First India-Mumbai Edition-29th January 2023

SABALENKA BEATS ELENA TO CLINCH MAIDEN GRAND SLAM TITLE AT Oz

Melbourne: Aryna Sabalenka tamed her nerves to blast her way to a maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, with a 4-6 6-3 6-4 win over Kazakh 22nd seed Elena Rybakina on Saturday.

‘DEADLY’ FOR DEMOCRACY: EXSC JUDGE SLAMS LAW MIN RIJIJU

Mumbai: Former SC judge Rohinton Fali Nariman slammed Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju for his “diatribe” against collegium system for appointment of judges and said govt sitting on the names of judges recommended by the collegium was “deadly” for democracy. P8

SUKHOI, MIRAGE FIGHTER JETS CRASH NEAR GWALIOR; 1 PILOT DIES

The Air Force has launched a probe to examine if a mid-air collision led to the crash Wreckage from crash in MP’s Morena landed over 100 km away in Bharatpur, Rajasthan

DISASTROUS DRILL!

Moni Sharma

Morena/Bharatpur:

An Indian Air Force pilot was killed after two fighter jets — a Sukhoi Su-30 and a Mirage 2000 — crashed during a training exercise near Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday. While the two pilots on the Su-30 sustained minor injuries, the pilot on the Mirage died after being fatally wounded in the crash. Wreckage of the crashed aircraft was found in Bharatpur in Rajasthan and Morena in MP. IAF has ordered a court of inquiry to examine if a mid-air collision led to crash.

Crucial

READ

‘BEATING THE RETREAT’ CEREMONY TO BE HELD AT VIJAY CHOWK TODAY

New Delhi: Beating the Retreat ceremony will be held at the historic Vijay Chowk in New Delhi today. President Droupadi Murmu, PM Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other leaders will witness the ceremony. P6

BJP RELEASES TRIPURA

POLLS LIST; BIPLAB OUT, MANIK GETS BORDOWALI

Agartala: BJP released list of 48 candidates for 60 Assembly seats in Tripura elections. CM Manik Saha has been fielded from Town Bordowali, Biplab Deb does not figure in the list, Union MoS Pratima Bhoumik is a surprise addition. P5

2 DOCTORS AMONG 5 DEAD IN JHARKHAND

NURSING HOME FIRE

Dhanbad: At least 5 people, including 2 doctors were killed in a fire in a private nursing home in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad Saturday, an official said. They include Dr Vikas Hazra, his wife Dr Prema Hazra, the owner’s nephew Sohan Khamari and domestic help Tara Devi.

DAY AFTER ‘SECURITY LAPSE’ CLAIM, RAHUL RESUMES YATRA

Awantipora: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi resumed his Bharat Jodo Yatra from here in J&K’s Pulwama district on Saturday, a day after cancelling the foot-march in Anantnag district after the party alleged security lapse. Rahul Gandhi was joined by his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, her daughter Iltija Mufti. P5

2008 BATLA HOUSE

ENCOUNTER CONVICT

AHMAD DIES AT AIIMS

New Delhi: Indian Mujahideen operative Shahzad Ahmad died on Saturday during treatment at AIIMS in New Delhi. He was convicted in the 2008 Batla House encounter case for murdering Inspector Mohan Chand.

TWO PILOTS SAFE:

Su-30 had 2 pilots while Mirage 2000 had 1 pilot during the crash. Initial reports suggest both pilots are safe and sustained minor injuries.

DEFENCE MINIS-

TER BRIEFED: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took stock of the situation, spoke to IAF chief VR Chaudhari & is monitoring situation.

(T) The wreckage of Su-30MKI and Mirage 2000 fighter jets.

(B) 2 pilots lie on ground after the two fighter planes crashed.

PM MODI ATTENDS THE 1,111TH INCARNATION FESTIVAL OF LORD DEVNARAYAN IN BHILWARA

VANCHIT KO VARIYATA!

Our government working with mantra of “preference for underprivileged” like Lord Devnarayan, says PM Narendra Modi

Aishwary Pradhan, Shikha

Sharma & Navin Joshi

Bhilwara: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said his government is working to empower every section of society that has faced deprivation and neglect, and is moving ahead with the mantra of “Vanchit ko Variyata (preference to the underprivileged)”.

Modi is on a visit to Bhilwara district in Rajasthan on the 1,111th incarnation festival of folk deity Lord Shri Devnarayan, revered by people of the Gurjar community. Addressing a gathering at Malaseri Dungri village after taking part in a ritual to mark the occasion, the prime minister said the world now looks at India with high hopes and the country has shown its strength and power.

Today, India asserts itself on global platforms and is reducing its dependency on other countries, he added. During the day, Modi also offered prayers at the Devnarayan temple in Malaseri.

Many attempts were made to break India ideologically but no power

has succeeded, he said, adding, “India is not just a landmass, but an ex pression of our civili sation, culture, har mony, and potential.” “People should stay away from things which is against unity of nation,” he added.

‘Is he saying BJP uses agencies for gain?’

...NCP asks after VBA chief says ‘nothing wrong’ if PM uses ED, CBI

First India Bureau Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Saturday queried if Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar had implied that the Union government uses investigating agencies to tar-

get the political rivals of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Ambedkar had said, “If I were Modi, I would do the same to legally save my chair and sus-

tain my party.”

Calling it a grave allegation, NCP spokesperson Clyde Crasto responded to Ambedkar’s comment. “The BJP has maintained that the CBI and the ED are independent agencies and it has never misused them for political benefit or personal vendetta.... But Prakash Ambedkar’s remark insinuates that central agencies are being used to sustain the party,” he said.

Prakash Ambedkar must corroborate his statement and prove that what he has said is true. The BJP too must prove that what Prakash Ambedkar is saying is false. If not, the people of India will begin to believe that the BJP is truly misusing the central agencies like the CBI and the ED.

—Clyde Crasto, NCP Spokesperson

Deeply anguished by the loss of brave air warrior, Wg Cdr Hanumanth Rao Sarathi, who suffered fatal injuries during an accident near Gwalior.

The news of crash is very sad. I have instructed the local administration to cooperate with the Air Force in quick rescue and relief work.

Two jets -Mirage & Sukhoitook off from Gwalior in the morning. As per IAF, one aircraft had 2 pilots, while the other had one; 2 safely rescued, the body parts of the 3rd were found. Some parts of the jet were found in Bharatpur (Rajasthan), and details are being collected.

—Ashutosh

PM HAILS GURJARS’ CONTRIBUTION OF IN THE FREEDOM

Highlighting contribution of Gurjar community in freedom struggle and other movements, PM Modi said it is misfortune of the country that such personalities did not get place in history which they deserved. Modi said, new India is correcting the mistakes done in the past.

PM MODI LIKELY TO VISIT DAUSA

ON FEBRUARY 4

PM Modi is likely to visit Nangal Pyariwas of Dausa on Feb 4 on the invitation of Dr Kirodilal Meena. Modi is likely to visit Meena HC. Kirodilal had a conversation with leaders of the high command Saturday. Meena’s team is preparing for a big function. Modi is proposed to visit Dausa after inauguration ceremony of Delhi-Mumbai Express NH in Alwar.

Lord Devnarayan always gave priority to social service and public welfare, and put all his energy towards the welfare of the people.

Lord Devnarayan manifested himself on a lotus, which is also the logo of the India’s Presidency of the G20.

—Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

Vote for BJP, form govt with majority in K’taka, says Shah

HM Amit Shah attends ‘Amrit Mahotsava’ event of KLE and inaugurates an indoor stadium at KLE Society's BV BCET

First India Bureau

Hubballi: Urging people to vote for the to form a government with absolute majority in by placing trust in PM Narendra Modi, Shah on Saturday said every vote cast in favour of JD(S) would end up helping Cong and making it win.

Amit Shah laid the foundation stone of National Forensic Sciences University (Karnataka Campus) around noon in National Forensic Science University (NFSU) in Dharwad, a

AMIT SHAH HOLDS MASSIVE ROAD SHOW IN K’TAKA

Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in poll-bound Karnataka for the second time this month to participate in several events, as well as a roadshow organised by the BJP on Saturday.

city located in the north-western part of Karnataka. During the day, he also inaugurated a stadium at KLE society’s BV Bhoomaraddi Engineering College & Tech University. P5

If you can’t sacrifice your life for the country then live your life for your nation and make it the number one country in the world. PM Modi has given you all opportunities to do that.

—Amit Shah, Union Home Minister.

MUGHAL GARDEN IS ‘AMRIT UDYAN’

Ageneral view of Mughal Garden which has been renamed as ‘Amrit Udyan’ at Rastrapati Bhawan, in New Delhi on Saturday. The new name has been given by President Draupadi Murmu as part of “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” festivities, to mark 75 years of India’s independence. President Droupadi Murmu will grace the opening of the Amrit Udyan today. It will be open to the public from January 31.

Amit Shah paints the BJP logo during Vijay Sankalp campaign, in Dharwad on Saturday. Basavaraj Bommai is also seen here.

Bagri, Morena SP

Shivraj Singh Chouhan @ChouhanShivraj Rajnath Singh @rajnathsingh

Su-30MKI & Mirage 2000 fighter jets crashed during an exercise, at Pagadgarh, Morena on Saturday.

PM Modi spent about 21 minutes in Purnahuti on Dungri and also had detailed conversation with the people of the Gurjar society about the place

PM Narendra Modi greets people during the ‘Avataran Mahotsav’ of Devnarayan Ji in Bhilwara on Saturday. Also present here are Arjun Ram Meghwal, Hemraj Gurjar and others.

Prakash Ambedkar

No talk yet on bringing VBA into MVA fold: Sharad Pawar

NCP supremo reiterates MVA alliance with Thackeray-led Sena, Congress for civic polls

First India Bureau

Kolhapur: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar on Saturday said that no talks have been held among the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents about taking the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) on board, so far.

This comes days after Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena –Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction and Prakash Ambedkar’s VBA forged an alliance for upcoming civic polls in Maharashtra.

Pawar said the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Thackeray-led Sena will contest the upcoming elections together. He was talking to reporters at Kolhapur in western Maharashtra.

Responding to a query about the Sena -UBT and VBA’s alliance, the

former Union minister said, “No talks were held (in the MVA) regarding Prakash Ambedkar’s VBA ahead of the elections. We do not know what is going on between the two parties...we will not discuss anything over it.”

“Congress, NCP and Thackeray-led Sena will together contest upcoming elections. We have not held any discussion with Ambedkar,” he said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has re-

portedly said that it will seek MVA’s support so that the upcoming bypolls to the Kasba and Chinchwad Assembly seats in Pune are held unopposed.

By-elections are necessitated as the sitting BJP MLAs from these seats died recently.

When asked about it, Pawar said, “I don’t know to whom (state BJP chief) Chandrakant Patil is writing a letter about it. I have no information on that. I don’t know how he didn’t

Teen out on walk raped by two fake cops in Dombivli

First India Bureau

Thane: Officials are on the hunt for two men who allegedly raped a 17-year-old girl while posing as police personnel in Thane district.

The minor had been taking a walk with her boyfriend near a creek in Dombivli town of Kalyan taluka at around 1.30 pm on Friday, when they were accosted by two men who claimed to be police personnel.

The accused allegedly first warned the minor and her friend against “wandering in the area” and then took the girl into a nearby forested area, where they took turns raping her. One of them shot a video of the act and threatened to circulate it.

The traumatized victim later approached the police and lodged a complaint, he said.

A case under Section 376(D) (gangrape) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) and Information Technology Acts has been registered. Efforts are on to nab the accused who are absconding, said SI PM Bhalerao.

Partial HC relief: 8-wk deadline for pending proposals

First India Bureau

No talks were held (in the MVA) regarding Prakash Ambedkar’s VBA ahead of the elections. We do not know what is going on between the two parties...we will not discuss anything over it. —Sharad Pawar, Nationalist Congress Party chief

think about unopposed elections during the bypolls in Kolhapur and Pandharpur.”

When asked about the early morning oath-taking ceremony of Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar in November

2019, the NCP president replied, “It’s been two years now. Why are you

Cops to sponsor education of five-year-old rape survivor

Mumbai (PTI): The police will sponsor the education of a fiveyear-old girl who was sexually assaulted by a boy in the premises of a school in central Mumbai earlier this month, an official said on Saturday.

According to the police, the child was sexually assaulted by a 15-year-old boy in the premises of a civic school in Madanpura area of central Mumbai. The boy, who abandoned the child near her house, was apprehended within hours of the incident.

The girl was admitted to a hospital and was

Officials have collected `1.11 lakh so far and have opened a recurring deposit account in her name

discharged after she recovered, the official said.

As the child comes from a poor family, officials of Nagpada police station have decided to lend a helping hand by sponsoring her education till Class X, he said.

The amount will help the child to pursue her education till Class X, said the official.

22-YEAR-OLD ARRESTED FOR RAPING MINOR

Mumbai: A 22-year-old man was arrested on Friday for allegedly raping a minor girl in Mumbai’s Dindoshi area, a police official said on Saturday.

The complaint was filed by the victim’s mother in the evening, following which the man, a dumper truck driver, was nabbed, he said. The woman has said the accused raped her daughter twice, once in Santosh Nagar and also in Aarey colony, the official informed. The accused has charged under Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for rape and other offences, the official added.

raking up that topic?”

After the 2019 Assembly poll results, Fadnavis had returned as chief minister with Ajit Pawar as his deputy on November 23 that year. Both were sworn in a hush-hush early morning ceremony, but the government lasted only 80 hours.

TRAFFIC CHAOS

Mumbai: In a relief to real estate projects, the Bombay High Court on Friday partly allowed plea of the National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) and directed the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) to decide all pending proposals expeditiously.

It set a deadline of eight weeks for passing of proposals in accordance with the Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR) 2034 and Unified DCPR.

In its plea, the property developers’ selfregulating body had claimed that SEIAA was deferring environmental clearance to various pending real estate projects. It stated that the authority had

Property developers had sought clarification over a NGT order

been citing a September 2022, email from the registrar of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), following an order in a case related to Kalpataru Group.

Realty developers had recently sought clarification with regards to the tribunal’s order that a developer cannot show podiums in a building as a recreational ground.

The court observed that the NGT order was not an impediment to consider pending applications. The queries related to recreational grounds were to be decided by the SEIAA on its own merits.

CRUCIAL READ BANNED TOBACCO PRODUCTS SEIZED ON TRAIN; 3 HELD

Thane: Three persons have been arrested for allegedly smuggling banned tobacco products worth more than Rs3 lakh in an express train in Thane district, police said on Saturday. The police seized 24 bags containing contraband worth Rs3.58 lakh on board UP Chhapra Express at Kalyan railway station on Friday afternoon, an official said. Offences under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Food and Security Act have been registered. Further investigation is underway.

COPS NAB MAN WANTED FOR 14 HOUSE BREAK-INS

Palghar: The Palghar district police have arrested a 24-year-old man with a criminal record, connected with at least 14 cases of house-breaking, an official said. As part of the investigation into recent burglaries in Virar, the police zeroed in on one Akram Farooque Ansari based on CCTV footage and intelligence inputs, said senior inspector Pramod Badakh of the local Crime Branch. The police took arrested Ansari and recovered jewellery and mobile phones worth nearly Rs3 lakh from him, solving 14 cases, said the official.

LUCKY ESCAPE FOR COPS AFTER PATROL BOAT CAPSIZES

Palghar: A police patrol team had a close shave with misfortune when their boat almost capsized in a creek, said an official on Saturday. The incident occurred on Friday afternoon in Kelva creek. “A team of five policemen was patrolling the coast in a boat when water gushed in due to high tide,” he said. The police personnel raised an alarm and informed their on-shore counterparts/ A team rushed to the spot in another boat and brought them back to the shore, informed the official.

SENIOR CITIZEN RUN OVER BY TRUCK IN VASAI

for the six-laning work of the Kagal-Satara stretch of Pune-Bangalore National Highway 48. —PHOTO BY PTI

Palghar: A 75-year-old woman was crushed to death on Saturday in Vasai in Palghar district, a police official said. The deceased identified as Parvati Narayan had come to her sister’s house here from Tamil Nadu, a police official said. “The incident took place in Diwanman main circle at around 11 am. The truck was loaded with rations and had left from the local tehsil office. A case has been registered and further probe is underway,” he said.

CM, Dy CM’s presence to boost tribal outreach?

RSS underlines the Hindu identity of Banjara community, claims it is fighting against conversion bids targeting them

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Over 10 lakh visitors from various states have descended on Godri village in Jalgaon district—mostly Banjara tribals representing the Gaur, Naikda and Labana subgroups—for the ongoing Banjara Mahakumbh.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis also attended the six-day affair being held by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sevak (RSS), which began on January 25-30. This is the first-ever

such event organized by the RSS and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

With 2024 Lok Sabha polls ahead, many see the Mahakumbh as part of an orchestrated move to woo the nomadic Banjara groups and bring them under the larger Hindu umbrella.

The unstated agenda is checking “the conversion drive” targeting the Banjaras by Christian groups.

According to a senior RSS functionary, “We are relentlessly working to stop the largescale conversion of the Banjaras by Christian

missionaries across the country. RSS and allied organizations have convened this Mahakumbh to effectively counter religious conversion.”

Around 3,000 members of the RSS have been deployed to plan and execute the summit. Among those ques-

tioning the Sangh push is Haribhau Rathod, a Banjara leader and former BJP MP who recently joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Denying any large-scale conversion bids in Maharashtra, Rathod says: “This is false propaganda. There may have been

some cases in Andhra and Telangana, but it’s certainly not an issue in Maharashtra.” In Maharashtra, the Banjara vote bank is believed to play a decisive role in five Lok Sabha seats— Jalgaon, YavatmalWashim, Hingoli, Latur and Dindori—and as many as 44 of the state’s 288 Assembly seats. The community, which is categorized under Vimukta Jati Nomadic Tribe (VJNT), enjoys 3% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions in Maharashtra. For the last two decades, they have been demanding reservation under the ST category, which has an 8% quota and larger benefits.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar with Shiv Sena – UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray. —FILE PHOTO

Traffic was a mess at Kasegaon in Sangli district on Saturday, as workers were cutting trees

‘Police have mishandled missing coworker case’

Civic body’s healthcare workers protested by marching to RCF police stn

First India Bureau

Mumbai: After a community health volunteer went missing on Monday, workers from Chembur and Kurlabased health posts of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) marched to the RCF police station on Friday afternoon. They alleged that the police had mishandled the missing person case of their coworker.

“The police have not found much about her in four days,” said Prakash Devdas, President of the Municipal Health Service Employees Association.

“They told us that the last location of her phone has been traced to Dadar, where she was not supposed to be.

They have not been able to find out whether she went there or her phone was stolen,” he said.

He alleged that the police have not taken the matter seriously and if substantial information on her whereabouts did not come through soon, all 4,000 BMC health workers would go on strike.

As per Rekha Kharatmol’s colleagues at the Ayodhya Nagar health post in Vashi Naka, she had reported for duty at 9 am on January 23. After collecting some es-

sentials, she had left the office to make home visits. However, she did not report back at 2 pm as she did on other days.

Over the past five days, the Municipal Health Service Employees Association has contacted various higher officials in the police department and the BMC.

On Friday, some of Kharatmol’s colleagues and her family members met the Senior Inspector at RCF police station, Babasaheb Ghawate, who assured

Crane hook hits local train, motorman injured

The police have not found much about her in four days. They told us that the last location of her phone has been traced to Dadar, where she was not supposed to be. They have not been able to find out whether she went there or her phone was stolen.

First India Bureau Mumbai: The metal hook attached to a crane crashed into the front part of a suburban train in the wee hours of Saturday, leaving the train’s motorman with a minor head injury, officials said.

WHAT HAPPENED

them that they were intensifying the search.

“We met family members of the missing woman on Friday and informed them about the investigations done by us so far and the progress we have made. The woman’s phone has been traced to several

locations and the phone is working. There is no untoward incident and we will soon find her,” added Ghavate. A civic official said that the BMC officials have written a letter to the police department to hasten the search for Kharatmol.

COMMITTED TO WORKING TOGETHER

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has received a staggering 4,100 applications for the 868 seats available in Mumbai’s public schools that offer Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and International Baccalaureate (IB) curricula for the academic year 2023-24.

To ensure a fair process, the seats will be allotted through a lottery system, likely to be held in February, officials said.

The city has 11 public schools, offering CBSE curriculum, and one each offering the ICSE, IGCSE and IB curriculum. All the applications received are for entry-level admis -

WELL-ROUNDED

sion, as all other classes are now full.

Starting this year, the civic body will only be conducting entrylevel admissions in public schools offering a non-state board curriculum, a BMC official said.

The CBSE and ICSE curricula are known for their focus on critical thinking and problem-solving skills, while the IGCSE and IB curricula are also gaining popularity for their international perspective and emphasis on creativity and innovation.

METRO

LINES 2A & 7

The incident occurred around 12.55 am on Platform One at Naigaon station in Palghar district, when the last Virarbound local from Mumbai was arriving there, Sumit Thakur, chief spokesperson of the Western Railway said.

“A block was planned at the Naigaon station for the erection of lift steel columns, for which the crane was being positioned parallel to the track. There was a sudden commotion and stonepelting, during which the crane operator was injured,” he said.

Around the same time, a Virar-bound local train was entering the station. The

WR operates nearly 1,385 suburban services on a daily basis and ferries more than 30 lakh commuters. —FILE PHOTO

crane operator’s injury had made it difficult for him to control his equipment, and the crane’s hook hit the glass frame of the local train, leaving a slight dent in the frame, he also said.

The motorman received a minor injury and was administered first-aid. Subsequently, the train was emptied and taken to Virar car shed, the official said.

While the official called it an “unfortunate incident”, members of the motorman community, however, expressed concern

Official calls it ‘unfortunate event’, staffers say ‘narrow escape’ could have been a lot worse

over their safety. A motorman said that it was a narrow escape for the passengers and crew of the local train as it could have led to a major accident if the train was not slow. The incident also highlights how the works are undertaken bypassing the safety guidelines, he said.

135 acres of NTC mill land could be opened up for devt

First India Bureau Mumbai: The land of nine textile mills owned by the National Textile Corporation (NTC) is expected to be released for redevelopment in the near future.

Commander Pierre-Alban

whose command French Navy Ship ‘Marne’ was on a goodwill visit to Mumbai January 21-28, called on Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Chief of Staff, Western Naval Command and discussed subjects of mutual interest, the Navy said in a release.

FNS ‘Marne’ is part of the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) of the French nuclear-propelled aircraft carrier ‘Charles de Gaulle’.

A very small portion—13.8 acres—is occupied by 11 chawls in which mill workers live. NTC has undertaken the redevelopment of the chawls as a first step, leading to anticipation that the remaining mill land will soon be sold on the open market.

According to officials, NTC will open up the remaining 135 acres for residential and commercial exploitation after the chawl redevelopment is over. “Of the 25 NTC mills, eight have already been sold or disposed of while five mills are still running,” said an official from the state government. NTC has entered into joint ventures for four of them. There could be plans for commercial exploitation of these mills lands but only after the rehabilitation of mill workers, he added.

RIDERSHIP TOUCHES 10L SINCE LAUNCH OF PHASE 2: MMRDA

PM inaugurated the second phase of the mass transit corridor on January 19

First India Bureau

Mumbai: More than 10 lakh commuters have already used Metro lines 2A and 7 of the city’s mass transit corridor in less than 10 days since they were

launched, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said in a release on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the two lines as part of Phase 2 on January 19.

The ridership on the Yellow and Red lines has crossed the 1-crore mark after the first phase was commissioned on April 02, 2022, MMRDA said.

“Now, the Metro is not just a means of

transport, it’s becoming a new lifeline,” said SVR Srinivas, metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA, adding that people have begun to switch from private vehicles to the eco-friendly mode of transport.

The 18.6km line 2A connects suburban Dahisar (East) with the 16.5km DN Nagar (yellow line), while line 7 (Red) links Andheri (East) with Dahisar (East). A total of 22 trains provide 245 ser-

Almost 1,00,03,270 commuters have travelled to date.

—MMRDA release stated

vices daily on lines 2A and 7, said MMRDA.

The lines are expected to cut travel time between Dahisar and Andheri and are likely to decongest the busy arterial roads along the western suburbs SV Road and Western Ex-

press Highway.

“Almost 1,00,03,270 commuters have travelled to date,” the MMRDA release stated.

With the inauguration of the second phase of 2A and 7, both lines are now fully operational and connected with GhatkoparAndheri-Versova line 1, creating the first Metro network in Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the authority said.

The planning body also said that more

than 20,000 Mumbai 1 cards have been issued in the past one week. The card, a common mobility initiative, helps commuters seamlessly hop on to trains and BEST buses in the city.

According to MMRDA, more than 75,000 users have also downloaded the Mumbai 1 mobile app, also launched by the PM on January 19, which generates QR codes for tickets.

—Prakash Devdas, President, Municipal Health Service Employees Association

MMRDA’s

Pancrazi, under

State Board loses shine; Mum parents keen on IB, CBSE, ICSE, IGCSE edu

Some portion of land is occupied by 11 chawls. —FILE PHOTO

REFLECTIONS ON THE WAY OF STORYTELLING

lai, Santha Rama Rau, Han Suyin, Amrit Rai, Nirad C Choudhary. They have all passed away. I am myself in my 94th year.

C RAJAGOPALACHARI’S

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

he Art and Craft of writing

TAutobiographies and Biographies arrived in India in the first decade of 20th century.

DILIP HIRO BABAR

NAMA WROTE

Dilip Hiro in his Preface to Babar Nama, writes, “While numerous rulers in the world established dynasties, Zahir Uddin Babar has the distinction of being the only known founder of a leading dynasty who kept a journal.” Babar wrote in Turkish. His grandson, Akbar (1556-1605) had it translated into Persian.

The manuscript fortunately survived. Those of Kalidas did not. Kabir was, broadly speaking illiterate but most of his dohas and ‘poems’ survive. For centuries the oral preceded the written in India. Alas! Very few Indians have private libraries. I implored my IFS colleagues and friends to do so. All in vain.

Exceptions no doubt exist. That is not good enough.

The Indian Edition was published by Jaico. The 32nd in 2013. Nirad C Chaudhary died in Oxford in 1999 having been born in 1897. The third is S. Gopal’s biography of his father, DR S Radhakrishnan. Gopal was an eminent historian, educated at Oxford. For over a decade he was Director of the Historical Division in the Ministry of External Affairs. Gopal’s biography of his father was published in 1989, by University Press, Oxford. Paragraph one of chapter one is staggering

From my early teens I have been a voracious reader and buyer of books. Today I have a library of 6,000 books. Autobiographies and biographies fill many shelves.

NEHRU IN ONE OF HIS BOOKS...

Jawaharlal Nehru in one of his books wrote, “For me the absence of books would be greatest deprivation.” I could say the same about myself. Many of my literary friends were eminent authors. EM

Forster, Mulk Raj Anand, RK Narayan, Raja Rao, Ahmed Ali (Twighting Light in Delhi), Thakazi Sivesenkare Pil-

I got to know C Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) well. I kept pestering him to write his autobiography, but he did not agree. It would have in several ways a gem- What a life. Besides he wrote superb English, politically he was very near to Gandhiji and close colleagues of Sardar Patel, Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Abul Kalam Azad, Sarojini Naidu. It is a thousand pities that Sardar Patel did not write his autobiography.

GANDHIJI’S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Gandhiji’s autobiography, “The Story of My Experiences with Truth”, came out in 1927. The original was in Gujrati. His secretary and close confident Mahadev Desai translated it into English. I do not have the exact figures, but the book sold in lakhs and was translated into many languages. I bought my copy in August 1945. In the last chapter, “farewell” he wrote, “The time has now come to bring these chapters to a close.

“My life from this point onward has been public that there is hardly anything about it that people do not know….In bidding farewell to the reader, for the time being at any rate, I ask him to join with me in prayer to the God of Truth that He grant me the boon of Ahimsa in mind, word and deed.”

“AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY”

BY NEHRU

In my judgement, between 1936 and 2023 three outstanding autobiographies, written in English are: “An Autobiography” by Jawaharlal Nehru,

The manuscript fortunately survived. Those of Kalidas did not. Kabir was, broadly speaking illiterate but most of his dohas and ‘poems’ survive. For centuries the oral preceded the written in India. Alas! Very few Indians have private libraries. I implored my IFS colleagues and friends to do so. All in vain. Exceptions no doubt exist. That is not good enough

For me the absence of books would be greatest deprivation. I could say the same about myself. Many of my literary friends were eminent authors. EM Forster, Mulk Raj Anand, RK Narayan, Raja Rao, Ahmed Ali (Twighting Light in Delhi), Thakazi Sivesenkare Pillai, Santha Rama Rau, Han Suyin, Amrit Rai, Nirad C Choudhary. They have all passed away. I am myself in my 94th year. NATWAR SINGH

published in London in 1936. It is still selling. In the summer of 1912 Nehru was called to the Bar. In the early winter of the year he let for India “…….But now I returned for good, and I am afraid, as I landed in Bombay, I was a bit of a prig with little to command me.”

NIRAD C CHAUDHARY’S

WRITE UP

The next is Nirad C Chaudhary’s “The Autobiography of An Unknown Indian”, published in London in 1951. It created a sensation. Its dedication caused the author no end of trouble. It reads, “To the memory of the British Empire in India which conformed subjecthood on us but without citizenship; to which yet every one of us throughout the challenge. ‘Civics Britanicus Sum’, because all that was gone and living within us was made, shaped and quickened the same British Empire.”

The Indian Edition was published by Jaico. The 32nd in 2013. Nirad C Chaudhary died in Oxford in 1999 having been born in 1897. The third is S.

Gopal’s biography of his father, Dr S Radhakrishnan. Gopal was an eminent historian, educated at Oxford. For over a decade he was Director of the Historical Division in the Ministry of External Affairs.

GOPAL’S BIOGRAPHY OF HIS FATHER

Gopal’s biography of his father was published in 1989, by University Press, Oxford. Paragraph one of chapter one is staggering. “The future President of India was born on 20th September 1887. His parents, Sarvapalli Veeraswamy and Sitmma were a poor Brahmin couple. There is doubt if Veeraswamy was his father…..” Intellectual endowment and physical appearance both suggested that Radhakrishnan belonged to a different stock. Radhakrishnan himself accepted this version, and critical of his mother’s conduct, always, throughout her long life, kept her at a distance. But he was attached to the man who passed for his father.”

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

TYPICAL MASS SHOOTERS ARE IN THEIR 20s AND 30s

The two men who shot dead 18 people in separate incidents just days apart in California are the latest perpetrators in America’s long history of mass gun violence. But something about these public shootings, and the men held responsible, stands out.

The median age of mass shooters in the United States is 32. Yet the man who is alleged to have shot dead 11 people in Monterey Park on Jan. 21, 2023, before turning the gun on himself was 72 years old – the oldest mass shooter in modern American history, our records show. Meanwhile, the gunman who took the lives of seven more in Half Moon Bay two days later was also older than most — 66, the third-oldest in history.

We are criminologists who built a database of 191 mass shooters using public data. The shooters in our records date back to 1966 and are coded on nearly 200 different variables, including age at the time of attack. Our research shows that mass shootings – defined here as events in which four or more people are killed in a public place with no underlying criminal activity – have become more frequent, and deadly, over time.

SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Bible

TOP TWEETS

Welcome and thank Hon’ble @ rashtrapatibhvn Smt. Droupadi Murmu ji for renaming the iconic gardens at the President House as ‘Amrit Udyan.’ This new name not only shreds yet another symbol of colonial relic but also reflects India’s aspirations for the #AmritKaal.

Anurag Thakur @ianuragthakur

ndia and Egypt on January 26, 2023, ‘74th Republic Day’ reiterated support for the Non-Aligned Movement. In a joint statement issued after the end of bilateral engagements for President Abdel Fattah elSisi, who was the chief guest at the Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path, both countries

MONI SHARMA

The writer is Editor (News) in First India, Jaipur

expressed desire for exchange of technology between their defence industries.

WALK THE TALK LIKE EGYPTIAN-INDIAN TIES I

“The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism, the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law, the founding values of the NonAligned Movement, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all

states,” they said in the joint statement. Sisi arrived here on January 24, 2023 and held restricted and delegation-level talks at the Hyderabad House, where he and PM Modi hailed

bilateral diplomatic relations between India and Egypt. India and Egypt agreed to “initiate new engagements to intensify military-to-military engagements” and planned

more joint exercises between the armed forces of the two countries. The joint statement expressed support to safeguard cultural principles and said, “The two sides take into consideration the cultural and social sensitivities of all states and, in this regard, they agreed to work together to promote and safeguard these basic principles through regular consultations and coordination at bilateral and multilateral levels.” The two governments agreed to fight terrorism in all forms, “including cross-border terrorism” and intensify consultation between their respective National Security Councils.

Regards on the birth anniversary of Punjab Kesari Lala Lajpat Rai ji, the unshakable pillar of the freedom movement, the lamp illuminated by national new-consciousness and who sacrificed his everything for a harmonious society. Your contribution towards building an egalitarian society will be remarkable.

K NATWAR SINGH The author is Former Minister of External Affairs of India

Make India No. 1 in every field by 2047: Amit Shah

Union HM calls upon youth to contribute towards nation building

Hubballi (PTI): Union

Home

Minister Amit

Shah on Saturday asked the youth to join in nation building and ensure that when India celebrates its centenary year of independence in 2047, it is number one in every field.

He called on the youth to take a resolve for progress in their personal lives and also to contribute towards nation building in some field.

“When we celebrate centenary year of independence in 2047, in every field this great nation of ours should be number one. To build such a nation, you the youth must join hands on appeal of PM Modi and contribute in building a great India,” he said.

Speaking at the platinum jubilee celebrations of BV Bhoomaraddi College and after inaugurating an indoor stadium at the campus, he listed out progress made by the country in various fields and strong foundations laid by the government for development in a number of areas.

Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai, who is also an alumni of the college; Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, senior

SHAH HITS OUT AT CONGRESS AND JD(SECULAR) FOR DYNASTY POLITICS

Kundgol: Amit Shah on Saturday took part in a road show here, as part of Karnataka BJP’s ‘Vijaya Sankalp Abhiyan’, in the run-up to the Assembly polls in the state, due by May. Targeting the opposition Congress and JD(Secular) and accusing them of dynasty politics and corruption, he sought support for the BJP to form a govt with full majority in Karnataka. Shah took part in the road show on a specially decorated open vehicle, for over a km distance from Basavanna Devara Matha to Gali Mariyamma temple here.

BJP leader BS Yediyurappa, several ministers, and MLAs were present at the event.

Asking students to read about the freedom

IN THE COURTYARD

COURT ACQUITS SP LEGISLATOR NAHID HASSAN IN ATTEMPT TO MURDER CASE

Muzaffarnagar (PTI): In a major relief to Samajwadi Party MLA Nahid Hasan, a special MP/MLA court acquitted him in a 2019 attempt to murder case due to lack of evidence. Special judge Surender Kumar acquitted Hasan and one Haider Ali on Friday on the grounds that the prosecution failed to prove the case against them, Hasan’s counsel Rashid Ali Chauhan said on Saturday. Chouhan said he had pleaded before the court in Kairana in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district that the charges against the accused have not been proven.

FOREST OFFICER GETS 5-YEAR JAIL IN ASSETS CASE

Mangaluru (PTI): A range forest officer in Karnataka has been sentenced to five years imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 1.5 crore in a disproportionate assets case. S Raghava Patali, a resident of Derebail Konchady, range forest officer of Sahyadri zone of Belthangady in Dakshina Kannada district, was convicted and sentenced to jail by the third additional district and sessions (special) court. If Patali fails to pay the fine, he will have to undergo one more year of simple imprisonment.

MAN’S DETENTION UPHELD IN GOLD SMUGGLING CASE

Kochi (PTI): The Kerala High Court has upheld the preventive detention of a man under COFEPOSA Act in a gold smuggling case. Abdul Raoof, accused of smuggling gold worth over Rs 7 crore through the Cochin port by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in 2021, was detained under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities (COFEPOSA) Act. A division bench comprising Justices Anil K Narendran and PG Ajithkumar upheld the detention of Raoof.

struggle and sacrifice made by the people for the country, Shah said, “Everyone is not fortunate to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the

PM HAS GIVEN ALL OPPORTUNITIES TO YOUTH: AMIT SHAH

Hubballi: Amit Shah on Saturday appealed the youth that PM has given them all the opportunities to make India number one in the world. “If you can’t sacrifice your life for the country then live your life for your nation and make it the number one country in the world. PM Modi has given you all opportunities to do that,” Shah said.

country like our soldiers do. We may not sacrifice our lives for the country, but we can live our lives for the sake of this nation.”

BJP releases list of 48 candidates for Tripura elections

New Delh (PTI): The BJP on Saturday announced its first list of 48 candidates for the Tripura Assembly polls, fielding Union minister Pratima Bhoumik from Dhanpur. State Chief Minister Manik Saha has been nominated as a BJP candidate from Town Bordowali. Party leaders Anil Baluni and Sambit Patra on Saturday announced the BJP's candidates for the Tripura assembly polls at a press conference in the party headquarters here. Bhoumik is a Union minister in the BJPled government at the Centre. She is an MP from Tripura.

In the last assembly polls in 2018, the BJP for the time had formed a government in Tripura, considered the left bastion. The CPI(M) had

Kolkata (Agencies): Leader of Opposition in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, on Saturday alleged that the state govt diverted central funds allocated for midday meal (MDM) scheme to pay compensation to families of the 2022 Bogtui carnage victims. In a series of tweets, Adhikari said: “CM @ MamataOfficial paid compensation to the victims’ kin; burnt alive in the Bogtui carnage at Birbhum District, from the Mid Day Meal funds. Doing charity for photo op, that too by misusing Central Govt funds meant for food & nutrition of school children!

It’s a financial crime.

“She’s swindling MDM funds & has cast her evil eyes on the nourishment of poor students. I will inform Hon’ble Union Education Minister; Shri @ dpradhanbjp Ji about the financial transgression & request him to initiate legal action against the CM, Chief Secretary & Birbhum DM.”

BHARAT JODO YATRA

“Jan 30 rally not for making platform for LS 2024 polls”

HIGHLIGHTS

Chief Minister Manik Saha fielded from Town Bordowali seat

Union Minister Pratima Bhoumik fielded from Dhanpur seat

ruled the state unabated for 25 years. The BJP top brass was in talks with TIPRA, a regional party founded by former Congress leader and royal scion Pradyot Deb Barman, for a prepoll alliance, which has now been ruled out.

Srinagar (PTI): Congress’ rally in Kashmir on January 30 after the Bharat Jodo Yatra ends is “not a coalition building exercise” or to build a platform for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Jairam Ramesh said.

To a question at a press conference on whether some Opposition leaders such as that of the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, and Trinamool Congress not attending the event would be a setback, he said “No, absolutely not.”

“I believe somebody from the BSP is coming. I am not entirely sure. But, I do not see the absence of anybody who has been invited as a setback. They may have other preoccupations,” Ramesh claimed.

CONTROVERSIES AND BARBS KEPT SPOTLIGHT ON BJY

Srinagar: Rahul Gandhi’s Burberry T-shirt and his scraggly beard, V D Savarkar and north India’s chilling winters, the Kathua rape and Covid… As the curtains fall, the Bharat Jodo Yatra replays in a patchwork of issues personal and the overtly political with controversies aplenty to ensure the spotlight seldom wavered. The Yatra started from the southern tip of the country on September 7 and ends on January 30 in Srinagar.

NO COALITION POSSIBLE WITHOUT CONGRESS: RAMESH

Awantipora: The Congress must be the “fulcrum” of any Opposition alliance to take on the BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha as no coalition can be “meaningful” or “relevant” without it, Jairam Ramesh said on Saturday. The Congress leader also said that in his view, the Congress should be preparing to fight on its own in every state in the 2029 LS polls.

RAHUL GANDHI PAYS FLORAL TRIBUTE TO MARTYRS OF PULWAMA TERROR ATTACK

Srinagar: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday paid floral tribute to the martyrs of 2019 Pulwama terror attack at Lethpora. He stopped the Yatra for a while at Lethpora in Pulwama and laid a flower bouquet at the spot where 40 CRPF jawans were killed in the terrorist attack. Rahul Gandhi had resumed Yatra from Chersoo village in Anantnag district.

Women should give birth to child between 22 & 30 years: Sarma

Guwahati (Agencies):

Assam Chief Minister

Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that women should give birth to children before they attain 30 years of age. Sarma was speaking at a function at Sankardev Kalakhetra in Guwahati.

Addressing the women present at the function, he said, “We are trying to stop child marriage because if you give birth to children at a very young age, you would face problems. Similarly, if you do the same thing after reaching a higher age, like 30 or 35, there must be complications. Many people keep delaying these things, and it gives rise to problems.”

The Chief Minister also proposed an ‘ideal age’ for women to give birth between the ages of 22 and 30.

YOUNG START-UP CONCLAVE

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma addressing media persons. —FILE PHOTO

ASSAM CM HANDS OVER APPOINTMENT LETTERS OF GOVT JOBS TO 1200 PEOPLE

Guwahati (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday distributed appointment letters to over 1,200 people who got jobs in various government departments. Among the candidates were appointees on compassionate grounds who are family members of police personnel killed in action since 1988. “Happy to distribute appointment letters to 1,208 selected candidates for Health & Family Welfare and Home & Political departments at Sankardev Kalakshetra, Guwahati. With 41,710 appointments so far, we are marching towards our goal of providing 1 lakh Govt jobs,” Sarma tweeted later.

“Neither less nor more than that is a good age for giving birth to children because the human body has certain basic things. God

has made our bodies like that. So I suggest that girls who have not married yet complete it at the earliest,” Chief Minister Sarma added.

Ramcharitmanas remarks: Swami Prasad Maurya meets Akhilesh

Lucknow (ANI):

Samajwadi Party Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Swami Prasad Maurya met the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav at the Party office on Saturday amid row over his remarks on Ramacharitmanas. Refusing to apologise for his remarks on the holy book of Hindus, SP MLC Maurya said that the party is seeking justice for the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and the backward classes of the country.

Change your mindset to avail Start-Up opportunities: Dr Singh

lll

MoS exhorts youth not to miss the Start-Up Bus, which is playing a crucial role in India’s Technological & Economic Journey to emerge as a Frontline Nation in the World

First India Bureau

Kathua: Union Minister of State (MoS) Dr Jitendra Singh on Saturday called for change of mindset to avail StartUp opportunities knocking at their door.

Speaking after inaugurating the “Young Start-Up Conclave” at Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir organised by CSIR, Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr Singh said, the government job mind-set is

proving an impediment to Start-Up culture, mainly in North India.

Referring to Four Success Stories of Youths, who narrated their experiences, including two B-Techs and one Mechanical Engineer, who quit their jobs for Start-Up Ventures, Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that “Purple Revolution” spearheaded by him through CSIR became part of the Republic Day Parade Tab-

leaux, thus earned countrywide recognition and popularity.

Dr Singh pointed out that the ‘Purple Revolution’ originating from

Jammu & Kashmir offers attractive Start-Up avenues and those who have entered the lavender sector are making a fortune out of it. He said, it is important to take note of some of the exemplary instances of many young entrepreneurs who are seen quitting their lucrative jobs in the MNCs to establish their own StartUps, as these young entrepreneurs are now beginning to realise the possibility of greater

fortunes in this.

The Minister also underlined that J&K has huge unexplored potential of Agri-tech Startups as the geography and climatic conditions here favour the cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants.

Dr Jitendra Singh informed that the Biotech KISAN Hub has rejuvenated over 40 orchards till date in Jammu and Kashmir under rejuvenation of apple orchards, where a very

innovative methodology has been used to transform the old orchards. The Minister promised full help by DBT and CSIR for setting up of Agritech Start-ups.

The Minister exhorted the Youth of Jammu and Kashmir not to miss the Start-Up Bus, which is playing a crucial role in India’s Technological & Economic Journey to emerge as a Frontline Nation in the World.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah at University of Agricultural Sciences, in Dharwad on Saturday. Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and other dignitaries also present.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with PDP President Mehbooba Mufti and her daughter Iltija Mufti during the party’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, at Awantipora in Pulwama, on Saturday. —PHOTO BY PTI

“WB govt diverted MDM funds to compensate Bogtui victims”

Swami Prasad Maurya with Akhilesh Yadav.

MoS Dr Jitendra Singh addressing at the inauguration of “Young Start-Up Conclave” organised by CSIR in Kathua on Saturday.

INDIA IS EMERGING AS THE LAND OF JOB CREATORS: MoS G REDDY

India has 85,000 registered startups & 100 plus unicorns at a valuation of $350 billion

Hyderabad: Union Minister of Culture, Tourism and the Development of the North Eastern Region, G Kishan Reddy attended the Inception Meeting of the G-20 Start-up 20 Engagement Group at the Taj Krishna in Hyderabad on Saturday. The meeting was also attended by the Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Som Prakash, Sherpa of the G-20, Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog, Parameshwaran Iyer, officers of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and delegates from the G-20 nations, special invitees from the observer countries, representatives from various multilateral organisations and the Global and Indian startup ecosystem.

Addressing the delegates and the participants under the theme ‘Innovating for Amrit Kaal, India @ 2047’, he said, “True to its theme, this G-20 under India’s

presidency aims to set the course for acting responsibly, aiming for joint cooperation and achieving and sharing our successes.”

G Kishan Reddy also spoke about the start-up ecosystem in India. He said “India is the ideal location for today’s start-up engagement group as we have close to 85,000 registered start-ups with 100 plus unicorns at a combined

BBC DOCUMENTARY ROW

7-member panel to probe ruckus outside DU’s Arts Faculty

valuation of $350 billion dollars. With the third highest number of unicorns in the world, it is only a matter of time before India leads this list”. “Through our start-ups, our youth wants to become job creators instead of being job seekers. Our startups are innovating, investing and inventing new products and experiences. The success of our startups ecosystem

symbolises the passion, progress and the priority of the government in encouraging and hand holding these startups. Our large talent pool and our demographic dividend makes India an ideal investment location,” he added. Reddy also spoke about the various initiatives taken by the Government of India in fostering a vibrant innovation and start-up Ecosystem.

Excise department team attacked in Bihar’s Arrah

INDIA HAS THIRD HIGHEST NUMBER OF STARTUPS IN THE WORLD: REDDY

Hyderabad (ANI): India has third highest number of startups in the world, said Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Saturday. “Our youths want to become job creators instead of job holders. The success of Indian startups shows our youths’ passion,” G Kishan Reddy said. Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa at the inaugural session said, “Startups of today are solving problems of education, health, agricultural productivity etc for one billion people for India and also for the world” Kant further said that earlier, opening a bank account in India took 8-9 months whereas today, it’s possible within a minute using biometrics. “For last 4 years, we do more fast payments compared to US, Europe and China,” Kant added.

Bhojpur (ANI): The excise department and the police team, which went to raid for illegal liquor in Arrah, was attacked by the liquor mafia with bricks and stones, during which 11 policemen were injured, informed the police on Saturday. The injured are being treated at Jagdishpur sub-division hospital. Meanwhile, three police vehicles were also damaged during the stone-pelting.

The incident occurred in the Mahadalit Tola of Ghagha village located in Dulheinganj of the Jagdishpur police station area.

Police have also arrested four accused. The police received information about illegal liquor manufacturing late Thursday evening after which the excise department team reached for the raid.

Police lodges FIR over religious slogan

Aligarh (ANI): Uttar Pradesh police has registered an FIR over 'Allah Hu Akbar' slogans purportedly raised inside the Aligarh Muslim University on the occasion of Republic Day.

The slogans were allegedly raised by a student dressed as a NCCcadet. An FIR was filed under Sections 153B and 505 of the Indian Penal Code at the Civil Line Police Station in

Police detain members of Bhim Army Student Federation.

New Delhi (ANI): Amid ruckus outside the Delhi University’s Arts faculty building, the Vice Chancellor of the University has formed a seven-member panel to conduct a probe into the matter. This committee have been formed to enforce discipline and maintain law and order on campus. The committee, headed by DU Proctor Rajini Abbi, has been asked to submit its report to Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh by 5 pm on January 30.

“The other members of the committee in-

clude Professor Ajay Kumar Singh of the Department of Commerce, Professor Manoj Kumar Singh, Joint Proctor, Professor Sanjoy Roy of the Dept of Social Work, Professor Rama, Principal of Hansraj College, Professor Dinesh Khattar, Principal of Kirorimal College, and Gaje Singh, Chief Security Officer. The Committee may specifically look into the incident of the 27th of January, 2023 which occurred outside the Faculty of Arts and opposite gate No. 4, University of Delhi,” DU said in a notice.

NEW ACT RENAMING INDIA INTL ARBITRATION CENTRE INTO FORCE

New Delhi (ANI): An Act that renames the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre to the India International Arbitration Centre has now come into force. "In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (Amendment) Act, 2022 (23 of 2022), the Central Government hereby appoints the 27th day of January 2023 as the date on which the said Act shall come into force," reads the notification.

this connection. Police has initated a probe into the incident and

will also conduct a forensic investigation to check to the authentici-

2-day meeting of Ram Temple building committee starts

Ayodhya (ANI): A twoday meeting of the Ram Mandir building construction committee will commence on Saturday in Ayodhya to review the progress made in the temple construction. A decision will also be taken regarding the shape and stone of the permanent idol of Lord Ramlala.

Nripendra Mishra, the chairman of the building construction committee has already left for the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi site from Ayodhya circuit house on Saturday morning

for the meeting. The meeting will continue for two days at the Viswamitra Ashram present at the Ram Jan-

COMMEMORATIVE COINS

nabhoomi temple site.

The construction of the temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya is going on at a fast pace.

ty of the sloganeering video which went viral on the internet.

"On Friday a complaint was lodged by Yogesh Varshney, a resident of Bannadevi under Civil Line Police Station. In the complaint, he alleged that anti-national slogans were raised by a NCC cadet at the AMU on January 26," said Kuldeep Singh Gunawat, Aligarh City SP.

Man hit by car, dragged 350m in Delhi; dies

New Delhi (ANI): The person who was dragged for about 350 metres atop the car in Keshav Puram, succumbed to injuries, officials said on Saturday.

Earlier on Thursday, a four-wheeler allegedly hit two persons on a scooter and dragged the biker on its roof for about 350 metres in north-west Delhi’s Keshav Puram area, leaving the pillion rider dead on the spot.

The driver was under treatment, and has now succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.

PM unveils special coins marking 75 years of NCC

New Delhi (ANI): India’s time has come, and the driving force of the country’s development journey is its Yuva Shakti, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the NCC rally on Saturday.

The NCC rally was held on the occasion of the commemoration of 75 years at the Cariappa Ground in Delhi. Notably, 196 officers and cadets from 19 foreign countries also participated in the rally. Addressing the event, PM

Modi said, “NCC is celebrating 75 years of its formation. Those who

have represented NCC over the last 75 years have been a part of it. I

CLASSICAL RAGAS, INDIA’S BIGGEST DRONE SHOW AT ‘BEATING THE RETREAT’

New Delhi (ANI): Indian tunes based on Indian Classical Ragas will be the flavour of the ‘Beating the Retreat’ ceremony this year which will be graced by President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Droupadi Murmu at Vijay Chowk in the national capital on Sunday, January 29. According to the Ministry of Defence, 29 captivating and foot-tapping Indian tunes will be played by the music bands of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the State Police and the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF). Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will also be present in the ceremony.

appreciate their contribution to nation-building. India is proud of

the determination and spirit of service of the NCC cadets.”

Product Inspector Chaudhary Surya Bhushan and 11 others were injured i Bihar’s Arrah on Saturday.

POLICE PARTY ATTACKED BY LIQUOR SMUGGLERS

Bihar: Three policemen were injured after liquor smugglers attacked a police party in Chhapra on Saturday. The police party was apparently returning after arresting a liquor smuggler in the Masoom Ganj area. After seizing the illicit liquor and arresting the smuggler, the police party was attacked by three to four smugglers. During the attack, the smugglers fired on the police. According to the police, the three injured police personnel have been admitted to the Sadar Hospital and are undergoing treatment.

‘LIFT LIQUOR BAN IN BIHAR TO ATTRACT FOREIGN TOURISTS’

Patna: Former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday demanded lifting of liquor ban in the state as it is "impacting" foreign tourists' arrival and foreign exchange earnings. Manjhi, while addressing a gathering during Budha Mahotsava in Bodh Gaya, claimed that Bihar is losing huge amounts of foreign exchange earnings due to liquor ban.

NEWS DIGEST

RAKHI SAWANT’S MOTHER PASSES AWAY AFTER PROLONGED BATTLE WITH CANCER

Mumbai: Rakhi Sawant’s mother Jaya Bheda passed away on Saturday, January 28, after a prolonged battle with cancer which she fought for three years. She was admitted to the Citicare hospital in Juhu, where she was undergoing extensive treatment for a brain tumour, and breathed her last on Saturday evening.

The actress confirmed the news and said, “Maa ab nahi rahi (Mother is no more now)”. She added to the portal that her mother died of a multi-organ failure as her cancer spread to the kidneys and lungs.

POLICE NABS MAN FOR THREATENING BLASTS ON R-DAY

Ballia: A man here has been detained by the Gujarat Police for allegedly threatening to cause a serial bomb blast in Ahmedabad on Republic Day, police said on Saturday. The family members of the accused, however, claimed that he was being framed.

SHO of Maniyar police station Praveen Singh said a team of Gujarat Police personnel took Om Prakash Paswan in their custody on Friday night.

MAOIST KILLED IN GUNFIGHT WITH SECURITY FORCES

Chatra: A Maoist was killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Saturday, police said. The encounter between security forces and Maoist took place in a forest adjacent to Karimandar-Butkuiya village, some 250 km from the state capital Ranchi, police said. Chatra SP Rakesh Ranjan said that CRPF and district police teams were on their anti-Maoist movement.

ED ARRESTS 4 IN CHHATTISGARH COAL LEVY ‘SCAM’, MONEY LAUNDERING CASE

New Delhi: The ED on Saturday made four fresh arrests in Chhattisgarh in connection with a Prevention of Money Laundering case pertaining to illegal commission on coal sale by state government officials The accused were identified as Dipesh Tonk, Sandeep Nayak, Shiv Shankar Nag and Rajesh Chaudhary. Tonk is said to be a close associate of Saumya Chaurasia, the Deputy Secretary to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. Meanwhile, Chaudhary had carried a fake ED ID card to dupe the probe agencies. Meanwhile, Chaurasia, IAS Sameer Vishnoi and a few others are under the scanner in the case.

“Both as NCC cadets, and as a youth, you are representing an ‘Amrit Pidhi’ (Amrit generation), which will help in making the country developed and Atmanirbhar. We all witnessed the role, NCC is playing in our lives,” he added. Earlier in the day, PM Modi released a special day cover and a commemorative specially minted coins of Rs 75 denomination on the occasion of the commemoration of 75 successful years of NCC.

WOMAN, 2 KIDS FOUND DEAD NEAR RLY TRACKS

New Delhi: Three bodies, including that of a woman and two children, with injuries on their heads were found near railway tracks in northwest Delhi's Narela area, police said on Saturday. A senior police officer from railway division said they have recovered three bodies. The case is now being investigated by the outer north district police, he said.

2 CONSTABLES SUSPENDED FOR BEATING MINOR

Jamnagar: Two police constables have been suspended in Gujarat's Jamnagar for allegedly beating a minor. Addressing reporters, the DSP Prem Sukh Delu said that the minor's parents personally complained to him against two constables Hitesh Chavda and Vanraj Khavad that they had beaten their 17-year-old son.

G Kishan Reddy, Amitabh Kant & other officials at the Inception Meeting of the G-20 Start-up 20 Engagement Group at the Taj Krishna in Hyderabad on Saturday.

—Image for representational purpsoe

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NCC Director General Lt. General Gurbirpal Singh at Cariappa Ground in New Delhi, on Saturday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

GOLDMAN SACHS SLASHES CEO’S PAY BY ALMOST 30%

Important investing lessons from 2022

New York: Goldman Sachs Chief Executive, David M Solomon saw his 2022 pay slashed by nearly 30 per cent, following missteps that have weighed on the elite Wall Street bank’s profits and performance, the New York Times reported.Solomon took home USD 25 million last year, the bank said in a filing Friday, down from USD 35 million a year earlier. Solomon ceded his title as the highest-paid bank chief executive to Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase. —ANI

CENTRE ASKS GACs TO LOOK INTO COMPLAINTS

INVESTMENT LESSONS FROM 2022

With the worst of the pandemic behind us, we all started 2022 with hopes of bluer skies and back to our beloved “normal” days. Little did we know that the black swan sightings will become the new “normal”.

First, crazy high inflation, then war, Fed rug-pulling the stock markets, energy crisis, and then cryptos crashing down, 2022 has been anything but normal.

A wave of bad news kept bombarding us throughout the year.

And unfortunately, we will be carrying pretty much all the concerns of global economic uncertainty, war, supply chain issues, inflation, and higher interest rates into the new year as well. This year has been tough for a large number of retail investors, many of whom only started their trading journey at the height of last year’s bull market run.

New Delhi: The Centre has notified three grievances appellate committees (GACs) to address users’ complaints against social media and other internet-based platforms. It says each of the three GACs will have a chairperson, two whole-time members from different government entities and retired senior executives from the industry for three years from the date of assumption of office. The step is part of the tighter IT rules, notified in October 2022. —ANI

LOOKING TO CUT

As we step into the new year, it’s a good time to reflect back and learn some investing lessons that are hard to learn without actually experiencing them firsthand.

Here are seven investing lessons from 2022 that I learned this year that will, hopefully, help you as well.

LESSON 1: WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN, & RISE AGAIN

me of a quote from a popular author Robert Greene – “Learn to use the knowledge of the past and you will look like a genius even if you are really just a clever borrower”. If you looked at the past performance of these IPOs, most of them did not have a single profit-making year. Yet they were valued at 30-40 times their sales. While I agree that for some stocks past records may not work in the future, they are more of an exception than the rule.

LESSON 6: DO NOT IGNORE DEBT

Investors often ignore debt instruments such as bonds, and debt mutual funds when there is a boom mentality in the equity markets. During (and post) Covid-19 a large number of first-time Indian retail investors migrated from investing in FDs into equities.

COSTS,

GOODYEAR TO LAY OFF 500

Equity markets are inherently volatile and may or may not give high returns every year. Nifty 50 was up just 3.2% and if adjusted for inflation, real returns from equity were negative in 2022. In case you had a 1-year goal, very likely you would have not been able to meet it had you invested entirely in equities.

Akron: Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company said it will cut about 500 jobs, which is about 5% of its total workforce, in its aim for cost-cutting, the Wall Street Journal. According to a statement released on friday, the company had also warned that fourth-quarter results fell below expectations as the elevated inflationary environment decapitated demand.In a statement, Chief Executive Richard Kramer said that earnings were disappointing “given a significantly weaker industry backdrop, particularly in Europe.” Goodyear is set to report earnings for the fourth quarter on February 8. —ANI

RATIONALISE, SIMPLIFY TAXES:

USISPF TO INDIA FM

So, one should invest in equities only if you have a longer time horizon and have the risk appetite to withstand the volatility.

But do not put 100% of your money in equities, ever.

LESSON 2: KEEP INVESTMENTS SIMPLE

Do not complicate your investments and invest only in things you understand. Do not give into “hype” and stick to the basics. About 115 million Indians invested in cryptos so far. These are highly risky and unregulated investments and one should only invest keeping the risk-reward ra-

G20 INDIA PRESIDENCY

tio in mind. Bitcoin is down about 65% and other tokens and coins are down much more. Take out time and understand your investments and be wary of internet hype or stocks that skyrocket overnight.

LESSON 3: KEEP EMOTIONS ASIDE

Ups and downs in an equity market are inevitable. However, panic selling when markets crash is one

Start-ups solving problems, for billion Indians & the world: Kant

Hyderabad (ANI): G20

Sherpa Amitabh Kant on Saturday said startups of today are solving problems of education, health, agricultural productivity, etc, for 1 billion people in India and also for the world.

Speaking at the inaugural session of G20's first inception meet in Hyderabad, the G20 Sherpa said, "Earlier, opening a bank a/c in India took 8-9 months

Washington: Ahead of the annual budget presentation, an India-centric top US strategic and business advocacy group has urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to simplify and rationalise direct and indirect taxation system in India, a move it believes would increase the confidence of global investors and yield greater foreign direct investment in the country. USISPF sought harmonising holding periods and rates of different instruments.—PTI

rics. Since last four years, we do more fast payments compared to US, Europe and China." Kant said when he was an officer in Kerala two decades ago, it took 8-9 months to open an account. He said, "It was a nightmare doing KnowYour-Customer then. Today in India, we open a bank account in less than a minute using biometrics. So, I have seen this transformation from nine months to one minute. "

"Startups grow and mature, there are many chal-

STARTUP20

AT A GLANCE

Startup20 aims to develop a global narrative for supporting startups and facilitating synergies among startups, corporations, investors, innovation agencies, and other key stakeholders

lenges," Amitabh Kant said, adding, "Today there will be a challenge on finance. Tomorrow. there will be a challenge of corporate governance." He said when these Indian startups solve these challenges, they are not doing it for India alone, they are also solving the whole world's problem.

A new Engagement Group, Startup20 has been established as part of the G20 India Presidency to develop a global narrative for supporting startups.

z The primary objective is to harmonise the global startup ecosystem through a collaborative and forwardlooking approach

z The group will provide a common platform for startups from G20 member countries to develop actionable guidance

of the worst things you can do as a retail investor. You can never accurately predict the stock market’s short-term movements. You should therefore remain calm and focus on your long-term investment strategy during a market crash. Keep your SIPs running and buy more on days when markets are massively down. That’s the easiest and time-tested method to keep emotions away from your investments. Remember what Warren Buffett once said: “If you are not willing to own a stock for 10 years, don’t even think about owning it for 10 minutes.”

LESSON 4: KNOW WHOM TO TRUST

For decades, retail inves-

IMF review finds `2K bn breach in Pak’s budgetary estimates

Islamabad (PTI): Ahead of its crucial talks with the cash-strapped Pakistan government, the IMF has found an over Rs2,000 billion breach in budgetary estimates for 2022-23 in its initial assessment. This finding might result in escalating the budget deficit and primary deficit targets with a massive margin.

Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials are scheduled to kick-start economic discussions from Tuesday for accomplishing the ninth review under the Extended Fund Facility during which the fiscal slippages and reconciliation of figures will be the major topic of discussion.

The review would lead to the release of the next tranche of funds which has been pending since September. A budget deficit target of 4.9 % of the GDP was envisaged by the governement.

tors have been a victim of rampant mis-selling of financial products and SEBI has been rightly brutal about such false narratives. Money is serious business and provision of financial advice should not be open to any Tom, Dick, and Harry on the back of social media popularity. Be very careful of whom you rely on for sound financial advice. Do not “blindly” follow social media tips and always apply your own discretion.

LESSON 5: DO NOT

LOSE SIGHT OF FUNDAMENTALS

Investors had put in a lot of money in several hyped IPOs of 2021 which are 3560% down from their IPO price in 2022. This reminds

While this led to the financialization of savings, investors today, especially millennials are wary of investing in fixed-income instruments due to their low returns compared to equities. Staying ahead of inflation doesn’t always mean buying only the equityoriented instruments. The optimal way to go forward is to have the right asset allocation model as per the risk appetite and goals of an investor.

FINALLY LESSON 7: CREATE A BACKUP

Economic downturns and layoffs move hand in hand. 18,000+ employees were fired by startups this year. Thus, creating an emergency fund or a buffer is all the more important to ensure that you do not fall into a debt trap when financial surprises come your way. Above all, the biggest mistake that you would have made in 2022 is if you didn’t invest at all. With investments comes discipline and these little steps help you get closer to the future and lifestyle you envision.

Textile Min nod for R&D projects worth ` 32.25 cr

New Delhi (ANI): The Ministry of Textiles has cleared 15 research and development projects worth `32.25 crore across key strategic areas such as speciality fibres, protective textiles, high-performance textiles, geo-textiles, medical textiles, and more.

An official statement from the ministry of textiles said among these, seven projects were of speciality fibres, two from protective textiles, two from highperformance textiles, one from geo-textiles, one from medical textiles, one from sustainable textile, one from textiles for building

materials was approved. The clearance was announced during the 5th Mission Steering Group (MSG) meeting held under the chairmanship of Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Textiles, Commerce and Industry and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution held in New Delhi. During the meeting, Piyush Goyal said that leading textile manufacturers and institutes should come together to indigenously develop strategic and highvalue technical textile products, with the support of the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM).

Mirch Masala

BY TRIDIB RAMAN

The

NARENDRA MODI CAN CONTEST FROM TWO PLACES IN 2024

Can Narendra Modi contest from Varanasi as well as any other Lok Sabha seat in South India in the 2024 general elections? If the claims of sources associated with the BJP are to be believed, then the answer is ‘yes’. The reason is very clear, at present the graph of BJP is on the upswing in the states of North and West India and gradually BJP has made inroads in the states of East also. The BJP’s real concern is about the 128 seats in the south where regional parties, including the Congress, continue to hold sway. The BJP is confident that ‘the arrow in its quiver named Modi, is the only answer to all these challenges.’ Sources associated with the BJP claim that ‘Ramanathapuram seat in Tamil Nadu is one of Modi’s favourite seats

Screened controversial BBC docu on campus: FTII students

BJP’S SHELAR DEMANDS POLICE ACTION AGAINST TISS STUDENTS

in the 2024 general elections from where he can think of contesting elections. BJP needs one such ‘master stroke’ for its expansion in South India. Apart from Ramanathapuram, the saffron party is already trying to gauge the public mood in Madurai and Coimbatore. If we talk about Ramanathapuram, the BJP was at the third place here, but by the time the 2019 Lok Sabha elections came, the BJP joined the main fight here and it stood at the second place. How South India fares in the agenda of Modi and BJP can be understand from two examples.

‘Tamil Sangam’ was started with great fanfare in Kashi and at the inauguration of ‘Central Vista’ in Delhi, PM recited the poem of Tamil Mahakavi Bharatiyar i.e. Subrahmanyam Bharathi. Modi’s expressions and his conduct itself give indications of his future strategies.

NOW MUKESH AMBANI’S RELIANCE WILL EXPAND IN AMERICA!

Mukesh Ambani has now made up his mind to invest in America. Reliable sources reveal that Ambani’s company Reliance has taken services of a big PR company of America. The reason given was that Reliance Group has to expand in America. Last month, when Mukesh Ambani reached Washington DC, a senator there hosted a ‘breakfast’ in his honour, which 8 other senators attended. These US senators are said to have invited Ambani to visit their respective states, saying ‘Ambani should come there and create new jobs.’ In response, Mukesh reportedly told them that ‘Reliance Is always your friend’. Then at a dinner held by American Congressman with more than 30 senators, an ‘Indian American Group’ i.e. ‘Samosa Group’ has invited Mukesh Ambani as chief guest in one of its events in coming summer. Be aware that this ‘Samosa Group’ has a lot of interest in American politics and those who formed this group include renowned Indian Americans like V-P Kamala Harris, Senator Raja Krishnamurthy, Ro Khanna, Dr Amy Bera & Pramila Jayaram. In another US-related development, acc to sources, two big wealth managers ‘Black Rock’ and ‘Black Stone’ who have invested billions in Adani’s ‘Green Energy’ say they will review their investments. Are these people now trending towards Reliance?

WHY BIHAR CONG IS IN BAD SHAPE?

Mallikarjun Kharge, the new fledgling National President of Congress, knows that Rahul Gandhi is extra enthused about Bihar. So, he is looking forward to infuse a new life into the Bihar Congress. This Friday, he virtually addressed a workshop organised at Sadakat Ashram, the state HQs of Bihar Congress in Patna. This workshop was organised for the ‘Haath Se Haath Jodo’ campaign of Congress, in which 500 delegates of the Bihar Congress were to participate, where around 500 chairs were also set up. But it is said that hardly 150-200 delegates gathered in this workshop and later all the unoccupied chairs were removed in a hurry. After this, there was again a ruckus in Bihar Congress that the names of fake delegates should be removed from the list. Soon after, Kharge summoned Bihar Congress President Akhilesh Singh to Delhi. In this programme, a leader of Bihar Congress, Anil Sharma created a storm by saying that Congress should not run ‘Haath Se Haath Jodo’ campaign but ‘Dil Jodo’ campaign should be run. When Sharma was saying this, the programme was being broadcast live.

RAO’S ALLERGY TO THE CONGRESS PARTY

Telangana Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Rao wants to become the new head of the united opposition, but he also wants the Congress to find a place on the platform of his opposition unit. So, he is trying his best that Congress does not have an alliance with JDS in Karnataka assembly elections. More or less, this is also the feeling of Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar and about this Rao had two-three rounds of talks with DK. Sources reveal that Rao has also got an opinion poll done for JDS in Mysore region with his own money. This survey shows that JDS is getting maximum number of seats in Mysore region. Congress is here at number two and BJP at number three. Mallikarjun Kharge is in constant touch with Deve Gowda and he had also invited Deve Gowda to visit Jammu and Kashmir on January 30, where he is

First India Bureau

Pune: The students’ association of the Film and Television Institute of India screened the controversial BBC documentary on the 2002 Godhra riots on campus, the student body said on Saturday, adding that authorities should know that “the sure-fire way for something to be watched is to ban it”.

WITH WHOM WILL SHIV SENA GO?

“On January 26, we screened the banned BBC documentary ‘The Modi Question’ on the premises at FTII,” the FTII Students’ Association said in a statement.

The Centre had last

T here is a lot of pressure in the Shiv Sena to choose its new alliance partner. In fact, when Sanjay Raut came out of jail, the same evening, one of the biggest industrialists associated with BJP reached Matoshree. It is said that he had come to Uddhav with a clear message from BJP that ‘Shiv Sena should break its alliance with Congress, as it is not a natural alliance. Word is that it is after this meet that Uddhav has fastened his ties with Prakash Ambedkar’s ‘Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi’. At the same time, coordination between NCP & Congress has also been confirmed. Shiv Sena has made it clear before Congress that in 2024 general polls, even if the alliance of Mahaghadi Vikas remains intact, then Sena will field its candidates on max 26 seats & will leave 16 seats for NCP. Congress will have to be satisfied with these seats.” The BJP is confident that Uddhav will contest 2024 polls in coalition with saffron party. Regarding Eknath Shinde, BJP believes that even though he has brought away MLAs and MPs from Uddhav’s Shiv Sena, but workers have remained in Uddhav’s Shiv Sena, that is why BJP desperately needs Uddhav.

week directed social media platforms Twitter and YouTube to block links to the documentary “India: The Modi Question”. The Ministry of External Affairs has trashed the documentary as a “propaganda piece” that lacks objectivity and reflects a colonial mindset.

Throughout history, the banning of literature, music, and—in recent times—media, has been a sign of a crumbling society, the students’ association said in its statement. “The act of scrutiny should

‘Tipu Sultan’ struck off Malad garden name

Mumbai (ANI): Guardian minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, has said that the name of Tipu Sultan, the ruler of the erstwhile kingdom of Mysore, has been removed from a garden in Malad West.

The garden was so named during the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and the nomenclature was opposed by the BJP, then in the opposition.

Lodha, who is Maharashtra’s minister for

Tourism, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Women and Child Development, shared the news on Twitter on Friday.

“My order to remove Tipu Sultan’s name from the garden was implemented in a peaceful manner... At present, we don't have any proposed names for the garden but in upcoming meetings, proposals will be mooted and we will decide on a new name,” Lodha said.

be welcomed by our elected representatives. Instead, they quickly tag it as false propaganda and try to shove it under the rug. They should know that the sure-fire way for something to be watched is to ban it,” it added.

“However, the BBC documentary barely scratches the surface of the kind of violence that has been perpetuated throughout the country for a dedicated, singular, vicious purpose. It would be startling to us if anyone in India was surprised by the hap-

penings in this documentary," it also said.

FTII Registrar Sayyid Rabeehashmi said that an inquiry will be conducted into the issue. “It is being reported that a group of students screened the documentary. The matter will be looked into,” he said.

Students at many educational institutes, including the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University and Ambedkar University in New Delhi have come under fire for attempting to screen the contentious BBC documentary.

Mumbai (FIB): BJP workers protested outside the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) campus in Mumbai on Saturday evening, even as students of the premier institute decided to disregard the administration’s advisory and screen the controversial BBC documentary “India: The Modi Question”. While the administration asked its security team to remain vigilant, BJP’s Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar has called for police action against the students. Student representatives said the screening was expected to be held in the new campus on Saturday evening.

Court acquits man accused of rape and murder in 2016

Thane (PTI): A 33-yearold man from Palghar, who was arrested in 2016 for raping and killing a woman has been acquitted by a local court that gave a benefit of doubt to him for want of sufficient evidence.

The court, however, held him guilty for giving false information to the police and sentenced him to six months of simple imprisonment.

Since he has spent the last seven years in jail, he is not required to remain imprisoned any further, the court said.

The accused, a tribal man from Wada taluka in Palghar, was acquitted by Additional Sessions Court Judge AN Sirsikar in Thane on January 16. The copy of the order was made available on Friday.

The man, Sagar Waman Malavkar, is a la-

LEGAL TUSSLE

First India Bureau

concluding the first phase of his Rahul Bharat Jodo Yatra. But Deve Gowda, expressing his inability to come there, has definitely sent his best wishes to Rahul. Interestingly, BJP is in constant touch with Deve Gowda’s son Kumaraswamy and is persuading him to join hands with it. Kumaraswamy is also among those who likes BJP more than Congress.

Mumbai: Former Supreme Court judge Rohinton Fali Nariman has came down heavily on Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju for his “diatribe” against the Collegium system over the appointment of judges. Warning that the country was on the brink of falling into “the abyss of a new dark age” if “independent and fearless judges” are not appointed in a

Court held him guilty of giving cops false info but gave him the benefit of doubt

bourer from Varai Khurd village.

Appearing for the prosecution, additional public prosecutor Rakhi Pande told the court that the accused and the victim, then 18, were in a relationship. The woman had been asking him to marry her, although

he was already married and had children.

On March 26, 2016, he took the woman to an isolated place and raped her, the prosecution said, adding that after the rape, the victim went to a nearby forest area, and was later found dead.

“It is proven that the accused gave false information to the public servant, that is police officer, and as such the offence under IPC Section 177 has been proven against him,” said the court.

against Collegium: Nariman slams Rijiju

timely manner, he said the government’s habit of “sitting on” the names of judges recommended by the collegium was “deadly” for democracy.

He was speaking at the Mumbai University while delivering the seventh Chief Justice MC Chagla Memorial Lecture on Friday. The former apex court judge also suggested the formation of a special five-judge bench to be formed. This bench

could pass a judgment giving the government a 30-day deadline to comment or object to names sent in by the Collegium, he explained. “If the government has nothing to say with-

in 30 days, then it will be taken as it has nothing to say.” he said.

“This sitting on names is a deadly for the country’s democracy. What you are doing is merely trying to wait out a particular Collegium in the hope that the next one changes its mind. Appointments must be carried out within a reasonable time period,” he also said.

“It is how a constitution works. If you don’t have fearless and independent judges, there is nothing left. As a matter of fact, according to

me if this last bastion were to fall, we would enter the abyss of a new dark age, in which RK Laxman’s Common Man will ask himself only one question: If the salt shall lose its savor, wherewith shall the earth be salted?...” Nariman pointed out.

Law minister Rijiju has often questioned the Collegium system of appointment of judges, noting that it was “opaque and not transparent”.

Nariman was part of the Supreme Court Collegium until his retirement in August 2021.

The Film and Television Institute of India.

—FILE PHOTO

‘Throughout history, the banning of literature, music, and—in recent times—media, has been a sign of a crumbling society’

‘Diatribe’

Ex-SC judge says govt sitting on judges’ names ‘deadly’ for democracy

Former SC judge Rohinton Fali Nariman —FILE PHOTO

The garden was named for the Muslim ruler under the MVA government. —FILE PHOTO

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

Mehandipur Balaji ke darbar mein...

The Mehandipur Balaji temple is known far and wide for it’s healing powers; the troubled and sick reach from all over seeking solace and peace and such is the power of this diety that the prayers of his devotees are always answered!

SATYANARAYAN SHARMA, LAXMIKANT SHARMA AND MONU SINGH RAJAWAT

Mehandipur: The Mehandipur Balaji temple is one of the most visited temples in Rajasthan and sees lakhs of devotees throughout the year but Saturday saw even more people with the Shrimad Bhagwat Gyan Kathayagya going on presently. Lord Hanuman is truly a Sankatmochan and nowhere more than in his manifestation at Mehandipur Balaji. Lakhs flock to his darbar.

On Saturday Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry

Piyush Goyal, Jagdeesh Chandra, MP Karauli-Dholpur Manoj Rajoria, BJP State Executive Member Bhupendra Saini reached the holy darbar of Balaji to seek blessings and soak the spiritual atmosphere.

LS Speaker Om Birla, Union Minister

Piyush Goyal and Jagdeesh Chandra at tended the holy ceremony of ‘Praan Prathi shtha’ at the Sita Ram Mandir wherein Mehndipur Dham Mahant Naresh Puri Maharaj completed all the traditional reli gious rituals concerned with the life-con secration (Praan Prathishtha) of the idols of ‘Shri Radha-Krishna ji’ and led everyone in a heartfelt aarti. After this, Om Birla, Piyush Goyal and Jagdeesh Chandra along with Manoj Rajoria and Bhupen dra Saini went to the main temple to seek the blessings of Balaji. Mahant ji gave blessing and prasad to all.

Earlier, Jagdeesh Chandra also met Mahant Naresh Puri Maharaj who welcomed him with a stoll of Balaji Maharaj & Jai Siya Ram, Chandra also presented a copy of the day’s

First India Jaipur edi tion which had a charismatic photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the jacket, welcom ing the PM to Bhilwara, Ra jasthan. The Prime Minister visited Bhilwara on Saturday to attend the ceremony commemorating 1,111th

Avataran of Shri Devnarayan ji. Om Birla and Piyush Goyal, who flew down in a chopper to Mehandipur, im mersed themselves for a while in the Bhagwat Katha before leaving for Del hi. During their visit, Bhupendra Saini and P D Sharma honoured them on behalf of various social organisa tions, Saini also presented them with a ‘Gada’ as a symbol of the blessings of Balaji. Piyush Goyal said that the Mehendipur Dham is a special place for the devote and pilgrims.

Mahant Nareshpuri Maharaj leads the holy procession accompanied by Om Birla, Piyush Goyal, Jagdeesh Chandra and other devotees.

Jagdeesh Chandra with Piyush Goyal and Om Birla.

Manoj Rajoria, Om Birla, Jagdeesh Chandra, Mahant Nareshpuri Maharaj, Rajeev Dutta and others.

Temple Pandit hands over the aarti thaal to Om Birla and Jagdeesh Chandra. Om Birla and Jagdeesh Chandra at aarti. Jagdeesh Chandra presents a copy of First India to Mahant Nareshpuri Maharaj.

There is absolutely gold-standard evidence that physical activity can reduce morbidity and mortality due to multiple chronic conditions. The mountain of evidence can be gauged from the fact that there are 948 meta-analyses of 11,726 clinical trials, in addition to 1.4 million research papers, that leave no doubt about the unquestionable necessity of physical activity for good health. Drawing on the leading research, here we discuss the most popular and easier form of exercise, walking, to assemble usable knowledge. For significant health benefits, World Health Organization (WHO) suggests, adults should do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity; at least 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity; or an equivalent combination of moderateand vigorous-intensity activity distributed throughout the week. On average, leisure-time regular physical activity should be within about 45 minutes a day.

Exercise can protect against metabolic syndrome, hypertension, cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive decline, migraine, autoimmune diseases, and at least 26 types of cancers, among others. Exercise also lengthens telomeres, reduces stress, and attenuates cellular ageing. It also promotes bone health. It prevents frailty and age-related pathogenesis including mac ular degeneration. In addition to protecting against non-com municable diseases, physical activity can help us fight com municable diseases, such as COVID-19, through enhanced immunity. Higher, but not ex cessive, levels of physical ac tivity increase the odds of healthy ageing by 39 per cent. Overall, physical activity con tributes to healthy longevity and promotes happiness, healthspan and well-being.

Physical activity is so vital, the world must be craving to do that every day. Right? Well, not really. People have their own reasons for being lethargic. A study published in the Lancet Global Health on the world wide trends in insufficient physical activity found evi dence otherwise. The global prevalence of insufficient physical activity was 27·5 per cent. This puts more than 1·4 billion adults at risk of devel oping or exacerbating diseases linked to inactivity. India has its own lazy stars renowned for slothfulness. About 34 per cent of adult Indians are insuffi ciently active. Half of Indian

DAILY STEPS FOR

GOOD HEALTH

health outcomes regardless of physical activity. So, do not keep sitting for a duration longer than 40 to 50 minutes.

children and adolescents do not meet the required levels of physical activity of 60 minutes per day. This is giving rise to the occurrence of more than 3 disease conditions in the same person, often known as multimorbidity. The highest proportion of adults from northern India, i.e., 49.6%, have low levels of physical activity.

Young people aged 10–24 years constitute 24 per cent of the world’s population, and more than 80 per cent of them have insufficient physical activity. Approximately 30% of people aged more than 60 years experience a fall in a given year. Physical activity in such people can enhance resilience, robustness and fitness. This inaction costs hugely. Physical inactivity cost healthcare systems 53·8 billion dollars worldwide. It is also responsible for 13·4 million disability-adjusted life-years worldwide. CVD, respiratory diseases and diabetes kill more than 4 million Indians annually, and most of these deaths are premature, occurring among Indians aged 30–70 years.

The time has come to move and keep moving every day. One of the easiest and most popular physical activities, recommended by ancient India’s Sage-Scientist

ience. Charaka and Sushruta prescribed exercise for health at least 1000 years before Hippocrates (460–370 B.C.) and Galen (129–210 A.D.).

World’s oldest definition and prescription of exercise as medicine are found in Caraka Samhita, which was redacted from the world’s oldest record of medical practice. In this context, the number of steps taken per day is a simple measure of physical activity.

Monitoring daily steps with the help of trackers and wearable mobile devices have become increasingly fashionable worldwide. Cycling, swimming, and many other forms require special arrangements. But walking can be performed in any place. Green spaces and safe urban forests are great environments to walk. Forest experience, green exercise, gardening, and nature viewing all have positive health impacts.

The question is, walking is the most convenient exercise for healthy persons, how many steps need to be taken per day?

A commonly promoted goal is 10,000 steps per day, its origin is anecdotal. This number became popular from a marketing campaign in Japan. The WHO 2020 Physical Activity Guidelines specifically identified this gap in research on the

national cohorts with 47,471 adults. It suggests progressively decreasing the risk of mortality among adults aged 60 years and older with an increasing number of steps per day until 6,000–8,000 steps per day. For adults younger than 60 years, the step count is 8,000–10,000 steps per day. The second study found an answer to the associations of daily step counts with cancer and cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality as well as all-cause mortality. It also explored if the intensity of steps has additional benefits. This population-based prospective cohort study used the data for 78,500 individuals of average 61 years of age. This study found that more steps per day, up to about 10,000 steps, was associated with a decline in mortality risks and decreased cancer and CVD incidence. These findings indicate that accumulating more steps per day, up to about 10 000, is useful to lower the risk of all-cause, cancer, and CVD mortality as well as the incidence of cancer and CVD. Higher step intensity or brisk walking may provide additional benefits, but it must not be taken too extreme.

What if you do not have time for taking 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day? Well, then the main thing is exercise and it does not have to be 10,000 steps. Do as possible. If you are able to do 3 to 5 length-standardized vigorous physical activity bouts every day, lasting about 2 minutes each, it can bring about a 40% reduction in all-cause and cancer mortality risk and about a 50% reduction in CVD mortality risk. These results indicate that small amounts of vigorous physical activity can substantially lower the mortal ity risks. In brief, the evidence has strengthened the conclu sions drawn in Ayurveda, 5,000 years ago, including by Acha rya Sushruta that moder ate—but not excessive— walking enhances life span, strength, intelli gence, digestive pow er, and invigorates all our sense organs.

Also, remember that sedentary time is indepen dently associated with deleterious

Interrupting prolonged sitting with short bouts of walking—but not merely standing—provides clinically meaningful improvements in metabolic health. Take a break, walk a few brisk steps, stretch, do some deep breathing, mindfully observe trees and green space from your window, and go back refreshed to work. We have not discussed running here. There is compelling evidence that running provides significant health benefits for the prevention of chronic diseases and premature mortality. Running, regardless of its dose, is likely to lead to considerable improvements in health and longevity. And, any amount of running, even just once a week, is better than no running. But higher doses of running may not necessarily lead to greater benefits. Yet, it is not the best exercise for everyone because various clinical conditions and old age can impede its practice. Finally, please remember that with all the goodness of a reasonable amount of physical activity, excessive exercise is a serious risk to health. Both Ayurveda and modern science warn against excessive physical activity. Vyayama (exercise) is a must for good health but must not be done beyond balardha (i.e., beyond half of your strength). Sweating, increased respiration, feeling the lightness of the body and tightness in the cardiac region are signs of op timal physical activity. The extent of physical exercise is governed by an individual’s capability. We should stop ex ercising before getting tired and should abstain from overexertion. Notwithstanding a cautionary note here, know that the benefits of physical activity outweigh the risks. Move and keep moving. Stay healthy, stay happy.

DR DEEP NARAYAN PANDEY Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force), Rajasthan

STUNNING BIRTHDAY GIRL

“BEST BIRTHDAY EVER: I AM SO THANKFUL FOR THE BEAUTIFUL SOULS AROUND ME”

MASABA GUPTA MARRIES SATYADEEP MISRA

Sonam casts her magic spell

Fashion designer-actor Masaba Gupta took her fans and followers by surprise on Friday as she announced her wedding with actor Satyadeep Misra. She took to Instagram to share the dreamy first pic tures from the early morning ceremony. Sharing the pictures, Masaba wrote, “Mar ried my ocean of calm, this morning. Here’s to many many lifetimes of love, peace, stability & most importantly laughter. And thanks for letting me pick the caption - this is gonna be great!” Masaba shared a family por trait taken at her wedding to actor Satyadeep Misra and it includes her father, West Indies cricketing legend Vivian Richards. Masaba’s dad and stepfather Vivek Mehra mother Nee na Gupta, Satyadeep’s mother Nalini and his sister Chinmaya. Everyone is dressed in coordinating shades of pink and yellow.

ONE YEAR OF TOGETHERNESS

The actress always amaz es her fans with her stunning sartorial picks. Besides this, she is quite active on social media and enjoys a massive fan fol lowing. Recently, the actress shared beautiful pictures with her hubby Suraj Nambiar as they celebrated their first wed ding anniversary. Mouni shared a series of pictures of her and Suraj as they visited a temple to seek the blessings of the almighty. In the pictures, the couple looked stunning in traditional white coordinated outfits. Mouni was seen don ning a beautiful white saree, whereas Suraj on the other hand was spotted in a white kurta. Along with the pictures,

small bash for their close friends and family from the industry. We saw several actors gracing the event and one of them was Sonam Kapoor. The actress who has been making heads turn with her style and fashion sure knows how to slay whenever she steps

Sonam stunned in a monochrome House Of Masaba outfit. She wore a black flowy anarkali with a thin silver lining. Her anarkali has two white borders at the end and on her sleeves that were up to her wrists. The sleeves also had a crescent and a star pattern on both sides. She paired her attire with a matching black dupatta with white borders and completed her look with a neat bun, pearl white choker and matching earrings. Sonam carried a white pearl clutch and flaunted her bold

MAHIRA DANCES TO THIS SONG

akistani actress Mahira Khan, who enjoys a massive fan following on social media, is a popular name in India. She featured with Shah Rukh Khan in the hit film Raees. The audience loved watching them together on the big screen. Meanwhile, Mahira has been hitting headlines after her dancing video from a wedding surfaced on social media. The actress chose to groove on Ranbir Kapoor’s song Dance Ka Bhoot from his hit film Brahmastra. In the viral video, Mahira was seen flaunting her moves as she grooves to Ranbir’s song Dance Ka Bhoot. The video is from the wedding of Pakistani actor Frieha Altaf’s son and singer Turhan James. Mahira was seen sporting an embellished lehenga with her hair tied up in a bun. The actress looks all things gorgeous in her ethnic outfit. She surely set the stage on fire with her magical twirl.

Shruti Hassan with Santanu Hazarika

Shruti Hassan

Masaba’s post...

Masaba Gupta

Mahira Khan Ranbir Kapoor

Mouni Roy with husband Suraj Nambiar Sonam Kapoor

Sonam in House Of Masaba outfit

MEET AND GREET!

“IT’S DIFFICULT TO DETACH FROM THE CHARACTERS”

Ridhiema Tiwari has done some incredible work over the years and her characters in television serials including, Do Dil Ek Jaan, Sasural Genda Phool, and Ghulaam have left a mark on the audience. She is recognized in Bollywood for her debut film Begum Jaan in 2017. The diva is currently seen in Raazz Mahal- Dakini Ka Rahasya in the role

Recently she joined us for an exclusive conversation where she got candid about what goes behind prepping up for Chandralekha.

When ask about what makes the character different from the rest of her characters, Ridhiema said, “Chandralekha is a negative character and it’s not an easy job to portray such a role. But I love when a role challenges the actor within me. Every day donning that attire along with black lipstick, going to the set and rigorously shooting for it for 12 hours strategy

thing!”.

Since her character is negative, it has been observed earlier too that while playing such characters, actors find it quite difficult to detach themselves from it. When asked about it, Ridhiema responded, “Absolutely True!

When you are in a character for straight 12 hours and you continue to do so every day, it’s difficult to detach yourself from the character and going back to yourself seems like a difficult task. And it’s not always easy but I have managed to do it! Playing a negative charac ter leaves you with a lot of negative baggage of

the role that indi rectly gets incor porated into your lifestyle. So it is very im portant to de tach yourself!”.

Reflecting on her jour ney the ac tress said, “being a freelancer in this In dustry is quite a task and life has always been a bumpy ride. It is a road of highs and lows, but I love it that way. Working hard, and choosing to do

VISION FOR INDIAN CONTENT

Young Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurra na, who is regarded as an original man in the Indian film industry because of his brilliant, envelope-pushing film choices, is thrilled that India has three nomina tions at this year’s Os cars!

Ayushmann, who has been voted by the prestig ious TIME Magazine as one of the Most Influen tial People in the World for his talked-about, delicious ly original films, says, “I have always firmly believed that India can disrupt the global content landscape with indigenous stories and by staying true to our culture and realities.”

He adds, “The fact that we have three nominations at the Oscars this year with All That Breathes, The Elephant Whis perers and S.S. Rajamouli’s Naatu Naatu shows that India can be a dominant player in shaping how the world views content emerging out of India and the impact it can have on the hearts and minds of people worldwide.”

A flower can say it better

As part of the first lookbook for 2023, renowned makeover expert Richa Agarwal and beauty expert Harveen Kathuria presented the latest bridal looks focused on florals and pastels.

In sync with the changing trends, these trends were exhibited in soothing colors and floral patterns. The looks set the tone for the season ahead and reflect the latest fashion and makeover trends. They are all aimed at brides who want to look stylish

JANHVI SETS THE GRAM ON FIRE!

he generation next star Janhvi Kapoor sure knows to amp up her Instagram handle. she never fails to leave her 21 million followers on Instagram mesmerized with her stunning pictures. Not only does the actress share updates about her upcoming projects, but she also frequently posts pictures giving glimpses of her day-to-day life. Apart from this, Janhvi also makes fans swoon with her stunning looks in pictures from her photoshoot.

The Mili actress has set her social media game on fire with her latest bold photoshoot in a sultry saree look. She can be seen donning a huge nose ring with a brown saree, flaunting her svelte figure.

Looks like earthy shades

were the theme of Janhvi Kapoor’s latest photoshoot as the pictures show the diva clad in a rustic-style brown saree, sans the blouse. The otherwise plain saree had minimal embroidery along the borders. Taking her to look up a few notches were the accessories and the makeup. She made a statement in a half-crested nose ring made of silver, and it was the highlight of her stunning look.

and elegant at the same time at their wedding.

Richa Agarwal, the makeover expert, said,

“We see most brides wearing bold and traditional colors and makeovers in shades of red,

maroon, dark pink, and fuchsia. Instead, we have shown that apart from heavy makeup and traditional colors, a fresh and soothing bridal look can be achieved with light and pastel colors. At the same time, wearing heavy jewelry as a hair accessory is not necessary. We have created floral hair accessories made with real flowers, color-coordinated accordingly, and customized the entire look. In addition to giving these looks a royal look us-

ing silver and golden glitter, we have also shared the exact and easy tricks of photogenic makeup. The first priority of a bride and groom is to share their wedding looks on social media and look picture perfect. The camera picks up on flaws in makeup quickly, therefore it is essential that makeup is camerafriendly. During the event, a special workshop was also held. Keeping these priorities in mind a lookbook for 2023 and skincare tips were also shared.

“Chandralekha is a negative character and it’s not an easy job to portray such a role but I love when a role challenges the actor within me.”

Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot and Sunil Arora, Former Chief Election Commissioner of India were greeted by Upendra Rai, Chairman, MD and Editor-in-Chief, Bharat Express News Network, as the latter reached their residence recently to invite them at the launching ceremony of the news channel on Feb 1.

Ridhiema Tiwari

Janhvi Kapoor Ayushmann Khurrana

Richa and ravishing models showcasing the artistry

Her post...

Upendra Rai with Sunil Arora, former Chief Election Commissioner of India

Upendra Rai with CM Ashok Gehlot