AMRITSAR: A Pakistani drone entering into India from along the International Border in Punjab has been shot down by the Border Security Force (BSF) troops on Friday, a senior officer said. The unmanned aerial vehicle was downed around 2:30 am near border post Rear Kakkar in the Amritsar sector of the state.
The drone has been recovered this morning between the border fence and zero line. A packet containing suspected contraband has also been recovered with it, a BSF spokesperson said.
Further search for possible drone droppings is underway in the area, he said.

NEW DELHI: The government is likely to clear the names of three high court chief justices and two HC judges recommended for elevation to the Supreme Court, sources said.
On December 13 last year, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended to the government to appoint Justice Pankaj Mithal, Chief Justice, Rajasthan High Court; Justice Sanjay Karol, Chief Justice, Patna High Court; Justice P V Sanjay Kumar, Chief Justice, Manipur High Court; Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah of Patna High Court; and Justice Manoj Misra of Allahabad High Court as apex court judges.
Sources aware of judicial appointments told PTI that the government is likely to clear their appointments.
Once the five take oath as judges of the top court, its working strength will go up to 32.
The sanctioned strength of the apex court is 34, including the Chief Justice of India. Its present working strength is 27.
On January 31, the Supreme Court collegium recommended two more names for elevation as top court judges- Justice Rajesh Bindal, Chief Justice, Allahabad High Court and Justice Aravind Kumar, Chief Justice, High Court of Gujarat.
While recommending their names, the SC Collegium had said the names recommended by it on 13 December 2022 “shall have precedence over the two names recommended presently for appointment to the Supreme Court”.
“Therefore, the appointments of five judges recommended on 13 December 2022 should be notified separately and earlier in point of time before the two judges recommended by this resolution,” it had told the Law Ministry.

Radhika Madan, who made a transition from television to films, recently spoke about the work culture in the TV industry. In an interview, Radhika, who started her career with the TV show Meri Aashiqui Tumse Hi, which was on air from 2014-16, said that she did 48 hour-shifts and the scripts, too, were never written in advance. She said that a director had once told her that if she wanted to understand a character well, that can be done in a film, but on TV, owing to telecast issues, one can’t focus on the script.
Radhika was slammed by actress Sayantani Ghosh and producer Ekta Kapoor for not being grateful to the TV industry that gave her a break in showbiz. However, the truth is, the working hours in the TV industry have always been hectic. In fact, 10 years ago, they were far more erratic, but in recent times, the conditions have improved considerably. We take a look at how things have changed in the telly industry over the past four decades…

‘Working in the 80s was more relaxed because there was just one channel’

In the 80s, there was only Doordarshan and shows aired just once a week. The actors got ample time to prepare for their scenes and so did the technicians. Veteran actress Sushmita Mukherjee, who became popular as Kitty in Karamchand, which aired in 1985, shares her experience of working at that time.
Sushmita says, “In those days, the work environment was far more relaxed and since it was a weekly show, we used to get a lot of time to rehearse. There were no issues with telecast because we had only one channel — Doordarshan. Later, with more channels and daily soaps taking over, the scenario changed.”
‘Things changed with satellite channels coming in. Ratings became more important’
The early 90s saw the advent of satellite channels, and gradually with more channels coming in, things began to change. Sushmita, who continued to work on TV, recounts, “When satellite channels came in, TV shows became market-driven products. I worked in shows like Kavvyanjali, Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo, Kabhi Saas Kabhi Bahu and Balika Vadhu. We did have long working hours — 12-16 hour shifts — but that was the nature of the beast. I have seen days when we used to sleep on the sets due to long working hours. But it was a question of our bread and butter and we also got to play interesting roles.”

‘Scripts were changed last minute because of the TRP pressure’

(Nausheen Ali Sardar)
Television Rating Point (TRP) became the buzzword in the millennium and hence scripts of shows were constantly altered to boost ratings. This happens to date. Nausheen Ali Sardar, who played the title role in Kkusum (2001), says, “I remember in those days, sometimes we used to wait till midnight for final approvals on the script because it was undergoing changes. Script taaza aa rahi hai is a sentence that has been used since those days, it’s not new.” However, the actress does not blame anyone for this. She says, “I don’t think anyone can be blamed for it because that is the nature of the medium.”

‘If actors are not happy, they should change their profession’

(Binaiferr Kohli)
Echoing the general sentiment of makers, producer Binaiferr Kohli says, “We did have long working hours in the past, but no one put a gun on anyone’s head en then. We don’t work beyond 12 hours now. Things are definitely more organised and better today.
If one is still not happy with things, then they should change their profession. But after doing TV and climbing the ladder, you can’t say TV had long working hours… there is no need to demean the profession. Everyone knows how TV
actors have earned and bought multiple houses, luxurious cars and prospered.”

‘Actors spend a lot of time travelling’

(Aasif Sheikh)
Aasif Sheikh, who has been a part of the telly industry for more than three decades and is currently seen in Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai!, says, “Long working hours are a part of the business. Sets are situated in Naigaon and far-off areas, as a result, actors spend a lot of time travelling and don’t have much of a social life. Of course, you earn a lot of money, fame and adulation, which you wouldn’t get in any other medium, but a proper system needs to be in place.”

‘Working conditions have improved now’

(Amit Behl)
In the last few years, the working hours are no longer as hectic as they used to be. Many production houses now have episodes in the bank, so overall, it has become less strenuous for the creative teams. Post pandemic, it has become even better
after Cine And TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) stepped in. Amit Behl, actor and General Secretary, CINTAA, says, “During the pandemic, since everyone was working in a bio-bubble, all the associations, producers and broadcasters collectively agreed on the 12-hour work shift. If any actor works for more than 12 hours, then they are paid for the additional number of hours. Gone are the days when people used to sleep on the sets.”

‘Actors need to strike a healthy work-life balance’

(Manav Gohil)
Manav Gohil feels actors themselves need to strike a work-life balance. He says, “Ideally, everyone should get one weekly off, but that doesn’t happen. Cribbing about the medium, though, won’t help. In the last two decades, I have made it a point to take my holidays, go to the gym before I reach the set and spend my breaks in my vanity vans doing something that I like. You need to strike a healthy and happy work-life balance yourself.”

Hina Khan can’t believe she has completed 14 years in showbiz. But it’s been a great journey so far, she says. From playing the demure Akshara in Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai for eight years, to being the real Hina Khan in Bigg Boss 11, to walking the red carpet at Cannes for the first time in 2019, she has come a long way. The actress says, “Everything that happened to me was God’s will. For someone like me who came here without a godfather, every opportunity as a highlight and I am grateful for everything.”
Her debut role helped her grow as an actor. She shares, “I was a part of Yeh Rishta… for eight years. I was fortunate that my role as Akshara kept evolving and it also gave me a lot of recognition.”

Nothing comes easy though and Hina admits that a career in showbiz involves a lot of hard work. She says, “I have worked very hard and it affected my health, too. But there have been many advantages as well. I have fulfilled my dream and this profession has given me a lot. So I always advise youngsters who want to pursue acting that they have to be patient and be willing to put in a lot of hard work. And they also have to constantly work on themselves. I am someone who likes to learn and I always accept my shortcomings. It is important to see where you lack and improve on that. It makes me a better performer and a decent human being (smiles).”

On the personal front, Hina lost her father during the pandemic and it has been a difficult phase for her. “I haven’t yet come to terms with it. But it is a part of life and I share a great relationship with my family. I’m happy in my personal life, too (she has been in a relationship with supervising producer Rocky Jaiswal for 13 years). I couldn’t have asked for more,” says Hina, who has shot for a web show and has a few other projects lined up. “I am in no rush. Now I want to focus on quality work rather than quantity.”

MUMBAI: The brutal stock rout in Gautam Adani’s companies continued Friday, an indication that the billionaire needs to do more to restore confidence in his conglomerate’s financial health after accusations of fraud by a short-seller erased half of the group’s market value.
The group’s 10 stocks all fell in early Mumbai trading. Flagship Adani Enterprises Ltd. dropped as much as 10%, adding to a nearly 50% plunge in the last two sessions. The selloff has caused a $118 billion wipeout for Adani’s business empire, one of the worst in India’s history.
The continued slump reflects worries about Adani’s access to funding after he scrapped a stock offering this week, and as long-held concerns about the group’s 1.6 trillion rupees ($19.7 billion) debt load were propelled onto the global stage by Hindenburg Research. The embattled tycoon is in talks with creditors to prepay some loans backed by pledged shares, as some banks stopped accepting the securities of the group that spans from ports to energy as collateral in client trades.
“Markets are looking for clarity on allegations and are likely not calmed via clearing of pledges,” said Nitin Chanduka, a strategist with Bloomberg Intelligence.
The crisis of confidence in Adani has become a national issue with opposition lawmakers disrupting parliament on Thursday to demand answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, given how closely his interests are intertwined with the nation’s growth plans. Government officials have sought to downplay the impact.
In a reprieve for Adani, who has seen his personal fortune drop by $58 billion since the allegations, the group’s bonds rallied Friday after Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. told some clients that the debt can offer value due to the strength of certain assets. All 15 dollar debt securities advanced, partly helped by news that Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd has made a coupon payment on schedule.
Meantime, India’s biggest stock exchanges have placed six Adani companies on a watchlist for additional trading scrutiny. Units of Credit Suisse Group AG and Citigroup Inc. earlier this week stopped accepting some securities issued by Adani’s companies as collateral for margin loans to wealthy clients.
Adani’s proposed loan prepayment would see lenders release some of the stock in the group’s companies that was pledged as collateral, Bloomberg News reported, citing a person with knowledge of the matter. The Indian group hasn’t faced margin calls on these pledges and is seeking the prepayment proactively, the person added.

In view of the overwhelming response generated by the roadshows abroad and eight Indian cities, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is upbeat about the upcoming Global Investors Summit in Lucknow. In an exclusive interview with Pravin Kumar & Rajiv Srivastava, the CM says that the actual investment proposals would be several times more than the target. Excerpts:
In 15-20 days, UP will have its own budget. What would be the focus area and how it would help in achieving the goal of one trillion-dollar economy?
The budget will surely represent the expectations of 25 crore people of the state. It will have glimpses of the efforts put in by the government in the past five years towards making UP a one trillion-dollar economy, as has been the wish of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Are you satisfied with the response of pre-GIS roadshows? What is the value of the total proposals against the target of Rs 10 lakh crore set by you?
It is several times the target set by us. The response we got from abroad, within the country and in Uttar Pradesh has been very exciting.
What is the realistic assessment of the materialisation of MoUs and intents which have been received so far? For example, out of the Rs 4.68 lakh crore MoUs in the previous investor summit, what has been the ratio of such proposals getting materialised?
This is one government which does what it says. After the first investors summit, unlike any other government, we have been able to hold three ground-breaking events even as two years were wasted due to coronavirus pandemic. We have been able to materialise 75-80% of the total proposals worth Rs 4.68 lakh crore that we received in 2018 investors summit.

Is there any special effort this time to ensure that the investment proposals get evenly distributed across the state and are not concentrated in Noida and Greater Noida?
Development and investments in UP remained limited to Noida, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad. If one looks at the economy or per capita income, the average of Noida, Ghaziabad and nearby cities was ahead of the national average while other NCR regions were almost at par with the national average. However, the rest of UP – central, eastern and Bundelkhand regions – lagged behind. However, in the past six years, it has been surprisingly seen that economic growth has gathered momentum in eastern UP and Bundelkhand and these regions would match the development of west UP districts. Efforts made by the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government for infrastructure development works like Purvanchal and Bundelkhand Expressways, new airports to increase air connectivity, construction of new waterways are now visible. This time, special attention is being paid to ensure that investment and development reaches every district of the state.

It is not necessary that every investor would like Noida or Greater Noida. Those who want to invest in food-processing will have to set up units at places where there is production of the items concerned. If someone wants to set up electric vehicle plant, he will search for a place where he can get land and good connectivity. Similar is the case with all other sectors. Roadshows were held at various places. I held a meeting with MPs and MLAs and asked them to establish communication with local traders and encourage them to invest in their respective districts. This will be the first time when all districts of the state will get investment. Every district will be connected with the inauguration ceremony of the Global Investor Summit which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 10.After this, each district will have its own summit.
Has ODOP not already made a base of entrepreneurship?
There are a few things that are very important for any industrial investment. These include the rule of law and atmosphere of safety and security, land bank, and availability of facilities in a time-bound manner. Despite all this, if a state does not have MSME base, it is bound to face difficulties. UP has all the four things. Every investor wants to invest after UP’s potential came to the fore in the past five years.

Did UP’s negative image and poor law and order situation deterred investors from coming to the state in the past?
People had started believing that the state witnesses riots every second or third day. Professional criminals and mafia, who had patronage from the government, had turned the lives of traders and businessmen into hell. There was the perception that UP did not have a conducive atmosphere for development. Its image had suffered a major blow because of the earlier government’s patronage to criminals and mafia. Due to this, no businessmen wanted to come to UP. There was an identity crisis among the youths of Uttar Pradesh. However, in the past six years, UP has come out of all the negativities and has projected itself as a developing state. Every person knows that in UP there is zero tolerance towards crime and criminals. Everyone knows that works would move forward in a transparent manner. Due to this, the state is getting huge investments now.
You have done a lot for police modernisation. The Police Commissionerate system was hanging fire for decades. Several governments in the past tried to implement it but failed. What were the challenges you faced while trying to implement the new system? How far has it been able to improve the law and order situation in seven cities?
Implementation of police reforms and modernisation was a challenge before us. When the BJP came to power in UP in 2017, the state police force, which is the biggest in the country, had 1.6 lakh vacant posts. We completed the recruitment process in a transparent manner and got the new recruits trained and posted. Efforts were made to ensure police modernisation with steps like two-fold increase in training capacity, construction of barracks in each police station, construction of houses and police lines in districts. In 2017, there was only one cyber police thana in UP and nothing was there in the name of forensic lab. Now, every range has a cyber thana and a forensic lab. UP will soon have its own forensic institute. The land earmarked for forensic institute lab was encroached upon by the land mafia of Lucknow.
After a legal battle, the government got the possession of 120 acres land and a forensic institute is being set up there. From the upcoming academic session, classes will also begin at the institute. Along with this, there were 54 PAC companies which were abolished, but we reinstated them, we constituted SDRF, special security force has been set up for metro, airport and industrial security. Women constables have been deputed until the beat level. But we had to move further forward in police reform. We had the clear view that there should be one person who should take decision during crisis and diffuse it.
Earlier, if the police had to act on some enforcement, it had to go to the magistrate for execution or even a common man had to run from police station to magistrate for a certificate. With the introduction of Police Commissionerate system, one has to go to one place only. It can be called ‘ease of living’ or ‘ease of doing business’. According to NCRB data, there has been a phenomenal downfall in the crime graph in four commissionerates that were constituted for the first time (in 2020). Encouraged by the NCRB data, three more commissionerates have been constituted.

Your ‘bulldozer policy’ is now popular even at the international level. However, there are two opinions on this. One view is that the court, and not the government, should give punishment, while the other is that your action is selective and limited mainly to Mukhtar, Atiq and Vijay Mishra?
This is not correct. I think one should consider all the actions initiated by the police. We have taken action within the frame of law against any mafia or criminal who has threatened the safety and security of the government or the people. If there is zero tolerance policy, it is same for all.
Why it is being said that at times free hand given to police has led to atrocities on the common man? Even you had to come out with the statement that bulldozer action should not be taken against anyone except criminals.
I said this because the bulldozer policy was for professional criminals and mafia and not for the common man. We need to say this time and again, and hence, I had to say this.
What is the UP model of law and order for you?
There is no UP model. It is the duty of the government to provide safe atmosphere to 25 crore people of the state and establish the rule of law.
Law and order was a major issue during Assembly elections. Still there are incidents which grab headlines. What deterrent is in place for such crimes and criminals?
I believe that organised crime is completely under control. There are no riots too. Except for incidents occurring out of personal animosity, there is no crime in UP.
How prepared is Ayodhya to receive the tourist influx expected after completion of Ram temple in January next year?
Ayodhya would be completely ready by then.
Noida airport and Greater Noida Film City are big ticket projects? What is the status?
We want to inaugurate the airport by early 2024. Our effort is to activate at least two runways to begin with. Besides, work on the Ganga Expressway connecting Meerut with Prayagraj is already underway on a war footing. Our effort is to get it completed before the Kumbh in 2025. As of now, six expressways are complete while work on one is going on.
Akhilesh Yadav had been getting clicked at JPNIC, Agra Expressway and Lion Safari, the projects that come up during his period. What are the places in UP where you would like to be clicked?
I do not need to get clicked. My work has been appreciated by the public while they have been taught lesson by the people. Everyone knows that photo session will not help them now. People have shown them their position. This is for the first time in UP that any CM has completed the five-year term and has come back for the second term after getting two-thirds majority. They should at least respect this mandate.
Efforts are being made for Mahagathbandhan for the Lok Sabha elections. What do you think will be the BJP’s future in such a scenario?
The BJP, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, will form government at the Centre again with a thumping majority. There is no doubt about this. UP has already seen a mahagathbandhan in 2019 Lok Sabha polls and what happened to it.
Hasn’t the situation changed after Mainpuri and Khatauli byelections?
One should then also see Azamgarh and Rampur elections.
It is being assumed that the BJP would lose in some states. What is your expectation from UP?
UP will give an excellent result.
How do you interpret this verse from the Ramcharitmanas – ‘Dhol, ganwar, shudra, pashu, naari, sakal taadna ke adhikari’?
It is a matter of intellect. One should have at least enough intellect and rationale to understand the dialect in which a word has been written and what is its meaning locally. It is a waste of time to make a person understand it if he doesn’t have the knowledge of the local dialect.
You are also a mahant. You should explain the meaning of the verse.
I will explain wherever I need to.
What do you think, why this controversy is being raised now?
This is not a new controversy. Those who don’t have any development agenda, those who have spoiled the image of UP, created identity crisis before the youth, left the common man in trouble, now see that new and good thigs are being done in UP. They are now trying to divert the attention from development and prosperity towards these useless issues to vitiate the atmosphere.
Can’t there be a possibility that since the BJP convinced OBCs to identify themselves as Hindus, the Opposition is now trying to win back those OBCs as their vote bank?
OBCs have always been Hindus. Is there any doubt in this? This is unwarranted.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is talking about bridging the gap with Muslims, especially the Pasmandas, you are saying that ‘Sanatan dharm hi Bharat ka dharm hai’. How will there be inclusiveness?
Pasmanda community is not from foreign country but belong to India only.
Is ‘Sanatan dharm’ the ‘Hindu dharm’?
One should understand the essence of Hinduism and Sanatan dharm. Had people known the essence, there would not have been any negativity.
Is there any chance of caste census in UP just like in Bihar?
Whatever is included in general census would be implemented in UP. Nothing else.
How prepared are you for civic polls?
There is no problem in UP.
How many seats out of 17 do you expect?
BJP will win all the seats.
There was a high court verdict on OBC reservation in civic polls. Was the urban development department not prepared?
There was no under-preparation. The only issue was with OBC reservation. We followed reservation process as we did in the past but as the Supreme Court had come out with a new method, the government was asked to come with a new reservation structure after setting up OBC commission.
Varanasi has been taken care of, so has been Ayodhya. What about Mathura?
Development work is on in Mathura through Brij Vikas Board. One should go and see the progress there.
On the occasion of GIS-2023, what message would you like to give to investors through TOI?
The potential of Uttar Pradesh has been understood by everyone. There is a very good atmosphere for investment. The government is ready to support them. They should come and utilise the potential of the state.
There is a lot of excitement for the event. However, it loses steam after the event is over.
It happens with those who do it for the first time. We have done it earlier too. We not only signed MoUs but we also held three ground-breaking ceremonies after it. Now, the system is technology-based. If someone says he wants to invest in UP, that is the intent stage. He goes through the policy and decides to invest, which is the MoU stage. After MoU, he invests against government’s subsidy. All three processes are now being done through software, which are being monitored through the CM office.
How much due diligence is done before signing of MoUs? There has been a case related to Austin University.
We did not sign MoU with that party. It was just its intent. MoU would be signed only after due diligence.
Any upcoming big projects in the next four years?
Lots of projects are coming up.
Akhilesh Yadav is asking you whether he is a ‘Shudra’ or not.
I will reply to him where it needs to be replied.