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 | Why Trump ~ and others ~ must read Hemingway US expands strikes into northern Iran Page 6 BRIEFLY Wangchuk weak but stable on 19th day of indefinite fast: New Delhi: Sonam Wangchuk on Thursday completed the 19th day of his indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, with doctors stating that he remains weak but clinically stable under continuous medical supervision as political support for the movement against alleged examination irregularities gathered momentum. According to the latest medical assessment, Wangchuk’s weight has fallen to 56.90 kg, reflecting a loss of more than 9 kg since the beginning of his fast. His blood pressure was recorded at 101/65 mmHg, pulse at 72 beats per minute, oxygen saturation at 98 per cent, and random blood sugar at 89 mg/dL. The attending medical team said he “remains conscious, mentally alert and clinically stable,” adding that he is “extremely weak and continues to remain under 24hour medical supervision and close observation due to the prolonged fast.” Page 5 New Delhi, 16 July Expressing concern over the academic pressure faced by students at the secondary school level, the Supreme Court on Thursday suggested that a third language should be taught from Class V or VI and not for the first time in Class IX, when students are Page 12 Page 9 One devotee killed, over 100 injured during Rath Yatra STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Puri, 16 July A t least one devotee died and more than 100 others were injured during the Rath Yatra in Puri on Thursday, apparently amid severe overcrowding near Marichikot Chhak. According to sources, the deceased is suspected to have died of suffocation amid heavy jostling as lakhs of devotees gathered on the Grand Road. More than 100 injured devotees were admitted to hospitals, while two critically injured persons were shifted to Bhubaneswar or Cuttack for advanced treatment. A statement issued by the state Chief Minister’s Office later in the day stated that no incident of stampede or any systemic breakdown of crowd management had occurred. The huge gathering of devotees and the continuous rainfall resulted in instances of fatigue, dehydration, suffocation and minor health-related discomfort were reported. One male devotee aged above 60 years unfortunately succumbed, it said. In an unrelated incident, a male devotee aged above 35 years suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away, the statement said. During the day, lakhs of devotees thronged the Grand Road, braving incessant rain and long delays to witness the world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. The annual festival witnessed delays in rituals, with the pulling of the chariots beginning only after 5 p.m. Lord Balabhadra’s Taladhwaja chariot moved first, followed by Devi Subhadra’s Darpadalan, while Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosh began its journey around 7.15 p.m. As the procession could not be completed before night- SC suggests third language from Class VI, not Class IX; questions TN on Navodaya schools PARMOD KUMAR Friday, 17 July 2026 Argentina’s late fightback sets up Spain showdown WORLD Page 7 Beyond hype | SPORTS PERSPECTIVE EDITORIAL SILIGURI already under considerable academic stress. The observations were made by a Bench headed by Justice B V Nagarathna and also comprising Justice R Mahadevan during the hearing of the Tamil Nadu government’s appeal against the Madras High Court’s direction to establish a Navodaya Vidyalaya in every district of the State. The issue arose after counsel informed the Court that in CBSE schools the third language was being introduced only from Class IX. Observing that students begin facing academic pressure from the end of Class VIII, the Bench remarked that introducing a new language at the Class IX stage only added to that burden. It suggested that if students were to learn a third language, it would be appropriate to begin at the middle-school level so that the learning process is completed before they enter the crucial secondary stage. During the hearing, the Bench also questioned the Tamil Nadu government’s oppo-sition to the establishment of Navodaya schools in the state. Justice Nagarathna observed that the Union government bears the expen- diture for these institutions and the state is only required to provide land. She wondered why students in Tamil Nadu should be deprived of the benefit of Navodaya schools when they are functioning across the country, and cautioned against opposing them merely because they are institutions established by the Union government. On the request of the State government, the Court adjourned the matter to 11 August. While granting time, the Bench noted that a new government had assumed office in Tamil Nadu and observed that it may wish to review its policy on the issue. At the same time, the Court remarked that although the state was free to pursue its own education policy, it should not stand in the way of establishing Central government schools in Tamil Nadu. fall, all three chariots halted on the Grand Road and will resume their journey to the Gundicha Temple on Friday. The delay reportedly began during the Pahandi ‘ceremonial procession’ of the deities from the Jagannath Temple to their chariots. While Sudarshan, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra were out as per schedule, Lord Jagannath’s procession was delayed due to heavy rain and congestion on the Baisi Pahacha (22 steps). Despite the prolonged wait and adverse weather, devotees remained steadfast, chanting “Jai Jagannath” and “Hari Bol” as conch shells and traditional musical instruments filled the air. Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, several Ministers, MLAs and senior BJP and RSS leaders attended the festival and offered prayers as they touched the ropes of Nandighosh. CM defends move to have ISKCON supply school meals STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 16 July Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday defended the state government's decision to entrust the implementation of the Mid-Day Meal scheme to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), saying the move was aimed at ensuring nutritious, hygienic and corruption-free meals for schoolchildren. Speaking at the Rath Yatra celebrations organised by ISKCON at its Albert Road temple in Kolkata, the Chief Minister said the BJP government had partnered with the organisation to strengthen welfare initiatives and improve the quality of meals served under the flagship school nutrition programme. After offering prayers before the deities of Radha-Madhav and performing the ceremonial “aarti”, Mr Adhikari formally inaugurated this year’s Rath Yatra celebrations. Addressing the gathering, he praised ISKCON’s longstanding contribution to social service and justified the government’s decision to involve the organisation in the Mid-Day Meal programme. The government's decision has triggered a political and public debate since it was announced, particularly over concerns that ISKCON’s vegetarian menu does not include eggs, raising questions about the nutritional needs of children enrolled in government schools. Educationists and public health experts have argued that eggs are an important source of protein for students from economically weaker families and sought clarity from the government on how nutritional requirements would be met. Responding to the criticism, the Chief Minister said the objective of the Mid-Day Meal scheme extended beyond merely providing food. “The primary goal is to ensure that every child receives a wholesome and nutritious meal," Mr Adhikari said. “Most beneficiaries of the scheme come from middleclass, lower-middle-class and economically disadvantaged families. Children from affluent families generally do not depend on this programme. Therefore, providing nutritious food is essential to combating malnutrition.” He stressed that meals must be prepared and distributed under strict hygiene standards and asserted that there should be no scope for corruption in the programme. (Photo by Biswajit Ghoshal) Govt tightens Isro exit rules amid ‘exodus’ of scientists STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 16 July The Department of Space (DoS) recently issued a directive to all the major space research centres of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) tightening rules on voluntary retirement and resignations. The government’s action came amid reports that more than 100 senior scientists and engineers have left the agency in recent months. The memorandum, issued on 14 July, was signed by SR Rajashekar, Joint Secretary (Personnel), Department of Space. “Of late, it is noticed that there has been spate of requests for voluntary retirement and resignation from Group ‘A’ Scientific/Technical personnel of ISRO including those associated with the prestigious Gaganyaan and other important missions/projects severely impacting the implementation of projects of national importance,” the memorandum said. “In view of this, it has been decided that voluntary retirement and resignation requests from Scientific & Technical personnel associated with the Gaganyaan and other important Mission/Projects may not be accepted as a matter of routine,” it added. The memorandum was issued to major centres such as the UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) and the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). The centres have been informed that all the requests received from scientific or technical personnel, including from those of and below the rank of scientist and engineer, needs to be sent to the Department of Space with “clear recommendations” of their directors to take a final decision on the matter. With this order, the government reverses the major administrative change from 2020 that earlier allowed ISRO centre directors as well as heads to accept voluntary retirement and resignation requests from Group A scientific and technical personnel up to scientist/engineer-SG level. Among the centres that have received the directive include the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), ISRO Telemetry, the Space Applications Centre (SAC), Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC). The latest directive came amid reports that more than 100 personnel have left the Indian space agency in recent months, with maximum resignations witnessed at the URSC in Bengaluru and the VSSC in Thiruvananthapuram. Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh, however, said the Isro memo was issued “for administrative reasons” and not because of any other factor. (Representational image) BIMSTEC national security czars discuss ways to combat terrorism, organised crime Congress unveils aggressive Monsoon Session strategy, targets Modi govt on corruption, economy, national security , key bills STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 16 July National security leadership of the BIMSTEC nations on Thursday discussed practical and result-oriented solutions to combat terrorism and organised crime. National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval hosted National Security Advisers and Heads of Delegations from other member states, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand at the 5th meeting of the BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs held in New Delhi on Thursday. BIMSTEC bridges South Asia and Southeast Asia, two of the most significant and vibrant regions of the Indian Ocean. Over the years, BIMSTEC has deepened cooperation in regional security, disaster management, transport and trade connectivity, technological issues, and people-to-people contacts. “At the 5th Meeting of the New Delhi, 16 July BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs, the BIMSTEC Secretary General presented a comprehensive overview of the status of cooperation in the security sector and briefed the member states on the progress made across a wide range of sectors,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. “The National Security Advisers and Heads of Delegations discussed practical and result-oriented solutions to combat terrorism and organised crime, ensure security in the cyber, maritime and energy domains; enhance connectivity; facilitate efficient disaster management; and to tackle new and emerging threats. They adopted guidelines for the maritime component of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief,” the MEA said. These guidelines will help BIMSTEC member states to undertake relief operations in the region in an expeditious manner. They also endorsed a set of guiding principles on the conduct of maritime law enforcement agencies during interactions at sea. These principles are expected to outline reference points for increasing predictability and promoting safety during maritime engagements among member states. The Congress on Thursday unveiled an aggressive strategy for the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, saying it would hold the Narendra Modi government accountable on a wide spectrum of issues ranging from alleged corruption and rising prices to paper leaks, foreign policy, national security, environmental concerns and the rights of marginalised communities, while also opposing several key legislative proposals expected to come before Parliament. The strategy was finalised at a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) held at 10 Janpath under the chairmanship of Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. The meeting was attended by Congress President and Leader of Opposition in the Kharge urges PM to convene all-party meeting on revised 131st Constitution Amendment Bill: New Delhi: Congress President and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an all-party meeting to discuss the government’s reported plans for a revised 131st Constitution Amendment Bill, a move that comes just ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament and signals that the proposed legislation is set to become a major political flashpoint. The development was disclosed by Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh in a post on social media platform X on Thursday. “Hon’ble Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Shri Mallikarjun @Kharge ji has just written to the Prime Minister on the reportedly revised 131st Constitution Amendment Bill,” Ramesh said. Page 5 Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh, Deputy Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Leader of the Congress in the Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwari, Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain and other senior parliamentarians. The meeting was convened to finalise the party's floor strategy for the Monsoon Session of Parliament, scheduled to run from 20 July to 13 August. In a statement shared on social media platform X after the meeting, Mr Kharge said the Congress had identified several issues affecting the lives and aspirations of the people and would raise them forcefully in both Houses of Parliament. “Chanda Chori ~ Astha se Dhoka, paper leaks and the systemic corrosion of the education system, institutional capture, breaking of political parties, multiple scams and charges of corruption, backbreaking price rise, foreign policy failures and strategic blunders, the imposition of ethanol blending on 3.5 crore vehicle owners, unbridled deforestation, and the continued assault on the rights of SCs, STs, OBCs and minorities are among the critical issues on which the Congress Party will hold the Modi Govt accountable during the forthcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament,” Mr Kharge said. He added: “These pressing concerns affecting the lives and aspirations of our people were deliberated upon during the meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP).” Following the meeting, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh and Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain briefed reporters on the party’s strategy, saying the Opposition would adopt a coordinated and issue-based approach during the session.