First India-Delhi Edition-3rd January 2023

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BOMBSHELL FOUND NEAR RESIDENCES OF PUNJAB, HARYANA CMs

SC 4:1 MAJORITY VERDICT UPHOLDS NOTES BAN PROCESS, 1 JUDGE DISSENTS

DeMo is valid!

New Delhi: A bombshell was found within a few hundred metres of the official residences of Punjab and Haryana CMs in Chandigarh on Monday, triggering a scare. A bomb disposal squad was immediately dispatched to the spot from a helipad used by the Punjab CM.

RELIEF FOR EX-MLA MUKHTAR ANSARI AS SC STAYS 7-YEAR JAIL

New Delhi: In a big relief to former UP MLA Mukhtar Ansari, SC on Monday stayed Allahabad HC verdict convicting former MLA Mukhtar Ansari and sentencing him to seven years imprisonment for threatening a jailer, pointing a pistol at him in 2003.

Moni Sharma

New Delhi: A fivejudge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court on Monday upheld the government’s 2016 decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, saying the decision was about executive policy and cannot be reversed.

The court rejected the 58 petitions challenging demonetisation and said that the decision-making process of the government was not flawed.

Los Angeles: Movie star Jeremy Renner known for Hawkeye in Marvel blockbusters, was in critical but stable condition following an accident on Monday. He was plowing snow when he suffered injuries.

4 KILLED, 3 INJURED AS TWO HELICOPTERS COLLIDE IN AUSTRALIA

Melbourne: 2 helicopters collided in an Australian tourist hotspot Monday afternoon, killing four passengers and critically injuring three others in a crash that drew emergency aid from beachgoers enjoying the water during the southern summer.

ZOMATO CO-FOUNDER AND CTO GUNJAN QUITS IN TOP-LEVEL EXIT

New Delhi: Food delivery platform Zomato on Monday, said its co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Gunjan Patidar has quit, in what is the latest in a series of top-level exits. Patidar was one of the first few employees of Zomato and built the core tech systems for the company.

The judgment, authored by Justice BR Gavai, was agreed to by Justices S Abdul Nazeer, AS Bopanna, and V Ramasubramanian. Justice BV Nagarathna faulted demonetisation in her dissenting judgment but did not quash it.

Gavai said though there was consultation between Modi govt, RBI for 6 months, indicating a “reasonable nexus between the measures undertaken and the object sought to be achieved” and, therefore, notes ban notification passed test or doctrine of “proportionality”. More on P5

l The 52-day window provided for the exchange of demonetised currency notes with legal tenders is not unreasonable and cannot be extended now.

l RBI does not have any independent power to bring in demonetisation and directed registry to place matter before CJI for directions and to answer other questions left open in

Demonetisation decision does not suffer from any legal or constitutional flaws. Petitions can be placed before an appropriate bench by CJI for deciding issues linked to main issue over validity of notes ban.

l Observing that there was no independent application of mind by RBI, the entire exercise was carried out in 24 hours and was an exercise of power, contrary to law, and therefore unlawful.

l The power of Centre being vast has to be exercised through a plenary legislation rather than by an executive act by issuance of notification.

l It is necessary that Parliament, which consists of the representatives of the people of the country, discusses the matter and thereafter, approves the matter.

l Proposal originated from Centre while RBI’s opinion was sought and such an opinion given by central bank cannot be construed as a “recommendation” under section 26(2) of RBI Act.

Day after deadly shooting: 2 kids die, 6 hurt in Rajouri

First India Bureau

Jammu: A day after four people were killed by terrorists in J&K’s Rajouri, an explosion near the house of one of victims was reported on Monday in same district. 4-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl were killed and 6 people were injured in explosion. The injured people have been admitted to a hosp.

The blast occurred in Dangri village where there was firing on some houses on Sunday

The

evening. “A blast occurred near the house of the victim of yesterday’s firing incident in

KANJHAWALA DEATH CASE 5 accused of dragging woman by car, sent to 3-day police custody

SHAH SEEKS REPORT FROM DELHI TOP COP

First India Bureau

New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Monday was granted three-day custody of five accused in connection with the death of a woman after she was dragged by a car for a few kilometers in the city. The incident took place on Sunday.

The woman (23), who was on her way home, was dragged by a car for around four kilometres from Sultanpuri to Kanjhawala in Delhi on Sunday morning.

DEATH PENALTY FOR ACCUSED MEN: KEJRI

Calling the incident “rarest of rare”, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said the culprits should be given the strictest punishment.

“What happened to the woman is very shameful. The culprits should be punished severely. They should be hanged,” he said.

Rajouri’s

DELHI RIOTS: COURT ACQUITS 2 OF RIOTING CHARGES

New Delhi: A court here acquitted two accused in a 2020 northeast Delhi riots case, saying the possibility of the only eyewitness being a “fictitious person” cannot be ruled out. The court also said the FIR was registered and a “semblance of investigation” carried out by arresting the accused and arranging some witnesses with “utter disregard” as to how such evidence shall stand in the court, and with “total apathy to the agony of the victims”.

The court was hearing a case against Ajay and Gaurav Panchal, accused of being members of a riotous unlawful assembly, armed with weapons, who, indulged in vandalism, violence, and destruction of property.

Anger in Russia as 63 soldiers killed in one of the war’s deadliest strikes

Kyiv (FIB): Russia acknowledged on Monday that scores of its troops were killed in one of Ukraine war’s deadliest strikes. Russia’s defence ministry said 63 soldiers had died in fiery blast. It said accommodation had been hit by 4 rockets fired from US-made HIMARS launchers, claiming 2 rockets had been shot down.

Health Minister Mandaviya reviews screening, Covid testing facility at IGI Airport

New Delhi (PTI): Delhi in 2022 saw the lowest recorded daily average PM10 and PM2.5 concentration in five years, barring 2020 with lowest anthropogenic activities due to the pandemic-related restrictions, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said on Monday.

PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations in 2022, with all activities in full throttle in Delhi-NCR, were even lower than those recorded in 2021, it said in a statement.

The city logged average PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations of 211 microgram per cubic metre and 98 microgram per cubic metre. The values were the

lowest after 2020 which saw average PM 10 and PM2.5 concentrations of 181 microgram per cubic metre and 95 microgram per cubic metre, respectively.

New Delhi (PTI): Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya Monday reviewed Covid testing facility at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here.

The government has made random Covid tests mandatory for two per cent of passengers arriving on each international flight irrespective of their port of departure. Besides, passengers from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand are man-

datorily required to provide Covid negative reports.

The test has to be conducted within 72 hours of undertaking the journey to India and the negative report from the RT-PCR test has to be uploaded on Air Suvidha portal before departure.

Delhi in 2022 logged 2nd-lowest PM2.5, PM10 levels in 5 years

President Droupadi Murmu during her interaction with ‘Veer Naris’ from Leh participating in Capacity Building Tour organised by the Indian Army, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, Monday. —PHOTO BY PTI

Top court rejects the 58 petitions challenging the demonetisation

There was consultation between Centre, RBI for 6 months: Bench

A five-judge Constitution bench of SC on Monday hearing petitions challenging govt’s 2016 decision to demonetise `500 and `1,000 notes.

CONSTITUTION BENCH OF THE SUPREME COURT SAID...

‘UNLAWFUL’ MOVE: JUSTICE NAGARATHNA IN HER VERDICT...

HISTORIC JUDGMENT IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST, WILL RAHUL SAY SORRY: BJP

SC NOTE BAN VERDICT SLAP ON THE WRIST FOR GOVERNMENT: CONGRESS

B JP hailed SC judgment upholding govt’s demonetisation exercise as “historic” and slammed Congress for its campaign against decision and asked if its leader Rahul Gandhi will tender an apology after the verdict.

Ravi Shankar Prasad asserted that demonetisation done in 2016 proved to to be “biggest blow” to terrorism by curbing terror funding. It boosted income tax and cleansed economy, he claimed.

S C’s verdict on demonetisation deals only with decisionmaking process, and it is “misleading” to say that the court has upheld the notes ban, Congress said. ‘The Supreme Court has only pronounced on whether Section 26(2) of RBI Act, 1934 was correctly applied or not before announcing demonetisation on Nov 8 2016. Nothing more, nothing less,” Jairam Ramesh head of Congress’s communication wing said.

Dangri village,” ADGP, Jammu Zone, Mukesh Singh said to media.

explosion on Monday was reported near the home of a victim of Sunday’s terrorist attack in Jammu & Kashmir’s Rajouri region.

A CCTV grab of the car dragging woman. (Right) Anjali Singh.

ACTOR JEREMY RENNER CRITICALLY ILL AFTER SNOW PLOW ACCIDENT

Kyiv said the Russian death toll was in the hundreds, though pro-Russian officials called this an exaggeration.

RECESSION WILL HIT A THIRD OF THE

Sexual assault in Tihar Jail: NHRC issues notice to govt

New Delhi (PTI): The NHRC has issued notices to the Delhi government and the director general of Prisons over reports that a prisoner was sexually assaulted by fellow inmates in Tihar Jail, officials said on Monday.

The National Human Rights Commission has also decided to send its own team for an on-spot inquiry in the case, they said.

The NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports carried on December 30 that a 22-year-old prisoner was allegedly sexually assaulted by fellow inmates at Tihar Jail, the rights panel said in a statement. Reportedly, the prisoner is under medical treatment, it said.

According to the notices issued to the chief secretary of Delhi and the director general of Prisons, the commission has sought a detailed report in the matter within four weeks.

The report should include the present health

status of the victim, action taken against the erring officers and the accused inmates as well as the steps taken and proposed to be taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future, the statement said.

Consider augmenting number of DRTs: HC asks Centre

The court also noted “unfortunate physical state” of the court rooms of 3 DRTs in Delhi

New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi HC has asked the Centre to consider increasing the number of Debt Recovery Tribunals in view of the large pendency of cases and the quantum of money lying locked in litigations in the DRTs.

A bench headed by Justice Najmi Waziri, while hearing a case dealing with the grievances arising from the state of functioning of the DRTs, sought a comprehensive affidavit from the government on the issues raised in the proceedings. The court took note of the “unfortunate physical state” of the court rooms of the three DRTs in Delhi.

It asked the authorities to also examine the state of the court rooms and facilities needed for efficient conduct of court proceedings, observing, “The state of affairs shown in the photographs cannot be considered of the forum’s conducive discharge of responsibility of adjudication.”

New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi HC has dismissed with a cost of Rs 10,000 a petition by certain NGOs against their non-nomination to Town Vending Committees constituted in the city, saying they have no legal right to be nominated in perpe-

tuity. A bench said the petitioners only have a “right to be considered for nomination” as members of the committees but “no legal or vested right” to be nominated, and asked them to pay the costs to the Delhi HC Legal Services Committee.

DELHI HC REFUSES ANTICIPATORY BAIL TO FAKE CALL CENTRE KINGPIN

New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi HC has refused to grant anticipatory bail to the alleged kingpin of a cyber scam that targeted US citizens & said the “extraordinary remedy” is not to be granted in a routine manner.

Justice Amit Mahajan stated that custodial interrogation is held to be more effective and anticipatory bail inter-

feres in an investigation, therefore the court must be circumspect in exercising its power to grant anticipatory bail. Emphasising that an anticipatory bail order can be used as a shield, the court observed that the allegations made against the applicant are not frivolous and he has also not cooperated with the investigation.

The NHRC said it has issued several guidelines, advisories and recommendations in the past to improve many aspects of prison administration “but it appears that there is no perceptible change in the living conditions

COMMISSION SEEKS REPORT WITHIN 4 WEEKS

The NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports carried on Dec 30 that a 22-yearold prisoner was allegedly sexually assaulted by fellow inmates at Tihar Jail, the rights panel said. As per notices issued to the chief secretary of Delhi and the director general of Prisons, the commission has sought a detailed report in the matter within four weeks.

of the inmates in Tihar Jail since, intermittently, incidents of various types of their human rights violations including harassment, torture and sexual abuse are being reported and complained about”.

Cold wave grips Delhi, air quality remains ‘Very Poor’

Air quality likely to worsen for next 3 days: Experts

New Delhi (Agencies): After a brief respite on New Year, cold wave conditions returned to the national capital on Monday and people were found huddled around bonfires along the roads to beat the bone-chilling conditions.

“It is very very cold. One cannot survive without sitting near the fire,” said a watchman who was seen near a bonfire near Mata Sundri road in the New Delhi area.

“I leave my place for work at around 5 am. Sitting near the fire is the only respite in the cold weather,” said another man waiting near the bonfire.

Meanwhile, the air quality in the national

capital was recorded in the ‘very poor’ category with the AQI reaching 301.

As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast, the minimum and max-

imum temperatures in January 2023 are most likely to remain below normal over many parts of central India and adjoining areas of peninsular, east and northwest India.

New Delhi (PTI): JNU Vice Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit on Monday urged the Central government to declare social reformer Savitribai Phule’s birth anniversary on January 3 as Women’s Day, and celebrate it alongside March 8.

Pandit, the first women VC of the university, said it is because of the work and contribution of Phule that “I have

been able to reach where I am today”.

“It is a historic moment for all of us at the Jawaharlal Nehru University that we are celebrating the 192nd birth anniversary of Mata Savitribai Phule. It is a matter of great pride that we are organising such type of program on her for the first time in the history of the university,” Santishree said.

Bharat Jodo Yatra: Delhi to face heavy traffic

New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Police on Monday issued a traffic advisory for Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra which will start from the central part of the city and enter Uttar Pradesh crossing the Loni border. According to the advisory, the Congress Yatra will resume around 10 am on Tuesday from Marghat Wale Baba, Hanuman Mandir, near Red Fort and reach Loni Border around 12 pm.

The Yatra will travel via the Iron BridgeShastri Park Metro Station, Old GT Road, Furniture Market, Ansari Road, Maujpur, Babar-

pur, Wazirabad Road, and Gokulpuri Police Station to reach the Loni roundabout. A large number of pedestrians and vehicles are expected to join the Yatra at various points along the route, police said.

Subhash Marg, Ring

the

from Hanuman Mandir to Old Iron Bridge, Geeta Colony/ Pushta Road, Ansari Road, GT Road, Jafrabad

ASHRAM FLYOVER CLOSURE: POLICE ADVISE TO TAKE ALTERNATIVE ROUTE

PAAN, TEA SELLERS MANAGE TRAFFIC AS CONSTRUCTION WORK STARTS

New Delhi (PTI): A group of people including those selling tea and paan beneath the Ashram flyover, shut since Sunday for the last leg of construction work to link it with DND Flyway, was deployed to manage vehicular traffic as men and machines got to work. Vehicles were stuck at signals near the flyover for interminable minutes as dust from construction work blotted out the sun.

road, Wazirabad Road, and Loni Road will be affected due to the Yatra, it said. lll

Gautam Buddh Nagar, adjoining Delhi in western UP, sold liquor worth nearly ` 140 cr in December alone, Dist Excise Officer Rakesh Singh said

Noida (PTI): Liquor worth over Rs 9 crore was sold across Noida and Greater Noida on December 30 and 31, an Excise department official said on Monday.

Gautam Buddh Nagar, adjoining Delhi in western Uttar Pradesh, sold liquor worth nearly Rs 140 crore in December alone, District Excise Officer Rakesh Bahadur Singh told PTI.

Of the total liquor sold in December, there were 1.5 lakh cans of

Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Marg, Netaji

New Delhi (PTI): Bumperto-bumper traffic on Monday clogged roads near the Ashram flyover that has been closed for 45 days for the construction of a link-artery, officials said. Some commuters took to Twitter to share photos of jams, while many travelling on the route, during the peak hours, claimed they spent around half an hour to cross the section. There is heavy traffic in the area, the officials said & added that several people called police to report jams.

The team that helped the traffic police manage the vehicular flow had a hard time during office hours.

lakh (250 ml packs) of ‘desi’ (countrymade) liquor, according to the officer. “Total liquor sold on December 30 and 31 is estimated worth Rs 9 crore while the total liquor sale in the month of December 2022 stood at Rs 139.60 crore. “The total revenue earned for the state exchequer in December was 23 per cent higher in 2022 as compared to 2021,” Singh said.

beer, 8,900 bottles of foreign liquor, and 2.5 lakh (250 ml packs) of ‘desi’ (country-made) liquor, according to the officer.

“Total liquor sold on

December 30 and 31 is estimated worth Rs 9 crore while the total liquor sale in the month of December 2022 stood at Rs 139.60 crore.

“The total revenue earned for the state exchequer in December was 23 per cent higher in 2022 as compared to 2021,” Singh said.

The district excise department said there are 98 shops with permanent bar licenses, while another 82 occasional licenses were issued for the new year celebrations. Gautam Buddh Nagar has around 550 liquor shops across Noida and Greater Noida, the officer said.

The Human Rights Commission has also decided to send its own team for inquiry in the case

Tihar Jail

—FILE PHOTO

Phule’s birth aniv on Jan 3 should also be celebrated as Women’s Day: JNU VC

A train runs on its track amid low visibility due to a thick layer of fog on a cold winter day, in Gurugram, Monday.  —PHOTO BY PTI

HC DISMISSES WITH COST PLEA BY NGOS AGAINST TVC CONSTITUTION

A candidate gets his head tonsured during a demonstration over the cancellation of Dehradun Forest Inspector recruitment, outside Gandhi Park, in Dehradun, Monday.

Road/MGM Marg,

road

main

Traffic around Ashram flyover. —FILE PHOTO

—PHOTO

BY PTI

DCW questions police on Kanjhawala incident

New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal on Monday asked police to clarify if the woman, whose body was dragged for four kilometres by a car that had hit her scooter, was sexually harassed and if the accused had a criminal history.

The incident came to light after a video purportedly showing a woman without clothes and broken legs surfaced on social media.

The footage also led to claims that the victim was raped and killed, but police said it was an accident.

In a series of questions she posed to Delhi Police in connection with the incident at Kanjhawla, Maliwal also asked, “was she killed like this after she protested over the harassment?”

“I have some ques-

tions for Delhi Police -Was the woman sexually harassed by the accused? Was she killed like this after she protested over the harassment? For how many kilometres was she dragged by the car? Was there no check-

post or OCR van deployed on the stretch that she (was) dragged on?” Maliwal asked.

“Did the accused men have previous criminal cases against them? We have issued summons to Delhi Police and want

them to answer these questions. Till when will our girls be killed like this? This is a case that shames our humanity. This is a very scary incident that happened in the national capital,” she said.

Excise ‘scam’: Judicial custody of 4 accused extended till Jan 7

New Delhi (PTI): A

Delhi court on Monday extended till January 7 the judicial custody of four accused, arrested in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam also involving Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Special Judge M K Nagpal extended the custody of businessmen Sharath Reddy, Binoy Babu, Vijay Nair and Abhishek Boinpally after they were produced before the court, noting that the bail petitions of all these accused is presently pending in this court for arguments on different dates.

The special judge passed the order after noting the submissions of Enforcement Directorate’s special public prosecutor NK Matta that the agency was in process of filing a supplementary charge sheet against all arrested accused.

The ED told the court that the charge sheet is likely to be filed by January 6.

The agency had earlier told the court that

New Delhi: The Delhi government’s vigilance department has put a spanner in the closure of a corruption case against minister Satyendar Jain, saying the CBI report has “lacunae and discrepancies”, requiring further probe in the matter of hiring a creative team for the PWD depart-

the next charge sheet would be common against all the arrested accused in the money laundering case relat -

ment, officials said on Monday. The assistant director of the vigilance department had filed a written request before a special court, seeking

EXCISE CASE

two months’ time to study the “lacunae and discrepancies” in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s closure report in the case to file an appropriate protest petition before it. The officials said the issues raised by the department may require further investigation by the agency.

See if there were lapses on part of police: LG to Police Comm

New Delhi (PTI): Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Monday directed the Police Commissioner to “strictly ensure” if there were any “lapses “on part of the police in the Kanjhawala incident.

He instructed the city police chief to ensure that the accused were treated as per the law irrespective of their socioeconomic position or political affiliation, LG office sources said.

They also said the Lt Governor asked the officers to see if anyone of the victim’s family could be provided with a government job.

AAP has alleged one of the five accused arrested beloned to BJP.

New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has condemned an incident in which a woman was killed after her scooty was hit by a car and her body dragged for four kilometres from Sultanpuri to Kanjhawala here, saying his head hung in shame over the “inhuman” crime. The

victim’s two-wheeler was hit by a car and her body dragged for around four kilometres

INCIDENT

from outer Delhi’s Sultanpuri to Kanjhawala on Sunday, police said. Five men travelling in the car have been arrested, they added. “My head hangs in shame over the inhuman crime in Kanjhawla-Sultanpuri today morning and I am shocked at the monstrous insensitivity of the perpetrators.

ed to the alleged Delhi excise scam.

The ED told the court that the investigation regarding the

Greater Noida: An unidentified body of a woman was found early Monday at Greater Noida’s Eastern Peripheral highway, Uttar Pradesh Police said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Abhishek Verma, Greater Noida said, Dadri Police Station received information about the presence of a body of a woman at Greater Noida’s Eastern periphery on Monday at around 7 am.

Verma further said a police staff, other officials immediately reached the spot after receiving the information.

“When the police reached the spot, they found injury marks on the hands, head and feet of the dead woman. The footprints of a truck tyre were also found at the scene,” the police officer added.

role of other accused persons and the phasing out of the remaining proceeds of crime is still pending.

During the preliminary investigation, the police have learnt that the woman apparently died after being hit by a heavy object.

“The police are attempting to establish the identity of the woman,” Verma said.

COLD-BLOODED MURDERERS

DESERVE STRICTEST PUNISHMENT: BJP MP

New Delhi (ANI): Former cricketer and BJP MP Gautam Gambhir condemned the incident at northwest Delhi’s Khanjawala on New Year’s night in which a 20-yr-old woman, riding a scooter, was hit by a car and dragged for a kilometres under the wheels until she died. The MP said the “cold-

blooded murderers” deserved the strictest punishment. Gambhir added the visuals of the

incident were ‘shocking’. Taking to Twitter, he wrote, “The visuals (of the Khanjawala incident) are shocking. Skin from the back of the victim was completely scraped off. Those who dragged and killed the girl with their car are cold-blooded murderers. They deserve the strictest punishment (sic).”

STF-NOIDA POLICE OPERATION

Gangster killed in encounter had five murders

to his name

Noida (PTI): Gangster Kapil, who succumbed to bullet injuries after an encounter with the Special Task Force (STF) and the Noida Police here, was active in western Uttar Pradesh since 2008 and was an accused in at least five murder cases, according to official records.

Kapil, who also went by the name Krapal, was mostly active in Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, and Bulandshahr districts of UP, but had FIRs lodged against him in Gurugram and Delhi too, the police record showed.

The 33-year-old died after he suffered injuries in a gunfight with a joint team of the STF and the Noida Police here Sunday evening, Superintendent of Police (STF Meerut Zone) Kuldeep Narayan said.

The encounter happened when a police team intercepted him in the Bisrakh area over a tip-off about his move-

ment in NCR for a planned murder, Narayan said.

The officer said Kapil had around three dozen criminal cases against him.

According to official records accessed by PTI, he was first booked at Khekra Police Station in Baghpat in 2008 under IPC section 308 (attempt to culpable homicide not amounting to murder).

He was booked for the first time in a murder case in 2010 at Muzaffarnagar’s Fugana Police Station.

In 2014, he had back-

The

Kapil worked as a shooter for the Vikas Badhoda gang before defecting to the Sunil Rathi gang, both active in western UP, according to a police officer.

Eighty per cent of Delhi’s bus fleet will run on electric by 2025: CM

lll

Kejriwal said presently there were 300 e-buses on roads, and the government would buy 1,500 such buses in 2023 and 6,380 buses by 2025

New Delhi (PTI): Eighty per cent of Delhi’s bus fleet will run on electric by 2025, CM Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday, asserting that acquisition of e-buses will go a long way in reducing pollution in the national capital.

Sharing a roadmap for procurement of electric buses, he said the government will be buying 1,500 such buses in 2023 and by 2025, 6,380 electric buses will be procured.

“We have 300 electric buses now. Delhi has 7,379 buses plying on its roads currently which is the highest number of buses plying on the roads in the last 75 years. New buses were not purchased for many years and we were also questioned over it,” he said at a ceremony at the Rajghat Depot to flag off 50 electric buses.

Out of the 7,379 buses, more than 4,000 are being operated by the Delhi Transport Corpora-

tion and over 3,000 through the DIMTS, he said.

Kejriwal also shared that nearly 100 electric feeder buses were being operated by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

But as it could not run them, the Delhi government is taking over the corporation’s bus fleet, he said.

“By 2025, over 10,000 buses will be there on Delhi’s roads and 80 per cent of them will be electric. This is a huge

step in reducing pollution,” he said.

The CM also said the process installing charging points for e-buses at depots is going on and three already have the facility.

“By June this year, the work of electrification of 17 bus depots will be completed and by December, 36 bus depots will be electrified,” Kejriwal said. The electric buses are equipped with facilities like panic buttons, GPS, cameras.

Swati Maliwal asks Delhi Police to clarify if Kanjhawala victim was sexually harassed and if accused had criminal history

Also seeks explanation on what immediate action was taken by the police after the incident was reported to the control room

GREEN DELHI

AAP MLA Rakhi Birla speaks with the media outside Sultanpuri police station as people gather demanding stern punishment for men accused in the incident, in New Delhi, Monday.

HEAD HANGS IN SHAME OVER ‘INHUMAN’ CRIME: LG SAXENA CONDEMNS KANJHAWALA

GAUTAM GAMBHIR

CM Arvind Kejriwal and Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot during the flagging off ceremony of 50 e-buses under Delhi Transport Corporation, in New Delhi, Monday. —PHOTO BY PTI

One of the accused, AAP leader and businessman Vijay Nair.

—FILE PHOTO

DELHI GOVERNMENT FINDS GAPS IN CBI REPORT AGAINST JAILED MINISTER SATYENDER JAIN IN

Woman’s body found with injuries in Greater Noida

to-back murder cases lodged against him at Khekra and Baraut police stations in Baghpat. Before the year ended, he had one more murder FIR to his name at Baghpat Police Station.

latest murder case against him was lodged at Khekra Police Station in Baghpat in February 2022 for allegedly gunning down a man and his grandson.

Was active in Muzaffarnagar, Bulandshahr and Baghpat in UP

Gangster Kapil in police custody. —FILE PHOTO

—PHOTO

BY PTI

CONSTITUTION PARK

EMBODIMENT OF CULTURE AND IDEALS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONSTITUTION

PRESIDENT DROUPADI MURMU TO INAUGURATE THE PARK AT RAJ BHAVAN TODAY

The President of the world’s largest democratic nation, Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate it and dedicate it to the state and the nation. This is truly a historic moment. I want that taking inspiration from the Constitution as a reflection of our culture, all the citizens should work while being aware of their constitutional rights as well as their basic duties

Every responsible citizen should keep an eye on how the governance is going on in a democracy and how it should be run. I agree, the Constitution makes it possible. The work of giving justice, freedom and participation in power to all the citizens of the country is done through someone, then it is the Constitution itself. The intention behind implementing the Constitution in the country on January 26, 1950 and adopting it has been that all Indians get the ideal of a universal democratic republic.

Our Constitution related to fraternity, self-respect and unity of the nation among the citizens is not only a law to govern the country, but also a kind of manifesto for economic and social transformation of the country. The faith of the Constitution is in the ‘democratic system of governance’. That’s why you see, the power of the Constitution lies directly with the people.

What ideals, aspirations the Constitution reveals, it can be understood clearly from the words contained in the preamble of the Constitution ‘We the people of India’. It is not just the words of the preamble of the Constitution but it is the life philosophy of our great Indian culture. If the Constitution has given us rights, it has also given us duties. In my every public function, I recite the fundamental duties along with the preamble of the Constitution.

This Constitution Park not only shows the historical journey of the Constitution making, but it is also a beautiful euphemism of Indian art-culture and rule of law. When the idea of this park came to my mind, the first thing I discussed was with our Chief Specialist Govind Ram Jaiswal. He gave very important suggestions after studying the culture related to the Constitution. When JDA started work under the Smart City Scheme of Central

I do that so that all should be alert to follow the basic duties along with the rights. I firmly believe that no democracy can be called vibrant unless its citizens are ready to actively participate in governance and shoulder responsibilities for the best interest of the country. Our nation is one of the few countries in the world where the glorious tradition of democracy has existed since ancient times.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Shri Krishna says that one should perform one’s duties without expecting the fruits. In this way, what other book can be bigger about performing one’s duty than the saga of Lord Shri Ram, the Supreme Per-

erly then we will not need to ask for rights. The Constitution balances the rights and duties of the citizens. I believe that the fundamental duties act as a kind of cautionary for the citizens of the country. It helps in achieving national goals by promoting a sense of discipline and commitment towards the nation as well as ensuring active participation of the citizens. The fundamental duties in the Constitution were needed because rights and duties are interdependent.

There are some moral duties in the Constitution and some others are civic duties. It is a moral ideal to cherish the noble ideals of the freedom struggle and it is the civic duty of all of us to respect the Constitution, the National Flag and the National Anthem.

Fundamental Duties are a part of Indian tradition, mythology, religions and practices.

Nation is not a geography.

The Constitution is also not just an idea or just a book. This is an ideal and for this we all need to keep working continuously. That’s

In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Shri Krishna says that one should perform one’s duties without expecting the fruits. Just like this, what other book can be a bigger one about performing one’s duty than the saga of Lord Shri Ram, the Supreme Personality of Godhead!

why after assuming the post of Governor in Rajasthan, I started working keeping constitutional awareness as a priority. I initiated the tradition of reciting the preamble and basic duties of the Constitution in the speech in the State Legislative Assembly, took the initiative to build a Constitution Park in all funded universities of the state and the construction of a Constitution Park in the Raj Bhavan is the culmination of that.

The main intention behind the construction of the Constitution Park has been that people can experience the tangible explanation of the ideals related to our Constitution like a movie. The

Governor is not a person but a constitutional institution. Anyone who comes to the Raj Bhavan, special or common, can come face to face with the high ideals enshrined in the Constitution, for this purpose the Indian Constitution has been realised here through sculptures, pictures, installations and other mediums.

By looking at the sculptures, models and images displayed here, it will be known how the dream of constitutional democracy, socialism, secularism, freedom, equality, fraternity, goodwill, unity and integrity have been included in the Constitution by the makers of the Constitution. Mahatma Gandhi had once said that nation is an abstract concept which is made concrete by the citizens of the nation. This belief is created by the culture, civilization, thinking tradition, religion, worship, way of life etc. of that group of people.

If we go in the light of this saying of Gandhiji, then it will also be known that our Constitution was prepared keeping the ideals of Indian culture at the centre.

Renowned artist Nandlal Bose was called from Santiniketan and paintings were made in all the 22 parts of the Constitution

in the light of ancient Indian culture, tradition and geography.

It is a matter of pride that Kirpal Singh Shekhawat, a renowned artist of Rajasthan, has also contributed in the making of these paintings. The Constitution Park, which has been prepared in the Raj Bhavan, is important in the way that it is very beautiful, saluting the journey of Constitution making, Constituent Assembly committees, the picture of the Constituent Assembly of 1950, the Constituent Assembly model and the contribution of women in the Constituent Assembly. Sculptures have been displayed.

Here the names of the members of the Constituent Assembly are engraved, then historical photographs related to the making of the Constitution and the statue of presenting the Constitution book to the then President Dr Rajendra Prasad by Dr BR Ambedkar. Apart from that, images of public heroes associated with the Constitution and democracy have been displayed.

This Constitution Park not only shows the historical journey of the Constitution making, but it is also a beautiful euphemism of Indian art-culture and rule of law. When the idea of this park came to my mind, the first thing I discussed was with our Chief Specialist Govind Ram Jaiswal. He gave very important suggestions after studying the culture related to the Constitution. When the Jaipur Development Authority started work under the Smart City Scheme of the Central Government, Architect Anoop Bartaria worked to bring alive the concrete form of the Constitution.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took full interest in it and it was completed in less than a year after its foundation stone was laid on January 26, 2022. The President of the world’s largest democratic nation, Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate it and dedicate it to the state and the nation. This is truly a historic moment. I want that taking inspiration from the Constitution as a reflection of our culture, all the citizens should work while being aware of their constitutional rights as well as their basic duties.

KALRAJ MISHRA

The writer is Governor of Rajasthan

EVERY RESPONSIBLE CITIZEN SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON HOW THE GOVERNANCE IS GOING ON IN A DEMOCRACY AND HOW IT SHOULD BE RUN

Governor Kalraj Mishra inspects the statues installed at the newly-constructed Constitution Park in Raj Bhavan, Jaipur.

Editor-In-Chief: Dr Jagdeesh Chandra Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan responsible for selection of news under the

COURTYARD in the

“MOVE HC FOR NOD TO REGISTER FIR AGAINST SUVENDU”

Fake currency notes’ circulation continues to pose challenge: NCRB

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea by West Bengal minister Birbaha Hansda challenging the Calcutta High Court order which banned registration of fresh FIRs against BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari without prior permission of the court. A bench asked the Trinamool Congress leader to approach the Calcutta High Court, which is seized of a similar matter and is scheduled to hear it on January 10.

URBAN LOCAL BODY POLLS: SC TO HEAR UP’S PLEA ON JAN 4

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear on January 4 the UP govt’s appeal challenging an Allahabad High Court order quashing its draft notification on urban local body elections and directing it to hold the polls without reservation for other backward classes. A bench took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state govt, saying the matter needed an urgent hearing.

MLAs POACHING: T’GANA HC UPHOLDS LOWER COURT ORDER

New Delhi (PTI): Circulation of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) in the country continues to pose a challenge even after the 2016 demonetisation, whose one of the key objectives was to eradicate counterfeiting of notes.

According to report of the National Crime Control Bureau (NCRB), FICN with the face value of Rs 245.33 crore has been seized by the law enforcement agencies across the country since 2016 -- the year the Centre demonetised Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes.

The highest amount of FICN with the face value of Rs 92.17 crore was seized in 2020 while the lowest with the face value of Rs 15.92 crore was seized in 2016.

In 2021, FICN of Rs 20.39 crore face value was seized in the country, of Rs 34.79 crore in 2019, Rs 26.35 crore in 2018 and Rs 55.71 crore in 2017, the NCRB data showed.

According to the RBI annual report, published in May 2022, the number of fake currency notes of 500 denomination detected by the banking system more than doubled to 79,669 pieces in 2021-22 fiscal over the previous year.

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday dismissed an appeal by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) challenging order of a special Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) court which had aside a memo to array BJP national General Secretary B.L. Santhosh and three others as accused in the MLAs’ poaching case. The ACB special court had last month rejected the memo and the SIT had challenged this in the High Court.

CBI REPORT LINKS

MONDAL’S NAME WITH BOGTUI CASE

Kolkata: The CBI on Monday submitted a report to the Calcutta High Court, wherein it linked the name of TMC strongman and the party’s Birbhum district president, with the Bogtui carnage that took place in the same district in March last year.

In March last year, the murder a local Trinamool Congress leader, Bhadu Sheikh, had triggered violence in Bogtui in Birbhum district that led to the death of nine persons.

VERDICT CANNOT BE INTERPRETED AS UPHOLDING DEMONETISATION, SAYS CPI(M)

New Delhi: The Left on Monday noted that the Supreme Court has not endorsed the consequences of the Centre’s decision on demonetisation, but merely upheld its right to do so, and demanded a white paper on the exercise. The reaction comes on a day the apex court, in a 4:1 majority verdict, gave its stamp of approval to the government’s 2016 decision to demonetise Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denomination currency notes, saying the “decision-making process was neither flawed nor hasty”. The CPI(M) said the dissenting opinion of one of the judges maintained that the RBI must recommend to the govt to initiate demonetisation.

CHIDAMBARAM

per cent, 16.5 per cent, 11.7 per cent, 101.9 per cent and 54.6 per cent in the counterfeit notes detected in the denominations of Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 200, Rs 500 (new design) and Rs 2,000, respectively,’’ said the RBI’s annual report for 2021-22.

The counterfeit notes detected in the denominations of Rs 50 and Rs 100 declined by 28.7 per cent and 16.7 per cent, respectively.

China doing same to India as Russia to Ukraine: Rahul

New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said China is adopting the same principle with India as Russia is with Ukraine, as it is threatening to alter India’s boundaries.

He also claimed that the Sino-Indian border conflict has a link with a weak economy, a confused nation without any vision, hatred, anger and the Chinese sitting in Indian territory.

CONGRESS’ PLENARY SESSION IN FEB

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday announced that its 85th plenary session will begin from February 24 in Raipur.

WISHES

“Once the Hon’ble Supreme Court has declared the law, we are obliged to accept it. However, it is necessary to point out that the majority has not upheld the wisdom of the decision; nor has the majority concluded that the stated objectives

WRONG TO SAY SC HAS UPHELD DEMONETISATION: CONGRESS

New Delhi: It is “misleading and wrong” to say the Supreme Court has upheld demonetisation, the Congress declared on Monday, adding that the majority apex court verdict on the matter deals with the limited issue of the process of decision making not with its outcomes. The verdict has nothing to say on whether the stated objectives of demonetisation were met or not, AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said.

in the previous fiscal.

The number of counterfeit notes of 2,000 denomination detected in the system was 13,604 pieces during 2021-22, up 54.6 per cent from the preceding financial year.

Sack Sandeep Singh or face stir, Khaps warn Haryana govt

Jhajjar (PTI): A ‘khap panchayat’ here on Monday threatened to launch a big agitation if Haryana minister Sandeep Singh, who has been booked for sexually harassing a woman coach, is not sacked.

Singh on Sunday gave up his Sports portfolio, saying he has taken the step on moral grounds, and claimed that the charges against him are baseless.

The former India hockey captain said he has handed over the charge of the sports department to CM Khattar. However, he has not resigned from the ministry.

A panchayat of “12 Dhankar khaps”, or caste councils, was held in a village in the district and attended by representatives of khaps’ and

social organisations.

A khap representative said, the meeting urged the state government to ensure justice for the coach at the earliest and sack the minister. If the government fails to do this, the khaps will launch a “big movement”, he said.

The meeting demanded that Singh should be sacked immediately as he could “influence” the investigations if he continues to be a minister.

After declining in 2020-21, the total number of FICN of all denominations detected in the banking sector increased to 2,30,971 pieces from 2,08,625 pieces

During 2021-22, out of the total FICN detected in the banking sector, 6.9 per cent was detected at the Reserve Bank and 93.1 per cent at other banks, the RBI report said.

During 2019-20, the number of FICN stood at 2,96,695 pieces.

‘’Compared to the previous year, there was an increase of 16.4

One of the major objectives of the 2016 demonetisation of the then prevailing Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes was to curb circulation of fake currency notes. On November 8, 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes would cease to be legal tender in India from that midnight. Modi had said that the decision had been taken to ‘’fight corruption, black money and terrorism’’. The Rs 2,000 notes and Rs 500 notes with a new design had been introduced after demonetisation.

“Essentially, what the Russians have done in Ukraine is that they have said we do not want Ukraine to have a strong relationship with the West and they have basically told the Ukrainians that if you will have a strong relationship with the West, we will alter your geography.

“That is the same principle that can be applied to India. What the Chinese are saying

Shah to visit 11 states this month as part of BJP’s ‘LS Prawas’ exercise

New Delhi (PTI): Senior BJP leader and Home Minister Amit Shah will travel to as many as 11 states this month as part of his party’s “Lok Sabha Prawas” programme, which is aimed at boosting its prospects in targeted parliamentary constituencies ahead of the general election in 2024.

Party sources said Shah will be in Tripura on January 5 and Manipur and Nagaland on January 6. He will be travelling to Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand on January 7 and Andhra Pradesh on January 8.

He will be in UP on January 16, in West Bengal on January 17 and at Hubli in Karnataka on January 28. The home minister will be in the northern states of Haryana and Punjab on January 29, sources said.

BJP WILL COME TO POWER IN NEXT ELECTION BASED ON GOVERNANCE:

Unemployment rate among Kerala youth

huge: Tharoor

Kottayam (PTI): Unemployment rate among the youth in Kerala is huge and there is a need to make the state more attractive for its younger generation to prevent them from going outside for jobs, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said on Monday.

WOMAN CONSTABLE

‘HARASSED’ AT DMK

“I

According

PLEA FOR PEACE

EVENT; BJP CONDEMNS Chennai: A woman constable was allegedly harassed by two DMK party’s youth wing functionaries during a public meeting at the Virugambakkam area of Chennai on December 31. A complaint was lodged by the woman constable at the Valasaravakkam Police Station on Sunday in this regard. However, the police is yet to register a case. The BJP has termed the incident as “disgraceful”.

Tharoor, speaking at the 146th Mannam Jayanthi celebration here, said unemployment among the youth in Kerala was 40 per cent in June 2022. Mannam Jayanthi is held to celebrate the birth anniversary of NSS founder and social reformer Mannath Padmanabhan. He said only J&K was in such a situation, but that was due to militancy problems there.

Concerned India urges Russia, Ukraine to return to dialogue & diplomacy

Vienna (PTI): Voicing “very deep” concern over the ongoing Ukraine conflict, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday that India is on the side of peace and since beginning New Delhi’s effort has been to return to dialogue and diplomacy as differences cannot be settled through violence.

Jaishankar, who arrived here from Cyprus on the second leg of his two-nation tour, made the remarks while ad-

dressing the members of the Indian diaspora.

“This (Ukraine) conflict is really a matter of very, very deep concern… Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared in September (that) we actually genuinely believe that this is no longer an era of war. You cannot settle differences and issues through violence,” he said.

“So from the very beginning, our effort has been to urge (Russia and Ukraine to) return to di-

We know this is not (an) easily resolvable situation. But it’s important that countries who believe (in)…negotiation, speak up clearly in that regard… we’re on the side of peace and a large part of the world thinks like us.

—S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister

alogue and diplomacy… The Prime Minister himself has spoken on nu-

merous occasions with President (Vladimir) Putin and President (Volo-

dymyr) Zelensky. I myself talked to my colleagues in Russia and

Ukraine,” he said.

“We know this is not (an) easily resolvable situation. But it’s important that countries who believe (in)…negotiation, speak up clearly in that regard…,” he said, adding that “we’re on the side of peace and a large part of the world thinks like us.” India has repeatedly called on Russia and Ukraine to return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue and end their ongoing conflict.

PM Modi has spoken

to the presidents of Russia and Ukraine on multiple occasions and urged for immediate cessation of hostilities and return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue for the resolution of the conflict.

In his bilateral meeting with Russian President Putin in Uzbekistan on September 16, Modi said “today’s era is not of war” and nudged him to end the conflict.

India has not yet criticised the Russian attack on Ukraine and has been

maintaining that the crisis should be resolved through dialogue.

Jaishankar also said that India and Austria would sign some agreements on Monday and some of them are of interest to Indian diaspora – one on migration and mobility for Indians who want to come here as students/professionals and another on ‘Working Holiday’ programme which will enable Indian students in Austria to work for six months.

An NCRB report has revealed that even after demonetisation, fake currency is being circulated in the country. —FILE PHOTO

SLAP FOR THE GOVT: P

ON APEX COURT VERDICT Chennai: Former Union finance minister P Chidambaram on Monday said the majority verdict by the Supreme Court has steered clear of the question whether the objectives of the demonetisation exercise were achieved at all.

were achieved,” Chidambaram said in a tweet.

At a press conference at the party headquarters here, Congress general secretary in-charge Organisation KC Venugopal announced this.

AKHILESH

SUCCESS FOR BJY Lucknow: Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday thanked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for inviting him to his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and wished it a success, even as the party said he will not be attending it. SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary announced it on Monday.

MAYAWATI THANKS RaGa FOR BJY INVITE Lucknow: Ahead of the resumption of the Bharat Jodo Yatra which is on a winter break, BSP chief Mayawati on Mon-

K’TAKA CM BOMMAI

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai stated that BJP will come back to power based on ‘governance and good work’. He was answering to reporters after visiting Venkateshwara temple in Bengaluru on the occasion of the Vaikunta Ekadashi festival on Monday. When asked if he prayed for BJP’s victory, Bommai said generally he will not pray for such things.

have confidence.

to me, people are gods. What is on their mind is going to happen. The governance and good work by BJP will help the party to attain power,” the Chief Minister said.

MAHADAYI DISPUTE: GOA DELEGATION TO MEET PM AND SHAH Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said he will soon lead an all-party delegation to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat opposing the approval granted by the Centre to Karnataka government for detailed project reports (DPRs) of two dams on the Mahadayi River.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar interacts with the Indian community, in Vienna on Sunday. —PHOTO BY ANI

Sheezan's sister claims Tunisha's picture in Hijab is from a shoot

Mumbai (ANI): The family of Sheezan Khan, the boyfriend of popular television actor Tunisha Sharma arrested on the charge of abetting her suspected suicide, on Monday refuted the allegation’s of the actor’s uncle that she started wearing a hijab (headscarf worn by Muslim women) from the time she met Sheezan.

Her uncle’s remark hinted at a love jihad angle behind her death.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, Sheezan’s sister and coactor Shafaq Naaz said the image of Tunisha in a hijab, which is being circulated online, is from the shoot for a show.

“The picture of Tunisha in a hijab being circulated online is from the set of a show she was shooting for. It can be clearly seen in the image that it was from a set. We never made her wear a hijab,” Shafaq said.

Tunisha’s uncle, Pawan Sharma, claimed on December 28 that her behaviour and lifestyle changed after she met Sheezan and that she even started wearing a ‘hijab’.

Earlier, Sheezan’s ad-

TUNISHA'S TIES WITH HER FAMILY WERE NOT GOOD: SHEEZAN'S LAWYER

Mumbai: Family of TV actor Sheezan Khan, who has been in jail since December 25 in connection with Tunisha Sharma’s death case, on Monday named an “uncle” who the late actress was in mortal fear of. TV actor Tunisha Sharma, who allegedly died by suicide on Christmas eve, was in frightful awe of her uncle from Chandigarh, who instigated her mother, Vanita, to strangulate Tunisha, Sheezan’s advocate told the media. Sheezan’s sisters also accused Tunisha’s mother of causing her childhood trauma and making the late actor “beg before her for every penny”.

vocate Shailendra Mishra alleged that Tunisha’s uncle was also her

4 KILLED AS TRUCK OVERTURNS IN WEST BENGAL

West Bengal: Four people were killed as a truck overturned in West Bengal’s Bankura district, police said on Monday. The accident happened near Janata More on Bishnupur-Patrasayar Road on Sunday night, they said. The truck was on the way to Raina in Purba Bardhaman district with rice bags when one of its tyres punctured, following which the driver lost control and the vehicle overturned, police said.

JILTED LOVER STABS STUDENT TO DEATH IN B'LURU

Bengaluru: A jilted lover stabbed an engineering student to death in Bengaluru on Monday for rejecting his proposal, police said. The deceased was identified as Layasmitha, while the accused, Pavan Kalyan, also stabbed himself after the crime. He had been rushed to the hospital, where his condition is said to be serious. The incident occurred at the Presidency University College.

‘former manager’ and was fired because of his ‘harsh behaviour’.

Sheezan’s advocate alleged that Tunisha was scared of another ‘uncle’ from Chandigarh, as he had instigated her mother, Vanita, to strangulate her.

“Tunisha used to panic a lot upon hearing the name of Sanjeev Kaushal (another uncle). On his instigation, Tunisha’s mother broke her phone and tried to strangulate her. Sanjeev Kaushal and Tunisha’s mother used to control her life,” Sheezan’s advocate alleged.

KHAN'S MOTHER SAYS 'YOU WANT MY SON TO COMMIT SUICIDE TOO?'

New Delhi: Tunisha Sharma’s death has come as a shock to everyone. The actress died by suicide on December 24, 2022.

The actress hanged herself in the make-up room of her co-star and former boyfriend Sheezan Mohammed Khan. The actor's judicial custody has been extended for 14 days, after he was arrested for allegedly abetting the suicide of Tunisha Sharma. The 27-year-old actor was arrested by Valiv Police in Palghar district on December 26.'

Now, on January 2, Sheezan Khan's lawyer, Adv. Shailendra Mishra and his sisters Falak Naaz, Shafaq Naaz and his mother, spoke up for the first time after facing several allegations. They held a press conference and spoke to the media about the case. Tunisha Sharma died by suicide on December 24.

Didi launches new campaign ‘Didir Suraksha Kavach’

Kolkata (Agencies): With an eye on West Bengal panchayat polls due this year, the ruling Trinamool Congress on Monday launched a new campaign "Didir Suraksha Kavach" to reach out to the people.

The campaign was launched by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in the presence of TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and state president Subrata Bakshi.

"The party will start the campaign on January 11 and will continue with it for 60 days. Our party workers will reach out to the people across the state and ensure that everyone can avail of the welfare schemes of the state government," Abhishek Banerjee said at a press conference.

"The party will start the campaign on Janu-

Mamata Banerjee

WON'T BOTHER BEREAVED PM WITH STATE'S DUES NOW: MAMATA BANERJEE

Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she will not bother Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the state's financial dues in his moment of personal grief as he lost his mother last week. Banerjee on several occasions has written to Modi requesting him to clear the MGNREGA dues of the state government. "I have already written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about this on previous occasions. It's time for his mourning; I won't say anything more now," Banerjee told a press conference here.

ary 11 and will continue with it for 60 days. Our party workers will reach out to the people across the state and en-

Gujarat: BSF nabbed 22 Pak fishermen, seized 79 boats

Gujarat (ANI): The BSF apprehended 22 Pakistani fishermen and seized 79 fishing boats in the most inhospitable, marshy and difficult terrain of Creeks and Harami Nalla in Gujarat's Bhuj sector in 2022.

Pointing the achievements of Gujarat BSF, a statement issued by force, mentioned: "BSF Gujarat is further strengthening its hold along Sir Creek and Harami Nalla area by establishing permanent bases".

The BSF, which guards the 7,419 km India-Pakistan border, also informed that 50 packets of Heroin worth

Rs 250 crore and 61 packets of Charas worth Rs 2.49 crore were also recovered from the coastal and creek region of Gujarat.

The statement also credited BSF Gujarat, for being responsible for securing the 826 km

long India-Pakistan international border from Barmer in Rajasthan to Rann of Kutch and Creek area, including 85 kms of the Coastal area of Gujarat through effective domination of its entire area of responsibility.

NCC'S REPUBLIC DAY CAMP WITH 2,155 CADETS BEGIN IN DELHI

New Delhi (ANI): The NIA is likely to visit Upper Dangri village in J&K's Rajouri district where five people, including a child, were killed and many more were injured in two separate terrorist attacks since Sunday evening, sources said.

Highly placed sources indicated that a team led by a senior NIA official may visit the spot any time today or tomorrow following a new modus operandi adopted by the agency to visit places where such terror incidents happen. The team will be sent from NIA's Jammu branch, which will note down details of the incidents along with the sleuths of J&K police in order to keep a tab on the methods of killings of civilians in two terror attacks.

New Delhi: The NCC Republic Day (RD) Camp 2023 commenced at the Cariappa Parade Ground, Delhi Cantt. A total of 2,155 cadets, including 710 girls, drawn from all 28 States and eight Union Territories, are participating in the nearly month-long camp, which will culminate with PM’s rally on Jan 28th. It also includes 114 cadets from J&K and 120 cadets from the North-Eastern Region.

During the camp, the cadets will participate in a number of activities, including cultural competitions, national integration awareness programmes and institutional training. A number of dignitaries, including the Vice President of India, Raksha Mantri, Raksha Rajya Mantri, Delhi Chief Minister, Chief of Defence Staff and the Service Chiefs will also pay a visit to the camp.

Railways earns `1,20,478 crs from freight loading this FY till Dec 2022

New Delhi: The Indian Railways' earnings from freight loading for the first nine months of financial year 2022-23 have surpassed those of the same period last year, the ministry of railways said on January 2.

71% INCREASE IN PASSENGER SEGMENT

INDIAN-AMERICAN

TAKES OATH AS COUNTY JUDGE

Houston: Three Indian-American Democrats have taken oath as Fort Bend County Judges in the United States. Juli A. Mathew, K.P. George, and Surendran K. Pattel were sworn in as Fort Bend County judges, along with other newly elected and re-elected officials.

Juli A. Mathew, the first Indian-American woman to be elected to a judge’s bench in the US four years ago.

journalists.

KERALA: SI CAUGHT TAKING BRIBE IN VIRAL VIDEO

Kochi: A Sub-Inspector (SI) grade official of Ayyampuzha police station in Kerala’s Kochi was allegedly seen taking money in a purported viral video. The inquiry order has been given by the Superintendent of Police (SP), Ernakulam Rural, Vivek Kumar after the SI of Ayyampuzha police station was seen, in the video, demanding more money from a person for allowing to transport soil.

sure that everyone can avail of the welfare schemes of the state government," Abhishek Banerjee said.

On a cumulative basis, from April to December 2022, freight loading of 1,109.38 metric tonnes has been achieved, as against loading of 1,029.96 metric tonnes during the same period last year.

BREAKING RECORD

This marks an improvement of 8 percent.

The earnings of Indian Railways from freight loading operations are Rs 1,20,478 crore so far this fiscal.,

New Delhi: The total earnings in the passenger segment for Indian railways from April to Dec 2022 were at Rs 48,913 crore, an increase of 71 per cent in comparison to Rs. 28,569 cr during the same period last year. In the reserved passenger segment, the total approximate number of passengers booked from 01 April to 31 Dec 2022 was 59.61 cr.

Dabolim records highest ever per day flight traffic

Goa (Agencies): Goa’s Dabolim airport handled a record 104 flights over a 24-hour period on January 1 owing to thousands of tourists and others who arrived in the state to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said. The AAI, which handles the passenger terminal at Dabolim, said the airport on Sunday beat its previous record of 102 flights, clocked on January 2

last year.

“On 1 January 2023, Goa International Airport handled 104 arrivals and 104 departures with 13,147 arrival passengers and 17,335 departure passengers,” the AAI said.

The figure is expected to return to 95 on Monday, including scheduled domestic and international flight, as well as chartered flights. The airport on most days handles anywhere between 85 and

95 flights over a 24-hour period.

The first tourism season after Covid-19, which was blighted by

the resurgence of the Omicron variant, has shown encouraging signs and the number of tourists is likely to

surpass that of pre-pandemic days.

Tourism in Goa peaks in the week between Christmas and New Year’s when millions of travellers from across the country wish to celebrate the occasions in Goa. “We strive to ensure a hassle-free transit experience for our esteemed guests at the airport,” the AAI said.

Flights to and from Goa witness a huge demand during the New Year’s weekend, with

flight fares soaring up to four times than the usual prices.

Later this month, with the Mopa international airport also scheduled to commence flight operations, the load at Dabolim airport is expected to ease, though the latter will remain functional for civilian operations. Several airlines, including IndiGo, GoFirst, Akasa Air and Oman Airways, have announced flights from the new airport.

Sheezan's lawyer alleged that Tunisha's mother had control over her daughter's life

NIA to visit Upper Dhangri village in J&K's Rajouri district

Tunisha Sharma's death accused Sheezan Khan’s sisters Shafaq Naaz and Falaq Naaz during a joint press conference at Andheri, in Mumbai on Monday. —PHOTO BY ANI

Cadets present at the Cariappa Parade Ground, Delhi Cantt in Delhi on Monday.

Chennai: K V Srinivasan, a senior photographer of a national English daily passed away here on Monday, following a heart attack. The photojournalist is survived by his wife and two sons. Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi, CM M K Stalin and Information Minister M P Saminathan expressed grief over Srinivasan’s death and conveyed their condolences. Stalin, in a statement said, he has ordered release of Rs 5 lakh financial assistance to the kin of the deceased from a State fund for the welfare of families of

SENIOR PHOTOJOURNALIST K V

SRINIVASAN PASSES AWAY IN CHENNAI

with PM Narendra Modi. —FILE PHOTO

CIL'S COAL SUPPLY

TO POWER SECTOR UP 11% AT 433 MT

SIX YRS AFTER DEMO

CASH IN CIRCULATION UP 83%

First India Bureau

New Delhi (PTI): CIL’s coal supply to the power sector rose 11% to 432.7 million tonne in the AprilDec period of current financial year. In the yearago period, the supply was 390.2 MT. The supply to the non-power sector last month was 10.5 MT due to increased output.

New Delhi: Six years after the shock move to ban 86% of the currency in circulation in the country, cash is still the king with official data showing close to doubling of cash with the public.

According to Reserve Bank data, the value of the currency in circulation (or public holding of cash) stood at `32.42 lakh crore as on December 23, 2022.

This compares to ` 17.74 lakh crore worth of notes in circulation (NiC) on November 4, 2016, days before PM Narendra Modi announced outlawing of old 1,000 and 500 rupee notes to target black money and fight corruption.

NiC fell to about ` 9 lakh crore after demonetisation.

Compared with January 6, 2017, the cash in circulation has seen a more than 3-fold

ACCORDING TO RBI DATA

z According to RBI data, the value of the currency in circulation stood at `32.42 lakh crore as on Dec 23, 2022. This compares to `17.74 lakh crore worth of notes in circulation (NiC) on Nov 4, 2016.

or 260% jump, while from November 4, 2016, it has seen about 83% rise.

After the shock announcement, the govern-

India’s mfg PMI hits 13-month high in Dec

New Delhi (PTI): Stateowned NMDC on Monday announced that it has hiked the prices of iron ore lumps by `200 to `4,300 per tonne. The country’s largest iron ore miner has also increased rates of iron ore fines by `500 to `3,410/tonne, NMDC said in a regulatory filing. The prices are effective January 1, and exclude royalty, district mineral fund (DMF), National Mineral Exploration Trust (DMET), cess, forest permit fee and other taxes, the company said.

SAW OVER 4.5 LAKH BOOKINGS ON NEW YEAR’S EVE

New Delhi (PTI): India’s manufacturing sector activity rose to a 13-month high in December, supported by healthy inflows of new business and strong demand conditions, according to a monthly survey.

The seasonally adjusted S&P Global India Manufacturing PMI stood at 57.8 in Dec, up from 55.7 in November, as business conditions improved to the greatest extent in over two years.

The December PMI data pointed to an improvement in overall operating conditions for the 18th straight month. “Following a promising start to 2022, the Indian manufacturing industry maintained a strong performance as time pro-

gressed, wrapping the year with the best expansion in production seen since November 2021,” Pollyanna De Lima, Economics Associate Director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said.

Hiring activity was stretched to December, while more inputs were acquired as firms sought to supplement production and add to their inventories.

Demand resilience boosted sales growth in December.

z The total value of notes returned by the public was `15.3 lakh crore or 99.3% of the total of `15.4 lakh crore of NiC on Nov 8, 2016.

z The outlawed currency notes were replaced by new 500 & 2,000 rupee notes.But 1,000 rupee note was not reintroduced.

ment gave a limited-time window for the public to return the banned currency. According to the RBI, almost the entire amount

GTRI suggests seven steps to make full use of Australia FTA

New Delhi (PTI): Indian traders should follow seven steps, including knowing trade policy and rules of origin of respective products in Australia in order to take full advantage of the recently implemented free trade agreement, according to a study by GTRI released on Monday.

“We have suggested a seven-step process to ensure that the firms do not miss critical details while exporting or importing under ECTA,” it said.

of currency withdrawn was turned in.

The total value of notes returned by the public was `15.3 lakh crore or 99.3% of the total of `15.4 lakh crore of notes in circulation on November 8, 2016.

According to a written reply, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman furnished in the Lok Sabha on December 19, 2022, the value of NiC fell over 20% at end of March 2017 to ` 13.1 lakh crore but has been on the rise since.

It rose by 37.67% to `18.03 lakh crore on March 31, 2018. The value of NiC soared to ` 21.10 lakh crore on March 31, 2019, `24.20 lakh crore on March 31, 2020, ` 28.26 lakh crore on March 31, 2021, and ` 31.05 lakh crore on March 31, 2022.

As on December 2, 2022, the value of NiC was `31.92 lakh crore.

Recession will hit 1/3rd of world this year: IMF

Washington (PTI): A third of the global economy will be in recession this year, the IMF chief has said, and warned that 2023 will be "tougher" than last year as the US, EU and China will see their economies slow down.

Kristalina Georgieva, the chief of the IMF made these grim assertions during a CBS news programme "Face the Nation."

It comes at a time when the ongoing conflict in Ukraine shows no signs of abating after more than 10

months, with spiralling inflation, higher interest rates and the surge in coronavirus infections in China fuelled by the Omicron variant.

"We expect one-third of the world economy to be in recession," Georgieva said.

The year 2023 will be tougher than last year because the economies of the US, the EU and China will slow down, she said.

"Even in countries that are not in recession, it would feel like a recession for hundreds of millions of people," she explained.

Markets climb on first day of trade of New Year 2023

Mumbai (PTI): Equity benchmarks started the first day of trade of the New Year on a positive note and ended with smart gains, propelled by buying in index majors Reliance Industries and ICICI Bank amid a firm trend in European markets.

The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 327.05 points or 0.54% to settle at 61,167.79 on Monday. During the day, it jumped 382.05 points or 0.62% to 61,222.79. The broader NSE Nifty advanced 92.15 points or 0.51% to end at 18,197.45.

From the Sensex pack, Tata Steel, Tata Motors, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank,

Mahindra & Mahindra, Reliance Industries, NTPC and Bharti Airtel were the prominent winners. However, Asian Paints, Titan, Tech Mahindra, Nestle and Hindustan Unilever were among the major laggards.

RUPEE FALLS 14 PAISE TO CLOSE AT 82.75 AGAINST $

Mumbai (PTI): The rupee started the New Year on a muted note, declining 14 paise to close at 82.75 (provisional) against the US dollar on Monday as rising crude oil prices and sustained foreign fund outflows weighed on investor sentiment. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened lower at 82.66 against the greenback and witnessed an intra-day high of 82.56 and a low of 82.78. It finally settled at 82.75, down 14 paise over its previous close.

New Delhi (PTI): OYO witnessed a record 4.5 lakh-plus bookings on New Year’s eve, its highest bookings per hotel per day for India in the last 5 years, Founder and Group CEO Ritesh Agarwal said. Agarwal spoke about the “busiest day of the year” for the travel technology company and shared that OYO saw higher bookings in Varanasi as compared to Goa. “Over 450k-plus bookings were made on this New Year’s Eve globally. This is 35 per cent more than last year. We are also seeing the highest bookings per hotel per day for India in the last 5 years,” Agarwal informed.

PRODUCTION FALLS 18% IN DECEMBER

‘Betting on results not allowed’

New Delhi (PTI): Online gaming companies will not be allowed to engage in betting on the outcome of games under the principle laid in draft rules, MoS for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said.

The minister said that as of now, all permissible online gaming will need to be registered with a self-regulatory organisation that will be accountable to the online gaming rules.

"As per the principles laid under the rule, wager-

ing on the outcome of game will not be allowed. All online gaming companies will have to register with

ACCORDING TO CMIE DATA

New Delhi (PTI): Maruti

Suzuki India’s production in Dec 2022 was lower by 17.96% at 1,24,722 units, according to a regulatory filing. The company had a total production of 1,52,029 units in the same month a year ago.

Production in mini cars and compact segment, comprising models such as Alto, S-Presso, Baleno, Celerio, Dzire, Ignis, Swift and WagonR, was lower at 83,753 units in Dec 2022 as compared to 1,06,090 units in Dec ‘21.

the self-regulatory body that will decide on the action required to be taken as per the rules," he said.

Mumbai (PTI): The RBI on Monday said stateowned SBI, along with private sector lenders ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank continue to be Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) or institutions which are ‘too big to fail’. SIBs are perceived as banks that are ‘too big to fail’. This perception creates an expectation of govt support for these lenders in times of distress.

Unemployment rate surges to 8.3% in Dec

First India Bureau

New Delhi: The rate of unemployment in India has zoomed to a high of 8.3% in December, the highest in 2022, according to data from CMIE. The unemployment rate during November was at 8%, while in September it was the lowest at 6.43% and was at the second highest level during the year at 8.28% in August.

While the urban unemployment rate was at 10% during the last month of 2022, rural joblessness stood at 7.5% during December.

Among the states, unem-

ployment continued to be the highest in Haryana at 37.4% in December, followed by Rajasthan at

28.5%, Delhi 20.8%, Bihar 19.1% and Jharkhand 18%.

CIEL HR Services managing director and CEO

HIGHEST IN 2022

z The unemployment rate during November was at 8%, while in September it was the lowest at 6.43% and was at the second highest level during the year at 8.28% in August, the CMIE data stated.

z The urban unemployment rate was at 10% during the last month of 2022.

Aditya Narayan Mishra said there were no significant new employment opportunities in December.

OTHER STORIES

INDIAN ECONOMY LIKELY TO NAVIGATE ROUGH GLOBAL WEATHER IN 2023: ASSOCHAM

New Delhi (PTI): India’s economy is expected to navigate rough global weather in 2023 due to resilient consumer demand, better corporate performance and abating of inflation, even as the year is likely to be full of challenges and opportunities, Assocham said on Monday. “While the global outlook seems rather tough, the Indian economy is set to stay on steady ground, helped by strong domestic demand, a healthy financial sector and improved corporate balance sheets. Early signs point towards a robust performance of agriculture,” its Secy General stated.

COAL MINISTRY TO TAKE UP ADDITIONAL 19 PROJECTS

New Delhi (PTI): The Centre on Monday said an additional 19 first mile connectivity projects of state-owned CIL and SCCL will be implemented by 2026-27.

“The Ministry of Coal will be taking up additional 19 First Mile Connectivity (FMC) projects for Coal India Ltd (CIL) and Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) with a capacity of 330 million tonnes (MT) and these projects will be implemented by FY26-27.”

New Delhi (PTI): Coffee shipments from India rose 1.66% to 4 lakh tonne in 2022 on rise in instant coffee exports and re-exports, according to the Coffee Board. Exports stood at 3.93 lakh tonne in 2021. In value terms, coffee export was higher at `8,762.47 crore in 2022 as against `6,984.67 crore in the previous year. India ships both Robusta and Arabica varieties, besides instant coffee.

TEA INDUSTRY FACING MULTIPLE CHALLENGES IN WAKE OF COVID PANDEMIC: EXPERTS

Kolkata (PTI): The tea industry has been no exception to the ravages of the Covid pandemic over the last two years, as it grapples with low prices and high input costs, with stakeholders calling for more focus on quality and boosting exports. Production, too, has seen a decrease in the last few years since the onset of the pandemic due to restrictions on plucking -- from 1,390 million kg in 2019 to 1,258 million kg in 2020, 1,329 million kg in 2021 and 1,050 million kg till October this year.

NMDC HIKES IRON ORE LUMP RATES BY `200 PER TONNE

OYO

MARUTI SUZUKI'S

SBI, ICICI & HDFC Bank continue to remain D-SIBs: RBI

DELHI GOVT’S NEW INITIATIVE

'MATHEMATICS WINTER CAMP' FOR CITY SCHOOLS

The

New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi government launched a "Mathematics Winter Camp" for the city schools on Monday to bridge the learning gaps induced by the COVID-19 pandemic among students.

The camp will be run till January 14.

The initiative is expected to supplement the classroom content, improve the learning level of the Class-9 students, act as a brief exam-focused revision and enable students to address foundational concepts.

The camp will be an opportunity to work on the challenges faced throughout the academic year and the Class-9 students of the schools run by the city government will be provided with additional learning support to strength-

en the foundational concepts, Delhi government Advisor Reena Gupta said. She said the camp was launched as a smallscale pilot project.

"Our students have immense capability and programmes such as the 'Mathematics Win-

ter camp' will create a conducive environment to overcome the fear or phobia of mathematics, generate enthusiasm among students to work hard for their annual examination and be an opportunity to work on learning gaps faced

throughout the academic year," Gupta said.

Taking into consideration the contextual needs of students, the camp will revise topics such as number systems, quadrilaterals, menstruation and chapters from the syllabus

that continue to be a weak link. Teachers will also conduct exercises related to the subject and mathematics puzzles to strengthen calculation, integers, unit conversion, divisibility, simplification and revise crucial formulas.

Covid situation in UP is normal: CM Adityanath

Lucknow (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday reviewed the COVID-19 situation in the state at a high-level meeting with officials, and said that the situation in the state is normal amid the rising cases in various countries.

He also directed the officials to closely monitor the "changing trends" of coronavirus and to conduct genome sequencing of the new cases.

Adityanath reviewed the situation in the state during the meeting with Team-9, a team of senior officials and ministers constituted for Covid management, and gave necessary guidelines, according to an official statement.

The CM said that the situation in UP is normal amid the rising number of Covid cases in various countries, the statement said.

More than 9.06 lakh tests were done in the month of December, of which 103 cases were found to be positive.

ACTIVE COVID CASES IN COUNTRY DECLINE TO

2,670

New Delhi (PTI): India has recorded 173 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases have declined to 2,670, according to Union health ministry data updated on Monday. The total tally of Covid cases has been recorded at 4.46 crore (4,46,78,822) and the death toll stands at 5,30,707 with two fatalities -- one reconciled by Kerala and one reported by Uttarakhand -- in the last 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The daily positivity rate has been recorded at 0.19 per cent while the weekly positivity was pegged at 0.14 per cent, it said. The ministry said 92,955 tests have been conducted in the last 24 hours. The active cases comprise 0.01 per cent of the total infections, while the national recovery rate has increased to 98.80 per cent, according to the ministry's website. The ministry said a decrease of 36 cases has been recorded in the active Covid caseload in a span of 24 hours.

Pant doing ‘better’, shifted to private suite over infection scare DELHI UNIV VC SHARES ACHIEVEMENTS OF 2022

New Delhi (Agencies): Addressing the students and professors of Delhi University on the first day of 2023 on Monday, Vice-Chancellor Prof Yogesh Singh shared the achievements made by the university in 2022.

The Vice-Chancellor in his address said that the university has completed 100 years of its establishment in 2022.

The H-index of the university, Professor Singh said, has in -

creased from 230-250. There has been an increase of nine per cent in research papers in the Scopus index journal, the Vice-Chancellor said.

The Vice-Chancellor also said that five-year

LLB, Competency Enhancement Scheme, Vice Chancellor Internship Scheme, MBA (Business Analytics), and MBA, BBA, BMS, BLIS, and MLIS in SOL and many new courses in Medicine including

Apart from the launch of new academic programmes in 2022, Professor Yogesh Singh while addressing the university today said that the DU has signed 18 agreements with foreign universities last year

MSc (Respiratory Therapy), DM (Medical Gastroenterology), MDS, DM, and MD have been introduced.

As many as 5,398 teachers have been promoted by the university and new recruit -

ments of 838 teachers and 249 non-teaching personnel were also done in the last year, the Vice-Chancellor said in the address.

Looking forward to 2023, the Vice Chancellor said that in the

new year, Rs 330 crore for the new building of IOE, Rs 289.61 crore for the IOE hostel, Rs 87 crore for the construction of the computer center and Rs 110 crore for the expansion of the library will be spent. The Vice-Chancellor said that the renovation and value-addition works at various places across the university will also be completed this year for a cost of Rs 29.4 crore.

Dehradun (ANI): India's star wicketkeeperbatter Rishabh Pant "is doing well and has been shifted to a private suite due to fear of infection", revealed Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) Director Shyam Sharma today. "Due to fear of infection, we have told his family and hospital administration to shift him to a private suite. He is doing better and will recover soon," said Sharma to ANI.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday announced that the state government will provide all help for the

25-year-old's treatment, who was seriously injured in a road accident near Roorkee on December 30 while on his way to surprise his mother.

Pant was alone in the car and reportedly fell asleep at the wheel when the accident happened. According to a statement by the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) in coordination with the Max Hospital Dehradun where he has been admitted, the cricketer has suffered two cuts on his forehead, a ligament tear in his right knee along with injuries on his right wrist, ankle, toe and back.

TAKING CULTURE BEYOND

Bombshell found near Punjab, Haryana CMs' official residences

Chandigarh (PTI): A live bomb was found a few hundred metres away from the helipad used by Punjab and Haryana chief ministers here on Monday, police said.

The shell was found in the fields on the Nayagaon-Kansal road, which is about one kilometre away from the helipad and about two kilometres from the official residences of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and his Haryana

NEW COMMAND

counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar, they said.

An official of the disaster management department who reached the spot told reporters

that the police control room received a message that a bomb-like object had been seen near the Kansal and Nayagaon T-point.

Subhasish Panda takes charge as DDA vice chairman

New Delhi (PTI): Bureaucrat Subhasish Panda on Monday took charge as the vice chairman of the Delhi Development Authority, a senior official said.

A 1997-batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, Panda was holding the charge of principal secretary to the chief minister in the hill state before joining the DDA, an of-

ficial statement said.

In a career spanning over two decades, Panda has worked in various sectors like health, food and public distribution, petroleum and natural gas, urban development, tourism, planning, public works and information technology, the DDA said.

“He played a pivotal role as deputy director (administration) in the

PANDA’S CONTRIBUTION IN VARIOUS SECTORS

All India Institute of Medical Sciences - Delhi during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure all essential facilities are provided to the patients in a time-bound manner,” the statement said.

His model of a community-led total sanitation programme was adopted across Himachal, which ultimately led to the state becoming “the first

ODF (open defecationfree) state in the country,” the DDA said.

Panda’s experience will be beneficial at a time when important projects are being undertaken by the DDA, such as preparation of the Delhi Master Plan2041, rejuvenation of river Yamuna plains, in situ slum rehabilitation scheme and PM-UDAY scheme, it said.

Bureaucrat Subhasish Panda

People wearing traditional attire take out tableaux of traditional costumes and dishes during the 'Manali Winter Carnival 2023', in Manali, Monday. —PHOTO BY PTI

camp will bridge the learning gaps induced by the pandemic among students

Delhi government Advisor Reena Gupta interacts with students and parents at a government school in New Delhi.  —TWITTER PHOTO

‘PILOT PROJECT’

The spot where the bombs were found.

Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) Director Shyam Sharma speaking to reporters in Dehradun.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath

eople around the world have been celebrating the start of each new year for at least four millennia.

Common traditions include attending parties, eating special New Year’s foods, making resolutions for the new year and watching fireworks displays. A similar get-together was witnessed on December 28, Saturday.

Jagdeesh Chandra graced the occasion as a special guest.

Gaurav Gaur, director of Elite Miss Rajasthan along with supermodels were also present to make the evening more special.

The celebration witnessed various fun activities including musical

games, and dumb charades, among others. While some beauties grooved on Bollywood music, others were seen shaking legs on hit Punjabi tracks too.

Everyone eased into their conversations and enjoyed the mood with great company, wonderful food, and music. The lip-smacking food and energetic crowd made for an exuberant party.

Jagdeesh Chandra greeted everyone with a Happy New Year in advance and wished them huge success. He also motivated everyone to lead a healthy life.

The magnificent party witnessed the ravishing models in sequin pieces, fluffy frocks and furry coat and neck wraps.

It is natural for people to show up in high spirits, eager to start the year on a positive note. Therefore, the stunning beauties flaunted their new year outfits to reflect

ity.

bodycon

DREAM, SPARKLE & SHINE

A NEW YEAR GET-TOGETHER WAS CELEBRATED WITH MUCH FERVOUR ON DECEMBER 28, SATURDAY. THE BEAUTIES WERE SEEN FLAUNTING GORGEOUS ATTIRE AS IT WAS A SHEEN AND THE PERFECT OCCASION FOR A FRESH START WHILST MAKING NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATION AN IDEAL REPRESENTATION OF COLOUR, FERVOUR, ZEST AND ENTHUSIASM. THE HOUSE-PACKED REVELLERS RAISED THE TOAST TO THE JOY OF A NEW YEAR AND ADDED A LITTLE SPARKLE TO THE END OF THE YEAR 2022. CITY FIRST BRINGS TO YOU SOME GLIMPSES!

THE HIDDEN LANGUAGE OF THE SOUL

CITY FIRST

The ongoing twoday 10th Guru M.L. Koser festival concluded with a delightful evening at Kamani Auditorium on Monday. Ajay Pohankar’s melodic vocal and Purbayan Chatterjee’s Soothing sitar strings added colours to the festival.

Ajay Pohankar performed in some of the most prestigious venues and festivals for more than three decades. Besides performing a mu-

sic career spanning 5 decades internationally, the talented artist has been a teacher to some of the top-ranking music professionals in the country of all genres. Distinguished guests and artists graced the occasion at Kamani Auditorium.

On the other hand, Purbayan Chatterjee is one of the topmost sitar maestros of the world belonging to the Senia Maihar Gharana founded by Baba Allauddin Khan. He is blessed to learn Sitar from the gurus like his father Par-

thapratim Chatterjee, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and vocal training Ajay Chakraborty.

He concluded the program with beautiful songs. Accompanying artists, Debasish Adhikari on Tabla and Paro-

mita Mukherjee on Harmonium added colours to the concert.

After this well-known sitar maestro, Purbayan Chatterjee took the centre stage beginning with traditional aalap. He chose Raag Kaus Kanhra

for jod jhala. He doled out traditional compositions of his respective gharanas He concluded with a melodious dhun.

With his magical touch on fingers on the sitar, Purbayan enthralled the audience with his scin-

tillating performance. He created a special place in the hearts of the audience with his melodic touch on the strings of the sitar.

Tanmay Bose, a wellknown tabla player accompanied him well on the tabla, amidst applause from the audience.

Sajal Koser honoured the artists with a bouquet, memento and utriya. Sajal Koser thanked the distinguished audience, artists and media for their wonderful support of the activities of the Kendra in New Delhi. cityfirstdel@gmail.com

Grow Plants Without Soil

CITY FIRST

Sand From Discarded Glass Bottles

CITY FIRST

In Ghazipur, Delhi slumbers a beast named Udit Singhal rotting garbage lying in all its stinking glory in the village used as a dumping ground. About, 8,000 tonnes of solid waste is collected in Delhi alone, glass accounts for about 80 tonnes, says 17-year-old Udit. He found out about these figures when he was trying to do some research on how to recycle glass bottles lying at home. About which, he wanted to bring the machine from New Zealand to India, “The ma-

chine crushes glass bottles into sand within seconds and converts them into a valuable byproduct. It also reduces its volume by almost 90 per cent. The sand produced from recycled bottles is useful for the construction industry,” shares an excited Udit.

He further said, “The sand produced from crushed glass bottles is stronger than the ordinary sand used in construction because of its high silica content. It has 76 per cent Silica, therefore, holds better with bricks and concrete, and that’s the difference we bring with this sand.”

In the past decade, particularly in urban centres across India, we have witnessed the steady evolution of hydroponics, a farming technique where, instead of soil, plants are grown in mineral nutrient solutions in water, which helps them to grow faster and garner a better yield.

This technique uses up to 90 per cent less water than conventional soil-based farming and allows people to grow vegetables and herbs organically at home.

However, Agro2o, a Delhi-based startup, has developed a proprietary smart garden which uses a completely automated indoor hydroponics system.

Once a user purchases the smart garden device, they can grow multiple types of plants across numerous crop cycles. Users need to

choose what type of plant they want to grow, and plug it in the preseeded pods (there’s a variety of herbs, veggies, greens or ornamental plants on offer).

“We have developed two models of this smart gar den—Savor and Renaissance.

On the Savor, you can grow four plants at a time while Renaissance has the capacity for 12 plants. If you’re growing lettuce, for example, you can grow nine crop cycles of lettuce in a year. On this device, you can have

similar plant types growing alongside each other. For example, you

doesn’t know gardening at all, this device developed by Agro2o is straightforward to use. Along with the device, there are pre-seeded pods. When they want to change the crop cycle from lettuce to green veggies, users can select pods of their choice. It’s an easy plug-and-play type of system.

Thus far, the startup claims to have received 300+ pre-orders. The tentative price for Savor is Rs 7,999 inclusive of GST, while the Renaissance stands at Rs 17,999. Yash believes that actual sales will commence sometime in the third quarter of the next financial year.

If you’re officially clueless about gardening, but want to learn without expending too much time or energy, then Agro 2o definitely has the solutions for you.

MOUTHWATERING FOOD IN BUDGET

CITY FIRST

Atraveller may enjoy some of the greatest travel experiences in Delhi. The capital city is also a popular travel destination for foodies because it offers enticing treats that are fairly affordable. In some unspoken part of their hearts, every young person in Delhi fantasises about venturing outside to discover new places and smell the varied cuisine. If you are a young person in Delhi, you are fortunate to live in a place where you don’t have to second guess going out to eat some sweet or salty treats because the city provides a wide variety of delectable foods fit for a discriminating foodie.

KENNEDY’S, West Patel Nagar

The greatest restaurant in Patel Nagar for delectable cuisine is Kennedy’s. The modest restaurant provides such highquality meals without emptying your wallet. The restaurant is well-known for its quick food and Chinese selections.

PICKLES AND More in Berlin

CITY FIRST

Suman Sood the 62-year-old narrates her journey, the varieties of pickles she makes, and how her creations made their way to a restaurant in Berlin, Germany.

She shares, “Slowly, people started coming to me with particular needs and tastes. Some would want the pickle in olive oil, others liked it spicy, and so I began to customise,” she says.

It was in 2015 that her daughters Shweta and Sunakshi convinced their mother to start her brand Pickles & More. “All this happened because of them. Left to me, I would still be making and giving pickles to friends and family,” she says. Like

most home businesses in India, Pickles & More also was started on Facebook, spreading by word-of-mouth.

“In one season alone, I make almost 1,000 kg of pickle, and I have been doing this for almost 25 years now, so do that math,” she says, laughing.

It’s almost 25,000 kg of a pickle!

She goes on to say, “So far, I have made almost 60+ varieties of pickles and am always ready to experiment with new ones. It all depends on clients and what they want me to make.” A half kg bottle of pickle costs about Rs 250 and Suman makes nearly Rs 50,000 each month. “It makes me happy to be earning my own money, and the financial independence has changed me,” she says.

Jagdeesh Chandra was caught in a candid shot during a carefree moment at the beachside in Mumbai on New Year’s eve.

New Year Christmas celebrations were held at the NOIDA office of Bharat24-vision of New India, a National Hindi News channel during the festive season. Jagdeesh Chandra wished all members of the Bharat24-Vision of New India family a very happy New Year and a cake-cutting ceremony was also done.

ECHOES HUDSON LANE, Delhi University

“A café with a captivating idea,” which formerly had only one location at Delhi University’s South Campus, has recently launched a second location thereon Hudson Lane. Serving Continental, Mexican, American, Italian, Chinese, and Indian cuisines is Echoes’ area of expertise. It is without a doubt the greatest theme café on the list.

BIG YELLOW DOOR (BYD), Satya Niketan Market

BYD, which combines perfume and ambience, is situated on South Campus next to Sri Venkateswara College. Due to college students, the location is typically occupied. Nevertheless, if you hang about here for a while, you can still find a seat.

THE ROLLING JOINT, Connaught Place You should put visiting this little restaurant on your bucket list of places to eat in Delhi. The Rolling Joint is a tiny minivan that is set up in the middle lane of Connaught Place and is highly intriguing due to its front board.

can grow multiple types of herbs but don’t ever mix them up with cherry tomatoes,” explains Yash.

For a person who

Dr Pandit Pohankar on vocal recital accompanied by Paromita Mukherjee on harmonium and Debashish Adhikary on tabla with others during the performance

Yogesh Samsi and Ustad Akram Khan on tabla jugalbandi accompanied by Miland Kulkarni on harmonium and Ehsan Ali on sarangi with others during the performance

Purbayan Chatterjee on sitar recital with Tanmoy Bose on tabla during the performance

Udit Singhal

Yash Vyas

Suman Sood