First india ahmedabad edition-28 april 2020

CORONA IN GUJARAT
Municipal commissioner Vijay Nehra
on Monday admitted that the city-
run Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (SVP)
Hospital is at full capacity and cannot
accommodate any more patients. He
has previously stated that the hospital
had 1,000 beds designated for patients
of COVID-19. There are currently 150
suspected cases of COVID-19 admitted
to SVP. For more, see P3
USA 995,288 56,139 +726
SPAIN 229,422 23,521 +331
ITALY 199,414 26,977 +333
GERMANY 158,142 5,985 +9
UK 152,840 21,092 +360
TURKEY 112,261 2,900 +95
IRAN 91,472 5,806 +96
RUSSIA 87,147 794 +47
CHINA 82,830 4,633 +1
COUNTRY TOTAL TOTAL NEW
CASES DEATHS DEATHS
GLOBAL STATE
OF AFFAIRS
WWW.WORLDOMETERS.INFO
LAST UPDATED: APRIL 27, 2020, 11:00 PM
53,575
SAMPLES TESTED
50,027
NEGATIVE CASES
0
UNDER EXAMINATION
IN GUJARAT
DISTRICT TOTAL TOTAL NEW
CASES DEATHS DEATHS
AHMEDABAD 2378 109 5
VADODARA 240 13 1
SURAT 556 19 4
RAJKOT 46 0 0
BHAVNAGAR 40 5 0
ANAND 51 3 0
BHARUCH 29 2 0
GANDHINAGAR 30 2 0
PATAN 17 1 0
PANCHMAHAL 20 2 0
BANASKANTHA 28 1 1
NARMADA 12 0 0
CHOTA UDAIPUR 13 0 0
KUTCH 6 1 0
MAHESANA 7 0 0
BOTAD 12 1 0
DAHOD 4 0 0
PORBANDAR 3 0 0
JAMNAGAR 2 1 0
MORBI 1 0 0
SABARKANTHA 3 0 0
ARAVALLI 18 1 0
MAHISAGAR 10 0 0
KHEDA 6 0 0
GIR SOMNATH 3 0 0
VALSAD 5 1 0
TAPI 1 0 0
NAVSARI 3 0 0
DANG 2 0 0
SURENDRANAGAR 1 0 0
TOTAL 3548 162 11
CORONA
ALERT
AHMEDABAD l TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 152
26°C - 42°C
OUR EDITIONS:
JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD
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COVID-19
UPDATE
WORLD
2,09,242
DEATHS
30,29,709
CONFIRMED CASES
INDIA
938
DEATHS
29,450
CONFIRMED CASES
GUJARAT
162
DEATHS
3,548
CONFIRMED CASES
Ahmedabad has 2/3 of state’s 3,548 COVID-19 cases
First India News
Gandhinagar: With
197 of the state’s 247
new cases of COV-
ID-19 coming from
Ahmedabad, the city
now accounts for 67%
of all cases reported
in the state, and 79%
of the cases reported
in the past 24 hours.
Eleven more pa-
tients have died be-
cause of COVID-19
and its co-morbidi-
ties, taking the state’s
death toll to 162. Five
of these deaths oc-
curredinAhmedabad.
The only sliver of
goodnewsisthat81have
recovered in the past 24
hours, bringing the total
number of discharged
patients up to 394.
Principal Secretary
(Health) Jayanti Ravi
said on Monday that
the state has conduct-
ed 53,575 tests so far,
including 2,848 RT-
PCR tests in the past
24 hours.
She added that the
state has carried out
8,908 Rapid Antibody
Tests(RAT),allof which
turned out to be nega-
tive. This, despite the
Indian Council of Medi-
cal Research (ICMR)
ban on the use of RAT
for COVID-19 and a
statement from Surat
Municipal Commission-
er Banchhanidhi Pani
that these kits would not
be used from Tuesday.
Further, Ravi said,
“Ahmedabad, Surat
and Vadodara togeth-
er account for 89% of
total cases, with the
remaining 27 dis-
tricts making up the
other 11% of total
positive cases. Amre-
li, Junagadh and
Devbhoomi Dwarka
remain unaffected.”
In Ahmedabad, 20
teams have been deput-
ed in the North-West
zone, a few new cases
were reported from
Memnagar. The local
civic body has since in-
creased sample testing
in the area.
Among the new cases
in the city is a student
of Jamnagar. He is be-
ing counted as a case
from Jamnagar, even
though he is being
treated in Ahmedabad.
Meanwhile, the Gen-
eral Administration De-
partment has issued a
circular saying that
state secretariat em-
ployees living in
Ahmedabad—especially
in cluster containment
zones, red zones or hot-
spots—will not Turn on P6
Police personnel in protective gear enforce lockdown rules in Ahmedabad’s Kalupur area on
Monday. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI
11 more fatalities in the past 24 hours
takes Gujarat death toll to 162
Mumbai: The Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) on
Monday decided to open
a special liquidity facil-
ity for mutual funds of
Rs 50,000 crore in a bid
to arrest redemptions
in the asset manage-
ment industry after last
week’s collapse of six
debt schemes of Frank-
lin Templeton India.
Credit markets in In-
dia have been under
pressure even before
the coronavirus pan-
demic. “With a view to
easing liquidity pres-
sures on mutual funds,
it has been decided to
open a special liquidity
facility for mutual
funds of Rs 50,000
crore,” said the central
bank in a statement.
“Heightened volatili-
ty in capital markets in
reaction to COVID-19
has imposed liquidity
strains on mutual funds
which have intensified
in the wake of redemp-
tion pressures related
to the closure of some
debt mutual funds and
potential contagious ef-
fects therefrom,” it said
adding the stress is con-
fined to the high-risk
debt mutual fund seg-
ment at this stage and
the larger industry re-
mains liquid.
The RBI said it re-
mains vigilant and will
take whatever steps are
necessary to mitigate
the economic impact of
COVID-19 and preserve
financial stability.
Under the special li-
quidity facility for mu-
tual funds, the RBI will
conduct repo opera-
tions of 90 days tenor at
the fixed repo rate. The
facility is Turn on P6
RBI’s `50,000cr special
liquidity window for MFs
INDIA SEES HIGHEST
ONE-DAY RISE IN TOLL
WITH 60 NEW DEATHS
New Delhi: Corona cases in the
country on Monday soared to
29,450 with 1,463 new cases and
60 deaths reported in the last 24
hours, as per the data shared by the
Union Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare on Monday evening. The
total coronavirus deaths in India
are 938, said Lav Agarwal, Joint
Secretary, Health Ministry.
THREE TERRORISTS
KILLED IN ENCOUNTER
IN J-K’S KULGAM
Kulgam: Three terrorists were
neutralised in an ongoing operation
in Kulgam’s Lower Munda, Indian
Army said on Monday. One body was
recovered so far from the site of en-
counter. An encounter started between
terrorists and joint troops, said the
Kashmir Zone Police. Further details
are awaited.
Atlanta: US public health body, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention
has included six new symptoms for
coronavirus which include, chills, re-
peated shaking with chills, muscle pain,
headache, sore throat, new loss of taste
or smell. Earlier, CDC had listed fever,
cough and shortness of breath as the
symptoms of the deadly coronavirus
disease.
Beijing:Global confirmed coronavirus
cases surpassed 3 million on Monday,
as the United States neared 1 million
cases, according to a Reuters tally. It
comes as many countries are taking
steps to ease lockdown measures that
have brought the world to a standstill
over the past eight weeks. An average
of 82,000 cases have been reported per
day in the past week.
CDC EXPANDS LIST OF
CORONAVIRUS SYMPTOMS
GLOBAL CASES PASS 3 MN AS
LOCKDOWNS BEGIN TO EASE
New Delhi: Not a single
rupee will be lost to Chi-
nese firms who provided
faulty COVID-19 test kits to
India as the orders have
been cancelled and the pay-
ments not made, the gov-
ernment said on Monday
amid a controversy over
the issue.
Coronavirus test kits
made by two Chinese com-
panies Guangzhou Wondfo
Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon
Diagnostics have been
found “under-performing”
by the ICMR, government
said. It has asked states and
hospitals to stop using the
kits made by the two com-
panies and since “due pro-
cess followed (not going for
procurement with 100%
advance amount), GoI
(Government of India)
does not stand to lose a sin-
gle rupee”, an official state-
ment said. Turn on P6
FAULTY CHINA KITS
SHOWN THE DOOR!
Modi talks economy, future beyond May 3 with CMs
Aditi Nagar
New Delhi: As India en-
ters the final week of the
lockdown, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on Monday
conveyed to chief minis-
ters that the country will
have to give importance to
the economy as well as con-
tinue the fight against the
novel coronavirus.
In a video conference
with the chief ministers,
fourth such interaction
since March 22 when he
first spoke to them on the
pandemic, Modi also high-
lighted the importance for
states to enforce prescribed
guidelines strictly in the
coronavirus hotspots, the
government said in a state-
ment. PM said that efforts
of the states should be di-
rected towards converting
the red zones into orange
and thereafter to green
zones.
The prime minister un-
derlined that the nation-
wide lockdown has “yield-
ed positive results as the
country has managed to
save thousands of lives in
the past one and a half
months”, it said.
Turn on P6
 Give importance to economy and
also battle Corona: PM to CMs in VC
 Focus on a graded
exit from lockdown
PM Narendra Modi interacting with CM of states via video conferencing to discuss the emerging
situation and plan ahead for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, in New Delhi on Monday. —ANI
 States must strictly enforce
lockdown guidelines in hotspots
 At least 6 CMs for
lockdown extension
KEY POINTS
 Most northeastern
states are for extending
lockdown
 Masks and face covers
will become part of lives of
people in days ahead: PM
 In the three-hour
discussion, nine CMs got
a chance to speak
 PM forewarns danger
of virus is far from over
and constant vigilance is
of paramount importance
 PM urges CMs to
ensure people register in
Aarogya Setu App
The RBI will conduct repo operations of 90 days tenor at the
fixed repo rate.
This institution
not hostage
of govt: SC
New Delhi: This insti-
tution is not hostage of
government, the Su-
preme Court said on
Monday as it sought re-
ply from the Centre on
a plea seeking direction
to authorities to allow
migrant workers across
the country to return
home after conducting
coronavirus tests.
The top court’s re-
mark came after advo-
cate Prashant Bhushan
told the court that the
government’s view is
being blindly consid-
ered without verifying
it, while fundamental
rights of people espe-
cially migrant workers
are not being enforced.
A bench of Justices N
V Ramana, Sanjay Kis-
han Kaul and B R Gavai
questioned Bhushan,
appearing for petition-
ers Jagdeep S Chhokar,
former director TurnonP6
A health official collects swab sample from a man for coronavirus
testing, in Guwahati. —ANI

New Delhi: Amid nationwide
lockdown in the wake of COVID-19,
the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
said as per the consolidated revised
guidelines, operation of cross land
border transportation of essential
goods, as well as export, is already
allowed.
“Operation of cross land border
transportation of essential goods as
well as export is already allowed,”
the ministry said. It stated that as the
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
has given its ‘in-principal’ approval on
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP),
the Ministry of Shipping may issue the
SOP at their end.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
had on March 24 announced a
21-day nationwide lockdown as a
precautionary measure to contain the
spread of COVID-19. The lockdown
was later extended to May 3. —ANI
Operation of cross land
border transportation
of essential goods
already allowed: MHA
NEWSAHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2020
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State govt wants to ease lockdown in a phased manner: Rupani
First India News
Gandhinagar: The
state government is pre-
paring to ease lockdown
restrictions in a phased
manner, but might ex-
tend the lockdown in
areas that have been the
worst hit by the Sars-
CoV-2 virus, Chief Min-
ister Vijay Rupani told
Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi during a video
conference on Monday.
Information and Broad-
casting Secretary and
Secretary to the Chief
Minister Ashwani Ku-
mar, who shared details
of the meeting with the
media, said the state is
looking to ease restric-
tions in a phased man-
ner for the benefit of
small-time traders, self-
employed individuals
and daily wagers.
However, Rupani is
in favour of extending
the lockdown in areas
where maximum cas-
es have been reported.
Kumar also said that
Rupani shared with the
prime minister a de-
tailed plan and a report
on the state govern-
ment’s action on its
fight against COVID-19.
“CM Rupani has in-
formed the prime
minister that 85% of
coronavirus-related
deaths were caused
by co-morbidities
such as hypertension,
cardiac issues, diabe-
tes and cancer. COV-
ID-19 symptoms were
secondary,” Kumar
said, adding, ”A de-
tailed analysis shows
that 80% of people
died because they
were brought to the
hospital with ad-
vanced symptoms of
COVID-19.”
He also said Rupani
briefed the PM on the
virus-related situation
in the state. “In three
districts, there are zero
positive cases so far
and, in 18 districts, cas-
es are in single digits.
The overall situation is
under control,” he said.
Rupani also informed
Modi that local health
department teams are
carrying out door-to-
door surveillance in the
cities that account for
most cases. Moreover,
the state is also expand-
ing the capacity of COV-
ID-Care Centres and
will soon have 22,500
beds ready for positive
cases with mild symp-
toms. This is in addition
to the 61 dedicated hos-
pitals with 10,500 beds
for COVID-19 patients.
Further, Kumar
added that Rupani
briefed the prime
minister about other
state government pro-
grammes undertaken
for the benefit of the
poorest of the poor
and those falling un-
der the National Food
Safety Act.
In interest of farmers
and agricultural activi-
ties, the state has re-
laxed lockdown norms
to allow the operation of
APMC (Agricultural
Produce Marketing
Committee) yards,
where farmers are able
to sell their produce.
In addition, state
has permitted medi-
um, small and micro
enterprises to oper-
ate, allowing lakhs of
workers to return to
their jobs.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani —FILE PHOTO
CHIEF MINISTER IS IN FAVOUR
OF EXTENDING RESTRICTIONS IN
WORST-HIT AREAS OF THE STATE
Shah asks CMs to follow
lockdown guidelines strictlyNew Delhi: Home Min-
ister Amit Shah during
the PM-CMs meeting on
Monday urged the
states to ensure that the
lockdown was followed
strictly, as per sources.
Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi on Monday
held a video conference
with Chief Ministers of
all states to take a view
regarding the situation
across the country.
As per sources, dur-
ing the meeting, the
Union Home Minister
put forth that certain
relaxations had been
given in trade and in-
dustry, however the
lockdown guidelines
needed to be strictly
followed. He also urged
the states to go ahead
on the guidance of
PM’s ‘Jaan Bhi Jahan
Bhi’ motto since the
battle against the COV-
ID-19 pandemic was
‘long and needed to be
fought with patience.’
Shah also called Ker-
ala CM Pinarayi Vijay-
an over phone to seek
his opinion about ex-
tending COVID lock-
down. TheVijayan told
Shah that the lockdown
should be withdrawn
step by step. The chief
minister also handed
over the opinion of the
state in writing. The
present condition of the
disease transmission in
the state, the method of
withdrawing lockdown,
financial assistance
and other matters are
informed to the home
minister. The major de-
mand put forward by
the state is not to with-
draw the lockdown all
at once. —ANI
PM sticks to rural connect with gamcha
rime Minis-
ter Narendra
Modi, in a
videoconfer-
ence with
Chief Ministers over
the COVID-19 situa-
tion, was seen cover-
ing his face with a
traditional ‘gamcha’
on Monday.
The Prime Minister’s
‘gamcha’ was a plain
white colour with a sea
green check pattern.
Covering the mouth
and nose with a tradi-
tional ‘gamcha’ has
been the go-to option for
Modi in a bid to make
people aware of how
they can easily take pre-
cautions against coro-
navirus. Modi wore a
‘gamcha’ previously for
his address to the na-
tion on April 14 during
which he announced
the extension of the na-
tional lockdown till
May 3.
During a video in-
teraction with Sar-
panchs on April 24,
Modi again opted for
a ‘gamcha’.
He was seen wearing
a homemade white
cloth mask in his previ-
ous meeting with Chief
Ministers on April 11.
With 1,396 more
COVID-19 cases re-
ported in the last 24
hours, India’s count
of cases has reached
27,892, said the Min-
istry of Health and
Family Welfare on
Monday. —ANI
COVERING HIS FACE WITH A
TRADITIONAL A ‘GAMCHA’
HAS BEEN GO-TO OPTION
FOR MODI TO MAKE PEOPLE
AWARE OF HOW EASY IT IS
TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS
AGAINST CORONAVIRUS
P
Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacting with Chief Ministers of states
via video conferencing in New Delhi on Monday. —PHOTO BY ANI
Home Minister Amit Shah interacts with Chief Ministers of all States on COVID-19 situation through
video conference in New Delhi on Monday.

Ahmedabad: Ja-
malpur MLA Imran
Khedawala who was
discharged from
hospital on Monday
after successfully
beating COVID-19
has promised to be-
come a plasma do-
nor to help treat
other patients with
the disease.
He tested positive
on April 14 and has
spent the last fort-
night at the city-run
Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel Hospital be-
ing treated for the
Sars-CoV-2 infec-
tion. Khedawala
signed the consent
form to become a
plasma donor on
his way out of the
hospital.
He also thanked
the hospital staff
and asked the peo-
ple to contact the
hospital and medi-
cal staff at the first
signs of infection.
He will remain
home-quarantined
for the next two
weeks.
GUJARATAHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2020
First India News
Gandhinagar: The
state government sent
back more than 2,300
migrant workers from
Rajasthan, who were
housedinshelterhomes
since the nationwide
lockdown began on
March 25, on Monday.
“These workers want-
ed to return to their
homes in Rajasthan, but
were unable to do so be-
cause of the lockdown,
and were put up in shel-
ter homes. After discus-
sionswiththeRajasthan
government, we made
arrangements to send
them back home. We ar-
ranged 84 buses to take
them from shelter
homes across the state
to Rajasthan border,
from where the Ra-
jasthan government has
made arrangements for
their onward journey,”
said Vipul Mittra, addi-
tional chief secretary,
Labour and Employ-
ment department.
More than 560 of
these workers were in
shelter homes in Banas-
kantha, over 300 in Val-
sad, 285 in Aravalli, and
228 in Vadodara. Mittra
said that the workers
were screened by doc-
tors before boarding the
buses for home. “The
workers will reach their
homes by tomorrow,”
he said, adding, “This is
in continuation of the
massive exercise began
on Saturday, when la-
bourers from Madhya
Pradesh were moved
successfully.”
Nearly 9,200 migrant
workers were housed in
235 shelter homes set up
by the state government
across the state after the
nationwide lockdown
commencedmorethana
month back on March
25. On Saturday, around
2,300 migrant workers
from Madhya Pradesh
were also sent back by
the state government.
Mittra added that the
state government is
also in talks with the
other states for sending
back migrant workers
from Gujarat.
First India News
Vadodara: The state as-
sembly speaker Rajen-
dra Trivedi has drawn
the attention of the Va-
dodara administrators
to a few issues such as
lack of cleanliness at
two hospitals in the city,
gradual withdrawal of
lockdown and health
survey by female teach-
ers. Raopura MLA and
speaker Trivedi met
with Vadodara district
collector Shalini Agar-
wal, municipal commis-
sioner Nalin Upadhyay
and police commission-
er Anupam Singh Gahl-
aut on Monday and re-
quested that the author-
ities take immediate ac-
tion to resolve a few im-
portant issues.
Trivedi stated that as
per his report, cleanli-
ness is not being main-
tained at the SSG Hospi-
tal and GMRES Hospi-
tal in Gotri. He asked
the administrators to
ensure that bedsheets
in the general and isola-
tion wards are changed
regularly. Citing the ex-
ample of Ahmedabad
COVID-19 hospitals, he
suggested installation
of a high-volume wash-
ing machine for patient
clothes and bedsheets.
He also suggested that
withdrawalof lockdown
be limited to one area at
a time. He asked that lo-
cal authorities do not al-
low grocery shops and
pharmacies to operate
for all day but, fix a time
period and only stay
openduringthosehours.
Another issue ad-
dressed by Trivedi was
the door-to-door health
survey being conducted
all across the state. He
stated that female
teachers and the ones
over 50 years of age be
exempted from survey
work and that it be as-
signed only to the male
teachers.
He also asked that
people be allowed to re-
turn home to the state
in private vehicles, or
collaborate with the
taxi association for
their transportation.
Govt helps migrants
return home to Raj
In Memoriam: ‘Badrubhai’s death is a great loss to society at large’First India News
Ahmedabad: Late on
Sunday night,
Ahmedabad lost one of
its clearest voices in lo-
cal politics as Congress
party leader Badruddin
Shaikh, fondly known
as ‘Badrubhai’ lost the
battle against the novel
coronavirus. He was 67.
He was buried at the
Ganj Sauda Kabrastan
in Danilimda in the
presence of a few fami-
ly members at around 2
am. The councillor
from Behrampura was
a beloved leader who
would have been given a
very different farewell,
had it not been for the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite suffering
from diabetes, ‘Badrub-
hai’ continued helping
those in need after nov-
el coronavirus found its
way to the state. He
launched a campaign to
provide daily supplies
to the underprivileged
amid the outbreak.
That is how he contract-
ed the virus and was
admitted to a hospital
on April 9, where he
was put on a ventilator.
A very popular,
learned and humour-
ous person, ‘Badrubhai’
was one of the few lead-
ers in the local civic
body Ahmedabad Mu-
nicipal Corporation
(AMC) who could put
forth factual arguments
and back up his opin-
ions with facts.
Congress leaders in-
cluding Rahul Gandhi
and MP Ahmed Patel
took to Twitter to share
their condolences.
“In this hour of grief,
my heartfelt condolenc-
es to his bereaved fami-
ly,” Rahul Gandhi tweet-
ed, while Patel’s tweet
read: “I am anguished
by the untimely demise
of mycolleagueBadrud-
dinbhai. This is a great
loss for Ahmedabad and
the entire state of Guja-
rat. My condolences to
his family and well-
wishers.”
Even his political op-
ponent, BJP spokesper-
son Hemant Bhatt
called him a “wonderful
human being and pub-
lic person” in his condo-
lence message. “It is a
great loss to society at
large,” he also said.
These labourers from Uttar Pradesh took advantage of the few hours in which shops remained open
on Sunday to buy bicycles. They are currently trying to ride home from Ahmedabad.
Gujarat State Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi. —FILE PHOTO
As many as 84 buses carried the workers from Rajasthan who had been stranded here since lockdown began last month
First India News
Ahmedabad: A Rus-
sian couple has been
stuck with their six-
year-old son in Dev-
Bhumi Dwarka district
ever since the lockdown
began on March 24.
Zyuzin Vitaly, 28, and
his wife Galina and son
Sviatoslav had come to
Dwarka on March 6.
The local health and ad-
ministration depart-
ment is taking care of
the family.
When the district ad-
ministration was in-
formed about the fami-
ly, its revenue and
health department
started regularly visit-
ing the family and en-
suring that they do not
face any problems.
Dwarka health offic-
er Ankita Goswami
said, “Galina is six
months pregnant so we
conduct regular health
check-ups along with
sonography and blood
tests. We have made her
comfortable and our
medical team is fully
equipped to handle her
delivery.”
Zyuzin said, “My fam-
ily and I are feeling safe
in the town because not
a single novel coronavi-
rus positive case has
been reported from the
district, whereas back
homeinRussia,thesitu-
ation is not the same.”
He added that his son
Sviatoslav loves the at-
mosphere of the town,
and so far has not asked
questions about their
return to Russia.
Two other foreign
tourists, Gilbat Vitaly
and Felicia, have also
been staying in Dwarka
unable to leave due to
the lockdown.
All foreign tourists
areunderthecareof the
local administration
and will be able to travel
backtotheirhomecoun-
tries only after the lock-
down is withdrawn.
Dwarka takes care of stranded Russian family
SAFETY NET
Zyuzin Vitaly, his wife Galina and son Sviatoslav.
IMCT team continues its
inspection of the city
First India News
Ahmedabad: The In-
ter-Ministerial Central
Team (IMCT) which has
been in Ahmedabad for
the last two days has
continued its inspec-
tion of the COVID-19
situation in various
pockets.
With the city among
one of the worst hit
novel coronavirus hot-
spots in the country, the
team has been asked to
review every aspect in-
cluding shelter homes,
COVID Care Centres
(CCCs) and other facili-
ties with a view to con-
trolling the situation.
Don’t hurry withdrawal
of lockdown: Speaker
Khedawala
vows plasma
donation
First India News
Gandhinagar: State
police are taking strict
action against anyone
assaulting corona war-
riors. With three more
persons being arrested
for assaulting cops, the
total number of cases
underthePreventionof
Anti Social Activities
Act (PASA) has risen to
15, with 38 arrests.
Director-General of
Police Shivanand Jha
said here that one per-
son from Navsari and
two from Amreli dis-
trict were arrested un-
der PASA in the past 24
hours.
“The police will in-
crease patrolling and
surveillance in areas
where more cases have
occurred. Roads lead-
ing to those areas are
being sealed, and only
restricted traffic move-
ment will be allowed in
these areas,” he said.
He also warned that
persons found misus-
ing the relaxation
meant for the purchase
of essential commodi-
ties will be booked.
The state police have
arrested 4,945 persons
for violating public or-
ders and other notifica-
tions, with 3,990 cases
registered against
them. In addition, 8,412
vehicles have been im-
pounded for violating
lockdown.
3 more arrested under PASA for assaulting cops: DGP
He also asked
hospitals to ensure
that bedsheets are
changed regularly.
Newborn tests -ve despite +ve mother ‘SVP hospital is
at max capacity’Masuma Bharmal Jariwala
Rajkot: The newborn
child of a COVID-19
positive mother tested
negative for the virus
on Sunday. Born to a
22-year-old patient, the
3.2 kg infant was the
first baby to be born to
a novel coronavirus pa-
tient in Saurashtra re-
gion.
A team of doctors in-
cluding Dr Kamal Gos-
wami, head of gynae-
cology department at
government PDU Medi-
cal College, Dr Pankaj
Buch, head of neonatal
care and district health
officer Dr Miteshkumar
Bhanderi ensured that
best possible care is
provided to mother and
child. “We had under-
gone a lot of training
before the delivery.
From PPE kits to saniti-
zation, the entire staff
was well prepared to
tackle any situation
that arose. Mother and
child are healthy and
doing well,” said Gos-
wami. Bhanderi con-
firmed the infant’s neg-
ative result but added,
“We cannot rule out
trans-ovarian transfer
so the baby’s samples
will be tested again to
ensure there is no infec-
tion.” The baby was
given to the mother for
feeding on Monday af-
ter taking all the neces-
sary precautions.”
First India News
Ahmedabad: Munici-
pal commissioner Vijay
Nehra on Monday ad-
mitted that the city-run
Sardar Vallabhbhai Pa-
tel (SVP) Hospital is at
full capacity and cannot
accommodate any more
patients.
Sharing the informa-
tion during his morn-
ing bulletin, which is
streamed live on social
media, Nehra said, “At
present, there are 643
active cases and 150 sus-
pect cases have been
admitted to SVP. So, the
hospital has reached its
maximum capacity.
Henceforth, new pa-
tients will be shifted to
Civil Hospital.”
The commissioner
has previously stated
that the hospital had
1,000 beds designated for
patients of COVID-19.
In addition to those
admitted to SVP, there
are 547 patients at the
Civil Hospital, 591 at the
Samras COVID-Care
Centre (CCC), 14 at the
HCG hospital, 16 at Ster-
ling, and 1,854 patients
under treatment at Haj
house and other CCCs.
Vijay Nehra
There are 643 active cases and 150
suspect cases have been admitted to
SVP. So, new patients will be shifted to
Civil Hospital.
—Vijay Nehra, Commissioner,AMC
STATUS QUO
—PHOTOBYNANDANDAVE

G Vol 1 G Issue No. 152 G RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet Survey No.148P, Changodar-Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist. Ahmedabad.
Published at D/302 3rd Floor Plot No. 35 Titanium Square, Scheme No. 2, Thaltej Taluka, Ghatlodiya, Ahmedabad. Editor: Jagdeesh Chandra, responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act
PERSPECTIVEAHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2020
ONLY ADVICE
NO ASSISTANCE
IN VC?
ith the second round of lockdown
entering its final week, Prime Min-
ister Narendra Modi held a virtual
meeting with state chief minis-
ters, his fourth post-COVID-19, to
discuss the way forward after May 3. During
the interaction, the prime minister’s
thrust was that the restrictions have had
a positive effect and helped in saving thou-
sands of lives. The prime minister’s mes-
sage to states was to gradually convert red
zones into orange and subsequently into
green zones. He suggested the graded open-
ing of the economy keeping people’s welfare
in mind. Modi did not say anything about the
lifting of lockdown after May 3 but gave
enough indication that it may be extended.
Warning that the virus is not going away
anytime soon, he stressed on constant vigi-
lance. “Country has seen two lockdowns till
now, both different in certain aspect, and now
we have to think of the way ahead,” the prime
minister said and again underscored the im-
portance of do guz doori (two-yard distance)
and masks.
These hints are strong enough to suggest
that while relaxing curbs in green zones the
curbs would continue at least until May 15 by
when the Covid-19 curve is likely to flatten.
Experts, too, warn against easing curbs
when the battle is not yet over. Several
states like Odisha, Meghalaya, Rajasthan,
and Maharashtra were in favour of ex-
tending the lockdown in the red zones with
economic activity being allowed in green
zones. AlthoughtheCentremayleavethedeci-
sion of extending curbs on the states, they will
have to wait for guidelines from New Delhi.
The Centre will also determine the kind of ac-
tivities to be allowed in green zones. Jumping
the gun would invite chastisement from the
Centre as happened to Kerala after April 20.
Rajasthan, on the contrary, came in for
praise from the prime minister for extending
working hours of factory workers from eight
to 12 hours and several other initiatives of
chief minister Ashok Gehlot. Some states
later issued a similar notification.
Mamata Banerjee came out of the meet-
ing bristling, alleging that there is only
bhashan (speech) and no ration. She did
not speak at the conference as only seven
states were allowed to speak. There was
speculation that she will give the virtual meet
a miss like her Kerala counterpart Pinarayi
Vijayan, who was asked for his suggestions in
writing, not allotted any time to speak either.
The privilege was not extended to Mamata.
Politicking for political gains, it seems, can’t
be kept aside even in times of crisis.
With their finances in dire straits, chief
ministers expected Modi to mention finan-
cial assistance in vain. While Maharashtra
asked for foodgrains, Tamil Nadu asked
for funds to buy medical equipment. Modi
did say, however, that the economy will
have to be given as much importance as
Covid-19, and reforms will have to be
given a push.
IN-DEPTH
W he health of any economy de-
pends largely on the health of
its banking industry. Over the
recent months, the banking
system of the country has suf-
fered various health issues,
evidenced from the symptoms
of growing bad loans, wilful
defaulters, widening losses,
governance issues and so on.
In fact, the 10th edition of
the Fortune India 500 List
has some unsettling numbers
on these banks. Of the 500
companies, 65 reported a cu-
mulative loss of `1, 67,851.6
Cr; and 14 PSBs accounted
for 44.2% (`74,253.2 Cr) of
the total loss. Moreover, 13 of
the 14 PSBs were among the
loss-makers in 2018 as well.
In such situations, big corpo-
rations are seldom left with no
optionbuttodependonGovern-
ment injections (bail out, as we
popularly call it). If sources are
to be believed, the government
is looking at a `2.11 Lakh Cr re-
capitalizationpackagetorescue
the stressed PSBs. (This should
not be confused with the cur-
rent `3.74 lakh Cr package
which is a short term measure
inclined towards reviving the
economic activity in the wake
of COVID-19. Long term focus
has to be on improving the CAR
and liquidity of the banks.)
However, we need to under-
stand that in a typical recapi-
talization, there is no flow of
funds, but only a capital re-
structuring involved. The
banks subscribe to the bonds
issued by the government and
in return, the government
uses that money to inject eq-
uity into the banks. Interest
revenue on these bonds is the
only positive cash flow. Such
an exercise improves the bank’s
capital adequacy ratio which
should be at least 8% as per the
BASEL III norms. This enhanc-
es the bank’s ability to write off
the existing NPAs and, increase
their lending capacity.
But the question is, is re-
capitalization really the
right solution? Shouldn’t
the focus be on improving
the actual liquidity and cash
flows of banks rather than
only increasing the tier 1
capital in the books?
z Recapitalization as a concept
dates back to the 1990s in India.
While it serves to temporarily im-
prove the quantum of lending, the
banks do not get any fresh capital.
They still have to resort to public
money or other fund raising
channels. In fact, critics have also
pointed out that it’s unclear how
the redemption is usually done.
Can the banks sell these bonds or
market them in any other man-
ner? Plus, the losses continue to
mount and the public continues to
worry about a bail in.
z The focus should be on im-
proving the long term liquidity of
banks through a win-win method-
ology for the public, government
and the banks. One such solution,
in my opinion, is issue of banking
bonds to the public. These bonds
can carry a coupon rate of ~5-7%
which is at least at par with other
government securities.
In the past when recapi-
talization happened, funds
were raised from the public
directly via equity. Such in-
vestments are exposed to lot
of fluctuations and the tax-
payer is in constant jeop-
ardy in such situations. In-
stead, government backed
bonds would ensure the pub-
lic better stability and secu-
rity for their money.
z To encourage investments in
these bonds, several routes can
be adopted. We can include them
in the tax exemptions offered u/s
54EC of the Income Tax Act, 1961
on the lines of NHAI and RECL
bonds. Banking bonds can be
added to the list, at competitive in-
terest rates with a lock in period of
3-5 years, based on an estimated
time for the banks to recover.
For instance, ~`1.06 lakh Cr
was raised by NHAI and RECL via
54EC and other long term bonds in
2019-20. So, if a similar strategy is
adopted, let’s say, at the least 30%
gets invested into these bonds,
which is ~ `35,000 Cr. That’s a lot
coming from the public! Besides,
big corporate houses and mutual
funds can also be encouraged to
park their money in these bonds.
z The funds so raised from the
public can be invested directly in
the equity of PSBs or via creating
a state run holding company and
investing in various PSBs a.k.a the
subsidiaries. This type of consoli-
dation structure can help strength-
en the balance sheets of banks
initially, capitalize on synergy
beneﬁts and eventually give way
to their independent functioning.
z Since the banking sector is
a sensitive one, a performance
report should be generated very
frequently (maybe, monthly) to
monitor the usage of funds and
ensure greater accountability. In
fact, there are talks of a perfor-
mance linked bail out doing the
rounds. It will be interesting to
see how that works out. This will,
hopefully, avoid making banks
complacent after receiving funds.
Such a liquidity measure
should also keep the danger of
bail in by the banks at bay. In
fact,nowtheonushasshiftedon
the government to pay back the
bonds.Thisshouldcompelthem
to focus on the bank’s effective
functioningandpushupitsmar-
ket value. Once, the banks are
healthy again, then, FPOs and
other divestment options can be
considered by the government.
While all the above points
suggest a secure mechanism of
strengthening the banks’ bal-
ance sheets, the long-term ob-
jective should be to target the
root cause of NPAs. Who are
the major defaulters? Does de-
fault hint lapse in a particular
sector? Is it skewed towards a
particular income class? Are
excessive legislations the rea-
son behind long gestation peri-
ods, thereby blocking money in
large scale projects? Is there
lapse (wilful) in the borrower’s
diligence reports? Is there a
casual attitude on the part of
the public? Lessons can also
be drawn from some of the
world’s best banking sys-
tems, for instance Canada
has a remarkable one,
thanks to its solid funding
and conservative lending
practices. A lot more similar
questions needed to be an-
swered and acted upon by the
government to ensure banks
can self-sustain themselves
and, the government can focus
on real development issues.
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY
THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL
BANKING ON THE BONDS?
T
However, we
need to
understand that
in a typical
recapitalization,
there is no flow of
funds, but only a
capital
restructuring
involved. The
banks subscribe
to the bonds
issued by the
government and
in return, the
government uses
that money to
inject equity into
the banks.
Interest revenue
on these bonds is
the only positive
cash flow
The 10th edition of
the Fortune India 500
List has some
unsettling numbers
on these banks. Of
the 500 companies,
65 reported a
cumulative loss of `1,
67,851.6 Cr; and 14
PSBs accounted for
44.2% (`74,253.2 Cr)
of the total loss
CA SONAKSHI
GUPTA
The writer is a rank holder Chartered
Accountant who has interest in banking
and finance matters. She is currently
working with Aditya Birla Group
ntil recently,
globalization
was heralded
as the major
engine of glob-
al economic growth and,
particularly, of the dra-
matic reduction in inter-
country inequality. Glo-
balization was largely
seen as a win-win mecha-
nism for both developed
and developing coun-
tries. Central to globali-
zation has been the ex-
pansion of global value
chains — the breaking up
of the production pro-
cess into a series of geo-
graphically separated
steps. Some, such as de-
sign and marketing, were
retained in developed
countries. Others, such
as manufacturing and as-
sembly, were outsourced
to developing countries.
The expectation was that
over time, developing
countries would “climb
up the value chain,” al-
lowing them to converge
with the developed West.
The COVID-19 crisis has
fundamentally challenged
the logic of globalization.
It has brutally exposed the
underlying flaws of a sys-
tem exclusively based on
cutting costs. Take, for in-
stance, the case of Switzer-
land. It derives much of its
wealth from the pharma-
ceutical industry, which is
a major driver of Swiss
exports. Together with
chemicals, pharmaceuti-
cals account for roughly
half of Swiss exports, way
ahead of jewelry, watches
and precision instruments.
Novartis and Hoffmann-La
Roche are global players.
Yet when the coronavirus
pandemic hit Switzerland,
the country was caught
completely unprepared.
At the beginning of
March, pharmacies ad-
vised Swiss citizens to fol-
low basic health meas-
ures, such as washing
hands and using hand
sanitizer. There was only
one problem: There was
no hand sanitizer, neither
in the pharmacies nor in
the supermarkets. It took
Coop, one of the country’s
two major supermarket
chains (the other is Mi-
gros), more than four
weeks to provide hand
sanitizer to its customers.
Things were equally dis-
astrous with regard to face
masks. By now it has been
well established that face
masks are an effective way
to prevent the spread of the
virus, which is carried in
tiny spit droplets. The eas-
ing of lockdown restric-
tions will ultimately de-
pend on the availability of
protective masks for any-
one venturing out into the
public. Ironically enough,
as the Swiss quickly found
out, there was not one com-
pany in the country in a
position to produce face
masks. Swiss face masks
were imported from Ger-
many, which, in the face of
a quickly escalating pan-
demic, stopped exporting
masks to its neighbors.
COVID-19 has laid bare
the soft underbelly of glo-
balization — with disas-
trous consequences. Glo-
balization has entailed
two contrary develop-
ments: deindustrializa-
tion in the north and in-
dustrialization in the
south. For years, major
Western European and
North American compa-
nies have outsourced core
areas of their manufac-
turing operations to lo-
calities overseas. Produc-
ing basic commodities
such as face masks just
was not profitable. Better
leave it to the Chinese, In-
dians or Vietnamese.
COVID-19 has been a
wake-up call — or so one
would hope. For ages, coun-
tries have refused to hand
over their vital food supply
to the outside world. Even in
Switzerland,acountrylarge-
lycoveredbymountainsand
lakes, consumers pay rela-
tively horrendous prices for
domestic agricultural prod-
ucts in order to keep domes-
tic producers alive.
FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO
WWW.FAIROBSERVER.COM
COVID-19 has challenged the logic of globalisation
U
COVID-19 crisis has
fundamentally
challenged the logic
of globalization. It
has brutally exposed
the underlying flaws
of a system
exclusively based
on cutting costs
No purifier equals knowledge,
and in time the man of perfect
discipline discovers this in his
own spirit. —Bhagavad Gita
Spiritual
SPEAK
Top
TWEET
Dharmendra Pradhan
@dpradhanbjp
PM Garib Kalyan Yojana has been
instrumental in waging a war
against the economic challenges of
#Covid19 and has played a crucial
role in mitigating the hardships of
the poor. Beneﬁciaries from Odisha
thank PM Shri @narendramodi for
the assistance in this hour of crisis.
Piyush Goyal
@PiyushGoyal
Food Security During COVID-19:
Following PM @NarendraModi
ji’s call to ensure adequate food
supplies for all, Railways has
transported 52 lakh tonnes of
foodgrains since March 25, more
than double the quantity transported
in the same period last year.

INDIAAHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2020
New Delhi: Getting in-
fected by coronavirus is
not a stigma, which
should be addressed
through an intensive
campaign, said Lav
Agarwal, Joint Secre-
tary, Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare,
here on Monday.
During a press brief-
ing, Agarwal said:
“Stigma should be ad-
dressed through an in-
tensive campaign.
We’ve to understand
that there is no risk of
transmission from re-
covered patients. They,
in fact, can be a poten-
tial source of healing
for antibodies using
plasma therapy.”
The Joint Secretary
further added that
spreading of misinfor-
mation and panic
should be avoided and
no community or area
should be labelled for
COVID-19 spread.
“We should avoid
spreading misinforma-
tion and panic. No com-
munity or area should
be labelled for COV-
ID-19 spread. In par-
ticular, healthcare and
sanitary workers or po-
lice should not be tar-
geted as they are there
to help you,” added
Agarwal while inform-
ing about the Corona
virus threat.—ANI
‘Stigma on Corona be addressed via campaign’
CLEARING THE AIR
New Delhi: Minister of
State for the Ministry
of Development of
North Eastern Region
(DoNER) Jitendra Sin-
gh on Monday, said that
five out of the eight
states in the North-East
are corona-free now.
He said that those
five states are - Sikkim,
Nagaland, Arunachal
Pradesh, Manipur and
Tripura.
“Three states in the
region - Assam, Megha-
laya and Mizoram - are
not corona-free but
there have been no new
positive cases in these
states in the recent
past,” Singh said.
Singh said that the
credit for the low inci-
dence of cases in the
North-east goes to the
way the government of
India under the leader-
ship of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has
given priority to the re-
gion’s development in
the past six years.
“Even during this
emergency, the way the
air cargo was opera-
tional in bringing sup-
plies to the region,
there was no shortage
in the area of essential
goods. From March 30
onwards, supplies kept
reaching the region
through Air India and
the Indian Air Force. It
was Prime Minister
Modi’s directive that
the North-East, Jammu
and Kashmir, Ladakh
and island areas of the
country be given prior-
ity,” Singh said.
“The governments in
all eight North-eastern
states have worked hard
and collaborated with
the Centre during this
crisis. The North-East
Development Council
which is headquartered
in Shillong has done an
excellent job of coordi-
nation during this pe-
riod,” he added.
DoNER had made
available a fund
amounting to Rs 25
crore for state govern-
ments of the region
even before the lock-
down was imposed, he
said.—ANI .
Five out of eight NE states
corona-freenow: MoS Singh
ThecreditforlowincidenceofcasesinNorth-eastgoestoModigovt’sefforts,hesaid
Delhi Pradesh Congress committee workers spray disinfectant at ITO area to contain the spread of
COVID-19 in New Delhi on Monday.
Kolkata: On the Home
Ministry order of al-
lowing some shops in
residential complexes
to open, West Bengal
CM Mamata Banerjee
said Central govern-
ment is releasing circu-
lars on lockdown with-
out considering the po-
sition of states.
“Central government
is releasing circulars
all of a sudden. I don’t
have any problem with
it but there must be
some consultation.
They should have asked
the position of states,”
Banerjee said. “On one
side they say lockdown
should be strictly main-
tained on another hand
they are saying to open
all shops. What should
we do? There is a lack
of clarity between what
Central government is
saying and their direc-
tives,” she added. This
comes after the Home
Ministry said, “in ur-
ban areas, all stan-
dalone shops, neigh-
bourhood shops, and
shops in residential
complexes are allowed
to open. Shops in mar-
kets, market complex-
es, and shopping malls
are not allowed to
open.” —ANI
Lockdown circulars
issued randomly:Didi
Women Health workers during door-to-door screening in Kolkata.
Dehradun: Uttara-
khand CM Trivendra
Singh Rawat said that
he is following PM Nar-
endra Modi’s mantra of
‘Jaan Bhi Jahan Bhi’ as
the state government is
gradually working on
improving the econom-
ic situation while ad-
hering to coronavirus
guidelines.
His remarks came af-
ter attending the meet-
ing of Chief Ministers
with the Prime Minis-
ter over the prevailing
COVID-19 situation.
“Now we are working
on the mantra ‘Jaan Bhi
Jahan Bhi’ given by the
Prime Minister. While
strictly following the
guidelines of the Gov-
ernment of India, we
are gradually working
on improving the eco-
nomic situation. Phar-
ma, food processing
units are working,
many industries have
started under the guide-
lines,” Rawat said, ac-
cording to a release by
Uttarakhand CMO
“Nine hill districts
of the state are free
from the influence of
Corona. The works of
National Highway, MN-
REGA have been start-
ed keeping in mind eve-
rything. For the eco-
nomic revival of the
state, a committee of
cabinet sub-committee
and experts has been
formed, whose report
will be received soon,”
he said. —ANI
Now working on PM’s mantra of
‘jaan bhi, jahan bhi’: U’khand CM
Agra: 10 more COV-
ID-19 cases have been
reported from Agra in
the last 24 hours, taking
the total number of cor-
onavirus cases in the
district to 381, District
Magistrate Prabhu N
Singh said on Monday.
According to the Min-
istry of Health and
Family Welfare, the to-
tal number of cases in
Uttar Pradesh has
climbed to 1,868 includ-
ing 29 deaths. —ANI
Agra’s COVID-19
tally reaches 381Dwarka: Volunteers
wearing COVID-19
themed helmets ap-
pealed to residents of
Dwarka to stay at home,
as part of an awareness
drive about COVID-19
threat initiated by Del-
hi Police.
As part of the initia-
tive, masks were also
distributed and efforts
made to sensitise peo-
ple about the COVID-19
situation to ensure that
they stay indoors and
follow social distancing
norms. “Government
has taken various steps
to create awareness
among the citizens
about the virus, and has
appealed to all the peo-
ple to follow the adviso-
ries. We selected four
volunteers to create
awareness about the
same,” said RP Meena,
DCP, Dwarka. —ANI
New Delhi: The ICMR-
rejected a tweet by Con-
gress leader Udit Raj
that coronavirus test
kits are being sold at Rs
4,500. Congress leader
Udit Raj had shared on
Twitter a message circu-
lating on social media
that “17 companies were
readytosellthecoronavi-
rustestkitsforRs500but
PM Modi got a Gujarat-
based company the con-
tract for selling kits for
Rs 4,500”. ICMR replied
on the social networking
site that the price range
for the testing kits lies
betweenRs528-1150.—ANI
Udit Raj’s tweet
on price of test kits
is fake: ICMR
Leh: A COVID-19
laboratory has been
set up in the Union
Territory of
Ladakh to ensure
timely and cost-ef-
fective sample test-
ing, officials said.
Earlier, the sam-
ples had to be sent
to Delhi by flights
leading to delays
and heavy expendi-
ture, they said.
“At this crucial
time when COV-
ID-19 poses a na-
tional challenge, we
believe that urgent
emergency resourc-
es need to be de-
ployed to fight the
crisis. We are happy
to support Ladakh
in setting up its
first COVID-19 test-
ing lab,” said Sunil
Duggal, V-P, Corpo-
rate Affairs, Pernod
Ricard India. The
new laboratory is a
fully equipped fa-
cility compliant
with ICMR stand-
ards, he said. —PTI
Ladakh gets
its first
COVID-19
Testing Lab
Hyderabad: A 5-mem-
ber Central team led by
Arun Baroka, Addition-
al Secretary, Ministry
of Jal Shakti, visited
the containment zone at
Masab Tank in Hy-
derabad to review the
measures being taken
to contain the spread of
coronavirus.
“The Central team
visited the containment
zone at Masab Tank to
review measures to con-
trol the spread of coro-
navirus,” an official
said. The official also
said that the state au-
thorities provided them
with details of corona-
virus prevention activi-
ties in the city.
Greater Hyderabad
Municipal Corporation
Commissioner Lokesh
Kumar and Zonal Com-
missioner were also
present during the in-
spection. —ANI
Central team reviews
containment zone in Hybd
COPS USE THEMED HELMETS IN DELHI
Three states
in the re-
gion - As-
sam, Meghalaya
and Mizoram - are
not corona-free but
there have been no
new positive cases
in these states in the
recent past.
Jitendra Singh,
MoS, DoNER
RISHIKESH: 20 BIGHA AREA IS ‘HOTSPOT’
MEETING DAILY NEEDS...
A woman carries a LPG cylinder on her back as another woman walks past her during the nationwide lockdown to curb the
spread of coronavirus in Kullu. —PHOTO BY ANI
NEED OF THE HOUR
Mobile dispensary for
pregnant women
launched in Nagpur
Nagpur: A mobile
dispensary service
has been started in
Nagpur for expectant
mothers.
Started by the Nag-
pur Municipal Cor-
poration (NMC), the
service is aimed at
ensuring regular
check-up for preg-
nant women during
the lockdown period.
“Due to COVID-19
and news about wom-
en in pregnancy con-
tracting the virus,
the civic body cob-
bled up the mobile
medical unit to
screen all ladies so
that they can be
checked-up and pro-
vided medical aid in
time,” said Tukaram
Mundhe, Commis-
sioner of the NMC.
The mobile dispen-
sary is equipped with
testing facilities and
medical supplies for
expectant mothers.
Nagpur has about 120
cases of coronavirus,
out of which 23 have
recovered and one
has died. The author-
ities have identified
some hotspots and
sealed such areas.
“Especially, the
unit conducted tests
in areas of the city as
containment zones.
In these areas, the
citizens are unable to
move out. They are
barred for purchases
of essential commod-
ities which is being
provided to them at
their doorsteps now,”
the Municipal Com-
missioneradded.—ANI

INDIAAHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2020
PMO CLEARS FILE TO APPOINT
TS TIRUMURTI AS NEXT
AMBASSADOR TO UN
The PMO has reportedly cleared the file to ap-
point TS Tirumurti , currently posted as Secretary
(Economic Relations) in MEA as India’s next
Ambassador to the UN. He is a 1985 batch Indian
Foreign Services officer. There were speculations
earlier that Syed Akbarruddin, who is retiring this
month, could get service extension.
DESWAL TO BE DG BSF?
Surjeet Singh Deswal is likely to be appointed
new DGP of BSF. He is 1984 batch IPS officer of
Haryana cadre.
BARRING ONE NO SECRETARY
GIVEN EXTENSION BARRING
Secretary, Health, Preeti Sudan, no other Sec-
retary scheduled to retire by month end has
been given extension in service. Earlier, it was
believed that in present scenario, Secretaries re-
tiring this month will get extension for 2-3 mths.
PRESIDENT ADMINISTERS OATH TO
HIS OWN SECRETARY AS CVC
Probably for the first time in the history of
President Secretariat, the President has admin-
istered the oath of office to his own Secretary,
Sanjay Kothari as Central Vigilance Commis-
sioner (CVC). Kothari, a 1978 batch retired
IAS officer of Haryana cadre, was Secretary
to President of India before joining as CVC.
Incidentally, the new Secretary to the President,
K D Tripathi, himself sought permission for his
predecessor Sanjay Kothari from the Presi-
dent to initiate the oath taking ceremony in the
Rashtrapati Bhawan.
NEW VIGILANCE COMMISSIONER
TO TAKE OATH THIS WEEK ?
CVC Sanjay Kothari is expected to administer
oath of office to the newly appointed Vigilance
Commissioner Suresh Patel this week.Patel was
CMD of the Andhra Bank.
POST OF JYOTI ARORA UPGRADED
TO SECRETARY RANK
The post of Jyoti Arora as Additional Secretary,
Ministry of Electronics & IT, has been upgraded to
Special Secretary & Financial Advisor rank. She is
a 1987 batch IAS officer of Haryana cadre.
POST OF B ANAND UPGRADED
TO SECRETARY RANK
The post of B Anand as Secretary, NCMM, has
been upgraded to Secretary rank. He is a 1987
batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre.
POST OF NEEL KAMAL DARABARI
UPGRADED TO SECRETARY RANK
The post of Neel Kamal Darabari as MD, Small
Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium, has been
upgraded to Secretary level.She is a 1987 batch
IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre.
POST OF BIDYUT BIHARI SWAIN
The post of Bidyut Bihari Swain as Additional
Secretary, Commerce, has been upgraded to
Special Secretary level. He is a 1988 batch IAS
officer of Gujarat cadre.
POST OF APURVA CHANDRA
The post of Apurva Chandra as Additional Sec-
retary & DG, Acquisition, has been upgraded to
Special Secretary level. He is a 1988 batch IAS
officer of Maharashrata cadre.
POWERGallery
Ahmedabad has...
be called in to work until
the situation is under
control. This step is tak-
en to control the spread
of the Sars-Cov-2 virus.
Similarly, the Home
department has banned
mass gatherings for so-
cial, political, sports,
entertainment, academ-
ic, cultural, and reli-
gious purposes. It has
also asked religious
places and places of
worship to be closed to
the public until May 03.
Anyone found violating
the order will be booked
under the Disaster Man-
agement Act.
As part of the state
government’s new
telemedicine initia-
tive, physicians, gy-
naecologists, derma-
tologists and paedia-
tricians will be avail-
able to offer patients
in 31 districts guid-
ance from 10 am to 5
pm.
The 104 helpline num-
ber has received 56,259
calls, of which 2,376
were from people who
have since availed the
necessary treatment.
Meanwhile, 6,298 of the
12,384 calls registered on
the 1100 helpline num-
ber were related to
COVID-19. The remain-
ing 6,086 were related to
other things like immu-
nity, health, hygiene.
Modi talks...
“Prime Minister said
that the country has
seen two Lockdowns till
now, both different in
certain aspects, and now
we have to think of the
way ahead. He said that
as per experts, the im-
pact of coronavirus will
remain visible in the
coming months,” the
statement added.
Modi also said that
masks and face covers
will become part of lives
of people in the days
ahead, adding every-
one’s aim must be to en-
sure rapid response un-
der the current circum-
stances.
He emphasised on the
importance of the use of
technology as much as
possible, and also to uti-
lise time to embrace re-
form measures. The
prime minister said at
the virtual meeting that
India’s population is
comparable to that of
the combined popula-
tion of several coun-
tries.
“The situation in
many countries, includ-
ing India, was almost
similar at the start of
March. However, due to
timely measures, India
has been able to protect
many people,” the state-
ment said quoting the
prime minister.
He, however, fore-
warned that the danger
of the virus is far from
over and constant vigi-
lance is of paramount
importance, it said.
He also urged the
chief ministers to factor
in the changes in weath-
er - advent of summer
and monsoon - and the
illnesses that can poten-
tially come in this sea-
son, while strategising
ahead.
Citing experts, the
prime minister said the
impact of coronavirus
will remain visible in
the coming months. Re-
iterating the mantra of
‘do gaz doori’ (maintain-
ing distance of two
yards) he said that
masks and face covers
will become part of our
lives in the days ahead.
“The PM underlined
that the lockdown has
yielded positive results
as the country has man-
aged to save thousands
of lives in the past one-
and-a-half months,” the
statement said.
The lockdown was
first announced by Modi
on March 24 in a bid to
combat the coronavirus
endemic. It was further
extended till May 3.
On the issue of get-
ting back Indians from
foreign countries, he
said that this has to be
done keeping in mind
the fact that they don’t
get inconvenienced and
their families are not
under any risk, the
statement said.
The chief ministers
praised the leadership
of the prime minister
during this period of cri-
sis, and also highlighted
the efforts undertaken
by them in containing
the virus, according to
the statement.
“They spoke about the
need to keep a close vigil
on international bor-
ders, and also on ad-
dressing the economic
challenge and ways to
further boost health in-
frastructure,” it said
without elaborating.
The leaders also ex-
pressed gratitude to-
wards the police force
and medical staff for the
exemplary work done by
them in the fight against
COVID-19.
The states that have a
number of COVID-free
districts wanted some
restrictions to be eased
so that more economic
activities could be re-
vived. However, all he
states wanted to contin-
ue the restrictions on
inter-state transporta-
tion as well as air and
railway transport, indi-
cating that the ban on
such travel would con-
tinue post May 3.
Among those present
at the virtual meet, in-
cluded Home Minister
Amit Shah, Health Min-
ister Harsh Vardhan
and top officials from
the PMO and the Union
Health Ministry.
The chief ministers
who attended the meet-
ing included Arvind Ke-
jriwal (Delhi), Uddhav
Thackeray (Maharash-
tra), E K Palaniswami
(Tamil Nadu), Conrad
Sangma (Meghalaya)
Trivendra Singh Rawat
(Uttarakhand) and Yogi
Adityanath (UP).
—With agency inputs
Faulty China...
were procured by the
government and dis-
tributed around the
country after the ICMR
recommended that ev-
ery resident in corona-
virus hotspots - or ar-
eas with a large num-
ber of cases - will be
tested for the virus.
It was decided to use
fast-track kits as the reg-
ular RT-PCR tests are
slow and have to be con-
ducted in laboratories.
Many states in the coun-
try do not have adequate
testing facilities. —ANI
RBI’s `50,000cr...
on-tap and open-ended,
and banks can submit
their bids to avail fund-
ing on any day from
Monday to Friday (ex-
cluding holidays).
The scheme is avail-
able from April 27 till
May 11 or up to utilisa-
tion of the allocated
amount whichever is
earlier. The RBI said it
will review the timeline
and amount depending
upon market condi-
tions.
Funds availed under
the facility will be used
by banks exclusively
for meeting the liquid-
ity requirements of
mutual funds by ex-
tending loans and un-
dertaking the outright
purchase of and repos
against the collateral
of investment-grade
corporate bonds, com-
mercial papers, deben-
tures and certificates
of deposit held by mu-
tual funds. —ANI
This institution...
in-charge of IIM,
Ahmedabad, and lawyer
Gaurav Jain, and said as
to why should the court
hear him, if he does not
have faith in the system.
FROM PG 1
New Delhi: Ahead of
PM Narendra Modi’s
interaction with the
CMs via video link on
Monday, the Congress,
demanded to know
about the post-lock-
down plan and the exit
roadmap.
Senior Congress lead-
er Manish Tewari said
the lockdown had been
there for more than a
month, but there had
been no clarity on a
number of issues.
“The lockdown can’t
continue for long. We
hope the Prime Minis-
ter will unveil some na-
tional plan to the Chief
Ministers.”
Under section 23 of
the Disaster Manage-
ment Act, the states
couldn’t make their
plans until a national
plan was finalised.
Tewari said the gov-
ernment didn’t antici-
pate Covid-19’s magni-
tude and took some
steps in haste. But now
the government must
know what could hap-
pen, he added.
He questioned verac-
ity of COVID-19 Task
ForceChairman’sclaim
that there would be no
case after May 16.
Cong asks PM to
define lockdown
exit strategy
New Delhi: Chief Jus-
tice of India (CJI) SA
Bobde said that SC has
given proper direc-
tions to the Centre to
provide food, shelter,
psychological counsel-
ling and other basic
necessities to the
needy people during
the lockdown.
“We have given prop-
er directions to the Cen-
tral government to pro-
vide food, shelter, psy-
chological counselling
and other basic necessi-
ties to the needy people
during this COVID-19
lockdown,” CJI Bobde
told reporters here. He
said that the judiciary
is doing whatever it can
at this time of crisis.
“It is up to the execu-
tive to decide how it can
handle the situation ef-
fectively, as far as de-
ploying money, relief
materials and volun-
teers are concerned. It
should ensure how
speedily it can handle
the crisis with a hu-
mane angle. The execu-
tive should thereby pri-
oritise its system for
expeditiously dealing
with the crisis,” CJI
Bobde said. —ANI
Have directed Centre to provide
food, counseling to needy: CJI New Delhi: The SC is-
sued a notice to the Un-
ion Ministry of Civil
Aviation on a petition
seeking airlines, both
domestic and interna-
tional, to refund the full
amount of the tickets in
relation to all flights
cancelled due to the na-
tionwide lockdown.
A bench headed by
Justice NV Ramana,
Justices SK Kaul & BR
Gavai, said that the
non-refund on the tick-
ets booked for air travel
after lockdown was “ar-
bitrary.” —ANI
New Delhi: Delhi HC
has capped maximum
price of each rapid test
kit imported by Matrix
Labs at Rs 400, includ-
ing GST. “For the people
to be assured that the
pandemic is under con-
trol and for the govern-
ments to ensure, and for
agencies engaged in the
frontline battle to safe-
guard people’’s health,
more kits/tests should
be made available ur-
gently at lowest cost
throughout the coun-
try,” said Justice Najmi
Waziri. —ANI
Delhi HC fixes
rapid test kit
price at Rs 400
SC notice on
plea for refund
on air tickets
New Delhi: The SC
asked the Centre to re-
spond to a PIL seeking
directions to media
houses not to sack jour-
nalists and non-jour-
nalists working with
them during the Cov-
id-19 lockdown.
“Other unions are
also saying this. The
question is if business
does not start, how
long will they sustain?
The issue needs hear-
ing,” a Bench of Jus-
tice NV Ramana, Jus-
tice Sanjay Kishan
Kaul and Justice BR
Gavai said.—ANI
SC SEEKS CENTRE’S RESPONSE TO
JOURNALISTS UNIONS’ PLEANew Delhi: Advocate
Fuzail Ayyubi, lawyer
of Tablighi Jamaat
chief Maulana Saad, on
Monday, said that Maul-
ana Saad is not an ab-
sconder as he has re-
sponded to the notices
seeking information
under Section 91 of the
CrPC served by Delhi
Police in the Nizamud-
din congregation case.
A search has already
taken place at his resi-
dence in Delhi in the
presence of his son. His
native place in Uttar
Pradesh has also been
searched in connection
with the case.
“Maulana Saad is not
an absconder, whenever
he will be asked to ap-
pear before Delhi Police
he will surely appear.
We have received three
notices so far and we
have responded to all
three of them,” Ayyubi
said. An FIR was regis-
tered against Saad in
New Delhi. —Agencies
‘Maulana Saad not an absconder’
Kolkata: The West Ben-
gal government has al-
ready initiated steps to
ensure the return of
Bengal students who
are stuck in Kota of Ra-
jasthan and they will
begin their return jour-
ney soon, Chief Minis-
ter Mamata Banerjee
announced on Monday.
Banerjee said she has
already instructed her
officials to help all those
from the state stranded
in various parts of the
country so that they can
come back home.
“GoWB will initiate
every possible help to
people of Bengal stuck
in diff parts of the
country due to lock-
down, in returning
home. I’’ve instructed
my officers to do the
needful,” Banerjee said
on her Twitter handle.
Banerjee assured eve-
rybody that she was
personally overseeing
the efforts and nobody
should feel helpless.
“Till the time I’’m
here, nobody from Ben-
gal should feel helpless.
I’’m with you in these
tough times,” she said.
‘Kotastudentstostart
returnjourneysoon’
Stranded Students wait to board a bus from Laxmi Mandir Circle to go to their respective home
towns situated in various districts of Rajasthan on Monday. —PHOTO BY SUNIL SHARMA
RAGA RAISES PROFITEERING ON KITS
IN THE COURTYARD
Chandigarh: Pun-
jab Chief Minister
Amarinder Singh
on Monday said for-
mer prime minister
Manmohan Singh
has accepted his re-
quest for guiding a
group of experts
formed to come out
with a post-COV-
ID-19 revival strat-
egy for the state.
I had written to
Dr Manmohan
Singh Ji to guide
us along with the
group of experts
headed by Montek
Singh Ahluwalia
& I am grateful to
him for accepting.
We have been
working hard to
steer Punjab to
the path of eco-
nomic growth &
post Covid-19 we
will again focus
on same, he tweet-
ed.—ANI
Dr Singh to
guide in corona
revival plan for
Punjab
Patna: Bihar Chief
Minister Nitish Kumar
on Monday said it is not
possible to bring back
students stranded in
Rajasthan's Kota until
the lockdown guide-
lines are revised.
The CM made this re-
mark during a video
meet with Prime Minis-
ter Narendra Modi to
discuss the situation
arising out of the coro-
navirus. "A large num-
ber of students from
Bihar are stranded in
coaching centers in Ra-
jasthan's Kota. Some
states are bringing back
their students. Howev-
er, since the state is fol-
lowing the lockdown as
per the Central govern-
ment's guidelines. It
will not be possible to
bring the students back
to the state until the
guidelines are revised,"
Nitish said. —ANI
‘Students can’t
be brought till
Centre revises
guidelines’
369 REACH J&K
Kathua: A group of
369 students, hailing
from different dis-
tricts of Jammu and
Kashmir and Ladakh,
reached here on Mon-
day from Kota on-
board 15 SRTC buses.
391 REACH ASSAM
Guwahati: Over 390
students of Assam ar-
rived here on Monday
from Kota at 3 am by
buses and have been
kept under institu-
tional quarantine.

TALKING POINTAHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2020
Taking a cue from the above, the
government has recently notified
an amendment (2020)to the Rules
to bring all medical devices under a
single regulatory framework. The new
rules are to ensure that all imported, as
well as locally made medical devices,
meet certain quality standards, making
it mandatory for all the devices to get
certified by the Central Drugs Standard
Control Organization (CDSCO), India’s
drug regulatory authority. By the new
definition of medical devices, the Un-
ion Govt expanded the scope of ‘medi-
cal devices’ to include all such devices,
interestingly even a disinfectant has
been included in the new definition of
medical devices.
The Medical Device Rules, 2017,
and the amendment Rules of 2020
have many attractive features that
encourage the medical device sec-
tor in India. By introducing a single
online portal, the registration process
has been streamlined. An audit by the
notified bodies will further increase
the manufacturing quality of devices.
A change in clinical trial requirements
will encourage the innovation of new
medical devices. The regulations
will thus encourage domestic manu-
facturing and increased scrutiny of
Import License documents. However,
there are still some grey areas and
it is important to bring these to the
attention of the stakeholders. They
include rapid testing to probe the risk
associated with devices, securing the
market for domestic manufacturers,
which in turn will increase competi-
tion resultantly bringing down costs
and reduction in imports, separate FDI
Framework for medical device industry
that is independent of regulations
governing the pharmaceutical sec-
tor, penalising frauds exclusively for
medical devices. Mere control through
licensing, testing, and certification
could result in red-tapism, and delays
in the final product reaching the mar-
ket, which could, in turn, lead to a lack
of timely treatment of patients.
Lastly, the industry is surviving a
regulatory vacuum & regular patient
safety concerns. The recent J&J hip
implant frauds and the most recent
ban on Transvaginal Pelvic Mesh by
USFDA due to potent risk to women
made the Indian regulators seri-
ously think to look medical devices
as a different sector altogether. It has
become imperative to have a separate
law as devices are engineering items
and not medicine, continued attempts
to regulate them as drugs are irra-
tional. Separate penal provisions for
the manufacturers or importers for
faulty medical devices having adverse
impacts on patients should be included
in the existing provisions. Separate
legislation for the same would be a
welcome step.
REGULATION OF MEDICAL
DEVICES IN INDIA
Govthasrecentlynotifiedanamendment(2020)totheRulestobringallmedicaldevicesunderasingleregulatory
framework.Therulesensurethatallimported,aswellaslocallymademedicaldevices,meetcertainqualitystandards
Despite such widespread
significance, there
were fundamental and
systematic issues persist-
ing in this industry. The
most common concern is
Device safety and efficacy.
Lack of regulatory sys-
tems with global stand-
ards has put a patient’s
life at stake. Poor device
safety and functionality
have been crucially related
to legislative loopholes
which makes it easy for
device makers to get their
products in the market
before proper testing.
Lack of quality product
testing in India is another
hurdle that results in sub-
standard devices occupy-
ing the market. Rampant
imports at a low cost not
only lead to poor quality
equipment but a big it is
a big impediment to the
domestic manufacturers
as well. The absence of
regulatory oversight and
lack of reporting of failure
of medical devices has
added to the issues sur-
rounding this sector. Other
combinations of issues
include malfunctioning of
the devices, instructions/
labeling/packaging issues,
and lack of understanding
of use related issues. As
we’ve seen, though, each
of these major problems
with the health care device
market has captured the
attention of regulators and
those concerned, the govt
is yet to attain a safer and
more transparent indus-
try. In such a scenario,
proper manufacturing,
regulation, planning,
assessment, acquisition,
management, and use of
medical devices which
are of good quality, safe,
and compatible with the
settings in which they are
used has become quintes-
sential. Indian medical
devices and equipment
sector with the majority
of medical devices sold in
India imported from other
countries (currently 75%)
went unregulated until
the notification of Medi-
cal Devices Rule, 2017
came out. The Indian govt
stepped up and initiated
some reforms for improv-
ing the quality of the
medical device sector. The
CDSCO under the Ministry
of Health regulates the
safety, efficacy, and quality
of notified medical devices
under the provisions of
Drugs and Cosmetics Act,
1940, and the Rules made
thereunder.
ALL MEDICAL DEVICES UNDER SINGLE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
FUNDAMENTAL AND SYSTEMATIC ISSUES
I
n the wake of reports of
faulty test kits and pro-
tective gear purchased
by India from China, In-
dia’s medical device indus-
try has been in limelight
again which can hamper In-
dia’s fight against COVID -19.
In the past too, India has
faced such failures over pa-
tient safety, quality control,
and efficacy of the medical
devices and equipment, be it
Johnson’s and Johnson’s
faulty hip transplants lead-
ing to disabilities in patients
or use of unapproved drug-
eluting cardiac stents threat-
ening cardiac care in India.
At the time when India has
been looking at scaling up
testing and surveillance due
to increased disease burden,
the significance of regula-
tion, and monitoring of med-
ical devices cannot be over-
emphasized.
Medical Devices, in gen-
eral, mean any instrument,
apparatus, implement, ma-
chine, implant, or other to be
used for the specific medical
purposes of diagnosis, pre-
vention. monitoring, treat-
ment, or alleviation of dis-
eases or injuries, supporting
or sustaining lives, control
of conception, replacement,
modification, support or
providing information of
physiological process. Rang-
ing from simple thermome-
ters, stethoscopes and
tongue depressors to com-
plex devices like pacemak-
ers with microchip technol-
ogy, ultrasound, etc., medi-
cal devices are essential for
safe and effective preven-
tion, diagnosis, treatment
and rehabilitation of illness
and disease.
Until recently, the health-
care stakeholders, i.e., doc-
tors, patients, physicians,
employers, insurance com-
panies, pharmaceutical
firms, and government were
focused on the drugs and
other pharmaceuticals.
There was a limited aware-
ness which led to free hands
on the medical devices regu-
lation. Now, India attaches
great significance to medical
devices as they are quintes-
sential to healthcare. The
industry is expected to grow
drastically over the next sev-
eral years amidst the rising
demands, high incomes and
growing middle class, speed
innovation and technology
changes, increased public
health awareness and spend-
ing and government health
initiatives.
In January 2017, the Min-
istry of Health and Family
Welfare released the long-
awaited Medical Device
Rules of 2017, which came
into effect on Jan 1, 2018.
Upon implementation,
these rules replaced the
existing provision regulat-
ing Medical Devices under
the Drugs and Cosmetics
Act (DCA). Prior to imple-
mentation of the Act, the
medical device industry in
India was largely unregulat-
ed, except for a few devices
specifically notified under
DCA. The list of covered
devices was limited (only
15 medical devices were
included), and the DCA
treated these devices as
drugs rather than establish-
ing regulations tailored to
the medical device indus-
try. The implementation
of Medical Devices Rules
2017 attempted to establish
a uniform regime for medi-
cal device manufacturing
and marketing sector and
to bring it at par with the
global standards. It laid
down a risk-based classifi-
cation of medical devices.
The rules notified an in-
creased number of medical
devices to be regulated
and separate provisions for
a clinical trial of medical
devices to access safety,
performance, and efficacy.
Certifying bodies for third
party assessment was also
notified. Strict registration
and licensing norms and
post-market surveillance
to ensure safety, perfor-
mance, and adaptability
of the device were the key
highlights.
Notifying 2017 rules was
a step in the right direc-
tion. However, there still
existed some gaps and
ambiguities. Bringing into
domain larger no of medi-
cal devices was the ultimate
aim with opportunities for
domestic manufacturers to
penetrate into the market.
The pricing of the devices
was still determined by
market forces resulting in
out of pocket expenditures
and poverty shocks. The
country still witnessed
scandals, the biggest of
which was the faulty hip
implant resulting in severe
patient disabilities. Medical
devices outside of these
“notified” device categories,
with unproven designs,
poor quality control, limited
defect traceability, and
inconsistent reliability are
freely circulated in the
market.
UNIFORM REGIME FOR MEDICAL DEVICE INDUSTRY
ADITYA JAIN NEHA
GYAMLANIAdvocate on Record
at Supreme Court
of India
Advocate at Supreme
Court of India
DESIGN: ABHISHEK GUPTA

Want a quick way to gain self
confidence? Go ahead and DO
that ONE thing which scares you
the most!
—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India
AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2020www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
08
2NDFRONT
First India News
Gandhinagar: The
wheat procurement
which had actually
begun before the Cov-
id-19 outbreak re-
sumed amid modified
lockdown guidelines
on Monday in the state
with few farmers reach-
ing the centres. Gujarat
State Civil Supplies Cor-
poration (GSCSC) has
designated 219 centres
across the state.
The wheat procure-
ment has resumed at a
time when the market
price of the wheat has
slipped below the MSP
announced by the govt.
The Centre has hiked
the MSP for the grain by
85 per quintal to 1,925
for 2019-20. As on April
25, wheat market prices
quoted in the range of
1,710-1,805 with the
modal price at 1,735 for
the Lokvan variety. The
arrivals were reported
at 760 tonnes. Last year
around same time, ar-
rivals were at 320 tonnes
with a price range of
1,825-2,050 with a modal
price at 1,890 a quintal.
In all 30,435 farmers
have registered to par-
ticipate in the MSP op-
erations through GSC-
SC. On the first day, 38
farmers participated
andtheagencyprocured
about 1,449 quintals
worth about 28 lakh.
It is noteworthy that
the procurement pro-
cess is to be completed
by 30 May and GSCSC
has asked farmers to
register themselves for
the process latest by 10
May. Another important
aspect this year is that
the registered farmers
will have to bring the
crop to GSCSC desig-
nated warehouses or
godowns leaving the
APMCs aside. The logic
behind new procure-
ment method is due to
logistical convenience
and quality control.
“Unlike the procure-
ment of crops such as
groundnut and tur,
which we do on behalf
of Nafed, this is our
own purchases and we
will use it as per the di-
rections from Food Cor-
poration of India. So
this gives us better con-
trol over the stock and
convenience to farmers
to bring it directly to the
warehouses,” an official
revealed. Once regis-
tered, the farmers are
intimated through an
SMS about the time and
date allotted to them for
procurement at the des-
ignated warehouse/
procurement centre.
Gujarat has reported
total wheat cultivation
on 13.95 lakh hectares
for rabi season ending
February 2020, which is
about 73 per cent higher
than last year.
First India News
Ahmedabad: A rail-
way employee from
Ahmedabad in Gujarat
who tested positive for
coronavirus on Monday
claimed local health of-
ficials were not testing
his wife and three chil-
dren despite his father
having died of COV-
ID-19 and his mother
being on ventilator sup-
port after getting in-
fected.
Refuting the allega-
tions, Ahmedabad
Municipal Corpora-
tion officials said, in
fact, it was the family
which failed to re-
spond after health
teams approached
them following the
36-year-old man’s fa-
ther testing positive
on April 23.
“My father tested
positive on April 23
and died in a civil
hospital on April 25.
My mother too got in-
fected and has been
on ventilator support
since she was admit-
ted on April 24. In
fact, after attending
my father’s last rites,
I myself went to hos-
pital to get tested and
my report returned
positive today,” the
railway employee, a
resident of Saraspur,
said.
“I fear my wife and
three children may
have also got infected as
we live together. They
are in home quaran-
tine. But no AMC health
official has reached out
to us as yet to conduct
tests,” he claimed over
phone from hospital.
However, Dr Vijay
Desai, Medical Offic-
er of Saraspur ward,
said, “The family did
not respond when ap-
proached by the
health team. After
the father tested posi-
tive, we asked the
family to get tested.
I made three calls
on April 25 to this
man but did not get a
response.
Even his brother re-
fused to tell us any-
thing, including trav-
el history.” Desai said
health officials will
approach the family
again to get them
tested.
First India News
Ahmedabad: 54 Guja-
rat students stranded in
Karnataka ever since
lockdown have finally
reunited with their par-
ents in the state. The
students reached
Ahmedabad Govt guest
house on Monday after-
noon travelling in 3 Ra-
jahamsa buses.
Their parents hap-
pily received them
and took them to
their homes in vari-
ous cities of Gujarat.
The students are
studying in various
medical colleges in
Karnataka.The stu-
dents were ferried
from Bagalkot, Dhar-
wad, Haveri, Davan-
gere and Chitradurg
in Karnataka. On be-
ing asked whether the
students stranded in
other states too will
be brought back in
similar manner the
college officials said
that they were simply
following orders from
RGUHS and Gover-
nor’s office.
The students from
Gujarat started from
Karnataka on Sunday
night after proper medi-
cal checkup. The trans-
port arrangements
were made in coordina-
tion with state police
officers, director of
technical education
among others.
A college official
said they approached
the DC after parents
of the students ex-
pressed concerns
about the safety of
their children. The
registrar of RGUHS
had written to the ad-
ditional chief secre-
tary to provide police
personnel for the
three buses. Clearly
these students were
fortunate to have in-
fluential parents who
could knock on such
doors who bore fruit
in such pressing
times. One can easily
understand the plight
of other students also
from well to do fami-
lies but certainly
lacking proper con-
nection to re unite
them with their par-
ents.
Needless to say when
such is the condition
of students and their
families, who pay
lakhs of rupees dona-
tion to make their kids
study in such prestig-
ious colleges, the issue
of the poor migrant
workers id hard to
comprehend for the
power gallery.
WHEAT PROCUREMENT AT
INCREASED MSP RESUMES
InfectedmansaysAMC
not testing wife, kid
Good chapter: 54 Guj students
from Karnataka reach home
Duo ferrying liquor in
disguise of hospital
guards held
Covid-19 finds third
news channel victim
First India News
Vadodara: Tough
lockdown measures
have forced the smug-
glers to adopt yet
more innovative ways
to fool more vigil po-
lice. Two persons fer-
rying liquor were ar-
rested by the crime
branch in Manjalpur
area. The liquor
smugglers were pos-
ing as SSG hospital
security guards as
they flashed their
fake id cards.
“They prepared the
duplicate card and
whenever they were in-
tercepted by the cops,
theaccusedusedtoflash
this identity card.They
used to claim that they
wereoutforservingpeo-
ple,” said Jaydeep Sinh
Jadeja, DCP (Crime).
The cops have seized liq-
uor stock, two mobile
phones, a fake id card
and two motorbikes
from the accused. The
cops are now investigat-
ing how many trips they
made to ferry liquor
during the lockdown
and also if anybody
from the hospital as in-
volved in the nexus.
First India News
Ahmedabad: A 38 year
old news reporter of
ABP Asmita was found
to be corona positive on
Monday. News reporter,
resident of Pethapur
near Gandhinagar, is a
asymptomatic patient.
This makes him third
news channel victim
working for a news
channel in the city. Two
days ago two more per-
sons tested positive.
Identification of third
media victim alarmed
the top bureaucrats so
much that all senior of-
ficers shied away from
their daily sheeduled
media briefings on
Monday.
The latest victim is
currently at his resi-
dence waiting for
health authorities to
reach him and get ad-
mitted to, most prob-
ably, Samras Covid-
Care Centre in
Ahmedabad.Two days
ago, a video editor at
Network18 and a cam-
eraman in Zee 24
News, both from
Ahmedabad, were
found positive.
These three cases
perfectly bring forth
the high risk category
media persons are in
to as they confront
very similar condi-
tions as the other co-
rona warriors do on
daily basis. Other
states like Rajasthan
have already started
special drives to test
the media personnel
for Covid-19.
Centre offers higher MSP for wheat than the market , windfall for Farmers!
Unlike the
procure-
ment of
crops such as
groundnut and tur,
which we do on be-
half of Nafed, this is
our own purchases
and we will use it as
per the directions
from Food Corpora-
tion of India thus
giving us better con-
trol over quality.
—A GSCSC Official
SNIPPETS FROM LIFE
People placed their carry bags in a queue and wait for their turn to collect free grain
outside the ration shop in Ahmedabad earlier
Nine more persons have been discharged from the
AMC’s Covid-Care Centre at Samras hostel, where
patients with mild or no symptoms are admitted for
treatment.
Vegetable vendors in Ahmedabad continue their protest at the Sabarmati River
Front, where they have been demanding space near the APMC market to sell vegeta-
bles. They say the authorities have given their space to fruit vendors.
—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI
—FILE PHOTO
—FILE PHOTO
—FILE PHOTO

AHMEDABAD, TUESDAY
APRIL 28, 2020
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia
facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia 09
BELLES OF
BALLET
allet originated in
the Italian Renais-
sance courts of the
15th century. Noble-
men and women
were treated to lav-
ish events, especial-
ly wedding celebrations,
where dancing and music
created an elaborate specta-
cle. In the 16th century,
Catherine de Medici be-
gan to fund ballet
in the French
court. Her elaborate
festivals encouraged the
growth of ballet de cour, a
program that included
dance, decor, costume,
song, music and poetry.
A century later, King Lou-
is XIV helped to popularize
and standardize the art
form. A passionate danc-
er, he performed many
roles himself, including
that of the Sun King in
Ballet de la Nuit. By
1661, a dance acade-
my had opened in
Paris, and in 1681 bal-
let moved from the courts to
the stage. The French opera
Le Triomphe de l’Amour in-
corporated ballet elements,
creating a long-standing op-
era-ballettraditioninFrance.
By the mid-1700s French bal-
let master, Jean Georges No-
verre rebelled against the ar-
tifice of opera-ballet, believ-
ing that ballet could stand on
its own as an art form. He in-
troduced the ballet d’action, a
dramatic style of ballet that
conveys a narrative. Early
classical ballets such as Gi-
selle and La Sylphide were
created during the Roman-
tic Movement in the first half
of the 19th century. This
movement influenced art,
music and ballet. This is also
the period of time when danc-
ing on the tips of the toes,
known as pointe work, be-
came the norm for the balle-
rina. The romantic tutu, a
calf-length, full skirt made of
tulle, was introduced. The
popularity of ballet soared in
Russia, and, during the latter
half of the 19th century, Rus-
sian choreographers and
composers took it to
new heights. Marius
Petipa’s The Nut-
cracker, The Sleeping
Beauty and Swan
Lake, by Petipa and
Lev Ivanov, represent
classical ballet in its
grandest form.
C h o r e o g r a -
pher and New York City
Ballet founder George Bal-
anchine, introduced the neo-
classicalballet,anexpansion
on the classical form. He also
is considered by many to be
the greatest innovator of
the contemporary “plot-
less” ballet. With no defi-
nite storyline, its purpose
is to use movement to ex-
press the music and to il-
luminate human emotion
and endeavor. Today, bal-
let is multi-faceted. Clas-
sical forms, tradition-
al stories and contem-
porary choreographic
innovations inter-
twine to produce the
character of modern
ballet.
B
Ballet is a beautiful art form, it is aesthetic, ethereal
and lifts the soul of the Dancer and audience. City First
peeks into the history of this dance form!
In India Ballet has not reached
its full potential because we
are so rich in our own culture
of music and dance with so
many different styles that
exposure of Ballet has always
been limited and there are not
too many who are teaching it
and performing it.
NEHAL NAYAR
nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in
BELLES OF
BALLET
BELLES OF
BALLET

f you’re a child of
the ‘80s like I am, John Hughes
movies were a major force in de-
fining your youth. You may not
be able to recall what you had for
breakfast yesterday morning,
but you can still recite every
word of “The Breakfast Club” three decades
later. The brain works in mysterious ways.
“The Edge of Seventeen” is a strong succes-
sor to Hughes’ legacy with its mix of biting
humor and bittersweet heart. With her fea-
ture filmmaking debut, writer/director Kelly
Fremon Craig hits many of the relatable
notes and angst-filled moments that are sta-
ples of the teen dramedy genre: the narcis-
sistic sensation that everything happening in
your life is super-important, the awkward-
ness of struggling to forge an identity within
the high-stakes pressure cooker of high
school. But it’s also darker and truer than
Hughes’ films usually dared to be, and it up-
dates his characterizations in ways that are
essential for today’s audiences.
Primarily, though, “The Edge of Seven-
teen” is a delight, with Hailee Steinfeld
serving as the radiant star at its center. An
Oscar nominee for the Coen brothers’ 2010
version of “True Grit” and a pop star on the
rise, Steinfeld further reveals her versatil-
ity as a whip-smart yet socially moronic
teenager named Nadine. Her one and only
friend since childhood is the perky and
slightly better-adjusted Krista (Haley Lu
Richardson). Her older brother, Darian
(Blake Jenner, so likable as the wide-eyed,
freshman baseball player in “Everybody
Wants Some!!”), is the golden boy who can
do no wrong. Her widowed mother, Mona
(Kyra Sedgwick), works hard to support the
family as a frazzled, single mom.
Every day is miserable for Nadine, as you
can imagine it must be when hormones and
immaturity won’t allow you to enjoy being
the smartest person in the room. She finds a
worthy sparring partner for her lacerating
wit in her history teacher, Mr. Bruner (a won-
derfully understated Woody Harrelson), who
dishes it out as well as he takes it and seems
undaunted by her insubordination. On the
contrary, he actually seems to enjoy their lit-
tle lunchtime spats. The snappy rapport be-
tween Steinfeld and Harrelson make these
scenes some of the film’s best.
Her other unlikely ally is the sweet, smart
Erwin (Hayden Szeto), the slightly nerdy but
deeply decent classmate who harbors a not-
so-secret crush on her. Szeto is a tremendous
find: cute and charismatic, he benefits great-
ly from Craig’s willingness to defy expecta-
tions about high school types. And in creat-
ing an Asian character who emerges as both
a hero and a heartthrob by the film’s end,
Craig rights some of the late Hughes’
wrongs, particularly when it came to
broad, ethnic caricatures. Just try watching
Long Duk Dong’s wacky shtick in “Sixteen
Candles” now without cringing.
Nadine’s whole world, precarious as it al-
ready was, comes crashing down when her
best friend hooks up with her brother after a
long night of drinking—and then starts dat-
ing him seriously. She tries going along with
it at first, joining Darian and Krista at the
kind of raging party that only takes place in
teen movies. But she also acts out, trying in
vain to recoup some sense of self. This leads
to another staple of the genre: the accidental
sending of a massively embarrassing mis-
sive. Since it’s 2016, Nadine’s love note takes
the form of a Facebook message to a good-
looking bad boy named Nick (Alexander Cal-
vert). (“God, juvie made him so hot,” she com-
ments longingly toward the film’s start.)
One of Craig’s many clever touches: The
first time Nadine works up the nerve to talk
to Nick, Spandau Ballet’s “True” queues up
in the background in what has to be an hom-
age to “Sixteen Candles.” Even the trying-
on-clothes montage in preparation for her
big night with Nick takes place through a
different prism than you might expect. And
the melancholy tone Craig ultimately sets
for this section of Nadine’s misadventures
is another great example of the risks she’s
prepared to take. Much
of “The Edge of Seventeen” is
zippy and zingy, but Craig seems
just as comfortable taking the sto-
ry into sadder, more honest direc-
tions. She doesn’t necessarily
wrap everything up in a way
that’s tidy and pleasing.
Similarly, much of what
makes Nadine so compelling is
that fact that she isn’t always
nice. She’s capable of laughing
at herself for her frequent fol-
lies, but her default mode is
misanthropy, and she doesn’t
suffer fools. She can be mean
and impulsive and she’s often
the victim of her own undo-
ing. Steinfeld makes this in-
triguing jumble of contradic-
tions feel real and alive. She
doesn’t seem interested in
making us like this girl
who’s perched on the
edge of womanhood.
She just tries to make
her feel true—and
that’s what makes
us love her.
but you can still recite every
word of “The Breakfast Club” three decades
“The Edge of Seventeen” is a strong succes-
sor to Hughes’ legacy with its mix of biting
humor and bittersweet heart. With her fea-
ture filmmaking debut, writer/director Kelly
Fremon Craig hits many of the relatable
notes and angst-filled moments that are sta-
ples of the teen dramedy genre: the narcis-
sistic sensation that everything happening in
your life is super-important, the awkward-
ness of struggling to forge an identity within
the high-stakes pressure cooker of high
worthy sparring partner for her lacerating
10
WATCH LISTAHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2020www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
The ofEDGE
SEVENTEEN
broad, ethnic caricatures. Just try watching
AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2020
the smartest person in the room. She finds a
best friend hooks up with her brother after a
long night of drinking—and then starts dat-
ing him seriously. She tries going along with
it at first, joining Darian and Krista at the
kind of raging party that only takes place in
teen movies. But she also acts out, trying in
vain to recoup some sense of self. This leads
to another staple of the genre: the accidental
sending of a massively embarrassing mis-
sive. Since it’s 2016, Nadine’s love note takes
the form of a Facebook message to a good-
looking bad boy named Nick (Alexander Cal-
vert). (“God, juvie made him so hot,” she com-
ments longingly toward the film’s start.)
first time Nadine works up the nerve to talk
to Nick, Spandau Ballet’s “True” queues up
SOURCE: HTTPS://WWW.ROGEREBERT.COM/REVIEWS/THE-EDGE-OF-SEVENTEEN-2016
I
FACEOFTHEDAY
JUHI TOLANI, Influencer
YOUR
DAYHoroscope by
Saurabbh Sachdeva
LEO
JULY 24 - AUGUST 23
On the personal front, you
will do everything to
sponsor the expensive
education of your kid. You
are a very good boss and you always
keep everyone in consideration. You
must deal with any difficult situation
with patience rather then over
overacting at that moment.
LIBRA
SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22
For youngsters the
expensive rented
accommodation may be
getting difficult to manage
so search for alternatives in advance,
before things go out of hand. On
academic front, you may face a
tough competition but that will only
make you ready to out stand.
ARIES
MAR 21 - APR 20
On domestic front, your
spouse needs to take of
their health as over
exertion may make them
feel low. On academic front, you will
make most of your time. Don’t keep
quite in ego when it comes to the
matter of love otherwise you will
loose all that was special.
SAGITTARIUS
NOV 23 - DEC 22
On the family front, you
must refrain from doing
anything that may hurt your
family’s prestige. On the
academic front, students will do justice
to their preparations for exam. Do not
irritate your lover by trying to control
them, leave them free to decide
whatever they wish.
GEMINI
MAY 21 - JUNE 21
You may find yourself
burdened with too many
responsibilities on work
front but this dedication
will soon pay in a form of promotion
or a hike in salary or may be both.
You are the back bone of your family
and your parents are very proud of
you.
AQUARIUS
JAN 21 - FEB 19
You must work out on
changing your current
lifestyle to see some positive
changes in your life.
Property dealers may just make a huge
profit in real estate market. You must
pursue the career of your interest
without any external influence in this
regard.
TAURUS
APR 21 - MAY 20
Females trying to conceive
may soon get a good
news. Some sudden
expensive may ruin your
budget but relax it will be an expense
for some thing worth it. Some of
you may feel inclined to pursue arts
for career and your parents or dear
ones may totally support you for it.
CAPRICORN
DEC 23 - JAN 20
Your senior is sometime
bias towards you but that
should not make you take
him for granted. You are
satisfied with your earnings at
present. This is a very good time to
start with any kind of construction.
On academic front, you may travel in
future because of some quiz.
VIRGO
AUG 24 - SEP 23
On the personal front,
some of your are very keen
these days to save as
much money as possible.
Your close one may get married and
you may be involved majorly in some
or the other way. On academic front,
your sharp memory will help you big
time in excelling.
CANCER
JUNE 22 - JULY 23
You will feel very
emotional for your parents
in general. You are working
very hard in preparing for
the competition exams and your hard
work will surely pay one day. Your
new business is doing good but you
need to have some patience when it
comes to profit.
PISCES
FEB20 - MARCH 20
You may just get the
chance to become big at
the time when you will
least expect. The peaceful
environment at home will help you to
relax after some tiresome jobs. On
academic front, you are focused and
clear in terms of what you have to do
with life.
SCORPIO
OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22
You must surround
yourself with fitness freaks
to make it your lifestyle. On
the personal front, you
believe in healthy competition. You
are very controlling but at the same
time don’t forget to give some space
to your kids. Your lover is totally
awestruck by you.

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