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 | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI Prominent voices urge Modi, Sharif to restore ties US, Iran launch new round of mediated Doha talks to push MoU forward PERSPECTIVE 2027 delimitation must go beyond North-South talk Page 9 Modi-Takaichi summit could build new Indo-Pacific defence, economic shield JAYANTA ROY CHOWDHURY New Delhi, 1 July W and China’s growing strategic and economic heft have forced both New Delhi and Tokyo to rethink long-held assumptions about globalisation. The result is likely to be a summit focused on insulating their economies from external shocks and an attempt to build defence cooperation between the two major regional powers. “Prime Minister Takaichi, like her former mentor Shinzo Abe, realises the need to break away from the post-World War barriers to defence collabora- tions. There is a fundamental convergence of security interests ~ both economic and defence ~ for both nations… and I see that being taken forward,” Pinak R Chakravarty, former Secretary- Economic Relations in the MEA, told UNI. The agenda itself reflects that shift. Officials in both capitals have signalled that discussions will centre on semiconductors, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, clean energy, investment, innovation and digital infra- New Army Chief outlines ‘VIJAY’ vision, stresses modernisation of Army NIKHIL VYAS New Delhi, 1 July Outlining his key focus areas for the Indian Army through the acronym “VIJAY”, newlyappointed Chief of Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth stressed on Wednesday that, in view of the evolving security environment, the Army’s modernisation would be taken forward with renewed energy and firm resolve. The aim, General Seth said, would be to build a technologyenabled, future-ready Army, capable of operating effectively across multiple domains. He was speaking during a media interaction, a day after assuming charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff. Describing the Indian Army as a combat-ready and battlehardened force, the Chief of the Army Staff stated that the Army remains fully prepared and capable of meeting every challenge in the operational domain. General Seth, while addressing the media, outlined his priorities for the Indian Army. The Chief of the Army Staff called assuming the responsibility of leading the Indian Army a moment of great pride and humility for him. He reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to the ideals of “Duty, Honour and Nation First” and expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for reposing their trust in him. Paying tribute to the soldiers who laid down their lives in the service of the nation, General Seth said their courage, devotion to duty and selfless commitment would continue to inspire generations to come. General Seth outlined his key focus areas through the acronym “VIJAY,” drawing inspiration from the Defence Minister’s guidance under the Decade of Transformation. General Seth said his vision for the Army is encapsulated in the acronym ‘VIJAY’ ~ V for Vigilance, I for Innovation and Transformation, J for Jointness and Integration, A for Atmanirbharta, and Y for Yodha First ~ emphasising operational readiness, technological advancement, greater tri-service synergy, and selfreliance in defence. structure as also on defence and a possible Yen-Rupee trade deal. Despite impressive economic growth, India remains heavily dependent on imported technologies and vulnerable supply chains. Japanese investment and technological expertise offer an opportunity to accelerate domestic manufacturing in sectors that have become strategically indispensable. Cooperation on semiconductor production, critical minerals and advanced digital technologies fits neatly with India’s broader ambition to become an alternative manufacturing hub as multinational companies diversify away from over-dependence on China. Energy security has become an equally pressing concern for both nations, MEA officials pointed out. The recent crisis surrounding the Strait of Hormuz exposed just how vulnerable both India and Japan remain to disruptions in West Asian energy supplies. With both economies heavily dependent on imported hydrocarbons, coordinating energy planning has become a strategic necessity rather than merely an economic preference. That explains why discussions are expected to include contingency planning, LNG cooperation and market intelligence-sharing. The summit also marks an evolution in the India-Japan partnership on the matter of defence cooperation. New Delhi already has a defence cooperation pact of a kind with Tokyo. “There is a strong chance of a two way way collaboration in defence manufacturing,” said Dr Rajaram Panda, formerly of the Institute of Defence Studies and an expert on East Asia. Officials said Ms Takaichi, who has already held talks with her Australian counterpart, can be expected to raise a Quad or Quad-like architecture for the Indo-Pacific while talking to Mr Modi. HM Shah seeks early report from panel on demographic changes STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 1 July Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday asked the High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes to provide its recommendation at the “earliest”. Mr Shah gave the directives during a courtesy meeting with the Committee at his residence in New Delhi. The High-Level Committee informed the Union Home Minister about its decisions to visit various states and Union Territories (UTs) to get the first hand ground level details from the state governments and UT administrations and interact with various Ministries of the Central Government to receive feedbacks on subjects related to demographic changes. The High-Level Committee also informed that a detailed questionnaire has been prepared to receive relevant information from states and UTs in advance to make visits to states and UTs more meaningful and interactive. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the “High-powered Demography Mission” on 15 August 2025. Delhi notifies EV Policy 2026: Subsidies, scrapping benefits to begin immediately STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 1 July Buyers of electric vehicles (EVs) in Delhi can now start availing subsidies and scrapping incentives immediately after purchasing an EV, following the notification of the Delhi EV Policy 2026 by the Rekha Gupta-led government. The policy came into effect on 1 July 2026, after receiving the approval of the Lieutenant Governor, and will remain in force until 31 March 2030. Under the new framework, eligible applicants will receive subsidies and other benefits within 60 days of submitting their applications through a dedicated digital portal. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the policy aims to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles across the national capital, improve air quality, reduce dependence on conventional fuels, expand charging and battery-swapping infrastructure, and create a robust electric mobility ecosystem. To regulate incentives, the Transport Department will establish a Model Approval Committee to assess the eligibility of EV models. The committee will evaluate vehicles based on prescribed technical standards, eligibility criteria and operational guidelines. Only approved models will qualify for government subsidies and incentives. For charging infrastructure, Delhi Transco Limited (DTL) has been designated as the nodal agency. It will oversee the planning of public charging stations, coordinate implementation across departments, establish technical standards, operate the digital portal, and facilitate the phased expansion of public and community charging networks. DTL will also simplify the installation of charging stations through a singlewindow clearance system. To ensure effective implementation, the government will constitute a High-Level Committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary. The committee will include representatives from the Transport, Energy, Planning, Environment and Finance Departments, Delhi Transco Limited, power distribution companies (DISCOMs), and other relevant agencies. It will regularly monitor the policy's implementation and coordinate inter-departmental efforts. The Delhi Electric Vehicle Apex Committee will supervise the overall implementation of the policy, take decisions on key operational issues, recommend amendments when necessary, and advise the government on the future adoption of hydrogen and other clean-fuel technologies. The composition and terms of reference of both committees will be notified separately after approval by the Chief Minister. The policy cites the latest report of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), submitted to the Supreme Court, which identifies vehicular emissions as the single largest contributor to air pollution in Delhi, accounting for about 23 per cent during winter. The report notes that two-wheelers make up nearly 67 per cent of Delhi's total vehicle fleet, making their rapid electrification essential for reducing emissions. It also highlights that three-wheelers, commercial cars and N1 category goods vehicles have high daily usage and contribute disproportionately to urban pollution, underscoring the need for their priority electrification. In a major policy shift, the government has announced that from 1 April 2028, only electric two-wheelers will be registered in Delhi, marking a significant step towards cleaner urban mobility and improved air quality. Mbappé scores twice to tie Messi for World Cup lead with 6 goals, France beat Sweden 3-0 Page 12 Page 7 Page 5 hen Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds his summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who flew in on Wednesday, what the world will look out for will be whether Asia’s “Big 2” will manage to create an architecture of economic security and defence cooperation in an era of uncertain geopolitics disrupting markets and supply chains. Unlike earlier India-Japan summits that revolved around infrastructure projects, highspeed rail or broad strategic declarations, this meeting comes amid a series of cascading global crises that have blurred the line between economics and national security. The Trump administration’s erratic tariffs, recurring conflict in the Gulf, increased vulnerability of maritime trade routes, Thursday, 02 July 2026 SPORTS WORLD NATION | Annapurna Yojana: Bengal govt transfers money to over 1 cr women STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 1 July The West Bengal government on Wednesday transferred money directly to the bank accounts of over 1 crore beneficiaries of the Annapurna Yojana, a flagship welfare scheme aimed at the economic and social empowerment of women, and announced that a dedicated online portal will be started soon to ensure greater transparency in its implementation. Addressing a gathering after the formal launch of the scheme at the Netaji Indoor Stadium here, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said: “The scheme is a government initiative and not linked to any individual or political party.” “This is not anyone’s personal or party money. It is government money, and we believe that only eligible beneficiaries should receive the assistance,” he said. According to the state government, more than 1.6 crore women have already submitted Family Level Data Collection forms under the scheme. The data has been uploaded to the official portal, after scrutiny and digital verification. The Chief Minister said the process initially covered around 27 lakh applications before being expanded to over 16 million verified applicants. Mr Adhikari announced that 26 lakh applications had been rejected after verification. “Of the remaining applicants, financial assistance was released to 1,09,92,378 women from 1 p.m. today through direct bank transfers. It is really important that 122,628 women from the hill regions had received benefits under the scheme,” the Chief Minister said. Mr Adhikari also announced that refugees from Bangladesh who have applied under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), as well as applicants whose citizenship-related cases are pending before tribunals, would continue to receive benefits under the scheme until their cases are finally decided. Referring to the previous Trinamul Congress government’s Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, Mr Adhikari said: “The verification has revealed irregularities, including the inclusion of non-Indian beneficiaries, duplicate entries and payments made to around ten lakh men. I cannot understand how funds meant for women have been transferred to male beneficiaries.” The state government also announced that a dedicated online portal for the scheme will be launched soon. Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal said the portal, to be developed by the Department of Women and Child Development, will provide comprehensive information related to the scheme. According to Mr Agarwal, people will be able to access the portal to check the list of beneficiaries in their respective areas. The portal will also allow citizens to raise objections if they believe any listed beneficiary is ineligible to receive financial assistance under the scheme. The government believes the new system will strengthen transparency while helping identify and remove fake or ineligible beneficiaries. Officials said public participation in the verification process would further improve the accuracy of the beneficiary database. The state has already scrutinised and rejected a large number of applications during the verification process.