IPL Captains Not To Attend Opening Ceremony
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Inside Radhika Apte’s house where you’ll find...
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ENGLISH DAILY MORNING REPUTED NEWS PAPER, AHMEDABAD EDITION Editor : Kapilkumar M. Hirpara
Short News
Govt to set up 18 new missions in Africa by 2021
New Delhi: The Union Cabinet today approved the opening of 18 new Indian missions in Africa with an aim to expand India's footprints in the resource-rich continent where China has been trying to increase its presence. The new Indian missions will be set up over four years, from 2018 to 2021, the government said in a statement. It said the new Indian missions will be opened in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Swaziland and Togo. Currently, India has 29 resident missions in Africa. "The decision will enhance India's diplomatic outreach in the African continent and allow India to engage with Indian diaspora in African countries," the government said. It said the opening of new missions is also a step towards implementing the vision of enhanced cooperation.
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J&K: Two army jawans, two cops killed in fresh encounter with militants in Kupwara An encounter broke out in the Arampora area of the district yesterday after security forces launched an operation in the wake of militants opening fire at an Army patrol party.
New Delhi: Five militants have been killed and five security personnel lost their lives in an ongoing gunfight in north Kashmir's Kupwara district on Wednesday. “Earlier [in the day], three bodies of the militants were recovered. The fourth body of a militant was also spotted at the encounter site in Kupwara. The firing continued [till late Wednesday evening],” said Director General
Rahul Gandhi in Karnataka: PM Narendra Modi speaks against corruption, but shares stage with jailed leaders
New Delhi: Recalling how Chikmagalur supported his grandmother Indira Gandhi and helped her win the bypolls following the Emergency, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the Karnataka constituency held a special place in his heart. Addressing a rally in Chikmagalur, Gandhi assailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for choosing a chief ministerial candidate who had been to jail. Without naming BS Yeddyurappa, the BJP’s CM candidate in Karnataka, Gandhi said Modi advocated a “zero corruption” policy but shared the stage with leaders who have been to prison. “PM Modi comes here and talks about corruption but on the stage with him are sitting leaders who have been in jail on corruption charges, including the BJP CM candidate,” Gandhi said in Chikmagalur. Yeddyurappa was lodged in Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara Central Prison after he surrendered to the Lokayukta Court in an illegal mining case. It was from Chikmagalur that
Year : 04
Indira Gandhi won the 1978 bypolls, that put her back in the Parliament post Emergency and revived the fortunes of the Grand Old Party. “You people supported my grandmother when she needed it the most. I can never forget this. Whenever you need me, I will always be available,” the Congress chief said. Gandhi, who is on his third visit to the pollbound state, also raked up the Doklam issue, saying China had taken up fresh road construction in the area in the past month, but the PM maintained a stoic silence. “China is building helipads and airports at our borders in Doklam but PM Modi is silent,” Gandhi, who took over as Congress chief last December, said. However, on Tuesday, the government clarified that Chinese construction activities near Doklam had not crossed the Indian red lines. Walking in the footsteps of his grandmother, Gandhi visited a temple in Sringeri and then went to Sharadamba Temple in Sharada Peeth.
of Police S.P. Vaid. Late in the evening, a Srinagar-based spokesman confirmed that a fifth militant was "neutralised" at the encounter site. All slain militants, according to the police, were "foreigners and part of a recently infiltrated group". "Owing to the thick vegetation and low visibility, the mopping operation is heading slowly in the area and with due caution," said the police spokesman. "Incriminating documents have also been seized from the
slain militants," he added. The bodies recovered were strapped with weapons and ammunition, including live grenades, said the police. A fresh gunfight started on Wednesday morning after an intermittent exchange of fire during the night in Kupwara’s dense forest area of Check Fatehkhan in Halmatpora range. Officials said the group of militants, which attacked on Army’s domination domination patrol on Tuesday afternoon, “resumed target fire during the
day and were holed up in natural caves offered by the mountain range in the area.” The militants fanned out in different directions and “positioned at multiple points”, they said. According to the spokesmen of the Army and the police, two policeman and three army jawans were also killed in the fierce exchange of fire. The deceased personnel were identified as Mohammad Ashraf Rather and Naik Ranjeet Singh of 160 battalion of the Territorial Army, and Special Police Officer Mohammad Yousuf Cheche and policeman Deepak Thesoo. The identity of third deceased Army jawan could not be ascertained. One policeman of the Special Operation Group (SOG) was also injured and "is stated to be stable". The Army's elite force, Para Commandos, have also been brought in to the site to wrap up the encounter. Kupwara is over 110 km north of Srinagar and is a frontier district, close to the Line of Control. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed solidarity with the bereaved families of the deceased personnel.
Armed forces reeling under shortage of over 52,000 soldiers: Govt The Army is reeling under a shortage of 21,383 personnel, while the number of vacant posts in the Navy is 16,348 and 15,010 in the Air Force
GNS Ag / New Delhi: The armed forces are facing a shortage of over 52,000 soldiers with the Army topping the list with over 21,000 vacant posts, the government said on Wednesday. According to the details provided by Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre in the Lok Sabha, the Army is reeling under a shortage of 21,383 personnel, while the number of vacant posts in the Navy is 16,348 and 15,010 in the Air Force. Replying to a question, he said 7,680 posts of officers are lying vacant in the Army. To a question on the Rafale deal, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said all relevant procedures were followed to ensure transparency in the acquisition of the 36 jets. India had in 2016 inked an inter-governmental agreement with France for procuring 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore. The delivery of the jets is scheduled to begin from September 2019. The Congress has been
demanding details of the agreement, including the cost of equipment and weapons, alleging that the deal negotiated under its rule was much cheaper than the contract signed by the Modi government. “In the acquisition of 36 Rafale aircraft, all relevant procedure as laid down in defence procurement procedure were followed to ensure that due transparency existed in the entire acquisition process,” Sitharaman said. She said the government preferred the inter-governmental route to procure the jets considering critical operational requirement of the Indian Air Force. Replying to a question on whether the nuclearpowered submarine Chakra, which was leased from Russia, suffered extensive damage, she said the information cannot be divulged in the interest of national security. Bhamre also declined to share information, citing national security, when asked if indigenous nuclear submarine Arihant suffered
major damage. Replying to a separate question, he said the government believes that artificial intelligence has the potential to have transformative impact on security. He said a task force headed by Chairman of Tata Sons N Chandrasekaran has been constituted to study strategic implementation of application of artificial intelligence for national security.
March 22, 2018, Thursday
Mo : 98250 98053
Another bank fraud : Chennai-based Kanishk Gold defrauds banks to tune of Rs 824 cr The company engaged in manufacturing gold jewellery which was marketed under the brand name 'Krizz' which were sold through distributors till 2014
New Delhi: The CBI has registered a case of alleged loan fraud of Rs 8.24 billion committed by Chennaibased Kanishk Gold Pvt Ltd on a consortium of 14 banks led by the SBI and carried out searches on Thursday, officials said. The case has been registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a complaint from the State Bank of India (SBI) on behalf of the 14-bank consortium, they said. The agency has booked the company
Kanishk Gold Pvt Ltd, its promoter Director Bhoopesh Kumar Jain, Director Neeta Jain, Tejraj Achha, Ajay Kumar Jain and Sumit Kedia besides unidentified public servants. The CBI carried out searches at the official and residential premises of promoters of Kanishk Gold Pvt Ltd as it launched probe in the Rs 8.24-billion loan fraud case, the officials said. The company engaged in manufacturing gold jewellery which was marketed under the brand
name 'Krizz' which were sold through distributors till 2014. But in 2015 it changed its business model to B2B (business-to-business) and started supplying to large retail jewellers, the SBI said in the complaint to the CBI. The loan accounts of the company were taken over by the SBI from the ICICI in 2008, while its banking arrangement was converted into a multiple banking system in March 2011, it said. The SBI alleged that the "fraud" is to the tune of Rs 8.24 billion, but the security available with it to cover the "loss" is only around Rs 1.56 billion. CBI officials said the complaint has been received and the agency was in touch with the bank because of certain loopholes in the complaint which were to be rectified by the bank. The complaint from the SBI came in public domain before the agency could complete its searches raising fears in the CBI that it may not be able to grab hold of crucial documentary evidence, sources said.
First sentencing in lynching over cow: 11 get life term for Alimuddin Ansari’s murder in Jharkhand GNS Ag / Mumbai: A fast track court (FTC) in Ramgarh on Wednesday awarded life imprisonment to 11 of the 12 accused convicted in Alimuddin Ansari’s lynching that took place in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district last year in June. Additional Judge-II Om Prakash handed out the life sentence after hearing both sides on the quantum of punishment. The court has also directed the district services legal authority (DLSA) to initiate proceedings for ensuring adequate compensation to the victim’s family. The court had convicted them on March 16. Alimuddin Ansari, 55,
was beaten to death by a mob led by members of a local gau raksha samiti, who had intercepted his van in which he was carrying beef. The mob had also set his vehicle ablaze. The incident had occured a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had decried people taking law into their hands in the name of ‘gau raksha’. “We had prayed the court for maximum punishment.
However, the defence had sought leniency on the ground that it was first criminal case against them. The court has awarded life sentences to all the 11 convicted. The court has not given any decision on the 12th accused, whom we want to be treated as an adult, although he is between 16 and 18 years of age,” said Additional Public Prosecutor Sushil Kumar Shukla.
SC verdict on SC/ST Act must be reviewed, rise in atrocities against Dalits: Congress
Congress senior spokesperson Anand Sharma asked the government to clarify its stand on the issue, claiming there was a "sense of insecurity" among Dalits and other oppressed classes after the apex court verdict. GNS Ag / New Delhi: Alleging a rise in atrocities against Dalits under the BJP-led government, the Congress today expressed serious concern over the Supreme Court judgement that diluted provisions related to immediate arrest in the SC/ST Act and demanded a review of the same or an amendment in the law. Congress senior spokesperson Anand Sharma asked the government to clarify its stand on the issue, claiming there was a “sense of insecurity” among Dalits and other oppressed classes after the apex court verdict. “There is serious concern over yesterday’s decision of the Supreme Court. If it is not reviewed, it will be very unfortunate. There is a feeling on insecurity among the SC/STs and other oppressed classes. We feel
there should be a review of this decision which will be in national interest. “Why is the government silent on this issue. Government should clarify its stand and should present its version before the Supreme Court through the Attorney General. If the government remains silent, it means that the government supports the decision,” he told reporters. Party MP Kumari Selja alleged that the development is a result of the BJP-RSS policy, as
they are “conspiring to end reservation”. The Chief Whip of Congress in Lok Sabha, Jyotiraditya Scindia, said the BJP and RSS want to end reservation and neither the prime minister nor any minister in the government has so far given any clarification the issue. Congress Communications incharge Randeep Sujewala said the Centre and the Maharashtra Government, which were a party on the issue in the case, did not
present their case properly. He alleged that there was a rise in the number of cases of atrocities against dalits and other oppressed in society. He said either this verdict should be reviewed or a fresh amendment be made in the Act. The Supreme Court yesterday diluted its stringent provisions mandating immediate arrest under the law in a bid to protect honest public servants discharging bonafide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the SC/ST Act, The top court said that on “several occasions”, innocent citizens were being termed as accused and public servants deterred from performing their duties, which was never the intention of the legislature while enacting the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
2 / Dt. 22/03/2018, Thursday, Ahmedabad Edition Editors’ Picks thursday, 22 march, 2018
The unfinished agenda of electoral reforms
The Finance Bill 2018 and the Union Budget 2018 were passed without any discussion in the Lok Sabha. This meant that Parliament did not find the time to debate and analyse the proposal to spend Rs24.4 trillion of taxpayers’ money, amounting to almost one-seventh of India’s national income. The lawmakers, or rather people’s representatives in Parliament, however, found the time to hike their own salaries, and also approved by a mere voice vote, the authority to draw an additional Rs800 billion from the Consolidated Fund of India. This non-debate is not a proud moment for the world’s largest democracy. The Finance Bill is technically called a “money bill”. It does not need to be approved by the Rajya Sabha. This year’s Finance Bill also had within it an embedded paragraph dealing with the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 1976. That law banned political parties from accepting donations from foreign firms. The law was repealed in 2010 and replaced with a new FCRA (2010). In 2014, the Delhi high court found both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress guilty of having accepted donations from a foreign company, in breach of FCRA 2010. So, last year, the Finance Bill sought to modify the definition of a “foreign company”, which potentially renders the guilty verdict as null and void. But that still left open the possibility of a breach of the older law, which was in force till 2010. So, to eliminate any culpability on that count, Finance Bill 2018 simply backdated the amendment to 5 August 1976. This is classic retrospective amendment trickery, which the present government had forsworn. No other political party seems displeased with this retrospective amendment, even for the dishonourable intention of overturning a guilty verdict. It is as if a non-money bill item was smuggled into the Finance Bill. The underlying malaise is the unfinished agenda of electoral reforms. The big-ticket pending items are ensuring complete financial transparency in the functioning of parties and of expenditure during elections, internal democracy within parties, and debarring candidates who have criminal record from contesting elections. The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) wrote a letter with details of desirable electoral reforms to the then prime minister in July 2004. That had a list of 22 actionable items which required parliamentary action. That letter seems to have fallen on deaf ears. No action resulted. Again in December 2016, the CEC compiled another list, incorporating the old one, and requested Parliament to enact reforms. The mandate of the Election Commission (EC) is to conduct free and fair elections, by providing a level playing field in an atmosphere without fear. It has plenary powers derived from a section of the Representation of the People Act 1951, under which it can issue orders to ensure free and fair elections. But clean politics requires clean funding, and clean candidates. This cannot be ensured by the EC alone. Even the expenditure limits for candidates are prescribed by Parliament, and not by the EC. There is no point saying that the limits are too low. If that were so, then the official audited expense statements of the candidates filed with the EC would show fully used up quotas. The data for past several elections, both national and state-level, shows that candidates barely spend 50% of - Kapilkumar M. Hirpara the permissible limit. Editor
Call Data Records scam: From celebrities served summons to probe so far, all you need to know
Mumbai : The Call Data Records (CDR) scam that has been in the headlines for the past few weeks has thrown up names like Kangana Ranaut, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Ayesha Shroff, as well as that of celebrity lawyer Rizwan Siddiqui. What, however, is the CDR scam? Here's what you need to know: On 2 February, the Thane police, which is probing the Call Data Records (CDR) scam, arrested four private detectives for illegally acquiring CDR details of targeted individuals for sale to clients. It was also reported by Deccan Chronicle that some police constables or other lower ranked officials were helping the accused illegally acquire the CDRs. An officer from the Thane Crime Branch said, "During
interrogation, we found that there are a few lower ranked officers from the police department who were helping these detectives." Here, it should be noted that if police want the CDR of any individual for investigation, they need an approval and signature from any DCP level officer on the application paper. According to police officer, the accused were allegedly selling Call Data Records (CDR) details to their clients for anything between Rs 25,000-50,000 per number. The four private detectives accused were identified as Makesh Madhvan Pandiyan (42), Prashant Shripad Palekar (49), Jigar Vinod Makawana (35), and Samresh Nantun Jha alias Pratik Mohpal (32), all of who are are resident of Thane district.
Sunvilla Samachar (English Daily)
Bollywood-Hollywood Mira Rajput once kicked Shahid Kapoor out of their home and he had to spend several nights in a hotel
Mumbai : Before you let your gossipy, presuming self rush to any conclusions after reading the headline, let us assure you that Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput are still a wholesome couple. The two, however, were on Neha Dhupia’s show, BFFs With Vogue when Mira dished out a few cute stories about her husband. According to a report in said, Mira told Neha about the one time she had to throw Shahid out of their home when he was shooting for Padmaavat. “He would come home at 8 in the morning and wake up at 2 in the afternoon. I completely get that he needs silence during those hours because it has been a tough night, but Misha (their baby daughter) is at her best at that point - wide awake and playful,” she said. “Shahid wouldn’t say anything but I know it’s going to tire him and I know I can’t
Tezaab director N Chandra calls Jacqueline Fernandez’s Ek Do Teen a “sex act”
Mumbai : A few days ago, the makers of Baaghi 2 released a recreated version of Madhuri Dixit’s iconic Ek Do Teen number, featuring actor Jacqueline Fernandez. While the song’s video has garnered more than 19 million views on YouTube, looks like the makers of the original song are not particularly happy with the new rehashed version. Tezaab director N Chandra and choreographer Saroj Khan, the people behind
the original song, have slammed the Jacqueline version calling it a “sex act.” In an interview to The Quint, director N Chandra shared how when he saw the new song, he thought it was “crass beyond imagination.” Expressing his concern, Chandra said, “I can’t believe they’ve done this to Ek do teen. It’s crass beyond imagination. And Jacqueline Fernandez doing Madhuri Dixit’s number? Give me a break! It’s like turning the
Central Park into a botanical garden. Madhuri danced with such grace and innocence. This number is like a sex act.” Chandra also shares how choreographer Saroj Khan harshly expressed her disappointment to him when they met for late actor Sridevi’s prayer meeting. He clarifies that the song irked Khan so much that she just had to vent her anger out even at such a grave occasion. The two even plan on taking legal action against the team.
Priya Prakash Varrier not in Suriya’s next
Mumbai : Reports emerged that Priya Prakash Varrier, who shot to limelight for her wink in a song from the Malayalam movie Oru Adaar Love, has been roped in to romance Suriya in his upcoming film with director KV Anand. However, the director doused the rumours when he announced the core team of the film. KV Anand is currently busy with the groundwork to get this project on the floors and will be selecting the rest of the star cast later on. Therefore, it is too early to speculate on the female lead, say sources. Harris Jayaraj, a KV Anand regular, will be composing the tunes for this yet-to-be-titled flick while Gavemic U Ary will be wielding the camera. It may be mentioned here that KV Anand has directed Suriya in two films earlier – Ayan and Maattraan – and this is their third venture together. While in Ayan, Suriya was paired with Tammannah Bhatia, in Maatraan he
shared screen space with Kajal Aggarwal. Therefore, it would be interesting to see who is paired with the star this time around. Meanwhile, Suriya is busy with his upcoming film NGK, which is being directed by Selvaraghavan. The shooting for this film commenced early this year and is progressing at a brisk pace. The first look of this movie was released recently and Suriya’s get-up in it fetched positive reviews. Suriya’s look, sporting a beard, cap and shades resembling the revolutionary leader Che Guevara, points to the kind of theme the film revolves around. In this film, Suriya is sharing screen space with Sai Pallavi and Rakul Preet Singh. Yuvan Shankar Raja is the music composer for NGK while Sivakumar Vijayan is the cinematographer. This gangster drama is bankrolled by SR Prakashbabu and SR Prabhu under their banner Dream Warrior Pictures.
put too many restrictions on her either. That was getting to me at a point... and that’s when I told him that I can’t take this anymore,” she added. Shahid then
moved out of their Juhu residence and stayed a few nights at a five-star hotel in Goregaon, closer to the film’s sets. Hopefully, Mira and Misha no longer
have to bear with Shahid’s inconvenient schedule as he is currently shooting for Batti Gul Meter Chalu in Uttarakhand with Shraddha Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
Mumbai : Rani Mukerji turns 40 today. Her film Hichki, which hits screens on March 23, marks her comeback in Bollywood after embracing motherhood. In this interview, Rani talks about her roles and making a comeback. I organically feel these things. I have literally grown up in this industry. I was sixteen when I started and now I am turning forty. It is a gradual process of a person’s life. How we evolve. How we become over the years. What kind of people we become. What subjects matter to you in different stages of our life and career. Both have been interconnected for me. So, I have played roles that have attracted me, or spoken to me at that time. The film’s primary message is to turn your weakness into your strength. It is also about the discrimination that people face from the outside world. When people tell
you that you cannot achieve something because of your ‘weakness’, you have to prove them wrong in your own way. Naina is trying to say through this movie that nobody can decide what you can and cannot achieve in life. A person has to take charge of their own issue, overcome it and turn it into their strength. A weak person won’t feel weak if the outside world doesn’t make them feel that way. We have also spoken about how every child deserves equal opportunity.
Children who are brighter get more attention than children who are not that bright, or maybe a child from a certain socio-economic background is treated differently than the one who are less fortunate. That is the message Naina strives to deliver. The fact that when I entered this industry and people spoke about my height, I kind of turned that into my strength. People thought I didn’t have the height, looks and voice to be an actor. I reached the heights of achievements.
Rani Mukerji: When I entered the industry, people thought I didn’t have the height, looks and voice to be an actor
Inside Radhika Apte’s house where you’ll find beauty in everything Radhika Apte has built herself a haven in the midst of madness that is Mumbai. Here is a peep inside her apartment
Mumbai : Bollywood actor Radhika Apte, in collaboration with a wall paint brand, has given the viewers a sneak peek into her house in Mumbai. Radhika, who is married to musician Benedict Taylor, moved from London to Mumbai to pursue a career in acting. Originally from Pune in Maharashtra, she has spent years in London. A house that is eclectic in taste with a lot of plants, books and open spaces, it reflects Radhika’s sensibilities.
In the video, Radhika says, “There is beauty in everything. When you’re resilient, you’re kind, you have openness, kindness then you’re beautiful. It depends on what you choose to see.” She also gives credit to her husband for envisaging the right house for them, “Benedict (Radhika’s husband) has a great sense of which house to live in. He is better at imagining what the house could be turned into. I am better at turning it into that thing.” Talking about the
play of light and plants in her house, she adds, “When you wake up, you need to have light in your house. So, I always look for houses where there is enough light.” Radhika is looking forward to a busy 2018 with at least six films in different languages. Currently, Radhika Apte is working in Bazaar that also has Saif Ali Khan. She will also be seen with Harshvardhan Kapoor in Bhavesh Joshi. The film directed by Vikramditya Motwane is about vigilante justice.
A K Sikri, who was part of a five-judge Constitution Bench hearing a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar Act, said: “But the other aspect is this empowering scheme is leading to financial exclusion. You have to address that”. Justice Sikri
also drew the AG’s attention to allegations of Aadhaar being used as a tool for mass surveillance. “If Aadhaar is only intended for identification, why aggregate and centralise data and store it,” he asked. Saying that “aggregation of data is not possible in Aadhaar”, Venugopal requested the court’s permission to allow the UIDAI CEO to make a powerpoint presentation to explain the security features and answer the court’s doubts.
Aadhaar data protected by 10×4 m walls, Attorney General tells SC
New Delhi : DEFENDING THE Aadhaar scheme, Attorney General K K Venugopal told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that the data was safe in the Central Identities Data Repository, which was fortified by 10-metre-high and 4-metrewide walls. He said Aadhaar was “not a fly-by-night effort to get some brownie points”, but a serious effort to end corruption. Asking the Centre to address concerns that Aadhaar had led to financial exclusion, Justice
3 / Dt. 22/03/2018, Thursday, Ahmedabad Edition
Sunvilla Samachar (English Daily)
IPL Captains Not To Attend Opening Ceremony GNS Ag / New Delhi: The BCCI has decided that the six captains of IPL franchises barring Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, won't need to attend the opening ceremony scheduled on April 7. It is learnt that all eight captains will do a special video shoot on April 6 and leave for their respective cities that very evening itself. Till last year, the convention was to have an opening ceremony a day before the first match, which captains would attend and sign the 'Spirit of Cricket' pledge. This year it was decided at the IPL Governing meeting that opening ceremony would be held in Mumbai on April 7 before the first match between MI and CSK. However, the goof up happened because senior IPL officials didn't do their homework on the logistical aspect of four
other franchises who have matches next day. On April 8, there is a double header with Delhi Daredevils taking on Kings XI Punjab in Mohali at 4 pm while RCB will meet KKR in Kolkata at 8 pm. "IPL team should have done their homework. They are calling Gautam Gambhir and Ravichandran Ashwin a day before an afternoon match. That's absolute lack of homework," a senior BCCI official said. "Sample this. If Ashwin and Gambhir would have attended the opening ceremony, they could only boarded a 9pm flight from Mumbai to Delhi as there are no late evening flights from Mumbai to Chandigarh. "Now from Delhi, they can't take a flight to Chandigarh on Sunday morning because the airport would remain close. So either they travel by car during the night, which is
Shami-Hasin Jahan slugfest: Mamata Banerjee intervenes, to meet cricketer's wife
a dangerous proposition or in the morning of the match to play at 4 pm. The less said, better it is," the senior official fumed. Even Virat Kohli (RCB) and Dinesh Karthik (KKR) would
have had to travel a day before the match although they have an evening game (8pm) to play. When contacted, acting president CK Khanna said:"We are aware that there are some
logistical issues that have cropped up. It will be sorted at the earliest. I think captains will be called a day earlier and their portion will be shot and shown during the opening ceremony."
Market Wrap: Sensex, Nifty close higher for second day ahead of Fed policy decision
Mumbai: Benchmark indices closed higher for the second session on Wednesday as investors await US Federal Reserve’s policy statement due later in the day. BSE Sensex closed higher by 139.42 points, while NSE’s Nifty 50 ended 30.90 points up led by gains in banking stocks. The US Fed is expected to raise interest rates on Wednesday, and
thereafter likely to go for two more rate hikes this year. A rate hike by the Fed at its current meeting is more or less a certainty and is already priced in by the markets, Mint reports. Here are the latest updates from the markets: BSE Sensex closed higher by 139.42 points, or 0.42%, to 33,136.18, while the Nifty 50 rose 30.90 points, or 0.31%, to close
SPORTS ROUNDUP
at 10,155.25. Fifteen out of 19 sectoral indices on BSE ended higher with telecom gaining the most at 2.36%. BSE MidCap and SmallCap were up 0.22% and 0.31%, respectively. Bharti Airtel, NTPC, L&T and IndusInd Bank were among the top gainers, whereas Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Adani Ports and Hero MotoCorp were major losers. BSE Sensex traded
higher by 111.85 points, or 0.34%, to 33,108.61, while the Nifty 50 rose 11.10 points, or 0.11%, to 10,135.45. Max Financial Services Ltd said its board of directors authorised the company to borrow an aggregate amount of Rs5,000 crore in one or more tranches. Shares traded 1.04% up at Rs430.45. The Indian rupee was trading little changed against the US dollar ahead
of the US Federal Reserve’s policy statement due later on Wednesday. At 2pm, the home currency was trading at 65.22 a dollar, down 0.03% from its Tuesday’s close of 65.20. The rupee opened at 65.23 a dollar. The 10-year bond yield was at 7.638% compared to its previous close of 7.618%. Bond yields and prices move in opposite directions.
GNS Ag / Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday agreed to meet the wife of Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami, Hasin Jahan, who had sought the CM's help in her pitched battle against her husband. The Chief Minister's office (CMO) Nabanna has confirmed that Banerjee will meet her on Friday. Jahan has levelled numerous allegations on the Indian pacer, ranging from adultery, match fixing to even attempt to murder.
In a press conference at the Bankshall Court, she had sought the chief minister's intervention, reiterating that there's no question of a reconciliation. "It's a fight for truth by a helpless woman against a celebrity cricketer who has fame, name and money. No one is with me and I request the chief minister to come for the support of truth, but not me or Shami," Jahan had said. "Our fight has reached a stage that there's no question of a compromise now. I will fight my own
battle. If I give up now, it will be the loss of face for the whole women community. And why should I? I've all the evidence with me. No chance," she had said. Jahan further alleged that Shami is still giving her threats as she sought for a police protection. "Shami called me today saying 'Aren't you ashamed of yourself? You have framed me.' He further asked me to take back all the allegations for the sake of my and my daughter's lives," she had added.
4 / Dt. 22/03/2018, Thursday, Ahmedabad Edition
Sunvilla Samachar (English Daily)
Alembic Pharma gets 3 observations GSPL to acquire additional stake from USFDA for Gujarat plant in Gujarat Gas – pain or gain? GNS Ag / Ahmedabad: Alembic Pharmaceuticals today said the US health regulator has made three observations after inspecting its formulation facility in Panelav, Gujarat. "The United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has conducted an inspection at Alembic Pharmaceuticals formulation facility located at Panelav from March 12-20, 2018. This was a scheduled inspection
and at the end of the inspection, the USFDA issued a form 483 with 3 observations," the company said in a regulatory filing. Alembic Pharmaceuticals said none of the observations are related to data integrity or repetitive in nature. "The company is preparing the response to the observations, which will be submitted to the USFDA shortly," it added. As per the USFDA, a Form 483 is issued to a firm's
management at the conclusion of an inspection when investigator has observed any conditions that in its judgement may constitute violations of the Food Drug and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act and related Acts. It notifies the company's management of objectionable conditions. Shares of Alembic Pharmaceuticals were trading at Rs 548 apiece in the morning trade, up 2.68 percent, from the previous close on BSE.
IIM Sirmaur releases Summer Placement Report Ahmedabad: Paonta Sahib, Mar ch 2018: IIM Sirmaur announces the completion of its summer placements. The summer placement report has been released on the institute’s website at http://www.iimsirmaur. ac.in. IIM Sirmaur has now achieved consecutive 100% summer placements since its inception. This year saw an increase of over 80% in first time recruiters, with prominent companies like Reliance Industries Limited, DCM Shriram Consolidated Limited and IPL (DNA Networks) being the largest recruiters. Students have bagged
internship opportunities within various industries across multiple domains this summer. Manufacturing, entertainment and education were three of the major domains within which the most offers were made. The most number of roles were offered in operations, supply chain management, sales and marketing and finance. Students also bagged generous stipends for their summer placements, with the highest being INR 1 lac. According to Professor Neelu Rohmetra, Director IIM Sirmaur, “the fact that we are still at a
stage of infancy has not held us back in achieving significant progress in all spheres of our activity. We attracted bright and highly motivated students from diverse backgrounds and qualifications, selected through a rigorous admission process, and thus they are just apt for industry absorption” She added: “our grooming aligns with building professional character and conscientious leadership”. For a newer IIM just about to convocate its second batch next month, IIM Sirmaur has created an international footprint for two consecutive years with
multiple final placements in Dubai and Nigeria this year. It has been confirmed that so far the highest annual pay package offered is INR 53 lacs by the Tolaram Group. This is a substantial increase from the previous year’s highest annual salary offer of INR 23.3 lacs. This year’s median package has already surpassed last year’s average CTC of INR 8.98 lacs per annum. IIM Sirmaur has consistently positioned itself as an institution that matches local innovation with global aspirations, and its final placement record reflects this.
separate ways, he opined. “They should come together in the interest of the nation to oppose the BJP’s ideology,” Thakre said. MNS spokesman Vageesh Saraswat said there can be no consistency in a political party’s stand. “It (a party) needs to change and adapt to changes as per the prevailing political situation. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar are the recent examples,” he said. Naidu recently walked out of the NDA, while Kumar joined the BJP-led coalition last year after quitting the RJD-Congress alliance in Bihar. A source in the MNS said Raj Thackeray will be comfortable being
part of a “non-BJP and non-Congress front” of regional parties led by Pawar. “To counter (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi, there is no other acceptable face than Pawar. If there is anyone else, that name can be discussed,” the source said. In 2014, Raj Thackeray supported Modi’s candidature for the PM’s post. He even stayed in Gujarat for 10 days as Modi’s guest. Now, he wants Pawar to lead an “anti-Modi front”, he said. The Congress will not join any third front as it is a national party and would instead want all the nonBJP parties to accept Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, the MNS source said. “It is not yet known if all the non-BJP parties will accept Rahul Gandhi’s leadership,” he said. Meanwhile, NCP spokesman Nawab Malik said not much should be read into Raj Thackeray’s recent meeting with Pawar. “It was a personal meeting,” he said. Malik, however, admitted there is no clarity on Raj Thackeray’s ideology and stand on various issues.
Raj Thackeray should clarify ideology to join ‘anti-BJP front’, says Manikrao Thakre
Mumbai: A senior Congress leader has said the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) must clarify its ideology and stand on various issues before it makes any move to join an “antiBJP” front. Last Sunday, MNS chief Raj Thackeray called for a “Modi-mukt Bharat” by 2019, setting off speculation about his political moves ahead of the next general elections and possibility of joining the Congress-led opposition bloc. The regional outfit, whose foundation is rooted in the ‘sons-of-the-soil’ agenda, has said a party’s stand needs to change as per the prevailing political situation. Manikrao Thakre, a former state Congress chief, said ever since Raj Thackeray formed his own party 12 years ago after leaving the Shiv Sena, there has been no consistency in his political stand. “He will have to clarify whether he espouses a national perspective or wants to stick to the regional agenda and anti-migrant stance. “Even though he is critical of the BJP and the
Shiv Sena, his ideology is no different from the two saffron partners,” said Thakre, who is now Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council. Any move to get a place in the “Congressled anti-BJP front” can materialise only if he clarifies his ideology, he said. On speculation about NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Raj Thackeray coming closer, Thakre avoided a direct reply and said only the Maratha strongman can speak on this issue. He said there is a need for all Republican Party factions to come together. Prakash Ambedkar, Jogendra Kawade, Rajendra Gavai and Ramdas Athawale (a BJP ally), who head different factions of the Dalit party, should not go
Ahmedabad: The First heritage city of India will join 15 other cities in hosting the 8th Theatre Olympics, which is the largest international theatre festival, held in India for the first time. The Ahmedabad chapter of Theatre Olympics 2018 is organised by National School of Drama (NSD) under the aegis of Ministry of Culture, Government of India and in collaboration with Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation & Department of Culture, Gujarat State Government. Ahmedabad is at the heart of art and culture where theatre and drama have thrived and evolved since time immemorial. As a co-host to the biggest
theatrical extravaganza, a variety of folk, national and international theatre forms will be presented to the audience of Ahmedabad between 24th March and 7th April 2018. The mega event will provide the people of state to catch a series of 15 stimulating world class performances, including specially invited plays such as “Bhagavadajjukeeyam” (Dr. Radha Raja Reddy), and an international production “Edith Piaf”(E. Boginskaya, Germany). “Art has been the earliest form of communication and nothing gives an artist more delight than performing in front of an audience that appreciates art, no matter which part
Ahmedabad: The board at Gujarat State Petronet Ltd (GSPL) has approved plans to buy 3.91 crore share or a 28.4 per cent stake in GGL (Gujarat Gas Ltd) from its parent GSPC (Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation). While Gujarat Gas saw some positive movement, post the announcement, the GSPL stock saw a rocky day on the bourses, tumbling nearly 6 per cent intraday. Here, we analyse the synergies of the deal and what it holds for the various stakeholders. GSPL has approved the purchase of another 28.4 per cent stake in Gujarat Gas from its parent company GSPC. The purchase would push up GSPL's stake in Gujarat Gas to around 54 per cent from the current 26 per cent. Though the exact deal price has not been confirmed yet, at Tuesday's close price of
Rs 832, the value of the 28.4 per cent stake comes to around Rs 3,244 crore. The transaction will be completed through inter-se transfer between group companies and thus may not trigger an open offer. Being a related party transaction between two government companies, there would not be any mandatory requirement of regulatory approvals. With a 54 per cent stake post the deal, Gujarat Gas would
become a subsidiary of GSPL. There are no talks of a merger and both companies would continue to be listed separately. Gujarat Gas is one of the largest downstream gas company and with its vast network of city gas distribution (CGD), strong standing in industrial supply and the last mile connectivity it has a dominant presence in West India, especially Gujarat. GSPL, on the other hand, is a leading
player in developing energy transportation infrastructure and connecting natural gas supply basins and LNG terminals with a pipeline network of around 2,600 km. City gas distribution is one of the largest segment which GSPL caters to currently. Thus, GGL's business is complimentary to GSPL and the transaction would facilitate better synchronisation of GSPL's gas transmission business and GGL's downstream gas connectivity. With the governments increasing thrust on promoting the use of cleaner fuels, natural gas and city gas distribution has been receiving a strong push and is poised to grow in the future. The 9th round of bidding for CGD projects is currently on and the combined entity would be in a better position to bid.
Gandhinagar: Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that Gujarat’s forest cover increased from 11,907 sq km in 1991 to 11,757 sq km in 2017, including 97 9700 hectare during the last two years. With 34.35-crore trees, the State has 20.38 trees/hectare or 5.6 trees/ person – almost double of the national average. In an interactive session with 18lakh citizens across the state through BISEG Satcom to mark the International
Forest Day today, he said there is need to launch a massive forestation drive in urban areas to build ecofriendly sustainable cities with people’s participation, best instilled since childhood itself. Trees are like lungs of the society, working like are air filters. International Forest Day is celebrated under the charter of UNO, this year’s theme being ‘Forests and Sustainable Cities’. He said there is need to launch development
with green cover to plant trees in wastelands under Nagar Nandanvan Yojna, keeping aside 5 (five) per cent of Town Planning (TP) Schemes for trees. He said Gujarat’s green cover in non-forest areas is 4.09 per cent, as against the national average of 2.85 per cent. Mr. Rupani also called for taking up another people’s campaign for cleansing our rivers, planting trees along the riverbanks to check wastes flowing into the
rivers. He released on the occasion the 4th Report on Trees Census Outside Forest Area and also Coastal Flora of Gulf of Kutch Guide of Geer Foundation’s Those who attended the function included Minister of State for Forest Ramanbhai Patkar, Additional Chief Secretary for Forest & Environment Arvind Agrawal, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Akshay Saksena and other officers.
Gujarat CM’s interaction with 18-lakh citizens on International Forest Day through Satcom
Stalled over land acquisition, work at Nagaland’s Dhansiri-Zuzba rail line finally begins
Kohima: Rail connectivity in the hill state of Nagaland seems to be edging towards reality, with work on the Dhansiri-Shukhovi-Zubza railway project underway. Former Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu had laid the foundation stone of the Dhansiri (Dimapur)-Zubza broad gauge line at the Dimapur railway station in August 2016. The first phase of the project had begun in late 2015 on the Rangapahar to Sukhovi section but was stalled over land acquisition. The work in progress, below National Highway 29, is where the Zubza railway station will be constructed. Zubza is 15 km from the state capital Kohima. Gujarat-based Royal Infra Engineering Pvt Ltd is overseeing the construction work. Connectivity has been one of the major reasons why the northeast has remained isolated from what is
called “mainland India”. Moreover, bad roads, rail and air connectivity in the region have resulted in inequitable development. Nagaland, whose gateway is the thriving cosmopolitan commercial town of Dimapur, is a glaring example. Dimapur is the only district with a railway station and an airport in the state. The Dimapur railway station was thrown open to the public in 1903 when the metre gauge railway track laid by Assam Bengal
Railway from Chittagong to Lumding was extended to Tinsukia (Upper Assam), passing through Dimapur. Tuli, in Mokokchung district bordering Assam, has rail connectivity, but it was shut down when the Tuli Pulp and Paper Mill became defunct. With road being the only travel option, the journey to other parts in Nagaland becomes a cumbersome task with pathetic road conditions, especially during the monsoons. A
distance of 75 km from the plains of Dimapur to the hilly state capital Kohima takes around 2 hours, but every year landslides either cut off connectivity or increases travel time during monsoons. Development in Dimapur, or even Kohima, and the other parts of the state has hence been lopsided. The project was first approved by the Congress-led UPA government in 2006, but according to reports, it had logged only 8 per cent progress. In 2017, the Prime Minister’s Office took over monitoring of the project and set the year 2020 as the deadline for completion of the long-pending rail link. Being a tribal state, there is a unique land holding system where individuals, families and clans are sole owners of the land and it has to be acquired from them every time any project is to be implemented.
Acting Chairman, National School of Drama Society. “For the past 3 years we had the dream to bring Theatre Olympics to India. The dream that we had seen has come true. Since we began to envision and achieve this feat, Dr. Mahesh Sharma and the Ministry of Culture have extended wholehearted support to the idea and have played an instrumental role in making it a reality. Throughout centuries we have seen playwrights like Shakespeare and Bertolt Brecht becoming a part of Indian theatre, while despite having our own extraordinary playwrights and theatrical figures, we are still to make similar impact. This is a huge
leap towards that direction of putting Indian theatre on the world map. We should be proud of our theatre legacy that is more than 2500 years old,” says Prof. Waman Kendre, Director, National School of Drama. Shri Suresh Bhardwaj, Festival Convenor, National School of Drama, New Delhi said, “This is the biggest edition of Theatre Olympics held so far. This is the only Theatre Olympics simultaneously being held in 17 states. The footfall of audience and visitors have already crossed 5 lakh mark, by the time it culminates in Ahmedabad on 7th April it is estimated to touch a million footfall. Gujarat has deep-
rooted tradition of theatre and arts and I am sure that it will be received warmly by the theatre lovers of Ahmedabad.” The inaugural function of 8th Theatre Olympics at Ahmedabad will be presided over by the Chairman, National School of Drama, Dr. Arjun Deo Charan. The Chief Guest of the function will be none other than Hon. Governorshri of Gujarat Shri O.P. Kohli. Guests of honour will be Padm Shri Manoj Joshi, an eminent Actor and Shri Kaushik Patel, Honorable Minister of Revenue, Gujarat State Government. Alongside, gracious presence of Shri Mukesh Kumar IAS, Commissioner,
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. The Theatre Olympics was established at Delphi, Greece in 1993. The Theatre Olympics presents some of the greatest theatre practitioners from around the world. It is a platform for theatrical exchange for students and masters, where a dialogue despite ideological, culture and language differences is encouraged. So far, the Theatre Olympics has been held seven times in the following countries: Greece (1995), Japan (1999), Russia (2001), Turkey (2006), South Korea (2010), China (2014), Poland (2016). The theme of the 8th Theatre Olympics edition is “Flag of Friendship”.
Ahmedabad gears up for the 8th Theatre Olympics
of the world they come from. In a way, theatre is a great equaliser and unites people of multiple cultures and traditions under one umbrella. We are extremely proud to bring the world’s largest theatre festival to
India. During this 51-day long nationwide celebration of the 8th Theatre Olympics, we attempt to bridge the borders across countries through the call of theatre and engage in creating a global village,” says Dr. Arjun Deo Charan,
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