First India-Delhi Edition-7th October 2022

‘RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR TO BLAME FOR FOOD AND ENERGY CRISIS’

Amit Shah’s Baramulla rally reflects change in the Valley: BJP

First India Bureau

New Delhi: A senior BJP leader said on Thursday that it was well after three decades that a senior Union minister has addressed a rally in Baramulla, a north Kashmir district once considered as a hotbed of militancy, and the large turnout at Amit Shah’s rally there indicated the changing situation in the Valley.

BJP leaders also said they will have no truck with any party that ad vocates dialogue with Pakistan, in an appar ent reference to the Val ley’s two main political parties, the National

Conference and the Peo ples Democratic Party.

“Why should we speak to Pakistan which has promoted terrorism in our land for bringing peace in a part of our country?” a senior par

ty leader said in an in teraction with report ers. “Our government is working to root out militants,” he asserted.

BJP sources also dis counted the possibility of having any alliance

with the Democratic Azad Party, which was recently launched by Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Rejecting any dia logue with Pakistan, Shah on Wednesday said his government

Farooq presents ‘dossier’ of development under NC

Srinagar: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday issued a white paper on de velopment undertaken in Jammu and Kashmir during the rule of “Abdullah and Sons” — as Shah referred to the family during his rally in Baramulla.

“Yesterday, Home Minister Amit Shah Ji asked me to account for the de velopment that took place during the years the National Conference has been in power,” said Farooq as he released the “dossier”.

was more interested in talking to the people of J&K, and assured them that assembly polls will be held with “full trans parency”.

At his first public rally in the Valley since

the abrogation of Arti cle 370, Shah, in his 27-minute speech at Showkat Ali stadium, trained his guns at “three families”, “Mufti and company” and “Ab dullah and sons”. P5

Army adds Kalyani M4 to armoured vehicles in J&K

Jammu: The Army’s northern command on Thursday inducted Kalyani M4, an indig enous all-terrain high mobility combat troop carrier with armour and mine protection, in Jammu and Kashmir. The Northern Command shared the information on official Twitter handle with several pictures of its General Officer Commanding-in-chief (GOC-in-C) Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi along with the vehicle. Kalyani M4, produced by Kalyani Group’s Bharat Forge, underwent extensive tri als in Ladakh, which also

falls under the Northern Command, before the Army placed the order for these vehicles under an emergency procure ment amid the China-In dia border standoff. The vehicle can withstand three 10 kg TNT charges under the wheels and one 50 kg IED blast at its one side, officials said.

VANDE BHARAT EXPRESS MEETS WITH ACCIDENT

READ Crucial 34 killed in Thailand day-care shooting

Mumbai: A Vande Bharat Express between Mumbai Central to Gurajat’s Gandhinagar met with an accident after a herd of buffaloes came on the railway track on Thursday, said a railway officer. “The accident occurred at around 11.15 am between Vatva station to Maninagar station today,” said Western Railway Senior PRO, JK Jayant.

BIHAR MAN HELD FOR THREAT TO MUKESH AMBANI

Mumbai: Mumbai Police has arrested a man from Bihar for threatening calls to target industrialist Mukesh Ambani and his family, a police officer said on Thursday. A police team picked up a suspect from Bihar’s Darbhanga district around midnight and was bringing him to Mumbai, he said.

GUJ PATIDAR LEADER, WHO QUIT AS CONG MLA, JOINS BJP

Gandhinagar: Two days after resigning from the Gujarat Legislative Assembly as a Congress legislator, Patidar community leader Harshad Ribadiya on Thursday joined the ruling BJP here. He was inducted during a function organised at the Bharatiya Janata Party’s state headquarters ‘Kamalam’ here.

‘JAMTARA’-LIKE GANG NABBED IN FARIDABAD

Faridabad: Eleven members of a gang which duped over 1,300 people from across the country have been arrested here, police said on Thursday. One of them worked at a credit card department of a private bank. He used to leak information about new card holders.

HEROIN WORTH `100 CRORE SEIZED AT MUMBAI AIRPORT

Mumbai: The DRI has seized 16 kilograms of heroin worth more than Rs 100 crore at the Mumbai Airport, and arrested a passenger and a woman from Ghana in this connection, an official said on Thursday. The Ghanaian woman was nabbed from a hotel in Delhi as part of the DRI’s follow-up action in the case, he said.

Bangkok (Agencies):

Thirty-four people were killed in Thailand on Thursday in a mass shooting at a day-care centre by a former po liceman who killed his wife and child before shooting himself dead.

The victims included children as young as 2 years old, local police said. There were 22 chil dren among the victims of the suspected gun man. About 30 children were at the centre when the gunman came in.

Chakkraphat Wichit vaidya, superintendent of Na Klang police sta tion, said that the gun man had been dis charged from the police force last year.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha, who was to travel to the town on Friday, told reporters that initial re ports were that the for mer officer was having personal problems. “This shouldn’t hap pen,” he said. “I feel deep sadness toward the vic tims and their relatives.”

9 killed, 38 hurt as tourist bus hits state transport bus in Kerala’s Palakkad dist

Palakkad (ANI): Nine people were killed and 38 injured after a tour ist bus carrying stu dents crashed into a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation bus at Mangalam near Vadakkenchery area of Palakkad, Kerala min ister MB Rajesh said on Thursday.

The accident oc curred after the tourist

DCGI probe on after WHO alert on Gambia deaths

New Delhi (PTI): In dia’s drug regulator Drugs Controller Gen eral of India (DCGI) has initiated a probe and sought further de tails from the WHO af ter the latter issued alert that cough syrups manufactured by an In dian firm could poten tially be linked to the children’s death in Gambia. The WHO on Wednesday had warned that four “con taminated” and “sub standard” cough syr ups allegedly produced by Maiden Pharmaceu ticals Limited based in Haryana’s Sonepat could be the reason for the deaths in the West African nation.

Sonia Gandhi joins Congress’ ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in Karnataka’s Mandya

Mandya (ANI): Con gress interim president on Thursday joined the party’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in Mandya in Karnataka. Sonia Gan dhi, who came here on Monday, arrived at the starting point of the padyatra, which re sumed on Thursday on its after a two-day break for Dussehra. The Con gress supremo was seen walking in the company of her son and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders.

US: Kidnapped Sikh family of 4 found dead

bus rear-ended into the KSRTC bus. The tourist bus carrying students and teachers of the Baselios Vidhyanike than School was headed to Ooty from Ernaku lam, while the KSRTC bus was on its way to Coimbatore. The de ceased include five stu dents, one teacher and three passengers from the KSRTC bus.

2 men stabbed to death in north Delhi, 3 arrested

San Francisco: The sheriff of Merced County in California said a baby girl and three other family members who were kid napped at gunpoint have been found dead. All four Sikh family members, including an eight-month-old baby

girl, who were kid napped in the US state of California earlier this week have been found dead. The family, originally from Harsi Pind in Hoshiarpur dis trict of Punjab, was kid napped at a business in Merced County, Califor nia, on Monday.

New Delhi (PTI): Two men were allegedly stabbed to death fol lowing a scuffle in north Delhi’s Mukund pur area, police said on Thursday. Three per sons, including a girl, have been apprehend ed in connection with the incident, they said. One of the victims Sa hil (19) was known to the girl but she envied him. The girl called him and his friend Nikhil (26) for a meet ing in a street at 11.30 on Wednesday, a senior police officer said. At the same time, she also called her friend and brother as she had planned an attack.

LIST OF 12 CANDIDATES FOR GUJARAT POLLS

Ahmedabad/New

Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday released its fourth list of 12 candidates for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections, giving tickets to people from a cross-section of society, including teachers, businessper sons and tribals.With the latest list, the AAP has so far announced 41 candidates. The fourth list of candidates covers 12 seats, two of which, Garbada and Gandevi. are reserved for STs. Two of these 12 seats were won by the Congress in 2017, while 10 were bagged by the BJP.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the public rally in Baramulla on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY ANI

(Top) A videograb shows people outside the site of an attack at a daycare centre in Nongbua Lamphu town, Thailand on Thursday. (L) The suspect.

Follow up Panya Khamrab, 34, the assailant in the shooting at the child’s center. Uthai Sawan Subdistrict, Na Klang District, Nong Bua Lamphu Province. Observe the vehicle used by the culprit, a white Toyota Vigo pickup truck, license plate registration 6 Kor 6499, Bangkok —Thailand’s Central Investigation Police (CIP) said in a Facebook post..

Gunman, an ex-cop, kills family too before shooting himself dead

About 30 children were at the centre when the shooter came in

Locals at the accident site at Vadakkenchery in Palakkad district of Kerala, on Thursday. —PHOTO BY PTI

Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke announces family’s death.

RAHUL GANDHI TIES MOTHER SONIA GANDHI’S SHOELACE, VIDEO GOES VIRAL

ED TURNS DOWN SHIVAKUMAR’S PLEA FOR EXEMPTION FROM APPEARANCE

Mandya: The photo and video of Rahul Gandhi tying the shoelace of his mother Sonia Gandhi dur ing the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Mandya on Thursday has gone viral on social media. Sonia Gandhi had joined the Yatra which is led by Rahul Gandhi near Bellur Cross in Mandya district of Karnataka.

Mysuru: Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar on Thursday said the Enforcement Directorate has turned down his plea for exemption from appearance before the agency in Delhi on October 7 in the National Herald money laundering case. He said he will decide whether to appear before the agency after talking to his party lead ers. In a fresh message to Shivakumar, the ED asked him to make himself available before the agency on Friday.

Congress

Sonia Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi,

Shivakumar, KC Venugopal, Siddaramaiah and

Girl gang-raped by seniors in Kendriya Vidyalaya, FIR now

New Delhi (PTI): An 11-year-old student was allegedly gangraped by two seniors inside the washroom of a Kendriya Vidya laya in the national capital, police said on Thursday.

The Kendriya Vidya laya Sangathan’s re gional office has also ordered an enquiry into the issue.

The alleged incident had taken place in July but the victim ap proached the police on Tuesday only after the matter was highlighted by the Delhi Commis sion for Women (DCW).

The DCW, which termed the incident as a “serious matter”, is sued a notice to Delhi Police and the school principal on the issue.

The school authori ties have been asked to inform why the inci dent was allegedly not reported to the police by them.

Officials of the Ken driya Vidyalaya San gathan (KVS) main tained that the inci dent was not reported to the school principal by the victim or her parents and has only come to light following police investigation.

KVS is an autonomous body under the Minis try of Education and it oversees over 1,200 KVs that are spread across 25 regions in the country.

According to the po lice, the victim filed a

complaint on Tuesday and immediately a case was registered.

DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal said, “We have received a very serious case of gang-rape with an 11-year-old student in

OF TWO IN SEWER

HC directs DDA to pay `10 lakh each

Unfortunate that even 75 yrs after Independence, poor still working as manual scavengers: CJ

New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Delhi Development Au thority (DDA) to pay Rs 10 lakh each as com pensation to the family of two persons who died after inhaling tox ic gases inside a sewer here last month.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma re marked that it was un fortunate that even af ter 75 years of Inde pendence, the poor were forced to work as manual scavengers and asked the DDA, under whose jurisdiction the incident took place, to pay the compensation, as mandated under the law, forthwith.

The bench, also com prising Justice Subra monium Prasad added that the DDA shall also consider granting com passionate appoint ment to the family of the deceased persons and sought the pres ence of the vice chair man of the authority in case the order is not complied with till the next date of hearing.

The order was passed on a public interest liti gation (PIL) initiated

Court also asks DDA to consider compassionate appointment to victims’ kin

It is made clear that if the order is not complied with, vice chairman of DDA shall remain present in court on the next date of hearing.

—HC bench’s order

The girl has alleged her school teacher tried to hush up the matter. It is very un fortunate that even schools are unsafe for children in the capital. —Swati Maliwal, Chairperson, DCW

side a school in Delhi.

The girl has alleged that her school teacher tried to hush up the matter. It is very unfor tunate that even schools are unsafe for children in the capital.”

She demanded strict

action in the matter.

“Also an enquiry into the role of school authorities must be conducted on the is sue,” Maliwal added.

According to the Commission, the mi nor alleged that in July while she was going to her classroom, she col lided with two boys from her school study ing in Class 11 and 12.

“She said that she apologised to the boys but they started abus ing her and took her inside a toilet. She al leged that the boys locked the toilet door from inside and raped

LG tells CM to clear dues of sanitation workers

New Delhi (ANI):

Expressing displeas ure over the unjusti fied and inordinate delay in payments by Arvind Kejriwal Government, the Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Thursday directed the Chief Secretary to take immedi ate steps to clear all dues of Dalit sanitation workers in the national capital before Diwali.

NHRC NOTICE TO HARYANA GOVT OVER SEWER DEATHS IN FARIDABAD

New Delhi (PTI): The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to Hary ana government in connection with the death of four persons allegedly after inhaling toxic fumes while cleaning a sewer tank of a private hospital in Faridabad. The NHRC said it has taken a suo motu cognizance of a media report about the incident that took place on Wednesday. The NHRC has is sued notices to the chief secretary of Haryana and the director general of police, calling for a detailed report within four weeks.

by the court on its own based on a news report of the incident.

A sweeper and a se curity guard died on September 9 in Outer Delhi’s Mundka area after they inhaled toxic gases inside a sewer.

When the sweeper had gone down to clean the sewer, he fainted and the guard followed to rescue him and he also fell unconscious, the police had said.

17-year-old boy stabbed to death, two arrested

First India Bureau

New Delhi: A 17-yearold boy was allegedly stabbed to death in Ja hangirpuri here on Thursday. Two people were arrested in this re gard, the police said.

The incident took place following a quarrel over an old enmity, the police added.

The victim, Shivam of Mukundpur, was at tacked late Wednesday night, they said.

DCP (northwest)

Usha Rangnani said a call was received from BJRM hospital in Ja hangirpuri at 11.48 pm

about the admission of a person with stab inju ries to the chest.

The teen was declared brought dead by the doc tors, she said. The per son who brought the boy to the hospital said he witnessed a quarrel at a park near Jahangirpuri G-Block and later, found the teen in an injured condition, the DCP said.

A case under section 302 (murder) of IPC has been registered.

“It is unfortunate that even after 75 years of Independence, poor people are forced to work as manual scav enger and the (laws on the issue) are not being followed,” said the court.

“As the DDA has pri ma facie resolved to pay compensation, keeping in view the judgement of the Su preme Court, the DDA is directed to pay Rs 10

58-year-old cop dies by suicide at residence

First India Bureau

New Delhi: A police man allegedly killed himself at Punjabi Bagh here on Thursday.

The Delhi Police SubInspector, identi fied Benny, 58, report edly committed suicide by hanging himself at his residence, the po lice said.

The deceased, a resi dent of Police Colony in Punjabi Bagh, was post ed in the Outer district, they said.

The information about the incident was received at 8.50 pm on Wednesday, they added.

lakh each as compen sation to the family of the two deceased and also to consider their claim to grant compassionate ap pointment in terms of the Supreme Court judgement and statu tory provisions,” the order said.

“The decision shall be communicated to the court in 30 days. It is made clear that if the order is not com plied with, vice chair man of DDA shall re main present in court on the next date of hearing,” it added.

The counsel appear ing for the DDA in formed the court that the deceased were cleaning the drain in the absence of any in structions from them and a committee has been formed in rela tion to the incident.

The LG asked Chief Secretary to look into a com plaint of the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) citing non-payment of bills to the tune of Rs 16 crore by Delhi Government to over 1000 Dalit workers engaged in cleaning of sewer lines in the national capital through Delhi Jal Board (DJB). The LG said, “this was a serious matter and asked the Chief Secretary to take immediate steps to clear all genuine claims of these Dalit sanitation workers before Diwali so that these marginalized workers do not face any hardship during the festivals.”

The LG’s direc tions come in wake of a representation made by DICCI.

her. She stated that when she informed the incident to a teacher, she was told that the boys have been expelled and the matter was al legedly hushed up,” a DCW statement said.

KVS officials said no complaint regarding the matter was re ceived by the school authorities.

“The regional office of KVS is investigating the issue. The incident was not reported to the principal by the girl or her parents. The issue was also not raised at a parent-teacher meet ing held after the inci

dent,” a senior KVS official said.

“The issue has come to our notice only through police investi gation. We are cooper ating with Delhi Police in its proceedings,” the official added.

The police officials said that a detailed in vestigation is under way. Based on the state ment of the victim, the teaching staff and sus pected students are be ing interrogated, po lice said.

The DCW sought from the police an ac tion-taken report on the incident.

CBI remand of Russian in JEE Mains case extended

New Delhi (ANI): Del hi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday ex tended Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody of a Russian national till October 9 in JEE Main-2021 scam case.

He was arrested on Monday on his arrival from Kazakhstan based on the Look Out Circu lar issued by CBI in the Software tempering case of JEE Mains-2021.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Anjani Ma hajan decided to extend the remand by three more days. Court said, in view of the submis sions made by the Inves tigation officer that the accused is required to be confronted with the data extracted from his phone, laptop and exter nal HDD therefore for the purpose of expedit

New Delhi (ANI): The National Investigation Agen cy (NIA) Court of Delhi on Thursday extended the remand of three accused associated with Popu lar Front of India (PFI) by four more days. The other 16 accused have been remanded to judicial custody. All accused were produced under heavy security before the Court as their remand was granted by the same court earlier. The NIA Judge on Thursday extended the remand of the three ac cused Shahid Nasir,Jaseer KP, Mohammed Yousuf by four days after noting down the submission made by NIA counsel. The court sent the other 16 accused into judicial custody for 30 days.

ing the investigation, a further three days PC remand of accused is granted to the IO.

CBI said the data ex tracted from the devices are too voluminous and are being analyzed and the accused is required to be confronted with the same.

Advocate Sharavanth

Shankar and Rohit Bhardwaj appeared for the Russian National who opposed the re mand application moved by CBI for fur ther remand submitting that the accused has cooperated in the investi gation and already two days PC remand of the accused was granted.

AFGHAN PEOPLE IN PERIL

‘BIGGEST SEIZURE’

Customs seizes `27-cr wrist watch at IGI

New Delhi (PTI): In the “biggest seizure” of luxury goods at Delhi airport, an Indian na tional has been arrest ed for allegedly trying to smuggle seven highend wrist watches, in cluding the one made of gold and studded with diamonds worth more than Rs 27 crore, officials said Thursday.

The seizure was made from a passenger, an Indian national, who was intercepted by the customs officials after his arrival from Dubai on Tuesday, an official statement said.

Commissioner of cus

toms at IGI Airport Zubair Riaz Kamili said it is the biggest sei zure, in value terms, of commercial or luxury goods.

“In value terms, it is equivalent to seizing around 60 kgs of gold

in one instance,” Kamili said.

The detailed examina tion of the baggage and personal search of the passenger resulted in the recovery of seven wrist watches -- Jacob & Co (model: BL115.30a),

Piaget limelight stella (SI.No.1250352 P11179), Rolex oyster perpetual date just (Sl. No. Z7J 12418), Rolex oyster per petual date just (SI. No. 0C46G2 17), Rolex oys ter perpetual date just (SI. No. ZV655573),

Rolex oyster perpetual date just (Sl. No. 237Q 5385) and Rolex oyster perpetual date just (Sl. No. 861R9269), the state ment said.

Besides, a diamondstudded gold bracelet and an iPhone 14 Pro 256 GB having a total value of Rs 28.17 crore were also recovered from the passenger, said the statement is sued by Delhi Customs. The watches have been seized and the passen ger was arrested, it said. One of the watch es of Jacob & Co make is worth Rs 27.09 crore, an official said.

Afghan people stage a protest demanding justice for the Hazara community, following a suicide bombing attack in Kabul last week, in New Delhi on Thursday. —PHOTO BY ANI

NIA COURT EXTENDS REMAND OF 3 ASSOCIATED WITH PFI TILL OCT 10

Why LG not ordering probe into ‘`6,000-cr MCD scam’?

New Delhi (PTI): The AAP on Thursday asked Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena why he has not yet or dered a probe into the alleged toll tax scam worth Rs 6,000 crore even though Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia sent him a com plaint in this connec tion with “documents” two months ago.

Addressing a press conference here, AAP's Delhi civic body elec tion in-charge Durgesh Pathak also wondered if Saxena was not able to “muster courage” to order a probe into the alleged scam as some “very senior leader” of the BJP was involved in it. There was no imme diate reaction from the LG office to the AAP's charge.

“It's been about two months since Deputy CM Manish Sisodia sent a letter to the LG, along with documents, asking for a probe into the scam. Leave aside ordering a probe, LG has not even sent an ac knowledgment of Siso dia's letter so far,” Pathak said.

He said Lieutenant Governor Saxena has ordered several probes against the AAP gov ernment in Delhi since

It seems some very senior BJP leader is involved in this scam. That’s why, it seems LG is not able to muster courage and order a probe into the scam.

—Durgesh Pathak, AAP MLA

‘Even my wife doesn’t scold me as much as LG sahib’

New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said even his wife does not “scold” him as much as LG Vinai Saxena. The AAP supremo said in a tweet he has not received as many “love letters” from his wife “in the entire life” as he has from the LG in just six months. “LG sahib, chill a bit!” Kejriwal said in his tweet in Hindi. “And ask your super boss also to chill a bit.” “Even my wife does not scold me as much as the LG sahib. My wife has not written me as many love letters in the entire life as LG sahib has in the past six months,” Kejriwal said in the tweet in Hindi.

CBI remand ends, Vijay Nair sent to 14-day judicial custody

Akasa Air to allow pets on board soon

he assumed charge but eh authorities investi gating them are yet to achieve any break through.

“LG orders a probe against the AAP gov ernment every other

day without any proof. But, we welcome it. In vestigate as much as you want. We welcome all probes,” Pathak said. “But why is the LG running away from or dering a probe into this

toll tax scam worth Rs 6,000 crore? Which BJP leader he is trying to protect? It seems some very senior BJP leader is involved in this scam. That's why, it seems LG is not able to muster

courage and order a probe into the scam.”

On August 10, Siso dia had written to Sax ena for a CBI probe into the alleged scam in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

WHY NO AUDIT OF POWER DISCOMS YET, ASKS BJP

New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Thursday ac cused the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi of going back on its decision to audit power discoms and ex tending undue benefits to them.

In 2016, the Aam

Aadmi Party (AAP)

Cabinet decided to conduct annual audits of discoms but it never happened, BJP national spokesperson Syed Zafar said in a press conference here.

Zafar also alleged that the Delhi govern

Campaign launched to curb dust at construction sites

New Delhi (PTI): A month-long anti-dust campaign to check com pliance of pollution norms at construction sites was launched in Delhi on Thursday and 586 teams have been formed for its imple mentation, Environ ment Minister Gopal Rai said.

Addressing a press conference at his resi dence in Civil Lines, the minister said the cam paign has been launched under the Graded Response Ac tion Plan (GRAP) to combat pollution that has been implemented in the national capital.

“The anti-dust cam paign has begun today in Delhi. As many as 586

teams of 12 government departments and agen cies have been formed to check dust pollution at construction sites across the city. This campaign will continue for a month till Novem ber 6,” Rai said.

According to the

norms, construction sites bigger than 5,000 sqm will have to deploy one anti-smog gun, those bigger than 10,000 sqm should have two such guns and sites big ger than 15,000 sqm will have to set up three an ti-smog guns, Rai said.

ment appointed AAP leaders on the boards of two discoms and allowed them undue benefit even as they owed Rs 21,000 crore to it.

No immediate reac tion was available from the AAP over the BJP’s

charges.

The BJP has contin ued to attack the AAP government following a probe ordered by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena into alleged irregularities in the Kejriwal government’s power subsidy scheme.

New Delhi (PTI): A special court here on Thursday sent businessman and AAP communication in-charge Vijay Nair, arrested in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam case in which Deputy Chief Minister Manish Siso dia is also an accused, to two weeks’ judicial custody.

Special Judge M K Nagpal sent Nair to jail till October 20 after the CBI did not seek his further custodial inter rogation.

The central probe agency produced Nair before the court at the end of his CBI remand.

According to the prosecution, Nair entered into a criminal conspiracy with others as part of which the excise policy of the government of the na tional capital territory of Delhi (GNCTD) of 2021-2022 was framed and implemented.

The motive was to provide undue and illegal favours to liquor manufacturers and distributors at the cost of the govern ment exchequer and the policy resulted in huge revenue loss, the prosecution claimed.

New Delhi: After Air India, late Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed Akasa Air on Thursday announced that it would allow pets on board from November 1. With this, this airline became the second com mercial Indian carrier to permit pets on board.

“We are announcing pets on-board from No vember 1 this year, for which the bookings will commence from Octo ber 15 and the flying will start from Novem ber 1,” Belson Coutin ho, Chief Marketing and Experience Officer of Akasa Air said.

Akasa will only allow pets weighing 7 kg in the cabin. “The pets up to 7 kg (one pet) are al lowed in/on board the cabin...the rest may be allowed in the cargo,” Akasa Air said.

Earlier, Air India was the only airline in the country which allowed pets on board.

Further, Akasa Air has clarified that only domesticated pets (cats and dogs) will be al lowed to fly in the cabin by paying a fee amount, which shall be an nounced shortly.

After completing nearly 60 days in the air line business, Vinay Dubey, CEO of India's low-cost airline, Akasa Air, announced that it will get 18 brand-new aircraft by the end of March next year.

“We expect 18 new Boeing 737-MAX air craft by the end of March 2023,” CEO Vi nay Dubey said. —ANI

19-yr-old charred to death in market blaze

New Delhi (PTI): The charred body of a 19-year-old man was re covered on Thursday morning from the sec ond floor of a shop in east Delhi's Gandhi Market where a major fire broke out a day ago, police said.

The deceased has been identified as Shehnawaj, according to the family members. However, since the body is charred completely, DNA profiling would also be conducted.

It took nearly 10 hours for the fire fight ers to douse the flames, fire officials said, add ing a short circuit might have caused the fire. As many as 35 fire tenders and 150 fire fighters controlled the blaze which broke out at around 5.40pm on

Wednesday, the officials said, adding that the fire was extinguished at 3.30am.

Deputy Commission er of Police (Shahdara) R Sathiyasundaram said a charred body was found on the second floor of the building on Thursday morning fol lowing the fire broke that broke out in Jai

FREE ENTRY

Ambe garments shop. The fire quickly spread to other nearby shops due to storage of syn thetic cloths.

All senior officers were on the spot includ ing police personnel of Gandhi Nagar sub-divi son and DCP Reserve.

Civil defence personnel were also deployed to bring the fire under

They (Aftab and other workers) at tempted to break the locks and told Aftab’s brother (Shehnawaz) to go upstairs. By the time they broke the lock, the fire had spread and his brother was not traceable.

—R Sathiyasundaram, DCP (Shahdara)

control, he said.

According to police, one of the workers identified as Aftab (32), stated that he has been working at the Jai Ambe garments shop for the last 12 years. Af ter closing the shop on Wednesday at about 55.15 pm, he along with four other workers went near main road.

After five-seven min utes, they came back towards Janta lane which is another entry towards the shop, when they saw smoke emit ting from their shop.

He immediately called his owner and went near the shutter and realised that his brother Shehnawaj was trapped inside and also heard the voice of him knocking the door.

“They attempted to break the locks and told his brother to go up stairs. However, by the time they broke the lock, the fire had spread and his brother was not traceable,” the senior police officer said.

The fire started in a shop in the Nehru lane where mainly garments and hosiery outlets are located and soon spread.

Taste of Kashmir: Two-day festival brings Valley cuisine, culture

lll

The festival is open to the public from 4pm to 10pm at B-36 Pamposh Enclave in GK-1. The first day will be a ‘KashmiriBollywood night’ of live songs and dance performances

New Delhi (PTI): Mouth-watering Kash miri delicacies, authen tic hand-made shawls, and artefacts reflecting the Valley culture will be the centrepiece of the two-day ‘Haruduk Mela’, being held here from Friday.

The fair is being or ganised by the Kashmir Education Cultural Sci ence Society (KECSS).

The rich Kashmiri cultural heritage, re plete with its delicious food, handicrafts, heart throbbing music, and its famous hospitality will be on display during

this fest. The festival will be open to the pub lic from 4 pm to 10 pm at the grounds of B-36 Pamposh Enclave in

Greater Kailash 1. “We have very promi nent stall partners like Ahad Sons, who will be taking care of authentic

2-DAY LITERARY FESTIVAL IN GURUGRAM

Shali said Sharing de tails of the festival, Ka pil Koul, chief coordina tor for the event from KECSS, said cultural programmes have been designed to keep the in terest of the masses.

The first day of the event will be a ‘Kashmi ri-Bollywood night’ con sisting of live songs and dance performances while the second day will come alive with Kashmiri folk songs and dance.

Kashmiri cuisine, wellknown Kanwal Foods who are in the business since 1971, and many more such partners in

the sphere of spices, food, handicrafts, arti facts, shawls, Kashmiri clothing, and carpets as well,” said Savita Koul

Shali, spokesperson of KECSS.

“We also have a dedi cated ‘Fun Zone’ for our younger generations,”

“KECSS invites eve ryone to enjoy the fest and there is free entry,” he said.

Akasa Air CEO Vinay Dube (centre) flanked by Akasa Air cofounders Belson Coutinho (right) and Praveen Iyer (left) during a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday. —PHOTO BY PTI Ashoke Raj

PHOTO

CEO Vinay Dubey said there will be no change in the the airline policy after the demise of Rakesh Jhunjhunwala

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai visits an Indian Agriculture Research Institute (Pusa) to inspect the process and production facilities of Bio Decomposer Solution being manufactured there, in New Delhi on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY ANI

The gutted shops in Gandhi Market. The blaze broke out at around 5.40pm on Wednesday, and was doused by 3.30am.

Narendra Modi, Indian Democracy, and the Free & Open Indo-Pacific

INDIAN PHARMA’S COUGH SYRUPS UNDER PROBE FOR LOSS OF 66 LIVES

Modi’s electoral victories in 2014 and 2019 transformed Indian polity. His election retrieved India from a political fate similar to Italy’s cycle of ungovernable weak coalition governments.

Modi’s boldness, bolstered by consecutive victories, has led India to the frontlines of the great free and open nations

Despite external noise the U.S. and India continue to pivot to each other. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently re buked Russia’s Putin over his war against Ukraine. This week U.S. Secretary of De fense Lloyd Austin welcomed India’s foreign minister S. Jaishankar to the Pentagon with an honor guard — a first. Dr. Jaishankar was in the country for 11 days dis cussing China, defense and trade. The United States and India share the objective of denying the ambition of Xi’s China to shape the world in its autocratic image. Advanc ing a free and open Indo-Pa cific is their joint strategy to achieve it. While the United States and India will contin ue to have disagreements and road bumps in overcoming historical mistrust, leaders in Washington must recog nize the nature of Indian de mocracy and the ascendancy of its democratically elected leader Narendra Modi.

Indian democracy where a billion people engage in free elections, buoyed by a vi brant free press, at a frequen cy and with a resiliency un

POOR LIVES MUST ALSO MATTER

imaginable in any other na tion is nothing short of a marvel. In the contest be tween democracy and autoc racy, Indian democracy and Narendra Modi are strong assets. In the Indo-Pacific the best antidote for “commu nism with Chinese charac teristics” is “democracy with Asian characteristics” with India, given its geography and size, as the flag bearer. Modi’s electoral victories in 2014 and 2019 transformed Indian polity. His election re trieved India from a political fate similar to Italy’s cycle of ungovernable weak coalition governments. Modi’s bold ness, bolstered by consecu tive victories, has led India to the frontlines of the great free and open nations. His leadership, with that of late Abe Shinzo, has been instru mental in fortifying the IndoPacific Quad to act as the democratic bulwark against Chinese aggression.

Modi, like Reagan, cata lyzed and shaped emerging and latent political senti ments. Both men profited from the invisible hand of politics: arriveth the moment arriveth the man. Imbued with unfail ing conviction in their con servative beliefs, the two share the ability to grasp the wide arc of prevailing national and global forces. Like Reagan, Modi is the master communi cator of his nation, extolling optimism, opportunity, reli

Modi, like Reagan, catalyzed & shaped emerging & latent political sentiments. Both men profited from the invisible hand of politics: arriveth the moment arriveth the man. Like Reagan, Modi is the master communicator of his nation

gion, and family values across India. In foreign policy they share an instinct to stand up to bullies whether it be the Sovi et Politburo or the Chinese Communist Party. The two share another virtue – an ad miration of America.

The Modi political revolu tion addressed two pervasive realities of India: poverty and religion. Half of India’s billion-plus people subsist on less than $3 per day. Religion is important to 9 out of 10 In dians. About 80 percent of Indians adhere to Hinduism, about 14 percent to Islam, and remaining 6 percent are Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains etc. Modi unified In dia’s chronic communal poli tics with a national anti-pov erty message of “develop ment for all.” Poverty knows no religion nor creed, he fre quently states. Concurrently he emanated a muscular

Hindu identity in an over whelmingly Hindu nation with over 500 years of recent history of being invaded and ruled by non-Hindus.

Modi benefitted from and built upon the anti-poverty policies of the preceding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a widely admired technocrat. Modi’s strong leadership and rousing rhet oric made the “development for all” a national slogan. He expedited India’s transition to a digital economy and ex ecuted an unprecedented so cial security system based on a biometric ID for all Indians.

He promised running water, electricity, and cooking gas for each home. He further launched a most audacious public housing program with 30 million houses construct ed and counting.

Modi’s strong style attracts strong criticism: some justi fied, some hyperbolic. Clear ideology or strategy to achieve his lofty economic pronouncements are often imperceptible. His embrace of a muscular Hindu identity has inflamed Hindu national ism giving license to its ex treme elements. Consequent ly, Modi needs to be a more convincing stalwart of na tional reconciliation and co hesion and a staunch foe of all political violence and re prisals. The latter in particu lar warrants high vigilance.

TECHDIPLOMACY

Four sanitation workers died in Haryana’s Faridabad on Wednesday after inhaling toxic fumes while cleaning an underground sewer of a hospital. The men, who were hired through an agency, entered the sewer without any protective gear. Whether they were provided the safety equipment will have to be investigated but what is clear from the fre quent occurrence of such deaths is that poor lives don’t really matter. The cleaning of hazardous sewers and septic tanks claimed 161 lives in the last three years. Tamil Nadu topped the list with 28 deaths and UP was second with 26. Ironically, in a different case of two scavengers’ deaths, the

Will someone be held responsible for the Faridabad tragedy or will the buck be passed from the hiring agency to the hospital? For the bereaved families even getting compensation is not easy

Delhi High Court on Thursday observed, “It is unfortunate that even after 75 years of in dependence poor people are forced to work as manual scav engers” and ordered the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to pay Rs 10 lakh to each of the bereaved families. The court, which took suo motu cogni

sance of the tragedy, also de scribed as unfortunate the complete disregard for provi sions of Prohibition of Em ployment as Manual Scaven gers and their Rehabilitation Act (PEMSR), 2013.

Will someone be held re sponsible for the Faridabad tragedy or will the buck be passed from the hiring agen cy to the hospital? For the bereaved families even get ting compensation is not easy. Had the high court not taken up the issue on its own, the DDA may have dragged its feet in offering ex gratia on its own.

More than compensation the focus of governments should be on ensuring the im plementation of PEMSR Act. Municipal bodies have been allowed too long a rope.

At a time when there is stress on quality to make Indian phar maceutical products globally competitive, the news of India-made cough syrups as the likely cause of 66 child deaths in the Gambia has come as a setback. In a way the development justifies the lowest rank at 6.8 on a scale of 10 given to Indian pharmaceutical manu facturers by the USFDA in a 2019 study on compliance score of drugs marketed in the US. Even China’s compliance score of 7.3 was better than India’s.

After the World Health Or ganisation sounded a global alert “potentially” linking four cough syrups with “acute kid ney injuries and deaths of 66 children” the negative percep tion about quality control in In dia’s pharma industry will only get strengthened to the detri ment of India’s image.

It will also do the manufac turer, Maiden Pharmaceuticals of Haryana, no good either if the WHO is able to establish a link between the cough syrups and the Gambia death.

SPIRITUAL SPEAK

Work for work’s sake, not for yourself. Act but do not be attached to your actions. Be in the world, but not of it. Bhagavad Gita

TOP TWEETS

Congress and their leaders are a disgrace. Champions of Parivaarvaad they cannot digest the fact that a woman from the grassroots has risen to the ranks of the President of India. Repeated insults to the highest and most-valued office of the country shows their frustration.

Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal

Brand India in demand globally! India’s exports of knitted & crocheted fabrics grew over 4.6 times in AprilAugust 2022 as compared to the same period in 2013.

Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp

DR. KAUSH ARHA

The writer is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue

To

DAP BEGINS PROCESS TO SET UP ZONAL, DIST PANEL

Jammu (PTI): Demo cratic Azad Party (DAP) chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad has formed vari ous teams for submit ting proposals for con stituting zonal and dis trict committees of the party ahead of the As sembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

The six panels having senior leaders as mem bers were asked to com plete the exercise of their respective zones within 10 days and sub mit the recommenda tions of the proposed zonal and district com mittees by Oct 18, a party leader said on Thursday.

The former chief minister's decision to select zonal and district committees of his newly floated party came at a time when Home Minis ter Amit Shah assured the people of J&K that the Assembly elections would be held after the completion of the ongo ing exercise of electoral rolls. Azad announced the formation of three teams each for J&Kr di visions to cover all the 20 districts.

"Once our zonal and district committees are constituted, zonal and district office bearers will be asked to go to the block and panchayat

level to constitute the block committees and panchayat committees," he said.

An 11-member Cen tral zone Jammu headed by former deputy chief minister Tara Chand will cover Jammu (ur ban and rural), Kathua, Samba and Udhampur districts, nine-member Chenab valley zone un

INDIA GOT REQUEST TO PRESS THE RUSSIANS, WHICH WE DID: EAM

der the leadership of G M Saroori will cover Ramban, Doda, Kisht war and Reasi districts and six-member Pir Panjal Zone headed by Ashok Sharma will cov er Rajouri and Poonch districts in Jammu province, the party lead er said quoting a com munication from Azad.

In Kashmir valley, Taj

Mohi-ud-din led north Kashmir Zone will cov er Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed-led south Kash mir zone will cover Anantnag, Kulgam, Pul wama and Shopian dis tricts, while the mem bers of central Kashmir zone comprising Srina gar, Budgam and Gan derbal districts are be ing finalised.

On criteria for the se lection of president and office bearers of the zonal committees and district committees, the leader said Azad had made it clear that each office bearer, particu larly the president of the zone and district, should be able to dedi cate minimum 20 days per month for the party, especially till the elec tions are over.

"The office bearers, particularly the presi dents of zonal and dis trict committees, must have their own trans port to visit their re spective areas. The president and office bearers should be edu cated enough to re ceive and pass on mes sages in English, Hindi and Urdu," he said quoting the guidelines issued by Azad.

PAPER LEAK CASE

Chargesheet filed against expelled BJP leader Hakam

Dehradun (ANI):

The STF on Thurs day filed another charge sheet against expelled BJP leader Hakam Singh and nine others in the Ut tarakhand Subordi nate Service Selec tion Commission (UKSSSC) case.

"After the registra tion of the case on July 22 in this case, the STF has arrested 41 accused in this case so far and the process of arrest is still going on," STF's Superintendent of Police of STF, Ajay Singh, said in a re lease. The probe body has invoked the Gangsters Act against Singh and 21 other accused in the case. As many as 41 people, including Gaurav Chauhan, the Additional Pri vate Secretary in the Public Works and Forest Department of State Secretariat, allegedly involved in the paper leak case have been arrested so far. STF is investi gating the UKSSSC paper leak case but there is a demand for the CBI probe.

‘Anti-tribal mindset’: Patra on Udit’s remark on Prez

New Delhi (ANI): BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra on Thurs day slammed Congress leader Udit Raj's remarks on President Droupadi Murmu and said that it showed the party's "antitribal mindset".

Udit Raj had accused President Murmu on Wednesday of allegedly doing 'chamchagiri' with his controversial remarks about her. "No country should get a President like Droupadi Murmu ji. Chamchagi ri also has its limits. She says 70 per cent of the people eat Gujarat's salt. She will get to know once she starts living by consuming salt only," Udit Raj said in his tweet in Hindi.

He further said that it is not the first time that the Congress party has used such words for the President. Prior to this incident, we have heard the words Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has used for her, when a tribal

WOMEN'S PANEL SUMMONS CONGRESS LEADER OVER "SYCOPHANCY" REMARK

New Delhi: The NCW has summoned Congress leader Udit Raj over his "sycophancy" remark against President Droupadi Murmu. In a notice issued on Thursday, the commission asked him to appear before it on October 10 and explain his "extremely condemnable and shameful" comments. At a function recently, President Murmu noted Gujarat manufac tures 76 per cent of salt produced in the country. "It can be said that all countrymen eat Gujarat's salt," she had said. The western state produces nearly 80 per cent of the salt consumed in India.

woman has become the President of the coun try, he said.

"It is surprising and saddening how Con gress is regularly us ing disrespectful words for the President of

India who has strug gled enough to reach the topmost position of the country and it shows their mentality," Patra said adding that it "exposes their antitribal mindset".

New Delhi (ANI): BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla on Thursday took a jibe at the Congress after its leader Udit Raj allegedly made derogatory remarks on President Murmu. Poonawalla termed it 'another steep low remark of congress' by stating that he has used an unaccepta ble language for the first woman Adivasi President and asked if the party (Congress) endorses such an "insult of Adivasi samaj". Udit Raj's remarks came days after Preez Murmu noted in a civic reception hosted by the Govt of Gujarat in her honour in Gandhinagar on Monday.

Amit Shah’s rally in Baramulla shows changing face of J-K

Jammu (ANI): For the first time after three decades, a Union Minis ter went to Baramulla in J&K to hold a rally.

BY PTI

New Zealand: India is willing to do whatever it can to facilitate a solu tion to the Ukraine cri sis, EAM S Jaishankar said , as he highlighted how India pressed Mos cow on the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine when the two countries stepped up fighting near the highly sensi tive facility.

Jaishankar said when it comes to Ukraine, it is natural that different

On October 5, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a rally in Bar amulla. Sources said Shah’s rally got a phe nomenal response from the people of the dis trict. As per the sources present in the rally, the highest cheering was witnessed when the Home Minister spoke about the availability of free gas cylinders for women. It is also report ed that in the hilly areas of the Union Territory, women registered to get the Ujjwala scheme ben efit and got two cylin ders instead of one.

countries and different regions would react a lit tle differently.

“The development of Jammu and Kashmir is the prime agenda of the

PM Modi government at the Centre. BJP does not wish to ally with any of the regional players in J-K,” a top BJP source told. An other source told ANI that, “the briefing giv en to the security agen cies in the region is to ensure complete wipe out of terrorism and its supporters.”

The changing face of

Jammu and Kashmir was evident from the fact that crowds turned up in huge numbers and it was a responsive gathering. “The entire gathering of over 40,000 joined in as the Home Minister shout ed the slogan ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. Some thing that had never been said here, the source added.

AMIT SHAH, JP NADDA ON 3-DAY ASSAM VISIT FROM TODAY

Guwahati: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accompanied by BJP president JP Nadda, will be on a three-day tour to Assam from Friday where the two leaders will inaugurate the new state office of the party, officials said. Addressing a press conference, BJP state president Bhabesh Kalita said, "Nadda and Shah will reach here on Friday around 4 pm. After that, they will attend a meeting of the party's core committee." On Saturday, the two leaders will inaugurate BJP's new state office on National Highway-27 at Basistha Chariali area in presence of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

‘Russia-Ukraine crisis impacted food & energy security’

New Delhi (PTI): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Bir la on Thursday said the Russia-Ukraine crisis has adversely affected the global food and en ergy security, and as serted India believes such conflicts should be resolved through dia logue and diplomacy.

He further said the global instability caused by COVID-19 has also challenged the food and energy security of the world, especially the de veloping countries.

“Global instability caused by COVID-19 has created a food and ener

gy security crisis across the world. The RussiaUkraine crisis has also adversely affected food and energy security in

Global instability caused by COVID-19 has created a food and energy security crisis across the world. The Russia-Ukraine crisis has also adversely affected food and energy security in the world. It is in this spirit that India has called for supporting multilateralism for global peace and stability so that we can unite to address the challenges facing the world and find solutions in accordance with the aspirations of the people.

Lok Sabha Secretariat.

and stability so that we can unite to address the challenges facing the world and find solutions in accordance with the aspirations of the peo ple,” Birla said, accord ing to the statement.

IN THE COURTYARD

NO NEED TO RELY ON MINIMUM WAGES NOTIF IF INCOME CAN BE EVALUATED: SC

New Delhi: The SC has remarked that the notification of the Minimum Wages Act can be a guiding factor only in the case where there is no clue available to evaluate the monthly income of the deceased. "Where positive evidence has been led, no reliance on the notification could be placed, particularly when it was nobody's case that the deceased was a labourer as presumed by the High Court," the top court said. A bench of justices Surya Kant and MM Sundresh said while setting aside an order of Punjab and Haryana High Court and restored the decision of Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT), Karnal*.

COURT EXTENDS ED CUSTODY BY 4 DAYS OF SAMEER MAHENDRU

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday extended by 4 days the custodial interrogation of liquor businessman Sameer Mahendru in a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. Special Judge MK Nagpal passed the order after Mahend ru, the managing director of Indospirit, a liquor distributor, was pro duced before the court on expiry of his 8-day ED custody granted earlier.

The court passed the or der on a plea filed by the ED which said it required further interrogation.

SC TO EXAMINE IF EDUCATIONAL INST WILL BE GRANTED MINORITY STATUS

New Delhi: The SC has agreed to examine whether an educational institution administered by members of a minori ty community would re sult in it being conferred the status of a minority institution. A bench of justices B R Gavai and B V Nagarathna issued no tices to the Uttar Pradesh government, National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions, National Medical Com mission and others while seeking their replies. The top court was hearing an appeal filed by Mahayana Theravada Vajrayana Buddhist Religious.

MALEGAON BLAST: BJP MP PRAGYA THAKUR APPEARS BEFORE TRIAL COURT

the world,” Birla said at the P20 Summit (Speak ers of G-20 Parliaments Summit) at Indonesia’s Jakarta. He reiterated

that India has always supported a rulesbased international or der, according to a statement issued by

“It is in this spirit that India has called for supporting multilater alism for global peace

Referring to various Indian government schemes on food and energy security, Birla suggested it is the re sponsibility of all par liaments to sensitise their governments on important global sub jects such as food and energy security, cli mate change and sus tainable development.

Mumbai: BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, a prime ac cused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, on Thursday appeared before the trial court here. The Bhopal MP remained present before the special judge for NIA cases, A K Lahoti, as an official of the Maharashtra Anti-Terror ism Squad who had arrested her was deposing as a witness. The ATS official was cross-examined by Thakur’s lawyer during the day’s proceedings. She arrived around 12 PM and sat on the wooden bench assigned for the accused. Later the court allowed her to sit on a chair after she complained of backache.

S Jaishankar met Jacinda Ardern on Thursday.

Ghulam

SHEHZAD POONAWALLA SLAMS RAJ’s ‘CHAMCHAGIRI’ REMARK ON PREZ

Sambit Patra

Shehzad Poonawalla

Amit Shah

Om Birla attended the 8th G20 Parliamentary Speaker’s Summit in Jakarta on Thursday.

—Om Birla, Lok Sabha Speaker

9 bodies retrieved, 29 still trapped

Authorities launched air rescue operation for stranded trekkers in the Draupadi ka Danda region

Uttarkashi (ANI): The Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) on Thursday said that a total of nine bodies which were trapped in the Uttarkashi ava lanche have been recov ered and retrieved till now, while 29 other trainees continue to re main stranded.

According to the NIM, the nine bodies re trieved today include four dead bodies that were already brought down on Tuesday (Octo ber 4) and Wednesday (October 5).

The update on recov ered bodies came hours after a team of experts from Gulmarg in Jam mu and Kashmir, High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS), joined the op eration with the Nation al Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Dis aster Response Force (SDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and NIM to rescue mountaineers that were stranded on Draupadi’s

The bodies are present at the base and some of them are expected to be brought down today itself. The measures are being hampered due to bad weather conditions

—Vivek Pandey, ITBP PRO

MOUNTAINEERING AND TREKKING BANNED AMID PREDICTED BAD WEATHER IN UTTARKASHI: ABHISHEK RUHELA

Dehradun (ANI): In the view of the safety of the trekking and mountaineering teams in Uttarkashi, district mag istrate Abhishek Ruhela on Thursday instructed to keep the activities here closed for the next

Danda-II mountain peak in Uttarakhand’s Ut tarkashi after the ava lanche hit them on Tues day. However, more

MULAYAM SINGH YADAV’S CONDITION STILL CRITICAL: MEDANTA HOSPITAL

three days. Ruhela has banned these activi ties in Uttarkashi from October 6 to 8. The DM’s decision came after the meterorological depart ment issued an alert for the rain and snow fall here. The India MeT pre

teams have been sent to the advance base camp from ITBP Matli in Ut tarkashi.

An advance helicop

dicted “Intense rainfall spell likely to commence over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh for subsequent 2-3 days and heavy rain fall spell over most parts of east and northeast during next 3-4 days.”

ter landing ground was also prepared at 16,000 ft and a trial landing was successfully conducted in the morning.

CRUCIAL READ Ujjain flyover turns into selfie point, ahead of ‘Mahakal Lok’

Gurugram (ANI): Samajwadi Party patriarch and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav’s condition is still critical, said the medical bulletin of Medanta Hospital on Thursday. “Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji’s condition is critical and he is still on life saving drugs. He is being treated in the ICU of Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon by a comprehensive team of specialists,” said Dr Sanjeev Gupta, Medical Director, Medanta.

INDIAN-ORIGIN

STUDENT KILLED IN UNITED STATES

Washington (PTI): A 20-year-old Indianorigin student has been killed in his dormi tory in the US state of Indiana and his Korean roommate was taken into custody, accord ing to media reports.

Varun Manish Chheda from Indianapolis, who was studying at Purdue University, was found dead in McCutcheon Hall on Wednesday.

CBI BOOKS JOINT DIR GENERAL FOR RECEIVING BRIBE

New Delhi (PTI): The CBI has booked a joint director general of for eign trade for allegedly receiving a bribe of Rs 1 crore from a business man in 2018 in a fraud case of Rs 118 crore, officials said. Following the registration of the FIR against Joint DGFT Sambhaji A Chavan and Deputy DGFT Prakash S Kamble, 2008 and 2013-batch.

Chandigarh (PTI): The Punjab Vigilance Bureau arrested an assistant inspector general of police and booked two other personnel in a Rs 1-crore bribery case from 2016, officials said. The money allegedly exchanged hands when AIG Ashish Kapoor, currently posted as the commandant of the 4th Indian Reserve Battalion in Pathankot, was the superintendent of Amritsar Central Jail in 2016. A spokesperson said the two policemen booked in the case are DSP Pawan Kumar and Assistant SI Harjinder Singh.

Ujjain (PTI): Dipu Sharma could barely contain his excitement about the soon-to-open Mahakal corridor in his hometown. He travels to an old overbridge near his house nearly every night to catch a glimpse of the “dazzling new project” and take selfies, he says.

And Sharma isn’t the only local admiring this drastic change of land scape from the ramp of Hari Phatak Overbridge that offers a view of the 108 ornate sandstone

columns bearing deco rative ‘trishul’ (tridents) on top and ‘mudras’ (symbolic hand gesture) of Lord Shiva on its fac es, gushing fountains surrounded by sculp tures of the deity and illuminated murals.

Expert team from Gulmarg to assist avalanche trapped mountaineers on Danda-II

ED rejects DK’s request for extending date

Bangalore (ANI): The Enforcement Directo rate (ED) has rejected Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president DK Shivaku mar’s request for ex tending the date of his appearance before the agency.

Dehradun (ANI): A team of experts from Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir has also joined the opera tion to rescue 27 mountaineers who were trapped on Draupadi’s Danda-II mountain peak in Ut tarakhand after be ing caught in an ava lanche on Tuesday.

The expert team has joined the opera tion with the State Disaster Response

Force (SDRF), IndoTibetan Border Po lice (ITBP), and Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM). As per the SDRF’s information, the team will con duct its rescue opera tion at the High Alti tude.

The teams had ar rived at the Advance Base Camp to rescue the trainees of NIM Uttarkashi on Wednesday.

Notably, the ED had earlier summoned Shi vakumar and his broth er and Congress MP DK Suresh to appear before it on October 7. “I had requested time to ap pear which was denied.

I asked time as Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is passing through Karnataka and there are my responsi bilities,” he said.

DK Shivkumar also accused the govern ment of misusing agen cies to harass him after seeing the success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

The Congress leader said he would discuss the summons with fel low party leaders and take a call on whether

he should appear. ED had filed a charge sheet against Shivakumar and others in a money laundering case in May. Shivakumar is current ly serving as the Presi dent of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Com mittee.

Rajasthan ‘rebels’ now root for Gehlot!

Amit Mishra

New Delhi: There has been a sudden and seri ous development in the ongoing Rajasthan politi cal crisis, with the ‘re bels’ taking a new stand. While the rebel MLAs had earlier stressed that anyone from among the 102 MLAs could be made th CM face, and had flatly refused on Pilot’s name as CM, now the rebel MLAs have outrightly rejected any change of leadership.

“None other than Ge hlot will be accepted un

der any circumstances,” they have said.

With this, the ‘con frontation’ between Congress high com mand and the rebels

may increase further. The rebel MLAs are waiting for the high command to ask about their ‘mann ki baat’. In terestingly, the ‘rebels’ are now questioning the high command as to “where is the need for leadership change?”

Their argument is on the basis of one personone post principle, as now Gehlot has only one post, so why should he be removed and hu miliated despite the support of 102 MLAs?

According to sources, the high command is

shocked by this stand of the rebel MLAs.

Interestingly, sources associated with the Pi lot camp on Thursday reacted to the ‘grape vine’ and said, “This news is misleading and beyond truth. Confron tation with the high command will not yield good results. Allegiance of MLAs in politics also keeps changing. Forty rebel MLAs have ap proached the high com mand and assured that they will stand firmly with the high com mand’s decision.”

UP govt announces posting of 16 IAS officers of 2020 batch

Ahtesham Siddiqui

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has issued the order for the first posting of 16 IAS officers of the 2020 batch after the comple tion of their training.

The Appointment De partment of UP has posted the 16 officers of the Indian Administra tive Service (IAS), who are relieved from their duties after receiving training from the center, as Joint Magistrates in various districts of UP and directed joining

them to join by 7 Octo ber.

IAS Jaidev CS has been made Joint Magis trate in Varanasi while IAS Nupur Goyal has been sent to Unnao, IAS Ajay Jain to Mathura, IAS Pratyush Pandey to Bareilly, IAS Nidhi

FIRST-OF-ITS KIND

Bansal to Jhansi. Nota bly, soon her husband Abhishek Kumar is coming to UP cadre from Tripura cadre and will join as Joint magis trate, Bundelkhand.

Meanwhile, Neha Bandhu has been made the new Joint Magis

trate of Gorakhpur, while her elder sisterPCS Jyotsna Bandhu - is posted as SDM Saifai.

Moreover, IAS Parikshit Khatana has been sent to Agra, IAS Ramya R to Saharanpur, IAS Suthan Abdullah to Prayagraj, Maharaj Sumit Rajesh

to Barabanki, Ojaswi Raj to Meerut, Vishal Kumar to Ayodhya, Ab hinav Gopal to Kanpur, Navneet Sehara to Mir

Isha Ambani announces opening of India’s first NMACC

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Isha Amba ni, on Thursday, an nounced the opening of a first-of-its kind space in the sphere of the arts, the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cul tural Centre (NMACC), in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex.

Dedicated to her mother Nita M Amba ni—an educationist, businesswoman, phi lanthropist and longtime patron of the

arts—it promises to be a cultural landmark.

NMACC is housed within the Jio World Centre, which is also home to the country’s largest convention cen tre, retail and hospital ity outlets, and more, all in the heart of In dia’s financial and en tertainment capital.

The three-storeyed building will open spaces for performing as well as visual arts. A trio of dedicated spac es for the performing

arts include The Grand Theatre, The Studio Theatre and The Cube, all built with cuttingedge technology to ca

ter to a wide range of experiences, from inti mate screenings and stimulating conversa tions to multilingual

programming and in ternational produc tions. The centre will also launch the Art House, a four storeyed space spotlighting leading Indian and in ternational artists.

Speaking on the oc casion, Isha said, “The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre is so much more than a space it is the culmina tion of my mother’s passion for arts, cul ture and her love for India.”

SANGAM CONFLUENCE INDIA IN FASHION

Curated by India’s leading cultural theorist Ranjit Hoskote and Jeffrey Deitch, American curator, former director of the Museum of Contempo rary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles and founder of his eponymous gallery, Sangam Confluence is a group art show that cel ebrates diverse cultural impulses and traditions at the 16,000 sq. ft Art House.

The Impact of Indian Dress and Textiles on the

Fashionable Imagination:

Curated by prolific author and costume expert Ham ish Bowles, editor-in-chief, The World of Interiors, international editor-atlarge, Vogue US, this ex hibit traces the widespread impact and influence of India’s sartorial traditions in textiles, jewellery and surface ornamentation on global fashion spanning the 18th-21st century.

zapur, Pawan Kumar Meena to Kannauj and Ajay Kumar Gautam has been appointed as JM, Moradabad.

India condemns North Korea missile test

United Nations (PTI): India, joining the US, UK and France, has strongly condemned North Korea’s ballistic missile launch which overflew Japan, with New Delhi underlining that these launches af fect the peace and secu rity of the region and beyond. The missile fired was the first from North Korea to fly over Japan in five years. The launch mark the 24th time this year that North Korea has con ducted missile tests.

Ashok Gehlot

Uttarakhand avalanche rescue ops underway. —PHOTO BY ANI

Karnataka PCC president DK Shivakumar MISUSING AGENCIES

Nita Mukesh Ambani Isha Ambani

PUNJAB AIG ARRESTED BY VIGILANCE BUREAU IN `1-CR BRIBERY CASE

IAS Neha Bandhu IAS Nidhi Bansal IAS Aojasvi Raj IAS Jaidev CS

FINMIN ASSURES NO LOSS OF INTEREST RATE IN EPFO

Rupee closes at all-time low of 81.94/$

Mumbai (PTI): The rupee plunged 32 paise to close at an all-time low of 81.94 (provisional) against the US dollar on Thursday amid high volatility as firm crude oil prices weighed on the local unit.

New Delhi: The Finance Ministry has said there is no loss of interest rate for EPFO subscribers and the delay in crediting interest for the last fiscal is due to software upgrade being conducted. It further said that for all outgoing sub scribers seeking settle ment and also those with drawing their deposits, the payments are being done inclusive of the in terest. The ministry said this on Twitter in reply to a tweet by TV Mohandas Pai, who raised queries on interest in the EPF deposits.

GOVT GETS `1,203 CRORE DIVIDEND FROM FIVE CPSEs

At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local currency opened on a posi tive note at 81.52, then pared all the gains to settle at an all-time low of 81.94 against the American cur rency, registering a decline of 32 paise over its previ ous close.

During the day, the local unit witnessed an intra-day high of 81.51 and a low of 81.94 against the green back.

On Tuesday, the rupee appreciated by 20 paise to end at 81.62 against the US dollar.

“Rupee, after appreciat

RUPEE/DOLLAR ON THURSDAY

z At the interbank foreign exchange market, rupee opened on a positive note at 81.52, then pared all the gains to settle at an all-time low of 81.94, registering a decline of 32 paise over its last close

z Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, advanced 0.06% to 111.27

z During the day, the local unit witnessed an intra-day high of 81.51 and a low of 81.94 against the greenback

India’s services sector activity falls to six-month low in Sept

New Delhi: The govern ment has received about `604 crore, `450 crore, and `37 crore from SAIL, HUDCO, and IREL, re spectively as dividend tranches, Secretary, De partment of Investment and Public Asset Manage ment (DIPAM), Tuhin Kanta Pandey said. In ad dition to this, the govern ment has also received `81 crore and `31 crore from IRCTC and Bhartiya Rail Bijlee Company Ltd respectively as dividend tranches, he said in a se ries of tweets.

CAN FIN HOMES PLAN TO RAISE UP TO `4K CRORE DEBT CAPITAL

New Delhi (PTI): The In dian services sector activi ty fell to a six-month low in September, as new business inflows rose at the slowest rates since March, amid in flationary pressures and competitive conditions, a monthly survey said.

The seasonally adjusted S&P Global India Services PMI Business Activity In dex fell to 54.3 in September, from 57.2 in August, high lighting the weakest rate of expansion since March.

For the fourteenth straight month, the servic es sector witnessed an ex pansion in output. “The Indian service sector has overcome many adversities in recent months, with the

latest PMI data continuing to show a strong perfor mance despite some loss of growth momentum in Sep tember,” said Pollyanna De Lima, Economics Associ ate Director at S&P Global.

The upturn was report edly restricted by price pressures, an increasingly

FELL TO 54.3 IN SEPTEMBER 2022

z

The seasonally adjusted S&P Global India Services PMI Business Activity Index fell to 54.3 in Sept highlighting the weakest rate of expansion since March. For the 14th straight month, it witnessed an expansion in output

competitive environment and unfavourable public policies, the survey said. Lima further noted that the steep depreciation of the rupee seen towards the end of the month due to inter est rate hikes in the US pre sent additional challenges to the Indian economy.

ing marginally on Tuesday, is again starting to come under pressure. The dollar strengthened after services PMI and private payrolls numbers from the US came in better than estimates,” said Gaurang Somaiya, Fo rex & Bullion Analyst, Mo tilal Oswal Financial Ser vices. Major crosses euro and pound continued to witness selling pressure at higher levels. The focus will be on the European Central Bank (ECB) meet ing minutes, Somaiya said on Thursday.

“We expect the USD/INR (Spot) to quote in the range of 81.20 and 82.05,” Somai ya added.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six cur rencies, advanced 0.06% to 111.27.

Airtel 5G Plus in 8 cities, no SIM change required

New Delhi (ANI): Bharti Airtel on Thursday said its 5G services have gone live in eight cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengal uru, Hyderabad, Siliguri, Nagpur and Varanasi.

The customer availing 5G services will have to pay as per their existing 4G plan, it said.

A company spokesper son said that customer will be able to avail the services as per their 4G plan.

Airtel subscribers get ting 5G signals in their area can switch to 5G but if they find that 5G is con suming high data than can switch back to 4G network.

“Access to 5G is option al,” the spokesperson said.

FinMin releases `7,183 cr grant to 14 states

stallments.

New Delhi: Canara Bank promoted housing loan provider Can Fin Homes is planning to raise debt capital of up to `4,000 crore and will seek board of directors’ approval on this proposal later this month. The board of di rectors of the company is scheduled to meet on Oct 17. “At the said meeting the proposal is being placed to the board seek ing approval and authori sations for issuance of non-convertible redeema ble debentures up to an amount of `4,000 crore, on private placement ba sis,” Can Fin Homes said in a regulatory filing.

GOLD JUMPS `497

BUT SILVER SLIPS BY `80 ON THURSDAY

New Delhi (ANI): The cen tral government on Thurs day released `7,183.42 crore as post-devolution revenue deficit grant to 14 states in cluding Kerala, Punjab, Ra jasthan, Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal.

The Department of Ex penditure, Ministry of Fi nance has released the 7th monthly instalment of Post Devolution Revenue Deficit (PDRD) Grant of ` 7,183.42 crore to 14 states. The grant has been released as per the recommendations of the Fifteenth Finance Com mission, Union Finance

Ministry said in a state ment. The Fifteenth Fi nance Commission has recommended a total Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant of `86,201 crore to 14

E-comm firms clock `40K cr sale in festive season

New Delhi: Gold prices jumped by `497 to `52,220 per 10 grams in the national capital on Thursday amid a global rally in the metal and de preciation in the rupee, according to HDFC Secu rities. In the previous trade, the precious metal had settled at `51,723 per 10 grams. Silver, howev er, slipped by `80 to `61,605 per kg from `61,685 per kg. In the in ternational market, gold was trading in green at $1,722.6 per ounce.

New Delhi (PTI): E-com merce firms are estimated to have registered a 27% growth, clocking sales worth `40,000 crore, during the recently concluded seven-day festive season sale, a report said on Thursday.

Flipkart Group, includ ing Myntra, Shopsy etc, maintains its leadership position, while Meesho is the second-largest contrib utor in order volume, the report by Redseer Strategy Consulting said.

“With the conclusion of Festive Sale 1, the online retail platforms have seen

a robust 27% year-on-year growth, clocking a sale of `40,000 crore,” report said.

The growth in sales was driven by sales of mobile phones. “Mobile as a cate gory continued to lead GMV (gross merchandise value) share, contributing to 41% of the GMV, trans lating to 56,000 mobiles sold per hour.

states for the financial year 2022-23. The recommended grant is released by the De partment of Expenditure to the recommended States in 12 equated monthly in

With the release of 7th instalment for the month of October 2022, the total amount of Revenue Deficit Grants released to the States in 2022-23 has gone up to `50,282.92 crore.

The states who have been recommended Post Devolu tion Revenue Deficit Grant by the Fifteenth Finance Commission during 2022-23 are: Andhra Pradesh, As sam, HP, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Na galand, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttara khand and West Bengal.

STOCK MARKETS RISE FOR 2ND SESSION AS SENSEX GAINS 156 PTS TO END AT 58,222

Mumbai (PTI): Benchmark BSE Sensex rose by 156 points while the Nifty closed above the 17,300 level on Thursday after gains in metal, IT and capital goods shares amid foreign capital inflows. The 30-share BSE benchmark gained 156.63 points or 0.27% to settle at 58,222.10. During the day, it jumped 513.29 points or 0.88% to 58,578.76.

The broader NSE Nifty advanced 57.50 points or 0.33% to end at 17,331.80.

Among Sensex shares, Tata Steel, Larsen & Toubro, ICICI Bank, HCL Technologies, Infosys and Axis Bank were among the winners. However, Bharti Airtel, Hindustan Unilever, In dusInd Bank, HDFC and Bajaj Finance were among the laggards.

SPICEJET SHARES SETTLE NEARLY 9% HIGHER AMID REPORTS OF ECLGS GRANT

New Delhi (PTI): Shares of SpiceJet on Thursday ended nearly 9% higher amid reports that the company is expected to receive an addi tional `1,000 crore as part of the modified ECLGS (Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme). After beginning the trade on a positive note, the stock of the budget carrier further jumped 10.14% to `42.35 dur ing the day on the BSE. It ended at `41.85 apiece, higher by 8.84%.

On the volume front, 11.28 lakh shares of the company were traded on the BSE. In the broader market, the 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 156.63 points to settle at 58,222.10.

OTHER

WORLD BANK LOWERS

INDIA’S GDP GROWTH FORECAST TO 6.5%

New Delhi: The World Bank on Thursday pared its growth forecast for India to 6.5% year-on-year for 2022/23, from an earlier estimate of 7.5%. Moreo ver, it also warned that spillo vers from the Russia-Ukraine war and global monetary tightening will weigh on the economic outlook. “Private investment growth is likely to be dampened by heightened uncertainty and higher financ ing costs,” it said.

12,000 FB EMPLOYEES MAY LOSE JOBS AMID ‘QUIET LAYOFFS’

New Delhi: Meta is reportedly conducting ‘quiet layoffs’ at Facebook that may lead to thousands of job cuts -- at least 12,000 or about 15% of its workforce. According to a report in Insider, the senior executives are in the process of executing “quiet layoffs” of underperforming workers. Several employees told Insider that as much as 15% of the workforce could be cut within the next few weeks.

SITHARAMAN SEEKS GREATER PRESENCE OF CCI TO ENSURE EASE OF DOING BUSINESS

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said that to ensure ease of doing business, it is essential that there is greater presence of Competition Commission of India (CCI) offices across the country. She said that challenges of digitisation can’t be ignored and there fore, it is important for Indian competition authorities to benchmark themselves at par with global competition watchdogs. Sitharaman said that with rising competition related issues, the CCI should keep itself abreast of new and evolving laws prevalent around the world and also the best practices. —FIB

‘NO PLAN TO CUT CHIP PRODUCTION DESPITE SLOWING DEMAND’

New Delhi: Samsung Electronics is not consider ing a cut in production of its memory chips despite slow ing demand amid concerns over a global economic recession, a senior company executive has said. “There is no internal discus sion (about a cut in memory chip production) at the mo ment,” Han Jin-man, executive VP & head of memory global sales & marketing at Samsung Electronics, said. —FIB

FROM VOOT TO JIOCINEMA, ACCESS FREE

FMCG MOST SOUGHT AFTER SECTOR BY JOB-SEEKERS: STUDY

New Delhi: Fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) con tinued to be the most sought after sector by job-seekers, a study by the human resources ser vices firm CIEL HR Services said on Thursday. Mumbai topped the list with the highest job demand in the segment. “For freshers and mid-level employees, the sector is per ceived to be offering the most promising job prospects,” the study said.

Viacom18 to shift sports content to JioCinema

First India Bureau

New Delhi: Viacom18, the joint venture between Reli ance-controlled TV18 and US entertainment major Paramount Global (earlier ViacomCBS), will move all existing sporting proper ties from the company’s video-on-demand service VOOT to JioCinema start ing with FIFA World Cup 2022, which kicks off in Qatar on November 20.

The company plans to make the JioCinema app the streaming destination for live sports.

These include football

leagues LaLiga (Spanish), Ligue 1 (French) and Serie A (Italy), as well as the NBA, ATP Masters (Ten nis) and Abu Dhabi T10 (cricket) properties.

“JioCinema is going to

MAJOR

HIGHLIGHTS

z Viacom 18 will move all existing sporting properties from VOOT to JioCinema starting with FIFA World Cup 2022

z The decision on the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be taken later

He added that JioCine ma will be available for download across all tel cos—Jio, Airtel, and Vi— and across all devices, in cluding iOS, Android and connected TVs, for free.

be our digital destination for sports, starting with FIFA 2022 in Qatar. We’ll also be moving other sports properties to JioCinema,” Anil Jayraj, CEO, Sports, at Viacom18 said.

India’s presidency of G20 can turn crisis into opportunity

First India Bureau

New Delhi: The G20, an informal grouping comprising 19 states and the European Un ion (EU), came into ex istence in September 1999 at the level of fi nance ministers but was elevated to the lev el of the Heads of State in 2008. It both absorbed and superseded the G7 given the rapidly chang ing global economic context.

The United Nations, International Labour Organization (ILO), World Bank, Interna tional Monetary Fund (IMF), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), World Trade Organisation (WTO), and Financial Stability Board are invited to participate in pre-sum mit meetings. Civil so ciety organisations think tanks, and labour and business groupings such as the C20, T20, L20, and B20 have their own parallel meetings.

Despite being adviso ry, the importance and influence of its deci sions grew significantly over the second decade of the 21st century. The G20 can be seen to occu py—on global economic governance matters—a similar role to what the UN Security Council oc cupies on global peace and security issues.

THE CREDIBILITY OF THE G20 IS BEING QUESTIONED

It has been embroiled in an internal crisis, unable to agree on communi ques, with direct negative implications for both its functioning and substantive agenda. As India assumes its presiden cy in Dec 2022, it has a unique leader ship opportunity to suggest innovative solutions for the resolution of some of the critical issues confronting G20. The challenges are daunting. Current dilemmas suggest the need for urgent internal governance reform, which will determine whether the G20 can credi bly address the major challenges.

NO MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA BUT NOT INCLUSIVE ENOUGH

Although the G20 was designed to be more inclusive than the G7, it is still not inclusive enough. Whilst there are no formal membership criteria, member ship is based on a country’s systemic importance to global financial markets and its contribution to global gross domestic product (GDP) and trade. Cur rent membership represents more than 80% of the world’s GDP, 75 per cent of international trade and 60 per cent of its population. These criteria need to be expanded to include representatives of major UN-recognised groupings.

INTERNAL GOVERNANCE-RELATED CHALLENGES

India inherits a presidency full of challenges from Indonesia, including the increasing inability to agree on basic communiques as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This allows India to provide global leader ship and statesmanship at a time of acute geopolitical and geoeconomic crises. It will be called upon to provide bold and innovative solutions to the internal governance-related challenges and the full substantive agenda inherited from Indonesia, in addition to showcasing its strengths which are most relevant to the emerging global context.

Yati Narsinghanand detained to foil march

Ghaziabad (PTI): The district administration on Thursday detained controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand ahead of his proposed march to Meerut to pro test against the behead ing of a man there.

Deepak Tyagi (20) was allegedly killed last week by one Fahmid as he suspected him of be ing in a relationship with his daughter.

After the recovery of Tyagi’s severed head, police arrested Fahmid and his accomplice Asif. Narsinghanand had announced to

march on foot to Meerut, along with oth er religious leaders, on Thursday.

Narsinghanand did not take the administra tion’s permission for the protest march and therefore, he was de tained, Superintendent of Police (rural) Iraj Raja said.

WE WERE ASKED TO PRESS RUSSIANS, SO WE DID: JAISHANKAR

India is willing to do whatever it can to facilitate a solution to the Ukraine crisis, External Affairs Min ister S Jaishankar said on Thursday, as he highlighted how India pressed Mos cow on the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine when the two countries stepped up fighting near the highly sensitive facility.

Jaishankar, who is on his first visit to New Zealand as the External Affairs Minister, during a lengthy interaction with Simon Bridges, the CEO of Auck land Business Chamber, said that when it comes to Ukraine, it is natural that different countries and dif ferent regions would react a little differently.

The people will view it from their viewpoint, their immediate interest, histori cal experiences, and their insecurities, he said.

“To me, the diversities of the world which are quite evident will also natu rally lead to a differential response and I would not disrespect the position of other countries as I can see that many of them are coming from their threat perception, their anxiety, their equities in Ukraine,” he said.

In this situation, Jaishnakar said he would see what India can do, “which obvi ously would be in the Indian interest, but also in the best interest of the world.”

26 cyber criminals arrested under CBI’s ‘Operation Chakra’

New Delhi (PTI):

Twenty-six alleged cy bercriminals have been arrested so far under Operation Chakra’ of the CBI to dismantle cy bercrime gangs operat ing in the country, offi cials said on Thursday.

The operation has been launched in coor dination with state po lice, Interpol, and agen cies of other countries, they said.

The CBI said 16 per sons were arrested by Karnataka Police, sev en by Delhi Police, two by Punjab Police, and one by Andaman and Nicobar Police.

The central probe agency, in coordination with state police, con ducted searches under the operation at 115 lo cations across the country on inputs pro vided by Interpol, FBI, Royal Canadian Mount ed Police, and Austral ian Federal Police, the

Bedi & Alam show dosti beyond borders

First India Bureau

New Delhi: It was an emotional moment when two legends from across the border (In dia and Pakistan) met each other after a very long time.

The 76-year-old spinbowling great from In dia Bishan Singh Bedi and Pakistan legend In tikhab Alam met at Kar tarpur gurudwara.

These two legends are best of friends and still keep a check on each other’s health. Bedi has not been keeping well for last 2 years since he underwent a heart sur gery. Alam would keep

calling him on phone every alternate day to know how well Bedi is.

The former India cap tain’s memory was im pacted but his wife Anju revealed he has come a long way since then, al

lowing him to travel to Kartarpur on Tuesday.

“Bishan is much bet ter compared to last year but I would say he is still 90 percent there but he still can’t travel regularly because of his

ON 1,080 ACRES OF LAND

condition. Since we were coming to Amrit sar for our grandson’s birthday, we wanted to club the two things to gether. I am glad it worked out,” Anju.

“I could see tears coming up from our eyes but in no time, we still cracked jokes as usual. We both go a long way and that song, too, plays a role in it. In fact, we all cried when we met,” said Alam.

The 80-year-old from Pakistan has a strong connection with India.

Alam was born in Ho shiarpur & even coached the Indian Punjab’s cricket team in the 2000s.

officials said.

The CBI registered 11 cases against cyber criminals involved in financial fraud using the internet. While the agency conducted searches at 87 locations, 28 places were raided by the state police, they added.

“The operation in

tends to dismantle the infrastructure of these international cyber crime gangs in India and bring these perpe trators to justice. In dia’s fight against transnational organ ised cybercrime has thus achieved a major milestone,” a statement from the agency said.

PFI BAN

HC judge is presiding officer of UAPA Tribunal

New Delhi (ANI): The Central Government has appointed Justice Dinesh Kumar Shar ma of the Delhi HC as the Presiding Officer of the Unlawful Activi ties (Prevention) Tri bunal in the matter of Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates.

The Presiding officer has been appointed to review the ban on PFI and its alliances, after the Centre recently banned it for five years, after seizing incrimi nating documents dur

ing the search opera tions at the offices and the residences of its of fice bearers. The Minis try of Home Affairs an nounced this through a notification declaring “the PFI & its associates or affiliates or fronts as an unlawful association with immediate effect”.

Haryana eyes `1 lakh crore investment for ‘Global City’ in Gurugram

First India Bureau

Chandigarh: The Har yana government is eye ing an investment of Rs 1 lakh crore in the ‘Global City Project’ to be built on about 1,080 acres of land in Guru gram. The Chief Minister of Hary ana Manohar Lal Khattar, while ad dressing a press conference

here on Thursday, said that this project is being developed by the Hary ana State Industrial and Infrastructure Develop ment Corporation (HSI IDC). Khattar had also received investment for the project during his recent visit to Dubai.

Khattar said that the Global City is a mixed land-use township be ing developed over nearly 1,080 acres to re

‘WILL SEND ONE LAKH WORKERS TO DUBAI’

Khattar said he held meeting with various placement companies during his Dubai visit, and as per them, the youth will be trained here and sent abroad for employ ment. “We plan to send 1 lakh youth after skilling them. There is a requirement for masons, and electricians in the real estate sector there,” he said, adding, “we can send people there after providing them training”.

define the concept of urban development and what cities of the future shall look like through its sustainability-fo cused future-oriented infrastructure plan ning and design.

In the first phase, a target has been set to auction 250 acres of land by November end while the auction of the remaining portion will be done in a phased

manner, he said. “It will be a city with in a city and involve in vestments worth nearly Rs 1 lakh crore. Four roadshows have been held in connection with the project including two in Gurugram and one each in Mumbai and Dubai,” said Khat tar while adding that 13 leading companies have evinced interest in the project so far.

The G20 has emerged as a platform for both developed and emerging economies, but war in Ukraine is problem

India’s assumption of G20 presidency entails challenges but its leadership is capable of unlocking new opportunities

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar interacts with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern during a meeting, in Auckland on Thursday.

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal takes oath along with Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) graduates at ICAI convocation, in New Delhi on Thursday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

Lieutenant Governor of Delhi VK Saxena being felicitated by Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora during the launch of Cyber Uday 2.0 campaign on Cyber Awareness Day at Police Headquarters in New Delhi on Thursday. —PHOTO BY ANI

Indian cricket legend Bishan Singh Bedi, former Pakistani cricketers Intikhab Alam and Shafqat Rana along with their families at the Gurudwara in Kartarpur.

CHASING THE PASSION

Nikhita Sethi, accomplished hospitality professional with years of rich experience managing hospitality brands across sizes and categories caught up with City First about her industry, idols and offering curated lifestyle experiences to its guests!

A

s a child, Nikhita had a flair for the crea tive, which led to many accolades in creative competi tions and ultimate ly transformed into a serious profes sional choice. In an exclusive interview with City First, we bring to you ex cerpts from the chat.

When asked how important are com munication skills for her and what she thinks is more important, educa tional qualifica tions or good com munication and personality, the pas sionate woman said, “Having an educational degree is as good as know ing cooking a meal but when it comes to being at the hos pitality, the first thing which is re quired is how well you interact and in terpret the knowl edge you may have

how you possess your opinion, how you have an ap proach towards multiple situations which shows your patience, empathy, your confidence, the beauty with brains replied, “As one says that rough sea makes a good sailor, hence we learn more with ex perience that ena bles them to adapt a personality which is the most impor tant part of this in dustry.” Taking about her idol, Nikhita said, “I may sound very pro found here but I al ways looked up to my mother,

sister and my fa ther, for they taught me to stay strong and their ‘never give up’ attitude. Yes, I would also give my teachers huge respect for making me who I am today, and be sides that, I simply adore Sushmita Sen as my childhood in spiration.” When asked what mes sage she would give to young people wishing to enter the hospitality indus try, Sethi said, “You can’t pour from an empty mug, so peo ple joining this field must be aware of themselves and live life to the

NATIONAL FORGIVENESS HAPPINESS DAY&

ARIES

MAR 21 - APR 20 Today is a favourable day for business. You are very generous by nature and also you are the backbone of your family. You may postpone your study plans. You are very fortunate to have a great friend circle. Be careful of the words that come out of your mouth. Your lover may finally say yes to you.

TAURUS

APR 21 - MAY 20

You need a break from day to tensions and the way to cope up with stress is to meditate. You must create an environment of understanding at home. You will succeed in any sort of examination if you put your heart and soul to it. Promotion can be expected even if other are not.

NFIRST ational Forgiveness & Happiness Day on October 7, is a day that celebrates for giveness and the amount of happiness it can bring to one’s life. While many people hold on to grudges and fantasize about revenge, studies have revealed that the best way to heal is to actually forgive the person who hurt you. And no, forgiving someone does not make you weak. Instead, it contributes to the creation of a much more successful and happy you. This National For giveness & Happiness Day, fill your heart with the light of love and practice the art of forgiveness. It will be the best decision you have made all year!

HISTORY OF NATIONAL FORGIVENESS & HAPPINESS DAY

National Forgiveness & Hap piness Day is an occasion that celebrates forgiveness and en courages people to let bygones be bygones. This is because being unforgiving will only be harmful to you in the long run and will have no impact on the one who hurt you. To encour age the practice of ‘letting go,’ this religious-based holiday was created and sponsored by Robert Moyers and the World wide Forgiveness Alliance. The goal of the holiday was “to do the will of God each day and to love one another as God loves us.” In fact, the organ izers of the day also came up with a “Prayer of Forgiveness,” which asks God to forgive oth ers. It also pleads with God to provide us with the power to forgive others and help us for give ourselves.

Not the religious kind? Well, this day is still impor tant for you since the theory of forgiveness and the impact it has on one’s life has been supported by numerous theo rists and researchers. For in stance, in 1998, two research ers revealed that forgiveness is different from pardoning, excusing forgetting, and de nial. Instead, it’s an act that allows you to reconcile with yourself and restore a frac tured relationship. This does not mean that you forget the wrong that has been done to you, but instead, you focus on accepting that it happened and then choose to move on. Another study revealed that forgiveness increases posi tive emotions and reduces negative ones such as blame and anger. Furthermore, in 2020, Shauna Shapiro wrote in her book: “Forgiveness is perhaps the most challenging of all the resources available to us — and the most trans

WHY NATIONAL FORGIVENESS & HAPPINESS DAY IS IMPORTANT

It highlights the importance of forgiveness

Forgiveness is not easy and it takes a person to be really strong to let go of negativity. This is what this day tries to remind us all — that forgive ness will only heal us. It shows how forgiveness can lead to happiness

The day explains how forgive ness doesn’t make you weak. But instead, it could be the rea son behind eternal happiness. It makes people let go of their grievances

Since the day promotes forgive ness, it makes many people for get their grudges and reassess their relationships with a dif ferent perspective.

5 FUN FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FORGIVENESS

Letting go of grudges

Forgiveness makes you happier and healthier.

Effect on stress Being unforgiving produces the stress hormone. Don’t be the victim

Forgiveness can empower you. Forgiveness increases compassion

It makes you more understanding and helps mend relationships. Blame game

Forgiveness makes you stop blam ing others for your problems.

GEMINI

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

Your spouse may make you spend more than you expected. Fantastic day for investing money in stock market as you can make fortune. You need help on academic front and you should not shy away from asking. You miss your parents a lot and somewhere fear to loose them. Admit your faults in relationship.

CANCER

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

You care about you lover but somehow hesitate in expressing that care. Don’t make friends for money and status rather make friends who will stick with you forever. On social front, you may have to spend some extra money in buying gifts for someone for some specific occasion.

LEO

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

You love to live close to your family. Best day to buy gold and silver or any precious metal for investment sake. You are a child at heart and never let this child die. You have a big heart and you always help someone if you can. Video gathering is possible as you miss your social circle like anything.

VIRGO

AUG 24 - SEP 23

HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL FORGIVENESS & HAPPINESS DAY

Make a list of people you want to forgive Throughout your life, there may be many people who have hurt you. Well, now is the time to think of them and free your heart of all the grudges.

Apologize to someone for your mistakes We all make mistakes because we are human. But instead of ignoring your mistakes, con front the people you have hurt and ask them for forgiveness.

Preach the lesson on social media

Not everyone knows how es sential forgiveness is for hap piness. Hence, use this day to spread the message and im prove the lives of thousands of people.

LIBRA

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22 Visit a doctor if you have any doubts about your health. Don’t attack stress even if you don’t have any. Let go of things that are not in your control. You want to have your own house and you will work hard to make your dream come true. Overall a good day.

SCORPIO

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

You make sure to make things work your way. Never demotivate someone even if someone is not capable of doing something. You are most wanted by your friends. You can have romantic affair in office and a serious one. You will invest money in clothes and accessories today. You are a God fearing person.

SAGITTARIUS

NOV 23 - DEC 22

Your spouse is someone who can do anything for your happiness. You are opportunist and this will make you successful one day. There may be delays in property possession and it won’t effect you. You are happy spending whole day at home. Help your mothers at home today.

CAPRICORN

DEC 23 - JAN 20

Scrumptious food is what you are craving for today. You always maintain cordial relationship with everyone. You workout daily to keep yourself fit. You may start a side business to earn extra money. You are not a jealous kind and you feel happy for others. You are a very grounded person.

AQUARIUS

JAN 21 - FEB 19

You will feel amorous towards your wife. This is the best time try something new with life give yourself a new purpose. Work on your limitations, there can be no better time than this. You have more opposite sex friends than the same and you may be judged sometimes but don’t care.

PISCES

FEB20 - MARCH 20

You give tough competition to people. Many people get inspired by you. You will get special treatment from your dear ones. Take stand where you need to, don’t run in the same direction where everybody else is going. Health remains perfect. Health will be satisfactory.

YOUR DAY

Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

Spend time talking with likeminded people as it will make you feel good for now. Boisterous behaviour is what everyone needs right now, do whatever you can do to cheer everyone up. You will feel financially comfortable. Your personality will attract many eligible bachelors.

UP KE MANN KI BAAT AT AGRA

SHUBHAM DUBEY AND DEEPAK KAUSHIK

Some more glimpses of the grand event of UP Ke Mann Ki Baat at Agra held at Courtyard by Marriott, Agra, in as sociation with Bharat24 and First India News channel on Tuesday. During the event, Un ion Minister of State for Law and Justice Professor SP Singh Baghel was present as the Chief Guest of the programme.

Dr Jagdeesh Chan dra graced the occasion with his presence and enlightened the audi ence present at the

event.

Rajkumar Chahar, National President of BJP Kisan Morcha and MP Fatehpur Sikri, Manish Asija-Secre tary of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative As sembly and other re nowned leaders were also present on the oc casion. During the pro gramme, social work ers and eminent per sonalities spoke on ed ucation, health and other issues in Agra. All the sponsors and all the intellectuals, social workers, litterateurs and officials of Agra city were present. In the same episode, vari ous doctors and other dignitaries were also felicitated at the event.

Jagdeesh Chandra with (L-R) Ashok Raj Singh, Manish Asija, Shishir Awasthi, Sumit Awasthi and Ahteshyam Siddiqi

Union MoS Prof SP Singh Baghel, Rajkumar Chahar, Manish Asija felicitate Amit Goyal, Panchhi Petha. Also seen here is Shishir Awasthi

Shishir Awasthi greets Rajkumar Chahar

Shishir Awasthi greets Manish Asija

Jagdeesh Chandra greeted by Manish Asija

Union MoS Prof SP Singh Baghel, Rajkumar Chahar, Manish Asija felicitate Dr Mayank Bhatnagar, Director Kids Corner Secondary School Firozabad. Also seen is Shishir Awasthi

Union MoS Prof SP Singh Baghel, Rajkumar Chahar, Manish Asija felicitate Focus Ultrasound and Imaging Center Dr Vikas Sharma. Also seen here is Shishir Awasthi

Union MoS Prof SP Singh Baghel, Rajkumar Chahar, Manish Asija felicitate Bunty Pal, director of Siyaram Sweets Bhandar. Also seen here is Shishir Awasthi

Union MoS Prof SP Singh Baghel, Rajkumar Chahar, Manish Asija felicitate Deenu Kaushik, Kaushik Associates. Also seen is Shishir Awasthi

Union MoS Prof SP Singh Baghel, Rajkumar Chahar, Manish Asija felicitate MD Rajat Maheshwari Lala Roshanlal Sweets and Namkeen, Kasganj during the event. Also seen here is Shishir Awasthi

Union MoS Prof SP Singh Baghel, Rajkumar Chahar, Manish Asija felicitate Md Imran Indian Shoes during the event. Also seen here is Shishir Awasthi

Union MoS Prof SP Singh Baghel, Rajkumar Chahar, Manish Asija felicitate Kailash Rajouria of Ayushman Hospital, Tundla. Also seen here is Shishir Awasthi

Rajkumar Chahar, Manish Asija felicitate Dr Sameer Bhati, Star Pathology

Union MoS Prof SP Singh Baghel, Rajkumar Chahar, Manish Asija felicitate Dr Arinjay Jain, GG Nursing Home & Research Centre. Also seen here is Shishir Awasthi

Union MoS Prof SP Singh Baghel, Rajkumar Chahar, Manish Asija felicitate Hiralal Kushwah, director Hiralal Kulfi during the event. Also seen here is Shishir Awasthi

Jagdeesh Chandra greeted by Dr Naresh Sharma

Jagdeesh Chandra greets Proff SP Singh Baghel

Jagdeesh Chandra greeted by Shubham Dubey. Also seen are Shishir Awasthi, Sumit Awasthi and Ahteshyam Siddiqi with others

Union MoS Prof SP Singh Baghel, Rajkumar Chahar, Manish Asija felicitate Dr Sukesh Yadav Chancellor, JS University. Also seen here is Shishir Awasthi

Jagdeesh Chandra greeted by Sumit Awasthi

THE WORLD OF FASHION

A fashion show called ‘The World of Fashion Awaits’ by Students of WUD will be organised by the World University of Design on Saturday, October 8 at DLF Avenue, Saket, New Delhi. The fashion show will showcase the latest array of festive fusion looks by India’s most recognised homegrown labels Ritu Kumar, Mulmul and Frontier Raas.

CITY FIRST

Vijaya Dashami celebrations

CITY FIRST

Vijaya Dashami cel ebrations were or ganised by the Luv Kush Ramlila committee at Red Fort Ground on Wednesday.

CM Arvind Kejriwal and renowned Bollywood star Prabhas graced the event with their presence and burned the effigies of Ra vana, Kumbhakaran and Meghnath.

Arjun Kumar, president of the Leela Committee, said that due to the ban on firecrackers and fireworks by the Delhi government we used the sound of fireworks.

Addressing lakhs of Ram devotees who came to the Leela Ground after burning the effigies, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal first announced Jai Shri Ram thrice and then said that the day of Vijay Dashami is a day of reminder that truth prevails in the end. It is my good fortune that I have come once again in this Leela of Lord Shri

ASCENSION

Asolo art exhibi tion, ASCEN SION by an emi nent senior art ist Anupama Trigunay at will be organised from Saturday, 29 Octo ber to Monday, 31 Octo ber at Visual Art Gal lery, India Habitat Cen tre. The event will be curated by Shambhu Nath Goswami. Anupa ma is a self-taught ab

stract artist and has been painting and ex pressing her art for over three decades. The form, shape and array

of colours in her paint ings are a reflection of her abstract knowledge and surreal imagina tion. Her paintings are a getaway to her own in ner self as she portrays everything that moves and inspires her. Living abroad has allowed her art to cross boundaries. Her art is her prayer that depicts her inner spirit and personality through every stroke of her paintings.

DURGA: A SYNONYM OF POWER!

UTTKARSHA SHEKHAR AND MRIDULA SHARMA

The trailer of one of the espionagethrillers of the year, ‘Code Name Tiranga’ is the latest sensation in Bollywood.

The trailer has amassed much love from the au dience for its high-oc tane action and emo tions. The main lead of the film Parineeti Chopra and Hardy San du along with director Ribhu Dasgupta reached Hotel Marriott in Jaipur and shared some in sights about their up coming blockbuster in an exclusive interview with City First!

Acting came as a fluke to you or was it your childhood dream?

I am an actor by chance, since childhood, I was into cricket but I, my parents discovered my singing talent early and gave me the platform to perform on stage and since then, there has been no looking back. My first love, however, was always cricket but I got injured so I decided that singing is my sec ond passion then my friends motivated me to try my hands at acting

and I moved here.

We heard that Ran veer Singh has opened the door for you in the acting field can you describe that thing? He didn’t open the doors but he is surely a per son I look forward to, I am new to acting and he has guided me whenev er I got stuck at the time 83, but doors were opened for me in acting since I started seeing

myself as an actor.

This is the first time, you portraying a completely different character from your personality, a superstrong raw agent who is protecting her country, can you de scribe the creative process behind your moves?

I am more than just a bubbly girl, I had so much potential in me and I always thought that I was born to do ac tion, so I explored my self but when I got the film where not the men but the women were running the war, they are the agent then I couldn’t say no! For me, my favourite moment was holding the Tiran ga. I have put so much

effort into the film, I love to work on difficult projects so that’s how I can grow and learn more.

You have created a wonderful film, where a powerful woman is saving her country but how did you get this idea? I wanted to make an agent film and we have fewer women agent movies as compared to men as I am from Ben gal, and I am a devotee of Maa Durga, she her self is a synonym of power so I wrote this story and gave this pi ous name to Parineeti’s character, women are very powerful and so we have tried to deliver via our film.

Ram and I got the opportu nity to proclaim Shri Ram once again among Ram devotees.

On this occasion, the teaser of the film Adipu rush was also released starring Bahubali fame star Prabhas. On behalf of the Leela Committee, Pres ident Arjun Kumar along with Chairman Pawan Gupta, Senior Vice Presi dent Satya Bhushan Jain, General Secretary Sub hash Goyal and Sourav Gupta presented the em blem of Leela, Ram Nami Patka, a mace of Shakti to CM Arvind Kejriwal and Prabhas. cityfirstdel@gmail.com

India Art Festival

CITY FIRST

The India Art Festival, a con temporary art fair will be or ganised from October 13 to October 16 at Constitution Club of India, Rafi Marg, New Delhi. Rajendra Patil, founder, and Manag ing Director of the India Art festival is all set to welcome and host the coming Art festival with full zeal and enthusiasm. He said that India Art Festival pays atten tion to improving the quality of art dis played at the art festi val, though our direc tive principles germi nated from our insti tutional backgrounds appeal to our con science to be balanced and accommodative towards unrepresent ed sections like inde pendent art ists while judging their work on a set benchmark. India Art Festival is all set to provide the best of Art and Cul ture with ex emplary ser vice to all art lovers. Art and

sculptures hold a spe cial place in every one’s life. We feel com plete when we have these ethnic pieces in our lives. In this edi tion of IAF, 25 Art Galleries and 450 art ists are displaying over 4500 artworks in 110 booths. IAF, known for its demo cratic presentation of art offers emerging, independent artists the op portunity to ex hibit along with major and mid-level art galleries presenting es tablished and master art ists with thousands of innova

art

CM Arvind Kejriwal with Luv Kush Ramlila committee members during the Vijaya Dashami celebrations

Prabhas during the Vijaya Dashami celebrations

—PHOTOS BY SHAZID CHAUHAN

Ribhu Dasgupta, Parineeti Chopra and Hardy Sandhu

—PHOTO

BY MUKESH KIRADOO

Anupama Trigunayat