THURSDAY 25 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 P6 SENSEX 80,148.88280.16 WEATHER GENERALLY CLOUDY SKY. LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN/THUNDERSTORM. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 34 AND 26 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. TEMPERATURE NIFTY 24,413.5065.55 P5 ` vs $ 83.72 Min: 24.8 °C (-3) SUN SETS 19:16 hrs MOON SETS 10:42 hrs THUMBNAILS Kanwariyas (Shiva devotees) arrive in Deoghar after filling their pots with Ganga water at Sultanganj during the annual ANI 'Kanwar Yatra' on Wednesday. Bengal Assembly passes resolution on scrapping of NEET: A motion moved by the ruling Trinamul Congress in the West Bengal Assembly demanding scrapping of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and restoration of the previous system of individual state governments conducting such examinations, was passed in the House on Wednesday. With this, West Bengal became the second state after Tamil Nadu to pass a motion demanding scrapping of NEET. P12 SILVER 87,500500 GOLD 70,860 ‘Outrageous allegation’: FM slams Oppn criticism BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 79.460.73 UK Foreign Secy in India for talks on FTA, global developments STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Sitharaman reacted after Kharge made claims that Budget was discriminatory NEW DELHI, 24 JULY UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrived here this morning on a two-day visit to India in the first highlevel discussion between the two countries after the formation of the Keir Starmer-led Labour government in London. “Warm welcome to UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy as he arrives in New Delhi on his first official visit since the assumption of office. The visit will strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries and will make the 'living bridge' between India and the UK stronger,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a social media post on X.Economic, domestic and global security will be at the heart of the UK Foreign Secretary’s first visit to India, the British High Commission said. Mr Lammy is expected to push for a reset of the UKIndia partnership including through reinforcing the UK’s commitment to securing a Free Trade Agreement that will benefit both economies. He will tell his Indian counterpart that he wants to drive forward greater growth for both countries. “India is the emerging NEW DELHI, 24 JULY Min. 74 % Max: 33.8 °C (-1) SUN RISES 05:40 hrs MOON RISES 22:12 hrs P7 WHITE-BALL SIDES: LANKA TOUR TO PROVIDE CLARITY AGENCIES RAINFALL: 009.0 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 100 % RAHUL: MSP CAN BE IMPLEMENTED, WILL PRESSURISE GOVT THE CRISIS IN HASINA’S BANGLADESH SECURITY FAILURE F inance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday lashed out at the Opposition's claim that the Union Budget was 'discriminatory' and said that it was an 'outrageous allegation' and a deliberate attempt by the Opposition parties led by the Congress to give the people the wrong impression that their states were not allocated funds or schemes. The Finance Minister reacted after Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge made claims that the budget was discriminatory towards the states of the country. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, the Finance Minister said: “I have not named many states and only spoken of two states.... in every budget, you don't get an opportunity to name every state of this country,”she said. She added: “If the speech does not mention the name of a particular state, does that mean the schemes and programmes of the government of India, the externally aided assistance that we obtain from the World Bank, ADB, AIB and so on, do not go to these Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman speaks during the ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament on Wednesday.  ANI states?” “I am saying with responsibility that this is a deliberate attempt of the opposition parties led by the Congress to give the people the wrong impression that their states were not allocated funds or schemes," said Mrs Sitharaman. This comes after Mr Kharge condemned the Budget presented yesterday and claimed that no other states other than Andhra Pradesh and Bihar received anything. “Sabke thali khali aur sirf do ke thali mai pakoda aur jalebi. Ye do states ko chodkar, kisi ko kuch nai mila. Neither Tamil Nadu Kerala nor Kar- nataka got anything. Neither Maharashtra nor Punjab or Rajasthan and neither Chhattisgarh,” he said. Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram also made a blistering attack on the Union Budget in the Rajya Sabha and said it showed the government was not serious about unemployment or inflation; free food grains for 81 crore people showed people cannot afford food, and a virtual death knell has been sounded for federalism by offering Central largesse to a couple of states only. In the Lok Sabha, Mr Abhishek Banerjee (Trinamul Congress) said the Budget is anti-Bengal and anti-poor. He said there was weaponisation of Central investigating agencies for political witchhunts. Mr Dayanidhi Maran (DMK) said Tamil Nadu was denied funds for flood relief when it faced the worst floods in 150 years. While Tamil Nadu got Rs 286 crores, Bihar got Rs 11,000 crores, Gujarat Rs 1,000 crores. The Centre is giving Rs 26,000 crores to Bihar for repairs of its collapsed bridges. He said high Capex was not visible on the ground and it would only cut expenditure on welfare. INDIA bloc stages protest STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 24 JULY Leaders of the INDIA bloc including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday staged a protest at the Parliament premises here, alleging discrimination in the Union Budget 2024, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday. The Opposition leaders held the demonstration in front of the Makar Dwar of the Parliament and shouted slogans against the government while holding aloft placards. Participating in the demonstration, Mr Kharge said, “This is a deceptive budget. This is injustice to the countrymen.” “This budget is an attack on the dignity of India's federal structure. In the greed to save power, other states are neglected and discriminated against,” Rahul Gandhi said. 18 die as aircraft crashes during SC orders status quo take-off at Kathmandu airport at Shambhu border KATHMANDU POST/ANN PARMOD KUMAR KATHMANDU, 24 JULY NEW DELHI, 24 JULY A Saurya Airlines aircraft crashed during takeoff at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Wednesday, killing 18 people. The pilot of the aircraft was rescued alive and is under treatment in hospital. The accident occurred after the Pokhara-bound flight suffered a runway excursion during takeoff, said TIA Spokesperson Subash Jha. Nineteen people, including two crew members, were in the Pokhara-bound flight, with registration number 9NAME, which took off from Kathmandu at 11:11 am. Eyewitnesses say that the plane was taking off from the Southern-end of the runway (Koteshwor side) and suddenly flipped with the wing tip hitting the ground. The aircraft caught fire immediately. It then plunged to a gorge on the The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered status quo to be maintained at the Shambhu border near Ambala between Haryana and Punjab, where farmers demanding a law to guarantee minimum support price for their agricultural produce have been agitating since 13 February 2024. A bench of the court comprising Justice Surya Kant, Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said it proposes to constitute an independent committee comprising eminent persons who can reach out to farmers and other stakeholders in order to find viable solutions to their demands that can be fair, just and in the interests eastern side of the runway~between Buddha Air hanger and the radar station. Nepal Police said Captain MR Shakya was rescued from the crash site and has been admitted to the KMC Hospital in Sinamangal for treatment. Most of the passengers were airline staff travelling to Pokhara for aircraft maintenance. Among the eighteen people who lost their lives, three have been identified as members of a family. According to sources, Manuraj Sharma, a technical staff member at Saurya Airlines, his wife Priza Khatiwada who worked as a computer operator at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, and their son Adhiraj Sharma, were all killed in the accident. Police reported that one of the passengers was a Yemeni citizen. The government has formed a five-member committee to investigate the Saurya Airlines crash. of everyone. The bench asked the Punjab and Haryana governments to suggest some names to be included in the proposed expert committee; otherwise the court can find out some suitable persons for the committee. The bench gave a week’s time to both the states to suggest names to be included in the proposed committee. “Let appropriate instructions be taken within a week. Till then let parties maintain status quo at the site to prevent flaring up of the situation at the Shambhu border,” the bench stated in its order. The court also asked Punjab and Haryana to take steps for the removal of barricades in a phased manner at the Shambhu border so that no inconvenience is caused to the public at large. (P2) India is the emerging superpower of the 21st century, the largest country in the world with 1.4 billion people and one of the fastest growing economies in the world DAVID LAMMY UK FOREIGN SECRETARY superpower of the 21st century, the largest country in the world with 1.4 billion people and one of the fastest growing economies in the world,” Mr Lammy said in a statement. He said the FTA negotiations is the “floor not the ceiling of our ambitions to unlock our shared potential and deliver growth, from Bengaluru to Birmingham.” The Foreign Secretary will underscore the importance of the Living Bridge between the UK and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, in New Delhi on Wednesday. ANI that represents the 1.7 million people with Indian heritage that have made their home in the UK and make an exceptional contribution to British life. In a visit to India’s third largest technology company, he will meet business leaders to highlight how the UK and India are working together on shared ambitions such as cutting-edge science to encourage innovation, boost trade, and improve the livelihoods of working people in both countries. The Foreign Secretary will also hold highlevel talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on a range of bilateral issues as well as global developments. PM set to commemorate 25 yrs of Kargil War victory with visit to Drass in Ladakh AGENCIES SRINAGAR, 24 JULY The stage has been set ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Ladakh's Drass to mark the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas on 26 July. The Prime Minister will address the nation and Army soldiers at the Kargil War Memorial in Drass. Prime Minister Modi will also inaugurate several projects and pay tribute to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country during the Kargil War. The stage is set for the nation to come together and pay tribute to the heroes of the Kargil War, ensuring that their legacy will never be forgotten. Speaking to ANI, Siddharth Dave, husband of a retired army officer, said, "Me and my wife, Captain Meera Siddharth Dave, have travelled all the way, covering 2,500 kilometres from Gujarat and reached Drass seeking inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who celebrates his birthday, and all festivals with the Jawans." "We are from the Sena family; my wife is an army officer, and my father was from the Indian Air Force. It is a very important day for us; it has been 25 years since the Kargil War. We have travelled all the way in our car covering 2,500 kms and come to pay tributes to the bravehearts and mark the 25th anniversary of the KargilVijay Diwas," he said. Retired Captain Meera Siddharth Dave said: “Taking inspiration from PM Modi, we call our travel to Drass the 'Kargil Vijay Gyan Yatra to pay tribute to the brave hearts on this important milestone.” Mr Modi will visit Ladakh's Drass on 26 July to mark the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas. Earlier last week, Lt Governor of Ladakh Brig (Retd) B D Mishra held a meeting at the secretariat and reviewed arrangements for the PM's visit to the Kargil War Memorial at Drass. "The Hon'ble Lt Governor Brig (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd) held a meeting at the Lieutenant Governor's Secretariat to discuss the arrangements for Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi's visit to the Kargil War Memorial Drass," the Office of the Lt Governor, Ladakh posted on X. LG Mishra asked the concerned officials to complete all necessary arrangements on time. Earlier in 2022, PM Modi celebrated Diwali in Kargil with soldiers and also laid a wreath at the KargilWar Memorial and paid tribute to the army personnel who lost their lives here in 1999. Another soldier dies in gunfight in Kupwara India rises to 82nd in Henley Passport Index 2024, with visa-free access to 58 countries Advanced frigate Triput’s launch comes as a boost to Indian Navy STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE AGENCIES STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE JAMMU, 24 JULY NEW DELHI, 24 JULY A non commissioned officer (NCO) of the Indian Army laid down his life on Wednesday in a gunfight with terrorists in the Kowut area of North Kashmir's Kupwara. A heavily armed Pakistani terrorist was also killed in the gunfight. The soldier was critically injured during exchange of fire with terrorists and later succumbed. Dilawar Khan was injured during indiscriminate firing at the troops by the hiding terrorists, said an official. This is the second casualty of a soldier in J&K in the past 24 hours. Lance Naik, Subhash Chander, died yesterday while fighting infiltrating terrorists in the Poonch district of Jammu. (P5) India has been ranked at the 82nd spot on a global passport index, allowing Indians visa-free entry to 58 countries, including popular destinations like Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. According to the latest ranking by the UK-based Henley Passport Index, India's passport now ranks at an improved 82nd spot. The ranking is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The Henley Passport Index is a global ranking of countries according to the travel freedom allowed by those countries' ordinary passports for their citizens. Singapore was ranked the leader on the passport index, reclaiming its title as the world’s most powerful passport in the latest ranking. “The city-state also sets a new record score, with its citizens now enjoying access to 195 travel destinations out of 227 around the world visa-free. France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain drop to joint-2nd place, each with visa-free access to 192 destinations,” according to the Index. An unprecedented sevennation cohort, each with access to 191 destinations without a prior visa ~ Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden ~ now sits in 3rd place on the ranking. The UK was in fourth place along with Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland, despite its visa-free destination score falling to 190. “The US, on the other hand, continues its now decade-long slide down the index, dropping down to 8th spot, with access to just 186 destinations visa-free,” said the Index. According to IATA, airlines will connect nearly 5 billion people over 22,000 routes on 39 million flights in 2024, and the air cargo transported will reach 62 million tonnes, facilitating an $8.3 trillion in trade. “Our industry expects to record revenues of almost $1 trillion this year. Expenses, however, will also be at a record high of $936 billion. Net profit will be $30.5 billion,” said IATA Director General, Willie Walsh. The UAE made it into the Top 10 for the first time, having added an impressive 152 destinations since the index’s inception in 2006 to achieve its current visa-free score of 185. NEW DELHI, 24 JULY  The Henley Passport Index is a global ranking of countries according to the travel freedom allowed by those countries' ordinary passports for their citizens. Singapore was ranked the leader on the passport index, reclaiming its title as the world’s most powerful passport in the latest ranking. The UAE made it into the Top 10 for the first time, having added an impressive 152 destinations since the index’s inception in 2006 to achieve its current visa-free score of 185. The first of two Advanced Frigates, under construction by the Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) for the Indian Navy, was launched last evening at GSL, Goa. In keeping with maritime tradition, the ship was launched by Mrs Rita Sreedharan to the invocation from Atharva Veda, in the presence of Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai. The ship has been named Triput, after the mighty arrow, representing the indomitable spirit of the Indian Navy and its ability to strike far and deep. The contract for building two Triput class Advanced Frigates was signed between the Ministry of Defence, and the Goa Shipyard Limited on 25 January 2019. The ship is Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) launches the first indigenous Advanced P1135.6 Frigate 'Triput' for the Indian Navy, on Tuesday.  ANI designed for combat operations against enemy surface ships, submarines and aircraft. The Triput class ships are 124.8 m long and 15.2 m wide, with a draught of 4.5 m. Their displacement is about 3600 tonnes, and the speed of a maximum of 28 knots. The ships are equipped with stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems. The Triput class of ships is a follow-on ships of the Teg and Talwar class ships acquired from Russia. These frigates are being constructed for the first time indigenously by an Indian Shipyard. In line with the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative, a large percentage of the equipment fit, including weapons and sensors is of indigenous origin, thereby ensuring that large-scale defence production is executed by Indian manufacturing units, generating employment and capability enhancement within the country, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.