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VOL. XXXX NO. 25 | INDORE | MONDAY | JULY 3, 2023 | PAGES 16 `3 r Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2021-2023; r RNI No. 38281/83 QUALITY AT VALUE
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FIRST, TWO SENAS; NOW, TWO NCPs

3 out of 9 who took
Ajit Pawar, unsure about the NCP’s future at a time his
uncle is getting older, puts all his eggs in the NDA ‘CHAKKI
basket; curiously, some of Sharad Pawar’s close
aides also followed suit, some of them nagged
PEESING &
PEESING’
oath under ED lens
by fears of being hounded by ED Mumbai: At least three senior Nationalist Congress Party
Speaking about Ajit Pawar's many (NCP) leaders who have crossed over with Ajit Pawar to join
SANJAY JOG, a national political commentator, corruption scandals, Fadnavis, the Shinde-Fadnavis government are in the realm of inves-
puts the Ajit Pawar developments in perspective  who was beaming on Sunday after tigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in separate
the NCP revolt, had sworn four money laundering cases registered by the central agency.
years ago to send him “to jail

News Brief
NCP’s Awhad is LoP
in Maha House
MUMBAI: The Nationalist
Congress Party appointed
Jitendra Awhad as Leader of
F
inally, Ajit Pawar, who was sulking over his neglect, espe- Ajit Pawar on Sunday joined the Shinde-Fadnavis gov-
cially after the elevation of his cousin Supriya Sule as the where he would be chakki ernment with the support of ‘nearly 40 MLAs,’ a claim
NCP working president, rocked the party’s boat by stag- peesing and peesing which could not be immediately verified by the FPJ. How-
ing a coup four years after his 80-hour failed coup of becoming and peesing” ever, nine MLAs from the NCP indeed took oath at the Raj
the deputy chief minister. Bhavan. Pawar was sworn in as the Deputy Chief
He chose to challenge his uncle and party supremo Sharad Minister, and eight other NCP leaders took oath as minis-
Pawar’s leadership and staked claim to the NCP, which has entered ters. The Ministers who were sworn in are Chhagan Bhu-
its 25th year of existence, even as he had emerged as a major leader in- jbal, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Dilip Walse Patil,
volved in the exercise to unite opposition against the BJP in the forth- Dharmarao Baba Atram, Aditi Tatkare, Anil Patil and
coming Lok Sabha election. Ajit Pawar, who as the leader of the op- Sanjay Bansode. CONTD. ON P10
position, often criticised for going soft on the Shinde-Fadnavis
government, was scared of the ongoing probe by the Enforce-
ment Directorate against him and his wife in connection
with the Jarandeshwar sugar factory and therefore, pre-
ferred to join the ruling Shinde-Fadnavis alliance. Un-
like the last time, Ajit Pawar took no risk but
brought along with him veterans and young leg-
islators, including close confidants of his uncle.
Incidentally, Bhujbal, who, along with
Pawar, was one of the signatories in the es-
tablishment of the NCP on June 10, 1999,
and is currently out on bail in the Maha-
Praful helped strike the deal?
rashtra Sadan scam case, preferred safe MUMBAI Patel was a trusted lieu-
passage by accepting Ajit Pawar’s lead- tenant of Sharad Pawar and he

CARTOON: HASAN ZAIDI

Opposition in the Maha
Assembly after incumbent
LoP Ajit Pawar joined the
Eknath Shinde government
as deputy chief minister on
Sunday. MLA from Mumbra-
Kalwa in neighbouring Thane
district said NCP state unit
president Jayant Patil had
appointed him chief whip
of the party and LoP in the
Assembly.
Murmu to visit
K'taka, TG, Maha
NEW DELHI : President
Droupadi Murmu will visit
Karnataka, Telangana, and
Maharashtra from July 3 to
7, during which she will
attend two convocations
and meet members of
vulnerable tribes, a
statement issued on
Sunday by the Rashtrapati
Bhavan said. She will
attend the 2nd convocation
of Sri Sathya Sai University
for Human Excellence in
Muddenahalli on Monday.
Baltimore mass
shooting kills 2
BALTIMORE: Two people
were killed and 28 were
wounded in mass shooting
in Baltimore on Sunday,
including 3 who are in
critical condition, police
said. Baltimore Acting
Commissioner Richard
Worley confirmed there
were 30 victims during a
press conference. The
shooting took place just
after 12:30 am at a block
party in Brooklyn Homes
area of South Baltimore,
ership and dumping of the older
Pawar. Similarly, former minister
Hasan Mushrif, whose fate also hangs
in the balance as he faces arrest
from the ED in connection with the
Kolhapur sugar factory, chose to
join Ajit Pawar and thereby be-
come a ruling partner of the BJP,
which he until recently criticised
as being communal and funda-
mentalist. CONTD. ON P10
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during a public meeting, in
Khammam on Sunday
KCR's remote control with
Modi, Cong won't join any
Oppn bloc having BRS: RaGa
KHAMMAM
Launching a scathing at-
tack on Telangana Chief
Minister K Chandrashekar
Congress has always stood
against the BJP in Parlia-
ment, but Rao's party has
been "BJP's B-team". "Prime
Minister Narendra Modi
Vidisha Cong MLA
Shashank booked
by police
OUR STAFF REPORTER
BHOPAL
The Vidisha police regis-
tered a case against Con-
gress MLA Shashank Bhar-
gava for using abusive lan-
guage against Prime Minis-
ter Narendra Modi on Sun-
day. The case has been reg-
istered following complaint
of a local BJP leader,
Pankaj Pandey.
It is learnt that Shashank
Bhargava has tried to evade
the controversy by saying
that it was a matter of slip
of tongue but local BJP
mandal president ap-
proached the police and
lodged
against him.
the complaint
The case has been regis-
tered under Indian Penal
Code Section 294.
Heavy rush expected on Guru
Purnima to receive rudraksh
2-L DEVOTEES reach
Kubereshwar Dham,
traffic jam likely
OUR STAFF REPORTER
City.bhopal@fpj.co.in
Devotees have started ar-
riving Kubereshwar Dham
in Sehore district to receive
rudraksh on Guru Purni-
ma, which will be celebrat-
ed on Monday. Heavy rush
of devotees is expected at
Kubereshwar Dham on the
day as two lakh people
reached Sehore on Sunday.
In February this year,
about 10 lakh people had vis-
ited Kubereshwar Dham to
receive rudraksh. It led to
traffic jam on Indore-Bhopal
Highway. This time, the Se-
hore district administration
has written a letter to
Vithalesh Seva Samiti of Ku-
bereshwar Dham asking it
to make proper
arrangement for parking in
25 acres to avoid traffic jam.
Collector Praveen Singh
Adhayach said the three-
day Guru Purnima celebra-
tions began at Kubereshwar
Is NCP leader Praful Patel the
architect of the NCP coup;
and is the former minister
likely to get a berth in the
Modi Cabinet? According to
sources, Patel was responsi-
ble for striking a deal
between Ajit Pawar and the
BJP and will be rewarded
with a portfolio as a Union
Minister in a quid pro quo.
Dham on Saturday. Devo-
tees are arriving and leav-
ing after taking rudraksh.
"Devotees will not stay. We
have made arrangements to
handle the rush. On July 1,
80,000 devotees arrived. On
Sunday, the figure touched
2 lakhs. On July 3, we are ex-
pecting heavy rush of devo-
tees," he said.
even attended the recent oppo-
sition meeting held in Patna
along with the latter and his
daughter Supriya Sule. So,
why did Praful Patel, a loyal
soldier of Pawar Senior, turn
against him? Many suggest
that the ED investigation
against Patel could be one of
the reasons for his rebellion.
CONTD. ON P10
3 killed, five injured
in Manipur violence
IMPHAL : At least three
"village volunteers" were
killed and five others in-
jured in an exchange of fire
with unidentified gunmen
in Manipur's Bishnupur
district, police said on Sun-
day.
The incident took place in
Khoijumantabi village late on
Saturday night when the "vil-
lage volunteers" were guard-
ing the area in a makeshift
bunker, a police officer said.
While two bodies were found
initially, the third one was re-
covered later.
Five people were injured in
the shootout that lasted for
several hours. A couple of
them, the condition of whom
was stated to be serious,
were brought to a hospital in
Imphal, police said. CM N
Biren Singh went to the spot
to take stock of the situation
and interacted with the lo-
cals. CONTD. ON P10

PM Modi to chair meeting of Council of Not against UCC, but

Rao, Congress leader Rahul carries the remote control of
Worley said.
Gandhi on Sunday said his Telangana Chief Minister K
NIA conducts raids remote control was with Chandrashekar Rao," the

don't support BJP's

in module case
NEW DELHI: The NIA on
Sunday conducted raids at
multiple locations in 3 states
in connection with a case
against the "Ghazwa-e-Hind",
a radicalized module being
run by Pakistan-based
suspects, officials said. Five
locations - two in Patna and
one in Darbhanga and one
each in Surat and Bareilly -
were raided by the NIA in
connection with the case
registered last year, the
federal agency said.
Indian-origin student
killed in UK
LONDON: A Tunisian man
who had been charged with
the murder of Indian-origin
student Sabita Thanwani at
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and described the
state's ruling party as
"BJP's B-Team" and its new
nomenclature, BRS, as 'BJP
Rishtedar Samithi'.
Gandhi alleged that the cor-
ruption charges against Rao
and his party's leaders have
made them subservient to
the BJP, and asserted that he
told all other opposition lead-
ers that the Congress would
not join any bloc where the
BRS (Bharat Rashtra
Samithi) was involved.
Addressing a public meet-
ing here, Gandhi said, "BRS
is like BJP Rishtedar
Samiti. KCR thinks he is a
king and Telangana is his
kingdom." Gandhi said the
former Congress chief said.
He said the Congress re-
cently fought the assembly
election in Karnataka
against "a corrupt and anti-
poor government and we
defeated them with the sup-
port of the poor, OBCs, mi-
norities and oppressed in
the state".
"Something similar is go-
ing to happen in Telangana.
On one side there would be
rich and powerful of the
state and on the other side,
there would be poor, trib-
als, minorities, farmers and
small shopkeepers with us.
What has happened in Kar-
nataka, would be repeated
in Telangana," Gandhi
said.
CONTD. ON P10
Ministers today amid reshuffle buzz
NEW DELHI: Prime Minis-
ter Narendra Modi will
chair a meeting of the
Union Council of Ministers
on Monday amid a height-
ened buzz about the likeli-
hood of a Cabinet reshuffle
following a series of meet-
ings of the ruling BJP's top
brass.
The Monday meeting is
expected to be held at the
newly built convention
centre at Pragati Maidan
here, which will host the
G20 summit in September.
The political upheaval in
Maharashtra on Sunday as
NCP
Ajit
joined
leader
Pawar
the
Patel, who ditched his
longtime mentor Sharad
Pawar to join hands with
way..., says Mayawati
BJP-Shiv Sena his nephew, is being seen LUCKNOW: Amid the on-
government as a probable contender going row over the imple-
along with among the likely new min- mentation of the Uniform
several of his isters in the central gov- Civil Code (UCC) in the
party legislators and a num- ernment. country, Bahujan Samaj
ber of closed-door meetings With Ajit Pawar taking Party chief Mayawati on
involving the BJP's brain oath as deputy chief minis- Sunday said that their par-
trust, including Home Min- ter in Maharashtra, there ty is not against the imple-
ister Amit Shah and party is also speculation about mentation of the UCC but
president J P Nadda, have Devendra Fadnavis, also a they do not support BJP
Expert panel will
strengthened the view that deputy chief minister and way of implementing it.
a Cabinet reshuffle is on the the key BJP leader in the Addressing a press con- submit draft soon,
cards. state, being brought into ference in Lucknow, says CM Dhami
Senior NCP MP and for- the central government. Mayawati said, "Our party As the debate grows over
mer Union minister Praful (BSP) is not against the im-
CONTD. ON P10 whether India needs a
plementation of UCC, but
UCC, Uttarakhand Chief
we do not support the way

Monsoon covers entire country 6 days early: IMD

her varsity accommodation
in the Clerkenwell area of
north London in March last
year has admitted to her
killing in court. Maher
Maaroufe, 23, pleaded guilty
to manslaughter by reason
of diminished responsibility
during a hearing at the Old
Bailey court here on Friday
and will be sentenced in
September.
Riot-like situation
averted in Badnawar
BADNAWAR: Members
of a particular community
tried to engineer riots while
Sarv Samaj members were
performing bhoomi pujan to
install the 60-ft Ramdhon
Tower at Kila Parisar on
Sunday evening.
Minister Pushkar Singh
BJP is trying to implement Dhami on Sunday said
Uniform Civil Code in the
that soon the UCC expert
country. It is not right to committee examining the
NEW DELHI 1971-2020 is about 280.4 mm. politicize this issue and
subject will submit the
The phenomenon of warming of the equatorial forcefully implement UCC draft."As per the promise
The southwest monsoon on Sunday covered the Pacific Ocean, called the El Nino conditions, are in the country." Appreciat-
made to the state's
entire country six days before the normal date, expected to develop in July. El Nino is known to ing the implementation of people, today on June
as it advanced in the remaining parts of Ra- suppress monsoon rainfall.Mohapatra said dur- UCC in the country, BSP
30, the committee
jasthan, Punjab and Haryana, the India Meteor- ing most of the recent El Nino years, June rain- Supremo said that UCC will formed to prepare the
ological Department (IMD) said. On Friday, the fall has been within the normal range. "In 16 of strengthen the nation and
draft of the Uniform Civil
IMD had said the monsoon is expected to be nor- the 25 years when June rainfall was below nor- unite India by developing a Code has completed its
mal in July across the country, barring parts of mal, July rainfall has been reported normal," he sense of brotherhood work. Soon UCC will be
eastern Uttar Pradesh and south Bihar. had said.He said 377 weather stations across the adding that forceful imple- implemented in
The weather office said the monsoon covered country reported heavy rainfall events - 115.6 mentation is not right and
the entire country on Sunday, against the nor- mm-204.5 mm per day - in June, while 62 stations government should focus
Uttarakhand. Jai Hind, Jai
Uttarakhand!" he
mal date of July 8. As many as 16 states and reported extremely heavy rains, amounting to on issues like unemploy- tweeted. CONTD. ON P10
Union territories received deficient rainfall in season. "The monthly rainfall averaged over the more than 204.5 mm. ment and education.
June, with Bihar and Kerala reporting large country as a whole during July 2023 is most like- Mohapatra had said the March-to-June sum- "The implementation of politicizing this issue will
deficits at 69 per cent and 60 per cent below nor- ly to be normal (94 to 106 per cent of LPA) and mer season saw heatwave conditions across 281 UCC will strengthen the create problems. The gov-
mal, respectively. Some other states such as Ut- most probably within the positive side of the meteorological sub-division days (MSD), the country and unite Indians. ernment should currently
tar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Jhark- normal," IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mo- third highest after 578 MSDs in 2010 and 455 It will also develop a sense focus on issues like infla-
hand, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana also re- hapatra had said on Friday. MSDs in 2022. If one meteorological sub-division of brotherhood among peo- tion, unemployment, edu-
ceived less rainfall than what is normal for The long period average (LPA) of rainfall over reports heat wave conditions, it is considered as ple. The forceful implemen- cation, and healthcare," she
June, the first month of the southwest monsoon the country during July based on the data of one MSD. tation of UCC is not right, said. CONTD. ON P10
INDORE | MONDAY | JULY 3, 2023 FREE PRESS
 INDORE CITY
Indore | Monday | JULy 3, 2023

Youth taking selfie plunges 500 ft One week of monsoon;

no long spell of rain yet
to death at Mohadi waterfall Our Staff repOrter
city.indore@fpj.co.in 

Even after a week of the on-

Light showers to continue in city, chances
of heavy rainfall only after July 5
Body recovered Friend also fell in the set of monsoon, citizens are
waiting for the long spell of
after 20 hours of pond but was saved by rainfall and had to settle
with light showers for last

search operation friends and villagers couple of days.

Intermittent rain with
varying intensity contin-
Our Staff repOrter teams reached the spot and they started an ued in the city for the third
city.indore@fpj.co.in  operation to search Anas. They managed to day, on Sunday. There was
take out the body on Sunday afternoon. light rainfall in the western
Two college students fell from a height of parts of the city, while the
more than 500 feet in the Mohadi waterfall eastern parts witnessed
while taking a selfie on their mobile phone
They had gone to Mohadi without showers till evening.
on Saturday. One of them drowned in the informing family members The city recorded 7.6 mm
pond while another youth was saved by his SI Sisodiya said that the friends had gone of rainfall throughout the
friends. The rescue teams managed to recov- to Mohadi for a picnic. Some of them had day with which the total
er his body after 20 hours of the incident on gone without informing their family mem- rainfall of the season has “The monsoon trough at erated on July 4.
Sunday. bers as to where they were going and had reached 146.7 mm (5.77 mean sea level passes However, the light show-
The incident took place at Mohadi water- only told them that they would be back in a inches), so far. through Bikaner, Dausa, ers and rain have given
fall under Khudel police station jurisdiction few hours. When the police informed the The regional meteorologi- Gwalior, Sidhi, Ambika- smiles to the residents who
around 3 pm. The deceased has been identi- family members they were shocked to hear cal department said the pur, Balasore, and thence were looking for pleasant
fied as Anas alias Moin Khan, 19 years, a res- the news. conditions would remain eastwards to northwest weather for a long time. A
ident of Khajrana area of the city. Anas the same for the next couple Bay of Bengal. Similarly, a large number of people
along with some of his friends had gone for of days and the residents cyclonic circulation over thronged to the nearby pic-
a picnic there.
First incident of the season would witness light-to-mod- central parts of Uttar nic spots and waterfalls
Kampel police post in charge Satyendra There are many waterfalls in the district erate showers with sunny Pradesh persists,” Met offi- around the city.
Singh Sisodiya said Anas and his friend Ir- where people go for picnics after rains. weather for a few hours on cials said. The maximum tempera-
fan were taking a selfie when they lost con- Many people have lost their lives by Monday. Under the influence of ture on Sunday was record-
trol and fell in the pond about 500 feet below. drowning or by getting washed away in Residents woke up to a these conditions, Indore ed at 30.6 degrees Celsius
After the incident, their friends with the the flow of water. This drowning incident sunny morning with a clear would witness light show- which was two degrees be-
help of the villagers managed to take out Ir- is said of the first such incident of the sky but dark clouds covered ers for a couple of days but low normal while the mini-
fan from the pond. Later, they informed the season. The police claimed that they will the sky in the evening and there are chances of heavy mum temperature was
police and their family members about the Search operation in progress advise people not to take selfies or go near it rained with varying in- rainfall after July 5 as a recorded at 23 degrees Cel-
incident. The SDERF team and other rescue the waterfall. tensity in different areas. new system would be gen- sius, which was normal.

Empathy must in dealing with crimes
against women & children, says CP
Our Staff repOrter
city.indore@fpj.co.in
The Women's Security
Branch of the Indore Police
organised a one-day skill
upgradation training work-
shop for investigation in the
cases of crime against
women and children at the
meeting hall in the police
control room in Palasia on
Saturday.
Commissioner of Police
Makrand Deouskar, Addi-
tional CP Manish Kapooria,
Additional CP Rajesh Hin-
gankar and other officials
were also present during the
workshop. The officers and
TIs of various police sta-
tions in the city, URJA desk
and other policemen attend-
ed the workshop.
Addressing the subordi-
nates, the CP emphasised
the importance of display-
ing empathetic behaviour
while dealing with crimes
against women and chil-
dren. He stressed the signif-
icance of considering the
sensitivity and humane as-
pects associated with these
cases.
Distinguished guest
speakers provided compre-
hensive guidance on vari-
Police conducts skill upgradation workshop
ous aspects of crimes ally, role-play exercises were
against women and their conducted to demonstrate
safety. ADPO Sushila sensitive behaviour and ef-
Rathore informed the par- fective coordination among
ticipants about the nuances different departments.
of the Protection of Chil- Scientist Dr Avinash Puri
dren from Sexual Offences from the Forensic Science
(POCSO) Act and its related Laboratory in Rau, high-
provisions. District Prose- lighted the significance of
cution Officer Sanjeev Sri- forensic evidence in crimes
vastava shed light on impor- against women and chil-
tant considerations while dren. ADPO Anita Shukla
documenting FIRs and con- provided detailed explana-
ducting research in crimes tions on the Atrocity Act, its
related to women. sensitivity, common errors,
Additional DCP Maneesha and key considerations.
Pathak Soni, provided valu- Additional Deputy Com-
able information on the missioner of Police,
functioning of women's Women's Security Branch,
desks, the responsibilities of Priyanka Dudve, thanked
the officers, and effective ac- the officers and guest
tions to be taken. Addition- speakers.
Man gets
life for
murder
Our Staff repOrter
city.indore@fpj.co.in 
A murder convict was
sentenced to life impris-
onment by the magisteri-
al court on Saturday even
when the witnesses in the
case turned hostile on the
basis of their earlier
statements.
The DPO Sanjeev Shri-
vastava said that accused
Devendra Prajapat used a
sharp weapon and at-
tacked Savan Soni on his
thigh on May 2020. The
wound was so deep that
due to excessive bleeding,
Soni died after a few min-
utes.
He added that
during the trials, witness-
es went hostile and only
one eyewitness recorded
statements in the magis-
terial court and he too
negated his statement
given to the police and in
the magisterial court as
the case progressed in
court.
However, the court con-
victed the accused on the
basis of statements on
record and other argu-
ments.
Miscreants snatch mobile
from girl on busy MG Road
Entire incident The girl fell on the road and was dragged
captured on CCTVs as she tried to hold onto her phone
Our Staff repOrter
city.indore@fpj.co.in 
In a daring act, two miscre-
ants on a motorcycle
snatched a mobile phone
from a girl walking on the
busy MG Road in full pub-
lic view on Friday.
The girl was walking to
reach her office when the
two miscreants came from
the rear and snatched her
mobile phone, while she
was talking over it. As the
miscreants attempted to
snatch the phone away
from her, she latched on to
it. However, the miscre-
ants managed to grab the
phone and fled, while the boy were caught for her office, and when she area informed the police
girl fell on the road and re- snatching the mobile was passing by a jewellery about the incident. It is
ceived injuries. phone from the girl and showroom, two persons on said that the police did ex-
The entire incident was they are being questioned a bike came from the rear amine the CCTVs of the
captured on the CCTVs in- further. side and snatched her mo- spot on the day of the inci-
stalled at a jewellery show- According to Tukoganj bile phone. The girl tried dent. The shop owner later
room near the spot. police station staff, the in- to hold on to her phone but provided the footage. Po-
The entire incident was cident took place around one of the youths snatched lice claimed that an ac-
captured in the CCTVs in- 11.50 am on Friday. Priyan- it, and the girl fell and was cused named Bhola of
stalled at a jewellery show- shi Lashkari (20), a resi- dragged on the road. Kshipra area and a minor
room near the spot. The dent of the Dubey Ka The youths managed to boy were caught and they
police claimed that two Bagicha area complained flee from the spot after are being questioned fur-
persons including a minor that she was walking to which the people of the ther.

CULTURE CLOCK 11-year-old

Namo Namo Shankara Sanstha VHP to constitute groups in every area, girl molested
Over 16K aspirants appear
donates stationery to poor kids
colony & village under expansion plan on MY hospital in UPSC EPFO exam
premises
Our Staff repOrter
city.indore@fpj.co.in

An eleven-year-old
Indore: On Sunday, in line with the resolution of the girl was allegedly molest-
Modi government to promote public service, good ed by a man in the
governance, and improving the lives of the poor, Namo MY hospital premises,
Namo Shankara Sanstha held an impressive event dedicated police said on Sunday. A
to service work. Pankaj Fatehchandani, the president of search is on for the ac-
Namo Namo Shankara, emphasised the importance of cused.
continuing our service work inspired by PM Narendra According to the police,
Modi's vision. Needy children of Indore city were provided the mother of the girl has
with free stationery, water bottles, and copies at the Swami lodged the complaint that
Pritamdas Auditorium in Sindhi Colony. she along with her hus-
Our Staff repOrter Sharma was addressing ous programmes including band and three children
city.indore@fpj.co.in  the media at the conclu- observing Akhand Bharat came from Ujjain for Our Staff repOrter ten exam of UPSC EPFO
Lions Club District 3233 G-1 organises sion of the three-day train- Sankalp Diwas by Bajrang treatment on June 30. city.indore@fpj.co.in  was moderate to difficult re-
felicitation ceremony Vishwa Hindu Parishad ing session on Sunday in Dal with the resolve to re- When she was waiting in garding difficulty level.
Indore: Lions (VHP) has planned to con- which general secretary unify India. the hospital premises, The Union Public Service The exam was conducted
Clubs International stitute Bajrang Dal and Vinayakrao Deshpande, re- Shaurya Jagran Yatras her 11-year-old daughter Commission conducted the for recruitment to the posts
District 3233 G-1 Durga Vahini groups in gional minister Manoj Ver- will also be organised came to her and informed UPSC EPFO 2023 prelims of enforcement officer (EO)
organised a felicitation every colony, area, and vil- ma, RSS pracharak Bali- while all workers will go to that a man tried to sit in exam on Sunday at 41 exam and accounts officer (AO)
ceremony to honour lage to increase the reach ram Patel and other senior Jammu on August 18 to vis- her lap. centres in Indore in which and assistant provident
Sadhna Sodani at a of VHP among people. office bearers were pres- it Baba Budha Amarnath” Mother took the girl to 16,000 candidates appeared. fund commissioner (APFC).
city hotel, on Sunday. VHP’s office bearer Vin- ent. Sharma said. the accused, who said The exam was conducted The candidates who will
She was honoured for od Sharma said that efforts Sharma also shared the He also added that Ba- that he also came to the for 577 EO/AO and APFC be successful in prelims
her service during her will be made to conduct programmes conducted by jrang Dal will continue the city for his treatment posts. will qualify for the next
tenure as district satsang in every village VHP in last six months in- campaign against drugs from Khandwa. The po- According to the aspi- stage of recruitment. Dura-
governor in 2022-23. The event witnessed guests including and locality so that more cluding programmes of and will not accept making lice have detained the rants, the paper was com- tion of the exam was two
former international director Kamlesh Jain and Multiple people can learn the ideol- Ram Janmotsav, Hanuman Hindu students worship suspect and further in- paratively tough when com- hours which had 120 objec-
Council Chairperson Sanjay Bhandari. ogy and VHP can reach Jayanti and others. other religions in any mis- vestigation is underway pared to previous year’s tive multiple-choice ques-
every Hindu household. “We will organise vari- sionary or other school. into the case. questions. Overall, the writ- tions for 300 marks.

INDORE EDUCATION SPECIAL
FREE PRESS MONDAY | JULY 3, 2023 | INDORE
Smart Education for Smart City
A
smart city needs
smart education.
The vision of a
smart city with the state of
the art infrastructure, as
an economic and financial
hub, needs a smart, well
educated and entrepre-
neurial workforce to
translate the vision into a
reality. The impetus for
this transformation needs
to begin where it matters
most - creating a human
resource pool of profes-
sionals equipped with the
skills of creating sustain-
able businesses and devel-
oping wealth for them-
selves and those associat-
ed with them.
The crux of this is good
education: the focus on the
skills of the 21st century
in the classrooms of the
smart city will translate
into success in the eco-
nomic arena. The 21st cen-
tury skills are commonly
defined as the 4 C's: Col-
laboration, Communica-
tion, Critical thinking and
Creativity. Any proper
curriculum in today's
world, with a focus on
turning students into
leaders and entrepre-
neurs, must actively plan
it's curriculum for the de-
velopment of these 21st
century skills.
How well is Indore posi-
tioned as a city, to make
GURU PURNIMA
this leap into the future,
from the perspective of ed-
ucation? To be honest, it
requires a paradigm shift
in mindset from the cur-
rent focus on outdated and
obsolete skills, which ap-
pear to be the favored ap-
proach of many schools
and the expectations of a
large segment of parents.
This approach may have
been appropriate to sup-
port the creation of a body
clerks to support the ad-
ministration of the
British era, in line with
Macaulay's vision. But to-
day, as India is seeking to
consolidate its rightful
place as a leader among
the nations of the world,
we cannot have an outdat-
ed education system drag-
ging us down. In order to
realize this vision for edu-
cation, there is no value in
looking to bureaucracy for
salvation from this medi-
ocrity; rather, it becomes
the duty of the school lead-
ers to act with courage to
implement the changes
that are sorely needed.
How many of our future
educated citizens, are go-
ing to rely on handwriting Rather than competing cate effectively, to accept to and to find creative so-
and the post office to send with the machine, schools challenges and take risks, lutions to problems. These
a message rather than an need to instill those skills to collaborate and work ef- are the skills of an entre-
Email? How many are go- that complement those of fectively both as a leader preneur. And it is these
ing to do mental calcula- the machine. Success even and team member, to skills that make the smart
tions when they have easy today depends on a per- think and evaluate situa- people that make the
access to a calculator? son's ability to communi- tions and needs critically, smart city.

INDORE
FREE PRESS
The significance of entrepreneurship
education in fostering innovation
I
n an increasingly complex
and dynamic world, equip-
ping students with entre-
preneurial skills has become
essential for their future suc-
cess. Entrepreneurship educa-
tion goes be-
yond teaching
business con-
cepts; it culti-
vates a mindset
of innovation,
creativity, prob-
Dr Sonal Sisodia lem-solving,
Principal, Daly and resilience.
College of Business This article ex-
Management plores the im-
portance of promoting entre-
preneurship education, its im-
pact on students' personal and
professional growth, and
strategies for empowering stu-
dents to become confident and
enterprising individuals.Glob-
al Entrepreneurship Monitor
(GEM) studies have shown that
countries with higher rates of
entrepreneurship education
tend to have higher rates of
business startup activity.
Insight into
Entrepreneurship
Education
Entrepreneurship education
encompasses a range of knowl-
edge, skills, and attitudes that
empower individuals to identify
opportunities, take calculated
risks, and create value. It nur-
tures an entrepreneurial mind-
set, encouraging students to
think critically, adapt to change,
and proactively pursue their
goals. By fostering creativity,
collaboration, and a sense of
purpose, entrepreneurship edu-
cation prepares students for the
challenges and opportunities of
the future.The World Economic
Forum recognizes entrepre-
neurship education as a crucial
component in preparing indi-
viduals for the future of work,
as it equips them with skills
such as critical thinking, prob-
lem-solving, and adaptability.
EDUCATION SPECIAL
FROM IDEAS TO IMPACT
Benefits of
Entrepreneurship
Education
l Developing an Entrepreneurial
Mindset: Entrepreneurship edu-
cation instills an entrepreneurial
mindset characterized by re-
silience, adaptability, and a will-
ingness to embrace failure as a
learning opportunity. It empowers
students to think creatively, iden-
tify opportunities, and take initia-
tive in various aspects of their
lives.
l Enhancing Critical Thinking and
Problem-Solving Skills: Entrepre-
neurship requires the ability to
identify and solve problems.
Through entrepreneurship educa-
tion, students develop critical
thinking, analytical skills, and the
ability to apply innovative solu-
tions to real-world challenges.
l Fostering Creativity and Innova-
tion: Entrepreneurship education
encourages students to think out-
side the box, explore new ideas,
and develop innovative approach-
es. It nurtures creativity, enabling
students to generate unique solu-
tions, products, and services.
l Building Collaboration and Com-
munication Skills: Entrepreneur-
ship often involves teamwork, net-
working, and effective communi-
cation. Entrepreneurship educa-
tion emphasizes collaboration,
helping students develop interper-
sonal skills, teamwork, and the
MONDAY | JULY 3, 2023 | INDORE
ability to communicate ideas per-
suasively.
l Promoting Initiative and Leader-
ship: Entrepreneurship education
nurtures students' self-confidence
and initiative, empowering them
to take ownership of their ideas
and projects. It cultivates leader-
ship skills, enabling students to
inspire and influence others.
Strategies for Promoting
Entrepreneurship
Education
l Integrated Curriculum: Integrate
entrepreneurship principles and
activities across various subjects,
allowing students to explore entre-
preneurial concepts within the
context of different disciplines.
This interdisciplinary approach
fosters a holistic understanding of
entrepreneurship.
l Experiential Learning: Provide
opportunities for students to en-
gage in hands-on experiences such
as startup simulations, business
competitions, or running actual
ventures. These experiences allow
students to apply entrepreneurial
concepts and learn through real-
world challenges.
l Mentorship and Role Models: Con-
nect students with successful en-
trepreneurs, industry profession-
als, or local business leaders who
can serve as mentors and provide
guidance. Exposure to real-world
experiences and insights inspires
GURU PURNIMA
and guides students on their entre-
preneurial journey.
l Incorporate Design Thinking: In-
tegrate design thinking method-
ologies into the curriculum to
foster creative problem-solving
and innovation. Encourage stu-
dents to identify and empathize
with user needs, brainstorm
ideas, prototype, and iterate
their solutions.
l Entrepreneurship Clubs and Incu-
bators: Establish entrepreneur-
ship clubs or incubators where
students can collaborate, exchange
ideas, and receive mentorship and
support for their ventures. These
platforms provide a space for stu-
dents to explore their entrepre-
neurial interests and turn their
ideas into reality.
l Networking Opportunities: Facili-
tate networking events, industry
visits, and partnerships with local
businesses and organizations.
These connections expose stu-
dents to entrepreneurial ecosys-
tems, broaden their perspectives,
and provide valuable networking
opportunities.
l Community Engagement: Encour-
age students to engage with their
local community, whether through
social entrepreneurship initia-
tives, volunteering, or collaborat-
ing with local businesses. These
experiences offer real-world con-
nections and help students under-
stand the impact of entrepreneur-
ship beyond individual success.
l Business Plan Development:
Guide students through the
process of developing business
plans, including market research,
financial analysis, and marketing
strategies. This exercise helps stu-
dents gain a comprehensive un-
derstanding of the entrepreneur-
ial journey and strengthens their
strategic thinking skills.
In a nutshell, fostering entrepreneurship in education is preneurial skills and mindset, and providing real-world
crucial for empowering students to navigate an ever- experiences, education becomes a catalyst for students' en-
changing world. Empowering students with the necessary trepreneurial growth. Through entrepreneurship educa-
skills, knowledge, and mindset can foster a generation of tion, we can inspire the next generation of innovators,
innovative, self-driven individuals who contribute to eco- problem solvers, and leaders who will shape the future
nomic growth, job creation, and societal development.By with their entrepreneurial spirit and make a positive im-
integrating entrepreneurship principles, nurturing entre- pact in their communities.
INDORE CITY Indore | Monday | july 3, 2023

Fewer accidents but more deaths in rural areas have cops worried
raginee Chaurey
city.indore@fpj.co.in
Even though rural areas
account for only 30 per cent
of the total accidents in the
district, they contribute
more than 50 per cent of
the total fatalities.
Between January and
March this year, 177 people
lost their lives in the dis-
trict due to accidents and
officials blame reckless
driving as one of the prime
reasons for the fatalities.
According to data shared
by the traffic department,
folloW safety advisory and get distribution of accidents in rural and urban indore Worst affected areas in the district
exempted from challans rural urban Area No. of accident injured Death
raffic department has recently introduced a campaign No of Accidents 368 869
T aiming to prevent deaths during accidents. DCP
informed Free Press that every Tuesday, a team goes to a
Injured 470 724
Simrol
Sanwer
48
59
119
73
9
76
major square and conducts an awareness drive. “We have Deaths 97 80 Betma 52 69 16
now introduced a system that if a person is wearing a seat Death percentage 54.8 percent 45.2 percent Kishanganj 56 50 12
belt, helmet, and following safety warnings, he/she can be
exempted from challans. This is being done to promote Rajendra Nagar 55 44 3
troduced multiple meas- ticed that people who drive
RepResentative pic
the safety advisory issued by the department,” he added. ures to prevent accidents. recklessly and do not fol- Banganga 67 50 6
We have already identified low traffic rules end up be-
there were 368 accidents in od in urban areas, there drawn out new measures to accident prone areas and ing involved in accidents,” Simrol, Sanwer, Betma, strewn on the roads in
the rural areas between were 80 deaths out of 869 bring down the number of an awareness drive re- said traffic DCP Manish and Banganga and over 50 these areas hampers free
January and March and accidents in the city. accidents and also the fa- garding the same has been Agrawal. accidents have been flow of traffic and results
there were 97 casualties, This trend has the cops talities. continuously going on in According to police the recorded in each area. in congestion and acci-
while during the same peri- worried and they have “The department has in- the district. It has been no- accident hotspots include “Construction material dents,” said Agrawal.

IMS’s MBA in public health management June sees highest

distribution of IMC Q1 property tax sees
With amendment in eligibility electricity in city
this year
Our Staff repOrter
Rs 37 crore YoY jump
Our Staff repOrter lection has been due to the “In the first quarter of

rules, most seats lying vacant

Our Staff repOrter
city.indore@fpj.co.in
The Institute of Manage-
ment Studies, which
amended the eligibility
rules in its recently intro-
duced course of MBA in
public health management,
could only enrol 12-15 stu-
dents during the month-
long counselling, even
though there are 60 seats.
As per the amended rules,
only candidates who have
done MBBS, BDS and nurs-
ing are now eligible for the
course. Those who have
done other medical courses
are considered ineligible,
which includes BUMS,
BHMS and others. Now a
crisis has arisen in front of
the university regarding
filling the vacant seats.
After getting approval
from UGC, IMS of DAVV
decided to run MBA public
health management course.
The syllabus was prepared
last year, but the session
had already started. Later
it was decided to give ad-
mission for the session
2023-24. In all 60 seats were
kept in the course.
Earlier, admission rules
for the public health man-
agement programme were
on the lines of an MBA in
hospital administration.
But in May, the IMS amend-
ed the eligibility rules, giv-
ing priority to candidates
who have completed MBBS,
BDS and Nursing. The
course was kept in the non-
CUET category.
Registrations for coun-
selling started in the third
week of May and 40-42 ap-
plications were received
within three weeks. Howev-
er, many of the applicants
had done Unani, Homeopa-
thy, and Physiotherapy. Af-
ter scrutiny of applications
only 12-15 applicants were
given admission, and the
rest were rejected.
IMS director Dr Sangeeta
Jain said that applications
have been called again for
the vacant seats of MBA
public health management.
Registration and submis-
sion of documents is to be
done by July 12. The coun-
selling would be held on
July 15.
city.indore@fpj.co.in
About 35 crore units of
electricity have been dis-
tributed in the city in June,
which is the highest in any
month of the year so far.
West Discom officials said
that in the 30 days of June
last year, this figure was
around 33.69 crore units
which is 1.3 crore less.
From June 12 to 15 June,
1.27 crore to 1.34 crore units
of electricity was distrib-
uted daily.
The highest demand of
630 MW power was record-
ed on June 13 this year
which is 45 MW more than
the highest daily demand
last year of 585 MW record-
ed on June 9.
In the month of June this
year, maximum power dis-
tribution in a month, maxi-
mum power distribution in
a day and maximum de-
mand of 630 MW was
recorded, said officials.
city.indore@fpj.co.in
The Indore Municipal Cor-
poration received Rs 37
crore more as property tax
in the first quarter of this
financial year compared to
the same period last year.
In the first three months
of the financial year 2023-
24, from April 1 to June 30,
a record property tax
amount of Rs 147 crore was
recovered from 1,44,000 tax-
payers by the municipal
corporation.
Last year till June 30,
property tax amounting to
Rs 110 crore was collected
from 1,00,800 taxpayers.
This increase in tax col-
West Discom to take part in smart
meters' workshop in Haryana
Our Staff repOrter
city.indore@fpj.co.in
monthly review of the rev-
enue department started
by the commissioner and
the action taken according
to the instructions given to
the departmental staff to
increase revenue. This also
resulted in more revenue
received as waste manage-
ment fee as compared to
last year, said IMC officials.
This financial year start-
ed with setting up revenue
recovery targets from each
zone and ward. Higher offi-
cials gave necessary guide-
lines to the bill collectors
and headquarters team
working under them for
revenue recovery as per the
target.
sumer convenience, reducing line losses,
and the success of smart meter scheme of
this year, an amount of Rs
13 crore 84 lakh has been
collected as water tax and
Rs 8 crore 52 lakh has been
recovered as waste man-
agement fee amount,” said
an official. The work of col-
lecting revenue was done
by organising special
camps at more than 150
places in the city.
With the aim of encour-
aging advance tax, taxpay-
ers were provided with
6.25% rebate in advance
property tax and 6% rebate
in water tax to the con-
scious taxpayers of the city.
A lucky draw with an as-
sortment of awards will
also take place.

Catholic Society to celebrate A workshop related to smart meters will be

organised from July 3 to 5 at the Smart
West Discom in collecting various types of
data.
He said that about four lakh smart meters

‘Indian Christian Day’ today Grid Knowledge Center in Manesar,

Our Staff repOrter
city.indore@fpj.co.in
The Catholic Society will
be celebrating St Thomas’
Memory Day as ‘Indian
Christian Day’ on Monday
at St Raphael School from
6:30 pm. Prayer to Saint
Thomas the Apostle leads
to miracles such as healing
of illnesses, protection
from calamities, and liber-
ation from adversity, and
spiritual growth. Many in-
dividuals have been cured,
protected, and guided
through their prayers, re-
ceiving mental and spiritu-
al support.
"St. Thomas the Apostle's
unwavering faith and dedi-
cation to spreading the
message of Jesus are truly
inspiring. His story re-
minds us of the impor-
tance of questioning, seek-
ing understanding, and
finding our own path to
faith. As a Bishop of In-
dore, I strive to instil in all
members of the Christian
community the same spirit
of curiosity and critical
thinking that St Thomas
exemplified. His commit-
ment to sharing the teach-
ings of Jesus in different
regions serves as a power-
ful reminder of the trans-
formative power of love
and belief,” said Bishop
ChakoThotamorical, Bish-
op of Indore Diocese
“As the Parish Priest of St
Francis Cathedral Church
in Indore, I am deeply in-
spired by the arrival of St
Thomas the Apostle in In-
dia, which historical
records indicate occurred
in the 1st century AD. The
accounts of his missionary
work and the establish-
ment of the Christian faith
on the Malabar Coast res-
onate strongly with our
congregation. St Thomas'
presence in India holds im-
mense significance for our
community, as it marks a
rich historical connection
to the early days of Christi-
anity in our land. " said, Fr
Thomas Mathew , the
Parish priest of St Francis
Church, Indore)
PRAYERS OFFERED
AT ST FRANCIS
ASSISI CATHEDRAL
W ith an aim to make
world a peaceful
place, Catholic devotees
offered a special prayer
for peace at St Francis
Assisi Cathedral (Red
Church) on Sunday from
3pm to 4pm. A large num-
ber of Catholic devotees
offer prayers with devo-
tion in the presence of Fr
Thomas Mathew
The international swimming pool being developed by Indore Development Authority on Ring Road
service lane near Goyal Nagar is about to get completed pic BY ananD sHivRe
Man sentenced to life
imprisonment for
unnatural sex with boy
Our Staff repOrter
city.indore@fpj.co.in
A man was convicted to life
imprisonment for unnatu-
ral sex with a boy in Vijay
Nagar area by a local court
on Saturday.
District Prosecution Offi-
cer Sanjeev Srivastava said
that 15th Additional Ses-
sions Judge and Special
Judge (Pocso Act) Pavas
Srivastava, sentenced the
38-year accused to life im-
prisonment. Special Public
Prosecutor Sanjay Meena
appeared on behalf of the
prosecution in the case.
The court has recom-
mended that the victim
child be given an amount of
Rs 1,00,000 as compensa-
tion.
Prosecution officials said
that on March 5 2019, the
victim's mother had filed a
report in Vijay Nagar po-
lice station that on March 4,
2019 at around 04:00 pm her
son came crying and told
her that their neighbour
called him into his home on
the pretext of watching TV,
sent his daughter out
closed the door and in-
dulged in unnatural sex
with him. Thereafter, the
accused threatened the boy
not to share the incident
with anyone. The victim
was taken to the hospital
for treatment as he started
bleeding.
Haryana, under the aegis of Power Grid
Corporation of India, an apex body affiliat-
ed to the Union Ministry of Power in which
the West Discom will also take part and
present their Smart Meter Control Center
and its implementations.
Amit Tomar, managing director West Dis-
com said that Naveen Gupta, in-charge of
the Smart Meter Control Centre at
Pologround, will take part in the event. He
will give a presentation on the need of
smart meters across the country, area-spe-
cific priority, increasing revenue and con-
Nursing officers to work extra hours in protest
Their association has threatened to go on indefinite
strike from July 10 to press for their 10-point demands
Our Staff repOrter
city.indore@fpj.co.in
Nursing officers of MY Hospital and
other hospitals associated with MGM
Medical College threatened to launch
their phase-wise protest on Monday
which will culminate in an indefinite
strike, to press for their demands. RepResentative pic
Interestingly, the nursing officers
opted for a new way to protest and de-
cided to work for longer hours instead
of striking work in the initial phase of
to lodge our protest.”
He said that their protest will be
started on July 3 when we will submit
the protest. a memorandum to the collector ad-
According to the president of the dressing the chief minister and will
Nursing Officers’ Association’ stage a demonstration at the Collec-
Ramesh Jaat, said, “We will launch torate Square.
our phase-wise protest to press our de- “On the second day of protest, we
mands for a long time, but are falling will work extra for an hour and will
on deaf ears. This time, we will not work for two extra hours after our
strike the work and create trouble for duty hours as a part of our protest.
the patients in our initial phase of We will also organise conferences and
protest but will work for extra hours meetings to submit a memorandum in
have been successfully installed in Indore
region. Mhow has become the first fully
smart metered city in the state.
Smart Grid Knowledge Centre (SGKC)
has been established by POWERGRID at
Manesar, Haryana under the aegis of Min-
istry of Power, Government of India. The
knowledge center is equipped with real life
working models of smart grid attributes
like Advance Metering Infrastructure
(AMI), Outage Management System
(OMS), Renewables Integration, AC/DC
Microgrids, Power Quality, Smart Home
Automation etc.
DEMANDS of NurSiNg officErS
1 Regularisation of contractual
employees
2 Implementation of old pension
scheme
3 Increment in grade pay of nursing
officers
4 Benefits of the Seventh Pay
Commission to the employees of
medical education department
5 Night allowance to paramedical
staff
all the local centres and will go on in-
definite strike from July 10,” Jaat
said.
He said that they are pressing for
their 10-point demands which include
regularisation of contractual employ-
ees, implementation of old pension
scheme, increment in grade pay of
nursing officers, benefits of the Sev-
enth Pay Commission to the employ-
ees of the medical education depart-
ment, night allowance to paramedical
staff among others.

Prog on traffic rules,
drug awareness held
Our Staff repOrter
city.indore@fpj.co.in
St. Peter's Higher Secondary
School, in partnership with
the Vatsalya Educational
Group, recently organised a
programme on traffic rules
and drug awareness.
Led by DCP (Traffic), Man-
ish Kumar Aggarwal the
programme aimed to edu-
cate and empower students
about traffic regulations,
emphasising the enduring
impact of early education.
DCP Aggarwal urged the
students to not only adhere
to traffic rules themselves
but also motivate their par-
ents and guardians to do the
same. The event saw the
presence of additional DCP
Anil Kumar Patidar, ASP
Hemlata Agarwal from the
Narcotics Department, pres-
ident of Karmaveer Swami
Vivekananda Trust Prakash
Manawat, and international
comic poet Rajeev Sharma.
Students and teachers ac-
tively participated, display-
ing enthusiasm in spreading
awareness about the dan-
gers of substance abuse and
the importance of leading
drug-free lives.
Students who excelled in
their 10th and 12th-grade ex-
aminations were honoured
at the programme by the
chief guest.
Lack of family support pushing girls towards suicide, feel students
Sheetal Kumari
city.indore@fpj.co.in
Lack of emotional support, espe-
cially from the family, is the main
reason for girls committing sui-
cide, according to some of the
young girl students of the city.
Aanchal Patil, a student of Gu-
jarati College studying B.com tax-
ation, has suf-
fered the agony
of having one of
her close friends
committing sui-
cide after her
family failed to
provide her sup-
port even though
she was being
harassed by her boyfriend. Unable
to bear the harassment further
she ended her life.
Aanchal said that instead of giv-
ing support to their daughters fac-
ing harassment and motivating
them to fight back, often the fami-
ly members blame the girl for the
ordeal and restrict her movement.
Not surprisingly, girls are reluc-
tant to share incidents of harass-
ment or eve-teasing with their
family. This lack of open dialogue
and support within the household
concerning adolescent issues like
inappropriate touching con-
tributes to girls falling prey to
blackmail by miscreants.
Another student of Gujarati Col-
lege studying B.sc, Priya Romde,
expressed the
need for
parental coun-
selling cam-
paigns rather
than focusing
solely on self-de-
fence and cyber-
crime coun-
selling for girls.
She emphasised the importance of
creating a friendly and safe envi-
ronment at home, where girls can
freely share their problems with-
out being blamed for every unfor-
tunate incident.
Pallavi Mohan, another stu-
dent studying B. Com LLB.Hons
from Renaissance Law college, ex-
pressed concern over the inability
of girls to share their problems
with their families due to a gener-
ation gap and stereotypical mind-
sets. Pallavi cited incidents where
a friend faced
harassment but
confidence in themselves and
fight against the societal norms,
ing a friendly environment for
daughters at home is essential for
couldn’t confide emphasizing the importance of encouraging open communica-
in her family, seeking professional help or con- tion. She highlighted the efforts of
fearing societal fiding in someone if they experi- the police in running awareness
judgement. ence thoughts of suicide. campaigns in schools and col-
Stressing the PoLicE tAKE leges, but stressed the importance
need for trust- of integrating self-defence, under-
building, Pallavi Maneesha Pathak Soni, addi- standing boundaries (bad touch
urged parents to tional DCP of Police ( headquar- and good touch), and comprehen-
create an environment where chil- ters), stressed the significance of sive sex education into the formal
dren can openly communicate raising awareness among women education system.
without fear. and their fami-
EXPErt SPEAK
lies about the SoME rEcENt
Dr Ramghulam Razdaan, a
existing initia-
tives by the po- SuiciDE cASES
renowned psychiatrist, attributed lice and govern- On June 24- BSc student ended
the higher rate of depression ment to assist life due to harassment by a
among women to their tendency them. She em- youth on social media.
to think more phasised that it June 23- Girl commits suicide
emotionally is crucial for due to harassment by her
compared to women to be coaching class teacher.
men. He lament- aware of the support available May 11- A Class 12 girl hanged
ed that women and to feel comfortable approach- herself in MG Road after fac-
often hide inci- ing the police for help. Pathak re- ing harassment from a co-
dents of harass- assured that the police are proac- conut vendor.
ment due to so- tive and take immediate action in March 28- A student from Panna,
cietal pressure, cases of harassment. To ensure perparing for SSC exam and
as society tends the safety and anonymity of vic- living in Bhanwarkuan area
to blame the women instead of tims, the police maintain strict ended her life as she was tor-
holding the culprits accountable. confidentiality. mented by her maths teacher
Dr Razdaan urged women to have Pathak further stated that creat-
 MADHYA PRADESH INDORE | MONDAY | JULY 3, 2023

CM transfers Rs 41.85 cr to
Two-day C 20 summit ends
OVERHEARD
Eye on Delhi
female IAS officer has geared up to leave for Del-
4,261 Burhanpur farmers
A hi on deputation, and she is doing so, after OUR STAFF REPORTER

savouring the fruits of power in the state.
Madam wants to set out for Delhi before the Model
Code of Conduct has been in place, but there is a prob-
lem. Her IAS officer husband, dealing with an work,
does not want to go to Delhi on deputation right now.
Her husband feels if they have to go to the Centre at all,
they should wait till the assembly election, and leave
for Delhi, after the formation of the government.
Madam has been holding important positions in the
state for the past three years, but now, she longs for go-
ing out of MP. If they go to the Centre, they will get the
positions lower than their present ranks. Yet, madam
is ready to accept the lower berth. On the other hand,
the officials, working in the departments headed by
her, are happy about her efforts to go to Delhi, since
they want to get rid of her.
Vaunt of power
here are whispers in the corridors of power
with 7 recommendations
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
The two-day Civil 20
Sewa Summit 2023
held under the aegis
of G 20 ended on Sun-
day with working
group making seven
recommendations.
They will be compiled
and will be presented
at the final G 20 Sum-
mit to be held in September.
dations at the G 20 submit. A
2 BOOKS RELEASED
t the valedictory session, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh
A Chouhan released two books - Sewa, Sushashan and
Sahbhagita Ke Do Dashak and Sewa: Sense of Service:
Compendium of Practices Across G 20 Countries. He pre-
sented Sewa Yogi award to 16 people.
‘NEED FOR SKILLED PEOPLE’
n the first session on Sunday, BJP leader and ICCR chair-
I man Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said exposure without
experience had no meaning. There is need for skilled peo-
ple in policy formulation. NITI Ayog’s senior advisor
Anand Shekhar spoke on four Ps - Policies, Partnership,
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
To compensate for crop
damage suffered by ba-
nana farmers and other
farmers in Burhanpur
district, Chief Minister
Shivraj Singh Chouhan transferred Rs 41.85 crore
to 4261 farmers through a single click from CM
House on Sunday. The banana farmers suffered
crop damage in April, May, June last year. The
area of affected crops was 3,690 hectares. Out of
this, the area of affected banana crop is 3,470
hectares and that of other crops is 219 hectares.
There are 3,960 banana farmers while other farm-
ers are 301. Bananas from Burhanpur are exported
to several countries. In his virtual address,
Chouhan said that the government changed many
parametres for welfare of the farmers. Such
changes have been made from time to time in the

T about a wedding ceremony in the family of a re-

tired IAS officer. The presence of a renowned in-
dustrialist at the wedding function was the focal point
The summit saw participa-
tion of delegates from India,
Uzbekistan, Tanzania, Nige-
of the murmurs. The industrialist, taking part in the ria, Turkmenistan and other
event, has always been in the public eye. About him, it
is said that no other businessperson is as well connect-
countries.
Addressing a press confer-
ed as he is. Ergo, his presence at the wedding function ence after the summit, ISRN
made it clear how powerful the retired IAS officer is. A CEO and Sewa Summit’s na-
friend of the retired IAS officer, looking after the tional convener Santosh Gupta
arrangements for the wedding ceremony, is working said 15 more working groups
for the industrialist. Both the present chief minister would submit their recommen-
and his former counterpart were invited to the func-
tion, but they could not make it to the event, since they
had been tied up with election-related work. The re-
tired IAS officer, about whom it is said, that whosoever
comes to power after the election, will not make any
difference to him, since he is a blue-eyed boy of the
B H O PAL: The deputy
chief minister of Chhat-
tisgarh TS Singh Deo
said Congress was in a
‘Cong will form govt in MP’
present chief minister as well as of his former coun- good position in Chhat-
terpart. tisgarh and Madhya
Pradesh. In Chhattis-
Robin Hood? garh, people of the state
are satisfied with the
he officials of a department chinwag about the work done by the gov-
policy will be made based on
them.
One of the best recommenda-
Promotion and People Driven.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Revenue Book Circular, which benefited the farm-
ers. Now, farmers get more relief amount for dam-
age to crops, houses and loss of lives of cattle.
tions made by C 20 working he C 20 working groups made seven recommendations. The state government has also created a new
group was to compile best
practices (including philan-
T The first one is to compile exemplary service traditions
of G 20 countries to promote cross-country learning, cooper-
category of crop damage. The compensation rate
for banana crop has been doubled. As per this
thropic) of G 20 countries. ation between countries. Another is to establish a global net- amendment, relief amount will be increased
Padamshri Nivedita Bhide, work of NGOs. The other recommendations include develop- from Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000 per hectare if the
Vice-Chairperson of ment of module to encourage people to lead a positive life farmer suffers 25% to 33% damage to his banana
Vivekananda Centre, ex- and to use the knowledge of old people in nation building. crops. Similarly, in case of 33% to 50% damage,
pressed her views. the relief amount will be increased from Rs 27,000
to Rs 54,000 per hectare. If the damage is more
than 50%, then the relief amount will be Rs 2 lakh
campaign chief minis-
ter will be the face of the
election, the top leaders
of New Delhi have given
per hectare instead of Rs 1 lakh. He also hit out at
Congress by saying that previous government of
Congress left farmers defaulters. The present
state government gave relief to the farmers by
years, and in MP the Digvijay Singh reached sibilities that the Con- their consent. He said paying approximately Rs 2,200 crore to them. In
Congress is doing well his residence Sarguja gress party might ay that the issue of UCC the last 3 years, an amount of Rs 20,000 crore was
to get resume in power. House and met the form the government in was very important and paid as insurance claim to more than 1.5 crore
Deo is on MP tour as
the family owns proper-
leader. He stressed that
in the state MP, the par-
the state. He said liquor
ban was not practical in
without taking the con-
sent of the common peo-
farmers. Benefits worth Rs 3 lakh crore were
transferred to the accounts of the farmers. Simi-
ty in Bhopal. The for- ty was getting good feed- the state. ple it should not imple- larly, agricultural loans worth Rs 49,000 crore

T changes in the conduct of a once-honest IAS offi-

cer. Till recently, it was believed that the officer
did not accept carrots, but now, many yarns about him
ernment in the last 4.6 mer chief minister back and there are pos- He said for the election mented. were given at zero per cent interest.

Two college students in Women who prepare midday meals

twirl around the department. There are reports that
the officer has deepened his hands into gravy these
days. He is getting rake-off through an officer of the
department. Since the Sahib has an image of being
were insulted during BJP rule: Nath
upright, whatever the proposals he sends to the high-
er-ups are accepted. So, he is making backhanders in
the garb of his clean image. Those who are familiar
with the officer are unable to appreciate the reasons
police net for loot attempt
for such a change in his behaviour. The officer is also FP NEWS SERVICE dent of Khakrai village un- the accused were not visi-
associated with social work. Another story about the Mandsaur der Pipliyamandi police ble properly in the CCTV Loot was planned
officer is that he, like Robin Hood, wants to make
money from a few people through backhanders and Mandsaur police arrested
station in Mandsaur dis-
trict. Both are second-year
footage.
after watching ‘Farzi’
distribute it among the poor. Nonetheless, one day, it two college students in con- students of BA in Tourism T-shirts led to When the police
will come to light whether the Sahib has become a nection with a loot attempt and Hospitality from a pri- the accused interrogated both the
Robin Hood or has filled in his own coffers. on one mandi trader. Police vate college. students in custody, the
cracked the entire case The incident was reported The identity of the ac- accused said that one of
their companions who
IAS Yuva Morcha based on a T-shirt worn by
one of the accused at the
at Smriti Bank where Both-
ra was moving towards
cused could not be clear in
the CCTV footage, nor was work in Sitamau Krishi
very political party has a youth wing or Yuva time of the incident as po- with a bag containing Rs 20 the number of the motorcy- Mandi was well aware

E Morcha, but there is a young brigade of angry

IAS officers in the state bureaucracy. The young
IAS officers, unhappy with the government, have
lice were unable to identify
the accused or the motorcy-
cle registration number
joined this group and are sparing no effort to create an which was captured in the
atmosphere against the government. What is more, all CCTV footage.
of them are not in the loop line. A few of them are Mandsaur SP Anurag Su-
holding important positions, but they are not with the jania informed that an inci-
government. The members of the young brigade are dent was reported on June
in touch with their counterparts in the field, advising 6, where two persons at-
them not to work under the government’s pressure. tempted to snatch a bag
They have reportedly told their colleagues that their containing Rs 20 lakh from
present posting is only for five months, and that they a mandi trader by putting
should not be concerned about anything. As is heard, chilli powder in his eyes.
the impact of this drive is visible, since many collec- The accused duo got the
tors are giving a wide berth to the government’s pres- idea of crime after watch-
sure, which was recently evident in Sagar. ing Shahid Kapoor starrer
web series ‘Farzi’ as they
Making dough decided to fulfil their de-
sires by robbing a mandi
principal secretary (PS), in collusion with an trader Arvind Bothra for
lakh. One of the accused
who was on the motorcycle
attempted to snatch a bag
putting chilli powder in his
eyes. After the incident,
Bothra complained to YD
Nagar police station. Fol-
lowing the daylight robbery
attempt in the town, police
swung into action and be-
gan an investigation into
the case.
Gone through over
100 CCTV footages
In the case, the police
searched more than 100
CCTV footages from differ-
ent spots in the town to
cle. But the T-shirt worn by
one of the accused was vis-
ible. Police began an inves-
tigation based on the T-
shirt.
Meanwhile, a young man
wearing the same T-shirt
was found by the police. On
questioning the young
man, it was found that
such T-shirts are available
in the garment shop of
Sitamau.
When police inquired at
the garment shop, the ap-
pearance of the accused
came to light. After this, the
police showed CCTV
footage while investigating
people living around 500
of the fact that Mandi
traders used to carry
huge amounts with
them. All three
students were inspired
by Shahid Kapoor’s
web series ‘Farzi’.
Impressed by the lifestyle
shown in the film, they
wanted to buy a new car,
travel around and live a
luxurious life with
expensive clothes and
mobiles, so all the three
conspired to rob.
However, in the first
incident, the accused
could not succeed. The
police have arrested two
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
The women were subjected
to injustice and humiliation
during 18 years of BJP-led
government in the state,
said former chief minister
Kamal Nath while address-
ing Rasoiya Mahasangh
meeting held on BHEL
Dussehra Maidan here on
Sunday. “I don’t want to call
you a cook. You cook food
and take care of children,
um was not given properly,
LPG cylinders were not
available and there were
other problems too. “I do
not want to go into detail of
everything but I want to
make it clear that once Con-
gress government is
formed, justice will be done
to you,” he said. He added,
“I am surprised to know
how you have been tolerat-
ing this insult and injustice
for so many years”. He said
that Assembly elections

A
accused in the case,
additional secretary rank-officer, is busy mak- immediate gain. trace their movement. In quarters of Mandsaur. It while one of their thus you are a social worker would be held after 4
ing a lot of brass these days. The additional sec- The accused were identi- the footage, the accused are was learned from the local accomplices is still on the and shape the future of the months and all of them
retary-rank officer takes the guarantee of getting any fied as Sourabh Shukla (19), seen running away after at- people that the students run and the police are state,” Nath added. should support truth and
work done through the PS and the minister of the a resident of Seetamau and tempting robbery, but the studying in private colleges searching for him. He said that the honorari- make Congress victorious.
department. The Sahib is so close to the minister as Pankaj Singh (19), a resi- bike number and the face of have the same T-Shirts.
well as to the PS, that nothing can be done in the
department without his consent. The additional secre-
tary-rank officer wants to grab another department
functioning under the PS. Any suppliers or any firms,
having a piece of work in the departments headed by
MLA announces construction of Anurag Sanstha raises
the PS, take the help of this Sahib to get it done. Once,
the additional secretary-rank officer had a deal
Gogapur-Mahidpur-Ghosla road awareness on
finalised through the PS. Afterwards, both of them
became friends. So lucky these two officers are, that
they have again had a chance to work together in the
FP NEWS SERVICE
Mahidpur
Mahidpur-Ghosla two-lane
road would be a boon for
Mahidpur as it would
environmental conservation
same department. Now, both are making money MLA Bahadur Singh strengthen the traffic sys- FP NEWS SERVICE to Mandsaur Municipal
through dubious deals. There are reports that the Chauhan announced that the tem along with improving Mandsaur Council (MMC) to launch
opposition party has laid its hands on the files related government has approved the the economy. The road would similar campaigns and pro-
to those deals, which may weigh heavy on the AS and construction of the Gogapur- also play an important role in Anurag Sanstha has been grammes for cleanliness of
the PS in the coming days. Mahidpur-Ghosla two-lane the industrialisation of the organising awareness the city.
road. The 45-kilometre-long city. Notably, an industry is marches which are conduct- Medatwal added that
Poster conspiracy road would be built at a cost of
Rs 196.26 crore. Madhya
being constructed on Sugar
Mill land at a cost of Rs 138
ed on first Sunday of each
month to raise awareness
these types of marches
play a pivotal role in un-
he election is nearing, and the political parties Pradesh Road Development crore which is present on the on environment conserva- derstanding the environ-

T are hatching conspiracies against each other.

The situation has come to such a pass, that none
but Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan himself,
Corporation Limited (MPRD-
CL) and Asian Development
Bank (ADB) have also issued
mentioned road. The Goga-
pur-Mahidpur-Ghosla road
would provide connectivity
tion and its protection.
While attending
march, senior social ac-
the
ment, the impact of hu-
man behaviour on it and
the importance of its pro-
has fallen prey to such a dirty war of graffiti. A poster, the tender of road. with other cities in terms of tivists Rajesh Medatwal tection. Chandrashekhar
put up against former chief minister Kamal Nath. The Chauhan further said that transportation. The road said that Prime Minister Gaur, Satyanarayan
person, putting up the posters against Nath, knew 48 bridges and culverts would also connect Agar and Narendra Modi has Bhuria, Ramesh Soni,
there would be a sharp reaction to his action. No soon- would be constructed on this Ratlam with each other. Two launched various cam- Banshilal Tank, Dr Deven-
er had the poster against Nath been put up than the 40-feet-broad road. One-me- four lane roads would be paigns for cleanliness and dra Puranic, Rajaram Tan-
graffiti against Chouhan appeared everywhere in the tre-broad shoulder road merged in it. Soon, officials water conservation in the war, Brajesh Sanadhya,
state. Although there were a few posters against Nath, would also be present on would perform the bhoomi country. He further said Azizullah Khan and others
every district has seen flyers against the Chief Minis- both sides of the lane. He pujan to begin construction that Anurag Sanstha has were also present on the
ter. The poster war has fired up from Karnataka and stressed that the Gogapur- of the two-lane road. submitted a memorandum occasion.
not from MP. Nath’s posters were meant to provoke the
Congress to script graffiti against Chouhan. Now, after
sticking CM’s posters, the Congress is saying the BJP
has kicked off such a poster war. The top brass of the
party is searching for the mastermind behind such a
nasty plot to defame the Chief Minister.
■ NITENDRA SHARMA

Woman, two daughters

held with poppy husk
NEEMUCH/RATLAM: In continuation of anti-drug operations, of-
ficers of the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN), Ratlam
and Railway Protection Force (RPF), Ratlam apprehended
three ladies, including the mother and two of her daughters
and recovered 39.31 kilogram of poppy straw (Doda Chura)
from them. All three accused are from Ludhiana, Punjab
and they were arrested at Ratlam railway station on Satur-
day evening. According to information, the team got a tip-
off that three ladies would be carrying poppy straws from
Ratlam railway station to Ludhiana, Punjab. Swinging into
action, CBN, Ratlam formed a team and put surveillance for
the suspected ladies at Ratlam railway station.
 SSUN marks foundation day
UJJAIN CITY INDORE | MONDAY | JULY 3, 2023
Ujjain: On the foundation day of Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas (SSUN), the director of Madhya Pradesh Hindi Granth
Academy Ashok Kadel said that after Independence, along with history, culture, religion and spirituality, unrestrained,
unlimited things were being mentioned in the curriculum. In protest against these, the safe education movement began on July
2, 2004. The movement gave birth to SSUN in 2007. The trust is determined to bring about radical changes in education.
UJJAIN WEATHER
MAXIMUM: 31.0°C, MINIMUM: 24.4° C
HUMIDITY
MORNING: 84 per cent, EVENING: 71 per cent
SUNRISE: 5.45 am , SUNSET: 7.17 pm

Sandipani Ashram to
News in Brief HEIGHT OF NEGLIGENCE
Neelganga Police register
‘theft’ FIR after 70 days
celebrate ‘Guru Purnima’
FP NEWS SERVICE
‘Guru takes from
FP NEWS SERVICE
Ujjain

After the intervention of

helpline. Raghuvanshi kept
visiting the police station.
He said that on July 1, he sat
at the police station for
Ujjain Prime Minister’s Office around 4 hours and insisted

The City of Lord Mahakal,

which is also known as a
seat of learning from time
Programme held at Jain temple immemorial, is all set to
In Shri Adinath Digambar Jain Temple, Rishi Nagar celebrate the pious occa-
premises, with the blessings of Shramanacharya sion of Guru Purnima on
Vishuddhasagar, his disciple Upanayan Sanskar, the Monday. Lord Krishna
‘Mahagyan Kumbh Varsha Yoga’ ceremony of ancient Jain along with his elder broth-
pilgrimage restorer Vishuddharatna Shraman Suprabha er Balram had got their ed-
Sagar and Muni Pranatsagar Sangh concluded with various ucation in Ujjain more than
religious and cultural events. 5,225 years ago at Guru
Sandipani’s Ashram, which
adds to the significance of
Dance workshop ends celebrating the festival.
The two-day Guru Purni-
ma festival began at Gayatri
Shaktipeeth here on Sun-
day. There was Guru Gita
discussion and collective
mantra chanting from 2.30
to 5.30 pm. It was followed
by Aarti Nadayog from 5.30
to 6.30 pm, Bhajan and Deep
Yagya from 7 to 9 pm. On
Monday, full moon, from 5
am to 6.30 am there will be
Aarti meditation, from 7.30
am to 8 am special worship
of Sajal Shraddha-Prakhar
The 15-day Kathak workshop came to an end on Sunday. It
Pragya, Yagya Sanskar will
was organised by Nrityantar Sangeet Kala Sansthan in
collaboration with Madhya Pradesh Culture Department at be held from 8.30 am to 12
the premises of the institution in Freeganj. Training was given pm, while Gayatri Ma-
by Kathak dancer Heena Vasen, in which students presented hamantra Diksha from 9.00
dance structures learnt during the past 15 days. Certificates am to 10.30 am and in the af-
were given to students by the Chairperson of the institution. ternoon Guru Prasadi will
be organised from 12 pm.
With special efforts of Uj-
Oath administered jain Mayor Mukesh Tatwal,
VMCS MEET ENDS
Ujjain: Inspired by ‘San-
skriti Ki Baat with the
Country Mission’, a two-
day all India representa-
The foundation ceremony of Lions Club Ujjain Surabhi was tives’ meeting of Vishwa
held Sunday. The oath officer of the new executive for 2023- Mangalya Chhatra Sabha
24 was MJF RG Pathak. The new member was made a Lion (VMCS) concluded at
by administering the oath of Lionism by MJF Bhagwandas Shrikshetra Ujjain. VMCS
Airen. Prabha Bairagi was nominated as president, Hemlata
Ojha as secretary and Savita Gupta as treasurer. Former
is a non-political organisa-
tion of women which works
district governor MJF Pathak also administered the oath to the in colleges as well as in so-
office bearers of the entire team. ciety. The meeting was held
in the hospitality of Swami
Jitendranath, president of
Guru Purnima celebrations in progress at Gayatri Shaktipeeth in
Ujjain on Sunday FP PHOTO
five Ujjain Darshan buses
are being made available to
the residents and devotees of
the city. On the occasion of
Guru Purnima, the launch
ceremony of these buses is
scheduled at Dewasgate at 11
am on Monday. The buses
will be run free-of-cost for
visitors on Monday.
Priest Varun Tiwari said
that like each year, this year
also a Guru Purnima festi-
val will be organised at
Batuk Bhairav Temple. The
Palki Yatra (Shobha Yatra)
of Shri Satchidanand
Sadguru Sainath Maharaj
will leave from Ghas Mandi
Square at 5 pm, which will
reach Shirdi Saibaba Tem-
ple behind Chaubis Khamba
Mata Temple at 8:30 pm,
where Maha Aarti will take
place. Guru Purnima festi-
val is being celebrated at
Programmes held to mark CA Day
FP NEWS SERVICE
Ujjain
The Ujjain CA branch or-
ganised various pro-
grammes on the occasion of
CA Day on Saturday. Sanjay
Agrawal said that on CA
Day, a walkathon was first
organised from Tower
Chowk to CA branch.
Thereafter, the institute’s
flag was hoisted and the
Shirdi Saibaba Temple,
Chaubis Khamba Mata Tem-
ple, under which Saichari-
tra was recited in the morn-
ing on Sunday. On Monday,
Mahabhishek of Shri Sac-
chidanand Sadguru Sainath
Maharaj will be held from 9
am. A musical gathering
will be organised by the de-
partment of culture on Mon-
day at the Triveni Art Muse-
um from 7 pm.
In the memory of ISKCON
governor Bhakti Charu Swa-
mi, programmes are being
organised at temple premis-
es. 3-day programmes are be-
ing organised at his Samad-
hi Sthal, which is in Maya-
pur (West Bengal).
Guru Purnima Mahotsav
will be celebrated on Mon-
day at Mountirth Peeth lo-
cated at Gangghat on Man-
galnath Temple Road. Dis-
Functionaries hoist flag at ICAI branch FP PHOTO
darkness to light’
Senior yoga teacher Anokhi
Lal Sharma in a seminar on
Guru Tattva organised by
Arya Samaj said, ‘Guru is the
element that takes us from
darkness to light. Who
should we make a guru, if
you have the habit of
learning, then you can make
every person a guru, imbibe
only the virtues and not see
the faults, the feeling of Idna
or Mamm is Guru Purnima.
Guru is consciousness. Offer
knowledge taken from the
Guru to the society.’ Yoga
Guru Dr Malakar said that
Guru is the one who leads
from ignorance to
knowledge, the one who
leads to the path of truth is
Sadguru, who shows the
path of salvation. Deputy
Minister Lalit Nagar said that
Maharishi Dayanand
Saraswati has given us the
path of true Sanatan Vedic
knowledge by keeping us
away from ignorance and
hypocrisy.
ciples and devotees will re-
ceive blessings by worship-
ping the feet of Mahaman-
daleshwar Sumananand
Giri. They will also be giv-
en initiation.
(PMO) and on the instruc-
tion of CM Helpline, the
Neelganga Police finally
registered an FIR of a theft
incident which occurred 70
days ago. Alok (57), resident
of Santram Sindhi Colony,
Sanwer Road is posted as an
accountant in PGBT Col-
lege. According to him, on
April 20, his relative Aarti,
wife of Brijendra Raghu-
vanshi and her daughter
Akanksha had come home.
At that time, Alok’s wife
and son were present in the
house. Aarti went to the
bedroom on the pretext of
going to the washroom and
opened the cupboard and
stole a gold ring, gold chain,
two earrings worth Rs 4
lakh. When Alka saw the
cupboard open, she checked
the locker and found the or-
naments to be missing.
Neelganga police did not
file a report but Raghuvan-
shi lodged a complaint on
the Prime Minister’s Office
from where he received a
message on his mobile to
transfer his complaint to
the CM Helpline. The com-
plaint in the CM Helpline re-
mained pending for almost
two months. 15 days ago,
ASI Rajendra Singh Tomar
called Raghuvanshi to the
police station and inquired
about the stolen jewellery.
During this, the ASI assured
him to register an FIR and
got the complaint returned
from the CM helpline.
Neelganga police did not
register an FIR for 15 days
after receiving the com-
plaint from the CM
PEACE MARCH DEFERRED
Ujjain: A meeting to build co-ordination between
Nayapura Trust Board and Ujjain Municipal Corpo-
ration (UMC) administration on the subject of re-
moval of Nayapura temple was held on Sunday at
on filing a report. The po-
licemen present there pre-
tended that the computer
was damaged, the internet
line was damaged and the
workload was high. A cop
from outside though came
of help and the FIR was reg-
istered at 9.15 pm, but a
copy was not even provided.
Raghuvanshi said he used
to help Aarti because her fi-
nancial condition was not
good. She used to visit
home often. When she stole
the jewellery, he immedi-
ately informed Neelganga
police station. ASI Tomar,
who came to investigate,
was also informed about
Aarti and her daughter
Akanksha’s intentions.
Tomar kept assuring of in-
vestigation for a few days
but the FIR was not regis-
tered. On visiting the po-
lice station time and again,
ASI Tomar only kept talk-
ing about the investigation.
Raghuvanshi said that
Aarti and Akanksha had
sold the stolen jewellery to
Kanishk Jeweller in Zira-
pur. Apart from this, the
stolen jewellery was also
sold to goldsmiths of Rat-
lam and Ujjain. Information
was given to the police but
the police did not take any
action. On the other hand,
relatives of Aarti threat-
ened over phone not to lodge
complaint at any police sta-
tion as the police cannot
harm them. ASI Tomar also
threatened that if the vic-
tim insists on an FIR, he and
his son will also be detained
in the police station.

BJS to renovate water the meeting Dr Vrishlitai

Joshi, all India organising
secretary VMCS and re-
ceived their guidance. A to-
message of the president
and vice-president of ICAI
was broadcast to the CAs.
Ujjain CA branch organ-
Its members planted 100
saplings on Vikram Univer-
sity campus under environ-
mental protection scheme.
cluded learning tools,
books, pen and pencils, etc.
which will help in empow-
ering them through educa-
the Grand Hotel. When deliberations on implemen-
tation of decisions were going on in the meeting, a
silent demonstration by the Jain Samaj slated for
July 4 was called off. Devendra Patni of Trust Man-

structures in 4 districts tal of 40 delegates from

FP NEWS SERVICE
Ujjain
Bhartiya Jain Sangathan
(BJS), Pune will work in 155
districts across the country
with the Union govern-
ment’s Jal Shakti ministry.
An MoU has been signed
to this effect with the min-
istry recently. Renovation
of water structures includ-
ing ponds, dabri, pokhars,
wells, etc of Dewas,
Neemuch, Shajapur and Uj-
jain districts of Ujjain divi-
sion will be done. Om Jain,
state vice-president of BJS,
said that renovation work
of water structures is to be
done in 155 identified dis-
tricts across the country
with the Government of In-
dia. This is the area where
groundwater level is be-
coming increasingly vul-
nerable.
The government has se-
lected such districts. In
these areas, the office-bear-
ers and workers of BJS will
join the mission of the gov-
ernment and inspire vil-
lagers to preserve water
structures. Along with this,
work will also be done to in-
crease the capacity of wa-
ter storage.
eight different provinces
gathered for the meeting
ised a blood donation camp
at Pushpa Mission Hospital
while conducting cam-
Along with this, literacy
kits were distributed to
make children capable of
tion. Bhavesh Nerkar, vice-
president and Akrit Jain,
secretary thanked all mem-
dal said that if implementation is not done accord-
ing to the sentiments of Nayapura Digambar Trust
Mandal, then the Jain Samaj of the entire country
which included students paigns regarding social education in Matruchhaya bers for participating in the and state will agitate with renewed vigour.
and teachers. concerns. Seva Bharti. These kits in- programme.
OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR AWARD GOES TO DR DK GUPTA
FP NEWS SERVICE ond year of continuous educational ac- Dr Gupta has organised many education-
Ujjain tivities. Last year he was conferred with al seminars and workshops. He has also
National Academic Excellence Award. got the third prize in national essay com-
National Outstanding Educator Award This year, a book entitled ‘Impact of ICT petition in 2022 on Physics of Climate
has been given to Dr DK Gupta, professor on Teaching, Learning, Evaluation and Change organised by Indian Association
and head of physics department of Gov- Research in Higher Education’ edited by of Physics Teachers (IAPT). He is continu-
ernment Girls’ Post-Graduate College him has been ously engaged with educational activities.
(GGPGC) by International Institute of Or- published. He has created nearly 100 He has compiled four lab manuals and de-
ganised Research, a registered MSME YouTube videos on physics theory, prac- veloped innovative experiments like Theo-
with ministry of MSME, for his contribu- tical, yoga, health and poems and these rem of Perpendicular Axes, Theorem of
tion to the educational field.
GGPGC’s Dr VK Gupta during his practical class at are being viewed in other countries oth- Parallel Axes, Retrograde Vernier,
The institute awarded him for his sec- the physics lab FP PHOTO er than India. Quadruple magnetic field, etc.

MHOW/DEWAS NEWS
Itawa health centre Atrocity on deaf & mute person Over 2L Colonel Academy students
saplings to mark Doctors’ Day
in-charge felicitated
DEWAS: Itawa pri-
Case registered against be planted
M h ow: Madhya Pradesh
mary health cen-
tre in-charge Dr
Ayush Acharya
accused woman, held forest department has set a
target of planting more than
2 lakh saplings in Mhow and
and his team FP NEWS SERVICE sance of the matter, and mute brother and vic- Manpur forest range areas
were honoured Sonkatch (Dewas) Sonkatch police began a tim Santosh Solanki. by July 30. The plantation
by MP Forest Em- search for the accused Meherban, who is a driver campaign has been going on
ployees’ Associa- Sonkatch police arrested a woman, who was identified by profession, said in his continuously for the last 10
tion on Doctors woman in connection with as Sheela Bai and booked police complaint that on days in both forest ranges.
Day for receiving an award for best health centre in the city. On a two-month-old incident her under relevant sections April 28 at 2.45 pm, he left More than 1.25 lakh saplings
this occasion, divisional vice-president Hemraj Gokhale, tehsil where she allegedly tied of the IPC and SC/ST Act. his brother Santosh at will be planted in Mhow for-
secretary Dilip Singh Baria, Satish Chaudhary, Indrajit Singh one mute and deaf person Meanwhile, the victim’s Daulatpur intersection as est range under the direc- FP NEWS SERVICE were created through musi-
Solanki, Suresh Bharti and others were present. to a pole and beat him. Po- brother lodged a complaint he had some important tion of Kailash Joshi, the Mhow cal instruments made by the
lice booked her under Sec- on behalf of his brother as work. sub-divisional officer of the students with recycled ma-
COMMISSIONER INSPECTS SANJEEVANI CLINICS tions 323 (voluntarily caus-
ing hurt) and 342 (wrongful
well, Sonkatch police sta-
tion in-charge Neeta Dear-
After 15 minutes, when he
returned, he saw that
forest department. A planta-
tion programme is going on
To thank doctors for their
relentless service to
terials. The school staff and
students fell short of words
DEWAS: Municipal corporation commissioner Vishal Singh Chauhan confinement) of the IPC wal informed. Sheela Bai of Daulatpur in Malendi, Ashapura, Man- mankind, students of in thanking doctors for
made a surprise inspection of the construction of Sanjeevani clinics and relevant sections of the Dearwal said that the village was bashing his galia and surrounding Colonel Academy School cel- their immeasurable dedica-
being built in the city. Deputy engineer Vijay Yadav was asked to SC-ST Act and took her into woman herself has made deaf and mute brother San- forests for the last 10 days. ebrated Doctors’ Day with tion and support in taking
monitor the custody. the video, and in it, the tosh by tying him with a This will continue till the renowned names of Mhow - care of everyone.
works of Though the incident was woman is seen saying that rope on a bamboo. Seeing last week of July. Along with Dr Nirja Singh, Dr Malay
Sanjeevani clinics
running on a daily
reported on April 28 at Santosh harasses her by the incident, I immediately this, the security guard of Kumat, Dr Sangeeta Solanki PANCHANG 3.7.2023
Daulatpur village on Dewas calling her. Immediately af- rescued him and asked why the department will contin- and Col (Dr) S Sudeep.
basis and submit – Bhopal state highway ter getting the video, police she tied him and bashed ue to take care of the The programme began (DAKSHINAYAN)
the report. (SH) in Sonkatch tehsil of began a search for the ac- him. On this, Sheela Bai saplings. Similarly, PS with one of the most inter- Saka 1945 Samvat 2080
During Dewas district, it came to cused woman and arrested asked Meherban to keep his Chauhan, district officer of esting competitions- ‘The Month : Ashadha Shukla 15 Monday 5.09 P.M.
inspection, the fore on Saturday after- her late at night. Dearwal brother away as he often en- Manpur forest range said Shark Tank’, which incul- Nakshatra : Mula 11.02 A.M. then Punarvasu
Yoga : Brahma 3.45 P.M. then Indra
assistant engineer noon when a video of the informed that complainant tered the house and that’s that around 1 lakh saplings cated project-based learning Karan : Vishti 6.48 A.M. then Balav 3.25 A.M.
Saurabh Tripathi, entire incident came to Meherban Solanki, a resi- why she tied him and will be planted in Manpur among students. A special Moon : Dhanu - - - - - - -

Indu Prabha Bharti, health officer Jitendra Sisodia, deputy engineer Sonkatch police. dent of Arnia village came bashed him to teach him a forest range with the entire musical display also mes- 4 2
VEN
Vijay Jadhav and others also accompanied him. Taking suo motu cogni- to the police with his deaf lesson. forest department team. merised guests as melodies 5 3 1
SUN, MER JUP
MARS RAHU
HER
12
6

Cash, valuables worth over Rs 1L looted BJP’s medical cell honours doctors
NEP

11
7 9 SAT
KETU MOON
M h ow: In the deserted house of Chanchal house were lying broken, and found that FP NEWS SERVICE Dr KK Dhoot, Dr Yogesh 8 10
Kumar, resident of Pasipura of Mhow po- they were opened with some equipment. Dewas Walimbe, Dr RC Mundra, PLU

lice station area, thieves broke open the Cash amount of over Rs 1 lakh were looted Dr RC Sharma, Dr
door of the house and stole cash, silver along with gold and silver ornaments. The On the auspicious occa- Prakash Garg, Dr MB Ag- FREE PRESS CLASSIFIED
utensils, mangalsutra, gold ornaments kept shelves and a large LED TV installed inside sion of Doctor’s Day, sen- garwal, Dr Nitin Mungi,
inside the house. Mhow police said that the house were vandalised. The police regis- ior doctors were honoured Dr Bharti Mungi, RUNNING CLASSIFIED
DISPLAY CLASSIFIED 7 DAY 500/-
Chanchal Kumar had gone to a programme tered a case against unknown thieves on the by Bharatiya Janata Par- Dr Manish Mukati, Dr Jai 15 DAY 1000/-
at his sister’s place in Dongargaon and on report of Chanchal Kumar. Police station in- ty’s (BJP) medical cell’s Singh and others were 50/- SQ.CM. B/W.
75/- SQ.CM.
30 DAY 1500/-
Saturday night at 11:30 he was informed charge Mahendra Singh Bhadoria has said Dewas district co-ordina- also felicitated. Dr Rohit (MINIMUM SIZE 1X3) DISPLAY CLASSIFIED
that the doors of the house were open. that after checking CCTV cameras installed tor Dr Jasmat Singh Ya- Yadav proposed a vote of FREE PRESS CALL- 9425082195
When he came home, both the doors of his nearby, the thieves are being searched. dav and team. thanks.
 Fire at bakery in Betul, none hurt
BHOPAL INDORE / BHOPAL | MONDAY | JULY 3, 2023
Betul: A fire broke out at a bakery in a town in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul district on Sunday and no casualty was reported in
the incident, police said. Goods worth Rs 10 lakh were destroyed in the blaze that erupted at a bakery in Shahpur town of the
district around 5.30 am, Shahpur sub-divisional officer of police (SDOP) HL Sharma said.The blaze was put out in an hour at
the establishment located near the old bus stand of the town about 35 km from the district headquarters, he said. (AGENCIES)

Man jumps into

Ultimate in gender
equality, fair play
Pardhi boys, girls play game with no referee,
no gender divide & minimal cost
SMITA
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
Boys and girls belonging to
Pardhi community in the
city and its adjoining areas
are learning and playing an
international game Ulti-
mate Frisbee or Ultimate.
Ultimate is different from
other organised games and
sports in more ways than
one. To begin with, it is
played by boys and girls to-
gether and secondly, it has
no referee or umpire. Play-
ers call their own fouls. It,
thus, promotes gender
equality and develops a
sense of fair play.
The matches were played
on a ground in Neelbad on
Sunday. “We can’t rent
proper grounds. They cost a
lot, thousands of rupees,
and moreover, people are
reluctant to allow us to use
their grounds,” said Ab-
hishek Pawar, one of the or-
ganisers.
One of the players, Jiya
Pawar, said she enjoyed the
game immensely. Jiya is 16
and is a student of class
three. The daughter of a
rag-picker mother and
labourer-father, Jiya start-
ed studying quite late. What
she liked the most about the
game is that boys and girls
play together.
Jiya was among the 14
members of Travellers
team, which stood third in
the tournament. The Trav-
ellers defeated the Defend-
ers. The final was played
between Air Defenders and
Back Handers, in which the
former emerged victorious.
The tournament was or-
ganised by Muzzle - an or-
ganisation of Pardhi youth
of 19 to 28 years. Most mem-
bers of Muzzle eke out a liv-
ing by working as waiters
in parties, making diaries,
bags etc.
“As a child, I used to pick
rags. I was a school dropout
but I have resumed studies
and have just cleared Class
10,” said Abhishek, who
has been playing the game
for three years and had also
participated in a tourna-
ment in Gujarat about a
year back.
All that is needed to play
the game is a metallic disk
and an open ground. Points
are scored by passing the
disc to a teammate in oppo-
site team’s zone. The game
was invented by an Ameri-
can in 1960s, he said.
Pardhis is a denotified no-
madic tribe, which was clas-
sified as a criminal tribe by
the British. Though they
have been denotified, they
remain on police radar.
They are mostly uneducated
and rarely find a decent job
due to stigma attached to
their community.
well to kill self,
probe on
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
A 21-year-old man commit-
ted suicide by jumping into
a well in Kamla Nagar lo-
cality of the city on the in-
tervening night of Saturday
and Sunday, the police said.
The police added that the
reason behind the extreme
step taken by the man has
not been ascertained yet, and
further investigations are on.
Kamla Nagar police sta-
tion house officer (SHO)
Anil Bajpai said that the
man who committed the act
to end his life has been iden-
tified as Abhishek Lohat
(21), who was unemployed,
but used to work as a daily
wager sometimes. He went
to his elder brother Shivam
Lohat’s house at 3 am on
Sunday. He called out Shiv-
am’s name loudly. Before
Shivam could come out of
his house, Abhishek jumped
into the well built in front of
Shivam’s house to commit
suicide. Shivam called the
cops, who in turn, called the
divers of Bhopal Municipal
Corporation (BMC) to take
out Abhishek’s body from
the well. He was rushed to
the hospital, where doctors
declared him brought dead
on arrival. The police are
currently probing the case,
to ascertain the exact rea-
son behind the extreme step
taken by Abhishek.
Women who prepare midday meals
were insulted during BJP rule: Nath
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
The women were subjected
to injustice and humiliation
during 18 years of BJP-led
government in the state,
said former chief minister
Kamal Nath while address-
ing Rasoiya Mahasangh
meeting held on BHEL
Dussehra Maidan here on
Sunday. “I don’t want to call
you a cook. You cook food
and take care of children,
thus you are a social worker
and shape the future of the
state,” Nath added.
He said that the honorari-
um was not given properly,
LPG cylinders were not
ISSF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
AND ASIAN GAMES
Aishwarya Pratap Singh,
Ashi Chouksey selected
available and there were
other problems too. “I do
not want to go into detail of
everything but I want to
make it clear that once Con-
gress government is
formed, justice will be done
to you,” he said.
He added, “I am surprised
to know how you have been
tolerating this insult and
injustice for so many
years”. He said that As-
sembly elections would be
held after 4 months and all
of them should support
truth and make Congress
victorious.
8 booked for
vandalising
sarpanch’s house
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
Eight persons barged
into the house of a
sarpanch of Habibganj
Sarkhandi village of Be-
rasia and vandalised it
on Saturday, the police
said.
Berasia police station
house officer (SHO)
Girish Tripathi told Free
Press that the com-
plainant, Dhoor Singh,
was the sarpanch of the

Sawan songs in Nimadi Woman injured as driver Habibganj Sarkhandi vil-

lage near Berasia. He ap-

opens car door suddenly proached the police on

Sunday, stating that one

dialect at Tribal Museum OUR STAFF REPORTER

Gond dance
Gudumbaja
presented
OUR STAFF REPORTER
BHOPAL
Sawan songs in Nimadi di-
alect and Gond dance
‘Gudumbaja were present-
ed at the MP Tribal Muse-
um in the city on Sunday
evening. It was part of
Sambhavna, an event that
focused on dance, singing,
and musical instruments.
The event began with
tSawan songs, presented by
Vikas Shukla and his
troupe from Harda. It was
followed by Gond Gudum-
baja dance was presented
by Likhiram Dhurve and
his troupe from Anuppur.
It is a traditional dance of a
sub-caste of Gond tribe.
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
The Shahpura police have
registered a case against a
man under the Motor Vehi-
cles Act for opening the door
of his four-wheeler suddenly,
which left a woman injured
as she rammed into it in the
Shahpura locality of the city,
the police said on Sunday.
The police added that the
man argued with the woman
and even abused her verbally,
after which the woman ap-
proached the cops and lodged
a case against the accused.
There is also a long tradi- Shahpura police station
tion of Gudum instrument house officer (SHO) Awad-
played by tribesmen. hesh Singh Bhadoria said
Gudum, Duff, Manjira, that the complainant
Timki instruments are woman, named Rajshree
played. Saxena (52) is a home-maker,
who had been to Aakriti
Greens in Bawadia Kalan to
meet one of her friends on
Friday. She was returning
from there in the evening. No
sooner did she reach the Ro-
hit Nagar phase-1 locality,
the driver of a car opened the
door of his vehicle suddenly,
following which Saxena
rammed into it and fell down
from her two-wheeler. She
sustained grievous injuries
on her head, face and hands.
The accused car driver,
identified as Sanjeev Meena,
landed into an argument
with Saxena and even
abused her after which Saxe-
na called her husband
Praveen Saxena. The duo ap-
proached Shahpura police
and registered a case against
the accused car driver.
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
The shooters from state
Aishwarya Pratap Singh
Tomar and Ashi Chouk-
sey have been selected for
Asian Games to be held in
China in September and
in ISSF World Champi-
onship to be held in Baku,
Azerbaijan, in August this
year.
Academy’s Aishwarya
Pratap Singh has been se-
lected in 10-metre air rifle
and 50-metre three posi-
tion men and Aashi
Chouksey in 10 metre air
rifle and 50 metre three po-
sition women event.
Sports and Youth Welfare
Minister Yashodhara Raje
Scindia said it was a mat-
ter of pride for us as it
proved that players in
Madhya Pradesh were be-
ing prepared well to com-
pete at the international
level. All facilities, train-
ing and positive environ-
ment are provided.
of the contenders for the
post of Sarpanch, Parvat
Singh, used to envy him.
Owing to the same, Par-
vat barged into Dhoor’s
house along with his ac-
complices named Pratap
Singh, Jaswant Singh,
Roop Singh, Anaar
Singh, Ram Singh,
Lakhan Singh and
Laxminarayan.
Dhoor further said that
the group vandalised his
house using sticks and
rods, and also broke his
vehicles including a car
and a bike. They fled from
the spot after committing
the act, Dhoor said.
SHO Tripathi said that
a case has been lodged
against all the accused
and search is on for
them.

DISTRICT NEWS
Bus rams into tree, tractor ferrying Meeting held ahead of KTC Cup Karate C’ship
FP NEWS SERVICE jhi Karate Centre Peter

sand collides with it from rear Jabalpur

A meeting of senior karate

No fatalities
reported
FP NEWS SERVICE
Chhatarpur
A passenger bus lost con-
trol and rammed into a tree
on Bijawar-Kishangarh
road in the early hours of
Sunday, the police said.
The police added that a trac-
tor ferrying sand was run-
ning behind the bus, which
collided with it and over-
turned. No fatalities were re-
ported in the incident.
The Kishangarh police
said that the passenger bus
was coming from Jaitpur. It
was being driven at a high
speed and eventually lost
control to ram into a tree lo-
cated on the roadside in the
early hours of Sunday. A
tractor ferrying sand was
running behind the bus,
which could not control its
speed and collided with it
from rear.
Locals witnessed the inci-
dent and rushed there im-
mediately to help passen-
gers to deboard. Few per-
sons sustained minor in-
juries. The traffic was in-
terrupted for some time.
The cops were called who
reached the spot along with
a Dial-100 vehicle. The in-
jured persons were taken to
the hospital and the traffic
was resumed after some
time, the police said.
coaches was chaired at
karate training centre locat-
ed in Vijaynagar of Ja-
balpur on Sunday, ahead of
KTC cup karate champi-
onship slated to begin on
July 9. It was informed at the
meeting that the tourna-
ment will be organised at
Maharishi Vidya Mandir
school located in Vijaynagar.
Sources said that the
KTC cup is aimed at lifting
the spirits of those karate
players who have enrolled
at karate training centre.
Apart from this, the KTC
cup’s objective is also to
prepare other karate play-
ers for major tourna-
ments. Karate coaches
present in the meeting
said that more than 300
karate players are expect-
ed to turn up at KTC cup.
Head coach of Bengali
Karate Club, Narendra
Gupta, head coach of Ran-
John, assistant coaches
Lata John, Sakhi John,
Palak Naidu, Bhoomika
Gupta, Suresh Kumar, Om
Rao, Shreyansh Vish-
wakarma, all rounder mar-
tial artists Prakash Yadav,
Prajwal Gupta and Sabir
Ansari, head coach of Vi-
jaynagar Karate centre Ra-
jendra Dhawalpuri, assis-
tant coaches Nain Ba-
hadur, Sahil Singh Thakur
as well as senior karate
players Aakash Jadhav,
Prashant Patel, Aparna
Choudhary, Ajay Chhatri,
Aman Kshatriya and oth-
ers were present.

Sewa Sadan Eye Hospital
organises eye check-up camp
FP NEWS SERVICE
Sant Hirdaram Nagar
Sewa Sadan Eye Hospital
and Bhopal Utsav Mela
Samiti jointly organised a
free-of-cost eye check-up
camp at Atalram
Dharamshala located on
Berasia Road on Sunday. A
total of 370 patients suffer-
ing from poor vision came
to the camp, official sources
said.
Out of 370 patients,
cataract was diagnosed in
as many as 94 patients, who
were then referred to Sewa
Sadan hospital for treat-
ment. The cataract surger-
ies will be performed on 94
patients on Monday. These
94 patients include 61 men
and 33 women.
Blood pressure (BP), sug-
ar levels were also checked.
The persons in whom the
cataract was not diagnosed
were provided eye-drops
free-of-cost. Ajay Sogani,
PD Agrawal, Sunil Jainaw-
in, Tarun Mulchandani,
Jaikishan Lalchandani, Va-
sudev Wadhwani, Yogendra
Mukhraiya, Shyam Man-
gal, Mohanlal Gangwani,
Jagdish Sanhita, Mohan
Kushwah, Kamal Jain and
LC Janiyani were present
on the occasion.
Bhopal rly division earns
revenue of Rs 15.58L
Most passengers
booked tickets
through UTS app
FP NEWS SERVICE
Narmadapuram
The UTS on mobile applica-
tion has become common
among railway passengers
travelling in Bhopal divi-
sion. The revenue worth Rs
15.58 lakh was earned by
the Bhopal railway division
in June 2023 is a testament
to the fact. Official sources
said that a majority of peo-
ple travelling on a daily ba-
sis in Bhopal division use
the application to book tick-
ets in the online mode.
The data provided by the
railway officials revealed
that a total of 72,901 railway
passengers booked train
tickets on the Bhopal rail-
way division from June 6
till June 30, 2023.
It is noteworthy that the
Indian railways has
launched UTS on mobile
application. It is aimed to
end inconvenience of the
passengers who had to
stand in long queues for
hours to buy a train ticket.
The application is available
to mobile phone users on
Play store, Apple store as
well as Windows store. Peo-
ple who book the ticket us-
ing the UTS application
will be able to produce the
ticket before the ticket col-
lector even in the offline
mode.
No sonographer at Sehore dist
hosp, BJP leader meets min
FP NEWS SERVICE
Sehore
District BJP general secre-
tary Ravi Nagle met health
minister Prabhuram
Choudhary to apprise him
about the lack of sonogra-
pher at Sehore district hos-
pital. Nagle’s followers
were also present.
At the meeting, Nagle told
minister Choudhary that
pregnant women seeking
sonography were forced to
run from pillar to post at
the sonography centres lo-
cated outside Sehore dis-
trict hospital as no sonog-
raphy experts are present
at the hospital. Same is the
state of male patients who
arrive at Sehore district
hospital.
Further in his statements,
Nagle said that even after
being the beneficiaries of
Ayushman card scheme,
the people are spending
around Rs 1,500 for sonog-
raphy, which is too heavy
on their pocket. Adding to
the irregularities prevail-
ing at the hospital, Nagle
stated that the elevator at
the hospital is also out of
order since long, which
causes immense inconven-
ience to patients.
Expressing concern over
the same, Nagle requested
minister Choudhary to
look into the issue. During
this, Nagle and his follow-
ers gifted a picture of
Union aviation minister
Jyotiraditya Scindia to the
minister.

NAT’L SICKLE CELL ANAEMIA ERADICATION CAMPAIGN ORGANISED, AYUSHMAN CARDS DISTRIBUTED AT MANAS BHAWAN
FP NEWS SERVICE
Shahdol
The National Sickle Cell Anaemia
Eradication campaign was set in mo-
tion on July 2 in Damoh. Member of
legislative assembly (MLA) Ajay
Tandon inaugurated the campaign.
On this occasion, the speech given
by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra
Modi and state chief minister (CM)
Shivraj Singh Chouhan was
screened. Ayushman cards were also
distributed to the beneficiaries dur-
ing the programme.
MLA Ajay Tandon said that Ayush-
man card is meant for providing
free-of-cost treatment to the benefi-
ciaries upto Rs 5 lakh. Now people
wouldnot remain deprived of treat-
ment due to lack of funds. Zila Pan-
chayat CEO Ajay Srivastava said
that every individual knows about
the Ayushman card scheme, under
which, free treatment up to Rs5 lakh
is provided to the beneficiaries. He
added that PM Modi has launched
the National Sickle Cell Anemia
Eradication Campaign, through
which, cards will be made for the
person suffering from sickle cell
anaemia under this scheme.
Chief Medical and Health Officer
(CMHO) Sangeeta Trivedi said that a
target was given to make ten lakh
Ayushman cards in Damoh district,
out of which about seven lakh peo-
ple have been registered. If you go to
the hospital where Ayushman
scheme is implemented through this
card, then that person will be treated
free of cost. According to the policy
of the government, a family will be
given free treatment up to Rs five
lakh in a year. She went on to say
that more than 3.58 crore Ayushman
cards have been made in Madhya
Pradesh.
On the occasion, MLA Ajay Tan-
don, collector of Damoh, Mayank
Agarwal, CEO of Zilapanchayat
Ajay Srivastava and other public
representatives as well as benefici-
aries were present.
Phulwari 2023: 14 kathak dancers present Narmada Stuti
BHOPAL: About 14 kathak dancers presented Narmada Stuti, which enchanted the audience at Shaheed Bhawan in the
city on Sunday evening. The dance performance was part of an event Phulwari 2023 organised by Natraj Kathak Kala
Akademi, Bhopal. They began with Shiv Vandna. It was in raga Mishra Shankara in ek taal. It was followed by kathak. The
artistes also presented bandish, Jai Mahesh Jata Jute’, which earned huge round of applause from music lovers.
Bhopal City
Indore / bhopal | Monday | JUly 3, 2023

OVERHEARD CM transfers Rs 41.85 cr to

A
Eye on Delhi
female IAS officer has geared up to leave for Del-
hi on deputation, and she is doing so, after
Two-day C 20 summit ends 4,261 Burhanpur farmers
Our Staff repOrter

with 7 recommendations
savouring the fruits of power in the state. city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
Madam wants to set out for Delhi before the Model
Code of Conduct has been in place, but there is a prob- To compensate for
lem. Her IAS officer husband, dealing with an work, crop damage suffered
does not want to go to Delhi on deputation right now. by banana farmers
Her husband feels if they have to go to the Centre at all, and other farmers in
they should wait till the assembly election, and leave Our Staff repOrter 2 books released Burhanpur district,
for Delhi, after the formation of the government. city.bhopal@fpj.co.in Chief Minister Shiv-
Madam has been holding important positions in the
state for the past three years, but now, she longs for go-
ing out of MP. If they go to the Centre, they will get the
The two-day Civil 20
Sewa Summit 2023
A t the valedictory session, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh
Chouhan released two books - Sewa, Sushashan and
Sahbhagita Ke Do Dashak and Sewa: Sense of Service:
raj Singh Chouhan
transferred Rs 41.85 crore to 4261 farmers
through a single click from CM House on Sunday.
positions lower than their present ranks. Yet, madam held under the aegis Compendium of Practices Across G 20 Countries. He pre- The banana farmers suffered crop damage in
is ready to accept the lower berth. On the other hand, of G 20 ended on Sun- sented Sewa Yogi award to 16 people. April, May, June last year.
the officials, working in the departments headed by day with working The area of affected crops was 3,690 hectares. Out
her, are happy about her efforts to go to Delhi, since group making seven ‘Need for skilled people’ of this, the area of affected banana crop is 3,470
they want to get rid of her. recommendations.
They will be compiled I n the first session on Sunday, BJP leader and ICCR chair-
man Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said exposure without
hectares and that of other crops is 219 hectares.
There are 3,960 banana farmers while other farm-
Vaunt of power and will be presented
at the final G 20 Sum-
experience had no meaning. There is need for skilled peo-
ple in policy formulation. NITI Ayog’s senior advisor
ers are 301. Bananas from Burhanpur are exported
to several countries. In his virtual address,

T
here are whispers in the corridors of power mit to be held in September. dations at the G 20 submit. A Anand Shekhar spoke on four Ps - Policies, Partnership, Chouhan said that the government changed many
about a wedding ceremony in the family of a re- The summit saw participa- policy will be made based on Promotion and People Driven. parametres for welfare of the farmers. Such
tired IAS officer. The presence of a renowned in- tion of delegates from India, them. changes have been made from time to time in the
dustrialist at the wedding function was the focal point Uzbekistan, Tanzania, Nige- One of the best recommenda- recommeNdatioNs Revenue Book Circular, which benefited the farm-
of the murmurs. The industrialist, taking part in the ria, Turkmenistan and other tions made by C 20 working
event, has always been in the public eye. About him,
it is said that no other businessperson is as well con-
countries.
Addressing a press confer-
group was to compile best
practices (including philan-
T he C 20 working groups made seven recommendations.
The first one is to compile exemplary service traditions
of G 20 countries to promote cross-country learning, cooper-
ers. Now, farmers get more relief amount for dam-
age to crops, houses and loss of lives of cattle.
The state government has also created a new
nected as he is. Ergo, his presence at the wedding ence after the summit, ISRN thropic) of G 20 countries. ation between countries. Another is to establish a global net- category of crop damage. The compensation rate
function made it clear how powerful the retired IAS CEO and Sewa Summit’s na- Padamshri Nivedita Bhide, work of NGOs. The other recommendations include develop- for banana crop has been doubled. As per this
officer is. A friend of the retired IAS officer, looking tional convener Santosh Gupta Vice-Chairperson of ment of module to encourage people to lead a positive life amendment, relief amount will be increased
after the arrangements for the wedding ceremony, is said 15 more working groups Vivekananda Centre, ex- and to use the knowledge of old people in nation building. from Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000 per hectare if the
working for the industrialist. Both the present chief would submit their recommen- pressed her views. farmer suffers 25% to 33% damage to his banana
minister and his former counterpart were invited to crops. Similarly, in case of 33% to 50% damage,
the function, but they could not make it to the event, the relief amount will be increased from Rs 27,000
since they had been tied up with election-related
work. The retired IAS officer, about whom it is said,
‘SPIRIT OF SERVICE AT CORE OF INDIAN SOCIETY’ to Rs 54,000 per hectare. If the damage is more
than 50%, then the relief amount will be Rs 2 lakh
that whosoever comes to power after the election, will Our Staff repOrter Sewa Summit at Kushabhau compassion and feeling of Vinay Sahastrabuddhe said per hectare instead of Rs 1 lakh.
not make any difference to him, since he is a blue-eyed city.bhopal@fpj.co.in Thackeray Convention Hall belongingness. India’s vi- that CM was basically a ‘seva He also hit out at Congress by saying that previ-
boy of the present chief minister as well as of his for- on Sunday. He said that along sion, in itself, is also the so- yogi’. While serving the state ous government of Congress left farmers default-
mer counterpart. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh with humans, we are also lution to entire world’s prob- for two decades, he has estab- ers. The present state government gave relief to
Chouhan has said that the conscious about protecting lems. Prime Minister Naren- lished relationship with peo- the farmers by paying approximately Rs 2,200
Robin Hood? spirit of service is rooted in
Indian society and India. The
animals, birds and the envi-
ronment.
dra Modi is also strengthen-
ing the spirit of Vasudhaiva
ple. He connects to people
with ease and that is why he
crore to them. In the last 3 years, an amount of Rs
20,000 crore was paid as insurance claim to more

T
he officials of a department chinwag about the same consciousness per- “Right from birth, Indians Kutumbakam,” Chouhan is called mama - the maternal than 1.5 crore farmers. Benefits worth Rs 3 lakh
changes in the conduct of a once-honest IAS offi- vades all beings. This is the are taught to serve others. added. uncle in the state. The inclu- crore were transferred to the accounts of the
cer. Till recently, it was believed that the officer basic idea of Indian culture. There is a sense of live and He said he was satisfied as sion of theme of service in farmers. Similarly, agricultural loans worth Rs
did not accept carrots, but now, many yarns about him He was addressing the con- let live in the mind. There he is planting saplings every G-20 is a matter of pride in it- 49,000 crore were given at zero per cent interest.
twirl around the department. There are reports that cluding programme of G-20 can be no service without day for past 2.6 years. Dr self, he added.
the officer has deepened his hands into gravy these
days. He is getting rake-off through an officer of the
department. Since the Sahib has an image of being
upright, whatever the proposals he sends to the high-
Two held for transporting, ‘Cong will form govt in MP’ Maid makes off with Rs 7.5L in Misrod, search on
er-ups are accepted. So, he is making backhanders in
the garb of his clean image. Those who are familiar
with the officer are unable to appreciate the reasons
selling illicit liquor Our Staff repOrter
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
house. Misrod police station
in-charge (SHO) RB Sharma
said that the complainant,
agreed and let her off. Howev-
er, when Paswani checked his
locker on Saturday, he found
for such a change in his behaviour. The officer is also The Misrod police have reg- Vijay Paswani, resides in the Rs 7.5 lakh in cash missing
associated with social work. Another story about the istered a case of theft against Shalimar Fort Liza colony of from there. Connecting all the
officer is that he, like Robin Hood, wants to make a woman, who used to work Misrod. He approached po- dots, he realised that the maid
money from a few people through backhanders and at a house in Misrod and lice on Saturday, stating that might have made away with
distribute it among the poor. Nonetheless, one day, it made away with Rs 7.5 lakh a woman named Latabai the amount and then left
will come to light whether the Sahib has become a BHOPAL: The deputy chief min- in June 2023, the police said. used to work as a maid at his working at his home to avoid
Robin Hood or has filled in his own coffers. ister of Chhattisgarh TS Singh The police added that the place from the last few years. police action. He then ap-
Deo said Congress was in a good case came to light when the He added that Latabai sud- proached the cops and regis-
IAS Yuva Morcha position in Chhattisgarh and
Madhya Pradesh. In Chhattis-
owner of the house checked
his locker to find the cash
denly told Paswani that she
cannot continue working at
tered a case against Latabai.
The police have registered a

E
very political party has a youth wing or Yuva garh, people of the state are sat- money missing. By then, the his home due to various un- case and have begun search-
Morcha, but there is a young brigade of angry isfied with the work done by the maid had left working at the listed reasons. Paswani ing for her, SHO Sharma said.
IAS officers in the state bureaucracy. The young government in the last 4.6 years,
IAS officers, unhappy with the government, have and in MP the Congress is doing
joined this group and are sparing no effort to create an well to get resume in power.
atmosphere against the government. What is more, all Our Staff repOrter Deo is on MP tour as the family
of them are not in the loop line. A few of them are city.bhopal@fpj.co.in owns property in Bhopal. The
holding important positions, but they are not with the former chief minister Digvijay
government. The members of the young brigade are The excise department has arrested two persons on Singh reached his residence Sar-
in touch with their counterparts in the field, advising charges of transporting and selling illicit liquor in guja House and met the leader.
them not to work under the government’s pressure. Bhopal, officials said on Sunday. He stressed that in the state MP,
They have reportedly told their colleagues that their Excise controller Sajendra Mori said department the party was getting good feed-
present posting is only for five months, and that they had been receiving continuous tip-offs about illicit back and there are possibilities
should not be concerned about anything. As is heard, liquor being transported to Panchsheel Nagar, Sub- that the Congress party might ay
the impact of this drive is visible, since many collec- hash Nagar, Ashoka Garden and old city. Immediate- form the government in the
tors are giving a wide berth to the government’s pres- ly, a team was constituted, which launched check state. He said liquor ban was not
sure, which was recently evident in Sagar. drive in Kolar and Chunabhatti. practical in the state.
The officials nabbed Sagar Sonane, who was found He said for the election cam-
Making dough to be transporting illicit liquor by two-wheeler. So-
nane told the officials that a man named Dhan Singh
paign chief minister will be the
face of the election, the top lead-

A
principal secretary (PS), in collusion with an Raghuwanshi distributed slips to his subordinates ers of New Delhi have given
additional secretary rank-officer, is busy mak- and directed them to transport illicit liquor as per the their consent. He said that the is-
ing a lot of brass these days. The additional sec- demand. Officials then carried out check drive near sue of UCC was very important
retary-rank officer takes the guarantee of getting any Prabhat petrol pump and apprehended Raghuwanshi and without taking the consent
work done through the PS and the minister of the too. The officials have seized illicit liquor and vehi- of the common people it should
department. The Sahib is so close to the minister as cles used by the accused in the offence. not implemented.
well as to the PS, that nothing can be done in the
department without his consent. The additional secre-
tary-rank officer wants to grab another department
functioning under the PS. Any suppliers or any firms,
having a piece of work in the departments headed by
the PS, take the help of this Sahib to• get it done. Once,
Tomatoes cost Rs 150/kg,
the additional secretary-rank officer had a deal
finalised through the PS. Afterwards, both of them
became friends. So lucky these two officers are, that
vegetables’ prices soar
they have again had a chance to work together in the Our Staff repOrter purchases. On the other
same department. Now, both are making money City.bhopal@fpj.co.in hand, vendors said that
through dubious deals. There are reports that the they have no other option
opposition party has laid its hands on the files related Tomatoes price jumped to but to sell vegetables at this
to those deals, which may weigh heavy on the AS and new height in retail market high rates as they procure
the PS in the coming days. of Bhopal on Sunday with vegetables from the main
Rs 150 per kilogram. Not market at inflated rates,
Poster conspiracy only tomatoes, prices of
other vegetables also in-
subsequently reselling
them with a margin of Rs 10

T
he election is nearing, and the political parties creased drastically. to Rs 20. Currently, vegeta-
are hatching conspiracies against each other. Mandi traders association bles are scarce in the mar-
The situation has come to such a pass, that none has attributed rise in price ket, and the available sup-
but Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan himself, to short supply due to re- Vegetables Rate/kg ply is being sourced from
has fallen prey to such a dirty war of graffiti. A poster, cent rain. Due to heavy outside regions, incurring
put up against former chief minister Kamal Nath. The rain, transportation has Tomatoes Rs 150 transportation charges that
person, putting up the posters against Nath, knew also compounded the prob- Pointed gourd Rs 80 contribute to the soaring
there would be a sharp reaction to his action. No soon- lems. Rain damaged veg- prices, venders added.
er had the poster against Nath been put up than the etable crops. French beans Rs 80 Mandi traders Associa-
graffiti against Chouhan appeared everywhere in the Ginger price is around Rs Ridge gourd Rs 80 tion president Harish
state. Although there were a few posters against Nath, 300 per kilogram while Gyanchandani said, “Price
Cauliflower Rs 60
every district has seen flyers against the Chief Minis- green chilly is Rs 100 per rise is due to short supply
ter. The poster war has fired up from Karnataka and kilogram. Garlic is also Rs Bitter gourd Rs 60 of agriculture produce.
not from MP. Nath’s posters were meant to provoke the 200 per kilogram while Cabbage Rs 50 Crops also damaged due to
Congress to script graffiti against Chouhan. Now, after onion price varies from Rs rain and then transporta-
sticking CM’s posters, the Congress is saying the BJP 30 per kilogram to Rs 40 per Brinjal Rs 50 tion problems due to rain
has kicked off such a poster war. The top brass of the kilogram. Pumpkin Rs 50 added to problems. This is
party is searching for the mastermind behind such a Consumers said that the reason, the vegetables
nasty plot to defame the Chief Minister. soaring vegetable prices Spong gourd Rs 50 which are transported from
have affected their kitchen Lady finger Rs 50 various others parts of
n NiteNdra Sharma budget and they are now state, are not being trans-
Potatoes Rs 30
compelled to adjust their ported in Bhopal.”
 Bus fire: Mass cremation of 24 bodies held in Buldhana
MUMBAI INDORE | MONDAY | JULY 3, 2023
Buldhana: A mass cremation was held on Sunday of 24 out of the
25 victims charred to death after a private bus caught fire in
Buldhana district, an official said. The body of one of the victims will
be handed over to the family for burial, another official said. As
most of the victims were charred beyond recognition after the bus
caught fire on Saturday, efforts were made to convince their families
for mass cremation instead of their DNA analysis, the official said.
The cremation was held at Vaikunth Dham Hindu Smashan Bhoomi
in Buldhana on Sunday. Relatives of the deceased and Maharashtra
minister Girish Mahajan were present during the cremation.

‘The party is with us. ‘I trust the people.

NEW FACES At swearing-in,
IN CABINET a mixture of
nervousness

Leaders are with us’

Pawar, Jr, says he will contest all future elections in
We will go to them’
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / MUMBAI
and excitement
ABHIJIT MULYE / MUMBAI

Speculations were rife since

alliance with the BJP and the Shinde Sena
ABHIJIT MULYE / MUMBAI
Newly sworn in Deputy Chief
Minister Ajit Pawar on Sun-
day said that he and his MLAs
decided to join the Shinde-
Fadnavis government after
several deliberations spread
over days and the party is
united over the issue as the
decision was taken by a ma-
jority of members.
At a press conference after
the swearing in ceremony,
Pawar claimed that the
party leadership had been
taken into confidence about
the decision.
“This is our unanimous de-
cision. We had been dis-
cussing this for a long time.
We weighed the political situ-
ation in the state as well as the
centre and decided to join the
government for develop-
ment,” Pawar said.
“In democracy, numbers
are important. The party is
with us. The leaders are with
us. We have taken the deci-
sion after discussion with the
party leadership,” Pawar,
flanked by senior leaders
Chhagan Bhujbal and Praful
Patel, said at the state guest
house Sahyadri.
“I had resigned as leader of
Sena welcomes rebels into ‘grand alliance’
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / MUMBAI
Industries Minister and Shiv Sena leader
Uday Samant welcomed Ajit Pawar into the
‘mahayuti’ (grand alliance) under the leader-
ship of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde
and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis.
“Ajit-dada is a good administrator.
He will complement the progressive
government under Shinde-Fadnavis.
Shiv Sena welcomes Ajit Pawar into
mahayuti. His role in building the
NCP is very important. He will give
further power to our alliance,”
Samant said.
Samant heaped praise on Shinde and Fad-
navis for inducting Pawar as deputy CM.
“Some people had started raising doubts
about Eknath Shinde saheb not appreciating
the move. But, Shinde and Fadnavis both are
mature leaders. They mutually took the deci-
morning when the three major par-
ties in the state, the BJP, the Shiv
Ajit Pawar NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Sena and the NCP, called meetings at
Sunday resolved that his party the residences of their respective
would go to the people and re- leaders. The BJP core committee
vive itself, insisting that its huddled at Sagar bungalow of
stand against communal Deputy Chief Minister Devendra
forces remained unchanged. Fadnavis, while Shiv Sena ministers
“I trust the common people and some of the MLAs gathered at
of Maharashtra, especially the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s offi-
youth. We will go to them in- cial residence, Varsha.
stead of wasting time in legal Ajit Pawar called a meeting of par-
Aditi Tatkare battles,” he said as he ad- ty MLAs at his official residence, De-
dressed a press conference at vgiri. The party’s working president,
his Modibaug residence in Praful Patel, and Supriya Sule were
Pune on Sunday evening. also present at the meeting.
Pawar announced that he Post-noon, the leaders emerged
would soon visit Karad, from from Devgiri and some of the vehi-
where he would give a clarion cles headed towards Raj Bhavan.
call to the people for the battle Around the same time the meetings
against communal and hege-
monic forces.
“There is absolutely no ef-
T wo days back Modi
mentioned that the
NCP is full with
I’m not new to such
things. In 1980 we were
58 MLAs. But only five
at Sagar and Varsha also ended and
leaders from
Shiv Sena and
Dhananjay Munde
fect on party’s stand,” he said corruption. Today stayed with me after a BJP too were Though the
while talking about his former members of NCP were month. We built the party seen to be head- Darbar Hall
party members joining the inducted in the cabinet and were 69 after the ing towards Raj
was filled
I n democracy, numbers
are important. The
party is with us. The
T he prime minister is a
strong leader who
commands respect even
government. Asked how many
members were still with him,
he said, “We’ll need some time
of his party.
NCP leader Sharad Pawar
election five years later. Bhavan. Eventu-
ally it became
clear that the
with
leaders are with us. We in foreign countries. to assess how many are left could win again,” the NCP party members took a NCP had decided
excitement,
have taken the decision Under the leadership of with us. But I’m sure the com- leader said. different stand and claimed to join the gov- none of the
after discussion with the Modi, the country is mon party workers are defi- Pawar targeted Prime Min- that they were the party. The ernment and NCP leaders
party leadership. rapidly advancing. nitely aligned to the party’s ister Narendra Modi for his true picture will be clear in a Ajit Pawar
Chhagan Bhujbal ideology.” jibe against the NCP over cor- couple of days,” he said. The would take oath were willing
Ajit Pawar
Pawar announced that ruption. “Two days back Modi NCP leader said a decision had as deputy chief to speak to
opposition on Friday,” he advancing on the path of de- MLA Jitendra Awhad would mentioned that the NCP is full to be taken on those who vio- minister.
added. Reflecting on inclusion velopment. Hence we decided be the party’s newLeader of with corruption and spoke lated the party line and joined Though the the media
of a woman, a tribal and sev- to be on his side,” he said. Opposition as well as the chief about the irrigation scam and the Eknath Shinde govern- atmosphere at
eral OBC faces in the Cabinet, Pawar said although some whip. the state cooperative bank. To- ment. the Darbar Hall of Raj Bhavan,
he said, “We have joined the members of the legislature “I’m not new to such things. day members of NCP were in- “Those who violated the where the swearing-in ceremony
power in order to solve issues were not able to reach Mum- In 1980 we were 58 MLAs. But ducted in the cabinet of his party line and took oath, a de- took place, was filled with excite-
related to youngsters, farmers bai for the swearing-in cere- only five stayed with me after party. This means that his alle- cision has to be taken on ment, the striking thing was that
and women in the state. We mony, they were expected a month. I was Leader of Oppo- gations were not true. I thank them,” he said. Pawar said none of the NCP leaders present
will also work for the tribals soon. He added that the party sition leading 58 MLAs, but him for absolving the party of some party leaders were nerv- were willing to speak to the media.
and the OBC communities.” would contest elections in al- Dilip Walse Patil was left a leader of only five all those charges,” he said. ous about investigations by “You will soon know who is being
“We have considered the liance with the BJP and the MLAs. We built the party and Pawar said he was planning the Enforcement Directorate sworn in. Everything will be clear
best interests of the state and Shiv Sena. “We will contest were 69 after the election five to make changes to the party and named Ajit Pawar, Chha- very soon,” several of them said,
nation before joining the gov- all future elections as NCP years later. Not just that, only organisation and had called a gan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse-Patil, while others flatly declined to com-
ernment. Most of the party members and on the party four out of those who left us meeting on July 6. “But some Hasan Mushrif. ment. The Shinde camp appeared
workers along with MLAs are symbol.” confused while the BJP camp was
with us,” he added. While justifying his deci- split in its reactions. Some of the
Pawar praised the BJP’s
leadership and vision for de-
velopment, as demonstrated
sion to switch sides, Pawar
said that in 2019 he had sup-
ported the Shiv Sena. “If we
Bhujbal and Walse Patil: ministers were positive about the de-
velopments,while others who were
expecting to get inducted into the
by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi.
“The prime minister is a
could go with the Shiv Sena,
why not with the BJP?” he
asked, and pointed out that
Hasan Mushrif
The unkindest cuts of all Cabinet appeared nervous.
Shinde, Fadnavis and the newly
appointed Deputy Chief Minister,
strong leader who commands the party had already sup- Mumbai: Dilip Walse Patil and Chhagan Bhu- When Ajit Pawar recently said he wanted a Ajit Pawar, were present on the dais.
respect even in foreign coun- ported the government in Na- jbal decision to join the Eknath Shinde gov- role in the party organisation and sought to The oath-taking ceremony started
tries. Under the leadership of galand, with the BJP as its ernment is being seen as a shocker in NCP cir- step down as leader of opposition in the assem- with the rendition of the national
Modi, the country is rapidly prime constituent. cles as the two are considered the staunchest bly, Bhujbal threw his hat in the ring and bat- and the state anthems and concluded
supporters of Sharad Pawar. ted for a state unit chief from the OBC catego- with the singing of the national an-
Bhujbal belongs to the Mali community and ry, of which he is a prominent leader. them.
Anil Patil
was previously a firebrand Shiv Sena leader,
before leaving it in 1991 to join the Congress.
In 1999, when Pawar split from the Congress to
Bhujbal was grilled by the CBI during the
probe into the multi-crore Telgi stamp paper
scam, while he was in jail for two years in a
After the ceremony, while inter-
acting with reporters, Shinde said,
“Our double engine government has
sion,” he said. form the NCP, Bhujbal, who was leader of op- PMLA case before getting bail in 2018. now become a three-engine govern-
Samant shrugged off any possibilities of dis- position in the Maharashtra Legislative Coun- Walse Patil started his political career as the ment and we will advance rapidly to-
ruptions or disputes in the existing govern- cil at the time, followed the Maratha strong- personal assistant (PA) of 83-year-old Sharad wards development.”
ment. “Comfort level and space have been ad- man. Pawar and is considered his closest aide. He Fadnavis praised Pawar for his ad-
equately given so there is no scope for distur- The MLA from Yeola in Nashik has been has served as speaker of the assembly, held the ministrative acumen and said that
bance or dispute. Just as we are under deputy chief minister of the state earlier and energy, excise and home portfolios and is a sev- his experience would help the state
Shinde’s leadership, BJP and NCP was also the first NCP state unit chief in 1999. en-time MLA from Ambegaon constituency. proceed forward.
partymen follow their respective lead-
ers. The remaining portfolios will be
allotted to leaders and the three lead-
Pawar changes social media credentials NCP appoints Awhad as LoP
Sanjay Bansode
ers will unanimously decide,” he said. MUMBAI: Minutes after taking oath as MUMBAI: Mumbai: The NCP appointed Jitendra Awhad as
Coming down on Shiv Sena (UBT) deputy chief minister for a record fifth Leader of Opposition in the assembly after incumbent LoP
for name-calling and terming them as time, Ajit Pawar changed his social media Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde government as deputy
traitors, among other things, Samant credentials. His new status on Twitter chief minister on Sunday. Awhad, MLA from Mumbra-Kalwa
said yesterday’s developments indicate it was reads as ‘Deputy Chief Minister of in Thane district, said NCP state unit president Jayant Patil
a positive day for Maharashtra. “I appreciate Maharashtra, MLA from Baramati, former had appointed him chief whip of the party and LoP in the
Sharad Pawar saheb for not name-calling any- Leader of Opposition of Maharashtra assembly. “All the MLAs will have to abide my whip,” he said
one in the NCP. Whereas, they (Sena UBT) re- Legislative Assembly.’ After splitting the in an apparent reference to defection and disqualification
sorted to cheap and petty name-calling. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and angles that are bound to come up in connection with
Parties that ignore merit face dissent,” he taking away around three dozen MLAs, he Sunday’s developments brought about by a vertical split in
added. D Atram maintains his status as ‘NCP Leader’. the NCP.

The BJP has disrobed WORKERS VENT THEIR IRE Fourth oath-taking
democracy, says Patole ceremony since 2019
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / MUMBAI Mumbai: The swearing-in of NCP
leader Ajit Pawar and his colleagues on
Blaming the BJP for the politics of division, MPCC Sunday has meant Maharashtra has
chief Nana Patole on Sunday said that the party seen four oath-taking ceremonies in as
has resorted to lowly politics in order to save the many years.
government. The people of the state won’t support In November 2019, after the split be-
such politics, he said. Congress is the only trustwor- tween the BJP and Shiv Sena, the BJP’s
thy party left for the people, Patole said. Devendra Fadnavis and Pawar were
“The BJP is rapidly losing its base and hence has sworn in as CM and Deputy CM, respec-
resorted to bringing in a breakaway group of the tively. The government lasted just 80
NCP. This is the skewed pattern of the BJP to pre-
serve power. People are watching how the Constitu-
tion is being played with and they will certainly
hours as Pawar was unable to cause a
split in his party.
Within a month, Shiv Sena leader Ud-
CM inaugurates slew
teach a lesson to the BJP for this disrobing of democ-
racy,” he said.
“The BJP is restless after electoral losses in Hi-
dhav Thackeray was sworn in as CM af-
ter his party joined hands with the NCP
and Congress. The MVA government
of projects in twin-city
machal and Karnataka. The party is also seeing a fell in June last year after Eknath SURESH GOLANI at the west side of Bhayandar
devastating defeat in Chhatisgarh, MP and Ra- Shinde and 39 MLAs revolted against MIRA-BHAYANDAR railway station and the his-
jasthan. People are clearly indicating at a transfor- Thackeray and split the Shiv Sena. toric Ghodbunder fort.
mation at the centre. They saw Congress-led front Shinde was sworn in as CM on June Chief Minister Eknath After the inaugural cere-
getting stronger in the state and hence took a group Angry NCP workers blackened the faces of rebel NCP leaders on a party poster at Ballad Pier 30 with the support of the BJP. This Shinde laid foundation stones monies, Shinde laid the foun-
of NCP along with them,” Patole said. on Sunday –VIJAY GOHIL time, Fadnavis as made deputy CM. and inaugurated a slew of dation-stone on an online
projects mooted for the Mira mode for the construction of
Bhayandar Municipal Corpo- proposed projects including-

‘ALLIANCE OF COMPULSION’ MAY SPELL TROUBLE FOR CM

Shinde had left the Uddahv
ANALYSIS Thackeray government rais-
ing swords against Pawar, for
Abhijit Mulye “not giving enough funds to
Shiv Sena ministers” will cer-
tainly haunt him now.
herculeantask for him. been inducted in the cabinet.
Interestingly, the Shiv
Sena under Shinde and the
Gogawale, had started efforts
to nurture his constituency.
NCP under Ajit Pawar are ri- He had started weeding out
vals at most of the places. officers who favoured
When the state had two al- Tatkare and also been
For Ajit Pawar and most of
the others who joined the gov-
ernment, it is the issue of po-
litical survival. They were
sure that BJP's desperation to
remain in power at the
ration (MBMC) by legislators
Pratap Sarnaik and Geeta
Jain on Sunday evening.
The function started at
around 6 pm- almost seven
hours after the scheduled
timing due to the delayed ar-
rival of the chief minister.
The newly-inaugurated proj-
Sadguru Sadananda Maharaj
Hall, gymnastic centre in
memory of late Shiv Sena cor-
porator Harishchandra Aam-
gaonkar, cement concrete
roads, internal network of
pipelines to facilitate distribu-
tion of water received from
the 218 MLD Surya Regional

S
unday’s political devel-
opments in the state are
likely to bring more
troubles for Chief Minister
Eknath Shinde.
The clock made a full circle
on Sunday, almost a year
after Shinde staged a rebel-
lion, pointing fingers at the
then DCM Ajit Pawar. On
June 30, 2022, Shinde took
oath as chief minister. On
July 2, 2023m Pawar was
sworn in as his deputy. This
may look like Shinde has an
upper hand. But the fact that
Moreover, the group of al-
most 50 MLAs that broke
away with Shinde is still
waiting for a share in power.
The speculations of cabinet
expansion had been in air for
almost four months. Hopes
kindled for the Shinde camp
after the Supreme Court ver-
dict. However, now with the
third partner in the alliance
coming in, Shinde will be left
with a smaller space and
pacifying all the members
who supported him a year
back would certainly be a
liances of BJP-Shiv Sena ver-
sus Congress-NCP, the BJP
fought against the Congress
and the Sena would take on
the NCP. As opponents it was
easy for them to contest
against each other for the
same space. However, now it
won’t be easier for them to do
so in the alliance.
A case in example is of
Raigad district. Shinde’s ar-
dent follower Bharat
Gogawale, whose appoint-
ment as the party’s chief whip
was cancelled by the
Supreme Court, was expect-
ing a berth in the cabinet ex-
pansion. However, now, his
political opponent Suni
Tatkare’s daughter Aditi has
making efforts to win over
grass root workers. Now, his
efforts will get a setback.
Sunday's developments
also underline political com-
pulsions of all the parties. The
BJP leadership is worried
primarily about retaining
power at the Centre. It will
need a maximum number of
MPs from the state. “That
won’t be possible unless the
‘ED gang’ within NCP defects
to join the government,” a
senior Congress leader in the
state had predicted recently.
Centre would force the gov-
ernment to act tough against
them. And “none of them
wants to go to jail,” said an
NCP leader. Shinde and the
members of the Shiv Sena
have a more direct threat.
The decision to disqualify
them lies in the hands of the
Speaker of the assembly who
is a BJP member.
Hence, the new alliance
can be called an “alliance of
compulsions” which would
certainly be more trouble-
some for Shinde.
ects include include- mobile
ambulances, equipment like-
mist spray cannons, pur-
chased from funds allotted by
the Central government un-
der the National Clean Air
Programme (NCAP) for the
improvement of air quality,
CBSE school building, new
ward office building (number
6) in Kashimira named in
memory of activist-author,
Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe,
new building for the
Manekpur police station,
grand entrance constructed
Water Supply Project, second
stage of the underground
drainage system and various
other projects. Speaking on
the occasion, Shinde said,
“Various projects including
the Metro were stalled in the
last two-and-a-half years but
our government has taken
them up on priority. Our dou-
ble engine government under
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi has been joined by one
more engine, which will add
more speed in launching peo-
ple-centric schemes,” he said.
PUNE
BJP leader booked
for hindering
road work
STAFF REPORTER
The Pimpri Chinchwad Po-
lice have filed a case against
Madhukar Musale, husband
of a former corporator of
Pune Municipal Corporation
and a prominent BJP leader,
for impeding the ongoing
road concreting work in
Baner. The junior engineer of
Pune Municipal Corporation
lodged a formal complaint
with the police regarding the
incident. The interruption
occurred on June 30 around
12:30 pm when government
staff was actively engaged in
their work.
According to the police, the
incident unfolded on Friday
afternoon as Pune Municipal
Corporation officials were
excavating the road for the
concreting process near the
Pashan-Sus flyover in Baner.
Madhukar Musale arrived at
the site and insisted that the
work be halted, claiming
ownership of the land and
possessing relevant docu-
ments to support his claim.
Despite the officials' objec-
tions, he prevented them
from continuing their work,
prompting the PMC officials
to swiftly report the matter to
the police.
A case has been registered
against Madhukar Musale
under Section 353 of the Indi-
an Penal Code at Hinjewadi
police station. Authorities
are currently conducting fur-
ther investigations into the
incident.
Odisha STF arrests Lack of safety measures on
software firm emp Dapodi-Nigdi road raises concerns
IANS
The Special Task Force (STF)
of Odisha Police has arrested
a software company
employee for his alleged in-
volvement in an OTP selling
and sharing scam, a police of-
ficial said on Saturday.
Abhijeet Sanjay Jambure
was arrested from Pune and
was produced before a local
court in the city and then
brought to Bhubaneswar af-
ter getting a three-day transit
remand. He will be produced
before a Bhubaneswar court
on Saturday, the official said.
Jambure did his
postgraduate in statistics
from Sardar Vallabhbhai Pa-
tel University, Ananda, Gu-
jarat, and was working in a
software company in Pune.
The STF officials said Ab-
hijeet was in regular touch
with two Pakistani intelli-
gence officials for a long time.
In 2018, he met one Syed Dan-
ish Ali Naqvi of Khanki,
Faisalabad, Pakistan through
Facebook Messenger, who
identified himself as a free-
lancer at Chegg (an American
education technology compa-
ny). "Abhijeet had shared his
user id and password of
Chegg to Danish. Danish was
working in Chegg on Abhi-
jeet's identity but the
earnings were credited in the
LAST WORD
39 officers complete marine engineering course at INS Shivaji
WEB DESK
The Marine Engineering Speciali-
sation Course (MESC) at INS Shiv-
aji celebrated the graduation of 39
officers, hailing from various naval
forces. Among them were 19
officers from the Indian Navy, 15
from the Sri Lankan Navy, two
from the Myanmar Navy, two from
the Bangladesh Navy, and one from
the Nigerian Navy. The ceremony
was graced by Vice Admiral
Sandeep Naithani AVSM, VSM,
Chief of Materiel, who served as the
esteemed Chief Guest.
Over the course of 105 weeks, the
officers underwent a rigorous and
comprehensive training program.
This training encompassed a wide
range of activities, including practi-
cal experience, watchkeeping on
naval warships, and the completion
of diverse Marine Engineering
projects. The primary goal of the
curriculum was to foster technical
expertise and research acumen
among the participants, who were
engaged in various naval projects.
These projects spanned from the de-
INDORE | MONDAY | JULY 3, 2023
MORE THAN 1 LAKH STUDENTS RECEIVE DEGREES
WEB DESK
Maharashtra Governor
Ramesh Bais on Saturday un-
derlined the significance of
the degrees awarded to the
Savitribai Phule Pune Uni-
versity (SPPU) graduates, as
they serve as symbols of their
steadfast dedication and un-
wavering commitment to
knowledge.
He was speaking at the
122nd Convocation ceremony
of SPPU which was held with
great enthusiasm at the
Khashaba Jadhav Indoor
Sports Complex in Pune.
The event witnessed the
awarding of degree certifi-
cates to undergraduate, post-
graduate, PhD, and external
1st Unique Pune Walk held
WEB DESK
The Pune Municipal Corpora-
tion Cycle Club organized the
inaugural 'Unique Pune Walk'
at Taljai Hill in the Sahkar
Nagar area of the city on July
1. This initiative aimed to
combine history, environ-
ment, fitness, and civic
amenities to promote tourism
in the city.
Approximately 40 individu-
als participated in the walk,
which took place in the morn-
ing and was guided by Addi-
latter's account in India.
Against his favour, Abhijeet
had to do some work for Dan-
ish," the officials said.
According to the STF, Dan-
ish introduced Abhijeet to his
friend Khurram allies Abdul
Hamid of Karachi, Pakistan.
Khurram is believed to be a
senior Pakistan Army intelli-
gence officer having a big
base/network of agents in In-
dia. And as per the instruc-
OTP SHARING SCAM
tion of Khurram, he used to
transfer money to various
PIOs working in India. Abhi-
jeet also talked with at least
seven Pakistan citizens and
10 Nigerian Citizens through
WhatsApp, they said. Earlier,
the STF detected crypto trad-
ing worth Rs 1 crore through
various Indian and foreign
exchanges by two of the ac-
cused of the OTP sharing
gang. So far, six persons have
been arrested for sharing the
OTP of pre-activated SIMs
with some criminals and sus-
pected Pakistani agents.
velopment of anti-corrosive coating
techniques for pipes to the design of
Thermo-Electric Generators for
Waste Heat Recovery Systems.
During the ceremony, the
officers who demonstrated excep-
122ND CONVOCATION CEREMONY OF SPPU
tional Commissioner Vikas
Dhakne. The program was
planned by Deputy Commis-
sioner Madhav Jagtap and co-
ordinated by Suresh Pardeshi
from the Cycle Club.
The 'Unique Pune Walk'
provided participants with an
opportunity to explore the
rich history and natural beau-
ty of Taljai Hill while engag-
ing in physical activity. It
showcased the city's cultural
heritage, and environmental
significance, and provided in-
sights into its civic amenities.
STAFF REPORTER
The Dapodi to Nigdi road, a
crucial route connecting
Pimpri-Chinchwad town to
the Pune-Mumbai National
Highway, is currently fac-
ing a severe lack of safety
measures. Despite having a
separate lane for public
transport, a Bus Rapid
tional performance and dedication
were honored with prestigious
awards. Lt Sunny Deol received the
distinguished 'Best All-Round Offi-
cer' trophy, acknowledging his out-
standing achievements. Lt Rakshit
students from various disci-
plines by the Governor of Ma-
harashtra and Chancellor of
SPPU, Ramesh Bais.
Bais motivated the gradu-
ates to effectively employ the
knowledge and skills they
have gained throughout their
academic journey. He empha-
sized that their contributions
should extend beyond
personal success and extend
towards the progress and bet-
terment of both the country
Transit (BRT) route, and a
grade separator, the entry
and exit points on this route
are devoid of necessary
safety measures, raising
concerns about potential ac-
cidents. Residents are ques-
tioning the municipal ad-
ministration's delay in ad-
dressing this issue.
The commencement of
Narayan Pai was awarded the 'Best
Sportsman' trophy for his excep-
tional sporting prowess, while Lt
Sachin Yadav was recognized with
the 'Positive Living Officer' trophy
for his exemplary attitude and con-
Government of Maharashtra,
Suresh Gosavi, Vice-Chancel-
lor of SPPU, Dr Prafulla
Pawar, Registrar of SPPU, pro-
fessors, students, and parents.
Minister Patil emphasized the
importance of graduates
demonstrating proficiency in
various fields to enhance the
university's reputation. He
also highlighted the signifi-
cance of knowledge, skill de-
velopment, and the preserva-
tion of tradition and culture
gained through education in
their pursuit of progress.
This will probably be the
last convocation ceremony of
the university considering
that the Higher and Technical
Education Department, Ma-
harashtra decided to cancel
the graduation ceremonies
and society as a whole. A re- from various universities in
markable total of 1,21,281 stu- the state this academic year
dents successfully completed which started in June 2023.
their studies during the A convocation ceremony is
April/May 2022-23 session, in- conducted by the university
cluding 96,983 undergraduate to grant degrees and other
students, 26,454 postgraduate awards to eligible students
students, 438 PhD students, every academic year. The
and 11 MPhil students. UGC had allowed universities
The convocation ceremony to grant permission to big col-
was graced by esteemed digni- leges under them to conduct
taries such as Chandrakant convocations to avoid the
Patil, Minister of Higher and rush when the parent varsi-
Technical Education for the ties hold their ceremonies.
the BRT route from Dapodi nations, buses traverse this
to Pimpri took a decade of route at a rate of one per
planning and implementa- minute. Furthermore, the
tion. Stretching over ap- grade separator, BRT route,
proximately 10.5 km, this and three separate lanes for
route witnesses the opera- general vehicles accommo-
tion of 236 buses on a daily date a significant number of
basis. With around 2,500 vehicles. Unfortunately, the
trips per day to various absence of security guards
parts of Pune, Pimpri- at entry and exit points has
Chinchwad, and other desti- become a cause for concern.
While an automatic sig-
nal system has been in-
stalled along the BRT route,
it is distressingly over-
looked. The signals are cur-
rently inactive, and at
night, they are switched off
at crossing points. The auto-
mated mechanism, as im-
plied by its name, should
ensure seamless operation
and safety.
The negligence in main-
taining active signals and
the absence of security
guards at entry and exit
points pose imminent risks
to commuters' safety. With
the monsoon season
already underway, the ur-
gency to address this issue
has intensified. Citizens are
demanding prompt action
from the municipal admin-
istration to prevent further
accidents and ensure the
safety of those traveling
along the Dapodi to Nigdi
road.
duct. Lt Cdr Yusuf Mirdha from the
Bangladesh Navy was acclaimed as
the 'First in Order of Academic Mer-
it' for his exceptional academic per-
formance. Lt(E) MASL Wijerathne
of the Sri Lankan Navy was recog-
nized as the 'Best International Offi-
cer Trainee' for his remarkable con-
tributions throughout the course.
The successful completion of the
Marine Engineering Specialisation
Course signifies the officers' mastery
of critical skills and their readiness
to undertake challenging roles with-
in their respective navies. The
knowledge and practical experience
gained from the course will undoubt-
edly contribute to enhancing the ca-
pabilities of their naval forces.
INS Shivaji, a renowned estab-
lishment of the Indian Navy, has
consistently played a leading role in
providing specialized training in
marine engineering. The institu-
tion's unwavering commitment to
excellence and the development of
highly skilled professionals contin-
ue to bolster not only the maritime
capabilities of India but also those
of partner nations.
ABVP to protest today
T he Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) will hold a protest against the
Examination Department of Savitribai Phule Pune University on July 3. The activists
will go on an indefinite hunger strike to voice their concerns regarding the students'
grievances. The issues are related to photocopy, re-evaluation and other problems.
MAHARASHTRA POLITICAL CRISIS
NCP leaders’ houses
and offices cordoned off
STAFF REPORTER
Against the backdrop of
changing power equations
in the state, the city police
have made elaborate secu-
rity arrangements in Pune
to maintain law and order.
Ajit Pawar on Sunday
pulled off a stunning revolt
in the NCP triggering a
vertical split and joined
hands with the ruling Shiv
Sena-BJP alliance in Ma-
harashtra to become the
deputy chief minister, a
move that could under-
mine party supremo
Sharad Pawar and dent ef-
forts for Opposition unity
ahead of the 2024 Lok Sab-
ha elections.
Considering the devel-
opments, the city police
have deployed force to en-
sure the safety of key loca-
tions such as the NCP par-
ty office, offices, and resi-
dences of party officials in-
cluding those of Ajit
Pawar and Sharad Pawar.
In a sudden turn of
events that capped weeks
of speculation over the
senior NCP leader's next
political move and came as
a shocker to his uncle
Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar
was sworn in as the deputy
chief minister by Gover-
nor Ramesh Bais at a cere-
mony held in the Raj
Bhawan in Mumbai. Eight
other NCP leaders, some of
whom are close aides of
Sharad Pawar, the 83-year-
old wily Maratha strong-
man who hopes to become
a key player in an anti-BJP
BUDDHISTS DEMAND JUSTICE
Bauddh Nyay Hakka Sanrakshan Sangh held a rally in Pune to
protest against rising attacks on Buddhists. PICS: ANAND CHAINI
One nabbed in ‘packers
and movers’ scam
IANS
Delhi Police have arrested a
24-year-old cyber fraudster
from Pune, who used to
dupe people on the pretext of
providing packers & movers
service across the country,
an official said on Saturday.
The accused was identi-
fied as Lalit Sharma, a na-
tive of Bhiwani in Haryana.
The official said that a com-
plaint was received at the
Cyber police station in the
South district wherein the
complainant, who works in
a multinational company in
Bangalore, stated that he
planned to shift from Banga-
lore to South Delhi
for which he
searched for online
packers and movers
services. After that,
the complainant re-
ceived calls from dif-
ferent service
providers on his mo-
bile phone.
"He also received a phone
call from one claiming to be
'Gati packers & movers' and
was offered quality services
of luggage and automobiles
transportations. He booked
the same for transportation of
one car and some household
articles from Bangalore to
South Delhi and he paid Rs
2,000 as advance booking
charges and paid Rs 13,000 for
the parcel charges at the very
same time of pick-up in ad-
vance," said Chandan
Chowdhary, Deputy Com-
missioner of Police (South).
"After 2-3 days from pick-
up of articles, the com-
front, took oath as minis-
ters in the Shinde-Fad-
navis government.
One notable area where
security has been rein-
forced is around the resi-
dence of NCP senior
leader Sharad Pawar in
Modibaug on
Ganeshkhind Road. The
vicinity of the NCP city of-
fice in the Dengle Bridge
area of Shivajinagar has
also been subject to
heightened security
arrangements. The sup-
porters, MLAs, and office
bearers of Ajit Pawar,
who recently joined hands
with the ruling Shiv Sena-
BJP alliance, have had
their offices and resi-
dences cordoned off by the
police along with the resi-
dence of Ajit Pawar in
Pune's Bhosale Nagar
area.
Commissioner of Police
Ritesh Kumar and Joint
Commissioner of Police
Sandeep Karnik has
issued orders to increase
security in response to the
prevailing political devel-
opments. Sandeep Karnik
mentioned that security
arrangements have been
made around the offices
and residences of NCP of-
fice bearers.
plainant received a What-
sApp call in which the al-
leged service provider de-
manded money on the pre-
text viz. state border Custom
Charges, GST Charges, In-
surance Charges, State RTO
Clearance and clearance of
the parcels from one state to
another. When Sharma's
luggage was picked up, the
accused took over Rs 7 lakh
for the next 11-12 days and
duped him," said the DCP.
During the investigation,
it was found that the culprit
was operating from the Hy-
derabad area and after com-
mitting the offence, he was
hiding himself in Pune.
Detailed technical analy-
sis and money trail were
carried out. The police team
mounted continuous sur-
veillance and finally, the ac-
cused was nabbed from
Pune," said the DCP.
During interrogation,
Sharma disclosed that he
was operating from the rent-
ed house and rented office
situated in Hyderabad.
"The accused revealed
that he used to dupe inno-
cent people on the pretext of
providing the Packers &
Movers Service through a
website booking process,"
the official added.
Ex-serviceman dies during hunger strike in Chamoli
GOPESHWAR: A 56-year-old ex-serviceman who was sitting on a day-long hunger strike
as part of a group to demand benefits under the 'One Rank, One Pension' died at the
protest site here on Sunday, police said. Shiv Singh Bisht was sitting on a one-day hunger
strike with fellow ex-service personnel at the district magistrate's office in Chamoli.
SPEED NEWS
Truck crushes 2
factory workers
MUZAFFARNAGAR
(UP): Two workers of a
steel factory were crushed
to death by a speeding
truck while two others
were injured on the Delhi-
Dehradun National
Highway here on Sunday,
police said. The incident
happened in an area under
the Mansoorpur police
station. Those killed have
been identified as Deepak
(27) and Shekhar (28),
Mansoorpur SHO Rojant
Tyagi said. The driver
managed to flee the spot,
however, his truck has
been seized, police said.
The injured workers --
Ankur and Kapil -- were
rushed to hospital, they
said. Meanwhile, angry
people blocked the
national highway by
placing the bodies of the
workers on it and refused
to hand them over to the
police.
Two PLFI
members held
GARHWA: Two members
of the banned outfit
People's Liberation Front
of India (PLFI) were
arrested in Jharkhand's
Garhwa district, a police
officer said on Sunday.
The two were arrested
from Bhavraha forest,
around 205 km from the
state capital Ranchi, on
Saturday night, he said.
"Two rifles, one country-
made katta and naxal
literature were recovered
from them," said Ranka
sub-divisional police
officer (SDPO) Santosh
Kumar. The two Naxals
were identified as
Pardeshi Yadav, a resident
of Karson village in Palamu
district and Sitaram
Chaudhary, who wails
from Bhikhahi village in
Garhwa district, Kumar
said.
J’khand to plant
2.5 cr saplings
RANCHI: Jharkhand will
plant 2.5 crore saplings
this monsoon season
besides other measures to
enhance forest quality and
also to restore ecosystems
and bring about a
qualitative change in soil, a
top Forest official said on
Sunday. Jharkhand boasts
23,721 square kilometre
of forest cover which is
29.76 per cent of its total
geographical area, higher
than the 21.71 per cent of
forest cover pan India.
"We will plant 2.5 crore
saplings this monsoon
season. We will be having
plantation drives across
the state including Van
Mahotsav and awareness,"
Principal Chief
Conservator of Forests
(PCCF) and Head of
Forest Force (HoFF),
Sanjay Srivastava said.
Accidents kill 5
in Chhattisgarh
KORBA: Five persons
were killed in two road
accidents involving heavy
vehicles in Chhattisgarh's
Korba district, police said
on Sunday. The first
accident took place on a
newly-constructed bridge
under Darri police station
area around 1.30 am on the
intervening night of
Saturday and Sunday, a
senior official said.
Three men were killed
when their speeding car
overturned after hitting a
cow and colliding with a
heavy vehicle on the bridge,
he said. The victims Yash
Goyal (28), Rupesh Goyal
(28) and Deepak Singh
were travelling to Darri
from Korba town, the
official said.
Van mows down
2 minor siblings
PALGHAR: A minor boy
and his sister were
mowed down by a
speeding pickup van in
Maharashtra's Palghar
district, police said on
Sunday. The incident took
place on Friday evening
and the 27-year-old van
driver was arrested from
Dahanu area here on
Saturday, they said. The
seven-year-old boy and
his sister aged 12,
belonging to Modgaon-
Khoripada in Dahanu,
were walking on a road
when the speeding van hit
them, Palghar police
spokesperson Sachin
Navadkar said. The
injured children were
rushed to a hospital where
doctors declared them
brought dead, he said.
IN K’TAKA, STORMY BUDGET
SESSION AWAITS CONGRESS
The Karnataka
government is likely
to table a bill
scrapping the
anti-conversion law
called Karnataka
Protection of Right
to Freedom of
Religion Act, 2022,
which was
promulgated by the
previous BJP
government
AGENCIES / Bengaluru
A stormy legislature ses-
sion starting Monday
awaits the ruling Congress
in Karnataka, as the oppo-
sition Bharatiya Janata
Party is all set to attack the
ruling party over imple-
mentation of its poll guar-
antees one-and-a-half
months after it came to
power with a thumping ma-
jority.
As Chief Minister Sid-
Mahto’s wife to take
oath as minister today
RANCH: Former minister
Jagarnath Mahto's wife
Baby Devi will take oath as minister in the Hemant
Soren-led UPA government in Jharkhand on Monday, a
JMM leader said on Sunday.
A ministerial berth in the Hemant Soren cabinet was
vacant after the death of Mahto, who held charge of
school education and literacy and excise.
The swearing-in ceremony is likely to be held around
noon in Raj Bhavan, the JMM leader said.
"Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan will admin-
ister the oath of office and secrecy to her at an event in
Raj Bhavan. Chief Minister Hemant Soren and other
cabinet ministers will also be present at the ceremony,"
JMM central committee
Pandey told PTI.
Mahto, who was a four-time JMM MLA from Dumri in
Giridih district, died during treatment at a Chennai
hospital on April 6.
Palaniswami lashes out at Cong, DMK
Dubs Stalin a 'puppet CM'
CHENNAI
AIADMK General Secre-
tary Edappadi K state.
Palaniswami on Sunday
lashed out at the ruling
Congress in Karnataka
and the DMK in Tamil
Nadu over the neighbour-
ing state pushing for the
construction of the con-
Buffalo
heads found
in abandoned
vehicle
NEW DELHI
Buffalo heads were found
in an abandoned tempo
near the Vinod Nagar depot
in east Delhi's Ghazipur
area, police said on Sunday.
The police on Saturday af-
ternoon received a PCR call
about a tempo laden with
animal flesh being aban-
doned near the depot.
When a police team
reached the spot, they
found the buffalo heads and
flesh in the tempo, a senior
officer said. After inspec-
tion, the veterinary doctor
declared the flesh to be of
buffaloes, the officer said.
A case has been regis-
tered under sections 293
(sale, etc, of obscene ob-
jects to young person) and
269 (negligent act likely to
spread infection of disease
dangerous to life) of the In-
dian Penal Code, Deputy
Commissioner of Police
(East) Amrutha Guguloth
said.
Hurt by Bhim Army Chief’s
remarks: Attackers spill the beans
LUCKNOW: The four peo-
ple arrested for an attack
on Bhim Army chief Chan-
dra Shekhar Aazad have
told police that they were
"hurt" by his recent re-
marks, a senior police offi-
cer said on Sunday.
Aazad was injured when
assailants opened fire on
his car in Deoband in Uttar
Pradesh's Saharanpur dis-
trict on Wednesday and
daramaiah, who holds fi-
nance portfolio, gets ready
to present his budget on
July 7, the BJP is prepared
to attack the Congress for
its "failure" to implement
the five guarantees that
were supposed to come into
effect from the day the gov-
ernment came to power.
The Assembly session
will start with Governor
Thaawarchand Gehlot ad-
dressing the joint session of
both the houses of the legis-
lature on Monday, high-
lighting the government
programme.
The Karnataka govern-
ment is likely to table a bill
scrapping the anti-conver-
sion law called Karnataka
Protection of Right to Free-
dom of Religion Act, 2022,
which was promulgated by
the previous BJP govern-
ment.
According to some Con-
gress insiders, the govern-
ment will also introduce a
bill scrapping the anti-cow
slaughter law called Kar-
nataka Prevention of
Slaughter and Preservation
of Cattle Act, 2020.
JHARKHAND
member Vinod
MEKEDATU RESERVOIR ROW
tentious Meke-
datu reservoir
and the Stalin-
led government not
putting up a resistance to
protect the interests of the
Palaniswami especially
came down hard on Tamil
Nadu Chief Minister M K
Stalin, charging him with
not fiercely opposing Kar-
nataka Deputy CM D K
Shivakumar's assertion
NIA CONDUCTS Haryana govt
MULTI-STATE RAIDS mulls pension
Ghazwa-e-Hind radicalized module case
NEW DELHI
The National Investigation
Agency (NIA) on Sunday
conducted raids at
multiple locations across
three states in connection
with a case against the
"Ghazwa-e-Hind", a radi-
calized module being run
by Pakistan-based sus-
pects, officials said.
Five locations - two in
Patna and one in Darb-
hanga (Bihar) and one
each in Surat (Gujarat) and
Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh) -
were raided by the NIA in
connection with the case
registered last year, the
federal agency said.
It said incriminating ma-
terial, including digital de-
vices such as mobile
phones and memory cards,
SIM cards and documents,
were seized during the
raids which were conduct-
ed at the premises of sus-
pects across three states.
The case was registered
after the arrest of
the four people were ar-
rested from Ambala in
Haryana on Saturday and
brought to Saharanpur.
In a statement issued
here on Sunday, Special
Director General of Police
(Law and Order) Prashant
Kumar identified the ar-
rested accused as Vikas
alias Vikky, Prashant and
Lavish -- all residents of
Rankhandi in Deoband --
NATION
INDORE | MONDAY | JULY 3, 2023
STUNNING TURN OF EVENTS IN MAHARASHTRA POLITICS....
For third time in 4 years, Ajit
Pawar back as Maha Deputy CM
A TIMELINE
October 2019
Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister extending
NCP's support to the BJP. Fadnavis took oath as the chief
minister. The government was shortlived as NCP, Congress
and the undivided Shiv Sena formed an alliance which formed
the government.
2019 to 2022
Ajit Pawar remained the deputy chief minister of the Maha
Vikas Aghadi government until it was toppled by Shinde-
Fadnavis's coup.
2022-2023
After Shinde and Fadnavis formed the government, Ajit Pawar
became the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.
May 2023
Sharad Pawar announced his resignation from the post of the
party president. It was believed that Ajit Pawar was eyeing the
post. A few days later, Sharad Pawar withdrew his resignation.
June 2023
Sharad Pawar made Supriya Sule and Praful Patel joint working
presidents of the party. Ajit Pawar was given no party post.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supporters protest against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit
Pawar and other party leaders who joined the state cabinet in Mumbai
Ajit Pawar openly said he wanted a party post and not the
role of the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. Thackeray and remained in
the position for two-and- WHAT LEADERS SAY
AGENCIES deputy CM of Maharashtra half years, till the alliance
Mumbai on Sunday for the third
time since 2019, capping
government collapsed in
June last year.
C learly the BJP's Washing Machine has
resumed its operations. A number of new
After a brief stint as Maha-
rashtra's deputy chief min-
ister in 2019 under a BJP
months of intense specula-
tion about his next political
move.
Earlier, Ajit Pawar also
served as deputy CM during
the 15-year tenure of Con-
entrants into the BJP-led alliance in
Maharashtra today had been facing serious
government that lasted for In the 2019 assembly elec- gress-NCP government un-
less than 80 hours, NCP tions, Ajit Pawar was re- der Ashok Chavan and corruption charges with ED, CBI and Income
leader Ajit Pawar is back to elected from Baramati As- Prithviraj Chavan.
the post by splitting the par- sembly constituency with Apart from handling fi- Tax authorities after them. Now they have all
ty, in a stunning turn of the highest margin of more nance portfolio in the Con- got a clean chit
events in the state politics. than 1.65 lakh votes in the gress-NCP and MVA gov- -JAIRAM RAMESH, CONGRESS GENERAL SECRETARY
Pawar, who was also the state. ernments, Ajit Pawar has
deputy CM in the previous In November 2019, Ajit also handled water re-
T
Uddhav Thackeray-led
Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)
government, which was in
Pawar were sworn in as the
deputy CM for the shortest
term as the government led
sources and power depart-
ments.
Ajit Pawar made his foray
L ast time, a split was
engineered of the
Shiv Sena and this time
his is the start of
Eknath Shinde
losing his chief
power from November 2019 by BJP's Devendra Fad- into politics in 1982 as mem-
to June 2022, enjoys the im- navis, which took oath in a ber on the board of a coop- it is of the NCP. Earlier, minister's post. His
age of a grassroot leader hush-hush ceremony in the erative sugar factory. He there was a double MLAs will be
and an able administrator. Raj Bhawan, lasted just 80 was elected as chairman of engine gvt and now it disqualified as
The 63-year-old leader, hours. the Pune District Coopera-
who is known to be politi- He again became the tive Bank in 1991 and re- is a three wheel members of the House
cally ambitious and speak deputy chief minister in the mained on the post for autorickshaw -SANJAY RAUT , SHIV SENA (UBT)
his mind, took oath as the MVA government led by many years. -BHUPESH BAGHEL, CHHATTISGARH CM
LEADER
that the balancing reser- previous government's ef-
voir would be built on forts in 2018, the Mekedatu
river Cauvery at Mekedatu issue was never discussed
in the neighbouring state. in the meetings of the Cau-
Tamil Nadu is opposed to very Management Author-
the construction of the ity (CMA).
dam, saying its prospects According to him, the
will be hurt, and also in- CMA had said that it would
sists that its consent is re- intervene in the matter as
quired to implement the the reservoir is proposed
project. to come up on the Cauvery
Palaniswami, Leader of river bed and that Tamil
Opposition in the State As- Nadu's consent is required
sembly, said that due to his for the project.
Police personnel along with civilians take out a march to raise awareness about the
dangers of drugs in Mumbai
scheme for
Cong committed to progress of T’gana: Kharge
unmarried people
CHANDIGARH: Haryana KHAMMAM: Congress The remarks came ahead Rahul Gandhi's #Telan-
Chief Minister Manohar Lal president Mallikarjun of the party's grand public ganaJanaGarjana grand
Khattar on Sunday said the Kharge on Sunday said the meeting in the district rally shall be voicing their
state government is consid- party's blueprint for a "new where Rahul Gandhi will shared aspirations, today,"
ering a pension scheme for dawn" in Telangana is sound the poll bugle in the Kharge said on Twitter.
unmarried people in the 45- ready and that 3.8 crore state. "The Congress party is
60 age group. According to a people of the state want Assembly elections in the proud of the collective lead-
Five locations - two in release, the government change. He also said that state are slated in the next ership of Telangana Con-
will take a decision regard- the Congress is proud of its few months. gress. Our blueprint for a
Patna and one in ing the scheme within a collective leadership in "3.8 Crore people of Telan- new dawn in Telangana is
Darbhanga (Bihar) and month, Khattar said while Telangana. gana want change. Shri ready," he also said.
one each in Surat addressing a 'Jan Samvad'
programme at Kalampura
(Gujarat) and Bareilly village in Karnal.
(Uttar Pradesh) - were Responding to a 60-year-old
unmarried man's pension-
raided by the NIA related complaint during the
'Jan Samvad', Khattar said
Marghoob Ahmad Danish the government is planning
alias "Tahir" of Phulwar- to introduce a scheme.
isharif area of Patna by Bi- Earlier, the chief minister
har Police on July 14 last planted saplings on the
year. The NIA took over premises of the community
the case eight days later. centre. He also announced
Danish was charge-sheet- the construction of a San-
ed on January 6 under var- skriti Model School in the
ious sections of the Indian village.
Penal Code and the Unlaw- He directed the officers
ful Activities (Prevention) concerned to construct a
Act. new building for the govern-
ment school and a road from
Kachhwa to Kalampura
within two months.
Khattar also announced
the construction of a volley-
ball ground at the govern-
ment school and the renova-
and Vikas, a resident of tion of a pond.
Karnal district in He further directed the
Haryana. deputy commissioner to pro-
He said two country- vide Internet connectivity to
made pistols used in the all villages in Karnal.
crime and ammunition "In today's time, 70 per cent
have been recovered from to 80 per cent work is done
them. During interroga- online and that is why it is
tion, the accused told the necessary to have Internet
police that they were service in villages. Karnal
"hurt" by Aazad's recent will be the first district
remarks made in Delhi where BSNL Internet
and other places. service will be available in
every village," he said.
 Man hangs self after killing 5-year-old son in UP
NATION INDORE | MONDAY | JULY 3, 2023
FARRUKHABAD: A man allegedly killed his five-year-old son and later hanged
himself from a tree apparently after facing monetary losses here on Sunday, police said.
The incident happened in the early hours of the day in Ratanpur village under Jahanganj
police station area, Superintendent of Police Vikas Kumar said.

Monsoon wrath on Gujarat

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 MANIPUR

First, two Senas... After 2 months,

Walse-Patil’s decision to associate with Ajit Pawar has stunned the older
Pawar, merely to avoid ED action linked to a private milk dairy unit in his
Ambegaon assembly segment. Walse-Patil, who had worked as the
Kuki groups lift HEAVY RAINS CAUSE FLOOD-LIKE SITUATION IN MANY AREAS UP brothers drown
in waterlogged pit
personal assistant to the older Pawar when the latter was the leader of the
opposition, later rose to become an MLA for the first time in 1990 and since
then, has been elected from the same constituency. Thanks to his old boss,
blockade on NH-2 AGENCIES
Ahmedabad
(NDRF and SDRF) engaged
in operations to rescue
stranded people, officials
ing of approach roads, with
seven people being rescued
by local residents from one
FARRUKHABAD (UP):
Two minor brothers
he held several departments as minister between 1999 and 2009, later be- Heavy rains in several said. of the villages, state govern- drowned after falling in a
coming assembly speaker and the home minister in the MVA government. parts of Gujarat created a Jamnagar is one of the ment officials said. waterlogged pit in
More importantly, Praful Patel, also scared about ED action, ditched flood-like situation and led worst-affect districts with Meanwhile, Union Home Nawabganj area here on
Sharad Pawar and joined Ajit. Praful Patel, Sharad Pawar’s blue-eyed boy to many villages getting cut police saying 11 people Minister Amit Shah said Sunday, police said.
and associate for more than four decades, has joined the Ajit bandwagon off, officials said on Sun- have died in rain-related in- the Gujarat government According to police sources,
because he believes the Modi-led government will be back after the general day. cidents since Friday. was taking all efforts to pro- Arun (11) and his brother
elections and there was no point taking on the BJP as the MVA experiment Some parts of Valsad and A three-year-old girl died vide relief to people amid Anshul (9), residents of
has failed miserably. Ajit Pawar, speaking at the recent function to cele- Navsari districts received after falling into a well heavy rains. Salempur Tyori village, had
brate the NCP’s anniversary, had targeted his uncle for the party’s failure extremely heavy rainfall in while scooping water out of "The government is work- gone to a brick kiln located
to become the single largest party and form the government, unlike other a 24-hour period till Sunday her flooded house there on ing hard to provide all pos- some distance from the
regional parties including Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, morning, data from the Friday, while bodies of two sible help to the people af- village this afternoon.
Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party and K Chandrashekar Rao’s Bharat State Emergency Operation men who had gone missing fected by the flood-like situ- The duo fell into the water
Rashtra Samithi. He has claimed that almost all of the 53 legislators and Centre revealed. after heavy rainfall were ation in many places due to filled in a deep waterlogged
MPs have been on board. Further, he has also declared that the decision to Several villages were cut found on Saturday by a res- heavy rains in Gujarat. pit and drowned.
join the Shinde-Fadnavis government was taken with the blessings and off as roads were flooded or cue team, police added. Talked to Chief Minister By the time their family
support of the older Pawar, in the larger interest of expediting Maharash- had been washed away, Villages in Limbdi taluka @Bhupendrabjp and got in- members reached the spot
tra’s progress and the development of farmers, workers, tribals, OBCs. with the National and State of Surendranagar district formation about the situa- and pulled the children out
People of Christian community partcipate in a of the water, they had
Disaster Response Forces were cut off due to the flood- tion.
3 out of 9.. candle light march for peace in Manipur, near St already died, they said.
However, following the chaotic split and subsequent oath-taking
Thomas Church in Kolkata
ceremony, many in the opposition and on social media have pointed
out that NCP leaders who have supported the Shinde-BJP government
are being probed by the ED. Ajit Pawar - The Enforcement Directorate
AGENCIES
Guwahati AKHILESH MOCKS
(ED) recently submitted its first charge-sheet in its money-laundering
case related to the alleged fraudulent sale of Satara's Jarandeshwar Sa-
The United Peoples' Front (UPF) and Kuki
National Organisation (KNO), two umbrella
'SABKA SAATH
hakari Sugar Karkhana (Jarandeshwar SSK) in 2010 by the then Kuki organisations, have withdrawn road-
MSCB (Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank). The accused firms al-
legedly the then MSCB officials, according to the ED. The agency is
blocks in Manipur's Kangpokpi district on
National Highway 2.
SABKA VIKAAS'
verifying allegations that another firm, Sparkling Soil Pvt Ltd, which In a joint statement, the two LUCKNOW: Mocking the
had then held majority shares of JSMPL, was linked to NCP leader and organisations, which represent among oth- Bharatiya Janata Party's
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. ers former militant groups that have signed slogan 'Sabka saath, sabka
Praful helped strike... suspension of operations pacts with the gov- vikaas', Samajwadi Party
ernment, said the blockade on the highway chief Akhilesh Yadav Sun-
The Enforcement Directorate had recently attached certain assets of for- has been lifted with immediate effect, fol- day said instead of sloga-
mer Civil Aviation minister Praful Patel as part of its probe into late inter- lowing an appeal by Union Home Minister neering, it should focus on
national drug trafficker Iqbal Mirchi's assets. Patel and his family's four Amit Shah. eliminating inequality in
floors at the Ceejay House, including his 15th-floor residence, had been at- The organisations said the home minister the country by holding a
tached provisionally by the ED in July last year, which was confirmed by had shown "deep concern to restore peace nationwide caste survey to
the adjudicating authority recently. Patel claims that he has not a single and harmony" in the state. ensure that all communi-
case registered against him and he does not need a character certificate However, Kuki civil society group Com- ties get their due share in
from anyone. He also said that the decision to switch sides and join the mittee on Tribal Unity (COTU), which had the development.
Shinde-BJP government was a collective decision made by majority of lead- announced a roadblock on NH-2 two months Yadav said, "If we de-
ers and workers of the party. The former Union Minister is considered ago, has not officially withdrawn the agita- mand a caste-based cen-
close to many Bollywood actors as well as business personalities. The wed- tion yet. Manipur has two national high- sus, then we are termed as
ding of his son Prajay was a star-studded affair in Jaipur. ways -- NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur) and NH-37 casteist people by the
(Imphal-Jiribam). BJP."
PM Modi to...
BJP sources have been indicating that allies will be given represen-
tation in the Cabinet whenever Modi decides to go in for a rejig in his
Council of Ministers. The fact that the period before Parliament's Mon- Delhi labourer
soon Session, which begins from July 20, could be the last window for
such an exercise have added to the reshuffle buzz. The BJP's organisa-
tion, including in some states, may also see some changes as its top
electrocuted on
brass makes its choices for key positions with the campaign for the
2024 Lok Sabha polls intensifying, sources said. Modi held a meeting hospital premises
with Shah and Nadda on June 28. This came after closed-door meetings
involving Shah and Nadda, among others, to take stock of organisa- NEW DELHI: A labourer was electrocuted
tional and political affairs. while working at an under-construction
building on the premises of the Lok Nayak
KCR's remote control... Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital here on Sun-
The Congress leader said earlier it was said that there was a three- day morning, police said.
way fight between the TRS (Telangana Rashtra Samithi which is now After the victim got the electric shock, his
BRS), the Congress and the BJP in Telangana. "But the BJP does not co-worker took him to the emergency ward
exist at all in Telangana. Their all four tyres have got punctured. Now of the LNJP hospital around 9 am where he
it is a fight between Congress and B-Team of BJP," he said. Referring was declared brought dead, a senior police
to the recent attempts to unite the opposition against the BJP for the officer said.
2024 Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi said, "We told other opposition lead- The incident site was inspected by
ers if TRS attends the meeting, Congress will not attend it, Congress forensic experts and a crime team of the Del-
can't share stage with TRS." Over a dozen opposition parties recently hi Police, the officer said.
met in Patna, Bihar, to put up a united front against the BJP and will The deceased has been identified as Sujeet
be meeting again in Bengaluru soon. The BRS and a few other non-BJP Kumar, a resident of Samastipur in Bihar,
parties are not part of this grouping. Gandhi also described Congress the police said. According to a senior doctor
workers as 'babbar sher' (lions) and "backbone" of the party. "With of the LNJP Hospital, the labourer got elec-
your support, we can defeat the BRS like we did in Karnataka," he told trocuted at the construction site of a 22-
party workers. storeyed building that is being built
between the GB Pant and LNJP hospitals.
3 killed, five... The site is owned by the Public Works De-
More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic strife between partment and once the building is ready, it
Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state so far. will serve as the the mother and child block
Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and of LNJP hospital, the doctor added.
live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- consti-
tute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill
districts.
Not against UCC...
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the country cannot
run on two laws and that the UCC was part of the Constitution. This
statement of PM Modi triggered a nationwide debate as several oppo-
sition leaders have accused PM Modi of raising the UCC issue for po-
litical gains ahead of the upcoming elections. "Today people are being
instigated in the name of UCC. How can the country run on two (laws)?
The Constitution also talks of equal rights...Supreme Court has also
asked to implement UCC. These (Opposition) people are playing vote
bank politics," Modi said.
Expert panel will...
The UCC calls for the formulation of one law for India, which would be
applicable to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, di-
vorce, inheritance, and adoption. "It's been over a year since the UCC
Committee has been functioning. They have talked to more than 2,35,000
people and listed their views. They have also talked to different organiza-
tions from various regions, cultural outfits, and other stakeholders. Many
intellectuals in the society have also given their opinions. The UCC com-
mittee has complied with all the comments and opinions in the draft.

MASS CREMATION IN BULDHANA

BULDHANA: A mass cremation was held on Sunday of 24 out of the 25

victims charred to death after a private bus caught fire in Maharashtra's
Buldhana district, a senior official said. The body of one of the victims
will be handed over to the family for burial, an official said earlier in the
day. As most of the victims were charred beyond recognition after the
bus caught fire in the early hours of Saturday, efforts were made to con-
vince their families for mass cremation of the bodies instead of their
DNA analysis, the official said. The DNA testing is a lengthy procedure
which may take days to ascertain the identity of the deceased, as per

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Hundreds of dolphins, sea lions wash up dead in California
CaLIfornIa: Hundreds of sea lions and dolphins are sprawled across the beaches in Southern California, either dead
or sick and exhibiting abnormal behaviour, according to online reports. Officials have received more than 1,000 calls in
recent weeks from beachgoers, tourists and residents reporting sick, dying and dead sea mammals washed ashore from
Santa Barbara to San Diego County, amid a growing toxic algal bloom in the waters off the coast.
WORLD
Indore | Monday | JULy 3, 2023

UK police have new

expanded powers
London: New and
expanded powers for British
police took effect on Sunday,
including measures targeting
activists who stop traffic and
major building works with
protests. Authorities have
repeatedly condemned
environmental protest
groups, including Just Stop
Oil and Extinction Rebellion,
which have sought to raise
awareness about the
urgency of climate change by
staging multiple high-profile
protests at the busiest
highways and roads. Their
protests in recent years
often caused serious
disruption for motorists.
Iranian police officer
killed in operation
Tehran: An Iranian police
officer was killed and two
others injured in an
operation to arrest a suspect
in the southeastern Iranian
province of Kerman, media
reported. The police
officers were shot when
they showed up with an
arrest warrant at the door of
a wanted person, said the
report on Saturday, citing
Baft County's Governor
Farhad Arasteh as saying.
The "criminal" opened fire
on the officers while
Mass shooting kills 2,
injures 28 in Baltimore
Agencies
Baltimore (US)
Two people were killed
and 28 were wounded in a
mass shooting in Balti-
more Sunday morning, in-
cluding three who are in
critical condition, police
said.
Baltimore Police Depart-
ment Acting Commission-
er Richard Worley con-
firmed there were a total
of 30 victims during a
press conference at the
scene. The shooting took
place just after 12:30 am at
a block party in the Brook-
lyn Homes area of South
Baltimore in the 800 block
of Gretna Avenue, Worley
said. All of the victims
were adults. Nine victims
were transported by am-
bulance and 20 victims
Mayor's hoMe targeted, car burnt
France sees fifth night of unrest attacks Syria
Agencies
Paris
hope that every single
breath you take, that you
think about the lives that
you took, think about the
lives that you impacted
here tonight." No arrests
were made immediately af-
ter the shooting. Scott
asked anyone with infor-
mation to come forward to
assist investigators locate
the "cowards" who were re-
sponsible for the shooting.
"Treat this as if it were
your family," Scott said.
"How you would want peo-
ple to treat it if you were
Investigators search for evidence among overturned tables mourning, if this was
at the site of a mass shooting in the Brooklyn Homes your neighbourhood, if
neighborhood on Sunday in Baltimore, Maryland this was an event in your
community that this hap-
walked into area hospitals hear me very clearly," May- pened at. We want you to
with injuries from the or Brandon Scott said at treat it that way because
shooting, Worley said. the scene. "We will not stop that's how we have to treat
"I want those who are re- until we find you, and we each other as Baltimore-
sponsible to hear me, and will find you. Until then, I ans."
Israel air force
BEIRUT: Israel carried out
Now, Twitter has daily
limits on reading posts
Agencies
San Francisco
Twitter owner Elon Musk
has limited the amount of
tweets that most users can
view each day - restrictions
he described as an attempt
to prevent unauthorized
scraping of potentially valu-
able data from the social me-
dia platform.
The site is now requiring
people to log on to view
tweets and profiles - a
change in its longtime prac-
tice to allow everyone to pe-
ruse the chatter on what
Musk has frequently touted
as the world's digital town
square since buying it for
USD 44 billion last year.
The restrictions could re-
sult in users being locked
out of Twitter for the day af-
ter scrolling through several
hundred tweets. Thousands
of users complained Satur-
day of not being able to ac-
cess the site.
In a Friday tweet, Musk de-
scribed the new restrictions
as a temporary measure that
Murder of PIo student In uK
was taken because "we were
getting data pillaged so
much that it was degrading
service for normal users!"
Musk has pushed back on
what he calls misuse of
Twitter data to train popu-
lar artificial intelligence
systems like ChatGPT. They
scour reams of information
online to generate human-
like text, photos, video and
other content. Musk elabo-
rated on the limits Saturday,
saying unverified accounts
will temporarily be restrict-
ed to reading 600 posts per
day, while verified accounts
will be able to scroll through
up to 6,000.
After facing backlash, he
tweeted that the thresholds
would be raised to 800 posts
for unverified accounts and
8,000 for verified accounts
before later settling on 1,000
and 10,000 tweets, respective-
ly. The crackdown began to
have ripple effects, causing
more than 7,500 people at
one point Saturday to report
problems using the social
media service, based on
complaints registered on
Downdetector, a website that
tracks online outages.
Although that's a relatively
small number of Twitter's
more than 200 million world-
wide users, the trouble was
widespread enough to cause
the #TwitterDown hashtag
to trend in some parts of the
world.
The higher threshold al-
lowed on verified accounts
is part of an $8-per-month
subscription service that
Musk rolled out earlier this
year in an effort to boost
Twitter revenue. It has fall-
en sharply since the billion-
aire Tesla CEO took over the
company and laid off rough-
ly three-fourths of the work-
force to cut costs and stave
off bankruptcy.

Young rioters clashed with

answering the door, he said,
identifying the killed officer
as Javad Karimi. The two
wounded officers were sent
to the hospital, he added.
Four security
personnel killed
IsLamabad: Four security
personnel were killed on
Sunday after unidentified
gunmen attacked a checkpost
in the Sherani district of
Pakistan's Balochistan. Police
officials said that the
assailants opened fire on the
checkpost and killed four
personnel, Pakistan-based
Geo News reported.
According to the police
official, one attacker was
killed in the retaliatory firing.
The police official said that a
search operation was started
in the area after the incident.
Balochistan Chief Minister
police into early Sunday and
targeted a mayor's home
with a burning car as
France saw a fifth night of
unrest sparked by the police
killing of a teenager, but
overall violence appeared to
lessen compared with previ-
ous nights.
Police made 719 arrests na-
tionwide by early Sunday af-
ter a mass security deploy-
ment aimed at quelling
France's worst social up-
heaval in years.
The crisis posed a new
challenge to President Em-
manuel Macron's leadership
and exposed deep-seated dis-
content in low-income
neighborhoods over dis-
crimination and lack of op-
portunity.
The 17-year-old whose
death Tuesday spawned the
fIrst such attacK of the war In 12 days
French riot police officers stand guard next to a burnt out trash bin
during a demonstration against police in Marseille, southern France
anger was laid to rest Satur-
day in a Muslim ceremony
in Nanterre, a Paris suburb
where emotions over his
loss remain raw. He has been
identified publicly only by
his first name, Nahel.
As night fell Saturday over
the French capital, a small
crowd gathered on the
Champs-Elysees to protest
his death and police vio-
lence but met hundreds of
officers with batons and
shields guarding the avenue
and its boutiques.
In a less chic neighbour-
hood of northern Paris, pro-
testers set off firecrackers
and lit barricades on fire as
police shot back with tear
gas and stun grenades.
airstrikes on areas near the
central Syrian city of Homs
early Sunday causing mate-
rial damage but no casual-
ties, the Syrian military said
in a statement. A Syrian anti-
aircraft missile exploded over
Israeli territory, the Israeli
military said, prompting an-
other round of strikes. Syrian
state media quoted an un-
named military official as say-
ing the air defenses shot down
some of the missiles fired by
Israeli warplanes flying over
neighboring Lebanon. Israeli
authorities did not comment
on the airstrike on Homs.
But the military said one of
the Syrian air defense mis-
siles exploded over Israeli
territory without causing
any damage.
Boyfriend pleads guilty to crime
Agencies
London
A Tunisian man who had been charged
with the murder of Indian-origin student
Sabita Thanwani at her university accom-
modation in the Clerkenwell area of north
London in March last year has admitted to
her killing in court.
Maher Maaroufe, 23, pleaded guilty to
manslaughter by reason of diminished re-
sponsibility during a hearing at the Old
Bailey court here on Friday and will be
sentenced in September.
The court heard how Thanwani, 19, was
found under the sheets with a cut to her
throat on March 19 last year.
According to court reports, the prosecu-
tion described how Maaroufe and
Thanwani had been in a relationship prior
to the morning of the killing. They were at
the student accommodation when a neigh-
bour overheard various noises and
screams coming from the room and called
emergency services.
A post-mortem examination gave
Thanwani's cause of death as sharp force
trauma to the neck.
Before the police arrived at the scene of
the killing, the suspect had left the build-
ing but as he did so he was seen by officers
wearing a balaclava, the court was told.
The Metropolitan Police had issued an
urgent manhunt for Maaroufe and
charged him days later.
At this week's hearing, he appeared by
video link from high-security psychiatric
hospital Broadmoor for the hearing and
the prosecution accepted the manslaugh-
ter plea.

Russia launches
Abdul Qudus Bizenjo has
condemned the attack,
according to Geo News
report.

Pak cities at risk drone strike on Kyiv

of urban flooding
IsLamabad: The cities of
Islamabad and Rawalpindi
could be facing urban
flooding, as monsoon rains
are likely to begin in the
country from Monday,
Pakistan Meteorological
Department (PMD) said.
PMD, also known as the Met
Office, said in a statement
that moist currents from the
Arabian Sea are likely to
penetrate in upper parts of
the country, and a westerly
wave is also likely to enter
the upper parts of the
country from July 3, Geo
News reported.
6.9 quake
strikes Tonga
nukuaLofa [Tonga]:
An earthquake of magnitude
6.9 struck 134 km NW of
Neiafu, Tonga on Sunday,
the United States Geological
Survey (USGS) reported.
The earthquake took place
at 10:27:43 (UTC) at a
depth of 225.0 km.
According to the USGS, the
epicentre of it was found at
latitude 17.853degS and
longitude 174.937degW,
respectively. No reports of
casualties or material
damage are known yet.
Further details awaited.
Ukraine's air force
said that across the
country, eight
Shaheds and three
Kalibr cruise
missiles were
launched by the
Russians
Agencies
Kyiv
After a relative lull, Russia
launched a drone attack ear-
ly Sunday on Ukraine's capi-
tal, Kyiv, officials said. It was
the first such attack of the
war in 12 days.
All of the Iranian-made
Shahed exploding drones
were detected and shot
down, according to Serhii
Popko, the head of the Kyiv
city administration.
In addition to the city it-
self, the surrounding Kyiv
region was targeted. Kyiv re-
gional Gov. Ruslan
Kravchenko reported that
one person was wounded by
falling debris from a de-
stroyed drone.
Officials in the Ukrainian
capital didn't provide an ex-
act number of drones that
attacked the city.
But Ukraine's air force
said that across the country,
eight Shaheds and three
Kalibr cruise missiles were
launched by the Russians.
Further south, a 13-year-
old boy was wounded in
overnight shelling of
Ukraine's partially occu-
pied southern Kherson
province, said Oleksandr
Tolokonnikov, spokesman
for the Ukrainian adminis-
tration of the province.
The child was wounded
when the Russian army
shelled the village of
Mylove on the banks of the
Dnieper River in the
Beryslav district, Tolokon-
nikov said.
"The child was hospi-
talised, there is no threat to
his life," Tolokonnikov
added," he said on state TV.
Shelling of the Kherson
province continued Sunday
morning, wounding four
people in the regional capi-
tal, also called Kherson.
The regional prosecutor's
office said that a residential
area of the city was targeted
by Russian troops operating
in the Russia-occupied part
of the Kherson province.
"At least four citizens were
wounded, two of them due
to a targeted strike on a
high-rise building," the of-
fice wrote on Telegram.

greece boat tragedy

Four more confirmed dead from Punjab

Agencies
Islamabad [Pakistan]
Officials have confirmed
the death of four more peo-
ple from Sarai Alamgir of
Pakistan's Punjab in the
Greece boat tragedy, Pak-
istan-based ARY News re-
ported.
The deceased people were
identified as Shabbir
Ahmed, Shoaib Baig, Asad
Baig, and Mirza Mubeen.
As per the news report, the
deceased people were
friends. Furthermore, more
than 12 missing people
were from Sialkot.
Notably, the boat carrying
an estimated 750 people,
primarily from Pakistan,
Syria, and Egypt, capsized
on June 14.
Of the total passengers,
104 managed to survive
while the bodies of 82 vic-
tims have been recovered,
ARY News reported.
On June 30, Pakistan Inte-
rior Minister Rana
Sanaullah said that there
were at least Pakistani vic-
tims in the bot that cap-
sized and sank in open seas
off Greece last week, ac-
cording to ARY News re-
port.
He further said that so far
82 bodies of those aboard
the boat have been recov-
ered and their identifica-
tion process is being con-
ducted with the help of
forensic and NADRA data.
Sanaullah made the re-
marks at the National As-
sembly.
Last week, Pakistan's Fed-
eral Investigation Authori-
ty (FIA) arrested two more
human smugglers in con-
nection with the Greece
Boat incident, according to
ARY News. Tariq Masood,
Deputy Director of FIA
said that they have arrested
two agents in Mandi Ba-
hauddin who sent five peo-
ple to Greece and charged
Rs 2.2 million from them.
The smugglers have been
identified as Mauzam Riaz
and Adnan Anwar, as per
ARY News. So far, 16 human
smugglers have been ar-
rested in relation to the
Greece Boat tragedy, the of-
ficial added.
EDIT INDORE | MONDAY | JULY 3, 2023
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Politics has no relation to
morals.
— NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

FREE PRESS
FOR FREE FLOW OF TRUTH
Pawar’s googly ultimately ends in a sixer
ference, by joining hands with one’s leadership and organisation-

MIKA
Fearless those against whom it has made al abilities will refrain from mak-

Green shoots of Talk

charges of corruption. This has
been seen in other states in the
country as well as in Maharashtra.
ing personal attacks.
The senior Pawar’s biggest
strengths are his connect with the

revival for Cong

The BJP leaders in the state have people, his determination and zeal
been shouting themselves hoarse to build the party, and his ability to
÷Abhay Mokashi that Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal remain calm even in the most diffi-
and Hasan Mushrif are corrupt. cult situations. As regards his con-

T
here are signs of the Congress party revival.

C
onsidering the split in the
Which is to be welcomed, given that a strong op- Nationalist Congress Party
position is absolutely necessary to keep the rul- (NCP) in Maharashtra on a
lighter note, it can be said that the
ing party on its toes, and within the four walls of the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and
Constitutional order. Also, to the extent that the vacu- state Deputy Chief Minister Deven-
um created by a moribund Congress was being filled dra Fadnavis bowled a “doosra”
by regional parties with their own — often unwhole- and took the wicket of NCP Presi-
some — agendas, a national Opposition with a proven dent Sharad Pawar.
Just a few days ago, Pawar had
record in power ought to be a matter of satisfaction for stated that his father-in-law was a
all democratic elements. As for the green shoots of the googly bowler and Pawar, being
Congress revival, first of all, we notice this in the will- the former Chairperson of the In-
ingness of Rahul Gandhi to engage in politicking for ternational Cricket Council (ICC),
knew where and when to bowl a
prolonged periods, rather than him disappearing from
the scene to some undisclosed foreign locale and leav-
googly, though he had not played
cricket. Pawar had said this with
ing his partymen aghast and worried. Post-Bharat reference to Fadnavis and the BJP,
Jodo Yatra, the yatri has plunged full-time into as regards the talks between the
political activity, attending the Patna meet of the Op- two political parties, to form a gov-
ernment in Maharashtra in 2019.
position parties, visiting Manipur for an on-the-spot He had claimed that he had done
check of the disturbed conditions, and generally devot- this to show to what extent the BJP
ing more time to advancing the Congress cause. Given can go to gain power. Pawar had
that the next round of state elections, to be followed by claimed that two days before the
early morning swearing-in of Fad-
the Parliament poll, are beginning to loom large on the
navis and Ajit Pawar, he had with-
political horizon, the party has also begun to put its drawn the offer to form a govern-
own house in order. ment in the state in alliance with
What is noticeable is the willingness of the Congress the BJP.
to sup with the leaders of the regional parties in quest On a serious note, it should be
noted that there was a time when
for the manna of Opposition unity. A display of such the BJP used to claim that it is a
humility augurs well for the Opposition leaders to dis- party with a difference, giving an
cover common ground for taking on the BJP in the par- impression that it was the only eth-
liamentary poll — though it must be mentioned that it ical and principled party. Of late it
has been proving time and again
is not an easy task. Also, for four years Chhattisgarh
that it is indeed a party with a dif-
Health Minister TS Singh Deo had gone about nursing
a grievance for having been denied the chief minister-
Similar charges have been made
against other NCP leaders too and
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had
mentioned recently that the NCP is
a corrupt party. Yet, the NCP legis-
lators have been welcomed by the
BJP to join its alliance government
in Maharashtra.
The coming together of the Oppo-
sition parties in the country to
form an anti-BJP platform, and the
setback the party has faced in the
Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka
Legislative Assembly elections,
has shaken up the party and it has
been trying various tactics, one of
them being to weaken the parties
opposing it. Bringing about the
split in the NCP is one such move.
By getting the NCP rebel legisla-
tors to support the government, the
BJP is also sending a signal to CM
Eknath Shinde and his legislators
that the BJP is not solely
dependent on the Shiv Sena to be in
power in Maharashtra. This was
needed to respond to the advertise-
ment published by Shinde’s sup-
porters stating that it is Modi at the
Centre and Shinde in
Maharashtra. Neither the BJP nor
Fadnavis took kindly to the adver-
tisement and wanted to put Shinde
in his place.
By getting Ajit Pawar and his leg-
islators to support the Maharash-
tra government, the BJP has en-
dorsed the view of Sharad Pawar
By getting Ajit Pawar and his legislators to support the
Maharashtra government, the BJP has endorsed the
view of Sharad Pawar that the BJP is willing to go to
any extent to grab power
that the BJP is willing to go to any
extent to grab power. Though the
BJP is already in power in Maha-
rashtra, by engineering the split in
NCP the party has tried to gain on
several fronts. Ajit Pawar was any-
way unhappy with the stand of the
NCP and it was easy for the BJP to
get him in its net. It became easier
with the probes by the Enforce-
ment Department against several
NCP legislators.
The BJP ought to remember that
Sharad Pawar is a hard nut to
crack in politics. He is not one to be
rattled easily by defections in his
party, and that was clear from his
body language as well as his state-
ments after his nephew and other
legislators supported and joined
the government. Unlike Uddhav
Thackeray, he has not said a word
against the defectors and has also
clarified that he will not move the
courts to get justice, but he would
rather go to the public to seek jus-
tice and support. Not to make per-
sonal attacks on those who defect
from the party shows the political
maturity of a leader, and Sharad
Pawar has scored on that count.
Also, a leader who has faith in
nect with the people, it must be not-
ed that he knows thousands of his
party workers by their names and
their locations. It cannot be denied
that most of the NCP legislators
have been elected due to the peo-
ple’s faith in Sharad Pawar, and
some of them will find it difficult to
face their electorate in the light of
their defection; winning the next
election will be more difficult. He
has already announced that he
would tour the state and go to the
people, especially the youth.
The NCP defectors stand exposed
as they have started praising
Narendra Modi and appreciating
his work in the country, though till
now they were criticising him and
his policies. Ajit Pawar has stated
that he has supported the BJP for
the development of the country.
Those who have tasted power find
it difficult to be out of it for long,
and Ajit Pawar and his gang is part
of that section of elected represen-
tatives. In their case, it is also a rea-
son to seek reprieve from the cases
against them.
It is time elected representatives
stop taking the voters and the pub-
lic at large for granted, and for the
voters to teach defectors a lesson
by defeating them.
The author is a senior journalist and
media trainer. He tweets at
@a_mokashi

Can Gadkari take up Hindu-Muslim bridge-building?

ship at the end of the half-term of Bhupesh Bhagel, but
months before the poll in the state he has been suitably
appeased by being made deputy chief minister. The
Karnataka victory has also resulted in putting life back
in the hitherto moribund Telangana Pradesh
Congress. Till recently, it was widely believed that the
On My (CIRT) even dubbed the project a
“pipe dream” in a newspaper inter-
roads and cities, needs to be re-
placed with Hindu-Muslim bridge
who spoke disparagingly of Indian
Muslims, asking them to leave In-
desirable objective, it should be
brought in through consensus and
BJP, and not the Congress, would emerge as the main
challenger to the incumbent Bharat Rashtra Samithi
Mind view. Gadkari not only made it hap-
pen, but got India’s first expressway
constructed at manageable costs, all
building.
This can be done through con-
structive, community-driven dia-
dia. “If anyone says that Muslims
should not stay in India, then he is
not a Hindu,” Bhagwat had said.
not coercion.
The UCC is not a priority for
India. What India needs urgently is
of Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Rao. Post-Karnata- of which is a part of history. logue and discussion and not on the On his part, Prime Minister reforms and investments to provide
ka win, the Reddys, an influential group in the State
÷Abhay Vaidya Alongside Gadkari’s infrastruc- divisive, politically-driven televi- Narendra Modi has been making a universal healthcare with basic fa-
politics, are beating a track back to the Congress. ture development work, India des- sion debates conducted by shrill an- serious outreach to the poverty- cilities in primary health centres;
perately needs an “infra” project of chors of India’s mainstream media. ridden and caste-driven Pasmanda good education which would help
Above all else, the Karnataka victory has seen the en

S
enior BJP minister Nitin
bloc return of the Muslim vote to the Congress party. It Gadkari has been doing fabu-
may be in Karnataka the objective was to defeat the lous work on the infrastruc-
BJP which, while in power, had raked up the hijab and ture front in India. Roads, high-
ways, bridges, tunnels are being
a few other emotional issues impinging on the Muslim
constructed in every corner of the
sentiment, but generally the community seems to be country. Not to be missed is the in-
well-inclined to return to the Grand Old Party. For, frastructure work taking place in
whether it was the reading down of Article 370, or the Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and
Citizenship (Amendment) Act, and now the move to Arunachal Pradesh, all sensitive
border states where infra develop-
enact a Uniform Civil Code, the Congress did spell out ment has received a new, post-Gal-
its opposition in strong terms. In short, the Muslim wan urgency.
vote might be once again looking favourably at the Gadkari's latest announcement
Congress party. Of course, the community will still not that from 2025 auto manufacturers
will have to install air-conditioned
like to waste its vote, voting tactically for the strongest
driver cabins in trucks is yet an-
candidate against the BJP, but at least the Congress is other of his perceptive, inclusive
no longer an ogre. and progressive decisions which
Not everything is hunky-dory yet for the GOP. It is stands welcomed by one and all.
yet to settle the simmering feud between Rajasthan This columnist recalls the days
when, in the mid-1990s, the Shiv
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot even as Sena supremo Bal Thackeray had
a fresh election crawls up on the party. It is yet not been dreamt of the Mumbai-Pune Ex-
able to form its top party panels, including the pressway and the work was
Congress Working Committee and the Parliamentary assigned to the Shiv Sena-BJP’s
PWD Minister, Nitin Gadkari. The
Board, though Mallikarjun Kharge was “elected” party
project seemed impossible given the
president a few months ago. It was expected that given moutainous terrain, and a trans-
that the polls in the key states of Rajasthan, Madhya portation expert from Pune’s
Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and the Parliamentary poll Central Institute of Road Transport
next year, the Congress would complete the process of
organisational set-up as early as possible. Meanwhile,
it will be a mistake to believe that the Modi-Shah-led Gurupurnima celebrates
another kind. This is the Hindu-
Muslim bridge building project
which is indeed far more
important for India than the brick
and mortar work that Gadkari has
been doing. He has a powerful ally
in his neighbour, the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief
Mohan Bhagwat.
Bhagwat, with his recent appeals
to Hindus and Muslims to shun ha-
tred and find a common ground for
national progress, and Gadkari
with his Vajpayee-like approach to
the politics of consensus, are best
suited to undertake this mission.
It is not just Gadkari or Bhagwat
but every Indian needs to seize
every opportunity for Hindu-Mus-
lim bridge building in India. The
smallest step that could promote
social harmony in India matters
and should be welcomed with open
arms by one and all.
The prevailing politics of hatred,
alleged love-jihad, continuation of
mandir-masjid politics and the tar-
geting of Muslims by attacking the
community in various ways — be
it with changes in textbooks; re-
moval and replacement of names of
LETTERS
What should one make of the con- Muslim community. create a workforce with low-level
structive outreach by Bhagwat Given the fact that actions speak and high-level skillsets, and em-
when he recently expressed regret louder than words and with the ployment for millions of Indians.
Before thrusting the UCC on the
Alongside Gadkari’s infra development work, India nation, the Modi government needs
to provide a robust law and order
desperately needs a Hindu-Muslim bridge building machinery which is professional
and not open to manipulation by
project which is more important than the brick-and- the ruling politicians. India needs
mortar work that the minister is doing judicial reforms to speed up the ad-
ministering of justice in an afford-
able manner from the lowest courts
that Indians were fighting amongst 2024 general elections round the to the highest.
themselves on lines of caste and reli- corner, one suspects that the BJP- All of the above can be seen in the
gion instead of strengthening na- RSS is working to a well-thought US and other Western democracies
tional unity and integrity? “We are out strategy and agenda, the con- and the new era of India-US ties
forgetting that we are one country,” tours of which are still not clear. At should serve as an opportunity for
Bhagwat said while addressing a the same time, it is clear that the us Indians. We need to seize this
RSS training camp in Nagpur last BJP’s 2024 election rath (chariot) is opportunity to strengthen India’s
month. going to ride on the inauguration democratic and constitutional val-
Previously, in 2021, he had of the various phases of the Ram ues to create a dynamic, merit-
spoken against violence and hate Mandir at Ayodhya, Uniform Civil based, mature, modern democracy.
speech targeted at Muslims, point- Code (UCC) and the Hindu rashtra This can only be created with a
ing out that the DNA of all Indians agenda along with projecting strong foundation of social harmo-
is the same. “People can't be differ- Modi’s strong leadership. ny and this is where the dynamic
entiated on how they worship,” he While the Uniform Civil Code Nitin Gadkari can play a role
had said, adding, “We are in a (UCC) — a unified legal structure rather than sitting on the sidelines.
democracy. There can’t be domi- that would provide all Indians, irre- Abhay Vaidya has worked as a senior
nance of Hindus or Muslims. There spective of religion, a unified law on journalist with a number of leading
can only be dominance of Indians.” inheritance, marriage, divorce, publications. He is now director at a
The RSS chief admonished those maintenance and adoption — is a policy research think tank in Pune
Dialogue with all
because they cannot get bail; been sacked and a score of

BJP is resting on its laurels, complacent about its

devotion and love
TO THE EDITOR
AI and health care
T hough the prime minister
made a pitch for the Uniform
Civil Code while addressing BJP
meanwhile others are roaming
the countryside scotfree,
acquitted due to lack of
them under disciplinary action.
This can just be the beginning.
There is a larger message from
prospects in the polls ahead. As one can see, they have
— Sri Sri Ravi Shankar workers in Bhopal, it is witnesses. What about a these two very diverse styles of
begun to strengthen the hitherto moribund NDA and
generally take steps to be a fighting-fit force to meet the T he health care industry has unfortunate that most people Uniform Criminal Code for all national governance. The

G
urupurnima is called
challenge of a reinvigorated Opposition eager to end its the day of the Master,
misery for being out of power for a full decade. but it is actually the
day of the devotee. There are
three types of people who
FPJ Archives
INDIA 75 YEARS AGO come to the Master - the stu-
JUNE 3, 1948 dent, the disciple and the
devotee. A student goes to a
teacher and learns some-
thing, gets some information
and walks out of the school.
The student is the one, who
collects information, but the
information is not knowl-
edge, it is not wisdom.
Then, there is the disci-
ple; the disciple
follows the example of
the Master. But a
disciple is with the
Master for the sake
of learning
wisdom, for
GUIDING LIGHT
the sake of improving his
life, for attaining enlighten-
ment. He is trying to bring a
transformation in his life.
And then there is a devotee.
A devotee is not there even
for wisdom. He is simply re-
joicing in love. He has fallen
in deep love with the Master,
with Infinity, with God. Stu-
dents are in abundance, dis-
ciples are a few, but the devo-
tees are rare.
One of Buddha’s disciples
named Sariputra achieved
NEHRU CONFIDENT OF INDIA’S FUTURE enlightenment. Soon there-
after, Buddha told him,
SAYS HYDERABAD WILL HAVE TO ACCEDE “Now you go ahead, go into
Ootacamund, June 2. Addressing a large gathering of over twenty-five thousand the world and preach, teach,
from the race course pavilion in Ootacamund this evening, when a civic reception and do the same work I do.
was accorded to him, India's Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, said that Carry on my work.” As in-
free India which had already overcome difficulties such as had seldom faced a structed, Sariputra left Bud-
new Government could look forward with confidence to the future. dha, but he was crying. Peo-
ple asked him, “Why are you
crying when you are enlight-
ened?” He replied, “Who
cares about this enlighten-
ment? It could have waited. I
would have waited. I didn’t
even bother about it or ask
for it because the joy of being
at the feet of Buddha was so
great. Being a devotee was so
great. I cry now because I
miss it. I would have pre-
ferred that to this enlighten-
ment.” He said.
Who is a Guru? A Guru is
just like a window.
Guru simply means
one who brings more
joy, more alertness,
and more aware-
ness into your life. A
Guru is not
one who holds
any authority over you. A
Guru is not one who dictates
terms to you. Rather, a Guru
encourages you to be in
touch with yourself. A Guru
reminds you to live in the
present moment, and a Guru
takes away the guilt, agita-
tion, sorrow, and anguish,
which allows you to be your-
self. That in the true sense is
the meaning of Guru. A
Guru does not simply fill
you with knowledge, but he
kindles the life force in you.
In the presence of the Guru,
you become more alive. The
Guru invokes not only intel-
ligence but also the intellect
in you. Knowledge may not
invoke intelligence, but in a
state of intelligence, knowl-
edge is inherent.
been blessed with the
benefits of Artificial Intelligence
in numerous fields including
drug discovery, diagnosing
diseases, monitoring health,
surgery and managing data.
One of the most important
things is that it allows doctors
to spend more clinical time
with patients and less time
wrestling with data. AI has
already shown its impact on
drug development and health
care. But one thing is pivotal
for its success, and that is the
quality of data it stores.
Besides, this high-end
technology is not
understandable to everyone
like conventional subjects
taught in colleges. Some
experts fear loss of jobs, too.
However, the potential is
promising and it is only the
beginning of the journey.
Arka Goswami
MIKA’S MATRIX
are not aware of the UCC and
the main issues bothering them
are unemployment, price rise
and corruption. The
government must have
dialogue with all the
Opposition parties on the UCC
before implementing its
agenda, which may create
unrest in the country due to the
wide range of people from
different communities.
Bhagwan Thadani
What about a
Uniform Criminal
Code?
S ome rapists and murderers
are “encountered” and
liquidated, while others are
garlanded and feted and
heralded as defenders of the
faith, and still others are
languishing behind bars
these bad lots?
Biju Cherian
New trains on old
tracks
V ande Bharat trains are being
flagged off by the PM on a
routine basis. However, are the
old (pre-Vande Bharat) tracks
equal to the task of “hosting”
these semi-high speed trains?
Also, how necessary are these
Japanese-looking trains,
considering their higher fares?
Would it not have been in the
interest of the common man if
the frequency of (existing)
trains had been increased, and
better facilities been provided?
One can’t escape the feeling
that all this Vande Bharat stuff
is a kind of vanity project.
Avinash Godboley, Dewas
Khaki could get
alarmingly porous
T he world over, armies have
largely stayed apolitical and,
in totalitarian regimes,
subservient to the government.
And yet it is from its army that
rumblings are emanating in
Russia. Its war in Ukraine is
getting adrift and would seem
to drag on without a clear
purpose or any definitive
outcome. Putin’s government is
losing its shine and appeal. In
Pakistan, if the Imran Khan-led
movement had animated the
people to protest marches, it
now turns out that a chunk of
its army is no less involved.
Four senior officers have now
government’s misplaced or ill-
conceived policies, uncorrected
in time, lead to widespread
privation and pain. It is so
plainly evident that oppression
of the common man, be it
political or economic, is prone
to permeate through the
uniform to resonate in the
armed forces too.
R Narayanan
Make it a reality
W ith reference to the
excellent editorial, ‘The
chimera of Opposition unity’
(Jun 28), the front coordination
committee of the Opposition
alliance must de-egoise
egocentric Opposition leaders
and even though ideologies
cannot be mixed the common
points of different Opposition
party ideologies can be used to
strengthen unity. As far as
right-wing parties in the
Opposition alliance are
concerned, they must be very
tactfully persuaded to throw
overboard their very heavy and
useless baggage and convert
themselves into conservative
parties by toning down their
right-wing ideology for a better
and brighter future, and to gel
more closely with the people
and earn their lasting love and
appreciation.
Peter Castellino
We are eager to know your opinions,
comments and suggestions. Write to
editor.indore@fpj.co.in Using snail mail?
Send your letters to Free Press, Free Press
House, 3/54, Press Complex, AB Road,
Indore 452008

EVENTS TO WATCH
July 3 S&P Mfg PMI numbers for
June, Global Pet Industries
IPO closing, PM Modi will be
chairing a meeting of the
Union Council of Ministers.
July 4 Senco Gold IPO and PKH
Declining exports: Commerce ministry to meet exporters on Monday
The commerce ministry has called a meeting of exporters on
Monday to take stock of the situation, as the country's
outbound shipments have been contracting for the last four
months, an official said. Exporters are expected to flag issues
MONEY
like extending greater support to participate in global exhibitions
and fairs; expediting negotiations to conclude FTAs with the UK,
Canada, Israel and GCC; and allowing industry double weighted
deduction on salary to professionals to retain talent in India. INDORE | MONDAY | JULY 3, 2023

FPIs INVESTMENT HITS 10-MTH Govt

Ventures IPO closing. PM OVER 12K FAKE ENTITIES IN GST
Modi will advocate startup

July 5
culture at SCO Summit.
S&P Services PMI and
Composite PMI, Veefin
Solutions debut on BSE & NSE
July 6 Alphalogic Ind IPO opens
July 7 Forex reserves for the week
ended June 30, FM Sitharaman
likely to attend outreach
programme by territorial
administration and State-level
Bankers Committee
BIZ BULLETIN
Mcap of top-10 firms
jumps `1.88 lakh cr
The combined market valuation of the
top 10 most valued firms jumped Rs
1.88 lakh crore last week, with HDFC
Bank and Tata Consultancy Services
emerging as the biggest gainers, amid
bullish investor sentiments. Last week,
the BSE benchmark jumped 1,739.19
points or 2.76 per cent.
Robotics firm Addverb to
invest `500 cr in mfg
Reliance Retail-owned robotics firm
Addverb expects to cross Rs 8,000-crore
revenue mark in five years, with scaling
up of manufacturing operations and
diversifying target market base, a senior
company official said. Addverb
Technologies co-founder and CEO
Sangeet Kumar told PTI that the
company will invest Rs 500 crore in its
Greater Noida-based robot
manufacturing facility in phases to
realise USD 1-billion revenue in five
years.
Office space leasing falls
22% in Apr-June
India's top eight cities have witnessed a
22 per cent decline in gross leasing of
office space as global companies remain
cautious about their expansion plans,
according to Cushman & Wakefield. Real
estate consultant Cushman & Wakefield
data showed that the gross leasing of
office leasing declined to 17.42 million
square feet in April-June this year from
22.41 million square feet in the year-ago
period as corporates are taking longer
time in taking decisions especially for
large office space requirements.
SBI unveils cardless cash
withdrawal facilities
Country's largest lender State Bank of
India (SBI) on Sunday launched its
enhanced digital banking application,
'YONO for Every Indian' and
Interoperable Cardless Cash Withdrawal
(ICCW) facilities. The facility was
launched by SBI as part of the 68th Bank
Day celebrations. With 'YONO for Every
Indian', bank customers will have access
to UPI features like Scan and Pay, Pay by
contacts, Request money, among others
on YONO's new avatar.
plans to make geotagging
and biometrics mandatory to
HIGH OF `47,148 CRORE IN JUNE identify fake business entities
However, inflows in July may be subdued as FPIs might adopt cautious stance due to US Fed’s comments PTI / New Delhi
PTI / New Delhi Geojit's Vijayakumar said that sustained
FPI flows triggered by India's steadily im- CBIC is working on biometric au-
Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) have
pumped Rs 47,148 crore in the Indian equities
proving macros have taken markets to record
highs. The major reason for the sustained FPI
thentication of risky entities un-
der GST as it looks to crack down
in June, making it the highest inflow in 10 flows into India is the reversal in FPI strategy on fraudsters who are misusing
months, enthused by the country's steadily to "Buy India, Sell China". the PAN and Aadhaar of other
improving macroeconomic fundamentals. Earlier in January and February, foreign people to obtain GST registration,
However, inflows in July may be subdued investors were pulling out from Indian equi- CBIC chief Vivek Johri said.
as FPIs might adopt cautious stance due to ties, and they were hugely investing in China Johri further said that the tax is being planned by the officers of
the recent comments from the US Federal Re- as it opened up after Covid and expectations authorities are also discussing the CBIC to authenticate that the
serve, Mayank Mehraa, Smallcase manager of a revival in growth and earnings. some more tightening in the GST address provided during GST reg-
and principal partner at financial Himanshu Srivastava, Associate Director, return filing system to limit the istration is the place from where
consultancy Craving Alpha, said. IMPROVING MACRO FUNAMENTALS Manager Research at Morningstar India, said scope of claiming Input Tax the entity operates, Johri told re-
Besides, VK Vijayakumar, Chief Invest- that sentiments have been boosted after the Credit (ITC), when taxes have not porters.
ment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services,
said FPIs are likely to turn a bit cautious
`43,838 CR FPIs invested in Indian
equities in May
US Federal Reserve pressed the pause button
on its rate hike cycle, triggering flows into
been paid by suppliers in the sup-
ply chain.
A pilot on biometric authenti-
cation and geo-tagging is already
going forward as valuations in the country
are rich from a short-term perspective. June marks the highest level of investment
emerging markets like India. This indicates
that FPIs are expecting better growth from
The biometric authentication
of authorised representatives or
underway in a couple of states,
and depending on the results and
According to the data, FPIs invested a net by FPIs in the last ten months. Before this, the Indian markets. directors or partners of a compa- evaluation of digital infrastruc-
sum of Rs 47,148 crore in Indian equities in they invested a net sum of Rs 51,204 crore in Another factor that has aided flows into In- ny will be made for new registra- ture requirements, the project
June. equities in August 2022, the data showed. dian shores is the concern over China's eco- tion applications and existing will be launched pan India. The
This came after a net investment of Rs FPIs continued to stay bullish on Indian nomic recovery. There has also been an un- businesses registered under CBIC chief said that during the
43,838 crore in equities in May, Rs 11,631 crore markets primarily due to upbeat domestic certain environment in the US and UK, he Goods and Services Tax (GST) if ongoing drive against fake regis-
in April and Rs 7,936 crore in March, data macros, coupled with intense monsoon activ- added. tax officers have a suspicion that tration, GST officers have identi-
with the depositories showed. ity and a gloomy global economic picture, In terms of sectors, FPIs continued to the entities are being set up only fied around 12,500 bogus entities,
Before that, FPIs pulled out over Rs 34,000 Shrikant Chouhan, Head of Equity Research invest in financials, automobiles, capital to fraudulently claim ITC. which were used to claim fake
crore from equities in January and February. (Retail), Kotak Securities, said. goods and construction-related stocks. Also, geo-tagging of all entities ITC and defraud the exchequer.
Macroeco data, global factors to Housing loans’ share in ‘Top Taiwanese
firms looking at
guide mkts this week: Analysts total advances rose: RBI relocating
PTI / New Delhi
EQUITY MARKET TREND
Total advances rose to 14.2% in March 2023 production
from 8.6% in March 2012
The domestic equity market,
which is on a record-breaking
Sensex
Last week performance
jumped 1,739.19 points or 2.76 per cent PTI / New Delhi bases to India’
spree, will focus on macroeco- PTI / Taipei
nomic data announcements, Nifty50 rose 523.55 points or 2.80 per cent The share of residential housing
movement in global stocks and loans in total advances has in- Leading Taiwanese technology
the US Fed minutes to get further creased over the last eleven years firms are looking at relocating
direction, analysts said. to 14.2 per cent in March 2023 their manufacturing bases to In-
Trading activity of Foreign In- from 8.6 per cent in March 2012, as dia to bring down their exposure
stitutional Investors (FIIs) will per the Reserve Bank's latest Fi- to the Chinese market, top policy-
also innfluence investors. nancial Stability Report (FSR). makers in the Taiwan govern-
From the domestic macroeco- ally. Investors would also watch first hurdle at 19350-19500 levels It also said the housing sector is commercial real estate (CRE) in ment have said, amid the self-gov-
nomic front, Purchasing Man- out for FOMC minutes to get in- on account of profit booking at witnessing a healthy growth with total loans has hovered between erned island's increasingly tense
agers' Index (PMI) data for the
manufacturing sector will be re-
sights into the US Central Bank's
future course of direction," Sid-
regular intervals. We are now en-
tering into our first Q1 results sea-
sales growing by 21.6 per cent in
the fourth quarter (January-
2.0-2.9 per cent.
"Total exposure of the banking
relations with China.
Deputy Minister for Taiwan's
leased on Monday, and that o,f the dhartha Khemka, Head - Retail son pricing in good results and re- March) of 2022-23. In addition to system to real estate stood at 16.5 National Development Kao
services sector on Wednesday. Research, Motilal Oswal Finan- actions would then be stock spe- rising sales, new launches also per cent of total loans in March Shien-Quey said there is huge
Investors, this week, will keen- cial Services Ltd, said. cific in case of any disappoint- maintained healthy growth, re- 2023. Given the secured nature of scope for collaboration between
ly watch major global market “Nifty has almost made a ments. This week we have US flecting strength in demand by these loans and loan to value New Delhi and Taipei in areas of
events, icluding the outcome of marubozu candlestick on a week- FOMC minutes and Jobs data end-users. The share of residen- (LTV) ratio regulations, loan de- emerging and critical technolo-
the Federal Open Market Com- ly basis by convincingly closing that would drive global markets,” tial housing loans in total loans faults remain less than 2 per gies including manufacturing of
mittee (FOMC) minutes, sched- well above 19000 levels, indicating said technical and market analyst has increased over the last eleven cent," it said. semiconductors and electronics
uled to be out on Wednesday. that every dip may be a buying Rajesh Agarwal. years to 14.2 per cent in March According to an RBI data, equipment.
"This week, the market will opportunity. Even though sky is Auto stocks will be in focus on 2023 from 8.6 per cent in March housing loan outstanding in In an interaction with a group
take cues from economic data to the limit since Nifty is trading at Monday after declaring their 2012, the report said. March 2023 was Rs 19,36,428 crore, of international journalists, she
be released locally as well as glob- all time high levels, it may face its sales data for June on Saturday. During this period, the share of up 15 per cent year-on-year. said major Taiwanese technology
giants are looking at India as a
key destination to strengthen

TVS Motor expects growth
to continue this fiscal
TVS Motor Company expects growth
momentum to continue in the current
fiscal, with the overall economy
anticipated to grow at a robust pace and
a continuous improvement in the road
infrastructure. According to the company,
the premium bikes and scooter segment
is likely to grow on the back of a rise in
overseas shipments and higher penetration
of electric two-wheelers this fiscal.
Automakers accelerate
women jobs in shop floors
Homegrown automakers Tata Motors,
Mahindra & Mahindra, Ashok Leyland
and Hero MotoCorp are accelerating the
drive to employ more women in shop
floors as they press hard on the pedal to
enhance diversity. Once outsiders but no
longer, thousands of women are now
rolling out from two-wheelers to popular
SUVs and heavy commercial vehicles
across different factories of these
companies.
Hind Copper hopeful of
getting nod to reopen mine
Central PSU Hindustan Copper Limited
(HCL) is hopeful of commencing mining
at its closed Rakha mine in Jharkhand,
which will entail an investment of over
Rs 2,000 crore, after getting final
clearance from the state government, a
top company official said. The Rakha
mine has been closed since 2001, and
the Jharkhand government has recently
given in-principle consent to renew the
lease.
Mundra Port anchors
NSE explores carbon credit mkt,
introducing electricity derivatives
PTI / Kolkata
The National Stock Exchange is
exploring opportunities in elec-
tricity derivatives and the volun-
tary carbon credit (VCC) market
to deepen its product portfolio as
part of its transformation into a
multi-asset stock exchange.
The world's largest derivatives
stock exchange also plans to in-
troduce derivative contracts
based on the indices of the corpo-
rate bond index and government
bond index, subject to clearance
from regulators.
"We are evaluating the volun-
tary carbon credits market.
There are only two markets at
this time. There are about 26 mil-
lion voluntary carbon credits
available in India as of today,
which can be monetised," NSE
Chief Business Development Of-
ficer Sriram Krishnan told PTI.
He was in the city to
participate in the Eureka Stock
Broking organised Financial
Conclave.
"We need to figure out how to
build a market for these VCCs so
that they can find their values.
You need to monetise them, and
GQG Partners ups stake in two Adani cos to above 5% Room AC market likely to
PTI / New Delhi
of course, we also need to create a
healthy market going forward,
because India is producing such
carbon credits every year. It is
difficult to quantify, but it is esti-
mated to be worth USD 150 mil-
lion," Krishnan said.
Speaking about proposed de-
rivative contracts on corporate
bonds and government bond in-
dex, he stated that the exchange
was awaiting clearance from the
regulators.
Krishnan said the bourse will
continue to evaluate introducing
more products on the commodity
front.
Another bourse, the Indian En-
ergy Exchange (IEX), has also an-
nounced plans to explore busi-
ness opportunities in the volun-
tary carbon market and has es-
tablished a wholly-owned sub-
sidiary for this purpose.
Banks' net interest margin jumps
46 bps to 3.3% in March quarter
PTI / Mumbai
Banks' net interest margin
(NIM), a key profitability gauge,
grew 46 basis points to 3.3 per
cent in the January-March quar-
ter, driven by slower deposit rate
resetting, an analysis showed.
This has helped lenders register a
29.5 per cent increase in their net
interest income during the peri-
od, according to an analysis of the
banks' balance sheets by Care
Ratings.
Net interest income or NII,
which is the money that banks
BoB plans to divest up to 49% in credit card arm
PTI / New Delhi
State-owned Bank of Baroda (BoB)
plans to sell up to 49 per cent stake
in credit card business arm BOB
Financial Solutions Ltd. Current-
ly, it is 100 per cent owned by BoB.
The bank has floated a Request
for Proposal for roping in a strate-
gic investor, and the process is ex-
pected to complete in one year, a
senior bank official said.
earn from lending and paying to
depositors, rose to Rs 1.83 lakh
crore in Q4FY23 due to healthy
loan growth and a higher yield on
advances as against the year-ago
period, it said.
The NIM saw an on-year im-
provement of 46 basis points (bps)
to 3.3 per cent in the fourth quar-
ter due to the faster repricing of
loans, while deposit rates have
not yet reflected the increased in-
terest rates. The anticipated rise
in deposit rates, which is
expected to be a lag effect, is likely
to be counterbalanced by the
BOB intends to offload up
to 49% to create more
value in BOB Financial
Solutions and take it to
the next level of growth
BOB intends to offload up to 49
per cent in a combination of pri-
mary and secondary capital from
withdrawal of the Rs 2,000 ban-
knotes in May this year, it added.
The NIM of private sector
lenders stood at 4.03 per cent,
which was more than 43 bps, and
that of public sector lenders at
2.85 per cent, up 46 bps.
Despite rising interest rates on
loans, the overall economic
growth led to higher credit de-
mand leading to banks reporting
a robust 17.3 per cent rise in ad-
vances mainly driven by personal
loans, NBFCs, and MSMEs, tak-
ing the full year credit offtake to
15 per cent in FY23.
one or multiple investors to create
more value in BOB Financial So-
lutions and take it to the next level
of growth, the official said.
BOB Financial doubled the ac-
quisition of new credit cards in
FY23 by issuing close to 1.2 million
credit cards compared to 0.5 mil-
lion a year ago. "Retail spends too
more than doubled compared to
FY 2022, clocking approximately
Rs 17,300 crore (compared to Rs
their global supply chains.
Kristy Tsun-tzu Hsu, the direc-
tor at premier policy think-tank
Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center
at Chung-Hua Institution of Eco-
nomic Research, described India
as an important country for Tai-
wan and said Taiwanese compa-
nies operating in China are look-
ing at "decoupling" the global
supply chain from that country
while maintaining it for the do-
mestic consumers. Leading Tai-
wanese companies are increas-
ingly looking at relocating their
production bases from China to
countries in Europe, North
America, the US and India in
view of Washington's trade dis-
pute with Beijing and the
Chinese military's increasing
muscle-flexing around Taiwan.
7,000 crore in FY 2022)," BoB said
in its annual report.
At the same time, the net
profit of the NBFC also more
than doubled to Rs 24.62 crore
against Rs 10.07 crore in the year-
ago period.
BOB Financial Solutions Ltd,
formerly known as BOB Cards
Ltd, was established in 1994 as a
non-banking financial company, a
wholly-owned arm of BoB.

US-based boutique investment

400-metre vessel
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone
Ltd (APSEZ) on Sunday said its Mundra
Port in Gujarat has anchored or berthed
one of the longest container ships in the
world. MV MSC Hamburg is 399 metres
long and 54 metres wide vessel. The
vessel dimension equals 4 football fields,
APSEZ said in a statement. "Mundra
anchors one of the longest vessel. MV
MSC Hamburg vessel dimension equals 4
football fields," it said. —Agencies
The stake sale in Adani Enter-
prise was through one block deal,
where GQG bought 1.79 crore, or
showed. The filings did not give
the acquisition price, but sources
aware of the matter said the in-
touch $5 bn by FY28: Voltas
firm GQG Partners has ramped 1.58 per cent, more shares to take vestor purchased promoter PTI / New Delhi
up its shareholding in two Adani its holding to 6.15 crore shares or stakes worth USD 500 million in
group companies to more than 5 5.4 per cent of the total, according each of the two companies. The Indian room air conditioner
per cent in signs of its confidence to stock exchange filings. GQG Partners has been ramp- market is likely to reach USD 5
in the group despite the damning A separate filing showed that ing up its investment in the con- billion by FY28 with a compound
report of a US short seller. billionaire Gautam Adani and his glomerate ever since Hindenburg annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10
On June 28, GQG bought USD 1 brother Rajesh S Adani had sold Research, alleged accounting per cent, according to Tata group
billion (Rs 8,265 crore) worth of the shares of the promoter family. In Adani Green Energy, GQQ fraud and stock price manipula- firm Voltas.
additional stakes in the group's This has reduced the Adani fami- bought 4.47 crore or 2.82 per cent tion at the group, triggering a The company expects to be at
flagship Adani Enterprises Ltd ly's stake in Adani Enterprises to additional shares to take its hold- stock market rout that had erased the forefront of this growth. reach USD 5 billion by 2027-28,
and renewable energy firm Adani 67.65 per cent from 69.23 per cent ing to 10.35 crore shares or 6.54 about USD 150 billion in its mar- Voltas, an industry leader in with a CAGR of ~10 per cent.
Green Energy Ltd. previously. per cent of the total, the filings ket value at its lowest point. the segment with a market share Voltas, being the industry leader
of 21.6 per cent in FY23, remains with a market share of 21.6 per
LOW DEMAND "very optimistic" about the room cent (2022-23) in this segment, is
air conditioner business and is expected to be at the forefront of
Diesel sales fall in June as monsoon sets in
PTI / New Delhi Diesel had soared 6.7 per cesalesnt and unchanged month-on-month, the data
investing in augmenting its ca-
pacity, the company said in its
latest annual report. It will reap
this growth," the company said.
Its product range, brand posi-
tioning and channel network will
9.3 per cent in April and May, showed. the benefits of the growth drivers, allow it to capitalise on several
Diesel sales dropped in June as the arrival respectively, as agriculture demand Petrol and diesel sales have been on the including hotter summers, rising trends forecasted to shape the in-
of monsoon cut demand in the agri sector picked up and cars yanked up air-condi- rise since the second half of March on the disposable incomes and aspira- dustry's future, it added.
and reduced vehicular movement, prelim- tioning to beat summer heat. back of a pick-up in industrial and agricul- tion for a better lifestyle. According to the company, ru-
inary industry data showed. Month-on-month sales were almost flat ture activity. But the arrival of monsoon "Easy access to consumer fi- ral demand is expected to pick up
Demand for diesel, the most consumed compared to 7.09 million tonnes of diesel has cooled temperatures and reduced de- nance has provided a much-need- in the coming years on the back
fuel in the country -- accounting for about consumed in May. mand for running diesel gensets to ed boost to this category and will of stability in the overall macro-
two-fifths of the total demand, fell 3.7 per Petrol sales, however, rose 3.4 per cent irrigate fields and cut down consumption continue to do so in the future," it economic environment, includ-
cent to 7.1 million tonnes in June com- to 2.9 million tonnes in June 2023 com- in tractors and trucks in the first half of said. "The Indian room air condi- ing the tapering of inflation and
pared to the year-ago period. pared to the year-ago period. Sales were June. tioner market is expected to higher consumer confidence.
 Tushar Deshpande replaces injured Chetan Sakariya in West Zone squad
SPORTS INDORE | MONDAY | JULY 3, 2023
MUMBAI: Mumbai seam bowler Tushar Deshpande was on Sunday added to the West Zone
squad for Duleep Trophy in place of injured left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya.Saurashtra pacer
Sakariya has been ruled out of the tournament due to an elbow injury in his bowling
arm.”He will need two to three weeks to recover,” a BCCI sources said.

AUSTRALIA WIN SECOND TEST BY 43 RUNS ODI WORLD CUP

OZ SURVIVE STOKES ONSLAUGHT Sri Lanka book spot with

nine-wicket win over
AT LORD’S TO TAKE 2-0 LEAD
SUMMARY Bairstow dismissal and
Zimbabwe in qualifiers
BULAWAYO (ZIMBABWE)

l Robinson caught on the hook for one; Broad also

clubbing Cameron Green
for three successive sixes DRAMA AT LORD’S AS A brilliant four-wicket haul
by Maheesh Theekshana
caught hooking for 11
l Stokes skies Hazlewood to be caught by Carey for
sublime 155
to reach
century.Stokes, who was
dropped on 77 and twice
his
BAIRSTOW IS RUN-OUT and an unbeaten hundred
from Pathum Nissanka pro-
pelled Sri Lanka to a spot in
l Bairstow controversially given stumped by Carey after
leaving his crease - Australia continue to be booed
on 114, made Australia
pay with a total of nine
UNDER CONTROVERSIAL the 2023 Men’s ODI World
Cup with a comprehensive
l Duckett caught behind off Hazlewood for 83 maximums - a record for
an Ashes innings. CIRCUMSTANCES nine-wicket win over Zim-
babwe in the Super Six

LORD’S
Yet another staggering century from Ben only one of the remaining three Tests to
Stokes was not enough to carry England to take victory in an Ashes series in this
an astonishing second-Test victory over country for the first time in 22
Australia at Lord’s
in one of the most in-
credible and contro-
versial finishes in
Ben Stokes
the history of the
game.
In an effort up Runs
there with his
match-winning Balls
knocks against Aus-
tralia at Headingley
four years ago and
Sixes
in the World Cup fi-
nal against New
Fours
Zealand on this
ground, England captain Stokes belted 155
in what threatened to become the greatest
innings ever played in Test cricket. Sup-
ported by the courageous Stuart Broad,
Stokes added 108 for the seventh-wicket in
little more than 20 overs, but finally mis-
cued Josh Hazlewood with England 70
adrift of their target of 371.
He left to a rousing standing ovation
and, without their inspirational skipper,
England were bowled out for 327 to give
Australia victory by 43 runs and a 2-0 se-
ries lead.Stokes and Broad, the fiercest
of Ashes competitors, were fuelled by
a hugely contentious stumping of
Jonny Bairstow, which left Eng-
land needing 178 runs with just
four wickets in hand.
Believing the ball to be dead,
Bairstow wandered out of his
ground as wicketkeeper Alex Carey
under-armed the ball at the stumps.
Australia celebrated and
Bairstow was given out by TV
umpire Marais Erasmus.
As the furious Bairstow depart-
ed, Lord’s showered Australia
with boos that would last for
the rest of the day - some play-
ers were confronted by specta-
tors in the Long Room, for
which the Marylebone Crick-
et Club issued an apology.On
the field, Stokes channelled
his frustration into some
stunning hitting, hammer-
ing 38 runs from the next 16
balls he faced after the
WOMEN’S ASHES
O
But this was a miracle beyond even n Fay Five of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, Eng- stage of the qualifying tour-
Stokes and Australia now need to win land’s wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow was nament at Queen’s Sports
run-out under controversial circumstances in the Club on Sunday.
hosts’ chase of 317, leading to high drama at the iconic ven- In the morning, after
ue.Bairstow was on 10 and England were 193/5 in the 52nd electing to bowl first, Sri
years.Somehow, players on both over when he ducked under a bouncer from Cameron Lanka maintained their
sides must regroup for the third
Test at Heading-
ley on Thurs-
Green and inadvertently walked out of his crease. On see-
ing this, Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey immediately
directed an underarm throw after catching the delivery,
clean slate of not conceding
a single total in excess of
200 in the ongoing tourna-
day. and jumped in joy after firing an accurate throw towards ment. Off-spinner Theek-
the stumps.It led to chaos in the middle as Bairstow be- shana shined with 4-25
155 lieved the ball was dead, with Australia immediately going while left-arm pacer Dil-
for an appeal. On-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Chris shan Madushanka took 3-15
214 Gaffaney sent the decision upstairs, where TV umpire in his fiery opening spell to
Marais Erasmus confirmed Bairstow’s dismissal.On bowl out Zimbabwe for just
9 seeing the out decision, the Australian players celebrated
while the crowd began to chant “same old Aussies, always
165.Chasing a modest 166,
Nissanka led the way by solidating their place at the BRIEF SCORES:
9 cheating”, leading to the ‘spirit of cricket’ being reignited
all over again. Before leaving the crease, Bairstow and cap-
hitting 14 fours in his un-
beaten 101 off 102 balls and
top of the Super Six table,
Sri Lanka, the 1996 World
ZIMBABWE 165 in 32.2
overs (Sean Williams 56,
tain Ben Stokes exchanged words with Australian players, got some support from Cup winner, have ensured Sikandar Raza 31; Maheesh
as the duo were not happy with the decision.Box Australia Dimuth Karunaratne (30) that they’ll remain among Theekshana 4-25, Dilshan
seek probe into verbal abuseAustralia have asked for the and Kusal Mendis (25 not the top two sides at the end Madushanka 3-15) lost to
Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) to investigate incidents of out) to get Sri Lanka over of the stage, thus sealing Sri Lanka 169/1 in 33.1
its players being abused and confronted by members in the the line with nine wickets their qualification for the overs (Pathum Nissanka
Long Room during the lunch break at the Lord’s following in hand and 101 balls to ODI World Cup to be played 101 not out, Dimuth
Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal on Day Five of spare. in India from October 5 to Karunaratne 30; Richard
the second Ashes Test.”Australian management has re- Apart from the win con- November 19. Ngarava 1-35)
quested the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) investigate
several incidents involving spectators in the members’
area during lunch on Day Five of the Lord’s Test.”“It is al- Dinesh Karthik CRICKET BRIEFS
leged players and staff from the Australian team were ver-
bally abused, with some being physically contacted, as
they made their way to lunch through the members’ area,”
backs Ashwin 2 months of IPL
said the Australian team in an official statement.
to lead India in Pooran earns nearly 8 times, Hetmyer 4 times
of what they would for representing WI
Asian Games NEW DELHI: Shimron Hetmyer’s Rs 8.50 crore annual IPL
fees earned from Rajasthan Royals or Andre Russell’s Rs
NEW DELHI 16 crore retention fee from Kolkata Knight Riders is an
indication how cricket’s financial landscape has changed
Veteran wicketkeeper-bat- and playing for the West Indies isn’t a motivation
ter Dinesh Karthik feels anymore. It is the money that matters and has created
that Ravichandran Ashwin the biggest hindrance for Cricket West Indies (CWI) from
should be made captain of at least keeping the top players interested throughout the
India for the Asian Games year.During the ongoing World Cup qualifiers, West Indies
2023 if the off-spinner is not didn’t have the services of Hetmyer, Andre Russell or Sunil
part of the ODI setup and Narine, all of whom are not in the 18 member central
BCCI decides to send a ‘B’ contract list released last year by CWI.
Englands
team for the event in State units that missed out on World
captain Ben
BRIEF SCORES Hangzhou, China later this
Cup games to be compensated
AUSTRALIA 416 (Smith 110, year.
Stokes reacts after Karthik’s comments have NEW DELHI: The venues that missed out on getting
Head 77) & 279 (Khawaja 77;
being struck on the come at a time when multi- games for the ODI World Cup will get an out-of-turn
Broad 4-65) opportunity to host 50-over games in the upcoming
leg by a ball from ENGLAND 325 (Duckett 98, ple reports suggested that
Australias Mitchell the BCCI will send both home season.
Brook 50; Starc 3-88) & BCCI secretary
Starc AP 327 (Stokes 155) men’s and women’s teams
for the Asian Games to be Jay Shah
held from September 23 to floated the
October 8. However, the idea of World
mega Asian event is set to Cup venues
WON’T PICK HIM FOR 3RD TEST collide with the ODI World letting go of
Cup as India men’s team their turn to

Mooney’s unbeaten 61 leads Australia Anderson has lacked impact; Vaughan will also begin
campaign against Aus-
its host ODI
games in
tralia on October 8 in Chen- home season
to four-wicket win over England LONDON him drop catches in the field. I’ve
not seen that from Jimmy An-
nai. So, the board is likely
to send a second-string
to compensate the state units which have missed out on
hosting the coveted ICC event.In a letter to the state
BIRMINGHAM deliveries at the back-end of the Former England captain derson, he’s so sharp in the team to China. units, Shah informed them that his proposal has been
chase. Annabel Sutherland helped Michael Vaughan feels field. It was also reported that unanimously accepted by officials of eight World Cup
An unbeaten 61 off 47 balls by Mooney edge Australia that James Anderson has His bowling has just lacked veteran batter Shikhar venues, including Delhi, Dharamsala, Chennai, Kolkata,
opener Beth Mooney helped Aus- closer through the 19th not looked in any kind of that zip and if England are going Dhawan, who is currently Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and
tralia beat England by four and 20th over by hit- rhythm and lacked the re- to turn to the short ball theo- not part of the main team Lucknow.However, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram,
wickets with one ball to spare in ting two boundaries, quired zip in his bowling in ry, surely they are setup, is likely to lead the which will host only warm-up games of the World Cup,
the first T20I of the Women’s before Georgia Ware- the ongoing Ashes se- going to have to go team in the quadrennial ex- will get to host matches in the upcoming season.Shah
Ashes at Edgbaston. ham finished the job, ries, saying that he to a Mark Wood travaganza. But, the 38- had met with state units ahead of the World Cup
Australia’s thrilling victory also nudging a single off would leave out vet- with a little bit of year old Karthik has urged schedule announcement earlier this week.
means they are now at six points the very first ball she eran pacer for the extra pace,” the selector to name Ash- Cummins told me not to bat
as compared to England, faced against So- third Test at Head- Vaughan told win as the captain.
who are yet to get off the phie Ec- ingley in Leeds, Cricbuzz.The 48- “Ashwin is arguably one of with injured calf: Lyon
mark in the ongoing mul- clestone which starts on July 6. year-old further said the legendary the greatest players to have LONDON: Australian cricketer Nathan Lyon was told by his
ti-format Ashes series to chase The seasoned English pacer player could still contribute to ever played in terms of his skipper Pat Cummins not to bat with a significant calf strain
and need just one down the picked up only one wicket in the England’s efforts but currently re- quality of bowling and the in the ongoing second Test against England but the veteran
more win in the re- target of 154. opening Test at Edgbaston. In the quires a breather after bowling in number of wickets he has spinner ended up doing that to “support” his teammates.
maining two T20Is Australia ongoing Test at Lord’s, he has the two Tests on the trot. picked. I genuinely feel that Lyon, playing in his 100th
and three ODIs to re- BRIEF SCORES:  were effective with claimed one scalp in each innings. “Not saying Jimmy is done. Miss if India are sending a B team, consecutive Test, is
tain the trophy.Beth the ball at the start The 40-year-old, who is known for next week, potentially play at Old with the main team prepar- suspected to have torn his
was calmly spear- AUSTRALIA 154/6 in of the match, with his exceptional fielding, surpris- Trafford, his home ground, in the ing for the World Cup, they right calf while running to
heading the chase de- 19.5 overs (Beth Mooney 61 Jess Jonassen (3- ingly let go of two catches.”There 4th Test. Just give him a week off. should make him the catch a ball on day two of
spite a mini-collapse not out, Sophie Ecclestone 25) and Megan are three Tests to go after this and He’s 41 years of age; he probably captain if he is not part of the the second Ashes Test at
at the other end, with 2-24) beat England 153/7 in Schutt (2-33) sti- he certainly can’t play everyone. needs a little breather after bowl- ODI setup.I genuinely feel he Lord’s. “But I had a chat to
Australia losing 20 overs (Sophia Dunkley fling England’s ag- I’ll be leaving him out next week. ing two Tests on the trot on ab- deserves it and has earned (head coach) Andrew
three wickets for ten 56, Amy Jones 40, Jess gressive batting He’s just had no impact, he’s an in- solute placid surfaces,” Vaughan the right of being the captain McDonald and our medical
runs in the space of 11 Jonassen 3-25) line-up. credible performer but you see said. of the team. team and tried to find a way that I could figure out how to
go about it.” Lyon, a veteran of 121 Test and just four
wickets short of the landmark 500 scalps in the longest
WEST INDIES OUSTER format, added that the painstaking effort from team physios
helped him bat those 13 deliveries in the second innings.”I

Sehwag wants politics free man management

spent a lot of time in the physio room and in the gym
upstairs here at Lord’s with a lot of tape on my leg and
trying to figure out how to bat.
Broad on Starc’s contentious catch says
NEW DELHI from politics.”What a shame. world cricket,” Gambhir tweet-
West Indies fail to qualify for ed.Former India opener Wasim ‘If that was a legal way of catching,
Former India opener Virender the World Cup. Just shows tal- Jaffer said in no uncertain we’d all be doing it’
Sehwag blamed regional ent alone isn’t enough, need fo- terms that region’s cricket has
politics within the West Indies cus and good man management, hit rick-bottom. NEW DELHI: Expressing his thoughts on Mitchell Starc’s
cricket establishment as a rea- free from politics. The only sol- “Such a shame that West In- contentious catch during the Day 4 of the second Ashes
son for the performance hitting ace is there isn’t further low to dies won’t be there at the World Test at Lord’s, senior England seamer Stuart Broad said if
a rock-bottom as Indian cricket sink from here,” Sehwag tweet- Cup.. Caribbean cricket has offi- that method of catching were deemed legal, it would
fraternity expressed its shock ed. cially hit rock bottom. But when become a widely adopted
and disappointment due to “I love West Indies. I love West you hit rock bottom, only way is technique among all players.
team’s ouster from ODI World Indian cricket. I still believe up,” he added. On Day 4 of the second Test
Cup qualifier. they can be the No.1 team in at Lord’s, England opener
Continuing their downward Ben Duckett had a fortunate
spiral in the recent past, the escape when he struck a
Windies cricket reached a nadir
West Indies decline has been gradual: Bishop Territorial mindset needs to change in West short-pitched delivery

on Saturday when they lost to
Scotland in a World Cup Qua lif-
er, that permanently shut their
qualification hopes for the 2023
extravaganza slated to be held
in India from October 5-Novem-
ber 19.
Not one to mince his words, Se-
hwag called for good man-man-
agement and an association free
W
est Indies cricket’s “gradual decline” reminds Ian Bishop of
those big business entities of yesteryears which didn’t
evolve with time and perhaps will never regain its lost
glory.
Bishop, a fearsome fast bowler of late ‘80s till mid ‘90s, is hurt like
any other Caribbean cricketer after watching Shai Hope’s team
being thrashed by Scotland as the former champions failed to
qualify for the ODI World Cup for the first time in 48 years.Bishop
believes that it will be wrong to point fingers at the current crop
of West Indies players for this deterioration started way back.
Indies cricket, says Jason Holder towards fine leg. Mitchell
Starc, who was fielding at
West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder appealed fellow cricketers to
the fine leg, managed to reach to the ball and seemingly
shun “territorial” mindset and come together “as a region” for the
caught it but he pressed the ball into the turf while
good of the sport a day after the team failed to qualify for the ODI
sliding. Consequently, the third umpire, Marais Erasmus,
World Cup in India. The two-time former title winners will not feature
made the decision to declare it not out.In his column for
in the 50-over World Cup for the first time since the competition’s
the Daily Mail, Broad gave his take on the incident that
inception in 1975. The team from the Caribbean was on Saturday
caused significant debate and stated that it was correct
eliminated after its seven-wicket loss to Scotland in a Super Six match
to rule it as not out as the ball should not make contact
of the World Cup Qualifier here. West Indies scored 181 and Scotland
with the ground as per the rules.”
chased down the target with more than six overs to spare.
 F1 signs a 3-year contract extension to keep the Austrian GP until 2030
SPIELBERG (AUSTRIA): Formula One announced Sunday that it has signed a three-year
contract extension to keep the Austrian Grand Prix on the calendar until 2030. The
decision comes only months after the circuit signed a four-year deal until 2027,
underlining how it is one of the most popular venues in F1.
SPORTS
INDORE | MONDAY | JULY 3, 2023

Djokovic eyes No.24;

SPORTS BRIEFS
Indian junior shuttlers set to
depart on Tuesday for Badminton
Yuki Bhambri wins maiden
Junior Asia C’ships
ATP doubles title
PANCHKULA: An 18-member Indian badminton team will
leave for Indonesia on Tuesday to participate in the Junior
Asia Championships following a rigorous two-week
preparatory training camp at the Tau Devilal Stadium
here. The continental Championships is scheduled to be
held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia from July 7 to 16.The
Swiatek leads women’s draw
LONDON
MALLORCA (SPAIN)

aIndian tennis player Yuki

Bhambri clinched his first
players underwent an extensive on-court and fitness ATP Tour title after win-
training during the 14-day training camp, which was Wimbledon 2023, ning the Mallorca Open
supported by REC Limited, Sports Authority of India (SAI) the third Grand 2023 men’s doubles final
and Badminton Association of India (BAI). Slam of the sea- with his South African
India Squad: son, is drawing partner Lloyd Harris,
Boys singles: Lakshya Sharma, Samarveer, Ayush Shetty near: the grass here.
and Dhruv Negi. courts are fresh- The Indian-South
Girls singles: Rakshitha Sree S, Shriyanshi Valishetty, Tara ly-cut, the all- African duo defeated the
Shah and Anmol Kharb. white kits are Dutch-Austrian pair of
Boys Doubles: Nicholas Nathan Raj/Tushar Suveer and ready to be Robin Haase and Philipp
Divyam Arora/Mayank Rana. donned, and Oswald 6-3, 6-4 in the ATP
Girls Doubles: Radhika Sharma/Tanvi Sharma and Karnika more important- 250 final on Saturday, com-
Sree S/ Taneesha Singh Mixed Doubles: Samarveer/Radhika ly, some new ten- pleting their run without
Sharma and Arulmurgan R/ Srinidhi N. nis records are losing a set.The trophy is
waiting to be hit. the first ATP Tour crown
HI announces financial assistance for Novak for both men across both
state and district member units Djokovic, at the singles and doubles. Only
NEW DELHI: Hockey India on Sunday announced financial age of 36, has Harris had previously
assistance to its district and state units with an aim to made his inten- reached a tour-level final,
improve the standard of tournaments held at the tions clear — playing for the champion will open his the draw, China’s world twice in singles and once
grassroot level. As part of its commitment towards record books. campaign against Argenti- No.33 Zhu Lin. before in doubles.
promoting the sport, the national federation has The Serbian legend has na’s Pedro Cachin, with the A year ago Swiatek ar- “Definitely a lot of fun.
disbursed a grant of Rs 2 lakh each to all of its state Roger Federer’s record of first dangerous obstacle in rived as French Open We went in with no expec-
member units. “This initial grant will aid the district units eight Wimbledon titles as his path possibly coming in champion, too, but also tations I think this week.
in meeting their deliverables and complying with the well as a 24th major in his the fourth round against with a 35-match win streak We just enjoyed playing,
necessary guidelines,” said HI in a statement.In addition sights as he closes in on a former semifinalist and that was the longest in the took it match by match
to the initial grant, HI will further sanction Rs 1 lakh each first calendar Grand Slam No.17 women’s game in some 25 and had a great tourna-
to respective state member units upon successful in 54 years.Djokovic won In the women’s competi- years. She was bundled out ment. It’s a great city, a
completion of the compliance by their respective district his 23rd Grand Slam earlier tion, world No.1 and four- in the third round (streak great place and I really en-
units.”This additional funding will serve as an incentive last month at Roland Gar- time Grand Slam champion snapped at 37) but has joyed playing here,” the 30- old Harris, who became enjoyed it. I didn’t even
for state member units to support and guide their district ros. A 24th would help him Iga Swiatek will strive for changed her prep this year, year-old Bhambri was the first South African to know I was going to play
units effectively. “HI will additionally provide grants of Rs tie the record with Margaret her maiden Wimbledon playing a small grass-court quoted as saying by ATP win an ATP Tour title this week. For me, it’s just
10 lakh each to respective state member units that Court, reports Xinhua.The crown by facing the highest- event between Paris and Tour.”We had so much fun since Raven Klaasen last all a bonus. Super stoked
successfully conduct state level championships and ensure second seed and defending ranked unseeded player in London. out there,” said the 26-year year in Seoul.”We really with the title,” he added.
the organisation of district championships in their
respective states in the calendar year 2023,” the
statement added. AFTER 22ND PLACE IN 50 FREESTYLE RETAIN STRAWWEIGHT TITLE
Chennaiyin FC sign up
Puja Tomar stuns
Mukherjee, Bijay Chhetri
CHENNAI: Chennaiyin FC have roped in defenders Ankit
Mukherjee and Bijay Chhetri on multi-year deals to bolster
CAELEB DRESSEL FAILS TO Anastasia Feofanova in
their defence ahead of the upcoming Indian Super League
season. Mukherjee, who plays right back, has one goal
from 38 ISL appearances, joins CFC from East Bengal
FC.The 26-year old’s experience and ability to read the
QUALIFY FOR SWIMMING WORLDS MFN 12 main event
NOIDA: Puja Tomar reigned supreme in Matrix Fight
game well will play a crucial role in bringing stability to INDIANAPOLIS Night’s first-ever all-women’s main event against her
the defense. Russian opponent Anastasia Feofanova in a gruelling bout
“I am really happy and excited to join the two-time ISL Two years after winning five Olympic at MFN 12 in Noida Indoor Stadium and retained her
Champions. Chennai has passionate fans and I am gold medals, Caleb Dressel didn’t strawweight title.
looking forward to donning the Chennaiyin FC jersey and even make America’s world champi- The thrilling main event ran for four rounds. In the first
playing in front of them,” Ankit Mukherjee said in a onship team. round, Puja Tomar landed a left-hand hook on her oppo-
release. Hailing from Manipur, 21-year old Bijay Chhetri He still smiled about the accom- nent’s face and took her down to the ground. Using her
has been handed his major ISL contract by Chennaiyin FC. plishments he did make at this week’s long legs, Anastasia managed to keep Puja at bay. With her
national championships. height advantage, Anastasia locked Puja in a hold, but the
Diksha finishes 26th in Finland with Dressel returned to high-level com- Champion pulled herself out and landed powerful kicks to
under par final round petition for the first time in nearly a rattle the Russian on Saturday.
SIUNTIO (FINLAND): Indian golfer Diksha Dagar, who year, prided himself on the effort he Puja showcased tremendous defensive prowess as the
came back from the brink to make the cut, closed the mustered following a desperately bout progressed and despite Anastasia’s long reach, man-
week at the Ladies Open by Pickala Rock Resort with a needed nine-month break from the aged to keep her opponent at a distance. Puja kept
Tied-26th finish. Dagar (74-68) shot a final round of 1- sport and left satisfied despite failing targeting Anastasia’s left knee, using powerful kicks to
under 71 for a total of 3- to make the “A” final in two of his wear down her opponent. With combination attacks, Puja
under 213. She was the four events. For Dressel, it’s a new landed heavy face blows on the Russian, earning key
best among the Indians, as world.”I’m proud of myself for the re- points.After intense four rounds, Puja was declared the
the only other player to sults, believe it or not,” he said in his winner via TKO with a corner stoppage due to Anastasia
make the cut — Pranavi Urs first public comments since his sud- breaking her forearm from defending Puja’s heavy blows.
(72-71-71) finished Tied- denly withdrawing at last year’s
32nd.The third Indian to worlds in Budapest, Hungary, citing
health reasons. “I know it’s shocking.
Indian athletes extend wishes on
make the cut Vani Kapoor
(72-72-74) was Tied-56th.Both Dagar and Pranavi had I’m not used to swimming in the C’ fi- World Sports Journalism Day
two birdies against one lone bogey each.Four others, nals so it’s definitely something dif- been frustrating, irritating and long- what we see on the deck every day in
Tvesa Malik, Ridhima Dilawari, Seher Atwal and ferent. But I wouldn’t have changed lasting. But this five-day meet was practice, what we saw here, he seems NEW DELHI the journalists who publish
Amandeep Drall had missed the cut. anything about this year, wouldn’t about far more than record times or happy and that’s what we all care the stories that ignite the pas-
change anything about the swim podium finishes. about.” The good news is Dressel al- Indian athletes Cheteshwar sion for sports. Your tireless
meet.” Dressel hardly resembled the Dressel’s friends, teammates, train- ready successfully made this ascent Pujara, PT Usha, Dinesh efforts to share the joy, tears,
world’s best swimmer, which he was ing partners and coaches sensed an once. The challenge: He also under- Karthik and many others on and triumphs with the world
China beat Japan to win when he stepped away.He completed
Saturday’s 50 freestyle in 22.72 sec-
inner calm about Dressel, reflected in
the ear-to-ear smiles that suggested
stands what’s needed to defend his
gold-medal winning swims in the 100
Sunday came forward to ex-
tend their wishes on World
make you the true heroes of
sports reporting. Thank you!”

Women’s Basketball Asia Cup onds, tied for 22nd. In the frantic
sprint from one end of the pool to the
his long journey back might come just
in time for next summer’s Olympics
butterfly, the 50 and 100 free and two
relays at the Tokyo Olympics.
Sports Journalist Day.
India batter Cheteshwar Pu-
“Celebrating sports journal-
ists on this World Sports
other, Dressel wound up 1.07 seconds in Paris. It took years for him to reach the top jara took to Twitter to wish Journalists Day for capturing
SYDNEY: China broke a 12-year title drought and ended behind top qualifier Ryan Held and “I think he’s in a good spot,” Katie and with next year’s U.S. Olympic sports journalists by sharing the essence of sports and de-
Japan’s stranglehold of the FIBA Women’s Basketball 0.59 outside the top eight. And unlike Ledecky said after dominating the Trials in Indianapolis and Paris a short message which read, livering heart touching sto-
Asia Cup with a 73-71 victory in a classic final, here on earlier this week, he opted out of the 1,500 free final again. Olympics looming, the 26-year-old “Today, on World Sports ries and pictures for posteri-
Sunday. evening heat. “I don’t want to speak for him or Floridian needs to get into top form Journalists Day, we extend ty,” Kumble wrote in his
In a nerve-jangling decider, world No. 2 China finished A year ago, the result might have how he feels about his races, but just quickly. our heartfelt appreciation to tweet.
strongly to win their first Asia Cup since 2011.Han Xu
capped off a dominant tournament with 26 points and 10
rebounds, while WNBA player Li Meng hit clutch shots to INDORE SPORTS JR WOMEN’S HOCKEY NATIONALS
finish with 17 points and 6 assists.
Maki Takada top-scored with 17 points for Japan, whose Dagaria shines as Indian Team MP BADMINTON LEAGUE Sanghi defeated 7years old Arohi Goyal 15- MP beat Karnataka,
14,10-15,15-13 in a three game struggle and
bid for a record-extending sixth straight title fell just grabs silver, bronze medals Adhya, Mandvi, Samaira, Man, Adhya Tiwari defeated Ishman Saluja 15-7,15- Mizoram thrash
short, a Xinhua report said.
China’s chances of a record-equalling 12th title were
INDORE: Convener of MP Chess Ad hoc
Avneesh, Anushka, Pranita, Gauri
14 in 11years boys in the third round, Man Chandigarh
Committee IM Akshat Khamparia said that Badjatya beat Akshat Nikam 15-8,15-12,
made harder without captain Yang Liwei who suffered a ROURKELA (ODISHA)
leg injury late in the semifinal against Australia.It was a
Team India member Cera Dagaria of Indore Jasraj and Kanhaiya in quarters Jayaditya Mittal beat Himanshu Sarode 14-
performed well in the under-16 age group INDORE: MP Badminton League began here 15,15-22,15-13, second seed Harshvardhan
high-quality start as both teams traded baskets in a frenet- Hockey Madhya Pradesh and Hock-
on Sunday. Players are aparticipating in Singh beat Tirath Goyal 15-4, 15-3 In the
ic first quarter, which ended with the scores tied at 17. ey Mizoram registered victories in
different categories at Nehru Stadium second round of women’s singles. Shivani
their respective matches as action
badminton Hall. Choudhary of Dhar defeated Priyanshi Patel
continued on Sunday in the 13th
Adhya Sanghi, Aishani Goyal, Anveshika by 15-7,15-9, in 19 year old girls Pranika

Ledecky qualifies for 4th

world championship event
INDIANAPOLIS
Katie Ledecky easily won
the 1,500-meter freestyle at
the U.S. national champi-
onships on Saturday in In-
dianapolis, giving her at
least three more chances to
add to her world champi-
onship gold medal collec-
tion.
The 26-year-old Ledecky
posted the sixth-fastest
time in history, finishing in
15 minutes, 29.64 seconds -
more than 28 seconds ahead
of second-place finisher
Katie Grimes. Ledecky
qualified for the Americans
Hockey India Junior Women’s Na-
Dubey, Adhya Tiwari, Tanya Agarwal, Girija Holkar defeated Muskan Jat by 15-2,15-5 and
tional Championship 2023 at the Bir-
Jadhav, Mandvi Gandhi and Samaira of Anushka Shahpurkar defeated Bhavya
sa Munda Hockey Stadium here.
Bhopal in 11 year girls and Ishmit Arora, Vasudhanriya 15-5,15-7.
In the first match of the day, Hock-
Pankaj, Anusha, Anuj and
category of the 21st ASEAN+ Age Group
Man Bardatya, Jayaditya Mittal, Avneesh
Parmi win titles
INDORE: Pankaj Vishwakarma defeated Ansh
ey Madhya Pradesh defeated Hockey
Karnataka 7-1. Captain Yogita Ver-
ma (9’) opened the account for Hock-
ey Madhya Pradesh, followed by
Chess Championship held at Bangkok Goyal 4-0 in men’s category, Anusha
in all four events she com- (Thailand) and won silver medal in Blitz and goals from Bhumiksha Singh (27’,
Kutumble defeated Himani Chaturvedi from
peted in this week, but an- bronze medals in Standard and Rapid 59’), Jyoti Singh (45’), Soniya Kumre
Gwalior 4-1 in the women’s category, in boys
nounced she would not formats. (46’), Gurmail Kaur (48’), and Sonam
under-19 category, Anuj Soni beat Vishesh
compete in the 200 free later President of All Indore Chess Association Anil (56’). Yamuna (10’) scored the lone
Rastogi 3-0, in girls under-19, Parmi Nagdev
this month in Fukuoka, Fatehchandani said, the team was led by goal for Hockey Karnataka.Hockey
from Bhopal defeated Pavi Pardeshi by 3-1 to
Japan. Cera Dagariya. Other members were Amulya Mizoram defeated Hockey Chandi-
register title success in the Siddarth Soni
“I just really enjoyed it Guruprasad and Sagar Siya. Prof.(Dr.) Sunil K. garh 6-0 in the second match of the
Naikiye, Shobhit Gupta, Aradhya Sagar, Memorial state ranking Table tennis
last year, being Somani, Vice-Chancellor of Oriental University day. Lal Tlanchhungi (9’, 51’), Lalrin-
Kaivalya Agarwal and Harshvardhan Singh of tournament concluded here at Khel Prashal
able to focus on briefed that Thailand Chess Association – puii (44’, 60’), and Vanlalhriatpuii
Dhar entered the quarter finals of 11 year on Sunday.
the mile,” said under the auspices of the ASEAN Chess (54’, 59’) all scored a brace each for
boys category while Gauri Chitte, Pranika Prizes were given away by MP Shankar
Ledecky, Confederation (ACC) and the Sports Authority Hockey Mizoram and secured three
Holkar, Anushka Shahpurkar in the 19 years Lalwani. LIC’s senior Divisional Manager
whose 19 golds of Thailand, organized the 21st ASEAN+ AGE points.
girl, Chaitali Parmar, Avika Verma, Shreya Prabhat Kumar Mishra and MP Olympic
at worlds are GROUP CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2023 in Agarwal in 13 years, Kanika Jat and Muskan Association vice president Om Soni. On this
the women’s
record. “I’m
Bangkok, Thailand. The ASEAN+ Chess Jat in 15 years also entered the quarterfinals occasion, Jayesh Acharya, Narendra Koushik, Dipa to return at Asian
Championship is an event where the invited Satish Soni, Nisha Soni, Rinku Acharya ,
still training countries are not limited only to the ASEAN
of girls, Jasraj Singh Saluja, Kavya Sharma,
Pramod Soni and Neelesh ved were specially
Games selection trials
for the 200 to Divyansh Chauhan, Kanhaiya Sharma in 15
region but, reach beyond the region’s years boys, Naivedya Tonde, Kushagra Patel in present. Guests were welcomed by YS
throw down on boundaries by including China, India, NEW DELHI
the competition being held at Indore Chauhan, Narendra Sharma , Sabir Ali,
that relay.” Australia, Japan, and South Korea – among Badminton Club , Utkarsh Maurya, Angad Sunil Jain and Suyash Chaturvedi . The
Caleb Dressel others, as extended members of the ASEAN Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar will
Muchhal, Dhar’s Partha Bhatt and Abhinav programme was coordinated by Gaurav Patel,
did not make chess return to action following a 21-
Garg, Avadh Billaure 17 years boys, Adityom while vote of thanks was proposed by Amit
the team. He Community, hence the “plus” sign that has month ban for failing dope test when
Joshi 19 years boys came in last eight, Dhar’s Kotia.
failed to qualify for the “A” been added to it. The tournament was played she competes at the Asian Games se-
final in his fourth and final Shivani Choudhary women’s singles, Kavya lection trials in Bhubaneswar on
in different categories (U8, U10, U12, U14, Bhatia, Jabalpur’s Ishvi Naidu, Bhavya
event of the week, the U16, U18, U20 And 50+, 65+). In Standard July 11 and 12.
men’s 50 free. Dressel, who Vasundhariya, Shreyasi Malviya is in the The 29-year-old from Tripura was
the Team scored 13 points. In Rapid it scored quarterfinals of 15 year old girls, Prajwal
won five gold medals at the 8 points and Blitz they scored 14 points. It named in the list of core probables
Tokyo Olympics, had not Malakar, Nisarg Patel, Aditya Solanki, Yogesh by the Gymnastic Federation of In-
was highly competitive and the players gave Goud , Abhimanyu Singh, Adityom Joshi,
competed at a high-level their best performance. Bronze in Rapid dia in May. Dipa’s ban period would
meet since withdrawing Bhuvan Chandra Kotikala, Vatsal Soman, Adi be over on July 10.”It is confirmed I
& Standard and Silver in Blitz is great Patwa reached the next round of men’s
suddenly at last year’s achievement by these players.The chess will be participating in the trials. I
world championships in singles. have been training in Agartala last
fraternity congratulated Cera and the team In the second round of 11years girls, Aadhya
Budapest, Hungary, be- for this performance. few months, so hope for the best,”
cause of health reasons. Dipa said over phone.

GOVERNMENT NOD FOR NEW UNAIDED
PHARMACY DIPLOMA IN 22 INSTITUTES
STAFF REPORTER / Mumbai
The Pharmacy Council of India, New
Delhi has approved the establishment
of new institutes of Diploma in Phar-
macology courses on permanent un-
aided basis in the State from the aca-
demic year 2023-24. The said approval
will remain on a non-subsidy basis.
Pursuant to the approval granted by
the Pharmacy Council of India, New
Delhi, 22 institutions in the state of Ma-
harashtra are approved by the Govern-
ment for establishment of new insti-
tutes for the Diploma in Pharmacology
on permanent, non-grant-in-aid basis
from the academic year 2023-24 on-
wards.
This approval will not be sponsored.
In the current case, the endorsed estab-
lishments are expected to consent to
the circumstances recommended by
the All India Council of Technical Edu-
cation/ Pharmacy Council of India,
New Delhi.
The approved institutions should
Mumbai student selected for US climate session sees future in activism
ABHISHEK NAIR / Mumbai
While participating in events
and initiatives concerning cli-
mate change, Jash Modi, a class
10 student from the city would
not have imagined himself to be
the recipient of a prestigious US
trip.
Jash, a resident of Vile Parle,
has an opportunity now as the
lone face from Mumbai to be
part of an Indian delegation at
the esteemed Student Climate &
Conservation Congress (Sc3)
2023 Cohort in the National
Conservation Training Center
(NCTC) — the premier environ-
mental training facility of the
US Department of the Interior.
It will be organised by the
Green Schools Alliance (GSA)
between July 9 to 15.
"When the lockdown started
I became more inclined towards
climate change and conserva-
tion projects. I was able to form
a nature club at my school and
had the opportunity to work on
an energy conservation project
Revisiting lockdown as
schools return to normal
KUMARI SAVITA
On May 5, the WHO declared
an end to Covid-19 as a global
health emergency with great
hope. In March 2020, a global
pandemic led to the shutting
down of the world. Offices
were closed, social gather-
ings were restricted and
schools shut down. An
arrangement of ‘work from
home’ followed by the ‘school
from home’ system had its
repercussions.
One of the strongest hits of
the lockdown was felt in pri-
mary education. Students, at
a crucial age of 5-7, starting
their school education had to
sit in front of the screen, in
an isolated environment,
having no idea what school
and learning meant. Parents
and teachers had together
hoped for a quick return to
normal school days in a
physical mode where kids
could learn more than their
lessons from the books.
Ajay Patwari with his kid
currently studying in the sec-
ond grade recalled how the
online mode of teaching-
Fire breaks out in IIT Kharagpur campus, documents feared destroyed
STAFF REPORTER / Mumbai
Fire broke out in the Indian
Institute of Technology
(IIT) Kharagpur, campus in
the early hours of Sunday,
destroying several crucial
documents, bedding and
other items kept by the stu-
dents in a in the Lal Ba-
hadur Shastri Common
Room.
There were no reports of
any casualty or injury, IIT
INDORE I MONDAY | JULY 3, 2023
also contact the Director of Technical
Education, Maharashtra for necessary
processing fee and Other legal matters
that should be fulfilled by depositing
wherein we focused on saving
electricity in our school," said
the 15-year-old who studies at
SVKM's Chatrabhuj Narsee
Memorial (CNM) School in Vile
Parle West.
Previous experiences to be useful
in US trip
Jash, who will be joined by two
other individuals from different
parts of India, got selected for
the session after his enthusias-
tic participation in the Interna-
tional Union for Conservation
of Nature (IUCN) WildRoots
Youth Climate & Conservation
Fellowship Programme.
The experiences at IUCN left
a massive impact on Jash who
learned innovative aspects of
conservation which are essen-
tial to the concept of climate
change.
"I had the opportunity to go to
states such as Uttarakhand, and
Arunachal Pradesh for
different sessions on our cur-
rent situation with regard to the
environment. We learned about
learning had a toll on chil-
dren’s mental health as they
were exposed to mobile
phones and other devices.
Children could not experi-
ence classroom fun and de-
velop their instincts.
Sumit Thakur shared a
similar concern. “During the
lockdown, children had no
social circle, no peer learn-
ing. Their screen time in-
creased as they attended on-
line classes and in their
spare time, children usually
watched TV shows. Children
learn a lot from their envi-
ronment. There was no holis-
tic growth.” Sumit further
shares with joy that there is
no such issue anymore.
Sumit’s daughter, Anika
Thakur, studying in 1st STD
said she enjoys going to
school now as she has friends
there. She also gets to enjoy
her hobby classes now. She
did not enjoy learning
through online mode.
The online mode of teach-
ing posed many challenges
for teachers. Jyoti Ganesan,
headmistress of Malti Jayant
Dalal School in Mumbai
sources said.
Institute sources said
the blaze at the common
room was noticed by the
security personnel at
around 3 am when the stu-
dents, researchers and
staff were fast asleep.
Panic soon spread
among the residents
within the campus as the
entire campus got covered
by black smoke. However,
no casualty or injury has
the accumulated deposit into the joint
account. Admission to the said voca-
tional degree course will be done as per
the admission rules/methodology of
sustainable fashion, the impact
of climate change on aquatic
life, and more," added Jash.
Delegation to get 1.5 hours to
make their case
With his time with IUCN and
school experiences expected to
be handy, Jash now has the re-
sponsibility to represent India
Jash Modi
on the big stage."Our delegation
will have one and a half hours to
do the presentation around cli-
mate change in India with each
member of the delegation hav-
ing ten minutes to do their re-
spective intros," added Jash,
who believes students from 26
countries across the globe will
join the session.
pointed out the connectivity
issue. “Since the school
caters to students coming
from low socio-economic
backgrounds, many could
not connect online as many
parents did not have An-
droid phones. We tried to
connect with such students
over phone calls. Even then,
there were a bunch of stu-
dents from villages which
were so disconnected that
the teachers could not do
anything.”
The return to the normal
REPRESENTATIVE PIC/PIXABAY
mode of teaching-learning
was not an easy ride. The
schools reopened in phases
and continued in hybrid
mode for a long time. The
term normal was also rede-
fined according to govern-
ment guidelines. The fear
of contracting the virus it-
self was a major threat.
A return to normal, with
Covid not being a global
health emergency and masks
not being mandatory, with
childhood not being stolen by
a virus — we can say our
hopes came true.
MAT CET
counselling
registration ends
REPRESENTATIVE PIC/PIXABAY
the respective courses approved by the
government.
The Fee Regulatory Authority of
Maharashtra will determine the
course fees. Action will be taken if the
concerned institutions charge tuition
fees that are higher than those set by
the Fee Regulatory Authority.
The institute will require to employ
full time teaching staff and other tech-
nical staff to run the course.
In accordance with the guidelines
established by the Pharmacy Council
of India and the Akhil Bharatiya
Tantra Shikshan Parishad, the insti-
tute's library must acquire the neces-
sary books and periodicals. According
to the All India Technical Education
Council, students are also provided
with all educational facilities, includ-
ing classrooms, libraries, and laborato-
ries. The Director of Technical Educa-
tion will continue to oversee the insti-
tute, and the Mumbai-based Maha-
rashtra State Board of Technical Edu-
cation will administer course exams.
‘We need Earth, not the other way dominate positions as role mod-
round’ els in the fight against climate
According to Jash, Earth's 'ca- change.
pacity' to tolerate humans and Such a phenomenon has also
its 'selflessness' is what inspired led to criticism over their age
him to be involved in one of the not being appropriate enough to
most pressing issues in the cur- 'fight the bigger fight as they are
rent scenario. not adults.'
"The earth has been through "When young people speak
the Ice Age, extinction events, about such issues instead of
and many other phases which adults, we get encouraged to
have built its resilience. I have take steps for our planet. We in-
understood that it is us who fact live in an age where mental
need the earth, not the other health and climate change are
way around," asserted Jash, important issues which
who added that Covid was an concern younger individuals
example that nature can give the most," stated Jash, who be-
back if it's not taken care of. lieves problems raised by role
models like Thunberg are often
Younger role models head the politicised for personal gains.
climate change battle
Individuals, addressing climate Jash sees future in climate activism
change issues on public forums, Jash's visit to the US won't be
come from all age groups with the be-all and end-all of his com-
the younger cohort being the mitment to conservation.
most active. Be it 20-year-old "I do see a future in climate
Swedish Greta Thunberg or 11- activism and plan to push sus-
year-old Indian Manipuri envi- tainability and conservation in
ronment activist Licypriya the future as well," the student
Kangujam, Gen Z individuals added.
Indore’s 15-year-old clears BA
PTI: Tanishka Sujit, a 15- uate,” an elated Tanishka
year-old girl from Indore has told PTI. She plans to study
cleared the third-year Bache- law in the UK, but her ulti-
lor of Arts (BA) exam. She mate dream is to become
lost her father during the “the youngest Chief Justice
Covid-19 pandemic. Tanish- of India.” Her father, Sujit
ka secured 74.20 per cent in Chandran died during the
the final year BA psychology first wave of the coronavirus
examination, said an official pandemic in 2020.
of the Devi Ahilya Universi- Her mother Anubha re-
ty, Indore. called that Tanishka was ap-
“Since childhood I aspired pearing for her Class 12 ex-
to become the youngest grad- ams then.
FRIENDS POOL RS 18 LAKH TO
REVIVE GOVERNMENT SCHOOL
PTI / Jaipur facilities non-existent, the
transformation has been
A group of friends, some of breathtaking. The leaking
them civil servants and roofs have been replaced, the
some Non-Resident Indians, crumbling walls rebuilt, and
pooled Rs 18 lakh to revi- modern basic facilities made
talise a long-neglected gov- available. The school exudes
ernment school that lan- an air of vibrancy with class-
guished in a dilapidated
state for over 15 years in Ra-
jasthan’s Alwar district.
Motivated by their shared
belief in the power of educa-
tion and desire to improve
the lives of future genera-
tions in their district, they
contributed voluntarily for
the renovation and construc-
tion efforts which took two
years to complete.
The rebuilt Government
Primary School, located in
Dalalpura village of Alwar, rooms equipped with state-of-
was inaugurated on Sunday the-art technical facilities
by local public representa- and comfortable furniture. It
tives at an event attended by also now boasts an abun-
several dignitaries dance of educational materi-
For the school that al.
suffered years of neglect and Resplendent in colourful
disrepair, with its ceiling paints, the school building
leaking, walls crumbling and now has six rooms, including
T he Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell
will close its registration process tomorrow (July 3) for
the MAH LLB-3 year centralised admission process (CAP).
This is an application for Outside Maharashtra State (OMS)
candidates and Maharashtra State (M S). Interested and
eligible candidates can apply for MAH 3 year LLB
Even after Covid, home-schooling
is still in fashion with many
PUSHPITA CHATTERJEE / Mumbai
With parents becoming edu-
cators and homes becoming
a learning environment in
India, the concept of home-
schooling has evolved. Even
though traditional schools
are sought after, many en-
terprising parents have cho-
sen to homeschool their chil-
dren because it allows them
to not only cater to their chil-
dren's particular interests,
but also monitor their
progress and work toward
better development.
While many young par-
ents have started home-
schooling because they liked
the idea of aligning their
children's education with
their interests, many con-
template it pertaining to var-
ious concerns.
Reports from some home-
schooling parents across the
country address these con-
cerns, citing the leap of faith
they have taken along the
way.
Do homeschoolers meet
industry standards?
One of the concerns ex-
pressed by these parents
was about whether children
who are homeschooled are
at par with traditionally
schooled students. What
about employment after?
Aahan Phadnis, 17, from
Mumbai, has been home-
schooled since he was five.
His mother, Shilpa, decided
to homeschool him after an
essay at school was com-
mented on with the words,
“Please copy what is written
on the board, not what you
feel.” He was thereafter
homeschooled from 2nd to
12th grade while enrolled at
NIOS to take his exams. Aa-
haan competed in the state
archery and scored 94% in
grade 10. He later cracked
JEE and is now seeking ad-
mission to an engineering
college.
“He loves programming
and wants to start his own
startup. This is the culmina-
tion of what we have been
working towards for over a
decade," added his mother.
Founded in 2022, Dream-
time Learning School is a
digital platform for home-
schooling. It is the brain-
child of Lina Ashar, an edu-
cator whose goal is to pro-
vide children with an inno-
vative, engaging and holistic
education. The school is lo-
cated in Mumbai and is
known for its unique
methodology and modern
approach to education.
The program’s curricu-
lum is aligned with the Cam-
four classrooms, one office,
one anganwadi room and one
kitchen. Toilets have been re-
constructed, water tank and
water filter are in place and
swings have been installed.
It all started about three
years ago when Dheeraj Jain,
Additional Commissioner,
Income Tax Department, had
gone to Alwar and visited the
school.
“It was a coincidence that
the school principal ex-
pressed a desire for renova-
tion of the school. As a group
of friends, we discussed the
been reported till the time
the report was filed.
The local fire service sta-
tion was contacted imme-
diately. Fire tenders
rushed to the spot and the
fire was brought under
control after rigorous fire-
fighting that lasted over a
couple of hours.
The cause of the fire is
yet to be ascertained. How-
ever, the fire officials sus-
pect that a short circuit
counselling 2023 by going on the official website -
llb3cap23.mahacet.org. Given that, several candidates who
fall under Non-Resident Indian (NRI), Overseas Citizen of
India (OCI), Person of Indian Origin (PIO), Foreign Nationals
and Children of Indian Workers in Gulf Countries (CIWGC)
can apply till July 11.
bridge IGSCE curriculum.
“We empower our students
to achieve their academic
goals while fostering their
ability to think and em-
pathize with others,” said
Lina.
How much commitment is too
much commitment?
Commitment towards chil-
dren was another concern
addressed by the parents.
Nikhil Lanjewar, 37 from
Nagpur, said, “Ira is a
planned baby. At 25, I knew I
wanted to be a full-time fa-
ther. At 30, I quit my full-
time career as a software en-
gineer and now work free-
lance. My employment con-
tracts specifically state that I
am off during Ira's summer,
Diwali and winter vaca-
tions.”
Although Ira, 9, has al-
Lakshana and Naithik
Shilpa and Aahan
ways gone to school. Nikhil
believes in an open school
and says, “My job as a
parent is to show the possi-
bilities in life and let the
learners decide. I would ac-
cept it if my daughter want-
ed something different,” he
added.
His way of raising his
daughter is to be actively in-
volved in her life, something
he feels he missed out on as
a child. Nikhil is divorced
from his wife and has limit-
ed access to his daughter. He
practices parenting on alter-
nate weekends, but also
makes a point of spending
time with her during the va-
cations. Most lessons in
school end with a travel trip
with her father to have bet-
ter exposure to the subject.
In history class at school,
Ira was taught about the
Gupta and Vardhan dynas-
ties. Soon, the father-daugh-
ter team took a bike trip to
Ramtek, an hour away from
Nagpur. Kalidas from the
time of Chandragupta II
composed the Meghdoot in
matter and decided to pool
funds for its renovation. The
work had started in March
2021,” said Dheeraj Jain, Ad-
ditional Commissioner, In-
come Tax Department.
Jain is among the about 17
people from Alwar — some of
them government officers
and some now living abroad
— who contributed in giving
the locals a new modern
school.
Forester Jogendra Singh
Chauhan, Alwar District
Supply Officer Jeetendra
Singh Naruka, Sub-Division-
al Officer Dinesh Sharma,
Commercial Tax Officer Har-
iom Meena, Non-Resident In-
dia Raja Vairashtak, NRI
Swatantra Vijay, NRI Sang-
harsh Chaturvedi and NRI
Bhupendra Singh Chauhan
also contributed.
Others who contributed
include Satyendra Yadav,
Anurag Jain, Pramod Shar-
ma, Hemant Yadav, Babli
Ram Jat, Nitesh Soni and An-
shuman Vashishth.
was the reason for the fire.
The source of the fire
was a storeroom near the
common room. However,
questions are being raised
about the fire prevention
measures at this iconic
technology institute of the
country. To recall in
March 2021, a similar fire
broke out at IIT- Kharag-
pur. No casualty or loss of
property was reported
then.
- Staff Reporter
Ramtek.
Are academic subjects the only
way to educate a child?
Finally, parents from Ban-
galore spoke on whether
waiting until graduation to
professionally train your
child in sports, is the only
way to go about.
Lakshana and Shravan
from Bangalore are avid
lovers of arts and sports.
Lakshana, a classical
Bharatnatyam dancer, and
her husband, a multi-talent-
ed athlete, knew their child
would be born with similar
characteristics and inter-
ests. Both have MBA
degrees and have spent their
lives building careers while
pursuing dance and sports
on the side. “We would have
mastered what we love
much sooner if conventional
Nikhil and Ira
Lina Ashar
careers had not been thrust
upon us. We want our child
Naithik to be able to choose
what she loves.” Lakshana
said.
Naithik is now 8 years old,
playing tennis full-time and
learning music from various
gurus. Every day he gets up
at 4:45 a.m. to do yoga, fol-
lowed by tennis and flute.
“We believe in putting
our child’s interests first.
Naithik’s friends and
cousins go to school, and he
is exposed to the idea of con-
ventional schooling. If he is
interested, we will send him
to a school," Lakshana
added.
The pandemic in recent
years has seen experiential
learning, online learning,
hybrid learning and home-
schooling becoming increas-
ingly popular. While many
parents opted to homeschool
during the pandemic, there
are also parents who chose
to take this journey by sheer
will and pandemic being of
no consequence.
IIT Kanpur
convocation
today
STAFF REPORTER / Mumbai
The Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT), Kan-
pur will be hosting its
56th convocation on July
3 with NR Narayana
Murthy as their chief
guest. Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) Kanpur
was established on No-
vember 2, 1959.
This year, a total of
2,127 students will re-
ceive their degrees.
Apart from the degrees,
various prizes and
medals will also be
awarded to students
across several
categories. IIT Kanpur
will confer its highest
honorary academic de-
gree— the Doctor of Sci-
ence (Honoris Causa)
upon boxer and politi-
cian, MC Mary Kom.
Out of the 2,127 de-
grees, 236 are for PhD
students, 15 from MTech-
PhD (joint degree), 483
from MTech, 739 from
BTech, 21 MBA students,
16 MDes students, 51
from MS (by research),
40 from PGPEX-VLFM,
one diploma student
from IIT (DIIT), 151 MSc
(2 year course) students,
18 double major
students, 125 students
from dual degree, 14
from MS-PD (MS part of
dual degree), 149 from BS
and 68 students from
eMasters degree pro-
grammes.
Murthy is an alumnus
of the institute and is
known for shaping In-
dia’s IT industry. He pur-
sued MTech from IIT
Kanpur in 1969.
INDORE | MONDAY | JULY 3, 2023
 Russell ussell Crowe doesn’t want to be asked anything about Gladiator 2. The actor is annoyed at

Crowe upset R the amount of questions he asked about a film he is not even in. He was speaking to the media
at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival. “It has nothing to do with me. In that world, I am
over questions dead! Six feet under. But I do admit to a certain tinge of jealousy, because it reminds me of
when I was younger and what it meant for me, in my life,” he stated. “I don’t know anything about
about the cast, I don’t know anything about the plot. But I know that if Ridley (Scott) has decided to do a second
part of the story, over 20 years later, he must have had very strong reasons. I can’t think of this movie being
Gladiator 2 anything other than spectacular,” he added. —IANS

INDORE | MONDAY | JULY 3, 2023

WOMAN The date is set

from so many different cultures no matter where
we may belong but everyone is busy doing their
work and always try to do their best on par with
their craft.

From winning a beauty pageant, being a suc-

cessful model and now balancing both Hindi
and South Indian film industries, you seem to CJ DESK
have done it all. What do you like about being John

ON TOP
a part of showbiz? Abraham’s The ohn Abraham’s next

Sobhita
I’m enjoying every part of story making. The
texture, tonality and emotions are different ex-
periences of a story teller. I am getting wonder-
Diplomat to hit
the silver
J feature film The
Diplomat will hit the-
atres on January 11,
Dhulipala ful parts to play therefore submerging myself 2024, the makers have an-
into giving my best to my character. It’s not only a screens in nounced. Directed by Shivam
pleasure that I derive but it feels great to play a va- January 2024 Nair of Naam Shabana fame, The
riety of characters and in the process find out who Diplomat is a high-octane drama. It
I am. features John as a high ranking
Sobhita Dhulipala gets candid government official.
The role you played in the Ponniyin Selvan franchise, The film is said to be based on a true
about living in Mumbai, Vaanathi, was a small part… yet you managed to story that shook the nation. According to
what she loves stand out among the huge ensemble cast. Your
comments?
the makers, the edge-of-the-seat drama
will take the audiences on a roller
about showbiz, It feels great. I just want to be able to coaster ride. The film has a screen-
and more play a variety of roles and find that
fire. I would not explain myself yet
play by writer Ritesh Shah.
John shared the first look poster
as I am still exploring. of the film on Twitter and wrote,
LIPIKA VARMA “Some wars are fought even out-
When you were a teenager, you side the battlefield. Prepare for a
obhita Dhulipala used to be this kid with oil new kind of a hero as the high-oc-

S was born in Hy-

derabad and
raised in
in their hair and you had
told us that no one wanted to
give you a second glance. But now
tane drama The Diplomat gets a re-
lease date! The film will release glob-
ally on 11th January 2024.”
Visakhapatnam. it’s just the opposite. Are your The film is produced by T-Series,
Both parents loved her parents pressuring you to tie the JA Entertainment, Vipul D Shah,
a lot and gave her the knot anytime soon? Wakaoo Films, Fortune Pictures and
best ethical values. Sob- You are making me blush! Actual- Seeta Films.
hita moved to Mumbai ly, my parents allowed me to ex- John was last seen in the blockbuster
when she was 17 as she plore my individuality and express film Pathaan. He also has action thriller
had a craze to live in a met- it my own way. Since my family is Tehran in the pipeline. John is currently
ropolitan city like Mumbai. not connected with the world of busy with the shoot of Nikkhil Advani’s
She made her acting debut in glitz and glamour, they couldn’t film Vedaa in Rajasthan. It also stars
Anurag Kashyap’s Raman provide any guidance to me for my Sharvari in the lead role.
Raghav 2.0 (2016). She is currently path in this filmy arena. But they
basking in the success of Mani Rat- have been my guiding force in a First
nam’s epic film Ponniyin Selvan: II very incredible manner and have
and the recently released web series The stood behind me as a pillar, they look of The
Night Manager Part 2, where she plays the have been extremely supportive. Diplomat
mesmerising and mysterious Kaveri. The They gave me measured free-
Free Press Journal caught up with her for dom to achieve whatever I want-
an exclusive chat. Excerpts: ed to do. My parents never pres-
sured me to get married then
Earlier, you had told us that you ‘noticed and now.
shocking culture differences’ when you
first came to Mumbai. How does it feel to What about facing pressure in
live here now? showbiz since this is a very
It’s been more than half of my life since I’ve tough and highly competitive
been living in Mumbai. We all belong almost profession? How has it been
for you?
PICS: INSTAGRAM/THEJOHNABRAHAM

I have not felt the pressure be-

ing part of this world. It’s a life-
time opportunity as an artiste
who is paid for art. And this art
is something we can fully ex-
press through our character. It
feels great to work hard, in the
process we are enhancing our
craft. In fact, you rejoice when
you find so many spectators
who appreciate and enjoy
watching you. I’m in a very
inspired state of mind experi-
encing all facets of life. I will go
ahead and experience much bet-
A still from The Night Manager Part 2 ter prospects work wise.
PIC: INSTAGRAM/SOBHITAD
PICS: VARINDER CHAWLA

Karan Kundrra and

CAUGHT ON CAM

Cast
LIPIKA VARMA
ukesh Chhabra’s Casting Company
M has been prevalent in Bollywood for
many years. He has discovered actors
like RajKummar Rao, Sushant Singh
Rajput, Mrunal Thakur, Fatima Sana
build an institute, started hiring people and
Tejasswi Prakash slay
formed a company so people feel it’s an authen- their respective outfits
tic job. Before embarking upon the job, I would Celebs were snapped as they
hear so much about the casting couch being
part of casting. I also have sisters in my family.
Hearing stories about casting couch would hurt
were out and about in Mumbai
me a lot,” he recalls. Alia Bhatt

away! opts for a chic

Shaikh and many more. No casting of a
big production house is complete
without him. Mukesh started act-
ing for the first time in Anurag
Kashyap’s project. He is cur-
rently seen as a journalist in
Ace casting director Kafas. The Free Press Jour-
Mukesh Chhabra nal caught up with him for an
exclusive chat.
talks about Opening up about his role
acting in Kafas, in Kafas, Mukesh shares, “I
am playing a journalist in it.
the infamous My character name is Irfan
‘casting Akhtar who is trying to find out a
A still
very big issue and wants to bring it in
couch’ and front of the public. When he gets to
know about the incident, he meets the
more family members, finds out the truth and
prints it. There is no manipulation in it. I have
Mukesh tried to maintain the responsibility. It’s an
Chhabra impactful character. Yes, it’s a PR
driven industry but in spite of
that the media has its own
share of responsibility. When I
was cast I felt they were fool-
ing me but finally I am here.”
There has always been talk
of a certain ‘casting couch’
existing in the film indus-
try for ages. Casting agents
weren’t seen in the best
light however, Mukesh
seems to have added au-
thenticity back to the pro-
fession. “I want to give re-
spect to their job. Earlier
casting was done even in
a coffee shop. I tried to
Mukesh adds, “I want people to smile and
come into this field rather than keeping brown dress
a doubt in their minds.”
When asked if he has helped al-
most eradicate the casting couch,
he states, “Yes, I have more re-
sponsibilities now. There should
be no fear of casting couch in
their mind, be it male or female.
Establishing an authentic casting
company helped to eradicate cast-
ing couch fears. However this
couch exists in other professions
also.”
Mukesh had zero filmy connections when
from he first started out and now he’s become an
Kafas ‘insider’. “If an outsider like me can be-
come an insider here, then anybody can be-
come an insider. Look, RajKummar, Kartik
Aaryan, everyone is an outsider. All outsiders
have made a place for themselves. In fact, out-
siders have taken over Bollywood since time
immemorial. The industry is run by outsiders
and later they become insiders,” he opines.
Mukesh has some huge projects under his
belt for casting. “Currently, Anubhav Sinha’s
film, Hansal Mehta, Rajkumar Hirani sir’s film
Dunki has just completed, Jawan is coming. I
just want to keep on working. Once you stop
working, people won’t work with you,” he says.
When we probed him about Jawan, he replies,
“I can’t talk much about Jawan. There are
many characters in it and when you will see
the film, as the story unfolds there are new
characters. Just wait and watch. It took me
around a year to look for its cast. It will be very
difficult for me to give the exact number of
characters that I have cast in the film.”

TWITTER TREND
OF THE DAY Salaar mania kickstarts
O
n Sunday, makers TrendsPrabhas: @Bindhuchalasan3:
of the Prabhas, “Salaar teaser special “Get ready for the most
Shruti Haasan- video announcement violent storm! Salaar
starrer Salaar, within next 2 days. teaser!” Shraddha Kapoor
Hombale Films Guess the release date rocks a green
tweeted, “Ignite the of Salaar teaser! @rohit_gandikota: “The t-shirt and baggy
Salaar within. The Prabhas!” man who was born to blue jeans
countdown begins!” As rule the Indian cinema.
Vicky Kaushal
PIC: INSTAGRAM/CASTINGCHHABRA

soon as die-hard fans of TheRulerPrabhas: The man who is meant

Prabhas saw the tweet, “Announcement on July to represent Indian aces the airport
they began speculating 4 and release on July 7 cinema at a global level fashion look in a
that a very big or July 10? Salaar and remember one checkered shirt
announcement teaser!” thing, darling Prabhas is and black pants
Rasha Thadani
regarding the film along not just a name, he’s a carries off her dark
with its teaser will be @PrabhasStreaks: brand of Indian grey jacket, jeans and
unveiled soon. Here’s “Rebel storm loading. cinema!” black top with elan
how they reacted: Salaar teaser!” — CJ DESK
 INDORE | MONDAY | JULY 3, 2023

Varun Dhawan joins

forces with Jawan
director Atlee for an
action-packed
THE BIG Postponed!
REVEAL
extravaganza Aditya Roy Kapur,
Sara Ali Khan’s
Metro...In Dino to
now release next
year

CJ DESK

ctor Varun Dhawan has announced his collaboration

A with acclaimed director Atlee for their upcoming film,

tentatively titled VD18. The actor took to social media
PIC: INSTAGRAM/VARUNDVN

to share the news, stating that the film is set to hit CJ DESK
theatres on May 31, 2024.
Varun, known for his versatility and energetic akers of the upcoming anthology Metro...In Dino
performances, expressed his enthusiasm for
this new project with Atlee and producer Mu-
rad Khetani. While the details regarding the
M on Sunday announced the film’s new release
date. Starring an ensemble of Aditya Roy Ka-
pur, Sara Ali Khan, Anupam Kher, Neena
cast and official title remain under wraps, Gupta, Pankaj Tripathi, Konkana Sen Sharma,
fans can expect a thrilling and grand-scale ac- Ali Fazal and Fatima Sana Shaikh, the film is set to hit the-

PICS: INSTAGRAM
tion experience. atres on March 29, 2024.
Media reports suggest that the film will be a It was earlier scheduled to hit the screens on De-
high-octane movie, filled with emotion and cember 8, 2023.
drama. It will be helmed by Kalees. The film is directed by Anurag Basu
The production is set to begin shooting by the and its music is composed by Pri-
end of July or early August, with a scheduled tam. It is produced By Bhushan
duration of four to five months. Atlee Kumar, Krishan Kumar,
and Murad will be at the helm of pro- Anurag Basu and Taani
duction, ensuring a visually Basu.
stunning and captivating cine- The film will show-
matic experience. case bittersweet tales
Meanwhile, Atlee, the of human relation-
renowned filmmaker be- ships based in
hind blockbuster hits, is contemporary
eagerly awaiting the re- times.
lease of his upcoming Sharing
film Jawan starring more de-
Shah Rukh Khan and tails about
Nayanthara. the film,
Fans are anticipat- Anurag had
ing another cinematic earlier said,
masterpiece from the “Metro...In Dino is a
talented director. The tale of the people
film will release in and for the people! It
theatres on has been a while I am
Septem- working on this one and
ber 7. I am glad to be collaborat-
ing with a powerhouse like
Bhushan Kumar yet again
who has always been like a pil-
lar to me. The storyline is very
fresh and relevant as I look
forward to collaborat-
ing with amaz-
ing artists who
bring that
essence of
contempo-
rary aura
with
them.”

PIC: INSTAGRAM/ATLEE47

HAPPILY CJ DESK

elevision actress Sreejita

The mystery
continues…
T
EVER AFTER
De married longtime
PICS: INSTAGRAM
boyfriend Michael
Blohm-Pape in Germany
in the presence of family and CJ DESK
Sreejita De marries Michael some close friends. On Sunday,
Sreejita shared pictures from her om-to-be Ileana
Blohm-Pape in Germany, shares
dreamy wedding photos
church wedding on her official In-
stagram account.
While the bride looked gorgeous
M D’Cruz has shared a
new picture of her
partner, however,
in white gown, Michael wore a she has still not re-
black tuxedo. vealed the name
“Today we celebrate the begin- and face of the
ning of forever, hand in hand,” mystery man.
Sreejita wrote in the caption and For those un-
added a red heart emoticon. versed, the ac-
Soon after Sreejita shared the tress surprised
post, several celebrities flooded her fans in April this
the comments section with con- year by announcing her
gratulatory messages. Shiv pregnancy.
Thakare, Archana Gautam, Mon- Taking to her Instagram story,
Ileana has shared a picture of the fa-
ther of her child. So far, the actress
has remained secretive about her
personal life. On Saturday, she post-
ed a black and white picture of the
mystery man with her pet dog.

LOCKED AND
Ileana
PICS: INSTAGRAM/ILEANA_OFFICIAL

also
showed
off her

CONFIRMED
Makers of The Crew announce its release date
baby
bump in
another sto-
ry and hinted
that she has
CJ DESK the silver screens on March 22, been cooking
2024. something
areena Kapoor Khan, Ektaa Kapoor and Rhea exciting.

alisa and others congratulated the

couple.
Following their Christian wed-
ding in Germany, Sreejita and
Michael will host a reception on
July 17 in Mumbai for their
friends. Reportedly, they have also
planned a Bengali-style wedding
in Goa. Sreejita and Michael start-
ed dating in 2019. They reportedly
met at a restaurant and exchanged
numbers. After being in a relation-
ship for nearly two years, Michael
proposed to Sreejita in Paris.
PICS: INSTAGRAM/SREEJITA_DE
K Kriti Sanon and
Tabu’s film The Crew,
has been a topic of in-
terest ever since it was an-
nounced by the makers. The
film can be one of the biggest
casting coups of recent times,
and fans have been waiting
with bated breath to witness
the trio on screen.
And as a gift for the fans, the
makers on Sunday finally an-
nounced its release date.
On Sunday, the makers an-
nounced that it is all set to hit
Kapoor and producing the film.
It is one of their most ambi-
tious projects and it will be the
A few days
ago, Ileana
had shared
second time that the two pro- another
ducers will collaborate for a glimpse of her partner and had penned
film. a sweet note along with it. She spoke
It has been shot extensively about the tough side of pregnancy
in Mumbai and across Abu that no one talks about.
Dhabi, and the actresses were Several reports have suggested that
recently spotted shooting for Ileana is dating Katrina Kaif’s brother
the film near Bandra Band- Sebastian Laurent Michel. The duo’s
stand in Mumbai. The Crew also relationship rumours surfaced after
stars Diljit Dosanjh and Kapil the two were spotted vacationing with
Sharma in key roles and is di- Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif in the
rected by Rajesh Krishnan. Maldives.
 www.freepressjournal.in/brandsutra

“RISK MORE THAN

OTHERS THINK IS SAFE.
DREAM MORE THAN
OTHERS THINK IS
PRACTICAL.”
— HOWARD SCHULTZ,
FORMER STARBUCKS CEO
INDORE | MONDAY | JULY 3, 2023

WOODLAND PUTS ITS BEST FOOT
FORWARD BEYOND ITS CORE
BY RIYA SETHI
B
rand Woodland is coming out of
the Covid woods. Like most
lifestyle brands, it took a hit
during the pandemic. It had a topline
of around Rs.1,200 crore in FY20,
Rs.700 cr in FY21 and Rs.900 cr in
FY22. But Woodland reportedly
crossed the pre-pandemic topline in
the March-ended quarter.
“I think we always have a target of
increasing sales to 10 to 15 pc every
year,’ notes Harkirat Singh, Managing
Director, Aero Club, the maker of
Woodland and Woods.
Woodland, which had 475 exclusive
outlets and a presence in 4,000 multi-
brand outlets, also plans to add 25 to 30
stores this financial year.
Weaving a sustainable
future with fusion fashion
HARKIRAT SINGH, Managing Director, Aero Club, the maker of
SUTA looks to
expand its retail
footprint and portfolio,
buoyed by response
from smaller towns and
initial success of its
Woodland and Woods, explains the brand’s expanded focus on areas men’s collection,
outside the rugged outdoor footwear segment that it dominates. reports NEETHU
MOHAN.
in these stores and successful ones go land should have more than 50 pc Another brand A Skating Monk
through to distributors and MBOs. share. Beyond flagship Woodland, it from the stable launched less than
The exclusive stores also contribute to now has a formal brand ‘Woods,’ and three years ago is targeted at the
almost 40 pc of the sales. The online a sports brand ‘WoodSport’. youth, offering a range of apparel and
business that took off during the pan- Athleisure is said to be the fastest shoes inspired by streetwear.
demic is almost 30 to 35 pc, with growing segment within footwear Across its brands, the largest selling
MBOs contributing 20 to 25 pc, es- in India. price point of footwear is around
timates Harkirat. With aggres- “Our main core items are Rs.5,000. Footwear contributes 60 pc to
sive plans chalked by the likes very sturdy, heavy and the revenue while apparel contributes
of Amazon and Flipkart, he people believe in Wood- 30 pc and 10 to 15 pc is from acces-
expects the contribution of land because it’s a very sories. Online too, footwear remains
online channels to go up to 40 beautiful product. Ath- the largest category for the group.
pc. leisure means more Women’s products that accounted
“People nowadays generally lightweight, comfort for only 20 pc of sales earlier is now Taniya (left) and Sujata Biswas
want brands, they don’t want and sporty shoes. This seeing growth, notes Harkirat.

“During Covid, we had to close down
a lot of stores – the low-performing
stores. We are now thinking of going
to locations where we find potential.
We go to the malls or high-street
stores where we are 100 pc sure that
there will be business. We have target-
ed 20 to 25 new stores this financial
year,” adds the MD.
Woodland being an urban brand,
prefers to establish its retail presence
in metros and mini-metros. It does not
take the franchise route and smaller
cities and towns are addressed online
and through presence in multi-brand
outlets (MBOs). Alongside launching
exclusive stores, it is also expanding
its distributor network MBO pres-
ence.
“Instead of giving competition to
them and opening stores in smaller
towns, we prefer to be in the bigger
cities in a larger format. Normally,
multi-brand stores cannot carry all
our products. We have sports shoes,
formal shoes, athleisure shoes, gar-
ments and a lot of accessories. So, any
one retailer who has a multi-brand
store cannot accommodate all our col-
lections. So we prefer to be in the big-
ger format stores (ourselves) and in
the main market where we can serv-
ice our customers,” explains Harkirat.
The exclusive stores are also the
testing grounds. Projects are piloted
T
to buy an unbranded product. category had really grown “We have seen an increase in sales he love for artisans and weavers the brand to grow there,” explains
And online is giving them the in the pandemic because of women’s products and brought in was nurtured in Sujata and Taniya.
best deals and it lures the cus- people were not going more products. A lot of our products Taniya Biswas early. Their fa- Sarees and blouses are the maximum
tomer better. Our strategy is not out. Looking are also unisex. We have sizes for ther had a transferable job, due to contributors – 80 pc of the revenue
to bank upon any one plat- into that, we youth and women as well and they sell which they kept changing cities and comes from these categories. There
form. You never know, also very well, specially the boots. We feel schools. Hence, they were the only are products like handkerchiefs and
today online is do- changed our that the market for women’s shoes is constants for each other. During their scrunchies which are also doing well
ing very well but strategy. We much bigger than men’s shoes. We are childhood, the siblings visited neigh- for the brand. Suta launched a men’s
there might be a came up trying to build up the ranges and bouring villages with parents, taking collection recently, which is witness-
government rule with a make the product available online as in the art and culture, fabric and tex- ing good traction as well, according to
or something, brand called well as in our stores,” he adds. tiles. Their mother used to pick fabric the founders.
they might also WoodSport Woodland has been built on print materials from the weavers of these “Men’s wear does fantastically well
suffer. Putting as well as a and magazine advertising, acknowl- villages and customise attires for fes- in stores. We haven’t launched all the
all your eggs lot of new edges the MD. But with online sales tive occasions. It stayed with them. designs on the website. We are figur-
in one basket products growing, the way forward is to put Both of them landed up in the corpo- ing out how to go about the men’s cate-
is always which we money where the sales is, he reasons, rate world. But soon they found their gory. We are thinking of including it
not good,” have launched leading to increased spends on digital calling. Fashion brand Suta – derived as a sub-brand,” says Sujata.
he reflects. in Woodland, marketing for the brand’s platform from the first two letters of their
The com- which can be and on marketplaces. The group names – was born in 2016. MARKETING FOR THE
pany also used for outdoor spends 5 to 10 pc of its sales revenue “The major struggle faced by any WEAVERS
sells in the as well as for on marketing. brand that works closely with the The brand is present across social me-
Middle East, sport. We have a “Digital is going to become a very weaver communities is that they dia and digital platforms. OOH and
Russia, Africa brand called important part of the marketing me- won’t be able to give constant work print ads have also been mediums of
and South East Asia. Woodland dia. In the beginning, there was a lot and that’s where the problems start. choice to build the brand. During exhi-
Back home, the Trail, where of learning to it as it was altogether a As an artisanal brand, our main objec- bitions, radio is also utilised. All the
footwear market is we use not different subject but now things are tive is to keep giving work to the brand building is towards the end goal
estimated to be only leather more clearer and we know where to weavers for the whole year. The rea- of building a larger base for its unique
worth Rs.96,000 cr but light- put our money to get the sales rolling. son why we are on marketplaces is products and impacting the weaver
with the organised weight fab- So, digital is going to be important but that we want to create as many av- community positively, underlines
sector contributing rics which we are also looking at print media as enues as possible to reach the end con- Taniya. The engagement goes beyond
30 pc. Within that, are very well as TV and other mediums,” he ex- sumers, so that we can keep giving the monetary contribution.
the spokesperson soft and plains. work to the weavers,” says Sujata. For instance, the brand has started
estimates that in durable,” The brand has steered clear of a While fusing the traditional and the a yoga centre for kids near weaver
outdoor and casu- says celebrity brand ambassador, even as contemporary in its products, the workplaces and plants trees in weaver
al shoes, Wood- Harkirat. it works with multiple influencers. brand contributes 28 to 35 pc of the villages. The brand is also encourag-
MRP to weavers. The average basket ing opening of women’s bank ac-
size for the brand that sells on its own counts.

In step with the streetwear vibe website, marketplaces and in physical

In conversation with GAGANDEEP SINGH, CEO, A Skating Monk
Tell us about ‘A Skating Monk’.
Who is the TG?
We started A Skating Monk about
three years back. It started with a
few apparel and footwear pieces.
Since then, we have grown a lot
and learnt about the market. We
have seen what people react to and
blended in according to that. We
started out with pure skateboarding
culture. We also took out a few
skateboards in the beginning.
When I came down from Man-
chester to India I was really into
skateboarding and everything that
came along; that was my passion
and I went that way. Now, with
the growing trend and seeing how
streetwear is panning out in India
and outside India, we have adapt-
ed and we have also derailed a lit-
tle bit from pure skateboarding cul-
ture and gone into more youth-
wear – something that is not very,
very niche but which a lot of people
can wear and be comfortable in. Our
TG is 16 years to 25 years old.
How much does it contribute to
Woodland’s sales now?
When we launched there weren’t
many streetwear brands in India.
When we started, it was new for
the whole country and not just for
Woodland as a company. We start-
ed off very small with a sale of
somewhere around Rs.50 to 60
lakh a year but in the last 2.5 years
we have grown and are targeting
somewhere around Rs.10 to 12 cr
this fiscal. When it comes to the
comparison with Woodland’s sales,
we hope to bring it up to a consid-
erable amount in the coming years.
Tell us about the product
portfolio.
We have seen what works for the
market and what works for the
people who buy our product. We
are focusing a lot on footwear;
apparel does go side by side. We
do a lot of development and
innovation in apparel with fabrics
and styles. We are up to date
with the international market. But
now we also have a lot of choice
in our footwear. Along with the
usual streetwear sneakers, we
also have tactical footwear which
is more for rough use – but it still
has that streetwear vibe. It is
more tactical and heavy duty
footwear.
Within apparel, we do oversized
T-shirts, hoodies and jackets
among other things.
For A Skating Monk products,
have a dedicated website. It start-
ed as a typical online-only brand.
We are now a part of 13 Wood-
land stores as a pop-up for our
apparel and full range. In about 60
stores, the footwear we have at A
Skating Monk is available.
Because A Skating Monk is a new
brand, we can look at new spaces
where we want to head. We still
have to see what our core and
major products are. We have
recognised a few and seen what
works for us and we are investing
in those. We want to do limited
styles in a lot of colors.
In the next year or two, if we see
something happening, we’d like to
dip our feet into that as well. Stay-
ing with the streetwear community
and in that culture but also flexible
and not rigid in any way.
MN4U SYNDICATE
stores is Rs.4,800. Suta has exclusive
stores today in Kolkata, Bengaluru,
Mumbai, Thane and Hyderabad.
“Our contribution from the offline
stores is 8 to 10 pc. Marketplaces con-
tribute 15 to 18 pc of our revenue. The
maximum sale happens through our
own website,” says Taniya.
The founders define the brand’s core
TG as independent – not only finan-
cially, but also in terms of decision-
making. The age group of the core au-
dience ranges from 18 to 45 years. Giv-
en the product range it would be pre-
dominantly female for now, one as-
sumes.
BEYOND METROS &
WOMEN’S WEAR
“The brand has maximum customers
from metros as they do a lot of online
shopping. Our offline presence is also
in metros. But whenever we do exhibi-
tions in tier 2 and 3 cities, the response
and reception has been inspiring. The
knowledge the people in those cities
have about the brand is also over-
whelming. There is a lot of scope for
“We can see the visible changes in
the community and how they are turn-
ing into independent and self-sustain-
ing individuals,” she explains.
Suta is currently working with 17,000
weavers across India, in places like Bi-
har, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Mad-
hya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar
Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu &
Kashmir and Kerala.
“We want to have four to five more
stores in cities like Chennai and Delhi.
Going forward, we want to open stores
in tier 2 and 3 cities. We are getting a
lot of franchise enquiries and re-
quests, which we are contemplating.
Revenue wise, we are at Rs.56 crore
currently and by this financial year
we are targeting Rs.80 crore,” reveal
the sisters.
They want to add around 1 lakh
weavers to the Suta community in the
coming years. That aligns with the
brand’s stated goal of onboarding 2
lakh artisans and weavers by 2030,
maximising handloom and handmade
products.
MN4U SYNDICATE

PINION
Brand Transformations : The Power of Cause Marketing and Temporary Rebranding
Cause marketing and temporary rebranding offer great potential, but it is essential to execute them while maintaining consistency,
communicating the temporary nature of the rebranding, and ensuring alignment with the overall brand strategy, says the author.
By SANDEEP BANGIA
the name, logo, tagline, or visual ele- gaged with the brand. This person- portant messages to the audience. temporary rebranding to promote in- In the month of June, some brands
ments, for a specific period or pur- alised approach helps foster a deeper Another remarkable instance is clusivity and support causes. During received praise for their heart-warm-

O
n Father's Day, my daughters
offered to treat me to a delight-
ful lunch outing in Pune. The
prospect of a long drive in our new
car followed by a scrumptious meal
was truly enticing. However, upon ar-
riving at the restaurant, I noticed
something peculiar—the name board
read as ‘Papagoto’. The name had
transformed from Mamagoto, a popu-
lar restaurant located at Pavilion
Mall. It suddenly dawned on me that
they had temporarily changed their
name to commemorate Father's Day. I
have written about marketing during
festivals and moment marketing. But
this was different. This experience
got me contemplating the fascinating
ways in which brands often associate
themselves with special events and
causes, even going so far as to tinker
with their cherished logos or identi-
ties to convey a meaningful message
and further endear themselves to
their audience.
This strategic marketing approach,
known as cause marketing or tempo-
rary rebranding, involves a company
altering its brand identity, including
pose. This temporary transformation
serves as a short-term tactic designed
to create buzz, generate interest, or
support a particular campaign or
event. The advantages of cause mar-
keting and temporary rebranding are
numerous.
One significant advantage is the in-
creased visibility that comes from
capturing the attention and curiosity
of consumers, media outlets, and the
general public. By creating a new and
distinct brand identity, companies
can successfully engage their target
audience, setting themselves apart
from competitors. This injection of
freshness and novelty breathes new
life into the brand, reigniting interest
among customers who may have
grown accustomed to the existing
brand identity.
Furthermore, cause marketing and
temporary rebranding offer compa-
nies the opportunity to connect with
specific target audiences. By tailoring
the brand identity to align with their
interests, values or preferences, com-
panies can attract new customers
who may not have previously en-
connection between the brand and its
audience, resulting in increased en-
gagement and brand loyalty.
Numerous contexts exist where
brands adopt temporary rebranding
strategies. For instance, companies
often align themselves with major
sporting events by temporarily
changing their branding to generate
excitement and associate their brand
with the event. Similarly, retailers
frequently adopt temporary rebrand-
ing during holiday seasons to create a
festive atmosphere that resonates
with consumers seeking seasonal
products or gift ideas.
Several noteworthy examples
demonstrate the effectiveness of tem-
porary rebranding in supporting
causes. Fevicol, a well-known adhe-
sive brand, stretched their logo to
convey the message of maintaining
physical distancing during the
Covid19 pandemic. Audi, renowned
for its four interlocking rings logo,
pulled the rings apart to beautifully
symbolise the importance of social
distancing. These creative adapta-
tions effectively communicated im-
when Lacoste, famous for its alligator Pride Month, couple of years back,
logo, replaced it with embroidered WeWork changed the signage on its
images of 10 threatened animals on office building in Gurugram to signal
their T-shirts. This change aimed to inclusiveness in the workspaces. Sim-
ilarly, Airbnb temporarily tweaked
its brand identity to reflect the ethos
of their #Mankind campaign, high-
lighting the kindness and openness of
the Airbnb community.
McDonald's is another brand that ef-
fectively utilises cause marketing. On
International Women's Day, they
flipped their iconic Golden Arches as
a tribute to women. Additionally, its
Father's Day campaign humorously
depicted a balding bun (represented
by sesame seeds) as a playful dedica-
tion to all the fathers who lose their
hair while caring for their children.
While cause marketing and tempo-
raise awareness about endangered rary rebranding offer great potential,
species and received significant atten- it is essential to execute them
tion during Paris Fashion Week 2018. thoughtfully. Considerations such as
Mahindra Rise emphasised sustain- maintaining consistency, communi-
ability and environmental conserva- cating the temporary nature of the re-
tion during Earth Hour, showcasing branding, and ensuring alignment
their commitment to energy conser- with the overall brand strategy are
vation and environmental protection. crucial for preserving brand recogni-
Brands like WeWork also utilise tion and long-term brand equity.
ing Father's Day promotions and cam-
paigns that create emotional connec-
tions. However, during the same
month, which is also celebrated as
Pride Month, certain brands faced ac-
cusations of tokenism for using super-
ficial gestures, such as changing logos
or running social media ads, without
genuinely supporting LGBTQ+ rights
and inclusion – ‘Rainbow Washing’.
Customers often see through this sym-
bolism and develop disdain for brands
that lack authenticity.
Returning to Father's Day, my
daughters made the day memorable
by celebrating it with me, ensuring I
received the ‘free’ mocktail being of-
fered as a promotion, and taking self-
ies with me for their Snapchat posts.
Although I felt like a prop that day, I
couldn't help but feel appreciative.
And, of course, I gladly paid the bill.
Happy Father's Day to all the wonder-
ful fathers out there.
(The author is a senior professional in the
corporate sector and writes on varied topics
that catch his fancy. The views expressed
here are his own. Twitter: @sandeepbangia)

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