First India-Mumabi Edition-22nd February 2023

‘Mukhya Neta’ Eknath Shinde formally gets Sena in hands!

Executive proposes recommending Bharat Ratna for Veer Savarkar

Sandeep Shukla

Mumbai: Eknath Shinde was on Tuesday elected as the chief of the Shiv Sena, after the Election Commission gave the name and symbol of the Shiv Sena to the Eknath Shinde faction. Shinde’s name was announced as Shiv Sena chief in the party’s national executive meeting held in Mumbai which was attended by MLAs, MPs and other Shiv Sena leaders. All leaders have been working with Shinde ever since he parted ways with the Uddhav Thackeray-led party. Meanwhile, many proposals were presented during this period.

The proposals included the proposal to give Bharat Ratna to Veer Savarkar. It was first de-

Sena resolves to win 45 Lok Sabha and 200 Assembly seats with BJP

Shinde gave 'supari' to gangster to attack me: Raut

First India Bureau Mumbai: Even as the hearing was started in the Supreme Court on Tuesday regarding the power struggle in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and MP Sanjay Raut made a sensational allegation against MP

Shrikant Shinde, son of CM Eknath Shinde. Sanjay Raut alleged that Shrikant Shinde had given 'supari' (contract) to a gangster in Thane to attack Raut. As a result of Raut's allegation, a debate has started in the politics of the state regarding this.

WHAT IS RAUT’S ALLEGATION?

‘MANDAVALI BADSHAH’

manded by MP Rahul Shewale, leader of Shiv Sena in the Lok Sabha.

Apart from this, in the meeting, the proposal to change the name of Churchgate railway station after former Union Finance Minister Chintamanrao Deshmukh, who was also the first Indian Governor of RBI,

IN A FIRST

was floated along with proposal to provide 80 percent employment in all projects in the state to Maharashtrian youth. Proposals were brought to give Marathi language the status of elite language and to give strong support to Marathi students for UPSC and MPSC.

Earlier in the day, the Uddhav Thackeray faction suffered another major setback. The Eknath Shinde faction also got the office allotted to the Shiv Sena in the Parliament House. Lok Sabha Secretariat ordered allotment of Shiv Sena office to Eknath Shinde faction.

INDIA’S UPI AND SINGAPORE’S PAYNOW INTEGRATED

OUR UPI GOES GLOBAL!

Digital transactions will soon exceed cash in India: PM Modi

RBI calls it significant milestone for the cross-border infrastructure

Digital transactions will soon surpass cash as UPI is increasingly becoming the most preferred payment mechanism in the country. Many experts are estimating that very soon India’s digital wallet transactions are going to overtake cash transactions.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat has said in its order that room number 128 of the Parliament House is allotted as an office to the Shiv Sena parliamentary party.

Raut has written a letter to Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis in this regard. “There has been an increase in threats and attacks on public representatives in Maharashtra over the past few days. After the transfer of power in the state, my security was removed. The security of public representatives is the matter of the government. As Home Minister you are capable of this. But I would like to point out a serious issue. I have received information from MP Shrikant Shinde that a notorious Thane-based gangster Raja Thakur and his gang have been ordered to attack me. Given the current situation in Maharashtra, it is necessary to bring this matter to our notice.” Raut said in his letter.

RESPONSE BY SHINDE GROUP

Meanwhile, the Shinde group has given a strong response to these allegations of Sanjay Raut. "Sanjay Raut's mental balance has deteriorated and he needs treatment. We will get him treated in the mental hospital. His policy is only to criticize Eknath Shinde and his family and stay in the limelight. He is doing this to create an atmosphere of sympathy for the rest of the Shiv Sena (Thackeray group)," Shinde group spokesperson Naresh Mhaske said.

“Raut speaks one thing in the morning, another in afternoon and something else in the evening. There is a murmer among the Shiv Sainiks that he is behind current condition of Uddhav Thackeray and Shiv Sena. He is making such statements to divert their attention. Raut is always in touch with Sunil Raut gang. His family is called ‘Mandavali Badshah’. Look at people standing behind him when he talks to media. See their history. Check their record in the police station. So, he is trying to throw stones at others, while living in a glass house”, said Naresh Mhaske.

Raut makes baseless allegations for limelight: Fadnavis

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Responding to Sanjay Raut’s allegations, Deputy CM and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Tuesday that ‘it is extremely wrong to mix security issues with politics.’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das and MD Monetary Authority of Singapore Ravi Menon during launch of UPI-PayNow linkage between the two countries via video conferencing, in New Delhi on Tuesday.

KNOW ABOUT UPI-PAYNOW WORKING AND BENEFITS

New Delhi/ Singapore: India and Singapore launched on Tuesday a real-time link to facilitate easier cross border money transfers between one of the world’s biggest recipients of remittances and an Asian financial powerhouse.

Transfers of funds will be possible using just mobile phones due to the tie-up between India’s UPI and Singapore’s facility. Such cross-border transfer arrangements typically lower costs of payments. Modi said 74 bn transactions amounting to over `126 tn, which is approx 2 tn Singapore dollar, was done through UPI in 2022.

l Now, transfer money between the 2 countries can be done just using mobile number or UPI ID

l Students and migrant workers in Singapore will be benefitted by lowcost transfer of money

l According to government data issued recently, there are currently 6.5L Indians residing in S’pore

`60,000 TO BEGIN WITH, AN INDIAN USER CAN REMIT UP TO `60K ($725.16) IN ONE DAY

l The payment linkage between UPI and PayNow will reduce the remittance cost by 10 percent

l Over 74 billion transactions, worth `126 trillion (or about SGD 2 trillion) carried out via UPI in ’22

l PayNow-UPI linkage is the result of collaboration between the MAS & Reserve Bank of India

Cross-border retail payments and remittances between India and Singapore currently amount to over $1 billion annually.

UPI-PayNow linkage will grow in utility and will contribute more in facilitating trade.

—Lee Hsien Loong, PM of Singapore

State Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Indian Bank and ICICI Bank will facilitate both inward and outward remittances, Axis Bank and DBS India will facilitate inward remittances. For Singapore users, service will be made available through DBS-Singapore and Liquid Group.

—Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

—Narendra Modi, Prime Minister NSitharamanOffice @nsitharamanoffc Hon’ble @PMOIndia Shri@narendramodi & Hon’ble Singapore Prime Minister Mr @leehsienloong today witnessed the launch of crossborder linkage between India & Singapore using their respective Fast Payment Systems - Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and PayNow.

“It is even more wrong to make such allegations without proof. Be it Sanjay Raut or anyone else, if someone feels insecure, is that insecurity real? Do they need security? All action in this regard

will be taken by our intelligence department.

A committee works to provide security to anyone. This committee works under the Chief

Secretary. We are sending his letter to the committee. Security will be provided to him if needed,” Fadnavis said.

‘It is a huge resource’, SC begins live transcription of its hearing

New Delhi (FIB): The Supreme Court on Tuesday, on an experimental basis, began using artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing technology for live transcription of its hearings. Announcing initiative, CJ said, “We’ll see how it works, especially in constitution bench matters, because then we’ll have a permanent record of arguments...”

‘CULPRITS

OF 26/11

MUMBAI ATTACKS

ROAM FREE IN PAK’

Lahore (PTI): Perpetrators of 26/11 Mumbai attacks are still roaming freely in Pak & Pakistanis should not feel offended when India talks about 2008 carnage, lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar said in Lahore event. In a viral video, writer responded to a member in the audience, ‘We should not blame each other, it will solve nothing, tense atmosphere should be doused.’

THACKERAY’S PLEA

LISTED FOR TODAY

The Supreme Court on Tuesday listed former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray’s petition challenging the decision of the ECI to allot party name ‘Shiv Sena’ and symbol ‘bow and arrow’ to the Eknath Shinde faction for hearing at 3.30 p.m. on Wednesday.

It will be done on an experimental basis for a day or two to iron out creases in transcription before becoming a norm. —DY Chandrachud, CJI

Sania ends career with 1st round defeat in Dubai

First India Bureau Dubai: Indian tennis great Sania Mirza brought the curtains down to her glo rious ca reer with a defeat in the first round match at the WTA Dubai Duty

Free Championships on Tuesday. Sania along with American partner Madison Keys suffered a straight-set defeat at the hands of Vernokia Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova. Sania and Keys lost 4-6, 0-6 to the formidable Russian pair in exactly one hour.

Notably, the DyCM claimed that Raut makes ‘such ridiculous allegations that for fame’. “Sanjay Raut has become used to getting fame without any reason, making any allegation without any reason and being in headlines. He made the allegation of 2 thousand crore rupees and he doesn’t have proof. Lying everyday doesn’t get sympathy. Action could be taken against Sanjay Raut for making false allegations,” he said.

Crucial

READ

AMID OPPN UNITY TALKS, KHARGE SAYS CONGRESS TO LEAD GOVT IN 2024

Chumukedima: At a time when there is renewed talk of Oppn unity in context of 2024 LS polls, Cong prez Mallikarjun Kharge said Cong in talks with other parties and asserted that an alliance led by Cong would come to power at Centre next year. P5

TATA BAGS TITLE RIGHTS FOR WOMEN’S

PREMIER LEAGUE

New Delhi: Tata Group on Tuesday bagged title rights for inaugural Women’s Premier League beginning in Mumbai on March 4. “I am delighted to announce Tata Group as title sponsor of inaugural WPL,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said.

KARNATAKA GOVT TRANSFERS OFFICERS ROOPA AND SINDHURI

Bengaluru: Karnataka Govt on Tuesday transferred two senior women bureaucrats IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri and IPS officer D Roopa, involved in a bitter public spat. The two officers were transferred without specifying their new posting.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde with leaders of Shiv Sena

Moni Sharma

Deputy CM and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis

Uddhav faction ex-councillors camp outside BMC Sena office

Move aimed at thwarting bid to takeover premises by Shinde faction

First India Bureau Mumbai: A day after the Balasahebanchi

Shiv Sena faction moved to take over the Vidhan Bhavan party office, more than a dozen former councillors of the Uddhav Thackeray-led group camped outside the Sena office at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters. They sought to thwart any attempt by the Eknath Shinde-led faction to take control of it.

After the former councillors sat outside the office located on the ground floor on Monday, police security was stepped up to avoid any law and order issue, officials said on Tuesday.

Notably, Chief Minister Shinde on Monday said no claim will be laid on any party property post the Election Commission’s decision

CRUCIAL READ

SPEEDING TRUCK KILLS WOMAN WITH DISABILITIES

Thane: A woman with physical disabilities was run over and killed by a speeding truck in Thane district on Tuesday, a police official said. The 40-year-old victim was walking along a road when a truck ran her over, at Shivaji Chowk in Bhiwandi, said the official. The deceased has been identified as Kavita, a local resident. People on the road caught hold of the truck driver and handed him over to the police, he said.

THE VERDICT

The

SHINDE’S SHIV SENA FACTION GETS PARLIAMENT OFFICE

Why plea can’t be quashed? HC to ED

rules, and the office in the ‘vidhimandal’ (legislature complex) is of the Shiv Sena. As far as property is concerned, we have no temptations,” he had said.

Those who were tempted by property and wealth took the wrong step in 2019, he had said, in an apparent reference to Uddhav Thackeray breaking the Shiv Sena’s alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), post the Assembly poll results over the sharing of the chief ministerial tenure.

Thackeray had aligned with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which ruled till June last year.

First India Bureau Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) why an ‘Enforcement Case Information Report’ (ECIR) cannot be quashed if the original offence on which it is based has been closed.

Naresh and Anita Goyal, founders of Jet Airways, had their lawyers, Ravi Kadam and Aabad Ponda, presented a petition to a division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan to have an alleged money laundering case registered against them by the ED quashed.

UP Tourism Dept deputy director ends life in Mumbai

First India Bureau Mumbai: A senior official of the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department, who had resigned due to work-related stress, reportedly took his own life on Tuesday in Mumbai, according to police.

in the state.

on the real Shiv Sena as “we are heirs of Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideol-

ogy and have no temptations”. “The Election Commission took the

of MVA leaders: Deputy CM

First India Bureau Mumbai: Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Tuesday that he had been informed by former Governor BS Koshyari that MVA leaders had written a letter with a threatening tone to the ex-governor over MLC nominations and refused to withdraw it.

Palghar: At least 10 stalls were destroyed in a fire in Palghar district on Tuesday morning, an official said. The blaze erupted around 4 am at Dhumal locality of Vasai, on the outskirts of Mumbai, the civic official said. No one was injured in the incident. Five men, who were fast asleep in one of the stalls at the time, were saved by locals, he said. Firefighters put out the blaze in three hours and started cooling operations, said the official.

FIRE DESTROYS 10 STALLS IN VASAI; BLAZE COOLED DANVE URGES MPCB TO TAKE STRICT ACTION

Palghar: Ambadas Danve, Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, said he has urged the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to take action against industries that contaminate wells and destroy farms by releasing effluent in the open. Talking to reporters here on Monday, Danve said the MPCB should compensate farmers for their losses and ensure that industries do not discharge their waste in the open. The politician said he visited Palghar against the backdrop of a few factory accidents in the district since January this year. He said he also discussed the issues of pollution with senior officials.

The deputy CM’s remarks come a day after Koshyari defended his stand to sit on the nominations for 12 Members of the Legislative Council under the governor’s quota when Uddhav Thackeray led the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state. Koshyari had said that MVA leaders had tried to browbeat him over the MLC nominations. Speaking to the media, Fadnavis said, “As per my information, MahaVikas Aghadi leaders had visited Raj Bhavan and met (then) Governor Koshyari.

The governor told me that MVA leaders had written a letter in a threatening tone. He had even asked them to re-submit a fresh letter but due to their ego, they refused to do it.”

The MLC nominations were a major flashpoint between the then MVA government and Koshyari, who recently resigned as the Maharashtra governor. Leaders from MVA, which comprises the Thackeray group, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress, had also accused Koshyari of acting at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which was in the opposition then.

decision on the Shiv Sena name and bow and arrow symbol as per

In December 2022, the BMC administration had sealed offices of all political parties at the civic headquarters following a face-off between the rival Shiv Sena factions. Those offices are still sealed.

The BMC headquarters, which is a heritage building, has offices of all major political parties on its ground floor.

Their lawyers argued that the ECIR was filed on basis of a complaint filed with Mumbai police in 2018, contrary to the usual procedure of being registered on the basis of a criminal case from the police, CBI, or other agency.

“ECIR can never be quashed. It is not a statutory documentary and a simple paper. If we want to initiate a civil case, then ECIR helps. You cannot equate ECIR with FIR What happens when the scheduled offence goes?” argued the ED. The court then directed ED lawyers to take instructions and posted further hearing on Wednesday.

Vimlesh Kumar Banarasidas Auditya (59), Deputy Director in the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department, jumped in the morning from the second floor of the building where he was residing, and suffered serious injuries, an official said.

The bureaucrat was rushed to a civic-run hospital in Ghatkopar, where he was declared dead after admission, he said.

Due to work pressure and being posted away from his home, Auditya resigned from his position two months ago. The Tourism Department head office, based in Lucknow, had instructed him to work till March 31, the official said.

The deceased’s wife told the police she has no complaint against anyone, and an accidental death report has been registered, the police official said.

Uddhav ji has vocabulary of 20 words: Fadnavis

Pune: Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday hit out at Uddhav Thackeray over his “Mogambo” remark about Union Home Minister Amit Shah, saying the former Maharashtra CM has a “dictionary of 20 words” which he keeps using.

As to Shiv Sena- UBT leader Sanjay Raut’s allegation that a Rs2,000

New Delhi: Within days of being allotted the Shiv Sena name and bow and arrow poll symbol by the Election Commission (EC), the ruling faction of the party led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has now been assigned an office in the Parliament. In a response to a letter by its Parliamentary party leader, Rahul Shewale, the Lok Sabha Secretariat, confirmed the same. “Room No. 128, Parliament House has been allotted to the Shiv Sena Parliamentary party to serve as its office,” he said. ATTACK

crore deal was struck to ‘purchase’ the Shiv Sena name and poll symbol, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said he did not see the need to respond to “brainless” people. Thackeray, reacting to Shah’s statement welcoming the Election Commission’s decision to recognize the faction led by Eknath Shinde as

Senior BJP leader and Deputy CM hits back at Uddhav Thackeray over ‘Mogambo’ jibe at Union Home Minister Amit Shah

the real Shiv Sena, had used the famous line of the villain of the Bollywood film Mr India, “Mogambo khush hua.”

Asked by reporters about the jibe, Fadnavis

said there are ups and downs in politics, but people pity the intellect of those who say anything out of frustration.

“What he says does not make any difference,”

the BJP leader added. On Raut’s allegation about Sena name and symbol Fadnavis said, “Why should I reply to “brainless” people?”

“As far as Uddhav-ji is concerned, he has a limited dictionary of some 20 words and he keeps using these words repeatedly. Is there any need to reply?” he asked.

With the summer season almost here, commuters in Mumbai beat the growing heat by travelling in India’s first ever air-conditioned double-decker bus from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to National Centre for Performing Arts station on Tuesday.

—PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

Sanjay Raut alleges threat from Maharashtra CM’s son

leging “threat to life” from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s son. In response, an MLA from the Shinde camp of the Sena termed the accusation a “cheap stunt”.

First India Bureau Mumbai: Shiv SenaUddhav Balasaheb

Thackeray leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday wrote to the police al-

“Lok Sabha member Shrikant Shinde (Eknath Shinde’s son) has given a supari (contract) to kill me to a Thane-based criminal Raja Thakur. I have confirmed information regarding the same. I am informing you as a responsible citizen,” Raut said in his letter. The Rajya Sabha MP made the allegations in

a letter to the Mumbai police commissioner, copies of which were also sent to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the Home portfolio, and the police of Thane city.

Responding to a question related to Raut’s letter, Aaditya Thackeray, MLA and son of ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray said, “The complaint should be taken seriously. Unfor-

Lok Sabha member Shrikant Shinde (Eknath Shinde’s son) has given a supari (contract) to kill me to a Thane-based criminal Raja Thakur. I have confirmed information regarding the same. I am informing you as a responsible citizen.

—Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena –UBT MP

tunately, these traitor MLAs (from Shinde camp) are not being controlled at all.”

Sanjay Shirsath, an MLA from Shinde’s group said, “Raut is doing a cheap stunt to

gain sympathy. There is no doubt that there should be a thorough probe into the matter. However, do not forget that Raut does a lot of stunts, which have no substance.”

Koshyari had informed me about ‘threatening’ letter

Former councillors from Shiv Sena -UBT with former Mumbai Mayor Snehal Ambekar outside the party office at BMC headquarters in Mumbai on Monday. —PHOTO BY ANI

Sanjay Raut —FILE PHOTO

Shiv Sena rival faction MLA calls it ‘cheap stunt’, dismisses accusation on Shrikant Shinde

Now, Mumbai police issues ‘preventive’ orders for city

z It comes into effect on Feb 21; would remain in place till March 07

z Routine procedure, say cops, but action based on info from sources

First India Bureau

Mumbai: In an effort to step up security and maintain law and order in the city, Mumbai police on Tuesday issued a preventive order notification.

It cited information received from various sources and said there is “likelihood of breach of peace and disturbance of public tranquility.” The police added there is a grave danger to human lives and loss of properties.

“On that account, it is considered expedient to issue the prohibitory order for restricting movement and unlawful assembly of five or more persons for prevention of breach of peace, disturbance to public tranquility and danger to human lives and loss of properties. It is also to prevent any kind of riot or affray in the areas under the

control of Commissioner of Police, Mumbai,” mentioned the order.

According to a police official, “it is a routine prohibitory order that is reviewed and extended on regular intervals.”

The order was issued by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) (Operations) Vishal Thakur. As per the notification, few activities were prohibited across Mumbai beginning

CRUCIAL READ

MORE THAN 100 KG SMUGGLED GOLD

WORTH `51 CR SEIZED BY DRI; 10 HELD

Mumbai: In a pan-India operation, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted a gold smuggling syndicate involving Sudanese nationals operating through the Indo-Nepal border and seized 101.7 kg of the yellow metal valued at around Rs51 crore and also arrested ten persons, an official said on Tuesday. The smuggled gold was confiscated after interceptions at Patna, Pune and Mumbai and at least ten persons linked to the syndicate — seven Sudanese nationals and three Indians — were arrested during the crackdown named ‘Operation Golden Dawn’, he said.

POLICE ARREST 8, RECOVER 18 MOTORCYCLES

Thane: The police in Thane city have arrested 8 people in their 20s in connection with 18 stolen motorcycles, valued at Rs 7.8 lakh. The police are investigating if the arrested are linked to other theft cases. Most of the twowheelers were stolen from Bhiwandi, while the gang targeted a few in the limits of Thane, Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar and Mumbai police, he said.

STALLS, 2 TEMPOS GUTTED IN FIRE AT PUNE VEG MARKET

Pune: A fire broke out at a vegetable market in Pune on Tuesday in which nearly 90 stalls were damaged and two tempos burnt, fire brigade officials said. No person was injured in the fire which erupted at around 1.45 am at the market located in Chintamani Nagar in Handewadi area of Hadapsar suburb, they said. Three fire tenders were pressed into service, he said.

FIRE IN THANE BANK’S AC UNIT, NONE

HURT; CAUSE TO BE INVESTIGATED

Thane: A fire broke out in the air-conditioning unit of a nationalised bank in Thane on Tuesday morning, civic officials said. No one was reported injured in the blaze which erupted at 10.20 am in the AC unit of the bank located in the Naupada area. After being alerted, local firemen and the RDMC team rushed to the spot and put out the fire in less than half an hour, an official said. An investigation was on to ascertain the cause of the fire, he added.

midnight on February 21 till midnight on March 07.

Prohibited activities include, assembly of five or more persons, any procession of persons and use of loudspeakers, amplifying instruments, musical band and bursting of crackers in any procession by the assembly.

However, taking cognizance of public events in mind, the Mumbai police allowed marriage ceremonies, fu-

nerals/ funeral processions, statutory meetings of companies, clubs, co-operative societies, other societies and associations, social gatherings, assemblies in or around cinema houses, theatres or any place of public amusement, and gatherings in or around schools, colleges and other educational institutions for academic activities.

It also exempted assemblies in or around courts of law and offic-

MBBS admission scam: SIT makes first arrest in case

First India Bureau Mumbai: Mumbai Crime Branch’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) has recently arrested a 35-year-old real estate agent for duping MBBS aspirants in the guise of providing them admissions under the management quota in top Mumbai medical colleges.

The accused has duped four MBBS aspirants who have cleared NEET, to the tune of nearly Rs1.17 crore. Earlier this month, Deven Bharti, Special Commissioner of Mumbai Police, formed a SIT to investigate cases related to MBBS admission fraud, and around 7 cases were transferred to it.

The first arrest was made by the SIT on Monday and the accused was identified as Ganesh Raokhande, a

It is considered expedient to issue the prohibitory order for restricting movement and unlawful assembly of five or more persons for prevention of breach of peace, disturbance to public tranquility and danger to human lives and loss of properties. It is also to prevent any kind of riot or affray in the areas under the control of Commissioner of Police, Mumbai.

—Mumbai police order

es of the government and local bodies in discharge of governmental or semi-governmental functions.

Mumbai police also made provision for assemblies in factories, shops, and establishments for normal trade, business. It asked citizens to seek permission from the zonal deputy commissioners of police, Mumbai and their supervisory officers for other assemblies and processions.

real estate agent from Chembur. Raokhande was arrested in the JJ or Grant Medical College case.

“He used to collect the data of all aspirants after NEET results and use it to approach their parents on the pretext of providing admission under management quota. He would ask for Rs40 lakh–Rs50 lakh from an individual. So far, four victims in the JJ case have come forward. In the other six cases, there are multiple victims,” an officer of the Mumbai Crime Branch said.

PARTNER

MAN NABBED FROM NEPAL FOR KILLING

Navi Mumbai: A man who was absconding after murdering a 33-year-old woman in a garden near Silicon Tower in Sanpada has been arrested by the Nepal border police in the matter. The accused, Mohammad Jamshed Sakerul Khan(32) has been arrested for the murder of Asha Borde. The two were in a relationship and had met at the Sanpada railway station.

TAILOR CONVICTED FOR RAPING SIL THROUGH DNA TEST

Mumbai: Stating that DNA test can be basis of conviction, sessions court has sentenced a 38-yearold tailor to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping his sister-in-law after rendering her unconscious. His advocate had contended before court that as she was unconscious and there was no electricity so she could not identify the assaulter. Prosecutor Meera Chaudhari said DNA test of swabs matched with accused.

Nigam, 2 others

pushed at event; FIR against MLA’s son

Mumbai (PTI): Noted

playback singer Sonu Nigam and his two colleagues were pushed allegedly by the son of an MLA during a scuffle over taking a selfie with the singer at a musical event in Mumbai, police said on Tuesday. After the incident on Monday night, Nigam filed a complaint based on which the Chembur police registered an FIR against Swapnil Phaterpekar, the son of local Shiv Sena MLA Prakash Phaterpekar.

The 49-year-old singer, a Padma Shri awardee, later told reporters that he filed a police complaint to bring to light such unfortunate incidents, which can turn tragic. “I wanted to raise awareness about what

happens when someone is coerced into taking a picture,” he said.

A colleague of Nigam was injured in the incident which took place at Chembur Gymkhana after the singer’s live performance at Chembur Festival. “(Nigam’s colleague) Hari Prakash came to save me, but he was also pushed due to which he fell, that you can see in the video also,” the singer said.

Rabbani Khan, who also received injuries, was taken to a private hospital in Chembur.

A short video clip of the incident has gone viral on social media.

Accused Swapnil Phaterpekar’s sister in a tweet said on behalf of the organizers, they have officially apolo-

I also fell on the steps after I was pushed. Rabbani (son of Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan) came to help me and he too was pushed. God forbid, if something would have been there, he could have died. I filed a complaint because people must think about it when they force someone to take a selfie.

—Sonu Nigam, singer

gized to Nigam and his team for the unpleasant incident.

She said while Nigam was being hurriedly ushered off the stage after delivering his performance, her brother was trying to take a selfie with the singer.

EXAMS & STRIKE

Character actor and dancer Bela Bose dies at 79

First India Bureau

As higher secondary students begin their annual Board exams, non-teaching staff of non-agricultural universities and colleges held a statewide indefinite strike over pending demands on Tuesday. (In pictures) Students at an exam centre at Maha College in Nagpada, Mumbai; protestors at St. Xavier’s College.

—PHOTOS BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

Mumbai: Character actor and dancer Bela Bose, a familiar face in films such as ‘’Jai Santoshi Maa’’, ‘’Bandini’’ and ‘’Professor’’, has passed away, her spokesperson said. She was 79. Bose passed away after a cardiac arrest at MGM hospital in Vashi on Monday. The last rites of the veteran Bollywood personality were performed on Tuesday morning in the presence of family and close friends.

She was married to actor and filmmaker Asis Kumar and is survived by her son and daughter.

Bose, a trained Manipuri dancer, was also a state-level swimmer and a skilled painter. She started her film career with Raj Kapoor’s 1959 movie ‘’Main Nashe Mein Hoon’’ and went on to act in more than 200 Hindi and regional Indian movies.

Expelled sanitation workers on hunger strike in Nashik

First India Bureau Nashik: Over 200 sanitation workers, who worked on contract and got expelled in October last year after they resorted to strike, are now on an indefinite fast at the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) headquarters seeking civic body’s intervention. The NMC has hired a

contractor for outsourcing 700 sanitation workers and the same

contractor concerned had expelled over 200 workers. These work-

ers had joined the union affiliated to the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and had gone on strike to press for their demands. The contractor took the step against the workers after the cleanliness in Nashik West and Nashik East divisions was affected. Later, new workers were appointed in order to maintain cleanliness.

NASHIK FARMERS PROTEST DUE TO FALL IN ONION PRICES

Nashik (FIB): Farmers in Nashik staged a protest at the Market Committee Gate. The reason for the protest was the significant fall in onion prices, which has had a severe impact on the livelihoods of farmers in the region. Nashik is one of the largest onion growing regions in the country. The protest at the Market Committee Gate was a form of collective action by the farmers to draw attention to their plight and demand action from the government.

(L) Screengrab of the widely circulated video of the incident; (R) Sonu Nigam. —FILE PHOTO

NMC has hired a contractor for outsourcing 700 sanitation workers

‘REVDI’ BUDGET FOR RURAL BENGAL?... FOR TMC & BJP NORTH BENGAL CRUCIAL

since been making all attempts to expand and strengthen its base in North Bengal and with the advancement of the panchayat polls the battle of supremacy has intensified. And it will be very interesting to see who manages a stronghold in the region. According to political grapevine, there’s buzz that the Centre may hold peace parleys with the KLO — a proscribed militant outfit that was formed in 1995 by a section of Rajbanshis to demand a separate Kamtapur state comprising several districts from North Bengal and Assam.

Even as the WB unit of the BJP has denied the same, the ruling party has taken cognisance of it and has been fiercely opposing another “Partition” of WB. Clearly North Bengal is high in the agenda for both TMC and BJP and no party is leaving any stone unturned.

A POPULIST WEST BENGAL BUDGET

l `3,39,162-crore budget was presented by Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya

l Government has waived agricultural income-tax on tea gardens and rural employment cess

However, the TMC swept the 2021 Assembly polls, bagging 211 of the total 294 seats as against the BJP’s 77. The BJP still had an upper hand in North Bengal, winning 29 of its 54 seats while the TMC managed 24 seats in the region. However, the TMC has since been making all attempts to expand and strengthen its base in North Bengal and with the advancement of the panchayat polls the battle of supremacy has intensified. And it will be very interesting to see who manages a stronghold in the region

Ahead of the panchayat polls in West Bengal, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, focussed on the schemes meant for the rural populace and the budget had jhalak of the same. In the `3,39,162-crore budget presented by Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, the government has waived agricultural income-tax on tea gardens and the rural employment cess and announced a death-benefit scheme for fishermen and a ` 3,000-crore project for strengthening rural roads.

“I propose to exempt payment of rural employment cess under the West Bengal Rural Employment and Production Act 1976 and the education cess under the West Bengal Primary Education Act 1973 for the next two years (financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25). Also, I propose to waive the agricultural income tax on tea gardens for the next two financial years,” Bhattacharya said in her budget speech.

“In order to ensure the continuity of financial support beyond 60 years of age, I am happy to announce that the

CRACKING ROADS & HEATWAVE IN FEB

l Death-benefit scheme for fishermen and a `3,000-crore project for strengthening the state of rural roads

l Recipients of Lakshmi Bhandar shall receive `1,000 per month after attaining 60 years by way of automatic transition to the oldage pension scheme

recipients of Lakshmi Bhandar shall receive `1,000 per month after attaining 60 years by way of automatic transition to the old-age pension scheme,” she said.

There was another booster for the TMC recently when ahead of the Panchayat elections, BJP MLA from Alipurduar, Suman Kanjilal, defected to the TMC recently. He became the third saffron party MLA from North Bengal to join the Mamata Banerjee-led party since the 2021 state Assembly elections. Altogether, six state BJP MLAs have switched to the TMC so far since the 2021 polls. However, three days after Kanjilal’s defection, a section of TMC leaders from North Bengal held a press conference in Siliguri, where they said the BJP must come clean on the demand for statehood

Fresh cracks have surfaced in roads leading to the Badrinath shrine from Joshimath where cracks in buildings and houses not long ago had sparked fears that the town was sinking. The Border Roads Organisation has been instructed to examine the cracks and fix them before pilgrims begin their journey to the holy shrine. As there is no information about the Uttarakhand government restricting the number of pilgrims and heavy vehicles, fear about their safety is quite palpable.

Add to this the fury of Nature in several states which are witnessing heat waves in February or record temperatures earlier than normal.

for North Bengal.

It may be noted that to the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, a section of the BJP leaders had spoken in favour of the demand for a separate North Bengal state in a bid to woo the Rajbanshi community and Gorkhas in the region, many of whom have been pressing for it for quite a long time now and expectedly, the BJP swept the region, winning seven of the its eight parliamentary seats. Of the state’s total 42 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP won 18 as compared to the TMC’s 22. However, the TMC swept the 2021 Assembly polls, bagging 211 of the total 294 seats as against the BJP’s 77. The BJP still had an upper hand in North Bengal, winning 29 of its 54 seats while the TMC managed 24 seats in the region. However, the TMC has

Fresh cracks have surfaced in roads leading to Badrinath shrine from Joshimath where cracks in buildings and houses not long ago had sparked fears that town was sinking

The unprecedented change signals early onset of summer and increases concern about the damage that has been caused to the environment. The immediate adverse fallout of this weather pattern may be on the standing wheat crop. According to private weather forecaster Skymet, temperatures in the wheat growing states are 2 to

IN-DEPTH

CONGRESS RATTLED AS RAIDS CARRIED ON ITS LEADERS IN COAL LEVY CASE

A senior TMC leader said, “We have already entered the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) in North Bengal’s hills. Anit Thapa’s Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha ruling GTA is our ally. So, we are hopeful that for 1st time we would win Darjeeling LS elections.”

He also said, “From the North Bengal’s plains, three BJP MLAs joined the TMC, even as we also won the Dinhata by-election. People of this region are eager to see development and we are also campaigning on this issue.

So, in 2024 LS polls, too, we would perform better than expectations.” Another TMC section however sounds cautious in its assessment. A party veteran said: “Notwithstanding over leverage with GTA, we should not forget that various regional rivals such as Bimal Gurung, Binay Tamang and Humro Party chief Ajoy Edwards have now joined hands and are again raking up the demand for the Gorkhaland state. Such a situation will again help BJP.”

However, BJP’s state general secy Dipak Burman, who is also an MLA from North Bengal, said, “Our three MLAs went to TMC, but people’s support is with us. If they cast their votes in Panchayat polls and next year’s Lok Sabha elections, BJP will sweep every part of North.”

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

3 degrees higher than normal. India’s wheat production had fallen from 109.59 mt to 106.84 mt last year due to the heat wave.

The Skymet pinned the blame on dry weather in several states to the “largely rain deficit December” in 2022. The seasonal shortfall was carried forward in January as well, albeit to a lesser extent, it said. It is this absence of rain which is causing “heat stress” and impacting wheat and other rabi crops. Worse, chances of rain are “unlikely” over parts of Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. To compound India’s problems El Nino is expected to “knock the wind out of its monsoon sails”.

On Monday the Enforcement Directorate carried out raids at 13 premises in Chhattisgarh in connection with the coal levy case. The ED’s case is that a levy of Rs 25 per tonne of coal was being charged by some middlemen in connivance with politicians and bureaucrats. Some Congress leaders’ residences were among those raided. The ED had arrested Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s deputy secretary Saumya Chaurasia pointing a suspicious finger at the high office. The ED may term the raids as routine investigation into alleged money laundering but their timing raises doubt. With the All India Congress Committee’s plenary session due to be held in Raipur soon, the Congress has reason to doubt ED’s intent. Senior leader of the party Jairam Ramesh hit out at the BJP’s “third-rate politics of vendetta, vengeance and harassment”. Ramesh alleged that under BJP the ED has come to mean “eliminating democracy”. The raids may weaken the Congress in the state which goes to poll this year.

SPIRITUAL SPEAK

Know from the rivers in clefts and in crevices: those in small channels flow noisily, the great flow silent. Whatever’s not full makes noise. Whatever is full is quiet. Buddha

TOP TWEETS

In times of crisis, true leaders step up. Thank you Hon’ble PM Shri @ narendramodi ji for leading India in extending a helping hand to Turkey and for exemplifying the spirit of #VasudhaivaKutumbakam. Let’s continue to stand together and support one another as a global family.

ROBIN ROY The writer is Senior Journalist and former Managing Editor, First India

NAGALAND, TRIPURA, MEGHALAYA ELECTIONS

Naga peace talks are on, hopeful PM’s initiative will bear fruit: HM

Tuensang (PTI): Union

Home Minister Amit

Shah on Tuesday asserted that Naga peace talks are underway and hoped that the initiative taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring lasting peace in the northeastern state will bear fruit.

Addressing an election rally in Tuensang, Shah said there are some issues related to development and rights of eastern Nagaland and those will be addressed after the assembly elections.

“There was an insurgency in Nagaland before 2014... We started the peace process. I am hopeful that the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will bear fruit in bringing lasting peace in the state with the preservation of Naga culture, language and tradition,” he said.

Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO), the apex tribal body in the region, had called for a boycott of the assembly elections over their ‘Frontier Nagaland’ separate statehood demand.

“The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has held discussions with ENPO and an ‘agreed agreement’ has been reached. But we could not materialise it due to the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct.

“I promise you all that

after the elections, the agreement will be implemented through which all issues of eastern Nagaland will be addressed. There will be massive development in the region and you will get your rights,” he said.

Asserting that several measures were taken in the last nine years of BJP rule at the Centre to bring peace in the Northeast, he claimed that there was a 70 per cent dip in violent incidents in the region during the period.

NDPP and BJP are contesting the poll on a 40-20 seat-sharing formula.

Elections to the 60-member assembly will be held on February 27 and votes will be counted on March 2.

There was an insurgency in Nagaland before 2014... We started the peace process. I am hopeful that the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will bear fruit in bringing lasting peace in the state with the preservation of Naga culture, language and tradition.

—Amit Shah, Union Home Minister

IN THE COURTYARD

MEHRAULI MURDER: POONAWALA TO BE PRODUCED BEFORE SESSIONS COURT

New Delhi: A local court on Tuesday moved the Mehrauli murder case to a higher court for initiation of trial proceedings. Accused Aaftab Amin Poonawala, who allegedly strangled his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar, will be produced before the Saket’s principal district and sessions judge on February 24. The court noted that the chargesheet was filed under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (disappearance of evidence) of the IPC.

TN GOVT MOVES SC

AGAINST RSS ROUTE

MARCH IN STATE

New Delhi: The Tamil Nadu government has moved the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court order permitting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to take out its route march in the state on rescheduled dates. The state government, in its plea before the top court, said the route march would pose a law and order problem and sought a stay on the high court order.

Cong hampers law and order: Nadda in K’taka

Hassan (ANI): Coming down heavily on the Congress party, BJP national president JP Nadda on Tuesday said that the former appeases a particular religion, hampers law and order situation and he hoped that the people of Karnataka will support BJP.

Nadda was addressing a public rally in Karnataka. “In Congress rule, there is a divideand-rule environment. Congress appeases a particular religion and hampers the law and order situation. I hope the people of Karnataka will support BJP and let Basavaraj Bommai continue serving the people of the state,” he said.

NO TO PM’S RALLY: MEGHALAYA CM

FACES BJP RAP

Shillong: After permission for PM Narendra Modi’s rally at the PA Sangma Sports Complex in Tura was denied, BJP’s state unit lashed at the Conrad Sangma govt. “The Director of Sports & Youth Affairs, under instructions from a scared and insecure CM Conrad Sangma, denied us permission to hold a campaign rally at the PA Sangma stadium,” BJP spokesperson Bernad N Marak, said on Tuesday.

CONG TO LEAD GOVT IN 2024: KHARGE AMID UNITY TALKS

New Delhi: Amid renewed calls for unity among Opposition parties ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday set the ball rolling and claimed that an alliance led by the grand old party will come to power at the Centre after the general elections. “An alliance government will come to power at the Centre in 2024. The Congress will lead,” Kharge said.

Tripura polls: Who will be the kingmaker?

Sharat K Verma

New Delhi: The big question ahead of the polling for Tripura assembly polls was who will play the role of king maker? Never before has a kingmaker been needed. In last polls too, BJP got absolute majority. It alone won 36 seats in the 60-member assembly. Despite this, it tied up with its ally IPFT, which got eight seats. Prior to that, CPM had been forming the government on its own for 25 consecutive years. This time it is a fourcornered fight. Al-

Free bus rides for K’taka women and schoolkids

Bengaluru: Working women and schoolchildren will get free rides in public buses from April 1, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said here on Tuesday.

though the main contest is triangular, yet the way TMC is fighting, it cannot be dismissed.

The BJP-IPFT alliance in the state is up against the CPM-Congress alliance, while Tipra Motha has formed a strong third angle. That is why it seems that this time no party may get absolute majority. In such a situation, only one party will be the kingmaker. From the politics of 15 days before the elections, it seems that Pradyot Debbarma’s Tipra Motha may play the role of kingmaker.

Nadda hit out at the Congress leader Siddaramaiah saying that the latter has excelled in disturbing law and order and promoting appeasement.

Didi launches portal for non resident Bengalis

Kolkata: On the International Mother Language Day, the West Bengal government on Tuesday launched a special portal through which non-resident Bengalis residing in other Indian states and even in other countries will be able to communicate with the state government in times of emergency. Launching the portal Apan Bangla (Own Bengal) at a colourful function on Tuesday, CM Mamata Banerjee said the portal is meant ‘to communicate’ and ‘to connect’ with Bengalis residing out of West Bengal.

“Siddaramaiah has excelled in disturbing law and order and appeasement. It is evident from the fact that Siddaramaiah’s government withdrew over 170 cases of PFI cadres who were accused of disturbing peace and law and order and released hundreds of accused from jail,” he said.

Lauding the work done by BJP in the state he said that the govern-

ment has done the work of doing good to the Dalits, increasing their reservation on the land of Karnataka.

“The welfare of Karnataka, the welfare of the people of Karnataka, the welfare of all sections of Karnataka... Our government has done the work of doing good to our Dalits, increasing their reservation on the land of Karnataka,” Nadda said.

Country’s voice can’t be suppressed: Cong

New Delhi (PTI): Slamming the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on premises linked to its leaders in Chhattisgarh, the Congress said on Tuesday that the country’s voice cannot be suppressed by spreading the fear of “puppet agencies”.

The party, which is in power in Chhattisgarh, said it is ready to fight it out and will fearlessly raise people’s issues.

A large number of Congress leaders and workers held a protest in front of the central agency’s office in Raipur and accused it of taking action at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The protesters, led by Congress MLA Dhanendra

Privilege Committee of Rajya Sabha to meet on Feb 27, 28

RS Chairman Dhankar presses for breach of privilege notice against 12 Oppn MPs

ARREST FOR WAVING

BLACK FLAGS IS NOT

ILLEGAL: KERALA HC

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking a declaration that arrest and detention for waving black flags in protest is ‘illegal’ and ‘unconstitutional.’ The petition, which also sought compensation for those booked for waving black flags at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in protest last year, was rejected by a bench of Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Murali Purushothaman.

HC SEEKS GoI’S STAND ON PLEA AGAINST MANDATORY REPORTING OF POCSO CASES

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought Centre’s stand on a plea against the POCSO Act provisions pertaining to mandatory reporting of sexual offences against minors to police. A bench issued notice on the petition by lawyer Harsh Vibhore Singhal who sought “judicial invalidation” of sections 19, 21 & 22 of the POCSO Act. The court asked the central government to file its reply to the petition within six weeks.

Speaking after dedicating KSRTC’s Volvo Multi Axel BS4-9600 sleeper buses ahead of the polls here, the chief minister said the purpose of chalking out this scheme was to en-

able women become self-reliant. They need to introduce mini school buses and the existing buses will be utilised to start the operation, Bommai said.

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha’s Privilege Committee has scheduled its meeting on February 27 and 28 wherein it is likely to discuss the alleged breach of privilege by 12 MPs whose case was referred to it by RS

Chairman Jagdeep

Dhankhar, though the official agenda has not been circulated yet.

Dhankhar had referred the matter of alleged breach of privilege by

END OF ROAD FOR RETIREES?

BJP PROTESTS NEAR SONIA’S RESIDENCE

New Delhi: The Delhi BJP on Tuesday staged a protest near the residence of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Janpath Road here, demanding an apology over her party spokesperson Pawan Khera’s “disgraceful” remark against the late father of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sahu and former Rajya Sabha member Chhaya Verma, held a sit-in at the ED office building in Pachpedi Naka area.

English words’ use irks Nitish at agri event

OPPN MPs WHO FACE

PRIVILEGE NOTICE

The members include Sanjay Singh, Shaktisinh Gohil, Sushil Kumar Gupta, Sandeep Kumar Pathak, Naranbhai J Rathwa, Syed Nasir Hussain, Kumar Ketkar, Imran Pratapgarhi, L Hanumanthaiah, Shrimati Phulo Devi Netam, Jebi Mather Hisham and Ranjeet Ranjan.

12 members of the Upper House arising out of non-adherence to the directions of the Chair.

Why no retired officer was appointed Guv this time?

Mahesh Sharma

New Delhi: The President appoints governors in 12 states and lieutenant governors in one Union Territory on the recommendation of the Central government. The special thing about the appointments this time was that no retired officer got a chance in this. Leaving aside the transfers of governors, six new faces were sent to the Raj Bhavans and all are connected to

politics. Even before this, the Deputy Governor was appointed in Delhi, breaking the tradition of appointing a retired officer, the Central Government appointed Vinay Kumar Saxena, associated with an NGO, as the Deputy Governor. Now only a few selected officers are left in the Raj Bhavans all over the country.

President Droupadi Murmu. —FILE PHOTO

only two states have exofficio governors. CV Ananda Bose, the Governor of West Bengal is a former IAS. Apart from these, all

in Tamil

the others are from the background of politicians or social workers.

mer Union Minister Shiv Pratap Shukla has been sent to the Raj Bhavan of Himachal Pradesh. Veteran BJP leader Gulab Chand Kataria, who was the Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan, has been made the Governor of Assam. It may be noted that a few days back Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a scathing remark about government officials and since then the attitude has changed.

Union HM Amit Shah addresses a public meeting ahead of the Nagaland Assembly elections, in Tuensang on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY ANI

JP Nadda in Hassan on Tuesday. Karnataka BJP chief Nalinkumar Kateel, BJP National Gen Secretary CT Ravi and others also seen.

Patna: A Bihar farmer was on Tuesday was reprimanded by CM Nitish Kumar for using too many “English words” while narrating his exciting life journey. Farmer Amit Kumar, at “fourth agriculture roadmap” started lavishing praise on the CM. Barely a few minutes into his speech, he was stopped by CM, who remained in his seat.

Women’s empowerment is only way

Murmu addressed Women’s World Summit being held in Abu Dhabi via video conference

New Delhi (ANI):

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said that she has the full conviction that women’s empowerment is the only way to ensure peace, social inclusion and prosperity in the world. Addressing the two-day Women’s World Summit 2023 being held in Abu Dha-

to ensure peace,

social

said.

bi through a video message, President Murmu congratulated Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak for successfully hosting this important summit.

Murmu also lauded Emirati women, saying they are representing the UAE at a global level, occupying prominent positions and mak-

inclusion: Prez

ing their country proud.

“This Summit is also a reflection of Her Highness’s vision about the women of your country and the world. Today, Emirati women are representing the UAE at a global level, occupying prominent positions and making their country proud,” she said. The United

Arab Emirates is hosting the international conference ‘Global Women Summit 2023’

in Abu Dhabi highlighting the role of female leadership in establishing peace, social inte-

EAM questions timing of BBC’s documentary, says it’s ‘politics’

New Delhi (ANI): “Ac-

tual politics” is being conducted “ostensibly as media” by people who do not have the “courage to come into political field,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told ANI, alluding to the controversial BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Terming the furore as “politics by another means,” Jaishanka said, “Sometimes politics of India doesn’t even originate in its borders, it comes from outside.” “We are not debating just a documentary or a speech that somebody gave in a European city or a newspaper edits somewhere -- we are debating, actually politics,

which is being conducted ostensibly as media — there is a phrase ‘war by other means’ this is politics by another means — I mean you will do a hatchet job, you want to do a hatchet job and say this is just another quest for truth which we decided after 20 years to put at this time,” he said.

Coming a year just

CRUCIAL READ

JUMBO KILLS 16

PEOPLE IN 12 DAYS IN JHARKHAND

Ranchi (PTI): A tusker has allegedly killed 16 people in five Jharkhand districts in the past 12 days with four in a block in Ranchi district alone on Tuesday, forest officials said. This has prompted the Ranchi administration to impose prohibitory order under Section 144 Cr PC in Itki block prohibiting gathering more than five people to restrict further casualties, Ranchi divisional forest officer Srikant Verma said. Villagers of Itki block have been asked to remain inside their houses, specially during sunrise and sunset.

HYDERABAD SHOCKER: STRAY DOGS MAUL 4-YEAR-OLD TO DEATH

Hyderabad (ANI): In a horrific incident, a four-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pack of street dogs at a housing society in Erukula Basti, in Bagh Amberpet in Hyderabad. The child was identified as Pradeep. In footage captured on a CCTV camera, the boy can be seen walking around playfully when street dogs attack him. About six stray dogs kept biting the child until he fell to the ground unable to stand again. By the time someone could come to his rescue, the boy fell unconscious and bled profusely.

NIA CONDUCTS RAIDS AT PREMISES OF GANGSTER LAWRENCE BISHNOI’S CLOSE AIDE

Kutch (ANI): National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at the premises of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s close aide Kulwinder in Gandhidham. According to sources, Kulwinder has been a longtime associate of Bishnoi. Cases of providing shelter to the people of the Bishnoi gang were also against him. NIA sources revealed Kulwinder is also connected to international drug syndicates. In a major crackdown against gangster syndicates, the NIA launched searches at over 70 locations across several states on Tuesday. The searches were conducted in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.

UTTAR PRADESH: 3

KILLED IN ROAD ACCIDENT IN SITAPUR

Sitapur (ANI): Three people, including two women, were killed in a road accident after a car hit a bike on Monday evening in Imaliya Sultanpur area here, police said. The deceased have been identified as Jhabbu (35), Rajeshwari (32), and Sonashree (60).

“The victims were on their way to Sitapur to attend an auspicious program when a speeding car hit them from the front in Imaliya Sultanpur area, near village Durgapur, Sitapur district,” police said.

BIHAR: 22 ARRESTED FOR VIOLENCE IN JETHULI VILLAGE

Patna (Agencies): As many as 22 persons have been arrested by Patna Police in connection with the violence in Jethuli village, an official said on Tuesday. Among the arrested, 9 of them were involved in firing on Sunday where two persons died on the spot while another succumbed to injuries in the hospital. Two persons are currently battling for their lives in Patna Medical College and Hospital. “We have deployed an adequate police force in the village to restore peace”, officials said.

before the Lok Sabha polls of 2024, the external affairs minister questioned the timing of the documentary.

“I mean, come on, you think timing is accidental! Let me tell you one thing - I don’t know if the election season has started in India, Delhi or not, but, for sure it has started in London, New York,” he added.

IPS officers for Central

New Delhi (Agencies): The Union Home Ministry has written to the States to nominate adequate number of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers for Central deputation. The Ministry expressed concern that the State governments were either withdrawing the names of selected officers or not relieving them for taking up an assignment with the Centre that resulted in considerable delay in the placement of the officers at the Centre and adversely impacted the entire process of “selection, deputation and cadre management”.

New Delhi (ANI): Noting that he belongs to a family of bureaucrats and that the political opportunity as a union minister came as a bolt from the blue in 2019, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that his father Dr K Subrahmanyam was removed as Secretary, Defence Production, by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi soon after she came back to power in 1980 and he was superseded during the Rajiv Gandhi period with someone junior to him becoming the Cabinet Secretary. Jaishankar talked about his journey from foreign service to politics and said he had always aspired to be the best officer and get elevated to the post of Foreign Secretary.

‘PM MODI SENT TROOPS TO LAC, NOT RAHUL GANDHI’: JAISHANKAR HITS OUT AT CONGRESS New Delhi (ANI): Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi who has been targeting the government over China’s aggression on the LAC in eastern Ladakh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that it is not the Congress leader but Prime Minister Narendra Modi who sent the Army to the Line of Actual Control as a countermeasure to troop deployment by China and the opposition party should have honesty to look at what happened in 1962. Jaishankar said the Modi government had increased the budget by five times to ramp up border infrastructure. Referring to Congress and other opposition parties outraging over the Chinese building a bridge on the Pangong Lake last year, the Minister said the area had been under illegal occupation of China since the 1962 war.

UP: Cyber cop Triveni Singh seeks VRS

Dr. Ahtesham Siddiqui

Lucknow: With IPS Dr. Triveni Singh, who made his identity as a Cyber Cop in UP Police, has created a stir in the Police Department of UP by asking for VRS! Singh has cited health issues as the reason for seeking VRS, although his retirement is to be in November 2025.

Dr. Triveni Singh is a PPS officer of the 1994 batch. He was promoted from PPS to IPS by the Yogi government and in November 2019 Yogi government posted him as captain in Azamgarh, however, Singh was removed from there in 2020 and posted in cyber headquarters and since

gration and driving prosperity.

Sheikha Fatima bint

Mubaraq in her keynote address said that the summit comes at a “historical moment”.

“The summit has come at the historical time when humanity needs someone to light candles to light the way to get out of narrow lanes after health pandemics, political conflicts and social and economic crises,” she

Lauding the women’s participation in UAE’s development, Murmu further said, “You have several women as Ministers, members of the UAE Federal National Council, and prominent Ambassadors. They have taken their country to Mars, and they are working to make their country carbon-neutral.”

“India has always been at the forefront of

promoting gender respect and democracy in society. Our history is full of examples of women taking up leadership roles. In fact, the Indian scriptures have laid great stress on respect for women. I quote here one such example, which says ‘Yatra Naryastu Pujyante Ramante tatra’ meaning wherever women are given due respect, even the Gods like to live there,” Murmu said.

NIA raids in 8 states target nexus of gangsters, terrorists, & drug mafia

New Delhi (Agencies): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is carrying out searches at multiple locations in 8 states in cases related to a nexus between gangsters, terror groups & drug mafia, officials said.

The raids were being conducted in the national capital, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat & Madhya Pradesh, they said.

The NIA action comes a few days after the government had declared Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda, who is currently based in Pakistan, a terrorist under the stringent anti-terror law.

The NIA re-registered two cases last year from the Special Cell of the Delhi Police to probe a conspiracy being hatched by criminal gangs based in India

Himachal govt dissolves Staff Selection Commission

then, he is posted in the same squad. Singh has also received the President’s, Bravery Medal.

Singh, who has solved over 250 crimes, is also known as ‘Cyber Singham’. Interestingly, a web series is also being made on him by the name of Cyber Singham. Singh is credited to have solved and exposed the gang of 146 crore fraud in Cooperative Bank.

Shimla (PTI): The state government dissolved the Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission (HPSSC) located at Hamirpur, whose functioning was suspended after the recruitment exam paper for junior office assistants (IT) was leaked in December.

“The reports of departmental inquiry and vigilance bureau pointed out irregularities and papers were being leaked and sold to selective people for the past 3 years, following which the state government has decided to dissolve the commission with immediate effect,” said CM Sukhvinder Singh.

NIA conducts searches and raids at more than 70 places across various states, on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY ANI

CBI SEARCHES AT 30 LOCATIONS IN PUNJAB TO PROBE ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION AGAINST FCI OFFICIALS

New Delhi: The CBI on Tuesday launched searches at 30 locations in Punjab as part of its probe into allegations of corruption against Food Corporation of India (FCI) officials who procured inferior grains to benefit merchants and rice millers, officials said. The CBI teams started coordinated raids on the premises of grain merchants, rice mill owners, and serving and retired officials of the FCI in multiple districts of Punjab as part of ‘Operation Kanak 2’, they said. This is second round of searches in the FIR pertaining to an organised syndicate of officers at the FCI, who allegedly charged bribes of Rs 1,000-4,000 per truck unloaded at the FCI godowns from private millers per crop season for covering up lower quality grains supplied by them and other favours.

and abroad to raise funds, recruit youths to carry out terrorist activities in Delhi and

other parts of the country besides indulging in targeted killings of prominent persons.

60 MPs knock at Rlys door seeking Vande Bharat train services

New Delhi (PTI): With ‘Vande Bharat’ trains running at almost full capacity on 10 routes, 60 parliamentarians, including 14 MPs from non-NDA parties, have petitioned the railways to begin the operation of the state-of-the-art trains connecting their constituencies.

While most ofs the petitions have come from BJP MPs, including senior leader Devendra Fadnavis who has asked for a train between Solapur and Mumbai.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has requested for a Vande Bharat train from Dharwad to

Bangaluru and Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia for a train to Gwalior. Out of the 10 Vande Bharat trains currently in operation, the Bilaspur-Nagpur Vande Bharat Express had the lowest occupancy till January this fiscal, while the Mumbai-Gandhinagar route recorded the highest, official data showed.

Thank you dost, says Turkey as NDRF team returns

New Delhi (PTI): The NDRF’s mission in quake-hit Turkey was full of challenges emotional, professional and personal. They returned to India after the difficult mission, a part of their heart still thinking if “we could have saved more lives”, yet a part filled with the love and affection they received from the affected people.

“The locals did not know Hindi or English. What we saw was the language of hu -

manity and respect for India. We wish we could have saved more lives…but what we received there was such love which cannot be

earned easily,” Secondin-command-rank officer V N Parashar said. Parashar said he and others received WhatsApp messages

from a number of people who wrote ‘thanks’ to them and got it translated to Hindi from Google before sending it to them.

GEN PANDE SAYS MOBILISATION OF FIELD HOSPITAL SHOWS RELIEF TEAM’S OPERATIONAL PREPAREDNESS

New Delhi (PTI): Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande said the force is proud of its medical team for rendering humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to quake-hit Turkiye, and asserted that the mobilisation of a field hospital in short time indicates the team’s excellent operational preparedness. He said this after interacting with members of the Indian Army’s medical team that has returned to the country after rendering extensive services to a large number of earthquake-hit people in Turkiye.

NDRF WAS FIRST AMONG INTERNATIONAL TEAMS TO REACH TURKEY, SAYS NDRF DG ATUL KARWAL

New Delhi (ANI): The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team is one of the international teams who reached the earthquake-hit Turkey first for relief and rescue under ‘Operation Dost’, NDRF DG Atul Karwal said on Tuesday. Karwal also said that “The first challenge was how soon we can mobilize our teams and reach Turkey as our aim was to reach there as soon as possible to save more people’s lives.”

President Droupadi Murmu during her address via video message.

‘INDIRA REMOVED MY FATHER AS UNION SECY, HE WAS SUPERSEDED DURING RAJIV GANDHI PERIOD’

EAM Dr S Jaishankar speaks to ANI Editor, Smita Prakash (not in frame) during an interview, in New Delhi on Tuesday.

‘Relieve

deputation’

—PHOTO BY ANI

IPS Dr Triveni Singh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with NDRF personnel involved in ‘Operation Dost’ in New Delhi.

SPICEJET BOARD TO CONSIDER FUND RAISING OPTIONS

IN OPEN MKT FROM BUFFER STOCK

CENTRE TO SELL 20 LAKH TONNES OF WHEAT

New Delhi: SpiceJet on Tuesday said its board will meet on Friday to consider options to raise funds as well as to convert certain outstanding liabilities into equity shares of the company.

The no-frills airline, which has been grappling with multiple headwinds, including legal woes, is looking to raise fresh capital through issuance of eligible securities to qualified institutional buyers.

Besides, the carrier plans to issue equity shares on preferential basis consequent. —PTI

OYO TO DOUBLE NO. OF PREMIUM HOTELS IN INDIA IN 2023

New Delhi (PTI):The Centre on Tuesday announced sale of an additional 20 lakh tonnes of wheat in the open market to further bring down the retail prices of wheat and wheat flour (atta) and asked flour millers to cut rates with softening in wholesale price of grain.

On January 25, the Centre had announced sale of 30 lakh tonnes of wheat in the open market from its buffer stock to check rise in prices of wheat and wheat flour (atta).

According to an official statement, the government has decided that stateowned Food Corporation of India (FCI) will offload an additional quantity of 20 lakh tonnes of wheat in open market under the

Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS). The stocks will be sold through e-auction to flour mills/private traders/bulk buyers/manufactures of wheat products.

New Delhi: OYO on Tuesday announced its plan to double the number of premium hotels in India with the addition of around 1,800 such hotels in 2023. Its premium hotel brands include Townhouse Oak, OYO Townhouse, Collection O and Capital O. OYO currently has about 1,800 premium hotels in India. The move is aimed at capitalising on the surge in business travel by increasing its footprints across all the major business cities. —PTI

GOLD DECLINES BY `371; SILVER RATES SEES A DIP OF `230

New Delhi: Gold price declined `371 to `56,100 per 10 grams in the national capital on Tuesday amid weak global trends, according to HDFC Securities. In the previous trade, the yellow metal had closed at `56,471 per 10 grams. Silver also plunged `230 to `65,742 per kg. “Spot gold prices in the Delhi markets traded at `56,100 per 10 grams, down `371 per 10 grams,” Saumil Gandhi, Senior Analyst - Commodities at HDFC Securities, said. In the overseas market, both gold and silver were quoting lower at $1,833/ounce & $21.68/ ounce, respectively. —PTI

HSBC

INDIA PRE-TAX PROFIT JUMPS 15% TO $1.277 BILLION

Mumbai: Foreign lender HSBC on Tuesday reported a 15.04% jump in its pre-tax profit from operations in India at $1.277 billion for 2022. The bank had reported a pre-tax profit of $1.11 billion from its operations in India, which continues to be fourth largest contributor for group profits, in 2021. It has added 1,000 people to its India headcount in 2022, to take the total employee strength to 39,000, its biggest in any market. —PTI

TOP TALKING POINTS

z The Centre announced sale of an additional 20 lakh tonnes of wheat in the open market to further bring down the retail prices of wheat and wheat flour and asked flour millers to cut rates with softening in wholesale price

z On Jan 25, the Centre had announced sale of 30 lakh tonnes of wheat in open mkt

collectively help in reducing market price of wheat and wheat products for consumers,” it said.

After announcement of the OMSS policy, the food ministry said that prices of wheat and atta have come down but still inflation figure for January 2023 was at 3 months high of 6.52%.

As per the government data, the average prices of wheat across major cities stood at `33.15/kilogram on Monday, while the average prices of atta (wheat flour) stood at `37.63/kg.

Last month, the government announced plans to sell 30 lakh tonnes of wheat in the open market from its buffer stock under the OMSS.

The proposal to sell stocks in the open market was taken by a group of ministers, sources said.

“So far, 50 lakh tonnes (30+20 lakh tonnes) of

wheat have been decided to be offloaded under the OMSS. The reduction in reserve price along with additional offloading of 20 lakh tonnes of wheat will

Goods and services exports may reach $1 trillion each by 2030, says Union Min Goyal

New Delhi (PTI): India’s goods and services exports are growing at a healthy rate and are expected to be around $1 trillion each by 2030, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday. The country’s merchandise and services exports touched an all-time high of $422 bn and $254 bn, respectively, in 2021-22.

“My own estimates seem to suggest that we will converge by 2030...Seven years from now at about $1 trillion of goods and $1 trillion of services (exports).

Indians spending over $1 bn/month on foreign travel

Mumbai (PTI): Indians are spending nearly $1 billion every month on foreign travel which is significantly more than the preCovid levels, reveals Reserve Bank data on outward remittances.

During the April-December period of 2022-23, the outward remittances under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme for resident individuals towards ‘travel’ was $9.95 billion.

The corresponding spending on travel during 2021-22 was $4.16 billion, and $5.4 billion in the preCovid year 2019-20, according to the RBI data.

MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS

z The services sector, driven by the IT industry, has created a potential not only in terms of jobs, giving value to talent, but also providing India with an opportunity to showcase to the world its strengths

“That is the trajectory I can see which will mean merchandise doing 8- 9.5% and services doing anywhere between 16-17%”, Goyal said here at an event. The services sector, driv-

STOCK MARKETS EDGE LOWER IN CHOPPY TRADE

Mumbai (PTI): Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended marginally lower in a highly volatile trade on Tuesday as investors preferred to stay cautious ahead of the release of minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting.

The BSE Sensex edged down 18.82 points or 0.03% to settle at 60,672.72. The NSE Nifty slipped 17.90 points or 0.1% to end at 17,826.70.

From the Sensex pack, Tata Motors, Sun Pharma, Wipro, TCS, UltraTech Cement, Tech Mahindra were the major laggards.

E-vehicle sales went up by 28.86% in Q4 2022

First India Bureau New Delhi : The sale of electric vehicles rose 28.86% QoQ in Q4 2022 (October-December), according to a latest report of JMK Research.

The report claimed that a total of 3,57,248 EVs were sold in the quarter, the majority of which were electric two-wheelers. While registered E2W sales accounted for 65.13% of total EV sales this quarter, E3W (cargo and passenger combined) accounted for a share of 30.32%, the report said.

As per the report, nine

electric two-wheeler models, six electric threewheeler models, and five electric cars were launched in the quarter, while over 26,000 charge points were set up by the end of Q4 2022 in India.

Uttar Pradesh accounted for a majority sales share (14.33%) this quarter as well, followed by Maharashtra (13.78%).

RUPEE FALLS 9 PAISE TO CLOSE AT 82.82 AGAINST US DOLLAR

Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 9 paise to close at 82.82 (provisional) against the US dollar on Tuesday. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 82.76 against the greenback and finally settled for the day at 82.82 (provisional), registering a fall of 9 paise over its previous close of 82.73.

z The country’s merchandise and services exports touched an all-time high of $422 billion and $254 billion, respectively, in 2021-22

z During April-Jan this fiscal, goods exports rose to $369.25 bn & services exports are estimated to touch $272 bn

en by the IT industry, has created a potential not only in terms of jobs, giving value to talent, but also providing India with an opportunity to showcase to the world its strengths, he said.

Govt focussing on production of high value pharma

New Delhi (PTI): The government is taking steps to produce “high value pharmaceuticals” in the country to reduce import dependency for such critical articles, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said.

Manufacturing of components of high-end medical devices in the country will be another big step in moving towards self reliance. “Working on the vision of reducing import dependency through indigenous production, the govt is focussing on production of high value pharmaceuticals and high-end medical devices,” he said.

IN NEXT TWO YEARS

Flour millers were advised to bring down the prices of atta and other products in line with the reduction in market prices of wheat.

OTHER STORIES

Out of the 30 lakh tonnes, the FCI is selling 25 lakh tonnes to bulk consumers like flour millers through e-auction and 2 lakh tonnes to states/UTs.

RCAP RESOLUTION: NCLAT CONCLUDES HEARING, RESERVES ORDER OVER LENDERS PLEA

New Delhi: The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Tuesday concluded its hearing and reserved its order over the petition filed by lenders of Reliance Capital seeking a second round of financial bids for the debt-ridden firm, presently going through the insolvency resolution process. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Torrent Investments concluded his arguments and submitted that the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (IBC) intends for maximisation of the value, but the focus should be on the revival of the assets. —PTI

TELCOS' BODY COAI BATS FOR MORE 5G SPECTRUM

New Delhi: Industry body COAI on Tuesday made a strong pitch for setting aside mid band 6GHz spectrum for mobile operators, saying it is critical for proliferation of 5G services, and delicensing it to “use for all” will impact quality and cost of next generation services. Radiowaves in 6GHz is a sweetspot for telecom service providers as current spectrum in the mid band is “woefully short of requirement of telcos”. Also, 6GHz, with its propagation qualities, will be ideal for densely populated areas, specially urban locations. —PTI

WHEAT CROP REACHES VEGETATIVE PHASE IN MP, PARTS OF PUNJAB

New Delhi: Wheat crop has reached the maximum vegetative stage in Madhya Pradesh, parts of Punjab and Haryana, according to the Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC). Whereas in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, wheat crop is yet to reach the maximum vegetative phase due to delay in sowing, it said in its latest report. The life cycle of a wheat plant is divided into three main development phases, namely the vegetative phase, in which leafs and tillers are developed; the reproductive phase, and the grain fill stage. —PTI

USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION IMPROVING ACADEMIC RESULTS: BYJU'S CO-FOUNDER

Gurugram: Penetration of technology in the education sector is giving improved academic results, Divya Gokulnath, Co-Founder of BYJU’s, said on Tuesday. Edtech is an area which has seen growth, especially since Covid-19. The use of technology in education is delivering improved academic results, she said. On the contribution of BYJU’s, she said the ed-tech company has close to 7.5 million paying customers and another 5.5 million students from the remotest part of the country who are being given online learning for free. The Bengaluru-based company provides early learning, middle school education and test preparation, among others. —PTI

44% people want to move into new home

New Delhi (PTI): Nearly 45% of Indian respondents plan to move into a new home over the next two years and most of them, including millennials, want to purchase residential properties instead of renting, acc to a survey.

Based on the survey, property consultant CBRE India released a report ‘Voices from India: How will people live, work and shop in the future?’.

The sample size of the global survey was more than 20,000 people, of which 1,500 were from India across age groups --

Gen Z (Age 18-25), Late Millennials (Age 26-33), Early Millennials (Age 34-41), Gen X (Age 42-57) and Baby

MAJOR FINDINGS

z The survey found that respondents display a stronger intention to move to a new home in the next two years (44% as against 31% in the last two years)

z As per the report, 72% of respondents planning to move in the next two years would prefer to buy a house than rent one

Boomers (Age 58+).

The survey found that respondents display a stronger intention to move

to a new home in the next two years (44% as against 31% in the previous two years).

Cultivate a greater self-worth for happiness, find more meaning, be significant not just successful.

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

‘Constitution supreme, no doubt on SC’s integrity’

HC

First India Bureau

Mumbai: While dismissing a public interest litigation, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday upheld the importance of the Constitution and the Supreme Court.

The Constitution is supreme and sacrosanct, and the apex court’s credibility is sky-high and cannot be eroded or impinged by statements of individuals, it observed. A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice

Sandeep Marne on February 09 dismissed the

on judiciary

PIL filed by the Bombay Lawyers Association (BLA) against Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar over their remarks against the judiciary. They had spoken against the Collegium system related to appointment of Supreme Court and HC judges.

A detailed order of the bench was made available on Tuesday. In its order, the HC said every citizen, including constitutional authorities and persons holding constitutional posts, must respect and abide by the Constitution.

It maintained a PIL is

filed for protection of public interest and ought to be used for redressal of a genuine wrong or injury caused to citizens and it cannot be publicity-oriented.

The lawyers association’s PIL had sought disqualification of Rijiju and Dhankhar from their constitutional

posts on the ground their remarks had shaken the public faith in the SC and the Constitution. The bench, however, noted the credibility of the Supreme Court is sky-high. “Its (SC credibility) cannot be eroded or impinged by the statements of individuals.

The constitutional institutions are to be respected by all, including constitutional authorities and persons holding constitutional posts. They cannot be removed in the manner as suggested by the petitioner. Fair criticism of the judgment is permissible. It is no doubt, fundamental duty of every citizen to abide by the Constitution. Majesty of law has to be respected.

—Bombay High Court

THE CONTROVERSY

The Constitution of India is supreme and sacrosanct. Every citizen of India is bound by the Constitution and is expected to abide by the constitutional values,” the court said in its order.

The high court also took note of the statements of Rijiju and

CM keen to resolve our issues: Pro-tribal org

Thane (PTI): Maha -

rashtra Chief Minis -

ter Eknath Shinde on Tuesday met members of a pro-tribal group and ordered a meeting of its delegation and several government departments on February 26 to look into the concerns of tribals.

The outfit Shramajivi Sanghatana, on behalf of tribal communities settled in districts such as Thane, Palghar and Raigad, has announced a “Akrosh Morcha” protest march to the state secretariat (Mantralaya) in Mumbai on March

01, if their demands are not met.

The inclusion of the mother’s name in government documents, better health care and road infrastructure in forested areas and waiver of electricity bills are among their demands as per Sneha Dubey-Pandit, Presi-

dent of the Shramajivi Sanghatana.

The chief minister is determined to find a peaceful solution to the issues faced by tribal villagers in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, we are continuing to prepare for a protest until their demands are met, she said.

Shah happy after ending Shiv Sena: Ambedkar

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Criticizing

Union Home Minister

Amit Shah, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar on Tuesday said he would be “happy to see Shiv Sena end.”

Ambedkar attended a Dhamma Parishad event organized at Rajgaon on behalf of the All India Bhikkhu Sangh on Tuesday. Addressing the gathering, he said, “The politics of (Prime Minister) Modi and Shah is the politics of hatred. Shah’s face shows happiness that Shiv Sena has been eliminated from the state.”

They have one more enemy, which is Vanchit (VBA), and

Dangerous that those in power trying to end opposition: Patole

they are trying to go after us too. However, I would like to say that many have come and gone, he added, Accusing Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the BJP of trying to ‘buy’ voters, Ambedkar said, “Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and BJP are using language to buy voters with money. Therefore, voters

should take a resolution in each Gram Panchayat and put up a board saying that they should pay Rs50,000 for every vote. On the other hand, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis remains angry that the CM post was taken away from him,” said Ambedkar, whose VBA recently tied up with Sena -UBT.

Mumbai: After Shiv Sena Sanjay Raut’s life attempt aacusations against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s son Shrikant, Conhress state chief Nana Patole has spoken out on “serious allegations against the government.” “It is terrible if the people in power are planning to eliminate the opposition. There was never this kind of politics in Maharashtra before, but now a different kind of politics is being practiced. Therefore, there is a possibility that this situation will take Maharashtra in a different direction,” said the leader. Patole also demanded that the government seriously investigate the cases of MP Sanjay Raut and Congress MLA Ashok Chavan, who recently alleged that he was being spied on. “If there is a plot to kill the leaders in this way, it is not suitable for the politics of Maharashtra. Although both opponents and supporters have expressed their opinion on the matter, Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis should look into it.”

Dhankhar submitted by Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, which said the government has never undermined the authority of the judiciary and its independence will always remain untouched, and that they respect the ideals of the Constitution.

Union Law Minister Rijiju had recently said the Collegium system of appointing judges to higher judiciary was “opaque and not transparent”. Vice-President Dhankhar, who also serves as the Rajya Sabha Chairman, had questioned the landmark 1973 Kesavananda Bharati case verdict that gave the “basic structure” doctrine. The doctrine stipulates that the Constitution has certain basic features that cannot be changed by the Parliament. Dhankhar had said the 50-year-old verdict set a bad precedent.

Elgar Parishad case:

NIA accuses Navlakha of links with ISI agent

Mumbai (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA), while opposing his bail application, told the Bombay High Court that activist Gautam Navlakha, arrested in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, had connections with a Pakistani ISI agent arrested in the US.

The agency, in its affidavit filed in response to Navlakha's plea, also claimed that he had “committed acts that had a direct impact on the national security, unity and sovereignty.”

The NIA lawyer Sandesh Patil informed a division bench of Justices AS Gadkari and PD Naik that it had filed its reply against Navlakha’s plea. The bench said it would hear arguments on the application on February 27. The NIA affidavit alleged that Navlakha had visited the US thrice to speak at the Kashmiri American Council Conference organized by Ghulam Nabi Fai with whom he was in regular contact.

“Ghulam Nabi Fai was arrested by the FBI in July 2011 for accepting

Agency opposes activist’s bail plea over ‘direct impact on national security’

funds from the ISI and Pakistan government....

Navlakha had written a letter to the judge of the US court trying Ghulam Nabi Fai’s case for clemency,” the NIA said.

“Gautam Navlakha was introduced to a Pakistani ISI General for his recruitment by Ghulam Nabi Fai on the direction of the ISI, showing his nexus and complicity with Ghulam Nabi Fai and Pakistani ISI,” the agency further claimed.

The Elgar case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches made at a conclave which the police claimed was backed by Maoists and triggered violence the next day.

asked MPSC to rethink implementation of new syllabus’

In U-turn from his earlier statement, Dy CM Fadnavis backs students’ demand to push proposed change to 2025

First India Bureau

Pune: Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the state government has asked the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) to reconsider its decision to change the syllabus for its exams from this year.

If the commission-

-which holds competitive exams for government jobs--did not reconsider, the government might move a court, he said.

MPSC students are agitating against the commission’s decision to introduce a new syllabus from 2023. They want it deferred till 2025, stating that students are

not prepared enough to tackle the new syllabus.

“MPSC is an autonomous body, and the state government cannot give a direction to it,” he said.

But the commission did respond to the state government’s earlier letter, and informed that after a discussion, its members were of the view that the syllabus be implemented from this year, he said.

Notably, Fadnavis himself had earlier backed the MPSC’s decision, saying that sooner

or later the new syllabus would have to be introduced and there was no point in deferring it.

On Tuesday, he said Chief Minister Eknath Shinde spoke to the MPSC stating that the decision cannot be accepted and apprised it of the disappointment among students.

“We told them that no one is opposed to the new syllabus but the demand is that it should be implemented from 2025. The CM has sent them another letter asking them

to reconsider their decision,” said Fadnavis.

“I am sure they will reconsider, but if they do not, the state government will have to think about options like moving a court because we have to stand by the students,” he said. “We cannot disappoint students as they are our future,” he added.

The MPSC has decided to adopt the descriptive question paper pattern instead of the existing objective one from this year.

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Amid Shiv Sena - UBT leader Sanjay Raut’s allegations against the rival Eknath Shinde camp leaders, state minister Deepak Kesarkar criticized the Rajya Sabha MP and vowed to seek action against him.

At a press meet on Tuesday, Kesarkar said, “An attempt will be made to bring a motion against Raut. Also, the Enforcement Directorate has imposed certain conditions while granting him bail and yet he is still making controversial statements. So, we will file a formal complaint in court, with ED, and the government and demand cancellation of his bail. He is speaking a dirty language, and we will seek action against him.”

When asked about Raut and Nationalist Congress Party’s claims of BJP trying to end the Shiv Sena, Kesarkar commented, “I don’t know about this. But he (Raut) tried to end Shiv Sena with the help of NCP, but could not succeed. We will stay together in alliance (with the BJP). We will not compromise with Congress and NCP under any circumstances.”

Our bow and arrow is Lord Ram’s bow and arrow. We will maintain the sanctity of Balasaheb’s (Thackeray) thoughts. Until now, Uddhav saheb was known as a well-spoken leader. But his tongue also started to slip,” added Kesarkar.

dismisses petition seeking removal of Union Law Min Kiren Rijiju, Vice Prez Jagdeep Dhankar over comments

‘Have

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis —FILE

‘Will seek action against Raut over controversial statements’

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde

Prakash Ambedkar

—FILE PHOTO

MESMERIZING WORK OF ANJU MODI!

City First highlights the outstanding work of the highly acclaimed and multi-faceted designer Anju Modi in the field of reviving age-old Indian crafts and textiles

Oaks Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel, the crowned jewel of Dubai, is set to host one of India’s premier single-day fashion events called Fashion Connect, season 14. Presented by First India News, this No. 1 fashion event is scheduled to take place on March 19, 2023. An experiential show at the forefront of art, design, fashion, and immersive offerings is back with its fourteenth Season.

Asia’s most loved and India’s favourite fashion designer, Anju Modi, will be showcasing her scintillating garments at this year’s Fashion Connect event. Her work takes a more conscious, progressive, inclusive, and interactive approach with her love for

Each dimension of Anju Modi’s personality can be seen in her body of work, which displays the passion and gentleness of an artist. The 32-year-old label’s guiding principles Timeless, Vintage, Handicraft, and

Organic are deeply influenced by the founder’s passion for textiles and Indian craftsmanship.

Anju Modi is a thinker and philosopher who draws inspiration from the subtleties in literature, mythology, architecture, and other forms of art. Each ensemble pays homage to contemporary feminism while also celebrating the cultural history of India.

As she continues to collaborate closely with master artisans and weavers around the nation, her designs are firmly based in textile history, immersed in studies of diverse techniques also promoting sustainable and ethical fashion.

A non-conformist, Anju Modi has pushed the envelope with all of her creative endeavours, including the costumes for Bajirao Mastani and Ram-Leela. Off the screen, legendary Indian performers like Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kangana Ranaut, Kriti Sanon, and many others found their styles in Anju Modi. Her highly acclaimed work for both blockbusters earned her numerous important accolades including Filmfare, Star Guild, IIFA, TOIFA, etc. She has been a custodian of Indian tradition who strived to modernise long-standing customs. The exquisitely created pieces are a strong testament to the brand’s success in promoting craftsmanship.

Fashion Designer Anju Modi

We all find ourselves procrastinating and putting off things on our todo-list for another day. If you find yourself in such a situation, then the 5-minute rule can change your life.

WHAT IS THE 5 MINUTE-RULE?

The five-minute rule is a cognitive-behavioural technique that is designed to overcome procrastination and boost productivity.

The basis of this rule is that all you need to do is commit to spending just five minutes on whatever it is you’re procrastinating, after which you’re free to stop if you want. For most procrastinators, starting is the hardest part. In most cases, people continue to work after the five-minute timer expires, but knowing that they could stop if they wanted to give them that little extra incentive to start something they may have put off.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE 5-MINUTE-RULE?

Here’s a simple way to implement the rule:

Identify and Remove Distractions: The first step is to find out what is distracting you, this can be Instagram or YouTube.

You can also use a website blocker to remove distractions while you work. You just need to commit to the 5-minute rule like you did to your toxic ex.

Set a Timer: Set a timer on your phone or laptop for five minutes.

Start Working for 5 Minutes: When the timer starts, you start working. Give it your all even if you don’t feel like working; after all, you can stop in five minutes if you like.

Assess how you Feel After the Timer Goes

Off: When the timer goes off, see how you feel. The chances are you’ve overcome the most significant

BEAT PROCRASTINATION WITH THE FIVE-MINUTE-RULE

hurdle, which was to start, and now you’re on your way to finishing what you started.

WHAT MAKES THE 5 MINUTE-RULE EFFECTIVE Procrastination is not because of laziness or poor time management skills. In reality, it is a coping mechanism to deal with the negative emotions associated with a task. Whether it’s insecurity, anxiety, resentment, or boredom, we try to avoid these negative emotions for as long as possible. That’s where our buddy procrastination comes in. Our brains try to protect us in strange ways sometimes.

By procrastinating, we avoid the negative feelings now, even though we know the stress will be worse later on. We really weren’t designed to think ahead into the future because we needed to focus on providing for ourselves in the here and now.

As we evolved, our ancestors needed to focus on the ‘here and now.’ We still follow those same ideas. When we put a task off, we trick our brains into thinking that it is someone else’s problem. This way, we can feel stress-free right now. If we ever want to stop procrastinating, we have to understand these fundamental feelings that we all share.

By using the 5-minute rule, we relieve some of the stress expected from the task. A 5-minute burst of activity is a lot less daunting. We don’t want to feel stressed for an hour, but we can rush through 5 minutes of the activity before we feel stressed. Additionally, we get the satisfaction of completing a task.

OTHER WAYS TO BEAT PROCRASTINATION

If the 5-minute rule didn’t work for you, don’t fret. There are other ways to tackle procrastination.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Procrastination is the act of unnecessarily postponing decisions or actions.

• The 5-minute rule says to just do 5 minutes of the task you’ve been putting off, and if you want, you can stop after 5 minutes.

• Usually, people find starting the task the most challenging part and often will continue to do the task after 5 minutes and complete it.

Imagine How Great You’d Feel After the Task is Over: There have been studies which show that people are more likely to save for their future retirement if they’re shown digitally aged photographs of themselves. This is because it makes their future self feel more real, making the future benefits of saving also feel heavier. When we paint a vivid image of how satisfied we would be after doing

the task we’ve been putting off, it can be enough to give us just the push we need.

Pre-committing in Front of Other People: Telling someone that we’re going to get something done can amplify the appeal of actually taking action. This could be because our brain’s reward

system is so highly responsive to our social standing. Research has found that it matters greatly to us whether we’re respected by others or even by strangers. Most of us don’t want to look foolish or lazy to other people.

Confront the Downside of Inaction : While we

might weigh the pros and cons of doing something new, we far less often consider the pros and cons of not doing that task. Known as omission bias, this often leads us to ignore some obvious benefits of getting stuff done. For example, you’re repeatedly putting off studying for that test. You’re tempted by more exciting tasks, so you tell yourself you can do it tomorrow. But force yourself to think about the downside of putting it off, and you realize that tomorrow will be too late to cover the syllabus. If you get moving now, you have half a chance of covering all the portions, so this enables you to get going now.

Make the First Step: Sometimes we’re just daunted by the task we’re avoiding. The trick is to break down big tasks into baby steps that don’t feel as though they take as much effort. An even more foolproof way is to identify the very smallest first step, something that’s so easy that even your present-biased brain can see that the

benefits outweigh the costs of effort.

Treat Yourself to Taking the First Step: We can make the cost of effort feel even smaller if we link that small step to something we’re actually looking forward to doing. In other words, tie the task that we’re avoiding to something that we’re not avoiding. Remove the hidden blockage in your Mind: Sometimes we find ourselves returning to a task repeatedly, still unwilling to take the first step. We can easily identify what is blocking our minds from starting that task. Ask yourself why it is so and try to overcome it. The next time you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by your inability to get important tasks done, be kind to yourself. Recognize that your brain needs help if it’s going to be less shortsighted. Try taking at least one step to make the benefits of action stay larger, and one to make the costs of action feel smaller. Your neverending to-do list will be grateful.

Heartbreaking BREAKUP

Rihanna, in the present day, is in a good place personally and professionally.

The pop titan just celebrated her 35th birthday on Tuesday, February 20, 2023. Earlier this month, she returned to the stage after a gap of 7 years, with a terrific comeback performance at the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime show. Rihanna broke the in ternet with her Super Bowl gig, having dis played her baby bump and revealing her second pregnancy just 9 months after the birth of her first child with beau A$AP Rocky. However, there was a time, not too long ago, when the Umbrella singer was go ing through a major heartbreak after break ing up with her then-boyfriend of three years, Hassan Jameel. But what led to their split? Rihanna and Saudi billionaire busi nessman Hassan Jameel were together from 2017 to 2020. However, the duo parted ways in 2020. As per PEOPLE magazine, Rihanna and Hassan Jameel split because they were not a ‘good match’ in the long term.

Wedding version of Ranjha

Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani are the latest Bollywood couples to get married. These two recently got hitched on Feb ruary 7 at Jaisalmer’s Sury agarh Palace. Their wedding pictures looked straight out of a fairytale. Well, the Shershaah couple released their wedding vid eo recently and indeed it was one of the best videos we have seen in a long time. In the video, we saw Kiara walking down the aisle to the popular song from Shershaah, Ranjha. But the lyrics of the song were rewritten for the couple to fit the situation. That song became so popular that on Tuesday it was officially released on YouTube. Sony Music India officially released the new version of Ranjha on their YouTube channel. This version is called the Sid x Kiara version. Be it the lyrics of the song or the beats, everything hits differently every time you hear the song.

CAKE DROPPED

Apost which Nick spoke about his Valentine’s Day plans with daughter Malti Marie, during an interview backHe revealed buying a cake for her, which he accidentally dropped at the store.

Nick told Extra how he and Priyanka celebrated Valentine’s Day 2023, and that he went to buy a cake for their one-year-old daughter Malti Marie Chopra

Jonas. He shared that he accidentally dropped the cake at the grocery store. “I went and bought a cake for my daughter. On the way out of the door of the grocery store, I dropped it. So, I had to go and get a different one. But the person (at the store) was so nice, he just gave me a new cake. (That is what) Valentine’s Day is all about – giving back,” said Nick.

SEXY WORKOUT

South and Bollywood beauty Tamannaah Bhatia has time and again proved that fitness has become a priority and she ensures to be regular at it. She is an avid fitness freak and makes sure to work out every day. Today, the actress shared a glimpse of an intense workout session and it serves major fitness goals.

Tamannaah Bhatia took to Instagram and shared a sneak peek vid-

SHOW ME THE THUMKA

eo as she began her morning intense workout session. The actress is shelling out major fitness inspo and is also reminding us to get out of bed and sweat it. The actress is seen performing cardio, pull-ups, and lifting weights in the intense workout session.

Rajasthan is very close to my heart: Mahendra Dhariwal

about his upcoming music albums with City First.

What are your upcoming projects?

also be aired including Sunny Leone’s film, Lucky on Zee 5.

spreading words and creat ing buzz about the movie.

SHUBHANSHI PATHAK

cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, ace producer-director Mahendra Dhariwal has been working for 30 years, but he has always been attached to Rajasthan on one pretext or the other. Dhariwal keeps looking for an excuse to visit Rajasthan.

The memories of Rajasthan are very close to his heart, Dhariwal who has given many superhit famous films in Bollywood, is currently in Rajasthan

attending Vaibhav Kochhar’s family function. During his visit, he shared his valuable experience as a producer and also discussed

I am visiting Rajasthan to shoot my two music albums. One of the albums star ace actor Pratik Sehajpal, who was also part of the biggest reality show Bigg Boss. We will shoot the video for a day in Jaipur and then we’ll travel to Kishangarh. My web series is going to be released soon. Next month I will launch my OTT platform, Tadka. Several other projects will

People keep boycotting movies without even watching them. What are your views regarding it?

Yes, I don’t know what has happened to our society, without even considering anyone’s efforts and creative vision, people have started boycotting everything, it has become a trend but if seen from the positive side then we can say that negative promotion is also a promotion, and somehow it has helped us in

These days Ott plat forms are becoming more famous and pro ducers are investing a lot of money in Ott shows, what do you think about the current Ott trend?

I must say Ott is a great platform it has many benefits, and is quite popular among youth, as it can easily be accessed through audio-visual devices with a good storyline series.

Priyanka Chopra

Rihana

Tamannaah Bhatia

Kiara Advani

Shraddha Kapoor

Mahendra Dhariwal, Disha Gupta and Pratik Sehajpal

Her post...

Disha Gupta

CELEBS GRACE THE DADASAHEB PHALKE FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS 23

The Dadasaheb

Phalke Film Festival Awards happened in the city last night it is touted to be one of the most prestigious awards which honour talents from every field and language irrespective of their reach. The Awards saw celebrities from Bollywood, TV and the South gracing the red carpet.

From Alia Bhatt and Rekha to Rishab Shetty, Tejasswi Prakash added stars and glamour to the red carpet of the Dadasaheb Phalke

Awards 2023.

The awards concluded with The Kashmir Files winning the Best Film award and Anupam Kher taking the Most Versatile Actor Of The Year award for the film. Alia Bhatt not just received her Best Actress award for Gangubai Kathiawadi but also received her husband Ranbir Kapoor’s Best Actor award for

Taha Shah Badussha on working with Naseeruddin Shah

Recently the trailer of the much ambitious magnum opus Taj-Divided by blood featuring an ensemble cast of actors including Naseeruddin Shah, Dharmendra, Aditi Rao Hyadri and Taha Shah Badussha amongst others was launched, receiving a roaring response from the netizens.

Unveiling the unknown details of the Mughal empire under the rule of Akbar the great, Taj- Divided by Blood features promising actor Taha Shah Badussha playing Murad, the second son of Akbar, played by Naseeruddin Shah.

Stating his enriching experience of shooting with Naseeruddin Shah, Taha Shah Badussha said, “I feel fortunate to be able to share screen space for a pivotal role like Murad along with the legendary actor Naseeruddin Shah for Taj-Divided by

blood. While he played my on-screen father, Naseer sir was an absolute delight to work with offscreen as well. It was a learning experience of a lifetime to take tips about the craft while working with him. Despite being such a veteran performer, Naseer sir amazed me with his approach towards the script, the analysis and the amount of work he puts in for a project, even after years of an illustrious career such as his, he is always reading his scripts akin

to a newcomer, striving to make each scene better, and it was an absolutely humbling experience to watch. Not only does he share his input towards the script but also encourages thoughts and ideas from his coactors, no matter how new or established they are, which inspired me. We would chat about our scenes, acting styles, the process of acting and his experiences over the years, which not only facilitated my growth as an

actor but also as a person.”

Narrating the experience of shooting for a particular scene, Taha added, “We were shooting one of our most intense scenes together and I was extremely excited about it, he slaps me in the scene and I felt grateful to be even hit by him as a part of the script, that’s how much of a fan I am and I feel blessed to be working with him.”

Slipping into the challenging role, Taha Shah Badusssha underwent immense training and preparation for his role. From learning horse riding, and sword fighting to training in using an axe amongst others, Taha also took diction lessons to ace his Urdu enunciations, in addition to shooting with heavy armour and costumes on grand sets.

Releasing on 3rd March, Taj- Divided by blood starts streaming on Zee 5.

Brahmastra on his behalf.

Actor-filmmaker Rishab Shetty was awarded the Most Promising Actor award for his Kannada film Kantara. Varun Dhawan too won the Critics Best Actor award for his film Bhediya. In the television category, Rupali Ganguly-starter Anupamaa won the Television Series of

The Year award at the festival. Veteran actor Rekha was honoured with an award for her ‘Outstanding Contribution In The Film Industry’.

The Dada Saheb Phalke awards recognise and appreciate the best performances of the year across a variety of categories as a way to honour his exemplary contributions.

JEH ALI KHAN TURNS 2

Portraying one of the most pivotal and impactful characters of the show, Zeyn Shaw is receiving praises for his effortless performance as the rich, spoilt brat from Delhi, who is ex-

posed to emotions and circumstances revolving around power struggles, class, caste and dark secrets of the elite, rich dynasties of Delhi.

Making his debut with Netflix’s show, Zeyn Shaw has also received a thumbs up from Salman Khan himself, as the Superstar gave a shoutout to the young actor for his first on screen appearance.

When asked about his journey he said, “I did my schooling at a board ing school in Singapore.

While I was in school, I participated in an an nual theatre showcase in first grade, following which he developed an interest in acting. Soon after completing my un dergraduate degree, I moved to New York to pursue a course in act ing. In New York, I often

Jehangir Ali Khan, son of actor-couple Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, clocked his second birthday on Tuesday. As The cute little munchkin turns two today Kareena can’t keep calm. To mark the day, the actress has shared a set of neverseen-before pictures of herself and “Jeh baba” on Instagram.

As Kareena posted some grumpy, cute pictures with him and

penned a heartfelt note to wish her son. Now, Kareena’s sister Karisma has also showered love on her nephew, while Bebo’s BFF

Amrita Arora shared a precious picture of Kareena with Jeh. Saif’s sister Saba Ali Khan wished Jeh too, and posted

some unmissable pictures! In Kareena’s post, The first picture shows Jehangir Ali Khan crying as a team member is trying to lift him up from the actress’ lap. In the next picture, we can see Jeh frowning. Sharing Jeh’s grumpy pictures, Kareena wrote, “Doesn’t want to leave my lap... this situation will soon reverse. I love you with all my heart and soul, my Jeh baba! Happy Birthday, son.

tially, I attended multiple acting auditions; however, he got rejected owing to his fair complexion. It actually started with a lot of rejections. I was studying at a film school in New York. I

spent about a year doing 50–60 improv shows and moved to Mumbai in 2018. People used to reject me while auditioning since I have a fair complexion. After countless rejections, the audition for Class came to me during the pandemic. They liked me and took my screen test with the locked cast. I got the role in October 2020. I am literally a pandemic actor.”

Then finally, in 2023, I got a role in the Netflix series Class, an adept of the Spanish TV series Elite.

When asked about his creative process, Zeyn said, “Before working in the drama series, he had never acted before a camera. I was terrified since Class was my first ever experience in front of the camera. I haven’t even done an ad before. When I walked out to the sets, I freaked out seeing so many people around and big cameras, but I became comfortable within four-five days of the shoot. I was blessed to have a director, who kind of helped me a lot.”

ASHISH TIWARI cityfirst.mumbai@firstindia.co.in

UTTKARSHA SHEKHAR cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

I was rejected because of my fair complexion: ZEYN

Rupali Ganguly with her son

Tejasswi Prakash

Rashami Desai

Anupam Kher Varun Dhawan

Alia Bhatt and Rekha Vidya Balan

Kareena Kapoor Khan

Her post...

Taha Shah Badussha and Naseeruddin Shah

Zeyn Shaw