WEDNESDAY 03 JANUARY 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC Twitter.com/thestatesman Facebook.com/thestatesman INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR P4 SENSEX 71,892.48379.462 WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. SHALLOW FOG IN THE MORNING. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 18 AND 09 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY P6 NIFTY 21,665.8076.10 P5 ` vs $ 83.3211 PAISE GOLD 64,090220 TEMPERATURE Min: 8.3°C (+1) SUN SETS 17:37 hrs MOON SETS 11:45 hrs Modi was addressing the 38th Convocation ceremony of the Bharathidasan University in TN THUMBNAILS A child is seen sitting on a bag as people wait to board a bus on a cold winter day, in ANI Gurugram on Tuesday. S Korean Opp leader is stabbed in the neck: South Korea’s tough-speaking liberal opposition leader, Lee Jae-myung, was stabbed in the neck by an unidentified knife-wielding man who attempted to kill him during his visit to the southeastern city of Busan, police said. Lee, 59, the head of the main opposition Democratic Party, was airlifted to a Seoul hospital for surgery after receiving emergency treatment in Busan. (PG 9) P rime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Tuesday that it is the best time to be young in India as the country’s domestic achievements and international interventions have opened numerous opportunities for them to grow and take the country to new heights. The prime minister was addressing the 38th Convocation ceremony of the Bharathidasan University in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. This was his first public interaction in 2024. Modi said in the last 10 years, the number of airports in the country has doubled from 74 to nearly 150! The cargo handling capacity of major ports in India has doubled since 2014. The speed of road and highway construction in the country too has almost doubled during the same period. He said the number of registered start-ups in the country has grown to almost one lakh, a big leap from less than 100 in 2014. India has sealed trade deals with important economies which will open up new markets for Indian goods and services. These achievements will also create countless new opportunities for Indian youth, Mr Modi said. Whether it is strengthening institutions like the G20, fighting climate change, or playing a bigger role in the Planes catch fire after colliding at Tokyo’s Haneda airport, 5 killed global supply chain, India is being welcomed as a part of every global solution. “In many ways, due to the local and global factors, this is the best time to be a young Indian. Make the most of this time and take our country to new heights,” he added. The prime minister said “I am confident in the ability of young people to make the years till 2047 the most YSRTP leader Y S Sharmila to join Cong important in our history.” Indian youth are already creating such a world. Young scientists helped India ship vaccines to the world during Covid-19. Enumerating India’s scientific achievements, he said Indian science is on the world map through missions like Chandrayaan, and the number of patents has gone up from around 4,000 in 2014 to almost 50,000 now. The humanities scholars are showcasing the India story to the world like never before, he said, while musicians and artistes are bringing international awards to the country. The sports arena saw the athletes winning a record number of medals in the Asian Games, Asian Para Games and other tournaments. “You are stepping into the world at a time when everyone is looking at you with new hope in every sector,” Mr Modi told the university graduates. Universities play a crucial role in giving direction to any nation, he said. “When our universities were vibrant, our nation and civilisation were vibrant too. When our nation was attacked, our knowledge systems were targeted immediately,” he said. In the early part of the 20th century, people like Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya and Sir Annamalai Chettiar started universities. These were hubs of knowledge and nationalism during the freedom struggle, he said. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, the prime minister said, believed that “the highest education does not give us just information. But it helps us to live in harmony with all existence”. The whole of society, including the poorest of the poor, therefore, played a role in bringing the graduates to this important day, he said. The real purpose of education will be then giving back to them, and creating a better society and country. “The science you learnt can help a farmer in your village. The technology you learnt can help solve complex problems. The business management you learnt can help run businesses and ensure income growth for others,” he said. AWAITED MOMENT AGENCIES TOKYO, 2 JANUARY A passenger plane and a Japanese Coast Guard aircraft collided on the runway at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Tuesday and burst into flames. (Photo) Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito confirmed that all 379 occupants of Japan Airlines flight JAL-516 got out safely before the plane was entirely engulfed in flames. The pilot of the coast guard plane also escaped, but five crewmembers died, Mr Saito said. Local TV video showed a large eruption of fire and smoke from the side of the Japan Airlines plane as it taxied after landing. The area around the wing then caught fire. Footage an hour later showed the plane fully on fire. The JAL plane was an Airbus A-350 that had flown from Shin Chitose airport, near the city of Sapporo, to Haneda, the transport minister said. Coast Guard spokesperson Yoshinori Yanagishima said its plane was MA-722, a Bombardier Dash-8. The plane, which is based at Haneda, had been due to head to Niigata to deliver relief goods to residents affected by a deadly earthquake in the region on Monday that killed at least 48 people. Swede Anton Deibe, 17, who was a passenger on the Japan Airlines plane, told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that “the entire cabin was filled with smoke within a few minutes. We threw ourselves down on the floor. Then the emergency doors were opened and we threw ourselves at them. Mr Saito said Haneda is currently closed while the collision is under investigation by aviation safety investigators and police, but that they are doing their best to reopen the airport Wednesday or sooner. He added that said officials STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE HYDERABAD, 2 JANUARY are doing their utmost to prevent any delays in the relief goods delivery and other operations for the disasterhit region. Haneda is one of the busiest airports in Japan, and many people travel over the New Year holidays. With YSRTP leader Y S Sharmila all set to join the Congress, Andhra Pradesh will see a political face-off between YSRCP supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and his sister in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. According to sources, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had sent an emissary to YS Sharmila to dissuade her from joining the Congress but talks broke down after she refused to join YSRCP. Sharmila will now leave for Delhi tomorrow along with party leaders to officially merge her party YSRTP with the Congress. She is said to have been offered the post of APPCC. (Page4) INDIA TO SEEK REDEMPTION AT CAPE TOWN P12 SILVER 78,900300 India’s feats make it best time for young Indians: PM STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 2 JANUARY Max.95% Min. 55% Max: 17.2°C (-2) SUN RISES 07:15 hrs MOON RISES 00:10 hrs ‘SECULARISM HAS NOW BECOME PEJORATIVE FOR THOSE IN POWER’ PILGER’S OWN WORDS ‘NOT SURPRISING, SFI IS KNOWN FOR KILLING PEOPLE’ Students of the Gurukul School of Art make paintings of Lord Ram, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple ahead of its consecration ceremony, in Mumbai on Tuesday. ANI BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 76.830.19 Truckers’ body to call off strike after assurance from govt on new hit-and-run law Truck drivers blocked the road at Kidderpore area, Kolkata on Tuesday.  SNS Under the BNS, which replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC), drivers who cause a serious road accident by negligent driving and run away without informing the police or any official from the administration can face punishment of up to 10 years or a fine of Rs 7 lakh. Earlier, the punishment in such cases was two years in the IPC. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 2 JANUARY The All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) have asked transport workers to call off their strike after an assurance from the government that the new hit-andrun law will be implemented only after a discussion with them. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said that the new rule has not been implemented yet and that views of all the stakeholders will be taken before its implementation. “We had a discussion with All India Motor Transport Congress representatives, govt want to say that the new rule has not been implemented yet, we all want to say that before implementing Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 106/2, we will have a discussion with All India Motor Transport Congress representatives and then only we will take a decision,” Mr Bhalla was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. He further said that the government and the AIMTC have agreed that transport workers will resume their work immediately. The three-day transportation strike had been called to protest against the stringent punishment for hit-and-run cases under the newly-launched Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS). Under the BNS, which replaced the Indian Penal Code, drivers who cause a serious road accident by negligent driving and run away without informing the police will face punishment of up to 10 years or a fine of Rs 7 lakh or both. Earlier, the punishment in such cases was two years in the Indian Penal Code. The All India Motor Transport Congress has demanded that these provisions must be recalled as they can lead to undue harassment of drivers. A senior AIMTC member said earlier in the day that truckers are unwilling to work in the wake of the new laws that were passed in December last year. The chairman of the core committee of the AIMTC, while speaking to media earlier in the day, said that the protests across different parts of the nation were a spontaneous reaction to the new hit-and-run law. Truckers across the nation, especially a large number of petrol and diesel supply tankers in several states, have stopped operations. The agitating drivers are also not allowing those who want to operate to do so. The nationwide strike announced by truck, taxi and bus operators resulted in chaos as vehicles lined-up at petrol pumps amid fears of fuel supply disruptions across the country due to the strike. In Punjab alone, some seven lakh trucks reportedly went off the road in protest against the new law. The protests were also reported in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal, Rajasthan and Bihar. Female employees can nominate kids for pension Shah chairs high- level security meet on J&K, STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 2 JANUARY Female government servants or pensioners can nominate their children for family pension in cases of marital discord. The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions on Tuesday said that in case divorce proceedings are pending in a court of law, or the female government servant/female pensioner has filed a case against her husband under Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act or Dowry Prohibition Act or under Indian Penal Code, such female government servant/female pensioner may make a request for grant of family pension after her death to her eligible child/children, in precedence to her husband. As per the government notification, the female employee can submit her request in writing to the concerned head of office to the effect that, in the event of her death during the pendency of any of the proceedings in question, family pension may be granted to her eligible child/children in precedence to her spouse. Under the current establishment, the family pension is first granted to the spouse after the death of a government servant. The children and other family members become eligible for family pension only after the spouse of the deceased government servant becomes ineligible for family pension or dies. Also, in the event of the death of the female employee, who had made a request, if the pensioner is survived by a widower and no child/children is eligible for family pension on the date of death, family pension shall be payable to the widower. In case the deceased female employee is survived by a widower with a minor child or a child suffering from disorder or disability of mind including the mentally retarded, the family pension in respect of the deceased shall be payable to the widower. However, in such a case, the guardian of such child/children is someone other than the widower, or if the widower ceases to be the guardian of such child/children, such family pension shall be payable to the child through the person who is the actual guardian of such child/children. The minor child, after attaining the age of majority, remains eligible for family pension. The family pension shall become payable to such child from the date on which he or she attains the age of majority. In another case, if the pensioner is survived by a widower with a child who has attained the age of majority but is eligible for family pension, the family pension shall be payable to such child. underlines importance of local intel network STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 2 JANUARY A high level security review meeting on Jammu and Kashmir was chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss better coordination among security forces in the region. The crucial meeting was attended by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Home Secretary AK Bhalla, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, J&K Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Army Chief General Manoj Pande, and several other senior officials of police forces. During the meeting, Shah reviewed the area domination plan of security agencies in J&K to eliminate the threat of terrorism. While reviewing the functioning of the security grid and overall security scenario of Jammu and Kashmir, the home minister instructed to strengthen the counter-terrorism operations and need for complete elimination of terror ecosystem. He also advised the secu- rity agencies for appropriate deployment in vulnerable areas. He reiterated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government will continue to adopt a zero- tolerance approach against terrorism. Shah stressed that all due procedures should be adopted while dealing with counter- terror operations. He also underlined the importance of further strengthening the local intelligence network. Shah appreciated the efforts of the security agencies and administration of the Union Territory for significant decline in terror related incidents, infiltration and improvement in law & order situation. This meeting symbolises government’s proactive stance towards addressing security concerns in Jammu and Kashmir, in tune with the commitment provide robust security apparatus, in line with the centre's zero tolerance against acts of terror.