TUESDAY 01 APRIL 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR SONIA GANDHI SLAMS CENTRE OVER NEP SHAH HAILS NCB, DELHI POLICE P5 SENSEX 77,414.92 WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. SURFACE WINDS (SPEED 10-20 KMPH) DURING THE DAY. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 36 AND 16 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: Nil NIFTY 23,519.35 P4 ` vs $ 85.56 Min. 16% Max: 35.0˚C (+2.4) Min: 13.8˚C (-4.3) SUN SETS 18:39 hrs MOON SETS 22:13 hrs THUMBNAILS STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI/MUMBAI, 31 MARCH Children hug each other as they celebrate Eid al-Fitr festival at Taj Mahal in Agra on Monday. nANI IFS officer Nidhi Tewari appointed private secretary to PM Modi: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has appointed Ms Nidhi Tewari, a 2014 batch Indian Foreign Services (IFS) officer, as Private Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ms Tewari, who was serving as the Deputy Secretary, Prime Minister's Office, was appointed as PM Modi's Private Secretary in Level 12 of the pay matrix. India slams NYT report: India on Monday reacted strongly to a New York Times report that claimed Hindustan Aeronautics Limited a government-owned aerospace and defense company - sold sensitive technology, with potential military use, to a blacklisted agency suppling Russia with weapons. GOLD `92,255 Fadnavis said, “In 2029, we will see Modi as the PM of India once again” TEMPERATURE SUN RISES 06:10 hrs MOON RISES 08:42 hrs P9 LSG GEAR UP FOR PBKS CHALLENGE P12 SILVER `1,04,000 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 73.01 PM: India committed Fadnavis rejects Raut’s claim on PM’s retirement to sustainable energy RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 70% FRANCE'S LE PEN CONVICTED IN EMBEZZLEMENT CASE M aharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday dismissed Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut's claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the RSS in Nagpur yesterday to discuss his retirement plan once he turns 75 in September and that the PM's successor will be from Maharashtra. ''No, not a chance...there is no need to search for his successor. He is our leader and will continue," he declared in Nagpur. “In our culture, when the father is alive, it is inappropriate to talk about succession. It is a Mughal tradition that children think about succession even when the father is alive. The time has not come to discuss it," the chief minister said, referring to Mr Raut’s claim that Modi’s successor would come from Maharashtra. Mr Fadnavis said, “In 2029, we will see Modi as the Prime Minister of India once again. There is no need to search for his successor. Discussing succession when the leader is still active is inappropriate in Indian culture”. At a press conference, Mr Raut claimed that PM Modi had discussed his retirement plan with the RSS leadership and that his successor would be from Maharashtra. "RSS will decide the successor of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and he will be from Maharashtra. That's why Modi was called to Nagpur to discuss it at a closed-door meeting," said Mr Raut, a Rajya Sabha member and a close confidant of former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. He, however, did not reveal the source of his information. To Mr Raut's claim that the next PM will be from Maharashtra, Mr Fadnavis, who is one of the tallest BJP leaders in the state, said he has nothing to do with the matter. Though Mr Fadnavis refuted Mr Raut's claim about the PM's retirement, it has sparked speculation about whether Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, who is from Nagpur and is also seen as being close to the RSS, would replace Mr Modi. A senior BJP legislator from Maharashtra said Mr Raut is trying to create a new controversy by raising this issue. “There is no discussion on PM Modi's successor. Raut is trying to create controversy over the issue. Instead, he should bother about Uddhav Thackeray's successor,” he said. This is not the first time that an Opposition leader has claimed that Mr Modi will retire once he attains the age of 75 in September. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal stated this twice during the last year amid suggestions that there is an unspoken rule in the party that anyone who turns 75 cannot hold a ministerial position. However, senior BJP leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah, have already made it clear that the BJP will fight the 2029 Lok Sabha elections also under Mr Modi's leadership. One senior leader pointed out that Union Minister and top Bihar leader Jitan Ram Manjhi is 80 years old but holds a Cabinet position in the Modi government. through nuke power Few 'powerful people' opposing Waqf legislation, says Kiren Rijiju STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 31 MARCH STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 31 MARCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday highlighted India's commitment to sustainable energy through nuclear power. In a social media post on 'X', he commended Union Minister Jitendra Singh for his insightful remarks in a newspaper article on the pivotal role of nuclear power in India's journey towards sustainability and self-reliance in energy. The PM's comment came amid reports that the US Department of Energy (DoE) has cleared an American company to build and design nuclear reactors in India. In his article, Union Minister Singh, a close aide of the PM, said nuclear power has emerged as a crucial pillar in India’s quest for a sustainable and self-reliant energy future. He observed that for India, the challenges are multifaceted. The country’s heavy dependence on imported fossil fuels not only strains the economy but also increases vulnerability to global price fluctuations. Simultaneously, as a signatory to international climate agreements, India has committed to reducing its carbon footprint significantly. Unlike intermittent renewable sources such as solar and wind, nuclear power provides reliable baseload generation regardless of weather conditions. While hydropower faces seasonal variations and ecological concerns, and coal continues to pose serious environmental challenges, nuclear energy offers a sustainable alternative. Dr Singh noted that today, India’s nuclear landscape has transformed. From a mere 4,780 MW in 2013-14, nuclear capacity has surged by over 70 per cent to reach 8,180 MW, spread across 24 operational reactors. Annual electricity generation from these plants has increased from 34,228 million units in 201314 to 47,971 million units in 2023-24. While nuclear power currently contributes approximately 3 per cent of India’s electricity generation, this figure is set to grow substantially with 21 reactors totalling 15,300 MW at various stages of implementation. Rejecting the opposition to the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday alleged that a few "powerful people" are objecting to the legislation and accused them of ''misguiding" the people. "Who are these people who are opposing this bill? There are a few powerful people who have encroached upon the Waqf properties. They are misguiding people. They are saying the bill is unconstitutional. It's everyone's right to criticise things, but criticism must have some substance in it," he said. ''Waqf rules have been in existence since before independence. All these provisions are already in existence. If the Waqf Act has been in existence since before independence, then how can it be illegal?'' he asked. Mr Rijiju alleged that innocent Muslims are being misled into believing that the government is going to snatch the properties and rights of the Muslims. ''The false things being spread by some people are very harmful for our society and the nation. I would like to request everyone to please identify those leaders who are lying. These are the people who misguided the country during the CAA. I am very proud to say that the minorities are the safest in India and they enjoy the best rights of freedom in India," he added.