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17 JULY 2024
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KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR

A SCHEME THAT CONSTITUTION BCCI LOOKING FOR

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WEATHER
Army captain among 4 soldiers
Generally cloudy sky with one or two
spells of rain / thundershower. Maximum
and minimum temperatures likely to be
around 33 °C and 27 °C respectively.
killed in gunfight in J&K’s Doda
RAINFALL: 9.5 mm Army chief briefs Rajnath on J&K situation; Capt Brijesh Thapa from Darjeeling among deceased
RELATIVE HUMIDITY
Max. 94 % Min. 77 % STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE da on Monday. At about
TEMPERATURE JAMMU/NEW DELHI, 16 JULY 2040 hrs, the search party
Max: 32.1 °C (-0.7 Min: 27.0°C (+0.1) was able to establish con-

A
SUN RISES SUN SETS n army captain
05:2 hrs 18:24 hrs
from Darjeeling
MOON RISES MOON SETS
13:46 hrs 00:10 hrs was among four
soldiers who were
Full Moon on 21 July killed during a gunfight
with heavily armed ter-
THUMBNAILS rorists in Doda district of
Jammu and Kashmir, a
defence spokesman said
on Tuesday.
Captain Brijesh Thapa
(27) and the other three sol-
diers were critically injured
in a gunfight with terror-
ists in the Dessa forest
area of the Doda district
Monday night. The soldiers
succumbed to their
Priests feed elephants as part of the 'Maha wounds later, said sources.
Ganapati Homam' ritual on the first day of The Army has identi-
Ramayana Masam in Kerala on Tuesday. � ANI fied the soldiers who laid
down their lives as Cap-
Indian national killed in Muscat mosque tain Brijesh Thapa, Naik
shooting in Oman: An Indian national was D Rajesh, and sepoys Bijen-
among six people killed while another was dra and Ajay. This was the
injured in a shooting incident at a mosque second major terror attack
in Muscat city in Oman on Monday, accord- in the Jammu region after
ing to a statement released by the Indian five soldiers were killed in
Embassy on Tuesday. At least 28 people action in Kathua last week.
were also wounded in the shooting, a rare Following the incident,
act of violence in the Gulf nation. The att- Army Chief Gen. Upendra
ack on Monday took place in Wadi al-Kabir, a Dwivedi briefed Defence
district east of the capital city Muscat, dur- Minister Rajnath Singh
ing a major religious event for Shia Muslims. on the security situation
tact with the terrorists
hiding in the area, which
is a thickly forested and
mountainous area with
restricted visibility due to
low clouds and rain.
“In the initial volley of
fire, four Army person-
Army personnel pay last respects to the mortal nel were injured, who later
remains of Capt. Brijesh Thapa (inset), Naik D Rajesh, succumbed to their inj-
Sepoy Ajay Kumar Singh and Sepoy Bijendra who lost uries. Additional troops
their lives during an encounter with terrorists in and equipment have been
Doda, on Tuesday; (Below) At the encounter site � ANI
My heart goes out to the bereaved fam-
inducted to flush out the
terrorists and use of drones
and other technical
Khedkar taken off field
ilies. The Nation stands firmly with
the families of our soldiers who have
resources is being ensured”.
Reports said that after training, recalled to
Mussoorie academy
sacrificed their lives in the line of duty a brief exchange of fire, the
DEFENCE MINISTER RAJNATH SINGH terrorists tried to escape
but were chased by the tro-
in Jammu and Kashmir. geous soldiers in the count- and restore peace and ops led by Captain Thapa,
“Raksha Mantri Shri @raj- er-terrorist operation “My order in the region. despite challenging terrain AGENCIES
nathsingh spoke to COAS heart goes out to the Jammu and Kashmir and thick foliage, leading MUMBAI, 16 JULY
General Upendra Dwive- bereaved families. The Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha to another firefight in the
di this morning. RM was Nation stands firmly with vowed to avenge the death woods, in which five secu- The controversial Maharashtra
apprised of the ground the families of our sol- of the soldiers and thwart rity forces personnel were IAS-Probationary Officer and
situation and the ongoing diers who have sacrificed the evil designs of terror- critically wounded. Washim Assistant Collector,
Counter Terrorist Op in their lives in the line of ists and their associates. The incident took place Dr. Puja Khedkar, has been
Doda by the Army Chief,” duty,” he wrote on X. A defence spokesman within days after five sol- taken off field training with
the minister's office wrote He said counter-ter- said: "A joint operation by diers, including a JCO, immediate effect and ordered
on microblogging site X. rorist operations are under- Rashtriya Rifles (RR) with were killed in an ambush to report to the Lal Bahadur
The minister said he way, and the troops remain J&K Police was launched by terrorists in the neigh- Shastri National Academy of
was deeply saddened by committed to eliminating in the general area Urar- bouring Kathua district. Administration, Mussoorie, an
the loss of brave and coura- the scourge of terrorism baggi, 10 km North of Do- (More on Pages 2, 5) official said here on Tuesday.
The move follows a report
submitted by the Maharash- of the state government’s co-

Govt convenes
meeting with
EAM assures Mauritius IMF raises India’s growth tra government to the LBSNAA
on her alleged behaviour on
various counts following many
mmunication of 11 July regard-
ing the conduct of Dr. Khed-
kar during her District Train-

floor leaders of India’s support projection for FY25 to 7 pc allegations pertaining to her
OBC creamy layer and med-
ing Programme in Pune before
she was transferred to Washim,

on 21 July on Chagos Archipelago STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, 16 JULY
Ahead of the Monsoon Ses-
sion of Parliament from 22 July,
the government has con-
vened a meeting with floor
leaders of all political parties
in both Houses on 21 July.
“Union Minister of Par-
liamentary Affairs Kiren Riji-
ju will hold a meeting with the
floor leaders of political par-
ties in both the Houses of the
Parliament, ahead of the Bud-
get Session of Parliament,” the
Ministry of Parliamentary
Affairs said on Tuesday.
“The Budget Session of Par-
liament will commence on 22
July and subject to exigencies
of Government Business, the
session may conclude on 12
August,” the ministry added.
Union Finance Minister Nir-
mala Sitharaman will present
the Union Budget 2024-25 in
the Lok Sabha on 23 July.
Mrs Sitharaman had pre-
sented an Interim Union
Budget for 2024-25 on 1 Feb-
ruary.
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, 16 JULY
External Affairs Minister S Jais-
hankar on Tuesday assured
Mauritius of India's consis-
tent support to the island
country on the issue of the
Chagos Archipelago in line
with New Delhi's principled
stand on decolonisation and
support for the sovereignty
and territorial integrity of
nations.
“India remains commit-
ted to strengthening this
critical partnership (with
Mauritius) that is so impor-
tant for the future of the
Indian Ocean region,” he
said at a joint address with
Mauritius Prime Minister
Pravind Kumar Jugnauth in
Port Louis (Photo).
The comments of Mr Jais-
hankar, who is currently on
a two-day visit to Mauri-
tius, are important since the
sovereignty over the Chagos
Archipelago in the Indian
Ocean is disputed between
Mauritius and the United
Kingdom. Mauritius has
repeatedly stated that the
archipelago is part of its ter-
ritory and that the UK’s claim
is a violation of United
Nations resolutions ban-
ning the dismemberment
of colonial territories before
independence.
“We truly take pride that
our collaboration changes
the lives of ordinary citizens
in this country, through many
community development
projects, some of which you
had the opportunity to see in
the video before us. And these
today, cover infrastructure
in education, in healthcare,
in public amenities, and in
sports,” Mr Jaishankar said and
mentioned twelve such proj-
ects inaugurated today.
NEW DELHI, 16 JULY
The International Monetary
Fund (IMF) has raised India’s
growth projection for FY25
by 20 basis points to 7 per cent
citing ‘improved prospects’
for private consumption,
particularly in rural areas.
The UN body expects
gross domestic product (GDP)
growth in FY26 to slow down
to 6.5 per cent, the same as
projected in its April World
Economic Outlook (WEO).
“The forecast for growth
in India has also been revised
upward, to 7per cent, this year,
with the change reflecting car-
ryover from upward revi-
sions to growth in 2023 and
improved prospects for pri-
vate consumption, particu-
larly in rural areas,” it said in
an update to the WEO.
IMF chief economist
Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas
said that Asia’s emerging
market economies remain the
main engine for the global
economy. The IMF report
upgraded the growth forecast
for China for the calendar year
�IMF chief economist
Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas
said that Asia’s emerging
market economies remain
the main engine for the
global economy.
�On a calendar-year basis,
India's growth projec-
tions are 7.3 pc in 2024
and 6.5 pc in 2025.
� RBI Governor Shak-
tikanta Das has said India
is at the threshold of a
major structural shift in
its growth trajectory.
2024 by 40 basis points to 5
per cent on account of a
rebound in private con-
sumption and strong exports
in the first quarter.
On a calendar-year basis,
India's growth projections are
7.3 per cent in 2024 and 6.5
per cent in 2025.
Mr Gourinchas in a blog
post said: “Growth in India
and China is revised upwards
and accounts for almost half
of global growth. Yet prospects
for the next five years remain
weak, largely because of wan-
ing momentum in emerging
Asia.”
IMF’s global growth pro-
jections are unchanged at
3.2 per cent for the calendar
year 2024 and slightly high-
er at 3.3per cent in 2025. It pre-
dicted global inflation to slow
to 5.9 per cent in 2024 from
6.7 per cent last year, broad-
ly on track for a soft landing.
“The good news is that, as
headline shocks receded,
inflation came down without
a recession. The bad news is
that energy and food price
inflation are now almost
back to pre-pandemic levels
in many countries, while
overall inflation is not,” said
Mr Gourinchas.
Recently, the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI) had projected
the economy will grow at
7.2 per cent in FY25. Gover-
nor Shaktikanta Das said
India is at the threshold of a
major structural shift in its
growth trajectory.
ical disability status, plus
demanding perks and facili-
ties that she was not entitled
to as an IAS probationer. The
LBSNAA Deputy Director,
Shelesh Nawal, asked the
state government to relieve Ms
Khedkar from her duties
immediately and advise her
to report to the Mussoorie
academy by 23 July.
State Additional Chief Sec-
retary Nitin Gadre subse-
quently wrote to Puja Khed-
kar on Tuesday, who is desig-
nated as ‘Super Numerary
Assistant Collector, Washim’.
He cited the letter of the
LBSNAA which has decided to
keep her District Training Pro-
gramme on hold and imme-
diately recall her (to Mussoorie)
for ‘further necessary action’.
“Therefore, you are here-
by relieved from District Train-
ing Programme of State Gov-
ernment of Maharashtra. You
are instructed to join the
Academy (LBSNAA) at the
earliest but not later than
23rd July, 2024 under any cir-
cumstances,” said the terse
communication.
In its letter earlier in the day,
the LBSNAA took cognisance
where she joined on 11 July.
The moves came soon
after Washim Police grilled Dr.
Khedkar on the accusations
levelled against her following
the RTI revelations by a Pune
activist, Vinod Kumbhar.
Last week, the Central gov-
ernment set up a one-man
committee of Additional Sec-
retary, Department of Person-
nel and Training Manoj Dwive-
di to enquire into the charges
against Dr Khedkar. The com-
mittee is likely to submit the
probe report within a fortnight.
Among others, Dr Khed-
kar is accused of allegedly sub-
mitted doubtful documents
and certificates pertaining
to her caste status, mental ill-
ness and visual impairment,
making demands like a bea-
con for her private Audi-A4 car
(later impounded), affixing a
sticker of ‘Maharashtra Gov-
ernment’, grabbing an office
of a senior officer at the Pune
Collectorate, etc. which were
beyond her entitlements as a
IAS probationary officer.
Simultaneously, her fam-
ily members also came under
the radar after different alle-
gations and complaints.

Who is Usha Chilukuri Vance, Indian-origin
wife of Donald Trump’s pick for Vice President?
AGENCIES
NEW DELHI, 16 JULY
Former US President Donald
Trump on Monday picked
JD Vance, a first-time sena-
tor from Ohio, as his running
mate and nominee for the
Vice-President post.
JD Vance, 40 years younger
than Trump, is making head-
lines not just for his selection
as the former president’s run-
ning mate but also for his Indi-
an connection. His wife Usha
Chilukuri Vance is the daugh-
ter of Indian immigrants to
the USA.
Ms Vance’s parents hail
from Andhra Pradesh, who
migrated to the United States
decades ago. Born and brought
up in the USA, Usha holds a
Bachelor’s degree in History
from Yale University and then
pursued Master's in Philos-
ophy from Cambridge Uni-
versity. She also has a track
record of a distinguished
career, with professional
engagements across multiple
segments.
A corporate litigator at a
prestigious San Francisco law
firm, Usha Vance has clerked
for Supreme Court Chief Jus-
tice John Roberts and Justice
Brett Kavanaugh when he
was an appeals court judge.
Usha and JD Vance met at
the Yale Law School and it was
there that they developed a
close affinity for each other.
They married in Kentucky in
2014 and together they have
three children.
Usha Chilukuri Vance
made some rare appearances
along with her husband as the
latter campaigned for the
Ohio senator election in 2022.
In a 2017 interview, she told
NBC News how they met.
“We were friends, and I liked
that he was very diligent. He
would show up at 9 a.m.
appointments that I would set
up for us to start working on
the brief together," she said.
Mr Vance, in the same
interview, praised Usha for
unflinching faith and com-
mitment in things that she
believed.
"The thing that I remem-
ber most about Usha is just
how completely forward and
comfortable with herself she
was. She is so defensive about
the things that she really
cared about,” Mr Vance said
in the interview.
A registered Democrat as
of 2014, Ms Vance worked for
Munger, Tolles, and Olson, a
law firm with offices in Los
Angeles, San Francisco and
Washington that describes
its corporate culture as “rad-
ically progressive.” After the
announcement last night of
Mr Vance being picked as Mr
Trump’s running mate, Ms
Vance resigned from the firm.
Burglar empties Marathi litterateur Surve’s
home; repents and returns everything
AGENCIES
RAIGAD, 16 JULY
In a bizarre incident, a burglar
sneaked in and emptied the
locked home of the legendary
Marathi litterateur, Padmashri
Narayan Gangaram Surve
(photo), recently in Neral town,
a police officer said on Tuesday.
However, after realising
that he had robbed the home
of an eminent literary per-
sonality, the burglar, who pur-
portedly made multiple noc-
turnal trips through a broken
window, repented and returned
everything he had stolen.
Going a step further, the bur-
glar scrawled a note and stuck
it on a wall in the home, near
the ‘returned goods’ consign-
ment. The incident came to light
after the late Surve's daugh-
ter, Sujata G. Ghare, and her
husband Ganesh Ghare
returned home after a nearly
three-week outing, said Neral
Police Station in-charge Shiv-
aji Dhavale. “It was only after
they returned and saw the
whole house in a mess, that they
lodged a police complaint on
15 July. As per the preliminary
probe, we feel that the burglar
must have taken advantage of
the locked home, and com-
mitted the robbery during the
period when the house was
deserted for several weeks,”
Inspector Dhavale said.
Suspecting he could be a
local, literate or semi-literate,
unemployed youth who decid-
ed to ‘clean up’ Surve’s home
to sell the stuff for a quick buck,
Mr Dhavale said that a police
team has been formed to track
down the unknown culprit.
Finding no cash in the
house, the burglar apparent-
ly decided to cart away vari-
ous household items includ-
ing a LED TV, some brass and
copper ware, steel kitchen
utensils, and even foodgrains
stored there. It is surmised
that towards the end of his bur-
glary spree, he found the pho-
tos, honours and certificates
of Surve adorning the walls
there. Taken aback, it seems,
the thief decided to return all
that he had taken away.
He came back with the
stuff and dumped it in one heap
in the house. He thoughtful-
ly penned a note which said:
“I was not aware that this is
Narayan Surve’s home, or I
would not have burgled it!
Please forgive me. Whatever
stuff I had stolen, I am return-
ing everything. I had even
taken the TV set, but am giv-
ing it back. Sorry…”
A literary giant, Surve (1926-
2010) was an orphan who
grew up on the hard streets of
south Mumbai, slept on rough
pavements and did odd, menial
jobs to survive, while self-
learning to make it big in life.
At the age of 36, he managed
to publish his first collection
of poems, ‘Aisa Ga Mi Brah-
ma’, and later in 1966 came
‘Majhe Vidyapeeth (My Uni-
versity)’ with which he stormed
onto the literary stage. Though
formally educated till barely
Class II, it was ‘Majhe Vidya-
peeth’ which earned him fame.
He was honoured with the
Padma Shri (1998) by the gov-
ernment of AB Vajpayee, the
Soviet Land Nehru Award
(1973) for ‘Majhe Vidyapeeth’,
and the Madhya Pradesh gov-
ernment’s Kabir Samman
(1999), among many others.

CMYK
02 KOLKATA, WEDNESDAY 17 JULY 2024
Darjeeling hills mourn after Tea Board notifies dates for
Capt. Thapa killed in gunbattle leaf harvest and preparation
Lebong-born Brijesh Thapa was the third generation in his family to join the army
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
SILIGURI, 16 JULY
C
aptain Brijesh Thapa
(27) lost his life dur-
ing an encounter with
terrorists in the moun-
tainous regions of Doda dis-
trict in Jammu and Kashmir
last evening.
When news of this spread,
residents of Siliguri, Darjeel-
ing, and nearby regions were
filled with sorrow. Many indi-
viduals, including Captain
Brijesh's family, began griev-
ing, but some ultimately took
comfort in the fact that their
son gave his life for the nation.
Brijesh, who comes from
a long line of military service,
was the third generation in his
family to join the army. His
grandfather, Nar Bahadur,
Yatri Sathi services soon in Asansol, Siliguri
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
ASANSOL, 16 JULY
Transport minister Sneha-
sish Chakraborty has informed
that after Kolkata, theYatri Sathi
app will be launched in impor-
tant towns of Asansol and
Siliguri too.
The Yatri Sathi app, which
is a brainchild of state chief
minister Mamata Banerjee
TENDER
had also served and gave his
life in service. Today, Brijesh's
father Bhuwanesh Thapa, who
retired from the Indian Army
in 2014, was reflecting on their
family's military legacy. Brijesh's
mother, Nilima Thapa, was
overwhelmed with emotion
when she learned of the inci-
dent that occurred late last
night.
“While we had hoped for
our son to join the Indian
Navy, he was resolute in his
decision to join the army. He
has become very popular
after its launch in Kolkata in
January, this year.
Mr Chakraborty said that
already the Asansol Durgapur
Police Commissionerate has
been given approval from the
state government to start the
app-based service in Asansol
before the Durga Puja.
For Asansol, the Asansol
Durgapur Police Commis-
even purchased a combat
jacket from Ladakh and has
been eager to fulfil his dream
ever since,” she said.
Last night, at approximately
10.30 pm, Bhubnesh Thapa
received a distressing update
from an army officer. Despite
the shock, he takes pride in his
son's dedication and service
to their country. He believes
that what his son has accom-
plished is unparalleled.
According to sources, Bri-
jesh became a part of the
Indian Army in 2019 and
sionerate has been entrusted
to look after this app-based
service, Mr Chakraborty added.
Besides Asansol town, it is
also planned to introduce
the service in Kazi Nazrul
Islam Airport in Andal on
experimental basis in the first
phase, said B G Satish, deputy
commissioner (Traffic) of
Asansol Durgapur Police Com-
missionerate.
Arambagh MP's initiative to
sell potatoes at subsidised
rates: In a bid to provide
relief from the abnormal
hike in the prices of pota-
toes in recent times, Aram-
bagh MP Mitali Bag, in a
joint venture with the
Goghat II Progotoshil Aloo
Babsayi Samiti, set up a
potato stall at Goghat Kam-
arpukur from where good
quality potatoes were ma-
de available at subsidized
rate of Rs 26 per kg. The
stall saw a rush from local
people welcomed the initia-
tive. Potatoes, which were
usually available within Rs
26 per kg, now cost 35-40
Rs per kg. Chief minister
Mamata Banerjee has taken
serious note of the abnor-
mal hike in the prices of po-
tatoes and vegetables. SNS
Completion of girls’ education non-negotiable
for breaking intergenerational poverty cycle: CRY
RITWIK MUKHERJEE
KOLKATA, 16 JULY
Anamika Biswas (23), from
South 24-Parganas district
of Bengal, always nurtured a
dream in her heart ~ to
become a teacher. Her father,
an auto driver, and her moth-
er, a homemaker, struggled
to make ends meet. Despite
their financial challenges,
they supported Anamika and
her brother, who had just
completed his graduation.
She passed her Higher
Secondary (H.S.) exams with
64 per cent and graduated with
a degree in Bengali Honors,
achieving 65 per cent.
Despite these commend-
able scores, her family’s finan-
cial situation posed a signif-
icant challenge for further edu-
cation.
Anamika’s life took a piv-
otal turn when she started
attending a life skill session
organised by Kajla NGO in col-
laboration with CRY.
A quick learner, Anamika
excelled in these sessions,
grasping complex subjects
began his service in 145 Army
Air Defence. For the past two
years, he has been on extra reg-
imental duty with 10 Rashtriya
Rifles. As per Bhubnesh Thapa,
the body of Brijesh is expect-
ed to reach Bagdogra tomor-
row. Brijesh hailed from Lebong
in Darjeeling and his parents
have been residing in Siliguri
for the last decade.
Both the community and
relatives are eager for his body
to be transported to his home
at Bara Ging tea plantation area
in Lebong, where the final
rites will take place.
Numerous individuals,
including political figures,
have offered their sympathies
following the passing of Bri-
jesh Thapa.
“As a representative for my
community and our nation, I
BEFORE THE BIG DAY
Stage being built up for the upcoming 21 July meeting in Kolkata on Tuesday. � BISWAJIT GHOSHAL
with ease. Her growth and
development caught the
attention of the Community
Organizer, who soon entrust-
ed her with the responsibil-
ity of facilitating some sessions.
Anamika’s outstanding per-
formance in these roles led
to her joining as the mentor
of the Haldarchak Collective
Group. Despite her academ-
ic achievements, Anamika’s
family initially hesitated to sup-
port her higher education
due to financial constraints.
However, the interven-
tion of KJKS team, through par-
ent meetings, awareness pro-
grams, and day-to-day home
visits, instilled confidence in
her family.
This support was instru-
mental in Anamika securing
admission for her Master’s
degree. She graduated with
a Master’s in Bengali from Cal-
cutta University, scoring 68 per
cent.
Currently, Anamika is pur-
suing a Bachelor of Education
(B.Ed.), nurturing her dream
of becoming a teacher. Her
journey from a marginalized
New products from Shalimar Paints stable
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
KOLKATA, 16 JULY
Shalimar Paints with a lega-
cy of over 120 years, celebrated
the success of their flagship
product, HERO, and intro-
duced innovative products that
expand their extensive port-
folio at a dynamic event in
Kolkata.
At the heart of the event
was the HERO 5-in-1 Super
Premium Interior Emulsions
triumph, accompanied by the
launch of HERO Super Pre-
mium Exterior Emulsion and
HERO Interior Exterior.
Embodying the vision of
transformation and advance-
ment, these introductions
were part of the trailblazing
CMYK
pay my tribute to Brijesh
Thapa and his fellow soldiers,
who bravely sacrificed their lives
alongside him,” said Darjeel-
ing MP Raju Bista, adding,
“Captain Brijesh now joins
the ranks of heroic Indians who
have made the ultimate sac-
rifice for our country.”
Darjeeling's MLA Neeraj
Zimba, along with Gorkhaland
Territorial Administration chief
executive Anit Thapa and
other prominent figures, have
offered their sympathies fol-
lowing the passing of Capt Bri-
jesh. Siliguri Mayor Goutam
Deb paid a visit to Bhubnesh
Thapa in Siliguri, where he
offered his sympathy and con-
dolences. They are now mak-
ing arrangements for his final
journey, which is scheduled to
take place tomorrow.
(Representational image)
background to an aspiring
educator is a beacon of hope
and an inspiration to many
in her community.
Anamika is not alone. Pinki
Shaw, born to Kesho and
Tapashi Shaw, faced formi-
dable economic challenges
early in life. With her father's
loss of employment as a daily
labourer, the family encoun-
tered severe hardships, includ-
ing hunger and obstacles in
accessing education.
Pinki's elder sister's failed
marriage further exacerbat-
ed their difficulties, leading
to a decline in Jasmin's edu-
cation, health and well-being.
Driven by her determination
campaign ‘Upgrade Kiya Kya’,
which inspires consumers to
enhance their homes with
paints formulated using
superior technology.
Shalimar Paints leverages
robust research and devel-
opment capabilities to deliv-
er innovative products.
Kuldip Raina, drector, sales
and marketing at Shalimar
Paints, said: “This event under-
scores brand’s relentless pur-
suit of innovation and excel-
lence. We are overwhelmed
by the success of HERO Super
Premium Interior Emulsion,
which has become the pre-
ferred choice among con-
sumers within a year.”
Shalimar Paints has
launched an advanced col-
MANAS R BANNERJEE
SILIGURI, 16 JULY
Even though winter is still far
away, the Tea Board of India
has already revealed the offi-
cial dates for harvesting and
preparing tea in 2024.
This notification was issued
well in advance to give tea gar-
dens and factories enough
time to plan accordingly, a sen-
ior Tea Board official said
today.
Such a decision was made
during the Board's 237th
meeting on 29 September,
2018. Failure to comply with
this order may result in nec-
essary action being taken,
as per Clause 5 (a) (d) of the
Tea (Marketing Control Order
2003), the order said.
In Sikkim, Darjeeling Hills,
and Terai Dooars region, the
last date for plucking and
receiving is set for 30 Novem-
to support her family, Pinki
completed her 12th standard
education. With the encour-
agement of CRY, she pur-
sued IT training and obtained
certification after three
months. This training opened
doors for her, leading to a job
in the BPO sector.
This employment marked
a significant turning point for
Pinki, granting her econom-
ic independence and enabling
her to provide full support to
her family. She is also con-
tinuing her formal educa-
tion, enrolled at Behala Col-
lege and is pursuing second
year of her bachelor degree.
And there are many such
instances, not only from Ben-
gal, but other neighbouring
states like Bihar, Jharkhand,
Orissa and others.
All these will have to be seen
along with the recently rolled
out campaign by Child Rights
and You (CRY) : 'PooriPadhai,
Desh Ki Bhalai', across its
intervention areas in 20 states.
The latest campaign aims at
promoting and ensuring the
completion of education for
lection of waterproofing solu-
tions featuring cutting-edge
technology with elastomer-
ic properties and fiber rein-
forcement. These ensure
superior crack-bridging capa-
bilities, effectively sealing
even the smallest cracks to
prevent water seepage and
structural damage.
Shalimar Paints was
established in 1902 in How
rah, West Bengal, by A N
Turner and A C Wright, is a
pioneer in the Indian paints
industry.
The company is engaged
in the manufacturing and
marketing of decorative
paints, industrial coatings,
and allied product cate-
gories.
ber 2024.
The processing of green leaf
at all factories must be com-
pleted by 2nd December.
All tea manufacturing
units must inform the Tea
Board about their closure by
3 December, and sorting,
gapping, packing (CTC and
Orthodox/Green teas), and
moving packed teas to des-
ignated storage areas with
invoice marking must be
completed by 13 December
for CTC and 18 December for
orthodox and green teas.
The Tea Board also men-
tioned that tea gardens that
have adopted different prun-
ing or cultivation methods and
girl children across the coun-
try. The initiative highlights
the urgent need for girls to co-
mplete their education and
addresses the concerning
dropout rates for girls and rea-
sons for it, while also acknowl-
edging the progress in school
enrolment, infrastructure,
and access to education.
“Ensuring higher second-
ary education for girls is a non-
negotiable for their empow-
erment and the nation’s devel-
opment. Targeted interven-
tions with specific goals and
action points are needed to
support girls beyond ele-
mentary education. This
includes adequate public pro-
visioning for girls’ education,
financial incentives, improved
infrastructure, community
engagement, and robust
enforcement of laws against
child marriage. But none of
these are possible without
generating a mass awareness
and a social resonance around
girls’ education,” said Puja Mar-
waha, CEO, CRY.
The Right of Children to
Free and Compulsory Edu-
TAKING CHARGE
Sanjiv Ranjan, an Indian postal service officer of the 1996
batch, has taken charge as Chief Post Master General, North
East Circle, Shillong on 15 July 2024. Before assuming the post,
he served as Post Master General in Kolkata. �SNS
expect early crops, as well as
manufacturers of orthodox,
green, and specialty teas,
may request exemptions from
the Board's respective office.
Therefore, this order was
issued well in advance to
allow adequate time for plan-
ning. Officers not below the
rank of assistant director of
Tea Development are author-
ized to grant exemptions
after conducting field verifi-
cation and informing the
head office of the Board.
When considering exemp-
tions, officers must consid-
er pruning practices, avail-
ability of irrigation facilities,
early rains that may cause early
flushing and flushing pat-
terns with valid reasons for
delays in sorting tea.
Any requests for exemp-
tions will be processed with-
in five working days from
receipt, the order said.
India, Bangladesh
border guards
hold meetings
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
SILIGURI, 16 JULY
With a view to resolve bor-
der issues in a friendly man-
ner, sector commander level
meetings between Border
Security Force (BSF) and
Bangladesh Border Guard
(BGB) are carried out on a reg-
ular basis in the North Ben-
gal Frontier of BSF.
The director general of
Border Guard Bangladesh,
Major General Mohammad
Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui,
made a visit to the Teen Bigha
Corridor in Cooch Behar on
11 July and held a meeting with
BSF officials there.The DG was
accompanied by other high-
ranking officials of the BGB.
A sector commander level
India-Bangladesh border
coordination meeting was
held between BSF and BGB
at Hilli in South Dinajpur on
Monday. The Indian delega-
tion was headed by Mohin-
der Singh, DIG, sector com-
mander, Raiganj, Border Secu-
rity Force and Bangladesh del-
egation was headed by Md Ari-
ful Haque, sector commander,
Dinajpur Sector, Border Guard
Bangladesh.
cation (RTE) Act 2009 aimed
at providing universal edu-
cation for Indian children
up to the age of 14 years.
As the landmark act
clocked its 15th anniversary
this April, many girls still lack
access to secondary and high-
er secondary education. The
National Education Policy
2020 has paved the way to
extend universal, free, and
quality education up to age
18, aligning with the prom-
ises of Sustainable Develop-
ment Goals (SDG Goal-4) for
equitable education by 2030.
Ironically however, as the
latest Unified District Infor-
mation System for Educa-
tion (UDISE+) 21-22 data
reveals, only three of every five
girls in India make it to the
higher secondary level of
education. While there has
been significant improve-
ment in school enrolment,
infrastructure, and access to
education, as evidence sug-
gests, more awaits to be done
when it comes to the com-
pletion of school education
for girls.

THUMBNAILS
An agitation at PSC Bhavan
on various issues in Kolkata
on Tuesday. � SNS
Divyang restroom : Aiming
to enhance inclusivity and
accessibility, Eastern Rail-
way's Kanchrapara Work-
shop has set up a state-of-
the-art Divyang restroom
for the specially abled
employees under the Sug-
amya Bharat Abhiyan. East-
ern Railway's Kanchrapara
Workshop, one of oldest
workshops of Indian Rail-
ways established in 1863 is
one of the largest employ-
ers of Divyang employees
in Eastern Railway with a
workforce of 500 divyang-
jan. The newly dedicated
Divyang restroom will also
serve as a changing room
for Divyang employees.
The facility is equipped
with amenities including
Divyang-friendly toilets
and wheelchair-accessible
slopes. It also includes spe-
cialized equipment like
visually impaired chess,
carrom, cricket kits and so
on for providing recre-
ational opportunities with-
in the workplace environ-
ment. SNS
New Canteen: A new can-
teen, ‘Swadisht’ was inau-
gurated at Tapan Sinha
Memorial Hospital of
Kolkata Metro Railway
today.The canteen is to be
run by Metro Railway
Women's Welfare Organiza-
tion (MRWWO). SNS
ER announces
special trains for
Shravani Mela
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
ASANSOL, 16 JULY
The Shravani Mela at
Deoghar is an integrated
part of India’s cultural and
religious calendar attracting
numerous devotees who
come to seek the blessing of
Lord Shiva and immerse
themselves in the spirit of
devotion and unity.
The Mela takes place
during the auspicious month
of Shravan. Devotees from
various parts of India rush
to Deoghar to worship Lord
Shiva. During the Shravani
Mela, Jasidih station wit-
nesses a significant influx of
devotees from different cor-
ners of the country who co-
me to participate in the fes-
tivities and religious rituals.
Eastern Railway makes
special arrangements and
additional train services to
accommodate the rush of
passengers during this holy
period. To clear the extra rush
of passengers during the
ensuing Shravani Mela, 07
MEMU special trains will run
from 22 July to 19 August.
All the trains will stop at
all stations enroute in both
directions.
Parents with emotionally damaged mindsets
lead to adverse results in children: Experts
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
KOLKATA, 16 JULY
In an ideal situation, parents
are resource points and emo-
tional pillars, to be utilised to
develop the scaffolding of a
child's personality. But in
cases, parents with emo-
tionally damaged mindset,
could lead adverse results
particularly at the backdrop
against an era of jet-speed
competition.
With aggressive digitali-
sation dominated by artificial
intelligence, the biggest game
changer across the world, it
is high time to be aware of such
an issue to search for solution
points for the development
and growth of children.
The sixth Arup Ghoshal
Memorial Seminar, 'Parent-
ing Style: Impact on Mental
Assembly’s Monsoon
Session to be stormy
Trinamul to table motion on scrapping NEET and restoring previous system
AGENCIES
KOLKATA, 16 JULY
T
he forthcoming Mon-
soon Session of the
West Bengal Assem-
bly that will begin
from 22 July is expected to be
stormy.
The ruling Trinamul Con-
gress is expected to move
two special motions on the
floor of the House during the
session.
The first would be on the
demand for scrapping the
National Eligibility cum
Entrance Test (NEET) and
restoring the previous system
of individual state govern-
ments conducting the
entrance exams.
This comes in the wake of
the recent NEET-UG paper
leaks and instances of bribery
to accommodate ineligible
candidates around the coun-
try. Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee has already sent a
DGP Rajeev Kumar urges people to
maintain harmony on Muharram
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
KOLKATA, 16 JULY
Rajeev Kumar, the state DGP,
who officially assumed charge
today after being reinstated
on Monday, said there is “zero
tolerance” on cases of lynch-
ing and advised people to
observe Muharram peace-
fully, stressing on utmost
care against using any provo-
cation that could mar the
traditional fervour of these
festivals and cause dishar-
mony in the society.
“Observe Muharram
peacefully without causing any
disharmony in the society.
Elaborate security arrange-
ments had been made by
the state police to maintain
law and order. Don’t be car-
ried away by any provocation,
which can disrupt harmony
and keep police in the loop
if something suspicious or
detrimental for the society
comes to notice,” Mr Kumar
told news persons at Naban-
Young girl buried
after rape in Howrah
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
KOLKATA, 16 JULY
A young girl's body was recov-
ered in the Jaypur police sta-
tion area of Howrah yester-
day. The incident caused a stir
after she went missing while
watching idol immersion.
The family has accused a
neighbour of kidnapping,
raping, and murdering the girl.
According to local sources,
there was a Durga Puja in a
village under the Jaypur police
station.
The girl left home on Sun-
day, saying she was going to
watch the idol immersion.
When she did not return
home even after 10 pm, the
family became worried and
started searching for her.
After searching various places
throughout the night and
failing to find her, her father
approached the police.
A search was launched.
Health' was organised by
Eastern Zonal Psychological
Association (EZPA) at Jadavpur
University on Sunday.
Prof Bhaskar Gupta, vice-
chancellor (VC) of JU kicked
off the programme.
Prof (Dr) Nilanjana Sanyal,
former head of the department
of psychology, Calcutta Uni-
versity said, "Psychoanalysis
emphasises formative process
of child's early years partic-
ularly their relationship with
primary care giver usually
parents. Interactions between
parents and children lay the
foundation for developing
ego of the latter, and build up
personality that manages
external world and internal
desires."
"Psychoanalysis also sug-
gests unresolved issues in
children lying latent in their
letter to Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi on June 24 raising
the same demand.
According to Trinamul
Congress insiders, the second
motion will condemn the
“hurried implementation” of
the three new criminal laws
nationally.
The Chief Minister had
written to the Prime Minis-
ter on this issue as well last
month.On the other hand, the
na today.
On Kultali incident, Mr
Kumar said, “It was an out and
out case of ‘cheating racket’
and upheld the presence of
a ‘secret tunnel’, which he said
that the police are investigating
and sincerity but as the case
was still under investigation,
it is improper for us to share
any details.”
On cases of lynching in dif-
ferent parts of the state, the
DGP said the state has “zero
tolerance” on such cases.
“None would be allowed to
take law into their own hands
irrespective of party colour.”
He refused to acknowl-
edge any intelligence failure
During the investigation, the
police detained a neighbour
for questioning.
According to police sources,
during continued interroga-
tion, the accused admitted that
he had strangled the girl and
buried her body in a field.
In the evening, the police
went to the spot, dug up the
ground, and recovered the
body. The family was notified
and the body was sent for post-
mortem. Police sources indi-
cated that they are investi-
gating whether the girl was
raped.Police are trying to find
out the motive behind the
murder. The accused had
been produced in Uluberia
sub-divisional court on Tues-
day. For the sake of the inves-
tigation, the police took the
accused into their custody.
They are also investigating
whether anyone else was
involved in the incident.
unconscious mind manifest
later in life as anxiety, phobia,
and self-destructive behaviour.
Through therapy individuals
can explore past experiences,
gain insights in their defence
mechanisms, and develop
healthier coping strategies,"
Prof Sanyal said.
Prof Madhucchanda Sen,
head of the department of phi-
losophy, JU felt that research
needs to be done based on cer-
tain questions she raised
before the audience.
BJP is considering moving a
motion seeking discussions
on the recent post-poll vio-
lence and Kangaroo Court
assaults in the state.
Although the session will
begin from July 22, on the first
day it will be brief and
adjourned for the day after
obituary mentions.
The Monsoon Session this
time is expected to be for ten
days, said an official from
on the part of the police in
cases of lynching.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Police
has issued strictures for goods
vehicles for Muharram tomor-
row.A circular issued by
Kolkata Police today said that
the goods vehicles had been
barred from entering the city
proper, beginning 4 pm this
afternoon till 5 am on Thurs-
day. Only vehicles carrying
essential commodities have
been spared.The directives
also said that if any goods vehi-
cles do come near the city
entry point, they would either
be detained by traffic guards
at Nivedita Bridge or traffic
guards at Vidyasagar Setu.
Women alleges torture by local leader in Sonarpur
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
KOLKATA, 16 JULY
A woman was allegedly called
to a shalishi (arbitration)
meeting and tortured over a
family dispute in Sonarpur.
The woman claimed she was
chained. She also alleged
she was beaten and verbal-
ly abused.
The arbitration sessions
are illegal but are held repeat-
edly in the villages.
The woman accused
Jamaluddin Sardar, a village
headman of organizing the
session. She claimed that
Jamaluddin is associated
with the Trinamul Congress.
A BJP team, led by former MLA
Agnimitra Paul visited the area
and demanded justice for
the woman.
According to the woman,
they were summoned to
Jamal's house to resolve the
family dispute.
She said, “As soon as we
entered Jamal's house, the
According to Dr Rima
Mukherjee, senior consultant
psychiatrist, her role as a par-
ent was very challenging. She
asked mental professionals not
to be judgemental but to be
empathetic with the parents
to understand their strug-
gles, which in turn has a great
influence on a child's per-
sonality. “Parachute Parent-
ing” with hollow praise and
reassurance with a critical
environment is to be substi-
tuted by helping them to
develop strength in coping
with negative situations of life
particularly in the digitalised
world.
Prof Samar Kumar Mon-
dal, philosophy department
of JU, and coordinator of the
centre for counselling serv-
ices cited that good parents
should be good listeners.
CMYK
the Assembly secretariat.
The four newly-elected
legislators in the bypolls
namely Madhuparna Thakur
from Bagda in North 24 Par-
ganas, Dr Mukut Mani
Adhikari from Ranaghat-Dak-
shin in Nadia, Krishna Kalyani
from Raiganj in North Dina-
jpur and Supti Pande from
Maniktala in Kolkata are also
expected to take oath during
the Monsoon Session.
BJP DELEGATION
Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari outside Raj Bhavan after a meeting with
Governor C V Ananda Bose, in Kolkata, on Tuesday. � SNS
gate was locked from outside.
Then, they chained my leg.”
She said she was interro-
gated while being chained,
and before she could answer,
was brutally assaulted.
Describing the terrifying sit-
uation, the woman said she
was so scared that she bit her
tongue twice.
“They beat me with sticks
and bamboo, slapped me
and punched me on the
head. When my husband
tried to intervene, he was beat-
en too,” she said.
BJP leader Agnimitra Paul
visited the affected woman
today, when the other villagers
also aired their grievances.
Many villagers told the BJP
MLA that Jamal had forcibly
taken over their lands.
Agnimitra said, “Sandesh-
khali is spread across West
Bengal. The Sheikh Shahja-
han of Sonarpur is Jamal
Sardar. Shalishi meetings are
held at his house.” Local
women told Agnimitra that
Unconditional love with
acceptance, secure attach-
ment with positive discipline
helps in developing confi-
dence, motivation, respon-
sibility without developing
behavioural problems.
Payal Ghosh, a parent edu-
cator, said parenting should
be done in accordance with
three age group people, with
2-5 years old, with 6-11 years
(junior) and when growing up
reaches the teenage group
(grown-up group) parents
role become very vital as they
must lay emphasis on their
decision-making skill in a
non-judgemental way, teach
them to be empathetic and
show gratitude giving them
suggestions when required
and appreciating their out-
comes.
(representational image)
KOLKATA, WEDNESDAY 17 JULY 2024
Rare celestial halo sighted in parts of city
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
KOLKATA, 16 JULY
Citizens in parts of Kolkata
were enthralled to witness a
spectacular phenomenon of
a perfect rainbow ring or
'halo' this morning.
The phenomenon occurred
at around 10.30 am after the
city was lashed by a morning
downpour.
Several citizens in various
parts of the city, including Salt
Lake, enjoyed the sight of a per-
fect rainbow ring with a cir-
cle in red at the inner side and
yellow on the outer spec-
trum.
As informed by the experts,
the circle around the Sun is
an atmospheric optical phe-
nomenon. The phenomenon
includes a halo with a radius
“there are chains everywhere
in that house.” Taking a dig
at the ruling party, she said,
“Taliban-style atrocities have
now turned into Trinamul-
style atrocities. Jamal Sardar
has the blessings of Trinamul
leaders.”
Local MLA Lovely Maitra
has denied any connection
between Jamal Sardar and the
Trinamul Congress. Regard-
ing the allegations in Son-
arpur, DSP Faizul Bin Ahmed
said the police are investi-
gating the entire incident.
Jamaluddin has denied all
such allegations, claiming
they are completely false.
He argued, “The woman
making the accusations is
involved in an extramarital
affair, which led to the fam-
ily dispute. We called her
here to resolve it. Her son was
present here. You can ask
any of her family members.
There’s no question of beat-
ing her. Let her show any proof
that I chained her.”
Delegation from across the border at Santiniketan
inspects repair work at Bangladesh Bhavan
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
BIRBHUM, 16 JULY
Bangladesh government has
started the renovation work
of Museum and Bangladesh
Bhavan of Visva-Bharati Uni-
versity in Santiniketan, Birb-
hum. A four-member high-
level delegation from Bangl-
adesh, lead by deputy secre-
tary of ministry of culture,
Mohamed Saiful Islam, visit-
ed and inspected the muse-
um and Bangladesh Bhavan
in Santiniketan on Monday.
He has also handed over
a sculpture of Bangabandhu
Mujibur Rahman to officiat-
ing vice-chancellor of Visva-
Bharati University, Professor
Arabinda Mondal, which will
be kept on display at the
Bangladesh Bhavan.
Behind the Indira Gandhi
Sanhati Kendra, the Bang-
ladesh Bhavan has been set
of approximately 22 degrees
in the sky.
The phenomenon popu-
larly known as the 22 degree
circular halo of the sun or occa-
sionally occurs during pre
monsoon or monsoon peri-
od. As explained by scientists,
generally these kinds of cir-
rus clouds get formed when
water vapour freezes into ice
crystals at altitudes five to ten
kilometres above the earth’s
surface.
According to the former
director of the Research and
Academic wing of the M P Birla
Institute of Fundamental
Research, M P Birla Plane-
tarium in Kolkata, Debiprosad
Duari, the phenomenon
occurs when sunlight pass-
es through low-lying water
crystal bearing clouds.
Man found dead at city hotel
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
KOLKATA, 16 JULY
Body of a resident of Andaman
and Nicobar was found from
a hotel near Kolkata airport
last night.
Police said that after repeat-
edly knocking and getting
no response, the hotel staff
informed the police.
Police had to break open
the door and recover the
body. The condition in which
the body was found has raised
questions if the death was
unnatural.
According to the hotel ofi-
cial, R Srinivas Rao, a resident
of the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands, had come to Kolkata
for work on 13 July.
He stayed at the hotel,
booking a room for two days.
He was supposed to check out
yesterday, 15 July.
However, he did not leave
even after the check-out time
passed. Around 11.30 pm
when he still hadn't checked
up on 40,000 square feet of area.
It has been set up at a cost of
Rs 25 crore.
On 25 May, 2018, the new
international Bangladesh Bha-
van has been inaugurated by
chancellor of Visva-Bharati
University (VBU) and also
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
along with Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh
and chief minister of West
Bengal Mamata Banerjee.
The delegation after the visit
and inspection held a meet-
ing with the vice-chancellor
ofVisva-Bharati University, Pro-
fessor Arabinda Mondal and
chief coordinator of Bang-
ladesh Bhavan Manabendra
03
"Sun rays get refracted by
an amount of 22 degrees
because of the hexagonal
shape of the water crystals,"
explained Mr Duari. "The fre-
quency of such events is com-
paratively more during the
rainy season on cloudy days.
The 22 degree halos appear
when the sky is covered by thin
cirrus or cirrostratus clouds
that often come a few days
before a large storm front," he
added.
As underlined by the for-
mer director, the atmospheric
optical takes place once or
twice in the city and is a reg-
ular occurrence in Kolkata.
The same process also
occurs around the moon. In
that case, the phenomenon
is called the moon ring or win-
ter halo.
out, the hotel staff knocked
on his door but received no
response. A hotel staff said that
they found a nylon rope tied
around the person's neck,
attached to the fan, with the
body sitting on the bed.
On Monday night, the
body was sent to Barasat
Hospital for post-mortem.
The exact cause of death will
be known after receiving the
preliminary autopsy report.
The family has been noti-
fied by the police. The police's
initial assumption is that this
is a case of suicide.
However, they are inves-
tigating if there might be any
other reason.
The airport police station
is investigating why a resident
from another state chose to
end his life in the city. An
unnatural death case has
been registered, and the inves-
tigation begun.
The investigating officers
have seized the deceased's
mobile phone.
Mukherjee at Santiniketan.
The building needed some
restoration work and the
Bangladesh government has
taken initiative for its restora-
tion. The past history of
Bangladesh will be depicted
at the museum, besides her-
itage, Muktijuddho, various
belongings of father of the
nation Bongobondhu Mujibur
Rahman, several article relat-
ing to Rabindranath Tagore
from Bangladesh have also
been kept for display.
After the Cheena Bhavan,
Institute of learning Chinese
language and Culture has
been established in 1937, the
Bangladesh Bhavan has
become another important
attraction and is acting as an
important cultural bridge
between India and Bangladesh
and strengthening the bilat-
eral relationship between the
two countries.
04
People said they are fed up with official portals
and IDs (comprising Parivar Pehchan Patra) and
are tired of visiting government departments
DEEPENDER HOODA
KOLKATA, WEDNESDAY 17 JULY 2024 CONGRESS LEADER AND LOK SABHA MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

Cong using police

TN to move SC against K’taka's refusal to share Cauvery water to force BRS MLAs
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Passing a resolution to One of the three resolutions ly condemned Karnataka for year too forcing Tamil Nadu ter Duraimurugan would PMK took part in the meet- to join its fold: KTR
CHENNAI, 16 JULY this effect, an all-party meet- passed at the meeting read: its intransigence while yet to move the apex court for jus- chair the meeting, it was ing.
ing chaired by Chief Minister “To secure Tamil Nadu’s right- another urged the Cauvery tice. He said in the wake of presided over by Chief Min- Since the meeting was HYDERABAD, 16 JULY

W
ith Karnataka
refusing to release
the quantum of
Cauvery water
stipulated by the Cauvery
Water Regulation Committee
(CWRC), Tamil Nadu is set to
approach the Supreme Court.
T E N D E R
MK Stalin condemned neigh-
bouring state for denying
Tamil Nadu the share of Cau-
very water due to it.
Only the leaders of those
parties having representa-
tion in the state assembly
were invited to the meeting.
ful share of Cauvery water with-
out any delay as per the final
award of the Cauvery Water
Dispute Tribunal and the
Supreme Court’s verdict, all
available legal steps will be
taken if necessary.”
Another resolution strong-
Water Management Author-
ity (CWMA) to direct the
immediate release of Cau-
very water to Tamil Nadu.
Earlier, addressing the
meeting, Stalin pointed out
that Karnataka had refused to
release Cauvery water last
favourable southwest mon-
soon this year with a forecast
of normal rainfall, Karnata-
ka's defiance of the CWRC
directive is unacceptable.
While it was initially
announced that House Leader
and Water Resources Minis-
ister Stalin to give it the
required political weight.
Besides the ruling DMK and
its allies, including Congress,
Left parties, and the Vidutha-
lai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK),
the principal Opposition
AIADMK, the BJP, and the
meant for the parties having
their presence in the legisla-
ture, the Tamil Nationalist
‘Naam Tamilar Katchi’ (NTK)
of filmmaker Seeman, which
has secured 8.2 per cent vote
share in the Lok Sabha elec-
tion, was not invited.
BRS working president KT
Rama on Tuesday alleged that
the Congress was using police
to threaten his party MLAs to
forcethemtojointherulingparty.
This came after the tenth BRS
MLA G Mahipal Reddy joined
the Congress on Monday, just
days after the Enforcement
Directorate raided his proper-
ties. A war of words began
betweenthepoliticalpartiesover
the defection of BRS MLAs to
Congress, with the AIMIM and
BJP also jumping into the fray.
A delegation of BRS MLAs,
led by party working president
KT Rama Rao, on Tuesday met
the Speaker of the Telangana
Legislative Assembly, Gaddam
Prasad Kumar, demanding the
disqualification of the truant
MLAswhowereleavingtheparty
after being elected on the BRS
symbol for the Congress. In their
petition, the BRS MLAs cited
recent directions of the High
Court and Supreme Court on
turncoat MLAs. SNS

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OFFICE OF THE CHIEF CONSTRUCTION ENGINEER
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Ref. No. (E-Tender No.:
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/ 24-25 & Tender ID:
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CMYK

Worli case: Accused Shah sent
to judicial custody till 30 July
During the investigation, Shah has refused to answer critical questions about his actions
AGENCIES
MUMBAI, 16 JULY
M
ihir Shah, the
accused in the
high-profile Worli
hit-and-run case,
was presented before the
Sewri court on Tuesday for fur-
ther remand proceedings.
Police had sought further
police custody for the accused
but court refused the Damand.
Mihir Shah has been sent to
Judicial custody for 14 days,
till July 30.
According to the police,
during the investigation, Shah
has refused to answer critical
questions about his actions
and whereabouts after the
crime.
He has not disclosed why
he fled the scene, where he dis-
posed of his car's number
plate, or the identities of those
who allegedly harbored him
while he was on the run.
The police's request for fur-
ther remand was objected
Murder of former minister
Mukesh Sahani’s father
heats up Bihar politics
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, 16 JULY
Former Bihar minister and
Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP)
chief Mukesh Sahani's father,
Jitin Sahani, was brutally mur-
dered at his Supaul Bazaar
residence in Bihar's Darb-
hanga district, police said on
Tuesday.
The murder reportedly took
place late on Monday night but
the police received the infor-
mation about it on Tuesday
morning. On reaching the
spot, police officials found
Jitin Sahani’s mutilated body
lying on the floor in a pool of
blood.
A special investigation team
(SIT) has been constituted by
the district police to investigate
the case, the Darbhanga Police
said in a statement.
Mukesh Sahani’s party is in
alliance with the Opposition
INDIA bloc.
Leaders from all political par-
ties condemned the incident
cutting across party lines. The
murder evoked criticism from
political circles against the
Army destroys 103 unexploded
ammunition lying scattered in Kargil
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
JAMMU, 16 JULY
To ensure safety and eliminate
the threat to human life from
unexploded ordnance (UXOs)
in the hinterland as well as in
border areas, as many as 103
explosives have been
destroyed by the Indian Army
in the Kargil district of Ladakh.
The Ladakh based Fire
and Fury Corps of the Indi-
an Army on Tuesday wrote on
X that "the Sappers under For-
ever in Operations Division
with close coordination with
civil administration disposed
off nine UXOs from 4 July to
13 July.
''A total of 103 UXOs were
destroyed by the Indian Army
in the Kargil Region since 1
January 2024.''
A large quantity of unex-
'Aatmanirbharta' in defence: Govt notifies fifth Positive Indigenisation list
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, 16 JULY
In a major boost to 'Aat-
manirbharta' in defence and
minimise imports by Defence
Public Sector Undertakings
(DPSUs), the Ministry of
Defence has notified the fifth
Positive Indigenisation List
(PIL) consisting of 346 items.
These include strategi-
cally-important Line Replace-
ment Units/Systems/ Sub-
systems/Assemblies/Sub-
assemblies/Spares & Com-
ponents and raw materials,
with import substitution value
worth Rs 1,048 crore.
The MoD said the items will
only be procured from the
If the BJP truly respects our nation's history and its leaders,
I urge you to promptly remove Malviya from his position
and issue an unreserved apology to the people of India
by defence lawyer who said
that it's been 7 days since he
was in custody and has already
told the police whatever he had
to tell. Now police is trying to
seek the custody on almost
similar grounds which were
mentioned in first remand
application.
Also, three sections of the
Motor Vehicle act are added
in original FIR of Worli hit-and-
run case for Mihir Shah's car
had blackened glass , PUC of
the vehicle had expired and
the insurance of the car had
also expired.
Nitish Kumar-led BJP-JDU
government in the state. They
attributed the murder to the
poor law and order situation
in the state.
Mukesh Sahani, who arrived
in Patna, told reporters at the
airport, "... I have spoken to Chief
Minister Nitish Kumar, Union
Home Minister Amit Shah and
Lalu Prasad. All our well-wish-
ers, leaders of the state and the
country, I have spoken to all and
they have assured me that the
culprits will not be spared..."
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar
conveyed his condolences to
Mukesh Sahni on the phone.
Two people have been taken
into custody in connection
with the murder, police said,
adding that a big disclosure
would be made soon.
Condemning the brutal
murder, Congress President
Mallikarjun Kharge demand-
ed strict action against the
culprits and justice for his
INDIA bloc partner. ''We express
our deepest condolences to his
family. May God give them the
strength to bear this loss,"
Kharge said on social media X.
ploded ammunition of the
1999 war with Pakistan was
reportedly lying in the areas
of Kargil district.
A teenaged boy was killed
and two others seriously
injured in April last year when
an unexploded bomb of the
1999 war between India and
Pakistan exploded near the
astro-football ground in Kargil
town of Ladakh.
The explosion happened
at Kurbathang in Kargil cre-
Indian Industry after the
timelines of indigenisation as
indicated in the list avail-
able on the Srijan portal.
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s major push for ‘Aat-
manirbhar Bharat’ has yield-
ed remarkable results in the
indigenisation of defence
items, with Defence Minister
Rajnath Singh driving the
efforts to realise the vision of
self-reliance in defence pro-
duction.
The DPSUs will under-
take indigenisation of the
items mentioned in the fifth
PIL through various routes
including ‘Make’ procedure
or in-house development
involving the industry, includ-
The defence lawyer also
emphasised that 27 witness-
es have already repcorded
their statements in the case
including the barber who
had done shave for the accused
when he was on the run so
there is nothing left on the basis
of which police should seek
further custody.
The police emphasized
that obtaining this informa-
tion is crucial for the ongo-
ing investigation and request-
ed the court to extend Shah's
police custody to facilitate fur-
ther questioning.
Kharge, Rahul condemn terror attack
in J&K’s Doda; slam government
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, 16 JULY
Congress president Mallikar-
jun Kharge and party leader
Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday
expressed anguish after four
army personnel, including
an officer, were martyred in
Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda
district, and slammed the BJP
government over the spate
of terror attacks in the Union
territory.
In a post on ‘X’, the Con-
gress chief wrote, “Deeply dis-
tressed by the martyrdom of
four brave Army soldiers,
including an officer, in a
terror encounter in Jammu
and Kashmir’s Doda. Our
heart goes out to the fami-
lies of our bravehearts, who
made the supreme sacrifice
in the service of Bharat Mata.
Our thoughts and prayers are
with the injured, and we
hope for a speedy and com-
plete recovery.” Stating that
no words of strong and
unequivocal condemnation
will suffice for these acts of
violence being perpetrated
by cowardly terrorists, he
said, “The spate of terror
ating panic in the airport
area. The three injured boys
were identified as Ali Naqi,
Muntazir Mehdi, and Baqir.
They were residents of Khar-
zong, Pashkum. However,
Baqir succumbed to his
injuries on the way to the hos-
pital.
This was not the first such
incident of unexploded ord-
nance blasting. People have
been asking the administra-
tion to scan the area with the
help of the Army to trace
such unexploded ammunition
for the safety of the people.
Meanwhile, Lt General
Hitesh Bhalla, GOC, Fire and
Fury Corps visited forward
posts of Forever in Operations
Division along the Line of
Control (LoC) in Ladakh and
reviewed the security situa-
tion.
ing MSMEs. This will provide
impetus to the growth in
economy, enhanced invest-
ment in defence and lead to
reduced import dependence.
In addition, this will aug-
ment the design capabilities
of domestic defence Indus-
try due to the involvement of
academia and research insti-
JAIRAM RAMESH
CONGRESS SPOKESPERSON
Meanwhile, the Mumbai
Police during its investigation
in the Shiv Sena leader son's
hit-and-run case has stated
that the accused had con-
sumed an excessive amount
of alcohol at two different
places on the night of the
incident.
According to the Mum-
bai police, "During the inves-
tigation, it was found that
the arrested accused Mihir
Shah consumed alcohol before
the incidents. He consumed
alcohol at two different places
on the night of the incident."
"The probe revealed that
after drinking alcohol at Vice
Global Tapas Bar located in
the Juhu area, accused Mihir
Shah drank alcohol at anoth-
er place between Malad and
Borivali," the police said.
"The interrogation with
Rajrishi Rajendra Singh
Bidawat, accused driver, also
revealed that these people
had come to visit Marine
Drive since the day of the inci-
attacks that has gripped
Jammu and Kashmir in the
past 36 days, needs careful
recalibration in our securi-
ty strategy.”
Attacking the ruling dis-
pensation, the Congress
president said, “The Modi
government is acting as if
everything is ‘business as
usual’ and nothing has
changed. They must know
that increasingly the Jammu
region is bearing the brunt
of these attacks. We cannot
endanger our national secu-
rity by indulging in false
bravado, fake narratives and
high-decibel whitewash-
ing.”
Kharge, who is also the
Leader of Opposition in
Rajya Sabha, said, “As a
nation, we have to collectively
fight the scourge of cross-
border terrorism. The Indi-
an National Congress stands
Train runs over tiger cubs in
MP: 1 dead, 2 seriously injured
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
BHOPAL, 16 JULY
A male tiger cub died and two
of them were critically injured
after being hit by a train
while crossing the railway
tracks in Budhni in the
Sehore district of Madhya
Pradesh.
The incident occurred
on Monday at the Midghat
section in the Ratapani for-
est sanctuary area.
According to Divisional
Forest Officer (DFO) M S
Dawar, the deceased cub
was around 8 months old. Its
body was recovered from
the tracks and sent for post-
mortem.
However, the forest
department rescue team
faced a tough time, as the
mother tigress did not move
away from her seriously
tutions.
Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited (HAL), Bharat Elec-
tronics Limited (BEL), Bharat
Dynamics Limited (BDL),
BEML Limited, India Optel
Limited (IOL), Mazagon Dock
Shipbuilders Limited (MDL),
Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL),
Garden Reach Shipbuilders
& Engineers Ltd (GRSE) and
Hindustan Shipyard Limited
(HSL) are the DPSUs involved
in defence items of the fifth
PIL.
These have initiated
process for issuing Expressions
of Interest/Requests for Pro-
posal on their respective web-
sites with a link on the ‘Sri-
jan Portal Dashboard (sri-
CMYK
05
KOLKATA, WEDNESDAY 17 JULY 2024
Shankaracharya revives Kedarnath gold
scam controversy, jumps into Delhi temple row
PR SINGH
DEHRADUN, 16 JULY
Shankaracharya of Badrinath
scam. Why don't you journal-
ists take up the issue?There hap-
pened a gold scam and now they
will build Kedarnath Temple in
going viral, against the alleged
missing gold-plating from the
walls of Kedarnath temple
sanctum sanctorum has revived
seat, Avimukteshwaranand Delhi. There will be another the gold scam controversy
Saraswati has raised a con- scam. As much as 228 kilograms that erupted in 2023.
dent fell on a Sunday," said cern over the 2022 gold-plat- of gold disappeared from Kedar- It's notable that local priests
police. ing controversy in Kedarnath nath. Under which law do they and purohits in Kedarnath
Earlier on Wednesday, a shrine alleging a 228 kilograms do this?Why doesn't the media have been persistently raising
Mumbai court sent Mihir gold scam with no investiga- raise this issue? No probe has the gold scam issue after more
Shah to police custody until tion being undertaken in the been ordered till date" alleged than 200 kilograms of gold
July 16. matter. He said first, it was a Avimukteshwaranand as he plating done inside the sanc-
Mihir Shah was arrested in gold scam in Kedarnath Shrine spoke to a section of media on tum sanctorum went missing
Virar on Tuesday. He was and now, they want to build the Monday. as a part of the wall was dis-
brought to Sewri court in temple in Delhi. Avimukteshwaranand's covered charred with soot over
Mumbai on Wednesday. Shah "There has been a gold comment, seen in a video a large area.
had been absconding after the
car he was allegedly driving
hit a scooter on Dr Annie
Besant Road in Worli on Sun-
day, July 7.
Fourteen teams were
formed by Mumbai Police to
nab him. Police arrested Rajr-
ishi Singh Bidawat and Mihir's
father, Rajesh Shah, for their
alleged involvement in the
case.
According to Mumbai
police, the 45-year-old victim
was a resident of Worli Koli-
wada. Her husband was rid-
ing the scooter while she was
riding the pillion. The husband
also sustained injuries in the
incident.
strongly with our valiant
Armed Forces.”
Echoing similar senti-
ments, Gandhi, the Leader
of Opposition in Lok Sabha
said, “Today, our soldiers
were martyred in a terrorist
encounter in Jammu and
Kashmir. I express my deep-
est condolences to the
bereaved families. Such ter-
rible incidents one after
another are extremely sad
and worrying.”
Taking a jibe at the BJP
government, he said, “These
continuous terrorist attacks
are revealing the dilapidat-
ed condition of Jammu and
Kashmir. Our soldiers and
their families are suffering
the consequences of BJP's
wrong policies.”
“It is the demand of every
patriotic Indian that the
government should take full
responsibility for the repeat-
ed security lapses and take
strictest action against the
culprits of the country and
its soldiers. In this hour of
grief, the entire country
stands united against ter-
rorism,” Gandhi wrote
on X.
The forest team was
making efforts to
rescue the two inju-
red cubs so that tre-
atment could be pro-
vided to save their
lives, but was ham-
pered by the pres-
ence of their mother
injured cubs and kept on lick-
ing their wounds.
The tigress was also agi-
tated and roared repeated-
ly, preventing the rescue
team from providing imme-
diate treatment to the injured
cubs.
The forest team was mak-
ing continuous efforts to
rescue the two injured cubs
so that necessary treatment
could be provided to save
their lives.
jandefence.gov.in/Dash-
boardForPublic) specifically
designed for this purpose,
and Industry/MSMEs/start-
ups may come forward to
participate in large numbers.
Earlier, four PILs com-
prising 4,666 items were noti-
fied by the DDP for DPSUs,
of which 2,972, having import
substitution value worth Rs
3,400 crore, have already
been indigenised. These five
lists for DPSUs are in addition
to the five positive indigeni-
sation lists of 509 items noti-
fied by the Department of Mil-
itary Affairs (DMA). These
lists include highly-complex
systems, sensors, weapons and
ammunition.
 06 KOLKATA, WEDNESDAY 17 JULY 2024 Vol. CXXXXXVIII 168

Incorporating and directly descended from

Constitution in focus A MEMBER
OF THE

THE FRIEND OF INDIA - Founded 1818
Billionaire Tax
T solution currently
he notion of imposing additional taxes on billion-
aires has resurfaced, with the Congress party urging
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider such
ASIAN VOICES
Morality aside, the Constitution has also got enmeshed with identity politics of the Using biometrics is
day, as most followers of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar have vested their own political identity the most advanced
to the protection of the Constitution – any changes to the same will be construed
as an affront to their identity, hence provoking an electoral reaction. Results of the
in money transfers
18th Lok Sabha have also exposed the limits of simplistic majoritarianism, as the overarching

measures. This proposal, advocating a 2 per cent wealth
tax on India’s 167 billionaires, aims to address the stark in-
come inequality and fund crucial public services like edu-
cation and healthcare. With India experiencing unprece-
dented economic growth, it is imperative to examine the
implications and potential benefits of taxing the super-
rich. Income inequality in India is at a historic high, with
the richest 1 per cent of the population holding an incre-
asingly large share of national wealth. This disparity not
only undermines social cohesion but also stifles econo-
mic mobility for the lower and middle classes. By taxing
the ultra-wealthy, the government could generate signifi-
cant revenue to invest in essential public services, thus
promoting a more equitable society. The proposal for a
wealth tax for the ultra-rich is not without merit. A 2 per
cent tax on billionaires’ fortunes could potentially raise
1.5 trillion rupees ($18 billion) annually, a substantial sum
that could be directed towards improving the quality of
education and healthcare. These sectors are critical for
the country’s long-term development and could greatly
benefit from increased funding. Moreover, investments
in renewable energy and other sustainable initiatives cou-
ld position India as a global leader in addressing climate
change. Critics argue that taxing the wealthy might drive
them to relocate to countries with more favourable tax re-
gimes, resulting in a loss of investment and entrepreneu-
rial talent. However, this concern may be overstated.
Many billionaires have deep-rooted business interests
and personal ties in India, making relocation less likely.
Furthermore, a well-structured tax policy with incentives
for reinvestment in the local economy could mitigate this
risk and encourage wealth retention within the country.
The debate on taxing billionaires extends beyond nation-
T
he Decision 2345 represents
umbrella of unitary religion didn‘t seem tenable, given the inherent ‘divides‘ within significant progress and addr-
esses fundamental existing
all religious denominations issues. Right from the initial
stage, identity verification and clear-
ing customer information are required
to ensure that the person opening the
account is a citizen with verified iden-
tity cards, matched with data from the
National Population Data Centre of the
Ministry of Public Security. This guar-
antees that the person opening the
bank account is using legitimate docu-
ments with accurate information.
As a result, banks will be able to
ensure that the account belongs to the
rightful owner before facilitating the
transactions. On the other hands,
when scammers conduct money trans-
fer transactions using their face or fin-
gerprint, or other biometric character-
istics, there are clear signs for authori-
ties to check and handle.
As soon as the new policy was im-
plemented, some individuals abroad
contacted people in Viet Nam, imper-
sonating bank employees to call cus-
tomers and assist in updating their bio-
metrics. Whenever there is a new poli-
cy, fraudsters continue to devise sce-
narios to lure victims into traps, some-
times more sophisticated, such as
exploiting digital transformation poli-
cies or information update policies to
get users to install malware-laden
applications or accessing malicious

F
al borders. Brazil, which now has the G20 presidency, is aizabad or its twin-city
Ayodhya, has a powerful
pushing for a global wealth tax, supported by the EU Tax
symbolism for the ruling
Observatory’s proposal for a 2 per cent levy on fortunes ideological persuasion of
exceeding $1 billion. Such a measure could garner up to the nation. Just before the recen-
$250 billion annually from approximately 3,000 individu- tly concluded Lok Sabha electi-
als worldwide. If adopted, this could set a precedent for ons, its back-to-back winning
international cooperation on wealth taxation and help Member of Parliament had
address global income inequality. India’s position on this made a chilling comment, “The
global proposal will be closely watched. Supporting a glo- government can be formed with
bal tax on billionaires could enhance India’s standing as a 272 MPs in the Lok Sabha…… But
champion of equitable economic policies. It could also to make amendments to the
Constitution, or to have a new
align with the country’s aspirations to play a more influ- Constitution, we need more
ential role in global governance. However, it is essential to than two-thirds majority”.
ensure that any tax policy is carefully designed to balance He said what was already
revenue generation with the need to maintain a conduci- getting bandied about in the
ve environment for business and innovation. By leverag- social media, and it was also sta-
ing the wealth of the ultra-rich, the government could tistically aligned to the “abki
make significant strides in improving public services, red- baar, 400 paar” (this time, over
ucing income inequality, and fostering sustainable devel- 400), spiel. He soon retracted.
opment. While concerns about capital flight and investm- But tellingly, he lost the election
ent loss are valid, they can be mitigated through thought- and the disquiet about the sig-
nificance of that loss was signifi-
ful policy design and international collaboration.
cant. A new political landscape
emerged with many implicit and
ution has also got enmeshed to get through Parliament by re- tion had surfaced. India then links, thereby taking control of phones
with identity politics of the day, ason of some Article of the Con- had a fine constitutionalist as and devices.
as most followers of Dr Bhim stitution which has acted as an the incumbent President of Therefore, the banking sector
Rao Ambedkar have vested their obstacle in their way. Parliament India (also the conscience keep-
own political identity to the pro- will have an axe to grind while er of the Indian Constitution) in
tection of the Constitution ~ any the Constituent Assembly has KR Narayanan. In Narayanan’s
changes to the same will be con- none.” time, the Rashtrapati spoke his needs to effectively implement Deci-
strued as an affront to their id- While it is correct that the mind independently, albeit as he sion 2345 as a fundamental solution to
entity, hence provoking an elec- Constitution has been “amend- insisted “within the four corners eliminate non-authentic accounts
toral reaction. Results of the ed” 106 times, including as the of the Constitution”. used by fraudsters. Banks should con-
18th Lok Sabha have also expos- current dispensation insisted, Narayanan had to officially tinue to educate customers and pro-
ed the limits of si- “80 times” by the support the review of the Con- tect them across multiple channels and
mplistic majorit- leading opposition stitution as scripted by the then electronic applications.
arianism, as the party when it ruled dispensation, and he was duty- We can see that to implement this
overarching umbr- ~ the acid test of bound to read the given text, but solution, banks have to invest in infra-
ella of unitary reli- “intent” accompa- it pricked his conscience given structure and technology to ensure
gion didn’t seem nying those amen- the swearing-in oath to “pre- that when conducting face scans for
tenable, given the dments becomes serve, protect and defend the transactions, it is a live face, so it min-
inherent ‘divides’ relevant. These Constitution”. He had to find a imises the risk of forgery.
within all religious amendments inc- creative and ameliorative way of However, it must be acknowled-
denominations. luded some like expressing concern, which he ged that with the development of sci-
Thankfully, such the 10th (Incorpo- did. The wise man chose the ence and technology, nothing can be
fragmentation wo- ration of Dadar 50th (Golden Jubilee) of the Re- guaranteed. At this time, we cannot
rks to protect the BHOPINDER and Nagar Haveli public’s foundation to publicly confirm whether biometric authenti-
SINGH
overall Constitu- as a Union Territo- question, “Let us examine if the cation can be bypassed or not.
tional spirit. The writer is Lt Gen PVSM, ry), 11th (Election Constitution has failed us or we Nonetheless, it must be affirmed

Divestment Halt
sobering ‘messages’ for the vic-
torious coalition. Soon there-
after, the Constitution became
AVSM (Retd), and former
It is important Lt Governor of Andaman &
to sift the wheat Nicobar Islands and
Puducherry
from the chaff of
of Vice President have failed the Constitution”. It that using biometric authentication
by electoral college was a loaded expression of dis- when transferring money is the most
composed of both sent aimed at his own govern- advanced measure available today.

I
ndia’s approach to managing its state-owned enter- the leitmotif of opposition con- differentiating be- Houses of Parlia- ment to introspect. Viet Nam is also one of the pioneering
prises has taken a notable turn. For years, the govern- cerns with their MPs brandish- tween an “amendment” as op- ment as opposed to Joint Sitting India was doubly lucky to countries in the world to implement
ment’s strategy was characterised by aggressive priva- ing copies in hand. The dispen- posed to fundamentally “chang- of Parliament), 21st (inclusion of have an equally sagacious Prime such measures. It is true that people
tisation, aiming to offload large segments of its more than sation of the day hit back by am- ing” the Constitution. It mani- Sindhi as a national language) Minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee need to be cautious about scammers
Rs 50 lakh crore state sector. However, the plan has en- plifying the serendipitously fests in the partisan intent, cha- etc., which really did not impact who understood the depth, ma- exploiting new policies to deceive,
countered significant hurdles, prompting a strategic pivot. timed 50th anniversary of the mpioning the same. That vital the tenor or spirit of the Consti- turity, and significance of the such as calling to collect biometric
‘Emergency’ to countenance difference can be gauged by its tution as envisaged by the Presidential concern. The matter data.
The new focus is on enhancing the value and profitability
their own commitments to the plausible impact on the inher- founding fathers. of changing the constitution There is still a risk that criminals
of these enterprises rather than selling them off. This shift Constitution. ent Constitutional spirit. Even the inclusion of “secu- died its own death and it took could use deepfake technology to
not only reflects a pragmatic response to current political These competitive counter- The fear of partisanship led larism” to the preamble via the two statesmen and patriots to bypass biometric authentication.
and economic realities but also signals a longer-term vis- accusations of compromising to complex and elaborate checks 42nd amendment did not dim- overcome any sense of beholden Therefore, banks and relevant agencies
ion for sustainable growth and development. The initial (current or historical) on the and means of Article 368 to res- inish the majestic spirit of the or overtly partisan insistences. must be ready with solutions and plans
privatisation drive, announced in 2021, was ambitious constitutional spirit have spur- train the potential arbitrary po- Constitution ~ however what did Today, neither the accused to respond. In fact, deepfake technolo-
but faced considerable resistance, culminating in limited red the Constitution on to the wers of the Parliament of India. shame the same was the imposi- nor the accusers can honestly gy has been around for quite some
success. The sale of debt-ridden Air India was a notable national centerstage. This can The unbiased framers of the tion of Emergency. That had claim to have personified the time and there are already anti-deep-
achievement, yet many other planned sales were either only augur well for the founda- Constituent Assembly did not entailed a blatant controlling, Constitutional spirit or morality fake solutions being implemented. If
rolled back or stalled. Political dynamics, especially Prime tional ‘Idea of India’, irrespective intend it to be inflexible or rigid, illiberal, and intolerant intent. It any better than the other. there are criminal groups that can find
of which partisan side rules. as that would have become suf- is “changes” of that nature that Only political circumstan- ways to bypass these solutions, we
Minister Narendra Modi's numbers in Parliament, have Officially, all political parties are focating and disallowed progres- ought to concern us all. ces have suddenly made the must continue to research and
further complicated these efforts. In the face of these cha- on the same page to defend the sive incorporations. But as the The partisan lure of attem- Constitution of India the refer- strengthen measures to prevent and
llenges, the government is now emphasising unlocking sanctity of the Constitution, tho- visionary Dr Ambedkar fore- pting to change the Constitution ence lodestar to claim one-up- combat new types of crime before they
value and improving performance within these public ugh it is the worst kept secret warned, “The future Parliament is old hat and all political par- manship, and India can only be become widespread.
sector enterprises (PSUs). Central to the new strategy is a that changes to the same could if it met as Constituent Assem- ties can be credibly accused of better off for the same. This ur- However, we believe that not all
comprehensive overhaul of more than 200 state-run fir- support divergent partisan posi- bly, its members will be acting harbouring malintent towards gency to defend the Constitu- criminal groups have the capability to
ms. This includes selling large parcels of underutilised tions and preferences more ef- as partisans seeking to carry am- the same. When the current rul- tion by the dispensation and the execute such advanced technical
land and monetizing other assets to raise substantial fun- fectively. But it is no cakewalk, endments to the Constitution to ing persuasion had come in its opposition is less than sincere, measures. Additionally, we will have
ds. The government aims to reinvest these funds into the certainly not any more. facilitate the passing of party first innings, murmurs of an at- but welcome nonetheless, for timely upgraded solutions in place to
Morality aside, the Constit- measures which they have failed tempt to change the Constitu- what it will disallow. prevent widespread misuse.
companies, setting five-year performance and produc-
tion targets rather than short-term goals. This approach
not only fosters long-term stability but also aims to en- LETTERS TO THE EDITOR editor@thestatesman.com
hance the intrinsic value of these enterprises. One of the
critical aspects of this shift is the introduction of succes- things are going wrong and how it
sion planning and professional development within these
companies. The government plans to train 230,000 man- Boost to INDIA bloc can do course correction.
Yours, etc., Bhagwan Thadani
OUT OF TUNE
SIR, I am writing to express my concern regarding the article
agers for senior roles, aiming to professionalise manage- Mumbai, 15 July. titled “Ramkrishna Mission floats amateur radio course” pub-
ment and improve corporate governance. By fostering a SIR, A month after its impressive Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and his lished in today’s edition of The Statesman. While I appreciate the
culture of high performance and accountability, the gov- performance in the Lok Sabha Punjab counterpart Bhagwant coverage of initiatives by institutions like the Ramkrishna Mission,
polls, the INDIA bloc has upsta- Mann can breathe easy for now. EDUCATION I must point out misrepresentations in the article concerning
ernment hopes to make these companies more competi- ged the BJP in the Assembly by- The TMC and the DMK ~ the SIR, This refers to the Perspective amateur radio, commonly known as HAM radio.
tive and profitable. The market’s response to these refor- elections in seven states, winning ruling parties in West Bengal and page article,”Simple messages to Firstly, the article incorrectly portrays amateur radio as pri-
ms has been notably positive. The valuation of state-run 10 seats out of 13. Tamil Nadu, respectively ~ have underpin education” by Bharat marily focused on disaster management and job facilitation. In
firms has surged, reflecting investor confidence in the The Congress won four seats strengthened their position. Dogra (11 July). reality, amateur radio is a diverse hobby encompassing a wide
government’s new approach. However, some analysts two each in Uttarakhand and For the BJP, the losses are The aim of true education is range of activities including technical experimentation, interna-
caution that the current valuations may be overly optim- Himachal Pradesh while the Tri- another setback after it failed to not so much to load the memory tional communication, public service, and emergency commu-
istic, requiring substantial operational and financial turn- namool Congress (TMC) clinched get a majority on its own in the with knowledge, as to develop the nications during disasters. The portrayal of amateur radio solely
arounds to justify. Nonetheless, the government's focus all four in West Bengal. Lower House. The reversals are faculties of the mind. An educat- as a means for job prospects or disaster relief undermines its rich
on enhancing the intrinsic value and profitability of these The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) particularly significant in Uttarak- ed man is not so much a man of history and multifaceted contributions to society.
won the Jalandhar West seat in hand, where the party is in power learning, as a man whose intelli- Furthermore, the article’s reference to the term “HAM” being
enterprises appears well-founded. Higher dividends from Punjab and the DMK bagged and had swept the 2024 Lok gence has been awakened, and initially used as a slur by telegraph operators is misleading. The
state-owned firms are also expected, with projections sur- the Vikravandi constituency in Sabha polls. whose powers of observation, term “HAM” actually originated as an acronym derived from the
passing earlier estimates. This not only provides a signifi- Tamil Nadu. The bypoll results augur well reasoning and thought have been initials of amateur radio operators’ names in the early days of
cant revenue stream for the government but also aligns The BJP got one seat each in for the resurgent Opposition, trained. radio, and it has since been embraced positively by the amateur
with its goal of maximising returns from its investments. Himachal and Madhya Pradesh, which made its presence felt in The object of education is radio community worldwide.
The plan to sell minority stakes while maintaining major- while an independent candidate the recent session of Parliament. practical ~ it is to teach us how to Yours, etc., Sandeep Acharya,
ity control further underscores this strategic intent, allow- won a seat in Bihar. INDIA is looking to upset make the best use of our faculties. New Delhi, 15 July.
ing the government to benefit from booming market val- The victories in Uttarakhand the BJP applecart in Haryana and At the same time, education
uations without relinquishing control. This strategic pivot and Himachal are a morale-boos- Maharashtra, which will witness brings some duties and responsi-
ter for the Congress as the party Assembly elections later this bilities to the society as well as to of education with as many of his is value -oriented education.
from privatisation to enhancing PSUs represents a nuan-
had suffered a rout in both states year. the country. fellows as he can. It is not only the pursuit or
ced approach to economic management. It acknowledges at the hands of the BJP in the Lok However, there is no room The first and the most obvi- It is also the duty of the edu- promotion of knowledge but also
the limitations and challenges of outright privatisation Sabha elections. for complacency in the Opposi- ous duty of an educated Indian is cated Indian to work out social its utilisation for the good of the
while leveraging the potential for value creation within The same holds true for AAP, tion camp as the saffron party has to the community to which he reforms within his sphere. individual and the wealth of the
the state sector. By focusing on long-term performance, which was under pressure after a knack for winning elections belongs, and the first of these The educated Indian should society.
professional management, and strategic asset monetisa- having won just three seats out of against heavy odds. duties is undoubtedly to encour- make the backward people of the Yours, etc.,
tion, the government aims to transform these enterprises 13 in the Punjab parliamentary What the BJP needs is hon- age education among them. He society feel that they are not iso- Narayan Chandra Ghosh,
into robust contributors to India’s economic growth. battle. Himachal Chief Minister est introspection to find out why must strive to share the benefits lated. The crying need of the hour Madanpur, 12 July.

CMYK

A scheme that has
transformed lives
SAROJ UPADHYAY
A
fter the Lok Sabha polls a lot
of debate has taken place to
trace the reasons for the suc-
cess of the Trinamul Congress
in West Bengal. In this poll, TMC
bagged 29 out 42 Seats. All debates
boil down to one aspect - that it is
due to the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme
that the TMC achieved resounding
success.
Under this scheme a woman is
entitled to get Rs 1000 per month from
the age of 15 to 60. In all, 2.11 crore
women have benefitted from this
scheme. Critics say the main reason
for the success is the dole-based poli-
tics of TMC which brought people,
especially women, to the booth to cast
their vote in the TMC’s favour.
This reasoning may be partially
correct, but critics lose sight of the
fact that this scheme has brought a
transformation in the life of women,
especially in the poor families of rural
West Bengal. The amount has
empowered the poor families in Jun-
gle Mahal and has brought them eco-
nomic stability in recent years. This is
revealed in a study sponsored by the
Indian Council of Social Science
Research.
The lives of women in the Jungle
Mahal area had been shrouded with
uncertainty on the question of liveli-
hood.The procurement of wood and
sal leaves are the principal sources of
livelihood of these families. Some
people are engaged in cultivation but
the main source of livelihood is forest
produce. There is also hardship in the
procurement of such produce. The
families face difficulties from forest
officials. Sometimes, they have to
walk long distances to procure forest
products.
Diplomacy is vital to Seoul’s security
WANG SON-TAEK
A
s South Korea and Russia
exchanged vulgar words again,
the relationship between the two
countries reached a new low.
The trouble began on July 8 with
a foreign media interview of President
Yoon Suk Yeol ahead of his attendance
at the NATO summit in Washington.
He said Russia should consider who
is more important to Russia between
South and North Korea.
He then warned that South
Korea's possible provision of weapons
to Ukraine depends on the level and
content of cooperation between Russia
and North Korea. Kremlin spokesper-
son Dmitry Peskov responded on the
same day that Russia has never agreed
with Yoon's approach and that Russia
supports building good relations with
all countries in the region. It looks like
the two countries have equally
exchanged punches.
But it is a huge disgrace to South
Korea because of the big difference in
status between the president of Korea
and the Russian presidential office
spokesperson in diplomatic relations.
The humiliation is regrettable in
that the diplomatic disasters have
repeated since the launch of the Yoon
administration. In early February, a
spokesperson for the Russian Foreign
Ministry disparaged Yoon's view as
biased. In April last year, the Chinese
foreign minister insulted that some-
body playing with fire would burn to
death, indicating Yoon.
In January last year, the Iranian
Foreign Ministry bluntly criticized
him for being ignorant about the situ-
ation in the Middle East.
The repeated diplomatic disas-
ters and the deteriorated security
CROSSWORD
1 2 3 4
5 6
8 9
10 11
13 14
16
18 19 20 21
23 24
25 26
The introduction of the Laksh-
mir Bhandar scheme, which pro-
v i d e s a g u a ra n t e e d s o u rc e o f
income, has provided a sense of
security and comfort to their lives.
Their own earnings added to the
assistance provided by this scheme
have been instrumental in changing
the lives of thousands of poor fami-
lies. The free supply of rice through
the rationing system has created
another area of comfort. As a result,
the family consumption expendi-
ture has increased by 15 per cent in
the last few years. People are spend-
ing more on food, health, education
and other needs. This direct transfer
of money into the hands of rural
households has stimulated con-
sumption and enriched the local
markets. The entire community is
situation on the Korean Peninsula
raise concerns that foreign policy is
not effectively implemented. Why is
the Yoon administration subject to a
series of diplomatic blasphemies?
One reason might be that the Yoon
government failed to distinguish
between diplomacy and security,
and was also excessively focused on
security rather than diplomacy.
The concepts of foreign policy,
diplomacy and security sound similar
but differ. Foreign policy is an upper-
level concept that refers to a strategy,
guideline or action one country uses
to exchange with another or interna-
tional organization. Diplomacy is part
of foreign policy and refers to resolv-
ing various tasks that arise in relations
with foreign countries through dia-
logue and negotiation. Security is also a
part of foreign policy, but it refers to a
strategy or measure that protects the
lives and property of the people against
various types of external threats,
including foreign military aggression.
Diplomacy and security are the
same in that they deal with common
situations of foreign affairs, but the
two are complementary in opposite
directions. Since security aims to pro-
tect lives and property from external
threats, it assumes the worst and
emphasizes thorough preparedness.
Diplomacy assumes the best, and
emphasizes the efforts to seize oppor-
tunities to maximize the national
interest through dialogue and negoti-
ations with foreign countries.
Compared to soccer, security offi-
cials specialized in defence, while
diplomacy officials specialized in
attack. Defenders and strikers are
both soccer players but differ in their
missions and roles. Diplomacy and
security operate in the opposite direc-
7
YESTERDAY'S SOLUTION
C B R B F D
MA C A RO ON AG A
N B O I L I S
C A R E M AG I S T R
12
P I H A Y I
P E B B L E T I ME L
15
I S I C
W I GH T E I G
17 I B N H
E NORMO U S S A T
22
S O R I H
COA T H A NGE R A CR E
M H C H O C
R E V E A L T OUCH
R R E D E D
NOTE: Figures in parentheses denote the number of letters in the words required. (By arrangement with The Independent, London)
experiencing a new level of confi-
dence and reduced levels of uncer-
tainty.
The growth story of the Indian
economy has not been helpful in
creating enough jobs and wiping
out poverty. This failure has foiled
the objective of attaining inclusive
growth. Ensuring “Sab ka Vikas”,
which is key to inclusive growth is
difficult to achieve in view of the
rigidity of our institutional and
administrative structures. Under
these circumstances we need to
provide direct financial assistance
to the poor, especially women in
poor families to ensure better use of
resources.
No b e l l a u re a t e Dr. Ab h i j i t
Banerjee feels that the cash transfer
programme does not make the poor
tion but are directly connected, like
one body. You cannot avoid a fiasco if
you focus on only one thing and
ignore the other.
If you look at the foreign policy
of the Yoon Suk Yeol government,
there are some movements related to
security, but diplomacy is hard to find.
For example, Yoon recently empha-
sized peace by force rather than
words. However, maintaining peace
can only be achieved by both diplo-
macy and security simultaneously.
If security is emphasized without
diplomacy, the quality of security will
decline because it increases external
military threats. The same is true of
the opposite case. So, there is no prob-
lem with emphasizing peace through
strength. The problem is the rejection
of peace by words. It is like a soccer
coach who gives up attack and focus-
es only on defence. Without attack,
there are no goals and no victories.
Without diplomatic words, there is no
peace and prosperity. If attack and
defence, diplomacy, and security are
not used in parallel with a sense of
balance, soccer or foreign policy can-
not avoid a complete failure.
President Yoon Suk Yeol attended
the NATO summit again this time, and
there is a problem in this area where
diplomacy and security are not distin-
guished. Strengthening military pre-
paredness against North Korean
threats through cooperation with
NATO is positive.
However, we have to consider
that the South Korea-US alliance pos-
sesses overwhelming war capabilities.
North Korea, China and Russia will
increase their military posture, judg-
ing that the strategic balance in
Northeast Asia is destroyed as NATO
becomes a military supporter of South
ACROSS
5 Provides a ropy form of
security, perhaps via rock
covers of Blondie 11
R I C
(6)
A T E 6 Two short pieces bearing
fruit (6)
8 Move giving assist
I N E
ultimately to scorer (6)
9 Clearance for Max? (8)
H T 10 People fine with some 21,
E E N
now out of step
(4)
R 11 Numbers of children
welcoming first appearance
A of grandchild (5)
I NG
12 Figures taking lead parts in
original Nine Enchanted
Stags (4)
lazy, rather it helps combat poverty
and inequality. Dr.Banerjee says
research has shown that there is no
evidence to suggest that recipients
of such schemes tend to waste such
assistance or that such transfers
induce spending on alcohol and
such substances. Such assistance
also does not hamper work behav-
iour. While the process of targeting
recipients is unlikely to be perfect
and the undeserving sections may
also get money through leakages,
that should not deter governments
from implementing such schemes,
observes Dr. Banerjee. In the case of
Jungle Mahal, 85 per cent of poor
families have been able to change
their lifestyle and consumption pat-
tern after the implementation of the
scheme.
Korea. The recent signing of a treaty
between North Korea and Russia
reflected this flow of atmosphere.
To address security concerns, it is
natural to focus on increasing military
power or securing alliances. Howev-
er, there is no way out of security
unrest if the military threat is not
reduced through dialogues and nego-
tiations with adversaries. As a result,
the state's ability to reduce external
threats affects the level of security
posture.
Through negotiations, nations
with excellent diplomatic capabili-
ties drastically reduce the level of
threats themselves. Since the end of
the Cold War, all South Korean gov-
ernments have tried to strengthen
the alliance with the US and also
improve relations with North Korea,
China and Russia, laying structural
foundations for peace and prosper-
13 Barman drinking Coke with DOWN
added sodium (inter alia) in
orgiastic rites
(11) 1 Heading out of capital, a
18 Waltz back briefly to see king enters 6A country
East European (4) (8)
20 Dress up right, with solicitor 2 Series of 11, perhaps those
around (5) describing a short day in a
22 Star in film I rated (4) Greek island group
23 Two retiring setters: one (6)
Araucarian, extremely 3 Country 11 replacing
unconventional (8) what’s at heart of The
24 Message that’s hidden Sound of Music problem
behind the Italian water (8)
cooler 4 Left during no-score draw
(2,4) for City
25 Cans drunk with Ed Balls? (6)
(6) 5 Producer of musical scores?
26 Bluebeard’s home neat? Yes! (6)
Yes, finally, for the first 7 Lifeless ode, now rewritten
time (6) (6)
CMYK
KOLKATA, WEDNESDAY 17 JULY, 2024
According to John Rawls, the
famous political philosopher, ensur-
ing justice in a society requires benefit
maximisation of those who are least
advantaged. Schemes like Lakshmir
Bhandar have the potential of ensur-
ing distributive justice where there is
direct cash transfer to the poor and
marginal people.
The scheme benefited people
when the Centre has withheld pay-
ment for 100 days’ work under MNRE-
GA for the last two years. The popular-
ity of this scheme is on the rise. There
is increasing zeal among the people
to become beneficiaries of Lakshmir
Bhandar. Not surprisingly, many other
state governments have plans to intro-
duce such schemes. In Maharashtra,
Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin
scheme has been declared in the state
budget this year which entails transfer
of Rs 1,500 into the accounts of eligi-
ble women between the ages of 21
and 60 every month beginning July
2024. The scheme is on the lines of the
Madhya Pradesh government’s Laadli
Behna initiative.
Schemes of direct transfers to
women have the potential of changing
society, increasing consumption and
strengthening the markets in rural
India. So, it is not merely an election
strategy but one that can transform
the rural economy and yield long term
results.
As the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme
continues to change lives in rural Ben-
gal, it appears as a bright testament to
the strength of targeted social welfare
programmes in ensuring economic
independence and empowering
women, fostering a brighter and more
inclusive growth for the poor in the state.
(The writer is on the faculty of the Department
of Economics, Sister Nivedita University,
Kolkata.)
ity. However, since the inauguration
of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration,
the security situation has deterio-
rated due to unnecessary conflicts
with North Korea, China, and Rus-
sia. The administration ignored that
efforts to reduce threats through
d i p l o m a c y a re a s c r u c i a l a s
strengthening military power or
securing alliances.
If South Korea develops its for-
eign policy in a way that combines
diplomacy and security with the
geopolitical characteristics of a divid-
ed nation, the security situation in
South Korea will shift in a positive
direction. The dire situation in which
the president is ridiculed and verbal-
ly abused by medium-level officials
of foreign nations will also not hap-
pen again.
The Korea Herald/ANN.
NO-292846
9 Like 5D, kept in suspense by
one born the same day?
(9)
14 Overturns indicators of
available 9A?
(8)
15 Freedom from obligation to
include first pieces from
Miraculous Mandarin in one
concert (8)
16 Old man stewing fruit,
usually known by another
name (6)
17 Big orchestral piece
provides a clue to one such
former musician
(6)
19 English name used in vain
around capital (6)
21 Two US presidents, one not
mad about 23 25 (6)
07
100 YEARS AGO
OCCASIONAL NOTE
UP to date General Hertzog has
behaved faultlessly. Invited to send a
delegate to a conference to be held in
preparation for the important London
Co n f e re n c e n e x t we e k , h e h a s
declined, but has asked Mr. MacDon-
ald to keep him informed of develop-
m e n t s. T h e G e n e ra l h a s f u r t h e r
assured the Prime Minister of his will-
i n g n e s s t o c o - o p e ra t e w i t h Hi s
Majesty's Government in any action
tending to the achievement of a fair
and reasonable settlement. As a loyal
British statesman and a man of action,
General Smuts himself could hardly
have improved upon these senti-
ments. The absence of a South African
delegate from the preliminary confer-
ence is of course regrettable from one
point of view, but it has its advantages.
The smaller the conference the greater
the probability that it will be busi-
nesslike and effective; and the blank
cheque which General Hertzog has
handed to the British Government is a
gesture which should make for British
solidarity in the main discussion.
NEWS ITEMS
POLITICAL INTRIGUE
FRENCH
OPPOSITION AND
M. HERRIOT
("TIMES " SPECIAL SERVICE.)
OPPOSITION papers in Paris con-
tinue to make the most of alleged Fran-
co-British differences in regard to the
programme for the Allied conference.
Their object is admittedly to undermine
the position of M. Herriot, in whose pol-
icy they utterly disbelieve.
"What is needed to-day among
French politicians,' says the Times
Paris correspondent, "is a wider out-
look. None of the petty venom which
fills the columns of the Press is worth
the paper it is written on in presence
of the fact that unless France and Eng-
land agree to work together the Lon-
don conference had much better not
be held."
COURTS OF
INQUIRY
It has been decided that a military
o f f i c e r o f t h e Mi l i t a r y Ac c o u n t s
Department, if available, may, after his
services have been placed by the Gov-
ernment of India at the disposal of His
Excellency the Commander-in-Chief
in India, be selected to sit as a mem-
b e r o f a Roy a l A i r Fo rc e Co u r t o f
Inquiry assembled in connexion with
financial irregularities so that he may
properly guide the investigations of
the committee. In cases where the
services of a military officer of the Mil-
itary Accounts Department cannot
conveniently be made available, a
civilian officer of the Department may
be appointed to assist at any Royal Air
Force Court of Inquiry, but he may not
sit as member of such a court. In the
event of either a military or civilian
o f f i c e r o f t h e Mi l i t a r y Ac c o u n t s
Department finding himself unable to
agree with the conclusions of the
court, it will be open to him to record
a note of dissent. Travelling (includ-
ing daily) allowances of officers of the
Mi l i t a r y Ac c o u n t s De p a r t m e n t
appointed to sit as members of or to
assist at, Royal Air Force Courts of
Inquiry assembled in connexion with
financial irregularities shall be debited
to the head of Ar my Estimates to
which the travelling expenses of the
officers of the Unit connected with the
Court of Inquiry are compilable.
HOWRAH BRIDGE
INCOME
ESTIMATED AT
RS. 4.15 LAKHS
A RESOLUTION on the budget
estimates of income and expenditure
of the Howrah bridge for the year
1924-25, issued by the Government of
Bengal (marine department) states
that the estimate of receipts for the
year is placed at Rs. 4,15,588 the same
as the revised estimate for 1923-24.
The receipts from the East Indian Rail-
way traffic for the year are placed at
Rs. 3,00,000, the amount shown in the
revised estimate for 1923-24, against
the budget estimate of Rs. 3,25,000 for
that year.
The estimate of total expenditure
for the year is Rs. 3,48,265 against the
budget and revised estimates of Rs.
3,95,819 and Rs. 3,50,617, respective-
ly, for the preceding year. The credit
balance for 1923-24 (revised esti-
mate) is shown as Rs. 64,971 against
the estimated credit balance of Rs.
41,583 for that year. The estimated
debt of the bridge to the Port Com-
missioners at the end of 1923-24 is
Rs. 3,56,931.
Resolved that the budget estimates
for 1924-25 be approved under section
21 of the Howrah Bridge Act, 1871.
08 KOLKATA, WEDNESDAY 17 JULY 2024

Sebi warns Paytm over transactions

THUMBNAILS

Bandhan Bank's Bharat QR

code: Bandhan Bank today
announced that it has
launched its latest payment
solution through the Bharat
QR Code for its current
account and savings account
customers. This will simplify
the way these self-employed
segment customers make
Sensex, Nifty close with its banking unit in FY22
marginally higher
ing.
Last month, the parent
company of Paytm, One97
Buying was seen in heavyweight stocks, helping the market move upwards Communications, had said it
is laying off an undisclosed
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE lar. number of employees and
NEW DELHI, 16 JULY At the interbank foreign claimed that it is providing out-
exchange market, the local unit placement support for their

payments at any merchant
outlet. An instant notifica-
tion will also be received on
every payment through a
small speaker. Customers
can make payments through
any of the banking apps or
UPI apps, without carrying or
swiping their debit or credit
cards. Bharat QR is a highly
secure and faster way of
making payments.
SBI: Satyendra Kumar Singh,
a Probationary Officer of
1991 Batch, has assumed the
position of Chief General
Manager, State Bank of
India(SBI), Kolkata Circle
effective from July 12, 2024.
Prior to this assignment,
Singh served as the Chief
General Manager of Corpo-
rate Accounts Group
(CAG),Corporate Centre in
Mumbai, a role he held since
January 2023. Over his distin-
guished career spanning 33
years, Shri Singh has
amassed extensive expertise
across various domains of
Banking with a particular
focus on Corporate and
Overseas Banking. Singh's
overseas assignments
include five-year tenure in
Sydney as V.P Operations
and four years’ stint in Lon-
don as CEO, demonstrating
his global leadership
capabilities.
B
enchmark indices rose
for the third consec-
utive session, reach-
ing new record highs
on Tuesday despite weak
global cues and caution ahead
of the Union Budget limiting
gains.
Buying was seen in select-
ed heavyweight stocks help-
ing the market move upwards.
Both the stocks witnessed
fresh closing highs as the
Sensex closed 52 points, or
0.06%, higher at 80,716.55,
while the Nifty 50 ended at
24,613, up 26 points, or 0.11%.
On Nifty 50, the shares of
Coal India (3.01%), BPCL
(2.71%) and Hindustan
Unilever (2.44%) closed as
the top gainers.
While on the losing side
were Shriram Finance (2.16%),
Kotak Mahindra Bank (1.99%)
and Dr. Reddy's Laborato-
ries (1.55%).
Among the sectors, most
of them ended lower today,
Chana, Tur, Urad prices decline by 4 pc: Govt
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, 16 JULY
Chana, Tur and Urad prices
in major ‘mandis’ (markets)
had declined by up to 4% in
the past one month, but
with Nifty Media (1.03%) as
the top loser. Nifty Bank
slipped 0.11%, the PSU Bank
index dropped 0.25%, and
the Private Bank index ended
0.09% lower.
Nifty Realty was up 1.66%,
FMCG by 0.96% and IT by
0.59%.
Ahead of the Union Bud-
get, the railway stocks like Rail
Vikas Nigam (RVNL), Indian
Railway Finance Corpora-
tion (IRFC), Ircon Interna-
retail prices have not seen a
similar decline, said Nidhi
Khare, Secretary, Depart-
ment of Consumer Affairs, on
Tuesday.
She pointed out the
diverging trends between
tional, NBCC (India), RailTel
Corporation of India, and
Texmaco Rail & Engineering
are in focus.
Shares of the airline Spice-
Jet spiked six percent in the
morning session after the
debt-laden airline flew back
into the black in the fourth
quarter ended March 2024.
The rupee consolidated
in a narrow range and settled
3 paise higher at 83.58 (pro-
visional) against the US dol-
wholesale mandi prices and
retail prices, which seems to
suggest that retailers are
deriving higher profit mar-
gins. She also said that sow-
ing progress for Kharif puls-
es is robust.
opened at 83.59, and touched
an intraday high of 83.53 and
a low of 83.60 against the
dollar during the trading ses-
sion.
KPIT Technologies (KPIT)
has seen its shares skyrock-
et in a brief time, rewarding
shareholders handsomely.
Over the last two years, the
shares have climbed from Rs
517 apiece to the current
trading price of Rs 1,882,
translating into a massive
gain of 265 per cent.
KPIT has delivered an
impressive return of nearly
2900% in 4 years. On Friday,
it touched a fresh all-time
high of Rs 1,928 apiece, com-
ing closer to the Rs 2,000
mark.
On the global landscape,
the European markets were
in the red amid rising spec-
ulation that former US Pres-
ident Donald Trump was
leading the presidential elec-
tion race.
NCLT admits BCCI’s petition against Byju’s parent company
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, 16 JULY
The National Company Law
Tribunal (NCLT) admitted
embattled ed-tech company
Byju's parent company 'Think
and Learn Pvt Limited' to
insolvency resolution process
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, 16 JULY
The crisis for the fintech giant
Paytm mounted as the mar-
kets regulator gave an admin-
istrative warning to the dig-
ital payments company for
certain transactions with its
banking unit in the fiscal
year 2021-22.
The Securities and
Exchange board of India
(Sebi), in a letter dated July
15, said some transactions
between Paytm and the now
wound-down Paytm Pay-
ments Bank were conducted
without approval from the
company's audit committee
or its shareholders.
As per the information
Professional shall, after colla-
tion of all the claims received
against Think and Learn Pvt
Ltd the Corporate Debtor and
the determination of the finan-
cial position of the Corporate
Debtor, constitute a Com-
mittee of Creditors," the order
said. Further, the tribunal
shared by Paytm in an
exchange filing, the admin-
istrative warning was relat-
ed to two transactions with
an unapproved amount of Rs
324 crore (USD38.8 million)
and Rs 36 crore each.
The Sebi in its letter said
the violations were viewed
"very seriously" and direct-
ed Paytm to place the letter
before its board for corrective
measures and submit a report
on action taken within 10
days after that.
Paytm, in its response,
said it believes it has consis-
tently acted in compliance
with regulation, and added
that there is no impact on
financials and operations of
the company due to the warn-
form a committee known as
the Committee of Credi-
tors(CoC).
In its order, the NCLT opined
that there is no reason to deny
the petition filed by the BCCI
under section 9 of the Insol-
smooth transition.
"One97 Communications
Limited (OCL) is providing
outplacement support to
employees which have
resigned as a part of the
restructuring efforts by the
company,” the company had
said in a statement.
Paytm's sales employee
headcount in March 2024
quarter dropped by about
3,500 to 36,521 personnel on
a quarter-on-quarter basis,
mainly due the impact of the
Reserve Bank of India's ban
on services of Paytm Pay-
ments Bank.
In January, the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) had barred
Paytm Payments Bank Lim-
ited (PPBL), from accepting
deposits, credit transactions
or top-ups in any customer
accounts, wallets, and
FASTags, keeping in view the
interest of customers, includ-
ing merchants from March 15
onwards.
vency and Bankruptcy Code
(IBC), 2016 to initiate a Cor-
porate Insolvency Resolution
Process (CIRP) against Byju's
since the existence of a debt
and a default in the payment
of debt is established.

Classified in a plea filed by the Board of

Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI).
appointed Pankaj Srivastava
as the interim resolution pro-
fessional, in charge of running NATIONAL CONSORTIUM FOR
CHANGE OF Bengal-700115, henceforth
SITUATION
"The Interim Resolution the company till the lenders PH.D. IN NURSING
NAME
vide affidavit before the
VACANT OBITUARY
Notary Public, Kolkata on
16-07-2024. Basanti Halder By
and Basanti Mandal is the
PURBANCHAL
same and one identical
person. B.ED. COLLEGE ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES INDIAN NURSING COUNCIL
SADIKHAN'S DEARH ANSARI NAGAR, NEW DELHI-110608 In collaboration with
JALANGI
We, Moupi Sarkar
MURSHIDABAD
EXAMINATION SECTION RAJIV GANDHI UNIVERSITY OF
(Aadhaar No. 2498 3747
9391), residing at Wanted Full Time AIIMS-Ph.D. PROGRAMME – JULY 2024 SESSION HEALTH SCIENCES, BENGALURU
Moulana Azad Road, Assistant Professor.
P.O.: Hridaypur, P.S.: Sub: Geography
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi invites online
applications for Entrance Examination through online (CBT) mode
Applications are invited from candidates
Barasat, District: North
24 Parganas, West
(01), Foundation(01), for admission in Ph.D. Programme July, 2024 session. The details who are interested to enroll themselves for
Mathematics(01). are given below:
Bengal-700127, and
Date for online registration of application
part-time Ph.D. in Nursing. Prospectus,
Sougato Shee Qualification as per
(Aadhaar No. 9315 0990 NCTE norms. Name of Course Open on Closes on application form can be downloaded from
9895) residing at BL- (Apply within 10 Ph.D. Programme 12-07-2024 26-07-2024 at 5-00 p.m. www.indiannursingcouncil.org Duly
I, Shampa Datta, 252, Sector 2, Salt Lake, days.)
wife of Kamal Kolkata-700091,
SEND CV IN Date of Entrance Examination filled in application form may be
District: North 24
Kumar Datta, resi-
Parganas, West Bengal, purbanchalbed@ Name of Course Date of
Examination
Duration of
Exam
submitted on or before (22nd August,
dent of Vivekananda gmail.com Contact
Nagar Shisu Udyan,
hereby declare that our
No.: 9647444211. PUBLIC NOTICE Ph.D. Programme 13-08-2024 10-00 a.m. to 11-30 a.m 2024, 4-00 p.m.) to the Nodal Centre,
son’s name in his Birth
P.O.: East Certificate (B / 2022 / (Tuesday) Bengaluru.
U d a y r a j p u r , 498886, Department of Important: For prospectus, detailed information etc. please visit
Madhyamgram, Health and Family PUBLIC the website: www.aiimsexams.ac.in All applicants are required to Sd/-
Dist.: N.24 Parganas, Welfare, Newtown NOTICES visit the website regularly since all subsequent Corrigendum / President
Kol.-700129, have Kolkata Development Addendum / Updates will be uploaded on the website only.
changed my name Authority) has been
Sd/- Indian Nursing Council
wrongly recorded as
from Shampa Ghosh Rehan Shee, vide ASSISTANT CONTROLLER (EXAMS) CBC 17111/12/0001/2425
CBC 17112/11/0018/2425
to Shampa Ghosh Affidavit (No. 2282) at
Datta vide affidavit Barasat Court Judicial
dated: 11-07-2024 Magistrate (1st Class)
before Metropolitan dated 12-07-2024 Rehan
(1st Class) Shee and Rehan Sarkar
Shee is the same and
Magistrate, Kolkata.
one identical person.

I, BROJO Behari Roy, resid-
ing at 4/86/1 Rabindra
Nagar, Parnasree Pally, P.S.:
Parnasree, Kol.-60 in some
documents my name
recorded as Braja Behari
Roy vide affidavit (39425)
before 1st Class Judicial
Magistrate Alipore 28-06-
2024. Brojo Behari Roy &
Braja Behari Roy is same
one identical person.
I, KIRAN Praful Mahapatra,
D/o. Praful Ramanath
Mahapatra, born on 26-12-
1996, resident of 12, Pirtolla
Lane, Howrah-711101, West
Bengal have changed my
name to Kiran
Mohanty, W/o. Punit Kumar
Punit
PUBLIC
NOTICES
COURT EDUCATION
NOTICES
UNIVERSITY OF
NORTH BENGAL
Centre for Distance and
Online Education
Admission Notification
ACADEMIC SESSION:
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UNDER OPEN & DISTANCE
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Applications are invited
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Mohanty vide affidavit

NOTICES Learner Support Centres:
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dated 12-07-2024 before Jalpaiguri Campus • NBU
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R/o. Tower-1, Flat-10F, dtd. 17-07-2024
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and one identical person as entering into any commitment in relation are carried
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North 24 Parganas, West

CMYK
 09
Russia holds the Security Council presidency this month.We will discuss multilat-
eral cooperation and ensuring equal and indivisible security. Of course, we will
also raise the issue of the West trying to manipulate everything and everyone.
RUSSIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER SERGEI LAVROV KOLKATA, WEDNESDAY 17 JULY 2024
AS HE ARRIVES IN NEW YORK TO CHAIR UNSC MEETINGS

Dr Prashant
Reddy in race for
Donald Trump’s VP pick is a Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 57 people
Congress House once-fierce critic turned loyal ally AGENIES The Palestinian Islamist have been operating since in southern Gaza, the officials
ASSOCIATED PRESS and Trump — who had a CAIRO, 16 JULY militant group Hamas has May, five Palestinians were said. The airstrike hit near a
of Representatives MILWAUKEE, 16 JULY large bandage on his right accused Israel of stepping killed in an airstrike on a tented area housing displaced
ear after Saturday’s shoot- Israeli forces battled Hamas- up attacks in Gaza to try to house, Gaza health officials families in Attar Street in the
Former President Donald ing — sat next to each other led fighters in several parts of derail efforts by Arab medi- said. In nearby Khan Younis, humanitarian-designated
Trump chose Sen. JD Vance in Trump’s box during the the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, and ators and the United States a man, his wife, and two chil- area of Al-Mawasi, the health
of Ohio as his running mate convention’s opening night Palestinian health officials to reach a ceasefire deal. dren were killed, they said. ministry said. The Israeli mil-
on Monday, picking a one- program. said at least 57 people were Israel says it is trying to root Later on Tuesday, an Israeli itary said the strike targeted
time critic who became a The 39-year-old Vance killed in Israeli bombard- out Hamas fighters. airstrike on a car killed at least a senior militant of the Islam-
loyal ally and is now the rose to national fame with ments of southern and cen- In Rafah, a southern bor- 17 Palestinians and wound- ic Jihad group, an ally of
first millennial to join a the 2016 publication of his tral areas. der city where Israeli forces ed 26 others in Khan Younis Hamas.
major-party ticket at a time memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.”
of deep concern about the He was elected to the Sen-
advanced age of America’s ate in 2022 and has become
political leaders. one of the staunchest cham-
“After lengthy delibera- on his Truth Social network pions of the former presi-
tion and thought, and con- as the Republican Nation- dent’s “Make America Great
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE sidering the tremendous al Convention got underway Again” agenda, particular-
NEW DELHI / WASHINGTON DC, talents of many others, I in Milwaukee. ly on trade, foreign policy and
16 JULY have decided that the per- Hours later, Vance for- immigration.
son best suited to assume the mally received his party’s for- But he is largely untest-
Indian-origin Dr Prashant position of Vice President of mal nomination after walk- ed in national politics and
Reddy is going to contest for the United States is Senator ing onto the floor of the is joining the Trump ticket
the Congress House of Rep- J.D. Vance of the Great State convention to Merle Hag- at an extraordinary moment
resentatives in the November of Ohio,” Trump said in a post gard’s “American First.” He in American history.
elections in the United States
of America.
He is the second Indian after
Bobby Jindal to be nominat-
INDIAN COUNCIL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH
ed by the Republican Party to NEW DELHI
contest for the House of Rep- Adv.No. ICMR/DIR/01/2024-Pers.
resentatives.
If he wins the election, Dr RECRUITMENT NOTICE FOR SCIENTIFIC POSITIONS
Reddy will become the sec-
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), an Autonomous Organization under
ond Indian American Repub-
lican Congressman to be Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare invites
elected to the Congress online application(s) up to 5th August, 2024 till 5-30 p.m. for following six
House of Representatives vacancies of Directors at various Institutes / Centres of ICMR in Level 14
in the history of the United of Pay Matrix (Rs. 1,44,200 – 2,18,200) (7th CPC Scale) and usual allowances as
States and will emerge as a admissible to ICMR employees for appointment on regular basis under Direct
powerful leader close to Recruitment:
American power.
Dr Reddy, who served Sl.No. Name of Posts Institutes / Centres
for a long time in the US army 1. Director ICMR-National Institute for Research in
and medical field, was born
Tuberculosis (NIRT), Chennai
in Chennai city of South
India. 2. Director ICMR-National Institute for Research in
At the young age of five, Bacterial Infections (NIRBI), Kolkata
he moved with his family to
Manhattan, Kansas, Amer- 3. Director ICMR-National Institute of Child Health &
ica. Development Research (NICHDR), New Delhi
Dr Reddy is a triple-board 4. Director ICMR-National Institute for Research in Digital
certified physician in Inter- Health & Data Science(NIRDHDS), New Delhi
nal Medicine, Medical Oncol-
ogy and Hematology. 5. Director ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (NIN),
He has also worked in Hyderabad
cancer medicine and worked
6. Director ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre
in various capacities for
over a decade in various (RMRC), Gorakhpur.
diagnostic institutions and
academics as well as in pri- For detailed advertisement, please visit ICMR website at www.icmr.nic.in or
vate practice in the Kansas City https://recruit.icmr.org.in
metropolitan area. CBC 17152/11/0010/2425 Assistant Director-General (Admn.)
When the unthinkable
event of 9/11 struck the US,
Dr Reddy decided to serve his
country and joined the Unit-
ed States Air Force Reserve as
a military physician.
After nearly 20 years of
military service, he reached
the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
and continued with the med-
ical service.
Talented early on, Prashant
was selected to represent
the state of Kansas in the field
of biological sciences at
Lawrence Livermore Nation-
al Laboratory in Berkeley,
CA, as a high school senior.
Additionally, he received
his M P H from the Univer-
sity of Kansas through the
National Institutes of Health
Clinical Research Curriculum
Award Program.
From December 2016 to
July 2019, Prashant also com-
pleted the Leadership Devel-
opment Program at Harvard
Business School, which also
earned him Alumni Status at
Harvard Business School.
Throughout his adult life,
Prashant Reddy has been
serving his community and
country through medical
and military service. Now he
has been asked to come for-
ward and serve once again as
a Congressional Candidate for
the US House of Represen-
tatives in the 3rd District in
Kansas. If elected to this posi-
tion, he will become the only
second powerful Indian Amer-
ican Republican Congress-
man to be elected to Congress
in the history of the United
States after Bobby Jindal.

INDIAN COUNCIL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH

V. Ramalingaswami Bhavan, New Delhi
Advt. No. ICMRHQ / Addl. DG / 01 / 2024-Pers.
VACANCY CIRCULAR
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), an
Autonomous Organization under Department of Health
Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare invites
online application(s) up to 5th August, 2024 till 5-30 P.M.
for the post of Additional Director General at ICMR
Hqrs. New Delhi, in Level 15 of Pay Matrix (Rs. 1,82,200
– 2,24,100) (7th CPC Scale) and usual allowances as admis-
sible to ICMR employees for appointment on regular basis
under Direct Recruitment.
For detailed advertisement, please visit ICMR website at
www.icmr.nic.in or https://recruit.icmr.org.in
Assistant Director-General (Admn.)
CBC 17152/12/0012/2425

CMYK
10 KOLKATA, WEDNESDAY 17 JULY 2024

Allies indulge in blame game amid Amid all-round pressure, UP govt suspends
digital attendance of govt primary teachers
reports of a cabinet reshuffle in UP STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
LUCKNOW, 16 JULY
union.
Yesterday, Chief MinisterYogi
Adityanath had given instruc-
Apna Dal (S), Nishad Party have become vocal on the NDA’s poor performance in UP in the LS polls Amid protest by the teachers tions to all DMs, Basic Education
and criticism by opposition par- Officers (BSA) and Assistant
AGENCIES Janata Party in Uttar Pradesh. fered because their houses ties, Uttar Pradesh govern- Basic Education Officers (ABSA)
LUCKNOW, 16 JULY The Apna Dal (S) had contested were bulldozed without inves- ment on Tuesday suspended to communicate with teach-
two Lok Sabha seats and could tigation.” its digital attendance system ers and teacher representatives

W
ith reports of a win only one. The Suheldev Bhartiya for the government primary about the digital attendance
cabinet reshuffle Nishad Party, another BJP Samaj Party (SBSP) has already teachers for next two months. system.
next month gain- ally, blamed the bureaucracy blamed the BJP for its defeat State chief secretary Manoj He had also said that it
ing ground, the for the below-average per- in the Lok Sabha polls saying Kumar Singh after meeting a should be ensured that teach-
allies of the ruling Bharatiya formance in Lok Sabha polls. that while the BJP benefitted delegation of teachers' union to solve the problems of teach- ing and learning continues
Janata Party in Uttar Pradesh Sanjay Nishad said that from Rajbhar votes, the SBSP said that a committee would ers and the issue of digital smoothly in schools. The CM
are getting increasingly restive. many administrative officers did not get any support from be formed to solve the prob- attendance.This committee will had instructed the depart-
The allies have started in UP are ‘elephant (BSP) and the BJP. BJP insiders claim lems of the teachers due to the include educationists, teacher mental officers to find a solu-
blaming various factors ~ other cycle’ (SP) from inside. There that the party could not per- digital attendance. leaders and officials," he said. tion by talking to the teachers.
than their own ~ for the NDA’s are many officers who did not form well in the Lok Sabha elec- State Principal Secretary Earlier, instructions were On Monday, the teachers
poor performance in Uttar respect our workers and lead- tions because the allies failed Basic Education Dr MKS Sun- given to start digital atten- demonstrated in every dis-
Pradesh in the recently con- ers. “The result of this was seen to ensure the support of OBC daram confirmed that the dig- dance of teachers in govern- trict and sent a memoran-
cluded Lok Sabha polls. a thinly veiled jibe at the Yogi pronged objective ~ to try to in the Lok Sabha elections in caste groups. ital attendance system has ment primary schools from July dum addressed to the CM.
Sanjay Nishad of the Nishad Adityanath-led government woo communities that seemed Ayodhya and some other BJP minister Anil Rajbhar been suspended for next two 8. Teachers were agitating for Meanwhile , BSP chief
Party, O P Rajbhar of SBSP and in Uttar Pradesh for alleged- to have moved away from her places,” he said. said: “It is a fact that SBSP could months. the last one week regarding this. Mayawati and Samajwadi Party
Ashish Patel (husband of ly denying reserved seats to can- party and to score some brown- The Nishad Party also ques- not get Rajbhar votes for the UP Primary Teachers Asso- Principal Secretary Basic President AkhileshYadav have
Anupriya Patel) of Apna Dal (S) didates of the Backward Class- ie points among Yogi detrac- tioned the bulldozer policy of BJP. It is because of the BJP that ciation, President Dr Dinesh Education Dr MKS Sundaram, slammed the Yogi Adityanath
are ministers in the Yogi gov- es and Scheduled Castes and tors in the Bharatiya Janata Party theYogi Adityanath government SBSP is enjoying the perks of Chandra Sharma said the gov- Director General School Edu- government for being insen-
ernment. Tribes in competitive exams. (BJP). This is the first time and said: “It is justified to run power. Had it not been for ernment has agreed to post- cation Kanchan Verma and sitive towards the teachers by
Apna Dal (S) chief and Anupriya Patel’s letter to the that the normally reticent bulldozers on mafias and crim- the BJP, Om Prakash Rajbhar pone digital attendance for the other officers were present in introducing the new system
Union minister Anupriya Patel chief minister, sent earlier this Apna Dal (S) has chosen to inals in the state, but the poor would have remained a time being. the meeting between the chief without hearing about their
was one of the first allies to take week, is seen to have a two- speak out against the Bharatiya and other people have also suf- nonentity in politics.” "A committee will be formed secretary and the teachers problems.

India-Mongolia joint military exercise concludes: The 16th edi- Monsoon session of Yogi Adityanath allays ‘demolition’ fears of Pantnagar, Cong to contest all
five seats in Assam
Manipur Legislative
Rahimnagar & Indraprastha Nagar residents in Lucknow
tion of the India-Mongolia Joint Military Exercise, Nomadic Ele-
phant 2024, has concluded after an intensive 14 days of
training and collaboration. SNS
Assembly to start by-elections
on 31 July STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE buildings on private lands," families, the Chief Minister GUWAHATI, 16 JULY

TENDER STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

IMPHAL, 16 JULY
LUCKNOW, 16 JULY

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister

GOVERNMENT OF WEST BENGAL Amid ongoing tensions
OFFICE OF THE between ethnic commu-
PASCHIM MEDINIPUR ZILLA PARISHAD nities, the Monsoon session
ABRIDGED NOTICE INVITING TENDER of the Manipur Legislative
Notice Inviting Tender is hereby called from resource-
ful and eligible contractors for above NIT(s). Intending
Assembly is set to com-
bidders may download tender documents of NIT-PMD mence on July 31, 2024.
/ N-99, 100, 101 / 2024-25, from e-procurement portal This announcement
from 18-07-2024 at 10-00 hours to 01-08-2024 up to
18-00 hours. For details visit e-procurement portal of came from a notification
Govt. website: www.wbtenders.gov.in issued by the Secretary of
Sd/- District Engineer
Paschim Medinipur Zilla Parishad
the Manipur Legislative
Memo No. 744(3) / Advt. / ICA / Paschim Medinipur Assembly.
Dated: 16-07-2024
''Governor Anusuiya
Uikey, in accordance with
clause (1) of Article 174 of
ABRIDGE E-TENDER NOTICE
the Constitution of India,
NIeT No. GTA / DWO / BCW / has called the session to
NIet-01 (1ST Call) / e-Tender /
meet at 11:00 am in the
2024-25, Dated: 15-07-2024
assembly hall, Imphal on
The District Welfare Officer, Backward
Classes Welfare & Tribal Development, July 31.
G.T.A., Darjeeling invites E-Tenders The number of sittings
from the Registered or bona fide con- for the Monsoon session will
tractors for the work within G.T.A.
area. For further details, the office of
the undersigned may be contacted dur-
ing office hours within 03-10-2023 or
be determined by the Busi-
ness Advisory Committee
of the Manipur Legislative
visit: https://www.wbtenders.gov.in Assembly,'' stated the noti-
Sd/- District Welfare Officer fication.
B.C.W. & T.D., G.T.A., Darjeeling Since the outbreak of
violence on May 3 last year,
which claimed over 220
lives and displaced more
than 60,000 people, Manipur
has held two sessions. The
upcoming session is expect-
ed to be particularly con-
tentious due to a recent
surge in violence in various
parts of the state.
The last assembly session
saw a boycott by ten Kuki-
Zo legislators, who have
been demanding the cre-
ation of a separate admin-
istration carved out from the
state of Manipur. These leg-
islators are expected to raise
their demands again, along-
side other critical legislative
business during the Mon-
soon session.
Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday
allayed fears of residents in
Pantnagar, Indraprastha
Nagar, Rahimnagar, and
other areas in the state cap-
ital, who have been troubled
for the past month by mis-
leading reports about the
demolition of their houses.
Addressing the concerns
of the affected families, who
visited the Chief Minister's
residence, Yogi Adityanath
emphasised that whether
in Pantnagar or Indraprastha
Nagar, the state government
is dedicated to ensuring the
safety and peaceful living of
all its residents.
"In the related case, the
Elephants' return to Kaziranga signals receding floodwaters in Assam
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
GUWAHATI, 16 JULY
In a promising turn of events
for wildlife conservation, Assam
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa
Sarma announced on X (for-
merly Twitter) that thermal
cameras have recorded an
increasing number of ele-
phants returning to their nat-
ural habitat in Kaziranga
National Park.
This observation is being
hailed as a crucial indicator of
receding floodwaters in the
region, signalling a slow return
to normalcy for the park's
diverse ecosystem.
Sharing a video on the
social media platform, Chief
Minister Sarma posted digital
footage of elephants and their
families making their way
back into the park.
floodplain zone of the river
has been marked in accor-
dance with NGT orders. Pri-
vate land is also included in
the floodplain zone. How-
ever, there is currently no
need or proposal to vacate
the private land. There is no
matter under consideration
for the demolition of private
"The good news is that our
thermal cameras have spot-
ted more and more elephants
returning to their natural habi-
tat in Kaziranga as water lev-
els decrease," he wrote. The
visuals depict elephants nav-
igating through the lush green-
ery, a hopeful sign of the park's
recovery.
Kaziranga National Park, a
the CM informed them.
Furthermore, the Chief
Minister noted that the signs
put on the buildings during
the floodplain zone mark-
ings have caused fear and
confusion among the pub-
lic. Emphasising that there
cannot be any justification
for putting the red mark on
houses, Yogi said that
accountability should be
fixed in this regard.
The Chief Minister has
also issued necessary instruc-
tions for improving clean-
liness and public facilities
in the said areas. He has
directed officials to visit the
area immediately, meet with
the residents, and alleviate
their fears and confusion.
Speaking to the affected
UNESCO World Heritage site,
is renowned for its one-horned
rhino and its rich biodiversi-
ty, including a significant ele-
phant population.
However, the park has been
severely impacted by season-
al floods, which have dis-
rupted wildlife and forced
animals to migrate to higher
grounds. The floods not only
assured that if any building
constructed on private land
falls within the riverbed
development zone and has
certified private ownership,
it will only be acquired after
providing proper compen-
sation according to the rules.
To revive the Kukrail River,
flowing in the heart of the
state capital, and make it pol-
lution-free, the Irrigation
Department recently marked
the floodplain zone in com-
pliance with NGT orders. The
said action aligns with the
National Mission for Clean
Ganga (NMCG) notification
issued in 2016.
Two zones of the Kukrail
River have been marked:
the riverbed and the flood-
plain zone.
threatened the lives of the
animals but also disturbed
the delicate balance of the
park's ecosystem.
The return of the elephants
signifies not only a reduction
in flood levels but also the grad-
ual restoration of normalcy
within the park.
According to the park direc-
tor, this year, the floods have
claimed the lives of 174 ani-
mals, including 10 prized one-
horned rhinos, a species for
which Kaziranga is particularly
famous. Hog deer suffered
the heaviest toll, with 153
reported deaths, primarily
due to drowning, and two
fatalities resulting from vehi-
cle collisions on the adjacent
highway, as reported by the
national park director, Sonali
Ghosh.
The floodwaters, an annu-
The Congress party in Assam
has announced its decision to
contest all five seats in the
upcoming by-elections even
as the Election Commission
is yet to announce the poll
dates.
The Assam Pradesh Con-
gress Committee (APCC) Pres-
ident Bhupen Borah revealed
on X that five teams of senior
leaders would engage with
grassroots supporters in prepa-
ration for the polls. He reit-
erated the party’s opposition
to the Citizenship (Amend-
ment) Act (CAA) as the state
government urged illegal non-
Muslim immigrants who
entered Assam before 2015 to
apply for citizenship under the
new law. SNS
al occurrence, bring both life
and destruction to Kaziranga.
While the silt deposited by the
floods nourishes the soil, pro-
moting rich vegetation, the high
water levels force animals to
seek refuge on higher grounds,
often leading to casualties.
The loss of wildlife has signif-
icant ecological repercussions,
as each species plays a criti-
cal role in maintaining the
park's biodiversity.
In light of the improving
flood situation, Chief Minis-
ter Sarma also announced
that light motor vehicles and
buses would now be allowed
to move through the Kazi-
ranga section of the national
highway, subject to speed
restrictions. However, trucks
will be permitted to travel
only in convoys to ensure the
safety of the returning wildlife.

CMYK
 KOLKATA, WEDNESDAY 17 JULY 2024 11
The myopia epidemic - Knowing
Why most people need glasses now computer languages
SHUBHANGI DAS essary information known to mankind.
SAMYA SINHA the eyes of students. they focus further back, landing directly on the There are two major types of languages

W
Our ancestors were hunters and farmers. retina instead of in front of it. Hence, they are hen we were kids, we used to be known in the field of computers: High-level

I
t is often said ‘The eyes are the window to
the soul’. Today, from young children to
teenagers to adults, almost everyone around
us has a barrier between their eyes and the
vivid and vast world around them - concave lens-
es. Glasses and contact lenses have become an
inherent part towards protecting our vision. While
some parents lament their children having glass-
es as a result of their unyielding desire for screen
time, others boast of their children being studious
and bookworms. But the question arises: why has
there been an exponential rise in the need for
glasses in our society? It is estimated that by 2050,
fifty per cent of the population will have myopia.
First, let us understand how we see images in
the first place. Rays of light pass through the
cornea, which is the front clear layer of the eye.
The cornea is dome-shaped and bends light to
focus it. The light then enters through the pupil.
The iris, the coloured part of the eye, controls
how much light enters our eyes. The lens focuses
the light on the retina, and photoreceptors turn
the rays into electric signals. These electric signals
travel through the optic nerve to the brain, which
helps us perceive the images that we see. Myopia
(nearsightedness) is a condition in which indi-
viduals face difficulty seeing distant objects and
perceive them as blurry. If the cornea of our eye is
too steeply curved or the eye is longer from the
front to the back than normal, this unusual shape
causes light to be focused in front of the retina
instead of on the retina- thus leading to near-
sightedness.
Lamarck stated that organisms alter their
behaviour in response to environmental changes,
and this changed behaviour modifies their
organs, and their offspring inherit such
‘improved’ traits. Charles Darwin’s natural
selection talks about the survival of the fittest
and their offspring being favoured for repro-
duction and survival. The truth is myopia is
caused by both of these factors to a certain
extent. Our lifestyle today is different from
what it used to be. Our careers require
long hours of eye strain in front of the
computer. Children play games on their
mobile phones instead of playing out-
side. The smaller the distance between
the object and the lens, the more
strain it causes on our eyes. The
lack of outdoor exposure, pollu-
tion, environmental changes
and long hours of blue light
have a significant role in the
rise of myopia among the
youth. The highly demand-
ing academic curriculum
and long hours of read-
ing and learning strain
They had keen eyes to protect themselves and used in glasses. Eating a balanced diet, avoiding fascinated with computers being languages and Low-level languages. In 1949,
hunt prey. Many eye diseases and defects went prolonged outdoor exposure and wearing pro- part of a cohort which grew up Assembly language was first used as a Low-
undetected in those days as well. In urbanised tective eyewear can protect our eyes from dam- in an internet-learning environ- level language intended to interact directly
society, there is no stigma regarding favouring age. We should take preventive measures to pro- ment. We used to think of it as a new toy with the computer’s hardware. Both
people with good vision, although visual impair- tect our eyes and safeguard them from diseases present at all times in front of our vision. Machine language (or the binary code) and
ments and medical treatments are widely avail- for a brighter future. Most adults in the family would seek help Assembly language are Low-level languages.
able. Genetics is a from us with regard to mobiles or laptops. As The main difference between them is that
major factor con- we grew older, computers became a huge Machine language is the language only com-
tributing to the part of our lives. Today’s generation would puters understand and execute directly
rise in myopia. not have been so fast and developed without while Assembly language is machine lan-
Children of computers or other electronic devices. guage representation understandable by
myopic par- Computer science is also a very interesting humans. Coming to High-level languages,
ents are subject; a subject if grasped accurately, these are the common programming lan-
more likely could lead many youngsters to great heights. guages. Python, Java, HTML, and C# are a
to be
inflicted
by it
between
ages
nine
to 16.
Asians
tend to be
myopic
more than To understand a computer, we need to few of the High-level languages known to
other races due to recognize and acknowledge its languages date. High-level languages are human-
unknown environ- first. Without knowing a language, no one friendly. They are easy to understand and
mental and genetic can understand what the other wishes to learn. Low-level languages, on the other
factors and also the convey, which is quite similar and relatable hand, are machine friendly which are diffi-
cultural in the case of computers. Luckily there are cult to understand and learn.
emphasis on plenty of languages a computer can under- Computer science is a subject that is
academics stand. very relevant in today’s world. Programming
and study- A computer’s mother tongue is the languages like Java, Python, and HTML are
ing. binary language, consisting of only zeros required to excel in this particular field.
Concave and ones. Binary-level language is also These languages help in web development,
lenses correct called Machine Language. It is the most data analysis, and artificial intelligence. The
myopia by being thin at basic form of computer code. By combin- world is developing for the better every day
the centre and thick at the edge. It ing these two numbers, we create languages, and these languages will play a very vital role
diverges light rays entering the eye so letters, punctuation marks, and other nec- in tomorrow’s world.

TAPAN KUMAR MAITRA the rectum display typical dysentery ascertained that if the intestinal
James Webb
Causative agent
lesions in the rectum and abscesses in mucosa and the body as a whole are

T
he causative agent of amoebia-
sis, Entamoeba histolytica, was
the liver (extra enteric form of amoebi-
asis). The white rat is one of the best
normal, the E. histolytica may live in
the intestinal lumen as a commensal
telescope discovers
discovered in 1875 by F. Loesch.
In 1903, the organism was
animals for experimental amoebiasis.
Infection is conveyed through
causing no disease in man. A number
of factors have been proven to facili-
five-star clusters

of amoebiasis
studied in detail by F. Schaudinn, who cysts, which occur in water and food tate penetration of the parasite into the AVIPSHA SEN
differentiated two amoeba species, materials contaminated with faeces. tissues. Pseudopodia allow E. histolyti-

Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba Among the healthy population, 20 per
coli, which belong to the class Sarcodi- cent, on average, were found to be cyst
na, family Entamoebidae. carriers. Amoebiasis prevails in east-
Entamoeba histolytica occurs in ern regions where water is supplied
the human body in four forms: from aryk and the sanitary standards
are low. The disease is widespread in
(1) vegetative large tissue form the Middle East, India, Indo-China,
which feeds on the erythrocytes and North and Central Africa, Indonesia,
does not become encysted — Enta- South America, etc.
moeba histolytica forma magna The disease becomes chronic and
is accompanied by lesions in the large
(2) vegetative small commensal intestine, particularly in the caecum
encysted form which lives in the and ascending colon. The patient's
lumen of the large intestine — Enta- stool has the appearance of raspberry
moeba histolytica forma minuta jelly and is uniformly impregnated
with blood.
(3) precystic form is poorly motile The parasite localises in the colon
and does not contain bacteria or other and rectum in which inflammatory
food inclusions oedema, ulcerations, necrosis of adja-
cent tissues, and gangrenous decom-
(4) cysts which develop from the position develop. The amoebas pene-
small forms trate the mucous, submucous, and
muscular coats, invade the intestinal
Non-pathogenic amoebas, E. coli, vessels, and reach the liver along the
also live in the human intestine. They branches of the portal vein.
are somewhat larger than E. histolytica. Complications arise in the form of
Their cytoplasm is granular, and the abscesses and necrosis of the liver and
vacuole contains bacteria, leucocytes, sometimes abscesses of the lungs and
food particles, and glycogen but no brain. Occasionally amoeba may enter
erythrocytes. Pseudopodia seldom the greater circulation, and in such
occur, and the cysts are larger than cases, any of the organs may be
those of E. histolytica and possess eight involved.
nuclei. Various species of bacteria play an
Kittens and dogs infected through essential role in the pathogenesis of
Entamoeba histolytica (1-6) and Entamoeba coli (7-9)
1 — luminal-commensal form; 2—tissue form containing phagocytized erythrocytes; 3- tissue form without erythrocytes;
4, 5 and 6 — one-, two- and four-nuclear cysts; 7-vegetative form; 8 and 9-two-and eight-nuclear cysts
amoebiasis, being responsible for the
pathological process in combination
with the entamoebas. Experimental
studies of parasitocoenosis have
shown that some species of strepto-
cocci (pneumococci) and E. coli in
association with E. histolytica produce
more severe forms of the disease and
cause higher morbidity in laboratory
animals.
The pathogenesis of amoebiasis is
still not completely clear. It has been
A
ca to enter the tissues, while the prote- stronomers have discovered
olytic properties of the parasite (the five-star clusters dating back to
ability to produce a cytolytic enzyme) the universe's infancy during
render it capable of destroying the the time of Big Bang Theory
intestinal epithelium. In addition, the using the James Webb telescope. Star
parasite produces a toxic substance clusters are large groups of stars held
which possesses cytolytic and comple- together by self-gravitation. Two main
ment-fixing properties. types of star clusters can be distin-
A relatively marked congenital guished. Globular clusters are tight
insusceptibility to amoebiasis exists groups of ten thousand to millions of
among people. It is assumed that old stars which are gravitationally
insusceptibility is associated with a bound. Open clusters are more loosely
condition of non-sterile immunity. Of clustered groups of stars, generally con-
great importance are the resistance of taining fewer than a few hundred mem-
the intestinal wall tissues and the abil- bers, that are often very young. This dis-
ity of the body to neutralise the harm- covery could also serve as direct evi-
ful effect of the co-members of the par- dence of proto-globular clusters form-
asitocoenosis. Immunity in amoebiasis ing in faint galaxies during the reion-
is unstable. ization phase of the universe, reinforc-
Fresh stools are examined under ing the understanding that faint galax-
the microscope using a temperature- ies played a key role in re-ionizing the
controlled microscope stage. E. his- universe. Astronomers can now also see
tolytica can be demonstrated in the where stars are formed and how they
stools. For demonstrating cysts and are distributed, enabling scientists to
glycogen granules under the micro- better understand how and where
scope, a strong Lugol's solution is infant galaxies were born.
added to the faeces (1 g iodine, 2 g
potassium iodide, and 20 ml distilled
water).The presence of pathogenic
amoebas may also be revealed by his-
tological examination of tissues
(stained with methylene blue, safranin,
haematoxylin-eosin, and iron haema-
toxylin).
Laboratory amoebiasis may be
reproduced by infecting kittens and
white rats. The resulting condition is
typical of the disease.
Emetine hydrochloride, metron-
idazole (trichopol), as well as chinio-
fon (yatren), delagil (resochin or
chloroquine) have a highly effective
therapeutic action. Antibacterial drugs
— tetracycline, streptomycin, peni-
cillin, and sulphonamides are given for
the concomitant bacterial microflora,
which aggravates amoebiasis.
All patients are transferred to a
hospital and adequately treated. Pre-
ventive measures against amoebiasis
also include fly control, and protection
of food material and water from flies
and contamination with faeces. The
staff of catering establishments must
be examined for cyst carriage. Health
education of the population, aimed at
raising the cultural level, and introduc-
ing hygienic habits must be carried
out.
The author is an associate professor (retd.) and
former head of the department of botany at
Ananda Mohan College.

CMYK
 CMYK

‘ALWAYS DREAMED OF PLAYING HERE’

Kylian Mbappe was overwhelmed by the incredible love showered by the Los Galacticos’ fans
KOLKATA
WEDNESDAY 17 JULY 2024 12
after he was unveiled as a Real Madrid player and vowed to give his ‘life for the club’ in what
was a heartwarming speech by the longtime club's fan. Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid
have been connected since the very beginning of the Frenchman’s career. The super-
star has been linked to the Spanish club since 2017 and finally completed his move
ahead of the 2024/25 season and was unveiled to the Santiago Bernabeu on Tues-
day. "It's an incredible day for me and I've always dreamed of playing here. I've been
very fond of Real Madrid fans for a long time and I thank them from the bottom of
my heart. I'm going to give my life for this club and for this badge," said Mbappe.

For more updates www.thestatesman.com

AIFF urges support for nat’l

THUMBNAILS

Hitaashee, Sneha ready for

BCCI mulls replacement for teams from sports ministry
battle in 9th leg of WPGT:
Action returns on the
Women's Pro Golf Tour as
the leading domestic stars
Rohit as next T20 captain
led by in-form Hitaashee Hardik not confirmed as T20I captain, BCCI selectors exploring multiple options
Bakshi return to the course
at Clover Greens in Hosur. TRIDIB BAPARNASH Even if he isn’t selected,
The event, which is the NEW DELHI, 16 JULY Sanju Samson could be the
ninth leg of the ongoing first choice keeper for India

season, carries a purse of
Rs 13 lakh as the Tour vis-
its Tamil Nadu for the first
time this year. The only
two multiple winners this
season, Hitaashee Bakshi
and Sneha Singh, the 2023
Order of Merit winner, are
both in the field which
includes a bunch of promis-
ing amateurs who have
represented India at the
international stage.
Hitaashee has been very
busy, dividing her time
between the domestic
Tour, where she has missed
only one event, and inter-
national events on the Thai
LPGA and in countries like
Singapore, where she fin-
ished third at the Singa-
pore Ladies Masters, an
event on the LPGA. "I am
ready to play anywhere I
get a chance and opportu-
nity to improve," said the
cheerful Hitaashee recent-
ly, after losing a good part
of 2023 due to injury. The
field includes all profession-
al winners this season, with
Hitaashee and Sneha
accounting for four of the
eight events this year.
Amandeep Drall, Gaurika
Bishnoi and Anvitha Naren-
der, the latest to join the
winners' circle, are all in
the field. Amateur Nishna
Patel, who won the open-
ing leg, is not playing this
week.
T
he retirement of Rohit
Sharma from the T20I
scheme of things has
opened the door for
speculations about his poten-
tial successor. While Hardik
Pandya, vice-captain of
India's T20 World Cup win-
ning team, is seen as a nat-
ural successor but given his
injury-prone past, it won’t be
surprising if the BCCI selec-
tors could be mulling at
another option.
Multiple injuries have
been a setback to Hardik, and
as a result of which, he has
featured in just 54 of India's
122 ODIs since January 2018.
With an eye on managing his
workload and keeping him
injury free as India targets
the ICC Champions Trophy,
early 2025, the Ajit Agarkar-
led side could be opting for
another option to lead the
T20I side.
Thus the first name that
could be a possible fron-
trunner for the post is
Suryakumar Yadav, a regular
in the side. He captained a sec-
ond-string India squad to a
4-1 series win over Australia
last November, followed by
a 1-1 series scoreline in South
Africa.
However, with SKY also in
the wrong side of the 30’s, the
selectors might also go ahead
with a youngster leading the
T20I outfit, considering the
changing dynamics of the for-
mat. Shubman Gill, who
recently led India to a 4-1
series win against Zimbab-
we, after serving as one of the
travelling reserves with the
World Cup-winning team,
could also fit the bill.
With the limited overs
tour to Sri Lanka, starting July
27, the Agarkar-led panel
will be expected to take a call
in the coming days. The
inputs of Gautam Gambhir,
the team’s newly-appointed
head coach, will be crucial as
he will be closely working with
the new captain.
Rohit, Kohli, Bumrah for
SL ODIs: There are also
growing speculations that
the trio of Rohit Sharma,
Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bum-
rah could be rested for the
ODIs against Sri Lanka, con-
sidering the fact that India
is slated to play 10 Tests
from September to January
(five at home and five in
Australia, all part of the 2023-
25 WTC cycle). This also
leaves the selectors with
another job of naming a
stand-by captain for the 50-
over format.
KL Rahul, who stood in as
captain when India last played
ODIs, in South Africa last
December, could make a
return to the side as a mid-
dle order batter, if not the first-
choice wicketkeeper, a role
that he performed decently
during India’s campaign in the
2023 ODI World Cup. Rahul
and Gambhir share an old
equation with the duo hav-
ing worked together as cap-
tain and coach previously
at Lucknow Super Giants.
Gill could also be a distant
contender, considering his rol-
licking form in the format.
Since the start of 2024, Gill
is the second highest run-get-
ter in 50 overs cricket.
Return of Pant in ODIs:
Rishabh Pant has made a
spectacular return to com-
petitive cricket ever since
that dreadful accident in
December 2022. However,
the explosive southpaw has
only featured in the shortest
formats ever since his return
during the 2024 IPL cam-
paign. The selectors could be
tempted to test whether he
has gained enough strength
to sustain full 100 overs, and
thus could make it to the side.
in Sri Lanka, given his bril-
liant numbers with the bat in
the format. Samson struck his
maiden international century
against South Africa late last
year.
Shreyas Iyer, who lost his
BCCI central contract last
February, seemingly for fail-
ing to prioritise domestic
cricket by not turning up for
Mumbai in the Ranji Tro-
phy, will also be desperate-
ly looking to get back into the
side. Under Gambhir, Iyer had
recently led the Kolkata Knight
Riders to their third IPL title,
last season, and his decent
ODI numbers (India's third
highest-run scorer in the 50-
overs World Cup) could open
the doors for a comeback.
With Rohit Sharma most
likely to be rested and backed
by a strong show in Zim-
babwe, Yashasvi Jaiswal could
earn his first ODI cap, while
Ravindra Jadeja’s retirement
from T20Is could help Wash-
ington Sundar retain his spot
as a spin-bowling all-round-
er. Washington is coming off
a Player of the Series winning
performance in Zimbabwe
after ending the series with
eight wickets in five match-
es at an economy of 5.16.
Abhishek Sharma and
Ruturaj Gaikwad could also
be accommodated in the Sri
Lanka tour, after an impres-
sive series in the African
nation.
AGENCIES
NEW DELHI, 16 JULY
The All India Federation for
Football (AIFF) has urged the
Ministry of Youth Affairs and
Sports (MOYAS) to support
the development of the nation-
al teams. AIFF president Kalyan
Chaubey, along with acting sec-
retary general M. Satyanarayan
and treasurer Kipa Ajay, met
the Union Minister for Youth
Affairs and Sports Mansukh
Mandaviya and his team on
Monday.
"The AIFF requested the
Ministry of Sports for support
in four particular areas. First-
ly, the AIFF wishes to utilise all
FIFA International MatchWin-
dows throughout the year for
both men and women. Sec-
ondly, support for the head
coach of both the senior men's
and women's teams. Thirdly,
the preparation camp and
support for the 2026 Asian
Games for men's and women's
football teams. Lastly, sup-
port for a specialised goal-
keeper academy. Dr. Man-
daviya assured that the gov-
ernment will try to provide all
the necessary support within
their policy," the national foot-
ball body said in a statement.
Mandaviya assured that the gov-
ernment will try to provide all
the necessary support within
their policy.
On July 14, Mandaviya inau-
gurated the Blue Cubs Devel-
opment Centre for Jammu
and Kashmir Sports Council
Football Academy in Srinagar.
The AIFF president visited
Jammu and Kashmir in April
2023. Currently, the AIFF and
the Jammu and Kashmir Sports
Council are involved in several
projects for youth football in
the union territory, which was
appreciated by Mandaviya.
Jammu and Kashmir has rich
potential for football devel-
opment and the AIFF hopes its
efforts will make value addi-
tion to it in the state where the
game is hugely popular. Satya-
narayan said:“Yesterday, we had
a good hour-long meeting
with the honourable Sports
Minister. He emphasised that
football is a popular sport and
has a huge role to play. Our Pres-
ident thanked him for the help
he and the ministry are pro-
viding to Indian football. It was
a fruitful meeting and we look
forward to many such meet-
ings in the future.”

I want to give my best at Paris Olympics: Kishore Jena

AGENCIES
NEW DELHI, 16 JULY
Javelin thrower Kishore Jena,
holder of the second-longest
throw by an Indian, is aiming
to achieve his personal best at
his Olympic debut in Paris
2024.
Jena's story is unique. After
stepping away from the sport
for three years to focus on his
job with the CISF, it was Neer-
aj Chopra's Olympic success
that motivated him to return.
"My journey in javelin began
in 2014-15. For over 20 years,
our state record for a javelin
throw was 65m. Then in Sep-
tember 2017, I broke the 20-
year-old record with a 72.77m
throw.That gave me confidence.
In 2018, I got employed by CISF
through the sports quota.
Between 2018-2020, I priori-
tised my job and focused on
helping my family over play-
ing the sport," said Jena on
JioCinema's 'The Dreamers'.
The turning point came
after Chopra’s gold medal win
at Tokyo 2020. "When Neeraj
won at the Olympics, we cel-
ebrated and enjoyed his vic-
tory. But honestly, the victory
also left me dejected because
I too was playing the same sport.
I felt it was time for me to
achieve something in sports.
My coach at CISF suggested
that if I try and nail a 75m throw,
he would help me get into the
national camp. My hard work
and spirit helped me achieve
76.4m, which got me in," Jena
recounted.
Resuming his javelin career
wasn't without its challenges.
"I participated in the Lebanon
National Championships after
a dip in my rankings at theWorld
Championships and produced
a throw of 78m. Despite giv-
ing it my all, I couldn't achieve
much. I started doubting if all
the hard work was worth it. I
called my father, who encour-
aged me to participate in the
next competition in
Sri Lanka."

Bailey shuts door on Warner’s

possible Champions Trophy return
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, 16 JULY
David Warner announced his
retirement from the T20I for-
mat following Australia’s exit
from the ICC Men’s T20 World
Cup 2024, marking the end of
his international cricket career
after retiring from ODIs and
Tests earlier this year.
However, a couple of weeks
later, the explosive south-
paw indicated in a social
media post that the focus
going forward will be on fran-
chise cricket but kept the
door open for Champions
Trophy 2025 in Pakistan ‘if
selected’. On Tuesday, George
Bailey, the chair of the Aus-
tralian men’s selection panel,
has confirmed that Australia’s
focus will be on the future, indi-
cating that they consider
Warner retired from inter-
national cricket.
“I think he's just stirring
the pot a bit. Our under-
standing is that David's retired
and should be commended
on what is an incredible career
across all three formats,” Bai-
ley said while announcing Aus-
tralia’s squad for the white-
ball tour of the UK.
“Certainly our planning is
he won't be there in Pak-
istan,” he made it clear.
“You never know when
Bull'sjoking…He's had a won-
derful career, can't celebrate
it enough, and think as time
goes by, his legacy of what he
has done for Australia and we
reflect back on that, the leg-
end of a player is only going
to continue to grow. But as far
as this team goes and the jour-
ney to transition to some dif-
ferent players, in his case
across all three formats, it's
going to be exciting,” Bailey
added.
With a focus on what's
ahead, Australia included
young guns Cooper Connol-
ly and Jake Fraser-McGurk in
the squads set to face Scot-
land and England. A notable
omission from the squad was
Matthew Wade, as Josh Inglis
was chosen for the wicket-
keeper role in both the T20I
and ODI squads.
Bailey clarified that Wade
is not retired and could still
be considered for a return, but
expressed excitement about
giving Inglis an opportunity.
“I don't think there's any-
one that's not there (in the UK
squads) that we've put a line
through permanently besides
David (Warner) who's retired,”
Bailey said.
“I don't think anyone else
has formally retired. If oppor-
tunities arise or there are
gaps at a different point there's
nothing to say that Wadey
might not come back, but cer-
tainly at this point we're excit-
ed about giving Josh (Inglis)
a run,” Bailey added.
Mitchell Starc and Glenn
Maxwell have been rested
from the T20Is but there have
not been discussions on their
longer-term future in the for-
mat ahead of the 2026 T20
World Cup in India and Sri
Lanka.
“The next T20 World Cup
is 2026, so I imagine there may
be some more changes than
what we are seeing in this
squad but specifically to those
guys (Starc and Maxwell), no
we haven't had any conver-
sations about where they
think their T20 journey may
finish.
“Certainly for Glenn and
Mitch, the Champions Trophy
is very much on the horizon,
[and is a] very important
tournament for those guys.
And Starcy in particular, I
think he's going to have a huge
summer. Clearly, some of the
decisions made around this
series are around prioritising
and getting guys right for
what will be a really big sum-
mer. As far as ending players,
seeing where guys might fin-
ish up, we haven't had those
conversations,” he said.
Australia will travel to the
United Kingdom for a white-
ball tour in September, start-
ing with a three-match T20I
series against Scotland after
which they will face England
in three T20Is and five ODIs.
Reflecting on Australia’s
performance in the T20 World
Cup, Bailey praised the cap-
taincy of Mitchell Marsh,
who will lead both squads on
the UK tour with Pat Cummins
missing the whole trip to
work on conditioning ahead
of the home summer.
“I loved the way he cap-
tained through the T20 World
Cup," Bailey said. "He was real-
ly clear on how he wanted to
lead that team. He was as dis-
appointed as anyone that we
didn't get to the end goal
that everyone was hoping to
achieve, but if you look at his
early success rate as a captain
across T20 he's done a real-
ly great job,” Bailey com-
mented.

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