SATURDAY 08 JUNE 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR POLICY SHIFT ‘INDIA MUST FOSTER REGIONAL TIES’ P7 SENSEX 76,693.361,618.85 WEATHER PARTLY CLOUDY SKY. POSSIBILITY OF VERY LIGHT RAIN. STRONG SURFACE WINDS (SPEED 30-40 KMPH) OCCASIONALLY IN GUSTY DURING THE DAY. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 42 AND 29 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 57 % Max: 43.0 °C (+3) SUN RISES 05:23 hrs MOON RISES 07:39 hrs P6 NIFTY 23,290.15468.75 P11 GOLD 73,750330 ` vs $ 83.47 Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar on Friday strongly endorsed Mr Narendra Modi’s candidature for the prime ministership and expressed confidence that India would develop further during his third term and he would also pay special attention to Bihar. “We are confident that Modi will develop India and we will wholeheartedly support him every passing day,” Mr Kumar said while addressing a meeting of newly-elected NDA MPs. This sets at rest all speculations on how Mr Kumar would behave, given his unpredictable nature, now that his party has won as many as 12 seats in the Lok Sabha THUMBNAILS PM-designate Narendra Modi being offered sweet curd by President Droupadi Murmu during a meeting as he stakes claim to form the government as leader of the NDA Parliamentary Party, at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday.  ANI Tiger Shiva cools off in a pond in its enclosure during a hot summer afternoon, at Tilyar Mini Zoo in Rohtak on Friday.  ANI Two killed in cow vigilante attack in Chhattishgarh: Two men were killed, while one was left severely injured when cow vigilante groups attacked them while transporting cattle in a truck near Raipur on Thursday. According to reports, the three men in the truck were pursued and attacked by a group of 10-12 individuals. The attackers intercepted the truck on the Mahanadi Bridge near Arang, dragging out and brutally beating the occupants. According to reports, Chand Mian and Guddu Khan, two of the victims, were thrown off the bridge, while Saddam Khan, the third victim, sustained severe injuries and is currently undergoing treat(Pg 5) ment at a private hospital. Cattle smuggling case:The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Delhi High Court to decide within three months the bail plea of Sukanya Monda~ daughter of Trinamul Congress (TMC) leader Anubrata Mondal – who was arrested in an alleged money laundering case related to cattle smuggling in West Bengal. T he countdown to Narendra Modi’s third successive term as Prime Minister began on Friday evening as President Droupadi Murmu invited him to form the next government at the Centre when he called on her at Rashtrapati Bhavan. A Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said later in the evening that President will administer the Oath of Office and Secrecy to the Prime Minister and other members of the Union Council of Ministers on 9 June, 2024 at 7:15 p.m at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Earlier, at their meeting, the President handed over to Mr Modi a formal letter inviting him to form the new government. Before that, all senior National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders met the President and informed her that they unanimously supported Mr Modi’s candidature as Prime Minister to form the new government. Mr Modi called on former President Ram Nath Kovind and BJP stalwarts L K Advani and Mr Murli Manohar Joshi before staking claim to form the government for the third time. Briefing media persons after meeting the President, the Prime Minister said that he should be able to prepare the list of the new Council of Ministers by Saturday and communicate it to her for the Sunday ceremony. Following a crucial meeting of the NDA in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, the old Parliament House, where Mr Modi was unanimously elected as leader of the BJP-led NDA, leaders of several NDA member parties called on BJP president J P Nadda at his residence and communicated their priorities and expectations on their parties’ representation in the new Central Ministry. Speaking to media persons before leaving Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mr Modi said the 18th Lok Sabha Bengaluru special court grants bail to Rahul Gandhi in BJP defamation case AGENCIES BENGALURU, 7 JUNE A special court in Bengaluru granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday in connection with the defamation case filed by the Karnataka BJP unit. The bail has been granted on the surety of Congress leader DK Suresh. The court has posted the matter to 30 July for the next hearing. The BJP in the complaint had alleged that the advertisements in local newspapers and ‘false campaigning’ by Congress ahead of the 2023 state assembly elections dam- aged BJP's image. The case was registered against Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Earlier, the court granted bail to Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar who appeared before it on 1 June. Mr Shivakumar called the defamation case filed by the Karnataka BJP unit a ‘bogus case’. “BJP has filed a false, bogus case against me, CM Siddaramaiah, and Rahul Gandhi, and summons have been issued,” he said. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrives to appear before the City Civil Court in Bengaluru on Friday, in response to a summons issued by a court in a defamation case filed by BJP’s Karnataka unit.  ANI STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 7 JUNE BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 78.620.47 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 7 JUNE ‘NDA an organic alliance committed to nation-first’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 7 JUNE P12 Nitish backs Modi, alleges INDIA bloc never worked for the nation PM, other ministers to be sworn in on 9 June, Sunday, at 7:15 pm Min: 28.0 °C (0) SUN SETS 08:06 hrs MOON SETS 21:25 hrs SHOOTING WORLD CUP: SAMRA WINS BRONZE SILVER 96,0002,500 Murmu invites Modi to form government Min. 25 % TEMPERATURE ANOTHER FAN-SWOONING INDIE TRACK IN JASLEEN ROYAL’S REPERTOIRE Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) shines as an organic alliance in the political system of India adding that it is a group committed to 'nation-first'. Addressing an NDA Parliamentary Party meeting at the Central Hall of the old Parliament building here after all alliance partners unanimously passed a resolution endorsing him as the leader of the BJP-led NDA, the PM hit out at the Opposition INDIA bloc saying the "NDA is not a gathering of some parties came together merely to gain power. It is a group committed to Nation-First!" Soon after being chosen as the leader of the Lok Sabha and the leader of the NDA Parliamentary Party, Modi was felicitated and garlanded by allies at the Central Hall of Parliament. Mr Modi walked inside the Central Hall amid cheers, clapping, and thumping of desks and went to a decorated corner near the podium to bow before the original copy of the Indian Constitution and lift it for a few moments before touching it to his forehead as a mark of respect. Addressing the meeting, Mr Modi said: "Today, the NDA shines as an organic alliance in the political system of Bharat." He said whenever given a chance to serve, each and every leader of the NDA has ensured good governance across India. Taking a dig at the Opposition INDIA bloc, the PM said: "We were neither defeated nor have we been defeated! Our conduct following June 4 shows that we know how to digest victory." (More on Pg 5) election was the first election after the Amrit Mahotsav of India’s Independence (75th anniversary), and marked the beginning of the 25 years to the 100th anniversary of Independence in 2047, the period during which the nation’s dreams should be realised. and is expected to play a critical role in the stability of the Modi-led NDA government. Mr Kumar was the architect of the Opposition INDIA bloc but left it in January to once again join the BJP-led NDA. The veteran leader lambasted the Opposition bloc, without taking any names. “Bina matlab ka baat bol bol karke kya kiya hai...in logo ne kuch kaam kiya hai. Desh ki koi seva nahi ki. (What have they done by talking meaninglessly? These people have done no work. They have not done any service for the nation),” he said. As the new NDA MPs thumped the desks, Mr Kumar said he wanted Mr Modi to take oath of office today itself but he has decided to do so on Sunday. Other NDA leaders who endorsed Mr Modi's leadership and spoke on the occasion included Janata Dal (Secular) leader H D Kumar-aswamy, Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-Ajit Pawar) chief Ajit Pawar, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan, Janasena Party chief Pawan Kalyan, Hindustan Awam Morcha-Secular(HAM-S) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi and Apna Dal chief Anupriya Patel. Naidu promises to stand by alliance STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 7 JUNE Making it loud and clear that he would respect the coalition ‘dharma’ and stand by the NDA, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the alliance's remarkable performance in both the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh. “The NDA government under the leadership of PM Modi has taken initiatives in the last 10 years. Narendra Modi has a vision and a zeal, his execution is very perfect. He is executing all his policies with a true spirit. Today, India is having the right leader at the right time, and that is Narendra Modi. This is a very good opportunity for India, if you miss it now, we will miss it forever. That is where we are having a wonderful opportunity,” Mr Naidu said while addressing a meeting of the newly-elected NDA MPs which formally elected Mr Modi as the leader of the alliance. “I proudly propose the name of Narendra Modi ji on behalf of Telugu Desam Party for the post of Prime Minister of this great nation. Through his vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Viksit Bharat and through the collective efforts of NDA we can become a zero poverty nation that is possible only through Narendra Modi,” said the TDP chief, whose party has won 16 Lok Sabha seats and emerged as the second largest group in the NDA. He also invoked former Andhra Chief Minister late NT Rama Rao’s vision of humanism, comparing it with Narendra Modi’s vision. “TDP has relations with NDA, my leader and party founder, NT Rama Garu, had always worked hard for the people and also he told clearly that I don’t know isms I know one, humanism that vision Narendra Modi ji is making a reality for India,” he added. “This is the proudest moment in my life,” he added. RBI keeps repo rate unchanged at 6.5per cent STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 7JUNE Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das on Friday said the central bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to keep the policy rate unchanged for the eighth time in a row at 6.5 per cent. The MPC decided by a majority of 4 out of 6 members to remain focussed on withdrawal of accomodation to ensure inflation progressively aligns to the target while supporting growth, he said. Notably, the rate increase cycle was paused in April last year after six consecutive rate hikes, aggregating to 250 basis points since May 2022. In April, announcing the first bi-monthly monetary policy for FY25, the RBI Governor had said the MPC has decided to keep the repo rate unchanged at 6.5 per cent by a majority vote of 5:1. Consequently, the standing deposit facility (SDF) rate remains at 6.25 per cent, and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the bank rate at 6.75 per cent, he added. The RBI further increased the GDP growth projection for FY25 from its last MPC announcement to 7.2 per cent. “The GDP growth projection, we have increased it from 7 per cent to 7.2 per cent and the inflation projection, the average for the year, we have retained it at 4.5 per cent as it was in the last MPC meeting,” Mr Das said. For FY25, real GDP growth for Q1 is projected at 7.3 per cent, Q2 at 7.2 per cent, Q3 at 7.3 per cent and Q4 at 7.2 per cent, he said. On inflation projection he said: “The outlook on crude oil prices remains uncertain due to geopolitical tensions. Assuming a normal monsoon, CPI inflation for 202425 is projected at 4.5 per cent with Q1 at 4.9 per cent, Q2 at 3.8 per cent, Q3 at 4.6 per cent and Q4 at 4.5 per cent.” The Governor also highlighted that the developments relating to growth and inflation are unfolding as per our expectations. (See page 8) 4 Indian students in Russia drown in Volkhov River NEET row: Cong demands SC-monitored probe STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 7 JUNE Four Indian students, who were studying at the Yaroslavthe-Wise Novgorod State University located in Veliky Novgorod, Russia, drowned in an unfortunate incident in the Volkhov River. A fifth Indian student was saved from drowning and is presently receiving medical attention, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday. “Our Consulate in St. Petersburg remains in contact with the university and local authorities and is providing all possible assistance. Local emergency services have so far recovered two dead bodies from the Volkhov River. We offer our condolences to the families. The search for the remaining two The MEA said the Indian Consulate in St. Petersburg is coordinating with local authorities for the repatriation of the mortal remains of the victims of the tragedy. missing students continues. The five students involved in the accident belong to the Jalgaon district of Maharashtra,” the MEA added. It said the Indian Consulate in St. Petersburg is coordinating with local authorities for the repatriation of the mortal remains of the victims of the tragedy. The Consulate is constantly in touch with the families and the district administration in Jalgaon, Maharashtra. The incident happened there on 6 June (Thursday) in the city of Veliky Novgorod. The victims were identified as ~ Harshal A. Desale, siblings Jishan A. Pinjari, Jia P. Pinjari and Malik Gulamgous Mohammed Yakub ~ all aged between 19-21. According to a report submitted to the Indian Ambassador in Russia, Vinay Kumar, by the University’s Acting Rector Yury V. Daneykin, who quoted the local authorised agencies, five Indian students were taking a walk on the riverfront that evening during their free time. Though details are not clear, one student, identified as Nisha B. Sonawane, apparently slipped and fell into the river, and the others rushed in an attempt to rescue her. She survived but her four college-mates perished in the tragedy that has shaken the university authorities and the Indian student fraternity in Russia. Jalgaon Collector Ayush Prasad said that upon learning of the tragedy, the university authorities called up and broke the devastating news to the concerned families, most of whom live in the district. “The survivor student was admitted for treatment to a Veliky Novgorod hospital and is getting the best medicare. The Russian concerned agencies have launched a massive rescue operation and the bodies of two victims have been recovered, and a search is on for the remaining in an area of over 100 kms in the river," Mr Prasad told IANS news agency. (With inputs from agencies) NEW DELHI/KOLKATA, 7 JUNE The Congress on Friday demanded a high-level investigation under the Supreme Court's supervision into “irregularities” in the conduct of the NEET (UG) 2024 for entrance into medical courses and accused the BJP of cheating youngsters and playing with their futures. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said paper leaks, rigging and corruption have become an integral part of many examinations, including the National Eligibilitycum-Entrance Test (NEET). “The Modi government is directly responsible for this. For the candidates appearing in recruitment exams, then facing several irregularities, getting caught in the labyrinth of Jairam Ramesh said the ‘scam’ involving lakhs of candidates is ‘completely unacceptable and unforgivable’. paper leaks, is playing with their futures. The BJP has cheated the youth of the country,” he said in a post in Hindi on microblogging site X (formerly Twitter). “We demand that a highlevel investigation should be conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court so that our talented students appearing in NEET and other exams get justice," he added. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has denied any irregularities and said the changes made in National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks and grace marks for losing time at examination centres are behind the students scoring higher marks. Jairam Ramesh, the Congress general secretary in charge of communications, said the "scam" involving lakhs of candidates is "completely unacceptable and unforgivable". “This is a direct gamble with the future of lakhs of candidates of the country, which should be immediately investigated at the high level under the supervision of the Supreme Court,” he said on X. “This year, there was news of a paper leak in it that was suppressed. Now, many candidates have alleged that the marks of the students have been increased. Students say that this time a record 67 candidates have secured the top rank and six of these candidates are said to be from the same examination centre," he claimed. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also slammed the Narendra Modi government over the alleged irregularities and called for a resolution of the students' "legitimate complaints" through an investigation. Calcutta High Court, meanwhile, has ordered the National Testing Agency (NTA) to file an affidavit within 10 days in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleging various irregularities in the NEET (UG) 2024 examination.