First India-Jaipur Edition-20th April 2023

WORLD SAYS INDIA IS A FUTURE SUPERPOWER: MOHAN BHAGWAT

Jabalpur: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has stressed that India will be a “future superpower” and that power is a necessity for the country to lead the world.

P6

CABINET OKAYS NAT’L QUANTUM MISSION, ALLOCATES `6,003 CR

New Delhi: Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Modi, on Wednesday, approved National Quantum Mission to create and nurture an innovative ecosystem in quantum technology for a cost of `6,003.65 crore.

CP-VAIBHAV’S ‘ROYAL’ DREAM COMES TRUE

WE WILL ESTABLISH A DRUGFREE INDIA BY 2047: AMIT SHAH

New Delhi: Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday announced to make a “drug-free India” by 2047, seeking a “Team India” and “whole of government approach” in the fight against menace.

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ROUSING CROWD WELCOME GEHLOT!

30,000

Hum Sab Bhartiya 1.428 BN

Naresh Sharma

Jaipur: After a long wait of three years, the Indian Premier League (IPL) returned to Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh Stadium on Wednesday when hosts and table-toppers

Rajasthan Royals took on second-placed Lucknow Super Giants. The Giants defeated Royals by 10 runs.

To mark the return of the popular cricket league, special arrange-

READ Crucial

2 DEAD, 5 INJURED AS TRAINS COLLIDE NEAR SINGHPUR JUNCTION

Shahdol: 2 people were reported dead and 5 persons were rescued from the goods trains’ collision site on Wednesday near Singhpur railway station in MP. The engines of trains caught fire after collision. All trains on Bilaspur-Katni route were affected.

CBI REGISTERS FIR AGAINST OXFAM INDIA OVER VIOLATION

New Delhi: The CBI has booked Oxfam India and others over an alleged Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) violation and carried out searches at its office in Delhi. FIR came days after UHM recommended a CBI probe into affairs of Indian arm of the Oxfam.

BJP YOUTH LEADER HACKED TO DEATH IN K’TAKA’S DHARWAD

Dharwad: On late Tuesday, tension prevailed in Kotur under Dhartwad taluk following the murder of a BJP functionary ahead of the state assembly elections. Sitting MLA Amrut Desai is the BJP candidate and former minister Vinay Kulkarni is Congress candidate from Dharwad.

ATIQ-ASHRAF MURDER

ROW: 5 COPS, AMONG SHO, SUSPENDED

Lucknow: Days after mafiapolitician Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf were shot dead by 3 assailants, the Prayagraj police commissioner Ramit Sharma on Wednesday ordered suspension of five policemen — including the station house officer (SHO) of Shahganj police station Ashwani Kumar Singh. P6

ments were made in the stadium for the spectators. The capacity of the stadium is about 22,000 spectators. For the first time, spectators were able to watch the players without nets between the stands and the ground. For this, the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) had installed special transparent glasses in place of the nets in stadium. Also, 2 new seating boxes were put up in stadium. P3, 12

‘Star’ Modi among 40 BJP campaigners for Karnataka

First India Bureau

Bengaluru/New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda, UP CM Yogi Adityanath and a strong team of Union ministers figure in the list of the party’s 40 star campaigners for Karnataka assembly elections next month. The Union ministers include Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani, Dharmendra Pradhan, Mansukh Mandaviya and Pralhad Joshi. Also Shivraj Singh, Himanta Biswa, Devendra Fadnavis, Basavaraj Bommai, BS Yediyurappa and other leaders will be there. The elections will be held on May 10 & results on May 13. P5

PHOTO

ACCOMPANIED BY NADDA, BOMMAI FILES NOMINATION FOR ELECTIONS

Haveri:

CM Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday filed his nomination for Assembly polls from his traditional seat of Shiggaon in this district amid fanfare. Bommai was accompanied by BJP national president JP Nadda, State Minister Govind M Karjol and actor Sudeep, as he filed his papers before poll returning officer.

COOK CALLS ON MODI!

LSG beat RR by 10 runs on Wednesday. Kyle Mayers top-scored for LSG with 51 off 42 balls, taking them to 154 for seven. R Ashwin was the standout Rajasthan bowler with two wickets. RR scored 144 for 6 in 20 overs, with Avesh taking 3 wickets for LSG.

India surpasses China to become world’s most populous nation: UN

said works were done as per norms.

DAY 2: HEARING IN TOP COURT ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE ISSUE

concept’: CJI

First India Bureau

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday commenced its hearing on petitions regarding same-sex marriages. The SC bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud heard the petitions, clarifying the remit of the proceedings will be limited to the validation of such marriages under the SMA. It stressed on taking an “incremental approach” in the judicial decision-making process in the case and noted it will reflect “sage wisdom”.

Jaipur: SC Collegium has recommended the appointment of Justice Augustine George Masih as the next CJ of Rajasthan HC. The office of the CJ of Rajasthan HC had fallen vacant recently, consequent upon the elevation of Justice Pankaj Mithal to the SC. Justice Masih was appointed as a Judge of Punjab and Haryana HC on 10 July 2008. Having regard to all relevant factors, Collegium was of considered view that he is suitable in all respects for being appointed as CJI of Raj HC.

Moni Sharma

New Delhi: India has overtaken China as the world’s most populous nation, according to UN’s World Population dashboard on Wednesday. India’s population surpassed 1.428 billion, slightly higher than China’s 1.425 billion people. Estimates by different agencies have suggested that India’s population is expected to keep rising for nearly three decades before it peaks at 165 crore and then start declining. Population demographics of India vary from State to State. Kerala and Punjab have an ageing population while Bihar and UP have a young population, experts have said. “As the country with the largest youth cohort — its 254 million youth (15-24 years) — can be a source of innovation, new thinking and lasting solutions,” Andrea Wojnar, the representative for UNFPA India & country director for Bhutan said.

India’s 1.4 billion people must be seen as 1.4 billion opportunities.

—Andrea Wojnar, UNFPA India official POPULATION OF INDIA IN AGE GROUPS

25%

0 TO 14 YEARS

18%

10 TO 19 YEARS

26%

10 TO 24 YEARS

68%

15 TO 64 YEARS

7% 65 YEARS PLUS

BELOW ARE THE MOST POPULOUS COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD...

1428.6 India

1425.7 China

340.0 US

277.5 Indonesia

240.5

Pakistan

(Figures are in million) Source: United Nations Population Fund

1-DAY WORKSHOP OF RAJASTHAN CONGRESS

We have got survey done, Cong is winning again: CM

Yogesh Sharma and Naresh Sharma

Jaipur: During one day workshop of Rajasthan Congress on Wednesday, CM Ashok Gehlot said Congress is winning the election according to the survey. “We have got the survey done, Congress is winning again,” he said.

“I am a very satisfied person in politics and have got many posts in my political career. I have also told Sonia ji that I have no desire for any post. Maken and Dotasra also know this,”

he said. On incident of party MLAs going to Manesar, CM said,

We have given such a wonderful budget. Inflation relief camps will prove to be a game changer. We have to connect every needy with inflation relief camps. Congress leaders and workers should not get caught up in negative politics. Put full focus in connecting needy with government schemes.

—Ashok Gehlot, CM

CM Ashok Gehlot with (L) Bhanwar Jitendra Singh, Govind Singh Dotasra, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Rameshwar Dudi at the one-day workshop organised by Rajasthan Congress in Jaipur on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with (Left) his top brass Amit Shah, JP Nadda, Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari. —FILE

Karnataka

No data to show it is ‘elitist

JUSTICE AUGUSTINE GEORGE MASIH TO BE CJ OF RAJASTHAN HC

(L) CM Ashok Gehlot with Dr CP Joshi, Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, Dr Krishna Poonia, Sunita Gehlot, Manoj Badale, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Vaibhav Gehlot, Govind Singh Dotasra and others enjoying the match between RR and LSG at SMS Stadium, in Jaipur on Wednesday. (R) Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, Dr Krishna Poonia, Vaibhav Gehlot and Ranjit Barthakur watching the match. (B) Team Rajasthan Royals.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot greets crowd during IPL 2023 cricket match between the RR and LSG at SMS stadium on Wednesday.

PHOTO BY SUNIL SHARMA

PHOTOS BY SANTOSH SHARMA

CRACKDOWN ON RPSC IN PAPER LEAK

`60,00,000

Katara took to sell paper: SOG

Satyanarayan Sharma

Jaipur: Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) member Babulal Katara, one of the three persons arrested on Tuesday in connection with the 2022 teacher recruitment paper leak case, had allegedly received Rs 60 lakh for leaking the question paper, Additional Director General of the SOG Ashok Rathore said on Wednesday.

The Special Operations Group (SOG) of the state police arrested the RPSC member, his nephew Vijay Katara, and Gopal Singh, a driver employed by the commission, on Tuesday night. Later, a court in Udaipur sent the 3 to police custody till April 29. Addressing the media, Rathore said that their investigation has revealed that Katara had the responsibility of getting the paper for grade-2 teacher exam set. “He had access to the paper and before sending it for printing, he shared a copy with Sher Singh Meena, a teacher who was in touch with Babulal Ka-

NEWS

DIGEST

WORK FOR CNG, PNG ON QUARTERLY BASIS: AGARWAL

Jaipur: ACS Mines and Petroleum and Chairman of RSGL Dr Subodh Agarwal has given instructions for the implementation of CNG and PNG work by setting quarterly targets for Rajasthan Gas. He said that to promote green energy, apart from developing infrastructure for CT gas service, the work of issuing domestic gas connections will have to be expedited. Aggarwal was addressing the meeting of the Board of Directors of Rajasthan State Gas at the Secretariat on Wednesday.

OFFICE OF MUNSHI SANGH IN RAJ HC INAUGURATED

Jaipur: The Munshi Sangh

Office was inaugurated in High Court premises on Wednesday. Justice Ganesh Ram Meena and Justice Anil Upman inaugurated the office and congratulated the president, office-bearers, and members of the Munshi Sangh. During the inaugural ceremony, Justice Ganesh Ram Meena appealed to the Munshi Sangh to get rid of eating tobacco for better health. The office-bearers of the Munshi Sangh too supported the appeal made by Justice Ganesh Meena.

Bohra discusses progress of Jpr Ring Road with NHAI officials

WITH GRACE OF KATARA, DOTASRA’S WHOLE CLAN BECOMES RAS: RATHORE

Time to throw away Cong govt: CP Joshi

tara. Katara received Rs 60 lakh for leaking the paper to Meena, who sold it to other accused. The candidates were sold the leaked paper for Rs 5 lakh,” Rathore said.

Sher Singh Meena sold the paper to Bhupendra Saran for Rs 80 lakh. To please Katara's nephew Vijay Damor, Sher Singh Meena had given him a gold bangle which has been recovered by SOG. After this, Saran made Suresh Bishnoi available through coaching center director Suresh Dhaka. Bishnoi had sold several candidates for Rs 5 lakh each. In December last year, a total of 55 people, were arrested in paper leak case.

MR CLEAN!

Barmer: Making a personal attack on PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra, the LoP Rajendra Rathore said that with the grace of RPSC member Babulal Katara, the whole family of PCC chief became RAS. He alleged that it was Katara who not only leaked the paper but helped that whole clan of Dotasra in becoming RAS. Rathore was addressing the ‘BJP Janakrosh Maha-

gherao’ meeting organized at Balotra town in Barmer district. Rajendra also made a verbal attack on the state Congress leadership and the govt. Addressing the event, Union MoS for Agriculture and local MP Kailash Choudhary said that the Gehlot govt has completed its 4.5 years term, yet the people are not happy.

DOTASRA HITS BACK AT RAJENDRA RATHORE OVER PERSONAL REMARKS

Jaipur: Govind Singh Dotasra on Wednesday targeted LoP Rajendra Rathore and said that Rathore has become the LoP for six months only and he should not keep any doubt or confusion about it. Dotasara said, “Rathore makes personal comments about my family and says how my so many family members became RAS officers. I want to tell them that my father has given values to my children whereas his family has got values of hooliganism,”.

Cardio surgery gives boy new life

Vikas Sharma

Jaipur: A Class 11 student Daksh, suffering from chronic cardiopulmonary thromboembolism disease, got a new lease of life after a surgery to remove many blood clots from his heart and lungs.

Cardiac surgeon Dr. Sunil Kaushal performed successful surgery with new cardio-

want

Rajeev Gaur

Jodhpur : Politics of Congress in Marwar may heat up once again with former MP Badriram Jakhar asking for assembly election ticket in place of Divya Maderna from Osian seat.

Divya Maderna is the incumbent MLA from Osian seat. Jakhar said that he was confident of winning the seat.

pulmonary thrombo and artery rectomy surgical technique

During diagnosis it was found that old and new blood clots had ac-

cumulated not only in his right heart but also in the great vein leading to the lungs and in the veins deep inside the lungs, said Dr. Sunil Kaushal. The patient is now doing well after 48 hours of ventilator and special drug support. The chronic cardio-pulmonary thromboembolism diseases is considered to be a rare disease.

Divya Maderna gets Y-category security cover

Badriram Jakhar

“If you want to lose the seat, give the ticket to Divya Maderna and if you want to win, give the ticket to me,” he stated, while giving

confidence of winning the seat to Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Ashok Gehlot and Govind S Dotasra. In Jaipur, Maderna has also expressed confidence of winning the seat. She has won the hearts of rural people by being continuously active in the constituency. In such a situation, Badriram Jakhar’s open statement is beyond everyone’s understanding.

First India Bureau Jodhpur : The state government on Wednesday beefed up the security of Osian MLA Divya Maderna following her car was attacked by a group of miscreants a few days ago. Divya has been given Y category of security owing to the threat to her safety. Presently, the security has been given for two months by the govt.

PHED prepares summer contingency plan

First India Bureau

Jaipur: In order to ensure drinking water supply during the summer season, the Rajasthan government has given approval to spend an amount of Rs 50 lakh each for emergency works in all the districts. Additional Chief Engineer of the concerned area will be

able to get the necessary works related to the drinking water system done within the limit of Rs 50 lakh in the districts.Recommendation for this will be done by the District Collectors.

PHED Min Mahesh

Joshi said that the funds sanctioned for each district will be utilised keeping in mind

the objective of benefiting maximum consumers by following depart-

First India Bureau Jaipur: MP Ramcharan Bohra on Wednesday held a meeting with NHAI officials at his residence regarding the work of Northern Ring Road. During the meeting, officials said that preparations have been made for land acquisition for the Northern Ring Road and Jaipur will get its Northern Ring Road. The MP also instructed the officers to redress the problem of jams and water-logging on the number 14 bridge at the earliest. During this, Vidyadhar Nagar MLA Narpat Singh Rajvi and NHAI Project Director Harish Chandra were present. Notably, in 2017 JDA proposed a realignment of the Ring Road to avoid the ecological zone. In accordance, the NHAI floated a revised DPR that increased the size of the Ring Road from 76 km to 96 km. This increase in size of the road was accepted so that the road did not have any connection with ecological zone.

Yunus Gesawat

Nagaur: BJP state president CP Joshi, while addressing the general meeting organized by the party on Wednesday at Nagaur district HQs before the Jan Aakrosh Mahagherao, said that the time has come to throw out the Cong govt in Raj.

“Gehlot government could not fulfill the promises made to the people in 4.5 years. The state government has cheated every section, so now the account has to be settled,” he said.

CP Joshi targeted the

state govt by listing cases like farmer loan waiver, unemployment allowance, paper leak. Calling upon the youth, he said that the way the youth moves, the world moves in the same direction. Therefore, the fraud committed by the Gehlot govt in the name of recruitment has to be answered in the elections. Joshi repeatedly mentioned the farmers in his speech and said that the Modi govt wants to provide relief to the farmers in distress, but the state government is sitting on suppressing that amount.

कारायालर अधिशाषी अधिरन्ा, जल संसािन धनरायाण खण्ड-््ीर,

mental provisions.The officers have been instructed to complete the approved works in a fixed time frame so that relief can be provided to affected people during the summer.

In case there is an emergent need for expenditure outside limit of Rs 50 lakh, then a decision will be taken at the competent level.

-7

नीलाम र्् जा रहा है। ्ह भूखणड मेरड्ल ्ॉलेज ् समीप स्थित है तथिा न्ास ्ी रव्रसत ्ोजनाएं बालाजी मा्केट, रववे्ानंि नगर एवं बालाजी नगर ् समीप स्थित है। ई-ऑक्शन ्ा आरमभ रिनां् 15.05.2023 से प्ातः 11ः00 बजे से ्शुरू होगा तथिा िनां् 17.05.2023 ्ो िोपहर 1ः00 बजे समापत हो जा्ेगा (असनतम 5 रमनट में ्वतः बोली रव्तार नहीं होने ्ी स्थिरत में) रन्म/्शत एवं अन् जान्ारी urban.rajasthan.gov.in/uitkota एवं udhonline.rajasthan.gov.in / ्ा्ायाल् सम् में न्ास में उपस्थित हो्र प्ापत ्ी जा स्ती है। िूरभाष 0744-2500539 /(Helpline For Online Support-0141-2560211 पर समप्कि ्रें। ई-ऑक्शन के माध्यम से आरोग्य नगर व्यावसाय्यक

राय्शः 49,52,000/-

मानक ब़ी.ए.आर. - 2.0

भूखण्ड ् पीछे 12 मीटर चौड़ी सड़् स्थित है। ्ह भूखण्ड न् ्ोटा क्त्र ्ी मुख् व्ावसार््

—Mukesh Mathrani

BJP workers taking out the protest march in Nagaur on Wednesday.

Daksh (L) was treated by Dr Sunil Kaushal (R) at Fortis Escort Hosp.

‘If you

to lose Osian, give ticket to Divya Maderna, else give it to me’

Dr Mahesh Joshi

Rajendra Rathore, Kailash Choudhary in Balotra on Wednesday.

Ramcharan Bohra with NHAI officials in Jaipur on Wednesday.

Irked Chandna placates as Rajasthan Royals tender apology, locks opened

at the stadium

Naresh Sharma and Bharat Dixit

Jaipur: The controversy that started at the SMS stadium with tough stance of Sports Minister Ashok Chandna continued on Wednesday also as the IPL match started.

Chandna had reached the stadium on Wednesday morning for inspection. He accused Rajasthan Royals of illegal construction. On his order, the door in front of the stairs of the stand was locked before the start of the match. The dispute ended at around 6 pm after an apology was tendered to him on behalf of the RR and the locks were opened.

“RR has made an illegal VIP stand. Due to this, the employees are not able to go to their offices as well,” said Chandna who also encountered the bouncers deployed at the gates.

“To scare whom they

Aspirant rescued after two suicide attempts in Kota

First India Bureau

Kota: A 17-year-old student from Bihar, preparing for the medical exam in Kota, attempted suicide after getting stressed from studies.

“On April 17, the student was about to jump from the terrace of the hostel, but other boys present on the terrace caught him and then did not leave him alone. The boy also tried to cut his hand the next day, but he was again saved by the other students. The student has now been sent to a shelter home for counselling,” police said.

Vaibhav Gehlot said that the works were done as per prescribed norms

Man peeing 30 mt away killed by ‘flying dead cow’ in Alwar

The work has been done according to the rules and as per the MoU. Whatever the conditions are for temporary and permanent construction, they have been followed. As per rules, there is no wrongdoing of any kind.

First India Bureau

they been deployed here. Get them out of here in 1 minute otherwise no one will be worse than me. The players stopped from going inside, which is wrong,” he said.

Govt of Alibaba thieves: Poonia on CM remark

First India Bureau

Jaipur: Deputy Leader of Opposition Satish Poonia has reacted to the statement of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot wherein Gehlot had stalked a claim of repeating the government.

“CM once again reiterated his claim of again forming the government. He claims that some survey agency has given this advice to him. I feel that he is again seeing the dreams of Mungerilal. On one hand, there are claims of Ashok Gehlot, but on the other

side, there are rapes of women. It seems as if Rajasthan has become the capital of criminals. The Congress government is so deeply immersed in corruption that it would not be an exaggeration to call it a government of Alibaba thieves,” said Satish Poonia.

Sanjay gets addl charge at Corporate Ministry

First India Bureau New Delhi: 1990 batch Rajasthan cadre IAS Sanjay Malhotra has been given additional charge of Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Malhotra is working as Secretary in Revenue Department and will see the work during the absence of IAS Manoj Govil.

First India Bureau Siwana (Barmer): A Dalit village council has ostracised a family in Barmer and fined it Rs 50,000 for organising the wedding procession of two brides.

The village heads termed that the wedding procession of two brides was against their customs and that such processions are meant for groom.

A meeting of the village council was held in Ramdev Temple in Khalso Ke Vas on Tuesday and it was decided to socially boycott the family. Shankar Megh-

Ramprasad suicide: Diya joins Kirodi protest, meets family Zero star campaigners from Raj BJP in K’taka

Jaipur: Rajsamand MP

Diya Kumari on Wednesday visited the protest site in Jaipur where the family members of suicide victim

Ramprasad Meena, a resident of Chandi ki Taksil, were holding a ‘dharna’ to demand justice for his suicide. MP

Diya Kumari offered

her condolences to the grieving family and enquired about the developments in the case. During her visit, Diya highlighted the fact that

the late Ramprasad Meena had a valid lease for his land and was prevented from building his house on it by the municipal corporation. She said that this injustice was likely facilitated by corrupt land mafia and officers.

Meanwhile, MP Dr Kirodi Lal Meena continued his protest on the second day.

Aishwary Pradhan

Jaipur: The list of BJP’s star campaigners for Karnataka assembly elections has not even a single name from the State. It has led to discussion in the political circles in the State. But the surprising thing is that even the names of 2 big personalities of Karnataka

are not in the list. The names of National Organisation General Secretary BL Santosh and of BJYM National President Tejashwi Surya are also not in the list.

Although Rajasthan BJP in-charge Arun Singh’s name is in this list. Arun Singh is of UP origin and is also incharge of Karnataka.

Goel completes term as Raj RERA chief

Abhishek Shrivastava

Jaipur: Rajasthan Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) chairman NC Goel on Wednesday highlighted the achievements of his tenure in the authority on completion of his term.

Goel completed his term on attaining the age of 65 years. He was appointed as the RERA chairman on March 6, 2019.

He said that in the last four years, RERA has been established as a brand and all the process has been done

online and services can be availed while sitting at home.

Goel said that RERA took possession of 10

projects while taking action. He informed that today there are 2,500 projects registered in RERA. After the completion of Goel’s term, the state government has started an exercise for the appointment of the new chairman. The government will issue a release soon to invite applications from interested candidates. The tenure of the

chairman is for a period of five years or till the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. A high powered committee selects the chairman. The post is equivalent to the additional secretary in the centre. Sources said that new appointment will not be made soon and the government may give charge to RERA member or principal secretary UDH.

Jaipur: The secretary of the sports council has written a letter to RCA secretary and Rajasthan Royals asking them to provide disaster management and evacuation plans during the matches at SMS stadium. The secretary said that 30 to 40 thousand spectators along with several VVIPs are expected to be present in the stadium and directed them to provide the disaster management and evacuation plan.

Alwar: An old man died after being hit by a cow that jumped on him after a collision with Vande Bharat Express on Tuesday night in Alwar.

Cow also died in the incident occurred near Kalimori crossing.

SHO of Aravalli Vihar Police Station Zaheer Abbas said that the Vande Bharat Express running between Delhi and Ajmer was passing through Kalimori crossing at around

8 pm on Tuesday when a cow came on the track and collided with the train.

“Due to the collision, the cow jumped and fell about 30 meters away. An 82-year-old man identified as Shivdayal Sharma, who was there to defecate, was hit by the cow,” he said. He informed that the man and the cow, both died in the mishap.

The police handed over the dead body of the man to his family members after postmortem on Wednesday.

wal, the head of the family, has filed a complaint at the police station and before Siwana SDM and said the brides were taken to the wedding venue on hors-

Over 500 Covid cases recorded, 1 death in State

First India Bureau

Jaipur: For the second consecutive day, more than 500 cases of corona have been reported in the State on Wednesday. 1 more patient also died. The number of active patients has also increased to 3201. However, it is a matter of relief that 99 percent of the patients in this have less symptoms and are recovering on their own.

Maximum 190 patients have been found in Jaipur. Apart from this, 53 cases have been found in Udaipur, 51 in Bharatpur, 33 in Alwar, Ajmer 26, Banswara 21, Bikaner 23, Chittorgarh 25, Dausa 20, Jhalawar 21, Jodhpur 36.

On Tuesday, a total of 547 fresh Covid cases were reported in the state along with two deaths.

es which annoyed the panchayat members.

Meghwal said a panchayat meeting was organised on Tuesday where the penalty was imposed.

“We organised the wedding procession of my sisters to convey the message of gender equality,” said Meghwal. He added they did not intend to annoy anyone and yet they face a social boycott.

Meghwal said the panchayat members passed an order saying no one in the community will even talk to them or invite them to any social events.

Nathu Singh Charan, a local police officer, said they have received a complaint and started an investigation. “...action will be taken accordingly.”

Three tigresses to be shifted from R’bore

Nirmal Tiwari

Jaipur: Three tigresses will soon be shifted from Ranthambore National Park. The permission for shifting the three tigresses has been obtained from NTCA and the forest department is preparing to shift the three wild cats.

The tigresses will be sent to Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve, Mukundra Hills National Park, and Sariska Tiger Reserve.

At present there is a pair of tiger-tigress in Mukundra Hills while there is also a pair in Ramgarh Vishdhari Reserve with a possibility of two cubs. All

three tigresses will go from the non-tourism area of Ranthambore National Park.

First India Bureau

(Top) Vaibhav Gehlot with Krishna Poonia at SMS Stadium in Jaipur on Wednesday. (Right) Minister Ashok Chandna & Satbir Choudhary visit SMS Stadium on Wednesday.

82-year-old Shivdayal Sharma killed after being hit by the cow near Kalimori crossing in Alwar on Tuesday night.

CM Ashok Gehlot and Dr Jagdeesh Chandra holding a discussion at the stadium.

Vaibhav Gehlot, Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, and Rajeev Khanna at SMS Stadium on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot presents player of the match award to Marcus Stoinis.

—Vaibhav Gehlot, RCA president

Chandna also accused the RR of deploying bouncers

Wedding procession of brides carried out for ‘gender equality’ in Barmer, family ostracised

IAS

Sisters of Shankar Meghwal sit on horses in Barmer district.

MP Diya with Dr Kirodi Meena.

SPORTS COUNCIL SEEKS DISASTER MGMT PLAN

—PHOTOS BY SANTOSH SHARMA

CAN JOURNALISTS BE ACTIVISTS?

JAN-WERNER MÜLLER

The writer is Professor of Politics at Princeton University

PRINCETON – Should journalists say and write what they think? Recent controversies have given new urgency to old questions about journalists’ professional ethics and political role in democracy.

An ongoing defamation lawsuit has exposed how – and how often – Fox News anchors lied to their viewers about claims that the 2020 US presidential election was “stolen.” The BBC suspended former soccer striker Gary Lineker for tweets criticizing the British government’s refugee policies, allegedly in violation of the broadcaster’s traditional commitment to impartiality. And journalists everywhere are debating whether taking a political position crosses some dangerous line into “activism.”

By engaging with audiences and being transparent about advocacy and reporting, media organizations can increase trust by proving their own trustworthiness. Reporters and advocates –alongside columnists and freelancers like Lineker –must be objective, which is to say they must strive for accuracy. But supporting a cause and building a community for it is not the same thing as “bias.”

What’s more, when protections for free speech and the press are under relentless assault from autocrats, the virtue of impartiality can become a vice

Yet the conventional distinction between “journalist” and “activist” is badly conceived, because there has never been anything passive about journalists’ role. At a time when autocrats are consolidating power by attacking “the media” (or dismissing all critical reporting as “fake news”), those who refuse to call out such behavior are effectively tolerating rising authoritarianism. There is nothing neutral about their silence.

As many media critics have rightly pointed out, the traditional practice of mechanically reproducing “both sides” of a political dispute often distorts reality. Hence, a 2014 headline in The Atlantic warned, “Yes, polarization is asymmetric – and conservatives are worse.” Since then, the Republican Party has become fully Trumpified and turned against democracy itself. Portraying such an asymmetrical situation as symmetrical creates the appearance of traditional journalistic objectivity at the expense of truth.

According to media critic Jay Rosen, this “both-

sidesism” is driven not so much by a professional ethics of objectivity as by a journalist’s preemptive effort to avoid accusations of “partisanship.” It is more about “refuge-seeking” than “truth-seeking,” covered by a veneer of immaculate neutrality. Conversely, a journalist who becomes a self-styled member of the democratic “resistance” can lose credibility if such resistance translates into a particular position on issues like the proper size of unemployment benefits,

which, while important, are hardly at the core of democracy as such. Since democracies will always have a host of legitimate disagreements to navigate, investing every story with an agenda – be it progressive or conservative – does more than lead to slanted reporting. It also implies contempt for one’s fellow citizens, who apparently cannot be trusted to make up their own minds. There is no shortage of handwringing about the public’s declining “trust in the media,”

At a time when autocrats are consolidating power by attacking “the media,” old debates about journalism’s role in a democracy and how journalists should conduct themselves need to be revisited. Advocacy is no less legitimate and valuable than reporting, as long as it is based on a commitment to truth

rate reporting was the very basis for her campaigning, not somehow its opposite.

What distinguishes advocacy from reporting is that it goes beyond presenting the facts by building a community of followers. Maintaining continuous communication for and about a cause has always been the best way to create and mobilize support for it. As long as the process is out in the open, there need not be any clash with professional ethics.

The crux of the Fox News scandal is not that it showed Fox to be openly partisan; it’s that the network’s “stars” and producers knew that claims of a “stolen” election were false and chose to amplify them anyway. Ratings and profits came before facts. This ordering of priorities was made manifest at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic: while Fox’s on-screen personalities were clamoring for “freedom” and “opening the economy,” Fox’s offices remained closed and its employees were asked to work from home.

Professional news organizations (a category that obviously does not include Fox) can have both advocates and reporters. What matters is that a news organization’s audience can assess what it is about – how it makes editorial choices and how it makes money. These criteria are easier to meet if media organizations have public editors who engage with audience concerns seriously, thereby increasing trustworthiness.

but this relationship goes both ways.

Rather than framing the issue as “journalism versus activism,” a more useful distinction is that between reporting and advocacy (which is not the same as “opinion journalism” offered by figures who routinely comment on all kinds of issues). Both practices have to rely on facts, and both ask their audiences to keep an open mind. While reporters’ primary emphasis is on informing, advocates focus on reforming; but

RECORD CLEAN-POWER GROWTH IN 2023

...TO SPARK ‘NEW ERA’ OF FOSSIL FUEL DECLINE

The growing fire risk in these areas became startling clear in 2020, when Colorado’s East Troublesome Fire burned up and over the Continental Divide to become the state’s second-largest fire on record. The following year, California’s Dixie Fire became the first on record to burn across the Sierra Nevada’s crest and start down the other side.

We study wildfire behavior as climate scientists and engineers. In a new study, we show that fire risk has intensified in every region across the West over the past four decades, but the sharpest upward

trends are in the high elevations.

High mountain fires can create a cascade of risks for local ecosystems and for millions of people liv-

ing farther down the mountains.

Since cooler, wetter high mountain landscapes rarely burn, vegetation and dead wood can build up, so

highland fires tend to be intense and uncontrollable. They can affect everything from water quality and the timing of meltwater that communities and

farmers rely on, to erosion that can bring debris and mud flows. Ultimately, they can change the hydrology, ecology and geomorphology of the highlands, with complex feedback loops that can transform mountain landscapes and endanger human safety.

While the risk is rising fastest in the high mountains, most of the West is now at increasing risk of fires. With continuing greenhouse gas emissions fueling global warming, this trend of worsening fire danger is expected to intensify further, straining firefighting resources as crews battle more blazes..

SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION

that goal need not bar them from doing investigative work – on the contrary, it is often what gives such work its force.

Critics of advocacy portray it as an alternative to faithful reportage of facts without bias. But a good advocate will of course pursue what Carl Bernstein famously called the “best obtainable version of the truth.” One need only look to Ida B. Wells, who repeatedly risked her life to report meticulously on lynching in the American South. Careful, accu-

To be sure, as Pippa Norris of Harvard University notes, trust is not a good in itself. Plenty of people trusted online quacks and COVID deniers during the pandemic, and some people are still reaching for patently unsuitable medications like Ivermectin because Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro endorsed it as a “cure.” What a democracy needs from its citizens is what Norris calls skeptical trust, based on evidence of institutions’ competence and integrity, not cynical mistrust or credulity.

SOURCE: PROJECT SYNDICATE

TOP TWEETS

Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp

The 21st century is the age of knowledge. Gratitude to PM @ narendramodi ji for the approval to National Quantum Mission. This will have a great impact in accelerating India’s leap in frontier areas of quantum technology as well as in India’s transformation as knowledge economy.

Kiren Rijiju @KirenRijiju

India’s pride and Vice President of Athletics Federation of India, @anjubobbygeorg1 has nicely described about how #MannKiBaat promotes and highlights the sporting achievements of our athletes.

SPIRITUAL SPEAK

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. Bible

AS WILDFIRE RISK RISES IN THE WEST, WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS AND OFFICIALS ARE KEEPING A CLOSER EYE ON THE HIGH MOUNTAINS – REGIONS ONCE CONSIDERED TOO WET TO BURN

It is Congress ’s corruption vs BJP ’s development: JP Nadda

BJP prez also said Commission, criminalisation means Congress

Shiggaon (ANI):

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president

JP Nadda stepped up the attack on Congress as the Karnataka Assembly elections inch closer and alleged that the grand old party means “commission, corruption, and criminalisation”.

The BJP chief also appealed to the people to vote for the BJP stating that the state should not be “devoid of PM Narendra Modi’s blessings”. Nadda’s remarks came while addressing a public meeting in Shiggaon in which Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Kannada actor Kichha Sudeep were present. Bommai will file his nomination from the Shiggaon seat today.

“Congress means commission, corruption and criminalisation. I am here to appeal to everyone to vote for development,” he said.

“I urge you all to make the ‘Lotus’ win, make the BJP win! Karnataka should never remain behind in the race towards development. This, you all must ensure by choosing only ‘Lotus’,” the BJP national president added.

‘MY LAST ELECTION’: SIDDARAMAIAH FILES NOMINATION

Mysuru (PTI): Senior Congress leader and former CM Siddaramaiah on Wednesday filed nomination from Varuna constituency, for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls, as he reiterated that this would be his last election and virtually laid out a “succession plan” of sorts. The 75-year-old Leader of Opposition indicated his son and grandson to be his political successors.

“This is my last election, after that there is Yathindra (son), Dhawan Rakesh (grand son)”, he said. Siddaramaiah’s younger son Dr Yathindra is sitting Congress MLA from Varuna.

FORMER BJP LEADER SHETTAR FILES NOMINATION ON CONGRESS TICKET

Shah sets 2047 deadline to make India drug-free

New Congress leader from Hubli-Dharwad-Central Assembly constituency Jagadish Shettar files nomination on Wednesday.

Hubballi: Congress leader Jagadish Shettar filed his nomination from the Hubli-Dharwad-Central Assembly constituency on Wednesday for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly Elections. Jagadish Shettar became the second senior leader from the Lingayat community to leave the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and join Congress in less than a week. Earlier, former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi joined the Congress. Shettar is set to face BJP’s candidate Mahesh Tenginkai in the election.

Anyone who believes in BJP’s ideology is welcome: Maharashtra BJP Chief

Nagpur (ANI): Amid speculations of Ajit Pawar joining BJP, Maharashtra BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday said that NCP leader or any person who wants to join the party would be welcomed.

“The doors of the party are open for everyone who works for the country and believes in BJP’s ideology,” Chandrashekhar Bawankule said.

However, former Maharashtra deputy CM, Ajit Pawar on Tuesday dismissed “rumours”

E SHINDE’S PARTY’S WARNING ‘IF AJIT PAWAR JOINS BJP WITH GROUP OF MLAS’

Mumbai: Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat has warned that if NCP leader Ajit Pawar joins BJP with a group of leaders, then the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena will not be part of the government in Maharashtra. Shirsat, whose party shares power with BJP in Maharashtra, said he thinks the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will not go with the BJP directly. “Our policy is clear about it. The NCP is a party which betrays,” he said.

Maharashtra BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule NCP LEADER SUPRIYA SULE HINTS AT TWO POLITICAL “BLASTS” WITHIN 15 DAYS

about switching over to BJP & emphasised that he would remain with the NCP. “No truth in the rumours spread about me. I am with the NCP and will remain with the party,” Ajit Pawar told the media.

Pune: Nationalist Congress Party’s Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule has indicated that there will be two major political “blasts”, one in Delhi and another in Maharashtra, within the next 15 days. Supriya Sule said without elaborating when some reporters asked her about Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar’s statement that there will be political “blasts” in the next 15 days in the state.

IN THE COURTYARD

VERDICT LIKELY TODAY IN RAGA’S PLEA FOR STAY ON CONVICTION IN DEFAMATION CASE

Ahmedabad (PTI): A sessions court in Surat is likely to pronounce its order on Thursday on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s plea for a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his “Modi surname” remark. A stay order could pave the way for Gandhi’s reinstatement as a Member of Parliament. The court of Additional Sessions Judge had reserved its verdict for April 20 on Gandhi’s application for a stay on conviction pending his appeal against a lower court’s order sentencing him to 2 years in jail in the case. Gandhi had submitted that trial court treated him harshly after being overwhelmingly influenced by his status as an MP.

SHRADDHA MURDER CASE: HC RESTRAINS

MEDIA CHANNELS FROM DISPLAYING CONTENT

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday restrained all media channels from displaying the contents of the charge sheet filed by the Delhi Police in the Shraddha murder case. Delhi Police have moved a plea before the High Court seeking direction restraining all media channels from displaying/playing the content of the charge sheet and direction to the central government to issue appropriate direction/guidelines to ensure no such material is displayed in the media channels. The next date of the hearing is August 3.

EJACULATION NOT NECESSARY TO PROVE ASSAULT: HC

RAHUL, CHIEF KHARGE ARE CONG’S STAR CAMPAIGNERS

Bengaluru: Congress heavyweights, including the party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, state chief DK Shivakumar, LoP Siddaramaiah, Shashi Tharoor former BJP leader and deputy CM Jagadish Shettar who joined Congress this week after quitting the BJP, among others, featured in the party’s list of star campaigners for the May 10 Assembly elections. The grand old party unveiled a list of 40-star campaigners for Karnataka Assembly elections on Wednesday.

New Delhi (ANI): Terming the drug menace a major issue across the country, Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday announced to make a “drug-free India” by 2047, seeking a “Team India” and “whole of government approach” in the fight against the menace. Shah made the announcement at the inaugural event of the first National Conference of Heads of AntiNarcotics Task Force (ANTF) of states and Union Territories here in the national capital. “PM Narendra Modiled government is committed to eradicating the menace of drugs. We will establish a drug-free India by 2047,” Shah said. Shah called for a “whole of government and team India approach infight against the drug menace keeping aside political differences. “Keeping aside our political differences all the state governments & agencies need to come together to fight against the drug menace, Shah further said, “ said Shah, adding “We will have to adopt top to bottom and bottom-totop approach during the investigation of drug trafficking cases.”

The Union Home Minister clarified, saying “I want to tell you today that we are at such a juncture that we can win the battle against the drug menace”.

Delhi on Wednesday.

HOME MINISTER TO EMBARK ON 3-DAY VISIT TO POLL-BOUND KARNATAKA

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will embark on a three-day visit to poll-bound Karnataka from April 21 as the state gears up for a fierce political battle in the month of May. Shah will be in Davanagere on April 21 and in Devanahalli on April 22. On the last leg of his tour, the Union Home Minister will visit the neighbouring state of Telangana for his Lok Sabha Pravas. Shah will hold roadshows in both Davanagere and Devanahalli. This will be Shah’s first visit to Karnataka since the announcement of the polls last month. He is expected to attend Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organisational meetings in the run-up to the polls. Sources said Shah will meet the top BJP leaders in the state and hold a core group meeting.

PM TO GIVE VANDE BHARAT AS VISHU

GIFT TO KERALA

Thiruvananthapuram

(PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Kerala on April 24 for a two-day visit and attend a host of programmes including the flagging off of the much-awaited Vande Bharat Express train in Thiruvananthapuram.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V

Muraleedharan said people of Kerala are thankful to PM Narendra Modi for announcing Vande Bharat train service for Kerala. “It is a historic moment that Kerala is waiting for,” the BJP said, describing the Vande Bharat being allotted to Kerala as the PM’s “vishu kaineettam” (Vishu gift).

India’s focus on digital health can serve as model: UN official

Panaji (PTI): With India assuming the G20 presidency, the country’s focus on digital health can serve as a model for other countries to replicate or initiate similar programmes which can accelerate their own digital health initiatives and improve health outcomes for their populations, a senior United Nations official said on Wednesday.

Dr Karin Kllander, senior health adviser and chief of the Digital Health and Information Systems Unit in UNICEF

Health Programme, said some potential strategies for replicating India’s digital health interventions in other countries include devel-

oping a comprehensive digital health strategy, building a supportive regulatory environment and fostering publicprivate partnerships.

PM TO INAUGURATE GLOBAL BUDDHIST SUMMIT TODAY

New Delhi (Agencies): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the inaugural session of the Global Buddhist Summit today, his office said. The two-day summit is being hosted by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation on April 20 and 21. The theme of the summit is “Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy to Praxis”, it said. The summit is an effort towards engaging the global “Buddhist Dhamma” leadership and scholars on the matters of Buddhist and universal concerns, and to come up with policy inputs to address them collectively.

PMO reviews Covid situation, calls for readiness

New Delhi (Agencies): Amid rising cases of coronavirus across the country, principal secretary to the Prime Minister PK Mishra on Wednesday undertook a review meeting to oversee the level of preparedness and public health response to it. As per sources, Mishra advised officials to ensure operational readiness of hospital infrastructure till the sub-district level.

He also highlighted the need to examine the Covid-19 situation regularly and update advisories to guide the states.

12 cheetahs brought from South Africa to MP’s

Kuno National Park released to bigger enclosures

Amaravati: Ejaculation of semen is not a necessary prerequisite to prove penetrative sexual assault, the Andhra Pradesh High Court has held while upholding a convict’s sentencing under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) case recently.

Justice Cheekati Manavendranath Roy observed that even if the evidence on record shows that there was penetration, it is sufficient to constitute an offence of penetrative sexual assault as defined under Section 3 of the POCSO Act.

New Delhi (ANI): Project Cheetah chief SP Yadav has said that all 12 cheetahs brought to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh from South Africa in February this year were released successfully on Tuesday from quarantine to bigger acclimatisation enclosures following official clearance. Yadav told ANI that requisite clearance has been received from Animal Quarantine and Certification Service.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change received final ‘No objection Certificate’ from the Centre’s Animal

Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS).

As per the no objection certificate issue by AQCS the Cheetah (acinonyx jubatus) were quarantined at approved premises of Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh for 30 days and “based on the routine observation and test reports (negative), the Cheetah are found free from any infectious disease”. “Final No Objection Certificate is accorded,” AQCS said. After official clearance, all 12 cheetahs brought from South Africa in Kuno National Park were released from quarantine

to bigger acclimatisation enclosures successfully on April 18.

Twelve cheetahs from South Africa arrived on February 18 in

Madhya Pradesh’s

Kuno National Park after South Africa signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the re-

introduction of Cheetahs in India to establish a viable cheetah population in the Asian country.

Earlier, eight cheetahs brought from Namibia were released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kuno National Park on the occasion of his birthday on September 17, 2022. One Cheetah died due to illness recently.

Radio collars have been installed in all the cheetahs and there is monitoring through satellite. Apart from this, a dedicated monitoring team keeps monitoring the location round the clock.

Home Minister Amit Shah addressing 1st National Conference of Anti Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), in New

Officials from United Nations during athe second G20 health working group meeting held in Panaji on Wednesday

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President JP Nadda with Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and actor Kichcha Sudeep being garlanded at a public meeting for the upcoming State Assembly elections, in Haveri on Wednesday. —PHOTOS BY ANI SONIA,

Cheetah at Kuno National Park in Sheopur.

World says India is a future superpower, says RSS chief

Bhagwat also said India is going to be a Vishwaguru and we have to achieve that goal

Jabalpur (ANI): Rash-

triya Swayamsevak

Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has stressed that India will be a “future superpower” and that power is a necessity for the country to lead the world.

The RSS chief’s remarks came while addressing the harmony lecture series organized on the occasion of the completion of 723 years of Prakashotsav of Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Ji on Tuesday.

He said that India’s power will not be to trouble others but to protect the weak.

“We will not conquer others, we will not convert anyone. India is going to become Vishwag-

Maintain strong vigil on LAC, says Rajnath Singh to Army

New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday asked the Army to maintain strong vigil along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China as the situation in the northern sector remained “tense” in view of deployment of PLA troops.

In his address at the Army Commanders’ Conference, Singh, without making specific references, called upon the armed forces to take note of geo-political changes around the world, and accordingly mould their planning & strategies, PTI reported.

“The situation is tense due to deployment of PLA troops in the northern sector. Our armed forces, especially the Indian Army, will have to continuously keep their vigilance in order to maintain the security of the LAC,” he said, according to the sources.

BJP leader Adhikari slams Mamata, demands probe

Religion means the feeling of the welfare of the world. If we keep following the religion, then in the coming 2030 years, India will become the vishwaguru and will show the world a new path.

—Mohan Bhagwat, RSS chief

India’s power will not be to trouble others but to protect the weak, says Mohan Bhagwat while addressing an event.

uru and we have to achieve that goal”, he added. Earlier on April 16, Bhagwat said that India will become ‘vishwaguru’ only by following the path of religion and will show the path to the world. Bhagwat was addressing the Dharma Sanskriti Sabha in Madhya Pradesh’s

Burhanpur. “India will become vishwaguru only by following the path of religion. If we all keep following the religion, then in the coming 20-30 years, India will become the vishwaguru who will show the world a new path,” Bhagwat said. He said that religion means the feeling

SSC: STALIN HAILS CENTRE FOR HOLDING EXAMS IN 13 LANGUAGES

New Delhi (ANI): Tamil

of the welfare of the whole world.

“We have to fulfil our duty by following the path of truth. India does not have to become a superpower but has to teach religion to the world. People of different languages, sects and religions live in India,” the RSS chief said.

UGC asks Univs to allow students to write exams in local languages

New Delhi (PTI): Four

The University Grants Commission has asked universities to allow students to write exams in local languages even if the course is offered in English medium, according to Chairman Jagadesh Kumar. It said that higher education institutions play an important role in preparing textbooks and supporting the teachinglearning process in the mother tongue/local

languages. The commission stressed that it is necessary to strengthen these efforts and “pro-

Cabinet gives approval to Cinematograph Bill

New Delhi (PTI): The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill 2023 that has provisions to curb transmission of pirated film content on the internet, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said.

Thakur said the Bill will be introduced in the upcoming session of Parliament. He said the Bill also has provisions to classify films on the basis of age group,

CRUCIAL READ

FIRE IN BENGAL’S HOWRAH, OVER 100 SHOPS BURNT

Howrah: Over 100 shops were burnt as a massive fi re devastated a market in West Bengal’s Howrah district in the early hours of Wednesday, offi cials said. The fi re broke out at the Ludlow Bazar in Chengail in Uluberia police station area around midnight, they said.

instead of the current practice of ‘U’, ‘A’, and ‘UA’. “U” is for unrestricted public exhibition and “A” is restricted to adult audiences, while “UA” is for unrestricted public exhibition subject to parental guidance for children below the age of 12.

AGENCY ATTACHES ASSETS WORTH ` 21 CR IN HAWALA CASE

New Delhi: The ED on Wednesday said it has attached flats and land belonging to alleged hawala dealer Naresh Jain, worth more than `21 crore, as part of a money laundering investigation against him. The total value of these assets is `21.31 crore, as per reports.

MASSIVE PROTESTS IN JHARKHAND OVER JOB RESERVATIONS FOR LOCALS

Ranchi: Seeking 100% reservation for locals in government jobs, members of different students’ organisations took to the streets of Jharkhand on Wednesday morning to enforce a state-wide shutdown. Members of the Jharkhand State Students’ Union (JSSU) protested in Ranchi’s Morabadi area, burning tyres on the road. They also went to the nearby vegetable market asking vendors to shut their shops.

mote such initiatives as writing textbooks in the mother tongue/local languages”.

Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin thanked the central government for the decision of conducting the SSC MTS and CHSLE examinations in 13 regional languages. This comes days after the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking his intervention on Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) recruitment examination. On April 9, Stalin wrote to Shah complaining about the 25% marks allocated for the ‘Basic Hindi Understanding’ section in the exam. He had then urged that Tamil and other regional languages should also be included in the exam. “This provides a level playing field for youth without the disadvantage of language barrier,” Stalin further said.

Hooghly (ANI): West Bengal Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government and demanded that the central agencies probe the Chief Minister under the Saradha scam. Reacting to a fresh notice by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Adhikari called the agency’s action “prompt” & “proactive”. CBI on Tuesday asked Abhishek Banerjee to appear before the agency in connection with the teacher’s recruitment scam. The BJP leader said, “CBI is doing a very fine and pro-active job. In wake of this, CBI’s action is correct and this should continue, or else Mamata and her men will destroy all the evidence”.

IT WILL HAPPEN LIKE A TORNADO, SAYS MAMATA BANERJEE ON OPPOSITION UNITY

New Delhi (Agencies): Mamata Banerjee today hit out at the BJP, underscoring once again that the BJP, the ruling party at the Centre, is threatening her party leaders with central agencies. A key opposition leader, Banerjee, whose Trinamool lost the national party status last week, said when the opposition comes together it will be “like a tornado”, warning the BJP.

“HER MAGIC IS FADING AWAY.”: CONGRESS MP LASHES OUT AT WEST BENGAL CM

Kolkata (ANI): Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has hit out at West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and said that her “magic” was fading away, while also adding that her “delusion” will diminish in the future. Taking swipe at the West Bengal Chief Minister, Chowdhury said that there are more pending cases from the state alone with the CBI than it is for the rest of India.

Atiq-Ashraf killing case: Shahganj Station Officer suspended for ‘negligence’ in gangsters’ security

Prayagraj (Agencies):

Four police officials including the station officer of Shahganj Police Station in UP’s Prayagraj were suspended for ‘negligence’ while taking gangsters Atiq and his brother Ashraf for a medical checkup on April 15 night when they were killed, police said on Wednesday.

The SO who was suspended was identified as Ashwani Kumar Singh. The Special Investi-

GANGSTER ATIQ AHMED’S KILLERS SENT BY COURT TO POLICE CUSTODY FOR 4 DAYS

Prayagraj(ANI): A CJM court in Prayagraj on Wednesday remanded gangster Atiq Ahmed’s killers to four-day police custody. This comes after the Special Investigation Team filed an application in the court seeking remand for questioning for all 3 accused. They were earlier sent to 14-day judicial custody by the district court on April 16. The police will seek to know the reason for the murder of the gangsters.

gation Team constituted by the police had questioned all the police personnel yesterday after which the police action was taken on the

basis of the SIT report.

Atiq & Ashraf were killed in the presence of the police on April 15 night while being taken for a medical checkup.

India coordinating with Quartet countries for safety of Indians in Sudan: Sources

New Delhi (ANI): To ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals in Sudan, amid the ongoing clashes between Sudan’s army and paramilitary forces, the central government has begun coordinating closely with The Quartet countries, sources said. The Quartet countries of the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) have a key role and the Ministry of External Affairs is engaging with them, as per sources.

S JAISHANKAR SPEAKS TO SAUDI, UAE FOREIGN MINISTERS OVER SUDAN SITUATION

New Delhi (PTI): EAM Jaishankar has discussed the situation in violence-hit Sudan with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). India is closely watching the situation in Sudan, especially in view of its concerns over the Indians residing in the African country. Referring to his phone talks with Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan, Jaishankar said both sides will remain in close touch.

BECOMES 6TH COUNTRY GLOBALLY

EAM JAISHANKAR ON 4-NATION VISIT FROM APRIL 21

New Delhi (PTI): External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will begin a nine-day trip to Guyana, Panama, Colombia and the Dominican Republic beginning Friday to explore bilateral engagement in new areas. It will be Jaishankar’s first visit as External Affairs Minister to these countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. He will hold wide-ranging talks with his counterpart Hugh Hilton Todd on further expansion of overall ties between the 2 countries.

India to begin Quantum Technology Mission

New Delhi (PTI): The government today approved the National Quantum Mission to nurture and scale up scientific and industrial research and development in quantum technology. The mission involves a cost to Rs6,003.65 crore from 2023-24 to 2030-31.

The National Quantum Mission (NQM), approved at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will accelerate quan-

tum technology-led economic growth and nurture the ecosystem in the country.

“NQM is going to give India a quantum jump

IT WILL HELP DEVELOP MAGNETOMETERS WITH HIGH SENSITIVITY: JITENDRA SINGH

New Delhi (PTI): Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said satellite-based secure quantum communications between ground stations over a range of 2000 km within India, long distance secure quantum communications with other countries, inter-city quantum key distribution over 2000 km as well as multi-node quantum network with quantum memories are also some of the deliverables of the mission. Singh said the mission will help develop magnetometers with high sensitivity in atomic systems & atomic clocks for precision timing, communications & navigation.

in this arena,” Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh told reporters here. India will be the sixth country to have a dedicated

quantum mission after the US, Austria, Finland, France and China.

“The new mission targets developing intermediate scale quan-

tum computers with 501000 physical qubits in eight years in various platforms like superconducting and photonic technology,” he said.

They were shot dead at point-blank range by three miscreants posing as mediapersons with whom the two gangsters were interacting.

PUNJAB: MONTH ON, AMRITPAL SINGH STILL ON THE RUN

Amritsar: A month after Punjab Police launched a statewide crackdown on March 18 to nab him and, in the process, arrested several of his aides and supporters, radical preacher and Waris Punjab De (WPD) chief Amritpal Singh continues to be far away from the proverbial long arm of the law. Amritpal has been evading arrest for a full month, even as most of his aides have been arrested, charged with the draconian National Security Act (NSA), and sent to a prison in Dibrugarh, Assam.

13,000 PILGRIMS TO VISIT KEDARNATH EVERY DAY

Rudraprayag (U’khand):

A maximum of 13,000 pilgrims can visit Kedarnath per day when the annual pilgrimage to the Himalayan temple in Uttarakhand begins on April 25. The government has set the daily limit this time and a token system has also been introduced for the convenience of the pilgrims, Rudraprayag District Magistrate (DM) Mayur Dikshit told a press conference. Twelve medical relief points have also been set up along the route.

SARADHA SCAM

UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar urges the VCs of all Universities to promote the translations of original writings to local languages.

Indians stranded in Sudan —FILE PHOTO

Cow conservation scam of `12.39L hits Gopalan department

Kashiram Choudhary

Jaipur: A scam of Rs 29 lakh has been confirmed in the name of the conservation and promotion plan of Gir, Tharparkar breeds in the Gopalan department.

The payment was made to the firm without the permission of the Finance Department.

First India News has exposed the scam on

Additional district collector office to open in Kekri

First India Bureau

Jaipur: Additional District Collector office will open at Kekri in Ajmer district. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has approved the proposal to open the office.

A total of 7 tehsils (Kekri, Savar, Sarwad, Arai, Bhinay, Nasirabad, Masuda), 68 land records inspector circles, 283 patwari mandals, and 528 revenue villages will be included in the administrative jurisdiction of this office. Tt will be easier for the common man to get the administrative work done at the local level itself.

NEW DIST SAINIK WELFARE OFFICE IN RAJSAMAND SOON

Rajsamand: New District Sainik Welfare Office will be opened at Deogarh (Bhim) in Rajsamand district. The Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has approved the proposal to create 7 posts for the operation of the office and the availability of necessary resources. These posts include seven posts including District Sainik Welfare Officer, Assistant Administrative Officer, Senior and Junior Assistant. With the opening of the office, the ex-servicemen of the area and their dependents and the dependents of the martyred soldiers will be able to get better facilities nearby.

SUB-TEHSIL BHANDAREZ SOON TO BECOME TEHSIL, CREATION OF 3 NEW SUB-TEHSILS

Dausa: Sub-Tehsil Bhandarej of Dausa district has been upgraded to Tehsil. Along with this, new sub-tehsils Deladi, Balahedi, and Geejgarh are being established in the district. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has approved this proposal. With this decision, the common man will get relief in the disposal of revenue works at the local level itself. Upgraded Tehsil Bhandarej will include 2 land records inspector circles and 4 patwari circles.

Jaipur Discom extends Amnesty scheme till September 30

First India Bureau

Jaipur: Jaipur Discom has extended the amnesty scheme till September 30 for the recovery of electricity dues. Earlier, the scheme was implemented till March 31 for the agriculture category and till June 30 for all categories other than agriculture. MD of Jaipur Discom RN Kumawat informed that following the announcement of CM Ashok Gehlot, the period of the amnesty scheme has been extended by the discom till September 30, 2023.

“Under the amnesty scheme, a 100 percent waiver will be given in the interest and penalty payable on the principal outstanding amount, if the consumer deposits the electricity dues till December 31, 2022,” said RN Kumawat.

transfer technique

March 9 and now the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has accepted in its report that there was a scam.

EXCLUSIVE

The amount spent on the plan item is considered suspicious and instructions have been given to recover the

amount of Rs 12.39 lakh. This is the first scam of its kind in the name of cattle promotion in the state. In fact, for the conservation and promotion of cows of the Gir and Tharparkar breed, the cows were inseminated through embryo transfer technique by the Dept of Gopalan. Embryo implantation was done in 150 cows, but only 31 of these cows

were successful in pregnancy. But the Gopalan Dept completed the payment to the Sabarmati Ashram Gaushala firm of Rs 28,81,725. While according to the rules, full payment could be made to the firm only if all 150 cows were pregnant.

The extent is that the then Gopalan Director Dr. Lal Singh paid Rs 13.69 lakh to the firm on July 29, 2022, which was his last working day despite opposition from the Chief Accounts Officer of the department.

E-vehicle sales to

see

sharp uptick in Rajasthan: Experts

Jaipur : In Rajasthan, the craze of electric vehicles has been increasing continuously for some time and now the sale of two-wheelers is also happening very fast in the state. Troubled by the record prices of petrol and diesel, people are now turning to e-vehicles. The effect of heavy demand is that there is a shortage of vehicles in every city of the state including Jaipur and people are getting delivery only after 1 month of the booking. In the

E- VEHICLES SOLD IN STATE (YEAR WISE) 2021 2022

 17,613 e-scooters

 759 e-cars

 1,242 mopeds

WITH SENIOR LEADER!

Dust storm, light rain hit parts of Rajasthan

last few months, 11 electric buses have been registered in Jaipur city, these buses operate separately in Jaipur city.

Three girls drown in Dungarpur dam, two drown in Udaipur lake

First India Bureau

Dungarpur/Udaipur:

Three minor girls drowned in Dungarpur on Wednesday while they were taking bath in a dam, police said. Police informed the deceased has been identified as Hema (8), Neha (9) and Siya (10). “After giving an exam in a school in Mal village lo-

cated under the Sabla police station area, the girls went to bathe in the backwater of the dam. “The deceased bodies were fished out

and taken to Sagwara PHC where doctors declared them dead” police added.

Two youths drowned in Pichola Lake in Udaipur on Wednesday while they were taking bath. Police informed that both the boys belonged to Bharatpur and used to work as labourers under the Smart City Project.

 57,709 e-scooters

 1988 e-cars

 2,644 mopeds

Transport Commissioner KL Swamy says that the state government has implemented the e-vehicle policy in the state from September 1 last year, due to which the figure of sales of e-vehicles in the state is large. He said that the figure of increasing sales of vehicles in the state is very encouraging and the number of e-vehicles sold in the state last year has broken all the records so far.

Jaipur (PTI): With dust storm and light rains hitting parts of east Rajasthan, the meteorological department on Wednesday predicted a dip of 2-4 degrees Celsius in the maximum temperature.

Dust storm conditions were witnessed in several areas in Bikaner and Jodhpur divisions on Tuesday and continued for the second consecutive day. Jaisalmer and Bikaner regions were hit by a strong dust storm on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Suratgarh in Sriganganagar recorded a maximum of 19 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours.

The weather dept has

predicted thunderstorm with strong winds of 3040 kmph and light to moderate rain at some places in Jaipur AND Bharatpur division on Thursday.

Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Churu and Jhunjhunu districts are also likely to witness partly cloudy sky and thunderstorm Thursday afternoon, while the weather is likely to remain mostly dry in the remaining parts.

कारायालर नगर पाललका, मारवाड़ जंक्शन (पाली)

एफ.6(1) आ्योजना/ग्प3/2023 दिनांक 07.04.2023, श्रीमान् दजला कलक्टर महोि्य, पालरी, श्रीमान् उपदनिेशक (क्षै.) महोि्य, स्ादन्य दनका्य दवभाग जोधपुर एवं श्रीमान् उपखण्ड अदधकाररी महोि्य, मारवाड़ जंकशन द्ारा माननरी्य मुख्यमंतरी महोि्य के दनिदेशानुसार राज्य

्योजनाओं, फलषैगदशप ्योजनाओं त्ा राज्य के बज्ट 2023-24 के प्ावधानों को जन-जन तक पहुंिाने के दल्य दिनांक 24 अप्ल, 2023 से 30 जून 2023 तक ‘महंगाई राहत कैंप एवं प्शासन शहरों

के संग अदभ्यान दशदवर’ आ्योजन दक्य जाने हेतु दनिदशत दक्या ग्या ह।

अत: नगरपादलका मारवाड़ जंकशन क्ेत में ‘महंगाई राहत कैंप एवं प्रशासन शहरों के संग अभियान

भशभवर’ का्य्यक्रम

Man stabbed with scissor, dies

Udaipur (PTI) : A young man killed his friend in the Udaipur district on Wednesday by stabbing him with a pair of scissors and hitting him with a hammer following a minor dispute, police said. Bawalwara SHO Hemant Kumar said Anil Nai, who runs a salon in Kanpur village, threw chilli powder in Rakesh Rawal’s eyes.

CS Usha reviews preparations of PGKS

First India Bureau

Jaipur : Chief Secretary Usha Sharma on Wednesday took a meeting over preparations of Prashasan Gaon Ke Sang Abhiyan and directed senior officials to hold a meeting of district-level officials and fix responsibilities at each level to ensure that the campaign is implemented effectively. The CS chaired the

meeting in the secretariat and said that all departmental secretar-

ies should ensure that the common public gets maximum relief under

the campaign.

Notably, the Prashashan Gaon Ke Sang Abhiyan will be organized in 11,283-gram panchayats of the state from April 24 in which about 30 depts will work together. Through these camps, relief will be given to the villagers by solving their problems on the spot. The Revenue Dept has been made the nodal dept for this campaign.

For conservation & increasing number of cows, they were inseminated through embryo

Shivendra Parmar

Congress leader Sandeep Choudhary met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on the sidelines of the Congress Observers meeting in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

Usha Sharma during meeting with officials in Jaipur on Wednesday.

Gopalan Director Dr. Lal Singh

Do not allow yourself the luxury of even a single negative thought, once started, negative thinking is difficult to control.

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

Turram Khan shed your delusion, else I’ll: Randhawa

I have come from Punjab to get the government repeated in Rajasthan, asserts SS Randhawa

Yogesh Sharma and Naresh Sharma

Jaipur: AICC State in charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Wednesday, made it clear that he will not tolerate statements that harm the party and if anyone has a misunderstanding, he should remove it.

Randhawa gave this clear message in context of the statements given by former deputy CM Sachin Pilot and MoS Rajendra Singh

Gudha in presence of CM Ashok Gehlot and PCC Chief GS Dotasra at a party workshop here. “Such statements will not be tolerated in the party, if there is any “Turram Khan”, remove your misunderstanding, otherwise I will remove it,” he said.

“The atmosphere in Rajasthan is in favour of the Congress and I want such a Congress,” he said.

The statement of Randhawa is being seen

The organisation will expand in the next 15 days, says PCC Chief GS Dotasra in workshop

as a counterattack on the statement of Sachin Pilot and Rajendra Gudha.Recently, Gudha had challenged the party leadership to take action against Sachin Pilot.

Randhawa said that relations do not matter to him because the party is paramount for him therefore strict action will be taken against whoever works against the party.

PCC President Govind Singh Dotasara while addressing the

IT’S MY FAREWELL PROGRAMME: GUDHA

Rajendra Gudha reached the workshop at 11 am on time and sat among the Congress leaders. As soon as Chief Minister Gehlot reached Birla Auditorium, Gudha immediately left the programme. He also gave his card made for the programme to the media persons outside the auditorium. He said in an off record conversation “This is my farewell programme”.

workshop said that the organization will expand in the next 15 days.

Dotasara said that a survey will be conducted and only the one who will work will get the ticket, otherwise the tickets of the winning

MLAs will also be cut.

Congress leader Mohan Prakash said that no one should have the misconception that he brought the government alone because it takes everyone’s hard work to bring the party

to power.

MLA KL Bairwa suggested to Congress leadership saying that time has come when the 7 seater chopper of Congress should be seen in the sky. He said that with CM Gehlot, Sachin Pilot & PCC Chief, Dy CMs from different classes should be there & if it happens, no one can stop Congress from regaining power.

Harish Chaudhary said that he wants to work in Rajasthan and not in Punjab.

Jaipur: State Congress has prepared a report on the statements of former Rajasthan Deputy CM Sachin Pilot and Minister Rajendra Gudha. On Tuesday, the report was handed over to state in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa. CM Ashok Gehlot and State President Govind Singh Dotasra discussed the statements of Pilot and Gudha with Randhawa during the feedback meetings held at the Congress war room with the MLAs. Along with this, a complete file of media reports related to them has been made and handed over. The State Congress report also includes Pilot’s ‘smoke’ remarks. Gudha also gave an open challenge to high command on Monday. Videos of some statements have also been given. State Congress has prepared a report on speech given by Sachin Pilot in the meeting of Khetri, containing details of Pilot’s remarks. —Yogesh Sharma

Jaipur: Taking a dig at Sachin Pilot’s ‘Anshan’ by repeating the old stand, Randhawa said, “The statement I gave before the ‘anshan’ is party’s stand. I keep talking to Sachin Pilot.”

On the night of April 10, just before Pilot’s fast, Randhawa had issued a statement calling Pi-

lot’s fast an anti-party activity. About a query on action taken after Pilot’s fast, Randhawa said, “The discussion could have happened in State Assembly. There is no bigger platform than that. Opposition, CM, entire Congress & BJP was there. He could have asked what has our govet done till date? The anshan may be a personal aspect.”

K’TAKA: GEHLOT AMONG 40 STAR CAMPAIGNERS; PILOT FOR JALANDHAR

New Delhi: CM Ashok Gehlot figures in Congress’ list of 40 star campaigners for Karnataka Assembly polls that also includes Party Chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others. Sachin Pilot, who was on the list of star

campaigners for 2018 K’taka polls, does not figure on list this time. AICC has released names of star campaigners for Jalandhar polls including CM Ashok Gehlot, CS Channi, Navjot Sidhu, Sukhwinder S Sukhu, Sachin Pilot & Manish Tiwari.

Udaipur: Gulab Chand

Kataria, who is fondly called Bhai Saheb in Udaipur, has reached the constitutional post of Governor in Assam but he was seen in the style of a teacher during his Udaipur visit.

It was seen when in a

CM Ashok Gehlot unveils the brochure of Rajhealth Portal during a programme held at Rajasthan International Centre, Jhalana in Jaipur on Wednesday. Also seen are Parsadi Lal Meena, Usha Sharma, T Ravikant, Dr Sudhir Bhandari, Dr Ravi Prakash Mathur, Dr Prithvi, Lokesh Sharma and others.

Vikas Sharma

Jaipur:Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot while addressing the swearingin ceremony of 1,763 newly appointed doctors & the inauguration ceremony of RajHealth Portal at Rajasthan International Centre said on Wednesday, that Rajasthan has become a model state in the country in the health sector.

“The Right to Health Act has been implemented here for all. The general public is feeling safe with the facility of free treatment of Rs 25 lakh under Chief Minister Chiranjeevi Health Insurance

Scheme including free OPD-IPD and tests,” Gehlot said. He wished the newly appointed doctors good luck for their bright future.

The Chief Minister said that the health model of Rajasthan is being praised in the country through the Chief Minister Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme and Right to Health. The CM also inaugurated the health portal. the brochure of the portal. On this occasion, Health Minister PL Meena said that after posting of newly appointed doctors, they are now available at each PHC.

function organised by the Municipal Corporation, Kataria taught the

BJP leaders a lesson to serve people for the betterment and leave factionalism.

Kataria, who is on a three-day visit to Udaipur, participated in various events. During this, he inaugurated the mechanized parking built by Municipal Corporation at Suraj-

pole chauraha. He gave a message that it is very difficult to get tickets by showing strength in welcoming leaders. He said that to get ticket, the service of public is paramount and local leaders should also take care of it. Truth and public service paves the right path of politics.

Civil Services Day dinner held at CMR

(1) CM Ashok Gehlot, Sukhjinder Randhawa, GS Dotasra, BD Kalla, Bhanwar Jitendra Singh, Usha Sharma, Gayatri Rathore & Pawan Arora during a dinner hosted by CM Gehlot on Civil Services Day at CMR on Wednesday. Also seen are Shubham Chaudhary, Shuchi Tyagi & others. (2)

Ashok Gehlot being greeted by Dinesh MN. Also seen here is S Sengathir & others. (3) Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot interacts with Umesh Mishra & others during the gala dinner at CMR on Wednesday. Akhil Arora, Aparna Arora, Ashwini Bhagat, Sreya Guha, Poonam, Arvind Poswal, Shelly Kishanani, Pushpa Satyani, Kunjilal Meena, KK Pathak, Neeraj K Pawan & other officers were present.

paying tribute to ‘Rajmata’ Sushila Kumari, a member of the erstwhile Bikaner Royal family, in Bikaner on Wednesday.

Bikaner: After BJP State President CP Joshi and LoP Rajendra Rathore, former CM Vasundhara Raje visited Bikaner on Wednesday. Raje reached MLA Siddhi Kumari’s residence to express condolences over the demise of her mother. Raje was given a warm welcome in Bikaner, where she reached from New Delhi by a plane. BJP leaders welcomed him at

the civil airport Raje was accompanied by former state president Ashok Parnami, former ministers Kalicharan Saraf and Yunus Khan. After meeting Siddhi Kumari, she rested at Lalgarh Palace. Targeting state govt saying that even after 48 hours of theft in Jasnath temple in Katariasar, the police couldn’t trace the accused. “What kind of governance is this where, even God is not safe,” she said.

Of friction and power struggle between Collectors and SPs!

Rajendra Chhabra

Jaipur: For the smooth working of government in the State, it is required that there is proper understanding and cooperation between the District Collector and Superintendent of Police (SP). And if the issue of law and order is concerned, then the duo must work in conjunction and support each other.

But during the recent idol issue in Bharatpur, immense friction was

observed between the two. 2013 batch young IAS officer Alok Ranjan took over as the Bharatpur Collector on January 11, 2022 and after twenty days after his taking to the office, Shyam Singh (who was promoted from RPS to IPS in January 2020) was posted as SP Bharatpur. However, from the beginning, a ‘tussle’ started between the two top officials of the district. According to sources, the SP is not giving the ‘required importance’ to the Collector,

even though according to protocol, Alok Ranjan is immensely senior to Shyam Singh.

Recently, when two groups clashed at Nadbai circle over installing the idol of Maharaja Surajmal and Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, the rift between Collector and SP could be seen easily. Although both of them went to the site of the incident on the night of April 12, but thereafter, in the meetings related to law and order, both were seen to be at the

corresponding ends of the spectrum. Sources reveal that if they had been working together in the fashion of ‘ek aur ek gyarah’, the situation would not have become bad.

Similarly, when communal clashes occurred in Karauli last year, the

situation became worse because Collector Rajendra Singh Shekhawat and SP Shailendra Singh Indoliya did not hold discussions with each other and both were novices when it came to handling such a dire situation as both Shekhawat and Indoliya were first-

time Collector and SP respectively. Sources reveal that if the duo had decided mutually on the line to work upon, the situation would not have become bad.

Clash between Collector and SP was witnessed in Bikaner as well when Namit Mehra was the Collector and Priti Chandra was SP. A major payment of one relative of SP Priti Chandra’s was stuck in UIT, but the Collector pointed to several shortfalls in the payment and sent the matter

before the government.

Since then, the relationship between Collector and SP soured.

When Piyush Samaria was serving as Dausa Collector and Manish Agrawal as SP, the duo couldn’t strike a chord.

As a result, the Collector had to report of Manish’s activities to government. However, later Manish was arrested in a graft case and was lodged in jail for several days. When in January 2022, IPS Preeti was appointed as SP Chittor-

garh, Tarachand Meena was serving as Collector.

When Preeti started striking those involved in illegal activities, who had alleged protection of a local MLA, the understanding between Collector and SP soured as the Collector shared good relations with MLA.

After the recent incident in Bharatpur, it is said that Collector & SP can be changed. As such in current dispensation, half a dozen Collectors & 5 SPs have been changed in Bharatpur district.

Laxman Raghav

Ravi Sharma

Yogesh Sharma and Naresh Sharma

CM Ashok Gehlot, Sukhjinder Randhawa, GS Dotasra, Bhanwar Jitendra Singh, Hemaram Choudhary, Rameshwar Dudi, Mohan Prakash, Dr Chandrabhan, Lokesh Sharma and others during ‘Mehangai Rahat Workshop’ at Birla Auditorium in Jaipur on Wednesday.

Sukhjinder Randhawa addresses the Congress workers during the ‘Mehangai Rahat Workshop’ held at Birla Auditorium in Jaipur on Wednesday. —PHOTOS BY SUNIL SHARMA

‘Pilot could have raised his issues in Assembly’

‘Public service paves right way for politics’

Raj, a model state in health matters: CM

What kind of rule is this, where even God’s place is unsafe: Raje

BJP National Vice-President Vasundhara Raje

CM

SPOTS THAT ROCK!

Fashion trends come and go, but polka dots are one that never lasts for very long. Simply said, people can’t get enough of it. Let’s dive into this magical world of Polka Dots with City First!

If you believe that polka dots were the newest fashion trend to emerge, I have just one statement to tell you: You couldn’t be more mistaken. Even though polka

dots have been around for decades, they were one of the top trends in 2021 and again in 2022. Polka dots are synonymous with a funky retro vibe and lucky for us that these have made a starry entry back into the town of fashion freaks in all sizes. The playful polka dots can be a funky and quirky addition to your closet. You can mix and match this vintage trend with many of today’s trends like neon colours to create a playful look. There are many ways one can ace these humble dots.

The polka dot motif is more popular in the spring and summer. They remain in style for over two seasons. People were able to create precise round dots on the fabric

once the sewing machine was created in the 1700s.

And certainly, the industrial revolution was also happening at the time.

These dots were given the term “polka” in the

1800s. But because the Miss America winner at the time wore a dotted bikini, polka dots rose to prominence in the 1900s. And a few years later, we met “Minnie Mouse.”

If you want to ace this trend then you can go for dark blouses with polka dots in shades like red, black and dark green can be worn with jeans, but they look much better with skirts in shades like mustard and high heels. When purchasing polka dot shirts, try to choose garments with long, ruffled sleeves.

MRIDULA SHARMA cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

ANUJA MISHRA BAJORIA Writer-Editor & Founder of Driveway Devi – Mental Wellness Initiatives

Isat there in a cafe across from a dear friend. She admitted that she had been having problems with her husband. My heart went out to her, and I asked how I could help. She said things were under control and they were working on it. I wondered out loud what the magic solution was. She said, “I’ve realized that my man needs to feel like a man. I’ve taken a back seat. He thinks he’s in charge. "It has transformed our relationship!”

There could not be a more accurate situation that describes the word “internalized misogyny.”. The term "misogyny" may conjure images of blatant sexism, discrimination, and violence against women in society. But those are evils we know and fight against.

What about the more subtle, nuanced, and prevalent forms that exist, such as internalized misogyny?

The acceptance and internalization of misogynistic beliefs and attitudes by us as a society are harming men, women, and relationships! This is the cycle that needs to be broken.

As the mother of a 6-year-old, I have seen firsthand how internalized misogyny has had detrimental effects on me, my fellow mothers, and their relationships. Harmful societal norms and expectations have impacted their mental health, self-worth, and relationships with others. Idealizing motherhood expects women to conform to traditional gender roles as nurturing caregivers and selfless providers for their children. My husband is a communications teacher, and one of his student's classes and the schedule were being coordinated by the father. We, as a family, had long conversations about how the poor child probably was orphaned, and the widowed dad was managing everything. It was only many weeks later, when we bumped into that family at a cafe, that we realized that the family, complete with

FACEOFTHEDAY

mother, father, and two children, was not only alive but thriving. The parents had divided the duties between the 2 children equally. But in our perception, the only reason the mother could not be involved was that she had to be dead! This really got me into introspection mode, and I realized more and more, that there are so many things we just normalize when, in 2023, they probably shouldn’t! Why are diaper-changing stations only in the women’s bathrooms? Why are our feminine hygiene products shrouded in paper, guilt, and shame at the grocery store? Why must we continue to be identified only through our father's or husbands’ names?

This especially manifests when we as women internalize societal messages that devalue femininity and motherhood, leading to feelings of inadequacy and guilt. Harmful gender stereotypes serve to perpetuate inequality and limit a woman's choices and agency in motherhood. On the flip side of the same coin, if you as a woman have chosen to deviate from societal expectations of motherhood, such as choosing not to have children, pursuing a career while being a mother, or parenting in non-traditional ways, may

And though I’ve barely scratched the surface of this internalized misogyny, let's talk about its impact on relationships with partners and spouses. The very place from which I began. My friend’s husband was not OK when his wife was in -charge of things. He needed to have the upper hand. Similarly, traditional gender roles often place the burden of

With the added pressure of being financially independent and remaining solely responsible for child care and household tasks, this uneven distribution of labour within relationships has created an insurmountable strain and resentment in relationships. I hope you realise that my dearest Mom friends. You are not depressed. You do not feel like yourself because you are unsupported

ARIES

MAR 21 - APR 20

Happiness in the domestic sphere will only come with a changed mind set. Some of you are likely to become a part of an overseas official trip. Better to consult an expert in financial matters before making an investment. Harsh words may create a rift in your romantic relationship.

LEO

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

Gifting something to your beloved is likely to make the day memorable. Matrimonial match for siblings will bring happiness for entire family. You will get a good price for your property. Those awaiting results are assured of succeeding with flying colours.

SAGITTARIUS

NOV 23 - DEC 22

Your intuition will save you from a tricky spot today. Yoga would help in raising energy levels and improve your metabolism. You will manage to achieve your aim through travel. This is a great time on the academic front, when you mange to render your best. You will feel happy today.

to feelings of frustration and discontent. Such imbalanced and unhealthy relationships need a desperate course of correction. Challenge and dismantle misogynistic beliefs and attitudes. This starts with raising awareness and educating women about the existence of internalized misogyny and its impact on their lives. Women need to be empowered to challenge societal norms and expectations that limit their choices. And the next time you say, My husband “allows” me to do whatever I want, think hard about the implications of your words and watch Dil Dhadakne. Do, for its rather beautifully Bollywood but equally real portrayal of internalized misogyny!

TAURUS

APR 21 - MAY 20

It’s a very good day to take calculated risks in financial matters. Your efforts on the professional front will be recognised. Opting for some healthy choices will ensure you remain in perfect health. You will feel much happy and contented on the family front.

VIRGO

AUG 24 - SEP 23

Gifting something to your beloved is likely to make the day memorable. Matrimonial match for siblings will bring happiness for entire family. You will get a good price for your property. Those awaiting results are assured of succeeding with flying colours.

CAPRICORN

DEC 23 - JAN 20

Family will be most supportive, when it really matters for you. Some of you may add to your list of properties by booking a new one. It is good day to confess your love as stars appear favourable for positive reply. A long drive is likely to help you get over mental tiredness.

GEMINI

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

You will succeed in resolving misunderstanding with family members, normalizing ties. Despite your misgivings, you retain good health. You will do much to bring peace and harmony at home. You will remain much in demand on social front.

LIBRA

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

Despite hectic schedule you will manage to find time for family. Seek the opinion of your family before finalizing a property deal. Your bold initiatives on romantic front bring back passion and spark in romantic relationship.Overall health remains fine.

AQUARIUS

JAN 21 - FEB 19

Avoid raising controversial issues at home to maintain harmony. Successful implementation of new ideas and projects would add to your prestige on the professional front. It is a wonderful day to build new connections. Your relationship requires you to be tactful.

CANCER

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

A friend or colleague may motivate you to take up a healthy activity. Parents may appear more than happy with what you deliver. Plans for overseas travel are likely to materialise. You are likely to get clearance or approval for your construction plans.

SCORPIO

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

Following a health diet will be a good idea. Luck favours you today on the professional front. Focussing on health now will help you physically. Clarity of mind will help you forge ahead on the academic front. Frustration on the romantic front is possible.

PISCES

FEB20 - MARCH 20

Distant relatives may drop in for a surprise visit. On professional front, recognition for good work would motivate you to work harder. Those awaiting an affirmation on romantic front are likely to get lucky today, as partner responds positively. Day will be a little stressed.

Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

SAMANTHA

head-to-toe in a black outfit

SLAYmantha as we would like to call it, the stunner sure knows how to elevate a classic skirt to make a bold sartorial appearance. At the London premiere of Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden starred Citadel. Samantha Ruth Prabhu turned heads in a Victoria Beckham ensemble. Sam is known for being a front-runner in making style statements and she did one at a global event on Tuesday. She picked a crochet patch-

Is Taylor secretly a BLINK?

BLACKPINK's Jisoo recently shared her reaction to Taylor Swift dancing to their comeback single 'Pink Venom' at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs). The K-pop star was overwhelmed to see the international pop star enjoying their music.

BLACKPINK's Jisoo was overwhelmed by the fact Taylor was spotted dancing to their comeback single 'Pink Venom' during the VMAs. Recently, Jisoo shared her reaction to the unexpected moment. In an interview, Jisoo revealed, "Seeing Taylor Swift, someone I listened to a lot growing up, dancing along to our music, I was like 'is this real ?' That kind of feeling." She added, “For us, it was inspiring experience.”

Jisoo's reaction is understandable as Taylor Swift is one of the biggest

names in the music industry and has been an inspiration to many. Pink Venom is the pre-release single from Blackpink’s highly anticipated album

riyanka Chopra recently got her daughter Malti Marie Chopra Jonas for the first time to India. This was not the first time that the little bundle of joy was travelling with the actress. Before this too PeeCee has made sure that her daughter accompanies her to several locations. During the recent interview, she was asked about taking her daughter around the world.

To this, the actress revealed that her daughter is a little traveller. She also added that she and her husband Nick Jonas were both raised like

this. "My dad and mom were both in the military, so I started travelling when I was very young when I was 4-5 months. So, it's the same for her. Right now she is not in school, so we can take her along to wherever we want," she said and concluded, "Also we love spending as much time with her."

SELENA CLICKS SELFIES WITH WESLEY TAYLOR

Pop sensation Selena Gomez has a luxurious gift for her Only Murders in the Building co-star Wesley Taylor. Taylor, who joined the cast of the much-loved Hulu show on its third season, took to Instagram to re-

veal that Selena had gifted him a brandnew iPhone. He took to Instagram to share a couple of pictures with the singer. Sharing the selfies, he also wrote a heartfelt caption expressing his love and gratitude for the pop star. It read, “Story time. we were making fun of my very old and

outdated phone and then this generous icon surprised me on set today with a brand new iPhone… these are the first pics taken. it’s wild to think back to a year or so ago before I knew this queen when her song played on a loop and saved me. I needed to lose you to love me.”

SUHANA stuns in new pictures

hah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan's daughter Suhana Khan is one of the most loved star kids in town. She enjoys a massive fan following on social media. Every time she drops a picture on her handle, it takes over the Internet

in no time. Recently, Suhana's fan club shared stunning pictures of her from a photoshoot. The pictures came after SRK, Gauri, Aryan Khan, AbRam and Suhana's family pictures went viral recently. It looks like Suhana's new pictures are also from Gauri's coffee-table book, My Life In Design.

In the pictures, Suhana is seen sporting a white crop top styled with denim jeans. She is seen posing on a bed in a lavish room designed by her mom. The diva looks nothing less than a dream in the pictures. Her makeup and hair game is onpoint. She tied her hair in a ponytail and completed her look with golden hoops.

‘BORN

song features a catchy chorus and impressive rap verses from Lisa and Jennie, with Jisoo &

Ptraveller’ Drink-off against RIHANNA

American comedian Seth Meyers has revealed details about a drinkoff he went against singer Rihanna and massively failed to keep up. Meyers appeared on Monday, April 18's episode of The Late Late Show with James Corden where he spoke up about the wild drink-off he took part in. Recalling the incident from June 2019, he revealed that he was filming for his show Late Night

I've ever been and it was worth every second of it. First of all, I should note that — hate to break the news here — but she's younger than me. We drank the same amount and then she definitely went out, like she was fine. She walked out, she looked as good as she did when we started," Meyers revealed. This segment has also featured stars and musicians like Lizzo, the Jonas Brothers, and Lorde, among others.

‘Little

PINK.’ The

Rosé providing the melodious vocals.

Rihanna

glimpse from the photoshoot

Suhana Khan Selena Gomez

Priyanka Chopra

Samantha Ruth Prabhu

Samantha at London premiere of Citadel

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas with daughter Malti Marie

Wesley’s post...

Taylor and Kim Jisoo

Taylor Swift

Mukesh Ambani, India’s Tycoon, Turns 66

ukesh Dhirubhai

Ambani, the prominent Indian business tycoon, marked his 66th birthday on April 19. He is ranked as the secondrichest person in both India and Asia and the tenth-richest person globally. In 1981, he joined his family business and diversified the company by expanding into various sectors such as communications, infrastructure, petroleum refining, polyester fibres, and gas and oil production. Ambani is known for his innovative business strategies and intelligence that have transformed the

face of Indian industries. He is currently the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Limited, a conglomerate that has interests in petrochemicals, oil and gas, telecom, and retail.

He was globally recognized as one of the most respected business leaders worldwide by the professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2004. On his birthday, Ambani received numerous greet-

Quintessential hotelier

shok Singh Rathore, Area Director, Jaipur & Ajmer and General Manager, Rambagh Palace, Jaipur was assigned an enhanced portfolio as Area Director, Rajasthan and General Manager, Rambagh Palace, Jaipur.

A quintessential hotelier, known for his

IPL SPECIAL!

After a long wait of three years, the Indian Premier League (IPL) returned to Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Wednesday when hosts and table-toppers Rajasthan Royals take on secondplaced Lucknow Super Giants. For the first time, spectators will be able to watch the players without nets between the stands and the ground. Padma

Shri Gulabo Sapera and Mame Khan enthralled the audience with their spectacular performance. With boundless energy, they electrified the crowd, delivering outstanding performances to the tunes of various Rajasthani traditional songs. Bollywood actress Athiya Shetty was the highlight of the evening as she was there to support hubby, KL Rahul and team Lucknow.

sense of empathy, Ashok is an operations veteran, with a deep understanding of the Rajasthan market. He has passionately driven the Paathya framework in his region, establishing some benchmarking practices. His career with IHCL spans more than 35 years, having

joined the organization in 1987, as a part of the front office team of Jai Mahal Palace, Jaipur, followed by a stint at Taj Sheba Hotel, Sanaa before going on to head the Accommodations team at Blue Diamond, Pune. Thereafter, Ashok went on to lead the team at Taj Usha Kiran Palace, Gwalior as its General Manager before returning to Jai Mahal Palace, Jaipur, this time as its General Manager. He has since been providing strategic leadership to our hotels in Jaipur and Ajmer.

ings and good wishes from his admirers and well-wishers across the world, as he continues to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders with his contributions to the Indian economy and society.

POSTER LAUNCH!

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot unveiled the poster of the Jam City Blood Donation Camp at the Chief Minister’s Residence on Wednesday. He stated that such camps provide a new lease of life to the needy by offering timely assistance. He also urged the general public to donate blood. The 19th Blood Donation Camp by the Jam City Charitable Trust will be held on April 30 at the Avadhna Ashram of the Santokba Durlabhji Memorial Hospital. On the occasion of the poster unveiling, the Trust’s Chief Protector Sanjay Kala, Secretary Dinesh Godika, the Camp’s Chief Coordinator Ravi Jain and other officials including Anil Kumar Sethi were present.

GREETINGS!

MEGA JOB FAIR

CITY FIRST

Mega job fair was held for students of all private and state polytechnic institutes of Diploma Engineering at Government Ramchandra Khaitan Polytechnic College, Jaipur on Wednesday.

NK Jain, President of the Employees Association of Rajasthan graced the job fair as the chief guest. The Principal of the institute, Syed Maskoor Ali, stated that the job fair was organised to uplift technical education, as in-

structed by the Technical Education Minister. Dr Ramkaran Yadav, Assistant Director, announced that the upcoming job fair will be held on April 26. The organisers plan to invite MNCs and local companies to increase the number of placements and provide

more employment opportunities to Diploma students. The event was attended by Dr Sanjay Mathur, Assistant Director, Dr. Sunil Sharma, Assistant Director, Dr PC Meena ATPO, Nidhi Yadav, ATPO and Sumitra Kasania Sr. from III Cell. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Jagdeesh Chandra was greeted by Shikha Sharma of the First India Family as she reached the former’s residence to seek blessings on the occasion of her birthday on Wednesday, April 19.

DURING THE DAY!

The Danish Welfare Society organised a Roza Iftar program to mark the 27th day of the month of Ramadan. The event witnessed the participation of a significant number of political, social and religious personalities, as well as fasting individuals from across the state on Wednesday. The organisers left no stone unturned to make the event a grand success and it was adorned with the sighting of four moons, further highlighting the significance of the holy month of Ramadan. Munesh Gurjar, the Mayor of Jaipur Heritage, lauded the event, stating that such initiatives play a crucial role in promoting social harmony and unity. He also emphasized the social importance of fasting, highlighting its benefits for the community.

The renowned Bengali superstar, Jeet is all set to make his Pan India debut on Eid 2023 with the action-crime-thriller film, Changez. During a promotional event in Jaipur, Jeet revealed that the story of the film is set from the 70s to 90s and revolves around the underworld of Calcutta.

Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani

Isha Ambani, Nita Ambani, Kokilaben Ambani and Mukesh Ambani

GM Ashok Singh Rathore

Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani

Syed Maskoor Ali, N K Jain and Sunil Sharma with the college professors

During the job fair

—PHOTO BY SUNIL SHARMA

—PHOTOS BY SANTOSH SHARMA

—PHOTOS BY MUKESH KIRADOO