First India-Mumbai Edition-25th February 2023

BIDEN’S PICK BANGA FOR WORLD BANK SLAMMED

Washington: Groups that long advocated for a change in the World Bank leadership decried the Biden administration’s pick of an ex-Wall Street executive Ajay Banga as more of the same at the anti-poverty lender.

UN: INDIA SKIPS VOTE ON UKRAINE “INDIA TO BE WORLD’S 3rd ECONOMY”

New York: India has abstained from voting on resolution in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on the need to reach comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine. P6

Kolkata: India will become the third largest economy in the world in the next few years, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh claimed on Friday during an event in Kolkata. P5

OLAF SCHOLZ ON 2-DAY VISIT TO INDIA FROM TODAY

New Delhi: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and PM Narendra Modi will hold comprehensive talks on Saturday covering the Ukraine conflict, situation in the IndoPacific and ways to boost bilateral ties. P5

COUNTRY IS SAYING…. “MODI TERA KAMAL KHILEGA”

PM Modi lambasts Cong’s ‘Kabar Khudegi’ slogan

Ahead of Meghalaya elections, PM Narendra Modi holds a roadshow in Shillong

Shillong (ANI): Coming down heavily on Congress for raising slogan ‘Modi teri kabar khudegi’ (Modi, your grave would be dug), PM Narendra Modi on Friday said the country and people are saying “Modi Tera Kamal Khilega” (Modi, your lotus will bloom). Retorting to the Congress’ remarks, the PM said that the country will give a “befitting reply” to the people with offensive thinking and language. Modi said, “The people of Meghalaya and Nagaland will also give a reply.” Meghalaya and Nagaland will go to Assembly polls on February 27. P5

Days after EC setback, AAP’s Kejriwal, Mann meet Uddhav

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Delhi

CM Arvind Kejriwal on Friday met Uddhav Thackeray at the latter’s residence in Bandra. Kejriwal was accompanied by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Rajya Sabha MPs Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha during the visit to ‘Matoshree’.

The meeting assumes significance as the Election Commission had recently allotted the ‘Shiv Sena’ name and ‘bow and arrow’ symbol to the faction headed by Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde. AAP has said it would contest BMC polls.

Unsustainable debts threatening many countries: PM Modi

Bengaluru (ANI): Highlighting unsustainable debt levels affecting the viability of many countries and the erosion of trust in international financial institutions, PM Narendra Modi on Friday urged the leading economies and monetary systems of the world to bring back stability, confidence and growth to the global economy. He virtually addressed Finance Ministers & Central Bank Governors first meeting under India’s G20 Presidency. P6

Will follow Khera matter to logical end, says Sarma

Guwahati (ANI): Assam

Chief Minister Himanta

NORTHEAST PUNISHING CONGRESS FOR ITS SINS: PM MODI IN NAGALAND

Dimapur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday attacked the previous Congress governments stating that they considered all states in the Northeast as ATMs and added that the entire region is now “punishing” the grand old party for its “sins”. The Prime Minister also lauded the work done by the BJP government at the Centre and said that it has changed the political thinking for the northeast.

NORTHEAST REGION IS STRONG PILLAR OF ACT EAST POLICY: PRIME MINISTER

Shillong: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the northeast is a strong pillar of the Act East Policy and Meghalaya along with the entire region has a strong prospect of trade and tourism. He made the remarks while addressing his first election rally in Shillong ahead of the February 27 Assembly polls in Meghalaya. The Prime Minister said that with the initiative of the NDA government, the fortune of the northeast has been changing rapidly.

PM SAYS IN NAGALAND

—PHOTO BY ANI

“DIGITAL PAYMENTS

RADICALLY BOOSTED”

Bengaluru (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India’s digital payments ecosystem has radically transformed governance, financial inclusion and ease of living in the country.

“INT’L MARKETS TO BE IN FARMERS’ REACH”

New Delhi: Emphasizing on Centre’s thrust on the agriculture sector, PM Narendra Modi on Friday said the government working towards making domestic and international markets accessible to the farmers.

Biswa Sarma on Friday hoped that after Congress leader Pawan Khera tendered an “unconditional apology” in the Supreme Court for his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, no one will use “uncivilized language in political discourse hereafter”. The Chief Minister, however, added that the Assam Police will take the case to its “logical end”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi being felicitated during a public rally ahead of Meghalaya Legislative Assembly elections, at Tura in West Garo Hills district, on Friday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to the supporters during a roadshow ahead of the Meghalaya Assembly elections, in Shillong on Friday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

l Our mantra of ‘peace, progress, prosperity’ for Nagaland is reason behind people’s increasing trust in the BJP

l ‘Congress remotecontrolled Northeast from

Delhi, used like an ATM’

l The BJP considers the eight states of the region as ‘Ashtalakshmi’ (eight forms of Goddess Lakshmi) and is working for its peace and development

Mid-term polls? No, says Pawar

First India Bureau

Pune: Hearing is going on in the Supreme Court for the last few days regarding the power struggle in the state. The disqualification case of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs is also pending. Speaking in this background, Uddhav Thackeray expressed the possibility of mid-term elections in the state. As a result of this the political temperature in maharashtra rose consider-

ably, however, now NCP Chief Sharad Pawar has reflected on the matter and Pawar somehow deflated the

statements of Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut.

Sharad Pawar said, “I do not know on what basis Uddhav Thackeray made this statement. But I don’t think there will be mid-term elections now.”

Meanwhile, after Pawar’s statement, discussion has started once again in political circles. It is said that often the opposite happens when Sharad Pawar speaks, in such a situation Sharad Pawar’s re-

Nadda trashes past crop insurance schemes

action is becoming a topic of discussion. Moreover, Industries Minister Uday Samant has also denied a possibility of mid-term polls and said, “Majority is important in a democracy and in forming a cabinet. We have repeatedly said that 170 MLAs are with us. 15 to 20 more people are in contact with us. We will know about it in the next day or two. Therefore, there is no possibility of midterm elections.”

Kapil Sharma

Hanumangarh: BJP

with the Centre’s Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. He was addressing a farmers’ gathering convened by a Sikh organisation here. “The crop insurance scheme was there earlier also, but the farmers used to get cheated in the name of it.... They were tricked,” Nadda said. BJP chief JP Nadda in Hanumangarh on Friday.

chief JP Nadda on Friday said the farmers were cheated in the name of crop insurance scheme in the past. He said more than 11 crore farmers, including 77 lakh from Rajasthan, are currently associated

SPILLING THE BEANS

Uddhav offered CM’s chair, I declined: Devendra Fadnavis

The time to join hands with Uddhav Thackeray has passed, says BJP leader

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra - Devendra Fadnavis - had recently created a political storm when he claimed that Sharad Pawar had given his consent about forming BJP-NCP government with Ajit Pawar as deputy CM. However, on Friday, Fadnavis made another surprising rev-

elation and claimed that during Eknath Shinde faction’s rebellion, Uddhav Thackeray spoke with him and offered the CM’s chair.

When Mahavikas Aghadi was being established, Eknath Shinde’s life started suffocating from day one. He could see the party going awry in front of him. Uddhavji was in no mood to listen then.

Eknath Shinde rebelled and Uddhav ji contacted me when he came out,” Fadnavis said. “He (Uddhav) was

batting both ways for a long time. I do not know whether he was actually on our side or on the side of Mahavikas

Aghadi. But slowly we realized that he only wanted to spend five years with Congress NCP,” the deputy CM said.

Interestingly, on the question that when Eknath Shinde left with the MLAs via Surat, Uddhav Thackeray contacted him, Fadnavis said, “The contact had already taken place. Even after that it (rebellion) happened. But at that time I replied that we have gone too far. At that time I was also told that

now you (Fadnavis) become the Chief Minister. At that time I had made it clear that that time had passed. We cannot silence those who have come with us. When Eknath Shinde and other MLAs came out and approached us, I replied that there was no question of us slapping them and if you have anything else, talk in Delhi.”

Fadnavis claimed that when MVA government was in power, Uddhav did not miss a single opportunity to criticize

him. “He insulted me by stooping to the lowest level with his social media team. Some developments and conspiracies took place to remove me and my family from political life, so I got very angry. So it was said that I took revenge. But many people advised me not to use this word. I also felt that this word is not appropriate to use so I did not use it,” he said, further adding, “Now the time to join hands with Uddhav Thackeray has passed.”

Aditi Nagar & Yogesh Sharma Nava Raipur: The Congress Steering Committee unanimously decided on Friday not to hold the CWC polls and authorised party chief Mallikarjun Kharge to nominate its members. The party also proposed an amendment to its constitution to include the former Congress PMs and former AICC chiefs as permanent members of the CWC, a move that would ensure the automatic inclusion of Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the party’s highest decisionmaking body.

Sharad Pawar —FILE PHOTO

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis —FILE PHOTO

Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal Bhupesh Baghel arrive to attend the 85th Plenary Session of the INC, in Raipur on Friday. —PHOTO BY PTI

PM Modi virtually addresses at the 1st Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting on Friday.

COMMUNAL COLOUR EVIDENT WHEN BJP IS NOT CONFIDENT’

Saffron party trying to divert people’s attention, ahead of polls, feels NCP supremo

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)

chief Sharad Pawar on Friday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gives a communal colour to the political discourse when it is not confident of winning. His remarks come ahead of the Kasba Peth and Chinchwad Assembly by-elections in Pune district.

Talking to reporters here, the senior NCP leader said it is not new for the BJP to divert attention towards communal issues if it is not confident of a victory.

Bypolls to the Kasba Peth and Chinchwad constituencies, scheduled to be held on February 26, were necessitated following the death of BJP legislators Mukta Tilak and Laxman Jagtap respectively.

In Kasba Peth, Congress’ Ravindra Dhangekar faces BJP’s Hemant Rasane, while NCP’s Nana Kate will take on BJP’s Ashwini Jagtap in Chinchwad.

39 INJURED AFTER BUS OVERTURNS WHILE RETURNING FROM PILGRIMAGE

Nashik: Thirty-nine persons were injured after their bus overturned in Nashik district on Friday, a police official said. The incident took place at 5.30pm near Sendripada Phata in Kharpadi Ghat when the bus was returning from Trimbakeshwar carrying 45 pilgrims from Gujarat, he said. “The pilgrims were returning after praying at Trimbakeshwar Temple,” he said. “The bus driver lost control of the vehicle. A major incident was averted as the bus overturned and stalled near a teak tree,” he added.

HINDU

BRIGHT MINDS

DIVERSION

NCP chief Sharad Pawar also responded to claims about his role in the short-lived government of party leader Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis after 2019 state Assembly polls. He said that they are an attempt by the government to deflect attention as it “doesn’t have anything to show in terms of development”.

Dhangekar and Kate are backed by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comprising the Uddhav Thackeray camp of the Shiv Sena, the Congress and the NCP.

Pawar alleged that the Eknath Shinde-BJP ruling alliance is spending huge money for the bypolls.

Asked about BJP leaders’ comments that he wanted an alliance with the saffron party, but not Devendra Fadnavis as

CRUCIAL READ

the chief minister, the veteran politician said, “I don’t think everyone in the BJP is likeable. I don’t think they want me in their alliance. So, all statements being made about me by BJP leaders are childish.”

The NCP chief said claims about his role in the short-lived 2019 government of Ajit Pawar and Fadnavis are an attempt to deflect attention as it “doesn’t have anything to show in terms of

ST COMMISSION ISSUES WARRANT AGAINST CHANDRAPUR COLLECTOR

Nagpur: The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has issued an arrest warrant against the collector of Chandrapur district in eastern Maharashtra for failing to respond to a summons. The NCST in a letter to the Director General of Police, stated that the collector was issued a summons on February 1, but he failed to appear before it. The case in which collector was asked to remain present related to a complaint filed by Vinod Khobragade alleging illegal encroachment of tribal land in Kusumbi village in Rajura tehsil, it said.

WESTERN RAILWAY SHIFTS TO 100% DIGITAL TICKET BOOKING ON THE GO

Mumbai: The Western Railway has transitioned to the use of hand-held terminals on all trains in order to create a more eco-friendly and digital India. This shift will provide a faster, more accurate way of ticket checking. This paperless facility will help travelling ticket examiners (TTEs) get real-time information about accommodation status en route and enable them to book tickets online on trains that have a remote location facility. It refers to an arrangement where portions of the seats are earmarked for intermediate stations falling on the train’s route.

JAN AKROSH RALLY TO BE VIDEOGRAPHED: APEX

Navi Mumbai: The Supreme Court has ordered that a Hindu Jan Akrosh rally to be held in Vashi on February 26, be recorded on video. Demonstrators plan to protest against cow slaughter, Love Jihad

and religious conversions.

After Tushar Gandhi, President of the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation, sought preventive measures for the rally, Navi Mumbai Commissioner of Police Milind Bharambe

COURT

announced the decision for video-shooting. Gandhi wrote a letter to rally organizers and requested them to follow the apex court’s directives regarding rallies, as they can cause unrest in communities.

development.”

Responding to allegations that he had made a communal statement during his party’s campaign for bypolls, Pawar said, “What is wrong in appealing to voters to come out and vote from wherever they are? It is okay to take objection if nonvoters are asked to come and vote. Taking objection to such a speech is like giving it a communal colour,” he said.

What is wrong in appealing to voters to come out and vote from wherever they are? It is okay to take objection if non-voters are asked to come and vote. Taking objection to such a speech is like giving it a communal colour.

—Sharad Pawar, NCP chief

AT 25TH CONVOCATION OF RTMU

Gadkari supports for region-based research for socio-economic change

First India Bureau

Aurangabad: Regionbased research will bring socio-economic change in society, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday at the 25th convocation ceremony of the Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University in Nanded.

Stressing that being cultured was as important as getting an education, he cited the modesty of film superstar Amitabh Bachchan who took time out once during a programme to speak with two school students eager to meet him.

“I was with Amitabh Bachchan at the time. The way he respected the two school students,

FOOT IN MOUTH

I learned from him. Being meritorious and being a good person are equally important. Getting accepted as a good person is greater than any degree,” he said.

“Region-based research will bring socioeconomic change in society. Socio economic

development and change in the lives of the poor must be brought about by education,” he asserted. He also told the collegians his plans to become an engineer collapsed after he jumped into the movement led by political stalwart

Raut causing more harm than good

heavy political price by not taking action against Raut, despite the huge damage he continues to inflict.

First India Bureau

Mumbai: With party leader Sanjay Raut embroiled in yet another controversy over his ‘supari’ allegations against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s son, there is near a consensus within Shiv Sena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction that the MP has caused serious damage to the organization.

Recently, the 61-yearold politician accused Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde of giving a mur-

der contract to a history-sheeter, without providing any evidence. It is not the first time that Raut has made highly controversial statements.

Most recently, Raut had alleged that Rs2,000 crore had been ‘paid’ to get Shinde faction rec-

ognized as the ‘real’ Shiv Sena and for the bow and arrow poll symbol. The Sena leader even promised to produce evidence supporting his allegation but failed to do so.

Many Uddhav Thackeray supporters feel that he is paying a

According to sources, Raut is useful to Uddhav as a conduit between him and NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Though there is a perception that Raut is being used by Pawar to influence Uddhav.

It is learnt that Raut does not share the same chemistry with Aaditya Thackeray as with Uddhav. “Given the widespread nature of resentment against Sanjay Raut within our party, I won’t be in the least surprised if he is politically downsized in the near future,” a top Sena source observed.

Students display their creations at a science and technology exhibition organized at the ongoing Technovanza 2022-23 fest at Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute in Matunga area of Mumbai on Friday. The fest will culminate on February 26.

Jayaprakash Narayan (to get rid of Emergency between 1975-77) and ended up with a lowly 52%. Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais said Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University had taken several initiatives to connect to society.

“The new education policy (NEP) encourages research. There is a need to maintain a balance between the welfare of humanity and advanced education,” Bais said.

Gadkari and former Maharashtra education minister Kamalkishor Kadam were conferred honorary Doctor of Literature (D.Litt) degrees by the University on the occasion as well.

to Uddhav?

Another defamation case filed over ‘threat to life’ allegation

First India Bureau Mumbai: Yet another case of defamation was registered against Shiv Sena - UBT leader Sanjay Raut in the Beed district for his allegations of threat to his life from Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s son Shrikant Shinde, an official said on Friday. The case was filed based on a complaint lodged by Shiv Sena’s Beed district unit chief on Thursday, he said.

This is the second such FIR registered against Raut in connec-

tion with his allegation after a similar case was filed at Kapurbawdi police station in Thane on Wednesday night.

On the basis of the complaint lodged at Beed, an FIR was regis-

tered against the leader under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 153(A), 500 and 501, 504 and others, the official said adding that police are investigating the claims of both the parties involved.

Raut had alleged a threat to life from MP Shrikant Shinde. “Lok Sabha member Shrikant Shinde 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,” he wrote in a letter.

First India Bureau Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Friday accepted that the health condition of Nawab Malik, leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, was serious and agreed to hear his bail application on merits from the next week.

Malik was apprehended on February 23, 2022, by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged property transactions linked to fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his associates, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Last year, Malik petitioned the High Court for bail on medical and legal grounds. Justice MS Karnik had requested that Malik’s lawyers must demonstrate that his health condition was serious. After some discussion with Malik’s counsel Amit Desai, Justice Karnik approved that Malik was indeed suffering from a serious medical condition.

Making statements without providing any evidence has been the norm for the Rajya Sabha MP

Shiv Sena - UBT leader Sanjay Raut —FILE PHOTO

Union minister Nitin Gadkari —FILE PHOTO

Malik’s health condition serious; HC to hear bail plea

Nawab Malik

NCP President Sharad Pawar

—PHOTOS BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

Sanjay Raut —FILE PHOTO

‘net profit’ for 512 kg onions

Deduction of labour, weighing, transportation & other charges leave paltry sum for Solapur agri worker

First India Bureau

Pune:

It was a rude shock for a Solapur farmer when he ‘earned’ a profit of merely Rs2.49 against the sale of 512 kg onions to a trader in the district.

The farmer, 63-yearold Rajendra Chavan who resides in Barshi tehsil of Solapur, said his onion yield fetched a price of Rs1 per kg at the Solapur market yard. He added that he received the paltry sum after all the deductions last week.

Talking to PTI, Chavan said, “I had sent 10 bags of onions weighing more than five quintals to an onion trader in Solapur for sale. But after deducting charges

towards loading, transport, labour and others, I received a net profit of just Rs2.49 from him.”

The rate the trader offered to me was Rs100 per quintal. The overall weight of the crop was 512 kg and the total price he got for the produce was Rs512, he said. “After deductions worth Rs509.51 against labour, weighing, transportation and other charges, I received a net profit of Rs2.49. This is an insult to me and other onion-growers in the state. If we get

CRUCIAL READ

BANNED TOBACCO PRODUCTS WORTH `74 LAKH SEIZED

3 KILLED AS CAR VEERS OFF H’WAY, TURNS TURTLE

such returns, how will we survive?” he asked.

He said the onion farmers need to get a good price for the crop and the affected farmers get compensation.

While Chavan claimed that the produce was of good qual-

ity, the trader said it was low grade. “The farmer had brought only 10 bags and the produce was also of low grade. That is why he received the Rs100 per quintal rate. So after all the deductions, he got Rs2 as net profit,” the trader said.

He added that the same farmer had received good returns in the recent past by selling more than 400 bags to me. “This time he brought the remaining produce that was hardly 10 bags and since the prices have gone down, he got this rate,” he said.

Try to amicably resolve issues over children, HC tells Nawazuddin

First India Bureau

Thane: In separate operations, the police have seized gutka and other banned tobacco products collectively worth nearly Rs74 lakh from three vehicles at Turbhe in Navi Mumbai, and have arrested three persons, an official said. “Gutka and other banned tobacco products worth Rs73.78 lakh were seized from three vehicles on these two days,” said police.

Mumbai: Three persons were killed and one was left injured after the car they were travelling in veered off the road and flipped over three times in the Pune district in the early hours of Friday, an official said. Three members of a family from Latur district were on their way to Pune when they met with the accident around 3.20 am, the official said.

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Friday advised actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his estranged wife to try to amicably resolve their differences pertaining to their two minor children.

Siddiqui has moved HC with a habeas corpus (produce the person) petition seeking direction to his estranged wife Zainab to reveal the whereabouts of their children, a

Nawazuddin Siddiqui

12-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old son.

A division bench of Justice AS Gadkari and Justice PD Naik asked the actor and his wife to speak and try to resolve their differences over the children.

After deductions worth `509.51 against labour, weighing, transportation and other charges, I received a net profit of `2.49. This is an insult to me and other onion-growers in the state. If we get such returns, how will we survive?

—Rajendra Chavan, Farmer

STORAGE ISSUES

According to farmers leader and former MP Raju Shetti, onion hitting the market now is a ‘kharip’ produce and cannot be stored for a long time. “This onion needs to be sold in the market immediately and exported out. But due to glut, the prices of onions have nosedived in the market,” he said. He added that this onion is not being purchased by NAFED, so the government should make the market available for this ‘kharif’ onion. The government should buy this onion or give subsidies to farmers, he said.

Dozen cows die of suspected acidosis

First India Bureau

Pune: A total of 12 cows have died of suspected acidosis, a metabolic disease, at a “goshala” or cow shelter at the Kaneri Math in Kolhapur district, an official said on Friday. “Of the 12 cows, three died yesterday (Thursday) and 9 died today. Twelve more cows are currently being treated and they are stable,” said an official from the state Animal Husbandry Department.

Kaneri Math is the highest seat of the Kadsiddheshwar tradition. and its goshala has more than 1,000 bovine animals. The official said a team of veterinary doctors is treating the cows at the spiritual centre. Acidosis, the official said, is a kind of food poisoning and is caused by the consumption of cooked food such

FRESH PRODUCE

as dry rotis. It is characterized by too much acid in body fluids.

“The cattle are not used to consuming cooked food and it is possible that the cows might have been fed with such food inadvertently,” he said. The Shree Kshetra Siddhagiri Mahasansthan of Kaneri Math at Karveer tehsil is currently organizing a 7-day programme “Sumangal Panchmahabhoot Lokotsav” that began on February 20. It was inaugurated by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

“He (Siddiqui) is only concerned about his children and their education. Speak with each other and settle the communication and visitation rights between the father and children. If it can be worked out then good... settle the matter amicably...resolve the issues,” said the court.

Advocate Pradeep Thorat, appearing for Siddiqui, told the court that the actor was unaware of the whereabouts of his children.

2

FOR RUNNING FLESH TRADE OP FROM THANE MASSAGE PARLOUR

Thane: Police have arrested two persons for allegedly running a flesh trade operation from a massage parlour in Thane district and rescued a woman and a minor girl, an official said on Friday. Following inputs about a prostitution racket, the police sent a decoy customer to the massage centre at Naya Nagar area, on the outskirts of Mumbai, said the official. After being alerted by the decoy, a police team raided the premises and rescued a woman and a minor girl, said Sameer Ahirrao of Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar police.

MAN GETS 10 YRS FOR SEXUALLY ABUSING CHILD

Thane: A special court here has sentenced a 35-year-old Navi Mumbai resident to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment after finding him guilty of sexually abusing a child.

In his order of Thursday, Special Judge A N Sirsikar also imposed a fine of Rs10,000 on the accused, who was tried under the Indian Penal Code and POCSO Act.

BEST’s new digital payment option soon

First India Bureau

MAN SMASHES BROTHER’S HEAD, HELD FOR MURDER

Thane: Police on Friday arrested a 26-year-old man from Ulhasnagar in the district for allegedly killing his elder brother, an official said. The accused allegedly smashed the head of his 28-year-old brother with a grinding stone at home on Friday afternoon, killing the victim on the spot, said inspector Chandrakant Godse of Ulhasnagar police station.

Mumbai: To increase its digital footprint, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking will be offering ticketing choices for digital buses and Metro. The transport body is introducing the Paytm transit card, which will operate on Metro lines and BEST buses, and a new electric AC doubledecker bus that is entirely digital and does not issue paper tickets.

The Paytm transit card will be introduced in March and is aiming to provide commuters with a convenient way to pay for their rides on Mumbai Metro services and BEST buses. The

card is directly connected to the Paytm Wallet, making all recharges and transactions online. For those unversed, the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) is already available for commuters to use on BEST buses. The NCMC is an interoperable physical mobility card that supports the government’s One Nation, One Card project.

CONNECTING MUMBAI

First India Bureau Mumbai: Many routes were affected after the recent withdrawal of 400 buses by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST). Although it has said that they had deployed 297 buses on these affected routes. While trade unions called for the scrapping of wet-leasing buses urging BEST to buy their own, a team of engineers from Tata Motors arrived in the city to inspect the buses. The BEST undertaking on Thursday said

nearly 400 CNG-run buses which were taken off roads will be back in service only after a written assurance of safety is received from manufacturer TATA Motors.

“A team of TATA Motors engineering arrived from Lucknow and is reexamining all these buses for compliance with safety standards and safety norms. Once they

complete examination of safety parameters and give necessary clearance and written commitment and assurance of safety norms compliance, these buses will be back in service. The safety of commuters is of paramount importance for BEST, no compromise can be made on this count,” a BEST spokesperson said.

Madh-Versova cable bridge gets coastal authority’s green flag

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The ambitious cable-stayed bridge project of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which will connect Versova with Madh Island in western suburbs received final go-ahead from Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA).

There are no roads

that directly connect the two spots and are separated by Versova creek, an inlet into the Arabian Sea.

The only mode of direct public transport is a ferry service, which also remains non-operational for four months during monsoon. Besides this, the only available mode of commute is a 22-km route between Madh Island

and Versova via Western Express Highway (WEH) or SV Road.

BMC has said that once this bridge is operational, travel time between the two places will come down to 7- 10 minutes.

The blueprint of this project was finalized in 2020. However, since the road passes through a dense mangrove cover and coastal regulatory zone, the civic body re-

quired clearances from MCZMA.

Earlier in 2022, MCZMA had asked BMC to find an alternate alignment for this bridge, to ensure minimum damage to the mangroves. The project faced opposition from the VersovaMadh fishing community which said that the proposed bridge would cause inconvenience in parking their boats.

HELD

Rate offered to Rajendra Chavan was Rs100 per quintal. —FILE PHOTO

MUMBAI COASTAL ROAD FIRST PHASE TO BE DONE BY NOVEMBER: SENIOR BMC OFFICIAL Mumbai (PTI): The first phase of the Mumbai coastal road--from Marine Drive to Worli--is likely to be ready by November 2023, a senior official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Friday. The total estimated cost of the project, being constructed by the BMC, is Rs12,721 crore. Phase I, the 10.58 km stretch from Marine Drive to Worli in south Mumbai, would be operational by November, BMC Chief Engineer MM Swami told reporters. As much as 71% work is complete, he said. The project began in October 2018. The total reclaimed area is 111 hectares.

ONE YEAR OF UKRAINE WAR IMPACT: GLOBAL AND INDIA

to be in place reducing manoeuvrability of France And Germany.

Putin’s declaration on 21 Feb 2023 about suspending Russian participation in Strategic offensive Arms Treaty (START) has dangerous implications and opens gate for nuclear weapons race in the future.

INDIA’S POSITION

IN-DEPTH SPACE FOR HEALTHY DISCOURSE IN INDIAN POLITICS HAS SHRUNK

The author is a Post Graduate in International Studies, Alumni of Defense Services Staff College, Wellington and College of Combat, Mhow

Its more than a year since the Russia- Ukraine war broke out on 24 Feb 2022 and so far the war has clearly been through three distinct phases. Phase1. Russian offensive and capture of almost 20% of Ukrainian territory and threatening its capital Kiev. Phase 2. The Ukraine counter offensive to claim back large chunk of its territory and relieved Kiev of Russian threat. The ongoing Phase 3. Russian forces have tried to encircle the Ukrainian stronghold of Bakhmut and push deeper into the Donetsk region paving way for a new offensive for capture of the entire Donbas and to wear down Ukrainian forces for any offensives elsewhere. Ukraine awaits supply of arms and ammunition from US and western countries to resist any aggression by Russians and launch a counter offensive. The war seems to be plunging into a long-term stalemate and sort of an attritional unending war. Despite huge loss of life and property on both sides and Ukraine economy and infrastructure virtually devastated and razed to ground, there have been no sincere global efforts so far to mediate and end the conflict

from or on behalf of either side. Currently there are no signs of end to this war, rather both sides are preparing for escalation and things are going to get muddier.

GLOBAL IMPACT OF THE WAR. The war has disrupted global trade and adversely affected markets and food supply. Ukraine has been a major grain exporter to Africa and the stoppage of grain exports has almost led to hunger crisis. European Union nations imported almost half their natural gas and third of their oil from Russia and the sanctions slapped on Russia delivered an energy price shock on a scale never seen before. Other than adverse impact on trade and economy the other impacts are: - Division of world on lines of cold war era with two blocs under USled western coalition and an emerging Russia-China axis. Reignition of the arms race and rise in defence budget of most countries. The Germany is fast emerging as the major weapon supplier in Europe and Japan is boosting its military expenditure and production of weapons. A new space has opened up for the non-aligned style of politics of multilateralism for those like India who are not strongly aligned with either of the blocs.

Emergence of a new system of banking and trade that is not entirely dependent on the US Dollar and the SWIFT

War in Ukraine just completed one year with no sign of its ending any time soon. President Joe Biden’s surprise visit to Kyiv en route to Poland and his promise of further aid to Ukraine ensured that the pot will remain on the boil. Besides assuring the war-torn country that the West will not waver in its support, what Biden’s visit managed to achieve was a strong riposte from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The day after Biden’s visit Putin warned that the option of using tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine was on the table as Russia stepped up attacks on Ukraine. President Vladimir Zelensky said that after one year

India has so far maintained a very fine balance between the long-term trusted ally Russia & Ukraine. While abstaining from voting against Russia in UN & other fora & purchasing natural gas despite US sanctions, India appeared to be siding with Russia but balanced it by extending humanitarian aid to Ukraine

system of transaction.

Diversification of sources of energy and food by European countries to reduce dependence on Russia and Ukraine and Russian lines of supply of energy mainly to Asia and food and fertilizer supply to Africa and South America.

The influence of the US over western Europe is undergoing a very significant transformation. As compared to western European allies the nine eastern European nations “Bucharest Nine” or “B-9” comprising Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and the Slovak Republic, have emerged as far more willing ally of the US fearing Russia as a direct threat to them. A new baseline for NATO’s deterrence and defence posture is likely

Biden warning Putin against using tactical nuclear weapons may not deter Moscow as US and NATO allies realise that Russia is not interested in peace.It is in this light, one notices broad contours of opposing alliances

his country remained undefeated in a war which Putin thought would end with a Crimea-like short action. Ukrainian forces have so far stoutly defended their land and even regained control of some lost territory. Unable to make any headway in the

India has so far maintained a very fine balance between the long-term trusted ally Russia and Ukraine. While abstaining from voting against Russia in UN and other fora and purchasing natural gas despite US sanctions, India appeared to be siding with Russia but balanced it by extending humanitarian aid to Ukraine and also cautioned Russia that its not an era of war and all nations must respect the territorial sovereignty of other nations. So instead of causing a rupture, the war led to a deepening of ties between India and the west in general and the US in particular. The west has realised that in the emerging world order if China needs to be contained, then India is the fulcrum in the Indo-Pacific.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that “no solution can ever arrive at the cost of human lives” and “today is not era of war” reiterates India’s position in the Russia-Ukraine war, that dialogue and diplomacy were the only viable way out. India’s steadfast commitment to multilateralism, strategic autonomy, refusal to be pushed out and maintaining independent views in the polarised world has made it emerge as global voice of south. A fact reiterated by India holding Presidencies of two most prominent world fora G-20 and SCO.

India’s stand in ongoing Finance Ministers and Central Bank Chiefs of G-20 meeting that its forum for discussing economic growth issues and is not keen to discuss or back any additional sanctions on Russia as the existing sanctions on Russia have had a negative impact on the world and the impending visit of German Chancellor to India in end Feb 2023 where the Germans see India as a very influential and extremely valuable partner and has both Ukraine war and China on talking list of issues of concern are indicative of India’s success in carving its independent place in global affairs.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

conventional war because of the West’s continued weapons’ supply to Ukraine, Russia’s threat sounds ominous for the world. Biden warning Putin against using tactical nuclear weapons may not deter Moscow as US and NATO allies realise that Russia is not interested in peace.

It is in this light, one notices broad contours of opposing alliances. Russia is relying on North Korea, China & Iran whose Kamikaze drones have already demonstrated their lethal power. NATO has its forces battle ready to defend Eastern Europe. But Ukrainians need weapons, & quickly. The West has exhausted its stock. Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s SecyGen, said firms have been asked to speed up production.

The drama at the Delhi airport after Congress spokesman Pawan Khera was forced to deplane from an Indigo flight and taken into custody by the Assam police on Thursday was a shocker. As Khera was headed for his party’s plenary session in Raipur, the timing of this action suggested that the government wanted to make things difficult for the opposition party. Congress recalled ED’s raids on its leaders in the coal levy scam.

Khera is lucky that the Supreme Court immediately agreed to not only hear his petition but also grant him interim bail on condition that Khera tender an unconditional apology for what he said against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Khera has apologized unconditionally. During the hearing, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud made a significant observation. There has to be some level of discourse “we are protecting you”. The space for discourse, the opposition rues, has diminished and blames the BJP. But it is also to blame for lowering the quality of discourse.

SPIRITUAL SPEAK

The one who has faith, and is sincere, and has mastery over the senses, gains this knowledge. Having gained this, one at once attains the supreme peace.

Bhagavad Gita

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Odisha’s most-awaited and adorable residents are back on her shores for en masse nesting. A delight for all nature lovers and conservationists. Swagatam Olive Ridleys!

UKRAINE WAR HAS NO ‘END IN SIGHT’

A new space has opened up for the non-aligned style of politics of multilateralism for those like India who are not strongly aligned with either of the blocs. Emergence of a new system of banking and trade that is not entirely dependent on the US Dollar and the SWIFT system of transaction

COL RAJESH BHUKAR

Congress remote-controlled Northeast, used like ATM: PM

While attacking Grand Old Party, PM Modi said BJP considers 8 states ‘Ashtalakshmi’

Dimapur (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday claimed that the Congress used Northeast as an ATM, while the BJP considers the eight states of the region as ‘Ashtalakshmi’ (eight forms of Goddess Lakshmi) and is working for its peace and development.

Addressing an election rally at Chumoukedima near Dimapur, he said the NDA is striving to bring permanent peace in Nagaland so that Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 is completely lifted from the state.

“The country can’t be run by distrusting your own people but by respecting and solving their problems. Earlier, Northeast had politics of divide, but we have now transformed it into divine governance. The BJP does not discriminate people on the basis of religion or region and religion,” Modi said.

Noting that there was political instability in Nagaland during the Congress rule, he claimed that the grand old party remote-con-

We have worked for infrastructural development of Northeast. The change is evident. We will support the youth in sectors ranging from tourism to technology, and sports to start-ups. The BJP also gave Nagaland its first woman Rajya Sabha MP.

trolled Northeast from Delhi, and siphoned off money meant for its development, while giving primacy to “dynasty politics, from Delhi to Dimapur”.

“The Congress and its partners’ policy for Northeast has been to ‘get vote and forget’.

Congress leaders from

IN THE COURTYARD

GUJ HC LAWYER CHALLENGES ANTICIPATORY BAIL TO ASSAILANTS; SC ISSUES NOTICE

Gujarat (Agencies): Gujarat HC Advocate challenges anticipatory bail granted by Trial court Ahmadabad to assailants who attacked him, Supreme Court issues notice to State and accused. The Hon’ble apex court bench comprising of Justice KM Joseph And Justice B.V. Nagarathna issued notices in a matter challenging the Gujarat High Court order wherein the High court dismissed the appeal on the sole ground that FIR filed by Petitioner lacks basic ingredients of the offence punishable under the provision of SC/ST Act. The Petitioner was abused and beaten up by residents of a Society in Ahmedabad. The accusedRespondents humiliated and insulted the Petitioner and further made derogatory statements pertaining to caste of the Petitioner.

Petitioner filed FIR against the accused Respondents, fearing arrest, Respondents preferred an anticipatory bail application before the trial court, Ahmedabad which came to be allowed by imposing certain conditions. Aggrieved by the said order, Petitioner preferred a criminal appeal before the High Court of Gujarat which was later dismissed by the High court stating that specific words were not narrated in the FIR and passed an unreasoned order as to how an anticipatory bail application can be entertained and allowed under section 18A when there is a specific bar on grant of anticipatory bail. The Petitioner was represented by Adv Aditya Jain, Bhavya Golecha and Shravi Garg.

‘TOUGH FOR WOMAN AFTER LIVE-IN RELATIONSHIPS END’

Prayagraj (Agencies):

The Allahabad HC has observed that it is difficult for a woman to live alone after a live-in relationship ends, as our society does not accept and recognise such relationships. The court was hearing a bail application of a man who was arrested for not fulfiling his promise to marry the woman, his live-in partner.

While granting bail to the man, Justice Siddharth noted that the woman in a live-in relationship is left with no option but to lodge a case against her live-in partner in such a situation.

RSS training helped me rise, says Yediyurappa

ED GETS THREE DAYS REMAND OF SUKESH CHANDRASHEKHAR

New Delhi (ANI): A Delhi Court on Friday further granted 3 days remand of alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar to ED, recently arrested in another case of extortion and money laundering. He was arrested in an enforcement case information report registered by the ED for allegedly duping former promoter of Religare Enterprises Malvinder Singh’s Wife Japna of Rs 3.5 crore. As per complainant, Sukesh had called Japna by impersonating himself as a senior government official.

MAN FILES DIVORCE PETITION IN 2 STATES; K’TAKA HC QUASHES SEPARATION ORDER

Bengaluru (Agencies): The Karnataka High Court on Friday quashed the divorce order of the Raichur Family Court as the petitioner was found to have filed divorce petition in the courts of two states concealing the facts to the respective courts. The petitioner from West Bengal, Anirban Das, worked at the Raichur industrial Development Centre. The Division bench headed by Justice Srinivas Harish Kumar and Justice T.G. Shivashankare Gowda stated that the petitioner had submitted divorce petition in courts of two states.

—Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

Delhi turned a blind eye to the problems of Nagaland. 10 years ago, nobody would have dreamt that circumstances can change in the region,” he said.

Modi claimed the BJP has put a big dent in corruption by employing technology, as a result of which money sent from

Delhi is directly credited to beneficiaries’ bank accounts. The PM asserted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has adopted three mantras for running Nagaland -- peace, progress and prosperity.

“The focus of every central government scheme has been women, tribals & the poor.,” he said. Noting that there has been a 75% reduction in incidents of violence in Nagaland, he asserted that many youths have returned to the mainstream.

The Lt Guv’s office & AAP dispensation have been engaged in a tussle over a host of issues

New Delhi (PTI): The AAP government on Friday asked officials to stop taking directives from Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena and report any such orders from him to their respective

‘NAGALAND’S PEACE, PROGRESS & PROSPERITY TOP PRIORITY:

PM MODI

Dimapur (Nagaland)

(ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the BJP’s mantra of “peace, progress and prosperity” in the state is the reason behind people’s ‘rising’ trust in the BJP, adding that the border disputes are being resolved at a rapid pace due to the NDA governments in the states. “Our mantra for Nagaland has been - Peace, progress and prosperity, and this is the reason people’s trust in BJP is rising,” PM Modi said while addressing an election rally here. The Prime Minister lauded the peaceful polling in the recently held voting in Tripura Assembly elections on February 16 and said that there was no violence after decades because of the presence of the BJP government in the state. ”After many decades, there was no incident of violence during Assembly elections in Tripura as there is a BJP government in the state. The BJP-NDPP government in the state has converted the “politics of divide” in the northeast to a “divine governance model”.

Will become 3rd largest economy

soon: Rajnath

Kolkata: India will become the third largest economy in the world in the next few years, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh claimed on Friday.

“The day is not far when our country will emerge as the third largest economy in the world. At least international reports suggest that India will attain that position in the next four to five years,” the defence minister said while addressing the convocation ceremony of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagorefounded Visva Bharati University at BolpurSantiniketan in Birbhum district of West Bengal.

The Union Minister said being a former teacher of physics with a college in Uttar

The day is not far when our country will emerge as the third largest economy in the world. At least international reports suggest that India will attain that position in the next four to five years.

—Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister

Pradesh, whenever he attends any function of any educational institution, he prefers speaking in the tone of a teacher rather than a minister or a politician.

“When I was on my way to this great university on Thursday evening, I was constantly thinking of what I can offer to the meritorious students of this university that will ultimately benefit them,” he said.

Bengaluru (Agencies): Former Chief Minister, BJP Central Parliamentary Committee Member B.S. Yediyurappa on Friday said the training imparted by RSS and Sangh Parivar is responsible for his rise in politics.

In his farewell speech on the last day of the 15th Assembly session, the veteran leader gave all credit to RSS for his growth and stated that he can never forget its contribution.

“I am speechless, unable to figure out what to say,” he said. “I thank the people of Shikaripura constituency for having elected me continuously. I will be 80 years old on February 27. On the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is arriving to inaugurate the Shivamogga airport. This is a matter of joy and complacency for me,” he said. Yediyurappa stated he got many good opportunities in life.

Stop taking direct orders from Delhi L-G: AAP to officials

ministers, a move that may trigger a fresh tussle between the ruling party and the LG office. According to an official statement, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the government has warned that any such orders received directly from the LG are a violation of the Constitution and directives of the Supreme Court. He said the imple-

EPS wants to capture party: Panneerselvam

Chennai (ANI): A day after the Supreme Court affirmed the Madras High Court division bench decision that restored Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) as the AIADMK party’s single leader, expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam on Friday said EPS wanted to capture the party.

“Amma is the permanent general secretary

AIADMK party leader Panneerselvam

of our party and we passed a resolution on it. Nobody has the power to act against this resolution. ,” he said.

mentation of orders, that are in violation of SC directives and the

Constitution, will be viewed seriously. The LG office and the AAP

AAP’S SEHRAWAT AND OTHERS CAST VOTE

New Delhi (PTI): AAP rebel Pawan Sehrawat on Friday cast his vote during the election for six members of the MCD’s standing committee amid jeers by his former colleagues, many of whom termed him a “traitor”. The AAP councillor joined the BJP ahead of the crucial municipal House meeting.

dispensation have been engaged in a tussle over a host of issues, includ-

Mahua Moitra hits back at RaGa over ‘TMC’s idea in Meghalaya’ barb

Shillong (ANI): Coming down heavily on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his charge that the Trinamool Congress was in cahoots with the BJP, TMC leader Mahua Moitra said her party was the only national alternative to the saffron party. The TMC MP’s remarks came in response to Rahul’s claim on Wednesday that the

ruling party in West Bengal was contesting the Meghalaya Assembly polls to ‘help’ the BJP win.

At a public meeting in support of TMC can-

didate from North Shillong, Elgiva Gwyneth Rynjah, Moitra said, “Had the Congress been able to defeat the BJP, there would be no need for us (to contest the Assembly polls).

However, since Congress failed to win the state, we had to step forward to provide an alternative to the people. The TMC is the only alternative (against the BJP).”

Germany to pursue submarine deal with India

New Delhi/Berlin:

Germany will pursue a $5.2 billion deal with India to jointly build six conventional submarines in the country during Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s February 25-26 visit, two Indian and two German sources said.

The naval project is the latest attempt by a Western military manufacturing power to wean New Delhi away from its dependence on Russia for military hardware.

India wants to replace its ageing submarine fleet, with 11 of its 16 con-

ventional submarines more than two decades old, as it seeks to counter China’s growing presence in the Indian Ocean.

The Indian Navy also has two indigenous nuclear-powered submarines.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government wants India to manufacture more weapons at home in collaboration with foreign partners after decades of being one of the world’s largest arms importers.

The submarine project, for which Germa-

ny’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) is one of two international bidders, will be discussed between the two coun-

facturer will have to partner with an Indian company to build the submarines in India.

The foreign company will also need to transfer a niche technology for fuel-cell-based Air Independent Propulsion (AIP), a clause that has been a sore point for most foreign firms.

tries during Scholz’s trip and Berlin would support the deal, one source said.

Under the deal, a foreign submarine manu-

ing the government’s proposal to send school teachers to Finland for training.

On several occasions in the past, AAP leaders have accused the LG of bypassing the elected government of Delhi and issuing orders to officials. The vexatious CentreDelhi government row over control of services is being heard by the Supreme Court.

Ex-SC Judge Abdul Nazeer takes oath as AP Governor

Vijayawada (ANI): Justice (Rtd.) S Abdul Nazeer was sworn in as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh on Friday.

The Chief Justice of Hyderabad High Court, Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra, administered the oath of office to the new Governor at a function held at Raj Bhavan on Friday.

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, his wife YS Bharati Reddy, Chief Secretary Dr K.S. Jawahar Reddy, several sitting ministers, High Court Judges and senior officials attended the swearing-in function. Justice Nazeer succeeds Biswa Bhusan Harichandan as the Andhra Governor.

France’s Naval Group had pulled out of the project just ahead of PM Modi’s visit to Paris in May 2022, citing its inability to meet conditions listed by the Indian government in 2021.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will be in India during February 25-26.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visits Rabindra-Bhavana, Shantiniketan in Birbhum on Friday. —PHOTO BY ANI

Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena (L) Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to the crowd as he arrives to address a public rally for the upcoming Nagaland Assembly elections, in Dimapur on Friday. —PHOTO BY ANI

PM Modi urges G20 to focus on ‘most vulnerable citizens’

‘Financial viability of many nations being threatened by unsustainable debt’

Central Govt extends IAS Anjaneya Singh’s deputation in UP

Dr Ahtesham Siddiqui

Lucknow: The Central Government has extended the inter-state deputation period of Moradabad Divisional

Commissioner IAS Anjaneya Kumar Singh for one more year. The Central Government has taken this decision on the recommendation of the UP Govt.

India slams Pak for raking up Kashmir issue in UN

United Nations (PTI): India slammed Pakistan after it referred to Jammu and Kashmir during a special session on Ukraine in the UN General Assembly, terming the provocation as “regrettable and misplaced” and calling out Islamabad’s track record of harbouring and providing safe havens to terrorists with impunity.

Mumbai (Agencies):

The financial viability of many countries is being threatened by unsustainable debt, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, as he called for the Group of 20 (G20) to focus on the world’s most vulnerable citizens.

Trust in international financial institutions has eroded, partly because the lenders had been slow to reform themselves, Modi said in a video message at the beginning of a twoday meeting of G20 fi-

US SECY OF STATE BLINKEN TO TRAVEL TO INDIA ON MARCH 1 FOR G20 MEETING

Washington (PTI): US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to India next week to attend the meeting of G20 foreign ministers and meet senior Indian officials to reaffirm America's strong partnership with the country. India has taken over the Presidency of the G20 on December 1, last year. On March 1, Blinken will travel to participate in the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, which will focus on strengthening multilateralism and deepening cooperation on food and energy security, sustainable development, counter-narcotics, global health, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and gender equality and women's empowerment, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said.

nance ministers and central bank governors.

“Food and energy se-

CRUCIAL READ

TERRORIST YASIN MALIK IDENTIFIED BY EYEWITNESS IN 1989 KIDNAPPING CASE

Jammu: Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief

Yasin Malik appeared via video-conferencing before a special court here on Friday and an eyewitness identified him in the 1989 kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed, the daughter of then Union home minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. The eyewitness corroborated that he had gone to Sopore in Baramulla district of north Kashmir at the time of the kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed and identified the place and persons connected with it, the prosecution said, terming it a major success for their side.

EX PREZ PRATIBHA PATIL’S HUSBAND SHEKHAWAT DIES

Pune: Former President Pratibha Patil’s husband Devisingh Shekhawat passed away at the age of 89 at a hospital in Pune on Friday following a heart attack, sources close to the family said. He was admitted to the hospital a few days back, they said. “He passed away at 9 am today due to a heart attack,” a source said. He is survived by his wife Pratibha Patil and two children - a son and a daughter.

MISSING GIRL FOUND DEAD IN DELHI HOTEL: COPS

New Delhi: A 19-yearold girl was found hanging inside a hotel room at Delhi’s Uttam Nagar, police said. Further, police said the woman had been missing for the last couple of days, adding that her relatives filed a missing complaint at the Dabri police station in Dwarka district. Acting on the complaint, the police launched a search for the missing 19-year-old.

10 YEARS JAIL, `1 CRORE FINE: BILL TO CURB PAPER LEAK PASSED IN GUJARAT

Gandhinagar: With the objective of curbing paper leaks in government recruitment exams, the Gujarat Legislative Assembly has unanimously passed a Bill that provides for up to 10 years in prison for such malpractices. As per the provisions of the bill, the accused shall also be liable for fine which shall not be less than Rs 10 lakh, which may extend to Rs1 crore. Moreover, the accused “shall also be liable for fine which shall not be less than Rs 10 lakh, which may extend to Rs 1 crore”. The offence will become more serious if it falls in the category of “organised crime”.

DELHI-MEERUT RAPID RAIL TO START IN MARCH

New Delhi: The 17-km Duhai-Sahibabad priority stretch of the country’s first Delhi-Meerut RRTS train corridor is expected to get operationalised by this March, officials said on Friday. An official said the project cost of the entire 82-km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) is around Rs 32,274 crore and it will be fully operational by 2025.

curity have become major concerns across the world. Even the finan-

cial viability of many countries is threatened by unsustainable debt levels,” Modi said.

The meeting is the first major event of India’s G20 presidency and coincided with the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Modi alluded to.

“We are also witnessing rising geo-political tensions in different parts of the world.

There are disruptions in global supply chains. Many societies are suffering due to rising prices,” Modi said.

Anjaneya Kumar Singh, a 2005 batch IAS officer of Sikkim cadre, came to Uttar Pradesh on inter-state deputation on February 16, 2015. After completing the deputation period of 8 years, he had to be relieved from the parent cadre on Feb 14, 2023. Singh’s interdistrict deputation ended on Feb 14, 2023, after which he handed over his charge to the District Magistrate of Moradabad. Meanwhile, lobbying was going on in the government on behalf of the state to increase the deputation tenure and finally the govt extended the deputation for 1 year.

GUJARAT BUDGET

“I’m taking the floor today to say that India chooses this time not to respond to Pakistan’s mischiesvious provocations. Our advice to the delegate of Pakistan is to refer to our numerous Rights of Reply that we have exercised in the past,” Counsellor in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Pratik Mathur said.

Mathur exercised India’s Right of Reply on Thursday after Pakistan’s envoy at the UN Munir Akram referred to Jammu and Kashmir while delivering the explanation of vote on the UN General Assembly resolution on Ukraine during the Emergency Special Session.

No new taxes, focus on green growth: Desai

Gandhinagar (ANI): Gujarat Finance minister Kanu Desai on Friday presented the state Budget for financial year 2023-24, saying that a total budgetary outlay of Rs 301,021.61 crores has been proposed.

The plan for rapid development of Gujarat stands on 5 pillars — basic amenities, and social security for the poor and needy, development of human resources, creation of world-class infrastructure, boosting economic activities in agriculture, and service sectors, and green growth.

CBI arrests chief Controller of East Central Railway

New Delhi (Agencies): The CBI on Friday arrested a Chief Controller of East Central Railway, in Bihar’s Hajipur for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000.

The CBI laid a trap & caught the accused Abhay Kumar red-handed while accepting undue advantage of Rs 50,000 from complainant.

No increase or reduction in existing taxes has been proposed by the government. In a major relief for consumers, Piped Natural Gas and

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) set to get cheaper. The minister slashed the Value Added Tax (VAT) on PNG & CNG to 5% from 15%.

HIGHLIGHTS OF BUDGET 2023-2024

z Rs 2 lakh crore to be spent in next five years for betterment of poor people.

z Rs 4,200 crore World Bank Loan to be utilised for new schemes for healthcare infrastructure.

z New airport at Dwarka; Keshod airport to be revamped.

z Annual Insurance limit doubled to Rs 10 lakh under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya scheme. Rs1,340 crore allocated for National Old Age Pension scheme.

z Rs 10,000 crore outlay for heritage, eco-tourism development.

Collective efforts & strong coordination needed to tackle drug abuse: Om Birla

Gangtok (ANI): Lok

Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday urged for collective efforts and strong coordination between law enforcement agencies and border states to tackle the problem of drug abuse.

“Drug abuse is a national problem. It is a borderless crime, which makes the problem exceptionally challenging” he said referring to

“UNSAFE” HOTELS DEMOLISHED IN JOSHIMATH

Dehradun: Mount View and Malari Inn - two unsafe hotels in subsidence-hit Joshimath - have been razed more than a month after their demolition began. The process of their demolition has been completed and removal of debris at the site has begun, District Information Officer Ravindra Negi said on Friday. Mounds of rubble remain where the two popular hotels stood for years.

INDIA ABSTAINS FROM UN GEN ASSEMBLY VOTE ON "LASTING PEACE" IN UKRAINE

United Nations (PTI): India abstained in the UN General Assembly on a resolution that underscored the need to reach as soon as possible a "comprehensive, just and lasting peace" in Ukraine in line with the principles of the UN Charter. The 193-member General Assembly adopted the draft resolution, put forward by Ukraine and its supporters, titled ‘Principles of the Charter of the United Nations underlying a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine'.

‘COMMITTED TO MULTILATERALISM’: ENVOY TO UN AFTER INDIA ABSTAINS FROM VOTING

New York (ANI): India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira, said India remains committed to multilateralism while reiterating calls for dialogue and diplomacy. She made the statement after India abstained from voting on a resolution in the UN General Assembly on the need to reach a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine. “India remains steadfastly committed to multilateralism & upholds principles of the UN Charter. We will always call for dialogue & diplomacy as the only viable way out,” Kamboj said.

India saved over

lives during COVID with vaccination: Health min

extensive international borders of North Eastern states & hilly ter-

rain. Due to this, there is a high risk of drug trafficking,” he said.

FOR CUTTING FRESHER’S SALARIES

New Delhi (PTI): India saved over 3.4 million lives by undertaking a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign at an unprecedented scale, a report by Stanford University said.

The Covid vaccination campaign also yielded a positive economic impact by preventing a loss of USD 18.3 billion, the working paper by Stanford University and Institute for Competitiveness titled 'Healing the Economy:

Estimating the Economic Impact on India's Vaccination and Related Issues' released by Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday said.

MANDAVIYA LAUDS INDIA’S HOLISTIC RESPONSE STRATEGY DURING PANDEMIC

New Delhi (ANI): Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya lauded the government’s response in ‘adopting a holistic response strategy’ that helped the country in managing COVID-19 effectively. He said, “India adopted a ‘Whole of Government’ & ‘Whole of Society’ approach, in a proactive, preemptive & graded manner; thus, adopting a holistic response strategy, for effective management of Covid-19.” “Under PM Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan, 4 million beneficiaries were provided employment which resulted in an overall economic impact of US$ 4.81 billion,” he added.

Employees’ Union seeks action against Wipro

New Delhi (PTI): IT

sector employees’ union NITES has written to the Union Labour Minister against Wipro’s decision to cut salary offers to freshers awaiting onboarding, as it called for strict action against the tech company for violating the terms of offer letter and breaching contract.

Taking up cudgels on behalf of affected employees, NITES expressed concern that Wipro’s move could set

a dangerous precedent for other companies “which could lead to exploitation of workers and a lack of job secu-

rity”. NITES’ (Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate) letter to Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav

“LEGALLY BINDING DOCUMENT”

“In this case, the employees have not given consent for a reduction in salary, yet the company is trying to impose it upon them,” NITES wrote. Offer letter, it said, is a “legally binding document” outlining the terms and conditions of the job offer and any changes to it should be done with consent of both parties. NITES said its immediate actions and attention are focused on protection of IT and BPO employees from financial, legal, labour and social problems. The IT company said it is committed to the growth and success of all its employees and looks forward to welcoming this new group of recent graduates.

comes after Wipro recently reached out to candidates to whom it had earlier rolled out an offer of Rs 6.5 lakh per

this.

annum asking them if an offer of Rs 3.5 lakh in annual compensation would be acceptable to them, instead. These

candidates were waiting to be onboarded.

“The company is now reducing the salary unethically, which is a clear violation of the terms of the offer letter and a breach of contract,” Harpreet Singh Saluja, President of NITES, wrote in the letter seen by PTI. The employees’ union has sought necessary actions regarding “unethical reduction in salary offer of more than 4,000 employees by Wipro”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the first meeting of Finance Ministers under India’s G20 Presidency via video message on Friday.

3.4 mn

The employees’ union has sought necessary actions regarding

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ruchira Kamboj with Counsellor Pratik Mathur at the session of the UN General Assembly.

Gujarat Finance Minister Kanubhai Desai presents the State Budget 2023-24 at Assembly House, in Gandhinagar on Friday.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya virtually addressing ‘The India Dialog’ session on the Economic Impact of Vaccination on Friday.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla during an interaction on the occasion of Annual Zone III Commonwealth Parliamentary Association on Firday.

COAL PRODUCTION RISES 16% TO 698.25 MT DURING APR-JAN

BY TURN OF DECADE

‘India to become 3rd largest economy’

New Delhi: India’s domestic coal production has shown impressive growth during the past few years and this rise in output has helped the nation to check the import of fossil fuel considerably, the government said on Friday. In the current financial year, the country’s total coal production recorded a more than 16% rise to 698.25 MT during the period from April 2022 to January 2023, as compared to 601.97 MT during the corresponding period of the previous fiscal. —PTI

MARUTI SUZUKI

HIKES PRICE OF IGNIS MODEL BY `27,000

New Delhi (PTI): Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday said India is a rising star in the global economy primarily due to agriculture and agri-based industry, and stressed that the country’s rise is “unstoppable”.

Dhankhar said: “In September 2022, India became the 5th largest economy in the world. It has not come easily. It has been a cesarean.”

Indeed, it is a milestone achievement and the agriculture sector had a significant contribution in India’s global rise, he said.

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy. It is primarily because of the agriculture and agribased industry, India is a rising star in the global economy, he added.

Dhankhar further said, India that everyone is seeing today is wonderful. “India’s rise is unstoppable... We are the most favourite destination of opportunities and investment,” he noted.

Such an ecosystem has been developed that affirmative policies are in place to attract talent and investment, he said.

FM highlights rising debt vulnerabilities

New Delhi: Maruti Suzuki

India on Friday said it has increased prices of its premium compact model Ignis by up to `27,000 with the addition of new features. The model is now being equipped with an ESP and Hill Hold Assist as a standard feature across all the variants providing an added safety shield for customers, the country’s largest carmaker said in a regulatory filing. The Ignis is also compliant with the upcoming E20 and RDE norms, it added. —PTI

GOLD PRICES FALL BY `80; SILVER TUMBLES `767/KG

New Delhi (PTI): Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday highlighted rising debt vulnerabilities in many developing countries and sought views from G20 member nations on ‘multilateral coordination’ for managing the burden.

Sitharaman also sought views on how multilateral development banks, like the IMF and World Bank, can be strengthened to address shared global challenges of the 21st century.

“FM highlighted the rising #DebtVulnerbilities in many vulnerable countries and sought views of the #G20 members on

#MultilateralCoordination stating that managing global debt vulnerabilities would be crucial for the world economy,” the finance ministry tweeted.

In December last year, World Bank President David Malpass had said the world’s poorest countries owed $62 billion in annual debt service.

“By the end of the decade, India will be the third largest economy in the world,” he said and urged

young Indians to lay the foundation for 2047 when India enters the centenary of its independence.

ACCORDING TO VICE PRESIDENT

z In September 2022, India became the 5th largest economy in the world. It has not come easily. It has been a cesarean

z Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy. It is primarily because of the agriculture and agri-based industry, India is a rising star in the global economy

He also asserted that value addition to agri-produce can bring economic revolution.

Uncertainties cloud global economy, says RBI Governor

Bengaluru (PTI): The global economic outlook has improved in recent months, but uncertainties still remain, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said on Friday as he called upon G20 nations to resolutely address the challenges, including debt distress and threats to financial stability, confronting world economies.

“There is now greater optimism that the world may avoid a deep recession and only experience slow growth or a softer recession. Yet uncertainties lie ahead of us,” Das said.

The International Mon-

Markets pare early gains; Sensex and Nifty fall for sixth straight day

New Delhi: Gold price fell `80 to `55,840 per 10 grams in the national capital on Friday amid weak global trends, according to HDFC Securities. In the previous trade, the yellow metal had closed at `55,920 per 10 grams. Silver also tumbled `767 to `64,517 per kilogramme. “Spot gold prices in the Delhi markets traded at `55,840 per 10 grams, down `80 per 10 grams,” said Saumil Gandhi, Senior Analyst - Commodities at HDFC Securities. In the overseas market, gold and silver were quoting lower at $1,820 per ounce and $21.17 per ounce, respectively. —PTI

NEXON, HARRIER AND SAFARI’S DARK EDITION LAUNCHED

RELIANCE OPENS FIRST GAP STORE IN MUMBAI

Mumbai (ANI): Reliance Retail on Friday announced the opening of the first freestanding Gap store in Mumbai.

The launch of this Gap store marks a milestone in the long-term partnership between Reliance Retail and Gap, through which the Indian firm is the official retailer for Gap across all channels in India, according to a statement from Reliance Retail.

etary Fund (IMF) had in its January update of the World Economic Outlook said although the global economy is poised to slow this year, before rebounding next year, the outlook is less gloomy than in its October forecast, and could represent a turn ing point, with growth bottoming out and inflation declining.

“Together we must resolutely address the chal lenges that con front us, including those that

FTA with EU may take longer to conclude: Goyal

New Delhi (PTI): Benchmark indices pared early gains and ended lower on Friday in line with weak trend in Asian markets and concerns that the US Federal Reserve might raise interest rates further to curb inflation.

Fresh foreign fund outflows and selling pressure in HDFC twins also dented investor sentiments.

The BSE Sensex declined 141.87 points or 0.24% to settle at 59,463.93 despite a firm start. During the day, it fell 280.46 points or 0.47% to 59,325.34.

The NSE Nifty dipped 45.45 points or 0.26% to end at 17,465.80.

In the Sensex pack, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata

Steel, Tata Motors, Maruti, Larsen & Toubro, HDFC, HDFC Bank, Tech Mahindra and Bharti Airtel were the major laggards.

Asian Paints, Bajaj Finserv, Power Grid, Reliance Industries, NTPC and UltraTech Cement were among the gainers.

INDIAN RUPEE FALLS 10 PAISE TO CLOSE AT 82.74 AGAINST AMERICAN CURRENCY

Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 10 paise to close at 82.74 (provisional) against the US currency on Friday. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 82.67 against the greenback and finally settled for the day at 82.74 (provisional), registering a fall of 10 paise over its previous close of 82.64. During the session, the domestic unit witnessed an intra-day high of 82.66 and a low of 82.81. Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.10 per cent higher at 104.69.

AS IT EXPANDS ITS FLEET & OPERATIONS

New Delhi: Tata Motors on Friday announced the launch of its new league of DARK series including new models of Nexon, Harrier, and Safari. AThe Nexon Petrol Dark is priced at `12.35 lakhs (ex-showroom) compared to Rs 7.8 lakh for normal version. Similarly, the Nexon Diesel Dark costs `13.70 lakh vs 9.99 lakh for the normal version.

The Harrier (Diesel) Dark edition is priced at `21.77 lakh; Safari 7S Diesel Dark at `22.61 lakhs. —FIB

are of medium to longterm nature such as threats to financial stability, debt distress, climate finance, fractures in global trade and strains on global value chains. We must promote greater global economic cooperation and position the global economy on a trajectory of strong sustainable balanced and inclusive growth,” Das said. The RBI Guv said G20 is poised for a transformational journey.

OTHER STORIES

AUTO COMPONENT REPLACEMENT DEMAND TO GROW 6-8% IN FY24

After opening over 50 Gap shop-in-shops since last year, Reliance Retail now initiates the second phase of the launch with the new Gap store at Infiniti Mall in Mumbai. A shopin-shop is an area that one retailer sublets within another retailer’s premises. A freestanding store is a store on the street and not in a mall or a shopping centre. The expansion of Gap’s India presence will include a series of freestanding store openings across the country in the coming months, according to the statement.

NTPC PAYS `4,121.08 CRORE AS INTERIM DIVIDEND FOR FY23

New Delhi (PTI): Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said a free trade agreement with the European Union (EU) will take longer as negotiations with the 27-country bloc will be prolonged.

Active negotiations for the FTAs (free trade agreements) are ongoing with two-three countries and the EU, Goyal said.

“EU will take a longer time, because there are 27 countries which have to come on the same page,” the minister said.

Last year, India signed FTAs with Australia and United Arab Emirates. Reports had suggested that the country is in talks with other countries including the UK, Israel and Canada.

Air India to hire 5,100 cabin crew &

pilots

NOW GOFIRST

New Delhi: Auto component replacement demand is estimated to grow 6-8% in the next fiscal driven by factors such as the increase in mobility and healthy freight movement, among others. The improvement in demand has resulted in a positive impact on cash flows for aftermarket dealers and garages while the liquidity remains comfortable, credit ratings agency Icra said in the report. Also, there have been relatively minimal issues in the collection of receivables. —PTI

New Delhi: State-owned NTPC Ltd has paid an interim dividend of `4,121.08 crore to its shareholders for the financial year 2022-23. The dividend paid is 42.50% of the paid-up equity share capital of the company. ‘’NTPC Ltd has paid an interim dividend of `4,121.08 crore today for the financial year 2022-23. This is the 30th consecutive year that NTPC Ltd has paid a dividend,’’ it said. NTPC is the largest power producer in India. —PTI

WORLD NEEDS NEW INSTITUTIONS TO DRIVE CLIMATE ACTION, SDGs, SAYS AMITABH KANT

New Delhi: The world needs new institutions to drive climate action and sustainable development goals (SDGs) as organisations such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are not designed to address these challenges, India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said on Friday. Kant talked about the challenges and said they are “external” and referred to the Ukraine war and the prevailing situation in the West. “We have seen the war going on for one year, we don’t know how it will shape up in the coming days. G20 is essentially a consensus building platform,” he said. —PTI

ZEE CASE: NCLAT STAYS INSOLVENCY PROCEEDINGS

New Delhi: The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Friday stayed the insolvency proceedings against media major Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL).

Admitting a plea by ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka, a two-member NCLAT bench stayed the order passed by the Mumbai bench of the NCLT.

Between

On Wednesday, NCLT admitted an insolvency plea against ZEEL by private sector lender IndusInd Bank and also appointed Sanjeev Kumar Jalan as the IRP. —PTI

SPICEJET POSTS `107 CRORE PROFIT IN DECEMBER QUARTER

New Delhi: No-frills airline SpiceJet on Friday reported a higher net profit of `107 crore in the three months ended December 2022, helped by better performance in passenger and cargo businesses. The carrier had a net profit of `23.28 crore in the year-ago period. In the third quarter of the current fiscal, the airline’s net profit stood at `221 crore, excluding forex adjustment and the corresponding figure in the same period a year ago was at `20 cr. Revenues rose to `2,794 cr in the latest quarter. —PTI

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

AKHTAR ON HIS 26/11 COMMENTS IN PAKISTAN

IT BECAME TOO BIG, BUT I

HAD TO SAY THOSE THINGS ’

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Lyricist-writer Javed Akhtar on Friday said his comments on the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks during his recent visit to Pakistan have become “too big” but he had to set the record straight on certain things while he was there.

Calling himself as someone who has made remarks that were “slightly controversial and sensitive in nature” in India, Akhtar said he was not scared to speak his mind while in Pakistan.

Akhtar, who was in Pakistan for a festival in memory of celebrated Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz last week, said Pakistanis should not feel offended when India talks about the

Soon, Raut will be sent to the ‘silent zone’: Shirsat

2008 terror attack. “It became too big. It’s embarrassing for me. Now I think I should not gloat over it. When I came here, I felt like I won World War III. There were so many reactions from people as well as media that I just stopped taking calls. I was embarrassed that ‘aisa maine kya teer maar diya’. I had to say these things. Should we keep quiet?” the lyricist said during a session at the ABP Ideas of India 2023 Summit.

The writer-poet said he has now got to know that his comments have caused a stir in Pakistan. “I got to know that people are abusing me there. They are asking, ‘why was he given visa?’ Now I will only remember what kind of place it was. I have

been saying things that are slightly controversial and sensitive in nature in the country where I was born, I live and where I will die, then what was to fear there? When I don’t feel scared here, then why would I fear anything there?” The lyricistpoet had also spoken about Pakistan not welcoming Indian artistes, the way India welcomed talent from

NCP’s Awhad slams govt, cops over assault case

First India Bureau

across the border.

At the summit, Akhtar said he had to answer that question as it came from the audience. “During a Q&A session in a huge hall... They were asking very friendly and warm questions. It was going on nicely but someone asked me that they meet us very nicely but they don’t get that warmth from us. There was little room for me to move away without answering, so I did. And in the most polite manner possible. I told them to set their record right,” he said. Akhtar said India had hosted ghazal great Mehdi Hasan and even Faiz Ahmed Faiz visited the country during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s time.

“We don’t have anything against them but

Name change of Aurangabad and Osmanabad: Centre agrees

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The Union government has approved renaming of Maharashtra’s Aurangabad city as `Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar’ and Osmanabad city as `Dharashiv’.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shared the news on Twitter.

First India Bureau

Mumbai: On Friday, MLA Sanjay Shirsat fired salvos on Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, who is constantly accusing the Shinde group, and stressed that he will soon be sent to a ‘silent zone’.

Shirsat said, “We are worried about Sanjay Raut, who is going to drown a big party in Maharashtra. That is why we are going to send him to the silence Zone.”

Interestingly, Raut had claimed that CM Eknath Shinde’s son Shrikant, a parliamentarian, had given his ‘supari’ to a local gangster.

“Shrikant Shinde is a doctor. I gave the information I got to the police. There is no reason for Shrikant to become so uncomfortable.

The marches going against me from Shinde group are not right. If a person is complaining, he should be investigated. A party is supporting a gangster, it is an attempt to change the culture of Maharashtra,” Raut had said.

Aurangabad derives its name from Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, while Osmanabad was named for a 20th century ruler of the princely state of Hyderabad.

Chhatrapati Sambhaji, eldest son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was the second ruler of Maratha state founded by his father. Sambhaji Maharaj was executed on Aurangzeb’s orders in 1689.

Dharashiv, the name of a cave complex near Osmanabad, dates back to the 8th century as per some scholars.

Hindu right-wingers

had been demanding renaming of the two cities for long.

Fadnavis tweeted two letters from Ministry of Home Affairs to the deputy secretary of the state General Administration Department dated February 24.

The letters stated that the Centre had no objection to the change in the names of these two central Maharashtra cities.

Fadnavis thanked PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the decision.

The state government headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde ‘’did what was promised ‘’, he said.

Notably, to rename Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar and Osmanabad as Dharashiv was last cabinet decision of the Shiv Sena-NCPCongress government which collapsed last June following Shinde’s rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray. New government headed by Shinde scrapped cabinet decision and took a fresh decision.

they never hosted Lata Mangeshkar.” The writer, however, said “no country is a monolith” and should not be defined by the policies of the government and establishments. “The fact is that it is very unfortunate that we’re unaware that it is a huge segment of Pakistan that wants to have good relations with India and it is totally understandable. They are seeing a country next door that witnessed so much development, industries, corporates, culture, films, music. So naturally, an average citizen would be curious and would like to come and witness this himself,” he said.

He also said that it is not wise to club “every Pakistani with Pakistani army, bigots and its establishments”.

Thane: Nationalist Congress Party MLA Jitendra Awhad on Friday alleged the Maharashtra government and Thane police had tried to mislead the Supreme Court in connection with an assault case registered against him.

Thane-based civil engineer Anant Karmuse (40) had alleged he was assaulted on April 5, 2020 by Awhad and some policemen over a morphed picture and criticism of the MLA.

Karmuse had alleged he was assaulted in Awhad’s bungalow after he criticised the latter, who was minister in the Uddhav Thackeray cabinet at the time, on social media for opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to light lamps as part of efforts to curb the spread

of COVID-19.

Observing that a victim has a fundamental right to a fair trial, the Supreme Court on Friday ordered Maharashtra police to further investigate the alleged assault.

While refusing to order a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation, a bench of Justices MR Shah and CT Ravikumar said the Bombay High Court has not committed any error in refusing to transfer the investiga -

tion to the central agency.

Addressing a press conference here, Awhad said the Thane police had claimed he had tried to create a feud between two communities, adding cases mentioned in the affidavit in SC were related to acts as a politician.

None of them pertain to attempt to murder, assault or serious offences, he claimed.

“The Maharashtra government and police have told the SC there are 24 cases against me. I have been portrayed as a gangster.,” he said.

He said he was being “fixed” by a “sarvochh shaktiman” (all powerful) person from Thane, adding recent FIRs in connection with a ruckus in a mall and an alleged molestation were to make the case against him strong in the apex court.

First India Bureau

Pune: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was in Pune on Friday to campaign in favor of BJP candidate Hemant Rasane in Kasba bypoll. Shinde’s road show in Kasba Peth Assembly constituency drew huge crowds. At the same time, after the end of the roadshow, Shinde targeted Uddhav Thackeray during his speech and responded to the criticism made on the symbol of bow and arrow.

Shinde attacked the Mahavikas Aghadi by claiming that victory of Hemant Rasane was assured in the Pune town elections and made fun of Uddhav Thackeray’s online speech.

“Eknath Shinde is an ordinary worker, those who are giving speeches online, let them stay online,” Shinde said.

Apart from this, Thackeray had accused Eknath Shinde of steal-

LAYING THE ‘TRACK’

VICTORY IS WHAT MATTERS, STRESSES

CM SHINDE DURING ROADSHOW

Kasba: Conducting a road show in the Kasba constituency on Friday, Shinde responded to the criticism during the road show and said, “While responding to the MPSC question, I was made fun of. But note that whether it is Election Commission or the Public Service Commission, it is victory which is more important. When the farmers demanded water, we do not show them the dam,” he said. “The election should be unopposed, but there is a low level of campaigning here. Mukta Tilak had shown what loyalty was. In fact, the election of Kasba should have been unopposed. When Andheri’s by-election was held, Raj Thackeray and Pawar requested us, and we withdrew, but that did not happen in this election. The propaganda has begun at the lower level,” said Shinde. “I bow down to people for their response to our rally. The Kasba constituency has seen a rare, rare picture,” concluded Shinde.

STRAIGHT!

ing the name and bow and arrow election symbol of Shiv Sena. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has commented on this for the first time and directly attacked Uddhav Thackeray.

“The bow and arrow given to Congress and NCP two and a half years ago has been mortgaged. It is a government that meets the people and not a government that takes from people. There was no development in two and a half years and works were stalled,” Shinde said.

In fact, various allegations and counter-allegations are going on between Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray regarding Shiv Sena and symbol. Thackeray does not leave any chance to criticize 40 MLAs including Eknath Shinde. Similarly, now Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is also attacking Uddhav Thackeray.

CSMT redevelopment project to be awarded in mid-March: Vaishnaw

Vaishnaw also took potshots at Uddhav Thackeray, saying the former CM did not have any interest in development projects

First India Bureau Mumbai: Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said the Rs 18,000-crore CSMT redevelopment project in the city will be awarded in mid-March.

Speaking at an event organised by news broadcaster ABP News here, the bureaucratturned-politician said

in three years, India will emerge as an exporter of railway technology which will be a quantum leap from being an importer for the longest time.

“Middle of March the tender will be allotted.

Every authority in Mumbai has given its go-ahead for the project,” Vaishnaw said while making a presentation on the railways.

He said huge space will be created in the otherwise space-starved city and also assured that the movement of people will be smooth. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Ter-

minus (CSMT) redevelopment project has been on the drawing board for some years now, and nine entities, including the Adani

Group, are in the race to bag the project.

Vaishnaw also took potshots at Uddhav Thackeray, saying the former Chief Minister

did not have any interest in development projects while he was in power, and projects like the high speed rail between Ahmedabad-

Mumbai received a big push after his successor Eknath Shinde came to power.

The minister said 152 kilometres of pillars of the ‘Bullet Train’ are ready as of now.

Citing the experience with the Vande Bharat trains, he said engineers are keen to indigeneously develop and manufacture a train which will run at 220 kms per hour, higher than the 160 kmph in Vande Bharat.

He hinted that the Vande Bharat train system can be exported as well, and added that in the next three years, In-

dia will be exporting railway technology.

Vaishnaw, who also handles the telecom portfolio, said 300 cities and towns have been covered with the 5G networks by now. He also said that it takes 7 days to get a permission to erect a telecom tower now as against over 220 days earlier.

The complexity in telecom, which was fraught with issues like litigation, makes it the most challenging of his portfolios, Vaishnaw said, adding that railways is the hardest because of the attention it needs.

Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

—FILE PHOTO

Sanjay Shirsat

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde —FILE PHOTO

Jitendra Awhad —FILE PHOTO

Javed Akhtar —FILE PHOTO

Uddhav pawned Sena’s ‘bow and arrow’ to NCP, Congress: Shinde

CRISP OF THE SPRING SEASON!

Dressing for your natural skin tone is critical and a game changer in your clothing regimen. City First brings to you a brief rundown of Cool Spring skin tones and season’s best colours which will make you look goddess in the floral season!

UTTKARSHA SHEKHAR uttkarsha.shekhar@firstindia.co.in

Spring is one of the few seasons that offers an immense sense of magic and wonder. There’s no other season quite like Spring, from the celebration of the Holi, complete with giftgiving and continuing traditions with loved ones, to the cosy feel of gathering around the fireplace to make s’mores or simply hunkering the couch to bingewatch endless holiday movies. Calm cool plus decent hot season has the most vibrant colour palette of the 4-seasons. Consider a winter setting in which everything is clear, crisp, and devoid of any

true warmth. Spring col ours are powerful, which is why they sparkle in black and jewel tones. Consider brilliant crim son, white, emerald green, or hot pink. Do you stand out in these hues? Then you could be a Cool Drinker.

Dressing for your natural colouring is critical and a game changer in your clothing routine. Wearing the proper col ours will make your skin seem healthier, your fea tures more defined, and your flaws less noticeable. So it’s important to get your colours properly.

In today’s piece, I’ll go over Cool Spring skin tones: what they are, how to tell if you’re a Cool Spring, their best colours, and celebrities that share this season. Wearing in tense will make you look more vibrant, happy and young. Unlike Cool Sum mers, your high contrast ing features mean that pastel colours will wash you out. Instead, stick to more vivid colours such as: fuschia, bottle green, icy blue or cherry. And, of course, steer clear of warm colours.

HOW TO TREAT HUNGOVER SKIN

Melatonin, often known as the sleep hormone, is a hormone that is released during sleep and aids in skin restoration. Sleep deprivation also deprives the skin of its normal healing mechanism.

REMEDIES FOR SKIN REPAIR

A NIGHT AFTER DRINKING

SKIN HYDRATION

When you drink alcohol the night before, you get a hangover, and so does your skin. Hungover skin seems to be dry, dehydrated, pale, and sallow. Let's have a look at how drinking and lack of sleep affect our skin.

IS ALCOHOL BAD FOR SKIN?

Because alcohol is a diuretic, it dehydrates the skin, making it dull and pallid. Sugar in alcoholic beverages promotes glycation, which leads to the degradation of collagen and elastin fibres. Sugar can also induce an increase in androgen hormones and sebum release, which can lead to acne.

Alcohol also causes skin irritation and aggravates illnesses such as rosacea, psoriasis, and acne. Alcohol, as a pro-inflammatory, adds to puffiness, redness, and flushing. Alcohol also causes the formation of free radicals in the skin, making it appear dull and dry.

You will notice the effects of the liquor on your skin very fast - within 24 hours, your skin will appear dull and dry.

HOW SLEEP AFFECTS THE SKIN?

Sleep deprivation causes stress, which raises cortisol levels, resulting in dark circles. It also causes collagen fibres to break down, resulting in fine wrinkles and dilated pores.

FACEOFTHEDAY

First and foremost, hydrate yourself by drinking 3 to 4 litres of water. Vitamin C or citrus fruit supplements, pure lemon shots, and antioxidant supplements such as glutathione help to neutralize the free radicals that collect as a result of alcohol intake. Hydrate the skin using hyaluronic acid serums. You can also use a hyaluronic acid face mask to moisturize your skin. Apply the mask, lie back, relax, and allow the hyaluronic acid to revitalize your tired and parched hungover skin. It is the perfect tonic for 'the morning after the night before'. You can also try coconut oil-based face packs for intensive hydration!

SKIN REPAIR

Repair the skin's barrier layer with ceramide-based moisturizers. When there is significant redness, medicated lotions such as oxymetazoline, tacrolimus, or pimecrolimus are suggested. If you get breakouts, use salicylic acid or azelaic acid-based serum. Probiotics can help you cleanse your stomach.

GET A FACE MASSAGE:

You might be surprised to learn that a massage can be an excellent cure for hungover skin. This increase in blood

circulation also hastens skin repair. You might try virgin co conut oil for a massage. It ab sorbs into your skin, providing maximum hydration and a beautiful sheen.

RUB ICE CUBES ON THE FACE

A lot of alcohol might cause puffiness in your skin. Ice cubes for the face are one op tion for treating hungover skin. Wrap a couple of ice cubes with a clean handker chief and gently apply them to the alcohol rashes and irrita tion. Rubbing ice on your face might provide relief and calm ness to your sensitive skin. Rubbing ice on your face may also help to relieve your thumping headache.

VITAMIN A SKINCARE PRODUCTS

Vitamin A (retinol) in skincare products promotes cell healing. Thus, products containing this vitamin are certain to benefit your skin.

WHICH ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE IS WORST FOR THE SKIN?

WINE

Red wine is essentially the most dreadful drink for your complex ion. It provides receptors and stimulates vein growth, increas ing skin redness. White wine has a lot of sugar, so it will aggravate outbreaks.

MARGARITA:

Mixed drinks include a lot of sugar because of the syrups and natural products that are used to prepare them. It can cause the face to become puffy.

BEER: It makes the face appear dull it also affects the complexion.

Source: https://www.medindia.net/news/healthinfocus/how-to-treat-hungover-skin-210335-1.htm

YOUR DAY

Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

ARIES

MAR 21 - APR 20

Before you make any tangible decisions today, keep the feelings of others in mind. Your words can be crude and can hurt others at times. Today, think twice before you talk, or else you might just end up hurting someone you didn’t mean to hurt.

LEO JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

Pause, and breathe. Work is always on your mind. But now it’s time to put other things on your mind instead of just work. Focus on the things you’ve always wanted to do in life but haven’t been able to. You’re financially stable and you have all the means of doing the things you want.

SAGITTARIUS

NOV 23 - DEC 22

Your enthusiasm and energy are high today. This is a good thing Sag, as you can finish off things you’ve been putting off for a while now. The best thing to do today is channel all your energy in your workplace as this might result in you getting a promotion or a raise.

TAURUS

APR 21 - MAY 20

You might face a little separation from loved ones and family because of the responsibilities handed over to you at work. You just need a little bit of planning to balance your work life and your personal life. With a little bit of planning everything will work out perfectly.

VIRGO

AUG 24 - SEP 23

Analyse whatever you’re being presented with today. If you have to sign a contract or do something involving legal actions, make sure you read it as people around you might not have the best intentions for you today. It’s best to keep yourself away from making any big moves.

CAPRICORN

DEC 23 - JAN 20

Hey there negative nancy, it’s time to get out of your head! Things are not going to look up for you unless you don’t start looking at things in a positive way. Life is horrible, we all know what, but you can’t fold your hands and think of the worst that can happen.

GEMINI

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

Today is a good day to face your fears. You can’t keep hiding in your shell for long Gemini. You need to step out and do things that you’re too scared of doing. If you don’t step out of your box, you’re not going to move ahead in life. Pick something you’ve always been scared of.

LIBRA

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

You need your alone time now. You’ve been around people way too much, and this is making you uncomfortable. You’re not a social butterfly and that’s okay. Spend today doing things that you like to do alone. Stay away from people. Take social break today.

AQUARIUS

JAN 21 - FEB 19

Your confidence is beaming today. You’ll realise that you’re in high spirits today and this is a good thing. Strut yourself and your confidence down the runway and show people who you really are. It’s a good day to take the spotlight like you love to. Enjoy.

CANCER

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

Learn to say no today. You’re going to be handed a lot of responsibilities that you won’t be able to handle. However, your nature might force you to take things up. This is where you need to power up your mind and say no to things you don’t have the time and energy for.

SCORPIO

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

Switch up the game a little. The things you’ve been doing in all aspects of your life have been benefiting you until now. However, it’s making you lead a monotonous life, which is going to get boring really soon. Today, spend time doing things in the opposite way than usual.

PISCES

FEB20 - MARCH 20

You’re taking the lead today. As fun as this sounds, be sure you don’t let it get to your head. If something goes wrong, the blame will be put on you. However, do enjoy the leadership train today since people will end up doing whatever you want them to.

DR TRUPTI SHIROLE cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

PERFECTLY TONED BODY

Sara Ali Khan is one of the most loved actresses in Bollywood from the current generation. We know that Sara is a fitness freak and always motivates her fans to hit the gym and work out, through the videos and pictures that she shares of her workout regime.

On Friday too, the actress was spotted heading to the gym and shared a video of her toned back.

Taking to her Instagram stories, Sara Ali Khan shared a video of her from her gym. In the video, we can see her facing her back toward the camera and lifting her body upwards with the support of a bar. She can be seen wearing a white coloured sports bra over a white and blue tie and dye print gym tights.

Backstage Video

shared a cute video from backstage and we are sure it is going to leave you speechless.

Taking to her Instagram handle, Priyanka Chopra shared a fun video from the backstage of Jonas Brothers' Vegas concert. The video begins with Nick Jonas walking ahead as Priyanka records the video. He is not facing the camera and can be seen cutely holding his daughter Malti Marie in his arms. PeeCee can be heard saying ‘backstage’.

Die For You Remix

Ariana Grande and The Weeknd’s Die For You Remix are now streaming. After teasing the song a couple of days back, the pop stars have now released their new song and fans absolutely cannot contain their excitement. The original single was a part of The Weeknd’s 2016

album Starboy. However, thanks to social media, and TikTok trends, the song resurfaced again, so much so, that it even earned a spot in the Billboard Hot 100. A few hours ago, Ariana took to

Quitting Social Media DATE NIGHT

he Rare Beauty mogul recently took to Twitter and shared a video announcing her decision. In a video shared on Twitter, Selena can be seen saying, “I'm very happy. I'm so blessed. I have the best friends and the best fans in the whole world and I just couldn't be happier. I'm good. I love who I am. I don't care. I'm big. I'm not. I don't care. I love who I am.” She continued,

"And yeah, I'm gonna be taking a second from social media, 'cause this is a little silly."

Recently, a video featuring Hailey Bieber surfaced on social media, where the model could be seen pretending to gag at the mention of Taylor Swift on Drop The Mic – Hailey’s former rap battle show with Method Man. Selena took to the comments section of the post and came to the defence of her BFF as she wrote, “So sorry, my best friend is and continues to be one of the best in the game.”

Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber stepped out in London for a date night in completely opposite styles. Hailey looked chic in a one-shoulder leather mini black LaQuan Smith dress for a night out at Chiltern Firehouse, the city's hotspot with her husband Justin Bieber. She completed her look with big chunky round earrings along with heels and black sheer Calzedonia tights. While Justin Bieber on other hand dressed casually in yellow fleece paired with black leath-

er pants. The singer complet ed his look with the black beanie. Justin Bieber and Hai ley Bieber usually dress in op posite styles with models adapting to the chic style while the singer dresses in a laid-back and casual way. Earlier, for the Moncler London brand’s event on February 21, both Hailey and Justin Bieber styled Mon cler puffers in their own style.

Wedding Bash!

Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic stole the limelight with their wedding. The couple renewed their vows yet again in Udaipur and had a royal wedding.

Taking to her social media, Natasa Stankovic shared some fun pictures from what appears to be Hardik Pandya and her wedding bash. Natasa can be seen wearing a pretty white corset top that she paired with an asymmetric skirt. The attire had feather-like extensions all over and the corset top hugged perfectly on her curves. Hardik on the other hand looked dapper in a white tee that he paired with black pants and layered with a zebra print jacket. In one of the pictures, we can see the Indian cricketer lifting his ladylove in his arms as both of them look extremely happy. Sharing these pics, Natasa wrote, “cheers to us baby.”

YOU REMIX OUT NOW @ theweeknd (butterfly and cat emoji)”. The Weeknd took to the comments and wrote, “the journey”.

Ariana Grande

Her post... Her post... Hailey Bieber

www.firstindia.co.in I https://firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia MUMBAI | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2023

WAS WORRIED FOR YASHJI AND ADITYA: AAMIR KHAN

The much-talkedabout Netflix docu-series The Romantics, which is a tribute to the legacy of Yash Chopra & YRF and their cultural impact on India and Indians for the past 50 years, was released on Feb 14 to unanimous acclaim and

The national overpouring of love for Yash Chopra and YRF was evident as The Romantics became the Number 1 trending title on Netflix within 48 hours of its drop, a rare feat for a

documentary! In the docu-series, Aamir Khan revealed that he was worried when Yash Chopra and Aditya Chopra discussed with him that they were setting up the country’s first and to date only studio, the Yash Raj Films lot in Mumbai!

Aamir, who has shared a great bond with Yash ji and Adi having worked in films like Fanaa, and Dhoom: 3, among others, said, “When Yashji and Adi first told me that they were making the studio, I was thinking acha?

I was worried for Yashji and Adi. I was like they are putting so much money into making this dream of theirs but is it even economically feasible to run something like this? I don’t think even

they knew whether they would make their money back!” The docu-series reveals that it was Aditya Chopra’s wish that YRF should have a studio which, today, is a matter of pride for not just the Hindi film industry, but also the Indian film fraternity! Aditya Chopra reveals why he was unfazed about building the YRF studio. He stated, “I’ll tell you why it didn’t bother me. It’s because for me, even if everything fails and we’re able to make this studio, which has my dad’s name on it, at the least what we’ve done is we’ve created a monument which symbolises what he did. I don’t think there’s any value to that. So, any price to pay for that is okay.”

Aditya Chopra’s YRF also valiantly held its ground even when Western corporate entered the Hindi film business. He explains, “Obviously, after the liberalisation in the 90s, a lot of multinationals were coming in. I got a sense this is going to happen in the film industry as well and the studio model will proba-

bly come to India if that happens, any production house, even as reputed as ours would eventually be working for the studios."

Adi added, “Now my dad was this very Indian conservative man. So, he didn’t understand. He said you want to put up a studio? I said no, I want to do that as well but that’s just brick and mor-

tar. I think we need to control our distribution touch-points and before the studios come in, I would like to become a studio so that they don’t come to buy us out, but look at us as equals. I wanted to elevate the entire process of filmmaking. I wanted to elevate the entire industry.”

From Aamir Khan to Salman Khan, from Shah Rukh Khan to Ranbir Kapoor, from Amitabh Bachchan to Ranveer Singh, from Rani Mukerji to Hrithik Roshan, from Katrina Kaif to Anushka Sharma, the mega-stars and icons of Hindi cinema have come together and spoken about Yash Chopra and YRF’s contribution to Indian cinema in The Romantics. cityfirst.mumbai@firstindia.co.in

Tulsi and Jubin's Mast Aankhein out now OSHO JAIN

The hit musical duo Tulsi Kumar and Jubin Nautiyal are back together after a year for a foottapping romantic song ‘Mast Aankhein’ produced by Bhushan Kumar which is now out on T-Series' YouTube channel.

Featuring actor-dancer Shantanu Maheshwari and Shweta Sharda alongside the singers, the music video directed by B.L.M Studios is quite a treat to watch.

Tulsi and Jubin’s mesmerizing vocals paired with Shantanu and Shweta’s outstanding dance moves make this song not only a delight for ears but also a visual spectacle.

Talking about the song, Tulsi said, "Mast Aankhein is a groovy romantic song and I’m

very happy to be a part of it."

While Jubin Nautiyal stated, "Tulsi Kumar and I have always enjoyed working together. This time it was even more memorable since we were filming the romantic music video together with Shantanu and Shweta."

Actor of the song Shantanu Maheshwari expressed, "Mast Aankhein is a beautiful romantic song that grows on you. I'm completely in love with this song and I hope the audience will too as well."

Shweta Sharda said, "Mast Aankhein has a very different vibe to it altogether. I enjoyed shooting for this song along with Shantanu, Tulsi Kumar and Jubin Nautiyal."

Sargun receives

love for Nigah Marda Ayi Ve

From acting to production, Sargun Mehta is on a successful run. Not just in her projects in Hindi, she has also earned much name and fame in the Punjabi film industry. After a string of hit Punjabi films, Sargun's much-awaited title Nigah Marda Ayi Ve is all set to hit screens on March 17.

The actor plays the lead in the production alongside Gurnam Bhullar.

The movie has been written and directed by Rupinder Inderjit.

The first poster of the film that was released recently has gone viral and fans of

the actor are looking forward to watching this urban love story soon.

Meanwhile, the first song of the film, Mallo Malli, that dropped on February 11, has been topping charts. Sung, written and composed by Gurnam Bhullar, Gaurav Dev and Kartik Dev have also worked on the music of the song.

Mallo Malli has crossed over two million views in these few days and is still going strong. It has also been a hit on Instagram reels. Fans are going gaga over this beautiful track.

Magic of Martin!

et ready for a high-octane, action entertainer like never before with MARTIN! The film is directed by A P Arjun and headlined by action prince Dhruva Sarja.

Produced by Uday K Mehta under the Vasavi Enterprises banner, India’s biggest action saga was announced with the teaser at a grand event in Bengaluru!

It was attended in large numbers to witness the scale and opulence of the entertainer. Present at the event were Dhruva Sarja, Vaibhavi

EXEMPLIFIES SIMPLICITY

Osho Jain, a singer-songwriter, composer, and performer, confronts the subjects of love, grief, and loss in his latest release ‘Hum jab door Ho Jayenge’. The soothing music and distinct voice of Osho make it a pleasant late-night listen. Osho Jain is capable of not just expressing his message but also creating captivating melodies despite the enormity of the concepts.

“Hum jab door Ho Jayenge is an emotion that everyone has felt at some point in their relationships. It is a ‘what if’ song and I feel it will resonate with a lot of people. I hope it takes you somewhere you have never been before.", expressed Osho Jain.

In the past, Osho Jain has released 34 songs with ‘Khush Toh Hai Na’, ‘Tu Aisa Kaise Hai’, ‘Khud Se’, ‘Kya Pata’ being the most popular ones. His latest performance at the MTV World Music Carnival and NH7 Weekender made him more lovable by his audience. Osho has more than 25 million streams across platforms and about 4 lacs plus monthly listeners on Spotify.

Shandilya, Anveshi Jain, Arjun Sarja, Uday Mehta and AP Arjun.

Apart from showcasing the first look, the team of Martin interacted with the media at length.

Martin marks the reunion of AP Arjun and Dhruva Sarja after Addhuri marked Sarja’s debut. The next-level action has been choreographed by Ravi Varma and Ram Laxman and the music has been composed by Mani Sharma. If the grand teaser launch was anything to go by, MARTIN is all set to take over the country by storm!

The Indian film industry’s success

Megastar Ram Charan spoke about the kind of response the blockbuster movie, RRR has received.

Ram Charan spoke about how the Naatu Naatu song, was shot in Ukraine just three months before the war.

“We shot for 15 days at the presidential palace. “Ukraine is beautiful. I wanted to visit

Ukraine as a tourist after the filming of our film,” he added.

Talking about the Oscar nomination for Naatu Naatu song, Ram Charan said, If the song wins the Oscar, he probably wouldn't be able to believe it. Someone would have to wake him up and tell him to go on stage to collect it. “It is not just our success, it is the Indian film industry’s success,”

he stated.

The actor sure hopes more films come to the Oscars and golden globes. Complimenting director SS Rajamouli for the film, he said how the director told his films are about emotions.

“And this film has all sorts of emotion and connects very well with audiences. His father also worked on the script,” the star spoke at length.

Aamir Khan

Aditya Chopra

Poster of the song

First look of the film

Ram Charan

Sargun Mehta and Gurnam Bhullar

Osho Jain