First India-Mumbai Edition-1st March 2023

Shouldn’t indiscipline lead to disqualification: SC asks Shinde

Defending its stand, Shinde faction said the legislative party is an integral part of original party. There were two whips appointed by the party in June last year and it went with one that said it did not want to continue

`25 cr cocaine found concealed in soap at airport, 2 held

First India Bureau Mumbai: Officials have seized 2.58kg of cocaine worth Rs25 crore concealed in soap bars from a passenger after he landed at the Mumbai international airport from Ethiopia, an official said on Tuesday.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had received specific information that a passenger travelling to Mumbai from Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) was smuggling the narcotic, the official said. Based on this intelligence, a DRI intercepted the passenger on Monday and found 2.58 kg of cocaine concealed in 12 soap bars in his trolley bag, he said, adding that the value of the seized contraband is more than Rs25 crore in the international market.

In a swift follow-up action, the officials also nabbed the intended recipient of the contraband. Both accused have been remanded to DRI custody.

First India Bureau

New Delhi: Amid the continuing legal tussle between the two Shiv Sena factions, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Eknath Shinde-led faction if its decision to go against the undivided party’s wish to con-

cipline leading to grounds for disqualification.

Defending its stand, the Shinde faction said the legislative party is an integral part of the original party. There were two whips appointed by the party in June last year and it went with the one that said it did not want to continue in the coalition, it

A fivejudge

headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud told senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, appearing for the Shinde faction, “If you don’t want to go with the alliance, decide that out-

side the House (state assembly); inside the House you are bound by party discipline.

Your writing to the governor that you don’t want to continue with the MVA itself, amounted to (grounds for) dis-

‘KNOCK HIGH COURT DOOR’

No Supreme Court relief for AAP’s Manish Sisodia

‘Not me, but you are target’, Sisodia’s letter to Kejri states

Moni Sharma

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday told Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to go to the high court if he wants to challenge his arrest by the CBI in the Delhi liquor policy case. CJI DY Chandrachud said, “Go to the High Court. Our doors are open, but we are not ready to hear it at this stage.”

“This will be a very bad precedent. You can’t do this just because you’re in Delhi,” Justice PS Narasimha said, referring to Sisodia’s request to rule arrest by CBI “illegal”. More on P6

`100 CR KICKBACKS, MONEY VIA HAWALA: CBI GRILLS SISODIA

Sisodia was remanded in 5-day CBI custody by the Rouse Avenue court on Monday. CBI wants him to answer questions regarding the Rs 100 crore in kickbacks received in the excise policy case and also the alleged money received through hawala channels.

Sisodia and Satyendar Jain quit as ministers

group’s counsel said the governor was bound by the previous rulings which imply that ultimately the test of majority has to be held on the floor of the House.

“The governor was bound by this court’s verdicts and ordered a floor test. What else is he supposed to do,” he said.

The bench also comprising justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha asked Kaul

to specify what relevant materials the governor had, which made him ask for the floor test.

CJI Chandrachud asked why should a democratically elected government, which has been formed, be asked to face a floor test and does the governor, by recogniz ing the rival group, not legitimize the defec tion, which is other wise not permissible under the tenth sched

ule. The hearing will continue on Wednesday.

KEJRIWAL ACCEPTS RESIGNATIONS OF SISODIA AND JAIN

J ailed AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain have resigned as Delhi Deputy CM & Health Minister resp, and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has accepted their resignations.

If sentenced to 2 years or more in jail, Sisodia and Jain may lose their seats and can’t contest polls for 6 years. Sisodia arrested by CBI for corruption in formulation and implementation of now-scrapped liquor policy. Jain arrested by ED for his involvement in a money laundering case.

EARLIER IN THE DAY LATER IN THE EVENING

When the matter came up, earlier in the day, for hearing in the Supreme Court, Singhvi cited the court’s judgment in the Vinod Dua case as the reason why Sisodia should be given relief, after which the court posted matter to 3.45 pm.

When SC took up Sisodia’s request again later in the evening, it said Vinod Dua case has no relevance whatsoever with his case as journalist’s matter was about freedom of speech, expression while his case is about alleged corruption.

When a government is formed, it’s not open to any group to say that we cannot go with this alliance. You, specify what were the compelling reasons which made the governor to ask the then-CM to prove his majority in the House? What prevented the governor asking you to move no confidence motion in the House?

—Supreme Court

AMID KCR’S EARLY POLL BUZZ IN TELANGANA... Amit Shah’s Telangana goal is ‘Praja Gosa, BJP Bharosa’

l HM Amit Shah and JP Nadda chair crucial BJP meeting l PM Modi to hold mega rally after a month in Hyderabad

First India Bureau

New Delhi/Hyderabad:

BJP’s top leaders will hold high-intensity rallies for next one month in all 119 assembly constituencies in Telangana, where election is due later this year. The party decided on this battle plan after top leaders met at BJP chief JP Nadda’s home on Tuesday.

Telangana BJP presi-

BJP TOP BRASS TO HOLD MAMMOTH RALLIES

BJP’s top leaders will hold massive rallies in all the 119 assembly constituencies. Apart from this, BJP’s senior leaders including Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani will also hold at least 10 big rallies across Telangana.

dent Bandi Sanjay Kumar besides other party leaders were also present. The BJP is concerned over reports that their rival and CM K Chandrashekar Rao may pre-

fer an early election before BJP can prepare their ground to fight KCR’s BRS. The BJP has named its new Telangana campaign “Praja Gosa, BJP Bharosa”.

Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sosodia’s arrest was illegal as his name was not in CBI chargesheet and the CBI’s allegation that he was not cooperating in the investigation was a weak excuse. —Abhishek Singhvi, Manish Sisodia’s lawyer

30K online child abusers detected, 4K may be held Bhopal (FIB): The USbased National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has identified more than 30,000 people in Madhya Pradesh who allegedly circulated suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including pornography, online enticement and contact offenses. List of 4,000 sent across 10 districts for action and Around 500 to 600 cases have been reported from other MP cities.

‘Killers’ of Kashmiri Pandit killed in J&K

Army man martyred, another wounded in Pulwama shootout

Pulwama/Srinagar: 2 militants who “shot dead” a Kashmiri Pandit in Achan village, Pulwama, on Sunday were killed in an encounter in Padgampora village on Tuesday, Police said. An Army soldier was killed and another wounded in the shootout. J&K ADGP Vijay Kumar said that 1 of the militants killed

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

was identified as Aqib Mustaq Bhat, a resident of Pulwama (A category) who initially worked for the Hizbul Mujahideen but was later with LeT’s offshoot TRF.

Ease of Living using Technology!

Addressing the gathering, PM said India of the 21st century is constantly empowering its citizens with the use of technology. He underlined that every Budget in last few years stressed ease of living for people with help of technology.

‘Tech-enabled CoWIN played a key role during Covid. Today every citizen is feeling change that now it is so easy to speak with govt,’ he said.

Technology was the basis of the ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ and due to this many poor started getting rations. Many departments can use technology to meet global standards of service.

Modi, Prime Minister

ease

We’re with onion farmers: CM Shinde in Assembly

Assures NAFED procuring more produce from Maha farmers amid fall in prices of crop

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Amid reports of farmers facing difficulties due to drop in onion prices, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday told the Legislative Assembly that his government is with the onion farmers.

Speaking on the floor of the Lower House, Shinde said, “We are firmly standing by the onion growers in the state. NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited) has started onion procurement and that would push the prices up.”

“On our request, NAFED has increased its onion procurement and 2.38 lakh tonnes (of onion) have already been purchased from farmers.

If a particular area does not have a procurement centre, then it will be opened for farmers,” Shinde said on second day of the Budget Session of state legislature.

“There is no ban on

export of onions. If required, farmers will get some financial assistance as well,” said the chief minister.

Earlier in the Assembly, Chhagan Bhujbal, Nationalist Congress

Party leader from Nashik district, spoke about farmers’ distress and questioned the Centre’s policy over onion.

“There is a huge demand for Indian onion overseas. But interna-

Will resolve HSC Board exam paper checking issue: Shinde

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday assured the Legislative Assembly that the state government will soon convene a meeting on the delay in checking of the Class XII higher secondary Board examination papers.

Raising the matter in the Assembly, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ashish Shelar demanded the government’s immediate intervention. “The answer sheets of Class XII examinations are not being checked. This will impact the students adversely. As some students look forward to going abroad for further education, if their answer sheets

are not examined on time, results will be delayed. Hence the government needs to look into this matter urgently,” said Shelar.

Echoing his concern, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, who is also a BJP legislator, also intervened in the discussion and urged the government to come up with a solution to the problem.

tional traders have complained that the Indian government is arbitrarily imposing ban (on onion export) or lifting it. Hence, they are not keen on procuring (onion) from us,” he said.

MLA Awhad’s protection from arrest extended until March 03

Thane (PTI): The Thane district court postponed the hearing on Nationalist Congress Party leader Jitendra Awhad’s application for extension of protection from arrest till March 03 in connection with the attack on a civic official earlier this month.

Four NCP activists were also granted bail by the court in the case.

Additional Sessions Judge AS Bhagwat ordered their release on a personal bond of Rs15,000 each.

Thane Assistant Municipal Commissioner Mahesh Aher was allegedly beaten up by NCP workers on February 15 after an audio clip in which he is issuing threats went viral.

NCP LEGISLATORS TURN UP AT MAHA ASSEMBLY WITH ONION ‘GARLANDS’

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)

MLAs on Tuesday reached the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai carrying onions in baskets on their heads and wearing garlands made with the vegetable, demanding appropriate price for onion produce amid dip in prices. Earlier on Monday, owing to a low wholesale price of onions, the farmers stopped auctions at Nashik’s Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC). This was followed by a protest of the onion-growers association Maharashtra State Onion Growers’ Association against the government. The organization demanded that the onions be sold at the right price. The sale of onions at the auction was stopped as they were being sold at prices as low as Rs1 per kg or Rs2 per kg. Due to the huge yield of the onion crop, its prices are falling down in other states as well. Notably, onion is the main cash crop in Maharashtra and it accounts for 35 to 40% of the country’s total production of the staple vegetable.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ADJOURNED AFTER RUCKUS OVER ONION PRICES

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Legislative Council was on Tuesday adjourned for the day after Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve demanded a discussion on falling onion prices. The adjournment also meant that the Council could not immediately take a call on Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s letter to Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe seeking that Viplov Gopikishan Bajoria be made the Shiv Sena’s chief whip in the Upper House. Currently, Shiv Sena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray MLC Anil

Parab is the party’s chief whip in the House. Danve, who belongs to the Thackeray faction, demanded that the Upper House discuss issues related to onion prices, but it was denied by Gorhe. This led to legislators of the ruling and opposition parties arguing and levelling charges against each other.

Gorhe, who too is from the Thackeray camp, first adjourned the Upper House twice but the ruckus continued. She then adjourned the House proceedings for the rest of the day.

Speaking to reporters on the

Vidhan Bhavan premises after the adjournment, Danve said, “The state government is trying to silence the voice of the Opposition. All we wanted was a detailed discussion on issues of crashing onion prices and farmers’ woes.” While contradicting Ambadas's statement, BJP leader and MLC Praveen Darekar said, “The Maharashtra government is in the favour of the farmers, but the opposition leaders do not want the house to run and walked out. Thus, the House is adjourned till tomorrow.”

Who will present state Budget in Council, asks Opposition

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Expressing concerns over the delay in cabinet expansion, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council, Ambadas Danve, on Tuesday said that the “government should not delay decisions which hamper the interests of the common people”.

The Maharashtra Assembly Budget Session commenced on Monday and will continue till March 25. The Budget is slated to be presented in the House on March 09.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Devendra Fadnavis will present the Budget in the Lower House (Assembly) of the state legislature. However, it is still

BADMINTON NATIONALS

unclear who will present it in the Upper House (Council). When asked about the minister who will present the Budget, CM Shinde tossed the question to Fadnavis. However, Fadnavis said that a decision would be forthcoming in due course. “Any one of the ministers can be ap-

pointed to present the budget,” he clarified. Despite forming the government in June last year, the Eknath ShindeDevendra Fadnavis government is still awaiting cabinet expansion.

At first, the cabinet only comprised of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Anupama and Mithun crowned singles champions

lll

Commonwealth Games bronze medallists

Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly crowned new women’s doubles champs, T Hemanagendra

Babu & Kanika

Kanwal clinched mixed doubles

First India Bureau

Pune: Former junior World number one Anupama Upadhyaya and Mithun Manjunath secured the women’s and men’s singles titles, respectively, in the 84th senior national badminton championships here on Tuesday.

Anupama, 18, dished out a gritty performance to stun Aakarshi Kashyap 20-22 21-17 2422 in an hour and 18 minutes in the women’s singles summit clash. In the men’s singles final, Mithun saw off Priyanshu Rajawat 21-16 21-11 in just 38 minutes.

In the men’s final, Mithun’s superior de-

Anupama pounced on her opponent’s mistakes to clinch the biggest title of her fledgling career. —FILE PHOTO

fence and game strategy of not allowing Rajawat to get under the shuttle often meant that the Karnataka shuttler was always in control. Both Mithun and Ra-

jawat engaged in some tight battles in the initial exchanges and the latter managed to grab a 10-9 cushion at one stage but the eventual champion clinched five straight

points to take the lead and race away with the game. However, it was soon a one-way street as the 24-year-old shut the door on his rival. The women’s singles

MEANWHILE…

final was a topsy-turvy affair as the experienced Aakarshi fought back from 11-15 down to

win seven of the next eight points and pocketed the opening game on second game point.

The reversal put Anupama on the offensive as she began with a 3-0 lead in the second, extended it to 9-1, and then maintained the advantage.

The Haryana teen looked ready to run away with the title and prize purse of Rs3.25 lakh when she opened up a 17-10 lead in the decider. Not willing to give up, World No. 42 Aakarshi engaged her opponent in long rallies and drew level at 17-17 to set up an exciting finish.

Anupama, however, held her nerve and clinched the title.

CRUCIAL READ NEWBORN ELEPHANT CALF FOUND DEAD

Gadchiroli: A newborn elephant calf was found dead in the forest of Gadchiroli district, a forest official said. The calf was born to Mangla, an elephant aged 32, near the Kamlapur elephant camp. Unfortunately, the calf died shortly after birth. The Forest Department conducted an autopsy and sent samples to a laboratory to determine the cause of death. Locals have requested presence of vets at the camp, over concern that the elephants are not receiving proper medical treatment.

WOMAN ENDS LIFE, SIX BOOKED FOR HARASSMENT

Thane: A 28-year-old man and five of his family members have been booked for allegedly harassing his wife and driving her to commit suicide in Thane district, police said on Tuesday. The case against the six, under the Indian Penal Code and Dowry Prohibition Act, was registered on a complaint by the woman’s father, said the official. The woman hanged herself on February 24 following which her father approached the police on Monday, he said. Her father alleged that her in-laws demanded dowry and even forced her to have an abortion.

TEACHER OF MADRASA BOOKED FOR BEATING PUPIL

Thane: Police have registered a case against a teacher from a madrasa in Thane district for allegedly beating a 14-year-old student, an official said on Tuesday. According to the FIR, the Islamic school is “attached to Darul Ulum Hasnain Kariman” in Bhiwandi area. As per the complaint, the 32-year-old teacher beat the student with a stick for not memorizing his lessons in November 2022, said the official from the Nizampura police station. The case was registered on a complaint by the trustee of a dargah.

Ambadas Danve —FILE PHOTO

BJP MLA Ashish Shelar expressed concern over issue in state Assembly during the ongoing Budget Session

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde interacts with protesting MVA MLAs on the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan. —PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

NCP leader Ajit Pawar and other Maha Vikas Aghadi MLAs stage a protest over the steep fall in onion prices. —PHOTO BY PTI

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis arrives to attend the Budget Session of the state Assembly in Mumbai on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY PTI

An NCP legislator carries a basket of onions during the protest at Vidhan Bhavan. —PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

IIT-B STUDENT DEATH: MAHA

GOVT FORMS SIT FOR PROBE

Darshan Solanki died after allegedly jumping off the seventh floor of a hostel building located on the campus on February 12

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The state government has formed a special investigation team (SIT) headed by a senior police officer to conduct an inquiry into the alleged suicide of an 18-year-old student of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B), an official said on Tuesday. Darshan Solanki, a first-year B Tech (Chemical) student, allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the seventh floor of a hostel building located on IIT-

B’s Powai campus on February 12.

His family, based in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, claimed he faced discrimination at the premier institute for belonging to a Scheduled Caste community and suspected foul play in his death.

Gujarat Congress

MLA and Dalit leader

CRUCIAL READ

WOMAN HELD FOR STEALING GOLD WORTH ` 2 LAKH

Latur: A 40-year-old woman was arrested in Latur district for allegedly stealing gold jewellery worth Rs 2 lakh from her employer’s house. According to police officials, the accused, who was employed as a maid, had stolen the gold jewellery from the house in Prakash Nagar area on February 22. A case has been registered against her under section 379 (theft) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code.

252 Latur ZP schools to be developed under PM-SHRI

First India Bureau

tions made by various student groups that Solanki faced caste discrimination, he said.

After Solanki’s death, the Powai police here had registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and recorded the statements of multiple people, including IIT-B students.

Jignesh Mevani had demanded a probe by the SIT into Solanki’s death, terming the episode as “suspicious”. A student group on campus had termed Solanki’s death “institutional murder”.

On February 24, the government had ordered an investigation into Solanki’s death,

ATTACKING AND ROBBING MOTORIST LANDS TWO IN JAIL

Latur: Two persons were arrested for allegedly attacking a motorist and stealing his mobile phone and cash in Latur, police said on Tuesday. The accused, who are in their 20s, were nabbed within hours of the crime that took place on Malvati Road, on the outskirts of city. According to official, two suspects intercepted the driver’s car and proceeded to assault him before stealing his phone and money.

MAN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH 10 HOUSE-BREAKING AND THEFT CASES

Thane: A man has been arrested in connection with 10 cases of house-breaking and thefts and valuables worth Rs12 lakh were recovered from him, official said. Sachin Gunjal, deputy commissioner of police Zone III Kalyan division, said that a A 26-year-old man was arrested in Dombivili town on Sunday after a special police team apprehended him in connection with 10 cases of house-breaking and theft. According to police, accused and his accomplices were found to be involved in the cases registered in various police stations in town.

THREE HELD FOR VEHICLE THEFTS IN PALGHAR DISTRICT

Palghar: Three persons were arrested with stolen vehicles worth more than Rs5.8 lakh Palghar district, police said on Tuesday. Following reports of two-wheeler thefts, the police increased vigilance. On Saturday, police arrested three suspects and recovered stolen vehicles from them, said Senior Inspector Pramod Badakh. At least seven motorcycles and two autorickshaws have been recovered so far, official said.

WORK ON CITY’S COASTAL ROAD ENDING SOON

Mumbai: The boring of the Coastal Road’s second tunnel is in the final stage and is expected to be completed by March 2023. The tunnel boring machine (TBM) has already been lowered from the worksite near Priyadarshini Park and is expected to emerge near Girgaum Chowpatty by March 2022. Construction of utility boxes, road surfacing, cross-passageways, and fire-fighting systems is currently underway.

the official said.

The SIT, headed by Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Lakhmi Gautam, will revisit the case and record the statements of Solanki’s parents, officials of the institute and students who were witness to the incident, he said.

It will also conduct a probe into the allega-

“Now, the SIT will conduct a probe into the case,” the official added. A Mumbai police team on February 16 visited Gujarat to record the statements of Solanki’s parents a second time, after claiming that they had not raised questions about the circumstances of his death, when they first gave their statements.

The institute has also launched a parallel investigation into the death, after staunchly refuting any allegations of caste-based discrimination on campus.

Latur: To boost the quality of education being imparted, at least 252 zilla parishad (ZP) schools in Latur will be developed under the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) scheme, an official said on Tuesday.

The district nodal committee shortlisted these 252 schools after collecting and studying information from a total of 349 in the zilla parishad schools, education officer (primary section) Vandana Phutane said.

Under the scheme, the National Education Policy (NEP-2020) will be implemented in the selected schools, each of which will receive `1.88 crore for five yrs.

The Union Government launched the PMSHRI scheme in September, 2022, to implement provisions of the NEP, provide excellent infrastructure facilities, adequate resourc-

NEP-2020 will be implemented in the selected schools. —FILE PHOTO Schools under the initiative will provide experiential learning in a friendly way and students will be assessed based on their conceptual understanding and application of knowledge in life and aptitude. Schools will be upgraded, computers, laboratories and sports facilities will be provided.

—Vandana Phutane, education officer (primary section),Latur district

es, create a pleasant and stimulating educational environment, and provide high-quality global education to students, the official said.

The Centre will bear 60% share of the cost of the initiative, while the state government will

bear the remaining 40%. Committees will be formed at the district and municipal corporation level, led by the zilla parishad CEO and municipal commissioner, respectively, to implement the scheme, she said.

Local train derails near Mum; no casualty reported

Mumbai (PTI): Three coaches of a local train derailed at Kharkopar station in Raigad district adjoining Mumbai on Tuesday morning, leading to suspension of rail traffic on the Belapur-Seawoods-

MCGM’s stack-parking plan has unhappy residents up in arms

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Objecting to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai’s (MCGM) proposed plan to develop a mechanical stack parking system in front of Matunga railway station, the residents have written a letter to the local corporator for the same.

According to Satish Nayak, who is leading campaign, car park will have two wings, one with 23 floors and other with

12 floors with a capacity to park 546 vehicles.

The area is heavily congested with many illegal street vendors who sit on the arterial Lakhamsi Napoo Road despite having allotted space at the Lal Baha-

dur Shastri market. A letter seeking intervention has been written to Nehal Shah, a local corporator of the BJP.

The citizens of the locality have raised objections to the construction stating that the proposed car park will obstruct the movement of ambulances in the event of a railway accident.

The Bombay High Court had mandated that ambulance service be provided at all railway stations following a PIL.

Kharkopar suburban corridor, Central Railway (CR) officials said.

There was no report of injury to any passenger, CR's chief public relations officer Shivaji Sutar told PTI.

He said three coaches from motorman’s end derailed at around 8.45 am when train was about to reach Kharkopar station, located about 30km from city, on BelapurKharpokar line in Navi Mumbai.

Relief trains from Panvel and other locations reached derail-

CHANGE OF GUARD

ment site and senior officials also rushed to spot, another official said.

The train traffic on the Belapur-SeawoodsKharpokar suburban corridor has been suspended, the official said. The cause of the derailment is not yet clear, officials said.

‘Mumbai not for developers, SRA intended for public welfare’

Bombay High Court slams two builders for failing to pay transit rent to beneficiaries of rehab project

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has directed two developers to pay transit arrears of Rs11 crore to a suburban SRA project. While giving the order, the court observed, “This city is not for developers, and the Slum Rehabilitation Act (SRA) is intended to

serve the purpose of public welfare and not the developers.” A division bench comprising Justice Gautam Patel and Justice Neela Gokhale on Monday heard a petition filed by Shree Sai Pawan SRA CHS Ltd claiming that the two developers appointed for redevelopment of

their society had not paid them transit rent since 2019.

Afcons Developers Ltd and Ameya Housing Private Ltd were appointed as co-developers of the slum rehabilitation project at Jogeshwari in suburban Mumbai.

More than 300 people eligible to get flats in the project have not been getting any transit rent since 2019. Of the 300, 17 were put up in transit accommodations and were hence

not receiving transit rent, but these houses were also in a dilapi-

dated condition. The remaining 230 persons have not re-

ceived any transit rent since 2019 and have been left to fend for themselves. The two codevelopers are locked in a never-ending arbitration and there is no work being done at the site, the court said.

“This city is not for developers. The Slum Rehabilitation Act is not for developers. The Act is intended to serve a public welfare purpose. Developers are a means to that end,” it observed.

The court further said

that the developers are entitled to a free sale component provided by the incentive Floor Space Index (FSI), but this is a consideration for fulfilling their obligations under the contract.

“Those obligations include not only rebuilding or building of the rehabilitation structures and tenements both commercial and residential, but also the payment of transit rent or providing habitable transit accommodation,” it said.

A party in default cannot be allowed to take advantage of its own wrong and failure. That would be profiteering, and that too, at public expense, because many of these slum projects are on public lands such as this one, and the developer is not being made to pay the cost of land.

—Bombay High Court

Vice Adm Dinesh K Tripathi takes over as the FOC-in-C (West), at INS Shikra during the Change of Command ceremonial parade, in Mumbai on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY PTI

IIT Bombay —FILE PHOTO

Restoration work underway after three coaches of a local train derailed near Kharkopar station, in Raigad district on Tuesday. —PHOTOS BY PTI

Relief trains from Panvel and other locations reached derailment site

WITH NE EXIT POLLS OUT, BJP LAUNCHES MASSIVE OUTREACH DRIVE IN RURAL BENGAL

With the exit polls to Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya out, the West Bengal unit of the BJP has launched a mass outreach programme aimed at the rural population months ahead of the panchayat elections in West Bengal. BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar launched the “Gram Samparkha Abhiyan” in the Purba Medinipur district and without wasting time, the ruling Trinamool Congress claimed that the saffron camp has copied its programme.

“In West Bengal, under the corrupt TMC rule, the poor people do not have access to basic services like sanitisation and housing facilities. The Gram Sampark Abhiyan is to assure people and listen to their problems and ensure they get the benefits of the central schemes,” Majumdar said while launching the programme.

The mass outreach programme, which was launched with an eye on the panchayat polls likely to be held in AprilMay this year, will cover around more than 2,000 villages and 100 rural assembly constituencies of the state.

It may be noted that the programme comes nearly two months after the TMC had launched a mass outreach campaign, ‘Didir Suraksha Kavach’ (Didi’s Protective Shield), to check and ensure that people received benefits from the pro-people projects of the state government.

TMC’S POLL PROSPECTS IN NE

Political observers see the Meghalaya elections as the TMC’s best chance for expanding in the Northeast, a region it has been eyeing since its inception in 1998. The party, however, failed to build on some successes it had in the beginning.

IN-DEPTH

SUICIDES BY DALIT, TRIBAL STUDENTS

Suicides by Dalit students is a worrying issue even for the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud who said he was disturbed by suicides by students from Dalit and Adivasi communities and called for a system of education that emphasized on empathy not excellence. Referring to the suicides by a Dalit student of IIT Mumbai and a tribal student of NLU Odisha the CJI said that these “numbers are not just statistics. These are stories sometimes of centuries of struggles”. Suicides by students from marginalised sections in top institutes have not been discussed as a social problem of caste and class discrimination. The problem was eloquently described by Rohith Vemula in his suicide note. A PhD student at Hyderabad Central University, Vemula’s suicide not read, “My birth is my fatal accident…I was always rushing…” He did not take any benefit as a Scheduled Caste and was, therefore, declared “not Dalit” by the probe panel. It is time to look into humiliation faced by marginalised students.

SPIRITUAL SPEAK

Meanwhile, it may be recalled that the TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, had stormed to power for the third consecutive time riding on the “Bengali Pride” poll plank and bagged 213 seats. TMC had propagated the ‘Bengali pride’ by coining the poll slogan, “Bangla Nijer Meyekei Chai” (Bengal wants its own daughter), and had created a poll narrative to counter and trounce BJP’s identity politics in the 2021 Assembly polls

“Apart from reaching out to the people with our policies and programmes, our mass outreach programme is aimed at reaching out to people in those areas, especially where the TMC leaders have faced protests,” said BJP. Reacting to BJP’s programme, the TMC dubbed the saffron camp as a “bad student who always wishes to pass an exam by copying from the topper in the class.”

“The BJP is just copying our programme. They don’t have any ideas, so they must resort to stealing our ideas. The BJP is like a bad student who always wishes to pass an exam by copying from the topper in the class. But despite copying our programme, it won’t yield any result in the

MISSING: CIVILITY IN DISCOURSE

In 2004, the party, however, got a breakthrough in Meghalaya when former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma, who had left the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), won from Tura Lok Sabha constituency. This success, was however, short-lived, as Sangma returned to the NCP the very next year. It may be recalled that in 2012, the TMC emerged as the main opposition in Manipur, winning seven seats, with a 17 per cent vote share. However, all this had turned sour when all the MLAs subsequently left the party to join either the Congress or the BJP.

The party’s Tripura unit opened in 1999, a year after the party was initiated in West Bengal, with former Tripura chief minister, Sudhir Ranjan Majumdar, heading the state unit. Though Majumdar did not win the Lok Sabha in 1999 from Tripura West sear, he overtook the Congress in terms of the

rural polls,” he said.

The BJP’s campaign comes at a time when the party looks to tone up its organisational machinery in West Bengal ahead of the panchayat elections, which has seen internal squabbles and defections in the party since the

Tussles between elected governments of opposition parties and BJP-appointed state governors have become an almost routine affair. Therefore there was nothing new in the spat between Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the convening of Assembly session until the matter reached the Supreme Court which gave both a lesson in their constitutional obligations.

The contention of the government was that the governor was not heeding its advice on summoning the session. The governor pointed to the chief minister’s “extremely derogatory and patently unconstitutional

votes polled. But TMC’s Mission Tripura, the only Bengali-majority state in the region, came to a jolting halt in 2002 when Majumdar returned to the Congress. However, its fortunes in Tripura remain dismal despite its attempts to revive its campaign in 2016 and 2021. The Left–Congress alliance and the rise of the TIPRA Motha in tribal-dominated areas have effectively turned the election into a triangular contest between the BJP, the Left-Congress and the TIPRA

2021 assembly poll results. Several senior leaders are engaged in feuds off and on social media, leaving little time for the actual growth of the party especially in the state.

The state unit of the BJP has been fighting hard to keep its flock together especially

There was nothing new in the spat between Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit & CM Bhagwant Mann over the convening of Assembly session until the matter reached the Supreme Court, which gave both a lesson in their constitutional obligations

tweets” as reason for not convening the Budget session on March 3. The Punjab government moved the Supreme Court for necessary directions to the governor who

Motha. Despite Mamata Banerjee and other party leaders having entered the campaign, the TMC has not quite made it in big terms. Meanwhile, political analysts feel the Left–Congress combine would be the automatic choice for anti-BJP voters in areas where the Motha doesn’t have an impact. The TMC also could not do much to build on the local leadership. All eyes are now on March 2 when the results will be out and the real picture will be revealed.

after former union minister Babul Supriyo, party MP Arjun Singh and six legislators, including its national vice president Mukul Roy, switched to the TMC since the assembly poll results in 2021.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

wanted to seek legal advice on Mann’s tweets.

Moving a petition under Article 32 the state government appealed to the court to issue a declaration that the governor was bound to act on the aid and advice of the council of ministers. This is not something the Supreme Court should be telling a governor as the Constitution is clear on his role. That is what the Supreme Court bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud said, “However inappropriate the tweet of the CM may be, the Assembly session cannot be delayed.” The governor was bound by aid and advice of the government. At the same time the court also pointed to the need for more civil discourse between constitutional functionaries.

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Bible

TOP TWEETS

Nitin Gadkari @nitin_gadkari

On this #NationalScienceDay, my greetings to all the scientists and innovators of the country. Let us cherish the achievements of our scientists & remain guided by the motto of ‘#AatmanirbharBharat’ for global well-being and for taking India to greater heights in the #AmritKaal.

Kiren

Rijiju @KirenRijiju

In 2021, legendary Maj. Bob Khathing was given due honour by unveiling his statue and laid a foundation stone to built a magnificent museum in honour of the soldier who led the Indian soldiers to establish formal Indian administration over Tawang in 1951.

MP s SHOULD RAISE ISSUES , BUT NOT DISRUPT PARL: V-P

Dhankhar says members should participate in discussions and refrain from disrupting the House

Chennai (PTI): Vice President Jagdeep

Dhankhar on Tuesday said he expected the Members of the Parliament to perform by participating in healthy discussions and refrain from disrupting the House proceedings.

As Chairman of the Rajya Sabha he has the onus to ensure discipline in the House, besides creating an environment that paves the way for development oriented issues, he noted.

Also, he stressed the need to maintain decorum in the Rajya Sabha, the temple of democracy and justified the breach of privilege against a member (Congress leader Rahul Gandhi) for dumping unauthenticated information in the Parliament.

Speaking after inaugurating the Centre for Innovation at IIT Madras, he said in a veiled reference to the opposi-

tion parties, by virtue of his position as chairman of Rajya Sabha, he was duty bound to ensure discipline in the House.

“This is a permanent structure which can’t be dissolved. There is a model for us (on conduct),” he said indirectly referring to the recent disruptions during

the Parliament session.

The tax payers’ money would go waste if the Parliament, meant to hold the executive accountable, remained disrupted without transacting any business, he said and appealed to the young minds to generate an ecosystem so that purity and sanctity of

BJP: Will raise awareness on ‘conspiracy’ hatched by AAP

New Delhi (PTI): Hitting out at the AAP government over the nowscrapped excise policy, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday said it will raise awareness on the “conspiracy” that was hatched to “toy” with the future of youths in Delhi by allowing “proliferation” of liquor vends.

democracy and Parliament or legislature is not outraged. “Make it a mass movement, make the representatives accountable. The people who send the MPs look up on them to perform and do not approve disruption or disturbance,” he said.

Chennai: Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said that students have now become employment providers and entrepreneurs instead of job-seekers. He was speaking at a function in Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) after inaugurating a new innovation facility here. The new centre, IIT-Madras Centre for Innovation is dedicated to supporting and encourage Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) activities of students and researchers. The Vice-President in his inaugural speech said that alumni is the strength of an institution and that the alumni of institutions will take the country towards the path of growth. Dhankhar said that India has 80,000 start-ups, the third largest in the world.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, the party’s national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said the “proponents of new politics” didn’t even refrain from taking steps that would have drowned Delhi youths in a state of inebriation.

He said the party has decided to raise awareness on the issue, as “for us, it is not just an issue of corruption”, but is also about the “future of youths in Delhi”.

The BJP’s attack comes a day after Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was sent to five-day custody

BJP protest turns violent in Bhubaneswar

Odisha (ANI):

Bharatiya Janata Party’s Yuva Morcha protest in Bhubaneswar over former Odisha minister Naba Kisore Das’s murder turned violent on Tuesday after a section of agitators tried to break the police barricade intending for a ‘gherao’ of the state assembly, currently in session.

Some protestors hurled eggs and water at police while the po -

lice resorted to lathicharge. They were protesting against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik over ‘deteriorating’ law and order in the state.

Naba Kishore Das was shot at by a policeman in Brajarajnagar in the Jharsuguda district last month on January 29 and succumbed to his bullet injuries in Bhubaneswar hospital on the same day. Thousands of BJP

Yuva Morcha supporters led by Odisha BJP Youth wing’s president

Irasis Acharya marched towards Odisha Assembly in order to take out

a mega rally in protest against the alleged lawlessness in the state.

A few police personnel and some BJP workers sustained injuries in the face-off.

National General Secretary of the BJP Yuva Morcha Rohit Chahal, while talking to ANI said that law and order have totally “deteriorated” in the state.

“Law and order have totally deteriorated in the state. People are

Lucknow (ANI): The Yogi Adityanath-led government in Uttar Pradesh has directed its departments to not use plastic water bottles in meetings and also use soft copies.

Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra has conveyed the message to the government departments. The officials have also been clearly directed to ensure strict compliance with the government’s instructions in this regard with immediate effect.

The Chief Secretary,

“Despite repeated instructions, the departments have been presenting plastic covers and single-sided printed booklets and that misuse of paper and use of plastic is not appropriate considering its adverse impact on the environment.”

Jammu (PTI): Claiming that there is lack of communication between the public and the bureaucracy in Jammu and Kashmir, veteran Congress leader Karan Singh on Tuesday advocated free and fair assembly elections to address the “missing link” by installing a popular government. Singh, son of the last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh, also demanded restoration of the full statehood to the Union Territory. Talking to reporters

here, Singh said there is no possibility of taking back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) without a war which only brings death and destruction.

Responding to a question about the policies of BJP-led Central govt in J&K, he said “it (the developments of 2019 when the Centre re-

EXCHANGE OF IDEAS

“CBI

Chandigarh (ANI): Hitting out at Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Punjab Minister Bikram Singh Majithia on Tuesday demanded that the ambit of the ongoing CBI probe into the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam be extended to neighbouring Punjab, saying that the former was also the “architect” of Punjab’s excise policy.

“(The) CBI inquiry into Delhi excise scam should be extended to Punjab. As in the case of Delhi, Deputy CM @msisodia was the architect of the Punjab excise policy also which caused losses of hundreds of crores to the State exchequer,” the SAD leader tweeted on Tuesday.

of the CBI by a special court here in the Excise policy scam case.

Trivedi tore into Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who was arrested by the CBI

sick of the lawlessness in Odisha. We want to ask why the CM is silent on the Naba Das murder case. Why is the investigation not being done into the matter? We won’t sit silently,” he said. He further hit out at CM Naveen Patnaik and said, “We want to ask the CM, who is running the government because the assembly is in the session here and he is in Mumbai.”

voked Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two UT), was a very drastic step to remove the whole special structure and it has now been three years that J&K is under Centre. “A lot of good things have happened and there is no doubt about it, but what I gather is that there is a lack of communication between the public and the bureaucracy. MLAs, whether good or bad, play an important role as they are intermediaries between people and the govt.”

on Sunday evening in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the nowscrapped liquor policy for 2021-22.

INDIAN-ORIGIN JUDGE NAMED US DISTRICT COURT’S ASSOCIATE JUSTICE

Houston(United States): An Indian-origin judge, Shama Hakim Mesiwala has been unanimously confirmed as an associate justice of a district court of appeal in the US state of California. Mesiwala’s appointment as an associate justice of the Third District Court of Appeal in California’s Sacramento city was confirmed on February 14 by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of California, Patricia Guerrero, according to a press release by the Judicial Council of California.

20-YEAR JAIL FOR MAN IN RAPE OF MINOR GIRL

Palakkad: A court on Tuesday sentenced a man to serve 20 years in prison for raping a 14-year-old girl last year in Ottapalam area of Palakkad district. Fast Track Special Court judge Satish Kumar handed down the sentence to the 22-year-old man for the offence of repeated aggravated penetrative sexual assault of the minor under the POCSO Act. The court also sentenced him to three years and one year for the offences of sexual assault.

NO RELIEF TO MAN WHO MISBEHAVED WITH DOCTOR

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday denied anticipatory bail to a man accused of manhandling a doctor for allegedly misbehaving with his wife while examining her at a hospital. It would be difficult for a doctor to pursue his profession if a patient is aggrieved by the doctor touching him or her during clinical examination, it observed. At the same time, genuine cases of misbehaviour by doctors overstepping their limits cannot be ignored, the court added.

DELHI HC SEEKS CENTRE’S REPLY ON JOURNALIST ANGAD SINGH’S PLEA

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought the Centre’s stand on the alleged “blacklisting” of an American journalist who was earlier denied entry into the country in spite of being an OCI card holder. Counsel for journalist Angad Singh told the court that they got to know about the “blacklisting” only after the Centre filed its response to his plea challenging the entry refusal. The court allowed the petitioner, who produces documentaries for Vice News with a focus on Asia, to also assail his “blacklisting” in ongoing proceedings.

Environment Minister lauds Indo-Danish Green Strategic tie-up

First India Bureau

New Delhi: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Tuesday that the Indo-Danish Green Strategic Partnership is an appropriate forum to exchange ideas, best practices, knowledge, technology, capacity building for promoting sustainable lifestyles including LiFE, not only in Denmark and India, but for Europe and the whole world.

At The India – Denmark: Partners for Green and Sustainable Progress Conference here on Tuesday, Yadav said that since the launch of the “Green Strategic Partnership” during the Virtual Summit on 28 September 2020 between PM of Denmark Mette Frederiksen and PM Modi, the bilateral cooperation is focussed on promoting green and sustainable development.

He said that during

the visit of PM Modi to Denmark in May last year, India and Denmark agreed to further strengthen the Green Strategic Partnership with a focus on green hydrogen, renewable energy and waste water management. He said that Green Strategic Partnership between the Denmark and India opened a new chapter in the friendly and cooperative relations between the countries.

FTA to be a game changer”

New Delhi (PTI): India expects its proposed free trade agreement with the European Union to be a “gamechanger” and is looking forward to a mutually advantageous conclusion to the negotiation process for the pact within a “short planned timeline”, EAM S Jaishankar said on Tuesday.

At an event of the Confederation of Indian

Industry, Jaishankar also said that Europe and India can strengthen each other’s strategic autonomy by reducing

dependencies, cooperating on critical technologies and ensuring supply-chain restructuring.

“We expect the IndiaEU FTA will be a gamechanger for the IndiaEU relationship. We look forward to a mutually beneficial, mutually advantageous conclusion to the negotiation process within a reasonably short planned timeline,” he said.

“India-EU

Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik Andre Henrik Christian and Crown Princess Mary Elizabeth with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Union Ministers Bhupender Yadav, Prahlad Singh Patel and others during the ‘India-Denmark: Partners for Green and Sustainable Progress’ conference, in New Delhi, on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY PTI

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar at the inauguration of the ‘Centre for Innovation’, at IIT Madras, in Chennai on Tuesday. His wife Sudesh Dhankhar is also seen. —PHOTO BY ANI

Jaishankar with Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky.

MURDER OF FORMER ODISHA MINISTER NABA DAS

DELHI EXCISE POLICY

BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi addressing media.

INQUIRY INTO DELHI EXCISE SCAM SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO PUNJAB”

BJP supporters protest in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY ANI

Cong’s Karan Singh calls for assembly polls to restore popular govt in J&K

Veteran Congress leader Karan Singh

bans use of plastic bottles in govt offices

‘CONG TO TAKE BJP HEAD-ON IN ASSEMBLY, LOK SABHA POLLS’

Our victory will set tone for the general elections next year: Party spokesperson Shrinate

New Delhi (Agencies):

Congress on Tuesday said that the party has firmly resolved to take on BJP in the upcoming state elections and the General elections. While asserting that it has taken three big moves post 2019 Lok Sabha polls, including Bharat Jodo Yatra, the party took credit for the scrapping of the farm laws and non-implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

In a press conference, party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, “The third big work the party has done is electing a party president who rose from the block level to this position.”

Since 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party has consistently and concertedly taken a series of steps to ensure institutional reforms within the party to strengthen ourselves and in turn to

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate. —FILE PHOTO

combat a brutal authoritarian regime, she said. It said that the Congress is combative on the street on issues of people. “We have repeatedly taken to streets against the CAA, we have taken to streets against antifarmers laws, we have taken to streets against the alarmingly high level

of unemployment, we have taken to streets against back breaking high prices. And each time we have taken to the streets – our leaders have faced the agencies –which have become puppets of the government and the brutal police force.” Shrinate said, “The upcoming state

False and baseless charges: Sisodia in resignation letter

CONG CONTINUES ATTACK, DIRECTS

3 MORE QUESTIONS TO PM MODI

the party’s “Hum Adani ke Hain Kaun” series, Cong gen secretary Jairam Ramesh said in its January 29 response to “serious allegations” against Gautam Adani’s elder brother Vinod Adani, the Adani Group had tried to distance itself stating that he does not hold any managerial position in any Adani listed entities or their subsidiaries and has no role in their day-to-day affairs.

Centre asks states to spruce up healthcare facilities as temperatures rise

Arvind Kejriwal Manish Sisodia

New Delhi (PTI): AAP leader Manish Sisodia, in his letter of resignation from the Delhi Cabinet, alleged that a conspiracy has been hatched against him based on false and baseless charges and asserted that truth will emerge.

elections in Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana –will be fought with vigour and our victory will set the tone for the general elections next year.”

She said the plenary of the Congress with a Haath Se Haath Jodoa? as its central theme has

not just laid the ground for significant organisational changes which ensure a 50% reservation across all posts for SC, ST, OBC, Minorities and women, but will also ensure a more young and agile party with 50% of all posts to be filled in by people under the age of 50 years.

Sisodia asserted that he worked with utmost honesty and has the blessings of lakhs of children and love of their parents.

“The biggest thing is that I have the blessings of thousands of teachers who were involved in ushering the education revolution

in Delhi. The truth regarding the allegations levelled against me will emerge and it will be proved that these are false.

“These allegations are nothing but a conspiracy by those who are scared of Arvind Kejriwal’s politics of truth. I am not their target but their target is AAP. This is because not only Delhi but the entire country is seeing you as a leader with a vision for the nation and implementation of that vision could bring huge changes in the people’s lives,” he said.

New Delhi: The Centre has said that daily surveillance on heat-related illnesses under National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health (NPCCHH) in all states and districts will be conducted on Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) from March 1.

The move follows a rise in temperature that has already touched unusual high at some places in the country and substantial deviations from expected normal temperatures for this time of the year.

In a letter to the Chief Secretary of states and UTs, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan has asked them to ensure that all the health facilities participate using existing P-form level login information and continue to keep line lists of cases and deaths as per the prescribed formats.

THREE

SCHOOL BOYS DIE AFTER BEING HIT BY SPEEDING CAR IN TAMIL NADU

Chennai (Agencies): Three school students riding two bicycles on Tuesday were hit by a speeding SUV at Valaymaptu village near Vaniyambadi in Tirupattur district of Tamil Nadu, police said. The three boys identified as S. Rafiq and two siblings, R. Vijay and R. Suriya, who were in their bicycles died on the spot. All the deceased studied in Class 8. While the brothers, Suriya and Vijay were riding the same bicycle, Rafiq was in another bicycle.

STUDENT JUMPS FROM 7-STOREY BUILDING, DIES

Bidar (Agencies): A 22-year-old MBBS student committed suicide by jumping off a 7-storey building in Bidar district of Karnataka on Tuesday. The deceased has been identified as Srirama Kadagi. As per police, Srirama was a final-year medicine student at the Bidar Institute of Medical Sciences (BRIMS). He was residing at the BRIMS hostel and committed suicide in the morning.

Army personnel pushed from moving train

NCGG holds joint sessions to facilitate knowledge

Aizawl to host 2nd B20 event from March 1-3

Lucknow faces crisis as Gomti water level drops

FOUR HELD FOR ACCEPTING BETS ON PSL IN PANAJI

Panaji (Agencies): Goa police has arrested four persons all residents of Delhi for allegedly accepting bets for Pakistan Super League (PSL) cricket match, in Panaji. North Goa Superintendent of Police Nidhin Valsan said that on receiving information about the betting for cricket match, they conducted raid at one villa in Anjuna, North Goa and arrested four people on February 26.

Hoshiarpur (PTI): An Army personnel was seriously injured after he was pushed from a moving train by three unidentified people when he resisted their attempt to snatch his bag, police said. The incident took place in the early hours of Tuesday when the Shalimar Express was passing Darapur by-pass Tanda here on the Jalandhar-Jammu rail track. The army personnel was travelling to Jammu from Ambala, police said.

New Delhi (Agencies): Two capacity-building programmes for the civil servants of Bangladesh and Arunachal Pradesh commenced at the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), Mussoorie campus. NCGG organised joint sessions to facilitate

knowledge and experience sharing. NCGG is dedicated to promoting collaboration & learning among civil servants in India and neighbouring countries, in line with the ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ philosophy espoused by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

NPCL takes steps towards sustainability with EV adoption

The company will use electrical vehicles for business operations

New Delhi (Agencies): Aizawl will host the second of four B20 India events scheduled from from March 1-3, 2023, in the Northeast. Business 20 (B20) is the official G20 dialogue forum for the global business community. As one of the most noticeable Engagement Groups of the G20, B20 represents the G20 business community and mobilises views of global business leaders on global economic and trade governance.

Early onset of summer has led to a drop in the water level of Gomti river to 1.4 feet below the normal 346.7 feet due to the extreme weather. No winter rains and unusually high temperatures in February are being cited as reasons.

According to officials, the normal level is the “intake point” below which the Jal Sansthan pumping station at Gaughat water works cannot draw water to supply it to many

Multimedia Expo on Int’l Year of Millets held in Panaji

Mumbai (Agencies):

SON

PAYS `1 CR TO CONTRACT KILLERS TO GET FATHER KILLED IN BENGALURU

Bengaluru (Agencies): Karnataka Police said on Tuesday that it has cracked the murder case of a 71-year-old man in Bengaluru and arrested his son and two contract killers in connection to the crime. Investigations have revealed that the victim’s son, Manikantha (30), had hired the contract killers by paying them a sum of Rs 1 crore. The two other accused were identified as T. Adarsha (26) and Shivakumar (24).

Greater Noida (Agencies): Noida Power Company Limited has introduced a new independent cell called “Sustainability and Clean Energy” to ensure sustainable business growth in an environmentally friendly manner.

The company has already identified various areas for action to expand its footprint with-

in the ESG framework.

The adoption of electric vehicles for commercial purposes is one of the key goals of the “Sustainability and Clean Energy” cell in order to reduce the

company’s carbon footprint. Towards this endeavour, the company purchased two electric vehicles as replacements for older diesel vehicles that had reached their useful life.

FASTEST 5G ROLLOUT

lll

Akash said, it will make our cities smarter, society safer, utilities more stable, emergency services more responsive, industry more efficient

New Delhi (Agencies): Reliance Jio has launched True 5G service in 277 cities across the country and is on the path to achieve the declared goal to increase the Jio 5G footprint to cover every town, taluka and tehsil across the country by December this year, Akash Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, said on Tuesday.

North Goa SP, Nidhin Valsan during the exhibition.

clusion in daily diets. ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute have also set up a stall at the event where visitors can interact with subject experts on millets and see live samples of the same.

areas of the Old city. Sources said that the situation may lead to a drinking water crisis in the state capital, if the river is not provided fresh supply from Sharda canal by the irrigation department in the next six days.

5 children die of respiratory infections in Kolkata

Central Bureau of Communication, Goa has organized a Multimedia exhibition on International Year of Millets at the Kadamba Transport Corporation Bus stand in Panaji. The exhibition was inaugurated by North Goa Superintendent of Police (SP), Nidhin Valsan today. Open to public till 3rd March, the exhibition aims to educate visitors about the importance of millets and encourage their inGomti river —FILE PHOTO

Kolkata (Agencies): Five children have died in West Bengal due to respiratory infections in different hospitals in the city in the last 24 hours fuelling fears of growing incidences of Adenovirus in the state, a health department official said. Doctors are, unsure whether the deaths were due to the infection. In children, Adenovirus usually cause infections in the respiratory and intestinal tracts.

Reliance Jio to bring 5G to every Indian city by Dec 2023: Akash Ambani

IMPACT OF 5G ON INDIA’S GROWING ECONOMY IS IMMENSE, SAYS AKASH

“The impact on 5G that will have on India’s growing economy is immense. There is no other technology that has given us various growth sectors like 5G has as a rapidly growing and emerging economy. India’s uniquely positioned to

est

5G rollout. Jio has deployed “more than 40,000 sites and nearly

take lead in the use of 5G technology for the betterment of society and livelihood of over 140 crore Indians,” Ambani said adding that the healthcare sector is poised to be among the most significant beneficiaries of 5G technology.

in the

net-

New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Tuesday alleged that Gautam Adani’s elder brother Vinod Adani has a “central role” in the Adani Group and asked whether India’s “allpowerful agencies” will investigate allegations of “round-tripping and money-laundering” by offshore shell companies connected to their family. Posing a set of 3 questions to PM Narendra Modi as part of

CRUCIAL READ

Lucknow (Agencies):

Commodity Price Change % Chg GOLD 55,550.00 110.00 0.19 (Per 10g) SILVER 63,000.00 550.00 0.87 (Per 1kg) COMMODITIES Currency Price Change % Chg USDINR 82.64 0.15 0.18 GBPINR 99.81 0.62 0.62 CURRENCIES *Rates till the edition went to print.

MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2023 07

ACC TO GOVT DATA

BRIEFS

Dip in manufacturing pulls down Q3 growth to 4.4%

Barcelona: Bharti Airtel is looking to raise mobile phone call and data rates across all plans this year, telecom firm’s Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said. The company last month increased the price of its minimum recharge or the entry-level for the 28-day mobile phone service plan by about 57% to Rs 155 in eight circles. He said the return on capital in the telecom business is very low and a tariff hike is expected this year. “It (tariff hike) will happen across the board,” Mittal said. —PTI

April-January fiscal deficit at 67.8% of revised FY23 aim

New Delhi (PTI): India’s economic growth decelerated to 4.4% in the OctoberDecember quarter of this fiscal mainly due to a contraction in the manufacturing sector.

The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth was 11.2% in October-December 2021 and 6.3% in JulySeptember 2022, showed the data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) on Tuesday.

The manufacturing sector’s output, as per the gross value added in the third quarter of this fiscal, contracted by 1.1% compared to a growth of 1.3% in the year-ago period.

The NSO also released the second advance estimate for the current fiscal and maintained its growth projection of 7% as was estimated in the first advance estimate which was released in January.

New Delhi: Gold price fell by `110 to `55,550 per 10 gram in the national capital on Tuesday amid a fall in global rates of the precious metal, according to HDFC Securities. In the previous trade, the yellow metal had closed at `55,660 per 10 gram. Silver also slumped by `550 to `63,000/kg. “Spot gold prices in the Delhi markets traded at `55,550 per 10 gram, down `110 per 10 gram,” said Saumil Gandhi, Senior AnalystCommodities at HDFC Securities. —PTI

MIZORAM TO HOST G20 MEETING FROM MARCH 01, CM SAYS

TOP TALKING POINTS

z The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth was 11.2% in October-December 2021 and 6.3% in July-September 2022, showed the data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) on Tuesday

z The NSO also released the second advance estimate for the current fiscal and maintained its growth projection of 7%

z The manufacturing sector’s output, as per the gross value added in the third quarter of this fiscal, contracted by 1.1%

real GDP during 2022-23 is estimated at 7.0% as compared to 9.1% in 2021-22,” the NSO said.

The NSO revised upward the GDP growth for 2021-22 to 9.1% from 8.7% estimated earlier.

New Delhi (PTI): The central government's fiscal deficit touched 67.8% of the full-year target at the end of January due to higher expenses and lower revenue realisations, according to official data released on Tuesday.

In actual terms, the fiscal deficit or gap between the expenditure and revenue collection during April-January period stood at ` 11.9 lakh crore, as per the data from the CGA.

The fiscal deficit in the comparable period of 202122 was 58.9% of that year's Revised Estimate (RE) in the Budget.

For the full year 2022-23, the government expects the deficit at ` 17.55 lakh crore or 6.4% of the GDP.

DATA IN NUMBERS

z The fiscal deficit or gap between the expenditure and revenue collection during April-January period stood at Rs 11.9 lakh crore, as per the data from the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) z The fiscal deficit in the comparable period of 202122 was 58.9% of that year’s RE in the Budget

The CGA data showed that the net tax collection in the first 10 months of this fiscal was ` 16,88,710 crore or 80.9% of the RE 2022-23. In the comparable period last financial year, the collection stood at 87.7% of the RE 2021-22.

“GDP at Constant (201112) Prices in Q3 2022-23 is estimated at ` 40.19 lakh crore, as against ` 38.51 lakh crore in Q3 2021-22, showing a growth of 4.4%.

GDP at Current Prices in

OTHER STORIES

Q3 2022-23 is estimated at `69.38 lakh crore, as against `62.39 lakh crore in Q3 202122, showing a growth of 11.2%,” the NSO statement said.

“Real GDP or GDP at

SBI ENTERS SOCIAL LOAN MARKET; RAISES $1 BILLION FROM OVERSEAS MARKETS

Mumbai: State Bank of India on Tuesday said it has concluded a landmark $1 billion syndicated social loan, making it the largest ESG loan raised by a commercial bank in the Asia Pacific market. In a statement, the bank said the loan is of $500 million of primary issue and an equal amount in greenshoe option. It is also the maiden such issuance from the nation’s largest lender. The deal is the largest ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) loan by a commercial bank in the Asia Pacific and the second largest social loan globally, it added. —PTI

BIOMASS MKT IN INDIA IS EXPECTED TO REACH

Aizawl: Mizoram will host a G20 meeting here from March 01 to March 03, where business delegates and diplomats from across the world are expected to participate, CM Zoramthanga said on Tuesday. Around 85 local startups will also take part in the event at the Mizoram University (MZU) on the western outskirts of Aizawl, he said. “The G20 meeting will bring together several policymakers, business leaders, along with representatives of multilateral organisations,” Zoramthanga said. India assumed the G20 Presidency on Dec 1, 2022. —PTI

HDFC, PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK

HIKE LENDING RATES

`32,000 CRORE BY

FY31

New Delhi: Biomass market in India is expected to reach `32,000 crore by FY2030-31 piggybacking on government schemes as well as investments from global green energy companies, according to a report. The launch of new schemes in the support of biomass cogeneration projects is playing a crucial role in the capacity additions of small biogas plants located in remote and rural parts of India, the report said. The Indian biomass market is attracting investments from global green energy companies. —PTI

STATES BORROW A RECORD `32,800 CRORE, COST JUMPS BY 7 BPS

Mumbai: Despite near 60% more supplies, the states continued to pay more for their market borrowing with the average bond pricing rising by 7 basis points to a multi-week high of 7.68% at the weekly auction on Tuesday. For the past many weeks, the yields were more or less stagnant and so was the debt-raising. Fourteen states raised a record-high `32,800 crore from the market by issuing state government securities (SGS), which is a sharp 59% higher than the year-ago level, ICRA said in a report. —PTI

Constant (2011-12) Prices in the year 2022-23 is estimated at `159.71 lakh crore, as against the First Revised Estimates of GDP for the year 2021-22 of ` 149.26 lakh crore. The growth in

Core sector output rise by 7.8% in Jan

New Delhi (PTI): Production of eight infrastructure sectors expanded at a fourmonth high of 7.8% in January 2023 on better show by coal, fertiliser, steel and electricity segments, according to official data released on Tuesday.

Barring crude oil, all the eight segments posted an increase in production. Crude oil output contracted by 1.1% in January.

The growth rate of eight infrastructure sectors — coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity — stood at 7.9% in April-January this fiscal as against 11.6% during the same period last fiscal.

The national accounts data showed that the farm sector gross value added (GVA) has grown by 3.7% in the third quarter compared to a growth of 2.2% a year ago.

The mining and quarrying sector grew at 3.7% compared to 5.4% a year ago.

‘Growth projection of 7% for FY23 very realistic’

India to be global skills hub ‘very soon’

New Delhi (PTI): India will soon be the global skills hub, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Tuesday, underlining the importance of investment in education and skill development to ensure people have the knowledge and required capabilities to capture opportunities.

New Delhi (PTI): Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran on Tuesday said India needs to grow at 5-5.1% in the March quarter to achieve 7% real GDP growth rate for the full financial year.

According to him, there are enough signs that manufacturing is in good health, but India has to be prepared to deal with El Nino and weather-related uncertainties.

“... The growth rate that

INDIA'S PV SALES TO GROW 9-10% IN 2024

New Delhi: Housing finance major HDFC and state-run Punjab National Bank on Tuesday announced up to 25 basis points increase in their lending interest rates. The revised rates would be effective from March 1. Mortgage lender HDFC has increased its retail prime lending rate by 25 basis points to a minimum of 9.20%. The second-biggest public sector lender, PNB, increased its MCLR by 10 basis points across all tenure. —PTI

New Delhi (FIB): India’s passenger vehicle sales are expected to grow about 9%10% in the next fiscal, around 20% above pre-pandemic peak levels, owing to strong demand and easing chip shortages in the world’s fourth-largest car market, ratings agency Crisil said on Tuesday.

in

z SUVs are expected to nearly double their share in overall domestic sales to roughly 55% in fiscal 2024 from about 28% in fiscal 2018

z As per report, operating margins are expected to improve to 9%-10% next fiscal from 8.0-8.5 percent this fiscal

we need to achieve in the fourth quarter is roughly at 5-5.1% to be able to hit a 7% real GDP growth.

“The trends that we have in terms of high frequency data for 2022-23 for fourth quarter do indicate that achieving that growth rate in Q4 is well within the realm of possibility and therefore the 7% real GDP growth estimate for 2022-23 is very realistic,” Nageswaran told reporters.

In the current fiscal, the Indian economy grew 19.5% and 23.9% in June & Sept quarters, respectively.

Pradhan said investments in education and skill development of “our people are imperative to ensure that they have required knowledge and capabilities to succeed in 21st century. India will be the skill hub of the global economy. It is already there and I see a lot of growth in hospitality industry.”

Stock markets end lower for 8th day on the trot

Mumbai (PTI): Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty continued their slide for the eighth straight day on Tuesday due to selling in oil & gas, pharma and banking stocks amid worries over further interest rate hikes.

Paring its early gains, the BSE Sensex declined by 326.23 points or 0.55% to settle at a four-month low of 58,962.12. During the day, it dropped 492.38 points or 0.83% to 58,795.97.

` GAINS 15 PAISE TO CLOSE AT 82.64/$

improve to 9%-

2018. Operating margins are expected

The NSE Nifty dipped 88.75 points or 0.51% to end at more than four-month low of 17,303.95.

New Delhi (PTI): The rupee appreciated by 15 paise to close at 82.64 (provisional) against the US dollar on Tuesday. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local unit opened at 82.69 against the American currency and finally settled at 82.64 (provisional) against the greenback, registering a gain of 15 paise over its previous close of 82.79.

He also said the growth forecast of 7% is “very realistic”.

You hold the power to change whatever you want in your life, within a year, month, a day- this very instant- so feel that power and colour the canvas of your life.

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

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

Change Shiv Sena chief whip for Legislative Council: Shinde

Currently, Shiv Sena - UBT MLC

Marathi will never die, says poet Naigaonkar

Mumbai BJP chief seeks inquiry into MVA’s

liquor

policy

First India Bureau

Anil

Parab is the party’s chief whip in the House

First India Bureau

Mumbai: In an apparent move to further corner the faction led by former CM Uddhav Thackeray, Chief Min ister Eknath Shinde has sought that Vi plove Bajoria replace Shiv Sena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray

(UBT) MLC Anil Par ab as the Shiv Sena's chief whip in the Up per House. Shinde wrote to state Legisla tive Council's deputy

chairperson Neelam Gorhe, who is part of the Thackeray camp, with his demand. The Budget session of the Maharashtra legislature began on Monday.

Amid the high voltage political and legal battle between the two factions, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar last week said he had not received representation

from any group claiming to be a separate party in the Lower House. He said that there is only one Shiv Sena with 55 MLAs which is led by Shinde and legislator Bharat Gogawale has been recognised as its chief whip. Bharat Gogawale, the Shiv Sena's chief whip in the state Assembly, on Sunday evening directed “all” Sena MLAs to “remain present fulltime during the Budget session”, adding, “If

any legislator does not follow it, he/she will face action.” The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Shinde bloc in the state currently does not have a majority in the Upper House.

“We have given a letter asking the Legislative Council's deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe to appoint Viplove Bajoria as the Shiv Sena’s chief whip in the House. Gorhe will have to accept it. Shinde is the

We have given a letter asking the Legis lative Council's deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe to appoint Viplove Bajoria as the Shiv Sena’s chief whip in the House. Gorhe will have to accept it. Shinde is the Shiv Sena leader and accepting his letter to change the chief whip is the precedent.

Bill Gates, RBI Guv talk fin inclusion and microfinance

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates on Tuesday met Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das and discussed various issues including financial inclusion, payment systems, microfinance and digital lending among others.

“Mr.@BillGates visited RBI Mumbai today and held wide ranging discussions with Governor @DasShaktikanta #RBI #rbitoday #rbigovernor #shaktikantadas #BillGates," RBI said in a tweet.

The Gates Foundation pursues a lot of activity in India including the promotion of financial inclusion, the health sector and climate change. Billionaire businessman Gates is also engaged in large-scale philanthropy activities.

“Had an excellent meeting with @BillGates on financial inclusion, payment systems, microfinance and digital lending, etc,” Das said in another tweet.

In a recent article, Gates had said climate

change and global health are inextricably linked. “Hotter temperatures will make poverty reduction harder by increasing food insecurity and the prevalence of infectious diseases and diverting resources away from those who need them the most. It's a vicious cycle,” he had said.

“The poorer a community is, the more vulnerable it is to climate change. And the more impacted a community is by extreme weather events, the more entrenched in poverty it becomes. To break the cycle, we need to make progress on both problems at the same time,” he added.

Shiv Sena leader and accepting his letter to change the chief whip is the precedent,” Gogawale said on Tuesday.

Notably, during a hearing in the Supreme Court last week, senior advocate NK Kaul who appeared for the Shinde-led group assured the SC bench that it would not take steps like issuing whip or initiation of dis-

FIR registered in Latur against Telangana MLA

Latur (PTI): Police have registered a case against suspended BJP leader and MLA for Goshamahal constituency in Telangana’s Hyderabad, T Raja Singh for alleged hate speech in Latur city, an official said on Tuesday.

Raja has been accused of delivering an inflammatory speech to create communal tension, at an event on February 19, the official said.

Various organizations had urged the Latur superintendent of police to take action against Raja, warning of a protest if their demand was not met, said the official.

He said the Shivaji Nagar police station in the city on Monday booked MLA T Raja Singh under Indian Penal Code section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence and language).

In August, Raja was

Ashok Naigaonkar. —FILE PHOTO

Thane (PTI): Renowned Marathi poet Ashok Naigaonkar has said Marathi has spread worldwide and it would never become extinct as some people fear. Naigaonkar, known for poems infused with humour and sarcasm, was presiding over a Kavi Sammelan (poets’ meet) on Marathi Bhasha Gaurav Din (Marathi language pride day) here on Monday. He finds an audience even in foreign countries, including in the United States, he said.

“When I look at them, I feel proud and I am convinced that the Marathi language will never die and it has spread all over the world,” he said.

Mumbai: Alleging corruption, the city BJP President Ashish Shelar has demanded an investigation into the liquor policy of the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. This comes after the recent arrest of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in an alleged liquor scam case.

While speaking to the media, Shelar said that the manner in which Sisodia is charged with extortion in the case, the same was being done during the period of the then MVA government in the state.

Speaking further, he mentioned the incentives given by the then regime headed by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to the liquor manufacturers, tax exemptions to foreign liquors, licence fees concessions to bars-pubs and permitting the sale of wine through shops and supermarkets as cause for concern.

"Are the threads of the CBI Delhi probe extending till Maharashtra? In Maharashtra, will the file of the concessions bounty granted be opened? Is that

COURTESY VISIT

Shelar said the MVA govt gave tax exemptions for foreign liquor, gave fee concessions to bars/pubs and permited wine to be sold at supermarkets

why (Delhi Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal came for a visit? The then Thackeray government of alcoholics under suspicion," Shelar said in a tweet.

In January 2022, the then-MVA government had come out with a new liquor policy, which among other things, permitted the sale of wines through neighbourhood shops and supermarkets, which kicked up a huge political row.

arrested in Telangana for his alleged remarks against Islam and Prophet Mohammed, prompting the BJP to suspend him from the party. He had also raised vocal objections to the state government that had allowed stand-up comic Munawar Faruqui to perform a show in Hyderabad.

Master Blaster Sachin to get life-sized statue at Wankhede stadium

ANOTHER FEATHER lll

It was at this very venue that he won the World Cup with Team India in 2011; he also bid adieu to cricket at the same ground, with his landmark 200th Test against WI

Mumbai (PTI): In his own words, life has come full circle for Sachin Tendulkar, who is set to be honoured with a life-size statue at the Wankhede Stadium, the place where it all began for him. The cricket icon’s journey started here under childhood coach Ramakant Achrekar, and it was at this very venue that he won the World Cup with India in 2011. He also bid adieu to cricket at the same ground, by playing in his landmark 200th Test against the West Indies

in 2013. The statue is expected to be unveiled when he turns 50 on April 24.

“I started my cricketing journey representing Mumbai. India winning the World Cup in 2011 remains the biggest moment in my life. My last match representing India was very memorable, and that happened in Mumbai as well,” Tendulkar said.

“Life has come full circle for me at Wankhede, which has been witness to some very special moments. When the Mum-

bai Cricket Association suggested my statue at Wankhede, I was pleasantly surprised.

“I’ve always taken a lot of pride in representing Mumbai cricket, and my wonderful association with the MCA continues today as well. I’m very grateful to them for this kind gesture,” he added.

The announcement was earlier done by Mumbai Cricket Association president Amol Kale on the sidelines of Tendulkar’s visit to the Wankhede on Tuesday.

Ashish Shelar —FILE PHOTO

—Bharat Gogawale, Shiv Sena chief whip in the Assembly

Governor of Maharashtra Ramesh Bais, along with his wife Rambai Bais, called on President Droupadi Murmu, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday.

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates during a meeting in Mumbai on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY PTI

The Gates Foundation pursues a lot of activity in India including the promotion of financial inclusion, the health sector and climate change

T Raja Singh —FILE PHOTO

BJP leader is accused of giving ‘provocatory’ speech to create communal tension

FASHION EVOLVES THROUGH GENERATIONS AND TRENDS MAKE A COMEBACK ALL THE TIME! ONE SUCH TREND THAT THE WORLD OF FASHION WITNESSED WAS THAT OF THE ‘NEON’ COLOUR. CITY FIRST BRINGS TO YOU SOME COOLEST FASHION TRENDS OF ALL TIME!

UTTKARSHA SHEKHAR uttkarsha.shekhar@firstindia.co.in

This fashion sea son, neon col ours were seen on the runways and in stores throughout the world. This sea son, expect to see a lot of vivid pink, orange, blue, green, and yellow in re tailers. These vibrant col ours may be seen every

be scared to be noticed.

If you’re feeling bold and want to make a statement, go for the runway-inspired monotone fluorescent headto-toe look. Try a bright suit, a dress, or a fluorescent top paired with a skirt, shorts, or pants. We propose that you keep your shoes and accessories basic for this eye-catching style.

If you want to make a dramatic statement by mixing and matching different bright colours, the colour combinations must be perfect. Combining green and pink, pink and orange,

pink and blue, or yellow and blue is a good idea. You must select the proper bright colours to complement your skin tone. This season, combining neon with print is popular. Polka dots, animal prints, and checks look great with neons. Having two dominant aspects in your clothing will actually balance everything out.

If you want to experiment with neons but prefer a more subtle aesthetic, we recommend starting with one bright outfit. Pair your outfit with neutrals like denim, black, or white.

POWER OF SUPER INDIANS

City First brings to you glimpses from Super Indians event organised by Bharat24 and First India news channel and newspaper at hotel Radisson on Sunday. The event was held under the aegis of Dr Jagdeesh Chandra in which erstwhile Sirohi royal family scion Padma Shri Raghuvir Singh, Jodhpur divisional commissioner KC Meena, IG Jai Narayan Sher, collector Himanshu Gupta, former MP Badri Ram Jakhar, Chairman of Rajasthan State Human Rights Commission Justice Gopal Krishna Vyas and chairperson of the Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Sangeeta Beniwal were also present as special guest. During the event, Film actors Govinda and Manoj Tiwari graced the event with their presence.

Jagdeesh Chandra with Manoj Jagyasi, Jai Narayan Sher, KC Meena, Govinda, Ram Lal Chaudhary and Ram Lal Bishnoi Jagdeesh Chandra with Shyam Chhugani, Jai Narayan Sher, Govinda, KC Meena, Gopal Krishna Vyas, Laxmi Chhugani and Neha Chhugani

Jagdeesh Chandra with Himanshu, Badri and Mohini Devi

Jagdeesh Chandra with Himanshu, KC Meena and Jai Narayan Sher

Jagdeesh Chandra with Jai Narayan Sher, KC Meena, Pramod Kumar Tak, Govinda, Sangeeta Beniwal

Jagdeesh Chandra with Sangeeta Beniwal and Gopal Krishna Vyas

Jagdeesh Chandra with Manoj Jagyasi, Jai Narayan Sher, KC Meena, Govinda, Mayur Joshi and Sangeeta Beniwal Jadeesh Chandra with Raghuvir Singh Deora, Manoj Jagyasi, Jai Narayan Sher, KC Meena and Narayan Singh Manaklaw

Jagdeesh Chandra with Jai Narayan Sher, KC Meena, Govinda, Senu Sapera and team

Jagdeesh Chandra with Manoj Jagyasi, Jai Narayan Sher, KC Meena, Govinda, Neeraj Mathur, Sangeeta Beniwal, Jawed Siddiqui, Gopal Krishna Vyas and Vishal Mathur

Pratiyuksha, Jitesh Jangid and Mona Jangid Jagdeesh Chandra with Jai Narayan Sher, KC Meena, Govinda, Gyani Ram Malu, Jawed Siddiqui and a guest

Jagdeesh Chandra with Mohini, Badri, KC Meena, Narayanram Kali Rana and Govinda

Jagdeesh Chandra with Jai Narayan Sher, KC Meena, Munni Devi Godara, Govinda, Harshit and Sangeeta Beniwal

Jagdeesh Chandra with Jai Narayan Sher, KC Meena, Jinendra Shekhawat, Jawed Siddiqui and Sangeeta Beniwal

Jagdeesh Chandra with Rajiv, Jinendra Shekhawat, Manoj Jagyasi, Raghuvir Singh Deora, Jai Narayan Sher, KC Meena, Gyanendra Kumar Jain, Govinda, Sangeeta Beniwal and Gopal Krishna Vyas

Narayanram Kali Rana

Senu Sapera Jagdeesh Chandra with Rishabh Katta, Jai Narayan Sher, KC Meena, Govinda and Sangeeta Beniwal

Tripti,

Jagdeesh Chandra with Badri Ram Jakhar

Megha, Govinda, Gyanendra Kumar Jain and Suresh Chandra Buntolia

Jagdeesh Chandra with Jai Narayan Sher, KC Meena, Govinda, Mahendra Pratap Choudhary, Amit Choudhary and Sangeeta Beniwal

Narayan Singh Manaklaw, Sangeeta Beniwal, Tanuja Vyas and Gopal Krishna Vyas

Ranveer hits back at haters VANI THROWS A LIGHT ON THE INNER WORLD OF KIDS

Actor Ranveer Singh recently appeared in a TVC for a popular soft drink brand.

Singh’s last few releases, Cirkus, Jayeshbhai Jordaar and 83, failed to attract the audience to cinema halls. The ad shows Ranveer in an animal print blue tracksuit, acting funny while walking down the street. The ad opens with Ranveer saying as he walks down a street, “Kuch logo ko na mujhse badi problem hai (some people have a problem with me)."

He then gets to hear comments like “ye dekho ekdum jokar lagta hai (he looks like a joker)”, “khud ke paero pe thode hi na khada hua hai (he did not stand on his own feet)” and “aaj kal ke bachche attention ke liye faltu ka natak karte hain (today's generation do stupid things to catch attention.” As a father tells his son “entertainment koi real job thode hi hai, iske jaise mat ban (entertainment is not a real job, don't be like him)”, Ranveer stops the young boy and tells him, “Sabka sunne

Remarkably, Vani Tripathi Tikoo refers to kids as gurus in her debut work as an author. Why Can’t Elephants Be Red? Toddlers are better equipped to handle many situations that adults find difficult to handle. Due to their unrestricted imagination and freedom from training and preconceived ideas, children can answer a variety of doubts, and inquiries in their unique ways.

We recently got a chance to have an exclusive conversation with her regarding the same.

Speaking of the book and its unique name, Vani said, “This book is a two-fold journey, ‘Why Can’t Elephant’s Be Red?’ is the title of the book, and when I was working in the national school of drama, this was the last play I did.

In the world of the child, where he is not that good in studies but is brilliant in art.

One day in art class the child paints a red elephant, after which an art teacher gets a bit furious and he tells the child

that this is bitted too much and that elephants are only grey, black, or white. There is never a red elephant, so this leads to the child raging a polite but firm debate with the teacher saying

your elephant is black but why is it so tough for you to accept that your elephant can be red. So it’s all about the inner world of the child, so that’s why I choose this title. And the other journey was I had a 2 and

Samantha injured on sets of Citadel

Samantha Ruth Prabhu is currently shooting for her upcoming Hindi series Citadel with Varun Dhawan. The actress' character is reportedly said to be heavy on action and is going through training sessions as well. Now, she shared a glimpse of her wounded hands from the sets of Citadel. She took to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday to share a

glimpse of her bruised hands after shooting for some action sequences. She captioned her post ‘perks of action’. Going by the image, it looks like Samantha has suffered an injury to her hand as bloodstains can be seen in the picture. Her character will be seen doing a lot of action in the series.

A few days ago, Samantha Ruth Prabhu took to her Instagram story and shared a

SHAHID CONFIRMS FARZI SEASON 2

After the success of the first season of Shahid Kapoor's Farzi, the actor recently confirmed about the second season is in the works.

Recently, Shahid was seen attending an event in the city.

He confirmed that Farzi will have a sequel but it will take time to release. Following this, when asked if Farzi Season 2 was on the cards, Shahid replied, "Farzi season 2

I am sure hoga lekin in cheezon mein

waqt lagta hai - der do saal lagte hain kyunki show khatam hone ke baad ek saal lagta hai uso post-production main. Woh usko 35-40 languages mein dub karte hai aur 200 countries mein release karte hai. (I am sure there will be a Farzi

season 2, but these things take time. It takes one-and-ahalf to two years for post-production alone with the series being dubbed in 3540 languages and getting released in over 200 countries)."

half-year-old kid and for one and a half years she was away from me during the pandemic because I was nursing my mother in Delhi and she was with my in-laws in Singapore. So these 12 stories of the book describe each character of the family who looked after her every day and kept her happy.” Talking about what made her choose this particular topic she stated, “I want to rage a debate with this book, with the lack of realistic writing for children. Mostly we do it all about fairy tales, kingdoms, and princesses which have nothing to do with the real life of children. So the place where I did theatre, the first rule for the kids was no fantasy so that the imaginative capacity of the child is never a kingdom and a palace. And

that is something we have forgotten, and in our minds, the fairytale syndrome becomes very important and I completely disagree with it”. Opening on her journey of writing the book, Vani said, “Yes, this was a very emotional journey. As I said, I was writ-

ing it during the pandemic time, all alone with my mother being the sole caregiver, and actually, this book kept me from having a horrible meltdown. So the two hours between 9 and 11 in the morning that I used to allot to writing were also what saved me at the end of

the day. I was also writing this book because I was taking a virtual journey of realistic real-life situations involving my child. I was far away from her due to the lockdown. We couldn’t see each other physically. So this journey was a very personal journey that I pinned down, simply put. I probably was making up for the last time in 1.5 years. I left her at 2.5 and almost met her when she was 4 years old. So yes, there is a deep journey involved in the writing of this book.”

Speaking of what makes this book so special, “This book is special because it is something which connects me to my past. My work with children and exploration, my fight with the present education system where the children are caged into these boxes. So if this gets the love from the audience more authors will get empowered to write something realistic rather than writing fairy tales. Another part can be an exploration of the pressure in children’s life. One main thing which I want to say with this book is that we are so busy growing up that we forget our childhood and that is where the complication starts,” she concluded.

Alaya F Breaks INTERNET

Summer is almost here, which means beaches, lounging outside on a windy summer day, drinking icy-cool drinks and chilling by the sea or pool in a bikini or swimsuit. And it seems, for one Bollywood actor, the hot season vibes have already begun. On Monday, Alaya dropped her sexy pictures posing in a bikini and showing off her toned belly, midriff, and cleavage.

The actress looked super-hot sitting on a table and striking sensuous poses.

Taking to her Instagram handle, the Jawaani Jaaneman actress posted her of photos and wrote in the caption, “Got all the stomach pics before the pizza ar-

The photoshoot shows Alaya posing on a table by the pool while flaunting her toned abs and stylish bikini set. The star looked ready for the summer season and a beach holiday in the multicoloured swimsuit, perfect for glamming up your vacation wardrobe.

Shahid Kapoor

Alaya F

Samantha Ruth Prabhu

Her post...

Vani Tripathi Tikoo

(L-R) Arvind Tiku, Trisha Niyogi, Paresh Rawal, Smriti Irani, Vani Tripathi Tikoo and Dr Ramesh Gaur

Ranveer Singh

Her story...