Television
Ministry of drinking water and sanitation launches tv series ‘Hum Saaf Saaf Hain’ on Rishtey channel

Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation (MDWS) partnered with HDFC Limited and Viacom18 to create a finite series Hum Saath Saath Hain to engage and entertain viewers on the importance of sanitation.
The 7-week long series will premiere on Rishtey starting 16th February 2019; every Sat-Sun at 9:30 PM.
Emphasising on the importance of sanitation and hygiene in the country, leading Hindi mass entertainment channel Rishtey is soon to launch a new finite series called Hum Saaf Saaf Hain. The 14-episode finite series, Hum Saaf Saaf Hain is a social comedy that trails the journey of an under-cover government official who goes from village to village checking up on the implementation of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan. The show will air on Rishtey starting 16h February 2019, every Saturday and Sunday at 9:30 PM.
Commenting on the initiative, Parameswaran Iyer, Secretary – Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation said, Under the inspirational leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, the Swachh Bharat Mission (grameen) has become a people’s movement, revolutionising sanitation in rural India. We are poised at the brink of achieving an Open Defecation Free (ODF) India, with 5.5 lakh villages and 600 districts already declared free from open defecation. The need of the future is to sustain these outcomes through continuous efforts made to reinforce the messages of safe sanitation and cleanliness. I am very happy that Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Limited and HDFC Limited are supporting the Swachh Bharat Mission and have produced Hum Saaf Saaf Hain? – an entertainment-packed show for the full family that carries the message of sustained sanitation in families and communities. My congratulations to the entire team.?
The show promises to be a family entertainer, which will not just tickle their funny bones but also enlighten them on the importance of sanitation and hygiene. The show will highlight issues such as Swacchagris, toilets for the differently-abled, womens safety and hygiene, ODF Plus and more with the twist of humour to engage the audiences.
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Deepak Parekh, Chairman, HDFC said, The Swachh Bharat Mission launched by the Government of India in 2014, was a much-needed initiative to make India open defecation free over a five-year time frame. As a flagship and successful programme of the present Government, the Swachh Bharat Mission has not just built sanitation infrastructure, but also focused on creating awareness and behavioral change amongst people. Recognising the strong inter-linkage of sanitation and hygiene with socio-economic factors such as healthcare, sustainable communities and gender dignity, sanitation has been one of HDFCs focus areas since 2014 for its CSR programmes. We have partnered with experienced organisations across India, which are deeply connected with the communities they work in. HDFC is happy to partner with Swachh Bharat Mission – Grameen and Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Limited for an innovative television series, which uses entertainment as an educative medium to impress the importance of good sanitation practices amongst India’s rural population. I wish all the teams success for this venture.
Speaking about the importance of socially inclined content, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO & MD, Viacom18, said: India is at the precipice of becoming open defecation free and at Viacom18, we believe that the media and entertainment industry plays a crucial role in changing behaviour and mindsets towards safe usage of toilets. Hence, be it through films such as Toilet Ek Prem Katha, shows such as Navrangi Re! and even with our flagship CSR program Chakachak Mumbai, we have mainstreamed the conversation on sanitation in living rooms and film theatres. With Hum Saaf Saaf Hai, we further intend to engage viewers in entertaining content while also creating awareness on safe sanitary practices.
INS-BE Viacom18 has orchestrated the association under media conglomerate Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. The division in the past has successfully engaged with Arunachal Tourism, Himachal Tourism & Odisha Tourism along with prestigious associations with Ministry of External Affairs & DARPG under PMO.
Commissioned by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in partnership with HDFC Limited, a leading financial conglomerate, Hum Saaf Saaf Hain is being produced by Colosceum Media. The lead actor of the show is the humorous and witty Rajesh Kumar, known for his popular stint as Rosesh Sarabhai. He will be seen playing the main character of Hero Bhaiya? who is a government clerk in his mid-thirties, finally getting a chance to fulfill his long-term dream of being a spy. The stellar cast also includes Gulki Joshi who will be seen playing the character of Archana- an ambitious schoolteacher and Shashi Rajan who will essay the role of Gobind among others.
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COVID-19
Thane Municipal Corporation adds 25 beds as COVID cases rise
Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) added 25 additional beds in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital Kalwa apart from arranging a special ward dedicated to COVID-19 patients. The total number of active patients in the city stood at 252 while five succumbed to the virus. Meanwhile, TMC Commissioner Abhijit Bangar said a ‘death audit’ of patients who died of COVID would be conducted. The TMC has ensured it has additional stock of oxygen concentrators, testing kits, medicines, to name a few. Bangar told HT, “Due to the increasing number of Covid patients, it is necessary for everyone to be alert.”
He added, The number of Covid tests should be increased to stay one step ahead of the disease. As a result, the number of patients is likely to increase due to increased testing. However, as per the ‘test, isolate, treat’ protocol for Covid, it becomes necessary to isolate and treat more and more patients. The testing centres will not remain closed even for a single day. At the same time, more arrangements for testing will be made immediately in public places, markets, railway stations, malls.”
India recorded 3,095 new COVID cases and five deaths in last 24 hours.
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Politics
After Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification, his namesake who contested from Wayanad disqualified

Rahul Gandhi
An independent candidate for Lok Sabha elections named Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from contesting polls for failing to lodge account of election expenses. Gandhi, who’s name figures as ‘Rahul Gandhi K E S/o Valsamma’ in an Election Commission list of persons, had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as an Independent and had received 2196 votes from the Wayanad seat in Kerala – a constituency from where ex-Congress MP Rahul Rajiv Gandhi had won with over seven lakh votes.
However, since it is mandatory for all contestants to submit their account of election expenses among other mandatory requirements under EC rules and the Representation of the People Act.
Rahul Gandhi K E S/o Valsamma stood disqualified to contest polls from September 13, 2021 till September 13, 2024. According to Section 10A, the Election Commission can disqualify a contestant for a period of three years from the date of the order if he/she has failed to lodge an account of election expenses within the time and in the manner required by law and has no good reason or justification for the failure.
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Nagpur News
Nagpur records 22 COVID cases in 24 hours
A total of 22 patients tested positive for COVID-19 in Nagpur in past 24 hours on Thursday. Almost 242 people were tested in the city, out of which 15 belonged to urban area while and 6 were from the rural areas, and one from outside Nagpur district.
At present, there are 72 active patients in the city. Three new cases of the new XBB.1.16 variant of COVID-19 were detected that took the total tally to five in the district.
India recorded 3,095 new COVID cases and five deaths in last 24 hours.
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