RNI NO. DELENG/2008/25465Vol. 13 No. 223 12 pagesNew Delhi, Monday, 20 December, 2021

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Lucknow. RahulGandhi and PriyankaGandhi Vadra havereminded the people ofAmethi of their “familyassociation” with them.Addressing a rally in the

Harimau area of Amethi,the Uttar Pradesh districtthat had been a Congresspocket borough for thebetter part of 50 yearsbefore it turned to the BJPin 2019, Rahul said onSaturday: “Why am I here?I am here to tell you thatour relationship is basedon truth and it can neverbe broken.” “I became amember of Parliament forthe first time in 2004 withyour blessings…. Youtaught me politics. All Iwant to say to you is thatyou must differentiatebetween a truth and a lieand stand by the truth,” headded. Rahul, who lost tothe BJP’s Smriti Irani in

Amethi in the 2019 LokSabha elections, led a 6kmmarch from Jagdishpur toHarimau in Amethi,accompanied by sisterPriyanka, the Congressgeneral secretary in

charge of Uttar Pradesh.A 600-metre stretch of theroad was packed with peo-ple as Rahul and Priyankawalked in the procession,often interacting withthem. Uttar Pradesh isbound for polls early nextyear. The Congress hadlost all five Assembly seatsin Amethi in the 2017 elec-tions. “We don’t have anycomplaints against you.There are situations whenthe truth is buried. Weaccepted your message. Ifwe are standing heretoday, it is only becauseour relationship cannot besevered in any situation,”Priyanka told the Amethigathering.

PM Modi in poll-bound Goa today to flag off development works, attend Liberation Day festivities

Simmi Kaur BabbarNew Delhi. With assembly elections in Goa

around the corner, Prime MinisterNarendra Modi will visit the coastal state onSunday to attend Goa Liberation Day cele-brations and launch a slew of developmentprojects. PM Modi will felicitate freedomfighters and veterans of 'Operation Vijay' atthe Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadiumin Taleigao. Goa Liberation Day is celebrat-ed on December 19 every year to mark thesuccess of Operation Vijay, undertaken bythe Indian Armed Forces to free Goa fromPortuguese rule. He is also slated to inau-gurate multiple development projectsincluding the renovated Fort Aguada JailMuseum, the Gas-insulated Substation atDabolim-Navelim, and the Aviation SkillDevelopment Center at Mopa Airport. “Ilook forward to being in Goa tomorrow tojoin the Goa Liberation Day celebrations.Multiple development works will also be inau-gurated tomorrow which will positively trans-

form the lives of Goa’s wonderful people,” PMModi said in a tweet. Built at a cost of around Rs

8.5 crore, the Aviation Skill DevelopmentCenter at the upcoming Mopa Airport will pro-vide training in 16 different job profiles. The will

help youths qualify for job opportunities in theMopa Airport project as it becomes operational,

as well as at other airports in India andabroad. In a boost to the coastal state’shealthcare infrastructure, the prime minis-ter will inaugurate the New South GoaDistrict Hospital, and the super specialityblock at Goa Medical College, built at acost of Rs 380 crore under the PradhanMantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana scheme.He will lay the foundation stone for theIndia International University of LegalEducation and Research of Bar Council ofIndia Trust at Goa. At the Aguada Fort,which has been revamped as a heritagetourism destination, PM Modi will releasea Special Cover and Special Cancellation tomark the commemoration of IndianArmed Forces liberating Goa fromPortuguese rule. He will also launch 'MyStamp' depicting the 'Hutatma Smarak' at

Patradevi, which salutes the great sacrificesmade by those who made the supreme sacrificein the Goa liberation movement.

Yogi getting mytelephones tapped:

Akhilesh YadavLucknow, December

19, Samajwadi Party chiefAkhilesh Yadav on Sundayaccused Uttar PradeshChief Minister Adityanathof getting his telephonestapped and listening to his

talks every evening. Yadavmade the allegation whiledubbing Adityanath as themost “anupyogi’ (useless)chief minister and seekingto counter Prime MinisterNarendra Modi’s poll for-mula “UP+Yogi=Upyogi”,aimed at asserting the util-ity of the Adityanath gov-ernment for UP’s growth.A day after a string ofIncome Tax Department’sraids and searches at someSP leaders’ offices and res-

idences, Yadav alsoalleged that wary of itsimpending defeat in theupcoming assembly elec-tions, the BJP governmentwould be misusing variousenforcement agencies

more and more to per-secute SP leaders indays to come. “All ourtelephonic conversa-tions have been heard.This ‘anupyogi’ chiefminister himself lis-tens to the recordingsof some people everyevening,” Yadavalleged. He also askedreporters to “remainalert, if you are speak-ing to me”. The entire

country knows that when-ever the BJP is about tolose an election in anystate, the frequency of themisuse of various enforce-ment agencies by the BJPrises, alleged UP’s formerChief Minister Yadav. “TheBJP is following theCongress’ way. Like theCongress, it is rearing touse the central agencies toinstil fear (rival amongpolitical parties),” saidYadav.

Immediate action be taken againstencroachments across TamilNadu: Madras High Court

Chennai. The recent rains and the wayChennai city and many other parts of thestate got inundated threw light on one ofthe most pertinent issues--encroachmentof the water bodies. The Madras HighCourt has been hearing public interest lit-igation cases with regard to encroach-ment of various water bodies across thestate. The acting Chief Justice MunishwarNath Bhandari and Justice PDAudikesavalu though have deferred thejudgement for the case, have alreadyreceived the TN Chief Secretary'sdetailed report on the encroachments onwater bodies across the state.

Close to 10,556 acres of waterbodyland has encroached for residential pur-poses, 1,500 acres used by commercialestablishments, and 32,024 acres for culti-vation as per the rough data submitted bythe government. It is not just privateorganisations or industries or religiousinstitutions that have encroached waterbodies, even government buildings havebeen constructed on nearly 1,311 acres of

encroachments. Environmentalist ArunKrishnamoorthi said, "It is a true chal-lenge that there are encroachments, pub-lic-private, religious, institutional, indus-trial and all sorts of encroachmentsincluding dump yard in water bodiesacross the country. Tamil Nadu andChennai are no different from this and thefact that the Government of Tamil Nadu istaking such initiatives to actually identifyevery such encroachment. Also, a concen-trated effort to remove these over a peri-od of time in a structured manner is whatis actually required and the restoration ofthe water body post removal of encroach-ment is going to be crucial. Arun furtheradded, "How much of this enchantedremoval is economically possible intoday's context is a question to be askedbut we are taking the right steps as thesociety, the government and the collabo-ration is critically important. The revivalof the water body is important to ensurethere is no flooding or drought in thefuture."

Amethi: Gandhisplay 'home' card

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New Delhi, Monday, 20 December, 2021

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THE SIKH TIMES

RNI No. DELENG/2008/25465

THE SIKH TIMES3 STATENew Delhi, Monday, 20 December, 2021

Ghazipur. At Delhi's Ghazipur border,the scene on Wednesday morning was sim-ilar to a victorious army’s march from thebattlefield to the barracks. The temporaryaccommodations of 378 days were broughtdown, bags and boxes loaded onto trucks,and farewells exchanged. India Todaydecided to take the return trip with thefarmers to understand the sentiments onthe ground. Hope farm stir success willinspire people to fight for rights: Protesterwho spent 1 yr at Ghazipur Gajendra Singh,the Sehora Block leader of the BharatiyaKisan Union that spearheaded the Ghazipurborder protest, stood fondly next to a weath-er-beaten Ford tractor. He proudlydeclared, “This was the first tractor thatbrought a group of farmers from Bijnor tothe protest site here. And now, it is ready totake us back home after the government'sloss to the farmers on the 3 black farmlaws.” THE JOURNEY HOME Soon, 11men from his village, Jat Nangla, hadclimbed onto a trolley hitched to the tractor.Prem Singh, the driver of the tractor, firedup the engine and the old machine started

with a grunt and shudder. The tractorinched forward as farmers shouted slogansof “Jai jawan, jai kisan” and “Kisan ekta zind-abad”. Hundreds of Sikh protestors whohad been the backbone, managers, and fin-anciers of the year-long protest respondedwith “Jo bole so nihaal, Sat Sri Akaal”. A 20-year-old boy purposefully walked towardsthe tractor with a piece of paper. “Fill in thenames of those who are leaving the campwith addresses and contact details,” heordered. Everyone, including the few whocouldn’t write dictated their particulars andthen sat on the trolley floor covered withmattresses. Some of their belongings werestowed in one corner. Suddenly, a commo-tion announced the arrival of BKU leaderRakesh Tikait. Surrounded by supportersand byte-hungry news reporters, he wadedtowards the numero uno tractor. In his typi-cal unhurried tone, he told the driver,“Don’t drive fast on your way back home.Don’t cause inconvenience to anyone. Takethe lessons learnt here to your village andmake the people aware. And take a memen-to from here. Like a stick or a flag.” After

quick handshakeswith the ‘general’, thetroop commanderordered the tractor to

move. As it drove past the year-long settle-ments to pull up on NH-24, which hadremained clogged due to the protests, aloud cheer rose. Those leaving in the trac-tor shouted their farewells to those who willleave in the next few days. As the tractorrolled, the trolley shuddered. Its zero sus-

pension conveyed each bump to the occu-pants of the trolley who had brought out theblankets as the morning air had a bit of win-ter nip. The oldest of the lot, 75-year-oldGajram Singh, said, “January was awfullycold. We had erected a plastic sheet overthe trolley but it.

Protest over, but farmers' ire likely to reflect in polls

The Sikh Times(National Daily English Newspaper)

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NOTICE“It is to informed to the Public at large arehereby informed that my client Smt.Meena Devi W/o Sh. Raj Kumar R/o H.No. 40, 2nd Floor, Gali No. 6, Harijan Basti,Arya Nagar, Karkardooma, Delhi-10092;taken a Loan from India Shelter HomeFinance Corporation Limited, against theirproperty i.e. The Residential Plot Areameasuring 63 sq yds., i.e. 52.67 sq. mtrs.,Part of Khasra No. 923, Situated atChhaprola Pargan, Tehsil Dardi, Distt.Gautam Budhh Nagar, U.P.; Purchasing aProperty vide ATS dt. 06.12.2021 dulyAttested by Notary Public India. hereinafterreferred to as “ the said property “ submit-ted the Original Papers regarding thisproperty with India Shelter Home FinanceCorporation Limited; And Original PropertyPapers i.e. Original Sale Deed dated26.12.2006 executed by Sh. RakeshSharma in favour of Sh. Vinod kumar dulyregd. as Doc No. 17858., has been lostsomewhere by my client and is not trace-able, If any Person Found the same,Kindly return it at the address mentionedbelow, The Original Papers regarding thisproperty and Any person, who has got,rights, interest, title, claim, encumbrances,charges of any nature whatsoever inrespect of the above said Property or anypart thereof, can send their objections withtheir documentary evidence at belowaddress within 7 days from the date of pub-lication of this notice, failing which, it shallbe presumed that the said Property inentirely is free from all such claims, inter-est, charges, encumbrances etc.

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NAME CHANGEI, KARUNAKARAN NAIR B father ofNO-15492739X LD ANIL KUMAR KGR/O HOUSE NAME-KOL-LAMTHARATHA LAVEEDU, THEMPAMUTTOM, VPO- BALARAMAPURAM,TEH-NEYYATINKARA, DISTT-THIRU-VANANTHAPURAM, KERALA-695501,in my son’s service record my date ofbirth has been wrongly mentioned as01/07/1958 instead of my correct date ofbirth as 15/11/1956.

NAME CHANGEI, KAMALA BISHT mother of no -14839088H NK/MT AMIT BISHT.Residing at vill - Almora, post - Almora,teh - Almora, Dist - Almora, State -Uttarakhand, pin - 263601, havechanged may name from KAMALABISHT TO KAMLA BISHT vide affidavitdated 17 Dec 2021 notary public delhi.

NAME CHANGEI, N S BISHT father of no - 14839088HNK/MT AMIT BISHT. Residing at vill -Almora, post - Almora, teh - Almora, Dist -Almora, State - Uttarakhand, pin - 263601,have changed may name from N S Bishtto NARPAL SINGH BISHT vide affidavitdated 17 Dec 2021 notary public delhi.

‘Tremendous progress’: Big drop innumber of unvaccinated kids in 24 yrs

Pune. A new study published by The Lancet Global Healthexplores the association between zero-dose (unvaccinated) chil-dren and the socio-economic environment in which they live.According to this study, in 2016, around 2.9 million (29 lakh)unvaccinated children in India remained concentrated amongpoor households and among children born to mothers with noformal education. The research paper — titled, Progress in reach-ing unvaccinated (zero-dose) children in India, 1992-2016: a mul-tilevel, geo-spatial analysis of repeated cross-sectional surveys —analysed four rounds of national survey data to understand howsocial, economic and geographical inequalities in India shapedthe chances of children remaining unvaccinated between 1992and 2016. According to the study, India has made tremendousprogress in reaching children with routine immunisation, as zero-dose children in India declined threefold in this period, from 33per cent in 1992 to 10 per cent in 2016. A total of 3,93,167 childrenwere examined for eligibility and 72,848 children were includedin the final analytic data set. The study also found that comparedto vaccinated children, zero-dose children were more likely tosuffer from malnutrition in all survey rounds. The research alsofound that over a 24-year period in India, child zero-dose statuswas shaped by large-scale social inequalities and remained a con-sistent marker of generalised vulnerability. Commenting on theresearch, Dr Sunil Rajpal of FLAME University, Pune, who wasthe data analytics lead on the study, said, “This study is the firstto trace aggregate patterns in zero-dose children over time glob-ally and in India. Identifying zero-dose children and interveningearly to address the complex sources of disadvantage they facehas the potential to transform life opportunities and combat inter-generational inequities. It should be a top priority for the interna-tional community.” Prof S V Subramanian, Harvard University,who was also part of the study, said.

In Valley, police the prime target, Srinagar main stageSrinagar. THE MILITANCY in Kashmir is witnessing two key shifts in pattern: J&K Police

have emerged as the prime target and the main stage of attacks has shifted from SouthKashmir to Srinagar city over the past few months, senior officers told The Indian Express.Official data from 2021 show that for the first time in a year, the number of police personnelkilled by militants has outnumbered the collective toll of other security personnel who weretargeted in the Valley: 19 of the 27 killed. Of the 40 security personnel killed in J&K this year,20 are from the police. In 2019, of the 83 security personnel killed in J&K, 11 belonged to thepolice. And in 2020, there were 16 police personnel among 60 security forces killed by mili-tants in J&K. “There is a visible change in the militant strategy,” said a police officer. “Earlier,they (militants) would regularly warn police of dire consequences but refrained from target-ing police personnel owing to social pressures at the local level. But that is changing now.”Another senior officer attributed the growing attacks to a “lack of initiative” from the force.“The Army and CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) have taken a number of steps to pre-empt militant attacks and have successfully avoided them. The police, however, lack such ini-tiative and have become easy targets for militants,” the officer said. Referring to Monday’sattack on a police bus in Srinagar that killed three, the officer said: “It could have been avoid-ed if the police had taken all the usual precautions that other forces take. For instance, evenin the case of such an attack, the casualties could have beenminimised had the police personnel been travelling in a bullet-proof bus.” The other major worry for the security set-up is theshifting base of militancy in the Valley.

NAME CHANGEI, GIRIJA KUMARI mother of NO-15492739X LD ANIL KUMAR KG R/OHOUSE NAME-KOLLAMTHARATHALAVEEDU, THEMPA MUTTOM, VPO-BALARAMAPURAM, TEH-NEYY-ATINKARA, DISTT-THIRUVANAN-THAPURAM, KERALA-695501, havechanged my name from GIRIJAKUMARI to GIRIJA KUMARI S for allfuture purposes and also in my son’sservice record my date of birth wrong-ly mentioned as 01/07/1963 instead ofmy correct date of birth as 15/11/1960.

DELHI/NCR4

NEWS BOX

Omicron: India eye on South Africa, North America to gauge bed needsinfections rose from 43,000 on guiding India’s pandemic response toldNew Delhi. Indian health officials are December 1 to over 93,000 on The Telegraph. “We’re watchingmonitoring Covid-19 hospitalisation rates inDecember 17, while the seven-day hospitalisation numbers in the UK andSouth Africa and Europe to try and predict average of daily deaths during this elsewhere — we don’t see a high demand how omicron-fuelled surges might impactperiod have remained below 125. This at the moment,” the official said. Manythe demand for critical care beds in India. is a fraction of the average 1,200 daily experts believe the focus should shiftThe early signals appear to uncouple deathsdeaths during the peak of the UK’s wave from counts of daily cases tofrom infection spikes.in January this year. South Africa has hospitalisation. “This shift in emphasis isThe daily new cases in South Africa, Denmark, over the past week recorded an average important,” Menon said. “We need toNorway and the UK — countries with the 30 daily deaths compared with the over concentrate on tracking pressure onlargest documented omicron burdens — 370 daily deaths during the peak of its hospitals and intensive care units rather have exceeded their pandemic records. But delta-driven wave in July, and over 500 than focus on daily new infections.”hospitalisation and deaths appear relatively India, New Delhi, and member of the during the peak of its beta-driven wave in Reddy said “decentralised, data-drivenlow, health officials and experts have said. national Covid-19 task force.January. The omicron-driven spikes, decision-making” backed by surveillance Britain’s health security agency has said The longer omicron takes to sweep across however, do remain a source of concern. The and testing was key to containing localisedthere isn’t enough data yet to assess the susceptible pools of the population, Reddy UK’s per million count, if applied to India, surges and preventing the emergence ofinherent severity of omicron. Experts believe said, the better it is for the healthcare system. would mean over 1.3 million new cases a day simultaneous spikes in multiple states thatthat the mildness of the current infections “A slow spread prevents pressure building up — more than three times the 400,000 cases could lead to a nationwide wave. India’smay be an outcome of immunity responses on hospitals,” he said. Health officials had in the country had experienced during the peak daily new infection counts have remainedf r o m p r i o r C o v i d - 1 9 i n f e c t i o n s , October this year outlined India’sof its second wave. But health officials and below 10,000 for more than three weeksvaccinations, or both. Gautam Menon, an preparedness levels — nearly 840,000 experts say that timely and appropriate despite growing numbers of omicron cases.infectious disease modeller at the Institute of hospital beds, 486,000 oxygen-supported actions can help avert a rapid nationwide Some health experts say it could take several Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, said: beds, and over 135,000 critical care beds — surge. “We can slow down the rise — our weeks for omicron-driven surges to emerge.“Given hospitalisation trends in South Africa that they said were pitched to manage any actions will determine whether the surge Even with mild disease, the threat lies inand the UK, there is some reason to hope future surge of up to 500,000 daily cases. But happens over two weeks, two months or over absolute numbers, experts say.A one per cent India will not see extreme pressures on that inventory was intended to manage a six months,” said K. Srinath Reddy, rate of severe disease among 10,000hospitals as during our second wave.” In the wave with a hospitalisation requirement for president of the Public Health Foundation of infections implies 100 patients would.UK, the seven-day average of daily new 15 to 20 per cent of the cases, an official

when her sister was speaking to ‘Abhinav’ (Sukesh Chandrashekhar), regarding bail for her husband, Arundhati Khanna told the ED. “He asked to be put on speaker so he could convince us [to pay money] when she [Aditi] said that her family questions such large amounts being given at such frequency right in the middle of the pandemic,” she said. Sukesh Chandrashekhar said he started speaking to Arundhati Khanna to ask how her sister Aditi Singh was when she was summoned by the ED in June

portfolios under him. He was claimed he was New Delhi: Conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, 2021. He also told the ED that on special deputation at the PMO to coordinate currently lodged at Tihar Jail in Delhi, allegedly Arundhati Khanna would ask him for favours with selected families,” she said. Sukesh extorted over Rs 200 crore from Aditi Singh, related to her son’s drunk-driving case and other Chandrashekhar admitted that he introduced wife of former Ranbaxy owner Shivinder Singh, personal court cases. She denied all his claims.himself as ‘Abhinav’to her. The investigation sobetween June 2020 and May 2021. The case is ‘CONSIDERED ME HER BROTHER’

being probed by the Enforcement Directorate. far has revealed that the conman used mobile Additionally, in the transcript accessed by India Now, India Today has accessed the transcript of applications and voice modulation softwares to Today, conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar held an ED interrogation, dated October 22, with make several calls to Aditi Singh as various that “there was never any threat or extortion” in Sukesh Chandrashekhar and Aditi Singh’s sister senior government officials. She was desperate his interaction with Arundhati Khanna. “She Arundhati Khanna. to secure bail for her arrested husband and he considered me her brother,” he said. In contrast,

During the interrogation, Arundhati Khanna used this as an opportunity to make money by Arundhati Khanna said, “He was always alleged that Sukesh Chandrashekhar introduced posing as government officials, all while sitting impressing upon me the urgency in helping my himself as ‘Abhinav’, an officer on special duty in jail himself. sister arrange funds and the dire consequences at the Office of the Prime Minister (PMO). “He HOW IS ARUNDHATI INVOLVED? our family would face if we failed to do so. He also claimed to have the Income Tax Aditi Singh’s sister Arundhati Khanna got threatened us with raids and government Department, the Intelligence Bureau and law involved in the case as she was often in the room action.”

The Narendra Modi government is not punishing MoS Home Ajay Mishra Teni,whose car was part of a convoy that mowed down farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri in October, only to appease the Brahmin community, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi alleged on Saturday, urgingMuslims in Uttar Pradesh to “unite” for protecting their own interests.

“I have only one mission in this state. I have come to you with folded hands… Muslims in Uttar Pradesh must strengthen their leadership,” the AIMIM chief said while addressing a rally in Meerut. “All communities have found their political leaders. If you want education, jobs, respect, and freedom from police torture, you must unite yourself into a political power.” With elections to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly slated for early next year, the Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad has been campaigning hard in the state as part of his ‘Mission 22’, with the key pitch of organising the Muslim community as a political force. Citing the examples of “Dalit leader” Mayawati, and “Yadavleader” Mulayam Singh, Owaisi said Muslims will have to “give rise to leadership” that establishes the interests of the Muslim community. “There is a BJPleader Teni.A conspiracy was hatched and his son’s vehicle crushed four people. Modi who calls himself a leader, doesn’twant to upset Brahmin community and that is why no action has been taken against him,” Owaisi said, referring to the Lakhimpur Kheeri incident. Mishra’s son and 13 others have been arrested, but the BJP has so far rejected calls for the minister’s removal.

Amid Cold Wave,Outages In J&K As

20,000 Power SectorEmployees On Strike

Conman Sukesh introduced himself as PMO official, says extortion victim’s sister | Exclusive

"Must Find Ways ToHelp Afghans": MinisterAt India-Central AsiaDialogue

New Delhi: A major power breakdown amid extreme cold wave has pushed large parts of Jammu and Kashmir to the e d g e a s t h o u s a n d s o f employees of the Power Development Department have gone on indefinite strike.

Twenty-thousand employees are p r o t e s t i n g a g a i n s t t h e government move to mergeJ&K Power Development Department into the Power Grid Corporation of India and the handing over of the assets to private companies. Theemployees have been on strike from Friday midnight. Theyhave decided not to carry out any repair and maintenance work until the government accepts their demands. Theemployees want a reversal of government decision to privatise assets, regularisation o f d a i l y w a g e p o w e r employees, and the release of salaries. There is a complete breakdown of electricity in several districts. The outage has also been reported in Jammu and Srinagar as well. Kashmir is already facing long power cuts during winters because of the huge gap between supply and demand. Since yesterday, employees have been holding protests in all parts of Jammu and Kashmir. From linesmen to senior engineers , every employee of the PDD is part of the strike. Officials say negotiations were held with striking employees but failed t o b r e a k t h e i c e . T h eemployees say the assets built over decades by successive governments in J&K are now up for sale under Union territory administration.

Chief Election Commissioner 'dismayed' at 'meeting call'

VHP members meet MPs, raise issues of conversion, safety of Hindus in Bangladesh, PakistanNew Delhi. The Vishva Hindu Parishad, a

Hindu organisation, conducts an annual campaign to meet all Members of Parliament to discuss issues related to “Hindutva and nationalism”. Members of the VHP have, so far, met 327 MPs from parties including the BJP, All India Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena and AamAadmi Party this year.

The VHP is running its campaign in two stages. In the first phase, the organisationhas met MPs from north, central, west and north-east India apart from West Bengal. In the second phase during the Budget session, the VHP plans to meet MPs from Odisha and south India.

WHATWAS DISCUSSED AT MEET?

According to an official statement issued by the VHP, one of the issues discussed during the organisation’s meeting with the MPs was religious conversion through allurement or deception. On this, the VHPdemanded that the Centre and state government enact stringent laws against the malpractice. Another issue raised was that “tribal people who abandon the faith of their ancestors and convert to another religion” continue to receive reservation and other facilities guaranteed to the Scheduled Tribes by the Constitution, the VHP said. The VHP also asked that the oppression of minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh and Pakistan be addressed. “A consensus and convergenceof opinions emerged in the VHP-MPsinteraction," said VHP working president Alok Kumar.

Punjab: BSF shoots down Chinese-made drone along borderincidents of Pakistani drones entering New Delhi. The Border Security Force on Indian terri tory to drop arms,Saturday said it had shot down a China-ammunitions, drugs and money to fuel made drone along the India-Pakistanterrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.border in Punjab. The drone was “detected

and downed” on Friday around 11.10pm They have highlighted drone warfare as an near the Wan border post in the Ferozpur emerging threat in the wake of a drone sector, the BSF said in a statement. The attack at an air force base in Jammu and black flying object was shot at a distance Kashmir in July. Two explosives-laden of about 300 metres from the international drones had crashed into the Indian Airborder and 150 metres from the border Force station at Jammu airport and two fence. IAF personnel were injured in the

explosions. The first blast ripped off theThe drone, a hexa-copter with four power roof of a single-storey building at the batteries, weighed around 23kg andhigh security technical area of the airport carried a payload of around 10kg. The BSF

Punjab and Jammu. manned by the IAF and the second one said it was not carrying any payload suchSources said work of installing anti-drone was on the ground. Security agencies probingas drugs, arms or ammunition and a search

systems on important installations had been the blasts had said this was the first instance of operation was being carried out in the area. Overstarted by the security force. Security officials suspected Pakistan-based terrorists usingthe past year, the BSF has sighted nearly 70 have expressed concern over the spike in unmanned aerial vehicles in an attack in India.drones along the India-Pakistan border in

New Delhi: India on Sunday pitched for finding ways to help the Afghan people, while reaffirming the need for an inclusive government in Kabul.

In his opening remarks at the third India-Central Asia Dialogue, External AffairsMinister S Jaishankar said that there is a need to ensure unhindered humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. The dialogue, hosted by India in Delhi, is being attended by foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, K y r g y z R e p u b l i c , Ta j i k i s t a n ,Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. "We all share deep rooted historical and civilisational ties with Afghanistan. Our concerns and objectives in that country are similar," Mr Jaishankar said. He listed a truly inclusive and representative government, the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking, ensuring unhindered humanitarian assistance and preserving the rights of women, children and minorities as key priorities in Afghanistan. "We must find ways of helping the people of Afghanistan," he said. Mr Jaishankar said India is committed to take its ties with the Central Asia to the next level. He floated a 'four C' approach focusing on commerce, capacity enhancement, connectivity and contacts to further expand the cooperation between the two sides. "Our meeting today comes amid a rapidly changing global economic and political situation. TheCOVID-19 pandemic has resulted an enormous setback to global health and to global economy," Mr Jaishankar said.

Unite as a political power, Owaisi urges UP’s Muslims

necessary expertise and held virtually with the Chief New Delhi. The Union law ministry on mandate regarding Electoral Election Commissioner andSaturday confirmed that chief electionroll and in the light of the t h e t w o E l e c t i o ncommissioner Sushil Chandra had expressedprevious letters of the Chief Commissioners. It may bedispleasure at a ministry letter that appeared Election Commissioner noted that the discussion wasto suggest his presence was expected at a addressed to the Law held together with all three government meeting on the possibility of M i n i s t e r , S e c r e t a r y , Commissioners of ECI, and common electoral rolls.Legislative Department virtually.” The ministry However, the ministry’s communiquè clarified thought it appropriate to added that the Election Laws that a later interaction that all three election invite officials of Election (Amendment) Bill 2021,commissioners attended was for “fine-Commission to this meeting. approved earlier this week for tuning” certain aspects of electoral reforms “ A c c o r d i n g l y, U n d e r introduction in the current that the cabinet subsequently approved. had Secre ta ry, Legis la t ive session of Parliament, was a on Friday reported that CEC Chandra had in Department sent a letter No result of the deliberationsNovember been summoned to a meeting F. No.H-11021/6/2020- with the poll panel. The bill with the principal secretary to the Prime Leg.2 dated 15.11.2021 to r epor t ed ly a l lows theMinister, P.K. Mishra. This had prompted the Secretary, Election voluntary linking of the former CECs to regret the alleged breach of Commission of India (ECI) Aadhar database with thethe poll panel’s insulation from the to attend the meeting on voter list, which the Electionexecutive, and led the Opposition to accuse 16.11.2021. The letter was Commission believes willthe government of treating the Election addressed to Secretary and weed out duplicate voters. On mee t i ng . “Sec re t a ry, Leg i s l a t i veCommission as a “subservient tool”. The law the final operative paragraph of the letter Friday, S.Y. Quraishi, a former CEC, saidDepartment clarified that the letter was forministry, which the poll panel corresponds also requested Secretary, Election there was “no such thing as an informal Secretary or a representative of the CECwith on matters of administration, on Commission of meeting” of the executive with the poll panel familiar with the subject to attend theSaturday said: “The PMO ID dated

and that any meeting should have been held meeting. “After the meeting of Officials,India to attend the meeting. After receipt of the 12.11.2021 regarding a meeting on Commonon the basis of an agenda made public certain issues required further fine-tuning.letter by the ECI, the Chief ElectionElectoral Roll to be held on 16.11.2021 was beforehand. Other former CECs confirmedThese issues include the number ofCommissioner spoke to Secretary,addressed to the Cabinet Secretary, Law that informal interactions for clarificationsqualifying dates for updation of electoral Legislative Department expressing his Secretary and Secretary, Legislativeon poll panel proposals do take place, but this roll, some aspects of Aadhaar linkage anddispleasure over the expression in the middle Department. It was not addressed to thedepends on “the tenor and subject of the requisition of premises. “After the Officialpart of the letter which gave an impression Chief Election Commissioner. “Sincediscussion”.meeting, a separate informal interaction wasthat it was expected of the CEC to attend the Election Commission of India has the

India Today has accessed the

transcript of an Enforcement

Directorate interrogation session,

dated October 22, with conman

Sukesh Chandrashekhar and

extortion victim Aditi Singh’s sister

Arundhati Khanna.

New Delhi, Monday, 20 December, 2021 THE SIKH TIMES

DELHI-NCR5

NEWS BOX

Tribals in eastern India to observe Hassa-Bhasa Vijay Diwas on December 22

Farmer Sets 160 kg Garlic Produce Ablaze - "Didn't Get Fair Price"

Jamshedpur. Tribal people in eastern Indian Dinajpur districts in Bangladesh who have language got national recognition in the Lok states along with those in Bangladesh, Nepal agreed to observe the day on December 22,” Sabha and was included in the eighth scheduleand Bhutan will observe Hassa-Bhasa Vijay said Murmu, who stays in Kadma in of the Constitution. This feat is significant asDiwas on December 22. Jamshedpur. The Adivasi Sengel Abhiyan, most of the tribal languages of India are on the

Former MP of Mayurbhanj (in Odisha) Salkhan which was founded by Murmu, has printed verge of extinction. This has been possible dueMurmu, who is also the national president of pamphlets on the importance of Hassa Bhasa to the struggle and cooperation of severalAdivasi Sengel Abhiyan, on Saturday made an Vijay Diwas. “The day holds special organisations and language lovers under theannouncement about the tribal fraternity significance as on December 22, 1855, the leadership of Santhali Bhasha Morcha,” saidobserving the day. “Very few tribals, especially British gave independence to the Santhals Murmu, who is also associated with thethe new generation, are aware of the importance through the enactment of Santhal Pargana Santhali Bhasa Morcha. Tribal outfits willof December 22 for the Santhals and this is the Tenancy Act after around 10,000 tribals led by organise dance and song competitions andreason we have decided to observe the day as Sidho Murmu rebelled against the British in felicitate tribal leaders on the occasion. TheHassa (motherland in Santhal language) Bhasa Bhognadih (in present-day Sahibganj district of tribal leader will also write to President Ram (language) Vijay (victory) Diwas. We have Jharkhand) in June 1855. The British were Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendraheld virtual meetings with our counterparts in forced to liberate the Santhal Parganas after the Modi, urging them to declare December 22 as a Odisha, Assam, Bihar and Bengal apart from rebellion, nearly 100 years before formal national holiday and accord Santhal Hul of Jharkhand. “There have been meetings with Independence in 1947. However, our tribal 1855 the status of the first war of independence tribal members residing in Jhapa, Biratnagar youths are not aware of this,” Murmu said. instead of the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. “I will and Morong districts of Nepal, areas in Bhutan The day is also important for the Santhal also write to the United Nations to observe the bordering Baksa district of Assam and in language. “On December 22, 2003, the Santhali day as the Mother language day,” Murmu said.

Modi in stopping “Kannada atrocities” and Maharashtra government to maintain lawBangalore. A longstanding border dispute the “pervert mindset”. In Bangalore, the and order there. Our director-general ofbetween Karnataka and Maharashtra haspolice have registered a case on a complaint police will speak to his counterpart inflared up following attacks on the statues ofby the Karnataka Maratha Welfare Maharashtra about the security of icons of the two states.Association over the ink attack on the Kannadigas there and attacks on busesKarnataka police have registered a case after Shivaji statue at Bashyam Circle under and private vehicles from Karnataka. Oursome Kannada activists allegedly blackened Sadashivnagar police station. Tension had home minister will take up the issue with a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji in Bangalore been simmering in Belgaum ahead of the his Maharashtra counterpart. Then, ifwhile pro-Maharashtra activists vandalised a Assembly session as the Maharashtra necessary, I will speak to the Maharashtra statue of freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna Ekikaran Samiti (MES), a political outfit, chief minister,” Bommai said. Inin Belgaum where the winter session of the has been campaigning for the inclusion of Mumbai, Uddhav said: “PM Modi shouldAssembly is underway. The two incidents Belgaum in Maharashtra. The MES has direct the Karnataka government to take are linked to the protests by pro-Maharashtra

minister to take strict action. “Incidents like been holding protests against the Assembly action in the matter. This incident (alleged activists in Belgaum, a northern Karnataka stone pelting and causing damage to public session in Belgaum city. desecration of the Shivaji statue) cannot be district claimed by Maharashtra due to its property and government vehicles are taken lightly. For several years, Marathi-In retaliation, Kannada activists had recently significant presence of Marathis. Theillegal. I have directed the home minister to speaking people in Karnataka are facing smeared ink on MES leader Deepak Dalvi, desecration of Rayanna’s statue came to lightinstruct the police to take strict action against atrocities. Now, the statue of Chhatrapati following which the outfit hit back by early on Saturday. Prohibitory orders underthe perpetrators,” the BJP leader said.” the Shivaji Maharaj is desecrated.” “It should be burning the Kannada flag at Kolhapur,CrPC Section 144 have been clamped on BJP leader said. kept in mind that hurting the Marathi pride across the border in Maharashtra, onBelgaum city from 8am on Saturday to 6pm

“It is not right to deface statues of our national will prove costly. The Centre should give up December 14. The vandalism of the Shivajion Sunday. The police have arrested 27 men heroes,” Bommai said, citing the two its double standard and take stern steps,” he statue in Bangalore is believed to be linked to for vandalising Rayanna’s statue, based on aincidents. “The timing of these illegal acts added. Maharashtra urban development the burning of the Kannada flag. Part of the complaint by the Sangolli Rayanna Sene.when the state legislature is in session will be minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde Bombay Presidency during the British Raj,More than 20 vehicles have been vandalised part of the investigation,” he said, adding said the Karnataka government would be Belgaum was included in the Mysore Statein Belgaum, allegedly by pro-Maharashtrathat the home minister and the police chief responsible for any reaction to the — as it was then known — following the activists. Maharashtra chief ministerwould speak to their counterparts in desecration of Shivaji’s statue. The Congress implementation of the States ReorganisationUddhav Thackeray on Saturday demandedMaharashtra to ensure the safety of in Karnataka condemned the incidents. Act, 1956. Maharashtra had objected to the immediate action by the KarnatakaKannadigas living there. “Maintaining law “Some lumpen elements are behind these move. Karnataka chief minister Basavarajgovernment on those who had desecrated and order in Karnataka is our responsibility. acts of violence. I won’t blame the MES until Bommai condemned the violence andShivaji’s statue in Bangalore. He demanded Similarly, it is the responsibility of the investigations throw more light on.vandalism and said he had told the home the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra

Project Varanasi: Eternal, with layers of history, maze of politics

BJP MP allegedly slaps wrestler

Hyderabad. THE TELANGANA HigherEducation Department is reviewing the effectiveness of its online classes after more than half the Intermediate students (Classes 11 and 12) failed the first-year or Class 11 exam, results for which were declared on Thursday. The students are now in Class 12 or second year, having been promoted en masse in April as the final exam could not be held in April due to Covid.

Only 49% of the students cleared the exam, held by the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) between October 25 and November 3. Studentsfrom private institutes with better access to the Internet and digital devices fared better compared to those in government ones. Many in these institutes, known as junior colleges, in rural areas failed in all the subjects. The students who have failed have to clear the subjects they could not pass in, along with the final exam for second-year or Class 12 to be held next year. The Students Federation of India has been holding protests saying the students should not be made to pay a price for the lack of effective teaching during online classes. Syed Omer Jaleel, Secretary,TSBIE, told The Sunday Express that they will hold a review of their online classes programme. “I do not think there is any problem with the content, but there is some problem with how it is being grasped by students,” Jaleel said, adding that apart from telecasting classes on Doordarshan and over the TSBIE YouTube channel, teachers held Zoom classes with students. One of the students told The Sunday Express that they did not expect the “harsh evaluation”. We were given the impression that it was enough to appear for the exam and the Board would give pass marks,” said the student, adding that he failed in Physics, and that all of his friends failed at least one subject.

Statue skirmish worsens tension between Maha and K'taka

Over 50% fail Class 11test, Telengana to review effectiveness of e-classes

Jamshedpur. BJP MP and president of Wrestling Federation of India Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh allegedly lost his cool and slapped a junior wrestler during a national championship in Ranchi, with the purported video of the incident surfacing on social media on Friday.

The six-time MP from Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh was in Ranchi during the three-day Under-15 Junior National WrestlingChampionship that concluded on Friday.The purported video of the incident, which took place during the inaugural day, shows a person resembling Singh repeatedly slapping a young wrestler on stage at the indoor stadium in Khelgaon. The WFIpresident who was attending the wrestling championship as chief guest lost his temper when the wrestler wanted to be allowed on stage despite being asked not to do so, sources said. The wrestler, from Uttar Pradesh, was stopped from participating in the competition when he was found over-age during verification. In the video, the person resembling Singh is seen losing his cool after the wrestler says something and smacks him thrice before being pacified by others on the dais. tried to contact Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on his mobile but the calls and messages went unanswered. Jharkhand Wrestling Association presidentBholanath Singh tried to downplay the incident. “There are several important issues but the media is only highlighting this one. The wrestler had argued with the president despite being told that he could not be allowed because of his age. Sportsmen should learn to be disciplined first. In wrestling, like in other sports, we are very strict in checking age and weight,” Bholanath Singh said. Bholanath Singh, however, expressed ignorance about the name or weight category of the wrestler.

disciplines, it was to be dealing with practical aspects of ethics and value systems applicable to day to day life and decisions. The sole objective is to develop an awareness and sensitivity in the students about their interactions with the society at large

Bhubaneswar. Students at the undergraduate and to empower them to distinguish level will now be taught a new subject “ethics good from evil, justice from and values.” injustice, fair practice from unfair

The Odisha higher education council has practice as well as motivating them prepared a detailed syllabus for launching new to in ternal i se the i r dut ies , subjects at Plus Three level in colleges. All ob l i ga t i ons , and r i gh t s a s universities have approved this new course in responsible citizens.” The syllabus their respective Board of Studies (BOS). is divided into six units and each

Stating the objective of introducing the subject semester will have one unit in the while unveiling the first part of the syllabus on three-year programme. Each unit Saturday, higher education minister Arun goals” The education department in a press carries 25 marks. There will be 15 Sahoo said: “Our aim and objective is to build a release said: “The idea was to demonstrate the periods in total for units for all the streams and good human being.” Vice-chancellor, Utkal concept of contemporary ethics and value disciplines. The contents of the subjects are University, Sabita Acharya told The Telegraph, system to our students through analysis of a women, social institutions, and practices, “It’s a welcome step by the government. The few selected examples of social, personal and values and good citizenship, issue of drugs and students are exposed to many things. After professional conflicts that confront the youth in tobacco addiction, ethical values for life, parents, it’s the teachers’ responsibility to see their daily lives.” vulnerable sections of society-understanding that students turn out to be good citizens. The The release also said: “Since the course was their issues and environmental and techno new subjects will be able to achieve those visualised as a compulsory course for all ethics.

Bhopal: A young farmer in Madhya Pradesh vented out his frustration in public over not getting a fair price for his produce by burning 160 kg garlic at an open auction in Mandsaur, about 350 km from state capital Bhopal.

Shankar Sirfira from Deoli was forced to take the extreme step after he tried to sell his produce to wholesale traders at the Mandsaur Mandi. The video of the farmer shouting 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' (Long live farmer) after setting the huge produce on fire has been widely shared on social media.

The staff at the Mandi and other farmers were prompt in their reaction as they doused the flames, preventing any further damage at the wholesale market. "I spent ? 5,000 on transporting the garlic produce here but was getting ? 1,100 only from the buyers. It was better to burn the produce... if it wasn't worth getting the price. I spent ? 2.5 lakh on cultivating garlic this season, but have only got ? 1 lakh in the market," Shankar said. The farmer was brought to the police station for questioning but Jitendra Pathak, In-charge YD Nagar, police station, said, "Since no damage was caused by the fire to produce of other farmers, hence no case has till now been lodged against the concerned farmer."

Row over EC’s meet: Govt says letter was forsecretary or an official representative, not CEC

ACKNOWLEDGING that the Chief Election Commissioner ( C E C ) h a d e x p r e s s e d “displeasure” over its letter about a meeting on the common electoral roll, as reported by on December 17, the Ministry of Law and Justice, in a statement Saturday, said that it was “clarified” that the letter was for “Secretary or a representative of the CEC familiar with the subject” to attend the meeting. Thestatement of the Law Ministry — the administrative Ministry for the poll panel — is the first officialresponse after The Indian Express reported that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra and the two Election Commissioners, Rajiv Kumar and Anup Chandra Pandey, despite expressing reservations, did join an online “interaction” called by the PMO on November 16. Thiswas a day after the EC received a letter from a Law Ministry officialthat the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, P K Mishra, will “chair a meeting” on a common electoral roll and “expects CEC” to be present.

The Law Ministry statement said that the November 16 meeting was to finalise the Cabinet note on some long-pending reforms and was he ld v i r tua l ly. “The subsequent interaction with the Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners was an informal one and meant for ironing out two or three aspects for the final proposal,” the statement said. The Law Ministry said that the original meeting notice from the PMO dated November 12 was addressed to the Cabine t Secretary, Law Secretary and S e c r e t a r y , L e g i s l a t i v e Department, and not to the CEC. The Ministry further said it had s e n t a l e t t e r i n v i t i n g representatives of the EC to the PMO meeting since the poll panel has the “necessary expertise and mandate regarding Electoral roll.”

Odisha: Undergraduates to be taught ethics and valuesOur aim and objective is to build a

good human being: Higher

education minister Arun Sahoo

know where the real garbhagriha (sanctum stands today in Benares with part of the Varanasi. On an October morning in 1990, sanctorum) is,” the guide would say to ruined temple’s wall incorporated intohundreds packed the narrow lanes ofgasps and nods from those around him. the building.” The temple that is KashiAyodhya, cheering men who had scaled theKashi is timeless, more eternal than Rome, Viswanath today was built on anwal ls of the then d isputed Ramand ranks among the oldest continuously adjacent site in 1776-1780 by the Holkar Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site and raced toinhabited cities of the world. Lines that ruler,Ahilyabai of Indore.In 1991, as thethe domes, carrying a saffron flag. “Ayodhyaseparate fact and fiction, history and myths, Ayodhya temple movement pickedtoh sirf jhaanki hai, Kashi Mathura baaki hai folklore and texts always get blurred here. pace, the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi(Ayodhya is a trailer, Kashi and Mathura still So no one blamed the guides, or contested dispute ended up in the courtroom. Aremain)” was their chant.their accounts of how the temple at Kashi suit sought restoration of the temple atTo reporters on what had become thecame into being, was destroyed, rebuilt the site where the Gyanvapi mosque‘Ayodhya beat’, Kashi and Mathura wereover centuries. To the devout, it is the stands. Fearful, Muslims filed petitionsports of call, the disputes there linked to a accounts say the temple was razed on the holiest of places, one of the 12 jyotirlinga in the Allahabad High Court over themovement gathering steam, changing orders of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and sites where Shiva appeared in his infinite maintainability of the suit. It was the year the politics, and the country. The Babri Masjid’s the Gyanvapi mosque was built at the site in form as a column of light with no beginning P V Narasimha Rao government brought thedays, you could tell, were numbered. A little the 17th century.or end. Another account — and this finds Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Actover 200 km away, Vishwanath Gali bustled Historian Audrey Truschke, in Aurangzeb: mention in a petition on which a Varanasi which mandates that the nature of all places with life. Shopkeepers called out to pilgrims, The Man and the Myth, too, notes: court, in April this year, ordered an of worship, except the one in Ayodhya that and self-styled guides promised a tour and “Aurangzeb brought the bulk of Benares’sarchaeological survey of the Kashi was then under litigation, will be maintained darshan of Kashi Vishwanath for “whatever Vishvanatha Temple down in 1669. TheVishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi Mosque as it was on August 15, 1947, and that no you think is right”. Aware of the events temple had been built during Akbar’s reign complex, later stayed by the Allahabad High encroachment of any such place prior to the unfolding in Ayodhya, a guide would lead by Raja Man Singh, whose great-grandson, Court — says the temple has existed since date can be challenged in courts. The Actpilgrims to a statue of Nandi staring in the Jai Singh, many believed had helped Shivaji time immemorial, and King Vikramaditya shielded Kashi and Mathura, but Babri direction of the adjacent Gyanvapi mosque. and his son Sambhaji flee from the Mughal reconstructed it 2,050 years ago. Most Masjid was torn down a year later.“Nandi always faces the Lord, so now you court in 1666… The Gyanvapi Masjid still

New Delhi, Monday, 20 December, 2021 THE SIKH TIMES

EDITORIAL6

considerable. For instance, a survey found that one Technology has transformed human lives. Such is thein 10 adolescents experiences cyberbullying butbond between the modern man and the mobile only half of them file reports. Three out of four phone that their brotherhood has led toadolescent users are either unaware of thepsycholinguists coining phone-addiction-relatedminimum age for creating social media accounts or neologisms. This only goes to show that the impact simply do not adhere to it. It is plausible that the of cell phones and other facets of digital technologyawareness dips further along India’s urbanis far-reaching, especially among the young. Ahinterland. Meanwhile, new challenges continue torecent survey by the National Commission for emerge. New-age parenting — work from home Protection of Child Rights found a stronghas forced parents, especially mothers, to strive for correlation between addiction to smartphones anda difficult balance between children and chores — loss of concentration among children, with over ais leading to an increasing reliance on gadgets to third of the young respondents checking theirfunction as faux parents. That is not all. Facebook phones during study hours. Excessive screen timein its new avatar, Meta, is hell-bent on creating an — it has increased during the pandemic — has alsoimmersive, artificial intelligence-curated onlinebeen linked to brain and speech impairment in universe that seems intent on blurring thechildren. Unsurprisingly, the report has urgedboundaries between the real and the unreal. India,parents to limit web surfing by their wards and

cent of school-going children having access to the internet which has seen a massive growth in online gaming, is make them aware of cybercrime and the risks of dataalready — along with low awareness of the ethical supposed to be at the centre of this augmented reality. But sharing. In a complementary move, the Centre has alsochallenges posed by digital technology, it would be that need not be reassuring. Only a week into its launch, issued an advisory on ways of protecting children playingprudent to examine whether the recommendations can Horizon World — Meta’s virtual reality online video game online games from exploitation and cyberbullying.tackle the challenges associated with information — has been mired in controversy with users reporting But in a country with rapid internet penetration — India is technology. The ground that needs to be covered is instances of bullying and sexual harassment.set to have 900 million active users by 2025, with 38 per

Top search trends: Australia vs India, National Basketball Association

History’s ironiesarmy commanders, Jiban Kanai Das and Chitta since Narendra Modi became prime minister in MayThis month, we mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Ranjan Dutta, and the veteran communist activist, 2014, the ruling party has aggressively promoted a death of East Pakistan.Although freedom fighters inMoni Singh. Hindu majoritarian agenda. From the lynching of exile had announced a ‘Provisional Government of

The first Constitution of Bangladesh, drafted by the Mohammad Akhlaque in September 2015 to theBangladesh’ as early as April 1971, it was only on visionary lawyer, Kamal Hossain, proclaimed in violence against Christians in Karnataka in DecemberDecember 6 that the Government of India formally 1972 that the new Republic would be guided by 2021, the story of the Modi regime is one of repeated recognized its existence. On December 16, the Eastsecularism, with all religions having equal rights. attacks on minorities in different parts of India. To her Pakistan army led by Lieutenant General A.A.K.There would be no privileged place for Islam. As credit, Bangladesh’s prime minister, Sheikh HasinaNiazi surrendered to the Indian forces. A few weeksthe legal scholar, S.C. Sen, wrote at the time, the Wajed, has publicly condemned the attacks on Hinduslater, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was released fromnew Constitution forbade the “making of any in her country. Our prime minister, however, hasjail and returned to Dhaka to assume the leadership religion as the state religion”, prohibited the “use of stayed resolutely silent on the persecution ofof the new nation.religion for political purposes”, and provided for minorities in his country. After Amit Shah became The birth of Bangladesh was widely celebrated in the “abolition of discrimination against any person home minister in May 2019, the stigmatization and India, and from three distinct (if occasionallyon the grounds of religion”. Sadly, after the humiliation of Muslims have become activeoverlapping) perspectives. One group of celebrants would be an emphatic rejection of Jinnah’s claim that

assassination of Mujibur Rahman in 1975, there was a ingredients in the policies of the Union government.consisted of the fervent political supporters (the term Hindus and Muslims could not live in partnership resurgence of Islamic fervour in the country. This was This has been manifest in, among other things, thebhakt had not yet been invented in this context) of within the territorial boundaries of a single nation. Let stoked by the military regime of General Ershad, and in abolition of India’s only Muslim-majority state,Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who saw it as a splendid us call this third group of celebrants in 1971 the an amendment of 1986, Islam was made the official Jammu and Kashmir, in the proposal for a Nationalvindication of her vision and courage, her sagacity and constitutional patriots. For these Indians working in State religion of Bangladesh. After the Awami League Register of Citizens, and in the Citizenshipher statesmanship. A second group consisted of the tradition of Gandhi and Nehru, it was not that returned to power, its leaders have spoken on occasion (Amendment) Act whose leaving out of Muslims fromnationalists, who saw the victory over Pakistan as Pakistan had lost, but that pluralism and secularism of returning to the original Constitution, but have been the list of potential refugees was calculated as well as having wiped out painful memories of our humiliating had won. Contrary to what Jinnah and his Muslim unwilling or unable to do so. spiteful. While aggressively promoting the CAA andmilitary defeat at the hands of China in 1962. However, League had hoped, the religion of Islam failed to bind

In the fifty years since its founding, Bangladesh has NRC, India’s home minister insinuated thatthere was also a third group of celebrants, who saw the the eastern and western wings of Pakistan. Notably, the made much progress in economic and social terms. Bangladesh was a nation of “termites”, a crudevictory of 1971 not so much in military as in Bengali identity that drove the founders of Bangladesh With regard to such crucial indicators as human health, characterization that justly attracted the condemnationideological or even moral terms. These Indians did not seek to discriminate on the basis of religion. Tothe percentage of women in the workforce, and the of that country’s intellectuals. In October 2019,believed that the birth of Bangladesh was the final be sure, in the years since 1947, the Hindu minority in share of manufacturing in GDP, it is doing distinctly Mesbah Kamal, a Professor of History at Dhakarepudiation of the two-nation theory promoted and East Pakistan had faced harassment and its numbersbetter than India. Last year, its per capita income was University, said that “Shah’s implicit and repeatedbrought to fruition by the founder of Pakistan, M.A. had been reduced through migration to India. higher than India’s too. However, in political and targeting of Muslims in India will have seriousJinnah. In August 1947, after Partition became an However, in 1971, Hindus still constituted more than religious terms, the country has not lived up to the repercussions for Bangladesh’s minorities.” Theinevitability, both Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru put 10 per cent of the population of East Pakistan (as vision of its founders. Minorities have continued to historian noted that some maulanas in Bangladeshtheir political and personal capital into ensuring that against less than 2 per cent of the population of Westfeel insecure, while there have been a series of attacks were repeatedly referring to Kashmir and the NRC inwhatever happened to the minorities across the border, Pakistan). And, unlike in West Pakistan, Hindus on writers and intellectuals. That said, unlike in 1971, their sermons: “They have openly said that if Muslimsin India the State and the ruling party would accord full continued to be influential in the public life of East Indians today are not well-placed to preach the virtues are targeted in India, they will not spare the Hindus in citizenship rights to religious minorities. Even if its Pakistan. Several Hindus had played important roles in of tolerance and pluralism to the Bangladeshis. For Bangladesh.”leaders could not rewind the clock, the Indian Republic the Bangladesh freedom struggle. They included the

New addictions

Sir — The questions posed to participants of beauty pageants are banal at best. But things touched a new low when Harnaaz Sandhu from India, who went on to become Miss Universe 2021, was asked to do her best animal impersonation — she ‘meow-ed’ like a cat. It may take hours of practice and a keen ear to perfect the art of meowing, but surely to ask a contestant who claims to be an advocate of women’s empowerment to purr is both sexist and a waste of time? Each participant is asked only a handful of questions; organizersshould ensure these are not out of a playschool questionnaire.

Sir — It is surprising that the war of words between Virat Kohli, the captain of the Indian men’s Testteam, and Sourav Ganguly, the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, has reached a point that strains civility (“Kohli contradictsSourav”, Dec 16). Such differences in opinion should not have been allowed to flare up. Theincident has brought disgrace to the BCCI and Indian cricket. Sir — The rift between the BCCI president and the Test captain, Virat Kohli, is painful to witness. It seems that the mud-slinging started after the retirement of Ravi Shastri as the head coach. But such discontent is not new.Shastri and Kohli, too, have been accused of axing talented players to accommodate their favourites. Since Sourav Ganguly himself had faced such bias in his playing career, it is hoped he will not mete out such unfairness to those under him. Administrators and players are both essential components of any game. If they do not work in harmony, Indian cricket will suffer. We wish India all the best for the South Africa tour. Sir — Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid have been in the position that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are today. The two stalwarts should put their heads together to ensure that bitterness regarding team selection does not affect two of the strongest players on the Indian side. Formation of cliqueswithin the team should be avoided if India is to succeed at the international level. As the head coach, Dravid should ensure there is no bad blood in the dressing room. Sir — It is unfortunate that talks of women’s empowerment do not extend beyond poll promises (“Strategic shade”, Dec 16). The Congress general-secretary, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, recently launched the pink manifesto, especially for women for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, making a slew of promises, including 40 per cent reservation for women in government jobs, if her party wins. While this is a radical and timely idea, political parties have been hypocritical on this issue before. The tardiness cutting across political lines when it comes to passing the women’s reservation bill is proof of this. The Congress’ move is commendable; any real change though would require steadfast adherence to the manifesto. Sir — Paravaikkalam, a documentary film on the life of nagaswaram maestro, Karukurichi P.Arunachalam, extols the greatness of his music. Arunachalam’s birth centenary is being celebrated this year. Arunachalam had a huge fan following enhanced by his contribution to the blockbuster Tamil film, Konjum Salangai. A song from the film, “Singaravele deva”, in which the playback singer, S. Janaki, performed with Arunachalam,was a runaway hit. Sir — Paravaikkalam was a pleasure to watch. It highlighted hidden facets of the music industry and Karukurichi P.Arunachalam’s contributions to it. It is a must-watch for music aficionados.

other ways of combating,” said Claire Chronis, a BirdsAren’t Real organizer in Pittsburgh, to The New York Times. “My favorite way to describe the organization is fighting lunacy with lunacy.” You can find Birds Aren’t Real accounts on TikTok, Twitterand other social media platforms. There are even T-shirts for sale online with phrases like “Bird watching goes both ways”. The movement started out as a social media post meant to be funny, but quickly gained traction. The creator later hired a person to play a CIA agent who claimed he worked on the drone surveillance. This video has over 20 million views on TikTok.

The website describes its mission as: “Once a preventative cause, our initial goal was to stop the genocide of real birds. Unfortunately this was unsuccessful, and the government has since replaced every living bird with robotic replicas. Now our movement’s prerogative is to make everyone aware of this fact.” Chicago has its own share of reputed art, science and history museums. Now, a new kind of museum has joined the ranks, touting its interactive and immersive exhibits, but not one you would necessarily want to immerse yourself in — the Medieval Torture Museum. It claims to be the largestinteractive history museum of this kind in the country Christmas without Mariah Carey’s classic holiday hit,Google just released the top search trends for 2021. While

and does not allow anyone under 18 years of age without “All I want for Christmas is you”, which was released “Australia vs India” topped the global search trends, theadult supervision in. The exhibits take you through “the almost three decades ago. Carey is back this year — not NBA— National BasketballAssociation — was the mostdarkest periods of history”, showcasing medieval torture through music but with burgers. On December 13,searched for term in the United States of America. In the devices and execution methods. The museum told the McDonald’s launched a new “Mariah Menu”, which theyUS, Mega Millions — the famous jackpot lottery worth Chicago Loop Alliance that the idea has been years in the are calling 12 Days of Deals. There will also be plenty of millions of dollars — was the most searched for newsmaking with academic research and museum exhibitsmerchandise and a commercial to promote theitem; Squid Game was the most-googled TV show and curated by historians, scientists and artists. The museum partnership. During the 12 days, fans just have to make a Black Widow was the most searched for movie. Oliviais 6,000 square feet with eight rooms. The exhibits use $1 minimum purchase to get a free item. One such item is Rodrigo’s “drivers license” was the highest-searchedhuman dummies to show how the torture devices affecta beanie that features Carey’s iconic signature andsong this year and “TikTok pasta” was the top trending them, leaving no detail to the imagination. Some another is a T-shirt with a throwback photo of Carey recipe.interactive exhibits let visitors try out certain devices, enjoying her staple McDonald’s order — a cheeseburgerFrom a fashion standpoint, the top search was “How to style such as a lever that dunks a waxen-faced woman into a vat with extra pickles. “Just like so many of my fans, I have straight leg jeans”, followed by “How to style a wolfof water. “We wanted people to feel more emotion rather such amazing memories with McDonald’s over the years.haircut” and “How to style a corset”. In comparison, last than just coming to see artifacts,” said Paula Malone, the I always get a sense of nostalgia when I see the Golden year, during the lockdown, the top styling searchesmuseum’s manager. Trying out some of the devices will Arches, so creating throwback merch with one of myincluded things like how to cut and colour one’s hair at feel uncomfortable, but that is the point the museum is favorite photos from the 90s was really fun for me,” home or make a mask at home. AMC Stock was thetrying to get across. Their website has a short video of Carey said in a press release. The company announced in seventh-most searched term and the second-highestsome displays as a preview, and safe to say it is not for the a corporate statement that it has worked directly with searched news story with GME (GameStop stock)weak of heart. The 50-foot-tall Christmas tree set up by Carey to design the menu and packaging to make sure it following close behind. This is not surprising given howFox News, America’s largest conservative TV network, got the festive theme right. Hundreds of thousands ofusers on the internet got together to have the stock prices outside its headquarters in New York, went up in flames. young Americans are stating that all living birds haveof both companies soar earlier this year. In a shift from It turned out that a homeless person was behind the been replaced by the US government with drone replicas last year, which had more searches around testing,debacle. Since then, a new tree has been put up. However,to spy on the public. While this seems like a classic Americans looked for information on Covid vaccinationthe incident, specifically how Fox News anchors chose to QAnon conspiracy theory, it is actually a parodynear them in 2021. Google also released a blog post with politicize it, made for late night comedy. “Of course, this attempting to highlight the absurdity of existingits findings and said that doomscrolling — continuously never would have happened if the tree had a gun,” joked conspiracy theories around misinformation. “It’s a way toscrolling through depressing or bad news on the internet Stephen Colbert on his nightly segment.combat troubles in the world that you don’t really have — was searched for more than ever globally. It’s not

The deepening imprint of online technology must be accompanied by heightened public awareness about its pitfalls

AMERICAN DIARIES: On burger menu, Mariah Carey; and Birds Aren't Real fights lunacy with lunacy

POLITICS AND PLAY | The two-nation theory reborn

Letters to the : Banality of beauty

pageants: Meow like a cat

Readers write in from

Chennai, Nadia,

Ernakulam and Calcutta

New Delhi, Monday, 20 December, 2021 THE SIKH TIMES

FOODS 7

recipes

Foods

Butter Paratha is a delicious paratha recipe which is made using butter and whole wheat dough. This simple recipe goes well with paneer and potato dishes and even with dals.1 tablespoon sieved all purpose flour1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon butter2 tablespoon Refined oilHow to make Butter ParathaStep 1Combine salt and butter with maida. Knead well to a thick dough.Step 2Add a little oil and knead well. Stretch the dough from time to time till it has a soft, pliable consistency. Cover and keep aside for 30 minutes.Step 3Make small balls of the dough and roll them into small rotis using only little oil if requiredStep 4Heat a tawa over medium flame. Cook the prepared parathas on both sides till done.Step 5Serve with side dish of your choice.

Pasta SaladThose who think that pasta recipes cannot be healthy,should try this healthy pasta salad. Counted among healthy pasta recipes, this salad recipe is made with broccoli florets and lettuce leaves.200 gm gluten free pasta1 cup broccoli2 pinches salt2 cloves minced garlic2 teaspoon virgin olive oil1 handful basil2 small sliced tomato1 dash powdered spice black pepper

2 t e a s p o o n vinegar4 leaves lettuce loose-leaf1 t e a s p o o n oreganoHow to make Pasta SaladStep 1For making this heal thy pasta salad , boil the pasta in a pan for 10-15 mins until its tender.Step 2Drain the pasta and rinse under runn ing co ld water. Let it dry.

Step 3In a serving bowl, add lettuce leaves, broccoli, tomatoes, garlic cloves. Toss nicely.Step 4Drizzle it with lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil.Step 5Season with salt, pepper, oregano.Step 6Toss all the ingredients together.Step 7Garnish with basil leaves. Serve.

Adequateprotein intake is

crucial for muscle growth and maintenance.

Today we're looking at some quick and healthy protein-rich non-vegetarian recipes that will help you clock your daily protein requirement without spending too much time in the kitchen. Let's get started!

8 chicken legs - skinned1 teaspoon curry powder2 teaspoons French mustard½ cup yogurt1 cup breadcrumbs

- Combine, curry powder, mustard and yoghurt and mix well . Coat chicken legs in mixture before rolling in

Baked Chicken Legs

Ingredients

Method

breadcrumbs. Place on a plate in fridge for 30 minutes.

- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an ovenproof dish. Place chicken legs in dish

and bake turning once or twice.- Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and crumb is golden and crisp.

1/3 cup mustard1/4 cup honey2 tablespoons mayonnaise1 teaspoon steak sauce4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

- Preheat the grill for medium heat. In a shallow bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayonnaise, and steak sauce.- Set aside a small amount of the honey mustard sauce for basting, and dip the chicken into the remaining sauce to coat. Lightly oil the grill grate.- Grill chicken over indirect heat for 18 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally. Watch carefully to prevent burning!

Grilled Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

Method

Fish Teriyaki

Ingredients

Method

1 cup Soy Sauce¼ cup Sugar¼ cup Salad Oil2 tsp Ginger 2 cloves Garlic700 g Fish Fillets1 tbsp Sesame Seeds

- Mix together soy sauce, sugar, oil, ginger, and garlic in a large bowl. Cut fish fillets into four equal portions. Marinate fillets in the prepared mixture.- Place fish on a broiling p a n , r e s e r v i n g t h e marinade. Simmer fish fillets 4-5-inch above the

heat for 3-4 minutes, basting with reserved marinade frequently.- Sprinkle fish fillets with sesame seeds. Remove from pan and serve hot.

3 large egg whites1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper1/2 cup thinly sliced spinach1 tomato chopped

- Whisk egg whites, water, salt, and pepper together in a medium bowl. Toss spinach, tomato in another bowl. Lightly coat with oil and heat over medium heat 1 minute.- Pour egg mixture into pan and cook until eggs begin to set on bottom. Cook 2 minutes. Slide omelet onto a serving plate and garnish with reserved filling.

Red chillis chopped

Egg White Omlette with Veggies

Ingredients

Method

Prawn Salad

Ingredients

Eat Healthy Foods

to Stay Healthy for

Eat Healthy Foods To Stay Healthy

If you are looking to lead a healthy lifestyle in this modern world, then it is vital for you to maintain a very healthy diet along with some physical exercise. This is the most common thing that is being said by most people, but only a handful of people heed to such theories. The end result is that many of the people we see around us are either

overweight or obese. If you also fall in this category, then it

is high time that you gave a serious thought to a healthy body and mind in order to b o o s t y o u r lifespan. Eating healthy meals and

healthy food is a sure shot way to your physical well being.

WhatAre Healthy Foods?

There is no specific food that carries a name tag as a healthy food. If you find healthy foods in bags or boxes or in a bottle in a departmental or grocery store, then they probably are not a healthy food. These foods contain a whole lot of preservatives, additives as well as sodium added to it to boost its shelf life. Hence, eating foods like this on a regular basis might even make you overweight. You should never eat frozen or foods that contain added preservatives. Fresh fruits and vegetables as well as lean meat and fishes are considered to be healthy foods. But, make sure that you go for organic fruits and vegetables as they are the best healthy foods that you can come across in this planet.

Butter Paratha

Entrepreneurs

Add More Grains And Fiber In Your Food

It is very important for you to go for high fiber and whole grain diet especially if you are obese or overweight. Thereare numerous health benefits that you would gain by going for whole grains and high fiber diet. It will help in preventing heart related diseases, diabetes as well as protect you from certain types of cancer. It is ideal for you to include a lot of bran, fruits and vegetables in your daily intake and reduce the amount of white foods like rice or white flour in your diet. It will help in boosting your digestion and will also make you feel full very soon so that you eat less.

Reduce SugarAnd Salt Consumption

You need to reduce the intake of salt to prevent high blood pressure. You should replace your salty snacks diet with healthy fruits and a vegetable diet to reduce salt intake. Never ever think of sugary sodas and juices for breakfast and substitute it with unsweetened iced tea. Replacing the sugar with sugar free pills is also not very ideal in the long run.

Foods Low In Cholesterol

It is highly important for you to reduce the intake of foods that are rich in bad cholesterol and bad fat. They will easily get stored in your body and add on to your body weight. It would be better for you to consume lean meat and try to consume lean chicken or turkey over red meat.

Author Bio

Arijit Roul is a health and nutrition expert who has written many articles and blogs on the ideal health foods that people need to take to be fit and healthy. You can read some of the interesting articles on beregnbmi.dk.

5 Easy and healthy non

recipes

Vegetarian5 Easy and healthy non

Vegetarian

1 clove garlic2 tablespoons olive oil800 green prawns peeled and de-veined1 cup cherry tomatoes100 g green beans100 g peas1 red capsicum thinly slicedjuice of 1 lemonfreshly ground black pepper

- Place chilli and garlic with oil in a food processor and blend until lightly chopped. - Transfer half the mixture to a mixing bowl. Add prawns and toss to coat thoroughly.Allow this to marinate for 30 minutes.- Preheat oven to 200 °C. Transfer remaining mixture to dish. Add tomatoes, beans, and peas. Toss to combine. Microwave on high for three minutes, or until vegetablesare just cooked.- Transfer prawns to a baking tray and bake for ten minutes, or until cooked. Remove from oven and tip prawns and cooking juices into cooling vegetables.

Method

New Delhi, Monday, 20 December, 2021 THE SIKH TIMES

WORLD8

the United Nations Development Programme. The crisis has forced many to sell household possessions to buy food.On Saturday, the Taliban government's deputy foreign minister Sher Mohammad AbbasStanekzai urged aid agencies to apply pressure for the release of nearly $10 billion worth of assets held in the United States.Stanekzai also urged all Afghan refugees to return now that the war had ended."We invite and encourage everyone to return to Afghanistan, even our political opponents," he said at a function held to m a r k I n t e r n a t i o n a l M i g r a n t s

Kabul Afghanistan's Taliban authorities said Day.Afghanistan's minister for refugees

Saturday they will resume issuing passports in Khalil Haqqani said that humanitarian

Kabul, giving hope to citizens who feel organisations must help Afghan refugees

threatened living under the Islamists' rule.return home.

Thousands of Afghans have applied for new "Afghan refugees living in camps abroad

travel documents to escape a growing are in a bad situation. They have to return to

economic as well as a humanitarian crisis Afghanistan and work here," said Haqqani,

described by the United Nations as an who is a member of the Haqqani network,

"avalanche of hunger".which was branded a terror group by

Authorities will start issuing the documents Washington."All the technical issues have now been "We are happy now ... we can get our passports from Sunday at Kabul's passport office, Alam

Over the past four decades, more than sixresolved," Haqqani said, adding that initially and go to Pakistan," he said as many began Gul Haqqani, the head of the passport

million Afghans have fled the country totravel documents will be given to those who gathering outside the passport office afterdepartment in the interior ministry, told

escape war and economic crises, most of them had already applied before the office Saturday's announcement.Issuing passports --reporters.The Taliban stopped issuing

living in neighbouring Iran and Pakistan.suspended work.New applications will be and allowing people to leave amid the growing passports shortly after their August 15 return to

accepted from January 10. humanitarian crisis -- is seen as a test of the The international community has so far not power, as tens of thousands of people Taliban's commitment to the international recognised the current Taliban governmentMany Afghans who wanted to visitscrambled to Kabul's only airport in a bid to community.The Taliban are pressing donors to that was formed after the chaotic withdrawal neighbouring Pakistan for medical treatmentcatch any international flight that could restore billions of dollars in aid that was of US-led foreign troops.have also been blocked in the absence of valid evacuate them.suspended when the previous Western-backedpassports.My mother has some health issues International flights, mainly to Dubai and Abu'TECHNICAL ISSUES RESOLVED' regime imploded in the final stages of a US and we needed to go to Pakistan a long time Dhabi, have meanwhile slowly resumed at

In October, authorities reopened the passport military withdrawal.The abrupt withholding ago, but we could not because the passport Kabul airport after the facility was trashed in office in Kabul only to suspend work days later of aid has amounted to an "unprecedented" department was closed," said Jamshid, who August when crowds of people scrambled to as a flood of applications caused the biometric fiscal shock for an economy already battered like many Afghans goes by only one name. evacuate.equipment to break dn. by drought and decades of war, according to

NEWS BOX

Omicron Revives 2020 "Global Pandemic Epicenter" New York's Nightmarelines... it's kind of back to where we began," he added, speaking just weeks before he stepsNew York: With restaurants in Brooklyn Reiter said.Connolly concurred, saying, "It's aside to make way for his elected successor,closing in rapid succession and lines at Covid-definitely eerie."The first wave of the Eric Adams.De Blasio has made vaccination19 test centers swelling by the day, fears are pandemic brought New York to its knees in the mandatory for all city employees and,growing in New York of a return to thespring of 2020.The megalopolis of 8.5 million effective December 27, for the 184,000nightmare of 2020, when the city was the people, long known as "the city that never companies and businesses in the city's hugeglobal epicenter of the pandemic.sleeps," felt almost deserted for weeks, its private sector. It remains unclear, however,On Saturday, New York state announced a empty streets resembling something from a whether Adams will enforce that requirementrecord number of daily cases for the second science fiction movie about a post- once he takes power.In this normally festive day in a row with almost 22,000 positive apocalyptic world.The only sound heard in holiday season, when New York traditionallyr e s u l t s . I n B r o o k l y n ' s G r e e n p o i n t Manhattan's broad avenues seemed to be the welcomes an influx of tourists -- and their neighborhood alone, more than a dozen bars stress-inducing wail of ambulance sirens, money -- a sense of panic has gripped the and restaurants have had to close temporarily while hospitals operated beyond capacity and iconic theaters and music halls of Broadway amid a recent surge in infections among their

Covid-19 Omicron variant has raised grave morgues were forced to bring in refrigerated as positive cases among performers andworkers and patrons.Near popular McCarren concern across the US.President Joe Biden on trucks to handle the huge influx of Covid backstage workers have forced more and morePark, around 30 people were lined up at a Thursday predicted a "winter of severe illness victims.The disease has claimed at least cancellations.Radio City Music Hall latemedical van offering rapid tests.And at 30 and death" for the unvaccinated.34,000 lives in New York City since spring Friday announced it was canceling the fourRockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, popular The number of new daily cases nationwide 2020, and the city -- especially Manhattan -- remaining Christmas shows starring its famedsketch television show "Saturday Night Live" stood at 86,000 on December 1; by December has never completely regained its legendary "Rockette" dancers due to "increasingannounced it would not film in front of a live 14, it had soared to 117,000, a 36 percent glitter and energy of pre-Covid days."We are challenges from the pandemic."As for theaudience, and have a limited cast and crew. Its increase in two weeks.The US already leads actually in the beginning again, or maybe even multi-award-winning musical "Hamilton," itmusical guest Charli XCX said she would no the world in the most grim of statistics. On worse," said Jolanta Czerlanis, a 54-year-old was canceled without warning Thursday night.longer perform."It feels very reminiscent of Tuesday it surpassed 800,000 Covid deaths, Brooklyn resident. She had come for testing "We literally flew in just to see 'Hamilton' one March 2020," said Spencer Reiter, a 27-year-according data compiled by Johns Hopkins after feeling possible Covid symptoms."It's day only," said Myron Abston, who had old Brooklyn resident who works inUniversity."Omicron happened," New Yorkvery scary," added Czerlanis, who works in traveled from Michigan with his wife Dara finance.He and his friend Katie Connolly, aMayor Bill de Blasio said recently on CNN.catering. "We were hoping that it's going to get Abston."We got here early this morning andstudent who is also 27, had come to be tested "And we got to be honest about the fact that it's better."The startlingly rapid spread of the the show is canceled," he glumly told AFP.after friends tested positive."Seeing thesemoving very fast and we have to move faster,"

Indonesia's Semeru VolcanoErupts Second Time This Month, Warning IssuedJakarta: Indonesia's Semeru volcano on Java island erupted early on Sunday spewing a two km (1.24 miles) high ash column, prompting authorities to warn people to stay away from the eruption range.Earlier this month, the eruption of Semeru, Java's tallest mountain, ejected ash clouds and pyroclastic flows that killed at least 46 people and left several missing, while thousands were displaced.On Sunday, the early morning eruption resulted in dense white and grey ash clouds, according to Indonesia's Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG).The agency warned nearby residents not to conduct any activities within a five km (three miles) radius of the eruption centre and to keep a 500 metre (1,500 feet) distance from riversides due to risks of lava flow.PVMBG also told people to not conduct any activities within 13 km (eight miles) southeast of the eruption centre.With 142 volcanoes, Indonesia has the largest population globally living in close range to a volcano, including 8.6 million within 10km (six miles).

Taliban govt resumes issuing Afghan passports in Kabul

Over 22,000 People

Displaced In Malaysia Floods,

Thousands Flee Homes

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Over 22,000 people were evacuated throughout Malaysia Sunday as the country faces some of its worst flooding in years.The tropical Southeast Asiannation often sees stormy monsoon seasons at the end of the year, with seasonal flooding regularly causing mass evacuations.Heavy downpours since Friday have caused rivers to overflow,submerging many urban areas and cutting off major roads, stranding thousands of motorists.Almost 22,000 flood victims in eight states and territories were r e c o r d e d o n a n o f f i c i a lgovernment website, with over 10,000 of them in the central state of Pahang.More than 5,000 people fled their homes in the country's richest state of Selangor -- which surrounds the capital Kuala Lumpur -- with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob expressing surprise at the s t rong f l ood ing t he re . " In Selangor, the situation happened

as if by surprise because the monsoon season... rarely has floods occurring in Selangor," he said in a late night Saturday press conference.Ads by A government website s h o w e d w a t e r e x c e e d i n g dangerous levels in six central and northeastern states Sunday morning.Dozens of bus routes in and around the Malaysian capital have been cancelled and train services leading to the port city of Klang were suspended.While the rainy weather has slowed in some areas , the Meteoro logica l Department warned that the downpour was expected to continue in parts of Pahang.

Texas Building Its Own "Wall"On Mexico Border: Governor

Washington, United States: Texas has begun building its own "wall" of huge steel bars on the border with Mexico, its Republican governor Greg Abbott said Saturday, accusing President Joe Biden of not doing enough to stop illegal immigration."Texas is taking what is really an unprecedented step by any state in the country," Abbott said, telling a news conference about construction of "a wall on our border to secure and safeguard the sovereignty of the United States and our own state."Such a wall "is needed for one single reason, and that's because the Biden administration has failed to do its job," he said from Rio Grande City, speaking in front of a crane and steel bars. The governor, who is said to have his own White House ambitions, denounced the "deadly consequences" of Biden's border policies."This border wall that you see behind us is a replication of the border wall that president Trump put up, same material, same concept," he added, referring to Biden's predecessor,Donald Trump.Ads by Trump famously made the construction of a wall along the US-Mexico border a plank of his administration, though much of the 452 miles (727 kilometers) he managed to build over his four-year term was replacing existing barriers.The work was halted when Biden took officein January this year.The Democratic president has been criticized for his management of illegal migration, with some on the left denouncing what they say are the harsh policies still in place, and the right demanding even harsher ones.

The Talibangovernment in Afghanistan said it will resume issuing Afghan passports in Kabul on Sunday.

World Bank Approves $195 Million Loan For Pakistangovernance and transparency and will develop systems and practices to improve managerial performance and c o m p l i a n c e w i t h r e g u l a t o r y requirements. In addition, the project will help build the technical capacity of the distribution companies by providing training programs, tools, and equipment to improve staff performance in key utility operations.The project will focus on strengthening operations and governance of Hyderabad Electric Supply Company, Multan Electric Power Company, and Peshawar Electric Supply Company," said Mohammad Saqib Task Team Leaderfor the project. "With the leadership of technology and information systems. The project

the Ministry of Energy, this project will bolster will also invest in climate-resilient infrastructure, market-sector reforms, reduce transmission and particularly grid stations and transmission lines, distribution losses, and improve the sector's which are critical to distribution and utility financial performance."Washington: The World Bank's Board of services," the World Bank said in a statement on

Executive Directors has approved USD 195 The EDEIP complements ongoing power sector Saturday.million loan for Pakistan in order to improve support from the World Bank, including on "The long-term financial viability of the power electricity distribution and implement energy transmission network, renewable energysector depends on improving the efficiency of sector reforms to increase service quality for generation, as well as reforms through the electricity distribution companies that deliver consumers."The Electricity Distribution Pakistan Program for Affordable and Clean electricity to consumers," said Najy Benhassine, Efficiency Improvement Project (EDEIP) will Energy (PACE), which focuses on improving its World Bank Country Director for Pakistan. help distribution companies improve operations financial viability and transitioning to low-carbon "These efforts will improve the operational and to manage the electricity supply more efficiently energy. The project will increase the reliability of financial performance of select distribution and increase the reliability of the electrical grid. It electricity services for residential, agricultural, companies to improve their bankability and focuses on cost-saving interventions to increase commercial, and industrial sector consumers in ultimately generate more private sector revenue collection and reduce losses, and on project areas, and will contribute to reducing participation."The statement said the EDEIP will modernizing operations by employing carbon emissions, read the statement.support institutional reforms to improve

Strasbourg's European Court of Human London: British architect Richard Rogers, Rights and the Three World Trade Centre inknown for designing some of the world's New York, as well as international airport most famous buildings including Paris'terminals in Madrid and London'sPompidou Centre, has died aged 88, Heathrow.Born in Florence in 1933, his according to media reports.Rogers, whofather was a doctor, his mother a former changed the London skyline with distinctivepupil of the famed Irish writer James Joyce. creations such as the Millennium Dome and The family fled the dictatorship ofthe 'Cheesegrater', "passed away quietly"Mussolini, settling in England in 1938.He Saturday night, Freud communicationsleft school in 1951 with no qualifications butagency's Matthew Freud told the Pressmanaged to gain entry into London'sAssociation.His son Roo Rogers also Architectural Association School, knownconfirmed his death to the New York Times,for its modernism.He completed hisbut did not give the cause.The Italian-born architecture studies at Yale in the Unitedarchitect won a series of awards for his States in 1962, where he met fellow British designs, including the 2007 Pritzker Prize,architect Norman Foster.and is one of the pioneers of the "high-tech"

architecture movement, distinguished by Although buildings were Rogers' world, he structures incorporating industrial materials insisted it was the space around them that such as glass and steel. was key in defining those that worked.The

Twin Towers in New York, for instance.He is the co-creator of France's Pompidou he designed with Italian architect Renzo Piano. They weren't great buildings, but the spaceCentre -- opened in 1977 and famed for its

between them was."Rogers' other well-known designs include multi-coloured, pipe-covered facade -- which

Richard Rogers, Architect Of "World's Most Famous Buildings", Dies At 88

The statement said the EDEIP will support institutional reforms to improve governance and transparency and will develop systems and practices to improve managerial performance and compliance with regulatory requirements.

Over 90% Fully Jabbed- "WellPrepared" Australia's Hope Amid Covid Spike

Melbourne: Australian officials on Sunday said there was no need to clamp down on Christmas festivities even as new COVID-19 infections climbed in Sydney, with the country's high vaccination rate helping keep people out of hospital.Health Minister Greg Hunt said he was confident Australia would not need to follow the Netherlands, which has reimposed a strict lockdown over the Christmas and New Year period to curb the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant."We're going into summer, we have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world and a very different set of circumstances. So we don't see that's a likely situation in Australia," Hunt told reporters in a televised media conference.The Netherlands, he said, has suffered vastly higher infections and deaths than Australiaover the pandemic and is now in the depths of winter when cases were more likely to climb sharply."We're well prepared and people are overwhelmingly ... continuing to do an amazing job," Hunt said, referring to the more than 90% of Australians over 16 who have been fully vaccinated.

Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, on Sunday reported 2,566 new cases, up from 2,482 on Saturday. Cases in intensive care remained low at 28, which state premier Dominic Perrottet said was "incredibly positive."Pressed by reporters on whether the state was being complacent in the face of mounting cases, Perrottet said the key metric was the number of cases in intensive care."It's a time for calm. But it'salso an important time to go out and get your booster shot, because vaccination has been key to New South Wales' success," he said.In Victoria state, new infections fell to 1,240 on Sunday from 1,504 a day earlier, with 81 cases in intensive care. Tasmania reported three new cases.Health officials said it was not clear yet what the split was between Omicron and Delta cases among Australia'snew infections.

New Delhi, Monday, 20 December, 2021 THE SIKH TIMES

FOODS9

Better cookBetter cookBetter cook

popsicles yet?

Five foods

New Delhi: In today's world we have to be fit and healthy in order to cope with the ever-mountingpressures of a globalised life. Exercising in the gym and gardening alone won't keep you fit. You are what you eat and it is imperative you consume healthy foods.Eating food rich in carbohydrate, proteins, mineralsand vitamins after exercising make helps you boost your immunity.Here are some foods that will help you to stay fit and energised throughout the day:

Apple:'An apple a day keeps the doctor away'. There are different types of apples available in the market. Apples contain essential fibres, carbs and vitamins. You can use apple in salad, juice, smoothies to avoid boredom of eating an apple as it is.

Eggs:An egg is one of the most loved foods for athletes. E g g s c o n t a i n high amount of protein. You caneat an egg at any time of the day. It provides you all the protein that a body needs to repair.

Milk:Drinking a glass of milk in the morning is very g o o d a s i t contains calcium, p r o t e i n s a n d h y d r a t i n gproperties which help your body get energised. You can have a glass of milk before going to bed as it helps your body to get the rest it needs. You can add fruits to milk and have healthy shakes.

Chicken Breast:Chicken Breast contains protein and it supports muscle development.

Salmon:Salmon is an excellent source of vitamins and Omega 3 fatty acids which are believed to keep your heart healthy. It is also high in protein.

Want to get your kids to enjoy fruit and still indulge in a chilled treat? How about making some fruit popsicles? They're a healthier alternative to aerated drinks and high-sugar syrups. These popsicles are not just a natural fix, but thus also make for a smarter dessert idea. They help you stay hydrated and give you an energy boost. What's more, you can use just about any fruit — strawberries are in season, so start with those. Here are a few tips on how to make the cold sticks...HOWTO MAKE THE COLD POPS- Mash the fruit in a bowl and spoon it into the popsicle moulds.-Add some juice or lime water for extra taste.- Place these in the fridge.- When semi-set, insert a stick in each and re-freeze.- When set, run the moulds under cold water to ease out the pops.DIFFERENT KINDSThere's a lot to try out. Use fresh orange or

mosambi that are always in season. Mix pomegranate (the fruit has a low glycemic-index and is recommended for obese and diabetic patients) with lemon and a little cinnamon. Try hibiscus with pomegranate by mixing hibiscus tea with pomegranate juice, opt for peach pulp with honey or make the popiscles yoghurt-style by adding fresh yoghurt to the mix. With the summer coming up soon, you can also make coconut water popsicles as the fruit is high in potassium and extremely hydrating.

that help you remain fit,

healthy and active

Simple ways to become a

hile eating out is the most popular activity,learning to cook does not seem to be so of late. In fact, it also does not seem to feature among W

the top-five resolutions. If you are among the health conscious, who plan to eat healthy this year, it is more effective if you learn to cook it yourself. All you need to do

is get rid of the awe around cooking. It is no rocket-science. Just remember some things for a hassle-free, healthy cooking...

Make a commitment

Always remember that learning is a process and not just a single step. To become a good cook, you will require some

time to master in it. It is much more than reading a recipe and following a set of instructions. Says food blogger VidhiRavjiani, "Often you may lose hope and just feel like ordering something from your neighbourhood restaurant, but try to remember your goal. Figure out what went wrong in the first dish you made and don't repeat it the next time

around."Pay attention

The first rule when you just start out cooking is to be attentive. Turn off your TV, don't talk on the phone or don't surf the internet while you are cooking. Be aware of what the food looks like or what it smells like etc. Paying attention to what you're cooking, also saves you from unwanted disaster. For example, if you have put something on the stove and get busy talking on the phone, chances are that the dish could end up getting burnt as you are distracted.

Organise well

The trick to becoming a better cook is by keeping everything you need while cooking at hand. Since you are not used to the whole process of cooking, you may forget about having everything prepped and chopped before you begin. Before you start, make sure that you have all the ingredients you require for the dish so that you don't have to do any last-minute running around.

Taste your food while you cook

Don't wait for your cooking to get done completely.Flavour is built up in layers — when you taste the food in various stages of being cooked, you will get differentflavours. For example if you are cooking with tomato, you will notice how the flavour of a tomato sauce deepens as it cooks or how a carrot goes from a simple vegetable to a rich and sweet dessert. Also when it comes to seasoning, always remember that there's more to it than salty or sweet. Many dishes can also be fixed easily with a jolt of acidity.

Keep it simple

Just like you don't become an excellent driver until you have spent a considerable amount of time on the road, similarly you won't become a chef in a day. Begin by learning a few basics — a vegetable or chicken soup, an omelette, dal and chawal are a few. Repeat them until you are satisfied with the result. Move over to another dish only when you have mastered the simple ones.

Shop with care

As a beginner, you may feel that the real cooking starts in the kitchen, but you are wrong. It really starts in the market. Select the ripest of fruits, the deeply coloured vegetables or the fresh variety of meats. Devote an extra 10 minutes to choose the best ingredients as it will save you hours of cooking time.

Get the right equipment

There are a few essential equipments that you need to have. These include a skillet, woks, roasting pans, slow cookers, casserole dishes and salad bowls. Home baker Geeta Subodh says, "Besides these, a well-stocked kitchen includes a saucepan, cutting boards, one for meat and one for vegetables. Use a big cutting board — the bigger the board, the more room you will have for quickly prepping ingredients. You should also have a set of mixing bowls and measuring cups and spoons."

Keep a well-stocked pantry

You shouldn't think of your kitchen as just an ordinary kitchen. While you are making a shopping list, and as you cook and use the ingredients, keep your pantry in mind. Every time you reach the bottom of your ginger-garlic paste or vinegar bottle, always jot it down on your list, so that you won't come up empty-handed the next time you are about to cook.

Tried fresh fruit popsicles yet?

Tried some Gujarati Parsi?Want to get your kids to enjoy fruit and still indulge in a chilled treat? How about making some fruit popsicles? They're a healthier alternative to aerated drinks and high-sugar syrups. These popsicles are not just a natural fix, but thus also make for a smarter dessert idea. They help you stay hydrated and give you an energy boost. What's more, you can use just about any fruit — strawberries are in season, so start with those. Here are a few tips on how to make the cold sticks...HOW TO MAKE THE COLD POPS- Mash the fruit in a bowl and spoon it into the popsicle moulds.- Add some juice or lime water for extra taste.- Place these in the fridge.

- When semi-set, insert a stick in each and re-freeze.- When set, run the moulds under cold water to ease out the pops.DIFFERENT KINDSThere's a lot to try out. Use fresh orange or mosambi that are always in season. Mix pomegranate (the fruit has a low glycemic-index and is recommended for obese and diabetic patients) with lemon and a little cinnamon.Try hibiscus with pomegranate by mixing

hibiscus tea with pomegranate juice, opt for peach pulp with honey or make the popiscles yoghurt-style by adding fresh yoghurt to the mix. With the summer coming up soon, you can also make coconut water popsicles as the fruit is high in potassium and extremely hydrating.

New Delhi, Monday, 20 December, 2021 THE SIKH TIMES

BUSINESS10

New Delhi On Sunday, the prices of petrol and Delhi government cut the VAT on petrol from has witnessed the biggest cut in the price of diesel remained unbattered across major Indian 30 per cent to 19.4 per cent, reducing the petrol petrol after it cut local sales tax or VAT. On thecities. The oil marketing companies (OMCs) price by Rs 8 in the national capital. However, other hand, the UT of Ladakh saw the biggesthave kept fuel rates constant for more than a the diesel prices were kept unchanged at Rs reduction in diesel.In Chandigarh, petrol ismonth now amid fluctuating crude oil prices. 86.67 per litre. retailing at Rs 94.23 per litre and diesel costs Rs

The November 4 decline took the prices of petrolThere has been no change in the prices of petrol 80.09 per litre. The non-BJP-ruled states suchand diesel down in other cities such as Mumbai, and diesel after the central government cut the as Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, WestChennai and Kolkata. In Mumbai, petrol costsexcise duty to bring down the retail rates from Bengal, Kerala, Telangana and Andhra PradeshRs 109.98 per litre and people have to shell out record highs. are yet to announce VAT cuts.

On November 3, the government cut the excise Rs 94.14 for one litre of diesel.Kolkata retailed Petrol prices above Rs 100 mark in these statesEven though the Central government announced aduty on petrol and diesel by Rs 5 and Rs 10 per a litre of petrol at the same price of Rs 104.67

VAT cut on fuel rates, the price of petrol is above litre, respectively, giving a big relief to per litre and diesel price stands at Rs 89.79 perthe Rs 100 mark in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan,consumers. Following this, many NDA-rules litre. In Chennai, petrol is available at Rs 101.40 Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha,states slashed the Value-Added Tax (VAT) to per litre and diesel costs Rs 91.43 per litre.

Fuel rates in other cities Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. If we talk further give a respite to customers battered byabout metro cities, the prices of petrol and dieselrecord-high fuel prices. In Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow, the prices of petrol

and diesel stand at Rs 95.28 and Rs 86.80 per In Delhi, petrol is retailing at Rs 95.41 per litre are the cheapest in Delhi and the costliest inlitre, respectively. The Congress-ruled Punjaband diesel costs Rs 86.67 per litre. Recently, the Mumbai.

CNG Price Hike: Check latest rates in Delhi, Mumbai, other cities

Petrol, Diesel prices: Oil marketing companies keep fuel rates

steady on Sunday| Check latest rates here

New Delhi: Mahanagar Gas Limited, a government gas utility company, has increased the prices of compressed natural gas (CNG) and piped natural gas (PNG) in Mumbai by Rs 2 per kg and Rs 1.50 per SCM. The CNG price hike is likely to impact about eight lakh consumers across Mumbai and nearby areas around the financial capital. The increase in the

Limited has increased the CNG and PNG prices order, MGL clarified that the decision toprices is done on a per standard cubic metre

for the second time in three weeks. With the increase the prices of CNG was reportedly(SCM) basis. Mahanagar Gas Limited

latest revision in the prices, CNG price has been taken to meet the shortfall in domestic gasannounced the price hike via a Tweet. ''MGL

increased by Rs 16, burning a hole in the allocation. The company added that itannounces the revised prices of CNG as ?

common man’s pockets. The CNG price hike is reportedly sourcing additional market-priced63.50/Kg and PNG ? 38/SCM in and around

also likely to impact taxi and auto drivers, bus natural gas to meet the demands for both CNGMumbai w.e.f. midnight of 17th December

operators and private vehicle owners.In an and PNG.2021'', the company had said. Mahanagar Gas

India will achieve $400 billion export target this year:Commerce Minister Piyush GoyalNew Delhi: Union Minister for Commerce

and Industry Piyush Goyal asserted that this year (2021-22) India will achieve USD 400 billion export target, something which has never happened before.

Further, talking about the new markets which will help India to achieve the said export target, Goyal said, "The United ArabEmirates will become a gateway for Indian trade to the Middle East and Africa and we may set up a huge India mart to tap that market.""Talks on India-UAE Free TradeAgreement is underway. They have committed USD 100 billion for investment and infrastructure creation in India," Goyal said. Also Read: PM Modi urges mayors to launch cleanliness, beautification drive in their citiesGoyal made the following comments on Saturday after laying the foundation stone for the mega common facility centre at the Santacruz ElectronicsExport Processing Zone in Mumbai.

of draft notifications are pre-published on New Delhi: The four labour codes on wages, Similarly, the 20 states which have pre-The Code on Wages by 24 states/UTssocial security, industrial relations and published draft rules on The Industrial followed by The Industrial Relations Codeoccupation safety, health and working Relations Code are Madhya Pradesh,(by 20 states) and The Code on Social conditions, are likely to be implemented by Bihar, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh,Security (18) states.In his reply to thethe next fiscal year as at least 13 states have Gujarat, Odisha, Punjab, Chhattisgarh,Upper House, the minister explained thatpre-published draft rules on these laws, a Tripura, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Arunachallabour is in the Concurrent List of the senior official said.The Centre has already Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh,Constitution and under the Labour Codes,finalised the rules under these codes and now Telangana, Manipur, Assam, Goa, UTs ofrules are required to be framed by the states are required to frame regulations on Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry.

As many as 18 states have pre-publishedcentral government as well as by the state their part as labour is a concurrent subject.A senior official said that the four labour codes draft rules on The Code on Social Security.governments.The central government and

Government, State Government and are likely to be implemented by the next These states are Madhya Pradesh, Bihar,some of the States/UTs have pre-publishedappropriate Government and there is a fiscal year.The four labour codes are likely to Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab,rules under the four labour codes. The central requirement of publication of Rules in their be implemented in the next financial year of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Arunachalgovernment is pursuing with the remainingofficial Gazette for a period of 30 or 45 days 2022-23 as a large number of states have Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tripura,state governments to frame the rules under allfor public consultation.finalised draft rules on these. The Centre has Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Assam,four Codes, he had said.The central

As per the minister's reply, draft rules are pre-completed the process of finalising the draft Gujarat, Goa and UT of Jammu and Kashmir.government has notified four labour codes,published by 24 states on The Code on rules on these codes in February 2021. But Also Read: Apple could launch its AR/VRnamely, the Code on Wages, 2019, onAugustWages.These states are Madhya Pradesh, since labour is a concurrent subject, the headset by next year: Report8, 2019, and the Industrial Relations Code,Bihar, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Uttar As many as 13 states have pre-published draft Centre wants the states to implement these as 2020, the Code on Social Security, 2020, andPradesh, Gujarat , Odisha, Punjab, rules on The Occupational Safety, Health andwell in one go," the official said. the Occupational Safety, Health and WorkingChhattisgarh, Tripura, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Conditions Code, 2020 on September 29, Union Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav in a Working Conditions Code. These areArunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, 2020.However, the Centre as well as states reply to the Rajya Sabha earlier this week had Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, MadhyaHaryana, Maharashtra, Goa, Mizoram, are required to notify rules under the four said that the Occupational Safety, Health and Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, ArunachalTelangana, Assam, Manipur, UTs of Jammu codes to enforce these laws in respective Working Conditions Code is the only code on Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Punjab,and Kashmir, Puducherry and GNCT of jurisdictions. Under the Codes, the power to which the least number of 13 states have pre- Manipur, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh and UTDelhi.make rules has been entrusted to the Central published the draft rules.The highest number of Jammu and Kashmir.

Pre-Budget consultations: Social

sector experts meet FM; seek

job, health spend boostNew Delhi: Representatives of various

social sectors and trade unions impressed upon the government on Saturday to further bolster health spending amid the unprecedented Covid crisis, introduce an urban employment programme and enhance outlay for the rural job guarantee scheme.As part of the pre-Budget consultation meeting, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday met experts from sectors including health, education, rural development, and water and sanitation. Some of the stakeholders are learnt to have suggested that the government keep up the focus on creation of health infrastructure and take steps to ensure that the country is adequately prepared to tackle any Covid-like health emergency in future.

In the previous Budget, the government had raised outlay for the Department of Health & Family Welfare by nearly 10 per cent from a year ago to Rs 78,866 crore. Similarly, the allocation for health research and the Ayush Ministry was raised by 34 per cent and 28 per cent, respectively. Outlay for nutrition and drinking water & sanitation was enhanced by as much as 350 per cent and 253 per cent, respectively, to Rs 2,700 crore and Rs 60,030 crore.The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) has submitted to the Finance Ministry that an urban employment guarantee programme be introduced with adequate fund allocation, given that a large number of migrant labourers work in various cities across India.

New Delhi: The Central government is all set to roll out the 10th instalment under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) yojana anytime in the coming days. Eligible farmers will be receiving the money directly in their bank accounts anytime soon. However, select farmers could receive Rs 4000 instead of Rs 2000 with the 10th instalment.

Under the PM-KISAN Yojana, the Central government credits Rs 6000 annually to the bank accounts of eligible farmers. Thepromised sum is credited into the bank accounts in three differentinstalments of Rs 2000 each. ThePM-KISAN Yojana, which is funded 100% by the government of India, aims to provide financial support to poor and marginalisedfarmers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the scheme in February 2019.

So far, the government has transferred Rs 1.58 lakh crore directly into the bank accounts of registered farmers.Currently,more than 11.37 crore farmers are eligible for receiving benefits under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme in India. These farmers are now waiting for the roll-out of the 10th instalment. Media reports suggest that farmers could receive the Rs 2000 instalment by December 25. So far, the government has transferred 9 instalments under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. In August2021, the government had transferred Rs 19,500 crore into the bank accounts of over 9.75 crore beneficiary farmer families. Also Read: Garena Free Fire redeem codes December 19: Check how to get free rewards

However, a select number of eligible farmers hadn’t received the Rs 2000 instalment under the PM Kisan Yojana. Such farmers who hadn’t received the promised sum will now get Rs 4000 with the 10th instalment.

PM Kisan 10th instalment:

Select farmers could get Rs

4000 next week, check how

IRCTC Update: Long-distance trains will soon have reserved berths for women

4 labour codes likely to be implemented by FY23 as many states ready draft rules

City gas infra: Investments of

Rs 80K cr in pipeline for 61

areasNew Delhi The latest licensing round for

setting up of city gas infrastructure saw as much as Rs 80,000 crore of investment being proposed for 61 geographical areas (GAs) that were put on auction, including Jammu, Nagpur, Pathankot and Madurai, oil regulator PNGRB said.

Bids for the 65 GAs offered in the 11th city gas licensing round came in on December 15, Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) said in a statement. Bids were received for 61 GAs, it added. The 65 GAs, spread over 215 districts in 19 states and one Union Territory, cover 26 per cent of the country’s population and 33 per cent of its area.“This round attracted an overwhelming response from investors with more than 430 bids against 61 GAs with no single bid in these GAs. Thetechnical bids would be opened between December 17 to 22,” PNGRB said.

“This initiative would help in creating a robust CGD infrastructure and play a significant role in transforming to a gas-based economy. This would bring investment of more than Rs 80,000 crore and generate employment.”

At present, there are 228 GAs authorised by PNGRB in 27 states and UTs covering approximately 53 per cent of the country’sgeographical area and 70 per cent of its population.In the last city gas distribution (CGD) bidding round, i.e. the 10th round, 50 GAs were authorised for the development of CGD network.

During 2018 and 2019, PNGRB gave out licences to retail CNG to automobiles and piped cooking gas to household kitchens in 136 GAs. This extended coverage of the city gas network to 406 districts and around 70 per cent of the country’s population.

The push for city gas expansion is part of the government’s plan for raising the share of natural gas in the country’s energy basket to 15 per cent by 2030 from the current 6.3 per cent.The 65 GAs to be bid out in the 11thCGD bidding round include Jammu, Udhampur, Samba and Kathua districts in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Nagpur in Maharashtra, Madurai in TamilNadu and Rajasthan’s Bikaner and Churu districts are among the areas being offeredfor bidding.

The CNG price hike is likely to impact about eight lakh consumers.

?CNG price has been increased by Rs 16 in the past few weeks.

?In Delhi, CNG is selling at Rs 53.04 per kg.

for all women passengers irrespective New Delhi: In a bid to make Indian of factors such as age.trains safer for women, the Indian

Railways has now announced that Moreover, women passengers can also long-distance trains will soon have book berths even if they are travelling reserved berths for women. The move with a group of women. In every is expected to improve the journey of sleeper coach, 6-7 lower berths will women passengers in long-distance be reserved for women while in the trains of Indian Railways. 3AC coaches, 4-5 lower berths will

be reserved. 3-4 berths will also be While announcing the decisionreserved in 2AC coaches for senior Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnawcitizens and women above 45.said that in order to ensure the Pregnant women below 45 can also comfortable and safe travel of womenreserve seats to ensure that she has a passengers in long-distance trains,comfortable train journey.Also Read:Indian Railways has allotted special PM Kisan 10th instalment: Selectberths for women and several other farmers could get Rs 4000 next week, facilities. According to the minister,check howHe also said that Indian long-distance trains such as GaribRai lways is making specia l under the Seventh Schedule of the Police have been given specialRath, Rajdhani, Duronto and fullyarrangements for the security of Constitution of India. The Railway instructions to provide better securityAC Express trains will have six women and all passengers. “Police Protection Force (RPF), Government to the women passengers,” he was berths in sleeper class reserved forand public order are state subjects Railway Police (GRP) and District quoted as saying by News18.women. The births will be available

?Vaishnaw said the

decision is taken to

ensure the comfortable

and safe travel of women

passengers in long-

distance trains.

?Only select trains will

have the facility of

reserving berths for

women.

?These trains include

Garib Rath, Rajdhani,

Duronto and fully AC

Express trains.

New Delhi, Monday, 20 December, 2021 THE SIKH TIMES

11SPORTS

New Delhi, Monday, 20 December, 2021

NEWS BOX

New Delhi. The Indian cricket team had vehicles to SuperSport Park, where they tweeted, "Getting Test-match ready.its first full training session here in were seen being led by Dravid and Snippets from #TeamIndia's firstnearly a week as captain Virat Kohli and Kohli onto the ground followed by practice session ahead of the firsthead coach Rahul Dravid marshalled Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday.The #SAvIND Test."On Saturday, the BCCItheir players at the SuperSport Park, team had a warm-up session where they had posted a video of the players going with the latter giving tips to key batters. did a bit of jogging and stretching before for a light workout, which included a

getting down to business. Kohli was game of foot volley.India's strength andIndia will take on hosts South Africa in a seen receiving batting tips from Dravid, conditioning coach, Soham Desai, hadthree-Test series beginning in Centurion with pacer Jasprit Bumrah -- returning emphasised that after three days of hard on December 26 (Boxing Day), hoping to play Test cricket after being rested for quarantine in Mumbai, starting a skillto clinch their maiden series win in the the two-Test series against New Zealand session right away would have beenlongest format of the game here. But -- going full tilt at the nets.Mohd Shami, "high risk", which is why the team hadwith no warm-up game slotted due to the Ashwin and veteran pacer Ishant an easy session on Friday evening.Desai tight schedule, the team will have to Sharma too bowled at the nets, with the also said that his main task would be to quickly adapt to the pitches and also skipper finally leaving the ground after bring the players to peak fitness after acclimatise to the altitude. The venue is the session, giving a thumbs up to the three days of hard quarantine inat a height of 1400 metres.On Sunday,players as he hastily made his way out Mumbai, followed by a 10-hour journeythe Board of Control for Cricket in India with a huge kit bag lugged on his back. to Johannesburg and then another day of(BCCI) posted a video of Team India

hard quarantine in South Africa.being escorted in two buses by police Posting the video, the Indian cricket board

New Delhi.

wickets in that period, including those after losing the first Test by nine wickets. of premier Australia batters David Australia had resumed on Sunday at 1-Warner and captain Steve Smith. 45 in its second innings, with a dominant

England captain Joe Root lead of 282 runs."He is currently being assessed by the

missed nearly the first one and a half England medical team," a team Root's return to the field is an encouraging

hours of the first session of Day 4 of the spokesman had said while Root was sign for the visitors as England have

second Ashes Test after sustaining an off.Root came on to the field before the been found woefully short in the batting

injury during the warm-up. A team 18th full over of the day, by which time department. Root has been enjoying

spokesman said that Root was hit in the the Australian scorecard read 81/4 with arguably the best year of his career,

abdomen by a throwdown in the nets on first innings centurion Marnus scoring over 1600 runs in Test cricket in

Sunday ahead of the start of the day's Labschagne and Travis Head in the 2021. He has also been the only England

play.All-rounder Ben Stokes could be middle. batter apart from Dawid Malan who has

seen moving the field around in Root's been able to score runs consistently in Australia were leading 322 runs by then as absence. England ended up taking three the series.England look to avoid another big defeat

The Ashes 2nd Test: Joe Root injured during

warm-up, does not take the field early on Day 4

AdelaideAmember of the broadcast crew for the second Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval has tested positive for Covid-19, the venue has said in a statement on Sunday.It further said that relevant areas have been sanitized and the fourth day of the Test, which is the first day-night match of the five-Test series, has gone ahead as was scheduled."We have been advised that a member of a broadcast crew has returned a positive COVID result as part of their scheduled testing. SA Health are aware and we have begun to trace and notify this person’s close contacts," said the Adelaide Oval.

According to Australian media, the person is a member of the British media and the players were just entering the ground as the news broke.

Earlier, Australia captain Pat Cummins had to sit out the second Test as he was deemed a close contact to a positive Covid-19 case. Cummins was withdrawn from the squad on the eve of the match after being deemed a close contact of a customer in a restaurant in Adelaide who returned a positive COVID-19 test.

The emergence of the Omicron variant has seen

COVID-19 cases on the rise in Melbourne and Sydney and, with the cities due to host the next two Ashes tests, players will also be asked to exercise additional caution, Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley has said, while also appealing to fans to be careful.Everyone now needs to be extra vigilant because we've had a very high-profile case of disruption," Hockley told SEN radio.That's where we need to make sure there's social distancing, so we ask everyone to be respectful in the public. That's the real shame because what we have seen is players wanting to interact with fans," he said.

New Delhi. Former India cricketer MS Dhoni picking Sehwag for sure, but Sehwaghas been with the Chennai Super Kings ever himself said that he was brought up in Delhi, since its inception in 2008 and he will once so he would have a better connection,"again lead the CSK in the upcoming IPL Badrinath said.The management agreed for2022. The wicketkeeper-batsman has led the him to play in Delhi, thinking it would be franchise to 4 IPL title wins so far and he is better. Then came the auctions, and they sawalso the captain with most number of wins in who was the better player, and before thatIPL.However, Dhoni wasn’t the first choice India won the 2007 World T20. And onlyto lead for CSK, instead, the franchise then did they decide to sign Dhoni."wanted Virender Sehwag.Former CSK "In 2008, MS Dhoni was the most expensive batsman S Badrinath had made some bold player, they bought him for INR 6 crores. So claims about the franchise from the this is a story you probably don’t know but inaugural season of the Indian Premier Dhoni was picked instead of Sehwag. League (IPL).Badrinath, while speaking on According to me, MS Dhoni coming to CSK his YouTube channel, claimed that CSK had was killing three birds with one stone. One, picked Sehwag as their skipper, however, he is one of the best captains the world has later opted to stick with Dhoni.IPL started in ever seen. There is no trophy that he doesn’t2008, and if you see who was the first option have," he added."Second, the best finisher. A all the good teams today, Mumbai Indians third, he is an excellent wicketkeeper. One of for Chennai Super Kings, it was Virender finisher is a very important part of all the best have Pollard, Kolkata Knight Riders have the best and safest keepers I have ever seen," Sehwag. The management had decided on T20 teams around the world. Even if you see Andre Russell, CSK have MS Dhoni. And Badrinath further claimed.

BWF World Championships: Kidambi Srikanth reachesmaiden final after outclassing Lakshya Sen

brilliantly latching onto Granit Xhaka's Leeds Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli's through pass and lofting the ball over double helped Arsenal ease to a dominant 4-Meslier.1 win at Leeds United in the Premier League

on Saturday.In the only Premier League Saka's goal had an element of fortune about it game to go ahead on Saturday due to a huge as a deflection took it past Meslier whose rise in COVID-19 cases among players, performance ensured it was only three at the Arsenal blew beleaguered Leeds away with a break.Arsenal's 11 shots on target in the first blistering first-half display. half is the most in the opening 45 minutes

by any side in a single Premier League Having shipped seven goals at Manchestermatch since 2003-04, when pta started City in midweek, Leeds were repeatedlycollecting such stats.carved apart in the opening period, with

Martinelli's brace putting Arsenal 2-0 up Leeds improved in the second half and inside 28 minutes. deservedly got a lifeline when Ben White

fouled Joe Gelhardt in the penalty area and Frustrations were palpable all round EllandRafinha hammered in the spot-kick.Road as Bukayo Saka added a third for

Arsenal three minutes before the break, with Without injured striker Patrick Bamford, the scoreline not at all flattering for the however, Leeds lacked the firepower to dominant London side.Leeds did threaten a complete the turnaround and Smith Rowe's late comeback when Rafinha converted a calm finish ended their faint hopes.penalty 15 minutes from time, but substitute It was the first time Leeds have lost three Emile Smith Rowe's late goal put the game successive league games under manager beyond the hosts.Arsenal's third league Marcelo Bielsa."There were more chances second half. I am pleased, it is not easy to long for the opener as Martinelli, leading thesuccess in a row consolidated fourth spot in generated than the goals that they scored," play the way we did in this atmosphere. We line in place of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyangthe standings, while Leeds' second Bielsa said. "When we lost the ball in our made a real statement."The visitors were who was again left out for a disciplinary successive hammering left them down in own half, this increased the amount of well on top from the start against an injury- breach, arrowed a shot into the top corner.16th, five clear of the drop zone, but having chances they (Arsenal) could create.ravaged Leeds. Home goalkeeper Illan The Gunners continued to dominate, with played three more games than Burnley in Always the support like the team receivedMeslier was forced into a fine save as the Scotland full back Kieran Tierney forcing 18th."I am very happy with the performance, today is inspiring to us. It is not easy when a hosts' defence still looked shell-shocked another fine save out of Meslier, before the the week that we had, and the way we are team has conceded 14 goals in three games. after their mauling at the Etihad Stadium on hosts mustered their first attack as Rafinha moving forward," Arsenal coach Mikel If the fans were not so supportive of me, I Tuesday.Saka should have scored from the fired wide.Martinelli, whose Arsenal career Arteta said.It is always difficult to play could understand it.rebound, but Arsenal did not have to wait has been plagued by injury, made it two after against Leeds. They didn’t give up on the

MS Dhoni was not first choice skipper for CSKin IPL; franchise wanted Virender Sehwag'

Huelva India's Kidambi Srikanth on Saturday en t e red h i s ma iden BWF Wor ldChampionships final after beating compatriot Lakshya Sen in a hard-fought men's semifinal to assure himself of either the gold or the silver medal at the prestigioustournament in Spain.

Srikanth outlasted Lakshya 17-21, 21-14, 21-17 in a hard-fought in the semifinal to set up the summit clash against the winner of the second semifinal between Singapore's Loh KeanYew and Denmark's AngerAntonsen.

In the road to the semis, Kidambi Srikanth had an easy victim in Mark Caljouw, defeating the Dutchman 21-8, 21-7 in in one hour and nine minutes to reach the summit clash.

Between the two, Srikanth, a former World No 1, and Lakshya, a debutant at the World’s,took out 3 of the 4 Chinese from the draw and pounced on the medals on offer.Two men’ssingles medals had come India’s way in the last 38 years Prakash Padukone in 1983 and B Sai Praneeth in 2019.This year the draw opened up after World No.1 Japanese Kento Momota, two top Chinese and Indonesians withdrew, and then a couple of other TopTenners were taken out fair and square playing indifferent badminton.

Ashes 2021: Pat Cummins set to return for Boxing Day Test

Gabriel Martinelli scores two as Arsenal thrashhapless Leeds United 4-1 in Premier League

India vs South Africa 2021: Rahul Dravid gives batting tips

to Virat Kohli during Team India's first full training session

The Ashes 2nd Test: Joe Root was struck in the abdomen during warm-upat the Adelaide Oval wasassessed by the England medical team, thus resulting in him missing almost the first one and a half hours of the firstsession of Day 4.

New Delhi. Australian Test skipper Pat Cummins was on Saturday confirmed for the Boxing Day Test beginning at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on December 26, after he was ruled out of the Adelaide Test due to being deemed a close contact of a COVID-19 positive person.

Cummins had dined with fellow New South Wales and Adelaide Strikers fast bowler Harry Conway at Little Hunter Steakhouseon the eve of the ongoing Test following which he was replaced by Michael Neser in the Playing XI.On Saturday, it was confirmed that Cummins will not have to continue his COVID-related isolation in Sydney and will resume training for the third Test.Cummins, who has tested negative to the virus, can mix with family but only in small groups while being urgedto avoid any highly populated location, particularly indoors. But being able to train and do fitness work is a bonus for the fast bowler who would have been contained to a hotel room for seven days had he r e m a i n e d i n A d e l a i d e , " w r o t e cricket.com.au on Saturday.

Earlier after being ruled out of the AdelaideTest, Cummins had flown to Sydney on a chartered flight. He was granted permission by South Australia health authorities to return home to NSW.

"Pat Cummins has been granted approval by SA Health to return home to NSW.

Players in Ashes, BBL 2021 banned from signing autographs, interacting with fans, says report

New Delhi. With the Australian cricket team narrowly escaping a Covid-19 scare, Cricket Australia (CA) has reportedly asked its players to maintain social distancing with fans when the third and fourth Ashes Teststake place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) respectively.

According to a report in theage.com.au on Saturday, "level-four protocols" have been put in place by CA in Melbourne and Sydney for the next two Tests, which will prevent the rival team players from eating indoors or attending bars.Australian cricketers, keen on returning home after the end of day's play in the two Tests, have been told to take regular Covid-19 tests and not visit salons for haircuts.

"Test and Big Bash (League) cricketers will be banned from signing autographs in NSW and Victoria as Cricket Australia ramps up its Covid-19 protocols in hopes of avoiding another incident like the one that saw Pat Cummins forced to miss the second Test in Adelaide," the reports said.Australian skipper Cummins was ruled out of the ongoing Adelaide Test due to being deemed a close contact of a Covid-19 positive person while dining with fellow New South Walesand Adelaide Strikers fast bowler Harry Conway at Little Hunter Steakhouse on the eve of the Test.He later self-drove to the airport from where he took a chartered flight -- with him being the only occupant other than the pilots -- to Sydney to self-isolate at his residence.However, much to the CAselection panel's relief, it was revealed on Saturday that Cummins had continued to test negative for the virus and he would be available for the Boxing Day Test at the MCG beginning on December 26.With 1504 Covid cases in Victoria and 2482 in NSW reported on Saturday, Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley said players must social distance from fans when in those states," the report said.

The Ashes: Member of broadcast

crew at Adelaide Oval tests positive

for Covid-19, relevant areas sanitisedThe Adelaide Oval said in a statement that a

member of the broadcast crew has tested positive

for Covid-19 and the organizers are sanitising the

relevant areas and tracing and informing the

person's close contacts.

THE SIKH TIMES

FILM THE SIKH TIMESNew Delhi, Monday, 20 December, 202112

Allu Arjun's weekend is all aboutplaying with Ayaan and Arha. Wife Sneha shares a glimpse

llu Arjun is overwhelmed with the response to his recently released film, Pushpa: The Rise. After the release of his film, all he wants is to A

enjoy some family time with his children, Ayaan and Arha. His wife, Sneha, took to his Instagram stories to share a video of the same. Allu Arjun can be seen playing with his kids in the video. The actor has had a busy few weeks with promotions of Pushpa.ALLU ARJUN SPENDS THE WEEKEND WITH

HIS FAMILY

AlluArjun's Pushpa: The Rise was released on December 17 in five languages. The film has been receiving positive reviews from critics and audience alike. On December 17, Allu Arjun's wife Sneha took to Instagram stories to share a special video. The actor can be seen indulging in some activity with his two children, Ayaan and Arha. It looks Allu Arjun wants to spend time with his family rather than going to theatres to see the response for PushpaALL ABOUT ALLU ARJUN'S PUSHPA

Allu Arjun joined hands with director Sukumar for a film titled Pushpa, which will be made in two parts. The first part, Pushpa: The Rise, hit the theatres on December 17. The second part, Pushpa: The Rule, will release in theatres sometime in 2022..

After wedding with

to

kickstart Tiger 3 shoot

with in Delhi

Vicky

Kaushal, Katrina Kaif

Salman Khan

atrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal got hitched in a dreamy wedding on December 9 in Rajasthan. Now that the couple is back in Mumbai after a K

quick honeymoon, they are back to work. Katrina will soon be travelling to Delhi to shoot for Tiger 3 with ex-boyfriend Salman Khan. The actors will be in Delhi mid-January for a crucial shooting schedule that will mostly see them wrap the film.

KATRINA KAIFTO GET BACK TO WORK!

Vicky Kaushal took to social media today, December 18, to share a picture of himself while on his way to work. And now, Katrina Kaif will also head to Delhi to shoot the last portion of Tiger 3 with Salman Khan. A source told IndiaToday.in, “It will mostly be an intense 15 day schedule. Salman and Katrina will both shoot in the National Capital and all preparations are underway so that this shoot is as smooth as possible. Salman and Katrina are huge superstars and the crew will have a task at hand right from protecting their looks from leaking, to crowd management because these two are going to pull in people by thousands wanting to see them shoot.” The source added, “Tiger 3 will see the duo visit several cities across the world as Tiger and Zoya take on their most deadly mission yet. Salman and Katrina are at their fittest best for this schedule and the Delhi shooting schedule will mostly see the cast and crew wrap filming Tiger 3. The entire team needs a special round of applause for leaving no stone unturned for brilliantly completing challenging shoot schedules during the pandemic because of the scale that director Maneesh Sharma and YRF wanted to achieve. Salman and Katrina are looking their hottest best together and audiences will want to celebrate with their ‘bhai’ on the big screen when Yash Raj Films announces the release date of this action spectacle.”

TIGER 3'S INTERNATIONAL SCHEDULE

Tiger 3 is produced by Yash Raj Films. The film was shot in Russia, Turkey and Austria. According to reports, Maneesh and Aditya Chopra didn't want to compromise on the theatrical experience of the film, which is why they planned an extended international shoot.According to sources, the schedule added a lot to the film’s visual extravaganza. Some never-seen-before action sequences were also filmed.

ABOUT TIGER 3

As mentioned earlier, Tiger 3 is the third film in Salman Khan's Tiger franchise. The earlier two films, Ek ThaTiger and Tiger Zinda Hai, were huge hits and have a strong fanbase. Not much has been revealed about Tiger 3. Salman Khan has reprised his role of RAWagent Tiger in the film. Katrina Kaif will be seen in her role as ISI agent Zoya. The film will also star Emraan Hashmi in a negative role of an ISI agent. It is likely that Tiger 3 is going to be a cat-and-mouse chase between Indian and Pakistani intelligence agencies. The film is helmed by Band Baja Baaraat director Maneesh Sharma.

nanya Panday made her Bollywood debut in 2019 with Student of the Year 2 and ever since, there has been no Alooking back for her in Bollywood. Apart from steadily

climbing the ladder of success in the industry, Ananya is often lauded for her style sense. She is very active on social media and is seen posting stunning pictures of herself. But more often than not, Ananya is trolled on social media and she takes it in a positive stride. But this time, Ananya decided to troll herself on Instagram that left her mom, Bhavana Pandey in splits.A N A N YA PA N D AY T R O L L S H E R S E L F O N

INSTAGRAM

Ananya Panday is a true blue fashionista. On Friday, she dropped an array of super-hot clicks on Instagram. She wore a white monokini and layered it with a full-length net material. In the caption, Ananya wrote that she resembles a fruit. Why did she say so? Remember how fruits in the supermarket or stores are available with a net around them? Ananya not just compared herself to a fruit in a net cover but also posted a photo of the same in the end!She captioned her pictures, “I’m fully aware that I look like fruit when it comes in that net thing (sic).” ANANYA’S POST LEFT MOM BHAVANA PANDEY IN

SPLITS

Bhavana Pandey, who is not only Ananya’s mom but also her biggest cheerleader, commented with ‘laughter’ emojis. Tamannaah Bhatia also found Ananya’s caption hilarious.ANANYA’S UPCOMING FILMS

Ananya was last seen in Khaali Peeli (2020) with Ishaan Khatter.She has her South debut, Liger, Shakun Batra’s untitled film, and Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, up for release.

Kartik AaryanKartik Aaryan is currently in New Delhi, shooting a KARTIK AARYAN RECEIVES LOVE

schedule of his upcoming film, Shehzada. And FROM FANS IN DELHI

Kartik Aaryan received a warm welcomeone thing Delhi is famous for during this season is from his fans in the national capital, as he its winters! You simply cannot miss Delhi wintersstepped out of his car in a busy street. and Kartik Aaryan agrees with us. The actor tookIn a video that went viral on social to his Instagram stories recently to share videosmedia, Kartik was seen smilingfrom Shehzada sets in the National Capital. He and waving at his fans. mentioned how cold it was in the city.

K A R T I K A A R YA N S H O O T S F O R The shooting of Shehzada SHEHZADA IN DILLI KI SARDI began in October. Directed

After giving a power-packed performance in by Rohit Dhawan, theDhamaka, Kartik Aaryan is all set to impress the film also features Kritiaudience with his new film, Shehzada. The actor is Sanon. It is producedcurrently shooting a schedule of Shehzada in New by Bhushan Kumar,Delhi and the cold weather has got to him. "Dilli ki Krishan Kumar,Allusardi me dhuein nikal rahe hain (sic)," he wrote Arvind, S. Radhaalongside a video of him enjoying the weather K r i s h n a a n dalong with Shehzada crew members. In the video, Aman Gil l .Kartik also panned the camera to the crew of the S h e h z a d afilm. In another video, he wrote, "Action team ko will hit.thand lag rahi hai (sic)."

shoots for Shehzada in Delhi's cold

weather, says thand lag rahi hai

rt Ka ik

Aa is cu rryan r ently

sh t f S e zaoo ing or h h da is

D ld wea a delhi's co ther. He sh re

v eo ro set oa id f m the s f

t e .h film

AnanyaPanday trolls herself for

her outfit in latest click. Mom Bhavanacan't stop laughing

Ananya

P n ay drop ed an a d p

array of photos wearing a

mono ini with a full-length etk

n

ma erial. S e troll d hers lf on t h e e

Instagram by comparing

herself to a fruit!