First India-Jaipur Edition-30th April 2023

VOICE OF WORLD’S MOST POPULAR LEADER TO ECHO GLOBALLY!

KARTIKEY DEV SINGH

s a nation, India is a spectrum...of faiths, religions, dialects, languages, geographical features, cultures, and even of the people residing within. Throughout history, this diversity has been one of our strongest points, but also, at times, our weakness too as it has been used against us. But seldom there appears a factor that makes us forget the difference and binds us together in one string. For several decades since Independence, cricket was that one factor for which differences were set aside, and everyone stood as one.

But in the ‘Amrit Kaal’ of our Independence, has emerged one ‘player’ who has captained India for 8 years and in these years has been a catalyst of change, of power projection across the globe, and of binding the aspirations and hopes of millions of Indians, into one unitof national development through individual development!

Such an exemplary leader is Prime Minister Narendra Modi whose every move and every action has seen success and thus propelled the nation to carve a niche in the League of Nations and world politics.

But how has this been made possible? The answer is simple: Modi has ensured that he remains ac-

countable to the people and that he establishes a strong two-way communication channel. Enter ‘Mann Ki Baat’. Started on October 3, 2014, this monthly program has crossed 99 episodes where PM Modi came across the people through various mediums — radio, TV, and mobile — and not only interacted with the common man but also showcased the vision of a new India through the government’s actions.

Now that Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ will reach its century on April 30 and in an age where numbers matter, let us cite some facts. In a nation of 1.4 billion people, 96% of people know about ‘Mann Ki Baat’ which is a huge number! About 1 billion people have heard it at least once

since its start, with 23 crore people being its regular listeners and another 41 crore being occasional listeners of the program.

Let’s talk about its effect on people. 73% of listeners are optimistic and claim that the nation is progressing. 58% of people claim that their living standard has improved and 59% have observed a new-found trust in the government, while 60% have expressed a desire to work for national development.

With that huge effect on people, it is obvious that the nation stands with PM Narendra Modi and his vision of a new India which he expresses to people and gets their approval through the ‘centenary’ platform — ‘Mann Ki Baat’.

PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI

FEELINGS OF THE PEOPLE

Mann Ki Baat’ is a kind of anthem of experiences related to life. I am saying this because I have heard it continuously since it first aired and have felt that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has, in a way, nurtured eternal values in it. Sanatan means ‘Eternally New’. There is no place for inertia in this.

‘Mann Ki Baat’ informs about the progress happening in the country, makes public the lives of those people who have done something unique and along with it, is a radio program producing a direction of the future by including all the changes that are coming in life.

I also believe that ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is the statement of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in the light of questions related to our human heritage, philosophy of life and calamities scattered here and there across the country, which create ideals related to life. The positivity can be heard and multiplied. People from all over the country are represented in it, the opinion of people from every corner, their words, their experiences and hopes are mixed in it.

It seems like yesterday when this program was started by radio. It was on 3 October 2014, when the program ‘Mann Ki Baat’ was first telecast. Later in 2015, the day also came when US President Barack Obama also participated in it. In no time, the time has come for its hundredth episode to be broadcast.

The biggest thing about this program is that there is a direct dialogue between the Prime Minister and the citizens. Various important issues are discussed and the direction of the program is determined by including the opinion of the general public. It is not preachy but it is such a dialogue done in the light of public sentiment, which has innovation. People across the country also have a direct connection with it in the form that the Indian public broadcaster, Prasar Bharati, translates and broadcasts ‘Mann Ki Baat’ in 52 languages and dialects. Eleven foreign languages are also included in this.

The one who walks gets the elixir of life. Dr. Mangaldev Shastri has called ‘Charaiveti’ Shramgan. I agree that ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is also the anthem of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. I have heard all the programs of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, will not discuss them. But I must say this much that this is the foundation of the vision of a strong India.

Highlighting the national and global successes of the country, creating a sense of pride in the citizens, it is a dialogue-song to orient them towards cultural nationalism. This is not just a radio programme, it is the light reflected in the sentiments of the people and their words

The Prime Minister of India, the country’s largest democratic nation, not only conveys his message to the people through this programme, but in a way calls for the active participation of the citizens in the nation building process. How many people listen to this can be gauged from the fact that letters are received from lakhs of people from all over the country regarding this programme, and the Prime Minister himself mentions them in the dialogue. Many times it also happens that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi himself also calls directly and talks to the people in the programme.

I think ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is a dialogue conducted by a visionary and far-sighted Prime Minister considering his accountability towards the citizens, in which, understanding the remote reach of audio media, the intention of creating and set-

tling in the public mind lies through it. Some say that the days of radio are over, for them ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is the answer which proved it. It is said that if the subjects are related to the public, if there is an initiative of dialogue by involving themselves in it with an inclusive thinking, then people take interest in it. People especially listen to it when it airs on Sundays. This is a unique example of its popularity, that at the time of broadcast, people in typical villages, towns and cities tune into the radio and listen to it. I had this experience during the Ramayana serial telecast by Doordarshan that the roads used to become deserted, the market used to stop and people used to go and sit near the TV at the fixed time. The same happens when ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is telecast. This is its success. Radio is audio media. Its main purpose is to inform, educate and entertain. But if all these three have been included in a single programme, then that too has happened in ‘Mann Ki Baat’.

I am saying this because there is no blank information in the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme, education is the path of light in life and a healthy color for the mind. The way Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi presents it in a light-hearted manner, many topics like environment, Covid, climate change, Har Ghar Ti-

The Prime Minister of India, the country’s largest democratic nation, not only conveys his message to the people through this programme, but in a way calls for the active participation of the citizens in the nation building process.

This is the sum of the workskills of the Prime Minister of a country, knowing and understanding the country and accordingly the policies of the nation, taking it forward and upliftment of the people.

KALRAJ MISHRA, GOVERNOR

SALIENT FEATURES OF ‘MANN KI BAAT’

l The biggest thing about this program is that there is a direct dialogue between the Prime Minister and citizens.

l Various important issues are discussed and the direction of the program is determined by including the opinion of the general public.

l It is not preachy but it is such a dialogue done in the light of public sentiment, which has innovation.

l People across the country also have a direct connection with it in the form that the Indian public broadcaster, Prasar Bharati, translates and broadcasts ‘Mann Ki Baat’ in 52 languages and dialects.

l Eleven foreign languages are also included in this.

ranga, Swachh Bharat, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao etc. are easily communicated. I remember, in one episode of this programme, Prime Minister Shri Modi had given the word ‘Divyang’ to the country instead of handicapped. The one who is physically disabled in some way, God has given him something special different from the common people. That’s why such people are not handicapped but differently abled. Similarly, this program has continuously shared words and feelings related to the world with us. That’s why this country has become one of the most popular radio programs not only in the world.

Many times while listening to ‘Mann Ki Baat’, I have also felt that it is a contemporary narrative related to the Indian tradition of knowledge. Knowledge has been given the highest place in our Vedas, Puranas and Upanishads. It is considered to be the most sacred. Knowledge does not mean just external knowledge of something. Direct experience by going into the depth of the element through continuous contemplation, descending into it is called knowledge. This is achieved through interest in public issues. Despite his busy schedule, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has adopted this program for continuous public dialogue due to his interest in public issues. This is a unique

initiative to collect information about the people doing unique work at some place and public thinking on it. I listen and count it many times as a ‘radio diary’ of the Prime Minister. There can be so many dimensions of a person’s thoughts and public concerns, ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is an example of that.

The depth of any subject, context, episode, element related to nature and life can be reached only when the curiosity to know something new remains in the mind. I understand, ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is the inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji’s curiosity, probing the mind connected with the people and constantly learning something new. This is a unique initiative of dialogue on the country, its people, their thoughts, geography, culture, science and religion etc. in their contemporary contexts.

In our place, the Brahma Sutras begin with ‘Athato Brahma Jigyasa’. The first formula of Purva Mimamsa is ‘Athato Dharma Jigyasa’. Religion is that which is to be followed. The one in which we move forward on the path of the future by mixing the thoughts and vision that we inherited, with new values and thoughts and experiences related to life. That’s why I give the noun of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ as ‘Yoga: Karmasu Kaushalam’. It means that skill in actions is yoga. This is the sum of the

work-skills of the Prime Minister of a country, knowing and understanding the country and accordingly the policies of the nation, taking it forward and upliftment of the people. It is not just the program but the light of audio media which can be experienced in Sanatan Samskaras. Etreya Brahman’s well-versed mantra is — Charaiveti, Charaiveti. The civilizations that continued to move forward.

Those who stopped, their development also stopped. If water remains at one place, it starts rotting. Its significance lies in the flow of water. That’s why Buddha also said ‘charath bhikkhave charath’ means monks, keep moving. The one who walks gets the elixir of life. Dr Mangaldev Shastri has called ‘Charaiveti’ Shramgan. I agree that ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is also the anthem of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. I have heard all the programs of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, will not discuss them. But I must say this much that this is the foundation of the vision of a strong India. Highlighting the national and global successes of the country, creating a sense of pride in the citizens, it is a dialogue-song to orient them towards cultural nationalism. This is not just a radio programme, it is the light reflected in the sentiments of the people and their words..

KALRAJ MISHRA

The writer is Governor of Rajasthan

PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Governor Kalraj Mishra.

HUGE CROWD THRONG STREETS AS MODI LED 3-KM ROADSHOW

Bengaluru: Ending a busy day of electioneering for the BJP in poll-bound Karnataka after back-toback rallies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in a mega roadshow in north Bengaluru on Saturday drawing an enormous response from a huge crowd. Modi gave a new election slogan ‘Ee baariya nirdhara, Bahumatada BJP Sarkara’ (This time’s decision, majority BJP govt) for the ruling BJP in Karnataka, ahead of Assembly polls. P6

VOTE FOR DOUBLE ENGINE GOVT IN KARNATAKA, SAYS AMIT SHAH

Udupi: For Union Home Minister Amit Shah conducted a road show in Mangaluru on Saturday as part of the BJP’s election campaign for the upcoming State Assembly elections. Addressing a The people of Karnataka should choose a double engine government in the State by voting for BJP in the May 10 Assembly elections instead of a ‘reverse gear’ government of the Congress. A large number of BJP supporters gathered to witness Shah’s roadshow campaign. P6

TUNE IN TO PM’S ‘MANN KI BAAT’ 100TH EPISODE @ 11AM TODAY

New Delhi: The 100th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat is scheduled to be broadcast today at 11 am. This time, the PM’s address will also be broadcast live at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The episode will be broadcast on more than 1,000 radio stations including TV channels, private and community radio stations across the globe. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, in a tweet, congratulated Modi on achieving milestone. P7

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GEHLOT REITERATES HIS STAND ON SANJIVANI SCAM

I can send victims’ videos to Shekhawat, says CM Gehlot

RAVAN REMARK ON CM: JADAWAT FILES FIR AGAINST SHEKHAWAT

Ramesh Sharma

Sikar: CM Ashok Gehlot on Saturday reiterated his demand to sack Union Minister Gajendra Singh

Shekhawat from the Union Cabinet. Gehlot claimed that Shekhawat and his family members are linked to the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society case and has no moral authority to continue as a minister.

Gehlot said in Sikar that victims of the alleged scam have met him thrice and shared their pain. Gehlot claimed if Shekhawat did

READ Crucial

5 PEOPLE KILLED IN SHOOTING AT HOME NORTH OF HOUSTON

not want to meet them in person, he could send the Union minister a video recording of his meeting with the victims.

“I am not talking about any politics in this. About 2.5 lakh people, including soldiers, got caught in the wheel of greed. Gajendra Singh is not ashamed. All his people are sitting in jail. Gajendra Singh should at least try to get the money of those people. Thrice, the victims who had tears in their eyes came to meet me. Two sisters are not getting married. An old man

has to undergo 3 bypass surgeries. His son is also capable but that old man has insisted that he will get

it done only when he gets his money. Gajendra has built farm houses in Australia, Ethiopia,” he said.

DOUBLE TROUBLE FOR ANSARI BROS

Mukhtar Ansari gets 10 years in jail in the kidnapping-murder case

First India Bureau

His brother and BSP MP Afzal gets 4 yrs in jail, may lose LS seat

Cleveland: A Texas man went next door with a rifle and began shooting his neighbors, killing an 8-yearold and four others inside the house, after the family asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because they were trying to sleep, authorities said Saturday.

TWITTER LOCKS ACCOUNT OF NEWS

AGENCY ANI, NDTV

New Delhi: NDTV and ANI news agency both said on Saturday their main Twitter accounts had been locked, without specifying a reason for suspensions. Searches on their accounts produced the message, “This account doesn’t exist. Try searching for another.”

JEE MAINS RESULTS ANNOUNCED, 43 BAG PERFECT 100 SCORE

New Delhi: Forty-three candidates have bagged perfect 100 score in 2nd edition of engineering exam JEE-Main. “NTA scores of 15 candidates have been withheld as they are under scrutiny,” a senior NTA official said.

Lucknow: A Ghazipur MP MLA court convicted jailed mafia Mukhtar Ansari in a Gangsters Act case and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment. The court also imposed a fine of ` 5 lakh on Ansari. The same court also pronounced a punishment of four years along with imposition of ` 1 lakh against his brother BSP MP Afzal Ansari in the Gangsters Act case.

“Mukhtar Ansari appeared before the court through video conference,” said govt counsel Neeraj Srivastava.

There were 10 prosecution witnesses in the case. On the other hand, BSP MP Afzal was present in the court. This is also the first case against Afzal in which he was convicted. This might also end his Parliament membership.

RULE OF MAFIA HAS ENDED IN UP: WIFE OF LATE BJP MLA WHO WAS MURDERED

Earlier on Satuday, wife of late BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai who was murdered in Ghazipur in 2005 allegedly by Mukhtar Ansari and his brother Afzal Ansari on Saturday said that the rule of mafia has ended in Uttar Pradesh and that she has faith in the judiciary.

FEMA VIOLATIONS

ED searches home, offices of Byju’s CEO

The searches found that Raveendran’s firm, Think & Learn Pvt Ltd, got FDI of over ` 28,000 cr during 2011-2023

First India Bureau

Bengaluru: The ED on Saturday said it has conducted searches at the office and residence of edtech major Byju’s CEO Raveendran Byju in Bengaluru. The probe agency carryied out the searches at three premises, two business and one residential, under the provisions of Foreign Ex-

change Management Act (FEMA).

It said the action was taken on the basis of ‘various complaints’ received by private people and alleged that Raveendran was issued several summons but he remained ‘evasive and never appeared’ before the ED. According to the probe agency, officials have seized some essential documents.

Byju’s CEO Byju Raveendran

I am not talking about any politics in this. About 2.5 lakh people, including soldiers, got caught in the wheel of greed. Shekhawat should at least try to get the money of those people. —Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister

PK Agarwal

Chittorgarh: Two days after Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat called Rajasthan CM ‘Ravan’ of politics, Congress leader and former MLA Surendra Singh Jadawat registered an FIR against Shekhawat in Chittorgarh district. Shekhawat at the BJP’s Jan Aakrosh rally in Chittorgarh on Thursday had called Ashok Gehlot Ravan of politics in Rajasthan. FIR was registered under IPC sections of 143, 153A, 295-A, 500, 504, 505 (2), and section 511. Since Shekhawat is Union Minister, FIR will be transferred to CID-CB. Jadawat also gave a pendrive containing video of speech, clippings of papers.

Wrestlers v/s WFI: ‘How did the investigation details leak?’

Delhi police team to provide security to wrestlers alleging sexual exploitation by WFI chief Sharan

New Delhi: The country’s top wrestlers, who are on protest against the federation chief over sexual harassment charges, on Saturday questioned the government inquiry, saying details of the probe, including the name of an underage accuser, have been leaked.

“Who is leaking the details of the investigation?” the wrestlers, who have camped in Delhi’s Jantar Mantarthe designated spot for public protests in the capital, said. They also accused police of misbehaving and not allowing mattresses, provisions meant for them.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi and AAP CM Arvind Kejriwal visited protesting wrestlers expressing their support for the protest.

2 Army jawans die as ambulance falls into gorge

First India Bureau

Rajouri: As many as two Army jawans were killed and three others were injured in a road accident in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Saturday. The accident happened at Keri sector near Line of Actual Control (LoC).

The officials told news agency that the ambulance driver and a soldier died in the accident near Dungi Gala. Their bodies were retrieved from the gorge by rescuers, they added.

W FI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Saturday told media, “I am completely innocent, have full faith in Supreme Court and Delhi Police. I am ready to face any kind of investigation. Resigning as president of Wrestling Federation of India is not a big deal for me, but I will not resign as a criminal.”

No one is aware of what is there in FIR which has been lodged. Why they are not showing it? When these wrestlers win medals we all tweet and feel proud but today they are sitting on road and not getting justice. All these women wrestlers struggle a lot to come to this stage. Why govt is saving him (Brij Bhushan)? —Priyanka Gandhi, Congress leader

I have been saying from the beginning that some industrialists and Congress are behind this protest. This is not a protest by wrestlers.

—Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, WFI president

Rahul case: Hearing in Guj High Court on May 2

Hindenburg-Adani row: SEBI moves SC for more time

First India Bureau

First India Bureau

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court said on Saturday that it will resume hearing the appeal of Congress leader and former MP Rahul Gandhi against his conviction in criminal defamation case on May 2. His counsel said there were six basic grounds on which the former

could seek a stay on his conviction, which had led to his disqualification as an MP. In his appeal, Rahul had claimed that the court treated him harshly.

New Delhi: Market regulator SEBI has moved the Supreme Court seeking a six-month extension to complete its probe into the allegations of stock price manipulation by the Adani group and any lapses in regulatory disclosures.

SEBI had submitted before the apex court that in respect of the investigation relating to 12 suspicious transactions, these are complex and have many subtransactions.

Afzal Ansari Mukhtar Ansari

‘RESIGNATION IS NOT A BIG DEAL, I AM NOT CRIMINAL’

AFZAL WAS PRODUCED IN THE COURT, WHILE HIS BROTHER MUKHTAR ANSARI ATTENDED THE PROCEEDINGS VIA VC

Moni Sharma

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra consoles Vinesh Phogat in presence of Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and other

Rahul Gandhi

Rahul advances 6 grounds to seek stay on defamation conviction case

CM Ashok Gehlot being greeted by elderly women in Gusaisar Bada at Sri Dungargarh in Bikaner on Saturday. Also seen here is Niraj K Pawan.

CM Ashok Gehlot being greeted by kin after unveiling martyers’ statues in Soniasar, Bikaner on Saturday. Also seen here is Rameshwar Dudi.

CM Gehlot demands from Modi to sack Union Minister Shekhawat from Cabinet

Brij Bhushan Sharan speaks to media in Gonda, UP on Saturday.

BJP workers, cops clash in Jalore

BJP protested against the misrule & corruption of the Congress govt outside the District Collector’s office

Lunaram Darji

Jalore: The BJP on Saturday organised Jan Aakrosh Maha Gherao in the Jalore district and protested against the misrule and corruption of the Congress government. The protest took place outside the District Collector’s office wherein State BJP President CP Joshi, MP Diya Kumari, MLA

Jogeshwar Garg, MLA Chhagan Singh, MLA Puraram Chaudhary, MLA Narayan Singh, BJP District President Shravan Singh Rao, BJP leader Danaram Chowdhary and other BJP leaders were also present. The BJP attacked the Congress govt over various issues. In view of the BJP’s Jan Aakrosh Mahagherao programme, the police claimed that the security arrangements have been made. The police stopped workers marching towards collectorate and clashed.

on Saturday.

BJP leaders to listen to ‘Mann Ki Baat’

First India Bureau

Jaipur: The 100th episode of the PM’s show ‘Mann Ki Baat’ will be aired on Sunday. BJP State President CP Joshi will listen to Mann Ki Baat in Pathmeda Gaushala located in Sanchore. Similarly, General Secretary (Organisation) Chandrashekhar will hear

‘Mann Ki Baat’ in the Sikri area of the Nagar assembly constituency. ,

PM CONNECTED WITH PEOPLE:

MEGHWAL

Budget of Crop Security Mission increased 25 times

RAJE THANKS PM NARENDRA MODI FOR INAUGURATING 91 RADIO STATIONS

Efforts are being made to prevent damage to crops

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will hear ‘Mann Ki Baat’ in Jodhpur. Vasundhara Raje will listen to Mann Ki Baat in Sanchore, State coincharge Vijaya Rahatkar in Pathmeda Gaushala Sanchore, Deputy LoP Dr. Satish Poonia in Pindwara, Arun Chaturvedi in Civil Lines Ryan School, Ashok Parnami in Adarsh Nagar.

Bikaner: Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal during a press conference regarding the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat, said, “Having 100 editions in itself is a big achievement. This was an innovative experiment of the PM through which he spoke his mind. Our party leaders always give statements keeping in mind the code of conduct. According to a survey, 100 crore people listened to the Mann Ki Baat programme.” —Laxman Raghav

Krishna Poonia supports protesting women wrestlers Pak migrant held for attack on JDA squad

First India Bureau

New Delhi: The Congress, on Saturday, said that wrestling association president and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Braj

Bhushan Singh is a mafia and is trying to put pressure on the players and their families who have accused him and he should be removed from the post immediately and arrested.

Congress spokesperson Deepender Singh Hooda and Krishna Poonia addressing a press conference at the

party headquarters here on Saturday said that women players who have won medals for the country are seeking justice and protesting at the Jan-

Two die after coming in contact with live wire

First India Bureau

Chittorgarh: Two people were burnt alive in Chittorgarh on Saturday after their vehicle came in contact with live wires, police said.

Police informed the deceased has been identified as Driver Kishan Khateek (44) and Shanti Lal (28). “Two men and as many mares died in a fire when the pickup

van in which they were travelling touched an 11 KV live wire hanging in the middle of the road and caught fire near the Ramthali village in Chittorgarh area early on Saturday,” police said. “The men were returning from a wedding function when the incident occurred. The bodies were later taken to a mortuary of the nearby hospital,” police added.

tar Mantar. “The govt is not listening to them and is protecting president of wrestling association who is exploiting them by misusing position,” she said.

Jodhpur (PTI): Police have arrested a Pakistani migrant for allegedly leading a mob of encroachers that attacked an eviction squad of the Jodhpur Development Authority during a raze drive in the Chokha area, officials said on Saturday.

Bhagchand Bheel was arrested late on Friday and booked for interfering in the discharge of public function by government officials, they said.

Bheel has had previous run-ins with law enforcement officials and was also accused of

duping and exploiting Pakistani migrants, allegedly through a nexus with the police and the local land mafia. “We are checking their visa status and their role in illegal activities and previous cases against them,” said a police official.

Jaipur: Former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on inaugurating 91 FM radio stations for 84 districts of 18 states and two union territories of the country. Rajasthan has also got the gift of 13 radio stations. “These radio stations full of modernity will prove to be important in the direction of social connectivity for the people of the region. My heartiest congratulations and many thanks to the Prime Minister,” Raje tweeted.

Kashiram Choudhary

Jaipur: The separate agriculture budget started by CM Ashok Gehlot from the last financial year is now showing positive results. The Crop Protection Mission was started to protect the crops of farmers from stray animals, blue bulls, etc. The special thing has been that under this mission, the figure of subsidy given to the farmers in the wire ban has increased more than 25 times.

In the last year’s budget, a target was set for wire fencing in total length of 1 crore 25 lakh meters in two years in the state. Under the Mission, efforts are being made to prevent damage to crops by Nilgai and stray animals.

4 killed after car tyre bursts on Kota-Chittorgarh highway

PK Agarwal

Chittorgarh: Four people were killed when the case they were travelling in met with an accident after a tyre burst on the Kota-Chittorgarh highway. The accident happened at around 11 am on Saturday in Begun area of Chittorgarh district.

SHO Bhagwanlal Meghwal said that the car riders were going from Ahmedabad to UP. As the tyre burst, the uncontrolled car collided with the divider and went to the other side

Katara, driver in police remand till May 2

First India Bureau

Udaipur: Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) member Babulal Katara and four other accused, arrested in connection with the 2022 teacher recruitment paper leak case, were produced before a court on Saturday as the remand period ended.

Babulal Katara and his driver Gopal Sin-

gh have been sent on police remand till May 2 by the court. Simi-

ADDRESSING SHORTCOMING

larly, other accused Vijay Kumar and Arun have been sent

False cases matter of concern: DGP Mishra



Cases of atrocities against women have decreased in Rajasthan, but around 48 percent of cases registered are false, said DGP Mishra

First India Bureau

Jhunjhunu: DGP Umesh Mishra on Saturday visited Jhunjhunu and took part in a programme organised in Pilani. While addressing the gathering, DGP Umesh Mishra said that the police slogan proved meaningful when thousands of criminals were nabbed recently under the campaign.

Referring to the Sujangarh incident, DGP

PRAISING COPS

to judicial custody. Notably, Babulal Katara was sent on 10 days police remand. The SOG had collected important information regarding the paper leak during the interrogation of RPSC member Babulal Katara. The SOG had earlier recovered a double bed sheet, one lock, and three keys from the government residence of Babulal Katara located in Ajmer.

Man stabs cousin for raping daughter

First India Bureau

and collided with the trailer coming from the front there. The trailer dragged the car for a few meters. The driver of the trailer absconded after the accident.

The deceased were identified as Ram Sa-

hodar (33), Umashankar (32), Jitendra Kumar (28), and Anil Kumar Vishwakarma (28). The four deceased used to do furniture work in Ahmedabad. They were going to the wedding of Ram’s relative.

Pratapgarh police raids

fake DAP factories in MP, three arrested

First India Bureau

Pratapgarh: The Pratapgarh Police on Saturday raided three fake DAP biofertilizer factories in Madhya Pradesh and detained three people. Police informed the raids were carried out in factories located in Indore, Devas and Sanrangpur districts.

Mishra said, “Enthusiasm among the policemen, kept the criminal under control even after the constable was in-

jured. Cases of atrocities against women have decreased in Rajasthan, but around 48 percent of cases registered are

false, which is a matter of concern. Cybercrime is a serious problem and policemen need to be trained,” said DGP.

Jhunjhunu: A man allegedly killed his cousin brother in Kherti town of Jhunjhunu district on Saturday morning to take revenge for rape with her daughter, police said. Police informed the accused stabbed the victim multiple times. “The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital, but he died during treatment,” said ASI Ramesh Kumar.

“We received information that four factories at three places in MP are making DAP fertilizer from Kota stone and ashed of thermal power plants. The fake fertilizers were being supplied to Rajasthan, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal. Eleven teams were formed and sent to

factories in MP. The police team recovered sacks of fertilizers labelled as original and branded DAPs. The three accused, who are big brokers, have been detained,” said Pratapgarh SP Amit Kumar.

CP Joshi addressing the Jan Aakrosh Mahagherao in the Jalore

Krishna Poonia addressing the protesting women wrestlers at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Saturday.

Mangled remains of the car on the Kota-Chittorgarh highway.

Babulal Katara presented in Udaipur ADJ-1 court on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Vasundhara Raje

CM Ashok Gehlot

Pratapgarh SP Amit Kumar

Power-packed’ meets raise interest!

Congress State in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa terms CP Joshi as encyclopedia of politics; Pilot says he has old relation with Speaker CP Joshi

Yogesh Sharma and Pooja Dubey

Jaipur: The internal developments of Congress in Rajasthan remain in focus on Saturday. Assembly Speaker Dr CP Joshi remained the lead role here. First, former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot arrived to meet Joshi at the latter’s residence and after him State Congress Incharge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa also met Dr CP Joshi.

It is believed that there was a discussion on the internal developments of the Congress among the leaders. Pilot had asked for time before the meeting. There was also a message from Delhi to meet after which Pilot reached Joshi’s residence.

Meanwhile, Congress state in-charge

Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa after meeting the Rajasthan Assembly

Judicial infra discussed in Raj High Court’s State level meeting

Kamal Kant

Jaipur : Acting Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava Srivastava held a State level committee meeting in the conference hall of Rajasthan High Court, where judicial infrastructure was discussed in the meeting.

The meeting lasted for about an hour.

Chief Secretary Usha Sharma attended the meeting. Additional

Chief Secretary Finance Akhil Arora along with Principal Secretary Law Gyan Prakash Gupta, Registrar General CP Shrimali and Registry officials were also present in the meeting held at the conference hall of the Rajasthan HC.

Corona Update: Two more die of Covid, Raj logs 280 new cases

First India Bureau

Pilot condemns ‘Vishkanya’ remark on Sonia, terms her strong leader

Dr CP Joshi and Sachin Pilot have long discussion at former’s residence

Kamal Kant

Speaker CP Joshi on Saturday said that CP Joshi is the encyclopedia of politics.

“As far as taking feedback is concerned, feedback will be taken from all the MLAs and Ministers. Along with this

there is a preparation to take feedback from the MLAs who have been defeated under the banner of Congress. As far as rebellion on September 25 is concerned, if the incident that happened during the Corona peri-

od before that is considered as a rebellion, then I would like to say that leaving aside the things of the past, we should move forward in the future. I do not talk about the future and now we should talk about the future and take lessons from what has happened in the past and also take care that such mistakes do not happen again. The government should focus on how it should be repeated,” Randhawa said.

Jaipur: Former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot suddenly reached Speaker CP Joshi’s bungalow on Saturday. Pilot had a long discussion with Joshi. After holding the meet, Sachin Pilot gave a statement and said that he has old relation with Speaker Dr CP Joshi. “I have informally met CP Joshi. A prasadi has been organized by CP Joshi in the evening and since it will not be possible for me to go to the program in the evening, so I met him right

Dhariwal corners Gajendra Shekhawat for calling CM Gehlot ‘Ravan’ of politics

Bhanwar S Charan

Kota: UDH Minister

Shanti Dhariwal on Saturday cornered Union

Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for his Ravan remark about CM Ashok Gehlot.

“Gajendra Singh himself is an accused so he has got bail from High Court. But he will not be saved and get trapped in the case,” he said. Attacking the BJP, Dhariwal said that this

party does not have any issue. “The Congress government is going to repeat due to the works

Dudi and Meghwal share sweets together in Bikaner

Laxman Raghav

Jaipur: Farmers’ leader Rameshwar Dudi and Minister Govind Meghwal met in the presence of State President Govind Singh Dotasra. The

two leaders exchanged sweets. This gesture is being seen as a positive sign towards reducing their bitterness. This meeting is important for Bikaner Congress in the 2023 assembly elections.

done by the Rajasthan government,” he said. He said that the BJP only does politics of re-

ligion and people have now understood everything.

“BJP does not have any plans to deal with inflation, development, and relief to the people. Now the public also knows this thing. That’s why people are keeping distance from BJP,” said Dhariwal, who is in Kota. He participated in a padyatra on Saturday in Ward 42 of Kota North under the Haath Se Haath Jodo campaign.

now,” he said. Pilot condemned Sonia Gandhi being termed ‘Vish Kanya’ (venomous girl) and said, “Sonia ji has been the National President of Congress Party. She is a strong leader. This kind of language used for her is condemnable and shameful. Elections are in their place, but the

level of language should not fall.”

Meanwhile, Sachin Pilot also spoke on the 3 new in-charges of AICC and said, “Elections are coming so they have been given the responsibility. I think it will be a good sign. I myself gave suggestions in AICC, that should also be implemented.”

Jaipur: Two more persons died of corona in the State, the health department bulletin reported on Saturday. The deaths were reported from Barmer and Nagaur. The State also reported 280 new Covid cases. With two more deaths, total deaths increased to 9702. The number of active patients was recorded at 2830 and cumulative positive increased to 13,24,810. Meanwhile, 471 patients also recovered in the Saturday bulletin of health dept.

The new cases include 48 from Jaipur, 32 Ajmer, 28 from Nagaur, 25 each in Bikaner and Udaipur, 19 Jodhpur among other places. The number of active cases are maximum in Jaipur with 678 cases.

Sainis’ protest continues in Bharatpur; family takes body of suicide victim

Ravi Katara

Bharatpur: The family members of Mohan Singh took his dead body and left for Gandhar. The body was taken from the mortuary amid tight security and heavy police force was stationed outside the mortuary. The talks were held twice a day but remained inconclusive. Mohan Singh had committed suicide by hanging with a tree near the agitation site

JEE main result out, 3 from Allen Kota seal place in top 5; Jpr boy at No. 11

Bhanwar S Charan

Kota: The result of JEE Main April 2023 was released on Saturday by the National Testing Agency. With the registration of 9.40 lakh students, Kota witnessed celebrations. Kota’s largest coaching institute Allen Coaching Institute has claimed 3 out of top 5 ranks. Shrikant Vairagade has secured All India 3rd Rank by scoring 300 out of 300 marks, while Malay Kedia has got All India 4th Rank

MEHANGAI RAHAT CAMPS

and Kaushal Vijayvargiya secured 5th Rank with 300 out of 300 marks. Kota’s coaching institutes have also claimed dominance in Top-50 and Top-100 slots.

Ishaan Khandelwal of Jaipur secured AIR 11 and he is Jaipur topper. The All India Rank 1 for JEE Main 2023 is Singaraju Venkat Koundinya from Telangana.

CS Usha inspects inflation relief camps in Dausa

Laxmikant Sharma

Dausa: Chief Secretary

Usha Sharma visited Dausa on Saturday afternoon to inspect the inflation relief camps. She reached the Dausa Municipal Council premises around 4 pm and inspected the permanent camp of the inflation relief camp. Meanwhile, Ward No. 50 councillor’s husband Pinku Tiwari handed over a file of complaints alleging corruption in

the city council, on which the Chief Secretary assured action. Many people also

complained to the Chief Secretary about errant electricity, no proper lights on road, and non-

availability of drinking water. During the visit, the CS while interacting with the women

who had come for registration, asked about the plans of the state government. Looking at

the documents of a woman, Sharma asked if she knew what documents were needed for registration in the scheme and what benefits she would get. Responding promptly, the elderly woman said that registration can be done in all schemes through Jan Aadhaar, electricity bill and passbook of the gas agency. Sharma said that registration can also be done through digital copy of the documents.

on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, amid the ongoing agitation of Mali community in Bharatpur for a separate 12% quota, former dputy Chief Minister

Sachin Pilot on Saturday tweeted that the state govt should find a satisfactory solution to this matter in accordance with constitutional provisions.

SS Gohil raises question over Pulwama attack

He also demands from Centre to issue white paper on the attack

Naresh Sharma

Jaipur : Congress Rajya Sabha MP and in-charge of Haryana, Shakti Singh Gohil on Saturday raised questions regarding Pulwama attack and demanded from Central govt to issue a white paper on the attack.

Talking to the media at PCC HQs in Jaipur on Saturday, Gohil said that the people responsible for the Pulwama attack are now raising questions. “After for-

mer J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik, now former Army Chief Shankar Rai Chaudhary also raised questions on taking the soldiers by road instead of airlift. But the Central govt remained silent on this,” he said.

Gohil said that there was an attack on the Akshardham Temple, there was an attack on the Parliament and the hijacking incident also took place, after which the BJP leaders went to Kandahar to release terrorists. “We never do politics on these issues but it is our responsibility to seek answers,” he said.

CS Usha Sharma giving relief package of various Rajasthan Govt schemes to a specially abled person in Dausa on Saturday.

Shanti Dhariwal and Amit Dhariwal in Kota on Saturday.

Agitators continue to block roads in Bharatpur on Saturday.

Mrinal Shrikant, All India Rank 3

Rameshwar Dudi offering sweets to Govind Ram Meghwal in Bikaner on Saturday. GS Dotasra is also seen.

Justice MM Shrivastava

Malay Kedia, All India Rank 4 Kaushal Vijayvargiya, All India Rank 5

Dr CP Joshi and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa in discussion during swamani hosted by Joshi at Shri Khole Ke Hanuman Ji temple in Jaipur on Saturday. —PHOTO BY SANTOSH SHARMA

CS Usha Sharma checking documents of a lady who had come for registration during the camp in Dausa on Saturday.

‘

JOSHI-RANDHAWA-PILOT MEET & DISCUSS INTERNAL ISSUES

Sachin Pilot meets Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Dr CP Joshi at latter’s residence on Saturday.

RANDHAWA FINALISES APARTMENT IN JAIPUR TO HOLD CONFIDENTIAL CONSULTATIONS

ajasthan Congress in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has taken an apartment in Civil Lines here where very confidential political consultations will be done. Randhawa will stay here but the state circuit house room will also be open for meetings.

Retain double engine govt for growth: Modi

These polls are not about forming a govt in the state but about making Karnataka the number one state in the country, says Prime Minister Bidar (Agencies):

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said for the continuity of the developmental projects and unhindered economic growth of the state, the people should again vote for BJP and ensure a double engine government. The elections are not about forming a government in the state but about making Karnataka the number one state in the country, he added.

Addressing a huge public rally in Humnabad of Bidar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi maintained that if India has to emerge as a developed country, there must be a developed Karnataka. The people of the state have suffered enough due to coalition governments. The focus of the coalition government won’t be on the people. When the JD(S)-Congress coalition was there, JD(S)’s loyalty was towards the Congress and not the people.

CONG CALLED LINGAYATS AS THIEVES, AMBEDKAR ‘DAGAABAAZ’: PM MODI

Bidar: PM Narendra Modi on Saturday alleged that the Congress has “abused” the architect of the Indian Constitution and dared to brand Lingayat community as “thieves”. At a public rally at Humnabad in Bidar, PM Modi stated that the top Congress leaders have always bad-mouthed great personalities. “You will be shocked to know about it.

Babasaheb Ambedkar explained everything in detail at a public meeting. The Congress has called him “raakshas” (demon), “rashtra drohi” (traitor to nation),” he said.

IN THE COURTYARD

WIFE OF SLAIN IAS OFFICER MOVES SC AGAINST EX-MP ANAND MOHAN’S RELEASE

New Delhi:

was lynched by a mob led by former MP Anand Mohan in 1994, has moved the Supreme Court challenging his premature release from jail. Uma Krishnaiah, wife of Krishnaiah, contended that the sentence of life imprisonment awarded to the gangster-turnedpolitician meant incarceration for his entire natural course of life and it cannot be mechanically interpreted to last 14 years.

SISODIA’S CUSTODY IN EXCISE POLICY’S ED CASE EXTENDED

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday extended till May 28 the judicial custody of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in a money laundering case related to alleged excise scam. Sisodia, who was produced before the court on the expiry of his judicial custody, said before the media that PMNarendra Modi will not be able to stop Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s work in Delhi.

COURT ADJOURNS SHRADDHA MURDER CASE FOR MAY 9

New Delhi: A local court on Saturday fixed for May 9 the verdict on framing charges against Aaftab Amin Poonawala, accused of strangling his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar.

Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Pahuja adjourned the matter, noting that the judge concerned was on leave. Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar had on April 15 reserved the order for Saturday after hearing arguments on charges.

DIVORCES WITHOUT REFERRING TO FAMILY COURTS: SC VERDICT LIKELY ON MAY 1

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will likely pronounce on May 1 its verdict on broad parameters for exercising its vast powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to dissolve marriages between consenting couples without referring them to family courts. A five-judge constitution bench of Justices SK Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, AS Oka, Vikram Nath and JK Maheshwari had reserved its judgement on September 29, 2022.

Khanapur (PTI): BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani has said the Congress is desperate to come to power in Karnataka and that it is getting people from neighbouring Maharashtra to win the border constituency. She said the Congress is fighting elections raising the Marathi issue but has not undertaken any development in this region, which is dominated by Marathispeaking population. She alleged the opposition party promoted reservation based on religion at the cost of other deprived communities for the sake of vote bank politics and now has filed a petition in the Supreme Court after the Karnataka govt scrapped the 4 per cent Muslim quota.

CORRUPTION IN CONG RULE DEPRIVED ALL OF THEIR RIGHTS, SAYS PM MODI

PM Narendra Modi said Karnataka, endowed with “great tradition and a young generation” has suffered due to unstable governments. At a rally at Kudachi in Belagavi on Saturday, PM Modi said, “Because of political instability, a state like Karnataka, endowed with such great tradition and a young generation, has suffered. The dreams of Karnataka had been shattered.” “Karnataka has tradition as well as technology. Here startups and culture, grow stronger together. Here India’s ancient and new identity flourish together,” PM Modi said.

Vice Prez office sends notice to CPM’s RS MP

New Delhi: CPI(M) MP John Brittas has been served a show-cause notice by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat over an opinion piece in a newspaper which was critical of Home Minister Amit Shah, after a BJP leader complained to Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar calling it “seditious conduct”. The Rajya Sabha Secretariat sources confirmed that Brittas has been summoned, and

CONGRESS MADE FALSE PROMISES TO FARMERS, SAYS PM MODI

Bidar (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the Congress lacks capability to understand poverty and is “full of negativity”, while also accusing it of doing politics on development. The PM accused Congress and Janata Dal (Secular), which are contesting the Karnataka Assembly elections separately, of harbouring “hatred” for farmers and said that they created obstructions in the implementation of the central scheme for farmers. “Congress will never understand the struggle and pain of the poor. Congress slowed the pace of houses here. They have not seen poverty. Congress is the party which does politics in the name of development and is full of negativity. Congress had only made fake promises to the farmers and people of Karnataka,” Modi said at an election rally here.

backwards

served a show-cause notice. The complaint was filed by P Sudheer, Kerala BJP general secretary, over Brittas’s February 20 opinion piece criticising a remark made by Shah on Kerala.

Dharwad (ANI): Lashing out at the Congress in poll-bound Karnataka, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the former would put the state into “reverse gear”, depriving it of the benefits of “doubleengine sarkar”.

At a rally at the Navalgund Assembly constituency on late Friday, Shah said, “One hand, there is the Congress

under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and on the other, is the BJP under the leadership of PM Modi. This (Karnataka Assembly) election is an opportunity for you to decide if you want a double engine sarkar led by PM Modi, which will take Karnataka forward, or the Congress’s reverse gear sarkar, which will take Karnataka backwards.”

CM Yogi seeks to make UP hub of medical device manufacturing

Lucknow (ANI): The state of Uttar Pradesh is making rapid strides toward becoming the ‘hub’ of manufacturing medical devices and medicines in the country, said a press release.

The Medical Device Park, set to be built on an area of 350 acres in Gautam Budh Nagar, will not only manufacture medical devices but also create employment opportunities on a large scale, added the

press release. According to the data released by the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), a total of 59 plots with each plot having

Azam Khan fears Atiq-like shootout, asks public “want someone to shoot us in head?”

Rampur (ANI): Feared of being shot dead in a similar manner to gangster-turned politician Atiq Ahmed, Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, while campaigning in Rampur for civic polls, asked people whether they want him and his family to be killed in a similar fashion.

“What do you want from me and my children? Do you want someone to come and shoot us in head? That’s all that is left..., save

What do you want from me and my children? Do you want someone to come and shoot us in head? That’s all that is left...

—Azam Khan, Samajwadi Party leader

Nizam-e-Hind, save the law, you don’t have to offer anything, you just have to encourage yourself. Sit wherever you get stopped and try to move forward instead

EXPANDING DIPLOMATIC TIES

of stepping back,” he said. Khan took to the stage after long time to campaign for upcoming civic polls in UP.

“We will cast our vote, it’s our birthright

but that too is being snatched from us twice, if it gets snatched thrice then you won’t even to the right to breathe,” he said while referring to disqualification of himself from the House after a court sentenced him to three years in jail in a hate speech case. The case was registered against Khan for levelling serious allegations against administrative officials posted in Rampur, PM and UP CM in 2019.

EAM inaugurates embassy in Dominican Republic

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Jaishankar’s visit to the Dominican Republic is the first high-level visit from India since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1999

Santo Domingo (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has formally inaugurated the Embassy of India in the Dominican Republic and said it will mark a new phase of bilateral cooperation as New Delhi expands its footprint in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“Privileged to join Vice President of Dominican Republic @ RaquelPenaVice in inaugurating the Embassy of India in the Do-

minican Republic,” tweeted Jaishankar. Speaking at the event,

he said, “Today is a very proud day for India and for the relationship be-

JAISHANKAR ACCUSES BEIJING FOR INDIA’S ‘ABNORMAL’ TIES WITH CHINA Santo Domingo (PTI): India wants to ensure that its relations with all countries advance without seeking exclusivity, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said as he underlined that China falls into a somewhat different category because of the currently “abnormal” nature of ties which is an outcome of a violation of border management agreements by Beijing. Jaishankar, who arrived in Santo Domingo on his first official visit to the Dominican Republic, also said that India has seen a dramatic expansion in connectivity, contacts, and cooperation across the region.

tween India and the Dominican Republic. I have the privilege to formally

inaugurate the embassy that we have established here. Your presence

(Raquel Pena, Vice President of the Dominican Republic) exemplifies the importance that the Government of the Dominican Republic attaches to this.”

India officially established its embassy in Santo Domingo in 2022.

“The establishment of this embassy will mark a new phase of our cooperation. We will take this relationship to still greater levels,” the External Affairs Minister said.

an area ranging from 4,000 square meters to 1000 square meters have been allotted to companies manufacturing medical device equipment.

These companies will be investing more than Rs. 415 crores to set up their own factories, which will create employment opportunities on a massive scale and contribute to the growth of the medical industry in the area.

Ex-BJP MLA surrenders in Sasaram violence case

Patna (Agencies): Former BJP MLA Jawahar Prasad has surrendered before a district court in Bihar’s Sasaram in connection with communal violence during Ram Navami celebrations on March 31.

A Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) was issued against Prasad for his alleged connection in the violence.

Prasad, who was absconding since then, finally surrendered before district court on Friday evening.

Confirming the development, spokesperson for Rohtas police said that an FIR was registered against Prasad in the town police station of Sasaram. “Following his surrender, we have arrested him and the process is to send him to judicial custody,” he said.

Amit Shah hits out at Cong, says it will take Karnataka

Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a roadshow at Madikeri in Kodagu district of Karnataka, on Saturday. —PHOTO BY PTI

“Desperate Cong getting people from Maha to win polls in K’taka”

The wife of slain IAS officer G Krishnaiah, who

PM Narendra Modi being garlanded during a public meeting ahead of Karnataka Assembly elections, in Humnabad, on Saturday.

EAM S Jaishankar speaks at the inauguration of Embassy of India in the Dominican Republic on Friday (local time). —PHOTO BY PTI

UP CM Yogi Adityanath

Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas Union Minister Smriti Irani

SP leader Azam Khan

Ex-MLA Jawahar Prasad

BJP plans 4-L venues across India for 100th episode today

Ruling party to provide facilities for people to listen to PM’s talk

New Delhi (PTI): The BJP is going all out to make the 100th episode of PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio broadcast an “unprecedented” mass outreach programme and has planned to organise facilities at 100 venues on average in every assembly constituency across the country for people to listen to it.

BJP sources said the party will make arrangements at around four lakh places, including abroad, for people to hear Modi’s address, with party president J P Nadda overseeing the entire exercise to make it a “historic” success.

The party’s overseas units and several nonpolitical organisations have also been roped in to ensure that the radio broadcast has the maximum outreach.

In all Raj Bhawans, official residences of governors, and homes of BJP chief ministers or its allies, arrangements have been made for eminent citizens to listen to the programme. Padma awardees from all states have been invited to attend the event at Raj Bhavans, they said.

Twitter to congratulate PM Narendra Modi on the milestone. Congratulating PM Modi, Mr Gates in a tweet, wrote, ‘‘Mann ki Baat has catalyzed community-led action on sanitation, health, women’s economic empowerment and other issues linked to the Sustainable Development Goals. Congratulations @narendramodi on the 100th episode.’’

MEDIA BELIEVES ‘MANN KI BAAT’ INTRODUCED ‘REAL BHARAT’ TO CITIZENS, SAYS IIMC STUDY

New Delhi (ANI): A total of 76 per cent of the Indian media persons believe that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popular radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’ played a significant role in introducing the ‘Real Bharat’ to the countrymen, a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) said. The special radio programme has initiated a trend where people are now more aware of the things in other parts of the country and they have started appreciating them. “75 per cent of the respondents feel that ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has emerged as a platform, which introduces grassroots innovators working selflessly to ensure a significant difference in the lives of people living in remote areas of India,” the study pointed out further.

5 women Army officers commissioned, 3 at LAC

100TH EPISODE OF PM’S RADIO TALK TO BE BROADCAST LIVE IN THE UN

New York: In a historic moment, the 100th episode of PM Narendra Modi’s monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’ will be broadcast live at the United Nations headquarters. “Get ready for a historic moment as the 100th episode of PM Modi’s “Mann Ki Baat” is set to go live on April 30th in Trusteeship Council Chamber at @ UN HQ!” the Permanent Mission of India to the UN said in a tweet. The 100th episode of PM’s monthly radio address will air at 11 am IST on April 30, which will be 1:30 am Sunday in New York. The live broadcast of the programme in the early hours of Sunday in the UN headquarters will be historic and unprecedented. It will be aired in the UN’s Trusteeship Council Chamber. “#MannKiBaat has become a monthly national tradition, inspiring millions to participate in India’s developmental journey,” the Permanent Mission said. The Consulate General of India here, along with community organisations, is also hosting the broadcast of the 100th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ for the Indian-Americans and diaspora community in New Jersey during a special event at 1:30 am on Sunday.

New Delhi (PTI): In a historic first, the Indian Army has inducted five women officers into its Regiment of Artillery and three of them have been posted to frontline formations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, military sources said on Saturday. Lt Mehak Saini, Lt Sakshi Dubey, Lt Aditi Yadav, Lt Pious Mudgil and Lt Akanksha have joined the Army’s premier artillery units after successfully completing their training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai. Out of the five women officers, three are posted to units deployed along the borders with China and the other two in “challenging locations” near the frontier with Pakistan, sources said.

PM addresses

Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed the Kashi Telugu Sangamam being held in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi and said that the event is like “the confluence of Ganga and Godavari rivers”. He welcomed the Telugu-speaking people from the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to his parliamentary constituency as he addressed the event virtually.

Rekha Singh, wife of Naik Deepak Singh who was killed in the Galwan Valley clashes in 2020, has been commissioned into the Indian Army as a Lieutenant at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai on Saturday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

New Delhi: Lt Rekha Singh, wife of Naik Deepak Singh who was killed in Galwan Valley clashes with Chinese troops in June 2020, was on Saturday commissioned into the Army as an officer and has been posted to a frontline unit in eastern Ladakh, officials said. Rekha Singhhas been deployed with the Army Ordnance Corps after she completed her training at the Chennai-based Officers Training Academy (OTA).

CRUCIAL READ

MAHARASHTRA: DEATH TOLL RISES TO 3 IN BHIWANDI BUILDING COLLAPSE

Thane: The death toll in the Bhiwandi building collapse has risen to three. Earlier in the day a multi-storeyed building collapsed in Maharashtra’s Thane. The incident took place in the Bhiwandi area in Maharashtra’s Thane district. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased in the Bhiwandi building collapse, said an official statement.

TERRORIST’S AIDE ARRESTED FROM J&K’S HANDWARA

Srinagar: The J&K police along with Army arrested a terrorist associate linked to JeM and seized incriminating materials and a hand grenade from him in Handwara.During routine checking at Ganai Mohalla Pazalpora Magam, a joint party of Handwara police and Army intercepted an individual who attempted to evade the joint party suspiciously, but was apprehended tactfully.

Raipur (ANI): The Improvised Explosive Device (IED) which claimed the lives of 10 DFG personnel and a driver in Chhattisgarh’s

Dantewada was planted by Naxals at least two months ago through a ‘foxhole mechanism’, Bastar Police said.

According to the police, the Naxals had planted the IED beneath the road by digging a tunnel through a ‘foxhole mechanism’ which is a style of digging tunnel because of which it became undetectable.

Initial investigation revealed that the IED was planted around one-and-half or two months back by digging a tunnel roadside and the wire connected to it

was hidden 2-3 inches beneath the ground.

Based on the investigation findings, police have registered an offence against naxal cadres including Chaitu, Deva, Mangtu, Ransai, Jailal, Baman, Some, Rakesh, Bhima and others under IPC, Arms Act, UAPA Act, police said.

Sayan Chatterjee

New Delhi: As a relatively new addition to the Indian Air Force fleet, the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules has undergone significant enhancements in performance, payload capacity, and avionics. It has become an invaluable asset to the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Having demonstrated its impressive capabilities during many military exercises in past, the mighty C-130J was recently deployed on a mission and executed an assault short-field landing with great success.

On night of April 27 and 28, a daring operation was conducted by the IAF to rescue 121

ANOTHER FLIGHT CARRYING 231 INDIAN PASSENGERS FROM SUDAN REACHES NEW DELHI

New Delhi: Another flight carrying 231 Indian passengers evacuated from conflict-torn Sudan reached New Delhi on Saturday. The Indian evacuees shouted slogans like “Bharat Mata ki jai,” and “Vande Mataram” and also lauded PM Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for rescuing them from Sudan. One of the Indian passengers shared the tough humanitarian crisis faced by them in Sudan. “It has become very difficult to stay in Sudan due to ongoing conflict. There is a shortage of food and drinking water, moreover, there are continuous bombings, and rockets are being fired. None of us were coming out of our houses. The food canteen was bombed. It is very difficult to flee also, travelling in the vehicle is also not safe, they can bomb buses too,” said an Indian electrician from Buxar, Bihar evacuated from Sudan. He lauded Operation Kaveri and said that his evacuation from Sudan was like “re-birth” as he had lost hope to survive.

individuals from a small airstrip located about 40 kms north of Khartoum, known as Wadi Sayyidna. The passengers rescued included medical cases, among them a pregnant woman, and those who

PIYUSH GOYAL SAYS...

lacked means to reach Port Sudan. A C-130J aircraft was used for it.

Under the aegis of the Indian Defence Attaché, the convoy made its way to the degraded airstrip at Wadi Sayyidna. This operation, which lasted

India to aim for $47tn economy in 2047

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Union Minister

Goyal highlights the importance of small countries in the global supply chain at ‘India Calling Conference 2023’

New Delhi (Agencies):

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, delivered the inaugural address at the ‘India Calling Conference 2023’ organized by the Indian Merchants Chamber in Mumbai. During his address, he highlighted the contribution of companies from small countries, such as the Czech Republic and Poland, to the supply chain of big companies around the globe.

Goyal appealed to all

to aim for a 47 trillion dollar economy when India reaches the year 2047. He added that In-

dia has tried to formalize the economy and has met with great success. The spirit of team, com-

petitiveness, and positivity are necessary for success, and that kind of spirit can be seen in Mumbai, which is not only the financial capital but also the fun capital of India, he added.

Union Commerce Minister Goyal said that every single geography in the world has a lot of hope and expectation from India, and though it can be sometimes daunting, it shows the confidence of the world in India’s future.

approximately two and a half hours, will be remembered in the annals of the Indian Air Force history for its remarkable boldness and flawless execution like the operation carried out in Kabul.

MAN HELD FOR KILLING LIVE-IN PARTNER IN DELHI

New Delhi: The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has arrested a 26-year-old man for allegedly killing his live-in partner, a police official said on Saturday. The accused has been identified as Vineet Panwar, a resident of Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh. The official said that the deceased has been identified as Rohina Naz, alias Mahi (25), a resident of Mirajpur in Uttarakhand state.

WOMAN TIED TO POLE, BEATEN UP OVER LAND DISPUTE IN SAMBHAL, 10 ARRESTED

Sambhal: A woman was tied to a pole and beaten up allegedly by five people over a land dispute in a village here, police said on Saturday. Ten people including two women have been arrested in this connection. On Friday, a video of the incident surfaced on social media following which Syoraj, Bhure, Viroj, Sherry and a woman, Manju, were arrested, SP Chakresh Mishra said. In the video, these five people were seen beating Sunita, a resident of Virkwari village, in front of her seven-year-old daughter, police said.

AMARTYA SEN’S LAWYERS CHALLENGE EVICTION NOTICE

Santiniketan: Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen’s lawyers have moved Birbhum district court challenging a fresh eviction order by Visva Bharati asking Sen to vacate a portion of “encroached land” within his ancestral property on the university campus by May 6. In the order, the central varsity asked Sen to vacate by May 6 or within 15 days of the publication of the last order on April 19.

Gurgaon: An area that has gained notoriety as ‘new Jamtara’ for being the epicentre of cyber fraud got its first major shakedown this week with Haryana Police detaining 125 suspects on Thursday and Friday.

The raids at 300 locations in 14 villages of Nuh were its largest field operation against cybercrime, carried out by 102 police teams involving over 5,000 cops.

Parts of Nuh and its border areas with Bharatpur in Rajasthan

WB: SAND-LOADED TRUCK KILLS 2 IN NORTH 24 PARGANAS

Basirhat: Two persons were killed after being hit by a truck in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Saturday, the police said. The incident happened on Basanti Highway near Laugachi in Haroa police station area, they said. Two van-rickshaw drivers were waiting on the roadside when the driver of the truck loaded with sand lost control and hit them, the officials added.

and Mathura in UP emerged as hotspots for cybercrime, particularly during the pandemic, aided by a quirk of telephony that makes tracing locations of

rogue callers difficult because of ‘black spots’ — mobiles catching signals from towers in different states — that the interplay of networks at the borders creates.

Piyush Goyal interacts with IMC President Anant Singhania during IMC India Calling Conference in Mumbai on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the recording of the 100th episode of his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, in New Delhi on Saturday. —PHOTO BY ANI

Women officers pose for a photo as they joined the Regiment of Artillery after successfully completing their training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai on Saturday. —PHOTO BY ANI

GALWAN HERO’S WIFE STEPS INTO HIS SHOES; POSTED AT LADAKH

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives for the recording of the 100th episode of his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, in New Delhi on Saturday. —PHOTO BY ANI

New York: Ahead of 100th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, Microsoft Co-founder and billionaire Bill Gates took to

CRPF DG Sujoy Lal Thaosen inspects the blast site.

The operation was conducted on night of April 28 and 29.

Mirch Masala

FIRST INDIA SUNDAY SPECIAL

BY TRIDIB RAMAN

The author is a journalist and political commentator and views expressed are his personal

Recently, when the video of Imran Pratapgarhi — a favourite of Rahul Gandhi - worshipping Atiq Ahmed went viral, Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam raised several question in front of the TV cameras, the content of which revolved around ‘How do Imran type people grow so much in the party?’ The genie that came out of the heap of questions has now started questioning Acharya ji himself that why his political land has been eaten up by the termites of ambitions? Actually, before wearing the title of Acharya, he was Pramod Kumar Tyagi who used to run girls hostel in Delhi-Ghaziabad. His close ones know him by the name of ‘Karigar’ because he has expertise in political juggling. Later he opened his schools and ashrams in many cities of western UP. The case of the disappearance of one of his school teachers was also in the headlines. His political journey

began in 1988-89 when he joined the then Governor of Haryana Mahavir Prasad and became close to him. When Mahavir Prasad was passed away, he remained connected with his daughter and son-in-law. When his political shop did not work much, he changed his clothes and wore the cloak of a religious teacher and he became Acharya Pramod Krishnam from Pramod Tyagi. Leaders started coming and going in his ashram. Then at one stage he became very close to Salman Khurshid. Salman got him ‘adjusted’ in the party’s organization for the first time and made him a member of the Pradesh Congress Committee. Then gradually he became close to Robert Vadra and from there made his way to Priyanka Gandhi. It is said that Priyanka has distanced herself a lot from him these days, so Acharya ji needs a new political rehabilitation for himself.

WILL KHARGE STEP DOWN FOR RAHUL?

Congress’s morale is high in the upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka. Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge is also devoting maximum time to campaigning in his home state. If the claims of Congress related sources are to be believed, then these days Kharge’s mind is not happy in Delhi. He rarely goes to his party office in Delhi, and mostly he meets people at his Delhi residence only. All the work of coordination between the All India Congress Committee and Kharge is done by his coordinator Gurdeep Sappal. Another complaint of Kharge is that the party’s national treasurer Pawan Bansal did not give him the account of the money despite his calling. Pawan Bansal is believed to report directly to Rahul Gandhi and distribute funds as per Rahul’s guidelines. Sources associated with the Congress claim that ‘if the Congress government is formed in Karnataka this time, Kharge can be sent there as the Chief Minister.’ DK Shivakumar has already demanded this, sooner or later Siddaramaiah also said this. And once Kharge makes his way to Bengaluru, the demand for Rahul Gandhi to be installed in the presidential chair vacated by him will gain momentum. Congressmen will take to the streets for it, there will be sit-ins and demonstrations, and Rahul will be ready to become the working president. Later he will also be elected full-time president.

STORY OF ‘THUG’ SANJAY

Mahathug Sanjay Rai alias Sanjay Sherpuria alias Sanjay Prakash Baleshwar Rai, belonging to UP’s Ghazipur, has been caught by the UP STF in a Rs 16-crore fraud case. The photo of this swindler is viral on social media with big leaders of BJP, VHP. He tries to dupe people on the pretext of transfer-posting and also claiming to end ED-CBI cases, all the while posing as a man of PMO. Sanjay, who belongs to Sherpura village of Ghazipur, comes from a very simple family. It is said that he is only 10th pass. In search of a job, he went to Gujarat and started driving a Seth’s car there. The seth’s daughter fell in love with him and both of them got married. Rai became the owner of Seth’s huge property. By taking Ghazipur Bhumihar connection, he got entry in the CM office of Gujarat through AK Sharma. He also got an award for himself in ‘Vibrant Gujarat’. After this, in the name of running a chemical fertiliser factory, he also took a loan of about 400 crore from the local State Bank. The STF inquiry has also exposed that Sherpuria had formed 52 shell companies. He had more than 225 e-mail IDs. Sherpuria was trying to get a ticket from Mohammadabad seat in the UP assembly elections this time, but it is said that the Sangh had objection to his name. So, he was deprived of a BJP ticket. But now the journey of his lofty ambitions has brought him to a different destination.

State Govt realising resolution of ‘ Nirogi Rajasthan ’, says CM

Edu, health care our priorities, says CM during events in Bikaner

Laxman Raghav

Bikaner: Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot inaugurated the building and staff quarters of Government Prabha Tai Ojha Primary Health Centre, Gusaisar Bada at Sridungargarh in Bikaner on Saturday.

After observing the

Governor Kataria to tour entire Assam

Aishwary Pradhan

Guwahati: Assam

Governor Gulab Chand Kataria is in discussions even in the Central Government these days owing to his actions. Kataria has toured nine districts of Assam since assuming office and also learnt, first hand, about the situation of universities while also taking feedback from officers.

NITISH ENGROSSED IN CASTE POLITICS

N itish Kumar has also linked the 2024 general elections with his reputation. For this, he is ready to try every policy, including fines and penalties. Recently, Nitish has released 27 people from jail by changing the jail rules just to maintain the caste balance, ignoring all the voices of protest, declaring all the parameters of morality as nought.

One of them is the big Rajput leader of the state - Anand Mohan Singh. Those released include 8 Yadavs, 5 Muslims, 4 Rajputs, 3 Bhumihars, 2 Koeris, 1 Kurmi, 1 Gangota and 1 Nonia caste people. Nitish’s concern was about the fact that at present there is no big Rajput leader in JDU and RJD and state president Jagdanand Singh is the only faceless leader of RJD left. Anyway, the inclination of Rajput voters has become more towards BJP these days.

Bhumihars are traditionally BJP voters. So, with the release of Anand Mohan, 7-8 percent Rajput voters of the state can be shifted. It is believed that the Rajput caste, one of the dominant castes of the state, plays a decisive role in 7-8 Lok Sabha and 30-35 assembly seats in the state, and thus Nitish’s whole exercise is to achieve this caste balance.

BJP’S DISENCHANTMENT WITH EKNATH SHINDE

I s the honeymoon of BJP and Eknath

Shinde about to end in Maharashtra?

If sources related to the BJP are to be believed, the BJP top brass has just conducted a comprehensive opinion poll in Maharashtra, the results of which have forced the BJP to think again about Shinde. The Shinde faction has 42 MLAs of its own and continues to be the Chief Minister of the State with the support of the BJP. But the latest opinion poll of the BJP says that ‘if elections were held in the state today, 30 of Shinde’s 42 MLAs would lose outright. The remaining 12 MLAs will also have to work hard for their victory.’ Anyway, the sword of disqualification is hanging in the Supreme Court on 16 MLAs of Shinde faction, Shinde himself is also included in these 16. Whereas 30 MLAs of Shinde

faction are on the radar of CBI, IT and ED, and are just following BJP and Shinde to save their lives. There is calm before the coming storm in Maharashtra politics, Eknath Shinde has sensed his departure. At present, posters of Ajit Pawar have been put up everywhere in Mumbai as the future CM. In Nagpur the face of Devendra Fadnavis is pasted on the posters of the future CM. Recently, Shinde made a major reshuffle in the state’s bureaucracy without consulting BJP and Fadnavis. 27 IPS officers including Panvel civic chief have been transferred and Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis was not even aware of this. That’s why there is every possibility of leadership change in Maharashtra, although everything is still under the complete control of the BJP high command.

medical arrangements available in the campus, he congratulated the

Ojha family. While addressing the inauguration ceremony, he also

announced to upgrade this PHC to Community Health Center (CHC).

The State Government is realising its resolution of ‘Nirogi Rajasthan’, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said, referring to the Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme and the Right to Health Act.

On the same day, the Chief Minister also paid tribute to the martyrs by unveiling the statue of martyr Rakesh Chotiya at Dhirdesar Chotian and martyr He-

tram Godara at Soniasar Shivdan Singh in Sridungargarh. He met the family members of the martyrs and felicitated them by covering them with shawls.

“The idols will inspire future generations. Showing sensitivity towards the dependents of the martyrs, a special package has been prepared by the state government, in which provision has been made to give jobs to the children of the martyrs,” Gehlot said.

COURTESY VISIT

In the coming days he will tour entire Assam. Notably, he is also in constant conversation with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Rajendra Chhabra

Jaipur: The appointment of new members in Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) has become a necessity now as the work of the Commission is being conducted with only half of its strength. Not only is the work suffering due to this, but the future of lakhs of unemployed youth, that are hoping to get government job, is at stake.

The seriousness of the situation can be gauged from the fact that RPSC Chairman Sanjay Shotriya has written a letter to the state government in this regard and stressed

that appointment of members should be done without delay. Instead of the full strength of eight members, at present only four posts are working. RPSC has posts of one Chairman and seven members and three posts of members are vacant for a long time. On the remaining posts, Dr. Sangeeta Arya, Dr. Jaswant Singh Rathi, Dr. Manju Sharma and Babulal katara were working. Among these, Katara was arrested after the paper leak scam and has been put behind bars, while Rathi is unwell for past some time. In such a situation, only the Chairman and two

members are bearing the entire load who have to undertake interviews, DPCs and examination related works.

At present the interviews of 2021 SI examination is going on in the RPSC and due to working at half its strength, the completion of interviews will take months.

Add to that the marathon responsibility of interviews of RAS 2021 examination. A total of 2174 candidates have to be interviewed for 988 posts. Although the result was released in August, the interviews have not been started even though nine months have passed.

According to knowl-

JDA’S SUN

edgeable sources, it is for the first time that such a difficult situation has befallen RPSC.

It has also happened for the first time that Commission’s member has been lodged in jail for paper leak. Although in the past, then Chairman of the RPSC Habib Khan Gauran had got embroiled in serious allegations, but the situation did not swell to the level that action had to be taken on him. He suomoto offered his resignation on Sept 22, 2014.

In the present times, the case surrounding Babulal Katara has happened for the first time.

The constitutional rule allows the Governor to

appoint RPSC member on the recommendation of the state government. But if a situation arises to remove any member, then only the President has the power to do so. Sources reveal that Katara’s file has been sent to the President by the state government. And the approval for removal may come when it does, but as of now, there is an emergency in the Commission regarding appointment of new members. Experts believe that doing away with the political, caste based or recommendation based appointments, members that are capable, meritorious and of clean image should be appointed.

Ravi shines bright with achievements galore in 1 year!

JDC Ravi Jain fulfils mandate of CM Ashok Gehlot and UDH Minister Shanti Dhariwal during his one year tenure

Abhishek Shrivastava

Jaipur: Under the leadership of Commissioner Ravi Jain, the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) has attained many achievements in the last one year, whether it is related to the basic development and beautification of the city or by giving ownership rights of its plots to the common people or by receiving record revenue.

Jain was appointed as JDC on April 14 last year

and soon after assuming office, he started working on the mandate of CM Ashok Gehlot and UDH Minister Shanti Dhariwal to develop the city and provide relief to the common people. During Jain’s one-year tenure, the financial condition of JDA was not only strengthened, but the condition of the roads in the city improved, while the long-delayed projects were completed.

JDA is also working towards improving the

ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR

 JDA collected Rs 1,300 crore from auctioning 1,023 properties in last financial year

 JDC gave instructions to strengthen the land bank

 Rs 1,652 cr approved for construction works in

financial year 2022-23

 This year 902.56 km long road, 127.90 km

electrification

city’s transport and providing easy and quality medical facilities to the people. JDA, which is trying to give the common man the real ownership rights of his plot, also fulfilled the target of distribution of leases in the Prashasan Shehron Ke Sang drive.

 Sewerage work in 55.92 km length and drains in 8.54 km length

 Projects worth about Rs 400 crore were inaugurated

 Work on big projects worth Rs 1,704 crore is going on including Jhotwara

Elevated Road, Civil Line

ROB, IPD Tower, Gandhi Darshan Museum

 JDA allotted land around the city for satellite hospitals and for satellite bus stands  104 cases were resolved by organising 20 meetings of Land Use Change Committee  400 layout cases and 65 multi-storied building cases were approved  Guidelines for Green City and Heritage City were issued on Agra Road  1,535 encroachments removed from roads in 114 colonies

 In view of the strong financial position, the state government has given JDA the responsibility of raising funds for the expansion project of Jaipur Metro Rail

HOW MR TYAGI BECAME ACHARYA PRAMOD KRISHNAM?

JDC Ravi Jain

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot inaugurates Prabha Tai Ojha Primary Health Centre in Bikaner on Saturday. Rameshwar Dudi and others were also present during the ceremony.

Dr Jagdeesh Chandra calls on Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria at Assam Raj Bhavan in Guwahati on Friday. It was his courtesy visit to Kataria after the latter became the Assam Governor. Anita Kataria, wife of GC Kataria is also seen here.

When strength is needed, RPSC is at its lowest!

The Rise of a

Embarking on the journey to become a beauty queen is not just about a pretty face or a perfect body, it entails discipline, determination and unwavering confidence. For the stunning Khushi Gupta, hailing from Hyderabad, the dream began to take shape at a tender age, as she watched beauty pageants with a sense of awe and inspiration. Sharing her thoughts on this, she recounted, “Beauty pageants have always captivated my heart. Since a young age, I have been an ardent fan of these grand events, mesmerized by the grace, poise, intellect, and self-confidence exuded by the gorgeous women who grace the stage. It has always been my aspiration to be a part of this world, and when I discovered that there were teen pageants too, I knew that this was my calling.”

The path to becoming a beauty queen is not just about donning the crown, but it is about using that platform to make a positive difference in the

world. This radiant diva envisions a future where she inspires young girls to pursue their dreams and make their mark in the world. An advocate of humanity and kindness, Khushi believes that we can all rise higher with the support of mentors and the people who encourage us to be our best selves. Expressing her gratitude for the support she received throughout her Miss Teen Diva 2022 journey, she enthused, “I am immensely grateful to the esteemed Glamanand Group led by Nikhil Anand sir and the visionary Jagdeesh Chandra sir for providing me with this exquisite platform to showcase my innate talents, and for guiding me through this remarkable journey.” Reflecting on the challenges she faced, Khushi shared, “As a chubby girl growing up, I was often subjected to bullying. But I firmly believe that great things can only be achieved when we step out of our comfort zone. I worked hard on myself, hitting the gym regularly and playing sports like cricket, football and volleyball. Practicing meditation and yoga helped me to stay calm even during adversities.” For Khushi, being a beauty queen is not just about physical beauty, but about embracing your true self and exuding confidence and self-love. Her message to young girls who aspire to become successful models is nothing short of inspiring, “True beauty is not flawless, it radiates even through our flaws. To all the young girls who aspire to become queens, never doubt yourself or think less of yourself. Have the courage and confidence to pursue your dreams and work hard to turn them into reality. Even if you stumble, remember that every failure is just another stepping stone towards your ultimate success. Never give up on your dreams, because if you can dream it, you can surely achieve it.”

City First brings to you the captivating journey of the talented Khushi Gupta, a finalist of Miss Teen Diva 2022, as she rises to the pinnacle of success by clinching the coveted title of Miss Teen Diva South 2022

Social media can be mentally draining.

And when mentally drained, you are more likely to be in fluenced by a high number of likes on posts – even to the point of clicking on ads for products you don’t need or want – ac cording to our recent exper iments on how social media affects behaviour.

THE BIG IDEA

As a professor of advertis ing, I have studied social media behaviour for years.

In late 2022, my colleague Eric Haley and I conducted three online studies on Americans aged 18-65 to test how people under various mental loads respond to ads dif ferently.

The control group in each study was given no introductory task – we just had them look at an ad. A second group had to memorize a nine-digit number and then look at the ad. The third group scrolled through their Instagram feed for 30 seconds and then looked at the ad. The first study used an ad for a meal prep service, the second was for ice cream and the third was for coffee beans.

The ad photo and caption were the same for everyone in each group, with only the number of likes manipulated. Participants randomly saw an ad with a few hundred likes or tens of thousands of likes. After viewing the ad, each participant rated how willing they would be to buy the product, and how much mental effort it took to think about the

SOCIAL MEDIA scatters your brain

when there were lots of likes or comments, and they also reported using the most mental effort to assess the ad.

In one study we asked people to explain why they wanted to buy a product, and those in the control group gave simple, rational answers for their choice: “I was thinking of the ice cream flavors and how they would taste.” Or, “I like the ad. It is simple and clean. It gets straight to the point …” Howev -

ferent people. In the span of several seconds you can see a text from your spouse, a photo from a coworker, a video from a celebrity and a meme from your brother. All of this scrolling and evaluating leaves us feeling frazzled and scattered. Imagine asking your roommate if they want to go get pizza. Under normal conditions, the roommate might con

ARIES

MAR 21 - APR 20

You will experience a change within yourself regarding what you want in a romantic partner. You will start thinking seriously and begin looking for your soul mate in earnest. Do not trust any complete stranger on money matters today as you are likely to bear considerable loss.

TAURUS

APR 21 - MAY 20

LIBRA

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

You have great capacity to charm everyone. You are going to impress those around you with your wit and grace. You will win the admiration of everyone around you. Take advantage of this shining period to make new friends and mix with new people and new opportunities will open up in front of you.

SCORPIO

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

ally benefit from buying the advertised item. We confirmed this in the experiment with the ad for coffee beans. In general, coffee lovers will carefully consider many factors –type of bean, roast level, country of origin and more. So even when these people were in a mental fog, they were not persuaded by ads with high metrics. By understanding how they might be influenced by social media in unconscious ways, consumers can be more thoughtful and deliberate in regulating their use –and hopefully not buy yet another water bottle they don’t need.

WHAT STILL ISN’T KNOWN

We don’t yet know which social media platforms are the most draining.

You are going to feel more dedicated today and you are going to finish off all the backlogs which may have accumulated today. Clearing this will give you a nice sense of accomplishment and this will be noticed by the people who matter to you. Finances will improve as your salary.

GEMINI

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

Your mind is very active today. You are full of ideas and inspiration. You will be constantly coming up with new plans which you will be able to plan and execute very easily. Your only problem today will be that you may feel overwhelmed by the flood of new ideas that will constantly fill your mind.

CANCER

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

Issues related to profession will get resolved. But no aggressive action, be it in words or in writing should not be taken till then. Those facing issues on personal front should make time for dear ones. Do take care of your health as you have been ignorant of it since long.

LEO

“plate.” Others explicitly told us it was difficult to process: “It had too many words and options in the picture.”

WHY IT MATTERS

Researchers refer to this mentally exhausted state as “cognitive overload.”

Using social media puts you in this state because you are constantly evaluating different types of

stepped in dog poop and they also just got a text from their ex while remembering they were late for work. They no longer have the mental energy or resources to logically consider whether pizza for dinner is a good idea. They might just yell “Yeah, sure!” while running inside to clean their shoes.

The one exception to this is when a person has a lot of experience, history or knowledge of a particular product or idea. When they

Media-rich environments like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube are presumably the most mentally taxing because they have text, photos, videos, animations and sound – often all at once and overlapping. These platforms are also where advertisers spend a lot of money, as they offer a high return on investment for brands.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

You are likely to be involved in detailed planning of a project and you are going to be very thorough about it. You are feeling very industrious and this will be reflected in your job. You are also going to earn acclaim for this. A spurt of creativity will mark every aspect of your day.

VIRGO

AUG 24 - SEP 23

You may be cracking one of the biggest joint venture deals today. But you must mention explicitly once again your mission and goals to your partner. You may devote the end of the day towards your intellectual pursuits or in perusal of an artistic passion.

YOUR DAY

Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

A person who has been around you for a long time but whom you have never really noticed will now begin to play a pivotal role in your mind. It is not just a budding romance. Rather, it is a meeting of mind and spirit that is likely to leave you feeling overwhelmed. Take time to get used to the idea.

SAGITTARIUS

NOV 23 - DEC 22

New horizons are opening up in front of you. A talent which you have always treated as a hobby may become something more and you may find yourself making a living doing what you love. New developments are expected in every front which would broaden your ideas.

CAPRICORN

DEC 23 - JAN 20

This day is all about change. You may come in contact with someone who will bring substantial changes in your life or put you in touch with other people who can cause the change. However, not all the changes are good for you. You will need to analyze whether the change will be good for you.

AQUARIUS

JAN 21 - FEB 19

You will be feeling very creative today. You appreciate all beautiful things and want to create something beautiful. The day is especially favourable for artists.You may suddenly start feeling deflated ﾖ a common occurrence after a surge of creativity and it may leave you feeling depressed.

PISCES

FEB20 - MARCH 20

You are going to be in an especially easygoing mood today. You may also play the role of an effective mediator in any dispute today. You are going to spread cheer and goodwill and you are also going to be the life and soul of any party that you attend in the evening.

Most important LESSON

S

amantha Ruth Prab-hu is one of the most active celebrities on social media. She is also one such actress who is always connected with fans through her social media accounts and keeps them entertained. Today, the actress shared the most important lesson from life and we totally agree. She revealed "what screws up the most in life" and it's something we all can relate to. Samantha took to her Instagram account and shared a few pics from a recent advertisement where she is seen performing an action sequence like a pro. She captioned the post, "What screws us up most in life is the picture in our head of how it’s supposed to be.#TuTeraKar."

Several fans took to the comment section and agreed with what the actress said. While one user wrote, "So true", another said, "And we forget to see what’s right in front of us."

Bringing out THE BESTAT CORONATION CONCERT Sonam to perform

merican action thriller television series Citadel was released on Amazon Prime on Friday and fans cannot stop raving about the show and the lead actors. Starring Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden, the series was in the top ten trending list in more than 38 countries within 12 hours of its release. Meanwhile, Chopra and Madden's friendship and chemistry have been adored by netizens. The 36-year-old Game of Thrones star has reminisced how he met the 40-year-old Indian superstar and opened up about working with her in the series, which has already been renewed for a second season. Madden, who plays Mason Kane in Citadel, said that Chopra, who plays Nadia Sinh in the global spy series, is "so passionate" and "so present." He told The Indian Express, "It is really inspiring. We love sparring, pulling the best from each other, challenge each other, much like how the two characters on the show. They are always dancing together."

A

K

ing Charles III's Coronation is only a week away and the lineup for a concert in London has been announced.The late Queen’s eldest son succeeded his mother upon her death on September 8, 2022. Now, the Coronation will celebrate the beginning of his reign. While the Coronation Service will take place on 6 May 2023, at Westminster Abbey, the Coronation Concert will be held on 7 May 2023, at Windsor Castle. The Coronation Concert will bring together global icons for the celebration of the historic occasion and Bollywood celebrity Sonam Kapoor will also be a part of it! A report in Variety stated that Sonam Kapoor will appear on stage at the Coronation Concert to "deliver a spoken word performance to introduce the Commonwealth virtual choir." Sonam Kapoor lives in London with her hubby Anand Ahuja and their baby boy Vayu.

Sonam Kapoor

MET GALA DEBUT APPEARANCE

walk the red carpet in their designer outfits, often making bold shocking fashion statements. Among the actors who are confirmed to attend this year’s event, Alia Bhatt will make her debut appearance. The Brahmastra actress was spotted on Friday night at the airport leaving the city. ETC www.firstindia.co.in I https://firstindia.co.in/epapers/jaipur I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia JAIPUR | SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2023 11

She had the brightest smile on her face and also waved at the paparazzi before leaving. Alia kept it comfortable in baggyfit denims, a white tee, and a colourful jacket on top. She rounded off the look with a white sling bag and white sneakers.

Adipurush’s new poster

N

A

Shot by @taras84 creatively directed by us at @stu.dio84 makeup by @sonamdoesmakeup and hair by @makeupbyvishakha wearing @deme_love_.” She is seen wearing a rust-coloured flowy gown from her own label Deme by Gabriella, and she looks ethereal in it.

Priyanka Chopra

Samantha Ruth Prabhu

Kriti Sanon’s post...

ational Award-winning director Om Raut’s upcoming mythological drama Adipurush is one of the most anticipated and awaited films. The film stars big names like Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, and Saif Ali Khan. The highly anticipated mythological fantasy film, which is based on the epic Ramayana, has been under production for a very long time. On the occasion of Ram Navami, on March 30, the makers unveiled a new poster of Adipurush that features the stellar cast. Today, Kriti Sanon who essays the titular char-Alia Bhatt

looks gorgeous as she is seen cradling her baby bump in the pictures. As soon as Gabriella shared the post, congratulatory messages poured in from Amy Jackson, Amrita Arora, Kajal Aggarwal and others. Arjun Rampal also showered love on his girlfriend. Gabriella shared stunning pictures from her maternity photoshoot and captioned them, “Reality or AI?Gabriella Demetriades

Her post...

PREGNANCY SHOOT

JUNIOR MODELLING SHOW 2023!

CITY FIRST

The RAS Club recently hosted the poster launch for the Junior Modelling Show 2023, organised by Studio Big Boss on Saturday. The event also featured ramp practice sessions for children, led by professional models who shared

SEEK YE BLESSINGS!

All participating children will have their modelling portfolio photos taken and a large poster or personalized calendar featuring their photo will be provided to each child.

In addition, the Baby Contest category will allow children under four years of age to participate with their parents on stage and receive recognition. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

WHAT’S HAPPENING!

The team of First India News met Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and greeted him at Governor House in Guwahati on Friday. The team was there for the shoot of The New JC Show with Governor Kataria and Jagdeesh Chandra.

Shakuntala Rawat, Rajendra Yadav, Udai Lal Anjana, Subhash Garg, Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, Lalchand Kataria, Govind Meghwal, Ghanshyam Tiwari, Ashok Lahoti, Raghu Sharma, Khiladi Lal Bairwa, Brijkishore Sharma, Pramil Kumar Mathur, CS Usha Sharma, IAS Jogaram, Pawan Arora, Anand Kumar, Aarti Dogra, Suryakanta Vyas, Hemant Gera, DN Pandey, Rahul Prakash, Rashi Dogra, SS Raghav, Mahavir Prasad Sharma, Gayatri Rathore and others. —KAMAL KANT

A DAY TO REMEMBER

CITY FIRST

Mukesh Mishra and Priya celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary and Mukesh’s birthday in a unique style at a Farm House in Jaipur on Friday. Known for his health and wellness initiatives, including the Jaipur Marathon, World Health and Wellness Festival, and Jaipur Runners, Mukesh and Priya’s celebration was a perfect reflection of their commitment to a

healthy lifestyle. The guests arrived, all dressed up in fitness wear, excited to participate in the Zumba session, which began

DURING THE DAY!

A blood donation camp was organised by the women of the Rotary Club Jaipur Pearl at the Rajasthan High Court. The camp was organised in collaboration with the president and secretary of the Bar Association, Mahendra Shandilya and Balarma Vashisht and co-hosted by the Vice President of the Ambedkar Welfare Society and lawyer of the Rajasthan High Court, Dr Anjana Varma. The women volunteered to donate blood and invited hospitals to utilize their contribution to the needy. The event also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital for providing medical aid to the common people during doctors’ strikes.

Akshay Jain was awarded a PhD in Strategic Management from the Faculty of Management Studies (RA Poddar Institute of Management), University of Rajasthan. His thesis, titled “An Approach to Develop Competitive Strategies for Private Universities in Rajasthan,” earned him the prestigious degree. Under the guidance of Professor Harsh Dwivedi, Dr Akshay Jain successfully completed his research work. He is currently serving as the Director of Admission and Marketing at Amity University.

The grand celebration of Nihan Saini’s second birthday was held in Japiur on Saturday. His family, including Lal Chand Saini, Laxmi Saini, Sandeep Saini and Neha Saini, spared no expense in making it a day filled with joy and excitement.

shortly after the cakecutting ceremony. Speaking at the event, Mukesh said, “I am thrilled that my friends and family could join

me in celebrating my birthday and our wedding anniversary in such a unique style. This Zumba session was an incredible way to stay fit while having fun. My wife and I are committed to living a healthy lifestyle and promoting wellness in our community, and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate our special day than by encouraging our guests to join us in this fun Zumba session.” cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Closing Ceremony of Challengers Meet

CITY FIRST

In the series of Net Theat, the rising Bansuri player Navratan Charan from Jhunjhunu, mesmerized the audience with his melodious performance on Saturday. Rajendra Sharma Raju from Net Theat reported that Navratan began his classical music program with the Raag Yaman, playing the alap, bandish and tihai, leaving the audience spellbound. He then played Raag Hansdhvani, followed by a bandish and an alap, which received a lot of applause from the audience.

Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ) has received an impressive number of on-campus job offers for its students over the past five years, totalling 6,700. Among the companies that have hired MUJ students are Microsoft, Dell, Cisco, KPMG, Deloitte, Oracle, Juniper Network, Philips, Accenture, Shell, Amazon and many more. The university has seen a significant increase in the number of job offers and placements over the past five years, with the average annual package rising from Rs 5 lakhs to Rs 9 lakhs in 2023. Before the placement season, MUJ provides campus recruitment training to students with the help of institution experts. This training covers general aptitude, soft skills, technical fundamentals and coding skills to prepare students for the recruitment process.

The closing ceremony of the Challengers Meet was held at the Indoor Sports Complex of Jaipur National University on Saturday. Dr Sandeep Bakshi, the Chancellor of Jaipur National University, congratulated the Seedling group for organising the mega event and reiterated their commitment to encourage sports by providing scholarships and other privileges to players from the university. During his speech, Dr Bakshi announced the introduction of new courses at the UG and PG levels to en-

hance the sporting acumen of coaches and students. The event concluded with the Beating of Retreat by the Seedling School Band, leaving students, coaches, and players with great memories of the three-day extravaganza. The Challengers Meet was a testament to the spirit of competitive rivalry, with participants learning the importance of being good sportsmen, regardless of winning or losing. The event was a resounding success and highlighted the importance of sports in promoting sportsmanship and camaraderie among students.

MLA Kalicharan Saraf inaugurated the work of beautification and installation of a statue at the memorial site of martyr Captain Amit Bhardwaj in Ward 130 Malviya Nagar with his family members recently.

Assembly Speaker Dr CP Joshi hosted Sawamani (religious feast) at the Khole Ke Hanuman Ji on Saturday which was attended by Governor Kalraj Mishra and a number of political leaders including CM Ashok Gehlot, his wife Sunita Gehlot, Vaibhav Gehlot, Himanshi Gehlot and Kashwini Gehlot. Among others, those who attended the event included Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa,

Jagdeesh Chandra with Ashok Raj Singh, Kseniia and Tais

Kritesh, Poonam Singh, Tais, Kseniia, Ashok Raj Singh and Devendra Singh with the Junior Modelling Show participants

Nimisha, Neelam, Priya, Mukesh, Suresh, Yogesh, Somyata, Sanskriti, Khushi, Aryan and Suryansh

Guv Kalraj Mishra, Dr CP Joshi, Rameshwar Dudi, BM Sharma and others

Ashok Gehlot, Sunita Gehlot, Vaibahv Gehlot, Himanshi Gehlot and Kashvini Gehlot

Dr CP Joshi, Udai Lal Anjana, IPS Manish Tripathi and Pawan Arora

During the challengers meet

Arif Khan being greeted by Gulab Chand Kataria

Aishwary Pradhan being felicitated by Gulab Chand Kataria and Anita Kataria

Cute kid showcasing the beautiful gown

Ashok Gehlot , Dr CP Joshi, Dr Hemlata Joshi, Himashu Joshi and Himanshu’s wife

Usha Sharma, Kuldeep Ranka, Hemant Gera with a guest

—PHOTOS BY MUKESH KIRADOO

—PHOTO BY MUKESH KIRADOO

—PHOTO BY MUKESH KIRADOO