TUESDAY 13 FEBRUARY 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 RAJNATH UNVEILS STATUE OF LATE GEN RAWAT BIDEN WELCOMES ABDULLAH P9 SENSEX 71,072.49523.00 WEATHER PARTLY CLOUDY SKY. POSSIBILITY OF VERY LIGHT RAIN/DRIZZLE. SHALLOW FOG IN THE MORNING. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 24 AND 09 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 100 % TEMPERATURE Max: 23.7 °C0) SUN RISES 7:01 hrs MOON RISES 09:52 hrs P3 NIFTY 21,616.05166.45 Min: 07.3 °C (-3) SUN SETS 18:09 hrs MOON SETS 23:03 hrs THUMBNAILS A view of a snow-clad region near Gulmarg Ski resort after the snowfall in Baramulla on ANI Monday. Section 144 in Delhi ahead of farmers march: The Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora on Monday announced prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) across the city with immediate effect. The order that came a day ahead of the protest march to Delhi announced by the farmers associations will remain in force for 30 days unless withdrawn earlier, according to a (P2) notice issued by the Delhi Police. ` vs $ 837 PAISE GOLD 64,265.00 PM Modi was addressing the new recruits attending Rozgar Mela P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday distributed more than one lakh appointment letters to newly inducted employees in the Government and said, compared to the UPA Government, the BJP government gave one and a half times jobs in the Government during its 10 years of rule. Addressing the new recruits attending Rozgar Mela at 47 places in the country, via video conferencing, he said his Government had not only made the employee-induction process transparent and short, but also timebound. On the other hand, this process was unduly long during the UPA rule, generating scope for corruption, he said. Mr Modi said the changes introduced by his Government offered many more youth opportunity to attempt for Government jobs, making use of their abilities, and gave them confidence they could secure a good job, just by their hard labour and talent.Right from 2014, the Prime Minister said his STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 FEBRUARY Government wanted to involve the youth in the process of nation-building and gave them an atmosphere of equal opportunity. He had laid foundation stone of Phase I of the Integrated Complex Karmayogi Bhavan in the Capital to strengthen facilities for capacity building. Mr Modi said his Government had opened new sectors and created opportunities for employment and self-employment. The Budget had unveiled a plan for one crore roof-top solar plants which will not only reduce power bills but give people a chance to earn money by supplying power to the grid. This scheme has potential for gress party. I have also resigned from the Congress Working Committee and party’s primary membership,” Chavan told reporters in Mumbai. He categorically said he has not taken any decision to join any party. In response to another question about his decision to quit the party, Chavan said, “I have no complaints. It is not in my nature to complain about anyone. This is my individual decision. I will take my own time to make my decision.” “I have not talked to any Congress MLA, this is not my intention,” he further said. Notably, Chavan is the third leader from the Congress who severed ties from the party in Maharashtra after Milind Deora and Baba Siddique ahead of the general elections. Meanwhile, Congress general general secretary incharge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a veiled attack on Chavan and said, “When friends and colleagues leave a political party that has given them much, perhaps much more than they deserved, it is always a matter of anguish. But to those who are vulnerable, that washing machine will always prove more attractive than ideological commitment or personal loyalties." “These betrayers do not realise that their exit opens up vast new opportunities to those whose growth they have always stunted,” he wrote on X. lakhs of new jobs, he said. India is the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world with about 1.25 lakh start-ups, he said. Many of these start-ups are in tier2 or tier-3 cities. As these start-ups are creating new job opportunities, the Budget has announced continuation of the tax rebate for them. He said a Rs 1 lakh crore fund has been announced for promoting research and innovation. Railway is the first choice of people when it comes to travelling, he said. The current Rozgar Mela has made appointments in the railways also. The railways in India are undergoing a massive transformation and the sector will witness a complete makeover in the next decade, he said. Mr Modi said the sector was neglected before 2014 and mentioned electrification and doubling of rail lines, as well as, flagging off of new trains and increased facilities for passengers, under his Government. He said his Government focused on modernization and upgradation of the railways. Under this year’s Budget, he said that 40,000 modern bogies like Vande Bharat Express will be prepared and added to normal trains. Highlighting the farreaching impact of connectivity, the Prime Minister said improved connectivity will create new markets, expand tourism and businesses and create lakhs of jobs. “Investment in infrastructure is being ramped up to accelerate development,” the Prime Minister said, as Rs 11 lakh crore have been marked for investment in infrastructure in the recent Budget. New rail, road, airports, and waterways projects will create new job opportunities, he said. Many of the new appointments are in paramilitary forces, he said. BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 80.380.73 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 FEBRUARY momentum of connectivity and deepening the relationship between the two countries. In an address on the occasion, Mr Modi said that today marks a special day for three friendly nations of India, Sri Lanka and Mauritius when their historic connections take the form of modern digital connect. He said that it is proof of the government’s commitment towards the development of the people. The PM STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE PM to visit Qatar after concluding trip to UAE NEW DELHI, 12 FEBRUARY In a diplomatic triumph for India, eight Indians sentenced to death in Qatar over charges of espionage have been released, with all but one returning to India. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs, said the Centre welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. "Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals," it said. The Navy veterans were given death sentences by Qatar’s Court of First Instance on October 26 last year. The Court of Appeal in the Gulf nation on December 28 last commuted the capital punishment and sentenced them to jail terms for varying durations. The Indian nationals, who worked with the private company Al Dahra, were arrested in August 2022 in the alleged case of espionage. Neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against the Indian nationals public. Addressing a press conference, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra underlined Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resolve to free the Indians. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 FEBRUARY "India is grateful for the release of its citizens. We greatly appreciate their return, and we will continue to work with Qatar to see how quickly the eight Indians return home. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been constantly and personally supervising the entire case. He never shied away from taking any initiative that would ensure the return of the Indian nationals. "This is a reflection of Modi's strong leadership and bond of friendship between the two countries," he said. The charges against the Indians were filed against the eight Indian Navy veterans on March 25 last year and they were tried under Qatari law. After the Court of Appeal commuted the death sentence, the Indian nationals were given 60 days to appeal against the order of their jail terms. In May last year, Al-Dhara Global closed its operations in Doha and all those working there (primarily Indians) have since returned home. India was also looking at the possibility of invoking Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Qatar after concluding his two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates beginning on Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said on Monday. The announcement came hours after Qatar released eight former Indian Navy personnel who had been imprisoned in the Gulf nation since August 2022, apparently on charges of espionage. "After completing his UAE visit, the PM will travel to Doha Qatar on 14 February afternoon. During the visit, he will hold bilateral talks with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, the Emir of Qatar and high dignitaries in Qatar. This will be the prime minister's second visit to Qatar,'' Kwatra said. provisions of a bilateral pact on the transfer of sentenced persons. The pact inked between India and Qatar in 2015 provides for citizens of India and Qatar who have been convicted and sentenced for criminal offences to serve their sentences in their home country. Nitish wins floor test with support from 129 MLAs; opp walks out AGENCIES PATNA, 12 FEBRUARY The NDA government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday won the Bihar floor test after it secured the support of 129 MLAs who voted in favour of the NDA alliance. The vote of confidence took place amid a walk out staged by the Opposition as cross voting happened when three Rashtriya Janata Dal MLAs also voted in support of Nitish Kumar. The coalition government won the floor test with a 129 majority. The Deputy Speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly Maheshwar Hazari asked the members of the House who were in favour of the motion to stand at their places, as per reports. "(A total of) 129 votes have been received in favour of the motion. There were zero votes against the motion. Thus, this House pass- KEY TAKEAWAYS Three RJD MLAs cross-vote in favor of Nitish Kumar, aiding NDA's victory.  Deputy Speaker confirms 129 votes in favour, zero against, securing trust vote.  Nitish Kumar criticises RJD for alleged corruption, vows investigation.  NDA allies secure 128 MLAs' support, surpassing the majority mark. es the trust vote," the Speaker said on Monday, as per reports. Three Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLAs -Chetan Anand, Neelam Devi, and Prahlad Yadav went and Modi inaugurates UPI services with Mauritius PM, Sri Lankan President Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, along with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, inaugurated the launch of Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius, and also RuPay card services in Mauritius via video conferencing. The Mauritian PM informed that co-branded Rupay cards will be designated as domestic cards in Mauritius. Today’s launch, he said, will greatly facilitate the citizens of both countries. The Sri Lankan President congratulated Prime Minister Modi for the consecration of Shri Ram Mandir at the Ayodhya Dham. He also emphasised the centuriesold economic relations. He hoped to maintain the SILVER 75,500 P12 Big diplomatic triumph for India: ‘We gave 1.5 times more jobs than UPA did in 10 yrs’ Qatar frees eight ex-Navy veterans Big blow to Cong, Ashok Chavan quits party ahead of Lok Sabha polls In a major setback for the Congress in Maharashtra ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan resigned from the party on Monday. The senior leader of the Congress, through a letter to the party’s Maharashtra unit chief Nana Patole, announced his resignation from the party’s primary membership. Besides this, Chavan also resigned as MLA from the Maharashtra Assembly. The former chief minister’s resignation from the Congress comes ahead of the upcoming elections to six Rajya Sabha seats in Maharashtra. The last date of filing nominations is February 15. The elections are scheduled to take place on February 27. “I met the Speaker and resigned from the Assembly’s membership as I was elected as an MLA from the Con- P10 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 FEBRUARY Min. 50 % KL RAHUL RULED OUT OF RAJKOT TEST YOGI OVERSEES PREPARATIONS AT SHRI KALKI DHAM underlined fintech connectivity will further strengthen cross-border transactions and connections. “India’s UPI or United Payments Interface comes in a new role today - Uniting Partners with India,” he emphasised. Mr Modi underlined that digital public infrastructure has brought about a revolutionary change in India, where the smallest of vendors in the remotest of villages are transacting via UPI and making digital payments. Speaking about the convenience and speed of UPI transactions, the PM informed that more than 100 billion transactions took place via UPI last year worth Rs 2 lakh crores or 8 trillion Sri Lankan rupees or one trillion Mauritius rupees. He also mentioned making last-mile delivery through the GEM Trinity of bank accounts, Aadhar and mobile phones where Rs 34 lakh crores or 400 billion US dollars has been transferred into the bank accounts of beneficiaries. The PM informed that with CoWin Platform India conducted the world's biggest vaccination programme. “Use of technology is promoting transparency, reducing corruption and increasing inclusivity in society,” he said. The PM stressed that India’s policy is ‘Neighbourhood First’. ''Our maritime vision is SAGAR i.e. Security and growth for all in the region. India does not see its development separately from its neighbours.” Referring to the Vision Document that was adopted during the last visit of the Sri Lankan President, he highlighted the strengthening financial connectivity as its key component. joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the State Assembly, as per reports. On three RJD MLAs moving to the NDA side, RJD leader Bhai Virendra said that the public will not make them MLAs again. While addressing the Assembly, Nitish Kumar took a swipe at his former Mahagathbandhan ally Rashtriya Janata Dal and said that the latter indulged in "corrupt practices" during its rule in the eastern state, as per reports. He also said that the current NDA government would initiate a probe into these practices. Earlier, the Bihar assembly passed the no-confidence motion against Bihar Assembly Speaker and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Awadh Bihari Choudhary ahead of the floor test of the Nitish Kumar government to prove its majority. During the no-confidence motion, 125 members voted in favour of the resolution brought by the ruling alliance and 112 against, as per reports. RJD MLAs Chetan Anand, Neelam Devi and Prahlad Yadav were seen sit- ting on the treasury benches in the Bihar Assembly causing a jolt to the Opposition, as per reports. Reacting to this, former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said "MLAs should sit on their respective seats till the end of voting, otherwise voting will be considered invalid,” as per reports. Nitish Kumar had reportedly gone into a sulk after not being named the convenor of INDIA, the Opposition bloc that took shape through his efforts, as per reports. He resigned as chief minister on January 28, his second volte face in less than 18 months. The JD(U) has 45 MLAs in the House of 243 while its partners, the BJP and the Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S), have 79 and four legislators respectively. The NDA has the support of 128 MLAs and the majority mark in the state assembly is 122. ‘Hardly any room’ to review action against Paytm Payments Bank: RBI Guv STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 FEBRUARY Amid the growing crisis for Fintech giant -- Paytm -- after the ban by the Reserve Bank of India on its payments bank business, the Central Bank Governor said on Monday there was "hardly any room" to review the action taken against Paytm Payments Bank. Interacting with reporters, Governor Shaktikanta Das said the RBI takes action against regulated entities only after a comprehensive assessment. He emphasised that the RBI was supportive of the fintech sector, and said it was also committed to protecting the interest of customers as well as ensuring financial stability. The central bank is expected to soon issue a set of Fre- Governor Shaktikanta Das said the RBI takes action against regulated entities only after a comprehensive assessment. quently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the Paytm matter. In a major action against the Paytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL), the RBI, on January 31, directed it to stop accepting deposits or topups in any customer accounts, wallets, FASTTags and other instruments after February 29. The remarks came post media interaction of the 606th meeting of the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India at New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Governor Das. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed and interacted with the Directors of the Central Board, and highlighted the key thrust areas outlined in the interim Union Budget 2024-25 and the expectations from the financial sector. The Directors complimented the Finance Minister on the Budget and shared their views. The Board also reviewed the global and domestic economic situation and outlook, including the challenges posed by geopolitical developments and global financial market volatility. In a separate development, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the private sector lender, Axis Bank, Amitabh Chaudhry, said the bank was open to working with Paytm if the RBI permits it.