NEW DELHI l WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2022 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI TITLE NO. DELENG/2021/19840 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 342 FBI AGENTS RAID TRUMP’S MAR-A-LAGO FLORIDA ESTATE
INDIAN STUDENTS WILL RETURN ‘SOON’: CHINA
Washington: The FBI raided Donald Trump’s private estate in Florida to probe into the handling of presidential documents, including classified materials, triggering an angry outburst from Trump who called it an attempt to block his 2024 White House bid.
Beijing: China has said it has started the process for the return of Indian students stuck back home due to COVID-19 visa restrictions here and the first batch may arrive soon, raising hopes for thousands of students waiting to re-join their colleges.
OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, NEW DELHI & MUMBAI
SL TO PROMOTE RAMAYANA TRAIL FOR INDIANS
Colombo: Sri Lanka’s newly-appointed tourism brand Ambassador and cricket legend Sanath Jayasuriya has said his country will concentrate on promoting the Ramayana trail to Indian tourists, as the crisis-hit island nation seeks to boost tourism for economic recovery.
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Different tales of 2 States
Amit Shah pitches for more reforms Nitish Kumar splits with ally BJP again, 20-member cabinet in in co-op societies Maha has no woman; stakes claim as Grand Alliance Govt CM Oppn, activists rap govt —PHOTO BY PTI
Patna (PTI): In a day of fast-moving political developments, Bihar’s mercurial leader Nitish Kumar twice met Governor Phagu Chauhan, first to hand in his resignation as NDA chief minister and then after being elected leader of the RJD-led ‘Mahagathbandhan’ to stake claim for the top job in the state once again. His move which was a reversal of what happened in 2017 when he left the Mahagathbandhan to rejoin the NDA, left ally BJP out in the cold for second time. After meeting Chauhan, Kumar went to the residence of ex-CM Rabri Devi to confabulate with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. Later, he called on the governor again to stake claim to form the govt after getting the support of Mahagathbandhan constituents.
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari congratulates Sudhir Mungantiwar after he was sworn-in as a minister, in Mumbai, on Tuesday. CM Eknath Shinde and Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis also seen.
Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar with Rashtriya Janata Dal leaders Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap (R), in Patna, on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY PTI
BJP ACCUSES NITISH KUMAR OF INSULTING PEOPLE’S MANDATE
NITISH’S OATH TODAY, TEJASHWI TO BE DY CM
New Delhi: The BJP on Tuesday accused Nitish Kumar of “insulting and betraying” people’s mandate while blaming his prime ministerial ambition for the JD(U)’s decision to walk out of the NDA and joining hands with the RJD-led Opposition. BJP leaders noted that he had snapped ties with RJD in 2017 over allegations of corruption against Tejashwi Yadav and asked how he will justify the alliance with RJD again. P5
Patna: Nitish Kumar will take oath as Chief Minister of Bihar on Wednesday at 2 pm, after he ditched the BJP on Tuesday and announced a new “Grand Alliance” which includes RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and other Opposition parties.
Crucial Freebie culture bad READ TYAGI, NOIDA WOMAN ABUSER, ARRESTED
for country: Naidu
New Delhi: Shrikant Tyagi, absconding after an FIR was lodged against him for abusing and pushing a woman at the Grand Omaxe society in Noida, was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday, said senior officials. Tyagi was on the run since Friday, when the FIR against him. P3
CUSTOMS TO CHECK INT’L FLYERS’ PNR New Delhi: Airlines will have to mandatorily share PNR details of passengers with customs authorities 24 hours prior to departure of international flights, a move which will help prevent law offenders from fleeing the country.
CM KEJRIWAL IN GUJARAT TODAY
New Delhi: CM Arvind Kejriwal will be on a daylong visit to Gujarat on Wednesday during which he will announce yet another “guarantee” of the AAP to the people of the poll-bound state, a senior leader said. P3
VP Venkaiah Naidu with VP-elect Jagdeep Dhankhar & LS Speaker Om Birla, at the latter’s residence in New Delhi, on Tuesday.
New Delhi (PTI): Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday cautioned against populist measures to garner votes by various political parties and said the “freebie culture” has led to deteriorating financial health of many states. The government should definitely support the poor and needy, but at the same time should prioritise health, education and infrastructure development, he said. His remarks come against the back-
drop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioning people against ‘revdi culture’ where votes were sought by promising electoral freebies. PM Modi said this could be dangerous for the development of the country. Naidu also expressed concern over “erosion” of journalistic norms and ethos due to the growing trend of instant journalism’ triggered by the emergence of Internet and social media expansion. More on P6
Quit India anniv: Sonia exhorts people to defend freedom New Delhi (PTI): On the Quit India movement anniversary, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday exhorted countrymen to defend the country’s freedom with “all our might”, while the opposition party also hit out at the RSS, alleging that it supported the British amid brutal repression at that time. In her message on the occasion, Gandhi said that on this historic day, Aruna Asif Ali held aloft the National flag when lakhs and lakhs of Congress workers were beaten and jailed. Her act of courage became the symbol of our quest for freedom, S o n i a Gandhi said.
Mumbai (PTI): Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde on Tuesday expanded his two-member ministry 41 days after taking oath as the CM by inducting 18 ministers, nine each from his rebel Shiv Sena group and the BJP. The list doesn’t include women, a move being panned by politicians and women’s rights activists. With no representation for women in the Shinde cabinet, NCP leader Supriya Sule
Narendra Modi @narendramodi Congratulations to all those who took oath as Ministers in the Maharashtra Government today. This team is a great blend of administrative experience and the passion to deliver good governance. My best wishes to them for serving the people of the state.
said the decision shows that the ruling parties in Maharashtra do not respect women.
New Delhi (PTI): Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday pitched for reforms in cooperative societies, saying the same person cannot be elected year after year and the election process has to become more transparent. Shah was addressing an event here after the online launch of the onboarding of cooperatives on the government’s e-marketplace (GeM) platform. He stressed the need to expand and modernise the cooperative sector, which he said, has been a “neglected” sector. “There is a need to bring changes in the cooperative sector at a fast pace,” Shah said, adding, “We will have to change, else people will change us.” He emphasised bringing transparency in all spheres of the cooperative sector, particularly in three areas, including the election proces. More on P5
—PHOTO BY ANI
Amit Shah addresses at the onboarding programme of cooperative societies, in New Delhi on Tuesday.
AFTER SHAH VISIT, K’TAKA ABUZZ WITH CM CHANGE TALKS Bengaluru: There are speculations of change in chief ministership in Karnataka after Amit Shah’s recent visit. CM Basavaraj Bommai, who has come under severe criticism from within the BJP itself following the recent murder of a youth leader in Dakshina Kannada district, went into self-isolation after testing positive for Covid-19 for third time on Aug 6, ahead of a scheduled visit to Delhi.
India’s overall performance improved in CWG: Thakur
UP: Terrorist planning attack on I-Day arrested
India is performing well in the Commonwealth Games. We have done well in weight lifting to athletics and our overall performance has improved
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday arrested an alleged terrorists with Islamic State links who was planning a terror attack on Independence Day, an official said here. The ATS of the police arrested Sabauddin Azmi, a member of the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM, after questioning him at its Lucknow headquarters, ADG, Law & Order, Prashant Kumar said. A case has been registered against Azmi, who was in direct contact with an ISIS recruiter, under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act. The ATS has seized materials used in making bombs, an illegal weapon and cartridges from the accused, the statement said.
Shimla (PTI): Union Youth Affairs & Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said the country’s overall performance has improved in Commonwealth Games and “we are heading towards a new India.” Thakur said this while interacting with the volunteers of Nehru Yuva Kendra Saghthan (NYKS) and the National Service Scheme (NSS) at Peterhoff here. A youth conference and dialogue program was organised by the NYKS, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.The Union Minister said that “India is performing well in the Commonwealth Games. We have done well in weight lifting to athletics and our overall performance has improved and India has won 61
—Anurag Singh Thakur,
Union Youth Affairs & Sports Minister
medals and we also dominated Kenya in running events.” India is growing stronger and better, he added. India finished with 61 medals at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, five less than their tally four years ago at Gold Coast. Thakur, also the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, interacted openly with the youth and got to know the views one by
one from the volunteers of NYKS and the NSS and members of various youth circles. He also exchanged views of youths on issues like youth exchange program, Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat program, Border area program for NYKS and NSS, women empowerment and awareness, sustainable development, skill development and career counselling.
CM SHARES EC LETTER
After Delhi & Punjab, AAP recognised as state party in Goa by EC
The party has received state party status in Goa from the EC on the basis of a review of its performance in the February 2022 assembly polls
New Delhi (PTI): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday said it has received state party status in Goa from the Election Commission on the basis of a review of its performance in the February assembly polls. The party is already a recognised state party in Delhi and Punjab where it is in power. Citing an official communication from the poll panel, party na-
tional convenor Kejriwal said, “After Delhi and Punjab, AAP is now a state recognised party in Goa too.” “If we get recognised in one more state, we will officially be declared as a national party,” he added. According to an Election Commission letter posted by Kejriwal on Twitter, the poll panel has granted recognition to the AAP as a state party in Goa on the ba-
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
sis of review of the party’s performance in the assembly polls.
—PHOTO BY ANI
“On the basis of review of poll performance of the Aam Aad-
mi Party at the general election to the Legislative Assembly of Goa, 2022, it is observed that the Aam Aadmi Party, presently, a registered recognised party in the NCT of Delhi and State of Punjab with ‘Broom’ as its reserved symbol, has fulfilled the conditions laid down in Para 6A of the Election Symbols Order, 1968 for recognition as a state party in the state of Goa,” the EC’s letter read.
DELHI CONGRESS LAUNCHES ‘AAZADI KI GAURAV YATRA’
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Congress on Tuesday launched ‘Aazadi Ki Gaurav Yatra’, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Independence, by hoisting the national flag in Chandni Chowk here on Tuesday, a statement said. The yatra that was organised by the Chandni Chowk District Congress Committee and the Tilak Nagar District Congress Committee, covered Gaon Wala Chowk, Raghubir Nagar and Hari Nagar Ghanta Ghar, the statement said. The rally is being held in all the 14 districts of Delhi until August 15.
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COVID CASES RISING in Delhi but no need to panic: Kejriwal Delhi had on Sunday reported 2,423 cases with a positivity rate of 14.97 pc New Delhi (PTI): Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said Covid cases are on the rise in Delhi but there is no need to panic as most new cases were mild in nature. Kejriwal said his government is keeping a close watch on the situation. “Covid cases are rising. We are keeping watch on it and whatever steps needed will
be taken. But most cases are mild and there is no need for panic,” the chief minister told reporters here. Delhi on August 7 re-
cording to health department data. On January 21, the positivity rate was 18.04 per cent. Delhi had Sunday reported 2,423 COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 14.97 per cent and two deaths. On Saturday, it recorded 2,311 COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 13.84 per cent and one fatality. The number of active COVID-19 cases in Delhi stands at 7,484, down from 8,048 the previous day. As many as 5,650 patients are in home isolation, the bulletin said.
ported 1,372 new Covid infections and six deaths as the case positivity rate rose to 17.85 per cent, the highest since January 21, ac-
Delhi schools step up measures against COVID New Delhi (PTI): The rise in COVID-19 cases in Delhi has brought back concerns about school going children, prompting the institutions to come up with online classes and recorded lectures as experts are against school closures. Health experts believe schools should not be closed. There is, however, a need to reinforce COVID-19-appropriate behaviour, something which the elders and the younger
cohort are not adhering to, they said. As a result, school managements are bringing measures such as sending recorded lectures to students who are ill, allowing online classes for those in isolation and putting study
tours on hold. “We are all aware that COVID-19 is not over yet. We have instituted a proper mechanism of checks to ensure that a student’s health is not negated and undermined. Unwell students are isolated and dropped off at their homes so
that they can have proper rest and others can study without app r e h e n s i o n s or worries,” said Anshu Mital, principal of MRG School, Rohini. “We also send recorded lectures to unwell students so that they do not lag behind in studies. Students are receiving proper training to give priority to hygiene and sanitisation through healthcentric workshops organised for them. Proper socialdistancing is being followed as usual,” she added.
CM hoists 500th tricolour installed by his government New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday hoisted the 500th national flag installed by his government, and said everybody should take a pledge to make India the number one country in the world. He said many countries that got independence after India have "surpassed us". "We have everything. We have the most intelligent people in the world and the most hardworking people but we have lagged behind," he said, once again denouncing those calling government's welfare scheme as "freebies". "It pains me to hear some people saying free education should be stopped. They are calling it a freebie saying that poor should not get free education in government schools. I don't understand the term freebie or free 'revadi'. If government schools are closed, nearly 70 to 80 per cent children will remain illiterate," he said. Good education, healthcare and employment should be considered fundamental rights, and not called freebies, he said. At the flag hoisting ceremony at Mayur Vihar, he began his address with chants of Bharat Mata ki Jai, Inquilab Zindabad and Vande Mataram.
CCTVs in police stations without audio, HC told
BJP CHIEF FLAGS OFF BATCH OF 1L FLAGS FOR DISTRIBUTION IN W DELHI New Delhi (PTI): BJP president JP Nadda on Tuesday flagged off a batch of one lakh tricolours to be distributed in the west Delhi constituency of party MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, under the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign. Verma along with many other leaders and party workers were present on the occasion of the flag-off. Prime
tan’ (devotional singing) opportunity in marriages and other cultural occasions in various cities of the United States of America, a senior police officer said. The Sikh priest transferred Rs 1.25 lakh to the bank account number given by the accused. The complainant was also duped in name of payments for visa fee and money exchange, police said.
New Delhi (PTI): Barring west and northeast Delhi, all districts in Delhi have recorded normal rainfall this monsoon season so far, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data. On an average, Delhi as a whole has recorded 283.6mm of rainfall against a normal of 300.8mm since June 1, when the monsoon season starts. In IMD’s parlance, rainfall in the plus 19 percent and minus 19 percent range of the long-period average is considered normal. East Delhi has recorded 62 percent ex-
New Delhi (PTI): Hundreds of people with national flags gathered at the Red Fort on Tuesday to take part in the ‘Tiranga Yatra’ which will pass through eight locations that were visited by Mahatma Gandhi here during the freedom struggle. The yatra was flagged off by Union minister Jitendra Singh, MP Prakash Javadekar and senior BJP leader Vijay Goel. The eight locations include Katra Kushal Rai, Marwadi Sarvajanik Pustakalaya, Gandhi Maidan, Sangam theatre and Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, where Mahatma Gandhi visited and held meetings during the freedom movement, Goel said.
HIGHLIGHT
cess rainfall -- 595.3 mm so far against a normal 368.2 mm. Northeast Delhi has logged 211 mm of precipitation against a normal of 368.2mm, while West Delhi has recorded just 194.4m of rainfall against an average
of 332.4mm. West Delhi’s rainfall deficit stood at 60 percent on July 12. Southwest Delhi has gauged 344.7 mm of rainfall against a normal of 368.2 mm. The IMD data showed Central Delhi and South
Delhi recorded 383.4 mm and 344.7 mm of precipitation, respectively, which falls in the normal range. New Delhi and North Delhi districts have received 343.8 mm and 307.5mm of rainfall, respectively.
INAUGURATION
CM unveils Corona Warriors Memorial, British-era ‘Phansi Ghar’
Except for word of mouth no one knew about the existence of the British-era execution room in the Delhi Assembly until the Speaker found it
New Delhi (PTI): Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday unveiled a renovated British-era ‘Phansi Ghar’ and a Corona Warriors Memorial on Delhi Assembly premises and said the 75th anniversary of Independence is an occasion to remember the martyrs. The chief minister also distributed certificates to kin of 31 Corona warriors who lost their lives during the pandemic. Addressing the gathering, Kejriwal said that except for word of mouth no one knew
HIGHLIGHT
about the existence of the British-era execution room in the Delhi Assembly until the Speaker of the House found it. “The Speaker had broken open the lock of a closed room and found that a system was there
to hang two people at a time. Countless people have sacrificed their lives to get us freedom. Please visit this ‘Phansi Ghar’ and tell your friends too about this so that they can know those who sacrificed their lives for the coun-
try,” Kejriwal said. He also inaugurated a ‘Corona Warriors Memorial’ to honour Covid warriors, including doctors, nurses and paramedic staff, sanitation workers and teachers for their supreme sacrifice and remarkable
Minister Narendra Modi announced the campaign on July 22, urging people to hoist the national flag atop their houses to mark the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence.
HUNDREDS PARTICIPATE IN ‘TIRANGA YATRA’ IN CAPITAL
Man held for duping Sikh Barring two, all Delhi districts record priest on pretext of 'kirtan' normal rainfall: IMD Department New Delhi(PTI): A 51-year-old man was arrested for allegedly duping a Sikh priest of over Rs one lakh on the pretext of providing ‘kirtan’ opportunity in America, police said on Tuesday. The accused has been identified as Sanjay Yadav, a resident of Indore in Madhya Pradesh, they said, adding that he was previously involved in two cases of cheating in Delhi and Mumbai. A complaint was received from Baldev Singh, a head ‘granthi’ at a Delhi gurudwara, where he alleged that he was contacted on WhatsApp by a person for providing ‘kir-
02
work towards society during the pandemic. The Corona Warriors Memorial has the names of 31 people and information about their duty and supreme sacrifice during the pandemic inscribed on it. “We all have been grappling with Covid for the last two years. Many people did the job of saving lives during that time without caring for their own lives. A memorial has been made here for such Corona Warriors. I thank Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel for constructing the memorial,” Kejriwal said.
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has told the Delhi High Court that presently, the CCTV systems installed in its stations here do not have an audio recording facility and the issue of their upgradation was pending before the central government. Justice Anu Malhotra, who had earlier said that the CCTV system installed in police stations should have audio as well as video footage in terms of the directions of the Supreme Court, thus directed that the Centre be made a party to the ongoing proceedings and observed that “it is essential that the said directions be complied with”. “The UOI through the Ministry of Home Affairs is directed to be arrayed as a party to the present petition,” said the court in its order dated August 1. The court’s order was passed on a plea that alleged that the petitioner, who was the Imam of a masjid, was threatened and subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment by certain persons in the presence of the SHO in a police station.
EXCISE POLICY ROW
LG objects to Sisodia’s allegations against Anil Baijal New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Tuesday expressed “grave objection” over “deliberately misleading” and “baseless” allegations levelled by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia against his predecessor Anil Baijal amid the excise policy row. Saxena also advised Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to ensure his colleagues refrain from such “petty behaviour”, the Raj Niwas said on Twitter. Sisodia, who also heads the excise department, had last Saturday accused Baijal of changing his stand on the excise policy and blocking liquor vends in nonconforming areas of Delhi by putting a condition. Earlier on Tuesday, Baijal rejected as “baseless and motivated” charges levelled against him by Sisodia and said it was an attempt by a “des-
Saxena also advised CM to ensure his colleagues refrain from such “petty behaviour”. perate man to save his own skin”. “LG Shri V K Saxena, having read the clear & categorical statement issued by former LG, Sri Anil Baijal, expressed grave objection to the deliberately misleading, baseless & motivated allegations made by Shri Manish Sisodia & other AAP leaders against Shri Baijal over last few days,” the Raj Niwas said in a tweet. “Shri Saxena has advised the Chief Minister, Shri Arvind Kejriwal to ensure that his colleagues in the Government and party, refrain from such petty behaviour and statements,” it said.
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AAP convener frequently touring various districts as part of a strategy to position his party
KEJRIWAL IN GUJ TODAY, TO ANNOUNCE
ANOTHER PRE-POLL ‘GUARANTEE’ Ahmedabad (PTI): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be on a day-long visit to Gujarat on Wednesday during which he will announce yet another “guarantee” of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to the people of the pollbound state, a senior leader said on Tuesday. Kejriwal, the AAP convener, was in Gujarat, where Assembly polls are due by the year-end, over the last weekend and has been frequently touring various districts as part of a strategy to position his party as a contender for power in the state where the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress have been the dominant political forces.
“Kejriwalji will be visiting Gujarat tomorrow ( We d n e s d ay ) .
K
He will announce a new ‘guarantee’ for the people of Gujarat at a town hall event in Ahmedabad,” the party’s National Joint
GUARANTEED JOBS
ejriwal has also guaranteed jobs to the unemployed youth and Rs 3,000 per month allowance until they get a job. The Delhi CM has promised to involve the trading community in the decisionmaking process of the government and end ‘raid raj.’ His first pre-poll promise was that of providing free electricity.
General Secretary and Gujarat leader Isudan Gadhvi said at a press conference. Gadhvi said the new ‘guarantee’ will be for the benefit of “2.5 crore people” of Gujarat to be announced ahead of Rakshabandhan (to be celebrated on Thursday), but did not elaborate further. “People are very much enthusiastic about the guarantee of free electricity announced by Kejriwal (during earlier visit). Even BJP workers are excited about this and are asking why the BJP government did not provide them (people of Gujarat) such a relief,” he said. Gadhvi said the BJP
Politician who abused, assaulted woman arrested
‘TYAGI GOT MLA STICKER FOR CAR FROM MAURYA’ Noida (PTI): Shrikant Tyagi, arrested Tuesday for allegedly assaulting a woman in Noida, flaunted a car sticker that falsely identified him as an MLA and was given to him by Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya, police said. Police Commissioner Alok Singh said they have impounded his five cars--two Toyota Fortuner, two Tata Safari and a Honda Civic. He had also purchased special series numbers, all having at least two zeroes and the Lucknow registration, for his vehicles for which he paid Rs evening, had Monday moved a court in the Gautam Buddh Nagar district with a plea for surrender-related procedures. The hearing in the matter has been
1.10 lakh each. Tyagi, who was arrested Tuesday morning from Meerut, has been an associate of Maurya, the police commissioner said. “He also had a sticker on one of his vehicles which is given to honourable MLAs. Tyagi told police during questioning that this sticker was provided to him by his associate Swami Prasad Maurya,” Singh said. The sticker said the member of legislative assembly, Uttar Pradesh. Maurya could not be immediately contacted for his response. listed for August 10. He moved the court plea soon after the Noida police declared him “absconding” and announced the reward on his arrest.
SAYS CHANCELLOR V K SARASWAT
‘Students understood JNU not a place for 'anti-national' activities’ New Delhi (PTI): Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University have understood the message that the university is a place for a free exchange of ideas but it cannot be used for activities that are ‘anti-national’ or against the ‘interest of the nation’s sovereignty, its chancellor V K Saraswat has said. Saraswat, who is also a member of NITI Aayog, further said that in the Jawaharlal Nehru University, people have enough freedom to exercise their thinking processes and they are very vigilant about what is happening in India and globally. “It is a free-thinking society there. So, you
Saraswat, further said that in the JNU, people have enough freedom to exercise their thinking processes
will find a lot of contradictory thought processes, and a lot of contradictory ideologies, which people will nurture. So at times, there was a clash of ideologies, that is why you used to hear that
there are problems,” he told PTI. In recent years, the university has witnessed several instances of violence involving Left-affiliated student outfits and RSS’ student body ABVP. In April this year, two groups of students clashed at the varsity’s Kaveri Hostel allegedly over the serving of non-vegetarian food on Ram Navami in the mess. “But we have now given total shape to this that you (students) have the freedom to express yourself, except that any activity which is anti-national, any activity which is against the interest of the nation’s sovereignty, such things should be dissuaded.
CRIME ROUND UP
NOIDA WOMAN ASSAULT CASE
Noida (PTI): Absconding politician Shrikant Tyagi was arrested on Tuesday from Meerut, officials said, days after he was seen in a social media video abusing and assaulting a woman for objecting to his alleged illegal constructions at a housing society here. Tyagi was at large since Friday evening, and the Noida Police had announced a reward of Rs 25,000 on his arrest. Additional Director General of Uttar Pradesh Police (law and order) Prashant Kumar said in Lucknow Tyagi has been arrested. On the controversy surrounding security given to Tyagi by the Uttar Pradesh police, Kumar said he had no such protection after February 2020. A senior Noida police officer said, “Tyagi’s three associates were also held along with him.” Before the arrests, Tyagi’s wife was once again detained for questioning Tuesday morning in the case lodged at the Phase 2 police station here, according to officials. Tyagi, who was at large since Friday
has become scared of such guarantees and therefore moved the Supreme Court against relief measures, referring to a petition filed in the SC on pre-poll announcements by political parties. The AAP chief had visited Jamnagar and Bodeli in Chhota Udepur during his two-day tour on last Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, he announced guarantees for the tribals of Gujarat, which included implementation of Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) (PESA) Act that gives special powers to Gram Sabhas (village councils) especially in management of natural resources.
03
DELHI COURT CONVICTS MAN FOR KIDNAPPING A 2-YEAR-OLD GIRL FROM SOUTH DELHI 2 AFRICANS ARRESTED FOR MAKING FAKE INDIAN VISAS
New Delhi (PTI): Two African nationals were arrested for allegedly making fake Indian visas for their counterparts whose visas have expired, police said on Tuesday. The accused have been identified as Ortega Leonard (33), a resident of Ghana, and Diomande Ali (32), a resident of Cote d’Ivoire, they said. Police got a tip-off that two Africans residing in Chander Vihar, Nilothi Extension were making fake visas for African nationals whose visas have expired. Later, the accused were nabbed and the laptop having the format of the fake visa was found in their possession, Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) Vichitra Veer said. Both the accused came to India on a three-month tourist visa in 2018 but did not return to their native places. They were also found using fake visas on their passports allegedly made by themselves, the DCP said.
New Delhi (PTI): A Delhi court has convicted a man for kidnapping a two-yearold girl, saying the chain of events was completely established and that the prosecution had proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt. The judge held the accused guilty of the offences under Sections 363 (kidnapping) and 365 (kidnapping or abduction with the intent of secret and wrongful confinement) for kidnapping the girl child from a labour colony in South Delhi.
Police had recovered the victim from the accused’s house in Ratanpur in West Bengal. “I come to the conclusion that case of the prosecution is duly proved beyond a reasonable doubt to the effect that the present accused namely Jiddi S K had
2 HELD FOR ATTACKING FATHER-SON DUO New Delhi (PTI): A 19-year-old man was arrested along with his associate for allegedly attacking his cousin and uncle in northwest Delhi’s Sultanpuri area, police said on Tuesday. The accused have been identified as Rohit (19) and Ashu (24), both residents of Mangolpuri, they said. According to police, Rohit’s cousin told his parents about his misdemeanours and he wanted to take revenge. On August 2, police received information about a stabbing incident. The injured were taken to SGM Hospital, Mangolpuri. Complainant Ram Kumar alleged that his cousin Rohit, along with his friend Ashu, stabbed him and his father, a senior police officer said. Police nabbed the two accused from a bus stop within half an hour, Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer) Sameer Sharma said.
taken away the daughter of the complainant, who was 2 years of age, out of the lawful guardianship of her parents and she was kidnapped with the intention to be secretly and wrongfully confined at the place of accused at Ratanpur, District Murshidabad, West Bengal,” Metropolitan Magistrate Vivek Kumar Agarwal said. Rejecting the arguments of the accused’s counsel, the judge said that in every case.
DELHI MAN STABBED TO DEATH, JUVENILE AMONG 5 HELD New Delhi (PTI): A 26-year-old man was stabbed to death in front of his brother allegedly by their neighbour and his associates following a quarrel in west Delhi’s Moti Nagar area, police said on Tuesday. Four men have been arrested and a juvenile apprehended in connection with the incident, police said, adding that the deceased, identified as Balram, was stabbed multiple times in his stomach, chest, legs and hands. Balram, who was earlier a taxi driver, was unemployed for the last two months, police said.
2 HELD, JUVENILE APPREHENDED FOR KILLING TRUCK DRIVER New Delhi (PTI): Two men have been arrested and a juvenile apprehended for allegedly killing a 27-yearold truck driver during a robbery bid in southeast Delhi's Pul Prahalad Pur area, police said on Tuesday. The truck driver was stabbed to death when he tried to resist, police said, adding that the accused had also fled with his belongings. The two accused have been identified as Kamran (21) and Jeetu (24), they said, adding that the 16-year-old juvenile received the stolen articles. The incident took place on August 7 when truck driver Jakki Mohammad had gone to ease himself near Anandmai Marg here, police said. Mohammad was overpowered by four people and his belongings, including mobile phone, wallet and other articles, were robbed. He was also stabbed, a senior police officer said. "He was admitted to the Majeedia hospital in an unconscious condition and was declared dead during treatment," the officer said.
AZADI KA AMRIT MAHOTSAV
Moglix launches internship prog for children of Armed forces personnel
The 3-month internship programme will provide entry level internship positions to undergraduates pursuing a degree course at a recognized college/university across several departments
Frist India Bureau New Delhi: One of Asia’s largest and fastest-growing B2B Commerce companies, Moglix has launched Shaurya, a 3-month internship program in supply chain and procurement for the children of armed forces personnel of all three wings namely, the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force, and the Indian Navy. The internship program will provide a platform to the children of defence personnel to get exposure to
the functioning of the new age supply chain industry for three months. Introduced on the occasion of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav that marks the completion of 75 years of India’s independence, Rahul Garg, Founder & CEO, Moglix, said, we salute the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force, and the Indian Navy for their exceptional service to the nation and for providing us an impregnable safety cover against all odds. We have envisaged
INDEPENDENCE
I
this internship program to give back to the community of armed forces personnel by enabling access to ca-
reer opportunities in the supply chain industry for their children. Candidates with relevant educational back-
ground and a zeal for the supply chain industry will become future ready through this program, he added.
This internship is open to applicants whose parent/immediate family is working with or has retired from either of the three wings of the armed forces of India. The applicant should have completed their class 12th board examination this year or should be pursuing an undergraduate degree course at a recognized college/university. Applicants will be granted an entry level position based on merit and will get exposure to diverse departments of
Moglix across multiple office locations in India. Interested candidates can apply or learn more about the internship by visiting business.moglix.com/ shaurya. Commending the internship program, Retired Brigadier Rakesh Chhibber said, the supply chain industry owes its birth to invaluable lessons learnt in planning, anticipating, execution of the tasks at hand and achieving operational excellence, by the armed forces from their rich combat experiences.
PERSPECTIVE NEW DELHI | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2022
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RERUN OF MAHA EPISODE? KOI SHAQ? NITISH ‘DIVORCES’ BJP
JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar interacts with media after submitting his resignation to Bihar Governor Phagu Chauhan, outside Raj Bhavan in Patna on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY PTI
ROBIN ROY
The writer is Senior Journalist and former Managing Editor, First India
I In the whole episode, it seemed that Nitish Kumar reportedly feared that the BJP may have wanted to repeat the Maharashtra saga in Bihar. Time will only clear the air, however, for now, Nitish has made up his mind and it was perhaps Shah’s “perceived” grip on Bihar through the selection of ministers which Nitish saw as an apparent threat
n politics, there is nothing called permanent friends or foes. Strange bedfellows make the script of Indian politics the way actually voters want to see it. Around 1.20 pm Bihar CM, Nitish Kumar announced that the alliance with the BJP in Bihar has ended. Tension or reported “rift” between the two parties had hammered on a breakpoint over (Nitish) Kumar’s concerns that Union Minister Amit Shah was working overtime in order to create fissures in the Janata Dal (United). Nitish squarely blamed RCP Singh, a former leader from his own party, for serving as proxy to Shah. RCP had quit the JDU on the weekend after his party accused him of corruption. The RJD, which is the state’s single-largest party, also met on Tuesday to discuss the political crisis brewing in the state. The party is currently headed by Tejashwi Yadav. According to political grapevine RJD is set to join Nitish in order to revive an earlier alliance they once had… at least till this article was written. Hope floats and hence one keeps planning likewise… probably. JD(U) hopes that if
NITISH DUMPS BJP, GOES BACK TO RJD
(such) an alliance performs well (in Bihar) in 2024, Nitish could easily be catapulted to the epicentre of the Opposition core. However, this alliance is also desperately looking for faces which have both political clout and credibility. However, the undercurrent of political ambitions among leaders in the Opposition camp is running high and Nitish’s rise is certain to “take on” Mamata’s hopes of taking along the Opposition parties all this while and Nitish’s rise in that sense might also hit a roadblock in the form of the Left parties. As a result, the fractured bonhomie would continue to exist. Whether Nitish’s magnum gameplan shuttles him to the national centre stage again (or not), Nitish’s political divorce at least for now will hugely affect the politics not just in the Hindi heartland but also have a ripple effect in the national scenario. While the BJP might be the second-largest party in Bihar in the 2020 Assembly elections, just 1 seat behind the RJD and far ahead of the JD(U), having Nitish by its side has always aided the party hugely. Nitish’s pro-development card might still be saleable among the voters and it may any day help dilute and smudge the taint of corruption charges against the RJD. It is important to note here that the RJD, despite the absence of Lalu has still managed to hold on to its old form and that was clearly evident
P
olitics is always full of surprises. Not long ago Eknath Shinde upstaged Uddhav Thackeray with the help of Bharatiya Janata Party to grab power and the party in Maharashtra, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s announcement that “alliance with BJP is over” has left the coalition partner of Janata Dal-United “nervous”. It may not be the right word to capture the BJP’s response to the situation as the word may not be part of the party’s lexicon. Its leadership is capable of carrying out a surgical strike in Bihar on the lines of Maharashtra where the Thackerays and even Sharad Pawar have been pushed to the sidelines.
However, this alliance is also desperately looking for faces which have both political clout and credibility.If JD(U) sources are to be believed, Nitish was upset with the “overt political posturing” by the central BJP leadership during a two-day national meeting of all its frontal organisations held in Patna between July 30 and 31 in the last Assembly polls when it emerged as the single-largest party. Earlier, the Congress and Left parties handed over the lists of their legislators to Tejashwi Yadav. Mandan Mohan Singh, the state president of Congress said: “We will support Nitish Kumar if he leaves the BJP and forms a new government with the help of Mahagathbandhan. We have also given the list of all 19 MLAs of our party to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.” Mahboob Alam, the MLA of CPI (ML) said: “We have also given the list to Tejashwi Yadav. We will uproot the BJP from power. We are giving support to Nitish Kumar for the formation of a new government.” Currently, BJP holds 77 seats in the Bihar Assembly. JD(U) holds 45, the Congress 19, the Left led by CPIML(L) has 16 and the RJD 79.
Nitish Kumar is known for moving in and out of alliances. Before the just-ended alliance, the JD-U remained an ally of the BJP for 13 years. He parted ways with the saffron party after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014 One must wait for the BJP’s strategists to come up with a response to Nitish’s coup. Nitish Kumar is known for moving in and out of alliances. Before the just-ended alliance, the JD-U remained an ally of the BJP for 13 years. He
Nitish, it seemed, was unhappy for quite some time. It may be recalled that Nitish had skipped the NITI Aayog meeting held by Prime Minister. This is the fourth Central meeting since July 17 that he (Nitish) has kept himself away from amid strained relations with the BJP. On Sunday, one of its senior most leaders, R C P Singh, who had run into rough weather with Nitish over accepting a Cabinet berth at the Centre, had quit the JDU. It may also be mentioned that on July 22, Nitish chose to stay away from the farewell dinner hosted by outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind. On July 25, he also did not attend the swearing-in of NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu as the new President. If JD(U) sources are to be believed, Nitish was upset with the “overt political posturing” by the central BJP leadership during a two-day national meeting of all its frontal organisations held in Patna between July 30 and 31. Even though Shah talked about “contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha and 2025 Assembly polls in alliance with the JD(U)”, the Bihar CM reportedly took note of the fact that several second-rung leaders had spoken “too much about repeal of Article 370 and nationalism” which did not suit his agenda in politics in the given circumstances. Nitish, grapevine says, was also unhappy with the Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha’s “handling” of the concluding function of the Assembly’s centenary celebrations on July 12, which was attended by Modi and incidentally, Nitish’s name was missing from the invitation! It was an obvious sign that Nitish’s decision not to attend NITI Aayog meeting did not go well with the BJP central leadership. In the whole episode, it seemed that Nitish Kumar reportedly feared that the BJP may have wanted to repeat the Maharashtra saga in Bihar. Time will only clear the air, however, for now, Nitish has made up his mind and it was perhaps Shah’s “perceived” grip on Bihar through the selection of ministers which Nitish saw as an apparent threat. And the tripping point was what RCP had said hinting at Nitish while the former quit, “I’ll just say that there’s no cure to jealousy...Nitish Kumar will not become Prime Minister in any of his seven lives.”
IN-DEPTH
LET THERE BE NO FUSS OVER ANDA IN CHILDREN’S MID-DAY MEALS
M
id-day meals in schools have been a subject of discussion from the time the scheme was launched. From ideal calorie count to hygiene, fixing responsibility for cooking to deciding the menu has been discussed at regular intervals. Cooked meals containing 480 calories and 13 grams of protein per child per day for a minimum of 200 days per year are prescribed for government and government-aided schools. Schools have a meagre budget, which is also not regularly disbursed in some states, to provide the meals. The required amount of protein, essential for the growth and development of children, can’t be had from a bowl of lentils and some paneer (cottage cheese). Yet, there’s a controversy over including eggs as part of mid-day meals even for those who eat it. So far 13 states give eggs to children, while Karnataka, which is facing opposition, is also planning to introduce it. Such fuss over an egg should be avoided in the interest of children’s health.
SPIRITUAL SPEAK The spirit is beyond destruction. No one can bring an end to spirit which is everlasting. —Bhagavad Gita
TOP TWEETS Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp
Be it the Rabaris in Rajasthan, Abhuj Marias in Chattisgarh or the Sauras in Odisha, India is home to the most number of ethnic groups and also a large concentration of tribal population. Our tribal communities have played a vital role in India’s progress. #IndigenousPeoplesDay
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL
parted ways with the saffron party after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014 and formed a government with support from the RJD and the Congress. In 2017 he won the Bihar elections at the head of a Grand Alliance with the RJD and the Congress but the unity didn’t last. After two years Nitish broke the alliance over differences with Tejashvi Yadav, who faced allegations of money laundering, and formed a government with the BJP’s participation. Nitish is now returning to the old combine of JD-U, RJD and the Congress. Given his political fickleness, the JD-U leader must already be planning his future move while building his defences against a possible Operation Lotus.
04
Bhupender Yadav @byadavbjp
Why, with 61 medals, #CommonwealthGames2022 is India’s best performance ever at the Games. Way to go!
l Vol 1 l Issue No. 342 RNI TITLE NO. DELENG/2021/19840 Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Impressions Printing and Packaging Limited, C-21, 22 Sector-59, Noida-201301. Published at G-20, 3rd Floor, 309, Preet Vihar, New Delhi-110092. Phone 011-49846474. Editor-In-Chief: Dr Jagdeesh Chandra Editor: Sharat K Verma responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act
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Oppn hails Nitish’s BJP rebuttal Developments in Bihar strong indictment of BJP’s ‘politics of intimidation’: Parties unite in glee
CAG flags J-K govt on utilisation certificates Jammu (PTI): The Jammu and Kashmir government has failed to submit utilisation certificates for grants worth more than Rs 10,000 crores to the Centre till March 2021, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) said. Non-submission of the UCs means the authorities have not explained how funds were spent over the years in the Union territory, the apex auditing body said. The CAG released a fresh report on finances of J&K for the year ending March 2021. It recommended to hold into account those responsible for late submission of UCs. “As many as 3,215 number of Utilisation Certificates for grants paid up to 30 September 2019 amounting to Rs 10,076.58 crore were outstanding up to 31 March 2021,” the CAG report said.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav speaks to the media as Nitish Kumar looks on, in Patna on Tuesday.
of India (CPI) general secretary D Raja said in a tweet. CPI MP Binoy Viswam said the events in Bihar indicate that a change is underway. “Bihar conveys the message of far reaching change in Indian politics,” said Viswam. TMC MP Derek O’Brien said it is one of the reasons behind the Parliament session being cut short by the government. More on P6
New Delhi: As he snapped ties with the BJP, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has once again been pitched as a PM candidate for the 2024 elections by some, but a majority of the Opposition still view the JD(U) leader with suspicion citing his numerous U-turns’. Kumar first became chief minister in 2005 on the back of a campaign against jungle raj’ of Lalu Prasad’s RJD in Bihar. Kumar dumped the BJP in 2013 after Narendra Modi was projected as the prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Kumar then forged a grand alliance with RJD and Congress and returned as chief minister in 2015. He walked out of the grand alliance in 2017, accusing the RJD of corruption and choking governance in the state.
Nitish insulted people’s mandate, says BJP They also threw the jibe “Paltu Ram” and rejected claims that their party was undermining him. RCP Singh, once a close aide of Kumar, also accused the chief minister of betraying the mandate of the 2020 assembly polls in the favour of the BJP-led NDA.
Patna/New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Tuesday accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of “insulting and betraying” people’s mandate while blaming his prime ministerial ambition for the JD(U)’s decision to walk out of the NDA and joining hands with the RJD-led opposition.
Shah launches GeM portal, 300 co-ops onboard New Delhi (Agencies): Cooperation Minister Amit Shah today announced that over 300 cooperatives have been onboarded as buyers on the GeM portal to help them purchase goods and services at competitive prices. Amit Shah today virtually launched the process of onboarding cooperatives on the GeM portal. In the first phase, all eligible cooperatives, having a turnover/deposits of ₹ 100 crore, will be able to start placing orders on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal. There are more than 8.5 lakh cooperatives in
SHAH PITCHES FOR MORE REFORMS IN COOP SOCIETIES
Home Minister Amit Shah speaks at the event, as Minister Piyush Goyal and others look on, in New Delhi on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY ANI
India. On the launch programme, the cooperative societies have been onboarded and enabled as buyers on the GeM. Major cooperatives that have been onboard-
ed on Tuesday include IFFCO, KRIBHCO, NAFED, Amul and Saraswat Co-op Bank. It is expected that orders worth `25 crore will be placed on the day of the launch.
New Delhi: Amit Shah on Tuesday pitched for reforms in cooperative societies, saying the same person cannot be elected year after year and the election process has to become more transparent. Shah stressed the need to expand and modernise the cooperative sector, which he said, has been a “neglected” sector. “There is a need to bring changes in the cooperative sector at a fast pace,” he said. “We will have to change, else people will change us,” he told top officials of cooperatives present at the event. Shah also spoke about the need to bring transparency in purchases and for that there is no better medium than the Government e-marketplace (GeM). He said the ministry is coming up with a new cooperative policy, preparing a database, setting up a university for conducting training purposes and also establishing an export house to boost overseas shipments. Shah said the ministry will also bring changes to the Multi-State Co-operatives Act.
NEET PG counselling likely from Sept 1 New Delhi (Agencies): After the Supreme Court refused a plea to stay the counselling process of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET PG) over alleged discrepancies in test scores, the NEET PG counselling will begin on September 1 as per official sources. NEET PG 2022 counselling is expected to be held by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) like in previous years. Going by past
NIA NABS TWO SUSPECTED JMB MEMBERS IN MP
MP TO RELEASE 356 PRISONERS ON I-DAY
Bhopal: The National Investigation Agency has arrested two alleged members of the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) from Bhopal city, state Home Minister Narottam Mishra said on Tuesday. The suspects, Hamidullah aka Raju Gaji and Sahadat Hussain, had been on the radar after the arrest of active JMB members in March this year, Mishra said.
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh government on Tuesday said it will release 356 prisoners undergoing life imprisonment in various jails in the state on August 15 to commemorate 75 years of India’s independence. Home Minister Narottam Mishra said prisoners undergoing life term will be released as per guidelines of the Union Home Ministry and norms of state government.
trends, the NEET 2022 counselling will be held over several rounds and in every round, a seat allotment result will be released. Unlike NEET UG, where candidates can challenge the answer key, with no such provisions in NEET PG.
New Delhi: The University Grant Commission (UGC) has recently joined hands with the Ministry Of Electronics And lnformation Technology (MeitY) to launch an e-resources portal. It will provide digital courses to millions of students in rural areas. In a recent notification, the UGC stated, “to mark 2 years of NEP-2020 and to facilitate last mile accessibility (ensuring that no learner is left behind), UGC has integrated its “UGC e-resources Portal
(httptlugcereso urces.in/)” with Common Service Centres (CSCs)/Special Purpose Vehicle (SpVl of MeitY) in rural India”. The portal will have 25 SWAYAM postgraduate non-engineering MOOCs courses. These courses will be in eight Indian languages, including Hindi, Bangla, Gujarati, and Tamil. The portal will also have e-PG Pathshala e-content developed in 67 PG subiects and 35 PG and 243 PG SWAYAM MOOCs courses in emerging areas.
How are MPs who do not know how to vote! Mahesh Sharma
about him if he does not know how to perform a simple task like casting votes? There were only two candidates for the Vice-President’s elec-
tion and each MP had to write his order of preference next to the candidate. That is, if the MP was from BJP, he had to write 1 in front of
Dhankhar’s name and if he was from Congress, he had to write 1 in front of Margaret Alva. Despite this, vote of 15 MPs became invalid. In the presidential election held just 15 days ago also, the votes of 15 MPs were also invalid. In the presidential election, close to 4,800 MLAs cast their votes and 748 MPs voted. Vote of only 38 MLAs became invalid, while the vote of 15 MPs of 748 became invalid. There too only 1 was to be written in front of
the candidate of his choice. There were only 13 states in the country where no MLA cast invalid votes. Among them there are also states like Bihar and Chhattisgarh. But many MLAs from Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra cast invaild votes. MPs and MLAs are trained properly, yet they make mistakes even in such a simple voting process. Certainly they should be traced and trained as well as warned.
MULLAPERIYAR SAFE, SAYS STALIN AS WATER LEVEL NEARS CAPACITY
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday informed his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan that the Mullaperiyar Dam is safe in all aspects. Earlier on August 5, the Kerala Chief Minister wrote to Stalin seeking his intervention in regulating water discharge from Mullaperiyar dam, where the water level has gone beyond the permissible level of 136 ft.
AAP VOLUNTEERS TO ADOPT GOVT SCHOOLS IN GOA
ANOTHER SSLV FLIGHT SOON: KIRAN KUMAR
Panaji: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday volunteered to adopt government-run primary schools in Goa. AAP’s Goa unit president Amit Palekar said the government wants to merge or shut primary schools with just one teacher or less students. Palekar met director, education Shailesh Zingade and said AAP can adopt such schools.
New Delhi:The failure of India’s newest rocket to put small satellites in orbit was not a setback and ISRO will soon attempt another flight, Space Commission member AS Kiran Kumar said. “No, no, no. It is not a setback. We were only marginally short in the end,” Kumar, a former chairman of ISRO said on the sidelines ofan event here.
IN THE COURTYARD HC DIRECTS TEHSILDAR TO REMOVE ENCROACHMENTS ON TEMPLE LAND
UGC TO LAUNCH E-RESOURCES PORTAL FOR RURAL STUDENTS
TEACHING THE LEADERS
New Delhi: It is a wonderful aspect that the honourable Parliamentarians of India, who are elected by millions of people by casting their votes, when it comes to their turn to vote, they make a mistake. The votes of 15 MPs have become invalid in the election of the Vice President. Think about these MPs! An MP is the representative of an average of 1.6 m people and what can be said
CRUCIAL READ
NITISH AS OPPOSITION’S PM CANDIDATE IN 2024? MANY WARY OF HIS ‘U-TURNS’
—PHOTO BY ANI
New Delhi (PTI): Opposition parties on Tuesday said the JD(U) breaking ranks with the BJP is a “strong indictment” of the saffron party’s “politics of intimidation” and shows a change in Indian politics. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar met Governor Phagu Chauhan on Tuesday and tendered his resignation. This came after the decision to quit the BJP-led NDA was taken at a meeting of JD(U) MPs and MLAs. “#NitishKumar breaking alliance with BJP is a strong indictment of the politics of intimidation practiced by BJP. “BJP’s authoritarianism leaves no scope for cooperation. After Akalis & Shiv Sena, JD(U) is latest example. Cracks are visible in the relationship of BJP & AIADMK too,” Communist Party
05
HC LAUDS STEPS BY INDIA TO FULFIL CLIMATE COMMITMENTS
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has appreciated steps taken to implement the climate change commitments made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the court was told the government has approved India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement. The government also informed the court on August 4 the updated NDC will be communicated to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).NDC encompasses national plans and pledges made by a country to meet the goal of maintaining global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial levels, while aiming for 1.5 degrees Celsius to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
Chennai: The first bench of the Madras HC has directed the local tehsildar to inspect the properties belonging to Sri Venugopala Krishnaswamy temple at Mannadi here and submit a report to the state Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment department, which should take immediate action to retrieve the properties. The bench gave the direction, while disposing of a PIL from A Radhakrishnan of Kannankurichi in Salem.
PRADEEP RAMDANEE, POLICE GET 2-DAY MONEY LAUNDERING CUSTODY OF ISIS ACCUSED, GETS BAIL SUPPORTER New Delhi: A Delhi Court granted bail to accused Pradeep Ramdanee, (one caught in a trap collecting money from Aditi Singh) in a Rs-200 crore money laundering case involving conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar. Pradeep Ramdanee is admitted to bail after furnishing a personal bond in the sum of Rs 1,00,000 with one surety of like amount, to the satisfaction of this court.
Erode: Erode Principal District Judge granted two days’ police custody and permitted the police to enquire Asif Mohideen, a supporter of ISIS, who was arrested here. Last month, NIA, based on information, visited Manickampalayam Housing Unit here and secured two persons. On suspicion, cops arrested one of them - Asif Muzabdin (28) - an employee of a private tiles sales firm.
DELHI HC ALLOWS ULTRASOUND MACHINE IN ELDERLY PATIENT’S HOUSE New Delhi: Delhi HC has allowed a private hospital to transport an ultrasound machine to the house of a 70-yrold man who is under domiciliary hospitalisation. Under the law an individual is prevented from accessing a portable ultrasound machine. The man’s plea said he is suffering from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, which attacks the nerve cells causing acute problems with balance, movement, vision and speech, and is receiving treatment at home ICU.
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06
OPPN CONG QUESTIONS GOVT’S RUSH TO END PROCEEDINGS
‘Monsoon session extremely disappointing’ QUIT INDIA ANNIV: SONIA EXHORTS PEOPLE TO DEFEND FREEDOM
Congress leader and party’s chief whip in Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh said against 32 bills listed, the government could pass only 7 bills in Lok Sabha and 5 in Rajya Sabha. —FILE PHOTO
Ramesh said at a press conference. He said the government had listed 32 bills at the start of the session but managed to pass only seven in the Lok Sabha and five in the Rajya Sabha. “It was also extraordinary that one-and-a-half days of proceedings were disrupted by treasury benches which kept insisting on an apology from Congress president Sonia Gandhi for remarks made by the leader of the party in Lok Sabha who had already apologised for his statement both verbally as well as in writing,”
Dividing people on caste, religion will weaken country: Yogi Lucknow (PTI): Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said India’s strength is its unity and the country will be weakened if citizens are divided on the basis of caste and religion. The CM was addressing a programme to mark the Kakori incident on August 9, 1925, in which freedom fighters stopped a train and decamped with money to buy weapons. “India’s strength is its unity. When 135 crore people speak together, India not only remains the largest democracy in the world but is also seen representing and guiding the world as the mother of democracy,” he said. “When we are divided on basis of caste, creed, religion, region and language, it only divides our strength, weakens India, hinders development and gives rise to anarchy that can create a crisis on the independence of the country,” the CM added.
New Delhi: On the Quit India movement anniversary, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi exhorted countrymen to defend the country’s freedom with “all our might”. Gandhi said on this historic day, Aruna Asif Ali held aloft the National flag when lakhs of Congress workers were beaten and jailed. Her act of courage became the symbol of our quest for freedom, Sonia Gandhi said. “As we commemorate the Quit India movement led by Mahatma Gandhi, let us not forget the price that millions of our countrymen and women paid for India’s freedom. Let us renew our resolve to defend it and protect it with all our might,” she said. “When the country under the Congress leadership was engaged in a decisive struggle against the British, the RSS not only boycotted the movement but also actively supported the British,” the Congress said on itsTwitter handle.
Yogi Gets Death Threat Over Emergency WhatsApp Helpline Lucknow: A WhatsApp message threatening to ‘kill’ Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was received on the Uttar Pradesh police’s text helpline following which a case was registered against a man, officials in Lucknow said today. The police said the message was sent allegedly by a person named Shahid on the WhatsApp number of Dial112 helpline. He threatened to “bomb” the Chief Minister, the police told news agency Press Trust of India. An FIR or police case was filed at Sushant Golf City PS here.
Ramesh said. He said the coming together of opposition parties to demand a review of the Supreme Court’s order on PMLA is a “huge step towards strengthening democracy”. “It is a matter of great satisfaction that all opposition parties, 16 opposition parties came together to raise serious concerns on the Supreme Court judgment on the PMLA amendments that were carried out between 2014 and 2018 and have called for a review of that judgment and that statement has already been circulated,” Ramesh noted.
9 blacklisted for ‘harassing’ officials through RTI Ahmedabad (PTI): In an unprecedented move, the Gujarat Information Commission has blacklisted nine persons for “harassing” officials by filing repeated RTI queries and ordered their applications should not be responded to henceforth. An NGO which analysed the orders of information commissioners over 2 years said this is the first occasion in Gujarat wherein people are “banned for a lifetime from seeking information”. The commission said these ersons were “repeatedly using the RTI Act”, “harassing officials by filing RTI applications”, filing queries with “malafide intentions” and it also found an applicant “cantankerous”.
If BJP allowed to become stronger, people may lose their voting right: Akhilesh
IYC RALLY TO DEMONSTRATE CONG ROLE IN INDEPENDENCE
Kannauj: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav here on Tuesday alleged that people may lose their right to vote if the BJP is allowed to become stronger as he accused the ruling party of undermining the country’s democratic institutions and the Constitution. He said there are some countries where “no voting takes place” and in sweeping remarks questioned the electoral system in China and Russia. “Is there any election in the neighbouring country of China. If you go beyond, are there any elections in Russia?
New Delhi: Indian Youth Congress launched ‘Aazadi ki Gaurav Yatra’ to demonstrate Congress’ role in freedom struggle and development of the country, officials said. IYC began the rally while celebrating its 62nd foundation day. It will culminate on August 15. “I feel proud that the service and dedication with which Youth Congress organisation was established, every worker of the party has been fulfilling those resolution with full devotion,” IYC president, Srinivas BV said.
opened the front for the most fight against the BJP and created the most ruckus for opposition unity, did not vote
during an event at Jhauva village on August Kranti Diwas. Yadav alleged that the BJP takes votes of backward castes and the Dalits but did not give them their due.
‘OPPOSITION IN COUNTRY ISN’T UP AGAINST JUST BJP BUT AUTHORITARIAN GOVT TOO’
Srinagar: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday said opposition parties in the country were not up against just the BJP but an authoritarian government that is weaponising state institutions to ensure an opposition-free India.”The predicament Nitish Kumar & opposition parties find themselves in isn’t just because they are facing BJP. Instead, they are facing the might of an authoritarian government that’s weaponising every agency be it NIA, ED, CBI etc to ensure an opposition-free India,” Mehbooba tweeted. She said for Jammu and Kashmir, the damage is not restricted to only political parties. It is far worse as the state has been butchered and disempowered unconstitutionally.
US delegation meets Jitendra Self-styled godman Singh, talks on collaboration arrested for rape New Delhi: A US delegation of National Science Foundation, called on MoS Jitendra Singh and discussed bilateral collaboration between the countries. Kendra Sharp, Head, Office of Int’l Science and Engineering, National Science Foundation of USA, Brian Stone, Chief of Staff, NSF, Bridget Turaga Program Director, Office of International Science and Engineering, NSF, Drew Schufletows-
ki, Minister Counselor for Economic, Environment, Science & Technology Affairs, US Embassy in India, William Harford Chief of Environment, Science, and
Technology Unit, US Embassy and Sethuraman Panchanathan Director, NSF among others, were part of the delegation joined the meeting.
Gwalior (PTI): Selfstyled godman Swami Vairagyanand Giri was arrested for allegedly raping a woman devotee in Madhya Pradesh’s capital Bhopal, police said on Tuesday. Swami Vairagyanand Giri was arrested from Gwalior in connection with a case registered against him under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code, and is being brought to Bhopal, additional commissioner of police (ACP)
Richa Choubey said. According to a complaint lodged by the woman devotee on Monday, the accused godman had raped her in Bhopal on July 17, she said.
Naidu, Birla discuss nat’l Bihar’s political chess game issues with Dhankhar matches BJP’s Maha gambit New Delhi (PTI): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday hosted outgoing Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and his successor Jagdeep Dhankhar at his residence. Naidu and Birla shared insights and experiences on issues of national interest and parliamentary affairs with Vice Presidentelect Dhankhar, the Lok
Sharat K Verma New Delhi: After the presidential election, the unity of the Opposition parties has now been exposed even in the election of the Vice Presidential post. When two parties that did not vote for a common Opposition candidate in the presidential election returned to the Opposition camp this time, two major Opposition parties were thrown out. Mamata Banerjee, who
In Pakistan, the Army rules the roost and install in power whoever they want to. Are there any elections in Myanmar and its surrounding countries? So, be careful,” Yadav said
Bengaluru: Calling RSS an “association of upper castes”, senior Karnataka Congress leader Siddaramaiah called the government’s ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign a “drama”, and PM Modi a “great dramatist”. The former CM questioned BJP’s and RSS’ contribution to India’s freedom struggle and alleged they had opposed the national flag, anthem and the Constitution. “How can they be patriots?” he asked. “I have been opposing RSS from the beginning as it is just an association of upper castes, that’s the reason they believe in ‘Chaturvarna’ system. Chaturvarna system believes in the supremacy of upper castes; if that continues, there will be inequality which may in turn lead to exploitation,” he said.
Sabha Secretariat said in a statement. Naidu’s term ends on August 10 and Dhankhar will take oath the next day. The vice president is also chairperson of Rajya Sabha. When Dhankhar assumes charge, presiding officers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will be from Rajasthan. Birla represents Kota.
Is ‘United Opposition’ a mere farce? JMM, a party with 3 MPs, voted for the Oppn candidate. This was also decided keeping in mind the large Christian population of Jharkhand
SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav felicitates the relatives of freedom fighters at an event, at Tirwa, in Kannauj on Tuesday.
RSS AN ASSOCIATION OF UPPER CASTES, PM MODI A GREAT DRAMATIST: SIDDARAMAIAH
UNCERTAIN PREMISE
lll
—PHOTO BY ANI
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Tuesday termed the Monsoon session of Parliament as “highly disappointing” and claimed the government did not have an appetite to run proceedings even though the Opposition was willing to sit till the very end to debate and pass bills. The Monsoon session ended on Monday, four days ahead of schedule, after continued disruptions during the last three weeks over issues like price rise, suspension of 27 MPs, the controversial “Rashtrapatni” remark and the ED’s action. The principal opposition party questioned the decision to curtail the session and alleged that after the prime minister, his ministers too were “ignoring” Parliament. The Opposition was ready to sit on August 10 and 12 to discuss and pass bills but the government was in a rush to curtail the session, AICC general secretary, communication, and party’s chief whip in Rajya Sabha Jairam
for the opposition candidate. She had asked her 36 MPs to abstain from voting, out of which two voted for the BJP candi-
date. Margaret Alva’s votes would have been over two hundred if her 34 MPs had voted. Similarly, 7 Shiv Sena MPs also did not take part in the voting. These MPs belong to the Uddhav Thackeray camp. MPs of Eknath Shinde camp voted for BJP’s Jagdeep Dhankhar. Last time under pressure, Uddhav asked his MPs to vote for the NDA candidate. But this time he remained silent. So, his MPs remained absent.
Rennie Abraham Mumbai: Bihar’s political power game mirrors the identical reversal of the political scenario in Maharashtra. Nitish Kumar (43 MLAs) has claimed majority in alliance with RJD (79 MLAs) and Congress (17 MLAs) and intends to form a government that will last the rest of the tenure till 2025 when assembly polls are due. The Eknath Shinde led government in alliance with BJP similarly intends to continue for another two years, till polls though Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray has dared them to face voters right now. In one situation the BJP cannot pull down the new dispensation in Bihar till 2025, while in Maharashtra it won’t be pulled down till 2024 (other political dynamics things remain constant (U) MLAs for some time. Two days ago, when Singh held a function, 30 MLAs from JD(U) attended it, prompting Nitish to take it on and follow it
Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, (R) Bihar CM Nitish Kumar
up with suitable political action, to retain power. The BJP, for its part, maintained that it wanted Nitish to leave the alliance as it had committed to Kumar leading the state as CM till 2025. Now BJP is smarting from the wily CM’s political moves that has put it out of power and will bide its time to return better MLA numbers at the next polls. The same thing was done to the BJP in Maharashtra after the 2019 assembly elections when the Shiv Sena led MVA government (in alliance with NCP and Congress) came to power. This political favour was returned with interest by BJP that broke off 400 Shiv Sena MLAs
led by Shinde with 10 independents in tow to form government in Maharashtra now. Now the BJP seeks to return Kumar’s political favour by encouraging a vertical split within the JD(U) and the Congress in Bihar as it did in Maharashtra by spiriting away enough MLAs from the soon to be formed government that excludes them. In Maharashtra Sena hopes for the SC to overturn the rebel Sena CM Eknath Shinde led government’s applecart soon enough. Maharashtra and Bihar are definitely a study on political fortunes making a to and fro movement, almost like a musical chairs gamesmanship of power.
COMMODITIES
CURRENCIES
Commodity
Price
Change
% Chg
Currency
Price
Change
% Chg
GOLD
52,490.00
97.00
0.18 (Per 10g)
USDINR
79.64
0.40
0.50
SILVER
58,465.00
527.00
0.90 (Per 1kg)
GBPINR
96.2688
0.0731
0.0760
NEW DELHI | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2022
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business BRIEFS
GAIL TO DOUBLE SHARE CAPITAL, ADD SPECIALTY CHEMICALS
New Delhi: Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) wants to double its share capital as well as add specialty chemicals and clean energy to its line of business as it looks to diversify business beyond natural gas transmission and distribution. GAIL has sought shareholder approval to increase the authorised share capital of the company to `10,000 crore from the current `5,000 crore to help raise finance for its expansion plans over the next 3-4 years. —PTI
OYO ACQUIRES BORNHOLMSKE FERIEHUSE
New Delhi: Travel and hospitality technology platform OYO on Tuesday said it has acquired Denmark-based holiday home operator Bornholmske Feriehuse for an undisclosed sum. Based out of Bornholm island in Denmark, Bornholmske Feriehuse has 737 holiday homes spread over 30 holiday parks on its platform and expects to clock more than 2.5 lakh guest nights in 2022, OYO said in a statement. The transaction has been carried out by company’s subsidiary DanCenter. —PTI
DEPENDING ON ATF PRICE MOVEMENT
Govt will re-evaluate airfare cap New Delhi (PTI): The government will certainly reevaluate the fare cap in place for domestic airlines once there is a healthier environment in terms of jet fuel prices, according to Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. After the coronavirus pandemic rattled the country’s civil aviation space, the sector is now in recovery mode, especially in terms of the number of air travellers and Akasa Air has also started services, becoming the first domestic carrier to launch operations in the last eight years. Against the backdrop of lingering pandemic blues, the ministry has put in the fare cap system for the local airlines. Currently, the fare capping is applicable on a rolling basis for a 15-day cycle. Scindia said that as it stands today, the fares of airlines are not close enough to the low portion of the fare cap and are very far away from the high por-
CURRENT SCENARIO
z Against the backdrop of
lingering pandemic blues, the ministry has put in fare cap system for local airlines
z As it stands today, the fares
of airlines are not close enough to the low portion of the fare cap and are very far away from the high portion.
z Currently, the fare capping is
applicable on a rolling basis for a 15-day cycle.
AIRLINES TO SHARE INTERNATIONAL PASSENGERS’ INFO WITH CUSTOMS
New Delhi: The government has asked airlines to share all international passengers’ details, including contact and payment information, with customs authorities 24 hours prior to the departure of flights. The move is aimed at preventing law offenders from fleeing the country. The CBIC, under the finance ministry, on August 8 notified the ‘Passenger Name Record Information Regulations, 2022’, which aims at “risk analysis” of passengers to prevent economic and other offenders from fleeing the country as well as check any illicit trade such as smuggling. ‘The National Customs Targeting Centre-Passenger’, set up by the CBIC, will process information for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of offences under the Customs Act and also for the law enforcement agencies or government departments or any other country, it said. “Every aircraft operator shall transfer the passenger name record information... Of passengers they have already collected such information in the normal course of business operations, to the designated customs systems,” the regulations said.
EVERY TOWN BY 2024
Bharti Airtel to launch 5G services this month
tion of the fare cap. “I have seen stabilisation happen and at an appropriate time, we will certainly look at that. I am looking at ATF prices also coming off and as that becomes a more healthier environment, we will certainly re-evaluate that,” the minister said. In May, Scindia had said that the fare cap acts as a protector for air travellers as well as airlines. The Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) or jet fuel prices
Talks on FTA with UK moving at faster pace, says Piyush Goyal New Delhi (PTI): Negotiations for the proposed FTA between India and the UK is progressing at a faster pace, Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday. The agreement is aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investments between the two countries. India has signed a trade pact with the UAE in a "record" time and "now our talks with the UK is moving at a faster pace", Goyal said. In such pacts, two or more countries significantly reduce or eliminate customs duties on maximum number of goods traded between them. Besides, they ease norms for promoting trade in goods and investments.In January, India and the UK formally launched talks for a FTA. They have set the deadline for concluding talks by Diwali.
Agartala: PSU major Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) will soon conduct a trial run for transporting fuel to Tripura through Bangladesh, an official said on Tuesday. During the trial run, the IOC will transport three LPG tankers and seven tankers of petrol and diesel through Bangladesh from Guwahati. Each LPG tanker can transport 17 mt of gas, while each oil tanker has the capacity of carrying 12,000 liters, an official said said. —PTI
New Delhi (PTI): Telecom operator Bharti Airtel will start rolling out 5G services this month and cover all towns and key rural areas of the country by March 2024, a senior company official said on Tuesday. Bharti Airtel MD and CEO Gopal Vittal also said that the price of mobile services in India is very low and needs to go up. “We intend to launch 5G starting August and extend to a Pan India roll out very soon. By March 2024 we believe we will be able to cover every town and key rural areas as well with 5G. “In fact, detailed network rollout plans for 5,000 towns in India are completely in place. This will be one of the biggest rollouts in our history,” Vittal said during the company’s earning call. Bharti Airtel in the recently-concluded spectrum auction acquired 19,867.8 MHz frequencies by securing a pan-India
INDIAN VISITORS TO DUBAI MORE THAN DOUBLE TO 8.58 LAKH
Allahabad guava witnessing fall in production
Mumbai: The number of Indian visitors to Dubai rose more than twofold to 8.58 lakh during JanuaryJune 2022 compared to the year-ago period, according to the Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). In the first half of 2021, over 4.09 lakh people from India visited Dubai, the DET data showed. Overall, Dubai attracted 71.2 lakh international overnight visitors between January and June 2022, recording close to three-fold growth in visitors compared to 25.2 lakh tourists in same period in 2021. —PTI
Kaushambi (PTI): Allahabad guava, which attracted fruit lovers for its unique taste, has been witnessing a fall in production and area under cultivation due to land fragmentation. Wilting (ukta rog) is another reason for the fall in production of the fruit, which lured people from different parts of the country passing through the area. The state government is extending support to boost the cultivation of the fruit. District Agriculture department officials said that farmers are being given saplings at a subsidised price and training programmes are being organised frequently to perk up the cultivation of Allahabad guava.
IOC TO TRANSPORT FUEL TO TRIPURA VIA BANGLADESH
07
WHAT AIRTEL MD & CEO SAY z Bharti Airtel MD and CEO
also said that the price of mobile services in India is very low and needs to go up
z Vittal said the company’s
capex will remain around the existing levels.
footprint of 3.5 GHz and 26 GHz bands and select purchase of radiowaves in the low and mid-band spectrum. Vittal said the company’s capital expenditure
will remain around the existing levels and played down the need for buying premium spectrum in the 700 megahertz band, which requires less number of mobile towers for coverage compared to other bands that telecom operators currently have. “Our competition does not have such a large mid-band spectrum. Do remember that if we did not have this large chunk of precious mid-band spectrum we would have had no choice but to buy expensive 700 Mhz spectrum.
MAJOR REASONS z Allahabad guava has
been witnessing a fall in production & area under cultivation due to land fragmentation
z Wilting is another reason
for the fall in production
z The state government is
extending support to boost the cultivation of the fruit
Though the fruit is identified with Allahabad, now Prayagraj, the bulk of area under cultivation falls in Kaushambi, which was carved out of Allahabad and created as a new district 25 years ago. As of now, the guava is
grown on 500 hectares in Kaushambi in different blocks -- Sirathuu, Kurhaa, Mooratganj, Chayal and Nevada. Guava has been selected as the fruit from the Kaushambi district under the ODOP scheme. It comes in three varie-
ties -- Surkha, Safeda and Lalit (red seeds). Cultivation is done mainly of Surkha and Safeda varieties. As the saplings are ready to produce fruits after 4-5 years but, owing to wilting, they start drying and this reduces the profits.
have been on an upward trajectory in recent months, especially in the wake of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Recently, the prices in the country were cut but remain much higher than the level seen during the prepandemic time. While acknowledging that airlines are facing many structural issues, Scindia said the ATF price has gone up because of the Russia-Ukraine war from `53,000 per kilo litre in 2019-20 to almost `1,41,000 per kilo litre till last week. The price has been reduced by almost 16% or around `21,000 per kilo litre but it is still double than it used to be, he noted. “If you are an airline, 39% of your cost structure used to be ATF at `53,000 per kilo litre. Now, the ATF price has gone to `1,20,000 per kilo litre. Therefore, from a structural point of view, that is the challenge they are facing,” the minister said.
Tea exports in first five months increase 7% Kolkata (PTI): Exports of tea during the first five months of the current calendar from Jan to May 2022 increased around 7% at 78.64 million kg. For the first time, UAE lifted 13.17 million kg during the current five-month period, more than Russian Federation which stood 11.52 million kg during concerned period. During the period, Russia lifted 11.52 million kg during the current fivemonth period as against 13.52 million kg in the previous period. Sources in ITA said this has been possible due to present Russia-Ukraine conflict which restricted offload by the CIS country and exporters are finding new avenues in the UAE to export tea.
Gold ETFs log `457 crore outflow in July New Delhi (PTI): Gold Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) witnessed a net outflow of `457 crore in July as investors parked their money in other asset classes as part of their portfolio rebalancing strategy. This was in comparison to a net inflow of `135 crore in June, data with Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) showed. The outflow has pulled down the asset under management of the category to `20,038 crore last month from `20,249 crore in June. However, the category
saw a slight increase in the number of folios by over 37,500 to 46.43 lakh during the period under review. This suggests that investors are likely continuing to invest in gold ETF's as a means to diversify their portfolio and hold the financial instruments a hedge against market risks, Krishnan said.
OTHER STORIES FINANCE MINISTRY INVITES APPLICATION FOR PFRDA CHAIRPERSON POST
New Delhi : The government has started the search for a successor to Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) chairman Supratim Bandyopadhyay whose term is ending in January next year. PFRDA chairperson holds office for five years or till the age of 65 years. The chairperson is entitled to a consolidated salary of `4.50 lakh per month without facility of house and car, the finance ministry said while inviting application for the post. —PTI
HPCL, HONDA JOIN HANDS TO BOOST E-MOBILITY
New Delhi : Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) and Honda Motor have joined hands to set up battery swapping stations for electric vehicles at the state-owned oil firm’s petrol pumps. HPCL and Honda Power Pack Energy India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co Ltd (Honda), launched their first ‘e:swap’ station at HPCL’s petrol pump in Bengaluru on August 6, the state-owned firm said in a statement on Tuesday. —PTI
PSU GENERAL INSURERS BOOK `26,364 CRORE LOSS
New Delhi : All four public sector insurers incurred losses of `26,364 crore in the health insurance portfolio for the last five years due to higher claims in group policies. “The losses of the health insurance business of PSU insurers either wiped out/ decreased the profits of other lines of business or increased the overall losses,” an report by CAG said. The aggregate loss of the four PSU insurers was `26,364 cr during 2016-17 to 2020-21. —PTI
NHB OKAYS MERGER OF HDFC, HDFC BANK
New Delhi: Mortgage major HDFC has received approval from the National Housing Bank (NHB) for its merger with subsidiary HDFC Bank, a regulatory filing said on Tuesday. The NHB has also approved the merger of two wholly-owned subsidiaries — HDFC Investments and HDFC Holdings Limited — of the housing finance company with HDFC, the filing said. —PTI
A good team can create wonders, but a great team can do miracles.
2ND FRONT
—Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, First India
NEW DELHI | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2022
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08
CENTRAL VISTA
Executive Enclave awaits nod from SEIAA Five buildings with a built-up area of 90k square metres will be constructed
New Delhi (PTI): The proposal for the construction of Executive Enclave that will house the new Prime Minister’s Office and the Cabinet Secretariat is yet to be cleared by the Delhi State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), official documents show. An official of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), which is the project proponent, said the proposal was submitted for environmental clearance in December last year. The Delhi State Expert Appraisal Commit-
tee (SEAC), which vets the proposals before they are sent to SEIAA, has now set up a subcommittee which will visit the site to examine the implementation of the city government’s policy for tree transplantation and review the site plan “in order to retain trees”, according to the minutes of the SEAC meeting held on Saturday. Under the policy notified by the government in December 2020, agencies concerned are required to transplant a minimum of 80 per cent of the trees affected by their development works. The benchmark tree survival rate at the end of one year of tree transplantation is 80 per cent.
The SEAC, which first examined the proposal in a meeting on January 31, had raised concern over the CPWD’s plan to remove an “excessively high proportion” of trees from the site. The CPWD later
Dhami holds ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ public awarness rally Dehradun (PTI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday participated in a “Har Ghar Tiranga” public awareness rally here. The central government has launched the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ (Tricolour in every Home) campaign under which people are being encouraged to hoist the tricolour at their houses to mark 75 years of India’s independence. Accompanied by local MLA Umesh Sharma Kau, Dhami held the rally at IT Park Chowk in the Raipur assembly constituency area. “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav has become a people’s movement and we are fortunate to witness it. “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, In-
A
dia is emerging as a strong and glorious nation. The entire country remembers those who sacrificed their lives for the country’s independence on the occasion of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’,” Dhami said addressing the rally. The next 25 years are going to be the golden years of India’s “glorious resurgence”, he said. He said everyone should work towards the goal of making Utta-
rakhand a leading state by 2025 when it celebrates 25 years of its existence. He said there is no dearth of talent in the state and it can achieve the goal. Dhami also cited the example of Lakshya Sen from Almora who won a badminton gold in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, enhancing the prestige of both India and Uttarakhand.
revised the proposal, decreasing the number of trees to be transplanted from 630 to 487 and increasing the number of trees to be retained at the site from 154 to 320. In a meeting held on April 9, the SEAC de-
CLEARANCE
cided to recommend the revised proposal to the SEIAA for grant of environmental clearance. The SEIAA, however, referred the matter back to the SEAC on April 19 on a “limited aspect to examine the implementation of the Tree Transplantation Policy 2020 notified by the Delhi government so that all points of the policy are complied in the project in view of the substantial tree transplantation involved”. According to the revised proposal for the Rs 1,381-crore project, the CPWD will maintain 1,022 trees at the site, so as to have a tree per 80 square metre of plot area as per the guidelines of the Union environment ministry.
Road accident: CENTRAL GOVT TO BEAR COST OF DEHRADUN RING ROAD Family loses Dehradun (PTI): The Centre has agreed to sole bread bear the entire cost of building a ring road winner around Dehradun if the New Delhi (PTI): The sole breadwinner and the only hope of our family is no more, says Puneet, who is yet to come to terms with the death of his brother Narender killed in a road accident on Sunday. Narender, who had joined online food delivery platform Zomato just 20 days back, died after he fell off his motorcycle and was crushed under the wheels of an unidentified heavy vehicle near the Tughlakabad metro station in southeast Delhi. Narender was riding on the Badarpur flyover when a stray Chinese kite string (Manjha) lying on the road got entangled around the tyre and the footrest of the two-wheeler.
Uttarakhand government provides it 1,100 acres of land along the highway for a logistics park, a fruit and vegetables park and a wholesale ‘mandi’ which are to be developed as part of the project. An assurance to this
effect was given to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami when he met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on Monday.
Education ministry seeking inputs for new curriculum New Delhi (PTI): The Ministry of Education on Tuesday held an inter-ministerial meeting for seeking inputs for reconfiguring curricular and pedagogical structure under NCF, officials said. Senior officials and representatives of all ministries and important bodies, including NCERT, Election Commission of India, ICAR, and DRDO, attended the crucial meeting on development of new curriculum on lines of the new National Education Policy (NEP). “The meeting focused on how ministries and organisations can contribute in developing a curriculum framework that is responsive and relevant to the developmental needs and interests of learners at different stages of their development. The officials present were first briefed about how a
MEETING FOCUSES ON DEVELOPMENT he meeting focused on how ministries and organisations can contribute in developing a curriculum framework that is responsive and relevant to the developmental needs and interests of learners at different stages of their development.
T
curriculum framework is prepared, what are its deliverables and what is expected from them,” a senior MoE official said. The inputs from ministries would help identify and integrate several pertinent areas, skills and competencies in the NCF at relevant stages. “It was also discussed that it would be very helpful if the ministries also point out their own role in taking certain ideas forward by partnering with school education ecosystem,” the official said.
Chess Olympiad: India ‘B’ team wins bronze Mamallapuram (PTI): The India ‘B’ team settled for a bronze medal in the Open section while the India ‘A’ women’s side also finished third in the 44th Chess Olympiad here on Tuesday. India ‘B’ defeated Germany 3-1 in their final round match to end at third position. Uzbekistan sprung a
surprise by bagging the gold medal with a 2-1 win over the Netherlands ahead of a strong Armenian team, which
beat Spain 2.5-1.5 in the final round, in the Open section. The top-seeded India ‘A’ women’s team crashed to a 1-3 defeat in the 11th and final round to USA to see it’s gold medal hopes evaporate. The Koneru Humpy-led team finished third. War-torn Ukraine won an emotional gold in the women’s event,
pipping Georgia to the top prize. Uzbekistan beat the Netherlands in the final round thanks to Jakhongir Vakhidov’s win on board 4. They edged out Armenia on the basis of a better tie-break score. The Uzbeks remained unbeaten through the 11 rounds and finished with 19 match points.
Team orientation at Bharat24! team orientation workshop of the Bharat24 Editorial team was held on Tuesday, August 9 at Radisson Blu, Kaushambi Noida. Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, graced the occasion and addressed the bureau chiefs, reporters and other editorial staff who had come from across India for the orientation workshop. Ajay Kumar (Managing Editor), Manoj Jagyasi (Chief Business Officer) and Syed Umar (Senior Editor) also spoke at length with the staff members explaining the various facets of editorial policy, workflow and expectations. After the HR, Input, Output and technical & other sessions, the bureau chiefs were invited to come up and share their views and experiences. Many of the staff members had already worked in the past with Jagdeesh Chandra and very soon anecdotes and incidents were being shared among laughter and high emotional moments. Mimansa Malik also put forth her views. The team orientation was indeed like a family get-together with each and everyone committing themselves to making the to-be-launched on August 15, national Hindi news channel Bharat24 a huge success! MORE ON PG 12
Jagdeesh Chandra with Purnima Mishra, Sonal Dahiya, Gitanjali, Kavita Singh, Sachin Arora, Mimansa Malik, Ajay Kumar, Naina Yadav, Anita Hada, Manoj Jagyasi, Syed Umar and Monica Jaiswal.
Jagdeesh Chandra addressing the staff members.
Ajay Kumar (R) and Syed Umar (L)
Manoj Jagyasi
Aditi Nagar
Jagdeesh Chandra introducing visiting First India Jaipur team- Jinendra Shekhawat, Mahesh Sharma and Shishir Awasthi, also seen are Sandeep Mishra, Kumar Prabodh, Ahtesham Siddiqui and Sudhanshu Mathur.
www.firstindia.co.in I https://firstindia.co.in/epapers/delhi I twitter.com/ thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia NEW DELHI, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2022
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SIBLINGS ON
KOFFEE COUCH S
Glimpse fro
m the prom
onam Kapoor and Arjun Kap o o r ’ s much-awaited promo from Karan Johar’s chat show, Koffee With Karan season 7 is finally out! This marks Sonam’s first on-screen appearance after she announced her pregnancy with her husband Anand Ahuja earlier this year. Sharing the Arjun and Sonam’s
o
promo video, Karan Johar captioned it: “This episode is all about the S and M: side-splitting laughter and mind-boggling revelations. Watch the sixth episode of #HotstarSpecials #KoffeeWithKaranS7 streaming this Thursday from 12:00 am only on Disney+ Hotstar.” The promo begins with Karan introducing Sonam and Arjun and saying, “Oh my god, I have S-N-M on the couch.”
Sonam Kapoor Ahuja
LIGER PROMOTIONS
T
he promotions of Vijay Deverakonda and Ananya Panday starrer Liger are going on in full swing. Every day, the co-stars are seen talking about their forthcoming sports drama in a new city and fans are in awe of this fresh pair. On Tueday the lead made a stop in Mumbai. While VD looked charming in a leopard print shirt with baggy black pants, Ananya Panday opted for a green cord set as her outfit of the day. After a successful promotional trip
RASHMIKA ON
PUP T
RUMOURS
LOVE
R Spotted
to Ahmedabad and Vadodara., Vijay Deverakonda and Ananya Panday returned to Mumbai last night. The Arjun Reddy star nailed the off-duty look in a baggy, beige linen shirt with a pair of black trousers. He completed the attire with slippers. Meanwhile, the leading lady went for a patterned co-ord set in hues of dark blue and white.
ashmika Mandanna is one of the most popular actresses, who has a pipeline of movies in South and Bollywood as well. Rumours of her dating life with rumoured boyfriend Vijay Deverakonda have always caught the limelight. In an interview with Hindustan Times, Rashmika Mandanna was quoted as saying, “Sometimes, I am like ‘Arrey yaar, I am doing five films a year but you are still coming and asking me, ‘Who are you dating? What is your personal life?” “You (people) can talk s**t about us, you can say negative things about it. Because in the end, we are public figures. We can’t choose just the good bits, thinking people just focus on work and not personal life. So, they are free to talk about anything, just don’t come to a conclusion. Till the time you hear from me, that is not true”.
Her post...
couple of photos with her dog, which she captioned, “Happy Friendship Day to the ones who give us unconditional love and show us what real trust and love means!”
Rashmika Mandanna
ARGUMENT WITH
PAPARAZZI T
aapsee Pannu is currently gearing for the release of her mystery drama film, Dobaaraa. Recently, the actress attended a promotional event for her upcoming film Dobaaraa at Mithibai College in Mumbai. Taapsee is seen arriving at the venue and immediately rushing inside instead of giving the paparazzi a few minutes to take pictures of her. Later, she got into an argument with the paparazzi outside the venue after they requested her to stop for photographs, and the actress tried to clarify that she followed the instructions that were given to her according to which they would have been waiting inside. Later, when the photographers told her they have been waiting for two hours, she said, “Yaar daant kyun rahe ho? Isme meri kya galti hai? Mereko kyun sunaa rahe ho?”
Spotted... Ananya Panday
ara Sutaria is one of the most talented and promising actresses in Bollywood. The actress took to her Instagram stories and shared a cute video with her dog and he is clearly not in a mood to say hi. Sharing the video, Tara wrote, “Clearly does not want to say hi.” In the video, we can see Tara asking her cute puppy to say hi, but he seems in no mood to interact. The actress shared a
Taapsee Pannu
Tara Sutaria
ITALY VACAY
A
Alia Bhatt
Her post...
lia Bhatt is currently enjoying the most amazing phase of their lives these days as she is all set to embrace parenthood with her husband and actor Ranbir Kapoor. Alia and Ranbir have taken time out for themselves and are currently vacationing in Italy. Now, the Student Of The Year 2 actress shared a selfie from her holiday with Ranbir and her pregnancy glow is unmissable in the photo. Taking to her Instagram handle, Alia also thanked her fans for showing love for her recently released film, Darlings. She captioned the picture: “Eternally grateful for this sunshine THANK YOU for all the love my lovesssss.” Reacting to the photo, Sonam Kapoor sent love to Alia and said: “I went there for my Babymoon too! It’s literally the best! Have fun!”
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OUTFIT IDEAS FOR
RAKSHA
BANDHAN! Hence, it is important to maintain a wonderful wardrobe plan amidst all the festivities. Here are some outfits that one can try this Raksha Bandhan:
DHANUSHREE VYAS cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
F
estivals are a respite from the hectic schedules of daily life where one can go traditional and get decked up for a change. Therefore, festivals are mandatory occasions to try stylish ethnic wear that one does not wear daily. They bring with them special moments as well as the re-establishment of social bonds.
ETHNIC WEAR IN PASTEL COLOURS
Ethnic wear offers a great variety of patterns, prints, designs and colours. Ethnic wear in the colour palette of gentle pastels such as pink, blush pinks and pastel yellow never gets outdated. Lehenga, Kurti, palazzo, etc in pastel tint suits all skin tones and can make one seem spectacular.
SILK OUTFITS
Silk is a rich fabric which is produced by the silkworm. It is
widely used to make clothing and accessories. A bright silk lehenga choli and salwar suit make a style statement among people.
CHIKANKARI ATTIRES
Chikankari offers the most tranquil attires for any celebration. It has a lot of options from dark to light colours in different designs and patterns. It provides a great mix of elegance and sass.
ANARKALI
It is the best style to represent festive cheer. It looks great on any body type given its Angrakha Kurti to kneelength suit. It has a combination of classic, modern, and fashionable looks.
It can be tedious to choose the right outfits when it comes to festivals! So, City First brings to you categories of clothes that perfectly radiate the festive vibes of Raksha Bandhan
FUSION OUTFITS
Fusion outfits have textures, designs and silhouettes that distinguish themselves from traditional clothes. They give a combined vibe of fashion and culture.
SHARARA
It is an elegant outfit with a modern twist which enhances style. The distinct nature given to its vivid colours makes it suitable for Raksha Bandhan.
ORGANZA OUTFITS Organza is a sturdy fabric that has a silky appearance. Organza has been a popular fabric for its subtlety and delicateness. It has become a trend among women.
FLORAL PRINTS
Floral patterns have garnered exponential popularity recently. They never fail to appear attractive. They are visually comforting and graceful to carry.
NEW DELHI | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2022
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NEW DELHI | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2022
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DREAMSCAPE
WITHOUT
COLOURS!
A distinctive fashion presentation called “Gaba Arch Fashion Show” was put on by Arch College of Design and Business on Thursday at Hotel Diggi Palace as part of the Global Educator’s Fest 2022.
A
UTTKARSHA SHEKHAR
—PHOTOS BY MUKESH KIRADOO
uttkarsha.shekhar@firstindia.co.in
Top: (L-R) Sonal Kukreja and Aasawari Sahni Bottom: Anjali Khandal, Archana Jangid and Simran Mahendrawal
distinctive fashion presentation called “Gaba Arch Fashion Show” was put on by Arch College of Design and Business on Thursday at Hotel Diggi Palace as part of the Global Educator’s Fest 2022. During the Global Educators Fest 2022 in which principals from reputed schools and educational institutions walked the ramp. Jagdeesh Chandra, Abdul Rashid Ahmed, Minister of State for Education, Maldives and Lakshya Raj Singh, Mewar of Udaipur and Trustee, Maharana of Mewar Foundation and Charitable Trust were present on the occasion. Under the Design Culture Initiative, ARCH partnered with Global Educators Fest 2022 and provided another platform for its students to showcase their design talent and creativity. Everyone’s mouth dropped in surprise when fashion designer Shachi Jain showcased her exclusive collection called ‘Memoir’ on the ramp. This collection is an ode to the beautiful motherhood journey and celebrating it through different phases of life. It is a journey of self-discovery. The black and white collection represents the yin & yang of this society and tries to depict the woman who brings the crucial balance to society with her love, vulnerability, farsightedness and strength to hold everyone together. Not just a mother but much, much, more than that The collection explores a curious student and an adoring daughter, a loving mother and a passionate professional woman. Retained with elegance and transparency, the silhouettes of this collection are comfortable Indo western fusion, with h a n d painted motifs and pear-cut embell i s h ments. The annual event is organized under the leadership of Ravi Santalani at the flagship of ScooNews. The show was conceptualized by Archana Surana, Founder & Director, of ARCH College. The Fashion Show was Choreographed by Abhimanyu Singh Tomar. Creative Hair and Makeup by Kunjal and Himanshi Rawal from Classic Make-up studio Jodhpur. Backstage is Managed by Arpita Parihar and Music by Tanmay Surana from Trinati. Style Skool Models Zara Sheikh, Kashish Rathore, Shubhangi Dadhich, Sushi, Archana Jangid and Anjali Khandal graced the ramp. Dipesh Verma was the official photographer of the show.
CITY
STAY MASKED
GET VACCINATED
BUZZ
NEW DELHI | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2022
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SOME MORE GLIMPSES FROM
BHARAT 24 TEAM ORIENTATION Manish Desai
Jagdeesh Chandra shares a moment of laughter with Ajay Kumar, Manoj Jagyasi and Syed Umar as Manoj Tripathi relates an anecdote.
Manoj Rajan Tripathi and Avnish Vidhyarthi Sandeep Mishra
Harbans Nagokay, Surender Kumar and Tajamul
Mimansa Malik
Pramod Raghavan
Priyanka and Devesh
HAATH MEIN
STYLING SESSION!
HAI BAAT!
bassador to France Shri Jawed Ashraf, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, music maestro A R Rahman, director Shekhar Kapur, writer Prasoon Joshi, actor Pooja Hegde, among a host of others.
UTTKARSHA SHEKHAR
D
elhi-based boy Chef Manu C h a n d r a made everyone proud by shining out in the dark. He headed the catering of the Inaugural Dinner at Cannes. His grandma used to encourage the young boy by saying “Haath mein hai,” while he was growing up, directing to how he had been born with the ability to cook well. Manu went on to study at the Culinary Institute of America, New York in 2001 and retur ned to India in 2004 with one thought in mind he wanted to bring back something new and create a difference in the culinary scene. The young chef received an invitation to curate the Inaugural Dinner at the 75th edition of Festival de Cannes 2022. All the while, Manu made adjustments where needed, doubled his speed at other times, and tried to not freak out about being the only person in an unknown kitchen, who had to serve the likes of Indian Am-
Manu Chandra
The beauty, skincare and hair styling session was organised by VLCC India at the Police Families Welfare Society Narela to teach people how they can enhance their beauty and style their hair in a unique and glamourous way on Tuesday.
GLORIOUS 25 YEARS A CITY FIRST
grand celebration of the brand, PVR completing 25 years in the cinema exhibition industry was organised in the presence of Bollywood Superstar, Aamir Khan, Ajay Bijli, Chairman & Managing Director PVR Ltd and Gautam Dutta, CEO, PVR Ltd on Tuesday at PVR Priya, Vasant Vihar. During the celebration, PVR launched a special 25th-anniversary logo. PVR also unveiled a brand film - “Iss Andhere mein bahut Roshni hai” celebrating the spirit of
Aamir Khan and Ajay Bijli
millions of cinema fans whose passion and enthusiasm for movies make them special and the experi-
ence larger than life. Additionally, to entice movie buffs, PVR Cinemas introduced a series of exciting guest
offers and contests. The audience also got a chance to own PVR’s first NFT coin and iconic ticket.