THURSDAY 20 MARCH 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 Pages 12 |` 5.00 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘PUTIN’S PROMISE ON ENERGY STRIKES AT ODDS WITH REALITY’ P9 SENSEX 75,449.05p147.79 WEATHER Generally clear. Hazy in the evening. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 34°C and 26°C respectively. NIFTY LALU APPEARS BEFORE E.D. IN LAND-FOR-JOB CASE WELFARE POLITICS P6 22,907.60p73.30 ` vs $ 86.44 IPL 2025: JAYAWARDENE WORRIED OVER BUMRAH’S ABSENCE P5 GOLD 91,160.00 P12 SILVER 1,14,000 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 70.66p0.11 Sunita Williams back home after 9-month space odyssey Their spacecraft successfully splashed down off the Florida coast near Tallahassee, at 3.27 a.m. IST RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Max. 77% Min. 60% NEW DELHI, 19 MARCH Min: 26.3˚C SUN SETS 17:47 hrs MOON SETS 09:00 hrs N CM Mamata calls for Bharat Ratna for Sunita Williams TEMPERATURE Max: 34.2˚C SUN RISES 05:40 hrs MOON RISES 23:05 hrs New Moon on 29 March THUMBNAILS Chaos erupts during a special meeting of the Delhi Municipal Corporation for budget finalisation at the Aruna Asaf Ali Meeting Hall, Dr. S.P. Mukherjee Civic Centre in New Delhi. n SUBRATA DUTTA `7.81 lakh cr released under MGNREGS creating over 8 cr jobs in 10 years: In the last 10 years, from 2014-15 to 2024-25, the central government has released Rs 7,81,302 crore which resulted in the creation of 8.07 crore rural assets under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme. It also highlighted that the current Financial year’s allocation of Rs 86,000 crore is the highest ever budgetary allocation at the BE stage. ASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have returned to earth safely after their Crew 9 Dragon Spacecraft splashdown safely off the coast of Florida. The astronaut pair returned to earth after spending over nine months at the International Space Station (ISS) due to unexpected delays. Their spacecraft successfully splashed down off the Florida coast near Tallahassee, at 5.57 p.m. ET on Tuesday (3:27 a.m. IST, Wednesday). “ ‘Butch and Suni’ were accompanied by astronauts Nick Hague and Aleksandr Grebyonkin who reached the ISS in December as part of a rescue mission planned by NASA and SpaceX. On behalf of SpaceX, welcome home,” radioed SpaceX Mission Control in California. An hour after their 17hour-long journey, the astronauts were out of their scorched capsule, waving and smiling at the STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 19 MARCH NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore after their return to Earth on Tuesday. n AP cameras while being hustled away in reclining stretchers for routine medical checks. Ms Williams and Mr Wilmore travelled to the ISS in June last year for a scheduled eight-day mission. They were forced to stay as the Boeing Starliner capsule developed issues with its propulsion system. The duo was the first crew to fly Boeing's Starliner Collector issues order to prevent demolition of Aurangzeb's tomb STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE MUMBAI, 19 MARCH The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar District Collector issued prohibitory orders on Wednesday for additional security to be provided to Aurangzeb's tomb in Khultabad, in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district (formerly known as Aurangabad) of Maharashtra. The death anniversary of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Shivaji Maharaj falls on 29 March and the district administration has started taking preventive measures to ensure that Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's tomb is not demolished on 29 March. According to sources, the district administration has received information that if a large number of supporters of a former MLA Milind Ramakant Ekbote reach the tomb of Aurangzeb in Khultabad, there is a strong possibility that his supporters and activists will vandalise or destroy the tomb of Aurangzeb, which is likely to create a rift between communities and create serious law and order problems on a large scale. “Presently , the holy month of Ramadan is underway and the session of the Maharashtra legislative assembly is also underway and I am convinced that if any inappropriate incident occurs in the said agitation, it is likely to have violent repercussions in the entire state of Maharashtra. Accordingly, I, Vinod Khirolkar, Additional District Magistrate, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, in exercise of the powers vested in me under Section 163 (1) of the Indian Civil Security Code, 2023, I am passing the following order,” the order issued by the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar District Collector stated. “The Superintendent of Police, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Rural, has mentioned in his report that former MLA Milind Ramakant Ekbote, a militant Hindu activist has previously been booked for participating in the Bhima Koregaon riots and hurting the religious sentiments of communities. Also, earlier he had organised a big agitation to remove the tomb of Afzal Khan on Pratapgad. Therefore, there is a large section of people in Maharashtra who follow him," the collector's order stated. The order mentioned that several members of militant organisations are present in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and surrounding districts according to confidential information received by the district collector. in a test flight. The faulty capsule returned to earth last September. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the duo spent 286 days ~ 278 days longer than anticipated on the International Space Station, where they conducted over 4,500 orbits and travelled more than 121 million statute miles. India steadfast in its ‘zero-tolerance’ policy towards terrorism NEW DELHI, 19 MARCH India reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to a zerotolerance policy against terrorism at the 14th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting - Plus Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism. Delivering the keynote address at the meeting here, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh emphasised the significance of a multifaceted approach integrating robust domestic mechanisms, enhanced intelligence-sharing, and strong regional cooperation. Mr Singh underscored the evolving nature of terrorism, highlighting that threats are increasingly transnational and exacerbated by the use of advanced technology, cyber tools, and unmanned systems by terror groups. He noted that the Indo-Pacific region remains highly vulnerable to transnational terrorism and violent extremism. SNS ‘Without firing a bullet’: Rajnath Singh on Tawang’s integration and revocation of Article 370 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 19 MARCH Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated that India has emerged as a strong and organised nation, commanding attention on global platforms. Speaking at the fifth edition of the Major Bob Khathing Memorial Event, Mr Singh highlighted how India, once overlooked in international forums, has now gained significant recognition. The event, organised by the Indian Army, Assam Rifles, and United Services Institution of India, honoured the legacy of Major Bob Khathing, who played a pivotal role in integrating Tawang into India. Drawing parallels between the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and Tawang’s integration, Mr Singh noted that both were accomplished without firing a single bullet. “We completely merged Jammu and Kashmir into India by removing the biggest hurdle—Article 370— without firing a single bullet. The work was carried out peacefully with full security, keeping all the stakeholders in mind,” he said. Urging citizens to uphold the principles of national security, integrity, and sovereignty, Mr Singh lauded Major Khathing as a great patriot whose contributions strength- ened national unity. He compared Khathing’s efforts in the North-East to those of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in unifying India, emphasizing the significance of their contributions in nation-building. Mr Singh further highlighted Major Khathing’s role in the formation of Sashastra Seema Bal and Nagaland Armed Police, recognising his administrative acumen. The Defence Minister reiterated that the Government is committed to governance reforms through initiatives like ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance’ and ‘Digital India,’ which have enhanced transparency and efficiency in administration. Reflecting on India’s foreign policy, Mr Singh credited the diplomatic skills of leaders like Major Khathing for shaping India’s global standing. “Today, India maintains a balance between hard and soft power in an unpredictable multipolar world. It is a matter of great pride that a new, strong, and organized India has emerged,” he asserted. Addressing India’s development trajectory, Mr Singh underscored the Government’s commitment to the NorthEast, citing infrastructure projects such as the Sela Tunnel, connecting Tezpur in Assam to Tawang, and the Arunachal Frontier Highway. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today advocated for astronaut Sunita Williams to be conferred the “Bharat Ratna,” praising her outstanding achievements in advancing science by spending 286 days in space, defying all odds. Miss Banerjee, speaking in the Assembly today, said: “Welcome to Sunita and her fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore for landing safely on Earth after their mission in space. They initially went for only eight days but ended up spending 286 days there before making a triumphant return, defying all odds. Hats off to their physical endurance and patience throughout. Congratulations to all organizations and countries involved in ensuring their safe return.” In a post on her X handle, Miss Banerjee wrote, “Welcome Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore back to Earth, finally and safely, after so many days.Our daughter of India returns to us, and we are deeply happy and elated. We are profoundly happy for Butch Wilmore as well. Hail their courage, hail their return, hail human glory.I congratulate the rescue team for their overwhelming support and success.” Tariffs, sanctions a reality in today’s world: EAM STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 19 MARCH External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday acknowledged that tariffs and sanctions have become a reality in the present global world order and various countries use them to protect their own economic interests. "Tariffs, sanctions, I think, whether we would like it or not they are a reality, countries use them. In fact, if one looks at the last decade, I would say we have seen a much greater weaponization of pretty much any kind of capability or any kind of economic activity. It could be financial flows, it could be energy supplies, it could be technology," he said at the Raisina Dialogue in response to a question. "This is a reality of the world. You fight for your business, because you are fighting for your employment, you are fighting for your comprehensive national power, of which business makes a very important contribution," Mr Jaishankar said.