JAIPUR l MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. RAJENG/2019/77764 l Vol 2 l Issue No. 264

ARRIVAL OF “STICKY BOMBS” IN KASHMIR

Srinagar: “Sticky bombs”, that have wreaked havoc in Afghanistan, and can be attached to vehicles for remote detonation, have been seized during raids in recent months in the federally administered region of Jammu and Kashmir, senior secu-rity officials told.

3 ARRESTED, ARMY EXAM CANCELLED

Pune: Three people, including an ex-ser-viceman, have been arrested after question papers of an Army recruitment examina-tion were leaked. The exam, scheduled to be held at various locations across India on Sunday, has been cancelled.

Maken succeeds in reforging Gehlot-Pilot’s old bond! Aditi Nagar

New Delhi: It is said that no matter how long the cold winter nights may be, there will also come a day when the sun’s warmth ends all miser-ies. Perhaps the Con-gress party’s Rajasthan unit, is experiencing the same ‘warmth’ these days, after ‘bone chilling cold’ that last for several months.

And this warmth has been courtesy of AICC General Secretary In-charge Ajay Maken. How? Well, since being

appointed the state in-charge, Maken had been making attempts, one after the other, to bring the two factions within the party - Gehlot camp and Pilot camp - on one stage. With each faction holding its own set of farmer rallies, the mes-sage in public was one of discord in Congress, however, Maken’s relent-less efforts finally paid off as during Saturday’s farmer rallies at Dun-gargarh and Matrikun-dia, gehlot-Maken-Pilot and Dotasra shared the same stage and appeared

as one cohesive unit. The message that

went out in the public was that the state Con-gress was one strong family led by CM Ashok Gehlot, who showed large-heartedness to-wards Pilot and took his former duputy CM along in the helicopter to the rally venues. In-terestingly, Pilot raised the issue of Gehlot’s PSO not accompanying him in the helicopter, as he was asked to stand down while Pilot would accompany Ge-hlot. Turn to P8

Amitabh Bachchan undergoes surgery

Mumbai: Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan is going through some medical condition that has ne-cessitated surgery. He gave the news to his fans via his Tumblr blog. The 78-year-old wrote on late Saturday night, “Medi-cal condition .. surgery .. can’t write.”

The news has made Big B’s fans worried and many shared their distress on social me-dia, and a few also spec-ulated as to what the said condition could be. The superstar’s fans wished for a speedy re-covery of the legend. One shared on Twitter, “Prayers for @SrBach-chan Ji’s speedy recov-ery. Take care. Sending my love and prayers for you.” Another tweeted, “Sir, Prayers for your speedy recovery. —PTI

Centre’s three farm laws are death warrant for farmers: Kejriwal

Maha min Rathod resigns over ‘links’ with Pooja Chavan death

Meerut: “Centre’s three farm laws are death warrant for farmers,” alleged Delhi chief min-ister Arvid Kejriwal on Sunday at a farmers’ rally in Meerut.

“The government wants to take away their lands and give them to 3-4 capitalists. Farmers will become labourers in their own fields, that is why it’s a do or die situation for farmers,” Kejriwal hit

out at Centre amid the ongoing farmers’ pro-test against the new agriculture laws while speaking at Meerut’s

Kissan Mahapanchay-at. Speaking at the ral-ly, Kejriwal added, “Even Britishers did not oppress our farm-ers to this extent, they did not fix nails on the ground. This govern-ment has left behind the Britishers.”

Firing a salvo at Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), Kejriwal added “The entire Red Fort in-cident was planned by them. Turn to P6

Mumbai: Maharashtra Forest Minister Sanjay Rathod Sunday submit-ted his resignation to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray after he came under the scan-ner over his alleged links to the death of a woman in Pune.

“In the last few days, the opposition played dirty politics over the death of a 22-year-old woman of our commu-nity. The opposition de-

famed me and my com-munity through media and social media. It was done to destroy my po-

litical career. I want an impartial probe to be conducted in this mat-ter Turn to P6

New Delhi: Asserting that the Atmanirbhar Abhiyan (campaign on self reliance) is not just a government policy but also a national spir-it, Prime Minister Nar-endra Modi Sunday urged people to learn more about Indian sci-entists and develop sports commentaries in regional languages for the Indian sports item in order to make it so.

Modi, who during his program aired a record-ed version of a Sanskrit cricket commentary at a tournament between universitites in his Var-anasi constituencies, said the country should promote sports com-mentaries in regional languages.

Responding to a lis-tener’s question about his biggest regrets as Chief Minister of Guja-rat and later as Prime Minister, PM Modi said that he often feels bad that he could not learn Tamil, the “world’s most ancient language”. “It is a beautiful language that Turn to P6, More on P5

New Delhi: India is all set to begin the third phase of Covid-19 vac-cination drive that will cover 10 crore people across the country from Monday. Govt will start the vaccination of peo-ple above 60 years and individuals above 45 years of age having co-morbidities against coronavirus.

People with the pres-ence of one of the 20 co-morbidities, including diabetes and heart fail-ure with hospital admis-sion in the past one year, will be prioritised in the next phase of the COV-ID-19 vaccination drive, the government said.

The simplified sys-tem of certifying people with these co-morbidi-ties within the 45-59 years age group was explained to the States Health Departments. At Jaipur, Rajasthan Gov-ernor Kalraj Mishra might become the first Governor of a state to undergo vaccination at about 1 PM. Moreover, it is believed that CIC DB Gupta and retired judges of High Court

could also be in-noculated.

Atmanirbhar Abhiyan is national spirit: Modi

VACCINATION 3RD PHASE STARTS TODAY

I APPRECIATE THAT: CONG’S GHULAM NABI AZAD PRAISES PM MODI

WE’VE DEFEATED A MUCH BIGGER ENEMY IN BRITISH, WILL BEAT MODI TOO: RAHUL

New Delhi: Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi heaped effusive praise on Ghulam Nabi Azad, the senior congress leader returned the favor on Sunday. Azad said he appreciates that PM, never tired to hide his true self. “I like lot of things about many leaders. I’m from a village and feel proud of it. Even our PM hails from village and used to sell tea. We’re political rivals but I appreciate that he doesn’t hide his true self.

Tirunelveli: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “formida-ble enemy” who ‘crushed’ his opponents and vowed to send him to political oblivion by following the path of love and non-violence. During an interaction titled ‘Educators Meet’ at the St Xavier College here, Gandhi, touring southern Tamil Nadu for the second day as part of

his second leg of campaign for the April 6 assem-bly polls, Turn to P6, Related report on P6

COMPANIES ‘FEEL BETRAYED’: KIRAN SHAW

ROGUE CORONA STRAIN N440K CAN CAUSE REINFECTION

New Delhi: Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar Shaw on Sunday hit out at the government capping COVID-19 vaccine price at Rs 250 at private hospitals, say-ing vaccine companies “feel betrayed” as it is too low to sustain. Reacting to a report that the health ministry has fixed Rs 250 per shot at private hospitals and health centres, she tweeted, “We r (sic) crushing instead of incentivising vaccine industry.” Turn to P6

Hyderabad: Researchers, have mentioned that the novel coronavirus variant, N440K, can cause reinfec-tion. According to them, this variant can escape the immune system and can cause reinfection in sufferers already recov-ered from Covid-19. The researchers studied a case in Kurnool, which they mentioned was the second case of Covid-19 reinfection in India at-tributable to the variant N440K, one of the rogue mutants of the pandemic virus. The study was revealed on pre-print analysis server OSF.

z Centre has deputed high-level multi-disciplinary teams to Kerala, Maharashtra, Kar-nataka, TN, WB, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, MP, Gujarat and J&K to ascertain reasons for the surge in cases & coordinate with the State Health Depart-ments in Covid-19 control and

containment measures: GoI

z Night curfew extended in Pune city till March 14

z Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University issues notification for further reopening of the campus in phased manner

CM Ashok Gehlot during the Kisan Mahapanchayat at Chittorgarh’s Matrikundia on Saturday with Ajay Maken, Govind S Dotasra and Sachin Pilot. —PHOTO BY SANTOSH SHARMA

Arvid KejriwalSanjay Rathod Pooja Chavan

COVID MEASURES

ISRO’S PSLV-C51 LAUNCH

New Delhi: The main excitement around the PSLV-C51, when it was announced, was about a satellite that eventually could not be part of the launch. Sunday’s mission was supposed to carry a satellite from Pixxel India, one of the several new start-ups that are tipped to do to India’s space sector what companies like SpaceX or Planet Labs have been doing in the US. Pixxel India, is planning to place

a vast constellation of earth-imaging satellites for continuous monitoring of every part of the globe, and beam high-resolution imagery and other data that can be utilized for a variety of applications in

climate change, agriculture and urban planning. The first of its satellites, called Anand, was sup-posed to be on this PSLV-C51 rocket that took off from the Sriharikota launching range this morn-ing.But less than a week before the launch, the company announced that due to “certain software issues” during testing, it would not go ahead with the launch of the satellite at this time.

and why Pixxel India’s Anand satellite missed the flight

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD

& LUCKNOW

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First India Bureau

Jaipur: Chief Whip Mahesh Joshi on Sun-day called upon the Brahmin community people to instill self-confidence in their children.

He said that he will speak to the Chief min-ister regarding the for-mation of Vipra wel-fare board and will try to get the demands ful-filled soon.

Jaipur MP Ram-charan Bohra said that

Joshi is like an elder brother to him and holds an important po-

sition in the govern-ment.

“Both of us will al-

ways be ready to solve every problem of the society,” the BJP MP said.

They were speaking at the swearing-in cer-emony of the state ex-ecutive constituted un-der the leadership of Rajesh Karnal, the state president of Vi-pra Foundation.

Former chairperson of the National Com-mission for Women Mamta Sharma, for-mer MLA and other leaders were present.

Will take up proposal of Vipra Welfare Board with CM: Joshi

Janta Sena, BSP, RLP may upset Cong & BJP’s apple cart in bypolls

Congress has done injustice to minority community: Poonia

Yogesh Sharma

Jaipur: The ruling Con-gress and the opposition BJP may get a tough time in the bypolls on four assembly seats as Bahujan Samaj Party, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, Aam Aadmi Party and Janta Sena have also started their prepara-tions and are planning to field candidates in the by-elections.

Nagaur MP Hanu-man Beniwal’s RLP would contest the elec-tion while BSP supre-mo Mayawati had called the leaders of the party’s state unit to Delhi on Wednesday last week to hold dis-cussions. She will final-ise tickets after discus-

sions with local leader.Randhir Singh Bhin-

der’s Janta Sena, which has influence on Vallabhnagar seat, is also planning to contest

the elections. Apart from Vallabhna-

gar (Udaipur), byelec-tions will be held in Su-jangarh (Churu), Saha-da (Bhilwara) and Rajsa-

mand constituencies. Barring Rajsamand, which was held by BJP, the remaining three seats were held by Con-gress. RLP, which has 3

MLAs in the house of 200, will focus Jat domi-nated Sujangarh and Sahada seats and it is likely to disturb the equation of both Con-gress and BJP.

However, Beniwal’s strategy will be revealed at the last time.

Since Dalits voters are in considerable num-bers on all the four seats, BSP is likely to contest bypolls on all the seats whereas Janta Sena is strong in Vallabhnagar. The party recently won local bodies elections.

Bhinder is considered close to Raje and there are little chances that he will join hands with BJP.

Similarly, AAP is also looking forward to con-testing the bypolls.

First India Bureau

Jaipur: BJP state pres-ident Satish Poonia on Sunday accused the Congress of doing in-justice with the people of the minority society. He said that Congress always considered the minority as its vote bank but now the mi-nority people have un-derstood the reality of the Congress party.

Addressing a pro-gramme of BJP minor-ity morcha at the party office, Poonia said that the people of the minor-ity community now be-lieve in the policies of the Modi government.

State president of BJP Minority Morcha M Sadiq Khan took charge on Sunday. Khan said that members of morcha will teach a les-

son to the Ashok Gehlot government in the as-sembly elections for its anti-people policies.LoP Gulab Chand Kataria,

deputy LoP Rajendra Rathore, BJP state VP Sardar Ajaypal Singh and others were also present in event.

First India Bureau

Jaipur: Four members of ABVP were injured on Saturday night when they were at-tacked by some stu-dents at the main gate of Rajasthan Universi-ty, where they had been sitting on dharna for a week with 21-point de-mand.

They alleged that in-stead of registering their complaint, police detained the ABVP members who had gone to the police sta-tion to report the mat-ter. Annoyed over this, the ABVP members staged a protest out-side the Gandhi Nagar police station. The po-lice later registered a

case against 5 accused.BJP state president

Satish Poonia, former CM Vasundhara Raje, Union minister Gajen-dra Singh Shekhawat and other BJP leaders condemned the attack.

Poonia and Raje called for strict action while Shekhawat held

the Gehlot govt respon-sible for the incident.

Shekhawat said that the violent attack on the students who were sleeping on the dharna site appears to be a well-planned conspira-cy in which the police administration is also involved.

Public at Congress’ Kisan mahapanchayat on Saturday at Matrikundia in Chittorgarh that is near Sahada, Vallabhnagar, and Rajsamand assembly seats. —PHOTO BY SANTOSH SHARMA

Satish Poonia speaking in the event where M Sadiq Khan took charge of the BJP minority morcha president on Sunday.

ABVP members sat on dharna outside Gandhi Nagar police station on Saturday night after attack on them.

Mahesh Joshi and Ramcharan Bohra at Vipra Foundation event.

ARUN SINGH IN JAIPUR TODAY

Nehru got Azad killed: MLA Dilawar

Accused fire at police, one constable injured

2 cops injured as cow smugglers hit vehicle

RIICO to develop FinTech park in Jaipur

Drunken man shoots sister dead in Udaipur

First India Bureau

Rajsamand: In a con-troversial statement, BJP MLA Madan Dila-war on Sunday said that former PM Jawa-har Lal Nehru was re-sponsible for the death of freedom fighter C h a n d r a s h e k h a r Azad.

Speaking at a con-ference of intellectu-als in Rajsamand, Dilawar said that Nehru had hatched the conspiracy with Britishers to elimi-nate Azad.

He said that Pandit Nehru informed the Britishers about the location of Azad on which the British sur-rounded Azad.

First India Bureau

Jodhpur: A police con-stable was injured when unidentified miscreants opened fire at a police team in Jodhpur on Sat-urday night.

The incident oc-curred at Khejadli chauraha under Luni police station where the police indicated a vehi-cle to stop at a checking point but the accused

did not stop the vehicle following which the po-licemen chased the ve-hicle.

During this, the ac-cused opened fire at the police vehicle. Police constable driver Ram-niwas received bullet injury, police said, add-ing, that he was admit-ted at MDM hospital.

Efforts are being made to identify and lo-cate the accused.

First India Bureau

Jhalawar: Five police-men were injured when their jeep over-turned while chasing a vehicle in which bo-vine animals were al-legedly being smug-gled in Jhalawar on Saturday night.

The incident oc-curred in Misroi police station area A speeding pick-up jeep carrying

bovine animals did not stop and broke through barricades following which the police team chased the vehicle.

The police jeep col-lided with a roadside tree and overturned near Silehgarh road which left five police-men injured, SHO Komal Prasad said, adding that the condi-tion of two of them was critical.

Jaipur: The Rajasthan State Industrial Devel-opment and Invest-ment Corporation (RII-CO) will develop a Fin-Tech park, which was announced by chief minister Ashok Gehlot in the state budget last week to attract IT and financial firms, in the capital city over 4.08 lakh sqm area, a state official said.

The FinTech park will be an integrated development of IT and Finance that will offer

large workspaces for both sectors, Indus-tries Secretary Ashu-tosh Pednekar said.

The park, which is aimed at attracting an investment of Rs 3,000 crore, will be developed at a land allocated by the government near B2 bypass and Tonk road, which is in close vicinity of the airport.

He informed that the project cost is Rs 106 crore that includes de-veloping basic infra-structure. —PTI

First India Bureau

Udaipur: A girl was shot dead by her ma-ternal uncle’s son in Mandwa area of Udaipur district. Ac-cording to the infor-mation, seven-year-old sister Champa was shot dead by her ma-ternal uncle’s son in Veer Fali Koucha vil-lage of the police sta-tion area.

On the information, Mandwa police officer Man Singh reached

the spot with his team. Deputy Superinten-dent of Police Bhu-pendra Singh also reached the spot soon after getting informa-tion about the inci-dent.

With the help of the villagers, the police has kept the body in the mortuary of Kotra CHC. The police has registered a case against the accused Thavara son Kala and started the search for the accused.

Attack on ABVP members: BJP leaders demand action

As dalits voters are in considerable numbers on all the four seats, BSP is likely to contest bypolls

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vius ?kj dks ekSle dh ut+j u yxus nsagj ekSle lqj{kk ds fy, flQZ lqij LVªkWx osnj ‘khYM

Jaipur: The Ra-jasthan Informa-tion Commission has filed two gov-ernment officials of Rs 25,000 each for denying infor-mation to two peo-ple under the pro-visions of the Right to Informa-tion Act. The two officials who were fined are the Bi-kaner Municipal Corporation com-missioner and an executive engineer of Jodhpur DIS-COM. CIC Laxman Singh Rathore fined Bikaner civic body commission-er on a plea by An-war Hussain com-plaining of denial of requisite infor-mation despite the info panel’s direc-tive to give the same to him. Rathore imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on officer, ordered de-partmental action against him. Rathore imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on an executive engi-neer of Jodhpur DISCOM on an ap-peal by Purushot-tam Sharma , com-plaining of denial of refusal of info sought by him.

—PTI

Two officials fined `25K each under the RTI Act

Rebuilding Tourism! State bags‘Safe Tourist Destination Award’Nirmal Tiwari

Jaipur: Efforts to re-store tourism activi-ties in Rajasthan which suffered badly due to corona pandem-ic have fetched the state ‘Safe Tourist Destination Award’ in a domestic tourism mart held in West Bengal.

It was the first tour-ism mart in the coun-try after one year in which the award was given to Rajasthan. Rajasthan Tourism put up a pavilion at the Travel, Tourism Fair at Kolkata. Addi-

tional Director of Ra-jasthan Tourism Man-isha Arora, Joint Di-

rector Anand Tripathi invited tourists from Bengali and other

states to visit Ra-jasthan by doing a road show in WB.

(Right) Anand Tripathi and Manisha Arora of Rajasthan Tourism receiving award in a domestic tourism mart held in Kolkata.

TWO INFANTS LIFTED FROM HOSPS IN BANSWARA AND DUNGARPURFirst India Bureau

Banswara/Dungar-pur: Two newborns were allegedly stolen from hospitals in Ban-swara and Dungarpur on Sunday.

A newborn was sto-len by a woman imper-sonating as a nurse from Banswara MG hospital. The child was brought for vaccination when the incident hap-pened. The police got the area barricaded but the child could not be found till late Sunday. Kotwali CI Motiram Sa-ran said the incident

took place at 11 am when Anita, wife of Ar-jun Bamnia, a resident of Malavasa, brought the kid for vaccination.

When she did not re-turn, the family in-quired with the hospi-tal. They informed po-lice when they saw a

woman taking a new-born in her lap in CCTV camera footage.

In Dungarpur, a six-day-old child went miss-

ing from the hospital’s NICU within moments when the ward was be-ing cleaned and no at-tendant was present near the child, police said. After scanning the CCTV footage, police have identified a wom-an as a suspect and are trying to nab her. Jyoti Mochi had delivered a boy on Feb 24 who was admitted to NICU. The family members of Jyo-ti accused hospital ad-ministration of negli-gence in the matter and demanded stern action against guilt and recov-ery of the newborn.

In Dungarpur, an infant went missing from NICU in moments when ward was being cleaned

Accused woman near the infant in Dungarpur hospital on Sunday.

FAKE NURSE

DHULANDI FEST CANCELLED

HC hears Bar council matter on Sunday Rajeev Gaur

Jodhpur: The Ra-jasthan HC on Sunday held a hearing after the election of Bar Council of Rajasthan was post-poned by the Bar Coun-cil of India on Saturday.

The election was scheduled on Sunday and a petition was pre-sented before the court of Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati. Although Justice Bhati did not stay the order of the Bar Council of India, he issued a notice to seeking reply in the matter. The next hear-ing of the case will be on March 2. The annual election of the Presi-dent, VP and co-chair-

man were proposed on Sunday, but on Satur-day evening the Bar Council of India post-poned these elections.

On this, a lawyer from Jodhpur, Kuldeep Mathur, presented a pe-tition requesting CJ In-drajit Mahanty to hear the case on a priority basis. CJ ordered hear-ing of the case despite Sunday being a holiday.

Third phase of vax from today,about 87 lakh people to get jab

Jodh MBBS student dies by suicideJodhpur: A MBBS stu-dent died by suicide in Jodhpur, according to police official on Satur-day. “Final year student at MDM hospital was found hanging on a fan of his hostel room. Post mortem and room search will be done in presence of a family member,” said Shastri Nagar Police Officer Pankajraj Mathur. ‘When everyone pushed the door, presumed that student died by suicide,’ said Mathur. —ANI

First India Bureau

Jaipur: Third phase of corona vaccination will start from Monday in which private hospitals have also been allowed to administer vaccines on paid basis.

Governor Kalraj Mishra, CIC DB Gupta, retired High Court judges may also get vac-cinated today.

Vaccination will be done at 78 government and 20 private centres in Jaipur, said District

Collector Antar Singh Nehra. Nehra said that vaccine will be given to persons aged above 60 years and co-morbid (suffering from other serious diseases) bene-

ficiaries from 45 to 59 years. There are more than 87 lakh people above 60 years of age, persons with co-mor-bidity in 45-60 years of age is 1 to 1.5 lakh.

SOULFUL TRIBUTE!

Dr Raghu Sharma paid fl oral tributes to police personnel Pratap Singh, posted at Gangapur police station in Bhilwara, who died in an accident on Saturday while on duty. Dharmendra Rathore also accompanied him.

Sikar police nab murder accused within 24 hours

Nine killed, score hurt in 4 separate accidents

First India Bureau

Sikar: Within 24 hours after the murder of an old woman in Karad village of Dataram-garh police station area in Sikar district, police team was able to nab the murderer.

Sikar SP, Kunwar Rashtradeep said that the old woman, Madan Kanwar in the Karad village was murdered by her neighbour Hemraj Kumawat. The murder accused, Hem-raj had incurred a lot of debt and in order to pay off this debt, he carried out the mur-der incident along with the robbery.

The police have also recovered Rs 30,000 and jewellery looted

from the house along with the knife used for the murder. Sikar SP, Kunwar Rashtradeep said that after the mur-der incident, the ac-cused joined the crowd and was monitoring activities of the police.

The police is now conducting a strict in-terrogation with the arrested accused Hem-raj Kumawat. Earlier, the old woman was murdered on Saturday morning when she was alone in her house.

First India Bureau

Jaipur: Nine people were killed and a score were injured in four sep-arate accidents across the state on Sunday.

Three persons, in-cluding two children, were killed and nine others injured when an SUV collided with a truck in Karauli around 2 am on Sunday. The group was on their way to Kaila Devi tem-ple in Karauli district from Uttar Pradesh, po-lice said. The deceased were identified as Uj-jawal (8), Vaishnavi (9) and SUV driver Deven-dra (27).

In Bhilwara, two men died on the spot during Digambar Jain Rath Yatra in Dhamnia village

in Mandalgarh on Sun-day. A trailer crushed the deceased while it was be-ing parked leading to panic among devotees.

In Dholpur, a driver and a girl child were killed when a truck and car collided at Sarma-thura. Seven people were injured in the ac-cident. Whereas in Udaipur, two people were killed in an acci-dent of a trailer and a car at NH 8, the police said.

An old woman was murdered on

Saturday morning when she was alone

in her house

NO COVID DEATH, 156 FRESH CASES IN A DAY

Three including two children killed, nine others injured when SUV collided with a

truck in Karauli

PERSPECTIVEJAIPUR | MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

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� Vol 2 � Issue No. 264 � RNI NO. RAJENG/2019/77764. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Press, D.B. Corp Limited, Shivdaspura, Tonk Road, Jaipur. Published at 304, 3rd Floor, City Mall, Bhagwan Das Road, C-Scheme, Jaipur-302001, Rajasthan. Phone 0141-4920504. Editor-In-Chief: Jagdeesh Chandra. Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act

everal political leaders have put out pic-tures of them-selves getting a

Covid-19 vaccine hoping to reassure and persuade citizens to follow suit. Could it work? If the goal is to spread the message widely and quickly, the an-swer is yes.

However, it should not be surprising that this strat-egy is causing a stir – par-ticularly in countries where politicians tradi-tionally prefer oral debate over emotion-based com-munication using the body as a prop.

Why have ritualised, in-person demonstrations by celebrity bodies become such a widespread tool for influence and persuasion?

USING EMOTIONFrench sociologist Gabriel Tarde’s foundational works

of the 19th century – spe-cifically The Laws of Imita-tion – established that a public figure’s physical rep-resentation can be used to provoke an emotional re-sponse and encourage pub-lic action dates.

In fact, the practice dates back even longer than this. Representations of Jesus Christ and saints, kings and queens, and even de-ceased civilians, have all been used at different times to mobilise groups.

Using emotion to pro-voke action relies on our social need to imitate in order to feel like we are part of the group. Every community identifies with a certain charismat-ic figure or trusted leader. The choice to take action and follow the leader’s in-structions spreads from one person to another due to this need to imitate, which makes people feel

like they belong to the community.

This anthropological framework has been used for more than two decades in emotional marketing,

which uses communica-tion techniques developed by media according to the sociologist Elihu Katz, who himself drew on Gabriel Tarde’s ideas.

TURNING APPEARANCE INTO SPECTACLE

Communications having been turned into an indus-try, a leader’s emotional power is enhanced by mak-ing an event out of their appearance. It is even easi-er to provoke emotional projection when an image of a leader has been semi-otically designed to trigger reassuring emotions.

Former French presi-dent François Mitterrand’s “Quiet Strength” election campaign of 1981 (created by Jacques Séguéla) blazed the trail for using a physi-cal representation in this way. The mechanism was also at work in the recent display of Queen Elizabeth II’s image to boost British morale during the current health crisis. Images of athletes, actors and other celebrities are regularly used like this in communi-

cation campaigns to en-courage imitation.

Social media exploits the desire to put oneself on dis-play to provoke an emo-tional response. Perform-ing our private lives online is an act intended to arouse feelings in others.

French President Emma-nuel Macron is well versed in such communication. In a highly commented-upon selfie, sent when he tested positive for Covid-19, he placed himself in front of a carefully orchestrated, so-cial media-friendly back-drop (French flag, hand sanitiser on desk). It is all designed to make viewers sense Macron’s kindness, ac-cessibility, authenticity, vul-nerability and compassion.

Indeed, it’s hard to resist the emotions presented on the faces of such person-alities. We feel moved de-spite ourselves.

SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION

Should politicians take their doses publicly to reassure others?

S

When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a lamp in a windless place. —Bhagavad Gita

SpiritualSPEAK

TopTWEET

Prakash Javadekar@PrakashJavdekarNumber of water birds has increased by about 175% compared to last year. 112 bird species have been sighted in Kaziranga National Park during this Census. Most important reason for this is that here, there is better water conservation along with very little human interference: PM

Dharmendra Pradhan@dpradhanbjpLord Jagannath is the centre of faith for all Hindus. It is our collective responsibility to work towards the development and promotion of the Jagannath Culture—which is synonymous with the belief and identity of all Hindus across the globe, including 4.5 crore Odias in Odisha.

alancing the need for regu-lation to keep out obnox-ious online content that promotes violence and vul-garity with the need to preserve our core constitu-tional values and freedom of expression is at the core of the new rules which have been formulated by the union government to address concerns regard-ing the new media.

The policy has tried to cre-ate the much-needed level-playing field between online news platforms and print media on the one hand and online and television news media on the other and to bring the online news portals within the ambit of the Code of Ethics that govern the print media like the norms of journalistic conduct drawn up by the Press Coun-cil Act, the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Rules, 1994. This was long overdue because of the recklessness and irresponsibility that is on display in some of these platforms.

Similarly, while the cin-ema industry has a film certification agency with oversight responsibilities, OTT platforms have none. However, in order to en-sure artistic freedom, the government has proposed self-regulation and said the OTT entities should get together, evolve a code and come up with content classification so that a mechanism is evolved to preclude non-adults from viewing adult content. They must get down to do it. The grievance redres-sal mechanism thought of is three-tier, with the pub-lishers and self-regulating bodies being the first two. The third tier is the cen-tral government oversight committee. The policy proposed requires pub-lishers to appoint griev-ance redressal officers and ensure time-bound

acknowledgment and dis-posal of grievances. Then, there can be a self-regu-lating body headed by a retired judge.

Online platforms are wary of rules that seek verifica-tion of accounts, access con-trol etc, but these issues need to be resolved within the framework of India’s laws. For example, while main-stream media is conscious of provisions in the Indian Pe-nal Code (IPC) dealing with the promotion of violence, enmity among communities, defamation, etc, content on online platforms seem to be totally oblivious of all this.

The vulgar comments posted on social media about women profession-als in media or in other fields and the inability of the Indian State to deal with such behaviour makes one wonder wheth-er the IPC is inapplicable in cyberspace.

The Indian digital and OTT players can draw les-sons from the concerted ac-tion taken by the digital com-panies in Australia which have come together and drawn up a code to deal with fake news and disinforma-

tion. It is called the Austral-ian Code of Practice on Dis-information and Misinfor-mation and it was released only recently by the Digital Industry Group.

Australian Communica-tions and Media Authority (ACMA) has welcomed the initiative and said more

than two-thirds of Aus-tralians were concerned about “what is real or fake on the internet”. In re-sponse, ACMA says the digital platforms agreed to a self-regulatory code “to provide safeguards against serious harms arising from the spread of dis- and

misinformation”. Some of the actions promised by the digital platforms in-clude disabling of ac-counts and removal of content.

In the UK, the government is all set to bring in a law to make online companies re-sponsible for harmful con-tent and also to punish com-panies that fail to remove such content. The aim of the proposed “Online Safety Bill” is to protect internet us-ers and deal firmly with plat-forms that promote violence, terrorist material, child-abuse, cyberbullying, etc. The Digital Secretary, Mr.Oli-ver Dowden was quoted as saying “I’m unabashedly pro-tech but that can’t mean a tech-free for all”. This in a sense sums up the current mood in this issue across de-mocracies.

In the UK, self-regula-tion governs the print me-dia and private television and radio are regulated by the Independent Televi-sion Commission and the Radio Authority as pro-vided by a statute.

As regards the two minis-ters who announced the gov-ernment’s guidelines – Ravi

Shankar Prasad and Mr.Prakash Javadekar - it should not be forgotten that both of them are the heroes of what is called the “Second Free-dom Struggle” when they fought against the dreaded Emergency imposed by Prime Minister Indira Gan-dhi in the mid-1970s and suf-fered incarceration for about a year and a half, so that the people got back their consti-tution and democracy.

Obviously, their commit-ment to basic democratic values has and will con-tinue to influence their policy formulations vis-à-vis media regulation.

Finally, a word about the framework within which companies should operate in India. As the union minister for Information Technology Mr.Ravi Shankar Prasad said, they must function with the laws of the land. This is non-negotiable.

In recent times, Twitter has tried to define freedom of expression and even claimed that it seeks to protect the freedom of ex-pression of Indians. “Free-dom of Expression” is em-bedded in our chapter on fundamental rights in our constitution and it is cir-cumscribed by what are called “reasonable restric-tions”. These are in place because India is a vibrant democracy and the most diverse society in the world with many social, political, and economic complexities. That is why India’s founding fathers have, with great intuition and foresight introduced a caveat vis-à-vis freedom of expression, so that consti-tutional rights promote internal peace and harmo-ny. What these freedoms are and what these restric-tions are have been defined by our Supreme Court in innumerable cases and the law as laid down by India’s apex court is the law of the land. We do not want some private international com-panies to assume the role of some supra courts and put their own spin on our Constitution.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY

THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

THE FIRST STEP TOWARDSREGULATION OF SOCIAL MEDIA

B

Online platforms are wary of rules that seek verification of accounts, access control, etc, but these issues need to be resolved within the framework of India’s laws. For example, while mainstream media is conscious of provisions in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) dealing with the promotion of violence, enmity among communities, defamation, etc, content on online platforms seem to be totally oblivious of all this

A.SURYA PRAKASH

The writer is an independent journalist

WHILE THE CINEMA INDUSTRY HAS A FILM CERTIFICATION AGENCY WITH OVERSIGHT

RESPONSIBILITIES, OTT PLATFORMS HAVE NONE. HOWEVER, IN ORDER TO ENSURE ARTISTIC FREEDOM, THE GOVERNMENT HAS PROPOSED SELF-REGULATION AND SAID THE OTT ENTITIES SHOULD GET TOGETHER,

EVOLVE A CODE AND COME UP WITH CONTENT CLASSIFICATION SO THAT A MECHANISM IS EVOLVED TO

PRECLUDE NON-ADULTS FROM VIEWING ADULT CONTENT. THEY MUST GET DOWN TO DO IT. THE

GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL MECHANISM THOUGHT OF IS THREE-TIER, WITH THE PUBLISHERS AND SELF-

REGULATING BODIES BEING THE FIRST TWO. THE THIRD TIER IS THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE. THE POLICY PROPOSED REQUIRES

PUBLISHERS TO APPOINT GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL OFFICERS AND ENSURE TIME-BOUND

ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND DISPOSAL OF GRIEVANCES. THEN, THERE CAN BE A SELF-REGULATING BODY

HEADED BY A RETIRED JUDGE

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‘SINDHU NETRA’ SURVEILLANCE SATELLITE DEPLOYED IN SPACENew Delhi: In a boost for the country’s surveillance capabilities to monitor activities of both military warships and merchant shipping in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the ‘Sindhu Netra’ satellite developed by a team of young scientists from Research and Devel-opment Organisation (DRDO) was successfully

deployed in space on Sunday. The satellite was launched using the Indian Space Research Organi-sation’s (ISRO) PSLV-C51 which took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh at 10:30 am today. The Sindhu Netra satellite has been developed by the young scientists of the DRDO.

CM’S DAUGHTER STANDS UP FOR LOAN APP VICTIM’S FAMILYHyderabad: Responding to media reports of a man who died by suicide after falling prey to a fi nancial fraud on a Chinese loan app, Telangana MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha on Sunday reached out to the family of the victim and promised to support the education of her three daughters. The former MP from Nizamabad offered her condo-lences to the daughters and wife of the victim, Sarita, and shared that she would be supporting the education of all the daughters till they gradu-ate and get a job.

10-YEAR-OLD REWRITES RAMAYANA FOR CHILDRENBhubaneswar: A 10-year-old from Bhubaneswar has re-written the Ramayana, after watching the television series on the epic during the coronavi-rus lockdown. Ayush Kumar Khuntia has named the epic “Pilaka Ramayana” (Ramayana for children) having 104 pages in his mother tongue, Odia. “During the lockdown, I was asked to watch Ramayana episodes on television by my uncle, and later to write something on it.” “I watched Ramayana telecasted on DD channel and wrote each episode in Odia in my notebook,” he said.

SRINAGAR-LEH HIGHWAY REOPENS FOR TRAFFIC AFTER 58 DAYSSrinagar: The highway which was closed for 58 days has been reopened on Sunday for vehicular traffi c after the snow has been cleared along the Zojila pass, informed the Border Roads Organi-sation (BRO).Vehicles carrying essential com-modities were initially allowed to move towards Leh-Laddakh from the

Zojila pass. According to BRO, snow clearance of Zojila Pass is a big challenge owing to snow accumulation of 30-40 feet, threats of avalanch-es and inclement weather conditions. “Due to the ongoing border dispute in Eastern Ladakh, keeping Zojila pass open for an extended period was a strategic requirement.

New Delhi: Asking stu-dents, who are about to face their annual ex-ams, to become a war-rior and not a worrier, Prime Minister Naren-dra Modi on Sunday said he updated the Exam Warriors book with new mantras and interesting activities.

In his monthly radio address ‘Mann Ki Baat’, PM Modi asked stu-dents to go gleefully for the examination and come back with a smile. “Most of the young friends will have exams. All of you should remember - you have to become a warrior and not a worrier, go glee-fully for the examina-tion and come back with a smile. You have to compete with your-self, not with anyone else,” he said.

He asked the students to get adequate sleep and be mindful of time management and also not to stop playing. “For those who play are the ones that blossom. Revi-sion and smart methods of memorisation are to

be adopted, that is, over-all, in these exams, you have to bring out your best. You must be think-ing about how all this will be possible. We’re going to do it together,” he added.

Modi said that like every year, this year too he will have ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ with stu-dents in March, and asked the “exam warri-ors, parents and teach-ers” to share their expe-riences and tips.

“You will get all the information on MyGov

- how to participat, how to get an opportunity to discuss with me. So far, more than one lakh stu-dents, about 40 thou-sand parents, and about 10 thousand teachers have participated,’ he added.

He further said that in the times of Corona, he took out time, and added many new man-tras in the exam warri-or book.

He also asked the peo-ple to not lower their guard against COV-ID-19. —ANI

Become exam warrior, not worrier: Modi to studentsPM Modi updates the Exam Warriors book with new mantras & interesting activities Puducherry: After re-

peated gaffe by Rahul Gandhi on no dedicated ministry to deal with the issues of fisher-men, Union Home Min-ister Amit Shah said the Congress leader was on vacation when the NDA formed the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying in 2019.

“Some days ago, Ra-hul Gandhi had asked why there is no fisher-ies department. I want to know from people whether they want a leader who doesn’t know that Department of Fisheries has been in existence for 2 years (since 2019),” Shah said at a public rally ahead of assembly elections in the Union Territory Puducherry’s Karaikal district.

Questioning the ca-pability of the Con-gress party to govern the Puducherry, he said, “Can the Con-gress party do the wel-fare of Puducherry?

Earlier, Gandhi had demanded the setting up of a separate minis-try for fisherie. The

Wayanad MP’s com-ments came at an inter-action with the fishing community in Kollam on February 24. —ANI

Shah slams Rahul over fisheries ministry remark

Shamli : Amid the on-going protest against the new farm laws, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Sunday asked the farmers to keep their tractors ready stating that they may have to reach the na-tional capital anytime.

“This is my appeal to farmers that they should continue to work in their fields and also keep their tractors ready with their tanks full of oil as they may have to come to Delhi anytime,” he told re-porters here. He alleged that the Centre formu-lated the new farm laws without the consent of the farmers and de-

manded the govern-ment to take back the laws.

“You formulate laws without asking us, and then ask us to point out the shortcomings. When the entire laws are black then they should be taken back. They (Centre) want to lock grains inside a locker, want to do busi-ness on hunger in the country, then that will not happen,” the farm-er leader said.

“It is necessary to hold mahapanchayats across the country. As of now, we have planned programs till March 24. We will travel across the country,” Tikait said. —ANI

Keep tractors ready as you may have to reach Delhi: Tikait

New Delhi: In a veiled attack at the Bharatiya Janata Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sun-day said no one is talk-ing about unemploy-ment and problems of people and asserted there is an attempt to divert attention from the real issues.

“Talk about the con-cerns of youth, jobs of the unemployed, about the interest of jawans. In democracy, no one is talking about the prob-lems of people, farmers and unemployment. In-stead of this, talks are being held to divert at-tention from the real is-sues,” read a tweet by the RJD leader trans-lated from Hindi. Yadav has stepped up their criticism of the BJP-led Central government as Assembly polls in 4 States and Puducherry are around the corner.

No one is talking about unemployment: Tejashwi Yadav

Jammu (J&K): Amid the criticism of Con-gress by its own lead-ers, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minis-ter Farooq Abdullah on Sunday said Congress party “must set their house right” and asked them must to unite to fight the “divisive forc-es” of the country.

“It is a problem in their house and they have to set their own house right. I want the Congress to be strong and I want the Congress to unite and fight divi-sive forces of the coun-try. Congress must unite and become strong,” Abdullah said. “People look forward to Congress, in trying to sort things out in the country. They have been a party for nearly 150 years,” he added. —ANI

Congress must set their house right: Abdullah

New Delhi: A con-tempt petition has been moved in Delhi High Court for initiat-ing the contempt of proceedings against the Officers of Cen-tral/Delhi Govern-ment and Director of Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) for allegedly not willfully complying the court’s directions to tackle the shortage of doc-tors at IHBAS. The plea has been filed by lawyer and social ac-

tivist Amit Sahni al-leging that the order passed by Delhi High Court on September 2, 2020 asking to fill pending vacancies at IHBAS, is not being adhered by the con-cerned authorities. The petition will be heard by Justice Naj-mi Waziri on today.

Plea against IHBAS on pending vacancies

New Delhi: Police here has registered a case at Chanakyapuri police station against a 28-year-old Mumbai-based journalist and anchor with an English news channel for alleg-edly raping a 22-year-old woman on Tuesday.

Delhi Police has filed an FIR against the ac-cused under Section 376, 342, and 509 of the Indian Penal Code. In the complaint, the victim said she had known the accused for the past three years since her college days in Pune. —ANI

MTV anchor booked for rape in Delhi

New Delhi: PM Modi will inaugurate ‘Maritime India Summit 2021’ on March 2 through vid-eo conferencing.

According to the Prime Minister’s Of-fice (PMO), the Mari-time India Summit 2021 is being organ-ised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways on a virtual platform from March 2 to March 4. The summit will visualise a road-map for India’s Mari-time sector for next decade and will work to propel India to the forefront of the Glob-al Maritime Sector. Eminent speakers from several coun-tries are expected to attend the summit and explore the po-tential business op-

portunities and in-vestments in Indian Maritime domain.

PM Modi to inaugurate Maritime India Summit 2021 on March 2

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded residents of As-sam for forest conservation, water conservation and protection of nature.In his monthly ra-dio address ‘Mann Ki Baat’, PM Modi said a total of 112 species of birds were sighted in Kaziranga National Park, Assam. He also highlighted the role of Assam temples in protect-ing nature.

Vizhuppuram: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday apologised to people here for not speaking in Tamil which is one of the “oldest and sweetest” languages of India.“I am sad that I cannot talk to you in Tamil that is one of the oldest and sweetest languages of India, I seek your for-giveness,” said Shah while addressing a Rally in Villupuram.

PM MODI LAUDS ASSAM RESIDENTS

SAD THAT I CANNOT TALK IN TAMIL: SHAH IN TAMIL NADU

IN THE COURTYARD

New Delhi: A Special Leave Petition (SLP) was filed on Sunday, before the Supreme Court by an aggrieved parent of a newborn baby girl, who has been allegedly kid-napped and trafficked by a hospital based in West Bengal’s Banku-ra district.

Lawyer, Alakh Alok

Srivastava, had filed the SLP, before the Su-preme Court, for the aggrieved parents, who had moved the apex court challenging the Kolkata High Court order, which did not hear their plea for an independent probe as pleaded by them in the case. “We are ur-gently seeking a free,

fair and independent investigation of the child trafficking rack-

et,” the petition filed before the Supreme Court said.

The petitioners hus-band and wife -- said that their new-born baby girl was al-legedly taken away on February 24, last year, and trafficked from the Hospital of Dis-trict Bankura in West Bengal. “Unfortunate-

ly, so far, their child remains untraced till now,” Srivastava said. “The main prayer was for an independent in-vestigation, which was ignored by the Kolkata High Court. That is why the par-ents are now ap-proaching the Su-preme Court,” he said. —ANI

Mother knocks SC’s door to trace her lost newborn

New Delhi: Senior Judge of Delhi High Court, Justice Sid-dharth Mridul has been nominated as a member of the gov-erning council of Na-tional Law Universi-ty, Delhi by Chief Justice D N Patel. The Chief Justice, who is also Chancel-lor of National Law University, Delhi through a notifica-tion issued on Febru-ary 26, 2021, nominat-ed Justice Siddharth Mridul as Member,

Governing Council of National Law Uni-versity Delhi for a period up to June 29, 2023, with immediate effect.”

It is worthwhile to note that earlier Jus-tice Hima Kohli was a Member of NLU’s governing council and pursuant to her elevation as Chief Justice of Telangana High Court, Hy-derabad, Justice Mridul’s name has been nominated by the Chief Justice.

Mridul, new member of NLU’s council

Rakesh Tikait

Farooq Abdullah

Amit Shah

Tejashwi Yadav

Narendra Modi

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CHAIL VILLASC H A I L

Promoted by

Atmanirbhar Abhiyan...is prominent around the world. Many people have told me about the quality of literature and poetry written in Tamil,” he said. Modi began his 34-minute speech calling for wa-ter conservation and nature conservation citing examples from West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Uttara-khand where individu-als have taken initia-tives for them and in-spired others.

With the summer sea-son quickly approach-ing, PM Modi said it was

essential for all Indians to recognise their re-sponsibility towards water conservation. He also announced the Jal Shakti Ministry’s up-coming ‘Catch the Rain’ campaign aimed at rain water harvesting.

On the occasion of National Science Day, PM Modi also highlight-ed the importance of science in building a self reliant India. He dedicated the day to the work of esteemed scien-tist Dr CV Raman and his discovery of the ‘Ra-man Effect’. “ —Agencies

Companies ‘feel...She further said, “Covid

Vaccine Jab Capped At Rs 250 At Private Hospi-tals: Government - under-stand vaccine cos (sic) feel betrayed as price is too low to sustain.” Ma-zumdar-Shaw asked, “If WHO has agreed to $3 per dose, why beat them down to $2?”

The government’s capping of the vaccine price at private hospi-tals comes at a time when India is prepar-ing to vaccinate people aged above 60 years and those over 45 with co-morbidities from March 1. —PTI

Maha min...and the truth will come

out. So, I have tendered my resignation to CM,” said Rathod while speaking to reporters outside the CM’s offi-cial residence.

The Maharashtra BJP had been demand-ing Rathod’s resigna-tion from the state Cab-inet since he was linked to the Pooja Chavan sui-cide case. The saffron party has launched a state-wide agitation against Rathod over his alleged links to the woman’s death.

Maharashtra Con-gress leader Balasaheb Thorat, who is also a minister, had said: “The Maha Vikas Aghadi

government will not support any wrongdo-ing. If something is wrong, it is wrong, the government will take appropriate action in the matter.”

We’ve defeated...also said he counted on the people’s support to defeat the BJP. When a participant wanted to know if Gandhi felt it was possible to nudge the Modi government to implement his ‘good ideas’ rather than waiting to assume power which seemed ‘Utopian’, he said it could be done with the ‘powerful’ and ‘valua-

ble’ support of the peo-ple.

“Yes we are fighting a formidable enemy (Modi). We are fighting an enemy that is domi-nating the money in this country. We are fighting an enemy that is crushing its oppo-nents. But we have done this before. We have de-feated a much bigger enemy (British) than this new enemy that has come,” he said.

Recalling the coun-try’s independence movement, he said the Britishers were much more powerful than Modi would ever be.

“Who is Narendra

Modi in comparison to the British empire? nobody. People of this country sent the Brit-ish empire back and in the same way we will send Narendra Modi back to Nagpur (RSS headquarters in Maharashtra),” he said. Gandhi said this would be achieved without any hatred, anger or violence to-wards PM Modi or his party even if they may ‘abuse’ or unleash ‘vi-olence’ against them. Congress is an ally of the DMK in Tamil Nadu and BJP is a partner of the ruling AIADMK.

Centre’s three...Many people told me that they were deliber-ately shown wrong path as they didn’t know streets of Delhi. Those who hoisted flag were their (BJP) workers. Our farmers can be any-thing but anti-nationals.”Thousands of farmers are camping at Delhi’s border points at Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur since Novem-ber with a demand that the Centre should repeal the contentious farm laws enacted in Septem-ber last year and frame a new one guaranteeing the minimum support price (MSP) on crops.

FROM PG 1

New Delhi: The coun-try had recorded 18,855 new infections on Janu-ary 29. The number of deaths soared to 1,57,051 with 113 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. The active case-load further increased to 1,64,511. It constitutes 1.48 per cent of the total infections, it showed.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,07,75,169, which translates to a national COVID-19 recovery rate of 97.10 per cent. The case fatality rate stands at 1.42 per cent.

India’s COVID-19 tal-ly had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on Septem-ber 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28,

70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on Octo-ber 29, 90 lakh on No-vember 20 and sur-passed the one-crore mark on December 19.

According to the In-

dian Council of Medi-cal Research, 21,62,31,106 samples had been tested until Febru-ary 27 with 7,95,723 be-ing tested on Saturday.

The 113 new fatalities

include 51 from Maha-rashtra, 18 from Kerala & 11 from Punjab, among other parts of country. So far, 1,57,051 deaths have been re-ported in country in-

cluding 52,092 from Ma-harashtra, 12,493 from Tamil Nadu, 12,326 from Karnataka, 10,909 from Delhi, 10,266 from West Bengal, 8,725 from Uttar Pradesh. —PTI

SELF-ISOLATE AS NATION SEES RISING VIRUS CASESTally climbed to 1,10,96,731 on Sunday with 16,752 new infections, the highest in the last 30 days, according to Union health ministry data

People fl outing social distancing norms at the market, in Jalandhar on Sunday. —PHOTO BY ANI

Rahul Gandhi interacts with college professors at St. Xavier’s College in Tirunelveli on Sunday.

Police outside industrialist Mukesh Ambai’s residence Antilla.

Arunachal Pradesh became a corona-virus-free state on

Sunday with the three ac-tive cases recovering from the disease, a senior health official said.

The total caseload in the northeastern state remained at 16,836, while the number of recoveries stood at 16,780, State Surveil-lance Officer Lobsang Jampa said. No fresh COVID-19 case was re-ported in the past 24 hours, he said, A total of 56 people have so far died due to the conta-gion in the state. Arunachal Pradesh’s recovery rate and posi-tivity rate are at 99.66

per cent and zero per cent, respectively, the official said. Altogeth-er, 4,05,647 samples have been tested, in-cluding 312 on Satur-day, Jampa said. Mean-

while, State Immunisa-tion Officer (SIO) Di-mong Padung said 32,325 health and front-line workers have re-ceived vaccine shots in state thus far.—PTI

Arunachal is now Corona-free as active case count hits zero

Tirunelveli: In a re-newed attack on the Centre, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sun-day said that the Gov-ernment of India has turned noble profes-sions like farming, edu-cation and healthcare into financial commodi-ties. During an interac-tion titled ‘Educators Meet’ at Tirunelveli’s St Xavier College, Gandhi said, “I personally do not believe that educa-tion is a financial com-modity. I believe that education should be available to everyone.”

Gandhi, who is tour-ing Tamil Nadu for the second day as part of his campaign for the April 6 assembly polls, hit out at the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-led union gov-ernment and said, “It is duty of a nation to give

education and health-care to its people. What is happening here is that everything is being seen as a financial com-modity,” he remarked. “Agriculture is being seen as a financial com-modity, education is be-

ing seen as a financial commodity, healthcare is being seen as a finan-cial commodity. Basi-cally, if you have money, you can get anything. If you do not have money, you get nothing,” the Congress leader said.

Centre turned education, healthcare into financial commodities: RaGa

New Delhi: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said there is wave of change in West Bengal as he coined a new slogan ‘2 May Didi-Gayi, BJP Aayi’.

He also attacked the Trinamool Congress, saying that “after the

communist and Con-gress, now TMC has ru-nied the state”. “There is the wave of change in West Bengal. Trina-mool Congress (TMC) did not let farmers and the poor benefit from the Centre’s policies. There is violence and corruption in the State.

First, it was the commu-nist and then Congress, who ruined Bengal and now TMC,” Mr Chou-han said. Mr Chouhan also offered prayers at Kalighat Temple in Kol-kata during his visit. “This is a holy land where great men Sri Ramakrishna Parama-

hamsa, Swami Vive-kananda were born here,” he said.

“Here is so much vio-lence in state, & till now 130 BJP workers have sacrificed their lives which will not go in vain. Actual mean of TMC is ‘todo, maro aur kato,” he added. —ANI

Didi gayi, BJP aayi: Chouhan slams TMC in Bengal

New Delhi: Prime Min-ister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated the Indian Space Re-search Organisation on the success of the first dedicated commercial launch of PSLV-C51/Amazonia-1 Mission, saying it ushers in a new era of space re-forms in the country.

The Prime Minister also congratulated Bra-zilian president Jair Bolsonaro on the suc-cessful launch of Bra-zil’s Amazonia-1 satel-lite by PSLV-C51, and said “this is a historic moment in space coop-eration” between the two countries.He said 18 co-passengers included

four small satellites that showcase dynamism and innovation of our youth. India’s Polar rocket on Sunday suc-cessfully launched Am-

azonia-1 of Brazil and 18 other satellites from the spaceport in Andhra Pradesh’’s Sriharikota, in the first mission of the year for ISRO.

New era of space reforms: PM congratulates ISRO President

Chennai: The Income Tax Department has detected undisclosed income of about `220 crore after it raided a leading tiles and sani-taryware manufactur-er based in Chennai, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said. The action was carried out on Febru-ary 26 and a total of 20 premises in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Kol-kata were searched and surveyed, it said.

The CBDT said in a statement that `8.30 crore cash was seized during the raids on the group engaged in the business of manufac-ture and sale of tiles

and sanitaryware. The group is the “leader” in tiles business in south India. “In the course of search, unaccounted sale and purchase of tiles were detected. De-tails of unaccounted transactions were un-earthed in the secret of-fice and the software maintained in the cloud,” it claimed.

“Considering the pre-vious turnover, the sup-pression of income may be in the range of ` 120 crore. This is in addi-tion to ` 100 crore of undisclosed income in-troduced by the group as share premium through shell compa-nies,” it claimed. —PTI

`220 cr in black money detected after raids

New Delhi: An organ-isation named Jaish-ul-Hind has claimed the responsibility of placing an explosives-laden SUV near indus-trialist Mukesh Am-bani’s house in south

Mumbai, police said on Sunday.

A senior police offi-cial said that all possi-ble angles were being investigated in this connection.

The outfit claimed

the responsibility by posting a message on social messaging app Telegram, which went viral on social media and came to the notice of Mumbai police, the official said. —PTI

Jaish claims responsibility for placing explosives near Antilla

MALLS SHUTDOWN

New Delhi: Delhi will begin the third phase of Covid-19 vaccination from tomorrow for those who are above 60 years and people between 45-59 years with co-morbidities, the Delhi Health Department said. More than 3.6 lakh benefi ciar-ies have received the vaccine till Friday in Delhi since the start of the inoculation drive a month ago, with over 18,900 people receiving jabs on Thursday. Meanwhile, India is all set to begin the second phase of Covid-19 vaccination drive that will cover 10 crore people across the country from Monday. —Agencies

DELHI TO START THIRD PHASE OF COVID-19 VACCINATION FROM TODAY

Narendra Modi@narendramodi

Congratulations to NSIL (NewSpace India Limited) and @isro on the success of the 1st dedicated commercial launch of PSLV-C51/Amazonia-1 Mission. This ushers in a new era of space reforms

in the country.

“DISPARITY” IN WEALTH DISTRIBUTION STRONGER IN BJP RULE: RAHUL GANDHI

Shivraj Singh Chouhan

— PHOTO BY ANI

TALKING POINTJAIPUR | MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

07www.fi rstindia.co.in I www.fi rstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefi rstindia I facebook.com/thefi rstindia I instagram.com/thefi rstindia

UNSETTLING BUT PLAUSIBLE VISIONThis vision of a fragmented and decidedly less liberal international order is highly speculative, but also dispiritingly plausible.

All nation states, especially rising powers, desire a favourable global environment in which they can acquire power, prosperity and prestige. The postwar system greatly aided China, and it would be incorrect to claim Beijing wants to dismantle it entirely.

Similarly, it would be disingenuous to overlook the many instances where the US and other liberal democracies have behaved inconsistently

But the Chinese Communist Party, which leads an authoritarian state, sees the liberal values embedded in the present order as a threat to its rule. Unlike the US, which at times ignores or violates these principles, China needs many of them to be suppressed, even eliminated.

As China seeks to remake the international order, the challenge is to understand where and how Beijing’s efforts will undercut its liberal character, and to identify where it is possible to resist.

HOW CHINA IS CHANGING THE WORLDRather than upend the existing international system, Beijing’s approach today is to co-opt, ig-nore and selectively exploit insti-tutions.

Xi has said: reforming and improving

the current international sys-tem do not mean completely replacing it, but rather advanc-ing it in a direction that is more just and reasonable.

In late 2019, for instance, the World Trade Organisation’s ap-pellate body ceased to function after the US – complaining about the organisation’s soft stance on China – blocked the appointment of replacement judges.

In many ways, the WTO’s struc-ture is the epitome of a liberal rules-based system: countries re-linquish some sovereignty and are bound by judicial decisions in the interests of resolving trade disputes.

In response, China joined with the European Union, Australia and other governments to set up a parallel stop-gap legal mecha-nism.

This was a reflection of the CCP’s nuanced relationship with the liberal international order. China needs a stable trading sys-tem and will agree to binding rules to preserve it. The odd trade dis-pute does not substantially threat-en China’s ideological security.

In the future, Beijing should be expected to exert its influence on

the current order. The challenge for states is to identify when Bei-jing’s behaviour exceeds influ-ence and begins to erode the sys-tem’s liberal foundations.

China is already skilfully ma-noeuvring within international institutions to guide their opera-tions, press for reforms and pro-mote the China model.

Chinese nationals run four of the 15 United Nations specialised agencies, including the Food and Agricultural Organisation and

the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

Ironically, the democratic na-ture of international institutions benefits Beijing. Chinese repre-sentatives in a variety of forums, such as the World Health Assem-bly and committees of the UN General Assembly, muster coali-tions of the Global South to en-sure favourable votes on issues such as Taiwan’s (non)participa-tion or to counter criticism of its repressive policies in Xinjiang.

China also elevates its govern-

ment-organised NGOs, present-ing an image of independence while drowning out the voices of independent civil society.

The China Society for Human Rights Studies, for example, has official consultative status at the United Nations as an NGO, but is co-located with Chinese govern-ment offices and staffed by Chi-nese government officials. It has vigorously prosecuted China’s human rights agenda.

The use of deft diplomacy and inducements to generate voting blocs is unsurprising. But China also seeks to change the system, diluting the liberal elements that threaten the China model and thus the CCP’s rule.

For instance, China has al-ready succeeded in weakening the liberal character of interna-tional human rights. In 2017, it proposed its first-ever resolution to the UN Human Rights Council, headed: “The contribution of de-velopment to the enjoyment of all human rights”.

It prioritised economic devel-opment above civil and political rights, and put the primacy of the state above the rights of the indi-vidual. Despite objections and nay votes from Western mem-bers, the resolution passed. The subsequent report by the coun-cil’s advisory committee, a body of 18 experts supposed to main-tain independence, referred mainly to Chinese party-state documents.

Chinese diplomats also block human rights resolutions at the UN Security Council, such as a February 2020 resolution on the plight of Myanmar’s ethnic Roh-ingya.

While the US has arguably been similarly obstructive on resolutions about Palestine, it is for the narrow purpose of pro-tecting an ally, rather than the broader project of weakening the rights themselves.

China has even been able to marshal the international sys-tem to defend and commend its

behaviour in Xinjiang and Hong Kong.

In 2020, at the 44th session of the UN Human Rights Council, a joint statement signed by 27 countries, including Australia, expressed concern at arbitrary detention, widespread surveil-lance and restrictions in Xinji-ang and the national security legislation in Hong Kong.

A competing statement sup-porting the Hong Kong legisla-tion received support from 53 states, only three of which are considered “free” by the non-governmental organisation Free-dom House.

By working within the system to rally a voting bloc, Beijing was able to compromise the world’s peak human rights body. Tactics that have been successful in wa-tering down human rights are now being employed in areas where norms are still being estab-lished, such as internet govern-ance.

PREPARING FOR THE NEW WORLD DISORDERThe history of liberal internationalism is replete with contradictions. Some say that in recent decades it is Washington, not Beijing, that has damaged the order most.

So can China really do more damage to an order already on life support? Liberalism is not just facing an external challenge, but one from within.

The answer requires optimism about liberalism’s capacity to self-correct across the arc of history, and scepticism that illiberalism can do likewise. As much as Donald Trump belittled, criticised and attacked America’s institutions, he also created the conditions for a course correction – Joe Biden’s victory.

The CCP is a well-resourced and well-organised political force. It has the potential to be far more effective than any iconoclastic but capricious populist in permanently weakening the liberal foundations of the global order. Much of China’s influence abroad is unavoidable. A rising power with the economic and military strength that China wields is unlikely to be deterred.

On this logic, optimism has no place. But it would also be mistaken to adopt a fatalistic approach. Instead, Australia and its partners must focus their efforts on those elements of the liberal order most worth preserving and most under threat.

The centenary of the people’s republic is still 28 years away.

SOURCE: THECONVERSATION.COMChinese state media lauded Xi Jinping as a ‘champion of the UN ethos’ ahead of the UN General Assembly last year. —ANDY WONG/AP

Qu Dongyu, the new director-general of the Food and Agricultural Organisation. —RICCARDO ANTIMIANI/AP

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during a UN Security Council briefi ng in 2018. —EVAN VUCCI/AP

NATASHA KASSAM

Fellow, ANU National Security College’s Futures Council, Australian National University

DARREN LIM

Senior politics lecturer, Australian National University

It is the year 2049. China is celebrat-ing having

reached its second centenary goal – to become a “prosper-ous, powerful, demo-cratic, civilised and harmonious socialist modernised country” by the 100th anniver-sary of the people’s republic.

Its economy is three times the size of the United States’, as the International Monetary Fund pre-dicted back in the 2010s. The US re-mains wealthy and powerful – it has functioning alliances in Europe – but its pacts with Asian al-lies have fallen into disrepair.

For decades, Hong Kong has been accept-ed as just another province of China. Few dare to criticise the ongoing human rights abuses there, or in Xinjiang and elsewhere, because of the extraterritorial application of Chi-na’s national security laws. Taiwan, if not annexed, is isolated, with no diplomatic partners.

The legacy of Xi Jinping, who led Chi-na for more than 30 years, monopolises ideological discourse in China. His succes-sors rule under his shadow.

Outside China, many of the third-wave democracies that transitioned in the second half of the 20th century have be-come far less liberal. Elections are held, but increasingly au-thoritarian govern-ments have adopted many of Beijing’s technological and le-gal tools to manage markets and control politics. The internet is heavily censored.

Mistrust permeates every aspect of Chi-na’s relations with the West. Internation-al co-operation on cli-mate change and the strong carbon-reduc-tion commitments of the early 2020s have long been abandoned. The focus is on indi-vidual adaptation.

HOW CHINA IS REMAKINGTHE WORLD IN ITS VISION

There is something so hopeful about a beginning howsoever small it might be …a new day… a

new month- Happy March to all!

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

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POSTAL REG NO. JPC/010/2019-21

Kavita Chauhan

Jaipur: A popular face in his community, and even more popular po-litical personality, one of the most appreciat-ed youth icon, a minis-ter and above all, an out and out sportsper-son, Ashok Chandna has donned many hats over the years, but per-haps none in the most charismatic manner as he is doing now, both on and off the field! Appointed as Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs,

Chandna has not only been carrying CM Ashok Gehlot’s vision regarding sporting and youth in Ra-jasthan, he has been leading from the front, quite literally, in the sporting arena.

An avid polo player, Chandna was intro-duced to the sport nearly a decade back, after he was not select-ed to represent Ra-jasthan in Cricket; and since then, Polo & po-nies are attributed as his synonyms. Those who have seen Chand-

na batting, term him to be a nightmare for bowlers as he thrashes them out of the park.

While he is an aggres-sive politician and even more competitive dur-ing the ‘chukkars’, it is Chandna’s large heart-ed approach to every-thing in his life, that makes him a charismat-ic icon for the youth hoping to make inroads in the political world. What could be said about his political rele-vance than the fact that during the 2014 general elections, he was asked by the party to contest from Bhilwara parlia-mentary constituency, even though he had won

assembly elections from Hindoli six months back.

Starting as a -2 handicap, Chandna es-tablished his team - Chandna Polo - and after series of wins over the years, the team now has a slew of international players and best of ponies in its string.

Having a unique ability to understand sports, has not only made the minister a better sportsman, but his will to work more for upliftment of sports has not gone unno-ticed. It was he who thought of the state games and proposed to

bring out policies to give government job to national sportsmen from Rajasthan. He was an instrumental face in ending the Gur-jar agitation as he was engaged in talks with the leaders, and there-in, lies the potential of Chandna becoming a major face for the Con-gress in future.

The 37 year old keeps himself fit for the exhausting politi-cal and sporting life, but then again, his horses are what keep him going as he dedi-cates one and a half hour everyday to train the horses and hone his polo skills further.

ASHOK CHANDNA: CM GEHLOT’S POLO STAR

Amicable Pilot tries to build bridges with CM Gehlot!

New Delhi: The old philosophy of having borders and divisions doesn’t work anymore and the people in India and Pakistan want to live in peace, Nobel lau-reate Malala Yousafzai said on Sunday, stress-ing that it is her dream to see the two countries become “good friends”.

She also said that mi-norities need protec-tion in every country, be it Pakistan or India, adding that the issue is not related to religion but to the “exploitation of power” and must be taken seriously.

She was speaking on her book “I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Edu-

cation and was Shot by the Taliban” on the con-cluding day of the Jaipur Literature Festi-val (JLF) which is being held in the virtual mode.

Yousafzai, a Paki-stani activist for girls education who miracu-lously survived a bullet to the head from the militant Taliban in Oc-

tober 2012, said “It is my dream to see India & Pakistan become true good friends & that we can visit each other’s countries. You can con-tinue to watch Paki-stani dramas, we can continue to watch Bol-lywood movies & enjoy cricket matches,” the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner said.—PTI

It’s really great that the sports minister himself

is associat-ed with the sport of polo. He takes time out to pro-

mote Polo. He has in-cluded polo as a sport, where players can get through sports quota. Such steps taken by a minister is an inspira-tion for the youth and also keeps up the spirit of the game. —Narendra Singh

He is the one who proposed to provide govt jobs to sportsmen

FROM PAGE 1

During the conver-sation, Maken in-

formed Pilot why the PSO had to be asked to not tag along to which Pilot immediately said, “When I am in the plane, where is the need for Gehlot Sahab to get a PSO along?”

Hearing Pilot’s re-mark, Gehlot smiled. Interestingly, while at the Sanganer Airport as well, a similar talk occurred and Pilot reit-erated that as long as he is there, Gehlot does not need security to which the Chief Minis-ter smiled while others present there appreci-

ated Pilot’s gesture to-wards the chief minis-ter. Reciprocating to Pilot’s faith in Gehlot, the chief minister, in yet another show of his large heartedness, called Pilot when Con-gress leaders from Vallabhnagar, Sahada and Rajsamand seats reached Dabok airport

of Udaipur to meet Ge-hlot. And in this man-ner, the chief minister, with Pilot to his side, spoke to those looking to secure the party’s ticket for bypolls. A senior Congress leader remarked on seeing this, “finally, the ice is breaking away.”

But this was not all.

Pilot had booked him-self to fly to Delhi from Udaipur, however, when Gehlot learnt about the same, he made Pilot cancel his ticket and took him along in the charter flight to New Delhi.

And as if letting the world know that the two factions were now

one Maken clicked a pic of the four men in helicopter at Sanganer airport and tweeted the same thus successfully completing the mam-moth task of bringing the political stalwarts back to the warmth of camaraderie, leaving behind the brutal days of factionalism.

CM Ashok Gehlot, Ajay Maken, Govind S Dotasra & Sachin Pilot on board a chopper while on way to Kisan Mahapanchayat on Saturday.

Shrinking coriander farming area in Kota, worrisome: Birla

Bidding for 7,665 composite shops to be done in 5 phases

First India Bureau

Kota: Lok Sabha Speak-er Om Birla on Sunday expressed concern over the diminishing area of coriander cultivation in Kota, the largest pro-ducer of the herbal spice in the country, and urged farmers, traders and exporters to come together to in-crease its farming.

Birla, who repre-sents Kota-Bundi con-stituency in Lok Sabha, was speaking at the 4th National Coriander Seminar, organised by All India Traders and Food Product Agents Association in Kota.

“We are a leading pro-ducer and exporter of spices and Ramganj-mandi in Kota district is the highest producer

of coriander, known for its distinctive fra-grance,” Birla said. The shrinking area of the crop in the district

over the years, howev-er, is a matter of con-cern, he added and urged farmers, traders and exporters to chalk out a joint strategy to enhance its production to make India a key ex-porter of the spice.

Birla also called upon agriculture universi-ties & scientists to joint-ly organise seminars for agriculture students and entrust them with the task of training lo-cal farmers and help them apply innovative farming techniques in their fields. He urged youths not to migrate to cities & help farmers in villages. —PTI

First India Bureau

Jaipur: In order to fa-cilitate applicants, the Rajasthan state govern-ment has introduced quite a few relaxations in the Excise and tem-perance policy for the year 2021-22, for which the order was issued by Finance secretary (rev-enue) T Ravikant on Sunday.

As a measure to boost businesses, the advance annual guarantee has been reduced from 8% to 5% while the security deposit has now been reduced from the earli-er 4% to 2% which means that the licensee will now have to deposit only 7% amount in place of the 12% earli-er. Another point which has given a huge relaxa-tion in the initial depos-its is the government’s decision to take com-posite fees in two instal-ments wherein 50% will be deposited by March31 and the next 50% by June 30, 2021. Licensees

will now be allowed to fulfil the portion of higher bid amount by IMFL or country liquor of their choice, they have also the option to fulfil by cash of portion above the minimum re-serve price. Imported liquor (BIO) i.e. ‘bot-tled in origin’ will also now be part of the guarantee system, said Excise Commissioner

Dr Jogaram. For 7,665 composite

shops of Rajasthan, bid-ding will be done in 5 phases from March 3, 2021 to March 10, 2021. Bidding will be done by MSTC & applicants can apply till 11:59 PM of the day before bidding dates. The department has put up the detailed information for the ap-plicants on its website.

LS Speaker Om Birla tries to put the ball in the goalpost during the fi nal match of the state-level hockey competition held at the Sri Ram Rayons ground in Kota on Sunday.

Malala Yousafzai speaks at a virtual JLF on Sunday.

SEEKING BLESSINGS...

Former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje offers prayers at the renowned Govind Dev Ji temple in Jaipur on Sunday. She also visited the Kale Hanuman Ji temple situated at Chandi Ki Taksal and sought the Almighty’s blessings. —PHOTO BY SANTOSH SHARMA

JAIPUR LITERATURE FESTIVAL

‘My dream is to see India and Pak become true good friends’

Man creates fake FB profile of CM’s OSD to dupe his friends

Jaipur: An unidentified man created a fake Face-book profile in the name of Rajasthan Chief Min-ister Ashok Gehlot’s of-ficer on special duty (OSD) and demanded money from his friends, police said on Sunday.

The accused created the fake account using the name and photo-graph of Lokesh Shar-ma, the OSD to the chief

minister, and sent friend requests to his contacts, police said. He then re-quested them to transfer money saying he was stuck in an emergency, they added. The matter came to light when some of Sharma’s friends in-formed him about the profile and messages fol-lowing which an FIR was registered, police said. —PTI

Gehlotsays

ASHOK GEHLOT@ashokgehlot51

As we celebrate #Na-tionalScienceDay today to commemorate the discovery of Raman Effect by renowned scientist, Nobel laureate #SirCVRaman, let’s sa-lute the achievements of our scientists, encour-age scientifi c temper in the younger generation & promote research in fi eld of science.

Humble tributes to fi rst President of India, Bharat Ratna Dr Rajen-dra Prasad on his death anniversary. His contri-bution as a prominent leader of Independence movement, in drafting Constitution & in nation building shall always remain an inspiration.

Ashok Chandna

SHOW CAUSE NOTICE TO EXCISE STAFF

emember when Tony Stark defeated the Iron Monger in Iron Man all the way through to his sacrifice to stop the mad titan Thanos once and for all, the villains he faced, the relationships

he formed, the flashy tech he con-structed, and the character develop-ment of Stark himself ? We know most of you would. There’s nothing wrong with loving superhero films, in fact, there’s a lot that’s right about it. Superhero movies have been connecting with audiences for decades.

Speaking about superheroes, there’s no denying that Marvel films are larger than life. They’re implausible, impossible and fantas-tical. The Marvel Cinematic Uni-verse or MCU for short is the shared place where all 22 films featuring the comic book characters are set. Each film tells its own distinct sto-ry but also connects with other films in the MCU, to tell an over-arching tale. It’s a technique Mar-vel Comics pioneer Stan Lee also used in his comics.

From Christopher Reeve’s Super-man, Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, Spider-Man 1, 2 and 3, and now the MCU, superheroes have drawn people to the theatre regard-less of age, social status, or, for all intents and purposes, “nerd sta-tus.” The characters of MCU such

as Spider-man, Iron man, Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Black Panther, Groot, Ant man and even Thanos are loved by the

audience. Whether they are casual fans or regulars at comic conventions around

the world, these films keep at-tracting massive audiences to

the theatres, and it isn’t for no rea-son. Marvel has given certain hu-manity and empathy to these super-human characters, making them more than the hypo-machoism they’re accused of being. Not only are their heroes multifaceted, but their villains are as well. Pure luck can be ruled out at this point be-cause Marvel and the superheroes are just good at what it does.

JAIPUR, MONDAY MARCH 1, 2021

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KARISHMA GWALANIkarishma.gwalani@firstindia.co.in

Designe by Shailesh Tinker

R

I LOVE YOU 3000...

City First cheers to the larger than life fandom of Marvel Cinematic Universe,

grown over the years to tell its Infinity-saga!

10ETC

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FACE

OF TH

E DAY

KIRTI AGARWAL, Foodpreneur

LEOJULY 24 - AUGUST 23

Joining health conscious people in daily workouts is likely to keep you fi t and energetic. Someone on the

home front can irritate you and spoil your mood. You may become instrumental in getting a property issue settled amicably. Marriage may be on the minds of the eligible.

LIBRA SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

Changes happening on the professional front can have you worried, but will turn out favourable. More

interest is required on the health front. Family life will cruise along smoothly as you resolve to remain positive under all circumstances. You will enjoy your day with your lover.

ARIESMAR 21 - APR 20

You can become concerned about a recent heavy expenditure incurred on something that you just

couldn’t help. lYou may take up some activity or sport just to keep trim and slim. Good news may greet you on the family front as a suitable match is found for the eligible.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 23 - DEC 22

Family will prove to be a pillar of support for those facing something important. You may feel fi nancially

secure, but take a reality check before arriving at any conclusion. Only a little effort will be able to resolve the problems faced by students on the academic front.

GEMINIMAY 21 - JUNE 21

Financially you may need to be more secure than you are now. There is a need to come up with something

original, if you are in a creative fi eld. You will be motivated to get back into shape and may even join a gym. Some adjustment problems among the newlyweds need to be handled.

AQUARIUSJAN 21 - FEB 19

It is best to take the opinion of others before you put in your money. A household remedy may come in handy

for those suffering from body aches and pains. Something that you wanted to get done on the home front is likely to be initiated. Prayers of those looking for love are likely to be answered.

TAURUSAPR 21 - MAY 20

You may spend on something not previously catered for. You can struggle to keep pace on

the work front. Condition of those ailing is set to improve by leaps and bounds and get them fi rmly on the road to good health. Romantic journey will be smooth and joyful.

CAPRICORNDEC 23 - JAN 20

A lot of activity is foreseen on the work front and you will be right in the midst of it. Some issues that seem

unlikely to get resolved on the family front will begin to move towards a solution. Good options will be found by those searching for property that fi ts their pocket.

VIRGOAUG 24 - SEP 23

Window shopping is all that you can do in order to conserve money. You are likely to swim with the tide

on the professional or academic front. Indulging in excesses may prove bad for health. Issue regarding an ancestral property is likely to be settled amicably.

CANCERJUNE 22 - JULY 23

Something included in your diet is likely to have a positive effect on your overall health. A glib talker

may try to confuse you so be aware. Disturbances at home will need to be curtailed to retain a peaceful environment. You will get the motivation to push yourself further.

PISCESFEB20 - MARCH 20

Keeping a close tab on spending will leave you with much to splurge later. You may take some time in

bouncing back on the work front. No problems are foreseen on health and fi nancial fronts. You manage to play your cards well and avoid getting involved in a contentious issue.

SCORPIOOCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

You will manage to pick up the threads from where you left on the professional front. Much happiness is

foreseen on the home front. A trip with friends will not only be exciting, but refreshing too. This is a good time to fi nalise property as stars are poised favourably.

YOUR DAY

Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

es, that is right. It has been a wonder-ful year of learn-ing, sharing, and gaining. Quite un-usual you might say for a pandemic

hit a year, but this is what life is all about. Preparing your life for the unexpect-ed, embracing the unex-pected, and making the most out of it.

No Bollywood love story led me to Jaipur from Pune. It was simply my fondness for change. I hate stagna-tion. Can’t tolerate it. So here I am, in Jaipur, serv-ing animals and following what I have realized is my passion!

It all started with me loading my babies Tipsy and Basbousa on an Air In-dia cargo plane from Mum-bai. Little did we know then that a short trip would be-come a year-long love affair with the land of the Rajputs. I have always fancied the royal lifestyle and imagined myself living in a haveli.

While everybody else hat-ed the lockdown, I made the most of it. Befriending, feeding, playing, and learn-ing about dogs. Before then I was simply a cat lady. I loved dogs but didn’t live with them. But the pandem-ic came as a blessing. Every-thing fell into place, as though written beautifully for me. Parts of it were pain-ful, no doubt, but the year presented something new to me- it was the year that I also became a dog person! Let’s not tell this to my cats. They won’t be happy that they have to share with me.

Minnie and her 4 pups Pluto, Daisy, Veronica, and Betty, their friends Goofy, Scooby, and Meshki became my world during the nation-wide lockdown. Later Tar-zan and New Boy joined the clan! They were a handful. Each of them taught me so much about dogs. I became their protector and they mine. Life was bliss. Who now has been complaining about the lockdown being unbearable? Not me!

While there were happy memories so much of the year has been spent in re-porting cruelty against animals, fighting court cases, and attempts at sav-

ing animals who have been either run over by speed-ing vehicles or suffered from parvo and distemper. Daisy, my favorite of the Minnie pups too fought a long battle against distem-per and eventually suc-cumbed. It was a painful loss for me. This is when I realized that there was a reason I was chosen to be in Jaipur.

Working for animals is not a job for me, but a pas-sion. There is something about the air of Jaipur. Every activist here inspires me to do more for these animals. In Pune, I was simply earning a fat salary. In Jaipur, I am living! My earning are a quarter of what I would make in Pune, but somehow it lasts longer and I never run out. It is amazing how the universe conspires.

This brings me to the point I want to make. Fol-

low the universe. Let it sur-prise you. Do more for ani-mals and nature and watch how much more abundant your life gets. No exaggera-tion here, when animals bless you, you are truly blessed. Animals are not voiceless, they just need to be understood.

You cannot be a true be-liever if you do not love all of God’s creations. You can-not be a good person if you cause harm to nature. You are not worthy of God’s love unless you share this love with others. You are not the only heir to this earth. Live and let live. Love and let love!

If this year has taught me anything it would be to lose myself in the world of these innocent and lovely ani-mals. Nature needs to find a way to rid the earth of hate-ful people, and give birth to more compassion. Possible? Possibly! You tell me.

MARIAM ABUHAIDERIthepersianladki@gmail.com

Y

ONE YEAR JAIPURof

ETCwww.fi rstindia.co.in I www.fi rstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefi rstindia I facebook.com/thefi rstindia I instagram.com/thefi rstindia JAIPUR | MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

11

CITY FIRST

he grand fi-nale of the Jaipur Win-ter Polo Season had an apt end-ing with the

final match of the Rajmata Gayatri Devi Memorial Cup on Sunday. Sunjay Kapur’s Sona Polo won the tournament after a thrilling game with Chandna Los Polistas.

The match was fol-lowed by scrump-tious high tea hosted by the Rambagh Pal-ace Hotel. The Who’s Who of the Pink City could be seen at the elegant affair enjoy-ing the gourmet spread and admiring the vintage polo memorabilia artful-ly displayed at the event. The High teas of Polo are as await-ed as the match it-self and the elite crowd enjoys catch-ing in the warm win-ter sun among the hallowed grounds of the polo club. The ex-citement of polo spills over to the Polo get-togethers also.

cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

The Thrilling FinaleT

Winners - Sona Polo and Runners Up - Chandna Los Polistas at the Award CeremonyAshok Rathore, GM Rambagh Palace giving the MVP Award to Juan Augustin Garcia Grossi

Sunjay Kapur and AshokChandna on the field

Vintage Polo Display

Tripti Pandey and Apra Kuchhal Vishal Mathur and Mohan Singh Tada

Jagdeesh Chandra with Ajai Singh, Vijit Singh and Narendra Singh Ashvini Sharma and Ravi Rathore

Ashok Rathore, Khalid Khan and Moncrief Aviet

Ram Rathore and Richa Rathore

Usha and Angelique Ishaan Jaiswal and Divya Shekhawat

Rajnish Pardal, Shreya Singh and Vedant SinghAditi Singh, Jagruti Shahar and Ruchi Durlabhji Digvijay Shekhawat, Dileep Shekhawat and Sunita Shekhawat

Vinod Sharma, Narendra Singh and Gaurav Chand Madhuvanthi Singh, Bhim Singh and Aditi Singh

Nick Pepper, Rajvi Shailender Singh, Manolo and Kuldeep Singh

Swarn Singh

Shailendra Singh Rathore, Bhawana, Neeta Dundloot,Rishi Dundloot, Narendra Singh and Sameer

Richa & Ram Rathore, Shailendra Singh Rathore and Ashok Rathore

—PHOTOS BY SUMAN SARKAR

HARISH SWAMI

Sri Madhopur : The Savitri Foundation Trust organised a cere-mony to felicitate, sup-port and honour widows on Sunday morning on the premises of Saras-wati Marriage garden. The Savitri Foundation Trust works to sup-port the underpriv-ileged and needy in the memory of Savitri Varma (his late wife) in-formed the founder of the Trust, Ram Varma, former Chief Secretary Haryana.

Tansukh Kumawat the chairperson of the Welcome Committee,

welcomed all the guests, he said that 31 widows

were given support and 31 talented people were hon-oured. P D Vyas, a

native of Srimad-hopur and leading busi-nessman of Indore was the Chief Guest for the event and appreciated the efforts of the Trust. Ram Varma presided over the function, Palika

Adhyaksh Harinarayan Mahant, Vandana Se-hgal, Upasana Varma and Jyotsana Varma were the special guests of honour.

Eminent dignitaries Dr Ajay Verma, Dhanan-jay Varma, BJP leader Kamal Jain, Sitaram Varma, Ramdeen Chu-let, Mahaveer Prasad Tyagi were present among others.

12JAIPUR | MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021www.fi rstindia.co.in I www.fi rstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefi rstindia I facebook.com/thefi rstindia I instagram.com/thefi rstindia

CITY BUZZ

Once you have tasted and expe-rienced all that the organic

products have to offer, there’s no going back; Because, who doesn’t like to indulge in all things wholesome and

good? To cater to those very demands, Clarks Amer Farmer’s Market was organised on Feb-ruary 28, Sunday, mark-ing its second anniver-sary in the Pink City.

The Farmers Market Jaipur is an open plat-form, organised by Upasana Bajaj Kumar to encourage farmers and young entrepre-neurs. The platform not only helps them to comprehend each oth-er’s work but also con-

nects like-minded peo-ple to understand the market trend.

“This is the second anniversary of the Farmers Market initia-

tive. The market aims to provide earth-friend-ly, chemical-free and

homemade products of various kinds. In the second edition, we or-ganised several activi-ties such as mass paint-ing, live music, play

area, cupcake making competition along with live food counters to make the evening mem-orable,” the organiser shared.

The event also wit-nessed Shireeen, a young entrepreneur of a renowned bakery startup ‘Better Call Shireen’ with her freshly baked cookies, biscuits and much more treat-to-tastebuds food.

Good food, amazing weather and soothing music; such was the evening beheld by Jaipurites at the Farm-ers market, Clarks Amer, Jaipur.

ADOPT, DON’T SHOP!

The wedding of Gen Sec, Congress Randeep Surjewala and Gayatri Surjewala’s son Arjun to Vatsala, daughter of Surya Prakash and Aditi Khatri was solemnised in a beautiful ceremony on Sunday at Hotel Imperial, New Delhi. The wedding was attended by leading Congress leaders across India. CM Ashok Gehlot also reached to bless the newly weds.

BLESSED DAY!

KARISHMA GWALANIKarishma.gwalani@firstindia.co.in

—PHOTOS BY SANTOSH SHARM

A

Neeraj Kanwar and Pratap Singh Khachariyawas celebrated their wedding anniversary on Sunday, with their family and friends, deepening the bond which they share with their special day spent together. We wish them all the best!

CM Ashok Gehlot with former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Randeep Surjewala, Rajdeep Choudhary, Gayatri Surjewala, the newly weds Arjun & Vatsala, Mamta Choudhary, Sandeep Choudhary, Surya Prakash and Aditi Khatri Avinash Pandey with Randeep and Gayatri Surjewala

CM Ashok Gehlot with Sandeep Choudhary, Ashwani Kumar, Govind S Dotasra, Randeep and Gayatri Surjewala and the beautiful couple Arjun and Vatsala

CM Gehlot with Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde Sandeeep Choudhary with the groom Arjun

The wedding reception of Niranjan and Sangeeta Arya’s son Swarit Ritika, daughter of Tulika and

Rajeev Pabuwal, was held at Birla Auditorium, Jaipur on Sunday. The who’s who of Rajasthan reached to congratulate the newlyweds and the proud parents.

THE SPECIAL DAY!

In loving memory of… An evening to remember...

Governor Kalraj Mishra with Niranjan Arya, Swarit, Ritika, Sangeeta and Nilay

Mr & Mrs Anand Srivastava and Mr & Mrs Ajay Pal Lamba withNiranjan Arya and family

Ravi Jain with Niranjan Arya and family

Mahendra Soni with Niranjan Arya and family

Ram Varma addressing the audience

Kuldeep Ranka with Niranjan Arya and family

Rajesh Yadav, Dheeraj Srivastava, Dr Prithvi, Alok Gupta, Hemant Gera and Dinesh Kumar bond and talk at the reception

BL Soni and Mrs. Soni with Niranjan Arya and family

Governor Kalraj Mishra appreciates the floral bouquetpresented by Jagdeesh Chandra and chooses a flower as Niranjan Arya looks on smilingly

Vandana and Upasana felicitating the awardee Jyotsana felicitating the awardee —PH

OTOS

BY

SANT

OSH

SHAR

MA

Shireen with her live food counter