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 | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR | Saturday, 13 December 2025 SPORTS WORLD EDITORIAL PAGE Emperor and The Raja Page 6 Zelenskyy rejects US-backed Donbas withdrawal Suryakumar admits tactical failures as India fall short in second T20I SATURDAY INTERVIEW ‘Safeguarding India’s interests vital’ Page 9 Page 7 Page 12 Cabinet clears scheme of Bengal SIR ends: 58.08 lakh conduct of Census 2027 names set to be deleted NIKHIL VYAS New Delhi, 12 December T he Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday approved the proposal for conducting Census of India 2027 at a cost of Rs 11,718.24 crore. Briefing mediapersons here about the cabinet decision, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw (photo) said the 2027 Census will cover the entire population in the country. “The Census of India is the largest administrative and statistical exercise in the world, and Census 2027 will continue this legacy with modern digital tools to ensure accuracy and efficiency,” he said. Mr Vaishnaw said the Census of India would be conducted in two phases: Houselisting and Housing Census – April to September, 2026 and Population Enumeration (PE) ~ February 2027 (For the UT of Ladakh and snowbound non-synchronous areas of UT of Jammu & Kashmir and states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, PE will be conducted in September, 2026. About 30 lakh field functionaries will complete this gigantic exercise. These enumerators will collect data using mobile applications available on both Android and iOS platforms. This marks the first fully digital Census in India’s history. The Union Cabinet has also approved a major change in India’s insurance regulations by clearing the proposal to allow 100 per cent foreign direct investment in insurance companies. The decision is part of the Insurance Amendment Bill, 2025, which will be introduced in Parliament during the ongoing session. The approval lifts the existing 74 per cent cap on foreign ownership and opens the sector to complete foreign control under regulatory supervision. The new framework enables fully foreign-owned insurers to operate in India, subject to compliance with solvency norms, investment rules and policyholder protection standards. The measure is expected to encourage technology-driven expansion, product diversification and stronger risk management practices. UNITED NEWS OF INDIA Kolkata, 12 December West Bengal’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has ended with a sweeping overhaul of the electoral database, as 58,08,202 names are set to be deleted from the draft voter list. Election Commission of India (EC) officials confirmed on Thursday that this figure, which already crossed the 50-lakh mark earlier, represents the combined count of deceased, missing, relocated, bogus, and other disqualified voters identified during the weeks-long enumeration process. While minor adjustments may occur before the draft list is published, the Commission does not anticipate any significant shift from the current number. According to ECI sources, the state has recorded 24,18,699 deceased voters, whose names will be removed from the rolls. The list of missing voters has also expanded, touching 12,01,462, after Booth Level Officers (BLOs) made at least three visits to their registered residences but still failed to trace them. As per ECI norms, any voter who remains untraceable despite repeated field visits is categorised as “missing” and marked for deletion pending further verification. The enumeration has also identified a substantial number of voters who have either shifted residence or whose names appeared in multiple rolls. A total of 19,93,087 voters have been listed under this category, and their names are being retained only at their correct addresses, with duplicate or outdated entries earmarked for removal. The Commission has further flagged 1,37,575 voters as bogus, meaning they do not qualify to remain on the rolls, and another 57,509 voters have been placed under the “other” category, all of whom will be excluded from the draft list. Officials said the magnitude of these deletions reflects the ECI’s attempt to clean the rolls thoroughly ahead of the publication of the updated draft. The draft electoral roll for West Bengal will be released on 16 December, after which voters may raise objections, report errors, or submit missing information. The Commission will hold hearings based on these complaints and verify documents before finalising the voter list. The final electoral roll is scheduled for publication on 14 February 2026, following a detailed scrutiny of each category of voters. Kerala actress assault: All six accused sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment PM Modi to kick off Bengal campaign from Matua-dominated Ranaghat on 20 Dec STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 12 December Thiruvananthapuram, 12 December The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court on Friday sentenced Sunil NS alias Pulsar Suni, the main accused in the 2017 actress sexual assault case, and five others who were convicted for the crime along with him, to twenty years of rigorous imprisonment The Ernakulam District and Sessions Court judge Honey M Varghese pronounced the sentence at 4.40 p.m. on Friday. The convicted men are Sunil NS alias Pulsar Suni (37), a history-sheeter who allegedly had close links to the film industry; Martin Antony (33), a driver with a studio in Kochi; B Manikandan (37), also a driver; Vijeesh V P, (38), an electrician; and Salim H (30), and Pradeep, (31), who were members of a bus crew. The court on 8 December found the first six accused, Sunil NS alias Pulsar Suni, Martin Antony, Manikandan B, Vijesh V P, Salim H and Pradeep, guilty in the case. Actor Dileep (P Gopalakrishnan), who was the eighth accused and alleged conspirator in the case, was acquitted of the offences charged against him by the court, which held that the prosecution could not prove the conspiracy charges levelled against him. Apart from Dileep, the court also acquitted Charlie Thomas, Sanil Kumar alias Mestri Sanil, and Sarath Nair. Charlie had been accused of providing a hideout for other accused after the incident. Sanil had faced charges of conspiring with Pulsur Suni in jail to extract money by threatening Dileep. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE As the political temperature climbs ahead of next year’s Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to launch the BJP’s Bengal campaign soon after the conclusion of the Winter session of Parliament. According to party sources, Mr Modi will address a major public rally on 20 December at Ranaghat in Nadia district ~ a region considered a stronghold of the Matua community, whose support has become crucial in Bengal’s electoral calculations. The rally is planned at Taherpur, an area with a significant population of refugees and Matua voters. Preparations at the designated ground have already begun, local sources confirmed. BJP leaders say the event will The Prime Minister will be coming on the 20 December. His rally will be held at the Taherpur ground. A few government schemes will be inaugurated. also see the inauguration of several government projects. Jagannath Chattopadhyay, the BJP’s state general secretary, said on Friday: “The Prime Minister will be coming on the 20 December. His rally will be held at the Taherpur ground. A few government schemes will be inaugurated. After the Bihar victory, he had said that the Ganga flows through Bengal as well. We believe the wave of change seen in Bihar will be reflected here too.” Mr Modi is expected to hold around ten rallies across Bengal during the election season, of which three ~ in Alipurduar, Dum Dum and Durgapur ~ are already over. The remaining seven will be held over the next few months, beginning with Ranaghat. Political observers believe the choice of Ranaghat is strategic. Along with Security forces scan high ranges across Jammu region SP SHARMA Jammu, 12 December In a bid to flush out the Pakistani terrorists from the mountains of the Jammu region, the security forces have launched a massive Operation like ‘Operation Sarpvinash’ that was launched 22 years ago on the high passes of the Poonch district. Men of the Indian Army, Central Paramilitary Forces (CAPFs) and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the J&K Police have taken positions at the high reaches of the Poonch, Rajouri, Kathua, Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar and Reasi districts to target the terrorists that are armed with sophisticated weapons, including M-4 Rifles and night vision devices, sources said. The Intelligence Bureau (IB) and other intelligence agencies are also coordinating the Operation. Northern Army Commander, Lt. General Pratik Sharma, is personally supervising the operation and has been flying to different locations to oversee the developments. The exercise is being undertaken after a series of brief gunfights with terrorists in these regions. The Basantgarh area, which is the tri-junction of the Kathua, Udhampur and Doda districts, has witnessed several terror strikes in recent months. The terrorists, who are believed to be trained in jungle warfare, managed to flee after brief encounters with security forces. It was also said that some regulars and retired soldiers of the Pakistan Army had infiltrated in these areas. Army soldiers were earlier ambushed in the frontier areas of Rajouri, Poonch and the hinterland of Kathua and Doda districts. Reports say that the security forces have taken up positions in the mountainous areas to track down the Pakistani terrorists who might move to lower places because of snowfall and chilling cold at the high reaches. The ration supplies for terrorists have already been blocked by arresting several overground workers (OGWs) operating with various terrorist outfits. Lt General Pratik Sharma, visited Kishtwar earlier this week to review the counter terrorism grid and held a detailed interaction with J&K Police, CRPF, IB and Army formations deployed in the region. He underlined that in a demanding security environment, countering emerging threats rests on the strength of unified structures, seamless intelligence sharing and synergised response across all agencies. He called for integrated planning, real-time flow of information and a resolute, joint posture to keep Jammu & Kashmir terror-free. He also visited Hari-Budha in Poonch to assess the operational readiness of units deployed in the sector. He was comprehensively briefed on the prevailing security situation and ongoing Counter Terrorism efforts. Lt. General PK Mishra, GOC White Knight Corps, along with Major General APS Bal, GOC CIF Delta, visited Gandoh in the Doda district to assess the ground situation and review operational readiness and security dynamics. The GOC encouraged the troops to stay alert, adopt forwardlooking measures and maintain a firm and consistent approach in counter-terrorist operations. They also visited locations in the hinterland to assess and strengthen ongoing efforts against terrorism. The GOC urged all ranks to remain highly alert, adopt proactive measures and maintain an uncompromising approach in counter-terrorist operations. JAGANNATH CHATTOPADHYAY, BJP(WB) GENERAL SECRETARY Thakurnagar, Ranaghat is now regarded as another key Matua belt in the state. With concerns brewing within the community over the ongoing intensive revision of electoral rolls, the BJP’s outreach aims to reassure them. Four DGCA officials fired over IndiGo chaos UNITED NEWS OF INDIA New Delhi, 12 December The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has dismissed four flight operation inspectors in connection with the recent IndiGo crisis, which led to massive flight disruptions earlier this month. In an order issued on Thursday, the aviation regulator said the officers had been released from service with immediate effect and would return to their parent organisations. The crisis erupted in the first week of December, when thousands of IndiGo flights were cancelled, severely inconveniencing passengers across the country. 5 December marked the peak of the disruption, with more than 1,500 IndiGo flights cancelled in a single day. In response, the government has set up a four-member committee to investigate the matter and has ordered IndiGo to trim 10 per cent of its winter schedule operations. Meanwhile, the airline on Friday announced that its board has approved the appointment of Chief Aviation Advisors LLC, led by veteran aviation expert Captain John Illson, to conduct an independent review and root cause analysis of the disruption. Captain Illson, who has over four decades of experience with global aviation bodies such as the FAA, ICAO, and IATA, as well as major international carriers, will spearhead the assessment. IndiGo's Crisis Management Group (CMG), constituted by the Board, had recommended bringing in an external expert to ensure a transparent and comprehensive evaluation. The review will commence immediately, and a detailed report will be submitted to the Board upon completion. "This assessment will not only identify the root causes of the disruption but also highlight opportunities for improvement," an IndiGo spokesperson said. IndiGo, meanwhile, received a tax penalty notice of Rs 58.75 crore on 11 December from the Additional Commissioner of CGST, Delhi South Commissionerate, for the financial year 2020-21, the company announced on Friday. Zubeen Garg death case: SIT submits charge sheet STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 12 December The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the death of Assamese singer Zubeen Garg in Singapore on Friday filed its charge sheet in the case at the Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court in Guwahati. The 3,500-page charge sheet was submitted by SIT member Rosy Kalita in the presence of senior officials. In its charge sheet, the SIT has charged four people, including the organiser of the North East India festival in Singapore, Shyamkanu Mahanta, with murder. Siddhartha Sharma, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, and Amritprava Mahanta are the three other associates of the late singer who have been charged with the murder. Garg's cousin and suspended police officer Sandipan Garg has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder in the SIT charge sheet. The charge sheet in the case has named a total of seven suspects, who have been charged with murder, abetment, culpable homicide, and breach of trust. Garg died under mysterious circumstances on 19 September this year in Singapore. He had gone there to attend the North East India Festival. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma alleged that it is a clear-cut murder with a shocking motive. The CM formed an SIT under Special DGP Munna Prasad Gupta to thoroughly investigate the case. The SIT questioned over 300 witnesses, conducted post-mortems, and analysed evidence from Singapore before filing a 3,500-page charge sheet. The charge sheet contains forensic findings, witness statements, digital records, and other critical material related to the investigation into the singer's death. Reacting to the development, Assam CM Sarma said: “The SIT team submitted the charge sheet before the CJM court in Guwahati...We will respect the verdict of the court.”