CMYK FRIDAY www.thestatesman.com 26 FEBRUARY 2021 FIND US ONLINE Scan this with your smartphone twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd facebook.com/thestatesman1875 Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ARMENIAN PM FACES MILITARY’S DEMAND TO RESIGN NEERA TANDEN’S CONFIRMATION VOTE GETS DELAYED P9 WEATHER Mainly clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature most likely to be around 34 °C and 21 °C respectively. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 95% TEMPERATURE Min. 29% Max: 34.5°C (3) Min: 19.5°C (N) SUN RISES SUN SETS 06:01 hrs 17:38 hrs MOON RISES MOON SETS 15:41 hrs 04:32 hrs Full moon on 27 February THUMBNAILS Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee rides pillion on an electric scooter to Nabanna as a protest against hike of fuel prices on Thursday. BHASKAR MALLICK LPG price hiked by Rs 25 per cylinder: Cooking gas LPG price has been hiked by Rs 25 per cylinder across all categories, including subsidised fuel and those sold to Ujjwala scheme beneficiaries. India win: Spinner Axar Patel put India on the brink of the World Test Championship final with a 10-wicket demolition of England inside two days in the third Test in Ahmedabad on Thursday. P12 P10 Rules tightened for social media New norms come after spat between Govt and Twitter STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 25 FEBRUARY he Centre on Thursday came out with stringent guidelines for social media platforms along with a code of ethics for over-the-top (OTT) platforms and digital media. The sweeping regulations for social media firms like Facebook and Twitter, as well as OTT players such as Netflix, require them to remove any content flagged by authorities within 36 hours and to set up a complaint redressal mechanism with an officer being based in the country. The guidelines also make it mandatory for platforms such as Twitter and WhatsApp to identify the originator of a message that authorities consider to be anti-national and against security and sovereignty of the country. This is the first time such rules have been framed for digital and online media operating within the country’s jurisdiction. The norms on social media come weeks after a spat between the government and Twitter over certain messages around T REGULATION OR CLAMPDOWN?  The sweeping regulations for social media firms like Facebook and Twitter, as well as OTT players such as Netflix, require them to remove any content flagged by authorities within 36 hours and to set up a com- plaint redressal mechanism with an officer being based in the country  A Code of Ethics and three-tier grievance redressal mechanism would be applicable for news publishers, OTT platforms and digital media. farmer protests that the government saw as inciting violence. The government sought removal of about 1,500 accounts and messages, a request that Twitter complied with only after being warned of action. Union minister for Electronics and IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad, said that social media platforms will be classified under two categories ~ social media intermediaries and significant social media intermediaries~ with the latter being subject to greater obligations. The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 mandate that the intermediaries, including social media intermediaries, must establish a grievance redressal mechanism for resolv- ing complaints from the users or victims. Intermediaries will have to appoint a Grievance Officer to deal with such complaints and share the name and contact details of such officer. Grievance Officer shall acknowledge the complaint within twenty-four hours and resolve it within fifteen days from receipt. Significant social media intermediaries shall enable identification of the originator of information with regard to offences related to sovereignty of India, security of state, relations with foreign states, public order, rape, sexually explicit material or child sexual abuse. significant platforms will have to appoint a Chief Compliance Officer, a Nodal Contact Person, a Resident Grievance Officer. CMYK ‘YOU CAN WAIT FOR TIGER TO ROAR AGAIN’ A GANDHIAN PRIME MINISTER P7 Nirav Modi can be extradited to India: UK court LONDON, 25 FEBRUARY In a comprehensive extradition win for the Indian authorities, a UK judge ruled on Thursday that fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi not only has a case to answer in the Indian courts but that there is no evidence to suggest he would not receive a fair trial in India. Nirav Modi, wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering in the estimated $2-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam case, lost his legal battle against extradition on all grounds as District Judge Samuel Goozee also concluded that there are no human rights concerns that his medical needs would not be addressed as per Indian government assurances. The 49-year-old appeared via video link at Westminster Magistrates’ Court fromWandsworth Prison in south-west London, dressed in a formal suit and sporting a thick beard. “I am satisfied that there is evidence upon which Nirav Deepak Modi could be convicted in relation to the conspiracy to defraud the PNB. A prima facie case is established,” the judge noted. Under the UK Extradition Act 2003, the judge will now send his findings to the Secretary of State for Home Affairs, Priti Patel. More on Page 5 P12 India, Pak to cease LoC firing ASHOK TUTEJA NEW DELHI, 25 FEBRUARY In a major development in their chequered relationship, India and Pakistan have agreed to strictly observe all bilateral agreements and understandings and cease firing along the Line of Control (LoC) with effect from the midnight of 24/25 February. “In the interest of achieving mutually beneficial and sustainable peace along the borders, the two DGMOs (Directors General of Military Operations) agreed to address each other’s core issues and concerns which have propensity to disturb peace and lead to violence,” said a joint statement issued by the two sides. It said the two sides reviewed the situation along the LoC and other sectors in a free, frank and cordial atmosphere. Both sides reiterated that exist- ing mechanisms of hotline contact and border flag meetings would be utilised to resolve any unforeseen situation or misunderstanding. The joint statement is being considered an attempt by both nations to adhere to the ceasefire agreement that was reached between them in 2003. Despite the hostility from time to time, the two sides have maintained contact at DGMOs level over hotline since 1987. Daily new Covid cases hit 16K SNS & PTI NEW DELHI/KOLKATA, 25 FEBRUARY Daily new Covid-19 case numbers rose above 15,000 after nearly a month, taking the country’s total tally of coronavirus cases to 1,10,46,914, according to Union health ministry data updated on Thursday. Daily deaths also went above 130 after a gap of 26 days The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare cautioned that the Covid-19 situation in seven states is deteriorating since cases there have contributed 89.5 per cent to the tally. The ministry said that Maharashtra and Kerala con- tinue to report the highest daily new cases while the situation in Chhattisgarh, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh has been deteriorating for a few days. In addition, two states ~ Gujarat and Tamil Nadu ~ which were reporting low figures, are now witnessing a resurgence of cases. Maharashtra, the worst-hit state, reported 8,702 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, with Mumbai alone accounting for 1,145 cases. Bengal: West Bengal registered 199 fresh Covid-19 cases and 4 deaths on Thursday. The total Covid case count is 5,74,500, with the death toll at 10,260 in the state till now. 1,10,46,914 1,51,708 16,738 11,799 1,56,705 UNION HEALTH MINISTRY FIGURES AS OF 8.00 A.M. THURSDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2021