First India-Delhi Edition-10th December 2022

CYCLONE MANDOUS ALERT IN SOUTH GIRDING UP LOINS FOR THE WORST!

Moni Sharma

Chennai: Northern coastal Tamil Nadu witnessed light to moderate rainfall and some places heavy showers as the cyclonic storm ‘Mandous’ continued to move further closer to the State’s coastline, and it is set to cross the coast near starting mid-

night, the IMD said on Friday. A holiday has been declared for schools and colleges in Chennai, and other districts including Vellore, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Ranipet, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, and Kancheepuram on Saturday due to rain forecast. Late Friday Mandous was 90km SE of Mamallapuram. P6

PARLIAMENT WINTER SESSION

Bill related to Uniform Civil Code passed in RS

New Delhi: A controversial private member’s Bill that seeks to provide for a panel to prepare a Uniform Civil Code was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on Friday. ‘The Uniform Civil Code in India Bill, 2020’ was introduced amid protests from Opposition parties.

BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena moved for leave to introduce the Bill to provide for the constitution of nat’l inspection and investigation committee for preparation of a UCC and its implementation throughout India and for matters connected therewith during the pvt member’s business.

Congress, CPI, CPI(M), TMC protested against introduction of Bill saying it will “destroy” the social fabric and unity in diversity in country.

A private member bill to regulate appt of judges through National Judicial Commission was introduced in RS by CPI(M)’s Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya but

Raghav Chadha opposed it.

WHAT IS THE BILL ABOUT?

MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS

SC dismisses plea seeking disclosure of 2018 Collegium meeting details

First India Bureau

New Delhi: The SC on Friday dismissed a plea seeking disclosure of the details of a collegium meeting held on December 12, 2018 under the Right to Information Act, underlining a “tentative decision” of the multi-member body cannot be brought in the public domain.

A bench of Justices MR Shah and CT Ravikumar said only resolutions drawn and signed by all Collegium mem-

bers can be said to be a final decision. Tentative resolutions drawn upon discussion and consultation among the members cannot be said to be final unless they are signed by all of them, it said. SC said it cannot place reliance on re ports & interview of a former mem ber of Collegi um, and it doesn’t want to comment on remarks made by former judge.

Congress high command to decide Himachal CM

A one-line resolution was passed in the CLP meeting that the party high command will decide next CM in HP

First India Bureau

Mumbai (FIB): Vikas Walkar, father of Shraddha Walkar on Friday met Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. Later, he claimed his daughter would have been alive had Maha cops acted on a written plaint by her. She had written a letter in 2020 indicating her fears about being killed by Aaftab. He said that Fadnavis assured him that he will get justice.

New Delhi: The Himachal Pradesh Congress legislature party, which met on Friday, has decided that the next chief minister of the state will be decided by the party high command, MLA Sundar Thakur told media.

According to Thakur, a one-line resolution was passed in the legislature party meeting in

‘Sack Maliwal’, says BJP as court orders corruption charges

Court says ‘prima facie’ she abused her position to appoint AAP workers to various posts in the women’s rights body

New Delhi: Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal is in deep trouble after a court ordered framing of charges against her for making “illegal ap-

pointments” to the panel, followed by the BJP demanding that Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena remove her from the post.

A city court on Thursday ordered framing of corruption and criminal conspiracy charges against Maliwal and others for “prima facie” abusing their official positions to appoint AAP workers to various posts in the women’s rights body.

In a letter to LG Saxena, BJP’s West Delhi MP Parvesh Verma demanded Maliwal’s

sacking. “I request you to take immediate action against Swati Mal-

CASE LODGED BY EX-BJP LEADER

The

BJP’s Delhi unit chief, alleged in a tweet that the AAP seemed not to “miss any chance” of corruption. BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor alleged a “scam” in the appointments and demanded that LG Saxena dissolve the DCW.

Shimla that the Congress high command will decide the next chief minister.

State Congress chief Pratibha Singh, former party chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and outgoing legislature party leader Mukesh Agnihotri are among the top contenders for the post.

RESCUE OPS ENTER 60 HRS TO SAVE 8-YR-OLD

iwal for her unconstitutional action and remove her from the po -

sition of DCW chairperson,” Verma wrote. Adesh Gupta, the

The court has ordered framing of charges against the accused under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy), read with Section 13(1)(d) (criminal misconduct by a public servant) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Kejriwal revokes LG order on Jasmine Shah

New Delhi (PTI): Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has directed the Planning department to recall the order restricting DDCD vicechairman Jasmine Shah from discharging his duties, official sources said on Friday.

Lt Governor VK Saxena had last month asked Kejriwal to remove Shah from the post of vice-chairman of the Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi over allegations of misusing his office for “political purposes”, they said.

Shah. the vice chair-

man of the Delhi government’s think tank was restricted from discharging his duties and his office sealed while the facilities enjoyed by him were withdrawn following an order by the LG last month.

First India Bureau

DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal.

—FILE PHOTO

case was lodged by the Anti-Corruption Branch on a complaint by former BJP leader and Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Barkha Shukla Singh. The prosecution claimed that a total of 90 appointments were made in the women’s panel between August 6, 2015, and August 1, 2016.

l At least 10 flights cancelled in Chennai due to the Cyclone Mandous

Mandous brings heavy rain in Chennai; schools and colleges shut today

Chennai Division of the Southern Railway says trains may be cancelled

Landfall near Mamallapuram on late Friday and today morning A man stands on Kasimedu fishing harbour being hit by the high tides due to the strong winds triggered by Cyclone Mandous, in Chennai on Friday. —PHOTO BY ANI

First India Bureau

AAP MP

Opposition move to block Uniform Civil Code bill rejected

The National Judicial Commission Bill introduced in Rajya Sabha, AAP opposes

Both the Parliament houses adjourned till 11am on December 12

BILL PASSED WITH 63 VOTES

COLLEGIUM APPROVES APPT OF THREE ADDL JUDGES AS PERMANENT JUDGES

BILLS INTRODUCED IN LS TO REVISE ST LISTS IN 4 STATES

With the Opposition members seeking withdrawal of the Bill, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar called for division and the motion for introduction of the Bill was passed with 63 votes in favour and 23 against it.

The SC Collegium headed by CJI DY Chandrachud on Friday approved the proposal for appointment of three Additional Judges as Permanent Judges in the Kerala High Court. The 2 Additional Judges whose names have been approved are Justices Abdul Rahim Musaliar Badharudeen, Viju Abraham and Mohammed Nias CP.

Four separate bills were introduced in Lok Sabha on Friday to revise the lists of Scheduled Tribes in as many states.

Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda introduced the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bills for Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh.

Bill envisages a collection of laws to protect the personal rights of all citizens without considering religion. To become a law, a private member’s Bill needs to be endorsed by the government and cleared in both Houses of the Parl.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar conducts the proceedings of the House during the Winter Session of the Parliament, in New Delhi on Friday.

‘LONG BAIL HEARINGS A WASTE, IT SHOULDN’T EXCEED 10 MINS’ Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, senior-most judge of SC after CJI, on Friday disapproved of practice of filing lengthy bail applications and arguing “as if a final conviction has already taken place”. Bail application should be of 5 pages, arguments should not exceed 10 minutes, Justice Kaul said.

‘Shraddha had been alive if cops acted...’

BOY STUCK IN BOREWELL SC NOTICE TO CENTRE ON AGE OF MARRIAGE FOR MUSLIM GIRLS

Betul: The rescue operation to save eight-year-old Tanmay Sahu who fell into a 400-feet deep borewell in Mandavi village of MP’s Betul district, surpassed 60 hours on Friday. The boy fell into the borewell while playing on December 6.

New Delhi: The SC on Friday issued notice to the Centre on a petition filed by National Commission for Women (NCW) to make the minimum age of marriage for Muslim girls the same as that of persons belonging to other religions.

SS Sukhu Pratibha Singh

New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi on Friday chaired a VC of Guvs, CMs, and LGs of UTs to discuss aspects relating to India’s G20 presidency. PM said

G20

GETS

GOKHALE

BAIL A

DCW chief Maliwal, 3 others on trial over ‘strong suspicion’ of corruption

AAP’s fraud, says former DCW chief

New Delhi (ANI): A special court has ordered framing of corruption and criminal conspiracy charges against Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal and three others after finding prima facie sufficient material that the accused had abused their official position in allegedly appointing Aam Admi Party workers to different posts in the commission.

The court observed that a strong suspicion does arise against all accused and the facts do disclose prima facie sufficient material to frame charges against all four for offences U/s 120B of IPC r/w Sec. 13(1) (d)/13(2) of POC Act, as well as for the substantive offence U/s 13(2) r/w Sec. 13(1)(2) of POC Act. Charges be framed accordingly, said Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh.

Along with Maliwal, the court ordered to put then members of DCW

Promila

According to the prosecution, all four accused were together involved in abusing their official position and obtained pecuniary advantages for the party workers and acquaintances of Swati Maliwal as well as the ruling party namely

2 juveniles booked for killing teenager

New Delhi (ANI): The Delhi Police has booked two juveniles under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for allegedly stabbing a 17-yearold boy in the Bhagirathi Vihar area of the national capital on Monday, it informed on Friday.

In an official statement, the police said that at around 9.30 pm on December 5, a boy aged 17 years was stabbed by two juveniles, both of around 17 years of age, in the Bhagirathi Vihar area. Both the victim and the two accused persons are schoolgoing children who hail from the same locality.

Upon receiving the information, the police immediately registered a case under sections 307 (Attempt to murder) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC and apprehended the two accused juveniles. Two knives have also been recovered from their possession.

AAP. It has been alleged that such workers and acquaintances were appointed to different posts of DCW without following due process.

Instead, the appointments were made in contravention of procedures, rules, regulations, without even advertising for the positions, in violation of

General Finance Rules and other guidelines and money was disbursed to such persons towards remuneration/ salary/ honorarium.

The court said the perusal of minutes of the meetings held on various dates by DCW, in which all four accused were signatories, was "enough to prima facie point to a strong suspicion that the appointments in question were made by the accused persons in agreement with each other".

Thus, it cannot be claimed by the accused persons that they did not abuse their position in order to obtain pecuniary advantages for other persons, i.e. the persons so appointed or that prima facie there was no dishonest intention. A public servant causing wrongful loss to the government by benefitting a third party would squarely fall within the definition of Sec. 13(1) (d), said the court.

THREE MUSKETEERS

New Delhi (ANI): Former Delhi Commission for Women chief Barkha Shukla on Friday pointed at the AAP’s involvement in the appointment of members in the body while also alleging that there was no conduct of educational checks during their recruitment.

Shukla, who is the Complainant in the case, told ANI that Maliwal's secretary Archana Arora who was an IAS officer had resigned due to inappropriate treatment accorded to her.

"Appointments in the Delhi Commission of Women after 2015 weren't done as per the rules. They recruited their own people. High salaries amounting to nearly Rs 1 lakh are paid. There has been a lot of corruption. Maliwal's secretary should be an IAS officer. Earlier there was Archana Arora but she resigned as they misbehaved with her. Then they recruited their own volunteer who did not belong to the IAS category for the post," she said.

Shukla further alleged that the "fraud" of appointments is taking place under the Aam Aadmi Party's watch.

"It's AAP's fraud. It's all happening under the Aam Aadmi Party's watch. They do what they want. The level of education and social work experience of appointees weren't checked before making a person a member. I had complained in 2015, the result has come now," she said.

AIKC farmers stage protest demanding legal guarantee for MSP

New Delhi (PTI): Scores of farmers affiliated with the All India Kisan Congress gathered at the Jantar Mantar on Friday to demand legal guarantee for MSP and compensation for the kin of farmers killed in last year's agitation against the Centre's three farm laws.

The Congress' unit for farmers also accused the central government of not cooperating with the farmers and reneging on its promises made to them following which, the year-long stir at Delhi borders was suspended.

Thousands of farmers, particularly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, protested at the borders of the national capital for over a year, demanding the repeal of the three farm laws.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced repealing the laws in November.

Addressing protestors amid heavy security, Senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala criticised the Modi

government for failing to fulfil the promises it has made to the farmers last year. He called the Narendra Modi-led government "anti-farmer".

“It is because of the anti-farmer approach of the Modi government. This is one of the reasons why they find it difficult to implement MSP,” he said.

“This protest should not be limited to Jantar Mantar. We should take it forward and fight for the rights of farmers, who feed the nation,” he added.

Delhi riots 2020: Court acquits two of rioting, arson charges

New Delhi (PTI): A court here on Friday acquitted two people of charges of rioting, arson and dacoity in a case of the 2020 Delhi riots.

Hearing a plea by Saleem Khan accusing the two of being part of a mob that set ablaze his shops on February 24, 2020, Addl Sessions

The court said the identification of the accused persons (Mahender and Dharmender) in the present case was ‘doubtful’.

Judge Pulastya Pramachala said, “I find the charges against the accused are not proved beyond reasonable doubt.

Hence, Mahender and Dharmender are acquitted of all charges levelled against them in this case.”

Road mishap cases: HC asks Police Comm to furnish SOP

New Delhi (ANI): Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Commissioner of Police to place on record the standard operating procedure (SOP), if any, followed in road accident cases.

The HC sought the information in a case of drunken driving by the driver of a rented cab in which the petitioner's son was travelling and died in the accident. Jus-

tice Prathiba M Singh sought information on the plea which alleged that the petitioner's son hired a rented cab from

INCREDIBLE INDIA

a company and the driver was drunk.

The bench directed the CP to place on record the SOP within six

weeks.

Calling it an unfortunate case, the court directed the CP to place on record the SOP which is followed by the Delhi police in cases of road accidents either in cases of injuries or death.

The parents of the deceased submitted that they have been denied a fair trial as there was a delay in collecting the blood sample of the ve-

hicle driver who was allegedly drunk at the time of the accident.

The counsel for the petitioners also alleged that there was a long delay of 3 months in collecting the blood sample of the driver the Investigation Officer.

It was also alleged that the IO did not collect the CCTV footage which is required for the investigation.

North East Festival returns to Delhi with renewed focus on tourism

lll

The fest will be held at JL Nehru Stadium with the participation of over 500 artists, 16 fashion designers, 60 food stalls and 100 MSME businesses

New Delhi (PTI): The 10th North East Festival will bring the colours and cultures of northeast India to the national capital in a vibrant celebration of arts, crafts, food, music, fashion and dance with an aim to promote tourism opportunities in the region.

Starting from December 23, the North East Festival will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium with the participation of

over 500 artists across 30 musical bands, 16 fashion designers, 60 food stalls, more than 100 MSME businesses, and a number of tour

operators.

The North East Festival was last held in Delhi in 2019. The next two editions were held in Guwahati in a hybrid

THE BANDWAGON

tive about the northeast was insurgency and disturbances, but the North East Festival has changed the narrative to food, tourism potential, music, fashion and culture.

mode in 2020 and 2021.

Talking about the upcoming festival, chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta said the narrative about the north-

east is changing as it is becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations for foreign and domestic visitors.

“Earlier the narra -

“We want to show the northeast to those who haven’t been there. We will be showcasing the incredible tourism destinations of the northeast, we will also highlight the freedom fighters of the northeast,” Mahanta said.

The festival is expected to be inaugurated by culture minister G Kishan Reddy, law minister Kiren Rijiju, and cabinet ministers Piyush Goel and Sarbananda Sonowal among other senior leaders.

Apart from showcasing the rich and diverse food culture of the northeast, the four-day festival will also feature multigenre musical artistes, including popular singer Zubeen Garg and Achurjya Borpatra.

Gupta, Sarika Chaudhary and Farheen Malick on trial.

‘Prima facie’, recruitments to various posts can be said to be made in violation of rules: Court

Former members Promila Gupta, Sarika Chaudhary and Farheen Malick also in the dock

‘AUTONOMY ARGUMENT FALLS FLAT’

Cosplayers pose for a picture during Delhi Comic Con 2022, NSIC Exhibition Ground, Okhla, in New Delhi, Friday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

All India Kisan Congress Chairman and MLA Sukhpal Khaira with Congress leader Randeep Surjewala during a day-long protest for farmers’ rights, at Jantar Mantar on Friday. —PHOTO BY PTI

‘Death for Aaftab, probe against his family’

press

Mumbai (ANI): Shraddha Walkar's father Vikas Walkar, who appeared in the media for the first time since his daughter's brutal murder, on Friday sought death penalty for Aaftab Poonawalla and also a probe against his family members and relatives.

“I expect a similar lesson for Aaftab in the way he murdered my daughter. He should be hanged. A probe should be conducted against Aftab's family members, relatives and all others included in the inci-

dent,” he said while addressing a press conference with BJP leader Kirit Somaiya here.

Vikas claimed he had a conversation with Shraddha in 2021 and Aaftab on September 26, but he did not tell him about her whereabouts.

“The last time I had a

conversation with Shraddha was in 2021. We talked about her whereabouts, she said that she was living in Bengaluru. I talked to Aaftab on September 26 when I asked him about my daughter, but he didn't give an answer on it,” Vikas said.

“I was against the relationship of Shraddha Walker and Aaftab Poonawala. I was unaware of the domestic violence Shraddha was subjected to by Aaftab. I feel, his family members knew everything about what he was doing with her,” he said.

BLAMES DATING APPS ACCUSES MAHA POLICE OF LAXITY

Vikas Walkar said his daughter would have been alive if the Maharashtra Police had helped him. He alleged that the Vasai Police showed "laxity" in the investigation of the case. "The combined probe conducted by Delhi Police and Vasai police is going good. Still, Vasai Police, and Nalasopara Police showed laxity in the investigation which is unfortunate. Delhi Police assured us that we will get justice. My daughter was brutally murdered. I faced many problems because of the Vasai police, if they had helped me, my daughter would have been alive," he said.

Our councillor will become mayor, says AAP

New Delhi (PTI): Aam Aadmi Party said with numbers on its side it was confident its councillor would be elected as mayor of Municipal Corporation of Delhi .

Sources in the party said they were also keeping an eye on the BJP.

This comes after Manish Sisodia on Wednesday alleged the BJP had made attempts to poach its newly elected councillors. The party even had plans to take its councillors to Punjab to ensure they are not "poached" by BJP but the plan was cancelled,

sources said. MCD will be approaching Delhi LG VK Saxena to seek a date on which the Municipal House can be

convened so that the councillors can take oath, and then a mayor can be elected.

Lok Sabha and Rajya

Two Congress councillors, leader Ali Mehdi join AAP

New Delhi (ANI): In a major setback to Congress, days after the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections, Delhi Congress Vice President Ali Mehdi, along with two more newly elected Congress councillors, joined Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday.

AAP spokesperson in a press conference informed that Sabeela Begum from Mustafabad ward number 243, and Nazia Khatoon from ward number 245 Brij Puri, have left Congress and joined AAP.

Two-time MLA Hasan Ahmed’s son Ali Mehndi also joined AAP, who was also the

Korean national among 3 held in raid at illegal bar

Vice President of Delhi Congress till yesterday.

“Because of Arvind Kejriwal’s political leadership, I am leaving Congress and joining Aam Aadmi Party,” Ali Mehndi said.

AAP spokesperson Durgesh Pathak said that the remaining Congress councilors should

also join AAP. He even appealed to the winning BJP councilors to join AAP. Meanwhile, with the new joining, the number of AAP councillors in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will rise to 136. While the number of Congress councillors will come down to seven.

Sabha MPs representing constituencies comprising wholly or partly the area of the corporation, and one-fifth of the members of Delhi Assembly representing constituencies, to be nominated by the Speaker, and chairpersons of various municipal committees can vote in a mayoral poll, according to the rules. Ten aldermen are nominated to

budget

MCD by Lt Governor, he added.

“Since in the first year, a woman is supposed to be the mayor, one of our winning women candidates will be elected. We have the numbers on our side with 134 councillors, our MLAs and three Rajya Sabha MPs. We also feel Congress councillors might also vote in our favour,” a party source claimed.

Pointing out the drawbacks and misuse of some mobile applications (dating apps), Vikas Walkar sought "restrictions" on them.

"There should also be restrictions on some mobile apps. Children older than 18 yrs of age should be somewhat controlled and they should be given counselling. What happened to me shouldn't happen to anyone else. I tried to talk with my daughter but she didn't respond to me in the last two years. I was never told what was happening with my daughter," he said. Blaming the dating apps, Vikas said that his daughter came in contact with Aaftab because of it.

"Aaftab pursued Shraddha to make up her mind to leave. It was because of dating apps that Shraddha came in contact with Aaftab," he said. Speaking to ANI, Shraddha's father's lawyer, Seema Kushwaha said that the dating apps should be monitored.

"Though people have the right to use dating apps, these dating apps should be monitored.

Court extends Poonawala’s judicial custody by 14 days

New Delhi: A court here on Friday extended by 14 days the judicial custody of Aaftab Amin Poonawala, who allegedly strangled his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar and chopped her body into pieces, a source said. Poonawala was produced before the court through videoconferencing, source said. In the last hearing in the case on November 26, the court had extended the judicial custody of the accused by 13 days.

Mayor to be from AAP: BJP

New Delhi (PTI): The MCD mayor will be from AAP and the BJP will play the role of a "strong opposition", the party's Delhi president Adesh Gupta said on Friday.

The BJP will also resist AAP if it indulges in ‘corruption’, he said.

Gupta's statement comes amid speculation that BJP will contest the mayoral polls in the newly elected Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

"We will play the role of a strong opposition in the MCD to save Delhi from the AAP, which has become synonymous

with corruption," Gupta said while thanking BJP leaders and activists for helping the party win 104 wards in the civic elections.

Earlier, the BJP had suggested that the AAP

may have won the majority in the MCD polls, but the Mayor's election is still an open game, while noting that Chandigarh, where its rival was the largest party, has a mayor from BJP.

New Delhi (PTI): MCD Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti presented the civic body's budget to MCD Special Officer, official sources said.

The annual budget has to be presented by a commissioner before December 10, as per statutory requirements.

The budget is eventually approved by the Leader of House in a special meeting of the House chaired by the mayor, they said. The budget presented includes the revised budget estimate for 2022-23 and budget estimate for 2023-24, sources said.

QR code fraud on foreign liquor bottles lands three in jail

in Greater Noida Noida (PTI): QR-code related discrepancies on foreign liquor bottles in Greater Noida landed employees of a premium alcohol store in jail, officials said.

Noida (PTI): Three men, including a South Korean, were arrested from a gaming centre in Greater Noida where alcohol was allegedly being served illegally, officials said on Friday.

A team of Excise Department along with police raided the centre in Knowledge Park area, an official said. “Excise inspectors Rahul Singh and Chandrashekhar Singh raided the gaming centre - Screen Golf Good Shot - on the first floor of Signature Tower in Knowledge Park where liquor was being served illegally," said Excise Officer RB Singh.

According to an Excise Department officer, the discrepancies were caught during a surprise inspection at the store in Gaur City area of Greater Noida (West) also known as Noida Extension.

The department had got information about same unique Quick Response (QR) codes being used on multiple liquor bottles, leading to fraud with customers and loss of revenue to the government, Ex-

cise Officer RB Singh said.

The incident was reported from a Premium Retail Shop at the Gaur City roundabout. There are 15 PRS in the district that have licenses for sale of premium for-

eign liquor costing around Rs 2,000 or more.

"The shopkeepers were trying to reuse the QR codes by using the same label on multiple bottles and fooling consumers,” Singh said.

Father of victim Shraddha Walkar addresses the

for the first time after the incident

Vikas Walkar addresses a press conference in Mumbai on Friday along with BJP leader Kirit Somaiya and others.

Newly elected Congress councillor Nazia Khatoon from Brijpuri ward number 245 joins AAP on Friday. —PHOTO BY ANI

Delhi BJP President Adesh Gupta leaves the party office after MCD poll results on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY ANI

LG VK Saxena interacts with CM Arvind Kejriwal at Armed Forces Flag Day 2022 event at Raj Bhawan on Friday. —PHOTO BY ANI

Since

in the first year, a woman is supposed to be the mayor, one of our winning women candidates will be elected.

—Aaam Aadmi Party sources

MCD

presented to ‘Spl Officer’

The shopkeepers were trying to reuse the QR codes by using the same label on multiple bottles and fooling consumers.

—Rakesh Bahadur Singh, Excise Officer

I expect a similar lesson for Aaftab in the way he murdered my daughter.

—Vikas Walkar, Father of Sharaddha Walkar

NaMo: GIVING HIS EAR TO THE PEOPLE’S WOES

The Phenomenal Prime Minister: A bigger, better listener than the orator he is!

The narrator bring home to us the warmth, the peace and the positivity that PM Modi infuses in all his interactions. He is the PM and has a hundred pressing tasks to accomplish. But the 10 minutes he devotes during a meeting with someone, he is present completely. He makes the speaker feel super important and that is the quality that makes him truly phenomenal!

It was amazing that for 8 months back to back Modi spoke about “Sports for All.”

When you look at government policies, whether it is Khelo India, Fit India, Yoga Day, it is all around Sports for All! If PM says something, it makes a difference. He knows how to make a difference!

My interaction with Modiji has been really remarkable! Of course, we view him as our leader, but for me to get a letter from him post the

He spoke about Indianness and being the pride of India, and that remained as a big thing for me.

Well there was something that I began to feel very strongly about. While sport for everyone is a very important thing and physical literacy as a movement had just started, my experience in sports has taught me that it is not just about winning medals and trophies and I felt that sports was losing the essence of what it was meant

‘WHEN I MET MODI, HE DID NOT INTERRUPT ME FOR 9 MINUTES’

PMO called up and said “Done! Come to the Parliament House! We have a meeting arranged with the PM!” It was scheduled for 11 o’clock. I had no clue for how much time the meeting was slotted but when I went there I realized it was seven and a half minutes before the next meeting. He is somebody who did not interrupt me, at all, for 9 minutes. People always say that he is a great orator. I think, he is a bigger, better listener.

‘MODI’S WARMTH CAN NEVER

LEAVE ONE UNTOUCHED’

In one of the functions recently, in India, most of the officials were sitting and the players were standing. We could see on his face that he was not liking what was happening. But he is PM Modi. He immediately figured out a way and quickly made it a point that he met each of the players personally. For me, I know one thing. Even if he is in a crowd, he connects with each one of the crowd! His warmth can never leave any one untouched.

for 5 to 6 minutes. Nobody is going to listen to you for so long! So go prepared!”

As I go in for this meeting, the first thing is that he makes me feel so warm. He asked me to pose for a photograph as his social media team was there, and then he says “Bolo Gopi, kya hai? (Yes Gopi! Tell me what it is.” And then I started talking. I actually spoke for 9 minutes. I was surprised at my own self! I could not remember speaking continuously like this to someone, one-onone, at a personal level in this way. People always say that he is a great orator.

I think, he is a bigger, better listener.

And that is the point that people actually miss out. He is somebody who did not interrupt me, at all, for 9 minutes.

And at seven and a half minutes, the door opened, he just glanced at his watch, and then he nodded and the person went off. And then the meeting continued till about 15 minutes. So I think one of the most striking qualities you realize is his ability to listen and his warmth. In a one-on-one interaction I real-

ized that this is phenomenal. Then I remember something very vividly. He took out his pen and a small notepad, and wrote something. And then that was it! I came out.

And it was amazing that for eight months back to back he spoke about “Sports for All.” When you look at government policies, whether it is Khelo India, Fit India, Yoga Day, it is all around Sports for All! If PM Modi says something, it makes a difference. He knows how to make a difference!

Today I have realized, more than then, that the Prime Minister, with his kind of problems, actually had so much of time and detail to figure this out. I remember this time, when I won the international Olympic Award for being the coach of the year, I asked once again for permission to meet him. It was 3 o’clock and I enquired at his office if it was even possible to meet sir. I could come at some other appropriate time as well. And the answer

I get is that “I could come at 9 in the morning!” I was elated and shocked. He had been on that long tour abroad where he was visiting seven countries in seven days and was landing back at 4 am. Between 4 am and 9 am too he was super tied up. He visited Arun Jaitley’s family as Jaitleyji had passed away. Normally one would expect a per-

son to be super tired at 9 am who has just done so much in the past week, and here he was – as fresh an apple! Well, glowing is the word. He spent 15 minutes and I was almost feeling guilty. You are in a hurry. You have ten things to do. But he is there, sitting in front of you and telling you that he has no other work but to listen to you. You know, it is this quality that makes you feel as though you are super important. It makes you feel like he has no other work more important than actually being with you. I think it is this quality of PM Modi that is unbelievable! It is almost sage-like.

In one of the functions recently, in India the typical tendency is that most of the officials are sitting and the players are standing. You could see on his face that he was not liking what was happening. But he is PM Modi. He immediately figured out a way and quickly made it a point that he met each of the players personally. That again is something supremely remarkable. For me, I know one thing. Even if he is in a crowd, he connects with each one of the crowd! His warmth can never leave any one untouched.

22 Sector-59, Noida-201301.

Jagdeesh Chandra

Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act

KUDANKULAM N-PLANT’S 4 UNITS WILL BE COMPLETED BY 2027: SINGH

New

WINTER SESSION

UNION MIN NITYANAND SAYS THAT THE WORLD’S LARGEST FOOD SECURITY SCHEME GAREEB KALYAN ANNA YOJNA COVERED 80 CR BENEFICIARIES

Mission of Modi government's welfare schemes boon for poor: Union MoS Rai

New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Friday described the welfare schemes of the Narendra Modi government as a “boon” while highlighting the effectiveness of various schemes rolled out for the underprivileged.

Rai said that the world’s largest food security scheme Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojna covered 80 crore beneficiaries.

About the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY) which was implemented in April 2020 amid the COVID pandemic, he said, “The government has spent approximately Rs. 3.45 lakh crore so far and another Rs. 44,762 Crore will be spent till December 2022 taking the total expenditure under PMGKAY to nearly Rs. 3.91 lakh crore,” Rai said.

“This will cover nearly 80 crore beneficiaries across India and like before would be fully

The schemes of the Centre in Bihar are not being implemented properly, the Bihar government has returned 18,000 crores for every household water tap scheme but The Modi government is determined to uplift the poor and eliminate every obstacle that comes in it.

Nityanand Rai Union MoS for Home Affairs

Government of India,” he added.

Mentioning the Jan Dhan Yojana, the Minister said that as on August 2022, more than

ciaries banked under PMJDY since inception, amounting to Rs 1,73,954 crore as part of financial inclusion to support the overall economic development of marginalised sections of society.

“PMJDY accounts grow 3-fold from 14.72 crores in March 2015 to 46.25 crore as on August 10, 2022. 56 per cent JanDhan account holders are women and 67 per cent Jan Dhan accounts in rural and semi-urban areas” he said.

He said that the Modi government has focused on the health of poor people across the country and their welfare.

Will make traditional sports int’l, says Thakur

New Delhi (PTI): Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday assured the Lok Sabha that traditional sports such as Mallakhamb, Thang Ta, Yogasana, Gatka and Kalpetta will soon go international, and the ministry will open 1,000 Khelo India centres across the country by August 15 next year.

As the LS resumed on Thursday debate on sports and the steps taken by the government in this regard, several MPs urged the government to create sports infrastructure in rural areas and initiate measures to include rural youth in selections.

In his reply on Friday, Thakur said govt is focused towards identifying talent from the rural areas and training them to become international athletes.

Whether it is paralympics, deaf olympics or summer olympics, we have won most medals. Seven in the Olympics, 19 in the paralympics and 16 in the deaf olympics. We worked towards changing perceptions towards sports.

areas. “We will start with opening 1,000 Khelo India centres. The process for 733 such centres has already started and by next August 15, we will finish the work of opening 1,000 Khelo India centres,” the minister said.

he said. The projected installed capacity of the Kudankulam site is 6000 MW, comprising of six nuclear power reactors of 1000 MW capacity each.

INDIA’S CANCER CASES PROJECTED TO INCREASE BY 12.8%: MANDAVIYA

New Delhi: The estimated number of cancer cases in the country in 2020 was 13,92,179 and it is projected to increase by 12.8%, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed LS citing National Cancer Registry Programme data.Responding to a question, he said patients with cancer are getting treatment at various health facilities, including district hospitals, medical colleges, central institutes like AIIMS and private hospitals.Relevant data related to patients registered for treatment is maintained by institutions & hospitals. Under RAN, financial assistance is provided to patients belonging to families living below poverty line, suffering from major life threatening diseases for treatment, he said.

GOVT SHOULD DISCUSS INDIA-CHINA BORDER ISSUES IN PARL: CONGRESS

New Delhi: Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Friday said that the government should discuss the border issues between India and China instead of reciting about G20. “In Ladakh, the Chinese Army has infiltrated and made over 200 shelters with accommodation facilities. Now, our Army isn’t allowed to patrol in farther areas, If this goes like this then the situation might get tense at Siachen Glacier,” Chowdhury told ANI. “It’s imperative that government discuss the situation of India-China border issues (in Parliament) instead of reciting G20,” he said. The Congress leader criticised the government’s November 2016 decision to demonetise high-value currency notes, claiming the move did not meet the desired goals as cash in circulation and fake currency have gone up.

BJP RESPECTS ALL INSTITUTIONS: RIJIJU ON JUDICIAL APPT ROW

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing winter session of the parliament, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday took a jibe at the Opposition over the Congress’ adjournment motion notice on the Centre’s confrontation with the judiciary and said that BJP respects all institutions of the country. “We aren’t like the Congress party that overturns everything and captures

Anurag

Thakur Union Sports Minister

He said the demand is that Khelo India centres must be opened in rural

He recalled PM Modi’s remark that when a sportsman wins in a game, it gives Indians a chance to celebrate the concept of “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat”.

‘No report of starvation deaths from states, UTs’

New Delhi (PTI): There is no report of starvation deaths from states and Union Territories, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Friday.

Responding to a question, Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said the Global Hunger Index did

MEETING FOR A PURPOSE

Global Hunger Index (GHI) does not reflect India’s true picture as it is a flawed measure of ‘Hunger’. It should not be taken at face value as it is neither appropriate nor representative of hunger prevalent in a country.

Smriti Irani, Union Women & Child Development Minister

not reflect India’s true picture as it was a flawed measure of “hunger”.

It should not be taken at face value as it is nei-

ther appropriate nor representative of hunger prevalent in a country, she said.India ranked 107th of 121 countries in

the Global Hunger Index - 2022 with its child wasting rate, at 19.3 per cent, being the highest in the world. Responding to another question, Irani provided data as per which 140,575 children went missing since 2019 and 125,445 children had been recovered during the same period.

Rajnath, Yediyurappa, Munda central observers for BJP MLAs’ meet to pick Gujarat CM today

Bhupendra Patel submits his resignation to Acharya Devvrat

New Delhi (PTI): Senior BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, B S Yediyurappa and Arjun Munda were appointed on Friday as central observers for the meeting of party’s new MLAs in Gujarat to pick the next CM.

The BJP registered a historic victory in Gujarat on Thursday by

clinching 156 seats in the 182-member House.

The BJP has called a meeting of its newly elected legislators today morning to elect legislature party leader who will be the next CM.

BJP has announced earlier that Bhupendra Patel will continue as its CM in the state.

Gandhinagar (ANI): Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel submitted his resignation to Governor Acharya Devvrat after BJP registered a historic win in State Assembly polls ahead of formation of his new government.

Patel will take oath as CM again on Dec 12, BJP state president CR Paatil said that PM Narendra Modi & Union Home Minister Amit

Shah will attend the swearing-in. Patel visited the Raj Bhavan in

First India Bureau

Delhi: The remaining four 1000 MW units of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant will be completed by 2027, said Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, Atomic Energy and Space. In a statement laid on the table of the Rajya Sabha in reply to a question, Jitendra Singh said, “At present, Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 and 2 of 1000 MW capacity each are already in operation and the remaining four units of 1000 MW each are under construction.” “On their progressive completion, the full capacity of the Kudankulam site of 6000 MW is expected to be reached by the year 2027,”

institutions. BJP respects all institutions of the country,” said Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju. His remarks came after Congress MP Manish Tewari gave an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha to discuss “the confrontation with the judiciary brought to the fore by recent statements made by various Government functionaries, including the Union Law Minister.”

Nityanand Rai

Anurag Thakur

Smriti Irani

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann meets with Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the shifting of the barbed wire on the border, strengthening the police force to prevent the ever-increasing incidents of drones and other issues, in New Delhi on Friday. Mann also pointed out that 2 important state bills stipulating harsher punishment for perpetrators of sacrilege were pending since 2018, awaiting Presidential assent. —PHOTO BY ANI

Gandhinagar to tender his resignation after swept Gujarat polls.

Bhupendra Patel (3rd L) with State BJP President CR Patil and other ministers, meets Governor Acharya Devvrat to tender resignation of his government, in Gandhinagar on Friday.

Rajnath Singh B S Yediyurappa Arjun Munda

New

CYCLONE MANDOUS

RAIN FURY IN CHENNAI

First India Bureau

Chennai: The IMD said Mandous lay centered 440km southeast of Chennai and may weaken into a cyclonic storm by forenoon on December 9. “The cyclone interacts with the sea surface temperature, surrounding and upper atmosphere and the weather is meant to change continuously,” said S Balachandran, deputy director general, IMD, Chennai. IMD has is-

All precautionary measures have been taken by govt & the officers are regularly monitoring the situation. Govt will ensure protec tion of the people. District-wise monitoring of the cyclone is being done. I request people to follow govt orders & cooperate with us. —MK Stalin, TN CM

sued a red alert for Kancheepuram, Chengalpet and Villupuram for December 9 as these districts are likely to receive extremely heavy rainfall (21cm

IN THE COURTYARD

SC on

in lurch if no solution is found at this stage. A bench of justices B R Gavai & Vikram Nath said if necessary, Centre may appoint a panel of experts to find a solution to problem of students. The top court said it hoped Centre will give due importance to its suggestion.

New Delhi (PTI): SC slapped a cost of Rs 25,000 on a petitioner who had sought compensation of Rs 75 lakh from Google India for ads shown on YouTube which allegedly had explicit content.While dismissing PIL, the apex court termed as “atrocious” the PIL filed by a MP resident who claimed that ads diverted him & he could not clear a competitive exam.

New Delhi (PTI): SC asked army to put its ‘house in order’ saying that it has not been “fair” to women officers alleging delay in promotions after being granted permanent commission. A bench comprising CJ D Y Chandrachud & Justice P S Narasimha was hearing a PIL of 34 women officers alleging that junior male officers are being considered over them for promotions.

or more) at one or two places. The agency issued an orange alert to eight districts today. Chennai and Tiruvallur are likely to receive heavy to very

Theavy rainfall (7 cm to 20 cm) on December 10. The government, meanwhile, said it was prepared for emergency situations. 12 state and national disaster

‘Be sympathetic to needs of deprived sections’

Dehradun (PTI): President Droupadi Murmu on Friday asked IAS trainees at Mussoorie to be sympathetic to the deprived sections when they play a role in policy-making as civil servants and asserted that real development is achieved only when all stakeholders are taken along.Addressing the trainee officers at the concluding ceremony of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy Of Administration’s 97th foundation course, she said the trainee officers of the academy are in a position to translate India of their dreams into a reality.

Civil service is the path to serving the nation. It is a principlebased career in which character plays a significant role the president said. “You must always carry with you the academy’s motto which says character is the highest virtue.”

“You are going to play a

Modi, others greet Sonia on her B’day

New Delhi (PTI): Several Congress leaders, PM Narendra Modi and leaders across the political sides greeted former party chief Sonia Gandhi on her birthday on Friday, December 9, 2022, with AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge saying her "indomitable spirit" in the wake of adversity has inspired millions.

The former Congress president is in Rajasthan on her 76th birthday and is spending time with her chil-

EX-ANDAMAN TOP OFFICER NARAIN, ACCUSED IN RAPE CASE, HOSPITALISED

dren Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.In a tweet, Mr. Kharge said, "Extending my warm birthday greetings to CPP Chair-

person, Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji. Her grace, dedication, indomitable spirit and dignity in the wake of adversity has inspired millions. I

CRUCIAL READ

TRS IS NOW BRS OFFICIALLY

wish her a long and healthy life".

The Congress, from its official Twitter handle, said, "Warm birthday wishes to Smt Sonia Gandhi who epitomises sacrifice, courage & dedication. Her sense of duty and grace is an inspiration."

Several top Congress leaders including party gen secy organisation KC Venugopal, Sachin Pilot, Randeep Surjewala and Shashi Tharoor, wished Ms. Sonia Gandhi on her birthday.

vital role in the country’s policy-making process over the next 25 years. If you are sensitive to the needs of the deprived sections you will achieve your goal.

Real development comes about only when all stakeholders are taken along.“Setting the country on the path

of progress is both your Constitutional responsibility & moral duty,” said the president, who is on her first visit to hill state after assuming office. “ I appeal to you to implement the government’s environment conservation programmes with total dedication,” she said.

Arvind Kejriwal failed to make inroads in Gujarat!

Lakshmi on

an

the

links case, has moved the Bombay High Court seeking temporary bail on health grounds. Babu has been in jail for almost two years. He needed bail for three months to undergo cataract surgery and get treatment for upper abdominal pain and osteoarthritis at the Breach Candy hospital here, his petition said. The plea came up on Friday before a division bench of Justices AS Gadkari and PD Naik which posted it for hearing on December 13 and directed the National Investigation Agency to file its response.

Port Blair (PTI): Former CS of Andaman & Nicobar Islands Jitendra Narain, accused of involvement in an alleged gang-rape case, was admitted at GB Pant Hospital in Port Blair after he complained of chest discomfort and fever on Thursday night.Police sources said, doctors at GB Pant examined him and decided to admit him for few more health check-ups. Narain was in Jail custody at Prathrapur District correctional center in connection with rape of a 21-year-old woman.

ON A WINNING SPREE

Historic win of PM’s BJP in Guj grabs global headlines

New Delhi (ANI): Global news outlets have widely reported on the landslide victory of BJP in Gujarat where PM Narendra Modi led a campaign to a record win on his home turf.

On Thursday, the ruling BJP recorded a historic win in Gujarat, winning 156 seats. The BJP’s 7th consecutive Assembly poll win in Gujarat is also its biggest since the founding of this state in 1960. The Straits Times of Singa-

pore, the Nik kei Asia, Al Jazeera, etc were among the global publications which displayed pho tographs of jubi lant celebrations of BJP’s win.

British publication The Guardian reported that PM Modi had given a significant boost to BJP, a sign of party’s

pan’s Nikkei Asia attributed this win to PM Modi’s popularity in Jawaharlal Nehru University prof Ajay Gudavarthy told Al Jazeera that BJP’s comfortable win in Guj shows a deeper consolidation of Hindu vote.

New Delhi: Before the assembly elections in Gujarat, it seemed that Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party would cut some votes of the BJP as well, but it could not do so. On the contrary, in the fight between Arvind Kejriwal and Congress, BJP’s supporters became more united and BJP’s vote percentage went above 53 percent. In fact, Arvind Kejriwal played the game of Hindutva in the Gujarat elections. He and other leaders of his party did not speak anything on the release of the rapists of Bilkis Bano and on the contrary said that it is not their issue. Kejriwal took the bet of putting the picture of Ganesha and

elections. But neither of the two bets worked for Kejriwal in Gujarat. His appeal to the pro-BJP Hindu voters did not work. That’s why BJP’s vote increased from 49 percent last time to 53 percent. This also proved that people are not yet ready to accept AAP. They have the option of BJP as a party and Narendra Modi and Amit Shah as Hindu leaders, so no one else can be accepted, at least in front of them. It is possible that Kejriwal’s appeal may have worked in other states outside Gujarat, but in Gujarat he could not cut BJP’s vote and by cutting more than 13 percent votes of Congress, he still could not achieve much.

Pratibha Singh among 5 IAS transferred in UP

Ahtesham Siddiqui

Lucknow: 5 IAS officers have been transferred in the bureaucracy of Uttar Pradesh wherein, IAS Pratibha Singh has been transferred to the position of Joint Magistrate in Amroha. Moreover, IAS Pratibha Singh’s Telangana cardre has changed to UP on marital ground after which the appointment department has

accorded her first posting while her husband IPS Aditya Lehenga is posted as SP Amroha. IAS AV Raja Mauli has been made UP’s new Secretary, Home; while IAS Rajesh Kumar has been removed from Director, Social Welfare and made Special Secretary, Revenue.

Additionally, IAS Khempal Singh has been made Special Secretary.

PM CHAIRS VIDEO MEETING OF GUVs, CMs & LGs TO DISCUSS INDIA’S G20 PRESIDENCY

showcase parts of India beyond conventional big metros, thus bringing out uniqueness of each part of our country.

Shamsher Singh

the Indian currency i.e. Rupee in between the

President Droupadi Murmu presents a degree to a student during the 3rd convocation of Doon University, in Dehradun, Friday.

You should perform in such a manner that when you open your time capsule in 2047 you have the satisfaction of having achieved your targets.

—Droupadi Murmu, President

Delhi: The

Friday directed the Centre and the National Medical Commission (NMC) to find out a solution to accommodate those undergraduate medical students who have returned from foreign countries like Ukraine and China, saying their career will be left

FOREIGN RETURNED MED STUDENTS: SC DIRECTS CENTRE, NMC TO RESOLVE ISSUE

SC REJECTS PIL SEEKING ` 75 L COMPENSATION

ARMY NOT BEING FAIR TO WOMEN OFFICERS: SC

ABNORMAL SOUND FROM WHEELS: VANDE BHARAT HALTED IN UP

INDRANI’S PIL TO RECALL WITNESS ATTEMPT TO PROLONG TRIAL, SAYS CBI

Prayagraj (Agencies): Varanasi-bound Vande Bharat Express (train number 22436) was halted at Bharwari railway station, in UP's Kaushambi district under Prayagraj division of North Central Railway on Friday after the loco pilot heard some abnormal sound from the wheels of this self-propelled train.

Hyderabad (PTI): Marking the formal launch of TRS into national politics, party supremo and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday unfurled the flag of Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) in the wake of the ECI approving the name change of TRS as BRS. Rao hoisted the BRS flag at the party headquarters here. Earlier, he signed on the papers concerned about the name change of TRS as BRS.

Mumbai (PTI): CBI told a special court that plea by Indrani Mukerjea, a prime accused in Sheena Bora murder case, to recall witness Rahul Mukerjea at a future date is an attempt to prolong trial as she is out on bail. CBI, in its written response to Indrani’s PIL, said that her application was ‘not maintainable.’ Mukerjea has already deposed as a witness & was cross-examined by Indrani’s lawyer Ranjeet Sangle.

Narendra Modi @narendramodi

Birthday greetings to Smt. Sonia Gandhi Ji. Praying for her long and healthy life.

response force units had reached districts likely to be hit. Govt buses will not be operated at night. Public has been advised not to visit beaches.

NDRF, SDRF TEAMS DEPLOYED

Arvind Kejriwal

Sonia Gandhi

Houses swept away by the sea waves due to cyclone Mandous, in Puducherry on Friday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

—PHOTO

PTI

Mumbai (PTI): Former Delhi University professor Hany Babu,

accused in

Elgar Parishad-Maoist

FORMER DU PROFESSOR HANY BABU MOVES HC SEEKING MEDICAL BAIL

BRIEFS

INVEST MORE, CEA URGES PVT SECTOR

New Delhi: Wheat acreage has increased by 25% so far in the onging rabi season at 255.76 lakh hectares mainly on higher sowing area in UP and MP. The area under coverage for wheat, which is the major crop in rabi season, stood at 203.91 lakh hectares in the same period last year.

Increase in wheat sowing area augurs well for the country as the domestic production had fallen to 106.84 million tonnes (MT) in the 2021-22 crop year from 106.84 MT in the previous year. —PTI

NOVEMBER THERMAL COAL IMPORTS AT TEN MONTH-LOW

New Delhi (PTI): Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran on Friday said private sector needs to increase capital expenditure as it may not be healthy for the public sector to continue to invest at the same pace as it did in the last decade.

The combined investment by Centre, states and public sector enterprises have gone up 3.5 times over the last 10 years from ` 6.8 lakh crore to ` 21.2 lakh crore currently.

"In the decade when the non-financial corporate sector and the banking system were repairing balance sheets, the public sector took over and kept up economic growth throughout the second decade of the millenium and it has continued well into the current decade as well," Nageswaran said at a CII's Global Economic Policy Summit 2022 here.

MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS

New Delhi: India’s thermal coal imports fell to the lowest levels in 10 months during Nov, data from consultancy Coalmint showed, mainly due to a rise in domestic coal production. The country imported 10.83 million tonnes of thermal coal in Nov, the data showed, compared with 12.03 million tonnes in Oct and 9.45 million tonnes in Nov 2021. Imports fell mainly due to higher production by state-run Coal India, which accounts for 80% of India’s coal output. —FIB

AIRTEL BEATS JIO TO GAIN MORE RMS IN SECOND QUARTER

The Chief Economic Advisor in the Finance Ministry said there was a need to decide whether to continue to scale up investment at the same pace or allow the private sector to start functioning as 'primary engine of capital formation' in the economy.

The corporate sector, he said, currently has a very healthy balance sheet and the bottom line and the balance sheets of banks and financial institutions have repaired and they are ready to lend. "Therefore it may not be necessary or may not be healthy for the public sector to keep ex-

ADB approves 250 million dollar loan for India

z CEA said private sector needs to increase capital expenditure as it may not be healthy for the public sector to continue to invest at the same pace as it did in the last decade

panding capital investment at the same pace.

"Capital expenditure has to continue to increase, but not at the same pace because we should not only be not crowding out the private sector but also ensuring that the combined investment spending by the public and private sector should not drive up the cost

z The combined investment by Centre, states and public sector enterprises have gone up 3.5 times over the last 10 years to `21.2 lakh crore

z Capex has to continue to increase, but not at the same pace because we should not only be not crowding out

of capital too much for the economy," Nageswaran said. Nageswaran's comments follows a nudge by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in September, where she sought to know from the industry what is holding it back from investing in manufacturing, even though foreign investors show confidence in India.

‘G20 Presidency opportunity to showcase India’s strength’

New Delhi (PTI): Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said India is one of the fastest growing economy in the world and stressed that the G20 Presidency offers the country a great opportunity to showcase its strength to the world.

India on December 1, officially assumed the presidency of G-20, a grouping of developed and developing nations.

"We have a dream to make the Indian economy a 5 trillion dollar economy. India is one of the fastest growing economy in the world and there are a lot of opportunities available in

India," the road transport and highways minister said.

Today a lot of investors across the world, he said, are keenly interested to invest in India.

The large pool of young and talented engineers are the biggest strength for In-

Govt seeks nod to spend another `3.25 L crore

New Delhi (PTI): The Government on Friday sought Parliament nod for net additional spending of over `3.25 lakh crore in the current fiscal, which includes over `1.09 lakh crore towards fertiliser subsidy payout.

Besides, approval for ` 80,348.25 crore has been sought for meeting expenditure of the food and consumer affairs ministry mainly towards giving free foodgrains to the poor.

Approval has also been sought for expenditure of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas towards payments of LPG subsidies to oil marketing companies and LPG connections to the poor under the Pradhan

Sensex surrenders early gains as IT stocks crack; logs weekly loss

New Delhi: Bharti Airtel has gained more revenue market share (RMS) than Reliance Jio in the fiscal second quarter, helped by a combination of stronger growth in the lucrative urban markets and superior monetisation of data usage, said experts, analysing latest telco financial data put out by the sector regulator. Loss-making Vodafone Idea (Vi) continued to lose revenue share in the second quarter, FY23, due to underperformance in key leadership circles — Kerala, Maharashtra and Gujarat – they added. —FIB

SNAPDEAL DEFERS

New Delhi (PTI): The ADB said it has approved a $250 million policy-based loan to support India's wide-ranging reforms that aim to strengthen and modernise the country's logistics infrastructure, improve efficiency, and lower costs. The loan will finance the first sub-program of the strengthening multimodal and integrated logistics ecosystem program, which supports the government's efforts to create a comprehensive policy, planning, and institutional framework at the federal, state, and city level.

IN

Mumbai (PTI): Equity benchmark Sensex declined nearly 390 points on Friday, pressured by heavy selling in IT, tech and energy stocks despite a positive trend in the global markets.

Besides, rising crude oil prices and relentless foreign capital outflows further weighed on sentiment, traders said.

The 30-share BSE Sensex opened strong but came under severe selling pressure to close 389.01 points or 0.62% lower at 62,181.67. Similarly, the broader NSE

THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER

Nifty declined 112.75 points or 0.61% to 18,496.60.

HCL Tech was the top loser in the Sensex pack, skidding 6.72 per cent, followed by Tech Mahindra, Infosys, Wipro, TCS and Reliance Industries.

INDIAN RUPEE GAINS 10 PAISE TO CLOSE AT 82.28 AGAINST AMERICAN CURRENCY

Mumbai (PTI): The rupee appreciated by 10 paise to close at 82.28 (provisional) against the US dollar on Friday, tracking the weakening of the American currency in the overseas market. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local unit opened at 82.30 and touched an intra-day high of 82.08 and a low of 82.33 against the greenback. It finally settled at 82.28, registering a rise of 10 paise over its previous close of 82.38.

Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, among others totalling to `29,944 crore.

As per the first batch of supplementary demands for grants tabled in Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, approval is being sought for gross additional expenditure of about Rs 4.36 lakh crore.

Of this, proposals involving net cash outgo aggregates to over ` 3.25 lakh crore.

OTHER STORIES

dia, the minister said.

Currently, the size of the Indian automobile industry is ` 7.5 lakh crore and within five years, it will be scaled up to `15 lakh crore. "We will be the number one manufacturing automobile hub in the world," the minister stressed.

Inflows via MFs SIP hit fresh high at `13,306 crore

New Delhi (PTI): Flows in the mutual fund industry through systematic investment plans or SIPs route rose to an all-time high of `13,306 crore in November, reflecting the growing maturity and confidence of investors.

However, inflows in equity mutual fund schemes plunged 76% to `2,258 crore in November from ` 9,390 crore in the preceding month, data released by the Amfi showed on Friday.

This was also the 21st straight month of inflows into equity schemes.

As per the data, flows through SIP was ` 13,306 crore in November 2022, surpassing the previous high of ` 13,041 crore in October.

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT BIDS FOR IDBI BANK PRIVATISATION TO BE EXTENDED TILL EARLY JAN

New Delhi: The deadline to submit preliminary bids for IDBI Bank privatisation is likely to be extended by almost a month till early January, a government official said on Friday. The government and LIC together are looking to sell a 60.72% stake in IDBI Bank, and the last date for submitting an Expression of Interest (EoI) or preliminary bids is December 16. Transaction advisors have received a few requests for an extension of the deadline. Since foreign investment bankers would not be working due to year-end holidays, the deadline would be extended, the official said. —PTI

NDB & INDIA TO WORK TO PREPARE COUNTRY SPECIFIC STRATEGIES

BIDDING FOR CONCOR PRIVATISATION LIKELY FROM JANUARY

INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING

`1,250-CR

New Delhi: SoftBankbacked e-commerce marketplace Snapdeal has deferred its `1,250 crore IPO, joining the list of startups that have decided to shelve their initial public offering (IPO) plans this year. Snapdeal, which competes with Amazon and Flipkart, filed a request this week with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to withdraw its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) amid a sell-off in tech stocks worldwide. —PTI

Automobile retail sales soar to record high

New Delhi: Automobile retail sales in India clocked best-ever performance in November aided by robust registrations across segments including passenger vehicles, two-wheelers and commercial vehicles, automobile dealer’ body FADA said on Friday.

The overall automobile retail sales rose by 26% to 23,80,465 units last month, as compared with 18,93,647 units in November 2021.

“November 2022 has clocked highest retails in the history of Indian auto-

mobile Industry with March’20 as an exception when retails were higher due to BS IV to BS VI transition,” FADA said.

The sales momentum continued even after the

end of the festive period with the start of the wedding season, it added.

Passenger vehicle retail sales rose by 21% year on year last month to cross three lakh unit mark in No-

TOP TALKING POINTS

z The overall automobile retail sales rose by 26% to 23,80,465 units in Nov, as compared with 18,93,647 units in Nov 2021

z The sales momentum continued even after the end of the festive period

vember aided by better availability of models, new launches and increase in demand in rural areas. The overall passenger vehicle retail sales last month rose to 3,00,922 units.

New Delhi: New Development Bank (NDB) president Marcos Prado Troyjo on Friday said that the multilateral funding agency will work jointly with India to prepare country-specific strategies for boosting infrastructure investment. The Shanghai-based funding agency’s president said that Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) has suggested countryspecific strategies for member nations. Such a country strategy would provide the overarching framework for guiding the bank’s priorities in the country, he said. —PTI

New Delhi: The government is likely to invite preliminary bids for privatising Container Corporation of India (Concor) in January, an official said. Besides, the approval from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) for demerger of non-core and land assets of Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) is expected to come in this month, following which the government may invite financial bids for SCI in March or April, the official added. The government has so far received `28,383 crore through CPSEs stake sale and buyback.

BHARATPE FILES ARBITRATION TO CLAW BACK GROVER’S 1.4 PERCENT SHARES

New Delhi: Upping the ante, fintech unicorn BharatPe has filed an arbitration for clawing back it’s former MD and co-founder Ashneer Grover’s restricted shareholding and founder title, sources said. The arbitration was filed on Thursday under Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) rules, sources said. If relief is granted, Grover may lose his unvested shares and right to use the founder title. Grover, who BharatPe has accused of cheating and embezzlement of funds, holds about 8.5% of the company. Of this, 1.4% is not vested.

First India Bureau

‘Imam’s case not to be prejudiced by observations’

Says SC on HC statement on Imam in Umar Khalid’s bail plea

applications for

more than 10 minutes

New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday clarified the observations made in respect of JNU student Sharjeel Imam in the Delhi High Court verdict, which rejected the bail plea of co-accused Umar Khalid in a case of alleged conspiracy behind the February 2020 riots in northeast Delhi, will not prejudice his case pending before the court.

A bench of Justices S K Kaul and A S Oka, which was hearing Imam’s plea concerning

HC orders interim stay on Assam-Meghalaya border pact

the remarks made against him in the October 18 judgement of the HC, said one of the paragraphs in the verdict clarified “nothing stated hereinabove shall tantamount to an expression of any opinion on the merits of the case”.

“This happens when people argue bail applications like it is an appeal on merits,” Justice Kaul observed, adding that bail applications should not be argued for over 10 minutes. sIn its verdict rejecting for-

Shillong (PTI): The Meghalaya High Court has ordered an interim stay on physical demarcation or erection of boundary posts on the ground in connection with an interstate border pact signed by chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya earlier this year. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and his counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma had in March signed an MoU, demarcating the border in at least six of the 12 contested locations that often raised tensions between the two states.

Justice HS Thangkhiew ordered the interim stay till the next date of hearing on February 6, 2023, on a petition filed by four traditional chiefs’ of Meghalaya.

“It is however understood that during the intervening period, no

physical demarcation or erection of boundary posts on the ground, pursuant to the MoU dated 29.03.2022 shall be carried out, till the next date,” Justice Thangkhiew said. The traditional chiefs’ in their petition had urged the high court to set aside the MoU signed between the two northeastern states, claiming that it violated provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which deals with special provisions for administration of tribal areas.

Sonia Gandhi’s birthday with family at Ranthambore, tigress sighted in park

Khan & Sandeep Goyal

Sawai Madhpur: Former National President of Congress Sonia Gandhi visited Ranthambore national park along with her family on her 76th birthday on Friday. The Gandhi family left for Ranthambore national park from Sherbagh hotel here. During the evening safari in the park, the VVIPs were informed about a possible tiger sighting at Mishradarrah. The family reached the spot and there they sighted tigress Sultana.

mer JNU student Khalid’s plea seeking bail, the high court had said he was in constant touch with other co-accused and allegations against him were prima facie true.

“....having carefully gone through the charge-sheet and taking into consideration the fact that the appellant (Khalid) was in constant touch with other co-accused persons, including Sharjeel Imam, who arguably is at the head of the conspiracy;

at this stage, it is difficult to form an opinion that there are not reasonable grounds for believing that the accusation against the petitioner is prima facie not proved,” the high court had said in its verdict.

During the hearing before the top court, the counsel appearing for Imam told the bench they are constrained to move the apex court as serious prejudice would be caused to the petitioner due to the observations made by the

high court in the order denying bail to one of the co-accused in the case. “We have noticed that in paragraph 68 of the judgement, the division bench of the high court has clarified that the observations shall not tantamount to an expression of any opinion on the merits of the case,” the bench said.

“We clarify that any observations made in respect to the petitioner (Imam) will not prejudice the petitioner...,” the top court said.

According to sources, on Thursday late at night at the hotel, Sonia Gandhi celebrated her

bers stayed in the hotel during the day.

The Gandhi family also enjoyed a safari in the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in the Thursday evening shift. After this, they reached back to the hotel on Ranthambore Road in the late evening.

wished her a happy birthday.

In another tour, Sonia and Priyanka purchased handicrafts of Ranthambore after visiting the artisan centre on Friday. Sonia and Priyanka left from hotel Sherbagh at 1.15 PM and reached the Dastkar Kendra.

New

birthday with family members. Sonia along with Rahul, Priyanka and other family mem-

The Gandhi family rested for some time in the hotel. After this, Sonia Gandhi’s birthday was celebrated once again at night. During this, the cake was cut and Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and sonin-law Robert Vadra and their children

They observed the center closely for about twenty minutes and the mother-daughter duo bought Ranthambore Park’s jacket for Rahul Gandhi along with other items of handicraft, after which they returned to the hotel.

The joint working group will ‘review regional and global terrorist threat assessments, collaborative bilateral and regional counterterrorism programming, and initiatives to strengthen law enforcement and judicial part-

nerships”, the state department said on Friday.

The acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism travels to Japan, the Philippines, and India from December 8-14, the State Department said on Thursday.

Betts will lead the US delegation at the annual US-India Counterterrorism Joint Working Group on Dec 12-13

In Japan, Betts participated in trilateral counterterrorism discussions with senior government officials on the current terrorism landscape, including persistent threats in the Indo-Pacific.

TMC MP Nusrat Jahan at Parliament House complex. —PHOTO BY PTI

Home minister Amit Shah with Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma (L) and Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma (R).

Union MoS for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shobha Karandlaje with Union MoS for Health and Family Welfare Bharati Pawar and DMK MP T Sumathy Thamizhachi Thangapandian at Parliament House complex for the ongoing Winter Session, on Friday. —PHOTO BY PTI

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari is greeted by BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj.

—PHOTO BY ANI

TMC MPs Mimi Chakraborty and Derek O’Brien at Parliament House complex during ongoing Winter Session, in New Delhi on Friday. —PHOTO BY PTI

BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad with Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) MP Chirag Paswan at Parliament House complex.

—PHOTO BY PTI

Independent MP form Amravati Navneet Rana at Parliament House complex during the ongoing Winter Session. —PHOTO BY PTI

SC also said courts should not hear bail

Sharjeel Imam

—FILE PHOTO

HEARING ON FEB 6

Ziauddin

Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi during their safari at Ranthambore National Park on Thursday.

First India Bureau

Delhi: A top counterterrorism official from the United States Timothy Betts will lead the American delegation at the annual meeting of the India-US counter-terrorism joint working group in New Delhi this month from December 12-13.

cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something.

Everyone has a dream and everyone should try to pursue it. But don’t limit yourself to just what you think you can do. What you believe, you can achieve. What you believe, recall, you can accomplish”. And that is what Avani follows. Avani Kakekochhi Bhat from Karnataka is an Aerospace engineer and one of the finalists of the First Indian Queen. In a tete-atete with City First, Avani shares about her life, struggles and the journey she took to get where she is today.

When asked about her passion an dinterests besides modelling, the beauty exclaimed “I love dancing and am a professional dancer by heart. I own a dance academy called Trayee and am a co-owner of Supram Industries along with my dad.” The diva expressed her ambitions of becoming a leader and entrepreneur in society.

She further stated, “Growing up in a humble family, I was bullied for the wardrobe, the pouch I owned and the way I appeared. But I’ve learnt to appreciate my humble beginning and become the school captain, won international awards and make my school proud even today. Also, I am one of the youngest board members at the KSEEB (Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board) and was ranked 1 in Karnataka on my Alankar Bharatanatyam exam. I am also a scholarship holder for dance. My teaching experience at an orphan’s home for 5 years now.”

When asked about her aim, Avani said, “My aim is to highlight about mental health, nutrition and bring about spiritual awareness to help others who may be struggling with similar issues in life, because I truly wish to transform lives.”

Avani Kakekochhi, from Karnataka, one of the First India queen finalists talks about her journey so far!

ADITI KUSHWAHA

FACE OF THE DAY!

Aries

MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

You are likely to have fun at work today. A changed lifestyle promises good health. You may not be in the best of financial situations, but things are likely to improve. Much excitement is foreseen on the family front. There is some scope of improving your scores on the academic front.

Gemini

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

You may get motivated to shake a leg just to get on the fitness trail. It will be important to keep a tab of your expenses today. Some shuffling on the work front is likely but will not affect you. Peace and tranquillity prevail on the home front and will help you unwind. Romance seems on the upswing.

Leo

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

Job prospects for those freshly out of professional institutes are set to brighten up soon. A positive outlook will help you throw out the negativity within. You will manage to ignore distractions and interruptions at work to complete a pending task in time. is so miffed.

Libra

SEPTEMBER 24 - OCTOBER 22

This is the day to play your winning card on the professional front. A lot of time may be wasted in socialising, but you will love every moment of it! Time is ripe for investing in a scheme you have been considering for long. Your upbeat mood and a happy demeanour will brighten atmosphere.

Sagittarius

NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 22

Sticking to workout routine may benefit you on the health front.

Meeting relatives at a marriage or party cannot be ruled out. Accompanying someone you click with is likely to make your business journey entertaining. Support from the family may seem most encouraging.

Aquarius

JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 19

Balancing act between home and office will remain most smooth for working women. You succeed in putting an ambitious project on the tracks and cross all hurdles in making it a success. Love beckons and promises to give immense joy and fulfillment. Homemakers can exceed budget.

Taurus

APRIL 21 - MAY 20

A major purchase may make a dent in your savings, but will help in keeping up with the jonesses. Speculation may not be profitable and you can very well burn your fingers. Some of you may get hard pressed to find a good match for someone eligible in the family down, Saturn will save you.

Cancer

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

Homemakers will get a chance to implement their ideas. You are likely to be recognised for your efforts on the professional front. Some of you can be invited for guidance or consultancy. Chance of a raise is possible for some. Timely and correct decision will help you in saving a lot of money.

Virgo

AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 23

Satisfaction is foreseen for the image conscious people trying to achieve perfect figure and physique. You will succeed in surmounting the odds to get a stalled job back on the tracks. Your efforts on the academic front will keep you in contention. You are likely to spend an enjoyable time.

Scorpio

OCTOBER 23 - NOVEMBER 22

You will succeed and move ahead in your professional life, as the year begins. Be careful, though, as your daily routine may be affected adversely. Your boss may be the reason for your annoyance. Pressure tactics can infuriate you. Probably, by 5th or 6th, you may think of taking up a new job.

Capricorn

DECEMBER 23 - JANUARY 20

Focussing on your career graph at this juncture will be a step that will take you far. A rethink is in order for those going in for a heavy investment. Recovering a loaned amount from someone will not pose much difficulty. You will manage to defuse tensions prevailing at home.

Pisces

FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 20

Financial condition of those down in the dumps is set to improve. Your efficiency at work is likely to impress those who matter at work. Your biggest asset is your sense of humor try to use it to cure your not so good health. Spending time with family.

LOSING WEIGHT NANO-TECHNOLOGY can Now Assist you in

DR. KRISHANGA cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

New Studies use Cationic Nanomaterials to Target Fat. Nanotechnology has recently sparked considerable interest in a variety of fields, including medicine. South Africa (SA) was the first African country to adopt the technology, with the goal of improving the national bioeconomy and global competitiveness through the use of innovative nanotechnology-based solutions. And as per this new invention, nanotechnology can now target lipid molecules.

Obesity prevalence has steadily increased over the last five decades, and

obesity may have a massive effect on quality-adjusted years of life. Obesity is also strongly linked to an increased risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. Despite the serious consequences of obesity, losing weight can significantly reduce the risk of the majority of these comorbid conditions. Comorbidities most closely linked to obesity must be identified in order to raise awareness of potential negative outcomes. This will enable health-care workers to identify and implement appropriate interventions to reduce patient risk and mortality.

Fat cell development, which begins with a tiny fibroblast-like precursor, not only activates the fat cells' particular genes but also causes them to enlarge by accumulating more lipids (in adipocytes and adipose tissue). In reality, lipid storage is a fat cell's defining role. However, excessive lipid storage can make fat cells unhealthy and lead to obesity.

CATIONIC NANOMATERIALS TO TARGET FAT

stroying it, like liposuction does.

CHALLENGES IN TARGETING FAT CELLS

The lives of a lot of individuals will be simplified if scientists can target fat cells and securely decouple harmful fat accumulation from healthy fat metabolism.

A significant obstacle in the treatment of obesity is that fat tissue, which is not continuous throughout the body but is found piece by piece in "depots," has been difficult to target in a depotspecific, precise manner.

There has never been a mechanism to selectively treat visceral adipose tissue and contemporary subcutaneous fat treatments, such as liposuction, that are invasive and destructive.

EFFECT OF P-G3 ON FAT CELLS

Then something strange happened: P-G3 turned off the lipid storage mechanism in fat cells, causing the mice to lose weight. This was com-

pletely unexpected, considering the well-established role of P-G3 in neutralizing negatively charged pathogens, such as DNA and RNA cell debris, in order to reduce inflammation.

"Our approach is unique--It departs from the pharmacological or surgical approaches," says Qiang, who specializes in obesity and adipocyte biology. "We used cationic charge to rejuvenate healthy fat cells, a technique no one has ever used to treat obesity. I think this novel strategy will open the door to a healthier and safer reduction of fat".

The researchers noticed in these two tests that the cationic substance, P-G3, could do an interesting thing to fat cells: while it assisted new fat cell development, it also uncoupled lipid storage from fat cell housekeeping tasks. Because it prevents larger fat cells from storing harmful lipids, the mice had more metabolically healthy, youthful, tiny fat cells like those found

"With P-G3, fat cells can still be fat cells, but they can't grow up," said Leong, a pioneer in using polycation to scavenge pathogens. "Our studies highlight an unexpected strategy to treat visceral adiposity and suggest a new direction of exploring cationic nanomaterials for treating metabolic diseases".

P-G3 FOR DRUG DELIVERY, GENE THERAPY, AND AESTHETICS

Leong and Qiang see various possibilities for their ability to selectively target visceral fat. The biomaterials study reveals a straightforward approach that might be employed for aesthetic objectives; similar to Botox, P-G3 can be injected locally into a specific subcutaneous fat depot. The researchers, who have filed patents, are currently modifying P-G3 to improve its efficacy, safety, and depot specificity.

"We're very excited to discover that cationic charge is the secret to targeting adipose tissue," Qiang said. "We can now shrink fat depot-specifically—anywhere we want—and safely without destroying fat cells. This is a major advance in treating obesity".

With this new technology in sight, obesity and other linked co-morbidities can be managed with ease.

SOURCE: Nano-Technology can Now Assist you in Losing Weight (medindia.net)

SARA ASNANI, Model

Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

TEASES NEW MUSIC

revealed

SADIE SINK LIED

A party-goer

Putting up her best like always, Shehnaaz Gill is embracing shine lately, and the aesthetic of her latest look was too disco ball-like.

Shehnaaz graced Salman Khan’s hosted reality show Bigg Boss 16 with rapper MC Square to promote their recently released music video ‘Ghani Syaani’, which is already a hit among their fans. Shehnaaz Gill’s recent look has got the town talking for all the right reasons and we are sure you won’t stop gaz ing at her sheer beauty. The diva opted for a strapless electric blue body-hug ging sequined midi outfit that came with feathery details at the edge. She let her outfit shine bright and kept her accessories minimal by opting for dia mond-studded hoops and rings. Her pinkshaded eye makeup and that perfect wing liner elevat ed the look of her ensemble. Add ing a barbiecore touch to her se quined dress, Shehnaaz donned hot pink heels that scream fashion.

Sadie Sink, during a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, spoke candidly about how she “got the role” in the popular series.

During her candid chat with Jimmy Kimmel, Sadie revealed, “I joined the show in season two and I was a fan of season one before.” She added, “I was in the audition process for Max and I think I had done four callbacks, did the screen test for the role.”

She candidly shared, “They sent a skateboard to my house the next day, I had to learn how to do

During

ABOUT THIS MANUSHI FLIES TO

Jim-

QATAR

Manushi Chhillar has flown to Qatar to fulfil her dream of watching the Argentinian icon Lionel Messi play at the FIFA World Cup. Ace footballer Lionel Messi enjoys a massive fan following and Manushi is one of them. The actress revealed, “It’s always been my dream to witness Lionel Messi play in front of my eyes. Being an ardent fan of his, I have been planning all these years to get a glimpse of his genius on the football pitch.” She further added, “I am really looking forward to witnessing the atmosphere and the euphoria of the stadium and cheering for Messi through the match! Most importantly this year, the World Cup is closer and I’m excited to witness the finals as well in person, instead of watching it on television like every other World Cup.”

POTTERY BARN COLLABORATES WITH DEEPIKA PADUKONE

Pottery Barn, a portfolio brand of Williams-Sonoma, the world’s largest digital-first, design-led and sustainable home retailer, announced today a global partnership with the iconic international celebrity, Deepika Padukone. The actor, entrepreneur and philanthropist have been signed as a brand ambassador to promote Pottery Barn’s international expansion which began with the launch of pottery barn in July and the opening of the company’s first retail location in September in Delhi, India. As a brand ambassador for Pottery Barn, Padukone will also work closely with the brand to co-create a collection. —Agency

ulation that she’s ready to release a new song soon following the release of her documentary, My Mind & Me, a title song for which was also released as a single. Admitting that she will be dropping new tunes soon, Selena responded, “That’s accurate.”

Selena opened up about working on new music and also how she will be giving her fans something different this time. She said, “I’m so used to writing sadgirl songs. But I’m ready to have some fun and I think people are going to like it.”

hea Chakraborty, who keeps treating fans with stunning posts on social media, is reportedly in love. She has stayed away from the public eye for the longest time due to controversy since 2020.

According to the latest report, Rhea has found love in fashion designer Seema Sajdeh’s brother Bunty Sajdeh. Bunty’s firm used to handle Rhea a few years ago. The duo has known each other for quite some time and the report says that they have started dating recently. A source revealed, “It’s so good to see them together and happy. Whatever Rhea has been through in the last few years, Bunty has been her shoulder and support system. He was there for her when things were getting dirty. They are currently together and wish to keep this news private.” —Agency

Selena Gomez fans have a reason to celebrate as the singer in her recent interview opened up about releasing new music. Nearly, two years after the release of her third studio album Rare, the singer

on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that she’s currently in the studio working on some new music, and teased how it will be different.

her recent appearance on the

my Fallon show on December 5, Gomez was quizzed about the spec-

—Agency

—Agency

Selena Gomez

Shehnaaz Gill Deepika Padukone

Rhea Chakraborty

Manushi Chhillar

Sadie Sink

Shehnaaz flaunts her attire

—Agency

BRAND AESTHETICS

MCITY FIRST andira Wirk recently launched a new collection titled 'Brand Aesthetics.' The collection is focused on the brand's signature colours and prints. Mandira Wirk has made a mark with collections that accentuate femininity and sensuality as well as creating a visionary allure that has become its statement. The brand is best known for its hallmark

flowery silhouettes. A free-flowing range of silhouettes represents a real passion and an effortless style statement. The focus and attention to detail emphasize the designer’s creativity and love for the collection.

Wirk describes designing as a "passion turned profession". She rightly believes that design and style are an extension of a person's personality and attitude. What sets this passionate designer apart is her vision. She uses a variety of fabrics like Silk, Crepe, Satin, Tussar, Blends, Jamavar Georgette, Zari and Tissue and creates designs

that suit the millennialworking woman. Her creations are a symbol of subtlety and many of her designs bear the forte of being seamless in their style. Her clothes have the simplicity of a genius, with attention to every meticulous detail. Her first break in the fashion industry was with Rina Dhaka in 1999 and Wirk describes it as a great learning experience. Mandira Wirk is a designer wear label that has evolved over the last decade as a brand. March 2005 saw Mandira launching her prêt label MW2 with her Spring Summer 2005 collection ' Colours of Spring at

the Mist, Park Ho tel. The striking young designer has a presence in Munich, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah, Banga lore, Hy derabad and Mumbai. In New Delhi, she retails through her own ex clusive stores at " The Cres cent " at the Qutub & The MGF Metropolitan Mall.

MAGIC WITH FINGERS

from the urban jostle.

CITY FIRST

Ram Charan Roars Again

CITY FIRST

Mega Power Star Ram Charan achieved another rare feat. The actor won the 'Future of Young India Award' in the awards program organised by the nationally renowned television channel NDTV. NDTV honoured Ramcharan with the True Legend Award at this award func tion. Ram Charan got these awards by win ning over JR NTR and Bolly wood star hero Akshay Ku mar who were nominated for the same award. Along with Ram Charan, NTR and Akshay Kumar, Tapsee and Sonu Sood were also on the nomi nations list for the award. Shar ing the story be

hind his father's blood bank."

In 1997, a friend of our family expired due to a lack of timely blood supply. Even in the 20th century, a person died without receiving blood? " Ramcharan became emotional at saying these words and said he was shocked at that time.

After winning worldwide accolades With RRR, Ram Charan is working with one of the South Indians, one of the biggest directors Shankar. This will be the 15th film in Ram Charan's career and there are massive expectations around this film. Bollywood beauty Kiara Advani is playing the female lead in this prestigious project, while Thaman is scoring the music. Dil Raju is the producer of the film.

CITY FIRST

Delhi-based artist Manveer Singh collects plastic waste from 25 families every 15 days and repurposes it to create thought-provoking artwork with a strong message against plastic pollution.

Friends and neighbours of Delhi-based Manveer Singh found it odd when he requested their household plastic waste. It was hard to understand when he told them it was to beautify their trash by making art installations but they agreed.

What started in 2018 as an unusual request to spread awareness about

plastic pollution in the city of Delhi, which happens to have a landfill mountain (Ghazipur), has now turned into full-fledged artwork installations. “My artistic journey began with getting inspired by nature through landscape paintings. But soon, I realised my paintings are only benefiting

me and the buyer. I wanted to do more. On researching, I was shocked to find that farmers are finding layers of plastic instead of water while digging their wells. In the past few years, my life and work have been centred on how planet Earth is transforming into a plastic planet,” Manveer stated.

Gallery Sree Arts will be going to organise an exhibition titled ‘Naheed-a tribute to motherhood’ by Ghazali Moinuddin at Visual Arts Gallery (India Habitat Centre) on December 23. The show is curated by Jitendra Padam Jain.

Artist Ghazali Moinuddin has a singularly unique approach to creating his impressionist masterpieces. His deft fingers brilliantly use colour and textures with flowing lines and forms, to transport the soul to distant lands. Fascinating portrayals of rolling hills and flowering meadows, swirling skies and lush foliage, fluid steams and glowing forests, take one to spellbinding environs, far away

Abstraction is an extraordinary genus that has evolved in versatile and multiple ways over the years.

Ghazali Moinuddin

Dancing Garden¸ a painting that depicts Ghazali Moinuddin’s exclusive, unconventional style as an artist, is exhibited in the Hall of Fame at Iran’s MTSF Foundation Museum. He has participated in numerous exhibitions within and outside India. His artworks are held in several private collections with eminent people across the world. He has also been featured in reputed newspapers and magazines including India Today, The Statesman, and Inside Outside.

has brought an independent and powerful voice into Indian contemporary art by bringing to life nature’s miracles from a distinctive perspective and experimenting with unusual techniques.

Also, Ghazali Moinuddin is a Professor of Fine Arts at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, where he also obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Despite his full-time pursuit of the painting, he remains committed to his students.

he three very popular studios,

Without Borders together orchestrated a brilliant and very successful in-house

In

The Breen Center for the Performing Arts in Cleveland, Ohio, Anga Kala Kathak Academy and Arts

dance production called 'Yatra-the journey.' The event was a culmination of a four-year, long and patient wait and came together through the robust and enthusiastic collaboration of a whole community of students,

parents, professionals and volunteers from all walks of life. Pandit Divang Vakil, one of Antaraji's Gurus was present to bless the performers and grace the occasion. The dances were presented in two parts with an intermission between them. The first part mostly celebrated and showcased the talent and hard work of students at different levels of training under ‘Antara Datta.’

the second half, Guru Antara Datta enthralled and mesmerized the audience by presenting a varied palette of performances displaying a complex equation of rhythm and a mastery of technique and expression.

Stunning model flaunts the collection

Ram Charan clicks a selfie with kids of an Indian Army Martyr

Ram Charan and PV Sindhu

Kunal Kapoor

Ram Charan with Sonu Sood

Neha Kakkar

Leena Singh

Ram Charan

Antara Datta

Amazing artwork by Manveer Singh