FRIDAY 05 JULY 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 UK: LABOUR HOPEFUL, CONSERVATIVES MOROSE STRATEGIC PATIENCE P6 SENSEX 80,049.6762.88 WEATHER Generally cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain/thundershower. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 30 °C and 26 °C respectively. RAINFALL: 4.6 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Min. 90 % Max: 29.7 °C (-2.9) SUN RISES 04:57 hrs MOON RISES 02:59 hrs Min: 26.7°C (0.0) SUN SETS 18:25 hrs MOON SETS 17:12 hrs THUMBNAILS A man makes miniature models of chariots in Kolkata on Thursday. BISWAJIT GHOSHAL Hemant Soren takes oath as J’khand CM: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Executive president Hemant Soren was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand at a ceremony at the Ranchi Raj Bhavan on Thursday. Governor C. P. Radhakrishnan administered Mr Soren the oath of office and secrecy at the ceremony attended by outgoing CM Champai Soren, Congress's Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir, and top leaders of the (Page 5) INDIA bloc's Jharkhand units. NEW DELHI, 4 JULY The level of poverty in India is estimated to have decreased to 8.5 per cent of the population in 2023-24 from 21 per cent in 2011-12, according to a new study by economic think tank NCAER. The study is based on the latest data from the India Human Development Survey (IHDS). NCAER economists led by Sonalde Desai have estimated a decline in headcount poverty ratios in rural areas over the last 10 years from 24.8 per cent in 2011-12 to 8.6 per cent now. In urban areas, the poverty level has decreased from 13.4 per cent to 8.4 per cent. The decline in poverty in rural areas has been sharper than in urban areas. The paper points GOLD 73,090710 ` vs $ 83.54 P12 SILVER 93,0001,500 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 84.930.21 Modi to SCO nations: Terrorism in any form cannot be justified PM calls on SCO to combat terrorism, respect territorial integrity of all nations rime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called upon the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) countries to accord priority to combating terrorism, cautioning them if left unchecked, the menace can become a major threat to regional and global peace. And in a veiled reference to China's ambitious Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) which runs through Indian territory in J & K illegally occupied by Pakistan, he also reminded the SCO of its commitment to respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity of every nation while undertaking connectivity and infrastructure projects. “Priority must naturally be given to combating terrorism, one of the original goals of the SCO. Many of us have had our experiences, often originating beyond our borders,” Mr Modi stated in a statement read out by External Affairs Minister Modi to visit Russia, Austria from 8 July P ‘Poverty headcount ratio falls to 8.5 pc from 21 pc in last 10 years’ AGENCIES P7 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 4 JULY Max. 98 % TEMPERATURE P9 NIFTY 24,302.1515.65 WANKHEDE CROWD ROLLS OUT RED CARPET FOR PANDYA ONE IMPORTANT VISIT, ANOTHER TO FOLLOW STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 4 JULY S Jaishankar at the SCO Summit at Astana in Kazakhstan. Mr S Jaishankar is leading the Indian delegation at the summit, also being attended by the leaders of China, Russia and Pakistan. “Terrorism in any form or manifestation cannot be justified or condoned. International community must isolate and expose those countries that harbour terrorists, provide safe havens and condone terrorism.Cross-border terrorism requires a decisive response and terrorism financing and recruitment must be resolutely countered, Mr Modi said. He also stated that the SCO should take proactive steps to prevent the spread of radicalisation among youth. At the outset, he said the summit is taking place against the backdrop of pandemic impact, ongoing conflicts, rising tensions, trust deficits and increasing number of hotspots around the world. “These events have put significant strain on international relations and global economic growth. They have aggravated some of the problems that have emanated from globalisation. Our gathering is aimed at finding common ground to mitigate the consequences of these developments.” he added. The PM said, “The SCO is a principle-based organisation, whose consensus drives the approach of its member states. At this time, it is particularly noteworthy that we are reiterating mutual respect for Six arrested in UP stampede case STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE HATHRAS, 4 JULY out that there has been a significant increase in food subsidy through the public distribution system and other benefits run through multiple schemes launched by the Centre as well as the states which have benefited the poor. This sharper decline in poverty in rural areas was also reflected in a recent SBI Research report based on the NSSO Consumer Expenditure Survey. According to the SBI report, poverty has staged a significant 4.4 per cent decline since 2018-19 and Urban Poverty 1.7 per cent decline post-pandemic, which shows that government initiatives for promoting the welfare of the bottom of the pyramid are having a significant beneficial impact on rural livelihood, the report states. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay an official visit to Russia and Austria from 8 to 10 July, it was officially announced on Thursday. The PM will be in Moscow on 8 and 9 July at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin to participate in the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit. The leaders will review the entire range of multifaceted relations between the two countries and exchange views on contemporary regional and global issues of mutual interest, the Ministry of External Affairs said. Uttar Pradesh Police arrested six sevadars associated with the organising committee of the Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari, which has been held responsible for the stampede that led to multiple deaths and mayhem at the Bhole Baba Satsang here on Tuesday.A total of 121 people, mostly women and children, lost their lives in the incident. However, the prime accused in the case, the head of the organising committee, Devprakash Madhukar, is absconding. The state police announced a reward of one lakh rupees on his head. Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Inspector General of Police (IG) Aligarh Shalabh Mathur said among the arrested sevadars, four are male and National Commission for Women chief Rekha Sharma meets a woman who got injured in the Hathras stampede incident.  ANI two female. He identified three of them as Upendra, Manju, and Mukesh. The sevedars were arrested for obstructing the police from discharging their duty. He further said that SOG teams have been deployed in all districts at the zone level to identify and arrest other accused while the evidence recovered from the spot is being included in the investigation. When asked about police action to be taken on Bhole Baba, he said: "If necessary, Narayan Sakar alias Bhole Baba will be interrogated. His name is not there in the FIR. The responsibility lies with the organiser who is named in the FIR”. The Aligarh IG said: “A case has been registered under Sections 105, 110, 126 (2), 223 and 238 of the Indian Judicial Code. So far, six people have been arrested.” The IG said the organisers stopped the crowd as people suddenly scrambled to leave the venue leading to the stampede. Women and children fell on each other. There was a crowd near Baba's car for Charanraj (touching the feet and taking the soil). sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, equality, mutual benefit, non-interference in internal affairs, non-use of force or threat of use of force as a basis for our foreign policies.” He said another prominent concern before the SCO is climate change and noted that the organisation is working towards achieving committed reduction in emissions, including transition to alternate fuels, adoption of electric vehicles, and building climate-resilient infrastructure. Economic development, he observed, requires robust connectivity. That can also pave the way for cooperation and trust between societies. Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is essential for connectivity and infrastructure projects. So too are non-discriminatory trade rights and transit regimes. The SCO needs to deliberate seriously on these aspects. The PM noted that India shares deep civilisational ties with the people of Central Asia. Govt alert against fake e-mails with ‘police notices’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 4 JULY The Ministry of Finance on Thursday issued an alert against fake and fraudulent emails bearing names, signatures, stamps, and logos of Delhi Police Cyber Crime and Economic Offence, Central Economic Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau, and Cyber Cell Delhi, that are being circulated by fraudsters to dupe people. These letters level fake allegations of child pornography, pedophilia, cyber pornography, sexually explicit exhibit, grooming, and others, against the potential victims, the alert said, while urging the general public not to respond to any such e-mails and to report such instances to the nearest police station or the cyber police station. EAM meets Chinese FM, calls for restoration of peace in border areas STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 4 JULY External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Thursday agreed that the current situation in border areas between the two countries is not in the interest of either side and decided to step up meetings of their diplomatic and military officials to take forward their discussions to resolve the remaining issues at the earliest. At a meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, the two ministers had an in-depth exchange of views on finding an early resolution of the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh to stabilise and rebuild bilateral relations. This was the first high-level meeting between the two sides after the Narendra Modi government assumed office in India for the third time. Mr Jaishankar highlighted the need to redouble efforts to achieve complete disengagement from the remaining areas in Eastern Ladakh and restore border peace and tranquillity in order to remove obstacles towards the return of normalcy in bilateral relations. He reaffirmed the importance of fully abiding by relevant bilateral agreements, protocols, and understandings reached between the two governments in the past. The LAC must be respected and peace and tranquillity in the border areas are always enforced, the MEA quoted the minister as saying. Both ministers agreed to continue and step up meetings at diplomatic and military levels to take forward their discussions to resolve the remaining issues at the earliest. To that end, they agreed that the Working Mechanism on Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) should hold an early meeting. Mr Jaishankar reiterated that IndiaChina relationship is best served by observing the three mutuals – mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests. The two ministers also exchanged views on the global situation. Mr Jaishankar extended to Mr Wang India’s support for China’s Presidency of SCO next year. Team India returns to heroes' welcome, meets PM in Delhi, gets bus parade in Mumbai TRIDIB BAPARNASH NEW DELHI, 4 JULY It has taken 17 years for that star count to double in the Indian team’s blue jersey after India’s valiant seven-run win against South Africa in Saturday’s T20 World Cup final in Barbados, and the newlycrowned World Champions proudly flaunted the specially-designed kit with CHAMPIONS written in bold letters during their breakfast meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, shortly after landing in the national capital at around 6 a.m. IST on Thursday. Hundreds of supporters, holding placards congratulating their favourites and waving the national flag, braved the inclement weather to welcome the Rohit Sharma-led outfit that touched down in New Delhi with the trophy following a marathon trip home from the Caribbean after the squad members, support staff and families were grounded by Hurricane Beryl for several days. The Air India special charter flight AIC24WC ~ Air India Champions 24 World Cup ~ which left Barbados around 4:50 a.m, local time on Wednesday arrived in Delhi at 6 a.m, (IST) on Thursday after a 16-hour non-stop journey. The Indian players came out of the airport in ones and twos after completing immigration formalities to cheers from the supporters. Captain Rohit Sharma, among the last to come out of the VIP exit, raised the coveted trophy for the fans to catch a glimpse before boarding the bus. The team along with their families and the support staff arrived in two buses at the ITC Maurya Sheraton, where they were greeted by dhol and Bhangra dancers. Most of the Indian players, including Rohit, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar and Pant, shook a leg with the assembled dancers. At the hotel, a 3-tier cake infused with the colours of the Indian jersey was cut by Rohit, Virat, and head coach Rahul Dravid before they left to meet PM Narendra Modi. They spent close to two hours at the PM’s official residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, interacting with Mr Modi who congratulated them for their stunning victory and later hosted them for breakfast. “An excellent meeting with our Champions! Hosted the World Cup winning team at 7, LKM and had a memorable conversation on their experiences through the tournament,” PM Modi posted on his social media handle. The players then flew to Mumbai, where the winning outfit participated in an open bus victory parade followed by a felicitation ceremony at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. Team India’s Vistara flight from Delhi was accorded a water salute as it touched down in the City of Dreams after a Guard of Honour at the airside, even as thousands of excited fans lined up on the 1 km picturesque Marine Drive route from Nariman Point to Wankhede Stadium near Churchgate. In a repeat of the road CMYK show held in the city 17 years ago when Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team had beaten arch-rivals Pakistan in the final of the inaugural 2007 World T20 in South Africa, Rohit Sharma’s world champion outfit was also feted by a sim- ilar victory parade from Marine Drive to theWankhede Stadium in an open bus. The Wankhede was thrown open to fans, who filled up the stands within minutes as thousand of others waited outside the gates which were closed around 5:00 p.m. The heavy showers hardly deterred the enthusiasm of the crowd, who erupted in joy as the players began their parade on the streets of Mumbai. Flanked by BCCI secretary Jay Shah, president Roger Binny, treasurer Ashish Shelar, vice president Rajeev Shukla, Team India players took turns to hold the trophy and wave the Tricolour. The decibel levels rose once Rohit and Virat raised the World Cup trophy together from the open bus. Both the senior pros along with Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirement from the shortest format after the tournament. And once the bus reached the Wankhede amid loud cheers from the jam-packed crowd, the players walked into the ground, with Rohit dragging Kohli towards the stands as the duo pulled off some bhangra steps and the rest of the team joined in. “Since the time we have come to India it’s been wonderful. This trophy means a lot to us (players) but it’s for the entire nation. It was a wonderful experience to meet PM Modi with the team. On behalf of the team, fans, I want to thank the entire nation. This is a special team, I am so lucky to lead this team,” Rohit said at the Wankhede. Calling the team his family, outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid said, “This team is like a family. Incredible what the boys have done. They showed a 'Never Say Die' attitude. Fantastically led by Rohit Sharma.” Kohli thanked the fans for the incredible support throughout his career as he recalled the emotional moment when he and Rohit, draped in the Tricolour celebrated India's win together. “A big thank you to all the fans. It has been something that I will never forget. After the game, I knew it was time for me to quit. The only goal is Indian cricket and the Indian flag.” The event culminated with the BCCI officebearers presenting the team with a cheque of Rs 125 crores as the board secretary had earlier promised after the World Cup triumph.