First india ahmedabad edition-16 february 2021

Night curfew extended till Feb 28, 1 hr relief in timings
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: The
state government on
Monday decided to ex-
tend the night curfew
in four major cities of
the state till February
28. With an amend-
ment, the curfew will
now be effective from 12
midnight to 6 am, which
was previously set to
commence from 11 pm.
Making the an-
nouncement, Deputy
Chief Minister Nitin
Patel said that the
night curfew will be
observed in
Ahmedabad, Va-
dodara, Surat and Ra-
jkot until February
28. He also warned
that the one hour re-
laxation in timings
granted was not to be
taken lightly and that
citizens would have
to adhere to the COV-
ID-19 Standard Oper-
ating Procedure
(SOP) at all times.
According to the
last SOP issued by the
government, the
number of guests for
social functions has
been increased to 200
or 50% of the ban-
quet, marriage or
community hall’s ca-
pacity. Earlier, the
limit was set at 100
guests. Another pro-
vision made by the
government is the de-
limitation of guest
numbers attending
functions in open
grounds. Nonethe-
less, all guests will
have to follow the
COVID-19 protocol
there as well.
In case of SOP viola-
tions, appropriate ac-
tion will be taken
against those responsi-
ble. With the coopera-
tion of the citizens, the
government has been
able to curtail the trans-
mission of the deadly
virus and help the re-
covery rate hit 96%.
It will be observed in four
major cities of the state
namely Ahmedabad,
Vadodara, Surat & Rajkot
from 12 midnight to 6 am
TAKING NO CHANCES
A policeman patrolling in old city area of Ahmedabad during night curfew. —FILE PHOTO
THREE IPS OFFICERS GET
PROMOTED TO DG
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
AHMEDABAD l TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 2 l Issue No. 82
OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD & LUCKNOW
New Delhi: The Delhi
Police on Monday al-
leged that climate activ-
ist Disha Ravi along
with two other suspects
Nikita Jacob and Shan-
tanu created the
“toolkit” document re-
latedtothefarmers’pro-
test and shared it on so-
cialmedia.Copsclaimed
Disha,whowasarrested
on Saturday from Ben-
galuru, sent the
“toolkit” to teen climate
activist Greta Thunberg
via Telegram app.
Addressing a press
conference, Joint Com-
missioner of Police (Cy-
ber) Prem Nath claimed
that Disha deleted a
WhatsApp group she
created to spread the
“toolkit”. The Delhi Po-
liceearliersaidnon-bail-
able warrants have been
issuedagainstJacoband
Shantanu for allegedly
sharing the “toolkit” on
social media.
Nath claimed that Ni-
kita and Shantanu at-
tended a zoom meeting
organised by ‘pro-khal-
istani’ Turn to P6
SC notice to Centre, WA
over new privacy policy
New Delhi: The Su-
preme Court on Mon-
day asked the Centre
and WhatsApp to reply
to a fresh plea alleging
lower standards of pri-
vacy for Indians in com-
parison to European
users saying it is the
duty of judiciary to pro-
tect citizens’ privacy
.
People have grave ap-
prehensions that they
will lose their privacy
and it is our duty to pro-
tect them, SC said.
“You may be two or
three trillion compa-
nies but people value
their privacy more than
money
,” a bench headed
by Chief Justice SA
Bobde told WhatsApp
even as it sought to ar-
gue that Europe has
special data protection
laws which India
doesn’t. SC issued no-
tice to government and
Facebook-owned app on
an interim application
filed by Karmanya Sin-
gh Sareen in a pending
petition of 2017.
Senior advocate Shy-
am Divan, appearing for
the petitioner, argued
that the messaging app
was applying lower
standards of privacy for
Indians and they be
barred from sharing
data with Facebook.
The bench observed,
“We are impressed
Turn to P6
A‘TOOLKIT’OFCONSPIRACIES!
Nikita, Shantanu the creators; Disha Telegramed it to Greta
AFTER DISHA, DELHI
COPS ON LOOKOUT FOR
2 MORE ACTIVISTS
New Delhi: Non-bailable warrants have been
issued against a Mumbai lawyer and a Pune
engineer for allegedly creating a protest
toolkit backing the farmers’ agitation along
with arrested climate activist Disha Ravi and
collaborating with pro-Khalistani elements,
Delhi Police officials said on Monday
. Lawyer
Nikita Jacob and engineer Shantanu, who
are absconding, also attended a Zoom meet-
ing organised by ‘pro-Khalistani’ group Po-
etic Justice Foundation, Joint Commissioner
of Police (Cyber) Prem Nath said at a press
conference. Turn to P6
New Delhi: MO Dhaliwal, founder of
pro-Khalistani Poetic Justice Foundation
contacted activist Nikita Jacob through
his colleague Puneet, a Canadian citizen,
to create a storm on Twitter ahead of
Republic Day, police revealed on ‘Toolkit’
case. Sources say, an investigation into
the toolkit conspiracy has revealed the
deeper conspiracy associated with the
Google document. There was a zoom
meeting before Republic Day which was
attended by MO Dhaliwal, Turn to P6
Zoom meet before Jan
26 to create a storm!
BJP, Oppn engage in
WAR OF WORDS
New Delhi: The action
taken by the Delhi Po-
lice on an FIR related to
a toolkit shared by cli-
mate campaigner Greta
Thunberg in support of
the ongoing farmer pro-
tests has triggered a
war of words between
the opposition and the
ruling BJP.
Accusing the govern-
ment of “murdering de-
mocracy” by using force
against a 21-year-old,
the Opposition on Mon-
day said the voice of In-
dia cannot be silenced
even as the BJP defend-
ed the action, saying a
crime is a crime no mat-
ter at what age.
Congress leader Ra-
hul Gandhi led the Op-
position offensive fol-
lowing Disha’s arrest
and said the country
will not be silenced.
“Your lips are free to
speak. Say that the truth
is still alive. They are
scared, not the country
,”
he said in a tweet in
Hindi. “India will not be
silenced,” he added.
Union minister and
BJP leader Gajendra
Singh Shekhawat tweet-
ed, “If age is the crite-
ria then Param Veer
Chakra Second Lt Arun
Khetarpal, martyred at
21 is who I am proud of.
Not some toolkit propa-
gandists.”
Delhi CM Arvind Ke-
jriwal said, “
Arrest of 21
yearoldDishaRaviisan
unprecedentedattackon
Democracy
. Turn to P6
Gujarat CM
Rupani tests
Covid +ve
Ahmedabad: Gujarat
Chief Minister Vijay
Rupani has tested posi-
tive for coronavirus,
said a hospital where
the CM is admitted af-
ter he fainted in a rally
.
He has mild symp-
toms and his condition
is stable, Ahmedabad-
based medical facility
said on Monday. On
Sunday, Rupani, 64,
fainted on stage while
addressing a rally in Va-
dodara for upcoming
civic polls, following
which he was flown to
Ahmedabad & admitted
to a hospital. More on P2
Govt shortlists 4 banks
for privatisation: Report
New Delhi: The Gov-
ernment has shortlist-
ed four mid-sized state-
run banks for privatisa-
tion, under a new push
to sell state assets and
shore up government
revenues, three govern-
ment sources said.
Privatisation of the
banking sector, which is
dominated by state-run
behemoths with hun-
dreds of thousands of
employees, is politically
risky because it could
put jobs at risk but
Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi’s administra-
tionaimstomakeastart
with second-tier banks.
The four banks on the
shortlist are Bank of
Maharashtra, Bank of
India, Indian Overseas
Bank and the Central
Bank of India, two offi-
cials told Reuters on
condition of anonymity
as the matter is not yet
public. Turn to P6
Sensex breaches 50K
mark, Nifty soars high
Mumbai: The Sensex
rallied 610 points to fin-
ish above the 52,000-
mark for the first time
while the Nifty soared
past 15,300 on Monday
as investors piled into
banking and finance
stocks amid a bullish
trend overseas.
Supportive macroe-
conomic data and una-
bated foreign fund in-
flows added to the mo-
mentum, traders said.
After touching a re-
cord high of 52,235.97
during the day, the
30-share BSE Sensex
ended 609.83 points or
1.18% up at its new clos-
ing peak of 52,154.13.
Similarly, the broad-
er NSE Nifty soared
151.40 points or 1% to
finish at a record
15,314.70. It touched an
intra-day peak of
15,340.15. Axis Bank led
the Sensex gainers’
chart, Turn to P6
INDIA-ENG 2ND TEST: ASHWIN
SHINES WITH CENTURY AS
INDIA DOMINATES DAY 3
Ravichandran Ashwin hit his fifth Test
century on Monday, Day 3 of the second
Test between India and England. This was
also the third instance of Ashwin getting
a 100 and a five-wicket-haul in the same
match. He hit his century off 134 balls with
14 fours and one six and finished the in-
nings with 106 runs to his credit. Ashwin’s
knock and his partnership of 96 runs with
India captain Virat Kohli helped India build
a big second-innings lead even as the hosts
attempt to level the series after having lost
the first Test. India were bowled out for 286
runs in their second innings and set Eng-
land a daunting 482 runs to win the Test.
Prem Nath
Disha Ravi
Nikita Jacob

First India Bureau
Vadodara: A former
MLA of the Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) has
sounded the bugle of
revolt against the par-
ty’s selection of candi-
dates for local body
polls in Dabhoi taluka
of Vadodara district.
Balkrishna Patel’s son
and five of his support-
ers have filed nomina-
tions for the district
and taluka panchayat
seats as independent
candidates.
Patel, a former BJP
MLA from Dabhoi
constituency, had re-
quested the party to
nominate his son Sa-
hajanand as the BJP
candidate for the dis-
trict panchayat, but
his request was
turned down. This
has compelled Sa-
hajanand to file his
nomination as an in-
dependent candidate
from Dabhoi.
Balkrishna stated
that not only his son,
but five of his support-
ers too were set to con-
test district/taluka
panchayat elections as
independent candi-
dates. “It is time that
we show our strength,”
he said.
“Being a grassroot
party worker, I have
dedicated my life to
serving the people of
the region. Although, I
am not an MLA, yet, I
have wholeheartedly
served the people. And
my influence will help
my son Sahajanand to
get elected. We shall see
who registers a win, the
lotus or personal influ-
ence,” asserted
Balkrishna.
On the other hand,
the former MLA’s
stance has not gone
done well with the par-
ty leadership. Dabhoi
incumbent MLA
Shailesh Mehta be-
lieves that Patel should
respect the party’s de-
cision and ask his son
and his supporters to
withdraw their nomi-
nations. “He should
not forget that the par-
ty has done a lot for
him. He was made
president after his
term as MLA ended.
The party plans to put
in efforts to persuade
him,” stated Mehta.
But, till Monday,
there was no overture
made by the party to
convince Patel to stand
down from his plan of
action. Patel con-
firmed the news and
said that there was no
pressure from the par-
ty for his son to with-
draw his nomination.
Spying a long queue
outside the Congress
election office of Jodh-
pur ward in
Ahmedabad, a curious
journalist went to in-
quire about it and
found out that Con-
gress workers were be-
ing issued Rs100 worth
tokens for petrol. On
investigating further,
the journo was told
that the tokens were
not inducements for
voters but, an incentive
for workers who had
joined candidates on
the campaign trail. So,
if anyone wants Rs100
worth free petrol, all
they have to do is be-
come a Congress work-
er and help out with
door-to-door cam-
paigns and bike rallies.
On Sunday, BJP’sward
18 candidates of the
Vadodara Municipal
Corporation (VMC)
were conducting a door-
to-door campaign. But
whenKalpeshPatel,Su-
rutabenPradhan,Ketan
Patel and Bharatiben
Bhadresha reached
Maneja area, they were
greeted by angry local
residents. Instead of lis-
tening to their voters,
the leaders chose to di-
vert their path and
moved on to other areas
fortheircampaign. One
of the protestors al-
leged, “We were die-
hard Congress sup-
porters but now have
switched our loyalties
to BJP. But, even then
basic amenities issues
have not been resolved.
Those living in govern-
ment quarters under
the Pradhan Mantri
Awas Yojana have been
receiving monthly
electricity bills of
Rs5lakh, but there has
been no power in the
area for the past two
months.
NEWS
AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
02
CM TESTS +VE FOR NCOV; BLOOD PRESSURE, OXYGEN NORMAL
Admitted for a week, Rupani will continue to discharge duties from hospital bed
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: Chief
Minister Vijay Ru-
pani on Monday test-
ed positive for COV-
ID-19, a day after he
fainted onstage dur-
ing a public rally in
Vadodara’s Nizam-
pura. Doctors at the
UN Mehta Hospital
in Ahmedabad,
where the CM
was admitted on
Sunday say his
fainting spell
had been caused by
low blood pressure
and blood sugar lev-
els.
According to Dr RK
Patel, the director of
UN Mehta Hospital,
Rupani underwent a
battery of tests soon
after he was admitted.
“We tested the CM for
cardiac issues and
COVID-19,” Dr Patel
told the media on
Monday, “His ECG,
2D Echo, and blood
tests are all normal.
However, since his
RT-PCR test came
back positive for
COVID-19, he will
continue to remain
at UN Mehta, where
he will be treated for
the coronavirus in-
fection.”
Dr Patel added that
Rupani’s heath is sta-
ble. The hospital also
performed an HRCT of
the thorax, IL-6, D-dim-
er and tested his oxygen
levels; the reports of
these tests came back
normal.
Later in the day,
Deputy Chief Minis-
ter Nitin Patel said
that Rupani will be
staying under treat-
ment at the hospital
for at least a week. He
added that the chief
minister will run the
show from the hospi-
tal. Rupani’s poll cam-
paign programmes
have been cancelled
for the next week.
Bharatiya Janata
Party state unit presi-
dent CR Patil has stated
that two of the party’s
senior leaders--General
Secretary (Organisa-
tion) Bhikhubhai Dal-
saniya, and Kutch MP
and party General Sec-
retary Vinod Chavda-
-have also tested posi-
tive for COVID-19.
E
E
E
CONG DEMANDS 40 CANDIDATES GET TESTED
CM Vijay Rupani
TALES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: On the
campaign trail for local
body elections set to be
held later this month,
candidates of various
political parties have
had to overcome chal-
lenges or pose them.
First India gives you a
sneak peek into the hap-
penings of the political
world, as the state pre-
pares to elect municipal
corporation, district/
taluka panchayat and
nagarpalika office-
bearers…
Voters of Morbi town witnessed a
confrontation between two
members of the political power-
houses in the state—Bharatiya Ja-
nata Party (BJP) and Congress--on
Monday morning at the local prant
office. BJP leader Devabhai and
Congress’ Kanabhai came to blows
over an issue. It may be possible
that they thought that the local
body election results will be de-
clared in their favour if they man-
aged to win the bout of fisticuffs. It
was only after the local police in-
tervened that the warring leaders
cooled off.
BJP’s candidate Gopal
Sorathiya from ward
number 7 of Jamnagar
Municipal Corporation
(JMC) has suffered a
fracture in his right
leg, due to which, he
cannot venture out of
his residence to cam-
paign for upcoming
polls. However, that has
not stopped Sorathiya
from meeting with vot-
ers and appealing to
them on the virtual
world. From making
use of social media
platforms to videocalls,
Sorathiya is leaving
nothing to chance
when it comes to his
campaign. Giving new
meaning to the saying,
“The show must go
on” Sorathiya has
stayed connected to
his voters online, de-
spite his injury.
ALL FOR FREE PETROL A VIRTUAL CAMPAIGN
MUSCLE POWER
MISSION DIVERTED!
Candidates of Ahmedabad’s Jodhpur ward campaigning.
BJP’s Devabhai and Congress’ Kanabhai engaged in a physical altercation, which was broken up by police officers.
Sorathiya interacting with a voter from his residence.
Angry voters expressing their ire in Maneja area.
FORMER BJP MLA REVOLTS,
ASKS SON TO CONTEST
AS AN INDEPENDENT
Balkrishna Patel with Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
—FILE
PHOTO
Congress candidate alleges
BJP offered her money to quit
First India Bureau
Rajkot: With local body
elections looming, po-
litical parties are gear-
ing to battle it out in the
voting arena but a few
have allegedly resorted
to playing ‘dirty poli-
tics’ to ensure victory
in polls.
On Monday, a video
waspopularlysharedon
social media platforms
in which Rajkot district
panchayat candidate
Sonal Rajesh Bagda
from Dadvi seat can be
seenlevellingbriberyal-
legationsontheBharati-
ya Janata Party (BJP).
In the video, Bagda can
be heard saying that in
the wee hours of Mon-
day, three BJP workers
came to her residence
and offered her Rs10
lakh to withdraw her
nomination.
She also alleged that
they threatened her
with names of senior
ministers and warned
her that if she failed to
acquiesce to their re-
quest, she would have to
face dire consequences.
Bagda further stated,
“I approached the Jam-
kandorna police station
to file a complaint but
the police refused to
lodge one. Even the po-
lice are working for the
BJP
.”
The Rajkot district
panchayat is a strong-
hold of the Congress
party and it had won 34
of the 36 in the 2015 elec-
tions. The only two seats
where Congress lost
were Rajkot city and Ko-
lithad.
Congressleadershave
termed this develop-
ment as an example of
‘dirty politics’ and said
that “BJP can go to any
extent to win in the polls
andthisisjustoneof the
examples showcasing
howtheytrytolureCon-
gress candidates”.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST? Surat BJP
contender’s husband joins Congress
First India Bureau
Surat: Showcasing an
example of contrasting
allegiances, Manisha
and Mahesh Ahir of Su-
rat will be campaigning
for their respective par-
ties –Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) and Con-
gress respectively—in
the run-up to the local
body polls set to be held
later this month.
Former journalist
Manisha Ahir is the
BJP contender from
ward number 15 of Su-
rat Municipal Corpo-
ration (SMC), while
her husband Mahesh
joined the Congress
party on Monday. Talk-
ing about being on the
opposite sides of the
‘political’ fence, Mani-
sha said, “We live in a
democracy, and every
individual reserves
the right to choose
their side.”
On being asked about
her election campaign,
Manisha stated, “I will
ask people to vote for
my party, and my hus-
band will request them
to vote for his party’s
candidates. The onus
will lay with the people
to choose the candidate
they wish to grant their
mandate to.”
Manisha Ahir with PM Narendra Modi. —FILE PHOTO
A screenshot of Dadvi candidate Sonal Rajesh Bagda’s video.

GUJARAT
03
Combined vote-counting: HC
reserves order on petition
SEC has cited COVID-19 as reason behind separate counting days
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: The
High Court of Guja-
rat has reserved its
order on the petition
seeking its direction
on the State Election
Commission’s notifi-
cation that has kept
two separate dates for
counting votes follow-
ing the upcoming lo-
cal body elections.
Congress leaders
have challenged the
SEC notification in
which it has set Febru-
ary 23 as the date for
counting votes for the
municipal corporation
elections, and Febru-
ary 28 as the date for
counting votes for the
panchayat and munici-
pality elections.
The petition claims
that the result of the
municipal corporation
elections will have an
impact on the panchay-
at elections, and asks
that the court direct
the SEC to keep count-
ing for both elections
on the same day.
The petitioner’s sub-
mission is that the SEC
has the power to keep
the counting of votes
for all local bodies on
one day.
Against this, the
SEC’s stand is that
counting for six mu-
nicipal corporations
and 31 district pan-
chayats and 321 taluka
panchayats and 81 na-
garpalikas (municipal-
ities) on the same day
would require a huge
staff, and senior offic-
ers cannot remain pre-
sent at all places at the
same time. It also said
that it was inadvisable
for a large number of
people to gather at one
place, given the COV-
ID-19 pandemic.
High Court of Gujarat. —FILE PHOTO
‘WILL ACCEPT
2ND MANDATE’
MAN BEATS LIVE-IN PARTNER, HER DAUGHTER TO DEATH
First India Bureau
Gandhidham: A
37-year-old man alleg-
edly killed his live-in
partner and her mi-
nor daughter follow-
ing frequent quar-
rels, and dumped
their bodies in a sew-
er near here in Kutch
district, said police
on Monday.
The accused, Sanjay
Singh, was arrested on
Sunday and charged
with murder, said In-
spector SS Desai of the
Gandhidham ‘B’ divi-
sion police station, add-
ing that Singh, a plumb-
er from Bikaner, bludg-
eoned his 41-year-old
live-in partner and her
daughter (13) to death
three days ago.
“Singh took both of
them to a nearby forest
on his motorbike and
killed them by hitting
them in the head with a
stick repeatedly
. He then
dumpedtheirbodiesina
sewer,”Desai said.
While the child’s
body was recovered on
Sunday, that of her
mother was found on
Monday from the sewer
line near Gandhidham
city, he said.
In her complaint, the
woman’s older daugh-
ter (20) said that her
mother recently discov-
ered that Singh had
cheated on her with an-
other woman. As per
the FIR, Singh and his
partner fought almost
daily over petty issues.
MAKING THEMSELVES HEARD
BJP members and senior party leader IK Jadeja participated in sloganeering against Rahul Gandhi over his comments on
Sunday, outside the Congress headquarters in Ahmedabad, on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI
Prompt police action saves the life of
injured 7-yr-old girl in Sabarkantha
Bhavesh Barot
Himmatnagar: It’s
easy to think of the
men in khaki as hard
and uncaring given
their stern faces and
rigorous outlook.
However, in Sabar-
kantha, police per-
sonnel went above
and beyond the call of
duty to save the life of
a seven-year-old child
who had been injured
in an accident on
Monday.
While on patrol, Tal-
od town police, includ-
ing Sub-Inspector BD
Rathod and constable
Mayurdhvajsinh no-
ticed the injured child
lying unattended by the
side of the road.
Seeing that little girl
had apparently been in-
volved in a road acci-
dent, the cops lost no
time. Rather than waste
even minutes waiting
for the emergency ser-
vices to arrive, the two
policemen took her to
the nearby Anjali Hos-
pital in Ranasar village
and swiftly arranged
for her to receive treat-
ment there.
Doctors at the hospi-
tal said the cops’ timely
action helped to save
the life of the little girl.
Soon, word of the po-
licemen’s actions
spread, and messages
started coming in from
citizens, lauding the
duo for living up to the
motto of the Gujarat
state police: Seva,
Suraksha, Shanti.
State primary teachers’
association demands
family pension benefits
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: The
Gujarat State Prima-
ry Teachers Associa-
tion has that the state
extend pension bene-
fits to the families of
teachers after the
teacher’s death. It has
also demanded family
pension for teachers
who are hired on
fixed pay and on con-
tract for five years.
Association president
Digvijaysinh Jadeja and
General Secretary Sat-
ish Patel made this de-
mandinamemorandum
sent to Deputy Chief
Minister Nitin Patel and
EducationMinisterBhu-
pendrasinhChudasama.
Under the National
Pension Scheme (new)
implemented from April
01, 2005, 10% of the basic
pay
, difference of Dear-
ness Allowance and pay
gradeisdeductedaspen-
sion contribution, with
the government contrib-
uting 10%. With in-
creased service years,
the contribution also in-
creases.
However, the new
schemedoesallowforan
increase in state contri-
bution in the case of an
employee’s unexpected
death. This means fami-
liesof deceasedteachers
do not receive a mini-
mum monthly family
pension, leaving their
financial security com-
promised.
Further, contracted
teachers and those hired
on fixed-pay basis area
only eligible for benefits
after they complete five
years. So, if a teacher
dies within the first five
years, the family does
not receive any pension.
First India Bureau
Surat: A race of boats
powered solely by
wind energy held at
the Magdalla port on
Sunday saw enthusias-
tic participation by lo-
cals from coastal areas
of Dumas and Hazira.
Sunday’s 20km long
race that began from
Magdalla on the bank of
the river Tapi--the latest
in a 50-year tradition-
-drew crowds who
thronged the Magdalla
bridge to watch. Mem-
bers of the National
Fighters Sports Club,
which organized the
race, told the media that
around thousand spec-
tators had gathered to
view the spectacle.
One participant, Avi-
nash Patel, was report-
ed as saying: “It is a 15-
20km long race where
8-10 boats participate
every year. These boats
run without an engine,
solely on wind energy
.”
Many people also
hire boats especially to
travel to Hazira to cheer
their favourite team
during the race.
Another participant,
Kamlesh Patel said:
“The toughness of the
race depends on wind
speed. If the wind is not
properly controlled, the
boat can flip in the wa-
ter. Each boat carries
eight people at a time.
The race is physically
and mentally demand-
ing for each one of the
participants.”
Annual sailboat race returns to Surat’s Magdalla
TOUGH CONTEST

8-10 boats, each
bearing 8 people
at a time,
compete in the
15-20km race
each year; with
no engines,
these vessels
instead rely
entirely on the
wind, and human
endurance
The race has been a fixture in Surat for five decades. —FILE PHOTO
nCoV case load at 2,65,537,
0 new cases in 9 Guj dists
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: As
many as 5,057 peo-
ple were vaccinated
at 337 centre on
Monday
, taking the
total number of
people who have
been vaccinated up
to 7.96 lakh since
January 16. The
day also saw the
roll-out of the sec-
ond dose of vaccine
across the state.
Gujarat saw just
249newcasesof COV-
ID-19 in the 24 hours
ended 5 pm on Mon-
day
, government offi-
cials said. Nine dis-
tricts--Aravalli Ba-
naskantha, Bhavna-
gar, Botad, Chhota
Udepur, Dang, Navsa-
ri, Surendranagar
andTapi--reportedno
new cases.
“Today, we started
giving the second
dose to those who
were given the first
shot 28 days ago,”
said MA Pandya,
state director, Na-
tional Health Mis-
sion. He explained
that, as per medical
protocols, beneficiar-
ies are supposed to
take the second jab,
also known as the
booster shot, within
four to six weeks of
the first dose.
Dr Mona Desai, na-
tional chairperson of
Indian Medical Asso-
ciation’s women’s
wing,whowasamong
those who got the
booster shot on Mon-
day
, warned against
getting complacent.”
“Antibodies start
developing in the
body only after tak-
ing this booster shot.
Until that happens,
each and everyone
must wear a mask
and maintain social
distancing,” she said.
Those who received their first shots on Jan 16 got their
booster shots on Monday. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI
Constable Mayurdhvajsinh took the lead in the rescue.

Vol 2 Issue No. 82 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
PERSPECTIVE
04
s the red I see
the same as the
red you see?
At first, the
question seems
confusing. Colour is an in-
herent part of visual expe-
rience, as fundamental as
gravity. So how could any-
one see colour differently
than you do?
To dispense with the
seemingly silly question,
you can point to different
objects and ask, “What col-
our is that?” The initial
consensus apparently set-
tles the issue.
But then you might un-
cover troubling variability
.
A rug that some people call
green, others call blue. A
photo of a dress that some
people call blue and black,
otherssayiswhiteandgold.
You are confronted with
an unsettling possibility.
Even if we agree on the la-
bel, maybe your experi-
ence of red is different
from mine and – shudder
– could it correspond to my
experience of green? How
would we know?
Neuroscientists, includ-
ing us, have tackled this
age-old puzzle and are
starting to come up with
some answers to these
questions. One thing that is
becoming clear is the rea-
son individual differences
in colour are so disconcert-
ing in the first place.
COLOURS ADD
MEANING TO WHAT
YOU SEE
Scientists often explain
why people have a colour
vision in cold, analytic
terms: colour is for object
recognition. And this is
certainly true, but it is not
the whole story
.
The colour statistics of
objects are not arbitrary
.
Thepartsof scenesthatpeo-
ple choose to label (“ball,”
“apple,”“tiger”)arenotany
random colour: they are
more likely to be warm col-
ours (oranges, yellows,
reds), and less likely to be
cool colours (blues, greens).
This is true even for artifi-
cial objects that could have
been made any colour.
These observations sug-
gest that your brain can use
colour to help recogniSe
objects, and might explain
universal colour naming
patterns across languages.
But recognising objects
is not the only, or maybe
even the main, job of colour
vision. In a recent study,
neuroscientists Maryam
Hasantash and Rosa Lafer-
Sousa showed participants
real-world stimuli illumi-
nated by low-pressure-sodi-
um lights – the energy-effi-
cient yellow lighting you
have likely encountered in
a parking garage.
The yellow light pre-
vents the eye’s retina from
properly encoding colour.
The researchers reasoned
that if they temporarily
knocked out this ability in
their volunteers, the im-
pairment might point to
the normal function of col-
our information.
This research builds up
the idea that colour is not
so critical for telling you
what stuff is but rather
about its likely meaning.
Colour does not tell you
about the kind of fruit, but
rather whether a piece of
fruit is probably tasty
. And
for faces, color is literally a
vital sign that helps us
identify emotions like an-
ger and embarrassment, as
well as sickness, as any par-
ent knows.
It might be the colour’s
importance for telling us
about meaning, especially
in social interactions, that
makes variability in colour
experiences between peo-
ple so disconcerting.
SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION
Does everyone see the same colour when they see red?
I
Create in me a clean heart,
O God, And renew a steadfast
spirit within me.
—Psalm 51:10
Spiritual
SPEAK
Top
TWEET
Prakash Javadekar
@PrakashJavdekar
Kudos to the meticulous
coordination of team Dudhwa
and SSB that led to nabbing of
two poachers with tiger skin in
Dudhwa who were trying to sell
the skin to a prospective buyer.
Happy to note that the agencies
are working on investigating all
the possible linkages.
Dr Harsh Vardhan
@drharshvardhan
India with its ancient medical
wisdom, advancement in modern
medicine holistic approach
can provide to the world a robust
model to ensure ‘Health for
All’#Budget2021 has provided
ample stimulus to strengthen our
healthcare system deliver a
globally exemplary model for UHC
eisure is a beautiful gar-
ment, but it will not do for
constant wear.” These words
illustrate the value of lei-
sure, but it must be balanced
with productive activity.
In the high-pressure world
of global markets, cut-throat
competition and mass produc-
tion, many people do not look
forward to work each day
. Lazi-
ness corrodes self-respect and
the respect others have for us.
Good work habits do not come
about by accident; they need to
be acquired.
There are others, for
whom their profession be-
comes an obsession. They
have no time to enjoy the re-
wards of their achieve-
ments. Working too hard or
too long is counterproduc-
tive because we neglect the
things that are responsible
for our happiness – our rela-
tionships and our health.
Despite working hard, some
come to the inevitable realiza-
tion that not everybody will
make it to the top. Do we some-
times feel that we running in a
circle, always busy and tired
but never getting anywhere? If
so, it is time to evaluate our
work ethics.
We can ask ourselves,
“What kind of quality and
diligence do I put into my
work? Do I complete each
task on time and to the best
of my abilities? Am I fully
satisfied with the way I car-
ry out my assignments?
What have I achieved so far?
Does it matter if anybody
notices my work?”
A competitive spirit pushes
people to outdo one another,
breeds jealousy and in the end,
proves futile. Hence one must
seek to develop a cooperative
spirit to protect one’s emotion-
al health.
Regular breaks are re-
freshing and rejuvenating to
release stress. The choices we
make, our habits, our daily
routine, and our goals reveal
where our life is going.
Many people feel a sense of
accomplishment when they re-
ceive praise and admiration for
theirwork.Itis“thebarometer”
to measure the worthiness of
their labours. Normally
, work is
done to impress others. It is not
what others think, but having a
personal satisfaction of doing
quality work, is what matters.
Hard work becomes mean-
ingful when it benefits oth-
ers. ‘Satisfying work’ is de-
fined as ‘work that brings
convenience, comfort or
pleasure to many people’s
lives.’ Doing such work pre-
vents loneliness and empti-
ness.
To make our job interesting
and to prevent boredom, we
must act enthusiastic. Work, as
if you are enjoying it by smil-
ing often. Whenever we are
happy, we are usually produc-
tive. We readily follow instruc-
tions and get along well with
others. If we are unhappy, our
work tends to become a drudg-
ery – something monotonous,
boring, even emotionally tax-
ing, leading to unproductive
work habits. We must avoid
thinking about the lunch hour,
the weekend or even another
job to be done. By concentrat-
ing wholly on the task at hand,
our time then will seem to
move quickly
.
Doing our best helps us to
achieve job satisfaction. Ne-
glect, procrastination and
minimal effort deplete en-
ergy and add fatigue and
anxiety. By striving to im-
prove in our work whether
we are being monitored or
not, we will be esteemed and
trusted in the long run.
Working hard on a project
even makes leisure hours
more enjoyable. A job per-
formed well, leaves an inner
glow of satisfaction.
Instead of competing with
others, we must endeavour to
surpass ourselves. So we must
set new standards and new
goals, keep a track of hour-by-
hour productivity and try to
increase it. We must make ef-
fortstoworkuptoourpotential.
Being creative can help us
to decorate our jobs. Design
your space and personalize
it. Just doing what is expect-
ed of us is like inhabiting a
bare house. By adding our
personal style, we can make
our job more interesting.
To feel a sense of achieve-
ment, we must complete what
we start. This can be done by
laying out a step by step plan
and setting sensible deadlines.
To derive meaning and
satisfaction from work, one
must keep learning. We can
learn from our mistakes and
successes and by observing
others. Also, taking new
courses to upgrade skills in-
creases confidence, abilities
and improves attitude to-
wards life – that problems
can be solved and fears can
be conquered.
So let us free ourselves from
the thinking that makes the
workweek dark in contrast
with the weekend. May we not
waste time reviewing our past
failures, imagining what will
go wrong next, and worrying
about what others think of us.
Look at the job in front of you,
give full attention and be ab-
sorbed in it as you would in
your favourite hobby, and take
pride in a job well done!
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY
THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL
MAKING WORK
MEANINGFUL AND
INTERESTING
“
L
REKHA
KUMAR
BEING CREATIVE CAN
HELP US TO DECORATE
OUR JOBS. DESIGN YOUR
SPACE AND PERSONALIZE
IT. JUST DOING WHAT IS
EXPECTED OF US IS LIKE
INHABITING A BARE
HOUSE. BY ADDING OUR
PERSONAL STYLE, WE
CAN MAKE OUR JOB
MORE INTERESTING
The writer is a personal
development trainer working with
corporate and SME sector
To make our job
interesting and to
prevent boredom,
we must act
enthusiastic.
Work, as if you
are enjoying it by
smiling often.
Whenever we are
happy, we are
usually
productive. We
readily follow
instructions and
get along well
with others. If we
are unhappy, our
work tends to
become a
drudgery –
something
monotonous,
boring, even
emotionally
taxing, leading to
unproductive
work habits
PGV BACKS FARMERS
WITH EYE ON VOTES
way from the hubbub of New Delhi, Sin-
ghu, Tikri, and Ghazipur sites of farm-
ers’ protests, Congress general-secre-
tary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been
addressing large gatherings of farmers
in Uttar Pradesh, informing them about the finer
points of the new farm laws and how they will im-
pact the agriculturists. Priyanka Gandhi and Aam
Admi Party’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh are
the only two opposition leaders who are visibly
trying to rally support for their respective parties
by espousing the cause of protesting farmers. Both
the parties are eyeing panchayat elections which
are scheduled to be held in April this year. It will
be the first electoral test of Yogi Adityanath before
the assembly elections are held next year. If the
protesting farmers stick to their stand of continu-
ing their agitation till October, the Bharatiya Ja-
nata Party will find the going tough in panchayat
and assembly elections in Western UP. Farmers of
the region are spearheading the agitation on Del-
hi’s borders with Rakesh Tikait of the Bharatiya
Kisan Union leading the fight.
To win over farmers Priyanka Gandhi held a
kisan mahapanchayat in Saharanpur six days ago
and in Bijnor on Monday where she slammed the
farm laws calling them “monster-like” and attacked
the BJP for leaving farmers vulnerable to exploita-
tion by big business houses. Before that, she went
to Rampur to meet the family of Navreet Singh who
died when his tractor overturned during the pro-
tests in New Delhi on Republic Day
. Priyanka Gan-
dhi plans to address a series of such meetings to
improve her party’s electoral chances in UP
.
A
IN-DEPTH
NO ONE’S FRETTING
OVER FUEL PRICES
or the seventh straight day fuel prices
were hiked on Monday and nobody
, at
least not the government, seemed con-
cerned at the mounting financial burden
on the common man. After a 25 paise hike
petrol in Mumbai is now selling at Rs 95.46 per litre
to close in on an all-time high of Rs 100 a litre. The
government can extend relief to consumers by cut-
ting taxes but it won’t. This was stated indirectly by
the Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Prad-
hanrecentlywhenhesaid,“Someof thecomponents
of the petroleum price are coming from the tax re-
gime. We are passing through an unusual phase due
to the Covid-19 pandemic.” To preclude any possibil-
ity of tax cuts on petroleum products, the Union
minister said, “The spending of the Union and state
governments have gone up. There is a 34 percent in-
crease in capital expenditure in the Budget. But we
have to carry forward our economy and we need re-
sources.” Other than taxes, artificial price mecha-
nisms by oil-producing countries are blamed for the
fuel price increase in India. These countries had to
cut down production after slumping in demand dur-
ing the pandemic-related lockdown.
With geopolitical reasons behind the sustained
rise in fuel prices, and the Union government’s eco-
nomic compulsions preventing a cut in taxes,
there’s little that the common man can do other
thantrymanaginghismonthlyfuelbill.If thetrend
in petroleum prices continues, it will have a cascad-
ing effect on the prices of commodities, daily com-
mute, transportation, etc. What is encouraging for
the government is that no one’s complaining.
F

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INDIA
05
INDIA TO START TRIALS OF 160 KM
STRIKE RANGE ASTRA MISSILE
New Delhi: In a step that
would establish its superi-
ority in air combat over
China and Pakistan, India
would start testing the
Astra Mark 2 beyond visu-
al range air to air missile,
which would be capable
of taking down enemy air-
craft from a range of 160
kilometres. The extended
range Astra Mark 2 would
give India an edge over
its adversaries and would
add more lethality to its
fighter jets in aerial com-
bat, like the one which
happened a day after the
Balakot airstrikes on Feb
26, 2019. “The trial for
the Astra Mark would be
starting in the second half
of this year and we are
hoping to see the missile
fully developed by 2022,”
government officials.
BJP HAS PLANS TO FORM
GOVERNMENTS IN NEPAL: DEB
Agartala: Chief Minister of Tripura Biplab Kumar
Deb has said that the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) has plans to expand their party in the
neighbouring countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka.
The Tripura CM while addressing the party work-
ers in Agartala recalled a meeting with the Union
Home Minister Amit Shah, who was then BJP
national president, during his visit to the state
and said, “When the home minister was our party
chief, while discussion we said that BJP had
come to power in several states.” —ANI
RJD SLAMS CENTRE OVER
ARREST OF J-K LEADERS
New Delhi: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP
Manoj Jha slammed the Centre stating that
house arresting of political leaders in JK is
a very serious issue and raised concerns over
the government claims that situation in the
region is normal. “This is a very serious issue.
When the JK MPs were retiring recently. How
do we look at Kashmir? I have heard that a
delegation is about to come. Before that, you
are house arresting the public representatives?
What type of democracy is this?,” Jha said.
EMPOWERING DOMESTIC
INDUSTRIES: HARSH VARDHAN
New Delhi: The new
policy of institutionalising
ease of access of geo-
spatial data will empower
domestic industries and
surveying agencies,
Union Minister Harsh Var-
dhan addressing media
here, the minister said:
“PM Swamitva Yojana is
a shining example of the
use of geospatial data
to empower our rural
population. Increased
participation of private
sector will augment the
growth of new tech-
nologies, platforms and
application of geospatial
data contributing to the
country’s progress.” The
union minister said that
it will help drive efficien-
cies in agriculture, and
enhance our emergency-
response. —ANI
New Delhi: Taking a
dig at the Central gov-
ernment over the lique-
fied petroleum gas
(LPG) domestic cylin-
der price hike in Delhi,
nn on Monday said the
government is ‘looting’
from the public. Taking
to Twitter, Rahul Gan-
dhi said, “Loot from the
public, Development of
only two.” He also
shared a news clipping
which reported on the
hike in LPG cylinder
prices.”
The price of the LPG
domestic cylinder in
Delhi has been in-
creased by Rs 50 per
unit on Sunday. The
new price of Rs 769 per
14.2 kilograms LPG cyl-
inder is applicable in
the national capital
from 12 am today. This
is the second price hike
in the month of Feb.
The oil marketing com-
panies had increased
the price of non-subsi-
dised LPG cylinders by
Rs 25 in metro cities.
—ANI
Sirf ‘do’ ka vikas: Rahul Gandhi slams
Centre over LPG cylinder price hike
This is the second price hike in this month. Price of non-subsidised LPG cylinders by Rs 25 in metro
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over LPG cylinder price hike.
Visual from Tapovan Tunnel on Monday.
Jind (Haryana): In re-
marks that are likely to
stoke controversy, Har-
yana Congress leader
Vidya Rani urged party
workers to strengthen
the farmers’ agitation
and said they can con-
tribute “be it money,
vegetables, liquor”.
Speaking at Congress
executive meeting in
Jind, Vidya Devi said
that Congress was fac-
ing an existential crisis
in the state after Lok
Sabha and assembly
elections but the protest
by farmers had helped
revive the party. “We
will take out a ‘pady-
atra’ in Jind. Congress
was facing a crisis in
the state but the farm-
ers’ protest has helped
strengthen the party.
Farmers protest will
give new direction and
strength to Congress,”
she said.
Vidya Devi said farm-
ers agitation had suf-
fered a setback after
incidents of Jan 26 but
it has revived itself.
“We should help
them. Be it money, veg-
etables, liquor - we can
contribute as we like
and strengthen this
agitation.,”Devi added.
—ANI
Serve liquor to farmers: Cong leader
PM Modi announces
ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh
SC grants relief to
NDTV promoters New Delhi: Prime Min-
ister Narendra Modi on
Monday announced an
ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh
each for the next of kin
of the deceased in the
truck accident in Jal-
gaon, Maharashtra.
PM Modi also an-
nounced Rs 50,000 for
those seriously injured
in the accident. “PM
Narendra Modi has ap-
proved an ex-gratia of
Rs 2 lakh each from
Prime Minister’s Na-
tional Relief Fund for
the next of kin of those
who have lost their lives
due to the tragic truck
accident in Jalgaon,
Maharashtra. Rs 50,000
would be given to those
seriously injured,” the
Prime Minister’s Office
(PMO) said in a tweet.
Prime Minister Modi
has expressed grief at
the loss of lives in a
road accident in Maha-
rashtra’s Jalgaon dis-
trict and offered condo-
lences to the families of
the victims. —ANI
New Delhi: In a relief
to New Delhi Television
Ltd (NDTV) promoters
Prannoy Roy and Ra-
dhika Roy, the Supreme
Court Monday directed
the Securities Appellate
Tribunal (SAT) not to
insist on a deposit of
half the amount of
fines as a pre-condition
for hearing their ap-
peals against the orders
of markets regulator
Securities and Ex-
change Board of India
(SEBI).
TheNDTVpromoters
have challenged the
SAT order directing
them to deposit 50 per-
cent of the alleged un-
lawful gains which the
SEBI found to have been
made by them.
A bench headed by
Chief Justice S A Bobde
said the appeals of the
Roys will be heard by
the SAT without insist-
ing on deposit.
“Appeals are to be
heard on March 4. No
amount shall be recov-
ered coercively in ab-
sence of any deposit for
hearing the appeals.
The order shall not be
treated as a precedent,”
said the bench which
also comprised Justices
A S Bopanna and V Ra-
masubramanian.
—Agencies
New Delhi: Con-
gress leader Jaiveer
Shergill slammed the
central government
over the continuous
surge in fuel prices
saying that the rul-
ing party is fulfilling
its mission of “Abki
baar fuel 100 par”.
Shergill said, “There
is no date in the cal-
endar when the BJP
government has not
increased the price
of the cylinder in the
past two months.
This is the fourth
hike, which is mak-
ing a mockery of the
system. It is an insult
to the injury of the
common people. By
continuously raising
the fuel price BJP
government is fulfill-
ing its mission of
Abki baar fuel 100
par.” “The finance
minister must con-
sider giving cycle
subsidies,” he added.
This comes as the
central government
hiked the fuel and
petrol prices in the
national capital.
Shergill tweeted his
video to make the
point on the petrol
and diesel price hike.
—ANI
New Delhi: As the fuel prices continued its upward spiral, SC Mishra, former
Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said the economic situation has
improved since 2020 and the central government should have given a relief of Rs 12
per litre on petrol and Rs 14 per litre on diesel to the common man. Mishra under-
lined the fact that the government had raised the taxes on petrol by Rs 12 per litre
and on diesel Rs 14 per litre, twice in March and May 2020, to garner extra revenue.
Adding to this, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman levied an additional agriculture
Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) of Rs 2.5 per litre on petrol and Rs
4 per litre on diesel in the Union Budget presented on February 1. Talking to ANI,
Mishra said the government finds fuel an easy commodity to tax.“Both state govern-
ments and central government are quite happy to tax fuel and raise revenues for
their various activities,” he said. —ANI
BJP is fulfilling its
mission of ‘Abki baar fuel
100 par’: Jaiveer Shergill
GOVT SHOULD HAVE GIVEN RELIEF OF RS 12-14 ON
PETROL, SAYS FORMER PETROLEUM SECRETARY
Congress should
explain opposition
to CAA: Naqvi
New Delhi: Union Min-
isterof MinorityAffairs
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
on Monday challenged
the Congress party to
explain its opposition to
the Citizenship Amend-
ment Act (CAA).
Reacting to Rahul
Gandhi’s comments
that CAA will not be im-
plemented, the minister
said,”What enmity does
Congress have with the
tortured minorities of
Pakistan, Bangladesh
and Afghanistan? Why
does Congress oppose
these people being giv-
en citizenship?” “The
Congress party which
cannot even change it-
self is claiming it will
change all the laws in
the country,” he added.
Naqvi also took a jibe
at Rahul Gandhi stating
that the “political play-
er” refuses and rejects
everything.
“Modi government
works for the better-
ment of the country.
This political player
cannot just accept this
fact and is refusing and
rejecting everything”,
Naqvi said.
He asked Rahul Gan-
dhi to recall Manmohan
Singh’s tenure to under-
stand real inflation and
unemployment. On
Sunday Rahul Gandhi
in Assam made a scath-
ing attack on the Cen-
tral government on the
issueof unemployment.
Meanwhile, on the ar-
rest of climate activist
Disha Ravi’s arrest by
Delhi Police Naqvi said:
“There is a big list of
‘Bharat bashing bri-
gade’. They are conspir-
ing against India and
undertaking a negative
campaign to sully the
country’s image.” —ANI
Uttarakhand glacier burst
death toll increases to 55
Chamoli: Chamoli Po-
lice recovered three
more bodies from the
Tapovan tunnel on
Monday, taking the
death toll due to the Ut-
tarakhand glacier burst
to 54.
“Today, three more
bodies have been recov-
ered from the Tapovan
tunnel. Till now, from a
total of 55 dead bodies
and 22 human organs,
we have identified 29
bodies and one organ.
The DNAs of unidenti-
fied bodies have been
conserved,” informed
the Chamoli police in a
tweet on Monday
. Miss-
ing reports of 179 peo-
ple have been filed till
now in the Joshimath
police station. Relief
and rescue operations
are still underway
.
“A total of 8 bodies
have been recovered
from here (Tapovan
tunnel) so far. Opera-
tion is still underway,
we are working 24/7. 7
bodies have been recov-
ered in Raini, so a total
of 15 bodies have been
recovered from the two
work sites,” National
Disaster Response
Force (NDRF) Deputy
Commandant Aditya
Pratap Singh told ANI.
Meanwhile, the Utta-
rakhand Police on Sun-
day had said that the
Alaknanda River at Sri-
nagar in Pauri Garhwal
is flowing at the normal
level; no alert has been
issued by the district
administration in this
regard.
A glacier burst in the
Tapovan-Reni area of
Chamoli District of Ut-
tarakhand last week,
which led to massive
flooding in the Dhauli-
ganga and Alaknanda
rivers and damaged
houses and the nearby
Rishiganga power pro-
ject. —ANI
WB Congress
to hold
meeting for
poll prep
Kolkata: The West
Bengal Pradesh Con-
gress Committee (WB-
PCC) on Monday will
hold a meeting with its
district wings ahead of
the talks with the Left
parties regarding the
seat-sharing in the up-
coming Assembly elec-
tions in the state. The
meeting will be chaired
by the president of WB-
PCC, Adhir Ranjan
Chowdhury
.
According to the
sources, the meeting is
being held to discuss the
on-going preparations
of the upcoming Assem-
bly elections, including
the seat-sharing with
the Left parties.
Congress and Left
parties will soon decide
on the seat-sharing
through a couple of
meetings scheduled
next week.
Earlier, the Congress
party and the Left Front
alliance held two
rounds of meetings re-
garding the seat-shar-
ing agreements for 193
of the total 294 seats.
In the 2016 Assembly
polls, the Left parties
and Congress bagged 76
seats whereas Trina-
mool bagged 211 seats.
—ANI

INDIA
06
A ‘toolkit’...
group Poetic Justice
Foundation (PJF) and
added that Jacob was
also one of the editors of
“toolkit”document.Ravi
was sent to five days po-
lice remand on Sunday
by a Delhi court here.
Thunberg had shared
the “toolkit” to lend her
support to the farmers’
agitation against the
three farm reform laws.
In the document, vari-
ous urgent actions, in-
cluding creating a Twit-
ter storm and protesting
outside Indian embas-
sies, were listed which
were needed to be taken
to support the farmers’
protest.
The toolkit has been
cited by some critics as
a “proof” of her con-
spiracy to fuel protests
in India. —PTI
Zoom meet...
NikitaandDisha,among
others.Themotiveof the
meeting was to create a
Twitter storm ahead of
Republic Day
. They also
spoke about the death of
a farmer. According to
the sources, four days
ago Special Cell team
went to Nikita Jacob’s
houseandexaminedher
electronic gadgets. Del-
hi police told her that
they would again ques-
tion her but she is cur-
rently not available.
After Disha...
Delhi Police officials
said they were conduct-
ing raids in Mumbai
and other places to nab
Jacob and Shantanu,
known so far only by
one name.
Meanwhile, Jacob ap-
proached the Bombay
High Court seeking
transit anticipatory bail
for four weeks so she
can approach the con-
cerned court in Delhi to
apply for pre-arrest bail.
The high court will hear
the plea on Tuesday
.
She said in her plea
she is unaware if she is
named as an accused or
witness in the case.
“However, the applicant
(Jacob) fears that she
may be arrested due to
political vendetta and
media trial,” her appli-
cation said. —PTI
Govt shortlists...
Two of those banks will
beselectedforsaleinthe
2021/2022 financial year
which begins in April,
the officials said. The
shortlist has not previ-
ously been reported. The
government is consider-
ing mid-sized to small
banks for its first round
of privatisation to test
the waters. In the com-
ing years it could also
lookatsomeof thecoun-
try’s bigger banks, the
officials said. A finance
ministry spokesman de-
clinedtocommentonthe
matter. —Agencies
BJP, Oppn...
Supporting our farmers
is not a crime.”
Reacting to the Oppo-
sition charges, BJP
spokesperson Gaurav
Bhatia said, “A criminal
is a criminal, gender
and age are immaterial
if not a juvenile. Just for
your knowledge, Kasab
was 21 when he attacked
Mumbai.”
“Supporting ‘farm-
ers’ is not a crime but
conspiring against In-
dia and inciting others
surely is,” he said.
BJPgeneralsecretary
B L Santosh tweeted: “21
year old...environment
activist...student...Are
these credentials for be-
coming a part of break-
ing India forces? How
does she get the access
for editing tool kit...?
Why she is part of anti-
national WhatsApp
groups...? Many ques-
tions...But only one an-
swer...21 year old.”
Former Union minis-
ters P Chidambaram
and Jairam Ramesh
have also come out
strongly against the po-
lice action in the case,
accusing the govern-
ment of running an au-
thoritarian regime as it
was threatened by a
student. —PTI
Sensex breaches...
climbing 5.88%, fol-
lowed by ICICI Bank,
Bajaj Finance, SBI, In-
dusInd Bank, HDFC,
BajajFinservandHDFC
Bank. On the other
hand, Dr Reddy’s, TCS,
Tech Mahindra, HUL,
Asian Paints and Titan
were among the lag-
gards, sliding up to 1.77
per cent. The rupee
gained 7 paise to settle
at 72.68 against the US
dollar. —PTI
SC notice...
by Divan’s argument
that it was proposed be-
fore us that a data pro-
tection law would be
brought into force.
“Now under this poli-
cy you will share data of
Indians.”
Advocate Kapil Sibal,
appearing for What-
sApp, contended that
Europe has a special
law and it will follow
law if the Parliament
makes it a similar law.
The bench, also com-
prising Justices AS Bo-
panna and V Ramasu-
bramanian, said that
citizens have great ap-
prehension about loss
of their privacy and
they think that their
data and chats being
shared with others and
it has to be looked into.
FROM PG 1
New Delhi: The Union
health ministry has is-
sued new ''SOPs to con-
tain spread of COV-
ID-19 in offices'' and
according to these, if
one or two cases are re-
ported, the disinfec-
tion procedure will be
limited to the areas oc-
cupied and visited by
the patient in the last
48 hours.
Work can resume af-
ter disinfection has
been completed as per
laid down protocols,
the standard operating
procedures (SOPs),
which were issued on
Saturday, stated.
If a larger number
of cases are reported
at workplace, the
whole block or build-
ing should be disin-
fected before work is
resumed, the ministry
said.
Officers and staff re-
siding in containment
zones should inform
the same to their su-
pervisory officer and
not attend office till the
containment zone is
denotified. Such staff
should be permitted to
work from home, the
new SOPs stated.
Offices in contain-
ment zones shall re-
main closed except for
medical and essential
services and only those
outside will be allowed
to open up, the docu-
ment said.
The SOPs stated that
only asymptomatic
staff or visitors shall
be allowed entry, indi-
viduals must maintain
a minimum distance of
six feet in common
places as far as feasi-
ble, and use face covers
or masks at all times.
“They must be worn
properly to cover the
nose and the mouth.
Touching the front por-
tion of the mask or
face cover to be avoid-
ed,” the ministry said.
CENTRE ISSUES GUIDELINES FOR OFFICES
The Health Ministry said that if cases are reported at workplace, the whole block or building should be disinfected before work is resumed
A worker sanitizes the pandal of Lord Ganesh on the occasion of ‘Maghi Ganpati Janmotsav’, at Pratiksha Nagar in Mumbai. The
Pandal portrays the awareness of the COVID-19 vaccination. —PHOTO BY ANI
New Delhi: Describ-
ing as “alarming” the
rise in fresh COVID-19
cases in some districts
of Maharashtra, Dep-
uty Chief Minister
Ajit Pawar on Monday
warned of taking
some “harsh deci-
sions” and asked peo-
ple to be prepared.
Some districts in
Vidarbha region in
east Maharashtra, es-
pecially Amravati and
Nagpur, and Nashik in
north Maharashtra
have seen the number
of new cases rising
over the last few days.
Speaking to report-
ers, Pawar expressed
displeasure over peo-
ple not following the
pandemic-appropriate
behaviour and violat-
ing guidelines.
Pawar, who also
holds Finance minis-
try, was in Aurang-
abad to chair a review
meeting of eight dis-
tricts under the Mar-
athwada region.
“I have come across
((reports that) people
are not following the
COVID-19 guidelines
which are aimed at
checking the spread of
the infection.
CasesrisinginMaharashtra
is alarming: CM Ajit Pawar
Coimbatore: The
Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi will visit Co-
imbatore and address
an election meeting on
February 25, BJP Tamil
Nadu president L Mu-
rugan said on Monday
.
The venue and time
of the rally will be an-
nounced in a couple of
days, Murugan told re-
porters, after a meeting
with party executive
and senior leaders from
12 districts in the West-
ern Region of the State.
During his visit to
Chennai on Sunday,
Prime Minister Modi
had handed over to the
Army, the home-made
Arjun Main Battle
Tank (MK-1A) and
launched various pro-
jects and laid the foun-
dation for several oth-
ers in different sectors,
including Railways, in
Tamil Nadu.
Similarly, Defense
Minister Rajnath Singh
will address a Bharati-
ya Janata Party Youth
wing conference in Sa-
lem on February 21,
Murugan said.
PM to kickstart BJP poll campaign
in Coimbatore on February 25
Guwahati: External
Affairs Minister
(EAM) S Jaishankar on
Monday said a closer
India-Japan partner-
ship is most natural
and has had a central
place in India's mod-
ernisation and devel-
opment efforts.
“It has long been in-
volved in expansion of
our economic and so-
cial infrastructure.
Across our states and
cities, Japanese official
development systems
have funded roads,
rails, urbanisation and
energy,” said Mr Jais-
hankar during an event
at the water purifica-
tion plant in Kharghuli.
Asserting that Japan
was the original model
for the revival of na-
tion post-colonialism,
the minister said a cu-
mulative impact of
this relationship on
contemporary India is
worth noting.
“It is actually re-
markable that within a
decade, the India-Japan
partnership is today
seen in Asia, perhaps in
the world, as most natu-
ral and close. The
awarding of Padma
Vibhushan to previous
(Japan) PM Shinzo Abe
was symbolic of our
journey,” he added.
India-Japan p’ship
has Central place in
devp efforts: Min
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar addresses during a talk
Act East Policy and India Japan Cooperation in Guwahati.
POLLS ON MAR 10
18-19 VAX AGAINST COVID IN PIPELINE
Mumbai: Maharashtra recorded 4,092 new coro-
navirus cases, which took the state’s infection
tally to 20,64,278, while 40 deaths pushed the
count to 51,529, health department said. A total
of 1,355 patients were discharged during the day.
With this, the recovery count in the state grew
to 19,75,603, it said. There are 35,965 active
cases in the state at present. Currently, 1,74,243
patients are in-home quarantine and 1,747 others
in institutional quarantine, the department said.
Bengaluru: The Serum Institute of India will
ship the Oxford University/AstraZeneca COV-
ID-19 vaccine to Canada in less than one month,
Serum's chief executive said on Monday. “As
we await regulatory approvals from Canada, I
assure you, @SerumInstIndia will fly out #COV-
ISHIELD to Canada in less than a month; I'm on
it!” CEO Adar Poonawalla said on Twitter, refer-
ring to a brand name for AstraZeneca's vaccine.
MAHARASHTRA REPORTS
OVER 4,000 NEW CASES
‘WILL SEND VAX TO CANADA
IN LESS THAN A MONTH’
Kolkata: West Bengal
Governor Jagdeep
Dhankhar on Monday
sought a response from
the West Bengal Gov-
ernment for increasing
its share holding in the
Andal Airport in Dur-
gapur from 11 per cent
to 26 per cent and 26 per
cent to 47 per cent. “Pot
boiling Andal Airport.
Response sought @
MamataOfficial How
much Govt spent in in-
creasing share from 11-
26 per cent and 26-47 per
cent? Details-share pur-
chases-from whom; at
what rate and at what
rate they were allotted
these shares? Who initi-
ated purchase process
from 11-26 and 26-47 per
cent?” tweeted the Gov-
ernor. The spat between
Dhankhar and Chief
Minister Mamata Ba-
nerjee started since the
former took the office
in July 2019. —ANI
Guv questions Didi on airport issue
New Delhi: Several ar-
eas in northern states
will continue to experi-
ence dense in the morn-
ing for the next two
days, the IMD said on
Monday. As per IMD,
dense to very dense fog
will prevail in isolated,
some pockets over Pun-
jab, Haryana, Chandi-
garh, Delhi West Ut-
tar Pradesh in the
morning hours of Feb-
ruary 16 and February
17 followed by reduction
in intensity and spatial
distribution afterwards.
However, a reduction in
the current spell of
dense fog occurrences
over Punjab and Hary-
ana is likely to occur
over next two days.
Meanwhile, the rise in
mercury will continue
in the northern states
during the week.”
Dense Fog to engulf
Delhi, Haryana other
North states till Feb 17
MEAL AT RS 5
Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
—PHOTO
BY
ANI
Shah reviews preparation
for celebrating India @75
New Delhi: Union
Home Minister Amit
Shah on Monday re-
viewed the prepara-
tions for the celebra-
tions of 75th year of
India’’s independence,
400th ‘’Prakash Purab’’
of Guru Teg Bahadur
and 125th birth anniver-
sary of Netaji Subhash
Chandra Bose.
The central govern-
ment has already de-
cided to celebrate the
three events in a befit-
ting manner.
“HM @AmitShah
held review meeting
with officials of MHA,
@MinOfCultureGoI
@MIB_India on prepa-
rations for celebration
of India@75. Also re-
viewed progress of
work for celebrations
marking 400th Prakash
Purab of Guru Tegh
Bahadur ji and 125th
Jayanti of Netaji Sub-
hash Chandra Bose,”
Shah tweeted.
On August 15, 2022,
several mega projects
are expected to be dedi-
cated to the nation on
the occasion of 75th an-
niversary of India’’s
independence.
The govt has already
set up a committee un-
der chairmanship of
PM Modi to commemo-
rate the 400th ‘’Prakash
Purab’’ celebrations of
Guru Tegh Bahadur
(April 1, 1621--Novem-
ber 11, 1675). —PTI

TALKING POINT
07
JUMPING FROM
ANIMALS TO HUMANS,
AND BACK TO ANIMALS
The COVID-19 virus is one of seven
coronaviruses found in people — all
have animal origins (dubbed “zoon-
oses”), and vary in their ability to infect
different hosts. The COVID-19 virus is
thought to have originated in an animal
and spread to people through an un-
known intermediate host, while the
SARS outbreak of 2002-2004 likely came
from raccoon dogs or civets.
Given the general ubiquity of corona-
viruses and the rapid saturation of the
global environment with the COVID-19
virus, it’s paramount we explore the
risk for it to spread from people to other
animals, known as “reverse zoonoses”.
The World Organisation for Animal
Health is monitoring cases of the COV-
ID-19 virus in animals. To date, only a
few species around the globe have been
found to be susceptible, including mink,
felines (such as lions, tigers and cats),
dogs and a ferret.
Whether the animal gets sick and
recovers depends on the species. For
example, researchers found infected
adolescent cats got sick but could
fight off the virus, while dogs were
much more resistant.
RESEARCHERS AND
TOURISTS
While mink, dogs or cats are not
in Antarctica, more than 100 mil-
lion flying seabirds, 45% of the
world’s penguin species, 50% of
the world’s seal populations and
17% of the world’s whale and
dolphin species inhabit the
continent.
In a 2020 study
, researchers
ran computer simulations and
found cetaceans — whales, dol-
phins or porpoises — have a high sus-
ceptibility of infection from the virus,
based on the makeup of their genetic
receptors to the virus. Seals and birds
had a lower risk of infection.
We concluded that direct contact with
peopleposesthegreatestriskforspread-
ing the virus to wildlife,
with researchers more likely vectors
than tourists. Researchers have closer
contact with wildlife: many Antarctic
speciesarefoundnearresearchstations,
and wildlife studies often require direct
handling and close proximity to ani-
mals.
Tourists, however, are still a concern-
ing vector, as they visit penguin roosts
and seal haul-out sites (where seals rest
orbreed)inlargenumbers.Forinstance,
a staggering 73,991 tourists travelled to
the continent between October 2019 and
April 2020, when COVID-19 was just
emerging.
Each visitor to Antarctica carries mil-
lions of microbial passengers, such as
bacteria, and many of these microbes
are left behind when the visitors leave.
Most are likely benign and probably die
off. But if the pandemic has taught us
anything, it takes only one powerful or-
ganism to jump hosts to cause a pan-
demic.
HOW TO PROTECT
ANTARCTIC WILDLIFE
Thereareguidelinesforvisitorstoreduce
the risk of introducing infectious mi-
crobes.Thisincludescleaningclothesand
equipment before heading to Antarctica
andbetweenanimalcolonies,andkeeping
at least five metres away from animals.
These rules are no longer enough in
COVID times, and more measures must
be taken.
The first and most crucial step to pro-
tect Antarctic wildlife is controlling hu-
man-to-human spread, particularly at
research stations. Everyone heading to
Antarctica should be tested and quaran-
tined prior to travelling, with regular on-
going tests throughout the season. The
fewer people with COVID-19 in Antarcti-
ca, the less opportunity the virus has to
jump to animal hosts.
Second, close contact with wildlife
shouldberestrictedtoessentialscientific
purposes only
. All
handling procedures should be re-evalu-
ated, given how much we just don’t know
about the virus.
Werecommendallscientificpersonnel
wear appropriate protective equipment
(including masks) at all times when han-
dling, or in close proximity to, Antarctic
wildlife.Similarrecommendationsarein
place for those working with wildlife in
Australia.
Migrating animals that may have
picked up COVID-19 from other parts of
the world could also spread it to other
wildlife in Antarctica. Skuas, for exam-
ple,migratetoAntarcticafromtheSouth
American coast, where there are enor-
mous cases of COVID-19.
And then there’s the issue of
sewage. Around 37% of bases
releaseuntreatedsewagedirect-
ly into the Antarctic ecosystem.
Meanwhile, an estimated 57,000
to114,000litresof sewageperday
is dumped from ships into the
Southern Ocean.
Fragments of the COVID virus
can be found in wastewater, but
these fragments aren’t infectious,
so sewage isn’t considered a trans-
mission risk. However, there are
other potentially dangerous mi-
crobes found in sewage that could be
spread to animals, such as antibiotic-
resistant bacteria.
We can curb the general risk of mi-
crobes from sewage if the Antarctic
Treatyformallyrecognisesmicrobesas
invasive species and a threat to the Ant-
arctic ecosystem. This would support
better biosecurity practices and environ-
mental control of waste.
TAKING PRECAUTIONS
Intheseearlystagesof thepandemic,sci-
entists are scrambling to understand the
complexity of COVID-19 and the virus’s
characteristics. Meanwhile, the virus
continues to evolve.
Until the true risk of cross-species
transmission is known, precautions
must be taken to reduce the risk of
spread to all wildlife. We don’t want to
see the human footprint becoming an
epidemic among Antarctic wildlife, a
scenario that can be mitigated by better
processes and behaviours.
risk for it to spread from people to other
animals, known as “reverse zoonoses”.
The World Organisation for Animal
Health is monitoring cases of the COV-
ID-19 virus in animals. To date, only a
few species around the globe have been
found to be susceptible, including mink,
felines (such as lions, tigers and cats),
Whether the animal gets sick and
recovers depends on the species. For
example, researchers found infected
adolescent cats got sick but could
fight off the virus, while dogs were
While mink, dogs or cats are not
in Antarctica, more than 100 mil-
can be found in wastewater, but
these fragments aren’t infectious,
so sewage isn’t considered a trans-
mission risk. However, there are
other potentially dangerous mi-
crobes found in sewage that could be
spread to animals, such as antibiotic-
resistant bacteria.
We can curb the general risk of mi-
crobes from sewage if the Antarctic
Treatyformallyrecognisesmicrobesas
invasive species and a threat to the Ant-
arctic ecosystem. This would support
better biosecurity practices and environ-
mental control of waste.
TAKING PRECAUTIONS
Intheseearlystagesof thepandemic,sci-
entists are scrambling to understand the
Scientists are extremely
concerned for its wildlife
COVID HAS REACHED
ANTARCTICA
MICHELLE POWER
Associate Professor in the
Department of Biological
Sciences, Macquarie
University
MEAGAN DEWAR
Lecturer, Federation
University Australia
I
n December, Ant-
arctica lost its
status as the last
continent free of COV-
ID-19 when 36 people
at the Chilean Ber-
nardo O'Higgins re-
search station tested
positive. The station’s
isolation from other
bases and fewer re-
searchers in the conti-
nent means the out-
break is now likely
contained.
However, we know
all too well how unpre-
dictable — and perva-
sive — the virus can
be. And while there’s
currently less risk for
humans in Antarctica,
the potential for the
COVID-19 virus to
jump to Antarctica’s
unique and already
vulnerable wildlife
has scientists ex-
tremely concerned.
We’re among a glob-
al team of 15 scientists
who assessed the risks
of the COVID-19 virus
to Antarctic wildlife,
and the pathways the
virus could take into
the fragile ecosystem.
Antarctic wildlife
haven’t yet been tested
for the COVID-19 vi-
rus, and if it does
make its way into
these charismatic ani-
mals, we don’t know
how it could affect
them or the conti-
nent’s ecosystem sta-
bility
.
SOURCE: THECONVERSATION.COM DESIGN: SHYAM SHONKIYA
Ships dump 114,000 litres of sewage into
the water, each day. —Shutterstock
Tourists wvisit penguin roosts in large numbers. —Shutterstock
Bernardo O’Higgins Station in Antarctica, where 36
people tested positive to COVID-19.
—Stone Monki/Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

Greetings on the occasion of
Basant Panchmi. May Spring
spark hope and positivity in
each heart.
—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO Editor, First India
08
2NDFRONT
Second huge fire
in Surat textile
mill in a week;
no casualties
Lions roam about
Amreli district
village, kill calf
First India Bureau
Surat: A huge fire
at Manhar Dyeing
mill in Surat’s Pan-
desara industrial
area —second in
less than a week —
on Monday not only
damaged several
parts of the mill
but also damaged
houses, vehicles
and other proper-
ties around it. Since
it occurred at 6
a.m., nobody was
injured.
A huge stock of
fabrics, machinery,
furniture and other
inflammable materi-
als were reduced to
ashes. The fire de-
partment has sealed
the factory
.
Sanjay
, one of the
witnesses, who
alerted the fire de-
partment, said the
incident occurred
around 6 am. The
fire engulfed 5 vehi-
cles in the nearby
area. The fire team
reached quickly
with 10 fire tenders
and doused the
flames in two
hours.
Fire officials said
this was the second
fire at Manhar Dye-
ing. Two days ago, it
caught fire and a
watchman called the
fire brigade. The fire
was controlled before
it could spread.
Sources said the mill
owner was given a no-
tice to install fire
safety systems but he
did not take it seri-
ously
.
Fire officials said
the fire was report-
ed in the boiler and
spread to the
1,000-litre oil tank.
As a result, the tank
exploded and
sparked off the fire
that spread to near-
by huts. Besides the
5 vehicles, 2 houses
were destroyed and
roof of another was
damaged.
An officer confided
that the mill was
sealed in the morn-
ing itself but was
opened soon after un-
der some political in-
fluence.
First India Bureau
Amreli (Saurashtra):
Days after a lion
strayed into a plush
hotel premises in Ju-
nagadh, yet another
video footage of lions
entering residential
areas in Amreli dis-
trict’s Rajula area has
gone viral.
It shows 2 lions roam-
ing about in Katar vil-
lage in Rajula and chas-
ing cows and buffaloes.
Later, one of the lions
killed a calf. The entry
of lions in the area late
at night had the villag-
ers scared.
Just as the lions en-
tered the village late at
night, the cattle ran
helter-skelter. The lions
managed to hunt a calf.
The incident was re-
corded in the CCTV
cameras and went viral
on social media.
Locals said the lions
entering the village
have now become a
norm.
Earlier, a lion en-
tered the newly inau-
gurated Sarovar Por-
tico Hotel in Juna-
gadh city. A video
grab from the CCTV
cameras installed in
the hotel also went vi-
ral. The CCTV foot-
age showed the lion
entering the hotel
early morning
through the main
gate.
Several vehicles were burnt down in Surat fire.
First India Bureau
Tapi (South Gujarat):
After samples of poul-
try birds in South Gu-
jarat’s Tapi district
tested positive for
avian influenza or
bird flu, the authori-
ties have decided to
cull around 17,000
birds as a precaution-
ary measure, officials
said on Monday
.
The samples were
collected from two poul-
try farms in Uchchhal
taluka of Tapi district
located adjoining Nav-
apur in Maharashtra’s
Nandurbar district
from where bird flu cas-
es have been reported,
said Deputy Director of
Animal Husbandry De-
partment of Tapi, Dr
Akshay Shah.
These samples were
sent to a laboratory
in Bhopal and they
have tested positive
for bird flu, according
to Shah.
The farms in Uchch-
hal from where the sam-
ples have tested positive
are located within 1 km
radius of four farms in
Navapur from where
avian influenza cases
have been reported ear-
lier, the official in-
formed. “Around 17,000
poultry birds in the af-
fected area will be
culled as a precaution-
ary measure,” he said.
A week ago, the Tapi
district administration
had banned entry and
exit of poultry products
from its border follow-
ing confirmation of
H5N8 (a strain of avian
influenza) in Navapur.
Areas falling within 1
to 10 km radius from the
affected farms in Nav-
apur were declared a
surveillance zone.
Culling involves
mass slaughter of do-
mestic poultry birds,
such as chickens and
ducks, to contain the
spread of bird flu. Dur-
ing the culling process,
domestic birds in an in-
fected area are slaugh-
tered and their remains
buried.
Bird flu is a highly
infectious and severe
respiratory disease in
birds caused by the in-
fluenza virus.
AVIAN FLU SCARE: 17,000 poultry birds to be culled in Tapi
PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE
The district
authorities had
banned move-
ment of poultry
products from its
border following
confirmation of
H5N8, a strain of
avian influenza,
in neighbour-
ing Navapur in
Maharashtra
—FILE PHOTO
CAITasksFMGujCMtoreinintaxofficials;‘astonishedthishappensinModi’sGujarat’
Darshan Desai
New Delhi: Stung by
recent cases of “physi-
cal and mental torture”
on traders by GST offi-
cials in Gujarat, the
Confederation of All In-
dia Traders (CAIT) has
dashed off a letter to
Union Finance Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman
and Chief Minister Vi-
jay Rupani demanding
thorough inquiry in the
incidents.
Strongly condemning
the “torture” on Vapi-
based traders on Janu-
ary 20, the CAIT has de-
manded the suspension
of the officials responsi-
ble.
“We are respectable
traders and not unwant-
edvagabonds.Suchugly
incidents will not be
taken kindly by the trad-
ing community,” CAIT
National President BC
Bhartia and Secretary
General Praveen Khan-
delwal asserted in a
statement on Monday
.
“It is astonishing that
such an incident has
happened in Gujarat,
the home state of Prime
Minister Narendra
Modi. It is only after the
GujaratHighCourttook
this up that the ugly in-
cident came to light.”
Castigating the “un-
fettered powers given to
tax officials”, the CAIT
asserted, “The bureau-
cracy seems to have be-
come unbridled and the
seeds of dictatorship
have sprouted in them.”
The Gujarat High
Court on February 10
directedtheDirectorate-
General of GST Intelli-
gence (DGGI) officials to
appear before it after
receiving several peti-
tions from business-
men, mostly from Vapi,
alleging “undue harass-
ment” and “coercion”
by the DGGI officials.
Premji Hemani, the
proprietor of Vapi-
based Hemani Interme-
diates, was allegedly as-
saulted by the tax offi-
cials. The search pro-
ceedings at Vapi GIDC
units lasted from 11 am
on January 20 until 9 am
on January 21. DGGI’s
additional director and
intelligence officers re-
sorted to “physical vio-
lence and torture on the
employees” of the firm.
The tax authorities
also them to switch off
CCTV cameras and
statements of all per-
sons were taken under
coercion, putting them
under“immensemental
stress and depression.”
The CAIT has given
two more such in-
stances. The Gujarat
High Court is sched-
uled to hear a plea of
chemical manufactur-
ers of Vapi in this re-
gard on Tuesday
.
WE ARE NOT VAGABONDS: Traders
protest ‘torture’ by GST sleuths
Traders have dashed off angry letters to Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani (left) and Union Finance
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. —FILE PHOTO
VYAPAR BANDH
DHONI ACADEMY IN AHMEDABAD
Popular Indian cricketer Suresh Raina on Monday inaugurated M S Dhoni Cricket
Academy for Ahmedabad citizens at the Gujarat University convention and exhibition
center grounds near GMDC building in the city. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI
First India Bureau
Surat: With Chief Min-
ister Vijay Rupani tak-
en ill, Gujarat BJP pres-
ident CR Paatil on Mon-
day took the mantle of
addressing a series of
election campaign ral-
lies that were originally
scheduled for Rupani
and focused on the
Patidar-dominated are-
as in Surat.
Rupani was among
the star campaigners of
the BJP for the local
body elections but after
his health deteriorated
on Sunday, he is out of
action. He has tested
positive for Covid-19.
In view of the per-
ceived Patidar effect,
especially in Varachha
and Katargam areas,
the party organised
three election rallies at
Sitaram Chowk, Lalit
Chowk and in Katar-
gam. One event also
took place at Piyush
Point in the Pandesara
industrial area.
Besides abrogation
of Article 370, Ram
Mandir and work done
by the BJP in the State,
Paatil said the metro
would soon start in Su-
rat. He also claimed
that the Statue of Unity
attracted more people
than the Taj Mahal.
With CM ill,CR shares his burden of poll campaign
Gujarat BJP chief CR Paatil campaigns for polls in absence of Rupani.
—FILE PHOTO

AHMEDABAD, TUESDAY
FEBRUARY 16, 2021
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia
facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia 09
Basant Panchami declares the onset of the spring season, it’s time to dig out
your ‘yellows’to wear today. City First gives you a brief insight of the festival
and wishes all its readers a Happy Basant Panchami!
MITALI DUSAD
mitalidusad01@gmail.com
ne of the foremost festivals of the
spring season is Basant Pancha-
mi, also known and celebrated as
Saraswati Puja in many parts of
the country
. People rejoice as they
welcome the spring season or
the Vasant Ritu which is consid-
ered the king of all seasons as it is a bal-
ance between scorching heat, harsh win-
ters, and heavy rains. Popular belief says
that Goddess Saraswati, the Goddess of
Knowledge, Art, Music, Science and Tech-
nology, was born on Basant Panchami and
thus people worship her on this day
.
Predominantly, celebrated in eastern
parts of India as Saraswati Puja, particu-
larly in West Bengal and Bihar. However,
in North India, especially in Punjab, Bas-
ant Panchami is celebrated as a festival of
kites whereas in Rajasthan wearing jas-
mine garland to celebrate this festival is a
part of the rituals.
Also, according to Hindu Panchami
marks the beginning of the spring season.
As per the Hindu calendar, it falls on the
fifth day of the Magha maas (month).
The day is considered extremely auspi-
cious to start new work, get married or
perform house warming ceremony (griha
pravesh). The colour yellow has a great
significance in the celebration of Vasant
Panchami as it marks the harvest time
of mustard crop that has yellow blooms,
which is Goddess Saraswati’s favourite
colour. Yellow attire is therefore worn by
the followers of Saraswati. Moreover, tra-
ditional feast is prepared for the festival
wherein the dishes are usually yellow and
saffron in color. Yellow colour also symbol-
izes peace, prosperity, light, energy and
optimism.
O
BASANTAAYORE...

LEO
JULY 24 - AUGUST 23
Financial front appears to
be stable as money arrives
from the most unexpected
source. Neglect on the
health front can be costly, so give
priority to it. A chance to show off
your skills is likely to establish you
firmly at work. You can find spouse or
a family member quiet.
LIBRA
SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22
YYou will manage to
convince someone to take
on your workload on the
professional front. You
may need to increase your earning to
repay a loan without default. You
may not see eye-to-eye with a family
member. Nearness of lover may
ignite passions.
ARIES
MAR 21 - APR 20
Those freelancing are likely
to earn well today. Shift
workers will find the
timings to their liking.
Excitement on the domestic front
prevails as a family member returns
home after a long period. Those
travelling should not throw caution to
the winds.
SAGITTARIUS
NOV 23 - DEC 22
Some of you will be able to
save enough to buy what
you had always wanted.
Effort put into a job is likely
to get recognised and earn you praise.
Peace prevails on the domestic front
and will help you relax and enjoy the
day. A tiring business meeting is
foreseen today.
GEMINI
MAY 21 - JUNE 21
Money is not a problem
and you will be able to buy
all the comforts you need.
Some of you may decide to
join a health club or fitness regimen.
Opinion of others will matter in a
workplace situation, so don’t seal
yourself off. Spending time with lover
may prove most fulfilling today.
AQUARIUS
JAN 21 - FEB 19
A decision on the
professional front may prove
favourable to you. A relaxing
environment on the home
front is indicated and will help you
unwind. Don’t go overboard financially
as stars don’t look favourable. You are
likely to look your best today to win
over someone special.
TAURUS
APR 21 - MAY 20
Chances look bright for
those seeking a raise or
increment. Health remains
satisfactory through your
own efforts. A complicated case can
come your way at work. Home front
will remain peaceful. A change of
scene will be most rejuvenating and
refreshing.
CAPRICORN
DEC 23 - JAN 20
Good profits are foreseen
for middlemen and
retailers. You may have to
be at your professional
best to make a career move. Arrival
of guests at home will make the day
most fulfilling. You will need to
remain extra careful on the road,
especially if behind the wheel.
VIRGO
AUG 24 - SEP 23
Health remains satisfactory
with own efforts.
Repayment of a loan
should become your top
priority now. Your professional side
does not look too bright today.
Tranquillity on the home front will
bestow a relaxed atmosphere. Outing
with the family will refresh you.
CANCER
JUNE 22 - JULY 23
Someone known is likely to
give you correct guidance
in a financial matter.
Professional matters will
be dealt in an efficient manner. Give
time for a workout routine to produce
positive results. Keep your options
open on the travel front. Deal in
property with established dealers.
PISCES
FEB20 - MARCH 20
This is not the best time to
spend money on
something expensive.
Those undergoing
treatment are likely to find steady
improvement. Gains are indicated for
those playing the stocks. A youngster
can throw a tantrum, but you will be
able to pacify him or her.
SCORPIO
OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22
Loaned money will be
returned sooner than
expected. Your hard work
and dedication to task will
be hard to ignore. You are likely to
smoke the peace pipe with a rival in a
family dispute. Those looking for a
suitable accommodation are likely to
get lucky.
YOUR
DAY
Horoscope by
Saurabbh Sachdeva
ggs should, most
probably, be
amongst the first
dependable foods
of our ancestors
from the time we
just can’t know.
Looking at footprints of
time, we can presume that
our ancestors feasted on a
wide variety of eggs till
mankind started control-
ling the earth and made so
many birds and reptiles
extinct. The present-day
hen eggs, under all proba-
bilities, must have come
much later as the ancient
man grew in knowledge
and started some form of
regular life.
Eggs are a unique food,
loved by some while ab-
horred by others. People
know so much less about
the eggs and are in a per-
petual dilemma even while
they consume them fre-
quently and there are so
many myths that eating an
egg has become a major de-
cision for so many people.
At present, egg means
hen’s egg as this is the only
harvested egg available
globally
.
The first thing to know is
the content analysis of an
egg. A normal, medium
size, commonly available
egg weighs about 44 gm. It
contains energy in the
form of 62.5 calories. Pro-
teins form 5.5 gm, fats 4.5
gm, of which 1.4 gm is satu-
rated fat, calcium 24.6 mg,
iron 0.8 mg, magnesium 53
mg, phosphorus 87 mg, po-
tassium 60.3
mg, zinc
0.6 mg, cholesterol 126 mg,
selenium 13.4 microgram (
mcg), lutein and zeaxan-
thin 220 mcg, folate 14.5
mcg along with vitamin A,
B, D, E and K.
Nowcomesthefirstmyth
regarding eggs that the yel-
low yolk contains choles-
terol and hence, increases
chances of heart diseases.
Many nutritionists, too,
recommend that
avoid egg yellow,
go for white
only
. But
this rec-
o m -
men-
dation is based on
fear, not facts.
Every fat is not
bad, we all need
fat which is es-
sentialforsur-
vival. It is the
saturated fat
which is
harmful to
usaswehave
m o v e d
away from physical
labour because of
mechanisation of
life activities and
tech advancements.
Fats should be the
source
of 25-
3 5 %
d a i l y
calorie
needs of
a person
of which
less than
10% should
besaturatedfat.
Anaverage,aper-
son burns about
2000calorieadaywhich
means he should consume
lessthan20gmof saturated
fatandshouldneverexceed
22 gm. An egg contains just
1.4 gm. This means, the
claims about its heart risk
are unfounded and if any-
body takes eggs for food, it
should be taken as a whole.
R e -
member,
it is egg yel-
low which con-
tains vitamin D, K, A,
E,B,folateandasignificant
amountof eggproteinsand
omega-3.
Studies indicate that
eggsincreasethebeneficial
HDL cholesterol and de-
crease LDL cholesterol be-
cause of their omega-3 con-
tents. So, a whole egg is the
only logical option, not the
white-only
. If we throw the
yellow, we also throw sev-
eral benefits along with a
delicious taste. So, looking
at the daily human require-
mentof 46-50gmof protein,
4-5 eggs a day can be safely
consumed by any person
except those who suffer
from egg allergy or intoler-
ance.Theeggyellowshould
be discarded only if one
consumes more than five
eggs a day - then it should
be four whole and rest
white-only
. But here again,
we shouldn’t overload the
body with excessive intake,
restrict to a maximum of
five a day
. Eggs preferably
are taken fully boiled or
half boiledbutneverinraw
form as it may contain sal-
monella or other bacteria.
If consumedoutof home,it
isalwayssafertoorderonly
fully boiled egg as you can
detect a ‘foul’ egg by its
smell.
Some people don’t con-
sume egg during summer
because they think it may
cause some undefined “
hotness” in the body! If we
have a look at the composi-
tion of an egg, we won’t
find any ‘hotness’ and
hence, it can be consumed
throughout the year.
There is also one popular
belief regarding ‘deshi’ (
local) and ‘farms’ ( non-
local) eggs - the brown
ones being considered bet-
ter than white and are usu-
ally charged a higher
price. Well, an egg is an
egg, it is beyond regional
or national boundaries,
there is nothing like local
or foreign. What matters is
the quality of food and life
provided to a hen. A well-
fed, cage-free hen will give
eggs which are richer in
vitamin D and omega-3.
The hens which are mostly
caged and have limited
space in poultry farm usu-
ally give eggs low in vita-
min D while other ingredi-
ents may be almost similar
if proper food is provided
to them. This means that
we should give preference
to eggs of cage-free, roam-
ing and well-fed hens rath-
er than to the colour of the
eggs.
Foodisapersonalchoice,
people are vegetarian, non-
vegetarian, some add only
eggs to the vegetarian diet,
some are vegan, some love
milk others shun it. Every-
one can choose and select
the personal food but if the
choice is based on proper
knowledge then chances of
deficiencies and excesses
are lower.
Finally, if you wish a
lean body, strong muscles,
better stamina, respon-
sive brain, healthy eyes
and skin, healthy preg-
nancy, better heart health
and dependable immunity,
eggs have a definite role in
your diet as it is a single
source of many important
nutrients. You should stop
blaming eggs for any heart
issues, leave them for
those deep-fried, oil-rich,
sugar powered sweets and
samosas along with the
modern-day lethargy and
stress.
dation is based on
fear, not facts.
Every fat is not
bad, we all need
fat which is es-
sentialforsur-
vival. It is the
saturated fat
m o v e d
source
of 25-
3 5 %
d a i l y
calorie
needs of
a person
of which
less than
10% should
besaturatedfat.
Anaverage,aper-
son burns about
2000calorieadaywhich
means he should consume
lessthan20gmof saturated
fatandshouldneverexceed
R e -
member,
it is egg yel-
low which con-
tains vitamin D, K, A,
find any ‘hotness’ and
hence, it can be consumed
throughout the year.
There is also one popular
belief regarding ‘deshi’ (
local) and ‘farms’ ( non-
local) eggs - the brown
ones being considered bet-
ter than white and are usu-
ally charged a higher
price. Well, an egg is an
egg, it is beyond regional
or national boundaries,
there is nothing like local
or foreign. What matters is
the quality of food and life
provided to a hen. A well-
Many nutritionists, too,
recommend that
avoid egg yellow,
go for white
only
. But
this rec-
o m -
men-
away from physical
labour because of
mechanisation of
life activities and
tech advancements.
Fats should be the
tassium 60.3
mg, zinc
ALL ABOUT EGGS AND MORE
10
ETC
F
A
C
E
O
F
T
H
E
D
A
Y
RAKSHITA BALOT, DIGITAL CREATOR
DR RAMAWTAR
SHARMA
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
E

B
ollywood star Dia Mirza, ahead of her wed-
ding with businessman Vaibhav Rekhi on
Monday at Bell Air Apartments in Bandra
West, shared a picture flaunting her henna
laden hands. The ‘Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein’ actor
took to her Instagram story and shared a picture,
ahead of her nuptials, giving fans a glimpse of her
stunning Mehendi. She posted a photo of her intri-
cate, floral Mehendi and wrote ‘PYAR’ along with it.
A picture from her grand bridal shower also got
viral. —Agency
Maharaja goes
on the floor
B
ollywood superstar
Aamir Khan’s el-
der son Junaid
Khan’s debut film
Maharaja goes on the floor
on Monday. Junaid, who al-
ready has a theatre back-
ground, faced the camera for
the first time. The upcoming
film Maharaja will be directed
by Siddharth P Malhotra and it
is based on 1862 Maharaj Libel
Case. Junaid’s sister Ira
Khan has shared a heartfelt
post for her brother.
—Agency
I
f there is one Gen-Z star whose social me-
dia game has been quite strong, it is
Ananya Panday
. Ananya shared a series
of close up shots as well as stunning
clicks by Rohan Shrestha that left everyone
stunned. In the photos, Ananya is
seen opting for a wild look in
a red tee with black
high waisted un-
derpants.
—Agency
Special V-day
C
atwoman actress Halle Berry is getting into
the Valentine’s Day mood! The 54-year-
old Oscar-winning actress took to Insta-
gram and shared an adorable video with
her musician boyfriend Van Hunt. The video fea-
tured the two dancing on a balcony, with both of
them only wearing their underwear. “You keep eve-
rything simple @vanhunt #valentinesdayweekend,”
Halle wrote along with the below video. —Agency
M
eghan Markle and Prince
Harry aka The Duke and
Duchess of Sussex are ex-
pecting their second child
together! The baby will be the young-
er sibling to the couple’s son Archie
Harrison, who will turn 2 on May 6.
“We can confirm that Archie is go-
ing to be a big brother. The Duke
and Duchess of Sussex are over-
joyed to be expecting their sec-
ond child,” —Agency
Good news!
A
fter Dear
Z i n d a g i ,
Shah Rukh
Khan reu-
nites with Alia
Bhatt on a
quirky mother-
daughter story,
Darlings, this
time, incapacity of a producer. Accord-
ing to a source, the entire film is devel-
oped by Red Chillies and was narrated to
Alia sometime back. “She loved it and in-
stantly came on board the film,” a source
shared. —Agency
A
fter his debut
in Bollywood
as a composer
in 2017 with
movies like Phillauri,
Veere Di Wedding,
and Uri: The Surgi-
cal Strike, the na-
tional awardee has
released his latest
groovy track to
make you dance
you dance to
his beats.
With his
first sing-
ing debut track, ‘Machlo’,
Shashwat Sachdev is gear-
ing up to top the charts!
In an exclusive interview
with City First, Shashwat
shared some of his candid
moments while the song was
in the making. Talking
about the inspiration be-
hind this song he shared,
“After working on war mu-
sic, I had to break the monot-
ny and create something
fun, like hip-hop, dance(y),
and everybody at the studio
instantly liked it!” The label
head, Shivam Malhotra sug-
gested that this would fit
perfectly with their idea of
creating independent mu-
sic, something that may
match the vibes of their au-
diences. As EDM progresses
in our country, Shashwat
pursues to put out this art
with the utmost integrity.
Talking about his collabo-
ration and future projects
he mentioned, “Fabian and
I had been working for a
long time, and he provided
the finishing touches for my
song, I plan to do more mu-
sic with him. I’m also ex-
cited about my future pro-
jects, will be pouring out
more music as the year pro-
gresses.”
SUSHMITA AIND
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
ETC
11
K
ate Winslet recently got real about
shooting intimate scenes on-set.
The 45-year-old Titanic ac-
tress spoke out in a chat
on How I Found My Voice
podcast and revealed that
she would have felt a
lot more comforta-
ble filming sex
scenes if there
were intima-
cy coordina-
tors on set.
“I definitely
wish I had
them in the
past, I definitely
do. I just could
have done with that
friend really
. Just hav-
ing a friend to say, ‘Can
you ask him just to not put
his hands there?’ So it’s not
you have to say, which can
be pretty awkward,” she ad-
mitted. —Agency
Chrissy’s
reaction
C
hrissy Teigen had an al-
lergic reaction and posted
a series of videos of her
lip to her Instagram Story
to show her followers. “You’re all
just going to think that I got lip
fillers but I didn’t get lip fillers
between last night and now. I bit
orange to try and open it and I
think there must have been a pes-
ticide on it or something. Look at
this. It’s hard,” Chrissy said in
one video before pushing on her
lip. “I feel like it’s getting bigger,”
she added. —Agency
SAB MILKE ‘MACHLO’
City First in an exclusive interview with the National
Award Winning musician, Shashwat Sachdev!
Coordinators
ON SET
Darlings to go on floors
Ananya’s glam game
Shashwat Sachdev
Dia Mirza and Vaibhav Rekhi
...her story
Ira Khan’s post
Ananya Panday
Halle Berry
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
Chrissy Teigen
Alia Bhatt and Shah Rukh Khan
Alia Bhatt
Kate Winslet
Wedding shenanigans

First india ahmedabad edition-16 february 2021

First india ahmedabad edition-16 february 2021

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