NEW DELHI l THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI TITLE NO. DELENG/2021/19840 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 343 OPPN MOVES NO-CONFIDENCE NOTICE AGAINST HIMACHAL GOVT
Shimla: The Himachal Assembly will discuss on Thursday, a notice on no confidence brought by Oppn against Jai Ram Thakur-led govt. The Speaker told the House that the notice was given under Rule 278 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business.
OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, NEW DELHI & MUMBAI
Crucial READ
PRIYANKA COVID+, RAHUL GANDHI ILL
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`1.16 L CR TAX DEVOLUTION GIVEN TO STATES New Delhi: The central government on Wednesday released two instalments of tax devolution to states amounting to Rs 1,16,665.75 crore as against the normal monthly devolution of Rs.58,332.86 crore, the Ministry of Finance said. P7
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NITISH THROWS 2024 CHALLENGE AT NDA, MODI
` CLOSES AT 79.48 AGAINST US$
Mumbai: The rupee appreciated by 15 paise to close at 79.48 (provisional) against US dollar on Wednesday, tracking foreign fund inflows and easing crude oil prices. Rupee settled at 79.48, with a rise of 15 paise over its previous close.
MUMBAI COPS SEIZE 266 KG GANJA
Mumbai: Mumbai’s AntiNarcotics Cell seized 266 kg ganja hidden in two cars and arrested two persons, a police official said on Wednesday. The seized contraband is estimated to be worth Rs 80 lakh. The arrested accused are Ashwin Ashok Sharma and Raju Ramesh Lohar, both residents of Thane.
BAIL FOR ACTIVIST VARAVARA RAO New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to activist and poet P Varavara Rao, an accused in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon violence case, on medical grounds. The SC said that he shall not leave the jurisdiction of Greater Mumbai.
KEJRI TRIES TO WOO GUJ WOMEN VOTERS Ahmedabad: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday promised that if voted to power in Gujarat, his party will give a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 to all women above the age of 18 years if they are willing to accept such a grant. P8
Patna: After getting sworn in for a record eight time as Bihar CM, Nitish Kumar threw a sort of challenge for his previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in general and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in particular by telling them to “worry” about its prospects in the 2024 General Election. Talking to reporters shortly after he was administered the oath of office by Governor Phagu Chauhan, Kumar also rubbished the BJP’s claim that the new government will not last its full term, and said his former ally “will be back where they were after the 2015 assembly polls”. Kumar was sworn in besides RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, who is likely to be designated as his deputy. Sources in the seven-party ruling coalition said that a cabinet expansion would take place later. Leaders of the BJP, which is the second largest party in the assembly with 77 MLAs, were conspicuous by their absence at the swearing in ceremony that took place inside the Raj Bhavan. More on P5
Bihar Chief MInister Nitish Kumar with his deputy Tejaswi Yadav speaks to the media after their swearing-in ceremony at Rajbhawan in Patna, Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022. —PHOTO BY PTI
NITISH CALLS LALU BEFORE TAKING OATH New Delhi (ANI): Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday called RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and discussed the political developments ahead of his oath-taking ceremony. Lalu Prasad Yadav congratulated him as well. Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav on Wednesday hailed Nitish Kumar for his decision to split from the NDA and reunite with the Mahagathbandhan to form the new government in the state.
PROPHET REMARK ROW
All FIRs against Nupur shifted to Delhi Police New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed clubbing and transfer of all FIRs lodged across the country against suspended BJP spokeswoman Nupur Sharma to Delhi Police in connection with FIRs/complaints lodged against her in several states over her remark on the Prophet made during a TV debate show. The court also extended interim protection to Sharma till the probe is concluded by the Delhi police. The top court al-
Nupur Sharma
lowed Sharma to move Delhi HC for quashing of FIRs lodged over her remark and said all future FIRs would also be transferred to Delhi Police for investigation.
PAWAR ACCUSES BJP OF FINISHING OFF REGIONAL ALLIES, BACKS NITISH KUMAR
Pune (PTI): NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of finishing off its regional allies gradually, and supported Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s decision to snap ties with the BJP. Speaking to reporters in Baramati town of Maharashtra’s Pune district, Pawar claimed the BJP was planning how to weaken the Shiv Sena and create a division in the party.
STUNG BY NITISH’S BETRAYAL, BJP STAGES MASSIVE PROTEST IN BIHAR
Patna (PTI): Stripped of power in Bihar, the BJP on Wednesday staged a massive demonstration condemning the betrayal of Nitish Kumar, whose similar volte face five years ago had helped it join the government through the proverbial back door. The ‘Maha Dharna’ (massive demonstration) staged in front of the party office was attended by all BJP MPs and MLAs from Bihar who vowed to expose Nitish Kumar through agitations at district and block levels later this week.
Domestic airfare caps to go off from Aug 31 New Delhi (PTI): Limits imposed on domestic airfares will be removed from August 31, after a span of approximately 27 months, the Union Aviation Ministry said on Wednesday. “The decision to remove air fare caps has been taken after careful analysis of daily demand and prices of air turbine fuel. Stabilisation has set in and we are certain that the sector is poised for growth in domestic traffic in the near future,” Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Twitter. P8
3 LeT terrorists neutralised in Kashmir’s Budgam dist Budgam (ANI): Three LeT terrorists were killed in an encounter in the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, the police said. Bodies were being retrieved from the site and their identity yet to be ascertained, police said. “All the three hiding LeT terrorists neutralised. Bodies being retrieved from the site, identification yet to be ascertained. Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition recovered. A big success for us,” said a tweet by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Kashmir.
New Delhi (PTI): Justice Uday Umesh Lalit was on Wednesday appointed as the 49th Chief Justice of India after President Droupadi Murmu signed his warrant of appointment. He will assume charge on August 27 after incumbent NV Ramana demits office the day before. “In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Uday
Earlier, the Kashmir zone police had said that the encounter had begun at the Waterhail area of Budgam. When the encounter began, the police said
Umesh Lalit, judge of the Supreme Court, to be the Chief Justice of India with effect from 27 August, 2022,” a notification said. Justice Lalit will have a brief tenure of less than three months. He will turn 65 on Nov 8 when he demits office.
PM Narendra Modi dedicates 2G ethanol plant in Panipat First India Bureau Panipat: On the occasion of World Biofuel Day, PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday dedicated the 2nd generation (2G), Ethanol Plant, in Panipat, Haryana. The 2G biofuel plant has been set up to strengthen the efforts to boost the production and usage of biofuels in the country. The ethanol plant has been developed by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, at an estimated cost of over Rs 900 crore.
PM Modi inaugurates the Indian Oil’s 2G Ethanol Plant at Panipat Refinery, Haryana, through video conferencing, from New Delhi.
Hoist Tricolour at homes from Aug 13 to 15, says Thakur Union Minister says the national flag unites 130 crore Indians ans. He further said that youth should take the pledge that they will keep the country united and will take India forward and make India stronger. He was addressing members of Nehru Yuva Kendra, NSS volunteers and different Yuva Mandals in Shimla today. The programme was organized by the Nehru Yuva Kendra, Shimla (HP).
Army jawans stand guard as LeT commander Lateef Rather among three militants trapped in an ongoing encounter, in Budgam district on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY ANI
JUSTICE UU LALIT APPOINTED 49th CJI
HAR GHAR TIRANGA CAMPAIGN
Shimla (ANI): Union I&B Minister Anurag Singh Thakur has urged the youth to hoist Tiranga at their homes from August 13 to 15 as a part of the celebration of “Har Ghar Tiranga” campaign in the country. Thakur said that the national flag is not mere a piece of cloth but the power of Tricolour unites 130 crore Indi-
Nagpur: One leader can not face all the challenges before this country and a single organization or party can not bring about change, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said here on late Tuesday evening. P8
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First India Bureau
New Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said she has tested positive for Covid again and would be isolating at home while following all protocols. Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has cancelled his visit to Rajasthan as a precautionary measure after Priyanka Gandhi and some other party leaders tested positive for Covid, sources said.
‘ONE LEADER ALONE CAN NOT TACKLE ALL CHALLENGES’
Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur being welcomed by BJP workers upon his arrival, in Shimla. —PHOTO BY PTI
Interacting with the youth, he called for inculcating the feeling of patriotism and national integration among the younger generation through Bharat Darshan programme. According to an official release, he said youth should visit and see the other places and parts of their state and the country which will infuse a sense of belonging and patriotism among them and help them become responsible citizens.
they believed that the trapped gunemen were terrorists belonging to the proscribed terror outfit The Resistance Front (TRF)/Lashkar-eTaiba (LeT).
ICAR develops vaccine for Lumpy disease in cattle New Delhi (PTI): In a major breakthrough, two institutes of agri research body ICAR have developed an indigenous vaccine for Lumpy Skin Disease in cattle which has spread across many states in the last few months. The Centre plans to commercialise this vaccine, developed by the two institutes of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), at the earliest in order to control the Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), which has led to the death of cattle in six states. As of August 8, Rajasthan has reported 2,111 deaths of cattle, followed by Gujarat at 1,679, Punjab at 672, Himachal Pradesh at 38, Andaman & Nicobar at 29 and Uttarakhand at 26. ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines (ICAR-NRCE), Hisar (Haryana), in collaboration with ICARIndian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh has developed a homologous live-attenuated LSD vaccine “Lumpi-ProVacInd”. P6
In BJP rejig, Sunil Bansal appointed nat’l gen secy First India Bureau New Delhi: Effecting important organisational changes before the 2024 General Elections, BJP Chief JP Nadda on Wednesday appointed Sunil Bansal as the party’s national general secretary and also handed him the charges of important states such as West Bengal, Telangana, and Odisha. Bansal’s appointment assumes significance as the BJP is determined to gain more seats in West Bengal and emerge as the alternative force in
Sunil Bansal
Telangana and Odisha in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Bansal had been the organisation secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh and played a key role in BJP winning the elections in the politically-crucial state. P8
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Sisodia demands CBI probe into toll tax ‘scam’ in MCD The MCD had later termed the allegations as ‘baseless and without facts’
New Delhi (PTI): Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday wrote to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and demanded a CBI probe into the alleged toll tax scam of Rs 6,000 crore in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The development comes a day after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) levelled allegations against the MCD that it collided with two toll tax companies and caused huge loss to the public exchequer. “I have written to the LG demanding a CBI probe into the toll tax scam of Rs 6,000 crore in Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The mon-
BJP SPOKESPERSON SAYS
ey collected from 10 lakh commercial vehicles coming to Delhi everyday was embezzled in connivance,” Sisodia said in a tweet. AAP’s MCD incharge and MLA Durgesh Pathak had on Tuesday alleged that there was a large-scale scam in toll tax collection and that it was caused by BJP leaders, who were then in power in MCD, in connivance with two private firms. He had said every day, 10 lakh commercial vehicles come to Delhi
‘Delhi records 17% rise in crimes against women’ New Delhi (PTI): The national capital recorded a 17 percent rise in crimes against women in the first sixand-half months of this year as compared to the corresponding period last year, with an average of six rapes being reported daily, according to Delhi Police data. Cases of assault on women increased by almost 19 percent, while instances of cruelty by husbands and in-laws rose by 29 percent during the period. According to the data, Delhi recorded 6,747 cases of crimes against women between January 1 and July 15 in 2021 and the number went up to 7,887 in 2022. Till July 15 this year, the city reported 1,100 rape cases as compared to 1,033 in the same period last year. Cases of assault on
women with intent to outrage their modesty have also gone up and a total of 1,480 such cases have been reported. The number was 1,244 last year. Cases of insult to the modesty of women have marginally gone down from 229 in 2021 to 225 in 2022, the data showed. Cases of the kidnapping of women increased by around 17 percent, while cases of abduction of women went down by almost 43 percent. A total of 2,197 cases of kidnapping of women have been reported this year, 317 more than last year, it stated.
after construction of Eastern-Western corridor in 2018, the commercial vehicles which crossed Delhi to go to other states have stopped coming in and as a result, Delhi’s toll tax collection has dropped by around 70 per cent. Due to this, the then toll tax collection contractor, who had taken annual contract at Rs 1,260 crores, suffered huge loss in collections. Contractor partially paid MCD and quit the work thereafter, he said.
‘Security protocol not being followed at 3 railway stations’ New Delhi (Agencies): Three railway stations, including the one in New Delhi, and major shopping centres in the national capital are among areas where security protocol was not being followed, according to a combing exercise conducted by the Delhi Police. Twenty-five teams of the Special Cell, formed to conduct the exercise in sensitive areas, highlighted several shortcomings at the New Delhi, Shivaji Bridge, and Tughlakabad railway stations, and at the markets in Vasant Lok, South Extension II, and Nehru Place. In a letter sent to all district/unit DCPs on August 3, DCP Ingit Pratap Singh said, “Keeping in view the increased threat from various terrorist groups to create disturbances during Independence Day 2022, 25 teams of Special Cell
are undertaking an exercise of combing sensitive areas. During checking on July 28, several shortcomings have been noticed in various hotels, guest houses, busy markets, taxi stands, parking lots, railway stations, cyber cafes, PG accommodations, cinemas and malls.” “It is, therefore, requested that local police officials under your jurisdiction may be advised to brief those concerned to rectify these defects accordingly and a compliance report to this effect may kindly be sent to this officer for the perusal of senior officers,” said Singh.
allegations, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor on Wednesday said there was no such scam in the MCD. “No scam has taken place in MCD in toll tax collection. Sisodia’s letter to Lt Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena alleging toll tax collection scam in MCD reflects his frustration over the ongoing inquires into scams in excise department and the school class room construction,” he said in a statement. Kapoor clarified that
Govt asks heads of hospitals to hoist Tricolour
Kasturba Nagar gang-rape: Accused’s plea junked
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi government’s health and family welfare department has directed heads of all its hospitals and other institutions under it to hoist the tricolour at their homes to celebrate ‘Aazadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ and also create awareness about the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga” campaign, an official order said. The ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ is being celebrated to commemorate the 75 glorious years of a progressive Independent India, the government circular said. Under the aegis of AKAM, a campaign ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ has been launched to encourage the citizens to hoist the national flag at their homes, it added. Under this campaign, the tricolour is proposed to be hoisted at the homes of all the employees of Delhi government. Several events are being organised by the central as well as Delhi government in city to mark 75 years of Independence.
New Delhi (PTI): A Delhi court has dismissed the bail application of an accused in a case where a 20-year-old woman was allegedly abducted, gang-raped, and paraded by a group of people in Kasturba Nagar in January, terming the offence as “serious and heinous”. The victim was allegedly abducted and taken to a house, where she was assaulted, sexually abused, and molested on January 26, 2022 and the accused remained outside the house to
The judge noted that it was a “very serious case,” where the lady was assaulted. prevent anyone from rescuing the victim. “Considering the nature of the case, the gravity of the offence and the allegations against the accused and in the overall facts and circumstances of the case, I do not deem it a fit case to grant bail to the applicant,” Addi-
tional sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat said in his recent order. “The hair of the prosecutrix was shaved, her face was blackened, she was garlanded with slippers and shoes and paraded her in the locality… This was all done to punish her. There are video clips to
show various other accused persons. The offence involved is serious and heinous,” the judge said. The judge further said, “the contention that the name of the accused is not mentioned in the FIR is not relevant as FIR is not an encyclopaedia of the events but the starting point of the investigation of the offence.” According to the victim’s statement, after being sexually assaulted, her head was shaved, her face blackened and
Wholesale markets to remain closed today
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi’s wholesale markets will remain closed on August 11 on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, a traders’ body said on Wednesday. It said as Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated on two days — August 11 and 12 — there was confusion among traders about when to keep their shops shut or open. “Wholesale markets of the city will remain
shut on Thursday for Raksha Bandhan while retail markets will be open on both the days,” CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal said in a statement. Goyal further said
that there is always a holiday in Delhi’s wholesale markets on Raksha Bandhan, but this time as the festival is on two days, there was doubt among the traders.
CTI talked to the office bearers of all the big market associations and finally they all agreed to close the wholesale market. Wholesale markets, including Gandhi Nagar, Kashmere Gate, Bhagirath Place Electric Market, Chandni Chowk Kucha Mahajani Market, Chawri Bazar Steel Market, Naya Bazar, Khari Baoli and others, will remain closed on August 11, the statement said.
From sister to brother, gift of a kidney - and a healthy life With both his parents unable to donate a kidney, it fell on his sister, Chanda Grover, 38, who lives in New Zealand with her husband.
New Delhi (PTI): His sister gave him the gift of life by donating her kidney and Aman Batra, free from nine years of dialysis, can now finally plan for the future – up soon, he hopes, a feature film and then marriage. The 29-year-old scriptwriter based in Gurgaon had been suffering from chronic kidney ailment since 2013. With both his parents unable to donate a kidney, it fell on his sister, Chanda Grover, 38, who lives in New Zealand with her husband. As families across
KEY POINTS
and tax was collected from those vehicles but it allegedly did not reach the MCD. “It is a major scam and we demand that this should be investigated. If the matter is properly investigated, senior BJP leaders and MCD officials will be in prison. They have looted thousands of crores of taxpayers’ money,” Pathak had said on Tuesday. In a statement, the MCD had later termed the allegations as “baseless and without facts”. Reacting to Sisodia’s
RAKSHABANDHAN SPECIAL
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several parts of India get ready for Raksha Bandhan, a festival celebrating the sibling bond, Batra recaps with love his story towards full health. The transplant surgery took place on June
11, 10 days after his birthday, and his sister flew back later that month. “Both my parents are hypertensive. My mother is a diabetic. My elder sister had been after me for four to five years insisting she
could give me her kidney but we were reluctant because she has always been scared of surgeries,” Batra told PTI. “She is very delicate. When she receives an injection shot, she holds that arm for a week in pain. But she went under the knife for me,” he said with gratitude. In 2010, Batra said he even got his sister’s face tattooed on his wrist. Grover, who runs a beauty salon and also has an import business, said their rakhi celebration will be a virtual one this year. Grover added that
she had been trying for nine years to convince her brother to let her donate a kidney but he was adamant he would never let that happen. “This year in February, I somehow convinced him we have to do this since I will never be happy if he is going through so much. He finally gave in. I flew down in March, got my tests done and then was back in May so that we could get the surgery done and he doesn’t have time to go back on his decision,” Grover told PTI over phone from Auckland.
RAKHI GIFT
the accused paraded her in the locality with a garland of slippers. During the investigation, police seized as evidence video clips of the incident on social media and also recovered a mobile phone from another accused, which had a video clip of the incident. Sixteen people along with five CCL were apprehended in the case and they were in judicial custody, the prosecution informed the court.
CRUCIAL READ DCW HEAD SEEKS FIR AGAINST MUKESH KHANNA New Delhi: Chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women Swati Malliwal on Wednesday sought the registration of an FIR against Shaktimaan actor Mukesh Khanna for his “misogynistic comments” made in a video circulating on social media. Malliwal wrote to the Cyber Crime Unit of the Delhi Police after taking suo moto cognizance of the video and stated that Khanna “can be seen making derogatory comments against women”. Khanna operates a YouTube channel called ‘Bheeshm International’ and earlier this week, he had uploaded a video titled ‘Kya aapko bhi “aisi ladkiyan” lubhati hai???’ (Do such women attract you?)
IPS OFFICER MADHUR VERMA IS NEW ACB HEAD New Delhi: Madhur Verma, the senior Indian Public Service (IPS) Officer was appointed as the head of the Anti Corruption Branch (ACB.) Madhur Verma is an IPS officer of the 2005 batch. Before being appointed as the ACB Head, Madhur Verma was an additional commissioner in the Delhi police’s armed police department. Highlighting Madhur Verma’s career, he has earlier worked as the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of the Crime Branch, DCP of the police’s North district, and the New Delhi district. In addition, Madhur Verma was also the Delhi police’s public relations officer until mid-2019.
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‘Will resume unfinished journey’ On last day of his tensure, Naidu says he will keep interacting with the people in the coming times and his focus will be youths & farmers
New Delhi (PTI): M Venkaiah Naidu, whose term as Vice President, ended on Wednesday, said he will resume his unfinished journey in the service of the nation after he completes his tenure. He also said he will keep interacting with the people in the coming times and his focus will be youths and farmers. In humour, he said he does not believe in the concept either president or dissident, otherwise resident' and that he would continue to engage with people. "I will be resuming from day after tomorrow my
NAIDU WISHES OFFICIALS A HAPPY FUTURE
Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu addressing media on Wednesday in New Delhi. —PHOTO BY PTI
unfinished journey in the service of the nation," he told media at his residence. "I would like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart because of the support given by the media," he said. He said someone once wrote to him that Venkaiah Naidu becomes an object of news whether in position, opposition or in no position. He later called on me and said what the secret behind this is? Naidu said, adding he explained to the
person there is always a message and substance to what he says, and media covers it like that. "Tomorrow onwards I will be again on the move. As I said earlier, I don't follow that popular adage that - 'President or dissident otherwise resident'. I will keep interacting with people, as I enjoy all of that more. My focus would be youths and also the farmers, because they need greater focus and attention from government and the system,"
Naidu said. He said he has some other programmes and has already have couple of invitations in spite of the fact he will no longer be the VP after August 10. I told them that 10th onwards I will no longer be vice president but they said it has nothing to do with vice president it is for Venkaiah Naidu. During lunch at his residence, the outgoing vice president recalled his interactions with media, dating back to 1993 when he came to
Delhi as general secretary of the BJP. He went on to become the party president over the years. He later became a Union minister holding several portfolios, such as rural development, urban development, Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, a series that culminated in his occupying the second-highest constitutional post in the country. Naidu's tenure as Vice President ends on August 10 and
after the swearing-in of new Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday, he will leave for Hyderabad along with his family. Naidu has been allotted the official bunglow at 1, Thyagaraja Marg, in Delhi. Earlier in the morning he planted a sapling at Parliament House complex marking the completion of his five years as Rajya Sabha chairman. Speaking on the occasion, Naidu said that one plant is equal to 100 sons as stipulated in our puranas.' He appealed to everyone to protect, promote and propagate plantation of trees to help maintain the ecological balance. The sapling planted is Sita Ashok, an evergreen tree valued for its ornamental fragrant flowers and medicinal values. The tree belongs to the family Fabaceae' and is considered one of the most legendary.
‘Seems to be rebellion Tyagi’s wife recounts aftermath of viral video against PM Modi in UP’ New Delhi (PTI): The AAP on Wednesday said a "rebellion" seems to be brewing in Uttar Pradesh against the BJP's top leadership after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced free bus rides to women above 60 years. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said the UP chief minister is adopting the Kejriwal model despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's opposition to freebies. Earlier in the day, chief minister Adityanath announced in a tweet in Hindi, Very soon in Uttar Pradesh, we are going to make arrangements for mothers and sisters above 60 years of age to avail free rides in government buses. Reacting to Adityanath's tweet, AAP national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said on the microblogging site, After Bihar, there seems to be a rebellion against Modi ji in UP. AAP's political affairs committee member Ati-
Kejriwal and his party leaders have been targeting the prime minister over his remark
Noida (ANI): Following the arrest of her husband, Anu Tyagi, wife of arrested accused Shrikant Tyagi who was held for allegedly abusing and assaulting a woman in Noida, said that apologies should have been given on immediate basis and that everything that followed after the incident was being exaggerated. She also acknowledged that whatever happened was wrong. "What happened was wrong, he should've apologized. The topic was that he insulted a
Shrikant Tyagi’s wife Anu Tyagi, says husband should’ve apologised on immediate basis
woman. It should have been handled like that. But everything is now being dragged. Our car, trees, house, everything has suddenly become illegal," Anu Tyagi, wife of Shrikant Tyagi told
ANI. "We were just planting trees. My husband was provoked. He would have said sorry and apologised. I, my children are being treated very badly by everyone around us," she
India will prosper if we respect women: Justice P Singh Delhi High Court judge Prathiba Singh stresses for women-friendly systems New Delhi (ANI): India will prosper if we respect our women, said Justice Pratibha M Singh of Delhi High Court on Wednesday. She referred to saying of Gurbani, giving her inaugural address at an event organised by FICCI ‘s WISE council. While addressing women participants and women entrepreneurs during the program “Facing the Unseen barriers: Addressing Challenges faced by women in Science, Technology, Entrepreneurship and Mathematics (STEM), Justice Singh said, “Indian women are doing good in STEM.” She also shared some data which shows that in India STEM graduates are 43 per cent, US 34 per cent, 38 per cent in the UK, 27 per cent in Germany and 32 per cent in France. “India is 43 per cent which shows we are educating our girls well.” Justice Singh also said that our scriptures and ancestors know how to respect women. “It is also written in our scriptures that where women are respected, all the good things there.” She also referred to the verses from Manusmriti saying “Yatra Nari Pujy-
CHALLENGES
ante Tatra Devta...”. “We are a blessed lot of women in India,” she said. She said from her personal experience that women are most respected in Asian countries. While sharing her experience in the legal field justice Singh said that earlier there was a taboo that women lawyers are not good homemakers as they may keep arguing all the time with their husbands. Now things have been changing. I can say that women lawyers are the best wives as they know the working and outcome of the court proceedings.
JNU teachers’ body demands restoration of univ’s own admin
TIRANGA RALLY! shi also took a swipe at the prime minister as she tweeted, So Modi opposes freebies and Yogi proposes freebies. Battle lines are drawn within the BJP, Atishi, who is an MLA from Delhi's Kalkaji, added. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal retweeted the comments of his party leaders on the microblogging site, but did not make any comment.
added. Her remarks came after Uttar Pradesh Police arrested Shrikant Tyagi on Tuesday, who was recently seen in a viral video assaulting and abusing a woman at Grand Omaxe in Noida's Sector 93 and was on the run ever since. He was arrested by police near Meerut. Tyagi, who claims to be a member of Bharatiya Janata Party's Kishan Morcha, has been accused of allegedly abusing and pushing a woman who is a resident of Grand Omaxe society in Noida's Sector 93B.
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Members of Confederations of All India Traders (CAIT) take out Tiranga rally from Red Fort to India Gate, in New Delhi on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY ANI
New Delhi (PTI): The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association (JNUTA) has expressed concerns over the delay in admissions and demanded that the institution restore its time-tested admission procedure instead of relying on the National Testing Agency. This comes amid the rescheduling of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET)UG, conducted by the NTA. The CUET-UG,
which was scheduled to end on August 20, will now conclude on August 28. The JNU teachers' organisation passed a resolution on Monday during its general body Meeting, urging the university to withdraw from the agreement
with the NTA. Previously, JNU used to admit students to undergraduate courses through subjective exams conducted by it. From 2019 however, it started admitting students through the JNU Entrance Examination conducted by the NTA. The university announced earlier this year that it would conduct admissions to all undergraduate and postgraduate courses through the CUET.
PROVIDE SECURITY AND MAINTAIN LAW & ORDER
Police chief asks officials not to put up his photos on police stations’ walls
It has been a tradition to display pictures of the Commissioner of Police at various police stations and units besides the photographs of Mahatma Gandhi
New Delhi (PTI): Newly-appointed Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora has directed the force to not put up his photographs on the walls of police stations or offices of other units, officials said. Generally, it has been a tradition to display pictures of the Commissioner of Police at various police stations and units besides the photographs of Mahatma Gandhi, President of India among others. However, Arora was not keen on his pictures being put up at police
APPRECIATION
stations or any units associated with the force, a senior police officer said.
“So an instruction was given to all the DCPs that Delhi Police Commissioner does not
want his photographs to be put up in offices or police stations at all,” the officer said.
The 57-year-old officer took charge as Delhi Police Commissioner on August 1 following the
retirement of Rakesh Asthana, a 1984-batch IPS officer. During his last two months before retirement, Asthana had also instructed the force to not display his photographs at police stations or units of the Delhi Police. Arora’s appointment as the Delhi Police chief came after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) approved his inter-cadre deputation from the Tamil Nadu cadre to the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories (AG-
MUT) cadre. In his first video message to colleagues, conveyed through the Delhi Police’s Twitter handle, Arora had said he was honoured to work with experienced officers and policemen, and appreciated their activism and dedication in maintaining a sense of security among the public. He had stressed on the importance of the Delhi Police’s role in providing security and maintaining law and order as the force carries the responsibility of the national capital.
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Why India frowns on Chinese ship docking at Lankan port? India, whose cross-border relations with China have soured, is worried that the Chinese-built and leased port of Hambantota will be used by Beijing as a military base in its own backyard
04
IN-DEPTH
IT IS UNFAIR TO PRE-JUDGE THE CJI-DESIGNATE JUSTICE UU LALIT
and economic interests and take all necessary measures to safeguard them. To which China gave a rebuttal that it hoped “relevant parties” would refrain from interfering with its “legitimate maritime activities”.
HOW’S SRI LANKA DOING THE BALANCING ACT? Sri Lanka has had to maintain a fine balancing act between China and India. As the country battles with an economic crisis with zero foreign reserves, it needs the cooperation from Beijing, which is its key creditor. It has now turned to the International Monetary Fund to bail it out of this crisis and restructure its huge debt. Meanwhile, India too has provided nearly $4 billion in aid to Sri Lanka this year, including shipments of fuel and food.
A
In 2014, Sri Lanka allowed Chinese nuclear-powered submarine Changzheng 2 in Colombo and it had led to diplomatic tensions soaring with New Delhi. Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was then secretary to the ministry of defence, had to even fly down to India to meet with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval to discuss the matter.
fter India voiced its deep concerns over the docking of Chinese research and survey vessel Yuan Wang 5 at Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port, the beleaguered island nation, which first tried to underplay the ship’s visit as “nothing unusual”, finally backtracked and requested China to defer its arrival. But, the Chinese ship’s visit, scheduled for Thursday (August 11) at the Hambantota port, which is financed with Chinese loans, built by a Chinese firm and currently leased to China Merchant Port Holdings after Sri Lanka was unable to repay the loans, will not happen for now. The Sri Lankan foreign ministry spokesperson shared with the media on Monday (August 8) that they have submitted a request to China to defer the ship’s arrival. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin slammed Sri Lanka’s decision and blamed the “gross interference” of other countries. He said Chinese research ships have regularly stopped in Sri Lanka for resupply and that cooperation between the two countries is normal. Wang added that it was “unreasonable” and “senseless” for a third party to put pressure on Sri Lanka on the grounds of socalled security concerns.
WHAT ARE INDIA’S CONCERNS? India, whose relations soured
AIR PRICE BANDS GO IN RELIEF FOR FLIERS
with China after a clash in the Galwan valley in June 2020, is worried that the Chinese-built and leased port of Hambantota will be used by Beijing as a military base in India’s backyard. Moreover, the $1.5 billion port is near the main shipping route from Asia to Europe. Situated in the hometown of the ousted but powerful Rajapaksa family, most of the Hambantota port was constructed using loans from China. It is currently leased to China Merchant Port Holdings after Sri Lanka could not repay the debts. All of this has led India to fear the potential use of the port for military purposes. India remains suspicious of China’s growing influence in Sri Lanka, which owes large amounts of money to Beijing for the construction of its infrastructure projects. Also, India wants to protect its strategic interests in the Indian Ocean region, wary of China’s constant efforts to increase its influence in the area.
Sri Lanka, which is currently tackling a very serious economic crisis, had initially brushed aside India’s anxiety over “security concerns”, saying the Yuan Wang 5 was only stopping at the port for “bunkering”
IS SPACE-TRACKING SHIP WORRISOME? Foreign security analysts have labelled Yuan Wang 5 one of China’s latest spacetracking ships, which can be used to monitor satellite, rocket and intercontinental ballistic missile launches. Some reports alleged that it is a dual-use spy vessel, employed for space and satellite
INDIA’S OFFICIAL STAND ON VESSEL’S VISIT External affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told the media that they were aware of reports of a proposed visit by this vessel to Hambantota in August. And that the government will carefully “monitor any development” that has a bearing on India’s security
I
n a decision which will benefit both domestic airlines and fliers, the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has decided to remove the upper and lower price bands notified in May, 2020, during the pandemic, from August 31. The price bands became necessary to prevent domestic airlines from charging exorbitant fares from passengers. The lower band was to help the airlines struggling due to travel restrictions. The upper price band was to save passengers from being fleeced when the demand was high. Now with price bands gone, the airlines may offer competitive prices to attract passengers to meet
tracking and with specific usage in intercontinental ballistic missile launches. It may not be a military ship but it can be sent to carry out missile tests, said news reports. With an aerial reach of more than 750 km, the ship can allegedly spy on Kalpakkam, Koodankulam, and atomic research centres within Indian borders. It can also track ports of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh and gather vital information from installations in south India.
In a decision which will benefit both domestic airlines and fliers, DGCA has decided to remove the upper and lower price bands notified in May, 2020, during the pandemic, from August 31 their overhead costs. Airlines expect the government’s move to boost demand in a win-win situation for all. Airlines hope that the aviation turbine fuel (ATF) will be brought under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to provide them with further
WHAT IS BEIJING SAYING NOW? Predictably, China was upset. It described India’s opposition to the docking of a Chinese ship at a Sri Lankan port as senseless. It was “morally irresponsible” and against the norms of international relations for countries to “exploit vulnerabilities” of Sri Lanka at a time when it is dealing with economic and political crises, said Beijing. China urged relevant parties to see its scientific explorations in a reasonable and sensible way and stop disturbing normal exchanges between Beijing and Colombo. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said, “Sri Lanka is a sovereign state. It can develop relations with other countries in the light of its own development interests. The cooperation between China and Sri Lanka is independently chosen by the two countries and meets common interests.” Sri Lanka is a transport hub in the Indian Ocean, Wang said, adding that many scientific exploration ships including those from China have stopped at Sri Lankan ports for resupplies. “China has always exercised the freedom of navigation in the high seas and fully respects and fully respects the jurisdiction of coastal states of the scientific exploration activities within their jurisdiction waters,” Wang added. SOURCE: THE FEDERAL
financial relief. The ATF accounts for about 40 percent of operational costs. The jet fuel price touched new highs this year with a hike of 16.3 percent to Rs 123.03 per litre or Rs 1.41 per kl. That hefty surge in the price of jet aviation fuel is in keeping with the global energy prices. With India being dependent on fuel import, it is for the government to cut taxes to give relief to the aviation industry. Aviation fuel is charged an 11 percent ad valorem rate of excise duty which goes up each time there is a rise in global oil prices. Besides, it also is taxed by states in the form of sales tax. The government may want to consider domestic carriers’ demand.
J
ustice UU Lalit has been appointed the 49th Chief Justice of India for a brief tenure of less than three months. He will demit office on November 8 when he turns 65. Even before he has taken over as the CJI, Justice Lalit is being prejudged by his detractors who fear that he will show a pro-government bias in his functioning. The reasons cited are that he was Amit Shah’s lawyer in the Tulsi Prajapati and Sohrabuddin Sheikh murder case, he was appointed judge three months after Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014. Critics allege that his appointment came at the cost of former Solicitor-General Gopal Subramanium whose name was also recommended for appointment by the collegium along with UU Lalit’s. It would be unfair to pre-judge the CJI-designate for what he did as a noted criminal lawyer and when he has yet to give any judgment. It was not the government which asked the SC collegium to include his name.
SPIRITUAL SPEAK Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. —Bible
TOP TWEETS Bhupender Yadav @byadavbjp
A forest without lions is destroyed and lions without forests will perish. #WorldLionDay Kiren Rijiju @KirenRijiju
In exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution of India, the President, is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, Judge of the Supreme Court as the Chief Justice of India with effect from 27th August, 2022.
l Vol 1 l Issue No. 343 RNI TITLE NO. DELENG/2021/19840 Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Impressions Printing and Packaging Limited, C-21, 22 Sector-59, Noida-201301. Published at G-20, 3rd Floor, 309, Preet Vihar, New Delhi-110092. Phone 011-49846474. Editor-In-Chief: Dr Jagdeesh Chandra Editor: Sharat K Verma responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act
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05
Bihar CM eyes 2024 general elections, though downplays speculations of himself being the future PM face No CM change,
NITISH CALLS FOR UNITED OPPN Patna (ANI): Moments after Nitish Kumar was sworn in as Bihar Chief Minister on Wednesday after parting ways with the BJP and joining the Grand Alliance to form government in the state, he called for a united Opposition ahead of the General elections of 2024. Kumar parted ways with BJP alleging that the party was trying to break the JD(U), and joined hands with the political opponents RJD in the Mahagathbandhan on Tuesday. Speculations have been rife regarding his future with his ‘national ambitions’ doing rounds in the political sphere since his move against the NDA, which whom he had reunited in 2017. However, Nitish rejected any such speculations. “Those who came to power in 2014, will they be victorious in 2024? I would like all (opposition) to be united for 2024. I am not a contender for any such post (on PM post),” he said. Kumar said, “The party
‘BIHAR DEVP SPECIFIC TO STATE’
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav speaks to the media after the oath ceremony, at Raj Bhavan, in Patna on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY ANI
‘SIDING WITH CORRUPTION, CONGRESSISM’ Patna: Former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad questioned the change of stance by Nitish while accusing him of siding with “corruption and Congressism”. Prasad also asked if Kumar’s politics which is around “non-Congressism”, has finished.
made the decision together (to leave BJP). I did not want to be the CM after the previous election. But a lot of
Plant trees to protect eco balance: Naidu New Delhi(ANI): Outgoing Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday appealed to everyone to “protect, promote and propagate plantation of trees”, and said that planting trees should be a people’s movement. Naidu, who is serving his last day in office as a Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President, made the observation while planting a sapling in the Parliament House Complex marking the comple-
On a mission to produce 5,000 khadi flags Chennai: Five panchayats in Tamil Nadu would fly khadi national flags produced by Avvai Ashram of Gandhigram Trust in Sivasailam. Inspired by the Centre’s ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign, the Gandhigram Trust, in TN’s southern district of Tirunelveli, is on a mission to churn out 5,000 khadi flags.
Venkaiah Naidu at a plantation event on Wednesday. (Twitter)
tion of five years in office. The sapling planted is Sita Ashoka, a perennial, evergreen tree valued for its ornamental fragrant flowers and medicinal values.
Bihar BJP President Sanjay Jaiswal with party MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, Sushil Kumar Modi, MoS Nityanand Rai and other leaders stage Mahadharna in Patna on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY ANI
pressure was put on me to handle the post. When there were talks with them (points towards Tejashwi), the decision
Patna: MLAs of the Mahagathbandhan have brought a no-confidence motion against Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Singh. A letter signed by 50 MLAs of the newly-formed Mahagathbandhan was submitted before the secretary of Bihar Assembly. With this, Sinha will have to prove majority in Assembly to retain his position as Speaker.
A ‘GOOD START’ FOR INDIAN POL, SAYS AKHILESH Lucknow: Akhilesh Yadav sees the BJPJD(U) break-up as a ‘good start’ for Indian politics. He said, “It signals `BJP satta chhodo`. HD Deve Gowda said“’.. I’m in advanced years, but if the younger gen decides it can offer a good alternative.”
New Delhi (PTI): A Parliamentary Committee has recommended that senior citizen concessions be reviewed and restored “urgently” at least for sleeper class and AC 3-tier train travel. In its report, the Standing Committee on Railways said senior citizens were earlier granted concession of 40-50 per cent of their railway fares, but the practice was stopped during the COVID-19 crisis.
a Bench led by CJI NV Ramana, senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for petitioner Ashwini Upadhyay, said “even a constable can lose his job after conviction”.
HC BAIL TO MAJITHIA IN NDPS CASE Chandigarh: The Punjab & Haryana High Court on Wednesday granted bail to senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia, in jail over his alleged involvement in a drugs case registered under NDPS Act in December 2021. The court had reserved the order on the bail plea on July 29. The leader is currently at Patiala Central Jail.
‘NITISH NOW IN FRONT ROW OF OPPN CAMP’
Patna: Nitish Kumar stands in the “front row” of the opposition camp along with Mamata Banerjee and others to end the “Modi raj” in the country in the 2024 elections, former BJP leader and now TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha said.
NEW GOVT TO FALL: SUSHIL MODI
Patna: Saffron party leader Sushil Kumar Modi claimed the new government will fall before completing its term in 2025. Modi, who has known Kumar and Lalu Prasad for five decades, also said the JD(U) supremo insulted PM Modi and the people of Bihar who had voted for NDA. The former deputy CM alleged Kumar will “ditch the RJD and try to split it, taking advantage of RJD boss Lalu Prasad’s illness”.
Parl panel for restoring sr citizen rebate in sleeper, 3-tier rail travel
PLEA ON CONVICTS’ POLL RIGHTS IN SC New Delhi: The Supreme Court said it will consider a plea seeking a lifetime ban on people convicted of offences from contesting poll and becoming MPs and MLAs. Appearing before
was made. whether I will stay or not (till 2024)…they can say ... but I won’t live in the year 2014,” the CM said.
Patna: Poll strategist Prashant Kishor said with Nitish exiting the NDA and forming a new government with RJD and other parties he hopes that the Bihar CM stands firm on the alliance and fulfills the aspirations of the people. “I see what’s happening now in the context of the era of political instability in Bihar. Since 2013-14, this is the 6th attempt to form govt in Bihar. Formations are changed when one’s political or administrative expectations are not fulfilled,” Kishor said. He said the era of “political instability” has been ongoing for past 10 years in Bihar and Nitish was the only constant in all this.
NO-CONFIDENCE AGAINST SPEAKER
says Karnataka minister, a dare for Congress
Bengaluru (Agencies): Accusing Congress of unnecessarily raking up the issue of Karnataka Chief Minister replacement, to cover up the rift within, senior BJP leader and Revenue Minister R Ashoka on Wednesday challenged it to name its CM candidate for 2023 assembly polls. Ruling out Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s replacement, he said BJP’s top leadership including PM Modi and HM Amit Shah have already said election will be under Bommai’s leadership and the party will abide by it. The minister was reacting to Congress’ tweets speculating about CM Bommai being replaced and even calling him a “Puppet Chief Minister”. “To cover up their infighting that has come on to the streets, Congress is spreading false information that CM Bommai will be replaced. Congress has no base in the country, what rights do they have to speak about BJP’s leadership and CM change,” Ashoka said.
CRUCIAL READ RAJU SRIVASTAVA SWATANTRA DEV SUFFERS HEART RESIGNS AS UP ATTAC, DOING FINE COUNCIL LEADER
GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL INSTRUCTIONS
It also urged the ministry to give wide publicity to the “give up” scheme, which encourages senior citizens to give up their concessions voluntarily.
The rail ministry has stated that concession to all categories (except four categories of Divyangjan, and 11 categories of patients & students) were withdrawn.
New Delhi: A Parliamentary Committee has recommended all ministries and departments to strictly comply with instructions on grievance redressal. The recommendation was made in its 119th report on “Strengthening of Grievance Redressal Mechanism of Government of India”. It was submitted in both houses.
IN THE COURTYARD GANGSTER CONTEMPT PLEA IN SC AGAINST PRAFUL BISHNOI IN tion of contempt proceedNew Delhi: The Committee ings against former AIFF of Administrators (CoA) 2-DAY REMAND Faridkot: The Faridkot police got a 2-day remand of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, a ‘mastermind’ in the killing of leader Sidhu Moose Wala, in connection with an extortion case at Kotkapura in Faridkot district.
appointed by the Supreme Court to run and write the new constitution of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has sought initia-
President Praful Patel and the office-bearers of seven other state associations. The plea filed by current CoA ombudsman.
HC STAYS PROBE AGAINST ARTIST Kolkata: Calcutta HC stayed probe in an FIR against an artist who posted an intimate scene between Krishna and Radha in Facebook. Justice Shampa Sarkar said the complaint didn’t disclose any cognisable offence on the face of it, and Sec 295A, relating to hurting religious sentiments, would only be attracted if there was deliberate intention.
CHANGE OF FORTUNES
New Delhi: Popular comedian-actor Raju Srivastava was rushed to AIIMS following a heart attack, said sources. The 58-yr-old was brought to the AIIMS emergency at 10:45 am. “Srivastava had to be resuscitated twice and was rushed to catheterisation lab for emergency angiography,” the source said. Colleague Sunil Pal said Raju is doing much better now.
Lucknow: Former UP BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh has resigned as leader of Legislative Council. According to sources, Singh has resigned citing busyness. DyCM Keshav Prasad Maurya, was made Leader of the House in the state’s Legislative Council. Singh had sent his resignation last month as state unit chief after his tenure expired on July 16.
EC VIRTUAL MEET OF ASIAN REGIONAL FORUM FOR MAKING POLLS INCLUSIVE
New Delhi: The Election Commission will host a virtual meet of the ‘Asian Regional Forum’ on Thursday on the theme of “Making our Elections Inclusive, Accessible and Participative”. The meet is a precursor to the “Global Summit for Democracy” to be hosted by the National Electoral Institute of Mexico in the coming month, the poll panel said on Wednesday.
3-YEAR-OLD GIRL BEATEN TO DEATH BY FATHER
BIG EXPLOSIVES RECOVERY IN PULWAMA
Hyderabad: A threeyear-old girl, hospitalised after being thrashed allegedly by her father, died on Tuesday, police said. The girl was hit with a ladle for not coming out of the washroom. Also, the man allegedly banged her against the floor in their house on Saturday. The injured girl was admitted to a hospital where she died, said the police.
Pulwama: The J&K Police recovered approximately 30 kg improvised explosive device near Tahab Crossing on Circular road here. “An IED weighing approx 25-30 kg was recovered at Circular road in Pulwama by the Police and Security Forces. A major tragedy was averted by specific input generated by the police,” said Vijay Kumar, ADGP.
Is Nitish’s exit from NDA ‘ache din’ for Chirag? Mahesh Sharma Patna: Chirag Paswan’s exile seems to be over. Due to Nitish Kumar, the BJP had kept him on the sidelines and had also forced him to vacate the bungalow allotted to his father Ram Vilas Paswan in Delhi. His party with six MPs had also broken up, under which his uncle parted ways over five MPs and became a minister in the central government, for which Nitish Kumar
POSSIBLE RISE IN STATURE Chirag will be only ally with the BJP because after Nitish’s departure, Jitan Ram Manjhi will also join the Grand Alliance and Mukesh Sahni has already left NDA. Therefore, Chirag will get more impor-
tance in NDA than before. Chirag must also be regretting that if Nitish had parted ways earlier, then the bungalow in Delhi would also have stayed with him which has now gone to RN Kovind.
LJP chief Chirag Paswan (R) Bihar CM Nitish Kumar
had lobbied. If Chirag Paswan’s exile ends and is rehabilitated in NDA then it will be difficult for Pashupati Paras. He
will have to decide whether he will continue to be minister at the Center or do their positioning in terms of Bi-
har politics. If he thinks of continuing as a minister at the Centre, then a compromise will have to be made with the
nephew. However, that issue will is for later. The immediate matter is that Chirag Paswan became active
as soon as the dispute started between JDU and BJP in Bihar and there was speculation about Nitish Kumar doing a U-turn and going with the BJP. Chirag started making anti-Nitish statements. Till now he was silent because the damage he had to cause to Nitish had already been done in the 2020 assembly elections. But now as the ‘synergy’ between BJP and JDU is over, an opportunity is being created for them.
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MORE TRANSMISSIBLE OMICRON
VARIANT EVADING IMMUNITY SUB-VARIANT BA 2.75 HAS BEEN DETECTED IN MANY SAMPLES & IS LEADING TO MORE HOSPITALISATION New Delhi (PTI): A new sub-variant of the coronavirus strain Omicron has been detected in samples sent for genome sequencing in Delhi’s Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, a top medical officer of the hospital said. The Omicron subvariant BA 2.75 has been detected in many samples, LNJP Hospital Medical Director Dr Suresh Kumar told a news channel. The sub-variant has been found amid a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases and positivity rate, or cases per 100 tests, in the national capital. The number of people getting admitted to the hospital is also rising, the Medical Director said. This Omicron variant is spreading faster and likely escaping immunity from previous infection and vaccination, Dr Kumar said.
CORBEVAX SHOT OKAYED FOR 18 YEARS & ABOVE
NEW CASES SURGE IN MIZORAM, HIMACHAL
New Delhi: The Centre has approved Biological E’s Corbevax for restricted use in an emergency as a heterologous booster dose, official sources confirmed on Wednesday. Last month the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation recommended Biological E’s CORBEVAX as a heterologous booster for adults above 18. On June 4, Biological E. Limited, a Hyderabad-based pharma company announced that its CORBEVAX vaccine has been approved by Drug Controller General of India (DCGI).
Aizawl: Mizoram reported 135 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, 108 less than the previous day, with the tally mounting to 2,34,522, a health official said. The death toll rose to 715 after three more persons from Aizawl, Lunglei and Lawngtlai districts succumbed to the infection in the last 24 hours, he said. Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh recorded 526 fresh COVID-19 cases and one fatality due to the disease on Wednesday, pushing the state’s infection tally to 3,06,269.
INDIA LOGS 16,047 NEW COVID-19 CASES, 54 DEATHS IN 24 HOURS A healthcare worker inoculates a farmer with a dose of COVID-19 vaccine as part of COVID Vaccination Amrit Mahotsava, in Imphal West. —FILE PHOTO
“Omicron’s sub-variant BA 2.75 has been found in the report. It has more transmission rate. This has emerged in the study report of 90 samples sent for ge-
nome sequencing. This new sub-variant also attacks people already having antibodies and also those who have taken vaccines,” Dr Kumar said.
New Delhi: India today recorded 16,047 new coronavirus cases and 54 fatalities including six reconciled by Kerala, according to the latest Union Health Ministry data. With these additions, the country’s overall Covid figures rose to 4,41,90,697 cases and 5,26,826 deaths. The data updated at 8 am showed active cases came down by 3,546 in a span of 24 hours to 1,28,261, now constituting 0.29 per cent of the total infections. The COVID-19 recovery rate stood at 98.52 per cent, the health ministry said.
PATNAIK NOT TO CELEBRATE RAKSHA BANDHAN DUE TO COVID-19 Bhubaneswar: Keeping in view the spread of COVID-19, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has decided not to celebrate Raksha Bandhan Ustav’ and urged people to remain alert during the
CRUSIAL READ ELECTION FOR CONG ‘OVER 900 DEATHS CHIEF FROM AUG 21, DUE TO ACCIDENTS RAHUL KEEPS MUM CAUSED BY CATTLE’ New Delhi: The election to select Congress president will start from August 21, sources said. MP Rahul Gandhi has not revealed if he would contest for the post, which his mother Sonia Gandhi is heading. Sources said requests by Congress leaders to Gandhi to become party chief once again - he quit as Congress president after the party’s defeat in the 2019 general election - has received no response. The party has been deliberating for long on possibility of having a non-Gandhi as chief.
part in Raksha Bandhan Ustav this time, the official said. Odisha’s COVID-19 tally rose to 13,20,667 on Wednesday as 653 more people, including 128 children, tested positive for the infection, a
festival, a CMO official said on Wednesday. Patnaik has urged the party leaders, workers and other well wishers not to visit his residence on the occasion on Thursday as he has decided not to take
Chandigarh: Over 900 people died in road accidents caused by stray cattle in Haryana in the last five years, the state government has informed the assembly. Total 3,383 such road accidents occurred during the 5-year period in the state, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister JP Dalal said. In these accidents, 919 people lost their lives and 3,017 sustained injuries, he said in response to a question raised by Independent MLA Balraj Kundu during the ongoing assembly session.
AGNIVEER RECRUITMENT FOR WOMEN CANDIDATES FROM NOVEMBER 1
New Delhi: The Agniveer recruitment rally for female candidates under the general duty category for military police would be held from November 1 to 3 here. According to a Defence statement, the recruitment is scheduled to be held at Manekshaw Parade ground here by the Recruiting Office (HQ) Bengaluru under the aegis of Headquarters Recruiting Zone Bengaluru for volunteer female candidates from Karnataka, Kerala and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep and Mahe. The rally is being held for enrolment of Agniveer General Duty (Women) in the Corps of Military Police in the Army.
Karuvannur Co-operative Bank raided Thrissur (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate conducted raids at Karuvannur Service Co-Op Bank on 10 August and a few other locations of four accused in connection with an alleged bank fraud case in Thrissur. As per reports, about ₹104 crores of alleged fraud reported in Karuvannur Service Co-Op Bank Ltd. The ED officials also started simultaneous raids at the residences of five accused at the CPI-M controlled Thrissur-based Karuvannur Cooperative bank. Incidentally, of the five accused where the raids began, four are out on bail. The CPI-M controlled Thrissur-based Karuvannur Cooperative bank came into limelight a year ago and has made frequent headlines.
health bulletin said. The toll rose to 9,152 as a 67-year-old man succumbed to the pathogen in Balasore district, the health department said. The state had logged 487 infections on Wednesday.
‘Ashamed’ of Partha but everyone is not thief: Min Kolkata (Agencies): Trinamool came forward with the ‘full truth’ two days after a public interest case was filed on how the properties of 19 leaders and ministers of TMC are increasing. They claim the BJP, Left and Congress are running ‘halftruth’ campaigns on the issue. Of the 19 whose names came out, five — Firhad Hakim, Bratya Basu, Arup Roy, Shiuli Saha and Moloy Ghatak — held a press conference and presented the ‘complete’ list in the meeting. On Partha Chatterjee, Firhad said, “We are all ashamed of what Partha has done. But that does not mean that everyone in the Trinamool is a thief. I have a family business. I have not hidden any information,” he said.
WB Chief Min Mamata Banerjee throws the football at the inauguration of the newly built tent camp of Mohun Bagan Athletic Club, in Kolkata on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY ANI
MAMATA ANNOUNCES RS2L EX-GRATIA TO BIRBHUM ACCIDENT VICTIMS’ KIN Kolkata: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee expressed her condolences on the fatal accident that happened in the state’s Birbhum on Tuesday. Banerjee took to Twitter and said that she was “deeply saddened” by the fatal accident in Birbhum which claimed 9 lives. “My heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones,” she said in her tweet. “We’ll provide Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased. Under the Somyabothi scheme, Rs 2,000 will be provided to perform the last rites of each deceased. Special GR to be provided to families of deceased,” she added. Nine people were killed in a collision between an autorickshaw and a bus in the Mallarpur police station area of Birbhum district on Tuesday.
ICAR develops vaccine for Lumpy Skin Disease in cattle New Delhi (PTI): Two institutes of agri research body ICAR have developed an indigenous vaccine for Lumpy Skin Disease in cattle which has spread across many states in the last few months. The Centre plans to commercialise this vaccine, developed by the two institutes of the Indian Council of Agri-
cultural Research (ICAR), at the earliest in order to control the Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), which has led to the death of cattle in six states. As of August 8, Rajasthan has reported 2,111 deaths of cattle, followed by Gujarat at 1,679, Punjab at 672, Himachal Pradesh at 38, Andaman & Nicobar
at 29 and Uttarakhand at 26. ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines (ICAR-NRCE), Hisar (Haryana), in collaboration with ICARIndian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh has developed a homologous live-attenuated LSD vaccine “Lumpi-ProVacInd”.
PPS Assn fights for right in UP ‘Shameful’: Varun on Ahtesham Siddiqui Lucknow: In Uttar Pradesh bureaucracy, while the PCS Association is sleeping soundly with its ‘positioning’, the PPS Association is fighting for its rights and existence. PPS Association, an organisation of Provincial Police Service officers, met DGP Devendra Chauhan, and informed about the problems of its cadre. Now, instruc-
CM YOGI GOES TOUGH ON POLICE NEGLIGENCE Lucknow: CM Yogi seems to be in a very strict mood. After complaints against SP of Lalitpur, the officer was removed and has been attached to DGP Headquarters while DCP Gopal Chaudhary, posted in Lucknow Commissionerate, has been made the new captain of Lalitpur. Bablu Kumar, who has been waiting for a long time, has been posted as SP Headquarters in Anti-Corruption Organization Lucknow, while Poonam, who is waiting, has been posted in 20th Corps PAC Azamgarh.
tions have been given to prepare a proposal and send it to government. Association President Dinesh Yadav, Senior
SHAH TAKES UP PEN
Vice President Habibul Hasan, Treasurer Vinay Chandra, and others apprised the DGP about many more issues.
Defence Min Rajnath Singh at the book launch on the speeches of Union Home Minister Amit Shah ‘Shabdansh’ edited by Shivanand Dwivedi as Delhi BJP President Adesh Gupta and others look on, at NDMC Convention Centre, in New Delhi on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY ANI
‘Buy national flag to get ration’ video
Chandigarh: BJP MP Varun Gandhi took a veiled dig at the Centre over a viral video that shows many people alleging they were forced to buy a national flag for Rs 20 when they visited ration stores for provisions. The Pilibhit MP, who has been targeting his party over a host of issues, shared the video on Twitter with a post that read, “It would be unfortunate if celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of Independence become a burden for the poor.” “Ration card holders are being forced to buy the national flag or denied a share of grains they are entitled to. It is shameful to extract the price of ‘Tiranga’, which lives is in the heart of every Indian, by snatching the poor’s
FINAL PUBLICATION DATE FOR KASHMIR ELECTORAL ROLLS
DYFI WOMAN ACTIVIST FOUND DEAD IN KERALA
Will Chadha dominate AAP’s ‘politics’ in RS?
Jammu: Election Commission has set a new deadline of November 25 for the final date for publication of electoral rolls in Jammu & Kashmir. It said those attaining 18 years on October 1 or earlier will be eligible to become voters. Earlier, the EC had given a timeline of October 31 for the publication of the electoral rolls in J-K, where the special summary revision is being undertaken after 3 years and the first such exercise after the boundaries of assembly seats were redrawn in delimitation exercise.
Palakkad: A woman activist of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the ruling CPI(M), was found strangled to death at her house in Chittilamchery in Kerala on Wednesday, police said. The 24-yr-old woman, identified as Suryapriya, was found dead in her room in the house, they said. The shocking incident came to light after Sujesh, hailing from nearby Anakkappara, surrendered before the Alathur police confessing that he had killed the woman.
Sharat K Verma New Delhi: Before the monsoon session of Parliament, the Aam Aadmi Party had three MPs in the Rajya Sabha and their leader was Sanjay Singh. Apart from Sanjay Singh, the other two MPs - Sushil Gupta and NDA Gupta had nothing to do with politics, so they used to sit in the house like a statue and Sanjay Singh used to take over the command.
06
In every case he spoke and appeared everywhere. But now the situation has changed. Now seven new MPs have reached the Rajya Sabha, including Raghav Chadha. His special position within the party can be gauged from the fact that he was made the chairman of the committee advising the government in Punjab. Raghav Chadha dominated the Rajya Sabha in the monsoon session of
Parliament. From day one he started participating in debates, giving notices, raising questions of order. One day
he raised the question of arrangement half a dozen times. Not only this, even at the time of the farewell of Chairman
Venkaiah Naidu, there was much discussion about his speech. Now he has started seeking people’s opinion on the issues to be raised in Parliament. In the monsoon session, Sanjay Singh somehow got himself suspended and sat on dharna but the whole session was dominated by Raghav Chadha. Now, the contest is between these two as the remaining eight MPs are out of the contest.
morsel of food,” Mr Gandhi added. In the video, recorded by a news portal in Haryana’s Karnal, people are seen alleging that they were forced to pay Rs. 20 and buy the national flag when they went to collect ration at a state-run depot. A man in the video, who appears to be a staff at the ration depot, says that they had received orders that each person taking ration had to buy the flag for Rs. 20 and put it up at their homes.
World’s highest bridge launch on August 13 Srinagar: For the first time ever since independence, Srinagar will be linked to the rest of India after the overarch deck on the world’s highest single-arch railway bridge over Chenab River is launched on August 13. The 1.315 km long bridge which is being built at a dizzying height of 359 meters is even taller than Eiffel Tower.
COMMODITIES
CURRENCIES
Commodity
Price
Change
% Chg
Currency
Price
Change
% Chg
GOLD
52,377.00
112.00
0.21 (Per 10g)
USDINR
79.51
0.15
0.18
SILVER
59,187.00
396.00
0.67 (Per 1kg)
GBPINR
96.169
0.4167
0.4314
NEW DELHI | THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
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business Centre releases `1.16 lakh crore as tax devolution to states BRIEFS
DRUG FIRM PFIZER’S MD SRIDHAR RESIGNS
New Delhi: Drug firm Pfizer on Wednesday said its Managing Director S Sridhar has resigned from the company.Sridhar has expressed his intention to take early retirement and has tendered his resignation, the company said in a regulatory filing. He will continue to serve in his current position until the identification, selection and transition to the new leadership takes place in the company, it added. Over the past 14 years, Sridhar has led a number of key leadership positions in Pfizer. —PTI
OIL PRICES DIP AFTER RISE IN US CRUDE INVENTORIES
New Delhi: Oil prices edged lower after industry data showed US crude inventories unexpectedly rose last week, signaling a potential hiccup in demand. US crude stocks rose by about 2.2 mn barrels for the week ended August 5, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures. Analysts had forecast a small 400,000-barrel drop in crude inventories. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures declined 16 cents to $90.34 a barrel. —PTI
TATA CHEMICALS GAINS NEARLY 9% IN JUNE QUARTER
New Delhi: Shares of Tata Chemicals gained nearly 9 % in morning trade on Wednesday after the company posted strong first-quarter earnings. Shares of Tata Chemicals opened on a bullish note at ` 999.95, then gained further ground to touch 1,043, registering a jump of 8.96% over its previous close. On the NSE, the stock opened at ` 1,015, then climbed to 1,038.05, higher by 8.47% over its last close. Tata Chemicals on Tuesday reported an 86.25% increase in consolidated net profit to ` 637 cr during the quarter ending June 30. —PTI
BHARTI AIRTEL SHARES CLIMB AFTER 466% SURGE
Mumbai: The share price of telecom firm Bharti Airtel rose on Wednesday after the company announced an impressive 466 per cent year-on-year surge in its net profit for the first quarter of the current financial year. Bharti Airtel’s share was trading 0.67 per cent higher at `709.05 on the BSE at 9.48 am. The scrip started the day sharply higher at ` 719 against its previous session’s close at ` 704.35. —ANI
New Delhi (ANI) : The Central government released two instalments of tax devolution to states amounting to `1,16,665.75 crore as against the normal monthly devolution of `58,332.86 crore, the Ministry of Finance said. Uttar Pradesh has got the highest amount of `20,928.62 crore followed by Bihar at ` 11,734.22 crore. “The Government has released two instalments of tax devolu-
tion to State Governments amounting to `1,16,665.75 cr on August 10, 2022, as against normal monthly devolution of `58,332.86 crore,” the Union Ministry of Finance said. “This is in line with the commitment of the Government of India to strengthen the hands of States to accelerate their capital and developmental expenditure,” the ministry said. Andhra Pradesh has got ` 4,721.44 crore; Chhattisgarh has re-
ceived `3,974.82 crore and Madhya Pradesh has received ` 9,158.24 cr. WB has received Rs 8,776.76 crore as two instalments of tax devolution from the Union government. Gujarat has received `4,057.64 crore; Haryana has received `1,275.14 crore; Maharashtra has received `7,369.76 cr; Rajasthan has received ` 7,030.28 crore and TN has received Rs 4,758.78 crore.
WHO GETS WHAT... States
Amount
Uttar Pradesh
`20,928.62 cr
Bihar
`11,734.22 cr
West Bengal
`8,776.76 cr
Maharashtra
`7,369.76 cr
Rajasthan
`7,030.28 cr
Tamil Nadu
`4,758.78 cr
Andhra Pradesh
`4,721.44 cr
TO REGULATE FRAUDS
RBI issues first set of norms for digital lending Mumbai(ANI): The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday released the first set of norms to regulate digital lending to crack down on the growing number of online frauds and unlawful activities. As per the new norms, all loan disbursals and repayments have to be executed only between the bank accounts of the borrower and the regulated entity without any passthrough or pool account of the lending service provider (LSP) or any third party. The Reserve Bank’s regulatory framework is focused on the digital lending ecosystem of RBI’s Regulated Entities (REs) and the Lending Service Providers (LSPs) engaged by them to extend various permissible credit facilitation services. As regards entities authorised to carry out lending as per other statutory/regula-
THE ROOT CAUSES The concerns primarily relate to unbridled engagement of third parties, mis-selling, breach of data privacy, unfair business conduct, charging of exorbitant interest rates and unethical recovery practices.
tory provisions but not regulated by RBI the respective regulator/ controlling authority may consider formulating or enacting
Certain concerns have emerged which, if not mitigated, may erode the confidence of members of the public in digi lending ecosystem. Earlier, Reserve Bank had constituted a Working Group on ‘digi lending through (web & mobile apps)’ (WGDL).
appropriate rules/regulations on digital lending based on the recommendations of WGDL. For the entities lending
Sensex, Nifty close almost on flat note; IT stocks weigh Mumbai(PTI):Benchmark BSE Sensex and Nifty closed on a flat note after a volatile session on Wednesday profit booking in IT and realty shares negated gains in metal and oil & gas stocks. The 30-share BSE Sensex ended 35.78 points or 0.06 per cent lower at 58,817.29, while the broader NSE Nifty inched 9.65 points or 0.06 per cent higher at 17,534.75. The market remained rangebound for the most part of the session as investors kept their exposure low due to weak global cues, traders
THE TOP INDEX Bajaj Finance was the top
loser in the Sensex pack, shedding 2.66 per cent, followed by NTPC, HCL Tech, Wipro
said. Bajaj Finance was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding 2.66 per cent, followed by NTPC, HCL Tech, Wipro, Asian Paints, Ultra Cement and SBI. On the other hand, Tata Steel, Bharti Airtel, ICICI
Bank, L&T and IndusInd Bank were among the gainers. Equity markets were closed on Tuesday on account of ‘Muharram’. The rupee appreciated 15 p to close at 79.48 (provisional) against the US dollar.
outside the purview of any statutory/ regulatory provisions, the WGDL has suggested specific legislative and institutional interventions for consideration by the Central Government to curb the illegitimate lending activity being carried out by such entities. The Reserve Bank is statutorily mandated to operate the credit system of the country to its advantage. In this endeavour, the Reserve Bank has encouraged innovation in the financial system, products and credit delivery methods while ensuring their orderly growth, preserving financing stability and ensuring protection of depositors’ and customers’ interest. Recently, innovative methods of designing and delivery of credit products and their servicing through Digital Lending route have acquired prominence.
MI Emirates & Cape Town by Reliance Group Mumbai: The owner of the cricket team Mumbai Indiand Reliance Industries on Wednesday unveiled the name and brand identity of the two new franchises which will be joining the Mumbai Indians family. The two teams, MI Emirates in UAE’s International League T20 and MI Cape Town in Cricket South Africa T20 League will adorn the iconic blue and gold of the team. These names were chosen as they call out the specific regions from where the teams will be based, it said in a statement.
THE WORLD GOLD COUNCIL SAYS...
‘Gold, a source of ROI amid policy tightening’ New Delhi (ANI): Against the backdrop of monetary policy tightening by several central banks including the Reserve Bank of India, gold as an asset may offer investors a source of return on their investments and effective diversification of the portfolio, said World Gold Council in its latest Investment Update. Gold is widely considered a safe-haven asset and a hedge against volatility in financial markets. “Interest rate hikes are driven by rising inflation. In the short term, higher rates are a headwind for gold,
Int rate hikes are driven by rising inflation. In short term, higher rates are a headwind for gold, but in the current environment they remain low. —World Gold Council
but in the current environment they remain historically low - in real terms mostly negative across developed markets,” the council said. Historical data, the council said, shows that gold has offered attractive re-
turns during India’s monetary-tightening cycles. In five rate-hiking cycles since 2004 gold in Indian rupees averaged an annualised return of 19.5 per cent, outperforming other major assets. For instance, over the past 41 years, gold
has delivered an average annual return of 10 per cent in rupees, clearly outperforming retail inflation, which grew by an average of 7.3 per cent over the same period. Gold’s performance has also been particularly strong in periods of high inflation, increasing by 12 per cent on average when inflation rose above 6 per cent, it said. Central banks around the world have responded to rising inflation. Retail inflation was at 7.01 per cent in June and inflation data for July is due on Friday.
Elon Musk sells Tesla shares worth $6.88bn Washington: Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has sold 7.92 million shares of Tesla Inc worth around $6.88 billion, as per a series of regulatory filings by the company. According to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Inc, sold around 7.92 million shares of the company between August 5 and August 9. Musk has sold Tesla shares just months after declaring that he would not sell any more stock of the company. “No further TSLA sales planned after today,” Elon Musk had said in a tweet on April 29. Tesla’s share price has slumped by around 30 percent so far this year. The scrip traded at around $850 on Tuesday. Musk is involved in a highstakes legal battle with the microblogging site T w i t t e r. Twitter rec e n t l y
‘MAY-DAY’ SAGA In April, Musk reached an
acquisition agreement with Twitter at $54.20 per share in a transaction valued at approximately $44 billion.
Musk is involved in a high-
stakes legal battle with the microblogging site Twitter.
However, Musk put the
deal on hold in May
sued Musk after he decided to back out of the $44 billion takeover deal. In April, Musk reached an acquisition agreement with Twitter at $54.20 per share in a transaction valued at approximately $44 billion. However, Musk put the deal on hold in May to allow his team to review the veracity of Twitter’s claim that less than 5 percent of accounts on the platform are bots or spam.
OTHER STORIES JSW ENERGY TO BUY MYTRAH ENERGY ASSETS FOR `10,530 CR
New Delhi: JSW Neo Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of JSW Energy, said on Wednesday it has agreed to acquire a portfolio of 1,753 MW of renewable energy generation capacity from Mytrah Energy (India) for ` 10,530 crore. Necessary definitive agreements have been signed between the parties. The transaction is subject to the approval of the Competition. —ANI
DOLLAR SOLID AHEAD OF THE US INFLATION DATA
Singapore:The dollar traded firmly in anticipation of US inflation data, which even if it comes in softer-thanexpected is still likely to be so red hot that steep US interest rate rises will be required to rein it in. The figures are due at 1230 GMT. Economists expect year-onyear headline inflation running at a scorching 8.7%, a small retreat from June’s whopping 9.1% figure. —PTI
HPL ELECTRIC AND POWER LTD REPORTS SOLID Q1FY23 RESULTS
New Delhi: HPL Electric and Power Ltd, an established electrical equipment manu company in India, producing a diverse portfolio of electric equipment, announced its financial results for the Quarter ended June 30th, 2022. The revenue surged by 129% YoY to 295.6 Cr in Q1FY23, compared to 129cr in Q1FY22.Commenting on the results, Gautam Seth, Joint MD, and CFO, said, “Despite a challenging economic environment and various geo-political uncertainties, we have demonstrated robust performance in both business segments & delivered strong numbers.” —PTI
IRCTC Q1FY23 RESULTS: TRIPLEDIGIT RISE IN PROFIT
New Delhi: IRCT has reported strong earnings in the first quarter of the FY2022-23 (Q1FY23). The company’s both top and bottom lines reported around triple-digit year-onyear (YoY) growth during the quarter. IRCTC’s net profit grew by 185% to ` 248.5 cr in the April-June quarter of FY23 as against ` 87.2cr in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal. —ANI
DELHIVERY SHARES SINK 7% AFTER LOSSES WIDEN
Mumbai: Shares of technology-driven logistics startup Delhivery sank over 7 percent on August 10 after the company’s June quarter earnings worsened concerns over the sustainability of the stock’s rich valuations. The company reported a net loss of ` 399 crore for the quarter ended June 2022 as against a net loss of ` 129.6 crore a year back. —FIB
Greetings on the occasion of Rakshabandhan! May the relationship between brother and sister always be a sustaining one. —Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, First India
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2ND FRONT NEW DELHI | THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
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One leader can’t tackle all challenges before this country: Bhagwat Nagpur (PTI): One leader can not face all the challenges before this country and a single organization or party can not bring about change, Rashtriya RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Tuesday evening. This thought was at the base of the Sangh's ideology, he said, adding that the country got
independence only when the common people took to the street. Bhagwat was speaking at a centenary programme of the Vidarbha Sahitya Sangh, a Marathi literary body,. "One thing at the base of the Sangh's ideology is that a single leader is not supposed to tackle all the challenges before this country. He
can not even do that. Howsoever big the leader may be," he said. "One organization, one party, one leader can not bring about change. They help bring it. Change takes place when the common man stands up for it," he added. India's freedom struggle began way back in 1857, but it
succeeded only when there was a massive
awareness and "the common man took to the street," Bhagwat said. The revolutionaries too contributed to the freedom struggle and Subhas Chandra B o s e created a huge challenge
BJP rejig: Bansal is nat’l gen secy, Dharampal sent to UP
Sunil Bansal’s appointment assumes significance as the BJP is determined to gain more seats in West Bengal and emerge as the alternative force in Telangana and Odisha in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections
First India Bureau New Delhi: Effecting important organisational changes before the 2024 General Elections, BJP Chief JP Nadda on Wednesday appointed Sunil Bansal as the party’s national general secretary and also handed him the charges of important states such as West Bengal, Telangana, and Odisha. Bansal’s appointment assumes significance as the BJP is determined to gain more seats in West Bengal and emerge as the alternative force in Telangana and Odisha in the 2024 Lok Sabha
elections. Bansal had been the organisation secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh and played a significant role in BJP winning the elections in the politically-crucial state. The party also announced Dharampal, who was the organisation secretary in charge of Jharkhand, will take over from Bansal and said Karamveer, who was the co-organisation secretary in UP, will go to Jharkhand. Both Dharampal and Bansal have Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad backgrounds and Dharampal has also served in various posi-
Both Dharampal and Bansal have Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad backgrounds and Dharampal has also served in various positions in the ABVP in UP tions in the ABVP in UP. The role of the general secretary (organisation) or sangathan mahamantri is considered to be crucial in any
Upcoming football World Cup revs up television sales: Report New Delhi (ANI): The global TV market is expected to show signs of recovery in 2022 and beyond on account of improvements in the supply of large LCD panels -- which was the primary obstacle manufacturers struggled within 2021, according to Kagan, a media research group within global financial services information provider S&P Global Market Intelligence. The rapid expansion of residential broadband penetration, it said, is opening up the addressable smart TV
market and driving smart TV penetration in total. Meanwhile, global smart TV shipments are estimated to grow 1.9 per cent year over year to 153.0 million units by the end of 2022 with a forecast of a 2.3 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2021 to 2026. “Despite a weak first
quarter for global smart TV shipments, declining panel prices and the coming World Cup in November 2022 are expected to overcome the negative effects of inflation to spark consumer demand by the end of 2022,” it said in a note on Wednesday. However, supply shortages are still an issue for some components used in the assembly of LCD panels -- especially those based on mature process technologies. But the overall supply of TV displays is slowly improving.
BJP unit as they are RSS appointees in the party. If the BJP is in power in any state, the party general secretary (organisation) is sup-
posed to play the key role of a communicator between the RSS and the government while being a part of the party and the government’s core group. Bansal was brought to the BJP UP unit to assist Union Home Minister Amit Shah ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Before that, he was a pracharak with the RSS and worked with its students’ wing ABVP as well. Considered close to Amit Shah, Bansal proved himself, with the BJP winning 71 of the state’s 80 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 and sweeping the Assembly elections in 2017.
DU students, teachers hold ‘Tiranga Yatra’ New Delhi (PTI): Delhi University students, teachers and officials held a rally in the North Campus area on Wednesday as a part of the “Har Ghar Tiranga” campaign to celebrate 75 years of India’s independence. The rally, led by Delhi University VC Yogesh Singh, covered a distance of four kilometres. More than 5,000 participants, including teachers and non-teaching staff and students of the varsity, participated in the rally.
Singh said the rally has undoubtedly strengthened the spirit of patriotism and nationalism among the students. “Our national flag instills a sense of patriotism, national pride and belongingness among the countrymen. The national unity is very important for the country, if the country remains Eik (one), then only will it be Shresth. The feeling of nationalism has to be inculcated in the children from the family itself,” Singh said.
Raj CM Gehlot directs for tight security arrangements in religious fairs and festivals Ensure that a corridor is maintained in religious places, Gehlot said Instructions to form a committee to know the present status of the families of the victims of Mehrangarh accident Naresh Sharma Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has described the incident at Khatushyam Ji Temple in Sikar as sad and unfortunate. “The religious places of Rajasthan are the centers
of faith in the whole country. In the religious places here, apart from annual festivals, fairs, lakhs of devotees from different states including Rajasthan come to visit every month,” Gehlot said and directed the administration and
GEHLOT IN DELHI TODAY
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot chairing the meeting where Vishvendra Singh, Shakuntala Rawat, Ramesh Meena, Usha Sharma, and Kuldeep Ranka are also seen.
police officers to ensure adequate security arrangements in the reli-
gious places and the surrounding area. Gehlot chaired a meet-
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot will visit Delhi on Thursday to take part in the swearing-in ceremony of Vice President elect Jagdeep Dhankhar. Gehlot will leave from Jaipur at 9.30 am on Thursday. ing organized at the Chief Minister’s residence on Wednesday.
Country got independence only when the common people took to the street before the British, but the main thing was that people acquired courage, he said. "Not everyone went to jail, some people stayed away, but
Income Tax Dept conducts searches in MP
there was a widespread feeling that the country must become independent," the RSS chief said. The RSS wants the Hindu society to become capable of fulfilling its responsibility, he said, adding that "leaders do not make society" but society creates leaders. "All things take place through a change in society and the RSS is
organizing society," Bhagwat said. People should not give the "contract" to improve the country's condition to others but should take up the responsibility themselves, he said. "Don't give this contract to even the Sangh. Do your job yourself.... people will have to learn this," Bhagwat said.
‘`1k is not ‘revdi’, this is your right’
First India Bureau New Delhi: The Income Tax Department carried out a search operation on July 14 on a group engaged in the business of mining, sugar manufacturing and liquor. The key person of the group is also occupying a political position. The search operation covered several premises located in Madhya Pradesh and Mumbai. During the course of the search operation, a large number of incriminating documentary and digital evidences have been found and seized.
Ahmedabad (PTI): AAP convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday promised that if voted to power in Guj, his party will give a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 to all women above the age of 18 years if they are willing to accept such a grant. This was the fifth "guarantee" Kejriwal has given to the people as part of his ongoing poll campaign in Gujarat, where Assembly elections are due by the
year-end. "Rs 1,000 (per month allowance) is not revdi (freebie). This is your right. People's money should go to the people, not in the Swiss bank," said Kejriwal while making the announcement here in front of hundreds of women. Earlier, Kejriwal had promised free electricity up to 300 units to each family and Rs 3,000 per month to unemployed youths if the AAP comes to power in the state.
Flight tickets: Airfare caps to be removed from Aug 31
New Delhi (PTI): Limits imposed on domestic airfares will be removed from August 31, after a span of approximately 27 months, the Union Aviation Ministry said on Wednesday. "The decision to remove air fare caps has been taken after careful analysis of daily demand and prices of air turbine fuel (ATF). Stabilisation has set in and we are certain that the sector is poised for growth in domestic traffic in the near future," Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Twitter. ATF prices have been coming down during the last few weeks after jumping to record levels, primarily due to the Russia-Ukraine war that began on February 24. The ministry had imposed lower and upper limits on domestic airfares based on
BRINGING RELIEF
flight durations when services were resumed on May 25, 2020 after a two-month lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, airlines currently cannot charge a passenger less than Rs 2,900 (excluding GST) and more than Rs 8,800 (excluding GST) for domestic flights of less than 40 minutes. The lower caps were there to protect the financially weaker airlines and the upper caps to protect passengers from high fares.
On Wednesday, the Civil Aviation Ministry stated in an order: "After review of the current status of scheduled domestic operations viz-a-viz passenger demand for air travel...it has been decided to remove the fare bands notified from time to time regarding the airfares with effect from August 31, 2022." The airlines and airport operators must, however, ensure that the guidelines to contain the spread of COVID-19 are strictly adhered to and COVID-appropriate behaviour is strictly enforced by them during travel, it added. Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan had on June 19 said that he would be happy if the lower and upper limits on airfares were increased but the best solution would be for the airlines to have absolute freedom on airfares.
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NEW DELHI, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
R
aksha Bandhan is one such festival in the Indian tradition that is dedicated to siblings. In this, the sisters tie a ‘rakhi’ around their brother’s wrist, symbolically protecting them. But looking at the present day, it’s not just about the brothers and
Raksha Bandhan is a bond of love, of reaffirming the special connection that siblings share, it is a proclamation that amid the storm of life, a sibling is a safe harbour. City First brings to you the information on the bonds of B-Town siblings!
sisters, but about any sibling for that matter of fact. There are people who tie a rakhi to their sisters with a share of responsibility to protect each other, which is really sweet; isn’t it? This festival is also observed as the last day of the Hindu Lunar calendar month of Sawan. The expression ‘Raksha
Sara & Ibrahim Ali Khan: Born to Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh, these star kids have set major goals on social media, from travelling to celebrating festivals together.
DHANUSHREE VYAS cityfirst@firtsindia.co.in
Janhvi & Arjun Kapoor: Considering the fact that they are step-siblings, it is safe to say that their relationship is looked upon by many people. Arjun sure is an extremely protective brother and loves all of his sisters from the bottom of his heart.
Bandhan’ in Sanskrit refers to the bond of protection, obligation or care towards one another. Talking about the brother-sister jodis in the Bollywood industry, there are a few of them that not just made heads turn with their skills, but also with how adorable they actually are together!
Ranbir & Riddhima Kapoor: Born to Neetu and late Rishi Kapoor, these Kapoor siblings are always in support of each other. May it be a big incident or a small moment of happiness, both of them are there with each other, no matter what. Sonam & Harshvardhan Kapoor: Being born to Anil & Sunita Kapoor, this set of Kapoor siblings is fun to watch. May it be a talk show or a video on social media, this jodi is undoubtedly loved by everyone.
ETC NEW DELHI | THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
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Raksha Bandhan:
Bond of love. love.... ...
Bond of togetherness.... togetherness....
MITALI DUSAD
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
Raksha Bandhan, the festival of celebrating the bond of love between brothers and sisters, isn’t just about the sacred thread Rakhi but the thali also holds a special significance which includes a number of basic puja items decorated beautifully. City First brings to you the significance of these elements!
R
aksha means protection, and in some places in medieval India, where women felt unsafe, they tie Rakhi on the wrist of men, regarding them as brothers. In this way, Rakhi strengthens the bond of love between brothers and sisters and revives the emotional bonding. And the beauty of the festival lies in the idea that sisters pray for the success and prosperity of their brothers, while brothers take a vow to protect their sisters. Every festival observed in India is a sum-up of special elements. In Diwali, it is the oil lamps, crackers, sweets, new attires, etc. whereas Holi is a festival composed of colours. Along with sacred thread, Rakhi thali also holds a special significance on this festival which includes several basic puja items decorated beautifully. It includes a diya, roli, rice, sweets, and Rakhi. These thalis are adorned wonderfully conveying a sister’s respect and honour for her brother. City First brings to you the significance of these elements! The Pooja Thali is decorated with pearls and ornated with colourful designer Rakhis and other ingredients to ward off negativity and bad omen. Nowadays, either you can make your own Pooja Ki Thali or shop online Rakhi with Pooja thali; there are plenty of websites that offer beautiful and alluring Thali under an affordable price range. But if you are keen to prepare the Thali on your own, then these are the essential components a Raksha Bandhan thali must have:
AKSHATA (RICE)
Akshata is a Sanskrit word that means “Something which is not broken,” another name for Lord Shiva. Akshata is uncooked, unbroken rice mixed with turmeric and is considered one of the most important ingredients known to bring prosperity and fertility.
KUMKUM AND KESAR
Kumkum has a unique role in all Indian holy events; in the Vaishnava, Tilaka is the symbol of the Lotus feet of Param-aatma
(Divine God) and the Kumkum symbolizes the Bhakta( devotee). Kumkum is one of the best remedies and can be used in headaches; it relaxes the muscles and gives instant relief.
DIYA OR INCENSE STICK
Diya is very important and has a special place in Hinduism. It is the significance of purity, good omen, and power. It is said that light means the non-existence of dark(Evil). And Diya was first lightened when Sri Rama visited Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, a symbol of joy and happiness.
SWEETS
Sweets are called “Mithai,” it is a symbol of happiness and sweetness that we spread among family, friends, and relatives. Firstly the sweets are offered to the Goddess Lakshmi with
pure devotion. And later, it is distributed among all the members as Prasad in the form of blessings from the Goddess.
FRUITS OR NARIYAL
The three dots on the Nariyal symbolize the three eyes of Lord Shiva, and thus coconut is termed as auspicious in the Puja ceremony. Also, the devotees pay special tribute to God to get a child by offering Nariyal to Lord Rudra. You can also use bananas and offer them to the Lord to get blessings.
MOLI DHAGA
Moli dhaga, also termed as Kalawa, is a holy Hindu thread tied by the priest on the wrists of all the attendees of the Puja ceremony to get the blessings of God. It is also believed that the wrist vein controls our body, so if you tie Moli on the wrist, it helps us regulate our blood circulation.
KALASH WITH WATER
The Kalasha is believed to have Amrita, the elixir of life. Also, the Kalasha or metal pot represents material things that contain fertility- the earth and the womb, which nourish our life. And as per Hindu tradition Goddess, Lakshmi holds Kalasha in her hand shows wisdom and abundance.
BETEL-NUT (PAAN-SUPARI)
Betel nut helps us invoke the blessings of Lord Ganapati and Goddess Lakshmi. It is said t h a t keeping
a copper vessel filled with Ganga water, along with the betel nut and some coins, as an offering in a temple, helps get all our wishes fulfilled soon. The holy Nut is encapsulated by the Moli dhaga and placed on Betel-leaf.
RAKHIS FOR BOTH BHAIYA AND BHABHI
Rakhi is not just a thread; the sacred thread shows an unbreakable long-lasting sibling bond. Why just a Rakhi for brother, we have beautiful chooda (Bangle) rakhi for our dear bhabhis too. Customised Gifts: Nowadays people love experimenting with gifts. Not just brothers gift something to their sisters but the other way round too is happening quite a lot. After all, it’s about cherishing moments forever!
ETC
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NEW DELHI | THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
Bond of Protection
Raksha Bandhan is an auspicious festival that celebrates the beautiful bond of brothers and sisters. City First brings to you such special bonds of siblings
SHUBHANSHI PATHAK cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
O
ne of the most reverent and unique relationships is that between a brother and a sister. This day is devoted to sibling relationships and serves as a reminder of their responsibilities and shared affection. Every year, particularly in the Hindu community, the festival of Raksha Bandhan is commemorated with great fervour. The sisters tie a holy thread or knot around their brother’s wrist on this day which symbolises a sister’s love for her brother and in return request for his protection. On the final day of the Shraavana month in the Hindu calendar, Raksha Bandhan is commemorated. The phrase literally translates to ‘bond of protection, obligation or care’ in Sanskrit. Even though the exact
origin of the holiday is unknown, it is mentioned in a number of mythological tales. The trusting relationship between King Bali and Goddess Lakshmi is one of them. After beating Vishnu three times, King Bali is said to have imprisoned him inside of his home. But in order to win her husband back, Lakshmi wrapped a thread around King Bali’s wrist and urged him to inscribe a seal on their enduring link of kindness and faith. King Bali was compelled to send Lord Vishnu to her since he was unable to resist. Another legend states that Lord Krishna once sliced his finger during kite-flying. Draupadi went to aid when she saw blood gushing from his finger and tore a piece of fabric from her sari to bind to his wounded finger. Her action greatly delighted Lord Krishna, who thereafter pledged to shield her from any harm. He later shielded her from the Kauravas, as is well documented. City First brings to you such special bonds of siblings on the auspicious day of Raksha Bandhan.
Priyavada Rathore, Rajshree Rathore, Rimjhim Bhati, Malvika, Geetanjali Rathore, Rajshree Bhati, Chandraveer Singh, Capt. Varunraj Singh Rathore, Priyanka Rathore and Gajraj Singh
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We believe that Raksha Bandhan is a cultural symbol of Indian society which is all about the beautiful bond between brothers and sisters. We wait for Rakhi as we get to celebrate the unbreakable bond that we share with our lovely brothers. We are very fortunate to have brothers who have always been there for us through thick and thin. —MALVIKA BHATI
I love the festival of Raksha Bandhan because I get a lot of gifts from my brother. I get so many chocolates and I dress up like a doll for the festival. I am treated like a queen on this day which makes me feel even more special. —AVIKA TINKER
Aniruddh Tinker and Avika Tinker
Keerat Sain and Kathit Sain
A very big thank you for being my companion, my protector and being equally weird with me. You are the best brother in this world. Happy Raksha Bandhan! —KEERAT SAIN
Chandrika Begerhotta and Chandresh Begerhotta Ashi Gupta, Sagar Gupta and Aman Gupta
You have always been my best friend, holding my hand, making sure the road I travelled on free of obstacles. There cannot be a better brother than you in this whole world. Wishing you the best in life always. —CHANDRIKA BEGERHOTTA
Raksha Bandhan is my favourite festival. I get so many surprises from my brothers on this day. I eagerly wait for it as it strengthens our bond. It is a very vibrant festival that captures the emotions very well.
Arpit and Amisha
—ASHI GUPTA
We giggle and we cry, we play and we fight. The moments of happiness and sorrows we shared together have made our bond stronger. Wishing you a very Happy Raksha Bandhan. —AMISHA SHUKLA
Jyotsana Chouhan, Nisha Chouhan, Yogesh Chouhan and Sheetal Chouhan Preeti and Chirag Gupta
You are all-in-one package for me. You are my friend, a companion and also a protector. Love you, dear brother. —PREETI GUPTA
Rakhi is a day which is full of gifts, delicacies, beautiful bonds. It’s that wonderful time of the year when our brother is on the hunt for the perfect gifts for us while we look for the ideal rakhis for him and also wait for our presents. —JYOTSANA CHOUHAN
CITY
Fashion designs
F
DHANUSHREE VYAS cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
ashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live and what is happening.
Tell us something about yourself. My name is Sujata Chakraborty and I am from New Delhi. I am currently working as a design head for a fashion house. Apart from this, I am a mother to an 8-year-old son. What inspired you to become an influencer? My friends and family always pushed me to be a better and m o r e meaningful version of myself. I did not follow any particular influencer but I loved the content of creators such as Komal, Roshini, Masoom, Siddharth, Prajakta, Dolly, Kritika and Sameera Reddy. I became a fashion influencer on Instagram. What are the challenges that you faced? My biggest challenge
was time management to create content. My work is very demanding given a schedule of six days a week. Household chores and the care of my son leave me with no time. Where do you see yourself after five years from now? I wish to see myself doing what I love and that is being a fashionista mom. I wish to be the face of renowned fashion and beauty brands. I want to create great content for my audience. I wish to earn enough to be able to drive a BMW, wear a Gucci and take trips to the Maldives. Tell us about your achievements. I participated in a beauty pageant at an age of 38 and won the title of Ms Photogenic in Mrs DelhiNCR. I also met my mentor Barkha Nangia during this journey. I believe my hard work and consistency are my biggest achievements so far.
ATMA NIRBHAR BHARAT!
A
—PHOTO BY SHAZID CHAUHAN
Actor Akshay Kumar and director Aanand L Rai were in Delhi on Wednesday for the promotion of their upcoming movie Raksha Bandhan.
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Mrs Universe Joy: Amrita Tripathi CITY FIRST
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ndian females have been always been making a mark in Worldwide beauty pageants for a long. Beauty pageants not only celebrate women’s empowerment but are also a great platform for cross-cultural exchange. Mrs Univrse Joy in one such popular pageant. Mrs Universe Joy was organised in Seoul, South Korea. Amrita has made India proud by winning the coveted title of Mrs Universe Joy. Amrita left an indelible impression during the contest with her natural charm and dignified presence. She said, “I feel humbled to be bestowed upon with the title of Mrs Universe Joy. The title has certain positive energy associated with it and that makes me even happier. Maa Durga is my inspiration and I constantly had her in my thoughts during the competition. With this title, I also feel I have been given a big responsibility to carry on my shoulders. I want to work diligently towards ensuring that more and more women get empowered and have the means to fulfil their dreams without any obstruction or fear.” Amrita is no stranger to beauty pageant competitions. In the year 2021, she won the title of Mrs India. One of her most cherished memories during the South Korea trip is visiting the War Memorial with the other contestants. “At the Memorial, I got teary-eyed to see the Indian flag and all the tributes that had been given to those 670 Indian doctors who were sent to South Korea to treat wounded soldiers during the war that had broken out in the year 1950,” she said. Amrita Tripathi
head of the release of ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’, actors Aamir Khan, Mona Singh and Naga Chaitanya visited the National War Memorial in New Delhi on Tuesday. They paid tributes to the martyrs and even interacted with several Armymen there. Director Advait Chandan was also present with the cast at the National War Memorial which represents the gratitude of the nation to its armed forces. Speaking about ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’, it is scheduled to release on August 11. The film is an official Hindi adaptation of the Academy Award-winning 1994 film ‘Forrest Gump’, which had Tom Hanks in the lead role. Kareena Kapoor Khan is also a part of the film. Makers of the upcoming family entertainer
recently hosted a special screening of their film in Hyderabad in presence of many big industry names.The guest list included Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, Amala Akkineni, Kartikeya Gummakonda, Satyadev Kancharana, Allu Sirish, and Allu Aravind. Also, the makers have announced that the film will be available on OTT within six months of its release. Aamir recently expressed how he just got saved from having the same release date as that of KGF 2. “Laal Singh Chaddha was supposed to release on that day. But fortunately for us, Red Chillies was taking a little time on the VFX so we got saved! Otherwise, we would have come with KGF 2”. ‘Laal Singh Chadha’ will now clash with Akshay Kumar’s ‘Raksha Bandhan’ this Friday.
—PHOTOS BY SHAZID CHAUHAN
CITY FIRST
PROMOTION!
—PHOTO BY SHAZID CHAUHAN
Actor-producer Upasana Singh was in Delhi on Wednesday to address the media regarding the case she has filed against Miss Universe Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu for not honouring her commitments towards the former’s production Bai Ji Kuttange.
BUZZ
Aamir, Mona visit National War Memorial
The Twitter handle of the Police Families Welfare Society (PFWS) shared on Wednesday glimpses of the production of indigenous products made by the women of the Delhi police families. The goal is to contribute to the Atma Nirbhar Bharat by making products accessible to the public.
BAI JI KUTTANGE
Sujata Chakraborty
GET VACCINATED
NEW DELHI | THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
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“I want to create great content for my audience,” says Sujata Chakraborty as she speaks to City First about her journey
STAY MASKED
During the visit
Aamir Khan
Mona Singh