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 | Monday, 06 July 2026 SPORTS WORLD PERSPECTIVE A life devoted to India’s unity and progress Trump says Iran’s nuclear programme ‘obliterated’ in US 250th Independence Day address Mbappe penalty takes France past Paraguay into quarterfinals BUSINESS Centre notifies rules of origin under India-UK trade pact Page 9 Page 10 Page 7 Page 12 High-stakes diplomacy on cards: PM to embark on Indo-Pacific tour; EAM in Gulf ASHOK TUTEJA New Delhi, 5 July I n a major initiative to expand India’s global outreach amid shifting geopolitical dynamics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a three-nation Indo-Pacific tour on Monday while External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar left on Sunday on a ten-day six-nation visit to the Gulf, the United States of America and Belgium. With the world facing an uncertain situation, especially on the energy front following the West Asia crisis and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the PM will leave tomorrow morning on a week-long visit to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand to give a major push to India’s multifaceted relationship with these nations in the Indo-Pacific. The visit comes days after Modi hosted Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in New Delhi for the India-Japan Summit, where the two leaders categorically stated that a free, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific is their shared priority. Cooperation in several key areas such as defence, maritime issues, trade, and supply chain resilience will also be high on the agenda during the PM’s visit. Senior Indian officials said the visit aims to deepen India’s ties with the three Indo-Pacific nations. Briefing reporters on the visit, Rudrendra Tandon, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said the PM will be in Indonesia from 6-8 July and Australia from 8-10 July before travelling to New Zealand for the last leg of his tour. In Indonesia, PM Modi will hold bilateral talks with President Prabowo Subianto to build on maritime security, connectivity, and ongoing defence acquisition talks. The itinerary in Australia includes meetings with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Sydney alongside a community outreach event in Melbourne. The PM will participate in the third India-Australia Annual Summit process. The conversations will cover emerging areas of bilateral relations, particularly critical minerals, cyber security, supply chain resilience, emerging technologies and so on, the official said. On the visit to New Zealand, Mr Tandon said this will be the first visit by an Indian PM in 40 years. The last Indian PM to visit New Zealand was Rajiv Gandhi. PM Modi will hold discussions with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to build on the recently signed Free Trade Agreement to boost bilateral trade. The visit to Australia is especially important since both India and Australia are Quad members along with the United States and Japan and also cooperate in forums such as G20, East Asia Summit, Commonwealth and the Indian Ocean Rim Association. Australia is a significant source of lithium, cobalt and rare earth minerals ~ resources that are increasingly important for India’s electric mobility, semiconductors and renewable energy ambitions. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Jaishankar has left for the Gulf states of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. He will be in the Gulf until 10 July before leaving for New York to launch India’s official campaign for the 2028-29 UN Security Council tenure. He will then attend the 3rd India-EU Trade and Technology Council meeting and interact with his EU and Belgian counterparts in Brussels on 14-15 July before returning home. “The visit will focus on enhancing our bilateral relations with the four countries and also provide an opportunity to exchange views on regional developments and issues of mutual interest,’’ the Ministry of External Affairs said. The visit to the Gulf states will provide Mr Jaishankar an opportunity to ascertain their views on the evolving situation in West Asia in the wake of a ceasefire between the US and Iran. Both Qatar and Oman played a significant role in bringing about the ceasefire. Chouhan releases first instalment of After Centre’s notice, Meta says it has `25,863 cr to states for VB-G RAM G zero-tolerance policy against CSAM STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 5 July Union Minister for Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday reviewed the implementation of the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) [VB-G RAM G] through a video conference with Rural Development Ministers of all states and Union Territories. During the meeting, he released the first instalment (Mother Sanction) of Rs 25,863 crore to the states for the implementation of the scheme. Addressing the meeting, Mr Chouhan said the government had resolved to implement VB-G RAM G across the country without any disruption from 1 July. The Union minister said he was happy to note that the scheme had been successfully rolled out across the country and that the transition from MGNREGA to VB-G RAM G had been smooth and seamless. “So far, no technical or operational issues have been reported,” he said. Mr Chouhan said serving poor workers is akin to serving God. The government’s objective is to ensure dignified employment, timely wage payments, and the creation of durable rural assets for rural workers, he said. The Union minister noted that while MGNREGA took nearly three years to be implemented across the country, VB-G RAM G has been rolled out nationwide in a single day. He described this as a major achievement made possible by the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the cooperation of the states, and the country’s administrative capacity. Mr Chouhan said this reflects the Prime Minister’s commitment, good governance, and effective coordination. Reviewing the initial progress, the Union minister said work had commenced in a large number of Gram Panchayats during the first week, and employment had been provided to lakhs of rural workers. He specially appreciated Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Rajasthan for generating a large number of employment opportunities on the very first day. Mr Chouhan urged Odisha and West Bengal to begin work in the remaining Gram Panchayats at the earliest and requested Jharkhand to notify the scheme and make the necessary budgetary provisions. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 5 July After receiving a stern notice from the government over reports that Instagram hosted advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM), Meta on Sunday said it maintains a zero tolerance policy towards the solicitation or sharing of such material, including through advertisements. In a statement, a Meta spokesperson said that it uses advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology to proactively detect and remove violating content while continuously strengthening its safeguards against offenders. “Meta has a zero tolerance policy for soliciting or sharing CSAM, including in ads. We use advanced AI technology to proactively detect violating content and individuals, but we are in a constant battle with criminals who hide among our 3.5 billion users and try to evade our detection," the spokesperson said. The statement comes after reports that Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw directedtheMinistryofElectronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to summon Meta officials over advertisements allegedly promoting child sexual abusethatappearedonInstagram. According to sources, the ministry is expected to seek anexplanationfromtheUS-based technology company on how such advertisements appeared on Instagram and what safeguards are in place to prevent the circulation of such content. Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is also likely to be asked to explain its advertisement review processes, content moderation systems and the measures it has adopted to detect, remove and prevent child sexual abuse-related content on its platforms. The ministry is expected to seek details on the company's enforcement mechanisms and the steps being taken to further strengthen protections against illegal and harmful content, sources had said. The development comes days after the government asked WhatsApp to defer the rollout of its username feature in India pending consultations. In response, the messaging platform clarified that usernames will be optional and said multiple safeguards have been built into the feature to prevent impersonation, scams and unwanted contact before its wider rollout later this year. One killed, several injured in Pak Rangers’ firing amid massive protests in PoK STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Srinagar, 5 July Mass demonstrations spread across Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Sunday after the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) urged supporters to take to the streets in protest against what it said was an escalating campaign of repression by the Pakistani authorities. The immediate catalyst was the arrest of several senior JAAC figures, including core committee member Shaukat Nawaz Mir, prompting the organisation to demand their unconditional release. Unverified videos also circulated on social media of Pakistani forces firing several rounds at demonstrators. The JAAC and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) PoK unit said one person was killed and several others were injured after Pakistan Rangers opened fire on protesters. Thousands of protesters gathered across towns and districts despite a heavy security deployment, underscoring mounting public discontent in the territory, under occupation by Pakistan. “Protests continue across the state in solidarity with the provision of basic rights and the Dharna in Dereh (Rawalakot). Hundreds of people, including women, participate in the protest in Charhoi,” the party said in one of its posts. “Police and Rangers’ shelling and firing on peaceful protesters at Dadyal Amb’s location. One person martyred and multiple individuals injured due to Rangers’ firing,” the party stated in a separate post. The JAAC also said that one person was killed and several others were injured after Pakistani security forces opened fire and used shelling against protesters in the area. According to the JAAC, thousands of people, including women, children and the elderly, gathered at Sardar Ghulam Hussain Khan Sports Stadium in Abbaspor as part of a wider protest movement demanding basic rights and the release of detained leaders, including JAAC leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir. The committee stated that Pakistani security forces resorted to firing and shelling to disperse peaceful demonstrators, leaving several people critically injured. The JAAC said the rallies were intended to press for fundamental civil and political rights while resisting what it termed as a massive crackdown on dissent. The protests also resonated beyond the region, with members of the Kashmiri diaspora organising solidarity demonstrations in countries including UK. Other rallies and sit-ins were reported across Pakistan-administered Kashmir, while organisers said demonstrators continued to converge on a protest venue in Dera Ismail Khan. Separately, PoK activist Amjad Ayub Mirza claimed that more than 600 JAAC workers and activists had been detained following the arrest of Shaukat Nawaz Mir and said protests against Pakistan’s actions were being organised both in PoK and abroad. Global watchdog group Amnesty International strongly condemned Pakistan's heavy-handed tactics ahead of the upcoming regional elections. Pakistan has not immediately issued any public response to the allegations made by the JAAC. (With input from agencies) Claims of Bhutan rejecting Indian E20 false, Petroleum Ministry says no proposal for exporting E20 petrol STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 5 July Naval Outreach Indian Naval Sail Training Ship INS Sudarshini sails into New York Port to represent India at the United States International Naval Review 250 and Sail4th 250 celebrations. “During the spectacular Parade of Sail along the Hudson River, the iconic three-masted barque proudly flew the Indian Tricolour, celebrating India's rich maritime heritage and centuries-old seafaring traditions,” the Ministry of Defence said on Sunday. ANI The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on Sunday said that India’s Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) never made any offer to export E20 petrol to Bhutan, and said that there is “no such proposal” on exporting E20 petrol to the neighbouring country. The ministry said that the reports of Bhutan rejecting imports of India’s E20 petrol are incorrect. In a post on Facebook, the ministry said: “Fact Check: Claims that Bhutan declined an offer to import E20 petrol from India are incorrect. No such offer has been made by the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), and there is no proposal for export of E20 petrol to Bhutan. Please rely only on official information from MoPNG and the Oil Marketing Companies.” Earlier on Saturday, Congress alleged that Bhutan, Nepal, Bangaldesh and Sri Lanka have refused India's fuel. These reports come as there have been concerns raised about the performance and reliability of the newly introduced E20 blend fuel. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting clarified in this respect that: “E20 fuel was introduced only after extensive laboratory, vehicle, and field testing by India's leading technical institutions. Science led the way, ensuring reliability, performance, and confidence on every journey.” The government has clarified that the automobile industry has been aligning vehicles with prescribed ethanol-blending standards. Use of approved E20 fuel does not automatically void the manufacturer’s warranty merely because ethanol-blended petrol is used, as per the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Ethanol blending is a scientifically designed, internationally accepted fuel formulation implemented ( In countries such as Brazil ) under India’s Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme. It is governed by established fuel quality standards and is not fuel adulteration. Extensive testing previously by ARAI, Indian Oil R&D and IIP has found no significant engine durability or performance issues with E20 in older vehicles. Millions of vehicles are already operating on E20 since 1st April 2025 (Pan rollout of E20) without any evidence of engine failure attributable to the fuel, the Ministry further said.