First India-Delhi Edition-27th December 2022

New Delhi: The maximum temperature dropped 10 notches below normal at some places in Delhi on Monday, making it a “severe” cold day. The Safdarjung observatory logged a minimum temperature of 5 degrees Celsius while Palam observatory recorded a maximum of 12.5 Celsius.

Jafarpur station logged a minimum of 4.2 Celsius and a maximum of 11 Celsius.

The wind chill factor was also high with wind speed clocked at 15 km per hour.

US WINTER STORM

CLAIMS 32 LIVES

New York: A deadly winter storm, that swept the United States on Christmas week, has so far claimed 32 lives and left over 20 lakh people without power.

Life-threatening chills and icy winds have lunhed millions of Americans into deep freeze with temperatures dropping as low as minus 45 degrees Celsius in some areas.

BSF JAWAN BEATEN TO DEATH IN GUJARAT

Nadiad: A BSF officer was lynched to death in Nadiad, Gujarat, after he protested against the ciruclation of an obscene video of his daughter.

Meljibhai Vaghela, a BSF jawan, went to the house of a 15-year-old boy and complained to his family about his daughter’s objectionable video being circulated online by the boy.

AFTER KOCHHARS, CBI ARRESTS VIDEOCON CEO

THE TRIO IN CBI CUSTODY TILL DEC 28

Mumbai: The CBI on Monday arrested businessman and promoter of Videocon Group Venugopal Dhoot in a case pertaining to a loan of Rs 3,250 crore from ICICI Bank. The arrest came three days after federal probe agency arrested ICICI Bank’s former Managing Director and CEO Chanda Kochhar and her husband Deepak Kochhar in this case.

According to sources, Chanda Kochhar and Deepak Kochhar had close relationship and prior acquaintance with Venugopal Dhoot V (Chairman and MD of Videocon Industries Limited (VIL) and Promoter of Videocon Group) and Videocon Group of Companies. Chanda Kochhar was also a shareholder in a company in which Dhoot had a substantial shareholding.

EVIDENCE RECEIVED AGAINST KOCHHARS AND VENU DHOOT

Sources have told that Dhoot was arrested based on the material evidence gathered against him by the CBI during probe. Bank account statements, books of Dhoot’s firm indicate that Rs 64 crore loan to Deepak Kochhar’s firm was nothing but kickbacks in exchange of receiving loans from ICICI which was then being headed by Chanda. CBI sources claim that they have evidence to prove that all three - Chanda, Deepak and Venugopal conspired together.

HOW DID KOCHHARS AND DHOOT CHEAT ICICI BANK?

She allegedly neither disclosed these facts to ICICI nor recused herself from committees of ICICI Bank, recommending or sanctioning loans to Videocon. Kochhar in criminal conspiracy abused her position as MD and sanctioned loan to VIEL to cheat bank in lieu of illegal gratification and undue benefit received in firm of her husband for sanctioning loans firms linked to Dhoot.

l

Veer Baal Diwas stands for ‘Shaurya’, ‘Sikh balidan’: PM

First India Bureau

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the programme organised to mark the remembrance of the supreme sacrifice by the sons of Guru Gobind Singh-- Sahibzades, and Mata Gujri Ji on the occasion of Veer Baal Diwas on Monday said that we need to come out of the narrow perspectives of the past if we want to take our country to reach newer heights of success.

‘The day will help us celebrate the past and would inspire us to build the future & encourage the youth,’ PM Modi said this day will forever remind us of the contribution of 10 Gurus, sacrifices of Sikhs for the pride and glory of the country.

RAHUL GANDHI HONOURS VAJPAYEE, WHILE CONGRESS LEADER INSULTS

First India Bureau

New Delhi: The BJP on Monday attacked the Congress and demanded an apology over an insulting tweet made against former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee by party leader Gaurav Pandhi, even as Rahul Gandhi visited the ‘samadhi’ of Vajpayee whose birth anniversary was on Sunday.

Pandhi, who is a coordinator with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s office and han-

dles social media for him, had put out a tweet alleging that Vajpayee had sided with the British. He later deleted it as

the BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of “doing a drama” of paying homage at Vajpayee’s memorial.

BAFFLING BOLLYWOOD DEATHS

Shehzad Poonawala demanded that the Congress should apologise for Pandhi’s remarks, “else one will be forced to believe that the words of Congress leader Gaurav Pandhi are Rahul Gandhi’s thoughts”.

Another party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said Vajpayee was an epitome of honesty while Rahul Gandhi was involved in “defaming” India and “spreading hatred”. He said that Rahul Gandhi was only “doing a drama”.

On one hand, there was terrorism, and spiritualism, and communal mayhem while on the other hand there was liberalism...on one hand there were forces of lakhs whereas on the other hand there was Veer Sahibzaade who did not relent at all.

ZELENSKYY SPEAKS WITH PM MODI, THANKS INDIA FOR HUMANITARIAN AID

COVID-19 MOCK DRILLS ACROSS NATION TODAY

First India Bureau

New Delhi: A drill will be held today across a number of health facilities in several States and Union territories to ensure their readiness to deal with any eventuality related to Covid-19, following an advisory by the Centre.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will visit Safdarjung Hospital in Delih. The drill is being conducted in view of rising Covid cases in some countries including China. P6

foreigners test positive in Bodh Gaya, Mandaviya holds virtual meet with top IMA doctors

12 of the passengers returning from highrisk countries including China test positive for Covid in Bengaluru

Covid positive cases detected at Kolkata airport

Hetero’s Covid-19 oral drug Nirmacom gets WHO prequalification

China to scrap Covid quarantine for overseas arrivals from January 8

Sushant Singh Rajput was murdered: Autopsy staff

Moni Sharma

Mumbai: Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his apartment on June 14, 2020, a Cooper Hospital employee, Roopkumar Shah - who was a part of team that conducted the post-mortem in the high-profile case - claimed that the actor did not commit suicide but was murdered. Reportedly, postmortem had stated that cause

of his death was asphyxia due to hanging, and called it a clear suicide.

Shah said, when Sushant passed away, we had received 5 dead bodies for postmortem. Out of those, one was a VIP body. While postmortem process of Sushant, we saw there were several marks on his body and 2 to 3 marks on his neck as well. Postmortem needed to be recorded but authorities were asked to only click pics of the body. Hence, we did that as per their order.

I

I maintain that Sushant Singh Rajput’s death was not a simple suicide as there was a conspiracy behind it. And only CBI will be able to unravel the conspiracy behind his death. —Vikas Singh, SSR’s lawyer

SHRADDHA MURDER FORCED BREAKUP WITH TUNISHA: SHEEZAN TELLS COPS

Mumbai: Amid probe of Tunisha’s death case, her ex-boyfriend Sheezan Khan told police that he was ‘so disturbed by the atmosphere in the country’ after the murder of Shraddha Walkar by her live-in partner Aaftab Poonawala, that he decided to end his relationship with the late actor. The actor reportedly said that he told Tunisha that their relationship was not sustainable due to their different religions and age gap. More on P6

BJP spokesperson

Rahul Gandhi performs parikrama of Sadaiv Atal, the samadhi of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on Monday. —PHOTO BY ANI

DELHI SHIVERS ON ‘SEVERE’ COLD DAY, WIND ADDS TO CHILL

First India Bureau

MINOR STOMACH INFECTION: FM SITHA ADMITTED TO DELHI AIIMS

New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was admitted to AIIMS, New Delhi, on Monday reportedly due to a minor stomach infection and for a routine. 63-year-old will be discharged soon as her condition is stable.

On the first ever Veer Baal Diwas, PM says India needs to break free from narrow views of past to achieve heights of success

The CBI officials produce Chanda and Deepak Kochhar before court in Mumbai on Monday.

The CBI officials produce Venugopal Dhoot before the CBI court in Mumbai on Monday.

FIR registered by the CBI also alleges that loan of Rs 300 crore was sanctioned to Videocon International Electronics Limited (VIEL) by ICICI Bank on August 26, 2009 and on September 7, 2009 the same was disbursed to the firm VIEL

l Loan of Rs 300 crore, fiver other high value loans worth Rs 1,575 crore were sanctioned and disbursed by ICICI to Videocon Group during 2009 to 2011

PM Narendra Modi attends ‘Veer Baal Diwas’ programme, at Major Dhyanchand Stadium on Monday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves in presence of Hardeep Singh Puri, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Meenakshi Lekhi and others during ‘Veer Baal Diwas’ programme in New Delhi on Monday.

—Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/delhi I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia

BJP’S GUJ WIN TO HAVE “POSITIVE IMPACT” ON 2024 ELECTIONS: SHAH

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday noted that BJP’s massive victory in recent Gujarat Assembly polls will change “entire political picture”, while also confiding that it will have a “positive impact” on 2024 LS elections.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought India’s support on Monday in implementation of his “peace formula” during a telecon with Modi, who strongly reiterated his call for an immediate cessation of hostilities between Ukraine and Russia. Modi said both sides should revert to dialogue and diplomacy to find a solution to their differences and conveyed India’s support for any peace efforts.

—Roopkumar Shah, Autopsy staff

Tunisha had recently tried to commit suicide a few days before her death, but at that time I saved her and told Tunisha’s mother to take special care of her.

—Sheezan Khan

P ushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” was on Monday sworn in as the Prime Minister of Nepal for the third time, a day after the former guerrilla leader dramatically walked out of the pre-poll alliance led by the Nepali Congress and joined hands with opposition leader KP Sharma Oli.

Newly appointed Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal poses for a photo as he takes charge of his office, in Kathmandu.

A proud day’: Sikh Gurudwara panel

New Delhi (ANI): The Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee on Monday felt pride in the recognition of the sacrifice of ‘Sahibzades’ as the ‘Veer Baal Diwas’ by Prime Minister Narender Modi.

“It is a proud day for us when the sacrifice of ‘Sahibzades’ has been recognised as ‘Veer Bal Diwas’. This way people all over the world will know about their sacrifice and its importance,” Member of Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee, Bhupinder Singh Bhullar said in a conversation with ANI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi PM Modi on the day of the Prakash Purab of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, on January 9, 2022, had announced to mark this day as ‘Veer Baal Diwas’ to pay homage to the courage of the ‘Sahibzades’, the four sons of the last Sikh guruGuru Gobind Singh Ji.

On the occasion, PM Modi took part in a programme organised to mark the sacrifice of Sahibzades at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in the national capital.

PM Modi attended the ‘Shabad Kirtan’ being performed by around 300 Baal Kirtanis. Later, PM Modi flagged off a marchpast by around 3,000 children in Delhi.

BRAVERY OF GURU GOBIND’S SONS IS COUNTRY’S HERITAGE: SHAH

New Delhi (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday paid tributes to Guru Gobind Singh, his two sons and wife Mata Gujri on ‘Veer Bal Diwas’. Zorawar Singh and

One of the attendees of the programme said that it is the first time

Fateh Singh, Guru Gobind Singh’s sons, laid down their lives while defending their faith. Their martyrdom day is observed as ‘Veer Baal Diwas’. In a tweet in Hindi, Shah said Guru Gobind Singh’s sons bravely

since Independence that a Prime Minister has come to honour the

‘Transfer Batla House encounter convict from GTB to Safdarjung’

New Delhi (ANI): The Delhi High court on Monday directed the authorities to transfer the convict of the Batla House encounter case, Shahzad Ahmed, from GTB hospital to Safdarjung hospital. An application seeking transfer to AIIMS or Safdarjung hospital was moved on his behalf.

It was stated that his condition is deteriorating in the GTB hospital where he was on a ventilator for two days. The vacation division bench comprising justices Vibhu Bakhru and Amit Sharma directed the authorities to transfer Ahmed from GTB hospital to Safdarjung hospital expeditiously.

The bench noted the submission of advocate Aman Naqvi that the applicant was admitted to the hospital 18 days back with a complaint of abdomen pain but his condition was deteriorating.

The counsel also submitted that there is no specialised endocrinology department in the GTB hospital. Neces-

faced enemies at a young age to protect the motherland and religion. The home minister said their bravery is the country’s heritage, remembering which the Modi government is observing ‘Veer Bal Diwas’.

Sahibzades. “We are happy that after 75 years of independence

a PM has come who has honoured the sacrifice of the Sahibzade,” an

attendee said.

While all four sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji made their supreme sacrifice, the date is observed as the martyrdom day of the Sahibzadas Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh who are said to have made their sacrifice at the ages of six and nine in Sirhind (Punjab) before Mughal forces on orders of Aurangzeb.

Festival at IIC to honour poet Fehmi Badayuni

New Delhi (PTI): Harfkar foundation will pay a tribute to celebrated poet Fehmi Badayuni for his contribu tion in Urdu literature at the upcom ing event “Jashn-eFehmi”.

The pro gramme, to be held at the India International Centre (IIC) on December 30, promises to host a soulful evening featuring ghazals and couplets of well-known poets.

Zama Sher Khan, popularly known as Fehmi Badayuni, was born on January 4, 1952, in Badaun. His emotional, sensitive and empathetic poetry won the hearts of many. The event will feature Urdu poets Shariq Kaifi, Abhishek Shukla, Vikas Sharma Raaz, Azhar Iqbal, Dr. Nadeem Shad, Irshad Khan Sikandar and Badayuni himself.

Youth Cong to take message of Bharat Jodo across India

SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT

Shahzad Ahmed is a convict in the Batla House Encounter case. He was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the trial court. His appeal against the conviction is pending before the High court. The order has been reserved on the appeal. The HC was told that Ahmed’s condition is deteriorating in hospital.

New Delhi (PTI): Mother Dairy has decided to hike milk prices by Rs 2 per litre in Delhi-NCR market with effect from Tuesday, citing rise in input costs.

This is the fifth round of hike in milk prices this year by Mother Dairy. The prices of full-cream milk have been hiked by Rs 2 to Rs 66 per litre, while toned milk rate has been revised to Rs 53 per litre from Rs 51 per litre.

Double-toned milk rate has been increased to Rs 47 per litre from Rs 45 per litre.

New Delhi (PTI): The Indian Youth Congress will take the message of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, led by party leader Rahul Gandhi, to every part of the country, it said on Monday.

In a statement, the IYC said it held a threeday meeting of its national executive, which concluded with the resolution to “take the message of Bharat Jodo Yatra to every part of the country”.

IYC National President Srinivas BV and National In-Charge

TORMENTED

70-YR-OLD WOMAN CHALLENGES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LAW IN HIGH COURT

New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court has sought the stand of the Centre on a 70-year-old woman’s challenge to a provision under the law against domestic violence which protects even aggressor women from being removed from a shared household. The senior

sary nutrition is also not being provided to the applicant. His family members are not allowed to meet him, stated the counsel. The bench also con-

citizen said that in spite of continuously being subjected to domestic violence by her daughter-in-law, a trial court refused to pass an order of eviction in light of the latter’s “right to residence”. A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium

sidered the medical report filed by Additional Public Prosecutor Rajesh Mahajan which stated that the applicant is being given the best possible treatment,

Prasad issued notice on the petition and also sought the stand of the National Commission of Women and the daughter-in-law. The court also appointed senior advocate Rebecca John as amicus curiae to assist it in the matter. The court will hear the matter on April 18.

there is a specialised endocrinology department, and the applicant is satisfied with the treatment. Ahmed’s counsel, however, insisted on the transfer.

SHARED JOURNEY

Urban Shelter Board to start awareness drive about facilities for the homeless

New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) will conduct an awareness drive this week to inform the homeless about the facilities being provided by it under its winter action plan, officials said on Monday.

Thirty volunteers have been working for rescue drives and 15 rescue vans have been deployed at several lo-

cations

20 years of Delhi Metro and also of their daughter

lll

Tushita, the daughter of citybased teacher and astrologer couple, was born around the same time when the Delhi Metro began its operations

New Delhi: City-based teacher Geeta Kaushik is filled with pride and joy whenever she sees the Delhi Metro, for the urban transporter and her daughter were born the same year — 2002.

A permanent exhibition has been opened at Welcome station on Red Line to mark two decades of the Delhi Metro.

Geeta Kaushik, 46, and her husband Ravi Kaushik, 53, an astrolo-

ger, both were ecstatic when they passed by the exhibition area.

“For us, Delhi Metro

and its eventful 20-year journey is even more joyful, as our daughter was born the same year.

Every year, when I think of my daughter’s birthday, I also immediately think of the birth of this amazing transport service, which has served us for two decades and made our lives comfortable,” she said. “I never miss the Delhi Metro’s anniversary.”

“Just as Tushita took baby steps, and then walked, and ran, the Delhi Metro too took baby steps in 2002, and now has grown into a major urban transport-

er. It gives us double joy to see Delhi Metro grow,” Geeta said.

Tushita, literally means ‘satisfaction’, the Kaushiks said, adding, Delhi Metro too has given its riders a lot of satisfaction.

The mascot of Delhi Metro is also a girl, says Ravi Kaushik with a smile, as he and his wife took a round of the exhibition that was opened on Saturday by Japan’s Ambassador to India. PTI

BJP urges LG to call Assembly session

New Delhi (PTI): The BJP accused the Delhi government on Monday of running away from a discussion on important issues and urged Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena to convene an Assembly session immediately.

The BJP also alleged that the Kejriwal government was flouting the rule of holding three major Assembly sessions in a calendar year and said while the winter sessions of most of the state assemblies

PM Modi attends Shabad Kirtan: ‘First time that a Prime Minister has come to honour the Sahibzades’ sacrifice’

PM Modi participates in ‘Veer Baal Diwas’ programme at Major Dhyanchand Stadium on Monday. School students participate in a parade marking the ‘Veer Baal Diwas’ at India Gate on Monday.

HC orders authorities after application moved on behalf of Shahzad Ahmad

Kunal Dutt

Shahzad Ahmed in police custody. —FILE PHOTO

Geeta Kaushik with her husband Ravi Kaushik at the exhibition hosted at Welcome Station to mark 20 years of the Delhi Metro.

BY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW,

Mother Dairy milk prices hiked by `2/litre in NCR

Krishna Allavaru urged in the meeting to preserve the unity in diver-

sity of India “for which Rahul Gandhi has started the yatra.”

Rahul and Priyanka walk with children during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Delhi on Sunday. —PHOTO BY PTI

in the city, DUSIB member Bipin Rai told PTI.

The awareness drive will be started by Wednesday.

LG FLAGGED LACK OF TOILETS AT SHELTERS

L ieutenant Governor VK Saxena had paid a surprise visit to night shelters at ISBT and near Hanuman Mandir on Saturday. He had claimed that there is a lack of sanitation and toilets, “forcing people to defecate in open.” “While about 5,000 homeless people inhabited the area, the total capacity was only 600,” he said.

LG Vinai Kumar Saxena meets a homeless person during his visit to a night shelter in New Delhi on Saturday. —PHOTO BY ANI

as well as Parliament have been held, “nothing is known about the winter session of the Delhi Assembly”.

Independent MCD candidate Gajender Singh Daral (2L) from Ward Mundka joins BJP in presence of Delhi BJP interim president Virendra Sachdeva (2R) and party MLA Vijender Gupta (L), on Monday.

BY ANI

Happening on a morning

Cold wave, fog keep both mercury & visibility low

Ten trains running late by 1:45 to 3:30 hrs

New Delhi (PTI): A cold wave swept through parts of Delhi on Monday and dense fog lowered visibility to 50 metres in some areas of the city, affecting road and rail traffic.

Ten trains were reported running late by 1:45 to 3:30 hours, a railway spokesperson said.

The Safdarjung observatory, Delhi’s primary weather station, logged a minimum temperature of 5 degrees Celsius -- three notches below normal. The

the

stations recorded a minimum temperature of 4 degrees Celsius and 4.1 degrees Celsius respectively.

On Sunday, the capital reported a cold day.

According to the weather office, a cold day is when the minimum temperature is less than or equal to 10 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature is at least 4.5 degrees

Aaftab taken to central forensic lab for recording voice sample

New Delhi (PTI): Murder accused Aaftab Amin Poonawala was on Monday taken to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory here to record his voice sample after police came across an audio clip in which he was purportedly heard fighting with Shraddha Walkar.

According to sources, police came across the audio recording of a purported heated argument between Walkar and Poonawala while investigating the case.

The sources also said the investigating team has got a purported video of the duo in which Poonawala is allegedly

Gurugram (PTI): A city court on Monday allowed the Haryana Special Task Force (STF) to take the voice sample of gangster Vikas Lagarpuria, the alleged mastermind in a multi-crore heist here, police said. After his 10-day police remand ended, Lagarpuria was produced in the court on Monday which sent him to judicial custody.

seen being counselled. This purported video was shot in Mumbai. The investigating

In a statement, the STF said it has recovered Rs 4.12 crore of the Rs 30 crore heist on the inputs of Lagarpuria. The heist had taken place on August 4, 2021.

team is also in the process of getting Poonawala’s face recognition test done.

Celsius below normal.

The maximum temperature at Safdarjung on Sunday had settled at 16.2 degrees Celsius, five notches below normal and the lowest so far this season.

The mercury had dropped to 3 degrees Celsius in the Ridge area, 4.9 degrees below normal, making it the coldest place in Delhi.

On Monday, dense to very dense fog prevailed in some parts of the National Capital Region.

Foggy conditions will persist in north and northwest India over the next few days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Man asphyxiates

roommate in drunken scuffle

New Delhi (PTI): A 26-year-old man was arrested for allegedly smothering to death his 22-year-old roommate after an altercation broke out between them when they were drunk, police said on Monday.

The accused -- Binay Lama, a resident of Tinsukia district of Assam -- used to work as a housekeeper in Chennai. He came to Delhi on December 6 in search of a job. Here, he came in contact with the victim, Resham Kumar, and was residing with him for the last three-four days.

An altercation broke out between them and Lama smothered Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Manoj C said.

Four Myanmar nationals test Covid positive at Delhi airport

New Delhi (ANI): Four international travellers from Myanmar tested positive for the Coronavirus infection at the Delhi airport. The genome sequencing of their samples is being done, the sources said.

“Four of the 690 Covid-19 sample tests of the International travellers from Myanmar at Delhi Airport have tested positive for the infection. The infected persons have been admitted at the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML) hospital in Delhi and their samples have been taken for genome sequencing,” people aware of the matter said. Following the advisory ‘Guidelines for International Arrivals’,

issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has commenced random post-arrival testing for international arrivals at Delhi Airport, said Dr Gauri Agarwal, Founder of Genestrings Diagnostic Center.

Earlier in the day, four foreign nationals

who came to attend the religious preaching of Tibetan Spiritual Leader Dalai Lama at Bihar’s Gaya were found to be Covid positive.

According to instructions by the government, 2 per cent of all passengers arriving at international airports have to go through random testing.

After man sets fire to car, 20 cars gutted

New Delhi (PTI):

Twenty cars were gutted at a multi-level parking facility in west Delhi’s Subhash Nagar on Monday morning following a blaze that started allegedly after a 23-year-old man set afire one of the vehicles to take revenge on its owner, police said.

Fire officials said a call was received about the fire in the basement of the four-level MCD parking facility around 4 am and seven fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The blaze was brought under control by 6:10 am, a senior fire official said.

With the help of CCTV footage, the culprit identified as Yash Arora, a resident of

Subhash Nagar, was arrested. “During interrogation, he told the police that he had personal enmity with the owner of an Ertiga car and to take revenge on him, Arora burnt the car which was parked at the MCD parking facility,” a police officer said.

A case was registered

under sections 436 (Mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc) and 427 (Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the IPC and that of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property in connection with the incident, police said.

8:55

(Clockwise from top left): Children ride a tricycle through a field amid dense fog at Yamuna Khadar in New Delhi on Monday morning. People gather around a bonfire at Yamuna Khadar. Navy personnel rehearse for Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path. A man takes a walk at Raj Ghat. A man feeds a flock of pigeons on outside Atal Bihari Vajpayee Samadhi. Women labourers covered in warm clothes walk at Kartavya Path.

—PHOTOS BY AMIT SHARMA & SHRIKANT SINGH/ANI

Ridge and

Ayanagar weather

People sit around a bonfire to warm themselves on a cold winter day in New Delhi on Monday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

Passengers being tested for Covid at IGI Airport on Monday.

Charred remains of cars after the fire at a multi-storey parking lot at Subhash Nagar, in New Delhi on Monday. —PHOTO BY PTI

TAXI CATCHES FIRE NEAR ITO CROSSING, NO CASUALTIES

New Delhi (PTI): A taxi caught fire near the ITO crossing here on Monday morning, Delhi Fire Services officials said. They said a call was received at

am and two fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The fire was doused by 9:20 am, a senior official said, adding that no casualties were reported.

The taxi that caught fire near ITO Chowk in New Delhi on Monday. —PHOTO BY PTI

`30-CRORE HEIST: COURT ALLOWS STF TO TAKE VOICE SAMPLE OF GANGSTER

INDIA BEATS BANGLADESH, STAYS IN HUNT TO REACH WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

MAHAN

India pipped Bangladesh by three wickets in an exciting 2nd Test to register a clean sweep in the twomatch series. With this victory, India retained their second spot on the World Test Championship table. But the close shave in the Mirpur game, which could have gone either way till the last moment, reflects that Team India has had an ordinary year. As the New Year beckons, there are serious concerns and challenges that confront India in test cricket.

India’s batting approach in the series with Bangladesh was a far cry from the aggression promised by KL Rahul and the team management. Knocking off the modest target of 145 should have been an easy task for India. It was only a superb stand between Shreyas Iyer and Ravichandran Ashwin that saved India from an embarrassing first-ever loss to Bangladesh in Test cricket. Indian batting in recent tests has often left a lot to be desired. While KL Rahul is going through a horror patch, even Virat Kohli has been far from his best in test cricket despite his recent resurgence in white ball format.

way for Rohit Sharma to become the skipper in all three formats.

But with Rohit remaining injuryprone at 35, the year saw a virtual musical chairs over captaincy.

Kohli’s resignation and Rohit’s injuries have created a situation whereby six players have led the team across formats this year.

Despite the hiccups and headaches, Team India still has a strong chance of qualifying for the World Test Championship final provided they win 3 out of 4 Tests against Australia who are currently the table toppers. If Indian batsmen can start firing at their best and the bowlers can retain the striking ability they have displayed in recent matches, Team India could well make it to the World Test Championship final in June 2023

The disappointing performance of the batting unit and some tactical mistakes raise lots of questions just before the upcoming home series against Australia. While Indian batters need not copy England’s aggressive batting style, known as ‘Bazball’, they can take a leaf out of their book in chasing 145. Just a few days earlier on a tricky Karachi pitch, England had chased down a target of 167 in barely 28.1 overs for the loss of only two wickets. The Indian top-order could surely learn a few valuable lessons instead of looking like rookies against the Bangladesh spinners.

The below par show in Bangladesh reflects clearly that things haven’t exactly gone as per plans in 2022 which has been a bittersweet year for Indian cricket. The year had begun on a promising note as India defeated South Africa in a convincing fashion in their first test at Centurion. But these were followed by two successive losses as the Proteas ran away with the series that India initially seemed set to win.

Defeat in South Africa led to Virat Kohli suddenly resigning as the Test captain, clearing the

WILL SP, BSP BACK BHARAT JODO IN UP

Rohit Sharma’s injury-induced absence highlights one of the biggest headaches for the Indian team in 2022 – the non-availability of several key performers. Perhaps the most notable absence that has hurt India’s chances in a big way is that of ace-pacer, Jasprit Bumrah, who has hardly played for Team India since the tour of South Africa in January. The other huge loss has been the injury to Ravindra Jadeja which has affected the team’s morale and its balance.

The growing list of injured players reflects the urgent need for more effective workload management and greater emphasis on fitness regimens.

After the defeat to South Africa in January, the team thrashed Sri Lanka comprehensively in the two-test series in March. But in the only test against England this year, Team India floundered badly and were defeated by the Ben Stokes-led unit by seven wickets.

Despite the mixed bag in terms of results, India’s underrated bowling unit has done rather well. Even in the Bangladesh series, Indian bowlers got 40 wickets in the two tests though

India pipped Bangladesh by three wickets in an exciting 2nd Test to register a clean sweep in the twomatch series. With this victory, India retained their second spot on the World Test Championship table. But the close shave in the Mirpur game, which could have gone either way till the last moment, reflects that Team India has had an ordinary year

their propensity to let the opposition tail wag nearly cost them the second Test. To win in Test cricket, a side needs to take 20 wickets and Indian bowlers struck with regularity throughout the Test series.

This brings us to the ticklish issue of arbitrary selections. Undoubtedly, the worst and most controversial was the dropping of left arm spinner Kuldeep Ya-

SUPERB STAND BETWEEN IYER AND ASHWIN SAVED TEAM INDIA

fter a gap of 9 days the Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY) will enter Uttar Pradesh on January 3 for a short journey to three districts in the western part of the state. Congress has invited the Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party to join the rally. Om Prakash Rajbhar of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party has also been urged to join the march which is out to spread the message of love and brotherhood to counter the hate being allegedly peddled by the BJP. Will Akhilesh and Mayawati accept the invite and send their representatives to join the march? The SP’s alliance partner the Rashtriya Lok Dal is under-

Congress has invited SP leader Akhilesh and Mayawati of BSP to join the rally. Om Prakash Rajbhar of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party has also been urged to join the march which is out to spread the message of love and brotherhood to counter the hate being allegedly peddled by the BJP

stood to have confirmed its participation.

The BJY will traverse the districts of Baghpat, Shamli and Kairana. Any hint of SP and BSP joining the second-leg of the march will be of extreme

India’s batting approach in the series with Bangladesh was a far cry from the aggression promised by KL Rahul and the team management. Knocking off the modest target of 145 should have been an easy task for India. It was only a superb stand between Shreyas Iyer and Ravichandran Ashwin that saved India from an embarrassing first-ever loss to Bangladesh in Test cricket. Indian batting in recent tests has often left a lot to be desired. While KL Rahul is going through a horror patch, even Virat Kohli has been far from his best in test cricket despite his recent resurgence in white ball format.

dav from the second test against Bangladesh. Despite taking 8 wickets, scoring 40 runs and winning the Man of The Match award in the first test, Yadav was axed to include a trundler like Jayadev Unadkat – a decision that defied all cricketing logic.

Despite the hiccups and headaches, Team India still has a strong chance of qualifying for the World Test Championship

political significance for 2024. So far Mayawati has distanced herself from the SP and the Congress and chances of their coming together seem remote. Towards the end of 2022 the possibility which seems strong is of a three-cornered contest. Those trying to smell the coffee read much into the BSP MP from Jaunpur, Shyam Singh Yadav, joining Rahul Gandhi’s foot march in Delhi for about three hours. On any normal day Mayawati would have called for his explanation. That makes one suspect that a tripartite arrangement between the three main players could be in the offing for 2024. The RLD, it is believed, will readily play tango. That should make the contest somewhat lip-smacking.

final provided they win 3 out of 4 Tests against Australia who are currently the table toppers. If Indian batsmen can start firing at their best and the bowlers can retain the striking ability they have displayed in recent matches, Team India could well make it to the World Test Championship final in June 2023.

down against oppression and tyranny. Celebrated today #VeerBaalDiwas will continue to inspire the future generations of the country with the success story of his bravery.

SPEAK

Winter, summer, happiness, and pain; Giving, appearing, disappearing; Nonpermanent, all of them; Just try to tolerate.

Bhagavad Gita

SPIRITUAL

Jagat Prakash Nadda @JPNadda I bow down to ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ dedicated to the martyrdom of Sahibzade Zorawar Singh ji and Fateh Singh ji of Shri Guru Gobind Singh ji. Your patriotism and piety will always inspire every Indian to dedicate everything for the nation and culture.

Rajnath Singh @rajnathsingh

On the martyrdom day of Baba Zorawar Singh ji and Baba Fateh Singh ji, I bow down to their martyrdom. He sacrificed his life, not bowing

TOP TWEETS

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

SIDDHAARTH

The writer is a specialist on Sports and Cinema who works as an actor in the Hindi film industry

PRESIDENT OFFERS PRAYERS AT SRISAILAM TEMPLE

various projects related to development of Srisailam Temple

Kurnool (PTI): President Droupadi Murmu on Monday offered prayers at Srisailam temple in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool district and laid foundation stone for various development works.

Arriving at Sun-

nipenta helipad from Hyderabad, she was received by Andhra Pradesh Endowments Minister Kottu Satyanarayana, Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath, local MLA Shilpa Chakrapani Reddy, and senior officials.

From there, the President reached Srisailam temple by road.

Telangana Governor

Tamilisai Soundararajan and Union Tourism and Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy also reached Srisailam along with the President from Hyderabad.

Andhra Pradesh's Tourism Minister R. K. Roja, other public representatives and senior officials received President Murmu.

Priests and temple officials accorded a tradi-

TUNISHA’S MOTHER ACCUSES SHEEZAN OF CHEATING ON ACTOR

Deceased’s

New Delhi (ANI): Tunisha Sharma’s mother Vanita has revealed new details about the actor’s relationship with her co-star Sheezan Khan. Tunisha allegedly committed suicide on the sets of her serial Alibaba –Dastaan-e-Kabul on Saturday. A case of abetment to suicide was registered against Sheezan under Section 306 of the IPC.

In a statement on Monday, Vanita, who had filed a complaint against Sheezan, said, “I want to tell you that Sheezan cheated Tanisha. First, he had a rela-

SHE HAD TRIED SUICIDE EARLIER ALSO, SAYS KHAN

New Delhi: Tunisha Sharma tried to commit suicide even before she actually ended her life on December 24. And her ex-boyfriend and 'Ali Baba: Dastaan-e-Kabul' co-star Sheezan Mohammed Khan had informed her family about it. Sheezan is now in police custody, having been accused by Tunisha's mother of causing her daughter mental trauma and driving her to commit suicide.

tionship with her saying that he will marry her and later broke up with her. He already was involved with another woman in spite of which he got involved

CRUCIAL READ

GRENADES’ CACHE

RECOVERED FROM ASSAM TEA GARDEN

Dibrugarh: A cache of grenades and ammunition were recovered from a tea garden in Assam's Dibrugarh district, a senior police official said on December 26. Two Chinese grenades, two magazines of AK-series rifles, 12 bullets and a pistol silencer were recovered from South Jalan tea estate. Items were spotted by garden workers on Sunday night, Dibrugarh SP Shwetank Mishra. “We have interrogated some people,” Mishra added.

2 AFRICAN CITIZENS HELD FOR DUPING GUJARAT WOMAN

Ahmedabad: Two African nationals were arrested for allegedly duping an elderly woman from Gujarat's Ahmedabad of Rs 34 lakh by befriending her online using fake identities and asking her to pay money to get gifts and foreign currency released from Customs, police said on Monday. Some other gang members involved in the crime are yet to be arrested, he said. According to official, a 63-year-old woman approached Cyber Crime Branch on Dec 23.

with Tunisha and used her for three to four months. He should be punished for that. I have lost my daughter.”

Police allege the reason behind Tunisha

TMC BLASTS BJP FOR LINKING TUNISHA’S DEATH TO ‘LOVE JIHAD’

tional welcome to her.

She had darshan at Ratnagarbha Ganapathi Swamy temple.

The President later performed Rudrabhishekam to Srisailam Mallikarjuna Swamy and Kumkumarchana to Bramarambika Devi.

She launched various projects related to the development of Srisailam Temple.

Works worth Rs 43

crore were launched under National Mission of Pilgrimage Rejuvenational and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) scheme of the Union Tourism Ministry. She also visited Sri Shivaji Spoorthy Kendram at Srisailam.

Murmu later returned to Hyderabad for five-day winter sojourn.

Earlier, she had arrived at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad, in a special aircraft and later left for Srisailam by a helicopter. Tight security arrangements were made at Srisailam for the President's visit.

The temple authorities had suspended darshan for devotees and diverted traffic as part of the arrangements.

Zero visibility in many places after fog engulfs North India

New Delhi (ANI): As biting cold conditions engulfed entire North India, fog and poor visibility remained a severe cause of concern on Monday.

IMD PREDICTS HEAVY TO VERY HEAVY RAINS IN 10 TAMIL NADU DISTS

Sharma’s alleged extreme step could be her breakup with Sheezan Khan. Vasai court has sent Sheezan to police custody for four days in connection with death.

New Delhi: To call the BJP a ‘sick monster’ would be an understatement, Trinamool Congress (TMC) spokesperson Saket Gokhale said on Monday, as he lambasted the party over claims by some of its leaders that the death of TV actor Tunisha Sharma, who died by suicide on Saturday, was a case of ‘love jihad.’ “The post mortem on the poor woman's body isn't even complete yet let alone her being laid to rest. And the BJP has already begun to user her tragic death for their own hateful political agenda. To call the BJP sick monsters would be an understatement,” tweeted Gokhale.

According to the India Meteorological Department, visibility across most of the northern states remained poor with Bhatinda in Punjab and Bikaner in Rajasthan recording "zero visibility". The visibility in the national capital here at just 50 meters. Not only in Bhatinda, visibility remained low throughout Punjab, with Amritsar recording visibility of 25 metres and Ambala 50.

Haryana too recorded low visibility. While places like Ambala and Hissar recorded a low of 25m and 50m respectively, visibility in Chandigarh was 200 metres.

According to IMD data, places like Sri Gan-

ganagar and Churu in Rajasthan also recorded low visibility of 25 and 50 meters, respectively.

Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal also recorded very low visibility on the day with number dipping to 50 metres in Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, while North Bengal recorded visibility of 200 meters.

5 foreigners test Covid positive in Bodh Gaya

Patna (ANI): Five foreign nationals, four of them from Thailand and one from Myanmar, have tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival in Bihar on a pilgrimage, official said on Monday.

According to Dr Ranjan Kumar Singh, medical officer in charge of Gaya district, the foreigners were tested at the international airport here in the weekend as part of a drill that is being followed for those visiting Bodh Gaya to attend the Dalai Lama's discourses scheduled this week.

Altogether 33 foreigners were tested during weekend, out of whom four of them females, have tested positive, said Singh. Their condition is stable.

K’TAKA: ILLEGAL SLAUGHTERHOUSE RAIDED; BEEF SEIZED

Mangaluru (PTI): An illegal cattle slaughterhouse was raided in a village in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka and around 100 kilograms of beef were seized from the place, police said on Monday. A team of Konaje police station raided the slaughterhouse at Malar under Pavoor village in the district and confiscated the meat, valued at Rs 25,000 in market. Police said accused Jafar Sadiq, a resident of Malar Badriyanagar, managed to escape the raid.

DRUG TRAFFICKERS’ PROPERTIES RAZED, SAYS HARYANA CM

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said legal action has been taken against those involved in drug trafficking and illegal properties of all such people have also been identified. Replying to a question by member Abhay Singh Chautala, regarding demolition of houses of people involved in drug peddling, on first day of Winter session, Khattar said action of demolishing properties as ethically wrong.

According to

one

Kanyakumari: The IMD’s Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has predicted heavy to very heavy rains in 10 districts of Tamil Nadu on Monday as the deep depressions that have prevailed over Sri Lanka are likely to become a depression over the Kanyakumari sea and adjoining areas. The depression, according to the India Meteorological Department, is likely to move further west-northwestwards and weaken over the southeast Arabian Sea. This depression would lead to heavy to very heavy rains in many regions of south Tamil Nadu and in some places of north Tamil Nadu. Heavy to very heavy rains are expected in Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, and Kanniyakumari districts. Chennai and its suburbs are likely to have partly cloudy conditions in the next 48 hours, and light to moderate rains is likely to occur.

Stay on EIA for the construction projects to

continue: NGT

New Delhi (PTI): Pharmaceuticals firm Hetero on Monday said it has received World Health Organisation Prequalification of medicines programme (WHO PQ) approval for its generic version of COVID-19 oral antiviral treatment candidate ‘Nirmatrelvir.’

MAKES MASKS MANDATORY

PREP FOR HOCKEY WORLD CUP

New Delhi: National Green Tribunal has extended the stay on a Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change notification modifying the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) conditions for certain construction projects.

According to the notification dated Nov 14, 2018, the Union government delegated the power to ensure compliance with environmental conditions to local bodies.

1,200 workers, 24×7 shifts; Rourkela all set to host

Rourkela (PTI): The Rourkela hockey stadium, India’s biggest with a seating capacity of 21,000, will be inaugurated early January. (Express photo by Sujit Bisoyi)

When Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik laid the foundation stone for a new hockey stadium at Rourkela on February 16, 2021 — in the middle of a pandemic — and announced that it would be a second venue for the Men’s FIH

Hockey World Cup, many, even within the government, were sceptical about its timely completion. So much so that the International Hockey Federation had to give the state a deadline of November 30 to complete the main structure and lay the turf.

For two years since then, over 1,200 migrant workers — many of them from Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal — worked round

the clock in three shifts to construct the stadium. And less than three weeks before the first match, the grand sau-

cer-shaped steel structure, with a seating capacity of around 21,000, stands tall over 16 acres of land.

A total of 20 matches will be played in the new stadium to be named after freedom fighter and tribal icon Birsa Munda.

The Chief Minister is expected to inaugurate the structure, the country’s biggest hockey stadium, early in January.

Along with the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, it will host the World Cup from January 13 to 29. A total of 20 matches will be played in the new stadium to

be named after freedom fighter and tribal icon Birsa Munda.

At the stadium site, workers continue to toil round the clock to put things together. Though the stadium work has already been completed and the ground was used for a practice match between junior teams of India and South Korea, large cranes have been deployed to fix the aluminium facades and glass windows.

mother accuses Sheezan Khan of cheating on actor

MANDAVIYA HOLDS MEETING WITH IMA

KARNATAKA

New Delhi: Union Health and Family Welfare Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday interacted with doctors and representatives from Indian Medical Association (IMA) regarding the COVID-19 situation and preparedness. During the meeting, Mandaviya urged participants to refrain from making speculations.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Monday announced that wearing face masks inside theatres, schools and colleges will be mandatory. Fresh guidelines were announced.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Health department was concerned over the development of 12 passengers arriving from highrisk countries testing positive for Covid at the Kempe Gowda International Airport Bengaluru, sources confirmed on Monday. According to authorities, a 37-year-old man, who arrived from China, had tested positive for Covid at Bengaluru. The other 11 passengers came from high-risk countries. Four of them have been quarantined in a private hospital and the rest passengers have been kept in home quarantine. All the samples have been sent to genomic sequencing to the National Institute of Virology and results expected by Tuesday.

12 PASSENGERS RETURNING FROM HIGH-RISK COUNTRIES INCLUDING CHINA TEST POSITIVE

Kolkata: Two persons returning from abroad have tested positive for the Coronavirus infection at the Kolkata Aiport, airport sources said on Monday.

sources,

of the positive passengers came from Dubai on Saturday while another came from Kuala Lumpur.

2 COVID POSITIVE CASES DETECTED AT KOLKATA AIRPORT

NIRMACOM GETS PREQUALIFICATION FROM THE WHO

Chandigarh (Agencies):

President Droupadi Murmu arrives to offer prayers at Srisailam temple, in Nandyala district of Andhra Pradesh on Monday.

A healthcare worker takes swab sample of a passenger for COVID-19 testing at railway station in Jalandhar.

A train runs at slow pace due to low visibility due to a thick fog on a cold winter day, in Gurugram on Monday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

—PHOTO BY ANI

Mumbai: TV actor Tunisha Sharma had lunch with the main accused and co-actor Sheezan Khan before hanging herself, sources said. The First Information Report, or FIR, in a case registered by the police, charging Sheezan Khan for abetment to suicide, revealed that the duo were in a relationship and had broken up 15 days before Tunisha's death.

SHEEZAN KHAN HAD LUNCH WITH TUNISHA ON THE DAY OF SUICIDE

She launched

—PHOTO BY ANI

Kolkata (ANI): A court in Kolkata has taken cognisance of a charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate against arrested Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Manik Bhattacharya and others in connection with the West Bengal teachers recruitment 'scam' money laundering case, the agency said Friday. ED had named six entities including the legislator, his wife Satarupa Bhattacharya, their son Souvik Bhattacharya, Tapas Kumar Mondal (owner of a teacher training centre), firms like Acuere Consultancy.

TEACHERS' SCAM: NAME OF TRINAMOOL PANCHAYAT MEMBER'S SON SURFACES

INOX GREEN TO HAVE STAKE IN WIND SERVICE PROVIDER

‘India well placed amid global uncertainties’

New Delhi (PTI): Inox Green Energy Services on Monday said it will acquire a majority stake in an independent wind service provider that operates majorly in South India with a 230+MW fleet. However, the company did not disclose the value of the transaction and the name of the target company. The transaction is subject to certain regulatory and other customary closing conditions and is expected to conclude by the end of January 2023, a company statement said.

New Delhi (PTI): India is well positioned to continue to be the fastest-growing major economy next year, which may mark the lowest global growth since the millennium began barring the pandemic and the global financial crisis, according to Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran.

In his New Year message to around 9.35 lakh employees of the Tata Group, he said increasing consumption, consumer confidence and investment will support India’s growth story although the global environment has several risk factors, including the energy crisis in Europe, the battle to contain inflation to avoid recession, and ongoing geopolitical conflicts.

New Delhi (PTI): Power Mech Projects (Power Mech) on Monday said it has bagged three projects, including one from the Adani Group, totalling `1,034.13 crore. In a regulatory filing, the company said it has received service order/letters of award (LOA) worth `1,034.13 crore. A service order for execution of retrofitting of flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) system is from the Adani Group for its thermal power plants located at Mahan (MP), Raigarh and Raipur.

KINETIC GROUP TO LAUNCH ELECTRIC VERSION OF LUNA

“Post-pandemic, India opened up, and we have returned to living our daily lives normally, in a year that saw the nation turn 75 years old. Business momentum has been strong for many of our companies,” he wrote.

In the next year, Chandrasekaran said, “we are likely to see inflation gradually moderate. India is well positioned, and we will continue to be the fastest growing major economy, supported by increas-

Fund mobilisation through equity, debt routes down 20 per cent

New Delhi (PTI): The Kinetic Group will be launching the electric version of its once popular moped Luna, according to a regulatory filing by Kinetic Engineering. The E-Luna will be launched shortly by sister company Kinetic Green Energy & Power Solutions, the company said on Monday. Kinetic Engineering Ltd (KEL) has commenced production of chassis and other assemblies for the electric avatar of the Luna, it added.

The company has developed all the major subassemblies for E-Luna.

GOLD RISES `121; SILVER ADVANCES

100

BY RUPEES

New Delhi (PTI): Fund mobilisation by companies through equity and debt routes has dropped 20% in 2022 to nearly ` 11 lakh crore, as exuberance dwindled this year due to expensive credit avenues and volatile markets. The first half of 2023 could continue to remain challenging.

The year 2021 was extraordinary for fundraising from the equity and debt routes, while 2022 has seen a slowdown in capital raising owing to elevated volatility provoked by unprecedented inflation globally and the RussiaUkraine war.

SEVERAL RISK FACTORS

z N Chandrasekaran said increasing consumption, consumer confidence and investment will support India’s growth story although the global environment has several risk factors

ing consumption, consumer confidence and investment.”

However, he added, “Slowing global growth

z The global environment has several risk factors, including the energy crisis in Europe, the battle to contain inflation to avoid recession

z Barring the pandemic & the global financial crisis, next year may mark the lowest growth since the millennium began

may act as a drag on output, but our rising share of global manufacturing should provide some buffer/insulation.”

The global environment has several risk factors, including the energy crisis in Europe, the battle to contain inflation to avoid recession, and ongoing geopolitical conflicts, he pointed out.

“Barring the pandemic and the global financial crisis, next year may mark the lowest global growth since the millennium began. We will need to keep careful watch on commodity price rises, in particular,” Chandrasekaran said.

Sensex, Nifty jump over 1% after four days of decline

Mumbai (PTI): Equity benchmarks ended with a jump of over 1% on Monday after four days of losses amid a positive trend in global markets.

The 30-share BSE benchmark rallied 721.13 points or 1.20% to settle at 60,566.42. During the day, it jumped 988.49 points or 1.65% to 60,833.78.

On similar lines, the broader NSE Nifty advanced 207.80 points or 1.17% to end at 18,014.60.

Mumbai (PTI): The rupee appreciated 17 paise to close at 82.65 (provisional) against the US dollar on Monday, tracking positive domestic equities and the weakening of the American currency in the overseas market.At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local unit opened at 82.79 and touched an intra-day high of 82.63 and a low of 82.83 against the greenback.It finally settled at 82.65, registering a rise of 17 paise over its previous close of 82.82.

PLI scheme for textiles attracts `1,536 crore

New Delhi (PTI): The ` 10,683-crore productionlinked incentive scheme for India’s textiles sector attracted investments of `1,536 crore as approval letters were issued to 56 applicants who met the eligibility criteria, the government said on Monday.

Applications under the PLI Scheme for textiles were received through a web portal from January 1, 2022, to February 28, 2022.

The Centre launched the PLI Scheme with an approved outlay of `10,683 crore to promote the production of MMF apparel, MMF fabrics and Products of Technical Textiles in the country to enable the textiles industry to achieve size and scale and

OTHER STORIES

to become competitive. “Selection Committee chaired by Secretary (Textiles) has selected 64 applicants under the scheme. 56 applicants have completed the mandatory criteria for the formation of a new company and approval letters have been issued to them. Investment to the tune of `1,536 crore has been made so far,” an official statement said.

New Delhi (PTI): India’s export of agriculture and allied commodities rose 11.97% to $30.21 billion during April-October period of current fiscal year, the agriculture ministry said on Monday. Wheat, basmati rice, raw cotton, castor oil, coffee, and fresh fruits were major commodities exported from India. The overall export of agri and allied commodities rose 20% to $50.24 billion in 2021-22, when compared with $41.86 bn in the previous year.

New Delhi (PTI): Realty firm Godrej Properties has purchased about 62 acres of land in Kurukshetra, Haryana for over `100 crore to develop a plotted residential project and is targeting around `550 crore revenue from this property. In a regulatory filing, the company informed that this project will offer about 1.4 million square feet of plotted residential development. The company did not mention the total deal value.

WEWORK INDIA RAISES `550 CRORE

CREDIT-MANAGED FUND FOR FUTURE GROWTH

New Delhi (PTI): Co-working major WeWork India on Monday said it has raised `550 crore from funds managed by BPEA Credit for future growth and acquisition opportunities as it seeks to tap rising demand for flexible spaces. In 2017, WeWork Global had partnered with Bengaluru-based real estate firm Embassy Group to enter the Indian market. At present, WeWork India has a portfolio of around 70,000 desks spread over 6 million square feet area in 41 centres across B’luru, Mumbai, Gurugram, Noida, Hyderabad, and Pune.

LICHF HIKES LENDING RATE BY 0.35%, HOME LOANS TO COST 8.65%

CENTRAL

CR THIS FISCAL

New Delhi (PTI): Gold prices rose by `121 to `54,721/10 grams in the national capital on Monday, according to HDFC Securities. Silver also rose by `100 to `69,050/kg.

“Gold price traded steady in the domestic market due to lack of cues from the global market due to holiday season,” said Dilip Parmar, Research Analyst at HDFC Securities. Gold prices are likely to trade sideways due to lack of market participants. However short-term trend is still bullish in gold, Parmar added.

“The first half of 2023 could continue to be challenging, largely driven by global macro developments. If the slowdown/ recession in the US is mild, then we could see a rally in global markets in the second half of next year, which would aid investor sentiment and the Indian markets as well,” said Vishal Chandiramani, Managing Partner Products and COO, TrustPlutus Wealth (India) Pvt Ltd.

Even with a bounce back in markets, it will be more difficult to garner funds over the next few years as compared to earlier, he noted.

From the Sensex pack, State Bank of India, IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finserv, Tata Steel, ITC, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, UltraTech Cement, NTPC and Tata Motors were the major winners.

IN WORKING LIVES

Mumbai (PTI): Mortgage lender LIC Housing Finance joined peers and hiked its lending rate by 0.35%. The move, which comes a week after an increase by bigger rival HDFC by a similar quantum, entails that the minimum rate of interest will get revised to 8.65% for the best-rated borrower. In a statement, the company said it has increased the LIC Housing Prime Lending Rate (LHPLR), to which the interest rate on its loans is linked, by 0.35%.

New Delhi (PTI): Stateowned Central Bank of India will raise up to `1,500 crore this fiscal by issuing Basel III compliant bonds. The decision was taken at the bank’s board meeting held on Monday. The board of directors considered and approved to raise capital through an issuance of non-convertible redeemable unsecured Basel III compliant tier II bonds for amount up to `1,500 crore, the bank said in a regulatory filing.

INDIAN WORKERS DEMANDING MORE FLEXIBILITY

New Delhi (PTI): A significant percentage of employees are demanding more flexibility in their working lives, and they are prepared to make compromises to get it, as per a report.

According to the ADP Research Institute’s People at Work 2022: A Global Workforce View, which surveyed almost 33,000 workers across 17 countries, more than 7 in 10 are seeking more flexibility in how they structure their working time.

In India, 76.07% of employees would prefer having control over their work-

ing hours, the report said, adding that they would take a pay cut to guarantee

the flexibility of working remotely or have the opportunity to alternate between

MAJOR FINDINGS

z In India, 76.07% of employees would prefer having control over their working hours.

z They would take a pay cut to guarantee the flexibility of working remotely or have the opportunity to alternate between home and office.

z 76.38% of employees would look for a new job

home and office. As per the report, around 76.38% of employees in India would

look for a new job if asked to return to work full-time.

“Currently, there is a need for innovative alternative options to the traditional nine-to-five to keep employees satisfied at work.

“Offering more flexibility and control over employees’ work-life is worth considering as they have endured immense pressure during the pandemic and have proved to be important assets through their continuous performance,” Rahul Goyal, MD, South East Asia & India, ADP, said.

POWER MECH GETS ORDERS FROM ADANI GROUP, OTHERS

FROM BPEA

Nestle, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bharti Airtel, HCL Technologies and Hindustan Unilever were the laggards.

` GAINS 17 PAISE TO CLOSE AT 82.65 AGAINST US DOLLAR

CONG INVITES SP, BSP CHIEFS TO BHARAT JODO YATRA IN UP

Lucknow (PTI): The Congress has invited several leaders of nonBJP parties, including Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, BSP supremo Mayawati & RLD’s Jayant Chaudhary, to take part in the Uttar Pradesh leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

An exception is former deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma who has been invited to the yatra in his capacity as a professor at Lucknow University. Another professor of the university, Ravikant, has also been invited.

The Rahul Gandhiled Bharat Jodo Yatra will enter Uttar Pradesh on January 3 through Loni in Ghaziabad.

It will then pass through Baghpat and Shamli to enter Hary-

ana. Congress spokesperson Ashok Singh told PTI that the party has extended invitations to prominent opposition leaders in the state to attend the yatra. In the present times when people are not allowed to raise their views, this yatra is the

only option to know people’s minds, the spokesperson said.

The entire opposition has almost the same view about this government so they have been invited to participate in the yatra, the party spokesman said.

The Congress has in-

vited SP MLA Shivpal Singh Yadav, BSP general secretary Satish Mishra, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief Omprakash Rajbhar and Communist Party of India secretary Atul Anjan, he said.

Former Union minister Salman Khurshid,

HC protection to Unnao rape survivor

New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi HC has granted interim protection from “precipitate action” to the 2017 Unnao rape survivor in an FIR registered by the Uttar Pradesh police for allegedly forging her date of birth to attract provisions of the POCSO Act in the case in which the now expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar was convicted. Sengar has

since been disqualified as an MLA.

Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani issued notice on the anticipatory bail plea by the 21-year-

SC notice to ED on bail plea of suspended IAS officer Pooja Singhal

New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has sought the response of the Enforcement Directorate to a plea filed by suspended IAS officer Pooja Singhal in a money laundering case seeking interim bail to look after her daughter who is ill.

A bench of Justices SK Kaul and Abhay S Oka issued a notice to the ED and others and sought their replies.

“Issue notice returnable in the re-opening miscellaneous week of January 2023 both in the SLP as well as on the application for interim bail.

“In the meantime, the respondent is directed to verify the medical status of the daughter of the petitioner,” the bench said.

The top court was hearing an appeal filed by Singhal, a Jharkhand cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, against the Jharakhand high court order dismissing her bail plea.

Singhal has been in custody since May 11 after raids were conducted at properties linked to her. The Enforcement Directorate has accused Singhal, a former state mines de-

partment secretary, of money laundering.

The ED has said more than Rs 36 crore cash, linked to alleged illegal mining, was seized by its teams as part of two separate money laundering investigations.

Singhal was suspended by the state government following her arrest.

old and directed that subject to the petitioner appearing before the trial court when required, “no precipitate action affecting the petitioner’s liberty shall be taken by the trial court, till the next date of hearing”.

The court, in a recent order, granted six weeks to the prosecution to file a status report and listed the case for further hearing on March 1.

The FIR was registered by Makhi police station in Unnao on December 23, 2018, under sections 419/ 420/ 467/ 468/471 IPC for the alleged offence of cheating and forgery after the husband of an accused in the main rape case claimed the petitioner and her mother forged the date on the birth certificate so they could press the charge under the POCSO Act.

who is the state coordinator of the yatra, had told media last week that Bharat Jodo Yatra is not of any party but of the whole country and leaders of various parties will be invited to attend it.

He, however, had not shared the names of leaders who would be invited then.

Cong general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who had led the party’s campaign in the UP assembly elections earlier this year, will join the yatra in the state on all 3 days.

The Kanyakumarito-Kashmir yatra, which has so far traversed more than 2,800 km through 10 states, is on a nine-day winter break and will resume on January 3.

Teachers given Covid duty at Delhi airport

New Delhi (PTI): Delhi government school teachers will be deployed at Indira Gandhi International Airport to ensure people there follow COVID protocols, officials said on Monday. The order was issued by the District Magistrate on behalf of the District Disaster Management Authority.

BJP returns to power, disasters take their toll

FROM ANKITA MURDER CASE TO OTHER CONTROVERSIES

Dehradun: The BJP’s gamble in Uttarakhand on Pushkar Singh Dhami worked. Just months before the assembly polls, the party installed him as the chief minister, replacing Tirath Singh Rawat. And in February, the BJP won a second successive term in the state known for booting out the party in power in every time.

Dhami, however, lost his own Khatima seat and had to wait for a bypoll to confirm his appointment as CM.

Politics aside, 2022 was a year of disasters -- a road accident that killed 33, an avalanche that took at least 27 lives, and a helicopter crash on the Kedarnath pilgrimage route. The government also faced the heat over past recruitment scams, concerns over ecology resurfaced, and the murder of a hotel receptionist brought people out on to the streets.

The BJP govt that returned to power with a shrunken majority 47 seats compared to 57 in a House of 70 in 2017, Cong got just 19 got down to business quickly. At its first meeting, the state cabinet cleared a proposal to constitute a panel of experts to draft a Uniform Civil Code, fulfilling an election commitment. —PTI

The murder of a young receptionist, allegedly by the owner of the resort near Rishikesh she worked, triggered outrage. The father of the owner was a BJP leader, an embarrassment for the party which later suspended him.

The government also introduced a stricter anticonversion law, taking a cue from other BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh.

Another major legislation passed by the state assembly granted 30% reservation in government jobs to women domiciled in the state, an issue that has been before the courts earlier.

Uttarakhand Subordinate Services Selection Commission faced flak over

three alleged scams, involving exam paper leaks. A special investigation team probed the allegations and 45 people, including senior UKSSSC officials, were arrested. Dhami stressed that the scams date back to the period when he wasn’t in power. “They took place in 2014-16. We are only cleaning up the system by getting them investigated and sending the guilty behind bars,” he said. Also, this time, over 61 lakh pilgrims visited the four shrine spots, breaking past records. But, there was an unusually high number of deaths among the pilgrims. Altogether, 281 Char Dham pilgrims died this year.

First India Bureau

New Delhi: The government lauds the Indian education system for its quality all the time and yet, the first 11 months of 2022 have witnessed a record number of students go abroad on student visas.

As per statistics presented before the Parliament by Bureau of Immigration, as many as 6,48,678 students have gone abroad on student visas up to November 30, 2022, which is an alltime high compared

with the student movement figures in the past 5 years.Also, the popu-

THE UGLY TRUTH OF EDUCATION SYSTEM IN

INDIA

On the other side, where students are choosing destinations to study abroad, one of the biggest examples of inequality in the Indian education system is that many children living in poverty can’t even afford to go to school. Even school-going children belonging to families with limited resources do not have access to basic education, let alone quality education mainly due to a lack of internet and access to digital devices.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and party National Spokesperson Supriya Shrinate address a press conference at party headquarters in New Delhi on Monday. —PHOTO BY ANI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah interacts with a child during his door-to-door campaign ahead of the Uttarakhand Assembly elections, in Rudraprayag. —PHOTO BY PTI

Alok Mishra

—PTI

BJP leader Vinod Arya’s son, Pulkit Arya (R), was arrested for the murder of 19-year-old girl Ankita Bhandari (L).

Artists perform during the Mussoorie Winterline Carnival 2022, in Mussoorie on Monday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

IAS officer Pooja Singhal

Union Home Minister Amit Shah with Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui during a courtesy meeting in New Delhi on Monday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

SATISH MISHRA, RAJBHAR ON LIST

www.firstindia.co.in I https://firstindia.co.in/epapers/delhi I twitter.com/ thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia 09

hat lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough. And I believe that we only live once, but if we do it right, once is enough. And in three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: ‘It goes on’ said by a ravishing beauty Sneha Chaturvedi’s, whose inspiring story is a major

UTTKARSHA SHEKHAR uttkarsha.shekhar@firstindia.co.in

whatever. The fact that I used to be a fat chubby teen and I worked so hard to get myself into shape so as to participate in pageants and start my modelling career, speaks volumes about my determination.”

When asked about her journey the beauty said, “I always since my childhood had a passion for modelling but due to a lack of family support, I couldn’t confess it to them. But it was only a few years back during lockdown when my sister and mother saw a few of my pictures and persuaded me to start my career in modelling, that I was finally able to start my career. And it’s only their support and blessings that have kept me going since then.”

The diva strongly believes that hard work teaches us discipline, dedication and determination while sharing her vision and rookie mistakes, she said “If I could go in future, and tell myself one thing about my career it would be becoming a successful top model and the biggest mistake I feel I did was that I undermined myself and felt that I was a little less than others.”

The exquisite beauty further said, “I am immensely grateful to Dr Jagdeesh Chandra and Gaurav Gaur for providing us with this wonderful platform who made me believe that I got the potential to be a supermodel and supported me as well.”

The diva also shared that her rewarding moment was being a finalist in the reputed and well-known pageant Elite Miss Rajasthan which literally changed her life for good.

W

YOU’RE IRRESISTIBLE WHEN YOU BLUSH

I believe that we only live once, but if we do it right, once is enough expressed Ravishing beauty Sneha Chaturvedi while sharing her inspiring journey in a candid conversation with City First!

ARIES

MAR 21 - APR 20

Today is a favourable day for business.

Listening to someone’s advice on the professional front will be in your interest. You are very generous by nature and also you are the backbone of your family. Be careful of the words that come out of your mouth. Your lover may finally say yes.

TAURUS

APR 21 - MAY 20

TWO CONTRASTING ASPECTS OF SLEEP

attack or even death.

having meals!

Sleep is a thing of joy, so blissful and so relaxing. But sleep is not a commodity which you can buy. It is a bliss that nature has provided within yourself. It is a gift which should be preserved for life.

Sleep is also a fascinating biological process that its innumerable users can neither control nor understand. A lion sleeps almost 20 hours a day, many birds sleep while flying, a horse sleeps standing with its knees locked, and seals sleep differently while in water than when on land.

Sleep makes life better to live and vibrant to enjoy just like your mobile performs better after a switch off and restart. The brain rests and recuperates during sleep to function optimally for a longer period of time. Since the brain is a master organ, its optimum function ensures better body performance and organ optimization.

For a body to function at its best capabilities, it should sleep for seven to eight hours a day, mostly during the night at a single stretch. Optimum sleep is not a waste of time and shouldn’t be discouraged because inadequate sleep may lead to early life heart

At this point of time, sleep deprivation has attained a pandemic proportion with people glued to their mobile with sleep-filled eyes. This behaviour is antinature and might be responsible for many cases of sudden deaths. This same behaviour is responsible for so many cases of anxiety, depression and atten tion deficit issues. Be ware of exces sive LED light exposure.

Stress, a sedentary life style and sub sequent obesity have emerged as a dangerous triad affecting the lives of young people who are becoming victims of sleep disorders with a lot of life complications. Two major sleep disorders are being witnessed by medical professionals - insomnia and hypersomnia.

Insomnia is caused by poor sleep induction and then equally poor maintenance of sleep. As a result of this, even the daytime becomes stressful because the concerned person remains apprehensive about night sleep. Sleeping pills, too, become ineffectual and even burdensome in younger people. The pill-induced sleep is not significantly rest ful and there might be a hangover the next morning and a feel ing of low self-esteem. Children and very young adults might have episodes of sleepwalking and

sleeptalking, both are actually signs of sleep deprivation. All these disorders are matters of grave concern.

On the other side of the sleep spectrum, there are people who sleep and sleep. This condition of excessive and uncontrollable

sleep is called hypersomnia. A person may sleep continuously for 48 hours yet doest feel awake and fresh. This type of sleep is not restorative.

Such a person can doze off during driving, talking, walking,

This is a really dangerous and highly embarrassing situation. Both these contrasting situations have no tailored treatment and are very complex situations to manage. Nothing works definitely for hypersomnia and for managing insomnia only sleeping pills are prescribed. There are very few competent sleep professionals, and most of the socalled sleep clinics are mere farces with the prime motive of making money. Still, there are some genuine professionals but one has to find them. Management of sleep in many people may require multiple professionals like cognitive behaviour therapists, psychoanalysts, physicians to rule out underlying medical conditions, weight management experts and expert sleep therapists.

India needs lots of such people because of its rapid urbanization but most of the brilliant students know of only 7-8 professions and are wasting their energies there.

At this juncture, only a medical practitioner with extra interest in sleep disorders or a few specialized

You will enjoy good health by remaining regular in your workouts. It will be in your interest to guide a family youngster on the academic front.

Scrumptious food is what you are craving for today. You may start a side business to earn extra money. You are not a jealous kind and you feel happy for others.

GEMINI

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

LIBRA

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

Fortunes are set to rise for those in trade and business. You love to live close to your family. You are a child at heart and never let this child die. You have a big heart and you always help someone if you can. Expected payments are likely to get released soon. You are a very grounded person.

SCORPIO

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

Family will be supportive of your ideas, but only to an extent. You give tough competition to people. You will get special treatment from your dear ones. Good health is assured through own efforts. Meeting people you get along with well may make the day enjoyable for you.

SAGITTARIUS

NOV 23 - DEC 22

Your spouse is someone who can do anything for your happiness. You are happy spending whole day at home.

Tensions on the family front may get sorted out. Help your mothers at home today and give them a reason to smile. You are opportunist and this will make you successful.

CANCER

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

You must create an environment of understanding at home. Your regular exercise routine promises to keep you fit and energetic. You will succeed in any sort of examination if you put your heart and soul to it. You need a break from day to tensions and the way to cope

LEO

You are very fortunate to have a great friend circle. Whatever you have in mind, you will manage to implement it at work. You may feel much healthy and energetic today. Visit a doctor if you have any doubts about your health. You want to have your own house and you will work hard to make your dream come true.

CAPRICORN

DEC

VIRGO

AQUARIUS

This is the best time try something new with life give yourself a new purpose. You will feel amorous towards your wife. Work on your limitations, there can be no better time than this. You have more opposite sex friends than the same and you may be judged sometimes but don’t care.

PISCES

Some family issues may need urgent resolution. Some of you are likely to enjoy an excursion with friends. You will feel financially comfortable.

Your personality will attract many eligible bachelors. Spend time talking with likeminded people as it will make you feel good for now.

YOUR DAY

FACEOFTHEDAY

MANALI SHARMA,

Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

DR. RAMAVATAR SHARMA

ramawatarf132@gmail.com

Christmas is, indeed, a magical festival that is all about sharing joy and happiness. The cute kids wait for the whole year to receive gifts from their favourite Santa. People across the world love to celebrate this festival in their way. Some like to decorate their house and tree with ornaments, gifts etc. Some people like to dress up in Santa Claus costumes and distribute gifts to children and spread joy all around. City First brings to you glimpses of the enchanting festival shared by our avid readers from all across!

The grand Christmas celebrations at Sudhir Mathur’s place

Sudhir Mathur celebrated the festival specially abled children of UMANG along with children of different NGO’s

Dhairya Sharma

Srishti Khandelwal

Angel

Jayesh Gwalani with other kids at St. Edmunds School, Jaipur

Kuhu and Pihu with Ishu

Aarudra Modi

Aaradhya Singh Bhati

Vivaan Baliyan

Isha Singh and Harshita Sharma

Aarudra Modi with other children of MPS Sanskriti Pre Primary School

Aarvi Kedia

PIN

CITY FIRST

With the new year approaching, new bridal makeup trends are also set in.

It is important to stay updated with the trends if you are a new-age bride who loves to look everything trendy and classy. Brides-to-be who are going to walk down the aisle in the coming months must bookmark the newest makeup trends to look all glam. Here is Priya Gulati, a make-up artist based in Delhi

NATURAL & EARTHY TONES

Remember Alia Bhatt’s bridal look? She set the benchmark for donning natural makeup and earthy tone and still looks exceptionally beautiful. Believe it or not, natural makeup never goes out of fashion. If you are sceptical about playing with colours on your face, opt for deglam makeup and you’ll adore it for the rest of your life. Go for nude or

CHRISTMAS CHEER WITH LITTLE ONES

CITY FIRST

The Golden Jubilee concert was organised at The Study School on Saturday, December 24.

The students of The Study School celebrated Christmas with a lot of spirit and euphoria while enjoying the mesmerizing Golden Jubilee Concert. Presiding over the merriment was Chief Guest Gowri Ishwaran (Founder and Principal of Sanskriti School, Advisor to the Shiv Nadar Foundation and Vice Chair of The Global Education AND Leadership Foundation).

Eminent guests including British High Commissioner, H.E. Alex Ellis and his wife Teresa Adegas graced the event with their presence. His Excellency spoke about the focus on early childhood education in the UK.

The Deputy High Commissioner for Canada, Amada Strohan talked about the impor-

tance of proper nutrition and fitness for young children.

Some of the other

chancellor of Najma Akhtar (Jamia Milia Islamia, Professor.)

On this occasion school Director, Shivani Wazir Pasrich remarked, “It is a golden opportunity for us to celebrate this day with those who have dedicated themselves to providing world-class early education.”

guests present at the occasion were George Etiyal, (Head of Lufthansa German Airlines in India), Monika Mohta (Former Indian Ambassador to Switzerland) well know Aniruddha Das (Odissi dancer Guru) and the vice

The school’s Secretary Amir Singh Pasrich, an alumnus of the school, remarked, “The Study has employed methodologies to equip early learners not only to think out of the sandbox but to start life with a problem-solving approach.”

‘be the voice, not the noise’

CITY FIRST

BRIGHT COLOURS FOR THE BRIDE

If you are a bubbly bride who does not shy away from playing with colours, you can go for a bright makeup palette. Apply bold or dramatic eyeliner and highlight your eyes with an electric green, blue or pink colour. Also, don’t forget to apply fake lashes to give some volume.

MATTE LIPS

To achieve the perfect classic, elegant and timeless look, do matte lips. You can never fail with a subtle lip shade as this would keep your look lasting for a long time. A wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime event that you need to make memorable by looking your best. Stand out from the crowd while keeping it subtle.

Award-winning playback singer and songwriter, Vibha Saraf took centre stage during Protium Amp’d at the Delhi Protium campus on Saturday, December 24. Vibha hails from Kashmir and is wellknown in the Indian music industry for performing folkinspired songs.

She trained in Hindustani classical at Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra for four years and studied pop music for five years. Vibha Saraf has won accolades for her singing and was recognized as ‘IIFA Best Female Playback Singer’ and ‘Best Female Playback Singer’ in 2019 for the song ‘Dilbaro’ from the film ‘Raazi’.

She was nominated again in 2020 as ‘IIFA Best Female Playback Singer’ for her song ‘Kab Se kab Tak’ from ‘Gullyboy’ which she co-sung with Ranveer Singh. She has sung many soundtracks for various films and web

shows such as Mission Mangal, Notebook, Dhanak, Nailpolish, Jia O Jia, Made in Heaven and Chaman Bahaar, to name a few.

During Protium Amp’d, Vibha was accompanied by the accomplished Indian classical guitarist, Owais Khan, who belongs to the Dilli Gharana. Owais has been part of the Indian music industry for the last ten years and has performed with the likes of Amit Trivedi, Sonu Nigam, Ghulam Ali Khan and multiple Punjabi artists.

Vibha and Owais performed a total of 9 songs which were a beautiful mix of Vibha’s original compositions and covers in both Kashmiri and Hindi languages. While performing, the duo interacted with the audience and narrated Kashmiri folklore through their songs, which got the crowd to connect with the songs and understand the stories behind them.

American Restaurants You Need To Visit ASAP!

CITY FIRST

What exactly is American food? When this topic is posed, we might quickly picture calorie-dense

hamburgers and diabetes-causing pies, or perhaps milkshakes and sandwiches at an American diner with Riverdale-style decor. But there is so much

more to American food than that. Since America is a melting pot of cultures, foods from throughout the world like tacos and “samosas” are as much American as

they are Mexican or Indian, respectively. To put it another way, American food offers a wide variety of mouthwatering delicacies that will be a true delight for your taste

buds. In light of this, we’ve put together a list of some of the top American restaurants in Delhi NCR if you’re itching to experience some authentic American cuisine.

DUDLEYS

INDIA HABITAT CENTRE

The American Diner is one of those iconic Americanstyle eateries and the model for several other ones in the area. The American Diner, one of the oldest eateries serving American food in Delhi NCR, is situated inside the India Habitat Centre. There’s a solid reason why the breakfast menu here is so well-regarded.

sharing some of the hot makeup trends for the coming 2023.

rosy lips, peachy nude blush on the cheeks and nude shade or muted pink nail paint.

The official Twitter handle of DCP Central Delhi shared a few glimpses of Esha Pandey/DCP, SED celebrating Christmas eve with the students and inaugurating the Delhi Police Public Library in PS New Friends Colony. 50 students from all sections of society have been already enrolled in the library. In the holy spirit of Christmas, books, gifts and refreshments were distributed among the students.

Vibha Saraf and Owais Khan during the performance

Ravishing models showcasing the bridal makeover by Priya Gulati

Ayesha Pasrich, Monika Mohta, Gowri Ishwaran, Shivani Wazir Pasrich and Ameera Pasrich with others

(L-R) Ayesha Pasrich, Monika Mohta, Gowri Ishwaran, Shivani Wazir Pasrich and Ameera Pasrich

(L-R) Amada Strohan, Alex Ellis and Gowri Ishwaran

—PHOTOS BY SHAZID CHAUHAN

Priya Gulati