First India-Delhi Edition-29th December 2022

KOCHHARS AND DHOOT IN CBI CUSTODY TILL TODAY

ANIL DESHMUKH FREE FROM JAIL, VISITS TEMPLE IN OPEN-TOP JEEP

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PEACEMAKER’ SHAH!

Moni Sharma

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting on J&K over security-related issues and said the terror ecosystem that aids terrorist-separatist campaign needs to be dismantled. Amit Shah also asked J&K administration officials to follow the policy of zero tolerance against terrorism, an MHA statement said.

Shah also directed the officials to strive their best to achieve 100% saturation of the beneficiaries under various schemes and ensure benefits of development reaches every section of society,” MHA statement said.

The meeting came on a day four terroristswere killed. Seven AK assault rifles, one M4 rifle, three pistols and a large quantity of ammunition were recovered from the slain terrorists. Security forces have been put on high alert across the Jammu region, particularly on the highway, after the incident. Shah also reviewed the developmental works being implemented in J&K.

4 HEAVILY-ARMED TERRORISTS TRAVELLING TO KASHMIR KILLED IN ‘CHANCE ENCOUNTER’

A terror ecosystem comprising elements that aid, abet and sustain the terrorist-separatist campaign to the detriment of the well-being of the common man requires to be dismantled.

—Amit Shah, Union Home Minister

CREATOR HANGS SELF IN C’GARH

PM Modi meets ailing mother Heeraben in Ahmedabad hosp

First India Bureau

Ahmedabad: PM Narendra Narendra Modi on Wednesday visited his mother Heeraben Modi who is in a hospital in Ahmedabad since Tuesday night. Having flown in from Delhi around 4 pm, he left the hospital just before 5.30 pm, spending over an hour with his mother.

A statement from UN Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre said the condition of Heeraben Modi — who turned 99 in June this year — is stable. The hospital has not shared any other information. PM visited her recently when he was in Gujarat to campaign for the recently held Assembly polls.

MOM-SON DUO, PRICELESS BOND: RAHUL WISHES HEERABEN SPEEDY RECOVERY

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday wished speedy recovery to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother, Heeraben, who was admitted to a hospital in Ahmedabad following health issues. “The love between a mother and a son is eternal and priceless,” Gandhi tweeted in Hindi. “Modi ji, my love and support is with you in this difficult time. I hope your mother gets well soon,” Rahul said.

Jammu: Four heavilyarmed terrorists, travelling in a truck to Kashmir after infiltrating from Pakistan, were killed in a “chance encounter” with security forces here early Wednesday morning, a police officer said, terming it as a

“major success” ahead of Republic Day. Getting suspicious, ADGP said, police started searching the truck but came under heavy fire from inside. An encounter ensued during which the truck caught fire, he said, adding the terrorists were

RIL’s double-digit growth with Mukesh at helm for 2 decades

Mumbai: Reliance Industries Chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani has completed 2 decades at the helm of Reliance Industries in 2022. He took reins of firm after demise of his father and Reliance founder Dhirubhai Ambani on July 6, 2002. In his ongoing tenure of 20 years, firm has managed to achieve strong doubledigit growth across revenues, profits, net worth, assets etc.

killed. ADGP Mukesh Singh of Jammu Zone said that the ultras were heavily armed and were on their way to Kashmir when they were intercepted.

“The identity and group affiliation of the terrorists is awaited,” he said.

A suspicious movement of a truck, that was moving towards Kashmir, was observed. It was followed and stopped near Sidhra check point, but its driver escaped on the pretext of attending the call of nature. Efforts on to nab truck driver who has fled.

—Mukesh Singh, ADGP, Jammu zone

‘India may see surge in Covid cases in January’

First India Bureau

New Delhi: The next 40 days are going to be crucial as India may see a surge in Covid-19 cases in Jan, sources said on Wednesday citing the pattern of previous outbreaks. “Previously, it has been noticed that a new wave of Covid hits India around 30-35 days after it hits East Asia,”it said. Sources, however, said the severity of the infection is less. Even if there is a wave, deaths and hospitalisation will be very low, it said. P6

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

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No physical primary classes till Jan 1: Noida

Noida: The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration has suspended physical classes till January 1 for students up to Class 8 in all schools in Noida and Greater Noida in view of cold weathe. The order was issued by District Magistrate Suhas L Yathiraj on Wednesday.

CRUCIAL READ

CHURCH VANDALISED, INFANT JESUS STATUE DAMAGED

CONG WRITES OVER SECURITY BREACHES IN YATRA TO SHAH

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LG slams AAP govt’s ‘obvious attempt’ to outsource diagnostic services

First India Bureau

New Delhi: Saying that it was “a fait accompli presented to him”, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Wednesday reluctantly gave his nod to a proposal of the Arvind Kejriwal government to outsource diagnostic and lab services in government hospitals to private players.

“Expressing grave reservations on an obvious attempt at private outsourcing of Diagnostic Services in Delhi government hospitals, rather than strengthening them, LG VK Saxena has agreed to the

Kejriwal government decision to outsource diagnostic and lab services in government hospitals to three private players, as a fait accompli presented to him,” read a statement from Raj Niwas.

“The decision being garbed by the AAP and its Ministers as an extension of diagnostic services in Mohalla Clinics beyond December 31, 2022, is in fact, an exercise to extend private outsourcing to all Delhi Government health facilities,” the statement added. The Kejriwal cabinet on July 28 decided to outsource

private diagnostic services to government-run health facilities, hospitals, dispensaries, polyclinics and health

LG NOTES ON FILE: LESS PATIENTS, MORE TESTS

The LG in his notings on the file sent for his assent, pointed out that despite the number of mohalla clinics going up to 519 from 450 in 2022, the number of patients treated at these health dispensaries had actually come down from 3,416 patients per month per mohalla clinic in 2021 to 1,824 patients in 2022. Even as the number of patients came down, the number of tests prescribed rose from 6,30,978 per month in 2021 to 9,30,000 tests per month in 2022, the LG noted.

30, 2019. The cabinet selected three private vendors for providing specialised diagnostic services to govet hospitals

and mohalla clinics. On December 12, the Kejriwal government wrote to the LG seeking his approval. Turn to P2

camps, including PUHCs, similar to the arrangement that has been in vogue at mohalla clinics since December

Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena

Mumbai: Ex-Maha minister Anil Deshmukh was given a hero’s welcome by his supporters as he was released from Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail on Wednesday after over a year’s incarceration. Siddhivinayak temple was his first stop before he headed for his home in Worli.

Mumbai: A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court here on Wednesday extended till December 29 the CBI custody of former ICICI Bank CEO and MD Chanda Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar and Videocon group founder Venugopal Dhoot in connection with a loan fraud case.

Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Ambika Soni, JP Aggarwal, Randeep Surjewala, Mani Shankar Aiyar, during the party’s 138th Foundation Day celebration event, at the AICC office, in New Delhi on Wednesday. Congress chief Malllikarjun Kharge hoisted the flag at the headquarters on Wednesday. In his speech after the flag hoisting programme, Kharge hailed Rahul for his Yatra and accused Central government for dividing nation and “not bothering about sufferings of people”.

First India Bureau

Shah asks J&K administration to follow the policy of “zero tolerance” against terrorism

HM reviews various developmental works being implemented in Jammu and Kashmir

Union HM Amit Shah with J&K LG Manoj Sinha and Union Home Secy Ajay Kumar Bhalla during high level meeting on the developmental projects and security-related issues in J&K, in New Delhi on Wednesday.

PM Narendra Modi with his mom Heeraben in Gandhinagar on Dec 4.

Security personnel during an encounter with terrorists at Sidhra area in Jammu on Wednesday.

Nathdwara (Rajsamand): Reliance Group Chairman Mukesh Ambani will reach Nathdwara along with his family on Thursday. Nita Ambani, and Akash Ambani will also reach Nathdwara while Anant Ambani reached Nathdwara on Wednesday late evening. The family will offer prayers at Shri Nath Ji Temple.

Mysuru: A church in Karnataka’s Mysuru was vandalised by unknown people on late Tuesday. They also damaged the statue of baby Jesus at the church. St Mary’s Church at Periyapatna has been vandalised 2 days after Christmas. Several police teams have been formed to trace the accused who are on the run.

New Delhi: Congress on Wednesday wrote to HM Amit Shah, alleging multiple breaches in security of Bharat Jodo Yatra and demanding proper protection for Rahul Gandhi. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal wrote security of Yatra was compromised on many occasions following its entry into New Delhi.

AMBANIS TO VISIT SHRINATH JI TEMPLE TODAY

Mukesh Ambani

Slight relief from cold, but intense chill coming

Fog disrupts over 100 flights

New Delhi (PTI): Cold conditions abated in north India, including Delhi, on Wednesday, though the relief is predicted to be short lived.

Fourteen trains to Delhi were running late due to dense to very dense fog in other areas, a Railways spokesperson said.

The Safdarjung observatory, Delhi’s primary weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 6.3 degrees Celsius against 5.6 degrees on Tuesday.

A weather bureau official said, “Minimum temperatures are likely to rise by 2-3 degrees Celsius over the region by Thursday, giving further respite from the cold conditions.”

‘COLD’ AND ‘SEVERE COLD’

A cold day is when the minimum temperature is less than or equal to 10 degrees Celsius below normal and the maximum temperature is at least 4.5 degrees below normal. A severe cold day is when the maximum is 6.5 degrees or more below normal.In the plains, the IMD declares a cold wave if the minimum temperature dips to four degrees Celsius or when the minimum is 10 degrees Celsius or below and is 4.5 notches below normal. According to the IMD, very dense fog is when visibility is between 0 and 50 metres, 51 and 200 metres is dense.

Skymet Weather Vice-President (Meteorology and Climate Change) Mahesh Palawat said coldwave conditions in northwest India abated on Wednes-

Does Rahul want to create disturbance in J&K, asks Thakur

New Delhi (PTI): Does Rahul Gandhi want to vitiate the atmosphere in Kashmir, Union minister Anurag Thakur asked on Wednesday about the Congress' plans to unfurl the tricolour in the Valley and stressed that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir has improved significantly under the Modi government.

An estimated 1.6 crore tourists have visited Jammu and Kashmir in one year, which is a record in itself, the minister told reporters.

"Now tourists can visit every corner of Jammu and Kashmir. This shows that the situation has improved. There are no stone pelting incidents. Does Rahul Gandhi want to go there to spoil the atmosphere?"

"Today, anyone can unfurl the tricolour in any part of Jammu and Kashmir because the

Today, anyone can unfurl the tricolour in any part of Jammu and Kashmir because the Narendra Modi government has ended Article 370 .

—Anurag Thakur, Union Minister

Narendra Modi government has ended Article 370 and Article 35A in J&K," he added.

day under the influence of a fresh western disturbance. However, the relief is likely to be short lived.

The minimum temperature will drop

again after the western disturbance, characterised by warm moist winds from the Middle East, retreats, he said.

The Safdarjung observatory logged a max-

fog duration, intensity and area covered reduced significantly on Wednesday morning across north India, including Delhi-NCR.

“All airports in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh only have shallow fog. Chandigarh also reported shallow fog. However, Pathankot, Jammu and Amritsar have dense fog today (Wednesday),” the official said.

New Delhi (ANI): As many as 100 flights have been disrupted in Delhi alone as the city continues to reel under severe cold conditions with a thick layer of fog over it again on Wednesday.

"Due to bad weather (fog) for three days, over 100 flights are reported delayed from and to Delhi airport, some have also been diverted to the nearest airport," a Delhi airport official told ANI. Even as the congestion at the airport in New Delhi was being tackled amid a busy year-end holiday season, the problems of air travellers increased once more with dense fog covering most parts of north India.

imum temperature of 21.8 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal. It logged a maximum temperature of 17.2 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. An IMD official said

According to RK Jenamani of IMD, cold wave conditions will prevail again from December 31 to January 1. “Dense to very dense fog will continue to prevail in the belt,” he said.

Poor visibility affecting the northern parts of the country over the past few days, once again disrupted flight movement on Wednesday. According to the Delhi airport official, another reason for the delay in flights is that some airlines have not deployed their CAT-IIIcompliant pilots yet.

‘AAP councillors will ensure that landfill sites are cleared’

New Delhi (PTI): Work at landfill sites in Delhi need to speed up and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will ensure that once the MCD councillors take oath next month, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Wednesday.

Sisodia, along with nominated AAP's mayor and deputy mayor candidates -- Shelly Oberoi and Aaley Mohammad Iqbal -- visited the Okhla Landfill site to inspect the progress of work there.

“AAP councillors

Ammonia pollution in Yamuna affects supply

New Delhi (PTI): Water supply in parts of Delhi has been affected due to ammonia pollution in the Yamuna river, the Delhi Jal Board said on Tuesday.

Operations at Wazirabad, Chandrawal, Bawana, Nangloi, Dwarka and Haiderpur water treatment plants (WTPs) have been hit. Water supply will remain affected till the situation improves, it said.

Water will be available at low pressure in parts of south Delhi, central Delhi, west Delhi, northwest Delhi and southwest Delhi, the DJB said.

The acceptable maximum limit of ammonia in drinking water is 0.5 ppm.

‘SOON TO BE DISCHARGED’

We visited the Okhla landfill and inspected the progress here so far. We need to visit the landfill sites every week to ensure the height of the garbage mountains reduce.

—Manish Sisodia

have started working even before taking oath. We visited the Okhla landfill site and inspected the progress here so far. Work needs to speed up and I am

hopeful that after January 6, AAP councillors will ensure the same. We need to visit the landfill sites every week to ensure the height of the garbage mountains reduce,” Sisodia said.

Taking a dig at the BJP that was in power in MCD for three consecutive terms, Sisodia said it will not take 15 years for the AAP to clear the landfill sites.

"We will also install more machines at every landfill site to pace up the work,” he said.

MCD seeks support from NGOs, private firms

New Delhi (PTI): The MCD is looking for support from NGOs and private firms for development of smart classes, libraries, and improvement of school buildings, its officials said on Tuesday.

The MCD said it has started 'Vidyasthali Project' to develop a "superlative learning environment". Under the project, various NGOs and private companies are invited to strength-

11 foreigners isolated at hospital test Covid negative

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A group of 11 tourists from Maynmar was brought to the Safdarjung Hospital from the IGI airport on Sunday after one of them tested positive

New Delhi (PTI): Eleven tourists from Myanmar, isolated at the Safdarjung Hospital earlier this week after one of them tested Covid positive at the IGI Airport here, have turned out to be negative and are being discharged, officials said on Wednesday.

en facilities and infrastructure. “MCD is

FROM P1…

LG slams AAP...

looking forward to support from various NGOs and private companies, in development of smart classes, library development, nursery class development, material of resource centre for children with special needs, improvement in school building, human resources, sports, computer and science labs and other facilities,” it said.

Samples taken from the person who tested positive at the airport have been sent for genome sequencing, the doctor said.

Workers check oxygen cylinders at a plant as part of preparedness against COVID-19 amid a spurt in coronavirus cases in some countries,

“A group of 11 tourists from Maynmar was brought to the hospital from the airport on Sunday. They were kept in the isolation ward. Now, all of them have tested negative and are being discharged,” a senior doctor said.

The government has made random coronavirus testing mandatory for two per cent of passengers arriving in each international flight from Saturday amid a surge in coronavirus cases in some countries.

With the ordeal faced by the country during

the second COVID-19 wave in April 2021 still fresh in the minds, the Centre had last week told states and Union territories to reinvigorate oxygen control rooms for prompt resolutions of oxygen-related challenges.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya Saturday said RTPCR test would be made mandatory for passengers from China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand.

While giving his nod to the proposal, the LG slammed the AAP government for not sending the file to him earlier. “Caught on a wrong footing, due to an obvious lapse of not having taken a decision on time, and even after deciding way back in August 2022, not sending the file to LG for concurrence, the AAP and its Ministers, specifically Manish Sisodia, indulged in characteristic gimmickry. They kept announcing things in the media and to avoid embarrassment,

after sending the file on December 12, Sisodia wrote a letter to LG on December 24, in just 08 working days, requesting clearance of the file,” Raj Niwas said.

The LG said the government has failed to provide diagnostic testing at government hospitals in the national capital. “Doing so is prima facie admission that Government Hospitals/facilities run by the State Government have failed on the parameters of something as basic as pathological and Diagnostic testing,” Raj Niwas said.

People sit around a bonfire to warm themselves in old Delhi on Wednesday. (R) People walk amid dense fog on a cold winter morning at Kartavya Path in New Delhi on Wednesday —PHOTOS BY ANI

Safdarjung observatory records minimum temperature of 6.3 degrees Celsius and maximum temperature of 21.8 Minimum temperature will drop again after the western disturbance passes, says weather expert

A homeless man wakes up on Wedensday morning near the Red Fort on Wednesday.

Passengers at IGI Airport. —FILE PHOTO

The airport advised passengers to check with the airline as flight operations were only for CAT-III compliant ones

in Gurugram. —PHOTO BY PTI

Union I&B Minister Anurag Thakur launches the official Government of India Calendar for the year 2023, at National Media Centre in New Delhi on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY PTI

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia with AAP MCD mayoral candidate Shelly Oberoi visits Okhla Landfill site to inspect the work in progress at the site on Wednesday.. —PHOTO BY ANI

AAP supporters celebrate party's win in MCD polls. —FILE PHOTO

Woman gang-raped in shared cab on Yamuna Expressway

n Woman had boarded a shared taxi from Sec 37 n CCTV footage identified the Maruti Eeco cab

Noida/Agra (PTI): A woman was allegedly gang-raped on the Yamuna Expressway in Agra by three occupants of her shared taxi which she had boarded from Noida, police said Wednesday.

The accused later dropped the woman along the expressway under the Etmadpur police station area and fled the spot, a senior

official said, adding that the incident took place Tuesday night.

The three accused have been apprehended, said the Agra police, which launched a probe into the matter on Wednesday morning after the woman approached Etmadpur police station.

“The woman had boarded the shared taxi from Sector 37 in Noida around 8.30 pm on Tuesday. The taxi was going to Firozabad from Noida. The woman claimed that three occupants of the taxi raped her on the Yamuna Expressway and dropped her at Etmad -

pur, from where she took an autorickshaw to Firozabad,” Agra Police Commissioner Dr Preetinder Singh said.

“On Wednesday morning, the woman came to Etmadpur police station and filed a complaint after which an FIR was lodged before sending her for a medical examination,” Singh said.

The police commissioner said CCTV footage of toll plazas was analysed to track the taxi, a Maruti Eeco, which was used as the cab and it has been impounded. “The three men who were involved have been apprehended,” Singh said.

MOLESTED IN SAGARPUR

Woman holds domestic help hostage in Noida home

Noida (PTI): A 20-yearold domestic help was rescued on Tuesday from an apartment in a posh society in Noida where she was allegedly held hostage and assaulted by her employer for nearly two months, police said.

The employer, Shefali Koul, an advocate, lives in Cleo County society in Sector 121 and has been booked.

According to the help's father, who lodged the complaint with the Phase 3 police station, his daughter had a six-month work contract with Koul which ended on October 31. “After the contract ended, my daughter wanted to leave her place but she did not let her go. She held my

daughter hostage at her home where she assaulted her and hurled abuses at her,” the complainant alleged.

On Tuesday, the woman was trying to escape from Koul's fourth-floor apartment using a rope when someone informed the police.

“My daughter was then brought to the local police station,” the father said.

A CCTV footage of an elevator in the society also surfaced on Tuesday, purportedly showing Koul dragging the domestic help out of the lift.

2 held in raid at illegally-run Gurugram hospital

Gurugram (PTI): A joint team of the chief minister's flying squad and the Haryana health department raided a private hospital that was allegedly being run illegally at the Jamalpur chowk here and arrested two people, officials said on Tuesday.

The operator of the hospital, a BAMS doctor, was arrested along with one of his associates, they said, adding that an X-ray machine,

Nine children rescued from factory in Noida: Official

Noida (PTI): Nine children, who were illegally employed at a garment's factory in Noida, have been rescued by the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the Gautam Buddh Nagar police, officials said on Wednesday.

The children, including six girls and three boys, hail from different parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and were rescued on Tuesday following a tip-off received by the police.

“The raid was carried out over a tip-off about child labour in the factory located in Sector 65 here. The raid team also comprised officials of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and the Childline,” AHTU in-charge Vinod Panwar told PTI.

After being rescued,

the children were taken for their medical examination post which they were all admitted to the shelter home in accordance with the rules, Panwar said.

Another AHTU official Devendra Singh, who was part of the raid, said some of the children had been working in the factory since

last six months while a couple of them were there for over one year.

Another official said that the operator of the factory claimed that two of the “rescued” employees are aged over 18 years and had submitted documents.

“The claims are being verified now,” the official told PTI.

New Delhi (PTI): A Delhi court has convicted a man of the offences of murder and dowry death, saying that “misplaced leniency” in the case would result in a “miscarriage of justice”.

The court was hearing a case against Amarjeet, who was accused of strangling his wife on October 5, 2017.

According to the prosecution, the accused married the victim in December 2012 and thereafter continuously harassed her for dowry.

“The prosecution has been successful to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt against accused Amarjeet for the offences,” the judge said.

which was being used without following norms and without a radiologist, was also sealed.

An FIR has been registered against the accused at the Bilaspur police station.

According to a complaint submitted to police by Dr Pawan Chaudhary, SMO of Bhora Kalan, the flying squad team received information that the Vikas Hospital was being

The accused were released on bail after they joined the investigation.

—Sub Inspector Triolk Chand, Investigating Officer

run illegally at the Jamalpur chowk. The raid at the facility was conducted on Monday evening.

“When the team raided the hospital, Vikas Yadav, a resident of Sampka village, was found sitting at the reception. Another per-

son, also named Vikas, a resident of Khawaspur village, was there and he claimed to be a doctor. The doctor claimed that he not only treated people but also operated the X-ray machine and took blood samples,” the complaint read.

When the members of the team asked the doctor for his documents, he produced a BAMS certificate.

Asked about the radiologist, the accused failed to give an answer, the complaint said. “There was no biological waste certificate to run the hospital...and no pharmacist for distribution of allopathic medicines. We have seized the medicines and equipment,” it added.

New Delhi (PTI): A 23-year-old man was shot dead on Tuesday by some unidentified persons in west Delhi's Rajouri Garden area, police said.

The victim was identified as Ashok, a resident of TC Camp. He was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him dead, a senior police officer said.

According to an eyewitness, two people were involved in the shooting. A case has been registered and everal teams formed to trace the accused, the officer said.

Wall collapse death toll 3 as 8-day-old baby succumbs

New Delhi (PTI): A day after a 30-year-old woman and her threeyear-old son died when the roof of an old building in the walled city collapsed on them, her another son also succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment at a hospital, police said on Wednesday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Shweta Chauhan said, “Eight-day-old Junaid passed away last night.”

The Chandni Mahal

police station received incident of roof collapse in a building at Pahari Rajan, Chitli Qabar. Ruksana was staying at her father’s house with her five children. Ruksana had recently given birth to twin babies -- Junaid and Judera, a girl. The two other children are

Ruksana had recently given birth to twin babies—Junaid, who has died, and Judera

named Abdul Rehman (5) and Subhan (1).

Ruksana and her son Alia were declared brought dead at hospital. Her other children are fine.

Police said the incident occurred in the morning hours when the occupants of the house were asleep.

GIRL

President’s bodyguard rehearse for Republic Day parade amid dense fog on a cold winter morning, at Vijay Chowk , in New Delhi on Wednesday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

FIR has been lodged at Phase 3 station. Evidence is being collected and further legal action would be taken accordingly.”

—Saad Miya Khan, ADCP (Central Noida)

Six girls and three boys from UP and Bihar were rescued.

Man convicted of killing wife for dowry

Man shot dead in Rajouri Garden

—REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE

—REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE

DIGITAL INDIA IN 2023...

THE WAY FORWARD

Covid rocked the world. It almost took away two years from us but if I see the silver lining in this pandemic that will be Digital Adoption by the mass population. India has taken huge advantage of digital technologies not only to test, track and trace but also for vaccination and awareness. In my opinion, Covid has shrunk 10 years of digital adoption in two years. Digital India has become a life-saving initiative for the country and in my option will continue to make an impact in people’s lives.

On the other side, the crypto crash has wiped out more than $2 trillion in wealth. As per Crunchbase, venture capitalbacked companies absorbed $2.9 billion in the third quarter of 2022, down 66% sequentially and 81% year-on-year. We have the ongoing Big Tech downsizing, with tens of thousands of job losses. Now with 2023 upon us, this is an opportune moment to reflect upon this tumultuous year, learn lessons and start looking ahead.

BEST INTERNET EVER

caregiver for the geriatric. They’ll also perform complex tasks in warehouses and factories as they work alongside humans in manufacturing and logistics. Elon Musk revealed 2 Optimus humanoid robot prototypes and said company would be ready to take orders within next 3 to 5 years.

DRIVERLESS VEHICLES

CRYPTO CRASH WIPED OVER $2 TN IN WEALTH

I am sure in the future there will be 2 kinds of organizations, 1) Technology Businesses and 2) Technology Enabled Businesses/ Organizations, without that it will be difficult to sustain for the long term and make an impact on any business or Government. I believe technology has aided civilization in a variety of ways, the most notable of which are health care, education, and communication. It has also changed the way people enjoy themselves, participate in politics, and work. Society and technology are inextricably linked and will continue to evolve

In 2023 we could look at mass impact through 5G adoption. High throughout and low latency have made 5G an exciting trend to watch out for in 2023. In October 2022, the Prime Minister of India Sh. Narendra Modi ji launched 5G in the country and unveiled various 5G use cases of various Telecom Service Providers in education, health, worker safety, smart agriculture, etc. For enterprises, both large and small, 5G will play a vital role in extracting value in sectors like manufacturing, automotive, gaming, education, and industries through digital twins, smart manufacturing, immersive content, etc.

HUMANS LIKE ROBOTS

We have heard of social robots and Cobots or collaborative robots who can work just like your colleague in the office. 2023 will see robots becoming more like humans. You should not be surprised when you see a robot taking on the role of check-in executive, bartender, concierge, or

It’s hard to move to a new city without Mapmyindia or google map app on mobile. These maps are now powered with AI and automobiles to take us to the destination we want, without any directions from Drivers. Driverless cars and trucks are already getting permission and soon that will be a reality in India too.

DIGITAL HYGIENE

Digital Hygiene is a phrase that refers to the practice of maintaining your tech devices, protecting your digital information, and safeguarding your electronic assets. Digital hygiene will be more important than ever for everyone including architects, designers etc. I have many reasons to believe that cyber attacks will increase in 2023 and people need to protect themselves more than ever before. Even MSMEs/ SMEs will be targeted and may face huge cyber threats. Most of these attacks take advantage of known vulnerabilities that have not been remediated.

T

he crypto crash has wiped out more than $2 trillion in wealth. As per Crunchbase, venture capital-backed companies absorbed $2.9 billion in the third quarter of 2022, down 66% sequentially and 81% year-onyear. We have the ongoing Big Tech downsizing, with tens of thousands of job losses. Now with 2023 upon us, this is an opportune moment to reflect upon this tumultuous year, learn lessons and start looking ahead.

AI AND PREDICTION

In 2023, more technology teams will focus on putting data and actionable insights in the hands of the entire workforce. AI will process the enormous amount of data generated by every organization, external data sources will be leveraged to gain even more insight and data governance will become a priority for more organizations. Even the AI projects by GoI like Bhashni will make a huge impact on people’s life.

DIGITAL INDIA ACT

A significant amount of work has been done on the proposed Digital India Act, and the draft legislative framework to support ‘India’s Techade’ is expected by early 2023. The upcoming Digital India Act will report-

India has taken huge advantage of digital technologies not only to test, track and trace but also for vaccination and awareness. Covid has shrunk 10 years of digital adoption in two years. Digital India has become a life-saving initiative for the country and in my opinion, will continue to make an impact in people’s lives

edly classify various online intermediaries such as social media platforms, e-commerce, and factchecking portals as different categories and come out with specific regulations for each of these categories. The new law is likely to prescribe different kinds of intermediaries because their regulation has to be different.

DIGITAL CURRENCY

Imagine your all currency notes get converted into digital form. That will be the norm soon by our RBI because of CBDC. Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot launched by RBI in the retail segment has components based on blockchain technology. CBDC is a legal tender issued by the RBI in digital form. It is the same as the fiat currency and is exchangeable one-to-one with the fiat currency.

Only its form is different — it is not paper (or polymer) like physical cash. It is a fungible legal tender, for which holders need not have a bank account. Some might confuse it with UPI, but let me tell you, it’s different. A CBDC is a digital currency that can be used for various financial transactions, while a UPI is a payment system that enables digital payments between participating banks and financial institutions.

MULTILINGUAL INTERNET

Multilingualism becomes an extremely crucial aspect to bring the next one billion users onto the network. There are more than 7,000 languages used across the globe. In India, we have 22 scheduled languages. Govt of India has prepared a policy for Multilingual Internet and Universal Acceptance. Localized domain names and email addresses are the key pillars. On my idea to promote Universal Acceptance in the world, ICANN along with UASG are going to celebrate UA-Day every March 28 and the first-ever UA-Day is going to be celebrated globally in the year 2023 with the main event in India. This will accelerate the process to bring the non-English population online. All businesses, websites, and services have to accommodate email addresses in different languages, for instance, अजय@डाटा.भारत (email ID in Hindi).

PEOPLE FACING COVID VACCINE SHORTAGE

With the Central government sounding alerts about a possible Covid-19 comeback there’s a natural rush for the booster shot which, incidentally, is in short supply at government hospitals at some places including Delhi and Ahmedabad. In Ahmedabad the demand has gone up from 300 doses per day to over 5000. The government is putting a mechanism in place to improve supplies with around two lakh vaccines being dispatched soon. In Delhi’s RML Hospital and LNJP Hospital vaccines were not available, though dedicated Covid beds and other clinical requirements have been

put in place to meet any eventuality. So far the Covid case load in India has been negligible but with 39 travellers testing positive of BF.7 variant at airports, its spread cannot be ruled out.

With the Central government sounding alerts about a possible Covid-19 comeback, there’s a natural rush for the booster shot which, incidentally, is in short supply at government hospitals at some places including Delhi and Ahmedabad. In Ahmedabad, the demand has gone up from 300 doses per day to over 5,000

It is the second outbreak in China and the US that has sent people running to hospitals for a booster dose only to return disappointed. There is also some doubt about the number of boost-

er doses one must have to remain immune to Covid-19 virus and its variants. A booster dose has been recommended every six months by some experts, which suggests that one must get used to living with the virus. A booster dose is aimed at improving the immunocompromised people’s response to the earlier

doses but a fifth and sixth dose makes the immunisation efforts daunting.

The good news on the vaccine front is the inclusion of intranasal vaccines in the immunization programme. The painless shot, ideal for children and those scared of injections, will be available from the last week of January, 2023.

SPIRITUAL SPEAK

The world is afflicted by death and decay. But the wise do not grieve, having realized the nature of the world. Buddha

Jagat Prakash Nadda @JPNadda Visited the Isha Foundation’s Yoga Centre in Coimbatore & felt a deep sense of calm and serenity on its premises. Met @SadhguruJV Ji there and had engaging discussions with him over various topics and issues.

Kiren Rijiju @KirenRijiju Remembering & offering my heartfelt tributes to late Arun Jaitley Ji on his Jayanti. An exceptional orator with gifted personality, he was a leader who adorned every responsibility to perfection. His knowledge and wisdom will keep inspiring us.

TOP TWEETS

Editor-In-Chief: Dr Jagdeesh Chandra Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan responsible for selection of news

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

The writer is Co-Chair FICCI ICT and MD — Data Group

100 flights disrupted due to dense fog in North

New Delhi (ANI): As many as 100 flights have been disrupted in New Delhi alone as the city continues to reel under severe cold conditions with a thick layer of fog over it again on Wednesday. “Due to bad weather (fog) for three days, over 100 flights are reported delayed from & to Delhi airport, some have also been diverted to the nearest airport,” airport official said.

Even as the congestion at airport in New Delhi was being tackled amid a busy year-end holiday season, problems of air travellers increased with dense fog covering most parts of north India.

Poor visibility affecting northern parts

of country over past few days, once again disrupted flight movement.

According to Delhi

CRUCIAL READ

BIHAR CM NITISH KUMAR TO SKIP ‘NAMAMI GANGE’

Patna (ANI): Bihar CM Nitish Kumar will skip National Ganga Council meeting to be chaired by PM Modi in Kolkata on Dec 30. In place of Kumar, his Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav will attend the event. CMs of all northern and eastern Indian states have been invited to the ‘Namami Gange’ meeting. “Last time when it happened in UP, Sushil Modi attended it as he was seeing concerned department. This time Tejashwi is handling,” said Kumar.

Kerala: CBI has given a clean chit to senior Congress leader and former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy in the sexual exploitation case related to the solar scandal that had rocked the previous Congress regime in 2013. CBI, which took over the probe in 2021, submitted a report before the chief judicial magistrate court here on Tuesday, exonerating Chandy. The complainant had alleged that Chandy had abused her at Chief Minister’s residence.

airport official, another reason for delay in flights is some airlines have not deployed CATIII-compliant pilots yet.

WAVE TIGHTENS GRIP IN KASHMIR, SNOWFALL LIKELY FROM TOMORROW

NEHRU RESPONSIBLE FOR KASHMIR SITUATION: BJP

New Delhi: The BJP has deemed the country’s first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, responsible for the situation in Kashmir, and said that Valley was divided in 1948, because of Nehru. The BJP, on Wednesday, shared a date-wise description of related events on its Twitter handle and wrote, “Nehru took the Kashmir issue to the UN, leading to breaking of Kashmir.” Party shared a poster with a picture of Nehru, & stated that tribals with support of Pak’s Army invaded Jammu & Kashmir.

Delhi: External

Minister S Jaishankar will visit the Republic of Cyprus and Austria from December 29 to January 3, an official statement said on Wednesday. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in the statement, said the minister will be in Republic of Cyprus (RoC) from December 29 to December 31, 2022. This year marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between India and Cyprus. During his visit, Jaishankar

NORTHWEST INDIA MAY SEE RESPITE FROM TODAY

New Delhi: As severe cold wave conditions continued across northern India on Wednesday, IMD forecast has said that there will be a gradual rise in minimum temp over the plains of Northwest India in the next two days. Temp is expected to again fall by 2-4 degrees Celsius thereafter.

US WINTER STORM KILLS OVER 60

Buffalo: The ‘very severe’ snowstorm across the United States has so far killed more than 60 people, with the maximum deaths reported from Buffalo. According to the national disaster response agency, as many as 26 people are still missing. Nearly 4,00,000 people were affected.

Three Indian-Americans die after falling in frozen lake in Arizona

Washington (ANI): Three Indian Americans, including a woman, have died after falling through ice while walking on a frozen lake in Arizona, the Coconino County administration announced in

Next 40 days crucial as India may see surge in Covid cases in Jan: Official

New Delhi (PTI): The next 40 days are going to be crucial as India may see a surge in COVID-19 cases in January, official sources said on Wednesday citing the pattern of previous outbreaks.

“Previously, it has been noticed that a new wave of COVID-19 hits India around 30-35 days after it hits East Asia.... This has been a trend,” an official said.

The Health Ministry sources, however, said the severity of the infection is less. Even if there is a wave, deaths & hospitalisation will be very low, they said.

Union Health Min Mansukh Mandaviya to visit airport to take stock of testing, they said.

Ready to assist in probe: WHO to Uzbekistan govt

New Delhi (ANI): As many as 18 children died of acute respiratory disease after having a cough syrup manufactured by Indian pharmaceutical firm named Doc-Max, Health ministry of Uzbeskistan has claimed. WHO said, “WHO is in contact with health authorities in Uzbekistan and is ready to assist in further investigations in this matter.” Earlier, 66 children had died in Gambia due to this syrups.

TO BOOST MORALE

2 MORE RETURNEES TEST +VE IN CHENNAI

ACTIVE CASES IN COUNTRY RISE TO 3,468

New Delhi(PTI): India logged 188 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases increased to 3,468, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.46 crore (4,46,77,647). The death toll stands at 5,30,696, data updated at 8 am stated. Daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.14 per cent, while the weekly positivity was pegged at 0.18 per cent, ministry said.

New Delhi (PTI): Several countries are administering a third and even fourth Covid booster shot but India, where many fully vaccinated individuals have not taken even one, is not there yet, say experts while stressing on need for a structured and systematic response. As Covid gets back on radar with a surge in China and people worry about another wave in India and whether government should now allow a second booster shot to add to two-jab protection, some scientists call for a reality check. A fourth shot of a Covid preventive is unwarranted at the moment as most people in country are yet to receive a third dose and there is no data available on the utility of a second booster, they said.

7 IPS transferred in UP ahead of NY

Ahtesham Siddiqui

Lucknow: In the bureaucracy of Uttar Pradesh, 7 IPS officers were transferred before the new year on Wednesday whereas the IPS officiers - who were removed a long time ago after having served as Commissioner of Varanasi and Noida- have also been given posting.

The Police Department of Uttar Pradesh has posted IPS Piyush Anand, currently posted as ADG GRP, to ADG Administration, DG Office. IPS Premchand

Meena has been made ADG Bareilly Zone while IPS Prem Prakash has been removed as ADG Prayagraj and posted as ADG in DG Headquarters. He is going to retire this month.

Meanwhile, IPS Alok Singh, who was removed from Noida Police Commissioner, has been made the new ADG of Kanpur Zone.

Hockey India announces cash prize

Rourkela (ANI): The Indian men’s hockey team are eyeing a historic campaign at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela in January and in a bid to motivate them further, Hockey India on Wednesday announced cash prizes for the team and the support staff.

The National Governing Body for hockey will reward the members of the Indian team led by Harmanpreet

Pakistan in the Final held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

A Silver medal would see the players walk away with INR 15 Lakhs while the support staff would be awarded INR 3 Lakhs for their role in the campaign. And a Bronze Medal feat by Harmanpreet and Co will see them being awarded INR 10 Lakhs each, while the support staff would be entitled to a prize of INR 2 Lakhs.

IPS A Satish Ganesh, who was removed from Varanasi Police Commissioner, has been made the new ADG Railways of UP. Along with this, IPS Bhanu Bhaskar has been removed from ADG Kanpur and has been appointed as ADG Prayagraj zone.

Knowledgeable sources say that the another transfer list of IPS officers is yet to come because some IPS officers have got promotions in the new year while some IPS officers are still waiting.

a statement. The incident took place at Woods Canyon Lake and the bodies have been recovered. The deceased men have been identified as Narayana Muddana, 49 and Gokul Mediseti, 47.

The woman has been identified as Haritha Muddana. Deputies used a boat to conduct an expanded search of the area, Coconino County Arizona announced in a statement about the bodies found.

Actor Sheezan Khan sent to two-day custody for further interrogation

Mumbai (ANI): The Vasai Court on Wednesday sent Sheezan Khan, the accused in the Tunisha Sharma death case, to police custody for two days.

Earlier in the day, Sheezan was presented in the court by the Waliv police, which sought to get his remand extended. Notably, Sheezan’s police custody was supposed to have ended today. But, the police have not completed the interrogation and investigation with him, so they sought to get his remand extended. It is pertinent to note that the Waliv Police have taken statement from 18 people so far in the death of Tunisha Sharma, who died allegedly by suicide.

Tunisha was found dead on the sets of her ongoing TV show Alibaba - Dastaan-e-Kabul on Saturday. A day later, her ex-boyfriend and co-star from the show, Sheezan Khan was arrested on charges of abetment to suicide.

If reports are to be believed, Khan and Tunisha broke up 15 days before she died by suicide. Sharma was also reportedly hospitalized after she suffered anxiety attacks a few months ago. The actress suffered from depression around 2018.

Palghar

ANI):

POLICE SCANNING

Mumbai (ANI): To find out the reality of what transpired between the deceased Tunisha Sharma and Sheezan Khan, accused in Tunisha’s death case, Waliv Police in Maharashtra has started to scan through the conversation between the two over social networking site WhatsApp. Police recovered the chat of around 250 to 300 pages from June to this December through which they are trying to know the real reason why they decided to part ways.

3 members of family found dead under mysterious circumstances

Balrampur (UP) (PTI):

A 38-year-old woman and her two minor children were found dead under mysterious circumstances while her husband was was found in a subconscious state inside their house in a village here, a senior police official said on Wednesday.

SP Rajesh Saxena said bodies have been sent for postmortem examination and the cause of death will be cleared once we get its report.

Singh with INR 25 lakh each for a gold medalwinning feat at the prestigious quadrennial

event while the members of the support staff will be honoured with INR 5 Lakhs each.

India last stood on the World Cup podium in 1975 where they lifted the coveted title beating

ACTOR STARTED WEARING HIJAB, SAYS HER UNCLE

SHEEZAN KHAN’S CHATS FROM JUNE

FORMER KERALA CM CHANDY GETS CLEAN CHIT

JAISHANKAR TO VISIT CYPRUS FROM DEC 29 TO JAN 3

(

In an intriguing new development in the Tunisha Sharma death case, lending further credence to love jihad claims, uncle of the actor, Pawan Sharma, has claimed that she even started wearing a ‘Hijab’ after meeting Sheezan Khan, the accused in the Tunisha Sharma death case.

New

Affairs

will meet Minister of Foreign Affairs of RoC.

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Former MP Chief Minister and BJP leader Uma Bharti has hit the headlines after making a remark that she never tells people belonging to Lodhi community, which is the core vote bank of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to vote for the BJP. Bharti made the above remark while addressing a program Yuvak-Yuvati Parichay Sammelan organised at Manas Bhawan in the state capital, Bhopal recently. Nonetheless, a purported video of the incident has gone viral on social media.

Srinagar (PTI): Cold wave conditions intensified in Kashmir as the mercury fell across the Valley and settled several notches below the freezing point, even as there is a possibility of intermittent light to moderate snowfall at scattered places over two days from Thursday, officials said. The intense cold led to water supply lines freezing in several areas. The interiors of Dal Lake and several other water bodies in the Kashmir Valley also froze, the officials said on Wednesday.

Chennai(PTI): 2 more passengers, who returned from Dubai & Cambodia, tested positive for COVID-19 at airport here on Wednesday, taking number of returnees so far in Tamil Nadu to four. Confirming that two passengers had tested positive, state Health Minister Ma Subramanian said a woman and her six-year-old daughter, who returned from China via Colombo, too, had tested positive on Tuesday.

Howrah: An actress from Jharkhand was shot dead after she allegedly thwarted a highway robbery attempt in West Bengal’s Howrah district on Wednesday, police said. Riya Kumari, a YouTuber and actress along with her husband Prakash Kumar, a film producer, and their two-year-old daughter were heading to Kolkata. A gang of three men attacked him, trying to rob his belongings. They shot her & fled spot, police said.

NEVER SAY THAT YOU ARE LODHI, YOU VOTE FOR BJP, SAYS UMA BHARTI

COLD

JHARKHAND ACTRESS SHOT DEAD IN HIGHWAY ROBBERY BID IN HOWRAH

Second practice match between Indian junior hockey team & South Korean junior hockey team.

TUNISHA SHARMA DEATH CASE

A woman covers her child inside a blanket in Dehradun. —PHOTO BY ANI

Search operation at Woods Canyon Lake in Coconino County, Arizona.

Healthcare worker collects sample from a prisoner in Patna.

Police at crime spot in Balrampur (UP).

—PHOTO BY ANI

BRIEFS

‘

Mumbai: Toyota Kirloskar Motor on Wednesday said the new hybrid version of its multi-purpose vehicle Innova will be available at a price starting from `18.30 lakh (ex-showroom). The Bengalurubased auto major unveiled Innova HyCross in November and it will be available at the dealership from mid next month. The self-charging hybrid version of the vehicle has been priced between `24.01-28.97 lakh while the gasoline version will come in the range of `18.30-19.20 lakh. —PTI

HOUSING SALES UP

19% IN OCT-DEC ACROSS 8 CITIES

Not the time for fiscal consolidation’

New Delhi (PTI): The government should not go in for an ‘aggressive fiscal consolidation’ in the upcoming budget as global risks have not abated, RBI Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) Member Ashima Goyal said on Wednesday.

Goyal further said subsidies are expected to come down as food and energy inflation moderates. WPI inflation in food articles in November was 1.07% against 8.33% in the previous month. In the ‘fuel and power’ basket, inflation was 17.35% last month.

“Given fears of a global slowdown, this is not the time for aggressive

consolidation.”

“Sticking to small preannounced steps on the path will minimise growth sacrifice, while moderating demand and the current account deficit, thus lowering the risk premium that keeps spreads high and raises the cost of government and private borrowing,” she said.

India’s fiscal deficit, the gap between expenditure and revenue, is projected to come down to 6.4% in current fiscal ending March 2023, from 6.71% in 2021-22.

The government has set a consolidation target under which it aims to reach a fiscal deficit level below

Small towns saw highest rise in room bookings: OYO

New Delhi (PTI): India’s small towns like Hathras, Sasaram, Karaikudi, and Tenali witnessed the highest increase in room bookings in 2022, according to hospitality and travel-tech firm OYO’s annual data.

4.5% by FY26. Fiscal consolidation refers to ways and means of narrowing the fiscal deficit.

Goyal was asked whether the finance minister

‘GOVT SHOULD NOT GO FOR...’

z The government should not go in for an ‘aggressive fiscal consolidation’ in the upcoming budget as global risks have not abated, RBI MPC Member Ashima Goyal said

z India’s fiscal deficit, the gap between expenditure and revenue, is projected to come down to 6.4%

when expenditure rose with tax revenues, should be avoided.

“Well-integrated components of the current macroeconomic policy strategy have delivered and should continue given global risks have not abated,” she opined.

According to Goyal, the strategy includes prioritising investment while giving essential support for the vulnerable.

should go for fiscal consolidation or fiscal expansion in her upcoming budget.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union 2023-24

Budget in Parliament on February 1.

The eminent economist said expenditure must be counter-cyclical and the mistake made in the 2000s,

“Better composition of government expenditure and other supply-side action has enabled excellent monetary-fiscal coordination that has strengthened Indian macros,” she said.

Trade agreements with Aus, UAE to help boost exports: Export Promotion Councils

New Delhi : Housing sales increased 19% yearon-year to 80,770 units during the Oct-Dec period across eight major cities on better demand, according to PropTiger.

Sales of residential properties stood at 67,890 units in the corresponding period of the last year. According to PropTiger. Com’s report Real Insight, the housing sales rose 50% to 3,08,940 units during this year across eight major cities as compared to 2,05,940 units sold in 2021. —PTI

GOLD PRICE FALLS

`5; SILVER ALSO SHEDS BY

`332

New Delhi: Gold price fell by `5 to `55,124 per 10 gram in the national capital on Wednesday amid a fall in precious metal prices in overseas markets, according to HDFC Securities. In the previous trade, the yellow metal had settled at `55,129 per 10 gram. Similarly, silver also slipped `332 to `70,048 per kilogram.

“Comex gold price edged lower in the Asian trading hours due to an uptick in US Dollar,” said an analyst at HDFC Securities. In the international market, gold was quoting lower at $1,807 per ounce while silver was down at $23.93 per ounce. —PTI

NON-BASMATI AND BASMATI RICE EXPORTS UP 7.37%

With travel bouncing back strongly after the pandemic, OYO Travelopedia 2022 found that Hyderabad, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, and Chennai emerged as the most booked cities in India for business travel.

“Uttar Pradesh became the most visited state in 2022. Smaller towns and cities such as Hathras (UP), Srinagar in Uttarakhand, Sasaram (Bihar), Karaikudi (TN) and Tenali (Andhra)

observed the highest increase in bookings in 2022 versus 2021. June 4, 2022, was the most booked day in 2022,” OYO said.

While Hyderabad, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, and Chennai are the most booked cities for business travel, OYO said Jaipur, Goa, Kochi, Varanasi and Visakhapatnam topped the charts as favourite leisure destinations in 2022.

Kolkata (PTI): Various export promotion councils (EPCs) on Wednesday lauded the trade agreements signed by India with the UAE and Australia, saying the pacts will help the country in boosting exports by granting preferential access to those markets for Indian products.

Engineering Exports Promotion Council (EEPC) said that the country has benefited from preferential market access provided by the UAE on over 97% of its tariff lines which account for 99% of Indian exports to the region in value terms.

Eastern regional chairman of EEPC, B D Agarw-

Sensex, Nifty close marginally down

Mumbai (PTI): Benchmark Sensex and Nifty closed marginally down in a range-bound trade on Wednesday due to profit taking by investors after two straight days of gains amid mixed global trends and foreign fund outflows.

The 30-share Sensex declined 17.15 points or 0.03% to settle at 60,910.28. During the day, it declined 213.66 points or 0.35% to 60,713.77.

The broader NSE Nifty closed lower by 9.80 points or 0.05% to end at 18,122.50.

From the Sensex pack, Bharti Airtel, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finserv, Tata Steel, UltraTech Cement and Tata Motors were the major laggards. Titan, Mahindra & Mahindra, Power Grid and Maruti were among the winners.

IN

YEAR

Mumbai (PTI): The rupee gained 7 paise to close at 82.80 (provisional) against the US dollar on Wednesday, as softening crude oil prices in the global markets boosted the local currency. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local unit opened at 82.84 and touched an intra-day high of 82.80 and a low of 82.93 against the greenback. It finally settled at 82.80, registering a rise of 7 paise over its previous close of 82.87.

MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS

New Delhi: India’s aromatic basmati and nonbasmati rice exports rose 7.37% to 126.97 lakh tonnes during the AprilOctober period of the current fiscal, despite restrictions on the shipments, according to industry data. Exports stood at 118.25 lakh tonnes in the same period during the previous fiscal. Out of total exports, basmati rice exports rose to 24.97 lakh tonnes during the AprilOctober period of the 2022-23 fiscal. —PTI

al, said that this trend has emerged after signing of the India UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) which became effective from May one, 2022. The India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), which will come into force from December 29, is expected to create 10 lakh jobs, and raise Indian merchandise exports to Australia by $10 billion, he said.

According to him, the ECTA will also allow zero duty on 100% tariff lines, and provide cheaper raw materials to steel and aluminium sectors.

Progressive taxes key to make Ind global gaming hub: Experts

New Delhi (PTI): A clear and consistent approach to personal taxation is necessary for realizing India’s vision of making AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics) a highgrowth sector, experts said. A high incidence of Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) to the tune of 30% on gaming income is creating an incentive for offshore platforms that are not under any regulatory obligations and where no taxes need to be paid, to thrive in India, they said. Such evasion of taxes will be a huge loss to the government and will eventually even kill the domestic industry.

Appliances industry aims double-digit growth

New Delhi (PTI): Bolstered by premiumisation trends, pent-up demand and policy initiatives, the country’s appliances and consumer electronics sector expects to continue on the double-digit growth trajectory in 2023, as companies seek to expand capacity and roll out new-age smart products.

Leading companies in the sector are focusing on enhancing production capacity as well as domestic supply chain to reduce dependence on imported components. All said, geopolitical developments and

rupee depreciation could have an adverse impact on companies.

CEAMA is “optimistic

about good growth in 2023 as well” and expects to almost double the value of the industry in the next

OPTIMISTIC ABOUT GROWTH

OTHER STORIES

TELECOM DEPARTMENT DISCUSSES SERVICE QUALITY ISSUES WITH TELCOS

New Delhi: The telecom department on Wednesday met operators to discuss rising instances of call drops and service qualityrelated issues, as it deliberated on policy measures that can be considered for improving call quality. The meeting, which comes amid the rollout of massive 5G networks in the country, was chaired by Telecom Secretary K Rajaraman and attended by telecom service providers, including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea. The discussion focused on identifying policy and operational measures that can help telcos to improve the quality of telecom services in the country, according to DoT sources.

GOVERNMENT’S MFG PUSH NOT YIELDING RESULTS: AGENCY

Mumbai: Despite government’s high-octane push to boost manufacturing through the ‘Make in India’ initiative, foreign investors continue to chase bets in the services sector, a domestic rating agency said on Wednesday. India Ratings and Research also said a bulk of the FDI in manufacturing is not greenfield or fresh investments which should otherwise be the aspirational aspect. It said services sector FDI increased to $153.01 billion in the services sector during April 2014 to March 2022 from $80.51 billion during to April 2000 to March 2014. —PTI

NET LEASING OF OFFICE SPACE FALLS 31% IN DECEMBER QUARTER

New Delhi: Net leasing of office space fell 31% in the December quarter to nearly 8 million square feet across seven cities as corporates delayed their expansion plans amid global headwinds. The absorption of office space, however, rose 46% in the entire year to 38.25 million square feet on lower base and improved demand after the Covid cases fell sharply. Net leasing or absorption, which is calculated as the new floor space occupied minus floor space vacated, fell to 7.99 million square feet in the fourth quarter of this calendar year from 11.55 million sq ft.

three years to ` 1.48 lakh crore by 2025, as well as make the country an alternative hub for exports.

levels in the current financial year. However, on an overall basis passenger traffic is expected to surpass the pre-Covid level by 1.12 times in the fiscal year starting April 2023, it said. —PTI

TOYOTA LAUNCHES INNOVA HYCROSS AT `18.30 LAKH

INDIAN RUPEE RISES 7 PAISE ON WEDNESDAY TO 82.80 AGAINST AMERICAN CURRENCY

Addressing party leaders and workers at the 138th foundation day of the Congress at the AICC headquarters, he said the people of the country are being hit by price rise and unemployment but the government is not bothered.

He also said that India progressed due to Congress’ approach of inclusion and taking everyone along. India not only emerged as a successful and strong democracy but within a few decades it became a superpower in economic, nuclear and strategic areas, Kharge said, adding, it is among the top nations of the world in the agriculture, education, medical, IT, and services sector.

“This did not happen on its own. This happened due to Congress’ faith in democracy and our inclusive ideology of taking everyone along and due to our full faith in the Constitution that gives equal rights and opportunities to all,” he told the gathering. “The fundamentals of India are being constantly attacked.

138TH CONGRESS

DAY

‘Would prefer a woman like my mother, grandmother’

New Delhi (PTI): In an interview to a YouTube channel during the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that he would prefer to settle down in life with a partner who has a mix of qualities of both his mother Sonia Gandhi and grandmother Indira Gandhi.

He termed his grandmother Indira Gandhi as “the love of my life and my second mother”.

Asked whether he would settle down with a woman like her, Gandhi said, “That is an interesting question... I would prefer a woman... I do not mind... she has got qualities. But, a mix between my mother’s and grandmother’s qualities is good.”

Gandhi, who shared the interview on his

Rahul Gandhi shares a joyful moment with his mother Sonia Gandhi at the 138th Foundation Day celebrations of Indian National Congress, on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY ANI

Twitter handle, said he does not own a car and drives a CR-V, which is his mother’s. “I have really not been interested in cars. I am not interested in motor bikes, but I am interested in driving motor bikes. I can fix a car. But, I am not obsessed with cars.

I like the idea of moving fast, the idea of moving in the air, the idea of moving in water

and on moving in the land,” he said.

He also noted that he found more beauty in an old Lambretta rather than an R1, and claimed that he preferred cycling to motor-cycling as it has the concept of using one’s own power.

On being called “Pappu”, he termed it propaganda and said those calling him so are doing it out of fear.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge with party general secretary KC Venugopal and others during the party’s 138th Foundation Day celebration event, at the AICC office in New Delhi on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY ANI

The society is being divided by hate, people are hit by price rise and unemployment but the government is not bothered,” he charged.

Kharge also unfurled the party’s flag at the AICC headquarters in the presence of former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, who was again seen sporting a white T-shirt amid the winter chill, and top Congress leaders and workers.

“I am proud that I am a part of such an organ-

Make most of G20 events, introduce ‘Brand

UP’,

Lucknow (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said the G20 events in the coming year are a great platform to introduce “Brand UP” to the world and told officials to make the most of them.

The chief minister chaired a high-level meeting on Wednesday and directed the officials to make preparations for conferences to be held next year during the run-up to the G20 Summit.

India holds the presidency of the influential group from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023 during which it is expected to organise more than 200 G20 meetings across the country, including in Uttar Pradesh.

“This global event has brought immense possibilities for Uttar Pradesh. This event is a great platform to intro-

duce ‘Brand UP’ to the world. We should make the most out of this global event,” an official release quoted Chief Minister Adityanath as saying in the meeting.

Different events are proposed to be held in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi, Lucknow, Agra and Greater Noida during India’s yearlong presidency of Group of 20 (G20).

“According to the Indian spirit of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’, preparations should be made to make the events grand in these districts,” Adityanath said.

THE PARTY’S CONTRIBUTION

z Kharge recalled Mahatma Gandhi’s words that he did not see politics as power but connected it with issues of social reform, ending of untouchability, etc.

z It is Congress’ pledge to protect the nation’s boundaries, its social fabric and protect the rights of citizens and ensure education-employment opportunities for people, Kharge said.

z It was due to this preparation that India did not disintegrate but emerged strongly, he said, recalling the numerous laws brought out during the UPA government.

ization which chose the path of truth, non-violence, and struggle in every situation and always took every step in the public interest,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted in Hindi while sharing a video of pictures of previous Congress foundation days during the freedom struggle.

The party chief said the occasion is significant as the Congress Seva Dal also enters its 100th year of formation and congratulated them for their contribution.

Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari produced before a district court in connection with a money laundering case, in Prayagraj, on Wednesday. Ansari was sent back to Banda jail by the Remand Magistrate Court on Wednesday, as his Enforcement Directorate (ED) remand ended.

CRIME BRANCH

2022: GRUESOME KILLINGS, CYBER CRIMES KEEP DELHI POLICE ON TOES

New Delhi (PTI): From looking for clues in the grisly Sharddha Walkar murder case in a forest to leading an inter-state pursuit to arrest the creator of the ‘Bulli Bai’ app that “auctioned” Muslim women, 2022 saw Delhi Police deal with some of its most sensational cases.

Sharddha Walkar murder case

As it pieced together the gory details of the murder of 27-year-old Walkar, who was strangled to death and her body sawed into multiple pieces by her live-in partner Aaftab Amin Poonawala at their home in south Delhi’s Mehrauli, what emerged was a tale of love and abuse that sent shockwaves across the country. Walkar’s murder dominated prime-time television news for days, with the media closely following every develop-

ment in the case.

Mother-son duo kills, chops body

Days after the Walkar’s case came to light, a similar incident was reported from east Delhi where a 45-year-old man

was killed & his body chopped into pieces by his wife & stepson. Anjan Das was killed on May 30 by his wife Poonam & stepson Deepak on the suspicion that he had ill intentions towards his stepdaughter

and daughter-in-law.

‘Bulli Bai’ & ‘Sulli Deals’ Case

New Delhi (PTI): The SC is scheduled to hear on January 2 a fresh plea seeking directions to the Centre and states to take stringent steps to control fraudulent religious conversions by “intimidation, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits”.

A bench of Justices M R Shah and C T Ravikumar is likely to take up the plea filed by advocate Ashutosh Kumar Shukla which has also sought creation of a special task force to keep check on deceitful religious conversions. Contending that the State is obliged to protect fundamental rights of the citizens, the plea said the right to propagate one’s religion does not give a right to convert any person to one’s own religion.

‘People are hit by price rise and unemployment but BJP govt is not bothered’

1 2 3

New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday attacked the government, saying the fundamentals of India are being constantly attacked and the society is being “divided by hate”.

z The Congress president noted that India progressed as the Congress displayed the courage to free the poor, oppressed, and Dalits of their thousands of years of fretters and honestly worked towards taking the freedom to everyone and taking them forward.

BACK TO PRISON

—PHOTO BY ANI

SC to hear on Jan 2 plea against forced religious conversion

Extortion case involving B-town celebrities

Alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar also kept the investigators busy as they tried to unravel the conspiracy behind the Rs 200 crore extortion case involving high-profile personalities like Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez. Actor Nora Fatehi also came on the radar of investigators for her “professional” association with Chandrashekhar.

Earlier in 2022, two mobile apps, “Bulli Bai” and “Sulli Deals”, created a massive uproar after it was found that hundreds of Muslim women, including prominent personalities, were listed on them for “auction”. The pictures were sourced without their permission and doctored. Delhi Police’s Cyber Cell cracked the case with the arrest of 20-year-old Niraj Bishnoi, who was the creator of the “Bulli Bai” app.

fter cotton, jute, commonly referred to as the golden fibre and is the second-most significant plant fibre. The jute’s quality improves with shine. Because jute is biodegradable, it is a fibre that is environmentally beneficial.

Nowadays it is far more utility thanks to artisans, that their work is starting to receive attention and becoming increasingly in demand among customers. Many different things, including textiles, home furnishings, jewellery, bags and clothes are available in the market.

Both handlooms and factories are used for the spinning and weaving of high-quality yarns into a lightweight, fine-textured textiles with uniform composition in lovely colours and patterns.

This is the reason it is called one of the finest fibres. It has an extremely strong, coarse, and inflexible thread. To create purses, caps, skirts, and even tapestry accessories out of golden thread, many jute clothing are delicately hand- or crochetembroidered.

Jute textiles have several advantages, including being fully biodegradable and having antistatic and insulating qualities. It is very hygroscopic and simultaneously has poor heat conductivity and moderate humidity retention.

Jute clothing has a high tensile strength and a low extensibility coefficient, which contribute to its durability.

This type of clothing is new and many celebrities are already a fan of jute fashion. Due to its high quality, it is highly in demand. Apart from that, a wide range of female clothing such as skirts, one-pieces, coats and tops are obtainable in the market for purchase. If we talk about makeup shimmery bronze, nude or natural makeup with a good amount of highlighter and cheekbones and forehead would suit the

best with jute-style clothes and will make you the highlight of the party.

MRIDULA SHARMA cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Jute is used to make stylish, environmentally friendly clothing that falls under the category of natural fibre clothing. Let’s explore the world of Jute fashion with City First

City First

CITY FIRST

Winter has finally arrived, and who wouldn't enjoy cosy evenings at home or the festive occasions that go along with them? It is impossible to have a holiday celebration without tasty snacks that are easy to prepare, nutritious, and delicious, and you can never do that without tasty delicacies that are simple to prepare, and meet the criteria for the celebration, ready to cook delicacies are surely proving to be the most ideal choice during winters.

Previously, ready-tocook food contained preservatives, but those days are long gone. In order to dispel certain myths associated with frozen food and highlight how ready-tocook options have emerged as the healthiest and most convenient options during winter, a tasting ceremony was organized in Delhi and Chandigarh. At a tasting ceremony hosted by Meatington and Grab a Green, some easy-to-cook and delicious winter snacks were presented to food aficionados. Meatington Co-founders Neeta Malik and Ashutosh Malik and Co-Founder Entrepreneur Chef Sachin

Ready to Cook food myths busted DURING WINTER FOOD FEST

A live demonstration of ready-to-cook delicacies was given by Sachin Sah gal, and the vast variety of food included kebabs, tik kas, Rumalis, tikis, patties etc. These delicacies were served with a variety of breads and rumalis, mak ing them an ideal choice for winter celebrations.

Neeta Malik elaborated on the reasons why readyto-cook meals are an ideal choice for winter and bust ed myths about them. In regards to the same, she stated, "When you have a busy

ARIES

MAR 21 - APR 20

Your efforts at work will be richly rewarded. Getting quality time at home will help in focussing on activities that appeal to you. A balanced diet will be the first step in achieving good health, so stick to it. Help people out as much as you can as monetarily you face no problems.

LEO

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

Good opportunities are likely to appear on the academic front. Some of you may feel the home environment serene and restful. There is a fair chance of some property getting allotted to you. A healthy bank balance will allow you to buy a major item.

SAGITTARIUS

NOV 23 - DEC 22

Things are likely to move favourably on the professional front. Health may become a concern. You will need to muster all your persuasive powers to swing a deal in your favour. Good negotiating skills are likely to bring a lucrative deal within your grasp on the professional front.

TAURUS

zen food combinations, making your winter evenings wholesome and enjoyable. And to get this experience you only need to open your box of ready-tocook food and heat it up, saute it or microwave it.

Frozen foods have a longer

Sachin Sahgal, there are many brands who are no longer using artificial essences, colours or preservatives in their frozen food and insted opting for herbal ingredients to keep the food fresh and nutrition rich. Furthermore, freezing food preserves micro and macro nutrients, preventing harmful bacteria from growing. Using hightech packaging innovations and natural herbs, Meatington keeps food intact without the use of preservatives, concluded Sachin Sahgal.

CAPRICORN

GEMINI

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

You may need to monitor your finances closely. Praise of a family member by someone will make you proud. Getting unwell due to changing weather cannot be ruled out for some. You are likely to win the day on the professional front by your original ideas.

LIBRA

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

You may find it difficult to convince a family member regarding something you want to achieve. Clarity of mind and retentive power will help you forge ahead on the academic front. Some of you can safely say goodbye to depression, as positivity enters your life once again.

AQUARIUS

JAN 21 - FEB 19

K Someone close may pay you a visit and brighten your You will get the opportunity to acquire new property at a good price.Think twice

CANCER

JUNE

Opportunities

SCORPIO

PISCES

FEB20

health. It will be in your interest to speed up a financial transaction. Appreciation for the work done.

Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

Sahgal organised this event.

Meatington's delightful ceremony featured a variety of readyto-cook snack options for the winter season.

brings highlights the journey so far!

(R-L) Neeta Malik, Ashutosh Malik and Sachin Sahgal

The term “cinema” seems inclusive (or nebulous) enough to encompass the essence of the medium, whether we use it to specifically refer to that arthouse movie or the more widespread creation and consumption of films, TV shows, videos, interactive games, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), or other new media that facilitate our interaction with moving images. Cinema is an embracing and immersing medium that conveys what it means to be a human in a particular moment and place. Because the moving picture is what all of the aforementioned things eventually share. In that regard, cinema occupies a unique space at the nexus of art and technology. Cinema is an embracing and immersing medium that conveys what it means to be a human in a particular moment and place. Cinema has a syntax and grammar that have evolved through time. They develop and change as a result of repetition within and among generations.

JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION

Dominion, a film in one of the most successful Hollywood franchises ever, is called Jurassic World. With a run of more than three decades, it must both serve the long-time viewers of the series as well as the new audience that has joined them.

Jurassic World: Dominion appears to make an evident attempt in that area, it only seems fair to comment. While it is wonderful to see Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and Jeff Goldblum again, it is also great to meet a new group of carnivorous monsters who are even more terrifying than before.

THE BATMAN

The superhero movie The Batman was written and directed by Matt Reeves, and it was made by DC Films. Robert Pattinson plays the title role in the movie, while the supporting ensemble also includes Zoe Krav itz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis, and others. Michael composed the score, while Greig handled the filming. It almost feels like the Batman saga is being rewritten from scratch thanks to Matt Reeves’ new revamp of the brand. He has a lot of unanswered questions and no idea who killed his par ents. In contrast to most superhero mov ies, when the enemy has introduced right away and the hero and villain play a game of cat and mouse, the filmmakers decided to make this movie a crime thriller. Batman is therefore more than simply an action figure in this story.

KGF CHAPTER 2

KGF Chapter 2 (also known as KGF 2), a period action movie written and directed by Prashanth Neel, is a follow-up to the popular film KGF. In addition to Achyuth Kumar, Malavika Avinash, Anant Nag, Vasishta N. Simha, Ayyappa P. Sharma, B Suresh, and many more playing supporting parts, the film stars Yash and Srinidhi Shetty as the leads. KGF 2 picks off just where the first film leaves off, but there’s a twist: Prakash Raj steps in for Anant Nag. Although both actors are superb, the replacement, or at least the brief moment of perplexity, felt a little like a break. In the movie, Rocky (Yash)

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY HOLIDAY SPECIAL

One of the greatest pieces of entertainment Marvel Studios has produced in a long time, his “Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special” is filled with amusing, heartwarming Christmas

precisely like a “Guardians of the Galaxy” film, replete with Gunn’s wacky, laugh-out-loud humour. Additionally, it honours the classic Christmas special clichés that make you want to curl up

KATHIAWADI

The chapter titled “The Matri

AWADI. The narrative is compel ling and brings up some signifi cant topics. The

by

Bhansali and Utkarshini Vashishtha is exciting and dra matic. The lifestyles of prosti tutes have already been explored in many movies. But the creators make sure that seeing these movies again won’t be famil iar. Both Gangubai’s charac ter and the supporting cast members are extremely nicely developed. The dis cussion between Prakash

A nice place to start learning about the moving picture is with the “recording of movement.” City First introduces you to the blockbuster movies of 2022

gets control of Kolar Gold Fields and establishes his vast empire, but destiny has other things in store for him since Garuda’s brother Adheera (Sanjay Dutt) enters the picture, clearly with a grander scheme. The main conflict of the plot is how Rocky deals with the dangerous Adheera, Ramika Sen, the then-prime minister of India.

arch Of Kamathipura” in S Hus sain Zaidi’s book, “Mafia Queens Of Mumbai” served as the inspi ration for GANGUBAI KATHI

script

Sanjay Leela

‘

OUR MISSION IS TO EMPOWER WOMEN IN HOSPITALITY ’

City First rowne Plaza Greater Noida recently hosted the annual Women Leadership Summit 2022 by SheWings at the Tapas, Crowne Plaza Greater Noida while keeping in their commitment towards empowering women and providing them with equal opportunities inclusively in the hospitality domain as well as in general.

The conclave was attended by the leading female CEOs and decision-makers in different walks of life including; governance, education, civil services, and medical professionals among others. The conclave was addressed virtually by While Ananandiben Patel, (Governor, Uttar Pradesh) and Dr Kiran Bedi (former Lt. Governor of Puducherry).

Talking about the association with SheWings for the summit, Sharad K. Upadhyay, General Manager of CPGN said, “We, at Crowne Plaza Greater Noida, are extremely happy to be supporting the efforts of individuals and organisations that are working towards inclusiveness and participation of women in our communities.”

The two panels on Financial Independence to Empower Women, with Medha Roopam (IAS, Collector Hapur), Dr Sharda Sharma (SDRR Medical College), Dr Shobha Tomar (Founder and VC, NIMS Universi-

MAGIC OF NORTH EAST FESTIVAL

City First

Once again, stellar performances, meaningful discussions, and terrific turnouts marked the just concluded North East Festival in Delhi.

The four-day programme, which ran from December 2326, 2022, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi, was organised in the format of a carnival with several stalls showcasing the region’s food and handicrafts, live music and dance performances engaged the visitors throughout the day. while serious discussions on the business and economy of the region brought together stakeholders, government officials and development partners to discuss parameters for build ing a formidable in vestment climate to create a flourish ing business and tourism destina tion in India.

ty),

(Entrepreneur

jasthan)

Vote of thanks

After attracting an unprecedented number of visitors, the 26th edition of the Delhi Book Fair, Stationery and Office Automation Fair concluded successfully at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, on Tuesday. India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) presented the Awards for Excellence in Display to the par-

ticipants during these five days of events.

Some eminent personalities like S.R. Sahoo, Hema Maity, Vikash Kumar Singh and Rajesh Mittal, (President Federation of Indian Publishers, FIP) graced the event with their presence.

In the Government category, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of

Zaina Ali, a Delhi-based actor shares her journey with City First

the National Council of Educational Research and Train-

During the event, Shyam kanu Mahanta (Chief Organis er of North East Festival) ex pressed, “As posi tively anticipat ed, the festival was a roaring success. We witnessed thousands of visitors; which is definitely a fabulous turnout.

Our entire team has worked relentlessly for several months to organise this festival, and the response received is worth all the effort.”

The 10th edition of

the North East Festival not only celebrated the cultures and traditions of the region but also provided a business window to

creative and passionate entrepreneurs. Organisers, investors, and visitors appreciated the ideas stemming from the grassroots.

“STARTED ACTING AT THE AGE OF 5”

gave her first audition at the age of 12 and hasn’t looked back since.

How did your journey begin?

As it is said “Selfbelief and hard work will always earn you success,” and Zaina proves this quote right. She is many things- hardworking, responsible, talented and most importantly gentle person. She wants to do big things in the film industry and started working towards it at a very young. She

At the age of 5, I started to take part in school plays, dance competitions etc. I used to be in the last row or be a tree but the joy that performing gave me is what made me fall in love with the stage and then later, the camera.

Started doing workshops at the National School of Drama, Delhi and got scouted for my first big audition for a prominent film.

The

disheartening

Talk to us about your achievements.

Till now, my biggest achievement is the love

and appreciation that I have received from people who have seen my work. I wish to achieve much bigger and better things that make everyone around me proud.

Where do you see yourself after the next 20 years?

Currently, I don’t even know where I will be in the next 6 months. However I sincerely hope that in 20 years I will be more independent and successful like I’ve always wanted to be, would’ve done projects that I will be proud of and will still happily be doing what I love- entertaining people and telling stories.

What were some of the battles you fought and are still fighting in your journey?

rejection. The hard part is to follow the ‘give&forget’ rule while

auditioning that you need to follow or else you will get your heart broken every day. Another battle is the unfortunate stereotypes that we face in the industry- ‘Upmarket’, ‘real’, ‘too big’ etc. It’s

to see how a lot of us in the industry are still not growing with time.

Swati Sharma

from Ra-

and many more were the highlights of

the summit. During the conclave, Dr Kiran Bedi spoke about the value of finan-

cial independence for women. According to Dr Bedi, women can only feel empowered when they

are financially independent. She urged civil workers to educate women in order to empower them.

—PHOTOS BY SHAZID CHAUHAN

India bagged the Gold trophy,

ing the Silver and Sahitya Akademi won the Bronze trophy while Indira Gandhi Nation-

al Open University and Urdu Akademi honoured with special appreciation.

AISHA GUPTA cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Glimpse from the event

Dr Shoba tomar, Dr Deepa Gupta, Dr Akanksha Allahabadia, Dr Mohita Sharma and Madan Mohit Bhardwaj during the panel discussion

Deepa Malik

Medha Roopam, Rupamanjari Ghosh and Smita Singh during the panel discussion

Medha Roopam with Deepa Malik

Glimpse of a mesmerizing dance performance during the summit

Stunning models during the show

Ravishing models showcase designer outfits

Glimpse from the event

Talented artist during the performance Beautiful models during the event

North East famous cloaks on display