WEDNESDAY 28 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 BRS ACCUSES CONG OF TRYING TO DEMOLISH KALESHWARAM VERDICTS KEEP COMING, SO DOES TRUMP P4 P7 SENSEX 73,095.22305.09 WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 26 AND 10 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 86 % TEMPERATURE Max: 25.4 °C (-1) SUN RISES 6:47 hrs MOON RISES 21:42 hrs Min. 39 % Min:12.3 °C 0) SUN SETS 18:20 hrs MOON SETS 09:09 hrs THUMBNAILS People pay tribute to the statue of freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad on his death anniversary, at Chandrashekhar Azad Park in Prayagraj on Tuesday.. ANI Justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar appointed Chairperson of Lokpal: The President on Tuesday appointed Justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar, a former judge of the Supreme Court of India, as the Chairperson of the Lokpal. Justice Lingappa Narayana Swamy, Justice Sanjay Yadav and Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi were named as judicial members of the Lokpal in a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique issued this evening. Mr Sushil Chandra, Mr Pankaj Kumar and Ajay Tirkey will be non-judicial members of the anti-corruption ombudsman. NIFTY 22,198.3576.30 ` vs $ 82.891 PAISE P6 P12 SILVER 74,000 GOLD 64,210.00 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 80.850.25 Names of Team Gaganyaan revealed The names of four-member Indian astronaut team were announced by PM Modi STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 27 FEBRUARY T he names of the four prospective astronauts for India’s first manned space mission, Gaganyaan, were announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. They are Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla. Their names were announced for the first time by Mr Modi during his visit to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvanathapuram on Prime Minister Narendra Modi being felicitated by ISRO chairman S Somanath during the inauguration of space infrastructure projects at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. ANI Tuesday. The Gaganyaan Mission is India's first human space flight programme for which extensive preparations are under way at various ISRO centres. Mr Modi formally introduced the chosen quartet at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram and awarded them astronaut wings. These individuals have undergone rigorous training at Bengaluru's astronaut training facility, marking a significant milestone in India's space exploration journey. The Prime Minister said that they are four individuals that encompass the aspirations of 1.4 billion people in the country “India's success in the space sector is sowing the seeds of scientific temperament in the country's young generation," Mr Modi said in his address at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. "As India is set to become the top-3 economy of the world, at the same time the country's Gaganyaan is also going to take our space sector to a new height." Group Captain Nair, a native of Kerala’s Thiruvazhiyad, is a Category A flying instructor and test pilot with approx 3,000 hrs of flying experience, and has commanded a premier fighter Su-30 squadron. During their 18-month training programme in Russia, Nair supervised the group of pilots chosen for the Gaganyaan mission. Chennai-born Group Captain Krishnan is also a flying instructor and test pilot with approximately 2,900 hrs of flying experience. Group Captains Nair and Group Captain Krishnan were both winners of the Sword of Honour at the Air Force Academy.Group Captain Pratap, born in Allahabad, is also a flying instructor and test pilot with approximately 2,000 hours of flying experience. Wing Commander Shukla, a Lucknow native, is a fighter combat leader and test pilot with approximately 2,000 hours of flying experience. Cross-voting in Himachal RS polls, BJP candidate Mahajan wins seat STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE SHIMLA, 27 FEBRUARY Cong, CPI-M friends at national level, imaginary foes in Kerala: PM STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 27 FEBRUARY Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Tuesday that the Congress and the CPI-M are best friends when it comes to national politics but are pretending to be foes in Kerala. Addressing a public rally organised to mark the conclusion of Kerala BJP president K Surendran’s statewide campaign ‘Kerala Padayatra’ in Thiruvananthapuram, Prime Minister Modi said, “In Thiruvananthapuram, the Congress and the CPI-M say one thing while they say something else PM Modi said, “In Thiruvananthapuram, the Congress and the CPI-M say one thing while they say something else in Delhi.” in Delhi.” “The Congress is say- MHA to notify CAA rules before enforcement of MCOC AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 27 FEBRUARY The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is expected to announce the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019 regulationsprior to the enforcement of the model code of conduct, sources said. The CAA rules, introduced by the Narendra Modi government, aim to confer Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants - including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians - who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014. Following the passage of the CAA by Parliament in Decem- ‘YOU NEED ‘HUNGER’ TO EXCEL IN TEST CRICKET’ STITCHED TOGETHER ber 2019 and its subsequent Presidential assent, significant protests erupted in various parts of the country. Sources privy to the development told the ANI that "the regulations for the CAA could be announced anytime before the enforcement of the model code of conduct". There is a possibility that the code of conduct might be in place in March. As per an official, the CAA law can be put into action with the issuance of MHA notifications, allowing eligible individuals to obtain Indian citizenship. The implementation of the CAA, which has been delayed for over four years, necessitates the formulation of its associated rules. "The regulations are pre- pared, and an online portal is already set up for the entire process, which will be conducted digitally. Applicants will need to disclose the year of their entry into India without any travel documents. No additional documentation will be required from the applicants," stated the official. On December 27, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had asserted that the implementation of the CAA cannot be halted as it stands as the law of the land. He had also accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of misleading the public regarding this matter. Shah emphasized that the BJP is committed to implementing the CAA. The TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, has been opposing the CAA. India stands for two-state solution to West Asia crisis, says EAM STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 27 FEBRUARY External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has expressed concern over the conflict in Gaza but made it clear that terrorism and hostage-taking are unacceptable to India. “It also goes without saying that international humanitarian law must always be respected. It is vital that the conflict does not spread within or beyond the region. And efforts must also focus on seeking a two-state solution where Palestinian people can live within secure borders,” he said in a statement at the high-level segment of the 55th session of the Human Rights Council, Geneva. “International humanitarian law must always be respected”.He said this Indian approach is one of recognising that “we are defined more by how much we are alike than by our differences; that the many are impacted by the choices made by even a few; and that this interconnectedness means that genuine dialogue as the only way to find solutions is not just an imperative, but in fact, inevitable.” (P5) ing the chief minister of Kerala is corrupt and a fascist in Thiruvananthapuram. Both INDIA bloc allies confront each other on the streets in Kerala and accuse each other of political violence. However, as INDIA bloc allies in New Delhi, they speak a different language over tea and bis- cuits,” he said. On his party’s prospects in the southern state, the prime minister felt a new excitement among the people of Kerala this time. In 2019, a new hope had emerged for the BJP in Kerala. In 2024, that hope is turning into a reality, he said. Following cross-voting by some ruling MLAs in Himachal Pradesh, BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan has won the lone Rajya Sabha seat from the state. The cross voting has placed the Congress government in the state in a precarious situation. According to sources, there has been cross-voting as three independent MLAs and six Congress MLAs are said to have voted for the BJP candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat, Harsh Mahajan. Congress had fielded Abhishek Manu Singhvi as their candidate. The BJP is said to have moved the Congress MLAs and the three independent MLAs to a hotel at Panchkula in the neighbouring state of Haryana after the voting. Meanwhile, a video has also surfaced on social media of the Congress MLAs being brought to PWD Rest House, Panchkula in vehicles. (P3)
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