First india ahmedabad edition-26 march 2021

`4K cr spent on Mehsana tourism dvlpmt, no funds to Junagadh
OVERLOOKED
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: In a sur-
prising development,
state government on
Thursday admitted that
over Rs4,000 crore were
spent on developing
tourismsitesinMehsana
district, even as the ar-
chaeological sites in Ju-
nagadh district needing
for restoration or reno-
vation were overlooked.
The information was re-
vealed during the ongo-
ing state legislative as-
sembly session.
In response to a query
put forth by Bharatiya
JanataParty(BJP)Kher-
aluMLAAjmaljiThakor,
information about the
tourism fund allocation
was disclosed by state
tourism minister Jawa-
har Chavda.
The state tourism de-
partment allocated a to-
tal of Rs4,122 crore, for
development of tourism
sites in the Mehsana dis-
trict, almost 68% of
which was spent on
sprucing up Prime Min-
ister Narendra Modi’s
nativetownof Vadnagar.
Over Rs2,781 crore was
spentinthedevelopment
of the Vadnagar railway
station which received
basic amenities, renova-
tion and restoration of
its main gate. Around 16
new rooms were also
built in the tourism de-
partment-owned hotel
Toran, and restoration
projects were undertak-
en at an art gallery
, the
Sharmistha Lake as well
as Lateri Vav (stepwell)
in 2019 and 2020.
Similarly
, Rs271 crore
was invested for provi-
sionof basicamenitiesat
therenownedSuntemple
of Modhera. Another
major developmental
project was undertaken
at the Umiya Temple in
Mehsana at an expendi-
ture of Rs748 crore. The
temple’s entrance gate
was restored and a din-
ing hall, kitchen, wash-
roomsandparkingspace
were also added to the
templecomplex.Turn to P6
Over Rs271 crore was spent on the renovation of the Sun Temple at Modhera, Mehsana. —FILE PHOTO
Several of the district’s
monuments are in
dilapidated condition and
need urgent restoration
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OUR EDITIONS:
JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD
LUCKNOW
‘MISOGYNY, BRAZEN’
Kolkata: Trinamool
Congress leaders on
ThursdayhitoutatWest
Bengal BJP chief Dilip
Ghosh for again making
disparaging comments
on Chief Minister
Mamata Banerjee.
“Mamata Banerjee is
the Chief Minister of
Bengal. She should re-
spect Bengal’s culture. A
womaninasareeisshow-
ing her legs repeatedly is
not Bengal’s culture,”
Ghosh said during cam-
paigning on Thursday
.
The BJP chief’s com-
ments come a day after
he had mocked Mamata
for“displaying” Turn to P6
Mumbai: Nervousness
in the Chinese market,
coupledwithasteeprise
in the daily Covid-19 in-
fections back home
along with monthly ex-
piry of the derivative
contracts, turned mar-
kets volatile on Thurs-
day
. Even though bulls
triedtowrestlebackand
took the benchmark
Sensex647pointshigher
from the day’s low, bears
had the last laugh.
Among the key indi-
ces, the BSE barometer
of 30 shares ended at
48,440 levels, down 740
points or 1.5 per cent.
On the NSE, the broader
50-share index ended at
14,348 levels, down 201
points or 1.4 per cent.
Maruti Suzuki, Bhar-
tiAirtel,HindustanUni-
lever, Bajaj Finance,
ONGC, UltraTech Ce-
ment, and Reliance In-
dustries were the top
laggards on the Sensex,
while Indian Oil Corpo-
ration, Hero MotoCorp,
Coal India, Eicher Mo-
tors, and Britannia were
the additional losers on
the Nifty
. These stocks
were down between 3
per cent and 4 per cent.
On the upside, Tata
Steel, ICICI Bank, LT,
HDFC, and Dr Reddy’s
Labs were the top gain-
ers on the indices,
Turn to P6
Sensex ends
740 down at
48,440 points
FARMER UNIONS’ CALL:
BHARAT BANDH TODAY
New Delhi: New Delhi:
Rail and road transpor-
tationservicesarelikely
to be affected and mar-
kets may remain closed
in parts of the country
on Friday as farmer un-
ions protesting against
the three agri laws have
called a complete
‘Bharat Bandh’, even as
it will not be observed in
four poll-bound states
and Puducherry
.
According to the
Samkyukta Kisan Mor-
cha, the nationwide
shutdown will start at 6
am and it will be in
force up to 6 pm across
the country on March
26 which marks four
months of the farmer
agitation at Delhi’s
three borders -- Singhu,
Ghazipur and Tikri.
In a video message,
SKM leader Darshan
Pal said that supplies of
vegetables and milk
will also stopped by the
protesting farmers.
The Samkyukta
Kisan Morcha, an um-
brella body of protest-
ing unions, appealed to
protesting farmers to be
peaceful and not get in-
volved in any kind of
illegitimate debate and
conflict during the
‘bandh’.
“All shops, malls,
markets and institu-
tions will remain closed
under complete Bharat
Bandh. All minor and
big roads and trains
will be blocked. All ser-
vices will remain sus-
pended except for am-
bulance and other es-
sential services. The
effect of Bharat Bandh
will be observed inside
Delhi as well,” SKM
said in a statement.
Senior farmer leader
Balbir Singh Rajewal
said that road and rail
transport will be
blocked, claiming that
markets will also re-
main closed.
The Morcha said that
the ‘bandh’ will also be
observed in the nation-
al capital. Turn to P6
Three soldiers burnt alive, five
critical as vehicle catches fire
First India Bureau
Sriganganagar:Three
soldiers, including a
subedar, were killed
and another five in-
jured on Thursday
whentheArmyvehicle
they were travelling in
overturned and caught
fire in Sri Ganganagar
district, police said.
CM Ashok Gehlot,
former CM Vasundha-
ra Raje and several
otherleadersexpressed
grief over the incident.
The accident occurred
inRajiyasarareainthe
border area adjacent to
the Indo-Pakistan bor-
der on the early hours
of Thursday
, they said.
Turn to P6
The ill-fated jeep.
DILIP GHOSH DEFIANT, SAYS SHOWING LEGS
IN A SAREE NOT BENGAL’S CULTURE
Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh, shredded by political
leaders over his shocking comment that CM Mamata
Banerjee should wear Bermuda shorts if she wished to
display her legs, remained defiant. It is inappropriate for
a sari-clad woman to show her legs, he told the media.
All shops, malls, markets and institutions will remain
closed under complete Bharat Bandh. All minor and big
roads and trains will be blocked. All services will remain
suspended except for ambulance and other essential services.
The effect of Bharat Bandh will be observed inside Delhi as well
—Samkyukta Kisan Morcha
6 AM TO 6 PM
TMC hits back at Dilip Ghosh
over Mamata‘saree’ comment
The Bandh will not be observed in four poll-bound states and Puducherry.
AHMEDABAD l FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2021 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 2 l Issue No. 120
A HOLI MILAN TO REMEMBER!
(Above): Govind S Dotasra lighting the lamp in the presence of (from left) Bhajan Lal Jatav, Lal Chand Kataria, Vaibhav Gehlot,
Jagdeesh Sharma, Jagdeesh Chandra, Niranjan Arya, Rafiq Khan and Ramlal Sharma during the Holi Milan Samaroh hosted by
First India on Thursday evening at Hotel Marriott. (Top Right): BD Kalla, Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, Amin Kagzi and Jagdeesh
Chandra during the event. (Bottom Right): Mamta Bhupesh, Rafiq Khan, Satish Poonia, BL Soni and Jagdeesh Chandra.
Dr Subhash Garg, Pramod Jain Bhaya, Mahesh Joshi, Ravi Jain, Jogaram, Prahlad Krishniya, Antar Singh Nehra, Ashok Parnami,
Mahant Kailash Sharma, Rajeev Arora, Sangeeta Beniwal, Dr Somya, Archana Sharma, Suman Sharma, Rukshmani Kumari, Ved
Prakash Solanki and others attended the event and appreciated the initiative by First India.
—PHOTOS BY SUMAN SARKAR SANTOSH SHARMA

NEWS
AHMEDABAD | FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2021
02
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First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: Over
300 fishermen from Gu-
jarat are languishing
in jails of Pakistan, al-
most a third of whom
have been there for
more than two years,
Jawahar Chavda, Guja-
rat’s minister for fish-
eries and tourism ad-
mitted to the state As-
sembly on Thursday, in
reply to a query from
Congress legislator for
Danilimda, Shailesh
Parmar.
Chavda told the
House that 345 fisher-
men from the state are
currently in prison in
the neighbouring coun-
try. Of these, 85 fisher-
men were captured in
2019, 163 fishermen
were captured in 2020,
and 97 fishermen im-
prisoned by Pakistani
authorities before 2019
are still in the jail there.
As fishermen from
Gujarat do not get am-
ple fish on the Gujarat
side, they have no op-
tion but to go further
and further. Some-
times, even when they
know they are entering
into Pakistani waters,
they cannot stop or
drop anchor because of
the weather conditions.
It is to be noted that
fishing boats are con-
fiscated when the men
are arrested. These
boats are their primary
source of livelihood.
More than 1,000 fishing
boats of Indian fisher-
men have been confis-
cated by Pakistan’s
Maritime Security
Agency over the years.
Similarly, the Indian
Coast Guard (ICG) has
also confiscated around
300 boats belonging to
Pakistani fishermen.
At under 1,600klm,
Gujarat makes up
about 20% of the na-
tion’s total coastline.
The state is home to
more than 25,000 fish-
ing trawlers, which
support the families of
about three lakh fisher-
men.
Gargi Raval
Gandhinagar: The Gu-
jarat government-
-which prides itself on
its so-called “good
gover nance”--spent
Rs15 crore on the an-
nual Kutch Rann Utsav
(desert festival) over
the past two years, from
which it only netted an
income of Rs11.8 crore,
according to informa-
tion tabled in the state
Assembly
.
In response to ques-
tions from Congress
legislators, Gujarat’s
tourism minister Jawa-
har Chavda informed
the House that the state
government spent
Rs1,491.71 lakh on the
annual festival between
January 1st 2019 to De-
cember 31st 2020, and
earned Rs1179.97 lakh
from it in the same pe-
riod.
The tourism depart-
ment has leased the
white desert region of
Dhordo in Kutch to two
private players--Lallooji
Sons, and Praveg
Communications India
Pvt. Ltd--which set up
tents that are then rent-
ed to the tourists for the
duration of the event.
The State earns the roy-
alty from this agree-
ment. In 2019, the state
government earned a
total of Rs403.76 lakh,
or Rs4.03 crore, while it
earned Rs4.20 crore in
2020--a cumulative total
of Rs8.23 crore in royal-
ties during the two-year
period.
The state also earned
Rs3.55 crore in entry
fees from visitors dur-
ing this period: Rs2.10
crore in 2019 and Rs1.45
crore in 2020.
Thus, the state gov-
ernment earned a total
of Rs1,179.67 lakh, or Rs
11.8 crore, from the
Rann Utsav in 2019 and
2020.
However, responding
to another question, the
minister also informed
the House that the state
spent Rs14.91 crore for
the festival: Rs5.12 crore
in 2019 and Rs9.78 crore
in 2020.
Theeventsaw4,38,125
in 2019 and 2,06,056 in
2020--including 4,457
foreign visitors in 2019
and just 20 in 2020.
Further, the govern-
ment also spent around
Rs55 crore on TV and
newspaper advertise-
ments, accommodation,
transportation for vari-
ous festivals held in Gu-
jarat during 2019 and
2020.
—FILE PHOTO
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: With
only a few more days to
go for the ongoing state
legislative assembly
session to culminate,
Chief Minister Vijay
Rupani ruled out ad-
journment of the ses-
sion due to the recent
surge in COVID-19 cas-
es. Addressing media-
persons on Thursday,
he expressed hope that
the cases will see a de-
cline within the next
week or 10 days.
Despite widespread
concern over a bevy of
MLAs as well as per-
sonal staffers of gov-
ernment officials get-
ting infected with the
virus, CM Rupani did
not seem to be in favour
of adjourning the as-
sembly session early.
“Only four days are left
for the session to con-
clude and we need to
pass the Budget for the
year 2021-22 as well as
table eight bills as
planned. We will con-
clude the session as per
schedule,” he said.
Elaborating on the
nCoV surge situation in
the state, Rupani stated,
“According to our as-
sessment, the state may
see a spike for one more
week but we are hopeful
that after 8 to 10 days it
will show a declining
trend. But, since the vi-
rus is unpredictable, we
cannot conclusively say
that it will decline but
there is hope.”
Currently, the state
government is focusing
on the three Ts: Testing,
Tracing and Treatment.
There is no scarcity of
beds as 70% beds at all
government-run hospi-
tals have been made
available for COVID-19
patients, so people
shouldn’t panic, he add-
ed.
The CM also appealed
to the people to strictly
follow all COVID-19
guidelines and ensure
that they wear face-
masks while venturing
out of their homes and
also maintain social dis-
tancing. He emphasized
on that importance of
vaccination and stated
that over 2.25 lakh peo-
ple were being adminis-
tered vaccine shots
across the state daily
.
Commenting on the
sample testing being
conducted, Rupani as-
serted that the state
government was testing
70,000 samples every
day to ensure that max-
imum number of peo-
ple are covered.
As to the speculation
over the closure of Stat-
ue of Unity at Kevadia,
the CM said that local
authorities are deliber-
ating over prohibition
of visitors and may
take a decision soon.
345 FISHERMEN FROM GUJ
LANGUISH IN PAK JAILS
97 WERE CAPTURED MORE THAN 2 YRS AGO,
85 WERE CAPTURED IN 2019, 163 IN 2020
Pakistan’s Maritime Security Agency has confiscated more than 1,000 boats belonging to Indian fishermen over the years. —FILE PHOTO
Speaker reprimands
Congress MLA over
‘dalali’ remark
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: Guja-
rat Assembly Speaker
Rajendra Trivedi rep-
rimanded the Con-
gress MLA Rutvik
Makwana over his
remarks on Vinayak
Damodar Savarkar,
on Thursday
.
On March 18, the
Chotila lawmaker
had alleged that Sa-
varkar was a British
agent, who received
“dalali” (roughly
translated, commis-
sion) of Rs60. This
stirred up a contro-
versy and the Speaker
asked him to apolo-
gize for his com-
ments. Trivedi also
asked Makwana to
produce evidence
supporting his
claims, if he did not
want to apologize.
On Thursday,
Speaker Trivedi in-
formed the house that
the Congress legisla-
tor had produced
some evidence from
news agencies The
Wire and BBC News,
a write-up by a for-
mer RBI governor
and details of books
by Jaywant Joglekar
on March 22.
Unsatisfied by this
evidence, which he
said lacked authentic-
ity, the Speaker repri-
manded the MLA
over his remarks. He
also said that if any-
one wanted to make
such comments in the
future, they would
need to take prior per-
mission and provide
authentic evidence.
Leader of the Oppo-
sition Paresh Dhana-
ni also quoted lines
from Savarkar’s peti-
tions, but the Speaker
did not pay heed to
any explanation.
Chotila MLA
had said
Savarkar was
a mercenary
British agent
He also
asserted that
the surge in
nCoV cases
may dwindle
in a week or
next 10 days
State earned total of
Rs8.23 cr in royalties,
Rs3.55 cr in entry
fees over 2 yrs
MLA Rutvik Makwana. —FILE PHOTO
NO MORE PROTESTS?
Good Governance: Gujarat spent
`15 crore to earn `11.8 crore
CM Rupani rules out early
adjournment of state assembly
BEST CIRCUMSTANCES
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. —FILE PHOTO

GUJARAT
03
CurfewtocurbCOVID-19costs
sick5-year-oldherlifeinSurat
With transport unavailable, mother tried to carry her 6.5km to NCH
First India Bureau
Surat: In a heart-
breaking ripple effect
of the ongoing COV-
ID-19 pandemic, five-
year-old Archana Mis-
try succumbed to eas-
ily treatable dysen-
tery in Surat on
Wednesday night—all
because her mother
Rinku Devi could not
find a vehicle to take
her ailing daughter to
the hospital amid the
curfew.
Archana had been ill
earlier in the day, but
was doing better after
being given medicine.
However, she took a
turn for the worse
around 8.30 pm. Since
her husband Chhotu—a
labourer on the night
shift—had taken the
couple’s mobile phone
with him, Rinku was
unable to call an ambu-
lance to take the child to
hospital. So she tried to
take her daughter to the
New Civil Hospital her-
self.
When she could not
find a means of trans-
port, since the 9 pm
curfew had come into
effect, she decided to
carry her daughter the
6.5km distance from
their Pandesara home.
Around midnight,
Rinku was barely
1.5km from the hospi-
tal, when she realized
that her daughter was
no longer moving.
The distraught
mother collapsed at So-
syo Circle, where a
kindly passerby no-
ticed her and managed
to get in touch with
Chhotu.
Rinku then carried
the child back home,
and when Chhotu and
with Rinku’s brother
Rajesh came got home
around 5 am, they took
Archana to the hospi-
tal, where doctors de-
clared her brought
dead.
“The child proba-
bly died due to dehy-
dration brought on
by the dysentery.
Timely medical at-
tention could have
prevented her death,”
a doctor said.
LONG ORDEAL
Archana’s father Chhotu Mistry (L) and uncle Rajesh were at work when she (inset) died.
Cong MLA asks CJ Nath to
defer GMC polls over nCoV
‘Can’t make money
by arresting all
thieves, bootleggers’
BJP youth leader
elopes with married
woman, suspended
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: Ex-
pressing outrage on
the actions of a po-
lice sub-inspector at
the Bapunagar police
station, a man wrote
to the Ahmedabad
police commissioner
Sanjay Srivastava, al-
leging that the PSI
allowed a thief to go
scot-free. He also
mentioned that the
police officer had im-
plied that the police’s
money flow would be
hindered if they ar-
rested every thief or
bootlegger in town.
Bapunagar resident
Khodidas Patel stated in
his complaint that on
the night of March 22,
he noticed suspicious
activity outside his of-
fice in the CCTV foot-
age. After rushing to the
spot accompanied by his
friends, they caught a
man named Kishan Pat-
ni, who had been trying
to steal a battery from a
rickshaw. The group
handed over Patni to Ba-
punagar police.
According to Patel,
when he inquired about
the accused, Bapunagar
police sub-inspector
Chandrasinh Parmar
rudely replied, “We will
decide whom to address
and whom not. Our in-
come is dependent on
such thieves, bootleg-
gers and if we start ar-
resting all of them, how
we will make money?
The bribe we take from
them is passed on to the
highest level (in the
chain of command).”
First India Bureau
Bharuch: A Bharati-
ya Janata Party (BJP)
leader has been sus-
pended from the par-
ty for six years for al-
legedly eloping with
the wife of a fellow
party member in
Bharuch district.
Bharuch district
president Marutisinh
Atodariya on Wednes-
day suspended Youth
Morcha secretary
Himanshu Vaidya for
six years on grounds of
“tarnishing the image
of the party”.
Reportedly
,Himanshu
Vaidya and the party’s
Jadhavcommunitylead-
er Hitesh Jadhav were
on very good terms with
each and had even devel-
oped familial relations.
Himanshuregularlyvis-
ited Hitesh’s home and
eventually fell in love
with the latter’s wife.
On March 23, when
Hitesh realized that his
wife was not home, he
began searching for her.
He called Himanshu to
help in his search but
discovered that he was
“missing” as well. When
the BJP leader realized
that the two had left
their phones behind in
their respective homes,
he lodged a complaint
with a division police
station in Bharuch. He
shared his suspicion
about Himanshu ille-
gally confining his wife
with the officials. As
word spread about the
elopement, BJP senior
leaders suspended Vaid-
ya from the party
.
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: Con-
gress MLA Gyasud-
din Shaikh has ap-
pealed Gujarat High
Court Chief Justice
Vikram Nath to inter-
vene and direct the
state election com-
mission (SEC) to defer
the Gandhinagar Mu-
nicipal Corporation
(GMC) elections
scheduled for April
18. He cited the recent
spike in novel corona-
virus cases in
Ahmedabad and Gan-
dhinagar as the rea-
son for the request.
In a letter addressed
to CJ Nath, Shaikh
drew his attention to-
ward the rising number
of COVID-19 cases in
Gandhinagar especially
in the Secretariat and
Vidhan Sabha.
The MLA stated that
around 10 MLAs had
been infected with the
virus during the ongo-
ing session of the state
legislative assembly
. He
also mentioned that
several among the min-
isterial and assembly
secretariat staff had
also contracted the vi-
rus in the last 20 days.
Insisting that the Gan-
dhinagar municipal
elections be postponed,
Shaikh said that cases
were on the rise.
The cop allegedly said that bribes from criminals go up the chain
of command. —FILE PHOTO Himanshu Vaidya. —FILE PHOTO
KAB HAI HOLI?
With Holi just days away,a woman checks out a water gun inAhmedabad’s Ghatlodia area,onThursday. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI
Masuma Bharmal Jariwala
Rajkot: With the COV-
ID-19 pandemic raising
health woes, it has also
adversely affected the
mental health of the
public. To remedy that,
the state’s first psycho-
logical intervention
centre was established
at the Rajkot Collector-
ate on March 26 last
year.
A team from the psy-
chology department of
Saurashtra University
assisted over 50,000 peo-
ple from the Rajkot and
Botad districts with
their psychological cri-
ses during the lock-
down as well as the sub-
sequent unlocks phases
amid the pandemic.
Based on the conversa-
tions with the people a
book titled ‘Psychology
of Living during COV-
ID-19’ was released by
the university on
Thursday
.
It denotes the mental
trauma that people ex-
perienced over the past
one year and also cites
solutions to cope up
with mental health is-
sues. Another book ti-
tled ‘Brainstorming on
Mental Health’ was also
released by the depart-
ment.
Speaking to First In-
dia, psychology depart-
ment head Dr Yogesh
Jogsan, who is among
the co-authors of the
book, said, “Among the
top 10 issues faced by
people especially dur-
ing the nationwide
lockdown include de-
pression, Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder
(OCD), anxiety, panic
attacks, loneliness, ad-
diction, aggression,
suicidal tendencies and
familal problems. Wom-
en and people of all
genders in the middle-
age group with respon-
sibilities were the most
affected.”
The 600-page book,
which is touted to be
the first-of-its-kind, has
explained the COVID-19
experience and cited
around 800 problems
and 300 solutions as
well as various articles
written on the pandem-
ic in the past year.
“This pandemic has
changed the mental
state and stamina of
people and its afteref-
fects may be a matter of
concern, if appropriate
and timely steps are not
taken. It is critical that
people seek social sup-
port and connection
with others and have
strong communication
skills. They must dis-
tract themselves with
any subject of their in-
terest, do yoga and
meditation to dissuade
negative thought pro-
cesses,” he added.
Saurashtra Uni unveils book on coping with nCoV pandemic
LIVING IN THE TIME OF COVID-19

Its psychology
dept adapted
conversations
with 50K
people during
the lockdown
and unlock
phases to
compile the
guide
Guj sees record cases for 4th straight day
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: In the
fourth consecutive
“worst day” so far this
year, Gujarat record-
ed another 1,961 new
cases of COVID-19 in
the 24 hours ended 5
pm on Thursday
. With
this, the total case
load is at 2,94,130, ac-
cording to the state’s
health department.
The day also brought
seven more fatalities—
four in Surat, two in
Mahisagar and one in
Ahmedabad—taking
the COVID-19 death toll
to 4,473, the department
said in a statement.
Surat and
Ahmedabad together
accounted for 60% of
the new COVID-19 cas-
es reported on Thurs-
day. Surat reported 628
new cases, followed by
Ahmedabad with 558
cases. Cases also
emerged in Vadodara
(184), Rajkot (168), Jam-
nagar (44), Gandhina-
gar (38), Bhavnagar
(31), Narmada (27), Pa-
tan (24), Banaskantha,
Dahod and Kutch (19
each), Kheda and
Mehsana (18 each), Am-
reli, Anand and Suren-
dranagar (16 each).
There are now 9,372 ac-
tive cases in the state
with 81 patients on ven-
tilator support.
With a total of
2,80,285 having been
discharged so far, in-
cluding 1,405 on Thurs-
day, the state’s recov-
ery rate is at 95.29%.
A worker disinfects a train on its arrival from Mumbai, which has
also seen a surge in cases. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI
High Court of Gujarat. —FILE PHOTO
Dr Yogesh Jogsan (C) with his team during the book launch
ORDER RESERVED IN SHREY HOSP CASE

Vol 2 Issue No. 120 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
OPPOSITION
CRIES FOUL AS
PARL. PASSES
NCT BILL
he Rajya Sabha on Wednesday
passed a Bill to bestow the Lieu-
tenant Governor (LG) of Delhi
with greater powers by taking
away the right of elected repre-
sentatives. The Bill, which was passed by the
Lok Sabha on Monday, seeks to amend the
Government of NCT of Delhi (NCTD) Act,
1991. It was enacted “to supplement provi-
sions of the Constitution relating to Legisla-
tive Assembly and a Council of Ministers for
the National Capital Territory of Delhi”.
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge
of the Congress asked that if the LG has to be
in-charge, “what is the point of holding elec-
tions”. Abhishek Manu Singhvi described the
National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amend-
ment) Bill was “coercive federalism” by the
Central government. Union Minister of State
for Home G. Kishan Reddy defended the Bill
and refuted the charge that the amendment is
intended to curtail the powers of the elected
government. The amendments, he said, were
on “technical” grounds alone.
Reddy’s refutation is not convincing if one
looks at the amendment being made to the
term“Government”.“TheexpressionGovern-
ment referred to in any law to be made by the
Legislative Assembly (of Delhi) shall mean
the Lieutenant Governor,” the Bill states. The
Billprovidesthat“beforetakinganyexecutive
action to exercise powers of Government, the
opinion of Lieutenant Governor shall be ob-
tained on all such matters as may be specified
by the Lieutenant Governor.” Doesn’t that
undermine the powers of the chief minister
and his council of ministers?
Theseamendmentsgoagainst the2018 judg-
ment by a five-judge Bench of the Supreme
Court which defined the powers of the Lieu-
tenant Governor. In Government of NCT of
Delhi versus Union of India, the SC had ruled
that according to Article 239 AA of the Consti-
tution of India, Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor
didnothaveanyindependentdecision-making
powers and had to follow the “aid and advice”
of the chief minister-led council of ministers
of the Government of Delhi on matters which
the Delhi legislative Assembly could legislate
on…TheSupremeCourtalsosaidthat“theLG
has not been entrusted with any independent
decision-making power. He has to either act on
the aid and advice or is bound to act on the
order of the President if a matter is referred
to him”. And that was to be the exception.
The Opposition argued that the Bharatiya
Janata Party, which has been out of power in
Delhi for the last about 20 years, wants to
grab power through the Lieutenant Governor
and asked if the Central government will
bring about similar changes in Pondicherry
.
The Bill would mean that the people of
Delhi will not have an effective representa-
tion in the Assembly
. A representative of the
Union government, whom the people cannot
oust from power, will decide their fate.
IN-DEPTH
T
aving spent the
early months of
2021 exiled from
social media,
Donald Trump
may be set to make a re-
turn, circumventing his
Twitter ban by creating a
social media platform of
his own. Jason Miller, the
Trump aide who an-
nounced the news, has said
the platform could be ready
in “two or three months”.
Whiletheannouncement
might seem ambitious,
building a social media
platform is actually rela-
tively easy
. In 2004, a rudi-
mentary form of Facebook
was developed in just two
weeks. Since then, advanc-
es in software development
and cloud computing have
made it far easier to create
a social media platform in a
short space of time.
But keeping the new plat-
form online after its release
could prove difficult. It’ll
havetoavoidthefateof “free
speech” social media plat-
forms favoured by Trump’s
supporters. One such plat-
form, Parler, found itself
droppedfromappstoresand
forced offline after being ac-
cused of hosting content
linked to the violence at the
January 6 Capitol riot.
The platform will also
likely become a target of
hackers and “trolls” op-
posed to Trump’s brand of
politics, who may look to
find ways to shut it down
or cause disruption.
Trump’s new social media
platform may well go live
in two to three months –
but keeping it online and
free from disruption will
be the real challenge.
TRUMP
DEPLATFORMED
Trump’s plan comes after
Twitter and Facebook de-
cided to “deplatform” him
in response to the January
6 Capitol riot. Twitter’s
Trump ban is permanent.
Facebook’s ban is current-
ly under review.
Along with the suspen-
sion of Parler, these moves
have forced millions, in-
cluding many Trump sup-
porters, onto a smattering
of niche social media plat-
forms. Many of these peo-
ple are likely to flock to a
platform created by
Trump, guaranteeing it a
large user base at the very
least. As Miller empha-
sised in his statement: “It
is going to be big.”
BUILDING A
PLATFORM
Technically speaking, the
new social media platform
could be built and launched
in a matter of weeks. Soft-
waredevelopershaveaccess
to easy-to-copy coding tem-
plates that mean it needn’t
be built from scratch.
But to support millions
of potential users, the new
platform will require the
infrastructure to scale
quickly
. If the correct infra-
structure isn’t in place to
support growth, Trump’s
platform will simply crash
under the strain of new us-
ers after its launch. The
cloud computing infra-
structure necessary to
avoid crashing is typically
provided by tech giants like
Amazon’s AWS, Microsoft’s
Azure, or Google’s Cloud.
Trump’s platform may
be developed as a smart-
phone app that features in
app stores, a website acces-
sible through web brows-
ers, or both. An app would
be especially vulnerable to
the whims of leading app
stores – those run by Goog-
le and Apple – which could
refuse to host the app if
activity on it was seen to
violate their terms of use.
One of the biggest chal-
lengesforTrumpiswhether
all these providers, who are
essentially the gatekeepers
of theweb,willagreetosup-
port his platform. Even if
they do, the Parler prece-
dent could see them with-
draw their hosting at any
time if users’ violent rheto-
ric goes unpoliced.
SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION
Trump is building a social media platform
H
Words have the power to
both destroy and heal. When
words are both true and kind,
they can change our world.
—Buddha
Spiritual
SPEAK
Top
TWEET
Dharmendra Pradhan
@dpradhanbjp
Pursuant to our intervention, in
2020, Odisha Government had
accorded clearance to project
proposal which was filed by NTPC
in 2017. This project is crucial
for the livelihood and economic
development of the region and
ensuring sustained availability of
low-cost reliable power.
Prakash Javadekar
@PrakashJavdekar
Kerala is witnessing the worst kind
of hypocrisy; what is the State
Government’s stand on entry of
women in Sabarimala temple. Both
LDF and UDF are synonymous.
he word, cancer, sends an eerie chill
down everyone’s spine, or cascading
gunfire in one’s mind. In medical
terms, cancer is a group of cells, usu-
ally derived from a single cell that
has lost its normal control mecha-
nism. The consequence is unfettered
cell growth. Cancer can begin almost
anywhere in the body. While cancer
cells from the primary — or, initial
— site can spread, or metastasise,
throughout the body
, the disorder per
se represents a group of more than
one hundred different diseases — all
of them highlighted by uninhibited,
anomalous growth of cells. Cancer
also spreads to and affects the lymph
nodes — the tiny bean-shaped struc-
tures that filter the flow of lymph, an
important part of the body’s immune
system. Clusters of lymph nodes are
sited in different parts of the body —
the neck, groin, and armpits.
Trying to ‘crack’ what causes can-
cer is synonymous with searching for
a needle in a haystack. The factual
cause of cancer is subject to conjec-
ture. One may, for the sake of con-
venience, think of substances, or
carcinogens, that are known to cause
cancer — for example, nicotine.
Sounds simple; actually, it is not. Be-
cause it’s often easier said than done
to prove what substances cause can-
cer, most clinicians acquiesce to the
fact that the treacherous disorder
results from the complex interaction
of genetic and environmental fac-
tors, not just solitary threats.
Such factors may be external and
internal. The former includes life-
style indiscretions — smoking, chew-
ing tobacco, alcohol overuse, obesity,
and so on. Environmental factors
that may have a say in cancer are ex-
posure to chemicals and radiation
— including viral and bacterial infec-
tions that can injure cells and wilt
our immune system. Most important-
ly, the basis of cancer may be related
to our genes — this is inherited. One
may also blame genetic mutations
and hormonal contexts — e.g., oestro-
gen — for the onset of the dreadful
disease, including genes getting dent-
ed by microorganisms, chemicals,
sunlight, or tobacco abuse. Such ge-
netic modifications, or acquired mu-
tations, are slow in their onset. It
takes more than a few years before
full-scale cancerous cells ‘explode.’
Cancer can lead to a composite
amalgam of symptoms. Symptoms
may be subtle and apparent. Some
symptoms — or, what are often called
cautionary clues — are best identi-
fied by a specialist. Besides, there are
symptoms that develop only after the
disease progresses. They are not
helpful in the early detection of can-
cer, although one would do well to
quickly evaluate symptoms like un-
explained nausea, loss of appetite,
fatigue, diarrhea, and vomiting, as
possible warning signs, or conse-
quences of treatment. While some
symptoms occur with almost all can-
cer types, there are others that are
specific, especially when the disease
is mounting. It is, therefore, essential
to summon screening programmes
for the early detection and diagnosis
of cancer. The reason is simple and
insightful — the earlier the disease is
detected, the more effective the treat-
ment.
Cancer cells develop from healthy
cells. The process — called transfor-
mation — is as complex as the disease
itself.Thefirststep,wherecancercells
grow from healthy cells, is called as
initiation. A change in the cell’s ge-
netic material, especially in the DNA,
and at times in the chromosomal
structure, propels the cell to become
cancerous. This may happen instinc-
tively;itisalso,contextually
,triggered
by genetic mutations and/or carcino-
gens — chemicals, tobacco, viruses,
radiation, and sunlight. All the same,
there are no set rules for the progres-
sion of cancer. Also, not all cells are
vulnerable to carcinogens. What
makescellsweakisageneticfault,not
to speak of prolonged physical abnor-
mality
.Therestisdisasterepitomised.
Well, despite all the gloom, it is yet
plausible to ‘prevent’ cancer, though
its incidence differs from one popula-
tion to the other. In Japan, for exam-
ple, there has customarily been a
high occurrence of gastric cancer,
unlike the US, where the frequency
of colon cancer is high. It is also iron-
ic that Japanese immigrants have
seen a dramatic change in the pat-
tern. This is purportedly because of
a change in diet and lifestyle prac-
tices — from soya to the Western diet
— although not necessarily genetics.
Well, there’s no failsafe plan to pre-
vent cancer, although one real way of
doing it, imaginably, is by asking the
cells in our body not to divide. This
isn’t possible. Studies, therefore, sug-
gest that it would be useful to take
good care of one’s health, eating a
balanced diet, with 4-5 daily servings
of fruits and vegetables, taking ap-
propriate nutritional supplements,
doing regular exercise, also medita-
tion, and most importantly giving up,
or not smoking, and avoiding alcohol.
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY
THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL
T
Trying to ‘crack’
what causes cancer
is synonymous
with searching for
a needle in a
haystack. The
factual cause of
cancer is subject to
conjecture. One
may, for the sake
of convenience,
think of
substances, or
carcinogens, that
are known to cause
cancer — for
example, nicotine.
Sounds simple;
actually, it is not.
Because it’s often
easier said than
done to prove what
substances cause
cancer, most
clinicians
acquiesce to the
fact that the
treacherous
disorder results
from the complex
interaction of
genetic and
environmental
factors, not just
solitary threats
CANCER CAN LEAD TO A
COMPOSITE AMALGAM OF
SYMPTOMS. SYMPTOMS
MAY BE SUBTLE AND
APPARENT. SOME
SYMPTOMS — OR, WHAT
ARE OFTEN CALLED
CAUTIONARY CLUES — ARE
BEST IDENTIFIED BY A
SPECIALIST. BESIDES, THERE
ARE SYMPTOMS THAT
DEVELOP ONLY AFTER THE
DISEASE PROGRESSES
RAJGOPAL
NIDAMBOOR
WELLNESS PHYSICIAN,
INDEPENDENT RESEARCHER
AND AUTHOR
THE GENESIS
PREVENTION
PREVENTION
IS
THE GENESIS
THE GENESIS
CANCER

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INDIA
05
EYEWITNESSES RECOUNT PANIC
DURING GTB HOSPITAL SHOOTOUT
New Delhi: When I heard
gunshots, I got scared
and sat down inside my
food stall from where I
could see people running
for their lives, said a
shopkeeper near the GTB
hospital here where a
gunfight broke out on
Thursday between the
police and those who had
come to aid the escape
of a notorious criminal.
The fierce gunfight
left one assailant dead
and triggered chaos
with patients and their
relatives running for
cover, officials said.
While the criminal
escorted by the police
managed to flee, the
police nabbed one of his
six associates who was
injured in the gunfight,
they said.
CANDIDATES SPICE UP
CAMPAIGN FOR TN POLLS
Chennai:Amusing spectacles unfold everyday
with candidates attempting a variety of things
from donning the role of a chef to washing clothes
to woo voters, spicing up the campaign for the
April 6 Assembly polls in TN. Amid laughter and
claps, AIADMK candidate from Royapuram here, D
Jayakumar filled a pot fully with water for a woman
by manually operating a roadside handpump. Also,
the Fisheries Minister Jayakumar dons the signa-
ture ‘MGR’ cap sometimes and goes around his
constituency on a cycle-rickshaw to seek votes.
MAHA TOPS IN VACCINATION
DRIVE, SURPASSES RAJ
Mumbai:Maharashtra has emerged as the leader
in the COVID-19 vaccination drive as it has
administered vaccine doses to 43,42,646 people,
an official said. The state surpassed Rajasthan
in the vaccination drive on March 24, he said.
Rajasthan now ranks second as it has vaccinated
43,27,874 people, the official said. “Maharashtra
tops the list of states in the country in terms of
the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses admin-
istered,” Dr Pradeep Vyas, principal secretary of
Maharashtra Public Health Department, said.
KHAJURI KHAS ASSAULT: MAIN
ACCUSED ARRESTED
New Delhi: The main
accused in the alleged
assault of a man in north-
east Delhi was arrested
on Thursday, police said.
In a video widely shared
on social media, Ajay
Goswami was purport-
edly thrashing the man at
Khajuri Khas and telling
him to say “Hindustan
zindabaad” and “Pakistan
murdabad”. Goswami,
a resident of Old Garhi
Mendu village in Shah-
dara, was arrested and a
case registered against
him under relevant sec-
tions of the Indian Penal
Code, police said. The
person who was record-
ing the video has been
identified as Deepak
Baisala, who is on the
run. Action will be taken
against him, police said.
IN THE COURTYARD
Kangana gets partial
relief in defamation case
SC quashes FIR against Shillong Times journalist Patricia
New Delhi The Su-
preme Court on Thurs-
day quashed the crimi-
nal case registered
against Editor of
Shillong Times Patricia
Mukhim, in relation to
a Facebook post by her
decrying violence
against non-tribal peo-
ple in the State.
The judgment was de-
livered by a bench of
Justices L Nageswara
Rao and Ravindra Bhat
on a plea filed by Mukh-
im, against the Megha-
laya High Court’s order
dismissing her plea to
quash criminal pro-
ceedings.
The criminal pro-
ceedings pertained to a
Facebook post pub-
lished by Mukhim seek-
ing action by the State
against an attack on
some non-tribal boys in
Meghalaya.
A case was filed
against Mukhim alleg-
ing the commission of
offences under Sections
153-A (promoting en-
mity between different
groups on grounds of
religion, race, place of
birth, residence, lan-
guage, etc), 500 (punish-
ment for defamation)
and 505 (statements
conducing to public
mischief) of the Indian
Penal Code.
BJP faces tough
challenge from oppn
in upper Assam
SC directs
Army to grant
PC to officers
Dibrugarh: Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) is
facing a tough fight
from the Opposition in
the upper Assam re-
gion where 47 seats will
go on polls in the first
phase on March 27.
BJP is banking on
Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi to pull off a
victory in upper Assam
where he has held five
rallies so far whereas
Congress has promised
to stop the implementa-
tion of the Citizenship
Amendment Act (CAA)
and increase wages of
tea workers.
Assam BJP presi-
dent Ranjit Kumar
Dass has exuded confi-
dence that his party is
going to sweep the elec-
tions polls in the state.
He has said that the
party will soon imple-
ment the BJP if it is re-
elected to office. He fur-
ther claimed that the
CAA is not an issue in
the upcoming Assem-
bly elections in the
state as people will vote
logically, not emotion-
ally.
Around 260 candi-
dates are in the fray out
of which 101 are crore-
pati candidates and 41
candidates have de-
clared criminal cases
against them. —ANI
Mumbai: The Andheri
court in Mumbai has
granted bail to Bolly-
wood actor Kangana
Ranaut on Thursday
after she moved the
court for the cancella-
tion of the bailable war-
rant that the court is-
sued against her in the
defamation case,
brought against her by
lyricist Javed Akhtar.
She has been granted
bail upon furnishing a
surety of 15,000 and a
cash surety of 20,000,
Bar and Bench report-
ed. On March 1, the
court ordered a bailable
warrant against the ac-
tor as she failed to re-
spond to the summons
issued by the court.
Delhi water supply: SC
directive to Punjab, Haryana
New Delhi: The Su-
preme Court order the
Punjab and Haryana
governments and
Bhakra-Beas Manage-
ment Board (BKMB) to
maintain the status quo
on the water supply to
Delhi till Friday
. The di-
rective came after the
Delhi Jal Board said the
water supply could be
reduced in the city by
25% because of closing
of canal gates for repair.
Notices have also
been issued to the gov-
ernment of Punjab,
Haryana and BBMB on
DJB’s plea against the
curtailment of supply
of water to Delhi.
“Respondents are di-
rectedtomaintainstatus
quo regarding the sup-
ply of water to Delhi”,
ordered the apex court
bench. The bench, head-
ed by Chief Justice of
IndiaSABobde,alsosaid
that it would hear the
caseonFridayasthereis
“urgency” in the matter.
New Delhi: The Su-
preme Court on Thurs-
day directed directed
the Army to consider
the grant of the perma-
nent commission for
women officers within
a month and allow the
permanent commis-
sion within 2 months
after following the due
process. A bench of the
Apex Court passed the
judgment on hearing a
batch of petitions filed
by many women offic-
ers for permanent
Commission in the In-
dian Army,.
1st phase: Campaigning ends in
WB, Assam voting on Saturday
New Delhi: The high-
voltage campaign for
the first phase of the
poll in Assam and Ben-
gal came to an end on
Thursday evening. A
total of 77 assembly
constituencies (47 in
Assam and 30 in Ben-
gal) will go to the polls
on March 27.
In Bengal, the 30 seats
are spread across tribal-
dominated Purulia,
Bankura, Jhargram,
Purba Medinipur (Part
1) and Paschim Medin-
ipur (Part 1) districts
which were once con-
sidered the citadel of
the Left in the state.
The campaign for the
seats saw high profile
leaders of BJP, which
has emerged as the
main opposition to the
ruling TMC, addressing
poll rallies in Purulia,
Jhargram and Bankura
districts.
In Assam, where the
fate of 264 candidates
hang in balance, the
hectic campaign wit-
nessed the presence of
several national leaders
including Modi, Union
HM Amit Shah, BJP
president JP Nadda,
Congress’ Rahul and
Priyanka Gandhi, who
crisscrossed the state to
garner support for their
respective parties.
Sachin Waze’s custody
extended till April 3
Mumbai: A special
court extended the NIA
custody of suspended
police officer Sachin
Waze, arrested in con-
nection with the recov-
ery of explosives-laden
vehicle near industrial-
ist Ambani’s house, till
April 3. He had nothing
to do with the crime
and had been made a
scapegoat, he told the
special NIA court.
Waze (49), an assis-
tant police inspector
with Mumbai crime
branch, was arrested on
March 13 by the Nation-
al Investigation agency
.
The NIA, which has
invoked the stringent
provisions of Unlawful
Activities (Prevention)
Act (UAPA) against
Waze, sought his custo-
dy for another 15 days.
“I have been made a
scapegoat and have
nothing to do with the
case,” Waze told judge
P R Sitre during the
hearing.
“I was investigating
officer of the case for
one and a half days, and
didwhatever I could in
that capacity
. But there
was suddenly change in
some plan somewhere. I
went to the NIA office
on my own and was ar-
rested,” the police of-
ficer said, adding he
had not confessed to
anything. —PTI
State tops in
FB political
ad spend
over others
Kolkata: Among the
four states and one
union territory that
are going to polls
from March 27, West
Bengal emerged as
the topper in spend-
ing for political ad-
vertisements on Fa-
cebook this year, ac-
cording to data avail-
able with the social
media platform. Be-
sides West Bengal,
assembly elections
will be held in three
other states Assam,
Kerala and Tamil
Nadu and in the un-
ion territory of Pu-
ducherry.
The Facebook ad
spend of the Trina-
mool Congress which
seeks to return to
power in West Ben-
gal for the third con-
secutive term, ex-
ceeds that of the BJP,
the main rival of the
Mamata Banerjee-
led party, in 90 days
till March 22, the
data revealed.
EC NOTICE TO TIWARI
FOR MANIPULATING
MITHUN LEADS MEGA ROADSHOWS IN BENGAL
SHARAD PAWAR TO
CAMPAIGN FOR DIDI
Kolkata: BJP candidate from Pand-
abeswar Jitendra Tiwari was issued
a show-cause notice by the Election
Commission (EC) for promising voters
a free trip to the temple of Lord Ram
in Ayodhya if elected, officials said.
Mr Tiwari made the remarks twice
-- while speaking at a public meeting
in Haripur on March 21, and later at a
party meeting. The Trinamool Con-
gress lodged a complaint with the poll
body on March 22 over the issue.
Keshiary: Bollywood superstar Mithun Chakraborty led two mega roadshows
in the Jungle Mahal region of West Bengal in support of the BJP candidates.
Chakraborty, who was in a white kurta with a long saffron scarf loosely
wrapped around his neck, led the first roadshow in Saltora in Bankura, while
the second one was in Keshiary in the Paschim Medinipur district. Amid chants
of ‘’Jai Shri Ram’’, Chakraborty greeted the enthused supporters people
went atop their houses and gathered near Chakraborty’’s car to have one look
at the superstar. “The overwhelming response, the emotion of the people show
change is inevitable and irreversible in Bengal,” he told reporters in Keshiary.
New Delhi: Nationalist Congress Party
(NCP) chief Sharad Pawar will travel to
West Bengal to campaign Chief Min-
ister Mamata Banerjee in the state As-
sembly polls, said NCP spokesperson,
Mahesh Tapase on Thursday. “NCP
chief Sharad Pawar will campaign in
West Bengal in support of Mamata
Banerjee. He will be on a three-day visit
to the state from April 1, to hold vari-
ous rallies, press conferences and meet
Mamata Banerjee and TMC workers.
ANIL DESHMUKH WRITES TO
PROBE CORRUPTION CHARGES
‘NOBODY HAD
HAND IN
TRANSFERS’
BJP SLAMS
SANJAY RAUT
FOR RALLYING
Mumbai: Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Desh-
mukh informed that he has written a letter to CM
Thackeray to investigate the corrupt malpractices
allegations levelled against him by former Mumbai
Police chief Param Bir Singh. Taking to his Twitter
handle, Mr Deshmukh shared the letter written to
Thackeray. “I have asked the CM to inquire into
the allegations made against me by (former Police
Commissioner of Mumbai) Param Bir Singh to
bring out the truth,” he tweeted in Marathi.
Mumbai: The “phone tap-
ping” by the intelligence
department evoked angry
reactions in the meet-
ing of the Maharashtra
cabinet, housing minister
Jitendra Awhad said. NCP
leader Mr Awhad alleged
that then Commissioner
of Intelligence Rashmi
Shukla intercepted calls
without permission.
Mumbai: Maharash-
tra BJP leader Pravin
Darekar on Thursday hit
out at Shiv Sena leader
Sanjay Raut for his re-
fusal to seek state Home
Minister Anil Deshmukh’s
resignation despite “seri-
ous” allegations levelled
against him by former
Mumbai police chief
Param Bir Singh.
Athawale
demands
President’s
rule in Maha
Mumbai: Union Minis-
ter Ramdas Athawale
on Thursday said that
he had met President
Ram Nath Kovind and
demanded President’s
Rule in Maharashtra.
“The situation in Ma-
harashtra is out of con-
trol. The government is
not able to control the
surge in COVID-19 cas-
es in the state. They are
not able to handle the
law and order of the
state,” Athawale told.
Referring to the alle-
gations of the former
Mumbai Police Com-
missioner Param Bir
Singh over the involve-
ment of home minister
Anil Deshmukh’s in-
volvement in severe
“malpractices”, he said,
“No inquiry can take
place until the Maha-
rashtra government is
removed.”
Athawale had earlier
sent a letter to the Un-
ion Home Minister
Amit Shah, demanding
President’s Rule in Ma-
harashtra. —ANI

`4K cr spent...
The Taranga Caves
were also restored at an
expense of Rs322 crore
by the state govern-
ment.
When a query about
the Junagadh sites
came from Rajkot
(South) legislator Go-
vind Patel, Chavda ad-
mitted that they had not
been prioritized by the
government. The tour-
ism department did not
allocate any funds for
the development, resto-
ration or renovation
needed at archeological
sites in Junagadh dis-
trict, several of which
are in dilapidated con-
dition.
A few monuments
that require urgent at-
tention include Adi
Kadi Vav (stepwell),
Jumma Masjid, Neelam
and Manek cannons,
Navghan Kuvo (well),
Lashkari stepwell at
Uparkot Fort, Damodar
Kund, Boricha stoop,
Dhori Peer Maqbara,
Mahabat Maqbara,
King Babu Maqbara,
Kalika Temple, Guru
Dattatreya Paduka
Temple, Gorakhnath
Temple, Ramchandraji
Paduka, Hanuman Dha-
ra, Hothal Padamni
caves, among others.
Sensex ends...
up in the range of 0.35
per cent to 3 per cent.
Pain in the broader
market was even more
severe. The SP BSE
MidCap and SmallCap
indices closed 2.22 per
cent and 1.85 per cent
lower, respectively
.
The overall market
breadth remained titled
towards bears with 2,224
stocks ending the day in
the red as against just
684 stocks that ended in
the green on the BSE.
‘Misogyny, brazen’...
her bandaged leg to peo-
ple, and advised her to
wear bermudas instead
of a sari so that her leg
can be seen “clearly”.
Reacting to Ghosh’s
comments, Kolkata
Mayor Firhad Hakim
tweeted on Thursday,
“If the only sitting fe-
male CM in the country
can be disrespected so
brazenly, am afraid to
imagine what they can
say about our daugh-
ters!”
Three soldiers...
“The Gypsy overturned
and caught fire. Five in-
jured soldiers managed
to come out of the vehi-
cle but three were
trapped inside it and
died,” Station House Of-
ficer (SHO) Vikram Ti-
wari said.
Aftertheaccident,the
army gypsy was com-
pletely gutted. The eight
army personnel were
carrying out some ma-
noeuvers when the ac-
cident happened. The
deceased personnel
were from the 47-AD
unit of Bathinda.The
police suspect gunpow-
der or some other flam-
mablematerialwaskept
in the vehicle for mili-
tary exercise due to
which it caught fire but
the exact cause is being
probed. The injured sol-
diers were admitted to
the Army Hospital in
Suratgarh, said Army
spokesmanColAmitabh
Sharma.The villagers
extinguished fire by
pouring water on it.
Farmer unions...
Rajewal said that trade
unions from organised
and unorganised sec-
tors, and transport and
other associations have
extended their support
for the ‘Bharat Bandh’
call of farmer organisa-
tions on March 26.
“Farmers will block
rail tracks in various
places. Markets and
transport services will
be closed during ‘Bharat
Bandh’,” Rajewal told
PTI. He said that how-
ever, emergency servic-
es like ambulance and
fire will be allowed dur-
ing the nationwide shut-
down. Thousands of
farmers, mainly from
Punjab, Haryana and
western Uttar Pradesh,
have been camping at
Singhu, Tikri and Ghaz-
ipur demanding a com-
plete repeal of the three
farm laws and a legal
guarantee for the mini-
mum support price on
their crops.
Confederation of All
India Traders, which
claimed representation
of eight crore traders in
thethecountry
,saidthat
markets will remain
open on March 26 as it is
not participating in the
‘Bharat Bandh’.
“We are not going to
participate in ‘Bharat
Bandh’ tomorrow. Mar-
kets will remain open in
Delhi and other parts of
the country
. The ongoing
deadlock can be resolved
only through dialogue
process. There should be
discussions on amend-
ments in the farm laws
that can make existing
farming profitable,”
CAIT’s national general
secretary Praveen Khan-
delwaltoldPTI.Thestate-
ment issued by the SKM
claimed that various
farmers’ organisations,
trade unions, student or-
ganizations, bar associa-
tions, political parties
and representatives of
state governments have
supported the bandh call
of the Samyukta Kisan
Morcha.
FROM PG 1
INDIA
06
New Delhi: Congress
leader Rahul Gandhi on
Thursday said it is not
right to call the RSS and
its associated groups
‘Sangh Parivar’ as a
family has women, re-
spect for elders, com-
passion and affection,
and the organisation
has none of these.
Gandhi’s remarks
come a day after he said
the alleged harassment
of nuns belonging to a
Kerala-based congrega-
tion in Uttar Pradesh
was a result of the
Sangh Parivar’s “vi-
cious propaganda” to
pitch one community
against another and
trample on minorities.
In a tweet in Hindi on
Thursday, he said he
will no longer refer to
the Rashtriya Swayam-
sevak Sangh as ‘Sangh
Parivar’, united family
.
“I believe it is not
right to call the RSS and
associated organiza-
tions Sangh Parivar --
there are women in the
family, there is respect
for the elderly, a sense
of compassion and af-
fection -- which is not
there in the RSS,” he
said on Twitter. —PTI
Karnal: The Bharati-
ya Kisan Union leader
Rakesh Tikait on
Thursday said the agi-
tating farmers were
prepared for a long
haul and will relent
only when their de-
mands are met. Tikait
reiterated that the
Centre must withdraw
the new farm laws and
provide a legal guar-
antee on MSP.
He said the farm laws
were not only adversely
affecting the farmers
but will impact other
sections as well. “This
fight is not just of farm-
ers but it is also for the
poor, small traders,”
said Tikait while ad-
dressing a farmers’
‘mahapanchayat’ at As-
sandh in this district.
Asserting that farm-
ers were prepared for a
long haul, he said, “This
agitation will go on for
long. We have made
preparations till No-
vember-December.”
Referring to his late
father Mahender Singh
Tikait, he said, “Tikait
sahib used to say that
when Haryana stands
in support of an agita-
tion, govt shivers. —PTI
FEAROF2NDWAVECONTINUESIN6STATES
With another 53,476 fresh new coronavirus cases, the nation saw the biggest single-day jump in total infections in nearly five months
New Delhi: Nearly 81
per cent of the new cor-
onavirus cases record-
ed by India in the last 24
hours were reported
from six states - Maha-
rashtra, Punjab, Kerala,
Karnataka, Chhattis-
garh and Gujarat, the
government said today.
Of these, Maharashtra
and Gujarat recorded
the biggest single-day
jump in total infections
ever since the pandemic
hit India.
As India logged the
highest number of cas-
es in a single day since
October 23 with 53,456
new infections, Maha-
rashtra, the worst-hit
state by the pandemic,
recorded 31,855 cases
in the last 24 hours
taking the total num-
ber of infections in the
state to 25,64,881. So
far, over 53,000 people
have died of coronavi-
rus in the state.
India’s financial cap-
ital Mumbai reported
5,185 new coronavirus
cases in 24 hours - the
city’s biggest ever sin-
gle-day spike, and a
nearly 48 per cent in-
crease from the preced-
ing period. The city
has banned celebration
of Holi - which falls on
March 28 and 29 - in
public or private spac-
es. Authorities will
also carry out random
Rapid Antigen Tests
(RAT) of people in pub-
lic spaces.
Meanwhile, in Guja-
rat, 1,790 fresh cases
were recorded and the
tally rose to 2,92,169.
In a statement,
Health Ministry today
said ten states - Delhi,
Tamil Nadu, Chhattis-
garh, Karnataka, Hary-
ana, Rajasthan, Maha-
rashtra, Gujarat, Pun-
jab and Madhya
Pradesh - are showing
an “upward trajectory
in daily cases”.
Three states, Maha-
rashtra, Kerala and
Punjab, account for
74.32 per cent of total
active cases in the coun-
try -3,95,192. Maharash-
tra alone accounts for
62.91 per cent of the to-
tal active cases in the
country
.
Across India, 251 peo-
ple died of coronavirus
in the last 24 hours, the
government said. “Six
states account for
78.49% of daily deaths.
Maharashtra saw the
maximum casualties
(95). Punjab follows
with 39 daily deaths and
Chhattisgarh reported
29 deaths in the last 24
hours,” the Health Min-
istry statement further
read. —Agencies
New Delhi: India is wit-
nessing an increase in
the daily new cases of
COVID-19 since Febru-
ary, “clearly indicating a
second wave”, a report
by the State Bank of
India (SBI) said. The
second wave may last
up to 100 days, when
counted from February
15, it said.
Based on trends till
March 23, the total
number of coronavirus
cases in India in the
second wave is ex-
pected to be around 25
lakh, the forecast said.
The 28-page report
said localised lock-
downs or restrictions
have been “ineffective”
and that mass vaccina-
tion is the “only hope”
to win the battle against
the pandemic.
“Considering the
number of days from
the current level of daily
new cases to the peak
level during the first
wave, India might reach
the peak in the second
half of April,” it said.
Focusing on the
economic indicators,
the SBI report said
the business activity
index, based on high
frequency indicators,
has declined in the last
week, adding that the
impact of the lock-
down or restrictions
imposed by certain
states might become
visible next month.
The report also calls
for an increase in the
pace of vaccination
across states. Increas-
ing daily vaccination
from the current 34
lakh to 40-45 lakh per
day would mean that
inoculation of citizens
over 45 years can be
completed in 4 months
from now. —PTI
CURRENT WAVE COULD PEAK IN 2ND HALF OF APRIL: SBI REPORT
NEARLY 36,000 NEW COVID CASES IN MAHARASHTRA
NEGATIVE RT-PCR REPORT MUST FOR ALL PASSENGERS ARRIVING IN BENGALURU
Mumbai: Maharash-
tra reported 35,952
new coronavirus
cases on Thursday,
its single-highest
surge in 24 hours
since the beginning of
the pandemic, along
with 111 deaths.
The country’s finan-
cial capital Mumbai
too logged 5,504 new
infections - crossing
5,000 for the second
day in a row - to post
a new single-day high.
Maharashtra had
logged 31,855 new
cases a day before
while Mumbai re-
ported 5,185.
The rate at which
infections in Mumbai
are doubling now
stands at 75 days
- a worrying figure -
and it is decreasing
rapidly, experts said.
Authorities ordered
people indoors
in some towns in
western India as the
number of new coro-
navirus infections
hit 53,476 infections
overnight, the high-
est in five months,
data showed earlier
in the day.
Cases have surged
across several states
in since late February,
following a near-full
reopening of the
economy and flouting
of safety measures
such as the wearing
of face masks and so-
cial distancing, health
officials say.
More than half
the new infections
were reported from
Maharashtra, home
to financial capital
Mumbai, where mil-
lions have returned
to work in offices and
factories. The local
government imposed
a full lockdown for ten
days in the worst-af-
fected towns Nanded
and Beed following a
cabinet meeting, an
official said.
New Delhi: Karnataka
health minister K Sudha-
kar said that all passen-
gers travelling to Ben-
galuru, from any state,
will have to produce an
RT-PCR negative report.
Addressing reporters,
the minister said that
this guideline will ap-
ply only to the Bruhat
Bengaluru Mahanagara
Palike limits. For the rest
of the state, an RT-PCR
negative test report is
mandatory for those
arriving from Punjab,
Chandigarh, Maharash-
tra Kerala. He said that
a decision was taken to
expand these regulations
to all travellers since
Bengaluru has been
reporting the highest
number of cases in the
state. Stating that 60 per
cent of cases have an
interstate travel history,
Sudhakar said that the
government is planning
to revive the stamping of
hands of those who have
to undergo home isola-
tion. “Many youngsters
who are supposed to
undergo home isola-
tion are freely walking
around because they are
asymptomatic. We need
to curb this,” he said.
People flouting norms of social distancing throng at Sadar Bazar Market ahead of Holi Festival in New Delhi on Thursday. —PHOTO BY ANI
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi
‘Will no longer call
RSS Sangh Parivar’
Farmers prepared for
a long haul: Tikait
Don’t foresee anymore lockdowns, GDP
growth forecast remains 10.5%: RBI Guv
Mumbai: The rising
COVID-19 infections
across the country are
a matter of concern,
but it may not impact
the ongoing economic
revival as one does not
foresee lockdowns, Re-
serve Bank Governor
Shaktikanta Das said
today
.
The economic re-
vival will continue
“unabated”, Mr Das
said, asserting that
there is no need for a
downward revision of
RBI’s 10.5 per cent
GDP growth forecast
for FY22.
Speaking at Times
Network’s India Eco-
nomic Conclave 2021,
Mr Das said, “We have
‘insurance’ to protect
economic revival like
a fast-paced vaccina-
tion drive, greater
ability among people
to follow COVID proto-
cols”, and one does not
see lockdowns as well.
“The renewed surge
in COVID cases in
many parts of the
country is a matter of
concern,” the gover-
nor said.
“I would feel that
the revival of econom-
ic activity, which has
happened, should con-
tinue unabated going
forward. My under-
standing and our pre-
liminary analysis
shows that the growth
rate next year the 10.5
per cent which we had
given would not re-
quire a downward re-
vision,” he added.
It can be noted that
India reported over
50,000 new COVID-19
infections on Wednes-
day with states like
Maharashtra report-
ing newer highs, and a
new strain of virus
has also been found.
Some pockets of the
country have already
resorted to stricter
lockdowns in the face
of the rising infec-
tions. It can be noted
that a nationwide
lockdown last year led
to a deep economic im-
pact and the GDP is set
to contract by over 7
per cent in FY21.
“...at this point of
time, one does not for-
see a kind of lockdown
that we experienced
last year. Last year, it
cameasahugeshock,”
Das said.
Governor affirmed
the central bank’s
commitment to use all
its policy tools to fa-
cilitate the economic
revival from the de-
bilitating impact of
the pandemic while
ensuring price and fi-
nancial stability
. —PTI
Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das.
Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait

TALKING POINT
07
SOURCE : THECONVERSATION.COM
Cereal grains, like wheat, are already widely grown around the world.
—POWERHOUSE PRODUCTIONS/ SHUTTERSTOCK
Maize is also one of the most widely grown cereal grain.
In wholegrain form, cereals
provide important protein,
fat, vitamins and minerals,
as well as dietary fibre and
energy. Unfortunately, mill-
ing, manufacturing and
sometimes also storage of
foods derived from cereals
removes nutrients and re-
duces the nutritional quali-
ty
.
And through so-called ul-
tra-processing, other sub-
stances such as sugar, sodi-
um and saturated fats are
often added that can be dam-
aging to health. Such foods
are made using a series of
processes, are energy-dense,
high in unhealthy ingredi-
ents, and poor sources of
protein, dietary fibre and
micronutrients. They are
made to be attractive and
marketed to consumers in
such a way as to promote
overconsumption.
Wholegrains are also rich
in essential dietary fibre,
which is known to improve
healthandwell-beingthanks
to probiotic properties and
by boosting the immune sys-
tem. They also contain so-
called bioactives, including
carotenoids, flavonoids and
polyphenols, which studies
have shown these have anti-
oxidant, anticarcinogenic
and anti-inflammatory prop-
erties. Most of the beneficial
effects of eating wholegrain
foods on diseases (such as
diabetes, heart disease, and
most cancers) are attributed
to these bioactives.
A key advantage of cere-
als – and a reason why
they’re staple foods in so
many regions - is that they
can be widely grown. The
fact that they can also sur-
vive in the hotter and wetter
conditions caused by cli-
mate change is another ad-
vantage. This alone makes
them accessible and afford-
able to vulnerable popula-
tions. For example, in 2017
maize crops covered almost
200 million hectares world-
wide. Wheat covered almost
220 million hectares, an area
greater than France, Ger-
many, Italy, Spain and the
UK combined.
Enriching new cereal va-
rieties with additional
vitamins and minerals
provides a wide-scale op-
portunity to improve nu-
trition without needing
to change diets drasti-
cally. Scientists are al-
ready doing this, and
since the 1990s have re-
leased more than 60 vari-
eties of maize and wheat
with enhanced levels of
zinc or vitamin A in de-
veloping regions – in-
cluding south Asia,
southern Africa and Lat-
in America.
This has allowed fami-
lies whose diets are heav-
ily dependent on wheat
or maize to improve their
nutrition. It has reduced
the risk of vitamin A de-
ficiency, which causes as
many as 500,000 children
to lose their sight every
year. It has also prevent-
ed zinc deficiency, which
can impair immune func-
tion. Biofortified cereals
and other crops have
been released in more
than 30 countries and are
being tested and grown
in more than 40 coun-
tries.
Beyond fortifying such
staple crops through con-
ventional breeding, grain
can be further improved
through innovations in
genomics. For example,
mapping the sequence of
plant genes allows re-
searchers to modify the
nutrient content of wheat
in order to improve the
quality. This technique
can also be applied to
other crops including
rice, millet and sorghum.
Another important strat-
egy is enriching cereal
foods through industrial
fortification, where es-
sential micronutrients
are added to milled flour.
Food manufacturers
and millers can also
transform the quality of
cereals by improving pro-
cessing and maintaining
more of the original nu-
trient content of grains.
At the same time com-
mercial firms and re-
searchers need to find
ways to maintain the
cooking, eating and stor-
age qualities of cereal-
based foods to retain the
micronutrients.
It’s up to scientists, the
agri-food sector and poli-
cymakers together to pro-
duce and promote health-
ier cereal foods that are
more nutritious. Ulti-
mately it’s important for
people to realise that
choosing wholegrain
foods as part of a diverse
diet can ensure you’re
eating more nutritious
carbohydrates.
L
ow-carb diets
have become
increasingly
popular in the UK, US,
and Europe in recent
years, with no shortage
of information being
spread online about the
harms of carbohy-
drates for your health.
Indeed, some carbs do
worsen some digestive
disorders in some peo-
ple, and eating too
many definitely can
contribute to poorer
health and obesity – in-
cluding diseases such
as cancer, diabetes and
heart disease.
But for billions of
people around the
world, staple cereal
grains like wheat,
maize, barley and rice
provide the most acces-
sible form of energy,
critical to staving off
hunger. These cereals
have been major food-
stuffs for millennia.
And for much of the
world’s population,
they make up over 50%
of people’s diets. Wheat
alone contributes 18%
of the total dietary cal-
ories and 19% of pro-
teins globally
.
Yet not all cereals or
cereal products are
created equal. By
changing the way cere-
als are produced, pro-
cessed and consumed,
it’s possible to harness
their benefits to im-
prove diets around the
world. These changes
could even tackle the
problem of micronu-
trient deficiency (also
known as hidden hun-
ger). This affects two
billion people, and is
caused by lack of qual-
ity, not quantity, in
their diets. Not having
enough essential vita-
mins and minerals can
cause ill-health. It can
also stunt the growth
and intellectual devel-
opment of children,
and of subsequent
generations.
Why cereal grains could provide an answer
NIGEL POOLE
Professor, International
Development, SOAS,
University of London
WHOLEGRAINS
ENRICHING CEREALS
In many parts of the world, staple grains are a critical part of diets.
—FROLOVA_ELENA/ SHUTTERSTOCK

If you want your relationships
with others to be strong and grow
stronger then instead of being a
critic become an encourager.
—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO Editor-in-Chief, First India
08
2NDFRONT
GUJ CHEMICAL BLASTS REFLECT LACK OF SAFETY
NGT says Ahmedabad chemical unit blast victims deserve compensation from operator and also State Government
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: In a ma-
jor order, the National
Green Tribunal has ob-
served that all indus-
trial accidents especial-
ly in chemical factories
in Gujarat occur be-
cause of non-compli-
ance of well laid down
safety norms.
Delivering a strong
verdict in a major blast
in an illegal factory in
Ahmedabad that left 13
people dead, the NGT
has held that victims of
the blast are entitled to
compensationforwhich
the primary liability is
of the operator of the
godown.
“And (also) the state
of Gujarat is vicarious-
ly liable due to the fail-
ure of its authorities in
performing their re-
sponsibility of check-
ing hazardous activities
being conducted with-
out requisite safe-
guards,” the Tribunal
stated.
The NGT has direct-
ed that the heirs of the
deceased as well as the
injured may be given
compensation as al-
ready determined with-
out prejudice and needs
to take remedial meas-
ures to ensure that such
incidents do not occur
and hold accountable
persons responsible for
failure of the oversight.
The NGT had earlier
directed to pay interim
compensation of Rs 15
lakh for the deceased
and Rs 5 lakh for the in-
jured. In the chemical
factory blast, 13 people
were killed and 9 in-
jured. The NGT had
taken a suo motu cogni-
zance of a newspaper
report of November 4,
2020.
The blast had oc-
curred in an illegal
chemical factory run-
ning on the agricultural
land in the name of Sa-
hil Enterprises Chemi-
cal Boiler Factory, at
Pirana-Riplaj Road,
Ahmedabad.
A bench of Justice
Adarsh Kumar Goel,
Justices Sheo Kumar
Singh (Judicial Mem-
ber) and Dr. Nagin Nan-
da (Expert Member) di-
rected the Gujarat Gov-
ernment to take reme-
dial measures to ensure
that such incidents do
not occur.
The NGT has direct-
ed a Joint Committee of
Director, Industrial
Safety and Health
(DISH), Gujarat and
State PCB in coordina-
tion with respective
Municipal Corpora-
tions and District Mag-
istrates to conduct sur-
vey of the entire state to
ascertain if any other
such activities are go-
ing on, and if so to take
remedial action by way
of closing such illegal
activities.
The Court said, “The
State PCB will be the
nodal agency for coordi-
nation and compliance.
The said committee
may give its report to
the Chief Secretary
, Gu-
jarat within three
months for further re-
medial action.”
The court has also
stated that the State is
not liable to pay com-
pensation to the owner
of the factory who also
died, as he himself was
responsible for his ille-
gal hazardous actions.
FAIR COMPENSATION
Surat Bar, courts decide only
emergency physical hearings
First India Bureau
Surat: The Surat Dis-
trict Bar Association
has in a resolution
aimed at safety against
coronavirus decided to
stay away from opera-
tions other then impor-
tant work.
The resolution says
Surat District Court
will work from March
25 to April 5 under strict
precautions and only
very important work
will be taken care phys-
ically
. The decision was
made in the meeting
held by the bar associa-
tion on Thursday
.
Thousands of people
visit the district courts
everyday and it be-
comes difficult to han-
dle the crowd. The court
building has 10 storeys
and all the people use
the elevators. In the
past few days, many
court employees and
lawyers were found in-
fected with the virus.
The Surat Bar Asso-
ciation has also in-
formed the Principal
District Judge in writ-
ing about there precau-
tions. It has also come
to notice that in some
cases the court issues
warrant if either of the
party does not appears.
This proceeding will
also be kept on hold till
further notice. The ap-
plicant in such case will
be given an upcoming
date of hearing.
GANDHINAGAR GUTTERS!
Sewerage water has been spilling out, near the vegetable, mutton and chicken markets in
Sector 21 in Gandhinagar. This pool of gutter water is a serious health problem to everyone
visiting the market and this has been there for over a month. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: The Con-
gress party has alleged
a marks scam in the
Hemchandracharya
North Gujarat Univer-
sity after a BJP leader’s
son who had failed his
MBBS exams cleared it
following reassessment.
Congress leader Kirit
Patel has dashed off a
letter to Gujarat Chief
Minister Vijay Rupani
seeking an investiga-
tion in, what he calls, a
marks scam. In 2018,
media reports had
pointed out irregulari-
ties during the first
year of MBBS exams
conducted by the uni-
versity
.
According to a re-
port, following the ex-
ams for the first year
MBBS in March 2018, 10
students had sought re-
assessment. It was al-
leged that during the
reassessment students
who had flunked were
passed. A committee
was formed to look into
the allegation and it
found that three stu-
dents had been wrongly
allowed to clear the ex-
ams.
Of the three students,
one with a roll number
392 was Parth Mahesh-
wari, son of BJP leader
Hansaben Maheshwari.
Student organizations
hadalsoraisedtheissue.
The Congress party
has sought an inquiry
into the marks scam
claiming that it has got
evidence of the scam
and has demanded an
investigation by the
CID (Crime).
Education Minister
Bhupendrasinh Chu-
dasama has said that
those involved in the al-
leged marks scam will
not be spared. He said
an inquiry had been or-
dered by the depart-
ment with an IAS offic-
er heading the probe.
He said those found
guilty would be pun-
ished.
Congress smells rat in BJP leader son’s MBBS reassessment
Parth Maheshwari, son of BJP leader, cleared his MBBS exams after reassessment.
UNFAIR PRACTICES?
BJP leader’s daughter wedding sans
Covid protocol, cops suspended
First India Bureau
Surat: Even as Gujarat
battles a new surge in
Covid-19 cases, the BJP
leaders seem to be obliv-
ious to the threat. In yet
another viral video,
this time of the wed-
ding of a BJP leader’s
daughter, social dis-
tancing and other
norms were given a go-
by
.
The video showed
people in large num-
bers at a function of
Mangrol BJP leader Idi-
rish Malek’s daughter’s
wedding in South Guja-
rat. People gathered
here for a DJ party and
danced to Bollywood
numbers, unmindful of
the virus threat.
Once again the police
acted only after a video
went viral and a case
was filed against the or-
ganizer for violation of
notification. The PSI
and a constable of a lo-
cal police station were
also suspended. It has
emerged that the BJP
leader had not taken
permission to hold the
function.
This is close on the
heels of a similar crowd
that had gathered at a
wedding function in
Tapi dancing to Bolly-
wood tunes. Here too,
this came to light after
a video went viral and
then a police case was
filed.
The wedding celebra-
tion was organised at
the home of one Jogab-
hia Padvi in Nijarna
Velda village of Tapi
district. The organizers
did not bother to take
permission for it.
Vadodara I-T chief,
26 others report
Covid-19 positive
First India Bureau
Vadodara: Even as all
major cities of Gujarat
recorded a surge in Cov-
id-19 cases reminiscent
of the dreaded 2020 days,
the Income Tax depart-
ment office in Vadodara
hasalsoreportedseveral
such cases.
As many as 27 staff
members, including the
Chief Commissioner,
have tested positive for
the viral infection.
Sources said the
joint commissioner
working in the office
was the first to get in-
fected and then several
staff members also be-
gan to test positive.
Chief Commissioner
Ranvijay Singh and sev-
eral other top officials
in various sections test-
ed positive for the coro-
navirus. To prevent the
further spread of the
virus, the office has
been closed down. Sani-
tation work is being
carried out in the entire
office and it will be reo-
pened only after that.
Vadodara has recorded
over 246 deaths due to
Covid-19 and the city
has 775 active cases and
has had over 32,000 cas-
es so far.
A huge crowd gathered at the wedding.
First India Bureau
Patan: Former Munic-
ipal Commissioner of
Ahmedabad and State
Rural Development
Secretary Vijay Nehra
on Thursday met with
a car accident in North
Gujarat’sBanaskantha
district. Nehra and his
driver escaped unhurt
but the SUV they were
travelling was badly
damaged.
Nehra is also the of-
ficer-in-charge for Ba-
naskantha district’s
Covid response.
He had gone to Ba-
naskantha for a meet-
ing with district offi-
cials to oversee the
Covid response of the
administration. He
wasthenheadedforPa-
tan via Deesa and
Palanpur when the In-
nova car he was travel-
ling in met with an ac-
cident.
The accident hap-
pened near old Deesa
where a sand-laden
truck hit Nehra’s offi-
cial car. Though the of-
ficer and his driver es-
caped unhurt, the In-
nova car was badly
damaged. Later Vijay
Nehra left in another
car. The deputy collec-
torandmamlatdaralso
rushed to the spot.
The car and the trac-
tor were seized and a
complaint will be filed
against the tractor
driver.
The Opposition party has written to
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani seeking
an inquiry into the “marks scam”
Ex-AMC chief Nehra’s car meets
with accident, he escapes unhurt
—FILE PHOTO
—FILE PHOTO

AHMEDABAD, FRIDAY
MARCH 26, 2021
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia
facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia 09
A
ctor Abhishek Bachchan is
again in the headlines after
his next film titled The Big
Bull trailer released star-
ring Ileana D’cruz and Nikita Dutta.
The film is inspired by the life of
Harshad Mehta and the famous scam
of 1992. The makers dropped the teas-
er of the first song ‘Ishq Namazaa’.
Abhishek Bachchan had also tweeted
about the song and also gave a glimpse
of the romantic number. The full song
has released on Thursday
. Taking it to
his official Twitter handle, Abhishek
Bachchan wrote,“Aur jabse mile hain,
gumshuda hain saara jahan Multiple
musical notes #IshqNamazaa, song
out now”. The song is a compilation
of how their love journey, mar-
riage, and life. The
lyrics are very
soothing and
will soon
tug with
y o u r
heart.
—Agency
I
nterior designer Sussanne Khan is quite ac-
tive on social media and on Thursday neti-
zens went crazy with a response from ex-
husband Hrithik Roshan. Recently
, Sussanne
dolled up in smart casuals to head out in the
town, she clicked a mirror selfie and gave fans
a glimpse of her look. While the photo surely
was stunning and Sussanne looked gorgeous, it
was her hilarious caption that evoked a re-
sponse from ex-husband Hrithik Roshan. Sus-
sanne wrote, “Sometimes in my head.. I think I
am a boy
...” The gorgeous designer left fans in
complete awe of her look. However, Hrithik
chimed in and shared his take on her look in a
comment. He could not stop laughing at the cap-
tion but wrote, “Hahaha nice pic” with a clap-
ping emoticon. —Agency
I am a
I am a boy!
boy!
A
fter Aamir Khan
tested positive
for COVID 19,
fans have been
praying for his recovery.
Now, as per a report, Ki-
ara Advani will have to
undergo a COVID 19 test
again as she was shooting
with Aamir for an ad
film. Earlier this
week after Kartik
Aaryan tested COVID 19 pos-
itive, Kiara had undergone a
test too. Now, as per a report
by Filmfare, the actress was
apparently filming an ad film
with Aamir and director
Nitesh Tiwari. A few days
back, Kiara had shared a
photo on social media with
director Nitesh Tiwari and
hinted at shooting something
big with him. —Agency
R
icha Chadha is currently filming Six Sus-
pects, the screen adaptation of Vi-
kas Swarup’s acclaimed novel
of the same name. Keen to
familiarise herself with the gritty
universe of the murder mystery,
the actor devoured the book be-
fore reporting to the shoot with
co-star Pratik Gandhi. Her ef-
forts to become one with the
character got a boost when the
diplomat-author dropped in on
the set of the Tigmanshu
Dhulia-directed web se-
ries in Mumbai on
Wednesday.“Vikas is
such an amazing
writer, and that
shows in his work.
When I met him in
person, I truly
understood his
nuanced vi-
sion, and by
extension, my
role better.
Meeting him
on the set fur-
ther helped me
do justice to
this character,”
said Chadha,
who plays one
of the prime
suspects in the
murder of a poli-
tician’s son, who
was in turn ac-
quitted in the mur-
der case of a Delhi
bartender. —Agency
f there is one actress in Bollywood who has
managed to leave everyone in awe of her looks
as well as style, it is Katrina Kaif. Not just this,
she is known to be a fitness lover and often
shares a sneak peek into her workout regimen
via her social media handles. From sweating
it out at Pilates class to dancing it out, Katrina
uses various ways to stay fit and fans always are
intrigued to know the secret behind her fit body.
Katrina strongly believes that her fitness not just
comes from her exercising but her healthy routine
that she never fails to follow. Undoubtedly the ac-
tress leaves her fans drooling. —Agency
I
Fitness Freak
COVID 19
TEST AGAIN
SIX SUSPECTS
SIX SUSPECTS
Bunty Aur Babli 2
BIG NEWS
T
here has been a rise in the cases of
Coronavirus cases across the coun-
try
. In some parts, the lockdown has
been announced. And seeing the
pandemic situation getting worse, Aditya
Chopra’s Bunty Aur Babli 2 which was
slated to release on April 23 has been
pushed till further notice. “Aditya Chopra
is playing the big game of making theatri-
cals make a huge comeback and he is ex-
tremely confident that Bunty Aur Babli 2
will entertain the whole of India. The film
is a popcorn entertainer that the entire
family can watch and enjoy. He wants to
hold the film. —Agency
B
ollywood superstar Shah Rukh
Khan is all set to return to the big
screen after a long gap. He will be
next seen in director Siddharth
Anand’s much-awaited action-packed mov-
ie Pathan. The shooting has already begun
in full swing. Musical duo Vishal Dadlani
and Shekhar Ravjiani will be reuniting
with Shah Rukh Khan and will create mu-
sical magic for the film. The news was con-
firmed by Vishal Dadlani on his Twitter.
—Agency
I
t has been a tough few days for the In-
dian Film Industry as several stars
f r o m
showbiz
have tested
positive for
COVID 19.
On Wednes-
day this
week, Aamir
Khan had
tested posi-
tive for the
novel Coro-
navirus and was in-home quarantine. His
3 Idiots co-star, actor R Madhavan also an-
nounced in a post on Twitter that he tested
positive for COVID 19. However, he an-
nounced with a 3 Idiots twist. —Agency
TOUGH WEEK
‘Ishq Namazaa’ Out
Katrina Kaif
Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji
Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani
R Madhavan’s tweet
Ileana D’Cruz
Richa Chadha
Kiara Advani
Hrithik Roshan and Sussanne Khan

10
ETC
F
A
C
E
O
F
T
H
E
D
A
Y
AKSHITA SHRIVASTAVA, Blogger
LEO
JULY 24 - AUGUST 23
Someone close may pay
you a visit and brighten
your day. If you are a
working mother, you may
find it difficult to balance home and
office as of now, but this will be a
temporary phase. A property deal is
likely to be sealed, as you are able to
complete all the formalities.
LIBRA
SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22
Good earning promises to
keep you in an upbeat
mood today. Worries
regarding a health issue
are likely to disappear, as you make
quick recovery. Do not
misunderstand the motives of
someone trying to help you. Spend
quality time with your family.
ARIES
MAR 21 - APR 20
Your initiative will help
mend fences with someone
you were not in talking
terms. You can join your
friends or family in undertaking a trip
to a holiday destination. A chance to
prove your mettle on the professional
front will be nicely availed by you.
Things will work in your favour.
SAGITTARIUS
NOV 23 - DEC 22
Your effort to keep in touch
with everyone will come in
for appreciation by all on the
social front. A good turn
done to someone is likely to be
returned with interest. Luck favours
you today both personally and
professionally. A diet plan adopted
recently will suit your system well.
GEMINI
MAY 21 - JUNE 21
Some of you may want to
opt for a break from the
monotonous routine. This
is the best time to forge
your own path, as there are
opportunities galore. You remain on
a safe wicket on the financial front.
Adding to your wealth is possible.
Keeping minor ailments at bay.
AQUARIUS
JAN 21 - FEB 19
An excellent time is foreseen
for those taking a break
from the daily grind. A
match-making process may
get underway for the eligible. You will
find yourself much more active on the
social front and will make efforts to
remain in touch with all. You will be
able to buy property.
TAURUS
APR 21 - MAY 20
An ancestral property is
likely to come in your
name. Luck favours you on
the academic front. Career
wise, you are likely to fare well as per
the expectations of your seniors. You
will need to get a hang of things,
before you chip in with suggestions.
Be more assertive.
CAPRICORN
DEC 23 - JAN 20
A fun time is foreseen for
those planning to invite
people over to their place.
Good command over a
particular subject may find you
amongst the top positions on the
academic front. You are likely to
discharge all your domestic
responsibilities to the satisfaction.
VIRGO
AUG 24 - SEP 23
Money from an unexpected
source may delight you, so
keep your fingers crossed
.Academic front looks
promising. Some of you are set to
enjoy a trip out of town. Setting up a
new house is on the cards for some.
Money well spent may give you inner
satisfaction.
CANCER
JUNE 22 - JULY 23
You make all the right
moves on the social front
and manage to retain your
popularity. A property may
finally come into your name, as the
paperwork is slated to get over soon.
Bank balance of the salaried will
remain in a healthy state, despite
rising costs.
PISCES
FEB20 - MARCH 20
Success is foreseen for
those playing the stocks.
Intelligent application on
even unfamiliar territory on
the academic front will keep your flag
flying high. A windfall can be
expected on the property front. Some
of you may crave for a change of
scene and plan an outing today.
SCORPIO
OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22
You will succeed in
asserting your authority on
the social front by having
your way. A property issue
gets resolved amicably. You will be
able to establish yourself firmly on
the professional front. You manage
to stabilise expenses and bring
yourself into the saving mode.
YOUR
DAY
Horoscope by
Saurabbh Sachdeva
t’s the month of
Phalguna and
right from Ma-
hashivratri to Holi
the herbal milk of
choice of ayurve-
dic seers and com-
mon folk is the super food
– Thandai! And with the
many health benefits it of-
fers, there is no reason it
shouldn’t be. It is energiz-
ing, anti-inflammatory, im-
munity boosting, high in
protein, calcium and flavor.
So let’s take a closer look at
each of the ingredients and
their ayurvedic benefits.
MILK
According to Ayurveda,
drinking milk promotes
‘Ojas’ or the state of proper
digestion. It is also a com-
plete food rich in iron, cal-
cium and protein along
with a host of other micro-
nutrients. Cold milk is
know for its anti acid ef-
fects.
SAFFRON
Not only is it one of the
most expensive ayurvedic
herbs, it is also tri-doshik in
nature, meaning it is effec-
tive in balancing all three
doshas. It is an antiseptic,
anti-inflammatory, anti-ox-
idant and anti-depressant.
In other words – it is your
new best friend.
ALMOND
Power packed with healthy
fats, protein and Vitamin E,
almonds will give you
healthy hair, glowing skin
and improved heart health.
It’s also a great source of
dietary fiber.
PISTACHIO
High in vitamin B6, Pista-
chios help in hemoglobin
production that will boost
your immune health. Add-
ing pistachio to your milk
will help you ditch those
seasonal flus as well.
FENNEL
They are good for all three
doshas (vata, pitta and ka-
pha) and have a pleasing
flavor a bit like licorice.
Some of the many benefits
of fennel seeds include dis-
pelling flatulence (gas),
stopping cramping, aiding
with heartburn, calming
tummy aches, and soothing
acid indigestion.
PEPPERCORN
Pepper is considered as the
king of spices as it has me-
dicinal benefits attributed
to the piperine in it.
WATERMELON AND
PUMPKIN SEEDS
Rich in Omega3 fats and di-
etary fiber, seeds are a great
boost for sluggish diges-
tion. They are also rich in
iron and zinc which are
necessary for your body to
produce blood. Consuming
seeds will also help you
achieve that ‘pink of health’
glow. They are rich in min-
eral-magnesium, which is
natures natural relaxant.
POPPY SEEDS
Linoleic acid in poppy seeds
protect from heart diseases.
Theyalsohelpwithseasonal
headaches, coughs, asthma
and other Kapha ailments.
ROSE PETALS
Rose petals are great for di-
gestion and menstrual ir-
regularity. It’s also a great
coolant for the digestive
system.
DEVYANI SINGH
devyani_singh@hotmail.com
I
Now that’s a powerhouse of super foods!
While the teachings of Ayurveda are an-
cient the way we implement these teaching
can be reinvented for a more approachable
and exciting experience. Here is an Italian
twist to this very Indian recipe –
THANDAI PANNA COTTA
Ingredients:–
1/3 cup milk
7grams gelatin powder
2 ½ cups heavy cream
½ cup white sugar
4 teaspoons Thandai mix (see recipe
notes)
Method:-
1. Pour the 1/3 cup milk in a bowl and stir
in the gelatin powder and set it aside.
Make sure the gelatin is of good quality
to avoid the synthetic flavor. If you are a
vegetarian you can use vegetarian gela-
tin or agar agar powder
2. In a saucepan add the heavy cream and
sugar. Take the pan over medium flame
stirring continuously to dissolve the sug-
ar. Keep the flame low to medium till the
cream comes to a full boil but make sure
to watch it vigilantly as cream boils over
faster than milk.
3. Stir in the milk and gelatin mixture con-
tinually for one minute. Make sure the
gelatin is completely dissolved. Remove
the mixture from the flame
4. Add the Thandai mixture. This step may
vary. For this recipe I used 4 tsps of Gu-
ruji thandai liquid mix. You can make
your own thandai paste; use a thandai
powder or any other thandai syrup of
your choice. Add the mixture gradually
to the cream tasting after every addition.
You can use more or less mixture as per
your preference. Once you have achieved
the desired taste pour the mixture into
individual ramekin bowls. (This is
enough for 6 bowls or servings)
5. Cool the ramekin bowls to room tempera-
ture, then cover it with cling film and put
the bowls into the refrigerator for a min-
imum of 4 hours or until set. For best
results, leave it in the refrigerator over-
night
6. To serve run a butter knife along the edg-
es of the ramekin bowl and invert it onto
a plate. Add the garnishing of your choice
Wishing you a very happy holi – one that
kindles your Ojas, Tejas and Prana!

C
hrissyTeigen,
who has been
known for
her quirky
social media persona,
has now announced
that she’s quitting
Twitter. Teigen decid-
ed to take this step cit-
ing rising negativity
on the app. Chrissy in
a series of tweets ex-
plained why she took
this decision and even
mentioned how she
has been hurt by the low
blows made by certain ac-
counts on Twitter. The
35-year-old author and TV
personality also had US Pres-
ident Joe Biden among her
followers. —Agency
ETC
11
Huge
Revelation
Huge
Revelation wyneth Pal-
trow and
Chris Mar-
tin’s whirl-
wind ro-
mance was
one for the
books! The actress
and Coldplay singer
met in the early
aughts, fell in love
and got married a
year later. In a re-
cent podcast epi-
sode with Anna
Farris on “Anna
Faris Is Unquali-
fied”, Gwyneth
opened up
about taking
the difficult de-
cision of di-
vorce with
Chris. Reveal-
ing that she
never wanted
to divorce,
G w y n e t h
said, “I’ve
learned so
much from
something I want-
ed least in the world.
I never wanted to get
divorced. I never
wanted to not be
married to the fa-
ther of my kids,
theoretically.”
—Agency
G
M
iley Cyrus may have long past out-
grown her Hannah Montana days
but the 28-year-old singer will al-
ways keep her iconic alter-ego close
toherheart.AstheDisneyshowcelebratedits
15th anniversary on March 24, Cyrus took to
TwitterandInstagramtoshareaheartfeltlove
letter dedicated to Hannah whilst adorably
takingthenostalgiarouteandusingaHan-
nah Montana letterhead to pen her inner-
most thoughts.Talking about how it’s
beenawhileforherandMontana,Cyrus
disclosed she didn’t know that the first
time she slid those trademark blonde
bangs over her fore-
head in the best at-
tempt to ‘conceal’
her identity and
then slipping
into a puke pink
terry cloth robe
with a bedazzled
HM along with a
heart is where Han-
nah would live for-
ever.
—Agency
Greatest gift Hilarious
meme
N
ick Jonas re-
cently released
the music video
of his song,
‘This Is Heaven’ from
his new album Space-
man. The song received
a lot of love from fans
for its 80s vibe and love-
filled lyrics. Nick gave
it a rather funny twist
by adding a hilarious
caption to it. Jonas’ post
has certainly become
one of the most relata-
ble memes for everyone
on the internet on
Thursday. The singer
made a meme out of the
music video moment
where Nick is seen rest-
less, gazing through the
window, looking out for
his love. —Agency
Goodbye
Twitter
FAMILY FIRST
J
ustin Bieber recently released
a new album Justice and one
of the songs that has particu-
larly caught on and has fans
in love with it is Unstable. The singer
in his recent interview with Siri-
usXM revealed that it was, in fact, his
relationship with his wife Hailey
Baldwin that inspired it. The singer
spoke about enjoying the predictabil-
ity and reliability that marriage has
brought to his life and stated that
prioritising his family is what mat-
ters to him most now. Bieber told
SiriusXM, “I think boundaries for
me have been so pivotal in my growth
as a human and just my nos being
just as powerful as my yeses and
knowing when to say no to certain
things has been so helpful in my
growth.” —Agency
FULL OF
GRATITUDE
Q
ueen Elizabeth has had a rough
last one month to deal with as
husband Prince Philip was hos-
pitalised. Juggling multiple cri-
ses on the family front, the Queen took
some time out and sent a gratitude filled
note as well as flowers to St. Bartho-
lomew’s Hospital, where Prince Philip
underwent a heart operation. In the note,
the Queen thanked the hospital for their
“immeasurable service”. The thank you
note came as part of a National Day of
Reflection in the UK. The day was initi-
ated by the Marie Curie charity to mark
one year since lockdown. —Agency
K
ourtney Kardashian and boy-
friend Travis Baker seem to have
reached an important milestone
in their relationship. The couple
has now professed their feelings for each
other and Kourtney recently did the cut-
est thing for Barker as she wrote him a
love note. Travis recently shared a pic-
ture on his Instagram story showing a
note which reads, “I love you” written
on it along with a heart sign. This ges-
ture of the Keeping Up With the Kar-
dashians star has been winning hearts
over the internet. —Agency
O
nly trouble seems to be
mounting for Armie Ham-
mer! The Call Me By Your
Name actor, who is currently
under investigation by the Los Ange-
les Police Department amid rape al-
legations, the reason why Kenneth
Branagh’s film Death On The Nile
has been delayed. The ensemble film
starring Gal Gadot, Tom Bateman,
Annette Bening, Ali Fazal and Armie
was set to release last year. However,
the film got pushed from October to
December 2020. From there, the
thriller was then set for a September
2021 release. It’s looking at a Febru-
ary 2022 release. —Agency
Pushed to
2022?
B
ritney Spears has been making headlines for
multiple reasons. From her conservatorship to
court battle, the ‘Piece of Me’ singer drew at-
tention for her cryptic Instagram posts. Taking
to social media, the singer shared a series of photos and
a video and left fans wondering what she was exactly
up to. However, fans did not spot a single reference to
red leaving them confused. In the first post, Britney
wrote, “Twisted elegance … introducing red,” with
emojis of a rose, lips and lipstick. In the second post,
the ‘toxic’ singer captioned it, “no lipstick… blush or
foundation cause i was in a rush… but you get the
idea!!!!! red!!!!!” —Agency
Gwyneth Paltrow Miley Cyrus
Nick Jonas
Queen Elizabeth
Kourtney Kardashian
Britney Spears
Armie Hammer
Chrissy Teigen
Kardashian
professes love
SUPER CONFUSED FANS
Justin Bieber

First india ahmedabad edition-26 march 2021

First india ahmedabad edition-26 march 2021

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First india ahmedabad edition-26 march 2021