www.thestatesman.com | @TheStatesmanLtd FOLLOW US: India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 16 8th Day | @thestatesmanltd ` 5.00 | People’s Parliament, Always in Session thestatesman1875 KOLKATA LC | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR Evolve LUCKNOW | SILIGURI | 07 June 2026 S P O RT S Suman Kalyanpur: A serene, enchanting star in the sky of melody A summer evening by the Ganges | Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva wins French Open to claim first Grand Slam tennis title Page 15 CM, Railway Minister unveil `1 lakh cr rail push for state STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 6 June I n what is being seen as the most ambitious railway infrastructure package announced for West Bengal in recent years, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday unveiled railway projects worth nearly Rs 1 lakh crore, including a proposed Delhi-Siliguri bullet train corridor, 102 Amrit Bharat stations, 538 flyovers and underpasses, 61 new railway projects and a major expansion of the Kolkata Metro network. The announcements followed a high-level meeting at Nabanna attended by the Chief Minister, senior state government officials and a Railway Ministry delegation led by Mr Vaishnaw, marking what both sides described as a new phase of cooperation between the Centre and the KEY PROJECTS ON FAST TRACK: • Delhi-Siliguri bullet train corridor via Varanasi and Patna • 102 Amrit Bharat stations to be redeveloped across Bengal • • • • 538 flyovers & underpasses to improve rail safety and ease congestion 61 new railway projects for long-unserved regions state after years of delays in project implementation. Among the key proposals is a high-speed bullet train corridor linking Delhi and Siliguri via Varanasi and Patna. According to Vaishnaw, the corridor is expected to reduce travel time between North Bengal and the national capital to around six hours, significantly improving connectivity and 60 new Kolkata Metro train rakes over the next five years Dankuni-Surat Freight Corridor to boost freight movement economic prospects for the region. The railway minister also announced that 102 stations across the state would be redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, with work already completed at 10 stations. In addition, 538 flyovers and underpasses will be constructed across the state to improve safety and reduce Indian GM Pragg wins Norway Chess title; PM Modi lauds feat STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Chennai, 6 June Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa capped a spectacular campaign, highlighted by two victories over World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, by winning the Norway Chess 2026 title in Oslo with 18 points from 10 rounds. The tournament concluded late on Friday night with a dramatic final round, in which Praggnanandhaa secured a decisive classical victory to clinch the title. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Praggnanandhaa on his landmark victory, hailing the achievement as a testament to the young grandmaster’s exceptional talent and consistent excellence on the international stage. Facing Germany's Vincent Keymer with the white pieces, Praggnanandhaa capitalised on his opportunity and converted a crucial victory. The three points from the classical win took his tally to 18 points and secured him the championship. Wesley So, who led the standings heading into the final day, drew his classical game against Alireza Firouzja after a closely contested encounter. He later won the Armageddon tie-break to collect the additional point, finishing second with 17 points. Firouzja ended the tournament in third place with 15.5 points. In the other key game, World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen defeated reigning World Champion D. Gukesh in a classical encounter. Carlsen maintained pressure throughout a prolonged battle and concluded the tournament on a winning note. traffic congestion at railway crossings. The Centre further approved 61 new railway projects covering several areas that have remained outside the railway network for decades. These include Karimpur and Jalangi in Nadia and Murshidabad districts, Lalgarh in Paschim Medinipur, Gopiballavpur and Nayagram in Jhargram, Hili in Dakshin Dinajpur and the Sagar and Sundarbans regions of South 24-Parganas. In addition to this, Mr Vaishnaw announced the induction of 60 modern train sets over the next five years to enhance passenger capacity and comfort for Kolkata Metro. He also revealed plans for an East-West Dedicated Freight Corridor connecting Dankuni in West Bengal with Surat in Gujarat, a project expected to boost freight movement and industrial growth. • More reports: Pages 2, 3 CJP holds protest in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar: New Delhi: The youth-led satirical organisation Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) concluded its street protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi peacefully on Saturday after a day-long demonstration demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in various public examinations, including NEET, CUET, CBSE, and SSC GD. Meanwhile, six individuals were detained after police received inputs about a possible confrontation between opposing groups. Officials said the detentions were precautionary and helped maintain law and order. The protest, led by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, drew hundreds of supporters. Shreyas replaces SKY as India’s new T20I captain, Sooryavanshi earns maiden call-up TRIDIB BAPARNASH New Delhi, 6 June Out of the national T20I set-up since December 2023, star batter Shreyas Iyer has been appointed as India’s new T20I captain, replacing two-time World Cup winner Suryakumar Yadav, who has been dropped from the squad for the upcoming series in Ireland and England. The selectors have also handed a maiden senior call-up to 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (photo) as they begin building towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the next T20 World Cup. Tilak Varma has been elevated to vice-captain, replacing Axar Patel in the leadership group. Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravi Bishnoi and Prince Yadav have also been included in the squad. Rinku Singh and Kuldeep Yadav miss out, while Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah have been rested. The Ireland and England tour marks India’s first T20I assignment since Suryakumar led the side to a successful defence of the T20 World Cup title in March. However, with the next T20 World Cup scheduled for 2028, the selectors have opted to move in a different direction. As reported by The Statesman earlier, questions over Suryakumar’s place emerged after a modest T20 World Cup campaign, where he scored 242 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 136.72, followed by a disappointing IPL 2026 season in which he managed only 270 runs in 13 innings at an average of 20.76 and a strike rate of 147.54. What worked in favour of Iyer, despite being out of the national T20I side for the past two years was his leadership record in franchise cricket. The 31-year-old captained Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024 and guided Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings to IPL finals in 2020 and 2025 respectively. He also enjoyed productive seasons with the bat, scoring 604 runs at a strike rate of 175.07 in IPL 2025 and 498 runs at 168.81 in IPL 2026. The biggest talking point from the squad announcement was the inclusion of Sooryavanshi, who becomes the youngest player selected in an India men’s squad since Sachin Tendulkar. The Bihar teenager forced his way into contention after a sensational IPL season, scoring 776 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 237.30 to finish as the tournament’s leading run-scorer. Before joining the senior setup, Sooryavanshi will feature for India A in the tri-series in Sri Lanka involving Afghanistan A and Sri Lanka A from 9 to 21 June. If he debuts in Ireland or England, he will become the first Indian male cricketer to make his international debut before turning 16. Tendulkar made his Test debut at 16 years and 205 days and his ODI debut at 16 years and 238 days, while Washington Sundar remains India’s youngest men’s T20I debutant at 18 years and 80 days. India will play two T20Is against Ireland in Belfast on 26 and 28 June before travelling to England for a 5-match T20I series from 1 to 11 July. PM Modi reviews economic resilience strategy amid West Asia uncertainty SHAHID K ABBAS New Delhi, 6 June Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday chaired a meeting of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, holding extensive deliberations on India’s economic transformation, long-term development priorities and strategies to sustain growth amid rising global uncertainty triggered by the tensions in West Asia. Sharing details of the meeting in a post on X, PM Modi said: “Chaired a meeting of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. Deliberated on a wide range of issues relating to India’s economic transformation and long-term development priorities. Also shared perspectives on adding more momentum to the reforms journey and ensuring ‘Ease of Living’ as well as ‘Ease of Doing Business.’” The review meeting comes at a time when geopolitical tensions in West Asia are raising concerns over global trade flows, energy supplies and financial market stability. Against this backdrop, the meeting focused on assessing the potential impact of external shocks on India’s economy and identifying measures to strengthen resilience while maintaining the country’s strong growth momentum. According to officials familiar with the discussions, the council undertook a comprehensive assessment of risks arising from the conflict in West Asia, particularly its implications for crude oil supplies, international shipping routes and global commodity markets. Given the region’s strategic importance to India’s energy security and maritime trade, policymakers examined contingency measures to minimise disruptions and protect domestic economic stability. The Prime Minister is understood to have emphasised the need for preparedness in the face of a volatile international environment, stressing that India must continue advancing its development agenda despite global challenges. The discussions centred on safeguarding supply chains, containing inflationary pressures and ensuring that economic growth remains on a stable trajectory. The meeting also reviewed the outlook for inflation and the possible effects of higher energy costs, rising freight charges and supply-chain bottlenecks on the domestic economy. A key theme of the discussions was the strengthening of domestic capabilities through greater self-reliance, energy diversification and infrastructure development. Officials pointed to the government’s ongoing efforts to reduce dependence on imported fuels through expanded renewable energy capacity, nuclear energy investments and initiatives such as the PM Surya Ghar rooftop solar programme.