MONDAY 29 JULY 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘HIGH INFLATION DRIVING COMPANIES AWAY FROM KARNATAKA’ LANKA POLL P6 WEATHER Generally cloudy sky. Light to Moderate rain / thundershower very likely to occur. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 32 °C and 28 °C respectively. P4 Max. 93 % Min. 69 % PARIS, 28 JULY Max: 32.7 °C (+0.1) SUN RISES 05:7 hrs MOON RISES 23:20 hrs Min: 27.7°C (+1.0) SUN SETS 18:20 hrs MOON SETS 11:56 hrs THUMBNAILS Artists performing during the opening ceremony of the 133rd Durand Cup at JRD Tata Sports Complex, in Jamshedpur on Sunday.  ANI TMC to move motion in Assembly seeking discussion on river treaties with B’desh: Trinamul Congress will move a motion in the Assembly seeking discussion on the river treaties with Bangladesh. “Since the Union government is going ahead with the important decision regarding crucial trea- ties about water sharing without consulting the state government, we have to obj- ect to such an approach of the Centre,” a senior member of the state cabinet said. (Page 3) anu Bhaker on Sunday made her mark by becoming the first Indian woman shooter to clinch an Olympic medal, a bronze, in the 10m air pistol event for women. The 22-year-old from Haryana, who had won the Commonwealth Games gold in 2018 at the age of 16, shot her way to third place with a total of 221.7 in the 10-metre air pistol event at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre. She followed the footsteps of Abhinav Bindra (gold in Beijing in 2008), Rajyawardhan Singh Rathore and Vijay Kumar (silver medals in the 2004 Athens and 2012 London Games) and Gagan Narang (bronze in the 2020 Tokyo Games held in 2021) to ascend the medals podium. Manu finished third behind the Korean duo of Oh Ye Jin (243.2, an Olympic record) and Kim Yeji (241.3) who bagged the gold and silver medals respectively. “I am feeling on top of the world standing here I am feeling on top of the world standing here with this medal around my neck......The competition was neckand-neck. I feel grateful that I could win this medal for all of us and for India. Now, I am focusing on my next event (to be held over 25m) M MANU BHAKER Ace shooter Manu Bhaker with the Bronze medal she won in the Women's 10-metre Air Pistol in the Olympic Games Paris 2024, in Paris on Sunday. She finished third in the women's 10m air pistol event.  ANI with this medal around my neck,” said the Indian markswoman who went into the competition after grabbing gold medals in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and the 2023 Baku World Championships. Manu said: “The competition was neck-andneck. I feel grateful that I could win this medal for all of us and for India. Now, I am focusing on my next event (to be held over 25m).” Asked how she kept her concentration intact as she went into today’s compe- tition after her qualification round yesterday, Manu said she took tips from Bhagwat Gita. “I read (Bhagwad) Gita. Among the most famous of Gita's teachings is the advice given to focus on the job at hand and not on the fruits that will accrue later. The same thought was running in my mind. I was determined to do my best from the first shot to the last.” She said Indians get under some pressure and are short on confidence at this level of competition. SINDHU BRUSHES ASIDE THE OPENING HURDLE P12 Police arrest two after death of civil service aspirants at Delhi coaching centre Becomes first Indian woman shooter to clinch Olympic medal S S RAMASWAMY New Moon on 04 August P5 Bhaker opens India’s account with bronze RAINFALL: 1.3 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY TEMPERATURE AHEAD OF UKRAINE TRIP , CONG ASKS PM ABOUT HIS VISIT TO MANIPUR STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 28 JULY PM calls up, congratulates Manu Bhaker AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 28 JULY Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called up Manu Bhaker over her historic bronze medal at the Paris Olympics and extended greetings for winning India’s first medal at the 2024 games. Earlier, PM Modi took to X, formerly Twitter and congratulated Bhaker for becoming the first woman to win a medal in the shooting competition. “A historic medal!Well done, @realmanubhaker, for winning India's FIRST medal at #ParisOlympics2024! Congrats for the Bronze," Mr Modi said in a post on X. She credited her coach Jaspal Rana for his contribution to the medal win but also chose not to forget the roles of the NGO Olympic Gold Quest and the coaches of the national team. Delhi police on Sunday arrested two persons, the owner and coordinator of a civil services examination coaching centre, after three students lost their lives after the basement of the institute flooded following a downpour last night. The incident in Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar area provoked street protests by scores of students, while political leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party, running the Delhi NCT government, and the BJP traded charges. According to the police, a search and rescue operation was launched by teams of the police, Delhi Fire Services and NDRF soon after the information about the basement of the building being flooded was received at around 7 p.m. The flooding of the building was caused by heavy rain in the evening. The police are investigating as to how the water entered so fast inside the basement. According to Delhi Fire Services’ Atul Garg, since the basement was flooded to the level of the water on the road the process of Students gather as they stage a protest after three civil service aspirants died due to flooding in the basement of the Old Rajinder Nagar's coaching centre, at Karol Bagh Metro Station in New Delhi on Sunday.  SUBRATA DUTTA pumping out the water was ineffective as the road remained flooded. Only when the water on the road receded, they were able to pump out the water from the building completely. Three bodies were recovered from the basement. The deceased were identified as Shreya Yadav, a resident of Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Nevin Delvin, who belonged to Ernakulam, Kerala. Police have filed an FIR in the case at the Rajinder Nagar police station under relevant sections of the law against the coaching centre, the management of the building, and those who manage the drainage system and others. According to officials, the coaching centre has permission to use the basement as a storage space. However, it is being used as a library. “NDRF has recovered three bodies till now. One final round of search is on. Three students have been sent to hospital and 13-14 others were rescued and are fine,” an official was quoted as saying. At the time, there were at least 20 students in the library, which had only one entry-exit. President Murmu appoints Governors for nine states, L-G of Puducherry EAM, Blinken express commitment to promoting free, open Indo-Pacific STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 28 JULY Accepting the resignation of Banwarilal Purohit as Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Union Territory of Chandigarh, President Droupadi Murmu has appointed new Governors in nine states and a new Lieutenant Governor for Puducherry. According to a press communique from the Rashtrapati Bhavan, “(t)he President of India has accepted the resignation of Banwarilal Purohit as Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Union Territory of Chandigarh." Gulab Chand Kataria, Governor of Assam, has been appointed as Governor of Punjab and has also been appointed as Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh, the communique said. Sikkim Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya has been appointed as Governor of Assam and has also been given the additional charge of Governor of Manipur. President Murmu has appointed former Rajya Sabha MP Om Prakash Math- ur as the new Governor of Sikkim. Former Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde has been appointed the Governor of Rajasthan while former Tripura Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma has been appointed Governor of Telangana. Former Union minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar has been appointed Governor of Jharkhand while Ramen Deka, former Lok Sabha MP from Assam, has been made Governor of Chhattisgarh. Former Karnataka Minister CH Vijayashankar has been appointed as Governor of Meghalaya. The Rashtrapati Bhavan communique further informed that C.P. Radhakrishnan, Governor of Jharkhand with additional charge of Telangana, has been appointed as Governor of Maharashtra. Former IAS officer K Kailashnathan has been appointed Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. “The above appointments will take effect from the dates they will assume charge of their respective offices,” the communique added. TOKYO, 28 JULY External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with his US counterpart Antony Blinken in Tokyo on Sunday and expressed commitment to promoting a free, open and prosperous IndoPacific region. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed upcoming opportunities to strengthen collaboration between India and the US on shared priorities, according to the statement released by the US State Department. In a statement, the US State Department said: “Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar today in Tokyo. Secretary Blinken and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar affirmed the United States and India's commitment to promoting a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region." “The Secretary and the External Affairs Minister dis- cussed upcoming opportunities to deepen U.S.-India collaboration on shared priorities. Secretary Blinken underscored the importance of realizing a just and enduring peace for Ukraine consistent with the UN Charter," it added. US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu and US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller were present in the meeting. In a post on X, Blinken stated, "Met with Indian External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar to deepen U.S.-India collaboration and affirm our shared commitment to regional peace, security, and prosperity." EAM Jaishankar said that he and Blinken held talks on regional and global issues. Jaishankar said that he looked forward to attending the Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting on Monday. Taking to X, Mr Jaishankar stated, "Great to catch up with @SecBlinken in Tokyo today. Our bilateral agenda progresses steadily. Also had a wide ranging discussion on regional and global issues. Look forward to attending the Quad FMM tomorrow." Quad is a diplomatic part- nership between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States committed to supporting an open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient, according to Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Earlier in the day, Jaishankar unveiled the bust of Mahatma Gandhi at Freedom Plaza in Edogawa, Tokyo. He attended the ceremony in the presence of Edogawa Mayor, Takeshi Saito, Sibi George, the Ambassador of India to Japan and other ministers, with a group of schoolchildren singing Gandhi's favourite prayer, "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram." In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Started my visit to Tokyo in Edogawa, unveiling bust of Gandhiji. Bapu's achievements continue to inspire us to this day and his message of peace and nonviolence is timeless. His principles are even more relevant today when the world sees so much conflict, tension and polarization." Rising sale of Khadi, handloom creating large number of new employment opportunities: PM in Mann ki Baat Tax clearance certificate to fly abroad not mandatory for all, govt clarifies STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 28 JULY Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the turnover of the Khadi Village Industry has crossed Rs 1.5 lakh crore for the first time adding that the rising sale of Khadi and handloom were also creating a large number of new employment opportunities. Talking about Khadi during the 112th episode of his monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ broadcast over All India Radio, Modi said: “There must be many of you who never used Khadi products before, but today wear Khadi with great pride." "I am also happy to tell you that the turnover of Khadi Village Industry has crossed Rs 1.5 lakh crore for the first time. Think about one and a half lakh crore rupees and do you know how much the sale of Khadi has increased? 400 per cent. This rising sale of Khadi, handloom, is also creating a large number of new employment opportunities," Mr Modi said. Mostly, women are associated with this industry, so they are the ones who are benefiting the most, the Prime Minister said. "I urge you once more…you must have many types of clothes, and if you have not bought Khadi clothes till now, start from this year," he said. During the address, the Prime Minister also mentioned handloom, saying that artisans in different parts of the country are engaged in making handloom popular. "Be it the Sambalpuri saree of Odisha, the Maheshwari saree of MP, the Paithani of Maharashtra or the hand block prints of Vidarbha, the Bhutiko shawls and woollen clothes of Himachal or the Kani shawls of Jammu & Kashmir," he said. The Prime Minister said the work of handloom artisans is spread across every corner of the country. "And you must be aware that in a few days, on the 7th of August, we will celebrate the National Handloom Day. Nowadays, the way handloom products have made their place in the hearts of people is really very successful, tremendous. Now many private companies are also promoting handloom products and sustainable fashion through AI," he said. The Prime Minister said Kosha AI, Handloom India, DJunk, Novatax, Brahmaputra Fables, many such startups are also engaged in making handloom products popular. "I am also happy to see that many people are engaged in making such local products of their place popular. You too can upload your local products on social media with the name 'Hashtag My Prod- uct My Pride'," he said. In the broadcast, the Prime Minister also lauded the participants of the International Mathematics Olympiad and also interacted with them. "A few days ago, Olympics have also taken place in the world of mathematics... the International Mathematics Olympiad. In this Olympiad, students of India have performed exceptionally well. Our team performed her best in that and won four Gold and one Silver Medal. Youth from more than a 100 countries participated in the International Mathematics Olympiad and in the overall tally, our team has been successful in reaching the top five," he said. During the address, Modi also mentioned the Paris Olympics. CMYK NEW DELHI, 28 JULY In reference to some misleading reports being circulated that a mandatory tax clearance is required for individuals before flying abroad, the government has clarified that under section 230 of the Income-tax Act, 1961, every person is not required to obtain a tax clearance certificate. In the Budget 2024-25, tabled on July 23 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, it has been proposed to include the reference to the Black Money Act, 2015 to obtain a tax clearance certificate. Such a certificate is required to be issued by the incometax authority stating that such person has no liabilities under the Income-tax Act, or the Wealth-tax Act, 1957, or the Gift-tax Act, 1958, or the Expenditure-tax Act, 1987. Since the Black Money Act, 2015 is also administered by CBDT, it has been proposed in the Budget to add the reference of the Black Money Act, 2015 to the list of Acts under which any person should clear his liabilities to obtain the tax clearance certificate. Hence, the proposed amendment does not require all the residents to obtain the tax clearance certificate, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said in its clarification today. As per section 230 of the Income-tax Act, 1961, every person is not required to obtain a tax clearance certificate. Only in the case of certain persons, in respect of whom circumstances exist which make it necessary to obtain a tax clearance certificate will be required to obtain such certificate. Such a clearance certificate is necessary where an individual is involved in serious financial irregularities and his presence is necessary in the investigation of cases under the Income-tax Act or theWealth-tax Act and it is likely that a tax demand will be raised against him.