First india ahmedabad edition-18 march 2021

State saw 157 custodial deaths in last 2 yrs
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: As
many as 157 people died
in police custody over a
two-year period in Guja-
rat, the government in-
formed the state Assem-
bly on Wednesday, after
Petlad MLA Niranjan
Patel sought informa-
tion on the number of
custodial deaths in 2019
and 2020.
A total of 70 custodial
deaths were reported in
2019, while 87 were re-
ported in 2020, accord-
ing to data tabled by the
government on Wednes-
day
.
MLA Patel had also
sought information on
the compensation, if
any
, that was paid to vic-
tims’ families, to which
Minister of State for
Home Pradipsinh Jade-
ja said that the family of
a victim in Surat was
given Rs2.5 lakh. He
added that, according to
information available
with the department,
the family had been
paid all their dues.
MLA for Jamalpur-
KhadiaImranKhedawa-
la specifically asked
about custodial deaths
in Ahmedabad and
Kutch in the last two
years. In a written re-
sponse, the state said a
total of 48 such deaths
have been reported in
those two places.
The minister said
that, in Ahmedabad, an
assistant sub-inspector
has been suspended,
while four officers/
staffers and a police
constable at the Khan-
pur Observation Home
have been booked
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Just 1 victim’s family
provided compensation
ACCOUNTABILITY
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
AHMEDABAD l THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 2 l Issue No. 112
OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD & LUCKNOW
PM’s VC WARNS CMs ON CORONA ‘SECOND WAVE’
EMERGING
SECOND WAVE
OF CORONA
INVESTOR
WEALTH
TUMBLES
New Delhi: Investors have
lost over Rs 5.55 lakh crore
in four days of declines
in the domestic equity
markets. Rising domes-
tic COVID-19 cases and
selling in RIL and bank-
ing stocks dragged down
the 30-share BSE Sensex
by 562.34 points or 1.12
per cent to 49,801.62
on Wednesday. In four
days, the benchamark has
fallen by 1,477.89 points
or 2.88 per cent. The
market capitalisation of
BSE-listed companies has
tanked by Rs 5,55,400.52
crore in four days to reach
Rs 2,03,71,252.94 crore.
“News of rising COVID
cases in India and caution
ahead of the US Fed meet
were weighing on inves-
tors’’ sentiment,” said Ajit
Mishra, VP - Research,
Religare Broking Ltd.
New Delhi: Prime Minis-
ter Narendra Modi on
Wednesday urged Chief
Ministers of all States
to increase the number
of vaccination centres
and the RT-PCR tests to
curb the ‘emerging sec-
ond wave’ of the coronavi-
rus. The Prime Minister
urged to increase testing
and to pay special atten-
tion to the “referral sys-
tem” and “ambulance net-
work” in small cities.
“It is very important to
track every infected per-
son’s contacts in the
shortest time and keep the
RT-PCR test rate above 70
percent,” PM Modi
said while ad-
dressing the meet-
ing held with
Chief Ministers
of States. “The
whole country has
opened up for trav-
el and the number of peo-
ple travelling has also in-
creased. There is a need
for a new mechanism for
sharing information
among themselves. Simi-
larly, the responsibility of
following the SOP for sur-
veillance of the contacts
of the travellers coming
from abroad has also in-
creased,” he said.
“It has now become
necessary for us to be-
come pro-active. Making
micro-containment zones,
wherever necessary,
is very important if
we want to limit the
spread of the COV-
ID-19 wave. We must
not put our guards
downatthiscrucialhour,”
he added
The PM also expressed
concern over the rise in
cases of infection in tier-2
and tier-3 cities.
“Significant increase is
being seen in many dis-
tricts that had protected
themselves so far and
were kind of safe-zones.
70 districts of the country
have seen an increase of
more than 150% in the last
few weeks. If we don’t
stop it here, a situation of
the nationwide outbreak
can come up,” he added.
Along with these, one
of the points that he laid
special importance is the
wastage of vaccine doses.
Turn to P6
150%
More than 150% rise in
Covid cases in 70 districts,
says govt
400 CASES
In the last 24 hours, more
than 400 cases have been
reported in Delhi. Positiv-
ity rate is less than 1%,
however, it has increased
from 0.4% to 0.6%.
23,179
Maharashtra reported
23,179 new Covid-19
cases, 9,138 discharges
and 84 deaths in the
last 24 hours.
1,275
Karnataka re-
ported 1,275 new
Covid-19 cases,
479 recoveries, and 4
deaths in the last 24 hours.
30 TRIBAL
Students test positive for
Covid-19, all hostels in
Palghar district to be shut
from next week
8.34 MILLION
On 15th March, 8.34
million Covid-19
vaccine doses were
administered world-
wide, of which India
alone administered
36% of doses: Health
ministry
Mosque buries Azaan
hatchet after VC’s plea
Vishal Srivastav
Prayagraj: Allahabad
University Vice Chan-
cellor Sangita Srivasta-
va’s apprehensiveness
abouttheearly-morning
‘Azaan’ disturbing her
sleep, has yet again dug
out the buried devil fea-
turing renowned singer
Sonu Nigam. In 2017,
Nigamhadsoundedsim-
ilar concerns in Mum-
bai stating the sound
coming from the dawn
Azaan, breaks his peace.
However, the recent
issue was buried under
the hatchet on Wednes-
day with the Prayagraj
Mosque administration
doing the needful and
cooperating with the
administration.
VC Srivastava had
written to the Prayagraj
administration about
the loud sound of Azaan
breaching her early
morning sleep. After
this,theadministration,
led by district magis-
trate Chandra Goswa-
mi, flung into action.
Without any delay
, a sen-
ior police officer was
sent to the Mosque, situ-
ated in Civil Lines area,
where Mohommad Kal-
eem, who takes care of
the Mosque administra-
tion, was contacted.
Kaleem told media
persons that a police-
man came to the
mosque and he told
about the Turn to P6
Mumbai top
cop shunted,
Nagrale is the
new CP
Mumbai: Under flak
for ‘mishandling’ of the
bomb scare outside in-
dustrialist Mukesh Am-
bani’s house in Mum-
bai, Maharashtra Gov-
ernment on Wednesday
transferred city Police
Commissioner Param
Bir Singh to the low-key
Home Guard.
Senior IPS officer He-
mant Nagrale, holding
additional charge of the
state Director General
of Police (DGP) post,
will be the new Mumbai
Police Commissioner,
Home Minister Anil
Deshmukh said.
Singh’s transfer
came even as the case
of recovery of gelatin
sticks near Ambani’s
residence turned
murkier with the Na-
tional Investigation
Agency (NIA) claim-
ing there were “other
players” who had been
allegedly instructing
arrested policeman
Sachin Waze.
Turn to P6
Woman gives birth to girl
onboard IndiGo flight!
Jaipur: A woman gave
birth to a girl mid-air in
a flight from Bengaluru
to Jaipur on Wednes-
day with the help of
cabin crew and a doc-
tor, officials said. The
pregnant woman went
into labour pain mid-air
on the IndiGo flight 6E-
469, according to the
airline statement. The
flight staff announced
for help if any doctor
was travelling onboard.
Subhana Nazir, posted
at NWR, came forward
Turn to P6
New Delhi: The
Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) MP
from Mandi, Ram
Swaroop Sharma
died allegedly by
suicide in the na-
tional capital on
Wednesday
. Accord-
ing to Delhi Police
sources, “No sui-
cide note has been
found yet.” PM
Modi, Amit Shah
condoled the de-
mise. BJP cancelled
its scheduled par-
liamentary party
meeting in the wake
of Sharma’s death.
Turn to P6
TEST, TRACK & TREAT
MODI URGES CMs TO TAKE DECISIVE STEPS
The woman and new born pose with the IndiGo flight 6E-469
cabin crew upon landing in Jaipur Airport on Wednesday.
Shah briefs Bengal leaders to
quell unrest within party
Kolkata: Bharatiya
JanataParty(BJP)on
Wednesday intensi-
fied its battle to win
‘Sonar Bangla’ after
UnionHomeMinister
Amit Shah asked the
local leaders in the
poll-bound state to
put their act together
in a meeting on the
intervening night of
March 15 and 16.
The former BJP
President is learnt to
have instructed the
party leaders to start
working on quelling
the unrest within par-
ty cadre, genuine or
sponsored. “Part of
these protests are be-
ing sponsored by Tri-
namool Congress
(TMC). We are trying
to talk to the workers
and these are small is-
sues which will be
sorted out soon,” stat-
ed a senior party lead-
er.Soonafterthemeet-
ing, the party jumped
into action. Turn to P6
TMC MANIFESTO PROMISES
STUDENT CREDIT CARD & MORE
EC TO DIDI:
REFRAIN
FROM
ACCUSATIONS
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee Wednesday released the manifesto of
the Trinamool Congress for the assembly elec-
tions, promising a minimum basic income every
month if voted to power. Every family in Bengal
will now be provided a minimum basic income
under which general category families will get
a monthly cash transfer of Rs 500 while SC/
ST category family will get a cash amount of Rs
1,000 monthly. Trinamool manifesto promised to
introduce a Student Credit Card which will have
a Rs 10 lakh credit limit. Students will be able to
borrow the amount at the rate of 4% interest. P5
Soon after West Bengal
Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee on Tuesday
alleged that the Elec-
tion Commission (EC)
is working for Amit
Shah, Deputy Election
Commissioner Sudeep
Jain wrote to the TMC
supremo asking her to
refrain from making
accusations against ECI.
“Commission maintains
the position that they
would not to like keep
on being put in the dock
for alleged proximity to
any political entity. How-
ever, if the Hon’ble CM
persists in creating and
attempting to perpetuate
this myth fo rreasons
best know to her, it is
singularly unfortunte,
and it is only for Hon’ble
CM to adjudge as to
why is she doing so,”
Jain said in the letter
clarifying ECI’s position. Mandi BJP
MP Sharma
found dead
in house
PM Narendra Modi interacting with
CMs on Covid-19 situation, via video
conferencing on Wednesday. —ANI
VACCINE WASTAGE MUST BE STOPPED, HE SAID

NEWS
AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021
02
BJP’S STRATEGIC MOVE:
KEEP AIMIM AFLOAT IN GODHRA
NEWLY ELECTED INDEPENDENT COUNCILLORS INDUCT NEW PREZ AND VICE PREZ WITH
SUPPORT FROM ALL INDIA MAJLIS-E-ITTEHADUL MUSLIMEEN PARTY COUNCILLORS
First India Bureau
Godhra: The Bharati-
ya Janata Party
(BJP) may not have
the top leadership in
the Godhra nagarpa-
lika, even after win-
ning a majority in
the local body elec-
tions. But, this ‘de-
feat’ will not affect
its power there since
it has kept the All In-
dia Majlis-e-Itte-
hadul Muslimeen
(AIMIM) party afloat
in state politics.
Around 17 inde-
pendent candidates,
who had the support
of seven AIMIM coun-
cillors and one Con-
gress councillor, elect-
ed independent candi-
date Sanjay Soni as
the president of the
municipality unop-
posed. This may in
turn help the BJP to
ensure that votes of
the Muslim commu-
nity do not return to
Congress’ fold and in-
stead stay with
AIMIM. Another inde-
pendent councillor,
Sophia Jamal who is
pro-BJP abstained
from participation in
the general board
meeting of the nagar-
palika.
In the recently con-
cluded local body
polls, the BJP and in-
dependent candidates
won 18 seats each,
while the Congress
party managed to grab
just one seat. AIMIM
won seven seats in its
maiden run in the civ-
ic body polls of the
Godhra nagarpalika.
Until Tuesday
evening, the BJP
claimed to have the
support of inde-
pendent candidates
to reach the majori-
ty figure of 23 in the
44-seat municipali-
ty. But, a few of the
independents have
been banking on the
‘unconditional” sup-
port of the AIMIM.
Of the 18 independ-
ent councillors, 11 be-
long to the minority
community, which
dominates the vote
share in the municipal-
ity
.
On working with
AIMIM, Soni said,
“This will be our first
experience working
with the AIMIM party.
None of us expected
them to win seven
seats and become the
kingmakers. The in-
dependent council-
lors are disillusioned
with the BJP because
they did not even con-
struct a single road in
town for citizens
when they were in
power.”
In 2015, the BJP
had won 18 seats
and the Congress
managed one, while
independent candi-
dates grabbed 25
seats and went on to
form a majority
board. But, tables
were turned when
CK Raulji joined the
BJP in August 2017
and brought seven
councillors with
him, thereby bring-
ing the BJP to
power.
Godhra nagarpalika building. AIMIM councillors of the municipality.
Yatinben Modi named prez
for Himmatnagar nagarpalika
Himmatnagar: The
Bharatiya Janata
Party on Wednesday
named Yatinben Modi
as president of the
Himmatnagar nagar-
palika. Amrutbhai
Purohit has been ap-
pointed vice-presi-
dent for the nagarpa-
lika and Savanbhai
Desai was named
standing committee
chairman.
The announcement
was made in the pres-
ence of state party vice-
president Kaushalya
Kuvarba, district party
president JD Patel and
senior party leaders in-
cluding Ramanlal Vora.
It is to be noted that
the BJP retained pow-
er in Himmatnagar na-
garpalika by winning
32 of the 36 seats, while
the Congress party
managed to secure just
four seats in the mi-
n o r i t y - d o m i n a t e d
ward, in the recent lo-
cal body elections.
The new office-bearers were named on Wednesday.
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: The
state government re-
vealed in the ongoing
Budget Session of the
legislative assembly
that it owed Rs2 crore
for programmes held
at Mahatma Mandir
in Gandhinagar-
-meaning that the
government owes it-
self money. It is to be
noted that the state-
owned Mahatma
Mandir is a pet pro-
ject of Prime Minis-
ter Narendra Modi.
Replying to a ques-
tion raised by Gandhi-
nagar (North) legislator
CJ Chavda, Chief Min-
ister Vijay Rupani, who
also holds the indus-
tries portfolio, said that
parties who held events
at the venue owed a to-
tal of Rs20,04,54,778
during the calendar
years 2019 and 2020.
More than 99% of
this total amount--
Rs2,02,90,999--was due
from government de-
partments which held a
total of 38 government
events at Mahatma
Mandir. Private parties
owed a relatively paltry
sum of Rs1,63,779, for 37
programmes.
In all Mahatma Man-
dir earned the state
Rs15,51,21,344 in rent
during these two years.
The industries de-
partment also said that
all relevant depart-
ments were sent fre-
quent communications
about the outstanding
amounts, and that a
court case has been
filed against the private
players who owed rent.
Responding to anoth-
er query, Rupani also
said that management
of and operations at the
venue have been hand-
ed over to a private com-
pany, Hotel Leela Ven-
ture Ltd, for 25 years
through a joint venture
called the Gandhinagar
Railway and Urban De-
velopment Corporation
(GARUD), between the
Gujarat government
and the Centre’s Indian
Railway Station Devel-
opment Corporation
(IRSDC).
According to the
agreement, the pri-
vate firm is paid a
base management fee
of 2% of the total rev-
enues earned during a
fiscal, and an incen-
tive fee, in the range
of 0-6.5% of the gross
operating profit re-
maining out of the ad-
justed profits after the
deduction of base
management fee.
The industries de-
partment also stated
that the state had
earned a profit of
Rs57,58,914, after de-
ducting Rs28,17,12,518
from the total revenue
of Rs28,74,71,432
earned by GARUD in
2019 and 2020.
State owes `2 cr for events at Mahatma Mandir
PAYMENT PENDING
Mahatma Mandir. —FILE PHOTO
Govt departments
account for 99%--
`2,02,90,999--of total
outstanding dues
RMC SEALS 110 PROPERTIES,
COLLECTS OVER `280 LAKH IN TAX
First India Bureau
Rajkot: As part of
the ongoing prop-
erty tax collection
drive by the Rajkot
Municipal Corpora-
tion (RMC), offi-
cials sealed 25 prop-
erties, issued notic-
es to 55 owners and
recovered around
Rs63 lakh on
Wednesday.
The local civic body
began the tax collec-
tion drive on March 09
and has so far sealed
over 110 properties
and recovered over
Rs282 lakh in property
taxes.
The estimated tax
collection target al-
located to the In-
come Tax (IT) de-
partment is of
around Rs200 crore,
of which, the de-
partment could col-
lect only Rs170 crore
prior to the drive. In
order to meet the
shortfall of Rs30
crore, the depart-
ment intensified its
role by stationing
teams in all 18 wards
of the city.
Meanwhile, RMC
also held an auction
of 38 shops located
in the SMART Ghar-
2 and SMART Ghar
-3 in Mavdi area. The
corporation received
a total of Rs8.50
crore in earnings
from the auction of
the shops, which
ranged from 11.89
square metres to
21.22 square metres
in size. The upset
price (lowest selling
price of property in
an auction) of the
shops ranged from
Rs9.8 lakh to Rs20.2
lakh.
Over 67 applica-
tions were received
from interested par-
ties for participat-
ing in the auction
and an amount of
Rs1 lakh was col-
lected as deposit,
which was immedi-
ately refunded after
the auction, stated a
release.
RMC officials at one of the properties sealed by it on Wednesday.

With no electricity, Kishore Kamaliya is now using a lamp at home.
GUJARAT
03
`50Ldemonetizedcurrency
foundinstateintwoyears
In all, 9,752 notes of `500 and 85 notes of `1K have been confiscated in 2019 2020
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: It has
been more than four
years since demoneti-
zation was enforced
in the country and
Rs500 and Rs1,000
currency notes were
outlawed. But, de-
monetized currency
is still being seized by
the state government.
According to data ta-
bled in the ongoing
state legislative as-
sembly session, Guja-
rat police confiscated
almost Rs50 lakh in
worthless demone-
tized currency notes
in 2019 and 2020.
Talala MLA Bhagab-
hai Barad had posed a
question about the
number of demonetized
currency notes seized
by Ahmedabad and Ra-
jkot police to Chief
Minister Vijay Rupani
on Wednesday. He also
inquired about the peo-
ple apprehended for the
possession of demone-
tized currency and
steps taken to arrest the
accused who had not
been nabbed yet.
In response, Rupani
informed the assembly
that a total of 9,753
notes of Rs500 denomi-
nation and 85 notes of
Rs1,000 denomination
were confiscated by
state police officials. He
also added that while
2,400 currency notes
were seized in
Ahmedabad city, 7,353
notes of Rs500 denomi-
nation were impounded
from Rajkot.
Similarly
,Ahmedabad
police seized 43 curren-
cy notes of Rs1,000 de-
nomination. Rajkot city
police impounded 38
such notes and Rajkot
rural police caught four
currency notes. The to-
tal worth of demone-
tized currency notes
amountedtoRs49,61,500.
Rupani said that Ra-
jkot city police had
caught five persons and
rural police had nabbed
oneperson.Ahmedabad
police did not book any
accused for possession
of such notes.
—FILE PHOTO
With 1,122 new nCoV
cases, Guj sees highest
daily jump in 3 months
GangsterJayesh
PatelnabbedinUK,
3aidesinKolkata
Manarrestedfor
praisingGhazni’s
sackingofSomnath
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: The
state witnessed its
highest daily jump in
three months on
Wednesday, when it
recorded 1,122 new
cases of COVID-19 in
the 24 hours ended 5
pm, according to the
health department.
Three deaths—one
each in Ahmedabad, Su-
rat and Vadodara—
were also reported dur-
ing this time. With this,
Gujarat’s total case load
has reached 2,81,173
since March last year,
and its death toll due to
COVID-19 is now 4,430.
The state has appoint-
ed four senior IAS offic-
ers to head anti-COV-
ID-19 efforts in the four
major cities. While Rajiv
Gupta will continue to
lead the charge in
Ahmedabad, Education
Secretary (Primary) Vi-
nod Rao has been put in
charge for Vadodara, In-
dustries Commissioner
Arti Gupta, for Rajkot,
and GIDC Vice-Chair-
manandMDMThennar-
asan, will handle Surat.
Meanwhile, cities,
towns and villages are
also taking precautions
to curb the spread of
the virus. Khanpur vil-
lage in Vadodara dis-
trict has decided to re-
main under self-im-
posed lockdown until
March 31, after 47 cases
were reported there.
TheGandhinagarMu-
nicipal Corporation has
named11pocketsascon-
tainment zones based on
reports of a high num-
ber of cases. Similarly
,
AMTS and BRTS opera-
tionshavebeensuspend-
edinAhmedabad,begin-
ning Thursday
.
Surat city had the
most cases of the day,
with 315. Ahmedabad
city had 264, Vadodara
city had 97 and Rajkot
city had 38. There are no
districts without at least
one case, with even
Dang reporting its first
new case in three weeks.
First India Bureau
Jamnagar: The Inter-
national Criminal Po-
lice Organization (In-
terpol) nabbed notori-
ous history-sheeter
Jaysukh Muljibhai
Ranpariya alias
Jayesh Patel with the
assistance of the Unit-
ed Kingdom (UK) po-
lice early on Tuesday
.
Wanted in more than
three dozen cases in
Jamnagar city
, the fugi-
tive criminal had so far
managedtoevadearrest.
Jamnagardistrictpolice
orstatepolicehavesofar
declined to confirm this
development.
After Patel’s arrest in
theUK,Jamnagarpolice
received information
that three of his accom-
plices in a murder and
extortion cases were in
Kolkata. Acting on the
tip-off a team of Jamna-
gar police was dis-
patched, where all three
accused were arrested.
SourcessaytheIndian
governmentmayinitiate
aprocedureforthehand-
over of the gang leader
to the Central Bureau of
Investigation.
Patel was traced to
the UK through extor-
tion phone calls made
by the 41-year-old gang-
ster, said officials famil-
iar with the matter. He
will face charges in 42
criminal cases includ-
ing murder, extortion,
cheating, forgery and
money laundering,
among others.
The history-sheeter
was allegedly involved
in the murder of lawyer
Kirit Joshi in 2018, after
which he fled Jamnagar.
First India Bureau
Veraval: Haryana po-
lice arrested a man on
charges of hurting re-
ligious sentiments of
Hindus by uploading a
video clip applauding
the sack of Somnath
Temple by Mahmud of
Ghazni in 1025.
Police officials said
Irshad Rasheed was ap-
prehended in Panipat,
Haryana on Wednesday
morning. He will be
brought to Veraval un-
der a transit warrant
and produced before the
local court.
Somnath Temple
manager Vijaysinh Dar-
bar has lodged a com-
plaint against Rasheed,
who had recorded a vid-
eo clip against the back-
dropof SomnathTemple
which was popularly
shared on social media
platforms. In the clip, he
can be heard praising
the destruction of the
Somnath Temple by
Ghazni and urging peo-
ple to read up on the sul-
tan’s work.
Darbar also stated in
the complaint that
Rasheed had tried to cre-
atedisharmonybetween
communities and his
video had hurt the senti-
ments of Hindus.
Rasheed also has a
YouTube channel called
Jammat-e-Adila Hind.
Gir Somnath super-
intendent of police Ra-
hul Tripathi told me-
diapersons, “Primary
investigation by the
technical team has re-
vealed that this specific
video clip was upload-
ed on YouTube by
Rasheed almost a year
ago. We are probing the
case further.”
There are currently 5,310 cases of COVID-19 in Gujarat, with 61
patients on ventilator support. —FILE PHOTO
First India Bureau
Vadodara: The sole
zero-watt bulb in
65-year-old Kishore
Kamaliya’s a single-
room house in Va-
dodara’s Bodeli town
has gone dark. The
reason: the sexage-
narian, who lives on a
monthly pension of
Rs700, could not af-
ford to pay his elec-
tricity bill—for an
absurd Rs6,674—and
now cannot afford to
pay the charges re-
quired to get his pow-
er reconnected.
A former employee
of the Madhya Gujarat
Vij Company Limited
(MGVCL), Kamaliya
has lived alone for 15
years. With no equip-
ment or gadgets to
drain power, his elec-
tricity bill usually aver-
ages around Rs150-200.
However, recently, a
team from the MGVCL
inspected Kamaliya’s
connection and meter,
and then replaced the
meter. Before leaving,
they handed him a bill
for Rs6,674, and warned
that failure to pay
would cost him his pow-
er supply
.
Since the pensioner
could not afford to pay
the large amount, the
company has since dis-
connected power sup-
ply to his house.
Kamaliya has chal-
lenged the power distri-
bution firm to check his
bills of the past year.
“If they found any
discrepancies, where
my bill was higher than
Rs200, I would have
found someway to pay
the full Rs6,674. But the
company did not re-
spond to my request to
take another look at my
bill, and left me without
power,” he said.
Sr citizen with no electric or electronic
gadgets receives electricity bill for `6.7K
Firefighters and post
department employees on
the 7th floor of one of the
buildings of the India Post
office in Khanpur area of
Ahmedabad’s old city on
Wednesday. A fire broke
out which burned a few
important documents, but
no casualties or injuries
were reported in the
incident. Around nine fire
personnel doused the
flames successfully.
—PHOTOS BY
HANIF SINDHI
Jayesh Patel. —FILE PHOTO
Somnath Temple —FILE PHOTO
ACCOUNTED FOR
With no way to pay
the large bill, the
pensioner has been
left without power
NO HARM DONE
Also see P8

l Vol 2 l Issue No. 112 l 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
hanks to the
rapid deploy-
ment of vac-
cines, COVID-19
infections, hos-
pitalizations, and deaths in
the United States are de-
clining, and pandemic re-
strictions on economic ac-
tivity are being eased. But
even with labor markets
gradually improving, the
economic recovery has
been slow and uneven, and
there is a long way to go.
According to the latest
official figures, overall US
employment is still down
by about 9.5 million jobs
from when the recession
hit, and by nearly 12 mil-
lion from its pre-pandemic
trend. Unemployment, ad-
justed for the sharp drop in
labor-force participation,
is around 10%, and the rate
is even higher for African-
Americans, Hispanics,
women, and the less edu-
cated, reflecting both the
dual nature of the pandem-
ic and longer-running la-
bor-market disparities.
Another trend that pre-
dates COVID-19 is the
transformation of work
through automation and
digitalization – processes
accelerated by how busi-
nesses and consumers have
responded to the pandemic.
This trend, too, threatens
to deepen pre-existing ine-
qualities, because black
and Hispanic workers are
overrepresented in the jobs
that are at the greatest risk
from automation.
A sustained recovery to
an economy with full em-
ployment and ample “good
jobs” will require a signifi-
cant reallocation of work-
ers from the low-wage, low-
skill positions that have
disappeared as a result of
the pandemic to new ones
requiring higher skills and
more training. A recent
study by the McKinsey
Global Institute (MGI)
finds that up to 25% “more
workers than previously
estimated” may need “to
switch occupations.”
The pandemic has had a
particularly severe impact
on jobs requiring high lev-
els of physical proximity
and face-to-face contact,
including waiters, shop
clerks, hotel receptionists,
stadium workers, stylists,
and other low-wage posi-
tions. Again, women, mi-
norities, and the less edu-
cated are overrepresented
among these frontline
workers.
Many of the physical-
distancing practices adopt-
ed by consumers and busi-
nesses during the pandem-
ic will likely persist. In
2020, e-commerce sales in-
creased more than 32%,
growing 2-5 times faster
than their average rate
over the previous five
years. And now, many con-
sumers say they will con-
tinue to shop online even
after the pandemic is over.
Likewise, many compa-
nies’ survival now depends
on their ability to shift to
remote work, a practice
theyhadlongresisted.With
emerging evidence indicat-
ing that remote-working
employees are sometimes
working longer hours and
are more productive, many
businesses are planning to
allow for various types of
hybrid arrangements after
the pandemic.
According to MGI’s anal-
ysis of more than 2,000 ac-
tivities across some 800 oc-
cupations, as many as one-
quarter of workers in ad-
vanced economies could
perform their jobs remote-
ly 3-5 days per week with-
out losing effectiveness.
That would translate into
4-5 times more people regu-
larly working from home.
Remote work, however,
is concentrated in higher-
wage jobs. According to a
survey conducted in the US
last April, approximately
60% of high-earning work-
ers could do their jobs ef-
fectively from home, com-
pared to 34% of low-earn-
ing workers. Not surpris-
ingly, high-wage occupa-
tions in the US have suf-
fered much smaller de-
clines in employment than
low-wage categories.
SOURCE: PROJECT SYNDICATE
The post-pandemic labor market’s long-term scars
T
ree services are considered
inefficient and untenable in
modern policy planning. But
sometimes, they can lead to
productivity gains that can
more than offset their costs.
Travel and traffic within cit-
ies is often considered a sig-
nificant source of pollution of
the air. More the vehicles on
the road, be they four, three, or
two-wheelers, more is the con-
gestion. The congestion leads
to slow speeds, excess utilisa-
tion of fuel due to waiting time,
frequent use of brakes, and
more than that, causes outrage,
fights, noise caused by honking
horns, and, unfortunately, ac-
cidents.
Sometimes providing free
services is considered an in-
efficient way of utilisation
of resources by many think-
ers and analysts and is
against the very principle of
each one paying for goods
and services. However, while
understanding these argu-
ments fully well, realising
the problems of present-day
city traffic, a few sugges-
tions are being made for con-
sideration.
First of all, the Municipal
authority in charge of the city
or town should consider pro-
viding free and safe bus ser-
vice, of a certain minimum
level, to all the residents and
visitors to the jurisdiction.
Such a service may at first
seem utopian. There will be
questions as to where the budg-
et would come from. Still, the
idea needs to be thought over
seriously because of its im-
mense benefits, which will ul-
timately help the finances of
the authorities and the indi-
viduals.
A well-oiled free service
providing connectivity to in-
ner and outer areas would
significantly enhance public
transport and lead to lesser
use of private cars and mo-
torcycles. Such a service
would reduce air pollution
and traffic congestion and
facilitate women, children,
and senior citizens. Some of
the busses could be ear-
marked for women and sen-
ior citizens. It would make
for cleaner and better cities
and add to the ease of living
index. A massive number of
vehicles on the road and the
snarling traffic is anyone’s
nightmare and even reduces
visitors and tourists, there-
by adversely affecting the
overall economy.
Such bus service could con-
stitute buses of different sizes
and seating capacities, depend-
ing on the area in which it is
running. The buses’ entry
could be through Aadhar or
any other reliable identity card
so that there is an element of
safety and security. This pro-
cess would necessarily involve
coordination of routes, fre-
quency, and the designated
stops and stands. Still, it is not
difficult with a little planning
as the existing city bus services
have already shown.
It’s an idea whose time has
come.
Some citizens could even be
asked to travel and guide the
travelers as they pass through
various colonies, markets, and
other important landmark
buildings. Such a participatory
system would strengthen the
participatory aspect of the con-
cept and increase the people’s
faith and confidence in the
Government system.
Apart from this free travel
service, there could also be a
paid bus service as is the cur-
rent position in most cities.
Travelers would have the op-
tion to use that if they so
wish to do so. A free-paid co-
existence can be a successful
experiment, as we have seen
in the vaccination system
against COVID19. The people
can go to a free hospital facil-
ity of Government or go to a
private hospital on a very
reasonable payment basis.
The Municipal authorities
don’t need to run the services
themselves. They can out-
source to private players
through a robust tendering
process but with strict enforce-
ment of terms and conditions.
The citizens and visitors could
also utilise the paid services by
purchasing annual or six-
monthly passes. The pass sys-
tem dispenses with the need to
spend every time and the labor
cost of such transactions. Reg-
ular travelers would use this
service most happily, while the
service provided would get a
pre-paid interest-free deposit.
I was there in Oxford on a
Visiting fellowship in 1999-
2000 and found that there
were two bus services in the
city for which you could,
apart from paying on every
trip basis, buy monthly, six-
monthly or annual passes.
Both the services had even
agreed to issue a common
pass valid for either service,
anytime, or destination. The
shared pass system was a
huge convenience and added
to traveling within the city
area.
It is quite likely that with the
increase of public transport
facility of buses, the produc-
tion and sale of cars and motor-
cycles and even auto-rickshaws
would come down. This would
be greatly outweighed by the
facility of safe and reliable
travel, healthier air for breath-
ing, less congestion, and better
environment, and reduced traf-
fic hazards and accidents. It is
important to begin this on a
small scale and have a pilot and
cautionary experiment in some
pockets, and watch the initial
phases’ performance. That
said, free public transport is an
idea whose time has come!
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY
THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL
FACILITATING TRAVEL
WITHIN CITIES
F
The Municipal
authorities
don’t need to
run the services
themselves.
They can
outsource to
private players
through a
robust
tendering
process but
with strict
enforcement of
terms and
conditions. The
citizens and
visitors could
also utilise the
paid services by
purchasing
annual or six-
monthly passes
SOMETIMES PROVIDING
FREE SERVICES IS
CONSIDERED AN
INEFFICIENT WAY OF
UTILISATION OF
RESOURCES BY MANY
THINKERS AND ANALYSTS
AND IS AGAINST THE
VERY PRINCIPLE OF EACH
ONE PAYING FOR GOODS
AND SERVICES
MEENAKSHI
HOOJA
The writer is a Retd IAS officer
and former Member, Central
Administrative Tribunal
UP CITIES AMONG
MOST POLLUTED
ir pollution has been an issue that comes
up for heated debate every winter be-
tween the Centre, Delhi and Punjab. The
dispute has also seen the Supreme Court
issue orders directing governments to
clean up the air. Most of the allegations have cen-
tered on burning of stubble by farmers which leave
Delhi’s air unbreathable in the months of October-
November. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
has always been held responsible for the poor qual-
ity of Delhi air. When he experimented with an odd-
even number of cars on Delhi’s roads he was lam-
pooned. Centre has also been given its due share of
flak for not caring much about the environment.
Hopefully
, by the time winter approaches a solution
would be found to keep the air pollution-free.
But why are 10 cities in Uttar Pradesh among
the world’s 20 most polluted places. Ghaziabad,
which is part of the National Capital Region, has
the dubious distinction of being the world’s second
most polluted city
. Bulandshahr was placed third.
Kanpur and Lucknow occupy the eighth and ninth
places, respectively. These are the findings of
IQAir, a Swiss air quality solution company. The
findings are based on an assessment of average air
quality parameters of 7,700 cities across 106 coun-
tries in 2020. Lucknow’s average particulate mat-
ter (PM) was recorded at 2.5. According to the
World Health Organisation all PM 2.5 exposure has
an adverse effect on health.
Sadly
, despite its poor air quality Lucknow does
not have enough air quality monitoring stations.
While the clean air action plan needs to be fully
implemented, it is time to bring in electric vehicles.
A
IN-DEPTH
RAMP UP RT-PCR
TESTS, SAYS PM
or the first time in his video conference
with chief ministers of states, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi mentioned Ut-
tar Pradesh along with some other states
which depended heavily on antigen tests
for Covid-19. He said that States like Uttar Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Kerala, and Odisha “have been large-
ly dependent on antigen tests” and advised that the
RT-PCR tests should form at least 70 percent of the
total coronavirus tests. At the daily health ministry
briefing, the Union Health secretary said that the
percentage can even be ramped up to 90 percent.
Antigen tests, though quicker, are considered less
reliable than the laboratory-based RT-PCR test. Be-
ing busy electioneering in Assam, Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath could not attend the meeting.
As the pace of testing and tracking has slackened
across most of the States and people also have dis-
carded behaviour appropriate during the pandem-
ic, Modi said that the three ‘Ts’---Testing, Tracking
and Treating---should be carried out with as much
seriousness as was being done until last year.
The prime minister’s word of advice came on a
day when the daily coronavirus cases rose by 28,903
in the country on Wednesday. This is the highest
increase since December 2013. Five states---Maha-
rashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Tamil
Nadu - accounted for over 71 percent of these cases.
Modi warned, “70 districts in 16 states have seen an
increase in the positivity rate by 150 percent in last
15 days. If we do not stop it here then a condition
for a nationwide outbreak may emerge.” Time to
stop the second wave from engulfing us.
F
And above all things have
fervent love for one another,
for love will cover a multitude
of sins. —1 Peter 4:8
Spiritual
SPEAK
Top
TWEET
Dharmendra Pradhan
@dpradhanbjp
Congratulate @IndianOilcl and
Phinergy for this new journey
towards enhancing availability
of clean, sustainable, affordable
and safe energy solution. This
collaboration paves the way for
making energy a new frontier of
India-Israel strategic cooperation.
Prakash Javadekar
@PrakashJavdekar
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan says
that the Congress party can’t be
trusted in Kerala, but his party
CPM has an alliance with the
same Congress in West Bengal.
There’s no sanity left with both
Left and Congress.

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INDIA
05
NO PROPERTY TAX IN HARYANA ON
AGRI LAND IN URBAN AREA
Haryana: The Manohar
Lal Khattar- led Haryana
government has de-
cided not to levy any
property tax on the land
used for agriculture in
urban areas. For this, the
Haryana government on
Monday passed a Bill in
the Assembly during the
ongoing budget session.
With this, Haryana has
become the first state in
the country to exclude
land used for agriculture
only from the purview of
tax by making amend-
ments in the section of
the property tax itself,
spokesperson said. Giving
details in this regard, the
spokesperson said that
according to the provi-
sions, state governments
have the right to levy
property tax on lands.
DELHI GETS ITS OWN
EDUCATION BOARD ‘DBSE’
New Delhi: Delhi
Board of School
Education, DBSE was
formally registered
yesterday. With this,
Delhi now officially
has its own education
board. About 20-25
schools would be
moved under the new
board for 2021-22
session.The Kejriwal
government on Tues-
day has announced
the setting up of the
Delhi Board of School
Education (DBSE).
Taking to Twitter,
Delhi’s Directorate of
Education announced,
“Now Delhi has its own
education board.”
OBJECTIVE OF CHANDRAYAAN-2
MISSION ATTAINED’: JITENDRA
New Delhi: The objec-
tives of Chandrayaan-2
have been significantly
attained, said Union
Minister of State
(Atomic Energy and
Space) Jitendra Singh
on Wednesday, adding
that detailed study of
topography, mineralo-
gy, among others had
led to a better under-
standing of the origin
and evolution of the
moon. “Objectives of
the mission have been
significantly attained.
Against an initially
envisaged one-year life
of orbiter, we expect it
to be serving for seven
years,” Singh said.
TWO CHINESE NATIONALS WITH
FORGED AADHAAR CARDS HELD
New Delhi: The Central
Industrial Security Force
(CISF) held two Chinese
nationals with forged
Aadhaar cards at Silig-
uri’s Bagdogra Airport.
The CISF informed that
while checking tickets
and identity documents
at the departure gate of
the Bagdogra airport on
Tuesday, a CISF consta-
ble noticed two pas-
sengers who appeared
to be Chinese nationals.
They came at departure
gate and produced their
tickets and identification
document to gain access
into the terminal build-
ing. “During checking
of travelling documents
of both the passengers,
Aadhaar cards appeared
to be forged,” CISF said in
an official statement.
Didi’s manifesto eyes youth, farmers more
Kolkata: West Bengal
Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee on Wednesday
released her party’s poll
manifesto for the up-
coming Assembly elec-
tions. Among some
prominent promises,
Banerjee said that the
manifesto was meant
for ‘all religions’.
From doorstep deliv-
ery of ration, Ma, Mati,
Manush to financial as-
sistance to poor and
widows are some of the
other focus areas.
“This is not a politi-
cal manifesto, it is a de-
velopment-oriented
manifesto. This a mani-
festo of the people, for
the people, and by the
people,” Banerjee said
while releasing the
manifesto. Elaborating
upon the achievements
of her gov, Banerjee
said that when the TMC
came to power, the state
revenue was about Rs
25,000 crores. “It is now
over Rs 75,000 crores,”
she said.
Addresing the media,
Banerjeesaid,“Ourwork
has caught the attention
of the world. For Kan-
yashree, we were award-
ed the first position by
UNESCO.”
The release date of
the manifesto was post-
poned after Banerjee
was injured. —ANI
TMC RELEASES POLL MANIFESTO
Tit for tat in Nandigram: TMC demands
EC to delete Suvendu’s electoral roll
Kolkata: In a tit for tat
attempt, the All India
Trinamool Congress
(AITC) wrote to the
Chief Electoral Officer
on Wednesday demand-
ing to delete Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP)
leader Suvendu Adhi-
kari’s electoral roll
from Nandigram seat
claiming the latter had
filed false residence de-
tails in the nomination
for the upcoming West
Bengal assembly polls.
The AITC’s move
comes days after the
BJP delegation visited
the office of the Chief
Electoral Officer in Kol-
kata demanding the
cancellation of Mamata
Banerjee’s nomination
from Nandigram.
“We demanded EC to
cancel the Banerjee’s
nomination as she has
six cases but her affida-
vit does not mention
them.” Bajoria said.
NDA DID NOT GIVE A SINGLE
SEAT: PC THOMAS ON EXIT
BJP RELEASES LIST OF
REMAINING 4 CANDIDATES
Kochi: Chief of the Kerala Congress, PC
Thomas on Wednesday said that his
decision to quit NDA was because it did
not give a single seat to his party for the
ensuing Assembly
polls. He said that
NDA was adamant
in only giving Pala
seat to PC Thomas
led Kerala Congress
and that too on
the condition that
Thomas himself
should contest
from the constituency. Thomas said,
“We have been working with NDA as a
partner for quite some years, but the
NDA has denied seats for us. We are not
given even a single seat.”
Kerala: The BJP’s Central Election Com-
mittee released a fresh list of candidates
for Kerala Assembly Election 2021.
Mukundan Palliyara will contest from
Mananthavady Assembly constituency,
Bitty Sudheer will contest from Karuna-
gappally, M Sunil will contest from
Kollam Assembly, and Sobha Surendran
will contest from Kazhakoottam.
ECI reveals record
`331 cr seizure from
POLL-BOUNDSTATES
Kolkata: The Elec-
tion Commission of
India (ECI) has re-
vealed a record sei-
zure worth Rs 331
crores during the Ex-
penditure Monitor-
ing Process ahead of
the Assembly Elec-
tions in four states
and five Union Terri-
tory in 2021.
The Commission’s
release informed that
record seiures have
been made even
though polling is yet
to start. Data shows
that in 2016 record
seizures were worth
Rs 225.77 crores. As-
sam’s total seizure is
Rs 63.75 crores with
Rs 27.09 crores of
drugs. In West Bengal
drugs worth Rs 47.70
crores have been
seized in a total sei-
zure of Rs 112.59
crores. In TN, Kerala
and Puducherry most
seizures were done in
the form of precious
metal worth Rs 61.04
crores, Rs 15.23
crores, and Rs 2.85
crores. It is to be not-
ed that there is elec-
tioninallthesestates.
BIENNIAL POLLS
FOR 3 KERALA
SEATS: EC
The Election Com-
mission said that the
biennial elections are
being held as the term
of three members of
the Rajya Sabha elected
from Kerala is due to
end in April because of
their retirement. Indian
Union Muslim League
(IUML) leader Abdul
Wahab, Communist
Party of India (Marx-
ist) leader K.K. Ragesh
and Congress’s Vayalar
Ravi are due to retire
on April 21.
BJP running ‘factory of
Dushasans’: Mamata
Jhargarm: Continuing her attack at the Centre,
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on
Wednesday accused the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)
of repeatedly targeting her by hurting her physically.
Addressing a public meeting in the Gopiballavpur,
Jhargram, Mamata -- while sitting on a wheelchair
-- said the BJP is running a “factory of Dushasans”
in the country, deceiving the common people with
false promises and bribery. “Today they (BJP) have
injured me, my head has been hurt, my hands
were broken, I had to undergo an operation in the
abdomen,” she said. “CPM used to hit me before,
now it’s BJP,” she added. The Chief Minister further
alleged that the BJP had rigged two voting booths in
the Goaltore area in the last Lok Sabha elections and
won. She further requested the people of Jhargram
to vote for her party as TMC would bring develop-
ment to the district. She also recalled the develop-
ment schemes and programs.
Dilip Gandhi
dies at 70
due to Covid
Situation much worse: Rahul
on NGOs criticism of FOE
Insult to 80 cr voters:
Min on RaGa remarks
RS passes MTP Bill! To
ensure wellbeing, dignity
of women: Vardhan
New Delhi: After two
foreign organisations
criticised India on free-
dom and democracy,
Congress leader Rahul
Gandhi on Tuesday said
the “situation is much
worse than they have
imagined”. He also said
he was protecting a cer-
tain ideology in the
Congress party and
would not step aside
just because someone
else does not like it and
continue to fight the
RSS.
He also said he fa-
voured internal democ-
racy in the Congress
and has promoted many
leaders within the par-
ty
. In an online interac-
tion with Professor
Ashutosh Varshney of
the Brown University
in the US, Gandhi said
electoral democracy
can be “destroyed” in
the 21st century if one
can control the social
media and institutions
and has financial domi-
nance, while citing the
examples of Saddam
Hussain and Muammar
Gaddafi.
Asked about Swe-
den’s V-Dem Institute’s
democracy report that
has downgraded India
from the “world’s larg-
est democracy” to an
“electoral autocracy”
and the US government-
funded NGO, Freedom
House, downgrading
the country’s status
from “free” to “partly
free”, he said these for-
eign institutions have
their view, but “frankly,
we do not need a stamp
from them”. —ANI
New Delhi: Congress
leader Rahul Gandhi’s
comments comparing
India’s democracy with
Iraq under dictator
Saddam Hussein and
Libya’s Muammar
Gaddafi is an insult to
the 80 crore voters in
the country, Union
Minister Prakash
Javadekar said.
The only time the coun-
try faced such a situa-
tion was during the
Emergency, said Mr Ja-
vadekar, without nam-
ing Mr Gandhi’s grand-
mother and former
Prime Minister Indira
Gandhi who had im-
posed it.
“Giving comment on
Rahul Gandhi’s opinion
is worthless. Compar-
ing India’s democracy
with Gaddafi and
Saddam Hussein is an
insult to the 80 crore
voters. Only during the
year of emergency, we
witnessed a time like
that of Gaddafi and
Saddam,”MrJavadekar
said, reacting to Mr
Gandhi’s comments
made during an online
interaction with faculty
members and students
of Brown University in
the US.
During the Emergen-
cy from 1975 to ‘77, con-
stitutional rights awere
suspended, he added.
New Delhi: Union
Health Minister Harsh
Vardhan has termed as
“historic” the Medical
Termination of Preg-
nancy (Amendment)
Bill, recently passed by
Rajya Sabha.
“A historic bill ensur-
ing dignity, safety and
wellbeing of women!
The Medical Termina-
tion of Pregnancy
(Amendment) Bill 2020
passed in Rajya Sabha
yesterday will enhance
access to comprehen-
sive abortion care for
women in need and
strengthen confidenti-
ality clause as well,”
Minister tweeted.
On Tuesday, Rajya
Sabha passed the bill
that seeks to allow spe-
cial categories of wom-
en to undergo abortion
up to 24 weeks. It earlier
mandated an upper ges-
tation limit of 20 weeks.
The special categories
include rape survivors,
victims of incest, differ-
ently-abled, and mi-
nors. The bill also re-
moves the upper gesta-
tion limit in cases of
substantial foetal ab-
normalities diagnosed
by the Medical Board.
The Medical Termi-
nation of Pregnancy
(Amendment) Bill, 2020
was passed in the Upper
House by a voice vote.
New Delhi: Former Un-
ion minister and BJP
leader Dilip Gandhi
passed away at a private
hospital in Delhi on
Wednesday
. The 70-year-
old had tested positive
for Covid-19 on Tuesday
.
He was admitted to a
private hospital in the
national capital where
he was put on a ventila-
tor. He breathed his last
around 3 am on Wednes-
day morning.
Prime Minister Nar-
endra Modi extended
his condolences. “He’ll
be remembered for his
rich contributions to
community service.”
Banerjee calls
the manifesto
‘development-
oriented’

INDIA
06
New Delhi: Dropping
for the fourth session,
equity benchmark
Sensex tumbled 562.34
points on Wednesday
following losses in in-
dex majors Reliance In-
dustries, HDFC Bank
and ICICI Bank amid a
weak trend in global
markets ahead of US
Federal Reserve’s policy
outcome. The 30-share
BSE index tanked 562.34
points or 1.12 per cent to
close at 49,801.62.
Sensex tanks 562 pts; Nifty
cracks below 14,800
ANANT MITTAL SHIFTED TO
ARUNACHAL PRADESH
Anant Mittal has been shifted from Andaman and
Nicobar Islands to Arunachal Pradesh. He is a
2015 batch IPS officer of AGMUT cadre.
THREE EX-IPS OFFICERS APPOINTED
AS SPECIAL OBSERVERS
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has
appointed three retired IPS officers of 1984 batch
as Special Observers for assembly elections.
Accordingly, Deepak Mishra has been appointed
as Special Observer for Kerala assembly
elections, while Dharmendra Kumar for Tamil
Nadu and Ramesh Sharma is being deputed as
Special Observer for Kolkata.
2017 BATCH OFFICERS OF UP
CADRE CONFIRMED IN IAS
As many as 17 officers of 2017 batch of Uttar
Pradesh cadre have been confirmed in Indian
Administrative Service (IAS). The officers
are: Akansha Rana, Akshat Verma, Anand
Vardhan, Ankit Khandelwal, Anuj Malik, Ekta
Singh, Gaurav Singh Sogarwal, Eshan Pratap
Singh, Manicnanadan A, ,Prabhash kumar,
Praveen Verma, Prerna Singh, Soumya Pandey,
Shashank Chaudhay, Shipu Giri, Srilakshami V S
and Riya Kejariwal.
ADDITIONAL CHARGE FOR
IRS OFFICER IN JK
IRS officer Alok Kumar, Principal Secretary,
Youth Services and Sports, will also hold the
charge of PS, Science and Technology and Chief
Executive Officer, Jammu and Kashmir Energy
Development Agency (JAKEDA).
RAJNISH KUMAR TO LOOK AFTER
AS CONTROLLER GENERAL OF
DEFENCE ACCOUNTS
Rajnish Kumar, ACG, Defence Accounts, has been
assigned an additional charge of Controller General
of Defence Accounts till the appointment of a
regular incumbent. He is a 1984 batch IDAS officer.
LT. GEN. D P PANDEY TO HOLD
COMMAND OF 15 CORPS
Lt. General B S Raju has handed over the
command of the strategic Kashmir-based 15
Corps to Lt. General D P Pandey.
LT. GEN. B S RAJU IS NEW DG OF DGMO
Lt. General B S Raju will be the new Director General
of Military Operations (DGMO) of the Indian Army.
TENURE OF RAJEEV YADAV AS
FINANCE EXPERT, UN PANEL OF
EXPERTS EXTENDED
The tenure of Rajeev Yadav as Finance Expert on
the UN Panel of Experts has been extended for
a further period of one year beyond March 12,
2021. He is a 1994 batch IRS-CIT officer.
RAJNEESH SETH IS ALSO DGP,
MAHARASHTRA
Rajneesh Seth has been assigned an additional
charge of Director General of Police (DGP),
Maharashtra. He is a 1988 batch IPS officer of
Maharashtra cadre.
POWERGallery
By arrangement with: http://
whispersinthecorridors.com
New Delhi: The Union
health ministry has
asked all states and Un-
ion territories to step
up their tracking and
testing mechanism and
said at least 30 close
contacts of a Covid-19
infected person should
be tested, isolated with-
in 72 hours. This is
nothing new, but states
have been lagging in
contact tracing, health
secretary Rajesh
Bhushan said on
Wednesday
. Prime Min-
ister Narendra Modi on
Wednesday held a video
conference with the
heads of states and Un-
ion territories and
urged the authorities
that this second peak
needs to be stopped.
“Close contacts do
not mean only family
members. Close con-
tacts are people with
whom we are counter-
acting daily. They may
be our officer workers,
our newspaper vendor,
our vegetable vendor.
This was done last year.
But now district admin-
istrations have become
lax and are only testing
family members just for
the sake of it. As a re-
sult, other close con-
tacts are moving freely
spreading the infection
to more people,” Rajesh
Bhushan said.
“We are also asking
states if the number of
cases is on the rise, then
why the number of con-
tainment zones is not
going up,” the secretary
said. Urging states to
minimise reliance on
antigen test and in-
crease RT-PCR tests, the
secretary said at least
70% of tests should be
RT-PCR, but states have
even less than 40 per
cent of RT-PCR share.
PM too emphasised
the point of increasing
RT-PCR tests said
states like Kerala, Odi-
sha are largely depend-
ent on rapid antigen
tests, but it is not the
ideal scenario, as the
country has adequate
infrastructure for RT-
PCR tests. —Agencies
Within3days:Centre’sorderto
trackcontactsofCovidpatients
Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said states have become lax in tracking cases
Mumbai: NIA con-
firmed that the person,
seen in a CCTV grab
walking near Mukesh
Ambani's residence on
the night of February
25 when an explosive-
laden vehicle was
found, was Sachin Vaze.
In the CCTV footage,
Sachin Vaze could be
seen with his head cov-
ered with a large hand-
kerchief so that no one
could identify him. He
was wearing an over-
sized kurta-pajama,
and not PPE coverall, in
an attempt to mask his
body language and
face, NIA added.
A laptop was seized
from the cabin of
Sachin Waze in a raid
day before yesterday
but all the data in it was
already deleted. He was
asked for his cellphone
and he had said that he
had dropped it some-
where. But the fact is
that he had intention-
ally thrown it away,
NIA said. NIA was in-
vestigating a CCTV
visual showing a per-
son walking near Am-
bani's residence on the
night an explosive-lad-
en vehicle was found
wearing PPE like thing.
NIAconfirmsmanin
CCTVwasSachinVaze
New Delhi: The Su-
preme Court on
Wednesday dismissed
a petition filed by
BharatBhoomiBachao
Sangharsh Samiti
(BBBSS), seeking di-
rections to the authori-
ties concerned to en-
sure equal opportunity
of dialogue and of be-
ing heard in connec-
tion with farmers' is-
sues relating to forci-
ble land acquisition.
A three-judge bench
of the Apex Court,
headed by the Chief
Justice of India (CJI)
Sharad Arvind Bobde,
and comprising justic-
es A S Bopanna and V
Ramasubramanian,
refused to entertain
the petition.
We are dismissing
the petition, we are not
casting any aspersions
on you, Bench said.
The plea also sought
the formation of a
high-powered Commit-
tee in the matter.
SCdismissespleaonfarmers’issues
Mumbai: The Narcot-
ics Control Bureau
(NCB) has approached
theBombayHighCourt
seeking cancellation of
bail granted to Showik
Chakraborty
, brother
of actor Rhea
Chakraborty
, in a drugs
caseprobedbytheagen-
cy following the death
of Bollywood actor Su-
shant Singh Rajput. In
its plea filed in the
high court last month,
the NCB said the spe-
cial court hearing cas-
es related to the Nar-
cotic Drugs and Psy-
chotropic Substances
(NDPS) Act had ig-
nored previous obser-
vations made by the
HC and erred in grant-
ing bail to Showik
Chakraborty and other
accused in the case.
Anti-Drugs agency asks High Court
to cancel Showik Chakraborty’s bail
New Delhi: TDP Na-
tional president N
Chandrababu Naidu
is likely to file a petition
in Andhra Pradesh
High Court seeking
scrapping of cases filed
by AP CID in connec-
tion with the Amarava-
ti land scam. It may be
mentioned that the CID
officials served notices
to Chandrababu re-
questing him to attend
CID office in Vijayawa-
da on March 23. After
consulting his lawyers
Chandrababu Naidu is
likely to file a petition
in AP High Court.
CHANDRABABU
LIKELY TO MOVE
AP HC AGAINST
CID NOTICES
New Delhi: The SC
termed the cancellation
of around three crore
ration cards by the Cen-
tre due to non-linking
with Aadhaar card as
too serious, and
sought response from
the Central government
and all states on the is-
sue. A bench of Chief
Justice SA Bobde and
justices AS Bopanna
and V Ramasubrama-
nian said this matter
should not be treated as
adversarial as it is too
serious a matter.
CANCELLING3CRORERATION
CARDS IS TOO SERIOUS: SC
Varanasi: Dismissing
all news reports of the
appointment of Reli-
ance chairperson Nita
Ambani as visiting pro-
fessorinBanarasHindu
University (BHU), the
university administra-
tion clarified that no
such decision or pro-
posal has been taken by
the latter. No such offi-
cial decision has been
taken by the University
to appoint Nita Ambani
as a visiting professor
in any faculty/class/
centre of University.
Neither any such order
has been issued. —ANI
Nita Ambani not
made visiting
professor,
clarifies BHU
M
M
M
‘SENT VACCINES TO 150 NATIONS’
IN THE COURTYARD
New Delhi: One
Group Captain has
lost his life after a
MiG-21 Bison air-
craft of the Indian
Air Force was in-
volved in a fatal ac-
cident on Wednesday
,
said the Indian Air
Force. “A MiG-21 Bi-
son aircraft of IAF
was involved in a fa-
tal accident this
morning, while tak-
ing off for a combat
training mission at
an airbase in central
India. The IAF ex-
presses deep condo-
lences and stands
firmly with the fam-
ily members,” Indian
Air Force said. —ANI
IAF Group commander
killed in MiG-21 crash
New Delhi: The SC
agreed to hear a PIL
seeking directions
for mandatory provi-
sion for construction
of a common utility
duct in the construc-
tion plan of National
Highways and roads
to avoid re-digging
for large infrastruc-
ture projects. A
bench of Chief Jus-
tice SA Bobde and
Justices AS Bopanna
V Ramasubrama-
nian issued notice to
Centre, National
Highway Authority
of India others
sought response.
SC NOTICE
OVER COMMON
UTILITY DUCTS
ON HIGHWAYS
Violation of social distancing norms is being committed before
taking a State Transport Bus amid the city reported a surge in
COVID-19 cases, in Nagpur on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY ANI
State saw...
under Sections 302, 323,
114 of the Indian Penal
Code, Section 135(1) of
the General Police Act,
Section 3(2)(5) of the
Atrocities Act, and Sec-
tions 75 and 82 of the
Juvenile Justice Act af-
ter a 17-year-old died at
the Khanpur observa-
tion home.
Across the state, ac-
tion has been taken
against three police in-
spectors, five sub-in-
spectors, four assistant
sub-inspectors, 19 con-
stables, and seven other
police personnel.
Test, track...
He said more than 10
per cent of vaccine is
being wasted in Telan-
gana and vaccine wast-
age has also been seen
in UP.
“Over 10 per cent vac-
cine wastage has been
seen in Telangana and
AP. Vaccine wastage in
UP is almost the same.
It should be reviewed in
states that why’s vac-
cine wastage happen-
ing? Monitoring must
be done every evening
and pro-active people
should be contacted so
that there’s no wast-
age,” he added.
Giving the mantra of
‘Dawai bhi, Kadai bhi’,
he said we must not put
the people in panic
mode while combatting
the virus.
Shah briefs...
The leaders have been
asked to hold meetings
with the dissidents and
pacify them.
“As the party has giv-
en tickets on the param-
eter of win ability
, there
are quite a few who
joined BJP just days or
months before the tick-
ets were announced.
The workers have been
fighting against them
forlong.Butsuchthings
happen in every elec-
tion. We will work this
out among ourselves,”
stated the source.
Mumbai top...
NIA sources said the
case had virtually been
cracked and soon the
“entire conspiracy” be-
hind would be unrav-
elled.
The MVA govern-
ments move follows a
series of meetings
among the ruling Shiv
Sena-NCP-Congress al-
liance leaders. Waze is
at the focus of NIA’s
probe in the recovery of
an SUV with explosives
near Ambani’s house.
Arrested in the case
on March 13 for his al-
leged role in the crime,
Waze was attached to
the CIU till recently
. He
was suspended after
NIA arrested him.
Woman gives...
and assisted in delivery
using medical aid avail-
able with the flight
staff, NWR spokesper-
son Gaurav Gaur said.
Medical care of the
newborn was also taken
by the doctor, the
spokesperson said.
Jaipur airport was im-
mediately informed to
arrange for a doctor
and an ambulance. The
two were taken to a hos-
pital after arrival and
both are healthy, the of-
ficials said. The flight
departed from Bengalu-
ru around 5.45 am and
landedinJaipuraround
8 am, the airline said.
Nazir was awarded
with an orange card by
the airline management
for charity work for pro-
viding services. —PTI
Mandi BJP...
Lok Sabha Speaker Om
Birla informed the
House about the demise
of Sharma. Making the
announcement, a grim
Birla made obituary ref-
erence and adjourned
the House till 1 pm.
“Police received a
call from a staffer. He
was found hanging and
the door was closed
from inside,” said Delhi
Police. The police recov-
ered his body from his
residence at Gomti
Apartments and have
started an investigation
into the case. Born at
Jalpehar village in the
Mandi district on June
10, 1958, Sharma was a
two-time MP. —ANI
Mosque buries...
issue of high volume of
speakers from the
mosque, disturbing
peace of people. “When
the officer told us about
the issue, we took cogni-
sance of it and immedi-
ately lowered the vol-
ume and now the loud-
speakers do not even
face the VC’s house,”
Kaleem said.
VC Sangita Srivasta-
va had on Tuesday writ-
ten to the district mag-
istrate urging for a ban
on the using loudspeak-
ers for ‘Azaan’, citing a
high court order in this
regard, and stating that
it disturbs her sleep and
affects her work effi-
ciency
.
Srivastava had men-
tioned that the call for
morning prayers from
the nearby mosque dis-
turbed her sleep
around 5: 30 am every
morning, adding that
she is not able to sleep
after that and subse-
quently suffer from a
headache throughout
the day which affects
her work.
FROM PG 1

TALKING POINT
07
M
en are primar-
ily responsi-
ble for vio-
lence against women
and girls. All men, in-
cluding those who are
not perpetrating vio-
lence or abuse, have a
responsibility to play a
part in helping to end it.
More men are start-
ing to reflect on their
own role in the problem
and in tackling it. Our
research has explored
why some men come to
take an active role in
improving the situation
and what can be learnt
from their experience
to encourage others.
Often it was the im-
pact of hearing from
women in their own
lives which initiated a
process of awakening.
Insomecases,itwaswit-
nessing other men’s vio-
lence or learning about
theexperiencesof some-
one close to them. Some-
times the men felt that
they didn’t “fit” with
dominant expectations
of masculinity – “be
strong, in control, don’t
cry” – when growing up.
For some, it was the im-
pact of a horrifying
high-profile death of a
woman, similar to the
situation in the UK cur-
rently, which finally
spurred them to speak
out.Thismomentcanbe
an opportunity for more
men to become allies.
If we are going to stop
violence against women
and girls, we need many
,
many more men to en-
gage. This must start
with an honest exami-
nation of men’s own at-
titudes, behaviours and
attachments to mascu-
line expectations. Sexist
ideas and harmful gen-
der norms are so deeply
rooted in institutions
and public discourse
that no one is un-
touched by them. This
is not about blaming
individual men, but rec-
ognisingthatforchange
to happen, each and
every man needs to play
a part in it.
REFLECTING
ON OUR
RELATIONSHIPS
Men can make a real
difference in their daily
interactions with fami-
ly members, friends,
peers and colleagues.
They can challenge sex-
ism and misogyny
when they encounter it.
This includes making
sure that we are “walk-
ing the walk” in terms
of equal and respectful
relationships with
women and girls. At
home, that might mean
ensuring that tasks
such as housework and
childcare are equally
shared, and prioritising
enthusiastic consent
and respect in sexual
relationships.
Outside of the home,
it includes understand-
ing how women’s free-
dom in public spaces
can be limited in a way
which isn’t the case for
most men. We can take
into account our own
everyday behaviours
and the impact they
can have. Even if there
is no malicious intent,
consider that maybe it
isn’t clear to the wom-
an you are walking be-
hind that you mean
her no harm. We don’t
control how our ac-
tions are received and
we cannot know the
negative experiences
that a woman may
have previously had
with men.
In their daily lives,
men can also be active
bystanders; for exam-
ple, by questioning sex-
ist comments or stereo-
types, or talking to a
friend whose behav-
iour towards women
doesn’t feel right. If
you witness actual or
potential abusive be-
haviour, options in-
clude challenging the
abuser if it feels safe to
do so, trying to distract
them, checking with
the victim if they need
help, and getting the
support of others.
Of course, some
groups of men have
much more power and
privilege than others.
Men in leadership posi-
tions, and in influential
institutions such as
politics, business, me-
dia and the police have
a particular responsi-
bility to speak out and
work to build gender
equality and inclusive-
ness in their own or-
ganisations and wider
communities. There are
also organisations al-
ready engaging with
men and boys on these
issues in the UK which
men can get involved
with, such as the White
Ribbon campaign.
When men do decide
to take action, they
should do so sensitive-
ly, recognising and
supporting women’s
longstanding leader-
ship in this area.
Without this, there
can be a risk of men
“taking over” by dom-
inating conversations,
claiming expertise
that they don’t have,
or taking credit for
women’s efforts.
These are some exam-
ples of why it’s essential
that male allies act in an
accountable way
. If you
care about this issue, be
prepared to receive and
act upon critical feed-
back from women. One
of the most important
things men can do is re-
ally listen to women in
their lives, and instigate
conversations with oth-
er men about what
women are saying.
It is vital that men
explore what the impli-
cations of violence
against women are for
them, and the role they
can play in shifting
harmful masculine
norms. Men must ad-
dress these issues hon-
estly and openly, en-
gage with one another,
and work towards a so-
ciety which is free from
men’s violence against
women and girls.
STEPHEN BURRELL
Assistant Professor (Research) in the
Department of Sociology, Durham University
NICOLE WESTMARLAND
Professor of Criminology, Durham University
SANDY RUXTON
Honorary Research Fellow in the Department
of Sociology, Durham University
The recent murder of Sarah
Everard in the UK has
given rise to a renewed
discourse on women’s safety
in public spaces How men
can be allies to women right now
Women
between
the
ages
of
20
and
40
accounted
for
about
80%
of
those
who
attended
a
vigil
in
Everard’s
memory
on
Saturday.

—PHOTO
BY
HANNAH
MCKAY/REUTERS
Sexist ideas and harmful gender norms are so deeply rooted in institutions and public discourse that no one is untouched by them.
This is not about blaming individual men, but recognizing that for change to happen, each and every man needs to play a part.
It’s essential that male allies act in an accountable way.
Women are highlighting how the threat of violence undermines simple tasks like walking home.
—EPA/ANDY RAIN
SOURCE
THECONVERSATION.COM

Give it your ALL! Everything, from
the smallest thing that you do to the
largest project you undertake, make
it a habit to sign it with excellence!
—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO Editor-in-Chief, First India
08
2NDFRONT
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: Even
as the BJP tightened
its grip over all the lo-
cal bodies in the re-
cent elections, it is
already looking
ahead.
State BJP President
CR Paatil announced
the names of incharges
for the upcoming elec-
tions to the Gandhina-
gar Municipal Corpo-
ration (GMC) and the
bypoll for the Morva
Hadaf tribal assembly
seat.
Accordingly, cabinet
minister Bhupendras-
inh Chudasama, former
minister Rajni Patel
and Amit Thaker have
been put in charge of
the elections to the
GMC, while MoS Prad-
ipsinh Jadeja, Bhargav
Bhatt and Parkramsinh
Jadeja
would oversee the
Morva Hadaf by-poll
next month.
Simultaneously, fur-
ther tightening its grip
over the tribal district
of Dangs — hitherto a
Congress stronghold --
the BJP has got former
Congress MLA Mangal
Gavit elected the presi-
dent of Dangs district
panchayat. It retained
power in the district
panchayat by winning
17 out of 18 seats.
BJP has also come
into power in all the
three taluka panchayats
in Dangs, Subir, Vaghai
and Ahwa, by winning
41 out of the 48 seats.
While Gavit, a tribal
leader who won from
Koshimda seat, was
made the district pan-
chayat president, Nir-
malaben Gamit was
chosen as the vice-pres-
ident.
Gavit was elected as
Congress MLA twice
from Dangs district.
However, he resigned
from the post last year
before the Rajya Sabha
polls, to join the BJP.
Vijay Patel of the BJP
had won from the seat
vacated by Gavit in the
last year’s Assembly by-
elections.
Gavit said, “I started
my political career in
1988 by becoming sar-
panch from Chichond
gram panchayat from
Congress and later I
became the taluka
panchayat president
and also member of
the justice committee
in Dangs district pan-
chayat and finally
Congress MLA. Now, I
am happy the BJP has
made me the district
panchayat president,
making it easier to
work for the people as
both state and central
governments are ruled
by BJP
.”
Having captured local bodies, Guj BJP prepares for future polls
State BJP President CR Paatil
LOOKING AHEAD
NEW COVID-19 ALERT
The Ahmedabad Municipal
Corporation has shut down all the
gardens, zoo and Kankaria Lake
front in view of the rise in the
number of Covid-19 cases in the
city and put up a notice outside
the Kankaria zoo announcing the
closure from Thursday.
—PHOTOS BY HANIF SINDHI
Guj among 5 States leading
new Covid-19 surge in India
First India Bureau
New Delhi: The coro-
navirus has returned
with a vengeance in
the country with at
last five States of Gu-
jarat, Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Tamil
Nadu and Punjab,
continuing to report
higher number of
new cases for past
less than a week.
These five States col-
lectively accounted for
as many as 71.1% of the
28,903 new cases report-
ed in the last 24 hours,
the Union Ministry of
Health and Family Wel-
fare stated here on
Wednesday
.
It informed that
83.91% of the total cases
as on Wednesday morn-
ing were from Gujarat,
Maharashtra, Karnata-
ka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala
and Punjab.
Maharashtra alone
accounted for 61.8% of
the daily new cases
with 17,864 cases. It was
followed by Kerala with
1,970 while Punjab re-
ported 1,463 new cases.
Meanwhile, out of
the 188 deaths which
were reported in the
last 24 hours, six
States accounted for
86.7% of the new
deaths. Maharashtra
saw the maximum
casualties (87). Pun-
jab follows with 38
daily deaths. Kerala
reported 15 deaths.
According to an offi-
cial statement by the
Union Health and Fam-
ily Welfare Ministry, 15
States and UTs had not
reported any Covid-19
deaths in the last 24
hours. These were As-
sam, Andhra Pradesh,
Odisha, Uttarakhand,
Lakshadweep, Sikkim,
Meghalaya, Daman
Diu, and Dadra Na-
gar Haveli, Nagaland,
Tripura, Ladakh (UT),
Manipur, Mizoram, An-
daman and Nicobar Is-
lands and Arunachal
Pradesh.
Eight states, includ-
ing Gujarat, are dis-
playing an upward tra-
jectory in daily new
cases. Kerala is report-
ing a consistently de-
clining trend over the
last one month, accord-
ing to the statement.
India’s total active
caseload stood at 2.34
lakh (2,34,406) on
Wednesday morning,
comprising 2.05% of
the total cases.
Maharashtra, Kerala
and Punjab accounted
for 76.4% of India’s to-
tal active cases, with
Maharashtra alone con-
tributing nearly 60%.
Over 3.5 crore
(3,50,64,536) vaccine
doses had been ad-
ministered through
5,86,855 sessions, as
per the provisional
report till 7 am on
Wednesday, the Min-
istry stated.
—FILE PHOTO
BesidesGujarat,M’rashtra,K’nataka,TNPunjabaccountforover70%ofnewcases
NEW CASELOAD
Saurashtra, Kutch to be hit
by first heatwave of 2021
Cops arrest 10 people
from a booze party
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: The sum-
mer season made its
presencefeltacrossIndia
a lot earlier than usual
thisyear,asdaytimetem-
peratures began spiking
since the very beginning
of March. Now, the first
heatwave of the year has
officially been declared
in India, over Gujarat’s
Saurashtra and Kutch
subdivision.
According to the India
Meteorological Depart-
ment (IMD), the heat-
wave conditions that
wereobservedoverGuja-
rat’s western coastal re-
gion of Saurashtra and
Kutch on Tuesday per-
sisted on Wednesday as
well.
The Weather Chan-
nel’smetteamhasadded
that similar conditions
may also be on the cards
across Maharashtra’s
western coastal region
of Konkan.
As for the eastern side
of India’s coastal region,
the state of Odisha could
also be lashed by a heat-
wave from next week on-
wards, starting Tuesday
,
March 23, TWC meteor-
ologists add.
In view of the heat-
wave forecast over Guja-
rat, the IMD has issued a
yellow watch over the
Saurashtra and Kutch
subdivision,soastourge
itsresidentsto‘beaware’
of the local weather situ-
ation.Withinthisregion,
the districts of Por-
bandarandGirSomnath
are particularly under
the threat of enduring
sweltering heat.
First India Bureau
Surat: Ten people, in-
cluding 3 women, were
arrested from a booze
partylateTuesdaynight
at Keshav party plot
near Althan-Pandesara
Bridge in Surat. The ar-
rested included the own-
er of the party plot and
his brother-in-law.
The police raid was
carried out on a tip-off.
When the cops reached
there, people were lay-
ing the tables and ar-
ranging chairs. The po-
lice found 10 glasses of
wine and 10 of water on
the tables.
The police also seized
6 bottles of beer from
the scene; three of them
had already been con-
sumed. There were also
2 bottles of Indian-made
Foreign Liquor (IMFL)
and a bottle of soda.
Police said the arrest-
ed persons belonged a
joint family
. One of the
party plots is owned by
Pukar Patel, who had ar-
ranged the party and
brought liquor from
Udhna railway station a
few days ago.
Meanwhile, in anoth-
er raid, the crime
branch seized liquor
worth Rs 3.98 lakh from
a tempo van with Ra-
jasthan number, which
was found parked in a
parking area near Sa-
hara Darwaja. The tem-
po contained 3884
pouches of whisky
.
—FILE PHOTO
7-day quarantine must
for visitors to Surat
First India Bureau
Surat: Amid a spike
in Covid-19 cases in
Surat, the highest in
Gujarat during the
last three days, the
local administration
on Wednesday or-
dered a 7-day man-
datory home isola-
tion for all those
who come to the city
from outside.
It has issued an ad-
visory that those who
are symptomatic have
to undergo the Cov-
id-19 test immediately
,
failing which they
may face legal action
under the Epidemic
Diseases Act and Dis-
aster Management
Act.
The Surat Munici-
pal Corporation
(SMC)alsoannounced
its decision to shut all
public gardens for the
public for an indefi-
nite period. This is
besides closing the
vegetable, fruits and
other local markets in
Pandesara and Lim-
bayat areas of the city
.
The civic body has
also decided to shut 20
routes of Bus Rapid
Transit System
(BRTS) and city bus in
areas where a high
number of Covid-19
cases were recorded.
These areas include
Athwa, Rander, Lim-
bayat, Adajan, Pal,
Vesu, school-college
and textile activities
areas and Ring road.
The Surat admin-
istration directed
schools, colleges, and
tuition classes across
all zones to function
only through online
mode. They can func-
tion offline only dur-
ing the examina-
tions. Covid-19 test
has also been made
mandatory across
entry check posts,
entry points and toll
plazas in Surat.
—FILE PHOTO
The ruling party has also got an
ex-Cong MLA Mangal Gavit as
Dangs district panchayat
I am happy the BJP has made me
the district panchayat president,
making it easier to work for the peo-
ple as both state and central governments
are ruled by BJP.
—Mangal Gavit, Ex-Congress MLA, Dangs

t was one of those days
when she travelled to In-
dia for the very first time
after she was born and
had a quest in herself to
make a change. Born in
India and hailing from
Dubai, the journey of Rehaa
Khann is one of the most aspir-
ing. Talking about her journey
Rehaa mentioned, “Unlike most
families, it wasn’t in our tradi-
tion to step into the world of
glamour. I belong to a fairly con-
servative family. My father is a
pathan from Dubai and my
mother is from India, but I want-
ed to break the stereotype and
explore myself as an artist.”
It was back in the year 2013,
when Rehaa visited the city of
dreams, Mumbai, where she
was born. The city of dreams
brought forward challenges, a
struggle that made her decide
that she will push her limits
and establish a name of herself
in this very own city. She fur-
ther stepped into the world of
modelling, she coveted the title
of Miss Mermaid International
Asia (2019) in Egypt. She has
represented India in Top model
Asia 2018 in Korea. Apart from
her modelling ventures, Rehaa
has also been a part of some
well renowned Hindi, Punjabi
and Telugu blockbusters. Re-
haa will be next seen in an up-
coming web series, titled, In-
spector Avinash. With her
NGO, Farishta Social Foun-
dation, Rehaa also advo-
cates charity by distribut-
ing food to the less priv-
iledged.
Rehaa Khann further
comments, “I have enjoyed
exploring cultures and my
varied roles. As I move for-
ward in the world of act-
ing, I realize that the best
thing about acting is
that it allows you to
express your-
self.”
AHMEDABAD, THURSDAY
MARCH 18, 2021
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia
facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia 09
SUSHMITA AIND
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
I
CITY FIRST IN AN EXCLUSIVE CONVERSATION WITH
REHAA KHANN, A MODEL, A STYLE ICON, AN ACTOR, A
DREAMER AND AN EXPLORER. A MODEL TURNED SOCIAL
WORKER WHOSE MOTTO OF LIFE IS LIVE AND LET LIVE!
CITY FIRST IN AN EXCLUSIVE CONVERSATION WITH
THE ARAB
THE ARAB

re your virtual
worlds hampering
your visual reali-
ty?
Let’s be honest –
in today’s world,
there are no escap-
ing screens. Be it WFH, on-
line schools, zoom parties,
social media or binge-
watching the latest series,
screens are an integral part
of our lives. While most eye
care articles highlight the
importance of reducing
this screen time, in most
cases it is just not possible.
The multidimensional
healing system of Ayurve-
da lays great emphasis on
the good health of all the
senses, especially the eyes.
Highly qualified Vaid or
ayurvedic doctors can look
into the eyes to gather in-
formation about illnesses
that are seated far beyond
the eyes.
The eyes are governed by
the sub-dosha of fire or
Alochaka Pitta. Pitta or fire
is a digestive fire located in
various parts of the body
including the pupils of the
eyes where it digests light
and visual impressions to
complete the function of vi-
sion. The overuse of eyes
increases the fire element
of the eyes causing eye-
strain, irritation, and dry-
ness as an immediate reac-
tion. When the visual fire is
overused it begins to dull
down sooner than it natu-
rally would, leading to loss
of vision. Hot summer
months have a pitta pre-
dominance causing pitta to
go out of balance more
readily, another reason to
take better care of your
eyes now.
It is due to this reason
that the practices for better
eye health focus on cooling,
calming, moisturizing and
soothing qualities to coun-
ter the heat intensity that
the eyes experience. Long-
term remedies include
those that arrest the ageing
process of the eyes by
strengthening the sub-do-
sha of pitta. When this pitta
disturbance is left un-
checked for long periods it
also affects the nervous sys-
tem, leaving us irritated,
anxious and restless.
YOGA FOR YOUR EYES
To deal with this problem,
one should do eye exercises
as explained beautifully by
Dr Lad. Remove your glass-
es and sit quietly in a cross-
legged posture either facing
east or north.
 Look up with your eyes as
much as you can without
moving your head and
neck; just roll the eyeballs
 Look up then down three
times
 Look to the extreme right
and left three times
 Look diagonally from the
right upper corner to the
left lower corner of the
eyes and then the left up-
per corner to the right
lower corner, three times
in each direction
 Gently rotate the eyeball
along the periphery of
the field of vision three
times clockwise and then
three times counterclock-
wise
 Then look at the tip of the
nose, just for twenty sec-
onds
 Then look at the third eye
beneath the eyebrows for
ten to twenty seconds
 Rapidly blink the eyelids
for half a minute
 Tightly close the eyes
while you’re smiling and
relax for two minutes
 After two minutes, rap-
idly rub your hands to-
gether, right over left,
generating heat and en-
ergy. With your eyes
closed, place the palms of
your hands over your
eyes for a gentle palming
of the eyes
 This practice is used to
improve circulation in
the cavity of the eyes
SURYA NAMASKAR WITH SO-
HUM MEDITATION
Ayurveda believes eyes are
the creation of solar energy
hence sun salutations are
greatly beneficial. These
salutations should be done
a minimum of 12 times eve-
ry day in the morning while
facing east and then sit qui-
etly for your meditation.
Meditate with the ‘So Ham’
meditation: inhale with the
sound “so” and exhale with
the sound “ham.”
According to Vedic as-
trology, it is also beneficial
to watch the sunrise or sun-
set. Looking indirectly at
the sun can not only im-
prove your eyesight but
also activate the pineal
gland or the ‘third eye’,
clearing your mind of de-
pression and anxious
thoughts. To get the full
benefits, make sure you sit
at least for 10 minutes in
the sun every morning or
evening.
Adding a cup of carrot
and beetroot juice to your
breakfast is particularly
beneficial for eye health
HERBAL CARE
Triphala eyewash Boil 1/2
teaspoon Triphala in one
cup of water for three min-
utes cool the tea to room
temperature and strain
with a fine sieve or muslin
cloth. Use that filtered wa-
ter to wash the eyes using
an eyecup. Triphala is a
wonderful tonic for the eyes
because it contains herbs
like Haritaki, Amalaki and
Bibhitaki that strengthen
the sub dosha Pitta. Amla
in particular is a great eye
healer with its high levels
of vitamin C it reverses
oxidative stress due to life-
style stressors on the eyes.
CASTOR OIL EYE DROPS
Put one drop of castor oil in
each eye before bed to
soothe, moisten and relax
inflamed, irritated eyes.
The oil has a high fatty acid
content and antibacterial
property that has an imme-
diate restorative, balancing
effect on the eyes. An added
benefit is that castor oil
works wonders on reducing
fine lines around the eyes
and makes the eyelashes
thicker! While this is a
great healer for the eye,
bear in mind that it will
cause some amount of vis-
ual discomfort and blurri-
ness for sometime after ad-
ministering but the benefits
make it worthwhile. If you
are particularly uncomfort-
able than stop the adminis-
tration immediately
.
Follow these remedies to
spark that flame in your
eyes!
10
ETC
F
A
C
E
O
F
T
H
E
D
A
Y
PINOSHI, Artist
LEO
JULY 24 - AUGUST 23
Financial worries become a
thing of the past as a
monetary issue is decided
in your favour.
Unnecessarily worrying about health
will serve no purpose. Nothing much
may happen at work today, but you
will need to be around. A fun time
with family is foreseen .
LIBRA
SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22
Some of you may be
gearing up to enter a new
field on the professional
front. Timely and correct
decision will help you in saving a lot
of money. Health drinks may not
provide what they promise. Family
appears responsive and eager to
cater to your needs.
ARIES
MAR 21 - APR 20
Good health will keep you
energetic the whole day
today. You are likely to
continue your exercise
routine to stay in good health.
Moneywise, you will have enough to
pay off a loan. Your sixth sense will
prevent you from making a mistake
at work.
SAGITTARIUS
NOV 23 - DEC 22
Monetary condition will start
showing signs of
improvement. A business
proposal presented by
someone may seem exciting, but needs
to be examined thoroughly. Health
remains good, as you manage to
regulate your diet well. You are likely to
plan something with the family today.
GEMINI
MAY 21 - JUNE 21
A conscious effort on your
part will help boost
earning. Good connections
will help you further your
interests on the professional front,
but don’t bank too much on them.
Spouse may line up something
special for you today. You can
volunteer to accompany someone.
AQUARIUS
JAN 21 - FEB 19
Career planning may be on
the top of your mind. You
may enroll in fitness training
just to get back in shape.
Learn to value money, as splurging
seems to be your second nature. Some
of you may take the initiative to make
the home front aesthetically pleasing. A
property issue will resolve.
TAURUS
APR 21 - MAY 20
Good financial
management will help save
money for spending on
other major requirements.
You are likely to enjoy someone’s
company today. A family member is
likely to prove a great help around
the house. Taking someone close
seriously and hearing is important.
CAPRICORN
DEC 23 - JAN 20
Go in for any important
financial transactions
today. You will manage to
overcome temptations to
retain good health. You will be able
to tackle distractions and interrup-
tions at work. A job on the home
front will be possible, as you have
the money now.
VIRGO
AUG 24 - SEP 23
An exciting time during a
get together is envisaged.
You are likely to overspend
on things which you don’t
exactly need. Avoid junk food for the
sake of health, as those not heeding
may suffer the consequences.
Spouse may desire a change on the
home front.
CANCER
JUNE 22 - JULY 23
Your good performance
and hard work will make it
easy for you to enter the
promotion zone. A financial
crunch being experienced by some
will soon be over. Those not feeling
too healthy may have to embark on
the road to fitness. Arrange a get
together for close ones.
PISCES
FEB20 - MARCH 20
New opportunity to make
money is likely to be seized
by some. Health remains
good, as you remain
regular in workouts. This is a good
day that will find you doing well
professionally. Family may have high
expectations from you, so don’t
disappoint. Don’t be hasty.
SCORPIO
OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22
Good monetary decisions
are likely to keep you finan-
cially secure. Those
choosing a career must
consult those already in the field.
Your calculations can go awry on the
work front and put you in a spot. You
may start an exercise regimen to
counter workplace stress.
YOUR
DAY
Horoscope by
Saurabbh Sachdeva
Holistic Eye Care
Holistic Eye Care
The Ayurveda way
The Ayurveda way
DEVYANI SINGH
Ayurveda, Nutrition and Holistic
Wellness Advocate
Instagram: @devyanirathore
A

CITY FIRST
A
mazon Prime
Video in asso-
ciation with
Excel Enter-
tainment announced
the global premiere of
the upcoming family
and kid’s entertainer
Hello Charlie exclu-
sively on the stream-
ing service on Monday
.
In this hilarious yet
goofy teaser, Aadar is
seen essaying the role
of a young simpleton
from a small town who
has been given the
task of transport-
ing a
g o -
rilla from Mumbai to
Diu. This fascinating
story will leave you
feeling light-hearted
and entertained along
with other characters
portrayed by Jackie
Shroff, Shlokka Pandit
and Elnaaz Norouzi.
ETC 11
riti Sanon is
currently in
Arunachal
P r a d e s h ,
shooting for
the monster
c o m e d y ,
Bhediya, along-
side Varun Dha-
wan. The month-
long schedule
ends by early
April and then
she moves onto
A d i p u r u s h ,
wherein she es-
says the charac-
ter of Sita. All
through the sum-
mer, she will be
canning her por-
tions for this epic
alongside Prab-
has and Saif Ali
K h a n .
The Kriti-Kartik
pairing won ac-
claim from all
quarters and
that’s the reason
why the makers
are keen to have
them back
togeth-
er.
GO HARRY
O
ne Direction fans
had several reasons
to cheer as their
week began on a
great note with former
band member Harry
StyleswinningaGrammy
.
The singer won the Best
PopSoloforhissongWa-
termelon Sugar at the Grammys 2021.
That wasn’t all, Harry even performed a
jazzy rendition of the song in a black
leather suit and feather boa. From Har-
ry’s plaid red carpet style to his win, the
evening was an eventful one for the
singer’s millions of fans. And from the
many to congratulate him was his for-
mer band member Liam Payne.—Agency
T
he multi-tal-
ented singer-
c o m p o s e r,
Payal Dev has
released her latest
track, ‘Danka Baja’,
from the multi-starrer
film, ‘Mumbai
Saga’, which is
yet to release
this Friday. In
an exclusive in-
terview with City
First, Payal Dev
said, “I was super ex-
cited when I received
a call from Bhushan
Kumar, as this was
the first time I was
composing a festive
song dedicated to Lord
Ganesha. Initially, I
composed the hookline
and worked on the pro-
duction. Once the track
was ready, we reached
out to Prashant Ingole
(lyricist) and Dev Negi
(singer) to record for
this song. I prefer using
live instruments which
added a vibe of live fes-
tivity to the song.” The
composer further men-
tioned that people will
experience a gist of au-
thenticity from the
track.
Danka
Danka
BAJA
BAJA
SUSHMITA AIND
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
Big win
Time for
REMAKE
K
R
hea Chakraborty has
been the talk of the town
ever since the news of
Sushant Singh Rajput’s
unfortunate demise surfaced.
And while her life is gradually
back on track, Rhea once again
made the headlines after her
picture and name went miss-
ing from Amitabh Bach-
chan starrer Chehre
which also has Emraan
Hashmi and Krystle
D’Souza in the lead. Ever
since there have been
speculations about wheth-
er Rhea is still a part of
Chehre. —Agency
Rhea in
Rhea in
Chehre?
Chehre?
T
ara Sutaria’s fans were quite concerned
about the actress after it was reported
that the actress had tested positive for
COVID 19. While fans have been look-
ing forward to get more update about Tara and
also hoped for her speedy recovery, Tara has
finally shared an update about herself and re-
vealed that she has finally tested negative for
COVID 19. —Agency
J
ustice League fans can breathe a sigh of
relief as early critic reviews of Justice
League Snyder Cut are out. Ahead of its
HBO Max release on March 18, film crit-
ics of several international publications had
the opportunity to watch the film. Zack Sny-
der’s Justice League comes after the 2017 film
Justice League, also directed by Zack Snyder,
which was deemed a box office dud. Several
critics praised the new film and were of the
opinion that it is ‘far superior’ than the 2017
theatrical release. —Agency
J
ohn Abraham took social media by a
storm as he shared a new poster of Saty-
ameva Jayate 2 and announced the new
release date for the movie on Wednesday
.
As the audience has begun returning to thea-
tres, the filmmakers are keen to book dates for
their big projects. We are talking about John
Abraham starrer Satyameva Jayate 2 and Sal-
man Khan’s Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai.
Both the movies will be releasing on the occa-
sion of Eid this year and will mark John’s first
box office clash with Salman. —Agency
Hello Charlie
COVID NEGATIVE
JUSTICE LEAGUE
BHARAT MAA KE LAAL
Tara Sutaria
—Agency
D
ua Lipa and Anwar Hadid
are one of the most loved
Hollywood couples on so-
cial media and the duo of-
ten pack on the PDA! Grammys
weekend was no different as the
couple were celebrating Dua’s big
win at Grammys 2021. For the un-
versed, Dua Lip took home the cov-
eted award for Best pop vocal al-
bum for Future Nostalgia. While
Anwar wasn’t by her side for the
ceremony citing Covid 19 protocol,
he made sure to make it a grand
celebration at home. The model
threw a butterfly-themed party for
his girlfriend.
—Agency
Kriti Sanon
Harry Styles
Payal Dev
Poster of the film
Poster of the film
Rhea Chakraborty
Dua Lipa
Poster of the film

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