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VOL. 13 NO. 217 | BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024 | PAGES 16 `3 r Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2021-2023; r RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in

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RAMLALLA IN GARB GRIHA
AYODHYA
The main idol of Ram Lal-
la was brought inside the
sanctum sanctorum (Garb
Griha) of the Ram Temple
in Ayodhya in the early
hours of Thursday, Shri
Ram Mandir Construction
Committee chairperson
Nripendra Mishra said.
Earlier on Wednesday, a
replica of the main idol
was symbolically brought
in for 'Parisar Pravesh'
(entry into the complex)
amid the chanting of
mantras. A 'Kalash Pujan'
was held earlier on
Wednesday. A special puja
was held in the sanctum
sanctorum before the idol
was brought inside with
the help of a crane amid
chants of 'Jai Shri Ram'.
According to Mishra, the
idol is likely to be installed
in the sanctum sanctorum
on Thursday. The idol was
brought to the temple in a
truck. Seven-day rituals
are being performed in the
run-up to the January 22
'Pran Pratishtha' ceremo-
ny at the Ram temple. The
rituals will continue till
January 21 and on the day
of the 'Pran Pratishtha',
minimum essential rituals
will be conducted, accord-
ing to Ram temple trust of-
‘PM sleeping on floor,
drinking coconut water’
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi is strictly following a
set of rules and rituals ahead
of participation in the
consecration ceremony of the
Ayodhya Ram temple, due on
January 22. Sources said PM
Modi is strictly following
"Yam rules" for the rituals.
The 11-day code includes
penance and purifying the
mind and body with
meditation and special
"satvik" diet that bars onion,
garlic and several other
items. Sources said the Prime
Minister is sleeping on the
floor with only a blanket and
ficials. There are 121
has been only drinking
'acharyas' who are con-
coconut water.
ducting the rituals.
HALF-DAY FOR CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES
Government employees will get a half-day leave on January
22 so that they can watch live telecast of the grand
consecration ceremony at Ram Temple in Ayodhya, sources
have said. Union Minister Jitendra Singh has confirmed that
government offices will have a half-day on January 22.
14 students, 2 teachers
dead as boat capsizes
in Vadodara; PM Modi
expresses grief
STRIKES ON MILITANT TARGETS leave 9 dead in Iran
NEW DELHI
VADODARA
Fourteen students and two
teachers died after a boat
overturned in a lake on the
outskirts of Vadodara city
in Gujarat on Thursday, of-
ficials said.
Those on board the ill-fat-
ed boat were on a picnic
when the tragedy occurred
at Harni lake in the after-
noon, the officials added.
"Sixteen persons, com-
prising 14 students and two
teachers, died in the boat
capsizing incident. One
student who was rescued
has been admitted in SSG
Hospital," a Harni police
station official said.
National Disaster Re-
sponse Force officials said
four persons were still
missing and the search and
rescue operation at the site
was continuing.
Earlier, officials had said
there were 27 persons on
board, comprising 23 stu-
dents and four teachers.
In a message on social
PAK HITS BACK
Pakistan on Thursday car-
ried out strikes against
"terrorist hideouts" in
Iran, a day after warning
Tehran of "serious conse-
quences" over its attack on
the Balochi group Jaish al-
Adl's headquarters in its
territory.
"A number of terrorists"
were killed during the in-
telligence-based operation
codenamed "Marg Bar Sar-
machar", Pakistan's For-
eign Ministry said.
Iranian media reported
that nine people including
four children were killed
in the attack.
The retaliatory strikes
came days after Iran at-
tacked "terrorist targets"
in Pakistan, an attack that
Islamabad claimed killed
two children.
"This morning Pakistan
undertook a series of high-
ly coordinated and specifi-
cally targeted precision
military strikes against
terrorist hideouts in Sies-
AND THEY SAID
CHINA ON Thursday
offered to play a
"constructive role" to ease
tension between Pakistan
and Iran following their
missile strikes against each
other over the last two
days and asked the two
countries to "exercise
restraint and calmness and
avoid escalation."
leadership would not be
DEFENCE EXPERT QAMAR accepted by any Muslims
AGHA: Pakistan's move is of the Arab world. We
deliberate to create Shia- don't know how far this
Sunni conflict and promote will go. Pakistan is trying
itself as the leader of the to please those people
Muslims in the Arab world. who do not want Iran to
Because Pakistan's play a role in this region
A LOOK AT MILITARY STRENGTHS
PAKISTAN: Has 650,000 IRAN'S armed forces comprise
active-duty personnel and around 610,000 active-duty
550,000 reserve personnel, personnel and reserve of
taking the total to 350,000 trained personnel.
1,200,000. THE IRIAF has over 500
PAF has 1,434 aircraft, aircraft, including
including renowned fighters domestically produced
like the F-16 and JF-17 Saegheh and older F-4
Thunder, is a formidable Phantoms.

CM visits Patna to woo

media platform X, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi
said, "Distressed by the
challenger. IRANIAN NAVY, has
tan-o-Baluchistan province
PAKISTAN NAVY, has 30,000 approximately 20,000 active-
of Iran," Pakistan's For-
active-duty personnel, duty personnel, a diverse
eign Ministry said in an of-
maintains versatile naval fleet, fleet of 67 units, including

14% of Yadav voters

NEWS BRIEF
Navy rescues
cargo vessel
NEW DELHI: The Navy
once again came to the
rescue of a cargo vessel with
22, including nine Indians
onboard, which came under
attack by drones in the Gulf
of Aden. The Navy received a
distress call, and soon after the
warship INS Visakhapatnam
intercepted the vessel and
provided the assistance. The
Indian Navy informed that its
Guided Missile Destroyer INS
Visakhapatnam mission
deployed in Gulf of Aden for
anti-piracy operations, "swiftly
responded to a distress call by
Marshall Island flagged MV
Genco Picardy following a
drone attack at 2311 hours on
January 17 and intercepted the
MV at 0030 hrs on 1January 18
to provide assistance".
4 people killed
in Manipur
IMPHAL: At least four
people, including a man and his
son, were killed in separate
incidents in Manipur during the
past 24 hours, police said on
Thursday. According to police,
Oinam Bamoljao, 61, and his
son Oinam Manitomba, 35,
were killed by suspected
militants in Bishnupur district
on Thursday. Village volunteer
Thiyam Somen, 54, was also
gunned down by armed cadres
of the rival community in the
same district on Thursday.
‘Mumbai airport
incident shameful’
HYDERABAD: Terming as
shameful the recent
incident of passengers of a
diverted flight being fed
while seated on the
tarmac at Mumbai airport,
Union Minister for Civil
Aviation, Jyotiraditya
Scindia on Thursday said
the ministry has put in
place Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs) to
prevent such incidents in
future.
FOCUSES ON Lord
Krishna to confront
Lalu Prasad Yadav
OUR STAFF REPORTER
BHOPAL
Chief Minister Mohan Ya-
dav was in Patna on Thurs-
day to woo 14% of Yadav
voters in Bihar.
When Yadav was made
the chief minister of Mad-
hya Pradesh, it was said
that his appointment was
part of the BJP’s strategy
to woo the Yadav voters in
UP and Bihar.
Yadav’s trip to Bihar in-
18-yr-old collapses
in coaching, driver
on wheels, both dead
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.indore@fpj.co.in
Two incidents of silent
heart at-
tacks on
a day
rocked
the city
as an 18-
year-old
MPPSC
aspirant
died
while attending a class and
a 36-year-old school bus
driver suffered a heart at-
tack while ferrying the
students.
The boy died while at-
tending a coaching class in
the Bhawarkuan area on
Wednesday. The incident
came to light on Thursday
when the CCTV footage of
the coaching class, in
which the student could be
seen falling unconscious,
went viral.
BA final year student
Rajesh Lodhi, a resident
of Sagar district, can be
seen seated among sever-
al MPPSC aspirants in
the video. The video
shows him suffering dis-
comfort, putting his head
dicates that the BJP will
use him for the Lok Sabha
elections in these two
states.
The Yadavs dominate 11
LS seats in Bihar where be-
cause of the alliance be-
Driver parks bus, falls
unconscious, saves students
In another incident, a 36-
year-old bus driver ferrying
students also suffered a
heart attack. However, he
parked the bus on the
roadside before falling
unconscious. “Dwarka
Prasad Vajpai, driver of
Kasera Bazar School,
suddenly stopped the bus
near Khalsa College after he
felt chest pain. He placed
one hand on his chest and
with the other hand,
parked the bus. People saw
him falling unconscious and
rushed him to the nearest
hospital but he could not
be saved,” police said. His
post-mortem was also
performed on Thursday.
on the table and later,
collapsing.
The video further shows
some fellow students try-
ing to help Lodhi and in-
forming the coaching staff.
The student was immedi-
ately rushed to a nearby
hospital where the doctors
declared him brought
dead. CONTD. ON P8
loss of lives to a boat cap- ficial statement. Calling
featuring frigates, submarines frigates, corvettes, and
sizing at the Harni lake in Iran a "brotherly country",
and patrol vessels. submarines.
Vadodara. My thoughts are Islamabad said that the ac-
with the bereaved families tion was a "manifestation the Ministry said, adding ies enjoyed by Pakistani
in this hour of grief. May
the injured recover soon.
of Pakistan's unflinching
resolve" to protect and de-
that Islamabad "fully re-
spects" the sovereignty
origin terrorists calling
themselves 'Sarmachars'
"The local administration fend its national security and territorial integrity of on the ungoverned spaces
is providing all possible as-
sistance to those affected.
against all threats.
"The sole objective of to-
Iran.
"Over the last several
inside Iran," the statement
read further.
An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh
each from PMNRF would
day's act was in pursuit of
Pakistan's own security
years, in our engagements
with Iran, Pakistan has
Pakistan also said that it
shared multiple dossiers
be given to the next of kin and national interest consistently shared its se- with concrete evidence of
of each deceased. which is paramount and rious concerns about the the presence and activities
CONTD. ON P8 cannot be compromised," safe havens and sanctuar- of these terrorists.
tween the RJD, the JDU
and the Congress, the BJP
is feeling uncomfortable.
Therefore, the ruling party
is working on different
strategies to win a few LS
seats in Bihar. CONTD. ON P8
ASI run over by
vehicle at checkpoint
in Chhindwara, CM
accords martyr status
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
An assistant sub-inspector
died after
being hit
by a pick-
up van at
a check-
point in
Chhind-
wara on
Thursday
morning.
Chief
Minister Mohan Yadav an-
nounced Rs 1crore ex-gra-
tia to the family and mar-
tyr status for the dead ASI.
SP Chhindwara Vinayak
Verma told Free Press that
driver got pick-up tank
filled at a petrol pump and
drove away without paying
the bill. The matter was re-
ported to the police and
Dial-100 shared details to
Mehuljhar police station.
ASI Naresh Sharma (40)
posted in the station raised
check post to stop the vehi-
cle.
"Noticing the check point
near a petrol pump, the
driver pressed accelerator.
He broke the barricade and
hit the ASI while fleeing,"
the SP said.
CONTD. ON P8

DGP joins cleanliness drive in police lines

OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
Director General of Police
Sudhir Saxena and other
staff of police headquar-
ters and Bhopal police
Commissionerate carried
out cleanliness drive at po-
lice lines in Nehru Nagar
on Thursday.
The DGP issued the or-
ders to its staff to under-
take cleanliness drive in
their office and residential
areas respectively from
January 16 to January 21.
He said that on the ap-
peal of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, the clean-
liness drive was being
conducted all over the
country. Chief Minister
Mohan Yadav too would
join the cleanliness drive
on Monday on the occa-
sion of Pran Prithistha.
The DGP ordered that
permanent and temporary
dustbins be installed in po-
lice lines. The cleanliness
drive was conducted in
mess, hospital and residen-
tial areas.
BHOPAL INDORE / BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024

DOG biting incidents

‘Yahi Hamare liye Ayodhya, Ram Mandir hai’ BMC plans to curb stray
Devotees revere Ayodhya’s Ram temple replica at Malviya Nagar as real thing dog menace in limbo
Pune architect showcases Rama’s Feeding points, GPS
monitoring remain BMC told to speed up
Southeast Asian connect unimplemented vaccination, sterilisation of dogs
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in

Amid rise in stray dog bite

Vidhan Sabha Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar and BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma
inaugurate exhibition of Lord Ram at Malviya Nagar, on Thursday.
People click selfies, pix with replica, say it
would compensate for not visiting Ayodhya
OUR STAFF REPORTER
BHOPAL
A replica of the Ram Temple at Ayo-
dhya in Malviya Nagar in the city is
drawing a large number of visitors.
State Assembly speaker Narendra
Singh Tomar inaugurated the
replica on Thursday, ahead of the
consecration of Ram Temple at Ayo-
dhya on January 22.
After that, a large number of peo-
ple visited the place and took photo-
graphs and selfies with the replica.
The plywood temple is 14 feet by 20
feet in size. A cutout of Prime Minis-
ter Narendra Modi is also installed
in the temple. Some women were
seen standing with folded hands and
prostrating themselves before the
replica as if it was the real thing.
“Hum Ayodhya nahi ja payein to
kya hua, Ayodhya hi hamare paas aa
gayi...,” a 70-year-old Ram Pyari told
the Free Press. She said that she was
sitting in the place from 10am to 1pm
to take a photograph with the temple
but couldn’t due to the huge rush.
“Then I came again at the place after
2pm with my family,” she said.
26-year-old homemaker Nandni
Manjhi who was very busy clicking
photographs said that it is very good.
“We came to know last night that
something is being built here. But
we never imagined that it would be a
copy of the temple at Ayodhya. We
are not going to Ayodhya now be-
cause there will be a huge rush,” she
said, adding that “Yahi Hamare liye
Ayodhya aur Ram Mandir hai...’
Some people were also seen raising
slogans of Jai Shri Ram. The replica
was made by Niki Parihar and his
team. “ It took one week to make the
replica of the Ram Temple in 3D
form at Ayodhya after seeing photo-
graphs on Google. Plywood, iron,
thermocol and cloth were used,”
Parihar said.
OUR STAFF REPORTER
BHOPAL
The tale of Ram-Ravana is not
confined to the Indian subconti-
nent but is a part of the ancient
culture of at least three South-
east Asian countries—
Cambodia, Indonesia and Thai-
land.
An exhibition ‘Pride of Ancient
Greater India’, showcasing how
these three countries have beau-
tifully woven the ancient Indian
epic into their cultural fabric
from the first to the thirteenth
centuries, began at Birla Muse-
um in the city on Thursday.
Maps showing ancient trade
routes that connected South In-
dia with Southeast Asia are also
on display. The exhibition, curat-
ed by BK Lokhande of Birla Mu-
seum, will remain open to the
public till January 25 from 10 am
to 5 pm.<The exhibition includes
110 photographs clicked by an ar-
chitect Ujjwala Anand Palsuley
from Pune. She is the founder of
a heritage conservation society
called Samrachana and also a
Southeast Asian temple architec-
ture expert.
110 photographs clicked
by Ujjwala Palsuley
depict how Ramayana
was woven into cultural
fabric of Cambodia,
Thailand, Indonesia
The photographs delving into
the rich cultural tapestry of
Cambodia, Thailand and Indone-
sia through the lens of the time-
less Ramayana have been show-
cased in 40 panels. Palsuley’s ex-
tensive research and visually
stunning photographs offer a
unique perspective on the
diverse interpretations of the Ra-
mayana across Southeast Asia.
Angkor Wat in Cambodia which
is the world’s largest religious
structure was originally a
Vishnu Temple.
“The exhibition aims to foster
cultural understanding and ap-
preciation for the diverse ways in
which the Ramayana has left an
indelible mark on the cultural
heritage of Cambodia, Thailand
and Indonesia,” Palsule said,
adding that it was her first exhi-
bition in India.
cases in the state capital,
the laxity of the Bhopal
Municipal Corporation
(BMC) officials in curbing
it is worrisome. The offi-
cials of the BMC, in 2019
had stated that after the
garbage piles were re-
moved from the city, the
dogs are turning violent
and attacking people under
ferocity. They had said that
in light of the same, they
shall set up scores of feed-
ing points for the strays
across the city, which has
gone for a toss since then.
The BMC officials had
then proposed to survey the
silent and violent dogs in the
state capital, which also
went up in smoke, followed
by another of their unimple-
mented initiatives, which in-
cluded monitoring of stray
dogs by the means of Global
Positioning System (GPS).
All of this is still in limbo,
and the only ones to suffer
are the general public, of
whom the children are the
most vulnerable.
Meanwhile, following the
recent incident of stray
dogs mauling a seven-
month-old infant in Ayod-
hya Nagar last Thursday
and almost hundreds of
dog bite cases reported in
the state capital, the MP
Human Rights
Commission has hit up the
chief secretary Veera Rana
on Wednesday. The com-
OUR STAFF REPORTER
City.bhopal@fpj.co.in
Taking cognisance of dog biting incidents in the city, di-
visional commissioner Dr Pawan Sharma on Thursday
instructed the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC)
commissioner to speed up vaccination and sterilisation
of dogs. Sharma was addressing a review meeting on in-
creasing dog biting cases in the city.
The BMC has also been asked to repair the damaged
cage and to further activate all the eight teams of the
BMC. The divisional commissioner directed the officers
to take effective action to stop such incidents and also is-
sued advisories to the citizens. Sharma reviewed the sta-
tistics of dog biting cases of the last three years. He in-
structed the officials concerned to ensure sufficient
anti-rabies injections at Hamidia Hospital and seek co-
operation from resident associations. Chief medical and
health officer Dr Prabhakar Tiwari said, “Anti-rabies
injections are available in sufficient quantities in all the
government hospitals of the city and an order has also
been given to purchase 1,000 new injections.”
PEOPLE ADVISED NOT TO DISTURB
PUPPIES OF STRAY DOGS
Deputy director of veterinary medicine Dr Ramteke has
appealed to the citizens to stay vigilant and said, “People
are advised not to tease or pick up newborn puppies of
stray dogs.” Due to such actions, female dogs sometimes
become aggressive and target civilians, Ramteke added.
“People should be vigilant in such cases and they
should not allow children to come close to such dogs and
also not to touch or pick up newborn puppies. Apart

Start scrapping BRTS Students of eight districts present mission has sought an ex-
planation from the CS on
the measures being roped
from the cold, these days, female dogs are also aggressive
due to lack of food and safety of newborn puppies,” the
deputy director said.

within 24 hrs: Collector classical, folk, western songs
OUR STAFF REPORTER
City.bhopal@fpj.co.in
Collector Kaushlendra
Vikram Singh has asked ven-
dors to start dismantling the
BRTS Corridor within 24
hours. He was addressing a
review meeting on disman-
tling the BRTS Corridor on
Thursday.
The collector instructed the
BMC officials and vendors to
ensure safety while disman-
tling the corridor. One stretch
will be removed at a time for
which safety barricading
should be done on both sides
for one to one and a half me-
tres. Along with this, make
such arrangements that traf-
fic and citizens are least af-
fected, the collector directed
the vendors and also asked
them to complete the work
within the stipulated time.
The officials of the BMC and
the Public Works Department
should prepare and present
an action plan, including
technical points, Singh said.
“Chief Minister Mohan Ya-
dav has already set January
20 as the deadline for disman-
tling the BRTS Corridor, so I
have asked the vendors to
start dismantling it,” the col-
lector said.
YUVA UTSAV
BHOPAL: The sounds of music echoed in
Gyan Vigyan Bhavan of Barkatullah Uni-
versity when students from eight districts
of the state presented classical, folk and
western songs.
It was part of the second-day of the
three-day inter-district university ‘Yuva
Utsav 2023-24’. Students presented ghazals
and folk songs in solo Sugam Sangeet con-
test whereas, Beti Hindustan Ki, Vande
Mataram and folk songs were presented in
the group singing competition. Songs like
‘ Shaheedon tum gagan ke Chand-Suraj
ho…’ and ‘Satrangi rangon ka ujjawal sa
sawan Bharat desh hamara…’ were also
presented. Besides, western songs were
presented solo and in groups. Anil Pu-
ranik, Santoor player Shruti Adhikari,
Chaitanya Bhatt and Utkarsh Sathe were
present as judges. Debate, speech, collage
and poster making competitions were also
held. The prize distribution ceremony will
be held on Friday, the concluding day of
the event. MoS Krishna Gaur will be the
chief guest.
in to curb the issue.
Dog cages set up at Press that he was unaware dogs are being caught daily
Aadampur Chhavani, Arvalia: of the feeding point and are being lodged at dog
Health officer and dog planned by the BMC. He cages set up in Aadampur
squad in-charge at BMC, added that to curb dog Chhavani, Arvalia and
Rakesh Sharma, told Free menace, almost 140-150 of Kalkheda.
Chennai-based karate coach found dead in hotel room
BHOPAL: A Chennai-based karate coach light when one of his friends named Prem
was reportedly found dead in a hotel room knocked on Valayaudham’s door to wake him
in Mangalwara on Thursday. up. Prem did not receive any response and lat-
Investigating officer (IO) at Mangalwara po- er informed the hotel staffers, who opened the
lice station SI Ganpat said the 50-year-old door to find the karate coach dead. The police
man, identified as Radhakrishnam Valayaud- were informed, who rushed to the spot and
ham, had arrived in the city on January 14 to launched an investigation. They later sent the
take part in a programme at the police acade- body for post-mortem, and were told by his
my in Bhouri.Valayaudham was staying in a friend Prem that he had been ill from the past
hotel at Mangalwara with several of his few days. The police added that the reason be-
friends. He had booked a train to Chennai on hind his death is not clear, and the case is be-
Thursday morning. The incident came to ing probed.

DISTRICT NEWS

Lovers walk the aisles at police station IG, DIG, SP TAKE PART IN CLEANLINESS DRIVE
SUBHASH TRIPATHI
Bhind
A man and a woman entered the
prison of love at a police station late
Wednesday night.
Love bugs, though bit both of them,
11 years ago, they could not walk the
aisles, because of objections by the
family members.
They, however, took the help of the
police and tied the knot at a temple
on the police station premises in the
presence of their family members.
Avinash Goyal and Archana live
near Jamna road under rural police
station. They fell in love 11 years ago.
But because the girl’s family was
not financially strong, they could not
get her married.
A few days ago, Archana com-
plained to the police station that
though Avinash accepted her as his
bride, his family members were op-
posed to the wedding.
The rural police called the family
members of Avinash and Archana to
the police station to discuss the issue
of wedding with them, but it did not
yield any results.
The police station in-charge
warned the family members that if
they came in the way of the wedding,
they would be sent to jail.
The family members of Avinash
agreed and the wedding ceremony
took place in a temple on the police
Cops clean police station
station premises.
The father of Avinash is a deputy
inspector in the police department
and posted in Morena.
A woman constable played an im-
portant role in the wedding. After the
ceremony was over, the policemen
bade them farewell, wishing them a
happy married life.
BOTH ARE QUALIFIED FP NEWS SERVICE the police line, temple
Narmadapuram premises, sports ground,
Archana who has passed B Sc, B Ed parade ground, police con-
and studied nursing is doing M Sc. Senior police officers and trol room, were cleaned as
Avinash has done B Sc and B Ed. Be- other staff took up part of the drive. Nasrullaganj (Bherunda): The cops launched a cleanli-
cause they were unemployed, the brooms and spades to They also repaired a few ness drive at Bherunda police station in Nasrullaganj
family members were opposed to clean up the police sta- dustbins and put up tem- to celebrate the consecration of Ram Lalla’s idol at the
their wedding. tions in the district. porary and permanent temple in Ayodhya on January 22. It was done after re-
The police helped them to tie the It was done after an in- dustbins. ceiving instructions from the police headquarters in
knot. Both are happy. struction received from Inspector general of po- Bhopal. In-charge of the Bherunda police station
the police headquarters lice (Narmadapuram Jagdish Singh Siddhu and SDP Deepak Kapoor took
that the police stations zone) Irshad Wali, deputy part in the drive under which the police station prem-

FIR registered against Narmadapuram girls

shine in Veer Gatha
should be cleaned up to
celebrate the consecration
of Ram Lalla’s idol in Ayo-
inspector general of po-
lice Jagat Singh Rajput,
superintendent of police
ises were cleaned.

dhya on January 22. Gurkaransingh, ASP Police station gets dirt-free

Anganwadi assistant
She submitted bogus
marksheets and
committed irregularities
in official records
FP NEWS SERVICE
Chhatarpur
The police registered a case
against an Aganwadi assistant af-
ter receiving an order from the Ja-
balpur High Court on October 19
last year.
During the inquiry, it was found
that Aganwadi assistant Anavedi-
ka, working in Rawpur village un-
der Chandla police station submit-
ted bogus marksheets and verifi-
cation reports.
Many irregularities were also
found in the admission register, at-
tendance register, marks register
and TC records.
The names of the students were
written in different ink. When the
inquiry team talked to a few stu-
dents to know whether they were ac-
quainted with those whose names
were written in different ink, they
said they had never met such stu-
dents. The marksheets of class 5
and class 8 that the Aganwadi work-
er had shown for recruitment to the
post of Anganwadi assistant in Lav-
Kush Nagar were fake.
Besides, the verification report,
sought by the project officer of the
Women and Child Welfare Depart-
ment, contained the signature of
the Aganwadi assistant. It was
also found to be bogus.
Afterwards, a case was registered
at the Chandla police station
against the Aganwadi assistant.
FP NEWS SERVICE
Narmadapuram
The students of public and private
primary, secondary, higher secondary and
high schools were to make entry in Veer
Gatha online project following an order of
the Directorate of Public Instructions
(DPI), Bhopal.
All the schools did it accordingly. DPI an-
nounced eight supper winners under the
Veer Gatha project-3.0. Two students from
Narmadapuram Anushri Soni and Deepika
Bakoria were selected. Soni, a student of
class 8, studies in semi-English medium
higher secondary School in Narmadapu-
ram. Bakoria is a student of class 10 in gov-
ernment higher secondary school in Shiv-
pur, Seoni Malwa. They have been selected
in the paragraph genre for their perform-
ance. They have been given letters of ap-
preciation. Joint director of DPI, Nar-
madapuram, Bhavna Dubey, deputy direc-
tor Nirmal Keliv and others congratulated
the students for their success.
Besides the police sta-
tion, they cleansed the
records and the confiscat-
Ashutosh Mishra and
SDOP Parag Saini and
other officials of the de-
Maihar: The cops cleaned up the police station premises
on Thursday. They also levelled the empty land around
ed items kept in the store
rooms.
partment cleaned up the
police station and other
the office station and the police line and watered the
plants. The cleanliness drive was part of the consecra-
The residential areas in places. tion of Ram Lalla’s idol in Ayodhya.
Construction of CC road, bridge begins
FP NEWS SERVICE / Ganj Basoda Once the bridge is constructed, the
people will have no problem during the
The Nagar Palika Parishad has begun rainy season, officials said. Likewise,
the construction of CC road in Char decks for beautification and widening
Khambawali Gali, official sources said. of Parashari river were cleared, they
A few days ago, chairperson of Na- said, adding that after the work is fin-
gar Palika Shashi Anil Yadav together ished, the problem of water logging
with some councillors laid the founda- will be over. The road in Char Kham-
tion of the work. The work of Be- bawali Gali was in ruins, and because
dankhedi bridge also started and it of potholes and ditches, the residents
may be completed in May. inspected the works at Bedankhedi were in trouble. Yadav and others are
The representative of MP Devendra and Char Khambawali Gali. They di- trying to link the Behlot road, and if it
Yadav, councillor, Dharmendra Kush- rected the contractors to maintain the is done, there will be no pressure on
waha, Sunil Sahu and others quality of work and finish it on time. Bareth road, sources further said.
 BHOPAL CITY
INDORE / BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024

GOVT ROLLS UP
SLEEVES FOR MAJOR ESB sitting on exam results for past 8 months
Future of around hayak Samparikshak, Pat- Results announced
ADMINISTRATIVE 2.5 mn students, wari and other post Com-
bined Recruitment Test – 2022 n 2023, ESB had conducted 11 exams that

RESHUFFLE aspirants shrouded

in uncertainty
was announced. The ESB had
conducted the exam between
March 5 to march 26,2023 to
I included eligibility test, entrance exams, and
recruitment and selections exams. The results
of the Middle and primary teacher eligibility test,
OUR STAFF REPORTER spectively, may be trans- OUR STAFF REPORTER fill more than 8,945 posts. PAT - Pre-Agriculture Test (PAT). Pre-
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in ferred. city.bhopal@fpj.co.in A controversy started after Veterinary and Fishery Entrance Test. Animal
Among the officers in the results of the Madhya Husbandry and Dairy Technology Diploma
The state government is Mantralaya Mohd Sule- Ever since controversy erupt- Pradesh government's pat- Entrance Test – results are announced.
rolling up its sleeves to man who has been post- ed over the patwari recruit- wari recruitment exam was
carry out a major ad- ed in the Public Health ment exam in the state follow- declared. Seven of the 10
Pending results
ministrative reshuffle Department for a long ing allegations of large-scale toppers were found to be ail and forest guards, Combine recruitment
after the appointment of
Veera Rana as full-
fledged Chief Secretary.
time may be shifted to
an important depart-
ment. He may be sent to
irregularities, the Employee
Selection Board (ESB) is sit-
ting with folded hands. Re-
from a centre of a private
college in Gwalior. The then
chief minister Shivraj
J test, Staff Nurse , Sahayak Pashu chikitsaka
Kshetra Adhikari and Other Direct and
backlog Post Combined Recruitment Test.
Chief Minister Mohan the Urban Development sults of as many as six exams Singh Chouhan had institut- Stenotypist = Group-4, assistant, Grade -3
Yadav laid all specula- Department. have been pending for the ed an inquiry in the exam. Stenotypist , Stenographer and Other Post
tions to rest by appoint- Additional chief secre- past eight months but the Since then the results of all Combined Recruitment Test, Group-1, Sub
ing Rana as CS, which taries Rajesh Rajora, board has not taken a step in the recruitment exams have Group-1 and Group-2 Sub Group-1 Combined
also hinted at his Ashok Barnwal, this direction. As per the ESB past eight months, the future been shrouded in uncertainty. been put on hold by the ESB, Recruitment Test. PCRT = Police Constable
good relations Vinod Kumar, calendar, no new exam is of approximately 2.5 million On June 30, 2023 the result of without any intimation to Recruitment Test, HSTST - High School
with the central After Manu Shri- scheduled for 2024. . For the students and aspirants has Group-2 (Sub Group -4) Sa- the examinees. Teacher Selection Test is also pending.
leadership. appointing vastava, JN
Now that a Kansotia
CS, CM is
full-fledged
CS has been getting
and KC
Gupta may Prahlad gets biggest
ENCROACHMENTS ON CITY CENTRAL AND SIDE VERGES
appointed, the
government
ready for the trans-
next move ferred.
also be
PWD on environmentalists’ target over bungalow, houses allotted
may carry out a
major adminis- Among the ‘non compliance’ with NGT order
trative reshuffle.
Several additional
chief secretaries, princi-
principal secre-
taries Sanjay Dubey,
Neeraj Mandloi, Deepali
OUR STAFF REPORTER
Among 900 city
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
to other ministers sponsible for the mainte-
nance of the green belt in
It has not even chalked out
any plans for clearing the
pal secretaries, some Rastogi and Rashmi encroachments, the city, making the de- illegal structures. There
heads of departments, Arun Shami may be Public Works Department BMC cleared 150, partment’s task to clear en- are 900 encroachments in
and the commissioners transferred. (PWD) are on the target of croachments from the the central and side verges.
of a few divisions may Principal secretaries the environmentalists over PWD responsible city's green belt. Encroachers have illegally
be changed. Manish Rastogi and Nis- the alleged non-compli- for clearing PWD executive engineer occupied the area by cut-
The CM and the CS are hant Barbade who has ance with National Green major portion Arvind Singh Chouhan ting down trees. The BMC
sifting through the returned from study Tribunal (NGT) order re- said, “PWD will carry out has removed around 150
records of officers the leave, are waiting for garding removal of around but officers the work division-wise in encroachments, but a sig-
way the Central Govern- posting. Both of them 900 encroachments from nonchalant, say the city. There are many di- nificant portion still re-
ment does. The officers may be transferred dur- central verge and side green activists visions in city for smooth mains and that need to be
will be given posting on ing the ensuing adminis- verges in the city’s green execution of any plan. As cleared.
the grounds of their trative reshuffle. belt. falling short. far as NGT order compli- Another green activist
records. The government is The Bhopal Municipal After the merger of Capi- ance is concerned, PWD and petitioner Rashid After Chief the residence of former
The officers, who per- also getting ready to Corporation (BMC) has re- tal Projection Administra- will do what is necessary Noor Khan, said, “It is a deputy chief ministers
formed well in their de- transfer the IPS officers. moved some unauthorized tion (CPA) with PWD, now for compliance.” very serious matter that Minister’s Shivbhanu Singh Solanki
partments, will be given According to sources structures from central the onus is on PWD to plan Dr. SC Pandey, environ- PWD has not formulated residence, it is and Subhash Yadav.
important positions. in the government, and side verges, but the re- for removal of encroach- mentalist and petitioner, any strategy for NGT order After winning the Lok
Commissioners Mal there may be major sponsibility for a signifi- ment from central and side remarked, “Even after the compliance. Encroach-
the biggest of all Sabha election from
Singh, Sanjay Goyal and changes in the adminis- cant portion still lies with verges of roads after NGT NGT order, the PWD has ment is very big concern in bungalows in the Vidisha, former Union Min-
Deepak Singh of Indore, tration in the coming the PWD, a concern voiced directed PWD to pitch in. not taken any action for the state capital and the state capital ister who was also Leader of
Ujjain and Gwalior, re- days. by green activists who be- The NGT, in its order, the removal of central and PWD is supposed to take it the Opposition in the Lok
lieve the department is stated that the PWD is re- side verge encroachments. very seriously.” OUR STAFF REPORTER Sabha stayed in the bunga-
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in low. But after her death, the
bungalow was vacant for a
Shivraj, Mohan to be 10K OBC families collect Notice to Cong spokesperson
over ‘collusion with BJP’
The state government allot-
ted government bungalows
long time.
Before the Congress
at Orchha on Ram idol to a few ministers on Thurs- formed a government in

consecration day Rs 25K to pay HC fine remark against Nath

OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav
and former chief minister Shiv-
raj Singh Chouhan may remain
present in Ram Raja Sarkar
temple in Orchha on January 22
when the idol of Ram Lalla will
be consecrated at the temple in
Ayodhya.
Chouhan has already said that
he will be at the temple in Orch-
ha on that day. Yadav is also
planning to visit Orchha on Jan-
uary 22. If Yadav visits the Ram
temple in Orchha, the present
CM and his former counterpart
will participate in an event to-
gether for the first time.
Various religious events, in-
cluding recitation of the Sun-
derkand, will be held at the tem-
ple on January 22.
The temple, where the live
telecast of the consecration cer-
emony from Ayodhya will be
shown, is being decked up.
HC imposed cost on
advocate for filing
contempt petition
against court
administration
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
Over 10,000 OBC families
united to contribute
funds to collect Rs
25000 - the cost im-
posed by High
Court on an ad-
vocate for filing
a contempt peti-
tion against the
then HC Registrar
General and the then
Registrar (administration)
for not listing 27% OBC
reservation matter despite
HC order.
OBC Advocate Welfare
Association president
Rameshwar Thakur said,
“Advocate Vinyak Prasad
Shah had filed a contempt
petition against the then
Registrar General Ram Ku-
mar Chaubey and Regis-
trar(Administration)
Sandip Sharma for not list-
ing the matter of 27% OBC
reservation despite the or-
der of the High Court.
Double bench of MP High
Court Chief Justice Ravi
Malimath and Justice
Vishal Mishra had
slapped a cost of
Rs 25,000 on Advo-
cate Vinayak. We
collected Rs 25000
and for this over
10,000 OBC fami-
lies made contribu-
tions.” We have re-
quested Chief Justice Ravi
Malimath for regular hear-
ing in the matter, he added.
The HC, in its observation
on January 11 had said,
“None of the lawyers has
grievance with not listing
the matter on particular
date. If there is any griev-
ance, it is always brought to
the notice of the Chief Jus-
tice and the matter is listed.
But to resort to such an at-
titude and to such an extent
as to file contempt petition,
in our considered view, re-
quires to be deprecated. We
don’t expect such conduct
from advocates. Contemp-
tuous petition like this is
not accepted. In fact, it is a
fit case where proceedings
criminal contempt de-
serves to be initiated. He
has attempted to interfere
in administration of jus-
tice. There may be some
cases which are not listed
as directed. It is not with
any intention or with any
object that the same is
done. On rare occasions,
because of the high
amount of work pressure of
the work that it happens.
We have no other option
but to dismiss petition by
imposing cost of Rs 25,000.”
day.
Immediately after the for-
mation of ministry, because
OUR STAFF REPORTER the bungalows were not
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in available, they could not be
allotted.
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has is- Now, the government al-
sued a show cause notice to party's spokesperson lotted bungalows to the
Alok Sharma for his ‘objectionable remarks’ ministers, expecting that
against former PCC chief Kamal Nath on news they will soon be available.
channels, said the party leaders on Thursday. The biggest of the bunga-
Following Congress debacle in the assembly lows was allotted to Pan-
elections, Sharma during a debate on a news chayat and Rural Develop-
channels had levelled serious allegations against ment Minister Prahlad Pa-
ex-CM Nath, accusing him of ‘collusion with the tel. He got the bungalow
BJP’ for his own benefit. Nath has expressed his number seven in Civil
disappointment with the party's top leadership Lines which is in posses-
over the delay in action against Sharma. The sion of legislator Om-
Congress has termed Sharma's remarks on the prakash Saklecha.
party leader as ‘baseless, defamatory’ and his act Because Saklecha has not
has been judged as an ‘attempt to undermine’ the been given a cabinet berth
party and senior colleagues. this time, the bungalow has
The notices was issued by the AICC's chairman been allotted to Patel.
of the media and publicity department, Pawan After the Chief Minister’s
Khera. "Being a member of the Indian National residence, it is the biggest of
Congress, you are aware that party discipline is all bungalows in the state
sacrosanct and any violation of the same, has capital.
served consequences. Hence, you are hereby put The Chief Minister’s Of-
to notice and given two days from the receipt of fice was once located in this
this notice to provide a clarification on your bungalow. When PC Sethi
statement," the notice issued to Sharma read. was the chief minister, he
lived there besides it was
2018, the bungalow was al-
lotted to former chief min-
ister Shivraj Singh
Chouhan.
Instead of shifting there,
Chouhan was staying in his
old residence in 74 Bungla.
The residence was allot-
ted to Omprakash Saklecha
in 2020. Now, the house has
been allotted to Patel.
Apart from that, after for-
mer minister Kamal Patel
lost the election, the gov-
ernment bungalow B-11 at
Chaar Imli, where Patel
was living, was allotted to
Narayan Singh Kushwaha.
Karan Singh Verma has
been given B-22 Char Imli,
Uday Pratap Singh B-17 at
74 Bungla, Sampattia Uike
12-A at 74 Bungla, Rakesh
Shukla B-19 at 74 Bungla,
Chaitanya Kashyap B-2 at
Kashiyana Bungla, Dhar-
mendra Lodhi B-11 at 74
Bungla, Dileep Jaiswal B-2
Char Imli, Gautam Tetwal
C1 at 74 Bungla and
Lakhan Patel C-14 at 74
Bungla.

VIGILANCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO PM Gati Shakti aids ease of living: Dawra

CHECK MISINFORMATION
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
The MP Board will ensure
heightened surveillance on so-
cial media to curb the spread of
false information and prevent
question paper leaks during up-
coming board exams.
Class 10th exams are scheduled
from February 5 to February 28,
while Class 12th exams will take
place from February 6 to March 4.
After incidents of papers going
viral last year, the Board, in col-
laboration with the cyber cell,
initiated steps to maintain the
confidentiality and spread of
fake question papers on social
media platforms. Additionally, a
new protocol also involves dou-
ble-packaging question papers,
ensuring they remain sealed un-
til reaching the examination
hall. MP Board of Secondary Ed-
MP BOARD EXAMS
ucation secretary Krishna Deo
Tripathi, emphasized the
board’s commitment to estab-
lishing a secure exam environ-
ment through technology and
strategic protocols.
Talking to Free Press, the sec-
retary said, “The MP Board
aims to create a secure exam en-
vironment by leveraging tech-
nology and strategic protocols.
We have guided the cyber cell
team to closely monitor social
media, where fake papers with
the board's logo or seal claiming
to be original often circulate.
Fraudsters attempt to deceive
students by using the board's
fake logo. We’ve implemented
new measures to prevent paper
leaks, focusing on curbing the
spread of fake papers online. Po-
lice personnel and the cyber cell
team are actively monitoring so-
cial media to address this chal-
lenge.” Tripathi also highlighted
the successful arrest of those ac-
cused of last year’s paper leak,
emphasizing their continued de-
tention.
Measures taken to
check paper leak
n To ensure fairness, the Board has
introduced the randomization of
police personnel for exam
centers, where the police in
charge will be selected and
appointed without prior notice.
n In a bid to bolster security
measures, officials accompanying
paper-carrying vehicles are strictly
prohibited from using mobile
phones.
n Collector representatives will be
stationed at every center for
enhanced oversight, earlier they
were limited to police station
levels.
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
The main objective of the PM
Gati Shakti is to enhance coor-
dination among ministries and
provide a centralised trans-
portation and logistics grid for
smoother information flow and
expedited project clearance, it
helps in ease of living, said
Special Secretary DPIIT (Logis-
tics) Sumita Dawra.
Under the programme, 112 as-
pirational districts are selected
around the nation, from Mad-
hya Pradesh eight districts and
from Chhattisgarh 10 have
been selected, said the official
while talking to media persons
after attending the Central
Zone District Level Capacity
Building Workshop here on
Thursday.
She further said that, for com-
prehensive planning of eco-
nomic and social infrastruc-
ture, multimodal connectivity
to industrial and economic
nodes, tourism sites, schools,
hospitals, anganwadis etc. an
array of information is needed
at states, Union Territories and
district level.
The district collectors possess
unique and comprehensive un-
derstanding of their respective
City hosts
Central
Zone
District
Level
Capacity
Building
Workshop
districts, specific challenges,
priorities and infrastructure
requirements, and can also ver-
ify data at their level. Hence, as
a logical next step, the outreach
of PMGS is being taken to dis-
trict level, she added.
Sharing the prospects of the
Gati Shakti approach she in-
formed that, the project align-
ment of Lakhnadon - Raipur
Greenfield corridor that con-
nects NH-44 in the state of Mad-
hya Pradesh with NH-30 in
Chhattisgarh has been opti-
mized using the PMGS NMP
portal. It will also improve con-
nectivity with 5 Major Railway
Stations, 3 Airports, and 1 mul-
timodal logistics park to im-
prove multi-modal transporta-
tion.
MD, MPIDC Navneet Mohan
Kothari and Joint Secretary,
DPIIT (Logistics) E Srinivas
were also present at the work-
shop. In the workshop 150 par-
ticipants from Central min-
istries, State governments and
district level officials of Chhat-
tisgarh and Madhya Pradesh,
representing infrastructure
and social sectors, along with
other relevant stakeholders in-
cluding from Niti Aayog and
BISAG-N were present in the
meeting.
DISTRICT INDORE / BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024

RAPE CASE: After year-long ordeal, man found innocent, acquitted

FP NEWS SERVICE
Gandhwani
After over a year of enduring false
accusations in a fabricated rape case,
a man and his family from Gand-
hwani village finally received justice
as the court of additional sessions
judge, Sandhya Manoj Shrivastava,
in Barwani acquitted the man, bring-
ing an end to the ordeal for him and
his loved ones.
The incident occurred in a village
under the jurisdiction of the Jul-
waniya police station in the Barwani
district.
Advocate Suresh Bhatewara and
Vinod Purohit, who acted as legal
representatives for an individual ac-
cused of false allegations by a
woman and her family, have stated
that the court has dismissed all
charges against their client.
Sharing their client’s year-long or-
deal, Bhatewara informed that his
client and the family members had
gone to the girl’s place on June 19,
2022, to see her with a marriage pro-
posal. The very next day, the duo had
planned to go out on a two-wheeler.
After covering some distance, the
girl started driving the vehicle, and
the person sat behind her. At some
distance, they lost the balance of the
vehicle, due to which the girl
suffered minor injuries to her hands
and legs and also tore her clothes.
They both decided to go to a nearby
hotel in Sendhwa to change her
clothes. At the time of check-in, the
girl introduced the victim with a dif-
ferent identity at the reception. She
also kept the torn clothes with her.
Bhatewara added that after a
family discussion, they got engaged
on June 20, 2022, and their marriage
date was fixed for February 17, 2023.
In the meantime, his family came to
know about the reality of the girl
that she was married to one Ronak
Gome from Indore on May 25, 2018,
and she aborted a 13-week pregnancy
as well after Ronak was sentenced to
life imprisonment on murder
charges.
Initially, the girl and her parents
pleaded with the young man and his
family and silently agreed to break
the relationship, but later, while pres-
suring him for marriage, they
started demanding Rs 5 lakh from
him and started threatening him that
if he failed to fulfill their wish, they
would implicate him in a false case
of rape.
Fearing social humiliation, he
transferred Rs 50,000 online to the
girl's account. He also reported the
matter to the Gandhwani police sta-
tion and the Barwani SP office on No-
vember 5, 2022, but all went to deaf
ears.
Failing to fulfill the accused
woman's and her family's wishes,
they lodged a false case of rape
against him at Barwani mahila po-
lice station on December 2, 2022.
Nearly a month later, the victim
moved out of jail on bail from the In-
dore bench of the Madhya Pradesh
High Court, and during the year-long
trial, the court found the victim inno-
cent and dropped all the charges
against him.

TO SAFEGUARD LIVELIHOODS Antisocial

NEWS IN BRIEF

Farmers get permission to hunt blue bull

Farmers in Badnawar and
other areas of Dhar district
have long grappled with
crop damage caused by
the blue bulls
Ram Katha concludes FP NEWS SERVICE
ALIRAJPUR: On the concluding day of Ram Katha, Badnawar
preacher Pandit Arun Sharma narrated the stories of
Ravan Vadh and the return of Lord Ram in Ayodhya. BJP Happiness permeated the farmers
district president Maku Parwal, Youth Congress leader of Badnawar tehsil in Dhar
and councillor Pushparaj Patel, besides members of district as soon as they
Bindas Mitra Mandal and Shri Ram Goshala Committee, received sanction to hunt a
and others took blessings of the preacher. blue bull (or nilgai), damaging
their standing crop.
Notably, the farmers in Bad-
Maharana Marg decorated with nawar and other areas of Dhar
district have long grappled
lights, saffron flags with crop damage caused by the
ALOT: Special preparations have been made in the town
blue bulls. With permission to
to celebrate the Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram in Ayodhya
hunt them, they glimpsed a ray
on January 22. In this regard, the Maharana Pratap Marg of
of hope in safeguarding their
Tal was decorated with hoardings, lights, and saffron flags
livelihoods and ensuring
under the ‘Mera Mohalla Mera Ayodhya’ initiative. bountiful yields for their diligent
efforts.
Developmental works worth The news swiftly spread, instill-
ing a sense of relief and optimism
Rs 6 crore approved throughout the farming communi-
BARNAGAR: A mega symposium was organised at the ty in Badnawar tehsil. On
municipal council auditorium in the presence of MLA Thursday morning, a significant
Jitendra Singh Pandya and under the leadership of civic number of farmers flocked to the
body president Abhay Tongya. In the conference, approval SDM office, demanding concrete
for the construction work of road, drain, and shop among
others worth Rs 6 crore in all 18 wards was granted. MLA
Jitendra Singh Pandya also approved giving sweeping
machine to the municipality. Municipal vice president Anita
Satish Verma, councillor Anand Anavadia, and others were
Two nabbed for CHINESE
present. college girl MANJA
Farmers stage demo
SARDARPUR: Farmers in large
numbers gathered at the SDM office on
Thursday, demanding immediate action
to curb the growing menace of blue-bull
or ghodaroz in their fields.
Farmers, holding placards and shouting
slogans, expressed their distress over the
continuous damage caused by blue-bull
to their crops, resulting in losses worth
lakhs of rupees annually. They also
handed over a memorandum to SDM
Vishal Dhakad which stated that the
terror of blue-bull has reached an
alarming level in the assembly
ADMIN WARNED EARLIER constituency. They urged authorities to
Before this, the farmers submitted a memorandum to take concrete steps to eliminate the
the SDM and expressed their desire to be informed threat as soon as possible. The issue was
about the steps taken concerning the previous raised by Congress MLA Pratap Grewal
memorandum regarding the crop damage caused by in the assembly in 2023. Farmers have
horse riding. They issued a warning that they would been anxiously awaiting a comprehensive
boycott the 2024 Lok Sabha and cooperative societies and effective plan from the authorities to
elections if the government failed to take tangible measures in the best address the rampant blue bull menace
interest of farmers. and safeguard their livelihoods.
action from the government and declared that farmers are permit- Sources assert that this marks the
administration to protect their ted to hunt these animals using li- first time the administration has
crops from these animals. A multi- cenced firearms and ammunition. granted permission to hunt blue
tude of farmers from remote rural If the animals are successfully bulls anywhere in the state.
areas congregated at the SDM hunted, the farmers must inform Farmers were also pleased with
office premises. the village Kotwar, who will subse- the directives of the SDM, who sub-
After attentively listening to their quently transfer the information to sequently provided a copy of the di-
concerns, SDM Deepak Chauhan the Patwari. rective to the farmers.
Singhar meets bereaved family,
elements burn
saffron flags
FP NEWS SERVICE
Jobat
Some antisocial elements
targeted and burnt saffron
flags in Mor village under
the Petlawad police station
area on Wednesday night.
The flags, which were put
up in celebration of the
Ram Temple Pram
Pratishtha Mahotsav, were
either burnt or thrown
down.
The incident has angered
devotees who were actively
engaged in creating a fes-
tive atmosphere ahead of
grand celebrations in Ayod-
hya.
On receiving the informa-
tion, SP Agam Jain de-
ployed SDOP Saurabh
Tomar, Petlawad police sta-
tion sub-inspector Govard-
han Makwana, and police
post in-charge Karvad Ra-
jaram Bhagore to the scene.
SP Jain personally visited
the spot to assess the situa-
tion and promised swift ac-
tion against the perpetra-
tors. He said that the inci-
dent is being dealt with un-
der Section 295 of the IPC.
He also assured that the
culprits responsible for the
act would be apprehended
soon.
Expressing discontent, lo-
cal leaders, including

Jain community celebrates Guru

Saptami Mahaparv
abduction, search
on for others
FP NEWS SERVICE
Dhar
Dhar police, searching
for the college girl ab-
ducted from outside her
college on Wednesday
evening, took two
youths into custody
after the cops got a clue
from the girl's friends.
MAHIDPUR: Jain community members commemorated According to informa-
the 197th birth anniversary of Dada Gurudev Rajendra Suri tion, immediately after
Varji and the 117th Nirvan Diwas in the form of Guru the incident, one of her
Saptami Mahaparv with great pomp. On the occasion, friends lodged a police
various religious ceremonies took place. The 17th mass complaint. Swung into
feast was organised by the Manaklal Santosh Kumar action, the police began
Chhajed family at Jain Dharamshala, which commenced her search.
with the lighting of lamps and paying reverence. After On Thursday morning,
Aarti, Prabhavana was distributed by Gurubhakta Mandal, SP Manoj Kumar Singh
Prakash Porwal, Shantilal Soni, Rajmal Bakliwal family. reached Naugaon police
station and discussed
MLA Birla inaugurates high mast with police officers in-
lighting at Gangaur Ghat vestigating the case. SP
Singh asked cops to pre-
pare a list of suspects
and question her friends
TAKES LIFE extends financial assistance
LOP BLAMES CM YADAV FOR DETERIORATING LAW AND ORDER IN STATE
FP NEWS SERVICE
Dhar
Leader of Opposition, Umang
Singhar, visited Dhar on
Thursday and extended condo-
lences to the family of Tan-
ishk, a child who tragically
lost his life after a banned Chi-
nese manja was wrapped
around his neck on January
15.
Singhar extended financial
assistance of Rs 20,000 to the
grieving family and also promised to
provide additional financial support
of Rs 50,000 to the family.
Later, addressing a press conference,
he strongly criticised CM Mohan Ya-
DUPLICATE GUTKHA MANUFACTURING
Rs 10K reward announced
dav for failing to maintain law and or-
der in the state. He also cited a recent
kidnapping incident in Dhar in broad
daylight where he alleged that the po-
lice were inactive and clueless about
Dawar, Rawat misbehave
with mediamen over Viksit
the incident.
Singhar also blamed the ad-
ministration for its alleged
carelessness and described it
as a 'shameless administra-
tion'. He demanded financial
assistance of Rs 15 lakh for the
grieving family.
In response to a question
about the Ram Temple Pram
Pratishta, Singhar expressed
deep devotion, stating that
Lord Ram is omnipresent, and
belongs to the whole world.
During this, councillor representa-
tive Ajay Thakur, councillor Liyaqat
Patel, district Congress president
Karim Quereshi, besides other party
workers were also present.
Sarpanch Mukesh Katara,
and Chintu Panwar re-
vealed that saffron flags, in-
stalled with enthusiasm
along the road connecting
the village to the main
road, were removed and
stolen overnight. This has
left a sense of resentment
in the entire community.
Health workers
condemn assault on
ANM, urge action
NEEMUCH
In a disturbing incident,
an employee, ANM Jyoti
Goud, posted at sub-health
centre Semli Istmurar in
Manasa block, was assault-
ed and robbed by a couple
on Tuesday.
The attack erupted over
the issuance of a vaccina-
tion card, highlighting the
increasing challenges faced
by
workers.
frontline health

once again. Expressing their dissent,

As a result of that, the
police got the clue, as
did those who were in-
volved in the conspiracy.
The police have also tak-
en two old friends of the
girl to the police station
for questioning.
SANAWAD: MLA Sachin Birla inaugurated the newly According to ASP In-
installed high mast lighting worth Rs 1 lakh at Gangaur dra Jeet Bakalwar, a girl
Ghat in Rupkheda village on Thursday. MLA Birla also was kidnapped from out-
announced a provision of Rs 3.25 lakh from the MLA fund side the PG College. As
for the construction of stairs at Gangaur Ghat and Rs 5 many as 10 teams were
lakh for the construction of a community hall. The MLA formed to search. The
also participated in the consecration ceremony of the idol teams have traced the
of Mata Jagadamba in the temple located at Gangaur Ghat incident. Two accused
and paid reverence. involved in the incident
have been taken into
Agrawal community takes custody.
The vehicle used in the
out Shobha Yatra crime and the other ac-
cused have been identi-
fied. This whole matter
is about a love affair.
The investigation is still
going on, and the entire
incident will be revealed
soon.
for arrest of accused
FP NEWS SERVICE
Sendhwa
In a significant crackdown
on the duplicate produc-
tion of Pan Masala
Gutkha, police have an-
nounced a reward of Rs
10,000 for information lead-
ing to the arrest of two ab-
sconding criminals in-
volved in the illegal manu-
facturing unit.
As per details, police
busted a duplicate produc-
tion unit of Pan Masala
Gutkha in Bhurapani vil-
lage under the jurisdiction
of Sendhwa rural police
station. During the raid,
four suspects were appre-
hended, but two individu-
als managed to escape.
The absconding culprits
have been identified as
Alauddin Mansuri of
Gawadi village and Prab-
huram Jat of Bharli
village under Thengana
police station in Nagaur
district of Rajasthan. They
were booked under sec-
tions 420, 486, and 34 of the
IPC, sections 51, and 63 of
the Copyright Act, and 5, 7,
20, and 22 of the Cigarette
and Other Tobacco Prod-
ucts Act.
A reward of Rs 10,000
each has been announced
for credible information
leading to the apprehen-
sion of both.
SP Puneet Gehlod empha-
sised that the police are
committed to eradicating
the menace of counterfeit
goods and ensuring the
safety and well-being of
our community. The police
force is actively engaged in
investigating the where-
abouts of the absconding
criminals.
Bharat Sankalp Yatra
FP NEWS SERVICE
Chandrashekhar Azad Nagar
The much-publicised
'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Ya-
tra', a bold initiative by the
government to achieve a de-
veloped India, experienced
a significant setback in
Chandrashekhar Azad Na-
gar in Alirajpur district.
Allegations were made
against janpad president
Indersingh Dawar and MP
representative Vishal
Rawat for misbehaving
with some mediapersons
who were covering the
event, putting the govern-
ment's progress at risk.
The matter was brought to
light in Deoli village when
MP Gumansingh Damor,
while distributing benefit
letters, was questioned by
local mediapersons about
why no information had
been provided to the media
regarding the event.
The situation escalated
when janpad president In-
dersingh Dawar assertively
called out the mediamen
and photographers, de-
manding that their photos
appear in the next day's
newspaper. In response, the
mediapersons pointed out
that administrative
officials should also cooper-
ate with the media.
MP representative Vishal
Rawat then addressed the
mediamen from the stage,
stating, "Don't publish, why
do you publish?"
This entire incident oc-
curred in the presence of
MP Gumansingh Damor
and other administrative
officials. The entire media
fraternity in the Alirajpur
district condemned Dawar
and Rawat's behaviour.
employees from the health
department of Manasa
block gathered on
Thursday to condemn the
incident. They convened at
Manasa government hospi-
tal, where they submitted a
memorandum to the block
medical officer (BMO) while
demanding immediate ac-
tion against the perpetra-
tors. Following this, the ag-
grieved employees proceed-
ed to the SDM office, local
police station, and regional
MLA office, submitting
their memorandums.
According to the memo-
randum, ANM Jyoti Goud
was subjected to physical
assault and verbal abuse by
a couple in the village dur-
ing a dispute related to the
issuance of a vaccination
card.
PANCHANG 19.1.2024
(UTTARAYAN)
Saka 1945 Samvat 2080
Month : Pausha Shukla 9 Friday 7.52 P.M.
Nakshatra : Bharani 2.50 A.M. then Krittika

Police jeep theft: SI among four cops line attached

Yoga : Sodhya 12.46 P.M. then Shubh
Karan : Balav 8.15 A.M. then Taitil
SENDHWA: The Agrawal community on Wednesday Moon : Mes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
took out a Shobha Yatra of Lord Ram to commemorate SAT MARS, MER, VEN
the Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram idol in Ayodhya. The 11
10
9
RAHU,
yatra traversed through the main streets of the town
including Sadar Bazaar, Old AB Road, and Maharaja FP FOLLOW-UP: IG GIVES INSTRUCTIONS TO DIG FOR INVESTIGATION KETU
12
SUN, PLU 8
VEN

1
Agrasen Statue, chanting the slogans of ‘Jai Shree Ram’. JUP
7

The Yatra saw the participation of a large number of
devotees. Community members decided to celebrate
Diwali by lighting lamps, making Rangoli, and lighting
fireworks on January 22.
MLA joins temple cleanliness drive
MAHIDPUR: Preparations for the upcoming Pran
Pratishtha programme are in full swing in Jharda as the
oldest Shree Ram Temple here was cleaned. MLA Bahadur
Singh Chouhan, administrative staff, and public
representatives collectively cleaned the temple. A Bhajan
Sandhya will also be organised on January 21. A prabhat
pheri was also taken out in the town.
FP NEWS SERVICE
Ratlam
A departmental investigation has
been initiated into the theft of a po-
lice jeep from the Ratlam district
police station. Ujjain Range IG San-
tosh Kumar Singh has instructed
Ratlam DIG Manoj Kumar Singh to
conduct a thorough inquiry into
the matter.
They are required to submit their
findings within two days. The inci-
dent has raised concerns about the
effectiveness of the security meas-
ures in place at the police station.
The department is treating this in-
cident with utmost seriousness and
is determined to hold those respon-
sible accountable for their actions.
As a result of this negligence, Rat-
lam ASP Rakesh Khakha has taken
action against four police person-
nel, including SI Devilal Patidar,
head constable Shailendra Singh,
constable Neeraj Chauhan, and
Yakub.
It is worth noting that the current
in-charge of the police station, Bha-
vani Prasad Verma, is currently on
leave.
Earlier, on January 14, Sunday
night two individuals managed to
steal a police vehicle that was
parked at the police station. They
proceeded to take the stolen vehicle
on a joyride through the city
streets, with the siren blaring, leav-
ing bystanders in awe as they skill-
fully maneuvered through traffic.
HER
MOON
Their reckless joyride, however,
2 4
ended abruptly when an attentive 6
KETU
restaurant owner notified the au- 3 5
thorities, resulting in their swift
apprehension. The two individuals
FREE PRESS CL ASSIFIED
in question have been identified as
Irfan Khan and Sadab Khan. RUNNING CLASSIFIED
The police have filed charges 7 DAY 500/-
against them under sections 327, DISPLAY CLASSIFIED 15 DAY 1000/-
50/- SQ.CM. B/W. 30 DAY 1500/-
323, 294, 506, and 34 of the IPC, and 75/- SQ.CM.
both young men are now in cus- (MINIMUM SIZE 1X3) DISPLAY CLASSIFIED
tody. FREE PRESS CALL- 9425082195
INDORE CITY INDORE | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024

‘RAM LALLA HUM AAYENGE, MANDIR WAHIN BANAYENGE’

AYODHYA SAGA-3
Baba Mourya, who
holds Masters
degree in Painting
with Gold Medal
from Ujjain's Vikram
University, is not
only a painter but
also a talented poet,
singer, writer,
cartoonist, graphic
artist and an
impressive orator.
Above all, he has an
unflinching faith in
Lord Ram and
Bharat Mata.
The iconic slogan that became the voice of Ram Janmabhoomi movement was penned by Baba Satyanarayan Mourya of
MANISH UPADHYAY
city.indore@fpj.co.in
During the later part of 80s and
initial years of 90s of the last
Century, iconic slogans -- Ram
Lalla Hum Aayenge, Mandir
Wahin Banayenge; Saugandh
Ram Ki Khatein Hain Mandir
Wahin Banayenge -- and many
others inspired an entire gener-
ation of Hindus to devote them-
selves for the liberation of Lord
Ram's birthplace in Ayodhya.
These slogans along with
many others like Rakt Denge,
Pran Denge, Kadam Na Pichhe
Hatayenge; Jahan Ram Ne Janm
liya Tha, Mandir Vahi Ba-
nayenge'; and, 'Jab Bhi Ram
Pukarenge, Hum Turant Daud
ke Aayenge' reverberated not
only in the atmosphere but also
in the hearts and minds of lakhs
of Ram-Bhakts
Almost all walls in Ayodhya
and across the country were
painted with these slogans to in-
spire all Ram followers.
However, not many are aware
that these slogans were penned
by Baba Satyanarayan Mourya
of Biaora in Rajgarh district of
MP.
Talking to Free Press at his res-
idence in Indore, he said, "In
1986, I attended a Bajrang Dal
camp in Ujjain. During one cul-
tural night, I gave the slogan -
Ram Lalla Hum Aayenge
Mandir Wahin Banayenge. I was
never concerned about the copy
right. Instead, I am happy that it
became so popular."
During the height of Ram Jan-
mbhoomi movement from 1989
to 1992, Mourya used to fre-
quently travel to Ayodhya to
draw Lord Ram's paintings on
walls of the city and write his
slogans. "I had to keep an eye on
the police too. I used to escape
with painting material whenev-
er police approached."
These slogans caught the imag-
ination of devotees and volun-
teers in Ayodhya. Many of them
jotted them on papers and car-
ried back home and distributed
it among Ram-Bhakts
VHP leader Ashok Singhal too
was impressed. He encouraged
Baba Mourya to record slogans
and songs and prepare cassettes.
Soon these slogans reverberated
across the country.
"On December 6, 1992, I was on
stage with BJP leader LK Ad-
vani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Sad-
hvi Uma Bharti, Sadhvi Ritamb-
hara Devi and others. I was con-
ducting the meeting, but no one
knew me," he said.
After the demolition, he shaved
his beard to escape the police
and never stayed at one place for
more than a night or two.
During the Ayodhya move-
ment, Baba Mourya also spent a
long time with the then RSS
pracharak and current PM
Narendra Modi.
Apart from penning an aarti of
Bharat Mata, he has also organ-
ised more than 50 exhibitions on
Lord Ram across the globe and
also participated in 'Shri Ram
Van Path Gaman Yatra from
Shrilanka to Ayodhya.
Ram Lala's tent
prepared from
cloth meant for
banners
s a painter, I used to
A prepare
banners. For
December 6,
1992 karseva, I
carried huge
quantity of
cloth from Ujjain
to Ayodhya. I learnt that
the structure had been
demolished and Ram
Lalla was sitting under
the sky amid half-built
walls. I along with my
fiends erected logs at
four corners around Ram
Lalla and wrapped the
cloth meant for banners.
I felt proud that the
cloth brought by me
protected Ram Lalla from
rain and the sun," said
Mourya.

City industrialist to Speakers narrate Ram Janmbhoomi Traffic diversion on roads around Rajwada markets
build community Traders back one-way, not to park vehicles outside shops
hall in Ayodhya movement experiences at Press Club OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.indore@fpj.co.in
MAYOR SAYS
n
SHOPKEEPERS SPEAK…
Two-wheelers should be allowed on both sides of road
n All agree that the old
UP govt has OUR STAFF REPORTER
practice of both sides n There should be separate space for loading rickshaws in
city.indore@fpj.co.in Shopkeepers of roads
alloted 75,000 sq around Rajwada markets open to all types of the streets
feet land worth In Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, a extended full support to vehicles needed to be n Arrangement of police personnel at every intersection
about Rs 20 cr to sea of emotions surged, the senior Indore Municipal Corpo- changed Signal timing should be corrected
journalists and photographers who ration’s move of turning n Giving some relaxations n There should be less stopping at signals so that traffic
Balaji Sevaarth witnessed the Ram Janmabhoomi roads around Rajwada in the one-way policy flow is maintained.
Foundation movement of 1992 shared their ex- markets into one way and could be considered n Cars should be allowed to drive from Narsingh Bazaar
periences during the 'Aankhan expressed readiness to n Designated public to Rajmohalla by installing dividers.
OUR STAFF REPORTER Dekhi-Kaanan Suni' programme at accept car or van pool parking in big markets n Vaishnav School and Khalsa College ground should be
city.indore@fpj.co.in the Indore Press Club on Thursday. service if provided. should be used by used for parking
Chairman Krishna Kumar young journalist like him amidst They also promised the shopkeepers and their
Famous industrialist and social worker Asthana emphasised that the Kar- thousands of Karsevaks and strict city authorities that they
of the city Vinod Agrawal will build a seva in Ayodhya aimed to connect police arrangements. Sending news won’t park their own ve-
staff to reduce their own Collector says Police say
vehicle count on the road
grand community hall in Ayodhya for the new generation with pride, led was challenging with limited com- hicles outside their hopkeepers should not
the use of pilgrims. This land worth
about Rs 20 crore has been allotted to
prominently by the Vishva Hindu
Parishad and Bajrang Dal.
munication resources.
Journalist and photographer Di-
shops so that consumers
are able to use the space
n Shopkeepers will also
have to work as traffic W e will talk to some
agency whose ve-
S park their own vehi-
cles in front of their shops.
Balaji Sevaarth Vinod Agrawal Founda- Senior journalist Prakash Hin- nesh Solanki highlighted the sensi- for parking their vehi- volunteers hicles can ferry employ- That space should be left
tion under the first phase of land allo- dustani recalled visiting Ayodhya tivity of the 80s and 90s, making cles. n Some changes have to be ees of shops to their es- for customers' vehicles
cation done by the UP government for in 1983, unaware that one day, this photography during that period a The shopkeepers stated made in regular habits tablishments like school n Malganj, Narsingh
development work in Shri Ram Jan- same Ayodhya would witness the challenging task. that they wanted the n E-rickshaw operation buses do Bazaar, Gorakund roads
mabhoomi Ayodhya. Construction on grand consecration of Lord Rama, Reflecting on those times, Indore number of vehicles to go policy will be made soon n Out of box thinking should be widened
an area of 75,000 square feet has been attracting people from around the Press Club president Arvind Tiwari down on the stretches is needed for n Each trader association
n Will sit with the city road
planned on this land. world. recalled the challenges faced in from Nandlalpura to Raj- channelling traffic should keep two men as
safety committee
The sacred holy river Saryu will flow Hemant Sharma, present in Ayod- journalism and photography dur- mohalla and Bada Gan- n Shopkeepers need to volunteers to ensure
through the project in such a way that hya on December 6, 1992, shared ing the Ram Janmabhoomi move- pati to Krishnapura members and decide on
think beyond their free flow of traffic in
devotees do not have to travel long dis- how it was a new experience for a ment. Chhatri for free flow of all the suggestions given
own conveniences their markets
tances for taking a holy dip. This place vehicular traffic. by shopkeepers
has been specially allotted for religious Nearly two weeks after
and cultural institutions by the Uttar
Pradesh Housing Development Council,
on the Lucknow-Ayodhya Highway, just
SJMC’s poster exhibition enhances Ram fervour the stretches were turned
into one-way, the district
administration, Indore
tional commissioner of
police (traffic) Manish
Agrawal and others were
affected.
The main demand of
the shopkeepers was that
crease of e-rickshaws on
Jawahar Marg and MG
Road has increased
3 kilometres away from the Ram Lalla INDORE: In regards to the pran poster making. The School of Municipal Corporation present. two-wheelers should be traffic woes.
temple. pratishtha ceremony of Ram Temple in Journalism and Mass Communication and traffic police depart- The shopkeepers sup- allowed on a trial basis. The e-rickshaws stop
Under the guidance of Agarwal, vari- Ayodhya, the fervour among DAVV (SJMC) hosted a captivating poster ment officials held a ported the move of city “If that leads to traffic wherever they wish to
ous campaigns are going on in various (Devi Ahilya Vishwa Vidyalaya) exhibition, wherein first-year students meeting with shopkeep- authorities of turning jams then the custodians which hampers the free
fields like education, health, religion students is palpable. The journalism dedicated their creative efforts in ers who were affected by the roads into one way of the city can go back to flow of traffic.
and spirituality under Balaji Sevaarth department of the university has portraying the life of Lord Ram. the traffic diversion. but they stated that cer- the present one-way traf- To this, the Mayor said
for the last several years. The founda- channelled this enthusiasm into a Dr.Sonali Nargunde, Head of the Mayor Pushyamitra tain relaxations should fic model,” they said. that they would soon
tion has already built a grand An- creative display, capturing the essence Department, expressed appreciation Bhargav, district collec- be given so that their Some shopkeepers stat- come up with a policy for
nakshetra in Ujjain. of Lord Ram through the artistry of for the students' creative endeavours. tor Asheesh Singh, addi- businesses were not ed that the sudden in- e-rickshaws.

Alarming increase
in heart ailments
in young people
Heart diseases
among young
people have
doubled in three
yrs: Experts
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.indore@fpj.co.in
Concerned over increasing
cases of sudden deaths due
to heart attacks in the city,
cardiologists raised an
alarm for the citizens and
said that the cases of heart
ailments in young people
have doubled in the last
three years.
Moreover, the doctors
also quoted the alarming
figures of angiographies
and angioplasties per-
formed in Super Speciality
Hospital in the last three
years i.e. over 2,700.
“Yes, the cases of sudden
deaths due to heart attacks
in young people are in-
creasing swiftly. A rise in
the cases has been seen in
the last three years mainly
in the young population as
the number has doubled,”
cardiologist Dr Siddhant
Joshi told media.
He added that earlier out
of 100 cases, only 25 were
those below 50 years but
now this number has in-
creased to over 50. Cardiac
surgeon Dr Manish Porwal
also cited similar figures
and blamed the sedentary
lifestyle and stress as the
reason for the increasing
cases.
“Such cases increase
more in winters as the ar-
teries shrink due to the
cold temperature. Due to a
sedentary lifestyle and in-
creasing stress, the arter-
ies get blocked due to the
cholesterol and blockages,”
Dr Porwal told media.
Cardiologist Dr Alkesh
Jain said that deaths due to
cardiac arrests are increas-
ing rapidly among the
youth, but it is very unusu-
al for children to suffer
from cardiac arrest. Heart
attacks do not occur in chil-
dren due to blockage of
blood vessels.
“The risk of heart attack
in children increases due
to genetic or congenital dis-
eases. A hole in the heart,
enlargement and shorten-
ing of muscles or viral in-
fection of the heart can
cause cardiac arrest in
children,” he added.
Over 2,700
angiographies
and angioplasties
in SSH from 2021
ccording to the
A nodal officer of
Super Speciality
Hospital Dr AD Bhatnagar,
they have performed over
2,700 angiographies and
angioplasties from 2021.
“The number is increasing
in the young population.
The reasons behind it are
smoking, stress, and a
sedentary lifestyle. Young-
sters must go to regular
checkups to diagnose and
prevent the diseases,” he
added.

PLANS AFOOT
TO BRING
GIRAFFE IN
INDORE ZOO!
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.indore@fpj.co.in
After bringing the ze-
bras to the city zoo, now
zoo officials have start-
ed preparing to bring
the giraffe too to the
zoo. For this, discus-
sions are going on with
zoos in Patna, Delhi,
Hyderabad and some
other zoos in India.
The number of differ-
ent types of wild ani-
mals in Indore Zoo is
continuously increas-
ing. Under the Animal
Exchange Programme,
many wild animals are
being sent to other zoos
and new animals are
being brought from
there.
Officials said that at
present discussions
are going with four big
zoos Hyderabad,
Kolkata, Patna and
Delhi. In some places,
the number of giraffes
is high, so there is a
possibility of finding
giraffes there. If all
the conditions are ful-
filled then giraffes can
also be seen in the zoo
in the coming few
months.
However, for this,
both zoos will have to
make proposals at
their respective levels
and send them to the
Central Zoo Authority
and work on it will
start only after ap-
proval from there
IIT Indore conducts training programme on agricultural entrepreneurship
Need to focus on sustainable models for benefit of farmers: Joshi
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.indore@fpj.co.in
Noting that the importance
of agriculture in India’s eco-
nomic and social fabric is
known to all and is a signifi-
cant contributor to the GDP
of the nation, Indian Insti-
tute of Technology Indore
director Prof Suhas Joshi
said that it’s high time that
the real problems faced by
farmers are addressed
through technological inno-
News in Brief
Inter-college debate competition held
Indore: The inter-college debate competition was held at RPL
Maheshwari College on Thursday in the memory of late
Lakshmidevi Mohanlal Jhalani. The event witnessed enthusiastic
participation from 64 contestants representing 32 colleges in the
annual festival. The debate showcased the eloquence and
intellectual prowess of college-level debaters. The distinguished
chief guest, Dr. Rajiv Sharma, inaugurated the event. The welcome
speech was delivered by the college principal, Rajiv Kumar Jhalani,
emphasising the importance of students' participation in
extracurricular activities for holistic development. The debate,
themed “Economic development of the country is possible only
through one nation, one election" aimed to foster critical thinking
and enhancing the intellectual abilities of participating students.
ACCIDENT SPREE: Inebriated ambulance
driver injures 9 people at four places
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.indore@fpj.co.in
At least 9 people including
a child and a police sub-in-
spector got injured after
they were hit by a reckless-
ly driven ambulance at
four places under two po-
lice station jurisdictions in
the city on Thursday
morning. After hitting
four people near MTH hos-
pital, the ambulance
rammed into the gate of
the hospital and local peo-
ple handed him over to the
Central Kotwali police.
The complainant informed
the police that the ambu-
lance driver was in an ine-
briated condition.
According to Central Kot-
wali police station staff,
Neha Suryavanshi, a resi-
dent of Malharganj and
the security guard of MTH
Hospital, has lodged a com-
plaint that she was stand-
Three arrested with stolen goods worth Rs 5 lakh MY Hospital
They committed
theft at five places
in Lasudia area
within three months
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.indore@fpj.co.in
Lasudia police arrested
three people with stolen
goods worth Rs 5 lakh on
Thursday. They used to
recce the area in an au-
torickshaw during the day
and committed theft at
night. So far, they have
confessed to committing
thefts at five places under
Lasudia police station ju-
risdiction.
Additional DCP Amaren-
dra Singh said that a team
led by TI Taresh Kumar
Soni was constituted for
investigation and to identi-
vations which should be
available at an affordable
price to them.
“We should focus on sus-
tainable business models for
the benefit of farmers and
society,” he said while ad-
dressing a 3-day Agricultur-
al Entrepreneurship Devel-
opment Training Pro-
gramme being organised by
the Indian Institute of Tech-
nology (IIT) Indore & Chaud-
hary Charan Singh National
Institute of Agricultural
After hitting four
people including a
child, the ambulance
rammed into the
gate of MTH hospital;
people handed driver
over to the police
FIR registered
against errant driver
at Tukoganj and
Central Kotwali
police station
ing near the gate when an
ambulance reached there
and hit a 12-year-old child
named Tarun around 10
am. When she reached
there, the ambulance also
hit and injured her. She
stated in her complaint
that the ambulance driver-
again turned his vehicle
and rammed it at the main
fy the accused in five theft
incidents at Satellite Junc-
tion Township, Singapore
Township, Sai Gold City on
Bypass Road and Singa-
pore Green View between
October 10 and January 16.
The team investigated
the theft spots and found
that the pattern of the
theft was similar. So the
police believed that the
thefts were committed by
Participants of the training programme pose for a group photo with IIT
Indore director Prof Suhas Joshi on the institute campus on Thursday.
Marketing, Jaipur.
Joshi, HexGen CEO Jap-
preet Sethi, Prof Manish
Kumar Goyal, Prof Mayur
Jain and participants from
across India were present
during the inaugural
session. The IIT Indore di-
rector said that through this
programme they aim to em-
power participants with
knowledge and insights into
modern agricultural prac-
DAY 3 OF
SEARCH
NO TRACES IN TCS,
INFOSYS AREAS
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.indore@fpj.co.in
A forest team armed with drones and
sniffer dogs set out to locate and res-
cue the leopard family from the Infos-
ys and TCS area on Thursday but to no
avail. It seems that the family has al-
most vanished into thin air. There
were no pugmarks or residues found
inside or around the campus of IT
companies on Super Corridor.
However, the department received
news that the leopard had been sight-
ed in the Nainod area. Following this,
Indore Forest Division DFO Mahendra
Singh Solanki headed for Nainod and
launched a search operation in that
gate of the hospital. The
gate broke due to which
auto rickshaw driver Ra-
jesh and SI Bhagwanti
Rathore posted at Central
Kotwali police station also
received injuries as they
were standing near the
gate. Other security
guards and people caught
the driver, who was identi-
The stolen goods
the same gang. During the
investigation, police came
to know that some youths
roam in the area spending
money indiscriminately.
The police team kept an
eye on the suspects and
found that about a dozen
theft cases were registered
against an accused named
Praveen, a resident of
Jhabua and present resi-
dent of Dhabli area. On be-
tices and entrepreneurship.
The programme is de-
signed to foster interaction
among participants from
different sectors, focusing
on technology, entrepre-
neurship, and agriculture so
as to address challenges in
agriculture. The challenges
would include uncertainties
in weather predictions, land
constraints, crop yield man-
agement, supply chain, and
NOW LEOPARD SEEN IN NAINOD AREA
Drones and sniffer dogs attempt to find leopards
area as well. But the leopard family
was not sighted. “We could not even
find any pugmarks in the areas, so it’s
hard to trace the movement of the
leopard family,” Solanki said.
fied as Vassi alias Vasim, a
resident of Firdous Nagar
area of the city. The com-
plainant informed the po-
lice that the ambulance
driver was inebriated.
The people took him to
the police station where
Narendra Sharma, a resi-
dent of Barfani Dham area
also reached and informed
ing caught he informed the
police that he along with
his friends Lokesh
Chouhan, Ravindra Mand-
loi and Rounak Baria com-
mitted thefts at five places.
Later, the police arrested
Lokesh and Ravindra and
recovered gold and silver
ornaments, a laptop, an
LED home theatre, a
sewing machine, a gas
cylinder and a guitar. The
value of the recovered
goods is Rs 5 lakh.
They used to carry goods
in the autorickshaw of
Lokesh’s relative and it
was also recovered. A
search is on for their ac-
complice Rounak. Police
believed that more stolen
goods would be recovered
after the arrest of the on-
the-run accused.
need for modern technolo-
gies. Sethi emphasised the
potential of the agri-tech
sector in India, challenges
faced by the farmers like
fake seeds, degrading soil
quality and water stress. He
initiated a session on the un-
tapped potential in agri-
tech, shedding light on dif-
ferent sectors and the entre-
preneurial opportunities in
agriculture.
The event will include ses-
sions on the untapped poten-
tial of agritech, an overview
of intellectual property
rights & management, en-
trepreneurship for small
farmers, understanding
markets in India, agricul-
tural innovation, and biolog-
ical inputs for soil health.
The programme will also
feature a field visit to ICAR-
Indian Institute of Soybean
Research.
Night vision cameras and cages
have been installed in Infosys campus.
Forest department is educating people
and emphasising on being cautious of
the new leopard mom.
INDORE CITY
INDORE | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024
the police that the same
ambulance also hit him
near Shastri Bridge. He in-
jured his shoulder. The po-
lice arrested Vasim and
further investigation is on.
Before the incident, the
same ambulance hit two
women on a scooter on YN
Road around 9.45 am. Vi-
jay Nagar resident Ruchi-
ta Maheshwari has lodged
a complaint with the po-
lice that she along with
her friend Kirti Kabra
was going to the dental
college when the ambu-
lance (MP10 DA 0814) hit
their scooter from behind,
injuring them critically.
The complainant in-
formed the police that the
ambulance driver was ine-
briated and also hit two to
three people near Malwa
Mill Square and injured
them. The police are ex-
amining the CCTVs near
the spot.
guards thrash
attendant,
terminated
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.indore@fpj.co.in
Maharaja Yeshwantrao
(MY) Hospital administra-
tion terminated two
guards after their video of
thrashing a patient’s atten-
dant went viral on Thurs-
day. Moreover, the college
administration has also
constituted a four-member
committee to investigate
the matter.
Security supervisor
Vivek Patel and guard
Bhurelal Nagar were ter-
minated from service for
beating the attendant of
patient Wahid Khan.
However, the guards al-
leged that the attendant
was inebriated and was
abusing doctors and staff.
‘We learnt that some
guards thrashed an atten-
dant after which we have
taken immediate action
against them. However, the
Junior Doctors’ Associa-
tion also informed us that
the attendant was in an
inebriated condition and
created ruckus in the ward
along with abusing doc-
tors,’ superintendent of
MY Hospital Dr PS Thakur
said.
He added that a probe
committee led Dr KK Aro-
ra has been constituted to
investigate the case so that
further action can be tak-
en.
The Junior Doctors’ As-
sociation mentioned in its
letter to the superinten-
dent that the attendant had
abused doctors after which
they called the guards to
handle him and to take ac-
tion over the same.
State service prelims-2023 results out
5,589 candidates
qualify for main exam,
1,073 in provisional list
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.indore@fpj.co.in
Madhya Pradesh Public
Service Commission de-
clared the state service
preliminary exam-2023 re-
sults on Thursday, nearly
one month after the exam
was conducted. The cut off for 87%
This result was declared
dividing vacancies into
posts of Main Part
two parts –Main (87 per General Category
cent vacancies) and Provi- Open 162
sional (13 per cent vacan- Female 162
cies reserved for OBC/ 13
per cent results for SC category
unreserved category). Open 150
As many as 5,589 candi- Female 150
dates were declared select-
ed in the Main Part where- ST category
as 1,073 candidates were Open 142
declared selected in the Female 142
Provisional Part. OBC category
The division of the va-
cancies has been made as Open 158
per the prevailing 87-13 per Female 158
cent formula suggested by
the general administration
department owing to the
EWS category
Open 158
Female 156
ongoing legal tangle over
the OBC quota issue.
The cut off for 13%
The candidates who have
got through the prelims
will now appear in the
posts of Provisional Part
main exams. The MPPSC
has selected 20 candidates
General category
Open 158
against one vacant post. Female 158
MPPSC had conducted
prelims-2023 on December OBC category
17, 2023 for filling 229 posts Open 156
lying vacant in different Female 156
government departments.
Two answers for five questions,
one question deleted
he prelims carried seven questions which had more
T than two answers whereas one question was wrong
which has been deleted. As per information, the
general studies paper carried five questions with more than
two answers whereas one question was wrong. Similarly,
general aptitude question paper carried two questions which
had more than two answers.
CP joins cleanliness drive
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.indore@fpj.co.in
Commissioner of police
Makrand Deouskar on
Thursday joined the clean-
liness drive being run in
every police station in the
state ahead of Ram
Mandir Pran Pratistha
programme. Also, senior
police officers and police
station in-charge also
cleaned their offices, po-
lice stations and temples in
their office premises.
Following instructions
from the state government CP Milind Deouskar sweeping the
and Police Headquarters, street in DRP Lines on Thursday
Indore Police also partici-
pated in this campaign on Patil and police
cleanliness, which was led officers/employees cleaned
by Commissioner of Police the office, garden and
Deouskar in the DRP line. premises of DRP lines.
Deouskar also cleaned the Under the campaign, po-
premises. Additional CP lice officers and police per-
Manoj Kumar Srivastava, sonnel volunteered and
DCP (Headquarters) cleaned their offices of all
Jagdish Dawar, Reserved zones, police stations and
Inspector Deepak Kumar DRP Line premises.
What Next
We tried all day to find traces of leopard, but to
“ no avail. However, the search will continue and
we will try to find the leopards using thermal drones
tomorrow,” Solanki said.
First sighting and developments
fter detecting the movement of the leopard in
A Infosys, the forest department had installed a
cage in the campus on Tuesday night. Besides, night
vision cameras were also installed to capture the
leopard but all these efforts went in vain. At ten in the
morning, information was received about the sight-
ing of two cubs from Tigriya Badshah village. A res-
cue team and Indore range team immediately
reached the spot. Villagers Mohan and Jeevan Jat
said that two cubs were seen in the field at 8 in the
morning and the leopard was walking ahead of them.
After this, the forest workers searched the fields.
Claw marks had been found at different places.
Half-day at govt offices, state institutions on Jan 22
BHOPAL: On the occasion of the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla idol at Ayodhya temple on January 22, Madhya
Pradesh government offices, State institutions will remain closed for half day till 2.30pm, said an order issued by GAD
late Thursday night.
MADHYA PRADESH BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024

Woman blackmails Nirala’s Ram Ki

NEWS IN BRIEF
Schemes to develop India
by 2027: Social worker
Several parts of state
shiver under cold wave
NASRULLAGANJ (BHERUNDA): Social worker Indrajeet
Singh Bhati has said the government’s development schemes
will develop India by 2047. Those who have been deprived of
the benefits of the government’s schemes will get them
through the Viksit Bharat Yatra which reached Sothia village
Panchayat on Wednesday. Chairman of Nagar Palika Maruti
Khajuraho, Nowgong,
Shishir said the welfare schemes launched by the Modi-led Gwalior, Tikamgarh
Central Government benefited the poor, workers, farmers and
women. Benefits are being directly transferred to their endure severe cold day
accounts, he said. A film on Viksit Bharat was also screened on
the occasion. The Yatra was welcomed with the song – Dharti OUR STAFF REPORTER
Kahe Pukar Ke. city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
35-litre country-made liquor confiscated Severe cold prevailed in
SHIVPURI: The officials of the excise department have various parts of the state
launched a campaign against the liquor mafia. A team led by on Thursday. The day as
excise officer Sanjay Kumar Gupta raided the areas where well as night
country-made liquor is prepared. The team confiscated 35 litres temperatures were very
of country-made liquor and 2,500 litres of distilled Mahua and low in many parts of the
destroyed it, official sources said. Four cases were also lodged. state.
Severe cold day was ob-
Villagers given tips about disaster mgmt served at Khajuraho, Now-
LALITPUR (UP): An event was organised as part of the gong (chattarpur dist),
disaster management awareness phase-2 in Bachchlapur and Gwalior and Tikamgarh,
Gouna villages on Wednesday. Gram Pradhan, accountant, rural while cold day in Sidhi
Cities
development officer, Panchayat assistant, Rojgar Sevak, Asha and and Satna district on
Aganwadi workers and Siksha Mitras were present at the event. Thursday. Datia
The experts gave tips about how to deal with any emergency Winds coming from the
northern parts led to sub- Nowgong
situation to 100 people. They also informed the villagers about
how to deal with floods, incidents of fire, earth quake, drowning, sidence of cold air, en- Khajuraho
lightning, snakebite and other natural disasters. The villagers hancing cold wave condi-
were also informed about Damini App. tions over the central part Tikamgarh
of the country. Shivpuri
Crooks withdraw over Rs 19k from account Senior scientist of Mete-
SATNA: Cyber thugs have withdrawn Rs 19,500 from an orological department Ved Chhatarpur
account, through the account holder did not give them any Pratap Singh attributed Niwari
OTP number. The incident occurred in Pondi village under the severe cold day to di-
Nagod police station in Satna district. The youth from whose vergence at upper air lev- Guna
account the money was withdrawn lodged a complaint at the el. Khajuraho recorded
Gwalior
Pondi police outpost and in the cyber cell. 13.5 degrees Celsius day
temperature, while Datia Sagar
Civic body appoints legal advisers recorded 15.1 degrees Cel-
GANJ BASODA: The Nagar Palika Parishad has appointed sius and Nowgong record- grees Celsius, and Niwari
senior lawyer Raj Kumar Bajaj and Abhishek Raghuwanshi as ed 15.0 degrees Celsius. and Tikamgarh recorded
legal advisers. The officials of the Nagar Palika Parishad Gwalior recorded 14.7 de- 18.1 and 17.5 degrees Cel-
welcomed both of them. Representative of Member of
Parliament Devendra Yadav, chief municipal officer Pawan
Kumar Sharma and others were present at the event.
sius, respectively.
night temp (°C)
Meanwhile, Bhopal
5.6 recorded 24.3 degrees Cel-
sius after a drop of 1.6 de-
5.6 grees Celsius, while it
6.0 recorded a night tempera-
ture of 10.6 degrees Cel-
6.0 sius.
6.1 A yellow alert was is-
sued for severe cold day at
6.2 Chhatarpur, Niwari and
6.4 Datia for the next 24
hours, while cold day is
6.6 likely at Tikamgarh, Sat-
na, Rewa, Panna, Gwalior,
6.7
Bhind. Moderate fog is
7.7 likely at Singrauli, Rat-
lam, Guna, Ashok Nagar,
Sidhi, Rewa, Mauganj,
Shivpuri, Gwalior and
Datia.
cop; booked Shaktipooja woven
BHOPAL: A woman operat-
ing a dhaba has been
booked for allegedly
threatening a policeman to
into kathak
implicate him in a rape
case and demanding Rs 50
lakh.Ayodhya Nagar police
said that the woman came
in contact with a police-
man named Rajkumar
Kansariya, then posted at
Ayodhya Nagar police sta-
tion, in 2019. In 2022, the
woman levelled allegations
of rape against Kansariya,
but later told the police not
to take further action.
Later, in 2023, Kansariya
told the police that the
woman had been threaten- OUR STAFF REPORTER / BHOPAL
ing to implicate him in a
false rape case and was de- ‘Ram Ki Shaktipooja’ of Ni-
manding money under the rala was woven beautifully
garb of the same. The po- in kathak by danseuse Vijya
liceman said he had trans- Sharma and her troupe
ferred Rs 3 lakh to her on- from Bhopal which enchant-
line, but she has been de- ed the audience at Shaheed
manding Rs 50 lakh to settle Bhawan in the city on
the case. The woman had Thursday evening.
earlier told the police that It was part of an event ‘Var
she was in a live-in relation- De’ centred on poet
ship with Kansariya and he Surykant Tripathi Nirala
violated her on the pretext organised by Nirala Srijan-
of marriage. When he got peeth. Sharma began with
transferred to Narmadapu- Tulsidas’s ‘Shriram Chan- by Vijya Sharma. Ustad
ram, he broke contact with dra Kripalu Bhajaman’ in Nafees Khan accompanied
her, she had alleged. The Mangalacharan. After that, on tabla, Rajkumari
Bhopal crime branch was she along with her students Sharma on vocal and recital,
roped in to probe the case presented the ballet. She Pt Jitendra Sharma on har-
and the allegations were showcased some episodes of monium and Rajendra Vyas
found to be false. Following the Ramayana like Ram-Ra- on violin and music compo-
this, the Ayodhya Nagar po- vana war and Sita Swayam- sition by G Prakash Shu-
lice registered an FIR var using various types of jalpurkar. Lights were de-
against the woman. A dance movements, forma- signed by Kamal Jain. Be-
search was launched to tions and postures. The sides that, discussion and
trace the woman. dance was choreographed poem recitation were held.

Collector inspects venue for CM’s visit

Bangalore defeats Bhopal Colonel Punia inspires students
SAGAR: Collector Deepak Arya together with other officials of
the district ministration inspected PTC Maidan where Chief
Minister Mohan Yadav will visit on January on Saturday after
in SBI Inter Circle FP NEWS SERVICE
Vidisha
counts of bravery and sac-
rifice.
principal), Karan Rana (Di-
rector of the institute) and
taking part in ‘Jan abhar Yatra.’ Additional collector Shailendra
Singh was also present during the inspection. Arya directed the
officials to set up stalls of various departments at the venue to
Hockey Tournament The Springfield World
School in Vidisha was hon-
Following the lecture,
Colonel Punia engaged in
an interactive session with
Meenal Rana (Director),
who extended a warm wel-
come to Colonel Punia and
display their work. There should be a separate gate for VVIPs to ored to host Colonel Sub- the students, where he an- expressed their gratitude
enter the venue where ambulances and fire engines should be ash Chand Punia, 21 Para swered their questions and for his valuable contribu-
made available. Special Forces on Thurs- provided valuable insights tion to the school’s commu-
day, for a special event in into the life of an army of- nity.
the school’s auditorium. ficer. His presence and Overall, the event was a
Col. Punia visited the member of the Indian words of wisdom left a tremendous success, offer-
school as per the Veer Army and recounted the deep impact on everyone ing a unique opportunity
Viksit Bharat Sankalp Gatha 3.0 scheme by Min-
istry of Defence and Edu-
challenges he faced during
his remarkable career. He
present, inspiring them to
strive for excellence and
for the students to interact
with a distinguished mili-

Yatra organised in Harda cation. Colonel Punia, who

was honored with the pres-
tigious Kirti Chakra award
spoke in detail about the
intricacies of the surgical
strike operations in Myan-
embody the qualities of
leadership, resilience, and
patriotism that Colonel Pu-
tary leader and gain valu-
able insights into the life of
an army officer.
FP NEWS SERVICE across the state till January for his exceptional bravery mar and the courage it nia exemplifies. Springfield World School
Harda 26. He went on to say while OUR STAFF REPORTER accompanied by special and service to the nation took to execute such mis- The event was attended looks forward to hosting
addressing the villagers that city.bhopal@fpj.co.in guests, chief general man- during surgical strike op- sions successfully. His in- by esteemed guests includ- more such events in the fu-
The Viksait Bharat Sankalp crores of people have benefit- ager of Bhopal Circle erations on the Myanmar spiring words resonated ing Yogendra Singh Rana ture, inspiring and empow-
Yatra was organised in Har- ted from the public welfare Bangalore Circle emerged Chandrashekhar Sharma, border, delivered a capti- with the students, who (Chairman of the school), ering the next generation
da town on Thursday, in schemes, as the shelter-less victorious over the host and Comrade Arun vating lecture that left a were captivated by his ac- Vinay Agarwal (School of leaders.
which the former minister persons now have a roof over Bhopal Circle in the final Bhagoliwal, president of lasting impression on the
of Agriculture, Kamal Patel their head, and the poor per- match of the SBI Inter Cir- the All India SBI Staff Fed- audience.
was also present. sons have received a gas con- cle Hockey Tournament. eration. During his address, he
Minister Patel shed light nection. On the occasion, the The tournament, organised shared his experiences as a
on the details of the schemes school students were also by the State Bank of India
while addressing the people. present, who took out a Mandel Kalyan Samiti,
The yatra reached the Kalash yatra. The villagers Bhopal Circle, in collabora-
Charuva village of Harda on were also distributed calen- tion with the Sports Au-
Thursday noon, and former dars by Patel. A film centred thority of India, took place
minister Patel said that the on the benefits of the govern- at the Sports Ground from
aim of the yatra is to apprise ment-run public welfare January 14 to 18.
every one of the public wel- schemes was staged on the In a fiercely contested fi-
fare schemes introduced by occasion too. At last, the ail- nal match, Bangalore se-
the government. He added ing people were distributed cured victory by defeating
that the yatra will continue free-of-cost medicines. Bhopal by 3-0, clinching the
trophy of the Inter Circle
Hockey Tournament. The
Four arrested for vandalising cars in MP Nagar Man of the Match award
BHOPAL: The crime branch on Thursday claimed to have was presented to Banga-
arrested four persons for allegedly vandalising several cars parked lore’s Nanda.
outside a café in MP Nagar on the intervening night of January 13 The final showdown be-
and 14. The accused have been identified as Yash Sarathe, Kailash tween Bangalore and
Kurre, Ankit Vishwakarma and Ankit Dharkar. The police are Bhopal was played with the
searching for two other of their accomplices, who are at large. chief general manager
Additional DCP (Crime), Shailendra Singh Chouhan said that the (Human Resources) Rajiv
accused were caught on the CCTV camera. They vandalised as Kumar as the chief guest,
many as 10 cars, including that of a district court judge.

Cyber criminals
siphon singer’s money
at will, no leads yet
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in

A city-based bhajan singer

allegedly lost around Rs
23,000 to cyber criminals in
several transactions of Rs
500-600 since August 2023.
Jahangirabad police sta-
tion TI Ajay Tiwari said
that the complainant, So-
nia Yadav, approached the
police in August 2023, alleg-
ing that unidentified cyber
crooks often siphon off Rs
500-600 from her bank ac-
count and she receives no
SMS from the bank with
regards the same.
She told the police that
till now, Rs 23,000 has been
siphoned off from her
bank account fraudulently.
She alleged that the issue,
when brought to the notice
of the bank officials, goes
unheard. A case was filed
with the cyber crime police
on Thursday, who have
plunged into action to iden-
tify and trace the accused.
Her banking details have
been sought for speedy
probe. Cyber crime ACP
Sujeet Tiwari said that Ya-
dav owns an account at a
bank in Jahangirabad.
Amit Kumar is Intelligence head
RAIPUR: Amit Kumar (IPS-1998), Additional Director General of Police
has been posted as Intelligence Head in Chhattisgarh. He replaced Dr
Anand Chabbra (IPS-2001). Amit Kumar had recently returned from
central deputation. Dr Anand Chabbra will be given posting through
another order.
‘Holy flame’ reaches Chhattisgarh
from Shri Ram Janmabhoomi
STAFF REPORTER / Raipur
The sacred flame from Shri
Ram Janmabhoomi Ayodhya
Dham reached Chhattisgarh
on Thursday.
Devotees who reached the
capital Raipur with the
sacred flame from Shri Ram
Janmabhoomi Ayodhya
Dham, handed over the sa-
cred flame urn to Chief Min-
ister Vishnu Deo Sai at the
State Guest House, Pahuna,
along with chanting Vedic
mantras.
Sai said that the Jyoti
Kalash will be kept in the
Shri Ram Temple of the
capital Raipur, from where
the sacred flame will be sent
across the state. The Chief
Minister appealed to the
people of the state to light
lamps in every house on the
occasion of Shri Ramlala
Pran Pratistha.
The Ram devotees who
reached Chhattisgarh with
the sacred flame stated that a
HISTORY OF TRIBALS IS
GLORIOUS: SAO
MUNGELI: Chhattisgarh
Deputy Chief Minister
Arun Sao said on Thursday
Martyr Veer Narayan Singh
was a brave son of the coun-
try. He dedicated himself to
the country and society. All
should move forward in
your life by taking inspira-
tion from the life of Martyr
Veer Narayan.
He was addressing the
event in Amar Shaheed
Veer Narayan Singh Memo-
rial Day and Tribal Confer-
ence in Mohbandha of Lor-
mi development block of
Mungeli district.
Sao paid floral tribute on
the photograph of Martyr
Veer Narayan Singh. He
announced a donation
of Rs 5 lakh for the
cultural building in Mo-
hbandha.
Sao said that the history
of tribals has been glorious.
Minor
reshuffle in
IAS officers
STAFF REPORTER / Raipur
The General Administration
Department, Government of
Chhattisgarh on Thursday
through an order made mi-
nor changes in posts of limit-
ed Indian Administrative Of-
ficers.
Subrat Sahoo (IAS-1992)
Additional Chief Secretary
has been given the post of Di-
rector General, Chhattisgarh
Administrative Academy. He
will be relieved of the post of
Director General, Thakur
Pyarelal state Panchayat and
Rural Development Institute.
He will hold the rest of the
charges.
On his taking charge,
Renu G Pillai (IAS-1991)
was relieved of the post of
Director General, Chhattis-
garh Administrative Acad-
emy.
Janak Prasad Pathak (IAS-
2007) is being posted as Com-
missioner, Medical Educa-
tion and will have additional
charge of Registrar, Firms
and societies.
Mahendra Singh Savvani,
Additional Managing Direc-
tor, Mandi Board has been el-
evated as Managing Director,
Mandi Board.
LAST WORD
Bravery of army inspires youth: Sharma
STAFF REPORTER / Raipur
The bravery of the soldiers
engaged in the security of the
country inspires the youth to
join the army, said Deputy
Chief Minister Shri Vijay
Sharma.
Keeping in mind that the
responsibility of defense of
any country lies in the hands
of the youth, he added while
addressing the workshop or-
ganised regarding the re-
cruitment of Agniveer at the
local Shahid Smarak Bhavan,
Raipur.
“I am confident that this
workshop will be useful for
the youth. Their
participation in the army will
increase. Also, the youth of
the state will join the Ag-
niveer scheme,” he said.
seven-member group of Ram
devotees had gone to bring
the Jyoti Kalash from Ram-
janmabhoomi.
Camps are also being organ-
ized under Pradhan Mantri
Jan Man Yojana to benefit
HC comes heavily on NHAI,
PWD on plight of roads
STAFF REPORTER / Bilaspur
High Court of Chhattis-
garh hearing the PIL filed
regarding the plight of
Raipur-Bilaspur National
Highway and the road lead-
ing from Dhaneli to the
Legislative Assembly, the
High Court has asked the
officials of NHAI and PWD
to file a reply. The court has
expressed concern about
the accidents happening on
these roads.
During the hearing, the
court expressed concern
over the accidents occur-
ring due to encroachment
Sharma, quoting former
Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee, said that govern-
ments come and go, govern-
ments will come and go, but
democracy remains immor-
tal. Peace and security are es-
sential for the strength of the
democratic system. Our
forces are doing the work
well.
He said that India's borders
are more diverse and chal-
lenging than the borders of
any other country. Only the
youth accept the challenge by
joining the army.
He said that it is a matter of
happiness that the youth of
Chhattisgarh also have the
feeling to protect the borders
of the country and are ready
to make the supreme sacrifice
for the country.
Bhilai residents Rajjan
Akil Khan and Shahnawaz
from the Muslim
community have also partic-
the people of special back-
ward tribes from the
schemes.
and parking of heavy vehi-
cles on the roadside.
The Chief Justice
Ramesh Sinha said that the
Bilaspur-Raipur road is
constantly being repaired.
Roads are closed and di-
verted anywhere, due to
which accidents are hap-
pening.
The road leading from
Dhaneli to the Assembly
has been encroached at
many places and heavy ve-
hicles are parked on the
roadside. The court has
asked the Collector of the
concerned districts and of-
ficials of NHAI and Secre-
He asked the officials to
ensure necessary arrange-
ments so that maximum
youth from Chhattisgarh
state are selected for Agni
Veer recruitment.
He said that information
about online registration, ap-
plication, website informa-
tion, written examination, re-
ipated. The team included
Pragnesh Mahendrabhai Pa-
tel, Raju Sahu, Arvind Patel,
and Akash Pal.
20 passengers
injured in accident
KORBA: In a major road acci-
dent occurred on Bilaspur-
Ambikapur highway, a Chief Minister Vishnu Deo
speeding passenger bus col-
lided with a truck parked on
the highway near Kendai
bridge adjacent to Bango po-
lice station area.
The collision was so strong
that many passengers on the
bus got trapped between the
seats. A crowd of passers-by
and villagers gathered at the
incident site. They started re-
lief and rescue operations
and helped the injured to be
taken to hospital. They also
took initiative to call police
and ambulance. They said
that more than 20 passengers
have been injured in the acci-
dent. 6 women and 8 men suf-
fered serious injuries. The
reason behind the collision
between the bus and the truck
has not been revealed. Howev-
er, it is feared that due to low
visibility due to fog in the
morning, the bus may have
collided with a parked truck.
tary of PWD to file their re-
ply in the next hearing
along with affidavits.
The hearing regarding
Raipur-Bilaspur National
Highway has been going on
in the High Court for a long
time. The quality of the
road has been questioned
since the beginning, and
now that the road has been
built, complaints are being
received about its
condition at many places.
At the same time, the way
complaints of encroach-
ment have come to light on
the road leading to the state
assembly.
cruitment rally and medical
examination and other neces-
sary instructions should be
conveyed to the youth
through various mediums. In
which maximum youth of the
state can get benefits.
Director of Employment
and Training Department,
Dr. Priyanka Shukla said that
CHHATTISGARH
NGDRS system implementation
in all registration offices
STAFF REPORTER / Raipur
Chhattisgarh government
has decided to implement
National General Docu-
ment Registration System
(NGDRS) in a phased man-
ner in place of e-registra-
tion software in all the reg-
istration offices of the state.
Under which NGDRS
will be installed in all regis-
tration offices before March
2024. The software will be
implemented compulsorily.
NGDRS as a pilot project
in Chhattisgarh. The soft-
ware was launched in three
registration offices Abhan-
pur, Mahasamund and
Dhamtari. After the end of
the BOT period of the e-reg-
CM pays tribute to Kumar
Lakshmi Narayan Dev
STAFF REPORTER / Sukma
After ‘darshan’ of the mortal
remains of Shri Kumar Lak-
shmi Narayan Dev, father of
Jagdalpur MLA Kiran Dev
and BJP State President at
his residence in Sukma on
Thursday, Chhattisgarh
Sai prayed for the eternal
peace of the departed soul. He
expressed condolences to the
bereaved family members.
Forest and Climate Change
Minister Kedar Kashyap,
Agriculture Minister
Ramvichar Netam, MLAs
Lata Usendi, Chaitram Ata-
mi, Vinayak Goyal, Guru
Khushswant Saheb, former
CM PAYS TRIBUTE TO DRG JAWAN ARVIND EKKA
STAFF REPORTER / Raipur
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai
expressed deep grief and paid tribute to the
Head Constable Arvind Ekka, who lost his life in
the line of duty. He extended condolences to
the grieving family members.
Ekka, a DRG jawan, sustained injuries on
December 29 during a Naxalite blast in the
village of Kawadgaon Hilori in the Gangalur
police station area of Bijapur.
SECR suspends
loco pilot in
Chhattisgarh
Express accident
case
STAFF REPORTER / Raipur
South Eastern Central Rail-
way administration suspend-
ed shunter (engine driver)
Chhattisgarh Express train
accident.
In the initial phase of in-
vestigation administration
found the carelessness of the
loco pilot.
At the Bilaspur Railway
Station on Tuesday night the
engine of the train collided
with the dead end of
platform number 8 and the
engine got damaged. The col-
lision also created a fearsome
situation for some passen-
gers.
After the accident the
DRM, Sr DCM and other sen-
ior officers immediately
rushed to the spot and finally
instructed for the investiga-
tion.
Finally, the four members
enquiry committee in the ini-
tial phase of investigation
found the carelessness of the
shunter and the driver was
suspended.
The loco pilot suspended
in the accident has
been identified as Kailash
Singh.
in order to include more and
more youth of Chhattisgarh
in the Indian Armed Forces,
the responsibility has been
given by the state government
to the District Employment
and Self-Employment Guid-
ance Centres under the Direc-
torate of Employment and
Training.
Giving information about
army recruitment to the
youth in their work area, they
should get themselves regis-
tered in the online portal.
Workshops are being organ-
ized for Agni Veer recruit-
ment in all divisions.
Wing Commander Paras
Aggarwal from Indian Air
Force Bhopal and Major P.K.
Mathur from Indian Army
Raipur was present in the
workshop.
BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024
istration system, now it will
be available in all the regis-
tration offices.
was implemented in the
registration offices of
Saraipali, Basna, Pithora,
The work of implement- Kurud and Nagari of
ing the software is being Dhamtari and Ma-
done at a rapid pace. All the hasamund districts from
preliminary preparations January 11, 2024. Soon the
are being done by the Regis- NGDRS system is to be im-
tration Department, in
which along with the
plemented in the busiest
Raipur Registration Office
Tribal people
arrangement of hardware
devices, network lines,
of the state.
To make the registration
are pride of
training is being given to
the departmental officers
system more effective and
convenient by the Govern-
our country:
and employees.
During the pilot run of
ment of India, NIC. A Com-
mon Generic Software (NG-
Dhankhar
the NGDRS system, more DRS) has been developed
than 45,000 documents through Pune. This soft- STAFF REPORTER
have been registered so far ware is customized as per Raipur / New Delhi
in three registration of- the requirement of the
fices. states and implemented Vice President of India
In the second phase, it through NIC. Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thurs-
day said that tribals are the
pride of our country.
He was addressing the trib-
al students from Chhattis-
garh, Madhya Pradesh at his
residence, the Vice President
said, “I will tell you that you
are the owners of this coun-
try. You are more connected
to the land than any other
class.”
140 tribal students from
tribal dominated Bijapur,
Sukma, Bastar, Dantewada,
Kanker, Narayanpur and Ra-
jnandgaon districts of Chhat-
tisgarh and 60 students from
Balaghat district of Madhya
Pradesh met the Vice Presi-
dent under the 'Tribal Youth
Exchange Programme'. The
group also visited the Parlia-
ment.
The Tribal Youth Ex-
MP Dinesh Kashyap, former present. change Program (TYEP) is
MLA Santosh Bafna, Mahesh Kumar Lakshmi Narayan being run by the Ministry of
Gagda, Rekhchand Jain, Dev, a member of the Sukma Home Affairs for the last 15
Lachchhuram Kashyap, Zamindar family, died on years through the Nehru
Baiduram Kashyap and ad- Wednesday at his residence Yuva Kendra Sangathan
ministrative officials were in Jagdalpur at the age of 104. (NYKS) of the Ministry of
Youth Affairs and Sports.
The tribal young men and
women from remote and in-
surgency affected areas are
taken on a tour to major
He was admitted to Narayana Hospital for cities across the country. The
treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries main objectives are to in-
during treatment. crease the aspiration of the
The Chief Minister stated that Ekka has tribal youth, to make them
made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting aware of the country's devel-
his motherland. “The entire nation and our opment activities, schemes
state are indebted to him, and we honour and employment opportuni-
his supreme sacrifice. Our determination to ties and to introduce them to
fight against Naxalites will remain strong,” he the youth of other parts of
said. the country.
I-tax raid on Banti Dalmia premises
STAFF REPORTER / Raipur
Income Tax sleuths carried out search op-
erations at the premises of coal trader Ban-
ti Dalmia situated in Raigarh.
Teams of more than 100 income tax offi-
cers participated in the raid cum surprise
inspection carried on the premises of the
coal trader on Thursday.
Banti Dalmia is a renowned name in the
coal trade especially in Bilaspur and
Odisha and also has partnership in the In-
dus Energy. As per information received
Dalmia’s Park Avenue residency and his
factory and other outlets were raided.
However, on the raids, I-Tax office has
not issued any official information yet.
Chhattisgarh gets Best
Performing State Award
STAFF REPORTER / Raipur Among the five states
where assembly elections
Assembly elections were were held, the cleanest elec-
held in five states of the tions were held in Chhattis-
country in November-De- garh. Without any controver-
cember 2023, during which sy, there was no need for re-
awards were announced for counting anywhere. In the
officers doing excellent heavily Naxal affected areas
work. Chhattisgarh was of Bastar, security arrange-
also included in these 5 ments and surveillance were
states. so tight that the Naxalites
It has been announced to could not succeed in their
give the Best Performing plans. For this reason, the
State Award to Chhattis- CEO of Chhattisgarh has
garh Chief Electoral been selected for the Best
Officer (CEO) Reena Baba Performing State Award
Saheb Kangale. among all the five states.
The name of Vineet Nan- have been announced by the At the same time, the best
danwar, collector of Naxal-
affected Dantewada district,
is also included in the list of
award recipients. Awards
Commission in a total of
four categories. This in-
cludes 2 officers from Chhat-
tisgarh.
election management
award will be given to the
then collector of Dantewa-
da, Vineet Nandanwar.
‘Gatha Shri Ram Mandir Ki’ on Jan 20
STAFF REPORTER / Raipur history of 500 years of Shri Ram Mandir.
Under the series of events, 'Gatha Shri Ram
Chhattisgarh Culture Minister Brijmohan Mandir Ki' is going to be organized at Police
Agarwal on Wednesday released the poster of Parade Ground on January 20 in Chhattis-
‘Gatha Shri Ram Mandir Ki’ which was the garh, the maternal birthplace of Lord Shri
Ram.
In the saga, the story of the
demolition of the temple by
the invaders 500 years ago
and the liberation of Shri
Ram Janmabhoomi that
started after that will be nar-
rated. The program will start
at 6 pm at Police Parade
Ground, Police Line Baron
Bazaar. In the 75-minute saga,
more than 2000 years of histo-
ry will be showcased, said
Agrawal.
 Siddaramaiah to table his 15th budget on February 16
NATION BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024
BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who holds the finance portfolio will present the budget on February 16.
Briefing reporters, state Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the Karnataka legislature session will take place from
February 12 to 23. The session will start with the joint address to the both houses of Karnataka legislature by Governor Thaawarchand
Gehlot.

PRESIDING OFFICER FALLS SICK... 1990 KILLING OF 4 IAF MEN

Chandigarh mayoral polls deferred
B JP is scared of INDIA's triumph.
With 20 out of the total 36 votes
in its favour, INDIA alliance is poised to
win the Chandigarh Mayoral Elections.
BJP is all set to lose badly. This has
given the BJP sleepless nights and
forced its dirty tricks department to
work overtime. Result? First, the
Secretary of Elections falls sick, and
now, the Presiding Officer has also
fallen sick. All this to adjourn the
election
n RAGHAV CHADHA, AAP MP
AGENCIES
Chandigarh
The Chandigarh mayoral polls, slat-
ed to be held on Thursday, were de-
ferred till further orders after the
presiding officer fell sick, claimed
several municipal councillors of the
Congress and the AAP, citing a mes-
sage they received from the munici-
pal authorities.
The Congress and the AAP leaders
slammed the BJP, accusing it of not
allowing to hold the mayoral polls in
the wake of its "imminent defeat"
BILKIS BANO CASE
and also said that they will move the
Punjab and Haryana High Court for
holding the elections.
The development came just ahead
of the polling for the posts of mayor,
senior deputy mayor and deputy
mayor. The meeting for polling
through secret ballot was to take
place at 11 am in the assembly hall
of the municipal corporation.
However, there was no official
word on postponing the mayoral
polls.
Several councillors received a
message on an official WhatsApp
TMC's
harmony
EYEWITNESS IDENTIFIES
rally gets
AAP MOVES HC YASIN MALIK AS SHOOTER
T
he AAP Thursday moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court,
seeking appointment of a new presiding officer in place of Anil
Masih after he "fell sick" leading to the deferment of the Chandigarh
AGENCIES
Jammu
Former IAF corporal
Rajwar Umeshwar
HC nod
mayoral polls.
JKLF chief Yasin Malik Singh, \who survived Directs state govt
The mayoral polls, which were slated to be held on Thursday, were
deferred till further orders after presiding officer Masih fell sick, claimed lifted his 'pheran', pulled
out his gun and opened fire the terror attack in to ensure no
several municipal councillors of the Congress and the AAP, citing a
message they received from the municipal authorities. at a group of IAF person- which four IAF breach of peace
nel, an eyewitness deposed
The petition was filed by AAP councillor Kuldeep Kumar, who is the
before a special CBI court
personnel were killed,
candidate for mayor seat. The petitioner sought from the court for
holding the mayoral polls. on Thursday while narrat- pointed to Malik in AGENCIES
The Congress and Aam Aadmi Party leaders slammed the BJP, accusing it ing what happened in Sri- the courtroom as the Kolkata
of not allowing to hold the mayoral polls in the wake of its "imminent nagar on January 25, 1990.
defeat". Malik attended the court main shooter The Calcutta High Court
proceedings on video from on Thursday allowed the
Delhi's Tihar Jail where he A charge sheet was filed ruling Trinamool Con-
group saying: "It is informed that a presiding authority for the mayoral has been incarcerated on August 31, 1990 against gress to hold a Sampriti
telephonic message has been re- elections. since 2019. Malik and five others be- (harmony) rally here on
ceived regarding the ill health of Senior Congress leader Pawan Ku- Besides the four men, in- fore the designated TADA January 22, the same day
Anil Masih, who has been nominat- mar Bansal also claimed that they cluding squadron leader Court at Jammu. as the consecration of the
ed as presiding authority for the have been informed that elections Ravi Khanna, who were Besides Malik, others ac- Ram temple in Ayodhya.
meeting scheduled on January 18 will not take place on Thursday as killed, 40 people were in- cused in the killing of the The court directed the
for the post of Mayor u/60 (a) read the presiding officer has fallen sick. jured on January 25, 1990, IAF personnel are JKLF West Bengal government
with Regulation 6 (1) of the Chandi- "It has been informed that elec- in Rawalpora on the out- operatives Ali Mohammed to ensure that peace is
garh Municipal Corporation (Proce- tions will not take place today as the skirts of Srinagar. The IAF Mir, Manzoor Ahmed Sofi maintained during the
dure and Conduct of Business) Reg- presiding officer has fallen sick," employees were waiting alias Mustafa, Javed rally.
ulation, 1996. In view of the above, it claimed Bansal as he accused the for their pickup to old Sri- Ahmed Mir alias 'Nalka', The court, however, did
is requested not to reach the MC of- BJP of not allowing the polls to take nagar airfield for duty Showkat Ahmed Bakshi, not pass any order on a re-
fice till further orders are received." place as the saffron party was to face when they came under fire Javed Ahmed Zargar and quest by petitioner Suven-
Anil Masih was nominated as the defeat in the elections. from terrorists. Nanaji. du Adhikari, leader of the
opposition in the West
Bengal assembly and BJP

Convicts move SC seeking IIT-KANPUR’S PHD STUDENT HANGS HERSELF IN HOSTEL ROOM spot, they found the door of nary probe and completing
MLA, for deployment of
paramilitary forces in the
state on that day.
Adhikari's counsel told
3RD SUICIDE THIS MONTH

more time to surrender

AGENCIES / New Delhi
Days after the Supreme
Court quashed the remis-
sion the Gujarat govern-
ment had granted them,
five of those convicted of
gang-raping Bilkis Bano
and massacring seven
members of her family
during the 2002 communal
riots moved the Supreme
Court on Thursday seek-
ing more time to surren-
der.
The top court had on Jan-
uary 8 annulled the remis-
sion the Gujarat govern-
ment granted to the 11 con-
SNIPPETS
victs in the high-profile
case while slamming the
State for being "complicit"
with an accused and abus-
ing its discretion. It or-
dered the convicts, who
were released prematurely
on Independence Day in
BJP is running ED:
KANPUR (UP): A 29-year-
old PhD student at the In-
dian Institute of Technolo-
gy, Kanpur, allegedly end-
ed her life by hanging her-
self from the ceiling fan of
her room here on Thurs-
day, police said.
This was the third case of
suicide at the IIT-Kanpur
campus in a month.
A native of Jharkhand's
2022, to go back to jail with-
PM gives credit of ‘poverty
in two weeks.
The reasons for seeking
extension of the deadline
to surrender include fail-
ing health, impending sur-
decline’ to transparent system
gery, son's marriage and NEW DELHI
harvesting ripe crops.
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi asserted on Thurs-
day that a transparent sys-
tem put in by his govern-
ment, its honest efforts and
Dumka, Priyanka Jaiswal,
who was pursuing a PhD
in Chemical engineering,
got admission to the insti-
tute on December 29 last
year.
Talking to PTI over the
phone, Additional DCP
(West) Akash Patel said
they received information
about the suicide around 1
pm. Upon reaching the
Citing a Niti Aayog re-
port, which highlighted
the decline in poverty
numbers, Modi said India
has presented a model to
other countries in helping
the poor and has drawn
Jaiswal's room was locked
from inside and broke it
open to find her body hang-
ing from the ceiling fan.
A forensic team has been
called to the spot, Patel
said. Jaiswal's hostel
mates had informed IIT-
Kanpur authorities who
later called the police.
Possible reasons behind
Jaiswal's suicide will only
be revealed after a prelimi-
VP’S TÊTE-À-TÊTE WITH TRIBAL YOUTH
other formalities, the DCP
said.
In a statement, IIT-Kan-
pur said, "With profound
grief, IIT Kanpur mourns
the untimely and unfortu-
nate demise of a PhD stu-
dent Priyanka Jaiswal,
who joined the Depart-
ment of Chemical Engi-
neering of the Institute
last month (December
2023).”
the court that permission
had been granted for 35
programmes in the city
related to the consecra-
tion of Ram temple, from
11 am to 5 pm on January
22.
The court did not grant
Adhikari's prayer for not
allowing the Sampriti ral-
ly on the same day due to
concerns about potential
unrest.

Kejri slams summons emphasis on people's par-

ticipation have led to near-
ly 25 crore people being lift-
global attention.
It is a very encouraging
report, he said.
Says saffron party ed out of poverty in the Modi said the Yatra has
ow does the BJP last nine years. met success beyond his
wants to stop me
from campaigning
H know that ED will
arrest Kejriwal? I want
Nobody could have
thought that poverty in In-
imagination and his gov-
ernment is likely to extend
dia can decline but the its deadline beyond Janu-
for LS polls to ask them that when poor has shown that it can ary 26 due to an increasing
Comprehensive the ED does not know be if they are given re- demand from the masses
caste census in AGENCIES whether he is being sources, he said in an ad- that the vehicles meant to
NEW DELHI dress during a virtual in- publicise welfare schemes
AP from today called as a witness or an teraction with beneficiar- and enlist more beneficiar-
AMARAVATI: The Delhi Chief Minister accused, how does the ies of the 'Viksit Bharat ies should visit their
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar interacts with tribal youth participating in the Tribal Youth
Andhra Pradesh Arvind Kejriwal on Thurs- BJP know that he will be Sankalp Yatra'. places too. Exchange Programme (TYEP) in New Delhi
government will begin a day said the ED summons- arrested?
comprehensive caste

Haryana AAP leader Tanwar quits party 4 people, including

census on January 19 to
enumerate all castes in
the state. The YSRCP
es issued to him were "ille-
n ATISHI, DELHI
gal" and part of a political CABINET MINISTER
conspiracy to stop him
from campaigning for the

father and son,

government has set the
caste census as a major
goal and is considering
upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
He alleged that the entire
exercise of serving him
'Kingpin' of scam’
The BJP on Thursday
slammed Delhi Chief
SAYS HIS ETHICS WON’T ALLOW HIM TO CONTINUE

that the enumeration
can transform the living
standards of people,
according to
government sources.
Raj CM receives
death threat
JAIPUR: Chief Minister
Bhajanlal Sharma has
received a death threat
from a prisoner lodged
inside a jail here,
officials said on
Thursday. Minister of
State for Home Jawahar
Singh Bedham said
immediate action was
taken and two staffers
summons was being car-
ried out to arrest him be-
fore the high-octane polls,
expected in April-May.
The chief minister said
he was issued a summons
by the Enforcement Direc-
torate last week for the
fourth time, and asked
him to appear before the
agency on January 18 or
January 19.
"The BJP is running the
ED. They only intend to ar-
rest me so that I cannot
campaign for the upcom-
ing Lok Sabha elections,"
he said.
Minister Arvind Kejriwal
for repeatedly skipping
the ED’s summonses and
said he is fearing his
arrest as he knows that
he is the "kingpin" of the
alleged excise scam. BJP
national spokesperson
Gaurav Bhatia alleged
Kejriwal did not appear
before the ED as he was
"sweating" in winter and
"shaking in fear"
anticipating his arrest
since he knows that he is
the kingpin of the excise
police scam.
WITH AAP AFTER ITS ALIGNMENT WITH CONGRESS
RAJESH MOUDGIL
Chandigarh
In a major setback to the
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
in Haryana, its state elec-
tion committee chairman,
Ashok Tanwar quit the
party here on Thursday,
saying his ethics would
not allow him to continue
with the AAP after its
alignment with the Con-
gress.
Tanwar, 47, a prominent
killed in Manipur
Dalit community leader, Rahul Gandhi, had also
who had joined AAP in been president of Indian AGENCIES village volunteer Takhel-
April 2022, had also been Youth Congress and NSUI. Imphal lambam Manoranjan, 26,
state Congress chief for Tanwar wrote in his letter was killed and another vol-
five years till 2019. The for- to AAP convener and Delhi At least four people, includ- unteer, Mangshatabam
mer Sirsa MP, Tanwar, had chief minister Arvind Ke- ing a man and his son, were Wanglen sustained bullet
left the party in 2019 fol- jriwal: “In view of the cur- killed in separate incidents wounds in a gunfight be-
lowing bitter differences rent political scenario and in Manipur during the past tween two warring com-
with the former state chief your alignment with the In- 24 hours, police said on munities at Kangchup in
minister Bhupinder Singh dian National Congress, Thursday. Imphal West
Hooda. He was also briefly my ethics won’t allow me to According to Widespread district border-
with the Trinamool Con- continue as chairman, elec- police, Oinam ing Kangpokpi
gress (TMC). Tanwar who tion campaign committee, Bamoljao, 61,
protests district on
was considered to be close Aam Aadmi Party, and his son rock Imphal Wednesday
to the Congress leader Haryana”. Oinam Manito- night.
mba, 35, were The fresh inci-

Govt trying to fool Marathas,

of the Central Jail, Jaipur
were suspended and a
case registered against
them. According to
officials, the action was
taken against the duo
for failing to check the
smuggling of mobile
phones inside the jail.
‘Sidda gripped
by Modi phobia’
BENGALURU:
Karnataka's former Chief
Minister Basavaraj
Bommai slammed CM
Siddaramaiah over the
financial condition of
the state and alleged
that the latter was
"gripped by PM
Narendra Modi phobia".
"Modi has been giving
good governance and
implemented several
welfare schemes. Modi
is all set to become the
PM for the third
consecutive time. Unable
to digest this,
Siddaramaiah had been
making baseless
allegations against him,”
he said.
but we won't fall, says Jarange
CHHATRAPATI SAMB-
HAJINAGAR: Maratha
quota agitation spearhead
Manoj Jarange on Thurs-
day accused the Maharash-
tra government of trying
to fool the Marathas, but
asserted that his commu-
nity would not fall into any
trap.
Jarange also said that he
and the members of the
Maratha community
would embark on their
‘JHAADU KO
BADNAAM KIYA...’
MUMBAI
Taking a dig at Prime Min-
ister Narendra Modi over
his call to cleanse temples
ahead of the opening of the
grand Ram Temple in Ayo-
protest march to Mumbai
on January 20 as decided
earlier since no way out
has been found by the gov-
ernment so far on the
reservation issue.
He reiterated that the
government should issue
Kunbi caste certificates to
54 lakh Marathas immedi-
ately.
"The government comes
to us just 2-3 days before
every agitation. They are
Saamana editorial takes dig at PM’s temple clean-up call
dhya, Saamana, the official
mouthpiece of Shiv Sena
(UBT) on Thursday
claimed in its latest editori-
al that even Lord Ram
would be smiling if he was
watching the 'drama' un-
fold.
Titled 'Jhaadu Ko Bad-
naam Kiya', the editorial
trying to trap and fool the
Maratha community. But
the Marathas will not fall
into any trap and we will
go to Mumbai on January
20 as decided earlier since
no way out has been found
as of now," he told re-
porters.
"We will go to Mumbai
with the Maratha commu-
nity members to press for
our quota demand," he
said.
claimed the clean-up call of
PM Modi and the response
to the same by Union min-
isters and top BJP leaders
was a mere extension of
the party's majoritarian
outreach ahead of the Lok
Sabha elections this year.
Mocking at PM Modi's
clean-up act at the temple,
Ker SFI leader attacked
inside college campus
KOCHI: A leader of the
Students' Federation of In-
dia (SFI) has been injured
after an alleged attack by
his political rivals inside a
college campus here, po-
lice said on Thursday.
The victim, Abdul Nasar
P A, is the unit secretary of
the SFI--student wing of
the ruling CPI (M)-- in the
Maharaja's College here.
He is currently under
treatment at a hospital for
his injuries, they said.
According to police,
the Saamana editorial
claimed that he picked up
the mop to clean an already
'shining' floor.
Also taking a swipe at
Railways Minister Ashwini
Vaishnaw, the editorial
stated that the focus of the
cleaning campaign needs to
be on railway assets and in-
killed by suspected mili- dents of violence took
tants in Bishnupur district
on Thursday. Village vol-
place after unidentified
armed assailants fired at
unteer Thiyam Somen, 54, security forces in Ma-
was also gunned down by nipur's Thoubal district
armed cadres of the rival late on Wednesday night,
Nasar was attacked inside community in the same leading to three BSF per-
the campus late on district on Thursday. sonnel sustaining bullet
Wednesday night by the ac- Police said that another injuries.
tivists of the Kerala Stu-
dents' Union (KSU) and
Fraternity, another youth
outfit. This was allegedly
Govt bungalow row:
in response to the SFI
leader's protest against
them regarding another
Mahua moves Delhi HC
incident inside the college. AGENCIES / New Delhi
A case has been regis-
tered against 14 KSU and Expelled Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra approached the
Fraternity activists and Delhi High Court on Thursday challenging a notice by
five other students in this the Directorate of Estates to vacate the government bun-
regard, they said. galow that was allotted to her but was cancelled follow-
ing her expulsion.
Moitra's plea against the eviction notice is scheduled to
be heard by Justice Girish Kathpalia shortly.
The notice asking the Trinamool Congress leader to va-
cate the bungalow immediately was issued to her on
frastructure, as most
trains, platforms and toi-
Tuesday.
Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha on De-
lets are 'dirty'. cember 8 last year, was earlier asked to vacate the house
"Defence Minister Raj- by January 7 after the allotment was cancelled.
nath Singh visited Hanu- She was held guilty of "unethical conduct" and expelled
man Setu Temple in Luc- from the House for allegedly accepting gifts and other
know for a clean-up job. He favours from businessman Darshan Hiranandani in re-
visited the sanctum sancto- turn for asking questions targeting his business rival
rum of the temple and Gautam Adani.
cleaned the floor.”
 RAMOTSAV
BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024

Over ten thousand Firozabad IMD launches

PM launches postage stamps
AGENCIES / New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on Thursday released
commemorative postage
stamps on the Ram temple
in Ayodhya and a book of
stamps issued on Lord Ram
around the world, and said
these are not merely pieces
of paper but act as medium
to pass on historical events
to future generations.
These tickets are the
smallest form of history
books, artefacts and histor-
ical sites and serve as a
miniature form of epics
and great ideas, he said in a
video message.
Officials said the compo-
nents of the design include
the Ram temple, the 'chau-
pai' 'Mangal Bhavan Aman-
gal Hari', sun, Saryu river
and sculptures in and
around the temple.
Modi said the appeal of
Ram, Sita and Ramayana
goes beyond the boundaries
of time, society, caste, reli-
It’s Oppn’s loss to
skip consecration
ceremony, says
Hema Malini
AGENCIES
Ayodhya (UP)
BJP MP Hema Malini on
Thursday said the Janu-
ary 22 consecration cere-
mony here will be a mem-
orable moment while
claiming that it will be
the opposition parties'
loss if they don't attend
the event.
In an apparent reference
to the deity being shifted
from a makeshift tent to
the newly built temple in
Ayodhya, Malini said
Lord Ram will be moving
to a bigger house from a
small one. "The opposi-
tion parties say they are
not coming (for the conse-
cration ceremony), it is
their loss. They say Ram
is ours... that is also very
good," the actor-turned-
politician told PTI.
Malini said a lot of de-
velopment was going on
in Ayodhya.
"A lot of new hotels are
coming up. When we used
to plan visits here, we
used to wonder where we
could stay. Now Ayodhya
is going to a world-class
destination," she added.
She said the January 22
ceremony will be a trib-
ute to all those who lost
their lives in the struggle
for the Ram temple.
"Their souls will be hap-
py now that the temple is
being built," the MP
added.
The Mahura MP said
she was happy that she
would be witnessing the
ceremony and added that
in the next one or two
years the charm of the
place will increase.
FROM MAGNETS TO SCARVES & SAREES TO TIFFINS...
he postal stamps are
glass bracelets for Ram Temple
webpage for Ayodhya’s
weather updates
gion and region and con-
nects with everyone. T mediums to take ideas,
history and the historical
AGENCIES Uttar Pradesh manufacturers took the
NEW DELHI: With four
days remaining for the con-
Quoting Valmiki, the au- Ayodhya initiative to gift these secration ceremony at the
thor of Ramayana, the moment (around the opening of Tourism and Cultural glass bracelets. It is an Ram temple, the India Mete-
prime minister said the the Ram Temple in Ayodhya) to Ahead of the Pran aahuti(contribution) orological Department
epic and the Ram's person- the future generations. Sending Pratishtha ceremony of
Minister Jaiveer from Firozabad in the (IMD) on Thursday
ality will live on among peo- postage stamps is like sending a Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on Singh handed over grand consecration cer- launched a dedicated web-
ple as long as there are piece of history. These postal January 22, Uttar Pradesh emony in Ayodhya." Ut- page to provide weather-re-
mountains and rivers on stamps are not just pieces of Tourism and Cultural 10,000 Firozabad tar Pradesh Tourism & lated information for Ayod-
earth. Minister Jaiveer Singh Cultural Minister hya and important nearby
Ramayana gives the mes-
paper or mere artwork. They are handed over 10,000 Firoz-
glass bracelets Jaiveer Singh highlight- areas. The webpage con-
miniature epics and artworks in
sage of the victory of love
their own right
abad glass bracelets(kade) (kade) with 'Jai ed the specialities of the tains information on all
and teaches people sacri- with 'Jai Shree Ram' en- glass bracelets gifted weather parameters, in-
fice, unity and bravery in n NARENDRA MODI, PM graved on them to Shri Shree Ram' from Firozabad. cluding temperature, pre-
the most difficult of times Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth "All the 10,000 glass cipitation, humidity, and
while connecting humanity, Kshetra Champat Rai on
engraved on them bracelets are gold pol- wind patterns in major lan-
he said, adding that is why Thursday. ished and unjointed. It guages spoken worldwide,
the epic has been a centre of Uttar Pradesh Tourism & ufacturing industry." Uttar took many months to make such as Hindi, English,
global attraction and is Cultural Minister Jaiveer Pradesh Tourism & Cultur- these for Lord Ram." Uttar Urdu, Chinese, French, and
looked at with respect Singh said, "Firozabad is al Minister Jaiveer Singh Pradesh Tourism & Cultur- Spanish.
everywhere. famous for its glass manu- lauded Firozabad's glass al Minister Jaiveer Singh Weather information for
The six stamps released facturing industry all manufacturers over the hailed Hindu-Muslim uni- Ayodhya, Prayagraj,
by him are on the Ram tem- across the world. The dis- initiative of gifting 10k ty and highlighted the con- Varanasi, Lucknow, and
ple, Lord Ganesh, Lord trict is also registered un- glass bracelets. tribution of Muslim work- New Delhi, among other im-
Hanuman, Jatayu, Kevatraj der ODOP(one district, one "Nanak Chand, Anand ers in manufacturing 10k portant places, is available
and Ma Shabri, officials product) for the glass man- Agarwal and other glass glass bracelets. on the webpage.
said. The release of the
stamps comes days before
the consecration ceremony
at the Ayodhya temple on
January 22.
AYODHYA STREETS BUSTLE WITH GRANDEUR
2
Wedding bands overbooked 1
for January 22 celebrations
AGENCIES bands have been booked a substantial increase in
New Delhi to perform devotional the demand for dhol, and
Traditional wedding
songs and bhajans dur-
ing these programmes to
band, baaja due to 'Ram
Barats' being taken out.
bands in Delhi are gear- enhance the devotional We will start our day at 4
ing up for a busy day on and festive fervour. am. Both small and large
January 22 with hun- The celebrations have bands are preparing," said
dreds of celebratory coincided with the begin- Satya Anil Thadani, who
events planned at tem- ning of the wedding sea- owns Jea Band.
ples across the city to cel- son in Delhi, which means He said they have divid-
ebrate the Ram temple the bands receiving multi- ed band members into
consecration ceremony
in Ayodhya.
ple booking requests,
much more than they han-
smaller teams to handle
the requests for January
3
According to industry dle in a regular season. 21 and 22.
1.) / 3.) Devotees
experts, more than 1,500 Yet they are trying their "This year has seen a during the Shri
such events will take best to accommodate them 50-60 per cent rise in the Hanuman 1008
place in markets and all. demand for wedding Kundiya Mahayagya
temples, and the wedding "This year has witnessed bands," he said.
2.) Devotees arrive in
Ayodhya on cycles
SCULPTOR OF RAM ITC's Mangaldeep 4.) A devotee blows a
conch shell
LALLA’S IDOL ‘LIVED to spread its 5.) Sadhus holding a
mace chant slogans
LIKE A SAGE’ fragrance in
Ayodhya
T
he wife of sculptor since become a symbol of
Arun Yogiraj, Vi- their family's rich tradi- NEW DELHI/AYOD-
jetha, expressed her tion, she said. HYA: On the occasion of
joy and pride as her hus- Vijetha shared, "We never momentous inauguration
band played a pivotal role
in crafting the Ram Lala
thought about this, but yes,
Arun has so much talent.
of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya
on January 22, Man-
5
idol in Ayod-
hya. She highlighted Arun's ing
We were hop-
that
galdeep, ITC's Agarbatti
brand, is spearheading a 4
Vijetha something series of initiatives to ac-
said that unconventional like this tively be a part of the
during the journey, noting that should hap- event, and enrich the cele-
process of
crafting the
he initially pursued an pen to him,
and his art
brations of devotees dur-
ing the inauguration and
Ram Lala MBA in HR and should be beyond. Mangaldeep has
idol, Arun worked as a Manager recognized joined hands with the Shri
Yogiraj, em- and appreci- Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth
braced a in HR before delving ated world- Kshetra to implement vari-
'lifestyle into his sculpting wide." Vi- ous initiatives in honour of
akin to that jetha ex- the proud occasion - Nutan
of a sage', heritage pressed the Vigrah Pran Prathisthra of
observing a family's hap- Shri Ram Lallaji.
six-month-long fast with a piness and pride, stating, As part of the association
diet limited to 'satvik bho-
jan', fruits, and sprouts.
Arun Yogiraj, the fifth
generation in a family of
"Arun has made us proud.
Our family name and tradi-
tion have reached the sky."
Vijetha Arun revealed that
Mangaldeep has donated
its flagship dhoop, the
"Mangaldeep 3 in 1 Dhoop",
for a duration of six
Lord Ram rules hearts & streets in Ayodhya
sculptors, started carving the family plans to visit Ay- months from the Temple's AGENCIES / Ayodhya mersed in a religious Many hotels and 'd- feel the spirit of the tem-
at the age of 11 and has odhya after the event. opening date. spirit While travelling on habas' along the highway ple town in the air.
Streetlights on flyovers the high- carry a Streetlights lining the
decorated with artworks way from banner flyovers have been decked
depicting Lord Ram, his
bow and arrow and orna-
Lucknow to
Ayodhya,
greeting
devotees on
up with lights, and fes-
tooned with colourful 'AY-
mental lamp posts carry- one can see the way to ODHYA' signage, and by

Ram temple memorabilia floods UP market ing designs themed on the

traditional 'Ramanandi
tilak', Ayodhya is all
huge
posters
bearing an
Ayodhya,
and an im-
age of Lord
turns carrying designs
depicting Lord Ram, a
new temple with bow and
AGENCIES / Lucknow "Last year, children were He said that there was also a demand decked up ahead of the image of Ram, be- arrow, or Lord Ram hold-
for temple replicas that could be fitted consecration ceremony at the Ram sides saf- ing his bow and arrow or
Fridge magnets, stickers, badges, seeking bags with 'Pathan' on the dashboard of vehicles. "We have the temple. temple, the fron flags the 'Ramanandi tilak'.
scarves, flags, dupattas, saris, school and 'Jawaan' images but now placed orders and hope to get it by the The 'Pran Pratishtha' at date of the bearing im- A 'Ramanandi tilak' is
bags, tiffin boxes -- you name it and weekend," he said. the Ram temple here will consecra- ages of the made of two vertical
they have it. With the Ram fervour it is a temple all the way Nitin Srivastava, a shop owner in take place on January 22 tion cere- deity and white lines and a red
sweeping across the country, the mar- which is a very positive sign," Aminabad said that the demand for which will be attended by mony and the new stroke in the centre, and
kets are now flooded with temple relat- school bags and tiffin boxes with the Prime Minister Narendra slogans like temple is used largely by devo-
ed memorabilia. said a shop owner temple image are also in great de- Modi and a host of other 'Shubh here. tees of Lord Ram. Many
"There is a huge demand for temple mand. dignitaries. Ghadi While en- of the local residents and
memorabilia. Every second vehicle in are even replacing their party flags "Last year, children were seeking bags With the mega ceremo- Aayi, Vira- tering Ayo- devotees visiting Ayod-
the state capital has a sticker of the with temple flags," said Vishwas Ku- with 'Pathan' and 'Jawaan' images but ny four days away, even je Raghu- dhya city hya from other places can
temple or Lord Hanuman and the de- mar, a dealer in automobile acces- now it is a temple all the way which is a the roads leading to the raii', dot- from Faiz- be seen sporting this
mand is rising by the day. Some people sories. very positive sign," he explained. holy city are getting im- ting the roads. abad city side, one can tilak.

51 homestays,14 hotels 45 police teams to provide NO ONLINE SALE OF RAM

'proximate security' to VVIP invitees TEMPLE PRASAD AUTHORISED
open for devotees
A
s many as 45 teams of hand-picked police personnel
will be providing "proximate security" or protec- A member of the trust
T
he Shri Ram Jan- The staff deputed in the
AGENCIES viding cheap and good facilities to tion from close quarters to the VVIP invitees visit- mabhoomi Teerth said, “No vendor or camp office of the trust
Ayodhya tourists. ing Ayodhya for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at the Ram Kshetra Trust on near the Ram temple
Santosh said in view of the large number Temple on January 22, officials said. Thursday denied setting agency has been handed over 10 packets of
Nearly 51 homestays and 14 hotels have of people visiting Ayodhya, the excellent These teams, equipped with good behavioural and com- up any online platform to appointed by the the ‘elaichi dana’ to
been inaugurated for devotees in Ayodhya, accommodation arrangements have been munication skills, will be led by deputy superintendent of help devotees get the Paranjape with instruc-
ahead of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of made which will be comfortable for every- police-rank officers to ensure the invitees' hassle-free ‘prasad’ offered to the de-
trust to distribute the tions to mix it with other
Ram Lalla on January 22. one. movement. ity in Ayodhya. prasad online” prasad for further distri-
Three state ministers -- deputy chief Jaiveer Singh said that the efforts of "No categorised security or private security other than The statement comes bution.
minister Brajesh Pathak, senior BJP Sudha Maurya, an OBC, are commend- the Special Protection Group (SPG) of Prime Minister amid reports of some on- in touch with the Ram Unlike other temples
leader B L Santosh, Agriculture minister able. Oyo Group will make more than 100 Narendra Modi will be allowed in Ayodhya during Pran line platforms claiming temple trust office on and religious shrines
Surya Pratap Shahi and Tourism and Cul- rooms accessible to disabled and senior Pratishtha on January 22," said a senior police official. to provide the prasad to Wednesday, said that where prasad is offered
ture minister Jaiveer Singh, have jointly citizens. The rate of the rooms will be be- These cops would be wearing formal clothes and remain devotees after the ‘Prana some online platforms by the devotees, in Ayod-
inaugurated these. tween Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500, which will be deployed near the VVIPs. Among the VVIP invitees are Pratishtha (consecra- were offering the prasad. hya carrying prasad be-
The Uttar Pradesh ministers and BJP within the reach of devotees. top industrialists, entrepreneurs, politicians, sportsper- tion)’ ceremony on Janu- “But I was not sure and yond the security check-
leaders visited Shankar Homestay run by The government is working in partner- sons, movie stars, spiritual leaders and media tycoons. Of- ary 22. hence I visited the trust points has not been per-
Sudha Maurya and lauded the effort of ship with private players to promote reli- ficials said each of these teams would comprise five sub- Anil Paranjape, a resi- office to procure the mitted due to security
Maurya and other entrepreneurs for pro- gious tourism in India. inspectors and a deputy superintendent of police. dent of Mumbai, who got prasad in bulk,” he said. reasons.
 Brawl over momos lands two college students behind bars
NATION BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024
Noida: A fight over who would have momos first has landed two college students in Greater Noida behind bars,
police officials said on Thursday.The episode unfolded Wednesday night at a fast food cart in the Alpha 2
commercial market of the city. The two students had arrived at the cart for snacks, had order a plate of momos.
Soon a plate arrived but an argument broke out between them as both claimed it was their order," the police said.

‘Gandhi family most corrupt in India’

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 MOST CORRUPT CM
14 students, 2 teachers... IN ASSAM: RAHUL
The injured would be given Rs 50,000," the PM further
said. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel arrived at the site GUWAHATI: Congress
in the evening and was monitoring the rescue operation GUWAHATI
NOT NYAY YATRA, MIYA YATRA: ASSAM CM HIMANTA leader Rahul Gandhi on
being carried out by personnel from the National Dis-
aster Response Force (NDRF) and other agencies, in- Assam Chief Minister Hi- BISWA ATTACKS CONGRESS CAMPAIGN 'RAHUL'S BRAIN IS CONTAMINATED' Thursday stepped up his
attack on Himanta Biswa
cluding the local fire brigade. manta Biswa Sarma on Sarma-led government soon
Vadodara Chief Fire Officer Parth Brahmbhatt had Thursday alleged that the NEW DELHI leaders should have estab- after the Bharat Jodo Nyay
earlier said some were brought to safety by local resi- Gandhi family is the most lished the temple. Con- Yatra entered Assam,
dents before agencies arrived at the site. corrupt one in the country. Ahead of the Pran gress has never done any- describing Sarma as the “most
His statement came fol- Pratishtha ceremony of thing for Hindus.
CM visits Patna... lowing Congress leader Ram Lalla Ayodhya, Kin- “They never treated
corrupt” chief minister, an
accusation that drew a swift
During his first trip to the state, the Chief Minister of Rahul Gandhi's accusa- ner Mahamandaleshwar Hindus and Muslims at and sharp counter from Sarma
MP focused on the Yadavas. Afterwards, he visited the tions that the BJP-led gov- Hemangi Sakhi lashed par. Today, when PM Modi who called the Gandhi family,
party office and spoke to the office-bearers about a strat- ernment in Assam is the out at combined opposi- took the initiative on Ram the country’s most corrupt.
egy for the upcoming Lok Sabha election besides he most corrupt in the coun- tion for boycotting the Mandir. Congress leaders “The government in Assam is
went to ISKCON temple. try. Ram Mandir consecra- call this event a function, one of the most corrupt. You
He took part in a function organised by the ISKCON “The Gandhi family is tion ceremony on Janu- it is more than that. They are all aware of it. We will
Society that welcomed him. the most corrupt family in ary 22. have been invited but highlight it during our yatra…
The Chief Minister told those who were present at the the country. This is not “There is Punha Pran they are boycotting.” probably Assam’s chief
function that his parents were from Bihar. 'Nyay Yatra, it's ‘Miya Ya- Pratishtha in Ayodhya on On being asked why it minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
Yadav said pilgrimage centres would be set up in the tra’. Wherever there are January 22 but the Oppo- called the ceremony Pun- is the most corrupt. Not just
places in Madhya Pradesh where Lord Krishna put his Muslims, they visit those sition is making such re- ha Pran Pratishtha, He- him (Himanta), Sarma’s wife
footsteps. places,” the chief minister marks on Ram Mandir. mangi Sakhi said. “Ram and other family members are
He said the stories related to Ram and Krishna would told a press conference. Why did Congress not temple was already there mired in corruption. He thinks
be included in the study of Sanatan culture which is ‘Miya’ is originally a pe- tivists from the communi- The Bharat Jodi Nyay Ya- take the initiative to es- which got destroyed along that he can buy the people of
part of the New Education Policy. Krishna, who was jorative term used for Ben- ty have started adopting tra led by Gandhi entered tablish the Ram Temple? with many other temples Assam, but he is wrong”
married in Ujjain, the city of Mahakaal, had his educa- gali-speaking Muslims in this term as a gesture of Assam from Nagaland ear- In 1949, Nehru and other during the Mughal era.” Gandhi added.
tion there. Assam. In recent years, ac- defiance. lier in the day.
Bihar is the place of Mahaveer Swami and emperor
Ashoka who had relations with Ujjain, Yadav said.
CONG DEMANDS PROBE
Hundreds of rural We can float a grouping of
The relationship between MP and Bihar is very old,
Yadav said, adding that the government is making
many policies for cow-keeping.
18-yr-old collapses... INTO IT FIRM OWNED BY
Rajkumar Yadav, in-charge of Bhawarkuan police sta-
tion, said after watching the video that an investigation
women greet Rahul KERALA CM'S DAUGHTER Ramayana-Mahabharata
has been launched. The exact cause of death would be THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
known after the post-mortem report is received but the
preliminary investigation suggested that the student
Jorhat: Hundreds of ru-
ral women who gathered
them from doing so.
The women then sought Fresh findings: Cong de-
NEW DELHI
On the outskirts of Azerbaijan, there is
suffered a heart attack. to collect forms for a newly to click pictures with him, mands court-monitored Indian Council for Cultur-
During investigation, it was also found that the stu-
dent was in stress due to continuous hair fall. His fami-
announced government
scheme in Jorhat district
which he readily agreed
to. Gandhi spent some
probe into IT firm owned by
Kerala CM's daughter
al Relations (ICCR)'s for-
mer President Dr Vinay
a Fire Temple, which is a Hindu temple
ly members informed that he was taking some medi- of Assam left their queues time with them and asked Thiruvananthapuram, Jan Sahasrabuddhe has said Azerbaijan. Right on the countries from which Ra-
cines and a blood purifier to treat his hair fall condition. to greet Congress leader about their wellbeing, be- 18 (PTI) Accusations that a group of 'Ramayana- outskirts of the capital mayana is part of their tra-
Rahul Gandhi, who was fore proceeding further. against the company owned Mahabharata' countries city, there is a 'Fire Tem- dition: Myanmar, Thai-
ASI runover by... leading the 'Bharat Jodo Congress general secre- by Chief Minister Pinarayi can also be constituted ple', which is a Hindu tem- land, Vietnam, Malaysia,
"A team chased the driver while another rushed the Nyay Yatra' through the tary Jairam Ramesh, who Vijayan's daughter T Veena where these holy epics are ple. As the saying goes, Indonesia, Sri Lanka," he
ASI to hospital from where he was referred to Chhind- area on Thursday. is accompanying Gandhi continue to rock Kerala pol- deeply engraved in the cul- that spot is related to the said.
wara district hospital. However, he was declared Gandhi reached Mariani in the yatra, shared a itics, with the opposition ture. In an interview, story of Daksha and Sati Recalling his surprise at
brought dead on reaching the hospital," he added. town from neighbouring video clip of the incident Congress-led UDF on Vinay Sahasrabuddhe re- and is now considered a a group of artists from
The SP further said that initially a case of attempt to Sivasagar district around on social media platform Thursday demanding a cen- called an anecdote he en- Shakti Peetha," Sa- Brunei who also partici-
murder was registered against the driver. However, af- noon and saw hundreds of X. tral agency investigation countered in Azerbaijan, hasrabuddhe said. pated in the Ramayana
ter Sharma's death Section 302 of the IPC was also in- rural women standing in a "Women assembled for a into fresh allegations about where he witnessed a Hin- Vinay Sahasrabuddhe Festival, Dr Sahasrabud-
cluded. The accused driver Lokjeet Singh had been ar- queue at a government- function organised by the its illicit transactions. du fire Temple. also mentioned that since dhe said, "Brunei also
rested. An initial amount of Rs 1 lakh was provided to controlled centre in Assam CM in Mariani Leader of Opposition in the "Many times it comes to 2015, the Indian Council came. We did not expect
the family and shortly dues would be released. If the Nakachari area to collect spontaneously and enthu- State Assembly V D mind that we have several for Cultural Relations has anyone to come from
family wants the process of 'Compassionate appoint- forms for the scheme. siastically met Rahul- Satheesan demanded a CBI groupings like the G20, continuously engaged Brunei since they are a 100
ment' would be initiated, he added. Seeing Gandhi's convoy Gandhi on Day 5 of the or Enforcement Directorate BIMSTEC, SAARC, and with Asian and Southeast percent Islamic country.
The other benefits given by the state government, passing through, all the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. (ED) investigation into the perhaps others. We can Asian countries by con- Our officials were a little
would also be handed over to the family shortly, said the women left their lines and NYAY for Assam has be- allegations surrounding also float another grouping ducting the Ramayana Fes- bit surprised that a delega-
SP. The CM said that the state government has given ran to the road to meet the gun!" he added. the now-defunct IT compa- of Ramayana- Mahabharat tival. tion from Brunei came."
'martyr status' police officer And the amount of Rs 1 Congress MP. Addressing a press con- ny of Vijayan's daughter, T countries. "Since 2015, ICCR has Dr. Vinay Prabhakar Sa-
crore would be given to the family. A member of the fam- As soon as the convoy ference later in Puthinadi, Veena. There are so many coun- been engaging itself in the hasrabuddhe served as a
ily would be provided government job. stopped and Gandhi came Ramesh alleged that the This comes in the wake of tries that are linked to Ra- conduct of the Ramayana Rajya Sabha member from
He also added that the police would initiate strict ac- out of the bus, many ruling BJP government is reported findings by the mayana and Mahabharat. I festival which is an inter- 2016 to 2022 and held the po-
tion against the arrested driver. women touched his feet trying to make the Yatra a Registrar of Companies was in Baku a few years national festival and we in- sition of Vice President in
but he tried to prevent flop show in Assam. (ROC) against the company. ago, the capital city of vite troops from all those the BJP from 2014 to 2020.

Rajasthan govt revokes pension of NEW ROLES FOR Delhi court denies
bail to Neelam
political prisoners of emergency COACHING CENTRES
MANISH GODHA stopped it as this doesn't
New Delhi: Coaching centres cannot enrol
students below 16 years of age, make
PARLIAMENT SECURITY
Jaipur suit the political ideology
of the Congress Now the
misleading promises and guarantee rank or
good marks, according to new guidelines
BREACH CASE
The pension of political BJP is back in power and announced by the Ministry of Education. The
prisoners during the decided to revoke the pen- guidelines for regulating coaching institutes NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Thursday
Emergency has been re- sion in the first cabinet have been framed to address the need for a dismissed the bail application of Neelam
voked in Rajasthan. The meeting of the govern- legal framework and manage the unregulated Azad, an accused in the Parliament secu-
decision was taken in the ment. The beneficiaries growth of private coaching centres. rity breach case.
first cabinet meeting of would get Rs 20000 as pen- It comes following complaints received by the Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep
the Rajasthan govern- sion and Rs 4000 as med- government about rising cases of student Kaur denied bail to Azad, saying it would
ment held in Jaipur on ical assistance. suicides, fire incidents, lack of facilities in not be right to grant her the relief at this
Thursday. Along with The interesting thing coaching incidents as well as methodologies of stage.
this, the government has about this pension in Ra- teaching adopted by them. The court had on Saturday sent all the ac-
also decided to review the jasthan is that it was first "No coaching centre shall engage tutors having cused in the case, including Azad, Manoran-
decisions taken in the started during the first qualifications less than graduation. The jan D, Sagar Sharma, Lalit Jha, Amol Shinde
last six months of the tenure of Vasundhara Raje institutions cannot make misleading promises and Mahesh Kumawat, to judicial custody af-
previous government and in 2004 and has been re- or guarantee rank or good marks to parents ter they were produced before it on expiry of
the work done at differ- voked for the second time for enrolling students in the coaching centres. their police remand. In a major security
ent rates from the gov- as Congress used to stop it The institutes cannot enrol students below 16 breach on the anniversary of the 2001 Parlia-
ernment. whenever it came to power. years of age. Student enrolment should be ment terror attack, two persons -- Sagar Shar-
During the BJP govern- The cabinet held under the only after secondary school examination," the ma and Manoranjan D -- jumped into the Lok
ment, political prisoners chairmanship of CM Bha- guidelines said. Sabha chamber from the public gallery
of Emergency were being jan Lal Sharma has also "The coaching institutes cannot publish or during Zero Hour, released yellow gas
given pensions in the decided to review the deci- cause to be published or take part in the from canisters and shouted slogans before
name of Loktantra Rak- sions taken in the last 6 publication of any misleading advertisement being overpowered by some MPs.
shak Samman Nidhi. The months of the Gehlot govt. relating to any claim, directly or indirectly, of Around the same time, two other ac-
BSFpersonnel during a parade rehearsal ahead of the 75th Republic Day in New Delhi on Thursday Congress government had ernment. cused -- Amol Shinde and Azad -- also
quality of coaching or the facilities offered
therein or the result procured by such sprayed coloured gas from canisters while
coaching centre or the student who shouting "tanashahi nahi chalegi" outside

LEOPARD ENTERS JAIPUR HERITAGE
HOTEL, INMATES FLEE IN PANIC
JAIPUR: A leopard entered a
heritage hotel here on
Thursday morning, creating
panic among the inmates who
rushed out in a frenzy.
The incident was reported
from the Kanota Castle at 9.40
a.m. At that time, dogs present
in the hotel suddenly started
barking and did not stop
despite the best efforts of the
hotel staff to calm them down.
A tourist there saw the
leopard and informed the
hotel staff and hotel owner
Man Singh immediately
informed the Forest
Department.
During this entire incident, the
tourists ran out of the hotel.
The prowling leopard also
entered the hotel staff room
and created havoc there even
as some people closed the
door of the room from
outside. A Forest Department
team reached the spot and
after one and a half hour of
hard work, succeeded in
tranquilising the big cat.
RAS main exam postponed in Raj
Raj Cabinet postpones
RAS main exam, declares
BJP poll manifesto policy
document Jaipur, Jan 18
(PTI) The Rajasthan Cabi-
net on Thursday postponed
the state administrative
service main exam and de-
clared the BJP's election
manifesto as a policy docu-
ment.
In its first meeting, Chief
Minister Bhajanlal Shar-
ma's Cabinet also decided to
constitute a committee of
ministers to review the de-
BJP announces review of Gehlot govt's
decisions in its last 6 months
cisions taken by the previ-
ous Congress government
in the last six months of its
tenure, an official statement
said.
The government has de-
clared the BJP's election
manifesto, the 'Sankalp Pa-
tra', as a policy document
and extended the date of the
proposed main examination
of the Rajasthan Adminis-
attended such class," it added. Parliament premises.
trative Service (RAS) sched-
uled later this month, Cabi-
net Minister Rajyavardhan
Singh Rathore said.
"In today's meeting, it was
decided by the CM and all
the members of the Council
of Ministers that a commit-
tee will review the decisions
taken by the previous state
government in the last six
months," Rathore said.

Pity, since switching sides you have: Tharoor fires at Scindia

NEW DELHI
Firing a fresh salvo at Civil
Aviation Minister Jyoti-
raditya Scindia over
the chaos at the Delhi
airport due to fog-re-
lated flight delays,
Congress leader
Shashi Tharoor on
Thursday said it's a pity
that since switching sides,
Scindia has adopted the
Modi government's "uncar-
ing attitude" to the public.
Tharoor, who engaged in
a war of words on X on
Wednesday over the flight
delays and the ensuing
chaos at the airport,
issued a series of six
posts in a point-by-
point rebuttal of
Scindia's arguments
and said the minister
would be better served
by shifting his focus from
"my arm-chair and my dili-
gent researchers to the
agony of the passengers".
SCINDIA HITS BACK AT THAROOR
Hyderabad: Amid a war of
words over the chaotic
scenes at the Delhi airport
over bulk flight delays and
cancellations due to the
prevailing fog conditions,
Union Civil Aviation
Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia
hits back at Congress leader
Shashi Tharoor. “I think we
need to move on from this,
there are many friends of
mine and colleagues of mine
that have all the time to go
through research articles
and try and put up
misleading posts and I have
answered those very fairly
and squarely in my response
to that post yesterday. I
don't think I need to clarify
beyond that,” Scindia said.
"Perhaps, then he would
find time to fix the myriad
incompetencies, absolute
lack of preparation, and
the glaring loopholes in his
Ministry's functioning,"
Tharoor said.
Scindia had claimed on
Wednesday that Tharoor is
"lost in his esoteric world of
thesaurus", and for him
"data mining of selective
press articles from the in-
ternet qualifies as "re-
search".

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MUMBAI
FUND ALLOCATION
POWERS
HC bins plea
by city Cong
chief, others
URVI MAHAJANI / MUMBAI
Calling it a 'politically moti-
vated' petition, the Bombay
High Court on Thursday dis-
missed a petition city Con-
gress president Varsha Gaik-
wad and two former corpo-
rators challenging the deci-
sion of the Maharashtra gov-
ernment and the BMC to del-
egate powers to recommend
allocation of MLA funds
funds for development works
to guardian ministers Man-
gal Prabhat Lodha and Deep-
ak Kesarkar.
After the corporators’ five-
year term ended in March
2022,the state government
appointed BMC Commis-
sioner Iqbal Chahal as ad-
ministrator to run the civic
body. Later, powers were del-
egated to guardian ministers
to recommend approval for
allocation of development
work funds.
Gaikwad, an MLA from
Dharavi, and former corpo-
rators – Ashraf Azmi and
Meher Mohasin Haider – had
filed the plea alleging that
the municipal funds were al-
located arbitrarily with the
approval of guardian minis-
ters. The plea alleged that the
more funds were allocated on
the request of ruling party
MLAs, mostly from BJP, by
the BMC on the direction of
the guardian ministers. The
plea sought quashing the res-
olution passed by the BMC
Commissioner on February
16, 2023. Dismissing the peti-
tion, the court noted that the
petition was “thoroughly
misconceived and politically
motivated”.
574 prisoners to
get bail through
Centre initiative
SOMENDRA SHARMA / MUMBAI
In a bid to decongest the jails
in the state, the prisons de-
partment will be enabling 574
prisoners languishing in the
state prisons in securing bail
through the Support for Poor
Prisoner Scheme, an initia-
tive of the Central govern-
ment, said the prisons de-
partment officials. The gov-
ernment would be allocating
Rs1.60 crore funds for the
same. Also, construction of
new prisons in Palghar,
Ahmednagar and Hingoli
districts would also help in
decongesting jails, officials
said.
Earlier this month, FPJ
had reported that the Maha-
rashtra government has set
up a five
Empowered Committee at
member
district level for implementa-
tion of the Central govern-
ment scheme of providing
bail to socially disadvantaged
or less educated or poor peo-
ple from low income groups.
The Centre has planned to
provide bail to the convicts
who are unable to pay the fine
and who cannot get bail due
to financial constraints.
Hanuman Chalisa
row: Rana couple
get relief from HC
URVI MAHAJANI / MUMBAI
The Bombay High Court on
Thursday asked the trial
court to defer the hearing in
proceedings against inde-
pendent MP from Amravati
Navneet Rana and her MLA
husband Ravi Rana till Feb-
ruary 21 in a case related to
the Hanuman Chalisa row.
Justice PD Naik passed the
order while hearing a peti-
tion filed by the couple seek-
ing discharge in the case.
They approached the HC
challenging the order of the
sessions court rejecting their
discharge plea. Their plea
contends that the allegations
against them were complete-
ly false and the FIR was reg-
istered belatedly, and the in-
vestigation was tainted.
They have said that the po-
lice have claimed that they
went to arrest the duo for a
case of Hanuman Chalisa
when the duo allegedly man-
handled policemen and
hence, the case under Section
353 of the IPC was registered.
However, the Khar police, in
reality, had not registered
any FIR when they came to
arrest them and they were
not discharging their official
duty at their residence, their
plea contends. The couple
have alleged that the
chargesheet filed against
them was doctored and due to
political pressure.
BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024
Racecourse status quo till Jan 24
A plea filed by businessman challenges ‘arbitrary, capricious and patently illegal’ decision
URVI MAHAJANI / MUMBAI
A businessman has ap-
proached the Bombay High
Court challenging the deci-
sion of the Maharashtra gov-
ernment and the BMC to de-
velop a 120-acre theme park at
the Mahalaxmi Racecourse.
The court said it was not
passing any order and expect-
ed all the parties concerned
to maintain status quo till the
next day of hearing on Janu-
ary 24.
“We trust that none of the
entities involved are going to
do anything to precipitate
the issue till then, since peti-
tions are filed. Don't tell us
this is fait accompli on that
day. We will take a very dim
view of that,” said a division
bench of Justices Gautam
Patel and Kamal Khata on
Thursday.
The bench clarified that it
is not rejecting any ad-inter-
im relief and will hear the
plea next week for ad-interim
and interim reliefs.
Satyen Kapadia, a busi-
nessman, has challenged the
decision to convert the race-
course into a theme park
terming the same as “arbi-
trary, capricious and patently
illegal”.
Note to civic chief on racecourse theme park
By
Invitation
÷Major (rtd) SK Lamba
I
am an 84-year-old army
veteran and a member of
the Royal Western India
Turf Club Ltd (RWITC). I am
a post-graduate in civil engi-
neering from IIT-Bombay
and have planned and exe-
cuted several large-scale
civil projects. I have suffi-
cient knowledge about the
creation of theme parks and
am outlining my views fear-
lessly, with malice towards
none, for the good of citizens
of Mumbai.
On December 6, 2023, a
proposal was discussed for
an international theme park
at Mahalaxmi Racecourse;
120 acres of land is to be re-
served for the theme park
and 91 acres are to be leased
Suraj Chavan earned
`1.35cr from khichdi
scam, ED claims
CHARUL SHAH JOSHI / MUMBAI
The Enforcement Directorate
(ED) on Thursday claimed
that Shiv Sena (UBT) man
Suraj Chavan has earned
Rs1.35 crore from the firm
which was awarded the con-
tract to distribute khichdi to
migrants, poor and needy
people during the Covid pan-
demic.
Chavan was arrested on
Wednesday evening and was
produced before the special
court on Thursday. ED
prosecutor Sunil Gon-
salves sought his cus-
tody for eight days. The
agency claimed that he
used his proximity
with a senior political leader
to get the contract of khichdi
awarded to the firm M/s
Force One Multi Services.
Gonsalves contended that
Force One had no kitchen of
its own and had sublet the
contract to Sneha Caterer and
Golden Star Banquet Hall
and Catering Services.
The ED claimed that fur-
ther investigation into the
scam revealed that Force One
earned a total Rs3.64 crore in
the project, out of which
Rs1.25 crore were diverted to
Chavan's personal account
and further Rs10 lakh to his
partnership firm M/s Fire
Complainant has no objection to cops withdrawing TRP rigging case
CHARUL SHAH JOSHI / MUMBAI
Nitin Deokar of Hansa Re-
search Group, the com-
plainant in the fake television
rating points (TRP) case, on
Thursday told court he had no
objection to the Mumbai po-
lice's plea to withdraw the
case.
Deokar's lawyer Prashant
Gurav on Thursday submitted
the reply saying, “The first in-
Plea says
T he impugned decisions, if
implemented, would be an
environmental disaster for the city
“The impugned decisions,
if implemented, would be an
environmental disaster for
the city. Only 40% of the pop-
ulation of Greater Mumbai
has access to daily recreation
spaces such as the said land.
In one stroke, the impugned
decisions will lead to the loss
of 210 contiguous acres of
open green space,” the plea
contended.
Senior counsel Janak
Dwarkadas, appearing for
Kapadia, mentioned the plea
before the court seeking an
out to RWITC for 10 years
from June 1, 2013 to May 31,
2023, and a further period of
30 years from Jun 1, 2023 to
May 31, 2053. The issue about
the club, shifting of the sta-
bles and memberships has
been widely covered by the
media.
There are silent adverse
whispers by the public and
some NGOs that in the garb
of a theme park, there would
be massive commercial ex-
ploitation of the public land
by authorities/ persons oth-
er than the Chief Minister
and the Municipal Commis-
sioner, both of whom I hold
in high esteem by my per-
sonal assessment. Some rele-
vant issues, though, appear
to have been overlooked.
A public interest litigation
(No. 2065 of 2004) filed by
Public Concern for Gover-
nance Trust before the Bom-
bay High Court has prayed
for several reliefs in the mat-
ter. The petition is pending
for final hearing. Interest-
ingly, the state government,
Fighters Enterprises.
The ED in its application
seeking Chavan's custody
said he played no role in sup-
plying khichdi. However,
Force One paid him the share
by showing him an employee
of the firm from the financial
year 2019-20 and funds were
transferred to him as salary
and some in the form of per-
sonal loans. Besides, the ED
claimed that to project him as
an employee of the firm, two
forged and backdated ap-
pointment letters in the
name of Chavan were
created.
Chavan's lawyer
Harshad Bhadbhade
opposed the plea saying
that the ED has admitted that
Chavan played no role in sup-
ply and distribution of the
khichdi. Besides, he contend-
ed that Chavan has been
falsely implicated just be-
cause of his proximity to a
political leader.
Bhadbhade contended that
Chavan had no concern with
Force One and Shayadri,
which too was given a con-
tract of supplying khichdi.
“Is it an offence to know a po-
litically influential person or
proximity with a politician is
a crime. The ground of arrest
is not justified,” Bhadbhade
contended.
formant (Deokar) has no ob-
jection if the application filed
by state through public prose-
cutor under section 321 of
Criminal Procedure Code
(withdrawing prosecution
complaint) is allowed and the
proceedings in the matter are
withdrawn/ stopped and fur-
ther if the accused are acquit-
ted or discharged.”
When asked, Gurav refused
to comment on the decision.
O nly 40% of the
population of Greater
Mumbai has access to
daily recreation spaces
such as the said land
urgent hearing considering
that the BMC commissioner
was to hold an ‘Open House’
over the issue on Thursday
evening.
Dwarkadas said that the
Royal Western India Turf
Club Limited (RWITC)
[which operates the race
course] was agreeing to this
since it has a lot to gain – 99
years of lease, unhindered
access of the racing track
and also a right to develop a
club house. Also, the govern-
ment was willing to spend
the BMC and RWITC, who
are working on the theme
park proposal and renewal
of the lease deed, were par-
ties to the said writ petition
and therefore any steps be-
ing taken now do not appear
to be in order. It may subject
the parties to contempt.
Some reliefs sought are:
no lease be granted except
for horse-racing and use by
members of the general pub-
lic or playgrounds; ensure
that the land, other than the
race track, viewing stands
and training enclosures, are
developed into playgrounds
for the use of the general
public, and that suitable ac-
ACB raids UBT leader
Rajan Salvi, files cases
SOMENDRA SHARMA / MUMBAI
The Maharashtra Anti Corrup-
tion Bureau (ACB) on Thurs-
day conducted raids at multiple
premises of Shiv Sena (UBT)
MLA Rajan Salvi in Ratnagiri
district, and filed a case against
him and his two family mem-
bers for allegedly amassing dis-
proportionate assets.
Salvi represents the Ra-
japur assembly constituency
and belongs to the Uddhav Bal
Thackeray-led faction of the
Shiv Sena. The ACB, in a state-
MAJESTIC MAESTROS
Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain received the Padma Vibhushan Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan Award at
the hands of Khan Saab’s wife Amina Mustafa Khan in the presence of Sonu Nigam, Khan saab’s sons
Rabbani Mustafa Khan, Murtaza Mustafa Khan, Qadir Mustafa Khan and Hasan Mustafa Khan, daughter-in-
law Namrata Gupta, Suresh Wadkar, Talat Aziz and Vishal Gargote, in Mumbai.
This was filed in response to
the notice issued by the Metro-
politan Magistrate Court to
the complainant on plea of the
prosecution.
The prosecution had on No-
vember 28 last year moved a
plea to withdraw the case filed
in connection with TRP ma-
nipulation by news channels.
The plea was filed after the
state government reviewed
the investigation and found
Women powered BJP to victory in assembly polls: Ajit Pawar
Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit
Pawar on Thursday said women's support helped the
BJP win three out of the five states in the recent
assembly elections. Addressing a gathering of female
workers of his faction of the NCP, Pawar said a large
We trust that
none of the
entities involved
are going to do
anything to
precipitate the
issue till then,
since petitions are
filed. Don't tell us
this is fait accompli
on that day. We
will take a very
dim view of that
– Bombay High
Court
T he impugned
decisions will lead to
the loss of 210
contiguous acres of
open green space
Rs97 crore on preparing sta-
bles.
“Which stables require
Rs100 crore?” quipped
Justice Patel.
When the bench asked
what will happen to the rac-
ing area, which is in the mid-
dle of the open space,
Dwarkadas replied that it
will be used for the public.
The racing track is proposed
to be shifted to another cor-
ner of the ground.
“If there is a race (going
on), the middle open space
cess roads are provided; call-
ing for the records of the
case relating to the sanc-
tions/ approvals/ permis-
sions, if any, granted for any
development and/ or con-
struction.
The Mahalaxmi Race-
course is one of the largest
and last surviving open
spaces of south-central
Mumbai, which is spread
over 226 acres. In 1933, pur-
suant to the enactment of
the City of Bombay Munici-
pal (Amendment) Act, 1933,
which inserted section 91A
in the Bombay Municipal
Corporation Act, 1888, all
lands previously vested in its
board of trustees came to be
vested in the BMC. Plot No.
1(j) of Schedule W to the said
BMC Act is the land present-
ly known as the racecourse.
Significantly, this land was
appropriated by statute as a
“permanent open space”,
subject only to being let out
for use as a race course or for
purposes of public amuse-
ment and recreation.
ment issued on Thursday,
claimed that taking into ac-
count of the known income
expenditure and assets of
Salvi and his family members,
it has come to light that Salvi
and others, for the period Oc-
tober 2009 to December 2, 2022,
had amassed disproportionate
income of Rs 3.53 crore, which
is 118.96% more than his
known source of income.
Since Salvi had not given any
satisfactory disclosure regard-
ing the same, a case has been
registered on Thursday under
The ED had stated that
when it re-examined
the households to
check money
laundering, they
denied having
received money to
watch channels
can’t be used. If a race is go-
ing on, how will one cross
(the racing track to reach the
middle open space)?” asked
Justice Patel.
A lease agreement was
signed on June 5, 1967, which
expired on March 31, 1994.
The lease was extended for
19 years, till May 31, 1994.
Subsequently, after
accepting lease rental, the
lease was extended till May
31, 2023.
According to Kapadia’s
plea, just like in the Develop-
ment Plan (DP) 1991, even in
the DP 2034, the area is re-
served as a “recreation
ground” (RG). The govern-
ment resolution issued by the
Urban Development Depart-
ment on October 27, 2016, the
land has been classified as
Heritage Grade II-B under
the title “Royal Western India
Turf Club”.
It points out that the land is
used as a race course only
during race days, which ac-
count for approximately only
22 days in a year.
Advocate General Biren-
dra Saraf appeared for state
and advocate Joel Carlos ap-
peared for the BMC. RWITC
was represented by senior ad-
vocate Vineet Naik.
If the government has a
specific plan to create a
theme park, it should be in-
corporated in the lease deed
itself and developed by
RWITC under directions of
the civic body/government,
who will also contribute
funds. However, a theme
park, with the infrastructure
construction attached to
such developments, is not
permissible under Act, since
the land is appropriated as
permanent open space and
irrevocable in view of sec-
tion 91(a)(b).
It is apparent that citizens
will be deprived of vital open
spaces and playgrounds and
that deprivation of these
spaces violate their funda-
mental rights under Article
14 and Article 21 of the Con-
stitution of India. These
open spaces are being used
by citizens for almost 70
years free of cost at limited
timing, which will be inter-
rupted.
Full article on
freepressjournal.in
the relevant sections of the
Prevention of Corruption Act.
The agency officials further
claimed that a search opera-
tion had been initiated at the
residence of Salvi, hotel,
office and seven other related
places linked to him at the
same time by ACB teams. “If
any property related docu-
ments or other income infor-
mation comes to light follow-
ing the searches, then that too
will also be probed,” said Su-
perintendent of Police, ACB,
Sunil Lokhande.
–Vijay Gohil
several discrepancies.
The Mumbai crime branch
had in October 2020, registered
a case for manipulation of
TRP ratings by some of the tel-
evision channels, claiming
that this was done with the
help of employees of Hansa
Research Private Limited.
It was claimed that some of
the TV channels which includ-
ed ARG Outlier Media [which
owns Republic TV], a local
number of women lawmakers will be seen in the
state assembly as well as Parliament in the coming
years. “We have prepared the agenda for
Maharashtra's development and are working
accordingly,” he said.
Terror pocketbook
hints at lone wolf
attack on Jan 22
THE FPJ
EXCLUSIVE
ASHISH SINGH / MUMBAI
On the eve of the Pran
Prathishtha ceremony for the
Ram Temple in Ayodhya on
January 22, security agencies
have shared information
about an al-Qaeda
pocketbook of terrorist activ-
ities, Lone Mujahid Pocket-
book, allegedly shared by sus-
pected ISIS handlers on a
third-party social media app
to influence misguided
youths of India for potential
lone-wolf attacks.
The FPJ got exclusive ac-
cess to classified intelligence
from a central organisation, The book introduces a
revealing that an ISIS range of menacing
handler, Abu Mohammad,
uploaded the pocketbook on a tactics, including the
deceptive Instagram channel. infiltration of security
The article and its vivid il-
lustrations intricately detail measures and
sinister methods, including diversionary tactics
torching parked vehicles, or-
chestrating road accidents,
involving secondary
igniting forest fires, demol- blasts
ishing buildings, and crafting
lethal explosives and remote maximum impact.
control detonations. It sug- The agency also identified
gests using easily obtainable a suspicious person named
materials such as motor or Adyan Sandhu, allegedly
cooking oil, sugar, and match-
es to trigger massive traffic
accidents, devastating fires
and deadly explosions.
guiding Indian youth to
tamper with railway tracks,
particularly those carrying
freight such as oil and coal.
The guide details the con- According to top official
version of a simple table sources, the pocketbook was
clock or even a cigarette into
a precise timer, the synthesis
first published in 2013 and
multiple editions were subse-
of potent acetone peroxide,
and the ingenious transfor-
mation of a vehicle alarm
into a remote control detona-
quently released by Al-Qaeda
through online propaganda,
with the intent of facilitating
lone-wolf terror operations
tion device. Astonishingly, it in the USA and other western
reveals how the seemingly nations. Through this propa-
mundane powder from a sin- ganda pocketbook, Al-Qaeda
gle matchstick can be fash-
ioned into a potent explosive.
has successfully instigated
youth to carry out small-
The book introduces a
range of menacing tactics,
scale attacks in western
countries.
including the infiltration of In India, the risk is not con-
security measures and di- fined to Ayodhya alone; Mum-
versionary tactics involving bai, Delhi, Kolkata, Ra-
secondary blasts. All these jasthan, Madhya Pradesh,
elements coalesce, present- and every state involved in
ing a guide within the book the ceremony, including their
for orchestrating a lone- respective pooja sthal, are po-
wolf terror attack with tential targets.
No web-based
PAN services by
entities, says HC
URVI MAHAJANI / MUMBAI partment to process PAN and
related services like issuance
Noting that it poses a “nation- of Aadhar card, voter ID and
al level threat”, the Bombay driving license. The agree-
High Court has passed an ex- ment for such services is valid
parte (without hearing the op- till March 2024.
posite party) interim order re- The court passed the order
straining known and un- in the petitioner company’s
known entities from operat- favour observing that if such
ing websites and other servic- fake websites were allowed to
es claiming to pro- remain active
vide PAN card then it would
services on behalf cause irreparable
of government- damage and
owned UTI Infra- Any potential would compro-
structure Technol- misuse of the mise valuable
ogy and Services licence/ confidential data
Limited (UTIIT- authorisation to of the company.
SL). issue PAN cards,
The Indian gov- would be highly
Its application
claimed that de-
ernment has made detrimental not only fendants (known
it mandatory for to the interest of the and unknown en-
PAN card holders company but also to tities) have delib-
to link it to their the national interest erately infringed
–Bombay HC upon its copy-
Aadhar card,
which is an accept- right and made
able proof of identification, unauthorised use of its label
therefore, any potential mis- and marks in an almost iden-
use of the licence/ authorisa- tical manner to show that the
tion to issue PAN cards, would defendants are authorised to
be highly detrimental not provide the services which
only to the interest of the are exclusive to it. Justice
company but also to the na- Dangre noted that the compa-
tional interest, said Justice ny’s services were exclusive
Bharati Dangre on January in nature underpinning the
12. national importance of its
The HC was hearing an ap- work to the citizens of India.
plication filed by UTIITSL “It cannot be in dispute that
seeking restraining order the PAN system is of para-
against several companies mount importance on a na-
and unknown persons from tional scale due to its multi-
infringing upon its copyright faceted impact on
and acts of passing off. The governance, taxation and fi-
company provides services nancial integrity and it can be
relating to and in connection said to be the cornerstone of a
with the issuance of Perma- robust financial economic
nent Account Number (PAN) system,” the judge said.
card. Since 2002, it is autho- The HC has kept the matter
rised by the Income Tax De- for hearing on February 20.
Marathi channel and also oth- money laundering by the
er national channels were in- channels, had submitted its
volved in manipulation of the first complaint in September
TRP to gain more revenue 2022 and gave clean chit to
through advertisements. Goswami and Republic chan-
The Mumbai police had nel. In its complaint, the feder-
named a total 22 persons as the al agency had stated that when
accused in the chargesheet it re-examined the households
filed in November 2020, which and relationship managers to
also included Arnab Goswa- check the money laundering,
mi. they denied having received
The Enforcement Direc- payments to watch Republic
torate (ED), which probed the TV.

PUNE
Tehseen Poonawalla to raise
city’s traffic issue with CMO
HAYAT (NOZIA) SAYYED
In response to the news ar-
ticle "City's worsening traf-
fic jams put EMS at risk,"
published by The Free
Press Journal on Thursday,
addressing the escalating
traffic woes impacting
emergency medical servic-
es, many Punekars voiced
their discontent,
adding to the list of
complaints.
THE FPJ
Meanwhile, the IMPACT
At present, Maharashtra Chief
Minister Eknath Shinde is in
Davos, and I will be
contacting his office next
week. Additionally, I will
convene with stakeholders,
specifically the administrative
body, to collaboratively
devise solutions for this grave
issue
- Tehseen Poonawalla
Indian Army’s Central Command
awards entrepreneur Punit Balan
STAFF REPORTER
Punit Balan, a young entre-
preneur from Pune actively
involved in various
initiatives with the Indian
Army, was honoured with a
certificate from the Central
Command.
The Army commended
Balan for his impactful work,
expressing hope for his con-
tinued dedication in the fu-
ture, serving as a guiding
light for others.
On the 76th Army Day,
General Officer Command-
ing-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of
the Central Command, Lieu-
tenant General NS Raja Sub-
ramani, awarded him the cer-
tificate. Balan has consistent-
ly been at the forefront of nu-
merous social activities in
collaboration with the Indian
Army, particularly in the
Kashmir Valley.
He oversees ten schools in
sensitive areas such as Bara-
mulla, Kupwara, Anantnag,
Pahalgam, Pulwama, Shopi-
an, and Uri, providing educa-
tion to students.
Additionally, the Dagar
School for Special Children in
Baramulla operates in part-
HOLIDAY SEASON BONANZA
Nashik draws in 70K tourists, sells over 2L litres of wine
STAFF REPORTER
Post-pandemic, there has
been a significant shift in peo-
ple's perspectives, with a
greater focus on relaxation
and personal time. This
change is evident in the in-
creased tourist footfall at var-
ious destinations, including
Nashik, known as the wine
capital of India. During the
Christmas and New Year hol-
idays, Nashik witnessed a
surge in business, with
tourists enjoying approxi-
mately 2 lakh litres of wine.
The Nashik region attract-
ed over 70,000 tourists during
the holiday season, with
around 32,000 to 35,000 con-
BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024
Maharashtra Chief Minister
article also grabbed the atten- Eknath Shinde is in Davos,
tion of prominent figures and I will be contacting his of-
such as Tehseen Poonawalla, fice next week. Additionally, I
who promised to not only will convene with stakehold-
“look into the issue but also ers, specifically the adminis-
look for solutions.” trative body, to collaboratively
Poonawalla, a television devise solutions for this grave
personality and political ana- issue.”
lyst, expressed his concern In a proactive approach, he
over the mounting traffic also shared that he will con-
challenges. When contacted, duct a meeting with all the
he said, “I will take up this is- hospitals and doctors next
sue,” questioning, “What can week. “The objective is to en-
you expect from the corrup- gage in discussions address-
tion in the local bodies?” ing the issues and concerns
When queried about imme- impeding emergency medical
diate measures for the prob- services due to traffic conges-
lem, Poonawalla outlined his tion. Next week, I will meet
plans, saying, “At present, with all hospital owners and
Punit Balan has consistently been at the
forefront of numerous social activities in
collaboration with the Indian Army, particularly
in the Kashmir Valley
nership with the Indian of us holds deep respect, love,
Army. and pride for the Indian
Balan is actively Army, which tirelessly serves
promoting sports among the nation. It brings me great
youth affected by terrorism in joy and pride to be honoured
Kashmir. His efforts have by the Central Command.
been recognised with a cer- Considering 'Nation First' as
tificate from the Army. my mission, I will continue
Expressing his sentiments, contributing my best to the
Punit Balan stated, "Each one Indian Army in the future."
PCMC to remove encroachments on Wakad-Datta Mandir Road Rajarshi Shahu Bank’s
STAFF REPORTER
Addressing concerns raised
by residents about inconsis-
tent road widening on the
Wakad-Datta Mandir Road,
Pimpri-Chinchwad Munici-
pal Commissioner Shekhar
Singh assured on Wednesday
that the road would be ex-
panded to 45 metres by re-
moving encroachments.
The road serves as a cru-
cial link connecting the Hin-
jewadi IT hub and Pimpri-
Chinchwad. According to
the development plan, the
road was intended to be 45
centrating in areas near
wineries. This surge in
Nashik, recognised as
tourism resulted in a 15 to 20 Asia's wine tourism
per cent increase in wine destination, boasts
sales for local wineries. The
All India Wine Producers As- renowned wineries
sociation (AIWPA) reported such as Sula
that on-site consumption and
wine bottle sales during this Vineyards, Soma Wine,
period amounted to around 2 York, Vallonnie,
lakh litres.
Nashik, recognised as Renaissance, Grover
Asia's wine tourism destina- Zampa, and Good
tion, boasts renowned winer-
ies such as Sula Vineyards,
Drops
Soma Wine, York, Vallonnie,
Renaissance, Grover Zampa, Commenting on the post-
and Good Drops. The city at- pandemic tourism trend,
tracts tourists from Pune, Jagdish Holkar, President, All
Mumbai, Gujarat, Delhi, and India Wine Producers Associ-
even international visitors. ation (AIWPA), stated,
hopefully resolve their con-
cerns,” he added.
Contrastingly, Chenthil
Iyer, Vice President, Aam
Aadmi Party (AAP) Pune,
spoke of the efforts made
by BJP MLA Siddharth
Shirole, who has been con-
stantly trying to resolve
the issue but in vain.
Talking about the plans
AAP has amidst the lack
of political leadership in
the city, Iyer shared, “We
will meet with the DCP
for the traffic department
next Monday and hold
discussions with public
transport officials, in-
cluding Metro and Pune
Mahanagar Parivahan
Mahamandal Ltd
(PMPML) as we believe
only 20% of the popula-
tion commutes using
public transport and
this needs to increase.”
"There are many reasons
behind the traffic woes in
the city which have been
constantly hammered upon,
but one important factor is
also wrong-side driving,
which is an emerging issue
as well. In Kothrud last
week, observations revealed
that up to 72 bikes navigated
the wrong side of the road
within a single hour. This
underscores the imperative
need for public education
initiatives to ensure adher-
ence to traffic rules. This
would also reduce road traf-
fic accidents too," Iyer said
matter-of-factly.
Krishnakumar
Goyal to
receive Rotary
award
STAFF REPORTER
Krishnakumar Goyal, Chair-
man of the Kohinoor Group
and Khadki Education Trust
in Pune, is set to receive the
Rotary International Service
Excellence Award for 2023-24.
The award will be presented
by Rotary International Pres-
ident Representative Michael
McGovern, in the presence of
District Governor Manju
Phadke, Past District Gover-
nor Dr Deepak Shikarpur,
and former President of
CREDAI JP Shroff.
The ceremony is scheduled
to take place at Pandit Farms
on Sunday, January 21, at
10:30am, as part of the Rotary
District Conference.
metres wide. However, illegal
constructions on both sides
have reduced its width. Resi-
dents and society owners in
the area have demanded ad-
herence to the approved
plan.
In a meeting attended by
27 societies along with BJP
City President Shankar Jag-
tap and Vice President of the
Pimpri Chinchwad Coopera-
tive Housing Society Federa-
tion Sachin Londhe, PCMC
Commissioner Singh as-
sured that necessary meas-
ures would be taken to align
the road width with the
SWACHH TEERTH ABHIYAN
53 temples
undergo
cleanliness
overhaul
STAFF REPORTER: In re-
sponse to Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's call for a na-
tionwide 'Swachh Teerth Ab-
hiyan' at temples ahead of the
Ram Mandir consecration
ceremony in Ayodhya on Jan-
uary 22, the Pimpri-Chinch-
wad Municipal Corporation
(PCMC) has launched a clean-
liness drive at 53 temples in
the city. As part of this initia-
tive, PCMC Commissioner
Shekhar Singh has directed
the collection of usable items
to be deposited at the nearest
RRR (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)
centre. Clean urns will be
arranged for waste collection
in the temple area, along with
efforts to raise public aware-
ness about the plastic ban.
The campaign aims to engage
officers, employees, temple
functionaries, former corpo-
rators, citizens, students,
charitable organisations, and
women self-help groups.
Cleanliness drives will ex-
tend to eight zonal offices and
32 wards, taking place from
7am to 2pm in various parts
of the city. Additionally, 17
roads and squares are slated
for thorough cleaning. PCMC
Assistant Commissioner
Yashwant Dange has empha-
sised coordination with traffic
police for effective execution.
Besides, zonal officers are
mandated to submit daily
cleanliness information, up to
50 words, to the health depart-
ment, covering details such as
the temple name, ward num-
ber, participating individuals,
and organisations involved in
the 'Swachh Teerth Abhiyan.'
9 vehicles seized for dumping
debris in river basins in PCMC
Cases registered at Sanghvi, Wakad and Chinchwad police stations
GUNWANTI PARASTE
The river basins of Pavana,
Indrayani, and Mula in the
city are facing extensive en-
croachment, with debris be-
ing haphazardly dumped
into them, leading to the
narrowing of the riverbeds.
Responding to this issue, the
Environmental Engineering
Department of the Pimpri-
Chinchwad Municipal Cor-
poration (PCMC) took
action by seizing nine vehi-
cles, imposing a total fine of
70,500.
Sanjay Kulkarni, Joint
City Engineer of the Environ-
ment Department at PCMC,
revealed, "A total of 15 cases
were registered in 2023, and
this month alone, three cases
have been registered at
Sanghvi, Wakad, and Chinch-
wad police stations." PCMC
Commissioner Shekhar
Singh added, "We are making
significant efforts to take ac-
tion against those dumping
debris into the river basins.
We are also planning to
spread awareness."
planned 45 metres as per the
development plan. Singh
pledged to initiate the
process of reclaiming cer-
tain areas in the coming
days.
Shankar Jagtap stated,
“Local citizens and society
residents have consistently
complained to the munici-
pal administration about
the road widening. There-
fore, a meeting was held
with the Commissioner and
the concerned officials with
the societies. The road
should be widened by im-
plementing the develop-
PMC organises workshop on women’s safety
PUNE: The PMC's Social Development
Department conducted a Women's Safety
Council Workshop on Wednesday as part
of the Rani Laxmibai Women's
Empowerment Scheme. In collaboration
PCMC takes back 4 lakh sqft
in anti-encroachment drive
GUNWANTI PARASTE
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Mu-
nicipal Corporation (PCMC)
has launched proactive meas-
ures against encroachments,
unauthorised sheds, and ille-
gal brick constructions in
public spaces along the main
roads in the city, aiming to free
up these areas for citizens.
PCMC Commissioner
Shekhar Singh emphasised
the importance of preserving
public spaces for various ac-
tivities, citizen convenience,
development works, and over-
all welfare to contribute to the
city's comprehensive develop-
ment. Additional Commis-
sioner Pradip Jambhale Patil
highlighted the negative im-
pact of encroachments on city
roads, causing traffic impedi-
ments, disfiguring the city,
and leading to accidents.
The civic body initiated
anti-encroachment actions in
several regions, including
Wakad to Pimple Nilakh, Jag-
tap Dairy Chowk to Bhujbal
Chowk, Rawet BRT, and Ward
Unauthorised dumping of
debris is affecting all three
river basins, driven by a
thriving business in con-
structing illegal structures or
temporary sheds near the
riverside. Unfortunately, such
activities are often
overlooked by the municipal
corporation, leading to an es-
calation of illegal activities
ment plan." He suggested
that the administration
should take serious meas-
ures in view of the traffic
stress on this route.
Sachin Londhe added,
"The objections raised by lo-
cal society owners in the
area regarding the widening
of the road are valid. Accord-
ing to the development plan,
the administration should
make 45 metres of road avail-
able for citizens. For that, the
work of the road currently in
progress should be inspect-
ed. We made such a demand
to the administration."
"Tourism is flourishing after
the pandemic. Nashik, offer-
ing different experiences
with trekking, wine, agro-
tourism, and more, has be-
come one of the top visited
places by tourists."
The growth of agro-
tourism in Nashik is proving
beneficial for the wine busi-
ness. Holkar expects a 20%
year-on-year growth for the
wine sector over the next five
years. With the anticipated re-
vival of the Wine Industrial
Promotion Scheme (WIPS),
he foresees the annual sales
of Maharashtra wineries,
currently around ₹400 crore,
doubling to ₹800 crore within
the next five years.
with the District Legal Services Authority,
the workshop received positive
engagement from women, addressing
crucial aspects of women's safety and
empowerment.
PCMC initiated anti-
encroachment actions
in several regions,
including Wakad to
Pimple Nilakh, Jagtap
Dairy Chowk to
Bhujbal Chowk,
Rawet BRT, and
Ward No. 3
REPRESENTATIVE PIC
along the riverbanks. While
occasional responses from
the regional office and the En-
vironmental Engineering De-
partment follow complaints,
the situation tends to revert to
its previous state afterward.
Environmentalists are advo-
cating for permanent meas-
ures and a ban on such activi-
ties.
admin bldg inaugurated
STAFF REPORTER
The administrative building
of the Rajarshi Shahu Sa-
hakari Bank was inaugurated
on Saturday by Chhatrapati
Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur
on Bajirao Road in Pune.
The cornerstone was un-
veiled by Chhatrapati Shahu
Maharaj on this occasion. A
souvenir highlighting the
bank's progress was also
launched during the inaugu-
ration. An auditorium in the
bank was named after the late
PD alias Abasaheb Shinde,
the founder and chairman of
the bank.
Present at the event were
Anil Kawade, Co-operative
Commissioner and Registrar
of Co-operative Societies Ma-
harashtra State Pune, Atul
Khirwadkar, Chief Executive
Officer of National Urban Co-
operative Finance and Devel-
opment Corporation Limited
(NUCFDC), Delhi, Balasaheb
Anaskar, Banking Expert,
Adv Subhash Mohite, Presi-
No. 3. Over the past seven
days, the Municipal Corpora-
tion actively addressed en-
croachments, resulting in the
demolition of unauthorised
sheds and illegal brick struc-
tures covering an area of
more than 4 lakh square feet.
The PCMC Commissioner
added, "There is a need to en-
sure major roads are obstruc-
tion-free for the growing popu-
lation's interest. Responding
to citizens' complaints, the
corporation is taking aggres-
sive anti-encroachment ac-
tions."
The Additional Commis-
sioner underscored the ur-
gency of solving encroach-
ment problems to protect
citizens' interests and main-
tain the city's beauty. He an-
nounced, "A similarly ag-
gressive anti-encroachment
campaign would be imple-
mented under other field of-
fices in the next month to
create a clean, beautiful,
and organised urban envi-
ronment for citizens."
Massive fire
engulfs 3
stores
STAFF REPORTER
On Thursday morning, a
massive fire erupted at Medi-
cure Medical Store on Range
Hill Road in Ashok Nagar.
The blaze, which started
around 4am, was eventually
brought under control by
four fire tenders and the ef-
forts of the fire brigade per-
sonnel. Unfortunately, the
medical store suffered com-
plete destruction, and two ad-
jacent shops were also con-
sumed by the fire.
Thankfully, no injuries
were reported in the incident.
At the time of reporting,
the cause of the fire remains
undetermined, and investiga-
tions are underway to ascer-
tain the factors that led to this
unfortunate incident.
dent of Pune District Urban
Co-operative Banks Associa-
tion Ltd Pune and many
members, account holders,
well-wishers, social digni-
taries, and cooperative sector
representatives.
Chhatrapati Shahu Ma-
haraj acknowledged the
bank's progress, emphasising
that it is advancing based on
the vision of the late Abasa-
heb Shinde. He expressed
confidence in the bank's fu-
ture expansion throughout
Maharashtra, foreseeing it
becoming the leading bank in
the state.
Anil Kawade, sharing his
perspective, stated that the
bank's adherence to Reserve
Bank criteria has resulted in
a favourable financial condi-
tion. Subhash Mohite, Presi-
dent of the Pune District Ur-
ban Cooperative Banks Asso-
ciation, conveyed gratitude.
Sudhakar Panhale, the
Bank's President, provided
comprehensive details about
the bank's 40-year journey.
GUJARAT
Drugs worth `25 cr seized
FPJ NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD
The Directorate of Revenue
Intelligence (DRI) Ahmed-
abad busted a production
and smuggling ring of syn-
thetic drugs and seized 50 kg
of ketamine worth Rs25
crore at the Ahmedabad air-
port on Thursday.
Three persons were ar-
rested in connection with
the case.
The incident is the third
such in three months since
the officials began a crack-
down on drug syndicates,
according to officials.
The consignment, which
was declared as ‘Hydrox-
ylimine Hydrochloride’,
was destined for Bangkok
and was seized at the Air
Cargo Complex on the basis
of specific intelligence in-
puts.
The forensic science labo-
ratory (FSL) team that
analysed the chemical on
the spot confirmed the pres-
ence of ketamine in the con-
signment, which was seized
under provisions of the
Narcotic Drugs and Psy-
chotropic Substances
(NDPS) Act, 1985.
“The consignment was
examined in the presence of
Fake pesticide network busted
FPJ NEWS SERVICE
GANDHINAGAR
The Special Operations
Group (SOG) of Gandhinagar
Police has dismantled a clan-
destine operation involved in
the manufacturing and sale
of duplicate pesticides in
Mansa tehsil.
The raid, conducted at
Bhagwati Estate on Indrapu-
ra Road in Mansa, has led to
the seizure of illicit goods val-
ued at Rs46.23 lakh from vari-
ous renowned companies.
The complaint, filed by Nit-
inbhai Patel, the manager of
Solution Private Limited
Company at Mansa police sta-
tion, stated that it has collabo-
ration with FMC Private In-
dia Company, Releases India
Ltd, UPL Ltd, Bayer Crops
Science Ltd, and Crystal Cor-
porations Production Ltd.
These companies held the
copyrights and trademark
rights, yet their products
were being illicitly replicated
and distributed.
The complaint alleged that
Alpesh Gopalbhai Prajapati,
residing in Indrapura Prajap-
EVM demo buses
to gear up for polls
FPJ NEWS SERVICE
VADODARA
As the anticipation for the
upcoming elections builds,
the district of Vadodara is
not just preparing for the
polls but also ensuring that
voters are well-informed
about the Electronic Voting
Machines (EVMs).
To achieve this, District
Election Officer Atul Gore
has given the green signal
for two demonstration bus-
es that will traverse the city
and district, enlightening
citizens about the election
process.
The Vadodara district
election commission is leav-
ing no stone unturned to
conduct a fair and transpar-
ent election. Among the ar-
ray of measures being tak-
en, an awareness campaign,
featuring two demonstra-
tion buses, has been
launched.
Deputy Mamlatdar and
clerks from various posts in
the collector's office, recent-
ly transferred for election
duties, are actively con-
tributing to the prepara-
tions. Additionally, 18 nodal
officers have been appoint-
BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024
FSL officers, who confirmed
the presence of ketamine.
The 50kg consignment was
seized under the provisions
ativas, operated the illegal
pesticide production and dis-
tribution from the Bhagwati
Estate godown. Acting on this
information, the SOG team
conducted a raid, discovering
a cache of equipment, includ-
ing a plastic box, packing ma-
chine, weighing fork, and
sealing machine.
Upon inspecting the box,
the police uncovered a quan-
tity of duplicate insecticides
carrying the trademarks of
the aforementioned compa-
nies. Kalpesh Prajapati, with-
out proper licenses or author-
ization from the legitimate
companies, was manufactur-
ed for diverse functions, en-
suring a systematic ap-
proach to the electoral
process. The continuous re-
vision of the voter list fur-
ther underscores the com-
mitment to an inclusive and
accurate election.
District Election Officer
and Collector Atul Gore em-
phasized the significance of
these initiatives.
18 nodal officers have
been appointed for
diverse functions
“We are taking compre-
hensive steps to ensure a
fair election. The LED van,
equipped with EVM live
demonstrations and an au-
dio-visual system, will tour
polling stations in five a
ssembly constituencies
within Vadodara city and
five in the district,” Gore
said.
“This outreach aims to
educate voters on how to
use EVMs and encourage
maximum voter turnout.
Zonal officers will accompa-
ny the van, providing on-
the-spot guidance to citi-
zens,” he said.
of the NDPS Act. The haul
is worth about Rs25 crore in
the international market,”
said an official.
ing and selling counterfeit
pesticides, utilizing false and
duplicated symbols.
Gandhinagar SOG Police
Inspector Vanrajsinh Vala
and his team seized of goods
worth Rs46.23 lakh during the
raid. Alpesh Prajapati, the al-
leged perpetrator and resi-
dent of Indrapura in Mansa
Tehsil, was apprehended at
the scene.
A complaint has been regis-
tered at Mansa police station
under the Copyright Act's sec-
tions 63, 64, and 65, signaling a
decisive move against intellec-
tual property violations in the
pesticide industry.
BJP to woo tribals with
Van Setu Chetna Yatra
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / NAVSARI
In a strategic move to secure
the tribal vote bank in the up-
coming Lok Sabha elections,
the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) government in Gujarat
launched the ambitious 'Van
Setu Chetna Yatra' on Thurs-
day.
Chief Minister Bhupendra
Patel, accompanied by Gu-
jarat BJP chief CR Paatil,
flagged off the yatra from
Gandhi grounds in Vansada,
Navsari district.
The Van Setu Chetna
Yatra, which will cover 1,000
km, aims to connect the
entire tribal belt from Umber-
gaon to Ambaji in Gujarat.
The route covers significant
districts, including Umar-
gam, Valsad, Navsari, Dang,
Tapi, Surat, Bharuch, Nar-
mada, Chota Udepur, Pan-
chmahal, Dahod, Mahisagar,
Aravalli, and Sabarkantha.
Patel emphasized the his-
torical significance of the
tribal communities, noting
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi's efforts to empower
them through developmental
LAST WORD
Eye on polls, BJP to empower 30 lakh women
AMIT COWPER / AHMEDABAD
In a strategic move ahead of
the impending general elec-
tions, the women's cell of the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
in Gujarat has set its sights on
engaging with approximately
30 lakh women across the
state.
Collaborating with around
3 lakh self-help groups and
non-governmental organiza-
tions (NGOs), the party aims
to enhance its connection
with the female electorate, fa-
cilitating their access to
women-specific welfare
schemes initiated by the Modi
government.
The groundwork for this
outreach effort began with a
Consequently, DRI offi-
cials traced the drug to a fac-
tory that was set-up on the
outskirts of Gandhinagar,
where the contraband was
being manufactured with
the aim of smuggling it out
of India by air.
The Gandhinagar police
carried out a detailed search
of the factory premises lead-
ing to the recovery of 46 kg
of powdery substance, sus-
pected to be narcotics. The
substance, as well as the raw
material were seized and
the intermediaries were de-
tained under the provisions
of the NDPS Act.
The factory premises
were subsequently sealed
and further investigations
are being carried out to
trace the kingpins of this
racket, officials said.
The DRI has seized nar-
cotics substances worth
more than Rs500 crore dur-
ing a span of three months.
The agency has busted syndi-
cates involved in clandestine-
ly manufacturing mephed-
rone in chemical units in
Chhatrapati Sambhaji
Nagar, Maharashtra, and
Vapi, Gujarat, and have un-
earthed three labs involved
in clandestinely manufactur-
ing the chemical.
FIR lodged against herdsman’s family
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / SURAT
Surat Municipal Corpora-
tion (SMC) has taken stern
legal action against a herds-
man's family involved in a
life-threatening assault on
anti-cattle squad employees
near Khadi Bridge in Pan-
desara area on Wednesday.
A team of anti-cattle
squad members, along with
a police contingent, raided
the house of the accused,
identified as Shiva Rabari,
early on Thursday morning.
Over two dozen squad per-
sonnel 20 police personnel
seized 19 cattle from a cattle
shed on the property.
The SMC has also lodged
a formal complaint against
Shiva Rabari and five others
for assaulting the squad
members on Wednesday.
The altercation on
Wednesday began near Kha-
di Bridge when the SMC
team attempted to round up
stray cattle loitering on an
open plot. According to re-
ports, the herdsman's
family resisted the seizure,
opportunities. The 'Van Setu
Chetna Yatra' would strength-
en the connection with the
tribal belt, serving as an effec-
tive platform to communicate
government welfare schemes
to the forest-dwelling popu-
lace, he said.
Describing the yatra as a
consciousness journey fo-
cused on forest-environment
preservation and nature con-
servation, Patel highlighted
its role in promoting holistic
development.
The 'Van Setu Chetna Ya-
tra' is a symbolic effort
to bridge the gap between
the government and tribal
populations.
Shakti Vandana workshop
held at the state headquarters,
'Shri Kamalam,' on Thursday.
Attended by women workers
and office bearers, the session,
presided over by BJP state
Ahmedabad markets declare holiday on temple consecration day
Ahmedabad: Markets in the old city of Ahmedabad have
declared a holiday on January 22, the day the ‘pran
pratishtha’ (consecration) ceremony of the Ram temple in
Ayodhya is to be held. Ahmedabad traders and business
Diamond
district glows
with devotion
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / SURAT
The world’s diamond capital
is glowing with devotion like
never before ahead of the
consecration ceremony of
the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
"There is a unique joy
among the people associated
with the diamond industry
for the consecration of the
Ram Temple," said Jagdish
Khunt, president of the Surat
Diamond Association (SDA).
This sentiment rings true
throughout the district,
where the air thrums with
the anticipation of a momen-
tous occasion.
From January 18 to 22, the
diamond factories and mar-
kets will be adorned with saf-
fron flags and the night sky
will be lit up with a festive
palette. The entire stretch
from Varachha main road to
the Mini Bazaar diamond
market will be transformed
into a dazzling corridor of
light, a testament to the in-
dustry's collective fervour.
"All the diamond factory
owners have been urged to il-
luminate their respective fac-
tory premises with colourful
lightings," Khunt elaborated,
emphasizing the spirit of
shared celebration that per-
meates the district.
leading to a heated argu-
ment. The verbal spat quick-
ly escalated into physical vi-
olence when a youth from
the family allegedly at-
tacked the squad members
with sticks.
“A complaint has been
registered against the main
accused identified as Shiva
for assaulting the marshal
of the SMC during the sur-
prise raid to seize the cattle
loitering on the road,” con-
firmed NK Kamalia, Police
Inspector of Pandesara po-
Brand summit
to focus on
new trends
FPJ NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD
The Ahmedabad Manage-
ment Association (AMA) will
organise the AMA Brand
Summit 2024 on January 20.
The event, which will see
participation of branding,
marketing, advertising and
public relations profession-
als, students, academicians,
and other enthusiasts, will be
organised in association with
Zydus Cadila Healthcare and
AMA Centre for Marketing
Management.
The summit, which has the
theme ‘Managing Brands –
Yesterday, Today and Tomor-
row’, aims to bring together
industry leaders, profession-
als, and experts to explore
and discuss the most recent
trends and innovations in
branding and advertising.
It will feature a diverse
range of speakers and panel
discussions, providing a plat-
form for networking and
knowledge exchange among
industry professionals.
chief CR Paatil, delved into
various issues concerning
women's self-help groups and
NGOs. The workshop served
as a platform to strategize on
the forthcoming outreach pro-
Fake call centre luring
job seekers busted
MELVYN THOMAS / SURAT
The Surat police have busted
an illegal call centre that has
been operating from the Ra-
jhans complex on Ring Road.
Those running the scam
lured people with promises of
lucrative work-from-home
data entry jobs, only to later
entrap them in a web of legal
threats and then extort mon-
ey from them through only
transfers, according to offi-
cials.
The busting of the illegal
call centre has exposed a well-
oiled racket that had preyed
on unsuspecting job seekers
and highlighted the menace
of such scams.
Seven individuals have
been arrested for running the
fraudulent operation. They
have been identified as Aman
Akbar Gori, Salman Firoz
Pathan, Vinod Nanabhai
Chauhan, Tahir Moiuddin
Gori, Aamir Haroon Hunani,
Junaid Hussian Pathan, and
Jebunnisa Azhar Sheikh.
The accused used online
platforms such as Quicker
Marketplace and Google
searches to target individuals
seeking work.
The unsuspecting people
lice station. "One employee
sustained serious head in-
juries and was immediately
transferred to the New Civil
Hospital for treatment."
This incident
underscores the ongoing
struggle Surat faces with
stray cattle. These wander-
ing animals frequently pose
a danger to pedestrians and
motorists on busy roads, of-
ten leading to accidents and
injuries. In an effort to ad-
dress this issue, the SMC
has formed dedicated teams
291 graduate from
AURO University
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / SURAT
AURO University held its
11th convocation ceremony
on Thursday, with 291 stu-
dents being given graduation
degrees.
As many as 16 student re-
ceived gold medals, while 21
were awarded silver medals
at the ceremony that was
graced by Kiran Bedi, former
Lieutenant Governor of
Puducherry. Of these, 26
medals were awarded to fe-
male students, reflecting
AURO University's dedica-
tion to promoting gender
equality in education.
The School of Business led
the pack with the highest
number of graduates,
followed by Hospitality, Infor-
mation Technology, Law, Lib-
eral Arts, Design, and Jour-
grams.
Vijaya Tai Rahatkar, the na-
tional general secretary and
the national convenor for
Shakti Vandana, emphasized
the significance of reaching
federations such as Manek Chowk Choksi Mahajan, Ratan
Pol Sona Chandi Dagina Mahajan, and the Ahmedabad
Electrical Merchants and Contractors’ Association have
declared a holiday on that day.
were offered data entry jobs
with seemingly attractive re-
muneration through a com-
pany called Aero Tech Solu-
tions. However, completing
80-85 per cent of the work trig-
gered punitive charges of
Rs5,460, along with penalties,
based on a fraudulent con-
tract that was signed by the
victims. This experience led
Ashraf Pahlwan, one of the
victims, to narrate his ordeal
to the police.
Pahlwan was lured by the
prospect of good income and
signed the contract. However,
two months later, he received
a threatening call from some-
one named Waki. The person
accused Pahlwan of breach-
ing the terms of the contract.
Waki demanded that
across various zones to cap-
ture and manage stray cattle
populations.
"The SMC is committed
to ensuring the safety of its
employees and the public,"
said an officer of the SMC.
“We will not tolerate vio-
lence against our
employees who are simply
doing their duty to keep the
city safe. We are committed
to taking strong action
against those responsible
and ensuring the safety of
our personnel."
nalism.
"AURO University is a pio-
neer in integral and transfor-
mational learning,"
contended founder president
and Chancellor Hasmukh
Rama in his welcome address.
"We empower our students to
become future leaders who
contribute meaningfully to so-
ciety."
This commitment was evi-
dent in the diverse group of
graduates, receiving degrees
and diplomas across various
disciplines including Busi-
ness, Hospitality, Information
Technology, Law, Liberal Arts,
Design, and Journalism.
The university has also
signed memoranda of under-
standing (MoUs) with Kenne-
saw State University and Uni-
versity of San Diego in the
USA, Rama said.
out to the vast network of
women associated with the
self-help groups in Gujarat.
"We will be going out amongst
the around 30 lakh women of
Gujarat who are associated
with self-help groups. There
are around 3 lakh self-help
groups in the state. This will
be a part of the 'Shakti Van-
dana' program of the party,"
stated Rahatkar.
The BJP's goal is to estab-
lish direct contact with ap-
proximately 30 lakh women
through the Shakti Vandana
campaign in Gujarat. With an
objective to increase the pro-
portion of women voters, the
party has directed the Mahila
Morcha to coordinate with
Block Development Officers
Pahlwan make online money
transfers and threatened to
take legal action if this was
not done.
Pahlwan's story is not
unique. Several unsuspecting
individuals faced similar ha-
rassment and extortion.
Surat police followed up on
these complaints and raided
the call centre. It seized seven
computers, 15 mobile phones,
and other electronic equip-
ment worth Rs4 lakh from the
accused.
Investigations revealed a
systematic operation that in-
volved luring people,
trapping them with contracts,
creating fabricated work
pressure, and extorting mon-
ey under the guise of legal
consequences.
Diamond City
eyes medical
tourism
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / SURAT
Surat, which is known as a di-
amond hub, is now setting its
sights on medical tourism.
The Southern Gujarat Cham-
ber of Commerce and Indus-
try (SGCCI) is poised to un-
veil the city's healthcare po-
tential with a three-day
Health and Wellness Expo
2024 at the SIECC, Sarsana.
This ambitious initiative
targets non-resident Gu-
jaratis and the general
public, promising a compre-
hensive glimpse into Surat's
burgeoning medical land-
scape.
Over 100 exhibitors, hail-
ing from across India will
showcase their expertise in
healthcare at the three-day
expo starting on February 10.
This diverse line-up aims to
demystify the medical
tourism scene for non-resi-
dent Gujaratis, offering de-
tailed information on treat-
ments available in Surat's
hospitals.
"The health and wellness
expo is a stepping stone to-
wards establishing Surat as a
medical tourism hub," de-
clared Ramesh Vaghasia,
SGCCI president. "It's a cru-
cial step to bridge the gap be-
tween NRIs/NRGs and the
exceptional healthcare facili-
ties in our city."
The expo also aims to en-
lighten the public about
Surat's medical prowess. Vis-
itors can gain insights into
hospitals equipped for med-
ical tourism, access details of
specialized medical skills,
and learn about advanced ro-
botic surgeries available in
the city.
"This is about showcasing
Surat's hidden gem: its excep-
tional healthcare," said
Vaghasia. "We want everyone
to know that Surat not only
shines with diamonds, but
also boasts medical expertise
that rivals the best."
The SGCCI will also simul-
taneously host Food and
Agritech 2024. This parallel
exhibition focuses on foster-
ing agricultural and food pro-
cessing development in
South Gujarat. By covering
the entire agri-chain, the
expo aims to introduce cut-
ting-edge technology and
quality practices in these cru-
cial sectors.
(BDOs) in their respective ar-
eas, fostering connections
with the Self Help Groups and
NGOs.
The women's groups, com-
prising one convenor and two
co-convenors at both the dis-
trict and Block (Tehsil) levels,
will play a pivotal role in this
outreach initiative. Dr. Shrad-
dha Rajput, co-spokesperson
for BJP Gujarat, highlighted
the inclusive nature of the
campaign, stating, "All the fe-
males associated with the BJP,
including women from
elected wings such as MPs,
MLAs, counselors, party
office bearers, and workers of
the organization, will partici-
pate in the local level work-
shops of Shakti Vandana."
Emergency Medicine & Trauma-CCEMAT5” course: Applications invited
HYDERABAD: Applications are invited from eligible candidates of Telangana State
for admission into certificate course in “Emergency Medicine & Trauma-CCEMAT-5 seats
for the year 2024. The candidates are requested to visit website: www.nims.edu.in for
online application, prospectus and also for any updates. The last date submission of
INVESTMENTS FROM DAVOS POURING IN TS
Surgical Instruments Group
Holdings Announces
Investment of Rs. 231.5 crore
G
ouri Sridhara, Man-
aging Director and
Mr. Amar
Chidipothu, Director of Sur-
gical Instruments Group
Holdings (SIGH), a leading
medical devices manufac-
turing company from UK,
met the Hon’ble Chief Min-
ister and Minister of Indus-
tries & IT Minister in Davos.
As part of their global ex-
pansion and entry into Indi-
an market, SIGH announced
its plan to set up a manufac-
turing facility in Hyderabad
with a potential investment
of INR 231.5 crore over the
next 2-3 years. This will in-
clude the manufacturing of
several devices which are
currently not manufactured
in India and will be a step to-
wards affordable healthcare.
Chief Minister assured
the delegation of full
support from the state gov-
ernment.
In Phase 1, SIGH will man-
High-level Talks in Davos Between WTITC Chairman and Swiss Investment Chief
No Muslim Representation in
Govt, wonders Abid Rasool Khan
FPJ BUREAU/HYDERABAD
Abid Rasool Khan, former
Chairman, State Minorities
Commission for Telangana &
Andhra Pradesh and many
Muslim intellectuals have ex-
pressed their disappointment
on Muslim not being nomi-
nated as an MLC amongst the
two candidates nominated by
Congress party under the
MLA-Elected Quota.
In a pressnote here today,
Abid Rasool Khan said the
Congress party indicated that
they are considering to nomi-
nate a Muslim in the "Gover-
nor's Quota. On the other hand,
the Governor has stated that
she would not be nominating
any candidate till the ongoing
legal matter pending before the
High Court is finally disposed
off as it is "Sub Judice"
“This stand of the Governor
is to the knowledge of Con-
gress party and it is surprising
UBER announces Congress-BJP should explain their secret politics to people: KTR
expansion in Hyderabad
FPJ BUREAU/DAVOS
Uber, the globally renowned
mobility and SAAS company,
has announced its ambitious
expansion plans in Hyder-
abad, underscoring the city's
thriving talent pool and pro-
business environment.
This strategic move follows
a successful meeting between
Chief Minister A. Revanth
Reddy's delegation and Uber's
leadership team at the World
Economic Forum in Davos.
Recognizing Hyderabad as
home to their largest tech cen-
ter and engineering hub out-
side the United States,
Uber is set to further
deepen its roots by ex-
panding into the
realms of Artificial
Intelligence and Ma-
chine Learning.
This expansion
project is expected to
generate employment opportu-
nities for approximately 1000
skilled engineers.(This is the
previous discussion. Please up-
date this numbers during the
meeting and update) In addition
to this groundbreaking expan-
sion, Uber is set to introduce two
innovative services in Hyder-
abad: These initiatives reflect
Uber and Telangana’s dedica-
tion to environmental responsi-
bility and aligns with global ef-
forts towards a greener future.
Uber's expansion and the
introduction of these services
ufacture general surgical in-
struments, precision surgi-
cal instruments used in mi-
cro-surgeries, orthopaedic
power tools, dermatomes
used in maxo surgery, oph-
thalmic instruments and
minimal invasive surgery.
In Phase 2, they will ex-
pand to manufacturing of
robotic medical devices.
SIGH is a well-established
company, supplying to NHS,
Ministry of Defence (Army)
and private hospitals in the
United Kingdom.
They are headquartered
in Milton Keynes with dedi-
cated manufacturing facili-
ties in Turkey and Germany.
Over the years SIGH ac-
quired 11 companies includ-
ing popular brands such as
Osborn & Simmons, Vale-
plan, Decon sciences, Heinz
Waldrik among others, act-
ing as a consolidator for
prestigious UK brands with-
in the healthcare industry.
This stand of the
Governor is to the
knowledge of Congress
party and it is
surprising that they
chose not to nominate
a Muslim in the MLA-
Elected Quota.
that they chose not to
nominate a Muslim in the
MLA-Elected Quota. It is a fact
that it is the first instance in
the history that an elected
Government of Telangana or
Government of United
Andhra Pradesh has no Mus-
lim representation in the
Ministry. Telangana has a
population of about 16% Mus-
lim as reported and media re-
port suggest that most of the
Muslims supported Congress
n UBER GREEN LAUNCH: In a
bid to contribute to sustain
able mobility, Uber will
introduce Uber Green, offering
users exclusive access to zero-
emission electric vehicle rides
n UBER SHUTTLE LAUNCH:
To provide premium, efficient
rides on high-capacity vehicles.
in Hyderabad also resonate
with the Telangana govern-
ment's steadfast efforts to fos-
ter growth in the Mobility and
Automotive sector.
The collaborative environ-
ment is anticipated to
attract top-tier talent
and businesses to Hy-
derabad, establishing
the city as a hub for
innovation and tech-
nological advance-
ments in the mobility
industry.
The company looks for-
ward to contributing to Hy-
derabad's growth story and
creating a positive impact on
the local economy.
About Uber
Uber is a leading global mo-
bility and technology compa-
ny, committed to making
transportation accessible and
convenient for everyone.
With a presence in cities
around the world, Uber con-
tinues to innovate and drive
positive changes in the way
people move, work, and live.
online application is January 25. The hard copy of online application shall be submitted
with supporting documents with detailed prospectus in person or by post (preferably
by Indian Postal Services) so as to reach the Associate Dean, Academic-1, 2nd floor, old
OPD Block, NIMS, Punjagutta, Hyderabad.
I
n a strategic meeting held
in Davos, WTITC Network
Chairman Sundeep Kumar
Makthala engaged in a com-
prehensive discussion with
Switzerland's Chief
Investment Promotion Officer,
Patrik Wermelinger. The focus
of their deliberations was cen-
tered around the upcoming
World Telugu Investment Sum-
mit 2024.
Scheduled to unfold in the
enchanting city of Geneva,
Switzerland, in May 11 & 12, the
summit aspires to showcase
global investment opportuni-
ties within the dynamic Tel-
Congress MLA
Vivek appears
before ED
FPJ BUREAU/HYDERABAD
Chennuru Congress MLA
Vivek Venkataswamy, who is
facing allegations in the
hawala and FEMA cases, on
Thursday appeared before
the Enforcement Directorate
(ED) in the city.
ED is investigating the
transactions of Visakha In-
dustries and MS Vigilance
Securities. A case has been
registered that Rs.100 crore
and they feel let down today”, transactions have taken place
Abid Rasool Khan said.
Minority Declaration
between Visakha Industries
and MS Vigilance Security.
The ED is investigating the
Abid Rasool Khan said “it transactions detected during
is more than 45 days since the the recent Assembly elections
Congress Government has and a case has been
been formed till today and not registered based on bank
a single commitment was giv- transactions worth Rs.8 crore.
en by the Congress party un- In November, 2023, ED offi-
der "Minority Declaration cials conducted searches in
dated November 9, 2023 has Visakha Industries and iden-
been implemented nor steps tified Vigilance Security
were taken to implement it. Services as bogus company.
FPJ BUREAU/HYDERABAD to defeat the BRS party. Con-
gress leader Rahul Gandhi
BRS working president KT was saying that both PM
Rama Rao today addressed Modi and Adani are one and
the preparatory meeting of same. Revanth Reddy
the leaders of Mahabubnagar also spoke as Chief
Parliament seat. Minister at the na-
Speaking on the occasion, tional convention
he demanded the rival Con- of the Congress
gress and BJP parties to ex- party that Prime
plain about their secret poli- Minister and indus-
tics. “Bharatiya Janata Party trialist Adani is the
national general secretary same,” he said.
Bandi Sanjay himself is call- KTR also said Revanth
ing for the united fight of the Reddy called Adani as a thief.
Congress party and the BJP “But the same Revanth Reddy
Rajendranagar Police Station receives MHA award
FPJ BUREAU/HYDERABAD
Cyberabad Commissioner of
Police Avinash Mohanty, IPS.,
congratulated the police offi-
cers of Rajendranagar police
station SHO B. Nagrendra
Babu, ADCP Sadhana Rash-
mi Perumal, IPS, ACP Gan-
gadhar, Admn SI Ramesh for
bagging the ‘Best Police Sta-
tion’ award.
“This achievement is a tes-
tament to the dedication and
hard work of the entire team
at Rajendranagar Police Sta-
tion,” said CP Cyberabad and
congratulated Inspector Na-
gendra Babu on receiving the
top honour.
“Their commitment to serv-
ing the community and up- tion to all.” The CP said.
holding the law is an inspira- Union Home Minister on
HYDERABAD HYDERABAD
INDORE / BHOPAL | FRIDAY| |JANUARY
| FRIDAY
ugu-speaking states of Andhra map and establish a robust
Pradesh and Telangana. Mak- partnership between Telugu
thala and Wermelinger ex- States and Switzerland.
plored avenues to foster inter- As WTITC expands its hori-
national collaborations and at- zons onto the global stage, this
tract investments to the bur- collaboration with Switzer-
geoning Telugu business land- land's Chief Investment Pro-
scape. motion Officer is a significant
This strategic interaction is step towards creating a plat-
a precursor to an event that form for cross-border partner-
transcends geographical ships and economic growth.
boundaries, bringing together The synergy of expertise and
entrepreneurs, investors, and opportunities discussed in
thought leaders from across Davos is set to resonate at the
the globe. The World Telugu In- summit in Geneva, marking a
vestment Summit 2024 aims to milestone in the global Telugu
position the Telugu States on business community's pursuit
the international economic of excellence.
Bhatti holds meeting on budget proposals
FPJ BUREAU/HYDERABAD tariat here on Thursday.
Minister for Revenue,
Deputy Chief Minister and Housing and I & PR Ponguleti
Finance Minister Bhatti Srinivas Reddy also took part
Vikramarka held a meeting in the meeting and discussed
with officials of Revenue, about the budget proposals on
Housing I& PR departments behalf of his departments.
on the preparation of annual Bhatti Vikramarka has dis-
budget proposals for the fi- cussed with officials about the
nancial year 2024-25 at Secre- government programmes,
is seen with Adani at Davos.
This opportunistic,
“The government here
and the Chief Minister are
degrading politics is done by working together with Adani
the Congress party. The Con- on the instructions of the
gress party is at logger- BJP. What are the reasons for
heads with it in Delhi. the changed attitude of the
It should clarify as to Congress party towards it,”
why it is working he asked. Stating that the
with Adani in Telan- number of promises made by
gana ,” he asked. He the Congress party was exact-
said when not in pow- ly 420, he said they were re-
er, the Congress party minding the Cngress party
called Adani an enemy of about the 420 promises made
the country and wondered as by it. He said they were re-
to why it was now working to- minding the Congress party
gether with Adani? and CM Revanth Reddy to ful-
January 5, 2024 presented Rajendranagar Inspector B.
best police station award to Nagendra Babu at the DG’s
JANUARY19,
19, 2024
2024
Tata Group promises
major new investments,
expansion
C
hief Minister of
Telangana, Sri Re-
vanth Reddy, and Sri
Natarajan Chandrasekaran,
Chairman of Tata Sons, met
during the World Economic
Forum Annual Meeting
2024 in Davos, Switzerland
and discussed Tata group’s
ongoing and future
business plans for Telan-
gana.
The Tata Sons Group has
a very large and diversified
business presence in Telan-
gana.
Tata Consultancy Servic-
es (TCS), the tech consulting
arm of Tata Group, employs
more than 80,000 in Hyder-
abad, making them one of
the largest IT employers in
the state.
TCS has large plans for
Hyderabad and will contin-
ue to grow over the next few
years.
Tata Advanced Systems
Limited has successfully
grounded multiple joint
ventures in leading global
defence and aerospace com-
panies like Boeing, Siko-
rsky, GE, Lockheed Martin
and is committed to expand
further in this strategic sec-
tor.
Tata Technologies Limit-
ed (TTL) is also partnering
with the State government
to upgrade and transform
Government ITIs as Ad-
vanced Technology Centres
to impart long term and
short term courses in indus-
try 4.0 trades and bridge the
skill gap.
TTL will be investing
around Rs 1,500 crore to set
up advanced skilling
schemes and other operating
expenses to be implemented
in the respective departments
in the coming financial year.
Special Chief Secretary
Arvind Kumar, Principal Secre-
tary Naveen Mittal, Srinivasara-
ju, I&PR Special Commissioner
Ashok Reddy and other officials
attended this meeting.
fil the promises made to the
people of the State. He said
even after so many days of
the Congress party coming
into power, Rythu Bandhu did
not come into the farmer's ac-
counts.
“Within a few days of the
government coming to power,
many sections of the society
are unhappy with the Con-
gress party government,” he
said, adding that the condi-
tions of standing in line for
fertilisers by the farmers
were back in the State.
Union Home Minister on January 5, 2024
presented best police station award to
Rajendranagar Inspector B. Nagendra Babu at
the DG’s conference in Jaipur. The police station
was adjudged as the best PS in the country for
2023 by Ministry of Home Affairs.
conference in Jaipur. The po-
lice station was adjudged as
the best PS in the country for
2023 by Ministry of Home
Affairs. The police station
was among 17,000 entries re-
ceived by the MHA from
across the country for the
award.
The Union Home Ministry
takes into account various pa-
rameters like crime detection
rate, investigation quality,
Air India to increase
domestic &
international
connections
Chief Minister, Sri A
Revanth Reddy said on the
occasion, “Tata group is a
vital partner and key
contributor to state’s
economic growth. Our
government is committed
to facilitate Tata groups
investments in different
sectors. We are happy to
partner with TTL to
establish advanced tech
centres in Govt ITIs and
welcome TTL to join the
initiative to set up
dedicated skill universities
in Telangana”.
Natarajan Chandrasekaran
added “Telangana is a
strategically important
location for the Tata group.
As a group, we intend to
expand in Telangana as
much as possible and we
look forward to working
cooperatively with the new
Government.”
inister for Industries and
ITE&C Sri D. Sridhar Babu,
Principal Secretary ITE&C,
I&C Sri Jayesh Ranjan, and
Special Secretary,
Investment Promotion, Sri
Vishnu Vardhan Reddy
were present during the
meeting.
centres in 50 Govt ITIs and
also deploy master trainers
for handholding the new
courses.
‘Two national
parties worked
to defeat KCR in
Gajwel’
FPJ BUREAU/GAJWEL
Former minister T. Harish
Rao today alleged that two na-
tional parties worked togeth-
er to defeat former CM KCR
in Gajwel assembly con-
stituency. He also alleged that
the two parties tried to create
a rift among various castes
and religions. He said the
BRS party workers worked
hard for the victory of KCR
and ensured his victory in
Gajwel. Rao said he was bow-
ing his head before all the
BRS family members for
their hard work in Gajwel.
Addressing at a thanksgiv-
ing meeting of the party
workers held in Gajwel, Har-
ish Rao said the Gajwel victo-
ry was theirs . He said as
many as 154 nominations
were filed against KCR in
Gajwel and added that 47 re-
mained in fray after the with-
drawal of the nominations.
“Some were confused by the
installation of four electronic
voting machines. 18,750 votes
were lost due to this confu-
sion. Another 2,200 votes were
gone in favour of “road roller
symbol” that resembled the
“car” symbol of BRS. Despite
all these conspiracies, KCR
won with a majority of 45,000
votes,” he said while noting
that KCR won for the third
time in a row in Gajwel.
Rao said a lot of develop-
ment had taken place in Gajwel
and criticised that the ruling
Congress party had yelled its
anger against Gajwel in the re-
cent assembly elections.
community engagement, in-
frastructure maintenance,
and adherence to human
rights guidelines for the
award.
The selection process in-
volved rigorous evaluation
through the Crime and Crim-
inal Tracking Network Sys-
tem (CCTNS). As many as 75
police stations were shortlist-
ed out of thousands of en-
tries.
EDIT BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The long run is a misleading guide
to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead.
— JOHN MAYNARD KEYNES

FREE PRESS
FOR FREE FLOW OF TRUTH
Disregarding ecology, a showpiece for the elite
project but is largely or exclusively
meant for private cars, it has been
Mumbai
Pakistani terror Naama
sold as the road to ease mobility
but only for a fraction of Mumbai’s
nearly 10 million daily commuters,
it is supposed to bring the two
links under attack ÷Smruti Koppikar
cities closer with unprecedented
short travel time but, of course, it
makes the commute from the pro-
already among the top commercial
activities, and increasing areas of
Mumbai’s verdant landscape were
being claimed for it in the name of
commerce.
Environmental concerns had be-
gun to play out on the national stage
— Chipko Andolan and Silent Val-
ley protest, to name two — but had
the city’s northern and eastern languish in the hangover of the
sides, where the MTHL now post-Independence decades of the
begins. In the MMR, the reduction
of forests was between 5% and 7%
till 2011 while population growth
was an explosive 197% between
1950s and 60s when master plans,
in the great American tradition,
gave primacy to economy and espe-
cially to private cars.
1971 and 2011.
What infrastructure projects like
the MTHL do is drive further ur-
The notion of nature-based city
planning, a powerful idea increas-
ingly embraced by cities world-

T
hose familiar with Pakistan understand all too well

T
he past few days have seen un-
how it has employed terrorism as a part of its state bridled cheer and optimism in
policy, using it against India and Afghanistan for the city as the 21.8-kilometre
six-lane bridge over water, connect-
decades. Whenever a terrorist attack occurs globally, it of-
ing south Mumbai via Sewri to Navi
ten has a connection to Pakistan, either overt or covert. Mumbai, was thrown open in a
Few were aware that even an Islamic nation like Iran has grand ceremony. Conversations and
been a victim of Pakistan's use of terror to advance its for- arguments, including by Prime Min-
eign policy. This realisation came to light on Wednesday ister Narendra Modi who inaugurat-
ed it before presenting the spectacle
when Iran, deeming enough was enough, struck against of his grand walk on the bridge, have
Jaish al-Adl, a separatist group operating in a largely un- been about how this Mumbai Trans
governed area bordering Iran, which Tehran claims has Harbour Link (MTHL) was the new
been a source of instability. Jaish al-Adl is designated as a dawn in the city’s infrastructure.
The MTHL has been variously la-
foreign terrorist organisation by the US. The Sunni mili-
belled as “a new epoch of infra-
tant group operates along Iran's porous border with Pak- structural future”, “an
istan and it recently attacked a police station in Iran, re- engineering marvel” which “con-
sulting in the deaths of 11 people. nects millions” and furthered “the
As India's external affairs ministry spokesman men- ease of mobility of citizens”. It will
reduce travel time to the Nhava
tioned, every country has the right to defend its existence. Sheva area in Navi Mumbai from
Iran, in response to Jaish al-Adl's operations, took action the present 1.5 hours to barely 20
against the locations from which the group operates. Un- minutes, the makers have prom-
fortunately, two children were killed, as claimed by Pak- ised. Promptly christened as Atal
Setu, after the late Prime Minister
istan, and three others were injured. Wednesday's attack
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the bridge
should be viewed as an act of desperation by Iran. Instead has cost a staggering Rs 17,840
of addressing Iranian concerns over Pakistan's failure to crore. It has been touted as an “en-
control the terrorist organisation, Islamabad launched a vironmentally friendly design”
fiercer counterattack, striking two locations around the too, ticking off the box that many
are worried about in the era of cli-
border city of Saravan and killing nine people. A rogue mate change.
state cannot be expected to behave appropriately, and this Nothing brings out the crafty
is evident in Pakistan's insensitive leadership, oblivious to packaging of large infrastructure
the potential for the situation to spiral out of control and projects as much as the MTHL
destabilise peace in the region. Iran has its own stake in does. The advertising copy about
the bridge is important; what it
the conflicts in Gaza, risking both nations getting caught does not say is even more so — the
in the crossfire. Incidentally, before attacking Pakistan, bridge has been hyped as a public
Iran initiated an offensive against Iraq and Syria.
Surprisingly, both Pakistan and Iran have close ties with
China, which has called for a cessation of hostilities. From
their statements, it is clear that neither side intends to flex
their muscles for an extended period, as it could prove
counterproductive. The recent events should open the
world's eyes to the strong nexus between the state of Pak-
How sus are bosses who help fired staff get new jobs?
istan and terrorist outfits. These groups infiltrate Indian
territory, attack military and civilian posts, and ruthlessly
target innocents. Terrorists recognise no religion, sparing
Rational
not even those they consider "brothers” as underscored by
the tit-for-tat policy.
Analysis
÷ S Murlidharan
Sachin, real & fake
posed international airport to
south Mumbai faster and seamless.
And, it has been flaunted as envi-
ronmentally-friendly when in fact
it raises the stakes against both
Mumbai and Navi Mumbai on the
ecological front.
The idea of a trans harbour link
is decades old and, some would ar-
gue, necessary infrastructure be-
tween cities that are separated by
geography but connected in every
other way. In the 1970s, when Navi
Mumbai was planned by the trio of
architects Charles Correa and
Pravina Mehta with engineer-plan-
ner Shirish Patel to decongest the
burgeoning Bombay, it was a dif-
ferent world altogether. The notion
of the Mumbai metropolitan
region which encompassed cities,
towns and villages was being
shaped; the Mumbai Metropolitan
Region Development Authority
was set up only in 1975.
The plan to integrate these cities
and towns across harbours and
creeks into an urban agglomerate
whole was yet to be committed to
paper in government offices. Mum-
bai was basking in the glory of hav-
ing land-filled the sea once again
and created Nariman Point which,
for many decades, would be the
icon of India’s growing economy
and commerce. The city itself was
in the growth phase with in-migra-
tion yet to touch the worrying
highs that it did till after the turn of
the century. But construction was
ally thought better of leaving the
fired employees to fend for them-
selves by “uploading” the resume
of the fired employee with evident
— albeit tacit — approval of his ca-
pabilities and skill. This may
smack of running with the hare
and hunting with the hounds but
deep down it is an attempt to ac-
yet to become major determinants
in people’s daily lives as they do
now with intense rainfall spells and
hotter summers. Taming the city’s
natural topography and ecology in
the service of commerce did not
make headlines or cause major dis-
comfort except among committed
environmentalists who, in any
Nothing brings out the crafty packaging of large
infrastructure projects as much as the MTHL does
case, were seen as dispensable voic-
es in the city chorus.
The city was green. More than
35% of Mumbai, in the 1970s, was
lush tree cover while 34% of the
MMR was natural ecology; forests
accounted for 21% of its total land
surface of 4,427 square kilometres
with mangroves and water bodies
such as saltpans, marshes and
mudflats another 13%. It seemed,
then, as if the juggernaut of econo-
my and commerce could just go on
and on without a care for the eco-
logical context it was in.
Mumbai and MMR of 2024 are
starkly different. An IIT-Kharag-
pur study published five years ago,
before the latest major assault on
the ecology began, showed that the
city’s tree cover had declined
alarmingly from 35% to 13%; in the
process of urbanisation, the city
had lost 60% of its total vegetation
and 65% of its water bodies. The ur-
banisation was the most dense in
dite his cause and certainly not go-
ing to harm it. Yet, some prickly
fired employees may not like the
patronising act of unsolicited reha-
bilitation.
And there is also the eyeballs fac-
tor. A resume uploaded by the fir-
ing employer is arguably going to
catch more eyeballs than the one
banisation which comes at the cost
of natural ecology and encourage
private transport which has
proved substantially harmful to
the environment. But this link is
not the only one. A slew of projects
that give primacy to private trans-
port over the existing safe and reli-
able public transport systems pret-
ty much follow the same route. The
coastal road is a prime example of
this trend. Also flaunted as an engi-
neering marvel which will reduce
the travel time between south
Mumbai and the western suburbs,
it has another less-favourable de-
scription. The Assessment Report
6 of the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) of the
United Nations, which deliberates
on climate issues around the
world, called the coastal road a
piece of “maladaptive infrastruc-
ture” as climate threat looms large
over Mumbai.
Why do planners still ignore ecol-
ogy in urban planning and design?
Why do governments behave as if
ecology did not, and will not, mat-
ter to the well-being of the city or
the region? The answers are not
hard to find but, nevertheless, dis-
concerting. The urban planning
paradigm in Mumbai, as in other
cities across India, continues to
and reach out to them. At higher
levels, headhunters too may lap up
such uploaded resumes because
poaching too involves effort and
uploaded resumes are manna from
heaven for them.
What exactly then is the true mo-
tivation for the seemingly humani-
tarian gesture on the part of the fir-
wide, is not new here but it is yet to
be accepted as a powerful driving
force in the making of cities. This
would mean reviewing the econo-
my-over-ecology planning frame-
work that continues to prevail and
shifting it, tectonically, to a more
inclusive ecology-driven one. This
does not spell good news for wealth
and profits. And so Mumbai-MMR
continues to trundle along the old
path of master planning cities in a
manner disconnected from their
natural ecology.
Where and how the MTHL fits
into the larger urban framework
for MMR is yet unclear but it is pos-
sible to offer an educated guess: it
makes the commute faster for pri-
vate car owners and users between
key points, one of which is south
Mumbai and, the other, an emerg-
ing land market in Navi Mumbai
in the light of the new
international airport. The MTHL
is hardly meant for the average
Mumbai commuter given its steep
daily and monthly toll rates. It is
the archetypal showpiece that
serves the prevailing political and
financial elite. But then that’s not
new in Mumbai, is it?
Smruti Koppikar is a senior journalist
who writes extensively on cities,
development, gender, and the media.
She is the Founder Editor of the award-
winning online journal ‘Question of
Cities’
company may unwittingly be invit-
ing unnecessary attention much to
its detriment. Competitors are
bound to join the party and make
things difficult for the beleaguered
company. Not that the grapevine is
not going to get wind of the state of
affairs of the company in dire
straits but admitting it oneself is a

H
iring and firing are the two quire a human face on the part of uploaded by the employee himself ing employers? To be sure, it different thing.
sides of the employment heartless capitalists. or herself, given the fact employers makes parting a little less painful Listed companies are more keen-

C
ricketer Sachin Tendulkar finds himself ensnared
coin in the USA. Which is
in a technological tempest. Recently, he starred in
why except perhaps in government
a viral video promoting an online gaming app, employment, employees in general
claiming his daughter Sara earns Rs 2 lakh daily through do not lose sleep over switching
this virtual venture. He was as surprised as many of his jobs with nonchalance. Serial
CEOs is the phenomenon in the
fans were when they saw the fake video. It turned out that
USA where even honchos become
snippets from Sachin’s 50th birthday interview were inge- CEOs of five or more companies in
niously tweaked to endorse the gaming app, placing him their relatively short employment
among celebrities plagued by deepfake scandals. career before donning the robes of
The issue extends beyond personal embarrassment, as benevolent angel investors or part
of the private equity firms. The
morphed content, often of a salacious nature, haunts
short point is both employers and
celebrities, especially women. With 96% of these fake employees in the US do not wear
videos being pornographic, technology seems to wield its loyalty and lifetime employment
powers for less-than-honourable pursuits. The larger con- on their sleeves. The idea of loyalty
cern arises: are our regulatory systems equipped to and lifetime employment is
uniquely Japanese. US companies
grapple with the dark side of technology? The Information are so CEO-driven and -obsessed
Technology Act of 2000 appears archaic in the face of deep- that not only do the CEOs take a
fake evolution, lacking provisions to address emerging disproportionate share of the
challenges. Our legal system struggles to keep pace with salary pie but also instigate viscer-
al changes in the staff by firing the
the rapid expansion of cybercrime, resulting in many
existing ones and bringing in their
cases going unresolved and unreported. own favorites. Be that as it may.
Sachin, familiar with the pitfalls of cyber deception, has US employers of late have gener-
filed a second FIR, underscoring the inadequacy of
existing governance structures. Mumbai Police's futile at-
tempts to nab the culprits emphasise the uphill battle faced Sri Rama – king
by authorities in navigating the intricate world of cyber-
crime. While India holds immense potential in the AI of this land
ecosystem, the surge in cybercrime demands urgent atten- — Swami Brahmavidananda Saraswati
tion. The recent NCRB report, showcasing a 24.4%
I
n a few days, we will see
increase in cybercrime, is a call to action for the govern-
ment. As investments in AI applications soar, fortifying
regulatory frameworks and infrastructure becomes im-
the prana pratishtha of
Shri Rama in Ayodhya,
which most Hindus in this
perative. country have been waiting
for, for the last 500 years.
For the devout Hindus,
INDIA 75 YEARS AGO Rama is an avatar of Vishnu
FPJ Archives
JANUARY 19, 1949 and hence Bhagwan him-
self. There is no other way a
Hindu looks at Rama. He is
deeply revered and wor-
shipped. Once the Prana
Pratishtha is done, there
will be elaborate, ritualistic
worship as well, at least
three times a day as in
other temples too.
But, one may ask,
is it right for the
government to get
involved in it?
Is it right for
GUIDING LIGHT
Rama to be
thrust upon the other Indi-
ans who do not belong to
Hinduism? If they do not
want to accept Rama as
Bhagawan, no problems.
They do not have to.
The government is getting
involved in a minimalist
way though. The main pro-
gramme is by the Sri Ram
Janmabhoomi Teertha
Kshetra Trust, the Vishva
Hindu Parishad, Ramanan-
di ashram and others. The
prime minister will be
STAGE SET FOR DELHI CONFERENCE going there as he describes
himself as Sakshi.
New Delhi, January 18. The main task of the Delhi Conference This is important because
of Asian nations, commencing on January 20, it is believed, will Sri Rama was also a histori-
be to create an atmosphere which will compel the Netherlands cal figure, from the Iksh-
government to relinquish their hold on Indonesia.
Some of the fired employees, con- are by and large perceived to be Go- but at the same time the market is ly watched both by the competition
fident of finding another job sooner and the investors and market oper-
rather than later, may even go the ators. So, uploaded resumes or not
extent of stopping the patronising A resume uploaded by the firing employer is arguably the firing company’s difficulties
or condescending employer from
wearing the garb of self-anointed
going to catch more eyeballs than the one uploaded by would in any case be a subject of
salacious and malicious market
the employee himself or herself
rehabilitators, especially given the gossip. And BTW if the fired em-
fact there is no stigma attached to ployees are sitting on an egg nest in
being fired except when it is due to the form of shares under the Em-
fraud or some financial misde- liaths and employees the poor bound to sit up and take notice if ployees’ Stock Options Scheme
meanour. After all, no employer Davids. Let us contextualise it in the firing employer is a listed com- (ESOP) with vesting period some
has the divine right to unilaterally the Indian context albeit hypothet- pany. For, it is bound to wonder if distance away, there is going to be
decide to rehabilitate, as it were, ically given the fact this develop- the company is in trouble. Bears a double whammy for them---loss of
the employee he has fired. But such ment in the US has not caught on in make a meal out of any hint of trou- job for the nonce and along with it
uploading cannot be resented by India though it would most certain- ble. So, in a way what the firing loss of shares that could have given
the employees fired. In fact, it ly in due course catch on as experi- companies do is a bit of self-flagel- them handsome capital gains.
might even do a power of good to ence shows Indian corporates are lation bordering on digging their Net net, the uploading of resumes
their future as the potential new quick to latch onto American prac- own graves. Be that as it may. may at the end of the day turn out
employer is not going to be nega- tices, good, bad or indifferent. Sup- Of course, if the entire sector is in to be a cosmetic or empty gesture,
tively predisposed towards them as pose, Infosys fires a large number trouble due to geo-economic situa- one that is superficial in terms of
the implicit thumbs up to their ca- of employees and uploads the re- tion or otherwise, it does not empathy for the fired employees.
pabilities by the firing employer is- sumes of 50% of those having the matter much as rehabilitation
n’t anything to scoff at. Further- mortification of being fired, such within the same sector is well nigh S Murlidharan is a freelance columnist
more, the evident thumbs-up or ap- employees may breathe easy and impossible but if the poor showing and writes on economics, business,
proval of the fired employee by the take comfort from the fact that is not universal across the sector legal and taxation issues
employer is going to help and expe- Wipro or TCS might take notice but company-specific, the
LETTERS Awaiting Ram Rajya Ram Rajya. The mere presence of a grand
TO THE EDITOR I am a Hindu by birth. Like millions of my
fellow Hindus, I too am waiting for Lord
Ram to be consecrated in the sanctum
idol in a grand temple is not going to
establish Ram Rajya in our country.
Avinash Godboley, Dewas
Thinking ahead on sanctorum at Ayodhya. However, this by
itself is not going to usher in Ram Rajya in Merchandise trade deficit
renewable energy
vaku dynasty with ancient our country. Not being a holy seer, a
kings like Dilipa, Bharata,
Dasharatha, each one of
them a colossal figure, un-
A s a developing country, India's
leadership role in sustainable
energy and water security has touched
philosopher, or one who has any
knowledge of Hindu mythology, sacred lore
and legends, I am satisfied in calling /
India’s merchandise trade deficit declined
to $19.8 billion in December from $23.14
billion recorded in the same month
fortunately not studied a new high. State-of-the-art technology defining myself as a common(est) citizen of previous year due to slump in imports, as
about in our history books. is taking shape and the world's this great land; an Aam Aadmi, if you per official data. However, services exports
To acknowledge the kings of biggest Hybrid Renewable Park at please. To me, Ram Rajya will arrive, not declined to $27.88 billion in December
the land is important even if Dhordo (Bhuj) Kutch is one such step just for me, but for my brothers of all other 2023 from $31.19 billion in the same
one does not want to recog- in the right direction. Energy access, denominations, if month previous year. Its main reason may
nise him as Bhagavan and if energy efficiency, energy sustainability * we have a corruption-free government be decline in imports.
your religion does not allow and energy security: This is the path * quality education and medical care is Ibne Farooq
it. Acknowledge the king to make our country self-sufficient in available at a reasonable cost
who threw out the asuras solar energy. Solar capacity has increased * the justice delivery system is fair, efficient, New highs for aviation
who were inimical to this sharply in recent years, but rooftop affordable and transparent
land, who also destroyed the
headquarters and handed
over the kingdom of
solar needs a policy boost. India’s
renewables transition has so far
been a success story, with the share
* an application to any government
department is (at least) acknowledged and
a time frame given for the redressal of the
F rom meals being eaten on the tarmac,
passengers made to wait for hours in an
aerobridge, to being locked up on a flight
Sri Lanka to more of renewables capacity increasing problem(s) in question toilet, we are touching new heights — I
dharmika people up- sharply in recent years. Rooftop solar * there is a total ban on loudspeakers at meant lows, in aviation!
holding the uni- installation is decentralised, it religious as well as other places Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee
versal value value empowers ordinary people and * our leaders follow what they preach
structure. So, communities, and does not require land * governance at all levels is transparent, Dear reader,
honour them acquisition. It will provide smaller units in efficient and people-friendly. We are eager to know your opinions, comments and
suggestions. Write to editor.indore@fpj.co.in Using snail
like a king on particular with a cheap, reliable source of In my humble opinion, inculcating at least mail? Send your letters to Free Press, Free Press House, 3/54,
Earth, as one who upheld electricity. some of the above, for a start, will be the Press Complex, AB Road, Indore 452008
the Dharma, who was will- CK Subramaniam first baby steps to the concept of realising
ing to sacrifice his family,
his personal life, everything MIKA’S MATRIX
at the altar of a dharmic
rule. Rama rajya describes
all people having plenty. Sri
Rama can be an ideal for the
government of today and
the future. Not to do so
would be rejecting our his-
torical and cultural her-
itage, which would be very
unfortunate.
The writer is the founder of
Aarsha Vidya Foundation. You
can write to him at
aarshavidyaf@gmail.com
Spain replaces term 'handicapped' with 'persons with a disability'
Madrid: Spain's Parliament voted on Thursday to amend the
country's constitution for the third time in its history,
removing the term "handicapped" and replacing it with
"persons with a disability." The change has long been a
GLOBAL
BULLETIN
Russia says no to
talks on nuclear
arms control
Moscow: Russia's top diplomat
on Thursday dismissed a US
proposal to resume a dialogue
on nuclear arms control, saying
it's impossible while
Washington offers military
support to Ukraine. Speaking at
his annual news conference,
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
accused the West of fuelling
global security risks by
encouraging Ukraine to ramp
up strikes on Russian territory
and warned that Moscow will
achieve its goals in the conflict
despite Western assistance for
Kyiv. Commenting on a US
proposal to resume contacts in
the sphere of nuclear arms
control, Lavrov described it as
"unacceptable," saying that
Moscow has put forward its
stance in a diplomatic letter last
month.
France ramps up
weapons production
Paris: French manufacturers
have reduced the
manufacturing times for some
of the weapons systems they
supply to Ukraine by half or
more, as France increasingly
switches away from its previous
policy of dipping into its own
military stocks to support the
war effort against Russia's
invasion, France's defence
minister said in an interview
published on Thursday. "The
logic of ceding materiel taken
from the armies' stocks is
reaching its end," the minister,
Sébastien Lecornu, said in the
interview with Le Parisien.
Relief for Sunak as
Rwanda bill cleared
London: Rishi Sunak has
succeeded in getting his key
Rwanda bill through the House
of Commons after a Tory
rebellion failed to materialise.
The bill, which aims to stop
legal challenges against
ministers' plans to send asylum
seekers to Rwanda, was
approved by 320 votes to 276
votes. Dozens of Tories
thought the bill was flawed
and had threatened to rebel
but in the end, only 11 voted
against it. The bill now goes to
the House of Lords where it will
face stiff opposition. Sunak
argues that deporting some
asylum seekers to Rwanda will
be a deterrent to migrants
seeking to get to the UK by
crossing the Channel in small
boats, but Labour has labelled
the plan an expensive
"gimmick".
Crossword # 1021
Across
1 Smaller picture (5)
4 Kidnaps (7)
8 Free (3,4)
9 A prime number
(5)
10Peer or be nosey
(3)
12Little devils ! (4)
15Coagulate (4)
16Nervously (6)
17Pack (4)
19Dog breed: Great
___ (4)
21Singer Warwick
(6)
22Assess (4)
23Feline mewers (4)
25Lock opener (3)
28Solder together ?
(5)
(4)
29Swedish city (7)
4 Over or above (4)
30Auxiliary wager
5 Obligation (4)
(4,3)
6 Petals collectively
31Follow (5)
(7)
Down
7 Sugary flavor (5)
11Soften (6)
1 Insinuates or
13To stitch (3)
suggests (7)
14Start a fire (6)
2 Pry (5)
18External (7)
3 Its between a
19Nov. follower (3)
gallop and a walk
24 Adams, 25 Kerb, 26 Yurt, 27 Apse.
11 Relent, 13 Sew, 14 Ignite, 18 Outward, 19 Dec, 20 Enslave, 22 Rebus,
Down: 1 Implies, 2 Snoop, 3 Trot, 4 Atop, 5 Duty, 6 Corolla, 7 Sweet,
28 Braze, 29 Uppsala, 30 Side bet, 31 Ensue.
15 Clot, 16 Edgily, 17 Stow, 19 Dane, 21 Dionne, 22 Rate, 23 Cats, 25 Key,
Across: Across: 1 Inset, 4 Abducts, 8 Pro bono, 9 Three, 10 Pry, 12 Imps,
FPJ - SUDOKU - 23
WHAT TO DO: Fill in the grid so
that every row, every column and
every 3x3 box contains the digits
1 to 9. Every puzzle has only one
correct solution.
demand of people with disabilities in Spain. The amendment
to Article 49 also added that "public administrations will
pursue policies that guarantee the complete autonomy and
social inclusion of people with disabilities."
Palestinians dying in hospitals
as 60K overwhelm few docs: UN
AP / UNITED NATIONS
Palestinians are dying every
day in Gaza's overwhelmed re-
maining hospitals which can't
deal with the tens of thou-
sands people hurt in Israeli's
military offensive, a UN health
emergency expert said Wed-
nesday, while a doctor with the
International Rescue Commit-
tee called the situation in
Gaza's hospitals the most ex-
treme she had ever seen.
The two health profession-
als, who recently left Gaza af-
ter weeks working in hospi-
tals there, described over-
whelmed doctors trying to
save the lives of thousands of
wounded people amid col-
lapsing hospitals that have
turned into impromptu
refugee camps.
The World Health Organi-
zation's Sean Casey, who left
Gaza recently after five
weeks of trying to get more
staff and supplies to the ter-
ritory's 16 partially function-
ing hospitals, told a UN news
conference that he saw "a re-
ally horrifying situation in
EU Parl adopts
resolution for
permanent
Gaza ceasefire
AP / BRUSSELS
European lawmakers on
Thursday adopted a resolu-
tion calling for a permanent
ceasefire in Israel's war
against Hamas, on the condi-
tion that the Palestinian mili-
tant group in Gaza be dis-
mantled and that all hostages
it holds be released.
The conflict has divided
European Union countries
and political groups at the
legislature, and reaching a
consensus on the wording of
the resolution was not an
easy task.
The original text under-
lined the need for a perma-
nent ceasefire. It was adopted
after an amendment tabled
by conservative lawmakers
was passed, insisting that
Hamas needed to be disman-
tled for a ceasefire to happen
and calling for the
immediate and uncondition-
al release of all remaining
hostages.
20Put in bondage
(7)
22Picture puzzle (5)
24___ ale : water
for drinking ? (5)
25Pavement edge
(4)
26Mongolian tent
(4)
27Church recess (4)
Solution
Level: Very easy
Palestinians inspect damaged graves following an Israeli tank raid
over a cemetery in Khan Younis refugee camp on Wednesday– AP/PTI
the hospitals" as the health
system collapsed day by day.
Al-Shifa Hospital, once
Gaza's leading hospital with
700 beds, has been reduced to
treating only emergency
trauma victims, and is filled
with thousands of people
who have fled their homes
and are now living in operat-
ing rooms, corridors and
stairs, he said.
"Literally five or six doc-
tors or nurses" are seeing
hundreds of patients a day,
US teacher's aide admits to having ‘I’m innocent’, says PIO
sex with ‘numerous’ teenage boys Singapore ex-minister
AGENCIES / KENTUCKY
A former teacher's aide has
admitted in federal court to
having "numerous" sexual re-
lationships with teenage boys
while working at an elemen-
tary school in Kentucky, US.
According to the New York
Post, Ellen Phillips, 38,
pleaded guilty on Friday to at-
tempted online enticement of
a minor to engage in sexual
conduct. Her victims were
boys between the ages of 14
and 16. She confessed before
the judge that she would
sometimes have sex with mul-
tiple boys at the same time.
"Phillips would communi-
cate with the victims via
Snapchat, Facebook, or text
messaging and, in many in-
stances, would meet the vic-
tims for the purpose of en-
gaging in sexual activity," a
statement from federal prose-
cutors read.
She also "specifically ad-
mitted that on December 20,
2022, she attempted to entice a
YOUR DAY By Vinayak Vishwas Karandikar
ARIES: Today is the day
for studying and
enjoying family life.
Expect expenditure on
beauty products or luxurious items.
People in automobile dealerships
will get success. Ill health of spouse
may be indicated. Diabetic people
should avoid eating sweets.
TAURUS: It is a day for
entertainment and
enjoyment. Expect
expenditure on medical
bills and travel. People in fields like
advertisement and entertainment
will be benefited. Married people
may have some family issues. Some
of you may have eye problems.
GEMINI: Today is the
day to enjoy.
Expenditure is likely for
business and luxury
items. People in arts and
entertainment may get new
opportunities.Enjoyment or a tour
with family is indicated. Some
people may suffer from eye
problems.
CANCER: It is a good
day for students and
teachers. Those who
are appearing for
exams will be successful. Expect
expenditure for education. People in
art or architecture will do well. You
will enjoy decorating your house.
Today is a healthy day.
LEO: Today is the day to
travel and enjoy. Expect
expenditure for business
growth. People in fields
like tourism, advertising and
entertainment will be benefited. A
long journey with family is indicated.
You may suffer from knee pain or
shoulder problems.
VIRGO: Today is the
day for entertainment.
Expect expenditure for
education and travel.
People in fields like entertainment
and art classes will have success.
Long journey with family is
indicated. Some of you may suffer
from eye problems.
Casey said, most with life-
threatening injuries, and
there were "so many patients
on the floor you could barely
move without stepping on
somebody's hands or feet."
The Health Ministry in
Hamas-run Gaza estimates
that 60,000 people have been
wounded, with hundreds
more wounded per day.
Israel declared war against
Hamas following its surprise
attacks into the country's
south on October 7.
Faces life term for rape
15-year-old minor to engage
in sexual activity. In this con-
versation, Phillips messaged
the victim using Facebook
and repeatedly attempted to
get the victim to sneak out of
his house for sexual activity,"
the statement added.
It was noted that when the
boy told her that he could not
leave, she offered him alcohol
and oral sex if he could sneak
out. It also said that the 38-
year-old offered the victim ex-
cuses that he could tell his
mother as to why he had to
leave the house.
Speaking to Fox 56, one of
the victims' mothers said that
she went to high school with
Phillips and that their chil-
LIBRA: You must pay
attention to your
physical fitness. Expect
expenditure for
premiums. People in insurance or
maintenance will benefit. Married
people may experience ups and
downs, so avoid disputes. Physical
stress or injury is indicated.
SCORPIO: It’s a day to
study, travel and
entertain. You may
invest in luxury
products. People in fields like art and
entertainment will be benefited.
Married or love life will be romantic.
Some of you may suffer from eye
problem.
SAGITTARIUS: Today is
a day of gains and
losses so be careful.
Expect expenditure for
health or medical treatment. Interior
decorators and entertainers will get
success. Relationships may see some
twists and turns, so avoid disputes.
Some people may suffer from
stomach pain.
CAPRICORN: Support
from life partner or
business partner is
indicated. Expect
expenditure on business, children and
entertainment. People in arts and
entertainment will do well. Married
and love life will be romantic. Time to
see movies or party.
AQUARIUS: A good day
for students and
teachers. Those
appearing for
competitive exams will get success.
Expect expenditure for education and
vehicle. Those in education or arts
will be benefited. Enjoyment or party
is expected in the house.
PISCES: Enjoyment,
entertainment or party
is indicated today.
Expect expenditure for
father or children. Liquor shops, bars
and pubs will benefit today.
Sportsmen should take care as
injuries are indicated. Romance will
be at its peak.
Unclear if medicines
reached hostages
T
here was meanwhile
no word on whether
medicines that entered
the territory on Wednesday as
part of a deal brokered by
France and Qatar had been
distributed to dozens hostages
with chronic illnesses who are
being held by Hamas.
More than 100 days after
Hamas triggered the war
with its October 7 attack, Is-
rael continues to wage one
of the deadliest and most
destructive military cam-
paigns in recent history,
with the goal of dis-
mantling the militant group
that has ruled Gaza since
2007 and returning scores
of captives. The war has
stoked tensions across the
region, threatening to ignite
other conflicts.
More than 24,000 Palestini-
ans have been killed, some 85
per cent of the narrow
dren grew up together. "These
boys are not aware of the
laws that protect them and
would not come forward be-
cause they thought they
would be in trouble," the
mother said. Her son report-
edly told her that the 38-year-
old brought them alcohol 3 to
4 times. "I can't wrap my
mind around the extent of
what she's done," she said.
Ellen Phillips was arrested
in April 2023 when two mi-
nors came forward and said
she had raped them on three
separate occasions.
She now faces a minimum
of 10 years and a maximum
of life in prison. State prose-
cutors will consider dropping
charges as a result of Phillips'
federal guilty plea.
"The U.S. Attorney's Office
prosecuted this case as part of
Project Safe Childhood, a na-
tionwide initiative launched
in 2006 by the Department of
Justice to combat the growing
epidemic of child sexual
abuse," the statement said.
Traffic through Panama FB, INSTAGRAM MOST
Canal is being slashed INVASIVE: REPORT
AP / PANAMA CITY
A severe drought that began
last year has forced authori-
ties to slash ship crossings by
36 per cent in the Panama
Canal, one of the world's
most important trade routes.
The new cuts announced
Wednesday by authorities in
Panama are set to deal an
even greater economic blow
than previously expected.
Canal administrators now
estimate that dipping water
levels could cost them be-
tween $500 mn and $700 mn in
2024, compared to previous
estimates of $200 mn.
One of the most severe
droughts to ever hit the Cen-
tral American nation has
stirred chaos in the 50-mile
maritime route, causing a
traffic jam of boats, casting
doubts on the canal's reliabil-
NORTH KOREA PUNISHES TEENS
12 years hard labour for watching K-drama
AGENCIES / SEOUL
Rare footage obtained by
BBC Korean shows North
Korea publicly sentencing
two teenage boys to 12 years
of hard labour for watching
K-dramas.
The footage, which app-
ears to have been filmed in
2022, shows two 16-year-old
boys handcuffed in front of
hundreds of students at an
outdoor stadium.
It also shows uniformed of-
ficers reprimanding the boys
for not "deeply reflecting on
their mistakes", reports BBC.
South Korean entertain-
ment, including TV, is
banned in the North. Despite
that, some are prepared to
risk severe punishment to ac-
cess K-dramas, which have a
huge global audience.
Footage such as this is
rare, because North Korea
forbids photos, videos and
BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024
coastal territory's 2.3 million
people have fled their homes,
and the United Nations says a
quarter of the population is
starving.
Hundreds of thousands
have heeded Israeli evacua-
tion orders and packed into
southern Gaza, where shel-
ters run by the United Na-
tions are overflowing and
massive tent camps have
gone up.
But Israel has continued to
strike what it says are mili-
tant targets in all parts of
Gaza, often killing women
and children.
Dr Talat Barhoum at
Rafah's el-Najjar Hospital
confirmed the death toll from
the strike in Rafah and said
dozens more were wounded.
Associated Press footage
from the hospital showed rel-
atives weeping over the bod-
ies of loved ones.
PTI / SINGAPORE
Singapore's Indian-origin for-
mer transport minister S
Iswaran, who has resigned
from the ruling party after be-
ing charged with multiple of-
fences, on Thursday said he
was "innocent" and rejected
all graft allegations against
him.
Earlier in the day, Iswaran,
61, was handed an array of
charges, the bulk of which
was for receiving items worth
hundreds of thousands of
dollars from billionaire hote-
lier Ong Beng Seng, mainly
relating to the Singapore F1
race, The Straits Times news-
paper reported.
He pleaded not guilty to 27
charges - two of corruption
under the Prevention of Cor-
ruption Act, one of obstruct-
ing justice and 24 of receiving
gratification as a public ser-
vant under the Penal Code. He
told the court he intends to
claim trial.
"I am innocent and will
now focus on clearing my
ity for international shipping
and raising concerns about
its affect on global trade.
On Wednesday, Panama
Canal Administrator Ricau-
rte Vásquez said they would
cut daily ship crossings to 24,
after already gradually slash-
ing crossings last year from
38 a day in normal times.
Vasquez added that in the
first quarter of the fiscal year
the passageway saw 20 per
cent less cargo and 791 fewer
ships than the same period
the year before.
It was a "significant reduc-
tion", Vasquez said. But he
said that more "efficient" wa-
ter management and a jump
in rainfall in Nov has at least
enabled them to ensure that
water levels are high enough
for 24 ships to pass daily until
the end of April, start of the
next rainy season.
Two 16-year-old boys being
handcuffed – AP
other evidence of life in the
country from being leaked to
the outside world. This video
was provided to the BBC by
the South and North Devel-
opment (Sand), a research in-
stitute that works with defec-
tors from the North.
It suggests authorities are
coming down harder on such
incidents. The clip has re-
WORLD
US military launches
more missiles at
Houthi sites in Yemen
AP / WASHINGTON
The US military fired anoth-
er wave of ship- and subma-
rine-launch missile strikes
against Houthi-controlled
sites Wednesday, US Central
Command said, marking the
fourth time in days it has di-
rectly targeted the group in
Yemen as violence that ignit-
ed in the wake of the Israel-
Hamas war continues to spill
over in the Middle East.
The strikes were launched
from the Red Sea and hit 14
missiles that the command
deemed "imminent threat."
The strikes followed an offi-
cial announcement Wed-
nesday that the US has put
the Houthis back on its list of
specially designated global
terrorists. The sanctions that
come with the formal desig-
nation are meant to sever vi-
olent extremist groups from
their sources of financing.
"Forces conducted strikes
on 14 Iran-backed Houthi
missiles that were loaded to
be fired in Houthi controlled
areas in Yemen," Central
Command said in a state-
name," the former minister
said in a statement on Thurs-
day, rejecting all allegations
against him.
Iswaran, who earlier in the
day, resigned from the ruling
People's Action Party (PAP)
and announced stepping
down as a Member of Parlia-
ment, said that he did that
"even without being asked to
do so".
"I resigned as Cabinet Min-
ister, Member of Parliament
and as a member of the Peo-
ple's Action Party because I
believe it was the right thing
to do," Iswaran was quoted as
saying by Channel News
Asia. In his resignation letter
to Prime Minister Lee Hsien
Loong, dated January 16,
Iswaran rejected the various
offences the Corrupt Prac-
tices Investigation Bureau
charged him with.
"I reject the allegations and
will now focus on clearing my
name. Given the circum-
stances, I feel it is right for me
to resign from Cabinet," the
letter said.
IANS / SAN FRANCISCO
Meta-owned Facebook and
Instagram are the two most
privacy-invasive apps out
there, a new report has re-
vealed.
The cybersecurity compa-
ny Surfshark conducted re-
search analysing 100 popular
apps, and they discovered
that Facebook and Instagram
were the most "data-hungry"
of all. It ranked apps accord-
ing to 32 criteria that are in-
cluded in Apple's privacy pol-
icy, such as payment infor-
mation, browsing history,
and exact location.
"Since Instagram and
Facebook are products of
Meta Platforms, it's no sur-
prise these two apps collect
and handle data the same
way," the researchers said.
"Both apps collect all 32
data points defined by Apple
portedly been distributed in
North Korea for ideology ed-
ucation and to warn citizens
not to watch "decadent
recordings".
The video includes a nar-
rator who is repeating state
propaganda. "The rotten pup-
pet regime's culture has
spread even to teenagers,"
says the voice, in an apparent
reference to South Korea.
"They are just 16 years old,
but they ruined their own fu-
ture," it adds.
The boys were also named
by officers and had their ad-
dresses revealed. In the past,
minors who broke the law in
this way would be sent to
youth labour camps rather
than put behind bars, and the
punishment was usually less
than five years.
In 2020, however, Py-
ongyang enacted a law to
make watching or distribut-
ing South Korean entertain-
ment posted on X late
Wednesday.
"These missiles on launch
rails presented an imminent
threat to merchant vessels
and US Navy ships in the re-
gion and could have been
fired at any time, prompting
US forces to exercise their in-
herent right and obligation to
defend themselves."
Global terrorist: US
The United States has an-
nounced the designation of
Ansarallah, also known as
the Houthis, as a Specially
Designated Global Terrorist
in response to their continu-
ing threats and attacks.
Following the rebels' at-
tacks on ships in the Red Sea,
the US started strikes on
Houthi targets in Yemen on
Wednesday, prompting Wash-
ington to relist the group as
"specially designated global
terrorists." Since November,
the organisation with ties to
Iran has been carrying out at-
tacks that have hampered
marine trade between Asia
and Europe, reported Al
Jazeera.
Arnold held
over EU tax for
luxury watch
AGENCIES / MUNICH
Arnold Schwarzenegger
was detained at a German
airport for allegedly failing
to de-
clare a
luxury
watch
he was
plan-
ning to
auction
for
charity.
The
Hollywood actor was held for
three hours at Munich air-
port on Wednesday.
An investigation for al-
leged tax evasion was
launched as the watch was
intended to be sold within
the European Union (EU).
According to EU rules,
anyone arriving with "cash
or certain valuable items"
over €10,000 (£8,580) must de-
clare it.
However, Schwarzenegger
was not asked to fill out a dec-
laration form.
and are the only two to do so,"
they added.
Facebook and Instagram
used seven of the 32 user data
points, including name, phys-
ical address, and phone num-
ber -- for tracking.
The remaining were con-
nected to user identity but
not used for tracking, the re-
port noted.
Although X (formerly
Twitter) gathered less user
data, it was the least
reluctant to share it with out-
side parties.
Nearly half of the 22 data
pieces it gathered and associ-
ated with individuals were
used for tracking.
Overall, 10 social media
and messaging applications
were included in the re-
search, and it was discovered
that these apps collected
more user data than the aver-
age amount.
ment punishable by death.
A defector previously told
the BBC that he was forced to
watch a 22-year-old man shot
to death. He said the man was
accused of listening to South
Korean music and had
shared films from the South
with his friend.
Sand CEO Choi Kyong-hui
said Pyongyang sees the
spread of K-dramas and K-
pop as a danger to its
ideology. "Admiration for
South Korean society can
soon lead to a weakening of
the system. This goes against
the monolithic ideology that
makes North Koreans revere
the Kim family," she said.
North Koreans started get-
ting a taste of South Korean
entertainment in the 2000s,
during the years of the
South's "sunshine policy"
which saw it offering uncon-
ditional economic and hu-
manitarian aid to the North.
 GOLD
MARKET WATCH
SENSEX
NIFTY
USD/INR

SILVER
71,186.86
21,462.25
83.13
62,750.00
75,600.00
t
t
s
t
t
313.90
109.70
0.01
300.00
200.00
Experts hail India's digital public infra for reducing inequality
A group of global experts has hailed India's robust digital
public infrastructure, especially UPI, in reducing inequality.
At a panel discussion here this week at Davos Innovation
Week, hosted by World Innovation Economics, the experts
discussed how UPI and overall digital public infrastructure
have scaled new heights in India. The panel discussed
about UPI, Digital Public Infrastructure, India Stack 2.0,
CBDC, Blockchain, and Data privacy.
MONEY
BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024

BIZ BULLETIN
Maersk opens new cold
chain facility in Gujarat
India needs to secure at least 7% ‘Interest rates to keep falling
but last mile very very tricky’
Global logistics operator Maersk on
Thursday announced expanding its cold-
chain logistics footprint with a new facility
in Mehsana district of Gujarat. Being built
over 260,000 sq ft of space, exclusively
for HyFun Foods, the new facility will
GDP growth in FY’25: RBI Bulletin
Says emerging market economies led by Asia are poised to outperform the rest of the world
PTI / Davos

IMF Chief Kristalina Georgieva

attract investment worth Rs 113 crore,
and offer temperature-controlled storage
solutions for perishable frozen processed
food items, the company said in a
statement. Maersk said the new cold store
will be constructed close to the customer's
manufacturing facility and will serve as
the mother Cold Store facility.
Allied Blenders files
`1,500-cr IPO papers
Allied Blenders and Distillers Ltd, the
maker of Officer's Choice Whisky, has
refiled preliminary papers with the capital
markets regulator Sebi to raise Rs 1,500
crore through an Initial Public Offering
(IPO). The initial share sale comprises
fresh issuance of equity shares worth Rs
1,000 crore and an Offer-For-Sale (OFS) of
shares to the tune of Rs 500 crore by
promoters, draft papers file with Securities
and Exchange Board of India (Sebi)
showed on Thursday.
PTI / Mumbai
India needs to sustain the momentum of
strong economic growth in 2024-25 by secur-
ing at least 7 per cent expansion in GDP,
while bringing down retail inflation to the
target of 4 per cent in the coming months,
said the RBI's January Bulletin issued on
Thursday.
The world economy faces divergent near-
term growth prospects and emerging market
economies led by Asia are poised to outper-
form the rest of the world, said an article pub-
lished in the Bulletin.
"The Indian economy recorded stronger-
than-expected growth in 2023-24, under-
pinned by a shift from consumption to invest-
ment. The government's thrust on capex is
starting to crowd-in private investment.
Headline inflation recorded a marginal
uptick in December, driven by higher food
inflation due to unfavourable base effects," it
said.
The article authored by a team led by Re-
serve Bank Deputy Governor Michael De-
babrata Patra further said that in India, po-
tential output is picking up with actual out-
put running above it, although the gap is
moderate.
"In 2024-25, the objective should be to sus-
tain this momentum by securing real GDP
growth of at least 7 per cent in an environ-
ment of macroeconomic stability," the au-
thors said.
ICRA projects GDP growth to
moderate to below 6% in Q3
Rating agency ICRA has projected the GDP
growth rate to slow down to below 6 per cent
in the December quarter, mainly account of
sharp fall in kharif crop output, and weak
progress in rabi sowing for some crops. India
had registered a GDP growth rate of 7.6 per
cent in the July to September period. The rating
agency said the year-on-year growth in ICRA
Business Activity Monitor eased for the second
consecutive month to a six-month low of 8.1
per cent in December 2023 -- as against 9.6 per
cent in November 2023. "This can be attributed
to a combination of factors, including easing in
momentum of activity after the end of the
festive period, tapering of demand for electricity
and petrol with the onset of the winter season
in North India, as well as unfavourable base
effects for some indicators," it said.
on Thursday said interest rates
should keep falling in 2024 but
cautioned that there is no room
for any policy error as the last
mile is "very, very tricky".
In an interview with the World
Economic Forum here during its
Annual Meeting 2024, she said
that the central banks should not
tighten prematurely because then
they may lose the victory that is
now in their hands.
Expecting the positive trend to
continue in 2024, she said, "The in-
flation rate is going down, on av-
erage." The International Mone-
tary Fund's Managing Director,
however, flagged the regional dis-
crepancies still persisting
around. "What we have now is a
very diverse range. In some coun-
tries, the job is already done, and
inflation is low enough for them
to have an accommodative mone-
tary policy. Brazil is one example.
And in Asia, many countries did
not have an inflation problem to
start with," she said.
"Central banks should not
tighten prematurely because then
they may lose the victory that is
now in their hands. But if they are
too slow, then they could throw
cold water on the economy," she
cautioned.
She called on policymakers in
various countries to continue ex-
ercising caution, and to focus on
the data. "The US has a very tight
labour market and wages are now
going above inflation. What does
that mean? People have more
money to spend. And when they
spend more, that puts pressure on
prices upwards. So that last mile
is very, very tricky," she said.

Airbus, Tata to set up India’s Nov gross DELOITTE REPORT

pilot training centre
Airbus has entered into a 50:50 joint
venture with the Tata-owned Air India to
launch a world-class pilot training centre
in Gurugram, Haryana. The Tata Airbus
Training Centre will offer A320 and A350
flight training to some 5,000 new pilots
over 10 years. The announcement was
made at Wings India 2024, Asia's largest
event on civil aviation, that began here
Thursday.
Rangsons Aerospace
signs pact with Boeing
Rangsons Aerospace said on Thursday it
has signed a contract with US aircraft
maker Boeing to supply tubes and ducts
for aerospace systems. This marks
Boeing's first such collaboration of this
nature with an Indian supplier, the
company said. The five-year contract
consolidates its position as a key
contributor to the aviation supply chain, it
added.
DMI Group acquires
startup ZestMoney
The DMI Group has acquired the
homegrown digital EMI financing platform
ZestMoney (Zest) for an undisclosed sum,
the company announced on Thursday. This
development comes after the startup's new
leadership informed the employees about
the decision to shut down operations by
the end of December, 2023.
Shakti Pumps' board OKs
raising up to `2 bn
The board of Shakti Pumps (India) Ltd has
approved raising up to 2 bln rupees in
one or more tranches and/or one or more
issuances by way of a qualified
institutional placement or any other
method as may be permitted, the
company said in an exchange filing. The
board also approved the re-appointment
of Keyur Bipinchandra Thaker as an
independent director of the company for a
second term of five years commencing
from Jun 10, subject to approval of the
Govt may look for providing incentives largest derivatives
shareholders.
FDI inflow at
$5.06 bn versus
$4.51 bn year ago
INFORMIST / New Delhi
Gross foreign direct investment
into India was $5.06 bln in No-
vember, up from $4.51 bln a year
ago, data released by the Reserve
Bank of India today showed. In
October, FDI inflow was $8.37
bln.
Total FDI inflows include eq-
uity capital, reinvested
earnings, and other capital. Net
foreign direct investment fell to
$2.87 bln, against a 21-month
high of $5.9 bln in October.
Gross inward FDI declined by
4.1% to $47 bln during Apr-Nov
as compared with $49 bln during
the corresponding period a year
ago, as per an RBI staff paper ti-
tled 'State of the Economy',
which is part of the central
bank's monthly bulletin.
Net FDI moderated to $13.5 bln
during Apr-Nov from $19.8 bln a
year ago, primarily due to a fall
in gross inward FDI and a rise in
repatriation of equity capital,
the paper said.
Manufacturing, electricity
and other energy sectors, trans-
port, financial services, and re-
tail and wholesale trade con-
tributed around two-thirds of
the gross inward FDI equity
flows, according to the paper.
The bulk of the equity inflows
were received from Mauritius,
Singapore, Japan, the US, and
the Netherlands during Apr-
Nov, it said.
PRIMUS PARTNERS AND ETB REPORT
Govt may extend scope of PLI
scheme to job-creating sectors
PTI / New Delhi
To incentivise the manufacturing
sector and generate employment,
the government may extend the
scope of PLI scheme to include
sectors like garments, jewellery
and handicrafts in the forthcom-
ing interim Budget, Deloitte said.
Currently, Production-Linked
Incentive (PLI) scheme is avail-
able for 14 sectors.
Deloitte India Partner Rajat
Wahi said driving rural income is
one of ways to deal with inflation
and slack in consumption de-
mand.
"Today we have 14 sectors un-
der PLI scheme, but a lot of these
sectors do not generate massive
employment. Leather, garment,
handicraft, jewellery -- many of
these sectors need PLI scheme to
come in because they are the ones
which are the highest employ-
ment generators. That will help
lower income households as well
Cabinet okays pact with EU on semiconductor technology
IANS / New Delhi
The Union Cabinet has approved
a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) signed be-
tween the Centre and the Euro-
pean Commission on Working
Arrangements on Semiconduc-
tors Ecosystems, its supply chain
and innovation under the frame-
work of EU-India Trade and Tech-
NSE remains world's
as urban,"Wahi told PTI.
Deloitte in its Budget expecta-
tions report said the government
is expected to come out with
measures to support sustainable
growth in income amongst rural
households, thereby boosting ru-
ral economy's disposable income.
"One of the ways could be high-
er spending on building rural in-
frastructure or providing incen-
tives that improve cash flow...
Broadening the scope of PLI
schemes to sectors such as chem-
icals and services can create de-
mand for more manufacturing,"
Deloitte said.
nology Council (TTC).
The MoU, signed on November
21, 2023, intends to strengthen co-
operation between India and Eu-
ropean Union (EU) towards en-
hancement of semiconductor
technology for the advancement
of Industries and digital technolo-
gies, according to an official state-
ment.
"This is another step towards
Stock mkts fall for 3rd day on
profit-taking, weak global cues
PTI / New Delhi
Benchmark indices Sensex and
Nifty fell for the third day run-
ning on Thursday, dragged by
continuous selling in HDFC
Bank, profit-taking in consumer
durables and utility shares and
weak global cues.
The 30-share BSE Sensex fell
by 313.90 points or 0.44 per cent
to settle at 71,186.86. During the
day, it tanked 835.26 points or
1.16 per cent to 70,665.50. The
Nifty declined 109.70 points or
0.51 per cent to 21,462.25. During
the day, it plunged 286.4 points
or 1.32 per cent to 21,285.55.
In three days, Sensex lost 2,141
points or nearly 3 per cent while
Nifty retreated by 635 points or
2.89 per cent to fall below the key
support level of 21,500 points.
Among the Sensex firms,
HDFC Bank fell the most by 3.26
per cent.
"The benchmark indices ex-
The agreement covers
both G2G and B2B
bilateral cooperation to
boost the resilience of
the chip supply chains
mutually beneficial semiconduc-
tor related business opportunities
and partnerships between India
Indian Railways targets
In 3 days, Sensex lost
2,141 points, while Nifty
retreated by 635 points
hibited recovery from the day's
low and ended in red amid weak
global cues, as investors are
trimming bets on rapid FED
cuts due to strong US retail sales
and the resulting rise in global
bond yields. "Furthermore, oil
price advances and rate escala-
tion risks have led to disruptions
in global shipping and crude
production. The broader market
continued its selling pressure
and EU," the official statement
said. The MoU comes into effect
from the date of signature and
may continue until both sides
confirm that the objectives of this
instrument have been achieved
or until one side discontinues its
participation in this instrument.
The agreement covers both
G2G (government to government)
and B2B (business to business) bi-
Govt clears 11
given the elevated valuation and
profit booking with an aim for
sector rotation," said Vinod
Nair, Head of Research, Geojit
Financial Services.
Meanwhile, The recent mar-
ket rally that lasted till earlier
this week has the margin fund-
ing book of brokers nearly soar-
ing 90 per cent Rs 54,537 crore as
of January 16, a lifetime high for
the segment, show the data from
the exchanges and a research re-
port.
The margin funding, wherein
an investor pays 25-35 per cent of
the stock value he or she buys
and the rest is paid by brokers
for a monthly interest of 12-15
per cent, stood at Rs 29,000 crore
for the whole of January 2023 but
jumped to Rs 54,537 crore as of
January 16, 2024. The market
rally also had the cash segment
of the market jumping to a
record 25 per cent in December
2023, according to Icra Ratings.
lateral cooperation to boost the re-
silience of the semiconductor sup-
ply chains and leverage comple-
mentary strengths to promote col-
laboration in the field of semicon-
ductors.
The Ministry of Electronics
and Information Technology (Me-
itY) has been actively working to
create a conducive environment
for electronics manufacturing.
TECHNICAL TEXTILES

Alt Mobility raises $6 mn

or supporting initiatives to retrofit exchange for fifth Switzerland-like efficiency project proposals
to scale up operations old vehicles into electric vehicles straight year IR to collaborate with Swiss railway to learn PTI / New Delhi

Electric vehicle leasing and lifecycle
management platform Alt Mobility on
Thursday said it has raised USD 6 million
(nearly Rs 50 crore) in a funding round co-
led by Shell Ventures, Eurazeo, EV2
Ventures and Twynam. UC Inclusive, Piper
Serica, Pitchright and LetsVenture also
participated in the round, which is a mix
of equity and venture debt, the company
said in a statement.
Kirloskar Oil bags
`7.68 bn order from NPCI
Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd bagged an order
worth 7.68 bln rupees from Nuclear
Power Corp of India Ltd (NPCI) for supply
and commissioning of ten 6.3-MW
emergency diesel gensets to unit-5 and
unit-6 of Kudankulam project of the latter,
according to an exchange filing. The order
is to be executed over 68 months.
PhonePe sells 90 lakh dig-
ital insurance policies
PhonePe on Thursday said it has sold over
90 lakh insurance policies since entering
the market in September 2021, of which
40 lakh were in just one year in 2023.
PhonePe had entered the insurance space
in 2020 with a corporate agency licence,
before acquiring a full-fledged insurance
broking licence. It currently distributes life,
health, motor and car insurance with
partners such as Acko, among others, and
allows users to pay in monthly
subscriptions through UPI.
PTI / Mumbai
The government may look for
providing incentives or support-
ing initiatives to retrofit old ve-
hicles into electric vehicles in-
stead of scrapping them, a report
said on Thursday.
According to the joint report
by management consultancy
firm Primus Partners and ETB
(European Business and Tech-
nology Centre), transitioning
the internal combustion engine-
powered vehicles to electric ve-
hicles through retrofitting pres-
ents a spectrum of challenges.
However, with a coordinated
approach involving government
initiatives, industry collabora-
tion, and public engagement,
these challenges can be effec-
tively addressed and overcome,
it said.
India's Vehicle Scrappage Pol-
icy is aimed at phasing out old
and unfit vehicles and replacing
them with newer and more envi-
ronment-friendly ones.
This policy is governed by
various factors including the fit-
?????????????????????????????
GRATUITOUS POWER CUT
Unwarranted load shedding to be penalized,
ness and emission levels of vehi-
cles rather than solely their age.
Commercial vehicles over 15
years and passenger vehicles
over 20 years of age are subject
to increased re-registration fees
or scrapping under this policy.
"Instead of scrapping old vehi-
cles, the government could pro-
vide incentives or support ini-
tiatives to retrofit old vehicles to
run on electric power. This way,
the lifespan of existing vehicles
is extended," the joint report
said.
Moreover, retrofitting could
also offer a pathway to mod-
ernising the existing vehicle
fleet, while simultaneously re-
ducing emissions and aligning
with the broader sustainability
goals of a circular economy, said
the report.
PTI / New Delhi
The National Stock Exchange of India
(NSE) has again emerged as the world's
largest derivatives exchange in 2023, in
terms of the number of contracts traded,
according to the Futures Industry
Association (FIA).
This is the fifth straight year when the
exchange earned the top position.
Additionally, the exchange has ranked
third in the world in the equity segment
by number of trades in 2023, as per the
statistics maintained by World
Federation of Exchanges.
The year 2023 has witnessed many
milestones such as market capitalisation
of listed companies surpassing USD 4
trillion, SME listed companies crossing
the Rs 1 lakh crore mark and the Nifty
50 index surpassing the 20,000 index
levels for the first time.
Also, the number of unique registered
investors on the exchange reached 8.5
crore at the end of the calendar year.
The year also saw a record high
turnover on a single day in the equity
segment of Rs 1,67,942.47 crore on
November 30, 2023, and Rs
3,81,623.12 crore on December 2,
2023, in the equity derivatives segment.
their best practices, says Rly Min Vaishnaw
PTI / Davos
Indian Railways
plans to enter into
a memorandum of
understanding
with the Swiss
railway to learn
from some of their
best practices and
procedures includ-
ing the hub and spoke model and
tunnelling technology, Railway
Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
said on Thursday.
In an interview with PTI here
during the World Economic Fo-
rum Annual Meeting, the minis-
ter sad there are many good
things that can be learned and
there are some conventional
technologies also where we can
learn by collaborating with
Switzerland. "I had a good meet-
ing with senior officials and pol-
icy makers of Swiss railways
and I also visited their control
centre. They have a great experi-
ence in tunnelling technology
and the world's longest 57-km
Gotthard tunnel
is here," he said.
Vaishnaw
further said
Switzerland has
a good system of
track technolo-
gy, especially
the structure of
tracks they
teresting.
have is very in-
"The most important thing I
saw is that their entire network
is based on a hub and spoke de-
sign. For example, if Zurich is a
hub, then several trains arrive at
Zurich station at one particular
time, so that people can easily
change over to any other train
and then after the changeover,
several trains leave the station
around the same time," he noted.
"In our system, the focus has
always been to provide end-to-
end connectivity. Here in
Switzerland, I saw that their net-
work is not about end-to-end
planning, but its focussed on hub
and spoke model.
Gilts end lower as RBI chief says
rate cut not even under discussion
The government on Thursday ap-
proved 11 project proposals related to
technical textiles worth nearly Rs
103 crore.
The Union Minister for Textiles,
Commerce and Industry and Con-
sumer Affairs, Food and Public Dis-
tribution, Piyush Goyal, cleared the
proposals while chairing the 8th
Meeting of the Mission Steering
Group (MSG) of the National Techni-
cal Textiles Mission (NTTM) here.
These project proposals include
nine R&D projects, one project on
machine development and one proj-
ect on equipment development.
Goyal emphasised on the need for
enhancement of collaborative efforts
among the government and industry
to enhance indigenous development
of technical textiles products.
"The projects cover different appli-
cation areas of technical textiles in-
cluding 2 projects of Protech, 2
Meditech, 2 Mobiltech, 1 Buildtech, 2
Smart Textiles and 1 project of Sus-
tainable Textiles," an official state-
ment said. The Union Minister re-
viewed the progress of different com-
ponents of the National Technical
Textiles Mission.

Integrow partners with

Paranjape Schemes
Integrow Asset Management, a leading
real estate investment platform has
announced its collaboration with
Paranjape Schemes, a well-established
Pune-based developer with a track record
spanning over three decades and more
than 200 successful projects across 9
cities in India. In a significant move,
Integrow is set to invest Rs 100 crore in
Paranjape Schemes' upcoming project in
Thane. —Agencies
it is insult to people: Power Min RK Singh
PTI / New Delhi
Union Power Minister R K Singh
on Thursday said that gratuitous
load shedding will be penalized as
it is an insult to the people of the
country. Addressing a review
meeting, Singh underlined the
importance of making load shed-
ding a thing of the past.
The two-day review, planning
and monitoring (RPM) meeting of
top power and energy officials of
the Centre and states, and heads
of state distribution companies
started here on Thursday. Offi-
cials of central public sector en-
terprises are also participating in
the meeting.
"I do not accept a future where
India continues to be a
developing country. The differ-
ence between this future and that
of a developed country is very
simple: there is no load shedding
in a developed country, every dis-
com has money to buy power,
people's rights are respected and
disruption to power happens
once in 20 - 25 years. Hence, load
shedding will be penalized, it is
an insult to the people," Singh
said at the meeting. He asked dis-
coms to add capacity, sign PPAs
(power purchase agreements),
ensure resource adequacy and
become more efficient.
"We have said that consumers
have rights to 24X7 electricity and
that if there is any gratuitous load
shedding, then penalties have to
be levied and compensation has
to be given," Singh said.
INFORMIST / Mumbai
Prices of government bonds ended
lower on Thursday as the market di-
gested comments from Reserve
Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta
Das across multiple media platforms
that signalled rate cuts were not in
the offing anytime soon, dealers said.
The 10-year benchmark 7.18%,
2033 bond closed at 100.01 rupees, or
7.18% yield, compared with 100.10
rupees, or 7.16% yield, on Wednes-
day. Bloomberg reported the gover-
nor as saying that the topic of
interest rate cuts was not even under
discussion and that monetary policy
would remain actively disinflation-
ary. Das reportedly said that
markets all over were running
ahead of central banks.
In an interview with business
channel CNBC-TV18, Das said that
any premature pivot from the cur-
rent 'withdrawal of accommodation'
stance might prove to be very costly
for the Indian economy. He said the
focus of the Monetary Policy Com-
mittee has to be on bringing down
the CPI inflation to 4%.

BIZ BULLETIN
DRI conducts search at
Dixon Technologies
DRI conducted a search on 17th Jan at
subsidiary's manufacturing facility with
respect to classification of raw material
imported, Dixon Technologies said in a
statement to the exchanges. The impact
on financial operations is uncertain, but
the company is committed to defending
its interpretation. Dixon has extended
full cooperation to the D.R.I., the
statement said.
Wipro to buy up to 14%
stake in Huoban Energy
Wipro Ltd has signed a definitive
agreement to acquire up to 14% stake in
Huoban Energy 11 Pvt Ltd for 31.76 mln
rupees, according to an exchange filing
today. The acquisition is expected to be
completed before Mar 31.
Torrent Power raises
`750 cr via NCDs
Torrent Power has raised Rs 750 crore
through the issuance of non-convertible
debentures on a private placement basis.
"Company has issued and allotted Series
12 - 75,000 Secured, Rated, Listed,
Taxable, Non-Cumulative, Redeemable
and NCDs of Rs 750 crore at a coupon
rate of 8.40 per cent per annum on
Wednesday i.e. January 18, 2024 on
private placement basis," a BSE filing said.
EPACK mobilises `192 cr
from anchor investors
EPACK Durable Ltd, an outsourced
design manufacturer of room air
conditioners, on Thursday raised Rs 192
crore from anchor investors ahead of its
initial public offering (IPO). The company
has allotted 83.48 lakh equity shares to
18 funds at Rs 230 apiece, which is also
the upper end of the price band,
according to a circular uploaded on the
BSE website.
Tata Communications Q3
profit tumbles 88.6%
Tata Communications on Thursday
reported an 88.6 per cent drop in its
third-quarter net profit to Rs 44.81 crore.
The firm had a net profit of Rs 393.88
crore in October-December 2022. It
posted revenue from operations at Rs
5,633.26 crore in October-December
2023, up 24.4 per cent as against Rs
4,528.34 crore during the third quarter
of FY23, the firm said in a statement.
Polycab India Q3 PAT
rises 15.53% to `412 cr
Wires and cables manufacturer Polycab
India on Thursday reported a 15.35 per
cent growth in consolidated net profit to
Rs 412.85 crore for the third quarter
ended December 2023.
Cabinet gives go-ahead for two Coal
India power projects worth `21,547 cr
IANS / New Delhi
The Cabinet Committee on Eco-
nomic Affairs chaired by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on
Thursday approved two proposals
of Coal India Limited (CIL) to set
up two pithead thermal power
plants, through its subsidiaries,
entailing a total investment of Rs
21,547 crore.
The proposal involves CIL's sub-
sidiaries South Eastern Coalfields
Limited (SECL) and Mahanadi
Coalfields Limited (MCL).
CIL plans to enter
into mining of
critical minerals,
including lithium
PTI / Ranchi
State-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) is
mulling entering into the mining of
critical minerals, including lithium,
an official said.
CIL plans to get a block from the
government for exploration and once
lithium reserves are proved, the PSU
would go for mining, the official said.
Lithium is the 'cosmic' mineral
which is needed as part of the country's
energy security plans. It is being seen as
a game-changer mineral to achieve the
Net Zero goals in the coming years. "We
will take one block from Government of
India and do exploration and once lithi-
um is proved then we can go for min-
ing," Coal India Director (Technical) B
Veera Reddy told reporters here. Reddy
also holds the additional charge of
Chairman and Managing Director
(CMD) of Central Coalfields Ltd. Coal
India's core business is mining, he said
and exuded confidence that the PSU
will definitely be successful in the min-
ing of critical minerals.
Ashok Leyland secures supply
order for 1,225 buses for KSTU Expect more job cuts at Google this year, Sundar Pichai tells employees
PTI / New Delhi
Commercial vehicle maker Ashok
Leyland on Thursday said it has se-
cured a supply order for 1,225 buses
from the Karnataka State
Transport Undertakings. The order
is worth Rs 5.22 billion.
The fully built Viking buses will
be delivered by April, the company
said in a statement.
The state government undertak-
ing already has over 11,680 opera-
Sun Pharma to acquire remaining
21.52% shares of Taro for `2,892 cr
PTI / New Delhi
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries on Thursday
said it will acquire the remaining 21.52 per
cent stake in Israel-based Taro Pharmaceuti-
cal Industries for Rs 2,891.76 crore, enabling
the merger of the two entities.
The acquisition of 8,086,818 shares (21.52
per cent) will be at the cost of Rs 2,891.76
crore, Sun Pharma said.
The Mumbai-based drug major has agreed
to acquire all of the outstanding ordinary
shares of Taro for USD 43 per share in cash
without interest, as per the definitive merger
agreement. Sun Pharma already owns a 78.48
per cent stake in Taro.
"Over the years, with Sun Pharma's strate-
gic interventions, Taro has remained a key
player in the generic dermatology market in
a challenging environment," Sun Pharma
Managing Director Dilip Shanghvi said in a
IndusInd Q3 PAT rises 17% Haldiram’s seeks to buy
on core income growth rival Prataap Snacks
PTI / Mumbai
IndusInd Bank on Thursday re-
ported a 17 per cent growth in its
December quarter net profit to
Rs 2,301 crore, helped by the
higher core income.
The city-based private sector
lender had posted a net profit of
Rs 1,964 crore for the October-De-
cember period last year.
Its core net interest income
grew 18 per cent to Rs 5,296 crore
on the back of a 20 per cent
growth in advances and the net
interest margin being stable at
4.29 per cent.
The other income increased 15
per cent to Rs 2,396 crore for the
reporting quarter.
At a time when rivals are re-
porting some stress on the NIMs
front, IndusInd has been able to
hold on to the NIMs, repricing of
loans and the higher proportion
of retail loans, its managing di-
rector and chief executive
Sumant Kathpalia told reporters.
He said the cost of deposits for
the bank rose 0.09 per cent
during the quarter, while the
yield on advances moved up by a
higher 0.15 per cent, helping the
NIMs. The bank will aim to
maintain the number between
3.25-3.30 per cent.
The overall deposit growth
The CCEA has approved the pro-
posal of equity investments by
SECL, MCL and CIL.
SECL will set up a 1×660 MW
Thermal Power Plant through JV
with state-owned Madhya Pradesh
Institutional buyers put in bids
worth `6,000 crore for NHPC
PTI / New Delhi
The government's 3.5 per cent
share sale offer in NHPC on
Thursday received an enthusias-
tic response from institutional
investors, who put in bids worth
over Rs 6,000 crore.
In the two-day offer for sale
(OFS), the government is selling
over 35 crore equity shares in
power producer NHPC,
including a greenshoe option to
sell 10 crore more, at a floor price
of Rs 66 a share. At the floor price
of Rs 66/share, the OFS would
fetch about Rs 2,000 crore to the
exchequer.
The OFS would open for retail
investors on Friday.
"Offer for Sale in NHPC re-
ceived enthusiastic response
from non-retail investors today.
The issue was subscribed 4.03
times of the base size (non-retail
category). Govt has decided to ex-
ercise the green shoe option," the
Department of Investment and
Public Asset Management (DI-
tional buses in its fleet, as per the
company.
The latest order will further con-
tribute to strengthening Ashok
Leyland's dominant position in the
bus industry, it said.
"Local mobility plays a crucial
role in overall national and eco-
nomic growth. We are committed to
providing the best suitable trans-
port solutions," Ashok Leyland
Managing Director and CEO Shenu
Agarwal said.
statement. After the merger, the combined
entity will firmly move forward, leveraging
its global strengths and capabilities to better
serve the needs of patients and healthcare
professionals, he added.
Upon completion of the merger, currently
expected to close in the first half of 2024, Taro
will become a privately held company and its
shares will no longer be listed on the NYSE.
"Taro is committed to delivering high-
came at a slower 13 per cent as
the bank shed some bulk de-
posits, Kathpalia said, adding
that it will aim to keep the credit-
deposit ratio, which came at 88
per cent for the quarter.
The bank is targeting for an
advance growth of 18-22 per cent
for FY24 and also in FY25, he
added.
On the asset quality front, the
gross non-performing assets
ratio improved slightly to 1.92
per cent against 1.93 per cent in
the quarter-ago period and 2.06
per cent in the year-ago period.
Kathpalia said that there is a
scope for further improvement
in the number.
The overall provisions came
down to Rs 934 crore from Rs
1,064 crore in the year-ago period.
Kathpalia said the bank aspires
to get down the credit cost to un-
der 1.10 per cent in FY24 from 1.20
per cent in FY25.
Power Generating Co Ltd (MPPG-
CL), while Mahanadi Coalfields
Limited (MCL) proposes to set a
2x800 MW Thermal Power Plant
through its subsidiary Mahanadi
Basin Power Ltd (MBPL).
Meanwhile, the Cabinet Com-
mittee on Economic Affairs on
Thursday approved equity invest-
ments of Rs 5,607 crore by state-
owned South Eastern Coalfields
and Mahanadi Coalfields to set up
two thermal power projects with
total generation capacities of 2,260
MW.
In the 2-day OFS, the
govt is selling over 35
crore equity shares in
NHPC, including a
greenshoe option to sell
10 crore more, at a floor
price of Rs 66 a share
PAM) Secretary said in a post on
X.
Institutional investors put in
bids for 91.16 crore shares at an
indicative price of Rs 68.50 a
piece. The bids are worth Rs 6,000
crore cumulatively.
Shares of NHPC closed at Rs
71.06 apiece, down 2.74 per cent
over the previous close on the
ROLE ELIMINATIONS
IANS / San Francisco
Google CEO Sundar Pichai has
reportedly warned employees to
brace themselves for more job
cuts this year.
Google, which has let go over a
thousand employees across vari-
ous departments in the last one
week or so, is likely to go for more
job cuts, reports The Verge, citing
an internal memo.
"We have ambitious goals and
will be investing in our big prior-
MONEY
quality products to our patients and cus-
tomers around the world. This merger will
further enable us to compete effectively in
our products and markets," Taro CEO Uday
Baldota said.
The merger agreement was unanimously
recommended by the Special Committee,
which was formed by Taro's Board of Direc-
tors to consider Sun Pharma's proposal.
Upon receiving the unanimous recom-
mendation of the Special Committee, and fol-
lowing unanimous approval by Taro's Audit
Committee, Taro's Board and the Board of
Directors of Sun Pharma unanimously ap-
proved the definitive merger agreement.
Sun Pharma said the USD 43 per share
purchase price represents a 48 per cent pre-
mium over the closing price of USD 28.97 per
share on May 25, 2023, the last trading day be-
fore Sun Pharma first submitted its non-
binding proposal to Taro.
PTI / New Delhi local snack manufacturers in a
Haldiram's is currently in discus-
market where small, unorganized
vendors still dominate the fried
sions to purchase a majority stake chips segment. Venture capital
in Prataap Snacks, a listed com- firm Peak XV Partners, owning
petitor valued at $350 million, as approximately 47 per cent of
per a Reuters report. Prataap Snacks, is looking to com-
It aims to strengthen its posi- pletely divest its stake in the com-
tion in the potato chip market, ac- pany. Both Haldiram's CEO Kris-
cording to sources familiar with han Kumar Chutani and Prataap
the matter mentioned in the re- CEO Amit Kumat, along with
port. According to the Reuters re- Peak XV, have declined to com-
port, the talks are in the early ment on the ongoing discussions.
stages, and while no specific valu- Prataap, which made its stock
ation has been disclosed, it is ex- market debut in 2017, reported an-
pected to be above the current nual revenues of around $200 mil-
stock price of Prataap. lion last year. The company
Haldiram's is eyeing a majority boasts sales of over 12 million
stake of at least 51 per cent, packets of its salty snacks daily.
though the final percentage re- On the other hand, Haldiram's,
mains undecided. is a significantly larger player in
Prataap Snacks, renowned for the packaged snacks industry,
its Yellow Diamond brand of generating revenue exceeding $1
chips, faces competition from billion and operating 150 restau-
Pepsi's Lay's brand and other rants across the country.
Airbus awards
manufacturing Air pax traffic in India expected
contracts to
TASL, Mahindra
to reach 300 mn by 2030: Scindia
IANS / Hyderabad
IANS / Hyderabad
The number of domestic air pas-
Airplane maker Airbus has sengers in India is expected to
signed contracts with Tata Ad- double to about 300 million annu-
vanced Systems Limited (TASL)
and Mahindra Aerospace Struc-
tures Private Limited (MASPL)
ally by 2030 and the country
would still have a vast untapped
market, Union Civil Aviation
to procure commercial aircraft
components.
The announcement was made
Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia
said on Thursday.
Speaking at the inaugural ses-
at Wings India 2024, Asia's sion of Wings India 2024, a civil
largest civil aviation event, that aviation conclave and exhibition
began in Hyderabad on Thurs- here, Scindia said India under the
day. Under the contract, TASL leadership of Prime Minister
and Mahindra Aerostructures Narendra Modi in the last decade
will manufacture metallic detail has been a "shining star" on the
parts, components and assem- global firmament of civil
blies for Airbus' A320neo, aviation. He said the number of
A330neo and A350 programmes. airports and waterdromes will go
The two companies are already up to over 200 from the existing
among more than 100 India- 149 in the country.
based suppliers that provide With 300 million passengers a
components and engineering
and digital services for various
Airbus programmes.
Akasa Air places order for Rangsons
Aerospace signs
150 Boeing 737 Max planes pact
SBI raises `5K cr with Boeing
via AT1 bonds PTI / Hyderabad
PTI / Mumbai
State Bank of India has raised Rs
Akasa Air on Thursday an-
nounced an order for 150 Boeing
5,000 crore through its second
Basel III compliant additional tier
737 Max planes as the less than
two-year old airline looks to ex-
1 (AT1) bond sale this fiscal. The pand its domestic and interna-
bank, in a statement on tional operations.
Thursday, said the perpetual The latest order, comprising
bond with a call option after 10 737 Max 10 and 737 Max 8-200 jets,
years and every anniversary will provide the airline a steady
thereafter, is priced at a coupon of aircraft delivery stream through
8.34 per cent. 2032, cementing the company's
The issue got an overwhelming domestic and international ex-
response with an oversubscrip- pansion plans, the airline said in
tion of 2.65 times from a range of a release.
investors with 108 bids of Rs 5,294 In 2021, Akasa Air placed its
crores against the base issue size initial order of 72 Boeing 737 Max
of Rs 2,000 crore. The main in- aircraft and it was followed up
vestors include mutual funds, with an order of 4 Boeing 737 Max
provident and pension funds, 8 aircraft in June 2023.
banks, and insurance companies, "This new deal in January 2024
among others, the statement said. takes the airline's order book to
Its Chairman Dinesh Khara an impressive total of 226
said the tight pricing and the di- aircraft. Akasa Air currently op-
verse investor base for an instru- erates a fleet of 22 aircraft and
ment, which has its own chal- will receive deliveries of a total of
lenges, shows the trust investors 204 aircraft over the course of
place in the bank. The chairman eight years," the release said.
said that going by the high re- About the new order, Akasa
sponse, the bank has decided to Air Founder and CEO Vinay
accept bids of Rs 5,000 crore at a Dube said this large and historic
coupon rate of 8.34 per cent aircraft order puts the airline on
payable annually.
ities this year," Pichai told em-
ployees in the memo.
"The reality is that to create the
capacity for this investment, we
have to make tough choices," he
added. In the memo, Pichai said
that latest "role eliminations are
not at the scale of last year's re-
ductions, and will not touch every about "removing layers to simpli-
team". "But I know it's very diffi- fy execution and drive velocity in
cult to see colleagues and teams some areas".
impacted," the Google CEO "Many of these changes are al-
added. The layoffs this year are ready announced, though to be
BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024
GLOBAL ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN
Will India’s Growth
Continue Uninterrupted?
BY TEJI MANDI
I
n the current era, the global
economy is experiencing a
slowdown, while the Indian
economy has maintained a steady
growth of over 6% in GDP for the
past two years.
However, what is causing the
global economies to slow down,
and can India's growth remain
consistent? Let's delve into the
numbers of global and Indian
economic growth to understand
the situation.
What's Happening?
According to a World Bank report,
the world is headed for the
weakest economic growth
performance of any half-decade
since the 1990s. This is attributed
to the fact that in developing
countries, one in every four people
is now poorer than before the
COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this,
there is hope that India will
continue to have the highest
growth rate among the world's
largest economies.
Let's take a closer look at the
figures for global and Indian
economic growth.
Global Economic
Situation
The World Bank's ‘Global Economic
Prospects’ report suggests that
global economic growth is
expected to slow down for the
third consecutive year in 2024.
Looking at past data, global
economic growth is anticipated to
be 2.4% in 2024, compared to
6.2% in 2021, 3% in 2022, and
2.6% in 2023.
Several issues on a global scale,
such as the war in Eastern Europe,
the conflict between Ukraine and
Russia, and the ongoing Houthi
rebellion in the Middle East, could
impact inflation and economic
development.
Teji Mandi (TM Investment Technologies Pvt Ltd) is a SEBI registered Research
Analyst (RA). Information in this article should not be construed as
investment advice. Please visit www.tejimandi.com to know more.
year in 2030, India's aviation pen-
etration would be at 10-15 per cent
and still be a potential market in
the decades to come.
"That is the potential that India
holds not only to herself and Asia,
but to the world. ...even with
achieving 300 million domestic
passengers by 2030, we will still be
one of the most under-penetrated
a path of becoming one of the top
30 leading airlines in the world,
by the turn of this decade.
"These additions to our fleet
will help us bolster the strength
of our operations as we expand
our footprint and foray into in-
ternational skies in the very near
future," he said.
The order was announced at
the Wings India 2024 event here.
Akasa Air, which is preparing
to start international services,
commenced commercial opera-
tions on August 7, 2022.
Three Indian carriers together
have ordered a total of 1,120
planes in less than one year as
they expand their presence in the
country's fast growing civil avia-
tion market. In 2023, which also
saw domestic air traffic climbing
new highs, Air India and IndiGo
together placed orders for 970
planes with Boeing and Airbus.
upfront, some teams will
continue to make specific re-
source allocation decisions
throughout the year where need-
ed, and some roles may be im-
pacted," Pichai further wrote.
After laying off nearly 1,000 em-
ployees last week, Google is also
reportedly slashing "a few hun-
dred" more jobs in its advertising
sales team as part of an ongoing
restructuring exercise.
Philipp Schindler, Google's
India's Economic Situation
According to the World Bank, the
Indian economy is performing
better compared to other
economies. It is estimated that
India's GDP growth could be 6.4%
in 2024-25 and 6.5% in 2025-26.
Additionally, the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) forecasts a 6% GDP
growth for India in 2024-25.
As per the UN World Economic
Situation and Prospects (WESP)
2024, it is anticipated that India's
economic growth could be 6.2% in
2024 and 6.6% in 2025.
In summary, with domestic
spending growth and
improvements in employment,
India's domestic consumption is on
the rise. According to the UN
WESP 2024, consumer price
inflation was 5.7% in 2023, with
an expected decrease to 4.5% in
2024, aligning with the central
bank's inflation target of 2-6%.
What Does It Mean
for Investors?
Considering that Indian stock
markets are influenced by events
at both domestic and global levels,
investors are advised to keep an
eye on upcoming elections, the
2024 budget, and geopolitical
events.
What’s Next?
According to Finance Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman, India is
expected to have a GDP exceeding
US $5 trillion by 2027-28, making
it the world's third-largest
economy. Furthermore, there is an
estimate that by 2047, the Indian
economy could reach $30 trillion.
India will need
2,840 new aircraft
in 20 years: Airbus
India will need 2,840 new
aircraft over the next two
decades to serve the needs of
its growing civil aviation
market, Airbus India and South
Asia President and Managing
Director Remi Maillard said on
Thursday. He said India would
also require 41,000 pilots as
well as 47,000 technical staff
during the same period.
markets across the top 20 in the
world. Today our penetration is
roughly about 3 to 4 per cent that
will grow to about 10 to 15 per
cent. We still have 85 per cent pen-
etration to go," he said.
PTI / New Delhi
Rangsons Aerospace said on
Thursday it has signed a con-
tract with US aircraft maker
Boeing to supply tubes and
ducts for aerospace systems.
This marks Boeing's first
such collaboration of this
nature with an Indian supplier,
the company said.
The five-year contract consol-
idates its position as a key con-
tributor to the aviation supply
chain, it added.
Mysuru-based Rangsons
Aerospace has a dedicated plant
for developing and manufactur-
ing critical assemblies for the ef-
ficient conveyance of essential
fluids such as power fluids
(fuel), lubrication fluids,
coolants, water, and oxygen,
which are crucial for aircraft op-
erations.
This strategic alliance not
only underscores the company's
commitment to delivering ad-
vanced solutions but also forti-
fies its global presence, extend-
ing from India to the US and Is-
rael, it said.
chief business officer, told staff in
a memo that the fresh job cuts
"were the result of changes to how
Google's sales team operated",
Business Insider reported.
A Google spokesperson also
confirmed that "a few hundred
roles globally are being eliminat-
ed" as part of the restructuring.
In January last year, Google
cut its workforce by 12,000 people,
or around 6 per cent of its full-
time employees.

SPORTS BHOPAL | FRIDAY | NOVEMBER 19, 2023
AUSTRALIA IN COMMAND IN 1ST TEST
Hazlewood wrecks Nice to see we have some options
West Indies
At the end of Day 2, West Indies posted a total of 73/6
trailing by 22 runs with Joshua Da Silva unbeaten on the
crease with a score of 17(31).Josh Hazlewood’s lethal
nature with the ball did the trick for the hosts as he
romped through the Caribbean side’s batting order
ADELAIDE OVAL
West Indies’ subpar bat-
ting performance granted
Australia a commanding
position on
Day 2 of the
first Test at
the Ade-
laide Oval.
A ed return.
little
bit of
move-
ment from
the pitch was
all Hazlewood
needed to trouble
the opposition
batters.He creat-
ed the opening
and West Indies
batters gracefully
accepted it with
their poor shot se-
lection.
Kirk McKenzie
who scored a half-
century in the
first innings
showed intent to
deal with the dead-
ly pace attack. But
even he fell victim to
a half-hearted shot
that went straight to
Marnus Labuschagne
who waiting at short
cover.
A promising 33-run
stand between Justin
Greaves and Joshua
Da Silva momentarily
re-ignited the hopes of the visitors. But
Nathan Lyon with his experience did
the job as he dismissed Greaves for 24
right at the stroke of stumps to end the
FOR T20 WC
New York’s Nassau
County Stadium to be
ready by May-end
NEW YORK
The International
Cricket Council (ICC)
has unveiled comput-
er-generated visuals
of the 34,000-seat
modular Nassau
County International
Cricket Stadium, which it
expects to be ready by
May-end to host matches
in time for the 2024 ICC
Men’s T20 World Cup.
New York is scheduled to
host eight matches of the
tournament happening in
the USA and West Indies,
including three games of
India. The highly-antici-
pated India-Pakistan
clash, pencilled for June 9,
will also be hosted at this
venue.ICC said the project
in Eisenhower Park, Nas-
sau County, 30 miles east
of Manhattan, has started
this week, with site
fencing erected and work
to the outfield now under-
way. The stadium, which
will be completed within
three months, will have
premium and general ad-
mission seating as well as
VIP and hospitality suites,
including a party deck and
England Lions pin
India to mat despite
Patidar’s quick 140
AHMEDABAD
England Lions continued
to dominate India A de-
spite a rollicking unbeaten
hundred from Rajat Pati-
dar on the second day of
their first unofficial Test
here on Thursday.Patidar
made 140 off 132 balls with
18 fours and five sixes but
India A could only make
215 for eight at close, reply-
ing to England’s
mammoth 553 for eight de-
clared in first innings.In-
dia A are still trailing by
338 runs.
However, Patidar found
some late support from
Tushar Deshpande, who
day on a positive note for Australia.
Earlier in the day, Travis Head with
his aggressive intent prevented West In-
aries and three maxi-
mums.Alzarri
eventually managed to
remove Head, but the
two each.
dies 188 & 73/6 (Kirk McKenzie 26,
Justin Greaves 24; Josh Hazlewood 4-18)
vs Australia 283 (Travis Head 119;
Shamar Joseph 5-94
cabanas.
In a detailed timeline, the
ICC also said it aims to
achieve stadium construc-
tion completion by May 6,
which will also be the day
for installation of drop-in
pitches. It plans to carry
out the completion of test-
ing and commissioning by
May 13 and complete the
Test event by May 27,
ahead of the first game be-
tween South Africa and
Sri Lanka on June 3.“We
are excited to be unveiling
the Nassau County Inter-
national Cricket Stadium
in New York ahead of the
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
2024. It is an incredibly im-
portant milestone in the
lead up to the biggest ICC
event ever, with work
commencing on the stadi-
um which will be able to
accommodate 34,000 crick-
et fans.”
scored India’s second
highest individual score of
23, and Navdeep Saini as
India A struggled past the
200-run mark.Earlier, Eng-
land, starting from their
overnight 382 for 3, mo-
tored on riding on a fine
125 off 182 balls by captain
Josh Bohannon, who re-
sumed the day from 93.
Brief scores: England
Lions: 553 for 8 declared in
118 overs (Keaton Jen-
nings 154, Josh Bohanan
125, Alex Lees 73, Dan
Mousley 68, Jack Carson
53; Manav Suthar 4/137) vs
India A: 215 for 8 in 40
overs (Rajat Patidar 140;
Matt Fisher 4/57).
dies from
fathoming
their way
out and
making
an un-
expect-
The visitors
put Australia
in a tough spot
as they claimed
five wickets
while the hosts
managed to put 129
runs on the
board.Head on a tricky
surface went all guns
blazing and scored 119
off 134 deliveries which
was laced with 12 bound-
Joseph
damage was already in-
flicted on the visitors.
Head’s blitzkrieg helped
Australia to clinch a 95-
run lead over the
Caribbean side.West In-
dies did walk back with
some positives as debu-
tant Shamar Joseph
claimed a five-wicket
haul. Along with him,
Kemar Roach and
Justin Greaves bagged
Brief Score: West In-
U-19 WORLD CUP
READY FOR PREPARATION
TO FUTURE STAR
BLOEMFONTEIN (SOUTH
AFRICA)
Many dreams will take
flight and futures will be
shaped when the Under-19
World Cup begins here on
Friday with rival teams
looking to halt dominance
of record five time champi-
ons India.
The legacy of the Under-
19 World Cup as a breeding
ground for future cricket-
ing stars is well estab-
lished.The tournament
has unearthed a bevy of In-
dian stars — Yuvraj Singh
in 2000, Rohit Sharma in
2006, Virat Kohli and
Ravindra Jadeja in 2008,
Rishabh Pant and Ishan
Kishan in 2016, Shubman
Gill in 2018 — to name a
few.At the world level also,
the tournament has pro-
duced players who went on
to become legends of the
game.
But at the same time,
there have been many who
FEELS FORMER PACER-TURNED-COMMENTATOR STEVEN FINN
England to woo fans to win series in India
NEW DELHI
For England to replicate
their 2012 victory in India,
their IPL superstars need
to gain admirers by deliv-
ering entertaining per-
formances, feels former
pacer-turned-commentator
Steven Finn.
India have won 16 home
series since their 1-2 rever-
sal against England 13
years back, a series which
Finn was part of.”I think
the IPL superstardom of
some of the players will
count to England’s bene-
fit,” Finn told ESPNCricin-
fo.
“Kevin Pietersen aside,
that 2012 team, people
weren’t really superstars
in India, whereas you have
quite a few guys this time
going over who have
played in the IPL and are
superstars in that. I think
that will count.” England
Warner, Boult, Bravo among stars to light up International League T20
NEW DELHI: The likes of Australian big-hitter David Warner and New Zealand pace spearhead Trent Boult
will headline the second edition of the six-team DP World International League T20, beginning on Friday in
the UAE.A total of 34 games will be played in the league including the final in Dubai on February 17.
Dubai will host 15 games, Abu Dhabi 11 and Sharjah will be the venue for the remaining eight games.
AHEAD OF T20 WORLD CUP, RAHUL DRAVID PLEASED WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF TEAM INDIA
BENGALURU team-time ahead of the player after coming back. cision on what we think is
showpiece to be held in the There’s no doubt that he the best way to go.” The 51-
India head coach Rahul West Indies and the always had the talent, but year-old Bengaluru man
Dravid was a pleased man USA.The three-match se- just really happy to see the was also impressed by cap-
after the 3-0 series win ries against Afghanistan, way he performed in the tain Rohit Sharma’s deci-
over Afghanistan as few which India won 3-0, was series.”I’m sure it will sion to give the ball to leg-
fringe players performed
well to give the team more
India’s last T20 assign-
ment ahead of the World
give him a lot of confi-
dence as well, you come
spinner Ravi Bishnoi in
the second Super Over
options for the T20 World Cup. back in and play a series against Afghanistan on
Cup in June.
India played 11 T20s after
“Unfortunately, we real-
ly won’t have much
and you become the man
of the series. It’s great and
Wednesday night.
Bishnoi successfully de-
the ODI World Cup last cricket as a team has certainly put his hand fended 11 runs
year and the think-
tank was able to
anymore. We will obvi-
ously have the IPL,
up. He’s going to have that
opportunity to show it in
dismissing Mohammed
Nabi and Rahmanullah
have a closer look and you know, the IPL again, like he did Gurbaz in successive
at some con- everyone will be last year,” said Dravid. balls.”Rohit went with
tenders such as watching closely The wicketkeeper’s slot Bishnoi and it was his gut
Jitesh Sharma to see how some too will come under scruti- call. I think he felt that a
and Shivam of those guys ny as India now have mul- spinner had a better
Dube after front- play and what tiple choices in Jitesh, chance to take two wick-
line players were are the slots Sanju Samson, Ishan Kis- ets. If they batted six
given a we need to han, KL Rahul and balls, with the power that
rest.Dravid was fill in the Rishabh Pant, who is yet they had, they probably
quite chuffed at team,” he to regain full fitness.The would have got 12
their efforts.”We’ve said. former Indian captain did runs.”But I thought Bish-
had different people Dube not rule out anyone from noi was brilliant because
play after the last emerged contention. he bowled two super
ODI World Cup for a player of the “We’ve got quite a few balls. He pulled the length
variety of reasons. series against keeping options out there. back. If the length had
But I think it’s just Afghanistan for his 124 We saw a couple of guys in gone slightly fuller, you
nice to see that there runs and two wickets, this game. There’s Sanju, know, it would have gone
are some options (ahead of addressing in, and we and Dravid was excited to Kishan and Rishabh, I for six. It was a really
World Cup) who have put were thinking about it,” have an all-rounder option mean, we have all these good gut call from Rohit
their hand up, and certain- Dravid said in his post- to consider. guys. “We’ll just have to to go for the wickets and
ly shown that they’ve got match press conference. “He’s come back after a see how things pan out be more aggressive rather
skills to address.”Some ar- The only concern for long time. He’s certainly over the course of the next than looking for a safer
eas we might need some Dravid was the lack of very much an improved few months and make a de- option,” Dravid added.
HIT MAN ON PLAYING SWITCH HIT
Rohit retired hurt or retired out & REVERSE SWEEP
W
as Rohit Sharma retired hurt or retired out? It was the question on
everybody’s mind as the Indian skipper walked back before the last ball of
the first Super Over during third and final T20 against Afghanistan, which
‘Have to play some shots to
the hosts eventually won to bag
the series 3-0.
put bowlers under pressure’
As it turned out, it was pure After putting an exhibition of breath-taking stroke play via his
gamesmanship from Rohit as unbeaten 121, followed by a few more boundaries in the double
India needed two runs from one Super Over to ensure an Indian victory over Afghanistan, captain
ball to win at that stage and he Rohit Sharma said his switch hit and reverse sweep shots came
wanted to use the better running out of the necessity to put the bowlers under pressure.
abilities of third batter Rinku . “I have been practicing it a lot in the nets. You have to play
Singh to eke out that extra some shots in order to put the bowlers under pressure. When the
run.But the tone of the question ball is spinning and you can’t hit straight, you have to try
intensified as Rohit walked out something new. I have been practicing reverse sweeps and
again to open the innings in the company of Rinku in the second Super Over. sweeps for the past two years.”“You would have seen me play
As per the rules, once a batter is deemed retired out, he cannot come out to bat them once or twice in Test matches. You have the options and
again if another Super Over is needed to decide the outcome of the match.So, it’s up to you how you are using those options. The ball was
how did Rohit manage to bat again in the second Super Over? A match official spinning and gripping today so, I thought I’d play with the spin
later explained that if the opposition captain or coach do not have any objection, a rather than step out and hit hard in front of the wicket,” said
batsman can bat again in the second Super Over. Rohit to broadcasters JioCinema.
Surya undergoes AHEAD OF SL TOUR
groin surgery Afghanistan appoint
in Germany Shane McDermott as
.MUNICH
India’s top-ranked T20I bat-
ter Suryakumar Yadav un-
men’s team fielding coach
KABUL
derwent a successful groin
surgery in Munich, Ger- The Afghanistan Cricket
many on January 17. Multi- Board (ACB) on Thursday
ple reports have suggested announced the appoint-
that Suryakumar under- ment of Shane McDermott
went operation for a sports as the new senior men’s
hernia, a condition for team fielding coach.
which KL Rahul was also ACB added that McDer-
operated upon, co-inciden- mott is set to join the team
tally in Germany in 2022. on February 1 during
Suryakumar has been in Afghanistan men’s all-for-
Germany along with his mat tour to Sri Lanka.Mc-
wife Devisha for the surgi- Dermott is a High Perform-
cal intervention. “Surgery ance Level Three Coaching Lanka, McDermott worked
have not been able to repli- three making the Super done. I want to thank Certificate Holder and car- as the interim national
cate the immense promise Sixes where 12 teams will everyone for their ries a wealth of experience team assistant/fielding
shown at the age group be divided into two pools. concerns and well wishes of working with teams in coach and Interim Nation-
and they include the likes The top-two will then for my health, and I am international and al A Team Analyst And
of Ravikant Shukla, Man- make the semi-finals, also happy to tell you all that I domestic levels. He was re- Fielding Coach at Cricket
ish Pandey, Unmukt slated in Benoni on Febru- will be back very soon,” he cently the assistant field- Australia’s National
Chand, Yash Dhull, ary 6 and 8. said in a post on his social ing coach of Bangladesh Cricket Centre from 2012 to
Manjot Kalra and Kamlesh The Groups media accounts after the men’s team, a role he held 2019.Additionally, he
Nagarkotti.All eyes again Group A: Bangladesh, surgery.The 33-year-old since 2022. played a role in coaching
would be on India, who India, Ireland, USA Group batter has been out of ac- He has also served at the setups during recent ICC
will be led by Punjab’s B: England, Scotland, tion since sustaining a left same capacity with the Sri events, including the ICC
Uday Saharan. They begin South Africa, West Indies ankle injury while fielding Lankan senior men’s team Men’s Cricket World Cup
their campaign against Group C: Australia, during the third T20I from 2019-2022 and was 2023 and the ICC Men’s
neighbours Bangladesh in Namibia, Sri Lanka, Zim- against South Africa at Jo- head coach of the Sri Lan- T20I World Cup events in
Group A on Saturday.Six- babwe Group D: hannesburg last month, ka A team for three-year 2022 and 2021, with
teeen teams are divided Afghanistan, Nepal, New shortly after making a 56- period. Before his stints Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
into four groups with top Zealand, Pakistan. ball century. with Bangladesh and Sri teams.
cricket team can be to “vital cog” despite a diffi- the touring party to show
their public depending on cult Ashes last year. On his measured aggression tak-
how they are playing.”
Superhuman Jimmy
sixth tour to India, the 41-
year-old Anderson has tak-
ing a cue of Alstair Cook
and Kevin Pietersen’s cen-
Finn further said veteran
en an impressive 34 wick-
ets at 29.32, with 12 of them
coming on that 2012 tour.
turies in their 10-wicket
win in the 2012 Mumbai
Test.”Cook ground them
James Anderson will be a “Jimmy is superhuman. down and then Pietersen
People have been came out and played this
anticipating he will knock and everyone was
retire for about sev- like, ‘oh my word, we’re
en years now and he going to win this series’.
keeps surprising That was the moment we
people and perform- all realised.
have some IPL household of them, one of the motiva- ing,” Finn said. “England can take some
names in the touring party tions for us was to try and “He didn’t have a of the motivation from the
with the likes of Ben get the opposition public fantastic summer way that affected the way
Stokes, Mark Wood, Jonny on side and turn them last year, but I know India played and try to
Bairstow and Harry Brook against their own team. from knowing him take that into this series,
part of the side. “That’s a huge benefit to as a character that but it has to be a measured
England will embark on you, and having Stokes he wouldn’t be do- aggression.”If you go 100
their five-match series and McCullum at the helm ing this unless he percent aggression from
against India with the Hy- gives England an opportu- felt he could make a the beginning, I think you
derabad Test from nity to do that.”If they play difference. can become unstuck. But if
January 25. well and give a good ac- you’ve given yourself a
“The three most memo- count of themselves, as the
’Measured chance and then assert
rable tours I went on, India series goes on that tide can aggression’ pressure back on India,
2012, Australia 2010-11 and turn, because we know that could serve England
South Africa 2016, all three how polarising the Indian Finn further urged well,” he added.
 Athletes need not have prior relationship for sharing medals
MUMBAI: Katie Moon of USA believes that her gesture to share pole vault gold with Australia’s Nina Kennedy during last year’s
World Athletics Championships was born out of an innate feeling of relatedness, and it did not require a pre-existing bond.Both
Moon, a Tokyo Olympics gold winner, and Kennedy cleared 4.90m but missed all three attempts at 4.95m after a draining two
hours and 10 minutes contest.They could have gone to a jump-off but decided to share the gold in Budapest in August 2023.
SPORTS
BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024

SPORTS DIGEST AUSTARLIAN OPEN BOPANNA-EBDEN PAIR MOVES INTO SECOND ROUND

Nagal’s gritty run halted by Shang

Avani rallies on back nine
to be placed seventh
MELBOURNE: India’s Avani Prashanth recovered from
two double bogeys on the front nine with five birdies on
the back nine before
closing with a bogey
in the third round of After an inspiring win over a top-30 player, Nagal began in the same After loss to Swiatek, Collins announces
the Australian dominating fashion but the 18-year-old wild card entrant got better as 2024 will be her final season
Amateur
Championships here the game progressed to walk out with 2-6 6-3 7-5 6-4 score line. The
on Thursday. Avani second round contest lasted two hours and 50 minutes and it was clear After her second-round loss to world no.
carded a second 1 Iga Swiatek at the, American tennis
straight 2-over 75 at that Nagal had run out of steam in the fourth set player Danielle Collins announced the
the Par-73 courses. 2024 WTA Tour season would be her final
Avani, ranked 50th in
the world and the
top ranked star from
the Indian Golf Union, shot 72-75 on the first two days
and is now 3-over 222 and in tied seventh place.The
leader in the women’s section is Amelia Harris, who had
two eagles in her round of 5-under 68 and she is 9-under
for three rounds. She is way ahead of second placed
Mamika Shinchi of Japan who carded 71 in the third
round and has a total of 3-under.
IOA promises no stress Olympics
for Indian athletes
NEW DELHI: Claiming to be wiser from past experiences,
the Indian Olympic Association on Thursday unveiled a
slew of measures to ensure
“comfort” of its athletes at the
upcoming Paris Games, promising Lorenzo Sonego on Thursday.
that they would not face the stress The Spaniard took three hours and 25
of logistical challenges during the minutes to earn the win at Rod Laver Are- year on tour.
big event. The measures include na, avenging his straight-sets loss to “This is the final #AusOpen for Danielle
lodging athletes, specifically MELBOURNE INDIANS IN DOUBLES DRAW Sonego in their only other career meeting Collins, who confirmed she will stop com-
golfers, close to their competition at the 2021 Cincinnati Masters. peting after this year. We wish our 2022 fi-
venue, installing rehab equipment Chinese tennis prodigy Juncheng The 20-year-old Spaniard, who fired 43 nalist the very best,” Australian Open X
specific to the needs of Indian athletes at the Games Shang blunted Sumit Nagal’s chal- In the doubles, India’s Rohan Bopanna winners, including 12 aces, will next face post read.The 2022 finalist came from a set
village and engaging experts to ensure mental wellbeing lenge at the Australian Open to halt and his Australian partner Matthew the winner of an ongoing battle between and a break down to lead Swiatek by a
of those bound for Paris. “Learning from past experiences the Indian’s impressive run at the Ebden came down from a 0-5 deficit in the Indian qualifier Sumit Nagal and Chinese double-break at 4-1 in the third set before
and taking athlete comfort into consideration, the IOA is first major of the season here on opening set to beat the local team of James wildcard Juncheng Shang. the Pole came roaring back to win 6-4, 2-6,
implementing strategic measures to ensure that the Thursday. Duckworth and Marc Polmans. Earlier in the day, Alexander Zverev bat- 6-4 at Rod Laver Arena on Thursday.
athletes are at their peak performance during the In contrast, Shang began to serve The Indian pair of Vijay Sundar tled back in a five-set thriller against Slo- “This is going to be my last season, actu-
prestigious event,” the IOA said in a statement. well from the third set onwards and Prashanth and Anirudh Chandrasekar vakian qualifier Lukas Klein narrowly ally, competing. I don’t really know
was at ease in pocketing his service lost 3-6 4-6 to the Hungarian pair of Marton avoided consecutive second-round exits. exactly when, but this will be my last sea-
Jaspal Rana asked to leave range by games despite being troubled by Fucsovics and Fabian Marozsan. The German claimed a 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(7-5), son and I’m really looking forward to
NRAI’s high performance director high backhand balls in the N Sriram Balaji, who has paired with Ro- 7-6(10-7) victory after four and a half hours that,” Collins told reporters after the
NEW DELHI: Legendary pistol marksman and Manu match.Nevertheless, the 26-year-old mania’s Victor Vlad Cornea, will now of play in John Cain Arena. The victory is match. “I feel like I’ve had a pretty good
Bhaker’s personal coach Jaspal Rana on Thursday claimed Nagal, who hails from Jhajjar in open his campaign on Friday as their Zverev’s 400th at tour-level.He will next career. There has certainly been ups and
he was asked to Haryana, will exit the Melbourne match against Italian pair of Matteo Ar- meet NextGen ATP American Alex downs to it, and I think the travel and
leave the Karni Park with cherishable memories, naldi and Andrea Pellegrino has been Michelsen in the third round. some of the things away from the court
Singh shooting having made the main draw through rescheduled due to rain. Minutes before Zverev wrapped up his with scheduling and all of that, this is a re-
range here by the Qualifiers and scripting a win victory, Casper Ruud also survived a five- ally tough sport.
India’s high over world number 27 Alexander
Alcaraz stops Sonego setter against home favourite Max “I have other things that I’d kind of like
performance Bublik.Nagal will take home AUD Purcell. The Norwegian registered a 6-3, 6- to accomplish in my life outside of tennis,
director Pierre 180,000 (nearly 98 lakh) for his effort. World no 2 Carlos Alcaraz powered his 7(5-7), 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (10-7) win in Margaret and would like to be able to have the time
Beauchamp, The money should take care of most way into the third round of with a gru- Court Arena.Ruud will face Britain’s 19th to be able to do that. Obviously having
kicking off a of his 2024 Tour budget. elling 6-4, 6-7(3-7), 6-3, 7-6(7-3) victory over seed Cameron Norrie in the third round. kids is a big priority for me,” she added.
controversy in
which the national federation appeared to be siding with
the Canadian. One of the country’s most decorated
INDIA OPEN HOCKEY OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS
shooters, Rana said that he had visited the range to
oversee Manu’s training as the Commonwealth Games
and Youth Olympics gold medallist prepares for the
upcoming Paris Olympics. Rana said Beauchamp cited the
“SOP” (Standard Operating Procedure) put in place by the
Lee Cheuk Yiu beats defending USA BEAT JAPAN
National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) and asked him
to leave.
Less snow means more problems
champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn 2-1 TO ENTER FINAL
for winter sports NEW DELHI RANCHI
BELGIUM: Ski resorts in Europe’s Alps are confronting a
snow problem. Solutions won’t just fall from the sky. Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu led the march The United States clinched a berth at
As a child, our of the underdogs in the second round of the Paris Olympic Games as they de-
family would go the India Open 2024 with a win over de- feated Japan 2-1 in the semifinal of the
to the Ardennes fending men’s singles champion Kunlavut women’s FIH Hockey Olympic Quali-
in central France Vitidsarn of Thailand at the Indira Gandhi fiers, scoring two late goals off penalty
for the winter Indoor Stadium here on Thursday. corners to secure a place in the final
break. My Lee came from a game down to beat here.
memories are of reigning world champion Kunlavut 16-21, The United States, who won a bronze
us skiing or 22-20, 23-21 in an hour and 22 minutes in at home in the 1984 edition, fought
sledding in the the Super 750 meet being organised by back brilliantly to return to the
snow, which Badminton Association of India.The Olympics for the seventh time, the last
usually lay thick on the ground.The Ardennes range morning session also saw former world appearance coming at the 2016 games
between 350 and 500 metres above sea level on average champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan and in Rio de Janeiro.
but, sadly, the snow cover of my childhood is no longer a All England champion Li Shi Feng of Chi- The United States came to India as
reality.In January, the European Union’s climate research na biting the dust. secutive points and then earned two game the least favourite among the contenders but were the first to clinch a berth in the
body, Copernicus, confirmed that 2023 was the hottest Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan points at 20-18. The Thai managed to save Olympics as they rode on an undying spirit, defending stoutly as they remained
year since records began in 1850. It was 1.48 degrees defeated Yamaguchi 21-11, 21-19 while a total of three match points before the unbeaten so far, conceding only one goal in four matches.David Passmore’s team chased
Celsius warmer than the pre-industrial level, bringing the Japan’s Koke Watanabe upset third seed Hong Kong shuttler wrapped things up.In the game throughout as Japan held the advantage. The former Asian Games gold medal-
world dangerously close to the Intergovernmental Panel Feng 14-21, 21-13, 21-9.But the star of the other women’s singles matches, defending list seemed to clinch the issue when Amiru Shimada scored in the 38th minute off a
on Climate Change’s 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold. morning session was undoubtedly Lee champion An-Se Young of South Korea penalty corner on a cold and foggy evening at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astro-
Cheuk Yiu for the way he fought back had to fight hard for a 21-19, 14-21, 21-14 Turf Hockey Stadium here,’
Branch remains second against Kunlavut. The Hong Kong shuttler win over Beiwen Zhang of USA.
in Dakar Rally
AL-ULA (SAUDI ARABIA): Hero MotoSports rider Ross
looked down and out when he trailed 6-12
in the second game after losing the first
Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Tai
Tzu-Ying of Chinese Taipei and two-time
Last-gasp goals help NZ beat Czech
Branch finished seventh in the 10th stage to maintain his
second position in the overall rankings at the iconic Dakar
but he turned things around by winning
six straight points to draw level at 12-12
World Championships bronze medallist
He Bing Jao of China also secured com- to remain in hunt for 5th place
Rally here. With the effort on Wednesday, Branch remains and then went on to force a decider. fortable wins over their respective oppo- New Zealand struck twice in the final three minutes for a last-gasp victory against the
in podium contention but his gap from current race The third and final game followed a sim- nents.Tai defeated Supanida Katethong 21- Czech Republic that salvaged some pride for the Black Sticks, who had failed to reach
leader Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda Team) has ilar pattern with Kunlavut opening up a 12, 21-11 while He Bing Jao packed off the semifinals after losing to hosts India and the United States in the women’s FIH Hock-
widened to over 10 minutes .In the ‘Rally 2’ category, 16-9 lead. Lee then strung together 10 con- Pornpawee Chochuwong 21-6, 21-11. ey Olympic Qualifiers here on Thursday.
India’s Harith Noah once again achieved the top position Held goalless by the 25th-ranked Czech
and became the ‘Stage’ winner for the second time in AFRICA CUP OPENER Republic for most of the match, New
three days. He also reached the second position in the Zealand, ranked 11th in FIH Rankings, got
overall Rally 2 rankings. Branch has been holding on to the goal they were desperately looking for
second position in overall rankings for the last eight
consecutive days.Honda’s Brabec finished the stage in 3
Morocco eases to 3-0 win over Tanzania in the 57th minute when Katie Doar de-
flected home a shot by Samantha Child
hours 51 minutes and 39 seconds. His teammate Ignacio from close to make it 1-0 at the Marang
Cornejo and Andrien Van Beveren took 2 and 20 seconds, ABIDJAN (IVORY COAST) Hakimi’s cross.It Gomke Jaipal Singh Astro-Turf Hockey
respectively, more than him. Branch was 3 minutes and prompted En-Nesyri’s Stadium here.
45 seconds behind Brabec. Youssef En-Nesyri had teammates to rush to Samantha, who returned to action in Au-
to wait until he was on the Moroccan bench to gust last year, seven months after undergo-
Brentford complete loan signing of the substitutes’ bench congratulate the Sevilla ing an emergency caesarean for the birth
Reguilon from Spurs before celebrating a forward. of her twins, Louie and Freddie, secured
LONDON: Brentford have completed the signing of goal that helped Moroc- “We’re happy because the victory in the last minute when she
Sergio Reguilon on loan from Tottenham Hotspur until co seal a 3-0 win over you always have to start scored a fine field goal to make it 2-0 for the
the end of the season, the Premier League club said. The Tanzania in their open- well,” Morocco coach Black Sticks.The second goal coming in
left-back spent the first half of the campaign on loan at ing Africa Cup of Na- Walid Regragui said. with just 10 seconds remaining on the
Manchester United, making 12 appearances for Erik ten tions game. In the end, it was a clock left the Czech players in heartbreak
Hag’s side. Reguilon will provide cover at left-back for En-Nesyri’s celebrations had already made way for comfortable win for the as they had fought well and denied New Zealand till the last three minutes of the match
Frank as both Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey are sidelined were initially cut short by substitute Amine Harit to “Atlas Lions,” one of the when things took a drastic turn.
with injuries. the offside flag after he go on in his place before a pre-tournament favorites
MP Skye Martial Arts team to scored his team’s third
goal in the 80th minute. He
VAR check confirmed he
had been onside for Achraf
after reaching the World
Cup semifinals in Qatar.
Italy prevail over Chile in shoot-out
participate in Nat’l Championship Goalkeeper Lucia Ines Caruso pulled off a couple of good saves in the shoot-out, includ-
ing a penalty stroke, as Italy defeated Chile 2-1 in the tie-breaker after a 2-2 draw in reg-

Ranji Trophy 2024: MP to face

OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
The National Skye Martial Arts Championship for sub-junior
boys and girls, organised by the Skye Martial Arts
Federation of India, commenced in Shirdi, Maharashtra, on
January 18. The event will continue till 21. Participants in
the girls’ category include Lata Rajput, Radhika Tiwari, Palak
Shukla, Manya Patidar, Kratika Shanishre, Mahi Patidar,
Apra Upadhyay, Pihu Ghatiya, Manya Bhati, Kashish Verma,
Hemlata Pandey, Nikita Ahirwar, and Sadhna Pandey. In the
boys’ category, standouts include Ayush Joshi, Pratyaksh
Rathore, Garvit Yadav, Angay Jain, Mohammed Rayyan,
Veer Bhambhoriya, Prakash Bais, Keshav Sharma, Girish
Rajput, Daksh Jonwar, and Pradeep Bais. State hockey
teams for Khelo India Youth Games announced
The Madhya Pradesh hockey teams have been announced
for the upcoming Khelo India Youth Games in Chennai,
starting on January 21.
Delhi in group match today
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
Madhya Pradesh is geared up to face Delhi
in a crucial group match of the Ranji Tro-
phy 2024 on Friday.
MP’s earlier encounters against Uttarak-
hand and Odisha ended in draws, position-
ing them at number four in the elite group
D with four points. Meanwhile, Delhi,
with a loss and a draw, is at the bottom of
the point table.
Elite group D features teams from MP,
Baroda, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand,
Puducherry, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha
and Delhi.
MP’s squad includes Rajat Patidar,
Venkatesh Iyer, Shubham Sharma, Avesh
Khan, Kumar Kartikeya, Kulwant Khe-
jroliya, Aditya Shrivastava (c), Anubhav
Agarwal, Amarjeet Singh, Rishabh
Chouhan, Yash Dubey, Harsh Gawli, Mi-
hir Hirwani, Saransh Jain, and Himanshu
Mantri.
ulation time in a classification match.
Italy were cruising towards victory having
taken a 2-1 lead with goals by Bruni Antonella
(20th min) and Federica Carta (24th min) scor-
ing in quick succession after Francisca Tala
had given Chile an early lead in the 13th
minute.However, Chile came back to level
scores through Paula Valdivia seven minutes
before the final hooter and took the match
into the shoot-out at the Marang Gomke
Jaipal Singh Astro-Turf Hockey Stadium.
Carta and Maria Inaudi were successful for
Italy in the shoot-out while Guadalupe Moras
and Antonella Rinaldi failed to convert. For
Chile. Domenica Ananias scored the first at-
tempt to give them the edge after Italy’s Rinal-
di had missed.Simone Avelli, Josefina Khamis and Josefina Khamis missed the next
three attempts, two of them thwarted by Italy goalkeeper Lucia, who was pulled up for a
foul on Khamis’ second attempt for Chile but came up with a fine save off the resultant
penalty stroke to maintain Italy’s advantage.
 VASTU | LIFESTLYE
HEALTH & WELLNESS

www.freepressjournal.in INDORE / BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024

A guide to choosing plants

for small gardens
AMRUTHA NAIR
Your diet’s
A
cne is a major

SAVITHA B
Adaptable
plants: Opt for
plants that are
adaptable to your
issue faced
among all of us,
irrespective of whether
we are men or women.
This is a very common
role in acne
local climate and
require minimal skin issue that occurs
and how to fight back
C
reating a lush among everyone, at
maintenance. Native
and vibrant least once in their
plants are often
garden, even Chocolate: A bitter- Trimming down red meat for
in a limited space, is
well-suited to their lifetime. Some types of 2 6 9 Coffee control for skin
an art that requires
surroundings and acne can be completely
sweet culprit 4Snack clearer skin wellness
treated, while some
thoughtful planning
can thrive with less
keep occurring again
Now, this might wisely, say no to Red meat causes excess It is a fact that though
intervention. Low- disappoint you. But, potato chips production of sebum, which these drinks like coffee
and careful plant and again. But acne
maintenance plants yes, you read that Not only potato chips but again leads to increased oil give you sudden outburst
selection. Small or breakouts are not
will allow you to right. The high fat snacks like French fries and deep- production. And oily skin is of energy, these are bad
gardens may lack the results of a sudden
square footage, but Year- enjoy your garden and sugar content in fried oily food that come under the more prone to acne. It also for your skin in the long
without the burden phenomenon, although contains high fat content. So,
they offer a canvas round Interest: Aim chocolate often leads category of junk food aren’t good run. But that doesn’t mean
of constant upkeep. these appear suddenly cut down on red meat to get
for creativity and for a garden that offers to high production for your skin. This again causes you can’t have coffee at
on the skin most of the acne-free and
innovation. In visual appeal throughout the of sebum, which inflammation and leads to all. However, most of us
Color palette and time. It can be caused smooth skin.
this guide, we’ll year. Select plants with varying ultimately causes acne on your skin. So, are addicted to it. So, it is
coordination: Create a due to stress, hormonal
explore the key bloom times, foliage colors, and inflammation in the it’s better to eliminate better to keep a control on
harmonious and visually imbalance or even due
considerations for textures. Evergreen plants can body. If you really potato chips and 7 Guavas your coffee intake per day
pleasing garden by selecting to some foods in your
provide structure and interest cannot cut down on other fried foods to keep yourself away from
choosing plants
during the winter months, a cohesive color palette. This diet. Yes, you heard that
this, you can go for dark
and gut health acne.
that thrive in right. There are some from your diet. Acne
compact spaces, ensuring your garden doesn’t mean you have to stick chocolates that have more 10 Mindful eating and
to just one color; rather, choose foods we are unaware sometimes
remains inviting even antioxidant properties.
bringing beauty and
when other plants are shades that complement each of that can trigger acne. is a result stress management
functionality to your Sometimes, acne can 3 Cheese, the 5 Milk: A double- of improper High-stress levels
small garden oasis. dormant. other to create a balanced and
be treated by taking secretion and gut can trigger hormonal
appealing landscape. hidden acne edged sword for your skin processes. Guava, though imbalances, leading to
medicines, applying Not all dairy products are
Assessing your Functional Optimizing sunlight: aggressor considered as very healthy acne. Practice mindful
creams and using other good for your skin. Multiple
space: Before diving Understand the sunlight patterns If you want to avoid
planting: Make the most remedies externally. scientific studies otherwise, can be a cause eating and stress
into plant selection, in your garden and choose plants acne, you will have to
of your small garden But acne also can be of constipation. Thus, it management techniques,
that match those conditions. cut down on cheese claim that
take a closer look at by selecting plants that caused by following will lead to the improper such as meditation or yoga,
Some plants thrive in full sun, from your diet. glycaemic foods
your garden’s unique serve dual purposes. an improper diet too. elimination of the toxins to promote overall well-
while others Cheese contains trigger acne.
characteristics. For example, choose Surprised to know? from the body, which can being and clearer skin.
prefer shade. Milk is one of
Evaluate factors herbs that not only add Let’s take a look at what progesterone, sometimes result in acne.
By aligning them. Also, 11 Omega-3
such as sunlight fragrance and flavor to those food items are which 8 Hydration habits
your plant milk directly
exposure, soil quality, your dishes but also serve that you can avoid to increases the Water plays a crucial fatty acids for skin
choices with affects the
and available space. as ornamental additions. prevent acne or if you fat-producing
Understanding these Incorporate edible plants
the sunlight
glands. This
hormones role in maintaining skin nourishment
have acne-prone skin. and hormonal health. Dehydration Include foods rich in
elements will help available,
or those that attract will make your can lead to dry and omega-3 fatty acids, such
you’ll ensure changes have
you make informed pollinators to create a skin oily and irritated skin, potentially
the health 1 Ditch the Bread but always led to as fatty fish, flaxseeds,
decisions about dynamic and functional unhealthy, thus
and vitality acne. So, reduce exacerbating acne. Ensure and walnuts, in your diet.
which plants will space.
of your Keep the Antioxidants leading to acne. the intake of you stay adequately These essential fats help
thrive in your specific Container Bread tends to So, avoid those hydrated throughout
garden. milk if you reduce inflammation
environment. gardening: Containers deplete some of your cheesy burgers and the day to support
want to and promote skin health,
Choosing the are a small garden’s Designing a stunning skin’s antioxidant sandwiches that you prevent your skin’s natural contributing to a clearer
right size: Opt best friend. They offer garden in a small space requires level, which causes always wish to processes. complexion.
acne.
for plants that are flexibility in terms of thoughtful consideration and the development grab.
well-suited to small placement and allow strategic planning. By selecting of acne. It also In conclusion, by adopting a comprehensive
spaces. Compact and you to experiment the right plants based on your contains gluten, strategy that addresses both internal and external
dwarf varieties of with different plant garden’s unique characteristics, which is a major factors influencing skin health, you empower
trees, shrubs, and combinations. Choose you can transform even the acne-causing yourself to conquer acne effectively. Embrace a
flowers are excellent containers that tiniest outdoor space into a content that leads to lifestyle that nurtures not only your skincare
choices. Consider complement your thriving and beautiful haven. inflammation on the routine but also your dietary choices and stress
vertical gardening by garden’s style and Embrace creativity, experiment skin. So, if you want management practices. Remember, your skin
incorporating climbing consider the varying with plant combinations, and to remove acne-causing reflects the harmony of your entire well-being,
plants to maximize heights and sizes of plants enjoy the process of cultivating food from your diet, this making the pursuit of a holistic lifestyle a lasting
space utilization. to create visual interest. your own small garden paradise. would be one. investment in the health and beauty of your skin.

#!%'!$("' #("'! 3 !!!%('!(!

Yoga Vs Gym: Cost: Gym sessions

T
he human
papillomavirus (HPV), "'!"!( RASHI SHAH
are typically more

%"#!!%('
has been available %#!It is expensive than yoga.
for a long time. This
vaccine is both safe and
important for both
men and women.
Which one is better for you? Whether you choose not
to get a gym membership

effective, protecting against
numerous strains of HPV,
the most prevalent sexually
transmitted infection and
a contributor to various
cancers. Despite its numerous
advantages, misconceptions
about the HPV vaccine
continue to circulate. It is
crucial to be well-informed
about this vaccine. The
human papillomavirus
(HPV) vaccine has been a
game-changer in reducing
the risk of cervical cancer
in women, as well as other
types of cancer in both men
and women. By targeting
the human papillomavirus,
the vaccine helps prevent
infection by some of the most
common strains known to
cause these cancers. What’s
more, it can also protect
against genital warts and
reduce the likelihood of
transmitting HPV to sexual
partners. In addition,
getting vaccinated provides
a form of herd immunity
that benefits those who
may not be able to receive
the vaccine themselves,
effectively helping to protect
entire communities from
HPV-related diseases.
Unfortunately, there are
some myths related to this
vaccine. In the below article,
we aim to debunk the myths.
F
or quite some and exercise at home
HPV can lead to time now, Refreshment:
or go to a gym, you’ll
genital warts and an argument Yoga leaves you
need equipment for gym
various types of about which is better feeling energized and
workouts. In contrast,
cancer in men, and between gymming mentally at peace,
yoga doesn’t demand any
it can be passed and yoga has been while gym sessions
specialized equipment.
on to a partner prevalent in the minds often result in fatigue
Just find a suitable space,
unknowingly. of everyone. Some and soreness. Despite
and you’re ready to
So, everyone claim that since ages, yoga sessions being
practice various asanas at
must consider yoga has been offering longer and more
minimal cost.
getting vaccinated a way of leading a stretched, they are less
against HPV after exhausting than gym
Weight loss: Yoga
healthy lifestyle. On can help you with losing
1 !!%('!(!%$!%'!%'! consulting the the other hand, there workouts. For both
weight but it takes a
(!(!# expert. are other people mental and physical
4 !!%('! (! Digestion: longer period of time
%#!The HPV vaccine is safe who claim that benefits, choose yoga.
than gymming. If your
and does not pose any significant '"#!"! "##("'! gymming is the This is one of the major
only reason to work out
%%('#!(%! perfect solution factors that need to be Lean or
health risks. While mild reactions is losing weight, then
%' to build a good discussed when talking about muscular?:
such as arm pain or redness, low- differences between yoga and gymming can help you
Opt for yoga if you
grade fever, headache, fatigue, %#!The HPV and fit body
gymming. Yoga is an activity that aim for a lean body do that in less time than
nausea, or muscle/joint pain vaccine has been and achieve yoga and can help you in
quicker revives you and helps in digestion. and overall fitness
may occur, these are temporary shown to provide achieving a fit body by
and common with most vaccines. nearly 100% results. While Gymming, on the other hand, is with minimal
getting rid of any extra
DR PRATIMA THAMKE there can more rigorous and known to effort, while gym
Allergic reactions are rare and protection against increase one’s hunger more fat.
be no direct workouts are ideal
those with known allergies to any Consultant persistent cervical than normal and can lead to
comparison for achieving a
of the vaccine components should Obstetrician & infections with HPV overeating by people after Results: Yoga
between the two muscular physique
not receive it. Gynaecologist, types 16 and 18, as a workout session at provides unique benefits
by strengthening and
2 !!%('%#("'!%! Motherhood well as the pre- of them, there are
a gym. that gymming cannot
bulking up muscles.
('#((# Hospital,
Kharghar
cancers caused by some advantages and match, but it takes a
disadvantages that
%# There is no scientific these infections. Health benefits: Training: In the initial longer time to show
both offer. Let’s list results. Gym sessions,
evidence to support claims Different types of yoga provide stages of gymming, you require a
that the HPV vaccine leads to 5 !(('!#!!%('!"!'"#!%! down some of the
different kinds of health trainer with you to make sure you on the other hand,
infertility. Studies have found no #"!('%!%! "$((#!%$"'! important factors
benefits. It not only helps in practice each exercise correctly, deliver quicker results in
link between the HPV vaccine and %"'# and discuss the role
strengthening and toning and for an appropriate amount of achieving a fitter body.
of both gymming and
premature ovarian failure. On the %#!There is no connection between yoga with respect
increases flexibility, but also time without going wrong as any Ultimately, the choice
contrary, the HPV vaccine can getting the HPV vaccine and engaging rejuvenates your mind. Gym mistake can lead to some damage. between yoga and gym
to those factors to workouts depends on your
safeguard fertility by preventing in higher levels of sexual activity. On sessions, on the other hand, As far as yoga is concerned, it
analyse in an easy fitness goals. Consider
gynaecological issues associated the other hand, those who received the are mostly for muscle toning is easy to learn and in today’s
manner, which of the these differences to make
with cervical cancer treatment, vaccine will be aware and tend to practice and other outer physical day and age even YouTube can
two would work better an informed decision for a
which could potentially impact a safer sexual habits compared to those who benefits, rather than mental help you learn various asanas
for you. healthy lifestyle.
woman’s ability to conceive. did not. stimulation. beneficial for various body parts.

%!#"! '#!#"(! "$!('! "$'

NEHA GHOSH
R
esearchers have
found that more
than 2 billion people
all over the world suffer
from iodine deficiency.
In fact, women are more
likely to have both iodine
deficiency and suffer from
thyroid issues than men.
Reports claim that one
in three women face this
problem sooner or later
in life. In this article, we
will be discussing the
ways to prevent thyroid
problems in women. Do
you know India has a
large number of people
suffering from thyroid
disorders? According
to the World Health
Organisation, almost
about every third person
in India suffers from some
kind of thyroid disorder.
Thyroid disorder was
earlier caused by genetics.
Lately, environmental
factors, diet, and
lifestyle are also known
! "%#!"! !#" !$"('
"#('!('#% You probably didn’t know that
Protein is cigarette smoke has various toxins
essential and that are dangerous to the thyroid
necessary as it helps glands and can trigger thyroid
to cause thyroid problems Stress !$ "!#!%# ! "'(#"('!"!("('! to transport the disease as well. People who most
('#%
as well. So, what are the The best thing to do is to avoid thyroid hormone often smoke are more likely to
symptoms of thyroid gland
reduction gluten foods, sugar, dairy, and
Women should reduce It is necessary to to all your tissues, develop thyroid eye complications
abnormality? Nervousness, sweet alcohol as all of these foods monitor your iodine which further of Grave’s disease and treatment
stressing themselves too increase inflammation in the body.
mental fogginess, poor much as stress can cause intake if you are suffering help your thyroid for these eye problems is less
concentration, menstrual Consumption of fibrous fruits, from thyroid issues function effectively. effective.
hormonal imbalance. Women vegetables, and beans work as
changes, feeling bloated, as iodine plays a very Some of the rich
fast heartbeat, weight
are also more prone to thyroid good prebiotics that provide
important role in the protein sources you ! "%!("('!('!%'!
disorders when they are under food for the healthy gut bacteria.
gain, aches and pains, stress. How does stress affect formation of thyroid could include in #"(!%#
heat intolerance, high Include white beans as a part of hormone thyroxine. Also, your diet are eggs, With over 2 billion people
the thyroid gland? Consistent your diet as it is a rich source of
cholesterol levels, and do not take too much of seeds, nuts, fishes, worldwide grappling with iodine
stress is known to deplete the iron, which is necessary for the
feeling cold are some of iodine in your food as and legumes. Soy deficiency, thyroid health is
thyroid glands, so when you activity of thyroid.
the symptoms of thyroid it will pave the way for products like tofu, a significant global concern.
are stressed, the thyroid
issues. The symptoms hyperthyroidism. Instead, soy milk, and soy Women, in particular, face a
of thyroid problems in
gland does not function Reduce !'%!(#%$('!! have eggs, sardines, and granules could also higher risk, with one in three
men include fatigue,
properly. ('&%$$%#("' ('#% cheese as they are the best make for a good experiencing iodine deficiency
depression, weight Oily fishes Getting sufficient protein source. and related thyroid issues. This
sources of iodine.
like mackerel amounts of vitamin
gain, hair loss,
or salmon are anti- D is extremely ! %('#%('!#!"(#"'! problem is not limited to specific
brain fog,
inflammatory in nature. important because low ('#% !
"%! !"'!
regions; in India, nearly every
constipation, Any food that stops third person is reported to have a
insomnia, You can consume levels of vitamin D
your body’s iodine ""!%# thyroid disorder. While genetics
good quality fish and could lead to thyroid Ensure a balanced were traditionally associated
low sex absorption should be
you could also have disorders. Vitamin D hormonal system by with thyroid disorders, current
drive, and omitted from your diet.
fresh turmeric root is anti-inflammatory, incorporating essential understanding implicates
erectile People with thyroid
either boiled in milk making it excellent for nutrients found in healthy environmental factors, diet, and
dysfunction. should avoid foods like
or added to your anyone suffering from fats like ghee, nuts, lifestyle choices. Recognizing
Here are cauliflower, cabbage,
listed 10 ways smoothies. You could autoimmune disease. butter, coconut milk, and addressing iodine deficiency
also drink a green It is recommended to turnips, broccoli, peanuts, and flaxseeds into
to prevent soybeans, spinach, kale, globally is crucial for preventing
smoothie made with consume 1,000 to 5,000 your diet.
thyroid and radishes. and managing thyroid problems.
spinach, lime, cucumber, IU of vitamin D a day.
problems in
women: and celery. Disclaimer: The Free Press Journal bears no responsibility for the content that appears on this page.
 Boat overturns, S ix school children died after a boat carrying
27 students, who were on a picnic,
Minister Kuber Dindor said, "I have just learnt
that six children died after a boat carrying school
overturned in a lake on the outskirts of Vadodara students overturned in a lake." "Rescue
6 school students city in Gujarat on Thursday, officials said. A operations are underway. The National Disaster
search operation is underway to trace the Response Force (NDRF) and the fire brigade
killed in Vadodara remaining students at the Harni Lake, where the
incident happened, they said. Gujarat Education
personnel are on the job along with other
agencies", he said. – PTI/Vadodara
BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024

IIM Calcutta sexual harassment allegations:

Director’s ouster surprise students
Saibal Chattopadhyay takes over as the interim director following ICC recommendations
MEGHA CHOWDHURY/MUMBAI
Students of the Indian Insti-
tute of Management, Calcut-
ta (IIM-C) are shocked and
surprised after the ouster of
director Sahadeb Sarkar.
The IIM-C has relieved
Sarkar of his duties, who
served as the acting director
until last week, in response
to allegations of a sexual ha-
rassment complaint filed
against him.
Bishal Das, a final-year
student, shared, "He was our
stats professor in the first
term. The issue with direc-
tors and the board has been
ongoing for years now. I don't
know if there is any relation
between this case and the on-
going issue of the board. But
it never seemed like he
would be involved in any
such case."
Kumud Patel, a first-year
student, acknowledged the
importance of stringent
measures while emphasis-
ing that the allegations have
not been proven yet.
Patel stated, "While it is
Ceiling collapses
at NMIMS College,
no casualties
IIM-Calcutta (left) relieved with Former IIM-C director Sahadeb Sarkar
great that such stringent
measures and actions are
taken, I believe his removal
is required to ensure justice
so that the investigation can
be done without his involve-
ment."
Earlier on Tuesday, Jan 16,
the IIM-C released a state-
ment stating that the Inter-
nal Complaints Committee
NEVER GET BOGGED DOWN BY DU to allow students
FAILURE: VP TO TRIBAL STUDENTS participating in
(ICC) had received a formal
complaint against Sarkar.
An unnamed female em-
ployee lodged a sexual ha-
rassment complaint against
Sarkar with the ICC. The
complaint was filed under
the Sexual Harassment of
Women at Workplace (Pre-
vention, Prohibition, and Re-
dressal) Act, 2013 (POSH
FILE PHOTO PIB
Act).
As a result, he was re-
moved from his current po-
sition and any other roles
where he holds administra-
tive responsibilities at IIM-C.
The allegations are current-
ly undergoing a thorough in-
vestigation.
Saibal Chattopadhyay, the
institute's next senior-most
Republic Day to sit
faculty member, has as-
sumed the role of the new di-
rector-in-charge on an inter-
im basis.
Expressing concerns
over a fair investigation,
the ICC, in its recommen-
dation, highlighted chal-
lenges related to accessing
witnesses, staff, faculty,
and institute documents
while Sarkar retained his
position.
This recent removal
marks the third instance
in three years that an IIM
director has left the posi-
tion before finishing their
term. Uttam Kumar
Sarkar resigned in August
2023, halfway through a
five-year term, and Anju
Seth stepped down in
March 2021, four years into
her term. The removal of
Sahadeb Sarkar under-
scores the institute's com-
mitment to addressing and
investigating complaints
of sexual harassment, en-
suring a safe and con-
ducive environment for its
academic community.
IIT-Delhi: Additional non-veg
meal charges stoke controversy
SIMPLE VISHWAKARMA / MUMBAI With already segregated spaces for
non-vegetarian and vegetar-
The controversy over vege- around 500 out ian meals in Saptagiri and
tarian and non-vegetarian
meals at India’s top educa-
of 800 students in the Dronagiri hostels, re-
spectively. However, the
tional institutes has IIT-Delhi’s hostel main bone of con-
resurfaced, this time in tention is the proposed
the Indian Institute of non-vegetarians, the additional charge for
Technology (IIT) Delhi. It proposed charges non-vegetarian meals,
has been alleged that the he claimed.
institute has circulated a stoked a Sources indicate that
‘consent form’ among controversy on the evening of Jan 15, the
students in hostels Dronagiri IIT-Delhi made a notable mod-
and Saptagiri, asking them to pay an ification to the consent form,
extra charge for choosing non-vegetarian specifically addressing a contentious point
(chicken) options in the hostel mess. that had sparked concern among the stu-
The form, which is mandatory for hostel dents. The additional point in question was
mess entry, states that the purpose of the ex-
tra charge is to distribute the cost of non-veg-
subsequently revoked.
Officials of the IIT-Delhi claimed they
etarian meals among those who choose
them.
weren’t aware of the development. Public Re-
lations Officer Shiv Prakash Yadav refused
to answer the FPJ’s

PTI / NEW DELHI cial residence, Dhankhar questions on the issue.

reported
The incident took place
on the seventh floor of
the SVKM's Mithibai
building designated for
NMIMS courses.
KRISHA BHATT / MUMBAI
A ceiling collapsed at
NMIMS College in Vile Par-
le on Thursday, Jan 18, dur-
ing regular college hours.
Fortunately, no casualties
or injuries were reported,
as confirmed by the stu-
dents who were present at
the time.
The incident took place
on the seventh floor of the
SVKM's Mithibai building,
which had been undergoing
renovation.
Notably, the top three
floors of the Mithibai build-
Vice President Jagdeep
Dhankhar on Thursday
asked tribal students not
to get discouraged by fail-
ure as it is not an
indicator of their capabil-
ities.
He also said that India
has changed and that is
why a tribal woman is the Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar as it is not an indicator of
president, a "kisan putra"
(son of a farmer) is the vice president
and a person from the other backward said after coming to power, Prime Minis-
classes is the prime minister.
Interacting with a delegation of tribal eas should not be known by their
students, participating in the Tribal mineral resources but by the people of
Youth Exchange programme, at his offi- the region.
GUIDELINES FOR COACHING CENTRES
No intake of students below 16
years, no misleading promises
PTI / NEW DELHI
Coaching centres cannot enrol students
below 16 years of age, make misleading
promises and guarantee rank or good
marks, according to new guidelines an-
nounced by the Ministry of Education.
The guidelines for regulating
coaching institutes have been framed to
address the need for a legal framework
and manage the unregulated growth of
private coaching centres.
It comes following complaints
received by the government about rising
cases of student suicides, fire incidents,
lack of facilities in coaching incidents as
well as methodologies of teaching adopt-
ed by them.
"No coaching centre shall engage tu-
tors having qualifications less than grad-
uation. The institutions cannot make
misleading promises or guarantee rank
or good marks to parents for enrolling
students in the coaching centres. The in-
stitutes cannot enrol students below 16
years of age. Student enrolment should
be only after secondary school examina-
tion", the guidelines said.
"The coaching institutes cannot pub-
lish or cause to be published or take part
in the publication of any misleading ad-
vertisement relating to any claim, direct-
ly or indirectly, of quality of coaching or
the facilities offered therein or the result
procured by such coaching centre or the
said tribals are the owners
of this country.
He said those coming
from rural areas should
never get afraid in cities
and that urban areas draw
their strength from tribals
and villagers. Dhankhar
said one should not get
discouraged from failure
a person's capabilities.
During his address, the vice president
ter Narendra Modi had felt that tribal ar-
student who attended such class", it
added.
According to new guidelines, due to
tough competition and academic pres-
sure on students, coaching centres
should take steps for the mental well-be-
ing of students and may conduct classes
without putting undue pressure on
them.
The guidelines detailing the frame-
work on mental wellbeing come against
the backdrop of student suicides in
coaching hub Kota in 2023. The rapid in-
crease in the number of student suicides
flagged various issues plaguing the
coaching industry.
According to the guidelines, the
tuition fees for different courses and cur-
ricula being charged shall be fair and
reasonable and receipts for the fee
charged must be made available.
"If the student has paid for the course
in full and is leaving the course in the
middle of the prescribed period, a stu-
dent will be refunded from out of the fees
deposited earlier for the remaining peri-
od on a pro-rata basis within 10 days.”
"If the student was staying in the hos-
tel of the coaching centre then the hostel
fees and mess fee etc. will also be refund-
ed. Under no circumstances, the fee
based on which enrolment has been
made for a particular course and dura-
tion shall be increased during the cur-
rency of the course," it said.
for missed exams
PTI / NEW DELHI
Delhi University students participating
in the Republic Day parade will be given
a “special chance” to sit for missed ex-
ams, an official said on Thursday.
According to the official, the varsity is
also considering offering a similar relax-
ation for students who represent the uni-
versity at national and international lev-
el sports events such as the Olympics.
The final-year students, who are a part
of the Delhi contingent of NCC will
march at the Kartavya path on Jan 26,
will be given this chance to ensure that
their academic year is not wasted and
they get their degrees
on time, OSD ex-
amination
Ajay Arora
told PTI.
The
university
may con-
sider in-
cluding
first and
second-year
students partici-
pating in the Republic
Day parade for this opportunity after as-
sessing the number of students who will
require the relaxation, he added.
“We will provide a special chance to fi-
nal-year students of Delhi University
who were busy with parade rehearsal
and therefore couldn't appear for the ex-
amination held during the period,"
Arora said.
A date sheet for the same will be re-
leased soon and the exams will be held
keeping in mind the schedule of
students to avoid clash with any other
paper, Arora said.
"We want to encourage students to
learn from experiences beyond the class-
room teaching. For that, it is important
that they participate in such events and
gain exposure. This will also help to
instil a sense of nationalism in young
minds", Arora said.
This year, 2,274 cadets, including stu-
dents from Delhi University
representing the Delhi Contingent, will
take part in the NCC Republic Day
march past.
The Republic Day parade will also
witness a record number of 907 girl
cadets who will march on the occa-
sion.
Similar issues at IIT
Bombay and IIT Madras
IIT-Delhi is not the only insti-
tute facing mess-related chal-
lenges. IIT-Bombay has also
been accused of discrimina-
tion because of banners in
the canteen designating a
specific space for vegetarian
students to sit. The Ambed-
kar-Periyar-Phule Study Cir-
cle raised issues such as sep-
A user, @VoiceofIITD, posted a screenshot arate dishes and stoves for vegetarians and
of the form on the social media platform ‘X’ non-vegetarians. In 2017, students reported
(formerly Twitter) on Jan 13, highlighting facing fines of up to Rs 50,000 for breaking
the issue. the kitchen guidelines.
An anonymous student from IIT Delhi told In November 2022, an RTI revealed no sep-
The Free Press Journal (FPJ), “Students opt- arate Jain food spaces, yet reports indicated
ing for non-vegetarian meals would be re- forced segregation. Despite condemnation
quired to pay a surcharge on top of the regu- from students, the institute administration,
lar mess charges.”
According to him, the purpose of the form,
as stated in the screenshot, is to distribute the
including Dean Suryanarayana Doolla, has
not commented on the issue.
IIT-Madras, on the other hand, takes a dif-
cost of non-vegetarian meals among those
who choose them. “The form is mandatory,
and upon completion, a QR code is generated
ferent stance, asserting that they do serve
non-vegetarian meals. However, upon re-
viewing the IIT-Madras official website's
for mess entry,” the student further added. menu, we observed that they provide
He also said that it’s unfair to charge stu- omelettes and boiled eggs only for breakfast.
dents extra for their preferred food choices. For lunch and dinner, the menu exclusively
He added that the students already bore high consists of vegetarian dishes.
costs for their education and living expenses. As the debate intensifies, students ques-
With approximately 800 students in the hos- tion the rationale behind additional charges
tels, 500 preferring non-vegetarian food, the based on dietary preferences, emphasising
students argued against the introduction of the need for a fair and transparent approach
additional charges. in addressing the concerns of the diverse
According to the student, the IIT-Delhi has student body.
IIT-Kanpur PhD student hangs
herself in hostel room
PTI/KANPUR (UP) Dec 29 last year. Possible reasons behind
Talking to PTI over the Jaiswal's suicide will only be
A 29-year-old PhD student at phone, Additional DCP (West) revealed after a preliminary
the Indian Institute of Tech- Akash Patel said they re- probe and completing other
nology, Kanpur, allegedly end- ceived information about the formalities, the DCP said.
ed her life by hanging herself suicide around 1 pm. Upon In a statement, IIT-Kanpur
from the ceiling fan of her reaching the spot, they found said, "With profound grief, IIT
room here on Thursday, po- the door of Jaiswal's room Kanpur mourns the untimely
lice said. This was the third was locked from inside and and unfortunate demise of a
case of suicide at the IIT-Kan- broke it open to find her body PhD student Priyanka Jaisw-
pur campus in a month. hanging from the ceiling fan. al, who joined the Depart-
A native of Jharkhand's A forensic team has been ment of Chemical Engineer-
Dumka, Priyanka Jaiswal, called to the spot, Patel said. ing of the Institute last month
who was pursuing a PhD in Jaiswal's hostel mates had in- (December 2023). She was
Chemical engineering, was formed IIT-Kanpur authori- found dead in her hostel room
admitted to the institute on ties who later called the police. this afternoon. "

ing, located opposite the

NMIMS building, are desig-
nated for NMIMS courses
and are integral to the
NMIMS college.
A video posted online by
an NMIMS Law student
highlighted the incident,
expressing safety con-
cerns.
An NMIMS student, who
didn’t want to be named,
told The Free Press Journal
(FPJ), "That part of the
building is slightly older;
we are just glad that no one
was hurt."
Another student com-
mented, "It is a very unfor-
tunate incident and is quite
concerning."
Students from NMIMS
voiced their concerns about
the building's infrastruc-
tural maintenance, citing it
as a significant issue.
NMIMS officials have not
responded to the FPJ’s
questions on the incident
till the publication of this
article.
Mithibai College hosted para events for differently-abled children
The event featured four distinct categories—dance, music, talent show and painting—for the children to display their talent.
STAFF REPORTER / MUMBAI Arvinder Singh, a
distinguished music expert,
To highlight the talent of the dif- served as the judge for ‘Pitch Per-
ferently-abled, Mithibai Colleges’ fect,’ a singing competition that
cultural team, ‘Kshitij’ hosted highlighted the melodious voices
events for such children on Jan 7. of specially-abled participants.
This event continued Kshitij’s The ‘Para Talent Show', a plat-
legacy to be the only college festi- form for showcasing a variety of
val to host para events, dedicated skills, was expertly judged by sea-
to showcasing the talents of differ- soned actor, Jay Soni. In the event,
ently-abled children. The para ‘Cascade of Colours’, a painting
event was also a testament to the competition, the participants dis-
college's commitment to inclusivi- played their artistic prowess, with
ty and providing a platform for all the accomplished artist, Isha Ka-
individuals to express their mal, providing valuable judge-
unique abilities. ment.
The para events featured four The experienced panel of
distinct categories, each carefully judges appreciated and evaluated
designed to celebrate the diverse the exceptional talents displayed
talents of the participants. throughout the events.
Renowned choreographer, Noorin Infusing a radiant glow into the
Sha, presided over the ‘Rang day was a mesmerising perform-
Manch’, a dance competition, ance by a magician, captivating
where participants expressed everyone in the audience and leav-
themselves through captivating ing them spellbound with admira-
performances. tion.
 Jenna ctors Jenna Dewan and Steve Kazee are set to welcome their second child.
Dewan,
Steve Kazee
A The couple are already parents to their son Callum, who was born in March
2020, one month after they confirmed their engagement. Dewan, 43, shared
the news in an Instagram video on Wednesday showing Kazee, 48, playing
the guitar while she’s in the bathtub cradling her baby bump. “Think if I make
expecting @stevekazee serenade me every night the baby will get his voice??” she captioned
her post. This will be Dewan’s third child. She shares 10-year-old daughter Everly with
second child former husband and Step Up co-star Channing Tatum. —PTI
INDORE | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024
bhopal

Ask Me
shots. So we had a wonderful bonding experi-
ence during the shoot.

In Killer Soup, you had some intimate scenes

with Manoj Bajpayee. Are you comfortable

Anything
performing such scenes on screen?
It depends. If I feel that the scene is not there
just for titillation or just to be sensational, then
I don’t mind. It’s also the people you’re working
with. Abhishek and Manoj made me so comfort-
able. The atmosphere on set was very easy and
it was very private. Everything had been dis- Katrina Kaif reveals what she
cussed in advance about what I’d be wearing, likes the most about being a
Konkona sheds light and how they’d shoot it, so I knew what was go-
Punjabi daughter-in-law
ing to happen. I didn’t feel uncomfortable doing
on her time on the something like that.
CJ DESK
sets of Killer Soup Some people have been accusing OTT of pro-
moting violence and vulgarity, and are de- atrina Kaif, who is currently garner-

A still from
manding censorship. What is your opinion?
I don’t believe in censorship at all. Of course,
shows must be rated U/A or PG-13, so that par-
K ing praises from critics as well as the
audience for her latest film Merry
Christmas, revealed what she likes
Killer Soup ents will know what can children watch and the most about being a Punjabi daughter-
what not. But when it comes to adults, there in-law. The actress, who tied the knot with ac-
should be no censorship. If people over 18 can tor Vicky Kaushal in December 2021, decided
vote and choose their leaders and life partners, to interact with her fans and followers on a so-
then why can’t they choose their content? There cial media platform on Thursday.
should be a clear warning that it is not suitable Katrina conducted an ‘Ask Me Anything’ ses-
for children or that it is violent or sexual, but sion on the photos and video-sharing plat-
that’s that. After that, I believe adults can make form. What caught out attention was her
their own decisions. rection to a question about her mar-
ried life.
Do you think the Indian audience is open to A user asked what she likes
exploring the genre of dark comedies? about being a Punjabi daughter-
I was not sure initially, but I am getting so in-law. Replying to this, Katrina
much love for my character Swathi that I feel wrote, “Dher sara pyaar & ghar ka
SAGARIKA CHOUDHARY maybe they are ready. People have rooted for bana hua sarso da saag aur makki
Swathi despite the fact that she’s not always be- ki roti with white makkhan.”
ctress Konkona Sensharma recently having in a very correct way. I think people do The actress also shared a picture

A starred in the quirky and twisted web

series Killer Soup, co-starring Manoj
Bajpayee and directed by Abhishek
understand that this is not real life, that it is a
work of fiction, that it is a crime thriller. It’s
supposed to be a dark comedy. Slowly, these
of the famous Punjabi dish.
Katrina also answered several
questions related to Merry
Chaubey. Though it was promoted as being things are starting, Especially thanks to OTT, Christmas. Reacting to a user
a crime thriller, it is laced with dark humour, we are getting different kinds of content, and who asked how she learned
which has become one of the highlights of the that is very heartening. Tamil dialogues, the actress
show. In a candid conversation with The Free said, “Very very hard... but
Press Journal, Konkona shed light on her time What is the secret ingredient in your I had great support from Vi-
on the sets of Killer Soup, censorship on OTT, recipe for the perfect act? jay Sethupathi all through-
her approach towards choosing the right script, When I take up a role, the first thing I out.”
and more. Excerpts: check is if there is some merit to the Katrina also shared a pic-
character and if I like the script and ture in which Vicky is seen
How was your experience working with the director. It has to excite me, cre- hugging her tightly after
Manoj Bajpayee? atively speaking. And once that hap- watching the film. It was in re-
It was fantastic! I had been wanting to work pens, then I completely devote my- sponse to a question from a fan
with Manoj Bajpayee for so many years now self to it. I never think of the out- who enquired about the best re-
and I was thrilled when I got the opportunity. come. I try to relate to my char- action she got on the film.
But when the shoot commenced, I was a little acter as much as possible so Set on the night of Christmas Eve,
nervous, because he’s a legendary actor who that the audience too find it Merry Christmas narrates the curi-
has had such a celebrated career. I thought real. I want to be a conduit be- ous life story of a single mother
he’d be a very intense kind of person, very in- tween the character and the Maria (Katrina), who is on a day
timidating for me, but he was nothing like viewer. I have to make out with her mute daughter Annie
that. He has a very easy and casual vibe. He that bridge happen with (Pari Sharma). She accidentally
has a certain warmth to his personality, the help of my director, meets Albert (Vijay), a Dubai-re-
which I love very much. He would cook for co-actors and the turned architect, but life unfolds
us on set. Sometimes, all of us would get to- whole crew. That’s bitter truths as they cross paths
gether and play games while waiting for the how I look at it. with each other.
PICS: VARINDER CHAWLA

CAUGHT ON CAM
Sequel
Khushi Kapoor
is all smiles as
she finishes her
Celebs were snapped as they daily workout
were out and about in Mumbai

buzz
Harsh Madhuri
Varrdhan Dixit Nene
Kapoor strikes a
looks cool pose
as he is for our
Mukesh spotted in shutterbugs
Chhabra Juhu

CUDDLERS CJ DESK
Filmmaker Mukesh Chhabra shares a
lia Bhatt who shares a healthy bond
cryptic post on social media
CJ DESK
A with her sister Shaheen Bhatt often
share pictures that exude major sib-
ling goals.
The Jigra actor took to Instagram on
ilmmaker Mukesh Chhabra, who directed Wednesday and shared a picture with Shaheen. She

F Sushant Singh Rajput’s last film Dil Bechara,

has shared a cryptic post on social media and
netizens were convinced that he has an-
captioned the post, “We are cuddly sleepers, re-united
at last, @shaheenb.”
In the picture, Alia can be seen cuddling with her sister,
nounced a sequel to the film. On Wednesday, Shaheen Bhatt. Alia wore a black top with no makeup, and
Mukesh took to his social media account and wrote, Shaheen donned a light blue sweater.
Dil Bechara 2. As soon as the actor dropped the picture, fans and industry
He did not write anything else besides the title of the friends chimed in the comment section.
film. Soon after he shared the post, emotional fans Alia and Shaheen born to veteran actress Soni
chimed in the comments section and reacted to it. Razdan and filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt.
Singer Amaal Malik also dropped a red heart emoticon Last year, in November, Alia penned a spe-
under Mukesh’s post. cial self-composed poem for her sister Sha-
Dil Bechara starred Sushant and Sanjana Sanghi in heen on her birthday.
the lead roles. Directed by Mukesh, it is a remake of the
2014 Hollywood hit The Fault In Our Stars, which is
based on John Green’s 2012 bestseller of the same name.
The film also starred Saif Ali Khan, Sahil Vaid, Saswata
Chatterjee, Swastika Mukherjee, Sunit Tandon, Michael
Muthu, Rajie Vijay Sarathy, and Subbalakshmi in key
roles. Bhumi
It was the last film of Sushant, who was found dead at his Pednekar
Mumbai residence on June 14, 2020. He was 34. looks dapper
Mukesh, who set up his own casting company in 2008, is the in white
man behind the casting of movies like Sushant’s Kai Po Che,
Gangs of Wasseypur, Dangal, Delhi Crime and many others. He
palazzos
started off his journey in the entertainment industry with cast-
ing minor characters for Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s 2006 film
Rang De Basanti while the director was shooting in Delhi. But,
soon, Mukesh landed in Mumbai and got a casting job for the
Rishi Kapoor-starrer Chintuji. Since then, there has been no
looking back for the casting director. Sanya Malhotra stuns with
her gorgeous looks as she
heads out in suburbs
 BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024

Sidharth Malhotra

Vacation
romances Isha Talwar in
Indian Police Force new
song Bairiyaa Re

mode on Sushmita Sen swims in minus 1

temperature amid Azerbaijan’s
CHEMISTRY
SOARS IN
LOVE
snow-capped mountains

CJ DESK

ushmita Sen has taken time off from

S her hectic schedule and is currently

vacationing in Azerbaijan. The ac-
tress took to her Instagram handle
and shared a glimpse from her vacation
as she took a dip in the pool in minus 1 temper-
ature amid snow-capped mountains.
Sen captioned the video: “Snow capped mountains,
minus 1 temperature, a heated outdoor pool…
and of course the desire
to dive right in!!! Ufffff what
an experience it is…to let go!!!
To be free (zing) & one with
nature! #breathtaking
#shahdag #azerbaijan🇦🇿
#yourstruly #sharing
#avibecalledlife #feelit #liveit.
I love you guys beyond!!! #dug-
gadugga #2024diaries.”
Reacting to Sushmita’s video,
her daughter Renee Sen com-
mented, “You are unreal.” Tan-
naz Irani said, “Wow! Really
jealous now.”
Before heading to Azerbaijan,
Sushmita attended Aamir
Khan’s daughter Ira Khan and
Nupur Shikhare’s wedding re-
ception in Mumbai with her CJ DESK
boyfriend, Rohman Shawl and
elhiites will be amazed to see the video of

D Bairiyaa Re song from Sidharth Malhotra’s

Renee. She also penned a sweet
note to the couple and wrote, “I have
witnessed their beautiful journey lead-
ing up to this togetherness. Congratula-
tions Ira Khan and Nupur Shikhare.
May you always celebrate life and all its
blessings. Here’s to a new chapter & a
destined bond. I love you soooooo much.
Congratulations Maa Pritam Shikhare.”
Meanwhile, on the work front, Sushmita
will be seen next in the
third season of Aarya.
The second part of the
series will stream
from February 9,
digital show Indian Police Force as it fea-
tures him romancing his co-star Isha Tal-
war against the picturesque backdrop of Hu-
mayun’s Tomb in Delhi.
Taking to a social media platform, Sidharth
dropped the song’s video and captioned it, “Between
orders and action, a love melody unfolds.
#BairiyaaRe, Song Out Now!”
Bairiyaa Re is not the only song shot at Delhi’s
iconic heritage site. Earlier, Shukran Allah (from
Kurbaan) , Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011) track, Choomantar, were also shot at the Humayun’s
Tomb. Built in 1565 AD, nine years after Humayun’s death, by his widow, Bega Begam, the monu-
ment has garden squares (chaharbagh) with pathways water channels, a mausoleum exceeded
by a double dome. It is located in the Nizamuddin East area of Delhi.

Flaunting curves
2024. Sonam Kapoor sheds 20 Kgs,
flaunts toned midriff and curves in
postpartum weight loss

CJ DESK

WAGAH B
ollywood actress Sonam Kapoor
embarked on a fitness journey fol-
lowing the birth of her son, Vayu.
In her latest Instagram post, the ac-

TRIUMPH tress proudly showcased her remark-

Varun Tej, Manushi
Chhillar’s Operation
Valentine becomes first
film to launch a song at
Wagah border
CJ DESK
arun Tej and Manushi
able weight-loss achievements. Sonam and
her husband, businessman Anand Ahuja,
were blessed with a baby boy in August 2022.
On Wednesday, Sonam shared a video to
flaunt her weight loss. The 38-year-old ac-
tress is seen posing in front of a full-length
Varun Tej at Wagah border mirror in black tights and a black sports
bra. “What a wow... 20 kgs down... 6 more to May 8, 2018, in a traditional Anand Karaj ceremony.
Operation Valentine’s commitment to go,” Sonam captioned her video which she In March 2022, the couple announced that they were
portraying emotions which is in- shared on her Instagram story. expecting their first child together and they wel-
spired by true events. Sonam had stayed away from the lime- comed a baby boy on August 20, 2022, in Mumbai.
Operation Valentine marks the Hin- light for quite some time post-partum, but Sonam consistently shares her post-pregnancy jour-
di film debut of Varun Tej, while the actress is now back to business in the ney on social media. In a recent post featuring stun-
Manushi is making her Telugu de- city. ning pictures of herself in a lehenga, the actress
but. Meanwhile, in the movie,Tej will Sonam and Anand tied the knot on opened up about her postpartum experience.
be playing a pilot, Chhillar, on the

V Chhillar are currently gear- other hand, will be seen as a radar

Debut delight
ing up for the release of their controller.
upcoming film, Operation
Valentine. It is said to be based on
true events and is billed as “a patriot-
ic, edge-of-the-seat entertainer.”
Ahead of the film’s release, the mak-
ers have unveiled a song called Vande Nutan’s granddaughter Pranutan
Mataram. Bahl to mark hollywood debut
Varun launched the soul-stirring
patriotic anthem Vande Mataram at CJ DESK the critically acclaimed
the Wagah border. This is the first- 2018 Bengali Beauty, the
ever movie in the history of Indian egendary actor highest grossing Bengali
films to unveil a song at this his-
toric location.
At the Wagha Border,
L Nutan’s grand-
daughter Pranu-
tan Bahl is all set
language movie of all
time.
The film’s production
Varun was seen inter- to make her Holly- primary in English with
acting with the Bor- wood debut with the up- some Hindi dialogues,
der Security Force coming film Coco & Nut. will take place entirely in
(BSF) as the notes She will star opposite Chicago from June to
of Vande Mataram American actor-filmmak- July this year, with
filled the air with er Rahsaan Noor. a diverse cast
a thunderous re- Billed as a spirit-lift- and crew
sponse from the ing romance, the drawn
audience. charming love sto- from
Vande ry is directed by both the
Mataram is Rahsaan Noor. United
sung by the This marks his States and
legendary first film since India.
Sukhwinder
Singh in Hin-
di and Kunal
Kundu in Tel-
ugu. The music
is by Mickey J
Meyer who has
crafted a score.
The song highlights
FREE PRESS | | BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2024