FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA LC | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR Tariff upon Tariff Preparations begin to ramp up aid in Gaza as ceasefire brings hope Page 6 Page 9 BRIEFLY NATION Ramesh flags concern over RTI erosion at 20-yr milestone Page 5 Mamata condemns Durgapur gang rape, orders strict action STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 12 October DGCA seeks report on AI RAT issue: New Delhi: India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has asked Boeing for a detailed report on the uncommanded deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) on Air India flight AI-117 at Birmingham earlier this month and is advising Air India to reinspect the RAT stowage on all affected aircraft, particularly those with recently replaced power conditioning modules (PCMs). A DGCA official said Boeing has been asked for a report on the RAT incident, global data on similar cases in 787s, and PCM-related issues. C hief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday strongly condemned the alleged gangrape of a medical student in Durgapur and directed the police to take strict action against the culprits. Before leaving for North Bengal, the Chief Minister expressed her anguish over the incident and questioned the safety measures in place at the private medical college where the survivor studied. “The incident is absolutely condemnable,” Miss Banerjee told reporters at the Kolkata airport. “But how did students go out of the hostel so late at night? There must be a system in the hostel. Private medical colleges also have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their students. The police cannot sit outside every house.” The Chief Minister’s remarks came two days after the shocking incident in which a second-year MBBS student from Odisha was allegedly gangraped near her private medical college in Durgapur. The student had reportedly gone out with a male classmate late on Friday night when she was allegedly dragged into the nearby jungle and assaulted by a group of men. Police have so far arrested three people and detained the male classmate for questioning. Investigators suspect that he may have had prior knowledge, and are probing his role closely. The police deployed drones to assist in combing operations around the crime site and to trace any other suspects who may have fled the area. Miss Banerjee said she had instructed the police to take uncompromising action. “I have told the police to ensure that no offender is spared. Those responsible must face Bihar polls: NDA camp finalises seat-sharing; BJP and JD-U to contest 101 seats each IMRAN MOJIB Patna, 12 October After much speculation, the seat-sharing formula within the NDA for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections has been finalised. Following discussions among all constituent parties, the JD(U) and BJP have decided to contest 101 seats each. Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has been allotted 29 seats, while Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) have been given six seats each. Sharing the details on platform ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), BJP’s Bihar election in-charge, Vinod Tawde, wrote: “A united and dedicated NDA... All members of the NDA family have amicably completed the seat distribution for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections through mutual consent. Leaders and workers of all NDA parties have welcomed this decision with enthusiasm. All partners are geared up and committed to bringing back an NDA government in Bihar.” Bihar BJP President Dilip Jaiswal, JD -U Executive President Sanjay Jha, RLM Chief Upendra Kushwaha, LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan, and other NDA leaders also posted the seat-sharing figures and expressed unity within the alliance. The formula was finalised after several rounds of negotiations, largely coordinated by the BJP’s central leadership. While the BJP and JD(U)’s seat division had been agreed upon earlier, finalisation was delayed due to demands from Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi, both of whom insisted on a certain number of seats and specific constituencies. Chirag Paswan was reportedly adamant on securing at least 30 seats, equivalent to his party’s five MPs in Parliament. Meanwhile, Mr Manjhi was reluctant to settle for fewer than 15 seats, as he sought to boost his party’s vote share to gain formal recognition from the Election Commission. A breakthrough came on Sunday afternoon when Mr Manjhi declared: “I will remain with Prime Minister Narendra Modi till my last breath.” This statement signalled reconciliation and was followed by the formal announcement of seat allocations. The decision by the BJP and JD-U to contest equal number of seats is being viewed as a symbolic partnership for the Assembly polls. However, political analysts suggest that this parity masks a deeper political reality ~ the JD-U’s declining strike rate, contrasted with the BJP’s growing influence in the state. Furthermore, the BJP’s role in determining seat allocations for the three smaller allies has sent a clear message ~ the BJP is in the driver’s seat and is poised to lead the alliance both during and after the elections. With the seat sharing concluded, the NDA allies are expected to release their lists of candidates. Intense overnight clashes between Pakistan, Afghanistan militaries UNITED NEWS OF INDIA Islamabad, 12 October Fierce overnight clashes erupted between the Afghan Taliban forces and Pakistani Rangers and Army personnel along multiple points of the Durand Line, marking the most intense surge in tensions between the two sides in months, amid constant restlessness. Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban government, said that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 30 others wounded during the Taliban’s overnight military operation along the border area, where they seized several weapons. According to Mr Mujahid, “Nine Afghan soldiers were also killed and 16 others wounded, while 20 Pakistani security outposts were destroyed,” reported Tolo News. Mr Mujaid also said the military action was halted at midnight following requests from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Tolo News reported. The Afghan Defence Ministry, meanwhile, said it carried out a “successful retaliatory operation” against Islamabad late last night, based on “accurate intelligence” as retribution for the Pakistan Air Force’s overnight Thursday bombings of Kabul and Paktika, and claimed to have killed 15 soldiers in the process. It further said that any future violation of Afghanistan’s airspace would be met with a “strong response”, noting that its armed forces were ever Monday, 13 October 2025 SPORTS WORLD EDITORIAL PAGE | vigilant and fully prepared to defend their nation’s sovereignty. As per the Pakistani military, Afghan forces targeted its border personnel in Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, Chitral, and Baram Chah, along the eastern frontier, where they claimed to have successfully repelled the “unprovoked firing” by militants. Islamabad further claimed the successful destruction of an Afghan military post in the Qila Abdullah sector, and foiling alleged attempts at infiltration in Balochistan’s Zhob, and Pishin districts. Neither side has provided any verified reports for its claims, and no independent report by any external observers on the cross-border exchanges is available. ‘Certain individuals worsening situation’ New Delhi: Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Sunday said that “a few individuals” in Pakistan are trying to worsen the situation along the border, and reiterated Kabul’s right to protect its citizens. In a press meet at the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi, Mr Muttaqi said most Pakistanis seek peace, but some individuals are straining Afghan-Pakistan ties. He said the border situation is currently “under control” and Kabul seeks only peace. • Another report: Pg. 5 the harshest punishment,” she said. The CM also used the occasion to draw comparisons with incidents of violence against women in BJP-ruled states. “When atrocities happen in places like Manipur, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar or Odisha, what action is taken there?” she asked. “In some states, rape survivors are burnt alive before they can even reach the court. Journalists are stripped and jailed. We do not support any such incident. In Bengal, there is zero tolerance for crimes against women.” Miss Banerjee further appealed to students, particularly those from other states, to exercise caution and not venture out late at night. “Many students from different states study here. I urge them not to go out at night unnecessarily. The college authorities must ensure proper safety arrangements,” she said. • More reports: Page 3 2nd Test: Campbell, Hope fifties rally West Indies Page 12 PM to skip Gaza peace summit; MoS Kirti Singh to represent India STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 12 October Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a last-minute invitation from US President Donald Trump and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to participate in an international peace summit in Sharm El-Sheikh on 13 October, aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, but will not be attending the event. Instead, the Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh (photo), will represent New Delhi at the summit, the Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed. An official spokesperson from the Egyptian Presidency stated that the summit will be jointly chaired by Mr Trump and Mr al-Sisi, with participation expected from leaders of over 20 countries, including United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and French President Emmanuel Macron. The summit’s agenda will focus on ending hostilities in Gaza, bolstering regional peace efforts, and promoting stability and security across the Middle East. On Thursday, Prime Minister Modi congratulated President Trump on the “success” of the first phase of a US-brokered peace plan. “Spoke to my friend, President Trump, and congratulated him on the success of the historic Gaza peace plan,” Mr Modi said on X. Mr Modi also discussed the Gaza peace plan with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Posting on his conversation with Mr Netanyahu, Mr Modi wrote: “We welcome the agreement on the release of hostages and enhanced humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza. Reaffirmed that terrorism in any form or manifestation is unacceptable anywhere in the world.” Israel and Hamas agreed to pause hostilities in Gaza on Thursday, a deal Mr Trump announced on his Truth Social network, saying it was the first step to “Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace”. Both sides agreed to a hostage-prisoner exchange that would free about 20 Israeli hostages believed to still be alive and the remains of others who have died.