www.thestatesman.com | FOLLOW US: India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Evolve @TheStatesmanLtd Pages 16 | @thestatesmanltd ` 5.00 | LC | People’s Parliament, Always in Session thestatesman1875 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI 8th Day The deep blue sea BHUBANESWAR | 31 August 2025 S P O RT S The Grass is Greener Page 13 | Page 11 US Open: Djokovic advances to 4th round with win over Norrie Page 16 BRIEFLY CBI court convicts three in murder case of journalist Rajdev Ranjan: PM Modi arrives in China for SCO summit, to meet Prez Xi SHAHID K ABBAS Patna: Nine years after the murder of senior journalist Rajdev Ranjan in Bihar's Siwan, the Special CBI Court in Muzaffarpur on Saturday convicted three accused while acquitting three others. On 13 May 2016, Rajdev Ranjan, then bureau chief of a leading Hindi daily, was shot dead in Siwan. He was returning from a hospital visit when assailants opened fire, hitting him with two bullets that proved fatal on the spot. His wife, Asha Yadav, lodged the FIR at the Siwan Town police station, and suspicion soon pointed towards jailed RJD strongman and former Siwan MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, though charges were later framed against other accused. PM speaks to Zelenskyy, reaffirms India’s position on peaceful settlement of ongoing conflict New Delhi, 30 August P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday arrived in Tianjin, China, to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit, marking his first visit to China in seven years. During his visit, he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other world leaders. “Landed in Tianjin, China. Looking forward to deliberations at the SCO Summit and meeting various world leaders,” PM Modi said in a post on X. The Prime Minister landed in China after concluding his two-day visit to Japan. The SCO summit is crucial for India, especially after the US imposed 50 per cent tariffs, including a 25 per cent punitive tariff on India for buying Russian crude oil. PM Modi has emphasised the importance of stable India-China relations for regional peace and prosperity. In a recent interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun, he stated that “stable, predictable, and amicable bilateral relations between India and China can have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity.” The meeting between PM Modi and President Xi Jinping will be closely watched, given the current state of the relationship between the two nations. PM Modi has reaffirmed India’s commitment to respecting sovereignty, international law, and peaceful resolution of disputes, particularly in the context of China's military expansion in the South China Sea and the East China Sea. The SCO Summit also marks a significant moment in Less than 50 weapons fired in Op Sindoor to achieve conflict elimination, says IAF AGENCIES New Delhi, 30 August The Indian Air Force has shed further light on the military operation that followed the devastating 22 April terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives. Speaking at the NDTV Defence Summit, Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari showed new footage and revealed operational details of Operation Sindoor, India’s precision strikes against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. “Planning began almost immediately after the attack. On 23 April, all three armed services convened at their respective headquarters to assess options. By 24 April, a high-level team had reviewed a range of contingency plans, many of which had been prepared in advance for rapid deployment. Tactical planning intensified over the next few days, and by 29 April, nine key targets had been finalised. The strike date was set for 5 May. Between 6 and 9 May, Indian forces executed a series of calculated strikes,” he said. According to Air Marshal Tiwari, fewer than 50 weapons were used to achieve what he described as “conflict elimination.” “The objective was clear: deliver a strong, visible response, deter future attacks, and grant the armed forces full operational freedom - even in the face of potential escalation. Pakistan responded with attempted strikes on Indian military India on track to become world’s third-largest economy by 2030 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 30 August India’s strong services activity has helped GDP growth comfortably beat expectations for the second quarter in a row, rising to an impressive high of 7.8 per cent for April-June 2025. The swift growth in the first quarter of the current financial year further consolidates India’s position as the world’s fastest growing major economy. “Currently the world’s fourth-largest economy, India is on track to become the third-largest by 2030 with a projected $7.3 trillion GDP. This momentum is powered by decisive governance, visionary reforms, and active global engagement. Notably, growth is accelerating, with real GDP expected to rise by 7.8 per cent in Q1 FY 2025-26, up from 6.5 per cent a year earlier,” government sources said on Saturday. The ascent is powered by strong domestic demand and transformative policy reforms, making India a prime destination for global capital. With easing inflation, higher employment, and buoyant consumer sentiment, private consumption is expected to further drive GDP growth in the coming months. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reflects the size and health of an economy by capturing the total value of goods and services produced within a country. Real GDP, which measures the economy’s output after removing the effects of inflation, grew by 6.5 per cent in Q1 of 2024–25. In Q1 of FY 2025-26, real GDP is estimated at Rs 47.89 lakh crore, against Rs 44.42 lakh crore in Q1 of FY 2024-25, depicting an impressive growth of 7.8 per cent. In Q1 of FY 2025-26, allied sector, comprising agriculture, livestock, forestry and fishing and mining and quarrying grew by 3.7 per cent in, up from 1.5 per cent in the prior corresponding period. The secondary sector, comprising manufacturing, electricity, gas, water supply and other utility services and construction posted strong gains, with manufacturing (7.7 per cent) and construction (7.6 per cent) both crossing the 7.5 per cent growth mark. Tertiary sector recorded a robust 9.3 per cent growth at constant prices, higher than 6.8 per cent in Q1 FY 2024-25. India’s employment has surged, with 17 crore jobs created in the past decade, reflecting the government’s focus on youth-centric policies and its Viksit Bharat vision. bases on 8, 9, and 10 May. These were met with fierce counter-attacks, targeting several Pakistani military installations,” he said. After four days of intense cross-border drone and missile exchanges, both nations reached an understanding on 10 May to end hostilities. “This is the first time since Operation Sindoor that the Air Force is speaking publicly,” Air Marshal Tiwari said, emphasising the strategic restraint and precision that defined the mission. “We boiled down to nine targets. And in less than 50 weapons, we were able to achieve conflict elimination.” Cloudburst, landslide kill at least 11 people, including five children, in J&K STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Jammu, 30 August At least 11 people, including 5 children, were killed and four are feared washed away in two separate incidents of cloudburst and landslide triggered by incessant rain on Saturday in Reasi and Ramban districts of Jammu division. In Reasi district, seven members of a family were buried under debris after their house collapsed due to a landslide in the remote Bhaddar village in the Mahore sub-division of Reasi. Bodies of those killed have been retrieved from the debris by residents of the village who initiated a rescue operation immediately after the incident. In Ramban, four people lost their lives and four others went missing after a cloudburst in the higher reaches of Rajgarh unleashed flash floods. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a telephonic conversation with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during which he reaffirmed India’s consistent position for peaceful settlement of the ongoing conflict in Europe and support for efforts aimed at the earliest restoration of peace. PM Modi is in China’s Tianjin to attend the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, beginning Sunday. In a post on X after his telephonic conversation with the Ukraine President, PM Modi said, "Thank President Zelenskyy for his phone call today. We exchanged views on the ongoing conflict, its humanitarian aspect, and efforts to restore peace and stability. India extends full support to all efforts in this direction." India-Pakistan relations. PM Modi will share the stage with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which will be the first time since Operation Sindoor in May 2025. Operation Sindoor was India’s precision military operation launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which struck nine terror camps and facilities across Pakistani Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. SSC publishes list of 1,804 ‘tainted’ teachers after SC directives STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 30 August The West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC), the sole body that holds recruitment tests for teachers, group C and D employees in state government-aided and sponsored secondary and higher secondary schools across the state, on Saturday, finally made the list of 1804 ‘tainted’ teachers from the panel of State Level Selection Test held in 2016 public by releasing their names. The WBSSC’s lawyer had assured the Supreme Court that the list of 1900 ‘tainted’ candidates would be on Friday. The WBSSC released the list four days before the deadline of 3 September set by the Supreme Court . It uploaded the list of 1804 candidates with alphabetical order in its official website at 8 p.m. giving their names, serial number Teachers belonging to Jogya Shikhika and Shikshak Adhikar Mancha hold SSC Bhawan Chalo protest demanding recruitment, in Kolkata. ANI FILE PHOTO and roll number. The commission was prompted to release the list after the apex court on 28 August directed the former to publish it on their official website in next seven days. The names of the subjects and schools with these candidates are associated as teachers have not been mentioned in the 34-page list signed by the secretary of the WBSSC.