FRIDAY 11 JULY 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘COLONISATION PRODUCED CLERKS, NOT THINKERS’ NITISH EXPANDS 35 PC QUOTA FOR WOMEN ACROSS ALL ROLES P5 SENSEX 83,190.28 q345.80 WEATHER GENERALLY CLOUDY SKY. VERY LIGHT TO LIGHT RAIN ACCOMPANIED WITH THUNDERSTORM/LIGHTNING. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 32 AND 24 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: 017.1 Mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 100 % TEMPERATURE P4 NIFTY 25,355.25 q120.85 P8 ` vs $ 85.76 GOLD `99,830 THUMBNAILS A view of the Taj Mahal amid rain during the monsoon season in Agra on Thursday. nANI Allahabad HC upholds UP govtÊs school merger initiative: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has once again upheld the constitutionality and public interest value of the Uttar Pradesh government’s school merger initiative for primary and upper primary schools.This decision provides significant judicial support to the Yogi government’s education reforms, especially in its efforts to enhance education quality and ensure optimal use of resources. SILVER `108,500 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 68.88 Court asks ECI to consider Aadhaar, ration card, voter ID as valid proof NEW DELHI, 10 JULY Min: 23.0 °C (4.3) SUN SETS 19:22 hrs MOON SETS 06:37 hrs P12 SC refuses to stay Bihar PM returns to Delhi after electoral roll revision successful five-nation tour PARMOD KUMAR Min. 79 % Max: 30.6 °C (-4.9) SUN RISES 05:32 hrs MOON RISES 20:06 hrs THAROOR DESCRIBES ‘GILL'S DECISIONS EMERGENCY AS ‘DARK HAVE BEEN CHAPTER’ MEASURED ONES’ T he Supreme Court on Thursday declined to stay the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the State Assembly elections slated for November 2025, but asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to consider accepting Aadhaar, ration cards, and voter ID cards as valid proof of identity. A vacation Bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, while hearing a batch of petitions challenging the ECI’s 24 June directive, said the Commission must provide reasons if it chooses not to accept these widely held documents. “After going through the documents, ECI has pointed out that the list of documents for verification of voters includes 11 documents and is not exhaustive. Thus, in our opinion, it would be in the interest of justice if Aadhaar card, EPIC (voter ID), and ration card are included. It is for the ECI to still decide whether it wants to accept Woman tennis player ‘shot dead’ by father these documents. If not, it must give reasons,” the Bench stated. Posting the matter for further hearing on 28 July, the court granted the ECI time till 21 July to file its reply. The petitioners can file their rejoinder by 28 July. While noting that the petitioners had not pressed for an interim stay on the process, the court framed three key questions for adjudication. “We are prima facie of the opinion that there are three questions: Powers of ECI to conduct the process, the procedure to exercise the powers and the timeline which is very short and election due in November and notification will come in advance," the vacation bench said in its order, spelling out the issues on which the arguments will be advanced by both the sides. The court questioned the rationale behind the exclusion of Aadhaar and EPIC from the list of acceptable identity proofs. “Suppose I want a caste certificate. I show my Aadhaar card and get it. So Aadhaar is accepted there. But not here? This entire exercise is about identity,” Justice Dhulia remarked. Justice Bagchi added: "Since Aadhaar is accepted for inclusion under Section 23, it should be included here as well. Your list includes documents like matricula- tion certificate ~ all identity related." Under the SIR, voters not included in the 2003 rolls must now furnish proof of citizenship. Those born after December 2004 must also provide documents of both parents, and if a parent is a foreign national, their passport and visa at the time of the applicant’s birth must be submitted. Petitioners, including NGOs like the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), and public figures like TMC MP Mahua Moitra, RJD MP Manoj Jha, and activist Yogendra Yadav, have argued that the directive violates Articles 14, 19, 21, 325, and 326 of the Constitution. They contend it also contravenes the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and Rule 21A of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. The Court’s direction now puts the onus on the ECI to explain its stand if it chooses not to consider Aadhaar, voter ID, or ration cards as acceptable proof ~ documents already deeply embedded in the administrative machinery. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 10 JULY Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday returned to New Delhi after concluding a highly productive and successful five-nation tour to Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia. The tour, which began on 5 July, saw PM Modi engage in high-level diplomatic meetings, address foreign parliaments, and strengthen India's global presence. PM Modi delivered 17 speeches to foreign parliaments, matching the cumulative record of all Congress Prime Ministers before him. PM Modi was conferred with Ghana's highest national honour, dedicating it to the enduring friendship and shared values between India and Ghana. He received Namibia's highest civilian award, symbolising the deep-rooted friendship between India and Namib- ia. PM Modi was also conferred with Brazil's highest civilian honour, recognising his efforts to deepen ties between India and Brazil. PM Modi emphasised India's commitment to democratic values, technological partnerships, and shared aspirations in health and digital infrastructure. PM Modi's visit underscored India's renewed connections with nations in Africa and the Caribbean, as well as its growing influence among the Global South. During his tour, PM Modi addressed the Namibian Parliament, receiving a standing ovation for his remarks on democratic values and cooperation. He also met with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, discussing ways to deepen India-Namibia ties. PM Modi has addressed a diverse set of legislative bodies, including the US Congress in 2016 and 2023, Uganda in 2018, the Maldives in 2019, and Guyana in 2024. PM Modi's tour highlights India's evolving presence in global diplomacy, with a focus on partnership and progress. HCA president arrested for IPL scam, Azhar calls for disbandment of HCA Floods, landslides: Govt to grant over `1,000 cr to 7 states STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE The Centre has approved the release of Rs. 1,066.80 crore to flood and landslides-affected states of Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Kerala, and HYDERABAD, 10 JULY STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 10 JULY A 25-year-old woman tennis player based in Gurugram, Haryana, was allegedly shot dead by her father on Thursday. It is said that her father allegedly shot at her following a heated argument, and he has been taken into custody by the police. The incident happened at around 10.30 a.m, where the deceased was hit by three bullets that were fired at her from a licensed firearm. It is said that the father and daughter had a heated argument with regard to the tennis academy which was being run by the victim. She was rushed to a private hospital following the incident, but succumbed to the gunshot injuries. The police have seized the weapon involved in the offence, while further investigation is being conducted, including forensic examination and others. Family members of the deceased are also being questioned by the police over the incident and the situation between the fatherdaughter duo. Telangana CID has arrested five people, including the president of Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), A Jagan Mohan Rao, for forgery of documents and misappropriation of funds following an IPL ticket scam. Chief minister A Revanth Reddy had ordered a CID inquiry after IPL franchisee Sunrisers Hyderabad had threatened to move out of the city and choose a different venue for the rest of the IPL season after alleging harassment by HCA for complimentary tickets, particularly by the HCA president. Apart from Mr Rao, the CID arrested the treasurer of HCA, JS Srinivasa Rao and CEO Sunil Kante along with C Rajendra Yadav and his wife, G Kavitha. Following the arrest, former cricketer and ex-HCA president Mohammad Azharuddin called for the disbandment of the current HCA administration. According to a statement issued by CID, the probe revealed that the HCA president gained entry into the association through forged documents, which were procured through C Rajendra Yadav and his wife, C Kavitha, who were the general secretary and president of Sri Chakra Club, respectively. They forged the signature of Sri C Krishna Yadav, who is the president of Gowlipura Cricket Club. “These forged documents were used as genuine, enabling A Jagan Mohan Rao to dishonestly gain entry into HCA as president,” stated CID. The investigators found Mr Rao had colluded with the other accused persons, namely treasurer CJ Srinivas Rao and HCA CEO Sunil Kante and misappropriated public funds and also intimidated and blackmailed officials of Sunrisers Hyderabad over complimentary tickets and access to corporate boxes and threatened them with dire consequences. The five accused were arrested by the CID yesterday evening. The demand for complimentary tickets for IPL matches made by HCA over and above the 3900 passes already given by the franchisee was allegedly linked to black marketing, denying genuine cricket fans. ‘Not a flying coffin’: Ex-IAF Jaguar pilots back upgrades amid fleet fears PARWINDER SANDHU NEW DELHI, 10 JULY Amidst the rising concerns about the aging fleet of Jaguars operated by the Indian Air Force, former fighter pilots have come to its defence, claiming that it is a safe machine which is being constantly upgraded to deliver to its optimum potential. On Wednesday the IAF lost two pilots, Squadron Leader Lokender and Flight Lieutenant Rishi Raj Singh, after a twin-seater Jaguar trainer aircraft crashed in Banoda village in the Churu district of Rajasthan. Notably this is the third Jaguar crash in 2025. In March an IAF Jaguar crashed in Ambala during a routine training sortie after encountering a system malfunction. In April, a Jaguar two-seater crashed in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The crash left one pilot dead while the other escaped with grievous injuries. Initially inducted into the Indian Air Force in the late 70s, the British-French fighter bomber comes in two variants- single seater and twin seater. Speaking with The Statesman, Air Vice Marshal Sanjay Bhatnagar (retd.), a former Mig pilot, said that Jaguars are built to be flown at low levels, thus giving them an edge during the strike oper- ations. “Until and unless a complete check of the aircraft is undertaken coupled with the reccee of the flight route, a go ahead is not given for the flight. The place where the mishap took place has been earmarked specifically as the low flying zone to carry out the trainee sorties.” Adding that the Jaguars have maintained a good track record in terms of deliverability, the retired officer said the recent spate of accidents should not lead to the aircraft getting the label of a ‘flying coffin’. “Those calling Jaguars as the next flying coffin have no idea how flight checks are undertaken. Even though aircraft systems are old, they are always being upgraded. Even the ammunition carrying capability has also been upgraded by HAL keeping in mind the changing needs. IAF has the highest reliability record when it comes to flight safety. Recently, it dominated Operation Sindoor and is backed up with the best instruments of military power to be used in national security.” Stating that by jumping to conclusions even before the enquiry into the crash is completed, the critics are doing a disservice to the nation, Air Vice Marshal Sunil Jayant Nanodkar (Retd.), a former Jaguar pilot, stated that the age of the aircraft is immaterial as it is routinely upgraded and maintained. However, calling for the military budget to be enhanced on an urgent basis to procure the latest equipment and upgrade the existing ones, the veteran pilot said that to protect the borders certain number of fighter squadrons are required. “Unfortunately, the numbers are dwindling and we are left to fight with what we have,” he said. “All over the world Jaguars have been phased out and we are the only ones who are operating them in large numbers. Over the years, Jaguars have been upgraded from flying at low levels to high levels. Its weaponry system has also undergone an upgrade. But, they are ideally designed to fly in cooler climates unlike the hot and humid conditions we have in our country,” he said. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 10 JULY Uttarakhand. Among the six floodaffected states, Assam received Rs. 375.60 crore, Manipur-Rs. 29.20 crore, Meghalaya-Rs. 30.40 crore, Mizoram- Rs. 22.80 crore, Kerala-Rs. 153.20 crore and Uttarakhand-Rs. 455.60 crore as the central share from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), an official release said on Thursday. These states have been affected due to extremely heavy rainfall, floods and landslides during the southwest monsoon of this year.