First India-Lucknow Edition-12 May 2021

UP on course to
procure international
Covid vaccines
Lucknow: The Uttar
Pradesh government
may directly procure a
large amount of inter-
national Covid-19 vac-
cines such as Sputnik V
and those developed by
Moderna and Johnson
& Johnson, officials in
the state government
said on Tuesday
.
The state govern-
ment had floated a glob-
al tender for 40 million
of vaccine doses earlier
this month to fulfil its
huge requirements.
Talking about the
tender, Uttar Pradesh
government’s Addition-
al Chief Secretary
Navneet Sehgal said the
pre-bid meeting for it
will be held on Wednes-
day and all interested
players can participate
in it.
More on P2
PICU-Yogi’s ‘Raksha Kavach’ for children against C-19
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Fast-track-
ing the preparations to
protect children from
the COVID-19 infection,
Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister Yogi Adity-
anath has issued in-
structions to set up pae-
diatric intensive care
units in preparation of
the third wave of the
pandemic.
While positivity rates
and daily positive cases
are gradually reducing,
the state is drawing up
plans to prepare for the
thirdwave,whichhealth
experts warn could hit
children. The UP CM,
who was presiding over
a high-level meeting
with his Team 9 officials
and senior cabinet col-
leagues, said that at
least 100 paediatric beds
in every district.
Soon, paediatric beds
with all the resources
will start working as
‘Raksha Kavach’ in hos-
pitals of all metropoli-
tan cities including
Lucknow to protect
children from the dead-
ly coronavirus. The UP
CM is in constant touch
with the experts and
doctors. Instructions
have been issued to
make all possible prepa-
rations to fight against
this disease in all the
districts and villages.
Dr Salman Khan, a
pediatrician at Duffer-
in Hospital in Lucknow,
said that the decision
of the Turn to P6
EVERY LIFE MATTERS
SAVING LIVES
Our priority is to save
lives and we are making
all the possible efforts to
make sure loss of lives
can be prevented. For
this, Uttar Pradesh is
fully prepared, there is
no lack of any medical
aid and manpower.
—CM Yogi Adityanath
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accompanied by CM Yogi, visited the Covid-19 hospital prepared at
the Haj House by HAL in Lucknow on Tuesday. The Defence Minister took stock of the preparations
enquired from experts about the medical systems put in place. —PHOTO BY SUMIT KUMAR
CM Yogi has directed to establish
at least 100 paediatric beds in
every district of Uttar Pradesh
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
LUCKNOW l WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 2021 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. UPENG/2020/04393 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 151
GAZA MILITANTS, KIDS
AMONG 24 DEAD AS
ISRAEL HITS HAMAS
SCHOOL SHOOTING IN
RUSSIA KILLS 9;
SUSPECT ARRESTED
Gaza City: Israel unleashed new airstrikes on Gaza early Tuesday, hitting
high-rise home of a Hamas field commander and two border tunnels
dug by militants, as Hamas and other armed groups fired dozens of
rockets toward Israel. Since Monday when the fighting erupted, 24 Pal-
estinians including 9 children were killed in Gaza, most by airstrikes.
Moscow: A gunman attacked a school Tuesday morning in the Russian
city of Kazan, sending students running out of the building as smoke
poured from its windows. At least 9 people were killed—7 eighth-grade
students, a teacher another school worker— and 21 others were hos-
pitalized, Russian officials said. Officials said attacker has been arrested.
OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD LUCKNOW
INDIA SEES DECLINE IN
DAILY NEW CASES!
l Total active cases dip to 37,15,221 on Tuesday
with net decline of 30,016 cases in 24 hours
l After 61 days, the new recoveries outnumber the
new cases seen in the last 24 hours: Ministry
New Delhi: An early
trend of decline in daily
new COVID-19 cases and
deaths has been noted in
the country
, the govern-
ment said on Tuesday,
indicating that the dev-
astating second wave of
the pandemic is on the
wane. According to the
government, Maharash-
tra,UttarPradesh,Delhi
and Chhattisgarh were
among 18 states and un-
ion territories showing
continued plateauing or
decrease in daily new
COVID-19 cases.
Addressing a press
conference, a senior of-
ficial, however, said Kar-
nataka, Kerala, Tamil
Nadu, West Bengal and
Punjab were among 16
states and union territo-
ries showing continued
increasingtrendindaily
new COVID-19 cases.
Thirteen states have
more than 1 lakh active
COVID-19 cases each
and 26 states have a pos-
itivity rate of over 15
per cent, the govern-
ment said.
Ministryalsoappreci-
ated containment mod-
elsof MumbaiandPune,
saying that such models
need to be replicated at
the national level.
Turn to P6
26 COVID PATIENTS DIE AT GOA
HOSP; MIN SEEKS HC PROBE
Panaji: Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on
Tuesday said 26 COVID-19 patients died at state- run
Goa Medical College and Hospital in the early hours
and sought an investigation by the HC to find out the
cause. He said these fatalities occurred between 2
am and 6 am “which is a fact”, but remained evasive
about the cause. Goa CM Pramod Sawant, who
visited GMCH, said the gap between the Turn to P6
Bodies float in Ganga,
71 fished out so far
Congress creating false
panic:Nadda to Sonia
B a l l i a / G h a z i p u r
(UP): Bodies were seen
floating in the Ganga in
Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia
and Ghazipur districts,
according to local resi-
dents and the authori-
ties on Tuesday
.
Meanwhile, at least
71 bodies were fished
out from the Ganga in
Bihar’s Buxar, which
is downstream the two
UP districts, trigger-
ing suspicion that
these could be of Co-
rona patients.
According to Ballia
residents, at least 45
bodies were seen float-
ing at the Ujiyar, Kul-
hadia and Bharauli
ghats in the Narahi
area. However, the dis-
trict authorities did not
tell the exact number of
bodies found there.
Bodies were also seen
floating in Ghazipur’s
Gahmar and Bara vil-
lages, according to resi-
dents there.
New Delhi: BJP presi-
dent JP Nadda on
Tuesday accused the
Congress of misleading
people and creating
false panic in the fight
against COVID-19, and
alleged that the conduct
of its leaders, including
Rahul Gandhi, during
the pandemic will be re-
membered for “duplici-
ty and pettiness”.
Nadda wrote a four-
page letter to Congress
president Sonia Gan-
dhi, a day after the Con-
gress Working Commit-
tee, the apex body of the
opposition party
, hit out
at Prime Minister Nar-
endra Modi and his gov-
ernment over the han-
dling of the coronavirus
crisis. The BJP presi-
dent also accused Con-
gress leaders, including
a chief minister, of try-
ing to actively create
vaccine Turn to P6
CORONA
CATASTROPHE
INDIA
3,29,942
New cases
3,876
New fatalities
UTTAR PRADESH
20,463
New cases
306
New fatalities
ED books Anil
Deshmukh for
money laundering
Central Vista PIL a bid
to stall project: Centre
New Delhi: Enforce-
ment Directorate has
filed a criminal case
under anti-money
launderinglawagainst
ex-Maharashtra home
minister Anil Desh-
mukh in an alleged
“bribery” case, sourc-
es said on Tuesday
.
They said the case
registered under sec-
tions of the Preven-
tion of Money Laun-
dering Act (PMLA)
has been filed after
studying a CBI FIR
that was filed against
Deshmukh late last
month. The central
probe agency may now
summon Deshmukh,
71, for questioning
apart from others who
have a role in the case,
they said.
The ED case comes
about after the CBI
first carried out a pre-
liminary enquiry, fol-
lowed by filing a regu-
lar case, on the orders
of the Bombay High
Court that asked it to
look into the allega-
tions of bribery made
against Deshmukh by
former Mumbai Police
Commissioner Param
Bir Singh.
The agency has pow-
ers to attach assets of
the accused during the
probe stage.
New Delhi: The Cen-
tre has told the Delhi
High Court that the
PIL seeking stay on the
construction of Cen-
tral Vista here amid
the raging COVID pan-
demicwasjustanother
attempt to stall the pro-
ject which has been
facing such attempts
from the beginning on
one pretext or another.
The “intentions and
motive” behind filing
of the plea are evident
from the fact that the
instant project has
been singled out by the
petitioners despite sev-
eral other agencies,
including Delhi Metro,
carrying out construc-
tion activities across
the national capital,
the Centre has alleged.
“The very fact that
out of all these con-
struction activities go-
ing on simultaneously
for different projects
by different agencies,
the petitioner has cho-
sen to be a public spir-
ited citizen only with
regard to one project
only speaks volumes
Turn to P6
COUNTRY NEEDS A HELPING HAND
IN DISTRESSING TIMES: RAGA
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul
Gandhi on Tuesday urged people
to provide a helping hand to the
needy in these distressing times of
the COVID-19 pandemic. He said
this while asking them to join the
SpeakUpToSaveLives’ campaign
to strengthen the fight against
coronavirus. He also shared an
over one-minute Turn to P6
l 7-day total lockdown
in Nagaland from May
14
l Prioritise those due
for 2nd dose: Centre to
states
l PM Modi will not
attend G7 summit in
person: MEA
l RT-PCR not needed
for travel within states:
ICMR
l Bharat Biotech
begins Covaxin
supplies to 14 states
l Indian Army Common
Entrance Exam
scheduled on May 30
postponed due to current
COVID-19 situation
l 17,27,10,066 vax
doses administered
through 25,15,519
sessions
COVID HIGHLIGHTS
An otherwise busy Kamaraj
Salai area wears a deserted
look during COVID-induced
lockdown, in Chennai.
SUSPENDED COP
VAZE DISMISSED
Sachin Vaze, the ‘en-
counter specialist’, has
been dismissed from the
Mumbai Police. An as-
sistant police inspector,
Vaze, is in NIA custody
in connection with the
Antilia bomb scare case
and Mansukh Hiren
death case.
‘Centre, states
doing all to
tackle crisis’
Lucknow: Defence
Minister Rajnath Sin-
gh on Tuesday said the
Centre and the state
governments are doing
everything possible to
tackle the COVID-19 cri-
sis, while asserting that
only those who perform
commit mistakes.
Lok Sabha MP from
Lucknow visited a 255-
bed COVID hospital
built by the Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited
(HAL) at the Haj House
here. Speaking to re-
porters, Singh said,
More on P2
Anil Deshmukh
WHO PATS
YOGI’S BACK
AGAIN
Lucknow: The
Yogi Adityanath
government’s
massive rural
outreach of trace,
test, track and treat
to prevent Covid-
19’s spread got
a shot in the arm
from the World
Health Organisation
(WHO) on Tuesday
which has decided
to lend its support
to the campaign.
More on P2

UTTAR PRADESH
LUCKNOW | WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 2021
02
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Yogi gov-
ernment’s massive ru-
ral outreach of trace,
test, track and treat to
prevent Covid-19’s
spread got a shot in the
arm from the World
Health Organisation
(WHO) on Tuesday
which has decided to
lend its support to the
campaign.
“With the aim of
breaking the chain of
Corona infection and
keeping villages safe
from Corona, a large
trace, test, track and
treat campaign is cur-
rently being conduct-
ed in more than
97,000 revenue vil-
lages. This campaign
is getting positive re-
sults. The World
Health Organisation
(WHO) has also
praised our campaign
today,” said a govern-
ment communique.
The UP government
said that its cam-
paign, which kicked
off on May 5, has
yielded good results
in villages.
On April 30, there
were 3,10,783 active
COVID-19 cases in the
state. On Monday, the
number is 2,16,057.
Mentioning its own
partnership, the WHO,
in an article, gives fur-
ther details of the mon-
itoring teams that are
moving across 97,941
villages. “Each moni-
toring team has two
members, who visit
homes in villages and
remote hamlets to test
everyone with symp-
toms of COVID-19 using
Rapid Antigen Tests
(RAT) kits.
Those who test posi-
tive are quickly isolated
and given a medicine
kit with advice on dis-
ease management.
All the contacts who
test positive are quar-
antined and tested us-
ing an RT-PCR at home
by a rapid response
team”.
It also says that on
the inaugural day of the
campaign, WHO field
officers monitored over
2,000 government teams
and visited at least
10,000 households.
The organisation will
also help the state gov-
ernment in the compila-
tion of the final reports.
The body has also
drawn attention to In-
dia’s success with the
polio programme.
“Micro planning,
house visits, concurrent
monitoring and follow-
ups were core to India’s
polio eradication strat-
egy to ensure no one
misses access to vacci-
nation and health care
services,” it reads.
Yogi-led-govt’s rural C-drive gets shot in the arm from WHO
HELPING HAND
Medical staff takes a nasal and mouth swab for Covid19 test at a
hospital in Lucknow. —FILE PHOTO
RAJNATHLAUDSYOGI
The Defence Minister and Lucknow MP dedicated Haj House Covid Hospital built in collaboration with HAL, to
the public. He, with CM Yogi, also took stock of medical facilties at the DRDO Covid facility at Avadh Shilp Gram
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Union De-
fence Minister Rajnath
Singh on Tuesday ap-
preciated the alertness
shown by Yogi govern-
ment in effectively han-
dling the second Cov-
id-19 wave in Uttar
Pradesh.
Singh, who repre-
sents Lucknow as MP
was in Lucknow to ded-
icate yet another 255-
bed Covid-facility devel-
oped by HAL jointly
with the help of State
government at UP Haj
House in the presence
of CM Yogi Adityanath.
The Defence Minister
also visited the Atal Bi-
hari Vajpayee Covid
Hospital set up by De-
fence Research Devel-
opment Organisation
(DRDO) in Lucknow
with Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath.”
“The Uttar Pradesh
government has
shown alertness in
handling the COV-
ID-19 pandemic situa-
tion in the state. Only
those who work make
mistakes but this is
not the time to criti-
cise. If someone sees
faults and makes sug-
gestions, the govern-
ment will welcome it,”
he said.
CMYogiexpressedhis
gratitude for the help
and support that Prime
Minister Narendra
Modi, the Union Defence
Minister Singh and the
Centre was providing to
UP to deal with the pan-
demic.
“The Ministry of De-
fenceisplayingacrucial
role in transportation of
Oxygen Tanker through
Air Force planes in the
state” he said.. Located
onKanpurRoad,thehos-
pital is fully equipped
with oxygen facility
. It
has 130 beds available
with L-2 (with oxygen
support), L-2 (with
HFNC support) 100 beds
and L-3 (with ventilator
support) 25 beds. In this,
cylinders and oxygen
plants have been set up
for oxygen supply
. In ad-
dition, it also provides
critical care, quarantine
area, connectivity
, IT
setup, power backup,
CCTV setup, environ-
ment control as well as
equipment and other fa-
cilities. According to
Rakesh Kumar Mishra,
Chief of the project,
HAL (Lucknow), the hi-
hospital was set up in 10-
12 days at Haj house.
Yogi Speaks
Yogi Speaks
CM Yogi has di-
rected all DMs to
ensure that the avail-
able ventilators and
oxygen concentrators
in their district are
in working condition
and to ensure ad-
equate O2 adequate
oxygen supply.
Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath has
deeply mourned the
demise of Justice VS
Sahai, former judge
of the Allahabad
High Court and con-
veyed his heart felt
condolences to the
bereaved family.
UP CM has ex-
pressed grief over
the death of former
minister Yashpal
Chaudhary and
wished peace for the
departed soul.
Yogi said that the
second wave
posed has a new
challenge of O2 sup-
ply - We are thankful
to PM Modi, for run-
ning special trains
for this.”
CM dials AMU
VC as varsity
loses one
more Sr doc
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath spoke
to Aligarh Muslim Uni-
versity (AMU) Vice
Chancellor Tariq Man-
soor over the phone to
enquire about the
health of the patients
and the staff even as
one more doctor suc-
cumbed to Covid-19 on
Tuesday
.
Prof Shoaib Zaheer
(56) is the second senior
faculty member from
the Department of Med-
icine at Jawaharlal
Nehru Medical College
of Aligarh Muslim Uni-
versity (AMU), who
died from the infection
on Tuesday
. The univer-
sity has lost 35 of its
serving and retired fac-
ulty members so far
from COVID and COV-
ID-like symptoms.
So far, over 30 doc-
tors at the medical
college have contract-
ed the infection, said
a university official,
Chief Minister Yogi,
who spoke to AMU VC,
has assured of all pos-
sible support and said
since a large number of
people live on the uni-
versity campus, neces-
sary steps should be
taken to keep them safe
by getting all of them
vaccinated.
Yogi govt to directly procure foreign
vaccines to curb C virus spread in UP
First India Bureau
Lucknow:UttarPradesh
government may direct-
ly procure a large
amountof international
Covid-19 vaccines such
as Sputnik V and those
developed by Moderna
and Johnson John-
son, officials in the state
government said on
Tuesday
.
The state govern-
ment had floated a
global tender for 40 mil-
lion of vaccine doses
earlier this month to
fulfil its requirements.
Talking about the
tender, Uttar Pradesh
government’s Addi-
tional Chief Secre-
tary, (Information)
Navneet Sehgal said
the pre-bid meeting
for it will be held on
Wednesday and all in-
terest players can
participate in the pro-
cess.However, the de-
mand order will be is-
sued for only those vac-
cines that have been
approved by the Gov-
ernment of India, Se-
hgal said.
According to offi-
cials, besides Sputnik V
,
two international vac-
cine manufacturers--
Moderna and Johnson
Johnson are also ex-
pected to take part in
this bid meet.
Sputnik V
, devel-
oped by Russia, is the
only foreign-made
vaccine that has been
approved for emer-
gency use by the Cen-
tre for production
and use in India.
Hyderabad-based
Dr Reddy’s Labs will
be marketing Sputnik
V in India and has
also conducted local
bridging studies.
Whereas Moderna
and Johnson John-
son are yet to get ap-
provals from the In-
dian government.
Sehgal further said
the vaccines will be
given free to the public
through state-run vac-
cination centres and
the state government
will ensure that there
are no budgetary con-
straints in procuring
vaccines.
As per the bid docu-
ment, the state govern-
ment has suggested that
bidders offering vac-
cines should have their
own cold chain trans-
portation system.
Asked about the time-
line for getting these
vaccines, Sehgal said
the state government’s
intent is to get as many
as doses possible at the
earliest.
Recruit paramedic staff
on war footing: CM Yogi
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Grappling
with an acute shortage
of doctors and para-
medic staff specially in
rural area, CM Yogi has
directed officials to un-
dertake recruitment on
war footing and com-
plete the entire hiring
process within a week.
Medical Education
Minister Suresh Khan-
na has been asked to
ensure that necessary
human resources re-
quired for the hospitals
are made available.
The UP government
has decided to rope in
medical/paramedical
final year, interns,
youth who have com-
pleted training and
retired experienced
people to meet the
staff crunch.
On the issue of Oxy-
gen, the UP CM, said
there was a need to im-
prove the arrangement
of oxygen supply to
make sure that it reach-
es patients undergoing
home isolation.
MP
, MLA to verify
med-kit distribution
CM Yogi said that moni-
toring committees pro-
vide medical kits to
home isolated patients
and people with other
suspected symptoms.
Monitoring committees
record the names and
phone numbers of re-
cipients of medical kits,
which should be duly
reverified. A copy of
this should be made
available to the local
public representatives.
Heavy rush of people at Civil hospital of Lucknow to get themselves
vaccinated against Coronavirus. —FILE PHOTO
Defence Minister and Lucknow MP, Rajnath Singh visited visited HAL’s Covid Hospital situated at Haj
House with CM Yogi on Tuesday. Law Minister Brijesh Pathak is also seen in the background.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh,CMYogi,Law Minister Brajesh Pathak visited insides of the DRDO hospital
at Haj House and also interacted with the medical staff over there. —PHOTOS BY SUMIT KUMAR
SAFE HANDS : CM Yogi, Rajnath Singh, Law Minister Brijesh Pathak and DM Abhishek Prakash wore
masks and adhered to Covid protocols. Rajnath kept sanitising his hands regularly.
Sudatta joins
as Deputy
MD in SIDBI
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Sudatta
Mandal has taken
charge as the Deputy
Managing Director of
Small Industries Devel-
opment Bank of India
(SIDBI). The appoint-
ment is for a period of
3years. Prior to this,
Mandal was the Chief
General Manager of
EXIM Bank. Mandal
has an experience of
more than 25 years in
international trade and
investment finance,
project finance, struc-
tured lending, Small
and Medium Enterpris-
es (SME) lending in-
cluding cluster financ-
ing, and trade finance.
WHO TO PLAN...
A health worker in action at
KGMU in Lucknow. File photo
Aligarh Muslim University.
—FILE PHOTO
Sudatta Mandal.—FILE PHOTO

UTTAR PRADESH
03
AMBULANCE
ON AUTO-MODE
The Spread Smile Foundation on Tuesday kicked off city’s first auto ambu-
lance project wherein Autorickshaws equipped with Oxygen support devices,
would be available on call during emergency. During SOS these numbers can
be dialled: 7307574739, 9956899866 9415756308
—
PHOTO
BY
SUMIT
KUMAR
Mucormycosis:Timely medical intervention key for Covid patients
Vishal Srivastav
Lucknow: While win-
ning the battle against
Covid-19 may lift spir-
its of patients, the joy
may be short-lived, es-
pecially for those, who
were hospitalised for a
longer duration. Mu-
cormycosis, commonly
referred to as Black
Fungus, is catching up
fast with patients recu-
perating with Corona-
virus. In KGMU alone,
as many as three con-
firmed patients of the
disease were identified
on Tuesday.
The fungus may de-
velop in the nasal
tract due to poor qual-
ity of water used, or
longer hospitalisa-
tion resulting in re-
duction of immunity.
It’s quite like the fun-
gus which develops
on bread due to mois-
ture, if kept for a long
time.
“People with low im-
munity or those on
heavy antibiotics or
the ones who are kept
in ICUs for a longer du-
ration, are at a greater
risk of contracting Mu-
cormycosis aka Black
Fungus. This is not
new to us as it has been
there for years but now,
since a lot of Covid pa-
tients have lower im-
munity levels, it may
infect them,” said Dr
Samir Misra, Addition-
al Chief Medical Su-
perintendent (CMS),
Trauma Centre,
KGMU, while speaking
to First India.
“We at KGMU have
readied the plan al-
ready to tackle this.
The fungus is quite
treatablebutwhenif
it gets into the blood
streams, it gets prob-
lematic.Hence,doctors
aswellaspatientsmust
take measures to treat
it as early as possible,”
the doctor added.
For anybody on oxy-
gen support in a hospi-
tal, it’s crucial to keep
looking around the nos-
trils for any black pig-
mentation. As soon as
it’s noticed even as the
smallest dot, sirens
should ring, and anti-
fungal vaccination
should start immedi-
ately, experts say
.
The oxygen supply
also needs to be sani-
tised immediately.
While only distilled
water should be used
for hydrating oxygen,
in all hospitals, due to
callosity, negligence or
downright ignorance,
tap water or any other
water available around
is used by the para-
medical staff.
A health worker helping an elderly patient on oxygen support at
KGMU. —PHOTO BY SUMIT KUMAR
20,463 FRESH CASES WERE RECORDED
IN THE LAST 24 HOURS ON TUESDAY
RECORDED MORE DAILY RECOVERIES
THAN THE NUMBER OF FRESH CASES
DOWNWARD TREND
CONTINUES IN STATE
First India Bureau
Lucknow: After a brief
spell of relief where
Covid-19-related deaths
took a downward trend
in Uttar Pradesh, the
state’s death toll
breached the 300-death
mark, yet again. On
Tuesday, the state
recorded 20,463
fresh COVID-19
cases that took
the total tally to
15,45,212, while
306 fatalities
pushed the death toll to
16,043, officials in-
formed on Tuesday
However, the num-
ber of active cases in
the state have come
down by over 94,000 in
the past 10 days, Addi-
tional Chief Secretary,
Health, Amit Mohan
Prasad said. On April
30, there were about
3.10 lakh active cases
while currently num-
ber stands at 2,16,057.
Of the 306 fatalities,
Lucknow reported
maximum deaths at 23,
Kanpur 16, Meerut 15,
Jhansi and Gautam
Buddh Nagar 12 each,
Agra and Azamgarh 11
each, Basti 10 and Vara-
nasi 8, as per a
health bulletin
issued.
Meerut report-
ed the highest
number of fresh
COVID-19 cases at
1,368, followed by 1,229
in Gautam Buddh Na-
gar and 1,154 in Luc-
know, it said. As many
as 29,358 COVID-19 pa-
tients recovered from
the infection in the past
24 hours, Prasad said.
With this, the total
number of patients re-
covered in the state has
risen to 13,13,00, he
added.
First India Bureau
Lucknow: The ef-
forts of Uttar
Pradesh Chief Min-
ister Yogi Adity-
anath has borne
fruit as a record
1011.79 MT of oxy-
gen has been sup-
plied to medical col-
leges, medical insti-
tutions, private hos-
pitals and re-filling
plant in the state in
the last 24 hours.
The air separators
units in the state have
also in the same time
period supplied 88.84
MT of oxygen and
32.475 MT of oxygen
has also been supplied
to the 4604 patients
who are under home
isolation.
Awanish Kumar
Awasthi, Additional
Chief Secretary
Home on the record
supply of oxygen
said that out of the
1011.79 MT of oxy-
gen 632.96 MT have
been supplied to the
refilers by the Food
Safety and Drug Ad-
ministration Depart-
ment and 301.80 MT
of oxygen has been
supplied to medical
colleges and medical
institutes of the
state. He added that
77.03 MT of oxygen
has been supplied di-
rectly to private hos-
pitals by oxygen sup-
pliers.
Following on the
lines of instructions of
the Chief Minister, an
online monitoring of
the oxygen supply sys-
tem is being done
through a special con-
trol room set up in the
Home Department to
fulfill the demand of
oxygen in the state.
This control room is
occupied by senior of-
ficials and employees
of the Home Depart-
ment and various other
departments, who have
been working continu-
ously for 24 hours so
that there is no short-
age of oxygen in the
state.
Ambulance being sanitised by a frontline worker at KGMU.
The oxygen has been supplied to medical colleges, medical
institutions, private hospitals and re-filling plant in the state in the
last 24 hours. —FILE PHOTO
CM’S TEST TRACE TREAT HELPS
POSITIVITY RATE SLIDE TO 8.76%
4256 POLICEMEN EXPOSED TO
CORONA VIRUS TILL DATE
Lucknow: The daily Covid positivity rate — the
number of positive cases against the total tests
done — on Tuesday dipped below 10 percent for
the first time since the middle of last month. This
rate was at its highest at 16.84 percent on April 24
during the second wave of the pandemic. It has
now come down to 8.76 percent. Intensifying pre-
ventive measures to control the spread of Covid-19
as per the target of ‘test, trace and treat’, the Yogi-
led Uttar Pradesh has employed the vigorous T-3
regime to bring down the transmission levels and
to break the Covid Chain.
Lucknow: A Police department have managed
2,365 beds for medical emergency in police lines.
Among these 2,365 beds 260 beds will be equipped
with oxygen supply. As many as 1891 policemen
who were exposed to Corona virus infection were
getting treatment in these facilities. As many as 15
policemen were referred to higher facility hospitals
after their condition deteriorated. One policeman
admitted in GRP Covid care centre have lost his life.
Also, 4256 policemen have been exposed to Corona
virus till date while 15,409 policemen were recov-
ered and sent back to home.
COVID-19 UPDATE
TOTAL CASES
TOTAL DEATHS
16,043
NEW CASES
20,463
NEW DEATHS
306
LUCKNOW 23
VARANASI 8
KANPUR 16
MEERUT 15
AZAMGARH 11
AGRA 11
GAUTAM BUDDH NA-
GAR 12
RECOVERED 13,13,00
ACTIVE CASES 2,16,057
15,45,212
KEY
Highlights
Lucknow: The Deoria
district magistrate
has sought financial
assistance from local
residents to combat
the COVID-19
pandemic. A tweet
in Hindi posted from
the official twitter
handle of Deoria
District Magistrate
Ashutosh Niranjan
said all residents
of the district, who
want to help the
administration
to combat the
COVID-19 pandemic
and make a donation,
can do so.
Lucknow: The
Uttar Pradesh
Medical Education
Department has
removed with
immediate effect
the principal of the
Badaun Medical
College after
discrepancies were
noticed in his work.
Dr Dharmendra
Gupta has been
given the charge of
interim Principal of
the medical college
until further orders
from the authority.
DM SEEKS
DONATION
FROM PEOPLE
TO FIGHT COVID
NEW INTERIM
PRINCIPAL OF
MED COLLEGE
Record1011.79
MTO2supplied
instate:Awasthi
CONTROL
ROOM
ESTABLISHED
An online monitoring
of the oxygen supply
system is being done
through a special
control room set up
in the Home Depart-
ment to fulfill the
demand of oxygen in
the state. This control
room is occupied by
senior officials and
employees of the
Home Department
and various other
departments, who
have been working
continuously for 24
hours so that there
is no shortage of
oxygen in the state.
First India Bureau
Kanpur: Indian Insti-
tute of Technology
(IIT) Kanpur deputy
registrar Surjeet Das
committed suicide by
hanging self in his
room inside varsity
premises.
It was reported that
Das was under depres-
sion from long time
and his depression
was deepened after his
son was exposed to Co-
rona virus. Commis-
sioner of police Asim
Arun here said that
the body of Surjeet
Das (40) was found
hanging in his room at
his official residence
in Indian Institute of
Technology campus.
Prima facie it appears
to be a case of hang-
ing, he pointed out.
Sanjiv Suman, DCP,
West said that probe
has been launched into
the matter and all the
aspects of the case will
be investigated. He said
deceased hailed from
Assam, was working in
the office of dean of
faculty affairs. He was
under medication for
depression from past 10
years, he added. His
condition was severe
after his 17-month-old
son was tested positive
for Corona virus infec-
tion, DCP said adding
that Das allegedly
hanged himself in his
room early in the Tues-
day morning. His wife
Bulbul informed police
when she found her
hanging in room.
After son tests covid positive, IIT Kanpur
deputy registrar commits suicide in campus
Surjeet Das
MEGA VACCINATION DRIVE The second day of the
mega vaccination drive
to immunize journalists,
working as frontline workers,
the state government has
set up a target of 200
vaccinations per day, with
277 people having been
jabbed. ACS, Information
Navneet Sehgal Director
Information (DI) Shishir
examined the vaccination
booth at the Information
Directorate with Shiv Sharan
Singh, Secretary, Accredited
Journalists’ Association. ACS
Navneet Sehgal informed
that this special camp will
run for 15 days for journalists
their family members
ageing between 18-44 years.
—PHOTO BY ANI

l Vol 1 l Issue No. 151 l 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
CONGRESS
AND BJP PASS
THE BUCK ON
COVID SPREAD
s the pandemic rages in the coun-
try, Bharatiya Janata Party’s na-
tional president J.P
. Nadda has hit
back at Congress party president
Sonia Gandhi for her sharp criti-
cism of the government’s “mishandling” of
the Covid-19 crisis and Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi’s “thundering silence” over desper-
ate cries for medical oxygen, hospital beds and
vaccines. Sonia had said that the fight against
the pandemic is a “national challenge that
should be kept above politics”. On Monday the
Congress president said, “The country is pay-
ing a horrendous price for the Modi govern-
ment’s neglect of the pandemic, indeed its
willful patronage of super-spreader events
that were allowed for partisan gains,” and ig-
noring scientific advice. She also attacked the
government “for abdicating its responsibility
and leaving the vaccination work to states”.
Sonia said that the Modi government has
“obliged the states to bear the cost of vaccinat-
ing the hundreds of millions in the 18 to 45 age
group. Every expert has said that it would
have made more sense and it would have been
financially more equitable for the Centre to
bear the costs. It is also a shame that the Cen-
tral government continues to discriminate
against Opposition-ruled states”.
The Congress may have been written off
by voters in the recent state elections but it
has not stopped Sonia Gandhi and her son
Rahul Gandhi from taking potshots at the
government over the pandemic situation.
They now face a Nadda-led counter-offensive
who slammed the mother-son duo for “con-
sistent negativity” duplicity and pettiness.
“Your party, under your leadership, is doing
no favours to itself by opposing lockdowns
and then demanding for the same (sic), ig-
noring the Centre’s advisories on the second
wave of Covid and then saying they did not
get any information, holding massive rallies
in Kerala causing a spike in Covid cases
while grandstanding about election rallies
elsewhere, supporting protests but speaking
about following Covid guidelines.” The BJP
president also accused Congress leaders of
being seen in super spreader political events
in north India.
Leaders of all parties did address huge ral-
lies in Kerala which is now seeing a spike in
Covid-19 cases. So far as Kerala goes they are
all in the same boat. About “election rallies
elsewhere” which Nadda referred to did not
see much of an outing by Congress leaders,
making it convenient for the party to assail
the BJP for flouting Covid protocol.
The shifting of blame from one to the other
will not absolve either of them of the charge
of abdicating responsibility in times of crisis.
Clearly, both the parties were focused on po-
litical issues during the pandemic. Under the
circumstances it will be naïve to expect a con-
sensus even on a critical issue like Covid-19.
IN-DEPTH
A lice: Would you tell me, please,
which way I ought to go from
here? The Cheshire cat: That
depends a good deal on where
you want to get to. Alice: I don’t
much care where. The Chesh-
ire cat: Then it doesn’t much
matter which way you go.
The unpredictability of this
pandemic has caused many of
us to scamper for exit points
without knowing which direc-
tion we ought to take.
It is logical to feel desperate,
frustrated, angry, restless and
many times directionless. We
humans are wired, ironically.
Our lives are a march towards
a sense of security. We always
want to predict and plan how
we will be secure, at a deter-
mined point in the future. This
want and will to plan and se-
cure ourselves and our loved
ones is the primary, propelling
force of our collective/individ-
ual human endeavours. The
pandemic has thrown the ma-
jority of the world’s population
off guard and onto a shaky
platform of security
.
It is a proven fact that there is
value in planning and strategy
making but one must stay flex-
ible and recalibrate when re-
quired. The purpose of this ar-
ticle is to focus on your actions
whilst you work towards secur-
ing your future. During desper-
ate times, people sometimes
make frenzied decisions. Let me
elaborate via drawing a parallel
with stock market trading
styles; From an absolute lay-
man’s perspective and in an ex-
ceedingly naive or broad rang-
ing categorization; there are
loosely 2 types of people trading
instocks1)Punters2)Investors.
Punting involves taking dai-
ly bets, the risk margins are
higher. If you fall you could fall
into an unending abyss and if
you rise, well it could be limit-
less or mediocre. Who is to say?
Punters aren’t necessarily con-
cerned with the fundamentals
of an investment; instead, they
attempt to make a quick profit
by selling to somebody else at a
higher price. In short Punting
could be termed highly specu-
lative in nature.
Whereas investing usually
means a calculated risk. This
can come with strategies to
choose from, ranging from low
risk to mediocre risk to high
risk over different spans of
time. While in essence you are
gambling, yet it is a more re-
searched, informed form of
gambling. Research has proven
this can help give a close to sta-
ble source of income/result.
I want to ask everyone, espe-
cially women of our state, who
would you rather be? A punter
who lives from day to day;
Changing strategies, panting
with a rush of adrenaline or
anxiety on a daily basis? Await-
ingtherewardorpenaltyof his/
her bets or instead, would you
endeavour to be a discerning in-
vestor; who prepares, plans and
then sets the ball rolling?
Whatever your style of plan-
ning and executing, During the
Pandemic, we all need to re-
calibrate and take stock of
Health finances (Current as-
sets/Liquid asset), homes, fam-
ily members and wellness.
SOME TIPS
SURVIVAL PLAN FOR THE
YEAR 2021: For those who
have an income source, lucky
you, remember you are a mi-
nority. Perhaps cutting extra
costs and supporting someone
in need will be you calling.
If you are jobless due to the
pandemic: Don’t lose heart!
This is the year for survivors,
no matter what, keep in per-
spective that all situations are
temporary and so is this pan-
demic. Strategize how much
savings you have to see you
through this calendar year or
perhaps 2 years. This could be
individually or as a family
unit. Up skill yourself with
technology and paid/ free
courses online. This will keep
you in a positive mood and help
you with a future job. So choose
and skill wisely. If you don’t
have the money to buy into an
expensive course, please don’t
spend on those expensive
courses. There are many train-
ers training via youtube on the
basics of several forms of skill-
ing. Remember the important
thing is to start.
DISCIPLINE AND PRO-
DUCTIVITY ALONG WITH
A DOSE OF MEDITATION/
EXERCISE: will help in build-
ing positive mental health and
hope: Aristotle said: We are
what we repeatedly do; excel-
lence hence is not an act but a
habit. Build daily habits that
keep you positively occupied
rather than living lives be-
tween Netflix and hot star or
something else.
Finally, whatever your style:
punting, investing or a bit of
both or something sixteenth,
the important bit to remember
is that you thought, you
planned and you chose. That
you have stable hands in con-
trol of your own reins, and
then whether you trot, canter
or gallop, you made an in-
formed choice.
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY
THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL
PLANNING DURING
THE PANDEMIC
A
Punting involves
taking daily bets,
the risk margins
are higher. If you
fall you could fall
into an unending
abyss and if you
rise, well it could
be limitless or
mediocre. Who is
to say? Punters
aren’t necessarily
concerned with the
fundamentals of
an investment;
instead, they
attempt to make a
quick profit by
selling to
somebody else at a
higher price
PALLAVI
SINGH
IT IS LOGICAL TO
FEEL DESPERATE,
FRUSTRATED, ANGRY,
RESTLESS AND MANY
TIMES DIRECTIONLESS.
WE HUMANS ARE WIRED,
IRONICALLY. OUR LIVES
ARE A MARCH TOWARDS
A SENSE OF SECURITY.
WE ALWAYS WANT TO
PREDICT AND PLAN HOW
WE WILL BE SECURE,
AT A DETERMINED POINT
IN THE FUTURE
The writer is life coach, interpersonal
skills trainer storyteller, and has
18 years of work experience in the
services and hospitality industry
OVAX, the glob-
al initiative to
coordinate the
distribution of
COVID-19 vac-
cines in an equitable way,
is crucial for bringing the
pandemic under control.
But COVAX’s aim of de-
livering 2 billion doses to
participating countries by
the end of 2021 — including
92 low-income countries
that can’t afford to buy vac-
cines directly from manu-
facturers — is threatened
by chronic under-invest-
ment, vaccine nationalism
and export restrictions.
COVAX is not intended
only for low-income coun-
tries: Canada has so far re-
ceived316,800dosesthrough
the scheme. As such, it rep-
resents an important “in-
surance policy” for Austral-
ia, potentially enabling ac-
cess to a wider portfolio of
vaccines than we could se-
cure through negotiations
with suppliers.
The vulnerability of our
vaccine procurement strat-
egy has become clearer
over the last few weeks,
with supply blockages lim-
iting vaccine imports from
Europe and now the gov-
ernment’s warning about
the AstraZeneca vaccine
and its links to a rare
blood-clotting disorder.
Saving COVAX will re-
quire more than donations
(of both funds and vac-
cines), as well as the remov-
al of export bans. Coun-
tries must collaborate to
urgently remove the legal
and technical barriers pre-
venting more widespread
vaccine manufacturing in
order to increase the global
supply of vaccines for CO-
VAX to distribute.
HOW DOES
COVAX WORK?
COVAX is led by the Coali-
tion for Epidemic Prepar-
edness Innovations (CEPI);
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
(a public-private partner-
ship that aims to increase
vaccination in low-income
countries); and the World
Health Organization.
It aims to deliver doses
to all of the participating
countries that have re-
quested them in the first
half of 2021, and 2 billion
vaccines in total by the end
of 2021.
COVAX is complex, but
essentially it works by in-
vesting in a portfolio of
promising vaccines and
then distributing them ac-
cording to a formula to both
“self-financing countries”
and “funded countries”.
Self-financing countries
are those which have con-
tributed funds to COVAX,
such as Australia. They are
able to buy the vaccines at
cheaper prices negotiated
by COVAX and will initial-
ly receive enough to vacci-
nate 20% of their popula-
tions. In the longer term,
these countries may re-
ceive enough doses to vac-
cinate up to half of their
populations, depending on
how much they contribute.
Funded countries in-
clude 92 low-income coun-
tries that can’t afford to
buy their own vaccines.
They will also receive
enough to vaccinate 20%
of their populations, pro-
vided COVAX is able to
meet its goals. This is no-
where near enough to
achieve herd immunity,
but will at least allow
health workers and the
most vulnerable groups to
be vaccinated.
Australia has committed
A$123.2 million to enable it
to purchase 25 million vac-
cines for domestic use.
It has also committed
A$80 million specifically
earmarked for providing
vaccines for low-income
countries. This money will
be drawn from existing aid
funding, however, and
won’t go very far in terms
of assistance.
SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION
Fairly distributing COVID-19 vaccines globally
C
Work for work’s sake, not for
yourself. Act but do not be
attached to your actions. Be
in the world, but not of it.
—Bhagavad Gita
Spiritual
SPEAK
Top
TWEET
Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank
@DrRPNishank
A group of @IITKanpur alumni has
started a fundraising drive, ‘Breathe
India’, and raised three crore rupees
in a week. They will be using this
fund to buy oxygen concentrators
which they will donate to Delhi and
Uttar Pradesh governments.
Dharmendra Pradhan
@dpradhanbjp
#ModiGovt remains committed to
mitigate the hardships of farmers.
Pumping more liquidity into the
rural markets, GoI has disbursed
`49,965 crore, 42% more money
directly into the bank accounts
of 3.4 million wheat farmers this
year as compared to 2020.

To Receive Free Newspaper
PDF Daily
Whatsapp:
https://bit.ly/whatsapplko
Telegram:
https://t.me/firstindialucknow
Click the above link☝ subscribe us on your
preferred platform.

INDIA
06
PICU-Yogi’s...
Yogi Government to
set up 50-100 pediatric
beds in all the major
cities was a timely one
and would be very ef-
fective in the treat-
ment of children. He
said that all the facili-
ties have been provid-
ed in PICU (Pediatric
Intensive Care Unit)
for children above one
month, NICU (Neona-
tal Intensive Care
Unit) for children be-
low one month and
SNCU (Sick Newborn
care Unit)- established
at maternity hospi-
tals.
These beds will be
small in size and have
railing on the sides.
Severely infected chil-
dren will be provided
with treatment and
oxygen. CM Yogi said
if needed, assistance
will be needed from ex-
servicemen, retired of-
ficers. He also said
that students receiv-
ing medical education
can train and provide
tele consultation to
the patients.
Central Vista...
about his intentions
and motive behind fil-
ing the present peti-
tion,” the Centre’s af-
fidavit has contended.
Since the affidavit was
not yet on record, a
bench of Chief Justice
D N Patel and Justice
Jasmeet Singh listed
the matter for hearing
on May 12. ANI
India sees...
India has been reeling
under a calamitous
second wave of the
coronavirus infection.
However, the daily
numbers of deaths
and infections have
started to go down.
New cases of coronavi-
rus in India fell to 3.29
lakh after 14 days, tak-
ing the infection tally
to 2,29,92,517, accord-
ing to the Union
Health Ministry data
updated on Tuesday.
After registering a
steady rise for two
months, the active cas-
es have reduced to
37,15,221, accounting
for 16.16 per cent of
the total infections,
while the national
COVID-19 recovery
rate was recorded at
82.75 per cent.
26 Covid...
“availability of medi-
cal oxygen and its
supply to COVID-19
wards in the GMCH
might have caused
some issues for the
patients” even as he
stressed that there is
no scarcity of oxygen
supply in the state.
Speaking to report-
ers, Rane admitted
the shortfall in the
supply of medical ox-
ygen at the GMCH as
of Monday.“The high
court should investi-
gate the reasons be-
hind these deaths.
The HC should also
intervene and pre-
pare a white paper on
oxygen supply to the
GMCH, which would
help to set the things
right,” the health
minister said after
CM’s visit to the
GMCH.Rane said the
medical oxygen re-
quirement of the fa-
cility as of Monday
was 1,200 jumbo cyl-
inders of which only
400 were supplied.
Country needs...
video showing short-
age of oxygen, venti-
lators, ICU beds and
vaccines and people
scrambling to get
them. “Our country
needs a helping hand
in these distressing
times. Let’s all do our
bit to save lives. Join
the campaign
# S p e a k U p To S av e -
Lives and strengthen
our fight against Co-
rona,” he said in a
tweet.The Congress
has set up a control
room at the All India
Congress Committee
headquarters and
Pradesh Congress
Committee offices to
help people. The par-
ty has been arranging
oxygen, beds and es-
sential medicines for
those in need while it
has also called for
free vaccination for
all in the country.
Congress
creating...
hesitancy during the
“once-in-a-century”
pandemic.Under Modi,
the fight against the
pandemic is driven by
unwavering belief in
science, support to inno-
vation, trust in COVID
warriors and coopera-
tive federalism, he said.
Nadda said he is sad-
dened but not surprised
by the conduct of the
Congress during these
challenging times.De-
fending the ongoing
Central Vista project, he
said there is a “new
trend” in the Congress
to put all the blame on
this. The need for a new
Parliament building
was raised during the
Congress-led UPA time
with the then Speaker
Meira Kumar under-
scoringtheneedforthis,
he said, noting that Ur-
banDevelopmentMinis-
ter Hardeep Singh Puri
has addressed queries
regarding it.
FROM PG 1
New Delhi: The Con-
gress on Tuesday set up
a five-member group
headed by former Ma-
harashtra CM Ashok
Chavan to evaluate the
party’s performance in
just-concluded assem-
bly polls, and another
team under senior lead-
er Ghulam Nabi Azad to
coordinate its Covid-19
relief work.
It comes a day after
party chief Sonia Gan-
dhi proposed, at a meet-
ing of the Congress
Working Committee
(CWC), the formation
of a group to assess the
party’s losses in Kerala,
Assam, West Bengal
and Puducherry
.
The other members
of the group are Sal-
man Khurshid, Manish
Tewari, Vincent H Pala
and Jothi Mani, said
AICC general secretary
K C Venugopal. The
group will submit its
report within two
weeks, the communica-
tion further said.
“Congress President
has constituted a Cov-
id-19 Relief Task Force
to coordinate the relief
activities of the Con-
gress Party with imme-
diate effect. It has Ghu-
lam Nabi Azad as
Chaiman and its mem-
bers are Ambika Soni,
Mukul Wasnik, Pawan
Kumar Bansal, Priyan-
ka Gandhi Vadra, K C
Venugopal, Jairam
Ramesh and Randeep
Singh Surjewala,
among others, another
official statement said.
The task force also
has other party leaders
Manish Chatrath, Ajoy
Kumar, Pawan Khera,
Gurdeep Singh Sappal
and IYC chief BV Srini-
vas. Azad, Wasnik and
Tewari were prominent
members of the group
of 23 leaders who had
written to Sonia Gan-
dhi in August last year,
demanding organisa-
tional overhaul. —PTI
90% INDIA HAS HIGH POSITIVITY
RATE, RURAL AREAS A WORRY: GOVT
The skyrocketing active caseload has overwhelmed the hospitals and crematoriums
New Delhi: Close to 90
per cent of India is wit-
nessing a high Covid
positivity rate as 640
districts out of the 734
are above the national
threshold level of 5 per
cent positivity rate, the
centre said on Tuesday
.
The skyrocketing ac-
tive caseload during the
deadly second wave of
coronavirus has over-
whelmed the hospitals
and crematoriums.
There is an acute short-
age of medical oxygen
and key drugs needed to
treat the critically ill
Covid patients.
Last month the cen-
tre widened the vaccine
net to include everyone
over the age of 18. How-
ever, most states have
struggled to vaccinate
their people due to vac-
cine shortages. Under-
lining the need to break
the chain of transmis-
sion, officials have cau-
tioned states about the
spread of the virus to
rural areas.
The Indian Council
Of Medical Research
(ICMR) has revised
norms for testing with a
particular focus on ru-
ral India. The focus,
they say, should not be
on RT-PCR tests but in-
stead on Rapid Antigen
Tests which will help in
surveillance and aid in
breaking the chain of
command.
Cabinet Secretary
Rajiv Gauba, chaired a
high-level meeting to
review and discuss the
Covid management.
Goa CM Pramod Sawant visited COVID19 wards in Goa Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY ANI
Mumbai: The Ma-
harashtra govern-
ment has diverted
the Covid-19 vac-
cine procured for
inoculating those
between the age of
18 and 44 to give sec-
ond dose to 45+ ben-
eficiaries. This was
announced by state
health minister
Rajesh Tope on
Tuesday
. “The deci-
sion has been taken
in the wake of the
short supply of vac-
cines for 45-plus
beneficiaries by the
central govern-
ment,” Tope said.
He added that more
than 2.1 million
people are due for
their second dose.
Maha diverts
vaccines for
18-44 to 45+
amids crisis
COVID VICTIM’S WIFE ALLEGES HARASSMENT,
NEGLIGENCE AT BIHAR HOSPITALS
Bihar: In a video that
has gone viral and trig-
gered angry reactions
on social media, a
woman from Bhagal-
pur in Bihar has al-
leged that she was sex-
ually harassed by the
staff of a hospital in
Bhagalpur while try-
ing to get treatment for
her Covid-infected hus-
band and mother. The
woman, whose hus-
band succumbed to the
virus, also alleged neg-
ligence on part of the
hospital authorities in
Patna and Bhagalpur
in providing proper
treatment. At the
Bhagalpur hospital,
the woman claimed she
was molested by an at-
tendant, “The atten-
dant snatched my du-
patta and put his hand
on my waist. I kept
mum as both my hus-
band and my mother
were admitted there.”
—ANI
Police and officials visited the hospital in Bhagalpur.
GOOGLE RAISES
$4.6 MILLION
THROUGH
DONATIONS
New Delhi: Internet
giant Google said it has
so far raised $4.6 mil-
lion (Rs 33 crore)
through an internal
donation campaign for
COVID-19 relief in In-
dia. The funds raised
will go to nonprofit or-
ganisations, including
GiveIndia, Charities
Aid Foundation India,
GOONJ, and United
Way of Mumbai, Goog-
le said in a blog post.
Google has updated
Search, Maps, and You-
Tube to help people .
COVID-19 figures
worrying: WHO
Chief Scientist
GENEVA: As India
is in the grasp of a
devastating second
wave of COVID-19,
WHO Chief Scientist
Soumya Swamina-
than on Monday
termed the rate of
infections and deaths
in the country as
“worrying” and
called on govern-
ments to boost exer-
cises on reporting
actual numbers.
In an exclusive in-
terview, Swamina-
than said that the
projections of one
million deaths by Au-
gust projected by the
Institute for Health
Metrics and Evalua-
tion (IHME) are
based on models and
available data, which
are not predictions
of the future and can
be changed.
“I would say that at
this point of time,
the situation is very
worrying, the daily
number of cases and
deaths in India,” she
told ANI.
Doctors warn
against cow
dung therapy
Ahmedabad: Doc-
tors in India are
warning against the
practice of using cow
dung in the belief it
will ward off COV-
ID-19, saying there is
no scientific evi-
dence for its effec-
tiveness and that it
risks spreading oth-
er diseases. In Hin-
duism, the cow is a
sacred symbol of life
and the earth, and for
centuries Hindus
have used cow dung
to clean their homes
and for prayer.
WHO WARNS AGAINST USE OF
IVERMECTIN FOR TREATMENT
New Delhi: The
World Health Organ-
ization on Tuesday
recommended
against the
general use of
‘Ivermectin’ –
a widely used
drug in India for
treating parasitic in-
fections – for treat-
ment of COVID-19
patients. A similar
warning has also
been issued by Ger-
man healthcare
and life sci-
ences giant
Merck. WHO
said Ivermec-
tin is to be used
only as part of clini-
cal trials till enough
data is collected.
Soumya Swaminathan
Share vaccine formula
to ramp up production
New Delhi: Chief Min-
ister Arvind Kejriwal
on Tuesday suggested
to the Central govern-
ment that it should
share the COVID-19 vac-
cine formula of Serum
Institute of India and
Bharat Biotech with
other firms in the coun-
try in order to scale up
production of the coro-
navirus jab.
The Delhi Chief Minis-
ter stated that there is a
shortage of COVID-19
vaccine doses across In-
dia. Kejriwal added that
there is an urgent need
for the country to scale
up its manufacturing
on a war footing. Kejri-
wal explained that vac-
cine production should
be ramped up while de-
veloping a national pol-
icy for administering
the jab to everyone in
the next few months.
Arvind Kejriwal has
urged the Narendra
Modi-led Central gov-
ernment to ensure that
all vaccine production
units in the country
start manufacturing.
Cong panel to evaluate poll
debacle and Covid-relief
WBGuvtovisitareasaffected
by post-poll violence on May 13
Kolkata: West Bengal
Governor Jagdeep
Dhankhar will visit
the areas affected by
post-poll violence on
Thursday.
“Governor... will be
leaving Kolkata by BSF
Helicopter on May 13 to
visit post poll unprece-
dented violence affect-
ed areas @MamataOf-
ficial #Sitalkuchi and
other places in Cooch-
behar to connect with
sufferers,” he tweeted.
Dhankhar will visit
West Bengal’s Sital-
kuchi and other places
in Coochbehar where
he will interact with
victims of post-poll vio-
lence.
Governor said, “As
part of my constitution-
al duty, I’ve decided to
visit affected parts in
State and asked govern-
ment to make arrange-
ments. Unfortunately
their response hasn’t
been very responsive.
I’ll go ahead with my
schedule and make ar-
rangements for self
visit in coming days.”
He called the Mamata
government to “restore
credibility and bring to
book the culprits who
have chosen to tarnish
our democratic fabric”.
Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) alleged that
nine of its party work-
ers have been killed in
the post-poll violence.
However, the Trina-
mool Congress (TMC)
has been refuting the
allegations.
—ANI
Jagdeep Dhankhar

NEWS
07
NEGLIGENCE
IS THE REASON
BEHIND RISING
COVID CASES
The state government has been
constantly claiming that the
health facilities being offered to
Corona patients are way better,
cases of people dying due to
negligence has also been catching
the eye. In one such incident
from Gorakhpur BRD Medical
College, while CM Yogi Adityanath
was examining the health
arrangements at BRD Medical
College, a patient passed away
due to negligence of the health
workers. A man carried his elder
brother on his shoulder to the
hospital as he was unable to find a
stretcher and even upon reaching
the hospital, he was unable to get
oxygen support for his brother
who was finding it difficult to
breathe. Rambadan Sahni (35)
of Dhatkimagi of Bhathat was
a painter by profession and
used to work in Hyderabad. He
had returned to home 3 days
ago and after being ill for two
days, his condition worsened
by Sunday night. The family had
called for an ambulance but no
ambulance reached the residence
of Rambadan Sahni. On Monday
morning, his younger brother
Vishnu again tried for getting an
ambulance but to no avail. In the
meantime, Rambadan started
experiencing difficulty in breathing
after which Vishnu took him to
the 300-bed Covid ward of BRD
in his bike. Rambadan’s condition
further deteriorated by the time
they reached the hospital.
—First India News
TIKA TIPPANI
By denying the undeniable, the
Uttar Pradesh government
seems to be tying itself up in
knots on the issue of Vax drive
for 18-44 years. And this is
exactly what the fact-checking
twitter handle @infoUPFactCheck
seems to be doing. Sample this:
On May 10, UP NHM director
Aparna U (Upadhyay) issued
an order stating that only
Uttar Pradesh citizens will be
vaccinated at all government
COVID vaccination centres. The
news was widely reported by
the media, some questioning
the rider as the Centre did not
lay down any such restrictions
for the Vaccination. Besides,
the rule could end up blocking
many residents of Noida and
Ghaziabad from getting a shot
because both districts have a
large population of migrants
from Delhi and other parts of
India. Naturally, quite a few
eyebrows were raised. But the
news reports were promptly
termed as FAKE by the UP
government fact-checker or
shall we say face-saver Twitter
handle leading to confusion. The
‘Babus’ were made to eat crow
the very next day when a copy
of the Aparna U’s controversial
order was also published. Now,
going by government’s own set
of new rules, shouldn’t an FIR
be lodged against its own Twitter
handle for spreading fake news?
FAMILIES BURY THEIR DEAD IN BACKYARDS
As the horror of Coronavirus continues, the lack of space in crematoriums forcing people to change rituals for their dead
First India Bureau
Lucknow: The death
toll from the Corona
epidemic has increased
rapidly and the current
situation has led to
shortage of woods at
the cremation grounds
to burn the pyre. Due to
this situation, people of
the Hindu community
are forced to bury the
bodies of their relatives
instead of burning it as
per the customs.
As per sources, more
than 1000 bodies have
been allegedly buried in
the banks River Ganges
between Kanpur and
Unnao. The even more
surprising aspect is
that these bodies are
buried only 3 feet from
the surface and hence
pose even more threat
to people residing near
the bank of the river.
The increase in the wa-
ter level of the river
poses the biggest threat
as the sands of the bank
could be swept by the
current of the river
which would eventually
bring the buried bodies
to the surface of water.
Such a situation
would cause even more
panic among the people
due to fear of spreading
of infection through the
river water which is
also used to supply to
the homes of millions
of people. One reason
for people to opt for bur-
ying is the reduction in
the cost compared to
burning. Since the
burning of pyre means
procurement of wood
which have become
costly due to increased
demand. If the data of
the Municipal Corpora-
tions is to be believe,
more than 5,500 pyres
have been burnt in
April alone in Lucknow
and Kanpur, this in
terms of quintals of
wood consumed comes
to be around 25 thou-
sand quintals.
Foot-path turned cremation ground as several bodies are being cremated. —FILE PHOTO
52 MORE BODIES SEEN FLOATING IN GANGA, FISHED OUT
5 die after consuming
spurious liquor
Copsbook3inThaiwomandeathcase
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Cases of
people putting their
health at risk by con-
suming spurious liquor
has started to rise in
the state amid the lock-
down. In the district of
Ambedkaranagar, 5
people have died after
consuming spurious
liquor while 5 more in a
critical condition are
being treated in differ-
ent hospitals. The in-
formation about con-
sumption of spurious
liquor was sent to po-
lice by Samajwadi Par-
ty MLA Subash Rai.
The MLA has claimed
that the total number
of people who have
passed away after con-
suming spurious liquor
is 16 not 5. The police
have denied the allega-
tion and taking action
in the case have ar-
rested 5. SP Alok Priya-
darshi, taking cogni-
zance of the serious-
ness of the case has
suspended 4 policemen
including Jaitpur SO
Pandit Tripathi, Sub
Inspector Kailash Sin-
gh Yadav, Constables
Rahul Gupta, Gulab-
chand. SP Azamgarh
Sudhir Singh too
reached the spot after
receiving information
of incident villagers
informed the SP that
the liquor consumed by
the people who passed
away was brough from
Azamgarh.
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Policemen
Rampura police station
were stunned to see a
young man holding a
blood-stained knife in
his hand arrive at the-
police station on Mon-
day morning. During
interrogation, the man
revealed that he had
come to the police sta-
tion to confess the crime
of killing his wife. The
police took him into
custody and went to the
spot to investigate and
found the blood-soaked
body of his wife. During
preliminary investiga-
tion, it was revealed
that he killed his wife
on suspicion on her
character.
Shivraj, a resident of
Subhash Nagar of Ram-
pura, was a farmer and
laborer. He was married
to Geeta, around eight
years ago. On Sunday,
he left his house on pre-
text of visiting a rela-
tive. However, on Mon-
day morning, Shivraj
suddenly returned
home and asked his wife
to open the door. The
wife did not open the
latch even after knock-
ing on the door for a
long time. This made
his suspicion more
strong that someone
used to come to the
house in his absence.
However, when Geeta
finally opened the door,
both of them entered
into a quarrel leading to
Shivraj attacking his
wife with a knife in a fit
of rage until she died.
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Case was
registered against three
persons including Sa-
majwadi Party (SP)
spokesperson IP Singh
Police sources said. A
Thailand national was
died in Ram Manohar
Lohiya Hospital Luc-
know due to Corona in-
fection. SP leader and
some other persons had
alleged involvement of
Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) leader Sanjay
Seth and his son.
Police had formed a
team lead by DCP East
to investigate in the
matter of death of Thai
girl due to Corona. Dur-
ing interrogation it was
revealed that deceased
was worker in Thai Spa
in Gomti Nagar. Police
interrogated owner of
Spa centre and further
investigation is under-
way. SP leader had al-
leged involvement of
BJP leader’s son while
BJP leader Sanjay Seth
had urged police com-
missioner to take ac-
tions against person
who tried to defame
him his family. Case
was registered against
IP Singh, Mandera
Kuriya and Ram Dutt
Tiwari under section 67
of IT act and section 500
of IPC. After case was
registered IP Singh had
tweeted that he was tak-
ing legal advice for the
issue. He said that po-
lice have not replied
any of his questions
while case was regis-
tered against him un-
der political pressure.
During the investiga-
tion, police revealed
name of Salman who
offered job to Thailand
girl in Lucknow spa.
Also, owner of spa cen-
tre Rakesh Sharma was
interrogated. It was re-
ported that police have
more than 50 suspects
related to the case and
can interrogate them
during investigation.
First India Bureau
Lucknow: The health
of dreaded gangster
and MLA Mukhtar An-
sari has deteriorated as
his blood pressure level
and sugar level has in-
creased. The MLA who
has a slew of medical
condition was shifted
from Ropar Jail in Pun-
jab to Banda last month.
TheMLA’slawyerhad
on Tuesday submitted a
petition to the court for
shifting Mukhtar Ansa-
ri from the prison to a
hospital in view of his
deteriorating health
condition. The petition
stated that the MLA is
currently suffering
from rashes all over his
body due to a skin aller-
gy and has also devel-
oped back pain along
with symptoms of Co-
rona virus. Hence, it is
imperative to shift the
MLA from prison to a
hospital so that his
health can get better.
Jail authorities have
stated that the facilities
being asked by the
counsel of the MLA is
already present in the
MLA’s barrack, hence it
is not necessary to shift
Mukhtar Ansari to a
hospital as of now. The
deterioration of the
criminal MLA’s health
caused a panic among
the administration of
the prison.
First India Bureau
Lucknow: It has been
more than 5 and a half
months since farmers
from many states in-
cluding Punjab, Hary-
ana and UP have been
protesting under the
banner of United Kisan
Morcha against the 3
farms laws introduced
by the central govern-
ment. The protest will
complete 6 months this
May 28th and specula-
tions are rife as to
whether the Samyukta
Kisan Morcha will an-
nounce a new strategy
on the completion of 6
months of the move-
ment. Rakesh Tikait,
the National Spokesper-
son of Bharatiya Kisan
Union said that the cen-
tral government is yet
to be ready to talk with
the farmer’s organiza-
tion and in such a sce-
nario the organization
will take a big decision
after May 26th. This
view was shared by
Rakesh Tikait during
his recent interaction
with media persons on
the Ghazipur border. He
further added that the
farmers had originally
brought along with
them ration for 6
months but seeing the
unwillingness of the
central government to
negotiate, new strategy
will come in place.
Tikait said that the cen-
tral government has
been engaged in defam-
ing the protesters and a
false propaganda.
—FILE PHOTO
The case is under investigation. —FILE PHOTO
Mukhtar Ansari’s health
worsens; seeks help
for treatment in hospital
OXYGEN UNLOADING
Workers unloading the liquid oxygen at Charbagh railway station in Lucknow, in
Lucknow on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY ANI
Farmers protest to mark 6 months on May 28
Mukhtar Ansari
Rakesh Tikait
Man kills
his wife;
confesses
to police

08
2NDFRONT
Teamwork and Delegation are
the key to success, both go hand
in hand and are based on trust
for the other, choose the team diligently
and then delegate to achieve the goals.
—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO Editor-in-Chief, First India
Shishir Awasthi
Lucknow: Liquor shops in
several parts of Uttar Pradesh
were allowed to open amidst
the ongoing partial ‘corona
curfew’ in the State.
Liquor shops were opened
in Agra, Noida and Hapur dis-
tricts after the permission of
the excise department. A huge
crowd witnessed at the shops.
According to the order, shops
will be allowed to remain open
from 10 am to 7 pm. However,
the bar and model shop will
continue to have restrictions.
People will also be restricted
from consuming liquor at can-
teens at model shops. The gov-
ernment has left the decision
to district magistrates for the
opening of liquor shops in
their respective districts. The
DM may allow the excise de-
partment to open liquor shops
as per the circumstances of
the district.
WHAT COVID?
BOOZERS FLOCK
WINE SHOPS IN UP
1. People wait in a queue outside a wine
shop in Kanpur on Tuesday.
2. Large crowd gathers at a wine shop in
Noida flouting covid norms.
3. Crowd outside an English Wine Shop in
Indirapuram, Ghaziabad on Tuesday.
4. People throng a shop at Hanspuram
(Kanpur)
5. A man got hurt as ADO Panchayat
created ruckus in Bahraich late on
Sunday night.
TIPPLERS
THRONG STORES
4
5
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Uttar
Pradesh Congress chief
Ajay Kumar Lallu on
Tuesday trashed the
state government’s
claims on managing the
coronavirus pandemic
and accused Chief Min-
ister Yogi Adityanath
of fudging statistics.
AccusingtheBJPgov-
ernment of laxity, the
opposition leader said a
“tower of corpses” has
risen in the state. React-
ing on Congress chief’s
comments, Uttar
Pradesh Medical Educa-
tion Minister Suresh
Khanna said that the
Congress leaders are
only misleading the
Covid patients rather
than helping them. He
has dubbed the Con-
gress leaders as irre-
sponsible and habitual
liars.
“It is the fallacy of the
Congress leaders that
sometimes they spread
confusion about the vac-
cine and other times
they question the gov-
ernment’s testing cam-
paign in the villages,”
he said while pointing
out“thepublicisgetting
confused due to such ir-
responsible statements
of Congress leaders.”
Lallu’s statement
came hours after De-
fence Minister Rajnath
Singh’s visit to Luc-
know, where he praised
Adityanath’s handling
of the COVID-19 crisis
and claimed that the
World Health Organisa-
tion too had done so.
“Can’t the defence min-
ister, who is praising the
chief minister indulg-
ing in fudging the statis-
tics, see the flames from
the funeral pyres in his
parliamentary constitu-
ency of Lucknow and
otherpartsof thestate?”
the Congress leader
said.
“Can he not see the
deaths caused by the
shortage of oxygen and
the shortage of medi-
cines?” he said, adding
that Singh showed a
lack of sensitivity by
praising the chief min-
ister.
Lallu claimed that the
ground reality is that
there are “no vaccines,
no oxygen, no medi-
cines” in the state. “Due
to the laxity of the gov-
ernment, there is a ‘mi-
nar’ (tower) of corpses,
and it is getting praise,”
he said.
Lallu claims Yogi govt fudging Covid
num; BJP says, Cong ‘habitual liars’
Oppn leader accuses BJP of laxity; says there are no vaccines, oxygen or medicines
Ajay Kumar Lallu (R) UP Medical Education Minister Suresh Khanna
Nepal Singh cracks
down on hosps to
stop looting of patients
Thakurmovescourtover
hisprematureretirement
PIL seeks ex-gratia for C casualties
Bahraich cop
sent to Police
Lines for not
wearing mask
Sumit Awasthi
Kanpur: The recent
news of hospitals
plundering money
from patients on the
pretext of treatment
has of late is being
heard from all cor-
ners of the country
.
Dr. Nepal Singh af-
ter taking over reins
as CMO held a meet-
ing with officials
from 25
Covid-19
hospitals
and is-
sued strict instruc-
tions. He has in-
structed the hospitals
to avoid giving medi-
cines to Covid-19 pa-
tients other than
those which have
been given in the
medicine package.
He added that such
medicines be given to
patient only and only
when it is necessary.
He warned that if
any unethical treat-
ment is being done,
then strict action
will be taken against
the hospital involved.
The newly appoint-
ed CMO has instruct-
ed that every patient
who is admitted in
hospitals should be
paid visit by at least a
senior doctor twice a
day and for those who
are in ventilator sup-
port, a
d o c t o r
s h o u l d
monitor
the patient regularly
.
He added that a re-
port of patients mon-
itored by the doctors
shouldbemaintained
daily. The CMO said
that the audit team
will have to be given
the data of all the
deaths as there are
reports that the gov-
ernment officials
have been hiding the
actual death figures.
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Retired IPS
officerAmitabhThakur
has challenged Home
Ministry’s decision, on
consent of UP Govern-
ment, for his premature
retirement in Central
Administrative Tribu-
nal, Lucknow on Tues-
day. Following the or-
ders of Central govern-
ment, state government
had given him prema-
ture retirement on
March 23, 2021.
Thakur was in lime
light when he had filed
a case against Sama-
jwadi Party (SP) pa-
tron Mulayam Singh
Yadav and had protest-
ed against former
chief minister Akhile-
sh Yadav.
In his plea, Thakur
said that order of Cen-
tral government and UP
government was wrong
and passed against him
due to personal and sys-
tem animosity. He said
that government had
refused to provide docu-
ments related to the or-
der passed against him
which reveals that both
Central and state gov-
ernment were trying to
hide facts behind their
deceitful orders.
He urged the Court to
cancel government’s
order and take him
back in service. He al-
leged that he was side-
lined due to political
and other reasons. He
had written ‘Zabariya
Retired’ in front of his
house after govern-
ment’s decision.
First India Bureau
Lucknow: A PIL has
been filed before the
Lucknow Bench of the
Allahabad High Court
seeking directions to
the Central and the
state governments for
the payment of ex-gra-
tia compensation to the
families of persons
who have lost their
lives due to the Cov-
id-19 pandemic.
The Division Bench
of Justices Ritu Raj
Awasthi and Manish
Mathur listed the
PIL, filed by Dr Sand-
eep Pandey through
Advocate Rajat Rajan
Singh, for July.
The petitioner has
prayed for ex-gratia
compensation under
the Disaster Manage-
ment Act, 2005 for per-
sons who have lost
their lives due to the
Covid-19 pandemic.
The petition also
seeks refund of the
cost of hospitalisation
from the State Relief
Fund.
First India Bureau
Bahraich: Anin-charge
of a police outpost has
been sent to the Police
Lines here for not wear-
ing a mask, officials said
onTuesday
.Policesourc-
es said that on Monday
,
Superintendent of Po-
lice Sujata Singh was
inspecting the coronavi-
rus curfew situation in
differentpartsof thecity
and was on foot patrol
when she saw in-charge
of GIC Crossing police
outpost Prem Chand Ya-
dav not wearing a mask.
She sent Yadav to Po-
lice Lines, which is con-
sidered a punishment
posting for delinquent
police personnel. Later
she told reporters, “To-
day we have to make the
society realise that the
police along with the
public is fighting the
pandemic. The police is
considered to be a sym-
bol of discipline. In this
case, if we do not adhere
to the protocol, and vio-
late the laws, then a
wrongmessagewillgoto
the society
.”
Amitabh Thakur
First India Bureau
Lucknow: IPS Navniet
Sekera recently
postedd a picture of a
young girl and a boy,
who fell asleep in the
footpath while selling
tamarind on his Face-
book along with a
heartfelt request.
The picture shows
the sufferings of peo-
ple who have been
jolted by the lock-
down imposed due to
the increasing cases
of Corona.
The biggest jolt was
felt by the migrant
workers who lost their
work and are now
struggling to put bread
on the plate of their
families.
The story behind
the picture posted by
IPS Navniet is that
the young girl and
the boy fell asleep on
the footpath while
selling tamarind and
upon seeing no one
coming forward to
but tamarind from
the young girl pained
the IPS officer Navni-
et Sekera so much
that he had a heart
felt request to the
people.
The IPS officer in the
caption under the pic-
ture wrote “some pic-
tures have the ability
to move one’s soul.
The imposition of lock-
down due to Covid pan-
demic has meant that
no one can step out of
their work until it is
emergency and when
you leave the house
and come across such
people selling some-
thing on the road, kind-
ly help them by pur-
chasing their good as it
will help them as well
make you feel good”.
Pic of tamarind-selling kids sleeping on road bleeds netizens’ hearts
‘KHATTA SACH’
Picture of a girl and boy posted by IPS Navniet Sekera (R)
1
2 3
EXCLUSIVE
Nepal Singh spoke to First India about various
topics related to Coronavirus.

LUCKNOW, WEDNESDAY
MAY 12, 2021
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia
facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia 09
dity Sharma,
a young talent
from Karauli,
Rajasthan is
making her
mark on the
modelling in-
dustry with her ener-
getic and attractive
persona. While find-
ing her interest, she
started modelling
with just a few
shoot and now
she is playing
the lead role in
a few movies.
In an exclu-
sive inter-
view with
City First,
A d i t y
s h a r e d
her jour-
ney and
struggles in the fashion
industry. “I have always
wanted to show my person-
ality in a fancy way to the
world. I was greatly in-
spired by Priyanka
Chopra’s story and the
way she achieved success
against many odds and
represented India on a
world stage. I wish to do
the same one day,” she
said.
While talking about how
she started, Adity said, “I
was in 11th standard when
I started doing some basic
shoots. No one was there to
guide me initially. I used to
face a lot of negativity and
harsh sexist comments
from people on social me-
dia. Modelling as a profes-
sion is not very well appre-
ciated and respected in
most parts of our country.
My family supported me
completely and has been
with me throughout my
journey.”
Adity, among her many
works, has recently ap-
peared as the main lead in
a web series by Pocket FM
and is working as a lead in
a movie that is going to be
released soon.
“I want to thank my fam-
ily, the Elite Miss Ra-
jasthan team and mentor
Gaurav Gaur who moulded
me in my growing days
and provided me with a
good network and environ-
ment for growth,” she said.
“My goal is to be a suc-
cessful businesswoman
one day. I want to become
an actor, a dancer, a model.
I wish to reach a stage
where young girls can see
me as a good role model
and be inspired to never
give up on their dreams,”
she said while talking
about her goal.
She believes that one
should stand for what they
believe in. Always head up
with confidence. Never
compromise on ethics and
morals. Always keep learn-
ing and don’t let the nega-
tivity from People harm
mental peace. Stay focused
and go for the stars.
A Multitalented
PERSONALITY
Adity Sharma from Karauli shared how she
converted her struggles into success in the
modelling industry, with City First!
KARISHMA
GWALANI
Karishma.gwalani
@firstindia.co.in
A

10
ETC
F
A
C
E
O
F
T
H
E
D
A
Y
JENNY BIGALL, Model
LEO
JULY 24 - AUGUST 23
Luck favours you today
both personally and
professionally. Your effort
to keep in touch with
everyone will come in for appreciation
by all on the social front. A good turn
done to someone is likely to be
returned with interest. A diet plan will
suit your system well.
LIBRA
SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22
A match-making process
may get underway for the
eligible. You will find
yourself much more active
on the social front and will make
efforts to remain in touch with all.
You will be able to buy property that
you had been wanting for long.
Overseas travel plans may be on halt.
ARIES
MAR 21 - APR 20
A property deal is likely to
be sealed, as you are able
to complete all the
formalities. Someone close
may pay you a visit and brighten
your day. You gain recognition on the
professional front. If you are a
working mother, you may find it
difficult to balance home and office.
SAGITTARIUS
NOV 23 - DEC 22
An excellent opportunity to
get close to the one you
admire is likely to come to
you. Don’t think twice in
taking outside help. Your initiative will
help mend fences with someone you
were not in talking terms. A chance to
prove your mettle on the professional
front will be nicely availed by you.
GEMINI
MAY 21 - JUNE 21
Worries regarding a health
issue are likely to
disappear, as you make
quick recovery. Do not
misunderstand someone trying to
help you. Spending quality time with
your near and dear ones is indicated.
Enjoying togetherness with partner is
indicated today.
AQUARIUS
JAN 21 - FEB 19
Keeping minor ailments at
bay by taking up yoga or
exercises will prove
successful. Some of you
may want to opt for a break from the
monotonous routine. This is the best
time to forge your own path, as there
are opportunities galore. You remain
on a safe wicket on the financial front.
TAURUS
APR 21 - MAY 20
Academic front looks
promising. Some of you
are set to enjoy a trip out
of town. Setting up a new
house is on the cards for some.
Money well spent may give you inner
satisfaction. You will be able to
remain regular in whatever you do on
the health front and benefit.
CAPRICORN
DEC 23 - JAN 20
Career wise, you are likely
to fare well as per the
expectations of your
seniors. An ancestral
property is likely to come in your
name. Luck favours you on the
academic front. You will need to get
a hang of things, before you chip in
with suggestions.
VIRGO
AUG 24 - SEP 23
A good beginning will be
made in a venture you are
undertaking. A raise in
earning is foreseen and will
help you realise your dreams. Good
command over a particular subject
may find you amongst the top
positions on the academic front.
Those in love may expect happiness.
CANCER
JUNE 22 - JULY 23
You will be able to
establish yourself firmly on
the professional front. You
will succeed in asserting
your authority on the social front by
having your way. A property issue
gets resolved amicably. You manage
to stabilise expenses and bring
yourself into the saving mode.
PISCES
FEB20 - MARCH 20
Appreciation for the work
done on the professional
front is in the pipeline for
some. You make all the
right moves on the social front and
manage to retain your popularity. A
property may finally come into your
name, as the paperwork is slated to
get over soon.
SCORPIO
OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22
An excellent time is
foreseen for those taking a
break from the daily grind.
Success is foreseen for
those playing the stocks. Intelligent
application on even unfamiliar
territory on the academic front will
keep your flag flying high. A windfall
can be expected.
YOUR
DAY
Horoscope by
Saurabbh Sachdeva
oday India is in the
throes of its big-
gest crisis since
1947.
In such danger-
ous times, it’s al-
ways the youth of
the country that steps for-
ward to pull the Country
towards safety
.
This time, even though
all students from KG to Uni-
versity are languishing at
home, supposedly restless
impatient to get back to
their classrooms, there
seems to be not a tremor in
this most energetic sensi-
tive section of society
against the jackboot. The
reason is not difficult to
fathom:“ITISTHESMART-
PHONE.......Stupid !! “
The addiction is so deep
and widespread that it
could become the new Men-
tal sickness. The youth na-
ively thinks that just by
posting comments on FB,
Twitter, WhatsApp etc they
have played their part in
stopping the rot.
India, with a 65% popula-
tion under the age of 35,
should have had the most
alert society
.
Unfortunately, most are
asleep !!
To exemplify, it would be
a rare sight if a young per-
son is seen helping an el-
derly or infirm. At the most,
all they do is give a glance
and then get back to staring
at that 10 sq inch screen.
University campuses
used to be the crucibles of
all civil movements against
corruption or misgovern-
ance !! It was here that the
youth learnt to dream
debate a bright future. It
was here that idealism
sprouted in virgin minds
and mowed the weeds of
corruption and immorality
.
It was here that fos-
sil layers were
peeled to
push the
s l o w
wheel of
e vo l u -
tion.
T o -
d a y
t h a t
spark has
b e e n
robbed of
Oxygen by the
ubiquitous Smart-
Phone, thus creat-
ing a dangerous ad-
diction. Far from be-
ing a tool of learning
and instant informa-
tion, it is a destructive
gadget eating into all the
revolutionary impulses
of impressionable
minds. The toxins, lies
and untruths that swirl
on those screens is the
quicksand for our youth.
Playing mindless
games, sending lewd
comments or watching
the crushing porn sites
is eating into the en-
trails of our future.
The cynical politicians
laugh sinisterly at seeing
theirvotersgettingnumbed
by their subterfuge she-
nanigans broadcast via this
gadget!
Young people sitting in
restaurants, living rooms,
or other places of social in-
teraction, are invariably
hunched over this gadget
exchanging only an occa-
sional word!
This double-edged sword
is cutting in the wrong di-
rection by a disproportion-
ate degree.
It is highly imperative
that this weapon is convert-
ed into a bludgeon to break
into new frontiers of learn-
ing and discovery
.
Students in Universi-
ties, fresh out of regi-
mented schools and
just learning to
formulate their
surging new
thoughts, did not
allow police to
blasphemy their
Campuses, let
alone get beaten
to submission.
But it happened
not once, but
again and
again. Unchar-
acteristically,
theyhidbehind
the smoke-
screen of
their Smart
Phones that
click them
into a false
world. Po-
t e n t i a l
r e b e l -
lion is
t h u s
quashed before birth.
It is the same opium that
prevents them from dis-
mantling wasteful Vistas
being built instead of up-
grading their educational
institutions.
Till even one student is
deprived of the dignity of a
desk chair in her/his
classroom, there is no place
for wasteful vanity projects
statues.
The youth have to put
away that Stupid Smart
Phone for some hours in the
day to become aware of the
chainsaw feeling all that
was good and sacred. Don’t
look down at that screen for
too long if you want the
world to look up to you.
It is THE SMARTPHONE,
It is THE SMARTPHONE,
STUPID !
STUPID !
RAINU SINGH
singh.rainu@gmail.com
T

M
argot Robbie has success-
fully brought to life one
of DC Comics’ antihe-
roes, Harley Quinn on-
screen and is now pushing for an-
other character to make an entry
into the DC extended universe. Rob-
bie has essayed the role of Harley
Quinn in three DC films now including,
Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey and the
upcoming The Suicide Squad. The ac-
tress is now hoping to see her character’s
relationship with Poison Ivy to make it
to the screen and hence has been pes-
tering DC to introduce Poison Ivy in
films. —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 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 2021
11
Parenthood phase
E
mma Roberts and
boyfriend Gar-
rett Hedlund wel-
comed a baby boy
back in December 2020, are
loving their parenthood
phase. On Monday, the ac-
tress shared the first
glimpse of her son Rhodes
almost five months after
welcoming him. Emma is
soaking in her journey of
motherhood as the ac-
tress held her son Rho-
des close and cuddled him on Mother’s Day
. The actress
was celebrating her first Mother’s Day which made it all
the more special. In the picture, Emma can be
seen standing on a back pa-
tio as she affectionate-
ly holds her son
close and they
sweetly touch
their nose.
—Agency
T
he trailer of the
m u c h - a w a i t e d
American superhe-
ro film ‘Venom: Let
There Be Carnage’ starring
Tom Hardy has been released on
Monday. The movie based on the
Marvel Comics character Venom will
unveil the look of Carnage for the first
time. Fans of the
adventure drama
‘Venom’ have
been on their
toes ever since
the makers had
announced the
sequel of the
film. The
makers of
movie have
now re-
leased the
first trailer.
—Agency
A
mid the ongoing pandemic of COVID 19, the na-
tion is currently battling the disease at home
and at hospitals. Kareena Kapoor Khan has
also joined in and shared WHO prescribed
guidelines to take care of loved ones who are sick at
home while remaining safe. Taking to her Instagram
stories, Kareena shared a step by step guide by
WHO (World Health Organisation) in which
there were 3 steps prescribed by them to take
care of sick loved ones at home. Sharing the
document, Kareena advised everyone on how
to take care of their loved ones while keeping
themselves safe. —Agency
R
adhe song Zoom Zoom featur-
ing Disha Patani and Salman
Khan came out and now, the
colourful and vibrant looks
donned by the actress are taking
over the internet. Disha, who was
seen shaking a leg with Salman in the
song, has gone ahead and shared be-
hind-the-scenes photos and videos from
the shoot of the quirky song Zoom
Zoom from Radhe: Your Most Wanted
Bhai. Her pictures not only left her
fans in awe but many celebrities com-
mented and appreciated her dance
moves. Her hardwork could be seen
in every song. —Agency
B
ollywood couple Neha Dhupia and
Angad Bedi celebrated three years of
togetherness on Monday. Their sud-
den wedding was a shock for many
fans. However, both are not together this
time to celebrate their wedding but they
wished on social media. They shared pic-
tures on their Instagram and even wrote a
very heartwarming post for each other.
While the actress talked about the different
moods of her husband and wished that she
could be with him. —Agency
Happy Anniversary!
Heartbroken Split
G
u r m e e t
Choudhary, a
Bollywood ac-
tor, is a man
of action. Gurmeet,
not one to back down
from a challenge,
flew to Nagpur to
open a makeshift
hospital, the Astha
Dedicated Covid Hos-
pital, in partnership
with Dr Sayyed Waja-
hatali and his team.
Despite the challeng-
es of travel and the
deadly virus looming
in the air, nothing
proved to be a deter-
rent for the actor.
—Agency
L
isa Ray recently
posted a string
of pictures
where she is
seen making goofy
faces at the camera.
“Nerve, charisma,
uniqueness and talent
(thanks mama Ru), I
got it all from my
mama...along with my
chunky arms and rest-
lessness. Without her
watching me from the
eternity of trillions of
years of stars I would
just be another misun-
derstood eccentric,”
she wrote. The actress
added that she misses
her mother. —Agency
Serving the Humanity Goofy faces
2021 Brit
2021 Brit
AWARDS
AWARDS
ne song at a time, Taylor
Swift is conquering the uni-
verse! At the 2021 Brit
Awards, the singer-songwrit-
er will become the first fe-
male to receive the Global
Icon award. Taylor will also
be the first non-British winner of the
award. Prior to Taylor Swift, only
three other artists have been
awarded with the Global Icon recog-
nition. While announcing her as
the recipient of the Global Icon,
the Brits Awards stated, “Tay-
lor’s career is unparalleled and
her music has resonated with
millions of people all over the
world. She’s used her plat-
form to highlight many is-
sues.” —Agency
O
Kareena shared
GUIDELINES
Social Media
Brightened
Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy
LET THERE BE
LET THERE BE
CARNAGE
CARNAGE
Lisa Ray
John Mulaney and Anna Marie Tendler
Gurmeet Choudhary
Angad Bedi and Neha Dhupia
Kareena Kapoor Khan
...her post
Taylor Swift
Disha Patani
Margot Robbie
Tom Hardy
Emma Roberts
A
ftersixyearsof marriage,JohnMulaney
and his wife Anna Marie Tendler are get-
ting divorced. In separate statements to
Page Six, the pair declared their separa-
tion.Johnwouldliketofocusonhisrecoveryand
getting back to work while , “I am heartbroken
thatJohnhasdecidedtoendourmarriage.Iwish
him support and success as he continues his re-
covery
.”, said Tendler. —Agency

12
CITY BUZZ
GET VACCINATED
STAY MASKED
ROAD TO POSITIVITY
At a point when the news is filled with grief and despair as it has been since the flare-up of the Covid, it’s hard for
eventhemostidealisticamongustoremainpositive.Enlistingsomeofthebestwaystofindpositivityinyourday!
t has been unu-
sual since we
experienced a
once in a life-
time occur-
rence called
the pandemic
and its repercussion,
the lockdown. The
cloud of this ordeal
seemed to have cleared
when 2021 began but by
the beginning of April ,
the situations replicat-
ed itself with succes-
sive lockdowns and the
amplified agony of the
families suffering from
the deadly virus. At a
point when the news is
filled with grief and de-
spair as it has been
since the flare-up of the
Covid, it’s hard for even
the most idealistic
among us to remain
positive. The daily
headlines can feel
heavy while lockdown
continues to be the
norm, City First has en-
listed some ways to stay
optimistic and together
during this uncertain
time.
Deal with Distrac-
tion : At a time, when
reality seems daunting,
escape to a virtual real-
ity one. It can be
through reading a
book, watching your fa-
vourite movie or series
or watching random
funny videos on You-
Tube. The solace of im-
mersing yourself in a
fantasy world seems
like an affordable trip.
Connect with peo-
ple : Thanks to all the
communication tech-
nology most of us in
the digitalized world
have access to, doing
video calls, jumping
into group chats, and
even attending virtual
parties and concerts
are valuable options. It
can give a sense of hope
and a rush of adrena-
line missing since the
banning of social out-
ings.
Exercise : Aside
from its physical bene-
fits, exercising releases
endorphins in your
body, which triggers
positivity, a much-re-
quired hormone dur-
ing a homestay. It’ll
help you feel rejuvenat-
ed and energetic all day,
a total bonus.
Lowering Media
Intake : Yes, being
aware of the current
situation of Covid-19 is
important but consum-
ing it from dusk till
dawn can cause a stir
or negative emotions.
Instead, lower your in-
take of news and social
media screentime to
connect with your fam-
ily or friends over some
board games to see
who’s the sore loser.
Practise Gratitude:
Being alive and healthy
during a global pan-
demic is no less than a
miracle our body per-
forms every day. It’s
time we appreciate
that. Meditation about
gratitude in the morn-
ing or journaling good
things about the day at
night could be a start.
Apart from that, you
can call up a friend or a
family member and ex-
press gratitude to-
wards them for always
being there. It’s an act
of appreciation com-
bined with an act of
kindness.
MONICA
PRABHAKAR
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
I
Anexpression
of gratitude
W
hat we are
experienc-
ing right
now, the
crisis, will be remem-
bered for many more
years to come, the
struggles of our ongo-
ing battles. While we
remember everyone
we have lost and the
drastic change that
the pandemic has
brought in our lives,
it is also important to
express our gratitude
for what we have.
Mame Khan’s,
‘Shukrän’, is bound to
take us on a spiritual
journey
, as we express
our gratitude. An orig-
inal Sufi composition,
thesongisdedicatedto
Khwaja Ghareeb
Nawaz. In an exclusive
interview with City
First, Mame Khan
shared, “In this circle
of life, nothing lasts
forever, life begins and
life ends. The greatest
lesson that the pan-
demic has taught is
to not take our bless-
ings for granted. “ He
further quotes from
the song, “Ajab gham
dukh dard dil da, dur
kiya mere pyaare
Khwaja,” leaning to-
wards the only pillar
of hope, Khwaja.
Including almost 50
people in his team, the
song was shot at Chun-
da Palace, Udaipur.
The song is all set to
release this Eid.
SUSHMITA AIND
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
(from top) IAS Anuj Singh
and IPS Ram Lal Verma
celebrated their birthdays
on Tuesday, May 11. We
wish them all the best!
HAPPY B’DAY!
SAFETY MEASURES!
SAFEST PLACE ON EARTH!
STRUGGLE IS REAL!
PARIVARTAN FORUM!
The Parivartan Forum, Kanpur, under the leadership of Anil Gupta has taken an initiative
with the local administration to assist pregnant women who have tested positive for
Covid-19. The forum provides home isolation kits, medical consultancy, requirements of
essential medicines, it also provides Ambulance services free of cost for all those in need.
Raj Shekhar, Commissioner of Kanpur has appreciated this good deed and welcomes those
who are ready to help their society in dire need.
In the attempt of making vaccination available to all the
citizens, Minister Suresh Khanna inaugurated the vaccination
campaign at Bhawal Kheda, Shahjahanpur district, Uttar
Pradesh on Tuesday. DM Indra Vikram Singh accompanied him
on the occasion.
JABBED!
VACCINATION CAMPAIGN!
A GOOD DEED!
At the ongoing
special drive to
vaccinate the
journalists and
media professionals,
Pranshu Mishra,
Bureau Chief,
CNN News18,
Uttar Pradesh was
amongst the first
few to get the
vaccination jab.
The vaccination
push for media
representatives has
been initiated by
the UP Government
and will continue till
May 26.
Once a bouquet of bright blossoms, the flower markets in Lucknow have now turned into
deserted areas with no or very little business activity. Severely affected by the pandemic-
propelled lockdown, the florists are forced to suffer amidst a hard tryst with plummeting
sales and wilting stocks. With restraints on weddings, social events and public functions and
limitations on entry in religious places, the flower shops are undergoing a financial crunch for
the second year in a row!
CNH Industrial has
taken up steps to
protect the health of
employees and their
families. Apart from
making sure to follow
all the protocols for
on-duty employees, the
firm provides medical
insurance, 24x7 medical
consultancy, testing kits
among other amenities.
In the latest edition of using
social media for a positive
impact, Uttar Pradesh
police have come up
with a creative visual that
motivates people to stay
home and stay safe during
the fatal second wave of
novel coronavirus.The
Twitter post reads,“When
under lockdown “All Roads
Should Lead To Home.“
DM Kaushalraj Sharma, Varanasi has extended his helping
hand as he donated a cheque of Rs One Lakh on the
behalf of himself and his family to Mata Anandamayi
Hospital on Monday. Akhilesh Khemka, Mata Anandamayi
Hospital Trust’s secretary informed that the money will
be utilized in providing free oxygen cylinders to those in
need.
Mame Khan

First India-Lucknow Edition-12 May 2021

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to First India-Lucknow Edition-12 May 2021

Similar to First India-Lucknow Edition-12 May 2021 (20)

More from FIRST INDIA

More from FIRST INDIA (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (16)

First India-Lucknow Edition-12 May 2021