FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 16 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA LC | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW WB SIR: SC rejects plea against ECI training of judicial officers Sri Lanka v Pakistan BRIEFLY President flies LCH Prachand as co-pilot: New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Friday flew the indigenous light combat helicopter (LCH) Prachand as a co-pilot. She aired a message to the nation from the cockpit, expressing her elation about flying in a "Made in India" fighter chopper that symbolises the new strides in the arena of aeronautics by the self reliant India. The LCH took off at around 10:15 am from the Jaisalmer Indian Air Force (IAF) station with the proud Group Captain NS Bahuwa flying the Supreme Commander Commander of the Armed Forces in the historic sortie that lasted for around 25 minute. While flying over the historic Jaisalmer fort, the President shared a message on radio saying, "I am today flying in the indigenous Prachand combat helicopter which is a strong symbol of (India's) self reliance (Aatmanirbharta)." In the sortie, she conducted an aerial survey of the Pokhran field firing range that is in the close vicinity of the India Pakistan international border. PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 27 February T he Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain West Bengal’s objection to a training module circulated by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for judicial officers supervising the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the State, relating to the adjudication of claims and objections to the names of persons appearing in the ‘logical discrepancies’ and ‘unmapped’ categories. The Court said there was no reason for alarm and that the process must move forward. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the State government, raised the issue through an urgent mentioning. He submitted that judicial officers had been given a module indicating what documents to consider and what not to consider, despite the Court’s earlier order stating New Delhi, 27 February India is in a wait-and-watch mode following the US Supreme Court ruling on tariffs, said Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday. The minister described it as the evolving situation and asserted that the government remains committed to protecting the country's interests. While speaking at a media event, minister Goyal said, “It’s an evolving situation. The Trump administration has made some comments. They have other tools that they can use. Next week, they can increase tariffs to 15 per cent. Various dialogues are going on. I had said that if the circumstances change, the deal will be rebalanced.” The minister also reassured stakeholders that India remains committed to engagement. CJI Surya Kant said. The Court observed that the task assigned to judicial officers was not part of their usual judicial work and that some coordination by the ECI to familiarise them with the procedure was not unusual. Justice Bagchi remarked that the Court’s earlier orders were clear and that any ECI instructions could not override Earthquake jolts Kolkata, tremors felt across South Bengal UNITED NEWS OF INDIA New Delhi, 27 February Kolkata was shaken by an earthquake on Friday afternoon, with tremors felt across the city from north to south for several seconds. Residents in several high-rise buildings reported continuous shaking, triggering panic in many areas. According to the US Geological Survey, the epicentre of the earthquake was in Khulna, Bangladesh. The quake measured 5.3 on the Richter scale, with its focus at a depth of 9.8 km below the ground. India’s National Center for Seismology put the magnitude slightly higher at 5.5. In Kolkata, many people rushed out of homes and offices in fear. Employees at Nabanna, the In a wait-and-watch mode following US SC ruling on tariffs: Goyal STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE that the modalities would be decided by the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court. The Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, however, made it clear that the judicial officers would function independently. “Please do not make small excuses to stall the process. This has to end. Let judicial officers work. They will work independently,” “I can reassure all the friends in the room and all your viewers and all our countrymen that India stays committed to engaging for the best possible opportunities,” he said. Goyal noted that the opportunities negotiated with the United States were aimed at securing the best possible deal for India in terms of competitive advantage over other emerging economies and developing nations, and to open doors for greater engagement in areas of national interest. He was also optimistic about the outcome of the trade deal with the US. “There are so many positives in the US deal. Let us see how the situation moves forward. International trade deal is about competitive advantage. The sensitive dairy and farm sectors have been protected in the proposed arrangement,” he said. state’s main administrative building, hurried downstairs, while similar scenes were witnessed in offices and markets across the city. Some pedestrians initially mistook the sensation for dizziness before panic spread as others began shouting. Local residents claimed that a few old buildings tilted slightly due to the tremors, and civic authorities said the matter was being examined. Several MLAs also stepped out of the Assembly building and spoke of the fear caused by the quake. No major damage or casualties have been reported so far. Panic briefly flared in central Kolkata after reports that a multi-storey building near Ganesh Chandra Avenue had tilted. Fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot at 34A Metcalfe Street. However, some residents and locals maintained that the building had been in the same condition for a long time and denied any fresh tilting due to the earthquake. The tremors were recorded at around 1.22 pm and were felt in several districts of South Bengal. Besides Kolkata, the ground shook in East and West Midnapore, Jhargram, Howrah, Hooghly, North and South 24 Parganas, with mild tremors reported from Nadia and Murshidabad as well. them. The judicial officers have been asked to carry out tasks that are completely alien to their usual course of work and training, the Bench said. Sibal further alleged that certain identity documents permitted by earlier court orders were not being accepted, including domicile certificates issued by Sub-Divisional Officers. The Bench responded that if any document allowed under the notification or its orders was being wrongly rejected, it would examine the matter. Sibal also flagged that even the State’s Chief Secretary had been asked to establish her credentials during the SIR exercise. The Court, however, said it would not pass further directions at this stage and noted that almost the entire State judiciary had been engaged in the process. Justice Bagchi asked the ECI to ensure that supplementary electoral lists are uploaded as and when updated. | SILIGURI | Saturday, 28 February 2026 Liquor scam was a conspiracy hatched by BJP to politically finish AAP, says Kejriwal UNITED NEWS OF INDIA New Delhi, 27 February After a special CBI court issued a clean chit to Aam Aadmi Party leaders in the Delhi liquor scam case, AAP supremo and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal targeted the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, alleging a conspiracy to politically finish the party through a “fake case”. Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Kejriwal alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah attempted to “finish” him and the AAP by unleashing the ED, CBI and Income Tax Department against them, but claimed that he emerged clean each time. “They knew they would not be able to defeat us politically, and hence this fake case was made,” he claimed. He added that if Modi wanted to stop him, “there was only one way — to murder Kejriwal.” Kejriwal further said that for the past four years, the BJP had been using the term “liquor scam” against the Aam Aadmi Party to finish it politically, and that the court has now discharged them in the case. “I am thankful to the judiciary for this historic order,” he said. He stated that when institutions are allegedly under threat, the judge still delivered justice. “I appreciate the judge for having the courage to do justice,” he added. Kejriwal claimed that by misusing the ED, CBI and other agencies, a “fake case” termed the liquor scam was fabricated against them. A chargesheet was filed, and the court had to decide prima facie whether the case should proceed and whether there was sufficient material. Referring to the 600-page order, he said the court found no evidence to proceed with the matter. “This is a farzi case. These are not my words — you should read the court order,” Kejriwal said. In a significant development in the Delhi excise policy case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has approached the Delhi High Court challenging the trial court's order discharging all 23 accused, including former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. Confirming the development, the CBI's legal team stated that the agency has formally challenged the discharge order and is seeking its setting aside. PM urges industry push for Viksit Bharat 2047 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 27 February Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday outlined an ambitious, technology-driven roadmap to transform India into a developed nation by 2047, asserting that the Union Budget 2026–27 provides a strong and forward-looking foundation for achieving the goal of Viksit Bharat by the centenary of Independence. Addressing a post-Budget webinar on “Technology, Reforms and Finance for Viksit Bharat,” Modi described nation-building as a sustained and continuous mission that requires policy consistency, infrastructure expansion, and deep collaboration between government, industry, financial institutions and academia. The webinar is part of a broader consultative process aimed at gathering stakeholder feedback to ensure effective implementation of the Budget in alignment with the long-term 2047 vision. “Nation-building is a continuous process,” the Prime Minister said, emphasizing that every reform, allocation, and policy intervention must be viewed as a step toward the larger objective of a developed India. He underlined that grassroots-level execution and long-term policy stability would be critical in translating vision into measurable outcomes. Highlighting the government’s reform trajectory over the past decade, Modi said India’s economic resilience was the result of conviction-driven structural changes rather than chance. “We have simplified processes, improved the ease of doing business, expanded technology-led governance, strengthened institutions, and the country continues to ride the reform express,” he said, urging stakeholders to maintain momentum in policy transformation. PM stressed that the national Budget should not be viewed merely as a short-term fiscal exercise. “The national Budget is not a short-term accounting document; it is a policy roadmap. Therefore, its effectiveness should be assessed on solid and substantive parameters,” he said, describing the 2026–27 Budget as a strategic blueprint for long-term growth. Reiterating that infrastructure development remains central to India’s growth model, Modi noted that public capital expenditure has increased significantly over the past decade — from ₹2 lakh crore to over ₹12 lakh crore in the Union Budget 2026–27. Canadian PM Mark Carney arrives in Mumbai STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Mumbai, 27 February Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday landed at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSMIA) along with his wife Diana Fox Carney. He was received by top local officials and India’s High Commissioner to Canada with a red carpet rolled out on the tarmac to welcome his delegation's arrival on a 4-day visit. Mark Carney is on an official visit to India from February 27 to March 2, 2026 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is his first official visit to India after assuming office. “Canadian Prime Minister Carney will arrive in New Delhi on (Sunday) March 1. On March 2, the two Prime Ministers will hold delegation-level talks at Hyderabad House,” an official statement mentioned, adding that they will attend the ‘India–Canada CEOs Forum’ scheduled on March 2. After Carney's delegation arrived at CSMIA, his motorcade drove them to Hotel Taj Palace in South Mumbai's Colaba area near the Gateway of India, where he will reside during his Mumbai itinerary. India and Canada are expected to sign a comprehensive trade agreement besides a number of MoUs along with “commercial arrangement deals” to be announced during the duration of Carney’s trip, which will also see him travel to New Delhi, to meet PM Modi on March 2. Carney is also scheduled to meet Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and address the India-Canada CEO Forum in New Delhi. Government officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Carney will spend his meetings in Mumbai “to explore opportunities for partnerships” in energy and agriculture. Carney is also scheduled to begin negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) which aims to more than double the bilateral trade between India and Canada to $70 billion by 2030, officials said. Earlier, both nations had agreed to formally launch negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), building on foundations laid during last year's G20 Leaders’ Summit. The Canadian PM is scheduled to participate in separate business engagements, interact with Indian and Canadian CEOs, industry and financial experts, innovators, educators, as well as Canadian Pension Funds based in India, over the next few days. Both PM Modi and Canadian PM Mark Carney are expected to review the progress achieved to date across diverse areas of the India–Canada Strategic Partnership, building on their earlier meetings in Kananaskis (in June 2025) and in Johannesburg (in November 2025). They will also take stock of ongoing cooperation in key pillars, including trade and investment, energy, critical minerals, agriculture, education, research and innovation, and people-to-people ties, according to the statement, adding that the two leaders will also exchange views on regional as well as global developments. “Canadian PM Carney's visit to India comes at an important juncture in the normalisation of India-Canada bilateral relations. The two Prime Ministers had earlier agreed to pursue a constructive and balanced partnership grounded in mutual respect for each other’s concerns and sensitivities, strong people-to-people ties, besides growing economic complementarities,” according to an official statement. PM Carney's visit to India came amidst significant economic cooperation and in 2024, India emerged as Canada’s seventh-largest trading partner, with total two-way trade reaching USD $30.8 billion. After finishing his four-day visit to India, Carney will fly that evening to Australia to discuss cooperation on “defence and maritime security, critical minerals, trade, and advanced technologies, including AI” with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and address the Australian Parliament, before travelling to Tokyo to meet newly re-elected Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi.