First India-Delhi Edition-15th December 2022

PARLIAMENT

WINTER SESSION

CHINA BORDER CLASH ISSUE ECHOES IN PARL

New Delhi: The ruckus continued during the Winter Session of Parliament on Wednesday with the Opposition seeking to corner the ruling BJP-led government over a host of issues including border issues with China, unemployment and the economy. As many as 17 Oppn parties staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha accusing the government of not holding a discussion over Dec 9 clashes along the LAC between Indian & Chinese forces at Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh. The Congress, RJD, AAP, MDMK, Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI, JD (U), DMK, TMC, and TDM were among the 17 parties that walked out from the House during ‘Zero Hour’. More on P6

Claps, cheers for Modi!

INDIA-CHINA TROOPS CLASH IN ARUNACHAL

‘PLA wanted to set up the observation post on LAC’

First India Bureau

Itanagar: China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was planning to set up an Observation Post on LAC at Yangtze in Tawang, Arunachal, an Indian Army officer said.

Officer claimed that as extreme winter is approaching Chinese side wants to get information about preparations of Indian troops deployed at forward posts at the LAC.

IA said unlike 2020, this time our soldiers were prepared and thwatrted attempts of Chinese who tried to access our higher ground to set up Observation Post, were stopped, forced to leave.

CHINA CONSTRUCTS

WHITE HOUSE, PDP PREZ SPEAK

l Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday described the recent tension between India and China on the border in Arunachal as “a very sorry state of affairs” saying it was unfortunate that the BJP was doing nothing about it.

l The White House on Wednesday commented on the recent face-off between the Indian and the China troops at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh on December 9 and said it is glad to note that there was a quick disengagement of the tension.

Lt Guv chairs meeting on G20, Kejriwal absent

First India Bureau

Bhopal: MP HC issued a bailable warrant against Sahara chief Subrata Roy and directed SP Lucknow to execute the warrant.

Lawyer Ankit Mishra of MP HC, “There are 20 petitions registered against Sahara Chief Subrata Roy. MP HC issued bailable warrant of Rs 5 lakh against him.”

CYBER ATTACK

‘ORIGINATED IN CHINA, HONG KONG’

New Delhi: The cyber attack on AIIMS Delhi servers is suspected to have originated from locations in China and Hong Kong, official sources said on Wednesday. Details will be sought from companies in China and Hong Kong.

SC OBJECTS TO MULTIPLE

LISTING REQUESTS OF BILKIS BANO’S PLEA

New Delhi: The Supreme Court expressed disapproval towards multiple listing requests made for Bilkis Bano’s petition challenging the early release of 11 men convicted of gangraping her and murdering her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots in Gujarat.

DR CONGO FLOODS

LEAVE OVER 120

DEAD IN KINSHASA

Kinshasa: More than 120 people have been killed following the worst floods in years in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa, the authorities said. Major roads in were submerged and several homes collapsed.

New Delhi: The jubilation in the BJP over its record-breaking win in the Gujarat polls echoed in its parliamentary party meeting on Wednesday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was felicitated for the victory.

Modi, in turn, heaped praise on the state unit, especially its president CR Paatil, and said the victory is owed to the BJP’s organisational strength and its workers, Union minister Pralhad Joshi told reporters after the meeting.

Sources in the party said Modi lauded the BJP’s Gujarat unit as an

example of how electoral victory is possible if the party organisation is

strong. Modi also praised the party’s national president JP Nadda.

Suspected hooch tragedy claims 20 lives in Bihar’s Saran district

First India Bureau

Chhapra: The death toll due to the consumption of hooch has gone up to 20 in the Saran dist of Bihar’s Chhapra. Bihar continues to witness deaths owing to the consumption of spurious liquor and the

TOXIC MASCULINITY

Cops waiting for postmortem reports on Wednesday.

toll is expected to rise. Family members of deceased persons claimed that their relatives died due to the consumption of poisonous liquor.

Madhaura DSP said that police are looking for the villagers who have fallen sick after liquor consumption. P5

New Delhi: Due to health reasons, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal could not attend the meeting on Wednesday where Lt Governor VK Saxena reviewed preparations for G-20 Summit events, eight of which the national capital will host beginning March 1, officials said.

The LG in the meeting stressed on a “complete” makeover of Delhi and said the summit is an opportunity to emerge as a “forever clean and forever in celebration” city.

Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said that guests will be welcomed with a “festive mood.”

Acid thrown on 17-yr-old girl’s face for ending ‘friendship’

to us,” he said. Asked whether she was being harassed or stalked, he said she had made no such complaint.

New Delhi: Minutes after she left home to go to school on Wednesday morning, two masked men on a bike flung acid on the face of a 17-yearold girl who is now admitted to Safdarjung Hospital’s burn ICU.

“She has suffered seven to eight per cent facial burns and her eyes have also been af-

fected. She has been admitted to the burn ICU and is stable,” said a doctor at Safdarjung Hospital.

The teen, who was with her younger sister when the attack took place at Mohan Garden near Uttam Nagar, named two persons who could be responsible for the attack, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) M Harsha

Vardhan. Waiting outside the burns ward, her father told reporters that her younger

sister was with her when the acid attack took place. “My daughter left home at 7.30 am.

As soon as she crossed the street, she was attacked. My youngest daughter came running

Delhi Police arrested three men for their involvement in the crime.

Police said that revenge was the motive behind the incident as the Class 12 student had ended her “friendship” with the main accused, Sachin Arora, 20, a few months ago. Sachin lived in the girl’s neighbourhood.

The acid used in the

attack was purchased from Flipkart, said Sagar Preet Hudda, Special Commissioner of Police. He said that Sachin along with his friends Harshit Aggarwal, 19, and Virendra Singh,22, planned and executed the attack.

While Harshit was driving the motorcycle, Sachin threw acid on the girl. Virendra took Sachin’s mobile and his scooty to another location so that Sachin’s location cannot be traced, Hudda said. P3

First India Bureau

The three accused in police custody on Wednesday. (R) CCTV footage of the acid attack on Wednesday morning.

Acid purchased from Flipkart, 20-yr-old neighbour planned and executed attack with friends, all 3 arrested: Delhi Police

ANI

NOW IN NEW DELHI Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao inaugurates the Bharat Rashtra Samithi’s office in New Delhi on Wednesday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

17 Opposition parties stage walkout from the Rajya Sabha accusing the govt of not holding a discussion over Dec 9 India-China border clash

Sonia Gandhi led the Congress MPs out of the Lok Sabha after the Speaker did not accept yet another request for a discussion on “Indo-China border” situation Moni Sharma

LoP KHARGE CONVENES A OPPN LEADERS’ MEETING OVER INDO-CHINA TUSSLE Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Malikarjun Kharge convenes a Opposition leaders’ meeting to chalk out a joint strategy on the IndoChina tussle and other issues, at his chambers, in Parliament, in New Delhi on Wednesday. The leaders also discussed important issues to be raised and formulated their joint future strategy in both houses of Parliament.

Opposition MPs stage a walkout from Rajya Sabha over India-China border clash during the Winter Session of Parliament on Wednesday.

veiled attack on China, EAM S Jaishankar at the UN Security Council said Multilateral platforms are being misused to justify and protect perpetrators of terrorism.

l PM felicitated at BJP meet over record-breaking win in Guj

l Modi heaps praise on Gujarat BJP and its State chief Paatil

First India Bureau

PM Narendra Modi greets BJP leaders as he receives a warm welcome at BJP’s Party meeting, at Parliament, in New Delhi on Wednesday. BJP Chief JP Nadda with Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Dr Jitendra Singh, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Bhupender Yadav, Gajendra S Shekhawat and others are also seen here.

Delays not because of CISF: Scindia

First India Bureau

New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told a news channel on Wednesday that the long delays at security check and entry gates at Delhi and Mumbai airports are not because of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) staff deployed there.

The CISF comes under the Union Home Ministry headed by Amit Shah. “We currently have 11 lines and sections for this. But we need 16 such lines and sections. I have had a discussion with the airport operator and this is being provided for," Scindia said.

“There is a problem with entry gates too. If there is a 20-minute wait time at gate number 6 and only a 2-minute wait at gate number 11, then immediately it must be switched. That must also be put up on a display

screen. That is something being done now after my discussion with the airport operator," he said.

“Now, at the security check, we have 17 security lines as of today. We have gone from 11+2 a few days ago to 17... and in a few days we hope to increase it to 20 security lines. We have removed all unnecessary barricades. There is no shortfall of CISF personnel. The DG-CISF was with me in the 3-hour meeting and I asked Delhi International Airport Ltd as well if this was a CISF issue. I was told there is no problem from CISF side. They are in fact cooperating fully with the airport requirements," the minister said.

Now, at the security check, we have 17 security lines as of today. We have gone from 11+2 a few days ago to 17... and in a few days we hope to increase it to 20 security lines. There is no shortfall of CISF personnel.

—Jyotiraditya Scindia,

Aviation Minister

CISF readies 100 personnel to man additional security counters

New Delhi (PTI): The CISF has prepared a pool of more than 100 personnel to man additional security counters expected to be handed over to it for easing the ongoing congestion at airports of Delhi and Mumbai, official sources said Wednesday.

The central paramilitary, designated as the national aviation security force, has informed airport operators, airlines and the Union civil aviation ministry about the latest deci-

sion. They have said that while it can bring on board some more security personnel there can be "no compromise on security protocols and standard operating procedures followed by it for regular frisking of passen-

gers apart from fliers required to undergo extensive search due to specific profiling."

A CISF officer said the force has brought on board more than 100 personnel "over and above" its sanctioned strength of around

Prosecution miserably failed to prove guilt: Court

New Delhi (PTI): A court here has acquitted a man of charges of rioting and criminal conspiracy, saying the prosecution had “completely and miserably” failed to prove the guilt of the accused.

The court was hearing a case against Mohammed Asif, who was accused of being a member of a riotous unlawful assembly that was armed with deadly weapons and indulged in vandalism, violence and criminal trespass on February 29, 2020, during northeast Delhi communal riots.

According to the pros-

ecution, Asif, accompanied by eight to 10 unknown rioters, and armed with stones and sticks, unlawfully stepped onto the terrace of the complainant and attempted to enter his house in Chauhan Banger locality in Shahdara.

“I am of the considered opinion that the prosecution has failed to establish its case beyond reasonable doubt against the accused. Accordingly, accused Asif is hereby acquitted,” Metropolitan Magistrate Abhinav Pandey said in an order

are no circumstances appearing against the accused in the prosecution evidence, and therefore the examination of accused was dispensed with.

—Abhinav

passed last week. The court said the complainant, Sachin Rawal, and his brother did not support the prosecution’s version of events at all.

“Nothing incriminating could come on record against the accused and there are no circum-

SC directs HC to enforce arbitration award granted to DAMEPL in 3 months

New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi High Court to proceed with the execution of the Rs 4,600 crore arbitration award granted in favour of Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt Ltd (DAMEPL), which had pulled out from running the Airport Express metro line over safety issues, and take it to a logical end within three months.

An arbitral tribunal had ruled in favour of Reliance Infra's DAMEPL and accepted its claim that running the operations on the line was not viable due to structural defects in the viaduct through which the train would pass. Observing that law with regard to execution is not different for the government or its statutory corpora -

If they are unable to commit funds, let me attach their properties. Do not let this circus continue.

for DAMEPL

It is a serious matter, do not call it a circus please.

tions, a bench of Justices BR Gavai and Vikram Nath said the arbitration award in favour of DAMEPL has reached finality. "In ordinary circumstances we would not have entertained the matter. The arbitration award passed in favour of the petitioner has reached finality as appeal filed by respond -

WHAT WAS THE MATTER

stances appearing against him in the prosecution evidence, and therefore the examination of the accused was dispensed with,” the court said.

The court said police did not conduct the test identification proceedings of the accused in the presence of the complainant and, during the complainant’s examination, he did not identify the accused.

The court noted Rawal’s statement, according to which he had written in the complaint about identifying the accused only at the direction of police officials.

Panel formed to probe Bhagirath Palace blaze

4,500 personnel at Delhi & Mumbai airports.

This move will continue till the upcoming holiday season due to Christmas and New Year celebrations, he said. A senior IGI airport officer said post the recent review of the terminal-3, the office of the CISF Commandant, terminal manager and another facility will be dismantled and more baggage x-ray scanners and passenger security queues will be created in this space.

SC seeks Centre's reply on transfer of petitions on same-sex marriage

New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought a response from the Centre to two pleas seeking transfer to the apex court the petitions pending in the Delhi High Court seeking directions to recognise samesex marriages.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha took note of the submissions of senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy that the pleas relate to the fundamental right to equality.

“Issue notice,” the bench said. The bench was hearing separate transfer petitions filed by Kavita Arora and Nibedita Dutta. The SC had on November 25 taken note of two pleas by two gay couples seeking enforcement of their right to marry and a direction to the authorities to register their marriage under the Special Marriage Act.

The court had also sought the assistance of Attorney General R Venkataramani in dealing with the pleas. The first plea was filed by gay couple Supriyo Chakraborty and Abhay

FOR PEACE

Dang who live in Hyderabad. The second petition has been filed by Parth Phiroze Mehrotra and Uday Raj.

These two earlier pleas seek a direction for extending the right to marry a person of one's choice to LGBTQ people as part of their fundamental right.

12 held over Chinese digital loan app fraud

Court sends Amit Arora to 14 days in jail

ent has been dismissed.

“The law of execution is not different for the government or statutory organizations. We, therefore, direct the High Court to proceed expeditiously and take it to its logical end within a period of three months," the bench said. The top court was hearing a plea seeking enforce -

ment of the arbitration award in favour of DAMEPL to be paid by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, objected to the maintainability of the DAMEPL's appeal, saying it was filed against an adjournment order of the high court.

New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi government's Home Department has set up an 11-member inquiry committee to ascertain the causes and circumstances of the fire at the wholesale market in Bhagirath Palace area of Chandni Chowk last month which destroyed more than 100 shops, according to an official order.

The order dated December 9 said the committee will make recommendations to prevent the recurrence of such an accident in the area and may seek suggestions from resident associations and traders associations in this regard.

Noida: Cyber cell of the Noida Police on Wednesday arrested twelve people linked to a Chinese digital lending app through which they duped several people.

The call centre was set up in Sector 63 of Noida and police seized Rs 1.50 lakh cash, 36 desktop computers, 15 laptops, eight smart phones, 135 sim cards, among other items from the spot, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Cell) Abhishek Verma said.

According to police, those held have been identified as Punit Tuli, Mohd Afzal, Jitendra, Neeraj Lal, Shivam, Azeem, Aakash Srivastava, Sumit, Arun Singh, Sid -

dharth Ojha, Rajnessh Jha, and Bharat.

Tuli, the mastermind of the gang, was associated with a Chinese national named Dave, and the app had its server in China, a police official privy to the probe said.

New Delhi (PTI): A Delhi court on Wednesday sent businessman Amit Arora to twoweek judicial custody in connection with a money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy case.

Special Judge NK Nagpal sent Arora, the director of Gurugrambased Buddy Retail Private Limited, to judicial custody till December 28 after he was produced before the court by the ED on expiry of his 14day custodial interrogation. The court passed the order on an application moved by agency’s Special Public Prosecutor NK Matta.

Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia during a visit to Terminal 3 of IGI Airport on Monday. —PHOTO BY PTI

Crowd at T3 IGI Airport departure on Tuesday. —TWITTER

n Union Minister hopes to increase security lines to 20 n Unnecessary barricades have been removed

Civil

Supriyo Chakraborty and Abhay Dang z

Members of Bharat Tibet Sahyog Manch stage a protest over clashes between Indian and Chinese soldiers in Tawang sector, near China Embassy on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY PTI

Delhi Riots

There

Pandey Metropolitan Magistrate

—Harish Salve, Senior advocate,

—R. Venkataramani, Attorney General, for Centre

First India Bureau

MODUS OPERANDI

No idea who could have done this: Father

SEEKS REPORT FROM POLICE

GIVE STRICTEST PUNISHMENT: CM

New Delhi (PTI): The father of the acid attack victim said he had no clue who could have done such a thing and that his daughter never complained about any harassment. Waiting outside the burns ward of Safdarjung Hospital, he told reporters that her sister was with her at the time and they both were going to school.

“My daughter left home at 7.30 am. The incident happened within six to seven minutes of her leaving the house. My youngest daughter came running to us,” he told reporters here. Asked whether she was being harassed or stalked, he said she nev-

er had any such complaint.

“She told me that they came and threw the acid and she could not see them. Doctors are examining her. If I had known about any harassment, I would have taken care and dropped her to school,” he said.

The victim’s father deals in rubber stamps and is also a property dealer, while her mother is a homemaker. She is the eldest among three siblings, that include a 12-year-old sister and a seven-year-old brother.

The girl’s mother said her younger daughter came running to her and asked for her father.

“She could not ex-

plain and started crying, and asked her father to rush with her,” she said.

The girl’s uncle said she and her sister would walk to the Dwarka Mor Metro Station every morning. On Wednesday morning, the sisters were waiting for a friend to accompany them when the horror struck, he said. “Suddenly, two men on motorcycle came there and threw acid on her. She rushed towards nearby shops for help. One of the shopkeepers even poured some milk on her face. She was screaming for help and asked her younger sister to call their father,” he said.

LG VK Saxena on Wednesday sought a detailed report on the acid attack incident from the city police commissioner, including information on how the acid was procured despite a ban on its sale. "The LG spoke to Police Commissioner about the unfortunate incident ... and sought a detailed report into the incident, including as to how the acid used was procured despite a ban in the City," the Raj Niwas Delhi said in a series of tweets. "LG has instructed for swift and thorough investigation so as to ensure exemplary punishment to the guilty. The LG is also in touch with the hospital authorities and has urged them to ensure the best treatment...” it added.

CM Kejriwal demanded stringent punishment for those involved in throwing acid on a minor girl in west Delhi, and asserted the government is concerned about every child in the city. In a tweet, Kejriwal said: "This cannot be tolerated at all. How did the accused gather so much courage? The accused should be given the strict est punishment. The safety of every girl child in Delhi is important to us."

Will extend all possible assistance: Laxmi Agarwal

New Delhi (PTI): Acid attack survivor and activist Laxmi Agarwal on Wednesday said she will extend all possible assistance to the 17-year-old girl who was attacked with acid in west Delhi and urged authori ties to strictly imple ment the ban on the corrosive sub stance.

Agarwal, who herself survived an acid attack at the age of 15, had come to meet the victim at Safdarjung Hospital's burn ICU but was stopped by authorities.

"I want to help the victim with her treatment and provide her counselling. Our foundation will support the girl. She should be

given good treatment. Most of the time what happens is that when acid is thrown, it also affects the eyes. So priority remains that it does not affect the eyes in any way. " Agarwal told reporters.

The journey of Agarwal, from being a victim to an activist, was also portrayed in the 2020 film 'Chhapaak' with Deepika Padukone playing the titular role.

AAP BLAMES LG

Aam Aadmi Party national spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that after the arrival of Delhi LG VK Saxena, crimes have gone up in Delhi.

"LG Saab, you have Delhi Police with you and crimes are increasing everyday. Instead of interfering in the work of the Delhi government, you should concentrate on your work. After your arrival, crimes are increasing in Delhi," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

23-year-old MBA student jumps to death in Mehrauli

New Delhi (PTI): A 23-year-old woman allegedly killed herself by jumping off the third floor of a building in south Delhi's Mehrauli, police said on Wednesday. She has been identified as Twinkle from Ahmedabad who was pursuing an MBA degree here.

Police officials suspect the woman was upset over some problems she had with a classmate. This may have pushed her to take the extreme step, they said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Chandan Chowdhary said the Mehrauli police

station was informed around Tuesday 7 pm about a woman jumping off a building in A Block, Freedom Fighter Colony.

"She and two other women had rented a flat in A Block, Freedom Fighter Colony. All three were pursuing MBA at an institute near Batra hospital. The woman had some issues with

Jailed PFI leader Abubacker doing fine: NIA tells HC

New Delhi: National Investigation Agency told Delhi HC on Wednesday that E Abubacker, former chairman of the now outlawed Popular Front of India, was in fine health and being treated.

“We have filed a status report along with the report of AIIMS. He is absolutely fine. He is under treatment. As and when he is required, he is taken there (the hospital),” said special public prosecutor Akshai Malik, who represents NIA, on Wednesday.

Abubacker had pleaded against a trial court order refusing to release him on medical grounds.

Last month, Abubacker's counsel had said the 70-yr-old was suffering from cancer and Parkinson's disease, and was in "great pain", which needed urgent medical attention. The court had then asked NIA to file a status report in response to the plea for treatment.

Counsel for Abuback-

The counsel for the appellant prays for and is granted time to obtain instructions qua the further prosecution of the present appeal.

—Delhi HC Bench

er, Adit Pujari sought time to seek instructions on the status report and for further pursuing the appeal.

"The counsel for the appellant prays for and is granted time to obtain instructions qua the further prosecution of the present appeal," said the bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh, and listed the case for December 19.

The victim was taken to Max Hospital, Saket on Tuesday night where she succumbed on Wednesday

Police suspect she was upset over some problems she had with a classmate

one of her classmates, identified as Karan, who is from Kota," she said.

The official said the victim was taken to Max Hospital, Saket, where she succumbed to injuries on Wednesday morning.

The body will be handed over to the family after autopsy and further enquiry is being conducted, the police said.

New Delhi (PTI): A 56-year-old woman was found dead at her residence in Shalimar Bagh, police said Wednesday.

Prima facie, no external injury was found on the body of deceased Rajni Madan, and entry into the flat was friendly, police said, adding the post-mortem was conducted and report is awaited to ascertain the exact cause of death.

DCP (Northwest) Usha Rangnani said around 10 pm on Tuesday, a PCR call was received where-

Her son said he went to office in morning and returned at night to find the house locked

in the caller informed that his flat was locked from outside and his mother’s phone was switched off. When police reached the spot, they met the victim’s son Chetan Madan (25) and broke the lock of his flat and found his mother lying dead inside.

G-20: Delhi to be decorated with 10L exotic potted plants

New Delhi (PTI): Over 10 lakh exotic potted plants will add to the beauty of the capital as it gets ready to host the G20 Summit in September next year, forest officials said Wednesday.

The horticulture wings of the central and Delhi government departments, including Delhi Development Department, New Delhi Municipal Council, PWD and MCD, have been asked to decorate public spaces, roundabouts, major intersections, flyovers and vertical greens in the city with exotic flowering plants, an official said.

"Different species of

MOOSEWALA KILLING

exotic plants will be used for this purpose across Delhi. The locations and targets for each department will be finalised by April next year," the official said.

Another official said special attention will be given to the stretch between Indira Gandhi International Airport and Lutyens Delhi, India Gate area and Pragati Maidan, the main venue of the summit.

"Departments concerned have already

been asked to float tenders for procurement of pots, plants and seedlings. Though there is no specific target yet, we are trying to use as many flowering plants as we can," he said.

The summit in Delhi to be held in September 2023 will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies starting December.

Security increased for 13 investigating police officers

First India Bureau

New Delhi: Following threats from a Canadabased gangster, at least 13 police officials probing the Sidhu Moosewala killing have been given heightened security, sources said Wednesdsay. While 4 ACPs and five inspectors now get X category security, three top cops have been put under Y category security cover.

All 13 police officials attached to Delhi Police

have been given roundthe-clock security cover. A strict vigil will also be kept outside their residences here, they said.

Shubhdeep Singh Sid-

hu or Sidhu Moosewala, was shot dead in Punjab’s Mansa district on May 29 this year.

The security was increased after they re-

ceived threats from Canada-based gangster Lakhbir Singh Landa.

‘Y’ category security was approved for Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) HGS Dhaliwal, DCP Rajeev Ranjan, and DCP Special Cell Manishi Chandra following orders from Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora.

According to the sources, the decision was taken after a detailed analysis was done after the threat from

Landa last month.

Through his social media post, he threatened the officers of Delhi Police’s Special Cell and claimed that he has photos of all the officers and it would not be good if they (officers) are seen in their lane.

Four ACPs and five inspectors were provided with ‘X’ category security, following which an Armed Police commando will be stationed with them round the clock, sources said.

n Girl eldest among three siblings—a sister, 12, and brother, 7

n Father deals in rubber stamps, property, mother is a homemaker

LG

DCW RAPS POLICE ON ACID SALE

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal said on Wednesday that acid is as easily available to purchase as vegetables in Delhi. "Acid was thrown at a school girl near Dwarka Mor... Will get justice for the daughter. The Delhi Commission for Women has been fighting for years to ban acid in the country. When will the government wake up?" Maliwal wrote in a tweet in Hindi. In a video uploaded on Twitter, Maliwal said that the body may approach court for stricter enforcement of the ban on over-the-counter sale of acid. "We have issued notice to the city police over the incident. The attackers should be arrested and given stringent punishment," Maliwal said.

G-20 delegates try their hands at beating drums during a cultural programme at Gateway of India in Mumbai on Tuesday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

lll

‘Y’ security was approved for Spl Commissioner of Police (Spl Cell) HGS Dhaliwal, DCP Rajeev Ranjan, and DCP Spl Cell Manishi Chandra

Departments concerned have already been asked to float tenders for procurement of pots, plants and seedlings.

—Govt official

SANJAY GANDHI REMEMBERED

BJP MP Varun Gandhi pays tribute to his father Sanjay Gandhi on his 76th birth anniversary, at his memorial in New Delhi on Wednesday. Former Union minister and wife of Sanjay Gandhi, Maneka Gandhi, is also seen. —PHOTO BY PTI

First India Bureau

Woman found dead in Shalimar Bagh; cash, jewellery missing

No on-field results will (nor should) lessen the valid criticisms surrounding this tournament, but it would be a shame for the historic achievement for African football to be overlooked. We can’t definitively know how much of a role geographic proximity played in the Moroccan story, but the case for breaking European and American hegemony over the game is surely established beyond doubt

MOROCCO

ARE THE FIRSTEVER AFRICAN SEMIFINALISTS OF THE WORLD CUP

IN-DEPTH

WILL FORMER RBI GUV GO BEYOND YATRA AND TAKE POLITICAL PLUNGE

The 2022 FIFA World Cup has certainly attracted plenty of negative press, with scandal from bidding process through to the tournament itself. Yet out of this negativity, one positive storyline has arisen. With victories over two recent European champions –Spain and Portugal – Morocco have become the first African nation to reach the last four of the World Cup.

MAPPING A PATH TO THE FINAL

Could the location of the tournament itself partially explain the Moroccans’ surprise progress? When an Asian side – South Korea in 2002 - similarly broke the duopoly of Europe and the Americas, it was on home soil.

An African squad would have made it to the semifinals 12 years ago in the first World Cup to be hosted on that continent, if not for one of the most infamously unsporting acts in the game’s history, at the hands (literally) of Uruguay’s Luis Suarez.

Now the World Cup is played in the Arab world for the first time and, perhaps

DANGEROUS MOVE ALONG THE LAC

2022 FIFA WC HAS CERTAINLY ATTRACTED PLENTY OF NEGATIVE PRESS, WITH SCANDAL FROM BIDDING PROCESS THROUGH TO THE TOURNAMENT ITSELF. YET OUT OF THIS NEGATIVITY, ONE POSITIVE STORYLINE HAS ARISEN

not coincidentally, we are seeing a nation from the region reach unprecedented heights.

GEOGRAPHY COULD MATTER MORE THAN WE THINK

In 21 previous tournaments, only three teams have lifted the trophy without being either hosts or a prior champion. One of those – West Germany in 1954 – did so in a neighbouring country. Before 2010, no European nation had won the tournament outside Europe and only one non-European nation had won on the continent.

This trend is also seen in continental competitions. The European Championships’ two biggest shocks were Denmark’s 1992 success after initially failing to qualify, and the 2004 champion-

China’s provocative action along the Line of Actual Control in Tawang has raised temperatures between the two countries. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) attempting to occupy vantage positions in the Yangtse area of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh were effectively pushed back by the Indian soldiers after a skirmish in which a few soldiers suffered injuries but that won’t deter the Chinese from attempting another transgression either in Ladakh or in Tawang.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement in Parliament that the “Indian Army bravely prevented the PLA from transgressing into our territory and compelled

ship of rank outsiders Greece. The Danes’ victory came in another Scandinavian nation, and the Greek success was in another Mediterranean country.

Of course, none of this is directly causal. The Moroccans have certainly not reached this lofty stage because the tournament is in a fellow Arab country. As a low-scoring, complex team game, football is one of the hardest sports to predict and every little advantage, even as small as being in a comparable climate, could tip the balance of a game one way or another.

PARALLELS WITH OTHER NATIONS

When looking at historical data, the clearest predictor of which sides may be primed to perform better than ever before is their latitude relative to the tournament host. For example, Paraguay’s best run was in South Africa in 2010, at similar latitude, rather than in geographically closer South American nations further south.

Of the 39 nations to reach the tournament at least six times, 23 of those have never bettered their performance at the tournament closest to their home latitude. Almost three-quarters of sides’ best tournaments involved travel less than 10 degrees either north or south.

Rajnath’s statement in Parl that “Indian Army bravely prevented the PLA from transgressing into our territory, compelled them to return to their posts” did not satisfy Oppn which insisted on a discussion on repeated Chinese aggression

them to return to their posts” did not satisfy Oppn which insisted on a discussion on repeated Chinese aggression. The govt did not accede to the demand leading to a walkout by the Opposition. The demand was also made after a more violent clash in Galwan

THE “WORLD” GAME?

Even with its huge global appeal, football has been historically slanted towards Europe and the Americas, which may have stifled progress of the game in other regions.

Despite its numerous ongoing flaws, the administration has come a long way since the absurd situation in 1958 when the one place designated for a team from the Asian and African regions was taken by Wales.

Morocco’s fairytale run should certainly be seen as a huge positive for the game in North Africa, in particular. There do remain numerous “blind spots” in where tournaments have been held.

Rio de Janeiro, where the 1950 and 2010 finals were held, lies within one degree of the Tropic of Capricorn. Amazingly, if you travel north from there, you will only find one World Cup final venue (Mexico City) south of Doha.

A SPORTING CHANCE

Criticisms of the process and politics underlying the 2022 World Cup cannot be overlooked, but the decision to broaden the geographic footprint of host nations can at least be seen as a positive step towards a more reasonable distribution of sporting advantage.

SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION

Valley in 2020 in which many soldiers were killed.

The disengagement happened after several rounds of talks between the army commanders of both sides but Chinese build-up in Ladakh remains a worrying factor. Even in Yangtse area there is nothing new about Chinese transgression. In 2021 Chinese launched an aggression with sizable number of troops which too was repulsed.

The status quo along LAC is not a very comforting idea because of China’s attempts to open new flashpoints along LAC whether in the east or in Ladakh. It is this unpredictability of PLA that has made Oppn seek clarification from the govt on the actual situation along the border which the Chinese say is stable.

Jodo Yatra, however briefly, in Rajasthan has brought his political leanings in the open. The former Governor has always been critical of the BJP government’s economic policies but earlier his views were taken to be that of an academician and economist. Now onwards his opinions will be looked at as biased political views. The BJP attacked Rajan with the retort that he wants “to be another Manmohan Singh” who, incidentally, is still regarded as a highly rated economist.

Amit Malviya, BJP’s IT Cell chief, said that Rajan’s “commentary on the Indian economy…is coloured and opportunistic”. The criticism will not dilute the significance of the event as Rajan is an eminent economist and will bolster the appeal of Rahul Gandhi’s march. The question that many would seek an answer to is whether Rajan, who has been a strong critic of demonetisation, will join the Congress or support it from outside.

SPIRITUAL SPEAK

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Bible

l Vol 2 l Issue No.106

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

Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp

India is going to be the skill and talent capital of the world. India’s talent surplus can help meet the global labour market shortages. Harmonisation of skills, student and workforce mobility & capacity building in skill development will be beneficial to both countries.

Bhupender Yadav @byadavbjp

Met with Finland Employment Minister Ms Tuula Haatainen today. We had fruitful discussions on furthering our ties in manpower and mobility partnership, mutual recognition of skill qualifications in the two countries and its harmonisation.

Former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan joining Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat

MISHA KETCHELL The writer is Editor, The Conversation Australia

PM launches centenary celebrations of Pramukh Swami Maharaj

First India Bureau

Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched centenary celebrations of Swaminarayan sect leader late Pramukh Swami Maharaj in the inaugural function of birth centenary celebrations of Swami Maharaj in Ahmedabad.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said that Pramukh Swami Maharaj was a guide and guru who touched countless lives across India and the world.

“He was widely respected and admired as a great spiritual leader. His life was dedicated to

the service of spirituality and humanity. As the leader of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, he inspired countless cultural, social and spiritual initiatives, providing comfort and care to millions,” the PMO statement added.

In his birth centenary, people from across the world are celebrating his life and work.

The yearlong worldwide celebrations will culminate in the ‘Pramukh Swami Maharaj Shatabdi Mahotsav’ that will be hosted by BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, Shahibaug, which is the worldwide headquarters of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.

Nitish Kumar blames BJP for hooch tragedy in Bihar

You are talking

favour of liquor in Bihar: Bihar Chief Minister to BJP MLAs

Nitish Kumar told his former alliance partner that it would not be tolerated

First India Bureau

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday blamed the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the loss of lives in the state due to consumption of liquor.

Losing his cool while speaking in the Assembly, the Janata Dal-United leader said: “You (BJP MLAs) are responsible for the hooch tragedies in Bihar. We all know that you are doing the dirty work. I parted ways with you… and it was my good decision. You are talking in favour of liquor in Bihar. It would not be tolerated.”

A ruckus was witnessed in the Assembly on Wednesday over the loss of lives in Saran due to consumption of spurious liquor.

The death toll has risen to 17 on Wednesday. Five of them died on Tuesday night and 12 others passed away at a hospital on Wednesday.

The condition of five others are said to be critical. The incident was reported from Mashrakh and Isuapur village.

Nitish

HIS TIME IS OVER: SUSHIL MODI

OVER CM’S “SHARABI” COMMENT

New Delhi: BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sushil

Kumar Modi reacted strongly at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s ‘sharabi’ statement made in the Bihar Assembly today. “The tenure of Nitish Kumar is over. He has lost his memory. He calls Prashant Kishor and BJP MLAs as ‘tu’, ‘tum’. It happened earlier as well. He loses his temper very often now. But his disposition was not like this before,” said the former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar to ANI.

Tamil Nadu CM Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi sworn in as Cabinet Minister

Chennai (ANI): Tamil

Nadu CM MK Stalin’s

son Udhayanidhi Stalin was on Wednesday sworn in as a cabinet minister in the state.

Udhayanidhi was administered the oath by Governor RN Ravi at Durbar Hall in Raj Bhavan. Udhayanidhi took oath in presence of CM Stalin. He has been given the Youth Welfare and Sports Development Portfolio. After taking charge, Udayanidhi paid respects to former Tamil Nadu CM the Late CN Annadurai. “I thanked and congratulated the

ever-leading

‘GOVT WILL TAKE STRICT ACTION AGAINST ACCUSED’

Patna: Bihar excise Minister Sunil Kumar on Wednesday “confirmed” six people have died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in the Chhapra area of Bihar’s Saran district. Bihar minister “vowed’ that govt would take “strict action” against culprits responsible for deaths.

“Process of filling an FIR is underway. I have spoken over the phone with SP. He confirmed the death of six people so far.

BIHAR CM SHOULD RECONSIDER PROHIBITION POLICY: GIRIRAJ

New Delhi: Bihar BJP leaders, including Union minister Giriraj Singh, on Wednesday asked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to reconsider prohibition policy in the state, claiming that it has failed with illegal sale of spurious liquor causing frequent deaths and rise in crimes linked to it. Singh told reporters outside Parliament that Kumar should convene an all-party meeting on the issue and take a decision accordingly.

4 Meghalaya MLAs join BJP as party seeks North-East boost

New Delhi (PTI): Four Meghalaya MLAs, including two from the state’s ruling National People’s Party, joined the BJP on Wednesday as the party looks to expand its footprints in the north-eastern region ahead of assembly polls.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is the party’s pointsman for the region, said the joining of the four “experienced and respected” political figures will mark a “new beginning” for the BJP in the

state, where it could win only two seats in the 60 member-assembly in the 2018 polls.

Though the state’s

Congress is worried about Amethi and Rae

Bareli

Shamsher Singh

New Delhi: The two traditional Lok Sabha seats of Gandhis - Amethi and Rae Bareli - are a majro cause of worry for the grandold party and the party’s first family - Gandhi family. These seats have been held by the family for decades but in the last election BJP’s Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi in Amethi seat. Rahul’s team had an idea of this in advance, so he contested from the Wayanad seat in Kerala, from where he is now an MP. Therefore, now the big question is whether Rahul Gandhi will contest from Amethi this time or not? If he fights, will he fight from only one seat or will we fight from both Amethi and Wayanad seats?

Keep in mind that no member of the NehruGandhi family has lost two consecutive elections. Indira Gandhi was also defeated from Rae Bareli, then won from Chikmagalur in the byelection and did not lose again after that. Sonia Gandhi has not lost any election. Rahul has also been contesting elections since 2004 and lost from Amethi for the first time in 2019. So the family cannot take the risk that he contests rom Amethi again and loses. The current situation in Uttar Pradesh is not very good for the Congress. The BJP is riding on the wave of Hindutva and the Con-

was defeated by BJP leader and Union minister Smriti Irani in 2019 elections.

gress and the first family have also left both the regions. On the other hand BJP and Smriti Irani are active in both the areas.

As far as Rae Bareli is concerned, it is almost certain that Sonia Gandhi will not contest the elections this time. Her health is also not good and after leaving the post of Congress President, she is almost in a state of retirement. Even if she has to become an MP, she will go to Rajya Sabha like Sharad Pawar. That is why it is believed that

this time Priyanka Gandhi Vadra can contest from Sonia’s seat. Congress is still confident about that seat but the party is not too confident about Amethi.

It is certain that BJP will try to make a big fight on both these seats. Even if Priyanka and Rahul contest poll or only Priyanka contests, the party will try to corner her and some renowned and aggressive candidate will be fielded so that Priyanka can be surrounded in her own area.

SUKHU’S ELEVATION A SIGN OF CHANGING TIMES IN CONGRESS?

Shimla: Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu becoming the Chief Minister in Himachal Pradesh is a big deal for the Congress in many respects.

He is the first such leader who was made the state president by Rahul Gandhi and has now become the Chief Minister. Keep in mind that when the Congress party was in power at the center, Rahul Gandhi promoted many leaders.

He made many young leaders ministers in the

center. But barring a few exceptions, all the youths were sons of one or the other prominent leader. Many of them conducted major fraud with Rahul and Congress. Rahul also made many young leaders as state presidents, but many of them also cheated. However, no member of his youth team had yet become the chief minister.

Sukhu is the first leader who was made the President of Himachal Pradesh by Rahul Gandhi despite opposition

from the old leaders of the party and now he has become the Chief Minister. Rahul had given Sukhu a go-ahead de-

is the fact that Sukhu does not come from a political family. He is the son of a simple bus driver. Barring two or three exceptions, Rahul has always promoted and been cheated by members of big political families. So, now there is a new beginning. Instead of people coming from well-known political dynasties and rich families, people from humble background have started going to higher positions in Congress and this can be a good sign for Congress.

ruling NPP has been a member of BJP-led National Democratic Party, their relations have been far from smooth.

COURTYARD in the

ARTICLE 370: APEX COURT TO CONSIDER LISTING PLEAS

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would consider listing for hearing a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories. “We will examine and give a date,” said Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha as one of the petitioners in the case sought early listing of the matter. Various petitions are pending before the top court challenging the validity of the law scrapping Article 370 of the constitution.

HC ASKS CENTRE TO JUSTIFY DIFFERENT PAY

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to justify different pay scale of ‘Agniveers’ and regular sepoys in the Indian Army if their job profile is same. As the counsel for the central government responded that ‘Agniveer’ is a different cadre from the regular cadre of armed forces, the court said, “different cadre does not answer job profile, the question is work and responsibility. If the job profile is same, then how you justify different pay?”

APEX COURT WARNS ODISHA LAWYERS AGAINST STRIKE

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has warned it will come down “very hard” on those who vandalised courts and disrupted proceedings in of Odisha, including members of the bar, and admonished state police for their “utter failure” to control situation. It observed the demand for establishing a permanent bench of the high court Odisha seems to have become a “prestige issue”, while noting there was no justification for having another bench of the high court in view of the widespread use of technology.

ULB POLLS: UP TOLD NOT TO ISSUE NOTIFICATION

TILL 20 Lucknow: The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday extended till December 20 its order restraining the Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission from issuing a notification to conduct urban local body elections in the state.

The Lucknow bench of the court was hearing a petition alleging that the reservation process for the OBC (Other Backward Classes) was not followed for the urban local bodies by the state government.

On Wednesday, the state government sought three day’s time to file a counter affidavit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the inauguration of month-long Pramukh Swami Maharaj centenary celebrations, at a ground on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY PTI

MLAs Bendict Marak, Himalya Muktan, Ferlinc A Sangma and Samuel Sangma join BJP in presence of Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma.

CM Nitish Kumar screams at BJP MLAs during the State Assembly session when Leader of Opposition Vijay Sinha questions state govt’s liquor ban in wake of deaths that happened due to spurious liquor.

in

SHARABI HO TUM: NITISH KUMAR SCREAMS AT BJP MLAs

Saran: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Wednesday lost his cool in the state assembly when leaders of the Opposition BJP attacked his govt over several deaths due to sp urious liquor in Saran district’s Chhapra area. As Leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha questioned the state’s liquor ban policy since 2016.

Kumar lost his temper in the House and screamed at the BJP MLAs ‘’Sharabi ho gaye ho tum...(you are drunk)”.

Sonia Gandhi with party leader Rahul Gandhi takes part in the party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, in Mandya. —FILE PHOTO

RAHUL GANDHI WILL CONTEST 2024 LS POLL FROM AMETHI, CLAIMS AJAY RAI

Amethi: Rahul Gandhi would contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections again from Amethi with which the Nehru-Gandhi family has old ties, Uttar Pradesh Congress leader Ajay Rai claimed on Wednesday. Rai, the regional head of the party in UP, also said that it is his appeal to the people of Amethi to send Rahul Gandhi to Delhi by electing him as an MP again with a huge margin. “The Gandhi-Nehru family has old relations with Amethi...no one can weaken it. Rahul Gandhi will contest from Amethi in 2024,” Rai told reporters here. There has been no word from the party so far on the former Congress president fighting the next parliamentary elections again from Amethi. Rahul Gandhi, who had won the Amethi parliamentary seat for three times in a row,

Mahesh Sharma

spite opposition from the then Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. Was made the president in 2013. Also worth noting

Himachal Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administers the oath of office to Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu as the CM. —FILE PHOTO

Hon’ble Chief Minister @mkstalin for giving me the opportunity to participate in the Dravidian model govt cabinet that implements social justice programs and protects the welfare of Tamils,” tweeted Udhayanidhi.

TN Guv RN Ravi with TN Chief Minister MK Stalin presents a bouquet to Udhayanidhi Stalin.

AGNIPATH:

WINTER SESSION OF PARLIAMENT

‘ Feasibility studies on for Venus missions ’

Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, Space MoS Jitendra Singh tells Lok Sabha that ISRO took initiatives, studies in this regard Opposition leaders meet in Kharge’s chambers before start of day’s Session

NIA has registered 497 cases till Dec 2: MoS Rai

New Delhi (Agencies): MoS (Home Affairs)

New Delhi (ANI): Replying to a written question in the Lok Sabha Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday said that ISRO has taken initiatives for feasibility studies on missions to Venus.

“Union Minister of State Science & Technol ogy; Earth Sciences; Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh on Wednesday informed that ISRO has taken initiatives for feasibil ity studies on mis sions to Venus as well as Aeronomy studies,” read an official statement by the Union Department of Space. The term "aeronomy,"

coined and introduced about 60 years ago, refers to the scientific study of the upper atmospheric regions of the Earth and other solar system bodies. It covers the chemis-

try, dynamics and energy balance of both neutral and charged particles.

“Both these missions are being conceptualized and the scientific scopes are being deliberated nationally with participation of science community,” said Singh.

Earlier on Tuesday, Union Agricultural minister Narendra Singh Tomar and MoS Dr Jitendra Singh formally released the data products and services of RISAT-1A satellite for the user community, as per an official press release.

Nityanand Rai on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a total of 497 cases till December 2 this year, including the Coimbatore blast. He said that an increase in the cases had been recorded in the recent years. Rai in a written reply said that from 2019 to 2022, judgement in 67 NIA cases was pronounced by the court, of which 65 resulted in conviction

and 2 in acquittal. Citing reasons for the rise in cases, Rai said: “The reason for the increase in cases over the years is due to enhanced capacity of NIA with the establishment of new branch offices, expansion of its mandate in 2019 by the inclusion of certain offences related to human trafficking, manufacture or sale of prohibited arms, cyber-terrorism and the Explosive Substances Act, 1908 in the schedule of National Investigation Agency Act, 2008.”

New Delhi (ANI): Ahead o f the beginning of the day’s proceedings in Parliament, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday convened a meeting with leaders of opposition parties to discuss the December 9 faceoff between Indian and Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control

(LAC) in Arunachal.

On Tuesday, both Houses were rocked by the issue with the Op-

position staging a walkout after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a statement in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the Tawang clash. “A total of 17 parties attended today’s meeting and decided to raise the issue for discussion if not allowed it has been decided that parties will walk out from the house,” a leader said.

Cong MP moves adjournment motion to discuss raids at Kanugolu’s

office

gist Sunil Kanugolu.

room in Jubilee

the Telangana police.

NO FORMAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ‘BHARAT RATNA’ NECESSARY: RAI

REPLY

20 NEW NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS TO BE COMMISSIONED IN COUNTRY

New Delhi (PTI): India

plans to commission

20 nuclear power plants by 2031, adding nearly 15,000 MW in power generating capacity, the government told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The first of these 20 nuclear power plants, a 700 MW unit, is expected to be commissioned in 2023 at Kakrapar in Gujarat, which already has three atomic power generating units operational. According to a

written reply by MoS in the PMO Jitendra Singh, the 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam is likely to be operational in 2024, followed by two 1,000 MW units at Kudankulam in 2025. Two 700 MW units at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan are likely to be completed by 2026, while another two 1,000 MW units are likely to be completed at Kudankulam by 2027, he said. Two 700 MW units are expected to

Jio 5G services launched in MP from Mahakaal temple

Mumbai: Jio on Wednesday started its 5G services in Madhya Pradesh by dedicating the high-speed services from the holy shrine of Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga and Shri Mahakaal Mahalok. MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the highspeed telecom services at an event, a statement by Jio said. After the launch, Jio demonstrated the immersive benefits of 5G in the field of

healthcare, through Jio Community Clinic medical kit, and the revolutionary AR-VR device, Jio Glass, the statement said. These benefits will bring transformational changes in the lives of the people in Madhya Pradesh, it said.

be completed at Gorakhpur in Haryana by 2029, the minister said listing out details of projects under consideration. In addition, government had accorded administrative approvals and financial sanctions for building 10 atomic power units of 700 MW each at Gorakhpur, Haryana (units 3&4), Kaiga, Karnataka (units 5&6), Chutka, Madhya Pradesh (units 1&2) and four units at Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan.

New Delhi (ANI): MoS Nityanand Rai told Lok Sabha that the decisions regarding Bharat Ratna award are taken from time to time and no formal recommendations for this Award are necessary. He was replying to the query of BJP leader Bhagirath Choudhary who had asked if there is a set criterion for conferring ‘Bharat Ratna’, the date on which ‘Bharat Ratna’ award was started and whether the govt proposes to confer the award on various brave freedom fighters.

“Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian Award was instituted on January 2, 1954. All persons without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex are eligible for this Award. It is awarded in recognition of exceptional service/ performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour. The decisions regarding the award of Bharat Ratna are taken from time to time. No formal recommendations for this Award are necessary,” MoS Rai answered.

Hyderabad: The Telangana Congress has given a call to protest the arrest of several of its leaders over alleged derogatory posts against Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao and the ruling state government. As per police, Hyderabad Cyber Crime Department conducted searches at the office of Sunil Kanu-

Jewellery firms booked for `352 cr fraud

New Delhi (PTI): The CBI has booked three Jalgaon-based jewellery companies for alleged loan fraud of over Rs 352 crore in the State Bank of India, officials said on Wednesday.

In three separate FIRs, the CBI has named Rajmal Lakhichand Jewellers Pvt Ltd, RL Gold Pvt Ltd, and Manraj Jewellers Pvt Ltd, and their promoters-directors-guarantors — Ishwarlal Shankarlal Jain Lalwani, Manish Ishwarlal Jain Lalwani, Pushadevi Ishwarlal

Jain Lalwani and Neetika Manish Jain Lalwani — as accused.

According to the SBI complaint to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Rajmal Lakhichand Jewellers caused a loss of Rs 206.73 crore, RL Gold Rs

FIFA WORLD CUP 2022

69.19 crore loss and Manraj Jewellers Rs 76.57 crore to the bank.

The three companies allegedly transacted business with their associate firm Rajmal Lakhichand, the largest debtor among the four companies. They also

involved three named in the FIRs — Rajmal Lakhichand Jewellers Pvt Ltd, RL Gold Pvt Ltd, and Manraj Jewellers Pvt Ltd.

The purchase and sale of all four companies were primarily routed through Rajmal Lakhichand, the SBI has alleged.

The accounts of the FIR-named companies show payments made to Rajmal Lakhichand for purchases, but they said that receivables for products sold to it are shown as outstanding.

Argentina beat Croatia 3-0 to get ticket to Final

During the match, Argentina had only 39 per cent of possession while 2018 champions Croatia had 61 per

Al Daayen (ANI): Julian Alvarez’s brace and Lionel Messi’s goal help Argentina beat Croatia 3-0 here at Lusail Stadium to enter the final of the FIFA World Cup 2022.

Midfielder Leandro Paredes and defender Nicolas Tagliafico were brought into Argenti-

na’s starting line-up.

Croatia started off aggressively getting a corner in the 16th minute where Dejan Lovren’s header from a difficult angle on the left was too high with the help of Josip Juranovic’s cross.

Lionel Scaloni’s men made their first aggressive move in the 25th

minute when Enzo Fernandez’s right footed shot from outside the box was saved in the bottom right corner coming from the assist of Alexis Mac Allister.

In the 32nd minute, Dominik Livakovic of Croatia conceded a penalty corner. Livakovic and Kovacic both got yellow cards and in the 34th minute Messi converted it to give Argentina a 1-0 lead

This appearance was

Lionel Messi’s 25th equalling Lothar Matthaus’ record in FIFA World Cup.

In the 39th minute, the Argentines doubled their lead as Julian Alvarez scored a goal to give his side a 2-0 lead.

Argentine scored almost for the third time when Messi’s cross helped Alexis Mac Allister take a header from the left side of the six-yard box to save in the centre of the goal.

golu, who is working for Congress as a political strategist in Telangana. The Cyber Crime

police said that it had on Tuesday night conducted a raid on the party’s war room and seized several computers. “We have registered five FIRs based on five different complaints for allegedly making derogatory remarks on social media against the opposition party,” said KVM Prasad, (Cyber Crime ACP).

MINOR GANG-RAPED IN KARNATAKA DIST, 4 ARRESTED INCLUDING AN UNDERAGE

Hassan (Agencies): Four persons, including a minor, have been arrested for gang-raping a minor girl in Karnataka’s Hassan district, police said on Wednesday. Charges under the Pocso, IPC and prevention of atrocity act have been slapped on the accused, identified as Sudarshan, Swagath, Papanna and a minor boy. According to police, the incident had taken place in a village under the Sakaleshpur Rural police station limits. The accused had lured the 13-year-old girl to an isolated place and raped her. After the crime, the accused had threatened the girl not to say anything and behaved in the village as if nothing had happened.

1 HELD WITH 30 KG

‘MALANA CREAM’ WORTH `18 CRORE

New Delhi (Agencies): Delhi Police’s Special Cell has arrested a drug trafficker and seized 30 kg malana cream, also known as ‘hashish’, valued Rs 18 crore from his possession in Alipur in the national capital. The accused was identified as Rajesh Kumar, 30, a resident of Khanna Khurd near Ludhiana in Punjab. With the arrest of the drug trafficker, the Delhi Police’s Special Cell on Wednesday claimed to have unearthed an interstate syndicate involved in smuggling drugs in Delhi and its peripherals.

FREAK ACCIDENT: KERALA MAN DIES AFTER COCONUT HIT

Thiruvananthapuram: A man in Kerala’s Kozhikode died on Wednesday after being hit on the head by a coconut falling from a roadside tree. The victim Muneer, 49, worked in Saudi Arabia, but had come home to attend to his father who was unwell and admitted to a hospital. On Tuesday after being with his ailing father, Muneer was driving back home on his two-wheeler when the incident occurred. Even though he was taken to a hospital quickly, he breathed his last early on Wednesday.

SPECIAL TASK FORCE OF ODISHA’S CRIME BRANCH ARRESTS ONE WITH TIGER SKIN

Bhubaneswar (Agencies): The special task force (STF) of Odisha crime branch on Wednesday seized one tiger skin and arrested one person in this connection, an official said. Acting on a tip-off, a team of STF conducted a raid with the help of forest officials of Baripada forest division early morning near Belpal Chhak under Udala police station in Mayurbhanj district. The officials seized a Royal Bengal tiger skin and arrested a wildlife criminal Debasish Patra alias Sibu, of Musakhai village of Mayurbhanj district. In this connection, the STF has registered a case under relevant sections of IPC and Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

New Delhi (ANI): Congress MP has given the notice to move an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha today, to discuss the police raids at the war room of party poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu in Hyderabad. The Telangana Congress also gave a call to protest against the arrest of its several leaders by

Police conducted raids on Tuesday nighwt at Congress Poll Strate-

Police also arrested five persons by raiding the Congress’ war

Hills on Tuesday night. The Cyber Crime police raided the Congress War room on Tuesday night and seized computers. A call has been given to protest against the house arrest of the Congress leaders.

Argentina’s Julián Álvarez in action during the match against Croatia in semi-final of FIFA World Cup, in Lusail on Wednesday.

First India Bureau

T’gana Cong calls for protest after cops raid poll strategist’s office in Hyderabad

BY 2031: MoS JITENDRA SINGH’S WRITTEN

BRIEFS

Govt to further bring down inflation: FM

First India Bureau

Lucknow: Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Wednesday announced the launch of its cuttingedge 5G services here.

Airtel 5G Plus services will be available to customers in a phased manner as the company continues to construct its network and complete the rollout. Customers with 5G-enabled devices will enjoy a high-speed Airtel 5G Plus network at no extra cost until the rollout is more widespread, according to a press statement. —PTI

EDIBLE OILS IMPORT

UP 34% TO 15.29

LAKH TONNE IN NOV

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday assured the Lok Sabha that the government will take measures to further ease inflation, which has dipped below the RBI’s upper tolerance level of 6%.

Retail inflation has moderated to an 11-month low of 5.8% in November from 6.77% in the previous month. “We will bring down further for the sake of common people,” she said.

The government is constantly watching the price situation of essential commodities, she said.

The finance minister made it clear that there is no fear of stagflation as India is one of the fastestgrowing economies with low inflation levels.

With regard to fiscal deficit, the finance minister said the government would be able to meet the fiscal deficit target of 6.4% of the GDP for the current financial year.

The government is com-

Mkts settle higher for 2nd consecutive day

Mumbai (PTI): Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended with gains on Wednesday, extending the previous day rally amid lower level of inflation on domestic front and betterthan-expected inflation readings from the US.

mitted to the path of fiscal consolidation, she added.

On non-performing assets (NPAs), Sitharaman

CAD may jump to a 37-quarter high in second quarter

said it has come down drastically to 7.28% at the end of March 2022 due to various measures taken by the

NO FEAR OF STAGFLATION

z FM made it clear that there is no fear of stagflation as India is one of the fastest-growing eco with low inflation levels

z She said the government would be able to meet the fiscal deficit target of 6.4% of the GDP for the current financial year

Modi government. With regard to the declining value of the rupee against the US dollar, she

said, the domestic unit is appreciating against all other currencies, and the fall against the greenback is lower as compared to other currencies.

Quoting the World Bank report, she said India’s forex reserves is one of the highest in the world and this provide a cushion against global spillover.

Later, the House passed Supplementary Demands for Grants, authorising the government to spend additional `3.25 lakh crore in FY23.

November WPI inflation hits 21-month low of 5.85 per cent

New Delhi: India’s edible oil imports rose 34% in Nov to 15.29 lakh tonne on sharp jump in import of crude palm and refined palm oils, according to industry body SEA. As per the data, imports of vegetable oils rose 32% in November 2022 to 15,45,540 tonne. Out of total vegetable oil imports, SEA said shipments of edible oils increased to 15,28,760 tonne in November this year. Import of non-edible oils fell 52% in Nov 2022 to 16,780 tonne. —PTI

POWER GIANT NTPC TO RAISE `500 CRORE VIA NCDs

The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 144.61 points or 0.23% to settle at 62,677.91. The broader NSE Nifty advanced 52.30 points or 0.28% to end at 18,660.30.

From the Sensex pack, Tech Mahindra, Tata Steel, NTPC, IndusInd Bank, SBI, Power Grid, HCL Technologies, Tata Consultancy Services and Larsen & Toubro were the major winners.

Nestle, Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, Asian Paints, Hindustan Unilever and UltraTech Cement were among the laggards.

` RISES 15 PAISE TO CLOSE AT 82.45 AGAINST US $

Mumbai (PTI): The rupee gained 15 paise to settle at 82.45 (provisional) against the US dollar on Wednesday, as a positive trend in domestic equities and easing inflationary pressures strengthened investor sentiment. At the interbank forex market, the local unit opened flat at 82.60 against the greenback and witnessed an intra-day high of 82.40 and a low of 82.71. It finally ended at 82.45 against the American currency, registering a rise of 15 paise.

Mumbai (PTI): Falling exports and high crude prices are set to push up current account deficit (CAD) in the second quarter to a 37-quarter high of 4.4% of GDP at $36 billion as against $9.7 billion or 1.3% in the year-ago period, estimates a report.

As a percentage of GDP, the previous high was in the first quarter of 2013-14 when CAD had scaled to 4.7%, but in absolute terms the previous high was in the third quarter of 201213 when it touched $31.8 billion.

Global headwinds facing merchandise exports had the shipments contracting by close to 20% in October 2022 and the agency expects merchandise exports to slip to an eight-quarter low of $88.2 billion in Q3FY23.

‘Govt saved banks from `3 lakh cr of NPAs by clearing road projects’

New Delhi: State-run power giant NTPC will raise `500 crore through the issuance of non-convertible debentures on a private placement on Friday. “NTPC has decided to issue unsecured nonconvertible debentures of `500 crore on December 16, 2022, through private placement at a coupon of 7.44% per annum with a door to door maturity of 10 years 3 months 30 days on April 15, 2033,” a BSE filing stated. The proceeds will be utilized for, inter alia, funding of capital expenditure, refinancing of existing loans and other general corporate purposes. —PTI

New Delhi (PTI): The government on Tuesday claimed in the Rajya Sabha that it has saved Indian banks from `3 lakh crore of NPAs by helping clear pending road projects in the country since 2014.

719 NH PROJECTS FACING DELAYS: GADKARI

New Delhi (PTI): As many as 719 national highway (NH) projects are facing delays and 438 projects of these are likely to be completed in the ongoing fiscal, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. As many as 268 projects are facing delays of less than a year, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari informed the Rajya Sabha. Gadkari said, “The government constantly monitors sanctioned projects and as part of this exercise, 719 delayed National Highway projects have been identified across various states.”

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari informed the Rajya Sabha that there are 415 road projects where 95% of work is complete but have been categorised in the delayed projects category.

He said the government would soon carry out state-wise monitoring of all such pending or delayed projects and help clear them at the

IN INDIA, SAYS PIYUSH GOYAL

New Delhi: Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd on Wednesday said it will invest `10,000 crore in the next 7-8 years in the manufacturing and development of electric vehicles at Pune, Maharashtra. “The company, through its subsidiary, will make investments of approximately `10,000 crore over a period of 7-8 years for setting up the manufacturing facility, development, and production of Mahindra’s upcoming BEVs,” it added.

earliest.

“There are 415 projects where 95% of work is complete and are termed as delayed projects. When our government came in 2014, there were projects worth ` 3.85 lakh projects which were shut for various reasons,” he said. “We have saved Indian bank from 3 lakh crore NPAs,” he said.

New Delhi (PTI): The wholesale price-based inflation fell to a 21-month low of 5.85% in November as prices of food, fuel and manufactured items softened.

The WPI (wholesale price index) based inflation has been on a declining trend since May and came down to single digit in October at 8.39%.

Experts said a high base of last year and some easing in food prices also worked in favour of the November 2022 wholesale price index coming in at its lowest level since February 2021 when it was 4.83%.

“Decline in the rate of inflation in November 2022 is primarily contributed by fall in prices of food articles, basic metals, textiles, chemicals & chemical

products and paper & paper products as compared to the corresponding month of the previous year,” the commerce and industry ministry said on Wednesday.

Inflation in food articles in November was 1.07%

against 8.33% in the previous month.

Inflation in vegetables was (-)20.08% during the month compared to 17.61% in October.

As per WPI data, in the ‘fuel and power’ basket, inflation was 17.35%.

ADB

KEEP INDIA’S GDP GROWTH UNCHANGED AT SEVEN PER CENT

New Delhi (PTI): Asian Development Bank (ADB) has kept its outlook for India’s economic growth unchanged at 7% for the current fiscal year while forecasting a weaker-than-previously expected pace for developing Asia.

ADB’s 7% growth projection for fiscal 2022-23 (April 2022 to March 2023), unchanged from its September forecast, compares to 8.7% GDP growth in 202122. For 2023-24, the GDP growth has been kept unchanged at 7.2%.

The Manila-based ADB in a report on Wednesday saw Asia expanding 4.2% this year.

‘Success rate of startups relatively higher’

New Delhi: The success rate of startups in India is relatively higher than the rest of the world and there were 84,012 recognised startups in the country at the end of November, Union minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday (December 14).

To boost the startup ecosystem, the government launched the Startup India initiative on January 16, 2016, and an action plan was also put in place.

“Startups are prone to failures is a very high prob-

ability. Though I must say, the success rate of startups in India is relatively higher than the rest of the world...,” the minister said.

The number of recognised startups has in-

creased from 452 in 2016 to 84,012 as on November 30, 2022, the minister said.

The FFS, Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) and CGSS extend support to startups at various stag-

LAUNCHED IN JANUARY 2016

z According to Union Minister Piyush Goyal to boost the startup ecosystem, the government launched the Startup India initiative on January 16, 2016, and an action plan was also put in place

es of their business cycle. The Startup India Seed Fund Scheme has been approved for four years starting from 2021-22 and is being implemented with a corpus of `945 crore.

OTHER STORIES

GOVT ALLOWS NON-RESIDENT TAXPAYERS TO MANUALLY FILE FORM 10F TILL MARCH 31

New Delhi: The income tax department has allowed non-resident taxpayers not having PAN to file Form 10F manually till March 31, 2023, a move which would ease their compliance burden and enable them to claim lower TDS rate. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) had in July made it mandatory for non-resident taxpayers to file Form 10F electronically to claim benefit of lower TDS. However, taxpayers faced problems in electronic filing of the form as the income tax portal did not allow a taxpayer who does not have a PAN to file Form 10F. —PTI

BIDDERS CAN SHOW INTEREST FOR IDBI

BANK TILL

JANUARY

7

Coalfield Ltd account for a solitary project each. —PTI

New Delhi: The government on Wednesday extended the deadline to submit preliminary bids for the IDBI Bank privatisation till January 7. The government and LIC together are looking to sell 60.72% of IDBI Bank and had invited bids from potential buyers in October. The last date for submitting an Expression of Interest (EoI) or preliminary bids was December 16. In a notice, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) said the last date for submission of EoI is January 7, 2023, instead of December 16, 2022.

CPAI ASKS SEBI TO PROVIDE UNINTERRUPTED TRADING IN COTTON FUTURES CONTRACTS

New Delhi: CPAI has urged capital markets regulator Sebi to facilitate uninterrupted hedging and trading in cotton futures contracts to market participants. This comes after Sebi in August suspended trading in all cotton futures contracts on commodity exchange MCX for one month to align the contract specifications with that of the market. Later, MCX informed that it is in process of modifying the cotton contract specification and no fresh position would be permitted in cotton January 2023 contracts and the subsequent expiry contracts till such time the revised contract specification gets finalised. The market participants and hedgers need to roll over the position into January 2023 onwards contract. —PTI

First India Bureau

‘

Railways’ expenses too high, no concessions to senior citizens’

New Delhi: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said that the concessions given to the senior citizens in the railways may not be restored as of now as Rs 59,000 crore subsidy was given for passenger services last year and pension and salary bills of the public transporter are very high.

The minister said that the concessions scheme has been nonfunctional since the onset of Covid-19 pandemic and the railways spent Rs 59,000 crore subsidy for passenger services, which is a hefty amount and larger than the annual budget of some states.

Vaishnaw was responding to a question by independent MP from Maharashtra Navneet Rana in Lok Sabha on when the concessions given to the senior citizens in train

Says Railways Minister

Vaishnaw while responding to question by independent MP

Annual pension bill Rs 60,000 crore, salary bill Rs 97,000 crore, Rs 40,000 crore fuel bill

CERTAIN PEOPLE USED BSNL AS ‘CASH COW’ DURING UPA

RULE: VAISHNAW

ED arrests Mukhtar Ansari in money laundering case

First India Bureau

New Delhi: Gangsterturned-politician Mukhtar Ansari has been arrested by the ED in a case of money laundering after he was produced before a court in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, officials said.

SC EXTENDS HOUSE ARREST OF GAUTAM NAVLAKHA BY ONE MONTH

New Delhi: The Apex Court has extended its earlier order by one month to keep Bhima Koregaon accused Gautam Navlakha under house arrest instead of jail.

travel will be restored.

Vaishnaw said the annual pension bill of the railways is Rs 60,000 crore, the salary bill is Rs 97,000 crore while Rs 40,000 crore is being spent on fuel.

“We have given Rs 59,000 passenger subsi-

dy last year, new facilities are coming. If new decisions are to be taken, we will take them. But as of now, everyone should look into the conditions of the railways,” he said.

Replying to another question, Vaishnaw

Expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya accused of sodomy attempt

said currently the Vande Bharat trains are running with sitting capacity with a maximum distance of 500 to 550 km and once the Vande Bharat trains with sleeping facilities will ply, the trains will cover longer distances.

New Delhi (PTI): The BSNL suffered badly due to certain political parties and it was used as a “cash cow” by some people who are still members of Parliament, Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. PM Modi has approved a huge project worth Rs 1.64 lakh crore for the revival of BSNL, and this will transform the telecom PSU completely, the minister said.“Lots of funds were diverted away,” he added, amid protests by some opposition members. Time has changed, he said, and BSNL will soon launch 4G and 5G networks designed, developed and made in the country as per PM Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Ansari, a five-time former MLA, has been lodged in a jail at Banda in Uttar Pradesh for the last few years in connection with criminal cases being probed by the state police based on multiple FIRs.

The 59-year-old was questioned by the ED in this case last year & his son was also arrested in Prayagraj. This was followed by the arrest of his brother-in-law Atif.

He was taken into custody by the ED under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after he was produced on Wednesday before a local court in Prayagraj on the basis of a production warrant moved by

FOUR PILLARS OF NEW INDIA

ASSETS RAIDED

A bench comprising Justice KM Joseph and Justice BV Nagarathna extended the interim order of house arrest till the second week of January 2023, when the matter will next be heard.

On November 10, the Supreme Court had given assent to the plea by Navlakha to shift him from jail to house arrest for a month.

the agency, as per official sources. The agency has also got issued a look out circular against Mukhtar’s wife Afsan Ansari as she has not deposed before it after issuance of summons.

Raghuram Rajan joins Bharat Jodo Yatra in Raj

Jaipur (PTI): Reserve Bank of India’s former governor Raghuram Rajan on Wednesday joined Rahul Gandhi during the Congress-led Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan. The yatra resumed from the Bhadoti area of Sawai Madhopur and reached Badhshapura.s “#BharatJodoYatra Shri Raghuram Rajan, former Governor of RBI, shaking steps with @RahulGandhi ji... The increasing number of people standing up to unite the country against hatred shows that we will be successful,” Cong tweeted with

a picture of Rajan walking with Rahul Gandhi.

No surprise: BJP

The BJP took a swipe at former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan after he joined the Congress’ The party’s IT department head Amit Malviya said, “Raghuram Rajan, a Congress appointee, joining Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is not a surprise. He fancies himself as the next Manmohan Singh. Just that his commentary on economy should be discarded with disdain. It is coloured and opportunistic.”

Haridwar (PTI): Former BJP leader Vinod Arya, whose son Pulkit is the main accused in the Ankita Bhandari murder case, has been charged by his driver with trying to sodomise him. The driver also accused Arya of beating him up and threatening to kill him if he disclosed the incident to anyone.

A case was registered at Haridwar’s Jawalapur police station against Arya on Tuesday night on the basis of a complaint lodged by his driver, SP (city) Swatantra Kumar said.

Arya has been booked under different sections of the IPC including 377 (unnatural offences), 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 506 (criminal intimidation), Kumar said. The driver, who hails from Saharanpur district in Uttar Pradesh has accused Arya of touching him inappropriately and trying to sodomise him, the SP (city) said.

Navlakha, who is a former Secretary of the People’s Union for Democratic Rights, was arrested in August 2018 but was initially placed under house arrest.

Later on, after an order from the Supreme Court, he was moved to Taloja Central Prison in Maharashtra in April 2020. Navlakha after relying upon the judgment of the Supreme Court moved to the High Court saying that he was being denied of basic medical aid and other necessities in Taloja and was suffering great hardships at his advanced age.

The plea was however rejected by the Bombay High Court, prompting the present appeal before the apex court.

Navlakha was given house arrest instead of jail by the top court with various safeguards in place.

‘Kids will not have to wait if parents are ready to adopt’

New Delhi (PTI): A child will not have to wait to get adopted if there are more parents who are ready to do the procedure, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani told the Rajya Sabha, underlining that more girl children have been adopted in India in the last 3 years against boys. Replying to the sup-

MORE GIRLS BEING ADOPTED IN THE COUNTRY

Irani said that more girls are being adopted in the country for the last three years and gave figures for the same. “In our country, in the year 2019-20, on one side 1,400 boys were adopted, on the other hand, 1,938 girls were adopted. In 2020-21, while there were 1,200 boys who were adopted, as many as 1,856 girls were adopted. In 2021-22, as many as 1,293 boys were adopted while 1,690 girls were adopted and they have adopted girls as Goddess Laxmi,” Irani informed the Upper House.

plementaries during question hour, the minister said the average

SAVIOUR TURNS KILLER

time taken to adopt a child through court processes was so lengthy

that a minimum of two years was needed by adoptive parents in terms of waiting, and to reduce the time gap the ministry has proposed the amendment in the law, as in many cases it took up to 3.5 years.

Irani also said there are children who are older & are made available to our NRI diaspora & OCI card holders.

Doctor arrested for killing wife, cremating body 400 km away

lll

The accused doctor, Abhishek Awasthi, confessed to the crime after being questioned by the police

First India Bureau

New Delhi: A woman doctor Vandana Awasthi (28), who went missing from UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri last month, was murdered and secretly cremated by her own husband who is also a doctor, police said on Tuesday.

The accused Abhishek Awasthi (36), an

ayurvedic doctor, has confessed during the police interogation that he killed her wife on November 26 and quietly cremated her body in Garhmukteshwar, nearly 400 kilometres away.

Police said that accused Abhishek Awasthi also a doctor, along with his father Gauri Shankar Awasthi, struck Vandana with a

MARITAL DISPUTES

heavy object during a fight and she died due to head injuries.

After killing his wife, Abhishek had filed a missing complaint at the local police station on November 27 claiming that his wife was missing. He reportedly claimed that Vandana left home with some valuables. The police detained the accused

Awasthi for questioning on Monday and a day later he confessed that he committed the crime.

The police investigation has revealed that Abhishek murdered her along with her father.

The police registered a case of murder and arrested both of them.

Circle Officer of Lakhimpur Sadar, Sandeep Singh said, the ac-

cused informed an ambulance driver that a woman died in an accident and took her body in the vehicle for quick cremation “We received a complaint on Nov 27 from Abhishek that his wife had left her home with some valuables. The police got to know about the couple’s marital issues & put Awasthi on our watch list.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP National President JP Nadda at the BJP’s Parliamentary Party meeting, at Parliament House in New Delhi on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY PTI

First India Bureau

Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw speaks in Lok Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament, in New Delhi on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY ANI

Mukhtar Ansari being produced in a district court in connection with a money laundering case, in Prayagraj on Wednesday.

Vandana Shukla, Ayurvedic doctor

WCD min Smriti Irani speaks in Rajya Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament, in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan during the party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, in Sawai Madhopur district on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY PTI

—PHOTO BY PTI

Galaxy is an expression of digital innovation that includes deep blue and electric pinks and is closer to violet but often less saturated than purple. It was inspired by the holographic effects of light. The 2018 Color of the

Year represents knowledge and exploration, independence and selfrespect, creativity and complexity, mystery and magic. The colour violet, which is related to monarchy and stands for strength, nobility, luxury, and ambition,

blends the qualities of blue’s stability with red’s energy. It conveys luxury and elegance and has historically been associated with introspection, spirituality and mindfulness techniques.

Galaxy fashion has

already become a trendsetter in today’s fashion world. It is perfect for a person who is into stars and the universe.

The galaxy print hasn’t lately taken over your Instagram feed because it’s off the beaten path. So it’s a welcome change of pace to see a poster of a dreamy constellation made up of stars and planets.

In reality, the galaxy print has only started to show up on the catwalk. The runway during the Fall 2017 Milan Fashion Week had a galactic motif. The Ashish Spring/ Summer 2018 Ready-toWear collection also had a cosmic motif. Additionally, the Galaxy theme is heavily emphasised in these pieces from the Zuhair Murad Resort 2018 collection.

KARTIK BAJORIA cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

The author is a Jaipur-based Communication Skills Educator & Writer) Conducting an effective, engaging, informative, immersive interview is a task that combines knowledge and skills. It is a hugely advantageous asset to students, professionals and almost anyone. That one may not aspire to be a journalist or reporter, talk show host or presenter, has nothing to do with developing this ability. A great interviewer will always make for a sound conversationalist, improve his/her confidence levels and always come across as a convincing communicator. So what are these elements or prerequisites to becoming an astute Interviewer? Read on.

RESEARCH (BASIC SECONDARY RESEARCH ONLINE):

Go online and search for your interview subject (interviewee). Find out as much information as you can about the subject. If the subject has his/her own website, research that thoroughly and gather as much Factual Information as possible. In addition to the factual information from the subject’s own website and social media handles, also search gener ally about him/her on google. Try and read arti cles about/by the subject. Create a mental picture of your subject – education, work life, personal life, professional highs and lows, experiences and jot down points in a diary.

OCCASION (WHAT/ WHERE/WHEN):

Be extremely mindful of what the event/occasion for the Interview is. Is it for a function at college with a live audience? Is a for a Publication/Newspaper?

Who is the Target audience of the interview? Is it people from a specific/certain section of society? All this information will give you clues on how to construct the questions in order for the interview to be most Relevant and Interesting/ Engaging to the intended

INTERVIEWS CONDUCT GREAT

audience. For instance, if you are interviewing the subject for a college newsletter, then your questions should seek to have inspirational answers, and delve into the subject’s own educational journey, and work-life journey so as to provide a path and point of context for the majority of the readers who will be Students. On the other

hand, if the interview is for a Conference or Professional Forum, then your Questions should be more Business Oriented, focusing more on the Professional life of the Subject. If the interview is for a more light-hearted social-media platform, your questions can/should include some humour and less serious topics too!

PRE-PLAN BUT STAY FLEXIBLE: It is a good idea to develop and pre-write a questionnaire. This questionnaire might have around 10 to 12 questions. However, once the interview starts, and you begin asking your prewritten questions, you must remain flexible.

Sometimes, your subject will be difficult, not very open, will answer in yes/ no, and will not elaborate – then, you will have to have enough presence of mind to ask him/her the same question in different words (rather than moving on to your next question), without irritating the sub-

ject. In another situation, maybe the subject gives you an answer that might take the interview in a completely different direction. You must have the presence of mind to not stick to your questionnaire too strictly, and notice and take advantage of the interesting direction your subject is wanting to take the interview. For example, you ask your subject, What was your school

the job interview further).

ETIQUETTE:

This stays the same if you are the interviewer or the interviewee. You must be gracious, thankful, complementary, and polite. Say things like, Thank you for Taking the Time and talking to me/us. Likewise, say thank you for having me (if you are the subject). Always express your gratitude at the beginning of the interview as well as at the end, and off the record, ask how the interview was.

EQUALITY:

life like? And your next question was to tell us one bad incident from your school life. And the subject answers, my school life was happy and uneventful, but when I got my first job, I almost did not get selected for the interview! (forget your follow-up school-related question and have the presence of mind to probe

Having just talked about etiquette, being polite in no way means that one comes across as subservient, in-awe-of, or ‘less than the interviewee. No matter who the interviewee is, how accomplished, respected, senior, or someone who enjoys celebrity status; be on equal terms and footing with the person, or else it will show. And if it shows, the interview will be both unprofessional and likely to be editorially compromised.

With the aforementioned tips and tricks, you can be sure to combine knowledge and skill in a manner that makes you a very gifted and natural interviewer. Go ahead, try it!

Sonam keeps it comfy

Di Wedding actress made a stylish appearance as she was spotted at the airport.

Sonam, who is known as a fashion diva, never fails to disappoint her fans with her style statement and yet again, at the airport, the actress kept it comfy and casual as she donned a multi coloured kaftan. Sonam also carried a black tote bag and for accessories,

Star-studded holiday season bash

ADITYA JOINS ANANYA FOR FIFA 2022

Aditya Roy Kapur and Ananya Panday are the latest rumoured couples in BTown. According to reports, the two have just recently begun dating, but they are keeping things private right now. The two are being linkup up ever since Karan Johar quizzed Ananya about seeing her with Aditya at one of his parties. Ananya and Aditya were also seen posing together for paparazzi at Manish Malhotra's Diwali bash.

Recently, Ananya flew to Doha, Qatar for the FIFA World Cup semi-finals. She was accompanied by her father-actor Chunky Panday, her best friend Shanaya Kapoor, and her fatheractor Sanjay Kapoor. Not just that, Aditya Roy Kapur was also spotted with his rumoured girlfriend Ananya.

Jennifer Aniston has gotten into the holiday season spirit and in keeping with the same, the Friends star recently hosted a special bash that was reportedly attended by her close friends from the industry. As reported by Page Six, the actress hosted a secret bash that saw who's who of Hollywood in attendance at her sprawling Bel-Air mansion.

Jennifer Aniston hosted a holiday bash that was attended by her closest friends and colleagues from the industry. Some big names on the guest list included Sandra Bullock, Gwyneth Paltrow, David Spade, Bradley Cooper, Jason Bateman and Tobey Maguire. Also, her Friends co-stars, Lisa Kudrow and Courteney Cox were seen at the party.

The actress had also invited her The Morning Show co-stars

she added chunky golden jewelry. The actress added a pair of black sunglasses to complete her outfit as she headed to Goa with her sister Rhea Kapoor. She also shared a picture on her Instagram story with Rhea and wrote: "@ rheakapoor and me Goa bound."

KIM KARDASHIAN OFFERS A 'LIFE TIP'

Kim Kardashian surely knows how to drop the hottest snaps and her new post consisted of amazing ones as she hit the beach in a bikini. The Kardashians star took to her Instagram on Tuesday to share photos where she was seen striking stunning poses while sporting a white bikini top and bottom which happened to be seethrough in a gorgeous setting.

Kim Kardashian seemed to be having a gala time on the beach as posed for sizzling snaps in her recent post. Along with the stunning photos, Kim also offered a "life

the super secre tive bash thrown by Aniston also included a "no cell phones" rule. The re port also suggested that the vibe of the party was "old-school, fun party."

Reese Wither spoon, John Hamm and Mark Duplass for the festive celebra tion.

ceived love from her close friends including her hairstylist, Chris Appleton as well as Khloe Kardashian's close friend Malika who seemed to laud Kardashian's life tip. Kim's new photos come a day after her sister Kylie Jenner

Ananya Panday

Aditya Roy Kapur, Chunky Panday, Shanaya Kapoor, Ananya and Sanjay Kapoor

Sonam Kapoor

Sonam in multicolour kaftan

Kareena Kapoor

Kim’s post...

Kim Kardashian

Jennifer Aniston

Kareena and Saif with son Taimur

3 TIPS BY MEERA GANDHI

CITY FIRST

Meera Gandhi’s new book 3 Tips was unveiled at the stunning monument structure of the Delhi Golf Club on December 13, 2022

Meera Gandhi is a humanitarian and the founder of The Giving Back foundation where education and mental wellness are the cornerstones of the foundation’s global efforts. Surrounded by friends and family, co-hosts Sunita and Nauhar Rana, Shalini Arora Kochhar, Ramola Bachchan and Suhel Seth celebrated the unveiling of Meera’s new book "3 Tips”.

3 Tips: The Essentials for Peace, Joy and Success by humanitarian and the Founder of The Giving Back Foundation, Meera Gandhi covers several topics related to mental health and wellness. This book is published by Rupa Publications India.

The book breaks down complex issues into 3 simple tips for each subject which anyone can pick up and implement into their own lives. Anyone feeling lost or in need of guidance can easily dive into the many subjects covered and find themselves gently nudged into a direction that brings them a greater

awareness and clarity of their present situation in the context of a greater spiritual perspective.

Actor Suhel Seth, Ramola Bachchan, Aman Nath Founder Chairperson Neemrana Hotels, Lifestyle Guru Shalini Arora Kochhar, Philanthropist Neelam Pratap Rudy, Ontologist Aashmeen Munjaal, Reshma Punj were some of the eminent guests at the event. On the occasion, Meera Gandhi said, ”We are to the

Universe, only as much as we give back to it. This book is a guide to becoming our best selves. It covers mental health and wellness topics and breaks down complex issues into simple tips that anyone can pick up and implement into their lives.”

CITY FIRST

Asolo art exhibition of Ghazali Moinuddin will be held at Visual Arts Gallery, from December 23-29. The exhibition will be curated by Jitendra Padam Jain.

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

Dancing Garden¸ a painting that depicts Moinuddin’s exclusive, un-

conventional style as an artist, is exhibited in the Hall of Fame at Iran’s MTSF Foundation Museum. He has participated in numerous exhibitions within and outside India. His artworks are held in several private collections with eminent people across the world including public officials, diplomats, and businesspersons. He has also been featured in reputed newspapers and magazines including India Today, The Statesman, and Inside Outside.

Ghazali Moinuddin teaches fine arts at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, where he also obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Despite his full-time pursuit of painting, he remains committed to his students and is actively involved in organising university events.

THE INDIA DESIGNER SHOW 2022

CITY FIRST

The India Designer show by Ronit Aggarwal and Bibin Babu is all set to host its fourth season which will feature elegant collections by some renowned and emerging Indian designers in the fashion industry and a show stopper at the grand finale by Rocky S as well as a live performance by Shilpa Sur-

rochon December 18 at Major Dhyanchand Stadium, New Delhi. Prominent celebrities such as Sonakshi Sinha, Nargis Fakri, Daisy Shah, Shehnaz Gill and others, as well as esteemed designers such as Rozy Ahluwalia, Amit Aggarwal, Manali Jagtap Vandna Kumar, Sharvan Kumar will going to be present at the show and the finale of the event will be presented by Rocky S.

On the occasion of its Foundation Day, PR 24x7, one of the fastest growing organisations in the Public Relations sector in India unveiled new Logo and renovated office as the ‘Best Regional PR Agency’ in the country on December 3. The new Logo reflects the company’s legacy of new energy, technology, and years of quality services, marching ahead with more confidence. Along with the rebranding, the organisation has also announced the expansion of its operations in the South and Eastern part of the country. At the same time, along with traditional PR, the organisation is also expanding its services in other sectors like Influencer, Social Media Services, Content Creation and Video Making/Editing. PR 24x7, a three-time recipient of the Prestigious Quality Mark Award for its best performance, reflects its 20+ years of experience in a new avatar with a message of dynamism, and progress in a wider spectrum. Strengthening its presence in remote areas and small towns. On this occasion, Parineeta Nagarkar, Vice President (Client Services) of the organisation said, “Upgrading ourselves, our work area and the surrounding environment with time enhances our productivity more. With this approach, we are officially announcing some new services in the field of client servicing, which will directly prove to be beneficial for Progressive clients.”

Dr Jagdeesh Chandra greeted IAS Shishir Singh, Director Information, UP during a courtesy meet in Lucknow on Wednesday. During the visit, Singh welcomed the former to the Capital city of Uttar Pradesh.

Ramola Bachchan with Sunita Rana

Suhel Seth and Author Meera Gandhi

Neelam Pratap Rudy Raghu Vyas

Aman Nath and Shalini Arora Kochhar

Reshma Punj

Aashmeen Munjaal

Amit Bharadwaj, Bodhishatta Karfa from Exchange 22, Garima Nagpal from Travel Unravel, Shafaq Rizvi, Ronit Aggarwal, Deepika Mahajan, Rosy Ahluwalia , Shubhi garg, Bibin Babu, Neharika Sharma, Vandana Kumar, Deepak Sharma and Shaikh

—PHOTO BY SHAZID CHAUHAN

—PHOTOS BY SHAZID CHAUHAN

The wedding ceremony of Devina, daughter of Piyush Singh and Kusum Singh with Ujjwal Siddharth, son of Sanjeev Singh and Poonam Singh was solemnized on Wednesday, December 14 at Viviana Greens Lawn, Lucknow. Jagdeesh Chandra reached with Shamsher Singh, Managing Editor, Bharat24 to bless the couple on the Sangeet ceremony on December 13 and wished them a happy married life ahead.

WEDDING BELLS

Jagdeesh Chandra greets Devina Bishen & Ujjwal Siddharth, also seen is Piyush Singh

Jagdeesh Chandra with (L-R) Purnima Singh, Rajesh Singh, Shamsher Singh, Shishank Singh DC BSF, Piyush Singh, Esha Singh and Pravat Kumar

Dr Jagdeesh Chandra greeted Mritunjay Kumar Singh, Advisor to CM, UP, during a courtesy meet on Wednesday.