28072024-TTC-01.qxd 28-07-2024 01:02 Page 1 123 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 144 NO. 208 | 22 PAGES | ~7.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 30 KILLED IN GAZA SCHOOL AS ISRAEL LAUNCHES FRESH AIRSTRIKES WORLD /thetribunechd SKETCHES OF 3 ULTRAS INVOLVED IN DODA ATTACK RELEASED J&K VIKRAM SETH ON HIS PM MODI CHAIRS MEET OF ‘HANUMAN CHALISA’ BJP CMs; YOGI TO STAY AT TRANSLATION SPECTRUM HELM IN UP BACK PAGE sunday | 28 july 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Army foils BAT attack at LoC; soldier killed, Capt among 4 injured Mamata storms out of Niti Aayog meet, says not allowed to speak Adil Akhzer Animesh Singh Srinagar, July 27 A soldier was killed and four others, including a captain, were injured as the Army foiled an attack on Saturday by Pakistan’s Border Action Team (BAT) in Kamakari sector of Kupwara district, military sources said. They said a Pakistani intruder was also killed in the exchange of fire, while two more managed to return to the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) amid the intense gunfight that lasted hours. The BAT generally comprises personnel of the special forces of the Pakistan army and terrorists. A Srinagar-based defence spokesperson said “taking advantage of bad weather and poor visibility”, a group of “two to three armed personnel crossed the LoC” and fired on a forward Army post from close proximity in Kupwara district. The spokesperson said alert troops responded “vigorously” and in the ensuing exchange of fire, a “Pakistani intruder” was killed. Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the spot. The identification and affiliation of the Pakistani national were being ascertained, he said. Five soldiers were injured in the exchange of fire and one of them later Pak intruder also killed in exchange of fire TWO BSF UNITS MOVED FROM ODISHA TO JAMMU ■ To beef up security in Jammu, two BSF battalions, comprising more than 2,000 personnel, are being moved from Odisha ■ Decision to ‘immediately’ move two units from antiNaxal operations grid taken in wake of surge in terror attacks in Jammu region INSIDE succumbed to his injuries. Srinagar-based Chinar Corps identified the slain soldier as Mohit Rathour and said he “laid down his life in the line of duty on the LoC”. “The Army is firm in its resolve to maintain the sanctity of the LoC and defeat the nefarious and inimical designs of the Pakistan army,” the spokesperson said. Today’s incident at the LoC took place two days after the Army Chief, Gen Upendra Dwivedi, visited Kupwara sector and reviewed the security situation. He exhorted soldiers to remain steadfast in meeting emerging security challenges. Kupwara sector has in the recent weeks witnessed several anti-militancy operations. (With PTI inputs) AP/PTI ‘Completely false’: Sitharaman refutes West Bengal CM’s claim Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 27 West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday walked out of the Niti Aayog’s governing council meeting, claiming that she was stopped unfairly midway through her speech and her mike was switched off. Denying Banerjee’s claim, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the West Bengal CM was given ample time to speak. The Chief Ministers of opposition-ruled states like Karnataka, Telangana, Kerala, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu had boycotted the meeting that focused on ‘Ease of Living’ and the roadmap for Viksit Bharat@2047. Interestingly, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar too skipped the event. Banerjee, who was the only CM from the INDIA bloc-ruled states to attend the meeting presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, told reporters that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was allowed to speak for 20 minutes, while other CMs of BJP-ruled states like Assam, Goa and Chhattisgarh were also given ample time to air their views. “I have come out boycotting the meeting. continued on page 13 MANU EYES SHOOTING MEDAL Manu Bhaker stormed into the 10m air pistol finals while shuttler Lakshya Sen and paddler Harmeet Desai dazzled in India’s otherwise sedate start at the Olympic Games. INSIDE Kataria appointed Governor of Punjab West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and others during the Niti Aayog governing council meeting in New Delhi on Saturday. PTI STOPPED AFTER 5 MINUTES Andhra CM N Chandrababu Naidu was given 20 minutes to speak. The CMs of Assam, Goa and Chhattisgarh spoke for 10-12 minutes (each). I was stopped from speaking after just five minutes. ❝ Mamata Banerjee, WEST BENGAL CHIEF MINISTER NITISH SKIPS MEETING, SENDS DEPUTIES Bihar CM Nitish Kumar did not attend the Niti Aayog meeting on Saturday. The state was represented by Deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, officials said. The cause for Kumar’s absence from the crucial meeting was not known. Viksit states will make Viksit Bharat: PM President names 6 new Guvs, shifts 3 New Delhi, July 27 Senior Rajasthan BJP leader and Assam Governor Ghulab Chand Kataria was on Saturday shifted as the Governor of Punjab and Administrator of the UT, Chandigarh, in place of Banwarilal Purohit, whose resignation has been accepted by President Droupadi Murmu. In several new appointments and reshuffles on Saturday midnight, President Murmu appointed six new Governors and shifted three. BJP leader Haribhau Bagde was appointed the Governor of Rajasthan and Jishnu Dev Varma of Telangana. Former Union Minister Santosh Gangwar will be the new Governor of Jharkhand, BJP veteran Om Prakash Mathur of Sikkim, Ramen Deka of GC Kataria Haribhau Bagde Chhattisgarh and CH Vijayashankar of Meghalaya. K Kailashanathan will be the new Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan has been moved as the Governor of Maharashtra. He also held additional charge of Telangana. Lakshman Prasad Acharya has been shifted from Sikkim to Assam in the gubernatorial role. Acharya has also been given the additional charge as Manipur Governor. — TNS Aayog governing council meeting, Modi observed the vision of Viksit Bharat could be realised through “viksit states”, and that the aspiration of Viksit Bharat should reach the grassroots level i.e. to each district, block and village. The meeting was attended by CMs of 20 states and six UTs, while eight Opposition- ruled states and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar gave it a miss. The PM emphasised there was a need to tackle poverty on an individual basis rather than just at a programme level. He observed removing poverty from the grassroots would bring about a transformational effect in the country. continued on page 13 Code of conduct for South China Sea critical for peace: Jaishankar After Russia, Modi likely to pay visit to Ukraine in August ‘Don’t tinker with old system’: Veterans flag Agnipath ‘flaws’ ASEAN MEET Calls for global action to combat terror New Delhi, July 27 Prime Minister Narendra Modi may visit Ukraine in the second half of August with India and Ukraine learnt to be in the process of finalising the modalities of the tour. Sources said the PM’s visit could coincide with Ukraine National Day on August 24 though there’s no official confirmation of the visit yet. The PM is likely to visit Poland too. If Modi travels to Poland, it would be the first visit by an Indian PM to that country in nearly four decades. This will be Modi’s first visit to Ukraine since the Russian invasion of the country in 2022. The plan comes close on the heels of PM Modi’s Russia visit on July 8 and 9, one where his much publicised hug with President Vladimir Putin had attracted unfavourable references from Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 27 Underlining the importance of collective efforts by both the Centre and states, PM Narendra Modi on Saturday called for the need to set zero poverty target to achieve Viksit Bharat by 2047. Chairing the ninth Niti Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service Ravi hailed from Kaithal district. Haryana youth killed on Russian frontline Parveen Arora Tribune News Service Karnal, July 27 The Indian Embassy in Moscow has confirmed the death of 22-year-old Ravi, a resident of Mator village in Kaithal district. The confirmation came after Ravi’s brother Ajay wrote to the Embassy, seeking to know his whereabouts. The family alleged that Ravi was killed on the frontline in Russia. Indian Embassy confirms death, orders DNA test “I had sought information about my brother’s whereabouts in Russia. The Embassy enquired from the Russian authorities who said he had died. For the identification, the Embassy has asked for the DNA test of my mother. However, my mother passed away in 2018 and my father is out of town, so I have requested the Embassy to allow my DNA test instead,” Ajay told The Tribune over the phone. After getting the DNA report from Ajay, the Embassy will forward it to the Russian authorities for identification of the body. “I have sought permission for conducting my DNA test and am expecting a reply in a day or two,” Ajay said. continued on page 7 New Delhi, July 27 External Affairs Minster S Jaishankar stressed the need for a substantive and effective code of conduct to secure sea lines of communication in the South China Sea, which, he said were critical for peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region, amid growing concerns about China’s maritime coercion. “A code of conduct should be substantive and effective, consistent with international law and should not prejudice legitimate rights and interest of nations not party to discussions,” Jaishankar said while speaking at the 14th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers meeting at Laos. A code of conduct is being discussed among the six countries that are party to the maritime boundary dispute in South China Sea. These countries — The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken talks to EAM S Jaishankar and South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul at Vientiane, Laos. AP/PTI DISCUSSES TRAFFICKING OF INDIAN TECHIES The EAM called on Laos PM Sonexay Siphandone and took up the issue of trafficking of Indian nationals by cybercriminals. He said, “Appreciate the ongoing cooperation of Laos in the rescue and relief of our citizens. Also discussed the matter with the foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand.” Philippines, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei — have been discussing a code of conduct forced upon the claimants by China. Beijing had refused to accept a UN verdict on demarcation of maritime continued on page 13 Tribune News Service Vijay Mohan AREAS OF CONCERN Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 27 Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on Kargil Vijay Diwas at Dras, defending the Agnipath scheme for shortterm recruitment into the armed forces drew sharp reactions from politicians, the defence community has flagged several functional issues relating to the new system. The scheme, which came into effect in 2022, envisions initial recruitment into the rank and file of the three services for a four-year term, after which 25 per cent of Agniveers will be absorbed into the permanent cadre while the remaining will be released from the service with some financial benefits. The idea behind the scheme was to keep the age profile of the armed forces young, and also to reduce the burgeoning pension bill. The scheme has kicked up an intense debate in the political as well as military circles, with calls from ■ Veterans feel recent incidents of Agniveers reportedly being involved in criminal activities is “just the tip of the iceberg” ■ Vacancies reserved for ex-servicemen in government departments largely go unfilled for several reasons ■ Agniveers’ inability to get decent post-release employment may lead to frustration FILE ❝ UNCERTAINTY OF ABSORPTION The uncertainty of getting absorbed after four years can also be a double-edged weapon. It can either motivate a person to perform exceedingly well or deviate his focus from the job at hand. Maj Gen IP Singh (retd) several quarters for its review. Some veterans said the first cycle of Agniveer recruitment was still not complete and the full effect of the scheme was yet to be seen. Some also said in the interest of operational efficiency, the initial tenure needs to be increased. “There is a stip- ulated time period required for a soldier to develop the necessary skills, confidence and gel with his team to be able to perform effectively in difficult situations,” said Maj Gen IP Singh (retd), a former director of the Mai Bhago Armed Forces continued on page 7 Just about 1,000 left, race on to save endangered Himalayan brown bear Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 27 A year after a Himalayan brown bear was caught ravaging graveyards in Kashmir’s Handwara, the Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife Department has entered into a collaboration with Wildlife SOS, a leading nature conservation agency, to assess the fast depleting habitat of this critically endangered mammal. The world has about 1,000 brown bears with half of them estimated in India. The project involves tagging bears with GPS radio collars to evaluate the habitat, use patterns, food hunting behaviour and identification of factors leading to a growing human-brown bear conflict in the Valley. Otherwise rarely seen due to habitations at heights of around 2,500 metre, brown bears have been increasingly sighted in Sonmarg, Kupwara, Dras and Pahalgam in Kashmir. The Sonmarg region is a particular refuge for brown bear habitats and unplanned disposal and treat- J&K Wildlife Dept to tag animals with GPS collars ment of waste constitutes a threat to the animal’s habitat and food hunting behaviour. The GPS radio collar plan follows a Wildlife SOS field study which found that 75 per cent of the diet of these bears who frequent human-made garbage dumps includes plastic carry bags, chocolate wrappers and organic food waste, including leftover biryani. Swaminathan S, senior biol- ogist, Wildlife SOS, said the field team had used radio collars which provided information about the movement of brown bears using a satellite tracking system. “These animals can be tracked on foot using very high frequency (VHF) antennae in the field. The GPS and real-time monitoring of these collared bears is still on and the results will be compiled after the completion of the first year,” he said. The Himalayan brown bear is one of the largest carnivore species in India with a restrict- Today’s issue is of 22 pages, including six-page Spectrum. ed distribution in the alpine meadows of the Himalayas. Very little is known about its ecology and behaviour in India. With improper waste disposal by humans, the bears have lately been lazy hunting, resulting in changes in foraging patterns and rising human-animal conflicts. Wildlife SOS experts say the population of brown bears in Kashmir is now severely affected and fragmented in several parts due to tourism, construction continued on page 7