thaltej Taluka, Ghatlodiya, Ahmedabad. Editor-In-Chief: Jagdeesh Chandra. Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act
PERSPECTIVEAHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2020
LEARNING LOSSES
AND THE FEAR
OF PANDEMIC
f other than the economy the pan-
demic has hit any sector hard it is
education. Ever since the lock-
down began the Narendra Modi
government has been looking at
ways to reduce the burden on students by cut-
ting the syllabus for academic sessions 2020-
21 for students of Class 10 and 12.
With schools shut for fear of Covid-19, on-
line classes began to be offered but the exer-
cise was skewed as millions of students in
India do not have access to a computer or a
smartphone. Internet connectivity, in semi-
urban and rural areas, is also erratic despite
mobile towers dotting the country’s land-
scape. In tribal areas, the electricity supply
is also a problem. These drawbacks have re-
sulted in varied standards of online teaching.
TheUnionHRDMinistrybegantheexercise
of “rationalizing” the syllabus by dropping
somechaptersfromtextbooksforstudentspre-
paring to write board exams next year. The
CBSE and the CISCE which had earlier decid-
ed to trim the syllabus by 30 percent are now
mulling a 50 percent reduction. As schools in
some states are set to reopen from October 15,
this plan has not yet been approved.
With schools remaining shut-in contain-
ment zones, as also in Delhi where they will
remain shuttered until October-end, it will be
fair to halve the syllabus. However, as the fear
of the second wave of Covid-19 will deter par-
ents from sending their children to school,
reducing the syllabus by half would be a bet-
ter option than “rationalisation”.
The boards also have the option of delaying
examinations by about a month to help teach-
ers complete the syllabus. The final decision
will be taken by the education department as
postponement of examination for however
short a period will have a ripple effect on ad-
missions at the undergraduate level.
The challenge that will remain is about
reopening schools to mitigate learning losses
suffered by deprived students. Even if there
is a cautious restart of classroom teaching,
parents will still be in a dilemma, while
teachers and other school staff will be under
tremendous pressure to maintain necessary
protocols like sanitisation, and social-dis-
tancing for the well-being of students. They
will have the added responsibility of report-
ing suspected cases and isolating them.
The debate around the reopening of
schools amid fear of Covid-19 is not exclusive
to India. In Britain, the government has been
widely criticised for reopening of schools
even as there was a spurt in Covid-19 cases.
In the US, there is no agreement between
teachers, parents, and governments on
whether to restart classroom teaching. In the
Philippines, schools will remain closed till
there’s a vaccine available.
If India has indeed subdued the virus,
there should be no fear of schools becoming
super-spreaders. Still, cutting down of sylla-
bus would be in order.
IN-DEPTH
I
witnessed the first debate be-
tween presidential candidates
John F. Kennedy, Democrat,
and Richard Nixon, Republi-
can in October 1960 at the
American Embassy, then lo-
cated at Bhawalpur House. At
the time colour television had
not arrived, not even in the
United States.
The contrast between Ken-
nedy and Nixon was all too vis-
ible. Kennedy 6 feet tall, hand-
some and sartorially elegant
Vice President Richard Nixon
by contrast was lacking all
tours. As for the debate’s out-
come, Kennedy won but only
just. He was the first Catholic
to occupy the White House.
It is not the Kennedy-Nixon
debate that is etched in public
memory. What is remembered
after sixty years is Kennedy’s
speech delivered at his swear-
ing ceremony. “Ask not what
your country can do for you,
ask what you can do for your
country” resonates to this day.
President Franklin D-
Roosevelt (1932-1945), the long-
est-serving President in US
history also made memorable
inaugural speeches in 1932.
“The only thing we have to fear
is fear 1936 - “The American
people have a rendezvous with
history”.
Jawaharlal Nehru in his great
speech on midnight 15 August
1947, had no doubt in mind
Roosevelt’s“rendezvous”speech,
when used the word “tryst”.
I watched the Donald Trump
and Joe Biden and Mike Pence
andKamalaHarrisdebates.The
former was not a debate, but a
verbal slanging match, with
Trump being rude and at times
gave the impression of being
disinterested. Biden was nei-
ther rude nor irrelevant. When
Trump kept interrupting him,
Joe Biden said to Trump “Shut
up, man” What was the out-
come. Joe Biden not only con-
ducted himself with restrained
dignity but proved to better de-
bater and better prepared.
Yet,therewasashortcoming-
Joe Biden is not a charismatic
or inspirational individual.
The Vice-President debate
between Vice-President Mike
Pence and Senator Kamala
Harris seemed to be a one-sided
contest. Several times she put
the Vice-President on the de-
fensive. Once when Pence at-
tempted to interrupt her, she
said “Mr Vice-President, I am
speaking” It was a spectacular
put down. The senator was the
clear winner. President Donald
Trump, throwing good man-
ners to the winds called the
senator a “monster” is an ac-
complished, confident, asser-
tive politician. Not a monster.
Before he contacts the covid
infection and was hospitalized,
it looked that he might, just
might make it to the White
House again, but his own infec-
tion and constant playing down
the seriousness of the corona
the virus will in all probability
cost him the election.
As of today it is more than
evident that campaigning for
Trump will be an ordeal. It will
be risky if he does not wear a
mask, for which he has disdain.
His other problem is that a
dozen seniors members of his
White House staff have also
been infected and in a two-
week quarantine.
Polls are seldom reliable but
at this point in time Biden is in
the lead.
In India it appears that
Trump is favored, especially on
account of his taking China on
Biden is relatively unknown in
India. With twenty-three days
left for 3rd November the world
awaitswithbatedbreath,guess-
ing which way the dice will fall.
Ram Vilas Paswan’s passing
away at the age of seventy-four
is a huge national loss. He was
the tallest and most well known
Dalit leader who was elected to
the Lok Sabha in the seventies
with a record margin.
Inevitably his death will
have extensive ramification in
the forthcoming Assembly
elections in the state.
The coronavirus pandemic
has turned the world into a
huge medical word, hundreds
of thousand men, women have
died. The miracle vaccine re-
mains elusive, lifestyles of
hundreds of millions of people
have drastically changed and
as long as the virus lasts it will
be the case. What will the world
look like post-pandemic?
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY
THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL
US PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES TURN
INTO LITERAL SLANGING MATCH
I
It is not the
Kennedy-Nixon
debate that is
etched in public
memory. What is
remembered after
sixty years is
Kennedy’s speech
delivered at his
swearing ceremony.
“Ask not what your
country can do for
you, ask what you
can do for your
country” resonates
to this day.
IN INDIA, IT APPEARS
THAT TRUMP IS
FAVORED, ESPECIALLY
ON ACCOUNT OF HIS
TAKING CHINA ON
BIDEN IS RELATIVELY
UNKNOWN IN INDIA
The one who does not help
to keep the wheel of
creation in motion by
sacrificial duty, and who
rejoices in sense pleasures,
that sinful person lives in
vain. —Bhagavad Gita
Spiritual
SPEAK
Top
TWEET
Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal
Reviewed the recently launched
Freight Business Development
Portal & other initiatives taken to
enhance the freight operations
Railways is proactively working
to increase the modal share of
freight business to 40% & bring
down logistics cost.
Jagat Prakash Nadda @JPNadda
In a historic move to transform
rural India PM Sh @NarendraModi
will launch the physical
distribution of Property Cards
under the SVAMITVA Scheme,
tomorrow. Title deeds will help
in ending property disputes that
have gone on for years & will help
villagers to use their property.
everal men-
tal health
issues have
emergedfol-
lowing the
Covid-19 pandemic af-
fecting all segments of
society. People have
been experiencing
symptoms such as fear,
frustration, uncertain-
ty, sense of insecurity,
senseof boredom,mood
swings, guilt, anxiety,
disturbedsleeppattern,
obsessive thoughts and
in extreme cases even
depression.
Factors giving rise
to this situation in-
clude several changes
in day-to-day activities,
redistribution of home
chores, extensive
working from home,
and greater time spent
with those living to-
gether. It has also led to
long separation from
families (for those
working away from
their hometowns), fi-
nancial stress, and in-
terpersonal strain.
Mental health is-
sues for those in isola-
tion or quarantine can
be attributed to the fol-
lowing factors
z Increasing the duration of
quarantine which can lead
to increasing distress
z Multiple confusing
sources of information
that increases anxiety
z Fear of health or infect-
ing others.
z Loss of routine, lack
of social contact, and
sense of isolation from
the rest of the world.
z Patients might face
stigma from the com-
munity.
z Loss of work can lead to
a loss of pay or job.
z Inability meet daily
demands of life
Recent studies have
shown the increased
prevalence of depres-
sion, anxiety, somatic
concerns, alcohol-re-
lated disorders, and
insomnia in the gen-
eral population during
Covid 19 pandemic.
One such study has re-
ported that 55 percent
of Covid treated pa-
tients had some kind
of psychiatric illness,
predominantly Anxie-
ty in 42 percent, De-
pression in 31 percent,
and Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder(PTSD)
in 28 percent. Addi-
tionally, 20 percent of
patient-reported ob-
sessive-compulsive
symptoms and 40 per-
cent had insomnia.
It becomes even
more pertinent during
this time to consider
mental health issues
of persons with men-
tal illness(PMI) espe-
cially those with se-
vere mental illnesses.
The latest data re-
ports almost 14.3 per-
cent of the population
in India to have some
kind of mental disor-
der, constituting about
19.73 crores of the total
population. One in eve-
ry twenty individual
tend to suffer from de-
pression during their
lifetime and almost
one suicide takes place
every forty seconds
globally. Recent studies
have demonstrated
that almost three
fourth of persons with
severe mental illness
did not have adequate
knowledge about the
symptoms and precau-
tionary measures of
Covid 19 infection.
These patients may
face difficulty in the
continuation of their
therapy due to social
isolation and height-
ened fear. Though a
temporary, yet sudden
change in lifestyle dur-
ing this pandemic may
develop adjustment
problems in this popu-
lation.
These patients are at
higher risk of relapse
due to restricted availa-
bility of treatment and
consultation during the
Covid period and also
have more chances of
contracting infection
due to their unaware-
ness. During Covid 19
pandemic, the health
care needs of such pa-
tients are more likely to
be compromised, since
most of the health care
resources have been
mobilized towards Cov-
id care. This may result
in a relapse of disease
or worsening of symp-
toms.
The effective strate-
gies to manage these
issues must address
towards more effective
utilization of commu-
nity services through
the District Mental
Health Program, the
use of video conferenc-
ing, and telemedicine
for consultation, and
availability of emer-
gency care set up for
patients in acute need.
Caregivers must be ad-
vised following steps
for patient care.
z To ensure regular avail-
ability of medicines and
treatment compliance
z Look for relapse or
worsening of symptoms,
z Ensure adequate and
healthy communication
with the patient,
z Encourage to ensure
precautionary measures
to avoid Covid infection,
z Encourage to maintain
regular sleep, exercise,
and diet,
z Encourage to avoid
alcohol or other
substance of addiction
and keep in touch with
treating doctors.
Mental health perspective during Covid-19 pandemic
S
DR AKHILESH
JAIN
HOD,PSYCHIATRY
ESI MODEL HOSPITAL, JAIPUR
K NATWAR
SINGH
The author is Former Minister
of External Affairs of India

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INDIAAHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2020
20-CR RUPEE SMOG TOWER IN CP
TO BE 1ST-OF-ITS-KIND: KEJRI
New Delhi: The Delhi
Cabinet has approved
a tree transplantation
policy to prevent felling of
trees due to development
works in the national
capital, CM Arvind Kejri-
wal said, asserting that it
will be a first-of-its-kind
policy in the country. Ad-
dressing an online media
briefing in the capital, he
said the Cabinet has also
approved a proposal to
install a ‘smog tower’ in
Delhi’s Connaught Place
to deal with air pollution.
The government has
sanctioned Rs 20 crore,
and the tower will come
up in 10 months, CM
said, claiming that it will
also be the “first-of-its-
kind” under the “Yuddh,
Pradushan Ke Viruddh
campaign.
DELHI: FICCI FINED RS 20 LAKH
FOR VIOLATING NORMS
New Delhi: The Delhi government on Saturday
imposed a fine of Rs 20 lakh on the Federation
of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(FICCI) for violating dust control norms at a
demolition site on Tansen Marg in New Delhi, ac-
cording to an official order. The commerce body
has been told to deposit the environment com-
pensation within 15 days, according to the order.
Directions have been issued not to carry out or
restart any demolition activity without installing
an anti-smog gun at the project site, it said.
WB COPS DENY PULLING OFF SIKH
MAN’S TURBAN DURING BJP PROTEST
Kolkata: West Bengal Po-
lice has denied charges
of pulling off the turban
of a Sikh man during
BJP’s protest in Howrah
and said that the pagri
had fallen off automati-
cally in the scuffle with
policeman. The police
also said that the man
was carrying firearms.
“The concerned person
was carrying firearms in
protest. The Pagri had
fallen off automatically in
the scuffle that ensued,
without any attempt to do
so by our officer (visible
in the video attached). It
is never our intention to
hurt the sentiments of
any community,” West
Bengal Police tweeted.
The officer had asked
him to put his Pagri back
before the arrest.
FIVE HELD FOR RAPING 17-YEAR-
OLD AT GUNPOINT IN J’KHAND
Jamshedpur: Five people have been arrested for
allegedly raping a 17-year-old girl in Jharkhand’s
Jamshedpur, the police said. The girl was in the
Bagbera area of the city with a male friend on
Tuesday when the accused kidnapped them at
gunpoint and took them to Kaliadih Gaushala,
Senior Superintendent of Police Tamil Vanan
said. The accused tied up her friend there and
raped the girl, the official added. Among those ar-
rested is a minor who has been sent to a juvenile
home, while the others were sent to jail, he said.
New Delhi: Launching
an attack on the Centre
over the purchase of
two VVIP aircraft,
Congress leader Rahul
Gandhi on Saturday
said that soldiers are
being sent to become
“martyrs in non-bullet-
proof trucks” while
the government has Rs
8,400 crores aircraft for
Prime Minister.
“Our jawans are be-
ing sent in non-bullet
proof trucks to get
martyred and for the
PM -- Rs 8,400 crores
aircraft.... Is this jus-
tice?” read Gandhi's
tweet roughly translat-
ed in English from Hin-
di. He also tweeted a
video where several
purported soldiers, en-
closed within a moving
vehicle, can be heard
discussing how send-
ing people in non-bul-
letproof trucks was a
dangerous prospect.
This is not the first
time that Gandhi has
brought up the VVIP
planes.
Last week, Gandhi
raked up the purchase
of two VVIP aircraft
during a rally in
Punjab.
“On one hand, PM
Modi has bought two
aircraft worth Rs 8,000
crores. On the other
hand, China is at our
borders and our secu-
rity forces are braving
harsh cold to protect
our borders,” the
Congress leader had
said. —ANI
‘Our jawans are sent in
non-bulletprooftrucks’
RAGA TARGETS CENTRE OVER VVIP PLANES
New Delhi: India has
launched a national ac-
tion plan for the conser-
vation of migratory
birds along
with the
C e n t r a l
Asian Fly-
way, Union
Minister of
E nv i r o n -
ment, Forest and Cli-
mate Change Prakash
Javadon Saturday. Tak-
ing to Twitter, he said
saving migratory bird
is saving the wetlands,
terrestrial habitats and
saving of an ecosystem.
“India has launched
a National Action Plan
for Conservation of
migratory birds along
the #CentralAsianFly-
way. Saving migratory
bird is saving the wet-
lands and terrestrial
habitats and saving of
an ecosystem, benefit-
ting communities de-
pendent on wetlands.
# Wo rl d M i g r at o r y -
BirdDay,” Javadekar
tweeted. —ANI
‘National Action
Plan to protect
migratory birds
launched’
Huge crowd pay tributes to Paswan
Chirag Paswan with brothers carries the coffin of his father Ramvilas Paswan during a funeral procession, in Patna on Saturday.
Patna: A large crowd,
including several politi-
cal leaders, gathered
outside the residence of
Union Minister Ram Vi-
las Paswan on Saturday,
to pay last respect to the
departed leader.
The mortal remains
of Lok Janshakti Par-
ty’s founder were flown
from Delhi to Patna on
Friday for the last rites.
The union minister had
passed away on Thurs-
day after a long illness.
He was 74.
Prime Minister Nar-
endra Modi, BJP presi-
dent JP Nadda, and sev-
eral other leaders paid
their tributes to the late
leader at his residence
in the national capital.
Ram Vilas Paswan
held the portfolio of
Consumer Affairs, Food
and Public Distribu-
tion. Union Minister
Piyush Goyal has been
given additional charge
of the ministry. —ANI
Srinagar: India has
been able to thwart in-
filtration at the border
to a great extent this
year and the same is ex-
pected to help in im-
proving the internal
situation, Lieutenant
General BS Raju, GOC
Chinar Corps said on
Saturday here.
“This year, we have
been able to thwart in-
filtration to a great ex-
tent. Last year, the fig-
ure for infiltration
(from Pakistan) was
around 130, this year it
is less than 30. I believe
this will help in improv-
ing the internal situa-
tion also,” Lt Gen Raju
told reporters here.
He said that “as per
our intel agencies, there
are around 250-300 ter-
rorists at launchpads
on the Pakistani side”,
but added that they
have been able to keep
them at bay despite
their regular attempts
of trying to infiltrate.
The official was
speaking to reporters
about Indian Army per-
sonnel deployed at the
Keran Sector of North
Kashmir thwarting an
attempt by Pakistan
Army-backed terrorists
to smuggle weapons
from PoJK on Friday.
He informed that
four AK 74 rifles, eight
magazines and 240 AK
Rifle ammunition were
recovered from the
smugglers.
“We have shared ba-
sic information & ini-
tial court of enquiry
has concluded during
which we found faults.
On that basis, we have
ordered a summary of
the evidence.” —ANI
‘Many infiltration attempts
thwarted to great extent’
Mumbai: Republic
TV’s chief financial of-
ficer (CFO) Shiva
Sundaram has written
to Mumbai police stat-
ing he would be avail-
able to join investiga-
tions in the alleged
fake TRP ratings scam
only by October 14-15
and has asked the
Mumbai police to not
proceed with the probe
till a writ petition in
the matter is heard by
the Supreme Court.
“I refer to the above
summons issued by
you on October 9, 2020
asking me to be present
at your office on Octo-
ber 10, 2020 at 11pm for
the purpose of your in-
vestigation in the sub-
ject First Information
Report. At the outset, I
would express my com-
mitment to cooperate
in the said investiga-
tions,” Sundaram says
in his letter.
The letter then goes
on to request Mumbai
police to halt investiga-
tions till the hearing of
the writ petition filed
before the Supreme
Court.
“I wish to bring to
your notice that a Writ
petition under Article
32 has been filed before
the Hon’ble Supreme
Court of India (Provi-
sional application
number 7848/2020) in
relation to the above
referred matter and we
have requested for an
early hearing and it is
likely to be listed by
next week. Given that
the matter is to be list-
ed soon before the
Hon’ble Supreme
Court, I request you to
not proceed any fur-
ther with the investiga-
tions in so far as Re-
public TV and its em-
ployees are concerned.
We will join the inves-
tigations subject to the
orders of the Hon’ble
Supreme Court of In-
dia.’ —Agencies
Suspend probe: Republic TV tells Mumbai cops
TRP FRAUD CASE : JT COMMISSIONER OF POLICE MILIND BHARAMBE CONFIRMED RECEIVING THE LETTER
New Delhi: The gov-
ernment informed the
SC that “it’s not possi-
ble to give more relief
to different sectors”
amid coronavirus pan-
demic, stressing that
the “courts should not
interfere in fiscal poli-
cy”. The centre’s re-
sponse came days after
the top court said the
government’s last
week’s affidavit on
waiving “interest on in-
terest” on loans of up to
2 crore - frozen by the
Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) in a six-month
moratorium granted
because of the corona-
virus pandemic - was
“not satisfactory”.
In its latest affidavit,
the government has
said: “Policy is the do-
main of the govern-
ment and court should
not go into sector-spe-
cific financial relief.
Any further relief, be-
sides waiving of com-
pound interest for loans
up to 2 crore, is detri-
mental to the national
economy and banking
sector.”
Last week, the gov-
ernment told top court
that it was ready to
waive interest on the
repayment of loans of
up to Rs 2 crore. The in-
terest waiver is applica-
ble for loans taken by
MSMEs (Micro, Small
and Medium Enterpris-
es), for educational,
housing, consumer
goods and auto loans
and for credit card dues.
On Monday, the top
court said the centre’s
affidavit was not satis-
factory and asked for a
do-over in a week.
Courts shouldn’t
interfere in fiscal
policy: Centre to SC
Meerut: Bhim Army
chief Chandrashekher
Azad hit out at Uttar
Pradesh CM Yogi Adi-
tyanath over his allega-
tion that some groups
had received funds to
trigger caste violence
in the state in the back-
drop of the Hathras in-
cident.
He challenged the
chief minister to order
an inquiry into the mat-
ter.Heclaimedhewould
leave politics even if Rs
1 lakh was recovered
from him, otherwise,
the chief minister
should resign, he said.
Chandrashekhar had
posted this challenge
through a tweet, in
which he said he was
dedicated to his com-
munity and the (com-
munity) bore his ex-
penses. “ I challenge
Yogi Adityanathji to
institute any kind of
probe. Forget Rs 100
crore, even if Rs one
lakh is found in my pos-
session, I will quit poli-
tics, otherwise you
(Yogi) should quit your
post. My life is dedicat-
ed to my dignity. My ex-
penses are borne by my
community,” he tweet-
ed. A call for justice is
equated with ‘interna-
tional conspiracy’ in
UP, he said.
Bhim Army boss denies
incitingcasteviolencefor
money, challenges Yogi
Rahul Gandhi
@RahulGandhi
“Our jawans are be-
ing sent in non-bullet
proof trucks to get
martyred and for
the PM — Rs 8,400
crores aircraft.... Is
this justice?”
LT GEN SPEAK
CASE SO FAR
TTT
THE STORY BEHIND
HATHRAS INCIDENT

INDIAAHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2020
SMC spent...
We are fed up with the
number of stray dogs
in our neighbourhood.
Apart from late night
ruckus, we are con-
cerned about the safety
of our children. I want
the municipal corpora-
tion to look into the
matter.”
SMC’s standing com-
mittee chairman Anil
Goplani was busy when
contacted to comment
on the issue.
MHA advisory...
in law and several ca-
pacity building meas-
ures undertaken, any
failure of police to ad-
here to these mandato-
ry requirements may
not augur well for the
delivery of criminal
justice in the country,
especially in context of
women safety. Such
lapses, if noticed, need
to be investigated into
and stringent action
taken immediately
against the concerned
officers responsible for
the same,” it said.
Explaining the guide-
lines and laws enacted
to probe cases of sexual
offences, the MHA told
states to ensure manda-
tory registration of
FIRs and take action
against officers who re-
fuse to register an FIR
in cases of rape and
other crimes against
women. It also asked
the police to treat the
dying declaration of
the victim as a matter
of fact; ensure collec-
tion of evidence for fo-
rensic examination;
use of Sexual Assault
Evidence Collection
(SAEC) kit; ensure
completion of investi-
gation of such cases
within two months; and
use of National Data-
base on Sexual Offend-
ers to identify and track
repeat offenders.
The ministry had re-
cently distributed
SAEC kits to states for
better investigations of
sexual crimes through
forensic evidence.
“The Directorate of
Forensic Science Ser-
vices (DFSS) under the
MHA has issued guide-
lines for collection,
preservation and trans-
portation of forensic
evidence in sexual as-
sault cases for Investi-
gation Officers and
Medical Officers. In or-
der to facilitate the
State Police, Bureau of
Police Research and De-
velopment (BPR&D)
has issued Sexual As-
sault Evidence Collec-
tion (SAEC) Kits to
every State/UT.
“It is necessary to
use these SAEC kits in
every case of sexual as-
sault reported. MHA
advisory dated 5 Octo-
ber 2020 in this matter
may be referred.
BPR&D and LNJN Na-
tional Institute of
Criminology and Fo-
rensic Sciences
(NICFS) have been reg-
ularly conducting
Training and Training
of Trainers (ToT) pro-
grammes on procedure
for collection, preserva-
tion and handling of
forensic evidence for
Police/Prosecutors and
Medical Officers re-
spectively,” the adviso-
ry said.
Pompeo: 60,000...
He then told Larry O’
Connor, “But they’ve all
seen it, whether it’s the
Indians, who are actu-
ally having a physical
confrontation with the
Chinese up in the Him-
alayas in the northeast-
ern part of India, the
Chinese have now be-
gun to amass huge forc-
es against India in the
north.”
He said the Quad
countries were develop-
ing a set of policies to
present a resistance to
the threats that China
posed to each of the
four nations. “(India)
absolutely need the
United States to be
their ally and partner
in this fight,” he said.
“The world has awak-
ened. The tide’s begun
to turn. And the United
States under President
Trump’s leadership has
now built out a coali-
tion that will push back
against the threat and
maintain good order,
the rule of law, and the
basic civic decency that
comes from democra-
cies controlling the
world and not authori-
tarian regimes,” he
added.
Speaking to Fox
News, he said, “They’ve
stacked 60,000 soldiers
against the Indians in
the north. When the
Australians had the te-
merity to ask for an in-
vestigation of the Wu-
han virus and where it
began, something that
we know a lot about, the
Chinese Communist
Party threatened them.
They bullied them.
Must accept...
of high-level diplomat-
ic and military talks to
resolve the border row.
However, no break-
through has been
achieved to end the
standoff.
“CCP’s (Chinese
Communist Party) ter-
ritorial aggression is
also apparent on its In-
dian border where Chi-
na has attempted to
seize control of the
Line of Actual Control
by force,” US National
Security Advisor Rob-
ert O’Brien said in a
remark on China early
this week in Utah.
“The time has come
to accept that dialogue
and agreements will
not persuade or compel
the People’s Republic
of China to change.
There’s nothing to be
gained from looking
the other way or turn-
ing the other cheek.
We’ve been doing that
for too long,” he said.
“We must promote
American prosperity,
practice peace through
strength and advance
American influence in
the world,” he said.
FROM PG 1
BANSAL TRANSFERRED
Mohit Bansal has been transferred and posted as
ADG, CS wing in DoT hq. He is an ITS officer.
RAO IS MEDIA CONSULTANT TO
PRESIDENT
A A Rao, former Additional Secretary in the
Rajya Sabha Secretariat, has been appointed
Media Advisor to the Vice President for a period
of one year.
POST OF AKHILESH KUMAR RE-
DESIGNATED AS DIRECTOR, NITI
AAYOG
The post of Akhilesh Kumar has been re-designated
as Director in NITI Aayog. He is a 2006 batch ISS
officer.
MS. SHERPA APPOINTED MEMBER
SECRETARY, SCHOOL EDUCATION
Ms. Kesang Yangzom Sherpa has been appointed
Member Secretary, Department of School Education
& Literacy, Delhi. She is an IRS-IT officer.
ECI RELIEVES NINE IRS OFFICERS
FROM EXPENDITURE OBSERVER’S
DUTY
The Election Commission of India has relieved
nine IRS(C&CE) officers from Expenditure
Observer’s duty. They are- Upendra Kumar
Dhruv,Dharam Raj, Virendra Kumar Meena,
Pandiyaraj G Venkatesan, Ajay Gautam, Yatish
Mani, Arshdeep Singh, Dharamraj Khatik and
Umesh Rathod.
38 IRS OFFICERS DEPLOYED IN
BIHAR POLLS
Altogether 38 IRS(C&CE) officers have been ap-
pointed as Expenditure Observers for Bihar Assem-
bly elections.
ONE IAS OFFICER FROM KERALA
EMPANELLED FOR ADDL SECRETARY
EQUIVALENT POST
One Kerala cadre IAS officer of 1993 batch, out
of total five, has been empanelled for holding
Additional Secretary equivalent posts in Govern-
ment of India.
ONE IAS OFFICER FROM WB
EMPANELLED AS ADDITIONAL
SECRETARY
One West Bengal cadre IAS officer of 1993 batch,
out of total five, has been empanelled for holding
Additional Secretary/Additional Secretary equivalent
posts in Government of India.
SJ SINHA TO BE ADVISER, NITI
AYOG
Sudhendu Jyoti Sinha – who is presently on
deputation to Centre for Railway Information
System (CRIS) as GM/PMS at New Delhi –
has been appointed to the post of Adviser,
NITI Ayog, for a tenure of five years. He is an
IRTS officer.
RAJ KUMAR BHATIA AWARDED IFS
CADRE IN HARYANA
Haryana Forest Service officer Raj Kumar Bhatia has
been awarded Indian Forest Service (IFS).
S D SHARMA IS ALSO DIRECTOR,
ISTM
S D Sharma, Joint Secretary (Training), DoPT,
has been assigned an additional charge of
Director, Institute of Secretariat Training and
Management (ISTM) till November 8, 2020. He
is a CSS officer.
POWERGallery
By arrangement with: http://
whispersinthecorridors.com
India’s active
COVID caseload
stands at 12.65%
Mumbai: India’s active
COVID-19 caseload
stands at 8,83,185 to
date, which is nearly
one-eighth, that is 12.65
per cent, of the total
number of cases across
the country, said the Un-
ion Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare on
Saturday.
About 82,753 patients
have recovered in the
last 24 hours, whereas
73,272 new cases have
been confirmed. The
national Recovery Rate
has progressed to 85.81
per cent. About 18 states
and union territories
(UTs) have recorded a
Recovery Rate of more
than the national aver-
age, while 76 per cent of
the new recovered cases
are concentrated in 10
states/UTs.
On the other hand, 79
per cent of the new
COVID-19 cases have
also been reported from
10 states and UTs. Also
82 per cent of case fa-
talities are concentrat-
ed in 10 states and UTs,
the Union Ministry of
Health and Family Wel-
fare said on Saturday.
Maha continues to be
the top contributor to
the number of new cas-
es and recoveries. It re-
ported around 12,000
new cases in the last 24
hours, with 17,323 sin-
gle-day recoveries, fol-
lowed by Karnataka,
which reported nearly
11,000 new cases and
9,091 recoveries.
Bihar polls: Sonia, Rahul,
Priyanka star campaigners
DU announces first cut-off list
for undergraduate courses
New Delhi: The Con-
gress has released a list
of 30 party leaders who
will lead its poll cam-
paign in Bihar as star
campaigners for the
first phase of assembly
election scheduled to be
held on October 28.
Among the popular fac-
es who will campaign in
the poll-bound state in-
clude party chief Sonia
Gandhi, former presi-
dent Rahul Gandhi, his
sister Priyanka Gandhi
and party leader and
veteran Bollywood ac-
tor Shatrughan Sinha,
according to news agen-
cy ANI. Congress’ na-
tional spokesperson
Randeep Surjewala, ac-
torRajBabbarandchief
ministersof party-ruled
states will also cam-
paign for the Bihar as-
sembly elections.
New Delhi: Delhi Uni-
versity on Saturday re-
leased its first cut-off
list for merit-based un-
dergraduateadmissions
for the academic year
2020-21. Lady Shri Ram
College For Women has
pegged 100 per cent
score for three courses
for general category as-
pirants - BA (Hons) Eco-
nomics, BA (Hons) Po-
litical Science and BA
(Hons) Psychology.
The college has the
highest cut-off among
Science courses as well.
The college has an-
nounced a cut-off of
99.75 per cent for admis-
sion to B.Sc (Hons) Sta-
tistics for general cate-
gory students, while
Hindu College has
pegged the score for the
same course at 99.25 per
cent. Hindu College has
announced a cut-off of
99.33 per cent for B.Sc
(Hons) Physics.
LSR PEGS SCORE
‘WB govt
meets
criterion to
invoke
Article 356’
New Delhi: West Ben-
gal CM Mamata Baner-
jee’s government meets
all criteria to invoke
Article 356 (President’s
rule) in the State, said
Union Minister Babul
Supriyo adding that she
has made the State a
hub of terrorists.
“Mamata Banerjee’s
government meets all
criteria to invoke Arti-
cle 356 (President’s
rule) in the State. She
has made West Bengal a
hub of terrorists.
Mamata Banerjee’s ex-
piry date has arrived...
she will get an answer
in the 2021 elections. I
haven’t seen such a cru-
el CM till date,” said
Supriyo. “Mamata Ba-
nerjee and TMC
wouldn’t have been in
power if the police (WB)
was not there in the
State,” he added.
Bihar Assembly polls: JP Nadda to
address first rally in Bodhgaya
PM Modi, Shah at BJP CEC meet
to decide candidates for Bihar polls
New Delhi: BJP na-
tional president Jagat
Prakash Nadda on Sun-
day will address his
first election rally in
poll-bound Bihar amid
coronavirus restric-
tions, days after the
ECI announced the
schedule for state As-
sembly polls.
The public rally is
scheduled in Gandhi
Maidan of Bihar’s Bod-
hgaya and will begin at
around 2 pm.Speaking
to ANI, Tarun Chugh,
BJP’s national general
secretary said that this
is a proud moment for
the party as it has
braved itself against
COVID-19 and yet man-
aged to stay in touch
with its electorate. “We
are a democracy and it
is with pride that I say
that our president who
is the chief of world’s
largest political party
would be going amid
people to seek their par-
ticipation in the democ-
racy’s biggest event,”
stated Chugh. The
sources in the party
statedthatNaddawould
be staying in the state to
motivate the cadre and
leaders.
However, the party
has taken care of guide-
lines issued by the Un-
ion Ministry of Health
and family welfare and
Election Commission
for the COVID-19.
On September 25, the
ECI announced that
elections to the 243-seat
Bihar assembly will be
three phases-- October
28, November 3, and 7.
The counting of votes
will take place on No-
vember 10.
New Delhi: A meeting
of Central Election
Committee (CEC) of the
BJP is currently under-
way to decide the list of
candidates for the up-
coming Bihar assembly
polls.
The meeting at the
BJP headquarters is be-
ing attended by PM
Modi and Home minis-
ter Amit Shah. This is
the second meeting of
the CEC of the BJP for
the October-November
polls.
The BJP is part of
ruling National Demo-
cratic Alliance (NDA)
in the state. The party
has given 11 seats to Vi-
kassheel Insaan Party
(VIP) from its quota of
seats decided with the
JD (U). The BJP and
JD(U) had agreed on a
seat-sharing formula
under which the former
was allotted 121 seats
and the latter 122 seats
in the 243-member as-
sembly. The JD(U) has
given seats to Jitan
Ram Manjhi’s Hindu-
stani Awaam Morcha
(HAM) from its quota.
SEAT-SHARING
‘Nitish deliberately insulted my father’
Patna: Hours before
the death of Union
Minister Ram Vilas
Paswan on Thursday, a
letter written by LJP
chief Chirag Paswan
to BJP national J.P. Na-
dda reached the public
domain, in which he
alleges that his father
was insulted by Bihar
CM Nitish Kumar over
a RS seat election.
In his letter to Nadda,
written on September
24, Chirag said, “Dur-
ing the seat-sharing
deal for the 2019 Lok
Sabha elections with
then BJP chief Shah,
CM Nitish Kumar, and
my father, where I was
also present, it was de-
cided that one Rajya
Sabha seat will go to
LJP. But Nitish Kumar
insulted my father dur-
ing the Rajya Sabha
election and clearly
said no to support the
candidacy of Ram Vi-
las Paswan,” he said.
Chirag further alleged
that the announcement
of Ram Vilas Paswan’s
candidacy was done by
none other than Amit
Shah in the presence of
Nitish Kumar.
Jagat Prakash Nadda

These practices are great if you are
a stressed-out college student or a
workaholic who needs a break. However, if
you are seriously struggling during the pan-
demic, don’t expect these to be a panacea for
what you are experiencing.
Seek help from mental health professionals
if your stress or anxiety has become hard to
cope with. You are not alone and there are peo-
ple who can help you.
Everything is online these
days: school, work, meet-
ings, friendships, TV, social me-
dia. Don’t discount the effect of
cutting your screen time on
your mental health and overall
productivity.
There are plenty of apps you
can use to track how much time
you spend on your
phone each
day if your phone does not track
it automatically. Depending on
what you use it for, your usage
will vary, but less is always more
with cell phones.
If you know getting to sleep is
difficult when your phone is
next to you, consider putting
your phone across the room or
outside your bedroom entirely.
Netflix has a new docu-
drama called “The Social
Dilemma” if you want
to scare yourself out
of using electronic
devices entirely.
MONITOR TIME ONLINE
Most people think about
yoga or low-intensity
workouts for mental health bene-
fits, but high-intensity workouts
can also be beneficial because
they release stress-reducing hor-
mones called endorphins, said
Joseph Martin, UREC group fit-
ness and instruction coordina-
tor. The American College of
Sports Medicine recommends
adults spend time doing aero-
bic exercise at least three to five
days a week, depending on the
intensity of the workout.
Mobility and flexibility based
workouts are important for people
who work from home and spend a
lot of time sitting, Martin said.
Even if you don’t have time for a full
20-30 minute workout, taking a few
minutes to stretch is an important
part of a healthy working routine.
UREC is offering both in-person and on-
line fitness classes this semester and regis-
tration is currently open for session two.
All online classes are free, he said.
For people who are new to fitness,
mind and body yoga is a good place to
start, Martin said.
TALKING POINTAHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2020
WAYS TO
IMPROVE YOUR
MENTAL HEALTH
Many mental
health
conditions can
be effectively
treated at
relatively low
cost, yet the
gap between
people needing
care and those
with access to
care remains
substantial.
Effective
treatment
coverage
remains
extremely low
W
orld Men-
tal Health
Day is cel-
e b r a t e d
on October 10 each
year to increase in-
volvement in the mat-
ters of mental health,
encouraging global
mental health educa-
tion and advocacy
against the social stig-
ma that is often associ-
ated with it. This year,
to shed light on the
alarming rise in men-
tal disorders, the inter-
national awareness
day will be focusing on
“Mental Health for
All” and increased in-
vestment in mental
health.
Under the initiative
of the World Federa-
tion for Mental Health
and the Deputy Secre-
tary-General Richard
Hunter, the first-ever
World Mental Health
Day was celebrated on
October 10, 1992. Each
year, thousands of rep-
resentatives and sup-
porters gather to cele-
brate this annual
awareness programme
that makes it, it’s mis-
sion to shed light on
mental illness and the
effects it has on a ma-
jority of the global
population.
Now more so than
any other time in re-
cent history, we are be-
ginning to understand
the importance of
mental health and just
how necessary it is to
ensure its wellbeing.
To a great extent, the
entire world has expe-
rienced changes in
their day to day lives,
all that’s to the Cov-
id-19 pandemic. For the
past 7 months, the en-
tire world has come to
a stand-still. This pan-
demic has created a
global state of emer-
gency that shows abso-
lutely no signs of stop-
ping.
Many people are ex-
periencing negative
impacts on their men-
tal health because of
COVID-19, so it is more
important than ever to
make time to relax and
de-stress this semester.
Even if you do not
feel you have time to
take a break, your
mental health and
work-life balance will
benefit from a few
practices you can eas-
ily implement — and
I’m not talking about
putting on a face mask
and watching your fa-
vorite show even
though those are fun.
SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION CONCEPT: DIVYA HEMNANI DESIGN: CP SHARMA
GET YOUR BODY
MOVING
Mindfulness is
paying atten-
tion to what is hap-
pening in the pre-
sent moment, Mar-
tin said. It can bring
people a sense of
peace or stress re-
lease.
Practices with
mindfulness can,
but don’t always, in-
volve meditation,
Martin said. You can
also be aware of the
sensations your
body is feeling, such
as the feel of the car-
pet under your feet
or the chair you are
sitting in.
Savoring your
food, being engaged
in social interac-
tions, and partici-
pating in your fa-
vorite hobbies can
all be components of
mindfulness that
bring about stress
release, he said.
PRACTICE
MINDFULNESS
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT SERVICES
Whether you are a bare-
bones minimalist or
lover of “stuff,” it feels good
to have a clean room or
workspace. Not everyone
thrives in a clean work en-
vironment, but cleaning
can make you feel you ac-
complished something, al-
beit minimal.
Take a few minutes out of
your day to pick the clothes up
from your bedroom floor, wipe
down the bathroom counter
or organize the textbooks on
your desk.
Don’t use cleaning as a way
to procrastinate, but keep
your space tidy if you know it
helps your brain focus on the
task at hand.
If you own so many things
that you have no idea where to
start cleaning, I recommend
Marie Kondo’s book “The
Life-Changing Magic of Tidy-
ing Up.” You don’t have to do
a complete overhaul of your
home to feel better about life,
but you may as well if you
have the time.
Sometimes a messy sched-
ule can feel just as suffocating
as a messy room. Take five
minutes in the morning — it
can even be while you eat
breakfast — to identify what
you need to accomplish that
day. A planner (or a complex
system of whiteboards and
sticky notes) can be useful for
this practice.
ORGANIZE YOUR SPACE AND SCHEDULE

The Girl child needs special love and
protection in the world today. As a
society, we must pledge to make the
world a safer place for our daughters. Greetings
on International Day of the Girl Child!
—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India
AHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2020www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
08
2NDFRONT
Lovebirdsallegedlyseparatedbycastepanchayats,threatenedwithexile
First India Bureau
Surendranagar: A
man from Suren-
dranagar district has
put forth a plea with
local police to allow
him mercy killing af-
ter some members of
caste panchayats al-
legedly threatened
him and his family.
According to police
sources, a caste pan-
chayat had taken a de-
cision to separate
Deepak Vaghela from
his wife Mamta. The
panchayats had even
allegedly warned him
that they would
“throw him and his
family out of their vil-
lage.”
Deepakhadbeenlook-
ing at a bright future
when he married Mam-
ta in July this year. Both
belonged to the same
caste and community
andlivedintheKesariya
village of Lakhtar talu-
ka in Surendranagar
district.Theyhadbeena
couple for the past four
years.
As the couple be-
longedtothesamecaste,
neither of them had
thought that their own
caste members would
become their enemies
andtrytoseparatethem.
Therefore, the decision
of the caste panchayats
came as a nightmarish
surprise for the couple
that shattered their
dream of being together
for life.
In a letter addressed
to the Surendranagar
District Collector and
District Superintendent
of Police, Deepak put
forth his request for
mercy killing. He also
statedthatthecastepan-
chayat had threatened
him and his family on
numerous occasions.
He added that over
14 caste panchayats
had allegedly separat-
ed him from his wed-
ded wife, while com-
munity leaders were
pressurizing the cou-
ple to sign divorce pa-
pers. They allegedly
threatened to get his
father suspended from
his government job or
frame him for a crime,
if they did not comply
with their demands.
Singed in caste cauldron,
man seeks mercy killing
Deepak and Mamta Vaghela on their wedding day.
Work on metro,Surat
fort to start in December
SON BEATS FATHER
TO DEATH OVER
PROPERTY DISPUTE
First India Bureau
Surat: The Surat Mu-
nicipal Corporation
(SMC) is likely to
start work on the
Metro Train Project
and conduct its
groundbreaking cer-
emony in December
this year. In addition,
the inauguration of
the second phase of
the historic fort of
Chowk Bazaar could
also take place in the
same month.
Under the first phase
of the Metro train pro-
ject, tenders have been
invited by the Surat
Municipal Corporation
(SMC) for the route
from Kadarsha Nala to
Dream City, which is yet
to be opened. The work
for phase two, which in-
volves restoration of
the Chowk Bazaar fort,
is in its final stage.
Surat Municipal
Commissioner Banch-
hanidhi Pani on Friday
said, “The ground
breaking ceremony of
the Metro Train Project
and the inauguration of
the second phase of the
fort will be initiated in
December.”
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: A
21-year-old man alleg-
edly killed his father
over a property dis-
pute, police sources
said on Saturday. The
incident took place at
Parijat Flats in Shilaj
Road when Suresh
Rabari beat his
65-year-old father to
death by assaulting
him with a stick, po-
lice said.
The daughter of the
victim, who belongs to
Sojitra village in Patan,
has filed a case with
Sarkhej police station
accusing her brother of
killing their father. Ac-
cording to the case de-
tails, the complainant
works as a maid in a
city school. The father
of the accused worked
as a security guard at
the same school.
Two days ago, the
complainant’s broth-
er, Suresh, had a fight
with his father over a
property dispute. He
wanted his father to
sell their land, prop-
erty and their moth-
er’s jewellery and
take his share. Her
father Maganbhai
had refused the de-
mand and a fight had
ensued.
Guj bros from UK awarded royal honours by Queen Elizabeth II
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: Two Gu-
jarati borthers from
the United Kingdom
will be honoured with
the Commander of
the Order of the Brit-
ish Empire (CBE)
award by Queen Eliz-
abeth II. Zuber and
Mohsin Issa have
been named in the
Queen’s Birthday
Honours list.
The two brothers,
with a net worth is 3.55
billion pounds, were
born in Blackburn, UK
after their father had
moved from Gujarat to
the UK around six dec-
ades ago. After their
father left his job at a
wool manufacturing
factory and started his
own garage, both the
brothers joined him
and then there was no
looking back for them.
The duo was hon-
oured after sealing a
deal to buy the Asda
supermarket chain
from Walmart at 6.8
million pounds. The
CBE award is an hon-
our just below a knight-
hood. The CBE is fol-
lowed by the OBE and
then the MBE. These
awards are given to
people to recognize a
positive impact they
have made in their
work.
The brothers also
own EG group petrol
pump operators and
primarily work in the
hospitality and real
estate sectors.
Workers at the Metro-Rail project site inThaltej area ofAhmedabad.
Suresh Rabari, the accused.
Zuber and Moshin Issa.
—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI
Srikant Datar, an eminent Indian-
origin academician, has been
named as the dean of Harvard
Business School. The announce-
ment was made by Harvard Uni-
versity President Larry Bacow on
Friday. He succeeds Nitin Nohria
to become the second dean from
the country to take charge. Datar
will lead the institution on January 01, 2021.
INDIAN-ORIGIN PROF TO
BE NEXT HBS DEAN
Billionaire duo Zuber and Mohsin
Issa will both be bestowed with CBE
Srikant Datar
WINDOW SHOPPING
FOR THE ULTIMATE
FANTASY
Former CM of Maha-
rashtra, Devendra
Fadnavis, is considered
to be a very trustworthy
man of PM Modi and he
was made incharge of
Bihar amid much fan-
fare after, Bihar CM Nit-
ish Kumar complained
about Bhupendra Yadav.
AssoonasFadnaviswas
appointed full time in-
chargeof Bihar,healong
with his trusted Maha-
rashtra MLA Madan
Madhukar Yeravar took
a chartered flight to
Ranchi to visit Maa
Chhinnmastike temple,
which was closed so he
visited Boriya Baba ash-
ram. There he per-
formedasecretreligious
ritual and also received
blessingsof BoriyaBaba
who predicted Fadnavis
to be CM of Maharash-
tra again. Baba
also said that
one day he
will be-
come the
PM of the
country.
The bless-
ingsgavea
new height
to flight of
fantasy
of theformerMaharash-
tra CM who now has lit-
tle interest left in the Bi-
har elections. It is note-
worthythatBoriyaBaba
hasalonglistof political
followers and Yavatmal
MLA Madan Yerawar is
among his old disciples.
LJP, THE B TEAM
OF BJP
LJP under Chirag
Paswan is complete-
ly behaving like the B
team of BJP. After the
demiseof RamVilasPas-
wan, LJP might get sym-
pathy votes in Hajipur,
Samastipur, Roseda,
Khagriya, Vaishali and
Jamui. Chirag knows
very well that even if he
fields his candidates on
all 243 seats, his party
will only win the seats
wherehiscandidatesare
strong. LJP candidate
from Sasaram Ramesh-
war Chaurasia has been
inchargeof Biharun-
der the leadership
of Amit Shah ear-
lierandRajendra
Singh fielded
fromDinaracon-
stituency was
once touted as
CM candidate
of BJP in
Jharkhand.
For-
mer MLA Usha Vid-
yarthi is contesting Pali-
ganj, former JDU leader
BhagwanSinghKushwa-
ha from Jagdishpur.
Shahnawaz Husain’s
close confidant Mrinal
Shekhar is contesting as
LJP candidate from
Amarpur of Bhagalpur
district. It is noteworthy
that Shekhar’s wife is
spokesperson of Bihar
BJP. So post Ram Vilas
Paswan,LJPismoreof a
saffronized LJP.
BADAL BUYING
PRECIOUS
POLITICAL TIME
The decision by Har-
simrat Kaur Badal
toresignfromModicabi-
net on the farmers issue
is not being digested eas-
ily by the Shiromani
AkaliDal(SAD).Aprom-
inentBJPleadermetdis-
sidentSADleaderSukh-
dev Singh Dhindsa
and offered him to join
BJP. It is believed that
Dhindsa is in touch with
other dissatisfied lead-
ers in SAD and will be
attempting a division in
SAD for which he has
begun exercise. When
Badal senior came to
know of this, he directly
called the PM and ex-
plained the political
compulsionsof corevote
bankof JattSikhfarmer
voterswhichledtoresig-
nationof Harsimrat.Itis
said that senior Badal
said that SAD will join
Modi cabinet once the
Punjab assembly elec-
tions are over. There is
some time for the elec-
tions and Badal senior
wanted to buy precious
political time.
BJP WANTS
NITYANAND RAI TO
BE CM OF BIHAR
If everything goes ac-
cordingtothecalcula-
tions of Bhupendra Ya-
dav then it will be Cen-
tral MoS (Home) Nity-
anand Rai who will be
the next CM of Bihar
and not Nitish Kumar.
This is for the first time
in the NDA coalition in
Bihar that the elder
brother, Nitish Kumar’s
JDU is contesting lesser
seats than younger
brother, BJP. JDU is con-
testing only 115 seats as
it has given 7 seats to
H i n d u s t a n i
Awam Morcha
of Jiten Manjhi while
BJP is contesting all 121
seats of its quota. Yadav
ensured that Mukesh
Sahni party contests all
11 seats on the Lotus
symbol. Yadav is also
very cleverly using Chi-
rag Paswan’s emotions
against Nitish. Chirag’s
feelings were evident in
hislettertoBJPnational
president JP Nadda
mentioning the pain
which Ram Vilas Pas-
wan had gone through
whenNitishhadrefused
to support his RS candi-
dature last year. Chirag
himself waspained
due to allega-
tions like
‘ K a l i d a s ’
and ‘Broker’
l e v e l l e d
against him.
Earlier
Yadav
h a d
sliced away Annpurna
YadavfromLaluYadav’s
stableandmadehercon-
test Lok Sabha elections
in lieu of a sitting BJP
MP.TodayAnnpurnaYa-
dav is national VP of
BJP. Bhupendra Yadav
hasdesignsforavertical
divide in Lalu Yadav’s
core Yadav vote bank by
making Nityanand Rai
the next CM of Bihar.
THE OLD BENGALI
CONNECTION OF
GUPTESHWAR
PANDE
The story behind Bi-
har CM Nitish Ku-
mar snubbing former
DGP Gupteshwar Pande
has become clear now.
Sources say that Nitish
never wanted Pande to
remainDGPwhileBihar
assembly elections were
held because he always
tookPandetobemoreof
a BJP man. It is a replay
of an 11-year-old
story when Pan-
de had sought
VRS and want-
ed to contest
elections from
Buxar on a BJP
ticket. His politi-
cal ambi-
tions bit
the dust
t h e n
very much like now.
Sources say Pande had
resigned from his covet-
edgovtjobonlyafterget-
ting consent from CM
Nitish Kumar but clever
politician Nitish shifted
the ball in BJP’s court.
Nitish never asked BJP
for the Buxar seat to be
partof JDUquotaandhe
signalled Pande to ask
BJP for ticket from Bux-
ar. Meanwhile BJP had
its own fears regarding
the 2012 Muzaffarpur
Navruna Chakravarty
case to surface again.
The role of Pande in the
kidnap and subsequent
murder case of the Ben-
gali girl has been under
questioneversince.Now
both BJP and JDU have
asked Pande to remain
calm as he will be sent to
the legislative council of
thestatelater.SincePan-
de is not once but twice
bitten so he has decided
to focus on his NGO
which will work for dig-
nity of Bihar and mi-
grant Bihari labourers.
One company from Pat-
na has already been as-
signed to handle the so-
cial media of the NGO.
The author is a journal-
ist and political commen-
tator and views expressed
are his personal
FIRST INDIA SUNDAY SPECIAL
BY TRIDIB RAMAN
Devendra Fadnavis Harsimrat Kaur Badal Gupteshwar Pande
COVID-19
UPDATE
GUJARAT
3,560
DEATHS
1,50,414
CONFIRMED CASES
RAJASTHAN
1,636 DEATHS 1,56,908 CASES
DELHI
WORLD
10,75,358
DEATHS
3,73,13,888
CONFIRMED CASES
INDIA
70,37,357
CONFIRMED CASES
1,08,046
DEATHS
MAHARASHTRA
39,430 DEATHS 14,93,884 CASES
TAMIL NADU
10,187 DEATHS 6,51,370 CASES
KARNATAKA

AHMEDABAD, SUNDAY
OCTOBER 11, 2020
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia
facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia 09
HAPPY
BIRTHDAY
RISHTE MAIN TO HUM TUMHAARE BAAP LAGTE HAIN …. ON AMITABH BACHCHAN’S
78TH BIRTHDAY, CITY FIRST WISHES HIM ALL THE BEST AND PRAYS FOR A LONG
AND HEALTHY LIFE FOR THE ONE AND ONLY - SHAHENSHAH!
Shahenshah
ANITA HADA
anita.hada@firstindianews.com
T

VANESSA
MARCIL, WHOSE
BIRTHDAY FALLS
ON 15 OCTOBER
IS REACHING AN
IMPORTANT
TURNING POINT
IN TERMS OF
PERSONAL
GROWTH. THIS IS
A YEAR OF GREAT
ENERGY,
MOTIVATION, AND
GROWTH. SHE
WILL BE MORE
AMBITIOUS IN
THE YEAR AHEAD.
WEEKLYWEEKLY
ARIES
MAR 21 - APR 20
This week you need to devote time to the deeper
needs that you have neglected, but they keep
haunting you. Some emotional frictions will take
place, as a result of the interference of people in
your relationship. At the same time, unexpected
events will change your daily routine and you won’t
be able to stop them, for now. Make the most of
your communication skills, be flexible and specific
during conversations on commercial, financial or
practical issues. Don’t take risks that you cannot
handle. Expect positive developments this week.
LIBRA
SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22
This week will bring you positive developments
and a chance to grow. Just when you thought
that a collaboration was over, things change for
the better and you really want to succeed. You
will be able to win some things easily, just by
talking and communicating, which will boost
your morale. A financial issue or a real-estate
problem will arise and you will have to handle
it as diplomatically as possible. Otherwise, it
might drag you into decisions that will not be
beneficial for you.
TAURUS
APR 21 - MAY 20
This week will be intense, full of conflicts and
strong emotions. This is not the right time for
major decisions that could make you commit to
new love stories; maybe you should wait until
the end of the month. Enjoy what life has to give
you and remain indifferent to the tensions, fights
and problems that are unfolding around you. Your
energetic mood will help you resolve the issues
in your love life. Find more time for your partner,
express your most romantic self and, together, you
can fly to heaven!
SCORPIO
OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22
Your collaborations and relationships are making
you stronger. You will need to keep your promises,
if you want people to consider you trustworthy. You
need to maintain a good reputation, in order to
make better contacts and make the most of the new
opportunities that you will get. You need to follow
through with your promises or contracts, in order to
avoid any future difficulties. What you really need
to do, even though it stresses you, is open up and
communicate with the people who are close to you,
like your family.
GEMINI
MAY 21 - JUNE 21
This will be a tiring but also creative week,
especially in the professional area. You will face
some issues in your love life, but the planets will
help you get your points across where you have to.
Try to be honest with yourself and keep your feet
on the ground. At the same time, be diplomatic and
don’t point out every single mistake other people
make. At work, whatever happens, your progress
will be unstoppable. Your love life requires your
attention, since you have neglected it due to all the
fuss in the other areas of your life.
SAGITTARIUS
NOV 23 - DEC 22
Your strength and your team-spirit will help you
spread your wings and fly, towards things you have
always wanted to do. Your activities with other
people will bring you even better opportunities
that will help you move forward. New contacts
will introduce you to a whole new social circle.
You need to make the most of everything you are
given, because sometimes you get lost within your
complex thinking. Keep things simple and clear as of
now especially. Your mood will be good and you will
spend a lot of quality time with your partner.
CAPRICORN
DEC 23 - JAN 20
You have set your mind on some thing for quite
some time now and you will manage to move
forward, if you are practical and mature. You will
achieve something good that will cheer you up.
Your relationships and your communication are
improving, thanks to your efforts and the energy
of the planets. You know what you have to do and
you are willing to do it. You prefer to devote time to
your job, but you need to make some extra effort in
order to get what you want. Developments in your
relationship will be positive.
LEO
JULY 24 - AUGUST 23
While you can be flexible and try for the best, you
never compromise. You seem to be an absolute
person and you do not accept any interference or
suggestion about what is right or wrong by anyone.
In a possible conflict over some key issues, you
will continue with this attitude and never rethink
your point of view, especially if you think you are
right. Sometimes you do not need to fight more to
accomplish things, because you exaggerate and
you can not enjoy the moment. Your love life will
be a bit stressed, with a lot of tension and nagging.
AQUARIUS
JAN 21 - FEB 19
This week you will want to do many things,
but at the same time you might feel tired or
demotivated. Thus, you will stay away from people
you love, in an effort to save up some energy. Your
mood is weird and you have no time to waste. You
might be thinking slowly and delaying everything,
or you might with to change the environment in
which you are living. The return of a friend or
colleague will make you revisit your past, and you
will not like that. Thankfully, this will only be a
temporary phase for you.
VIRGO
AUG 24 - SEP 23
You have already made a great effort and you
are on a good path, as long as you remain
conciliatory and you cooperate. The planets
will help you start implementing your plans.
Meeting people and discussing with them, even
if you don’t agree with their views, will give you
valuable insight on work issues, that you can use
in the future. You might get confused and feel
unable to decide which path to follow, but at least
you are still in the game. You will also feel a bit
irritated, due to all the workload.
PISCES
FEB20 - MARCH 20
All this time you have been trying to find the
right path for you. You are disappointed because
things around you are not as fair as you wish
they would be, and that discourages you from
joining new social circles. Justice is subjective,
so don’t be so sure that your colleagues are
underestimating you, because it might not be
true. An issue with some property will go very
well for you. Your finances will also go well and
you will feel like you are moving forward in all
areas.
CANCER
JUNE 22 - JULY 23
You have been overreacting lately, but from now on,
the only things calling for extreme reactions will be
your social and professional life. You won’t have to
think about what to do, as you will spontaneously
follow the rules and do the right thing. You will change
your image and your looks and this will make you
stand out more. Your relationships will define your
future, as the planets make you handle them in a
dynamic and restrained manner. You need to make
some time for your partner. Don’t focus on the negative
aspects of your relationship, but on the positive ones.
WEEKLYWEEKLYWEEKLYWEEKLYWEEKLY
10
ETCAHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2020
18 TO 24 OCTOBER
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia

O
n Saturday, Ishaan Khatter
took to Instagram to share a
shirtless photo as he posed
right amid trees. Ishaan
Khatter raked up a storm with his
latest rustic avatar in Khaali Peeli
with co-star Ananya Panday. While
the film received a mixed response
from all corners, Ishaan and Anan-
ya’s act in the masala entertainer
was much talked about. Ishaan’s
action scenes and the chiselled
body was quite the eye-catcher
and even off the screen, the
actor makes sure to flaunt it and
why not. On Saturday, Ishaan
took to Instagram to share a
shirtless photo as he posed right
amid trees.
If that wasn’t enough,
Ishaan’s perfectly carved abs
were on display and so
were his muscles. The actor’s
ripped body sent his fans
into a meltdown.
—Agency
A
s Akshay Ku-
mar has come
up with the
trailer of Laxm-
mi Bomb, he has been
receiving a lot of prais-
es for the same from
celebs and audience.
Akshay Kumar and
Kiara Advani starrer
Laxmmi Bomb have
been one of the most
talked-about movies of
the year and it has been
all over the news for
days now. After making
fans wait, the makers
finally unveiled a beau-
tiful trailer of the mov-
ie and it is making a lot
of buzz in the town.
This Raghava Law-
rence directorial pre-
sents Akshay starrer in
a never before seen ava-
tar and the trailer has
been winning hearts. It
has received accolades
from all walks of life.
Amid these,
transgender right ac-
tivist Laxmi Narayan
Tripathi has hailed
the Laxmmi Bomb
trailer and sang
praises for Akshay
and his team. Lax-
mi shared a video
on Twitter and
called it a refresh-
ing trailer.
—Agency
K
angana Ranaut joined
many others across the
world to mark World
Mental Health Day on
Saturday. The actress had starred
in a film named Judgementall
Hai Kya which revolved around
this subject and had released
last year. To mark the
day, Kangana shared a
clip from her film in
which she starred op-
posite Rajkummar
Rao. The short clip
celebrates the nor-
malcy around mental
health as the actress’
scenes from the film
have been put togeth-
er for a montage.
While sharing the
video, Kangana took a
supposed dig at Deepi-
ka as she alleged that
those who run ‘depres-
sion ki dukan’ tried to
get her film’s title
changed at the last min-
ute. The film was
earlier titled
‘Mental Hai Kya’.
—Agency
INGREDIENTS
I Oats Aata/Millet Flour - 500
Gm’s
I Jaggery - 200- 250 Gms
I Ghee - 200 Gms
I Ashwagandha - 10 gms
I Giloy Powder - 10 Gms
I Liquorice Root Powder ( Mu-
lethi ) - 5 Gm’s
I Black Pepper Powder - 5 gms
I Cardamom Powder - 10 Gms
I Almonds - According To
Taste
I Chopped Dates ( Khajoor ) -
According To Taste
I PumpkinSeeds,MelonSeeds,
Watermelon Seeds, Sunflow-
er Seeds - According To Taste
I Cardamom Powder - 5 Gms
I Ginger Powder - 5 Gms p
METHOD
Note-To make Oats Aata, Grind
the oats in a Mixer.
I Melt Jaggery with a little bit
of water.
I Melt Ghee in another pan.
I Roast Aata on slow flame
properly, Stir it contin-
uously.
I Switch off the flame
and let it cool for a bit.
I After it cools, mix the
roasted atta with the
melted Jaggery
I Add all the above ( all
the dry powder, and al-
monds and dates ) ingre-
dients one by one.
I Mix it properly.
I Bind them in a shape of
Laddu.
It’s very good for
your health. Try It
and Enjoy it.
VRTIKA JAIN
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
Immune Booster Oats/Bajra Millet Laddu
ETCwww.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia AHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2020
11
DOWNTHE MEMORY LANE
ella Hadid celebrat-
ed her 24th birthday
on Saturday, Octo-
ber 9. The super-
model is vacation-
ing with her pals
and has been flood-
ing our timelines with pho-
tos from her holiday. While
we try to control the jealous
monster in us, Gigi Hadid
had us feeling emotional
with her sweet birthday post
for Bella. The Hadid sister,
who recently welcomed a
baby girl with beau Zayn Ma-
lik, took to Instagram and
took us on a trip down the
memory lane by sharing a
bunch of photos of the duo.
From photos through
their growing up years to
backstage moments from
fashion events attended to-
gether, Gigi dug out the ar-
chives to wish the model.
Sharing the photos, Gigi
wrote, “Gigi Hadid on Insta-
gram: “Today I celebrate, but
am always grateful for, the 24
years that I have been bless-
ed with my baby sister @bel-
lahadid who always has my
back…” —Agency
B
GINNY WEDS
SUNNY
T
he much await-
ed wedding
drama, titled
‘Ginny Weds
Sunny’ released on
Saturday in Netflix.
The film stars actors
Yami Gautam and
Vikrant Massey. The
popularactorVikrant
Massey essays the
role of a bachelor
who is eagerly look-
ing forward to tie the
knot. The feature the
stunner Yami Gau-
tam essays the role of
Ginny Gill. Vikrant
Massey’s character
of Sunny Malhotra
gets rejected by wom-
en and that becomes
a bone of contention
for the character.
Twitter users have
shared their thoughts
about this wedding
drama that looks vi-
brant and full of fes-
tivities. There are
some Twitter users
who did not feel that
the much awaited
drama lived up to the
expectations.
—Agency
Mighty Thor
T
hor: Love and
Thunder is pre-
paring to set
the ball rolling
in the coming few
days. The team is as-
sembling in Australia
and it won’t be long
before Taika Waititi
starts filming the
fourth film of the
franchise. As previ-
ously revealed, Na-
talie Portman returns
as Jane Foster in the
flick but she will be
wielding the Mjolnir,
playing the
new Thor.
But before she could
take on the role of the
Goddess of Thunder,
Natalie is dropping in-
teresting spoilers
about the movie.
Speaking with Fa-
therly, the actress con-
firmed that Thor 4 will
be based on the events
of Mighty Thor. Mar-
vel comic book fans
know that Mighty
Thor sees Jane battle
with cancer. “I’m try-
ing to think — it’s
based on the graphic
novel of the Mighty
Thor. She’s going
through can-
cer treat-
ment and is
a superhe-
ro on the
side,” she
c o n -
firmed.
—Agency
Ishaan Khatter
goes SHIRTLESS!
LAXMMI BOMB’S
TRAILER OUT
JUDGEMENTAL
HAI KYA?
Gigia and Bella Hadid...her post
Vikrant Massey & Yami Gautam
Kanagana Ranaut
Natalie Portman
...still from the trailer of Laxmmi Bomb
Ishaan Khatter’s post

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