WEDNESDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 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 RAJNATH SAYS COAST GUARD MUST BECOME A TECH-ORIENTED FORCE ‘BOOSTING FUNDAMENTALS KEY TO NAVIGATING GLOBAL UNCERTAINTIES’ P5 OLI’S PETTINESS UNDERMINES INDIA TIES P8 P7 SENSEX 84,914.04q14.57 WEATHER GENERALLY CLOUDY SKY. VERY LIGHT RAIN. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 36 AND 26 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 92 % TEMPERATURE 25,940.40p1.35 ` vs $ 83.65 Min: 26.4 °C (+3) SUN SETS 18:14 hrs MOON SETS 13:53 hrs THUMBNAILS Polling officials carry electronic voting machines as they leave for their respective polling stations on the eve of the second phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections in Srinagar on Tuesday. n ANI Sri Lankan President appoints Harini Amarasuriya as PM: Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake appointed Harini Amarasuriya as Sri Lanka's 16th Prime Minister, NewsWire reported. Amarasuriya of the National People's Power (NPP) party is an academic, rights activist, and university lecturer and is known for her work in education and social justice. Her appointment marks a significant milestone in Sri Lankan politics. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 24 SEPTEMBER P rime Minister Narendra Modi returned from his successful threeday visit to the United States on Tuesday night, after attending the Quad Leaders’ Summit, an exuberant Indian diaspora event, and addressing the UN Summit of the Future, where he reminded the international community “success of humanity lies in our collective strength and not in the battlefield.” In a post on X, the Prime Minister said: “This has been a fruitful USA visit, covering diverse programmes and focusing on a series of subjects aimed at making our planet better.” Mr Modi shared a video of his engagements from the Quad Summit to the bilateral meetings, including with US President Joe Biden. On the sidelines of the Summit of the Future, Mr Modi held a bilateral meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reiterating India’s clear, con- sistent and constructive approach in favour of a peaceful resolution of the conflict through diplomacy and dialogue, as well as engagement between all stakeholders. This was Mr Modi’s third meeting with the Ukraine leader. He conveyed India remains open to provide all support within its means to facilitate a lasting and peaceful resolution of the conflict. Mr Modi began his US visit with a meeting with the US President. In a special gesture, President Biden hosted the meeting at his home in Wilmington, Delaware. The two agreements signed during the meeting included the IndoPacific Economic Framework Agreement and the India-US Drug Policy framework. In his address at the Quad Summit, the Prime Minister said Quad is committed for a free, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo Pacific. He said Quad is here to stay, to assist, to partner and to complement. Quad Leaders appreciated the Prime Minister and India for its leadership role in the Indian Ocean. To take the Quad agenda forward, the Quad Leaders’ adopted the Quad Wilmington Declaration. At the Cancer Moonshot event, the Prime Minister said that India will contribute 40 million vaccine doses for Indo-Pacific countries under GAVI-the Vaccine Alliance and QUAD initiatives. On the sidelines of the Quad summit, Prime Minister Modi also held bilateral meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. A highlight of the day was the return of 297 antiquities by the USA, that had been stolen or trafficked from India. These will shortly be repatriated to India. On the second day of his visit, Mr Modi attended a massive Indian-American Community event at Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York and gave the Indian diaspora a glimpse of the New India. Lauding the Indian diaspora’s role in India-US bilateral relations, he said that their skills and talents are unmatched. He gave the PUSHP mantra for making India a developed nation. The Prime Minister interacted with tech industry leaders in New York in a Roundtable anchored by the MIT, School of Engineering. The tech-round- table primarily focused on Artificial Intelligence; Biotechnology and Semiconductor technologies. Mr Modi highlighted the economic transformation happening in India, particularly in electronics and information technology manufacturing, semiconductors, biotech and green development and invited the tech leaders for investment in India in these sectors. This was followed by PM’s bilateral engagements with Nepal Prime Minister, K P Sharma Oli; Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. On the third day of the visit, the Prime Minister spoke at the Summit of the Future at the UN General Assembly, and said the Digital Public Infrastructure should be a bridge and not a barrier. Talking about reforms in multilateral institutions, he said that global institutions need reforms, as reforms are the key to relevance. BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 74.44p1.23 Siddaramaiah rules out resignation after K’taka High Court setback AGENCIES BENGALURU, 24 SEPTEMBER Slamming the Opposition for demanding his resignation after Karnataka High Court dismissed his plea challenging the sanction given by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot for conducting a investigation against him in the MUDA case, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that he is not guilty as the court has only ordered a investigation. “Kumaraswamy is on bail. Did anyone ask for his resignation? The court has only directed an inquiry into the MUDA case. That does not mean that I am guilty,” said the Chief Minister while addressing a press conference at his home office ‘Krishna’ in Bengaluru. He added that the court has given the verdict under 17 (A) of the PC Act, adding that the matter has been handed over to the investigation. “At this stage only an inquiry has been ordered against me. Why do you ask for a resignation at this stage? We will tackle it politically as it is a conspiracy,” the Chief Minister said. He said that the development would be challenged politically and legally. Earlier, Karnataka High Court while quashing Mr Siddaramaiah's petition, said the beneficiaries in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case were not outsiders but the petitioner's wife. The bench headed by Justice M Nagaprasanna passed the order upholding Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's decision. The order of the High Court stated: “The facts narrated in the petition would undoubtedly require an investigation. In the teeth of the fact that the beneficiary of all these acts is not anybody outside, but the wife of the petitioner (Siddaramaiah)." Social activists Pradeep Kumar SP, T.J. Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna had filed petitions against CM Siddaramaiah in connection with the alleged MUDA land scam.They had claimed that Mr Siddaramaiah had misused his office to create fraudulent documents over 3.17 acres of land near Mysuru city and got 14 sites allotted from the MUDA in the name of his wife. NEW DELHI, 24 SEPTEMBER India, Germany, Japan & Brazil call for urgent reform of UN Security Council S&P Global maintains India's growth forecast at 6.8 per cent STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE PARMOD KUMAR STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 24 SEPTEMBER with the case threadbare.” The 20 August notification by the Punjab government broadened the definition to include uncles, aunts, grandparents and cousins. “Let us put a lid on this. This NRI business is nothing but a fraud. This comes to an end now. What is a ward? You just have to say I am looking after X. See the students who got three times high marks have lost out. We cannot lend our authority to something which is blatantly illegal,” the court said. Terming the 20 August notification broadening the definition of NRI relatives as “unjustified”, the Punjab and Haryana High Court by its 11 September 2024, order had quashed the notification broadening the definition of the relatives of the Non-Resident Indians. As senior advocate Shadan Farasat, appearing for a petitioner challenging the High Court order referred to other states including Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh which are having broader definition of the NRI relatives, the court said, “You say nearest relation of NRI will also be considered. What is this? This is just a moneyspinning tactic of the State.” The “Group of Four” countries, which includes India, Germany, Japan and Brazil, have again called for an urgent reform of the United Nations Security Council through text-based negotiations. The four countries, which are all claimants for permanent seats in the UNSC, stressed that a comprehensive reform of the Security Council is an essential part of any endeavour to make the UN better reflect contemporary geopolitical realities and thus fit for the present and future. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Minister of Germany Annalena Baerbock, Japan Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Brazil Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira met Monday on the margins of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly to discuss the prospects for a reform of the UN Security Council. “Glad to join the traditional #G4 Foreign Ministers Meeting along with colleagues@ABaerbock, @Kamikawa_Yoko and Mauro Vieira in New York today. G4 reaffirmed its commitment for an urgent reform of the United Nations Security Council through Text End of an era: Kolkata's trams end commercial services STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 24 SEPTEMBER Kolkata's heritage trams have stopped commercial services from today. Trams were introduced in Calcuta (Kolkata), the then capital of the British Indian Empire in 1874. Initially trams were drawn by horses. Electric trams cars were introduced in the early 20th century. Kolkata was the first city where trams were introduced, followed by Bombay (now Mumbai). The trams were abolished in Mumbai many decades ago. The tram network was unique in Kolkata. There were huge tram depots at Ballygunge, Tollygunge, Nonapukur, Shyambazar and Behala. Tram services were abandoned in Behala more than 30 years ago. Mr Snehashis Chakraborty, state Transport minister, said that as a trams will continue P12 SILVER 98,000 PM Modi returns after 3-day 'fruitful' US visit NRI quota business in education must stop now: Supreme Court Expressing its misgivings over the Punjab government’s notification broadening the definition of the relatives of the Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to include their nearest relations, the Supreme Court on Tuesday termed it as a “fraud” that undermined the quality of the country’s education system, stating that NRI quota system must come to an end. Dismissing the three petitions, including one by the Punjab government, challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s order quashing a 20 August 2024, notification that broadened the definition of NRI relatives, a bench of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra said: “We must stop this NRI quota business now! This is complete fraud and this is what we are doing to our education system! Judges know what they are dealing with. The High Court has dealt GOLD 76,840.00 PM attended Quad Summit, UN Summit of the Future, and had bilateral meet with Joe Biden Min. 53 % Max: 37.4 °C (+3) SUN RISES 06:12 hrs MOON RISES 00:03 hrs NIFTY ‘TICKED ALL THE BOXES IN TERMS OF PREPARATION’ Kolkata was the first city where trams were introduced, followed by Bombay (now Mumbai). The trams were abolished in Mumbai many decades ago. to ply between Esplanade and Kidderpore as a heritage route. But the transport department has discontinued its Tram Puja Parikrama, and will not ply trams during the upcoming Durga Puja. The state government will place its decision before the Calcutta High Court when a PIL on the plying of trams in the city will come up for hearing next time. The Kolkata Police had raised objections to the plying of trams in the city from the point of traffic management. For example, on College Street, one way traffic management system has been introduced but it cannot be fully operational as when the cars go from Bowbazar to Hatibagan, trams come from the opposite direction, creating traffic congestion. There were tram services in Howrah but it had to be discontinued. There was a time when trams used to ply on Howrah bridge. During the construction of the Metro Railway from Mahanayak Uttam Kumar Station to Esplanade in the 1970s, tram services along SP Mukherjee road had to be discontinued. It did not come back once the road was reopened to traffic. Traffic jams became a regular feature on Chitpore road because of the trams. A senior police officer said road space in the city is fast shrinking and the volume of traffic has gone up over the years. To meet the situation the city has to abandon the plying of trams, he said. Already the Public Works department is removing the tram tracks from many areas. The tram tracks on a portion of Kalighat Road and Rashbehari Avenue have been removed. The trams had been a major means of transport during the British period. During the Civil Disobedience movement , the Indians boycotted travelling on trams. Douglas Jardin, and his cricket team was returning to England after the infamous Body Line series in Australia in 193032. Jardin issued an advertisement urging people to use the trams. The advertisement read: "Jardin says the Calcutta Tramways Corporation is the best tramways company in the World." Tram cars were imported from England. Every tram depot had workshops where the coaches were repaired. The tram company had graded electrical engineers and staff to maintain the overhead electric line. Based Negotiations,” Mr Jaishankar wrote on social media platform X. The ministers of the four countries reiterated their call for the expansion of the UN Security Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories of membership, which has been supported by a significant number of member states throughout the negotiation process, in order to increase the United Nations Security Council’s legitimacy and ensure its effectiveness, a statement issued by the ministers said. They agreed on the need to enhance the role and participation of developing countries, and those significantly contributing to international peace and security, in the Security Council, in both membership categories. In this vein, the ministers also stressed the importance of an improved representation of under-represented and unrepresented groups and regions, such as Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean, in both membership categories. The G4 ministers reiterated their support for each other’s candidatures as aspiring new permanent members in a reformed Security Council. NEW DELHI, 24 SEPTEMBER S&P Global Ratings maintained India's growth forecast at 6.8 per cent while noting that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may cut interest rates in October. S&P also retained its gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for the financial year 2025-26 (FY26) at 6.9 per cent in its economic outlook for the Asia-Pacific region. It further noted that India’s strong growth would help the RBI manage inflation. "In India, GDP growth moderated in the June quarter as high interest rates tempered urban demand, in line with our projection of 6.8 per cent GDP for the full financial year 2024-25," S&P said. In FY24, India's economic growth rate reached an impressive 8.2 per cent. Jaishankar discusses bilateral ties with Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 24 SEPTEMBER External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in what was the first high-level contact between the two countries after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was dislodged from power last month. ''Had a meeting with Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain of Bangladesh in New York this evening. The conversation focussed on our bilateral ties,'' the minister wrote on X while sharing a picture of the meeting. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh wrote on X: "Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain and External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar met at UNGA79 sidelines and discussed issues of mutual interest between Bangladesh and India."The meeting came a few hours after Bangladesh lodged a “diplomatic protest” with the Indian High Commission in Dhaka in response to recent remarks made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah “regarding Bangladeshi nationals” during his visit to Jharkhand. Even though India continues to pitch for normal- isation of bilateral ties following last month’s events and continued targeting of the Hindu minority in Bangladesh, the interim government in Dhaka has been making groundless statements over the past few weeks. Last month, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) dismissed as “baseless” the allegations levelled by Bangladesh’s interim government that India is “deliberately” letting more water flow into the neighbouring country.