First India-Mumbai Edition-3rd March 2023

Narendra Modi, the only Prime Minister who visited the NE region over 50 times

Moni Sharma

New Delhi: The BJP has scored a perfect three in the latest round of polls in three northeastern states on Thursday. Tripura and Nagaland under its belt, with the help of allies, efforts are on to form government in Meghalaya after renewing its tie-up with Conrad Sangma.

In the evening, PM Narendra Modi addressed BJP workers after the party managed to secure big win in Nagaland and Tripura Assembly elections. PM Modi said that the poll result showed a huge change in northeast. He added that the northeastern states are now “na Dilli se door, na dil se door’.

“In past years, BJP has witnessed several such occasions. Today, we got another such occasion. I am thankful to people of Tripura, Meghalaya, and Nagaland. People of these states have given full support to BJP and its allies,” Modi said. P5

TRIPURA, MEGHALAYA, NAGALAND ASSEMBLY ELECTION RESULTS

‘STAR’ MODI ‘SHINES’ IN NE!

BJP gets 3 out of 3: Keeps Nagaland, Tripura; reunites with Meghalaya ally

Na Dilli se door, na dil se door: PM Modi after the BJP wins big in NE

FLASHLIGHTS IN HONOUR OF THE NORTHEASTERN PEOPLE

PM Narendra Modi thanked the hardworking party workers and requested them to open the flashlight of their mobile phones in honour of the people of the Northeast.

PM MODI SMILES AS GIORGIA MELONI CALLS HIM... ‘MOST

LOVED ONE OF ALL LEADERS’

z PM Modi holds talks with his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni

First India Bureau

New Delhi: As India and Italy celebrate the 75th anniversary of their bilateral relationship this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed his counterpart Giorgia Meloni on Thursday on her first visit to India to hold a bilateral meeting in New Delhi.

‘We are announcing establishment of ‘Start Up Bridge’ between India and Italy. India and Italy are working shoulder to shoulder in fighting terrorism and separatism,” said PM Modi after talks with Meloni. “In defence sector in India, opportunities for co-production and co-

z India should use G20 to help end Ukraine war, says Italy’s PM Meloni

z We are announcing ‘Start Up Bridge’ between India, Italy: PM

Country will further strengthen its relationship with Italy in the fields of renewable energy, hydrogen, IT, telecom, semiconductors and space. —Narendra Modi, PM We wanted to further boost this relation and this is the reason why we have decided to turn our partnership into a strategic partnership because we have very solid relationship. —Giorgia Meloni, Italian PM

MODI

z One Earth, One Family, One Future’ signals the need for unity of purpose as well as the unity of action

z No group can claim global leadership without listening to those most affected by its decisions

development are arising which can be beneficial for both countries. We have also decided to conduct regular joint exercise and training

courses,” he said. After holding bilateral meeting, Meloni praised PM Modi and called him the most loved one of all leaders. Full report on P6

‘Crisis is political, judiciary can’t be asked to adjudicate’

New Delhi (PTI): The

Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde’s faction on Thursday told the SC that constitutional issues arising out of the rift with the Uddhav Thackeray group fell within the realm of politics and that the judiciary cannot be asked to adjudicate the crisis.

Petitions facing court was “academic”, Salve said, submitting that Uddhav never faced floor test

Political different points, senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for CM Shinde and MLAs of his faction, said, adding that the court should not embark on “assumptions”.

“It would be extremely perilous for this court to embark on this journey. Thackeray (Ud-

dhav) resigns. Governor calls for a floor test for a sitting CM. Floor test doesn’t happen. How do you know who would have supported whom?

What if one of his coalition partners said, ‘Sorry, we don’t want to support you’? We don’t know…. And it’s not for us to decide as lawyers.

This is in the realm of politics. How can your lordships be invited to hazard that guess,” Salve told a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and also comprising Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha.The hearing will resume on March 14 after Holi vacation.

z Post World War global governance failed in both its mandates of preventing future wars, fostering international cooperation on issues of common interests

z India’s G20 Presidency has tried to give a voice to the Global South

z We should not allow issues that we cannot resolve together to come in the way of those we can

Today’s election result is a message to the nation and to world. It shows that in India, people trust democracy and democratic values. That democracy is thriving in India.

—Narendra Modi, PM

‘TRIVENI’

DRIVES BJP’S SUCCESS

1THE WORK OF THE BJP GOVERNMENTS

2 THE WORKING STYLE OF THE BJP

3 THE KARYAKARTAS OF SAFFRON PARTY

SANGMA CALLS HM FOR BACKUP

Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma called up HM Amit Shah to seek his help in securing another term after his NPP fell short of a majority in state elections. His request was met without delay.

‘MR CLEAN’ SAHA WINS SEAT, POSSIBLY A SECOND TERM AS THE CM OF TRIPURA

Manik Saha, tipped to be Tripura’s CM for a second term, defeated Congress’s Ashish Kumar Saha, by a margin of 1,257 votes from Town Bardowali despite detractors within his own party predicting a “tough time” for him in the prestigious constituency. From Saha joining the saffron party in 2016 to being made CM last year in a brand renewal exercise.

MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS

z As new-found friends

Left, Congress fail to impress, and a royal waits in wings, the saffron party is king in Tripura

z Nagaland’s second woman MLA Salhoutuonuo Kruse is an activist associated with women’s organisations

z Guiding BJP campaign before polls, steering it to

govt now, Himanta Biswa

Sarma is again man of the moment

z Nagaland gets its first two women MLAs in NDPP’s Hekani Jakhalu, Salhoutuonuo Kruse

z BJP and allies back in power in Northeastern states, focus shifts to government formation

A“historic day” for the Northeast. “It is evident again that for development and prosperity, BJP led by PM Narendra Modi is people’s preference.

—Amit Shah, Union Home Minister BJP’s success in the Northeast is due to Prime Minister Modi’s efforts to bring it into mainstream and policy decisions for its development.

—JP Nadda, BJP national president

RESULTS OF BYPOLLS IN 5 STATES

Countings of bypolls for Ramgarh in Jharkhand, Sagardighi in West Bengal, Erode East in TN and Kasba and Chinchwad in Maha held on Thursday. Congress won 3 seats, BJP 2, and BJP-backed AJSU 1, as votes were counted for bypolls held for 6 Assembly constituencies in 5 States. P5

PM, LoP, CJI’s panel to select CEC and Commissioners: SC

First India Bureau

New Delhi: A constitution bench of the Supreme Court on Thursday revamped the selection mechanism to appoint the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs), ruling that a panel comprising the Prime Minister, the LoP, and the CJI, shall appoint them until Parliament brings a law in this regard. In the absence of an LoP, the leader of the single largest party in Parliament will be included in the collegium to appoint the CEC and ECs, clarified the bench.

SEBI ASKED TO COOPERATE WITH THE EXPERTS PANEL

Top court seeks probe report from panel within 2 months

New Delhi: The SC on Thursday set up a six-member panel of experts headed by a retired top court judge to assess existing regulatory framework and make recommendations to strengthen it to protect investors in wake of Adani-Hindenburg saga. Panel constituted by SC will be headed by retired SC judge Abhay Manohar Sapre and will include OP Bhat, Justice JP Devdhar, KV Kamat, Nandan Nilekani and Somasekhar Sundaresan. A bench of CJI DY Chan drachud said panel will make an overall assessment, suggest measures to make investors aware and strengthen the existing regulatory measures for stock markets.

Gautam

Adani @gautam_adani

The Adani Group welcomes the order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court. It will bring finality in a time bound manner. Truth will prevail.

BJP loses Pune stronghold to Cong in bypoll

z Saffron party had held the Kasba Peth Assembly seat for a whopping 28 years

z Bypoll marks 1st face-off between ruling Shinde-BJP combine and MVA

First India Bureau

Pune: In a blow to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar has defeated the former’s nominee Hemant Rasane in the bypoll to the Kasba Peth Assembly seat in Pune district, which the saffron party had held for 28 years.

Girish Bapat, the current BJP MP from Pune, represented the

seat five times until 2019. In 2019, BJP’s Mukta Tilak won the Kasba Peth seat. She died after battling cancer in December 2022, necessitating the bypoll to the constituency, located in the old area of Pune city.

However, Thursday’s counting showed that

Dhangekar, who was supported by the Maha Vikas Aghadi comprising the Nationalist Congress Party, Congress and Shiv Sena —Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, managed to breach the BJP’s stronghold.

Dhangekar received 73,194 votes while Rasane got 62,244 votes.

The Congress’s win is significant, as it was the first direct contest between the ruling BJP-Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena combine and the MVA, since the government fell in June last year.

“This is the people’s victory. The day I filled the nomination form, people of Kasba Peth constituency decided to make me victorious,” said an elated Dhangekar, who was seen being carried by Congress workers on their shoulders outside the votes counting centre here after the result was declared.

BJP’s Rasane, while conceding defeat, said he as a candidate failed in this election and will introspect what went wrong and where.

SPEAKER SNUBS BUOYANT PATOLE

Speaker Rahul Narwekar snubbed Congress leader Nana Patole when the latter, through a Point of Information, told the House that his party (candidate Ravindra Dhangekar), had won the by-election to Kasba Assembly seat in Pune and demanded that the Chair to give the new member a place to sit. “You have been the speaker for 11 months. The Election Commission will inform the Legislative Assembly about the result and accordingly the new member will be given a place to sit,” Narwekar said.

Maha Congress chief Nana Patole looks on as party workers celebrate Ravindra Dhangekar's win, in Mumbai on Thursday.

—PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

PM Narendra Modi at the Ceremonial Reception of Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on Thursday.

SPEAKS

ADANI ROW

Prime Minister Narendra Modi being garlanded by BJP President J P Nadda and Union Minister Amit Shah during celebrations after the party’s good performance in Nagaland, Tripura and Meghalaya Assembly polls, at the BJP HQ in New Delhi on Thursday.

LOP Pawar’s ‘anti-Maha govt’ remark draws ire

language,” the BJP leader added.

A serious note should be taken of such comments, he also said, and demanded that action be taken against Pawar.

Deputy chairperson

Gorhe said a decision on the issue would be taken after March 08.

A day earlier, BJP leaders had moved a breach of privilege motion against Shiv Sena - Uddhav Balasaheb

Thackeray Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut for allegedly calling the “vidhimandal” (legislature) a “chormandal” (a body of thieves).

The Assembly Speaker also formed a committee to hear it.

jailed NCP leader Malik

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Refusing to withdraw his earlier remark calling the Opposition “anti-national”, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday specifically called jailed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former minister Nawab Malik “anti-national”. He also said that if calling an anti-national person an anti-national is a crime, then he would do it 50 times.

If I have committed a crime of calling an anti-national person an anti-national, then I will repeat it 50 times. I never called LOP in the Assembly Ajit Pawar or LOP in the Council Ambadas Danve as anti-nationals. However, they called our government anti-Maharashtra. How can we even tolerate it?

—Eknath Shinde, CM

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Alleging

that Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ajit Pawar had described the state government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as being anti-Maharashtra, the Bharatiya

Janata Party (BJP) moved a breach of privilege motion against him in the Maharashtra Legislative Council on Thursday.

BJP’s Pravin Darekar submitted the motion against the Nationalist Congress Party leader to deputy chairperson

Neelam Gorhe. On the eve of the Budget Session, Ajit Pawar had called the Shinde-led state government “anti-Maharashtra” for allowing big-ticket investment projects go out of the state.

“Pawar has insulted the government which

is formed by elected representatives. His words were: ‘We (the opposition) will not attend the high-tea invitation of anti-Maharashtra government’. Leader of Opposition in the Council (Ambadas Danve) was also sitting next to him,” Darekar said.

NAFED has bought 18,743 quintals of onions, Dy CM Fadnavis tells Assembly

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Days after farmers halted an auction at the Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), Asia’s largest onion market, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said that the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) has purchased 18,743 quintals of the key pantry staple from the market.

Fadnavis was replying in the Assembly to Nationalist Congress Party leader Chhagan Bhujbal’s demand that NAFED purchase onions

‘Everyone should know of traditional knowledge’

First India Bureau

Nagpur: Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, on Thursday said every Indian should have some basic awareness of the country’s traditional knowledge base.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Aryabhatta Astronomy Park at Kanholibara in Nagpur, he said: “Everyone should have at least some basic knowledge of what we have in our tradition, which can be gained through the education system as well as through general conversations between people.”

If Indians explored traditional knowledge bases, “many problems of the world can be solved with our solutions”, he said.

directly from farmers.

Growers in the state have raised concerns over the falling prices of the key kitchen staple in the wholesale market.

The per-kg price of onion came down to Rs2-4 on Monday at the

Lasalgaon APMC, prompting angry farmers to stop the auction of the kitchen staple.

Three farmer-producer organizations (FPOs) have been entrusted with the task of buying onions on behalf of NAFED, said Fadnavis.

NCP hails ruling on

appointment of

CEC, ECs by SC

Mumbai (PTI): The Nationalist Congress Party on Thursday hailed the Supreme Court’s ruling that the Chief Election Commissioner and election commissioners will be appointed by the President on the advice of a committee comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India. It was a landmark de-

The FPOs have already launched 10 procurement centres and have been told to open more on APMC premises, Fadnavis told the Lower House. He said NAFED has purchased 18,743 quintals of onions from the market.

Onion prices will stay low until the arrival of the long shelf life rabi or winter crop in the markets in mid-March, experts have said. There is a supply glut in the market which has led to farmers getting a pittance for the produce, they said.

Last month, a Solapur farmer earned a profit of Rs2.49 after selling 512kg onions.

“The high-tea invitation was from the government. Should we consider it an insult to all MLAs and MLCs who are part of this government? A person holding the post of Leader of Opposition should not have used such inappropriate

On the same day, LOP in the Legislative Council Ambadas Danve also moved a similar motion against CM Shinde for allegedly referring to Opposition legislators as “anti-national”.

Referring to the Opposition’s boycott of the customary pre-Session tea party, Shinde had said it had saved him from having tea with “anti-nationals”.

VOCAL PROTESTS

Malik has been in jail since his arrest last year in a moneylaundering case linked to the activities of Dawood Ibrahim.

“The information received indicates that NCP leader and former cabinet minister Nawab Malik had illegally purchased land allegedly linked

to Dawood, the main accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts. Dawood not only killed people here but also supported terrorism against India. How can anyone support those associated with him?” Shinde asked in the Upper House.

“Malik is indeed an anti-national and I will not withdraw my comments,” he added.

—PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

SENSITIVE ISSUE

Sanjay Raut’s comments should be seen in totality: Sharad Pawar

cision that will strengthen democracy as the entire nation looks up to the EC to conduct free and fair polls, NCP chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said.

As of now, Chief Election Commissioner and ECs are appointed in terms of Article 324 of the Constitution by the President on the recommendation of the Centre.

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Expressing reservations over the composition of the panel formed to hear the breach of privilege notice against Shiv Sena -Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Sanjay Raut, Nationalist Congress Party chief (NCP) Sharad Pawar on Thursday said the former’s comments should be seen in their “totality”.

Following the chaos that ensued in the wake

of Raut’s alleged comments equating the legislature with a “chormandal” (council of thieves), Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Wednesday set up a 15-member privileges committee of the House for 2023-24. Noting that the committee is being headed by BJP legislator Rahul Kul, Pawar—through a series of tweets—asked how one could expect justice if the complain-

MLA’s remark on NCP chief leads to short adjournment

ant is tasked with delivering justice. Members who demanded strict action against Raut are part of the privileges committee, added.

Notably, no one from the Sena - UBT has been included in the panel.

Terming Raut’s comments serious and an insult of the legislature, the Speaker had said he would conduct an inquiry and give his ruling on March 08.

Pawar pointed out that, previously, during the tenure of Vasantdada Patil, the Opposition had equated the government with “Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves”. He said such criticism of the state legislature is not acceptable. However, he added, the case needs to be handled sensitively and it is to be seen whether Raut’s comments referred to a particular group or the state legislature.

The members of the privileges committee should have been unbiased and senior legislators, said Pawar, adding that Raut is a senior member of the Rajya Sabha and consideration should be given to legal advice and constitutional provisions before taking any action in this matter.

Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra Assembly had to be adjourned briefly on Thursday after Nationalist Congress Party MLAs objected to an alleged disrespectful remark about their party chief Sharad Pawar by Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Ram Satpute.

Presiding officer Yogesh Sagar adjourned the House for 10 minutes amid NCP demands that Satpute apologize.

When the House resumed, Speaker Rahul Narvekar said he would go through the records and expunge the remarks, though NCP legislators continued to seek an apology.

The Speaker eventually asked Satpute to apologize, which the latter did.

Ajit Pawar poses for selfies with a fan outside Vidhan Bhavan on Thursday. —PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

‘If he is anti-national, I will call him anti-national’, CM on

LOP in the Legislative Assembly Ajit Pawar and Maha Vikas Aghadi MLAs protested against the state government over the hike in the price of LPG cylinders and other issues during the Budget Session, in Mumbai, on Thursday.

NCP chief expresses reservation over composition of breach of privilege committee

Sharad Pawar —FILE PHOTO

‘INAPPROPRIATE’

HC relief for govt staff who retired a day before pay hike

First India Bureau

Mumbai: In relief to more than 60 senior citizens, Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court has directed state chief secretary and principal secretary (finance department) to pay dues to government employees who retired on June 30.

As per the recommendations of the 6th pay commission, July 01 was fixed for the date of increment for all state and Central government employees, to maintain uniformity. The court had merged

petitions of over 60 state government employees who retired between 2015 and 2021, leading legal experts to point out that the order has made it clear that such issues need not even reach the court as courts have continually passed orders to this effect.

Details of the order, which was passed on February 16, were made available only recently.

In their twenty-threepage order, Justices San-

CRUCIAL READ

64-YEAR-OLD DIES AFTER CONSUMING WRONG MEDICINE, PHARMACIST HELD

Mumbai: The Bhoiwada police arrested a pharmacist for selling the wrong medicine which resulted in the death of a 64-year-old Parel man. The pharmacist was released on bail the same day. Janardan Doiphode, who was hospitalised at KEM hospital in Parel along with his 54-year-old wife, died on Saturday. The deceased’s wife was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday evening with instructions to monitor her health. Officials of the Food and Drugs Administration, Maharashtra, visited Bharatiya Generic Aushadhe after the FIR was filed and seized the whole batch of Methotrexate 7.5 and its order and sale invoices.

NERUL WARD REMOVES OVER

185 HUTMENTS

Navi Mumbai: NMMC’s

Anti-Encroachment Department demolished 185 huts and 3 structures in Nerul’s Sector 22, which was reserved for a park.

CIDCO had transferred the plot to NMMC for park development. The demolition was done with the help of 1 Pokalan machine, 2 JCBs and 2 dumpers, in the presence of ward officials, police and Encroachment Department staff. The Deputy Commissioner (Encroachment) of NMMC supervised the process.

Man held for raping child, dumping body after murder

First India Bureau

UPGRAD CHEATED BY TWO STAFFERS OF ` 12.76 CRORE

Mumbai: UpGrad Education pvt ltd, has filed a complaint of fraud against two of its senior executives for allegedly defrauding it of ₹12.76 crore. The accused sent bogus invoices to UpGrad’s finance department and fraudulently received the salaries of vendors and 102 teachers between September 2021 and November 2022. Varun Garg, President of Learning Experience at UpGrad, on Tuesday filed the complaint against the two accused.

COPS USE FRIEND TO LURE 26-YEAR-OLD IT ENGINEER DRIVER WHO INJURED COP

Mumbai: The Bandra police arrested a 26-year-old IT engineer, Sahil Abbas Ali, in connection with a hit-and-run case where a red Audi injured a constable on the Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL) early on Saturday morning. The police traced the car with the help of CCTV cameras at the BWSL. A police officer said, “We took the help of a friend of his, who requested him to come to the city on an urgent basis. When he arrived, we arrested him under Sections 279 and 337 of the Indian Penal Code, which deal with rash driving.”

MAN POSES AS UNION MEMBER TO EXTORT ` 1.2 LAKH

Mumbai: The police arrested a 23-year-old Khar Danda resident on Wednesday for extorting Rs 1.2 lakh from a repair and renovation company. Posing as a Mathadi kamgar union member, he had visited the Altamonte Road flat where the work was being done and demanded money. The police then tracked the account details and arrested the accused, Mobin Haneef Shaikh.

jay Deshmukh and Ravindra Ghuge observed: “His (a petitioner’s) retirement fell on June 30, 2019, and had he retired on July 01, 2019, he would have been entitled to annual increment as is provided under Rule 10 of the Central Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008. Considering this provision, Government of Maharashtra revised the Maharashtra Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2009

and brought uniformity in the payment of annual increments vide section no 29. There is no dispute that petitioner had worked up to June 30, 2019. He has thus completed one year prior to his retirement. He would be entitled to an annual increment, but for the fact that Rules prescribed that he would be entitled to such an increment if he worked on July 01, 2019, when it became payable. The issue

We direct the chief secretary and principal secretary (finance department) of Maharashtra to issue appropriate directions to all departments concerned to appeal to such candidates who fall in such category having retired on June 30 of the particular years and who have earned the annual increment on account of performing work for 12 months ending on June 30, to tender their applications to the authorities concerned.

—Bombay HC

raised in this petition has been squarely covered by judgement delivered by the learned division bench of the Madras high court on September 15, 2017, in the writ petition filed by P Ayyamperumal vs The Registrar, Central Administrative Tribunal and others.”

Palghar: A 45-year-old man from Maharashtra’s Palghar district has been arrested on the charge of kidnapping, rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl, an official said on Thursday.

The girl from Talasari taluka went to school but did not return home, prompting her family to approach the police, said Sachin Navadkar, the public relations officer of the Palghar rural police. Four police teams pieced together many leads and intelligence inputs to zero in on a neighbour of the girl. He was then taken into custody on suspicion, the official said.

During interrogation, the man said he took girl to Sanjan in Gujarat, less than 20 km from Talasari, where he raped and killed her before dumping the body in a forest, official said. Palghar police then recovered the body and sent it for a post-mortem, he added.

20-year jail term for man who raped minor niece

First India Bureau

Palghar: A man was sentenced to 20 years in jail by a court for raping his wife’s brother’s minor daughter several times in 2019. He was convicted by Special Judge MS Deshpande under Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on Tuesday, and details of the order were made available on Thursday.

The minor’s father

BMC raises retirement age, faces MMTA ire

First India Bureau Mumbai: After the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) approval to the proposal of increasing the retirement age of medical teachers from 62 to 64, the Municipal Medical Teachers Association has now decided to pro-

MAN FOUND DEAD; HUNT ON FOR UNKNOWN KILLERS

Thane: Body of a 40-yearold man with injury marks is found in Thane following which police have registered a case of murder against unidentified persons, an official said. A body with wounds on the neck was discovered on a dumping ground in Kongaon area on Wednesday night. The deceased was identified as local resident Govind Bablu Kamble and a bamboo stick was found near body, he said.

ONE KILLED, ANOTHER SEVERELY HURT AFTER CAR RAMS INTO AUTO-RICKSHAWS

Thane: One person was killed while another was severely injured after a car rammed into two auto-rickshaws at Thane’s Eastern Express Highway, police said. The deceased has been identified as Abhimanyu Arjun Prajapati. The injured person identified as Ahmed Ansari is an advocate by profession. “A car rammed into two rickshaws in which the rickshaw driver died on the spot and one person was injured. After the accident, the car driver fled leaving the car on the spot,” said the police.

test over the same. The civic body’s decision has agitated all the medical teachers as according to them, it will affect their promotions and is a one-sided decision.

Dr Ravindra Deokar, Secretary, MMTA said the decision is unacceptable, stating that the

solution to the vacant positions is not age extension but time-bound promotions and recruitments through the Maharashtra Public Service Commission. They argue that if senior staff are given an extension, it will further delay the promotion prospects of those waiting.

was a fisherman and her mother died some time ago, due to which she was in the care of her grandmother and other kin. The accused would often rape her when no one was around and threaten her to not reveal the ordeal to anyone, as per the prosecution. The accused was arrested after she confided in the accused’s son, who in turn told her father, after which a case was filed at Gholwad police station.

Five tigresses to be shifted from Chandrapur to NNTR

First India Bureau

Gondia: Four to five tigresses will be shifted from Chandrapur district to the Nawegaon Nagzira Tiger Reserve in the next 10 days and preparations for this translocation are in the final stages, a forest department official said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Mahep Gupta and Conservator of Forests and Field Director (NNTR) Jayarame Gowda R visited the area to review preparations, he said.

“In the first phase, two tigresses will be released. NNTR’s core area is 656 square kilometres, while the buffer area is 1,200 square kilometres. It has the potential to host 20-25 tigers as per experts of the Wildlife Institute of India whereas the present population is 10,” he said.

“Most importantly,

the male to female ratio of tigers is poor in NNTR. We have five males and three females. In an ideal scenario, the number of females must be two times that of the males. This translocation from Chandrapur hopefully will set some of these aspects right,” he added.

Officiating Deputy Forest Officer Pradip Patil said the plan was to release tigresses

with minimum human imprints and from “wild to wild” to avoid conflict situations, and favourable habitat and prey conditions are being set up.

Honorary Wildlife Warden Sawan Bahekar (Gondia) and Nadeem Khan (Bhandara) welcomed the move, though both said more work must be done for weed eradication in the reserve and improving water availability.

BMC warns of fine/one year jail for harming trees

First India Bureau Mumbai: The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has cautioned citizens against damaging or cutting down trees during the upcoming Holi celebration, as those who violate this rule could face heavy fines and a prison sentence of up to one year.

Drawing attention to the provisions of Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Tree Protection & Con-

servation Act, 1975, the BMC said it is “a criminal offence to cut any tree without prior permission of the Tree Authority”.

BMC has warned that those indulging in unauthorised tree-felling activities can be fined between Rs1,000 to Rs5,000, and a jail term ranging from one week to one year for committing the criminal offence.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has appealed to

citizens to be alert and report any illegal treefelling activities during Holi in the city to the civic officials or the local police station. They have also urged ‘green vigilantes’ to

take action against such activities.

Every year, thousands of tonnes of wood are reduced to ashes during Holika in Mumbai, alarming environmentalists and nature lovers,

with many instances of trees being chopped or felled illegally, even as the city grapples with the effects of global climate change.

This year, Holi, the festival of colours is

due to be celebrated on March 08, with the ‘Holika Dahan’ (burning) on the previous night, with a host of related events lined up by ordinary folks and celebrities.

HOLIKA DAHAN

Every year, thousands of tonnes of wood is burned during Holika Dahan, causing concern among nature lovers due to illegal tree chopping and felling

Litigants petitioned that they are entitled to the increment which came into effect a day after they retired from the service

Students are welcomed with flowers on the first day of Secondary School Certificate exams at Saraswati Mandir High School in Mahim area on Thursday. —PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

TRENDS FUELLING INDIA’S FDI STORY

FROM SARKARI TO SWANKY

henever we think of a government office, what really comes to our mind?

WOld dilapidated buildings, dimly lit long corridors, cramped rooms where babus are buried over a pile of dusty files, and ofcourse the sight of peons carrying tea around. Isn’t it?

Well, you will be in for a big surprise if you climb up to the first floor of the Vigyan Bhavan building on Delhi’s Maulana Azad Road. This quasi-government organization in Delhi’s posh locality looks anything but “sarkari”. Swanky corporate office with young professionals busy on their laptops. We are talking about the office of Invest India, the government’s investment promotion agency.

This organization is working day in and day out to fulfill PM Modi’s vision of transforming “red tape into red carpet”. What started in 2009 as a joint venture between the center and the private sector remained largely dead till 2015. Thats when Deepak Bagla was appointed as head of Invest India and the turnaround story thereafter, is simply mind-blowing. Since then this organization has remarkably worked to drive foreign investments into the country and seal India’s position on the global investments map.

INVEST INDIA 2.0

INDIA @100

The organization can pick up lessons from China which has successfully transformed into the factory of the world. Nowhere is this phenomenon more apparent than in China. China has outpaced not just India but all other emerging countries when it comes to building the right ecosystem for foreign investments. Whether it is the development of supporting infrastructure, a strong workforce, financial incentives, or favourable policies. For countries like China and India, FDI is very crucial for spurring development and sustaining the country’s economy as a competitive one in the global marketplace. India too needs to build the right complementary ecosystem

Modi’s government after coming to power in 2014, rolled out the Make in India campaign in September 2014. The government needed a dedicated agency that could target foreign companies and pursue them to invest in India. Instead of creating a new agency altogether, they decided to give life to the existing one. This led to the birth of Invest India 2.0 which was given the mandate of chasing big foreign companies with little presence in India and handhold them to set up factories in the country.

THE “NEW INDIA”

“We are good at joining the dots”. That’s how Mr. Bagla describes his team. Invest India under his leadership was alone instrumental in getting investments worth Rs. 3 lakh crores ($33 billion). In fact, India received a record level

A RAY OF HOPE FROM TOP COURT

of FDI worth $83 billion in 2021-22, despite the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown worldwide. From having 452 startups in 2015, India has come a long way.

WHAT SETS THIS STARTUP APART?

From offering personalized services to a dedicated RM for each investor, this “startup of the Government of India,” has a unique business strategy to attract foreign investments. Let’s understand what really sets them apart from other government-led organizations.

l QUASI PRIVATE

Government has a 49% equity stake in Invest India while the rest is equally divided among three industry bodies — CII, FICCI, and Nasscom — thereby technically making it a private entity. More than 23 states also have a stake in Invest India. The involvement of the private sector has been paramount to avoid bureaucratic delays in its functioning.

l YOUNG AND DRIVEN TEAM

The team comprising of 411 people with a rich pedigree and prior experience in reputed financial and consulting firms. The average team age of 29 years is completely unheard of in any government operation. This has ensured a professional culture within the organization with a focused and driven attitude.

IN-DEPTH AFTER THE CRIME, SPECIAL COURT’S “SHOCKING” ORDER IN HATHRAS CASE

ASpecial SC/ST court’s judgment acquitting three of the four accused in the 2020 rape and murder case of a 19-year-old Dalit and convicting the main accused Sandeep Singh only for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and sections of the SC/ST Act but not of rape in has left the victim’s family shocked. The family has a reason for that.

Modi’s government after coming to power in 2014, rolled out the Make in India campaign in September 2014. The government needed a dedicated agency that could target foreign companies and pursue them to invest in India

l ONE-STOP-SHOP

The idea behind Invest India was to remove red tape and bureaucracy and provide dedicated service throughout, from location hunting to getting approvals and funding. They have strived to provide a one-stop point of contact for foreign investors and have handheld them in the entire process. There have been several successful use cases, particularly their Startup India mission. They have bootstrapped startups like the pharma-based 1mg, which has now been acquired by the Tata group, allowing them to get in touch with the right people and entry into the highly competitive market.

l LOW BUDGET

Invest India has been one of the world’s most successful investment promotion agencies (IPA) and operates on the lowest budget. Most employees worked in the private sector and have chosen to take

pay cuts, ranging from 7% to 93%. Praised for their “can do” mindset, they have delivered outstanding results with effective utilization of resources.

l

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

Invest India has charted its path to success by offering innovative solutions to complex problems. An example would be how they landed Sweden-based safety airbags manufacturer Autoliv despite other favourable investment markets available like Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand. Invest India found out that the company had shortlisted a location in Chennai but backed out due to cost concerns. They simply offered another piece of land a bit farther away from Chennai in Cheyyar town and opted for a lease model.

l STATE PARTICIPATION

Invest India has brought FDI to 31 states and Union territories, encouraging participation and creating competition between the states where they are vying against the others for investment. Every state tries to exhibit the best practices and weaker states are partnered up with strong ones to encourage the development of the entire country. This is a significant improvement from previous instances where the bulk of FDI was pocketed by a few larger states only.

The woman was criminally assaulted and killed by four upper caste men in Hathras on September 14, 2020. Eleven days after the brutal crime the woman died in Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital. Her body was allegedly cremated without the consent of her family members at 3.30 am which the Allahabad High Court said “is prima facie an infringement on the human rights of the victim and her family. The CBI which investigated the case filed chargesheet against the four accused for rape and murder. If there was no rape and murder, what did the CBI based its chargesheet on?

SPIRITUAL SPEAK

Let him not deceive another nor despise anyone anywhere. In anger or ill will let him not wish another ill.

Buddha

TOP TWEETS

Rajnath Singh @rajnathsingh

Congratulations to PM Shri @ narendramodi and Party President Shri @JPNadda for scripting new success stories in the North East. I appreciate the hard work of BJP karyakartas in Tripura, Nagaland & Meghalaya. I express my gratitude to the people for their support to the BJP.

Anurag Thakur @ianuragthakur

A

ppointments to the Election Commission have been under scrutiny after growing perception that pliable bureaucrats helming the poll body were compromising the institution’s independence.

The Supreme Court’s fivejudge Constitution bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud has, in a unanimous landmark verdict, ruled that the election commissioners will be appointed by a threemember committee comprising the prime minister, leader of Opposition and the Chief Justice of India. This will give some hope to those who feared that one democratic institution after another was being made to kowtow to the government’s will.

Appointments to the Election Commission have been under scrutiny after growing perception that pliable bureaucrats helming the poll body were compromising the institution’s independence

Whether this mechanism, which will be in place until a law is framed, would be successful is hard to predict.

The court which had questioned “the tearing hurry” in the appointment of Arun Goel in 2022, observed “Election Commission has to be independent, it cannot claim to be independent and then act in an unfair manner. A

person in a state of obligation to the State cannot have an independent frame of mind. An independent person will not be servile to those in power.” Last year the SC asked if it would not be “a complete breakdown of system” if the CEC does not act against the prime minister. Opposition parties would often recall TN Seshan’s contribution in giving the Election Commission the gumption to take on political masters. JM Lyngdoh carried on Seshan’s legacy with equal firmness. In the recent past, however, some who questioned the govt’s actions were shown the door. To insulate CEC and ECs from political whims the bench ordered that they can be removed only through impeachment.

Aastha, stressed on the role of youth as decisive stakeholders in democracy. Her thoughts resonate with young India which is a contributor in India’s growth story today!

NORTH EAST ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS

Will accept all demands of Tipra Motha, except Greater Tipraland’

‘

BYPOLLS IN 5 ASSEMBLY SEATS Congress gets its first MLA in WB Assembly as Biswas wins Sagardighi bypoll

State BJP chief spokesperson said the party was marching to form

next govt

Agartala : The BJP on Thursday said it was ready to accept all demands of Tipra Motha, except for Greater Tipraland, if the new party led by former royal Pradyot Debbarma extends its support.

State BJP chief spokesperson Subrata Chakraborty said his party was marching to form the next government in the state.

“We are forming the next government in the state as we have been saying since the beginning. Two central leaders Phanindranath Sarma & Sambit Patra are here to oversee the situation, & hopefully, more central leaders will be arriving today,” he said.

On the possibility of taking the support of the Debbarma-led party, he said, “Except Greater Tipraland, the BJP is ready to accept all their demands.” The BJP was leading in 33 seats in the 60-member House, while its partner IPFT was ahead in one seat.

The Tipra Motha, was leading in 11 seats.

The opposition LeftCongress alliance was ahead in 15 seats.

BJP supporters during the victory celebrations in the state assembly elections, in Agartala on Thursday. —PHOTOS BY ANI

NAGALAND GETS ITS FIRST

WOMAN MLA

New Delhi: Two women created history in Nagaland, becoming the first two women to win the Assembly polls. Hekani Jakhalu and Salhoutuonuo Kruse are both from Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio’s Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP).

Where the Congress is weak, we need to work harder. We need to introspect in the area where the Congress was earlier strong and has now become weak. We will have to make a new strategy. We need to introspect. MLAs were lured before elections in Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura.

—Sachin Pilot, former Deputy CM of Rajasthan

Belagavi (Karnataka)

(ANI): Defence Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajnath Singh on Thursday inaugurated the ‘Vijay Sankalp Yatra’ in the poll-bound state Karnataka.

On the occasion

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and state BJP president Nalinkumar Kateel were also present.

Earlier in the day Defence Minister arrived in Karnataka’s Belagavi to inaugurate the ‘Vijay Sankalp Yatra’ in the poll-bound state.

Earlier on Wednesday, party President JP Nadda flagged off the ‘Vijay Sankalp Yatra’ in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar. Meanwhile,

‘DIGGING

GRAVE’

Home Minister Amit Shah will also flag off two ‘Vijay Sankalp Rath Yatra’ and inaugurate various projects in his day-long visit to Karnataka on March 3.

New Delhi (PTI): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and discussed with him prevailing law and order situation in the state and decided that the central and state security agencies will work together to deal with all security related issues, sources said.

Mann briefed Shah about the circumstances leading to the Ajnala incident. On February 23, self-styled Sikh preacher and Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into a police station in Ajnala on the outskirts

‘BJP WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SIDELINE ISSUES’

New Delhi: Pradyot Manikya Debburman, whose tribal-dominated party Tipra Motha made headlines in the assembly polls in Tripura said that their growing presence will ensure that the BJP will not be able to “sideline” issues relating to tribals.

NAGALAND BJP CHIEF TEMJEN IMNA

ALONG

WINS FROM ALONGTAKI SEAT

Kohima: Nagaland BJP chief Temjen Imna Along on Thursday won the assembly election from Alongtaki constituency. The state BJP chief defeated Janata Dal (United) candidate J Lanu Longchar by a margin of 3,748 votes. He bagged a total of 9,274 votes with a vote share of 62.5%. As per the latest counting trends, shared by the (ECI at 3.05 pm today, the ruling alliance of BJP and NDPP has bagged 19 seats so far. Nagaland Chief Minister bagged a total of 17,045 votes, which comes to 92.87 per cent of the total votes polled in the seat.

Sagardighi: The Congress on Thursday secured a seat in the present Bengal assembly as its candidate Bayron Biswas won the Sagardighi bypoll, defeating the nearest rival of the TMC by 22,980 votes.

After 16 rounds of counting, Biswas, who enjoys the support of the Left, bagged 87,667 votes, according to the EC website.

Debasish Banerjee of the TMC garnered 64,681 votes, while Dilip Saha of the BJP received 25,815 votes, the EC wsebsite revealed.

Byelection to the constituency, seen as a prestige fight for state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury in his home district of Murshidabad, was necessitated following the death of state minister Subrata Saha in Dec 2022. In the 2021 assembly elections, Congress and the Left Front had failed to open their account in the WB assembly, for the first time since independence.

BRS protest in Hyd against price hike of LPG cylinders

Hyderabad (ANI):

Bharat Rashtriya

Samithi (BRS) party workers on Thursday staged a protest in Hyderabad against the hike in prices of commercial and domestic LPG cylinders. BRS protestors were seen participating in the protest holding “No more BJP” placards. Protests have been going on in various parts of the country against the recent hike in prices of LPG cylinders.

CPIM backed Congress candidate Bayron Biswas has won the Sagardighi bypoll. —FILE PHOTO

Mann briefed Shah about the circumstances leading to the Ajnala incident.

of the Amritsar city, extracting an assurance from the police that his aide and kidnapping case accused Lovepreet Singh would be released, sources said. Mann said in a tweet in Punjabi that the “Center-Punjab will work together on the issue of law and order”.

The CM said he had discussed with the home minister the issue of drones and drugs along the border. He said the issue of shifting the barbed wire along the border was discussed. Mann said he has asked Shah to release Punjab’s stalled rural development fund soon.

Congress workers held a protest while in Maharashtra the price hike saw opposition leaders staging a protest on the steps leading to the Vidhan Bhavan. The ongoing budget session of the Assembly saw stormy scenes with opposition raising the issue of the price hike.

Samajwadi party leader Shivpal Yadav also stated the recent hike in LPG cylinders will create problems for the common masses. Democratic Youth Federation also organized a protest outside the accountant general office.

RAHUL SPEAKS AT CAMBRIDGE IN NEW AVATAR

this,” he said.

lll

New Delhi (Agencies):

For Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said during his lecture on Tuesday at the University of Cambridge that the anger over shifting of manufacturing from “democratic countries” like India and the US to China needs “urgent attention and dialogue”.

Speaking at the university’s Judge Business School on the subject

‘Learning to Listen in the 21st Century’, Gandhi focussed on the “art of listening” and called for a new thinking to promote a democratic environment globally. The “art of listening”, when done consistently and diligently, is “very powerful,” he said.

“We simply cannot afford a planet that doesn’t produce under democratic systems. So, we

THE

need new thinking about how you produce in a democratic environ-

ment compared to a coercive environment, and a negotiation about

LEFT-BACKED CONGRESS CANDIDATE

Sagardighi: Congress candidate Bayron Biswas is marching ahead of his rivals in minority-dominated Sagardighi assembly seat of West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, where counting of votes for a by-election is underway, according to the Election Commission (EC). Mr Biswas, who enjoys the support of the Left, was leading by 14,157 votes over TMC candidate Debashish Banerjee, EC trends revealed around 1.30 pm. The Congress leader bagged 56,203 votes, and Banerjee 42,046 votes thus far. Dilip Saha of the BJP secured 18,732 votes.

LEADS TRINAMOOL IN BENGAL’S SAGARDIGHI IN TAMIL NADU’S ERODE, CONGRESS CANDIDATE ELANGOVAN AHEAD BY OVER 31,000 VOTES

Sagardighi: EVKS Elangovan, the Congress candidate in Tamil Nadu’s Erode byelection, is leading by a comfortable margin against AIADMK’s KS Thennarasu, initial trends show. With 31,884 votes, Congress is leading ahead of AIADMK and DMDK. The byelection was necessitated by the death of Congress MLA Thirumahan Everaa earlier. Thirumahan, son of Elangovan, died of a cardiac arrest. Congress workers started celebrating as initial trebds started showing Elangovan, supported by the DMK, leading at Erode assembly constituency.

CRUCIAL READ

DON’T THREATEN, LEAVE MY COURT:

CJI TO SCBA PREZ

New Delhi (PTI): A heated exchange of words was witnessed in the SC between Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Vikas Singh in a case related to allotment of land for lawyers’ chambers with the CJI directing the senior lawyer not to raise his voice and leave the court. Singh told the bench that he was struggling to get the matter listed for the last six months.

HIGH COURT REJECTS ‘LOVE JIHAD’ CLAIM

Mumbai (PTI): A relationship cannot be dubbed as a form of ‘love jihad’ just because the boy and the girl belong to different religions, the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay HC has said while granting pre-arrest bail to a Muslim woman & her family. A division bench of Justices in the order passed on February 26 granted anticipatory bail to the accused who were denied relief by a local court in Aurangabad.

SUKESH CHALLENGES MONEY LAUNDERING CHARGES, DELHI HC SEEKS STAND OF ED

New Delhi (ANI): Sukesh Chandrashekhar has challenged the order framing charges against him in a money laundering case related to the Election Commission bribery case of 2017. Incidentally, the main case has been stayed by the Delhi HC. Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma after hearing the arguments for Sukesh Chandrashekhar and Enforcement Directorate (ED) asked them to file their written submissions. He said that the matter needs further consideration. Justice Sharma said, “I am not issuing notice. Both of you file written submissions.”

COURT DISMISSES

BAIL PLEA FILED BY SIVASANKAR

Kochi (ANI): A Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Court on Thursday dismissed the bail plea filed by M Sivasankar, former Principal Secretary to the Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan in connection with the LIFE Mission Scam Case. He is currently under judicial custody till March 8. Last month, the PMLA court sent Sivasankar to judicial custody till March 8.

BAIL TO IO IN RAPE VICTIM’S FATHER’S DEATH CASE

New Delhi (ANI): The Delhi High court on Thursday granted interim bail of two weeks to the Investigation Officer (IO) of the case of custodial death of Unnao rape victim’s father. He was sentenced to ten years imprisonment in the matter. Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma granted interim bail to Kamta Prasad Singh for the period from March 4 to March 18. His son’s engagement is scheduled on March 11.

Rahul Gandhi calls for new thinking to promote democratic environment globally

Gandhi’s lecture included the mention of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the recently-concluded 4,000-km walk led by him through 12 states from September 2022 to January 2023 to draw attention to “prejudice, unemployment and growing inequality in India”. He explained to the MBA students that a “yatra” is a journey or

pilgrimage in which people “shut themselves down so they can listen to others”.

His lecture also addressed the “two divergent perspectives” of the US and China since World War II, especially since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Gandhi said that in addition to shedding manufacturing jobs, the US had become less open after the Sep-

tember 11, 2001, terror attacks. Meanwhile China, he said, “idolises harmony” through organisation around the Chinese Communist Party. In the final leg of his lecture, Gandhi talked about the “Imperative for a Global Conversation”, as he knitted the different strands together in a call for a new type of receptiveness to various viewpoints.

BJP supporters celebrate Tripura Chief Minister and party candidate from Bordowali Town Manik Saha’s victory in the state assembly elections, in Agartala on Thursday.

Mann meets Shah; state-Centre to work together on security

Def min inaugurates ‘Vijay Sankalp Yatra’

EAM HOLDS TALKS; SAYS CURRENT

STATE OF RELATIONSHIP

India urges G-20 ministers to look beyond East-West crisis

New Delhi (ANI): External Affairs Minister

S Jaishankar on Thursday met Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on the sidelines of G20 meeting and conveyed that the current state of bilateral relationship was “abnormal” in the context of challenges especially that of peace and tranquility in the order areas.

This was the first meeting between the two ministers and the meeting lasted about 45 minutes. “I met the Minister on the sidelines of the conference this afternoon. It’s our first meeting after he took over as Foreign Minister. We spent maybe about 45 minutes talking to each other and the bulk of our conversation understandably was about the current state of our relationship, which many of you heard me describe me as “abnormal” and I think those were among the adjectives I used in that meeting,” Jaishankar said at a press conference after the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting.

He said there are real problems in the relationship that need to be looked at, “that need to be discussed, very openely and candidly between us”.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar meets Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on the sidelines of G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, in New Delhi on Thursday. —PHOTO BY ANI

‘MEET MARRED BY RUSSIAUKRAINE WAR’

New Delhi (Agencies):

The Group of 20 (G20) meeting of foreign ministers has again been marred by Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war against Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday, as he called for the bloc to call on Russia to withdraw its forces.

‘Pendency of Aus visa applications discussed at bilateral forum’

GLOBAL DECISION-MAKING MUST BE DEMOCRATISED: JAISHANKAR

New Delhi (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted the flaws in the global decision-making process at the United Nations while addressing at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. “Current global architecture is in its 8th decade. The number of members of the UN has quadrupled in this period. It neither

reflects today’s politics, economics, demographics or aspirations. Since 2005, we have heard sentiments for reform being expressed at the highest level. But as we all know, these have not materialised. Global decision-making must be democratised if it has to have a future,” said Jaishankar in an opening remark.

EAM MEETS US SECY OF STATE, SAYS REVIEWED BILATERAL TIES

New Delhi (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said he reviewed ties with the United States and discussed global issues at a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken here at the Rashtrapati Bhavan premises here.

New Delhi (PTI): India urged the G20 grouping to send a collective message affirming its resolve to address the complex global challenges, including that of food and energy security, amid an increasingly bitter rift between the West and the RussiaChina combine over the Ukraine conflict. In his remarks at the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, without mentioning the Ukraine conflict, said the grouping must find common ground and provide direction to the world though there are some “matters of sharp differences”.

CONFLICT IS AFFECTING THE GLOBAL SOUTH:

EAM

New Delhi (ANI):

Noting that there were issues concerning the Ukraine conflict, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the chair summary outlined the concerns of the Global South and “it is just on two paragraphs that were not able to get everybody on the same page.”

‘Ukraine

New Delhi (Agencies): Top diplomats from the world’s major industrialized and developing nations on Thursday opened what are expected to be contentious talks dominated by Russia’s war in Ukraine and China’s moves to boost its global influence.

Host India appealed for all members of the fractured Group of 20 to reach consensus on issues of deep concern to poorer countries even if the broader East-West split over Ukraine cannot be resolved.

Prime Ministers Modi urged them not to allow current tensions to destroy agreements that might be reached on food and energy security, climate change and the debt crisis.

“We are meeting at a time of deep global divisions,” the PM told the group, which included U.S. Secretary Antony Blinken, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that the Ukraine crisis can be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. In a joint statement after bilateral talks with his visiting Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni, Modi said that “India has made it clear from the beginning that Ukraine dispute can be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy”.

On her part, Meloni expressed hope that India having the G20 Presidency can play a central role in facilitating a

negotiating process for the cessation of hostilities in Ukraine.

“Keeping the multilateral community together is important and we hope the Indian presidency can do it even more,” Meloni, who is on her first visit to India, said.

“PM Modi knows he can rely on us, on our cooperation for the G20 summit, to further enhance our relationship. I believe there is a lot we can do together. Modi welcomed Italy’s active participation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Worthy of great power: Russian minister on India’s global stance

New Delhi (PTI): Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov blamed Western countries for G20 foreign ministers’ meeting not being able to come out with a joint communique, saying their “rhetorical statements” around Ukraine did not yield any good & were “damaging”. Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of meeting, Lavrov hailed India’s “highly responsible” and “wor-

thy of a great power” stance on key matters of global agenda. Referring to PM Narendra Modi’s address at the

G20 meet, the Russian minister said the PM had presented “a balanced and responsible position” of the country as president of the G20. “Modi was not just speaking about some isolated individual situation, because the West is trying to divide the geopolitical picture into individual episodes. Modi gave assessment of the situation across the globe in general terms,” he said.

New Delhi (PTI): The pendency of Australian visa applications from Indians has been discussed again at a bilateral forum, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Thursday. The minister discussed the issue with his Australian counterpart Jason Clare, who is on a visit to India till March 5.

“After the COVID-19 pandemic, the visa process for students and the workforce had significantly slowed down. Last year, the Australian government assured us to add more manpower and enhance the ease of the process,” Pradhan told reporters on the sidelines of an event here. “The pendency of four lakh visa applica-

tions from Indians has been reduced in the last five months. Still a sizeable number is pending. The issue was again discussed at the bilateral forum when we spoke of student mobility,” he added.

Clare is leading a delegation of Australian higher education leaders to promote institutional partnerships and boost the collaboration between the two countries. His visit builds on Pradhan’s trip to Australia last year.

India and Australia have also signed a framework mechanism for mutual recognition of qualifications that will help ease the mobility of students and professionals between the two countries.

New Delhi (PTI): West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Thursday welcomed the SC’s decision on the appointment of election commissioners (EC) and the chief election commissioner (CEC), describing it as a “democratic victory”.

The TMC supremo also said that the verdict shows the “will of the people prevails over illfated attempts of oppressive forces”. TMC MP Derek O’Brien, too, hailed the verdict.” So Extremely Compromised can again strive to become Extremely Competent,” he claimed.

New Delhi (PTI): Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said he was “not very satisfied” with the present performance of fast track special courts set up in various parts of the country, and pitched for strengthening investigation agencies and forensic labs for overall effectiveness of such courts. He said this in his address at a conference hosted by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) , without naming anyone or any state, adding that chief justice of some HCs & chief ministers of some

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju at the National Conference on Child Sexual Abuse Material organized by NHRC.

states “must do much more”. The Fast Track Special Courts scheme is being looked after by the Department of Justice. “I have to ensure that whatever legislative actions are taken, are taken down to the ground,” the minister

CELEBRATING WORLD WILDLIFE DAY

Mumbai: Some areas always witness instances of wildlife coming in contact with humans.

So, these tips will help you deal with such situation when you face one.

Keep it clean

to find their food in these spaces. Lights on In case of Leopard sight-

ings,

said. “This is a centrallysponsored scheme and it was started initially for 1 year in 2019 which has been extended, and further extension of the scheme is under process. I can give my assurance that we will take it forward,” he said.

New Delhi (ANI): Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Secretary Apurva Chandra is set to visit Ayodhya on Thursday. During his tour of the city, Chandra will visit the construction site of the Ram temple. The Secretary will also interact with the workers engaged in the temple construction work. He will also interact with the local people about the project’s impact on them, especially in terms of economic and employment opportunities.

ANOTHER ARREST MADE IN DELHI EXCISE SCAM

New Delhi (Agencies):

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested businessman Amandeep Dhall in the alleged liquor policy scam three days after the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Delhi’s deputy CM Manish Sisodia. Dhall was placed under arrest last evening after being questioned for hours in connection with the case. He was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act on the basis of evidence against him, sources said.

INDIA SUPPORTS BANGA FOR WORLD BANK PREZ POST

New Delhi: India on Thursday extended support to candidature of Ajay Banga as World Bank President, saying his nomination comes at a time when multilateral lending agency is considering next-generation reforms. “Congratulations to Ajay Banga on being nominated to lead World Bank. India supports Banga’s nomination and looks

RS 20,000 FINE FOR DHARNA, ADMISSION CANCELLATION FOR VIOLENCE AT JNU

New Delhi (PTI): Students can be imposed a penalty of Rs 20,000 for holding dharnas and face admission cancellation or a fine of up to Rs 30,000 for resorting to violence at Jawaharlal Nehru University, its latest rules stipulate. The 10-page ‘Rules of Discipline and proper conduct of students of JNU’ has laid out punishments for different kinds of acts like protests and forgery, and procedures for proctorial enquiry and recording a statement.

crisis can be resolved through dialogue, diplomacy’

PM Narendra Modi & Italian PM Giorgia Meloni at the Ceremonial Reception, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on Thursday.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan meets Australian Education Minister Jason Clare, in New Delhi.

New Delhi (Agencies):

Not satisfied with performance of fast track special courts, says Rijiju

Didi hails SC verdict on appointment of CEC, ECs

G20 MUST PROVIDE DIRECTION TO WORLD: EAM

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, in New Delhi on Thursday.

CRUCIAL READ

MG MOTOR’S UPCOMING EV NAMED AS ‘COMET’

GDP growth may exceed 7% this fiscal: CEA

New Delhi (PTI): Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran on Thursday expressed hope that the GDP growth for the current financial year will exceed the projected 7% in view of the expected revision of high frequency data.

“Given the high frequency indicators and the pace at which they are recovering, I do believe that the current year’s (GDP numbers)... Are more likely to (be) revised upward than downward,” he said here.

New Delhi: MG Motor India on Thursday said it has christened its upcoming electric vehicle as Comet. The name derives inspiration from the iconic 1934 British airplane which participated in the England-Australia MacRobertson Air Race, the automaker said. “We at MG, through ‘Comet’, intend to take the needed decisive steps and a ‘leap of faith’ in the direction of creating solutions for a better future for each one of us,” MG Motor India President and MD Rajeev Chaba said. —PTI

AIRTEL CROSSES 1 MN 5G SUBSCRIBERS IN MUMBAI

On Tuesday, the second advance estimate released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) maintained the growth projection of 7% as was projected in the first advance estimate which was released in January.

GDP at Constant (201112) Prices in the year 202223 is estimated at `159.71 lakh crore as against the first revised estimate of GDP for the year 2021-22 of `149.26 lakh crore.

The growth in real GDP during 2022-23 is estimated

Sensex, Nifty fall nearly 1% on weak trends & foreign fund outflows

Mumbai (PTI): Market benchmarks ended nearly 1% lower on Thursday amid weak trend in global equities and continuous foreign fund outflows.

The BSE Sensex tumbled 501.73 points or 0.84% to settle at 58,909.35. During the day, it tanked 544.82 points or 0.91% to 58,866.26.

New Delhi: Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Thursday announced that it has surpassed the 1 million 5G user mark on its network in Mumbai. Airtel recently crossed the 10 million unique customer mark on its 5G network nationally. The Sunil Mittal-led telco said it is well poised to cover every town and key rural areas with Airtel 5G services by end of March 2024. The Airtel statement said it had surpasses 1 million customer mark on its 5G network in Mumbai. —PTI

INDIA’S PALM OIL IMPORTS FALL TO EIGHT-MONTH LOW

The NSE Nifty declined 129 points or 0.74% to end at 17,321.90.

From the Sensex pack, Maruti, Axis Bank, Tata Consultancy Services, Nestle, Infosys, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tech Mahindra

and Bharti Airtel were the major laggards.

Power Grid, Sun Pharma, HCL Technologies, Larsen & Toubro and UltraTech Cement were the gainers.

RUPEE FALLS 11 PAISE TO CLOSE AT 82.60 AGAINST US DOLLAR

Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated by 11 paise to close at 82.60 (provisional) against the US currency on Thursday. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 82.57 against the greenback and closed at 82.60 (provisional), registering a fall of 11 paise over its previous close of 82.49. During the session, the domestic unit witnessed an intra-day high of 82.54 and a low of 82.61 against the American dollar.

FOR MFG ROPEWAYS

New Delhi: India’s February palm oil imports dropped 30% from January to their lowest in 8 months as refiners preferred to lower their stocks as inventories piled up following excessive imports during October-January. The reduction in palm oil imports by India, the world’s biggest importer of vegetable oils, could weigh on Malaysian palm oil prices. India’s palm oil imports fell to 586,000 tonnes last month, the lowest since June 2022, according to the average of the estimates from the five dealers. —FIB

GOLD PRICES FALL BY `295; SILVER

TUMBLES `640/KG

New Delhi: Gold prices declined by `295 to `55,700 per 10 grams in the national capital on Thursday, according to HDFC Securities. In the previous session, the precious metal had settled at `55,995 per 10 grams.

Silver also tumbled by `640 to `64,380 per kg.

“Spot gold prices in the Delhi markets traded at `55,700/10 grams, down `295/10 grams,” said Saumil Gandhi, Senior Analyst - Commodities at HDFC Securities. —PTI

at 7% as compared to 9.1% in 2021-22. The growth slowed to 4.4% in the October-December quarter, mainly due to a contraction in the manufacturing sector. On Tuesday, the NSO revised GDP growth data for the past three years — 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 — and also released the second advance estimate of GDP for 2022-23.

While the growth rate for 2021-22 has been revised up by 40 basis points to 9.1% from 8.7%, the GDP for

2020-21 too has been revised upwards to (-) 5.8% from (-) 6.6%. For 2019-20 also, the growth has been revised upwards to 3.9% from 3.7%. Nageswaran said the rising interest rates need not necessarily be a cause of lower growth but simply reflects the fact that there is healthy underlying demand for credit.

Real interest rate is not very high at the moment, he said, adding there is pent up demand in certain sectors.

‘Have lot of admiration, respect for Gautam Adani’

New Delhi (PTI): Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a known backer of Adani Group’s coal mine projects in his country, on Thursday came out in support of the embattled group’s Chairman Gautam Adani, saying he has a lot of admiration and respect for the tycoon and his company.

Abbott, who had in 2015

as the Prime Minister of Australia decried a court ruling against Adani Group’s Carmichael coal mine project, said the relevant regulators will “do their job” regarding any allegation of wrongdoing by the apples-to-airport conglomerate. “I have a lot of respect and admiration for Adani and Adani Group,” Abbott said.

PM GatiShakti, logistics policy to help improve competitiveness

New Delhi (PTI): Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said that PM GatiShakti national master plan and logistics policy together will help improve competitiveness of businesses and attract investments into India.

He said that layers of data are there at PM GatiShakti portal where different geological, ecological and infrastructural elements across the country were mapped and captured. Currently, there are about 1,300 layers of data, consisting of forests, wildlife sanctuaries, rivers, UNESCO world heritage sites, among others, he said and added that GatiShakti would not only address critical gaps in infrastructure but also help in planning social infrastructure such as schools, nursing homes, hospitals.

Union Min Gadkari invites Austrian companies to set up plants in India

New Delhi (PTI): Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday invited Austrian companies to set up plants for manufacturing ropeways and cable car components and equipment in India.

Gadkari, minister for road transport and highways, met Austrian delegation led by Ambassador of Republic of Austria to India Katharina Wieser.

Gadkari informed the delegation that several ropeways and cable car projects are being executed

GADKARI MET DELEGATION

z Nitin Gadkari met Austrian delegation led by Ambassador of Austria to India Katharina Wieser z He informed the delegation that several ropeways and cable car projects are being executed by India.

OTHER STORIES

The coal produced from Adani’s Carmichael mines in Australia “will certainly be part of the ongoing process of electrification here in India”.

“I am all in favour of Adani mine. I thank Adani and his team for what they have done to provide electricity to Indians and jobs and prosperity to Australia,” he said.

SEVERAL STEPS TAKEN TO ADDRESS EMERGING CHALLENGES, SAYS COMMERCE MINISTRY

New Delhi: India has taken several steps to boost tea output, create a niche brand for the Indian tea and ensure the welfare of families associated with this industry, the commerce ministry said on Thursday. India is the second largest tea producer and the largest black tea producer and is self-sufficient in meeting domestic requirements and export obligations. It said the Indian tea is exported to various destinations and is the fourth largest tea exporter besides catering to a large number of domestic consumers. —PTI

STEPS BY CENTRE TO INCREASE EXPORTS BY MSME SEC: OFFICIAL

RCAP CAN PROCEED WITH SECOND ROUND OF AUCTION: NCLAT

RIL, Tata bid for India’s $2.4 bn solar incentives

by India. He appreciated the high quality of ropeways and cable car components and equipment that are being manufactured by

INDIANS OPTING TO GIVE ONLINE GIFT CARDS

New Delhi (PTI): Online travel platform MakeMyTrip on Thursday said it has witnessed an increasing trend of consumers opting to give online gift cards to their friends, relatives, and colleagues this wedding season.

MakeMyTrip has seen a 30% increase in sales of travel ‘Shagun’ card this wedding season (Dec 22Jan 23) compared to last year (Dec 21-Jan 22), it stated. `10,000-card is the most sold denomination, followed by `5,000, and `1,000. The card allows couples to book holiday packages, ho-

tels, flight tickets, train tickets, bus tickets, and fun activities. “We have seen a direct correlation between the sale of online gift cards with the marriage season,” said Raj Rishi Singh of MakeMyTrip.

He shared that there is a growing trend of people wanting to gift experiences, a shift from the past when cash and gold were the only options.

Austrian companies and emphasised on collaborations in technology transfer and manufacturing the same in India.

New Delhi (FIB): Solar module makers including Reliance Industries Ltd. and Tata Power Co. are among bidders for 195 billion rupees ($2.4 billion) in financial incentives that India is offering to expand domestic manufacturing and curb panel imports from dominant producer China. Others showing interest include US firm First Solar Inc. and Indian companies JSW Energy Ltd., Avaada Group and ReNew Energy Global Plc, according to people familiar with the matter. The embattled Adani Group was not among the bidders.

TO GROW INDIA BUSINESS

Kolkata: The Centre has taken steps to enhance exports by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector by setting up facilitation centers across the country, an official said on Thursday. The export facilitation centers will provide the requisite mentoring and handholding support to the sector and also help to set up a network of entrepreneurial leaders, the joint director of IEDS under the union MSME ministry. —PTI

New Delhi: The NCLAT on Thursday allowed lenders of Reliance Capital to hold an extended challenge mechanism or second round of auction for the sale of the debt-ridden financial services company. A two-member bench of NCLAT also said lenders of Reliance Capital had the power to negotiate and call for a higher bid. It overturned an order of the Mumbai bench of NCLT which had declared the extended challenge round illegal. —PTI

STEEL INDUSTRY SEEKS GOVT INTERVENTION TO ENSURE AVAILABILITY OF 161 MT COKING COAL

New Delhi: The domestic steel industry has sought a roadmap to ensure 161 million tonnes of coking coal is available for scaling up the country’s annual steel making capacity to 300 million tonnes by 2030. Coking coal and iron ore are the two key raw materials used for manufacturing steel through the blast furnace route. While iron ore is available domestically, the industry is dependent on imports for coking coal. —PTI

HONDA TO FOCUS ON PREMIUM

New Delhi (PTI): Japanese auto major Honda on Thursday said it plans to launch at least one new model every year in India with a focus on premium products as it looks to get its business on track in the country.

The company, which on Thursday introduced an updated version of its midsize sedan -- City, plans to focus on products which are over `10 lakh price tag powered by petrol and hybrid powertrains.

The company, which is present in India through a wholly-owned subsidiary,

MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS

z The company, which on Thursday introduced an updated version of its midsize sedan — City, plans to focus on products which are over `10 lakh price tag powered by petrol and hybrid powertrains z The company, plans to do away with diesel models in the country

PRODUCTS

above segment over the next few years.

“In the passenger vehicle segment more than 40% sales are coming from models priced over `10 lakh. We expect this to grow more. Our focus would be on model introductions in over `10 lakh segment,” he noted.

Tsumura said that for Honda models like Amaze and City, top trims currently contribute over 60% of the sales.

plans to do away with diesel models in the country.

In a press briefing, Honda Cars India President

and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Takuya Tsumura said the company would focus on the ` 10 lakh and

He noted that new models would be a mix of new models and full model changes of the existing product range.

The space for personal growth is limitless, it’s only limitation that is your own excuse for your lack of potential.

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

Punjab’s situation serious, however, the Centre is extremely vigilant and alert: Khattar

z You have worked with Bansilal and Chautala ji.

CM ML Khattar: We never joined Chautala ji’s government. We always supported his government from outside and the reason for extending an outside support is that if something is not in the benefit of state, society or nation, that can be kept away.

And that issue is always with Congress. So, if Congress has to be kept away, one has to forge coalitions and thus, BJP used to walk together with Devilal ji and family and prior to that Jan Sangh. We used to move together and the Congress used to move on its own path. It was so then, and it is exactly the case now too.

z So is this a contradiction that Dushyant’s party contested the Zila Parishad and Panchayat elections on its own? In future, do you have trust and faith that you will contest in coalition?

It is not that they have gone their separate ways. It is just that this time around, we had left the election on district units. It is not that the party did not contest on its level.

Of course the BJP contested and the JJP also contested, but we gave the freedom to make this decision to the district units that where they want to contest together they can and if they want to contest separately, they can do so as well.

However, even after contesting against each other, at places where we have had to make chairman at various places, we have come together and made our Chairman.

At places, the Vice-Chairman is theirs’ and the Chairman is ours’ and vice -versa. In total, at 20 places, we have our own leaders, that is, 17 Chairmen of BJP and 3 of JJP. Only at two places, INLD and Congress have got their Chairmen. So, only two are of other parties, remaining are of the coalition party i.e. Ours’.

z Did you find any impact of Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Yatra’ in Haryana?

There is no impact in Haryana. In fact, it is more like a routine, where people gather to have a glimpse of any other leader. Of course, they have their party workers and if 10 or 20,000 people walk together, then it is not a major threat for us.

z So is there any threat from the

Hooda factor?

None what so ever. They will get burdened under their own weight. Whatever is happening around them, means they are not a factor.

z What about AAP and Owaisi’s AIMIM? They do not have any impact here. In fact, in this State, only the Mewat region is the one, which has three assembly constituencies and at different times, these seats have had different characteristics. When we first came to power, those seats were with INLD, thereafter, all three fell in Congress’ kitty. Now the situation is that the Chairman of the Zila Parishad is of BJP. This is for the first time that the Chairman is of BJP. The local councillors, 17 in total, are with BJP.

z The Khalistan issue has crept in Punjab. Do you think President rule should be imposed in that State?

In a tete-a-tete with Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Bharat24-Vision of New India and First India; CMD, First India News, Dr Jagdeesh Chandra raises pertinent questions about the situation in Punjab, how Khattar has been co-ordinating with neighbouring states on issues such as water and pollution, what is the impact of various parties in the State and how JJP and BJP have held on to the coalition despite contesting the Zila Parishad and Panchayat elections separately. Excerpts.. (Part-2)

AAP lost the seat! Simranjeet Singh Mann won the election from that seat. So, you see for yourself what kind of situation arose within people in Punjab.

It is an extremely serious issue. Everyone should look at the matter with utmost seriousness. Haryana is alert and vigilant and the Central government too is staying extremely vigilant. Also, people in Punjab should think over it. I feel that there is a state of confusion in Punjab, because the Congress is on back foot, Akalis have been disenfranchised and the BJP has had a major base there. Now, since no one is there and people need someone to be there, so they chose AAP and soon after that party came to power, people realised that this is something else. They gave so many things as ‘revaris’ or the fact that they did not take administration along. In fact, once you are in power, you should establish coordination with the administration and take them along. They can not do things going against bureaucracy and administration. There is no clear direction. As a result, what happened was after Bhagwant Mann became the CM and stepped down from his Parliamentary constituency, by polls were conducted and within three or four months of Mann’s stepping down,

z Some people are saying that if the situation prevails, then President rule will have to be imposed in Punjab.

See, I will not comment on this because the Central Government and the Union Home Ministry is keeping an eye on all these issues. But yes, the matter is serious and how to control such serious issues? If the State Government shows will power and works to curtail it, then definitely the Central Government will also help it, because this issue is not about parties rather it is about establishing peace in the State. And if the State Government fails, then the Central Government will think about it.

z There are governments of different parties in all the states neighbouring Haryana like Delhi and Punjab. Do you face any difficulty in coordinating with them?

No. See when it comes to carrying out our ‘padosidharma’ we talk to everyone, be it the CM of Punjab or Rajasthan.

When I speak to the Chief Minister of Delhi on issues such as pollution, environment and water; we keep our issues before them and

talk in an open environment. When we decide on moving head in the same direction, so we move ahead and where there are difficulties in finding the right approach or path ahead, we talk openly. We have a dispute with Punjab and the matter is now in Supreme Court. We have held three rounds of talks also after the Supreme Court directed so. But no middle path could be found. The court had said that we should find a way for water sharing, but they (Punjab govt) do not come to that question and clearly say they will not share water. Although how much water should we get, is a matter pertaining to tribunal. That tribunal is there and everyone will put forward their side of the issue and then it will be decided on the basis of need and availability of water. Today, the need is increasing with each passing day, even Delhi’s demand for drinking water is increasing and that pressure falls on Haryana. We say that

even our population is also growing like that of Gurgaon, Sonipat and Faridabad. The demand for drinking water in NCR is increasing and we have limited sources of water. If you look at it, Haryana does not have its own source of water. If its Yamuna, then we have to share with Uttar Pradesh and it has Delhi’s share too. Similarly, remaining rivers are in Punjab and none flows through Haryana. So, we have to reach an agreement to take some water.

z You said you speak to CMs of neighbouring states. Recently the incident of two youth from Rajasthan happened here. How did you handle that?

When we spoke, we shared one line discussion that those behind it will not be spared. Be it those who died or those who killed them. Because those who have died they also have a past character and it does not end with their death. It was kind of a clash. So, those who have killed them, have

taken the law in their hands. Thus, we will have to think on both aspects and will have to come to an agreement of sorts so that such incidents do not happen in the future.

z So if Rajasthan police goes and takes action, then law of the land will take its course? They have made a few arrests already.

z So there is no issue in it? See we have told our people to ensure peace. We conducted a meeting of the Peace Committee in Nuh so that mutual discord does not happen. The incident has happened which is unfortunate and the onus of it should fall on the right person.

z What about the Sports Minister? Has it been decided that he is not being removed?

See, merely accusing someone does not term him or her guilty. For example, if there is a law that as soon as someone is accused of anything, I think, all the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies will become empty. Then anyone could lay accusations on you or me and we too wouldn’t be seated here. So, filing an FIR on a complaint doesn’t prove anyone guilty. The police is investigating the matter and in fact, it is Chandigarh police that is investigating, the

Haryana police has no role in it. So, after investigation, it is obvious that they will present ‘challan’ in court and then after hearing, court terms the person guilty, then we will take a step. However, having said that, we have taken a precaution that since the matter pertains to the Sports department, so we have taken that charge from Sandeep Singh so that one day someone may not say that as Minister he could influence the investigation.

z Does your bureaucracy support you?

Are you satisfied?

If someone becomes the Chief Minister and is capable of running the government, then the bureaucracy supports such people. I once narrated a story to bureaucrats and they burst out laughing. The story went on that once there was a king and he took a liking to some dish.

So, he called his Minister and said that he liked the food because the dish was superb. He enquired what the dish was made up of and the Minister said that it was brinjal. The Minister said that brinjals have several qualities but its name is such. It has qualities like it shines, has a crown etc.

A week down the line the King told his Minister that his stomach was upset perhaps due to food. The Minister enquired what did the

King eat and he said that it was ‘brinjal.’ The Minister immediately quipped, what sort of vegetable is ‘brinjal.’ It should be ‘Be-Gun’ and the Minister narrated several shortfalls in the vegetable. The King then questioned, if the statement made by the Minister seven days ago was right or the one made by him now is correct ? The Minister said both are correct & the King asked as to how is that possible? The Minister replied saying, “I have to work for you, not the ‘brinjal!” z You have been heading the State for eight years. What do you think has been your biggest achievement? See, firstly, whatever work the State Government does, we do not leave it in the middle. Otherwise, what happens in governments is that in some aspects, they go way ahead and in some others, they lag leading to unequal development. We are moving ahead with the motto of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ given by the Prime Minister. No sector is out of bounds, no section of the society is out of bounds for us. If we have to discriminate, we will do so only to bring those who have fallen behind, to the main stream.

Dr Jagdeesh Chandra greets Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar during The JC Show.

A NEW REVOLUTION AND PERSPECTIVE

City First highlights the incredible moments from the trophy launch and celebration of the upcoming 14th season of The Fashion Connect, held at Dyore, Jaipur on Wednesday!

Anight to remem-

ber, March 1 saw some of the most eminent names in Jaipur gather under the starry sky for the grand launch of the dazzling trophy and celebration of the upcoming 14th season of The Fashion Connect. One of the mega fashion and glamour extravaganzas titled ‘Fashion Connect’ is back with its 14th season at Oaks Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel, the crowned jewel of Dubai. The dazzling event will bring together a medley of fashion designers showcasing their vivacious and most delinquent collections. The ostentatious and charismatic gala night took place at Dyore, Jaipur. With a massive reaction and netizens going crazy over the incredible lineup and digital preparedness, the show won an incredible victory over the fashion industry.

Jagdeesh Chandra graced the occasion with his presence and launched the astonishing trophy of the Luxury Lifestyle Awards 2023. He congratulated Rishee Miglani and Lokesh

Sharma and wished them all the best.

Brand Ambassador Rishee Miglani exhilarated the evening into a glamorous conclusion. Various who’s who of the city including

Show Director Lokesh

Sharma, Dr Sandeep Bakshi, JNU Vice Chancellor, Film Distributor Raj Bansal, Sudhir Kasliwal, famous designer Wrikie Angrish, Vriti, Nitika Panjwani, Ishita Gupta and Aishwarya among others were present on the occasion.

Fashion Connect Sea-

son 14, presented by First India News, this No. 1 fashion event is scheduled to take place on March 19, 2023. Fashion Connect is an extravagant pa rade of beautiful mod els, talented designers and mesmerizing art works.

An experiential show at the forefront of art, design, fashion, and im mersive offerings is back with its fourteen Seasons. Asia’s most loved and India’s favour ite fashion designer, Anju Modi, will be show casing her scintillating garments at this year’s Fashion Connect event.

UTTKARSHA SHEKHAR uttkarsha.shekhar@firstindia.co.in

Jagdeesh Chandra with (L-R) Itika Kamra, Ashmita, Kashvi, Nitika, Swapnil Jain and Priyanka Kamboj

Jagdeesh Chandra with (L-R) Sidharth, Swapnil Jain, Narendra Singh, Shailendra Singh, Rishee, Pallavi, Nitika, Kashvi and Itika

(L-R) Lokesh Sharma, Raj Bansal and Rishee Miglani

Clockwise: Anchal, Bhanvi, Anchal, Shreya and Shaina

—PHOTOS BY SANTOSH SHARMA

MAGNETIC HILL

It feels like we are living in the world of Avengers with extraordinary things around us. And now we can discuss the existence of our very own magnetic hill. This amazing hill is located about 30 km from Leh towards Kargil and is known as the Magnetic Hill of Ladakh it is believed you can drive here even with the car ignitions off and the hills will be pulling cars towards themselves.

MYSTERIOUS SHADE OF INDIA!

INDIA HAS ALWAYS BEEN A LAND OF MYSTERIES FROM CENTURIES AGO. MANY TRAGIC INCIDENTS AND MYSTERIES ARE STILL TO SOLVE. BUT OUT OF ALL THE INCIDENTS, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME MYSTERIES IN INDIA THAT ARE STILL UNSOLVED AND DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN. CITY FIRST BRINGS TO YOU SOME MIND-BLOWING MYSTERIES FROM INDIA.

HANGING PILLAR

LIFTING STONE

Have you ever heard, a 90 kg heavy stone can be lifted up without putting any external force? If you wondering about its existence then you should visit a shrine in Shivapur, a small village in Mumbai where you can witness the controversial 'miracle' known as the Levitating Stone of Shivapur. According to the sources, if 11 people in total gather around this rock, point their forefingers at it and name the saint Qamar Ali Darvesh’s name who put a curse on the stone that is when it levitates

UTTKARSHA SHEKHAR uttkarsha.shekhar@firstindia.co.in

Another exciting mystery which will blow your mind is the mystery of the Hanging Pillar, just like its name, one of these decorated pillars in Lepakshi Temple, doesn’t seem to touch the floor. The massive block of granite is said to be a miracle, and those who can get a thin object to pass underneath it will be bestowed with good luck.

Suicidal Birds

TWIN VILLAGE

Over the last 100 years, thousands of birds have flown to their death over a small strip of land in Jatinga in Assam. As per the sources, it is believed that hundreds of birds between September and November descend from the sky, plummeting to their deaths by crashing into buildings and trees.

Ever wondered what is term 'Twin Village' stands for? Twin Village is the name given to a village named Kodinhi, in Kerela. This Village got this amazing title because more than 550 twins live here. According to the sources, out of every 1000 deliveries 42 twins are born while the average record in the rest of the world is 6 twins per 1000 deliveries. Scientists say the strange reason for this is the chemicals in the water in this area. As per the latest report by Northeast Now, this village currently claims to be having 220 pairs of twins.

DOOR-LESS HOUSES

Well, we all are aware of the mystery of Shani Shingnapur, a village in Gujarat where houses, shops or even schools have no door. Villages have eschewed security because of dying faith in Lord Shani, who is considered the guardian of the village. People believe that around 300 years ago, after a bout of rain, a heavy black slab of rock was found washed up on the shores of the Panasnala River, which once flowed through the village. When locals touched it with a stick, blood started oozing out of it. Later that night, Shani appeared in the dreams of the village head, revealing that the slab was his own idol. The deity ordered that the slab should be kept in the village with one condition: the rock and its colossal powers must not be sheltered as he needed to be able to oversee the village without hindrance. Shani then blessed the leader and promised to protect the village from danger, which made people decide to discard all locks and doors.

Disha Patani

HAPPY B’DAY TIGGY D

Rihana to sing at oscars?

ihana recently made her muchanticipated comeback on stage after 7 long years when she performed at the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime LVII Show. Apart from her terrific act, Rihanna also made headlines for revealing her second pregnancy

on stage. And now, the mommy of one will be seen taking the stage once again at the upcoming 95th Academy Awards, which will air live on ABC from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on March 12. Rihanna is nominated for an Oscar for the first time for her hit song Lift Me Up from Ryan Coog-

Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja never fail to shell out a couple of goals! Sonam Kapoor took to her Instagram story and in her note for Anand Ahuja, she wrote that she listens to romantic songs when she misses him. “I still listen to romantic songs when I miss @anandahuja... It's been 7 years but you still make me giddy like a teenager. Love you,” wrote Sonam, while sharing the music of Until I Found You in the background. Anand Ahuja re-shared Sonam’s story, and fondly replied with, “@sonamkapoor so dramatic Loll,” along with a kissing emoji.

Bade Miyan Chote Miyan

Sonakshi

Sinha has been making waves in Bollywood as a versatile actress who can excel in various genres. After headlining intense projects, Sonakshi had tak en the route to wards commer cial, high enter tainment films with the muchanticipated movie Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. Sonakshi is now all set to join the star-stud

"I'm excited to be a part of this amazing ensemble cast for Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. It's always a pleasure to work with Akshay, and Tiger.”

RELEASE

alman Khan and Pooja Hegde starrer

Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki

song, Salman and Pooja are seen flaunting their cool Bhangra dance moves as they groove to the peppy beats. Their fresh chemistry is loved by the netizens. The song also features Shehnaaz, Palak, Siddharth and the star cast. The celebratory song has a quirky hook step and Salman and Pooja have nailed it to the T. This is the first time that Sukhbir has sung and composed a song for Salman. The dance number will surely take the chartbusters by storm.

Her story...

Rihana

Sara Ali Khan

Glimpse from the song...

Her story...

Sonakshi Sinha

SUSHMITA SEN REVEALS SUFFERING FROM A HEART ATTACK

ctress Sushmita Sen who has been winning hearts ever since she was crowned Miss Universe in 1994 recently went through a major health episode. The actress – who has been part of films like Main Hoon Na, Maine Pyaar

Kyun Kiya, Biwi No 1, and more, suffered a heart attack a couple of days ago. Sushmita on Thursday took to Instagram to share that she suffered a heart attack a couple of days ago. The 47-yearold actor also revealed that she had an angioplasty done and has got a stent put in her heart.

Here’s what she wrote, "Keep your heart happy & courageous, and it'll stand by you when you need it the most Shona"

(Wise words by my father @sensubir) I suffered a heart attack a couple of days back... Angioplasty done...stent in place...and most importantly, my cardiologist reconfirmed 'I do have a big heart'. Lots of people to thank for their timely aid & constructive action...will do so in another post! This post is just to keep you (my well-wishers & loved ones) informed of the good news... that all is well & I am ready for some life again!!!

I love you guys beyond!!!! #godisgreat #duggadugga (sic)."

A lot of her well-wishers took to the comments section to post get-well-soon wishes to her while adding that she will emerge out of this sooner than expected.

Fans also advised her to take it slow and take good care of herself, while calling her an 'inspiration'.

It's shocking even more because Sushmita Sen is one of the fittest actresses we know in today’s time. She made a roaring comeback to the screens with ‘Aarya’ and the sequel ‘Aarya 2’ just made her even more popular. She is currently shooting for ‘Aarya 3’, which shall be streaming on Disney+ Hotstar soon. cityfirst.mumbai@firstindia.co.in

Touted as one of the most prestigious honours in the entertainment world The Global Fame awards were held in Mumbai. Ashish Tiwari a celebrated name in the field of Journalism who also stands strong as the Managing Editor ( Entertainment ) for the First India Group Added another feather to his cap as he went ahead to carve his name on the trophy of Global Fame Awards for the

Best Entertainment Editor. Ashish Tiwari currently heads the channel with a vision to be the best Media Agency by using their insights, expe-

rience, expertise and creativity

Bharat 24. A channel that is constantly challenging its own existing ways, thoughts, processes and systems and de-

HAILEY BIEBER Gets Trolled

Model Hailey Bieber's birthday wish for her husband Justin Bie ber is all about pure love. Taking to Instagram, Hailey wrote, "29 never looked so good...Happy Birthday to you best friend! Words couldn`t possibly sum up all that you em body. So here`s to more joy, more travel, yummy food, adventures, more peace, fun, and most of all more love."

She posted some PDAfilled pictures with Justin where the two can be seen embracing each other. Many users didn't seem to warm up to Hailey's post amid the recent eyebrow feud involving her, Kylie Jenner and Selena Gomez, and proceeded to leave unflattering comments on the post.

Hailey was accused of teaming up against Selena Gomez and bullying her unnecessarily.

veloping radical new ways, tools, processes and systems that show the way. During his conversation with Media, Ashish showered gratitude towards his CEO media maestro Jagdeesh Chandra, a visionary who has managed to change the media point of view with a 360-degree flip with Bharat 24 and First India News group for bringing out the best of the entertainment world to the audiences.

Kartik to reprise Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3

The third instalment of Bhool Bhulaiyaa will release on Diwali 2024. After winning the hearts of millions across the globe, the gates of

Rajkumar Rao in and as ‘SRI’

-Series Films & Chalk N Cheese Films gears up to inspire you with the moving story of Indian visionary Srikanth Bolla with ‘SRI’ directed by Tushar Hiranandani.

Starring Rajkummar Rao, Alaya F, Jyotika and Sharad Kelkar the film will have a nationwide release on September 15 2023.

Written by Jagdeep Sidhu and Sumit

Purohit and pictured by Pratham Mehta, SRI is a biopic of an industrialist Srikanth Bolla who didn't let his visual impairment come in the way of his vision and founded Bollant Industries.

Gulshan Kumar and TSeries Present a T-Series Films & Chalk N Cheese Films Production LLP, SRI is directed by Tushar Hiranandani, is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar & Nidhi Parmar Hiranandani. The film releases nationwide on September 15 2023.

SRK TO SHOOT FOR TIGER 3!

Aditya Chopra surprised us all by bringing Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan together on the big screen for the all-time blockbuster Pathaan. The union of two of the biggest megastars in the history of Indian cinema created mass hysteria for Pathaan as audiences loved their swagger and camaraderie on screen and showered them with abundant love. This move also signalled the birth of the now-fabled YRF Spy Universe with two superspies, SRK as Pathaan and Salman as Tiger, crossing paths and showing the world that these brutal

mercenaries are also great friends in the spy universe’s timeline. However, their back story has been kept completely under wraps by YRF so far!

Salman indicated in Pathaan that he was going on a deadly mission and that he might need SRK’s help and we can now confirm that SRK will shoot for 7 days for a massive action sequence in Tiger 3 that is sure to leave people on the edge of their seats!

“Expect the unexpected when Pathaan and Tiger meet in the next instalment of YRF’s Spy Universe film Tiger 3! Audiences have seen and loved

SRK & Salman together in Pathaan and they will be thrilled to find out what Aditya Chopra and director Maneesh Sharma have in mind for Pathaan and Tiger to meet again in Tiger 3! SRK is going to shoot for 7 days for Tiger 3 at the end of April in Mumbai and it is going to be an adrenaline-pumping one for the actor,” informs the trade source.

“The fact that 7 days have been earmarked to shoot this sequence means that extensive plans have been made to make this a visual delight for audiences! The expectations are sky-high after what people have seen in Pathaan and

the makers are very aware of this. So, one should take it for granted that YRF and Maneesh Sharma are not going to leave any stone unturned to make this scene between Pathaan and Tiger a sequence to remember in Indian cinema!” the source adds.

Tiger 3 starring Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif as Zoya & Emraan Hashmi as Tiger’s nemesis is set to release this Diwali!

“Expect full swagger from SRK and Salman in Tiger 3. They are going to go all out to give audiences a sequence that they will fondly cherish for their lives. YRF Spy Universe is only going to take the the -

collaborate yet again to carry forward the legacy of the Bhool Bhulaiyaa franchise!

Geared up to tickle your funny bones with

some thrill, the makers give a sneak peek of this mega announcement by dropping a quirky teaser.

Taking the fun and scare a notch higher, the trio makes a promising reunion with Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3! Starring Kartik Aaryan, directed by Anees Bazmee and produced by T-Series, this horror comedy is slated to release on Diwali 2024.

Produced by T-Series, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’, directed by Anees Bazmee, starring Kartik Aaryan, this family entertainer is produced by Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar will be released in cinemas in Diwali 2024!

atrical experience of every film up by a few notches. While each film will have different emo tions given how the per sonalities and story arcs of the three super spies have been de signed differently, one can rest assured that when the superspies cross over to each other’s films, there will be fireworks every single time. Here are the biggest megastars of Indian cinema doing an action like never seen before in their unique styles - it is going to be epic!” says the source.

Ashish Tiwari and Akanksha Puri

Ashish Tiwari and Sonu Sood

Sushmita Sen

Kartik Aaryan

Rajkumar Rao

Shah Rukh Khan

Hailey Bieber