FRIDAY 01 MARCH 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 P6 SENSEX 72,500.30195.41 WEATHER GENERALLY CLOUDY SKY. VERY LIGHT RAIN/THUNDERSHOWER ACCOMPANIED WITH GUSTY WINDS (SPEED 25-35 KMPH) TOWARDS NIGHT. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY P4 NIFTY 21,982.8031.65 Min. 44 % Max: 27.6 °C+1) SUN RISES 6:45 hrs MOON RISES 23:34 hrs Min: 11.4 °C (-1) SUN SETS 18:21 hrs MOON SETS 10:15 hrs THUMBNAILS Women from Jaipur take out a Kalash procession at Assi Ghat in Varanasi on Thursday.  ANI Centre fixes wheat procurement at 300320 lakh LMT: The government has fixed wheat procurement in the range of 300 to 320 lakh metric tonne (LMT) during the 2024-25 Rabi marketing season, according to a Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Ministry statement on Thursday. The Centre organised a meeting of state food secretaries to discuss the procurement arrangements for Rabi and Kharif Crops for season 2024-25 and 2023-24 respectively yesterday. ` vs $ 82.91 GOLD 64,170.00 SILVER 74,500 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 81.490.020 Robust growth shows strength of Indian economy: PM Narendra Modi I ndia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate in the quarter ending 31 December 2023 was 8.4 per cent, with the country remaining the fastestgrowing major economy in the world, the data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) said on Thursday. Notably, the GDP growth in the quarter is higher than the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) estimate of 6.5 per cent. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on microblogging site X, said the robust 8.4 per cent GDP growth in the third quarter of 2023-24 shows the strength of the Indian economy and also its potential and the government will continue its efforts for fast economic growth to create 'Viksit Bharat'. Mr Modi also said that fast economic growth will also help the citizens lead a better life. The Indian economy remained resilient with a robust 7.6 per cent growth rate of GDP in FY 202324 over and above 7 per cent growth rate in FY2022-23. The rise in GDP growth was supported by robust growth in manufacturing, construction sectors and public administration. “GDP at constant (2011-12) prices in Q3 of 2023-24 is estimated at Rs 43.72 lakh crore, against Rs 40.35 lakh crore in Q3 of 2022-23, showing a growth rate of 8.4 percent. GDP at current prices in Q3 of 2023-24 is estimated at Rs 75.49 lakh crore, as against Rs 68.58 lakh crore in Q3 of 2022-23, showing a growth rate of 10.1 per cent,'' said the National Statistical Office (NSO). Double-digit growth rate of the construction sector at 10.7 per cent, followed by a good growth rate of Manufacturing sector at 8.5 per cent have boosted the GDP growth in FY 2023-24. In its second advance estimate of national accounts, the NSO has pegged the country's growth at 7.6 per cent for 2023-24. It had projected a growth of 7.3 per cent for the current fiscal in its first advance estimates released earlier in January 2024. Real GDP also grew by 8.4 per cent in Q3 of FY 2023-24, on the back of double-digit growth in the manufacturing sector at 11.6 per cent followed by a good growth rate of the construction sector at 9.5 per cent. Modi, Mauritian PM jointly inaugurate new airstrip, jetty STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 29 FEBRUARY NEW DELHI, 29 FEBRUARY Krishnanagar, Nadia district to inaugurate and lay foundation stones of projects worth Rs 15,000 crore. Mr Modi is also expected to lay the foundation stones of projects worth Rs 21,400 crore. The Begusarai public function in the State will mark a significant event for the energy sector when the PM launches oil and gas projects worth about Rs 1.48 lakh crore. These projects are spread across states like Bihar, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharash- tra, Punjab and Karnataka along with KG Basin. Mr Modi will dedicate ‘First Oil’ from KG Basin to the nation and will flag off the first crude oil tanker from the ONGC Krishna Godavari deepwater project. The extraction of ‘First Oil’ from KG Basin marks a historic achievement in India's energy sector, promising to significantly reduce dependence on energy imports. The project also heralds a new era in India's energy sector, promising to bolster energy security and foster economic resilience. The Hindustan Urvarak and Rasayan Ltd (HURL) Sindri Fertiliser Plant which the Prime Minister will dedicate at Sindri, Jharkhand, has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 8,900 crore, and brings the country closer to self-sufficiency in the urea sector. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth on Thursday jointly inaugurated a new airstrip and the St. James Jetty along with six community development projects at Agalega Island in Mauritius via video conferencing. Mauritius is a key partner of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’ and a special partner under Vision SAGAR, Mr Modi said on the occasion. “As members of Global South, we have common priorities and the last ten years have seen an unprecedented momentum in the relations between the two countries and new heights of mutual cooperation have been achieved,” he noted. The inauguration of these projects is a testimony to the robust and decades-old development partnership between India and Mauritius and will fulfil the demand for better connectivity between mainland Mauritius and Agalega, strengthen maritime security and foster socio-economic development. The inauguration of these projects follows the recent launch of UPI and RuPay Card services in Mauritius by the two leaders on 12 February. The Indian leader underlined that development partnerships have been the foundation pillars of the political partnerships between the two nations and that the developmental contributions made by India are based on Mauritius’s priorities, be it security to the EEZ or health security. Leopard population increases to 13,874 in India: Report STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 29 FEBRUARY The estimated leopard population in India is now 13,874, up from 12,852 in 2018, according to a report released by Union minister for environment, forests and climate change, Bhupender Yadav, on Thursday. Central India recorded the highest population, with Madhya Pradesh having 3,907 leopards. The report said India's leopard population in 70 per cent of the cat-occupied area is estimated at 13,874 (Range: 12,616–15,132) individuals, representing stable population in comparison to the similar area being sampled in 2018 with 12,852 (12,172-13,535) individuals,. Madhya Pradesh housed the largest population of leopards in the country at 3,907 in 2022 (2018: 3,421), followed by Maharashtra at 1,985 (2018: 1,690), Karnataka at 1,879(2018: 1,783) and Tamil Nadu at 1,070 (2018: 868). Tiger reserves or sites with highest leopard population P12 India fastest-growing economy with GDP growth at 8.4 per cent PM to flag off ‘First Oil’ from KG Basin, `2.50 lakh cr projects in three states Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal for two days from Friday and launch projects worth nearly Rs 2.50 lakh crore, including oil and gas sector projects worth Rs 1.48 lakh crore, across the country. Mr Modi will reach Sindri, Dhanbad in Jharkhand on Friday and inaugurate, dedicate and lay the foundation stones of multiple development projects worth Rs 35,700 crore in the State. The projects are related to fertiliser, rail, power, and coal sectors. In Bengal, the Prime Minister will participate in a public programme later to launch multiple development projects worth more than Rs 7,200 crore in Arambagh, Hooghly. On Saturday, he will be in BUMRAH RETURNS P7 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 29 FEBRUARY Max. 88 % TEMPERATURE STARMER WILL HAVE A LOT TO REBUILD K’TAKA CM ACCEPTS CONTROVERSIAL CASTE CENSUS REPORT TRUMP'S TROUBLES Govt approves Intl’ Big Cat Alliance for tiger conservation STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) with headquarters in India with a onetime budgetary support of Rs 150 crore for a period of five years from 2023-24 to 202728. Acknowledging India's leading role in conserving tigers, other big cats and many of its endangered species, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his speech on the occasion of Global Tiger Day, 2019, called for an Alliance of Global Leaders to curb poaching in Asia, as per reports. He reiterated this on the occasion of commemorating 50 years of India's Project Tiger on April 9, 2023, and formally announced the launch of an International Big Cat Alliance aiming at securing the future of big cats and landscapes they thrive. The pioneering and long standing tiger and other big cat conservation good practices evolved in India may be replicated in many other range countries. Seven big cats include tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar and cheetah, out of these five big cats -- tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard and cheetah -- are found in India. The fifth cycle leopard population estimation in India (2022) was carried out by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and Wildlife Institute of India, in collaboration with State Forest Departments, as part of the quadrennial “Monitoring of Tiger, Co-predators, prey and their habitat” exercise in tiger range states. NEW DELHI, 29 FEBRUARY include Nagarajunasagar Srisailam (Andhra Pradesh), followed by Panna (Madhya Pradesh), and Satpura (Madhya Pradesh), the report added. Congratulating all the contributors in this crucial mission, the environment minister said: “Project Tiger's inclusive approach underscores ecosystem interconnectedness and diverse species conservation. Under our Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guidance, this conservation journey embodies the ethos of one Earth, one family, and one Future.’’ According to the report, central India showed a stable or slightly growing population of leopards. The number increased to 8,820 in 2022 compared to 8,071 in 2018 whereas Shivalik hills and Gangetic plains experienced decline to 1,109 in 2022 against 1,253 in 2018. It is to be noted that in the area which was sampled both in 2018 and 2022 across India, there is a 1.08 per cent per annum growth. The report pointed out that in Shivalik hills and Gangetic plains, there is a 3.4 per cent decline per annum, while the largest growth rate was in Central India and Eastern Ghats of 1.5 per cent. Apart from the RBI, the GDP numbers have also breached the projections of India Ratings and Research that predicted the growth rate in the quarter would be 6.5 per cent. Also, SBI Research had said that the growth would be in the range of 6.7-6.9 per cent. In a separate development, the data released by Controller General of Accounts (CGA) said the government's fiscal deficit at Rs 11 trillion at January end touched 63.6 per cent of the revised annual target. In the corresponding period last year, the fiscal deficit or gap between the expenditure and revenue was 67.8 per cent of Revised Estimates (RE) of the Union Budget 202223. For 2023-24, the government's fiscal deficit is estimated at Rs 17.35 lakh crore or 5.8 per cent of the GDP. The government's total receipts stood at Rs 22.52 lakh crore (81.7 per cent of corresponding RE 202324 of total receipts) as of January 2024, according to the data. Congress panel to iron out differences to save HP govt STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE SHIMLA, 29 FEBRUARY After parleys with chief minister Sukhvinder Singh, Himachal Pradesh Congress president Pratibha Singh, and party MLAs, the Congress observers claimed to have taken measures to ‘iron out differences’. The party observers, Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivkumar, former Chief ministers Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Bhupesh Baghel, announced the constitution of a six-member coordination committee to sort out differences. Sheikh Shahjahan arrested, CID takes over probe STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 29 FEBRUARY Sandeskhali strongman Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested by the West Bengal police on Thursday, 55 days after going on the run in the wake of an attack by his supporters on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team that had raided his home. The arrest by the state police came a day after Calcutta High Court said that the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or the West Bengal Police can arrest Shahjahan. The Trinamul Congress strongman was arrested from Bamanpukur area within Minakha police station limits on Wednesday night. The arrest sparked off celebrations in Sandeshkhali, which has seen a violent agitation for the past several weeks by sections of people who accused Shahjahan and his associates of sexual assault and landgrabbing. The Trinamul Congress, meanwhile, suspended Mr Shahjahan from the party’s membership for six years. The state CID has taken over the investigation after Shahjahan was remanded in police custody by the Basirhar court for ten days. Additional Director General (ADG) of police, South Ben- gal, Supratim Sarkar, while addressing the media said that state police had some legal obligations, which came in the way of arresting the elusive leader till Wednesday. He also raised the question why the ED could not arrest him. Meanwhile, addressing the media, Derek O’ Brien, Trinamul Congress Rajya Sabha MP said Shahjahan has been suspended from party membership for six years. While making the announcement, Mr O’ Brien asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who would be coming to Bengal soon had the guts to arrest Narayan Rane, Himana Bishwasarma or Suvendu Adhikari against whom the CBI had filed FIR or Brij Bhusan who had been accused of molestation. Mr Bratya Basu said the matter that Sheikh Sahajahan could not be arrested was raised by Mr Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday.