First india lucknow edition-06 february 2021

First India Bureau
Lucknow: After one
of the biggest natural
disasters of recent
times in Uttarakhand
on Sunday morning,
Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister Yogi
Adityanath promptly
sounded a high alert
in the state.
The Chief Minister
said that high alert had
been issued in districts
situated on the banks of
Ganga in UP for dealing
with any flood like situ-
ation as a portion of
Nandadevi glacier in
Uttarakhand had re-
portedly fallen on the
power project dam on
Rishiganga river result-
ing in sudden increase
in water flow in
Alaknanda river.
Interacting with re-
porters in Ayodhya,
Adityanath said,
“Ganga covers the
maximum area in Ut-
tar Pradesh, almost
1,000 kilometres. We
are exercising full
caution. We got infor-
mation about the
incident and the Jal
Shakti department
was alerted soon
after.
“There is no need to
fear. A disaster like this
generally arises when
glaciers break. This
situation possibly
arose because it collid-
ed with an under-con-
struction dam. The in-
cident is sad and in the
lower areas such a situ-
ation will not arise,”
Adityanath said.
Turn to P6
Uttar Pradesh stands with Uttarakhand in this crisis: Yogi Adityanath
PRAY FOR UTTARAKHAND
Instructions have been given to all DMs &
SPs of districts which are located Ganga
banks in the state for keeping a continuous
vigil on the water levels of the river
CM Yogi Adityanath offered prayers to Lord Ram in Ayodhya on Sunday. He also walked around the
Ram Temple construction site and took stock of foundation laying work.
CM PRAYS TO RAM
No lessons learnt: Glacier burst
causes flood, over 170 feared dead
Mamata’s govt reflection of
the Left: PM Modi in Bengal
Kolkata: Prime Minis-
ter Narendra Modi on
Sunday compared the
Mamata Banerjee gov-
ernment to a second
version of the Left
Front government in
Bengal and said there
has been a “rebirth of
communism” under
her rule. The indicator,
he said, was that poli-
tics has been criminal-
ized and administra-
tion has been politi-
cized in the state.
The state’s politics is
the “biggest reason for
its condition,” he said
“Bengal wants to ask
Trinamool -- those who
fired on the people of
Nandigram -- why is she
taking the same people
in her party
,” the Prime
Minister said at a politi-
cal rally in Haldia -- con-
sidered the stronghold
of Suvendu Adhikari,
who joined the BJP in
December. Turn to P6
 A portion of Nanda Devi glacier breaks in Tapovan
area of Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district
 Second massive tragedy in the hill state after 2013
Kedarnath disaster caused by rapid melting of snow
NATURE STRIKES DEVBHOOMI
Dehradun: A 13.2 MW
small hydro project on
theRishigangariverwas
sweptawayintheglacier
burst in Uttarakhand’s
Chamoli district on Sun-
day
, but there is no dan-
gerof floodsinthedown-
stream areas as the wa-
ter level has been con-
tained.
This was conveyed to
the National Crisis
Management Commit-
tee (NCMC), headed by
Cabinet Secretary Rajiv
Gauba, at an emergency
meeting held on Sun-
day evening.
All-out efforts are be-
ing made to ensure that
all missing people are
traced and accounted
for. The glacier burst
led to a rise in water lev-
els in the river Rishi-
ganga, which also af-
fected the downstream
hydro project of NTPC
at Tapovan on the river
Dhauli Ganga, which is
a tributary of the river
Alaknanda, the spokes-
person said. Turn to P6
PM MODI MONITORS
SITUATION REAL-TIME
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi expressed his
concern over the
calamity and said, “I am
constantly monitoring
the unfortunate situation
in Uttarakhand. India
stands with Uttarakhand,
prays for everyone’s
safety.” “Have been
continuously speaking
to senior authorities and
getting updates on NDRF
deployment, rescue work,”
PM Modi tweeted.
16 TRAPPED IN
TUNNEL RESCUED
Several people, many
of whom worked at the
NTPC and Rishiganga
power plants, are still
missing and presumed
dead. However, 16 people
trapped in an under-
construction tunnel at
the Tapovan dam were
rescued by an ITBP team.
SHAH DIALS RAWAT,
CANCELS GOA VISIT
Union Home Minister
Amit Shah said he has
spoken to CM TS Rawat,
DGs of ITBP and NDRF
regarding the natural
disaster in Uttarakhand.
All officers concerned are
working on a war footing
to rescue people. Every
help will be provided.
Shah also cancelled his
Goa trip to visit Shripad
Naik in hospital.
7 BODIES FOUND; CM ANNOUNCES
`4L RELIEF TO KIN OF DECEASED
Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister
Trivendra Singh Rawat said while the
number of missing persons might
increase, seven bodies have been
recovered so far. Rawat also announced
Rs 4 lakh financial assistance each for
the families of those killed in the mishap.
All districts were sounded on high alert.
Rawat also appealed to people to not
spread rumours
Kankavali: Union
Home Minister Amit
Shah on Sunday termed
the ruling Maha Vikas
Aghadi (MVA) govern-
ment in Maharashtra
as a “three-wheel auto-
rickshaw” and accused
it of failing on all fronts.
Speaking after inau-
gurating a private med-
ical college at Kankavli
in Maharashtra’s Sind-
hudurg district, Shah
said all wheels of this
auto-rickshaw were
moving in different di-
rections.
“This is an unholy al-
liance made by betray-
ing the people’s man-
date which was for a
BJP-Shiv Sena govern-
ment led by Devendra
Fadnavis,” he said.
He alleged the alli-
ance was made for the
lust of power, and as-
serted that no promise
was made before the
2019 Assembly polls
about sharing of the
chief minister’s post in
the state by the then al-
lies BJP and Shiv Sena.
The Uddhav Thack-
eray-led Shiv Sena part-
ed ways with the BJP
after the Assembly
polls in 2019 over the is-
sue of sharing the chief
ministerial post in the
state, and later forged
an alliance with the
NCP and Congress to
come to power.
Thackeray had
claimed that Shah, who
was then BJP president,
assured in ‘Matoshree’
(Thackeray’s home in
Mumbai’s Turn to P6
Maha Vikas Aghadi govt a ‘three
wheels autorickshaw’: Amit Shah
The damaged
Dhauliganga
hydropower project
at Reni village.
—PHOTO BY PTI
Family members wait for news of their relatives,
who have been missing after a glacier broke off.
A 2019 STUDY
PREDICTED IT
A study published in
2019 had warned that
glaciers were melting
twice as fast since start
of this century. The
study, spanning 40 years
of satellite observations
across India, China,
Nepal and Bhutan,
indicates that climate
change is eating the
Himalayas’ glaciers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
addresses a rally at Haldia.
Home Minister Amit Shah.
MODI: PLOT TO
DEFAME INDIA’S
TEA INDUSTRY
Guwahati: Prime Min-
ister Narendra Modi
on Sunday claimed
that a global ‘con-
spiracy’ was afoot to
defame the country’s
tea industry and
none behind it will be
spared. On a visit to
Assam, the PM said
that the state would
soon get colleges for
medical and techni-
cal education where
the mode of learning
will be in the local
language.
LUCKNOW l MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2021 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. UPENG/2020/04393 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 86
OUR EDITIONS:
JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD
& LUCKNOW
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UTTAR PRADESH
LUCKNOW | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2021
02
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First India Bureau
Lucknow: Over 29 lakh
people visited the “Hu-
nar Haat” organised at
Avadh Shilpgram here
from January 22 to Feb-
ruary 7 and purchased
handmade products of
indigenous artisans and
craftsmen worth crores
of rupees, Union Minis-
ter Mukhtar Abbas Naq-
vi said on Sunday
.
Talking to reporters
here on Sunday on the
concluding day of the
Haat, Union Minister
for Minority Affairs
Naqvi said while on one
hand exquisite hand-
made products of al-
most every region of the
country were available
under oneroof at Hunar
Haat, the visitors also
enjoyed traditional deli-
cacies of different parts
of the country
.
Naqvi also said arti-
sans and craftsmen from
31 states and Union Ter-
ritories participated in
the Haat.
About 500 artisans,
craftsmen and culinary
experts from several
states and UTs came at
the Hunar Haat here to
display and sell their ex-
quisite handmade prod-
ucts, he said in a state-
ment.
Indigenous products
like Ajrakh, Applique,
Art Metal Ware, Bagh
Print, Batik, Banarsi Sa-
ree, Bandhej, Bastar Art
&Herbalproducts,Block
Print, Brass Metal Ban-
gles, Cane & Bamboo
products, Canvas Paint-
ing, Chikankari, Copper
Bell, Dry Flowers, Hand-
loomTextile,Kalamkari,
Mangalgiri,KotaSilk,lac
bangles, leather prod-
ucts, Pashmina Shawls,
Rampuri Violin, Kantha
embroidery
, brass prod-
ucts, crystal glass items,
sandalwoodproducts,etc
were available at
the Haat.
Naqvi said the Hunar
Haat at Lucknow was
also available at virtual
and online platform
http://hunarhaat.org.
“Peopleof thecountry
and abroad appreciated
and bought Hunar Haat
products online also.
Now, the Hunar Haat is
also available on GeM
(Government E Market-
place) portal,” the minis-
ter said.
The minister also said
over five lakh artisans,
craftsmen and people as-
sociated with them had
been provided employ-
ment opportunities in
thelastsixyearsthrough
Minority Affairs Minis-
try’s Hunar Haat plat-
form.
Mohan Bhagwat in
Ganga meet
Sangh chief Mohan
Bhagwat will reach
Prayagraj after a hiatus
of three months to at-
tend the national meet-
ing of Ganga Samagra.
The meeting will take
place on the Sangam
bank on February 20,
where various topics on
saving rivers, ponds and
water bodies will be dis-
cussed.Themeetingwill
also have discussions on
betterment of every sec-
tion associated with
River Ganges.
Cuisine & culture draw 3 million people to Lucknow Hunar Haat
SKILLED INDIA
Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi at the concluding event of Hunar Haat in Lucknow.
CMtolaunchexp’way
workinsixplaces
Every CJ responsible
for pendency: Mathur
Governor stresses importance
of language in nation’s pride
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Governor
Anandiben Patel in her
address at the inaugura-
tionof StudyCentreand
Student Facility Centre
at Khwaja Muinuddin
Chishti Language Uni-
versity, Lucknow said a
nation’s pride was its
languageandacountry/
societywhichwasproud
of its language and val-
ues deserved respect.
The Governor added
that coordination of the
languages spoken in In-
dia would lead to the de-
velopment of the coun-
try
. She also praised the
University for changing
its name and thereby
has now made provision
topromotealllanguages
instead of only selected
ones. The University is
now offering Hindi,
English, Urdu, Arabic
and Persian as well as
Sanskrit language
courses.
The Study Centre was
constructedbythegrant
from Rashtriya Uchcha-
tar Shiksha Abhiyan
(RUSA) and the Student
FacilityCentrewillhave
facilities needed by the
students and teachers
alike like banks, can-
teen, etc.
The Governor on the
occasion congratulated
two NCC cadets of the
university who had par-
ticipated in the Republic
Day Parade. She also ex-
pressed her happiness
that the NSS unit of the
varsity had adopted five
villages and spreading
awareness as well con-
ducting educational ac-
tivities in them. She
also presented fruits,
bags and other gifts to
the children of Angan-
wadi centre.
Deputy CM and High-
er Education Minister
Dinesh Sharma who
was also present in the
event had nothing but
words of encourage-
ment for the staff and
students of the Univer-
sity in his address.
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Infrastruc-
ture has been the prior-
ity of CM Yogi Adity-
anath ever since he took
charge of the state in
2017. The Purvanchal
expressway, the dream-
project of the CM, is
considered to be the
backbone of develop-
ment of the Eastern
UP’sPurvanchalregion.
The CM will be in-
specting the construc-
tion work of Purvan-
chal Expressway on
Monday at six places in
Gahazipur, Sultanpur
and Azamgarh districts.
Constructed at a cost
of over Rs 22,000 crore,
the304.82kmsix-laneex-
pressway is expected to
be dedicated to the pub-
lic during this year. It
will pass through nine
districts including Luc-
know, Barabanki, Ame-
thi, Ayodhya, Sultanpur,
AmbedkarNagar,Azam-
garh,MauandGhazipur.
It will also be connected
with the Agra-Lucknow
Expressway and become
a vast Industrial Corri-
dor connecting the east-
ern boundary to the
westernboundaryof UP
.
The expressway will
not only be a boon for
industrial activities but
will also provide em-
ployment to the people
of the region.
Besides,theareascov-
ered by the expressway
will be benefited social-
ly and economically
.
First India Bureau
Jodhpur: During his
Jodhpur stay
, the Chief
Justice of Allahabad
High Court, Govind Ma-
thur, had an exclusive
conversation with First
India. In the interview,
he said that although
due to covid crisis, the
functioning of most
courts was affected, Al-
lahabad HC continued
to function physically in
these challenging times.
“As our focus is to pro-
vide justice to all, we
ensure the rule of law,
freedom of judiciary is
maintainedinthestate,”
he said.
Speaking on penden-
cy
, CJ Mathur said, the
subject is very complex.
For this, every CJ is re-
sponsible and efforts are
made to keep our pen-
dency to a minimum.
“There is always an ef-
fort to ensure that peo-
ple get justice on time.
But it is too early to say
that it is a big success,”
CJ Mathur elaborated.
Govind Mathur has
practised in the Ra-
jasthanHCatJodhpurin
Constitutional, Service
and Labour matters.
Governor Anandiben Patel ianugurating Study Centre and Student
Facility Centre at Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti Language University
in Lucknow on Sunday as Dy CM Dinesh Sharma looks on.
Road widening, multilevel parking, revamping of bus, rail stations on cards for Ayodhya
WITH DEVELOPMENT MANTRA, CM YOGI
DOES PARIKRAMA OF TWIN HOLY CITIES
First India Bureau
Ayodhya: Chief Minis-
ter Yogi Adityanath vis-
ited holy cities of Ayod-
hya and Varanasi on
Sunday and reviewed a
plethora of developmen-
tal works going on in the
two regions.
First, he visited Ram
Janmabhoomi in Ayod-
hya where he strolled
acrosstheproposedtem-
ple site and took stock of
the foundation works.
He then offered prayers
at the Ram Lalla Temple
Hereviewedthedevel-
opment works being car-
ried out at the temple
including ‘expansion of
Bhajan Sandhya Sthal,
Queen Ho Memorial
Park, Ram Katha Park,
beautification of Ram
Kath Gallery and Ram
Ki Paidi’.
The development
works include widening
city roads, construction
of multilevel parking
sites, and revamping of
bus and railway station,
state Information and
Public Relations Depart-
ment informed.
“There is also a plan
to make Ayodhya a so-
lar city, besides aug-
menting existing facili-
ties. In addition, the
renovation of all the
religious, mythological,
and historical sites of
the ‘84 Kosi Parikrama’
is also being carried out
to add to the beauty of
the city,” it said.
According to the re-
lease, the government
has decided to appoint a
world-class consultant
to prepare a new model
of development for Ayo-
dhya.
CM in Varanasi
CM Yogi reached Vara-
nasi on his two-day visit
and visited schools, an-
ganwadi centres, Pan-
chayat Bhavan and the
healthwellnesscentreof
the model development
block of Sewapuri. He
also inspected the Chief
Minister Arogya Mela.
“Sewapuri is becom-
ing a model develop-
ment block in the coun-
try and the Arogya Mela
is providing better med-
ical facilities to the ru-
ral population near
their homes,” said the
CM while directing the
officials to ensure that
the eligible persons get
all the benefits of gov-
ernment schemes.
The Yogi Adityanath
government has made
87 villages of Sewapuri
block a role model of de-
velopment in just four
months.
The NITI Ayog has
connected the popula-
tion of 2.37 lakh of these
villages with basic fa-
cilities as well as state-
of-the-art facilities, in-
cluding broad band and
WiFi in 21 clusters.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inspecting the development work
and quality of education at the girls’ pre-secondary school Amini
in Sevapuri, the first ideal development block of the country.
CM Yogi Adityanath held a review meeting of development work
and progress of law and order in the circuit house auditorium of
Varanasi on Sunday.
Yogi Adityanath distributing tri-cycles to the ‘Divyang’
CM Yogi has
instructed the
Maryada Purushot-
tam Shri Ram airport
authorities to work
in close coordina-
tion with Central Civil
Aviation authorities to
expedite works.
CM Yogi has asked
officials to identify
trees over 100 years
old and develop those
spots as heritage sites.
CCM Yogi has ap-
pealed to the people
to avoid going on Ganga
river banks for a few
days. He said monitor-
ing is being done by
agencies.
Yogi Speaks
Yogi Speaks
CM MEETS KIDS
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath meeting Ram Janmabhoomi Ksetra Trust President Mahant Nritya
Gopal Das in Ayodhya on Sunday.
CM Yogi being explained various development projects in Ayodhya as Principal Secretary to the CM
Sanjay Prasad looks on.

FATEHGARH
FARRUKHABAD
PRAYAGRAJ
MIRZAPUR
GHAZIPUR
KANNAUJ
KANPUR
BITHOOR
DEADLY DELUGE: UP On Alert
As Ganga Feared to Swell
Nanda Devi glacier broke off on Sunday, leading to a
sudden catastrophe in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli region.
All the towns and cities downstream on the banks of the
Ganga were alerted for a possibility of sudden
rise in water levels in the river, though no
major development was noticed
till the night
Farrukhabad
Farrukhabad district administration said
that people have been asked to stay away
from the river Ganga for a few days owing
to the avalanche in Uttarakhand on Sunday.
Before reaching Kanpur, Ganga river flows
through Farrukhabad region. The region
has rich heritage with the river as people
gather in large numbers at the banks in the
evening to offer prayers. Farrukhabad was
founded in 1714 and is a part of Kanpur
division.
Fatehgarh
Water levels in Fatehgarh remained normal
throughout the day on Sunday. Fatehgarh
situated on the South bank of river Ganga,
is a cantonment town in Farrukhabad
district. Fatehgarh derives its name from
an old fort. Asia’s largest potato market is
located in Farrukhabad, as well as a holy
place in buddhism (sankhisha). The Indian
Army has a big establishment there in the
form of The Rajput Regimental Centre, 114
Infantry Battalion TA and The Sikh Light
Infantry Center.
Varanasi
A major chunk of the river Ganga in Uttar
Pradesh flows through the oldest known
city of the world Varanasi. The river and
the city have one of the greatest histories
ever as both are mentioned in the great
Hindu scriptures. On Sunday, the Varanasi
district administration asked people to
not throng the iconic Ghats of the river as
threat of the river swelling anytime due
to Uttarakhand avalanche loomed large
throughout the day.
Mirzapur
Mirzapur district administration was
on high alert on Sunday as river Ganga
passes through the city famous for various
reasons. It is bonded on the North by
Bhadohi and Varanasi districts, on the
east by Chandauli district, on the south by
Sonbhadra district and on the northwest
by Allahabad. This district is known for
the Vindhyavasini temple in Vindhyachal
and several tourist attractions like water
falls like Rajdari and Devdari and dams. It
consist of several Ghats where historical
sculptures are still present.
Ghazipur
The Ghazipur administration was alerted
as soon as the avalanche hit Uttarakhand.
The city is prone to floods and hence,
extra caution was being exercised in the
city with heavy patrolling and monitoring
of the banks. Ghazipur was covered with
dense forest in Vedic era and it was a place
for Ashrams of Saints during that period.
This place is related to the Ramayana
period where Maharshi Yamdgni, Father of
Mahrshi Parsuram resided over here.
Kannauj
The Kannauj administration was on high
alert eyeing the tragedy aftermath. Sparsely
populated town of Kannauj too was on high
alert as it banks along the river Ganga. It
is the administrative headquarters and a
municipal board or Nagar Palika Parishad.
The city’s name is a modern form of
the classical name Kanyakubja. Kannauj
became a focal point for the three powerful
dynasty’s namely the Gurjara Pratiharas,
Palas and Rashtrakutas, between the 8th
and 10th centuries therefore it known as
the Kannauj Triangle also.
Bithoor
One of the least known yet most significant
places in the Indian ancient history, Bithoor
too, was wrapped under the cover on
Sunday as district administration cautioned
people to stay away from the river Ganges.
Bithoor is a town near Kanpur District. It
is situated on the right bank of the Ganga,
and is a centre of Hindu pilgrimage.
According to Hindu scriptures, Bithoor is
the birthplace of Bhagwan Shri Ram’s sons
Luv and Kush.
Kanpur
One of the cities in India where Ganga river cries
for help almost throughout the year. It passes
through the North Eastern side of the city but due to
exorbitant amount of industrialisation in the leather-
city of India, the river has lost its sheen as the water
is most polluted here. The district administration kept
a tight vigil on the Ghats in the city as youngsters are
often spotted there spending their evenings on the
riverside. The Namami Gange project needs a lot of
attention in Kanpur as despite spending huge chunks
of money, river remains polluted in the city.
Prayagraj
The only city in India to have a confluence of three
rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. On Sunday,
Jal Police kept patrolling the ghats of Prayagraj
after alert was sounded in the morning. Though
the water levels did not rise to alarming levels,
people were asked to remain away from the rivers.
At the confluence though, a rise in water levels
was witnessed by the administration but that was
marginal. rayagraj, formerly Allahabad, is a city that
stands next to Varanasi in terms of spiritual and
mythological importance in India.
UP
VARANASI
First India Bureau
Lucknow: The UP gov-
ernment has introduced
a system of issuing a
unique 16-digit Unicode
to mark all kinds of
landholdings in the
state, an official said
here on Sunday
.
Every piece of land in
the state will have its
own unique identity
from now onwards that
would check cases of
land disputes and save
people from falling into
the trap of fraudsters,
an official spokesman
said.
The revenue depart-
ment will be issuing the
Unicode for marking all
kinds of agricultural,
residential and com-
mercial land and a per-
son will now be able to
know the details of the
land with a single click,
he said.
The Unicode number
of the land will be 16 dig-
its with the first six dig-
its based on the popula-
tion of the land, the next
4 digits determining the
unique identity of the
land. The digits from 11
to 14 will be the number
of the division of the
land. The last 2 digits
will have the details of
the category, through
which, the agricultural,
residentialandcommer-
cial land will be identi-
fied.
The Unicode will put
an end to fake registries
of disputed land and the
scheme is being imple-
mented across the state.
The work has started in
most of the districts.
While the Unicode as-
sessment for plots had
started in all revenue
villages, the work of
marking the disputed
plots in the computer-
ised management sys-
tem was being done by
the revenue courts, he
said.
Every piece of land in state
tohaveuniqueidentitycode
Freecoaching to propel UP youth for success in competitions
—PHOTO FOR REPRESENTATIVE PURPOSE ONLY
Shankaracharya sees imbalance
in Ram Janmabhoomi Trust
First India Bureau
Prayagraj: Shanka-
racharya Swami Swa-
roopanand Saraswati
of Jyotishpeeth and
Dwarka-Sharda Peeth
raised questions on
the formation of the
Ram Janmabhoomi
Teerth Kshetra Trust.
He said none in the
trust is ready to dedi-
cate his life for the
construction of Lord
Ram’s temple.
He added that it’s
not Lord Ram’s tem-
ple that is being con-
structed in Ayodhya
but an office of VHP.
Shankaracharya
while speaking to
journalists after
reachingMankamesh-
war temple at Saras-
wati Ghat on the
banks of Yamuna
from Sangam Snan on
Mauni Amavasya said
RSS and VHP consid-
er Lord Ram as a per-
son and not as a deity
.
He mentioned that
a few months ago a
statue of Lord Rama
was placed in Praya-
graj along with stat-
ues of two great men
even though Lord
Ram was not human
butagod.TheShanka-
racharya while pre-
senting a comprehen-
sive thinking of Ra-
malaya Trust said in
his Ramalaya Trust
all the 13 Akharas
along with him have
representation. How-
ever, in the Ram Jan-
mabhoomi Teerth
Kshetra Trust created
by the present govern-
ment there is an im-
balance.
He also questioned
the way funds were
being collected for the
construction of the
temple.
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Extending
assistance to the youth
appearing in competi-
tive exams, the UP gov-
ernment will set up
coaching centres offer-
ing free classes to aspir-
ing students in the state
from February 16, an
official spokesman said.
CM Yogi Adityanath
has decided to set up ‘
Ab-
hyudaya’ coaching cen-
tres for aspiring candi-
dates preparing to quali-
fytheNEET,JEE(Mains
and Advanced), CDS,
NDA,UPSCandallother
competitive exams.
The coaching facility
will provide great sup-
port to the poor and de-
prived students whose
guidance will be taken
care of by the state gov-
ernment, the spokes-
man said on Saturday
.
The coaching insti-
tutes will start function-
ingfromBasantPancha-
mi on February 16 and
registration for classes
will commence on Feb-
ruary 10, he added.
The ‘
Abhyudaya’
coaching centres will be
set up at the divisional
levelinthefirstphase,to
be followed up at the dis-
trict level in next phase.
The coaching will
also involve provision
of direct counselling by
senior IAS, IPS and PCS
officers for aspirants.
In case of exams like
NDA and CDS, thor-
ough training will be
given by principals of
Sainik Schools in UP.
There will also be sepa-
rate classes for NEET
and JEE exams. All the
lectures and study ma-
terial covering the en-
tire syllabus of various
exams will also be made
available online.
Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Disciplinary
action has been recom-
mended against IPS of-
ficer Abhishek after the
investigations done by
vigilance of police
found him guilty of not
following rules.
The officer has been
found to not follow in-
structions in as desired
under law besides proof
were pertaining to de-
partmental irregulari-
ties were also found to
be true against him. He
was suspended on Sep-
tember 9, 2020 from the
post of SSP of Praya-
graj on the orders of
CM Yogi Adityanath on
charges of corruption
and irregularities com-
mitted by him.
Orders for probing
accruing of wealth
more than income were
issued on December 15
as allegations of taking
bribe were leveled
against him. Further,
investigations about his
properties from UP to
Tamil Nadu is being
carried out.
Disciplinary
action likely
against IPS
officer for
rule violation
—PHOTO FOR REPRESENTATIVE PURPOSE ONLY
EXPERT HELP
16-DIGIT NO.
IPS officer Abhishek
UTTAR PRADESH
03

Vol 1 Issue No. 86 RNI NO. UPENG/2020/04393. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Amar Ujala Ltd. B-5 Amausi Industrial Area Kanpur Road Lucknow.
Published at 98, Friend’’s Colony, Raheem Nagar, Dudouli Road, Madiyaon, Lucknow (UP). Editor-In-Chief: Jagdeesh Chandra. Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act
PERSPECTIVE
04
J
ust before the new-
ly elected mem-
bers of Myanmar’s
parliament were due to
be sworn in on Monday,
the military detained
the country’s de facto
leader, Aung San Suu
Kyi; the president, Win
Myint; and other key
figures from the elected
ruling party, the Na-
tional League for De-
mocracy
.
The military later an-
nounced it had taken
control of the country
for 12 months and de-
clared a state of emer-
gency. This is a coup
d'etat, whether the mili-
tary calls it that or not.
A disputed
election and
claims of fraud
In November, the NLD
and Suu Kyi won a land-
slide victory in national
elections, with the mili-
tary-backed Union Soli-
darity and Develop-
ment Party (USDP) far-
ing poorly in its key
strongholds.
Humiliated by the re-
sult, the USDP alleged
the election was subject
to widespread fraud.
However, international
observers, including the
Carter Center, the Asian
Network for Free Elec-
tions and the European
Union’s Election Obser-
vation Mission, all de-
clared the elections a
success. The EU’s pre-
liminary statement not-
ed that 95% of observers
had rated the process
“good” or “very good”.
Reputable local or-
ganisations, such as the
People’s Alliance for
Credible Elections
(PACE), agreed. These
groups issued a joint
statement on January
21 saying:
the results of the
elections were credi-
ble and reflected the
will of the majority
voters.
Yet, taking a page out
of former US President
Donald Trump’s book,
the USDP pressed its
claims of fraud despite
the absence of any sub-
stantial evidence—a
move designed to un-
dermine the legitimacy
of the elections.
The military did not
Myanmar’s military reverts to its
old strong-arm behaviour—and
the country takes a major step
backwards
SOURCE:
THECONVERSATION.COM
Nyein Chan Naing/EPA
Supporters of the Myanmar military protest the election results in Yangon last weekend. —THEIN ZAW/AP
Tensions have been running high ahead of this week’s opening of Myanmar’s parliament, with roadblocks set up in the capital.
—AUNG SHINE OO/AP
The Myanmar
military has
alleged that
the general
elections held
in November
were not free
and fair.
—NYEIN
CHAN NAING/
EPA
Min Aung
Hlaing retains
enormous
power as chief
of Myanmar’s
military.
—NARONG
SANGNAK/
EPA
ADAM SIMPSON,
Senior Lecturer,
University of South
Australia
NICHOLAS
FARRELLY,
Professor and
Head of Social
Sciences,
University of
Tasmania
initially back the US-
DP’s claims, but it has
gradually begun to pro-
vide the party with
more support, with the
commander-in-chief of
the armed forces, Gen-
eral Min Aung Hlaing,
refusing to rule out a
coup last week.
The following day,
the country’s election
authorities broke
weeks of silence and
firmly rejected the US-
DP’s claims of wide-
spread fraud—setting
the stage for what My-
anmar historian Thant
Myint-U called
[Myanmar’s] most
acute constitutional
crisis since the aboli-
tion of the old junta
in 2010.
Civilian-military
power-sharing
arrangement
It is difficult to see how
the military will benefit
from today’s actions,
since the power-sharing
arrangement it had
struck with the NLD
under the 2008 constitu-
tion had already al-
lowed it to expand its
influence and economic
interests in the country
.
The military had pre-
viously ruled Myanmar
for half a century after
General Ne Win
launched a coup in 1962.
A so-called internal
“self-coup” in 1988
brought a new batch of
militarygeneralstopow-
er.Thatjunta,ledbySen-
ior General Than Shwe,
allowed elections in 1990
that were won in a land-
slide by Suu Kyi’s party
.
The military leaders,
however, refused to ac-
knowledge the results.
In 2008, a new consti-
tution was drawn up by
the junta which re-
served 25% of the na-
tional parliament seats
for the military and al-
lowed it to appoint the
ministers of defence,
border affairs and home
affairs, as well as a vice
president. Elections in
2010 were boycotted by
the NLD, but the party
won a resounding vic-
tory in the next elec-
tions in 2015.
Since early 2016, Suu
Kyi has been de facto
leader of Myanmar,
eventhoughthereisstill
no civilian oversight of
the military
. Until this
past week, the relation-
ship between civilian
and military authorities
was tense at times, but
overall largely cordial.
It was based on a mutual
recognition of overlap-
ping interests in key ar-
eas of national policy
.
Indeed, this power-
sharing arrangement
has been extremely
comfortable for the mil-
itary, as it has had full
autonomy over securi-
ty matters and main-
tained lucrative eco-
nomic interests.
The partnership al-
lowed the military’s
“clearance operations”
in Rakhine State in 2017
that resulted in the exo-
dus of 740,000 mostly
Muslim Rohingya refu-
gees to Bangladesh.
In the wake of that
pogrom, Suu Kyi vig-
orously defended both
the country and its
military at the Inter-
national Court of Jus-
tice. Myanmar’s global
reputation—and Suu
Kyi’s once-esteemed
personal standing—
suffered deeply and
never recovered.
Nonetheless, there
was one key point of
contention between the
NLD and military: the
constitutional prohibi-
tions that made it im-
possible for Suu Kyi to
officially take the presi-
dency
. Some NLD fig-
ures have also voiced
deep concerns about the
permanent role claimed
by the armed forces as
an arbiter of all legal
and constitutional mat-
ters in the country
.
A backwards step
for Myanmar
Regardless of how
events unfold this week
and beyond, Myan-
mar’s fragile democra-
cy has been severely
undermined by the
military’s actions.
The NLD govern-
ment has certainly had
its shortcomings, but a
military coup is a sig-
nificant backwards
step for Myanmar—
and is bad news for de-
mocracy in the region.
It’s difficult to see
this action as anything
other than a way for
General Min Aung Hla-
ing to retain his promi-
nent position in na-
tional politics, given he
is mandated to retire
this year when he
turns 65. With the poor
electoral performance
of the USDP, there are
no other conceivable
political routes to pow-
er, such as through the
presidency.
A coup will be coun-
terproductive for the
military in many ways.
Governments around
the world will likely
now apply or extend
sanctions on members
of the military. Indeed,
the US has released a
statement saying it
would “take action”
against those responsi-
ble. Foreign investment
in the country—except
perhaps from China—is
also likely to plummet.
As Myanmar’s peo-
ple have already en-
joyed a decade of in-
creased political free-
doms, they are also
likely to be uncoopera-
tive subjects as mili-
tary rule is re-imposed.
The 2020 general
election demonstrated,
once again, the distaste
in Myanmar for the po-
litical role of the
armed forces and the
enduring popularity of
Suu Kyi. Her detention
undermines the fragile
coalition that was
steering Myanmar
through a perilous pe-
riod, and could prove a
messy end to the profit-
able détente between
civilian and military
forces.
DEMOCRACY
DEMOCRACY
DEMOCRACY
FOR
FOR
BAD NEWS
BAD NEWS

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INDIA
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vius ?kj dks ekSle dh ut+ju yxus nsa
gj ekSle lqj{kk ds fy, flQZ lqij LVªkWx osnj ‘khYM
New Delhi: Tikri, Sin-
ghu and Ghazipur bor-
ders remain closed for
traffic on Sunday as
farmers continue to
protest against the cen-
tral agricultural laws.
In a series of tweets,
Delhi Traffic Police
(DTP) informed about
the diverted routes fol-
lowing the closure of
these borders.
“Tikri Border is
closed for traffic both
carriageway, Jharoda
Kalan border, Auchandi
border and Harewali
close for both carriage-
way for traffic,” it said.
As Singhu, piau
M a n i y a r i , S a b o l i ,
Mungeshpur borders
are closed, police have
asked commuters to fol-
low the alternate route.
Lampur, Safiabad, Sin-
ghu school and Palla toll
tax borders are open for
traffic movement.
“Gazipur border is
closed both carriage-
way traffic going Ghazi-
abad through Murga
mandi and Gazipur
R/A, road no. 56, Vikas
marg, Anand Vihar IP
Extention,NH24.Please
commute from other
borders,” DTP said.
The police authori-
ties advised people to
adhere to COVID-19 pro-
tocols while travelling
on roads such as wear-
ing masks and frequent-
ly sanitise hands at
proper time intervals.
Farmers have been
protesting at different
borders of the national
capital since November
26 last year against the
three newly enacted
farm laws: Farmers’
Produce Trade and
Commerce (Promotion
and Facilitation) Act,
2020; the Farmers Em-
powerment and Protec-
tion) Agreement on
Price Assurance and
farm Services Act 2020
and the Essential Com-
modities (Amendment)
Act, 2020. —ANI
SINGHU, GHAZIPUR BORDERS
REMAIN CLOSED AMID PROTEST
Traffic diverted as farmers continue to protest against the central agricultural laws
Gwalior: Union Agri-
culture Minister Naren-
dra Singh Tomar on
Sunday said the ongo-
ing farmers’ protest
against the Centre’s
three new farm laws is
limited to a certain area
and expressed hope to
break the deadlock over
the issue soon.
Talking to reporters
in Madhya Pradesh’s
Gwalior city, Narendra
Singh Tomar also ac-
cused the opposition
Congress of playing
politics over the farm-
ers’ agitation.
“The farmers’ agita-
tion is limited to a cer-
tain area. The govern-
ment is ready for talks
with the protesting
farmers, and I hope we
will be able to break
the deadlock very
soon,” Narendra Singh
Tomar said.
Asked about Con-
gress’s demand for a
repeal of 3 new farm
laws and other allega-
tions of the opposition,
he said the Congress
has no right to speak on
farmers’ issues.
Farmers' stir
limited to
certain area,
says Tomar
‘Damage from pollution no less
than from other heinous crimes’
New Delhi: The Na-
tional Green Tribunal
has rapped Uttar
Pradesh government
for not taking effec-
tive steps to control
pollution in River
Hindon, noting that
damage from pollu-
tion is no less than
damage from other
heinous crimes.
A bench headed by
NGT Chairperson Jus-
tice A K Goel said re-
peated orders will not
serve any purpose un-
less the administration
takes ownership of its
Constitutional obliga-
tion to the citizens.
It is a matter of re-
gret that the State au-
thorities have failed to
discharge their con-
stitutional obligation
of taking remedial
measures inspite of
attention of the high-
est authorities in the
administration being
drawn to the prob-
lem, the bench said.
We had expected that
with the involvement
of Chief Secretary,
procedural and inter-
departmental coordi-
nation issues will be
resolved. But unfortu-
nately, it has not hap-
pened, bench said.
Bengaluru:Thehealth
sector's evolution calls
for active involvement
and participation of all
stakeholders use of
innovation to bridge in-
tent execution, Presi-
dent Ram Nath Kovind
said as he noted that
healthcare delivery in
Indiaispoisedtounder-
goachangeatallstages.
Healthcare delivery
in India is poised to un-
dergo a change at all
stages prevention, diag-
nosis, and treatment.
No single entity in the
healthcare sector can
deliver results and
achieve outcomes, Ko-
vind said. Addressing
the 23rd annual convo-
cation of the Rajiv Gan-
dhiUniversityof Health
Sciences, he said the
evolution of the sector
calls for active involve-
ment and participation
of all stakeholders.
New Delhi: The gov-
ernment would not
hesitate to increase
the spend under the
Mahatma Gandhi Na-
tional Rural Employ-
ment Guarantee
(MGNREGA) Pro-
gramme if the need
arises in the future,
Minister of State for
Finance Anurag Sin-
gh Thakur has said.
Theministerempha-
sisedthattheModigov-
ernment has taken
steps in the past in the
interestof thepoorand
vulnerable rural popu-
lation. Taking on the
criticism by the Con-
gress on the lowering
of the MGNREGA ex-
penditureintheBudget
for2021-22,theminister
said this government
has been increasing ex-
penditure unlike them
who would cut at the
RevisedEstimatestage.
‘Healthcare delivery is
poised to undergo a
change at all stages’
Centre may increase
MGNREGA spend if
need arises: Thakur
New Delhi: Rahul
Gandhi is the only
leader who can take
on the mantle of the
Congress president-
ship as he is the one
who has been taking a
strong stand on im-
portant issues with-
out bowing to govern-
ment's pressure,
Chhattisgarh Chief
Minister Bhupesh
Baghel has said, amid
a growing chorus
within the party seek-
ing Rahul Gandhi's
return to the helm.
Within a span of
one week, two state
units of the Congress
have passed resolu-
tions backing Rahul
Gandhi's return as
party chief. While
Delhi Congress had
passed a resolution
requesting Rahul
Gandhi to take over as
chief last Sunday, the
Chhattisgarh Pradesh
Congress Committee
(CPCC) on Saturday
unanimously passed a
resolution moved by
Bhupesh Baghel to re-
appoint the Wayanad
MP as the party presi-
dent. All Congress
persons are standing
resolutely with Rahul
Gandhi and believe
that under his leader-
ship, the Congress or-
ganisation will be
constantly strength-
ened. Under Rahul
Gandhi's leadership,
confidence has been
kindled among Con-
gress workers that un-
der his leadership and
guidance, they will
strengthen the party's
foundation, the reso-
lution passed by the
CPCC said. —PTI
Only Rahul Gandhi
can take over as Cong
President: Bhagel
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Bhagel.
Security personnel during an ongoing farmer’s protest against the new farm laws, at the Delhi-
Ghazipur border in New Delhi on Sunday. —PHOTO BY ANI THE LEADER
F
F
F
TIKAIT CALLS ON FARMERS FOR “TRACTOR REVOLUTION”
Mumbai: A special CBI
court in Mumbai has
accepted the closure re-
port filed by the probe
agency against jailed
gangster Chhota Rajan
in a case of attempt to
murder a noted journal-
ist in 1997. In his order
issued on Saturday, spe-
cialjudgeATWankhede
cleared Chhota Rajan
of all the charges due to
lack of sufficient mate-
rial to proceed against
him in the case.
Court accepts
closure report
in murder case
against Rajan
Gangster Chhota Rajan
Ram Nath Kovind Anurag Singh Thakur
Rakesh Tikait

INDIA
06
Uttar Pradesh
stands...
The UP Chief Minister
further said that the UP
government was stand-
ing along with the Utta-
rakhand government in
this hour of crisis be-
sides appealing to the
people for not trusting
any rumors nor indulg-
ing in spreading ru-
mors. He further ap-
pealed to people for not
going to the banks of
the river besides taking
all precautions to pre-
vent any untoward situ-
ation. The people
should also cooperate
with the district admin-
istration in case of any
odd situation and that
the Uttar Pradesh gov-
ernment was taking all
necessary steps to deal
with any untoward situ-
ation.
No lessons...
However, there is no
danger of downstream
flooding, and the rise in
water level has been
contained, as per the in-
formation given by the
Central Water Commis-
sion (CWC).
There is also no
threat to the neighbour-
ing villages.
At the same time, the
agencies concerned of
the central and the state
governments were
asked to keep a strict
vigil on the situation,
and a team from the
DRDO, which monitors
avalanches, is being
flown in for surveil-
lance and reconnais-
sance.
The Managing Direc-
tor of the NTPC has
been asked to reach the
affected site immedi-
ately
.
Two teams of the
NDRF have been sent
and three additional
teams have been flown
in from Hindon airport
in Ghaziabad. The
troops will reach the af-
fected region tonight.
More than 200 ITBP
personnel are on the
spot, and one column of
the Engineering Task
Force (ETF) of the
Army, with all rescue
equipment, has been de-
ployed.
The Indian Navy di-
vers are being flown in
and aircraft and heli-
copters of the Indian
Air Force (IAF) are on
standby, the spokesper-
son said.
Mamata’s govt...
Adhikari, a former
minister, has been an
import from the Trina-
mool -- one of the many
who joined the BJP in
the last months. The
exodus of leaders has
been a point of conten-
tion between the two
parties, though official-
ly the Trinamool has
maintained that only
the corrupt and the
sidelined leaders have
gone to the BJP.
Accusing the state
leaders of corruption,
PM Modi said even in
natural disasters like
Cyclone Amphan, they
are “looking for oppor-
tunities for corrup-
tion”. “The Centre gave
free ration immediately
.
But the state failed to
give it to the people,” he
said.
The court finally had
to take a stand on the
corruption, he added.
“During Covid, lakhs
of farmers here did not
get any money
, Lakhs of
farmers should have
benefitted from the
Kisan Samman project,
but did not. The state
refused to join the pro-
gramme,” PM Modi
said.
This is PM Modi’s
second official visit to
Bengal within two
weeks. His first visit --
held in January to
mark the birth anniver-
sary of Netaji Subhas
Chandra Bose, one of
the state’s icons -- trig-
gered a huge flashpoint
with the state’s Trina-
mool Congress govern-
ment after the “Jai Shri
Ram” slogan contro-
versy
.
Maha Vikas...
Bandra area) that the
CM’s post would be
shared by the two par-
ties, but the BJP later
went back on the prom-
ise. However, Shah on
Sunday reiterated that
no promise was made to
the Shiv Sena on shar-
ing of the chief minis-
ters post. “I don’t make
promises in closed
rooms. Whatever I do, I
do it openly…I don’t do
politics in closed
rooms,” the Union min-
ister said. It is being al-
leged the BJP broke the
promise, Shah said and
stressed that his party
honours its promises.
“We don’t speak white
lies. We are the ones
who honour commit-
ments. In Bihar, we said
if the NDA gets more
seats, Nitish Kumar will
continue to be CM,” he
said. The BJP got more
seats than the JD(U) and
Nitish Kumar said the
BJP should have its
chief minister, he noted.
“But, we said the BJP
has already given its
word that he (Nitish Ku-
mar) will remain the
CM,” Shah said. Hitting
out at Thackeray, Shah
said the Sena president
addressed rallies with
him and Prime Minister
Narendra Modi before
the Maharashtra As-
sembly elections.
FROM PG 1
India now 3rd topmost country
to give highest doses of vaccine
12 states in India have vaccinated more than 2 lakh beneficiaries
New Delhi: India has
become the third top-
most country in the
world in terms of the
number of COVID-19
vaccine doses adminis-
tered, the Union Health
Ministry said on Sun-
day. Only the United
States and the United
Kingdom remain ahead
of India. The ministry
said 12 states in India
have vaccinated more
than 2 lakh beneficiar-
ies each. Uttar Pradesh
alone accounts for
6,73,542 of all vaccinat-
ed beneficiaries.
Till February 7, 8 am,
a total of 57.75 lakh ben-
eficiaries have received
the vaccine under the
countrywide COVID-19
vaccination exercise.
The cumulative vacci-
nation coverage in-
cludes 53,04,546 health-
care workers 4,70,776
frontline workers, the
ministry said. In a span
of 24 hours, 3,58,473
beneficiaries were vac-
cinated across 8,875 ses-
sions. hours followed by
503 in Tamil Nadu. —ANI
First doses of vaccine
arrive in Afghanistan
New Delhi: Afghani-
stan received 500,000
doses of AstraZene-
ca’sCOVID-19vaccine
from India on Sunday
,
the first to arrive in
the country
, which is
still waiting for emer-
gency approval from
the World Health Or-
ganisation before it
can use them. Ghu-
lam Dastagir Nazari,
head of the immuni-
sation program at
the health ministry
said the doses would
be stored in Kabul
until the emergency
authorisation was
received, which it
hoped would happen
in a week. The vac-
cines were produced
by the Serum Insti-
tute of India (SII),
which is producing
the AstraZenecca/
Oxford University
vaccine for mid- and
l o w - i n c o m e
c o u n t r i e s . ” T h e
(WHO) certification
process is underway
and hopefully it will
be done in a week
and we will start the
vaccination process
in all 34 provinces,”
said Nazari.
India Covid: 12,059 new
cases, 78 deaths registered
New Delhi: India re-
corded 12,059 new Cov-
id-19casesinaspanof 24
hours, pushing the tally
of overall cases to
1,08,26,363,aspertheUn-
ion Health Ministry on
Sunday
.Thecountryalso
recorded 78 fatalities in
the last 24 hours, push-
ing the death toll due to
the Covid-19 to 1,54,996.
Full Faith In The
Indian Judiciary:
Comedian Munawar
Indore: After spending
35 days in jail for alleg-
edly hurting religious
sentiments, stand-up
comedian Munawar
Faruqui said he has full
faith in the judiciary of
the country and hopes
to get justice soon.
Faruqui was released
from the Indore Central
Jail on Saturday night
after the jail authorities
checked his Friday’s
bail order available on
the SC website, said
officials.
After his release, the
32-year-old in a video
message said, “I don’t
want to comment now.
But, I have full faith in
the judiciary and I am
hopeful of getting jus-
tice”.
Arrested for alleged-
ly hurting religious sen-
timents, Faruqui was in
the jail since January 1.
On Friday, the SC
granted him interim
bail after the MP High
Court rejected his bail
plea on January 28.
The apex court also
stayed the production
warrant issued against
Faruqui by a court in
Prayagraj in connec-
tion with an FIR lodged
there. However, he was
released late Saturday
night only after a Chief
Judicial Magistrate in
Indore rang up the jail
authorities and asked
them to check the SC’s
website for the bail.
—PTI
Munawar Faruqui
New Delhi: Melting of
Himalayan glaciers has
doubled since the start
of the 21st century due
to rising temperatures,
losing over a vertical
foot and half of ice each
year and potentially
threatening water sup-
ply for hundreds of mil-
lions of people in coun-
tries, including India,
according to a study
published in 2019.
The analysis, span-
ning 40 years of satel-
lite observations across
India, China, Nepal and
Bhutan, indicates that
climate change is eating
the Himalayan glaciers,
researchers said.
The study, published
in the journal Science
Advances in June 2019,
shows that glaciers
have been losing the
equivalent of more
than a vertical foot and
half of ice each year
since 2000 -- double the
amount of melting that
took place from 1975 to
2000.
“This is the clearest
picture yet of how fast
Himalayan glaciers are
melting over this time
interval, and why,” said
Joshua Maurer, a PhD
candidate at Columbia
University in the US.
While not specifically
calculated in the study,
the glaciers may have
lost as much as a quar-
ter of their enormous
mass over the last four
decades, said Mr Maur-
er, lead author of the
study
.
The study synthe-
sised data from across
the region, stretching
from early satellite ob-
servations to the pre-
sent.
The data indicates
that the melting is con-
sistent in time and
space, and that rising
temperatures are to
blame, the researchers
said.
Temperatures vary
from place to place, but
from 2000 to 2016 they
have averaged one de-
gree Celsius higher
than those from 1975 to
2000, they said. Re-
searchers analysed re-
peat satellite images of
some 650 glaciers span-
ning 2,000 kilometres
from west to east.
Many of the 20th-cen-
tury observations came
from declassified photo-
graphic images taken
by US spy satellites.
They created an auto-
mated system to turn
these into three dimen-
sional (3D) models. —ANI
Himalayan Glaciers Melting Faster Since 2000
Researchers analysed some 650 glaciers spanning 2,000 km.
Sabarimala: UDF vows to
safeguard temple customs
Trivandrum: Senior
Congress leader and
former home minister
Thiruvanchoor Rad-
hakrishnan has re-
leased a draft of the
legislation in Kottayam
on Saturday. Releasing
the draft, Thiruvan-
choor said that the draft
proposes imprisonment
for a period of two years
to those who enter the
Sabarimala shrine vio-
lating the customs, ritu-
als and traditions.
Thiruvanchoor said the
LDF government is
doing nothing to protect
the interest of the devo-
tees, they claim that
they cannot do any-
thing since the matter
is before the Supreme
Court.
However, in reality,
the state government
can definitely inter-
vene, since this comes
under the concurrent
list, said Thiruvan-
choor. —ANI
Sabarimala: UDF vows to enact law to safeguard temple customs.
Heritage byelaws for
Jagannath Temple
Bhubaneswar: The
Shree Jagannath Tem-
ple Administration
(SJTA) requested the
National Monuments
Authority (NMA) to
withdraw the draft noti-
fication on heritage
bye-laws for the famed
Jagannath temple in
Puri. In a letter to the
NMA Member Secre-
tary, SJTA Chief Ad-
ministrator Krishan
Kumar requested to im-
mediately withdraw the
draft notification to
protect the interest of
the deity, and the devo-
tees at large. The move
came after the NMA,
under the Union Minis-
try of Culture, has come
up with heritage bye-
laws for the temple pro-
posing the 100-metre
area around the shrine
where no construction
can be undertaken.“If
NMA is still of the con-
sidered view that any
regulatory framework
of any nature is re-
quired, then you are in-
vited for a detailed con-
sultation and discus-
sion with members of
the Committee before
any fresh attempt,” the
SJTA chief said. —PTI
Twitter India, South Asia
public policy head resigns
Mumbai Twitter’s Pub-
lic Policy Director for
India and South Asia
Mahima Kaul has re-
signed from her role
due to personal reasons
after over five
years at the mi-
croblogging
site. The res-
ignation has
come amid
the govern-
ment’s direc-
tion earlier to the
company to with hold
Twitter accounts in-
cluding ones related to
farmers’ protests. The
IT Ministry had further
sent a notice to Twitter
for restoring multiple
accounts, which were
involved in discussions
over the protests, citing
non-compliance under
Section 69A of the In-
formation Technol-
ogy Act. How-
ever, “Kaul’s
resignation
has no con-
nection to the
government’s
action towards
the company with
respect to the protests
and that her decision to
step down had come ear-
lier last month,” sources
aware of the situation
said. —ANI
All-woman Garuda team gets
training for anti-terror operations
Bengaluru: A total of
16 young women, from
villages across Karna-
taka, are learning to
handle terror, and im-
prove their weapon-
handling skills for the
first batch of the all-
woman Garuda com-
mandos of the Karna-
taka Police.
The pre-induction
training of the special
operational team Garu-
da, Karnataka’s own
anti-terror force, is un-
derway at Bengaluru’s
Centre for Counter-Ter-
rorism for these 16 wom-
en, led by Superinten-
dent of Police M L Mad-
hura Veena.
Karnataka Addition-
al DGP Bhaskar Rao on
February 5 met the first
batch of all-women
Garuda commandos of
the police.
“The Garuda force of
Karnataka police has
got good training for the
last eight years. It also
got weapons as well.
With the help of serving
Brigadier, Lt Colonels
and 20 JCOs of the Min-
istry of Defence, we
have established the
Centre for Counter-Ter-
rorism Garuda force in
Karnataka. After the
26/11 incident which
took place in Mumbai,”
Rao said. —PTI
All woman garuda team gets training in karnataka.
Covid-19 vaccines are being administered on an emergency basis in India.

NEWS
07
Promoted by
Vrion Global Pvt. Ltd.
First India Bureau
Varanasi: Union Min-
ister Dr. Mahendra
Nath Pandey launched
an attack at Congress
President Rahul Gan-
dhi while saying that
not even 1% of the
country’s resident like
him. He added that Con-
gress is desperate and
thereby creating issues
by tricking the farmers.
He further added that
the opposition has not
been able to pinpoint
what is wrong with the
farmer’s bill even when
asked about in parlia-
ment. In a press confer-
ence conducted in Vara-
nasi on Sunday in a ho-
tel in the cantonment
area, the Union Minis-
ter said that the budget
has focused more on the
health sector while also
taking care of the inter-
est of the farmers. He
added that the budget
was equally focused on
infrastructure and the
railways have been as-
signed more funds.
The Union Minister
said that lot of schemes
for farmers were an-
nounced and that agri-
culture has to move to-
wards strengthening of
the mandis. He added
that the Union govern-
ment has always en-
couraged the procure-
ment of agricultural
products by govern-
ment organizations.
The Union Minster
said that the opposition
has the right to con-
structively oppose the
budget but they should
not oppose the budget
for no particular rea-
son. Praising the Cen-
tral Government, Dr.
Mahendra Nath Pandey
said the Parliamentary
Committee has also ap-
preciated the work done
by the Government dur-
ing the Corona period
and the whole world has
also appreciated the ag-
ricultural policy
.
First India Bureau
Aligarh: National Con-
vention of All India
Vaishya Ekta Parishad
began in Aligarh on
Sunday and Vaishya
representatives from all
over the country in at-
tendance. Lok Sabha
Speaker Om Birla was
the Chief Guest of the
event. In the event, may-
or of Agra and the elec-
tion officer for this ses-
sion, Naveen Jain, de-
clared Sumant Gupta as
the national president
of All India Vaishya
Ekta Parishad unop-
posed for the 14th time.
Addressing the audi-
ence National President
Sumant Gupta said that
he finds himself fortu-
nate for sharing the
stage with Om Birla.
While praising the BJP
government, he said
that Pakistan shivers at
the name PM Modi and
that Amit Shah has
written history by abol-
ishing Article 370 of the
constitution.
Sumant Gupta while
praising the Majle com-
munity for their hard-
work and perseverance
requested the Lok Sab-
ha speaker that if he
were to receive a letter
from anyone from
Vaishya society, then he
should a bit more atten-
tion to it. Sumant also
said that as the Legisla-
tive Council has seat
reserved for graduates,
teachers, etc. a seat for
Vaishya should also be
reserved.
In his address Sumit
Gupta was all praise for
the BJP government
and also urged the
Vaishya society’s par-
ticipation in the upcom-
ing Lok Sabha elec-
tions. During the con-
vention, 40 celebrities
who have made signifi-
cant contributions in
various fields will be
posthumously con-
ferred with Bhama
Shah Ratna.
Desperate Congress
tricking the farmers
into protest: Pandey
LS Speaker Birla opens
Vaishya Ekta Parishad
convention in Aligarh
LS Speaker Om Birla
Mahendra Nath Pandey
DAREDEVILS AT MAGH MELA
Stuntmen perform in a death well during the annual Magh Mela at Sangam, in Prayagraj. —PHOTO BY PTI
Love goes sour: Girl reaches police
station to file complaint of cheating
First India Bureau
Kanpur: In a case of
love turned sour, a girl
after being turned down
by her lover reached
Mangalpur police sta-
tion in Kanpur Rural to
file a complaint.
The boy is a resident
of area under Mangal-
pur police station and
the girl was from Lakh-
impur Kheri district.
The two had become
friends in Facebook a
while ago and soon the
friendship bloomed
into love. The boy had
promised to marry the
girl but went back on
the promise and turned
off his phone. This
prompted the girl to
seek the boy and when
he was not found, she
reached Mangalpur po-
lice station to file a com-
plaint of cheating
against him. The police
taking suo moto cogni-
zance of the complaint
brought the youth to
police station for inter-
rogation.
SI Umasechandra
said it seems to be an is-
sue of love gone sour
and the accused is being
interrogated, while the
young woman’s rela-
tives have been contact-
ed and the girl has been
sent to her home.
First India Bureau
Lucknow: During the
agitation against the
farmer’s bill, the
Bharatiya Kisan Un-
ion (BKU) spokesper-
son Rakesh Tikait has
been a witness to the
swirling political at-
mosphere due to the
presence of various
parties like Rashtriya
Lok Dal (RLD).
After Baraut, the
Mahapanchayat in
Bhainswal has thrown
light to the increasing
distance between the
leaders.
Along with this, a
viral video of Rakesh
Tikait, BKU spokes-
person expressing ig-
norance of the Ma-
hapanchayat of RLD
in Bhainswala is also
grabbing a lot of at-
tention.
The tears of Rakesh
Tikait has changed the
stance of the Anti-
Farmer’s bill as the
movement has now
transformed into a
battle for political par-
ties to convert crowd
into votes.
Soon after the teary
eyed interview of
Rakesh Tikait, his
brother Naresh Tikait,
leader of Chaudhary
Balyan Khap and Pres-
ident of BKU an-
nounced a Mahapan-
chayat at the GIC
grounds, while Sama-
jwadi Party, Congress,
AAP and Rashtriya
Lok Dal Vice Presi-
dent Jayant Chaud-
hary got involved in
the battle to convert
the crowd into votes.
Where on one hand
Rakesh Tikait had
promised not to let the
famer’s rally become a
political one but on
the other hand he was
quoted as saying that
defeating Ajit Singh
was a mistake.
Soon after this, RLD
began a campaign to
secure votes by organ-
izing a Mahapanchay-
at in Bhainswal while
SP and Congress were
also not far, as they
also seem to be work-
ing on a strategy to
secure votes under the
pretext of farmers.
Gaurav Tikait, son
of Chaudhary Naresh
Tikait was present in
the Mahapanchayat
organized by RLD in
Mathura but the lead-
ers of BKU who were
very active in the Ma-
hapanchayat at Baraut
were missing. While
in the Mahapanchayat
at Bhainswal too, ma-
jor leader of BKU were
not seen but Narendra
Tikait younger broth-
er of Naresh Tikait
was present but only
as a Khap Reprenta-
tive.
Dr. Sanjeev Balyan,
Union Minister at an
event held in Rampur
Tiraha said that the
farmer’s movement
has clearly become a
political one wherein
various political par-
ties are using the
farmers as a shield.
The Union Minister
added that the farmers
are being tricked and
deceived under the
guise of the move-
ment.
POLITICAL PARTIES DO ALL TO RIDE THE
BANDWAGON OF FARMERS’ PROTEST
Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesperson Rakesh Tikait in tears.
NAILS, BARBED
WIRE IN
VARANASI TO
REPLICATE
GHAZIPUR
BORDER
There won’t be many
instances in Indian
history when an internal
matter of the country
has been talked about
so widely globally. That
has also given a chance
to the opposition to
up the ante against
the government by
maintaining pressure
tactics. However, as
history may have it,
for every occasion,
Indians have a unique
way of expression.
Following the trend,
a Samajwadi Party
leader from Varanasi
has joined the farmer
protest bandwagon in
his own unique way.
The leader, who is a
former corporator, has
converted his own home
into fortress replicating
the Ghazipur border.
The leader’s name is
Ravikant Vishwakarma
who has installed nails
and barbed wire at
the main entrance of
his house in Varanasi.
What’s interesting is the
fact that he hasn’t done
a makeshift arrangement
rather he has quite
literally, fortified his
beloved Ashiyaana as
mark to show solidarity
with Indian farmers. He
isn’t even allowing his
own family members
to trespass that. No
matter how successful
he would be in bringing
the government down
to knees but he is surely
rolling a lot of heads in
state legislature.
— Vishal Srivastav

WILL THE
TWAINS MEET?
The appointment of
Bhavesh Kumar,
a former IPS officer
of 1987 batch as
Chief Information
Commissioner (CIC) may
lead to a piquant, if not a
pecking order, situation
in the State Information
Commission. This
is because Kumar’s
team of Information
Commissioners (10
to be precise) also
includes a bright and
upright former civil
servant Rajeev Kapoor,
who not only hails
from the more elite IAS
fraternity but is also at
least four years (1984
batch) senior to the CIC.
Interestingly, Kapoor,
who has served as
Secretary on several key
positions in Government
of India, also applied
for his elevation as
CIC. In fact, he was not
alone, the chairman of
Revenue Board, one
of the most senior IAS
officer in the State, too
had thrown his hat in
the ring for the plum
post. But Kumar pipped
both to the post. The
“burra sahibs”, as well
know, are very particular
about hierarchy, a trait
which has been handed
down to them by the
Indian Civil Service
(ICS) from the British
Raj era. Can we say,
hierarchy be dammed
post-retirement? Both
Kumar and Kapoor have
a long way to go in their
three-year tenure. And
we know that it takes
two to Tango. So best of
bonding!
—M Tariq Khan
SULKING
MINISTER OF
STATE
Arow has erupted
between a Cabinet
and his junior Minister
of State in the state
government. The Junior
Minister had become an
eyesore ever since he
was installed and started
grossly interfering in the
functioning of a board of
a minority community.
The situation came to
such a pass recently
that after a controversial
decision of the junior
colleague the Cabinet
minister was forced to
divest him of the charge
of the Board where
a CBI inquiry is also
going on. The Cabinet
minister was piqued
that his minister of
state relieved the CEO
of the Board without
taking his permission.
While the CEO has been
re-instated the MOS has
been removed from the
charge of the board.
Siraj Mehdi versus Rajiv
Shukla in Congress
The suspended UP
State Congress leader
Siraj Mehdi has shot
off a missive to the
AICC general Secretary
and in charge of UP
Priyanka Gandhi about
the activities of former
MP Rajiv Shukla. The
suspended leader has
accused Shukla, who
was also a minister
in UPA regime, of
hobnobbing with
BJP. Mehdi says after
enjoying power in
Congress Shukla who
is from Kanpur, was
now hand in gloves with
BJP through son of a
senior BJP minister.
Many “swollen” faces
among officers The
appointment of IPS
officers Bhavesh Kumar,
who retired recently,
as Chief Information
Commissioner (CIC) has
left many senior IAS and
IPS officers sulking for
failing to get reward for
their “services” from the
present dispensation.
These “swollen” faces
officers are now trying
to find fault in the new
CIC and trying to dig
past records.
—Fist India Bureau

Change is the only permanent
thing, either you change yourself
or the world will change around
you… isolating you.
—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO Editor, First India
08
2NDFRONT
Anita Hada
Lucknow: There is a
flurry of activities in
Panchayat depart-
ment to meet the High
Court deadline of
April 30 for holding
three-tier Panchayat
elections in Uttar
Pradesh.
The court, while re-
fusing to extend the
date for the elections,
had directed the State
Election Commission to
complete the process by
April 30. Initially the
elections were to be
completed by end of
January 2021.
Sources in the state
election commission
said they had almost
prepared the plan in-
cluding the finalisa-
tion of the electoral
rolls for the polls,
however, the delay
was on the part of the
Panchayat depart-
ment as it was to de-
cide about the reser-
vation of panchayats.
Since the reservation
of village panchayats,
numbering about
59,000, is politically cru-
cial and the govern-
ment was careful about
deciding the matter.
Now after the court
directive the panchayat
department has
planned to push the res-
ervation process by
next week.
Panchayat Raj Minis-
ter Bhupendra Singh
Chaudhury said the
government would hold
the elections as per the
guidelines of the court
and reservation policy
be announced by
Febraury 10 in which
the allotment of posts
and wards to SCs, STs,
BCs and women are to
be finalised.
It may be recalled
that after the expiry
of five-year term of
rural elected bodies
came to end on De-
cember 25, 2020, the
state government had
appointed adminis-
trators for six months
which led to filing of
PILs in both Alla-
habad and Lucknow
High Courts. Even
though delimitation
process had been com-
pleted by January the
reservation process
was delayed. The on-
going farmers agita-
tion also reportedly
played role in slowing
down the process.
However, the state
government is unlikely
to accept the proposal of
Rural Development
Minister Rajendra Sin-
gh alias Moti Singh
about 10 percent reser-
vationtoUppercastesin
Panchayat.
Sources said the gov-
ernment will follow old
rotation formula to
posts and wards at all
three-level village pan-
chayat, kshetra pan-
chayat and Zila Pan-
chayat. In UP while vil-
lage panchayat polls are
party-less and no politi-
cal party allot its sym-
bols but at Kshetra and
zila Panchayat political
parties join the fray
.
However, in view of
2022 assembly election
the BJP in order to fur-
ther firm up its grip in
rural areas has already
deployed its well-oiled
election machinery to
identify indirectly party
supported candidates.
UPspeedsupprocessforreservation
of panchayats to meet HC deadline
The court had directed the State Election Commission to complete the poll process by April 30
BIG BATTLE
First India Bureau
Lucknow: A case has
been registered
against 11 employees
including two IAS of-
ficers in Lucknow on
charges of forgery
and sexual harass-
ment.
According to infor-
mation, on the com-
plaint of a woman eval-
uation officer, the
Women’s Commission
directed to register an
FIR in Lucknow Kot-
wali after which the
police have sued 11 em-
ployees including two
IAS officers.
Allegations of
fraud in the ranking
of residential schools
was also made
against the officers.
As per reports, in the
case of sexual har-
assment, an FIR has
been filed against Di-
rector of ISS Gyan
Prakash Tripathi,
former Director IAS
Ankit Kumar Aggar-
wal and Dr
Satbir Singh, who re-
tired as Joint Direc-
tor at the State Plan-
ning Institute on De-
cember 31, 2020.
Eleven employees in-
cluding two IAS are ac-
cused of harassment.
The woman evaluation
officer had tendered a
complaint with Wom-
ens Commission stat-
ing that accused had
looted several crore of
rupees on the pretext
of job.
Ankit Agarwal is
currently the vice
president of Prayagraj
Development Authori-
ty and Gyan Prakash
Tripathi is the special
secretary planner.
The officials have
been booked under
IPC sections 120 B
(criminal conspira-
cy), 420 (cheating and
dishonestly inducing
delivery of property),
467 (forgery of valu-
able security, will,
etc), 468 (forgery for
purpose of cheating),
471 (using as genuine
a forged), 409 (crimi-
nal breach of trust by
public servant, or by
banker, merchant or
agent), 504 (inten-
tional insult with in-
tent to provoke
breach of the peace)
and 506 (criminal in-
timidation).
2 IAS officers among 11 booked for forgery, harassment
MAJOR FRAUD
—FILE
PHOTO
—FILE
PHOTO
Evaluation officer reaches Women’s
Commission to seek justice
First India Bureau
Budaun: A 40-year-old
Bahujan Samaj Party
leader killed himself by
consuming a poisonous
substance at a tehsil of-
fice in Badaun district
after he was allegedly
harassed by the SDM
and a revenue official
over a land allotment is-
sue, police said on Sun-
day
. Harveer Singh (40)
had consumed celphos
tablets on Saturday at
the Sahaswan tehsil of-
fice. He died at a hospi-
tal, they said.
According to the fam-
ily members of Harveer
Singh, he was the tehsil
head of the BSP and a
resident of Rasoolpur
Dhaka village.
In a two-page suicide
note, the BSP leader
held the sub-divisional
magistrate (SDM) of Sa-
haswan tehsil and a ka-
nungo responsible for
the extreme step.
Taking serious cogni-
zance of the incident,
the administration has
suspended the kanun-
go, Onkar Singh, and
the matter is being
probed by the Addition-
al District Magistrate,
police said.
Senior Superinten-
dent of Police Sankalp
Sharma said Harveer
Singh died by suicide
after consuming a poi-
sonous substance.
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Opposition
parties in UP on Sunday
termed the disaster
caused due to flash
floods triggered by a
massive glacial burst in
Uttarakhand’s Chamoli
district extremely sad,
and urged the Centre to
extend all possible help
to the state.
BSP supremo
Mayawati said the loss
of lives was extremely
saddening. “The loss of
lives in the lower areas
caused after an ava-
lanche in Chamoli dis-
trict of Uttarakhand is
extremely saddening.
The Centre should en-
sure every type of help
to the state government
to tackle the disaster,”
Mayawatisaidinatweet
in Hindi.
A part of the Nanda
Devi glacier broke off at
Joshimath in Chamoli,
leading to a massive
flood in the Dhauli Gan-
ga river and causing
large-scale devastation
in the upper reaches of
the ecologically fragile
Himalayas.
Over 150 labourers
working at a power pro-
ject in Tapovan-Reni are
feared dead, an Indo Ti-
betan Border Police
spokesperson said while
quoting the project-in
charge. Three bodies
were recovered.
SP chief Akhilesh Ya-
dav said the govern-
ment’s priority should
be on rescuing stranded
people in the affected ar-
eas. “The priority of the
government should be
to rescue people who are
stranded and immedi-
ately locate those who
are missing. We appeal
to our people to extend
all possible help to the
affected people,” Yadav
said in a Hindi tweet.
First India Bureau
Lucknow: As vaccina-
tion drive against
Covid-19 speed up in
UP
, the number of Co-
rona positive cases
has been depleting
positively.
This has come as a
major boost for the
state which has stood
out in containing the
virus spread. On Sun-
day, only 113 new cases
and one death were re-
ported from across the
state.
The COVID-19 death
toll in Uttar Pradesh
rose to 8,687 on Sunday
with one more fatality,
the lowest in many
months of the pandem-
ic, while 113 new cases
pushed the infection
count to 6,01,385, an of-
ficial statement issued
here said.
The lone COVID-19
death was reported
from the state’s Bahra-
ich district, the state-
ment issued by the Ut-
tar Pradesh govern-
ment said.
In the past 24 hours,
670 COVID-19 patients
have recovered from
the disease, taking the
overall recoveries to
5,88,818, it said.
The count of active
COVID-19 cases stands
at 3,880, the statement
said.
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Two women
killed, three kids in-
jured in attack by
known couple in Ghazi-
abad. The police have
arrested both accused.
Dolly (32) and her
kids tuition teacher
Anju were shot dead
and murdered with
sharp weapons by her
distance relative wom-
an and her lover in their
house in Saraswati Vi-
har in Shatabdipuram
under Masuri police
station area.
SSP Kalanidhi
Naithani here said
Uma, a resident of Lal
Quarter area under
Sihani Gate police sta-
tionarea,hadmurdered
two women with her
lover Sonu.
One pistol, stones,
knives, looted jewellery
and cash were recov-
ered from Uma’s house,
he said adding that it
was also reported that
some kin of deceased
family had vandalised
the accused’s house.
At the time of inci-
dence three children
Gauri (10), Meenakshi
(7) and Rudra (5) of de-
ceased Dolly were also
present in the house.
Uma and her accom-
plice Sonu had beaten
them brutally after the
heinous crime. Injured
Gauri who saw the
whole incident told po-
lice about the attackers.
She recognised Uma
and told that Uncle-
aunty committed crime.
Harassed BSP
leader kills self by
consuming poison
Oppn urges Centre
to assist Uttrakhand
State sees dip in
active Covid cases
Two women killed, three children injured
in Ghaziabad house; 2 accused arrested
Harveer Singh
A portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Tapovan area in Uttarakhand.
A part of the Nanda
Devi glacier broke off
at Joshimath, leading
to a massive flood in
the Dhauli Ganga
FLYING HIGH
ACS Information Navneet Sehgal handed over the trophy to the winning team Electronic
Media who defeated Digital Media by 8 wickets to register a thumping win in the final of
Inter-Media T20 Cricket Tournament at KD Singh Babu Stadum in Lucknow on Sunday.
First India Bureau
Varanasi: Former
Congress MLA Ajay
Rai has written a letter
to Uttar Praesh Chief
Minister Yogi Adity-
anath for protection
from mafia turned poli-
tician Mukhtar Ansari.
Ajay Rai said that
shooters of Mukhtar
gang had killed his
brother Awadhesh Rai
in August 1991. Ajay
Rai was eyewitness of
the crime and he has to
give testimony in court
on February 9. He said
that he was going to Al-
lahabad HC for the case
regularly.
The court has issued
directives to provide
security to him but UP
government was ignor-
ing that under political
vengeance. Rai alleged
that Yogi government
was saving mafia don
Mukhtar Ansari. He
said that government
does not want that I
should give my testi-
mony against Mukhtar
in the court.
Former Cong
MLA writes to
CM Yogi for
protection

LUCKNOW, MONDAY
FEBRUARY 8, 2021
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia
facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia 09
agic of fashion and
glamour, tunes of Ra-
jasthani folk music
and the bright lights,
this was the view of
the 10th edition of the
Jodhpur Couture
Show held at Marugarh
resort, Jodhpur on Sun-
day
.
Models presented the
exclusive and creative
designs on the ramp at
the state’s largest fash-
ion festival organised
topromoteRajasthani
heritage. Nine de-
signers from Ra-
jasthan showcased
garments, jewellery
and makeup in their
collections.
Jagdeesh Chandra
gracedtheeveningwith
his presence as
the chief guest
while dignitar-
ies from sever-
alcitiesof the
state attend-
ed the event
including the Jodhpur Couture
Show directors Gaurav Gaur
and Ajay Singh Rao. Co-spon-
sored by Rajan Amplifier and
Pinch Pictures, the show began
with designer Monika Bohra’s
traditionalgarmentsfromDun-
gri Studio, Jaipur with actress
CharviTanyaDuttaastheshow
stopper. After this, Kunjal and
Himanshi Rawal from Classic
Makeup Studio, Jodhpur show-
cased the trending makeup and
hairdos of 2021, during which
supermodel Nupur Jhankal
was the show stopper. In the
third sequence of the show,
Nikhil Mehta from Rivaayat
presented his garments with
Swati Jangid and Gaurav Gaur
as the showstoppers. After this,
AkankshaBhallawastheshow-
stopper in the sequence of de-
signer Yogesh Jajra from Indus
PrideFashion.ModiUniversity
showcasedthecollectionof gar-
ments on the ramp which was
prepared by their students.
Later in the show, Abhishek
Trivedi from Deepe’s Jodhpur
showcased his men’s collection
with Mr India 2020, Vinay Dan-
gibeingtheshowstopper.Jewel-
lery designer Ajay Singh from
AGJ Jewellery showcased his
traditional, fusion and party
wear jewellery collection while
Divija Gambhir was the show-
stopper.
In the last two sequels of the
show, designer from Nir-
wan, Vandana Nirupama
andHarshadPahujafrom
WovenThreadsshow-
cased their collec-
tions with supermodels Divya
Kasliwal and Aditi Hundia be-
ing the show stopper.
Jodhpur Couture Show took place on Sunday at
Marugarh Resort, Jodhpur. Designers from different
cities of Rajasthan showcased their collection amid
the magic of Rajasthani folk music!
THE ROYAL EVENING
MANSI BACHANI
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
M
Jagdeesh Chandra with (from left) Tanu Choudhary, Isha Agarwal, Soni Kumari, Dhanshree Rawal, Aditi Sharma, Isha Agarwal,
Radhika Choudhary, Nupur Jhankal, Gaurav Gaur, Mansi Bachani, Riya Sain, Bhavya Jain, Tripti Arora, Archna Lodha and Divya Kasliwal
Divija Gambhir
From left: Riya Sain, Soni Kumari, Radhika Choudhary and Khushboo Dahiya Akanksha Bhalla
Charvi Tanya Dutta
Jagdeesh Chandra with (from left) Ritu Deora and Romila Gambhir Gaurav Gaur and Swati Jangid
—PHOTOS BY SANTOSH SHARMA

10
ETC
F
A
C
E
O
F
T
H
E
D
A
Y
KAJOL KUMAWAT, Model
LEO
JULY 24 - AUGUST 23
Be a little proactive on the
professional front and
volunteer to take more
responsibilities. Students
are likely to add a feather in their cap
by bringing in brilliant results in the
studies. Financial front grows
stronger as you come across big
money and invest it somewhere good.
LIBRA
SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22
A financially sound
investment is likely to
come your way. Your hard
work is likely to be
recognised and get you back into the
rat race. Initiatives taken by you on
the professional front are likely to be
appreciated by all. Good earning is
set to improve your quality of life.
ARIES
MAR 21 - APR 20
This is one of your luckiest
days in which you are
poised to achieve the
unachievable! This is a
rewarding day to grab the benefits.
Your performance on a specific task
is likely to come up for praise by
those who matter. Salary increase
may become a reality for some.
SAGITTARIUS
NOV 23 - DEC 22
Stars indicate a strong
possibility of a windfall. You
continue to excel on the
academic front. Appreciation
comes to you for something achieved
on the professional front. A deeper
understanding with the one you love
can be expected and help strengthen
the loving bonds.
GEMINI
MAY 21 - JUNE 21
Property related transac-
tions should be postponed
to a later date. A get
together with cousins and
friends will bring in the fun element.
Those looking for jobs may have to
pull up their socks to prepare for the
upcoming interviews. Your hard work
will be quite visible.
AQUARIUS
JAN 21 - FEB 19
Your standing on the social
front may get the boost it
deserves. A comparatively
cooler time at work may
come as a big relief to some. Someone
with his or her self-interest in mind is
likely to appease you. You cannot help
but appreciate your rival on the social
front for his or her achievements.
TAURUS
APR 21 - MAY 20
Those trying to raise a loan
will meet with success.
Moonlighting promises to
earn good money for
some. Choosing healthy alternatives
over junk food is likely to have a
positive effect on your health. Your
helpful nature will be much
appreciated in a social gathering.
CAPRICORN
DEC 23 - JAN 20
This is an excellent day
that promises to boost
your image both on the
social and professional
fronts. Winning a lucrative deal on
the business front is indicated and
will help in furthering your interests.
Taking some time off from the
routine will help you rejuvenate.
VIRGO
AUG 24 - SEP 23
Someone can ask you for a
favour on the professional
front. You are likely to
settle well in your work
routine today. At times it is best to
keep your opinions to yourself. A
positive influence on health by
changed lifestyle and self-discipline
will be quite apparent.
CANCER
JUNE 22 - JULY 23
You are likely to remain
socially active by meeting
whoever you can and
expanding your circle. A
property owned by you is likely to
give you good returns. Job seekers
may be in for a long wait for getting a
suitable job. Your friend’s circle is set
to increase as you befriend someone.
PISCES
FEB20 - MARCH 20
You manage to keep
people who matter on your
right side on the social
front. There are many who
will support you when you really
require them. Meeting friends and
relatives, you hit out well with is
indicated today. Acquisition of
property is in the pipeline for some.
SCORPIO
OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22
Professionally, you may
feel on the top of the world
as things move favourably.
Excellent showing on the
academic front will help you join the
lead pack. Your image on the social
front shines bright, as you remain at
your helpful best. Marriage of
someone in the family is to get fixed.
YOUR
DAY
Horoscope by
Saurabbh Sachdeva
ne of the biggest
challenges of
managing an ani-
mal hospital or
shelter is that of
overcrowding.
Managing the
massive number of in-
jured, sick, and abandoned
pups and dogs is a matter
of concern for most shel-
ters not just within our
country but also abroad.
Shelters then have little
choice but to either stop
rescues or administer PTS
to control the occupancy at
their shelter. The former is
detrimental to other ani-
mals in need of care, and
the latter is every animal
lover’s nightmare. You can
cringe at the thought of
mercy killing all you want,
but what other choice does
a shelter have? Animal
shelter overcrowding is a
community-created prob-
lem. We need to accept this
fact.
Everyone is quick to
point fingers at the NGO
when they find ways to
handle the issue, but none
of these people are willing
to understand the prob-
lems being faced by shelter
workers. Let me ask you
this. Have you come for-
ward to adopt an Indie pup
from a shelter near you?
Have you taken home an
Indie dog from your neigh-
borhood? Or have you cho-
sen to “buy” a pedigree
pup instead? Have you or-
ganized a mass spaying
and neutering program in
your neighborhood? Or
have you just dropped off a
bunch of pups separating
them from their mother at
the gate of an animal shel-
ter? Think about it. This is
indeed a serious issue.
It is true, our poor desi
dogs and pups are suffer-
ing at the cost of “fake”
dog lovers who only seem
to want to adopt or “buy” a
foreign breed dog. They
are also suffering because
people bring animals and
abandon them at a shelter
as though to rid their
neighborhood of street
dogs or under the guise of
giving pups a second
chance. We all know that
shelters do not have the
means to handle the large
influx of rescued animals.
In a country where breed-
ers are proliferating, our
desi dogs are suffering.
How then can they call
themselves a dog lover?
I think the right label for
them would be “breed lov-
er.” If they would be dog
lovers they would never
call to find out if there is
an “angrezi” breed-wala
dog for adoption. Ironical-
ly, people are willing to
even adopt a blind or lame
foreign breed dog, but not
a healthy Indie dog. How
then can they classify
themselves as dog lovers?
Now I am not against a
German Shepard or a
Saint Bernard or an Alas-
kan Huskie or a Pug. I can
shower them all with the
same amount of love. I am
just against us preferring
foreign breed dogs which
creates demand, and this
feeds into supply
.
Let me break it to you,
our weather is not condu-
cive to many foreign
breeds. How do you expect
a Huskie to be happy in a
place like Jaipur? How do
you expect a Pug to breathe
comfortably? And how do
you not sense the discom-
fort of the St. Bernard at
your home?
The problem is with our
mentality. We keep buying
foreign breed dogs while
thousands of pups and
dogs in shelters are aban-
doned in shelters. It is
tragic that we, as a com-
munity, dump that burden
onto those individuals
who work in that shelter.
And in a lot of times,
you’ll see that community
turn right around, on so-
cial media or whatever
avenue, they want to point
the finger to that shelter
and say ‘Oh my God,
you’re killing healthy ani-
mals.’ But quite frankly,
the mirror needs to turn
to our community, and we
need to say, ‘Oh my God,
why are we producing and
dumping these animals?
Why are we buying pedi-
gree pups? Why are we do-
ing that?’”
What I fail to understand
is this: Indians feel pride in
things made in their coun-
try. Where then does this
pridevanishwhenitcomes
to picking an Indie dog?
How does an Indie pet di-
minish your social stature
in society? And how does a
Labrador, for instance, en-
hance your position?
I find myself lecturing
prospective adopters about
this as they always ask me
what breeds we have for
adoption at the shelter.
There is always this pause,
almost like a disappoint-
ment when I say “Indian
puppies.” They then
shamelessly ask me if we
have any foreign breed
dogs for adoption. Are they
all street dogs, they ask.
And I am sure they will
never forget the talk I have
with them thereafter.
I have another sugges-
tion. We need to quit refer-
ring to desi dogs as street
dogs. Maybe if we did they
would be more accepted as
companion animals that
can be kept indoors. They
have a type too. So refer to
them by that. They deserve
their rightful place in soci-
ety alongside their foreign
peers.
So stop by that shelter
and bring home a desi pup
or adult dog today!
DESI
DESI
LOVE
LOVE
MARIAM ABUHAIDERI
thepersianladki@gmail.com
O

S
inger Kylie Mi-
nogue is engaged
to boyfriend
Paul Solomon.
The news has been
confirmed by
Paul’s stepmother
Gloria Solomon. The
confirmation of the en-
gagement comes after
actress Billie Pepper ac-
cidentally let out the
news and re-
ferred to Paul
as Kylie’s fi-
ance during
a magazine
interview.
“She is very
nice I’m
t h r i l l e d
they’re en-
gaged. it’s
very excit-
ing.” Glo-
ria shared.
Gloria also
said that
she doesn’t
k n o w
when or where
the wedding will take
place. —Agency
G
igi Hadid, who recently welcomed her first child, a
baby girl named Khai with Zayn Malik, is respond-
ing to the rumours of getting plastic surgery and
fillers done because of how her face has changed
over the years. During a segment for Vogue titled Beauty
Secrets via Just Jared, the 25-year-old supermodel con-
fessed how people assumed her nose looked different in
her ‘then’ and ‘now’ snapshots. —Agency
ETC
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia LUCKNOW | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2021
11
SHAZAM RUMOURS
A REMINISCENCE
A GREAT LOSS
1 YEAR
ALREADY?
SHOOTING SPREE
MESMERIZING
IN BLUE
THODA THODA PYAAR
ACCUSED SUNNY
D
espite multiple rampant
rumours suggesting otherwise,
the upcoming DC Films project
‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ will not
feature Henry Cavill reprising his
role as Superman. Two sources with
direct knowledge of the production
and Cavill’s schedule confirmed
that Henry Cavill will not appear as
Superman in the upcoming DC Film
‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’. The film
will be a sequel to the hit 2019 film
‘Shazam!’. —Agency
I
t’s been a long time since
the departed soul has left
for his heavenly abode and
yet we reminiscence about
him while listening to ‘tum
itna jo muskura rahe ho’. His
melodies have left our hearts
in the sink.
As we dedicate this day in
the memory of Jagjit Singh,
The King of Ghazals. We re-
member his contribution to
our lives and his immense
capability of putting his
heart into lyrics. Born in Sri
Ganganagar into a Punjabi
family, Jagjit Singh’s life is a
known tragic tale, something
that he has weaved into his
music.
We also remember the time
when he could make us fall in
love with his songs, ‘tumko
dekha toh ye khayal aya’ and
‘hothon se chhu lo tum’. City
First salutes such legends
and we dedicate this day to
his remembrance. —Agency
R
obert C Jones, the acclaimed
film editor who shaped classics
such as ‘Guess Who’s Coming
to Dinner’ and ‘Love Story, has
passed away. The artist, who won a
screenplay Oscar for the war drama
‘Coming Home’, was 84 when he
breathed his last. The esteemed film
editor died on February 1 at his home
in Los Angeles after a battle with
Lewy body dementia. The late star’s
daughter Leslie Jones confirmed the
news of her father’s demise. —Agency
O
n the first anni-
versary of her
movie ‘Malang’,
Disha Patani re-
calls her experiences
while shooting the mov-
ie. Disha shares, “It’s
been one year to Malang
already
, time definitely
flies. I have had a blast
shooting for this film,
the message was to un-
leash the madness and
we absolutely did. The
film had a bit of every-
thing from action, dra-
ma,romanceandthrill.”
Hercharacterdemanded
aphysicaloutputbutshe
enjoyed the ride. —Agency
T
om Holland is already a busy
man in 2021 (and it’s only Feb-
ruary!) as he’s shooting for Spi-
der-Man 3 in Atlanta, Georgia, while
his Apple TV+ movie Cherry releases
next month on March 12. Moreover,
Tom’s other upcoming projects also
include Chaos Walking and Uncharted
which shows us the diverse storylines
the 24-year-old actor is sinking his
talented teeth into. —Agency
W
hile taking some time off with
her girl gang, Alia Bhatt has
chosen the best destination to
relax. Sharing the pictures of
her much-needed break in the Maldives,
Alia looks mesmerizing in blue. The actress
isaccompaniedwithherbestfriendsAkan-
sha Ranjan Kapoor and Anushka Ranjan
Kapoor in the tropical paradise. —Agency
C
ontinuing the buzz in his life,
Sidharth Malhotra has yet again
revealed to his audience the
teaser of his upcoming music video
with Zee Music Company titled, ‘Tho-
da Thoda Pyaar’. Shot in picturesque
locations, the music video has been
directed by Bosco Lee Martis. The
teaser reveals the story of a couple
meeting at a coffee shop. —Agency
T
he Kochi Crime Branch has
filed a complaint against Sunny
Leone for not being present at
an event she was being paid for. The
actress commented that the event
was re-scheduled, because of which
couldn’t match her schedule. —Agency
atalie Portman on Satur-
day snubbed reports sug-
gesting she is pregnant.
“Hey, so I’m totally not
pregnant,” Natalie posted
on the Instagram story
after sections of the
American media suggested she
could be expecting. Earlier, the en-
tertainment portal Page Six had
speculated a baby bump when she
was spotted in a loose top. The ac-
tress, who is currently
shooting in Australia,
also hit back at body-
shamers in another
post: “But appar-
ently it’s still okay
in 2021 for anyone
to comment on a
woman’s body shape
whenever they
want? Do better.”
—Agency
TOTALLY NOT PREGNANT
N
Responding
torumours
ENGAGED!
Alia Bhatt
Natalia Portman
Henry Cavil
Lt. Robert C Jones
Jagjit Singh
Tom Holland
Gigi Hadid
...still from the video
Sunny Leone
Kylie Minogue
Disha Patani
...her post

12
CITY BUZZ
BIRTHDAYS!
(From top) IAS Pranjal
Yadav, IAS Yashu Rastogi,
IAS Shanmuga Sundarm,
IAS Kedar Nath Singh, IPS
Braj Bhushan, IPS Sunil
Kumar Singh celebrated
their birthdays on Sunday,
February 7. We wish them
all the best!
People of the city are enjoying the beautiful display of flowers in the ongoing Rajbhawan Flower Exhibition. Along with the exhibition, a flower decoration competition was held for kids where they were
awarded for their creativity. The spectators also enjoyed the UP Metro stall at the exhibition. Some of the major attractions for the visitors at the exhibition were Lucknow Metro Mascot, souvenir items,
different flower stations and their valleys.
RAJBHAWAN
FLOWER SHOW
City welcomes it’s most modern salon and make up studio!
KIANDKA
ttar Pradesh
Minister of
State for Wom-
en’s welfare,
Swati Singh
inaugurated
the city’s most
modern Ki and Ka Sa-
lon and Makeup Stu-
dio in Gomti Nagar,
2/16 Vinay Khand,
Lucknow on Sunday.
The salon is promot-
ing women to become
‘Atmanirbhar’. The sa-
lon will also be provid-
ing free training to
women who are eager
to work in the field of
beauty. The director of
the Salon, Pratima
Srivastava said, “We
will be working to-
wards empowering
women by giving them
free training for six
months.
A group of 20 to 25
women will be trained
together so that they
can fulfil their dream
of becoming self-reli-
ant.” Famous gynae-
cologist Preeti Vatsal
along with Aarti
Shrivastava, Ayushi
Srivastava and Annu
Singh were present on
the occasion.
U
VINTAGE CAR RALLY
CITY FIRST
S
arvesh Goel pro-
moterof TheCen-
trum organised a
vintage car rally in asso-
ciation with The Oudh
HeritageCarClub,oneof
India’s oldest and most
prestigious car rally on
Sunday
. The rally fea-
tured some of the most
stunning automobiles
such as MORRIS-1932,
PONTIAC PARISI-
ENNE-1965, WILLYS
JEEPS, AUSTIN A30
PACKARD, MERCEDES
AND JAGUAR. The cars
lined up at Lohia Park,
Gomti Nagar in the
morning and were
flagged off to traverse
through a pre-selected
routeculminatingat“La-
burnum–TheCentrum”
followed by music and
lunch.Alltheproudown-
ers enjoyed the sunny
wintermorning,sumptu-
ous lunch and live music
along with their family
.
PROMOTION! BUDGET MEET! CONGRATULATIONS!
IPS Prachi Singh for her tremendous work as an ACP has
been promoted to the post of Police Commissioner by IPS
DK Thakur.
Executive Members of the Income Tax Bar Association Lucknow held a meeting on BUDGET on
Friday and discussed the tax proposals announced by the Finance Minister.
Bhavesh Kumar Singh took over as Chief Information
Commissioner, Uttar Pradesh at RTI Bhavan on Saturday.
IAS Jagdeesh Prasad Chaurasiya assisted the CIC in taking
over the charge.
ACS Information Navneet Sehgal was the chief guest during the Final match of Inter-Media T20 Cricket Tournament at KD Singh Babu Stadum in Lucknow on Sunday. Sehgal handed over the trophy to the winning team Electronic
Media who beat Digital media by 8 wickets to register a thumping win. —PHOTOS BY SUMIT KUMAR
Promoting the importance of an active and fit lifestyle, city’s people displayed their enthusiasm in Lucknow City Half Marathon-2021 on Sunday. —PHOTOS BY SUMIT KUMAR
CRICKET FEVER!
LUCKNOW CITY HALF MARATHON-2021!
Kids who participated in the flower decoration
competition
Swati Singh with others at the inaugral ceremony
Sarvesh Goel
During the rally
MA Khan and Amit Gujral among the vinatge collection
SUSHMITA AIND
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
Blooming flowers
—PHOTOS BY SUMIT KUMAR
Souvenir at the
UPMRC stall
Spectators at the exhibition

First india lucknow edition-06 february 2021

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