MONDAY 15 JANUARY 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Twitter.com/thestatesman Facebook.com/thestatesman KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR MESSAGE FROM BANGLADESH ELECTIONS THE POT BOILS P6 WEATHER Fog/mist in the morning, later mainly clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 23 °C and 13 °C respectively. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 95 % TEMPERATURE Max: 22.1°C (-3) SUN RISES 06:19 hrs MOON RISES 08:44 hrs ‘NO ONE CAN HALT ISRAEL’S WAR TO CRUSH HAMAS’ P11 P8 Maldives asks India to withdraw troops ROHIT SHARMA FIRST MEN'S PLAYER WITH 150 T20I CAPS P12 YEARLY RITUAL Muizzu is reported to have asked for the troops’ removal by 15 March Min. 51 % Min: 12.9°C (-1) SUN SETS 17:12 hrs MOON SETS 20:20 hrs Full Moon on 25 January THUMBNAILS The Indian Air Force's Suryakiran perform during the Mumbai Air Show as part of an outreach programme to create awareness and foster a deeper connection between the IAF and the local community, in Mumbai on Sunday. ANI Dense fog conditions likely to continue over North India for 4-5 days, says IMD: 5 The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday that dense to very dense fog conditions are likely to prevail over North India during the next 4-5 days. The IMD also predicted that cold wave to “severe” cold wave conditions are very likely to continue in some parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi till 16 January. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 14 JANUARY ndia and the Maldives on Sunday held the first meeting of their high-level core group in Male amidst reports that Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has formally asked India to withdraw its troops stationed in the Indian Ocean archipelago before 15 March. During the meeting, the two sides held discussions on wide ranging issues related to bilateral cooperation towards identifying steps to enhance the partnership, including expediting the implementation of ongoing development cooperation projects, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). “Both sides also held discussions on finding mutually workable solutions to enable continued operation of Indian aviation platforms that provide humanitarian and medvac (medical evacuation) services to the people of the Maldives,” the MEA said, while not directly commenting on the reports that Mr Muizzu has sought the Indian I troops’ withdrawal by 15 March. Local media reports quoted Mr Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, the public policy secretary at the President’s Office, as saying during a Press briefing, that President Muizzu has asked India to withdraw its troops by 15 March. “During the meeting, the President proposed the removal of Indian troops before March 15. The government, the President's Office and the President have proposed this date for the agenda of the meeting. Those discussions are now underway," local media outlets quoted Mr Nazim as saying at the Press conference. Mr Nazim further said that Indian troops cannot stay in Maldives and that is "what the people want," the newspaper reported. “The most important point is that Indian troops cannot stay in this country. That is the policy of this government. That is the promise of President Mohammed Muizzu and what the people want," he said. Currently, there are around 80 Indian troops in the Maldives, along with Dornier maritime patrol aircraft and two Dhruv helicopters, stationed in the Maldives. The Maldives official said Indian High Commissioner Munu Mahawar and some senior officials are attending the meeting, while senior officials from the Maldives Foreign Ministry and the President's Office represented the Maldives. The removal of Indian troops in the Maldives was the main campaign of Muizzu's party. On the second day after he assumed office, Mr Muizzu officially requested the Indian government to withdraw its military personnel from the Maldives. In December last year, President Muizzu claimed that, after dialogue with the Indian government, an agreement was reached to withdraw Indian military personnel. Recently, a row erupted between the two countries after three now suspended Maldivian ministers made derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his visit to Lakshadweep. ‘We adopted humanitarian attitude Deora quits Cong, joins towards Pak soldiers after 1971 war’ Eknath Shinde’s Sena STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 14 JANUARY NEW DELHI, 14 JANUARY Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday described India's treatment of 90,000 Pakistani soldiers, who surrendered in the 1971 war, as one of the golden chapters of humanity. “We, Indians, not only respect our own soldiers, but also those of other countries. In the 1971 war, more than 90,000 soldiers of Pakistan surrendered to India.We could have treated them in any way we wanted; but such is our culture and tradition that we adopted a completely humanitarian attitude and sent them back to their country with full respect. Such treatment to enemy soldiers is one of the golden chapters of humanity,” he said. Mr Singh said the bravery of Indian soldiers who fought in the First and Second World Wars is also remembered with respect across the globe. He was addressing a “Veterans’ Rally” at the Air Force Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Milind Deora joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Sunday after resigning from the grand old party saying it has just one goal to speak against whatever Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks or does. Deora, who severed ties with the Congress after a prolonged association with the party, joined the Shiv Sena in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Mumbai. "I believe in the politics of 'GAIN' – growth, aspiration, inclusivity and nationalism. I don't believe in the politics of 'PAIN'- personal attacks, injustice and negativity," he said after joining the Shiv Sena. Taking a swipe at the Congress, Deora said, "The same party that used to offer constructive suggestions to this country on how to take the country forward has only one goal today – to speak against Defence minister Rajnath Singh takes part in the 8th Armed Forces Veterans Day 2024 celebrations at an Air Force Station, in Kanpur on Sunday. ANI Station, Kanpur on the occasion of the eighth Armed Forces Veterans’ Day which is being celebrated across the country to pay homage to the ex-servicemen for their selfless duty and sacrifices and to reinforce solidarity towards the next of kin of these bravehearts. Wreath-laying ceremonies and veterans’ rallies are being organised in Srinagar, Pathankot, Delhi, Kanpur, Alwar, Jodhpur, Guwahati, Mumbai, Secunderabad, Kochi and several other places to mark the day. The defence minister hailed the troops for their selfless service to the nation and ensuring the safety and security of the borders.“Our soldiers rise above family, caste and creed and only think about the nation. They effectively carry out their duties as they know for a fact that if the nation is secure, everything is safe. This gives them the moral strength to face every challenge,” he added. whatever Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks or does." Informing that he has been receiving lots of calls since morning inquiring why he left Congress, the former minister said he was loyal to the party during its most challenging decade, "but unfortunately, present Congress is very different from the Congress of 1968 as well as that of 2004". “Had Congress and the UBT given importance to constructive and positive suggestions and merit and capability, Eknath Shinde and I wouldn't have been here,” he quipped. Pilgrims offering prayers at Gangasagar on Sagar Island, the confluence of the River Ganges and the Bay of Bengal, in South 24-Parganas, West Bengal, on Sunday. SNS Congress’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra takes off from Manipur STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE IMPHAL, 14 JANUARY The Congress party’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra was officially inaugurated today in Thoubal, Manipur, with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi leading the event at Khongjom. Rahul Gandhi, while addressing the gathering, expressed concern about the situation in Manipur and criticised the BJP government's handling of the state. Reflecting on his recent visit to Manipur amidst the troubled scenario, Mr Gandhi highlighted the collapse of governance infrastructure, division, and widespread hatred prevailing in the state. He criticised Prime Minister Modi for not personally addressing the suffering of the people, suggesting that Manipur may not be a priority for the BJP and RSS. Characterising Manipur as a symbol of the BJP's hate politics, Rahul Gandhi pledged that the Congress party would work towards restoring peace in the troubled state. He emphasised the party's commitment to bringing back the values and harmony that Manipur has been known for. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge flagged off the Yatra after paying tributes at Thoubal district’s Khongjom War Memorial, which was built in memory of those killed in the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891. Mr Kharge criticising Prime Minister Modi in his speech, , said that in the name of vote bank politics he is now ‘chanting ram nam’ and visiting everywhere but staying away from violence-ravaged Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi wave the National Flag during the launch of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, in Thoubal, Manipur, on Sunday. ANI Manipur. “The BJP before the 2019 election promised to give two crore jobs every year... where are the jobs... injustice has been done with all sections of people. Through Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, we promised to return justice to every one ~ Dalit, tribals, women, youths,” Mr Kharge said. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy and Andhra Pradesh Congress leader YS Sharmila, former Rajasthan Chief Minister and former deputy chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot; Congress lead- ‘Indian Ocean warming at terrifying rate, could trigger massive impact’ AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 14 JANUARY The year 2023 is the hottest one on record, new data has confirmed, and scientists warn that 2024 could be worse. From droughts and floods to more intense storms, countries around the world are already living with the impacts of climate change. Science says today more than ever, the world needs urgent climate action ~ reducing rapid fossil fuel emissions and adapting to the effects of climate change. As global temperatures continue to increase, we risk ever-rising sea levels, stronger storms, increased droughts, more frequent wildfires and even our health. Ocean temperatures, which have been rising year-on- year for the past decade, have once again shattered records, a study by Advances in Atmospheric Sciences has found, warning that 2023 was the hottest on record for the world's oceans for the fifth year in a row. Cyclone Michaung, intensified by El Nino and soaring sea surface temperatures, wreaked havoc in India in 2023. The devastating storm, the sixth in India in a year, over the Bay of Bengal in December caused extremely heavy rains over the metropolitan city of Chennai in Tamil Naidu and the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh. While the formation of a tropical storm in the Bay of Bengal during December is not unusual, the intensity of rains associated with the Cyclone Michaung is not normal, cli- mate experts told IANS news agency. The frequency and intensity of cyclones, they say, has increased manifold owing to global warming as 93 per cent of the heat is being absorbed by the oceans, and warm waters act as an energy source for cyclones. Scientists say the intensity of the cyclone depends not only on sea surface temperature but, more importantly, on the volume of warm water in the ocean. The increase in sea sur- face temperature could result in peak heavy rainfall in the tropical cyclone inner-core region, especially the rear sector. Similar conditions were seen in Chennai, which saw incessant rains on 3-4 December as the dense cloud bands of Cyclone Michaung hovered over the city. Nino 3.4, the representative of ONI (Oceanic Nino Index), has crossed two degrees Celsius for the first time since February 2016, after the super El Nino of 2015. Chennai recorded 292 mm rain on 2 December 2015, an all-time high record. “As oceans absorb more than 93 per cent of the additional heat from global warming, El Ninos are also getting stronger,” explained Roxy Mathew Koll, Climate Scien- CMYK tist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. “Changes in ocean-cyclone interactions have emerged in recent decades in response to Indian Ocean warming and are to be closely monitored with improved observations since future climate projections demonstrate continued warming of the Indian Ocean at a rapid pace along with an increase in the intensity of cyclones in this basin,” Koll said. Recent observations, say scientists, indicate that cyclones in the north Indian Ocean are now exhibiting rapid intensification, intensifying by more than 50 knots in just 24 hours, in response to sea surface temperatures much higher than 30 degrees Celsius, prominently due to the rapid warming in the region. From 2000 onwards, the frequency of cyclones undergoing rapid intensification in the north Indian Ocean has increased. The percentage of cyclones undergoing rapid intensification in the north Indian Ocean is higher (38 per cent) than the cyclones in the northwest Pacific Ocean, where this rate is 22 per cent. Due to the eastward shift of the cyclogenesis (development or strengthening of cyclonic circulation) location in the Bay of Bengal, the cyclones are now travelling for a long time over the ocean and drawing more of the thermal energy released from the warm ocean waters, enhancing the chances of developing into a very severe cyclone with intensity greater than 65 knots. ers Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Khera, Pramod Tiwari, Gaurav Gogoi, Salman Khurshid, Digvijaya Singh, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Karti Chidambaram among other leaders participated in the Yatra. The yatra's schedule for the day includes a break at Koirengei Bazar in Imphal at 5:30 p.m. and an overnight stay at the Koujengleima Sports Association Football Ground in Sekmai. The Congress clarified that the Yatra aims to end the Anyay Kaal (era of injustice) under the Narendra Modi-led government ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. ‘Over 30 crore Ayushman cards created under AB-PMJAY’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 14 JANUARY The Union Health Ministry said on Sunday said that more than 30 crore Ayushman cards have been created under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). The flagship scheme being implemented by the National Health Authority (NHA) aims to provide health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to 12 crore beneficiary families. The Ministry said inorder to reach out to the last mile, the NHA has launched ‘Ayushman App’ for Ayushman card creation.
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