THURSDAY 13 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 HUNTER BIDEN FOUND GUILTY; WHAT’S NEXT POLITICAL SHIFT P6 SENSEX 76,606.57149.98 WEATHER Partly cloudy sky. Possibility of thundery development likely towards afternoon/ evening. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 36 °C and 30 °C respectively. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 85 % Min. 63 % Max: 36.6°C (+2.1) SUN RISES 04:52 hrs MOON RISES 09:59 hrs Min: 29.7°C (+2.5) SUN SETS 18:21 hrs MOON SETS 23:7 hrs TEMPERATURE Full Moon on 22 June THUMBNAILS Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shares a light moment with a girl during a public meeting in Malappuram on Wednesday.  ANI India to participate in peace summit on Ukraine in Switzerland: India has finally decided to take part in the Global Peace Summit on Ukraine, which is scheduled to take place on 15-16 June in Switzerland. “India will be participating at the Peace Summit which is to be held in Switzerland, at an appropriate level. That consideration is currently going on in the system. As and when we have a decision on the representative from India who will be participating, we will be very happy to share it with you,” Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said at a media briefing. RAHUL IN DILEMMA ON WHETHER TO RETAIN WAYANAD OR RAE BARELI P9 NIFTY 23,323.5558.70 P4 ` vs $ 83.552 PAISE GOLD 72,160320 JSP leader Pawan Kalyan will be the deputy chief minister DP chief N Chandrababu Naidu today took oath as chief minister of Andhra Pradesh for the fourth time in a star-studded programme attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other key BJP leaders and film stars. Mr Naidu’s new Cabinet comprising 24 ministers including JSP leader Pawan Kalyan, who would be the deputy chief minister, was also sworn in afterwards by governor S Abdul Nazeer. Three of the ministers sworn in today were from the JSP and one from the BJP . However, the Cabinet can accommodate one more minister, which has been left vacant for the time being. The oath-taking ceremony began exactly at 11:27 a.m. at the Kesarapalli IT park near Gannavaram. After taking oath, a visibly emotional Mr Naidu was congratulated by the Prime Minister who also hugged him enthusiastically. After Mr Naidu, Pawan Kalyan took the oath of office and secrecy, followed by Nara Lokesh and K Atchen Naidu. P Narayana who had been instrumental in taking T up the Amaravati capital city project during Mr Naidu’s earlier tenure was also included in the Cabinet. There were three women ministers in the AP Cabinet this time. Among the24 ministers, 17 are newcomers including those from JSP and BJP. Apart from Pawan Kalyan, Nadendla Manohar and Kandula Durgesh were sworn in from the JSP while Satya Kumar Yadav is the lone representative from the BJP . There are eight ministers from backward classes, three belong to Scheduled Castes, one to Scheduled Tribes and there’s one minority leader. Although Chandrababu Naidu had been part of the NDA even in 2014 and his swearing-in ceremony then had seen the presence of BJP’s old guard like LK Advani and MM Joshi and several union ministers like Rajnath Singh and Nirmala Sitharaman, today’s event was far more star-studded, considering that the TDP’s support is crucial for the NDA government at the Centre. Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP’s top leadership including Union home minister Amit Shah and national president and Union minister JP Nadda, Union surface transport minister Nitin Gadkari and national general secretary BL Santosh P12 SILVER 91,300800 Naidu takes oath as CM with 24 ministers STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE HYDERABAD, 12 JUNE AXAR PATEL’S PRESENCE ADDS ALL-ROUND DEPTH were present at the swearing-in ceremony. Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, NCP leader Praful Patel, LJP leader Chirag Paswan were also present along with BJP leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar from neighbouring Telangana. Actors Rajnikanth and Chiranjeevi added to the star quotient. At the end of the ceremony the PM met Chiranjeevi at the request of his brother Pawan Kalyan and held their hands aloft as the crowd cheered loudly. However, YSRCP leader and outgoing chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy stayed away from the ceremony. Right from early morning every road led to Kesarapalli IT Hub. There was a huge traffic jam at Kaja toll plaza in Guntur with a large number of vehicles coming from Rayalaseema and Nellore. The atmosphere was electrifying. Mr Naidu will take charge tomorrow evening after a family trip to Tirumala. He will reach the Secretariat at the auspicious moment of 4:41pm and sign several key files pertaining to large scale recruitment of teachers, increase in monthly amount under a social pension scheme to Rs 4000 and the repeal of the Land Titling Act. BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 80.870.73 Mohan Charan Majhi takes over as 1stBJP CM of Odisha STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BHUBANESWAR, 12 JUNE In a historic event, Mohan Charan Majhi was sworn in as the first BJP Chief Minister of Odisha by Governor Raghubar Das on Wednesday. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several Union ministers, and the chief ministers of nine BJP-ruled states. The event also saw the swearing-in of two deputy chief ministers, Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Ms Pravati Parida, along with eight Cabinet ministers and five Ministers of State with independent charge. Notably, almost all of the new ministers, except deputy chief minister K V Singh Deo, do not have any administrative experience and many are first-timers. Two veterans who have ministerial experience ~ Jaynarayan Mishra, the leader of opposition in the outgoing assembly and Ms Surama Padhi ~ did not find place in the ministry. Former Chief Minister and BJD President Naveen Patnaik was present on stage, but the absence of BJD and Congress legislators was noticeable. The grand ceremony took place in an open field to accommodate thousands of party workers and supporters from across the state. Colourful tradi- Chief Minister: Mohan Charan Majhi Deputy Chief Ministers: Ministers: Suresh Pujari Rabi Narayan Naik Nityananda Gond Krushna Chandra Patra Prithiviraj Harichandan Dr. Mukesh Mahaling Bibhuti Bhushan Jena Dr. Krushna Chandra Mahapatra Ministers of State (Independent Charge): Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia Suryabanshi Suraj Pradeep Bala Samanta Gokulananda Mallik Sampad Chandra Swain tional dance and music was organised en route to the Janata Maidan where the swearing-in ceremony was held. Prominent attendees included Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, J P Nadda, Nitin Gadkari, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Jual Oram, and other senior BJP leaders. The presence of top BJP leaders and the CMs of nine states highlighted the significance of the occasion. “This is a momentous day as the BJP is forming a government in the state after 45 years of its formation," remarked Minister Suresh Pujari. Baijayant Panda described it as the beginning of a new era, emphasising that a "double engine government" will accelerate development. Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida highlighted the 'Subhadra Yojana,' whi ch aims to provide a voucher of Rs 50,000 to women. Ms Parida is the only woman in Mr Majhi’s cabinet, while veteran Surama Padhi is expected to be appointed as the Speaker of the Assembly. Earlier in the day, CM and the deputy chief ministers toured the city, paying tribute to legendary leaders whose statues are installed at various locations. PM to leave for Italy At least 40 Indians killed in Kuwait fire, PM holds meet today to attend G-7 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 JUNE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 JUNE Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave here on Thursday for Italy to attend the G7 summit to be held there on 14 June in what will be his first overseas trip after assuming office for a third consecutive term. At a media briefing here this afternoon, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said: “At the invitation of Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be travelling to Apulia, Italy, tomorrow to participate in the 50th G7 Summit which is to be held there on 14 June where India has been invited as an Outreach country.” This will be India's 11th participation in the G7 Summits and PM Modi's own fifth consecutive participation. On 14 June, the PM will participate in the Outreach Session along with the other countries invited for the Outreach Summit. At this session, the focus would be on Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa and the Mediterranean. It will be a block agenda item where the G7 and the Outreach Countries will share their views and perspectives. Mr Kwatra said Italy has also invited certain other countries, including Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Kenya, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tunisia, Turkey and UAE, and some international organisations for the summit. The foreign secretary said the PM's participation would also provide a timely opportunity to follow up on the outcomes of the G20 Summit held under India's presidency last year and deliberate on issues which are significant for the Global South. On the sidelines of the summit, the PM will hold bilateral meetings with other world leaders. As many as 40 Indian nationals died while dozens were injured when a major fire broke out in a building housing foreign workers in the city of Mangaf in southern Kuwait early on Wednesday. Kuwaiti authorities said a total of 49 people died in the incident, while at least 40 were being treated in hospital. “The majority of the deceased were Indian nationals working for NBTC group, with ages ranging between twenty and fifty years. The building houses over 195 labourers, primarily Indians from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and North India,” a local media report said. The blaze was reported to the fire department at 4:30 a.m. and quickly controlled. Most of the deaths were due to smoke inhalation while the residents were sleeping, and a significant number of occupants were evacuated, the reports said. (L) Kuwaiti security forces stand outside the building which was engulfed by fire; (R)The Ambassador of India to Kuwait, Adarsh Swaika, visits Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, where 11 workers injured in the fire have been admitted, in Kuwait on Wednesday.  AP/ANI The fire broke out in a kitchen on one of the lower floors of the six-storey building in the Mangaf area in Kuwait's southern Ahmadi Governorate. The building is rented by the NBTC group. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called an urgent meeting of senior officials to discuss the situation. Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, told reporters that he would leave for Kuwait soon after the meeting. Mr Modi announced exgratia relief of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased India nationals from the Prime Minister Relief Fund. In a post on microblogging site X, Mr Modi said: “The fire mishap in Kuwait City is saddening. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait is closely monitoring the situation and working with the authorities there to assist the affected.” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said: “Deeply shocked by the news of the fire incident in Kuwait city. There are reportedly over 40 deaths and over 50 have been hospitalised. Our Ambassador has gone to the camp. We are awaiting further information.” The spokesperson for the ministry of external affairs earlier said that Kirti Vardhan Singh, on the directions of the prime minister, was urgently travelling to Kuwait to oversee the relief operations and coordinate with local authorities for early repatriation of mortal remains of those who have died in the incident. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait has put in place an emergency helpline number (+965-65505246) to connect for updates. Indian Ambassador to Kuwait, Adarsh Swaika, visited the site of the incident in Mangaf as well as the hospitals where the victims were admitted. He said the Embassy was in constant touch with relevant Kuwaiti law enforcement, fire service and health authorities for necessary action and emergency medical health care. Women in India earn ` 39.8 for every ` 100 State government releases that men earn, says World Economic Forum `2,900 cr for 1.05 cr farmers STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 JUNE India has slipped two spots to rank at 129 out of the 146 nations in the list of the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap index data released on Wednesday. The index highlighted that India figured among the group of nations to have one of the lowest level of economic gender parity. India’s economic parity stood at 39.8 per cent, meaning that women in India on an average earn Rs 39.8 for every Rs 100 that men earn. The report further noted that India has closed 64.1 per cent of its gender gap in 2024. While India’s economic parity score has been improving, it needs to increase by 6.2 per cent points to return to its 2012 level of 46 per cent. As per the WEF index, wartorn Sudan has replaced Afghanistan to stand at the last rank as the Taliban-ruled Islamic nation was not covered in this year’s data. Besides Afghanistan, Malawi, Myanmar and Russia were also not covered. The report said that Bangladesh has the lowest level of economic gender parity at 31.1 per cent. The lowest levels of economic gender parity were also observed in Sudan: 33.7 per cent; Iran: 34.3 per cent; Pakistan 36 per cent, and Morocco: 40.6 per cent. “These economies all register less than 30 per cent gender parity in estimated earned income,” the report said. It said that bridging the gap in the economic participation and opportunity between men and women is the second biggest hurdle in dealing with the global gender gap. Liberia with 87.4 per cent and Botswana with 85.4 per cent remain the economies where economic gender par- ity is highest.WEF highlighted that these nations have a 95 per cent or above labourforce participation of women. Iceland topped this year’s list as the most gender-equal country in the world, while Finland and Norway followed next. Some of the other top ranking key countries were the United Kingdom at rank 14, Denmark at 15, South Africa at 18. The United States ranked 43rd, Italy 87th, Israel 91st, South Korea 94th, and Bangladesh ranked 99th. Considering the set of 101 countries continuously covered since 2006, the gender gap has closed by 0.1 per cent point since 2023, according to the WEF’s Global Gender Gap Report 2024. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 12 JUNE The state government today released a sum of Rs 2,900 crore which will be directly credited to the bank accounts of 1.05 crore farmers including bargadars who have enrolled under the Krishak Bandhu (Natun) scheme. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, tweeted on her X handle: “Happy to announce that we’re now releasing today onwards Rs 2900 crore directly into the bank accounts of our 1.05 crore farmers (including Bargadars) enrolled under our Krishak Bandhu (Natun) scheme.” This is the first instalment for Kharif season 2024 and there will be an equal finan- CMYK cial assistance for Ravi season this year. For cultivable land of one acre onwards, a farmer gets Rs 10,000 and for lesser quantum of land, a proportionate amount with the minimum being Rs 4,000 per year. Since inception in 2019, a sum of Rs 18, 234 crore has thus reached the farmers’ accounts. In addition to this, the next of kin of the farmers who die Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo & Ms. Pravati Parida between 18 and 60 years gets Rs 2 lakh as compensation. A total of 1,12,000 bereaved families have received a total of Rs 2,240 crore in the last few years on this account. The state government also released a sum of Rs 293 crore which have been deposited directly to the bank account of 2.10 lakh farmers who suffered crop losses due to adverse weather conditions during the current Rabi season. This was done under Bangla Shasya Bima ( BSB) which is the crop insurance scheme where the state government pays the entire premium for all crops. After coming to power, Miss Banerjee had pledged to increase the income of the farmers. First Session of 18th LS from 24 June to 3 July: Kiren Rijiju STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 JUNE The first session of 18th Lok Sabha will commence on 24 June for oath and affirmation of newly elected members and election of the Speaker, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced on Wednesday. The 264th Session of the Rajya Sabha will commence on 27 June, the minister added. The agenda of the session includes oath-taking of new members, President Droupadi Murmu's address to both the Houses and a Motion of Thanks on the President's address. The Session will conclude on 3 July. President Murmu is expected to address a joint sitting of both the Houses on 27 June. She is expected to announce the roadmap of the NDA government for the next five years. "First Session of 18th Lok Sabha is being summoned from 24.6.24 to 3.7.24 for oath/affirmation of newly elected Members, Election of Speaker, President’s Address and discussion thereon. The 264th Session of Rajya Sabha will commence on 27.6.24 and conclude on 3.7.24," Mr Rijiju posted on social media. The last session of the 17th Lok Sabha - the Budget Session - was held from 30 January to 10 February. Overall, the 17th Lok Sabha had 274 sittings in which 202 Bills were introduced by the government while 222 Bills were passed. The most important business of the 17th Lok Sabha included the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution and the passage of three landmark criminal code Bills. On the other hand, the Rajya Sabha had 271 sittings and 220 Bills were passed. Additionally, 31 Bills were also introduced in the Upper House.