India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 16 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | BHUBANESWAR | MUMBAI | LUCKNOW Amid global conflicts, India promotes peace: Prez Murmu Protesters demand immigration agents leave Minneapolis after man shot & killed in crackdown EDITORIAL PAGE Apple and China Page 11 Page 5 Page 8 Posthumous Vibhushan for VS, Dharmendra NIKHIL VYAS New Delhi, 25 January Lalu passes the baton to Tejashwi: Patna: Tejashwi Yadav was unanimously appointed as the National Working President of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) at an important meeting of the party’s National Executive held in Patna on Sunday. RJD National General Secretary Bhola Yadav made the proposal to appoint Tejashwi Yadav as the National Working President. After detailed deliberations, all delegates and senior leaders approved it unanimously. Page 5 V eteran actor Dharmendra and and the former Kerala Chief Minister, V S Achuthanandan, have been chosen for the Padma Vibhushan posthumously on the eve of the 77th Republic Day. Late JMM founder and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren, singer Alka Yagnik, tennis maestro Vijay Amritraj, and Malayalam superstar Mammottty are among the recipients of the Padma Bhushan. The Union Government on Sunday announced a list of a total of 131 Padma Awards. The list includes several prominent figures from public life, arts, cinema, literature, sports and public affairs. The Padma awards are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines/fields of activities, viz., art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. ‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service of high order, and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field. Among the recipients of the Padma Shri are India women's cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar, former Indian men's cricket team captain Rohit Sharma, space scientist A.E. Muthunayagam, veteran theatre actor Anil Kumar Rastogi, Karnataka social activist Anke Gowda, who built India's largest free personal library of over 20 lakh books, acclaimed actor Satish Shah (posthumous), women's hockey player Savita Punia, and Tollywood legend PM Modi urges Indian industry, start-ups to embrace quality as India emerges as global innovation leader STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 25 January Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called on Indian industry and start-ups to make quality and excellence their core focus, declaring that the era of “somehow it works” is over as India rises to become the world’s third-largest start-up ecosystem. In the 130th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' and the first broadcast of 2026, PM Modi tied India’s swift economic progress to civic responsibility, innovation, and people-driven social change, ahead of Republic Day on 26 January. “India’s economy is advancing rapidly, and the world is watching us,” he said. “At this critical moment, we have a great responsibility ~ quality, quality, and only quality. Let excellence become our standard.” He began by marking National Voters' Day on 25 January, emphasising voting as both a privilege and a constitutional duty. PM Modi encouraged young Indians to celebrate becoming voters with the same enthusiasm as birthdays and called on first-time voters to register promptly and celebrate voting in their communities. Reflecting on the launch of the Start-up India initiative in 2016, the Prime Minister highlighted the transformation in India’s innovation landscape over the past decade. Indian start-ups are now active in fields such as artificial intelligence, space technology, green hydrogen, and biotechnology-sectors previously unimaginable. “Today, India ranks as the third-largest start-up ecosystem globally,” PM Modi said, applauding young entrepreneurs for their boldness and historic achievements. He reiterated his “Zero Defect, Zero Effect” vision, emphasising that Indian products-from textiles to electronics and packaging-must be synonymous with world-class quality to realise the goal of a developed India. The broadcast also spotlighted community-led initiatives, praising efforts like the revival of the Tamsa river in Uttar Pradesh, reservoir restoration and afforestation in Andhra Pradesh, a community kitchen in Gujarat, and an anti-addiction campaign in Jammu and Kashmir. “ This spirit of public participation is our nation’s greatest strength,” PM Modi said. He noted evolving cultural trends among youth, welcoming the rise of “bhajan clubbing” as a creative fusion of modernity and spirituality that preserves devotional music. PM Modi also lauded environmental efforts, including Swachh Bharat campaigns in the northeast, urban recycling drives, and individual environmental champions documenting medicinal plants. Page 7 Mark Tully, ‘Voice of India’, dies at age 90 UNITED NEWS OF INDIA New Delhi, 25 January Kolkata-born Sir William Mark Tully, or ‘Mark Tully’ as he was popularly known while covering India for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), died on Saturday in a private hospital in New Delhi. He was 90 years old. Over the last six decades Tully became one of the most trusted and recognisable chroniclers of India for generations of radio listeners. Tully served as chief of bureau for the BBC in India for 22 years and became a household name here for his objective, in-depth and authentic reporting. As a reporter he covered momentous events like the 1971 India- Pakistan War, imposition of Emergency, Bhopal gas tragedy, ‘Operation Blue Star’, the assassination of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and later Rajiv Gandhi, and thedemolition of the Babari Masjid. After resigning from the BBC in 1994 he continued to work as a freelance journalist and broadcaster, choosing to remain in New Delhi, the city SILIGURI | Monday, 26 January 2026 SPORTS WORLD NATION | he considered his home. Tully authored several critically acclaimed books including ‘India in Slow Motion’, ‘The Heart of India’, ‘India’s Unending’, ‘Non-Stop India’ etc. A highly respected broadcaster, he was the recipient of the Indian government’s civilian honours ~ Padma Sri and later Padma Bhushan ~ and he was also Knighted by the British government for his services as a journalist. Even after resigning from thr BBC he hosted the channel’s radio programme ‘Something Understood’ till 2019. Born on 24 October 1935, in Tollygunge, in what was then Calcutta, to British parents, Tully spent his earliest years in India before being sent to England for his education. He studied at prestigious institutions ~ Marlborough College and later Trinity Hall, Cambridge. However, India never receded into the background of his imagination. In 1964, he returned as the BBC’s India correspondent, beginning an association with the country that would shape the rest of his professional and personal life. Prosenjit Chatterjee. Congratulating all the Padma Awardees for their outstanding contributions to the nation, PM Modi has said the excellence, dedication and service of the awardees across diverse fields enrich the fabric of society. He noted that the honour reflects the spirit of commitment and excellence that continues to inspire generations. The other awardees of the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest national award, are K T Thomas (Public Affairs), classical violinist N Rajam (Art), and P. Narayanan (Literature and Education). Padma Bhushan awardees include former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. US-based Dr Nori Dattatreyudu, late advertising maestro Piyush Pandey, businessman Uday Kotak, veteran BJP leader and former MP V.K. Malhotra, and influential Kerala community leader and SNDP Yogam supremo Vellappally Natesan. Djokovic, Sabalenka and Alcaraz storm into Australian Open quarterfinals Page 16 Hindu man burnt alive in B’desh; suspect caught on CCTV STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 25 January A Hindu man was burned a l ive i n B a n g l a d e sh’s Narsingdi amid rising violence against minorities ahead of the February 12 elections. The victim has been identified as Chanchal Bhowmik, in his early 20s. According to reports, Bhowmik was asleep in a garage when the fire broke out. While local authorities said that they were investigating whether the fire was accidental or the result of any criminal conspiracy, Bhowmik’s family has alleged that it was a premeditated murder. The incident occurred on Friday night near the M o s q u e M a r ke t a re a , adjacent to the Narsingdi Pol i c e L i n e s. C i t i n g eyewitnesses and sources, reports claimed that the assailant poured petrol on the garage’s shutter when Chanchal Bhowmik was asleep and set it on fire. Professor from Jaunpur stabbed to death in Mumbai; accused arrested Jaunpur: A 30-year-old professor, Dr. Alok Kumar Singh, a native of Padarchha village in Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh, was stabbed to death at Malad railway station in Mumbai following a dispute while deboarding a local train on Saturday evening. The accused has been arrested by the Government Railway Police (GRP) with the help of CCTV footage, police said on Sunday. Singh was the son of Anil Kumar Singh, a commando deployed in the security of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. He was working as a professor at NM College in Vile Parle, Mumbai. According to official sources, Singh was returning home from college by local train.