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Editorial: End Impunity?
Kanpur: 10 schools get bomb Odisha records 75.68 per cent voter
blast threat through emails turnout in first phase polls on May 13
OUR CORRESPONDENT
KANPUR: At least 10 schools
in Kanpur received threaten-
ing emails on Wednesday,
triggering panic in the city.
This comes amid a spate
of such emails threatening
schools and hospitals with
bomb blasts in several cities
across India, including Del-
hi. The emails have come
through servers based in
Russia.
According to initial re-
ports, the emails threatened
to blow up the schools. The
district administration has
rushed the bomb disposal
squad to the schools to san-
itise the premises.
Joint Commissioner of Po-
lice (Law and Order), Harish
Chander said the police's cy-
ber cell is probing the mat-
ter.
"Kanpur Police received
information about a bomb
threat to various schools.
The cyber cell is investigat-
ing the matter. All officials
are instructed to monitor
CCTV footage thoroughly to
14 Hindustan Copper Limited officials FIR against Kejriwal, offers to help police
rescued, 1 dead after mine lift collapses
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: Fourteen offi-
cials of the Hindustan Cop-
per Limited trapped inside
a mine in Rajasthan's Neem
Ka Thana were rescued by
relief teams on Wednes-
day morning, while one
official was found dead,
sources said. The officials
were trapped inside the Ko-
lihan mine in the district on
Tuesday night after a lift col-
lapsed.
The vertical shaft carry-
ing the 15 PSU Hindustan
Copper Limited officials col-
lapsed on Tuesday night af-
ter one of its ropes snapped.
Earlier on Wednesday, offi-
cials in charge of the rescue
mission said that all 15 had
been rescued, and three
had been taken out of the
mine.
All have been rescued.
Three of them have been
taken out of the mine and
sent to hospital. They have
Asaduddin Owaisi reacts to Narendra Modi's
clarification with 'immense hatred for Muslims' charge
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: AIMIM chief
Asaduddin Owaisi on
Wednesday reacted to Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's
clarification that the latter
never mentioned ‘Muslims’
in his controversial 'infiltra-
tors' remark last month,
claiming that the BJP stal-
wart's entire political journey
was based on "anti-Muslim
politics".
Asaduddin Owaisi, one of
the harshest critics of the
BJP government, claimed
PM Modi spread "countless
lies and immense hatred
against Muslims" during his
ucknow news
VOL. 18 | ISSUE NO: 254 | Thursday, 16 May 2024 | DAILY MORNING | Page 4 | Price Rs 1.00
Delhi HC mandates halting of Central Ridge degradation ‘Whether sale of products whose licences were cancelled stopped?’
establish a link between this
threat and previous bomb
threats which were received
by multiple schools, airports
and hospitals," he was quot-
ed as saying by news agen-
cy ANI.
He also urged parents not
to create a panic situation.
On Tuesday, eight schools
in Bengaluru received
emails threatening bomb
blasts. Last week, the city's
popular hospital chain, St
Philomena, received a bomb
threat. All these threatening
emails later turned out to be
hoaxes.
Bengaluru Scottish
School, Bhavan Banga-
fractures," Dr Mahendra
Singh, part of the medical
team on site, told PTI.
Rescue operations took
place overnight with multi-
ple ambulances and med-
ical teams on site. The
trapped personnel were
stuck at a depth of 577 me-
tres at the Kolihan mine. Out
of the rescued personnel,
three were severely injured
and in serious condition, re-
ceiving treatment at a hospi-
tal in Jaipur.
The rescue operations
Lok Sabha elections cam-
paign. He described PM Mo-
di's clarification as false.
The Hyderabad MP also
attacked those who vote for
the BJP despite listening to
Prime Minister Narendra Mo-
di's speeches.
"In his speech, Modi had
called Muslims infiltrators
and people with too many
children. Now he is saying
that he was not talking about
Muslims, he never did Hin-
du-Muslim. Why did it take
so long to give this false
clarification? Modi's political
journey is based solely on
anti-Muslim politics. In this
election, Modi and BJP have
lore School, Jain Heritage
School, Deeksha High
School, Edify Schools, Chi-
trakoota School, Gangothri
International Public School,
and Giridhanva School were
among those that received
the threat email from the
same domain, 'Beeble.com'.
Delhi's Tihar Jail also re-
ceived similar threats via
emails yesterday.
Delhi's Deep Chand Band-
hu Hospital, GTB Hospital,
Dada Dev Hospital and
Hedgewar Hospital also
received bomb threats via
email. The city's adminis-
tration scrambled the bomb
disposal squad, bomb de-
were carried out using a lad-
der and the lift was moved
manually. Some of people
rescued from the mine
sustained fractures to their
arms and legs, officials said.
Nursing Staff of Jhun-
jhunu Government Hospital,
Shishram told ANI, “Some
people have suffered frac-
tures in hands and some in
legs. Everyone is safe. Three
people are seriously injured,
the rest are safe. The rescue
operation was done with the
help of a ladder...”
spread countless lies and im-
mense hatred against Mus-
lims. It is not just Modi who
is in the dock, but every voter
who voted for BJP despite
these speeches," Asaduddin
Owaisi wrote on X.
Last month, at a rally in
Rajasthan's Banswara, PM
Modi courted a controversy
with his remark that the Con-
gress plans to redistribute
the country's wealth to those
"who have more children
and infiltrators".
Yesterday, PM Modi
claimed in an interview to
News18 that he was not
referring to the Muslims in
particular. He said he was
tection team, fire depart-
ment and the local police to
conduct searches.
Over the last one month,
Indira Gandhi International
Airport, over 20 hospitals
and more than 100 schools
across the national capital
region (NCR) have received
such threats; all of them
turned out to be hoaxes.
On Monday, over 50
schools in Jaipur received
similar emails.
The domains through
which most of these emails
originate, are hosted in Rus-
sia.
Per the Delhi police's FIR,
the bomb hoax emails were
aimed at creating mass
panic and disturbing public
order in the national capital.
These emails have be-
come a menace for law en-
forcement agencies as they
trigger panic, cause mass
evacuations, traffic jams,
and waste resources.
The ministry of home af-
fairs has issued detailed
guidelines regarding how to
deal with such situations.
The lift that collapsed on
Tuesday evening was carry-
ing a Kolkata vigilance team
and mine officials. It is be-
lieved to have crashed more
than 1,800 feet inside the
mine. The incident occurred
due to the breaking of the
rope supporting the lift.
The trapped officials in-
cluded Chief Vigilance Offi-
cer Upendra Pandey, Khetri
Copper Complex (KCC) unit
head GD Gupta, and Kolihan
Mine's Deputy General Man-
ager AK Sharma. A journal-
ist, Vikas Pareek, who had
entered the mine as a pho-
tographer with the vigilance
team, was also trapped
among the 14 people.
Shortly after information
was received that the lift had
collapsed, medical officials
and ambulances rushed to
the spot, ordered to prepare
for any emergency situation.
BJP MLA Dharmpal Gurjar
also reached the spot at
night to assess the situation.
talking about every poor
family in the country.
"I am shocked. Who told
you that whenever one talks
of people with more children,
the inference is they are Mus-
lims? Why are you so unjust
towards Muslims? This is
the situation in poor families
too. Where there is poverty,
there are more children, irre-
spective of their social circle.
I didn't mention either Hindu
or Muslim. I have said that
one should have as many
children as you can take care
of. Don't let a situation arise
where the government has
to take care of your children,"
the Prime Minister said.
OUR CORRESPONDENT
ODISHA: Bhubaneswar/
Koraput, Odisha's Chief
Electoral Officer N B Dhal
on Wednesday said the vot-
er turnout in the first phase
of polling in four Lok Sabha
seats and 28 assembly seg-
ments in the state on May
13 was 75.68 per cent.
The CEO said the voter
turnout may further in-
crease after receipt of post-
al votes.
He said the highest voter
turnout of 82.16 per cent
was recorded in Nabarang-
pur Lok Sabha constituency.
The CEO said Nabarang-
pur was followed by Kalah-
andi , Koraput and Berham-
pur .
Lok Sabha and Assembly
elections are being held si-
multaneously in Odisha.
Meanwhile, a report said
the tribal tribal-dominated
Nabarangpur district with
four assembly segments
Swati Maliwal's ex-husband demands
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: Naveen Jai-
hind, the former spouse of
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati
Maliwal, on Wednesday de-
manded FIR against Arvind
Kejriwal, two days after she
was assaulted at the Delhi
CM's residence.
“An FIR should be lodged
against Arvind Kejriwal, as
the incident happened at his
home. (AAP Rajya Sabha
member) Sanjay Singh is
Kejriwal's parrot,” Jaihind
told news agency ANI, and
reiterated his charge that
Singh was “aware” that of
the incident.
Calling the CM's residence
a “gutter house,” the ex-
chief of AAP's state unit in
Haryana again alleged “dan-
SC orders NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha’s release
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: The Supreme
Court on Wednesday or-
dered the release on bail
of web portal NewsClick
founder Prabir Purkayastha,
who was arrested in October
2023 under the stringent
anti-terror law Unlawful Ac-
tivities Prevention Act (UAPA)
for allegedly receiving funds
from Chinese firms, saying
he was not provided the
grounds of arrest and a copy
of the remand application.
“We have no hesitation
to conclude that a copy of
the remand application and
grounds of arrest were not
given to the accused or his
lawyer which vitiates the re-
mand,” said a bench of jus-
tices BR Gavai and Sandeep
Mehta. The bench cited the
October 2023 Pankaj Bansal
case in which the Supreme
Court said an arrest would
be invalid if written grounds
were not communicated
to the accused. “The arrest
and remand is held to be
under the Nabarangpur Lok
Sabha seat said the district
recorded an impressive vot-
er turnout of over 84.57 per
cent, surpassing its previous
record of approximately 80
per cent set in 2019.
District Election Offi-
cer-cum-Collector Kamal
Lochan Mishra attributed
this high voter turnout to
extensive voter awareness
campaigns conducted un-
der the Systematic Voters'
Education and Electoral Par-
ticipation initiative.
"Several voter awareness
ger” to Maliwal's life. “She
was threatened; otherwise,
nobody would up call up the
police or return from the po-
lice station. She is still being
silenced,” he claimed.
Naveen also questioned
the “silence” of the Union
home ministry, Delhi, and
the National Commission
for Women (NCW). The
invalid and is quashed and
set aside.” The bench added
that Purkayastha shall be re-
leased on bail bonds that the
trial cases will decide since a
charge sheet has been filed
in the case. Additional solic-
itor general (ASG) SV Raju,
who appeared for the Delhi
Police, requested the court
the judgment should not pre-
vent police from re-arresting
Purkayastha considering the
grave charges.
The bench said it was not
saying anything on that and
whatever police are per-
mitted to do under the law,
they are allowed to do. Pur-
R.N.I. Reg. No.
programmes were under-
taken to enhance the voting
percentage in the district
and it's good to notice that
the district recorded nearly
85 per cent of polling," said
Mishra.
Among the assembly seg-
ments, Nabarangpur regis-
tered the highest polling per-
centage at 85.61, followed
by Dabugaon 85.20 per
cent, Jharigaon 84.22 per
cent, and Umerkote 83.05
per cent.
The Nabarangpur Lok
Sabha constituency also
Delhi Police reports to the
Union home ministry.
Alleging “pressure” on Ma-
liwal, a former Delhi Com-
mission for Women (DCW)
chief, Jaihind asserted that
if his assistance is sought, “I
will definitely help.”
“Swati cannot be silenced.
I know what kind of pres-
sure has been put on her.
kayastha, who was arrested
in October 2023, challenged
the arrest to be illegal as he
was kept in the dark about
the grounds for it. He said his
remand was decided without
allowing his lawyers to con-
test the case.
The Delhi high court dis-
missed the bail plea of Pur-
kayastha, who is accused of
receiving funds through Chi-
nese firms to compromise
the country’s stability and
integrity, on October 13.
Senior advocate Kapil
Sibal, who appeared for Pur-
kayastha along with advo-
cate Nitin Saluja, cited the
witnessed a notable rise
in voter participation, with
82.16 per cent turnout com-
pared to 79.52 per cent in
2019, making it the highest
among the four Lok Sabha
seats that went to poll on
May 13.
Candidates from various
political parties expressed
optimism regarding the im-
pact of the high voter turn-
out on their campaigns.
"The high turnout of voters
speaks volumes of people's
anger towards the BJD in
the state and BJP in the Cen-
tre. I am confident that the
people have voted for Con-
gress," said Bhujabal Majhi
of Congress for Nabarang-
pur Lok Sabha seat.
Pradeep Majhi BJD can-
didate for the Nabarangpur
Lok Sabha seat attributed
the high voter turnout to the
regional party's effective
governance under the Na-
barangpur Parliamentary
segment.
Delhi Police must take con-
gisance of the matter. No
one knows them (AAP) bet-
ter than me,” he said.
On Tuesday, a day after the
dramatic episode unfolded
at Kejriwal's residence, the
AAP finally broke its silence,
and acknowledged the “mis-
behaviour” with Maliwal,
and blamed Bibhav Kumar,
the chief minister's private
secretary.
“Yesterday, a very con-
demnable incident oc-
curred. Bibhav Kumar mis-
behaved with Swati Maliwal.
She informed police about
the incident. The Delhi CM
has taken cognisance, and
asked for strict action in
the matter," senior leader
Sanjay Singh said at a press
conference.
Pankaj Bansal case in which
the judgment was passed on
the day the NewClick found-
er was arrested. The Pankaj
Bansal judgment related to
alleged money laundering.
Sibal argued that the in-
vestigating agency did not
take mandatory sanction
from the central government
under UAPA’s Section 45 be-
fore filing the charge sheet.
As it reserved the judg-
ment on April 30, the bench
observed, “You are a premier
investigating agency and you
file the charge sheet without
the mandatory sanction.”
The bench added the high
court was bound by the Pan-
kaj Bansal judgment. “At
least before communicat-
ing the remand application,
the grounds of arrest must
be communicated. Unless
this is done, how can he re-
sist the remand.” Raju and
advocate Zoheb Hossein for
the Delhi police submitted
that the arrest grounds were
communicated in the re-
mand application.
2 Lucknow, Thursday, 16 May 2024 Lucknow News (English Daily)

In the Cold storage

EDITORIAL
End of impunity?
In 1782, a judge in England gave husbands the right to use
violence on their wives as long as any implement used was
not thicker than their thumb. This standard of measurement
led to the coining of the term “rule of thumb”. Society has
thankfully made enough progress to find such archaic ideas XENOTRANSPLANTATION—OR TRANSPLANTATION OF ANIMAL ORGANS INTO
abhorrent. However, tens of thousands of women continue to
be killed every year around the world just for being women. HUMANS—IS COVERING NEW GROUNDS GLOBALLY; INDIA, TOO, SHOULD FOLLOW SUIT
United Nations data shows that, on average, five women The expectation for Indian
or girls are killed every hour by someone in their own family. politicians to ‘be with the
Some countries are now passing laws to specifically crimi- people’ now encompasses
nalise femicide — an extreme manifestation of gender-based standing with them through
violence. their lived experiences of
The first documented use of the term “femicide” was in an climate change. Unprec-
1801 book by Irish writer John Corry called A Satirical View edented climate change
of London at the Commencement of the Nineteenth Century disasters — prolonged
where it was used to refer to the killing of a woman. The term heat waves, flash floods,
was brought back in the 1970s by Diana EH Russell, a spe- drought, agricultural devas-
cialist in violence against women, who worked to highlight tation and landslides — are
the magnitude of male violence and discrimination against affecting people in India.
women. As 968 million people
While no agreed definition of the phenomenon exists, fe- head to polling booths
micide is broadly defined as the killing of a woman or girl across the nation, the Elec-
because of her gender. This might be as a result of intimate tion Commission of India is
partner violence or killing in the name of “honour”, for exam- going to great lengths to en-
ple. Making a specific law Since the UN adopted resolution sure that a ‘green election’ is
68/191 in 2013, calling for nations to take action against conducted.
gender-related killing of women and girls, many high-income In the southern state of
countries have introduced femicide laws. In 2022, Kerala, for instance, the
Cyprus integrated femicide into the criminal code as a dis- commission collaborated
tinct crime and rendered genderrelated killings an aggravat- with the Local Self Govern-
ing factor when imposing sentences. That same year, femi- ment Department to ensure
cide was introduced in Malta’s criminal code. plastic-free polling, with
It can now be considered a motivation of the crime of ho- election officials served tea
micide, and in such cases, the judge can consider the high- in steel mugs instead of the
est form of punishment — life imprisonment. Croatia is the standard paper cups with a
most recent country to adopt thin plastic coating.
a dedicated femicide law, The West is likely to further However, this attention to
making it a standalone of- intensify its pressure on detail isn’t matched by po-
fence punishable with a pris- India on some pretext or litical parties contesting the
on sentence of ten years or the other to take away the election. Or by voters, who
more. Latin America and the country’s sheen; Canada’s don’t seem to care about cli-
Caribbean have some of the supportive gesture towards mate change.
highest rates of hate killings Sikh separatists and The CSDS-Lokniti 2024
of girls and women. the US’ unsubstantiated pre-poll survey indicates
In response, 18 of the 33 allegations against India, that Indian voters are pri-
countries in the region have involving a separatist’s marily concerned with un-
created new legislation clas- attempted murder, employment and inflation.
sifying femicide as a distinct expose the West’s double A detailed review of the India’s electoral scene features only a modest and oblique reflection of issues related to climate change
hate crime. Costa Rica be- standards and call for election manifestos re- mil Nadu border read, “It is range from Gujarat to Tamil Ipsos in 18 countries found Lok Sabha elections, more
None of the major political
came the first country to pass restraints vealed that, except for the the people who vote in elec- Nadu, by restricting human that 52 per cent of voters extreme temperatures have
parties in India have
a law making femicide a le- regional party Dravida Mun- tions, not the animals that construction and certain prioritise the fight against begun to establish new
concrete grassroots-level
gally defined crime in 2007. A man who murders his wife or netra Kazhagam (DMK), are encroaching into human types of agriculture. climate change over other standards for how Indian
plans to mitigate the
partner can be punished with between 20 and 35 years in none of the major political settlements. Stop animal The inhabitants of the issues. voters engage with and
impact of climate change
prison. parties in India have con- rule!” Western Ghats, which The so-called ‘climate vot- assess candidates during
There are also specific punishments against physical crete grassroots-level plans Such sentiment arises is identified as one of ers’ in Europe are mostly campaigning. previous elections, he stood
abuse and restriction of movement, in which a partner ma- to mitigate the impact of cli- from a prevalent anthropo- the world’s eight ‘hottest young people. One of the hot An incident encountered energetically despite the
nipulates a woman to prevent them from leaving. Laws are mate change. centric worldview, where hotspots’ of biological di- topics during elections is the during fieldwork in a Lok scorching heat, raising his
not enough A report from Queen Mary University of London India’s electoral scene the state forest and wildlife versity, managed to win a European Green Deal, which Sabha constituency in hands to the people with a
used the case study of Mexico to argue that the law alone has features only a modest and departments are criticised Lok Sabha seat in the 2014 aims to make the continent South India, where there is smile,” he said.
not led to the reduction of femicide there. oblique reflection of issues for prioritising animals over election with the support of climate-neutral by 2050. a tight contest between two In another constituency,
The key findings from this report should certainly act as a related to climate change. human beings. Left parties and succeeded A World Wildlife Fund sur- high-networth candidates people held high regard
crucial resource to not only understand the complexity of fe- In forest-adjoining areas In Lok Sabha constituen- in stopping the committee’s vey showed that European from the Congress and BJP, for an MP who spent hours
micide as an extreme form of gender-based violence but to throughout the country, it’s cies in the Western Ghats, pro-environment recom- political parties are partic- illustrates this. wearing a local costume
increase efforts to better respond to it. One of the main prob- increasingly common for the authors observed that mendations from being im- ularly focused on combat- A fruit seller devised his and coordinating rescue op-
lems is the misclasification of numbers. In many cases, only wild animals to enter hu- environmental concerns plemented. ing climate change, as they own ‘political thermome- erations during floods. Amid
gender-related killings perpetrated by an intimate partner or man settlements and cause hardly influence electoral Even though the West- “shared support for ending ter’ to compare candidates the climate crisis, the long-
family member are counted as femicides. damage. politics, despite the fact ern Ghats are one of the fossil fuel use, transitioning based on their body lan- held expectation for any In-
This leads to underreporting and invisibility of femicide This is mostly caused by that the daily lives of people worsthit areas in terms of to 100 per cent renewable guage during road shows. dian politician to ‘be with the
that happens as part of harmful practices such as female food and water shortages in those regions are close- climate change-triggered energy, and adopting na- This campaign tool is less people’ now also encom-
genital mutilation, hate crimes linked to sexual orienta- in summer and alterations ly intertwined with nature. casualties, especially from turebased solutions to tack- popular in the 2024 general passes standing with them
tion, killing of indigenous women or connections with in wildlife habitats because Perhaps the best illustration landslides and agricultural le climate change”. elections due to rising tem- through their lived experi-
gangs and other forms of organised crime. Costa Rica of climate change. In the of this would be the popu- loss, the electoral politics In Europe, green parties peratures. “Just look at his ences of climate change.
has sought to address this problem by signing into law an Wayanad constituency lar protests a decade ago of the region largely revolve have been actively pushing downcast face, wearied un- However, Indian democra-
extended definition of femicide, which includes femicides where Congress leader Ra- against the Madhav GadgilK around conventional issues. environmental issues since der the sunlight. cy is yet to breed a new cate-
perpetuated by those based on a relationship of trust, hul Gandhi is contesting, hu- Kasturirangan committee The attitude in the West- the 1970s, now holding a Is this AC-living guy going gory of ‘climate voters’ as its
friendship, authority or power. man-wildlife conflicts have reports. ern Ghats is in stark contrast major share of the vote in to speak for us in Parlia- electoral landscape is still
This is to make it possible to punish crimes against women already become a hot elec- These reports aimed at to Europe, which votes in many countries and are put- ment? Two days ago, the conservative with practical-
even if there is no “romantic” relationship between the per- toral issue. safeguarding the ecologi- early June to elect the next ting the climate agenda at other candidate passed ly very little space for envi-
petrator and the victim. Today, Costa Rica has a lower rate of A poster on a street wall cally fragile Western Ghats, European Parliament. A poll the forefront of elections. through this junction in an ronmental politics or green
femicide compared with its neighbours, Guatemala, El Salva- in a village on the KeralaTa- a 1600km-long mountain conducted by Euronews and While not a key issue in the open jeep. As he did during agendas.

Bharti Airtel profit tanks 31% to ₹2,072 cr

dor and Mexico.
While the social and political circumstances of countries
around the world may differ, there are several lessons in
combating femicide that are universal. The term “feminicide”
also carries political connotations. In Latin America it is used
to refer to a lack of responsiveness from governments in re-
lation to the killings of women and girls. Telecom operator Bharti
The idea of femicide emphasises state culpability and in- Airtel on Tuesday posted
adequate responses to this gender-based violence. This is a 31 per cent drop in con-
particularly noteworthy as the rape and murder of women solidated profit to Rs 2,072
and girls are commonly used as abominable tools of conflict crore in the March quarter
— this has recently been in evidence in Ukraine, for example. mainly due to devaluation
Given that most femicides are perpetrated by current or for- of the Nigerian Naira.
mer husbands or intimate partners, it is of utmost priority The company had regis-
to tackle toxic masculinity and to promote gender equality. tered a profit of Rs 3,005.6
Clearly, we need to go beyond the legal framework to combat crore in the year-ago period.
violence against women and girls. It will take advocacy and The consolidated revenue
active participation of community members to create long- of operations increased
term solutions to curtail femicides. 4.4 per cent to Rs 37,599.1
crore during the quarter un-
der review from Rs 36,009
crore a year earlier.
“Consolidated perfor-
mance was impacted pri-
marily by the devaluation of
the Nigerian Naira.
We added 7.8 million
smartphone customers
and delivered an industry
leading ARPU of Rs 209,”
Bharti Airtel Managing Di-
rector Gopal Vittal said.
Airtel suffered a forex
loss of Rs 2,544.4 crore on
account of currency devalu-
ation.
During the reported quar-
ter, the company acquired
a 97.12 per cent stake in
Beetel Teletech for Rs 658
crore.
For the year ended March
31, 2024, Bharti Airtel’s
profit dropped 10.5 per
cent to Rs 7,467 crore.
The annual revenue from
operations of the compa-
ny rose 7.7 per cent to Rs
1,49,982.4 crore during
the reported fiscal from Rs
1,39,144.8 crore in 2022-
23.
Bharti Airtel’s capital ex-
penditure was Rs 10,516
crore at the group level
comprising Rs 8,491 crore
for India during the March
2024 quarter.
India revenue of Bharti
Airtel increased 12.9 per
cent on a year-on-year (YoY)
basis to Rs 28,513 crore on
account of improved reali-
sation as well as strong 4G
and 5G customer additions
during the year, but the rev-
enue at a consolidated level
were “impacted by devalua-
tion of African currencies
during the period particular-
ly Nigerian Naira”.
The customer base in
India grew 5 per cent to
35.22 crore from 34.55
crore on year-onyear basis.
Bharti Airtel’s average rev-
enue per user (ARPU) — a
key matrix of telecom oper-
ators growth — grew 8 per
cent to Rs 209 from Rs 193 postpaid segment with customers and added 28.6 data usage per customer,”
a year ago. net adds of 0.8 million in million 4G/5G data cus- Vittal said.
On a sequential basis, the the fourth quarter of FY24, tomers to our network over The 4G and 5G data cus-
APRU was higher than Rs thereby reaching a custom- the last year, an increase of tomer base of Bharti Airtel
208 in the December quar- er base of 51.2 million (in- 12.8 per cent. grew 12.8 per cent to 25.27
ter. cluding IoT). We continue to deliver in- crore during the reported
“We strengthened our “We continue to garner dustry leading ARPU growth quarter, from 22.41 crore in
leadership position in the market share of 4G/5G along with growing average the March 2023 quarter.
Lucknow News (English Daily) Lucknow, Thursday, 16 May 2024 3
InBrief
CURATE YOUR SUMMER PLAYLIST WITH
COMPELLING TITLES FROM AUDIBLE AT INR 69 ONLY
LUCKNOW: With mercury levels soaring this summer, beat
Disasters triggered over half a million internal
displacements in India in 2023, finds REPORT
the heat by staying indoors with Audible’s vast collection of
audiobooks and podcasts to keep you company. To pro-
vide listeners with an opportunity to explore, entertain and
enrich themselves, Audible, a leading creator and provider
of premium audio storytelling, today announced the launch OUR CORRESPONDENT lake outburst flood in Sik- displacements in the nation- fall during the monsoon and 105,000 displacements as Asia’s cyclone season was
of a limited period, a la carte campaign wherein custom- kim in October 2023 led to al capital. On July 9, Delhi re- a weaker cyclone season. it moved inland. less intense in 2023 than
ers in India can access over 150 audiobooks and podcasts NEW DELHI: India experi- the collapse of a hydroelec- corded 153 mm of rainfall However, floods and Cyclone Mocha, the larg- in previous years because
from Audible’s catalogue at a nominal price of INR 69 each. enced over half a million tric dam, killed more than in just 24 hours, the highest storms continued to dis- est disaster displacement of El Nino, but storms still
Through this special offer, Audible aims to promote the joy internal displacements due 100 people, and affected single-day rainfall since July place people, often in the event of 2023 in South Asia, triggered 1.8 million move-
of listening among customers in a more accessible and to floods, storms, earth- more than 88,000. 25, 1982. same areas. At 3,52,000, triggered 1.3 million dis- ments, about half of the
affordable manner. It presents young listeners and fresh- quakes, and other disasters In Delhi, identified as Overall, South Asia report- India’s flood displacement placements in Bangladesh, region’s disaster displace-
ers embarking on their professional journey, an opportunity in 2023, a sharp dip from a “flood displacement ed around 3.7 million inter- figure was the lowest since mainly in Cox’s Bazar dis- ments.
to expand their horizons and elevate their skills. In a world around 2.5 million displace- hotspot”, the Yamuna River nal displacements in 2023, 2008, with the largest event trict. Government-led pre-emp-
that is time-strapped, Audible’s commitment lies in em- ments in 2022, according to overflowed after heavy rains with disasters causing 3.6 triggering about 91,000 Forecasting and early tive evacuations accounted
powering audiences and inculcate the habit of listening to a global report released on on July 9, 2023, prompting million, the lowest figure displacements in Assam in warnings allowed authori- for at least three-quarters of
utilise their time effectively. This campaign also spotlights Tuesday. authorities to evacuate resi- since 2018. June, affecting 20 districts. ties to initiate emergency this figure. According to the
the breadth of Audible’s catalogue across genres – action Deadly floods left behind dents from their homes. Researchers attributed Cyclone Biparjoy, which procedures before Mocha’s report, disasters triggered
and adventure, well-being, self-help or pop culture, com- a trail of destruction in the The report by the Gene- the decline in displace- formed in the Arabian Sea landfall, aiding pre-emptive 26.4 million displacements
prising an array of formats such as audiobooks, podcasts, Himalayan states of Him- va-based Internal Displace- ments due to disasters part- in early June, led to wide- evacuations from densely in 2023, the third highest
and scripted originals. Voiced by renowned talent, authors, achal Pradesh and Uttara- ment Monitoring Centre ly to the El Nino event, which spread flooding across Guja- populated areas. annual total in the last 10
and celebrities, these titles are available at an attractive khand last year. The glacial (IDMC) said around 27,000 brought below-average rain- rat and Rajasthan, causing The IDMC said South years.

Growington Ventures Mahindra University Partners with

price point for listeners in India for a limited time to indulge
in engaging storytelling experiences.
AMAZON ANNOUNCES 4TH SEASON OF PROPEL
India Ltd aims for a strong
UNESCO to join Greening Education initiative
LUCKNOW: Amazon India today announced the launch of
the fourth season of Propel – a global business accelera-
tor for startups in the consumer products space. This one
of its kind program has been designed to provide dedicat-
growth going forward OUR CORRESPONDENT tion. The partnership takes a attitudes required to com- our curricula and learning
ed support to emerging Indian brands and startups reach OUR CORRESPONDENT of FY23. Net Profit during comprehensive approach by bat the climate crisis effec- environments, we can in-
customers around the world using ecommerce exports. nine months of FY24 surged LUCKNOW: Mahindra Uni- integrating climate change tively. Its mission is to equip spire a new generation of
The Propel S4 will support up to 50 startups launch in inter- MUMBAI : Mumbai based 328% to Rs. 1.75 crore as versity announced its stra- into existing educational learners of all ages with the climate champions who are
national markets and create global brands from India. Par- BSE listed company Grow- against net profit of Rs. tegic partnership with the systems and curricula. It will tools needed to navigate equipped to drive meaning-
ticipating startups stand to win total rewards worth over ington Ventures India Lim- 40.88 lakh in the corre- United Nations Educational, serve as a model for oth- and mitigate the challenges ful action. Our partnership
$1.5 million including AWS Activate credits, six months of ited (BSE – 539222) pro- sponding period last year. Scientific and Cultural Or- er institutions in India and posed by climate change. with UNESCO to become a
free logistics and account management support, as well moted by CA Vikram Bajaj In November 2023, Com- ganization (UNESCO) to be- around the world. According to Dr. Yajulu part of the Greening Educa-
as a combined $100K in grant from Amazon for the top 3 aims for a strong growth pany was migrated to main come a part of the Greening The Greening Education Medury, Vice Chancellor of tion Partnership reaffirms
winners. Amazon will also help participating startups con- momentum in the time to board of BSE Ltd from SME Education Partnership, an Partnership marks a signifi- Mahindra University, “Edu- our dedication to equipping
nect with Indian Revenue-based-financing firms namely come. Company has post- Platform of BSE. Company initiative aimed at address- cant milestone in the global cation is a powerful catalyst learners with the tools they
Klub, Velocity and GetVantage who will provide curated of- ed excellent results for the also received the sharehold- ing the pressing need for cli- effort to equip learners with for change, and by integrat- need to address climate
fers to the participating startups to expand their business Q3 & Nine months of FY24 ers’ approval for the same. mate action through educa- the knowledge, skills, and ing climate education into change head-on.”

Amazon miniTV reveals Trailer for

at scale. The applications for the program opens today and ended December 2023 is Company in the board
will close on June 14, 2024. It will culminate in a demo-day expected to continue the meeting dated July 15 had DELHI HC MANDATES
where participants will get a chance to pitch their business HALTING OF CENTRAL
new Comedy-Drama Series 'Namacool'
growth momentum going approved the migration
propositions to leading VC firms and get a shot at funding forward. of listing/trading of equi- RIDGE DEGRADATION
to expand their operations. For Nine months of FY24, ty shares of the company NEW DELHI: Calling the
CELEBRATING MODERN FAMILY DYNAMICS: company posted total rev- from SME platform of BSE OUR CORRESPONDENT rected by Ritam Shrivastava enthralling twists and turns, Central Ridge the national
MYTRIDENT'S NEW CAMPAIGN WITH ICONIC DUO enue of Rs. 23.81 crore, to main board of BSE Ltd. and written byShantanu Sri- viewers will be on the edge capital’s “green heritage”,
DELHI: Setting new standards in the home décor industry, 163% growth Y-o-Y as com- The resolution was passed MUMBAI: Amazon miniTV, vastava, this seven-episode of their seats as the story of the Delhi High Court has
myTrident is excited to introduce its latest campaign star- pared to revenue of Rs. through postal ballot by the Amazon’s free video stream- series features Hina Khan, this laugh riot unfolds upon said it cannot be allowed
ring their enigmatic brand ambassador Kareena Kapoor 9.04 crore in nine months shareholders. ing service, today unveiled Abhinav Sharma, Aaron them. to degenerate when the
Khan alongside the iconic Sharmila Tagore. This extraor-
dinary collaboration highlights the VidyaGyan Academy the highly anticipated trailer
of its upcoming comedy-dra-
Koul, Abhishek Bajaj, Anush-
ka Kaushik, Faisal Malik, and
Sharing his thoughts on the
upcoming series, Amogh Du-
city is already grappling
with rising pollution lev-
harmonious and elegant relation-
ship between a mother-in-law and announces Outstanding CBSE ma series,Namacool. Set in-
Lucknow, the trailer features
Aadil Khan in pivotal roles.
This comedy drama is pro-
sad, Head of Content, Ama-
zon miniTV, said, “Namacool
els that have attained
“dangerous proportions.”
daughter-in-law, marking a notable
shift from the traditional narratives Results for Grade X Students two inseparable friends,
Mayank and Piyushwho are
duced by Reliance Entertain-
ment Studios.
aims to have a refreshing
take on the comedy-drama
The court took a “serious
view” of the Central Ridge
typically portrayed in brand cam- OUR CORRESPONDENT far from royal and yearn for Namacool follows the lives genre through its quirky sto- being used as a garbage
paigns. This initiative sets a new fame as they enter their sec- of Mayank and Piyush as they rytelling. It’s a story that will dumping ground as well
standard in creative storytelling, LUCKNOW: VidyaGyan, a leadership academy nurturing ond year of college. The duo uncover the true essence of resonate strongly with au- as the felling of trees and
celebrating the evolving dynamics rural talent in Uttar Pradesh, announced the CBSE Board finds themselves in a series manhood.Fate leads them diences in the Hindi heart- removal of the shrubs
of modern family relationships. exam performance of its Grade X students today. Among of hilarious misfortunes that to stumble upon new friends, land through its dialogues, there, and sought an ex-
Crafted with cinematic finesse, the the 243 graduating students (Bulandshahr and Sitapur), sets off a journey of comedy, foes, and love interests that screenplay and much more. planation from the for-
campaign unveils an enchanting television commercial- 198 have achieved scores above 90%. romance, and crime as they set their lives spiralling into We’re certain that it will strike est department on these
produced by Dharma 2.0 under the leadership of Punit Mal- Aditya Sharma from VidyaGyan, Bulandshahr, secured attempt to unfold the true a world of confusion, come- a chord with viewers who will lapses. The court, while
hotra, that showcases the exquisite chemistry between Ka- the highest marks with a stellar 98.8%. Following close- definition of manhood. Di- dy, and drama. Packed with definitely want more!” hearing a case concern-
reena Kapoor Khan and Sharmila Tagore. Radiating grace
and sophistication, the duo immerses themselves in the
ly are Shivam Yadav from VidyaGyan, Bulandshahr and
Sachin Kumar from VidyaGyan- Sitapur, with a score of Truecaller launches TrueTalks community ing the wellbeing of the
ridge, directed forest de-
sanctuary of their home, luxuriating amidst the opulence
and comfort offered by myTrident's premium home essen-
98.4% and 98.25% respectively. Every year, VidyaGyan
handpicks approximately 200 top-performing rural stu- for Global User Engagement and Support partment and other local
authorities to ensure that
tials. This unparalleled collaboration not only celebrates dents, out of an extensive pool of 250,000 applicants OUR CORRESPONDENT al experiences. Anyone can responsible for building and no dumping of garbage or
their innate charm but also serves as a testament to the from across the country. These children come from fam- become a member of the growing the community, Ro- any other waste material
impeccable design, beauty, and craftsmanship synony- ilies with an annual income of less than two lacs per an- LUCKNOW: Truecaller, the community by signing up hit Ghalsasi, the Community is carried out in the Central
mous with myTrident's ethos. num. The Academy focuses on all-round development of world’s leading global com- with a valid email address Manager at Truecaller said: Ridge. It also ordered that
FORMER MP GVL NARASIMHA RAO JOINS FAIFA the students and invests in several programs in curricular munications platform, and display name. You do not “We have been testing Tru- no further felling of trees
SEMINAR ON SUSTAINABLE FARMING IN INDIA and co-curricular activities for the same. announces the launch of need to be a Truecaller user eTalks with a few thousand or removal of shrubs and
NEW DELHI: The Federation of All India Farmer Associa- TrueTalks Community to to join TrueTalks, however our members and I am excited other bushes will be al-
tions (FAIFA), a non-profit organization representing the
cause of millions of farmers and farm workers of com-
DSP Mutual Fund launches connect and engage with
people across the world. The
383 Million+ Truecaller users
can instantly access Tru-
to see the level of conversa-
tions already. Our aim is to
lowed in the area without
its permission. The court,
mercial crops across the States of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat,
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka etc.
DSP Nifty Bank Index Fund community serves as a plat-
form to bring together True-
eTalks from a shortcut within
the app. Among others, com-
engage with our users more
effectively, gather insights
in an order passed on May
6, noted that certain pho-
convened a seminar today at theConstitution Club of In- OUR CORRESPONDENT compared to the broader caller users to interact with munity content is designed to enhance our existing tographs showed large
dia, New Delhi - Ensuring Farmer Livelihoods: Enhancing Nifty 50 Index. Since January each other, share feedback, to raise awareness about the product, create a platform scale dumping of garbage
Farmer Incomes Through Sustainable Farming Practices. LUCKNOW: DSP Mutual Fund 2000, the Nifty Bank Index post suggestions for new brand offerings, talk about for information exchange in the Central Ridge as well
During the seminar, FAIFA released a Report titled - TRANS- announced the launch of has grown 67 times com- features, get notified about the best way to protect your- about the latest scams and as presence of black soil,
FORMATION IN INDIA’S AGRICULTURE which highlighted DSP Nifty Bank Index Fund, pared to the Nifty 50 which the latest scams, get instant self from unwanted commu- new trends in technology. I indicating that the area
key achievements in the agriculture sector in the last de- an open-ended scheme grew 21 times over the same support with their problems, nication or even connect you welcome everyone to join was burnt down which led
cade. The Report also put forward strategies to enhance tracking Nifty Bank Index. period. learn more about Truecaller directly with several Truecall- TrueTalks and make the to trees and shrubs being
farmer incomes in a sustainable manner. The seminar was The Fund offers investors an However, the Nifty Bank and even share their person- er executives. As the person most of it.” destroyed.
graced by Sh. GVL Narasimha Rao, Former Member of
Parliament, Rajya Sabha. The Key Speakers in the seminar
opportunity to get exposure
to the 12 most liquid and
Index is currently witnessing
the longest stretch of under- Baahubali: Crown of Blood' unveils new Adventures in Mahishmati
were Prof MV Ashok, Senior Adviser BAIF Research and large Indian banking stocks performance compared to OUR CORRESPONDENT the mysterious warlord, Rak- the same Rajesh Khattar
Development Foundation Pune and Former Chief General through a single fund. Nifty the Nifty 50 on a 5-year roll- tadeva. said, “My dubbing director’s
Manager, NABARD and Dr. JP Tandon, Former Director, In- Bank Index is diversified with ing basis which has led to it LUCKNOW: There are many A Graphic India and Arka brief regarding the charac-
dian Council of Agricultural Research. a composition of private as being relatively better placed events and stories in the Mediaworks production, ter became the guideline &
HONORING ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE: LIMCA BOOK well as public sector banks. in terms of sector valuations world of Baahubali and Ma- Baahubali: Crown of Blood we did experiment with few
OF RECORDS HIGHLIGHTS REMARKABLE FEATS Historically, the Nifty Bank versus their own historical av- hishmati that are unheard, is produced by visionary S.S. variations before settling
LUCKNOW: Within the vast landscape of human endeavor, Index has delivered much erages as well as relative to unseen and unwitnessed. Rajamouli, Sharad Devara- down the tone, tenor & gravi-
there exists a realm of athletics, where ordinary individu- better long-term returns other sectors. Disney + Hotstar and Graphic jan & Shobu Yarlagadda, tas Raktadeva’s character
als transcend the constraints of the mundane to become India are set to bring you the directed and produced by would have, rest followed.
extraordinary champions of motion. Athletics, in its pur- CUET-UG SCHEDULED FOR MAY 15 POSTPONED prequel to the film franchise, Jeevan J. Kang & Navin John. Sharad is a wonderful per-
est form, is not merely a collection of sports or a series FOR DELHI CENTRES Hotstar Specials’ ‘Baahub- Whenever preparing for son, always respectful to-
of events, it is a testament to the boundless potential in- NEW DELHI: The National Testing Agency (NTA) said Tues- ali: Crown of Blood’, a story an animated character, to wards his seniors, he has
herent within the human form. It is the sprinter who races day the The Common University Entrance Test (CUET)-UG where Baahubali and Bhal- ensure that you get it right have such a supportive team already proven himself with
against the wind, the high jumper who defies gravity's pull, scheduled for May 15 stands postponed for centres across laladeva will join hands to you need a mentor who can and crew, it becomes a lot Baahubali & many other
and the marathon runner who conquers the limits of en- Delhi due to “unavoidable reasons”. The examination will protect the great kingdom of guide you thoroughly with easier to work on set. Here’s projects in the voicing indus-
durance. Each athlete, a living embodiment of dedication now be held in Delhi on May 29 and revised admit cards Mahishmati and the throne how the character actually what Rajesh Khattar has to try & it is always a pleasure
and discipline, dares to challenge the impossible and re- will be issued for candidates, it said. “It is being informed against its greatest threat, looks like. Also when you say about it. Talking about working with him”.
define the boundaries of human achievement. But beyond to all the concerned candidates and stakeholders that due
the world of competition and medals, athletics is a journey to unavoidable reasons, the test papers (Chemistry - 306, ‘POLL BODY HAS ROPED IN SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS FOR VOTER AWARENESS’
of self-discovery and self-mastery. On this World Athletics Biology - 304, English - 101, and General Test - 501) which NEW DELHI: Keeping up with the times, the Delhi poll body has roped in social media influencers to encourage youth to
Day, Limca Book of Records proudly honors the extraor- were earlier scheduled on 15 May 2024 stand postponed exercise their franchise on May 25 when the national capital goes to polls. Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) P Krish-
dinary triumphs of athletes etched in its pages of sports for the candidates appearing in Centres across Delhi only,” namurthy said the poll body has been conducting activities under the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Par-
history. Since its inception, the Limca Book of Records has the NTA said in a statement. It further said that the exam- ticipation programme, better known as SVEEP, to spread voter awareness. In a novel initiative this time, various districts
been a beacon of human aspiration and accomplishment, ination scheduled for May 15 will be held in all other cities have roped in influencers for the cause. “Some of our districts have roped in social media influencers, youngsters with
capturing the essence of unparalleled dedication and grit. across the country, including in Gurugram. significant following like rappers, travel guides, food cuisine experts, to encourage electors to cast vote,” he said.
4 Lucknow, Thursday, 16 May 2024
PM files nomination in Varanasi, top to 13-month high of 1.26%
NDA leaders join in show of strength
OUR CORRESPONDENT
VARANASI: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, aiming for
an unprecedented third term
in Varanasi, formally entered
the electoral fray on Tuesday
amidst a fervent show of
support from NDA allies and
enthusiastic crowds.
Modi’s nomination,
steeped in religious rituals
and celestial alignments,
marks the beginning of what
promises to be a closely-
watched electoral battle.
Initiating his journey with
prayers at the city’s Kaal
Bhairav temple and an aarti
on the banks of the Ganga at
the Dashashwamedh ghat,
Modi sought divine blessings
before proceeding to file his
nomination papers at the
election office in Varanasi,
Uttar Pradesh.
The timing for his nomi-
nation filing was chosen by
renowned astrologer Pandit
Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid.
Dravid, celebrated for his
role in determining propi-
tious timings for events like
IRCTC’S ‘SHRI
RAMAYANA YATRA’
TOUR SET TO BEGIN ON
JUNE 7
NEW DELHI: IRCTC Ltd,
under the Ministry of Rail-
ways, will resume its popu-
lar “Shri Ramayana Yatra” in
June 2024 with the Bharat
Gaurav Deluxe AC Tourist
train. Starting from Delhi
Safdarjung Railway Station
on June 7, 2024, the tour
will cover Ayodhya, Nandi-
gram, Janakpur, Sitamarhi,
Buxar, Varanasi, Prayagraj,
Shringverpur, Chitrakoot,
Nashik, Hampi, Ramesh-
waram, Bhadrachalam, and
Nagpur. The train, equipped
with modern amenities
including dining facilities,
showers, and security fea-
tures, offers three catego-
ries of accommodation.
AISHANI
CHAKRABORTY: A
TALE OF RESILIENCE &
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
NEW DELHI: In a world that
often fails to recognise the
merits of those who face
unique challenges, Aishani
Chakraborty has emerged
as a shining example of re-
silience and determination.
A student at DPS Faridabad,
Sector 19 and the Adhyayan
Inclusive Learning Centre,
Aishani achieved an ex-
traordinary feat in the 12th
class Board exams for the
academic year 2023-24.
Aishani, an Autistic child, de-
fied all odds to secure an im-
pressive 97 percent marks
in her CBSE Board exams.
Her journey was marked
by unwavering dedication,
relentless effort, and the
unwavering support of her
teachers and mentors. The
Adhyayan Inclusive Learn-
ing Centre, renowned for
its commitment to children
with special needs, was cru-
cial to Aishani’s success.
Aishani’s success wasn’t
mere luck; it resulted from
careful planning and indi-
vidualised support. Despite
her remarkable achieve-
ments, Aishani remained
unnoticed by society, high-
lighting the need for great-
er empathy towards those
with learning difficulties.
Her accomplishment chal-
lenges stereotypes about
autism and underscores
the importance of recognis-
ing potential beyond tradi-
tional boundaries. Aishani
Chakraborty’s achievement
isn’t just a personal victory.
Wholesale inflation rises
MODI KICKS OFF HISTORIC THIRD TERM BID
the consecration of the Ayo-
dhya Ram temple, endorsed
May 14 as the ideal date for
Modi’s nomination.
Following Dravid’s guid-
ance, Modi submitted his pa-
pers at 12 pm, accompanied
by key figures from the Na-
tional Democratic Alliance
(NDA) including Union Home
Minister Amit Shah, Union
Defence Minister Rajnath
Singh, and BJP president J P
Nadda, alongside chief min-
isters from a dozen states.
The atmosphere rever-
berated with chants of “Har
Har, Modi!” as saffron-clad
‘Whether sale of products whose
licences were cancelled stopped?’
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: The Supreme
Court on Tuesday ques-
tioned Patanjali Ayurved Ltd
about the halt in sales of its
14 products, which had their
manufacturing licences sus-
pended by the Uttarakhand
State Licensing Authority
last month. The court, which
is yet to pass its judgement
on the contempt notice is-
sued to Ramdev, Balkrish-
na, and Patanjali Ayurved
Ltd for misleading adver-
tisements, was informed by
Patanjali’s senior advocate
Balbir Singh that the sale of
these products has ceased.
The bench of justices
Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin
Amanullah further inquired
if the stockists have also
stopped storing and selling
these products, and asked
for an affidavit confirming
the same. Singh assured
the bench that an affidavit
will be filed. Singh also men-
tioned that the company
has communicated with the
channels airing advertise-
ments for these products.
The bench noted that the
affidavit would influence
the reserved orders. The
court noted that the counsel
for Patanjali Ayurved Ltd,
Balkrishna, and Ramdev
have requested time to file
Why has River Ganga gotten dirtier despite
spending Rs. 20,000 cr, Congress asks PM Modi
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: On a day when
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi filed his nomination
from the Varanasi Lok
Sabha seat, the Congress
on Tuesday asked him why
he has abandoned the Vara-
nasi villages adopted by him
and why the Ganga has got-
ten dirtier despite spending
Rs 20,000 crore. Congress
general secretary Jairam
Ramesh demanded that
the PM must answer for his
“failures” in Varanasi.
“Today’s questions: After
spending Rs 20,000 crore,
why has the Ganga gotten
dirtier? Why has the PM
abandoned the Varanasi
supporters lined the streets,
showering rose petals on the
Prime Minister’s convoy.
The proposers of Modi’s
candidacy from the Kashi
Lok Sabha seat included Ga-
neshwar Shastri Dravid, Bai-
jnath Patel, Lalchand Kush-
waha, and Sanjay Sonkar
from the Dalit community.
Each nominee symbolised
various facets of local sup-
port, with Dravid’s role in de-
termining auspicious timings
resonating with the spiritual
ethos of Varanasi.
All four, along with Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi
affidavits detailing the mea-
sures taken to recall the
advertisements and prod-
ucts whose licences have
been suspended. The bench
directed that the affidavit
should be filed within three
weeks.
The bench also acknowl-
edged Patanjali’s counsel’s
submission that the pro-
posed affidavit is without
prejudice to their right to
challenge the suspension
order of these products’ li-
cences at the appropriate
forum.
The court reserved its or-
ders on the contempt notice
issued to Patanjali Ayurved
Ltd, Balkrishna, and Ram-
dev. It also stated that
Ramdev and Balkrishna’s
presence would be waived
until the court issues specif-
ic orders for their presence.
During the hearing, Justice
Amanullah emphasised the
villages he had “adopted”?
Why is the PM determined
to destroy Mahatma Gand-
hi’s legacy in Varanasi,” he
asked in a post on X.
Ramesh said when he
came to Varanasi in 2014,
Modi had said “Maa Ganga
ne mujhe bulaya hain” and
Adityanath, were present at
the collector’s office when
Modi submitted his papers.
Varanasi, steeped in reli-
gious significance and nes-
tled along the sacred Gan-
ges, serves as a poignant
backdrop for Modi’s electoral
campaign.
The city’s spiritual aura
adds depth to the electoral
narrative, with Modi’s sym-
bolic connection to the city
evident in the electrifying
roadshow preceding his
nomination. Immediately
after filing his papers, the
prime minister headed for
the Rudraksha Convention
Centre to address local party
leaders and workers.
After filing his nomination,
Modi posted on ‘X’, “Filed my
nomination papers as a can-
didate for the Varanasi Lok
Sabha seat. It is an honour to
serve the people of this his-
toric seat. With the blessings
of the people, there have
been remarkable achieve-
ments over the last decade.
This pace of work will get
even faster in the times to
importance of public aware-
ness. He noted Ramdev’s
significant following and
cautioned against taking the
public for granted. Solicitor
General Tushar Mehta, pres-
ent in the court, acknowl-
edged Ramdev’s contribu-
tions to yoga and Ayurveda.
Justice Amanullah agreed,
stating that people look up
to him. Justice Kohli recog-
nized Ramdev’s significant
contribution to promoting
yoga internationally but clar-
ified that the issue related to
Patanjali Ayurved Ltd’s prod-
ucts is a separate matter.
The bench noted the af-
fidavit of the West Bengal
state licensing authority on
record and the counsel for
Nagaland’s statement that
the affidavit was filed the
previous day. However, it ob-
served that Nagaland’s affi-
davit was not on record.
The bench granted a final
promised to purify the wa-
ters of the Holy Ganga, but
soon after coming to power,
rebranded the existing Op-
eration Ganga as Namami
Gange. “Ten years later, the
‘Namami Gange’ project
has cost the exchequer
more than Rs. 20,000 crore.
come.”
“I am honoured by the pres-
ence of our valued NDA allies
in Kashi today. Our alliance
represents a commitment to
national progress and fulfill-
ing regional aspirations.
We will work together for
the progress of India in the
years to come,” he added. In
a separate post in Hindi, the
prime minister said, “Heart-
felt gratitude to my family
members in Kashi... The
love and blessings I have re-
ceived from all of you in the
last 10 years have inspired
me to work with full deter-
mination.
With your support and
participation, I will continue
to work with new energy for
the all-round development of
this place and the welfare of
the people in my third term
as well. ‘Jai Baba Vishwa-
nath’!”
According to details in
his election affidavit, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi pos-
sesses assets totalling just
over Rs 3 crore, primarily
held in bank fixed deposits.
fourweek period to all other
state licensing authorities to
file their respective affida-
vits.
These affidavits should
detail the actions taken on
received complaints and
the suo motu actions tak-
en to prevent misleading
advertisements by manu-
facturers, advertisers, and
advertising agencies of rel-
evant health products/ food
items/food supplements.
The bench emphasised
the authorities’ responsibili-
ty towards public health. The
bench also discussed the
issue concerning the Uttara-
khand State Licensing Au-
thority. The counsel for the
Uttarakhand State Licens-
ing Authority confirmed that
the manufacturing licences
of 14 products of Patanjali
Ayurved Ltd were suspend-
ed last month.
The bench asked if these
products were still avail-
able in the market. The
counsel replied that they
are conducting an invento-
ry of the stocks and have
mentioned this in their af-
fidavit. When the authority
offered an unconditional
apology for not taking nec-
essary steps in the past,
the bench remarked that
they were as complicit as
they could be.
Here are the results: the
number of Polluted River
Stretches has increased
from 51 to 66, 71% of mon-
itoring stations have report-
ed dangerous bacteria at up
to 40 times more than safe
levels, and antibiotic resis-
tant bacteria have now been
found in the waters. “Where
has the 20,000 crore in tax-
payer money gone?
How much has been si-
phoned off in corruption
and mismanagement? How
can the people of Varanasi
trust a man who has given
a jumla even to Ma Ganga,”
the Congress leader asked.
He also said outside the city
of Varanasi lie eight villages
that the PM had “adopted”.
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: April 2024 saw
wholesale inflation reaching
a 13-month high of 1.26
per cent, driven by escalat-
ing food prices, particular-
ly vegetables. This surge
comes as the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI) is expected to
maintain interest rates in
the upcoming policy review.
The Wholesale Price In-
dex (WPI) based inflation
has been on an upward tra-
jectory for two consecutive
months, registering 0.20
per cent in February and
0.53 per cent in March. In
comparison, the WPI infla-
tion was at a lower 0.79 per
cent in April of the previous
year.
The inflation rate for April
2024 marks a 13-month
peak, with the last signifi-
cant high recorded in March
2023 at 1.41 per cent.
The Ministry of Com-
merce & Industry attributed
the positive inflation rate in
April 2024 to the surge in
prices of food articles, elec-
tricity, crude petroleum and
natural gas, and manufac-
tured food products, among
others. Data reveals that
EX-INDIAN ARMY OFFICER WITH UN KILLED IN GAZA
UNITED NATIONS: A former Indian Army officer working with the United Nations was killed
in Gaza when the vehicle he was travelling in came under attack in the conflict-ridden city
of Rafah. He became the “first international casualty” for the UN since the Israel-Hamas
conflict started last year. The United Nations has called for a thorough investigation, while
Israel has launched its own separate investigation into the incident. Colonel Waibhav Anil
Kale, 46, who took early retirement from the Indian Army in 2022, joined the UN as a Security
Coordination Officer in the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) two
Lucknow News (English Daily)
inflation in food articles es- ingly, manufactured prod-
calated to 7.74 per cent in ucts experienced deflation
April from 6.88 per cent in of 0.42 per cent in April, a
March. In the fuel and pow- decrease from the deflation
er segment, inflation rose to of 0.85 per cent in March.
1.38 per cent in April, a sig- Interestingly, the rise in
nificant increase from the April’s WPI contrasts with
deflation of 0.77 per cent in the retail inflation data for
the preceding month. the same month. The RBI,
Within the food articles which primarily considers
category, inflation for vege- retail inflation while formu-
tables soared to 23.60 per lating monetary policy, re-
cent in April, up from 19.52 ported an 11-month low of
per cent in the previous 4.83 per cent in retail infla-
month. tion for April.
Inflation rates for potato In its last meeting, the RBI
and onion also saw a sub- maintained the interest rate
stantial rise, with potato for the seventh consecutive
inflation jumping to 71.97 time, expressing vigilance
per cent in April from 52.96 towards potential risks to
per cent in March, and onion food inflation. The RBI’s in-
inflation increasing to 59.75 terest rate-setting panel is
per cent in April from 56.99 set to convene for its next
per cent in March. Contrast- meeting from June 5-7.
months ago, according to offi-
cials in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Kale, who served with the 11
Jammu & Kashmir Rifles, was
travelling with another DSS
staffer to the European Hospi-
tal in Rafah when their UN ve-
hicle was struck on Monday
morning. The other individual,
who has not been identified,
sustained serious injuries.
FIRE BREAKS OUT IN
RESIDENTIAL BUILDING
IN SOUTH DELHI, NO
CASUALTIES REPORTED
NEW DELHI: A fire broke
out at a residential building
following an explosion in
two gas cylinders in south
Delhi, officials of the Delhi
Fire Services said. No ca-
sualties were reported, they
said. According to the offi-
cials they received a call at
5.16 am regarding a fire in
a residential building in the
Shahpur Jat area. “After the
call, three fire tenders were
rushed to the spot to douse
the flames,” an official of
the DFS said. The fire broke
out after two gas cylinders
exploded, they said.
MERCURY REACHES
40.60 C IN CAPITAL
NEW DELHI: The national
Capital on Tuesday record-
ed a high of 40.6 degrees
Celsius, a notch above the
season’s average, the India
Meteorological Department
(IMD) said.
The city noted a minimum
temperature of 23.9 de-
grees Celsius, a notch be-
low the season’s average,
according to the IMD.
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