First India-Mumbai Edition-08th November 2022

GURU NANAK GURPURAB GREETINGS! ARMS DEALER BHANDARI CAN BE EXTRADITED TO IND, RULES UK COURT

MUMBAI l TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2022 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI TITLE NO. MAHENG/2022/14652 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 181

London: A UK court on Monday ruled that Sanjay Bhandari, an accused middleman and consultant in arms deals, can be extradited to India to face charges of tax evasion and money laundering and paved way for British govt to order his extradition.

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, NEW DELHI & MUMBAI

BSE SENSEX 61,185.15

COPS HELD 2 HYBRID TERRORISTS FROM BANDIPORA Srinagar: In J&K, Sopore Police has arrested two terrorists in connection with the recent Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast incident that took place at Kehnusa in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district. Meanwhile, a case has been registered and the necessary investigation was going on.

234.79 | NSE NIFTY 18,202.80

85.65

New Delhi: Elon Musk-led Twitter has fired more than 90% of its staff in India severely depleting its engineering and product staff. Firm had just over 200 employees in India, and the cuts left it with just about a dozen staff.

TWITTER FIRES MORE THAN 90% OF INDIA STAFF, A DOZEN LEFT

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WAR ON QUOTA FOR POOR

SC upholds 10% quota for economically weaker sections by 3:2 majority Moni Sharma New Delhi: The Supreme Court, by a majority view of 3:2, has upheld the validity of the 103rd Constitution amendment providing 10 per cent reservation to people belonging to economically weaker sections (EWS) in admissions and government jobs. Of the fivejudge bench that delivered the verdict, Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, Justice Bela M Trivedi, and Justice JB Pardiwala ruled in favour of the quota, stating that the law on reservation for EWS does not violate the basic structure of the Constitution.

Crucial READ

BJP LEADER SHOT DEAD IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN BIHAR’S KATIHAR: COPS

Patna: A district-level BJP leader was shot dead near his house in Bihar’s Katihar district on Monday, police said. Sanjeev Mishra, 55, was talking to some people near his house at about 8am when two men came on a motorcycle and opened fire, a police officer of Katikar Telta PS 300km from Patna said, added will nab accused soon.

COPYRIGHT ISSUES! BLOCK TWITTER A/C OF CONGRESS: COURT Bengaluru: A Bengaluru court on Monday directed Twitter to temporarily block accounts of Congress party and Bharat Jodo Yatra for allegedly infringing statutory copyright owned by MRT Music by illegally using sound records of film ‘KGF Chapter-2’. Cong said it did not receive a copy of order.

INDIA WILL WITNESS LUNAR ECLIPSE IN A FEW STATES TODAY

New Delhi: The total lunar eclipse today will be last one for next 3 years. The eclipse will begin at 2.39 pm, total eclipse will start at 3.46 pm, ending time of totality is 5.12 pm and ending time of partial phase is 6.19 pm. It will be visible in a few places including New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Rajasthan, Bengaluru and Odisha.

WHO FILED THE PETITIONS?

A BIG WIN FOR MODI’S

THERE WILL BE CONTINUITY IN REFORMS USHERED BY CJI LALIT: JUSTICE CHANDRACHUD

SOCIAL JUSTICE MISSION!

Justice DY Chandrachud, the CJIdesignate, on Monday said there will be a continuity in the reforms ushered in by CJI UU Lalit, during his 74-day tenure. Chief Justice Lalit will demit office on Tuesday.

He said, “Your tenure as CJ saw a large number of judicial reforms.” Chandrachud will take oath as next CJI on November 9.

Constitution bench Tof 40heverdict came on a batch petitions, filed by NGOs

Janhit Abhiyan and Youth for Equality, among others, challenging the Amendment on the ground that economic classification cannot be the sole basis for reservation.

The judgment marks a new beginning, petitioner’s advocate Varun Thakur said after verdict.

My journey began from this court and it ends in this court.

—Justice DY Chandrachud

IN HONOUR OF HON’BLE JUSTICE UU LALIT EWS quota is valid and constitutional. Amendment as a separate class is a reasonable classification. Legislature understands needs of people, it is aware of economic exclusion of people from reservation.

—Justice Bela Trivedi

The EWS amendment does not violate equality code or essential features of Constitution. Reservation is an instrument of affirmative action so as to ensure an all-inclusive march for goals of an egalitarian society.

—Justice Maheshwari

I have concurred with view taken by Justice Bhat.

In view of the decision rendered by majority, challenge raised to 103rd amendment fails. Writ petitions and other proceedings stand disposed off accordingly.

—CJI UU Lalit

Reservation on an economic basis is permissible, excluding SC/STs and Other Backward Classes from EWS cannot be permitted and amounts to discrimination against them.

—Justice S Ravindra Bhat

The ones who have moved ahead should be removed from backward classes so that ones in need can be helped, ways to determine such classes need a re-look so that ways are relevant in today’s time.

—Justice Pardiwala

CJI UU Lalit being felicitated as CJI-designate Justice DY Chandrachud looks on, during farewell ceremony organised for CJI Justice UU Lalit by SC Bar Association on Monday.

OTHER TOP COURT ORDERS OF THE DAY

CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS IN WHICH SC DELIVERED VERDICT JANUARY 8, 2019 For the 1st time the Lok Sabha in Parliament clears the 103rd Constitution amendment Bill

JANUARY 12 Ministry of Law and Justice issues notice, saying Prez Ram Nath Kovind has given assent

JANUARY 9 Rajya Sabha clears the 103rd Constitution amendment Bill

FEBRUARY 6, 2021 SC issues notice to govt on pleas challenging amendment

FEBRUARY 8 SC declines to stay 10 per cent EWS quota SEPTEMBER 8, 2022 SC bench headed by CJI UU Lalit constitutes bench to hear appeals SEPTEMBER 13 Top Court starts hearing

PM Modi on Guru Purab Eve: Received guidance from Guruwani centuries ago New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi on Monday addressed a gathering in Delhi, on eve of Sikh festival Guru Purab. He said he is inspired by thoughts of Guru Nanak. India is moving ahead with spirit of welfare of 130 crore Indians, he added. “The guidance that India received from Guruvani centuries ago is also a tradition, a belief and a vision of a developed India for us today,” he said. “During my tenure

PM MODI TO UNVEIL LOGO OF INDIA’S G20 PRESIDENCY TODAY

SEPTEMBER 27 SC reserves order NOVEMBER 7 SC, by majority of 3:2, upholds validity of 103rd Constitution amendment providing 10 pc reservation to EWS in admissions and the govt jobs

LET IT SNOW!

z SC allowed appeals of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, state govt against HC order on maintainability of PILs for probe in mining lease issue.

z The Supreme Court on Monday acquitted three men sentenced to death for gangrape, murder of a 19-year-old woman in Delhi’s Chhawla area

z Businessman Dinesh Arora, who CBI said is a close aide of Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia is set to turn into an approver in Delhi liquor policy case.

z Gujarat HC has taken suo motu cognisance of Morbi tragedy, issued notices to the state govt to submit a status report in matter by 14 November.

The towns of Sonmarg and Gulmarg in J&K was draped in a white blanket as they recorded around 9 to 12 inches of fresh snowfall here on Monday. —PHOTO BY ANI

Modi will on Tuesday Pfor Munveil India’s logo and theme its presidency of G20. The

Prime Minister Narendra Modi participates in the 553rd Birth Anniversary celebration of Guru Nanak Dev ji, in Delhi on Monday.

as the PM, we got the privilege of celebrating 350th Prakash Parv of

Guru Gobind Ji, 400th Prakash Parv of Tegh Bahadur ji,” PM said.

logo will reflect the country’s message and overarching priorities to the world. The country will assume the presidency of the grouping of the world’s 20 largest economies on December 1, following the G20 Summit hosted by Indonesia in Bali during November 15-16.

The PM will unveil the logo, theme and website of India’s G20 presidency via VC at 4:30pm on Tuesday, the external affairs ministry said on Monday.

Cong’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ enters Maharashtra Rahul Gandhi to address rallies on November 10 & 18 First India Bureau Deglur: The “Bharat Jodo Yatra” led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday night entered Maharashtra, where he will address two rallies as part of the cross-country march aimed at reviving the party.

The 3,570km footmarch, a mass outreach initiative which began on September 07 from Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu, reached Deglur in central Ma-

harashtra’s Nanded district from neighbouring Telangana on the 61st day since its launch.

Top Maharashtra Congress leaders, including the party’s state unit chief Nana Patole, and former minister Balasaheb Thorat welcomed yatra participants at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at Kalamandir in Deglur.

Gandhi will address two rallies in Maharashtra--one on No-

vember 10 in Nanded district and the second on November 18 at Shegaon in Buldhana district--the party said.

The march led by the Wayanad Lok Sabha MP will traverse through 15 Assembly and six parliamentary constituencies in the state, covering 382km across five districts over the next 14 days.

It will proceed through Nanded district for four days and enter Hingoli district on November 11,

SAFETY MEASURES

TOP STORIES KILLING SOMEONE IN THEIR SLEEP IS STILL MURDER, HC HOLDS

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has denied an appeal for a lesser by a truck cleaner convicted of murdering a man in his sleep, and upheld a lower court’s life sentence.

P3

AEROSOL POLLUTION IN MAHA TO HIT RED ZONE IN 2023 The party’s state unit tweeted this photo, with the caption: ‘Torch of Revolution in Maharashtra’, as National Congress leader Rahul Gandhi led the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ into Nanded on Monday night.

Top Maharashtra Congress leaders, including state unit chief Nana Patole and former minister Balasaheb Thorat welcomed yatra participants in Deglur.

Washim on November 15, Akola on November

16 and Buldhana on November 18.

Mumbai: According to an environmental organization, aerosol pollution in Maha is likely to touch the ‘highly vulnerable’ red zone from the current ‘vulnerable’ orange zone in 2023. It may lead to drop in visibility levels and also pose a host of health problems for citizens, a study P8 has revealed.

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will face midterm Next mayor will be ours: ‘Maha elections; govt to collapse’ BJP sounds BMC poll bugle First India Bureau

Launches ‘Jagar Mumbaicha’ campaign as Uddhav angles for Muslim voters First India Bureau Mumbai: As political parties gear up for upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Mumbai chanted “next mayor will be ours” at the party’s first campaign— ‘Jagar Mumbaicha’ (Awakening Mumbai)—on Sunday.

The BJP announced its intention to take on Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, an ally in the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress.

Leaders of the ruling party also accused Thackeray of corruption and religious appeasement. “Take whoever’s vote you want, neither Marathis nor Muslims will vote for you (Uddhav). But our question is—why did the time even come for you to ask for votes on caste

UDDHAV’S NEW FORMULA Ever since the BJP and Shiv Sena’s alliance fell apart after the 2019 Assembly polls, the latter has been accused of diluting party founder Balasaheb Thackeray’s vocal position on Hindutva.“He (Uddhav) is trying to redefine Hindutva by making it more inclusive, and progressive so as to accommodate all sections of the society,” said Sudhir Suryawanshi, author of ‘Checkmate: How the BJP won and lost Maharashtra’. and religious lines? You (Shiv Sena) enjoyed control over the BMC for over 25 years, so why don’t you ask for votes based on the work that

CRUCIAL READ WOMAN SUCUMBS TO JOINT SUICIDE BID FIVE DAYS AFTER HUSBAND'S DEATH Nashik: Barely a week after her husband succumbed to a joint suicide attempt, a 22-year-old woman breathed her last on Monday after the couple consumed poison to end their lives alleging opposition from their families to their marriage. The newlywed couple were staying in south Goa’s Colva when they took unwell. While the husband succumbed on November 02, the wife who was conscious told the police in a statement that they decided to end their lives following opposition from their families to the relationship.

SPL REVISION OF VOTERS’ LIST IN PUNE ON NOV 09

Pune: The Election Commission of India (ECI) will launch the special summary revision of the voters’ list in Pune city on Wednesday. The nationwide launch will take place in the presence of Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey, said state Chief Electoral Officer Shrikant Deshpande. “The objective of the launch is to increase the participation of urban voters and youth in the electoral process.”

THANE EDUCATOR SEEKING WFH JOB DUPED OF `10.7L

Thane: A 35-year-old woman educator from Thane has been cheated of Rs10,70,000 under guise of a work from home (WFH) job. The incident took place on September 03, but the complaint was registered on November 04.

Senior Police Inspector Sunil Shinde said, “The complainant was asked to work for Rs8K a day.

She sent Rs10,70,000 via various transactions on the Paytm ID of Parashnath Trading and one other thinking it was an investment.”

DEVT WORK CARRIED OUT AT 76 LAKES IN RAIGAD DIST UNDER GOVT INITIATIVE Alibag: The Raigad district administration has completed development work—including removal of unwanted soil from lakes to strengthen the sidewalls and plantation of trees in surrounding areas—at 76 lakes in the region under the ‘Amrut Sarovare Abhiyan’, Dr Kiran Patil, the CEO of Raigad Zilla Parishad said on Monday. Funds for the project came from the 15th Finance Commission, CSR programmes and social institutions, he added. The Zilla Parishad has submitted a completion report to the district irrigation department.

you did?” said Mumbai BJP chief, Ashish Shelar.

The campaign, launched by Shelar and BJP MP from Mumbai North Central Poonam

Mahajan, will cover all 36 Assembly segments in the city.

The Shiv Sena has been at the helm of BMC for nearly three

decades. In 2017, the party won 84 out of the 227 wards, while the BJP finished a close second with 82.

The BJP has never won a clear majority in the BMC election on its own—the 2017 tally being the closest.

Reportedly, Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to Mumbai in September had set a target of 150 seats in the BMC polls for the BJP, which is in alliance with Shinde’s Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena faction.

Analysts feel Uddhav is trying to woo Muslim voters. “For Mumbai, Uddhav is trying to do M2 social engineering.

One stands for Marathis, the other for Muslims,” said Sudhir Suryawanshi, author.

Political watchers say the BJP will go all out for the BMC battle, whose dates have not been announced yet, given the high stakes. A win could potentially cut Uddhav’s political career to size.

Min faces NCP workers’ ire over Sule comments

Balapur: Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Monday said the Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra will collapse in coming months and asked party workers to gear up for midterm elections.

Addressing a rally in Akola district, the former minister attacked the Shinde-led dispensation over four major projects picking other states over Maharashtra and claimed the state has lost potential employment for 2.5 lakh people.

Notably, Aaditya’s father and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had last week spoken about the possibility of mid-term elections in the state.

“This government of traitors will surely collapse in the coming months. Midterm polls are around the corner,” Aaditya said, asking workers to gear up to face early elections.

Hitting back at state Agriculture minister

Aaditya Thackeray

Taking a dig at Shinde, Thackeray scion says cannot tell if he is CM or if it’s Fadnavis Abdul Sattar for calling him “chhota pappu”, Aaditya said, “I may be chhota pappu, but if the name calling helps in serving (the interest of) Maharashtra, then you can keep doing it. This chhota pappu is making you run in Maharashtra.

I will make you run because Maharashtra has not accepted this treachery (the revolt in Shiv

Sena that led to the collapse of Udhav Thackeray government)”.

Taking a dig at Shinde, Aaditya said one cannot identify who is the chief minister between Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis, who belongs to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Slamming Industries Minister Uday Samant, a Shinde loyalist, Aaditya said industries are choosing other states for investment over Maharashtra.

“He has done the worst work for Maharashtra,” said Aaditya.

UP IN ARMS!

First India Bureau Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) workers on Monday staged a protest outside the residence of state Agriculture Minister Abdul Sattar alleging he used objectionable language against NCP MP Supriya Sule.

Facing flak, Sattar, who represents the Sillod constituency in Aurangabad district, has expressed regret if his comment hurt anyone, but maintained that he did not make any remark against Sule, the daughter of NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

Sattar, who belongs to Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, said he did not make any remarks against women.

He allegedly used a derogatory word refer-

NCP activists burn Abdul Sattar’s effigy in Thane. —PHOTO BY ANI

Sattar expresses regret after backlash; maintains he didn’t make any statement ring to Sule when reporters asked him about “khoke” (boxes of money) jibe.

Leaders of Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray often taunt the MLAs loyal to Eknath Shinde with the “40 khoke” jibe imply-

ing a purported exchange of money when they revolted against Shiv Sena leadership.

NCP leader Vidya Chavan demanded the resignation of Sattar or else he will not be able to roam freely in the state.

Another NCP leader Eknath Khadse also condemned the comments made by Sattar and said the chief minister should teach some manners to the agriculture minister.

Shiv Sena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray workers blocked a road during their protest in Kolhapur over their demand that the state declare a “wet drought” and provide aid to farmers who have lost crops due to unseasonal rain. Meanwhile, their compatriots in Mumbai held another protest outside Shiv Sena Bhavan against water resources minister Gulabrao Patil’s remarks against party leader Sushma Andhare, at Dadar, on Monday.

—PHOTOS BY PTI

& BHUSHAN KOYANDE.

ALARMING RESULTS

14% women in rural Maha have hypertension ‘Mother is Safe, Home is Safe’ campaign was launched to screen for preventable lifestyle diseases First India Bureau Mumbai: Women living in Maharashtra’s rural areas have shown a 14% prevalence of hypertension and 6% preponderance of diabetes, as discovered by government’s Non Communicable Disease Control Programme-led ongoing door-to-door screening initiative.

This discovery has revealed that lifestyle

diseases are no longer endemic to only metropolitan areas. General practitioners in the state have accused the government of not doing enough to implement the laws required to reduce the growing burden of lifestyle diseases.

In September, a campaign, called ‘Mother is Safe, Home is Safe’, was launched to check for preventable diseases among women, aimed

“The state has to do much more to increase awareness about the harms of junk food, excess salt and leading an inactive lifestyle.

—District health officer, Maharashtra

at those who might not go for regular checkups till they developed symptoms.

Of the 5.04 lakh women who got screened for hypertension, 70,923 (14%) tested positive.

Around 30,000 people also tested positive for diabetes. The NFHS-5 (National Family Health Survey) discovered a prevalence of hypertension among approximately 23% rural women—giving the impression that the statistics may be underreported.

“The state has to do much more to increase awareness of the harms of junk food, excess salt and leading an inactive lifestyle,” a district health officer said, adding that deaths due to heart attacks and strokes are seeing a steady rise in rural areas too. Dr Daksh Shah,

Joint Executive Health Officer, reported that 3,132 instances of hypertension and 2,440 cases of diabetes were discovered among women in Mumbai.

The statistics from Maharashtra, according to Dr Padmaja Jogewar, Joint Director (NCD), are not shocking, but they do highlight the fact that women in rural regions are not exempt from the twin epidemics of diabetes and hypertension.

“Bad eating habits, sedentary lifestyles and stress are risk factors even in rural areas,” she said.

MAHARASHTRA MUMBAI | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2022

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TRAGIC END

3 KIDS OF A FAMILY Civic body to float revised tenders with concretize city roads FROM GOVANDI DIE increased rate toBMC cancels tenders for WITHIN 48 HOURS aquarium at Byculla zoo At least one of them is suspected to have died due to malnutrition, especially lack of adequate protein in the body; clueless health officials swing into action to probe

and other infra projects First India Bureau

First India Bureau Mumbai: Three children of a family, staying in Govandi slum area, died in a span of 48 hours. Medical records revealed, one of the kids died due to acute protein malnutrition while the reason behind the deaths of the other two is still unknown.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) health officials, they were not aware of the incident. They, however, stated the cause of the deaths will be investigated to find out if the deaths were due to malnutrition or any other medical condition.

All the three deceased were residents of Rafi Nagar slum in Govandi, which is in the M East ward—infamous for tuberculosis cases. With the deaths and the possibility of malnutrition, locals are now worried and asking if the children in the area need any special intervention.

Abdul Rahim Khan lost his two sons—Hasnain (5) and Noorain (3). Abdul’s brother-in-

First India Bureau

We do not know if these kids were being taken to the Anganwadi or if their health was checked under the Integrated Child Development Services. The ward health officer has to know the history of the family and whether the children were immunized regularly and also of the mothers were screened regularly during pregnancy. This will help us reach a conclusion.

law Mohammad Eid Khan lost his one-yearold son Fazal Ali. “My children initially got conjunctivitis, but later they also had fever.

We got medicines from the local doctor but it did not work. Later, they (kids) even got blisters on their hands, mouth and feet and their condition kept deteriorating. I was taking Noorain to Rajawadi Hospital on October 26 but he died on the way,” Abdul said.

“The next day, Hasnain was in pain so we took him to the hos-

—Senior health official

pital and admitted him there. He died around 2.30 am on the same day,” he added.

The third child, Fazal, had a fever. His father said, “Fazal was also admitted to Rajawadi Hospital, but he died there on October 27.”

The hospital conducted a post-mortem of Hasnain but has reserved the cause of death. In Fazal’s death report, the hospital mentioned that he died due to kwashiorkor or severe malnutrition caused due to lack of protein.

Mumbai: Mumbaikars may have to wait a little longer to get over awful roads dotted with potholes throughout the city, as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is awaiting a revised rate list before it floats fresh tenders to concretize city roads.

Last week, the civic body had scrapped tenders worth Rs5,806 crore to convert 400km of asphalt roads into cementconcrete ones. These tenders were based on a rate list from 2018.

Now, the BMC plans to float revised tenders with an increased rate, based on the new schedule for road works, in December.

The new rate list,

however, is still two weeks away from completion.

If put into effect, the cost of construction of 400km of road work will shoot by at least 20%.

According to the BMC, although the rate of steel has returned to its average price after an increase last year, other material and labour prices have gone up in the past four years. These inflated rates will reflect in the new rate list. “The cost of some material may have varied in the last few years, but the overall cost of a project has increased by around 15 to 20% at the least,” an official said.

The BMC makes its own schedule of rates for various infrastructure related work in the city.

Mumbai: After cancelling road concretization tender worth Rs5,800 crore on November 01, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has now cancelled tenders for other projects, including construction of an aquarium at Byculla zoo, improvement at the Deonar abattoir, tunnel construction for the Goregaon Mulund Link Road, a laundry to wash clothes from hospitals and setting up of virtual classrooms in civic-run schools.

According to former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillor and standing committee member Vinod Mishra, “There is a nexus between contractors and BMC officers for the construction and repair of roads. It is true cancellation of tenders will slow down the pace of civic work but if it is done for betterment and to stop corruption then it should be done.

However, new tenders

Improvement at the Deonar abattoir, tunnel construction for the Goregaon Mulund Link Road along with other projects have been cancelled biggest problem of the BMC. The civic body has not completed even half of the road construction work of the Rs2200 crore tenders which they floated in November 2021.”

should be invited immediately so delays can be avoided.”

On the other hand, Congress councillor Ravi Raja and group leader in the BMC said, “Planning is the

CRUCIAL READ

SUGARCANE FARMERS BITTER Sugarcane farmers from across Maharashtra took out a march against the state government from Alka Chowk and culminated at the Sugar Commissionerate office in Pune on Monday. Their demands include Rs350 per tonne in addition to the fair remunerative price for their produce, digital weighing scales at sugar mills and sought that the state withdraw its policy of disbursing the FRP in two instalments. “These are policy demands and the government does not have to give any monetary aid for the same. Only political will is needed to implement these changes,” former MP and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghtana leader Raju Shetti, who led the protest, said. —PHOTO BY PTI

TWO ARRESTED FOR HOUSE-BREAKING, THEFT IN LATUR

Latur: Two men, identified as Akshay Ram Telange (22) and Yogesh alias Shakti Ashok Gurne (25), have been arrested for allegedly breaking into a house and decamping with Rs3.75 lakh. The duo was arrested last week, and charged under sections 454 (house trespass), 380 (theft) and other relevant provisions of the IPC. Police have recovered Rs3.12 lakh cash and mobile phones from the accused, who have been remanded till November 08.

YOUTH KIDNAPS TEENAGE GIRL; COPS TRACE THEM WITHIN HOURS Mumbai: An 18-year-old youth was traced by police within hours after he allegedly kidnapped a 14-year-old girl from suburban Bandra in Mumbai. The girl, the daughter of a city-based businessman, went missing from near her residence in Bandra in the early hours of Sunday.

After her family members filed a complaint, a team of police and crime branch officials was formed to trace the girl. Police analysed footages captured by CCTV cameras and found that a young man had taken the girl along with him.

DRIVER HELD FOR RELEASING TOXIC CHEMICAL INTO RIVER IN THANE Thane: Police have arrested a 32-year-old tanker driver for allegedly releasing a hazardous chemical solution into the Waldhuni river in Thane district on Saturday, police said on Monday. After being alerted, police nabbed the accused and registered a case against him under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Environment (Protection) Act, an official from Mahatma Fule Chowk police station said.

20 INJURED AFTER STATE TRANSPORT BUSES COLLIDE

Palghar: At least 20 passengers were injured when the two Maharashtra state transport buses they were traveling in collided in Palghar district on Monday morning. All the injured were treated at a nearby hospital and sent home, police said. The accident occurred around 5 am on Monday, when one of the drivers failed to navigate a blind turn, and ended up driving into an oncoming bus. The front of both vehicles bashed in with the driver’s cabin crushed.

NO DICE

Bombay HC upholds life sentence awarded to truck cleaner Says killing a person in his sleep amounts to murder; dismisses appeal for culpable homicide First India Bureau Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has denied petition of a truck cleaner for less-

er offence of culpable homicide by observing that killing a person in sleep, hours after picking a fight with him amounts to the graver offence of murder. The court upheld the life sentence awarded to the man.

A division bench comprising Justice Revati Mohite-Dere and Justice Sharmila Deshmukh while dismissing an appeal filed by a Mithu Pareda observed, “We find that the de-

ceased was not assaulted in the heat of passion; the assault took place much after the quarrel between the appellant (Pareda) and the deceased. The appellant assaulted him when he was asleep…”

Pareda, a truck cleaner, had filed an appeal against the order passed by the Sessions court on July 31, 2013, convicting him for murder and sentencing him to life in prison.

According to the

prosecution, Pareda and the deceased, Utpal Chaudhari, were acquaintances. On Independence Day (August 15) in 2011, they were drinking liquor since morning and a quarrel ensued between the two after Chaudhari could not find his cell phone and alleged that it was hidden by Pareda.

After a second quarrel occurred between the two men later that night, Pareda at-

tacked Chaudhari with a log while he was sleeping in the rear portion of the truck.

Their friends, on hearing the ruckus went to check, and found Pareda assaulting Chaudhari, who was bleeding profusely.

They served as witnesses in the case.

Pareda took the defense that the incident took place in the heat of the moment, and hence at the most, he could be convicted for a lesser of-

fence – culpable homicide not amounting to murder – for which the maximum punishment is 10 years.

However, the court dismissed the argument saying, “…there was an assault with force on the head, chest and neck of the deceased which was sufficient to cause death; and, that there was no grave and sudden provocation to justify the reduction of the offence.”

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COP27

ABHINAV CHUGH

The writer is content and Partnerships Lead, Expert Network and Content Partners, World Economic Forum

NATHAN COOPER

The writer is lead, Partnerships and Engagement Strategy, Climate Action Platform, World Economic Forum

A

However, major barriers still exist to scale these best practices. One such barrier to mobilising investors, insurers and companies to scale adaptative measures is a lack of financial incentives and business models for the private sector to invest in adaptation. Upfront revenue streams from adaptation efforts are often difficult to generate as adaptation interventions are mostly designed to reduce the risk of future damages to public goods. Blended finance models, where public funds are used to de-risk private investments, can be a powerful tool to tackle these barriers

MUMBAI | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2022

HOW CLIMATE FINANCE AND ADAPTATION CAN SUPPORT VULNERABLE COUNTRIES

s the first developing nation to host the UN Climate Conference (COP) since Morocco in 2016 (COP22), Egypt is pushing the needs of developing nations to the top of the COP27 agenda, with a focus on climate finance, climate adaptation and loss and damage. To date, the global response to climate change has focussed on climate mitigation — an issue championed by the developed world, which is calling on all countries, not just historical emitters, to make drastic efforts to cut emissions.

Equally, with more than a third (702) of the world’s largest companies having net zero commitments, and 550 financial institutions committing to aligning their portfolios with a net zero world, the private sector is mobilising around global mitigation targets.

However, as Marisa Drew, Chief Sustainability Officer of Standard Chartered Bank, highlighted in a recent interview for the World Economic Forum, there is a growing need to focus on financing climate adaptation efforts. She notes: “The world has largely galvanised around the concept of mitigation, which is reducing carbon emissions.

But we must deal with the reality that climate change is here to stay and even with all the best will in the world we’re going to have to deal with this. Therefore, we need finance to flow towards the reality that is here.”

TRANSITIONING TO INNOVATIVE FINANCING MODELS Developing countries also want more public finance and grants instead of loans, as many of the worst-impacted countries face debt crises. Jennifer Morris, CEO, The Nature Conservancy, notes: “A lot of countries are unable to adapt because of increased debt burden. Between 2010 and 2020, the public debt of developing countries increased from 40% of their GDP to an average of 62%. More than a third of that happened in 2020 alone. We have to think of the climate crisis in the frame of the debt crisis as well. Most climate finance – 61% ($384 billion) – was raised as debt, of which only 12% ($47 billion) was lowcost or concessional.

04

IN-DEPTH

RAPISTS, KILLERS CONVICTED BY HIGH COURT SET FREE BY THE SC

I

n 2017 a Supreme Court Bench of Justices Dipak Misra, R. Bhanumathi and Ashok Bhushan upheld the death sentence awarded to four men convicted for raping and brutally killing Nirbhaya in 2012. The case had jolted the country’s conscience and barring activists opposed to death penalty, the judgment was widely hailed.

In an ironic and disappointing twist the Apex Court not only overturned the death sentence awarded to three men convicted of brutal rape and murder of a 19-year-old woman by the Delhi High Court which described them as “predators prowling the streets for prey”. This crime was also committed in 2012.

A Bench of CJI UU Lalit and justices S. Ravindra Bhat and Bela M. Trivedi set the accused free as there was not “a shred of evidence”. Did the Delhi Police, which opposed their acquittal and the prosecution failed to produce solid evidence? Or they were let off as there was no candle light vigil for the victim?

SPIRITUAL SPEAK

The COP27 Egyptian presidency is aiming for COP27 to be the implementation COP to radically accelerate the delivery of countries’ climate pledges, as pressure mounts on developed countries to provide more climate finance following their failure to hit the $100 billion target set for 2020 ROLE OF MULTISTAKEHOLDER PARTNERSHIPS ON CLIMATE ADAPTATION Adapting to climate change requires a concerted global response. This includes leveraging innovative forms of blended finance, forging new multistakeholder partnerships and incubating innovative solutions to adapt to climate impacts. Governments, businesses, investors and innovators can partner with communities

EWS QUOTA IS T HERE TO STAY

he Supreme Court has upheld the constitutional validity of the 103rd Amendment of the Constitution to provide 10 percent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions to Economically Weaker Section among the forward castes by a 3-2 majority verdict. The 10 percent quota for EWS is beyond the 50 percent reservation in jobs and educational institutions meant for Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes. The Chief Justice of India, Justice UU Lalit and Justice Ravindra Bhat dissented with the majority opinion of Justices Dinesh Maheshwari, Bela M. Trivedi and JB Pardiwala.

The “breach of 50 percent does not violate the basic

at the frontline of climate impacts, to ensure they not only survive but thrive in a climateimpacted world.

CREATING INCENTIVES FOR BUSINESS ADAPTATION The adaptation market could be worth $2 trillion per year by 2026, with the developing world standing to benefit from much of this. Currently, only 1.6% of all adaptation funding comes from private invest-

The 10 percent quota for EWS is beyond the 50 percent reservation in jobs and educational institutions meant for Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes.

The CJI, Justice UU Lalit and Justice Ravindra Bhat dissented with the majority opinion of Justices Dinesh Maheshwari, Bela M. Trivedi and JB Pardiwala structure of the Constitution,” Justice Maheshwari said in his judgment upholding the amendment. The Central government has assured that the EWS quota will not impact the seat share of open or reserved category candi-

ment — making climate adaptation an untapped opportunity. There is a clear business case for climate adaptation: a 2019 report by the Global Commission on Adaptation demonstrated that investing $1.8 trillion globally in climate adaptation measures, such as early-warning systems, climate-resilient infrastructure and nature-based solutions from 2020 to 2030 could generate $7.1 trillion in net benefits.

“If we think about this in the context of a generated market rate of return, a US dollar invested in climate adaptation generates five to seven times that investment in risk or GDP degradation avoided.

There’s a real economic case here for those investments,” Drew adds.

SOURCE: WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

dates as additional seats will be created for which a budget has been earmarked. The Central government moved the Bill to amend Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution. It was passed by the Lok Sabha with 323 votes in favour and three against on the last day of the Winter Session in 2019.

The amendment is intended to help the economically weak in upper castes as they were said to be losing out in jobs and education due to the castebased reservation. Those enjoying benefits of quota on caste basis will not be eligible for benefits under this amendment. The amendment was challenged on the ground that the Constitution does not permit reservation based on economic factors. Social benefits aside, it will also be used to attract voters.

Those who cling to perceptions and views wander the world offending people.

—Buddha

TOP TWEETS Narendra Modi @narendramodi

I pay homage to Thiru Azha. Valliappa on his birth centenary. He is not only remembered for his outstanding writing and poetry but also for his efforts to popularise history, culture and literature among children. His efforts continue to inspire several people in today’s era.

Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp

“The amendment is valid and in no manner alters the basic structure of the constitution”— Hon. #SupremeCourt’s nod to uphold 10% reservation for the EWS is a slap on the face of parties with vested interests who have tried to sow discord amongst citizens with their propaganda. l Vol 1 l Issue No. 181 l RNI TITLE NO.

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Vote for good ‘malis’ who will watch over your garden: Nadda Rampur (PTI): BJP National President JP Nadda urged the voters of Himachal Pradesh on Monday to exercise their franchise in the November 12 Assembly polls with their future in mind and not on the basis of emotions, urging them to opt for good “malis” to watch over their gardens.

Addressing a public meeting in Rampur in favour of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Kaul Singh, Nadda said Singh has protected the people's interests in the region despite losing the last Assembly poll contest.

He said Singh has remained a good "chowkidar" (guard) all these years.

Nadda accused the Congress of trying to confuse the voters on a range of issues, saying "those who have nothing to show always tend to confuse the voters and undermine the democratic process".

The BJP chief said the Congress is trying to seek votes in the name of a family, which shows that it has not done anything and is standing on crutches.

"Do not take deci-

BJP chief JP Nadda being garlanded by party supporters during the public meeting for Himachal elections, at Jubbal Kotkhai assembly constituency, in Shimla on Monday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

BJP SET TO BE IN POWER IN HIMACHAL FOR NEXT 25 YEARS: CM JAI RAM THAKUR Shimla: Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Monday made light of the Himachal Pradesh “convention” of electing a new party ever assembly poll and predicted that the BJP was set to be in government in the state over the next 25 years. The state, which goes to the polls on Saturday, has a history of alternating between the Congress and the BJP every assembly election since 1982. Thakur said the Congress may be banking on Himachal’s “rivaj” (convention) but people have made up their mind to break from tradition this time - and bring back the Bharatiya Janata —PTI Party to accelerate development.

sions based on emotions, keep your future in mind," he said.

Noting that Singh remained a good "chowkidar" to safeguard people's interests even though he lost the last

The meeting is scheduled at the party headquarters in Delhi.

“An initial round of the meeting has taken place at the state headquarters in Gandhinagar over three days during which a shortlist of candidates has already been prepared which will be brought for consideration and finalisation to the CEC,” a source told ANI. “Ahead of the meeting of the CEC, the BJP Gujarat core group will also have a separate meeting with JP Nadda and Amit Shah,” another source told ANI.

election, Nadda urged the voters to find good "chowkidars" and "malis" (gardeners) like him.

"If you do not have a good mali, your farm will be destroyed," he said.

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Monday dismissed a contempt petition filed by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari against the DGP, alleging that he was not allowed to visit Paschim Medinipur district’s Netai village on January 7, the anniversary of the killing of nine people, despite giving an undertaking.

Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya, who had earlier issued a rule of contempt over the petition, observed that it cannot be categorically said that there was a wilful breach of undertaking by the state “in the strict sense.”

Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nadda said under him, India has come to a position from where it can give to other countries instead of taking from them.

He also raised the issue of tackling COVID-19 by securing the citizens of the country.

India has given antiCovid vaccines to 48 countries and Himachal Pradesh was the first state to achieve 100-per cent vaccination against the viral disease under Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, the BJP chief noted.

Dharamshala (PTI): The BJP’s poll promise of imposition of the Uniform Civil Code in Himachal Pradesh is not aimed at polarisation, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Monday.

“When they (Congress) ask why are we imposing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) here in Himachal as 95 per cent of the population is Hindu here, it means they do not want that this law be imposed in the country,” he said.

“When there is no scope for polarisation in Himachal and still the BJP wants to impose the UCC here, it shows that we do not want to impose it for the sake of polarisation,” he said.

MoS Dr Jitendra Singh at a meeting in Dharmshala.

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath addresses a public meeting in support of BJP candidate Sanjay Guleria for the upcoming Himachal Pradesh elections, at Jawali, in Kangra.

—PHOTO BY ANI

Haroli (PTI): The Congress could not have taken steps such as construction of the Ram temple, the surgical strike or the abrogation of Article 370 because it does not care for the country’s security or the sentiments of people, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday.

Campaigning for the BJP in this constituency in Himachal Pradesh’s Una district, Adityanath said India is touching new heights under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the country’s prestige has risen on the global stage.

The BJP government at the Centre, he said at

PROBABLY FORGOT TO FILL FUEL: PRIYANKA TAKES DIG AT BJP’S ‘DOUBLE ENGINE’ PITCH Una: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday said the BJP’s “double engine” govt was there in Himachal Pradesh for the last five years but it probably forgot to fill fuel in it, as she sought to corner the ruling party on the issues of unemployment and the old pension scheme. At a rally, she also hit out at PM Modi for his remarks that changing medicines frequently neither helps in curing the ailment nor —PTI benefits anyone.

a rally, has taken landmark steps such as the surgical strike across the line of control in Kashmir and the abrogation of Article 370.

The construction of the

Ram temple in Ayodhya also started under this government, Adityanath, who has been campaigning extensively across the hill state, told the gathering.

T’gana leg of Bharat Jodo Yatra concludes The Telangana’s leg of ‘Padyatra’ resumed from Fathalpur Bus Stand in the Kamareddy district on Monday morning Kamareddy (ANI): Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday resumed the Telangana leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kamareddy as the march concluded in the state and entered Maharashtra late in the evening.

The Telangana’s leg of ‘Padyatra’ resumed from Fathalpur Bus Stand in the Kamareddy district this morning and halted at Shekhapur. After that, the Yatra resumed a public meeting from Menoor in Kamareddy in the evening, before entering Maharashtra.

On Sunday, Bharat Jodo Yatra completed its 60 days of marching.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh posted a video on Twitter captioning, “60 days filled with love! A perfect milestone to celebrate this journey of uniting India.

Many more to come.”

However, the Congress Party’s candidate Palvai Sravanthi lost

IN THE COURTYARD CALCUTTA HC JUNKS CONTEMPT PETITION AGAINST WB DGP

Cong does not care for country’s security: Yogi

UCC imposition in HP not aimed at polarisation: Dr Jitendra Singh

Guj polls: BJP likely to finalise its tickets on Wednesday

New Delhi (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party will hold a meeting of its Central Election Committee (CEC) on Wednesday evening in a bid to finalise the first list of candidates for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls.

This meeting will take place in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and BJP state president CR Patil and other members of the CEC and the state unit.

05

ENSURE TAGORE’S JORASANKO HOUSE NOT TAMPERED WITH: HC TO WB GOVT

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Monday asked the state govt to ensure that heritage structures at Jorasanko campus of Rabindra Bharati University are not tampered with. A a PIL claimed that the room in which Rabindranath Tagore and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay had interacted for first time is now being used as an office of an association, and that a couple of rooms at campus have been remodelled.

GoI OPPOSES PLEA ON THE SURROGACY LAW’S PROVISIONS

PRESSURE BY AAP’S SATYENDAR JAIN: SUKESH’S LAWYER

New Delhi: The Centre has opposed a petition in Delhi High Court assailing certain provisions of the surrogacy law, saying the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021 and the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 were enacted following due procedure.

New Delhi: After Jailed conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar wrote another letter to the Delhi LG requesting the CBI probe against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), his lawyer AK Singh said that Sukesh was getting threats to withdraw the complaint.

B’LURU COURT ORDERS TWITTER TO BLOCK HANDLES OF CONG, BHARAT JODO YATRA

Bengaluru: A Bengaluru court on Monday directed Twitter to temporarily block the accounts of the Congress party and the Bharat Jado Yatra for allegedly copyright violation. The order came after a petition filed by MRT Music claimed that the respondents had used music from the Kannada film KGF-2 during its ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ without permission. The court ruled that the alleged illegal use of music would also encourage piracy at large.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in Kamareddy.

the highly discussed, Munugode bypolls in Telangana amid the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra was present in Telangana on Sunday.

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) candidate Koosukuntla Prabhakar Reddy won the Munugode bypolls in Telangana by a margin of 10,309 votes.

According to the

Election Commission, Prabhakar Reddy secured 97,006 votes amounting to a vote share of 42.95 per cent.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy came second with 38.38 per cent of votes.

Notably, the Bharat Jodo Yatra was all set to kick off its march from Maharashtra, in the

—PHOTO BY PTI

evening.

After completion of the foot march in southern states, Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra led by party leader Rahul Gandhi entered Maharashtra in the evening.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra has already covered parts of Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

2 MONTHS AFTER QUITTING, AZAD NOW PRAISES CONGRESS

THAROOR DEMANDS RESIGNATION OF ARYA RAJENDRAN

Srinagar: Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that only Congress could challenge Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, while Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is “merely a party of the Union Territory (UT) of Delhi”.

New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday demanded the resignation from Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation Mayor Arya Rajendran over her alleged letter to Aanavoor Nagappan demanding a priority list for appointing party members to 295 temporary posts in the Municipal Corporation.

KARNATAKA BJP RESUMES JANA SANKALP YATRA, ATTACKS CONGRESS PARTY

Udupi: Karnataka BJP took up the second leg of the Jan Sankalp Yatra within the state on Monday. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and BJP Central Parliamentary Committee Member BS Yediyurappa inaugurated the Yatra in Udupi district of the state. The yatra can be carried out in Udupi, Haveri and Belagavi districts. The rally might be held on November 9. CM Bommai will take part in three applications organized in district at completely different areas.

COP27: World’s best brains at work

Akali Dal expels Bibi Union Minister Bhupender Yadav inaugurates India Pavilion at the meet Jagir Kaur Sharm El-Sheikh (ANI): Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav inaugurated the India Pavilion at the 27th Session of Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 27) Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

The COP27 that began on Sunday will be held till November 18, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Welcoming the delegates from all the

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav inaugurates India Pavilion at COP27, in Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

countries to the India Pavilion, Yadav said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided a simple solution to the complex climate

change problem.

He said India believes that climate action starts from the grassroots, individual level and hence designed the

India Pavilion with the theme of LiFE- Lifestyle for Environment.

On this occasion, Yadav also felicitated the COP Young Scholars from India who worked towards Positive Climate Change solutions.

“I am confident that, throughout the duration of COP, the India Pavilion will continue to remind the delegates that simple lifestyle and individual practices that are sustainable in nature can help protect Mother Earth,” said Yadav.

Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday expelled Bibi Jagir Kaur from the primary membership of the party for indulging in anti-party activities, including becoming party to a conspiracy to break the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). SAD Disciplinary Committee Chairman Sikander Singh Maluka announced this.

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06

VP Dhankhar greets people on the eve of Guru Nanak Dev Jayanti First India Bureau New Delhi: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar greeted the nation today on the eve of Guru Nanak Dev’s birthday.

In his message to the nation, Dhankhar stated “I convey my hearty greetings and good wishes to the people of our country and those living abroad on the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev ji.”

Our country has been bless-

Modi to flag off Vande Bharat train in K’taka on Nov 11

ed to have received spiritual and moral guidance from great teachers like Guru Nanak Dev ji, who evoked the inherent unity of mankind that is bound by the univer-

sal virtues of truth, kindness and righteousness, he added.

India earned the esteemed stature of Vishwaguru with the sagely wisdom of preceptors and masters like Guru Nanak Dev ji. He showed us the path of a compassionate virtuous life and an inclusive society. The pantheon of his Shabads and Sakhis is the timeless spiritual heritage of entire humanity, he added.

—With ANI inputs

Narendra Modi @narendramdodi Hearty congratulations on the festival of Kartik Purnima and Dev Deepawali, the symbols of ancient culture, spirituality and tradition of India. May this occasion associated with holy bath and lamp infuse new energy in everyone’s life.

VARANASI LIGHTS UP ON DEV DEEPAWALI Varanasi: After the iconic celebration of Deepotsav this Diwali, Varanasi celebrated Dev Deepawali on Monday.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reached Varanasi on Sunday evening and held a meeting with top officials in the Circuit House auditorium here regarding the Dev Deepawali festival, a statement from a govt official said.

MHA: Internal security in control during 2021 The Govt fosussed on the capacity building of states police, report says

Bengaluru (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Karnataka on November 11 and participate in several programs and events across the state, said officials.

The list of programs PM Modi is going to attend on November 11 includes the launching of Vande Bharat (Chennai-Mysore-Bangalore) train from SBC railway station. It was a longpending demand of the people of Karnataka state and PM Modi will be flagging off this high-speed train, the officials said.

AL-QAEDA OPERATIVE FROM WWB ARRESTED IN J&K’S RAMBAN Ramban (PTI): An Al-Qaeda operative outfit was arrested with a hand grenade in J&K’s Ramban district, police said on Monday. Amiruddin Khan, a resident of Mashita Haora in West Bengal, was arrested by a police party from Ramban along Jammu-Srinagar national highway, police said.

SIX HELD FOR SAYING ‘PAKISTAN ZINDABAD’ AT BSP RALLY IN UP

Azamgarh (PTI): Six men were arrested for raising ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogan here after a meeting of BSP workers.

The arrests were made after a video surfaced on social media that showed some people shouting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ after a meeting in Jahanaganj last week.

New Delhi (ANI): The internal security situation in India remained under control during 2021, says Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Annual Report 2021-22.

The report, released on Monday, mentions that government’s “due priority” to enhancing internal security has even the reason behind maintaining internal security situation in the country. The principal focus on the internal security front remained on countering terrorism in J&K, improving the security scenario in the North Eastern States and maintaining peace, reads the report.

SINCE ITS INCEPTION, NIA HAS REGISTERED 438 CASES TILL MARCH 2022, OUT OF WHICH, 349 HAVE BEEN CHARGE SHEETED New Delhi (ANI): To strengthen the internal Security, the report of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) says the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which was constituted under the NIA Act of 2008 as a Special agency for investigation and prosecution of offences specified in the Schedule of NIA Act, since its inception, has registered 438 cases as on March 31 this year. Out of which, 349 cases have been charge sheeted. Trial has been concluded in 89 cases, out of which 83 cases have resulted in conviction. NIA is the premier investigation agency at the Central level to investigate terrorism related cases, including terrorism financing cases.

CRUCIAL READ KERALA GUV ARIF MOHD KHAN STOPS 2 TV CHANNELS FROM COVERING PRESS BRIEFING Kochi (Agencies): Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Monday barred journalists of Kairali TV and Media One TV channels from covering a press briefing in Kochin after inviting them.

Sidelining of a section of the media has come under fire from both the CPI-M and the Congress-led UDF. Khan has been upset with Media One and said that they are settling scores with him over the Shah bano case by giving false news, while Kairali is a party channel.

WOMAN HELD WITH 28 PYTHONS, SNAKES AND CHAMELEONS ON TRAIN IN TATANAGAR Jamshedpur (Agencies): A woman travelling with pythons, rare species of snakes, chameleons etc worth more than Rs 50 crore was arrested from the general compartment of Nilanchal Express at Tatanagar station in Jharkhand. The arrest was made by a joint team of Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP) and Crime Intelligence Branch (CIB). The seized animals will be handed over to the Forest department.

Bikaji Foods International IPO subscribed 26.67 times on final Day Mumbai (FIB): Bikaner, Rajasthan based snack company Bikaji Foods International Ltd , the third largest ethnic snacks company in India and the second fastest growing company in the Indian organised snacks market has received bids of 55,04,00,900 shares against the offered 2,06,36,790 equity shares , at a price band of * 285-300, according to the data available on the stock exchanges. Overall the issue was subscribed 26.67 times on

the last day of bidding.

The reserved portion for qualified institutional buyer portion saw a subscription of 80.63 times.

Non-Institutional segment saw a response of 7.10 times. The Retail Portion saw a subscription of 4.77 times.

KIN WORRY ABOUT 16 INDIAN SAILORS HELD HOSTAGE IN GUINEA

Kanpur (ANI): Families of 16 Indian sailors held hostage by the Guinea Navy are worried about their safety and have pinned their hopes on the govt. The sailors have been held hostage for nearly the last three months, and the families have demanded an immediate release of the sailors.

COP, CRPF MAN AMONG 4 HELD BY CBI IN J&K RECRUITMENT SCAM New Delhi (Agencies): A police officer and a CRPF personnel were among the four accused arrested by the Centre Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Jammu and Kashmir Police recruitment scam. The accused were identified as J&K Police’s ASI Ashok Kumar and Surinder Kumar, the CRPF constable.

ED grills ex-WB min in teacher recruitment scam Kolkata (PTI): The ED on Monday interrogated former West Bengal minister Paresh Adhikari in a teacher recruitment scam. Adhikari, who had been earlier been grilled by the CBI in the same case, arrived at the CGO complex of the ED office here in the morning to face questioning, sources in the agency said.

The former minister of is facing allegations of adopting illegal means to get his daughter Ankita appointed as a teacher in a govt school in Cooch Behar district.

Panj Pyare’s lead a ‘nagar kirtan’ (religious procession) on the eve of birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, at Golden Temple in Amritsar on Monday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

REACTIONS OF POLITICAL PARTIES OVER EWS QUOTA VERDICT BY SC

It’s win of PM’s social justice mission, says BJP New Delhi (PTI): The BJP lauded the Supreme Court’s verdict upholding the EWS quota on Monday, saying it is a victory for PM Narendra Modi in his “mission” to provide social justice to the country’s poor. The party also slammed Congress spokesperson and its SC-ST department head Udit Raj for his allegation following the verdict that the apex court is “casteist”, saying it has exposed the opposition party’s “anti-poor” mindset.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said it was contempt of the court which, he added, should initiate proceedings against Udit Raj.

THE VERDICT A SLAP ON FACE OF PARTIES WITH VESTED INTERESTS: PRADHAN New Delhi (PTI): Lauding the Supreme Court’s decision on the EWS quota Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday said in a series of “The amendment is valid and in no manner alters the basic structure of the constitution — Hon. #SupremeCourt’s nod to uphold 10 pc reservation for the EWS is a slap on the face of parties with vested interests who have tried to sow discord amongst citizens with their propaganda.”

CONG WELCOMES ORDER, SAYS PROCESS WAS INITIATED BY MANMOHAN GOVT New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court verdict upholding the validity of providing 10 per cent reservation to people from economically weaker sections and said the amendment providing for it was the result of a process initiated by the Manmohan Singh government. The Opposition party also said the Modi govt is yet to clarify its position on an updated caste census. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Congress welcomes the verdict of SC.

CONGRESS LEADER UDIT RAJ CALLS SUPREME COURT “CASTEIST” AFTER EWS QUOTA VERDICT, CLARIFIES LATER New Delhi (ANI): Congress leader Udit Raj on Monday called the Supreme Court “casteist” after it delivered verdict on the validity of the Constitution’s 103rd Amendment Act 2019.

“Supreme Court is casteist, is there still doubt about it! It refused to give reservation to SC/ ST, OBC in Indira Sawhney case citing the Constitution’s limit of 50 per cent but reversed its statement when it came to EWS reservation,” Congress leader Udit Raj said in his tweet in Hindi. In another tweet, he clarified that he was not opposing the reservation of poor upper castes but was only mentioning the SC’s vision in the matter of Indira Sawhney.

FORMER LAW MINISTER WELCOMES SC’S VERDICT

WILL TAKE LEGAL OPINION ON THE MATTER: STALIN

New Delhi (ANI): Former Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar has welcomed the verdict of the Constitution bench in the Supreme Court which upheld the validity of the Constitution’s 103rd Amendment Act with a majority of 3:2. The Constitution’s 103rd Amendment Act provides 10% reservation to the EWS in educational institutions and government jobs. The top court said that the importance of the judgment lies in the fact that economic backwardness as the basis for reservation now stands accepted as a constitutional principle.

Chennai (Agencies): Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin on Monday said that he would take legal opinion before deciding the next course of action on the issue of reservations in education and govt jobs for EWS. Terming the development as a setback to the century-old fight for social justice, Stalin urged Tamil Nadu political parties and other organisation to join hands for the cause of social justice. The DMK govt, which had opposed the amendment, was one of the parties in the case. It had decided not to implement the EWS quota for govt jobs.

BIG CATS BIG FEAT

Cheetahs kill first prey on Indian soil Sheopur (PTI): Two male cheetahs brought from Namibia to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh have made their first kill within 24 hours of their release from a quarantine area to a larger acclimatisation enclosure, an official said on Monday.

The cheetahs hunted down a cheetal (spotted deer) either on Sunday night or in the wee hours of Monday, Chief Conservator of Forest Uttam Kumar Sharma said.

The forest monitoring team got this information on Monday morning, he said. This was the first prey of the felines

after their translocation from Namibia to India in mid-September along with six other cheetahs, the official said.

The cheetahs — Freddie and Alton — were the first pair to be released into the larger enclosure on Saturday after being quarantined since September 17.

The successful first hunt by the cheetahs within 24 hours of moving to the larger enclosure has also allayed the park management’s concerns about their prey hunting ability.

He said the two cheetahs were released in the larger enclosure

spread over 98 hectares from a quarantine zone on Saturday.

The other six cheetahs will also be released (in the acclimatisation enclosure) in a phased manner, he said.

The eight cheetahs five females and three males in the age group of 30-66 months - were released in the dedicated quarantine zones in the KNP on September 17 at a function by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

COMMODITIES

CURRENCIES

Commodity

Price

Change

% Chg

Currency

Price

Change

% Chg

GOLD

51,201.00

81.00

0.15 (Per 10g)

USDINR

81.90

0.45

0.54

SILVER

60,596.00

244.00

0.40 (Per 1kg)

GBPINR

93.06

0.56

0.61

*Rates till the edition went to print.

MUMBAI | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2022

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business BRIEFS

MFIs SUFFERED UP TO 10% CREDIT LOSS IN FY21, FY22

Mumbai (PTI): Microlenders suffered credit losses of up to 10% during the two years of the pandemic, but things are improving now with stressed asset levels halving, an industry body said on Monday. The lenders, which typically disburse unsecured finance for micro entrepreneurs, suffered credit losses of 5-10% in FY21 and FY22 due to the impact of the pandemic on operations and borrowers’ financial health, Microfinance Institutions Network’s chief executive Alok Misra said.

ADANI GROUP CONTINUES TO SEEK STRATEGIC PARTNERS

New Delhi (PTI): Gautam Adani’s conglomerate continues to seek strategic equity partners aligned with its long-term investment strategy as it expands across the energy to transport to mining sectors. CreditSights said Adani Group is venturing into new or unrelated businesses, which are highly capital intensive.

The conglomerate may invest more than $150 billion over the next decade in expanding new energy businesses to cement and data centres.

TATA MOTORS ROLLS OUT 50,000TH ELECTRIC VEHICLE

New Delhi (PTI): Tata Motors on Monday said it has rolled out its 50,000th Electric Vehicle (EV) unit in the country from its Pune plant. “As the pioneers of EVs in the country, the onus of ensuring successful adoption was on us. With a well calibrated product mix, strong consumer facing initiatives, we have been able to address barriers to EV adoption,” Tata Motors PV MD Shailesh Chandra said in a statement.The company has created an entire EV ecosystem with Tata Group companies to provide simple, cost-effective solutions for customers, he added.

HONDA CARS ACHIEVE 20 LAKH PRODUCTION MILESTONE IN INDIA

New Delhi (PTI): Honda Cars India on Monday said it has crossed the 20 lakh cumulative production milestone in the country. The company has rolled out its 2 millionth unit, a Honda City sedan, from its Tapukara (Rajasthan) based manufacturing plant. The automaker began production operations in December 1997 and has so far cumulatively invested over `10,000 crore since setting up its operations in India.

EXCITING TIMES AHEAD

Multi-bn-$ 5G infra roll-out, soon Singapore (PTI): India is set to witness the world’s largest roll-out of 5G infrastructure with multi-billion-dollar being spent by the country’s leading telcos over the next several years, according to Syed Shahid Hussain, Managing Partner, Financial Services Sector, Asia Pacific, at IBM Consulting.

Additionally, the government is expected to lead in developing the India stack, a network building process that would cover every segment of the economy being digitised with the latest advanced technologies, he said.

“This is a big play,” he said of the advanced technologies adoption in India,

WORLD’S

LARGEST ROLLOUT z India is set to witness the

world’s largest roll-out of 5G infrastructure with multi-billion-dollar being spent by the country’s leading telcos over the next several years

z Govt is expected to lead in

developing the India stack

with IBM Consulting joining international technology groups participating in the large-scale development over several years through strategic partnerships with telcos such as Bharti Airtel and Reliance Group.

“We plan to work with

Indian telcos, where we have strategic partnerships like Bharti Airtel to bring secured hybrid cloud services through the 5G network to national enterprises. The agreement with Bharti Airtel is there to launch it,” said Shahid, the Singapore-based IBM ex-

Efforts to bring down NPAs bearing fruits: Sitharaman New Delhi (PTI): Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said the government’s efforts to reduce bad loans are yielding result with 12 public sector banks reporting a 50% jump in combined net profit at `25,685 crore in the second quarter ended Sept.

In the first half of FY23, the cumulative net profit of all PSBs increased by 32% to `40,991 crore.

During the Q2, the SBI reported the highest-ever profit of `13,265 crore. On year-on-year basis, this was 74% higher than the same quarter a year ago.

“The continuous efforts of our govt for reducing the NPAs and further strengthening the health of PSBs are now showing tangible results. All 12 PSBs de-

clared net profit of `25,685 cr in Q2FY23 & total Rs 40,991 cr in H1FY23, up by 50% & 31.6%, respectively (y-o-y),” Sitharaman said.

She further said Canara Bank reports an 89% jump in profit to Rs 2,525 crore as compared to second quar-

ter of the previous fiscal.

Two of the 12 lenders -PNB, and Bank of India -reported profit declines ranging from 9-63%. These lenders’ declining profits have been ascribed to higher provisioning for bad loans.

ecutive. “For this, both the parties will have to spend billions of dollars. Huge amount of money is being spent by the stakeholders in this ongoing process and it will take over a couple of years,” he underlined.

“We are particularly working on securing hy-

Need for single rate GST: EACPM Chairman New Delhi (PTI): Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) Chairman Bibek Debroy on Monday said India should have a single rate GST and taxation regime devoid of exemptions.

He said the tax collection of the Centre and states combined is just 15% of GDP, while the demand for government spending on public infrastructure is much higher.

“On GST, it is my submission, therefore, there should be a single rate. I don’t think we will ever get it…,” Debroy said.

Sensex revisits 61K on gains in auto, energy stocks Mumbai (PTI): Equity benchmark Sensex climbed over 230 points to reclaim the 61,000-mark on Monday, propelled by robust buying in auto, energy and metal stocks amid a firm trend in global equities.

A strong rupee against the US dollar and persistent foreign capital inflows also supported the domestic equities, traders said.

In a highly volatile session, the 30-share BSE Sensex ended 234.79 points or 0.39% higher at 61,185.15.

The index witnessed a high

of 61,401.54 and a low of 60,714.36 during the session.

The broader NSE Nifty rose by 85.65 points or

India needs $300 billion by 2030 to meet 500GW aim New Delhi (PTI): India will need additional investment of around $300 billion to complete the 500-gigawatt renewable energy capacity target by 2030, according to a report.

With 165 gigawatts (GW) generation capacity already in place, the country is on the right trajectory to meet its goal of having 50% of energy needs through the renewable portfolio, the Arthur D Little (ADL) report said on Monday.

“India needs (additional) strategic investments of over $300 billion to achieve its clean energy capacity target of 500 GW by 2030,”

the study titled ‘Powering India’s Energy Vision 2030’ said.

As per the study, India’s electricity consumption is expected to grow at an annual rate of 5.4% over the next decade, with annual demand touching 2,300 billion units (BUs) by 2030.

However, at the current pace, generation will reach only 2,024 BUs by 2030.

0.47% to end at 18,202.80 points.

State Bank of India topped the Sensex gainers’ chart, jumping 3.44%, followed by Tata Steel, UltraTech Cement, ICICI Bank, M&M, Maruti and PowerGrid. In contrast, Asian Paints, Bajaj Finserv, Sun Pharma and Titan were among the laggards, shedding up to 2.37%.

The market breadth was in favour of the bulls, with 18 of the 30 Sensex counters closing in the green.

` GAINS 45 PAISE TO CLOSE AT 81.90 AGAINST US DOLLAR Mumbai (PTI): The rupee appreciated by 45 paise to close at 81.90 (provisional) against the US dollar on Monday amid a weak American currency and sustained foreign fund inflows. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local unit opened at 82.14 and touched an intra-day high of 81.90 and a low of 82.32 against the greenback.

The local unit finally settled at 81.90, registering a rise of 45 paise over its previous close amid a positive trend in domestic equities.

brid cloud services through the 5G network.” Hybrid cloud is a major shift in the evolution of enterprise IT. The next big thing is to create India stack for different sectors of the Indian economy, he pointed out.

India stack is a set of APIs that allows governments, businesses, startups and developers to utilise a unique digital infrastructure to solve India’s hard problems towards presence-less, paperless and cashless service delivery.

Shahid says the government is to lead the India stack and incentivise banks and other stakeholders in the ecosystem for the benefits of consumers.

07

FinMin releases `7,183.42 crore to 14 states First India Bureau New Delhi: The Department of Expenditure under the Finance Ministry on Monday released the eight monthly instalment of the Post Devolution Revenue Deficit (PDRD) grant of `7,183.42 crore to fourteen states as per the recommendations of the Fifteenth Finance Commission.

With the release of the eighth instalment for the month of November 2022, the total amount of revenue deficit grants released to the states so far in FY23 has gone up to `57,467.33 crore, Ministry said.

OTHER STORIES DUE TO SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION, 30 INDIGO PLANES GROUNDED

Mumbai (PTI): IndiGo on Monday said that around 30 aircraft are grounded due to “supply chain disruptions” and the country’s largest airline is evaluating wet leasing of planes and other options to boost operations. At the end of Sept, the carrier -- also the world’s seventh largest in terms of daily departures -- had 279 aircraft in its fleet.

It operates more than 1,600 daily flights and currently flies to 100 destinations.

LARGE SCALE LAYOFFS COMING AT META THIS WEEK: REPORTS

New York (PTI): After job cuts at Twitter, Facebook’s parent company Meta is planning to begin “largescale layoffs” this week in what could be the largest reduction to date at a “major technology corporation in a year that has seen a tech-industry retrenchment,” a media report said. The Wall Street Journal reported that the layoffs at Meta are expected to affect “many thousands of employees” and could come as soon as Wednesday.

INDIA’S MFG SECTOR TO SUSTAIN GROWTH MOMENTUM FOR NEXT 6-9 MONTHS: FICCI New Delhi (PTI): The growth momentum which has been witnessed by India’s mfg sector for the past few months is likely to stay for the next six to nine months, according to the latest quarterly survey by Ficci. According to the survey, the existing average capacity utilisation in mfg is over 70%, which reflects a sustained economic activity in the sector. The future investment outlook also slightly improved as compared to previous quarter as close to 40% respondents reported plans for capacity additions in the next six months by over 15% on an average.

32 LAKH WEDDINGS IN DEC TO GENERATE `3.75 LAKH CRORE BIZ

New Delhi (PTI): Around 32 lakh weddings are expected to be solemnised in India between November 4 and December 14, which will generate businesses to the tune of Rs 3.75 lakh crore for the country’s trading community, CAIT said on Monday. The Confederation of All India Traders based its assessment on a survey conducted by its research arm.

The survey was carried out in 35 cities with 4,302 traders and service providers.

ISMA CONFIDENT OF GOVT NOD FOR ADD’L 3 MN TONS EXPORT

New Delhi (PTI): Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) on Monday welcomed the government’s decision to allow export of 6 million tonnes of sugar till May 31, of the 202223 season and expressed confidence of getting export nod for additional 3 million tonnes.

“Sugar industry is confident that the government will allow sugar exports of additional 3 million tonnes,” Indian Sugar Mills Association said in a statement on Monday.

FESTIVE FERVOUR PUTS

Automobile retail sales in fast lane in Oct New Delhi (PTI): Aided by robust festive season offtake, automobile retail sales in India witnessed a 48% annual jump in October, FADA said on Monday.

The total retail sales last month stood at 20,94,378 units, up 48% from 14,18,726 registrations in October 2021.

The festive season this year turned out to be the best for the industry in the last four years.

Last month, all the vehicle segments like passenger and commercial vehicles, two-wheelers, tractors and three-wheelers per-

MAJOR TALKING POINT

z The festive season this

year turned out to be the best for the industry in the last four years.

z The total retail sales last

month stood at 20,94,378 units, up 48% from 14,18,726 registrations in October 2021. They were even better by 8% as against October 2019

formed better as compared to the year-ago period.

Passenger vehicle retails stood at 3,28,645 units last

month, up 41% from 2,33,822 units in October 2021. Similarly, two-wheeler registrations witnessed

a 51% jump last month at 15,71,165 units compared with 10,39,845 units in October 2021.

Greetings on the occasion of Guru Nank Jayanti, May he continue to show the path to all of us.

2ND FRONT

—Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, First India

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‘Red’ alert for Maha in 2023 as aerosols to cross critical point First India Bureau

Nagpur: By next year, aerosols present in Maharashtra’s air are expected to rise to “highly vulnerable” red zone from the current “vulnerable” orange. This could lead to drastic drop in visibility levels and could create a bevy of health problems for its inhabitants, a study revealed.

High aerosol amounts include particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) comprising sea salt, dust, sulphate, black and organic carbon, according to a paper released by Asar, an organisation working for environmental causes.

Aerosol optical depth (AOD) is the quantitative estimate of the aerosol present in the atmosphere; it can be used as a proxy measurement of PM2.5.

Conducted by Associate Professor Dr Abhijit Chatterjee and PhD scholar Monami Dutta from Bose Institute in Kolkata, the study titled ‘A deep insight into state-level aerosol pollution in India’, was also recently published in the ‘Atmospheric Environment Journal’. The study shows aerosol pollution across the nation, with state-wise long-term (2005-2019)

A state-wise study predicts aerosol pollution in Maharashtra will change to ‘highly vulnerable’ from its current ‘vulnerable’ zone

AOD values range from 0 nm to 1.0 nm, with 0 nm indicating clear sky and maximum visibility, while 1 nm signifies hazy conditions, as seen in Mumbai on Monday. —PHOTO BY PTI creasing with the rise in demand for electricAOD CATEGORIES ity. However, if the state continues to inAOD (in nanometres) Colour Code Exposure condition stall TPPs as observed < 0.3 nm Green Safe in the past, it would enter the highly vul0.3 – 0.4 nm Blue Less Vulnerable nerable zone, which could result in an in0.4 – 0.5 nm Orange Vulnerable crease in morbidity > 0.5 nm Red Highly Vulnerable rate, drop in life expectancy and a host of health issues for people trend, “source appor- nm and 0.5 nm (nm = study’s principal au- of the state,” Dr Chatterjee said. tionment” and future nanometre). However, thor Dr Chatterjee.

According to the “Air pollution in Marising aerosol pollution scenario (2023).

At present, Maha- is expected to push the harashtra has mostly professor, the trend rashtra is in the orange AOD above 0.5 nm, been influenced by from 2019 onwards thermal showed Maharashtra zone, which is catego- which is the red zone coal-based rized as “vulnerable”, (highly vulnerable), in power plants (TPP). witnessed yearly AOD with AOD between 0.4 the state, said the Their capacity is in- rise of 7%.

109 DCP and SP-rank officers transferred Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra home department on Monday transferred 109 Deputy Commissioner of Police and Superintendent of Police-rank officers.

As per the orders issued this evening, at least 14 DCP-rank officers were transferred to the Mumbai Police force.

IPS officers Abhinav Deshmukh, M Ramkumar, Anil Paraskar, Manoj Patil, Amogh Gaonkar, Tejaswi Satpute, and Gaurav Singh have been transferred to the Mumbai Police.

At least 14 DCP-rank officers were transferred to the Mumbai Police force.

—FILE PHOTO

Pravin Mundhe, Dixit Gedam, Mangesh Shinde, Ajay Bansal,

Mohit Garg, Purushottam Karad are also among the officers

who are shifted to Mumbai Police, as per the orders.

DCP Akbar Pathan has also returned to the Mumbai Police force.

The Marine Drive police station had lodged an FIR for extortion and other charges against Pathan, former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh, four other police officers, and two others on a complaint filed by a builder.

Pathan was transferred to the Prevention of Civil Rights (PCR) wing of police in Nashik.

08

BHARAT JODO YATRA

Aaditya could take part in Congress’s footmarch First India Bureau Mumbai: Aaditya Thackeray could participate in the Congress’s “Bharat Jodo Yatra”, a leader from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction said on Monday.

Sena leader Sachin Ahir told reporters that the Thackeray scion is touring Marathwada and the yatra would also be passing through the region.

“The possibility of Aaditya Thackeray attending the Bharat Jodo Yatra cannot be ruled out. The deci-

sion will be taken after discussions with the party chief (Uddhav Thackeray). Coincidentally, he is also touring the region (Marathwada) and attempts are being made to see if it (his visit) can coincide with the rally,” Ahir said.

The idea behind footmarch is to bring

everyone together and knowingly or unknowingly, people from every section of the society are supporting it. This is to be welcomed if they are coming to Maharashtra, Ahir, a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council and the spokesperson for the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction, said.

The yatra will pass through 15 Assembly and six parliamentary constituencies in the state, mostly in the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions, during its 14-day sojourn in Maharashtra.

Sharad Pawar’s participation will depend on his health First India Bureau Aurangabad: The participation of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar in the “Bharat Jodo Yatra” in Maharashtra will depend on the condition of his health in the next few days, Senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan has said.

The ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, a mass outreach initiative of the Congress which began on September 07 from Kanyakumari, is

scheduled to enter Nanded district on Monday night.

The state Congress leadership plans to highlight the participation of the NCP and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction in the yatra as a show of solidarity of

the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Pawar (81) was recently hospitalized in Mumbai for fever and other health issues. On Saturday, he was accompanied by doctors when he flew to Shirdi to briefly address a party convention.

“There seems to be a change in Pawar’s programmes. I have been informed that he may join the yatra on November 10, but it will depend on his health at the time,” Chavan said.

TRIPURARI PURNIMA

A girl lights a diya on the occasion of Tripurari Purnima, at Banganga Tank of Walkeshwar Temple complex, in Mumbai on Monday.

—PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

REALTY BYTES

Maha sets up committee to fast-track Navi Mumbai infra projects The committee will help expedite real estate projects and pave the path for rapid development in the area First India Bureau Mumbai: The government of Maharashtra has formed a committee of experts to address issues related to real estate development in Navi Mumbai.

A notification regarding this has been issued by the housing department.

According to the

Housing Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the committee will take care of development-related aspects and suggest solutions to problems in real estate infrastructure development.

The committee is formed to fast-track various processes such as developing roads, water supply and other basic infrastructure.

The committee will comprise former chief secretary, principal secretary, urban development-II, joint managing director, City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) and representatives of CREDAI-MCHI-BANM (Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India-Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry– Builders Association of Navi Mumbai).

“Recently, under the guidance of the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde,

The committee will take care of development-related aspects and suggest solutions to problems in real estate infrastructure development.

—FILE PHOTO

we have inaugurated the ‘Ease of Doing Business Cell’ for the benefit of

real estate developers and home buyers, which will bring more trans-

parency in the functioning. This move will help expedite various projects and pave the path for the rapid development of the real sector in Navi Mumbai and adjacent areas,” said Vice Chairman and Managing Director of CIDCO Dr Sanjay Mukherjee.

CIDCO has allotted land parcels on lease to various real estate developers to create residential and commercial projects. However, despite the developers completing their projects on time at various plots and

locations, basic infrastructure like roads, water and other basic amenities is taking time, eventually delaying the OC clearance.

Boman Irani, president of CREDAI MCHI, stated, “We at CREDAIMCHI had formed a task force to try and resolve the issues faced by our developer members working in Navi Mumbai and Raigad regions.

We have nominated Raajesh Prajapati and Keval Valambhia to become a member of this committee.”

DEDICATED TEAM

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09

MUMBAI, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2022

India Fashion Week London

A SYNONYM OF

PERFECTION CITY FIRST

F

ashion in India is a rapidly growing industry with intern a t i o n a l events. The seventh edition of India Fashion Week London on 20 November, a celebration of Asian fashion by national and international renowned designers. The conception of India Fashion Week London has been driven by the need for a platform to showcase the existing creativity of worldclass designers alongside supporting upcoming NEWGEN designers. In what is the 7th year of the prestigious concept by the internationally renowned event production house The Platinum Group, Founder Manny Singh states: ‘To continue to grow and increase visitor numbers after seven years is a huge accolade for us - especially with the growth in new events and interest in the sector.

We want to showcase the best fashion designers the industry has to offer and ensure our visi-

Fashion in India is a growing industry. City First brings to you the 7th edition of India Fashion Week London on 20 November, a celebration of Asian fashion by national and international renowned designers.

“I’m so looking forward to welcoming, the team of First India, the fashion connect and Dr Jagdeesh Chandra to London.”

- Manny Singh, Show organiser, India Fashion Week Global Limited tors see immense value in our live directory. The bond and trust with have with our visitors is key to our success. We understand the world of fashion is changing globally all the time, keeping this in mind we want to ensure the UK audiences have an opportunity to witness world class trends each year. At the same time we set standards of expectations with our exhibitors and also ensure we provide the right tools and support for them to connect with our visitors. This year we are super excited about our partnership with First India and we look forward to develop-

ing a long term working relationship with the team. We take great pride in being able to bring this event to life each year, yet allow it to grow to suit visitor and exhibitor needs.’ The celebration of Indian fashion will involve fringe events in various places across London, ranging from VIP jewellery launch events to seminars on the various styles and trends. The main event will be taking place at Novotel London Hammersmith on November 20; this will consist of a shopping experience for any fashionista alongside catwalk displays.

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MUMBAI | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2022

10

Prevention Options for

MRIDULA SHARMA cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

H

ave you ever noticed how the seasons affect your skin's appearance? If so, you may have observed that the colder winter months tend to make your skin appear drier and flakier more frequently.

Your skin might get dehydrated as a result of the strong winter winds, dry interior heat, low humidity levels and cold air.

Your face, hands, feet, and other exposed regions of skin may all start to seem much less luminous than usual as a result of this.

Even when temperatures drop and there is no way to avoid the dry, chilly air of winter, there are things you can do to keep your skin looking healthy.

Dry winter skin is not always the case. You might be able to keep your skin looking soft, smooth and vibrant all winter long by making a few adjustments to your skincare routine and habits and utilising the proper products.

Let's look more closely at suggestions that might improve your skin's health throughout the drier seasons of the year.

FOLLOWING A WASH, MOISTURIZE IMMEDIATELY

n You remove your skin's natu-

ral oils every time you wash your hands, face, or body. It's crucial to restore these oils since they aid in retaining moisture. Use a moisturiser every time you wash your skin for this reason, especially in the winter. n To serve as a useful reminder, try keeping a bottle of moisturiser close to your sink and carrying a travel-size moisturiser with you at all times.

REGULAR USE OF SUNSCREEN

n It might be

tempting to skip using sunscreen in the morning due to the shorter winter days and less sunshine but resist the urge. Your skin's mois-

DRY WINTER SKIN

ture barrier, which is essential for preserving skin health and hydration, can still be stressed by damaging UV rays even in the winter. n After using a moisturiser in the morning, try applying a layer of sunscreen. n Use of sunscreen with at least SPF 30 is advised by the American Academy of Dermatology.

UTILIZE BEDTIME REMEDIES

n Treatments that are applied

overnight are a fantastic approach to reviving or preventing dry skin. Emollients are excellent moisturisers. They can take longer to penetrate into your skin, though, because they're a thicker kind of cream. n Your skin will have the time it needs to absorb the therapy if you apply an emollient overnight. Additionally, the emollient will replace the moisture and oils your skin has lost.

EMPLOY A HUMIDIFIER n When

indoor heating is turned up in the winter, humidifiers may be extremely beneficial in replenishing moisture in the air. More moisture in the air can serve as a natural moisturiser, preventing and alleviating skin dryness in the process. n In the winter, a humidifier set at 60% helps restore moisture to the top layer of your skin, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

APPLY EXFOLIATES AND SCRUBS SPARINGLY

n Exfoliation, which helps re-

move dead skin cells from the skin's surface, can help maintain the smooth, youthful appearance of your skin. However, if you exfoliate your skin too frequently or with the incorrect products, you risk

overdoing it.

n Consider using a light chemi-

cal exfoliator rather than a physical scrape if your skin appears dry or flaky. Scrubs with larger particles that are harsher may have a higher chance of damaging your skin's moisture barrier.

TRY ADDING OCCLUSIVES TO YOUR ROUTINE

n Earlier, we mentioned using

emollients to help smooth and repair your skin barrier. But, if you find that emollient ingredients aren’t doing enough to heal your dry skin, you may want to consider incorporating occlusive ingredients into your skin care routine.

CHOOSE NON-IRRITATING MATERIALS

n Avoid wearing abrasive mate-

rials whenever you have skin

issues of any kind. Dry skin is also not an exception. To lessen the chance of additional physical irritability, try dressing in loose, comfortable, natural materials if the skin on your body is particularly dry. n Don't wash your items in conventional detergents either.

For detergents that won't include harsh chemicals or strong smells, look for those made for sensitive skin.

MODIFY YOUR SKIN CARE REGIMEN

n You might want to think about

temporarily streamlining your skin care regimen if the dry winter air is making the skin on your face feel particularly sensitive or irritated. n Remember that for serums, toners, and other cosmetic treatments to work effectively, your skin's moisture barrier must be in good condition. n Additionally, inflamed skin may be more sensitive to substances like alcohol and scent.

This implies that cosmetics that would typically feel wonderful on your skin might become irritating. n Try to make your skin care regimen straightforward.

Consider using a light cleanser with a moisturiser in the morning and

only a moisturiser and sunscreen at night.

HYDRATE INTERNALLY

n Making certain to stay hydrat-

ed throughout the day is another essential step to keeping healthy and luminous skin.

Your skin might look different and become more prone to drying out if you don't drink enough fluids. n You may choose to concentrate on consuming foods that are strong in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids in addition to remaining well-hydrated. n Both of these nutrients can help your body produce healthy cells, including skin cells and shield your cells from harm caused by the environment.

ETC MUMBAI | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2022

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Kareena can't wait to meet

‘MINI ALIA BHATT’ K

areena Kapoor has reacted to the arrival of Ranbir Kapoor and his wife Alia Bhatt's baby girl. As she congratulated the couple, Kareena said she cannot wait to meet Alia's mini version. Kareena Kapoor is close to actor-cousin Ranbir Kapoor and is excited to meet his daughter.

Ranbir and actor-wife Alia Bhatt welcomed a baby girl around noon on Sunday. As soon as Alia shared a note on Instagram to announce the baby's arrival, Kareena took to

the comments section to share her excitement.

Commenting on Alia Bhatt's note, Kareena wrote, “Ufffffff my mini Alia can’t wait to meet her.”

Alia's baby announcement had read, “And in the best news of our lives: Our baby is here.. and what a magical girl she is. We are officially bursting with love, blessed and obsessed PARENTS!!!!!."

She signed off by writing, "Love love love, Alia and Ranbir."

Alia’s post...

Kareena Kapoor

‘I was on

painkillers’

J

anhvi Kapoor is all set for her next film Mili which will be released in 3 days.

The film, which is a remake of the Malayalam hit Helen, also stars Sunny Kaushal and Manoj Pahwa in the main roles. Well, the makers are not leaving any stone unturned in promoting the film.

The actress was spotted at a mul-

tiplex in New Delhi for the promotion.

Janhvi Kapoor revealed that she was having nightmares of being shut in a cold and dark space. “The film took a toll on my mental health. I would come back home from the shoot and I would go to sleep and dream that I was still in the freezer. I fell ill and I was on severe painkillers for twothree days and even the director was unwell,” the actress quoted.

SAMANTHA BEGINS ‘YASHODA’ PROMOTIONS

A

s the fans wait for the release of Samanth Ruth Prabhu's new-age thriller Yashoda, the actress commenced the promotions for her next. She shared a few glimpses of her promotional wardrobe on Instagram. She captioned it as, "Like my good friend @raj.nidimoru

B

ollywood is set to witness yet another grand wedding of Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani.

The duo is rumoured to tie the knot in December and we are excited to peak into more wedding updates.

As per reports, the wedding preparations have begun

‘Road to recovery’

already and the couple is looking for a dreamy wedding venue.

It is believed that the couple is looking at tying the knot in Chandigarh and are hunting for a luxurious property. The couple is considering Oberoi Sukhvilas Resort, where Rajkummar and Patralekha got married.

Samantha Ruth Prabhu

Parineeti Quits YRF?

A

s we informed you previously, Pooja Hegde suffered a ligament tear in the foot recently. Now, the Radhe Shyam actress is on the road to recovery and has been undergoing treatment, along with work. The Beast star took to her Instagram handle and shared a snippet of her recovery journey. In the photo, the diva dips the injured foot in hot water to the heel in the comfort of her home. Pooja Hegde captioned the post, "What my mornings look like now… #roadtorecovery #comingbackstronger."

t...

Her post..

Wedding Venue REVEALED!

Janhvi Kapoor.

Her pos

says, no matter what the day is like and how sh***y things are, his motto is to Shower...Shave...Show up !! I borrowed it for a day...For #yashodathemovie promotions... see you on the 11th."

The stunner looked stunning in a black pantsuit with a green belt.

Her impressive attire was complemented with black framed glasses, open tresses and earrings.

P

arineeti Chopra debuted in Bollywood with YRF’s Ladies vs Ricky Bahl.

However, as per recent reports, it is being said that she’s leaving Yash Raj Films' talent management agency!

For the unversed, before entering the glamour world, Chopra was a part of YRF’s marketing and PR department. Since her association with the organisation goes way back, there’s no bad blood here.

An insider source revealed – “Parineeti and YRF go back a long way and the production house is like a home for her. So, there is no animosity involved here. She wanted to explore other avenues and is moving to another talent management agency.”

Parineeti has done multiple versatile films under the YRF banner like Ishaqzaade, Shuddh Desi Romance, Daawat-eIshq and Kill Dil. Let’s wait and see which talent management agency Parineeti will be on boarding with.

Pooja Hegde

Kiara Advani

Parineeti Chopra

CITY

STAY MASKED

GET VACCINATED

MUMBAI | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2022

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S

pace Salt is back with another hit 'Doori'. The band essentially consists of two members Shravan Sajjan and Atul Arora. Doori’s official Youtube video has reached more than 7 lakh views in just a month and is getting appreciated by its listeners.

The song is available on all streaming platforms.

‘Doori’ sends out a

cityfirstdel@gmail.com

RANVEER IN SHANKAR’S PAN INDIA DIRECTORIAL ASHISH TIWARI

cityfirst.mumbai@firstindia.co.in

I

n 2021, it was announced that Ranveer Singh is set to collaborate with Shankar for a new version of 'Anniyan', however, it was shelved reportedly. But now, there is some good news, the project is the cinematic adaptation of the epic novel 'Velpari'.

The three-part epic story will be based on the iconic novel, Velpari and will go on floors by mid-2023. It will be the biggest film to date for both Ranveer Singh and Shankar.

“Shankar wants to make the biggest panIndian film by bringing

Ranveer Singh, Shankar Shanmugam and Dr Jayantilal Gada

one of the biggest superstars of our generation, superstar Ranveer Singh, to helm this ambitious project a grand cinematic adaptation of the iconic Tamil epic Velpari. The novel has everything to offer from a larger-than-life hero to incredible life lessons, to a hearttouching love story and magnificent visual-effect sequences whose scale will set the next benchmark of action spectacles in India. It is the wholesome nature

of this novel that has got Shankar and Ranveer to come together for this collaboration."

“The story is so vast and complex that all the aspects can’t be covered in one film.

Shankar devised a screenplay that lends itself to a threepart film. He intends to start shooting for the first part in the middle of 2023. This would be the biggest film of Shankar and Ranveer’s filmography to date” the source informed.

Ranveer’s other films

in his incredible lineup include Rohit Shetty’s Cirkus, Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Baiju Bawra. Shankar on the other hand would have 2 films to release next year, Indian 2 and RC 15. Post these, he will jump into the cinematic adaptation of Velpari's novel.

“Shankar is so impressed by Ranveer and his commitment to pushing the envelope in big-screen cinema that he’s decided to collaborate on something even bigger and something that’s immensely close to Shankar’s heart. This collaboration will create a milestone in Indian cinema,” the source concluded. The Velpari novel is considered to be iconic cult literature, just like Ponniyin Selvan, which recently got a cinematic adaptation from Mani Ratnam.

Varun opens up on South

V

quite excited about playing it on-screen. As the promotional activity is in full swing, the actor recently opened up about the comparison of Hindi and South films.

Varun Dhawan admitted that Hindi films are facing a difficult time as South films are becoming blockbusters. He said, “I know it sounds really easy right now because the Hindi films are get-

ting their a**es kicked right now. So maybe it’s a great time and easy answer for me to say that. I have always wanted to do films in Telugu, Tamil and Bhediya are going to release in Telugu and Tamil as well.

It’s a great time for all filmmakers, technicians and actors, everyone to come together.”

T

Poster of the music video

Kuttey announced

actor, Gal Gadot too congratulated Alia, with whom she has worked in the upcoming Netflix film, Heart of Stone.

Alia in the past had even shared a selfie with Wonder Woman and expressed how amazing the shoot was. It seemed that the two shared a close friendship. Now, Gal too made sure to leave her comment on the post as she wrote, "Congratulations".

Alia Bhatt shot for her debut Netflix film with a 5-month-old baby bump.

The film directed by Tom Harper stars Gal Gadot, Jamie Dornan and Alia Bhatt.

Arjun Kapoor

A

rjun Kapoor and Tabustarrer film ‘Kuttey’, which was initially slated to be released on November 4, has now been postponed to next year. Taking to social media platforms, the makers of the film made the official announcement.

Sharing the new release date, film-

maker Vishal Bhardwaj’s production house wrote, “Bring in the New Year with Kuttey, releasing in cinemas on January 13 2023.”

Apart from Arjun Kapoor and Tabu, ‘Kuttey’ also stars Radhika Madan, Naseeruddin Shah, Konkona Sen Sharma, Radhika Madan, Kumud Mishra and Shardul Bhardwaj.

Gal Gadot

V

Sachet-Parampara are here to win us all over again he musical wonders Sachet Tandon and Parampara Tandon in collaboration with Bhushan Kumar are back with their new single "Takdaa Rawaan" a fun albeit love track set to release on November 10. The song features the duo themselves in the music video. They have also composed the song, while the lyrics are penned by Kumaar and the music video is directed by Adil Shaikh. With this powerpacked blend of talents coming together, we sure can't wait to see what they have for us!

Release date of

xcitement was in the air on Sunday afternoon when Alia Bhatt checked in at HM Reliance Hospital in Mumbai. Ranbir Kapoor's elder sister, Riddhima Kapoor Sahni first broke out the news of the arrival of RK and Alia's baby girl. It was then confirmed by the parents themselves.

Taking to her Instagram, Alia posted a beautiful picture of a family of lions cuddling their child.

The message written on it declared the arrival of their baby girl and how elated both the parents were. Hollywood

VIJAY'S sassy reply

v/s Bollywood Debate

arun Dhawan opened up on the comparison of Hindi and South films as well as expressed his desire to work in South films. Dhawan is gearing up for his latest release Bhediya, which is directed by Amar Kaushik and produced by Dinesh Vijan.

Varun is all set to appear in a never seen avatar of a werewolf and is

wishes Alia

E

strong message, most relevant in today’s era 'Let your soul not question you...

Kaisi hai yeh Doori khud ki khud se..

Be who you want to be & not what others want you to be.'

The song is a global hit and is trending on #68 in Manchester for the last 2 weeks. Follow Space Salt for more updates and their upcoming releases.

Varun Dhawan

12

GAL GADOT

SPACE SALT'S ANOTHER HIT CITY FIRST

BUZZ

ijay Deverakonda is one of the most beloved South stars who has a massive fan following across India. While everyone was eagerly waiting for his foray into Bollywood with the action entertainer, Liger, it came as a disappointing result. The film flopped terribly at the box office with several of its actors being criticised for poor performance. But Vijay was immensely praised for his portrayal of a stuttering MMA fighter.

Addressing his failure during a recent interview, Vijay assured his fans that he has not lost confidence in himself.

During a fan event held on November 6, Sunday, Vijay revealed how many of his wellwishers ushered him to make a comeback. But he stated that he does not feel a comeback is necessary as he did not go anywhere in the first place.

Vijay said many fans came to him saying, “Anna, you have to make a comeback”. He answered all his fans that he is right there and did not go anywhere. His answer received huge applause and cheers from his fans who admired the sassy reply from their favourite star.

Vijay Deverakonda