WEDNESDAY 31 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 P7 SENSEX 71,139.90801.67 WEATHER GENERALLY CLOUDY SKY. DENSE FOG IN THE MORNING. LIGHT RAIN/THUNDERSHOWERS ACCOMPANIED WITH GUSTY WINDS (SPEED 30-40 KMPH) IS LIKELY TO OCCUR AT MOST PLACES TOWARDS EVENING/NIGHT. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 19 AND 10 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. BAZBALL AND SPIN RAHUL ATTACKS NITISH ATTACK, ENGLAND’S FOR SUCCUMBING PLAN FOR INDIA AT VIZAG TO BJP’S PRESSURE CIPHER CASE: IMRAN KHAN SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN JAIL IS FEMINISM CONFINED TO WHITE WOMEN? P9 NIFTY 21,522.10215.50 P5 ` vs $ 83.115 PAISE GOLD 63,270220 Max. 100 % T Max: 21.4 °C (-1) SUN RISES 7:10 hrs MOON RISES 22:55 hrs Min: 08.7 °C (0) SUN SETS 17:59 hrs MOON SETS 10:39 hrs THUMBNAILS Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary, at Rajghat on Tuesday. ANI Three jawans killed in Maoist attack in Chh’garh: Three jawans died while 14 others sustained injuries in a Maoist attack on a police camp located in Tekalgudem, Bijapur district in southern Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. The injured personnel were airlifted to Jagdalpur before being transferred to Raipur for further medical care. (PG4) he Budget session of Parliement, the last for the 17th Lok Sabha, commences tomorrow and will end on 9 February. The Session will commence with the address of President Droupadi Murmu on 31 January to the joint sitting of the two Houses. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the interim Union Budget on Thursday.The session would conclude on 9 February. Ahead of the session, the floor leaders of all parties attended an all-party meeting convened by the central government on Tuesday. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi told the media after the meeting that the government has requested Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar to revoke the suspension of MPs punished for their disorderly conduct in the Interim Budget 2024: No Economic Survey this year due to elections STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE AGENCIES MALE, 30 JANUARY would only result in a loss to the nation. That cannot be done. I would tell Muizzu that it shouldn't be done. Also, I call on President Muizzu to formally apologize to the Indian government and Prime Minister Modi regarding his remarks after the China trip.” Earlier last year, then Maldives President Ibrahim Solih signed a decree stating that the opposition’s ‘India Out’ campaign is a “threat to national security”. This allows security agencies to take down campaign banners and provides constitutional cover to take action against opposition parties. The opposition, led by former president Abdul- For this year, the union government will not release Economic Survey, and will not have a fullfledged budget on February 1, 2024. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present an interim budget, also known as a voteon-account. The year 2024 is an election year in India, and the Economic Survey gives an analysis of the past year’s performance and future outlook. Since this is an election year, the document could get politicised due to the potential change in government after the elections. This could disrupt the smooth functioning of the regular Budget process, which typically follows the survey presentation. The Economic Survey is a comprehensive annual report analysing the performance of the Indian economy over the past year and offering insights into its prospects. It is typically presented by the Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) in the lead-up to the Union Budget, providing a critical backdrop for the government’s financial plans. by the Speaker and the Chairman, and as per Rules, will be allowed. “The government is ready for discussion on every subject. There should be order in the House,” he said. There is no Bill other than the financial business but there may be a Bill on change of Constitutional order, he said. Mr Joshi said there was a consensus reached at an all-party meeting held before the last session of Parliament that placards would not be displayed in the House. NEW DELHI, 30 JANUARY last session of Parliament. Mr Joshi said the Government wants order in the two Houses but is ready to discuss any subject. He said the all-party meeting was attended by 45 leaders of 30 parties, including the ruling party. The government’s thrust during the meeting was on the discussion on the motion of thanks on the President’s address. The Government wants the discussion to begin from Friday, 2 February, itself, Mr Joshi said. On this, he said, the government has requested the Speaker and the Maldives Opp leader calls on Prez to apologise to PM, people of India The Maldives Jumhooree Party (JP) leader Qasim Ibrahim called on Maldivian President Mohammed Muizzu to formally apologize to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India, Voice of Maldives, a Maldivian digital news outlet, reported. “Regarding any country, especially a neighbouring one, we shouldn't speak in a way that affects the relationship. We have an obligation to our state that must be considered. President Solih did consider this obligation and issued a Presidential Decree banning the "India Out" campaign. Now, Yameen is questioning why Muizzu, who participated with him in the India Out Campaign, has not nullified the Presidential Decree,” he said. He added, “The Decree should not be nullified, as it la Yameen of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) was spearheading an ‘India Out’ campaign for over the last year propagating the unproven claim that Indian military officers stationed in the Indian Ocean island nation are a violation of Maldives’ sovereignty. The campaign’s implicit target was then Maldivian President Solih and the Maldivian Democratic Party, both perceived as close to India. Notably, Solih was one of the prominent Maldives leader to condemn the derogatory remarks made by some junior ministers which led to a diplomatic standoff between the two nations.India and the Maldives on January 14 "agreed to fast-track the withdrawal of Indian military personnel" from the island nation, according to the Maldives' Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The removal of Indian troops in the Maldives was the main campaign plank of Muizzu's party during the presidential elections. Chairman and talked to the Opposition also. After the interim budget on 1 February, there will be Jammu and Kashmir Budget, and if any urgent Bill was required, it will come after that. The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere, Mr Joshi said. He said this would be a short session, the last of the 17th Lok Sabha. There was request from the Opposition for calling attention discussions, but “we said we will take it up in the next Lok Sabha.” On Zero Hour submissions, Special Mentions, he said subjects permitted Ch'garh University founder-chancellor nominated to RS, Modi wishes him well STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 30 JANUARY Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said he was delighted that Satnam Singh Sandhu has been nominated for the Rajya Sabha. Mr Modi said Sandhu has always worked towards national integration and wished him very best for his Parliamentary journey. “I am delighted that Rashtrapati Ji has nominated Shri Satnam Singh Sandhu Ji to the Rajya Sabha. Satnam Ji has distinguished himself as a noted educationist and social worker, who has been serving people at the grassroots in different ways. He has always worked extensively to further national integration and has also worked with the Indian diaspora. I wish him the very best for his Parliamentary journey and am confident the Rajya Sabha proceedings will be enriched by his views,” Mr Modi wrote on ‘X’. Earlier today, the Union Home Ministry in a notifi- cation said that President Droupadi Murmu has nominated Mr Sandhu to the Upper House of Parliament. Also an agriculturist, Sandhu is the founder of Chandigarh Group of Colleges (CGC) in Mohali. He is credited for the formation of Chandigarh University in 2012. In a social media post, Vice-President and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar also welcomed his nomination to the Upper House. “His rich work in community service and his passion towards education, innovation and learning will be big sources of strength for the Rajya Sabha. I wish him the very best for his tenure,” Dhankhar said in a social media post. Last year, PM Modi had praised the Chandigarh University founder during his monthly radio show ‘Mann Ki Baat’ for creating the largest human chain, depicting the Indian national flag. Mr Sandhu is also said to have played a key role in arranging Prime Minister Modi’s meeting with Sikh diaspora during the saffron party’s minority outreach ‘Sadbhavna Yatra’. BJP wins Chandigarh mayoral polls; AAP, Congress cry foul STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 30 JANUARY The BJP emerged victorious in the Chandigarh mayoral polls by a margin of four votes, provoking fury from the AAP and Congress, which had put up a joint candidate, after as many as eight votes were declared invalid. The BJP candidate Manoj Sonkar polled 16 votes against 12 of the Congress-Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) joint candidate while eight votes were declared invalid. The election was being contested by the AAP and the Congress jointly for the first time as part of the INDIA bloc. The result did not go well with the Opposition combine, which together has as many as 20 councillors in the civic body. Eight out of 36 votes were declared invalid by presiding authority Anil Masih, a nominated councillor, with no voting right. The AAP charged that the presiding officer, who belongs to the BJP, declared the eight votes invalid without verification of the ballot. The mayoral poll row has reached the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Indian Navy rescues India home to 718 snow leopards, most in Ladakh Sri Lankan vessel from Somali pirates STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 30 JANUARY STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 30 JANUARY In a multilateral response to the hijacking of a Sri Lankan fishing vessel, the Indian Navy in collaboration with Seychelles Defence Forces and Sri Lanka Navy successfully intercepted and rescued a hijacked vessel. The Indian Navy on Tuesday said a hijacking incident was reported onboard the Sri Lankan flagged multi day fishing trawler Lorenzo Putha 04 about 955 nautical miles east of Mogadishu, Somalia. Three pirates had boarded and hijacked the fishing trawler on 27 January. The Indian Navy deployed INS Sharda on 28 January and also tasked a Sea Guardian helicopter to locate and intercept the hijacked fishing vessel. Additionally, efficient operational coordination and BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 80.870.21 Session will commence with President’s address to joint sitting; interim budget on 1 Feb STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 30 JANUARY Min. 64 % SILVER 76,500300 Budget session begins today, suspended MPs to come back RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY TEMPERATURE P12 The Indian Navy said a hijacking incident was reported onboard the Sri Lankan flagged multi day fishing trawler Lorenzo Putha 04 about 955 nautical miles east of Mogadishu, Somalia. information sharing through Sri Lankan and Seychelles International Liaison Officers resulted in the interception of the hijacked fishing vessel in the Seychelles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on 29 January. The three pirates surrendered to the Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG) and all six crew members are safe and the vessel is being escorted to Mahe, Seychelles, the Navy said in a press release. Union minister Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday released a status report on snow leopards in India in the first-such scientific exercise, with the country now having a total of 718 such leopards. Releasing the report during the National Board for Wildlife meeting held here, he said the Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) programme is the first-ever scientific exercise of its kind in the country. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is the national coordinator for this exercise that was carried out with the support of the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysuru and WWF-India. "The SPAI systematically covered over 70 per cent of the potential snow leopard range in the country, involving forest and wildlife staff, researchers, and volunteers. Covering approximately 1,20,000 km across the trans- Before 2016, approximately one-third of the range received minimal research attention, reduced to just 5 per cent in pockets like Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is the national coordinator for Snow Leopard Population Assessement exercise that was carried out with the support of the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysuru and WWF-India. The report also underlined the need for establishing a dedicated snow leopard cell at WII under MoEFCC with a primary focus on long-term population monitoring, supported by well-structured study designs and consistent field surveys. Himalayan region, including Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, the exercise was conducted from 2019 to 2023 using a meticulous two-step framework," an official release stated. The first step involved evaluating snow leopard spatial distribution, incorporating habitat covariates into the analysis, aligning with the guidelines of the national population assessment of snow leopards in India by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in 2019. In the second step, snow leopard abundance was estimated using camera traps in each identified stratified region. “A total of 241 unique snow leopards were photographed. Based on data analysis, the estimated population in different states are as follows: Ladakh (477), Uttarakhand (124), Himachal Pradesh (51), Arunachal Pradesh (36), Sikkim (21), and Jammu and Kashmir (9)," it said. Until recent years, the snow leopard range in India was undefined due to a lack of extensive nationwide assessments for this vulnerable species. Before 2016, approximately one-third of the range received minimal research attention, reduced to just 5 per cent in pockets like Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh. The report also underlined the need for establishing a dedicated snow leopard cell at WII under MoEFCC with a primary focus on longterm population monitoring, supported by well-structured study designs and consistent field surveys. Mr Yadav said consistent monitoring is essential to ensuring snow leopards' long-term survival. "For the same, states and UTs can consider adopting a periodic population estimation approach (every fourth year) in the snow leopard range. These regular assessments will offer valuable insights for identifying challenges, addressing threats, and formulating effective conservation strategies," the minister added. hearing is likely to take place on Wednesday. The AAP convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the victory of the saffron party is the result of dishonesty put into practice in broad daylight, and called it a matter of great concern. Addressing a Press conference in New Delhi, the AAP convener said it was straight math as the AAP and Congress that joined hands in this election had 20 councilors while the BJP had only 16. Alleging that the intentions of the saffron party were suspect since the very beginning, Mr Kejriwal asked why else would they appoint a party worker as the presiding officer. What’s more, the polls, rescheduled for 18 January, were postponed citing indisposition of the presiding officer. He recounted how the BJP, in the run-up to the polls, tried to lure the AAP councillors to their side by offering them money, though without success. However, today when the counting of the votes took place it did not go according to the way it should have taken place in a transparent manner, the AAP chief said. Earlier during the day, taking to platform "X", Mr Kejriwal said if they (the BJP) could stoop to so low for mayoral polls, they can go to any length to ensure their victory in the Lok Sabha elections due this year. He said what had happened was worrisome. AAP leader Raghav Chadha said what happened was not just a setback to the coalition of INDIA, but for the country as a whole and its democracy. IndiGo flight to Baku takes off without clearances, pilots grounded NEW DELHI, 30 JANUARY The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aviation regulatory body, has grounded a pilot for allegedly taking off in a Baku-bound IndiGo plane without Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) clearances."The DGCA has begun an investigation where an IndiGo plane from Delhi to Baku has taken off without ATC clearances," the DGCA said in a statement. “The pilots of IndiGo's January 29, 2024, Delhi-Baku flight (6E 1803) have been removed from flying duty as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) investigates whether they took off without the required air traffic control (ATC) clearance," it added. The flight departed at around 7:38 p.m. on 29 January. Indigo airline has said that appropriate action will be taken as necessary. AGENCIES
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