First India-Mumbai Edition-16th January 2023

SINCE

SEARCH OPS HALTED,

AMONG

SECONDS

SALUTING OUR BRAVEHEARTS!

Bengaluru: The Indian army is maintaining a strong defence posture along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and is ready to deal with any contingency, Chief of Army Staff, General Manoj Pande said on Sunday. In his address at the 75th Army Day celebrations at Parade Ground, MEG & Centre here, he said northern border region has been peaceful and steps have been taken to maintain peace through established protocol and existing mechanism.

Pointing to the attempts to smuggle arms and drugs into Jammu and Punjab border regions using drones, General Pande said counter drone jammers were being used against such activities.”I request our Armed forces to develop adaptation capabilities according to time. We should bring into practice what we have learned from conflicts like Ukraine and keep ourselves updated,” Rajnath said.

Nagpur: The caller who made threatening calls to the Nagpur office of Union minister Nitin Gadkari and demanded `100 cr is an inmate of a jail in Belagavi city of Karnataka who was sentenced to death by a court in a murder case in the past, police said on Sunday.

The caller, who had claimed he was a mem-

NEPAL GOVT ANNOUNCES

PUBLIC HOLIDAY TODAY TO MOURN NATIONAL TRAGEDY

Pokhara/New Delhi:

At least 68 people died on Sunday in Nepal after a plane carrying about 72 people from Kathmandu crashed in Pokhara during morning, police said. There were 68 passengers and 4 crew members on board the plane that crashed just 10 to 20 seconds between the old and new airports in the city, located in western Nepal. The twin-engine ATR 72 aircraft operated by Yeti Airlines was en route from Nepal's capital Kathmandu. Rescue operations have been difficult because of a rag-

A

PM Prachanda calls emergency meeting

Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ called an emergency cabinet meeting. Nepal govt has formed a five-member commission of inquiry to probe the incident.

PRECIOUS LIVES LOST, SAYS MODI

PM Modi condoled loss of lives in the devastating plane crash in Nepal.

“Pained by the tragic air crash in Nepal in which precious lives have been lost, including Indian nationals. In this hour of grief, my thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families,” PM Modi wrote on Twitter tagging the PM of Nepal.

ing fire at the wreckage. The search operation was halted late evening for Sunday and bodies are yet to be retrieved, said Army officials.

Prachanda expressed his sorrow and appealed for an effective rescue of passengers of the Yeti Airlines ANC ATR 72 plane crash in Pokhara.

INDIAN EMBASSY ISSUES HELPLINE

Helpline issued by the Indian Embassy are... KATHMANDU Diwakar Sharma: 977-9851107021

POKHARA Lt Col Shashank Tripathi: 977-9856037699

Two more hotels lean on each other in Joshimath

SC TO HEAR PLEA ON JOSHIMATH SUBSIDENCE TODAY

Joshimath: Two more hotels were dangerously leaning towards each other while wider cracks have appeared near Auli ropeway and in other areas of land subsidencehit Joshimath on Sunday.

Also, the flow of water increased from a suspected underground channel burst in JP Colony in Marwari area of the town after a temporary decline a couple of days back. Muddy water has been percolating down from it constantly since Jan 2 but experts are not sure about its origins.

First India Bureau

Mt Abu/Jaipur:

8TH AND LAST NIZAM OF HYDERABAD, DIES

Istanbul:

per his desire of being laid to rest in his home land, his kids will travel to Hyderabad with mortal remains.

NITIN GADKARI THREAT PROBE

ber of the Dawood Ibrahim gang, has been identified as Jayesh Pujari. Prime facie, he made the call using a mobile phone from the jail.

A crime branch team of Nagpur Police led by an assistant inspector reached Belagavi late Saturday night. The team is likely to request the jail administration to

allow them to question Pujari on Monday. “Pujari was sentenced to death by a court in a

Jayesh Pujari,

murder case. He is a dreaded goon who managed to escape from jail in 2016. Later, he was ar-

rested by the Karnataka police,” the police officer said. “The caller had told the phone operator at Gadkari’s office that he is a member of the D gang and demanded Rs 100 crore from the minister. He threatened to harm the minister with a bomb if his demand is not met,” police had said earlier.

Caller, seeking `100 cr, an inmate of Belagavi jail who was handed death sentence in murder case, say police

the caller, made threatening calls to senior officials in the past also

READ

RECORDS TUMBLE AT GREENFIELD AS INDIA THRASH SRI LANKA BY MAMMOTH MARGIN

India’s captain Rohit Sharma holds the winner trophy after winning the 3rd ODI match against Sri Lanka, at Greenfield International Stadium, in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. P6

Mukarram Jah, titular Nizam VIII, passed away at 89 in Istanbul, Turkey. As

Nepalese rescue workers and civilians gather around the wreckage of a passenger plane that crashed near the Pokhara International Airport in Nepal on Sunday.

Moni Sharma

Miss USA R’Bonney Gabriel walks on stage after being crowned Miss Universe during the final round of the 71st Miss Universe pageant, in New Orleans.

First India Bureau

Army chief General Manoj Pande: Strong defence posture being maintained at LAC

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh greets Chief of Army Staff, Gen Manoj Pande at Shaurya Sandhya event in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Ceasefire at LOC continues and there has been a substantial reduction in violations. However, terror infra still remains on other side. Our counter insurgency mechanism is effectively foiling infiltration bid from Pakistan.

—General Manoj Pande, Chief of Army Staff

With technology acquiring centre stage in today’s world, the majority of the weapons are operated through artificial intelligence, thereby eliminating the need for any in-person human presence.

—Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister

—PHOTO BY ANI

ARMY DAY PARADE CELEBRATED OUTSIDE NEW DELHI FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1949

For the first time, the Army Day parade, which used to take place in Delhi, was moved out of the national capital and took place in Bengaluru at Parade Ground, MEG & Centre. The 75th Army Day was first-of-its-kind event, taking place outside Delhi ever since the celebrations started in 1949.

SALUTE ALL BRAVE SOLDIERS: PRESIDENT MURMU, PM MODI, OTHERS EXTEND WISHES

President Droupadi Murmu, PM Narendra Modi, Rajnath Singh, S Jaishankar and others conveyed wishes on Army Day. “Let us recall countless stories of IA soldiers’ sacrifices! They have always pushed frontiers of valour and courage and also acted as saviours in times of calamities,” tweeted Rashtrapati Bhavan. PM Modi said that the countrymen are proud and grateful to the soldiers.

MP CM’S CHOPPER SUFFERS TECH GLITCH, LANDS SAFELY: POLICE

Dhar: A helicopter carrying MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday landed in Manawar town of Dhar dist from where it had taken off sometime back due to a technical glitch, police said. CM’s chopper took off from Manawar, said SDOP Dhiraj.

TIME TO MOVE ON: LALIT MODI NAMES SON HIS SUCCESSOR

London: Former IPL Chairman and member of the Modi family trust, Lalit Modi, on Sunday announced his son, Ruchir Modi as the successor of the Lalit Kumar Modi (LKM) Branch of the KK Modi Family Trust (KKMFT).

VANDE BHARAT SHOWS THAT INDIA WANTS BEST: MODI

PM Narendra Modi flagged off Vande Bharat Express, connecting Secunderabad via VC and said the Vande Bharat shows India wants ‘the best of everything’.

HM Amit Shah on Sunday seeks blessings of Jain Acharya Ratnasundar Surishwarji in Ahmedabad. He said Modi will be reelected as PM in 2024.

1,023 FARMERS ENDED LIVES

in Marathwada in 2022

ade, the highest number of farmer suicides (1,133) was reported in 2015, the data showed.

Of the 10,431 farmers who ended their lives since 2001, 7,605 had received aid as per government norms, an official said.

First India Bureau

Aurangabad: The Marathwada region, comprising Jalna, Aurangabad, Parbhani, Hingoli, Nanded, Latur, Osmanabad and Beed districts, witnessed 1,023 farmer suicides in 2022, an increase from 887 the previous year, as per the divisional commissioner's office.

The region’s eight districts had recorded one farmer suicide in 2001.

Since then, this number has grown to 10,431, according to official data.

Between 2001 and 2010, the maximum farmer suicides (379) were reported in 2006. In the 2011-2020 dec-

Activists and officials agree that the farmers’ dif ficulties have multiplied over the past few years, when the region has seen drought-like conditions in some years and excess rain in others.

The irrigation network in the region is also not be ing used to its full capacity, they said.

“Policies are being pre

Though there have been multiple loan waivers for farmers, the figures (of suicide) are grow ing. When we waive their loans, we also have to see to it that their crop yield also gets good returns.

Substandard seeds and fertilizers are sold at high rates, which are harmful to the farming sector.

—Ambadas Danve, Legislative Council

MP SULE’S SAREE CATCHES FIRE; I AM SAFE, SHE SAYS

Pune: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP

Supriya Sule thanked her well-wishers for their concern and confirmed she was uninjured, after her saree accidentally caught fire during an event in Pune on Sunday.

The Baramati MP was at an event in Hinjawadi to inaugurate a karate competition, when her saree caught fire after the fabric grazed a lamp while she was garlanding a small statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. A video of the incident was widely shared on social

media during the day. “At the inauguration of a karate competition, my saree accidentally caught fire. However, the fire was doused in time. Request all wellwishers, citizens, party workers, and leaders not to worry as I am safe,” Sule said in a statement.

‘JAN SAMVAD KEY TO RESOLVING SOCIAL ISSUES’

Palghar: The “Jan Samvad” police-public interaction campaign, brainchild of Palghar Superintendent of Police Balasaheb Patil, is helping solve social issues like family and land disputes as well as alcoholism.

“We managed to resolve a 64-year-old dispute in a family in Parli. We convinced several generations of the family that prolonging such fights was futile. They agreed and a dispute involving 55 cases was resolved,” said PI Dashrath Patil.

DUMPER RAMS INTO BEST BUS; 16 ESCAPE UNINJURED

Thane: At least 16 passengers of a civic bus escaped unhurt, after a dumper truck rammed into the vehicle in Thane city’s Owale area on Sunday, an official said. Around 8.30 am, a BEST bus was heading to Borivali in neighbouring Mumbai, when the dumper crashed into it and damaged its rear portion, Avinash Sawant, chief of regional disaster management cell, said. Police are investigating.

MALE DOCTOR BOOKED FOR ASSAULTING, THREATENING TO KILL FEMALE COLLEAGUE

Mumbai: A doctor was booked in Mumbai’s Kurar for allegedly assaulting and threatening a woman colleague after he allegedly entered into a physical altercation with a woman doctor and verbally abused her. According to the case registered at Kurar police station, the accused also threatened to kill the woman. The First Information Report (FIR) was registered under sections 509, 323, 504 and 506 of IPC and further investigation is underway, an official said.

2L DEVOTEES SHOW UP FOR FINAL DAY OF SPIRITUAL YATRA

Buldhana: Around two lakh devotees participated in the concluding day of the Vivekananda Janmotsav Yatra on Sunday. The yatra, organized by Swami Vivekananda Ashram also popular as Hiwara Ashram to mark Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary on January 12, saw 500 quintals of “mahaprasad” distributed among these devotees.

More than 4,000 volunteers made all arrangements for the yatra, said an official.

TWO HELD WITH COUNTRY-MADE REVOLVER, BULLETS

Thane: City police arrested two persons for allegedly possessing a countrymade revolver and bullets, an official said on Sunday. The duo was arrested by a Central Crime Unit team from the Kalwa creek bridge road on Saturday night on a specific tip-off, he said. A case has been registered under the Arms Act and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) by Thane city police officials.

‘Strict action against those harassing industries in Maha’

First India Bureau

1,133

Pune: Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has revealed that a businessman, who wanted to invest Rs6,000 crore in the state, had to shift his project to Karnataka after receiving threats and extortion calls last year.

Fadnavis, who heads the Home Ministry in the Eknath Shinde-led government which came to power last June, also directed the police to take strict action against those harassing industries.

Speaking at an event in Pune on Saturday, the deputy CM appealed to leaders not to bring politics into the industrial sector and warned of strict action against those minting money in the garb of backing labour issues.

“I feel bad to say that an investor met me in the afternoon and said

Extortion calls made investor shift Rs6,000 crore plan to K’taka last year: Dy CM

he wanted to invest Rs6,000 crore here (Maharashtra) a year ago, but shifted it to Karnataka after receiving threat and extortion calls,” he said.

“If this situation prevails, the state’s youth will not get jobs. This is why such tendencies (harassment of industries, and business per-

sons) should be crushed. I have directed police to take stringent action against such troublemaking elements without thinking about party, organization, community, religion etc,” said Fadnavis.

The noose has to be tightened around such elements, and action would be taken against police if they fail to act, added Fadnavis.

“Investors are coming to Maharashtra in a big way as there is a huge pool of human resources. I would urge all leaders to not bring politics into industries. Labourers should get protection but if some political leader is trying to use the shoulders of labourers to mint money, I will not shy away from taking action,” he said.

Government will pay attention to Pune which is the second growth engine of the state (after Mumbai), he said.

Pednekar, 3 others booked over SRA flat acquisition

Mumbai (PTI): Police have registered a cheating case against former Mumbai mayor and Shiv Sena – Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Kishori Pednekar and three others for allegedly acquiring flats built under the Maharashtra government’s Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) in suburban Worli.

No arrest has been made so far in the case lodged against Pednekar and three officials of a private firm for alleged cheating and forgery in connection with the acquisition of the flats located in Gomata Janata SRA society, said an official on Saturday.

“As per the complaint filed by SRA official Uday Pingle, former Mayor Pednekar had acquired a flat, which was in the name of one Gangaram Boga, in the Gomata society. The flat

As per the complaint, former Mayor Pednekar had acquired a flat in Gomata society. It was allotted to Boga in 2008 but Pednekar mentioned it as her property in the 2017 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls.

was allotted to Boga in 2008 but Pednekar mentioned it as her property

MORE UNDER THE CARPET?

A commercial unit allotted to another person in 2008 was declared by the private firm Kish Corporate Services Pvt. Ltd as their office while filing registration documents with the Registrar of Companies (RoC), the official said quoting the FIR. Another unit too was allegedly taken up by the firm in 2017 in violation of SRA norms, he added.

‘Illegally acquired four flats of slum dwellers’

India Bureau

First

Mumbai: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya on Saturday hit out at former Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar over the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) flats scam. He alleged that Pednekar had illegally taken over four flats of poor, slum dwellers in Worli area of Mumbai.

A police official

in the 2017 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls,” he said.

KICKING BACK

“A case under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code for cheating and other offences has been registered against Kishori Pednekar, and three others. No arrest has been made so far and the probe is underway,” said the police official.

“A case has been registered against the former mayor of Mumbai and the leader of Uddhav Thackeray group Kishori Pednekar and Kish Corporate Services Pvt. Ltd for Fraud Forgery Cheating at Gomata Janata SRA Worli Mumbai,” said the former MP.

On January 06, So-

After solving crimes, cops unwind with music

maiya had alleged that Pednekar and her family had submitted false documents while registering their company Kish Corporate Services Pvt. Ltd in 2012.

A special company court summons was also issued against Pednekar and her family in this regard.

Pune: When they’re not making criminals sing like canaries, cops at the Lashkar police station are belting out yesteryear hits of Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Mohammad Rafi and others as a way of blowing off steam.

The police station, located in Pune’s Cantonment area, is perhaps the first in Maharashtra to have a dedicated “music room” equipped with a karaoke system, speakers and sound mixers.

“When the COVID-19 pandemic slowed, we held a musical therapy session with the help of Dr Santosh Borade, a

I always loved singing, but it took a backseat because of the job. Now, I practise every day after work. Some 15 of us gather in the music room after 7 pm and sing. Sometimes even local music enthusiasts join them for a jam session. They have started thinking of us as artists and not cops! Vinayak Gujar, Sub-inspector

music therapist, who encouraged the staff to sing whenever time allowed, underlining that music has a healing effect and reduces stress,” said senior inspector

Ashok Kadam.

On Dr Borade’s suggestion, they first installed a small speaker and mic at the police station. Then, as the singing bug bit more

around 15 police personnel including police officials, constables and even a peon who sing on a regular basis in the music room,” said Kadam, adding, “Since our police station is always under the pressure of bandobast duty and has the responsibility to maintain law and order, the staff needed such a mode of relaxation,” said Kadam. The initiative has is showing other gains as well.

Pune: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said the issue regarding Satyajit Tambe filing nomination as Independent in the upcoming MLC polls in Maharashtra could have been handled more systematically and row avoided.

staffers, officials added high-end equipment such as a karaoke system, mixers and singing mics with help from a local gurdwara.

“Today, we have

The evening musical sessions, according to inspector Kadam, have had another positive effect besides acting as a stressbuster: the bonding between staff members has increased. It is the time when officials and personnel come together and sing together.

The work output too has increased and the staff does not crib if they are assigned any extra official work, he said.

The Congress was left red-faced after the party leader Sudhir Tambe didn’t file a nomination for the Nashik Division Graduates constituency MLC polls. Instead, his son Satyajit Tambe entered the poll fray as an independent candidate.

When asked about it, Pawar said, “The person who filed the nomination is not from outside. By calling senior leaders together (for dialogue), the solution could have been reached and this controversy would not have happened.”

The region had recorded one farmer suicide in 2001; over 10,431 crop growers have ended their lives since then

379 highest farmer suicides reported in 2006 (2001-10)

highest farmer suicides reported in 2015 (2011-20))

Sandip Kolhatkar

What began as an antidote to stress has yielded other unexpected benefits as well

Policemen during a singing session at Lashkar police station in Pune. —PHOTO BY PTI

Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis

Nashik MLC issue could’ve been handled better: Pawar

First India Bureau

Former Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar —FILE PHOTO

First India Bureau

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya. —FILE PHOTO

NTCA approves relocation of few tigers to Nagzira Reserve

BMC TO DEVELOP URBAN FOREST WORTH `7.53 CR

Compensation assured by BMC, fishermen nod to

First India Bureau

Chandrapur: Amid the rise in cases of mananimal conflict in Chandrapur district, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has approved relocation of some tigers from a forest here to the Nawegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve nearby.

Notably, 53 people died in man-animal conflicts in the district last year. More than 20 of these deaths were reported from Brahmapuri forest division alone, he said.

Chief Conservator of Forests, Chandrapur circle, Prakash Lonkar said that following a recent high-level meeting to prepare an action plan to curb man-ani-

mal conflicts in the district. His office sent a proposal for the relocation of tigers and other mitigation measures to the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF-Wildlife) in Nagpur.

He said the NTCA recently gave its nod for the relocation of some tigers from Bramhapuri division of Chandrapur to the Nawegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR), spread across neighbouring Bhandara and Gondia districts.

A process has been initiated for the reloca-

Empty water bottles help cops solve `1 cr Bhiwandi godown theft

Thane (PTI): Police have solved the case of theft of garments worth Rs99.44 lakh from a godown in Thane district with the help of empty mineral water bottles found there, an official said.

The theft took place on January 08 at the godown located in Bhiwandi town following which a case was registered against unidentified persons, Bhiwandi zone Deputy Commissioner of Police Navnath Dhavle told reporters on Saturday.

The police probe team worked on various leads including the CCTV footage of the area and intelligence inputs. They also found empty bottles of mineral water and packets of chips at the crime spot, he said.

The labels on the water bottles found in the godown matched with

those on water bottles in a hotel in the vicinity. Based on this, the police examined the CCTV footage and spotted a man who had purchased water bottles from the hotel, the official said. The man, who has a criminal record, was arrested on Friday, he said.

The police carried out a search and recovered the entire stock of the stolen garments from the possession of the arrested accused, the official said.

tion of four-five tigers from the division to NNTR, said the official.

“We have identified a few tigers, both male and female, for relocation from the division.

The work to capture these non-troublesome tigers is a little slow as the veterinary doctors are busy with emergency work. Once the veterinarians take up the tack, the relocation of tigers will be done,” said Lonkar.

The proposal sent to the PCCF also suggested other measures to prevent man-animal

OTHER MEASURES

We have identified a few tigers, both male and female, for relocation from the division. The work to capture these non-troublesome tigers is a little slow as the veterinary doctors are busy with emergency work. Once the veterinarians take up the tack, the relocation of tigers will be done.

—Prakash Lonkar, Chief Conservator of Forests, Chandrapur circle

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Recently, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal has approved a project to create urban forest at Marol on the banks of Mithi river. Now, the civic body will plant species of 139 trees on the land parcel and the cost of the project would be around Rs7.53 crore, to be funded by the District Planning Committee (DPC).

the past decade, especially when the work on Metro Line 1 started.

The BMC has a 1.9acre garden in Sat Baug area in Marol which is on the north side of Metro Line 1. An adjoining plot measuring 1.3 acres has been taken over from Marol Co-operative Industrial Estate for the project. Besides 139 types of trees, the plot will also have shrubs to attract butterflies, medicinal plants, an exhibition centre, first aid, ticket house, wildlife artefact etc.

conflict, like creation of public awareness in sensitive villages of Chandrapur, putting up posters, distribution of pamphlets, and installation of thermal sensors/virtual fences/ high resolution cameras on an experimental basis to provide infor-

PONGALO PONGAL!

mation to villagers about the movement of wild animals, he said.

The other steps mentioned in the proposal were construction of fence on the forest boundary of 51 highly sensitive villages in Brahmapuri division, the official said.

The Marol Industrial Estate is one of the leastperforming wards in terms of tree coverage with high mean Land Surface Temperatures (LST). Hence, it was decided to develop an urban forest after the Mumbai Climate Action Plan indicated a rising LST in

The tender for the project was floated in June last year and funds for the same have now been allotted from a separate provision under the DPC. The plantation and infrastructure will be developed within a year, officials said

resume work

Mumbai: After officials agreeing to the demands, the fishermen in Worli Koliwada have allowed the civic body to resume work on the coastal road, but compensation still remains a far sight for them. According to the fishermen, they are being made to run here and there for compensation that they deserve. The construction of the coastal road began four years ago and in 2021, the BMC appointed Tata Institute of Social Science to draft a compensation policy to the tune of Rs1.5 crore, after fishermen stopped authorities from carrying out construction work of the bridge. When the policy draft was revealed in November 2022, the representatives of the Worli fisherfolk rejected it. “There were errors in the policy and we highlighted the issues. The ramp to build the bridge has blocked our access, and it will stay put for at least 2.5 to 3 years,” said a fisherman.

At ` 90 per dozen, Mumbai’s eggs turn ‘eggspensive’

First India Bureau

Mumbai: A hike in the retail price of eggs in Mumbai has been witnessed, with prices reaching Rs90 per dozen.

This significant increase, which has risen by Rs10-12 over the past two weeks, is putting a strain not only on individual households, but also on hotels, restaurants, and bakers, who purchase eggs in bulk.

Principal, teacher booked for punishing Class II student

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The principal of Sharadashram Vidyamandir International School and a teacher there have been booked for allegedly humiliating and punishing an eight-year-old

girl student of Class II over non-payment of fees, Dadar police said.

Police said that the FIR was filed against the school headmistress Rajita Bale, and class teacher Priya Para under section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.

Authorities allegedly humiliated the 8-year-old over nonpayment of fee

In his complaint, girl’s father said that his

FOR WINGED CREATURES

daughter was not allowed to take unit test conducted by school, and was made to sit separately, as her fees had not been paid. He alleged that school authorities harassed his daughter. “We are looking into the case,” an official said.

Eggs were being sold for Rs90 per dozen in Andheri Lokhandwala and Bandra (W), and Rs84 in Borivali, Dadar and parts of Kurla. In Sion, Vikhroli and Kandivli areas, eggs were priced between Rs78-80.

As per the National Egg Coordination Committee’s (NECC), the published retail rate was Rs78, and vendors typically charge Rs6-10 more.

However, on January 14, the wholesale rate was

Rs626 per 100 pieces. The reason for this price rise is being attributed to the cold wave that has affected the city.

“Traders have reported that there is a surge in demand for eggs, particularly in North India.

As a result, a large portion of regular supplies is being diverted there, leading to a shortage in the local market and resulting in higher prices,” said Aftab Khan, Chairman of the Mumbai Egg Traders’ Association.

Citizens roped in for bird survey at Pench Tiger Reserve

More than 125 volunteers from 11 states are using adaptive reline transect technique and point count method to record bird diversity

First India Bureau

Nagpur: A bird survey is being conducted at the Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) in the state as part of the “citizen science” model with an aim to create a baseline data of bird diversity and density.

More than 125 volun-

teers, in the age group of 18 to 74 years, from 11 states were participating in the three-day bird survey which began on Friday, said PTR’s Deputy Director Dr Prabhunath Shukla, in a release on Saturday.

Shukla claimed this was one of largest “citizen science” initiative

in central India and the first in Maharashtra.

“The aim is to create a baseline data on bird diversity and density using the citizen science model. Citizen Science events are widely used in western countries and are recently being used in many parts of India to collaborate and contribute in large-scale data collection on various biodiversity surveys,” he said.

“This gives a new discipline in changing the scientific landscape for

scientific community and spread conservation awareness to a broader community,” he said.

The participants, in groups of two to three members, were staying in forest protection camps. These teams will cover 78 beats of PTR, the release said.

The “adaptive reline transect” technique and point count method were being used to record bird diversity in the reserve, it said.

The data will be compiled on Kobo Collect

App, where each bird sighting will be recorded with its name, number of individuals and its geo-location, Shukla said. A baseline checklist of 310 species in Pench Tiger Reserve has already been created by the Central India Bird Academy, a Nagpur-based NGO, the release said. The programme has been organized in collaboration with TINSA Ecological Foundation, an NGO involved in ecological research, it added.

The aim is to create a baseline data on bird diversity and density using the citizen science model. Citizen Science events are widely used in western countries and are recently being used in many parts of India to collaborate and contribute in largescale data collection on various biodiversity surveys.

—Dr Prabhunath Shukla, Deputy Director, PTR

Four-five tigers from the Chandrapur division will be transferred to Nagzira. —FILE PHOTO

An action plan has been prepared to curb human-animal conflicts in Chandrapur district, say officials

Tamilians mark the festival of Pongal by boiling milk on makeshift wood-burning stoves at Dharavi in Mumbai on Sunday. The act of overflowing milk, as per custom, symbolizes a happy future and also welcomes the new harvest.

—PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

Survey aimed at creating baseline data on bird diversity & density in the reserve; (in picture) Indian peafowl birds —FILE PHOTO

Labels on the water bottles found in the godown matched with those being used at a hotel in the vicinity

The civic body will plant species of 139 trees. —FILE PHOTO On January 14, the wholesale rate was Rs626 per 100 eggs.

A BUDGET FOR BHARAT

While this extraordinary social safety net together with the big push for providing electricity, drinking water, sanitation and housing for all, succeeded in mitigating damage to those at the bottom of the pyramid, the structural reforms has made the economy more efficient

THIS WILL BE THE LAST REGULAR BUDGET AHEAD OF GENERAL ELECTIONS NEXT YEAR

This year’s Union Budget — the 11th in a row from the BJP-led NDA — is being presented in the backdrop of exceptional circumstances. Not only is a deeply divided world facing an unprecedented economic challenge that is being compounded by climate change, this is also the last regular Budget ahead of the general elections next year.

fied Payments Interface (UPI), CoWin, Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), Account Aggregators, Health Stack and Open Credit Enablement Network (OCEN), over the last decade.

not just in India but the entire world. Unlike other nations though, India did not opt for a fiscal stimulus to revive the economy.

This year’s Union Budget— the 11th in a row from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA)—is being presented in the backdrop of exceptional circumstances. Not only is a deeply divided world facing an unprecedented economic challenge that is being compounded by climate change, this is also the last regular Budget ahead of the general election next year.

commodity price shocks has brought the world-including the United States, the largest economy--dangerously close to a recession.

However, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, will have cause for cheer.

India continues to challenge this grim global narrative with its economy poised to log an impressive 6.5-7 percent growth in 2022-23. Even better, the Finance Minister has sufficient cause to believe that this is largely the outcome of the policy playbook the NDA adopted since it assumed power in 2014.

THE NEW PLAYBOOK

The impact is yet to manifest itself as the Indian economy was busy repairing the damage caused to the banking sector by an unprecedented surge in bad debts. Further, the back-toback setbacks beginning with the pandemic, dampened the recovery process. However, with these one-off shocks fading the economy is poised for a rebound, providing a healthy backdrop for this year’s Budget. Over to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Ever since the covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020, the world has been subjected to repeated shocks of unprecedented magnitude—the Russia-Ukraine conflict, followed by the ratcheting up of interest rates by the United States Federal Reserve, and most recently the fresh surge in the covid-19 pandemic in China.

The combined impact of the pandemic, geopolitical tensions, drying up of global liquidity and the

Since it assumed power nine years ago, the NDA has sought to pivot the Indian economy. These policy changes have been appreciated and validated most recently, by the global investment banks, World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

It began with the rollout of the Goods and Services

Tax (GST)—the single biggest indirect tax reform— which, for the first time, economically unified the country. The GST principle, ‘One Nation, One Tax’, made the economy more efficient by dramatically reducing friction. Not surprisingly, monthly gross GST collections now average over Rs 1 lakh crore— in November the accruals to the exchequer was Rs 1.45 lakh crore.

To incentivise and revive private sector investments the union government slashed corporate tax rates to 22 percent from the prevailing 30 percent; in addition, it fixed a lower rate of 15% for companies incorporated after 2019—this scheme is extended till 2023.

Similarly, the passage of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) in 2016, helped with the mitigation of the legacy bad debts of commercial banks. According to the Economic Survey of 202122, financial creditors recovered Rs 2.55 lakh crore, of the Rs 7.94 lakh crore debt owed to banks, at the end of 30 September 2021. This repair of the financial sector, which also included capitalisation of

bank balance sheets, restored the ability of commercial banks to lend.

The NDA also undertook a major ideological reset after it formalised the policy of privatisation— the most recent example was the sale of Air India to the Tata group. Simultaneously the union government has taken to monetisation of idle assets owned by the public sector to generate funds for big-ticket Greenfield infrastructure projects—the underlying strategy is to crowd-in private investment.

The pursuit of fiscal prudence, unlocking of financial resources and buoyancy in tax collections has provided the wherewithal to the FM to fund infrastructure projects and the covid-19 relief packages. More importantly, it is now evident that the structural reforms which improved economic efficiency, proved to be a buffer against the economic devastation unleashed by the pandemic.

DIGITAL PUBLIC GOODS

The Indian economy also received an unexpected boost from the rapid rollout of Digital Public Goods (DPGs) like Aadhaar, Uni-

ELDERS YEARN FOR CARE, HEALTHY LIVING

The United Nations “World Social Report 2023:

In An Ageing World” has called for urgent collective efforts to continued social and economic improvements for healthy ageing of the elderly whose population is on the rise. With the global population of those aged 65 and above is expected to double from 761 million in 2021 to 1.6 billion in 2050, the demand for long-term healthcare is also increasing. In India, the population of elders is expected to touch 149 million in 2031 after recording an increase of 41 percent over a decade. The World Health Organisation and the UN have marked 2021-

2030 as the Decade of Healthy Living.

On one hand the rise in longevity is a “success story caused by improved sanitation and medical therapies, greater access to education and family planning, and strides towards gender equality and wom-

en’s empowerment”, the report said. Notwithstanding the constantly improving “health and wealth” of countries the “inter-generational solidarity” will continued to be required to sustain old-age support.

The report points out that the “high and rising

levels of inequality threaten to become a defining feature of present and future generations”. This inequality in incomes extends to old age homes where class divide makes them as big a challenge as living in one’s own tenement. Doors of

The United Nations “World Social Report 2023: Leaving No One Behind In An Ageing World” has called for

These DPGs have been created as an open digital ecosystem, which enables the private sector to use these digital rails to create innovations in payments, health care and so on. At the same time, by dramatically lowering the cost of entry, these DPGs accelerated formalisation of the economy and democratised access to identity, covid-19 jabs, payments, credit and more recently e-commerce.

Instead it pursued a calibrated strategy, wherein it initially focused on saving lives and then gradually put the spotlight on livelihoods—even while it bolstered the material basis of the vulnerable segments by rolling out the free food grain scheme for 80 crore people; which has now been extended till December 2023.

These public digital rails have also been used by the union government to accelerate the rollout of the Direct Benefits Transfer, estimated to be cumulatively over Rs25 lakh crore. The resulting disintermediation has also prevented leakages and savings to the exchequer upwards of Rs 2 lakh crore.

Further, these beneficiaries have become key stakeholders in the Indian economy—where previously they were outside looking in.

PANDEMIC BLUES

The onset of the covid-19 pandemic, consequent lockdown of the economy caused immense distress to both lives and livelihoods,

While this extraordinary social safety net together with the big push for providing electricity, drinking water, sanitation and housing for all, succeeded in mitigating damage to those at the bottom of the pyramid, the structural reforms has made the economy more efficient.

The impact is yet to manifest itself as the Indian economy was busy repairing the damage caused to the banking sector by an unprecedented surge in bad debts. Further, the back-to-back setbacks beginning with the pandemic, dampened the recovery process. However, with these one-off shocks fading the economy is poised for a rebound, providing a healthy backdrop for this year’s Budget. Over to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

old age home open with difficulty for those who can’t afford them. Some of these homes charge for rent, medical care and personal care from inmates as profit is their driving motive. Those run by government are generally in a bad state.

Surrender yourself to God, that is the biggest support. Anyone who has come to recognize this support is free from fear, worry and suffering. Bhagavad Gita

SPIRITUAL SPEAK

Amit Shah@AmitShah Indian Army is synonymous with valour and courage. On #ArmyDay, I extend my greetings to soldiers, veterans and their families. India is proud of our Army for their resolve to keep the nation safe. We salute our Bravehearts and bow down to their supreme sacrifices.

TOP TWEETS

MIDC, Vishnu Nagar, TTC Industrial Area, Dighe, Navi Mumbai-400701.

Chandra Editor: Kartikey Dev Singh responsible for selection of

Anurag Thakur@ianuragthakur Best wishes on Army Day to the brave soldiers and ex-servicemen of indomitable courage, extremely disciplined and dutiful Indian Army @adgpi. We are proud of the selfless service spirit of the brave soldiers of the Indian Army who are ready to sacrifice their everything every moment for the defense of the country.

urgent collective efforts to continued social and economic improvements for healthy ageing of the elderly whose population is on the rise

ANIL PADMANABHAN The writer is a freelance journalist who tweets @capitalcalculus

‘A symbol of New India’s vision’

The first train will run between Secunderabad and Visakhapatnam in 8 hours and 30 minutes

PAKISTAN MEDIA PRAISES INDIA'S RISING GLOBAL FOOTPRINT

Hyderabad (PTI):

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday virtually flagged-off the Vande Bharat train service between Secunderabad in Telangana and the port city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh on the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti.

"Vande Bharat is a true replica of India which is coming out of the mentality of dependence and moving towards Atmanirbharta (self-reliance)," the PM said before flagging off the train.

"Vande Bharat is a symbol of New India's capability and resolve. It is a symbol of that India which has chosen the path of rapid development," the Prime Minister said.

"This Vande Bharat Express symbolises that India which expects everything to be the best. This Vande Bharat Express symbolises India

which wants to give better services to every citizen of its," he said. It was designed and made in India, he pointed out.

This train will be the eighth Vande Bharat Express to be introduced by Indian Railways and will be the first one connecting the two Teluguspeaking states. It will be covering a distance of around 700 km between Secunderabad and Visakhapatnam in eight and a half hours.

The way all important days and festivals connect the country, Indian trains also with their motion and journey give opportunity to join and understand, Modi said.

The PM said seven Vande Bharat trains (already introduced) have covered the cumulative distance of 23 lakh kilometres, equivalent to 58 rounds of earth. More than 40 lakh passengers have travelled in Vande Bharat trains so far.

Don’t need Shah to tell about revolutionaries’ role: Tushar Gandhi

Kozhikode (PTI): Mahatma Gandhi’s great grandson Tushar Gandhi has said there is no need for Home Minister Amit Shah to talk about the contribution of armed revolutionaries in the country’s freedom movement as “Bapu” himself had acknowledged their role.

Shah had recently said only one type of narrative of a non-violent movement during the freedom struggle has been “forced through education, history & legends”, whereas India’s independence was a result of collective efforts, in-

cluding the contribution of revolutionaries. “We do not need an Amit Shah to say these things. Shah needs to say these things because he does not have anything to say about himself. Bapu himself had acknowledged that independence was not achieved only because of his attempts,” he said.

Several roads to be closed today, traffic to be diverted

New Delhi (ANI): Delhi Police has issued a traffic advisory in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow in New Delhi on Monday.

“Bhartiya Janta Party is organizing a road show having mass public participation on Sansad Marg from Patel Chowk to Sansad MargJai Singh Road Junction on January 16 from 3 pm onwards. Prime Minister of India will grace the said road show with his presence.

Special Traffic arrangements will be in place to ensure smooth traffic management in the vicinity of the roadshow route,” said Delhi Police in a statement.

The traffic advisory said Ashoka Road (Windsor Place to Jai Singh

Remote EVM: 16 Opposition parties agree on joint stand

New Delhi (Agencies): Sixteen opposition parties gathered for a meeting, called by the Congress, on Sunday to discuss the joint strategy for the meeting convened by the Election Commission on Monday to demonstrate the concept of Remote EVMs for migrant voters. The Election Commission has invited all recognised national and state political parties on January 16 to demonstrate the functioning of the multi-constituency prototype Remote EVM.

Road GPO Both Carriageways), Sansad Marg, Tolstoy Road (Janpath to Sansad Marg), Rafi Marg (Rail Bhawan to Sansad Marg), Jantar Mantar Road, Imtiaz Khan Marg and Bangla Sahib Lane will remain closed on January 16 from 2:30 pm to 5 pm.

Delhi Police further informed that Baba Kharak Singh Road, Outer Circle Connaught Place, Park Street/

Shankar Road, Minto Road, Mandir Marg, Barakhamba Road, Panchkuain Road, Raisina Road, Tolstoy Road, Janpath, Firozeshah Road, Rafi Marg, Rani Jhansi Road, DBG Road, Chelmsford Road, Bhai Veer Singh Marg, DDU Marg, Ranjit Singh flyover, Talkatora Road and Pandit Pant Marg are expected to experience a heavy volume of traffic during the roadshow.

Islamabad (ANI): In a first, a leading Pakistan daily, The Express Tribune, lauded India’s expanding global footprint and its growing stature and heft on the world stage under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he has brought India to the point where the nation has begun to cast a wider net of its influence and impact. The Op-ed column in the leading Pakistan daily further stated that under PM Modi, India’s foreign policy has treaded skilfully and its GDP has grown to over three trillion USD. Calling it ‘monumental progress’, Shahzad Chaudhry, a noted political, security and defence analyst, writing in The Express Tribune, called India a preferred destination for all investors. The writer further reiterated that India has, under the chairmanship of PM Modi, established its own domain on the foreign policy front. India is also a big producer of agricultural products and the IT industry, Chaudhry noted in his column.

Shah inaugurates Scout and Guide Training Centre

Ahmedabad (ANI): Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that it is very important to inculcate the spirit of service, dedication and discipline in the citizens along with patriotism for making the country ‘great’.

“If any country is to be made great, the citizens of the country have to be great, and for that, it is very important to inculcate the spirit of service, dedication and discipline in the citizens, patriotism is also necessary,” Shah said addressing after the inauguration of the newly constructed training and residence building of Bharat Scout and Guide Gujarat Region.

“The responsibility of making India a developed and great nation in immortality rests with the children and youth

IT WILL TRANSFORM KIDS & YOUTH: SHAH

“Scout and Guide work to transform children and youth into ideal and complete citizens. We are here to endorse such exemplary activities of Scout and Guide. The children of the country should be made aware of the sacrifices of India’s freedom fighters, to celebrate the achievements of India in 75 years and to ensure that India is first in every field by the next 25 years,” Shah stated.

sitting here. If every citizen of the country takes one resolution, the entire country will fulfil 130 crore resolutions. Even a small decision can change a person’s life,” Shah said.

‘BSP will contest alone in Assembly, LS polls’

Lucknow: BSP chief Mayawati on Sunday ruled out an alliance with any party for the assembly polls in various states and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Key states of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana would go for polls this year, besides states from the North-East.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, "I would like to make it clear that in the assembly elections of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan and in the Lok Sabha elections, which will be held next year, the BSP will not forge a coalition with any party, and will con-

ON BORDER DISPUTES

test the polls on its own strength." Mayawati said it became necessary for her to make the announcement as the Congress and some other parties, as part of a "conspiracy", are allegedly trying to create an impression that they would be forging an alliance with the BSP.

"In the electoral alli-

Our response to China was strong, firm: EAM

Chennai (ANI): EAM S Jaishankar highlighted India’s ‘strong and firm’ counter-response to China, which tried to unilaterally change the status quo on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in May 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and more recently in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh in December, last year.

The External Affairs minister said, “On the Northern borders, China is seeking to change

the status quo by bringing large forces, violating our agreements. Despite Covid, remem-

ber, this happened in May 2020. Our counterresponse was strong and firm.” He said the

Indian forces deployed along the border were continuing to safeguard the frontiers in the most

extreme and harshest weather conditions.

“These troops deployed in thousands, safeguard our frontiers in the most extreme terrain and harshest weather,” he added.

Expanding on why India mattered more to the world now, Jaishankar said the world saw in India’s response to China that it is “a nation that will not be coerced and will do what it takes to ensure its national security”.

ance made one or two times at the state level in UP and other states, barring Punjab, their votes (allies) have not been transferred to us, due to which the BSP has incurred loss," she said.

"Hence, our party has decided to contest the assembly polls and Lok Sabha polls on its own," she said.

‘BJP

LIED, GANGA VILAS-LIKE CRUISE SERVICE BEEN THERE

FOR 17 YEARS’ New Delhi: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav recently said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is making false claims about the luxury river cruise MV Ganga Vilas. He said that he has been told that such a service has been running for a very long time. It has been in existence for the past 17 years. Talking to the media while attending the death anniversary of party leader Manoj Kumar Pandey’s mother, he said, “This water cruise has been running for many years, this is not new. Someone has informed me that it has been running for 17 years and only some parts have been added to it, and they are saying that they have started it.” “The BJP people are far ahead in telling lies and doing publicity. It has also been heard that...it also has a bar,” said Yadav, further adding, only BJP peo ple can tell whether there is a bar on the cruise or not.

BJP govts never imposed any ban on media houses: Rajnath Singh

New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh on Sunday said those alleging violation of press freedom forget that the governments of his party had "never imposed any ban" on any media organisation, "nor curtailed" anyone's right to free speech. The Congress government had amended the Constitution to curb free speech, he said referring to the amendment of Article 19 in 1951.

Singh also said a de-

bate has again started in the country regarding freedom of expression.

"The interesting thing

is that those who allege a violation of media freedom today forget that whether it is Atalji's (former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee) government or Modi ji's government, they never imposed any ban on any media house, nor curtailed anyone's right to free speech & expression in any manner," he said.

Hitting out at Congress, he said the entire history of the grand old party is "replete with incidents of violation of all kinds of freedoms".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off the Vande Bharat train connecting Secunderabad to Vishakapatnam, via video conferencing, on Sunday. —PHOTO BY ANI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurates scouts and guide residence, in Ahmedabad, Sunday. —PHOTO BY PTI

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at the Tughlaq's 53rd Annual Day Function.

—PHOTO BY ANI

PM MODI’S ROADSHOW IN DELHI

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati addresses a press conference, at the party office, in Lucknow on Sunday. —PHOTO BY ANI

Rajnath Singh during the ‘Baat Bharat Ki’ programme, at The Ashok Hotel, in New Delhi on Sunday —PHOTO BY ANI

Tushar Gandhi

THE MATTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY

The External Affairs minister Jaishankar also said that the world saw through India’s response that it won’t be coerced and will do what needs to be done to ensure national security.

—Representational Image

‘Battle Squads’ to be converted into ‘Integrated Battle Groups’

Rahul’s Yatra garners support in J&K region

General Pande made the announcement while speaking at the 75th Army Day event organised here at Govindaswami Drill Square ground.

“In an effort towards force structuring and optimization, we are planning to convert our Battle Squads into Integrated Battle Groups, which will contribute effectively to the battlefield of the future,” Pande said.

He further said that “old establishments and units are being disbanded, or are being revamped with suitable changes.”

To make the “teethto-tail” ratio effective with modernization and technological infusion, Pande said, “the Army will be rightsized so that human resource or manpower can be used properly”.

“Our aim will be to move from a manpower-intensive to a technologically driven Army,” said the Army chief, adding “our primary focus will be our soldiers, who will be fully prepared and equipped to face the challenges of the future.”

Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande reviews the parade during the 75th Army Day Parade, at Parade Ground, MEG & Centre, in Bengaluru on Sunday. —PHOTO BY ANI

‘PRECAUTIONS TAKEN TO ENSURE SMOOTH R-DAY CELEBRATIONS’

Balkaur Singh, father of late Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, walked with Rahul Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Yatra’s Punjab led in Jalandhar on Sunday.

Bengaluru (ANI): Pande on Sunday said that the counterinfiltration grid of the Indian Army is continuously foiling the infiltrations at the Line of Control (LoC) in western border areas.Addressing the 75th Army Day event at the Govindaswamy parade ground in Bengaluru, the Army Chief said that the ceasefire violations have been brought down. “Cease fire continues at LoC in western border areas and ceasefire violations have been brought down. But across the border, terror infrastructure still remains. Our counterinfiltration grid is continuously foiling the infiltration from there,” the Army chief said in his address. He also acknowledged the attempts being made to smuggle weapons and drugs drones in the ary sector areas of the country.

CRUCIAL READ

Nagpur(PTI): A ten-year-old boy died during treatment on Sunday, a day after his throat was slashed by a nylon string being used for flying a kite in Nagpur city of Maharashtra, police said. The incident occurred on Saturday in Jaripatka area when the boy, a class 5 student, was returning home on a two-wheeler with his father. Police said the boy’s respiratory tract and blood vessels were cut by the nylon string. He breathed his last on Sunday morning in a hospital, an official said. A case of accidental death was registered and the investigation was launched by the officials.

RLY OFFICER HELD

IN ` 50 LAKH

CORRUPTION CASE

New Delhi: The CBI has arrested an Additional Divisional Railway Manager posted in Guwahati in an alleged bribery case of Rs 50 lakh, officials said on Sunday. A 1997-batch Indian Railways Service officer Jitender Pal Singh was arrested along with a person identified as Hari Om while allegedly demanding and accepting the bribe, they said.

FORMER UP MLA SUNDERLAL DIXIT DIES AT 80

Lucknow: Former MLA from Haidergarh assembly seat and senior BJP leader Sunderlal Dixit died on Saturday after falling down the stairs at his home. The 80-yearold suffered a serious head injury during the fall and was rushed to Lohia Hospital in Lucknow where doctors declared him dead, family sources said on Sunday. Sunderlal Dixit was elected thrice from Haidergarh constituency.

MEMBER OF GOLDY BRAR GANG ARRESTED IN HIMACHAL PRADESH

Chandigarh: The Punjab Police on Sunday said it has arrested an active member of the Goldy Brar gang from Himachal Pradesh. Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said Inderpreet Singh alias Parry was facing several murder cases in Punjab and Haryana. He was involved in a dozen cases of murder, including the killing of Pardeep Singh in Faridkot. “State Special Operations Cell @PunjabpoliceInd has arrested Inderpreet Singh @ Parry, operative of Gangster Goldy Brar from #HimachalPradesh,” said Mr Yadav in a tweet.

A robust security grid is in place and adequate precautions have been taken to ensure smooth and joyous celebrations of the Republic Day in Jammu and Kashmir on January 26, a senior Army officer said on Sunday. “Things are under control. It (Republic Day) comes every year…. We take adequate precautions and are prepared both from the operational point of view as well as from the logistics point of view,” General Officer Commanding of the Army’s 19 Infantry Division, Major General Ajay Chandpuria, told reporters. He said a robust security grid has been put in place and all arrangements, coordination and synergy with the stakeholders are being ensured. Maj Gen Chandpuria said the situation in north Kashmir is nearly normal.

New Delhi: The buzz created by Rahul Gandhi’s long march across India’s length, whose last leg through Jammu and Kashmir is about to begin, has ensured that it is going to have an impressive start right at the entrance to the Union Territory, from neighbouring Punjab.

Veteran politicians like former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah and former minister Choudhary Lal Singh have already announced that they will join Rahul Gandhi in his Bharat Jodo Yatra at Lakhanpur next week.

Congress leaders have informed the Yatra will reach Lakhanpur in the evening on January 19, and after a night halt there, will proceed from Kathua’s Hatli Morh next morning, they added.

Delhi to witness intense cold wave

New Delhi: The weather office has predicted a return of the cold wave over many places in Delhi-NCR between Monday and Wednesday.

The minimum temperature is expected to settle around 3 degrees celsius. Dense to very dense fog is very likely in some parts during night and morning hours over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh during the next 5 days.

The weather bureau said minimum temperatures are likely to fall further by about 2 degrees celsius over many parts of northwest and central India till January 17-18.

Vehicles commute on the snow-covered Srinagar-Jammu Highway amid the cold winter, in Srinagar. —PHOTO BY ANI

New Delhi: Three avalanches hit Ganderbal and Bandipora districts of Jammu and Kashmir, but there was no loss of life, officials said. They said avalanche warnings have been issued for 12 districts of the Union Territory following moderate to heavy snowfall. Two simultaneous avalanches hit the Sarbal area of Sonamarg, in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, while another hit Gurez, in north Kashmir’s Bandipora, the officials said. The State Disaster Management Authority issued a ‘high danger’ avalanche warning for various districts.

CONGRESS MP WHO DIED DURING YATRA CREMATED IN NATIVE VILLAGE

Chandigarh: Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary, who died after suffering a cardiac arrest during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, cremated at his native Dhaliwal village in Jalandhar on Sunday. The 76-year-old two-time MP died on Saturday in Punjab’s Phillaur. The yatra was suspended for 24 hours following his death. Many political bigwigs including Cong leader Rahul Gandhi attended the last rites of party MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary. Wreaths were laid by Rahul Gandhi, ex-CM Charanjit Channi, PPCC chief Amarinder S Raja Warring and LoP Partap Bajwa.

‘RAHUL MADE PEOPLE REALISE HOW IMPORTANT UNITY IS FOR COUNTRY’

Sibal, who had quit the Congress last year, said the party’s Kanyakumari to Kashmir Yatra “optically” seems to have succeeded and gotten the support of non-Con-

gress elements as well. Sibal said conceptually the Yatra is a “wonderful idea”. “I think that he (Rahul), made them realise how important it is to ensure unity in our country & that respect for diversity is at the heart of our nation moving forward,” the former Union minister said.

Encounter breaks out in J&K’s Budgam

New Delhi: An encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in the Budgam district of Jammu on Sunday following a search operation in the region. Security forces had launched a cordon & search operation based on specific input about the presence of terrorists in the Redbugh area of Magam in the central Kashmir.

The official noted that the search operation turned into an encounter after terrorists fired upon a search party of the forces that caused retaliation.

‘Perpetrators will pay heavy price’ Jammu (PTI): J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday said the perpetrators responsible for the recent terror attack on a village in Rajouri district will have to pay a heavy price for their heinous action.

Kohli, Siraj power India to monster ODI win

(ANI): Team India became the first-ever team in ODI cricket to register a win by 300 runs or more, becoming the team with the biggest victory margin in terms of runs in the history of 50-over format on Sunday.

The Men in Blue accomplished this during their third and final ODI against Sri Lanka at Thiruvananthapuram.

Centuries from Virat Kohli (166*) and opener

Shubman Gill (116) powered India to 390/5 in

overs. In their

the biggest win by runs in ODI

New Delhi: The Indian run-machine slammed yet another century in the third and final ODI against Sri Lanka on Sunday. This was third hundred in his last four innings and 46th in the ODIs, just three away to equal Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time record of

ARMY DAY

Thiruvananthapuram

their 50

chase of 391, Lanka did not put up even an inch of fight and the match

appeared to be over after Mohammed Siraj (4/32) delivered a

brutal powerplay spell. The visitors were bundled out for 73 runs and India won the match by 317 runs.

Previously,

MASTERCLASS PERFORMANCE

Army personnel of motorcycle team ‘Tornadoes’ perform a daredevil stunt at MEG Centre, in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Bengaluru (ANI): Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Manoj Pande on Sunday announced to convert the “Battle Squads” into “Integrated Battle Groups” in an effort towards structuring and optimization of the force.

New Delhi (PTI): Former Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Sunday hailed the Bharat Jodo Yatra, saying that Rahul Gandhi has been able to bring together disparate elements of the society and made them realise how important it is to ensure unity in the country.

CENTURION KOHLI GOES PAST SACHIN TENDULKAR

J&K: AVALANCHES HIT SEVERAL PARTS

CEASEFIRE VIOLATIONS BROUGHT DOWN ACROSS LOC: ARMY CHIEF

BIDEN DECLARES EMERGENCY IN CALIFORNIA

Indian players with trophy pose for photographs after winning the 3rd ODI match against Sri Lanka, at Greenfield Stadium, in Thiruvananthapuram, Sunday. —PHOTO BY ANI

BRIEFS

Amendments to comp law likely in Budget

New Delhi (PTI): The government is expected to propose amendments to the competition law after taking into consideration various suggestions of a Parliamentary panel, in the upcoming Budget session of Parliament, according to a senior official.

New Delhi: Rakesh Kumar Jain has taken over as the chairman of Indraprastha Gas Ltd, the firm that retails CNG to automobiles and piped natural gas to household kitchens in the national capital region and neighbouring towns. Jain, who is Director (Finance) at state gas utility GAIL (India) Ltd, took over as the company chairman on January 14, IGL said in a regulatory filing. IGL is a joint venture of GAIL and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), and they hold 22.5 per cent stake each. —PTI

Besides, discussions are going on with respect to amendments to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) as well as the Companies Act, 2013.

The official also said that the corporate affairs ministry is examining a Parliamentary panel’s suggestions on having a new digital competition law.

The ministry is implementing the Competition Act, IBC and the Companies Act, and amendments to these laws are expected this year.

Domestic automobile ind scaling up efforts

A bill to amend the competition law was introduced in Parliament on August 5 last year and was later referred to the Parliamentary Standing

CII Business

THE ACT IMPLEMENTATION

z Official said that corporate affairs ministry is examining a Parliamentary panel’s suggestions on having a new digital competition law

z The ministry is implementing the Competition Act, IBC and the Companies Act, and amendments to these laws are expected this year

Committee on Finance.

The panel tabled its report on December 13 last year and the ministry will now be coming up with an amendment bill after tak-

ing into consideration various recommendations of the committee.

The senior official said the bill to amend the competition law is expected in the Budget session of Parliament.

The introduction of a ‘Settlement and Commitment framework to reduce litigations’ and incentivising parties in an ongoing cartel investigation in terms of lesser penalty to disclose information regarding other cartels were among the proposals in the bill that was introduced in August last year.

In its report, the Parliamentary panel recom-

mended various changes to the bill to amend the competition law, including bringing cartels under the scope of settlements as a “pragmatic recourse”.

The Budget session of Parliament will commence from January 31 with President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

The session will have 27 sittings and will continue till April 6 with a monthlong recess to examine the budget papers. The first part of the session will conclude on February 14 and after a break, reconvene on March 12.

New Delhi: Foreign investors offloaded around Rs15,000 crore worth of Indian equities in the first two weeks of January amid risks of Covid in some parts of the world and recession worries in US. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have been adopting a cautious stance towards Indian equity markets for the past few weeks. As per data with the depositories, FPIs have made a net withdrawal of Rs15,068 crore from the Indian equity markets during January 2-13. —PTI

MCAP OF 7 MOST VALUED FIRMS JUMP OVER `1 LAKH CRORE

New Delhi (PTI): The domestic automobile industry is scaling up efforts to enhance localisation of electronic components in order to curtail dependence on other countries, especially China, as per auto component industry body President Sunjay Kapur.

In an interaction with PTI, Kapur noted that the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and the Ministry of Heavy Industries are working together to achieve the target of localisation especially in electronics.

INDUSTRY BODY PRESIDENT SAYS

z There lies a great opportunity for the auto component industry with the big push towards electrification

z With growth in consumption of electric vehicles, the industry is witnessing fast transformation of the auto components sector

tion of the auto components sector to be an integral part of the electric vehicle manufacturing supply chain.

The component industry is making steady investments and acquiring technology companies.

New Delhi: The combined market valuation of seven of the top-10 most valued firms jumped `1,07,224. 82 crore last week, with IT majors Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Infosys emerging as the biggest gainers. Last week, the 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 360.81 points or 0.60 per cent. While TCS, HDFC Bank, Infosys, Hindustan Unilever, ICICI Bank, HDFC and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) were the gainers, Reliance Industries Limited, State Bank of India and Bharti Airtel faced erosion from their market valuation. —PTI

GOVT EXTENDS

He noted that there lies a great opportunity for the auto component industry with the big push towards electrification.

With growth in consumption of electric vehicles, the industry is witnessing fast transforma-

“We will have to keep localising...We as an industry are very fortunate that we can work with the electronics industry as well.

Together with combined forces, we can look at scale for localisation efforts and that is something that we have to do,” Kapur stated.

New Delhi: The government has extended the tenure of managing director (MD) and CEO of Bank of Baroda (BoB) Sanjiv Chadha for about five months till June 30. The order dated January 14, 2023 comes ahead of his three-year tenure that ends on January 19. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the Department of Financial Services for extending the term of Chadha till June 30, 2023, sources said. —PTI

New Delhi (PTI): Real estate developers increased the pace of construction during 2022 with 4.02 lakh housing units getting completed across seven major cities as compared to 2.79 lakh homes in the previous year, according to Anarock.

The construction works were affected during 2020 and 2021 calendar years because of lockdowns to control the COVID-19 pandemic.

Real estate consultant Anarock, one of the leading housing brokerage firms, tracks primary (fresh sale) residential markets of seven major cities namely Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Delhi-NCR, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata. It compiles data of sales, new launches, prices and construction status of projects.

As per the Anarock data, the completion of housing

units was highest since 2017. About 4.02 lakh homes were completed in 2022 across the seven cities, a 44 per cent increase from 2021 level when around 2.79 lakh homes got completed.

Of the total completed homes in 2022, the highest were in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) at 1,26,720 units, almost 80 per cent more than in 2021

Confidence

Index rebounds sharply to two-year high

New Delhi (PTI): The latest CII Business Confidence Index for the October-December quarter rebounded to its highest reading in almost two years of 67.6 from 62.2 in the previous quarter, reflecting optimism around India being in a ‘sweet spot’ despite the rising global uncertainties, the industry body said on Sunday.

The sharp improvement in the value of the index was buttressed by subsiding of concerns around the impending recession and its impact on the Indian economy, CII stated. The Index is based on the findings of a survey of over 120 firms of varying sizes and across all industry sectors and regions of the country.

However, a majority (70 per cent) of the survey respondents feel that the Indian economy will expand in a range of 6.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent in the current financial year ending March from 8.7 per cent in the last fiscal.

Coal India should aim at providing power to nation at ‘just price’: Chief

New Delhi (PTI): Stateowned CIL chief Pramod Agrawal has said that the coal behemoth should aim at providing electricity to the county at “just price” as 80 per cent of the company’s supplies is directed towards coal-based power plants.

Coal India (CIL) accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal supply and three quarters of the country’s power generation is coal-based.

In a recent message to its employees, Agrawal who is the chairman and managing director of CIL said that “our role is to supply assured energy at affordable costs”. Stating that as

there is a sizeable scope for energy expansion in the country for the next few decades, he said that the company has a greater responsibility to shoulder.

“Aim for even loftier heights in the last quarter of the financial year and make FY23 momentous by

‘Qtr earnings, inflation data major factors to drive trends’

New Delhi (PTI): WPI inflation data, the ongoing quarterly earnings and foreign fund trading activity would largely dictate terms in the equity market this week, analysts said.

Global trends and Brent crude oil movement are also crucial factors to watch out for, they added.

“The Q3 season has begun with big IT names and this week we will react to earnings of some major names, including HDFC Bank, IndusInd Bank,

Asian Paints, JSW Steel and HUL.

“On the global front, the US market will remain shut on Monday on account of Martin Luther King Jr Day. However, we will have lots of macro numbers from the US, Europe and China. Apart from this, movement in crude oil prices, US bond yields and the dollar index will be other important factors,” said Santosh Meena, Head of Research, Swastika Investmart Ltd.

OTHER STORIES

shattering the annual targets as well. And, not rest there. Once we achieve 700 MT production target that should be a benchmark base for further growth,” he said.

Agrawal asked the employees to make a concerted effort in meeting the country’s energy and developmental goals with unrelenting commitment.

“All the three performance parameters -- production of 479 MTs (million tonnes), supplies of 508 MTs and OBR of 1,155 M, Cu.M, till December, were ahead of the respective progressive targets,” the message said.

GST not payable for promoting RuPay card, says Ministry

New Delhi (PTI): Incentives paid by the government to banks for promoting RuPay debit cards and low-value BHIM-UPI transactions will not attract Goods and Service Tax (GST), the Finance Ministry said.

Last week the Cabinet cleared a Rs2,600-crore incentive scheme for banks to promote RuPay debit cards and low-value BHIM-UPI transactions in the current fiscal.

‘Devt gathered momentum post lockdowns’

bined witnessed completion of 81,580 units last year against 63,870 units in 2021.

As many as 23,190 units got completed in Kolkata during 2022 calendar year as against 11,620 units in 2021.

Anarock Chairman Anuj Puri said, “2022 was a watershed year for the Indian housing sector, with sales breaching the previous peak levels of 2014. In re

Over 5.44 lakh units are scheduled to be completed across these seven cities in 2023, he added.

“Construction activity will hopefully remain least impacted even if the pandemic resurfaces, so most completions in 2023 may be as per schedule. Certainly, developers are committed to completing previously launched projects before launching new ones,” Puri

comparison with the preceding three months, however, below the financial year 2021-22 (FY22) average run-rate of 29 lakh. The incremental additions of such accounts were 21 lakh in December 2022, compared to 18 lakh each in October and November and 20 lakh in September.

FPIS WITHDRAW `15K CR FROM EQUITIES IN 2 WEEKS OF JANUARY

TENURE OF BOB MD SANJIV CHADHA

RAKESH KUMAR JAIN TAKES OVER AS CHAIRMAN OF IGL

Save your own house

first: Bawankule takes dig at Aaditya Thackeray

TRIGGER(ED)

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state unit President Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Sunday attacked Shiv Sena -Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Aaditya Thackeray for his alleged remarks on Chief Minister Eknath Shindeled government in the state. He asked the youth leader to “save his own house first”.

“Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Shiv SenaUddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction should first save their own glass house, as it is breaking,” Bawankule said in a veiled attack at the opposition parties in Maharashtra. Several Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders have joined the BJP in the past few months.

“When Rahul Gandhi was leading Bharat Jodo Yatra in Maharashtra, over 1,500 Congress workers had joined BJP. That is why all three parties (Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena) should save their house first. It has be-

come difficult for Aaditya Thackeray to save his house, so he is making such a statement,” the BJP leader said.

His remarks come after Thackeray’s statement claiming that the coalition government of CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis will fall in the next two months.

Speaking at a job fair organized by Shiv Sena in Thane on Sat -

urday, Thackeray had alleged that the coalition government of Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena (BSS) and BJP had only divided Maharashtra and did nothing for the people.

The government of “gaddars” (traitors) will collapse in the next two months, he had said. In response, Bawankule said that Fadnavis and Shinde’s coalition government

WARNING Bawankule’s remarks come a day after the Thackeray scion’s statement that the Shinde-Fadnavis government would fall in the next two months.

Speaking at a job fair organized by the Shiv Sena faction led by his father Uddhav, Thackeray had on Saturday alleged that the current coalition government had only divided Maharashtra and had done nothing for the people.

The government of “gaddars” (traitors) will collapse in the next two months, Thackeray had said.

Graduates being excluded from polls: BJP’s Padalkar writes to election body

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Gopichand Padalkar has written to the State Election Commission, complaining that graduate candidates are being excluded from the election to the Graduates Constituency on January 30.

“India is the world’s largest democracy and there is unprecedented importance to elections in our country. Against this backdrop, it is unfair to exclude an individual or a group from voting,” Padalkar wrote in his letter to the EC.

“India is a country of youths. And legislators

Several examinations are being held on Jan 30, so more than 10K graduates will not be able to exercise their franchise in the election, he says

elected from the Graduates’ constituency work for their better future.

However, there is an attempt to exclude more than 10,000 graduates

tions are being held on January 30, the day of the election.

“Examinations for Groups A and B in the urban development, law, medicine, and public health will be held on the same day in two phases. Therefore, over 10,000 graduates will not be able to vote,” he wrote.

from the process of voting and hence I want to draw your attention to this,.” he added.

He further pointed out that everal examina-

Hosp goof-up leaves families looking for loved ones’ bodies

First India Bureau

has been working under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. He also claimed that BJP will stay in power in Maharashtra for the next 25 years.

He further reiterated and exuded confidence that in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly election they (Shinde-Fadnavis coalition) will win a majority of 184 seats, which was 164 last time.

Mumbai: Improper identification procedures and wrong tagging at the city’s KEM Hospital led to two dead bodies getting mixed up when authorities handed them them over to relatives of the deceased.

The error was rectified with help from the police, after one family realized that the dead body released to them was not that of their loved one.

Currey Road resident Ram Sajan Jaiswal, 75, was admitted to KEM

EVER ONWARDS

Improper tagging procedures at KEM led bodies to be mixed up during release

Hospital on Thursday night after complaining of breathing issues. He later died on Friday morning. Another patient, Chandrakant Gunaji Jadhav, 57, a resident of Nalasopara, also passed away the same morning.

“Both were admitted to the same ward. After they died, as per protocol, their body was

tagged by the nurse and sent to the morgue. But due to a mix-up, Jadhav’s family was handed over Jaiswal’s body.

When Jaiswal’s family came to claim the body, they identified that it was not their relative.

After this, we informed the Bhoiwada police station and the latter informed the Nalasopara police about the exchange. The body was brought back on the same day and at around 10 pm the bodies were handed over to the respective families,” a hospital staffer explained.

“The EC always works to strengthen democracy. Due to the overlapping of dates, thousands of graduates would not be able to vote in elections which are very crucial for them. I hope the EC will come up with a positive solution to this problem,” added Padalkar.

Three held for conning man with ‘witchcraft’

First India Bureau

Palghar: Three men, aged 27, 46 and 55, have been arrested under the Indian Penal Code and the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, an official said on Sunday. The accused allegedly promised a man in Gujarat’s Valsad that they would use their “supernatural powers” to give him back Rs5 lakh, if he gave them Rs1.5 lakh, the official also said.

Nip in air trumps air quality concerns at Mum Marathon

‘None of the 55K people who participated across categories cribbed about AQI; the air they breathed was filled with joy and excitement’

Ashish Agashe

Mumbai: As I slept last night, the only thing playing on my mind was a simple wish: let the trend of lower temperatures hold up.

Despite concerns around worsening air quality, the declining temperatures had already tempered anxieties about participating in the annual Mumbai Marathon, which returned after a threeyear break due to COVID-19. I was doing a half marathon this time, and had successfully tricked two colleagues Dnyanesh Chavan and Kapil Kelkar into signing up for the same event.

The nip in the air continued, as we headed out to the start line in the specially arranged buses at 4 am. It was a much, much larger gathering than we had imagined.

Poor practising does

not allow for luxuries like race strategies, and the only sliver you chase is a finish.

We three decided to run our own races, and soon dissolved into the crowd of runners.

Murli Gavit from India won the half marathon with a timing of 1 hour and 5 minutes.

Once I crossed the finish line (in 2.24 hours and 24 minutes and with what I consider minimal damage to the legs), I met up with Dnyanesh and Kapil. They had also finished the race strong—Kapil in 2 hours and 35 minutes, and Dnyanesh in 2 hours and 40 minutes. —PTI

NOT A SPRINT: FINDING YOUR GROOVE & KEEPING IT GOING

The first few kilometres in pitch darkness were about finding your groove and wading through the huge number of runners around you. Just when it started feeling monotonous, the sight of the illuminated Bandra-Worli Sea Link served as the perfect antidote. After the 12km mark, I found myself in the low zone with little motivation me, but I trudged on, dreading the Peddar Road climb ahead. There, the multitude of watchers encouraged the runners as they always do, showering chocolates, jaggery-filled confectionery, and oranges, and also cheering those with sagging spirits. I witnessed the rising sun far away on the eastern horizon as I took the left turn onto Marine Drive, but it proved to be just a fleeting one as the running continued. I was headed south on the city’s famous landmark, even as the spirits headed northwards as the finish came closer.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, CM Eknath Shinde and Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis at the Mumbai Marathon 2023 on Sunday. The event was held after a gap of three years, due to the pandemic.

Aaditya Thackeray

—FILE PHOTO

Dismisses former min’s remark that ‘govt of traitors will collapse’

More than 1,500 Congress workers joined the BJP while Rahul Gandhi was leading Bharat Jodo Yatra in Maharashtra. That is why all three parties (Congress, NCP, Shiv SenaUBT) should save their house first. It has become difficult for Aaditya Thackeray to save his house, so he is making such statements.

—Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Maha BJP chief

—PHOTOS

BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

—PHOTO BY PTI

Gopichand Padalkar

www.firstindia.co.in

I https://firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai

FASHION THAT REFLECTS YOU!

FASHION

irrors have always been used to depict India’s stunning scenery and natural beauty. It has been a favorite in most millennial’ ward robes due to its ageless appeal and adaptability. Mirror work, also known as sheesha and abhala bharat embroidery, is a kind of hand embroidery that entails sewing tiny mirror bits to cloth.

M

Mirror craftsmanship originated in Persia in the 13th century and traveled to India during the Mughal dynasty. The usage of mirrors and the art of mirror work come from traditional Islamic beliefs; mirrors assist to ward off ill luck and evil spirits by trapping or blinding the evil eye. Hinduism and Jainism adopted the religious practices, and shisha torans were placed on the entrance door to fend off bad spirits in these religions.

Mirror work also has a lovely heritage feel to it; this is something that may inspire you. It can be passed down through generations.

Different embroidery designs, colors, and sil houettes can be used with mirror work.

Dresses that have reflective mirror designs are more appealing. One of the best things about mirror work is that it can be created to meet the demands of the customer and look fantastic. Wear it traditional or western you can don both the look without putting in additional effort. If you wish to be the highlight of any event then a mirror dress will do the best for you.

WHENEVER YOU FEEL A BIT DULL, JUST ADD SOME SPARKLE TO YOUR CLOTHING STYLE. CITY FIRST GIVES YOU SOME INSIGHTS INTO THIS BREATHTAKING ARTISTRY OF MIRROR WORK

estivals mark the spirit of joy and celebration, they have direct and indirect impacts on people through the opportunities they provide for; participation, skills development and volunteering, one such hazardous effect of a Makar Sankranti festival was seen on Saturday.

Kite flying has always been part of the celebrations in North and Western India. However, with a rising number of kites in the air and a sharperthan-ever competitive edge in kite-fighting, what was meant to be a celebration of nature’s rebirth has transformed these locations into killing grounds for their local and migratory bird populations.

The increasing usage of glass-coated, especially nonbiodegradable ‘Chinese’ manjha (kite string) composed of metallic/nylon yarn with an abrasive layer of broken glass bonded over it, has exacerbated the situation. Birds cannot see this tiny string while flying, and thousands of them become entangled and are maimed or killed each year during the event. After the kite flying is done, coils of this sharp manjha are seen hanging from trees and lampposts, posing a menace to both birds and humans.

Over the last few years, the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) has been collaborating with government authorities and local NGOs to solve this issue. This year’s Makar Sankranti festivities included a continuous awareness campaign in conjunction with the youthbased organisation Raksha to educate people in and around Jaipur about the long-term impact of kite-fighting, particularly with Chinese manjha, on bird populations in the area.

CUT STRINGS NOT WINGS!

CITY FIRST HIGHLIGHTS SOME

AMAZING WORKS DONE BY VARIOUS BIRD RESCUERS AND NGOS!

HOPE AND BEYOND

Hope and Beyond is a social organization that is committed to conserving wildlife and is famous as Wildlife NGO in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Our mission is to provide greater insight and appreciation of the natural world and the ways to protect it. We help to provide a haven to all animals in the wilderness. We have a team of committed, trained, and empathetic volunteers who excel in handling and rescuing reptiles and animals of feline, canine and avian family. Hope and Beyond strives to inculcate sensitivity about the importance of wildlife fauna among masses, especially the youth, by organising awareness programs, seminars, and symposiums.

ECO RESCUERS FOUNDATION

SAAHAS FOUNDATION

Saahas Foundation is working for the conservation of animals for the last 5 years. Whether it is treatment or any problem related to food or organism. The team of organisation has worked even during the Corona period. Right now our NGO has set up bird medical camps at three places in Jaipur. And many birds have been rescued and treated using designated open spaces and choosing cotton thread or natural fibre can help reduce the risks of related fatalities and save numerous lives.

IT IS TERRIBLE THAT THE THREAT OF SYNTHETIC MANJHA CONTINUES DESPITE A BAN BY THE GOVERNMENT.

OF THE

RAKSHA NGO Raksha is a youth based organisation, established by a small group of individuals inspired to start a movement and make lasting change to work against cruelty towards animals, to improve the health and welfare of animals, to protect the environment. Since its launch in January 2003, Raksha has rescued close to 15,000 birds, 1200 mammals and 6000 reptiles in and around Jaipur and released them into their natural habitats. It is the only fulltime bird and mammal rescue organisation in Jaipur.

UTTKARSHA SHEKHAR uttkarsha.shekhar@firstindia.co.in

SANTOSH SHARMA AND MUKESH KIRADOO

The Delhi-based non-governmental organisation Wildlife SOS in collaboration with Eco Rescuers Foundation is conducting a free bird treatment camp in the Malviya Nagar area of Jaipur, Rajasthan. The four-day camp was set up as bird casualties during the festival of Makar Sankranti are the highest because of the use of glass-coated or ‘Chinese Manjhas’ during the kite-flying which is part of the festivities. These strings easily cut through the soft flesh of birds and cause damage to their wings and limbs. The camp which was started on January 12 was inaugurated by Rajiv Arora, Chairman of Rajasthan Small Industries Corporation is equipped with a state-of-the-art medical operation theatre, medical facilities, and transport carriers for injured birds.

Parul

Ananya,

Jahanvi,

Akshita Shaktawat

Aayush Mahajan

Preshati

Kavyyaa

SS RAJAMOULI ISSUES A BIG STATEMENT!

ping the film and giving you a piece of music and dance. I just use those elements to move the story forward.”

ASHISH TIWARI cityfirst.mumbai@firstindia.co.in

t has been made clear by SS Rajamouli that RRR is not a Bollywood movie. Rajamouli is currently ecstatic because his film RRR won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song, Naatu Naatu. Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, Olivia Morris, Ram Charan, Jr. NTR, and other actors appeared in RRR.

RRR director SS Rajamouli is heard claiming that the movie is not a Bollywood

production in a video that has gone viral on social media. The director then gave his justification for including songs in his movies.

While interacting with the media after the screening of RRR at the Directors Guild of America, SS Rajamouli said, “RRR is not a Bolly -

He went on to add, “If at the end of the film, you say I didn’t feel it like three hours, then I know I am a success ful filmmaker.”

wood film, it is a Telugu film from the South of India where I come from, but I use the song to move the story forward rather than stop -

SRK DOES HIS SIGNATURE STEP AT BURJ KHALIFA

n Saturday, Pathaan’s trailer was displayed on the Burj Khalifa.

Shah Rukh Khan, who is in Dubai for the promotion of his upcoming film watched the event from a nearby building. Shah Rukh stood on stage at a promotional event while the Pathaan trailer played in the background. He was dressed in black casuals and a matching jacket. Additionally, he struck his famous posture. At the promotional event, Shah Rukh also spoke a few lines from the movie and danced on Jhoome Jo Pathaan song.

On social media, several

fan clubs posted content from Dubai. In a video, Shah Rukh was seen saying his Pathaan lines at an event, "Party rakhoge to mehman navazi ke liye Pathaan to ayega aur sath mein pathaake bhi layega (if you will host the party at Pathaan's house, Pathaan will obviously come and will bring firecrackers too)." He also said his another dialogue from the film “apni kursi ki peti baandh lo, mausam bigadne wala hai (tighten your seatbelts because the weather is going to change now).”

RRR, starring Ram Charan and Jr. NTR, was published in 2022. It has gar nered media attention ever since its publication for a variety of reasons. RRR re cently took home a big Gold en Globe 2023 Award. The RRR song Naatu Naatu won against Taylor Swift's Carolina from "Where The Crawdads Sing" and Rihanna's Life Me Up from "Black Panther: Wa kanda Forever." On stage, MM Keeravani accepted the honour. Along with others,

Craze of Selfiee!

Selfiee, a remake of the Malayalam film Driving License, starring Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi marks the first collaboration between the two actors. Additionally, to heighten interest, the film's creators just debuted a stunning motion poster. According to the most recent movie poster, Akshay Kumar will play Prith-

viraj and Emraan Hashmi will play the cop. The latest motion poster clearly showcases the massive face-off that the two characters will be seen having in the film. Sharing it on his Instagram, producer Karan Johar said, “Superstar aur Superfan ki aisi kahaani, aap ne suni naa hogi kahin! Dekhiye #Selfiee in cinemas on Feb 24th.”

Khichdi makes Kareena happy!

Actress Kareena Kapoor has been giving fans a peek into her weekend. The actor shared a photo of her meal on Instagram Stories on Sunday, one day after letting fans in on a behind-thescenes look at her demanding home workout. Kareena shared a meal that contained a green curry, papad, achar and khichdi. She also included a

Details of Ranbir starrer films revealed

visiting the headquarters of the production business.

He has Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar in the pipeline line alongside Animal. And now, one of the producers of the films, Bhushan Kumar has revealed the plot details of both

his

last year. Tu Jhoothi Main

is the name of it. It is consid ered to be a romantic come dy, and they have already received immense love for it. Tu

sticker that read, "My heart is full." She also mentioned Rujuta Diwekar, her longtime dietitian. Kareena frequently posts images of her meals on Instagram for her followers to see. In her social media tweets, she also mentions Rujuta. She has been working with Kareena ever since Tashan (2008) made headlines because of her size-zero' physique, and she shared in each of Kareena's pregnancies with boys Jehangir and

film starring Ranbir Ka poor and Shraddha Kapoor in December of

Makkaar

Jhoothi Main

Poster of the movie

SS Rajamouli

Shah Rukh at the Burj Khalifa

Emraan Hashmi and Akshay Kumar

Her post...

Kareena Kapoor

Shah Rukh Khan