CMYK MONDAY www.thestatesman.com 25 JULY 2022 FIND US ONLINE Scan this with your smartphone twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd facebook.com/thestatesman1875 Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR MOSCOW & TEHRAN LET GO OF PAKISTAN P6 WEATHER One or two spells of rain/thundershower very likely. Temperature likely to be in the range of 32-26 degrees Celsius. RAINFALL: 10.1 MM RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max.95% TEMPERATURE Max: 29.3 °C (-3) SUN RISES 05:05 hrs MOON RISES 01:11 hrs New moon on 28 Min. 85% Min: 25.3 °C (-1) SUN SETS 18:21 hrs MOON SETS 15:01 hrs July THUMBNAILS Aerial view of the tented township base camp that has been set up at Baltal in Kashmir for Amarnath pilgrims.  MOHAMMAD AMIN WAR Six killed as house collapses due to blast in Bihar's Chhapra: Six people were killed when a house collapsed due to a blast at Chhapra in Saran district of Bihar on Sunday, said Saran Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar. Efforts are being made to rescue people trapped under the debris, he added. The forensic team and bomb disposal squad are on the spot."We are investigating the reason behind the explosion. The forensic team and bomb disposal squad have also been called," SP said. POPE HEADS TO CANADA AS INDIGENOUS GROUPS SEEK FULL APOLOGY P7 P10 India on path to own 21st century: Kovind In his farewell address, President expresses deep gratitude to citizens STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 24 JULY n his farewell address to the nation, President Ram Nath Kovind today said that he had discharged his responsibilities to the best of his ability during his five-year term and underlined his firm belief that the country was getting equipped to make the 21st century, the century of India. He expressed his deep gratitude to all fellow citizens and elected representatives. “I have been inspired and energised by my interactions with citizens during my visits across the country,” he said. The president recalled his visits across the country during his term in office, especially his meetings with jawans, paramilitary personnel and the police . “When I was growing up in a small village, the nation had only recently achieved independence. There was a fresh wave of energy to rebuild the country; there were new dreams. I too had a dream, that one day I President Ram Nath Kovind addresses the nation on the eve of demitting office, in New Delhi on Sunday.  ANI I would be able to participate in a meaningful way in this nation-building exercise. A young boy living in a mud house could not have any idea about the highest Constitutional office of the Republic. But it is testament to the strength of India’s democracy that it has created pathways to let each citizen take part in the shaping of our collective destiny. If that Ram Nath Kovind from village Paraunkh is addressing you today, it is solely thanks to the inherent power of our vibrant democratic institutions,” he said. Kovind said that among the most memorable moments of his life has been visiting his home during his term and touching the feet of his teachers at Kanpur to seek their blessings. “This connection with our roots has been the essence of India. I would request the younger generation to continue this tradition of staying connected with their village or town, their schools and teachers,” he added. The outgoing president laid emphasis on education and healthcare. He said the National Education Policy would go a long way in making it possible for young Indians to connect with their heritage and also find their feet in the 21st century. The pandemic, he said, has underlined the need to further improve the public healthcare infrastructure, expressing happiness that the government has accorded top priority to this task. During his address, the president recalled the freedom struggle and paid tribute to the free- CMYK dom fighters. “During the 19th century, there were countless struggles for freedom. Several heroes who instilled the patriotic spirit in the Indians had been forgotten. Now, they are being remembered with utmost respect,” he said. The outgoing president recalled past presidents including Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan and Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam on this occasion. “During my five-year long tenure, I have fulfilled my duties with the best of my abilities. I have been quite aware of being the successor of greats like Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Dr. S Radhakrishnan and Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.” Kovind highlighted climate change as a serious concern for the future of the planet. “We need to protect our environment, land, air and water for the sake of our children,” he said. Presidentelect Murmu will take oath as the 15th President of India on Monday. She will be the first tribal person to occupy the country's highest constitutional post. NEERAJ WINS FIRST SILVER IN WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS P12 New India capable of giving befitting reply to enemies: Rajnath STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE JAMMU, 24 JULY Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that a strong and confident new India is well-equipped to give a befitting reply to anyone who casts an evil eye towards our territory. Rajnath was speaking at a function organised here by the Jammu People’s Forum to pay homage to the martyrs of the 1999 Kargil war. He recalled the contributions of those soldiers who laid down their lives for the country during the war with Pakistan. He met family members of security personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty and also honoured them (in photo). “India has become a strong and confident nation which is well-equipped to protect its people from anyone who tries to cast an evil eye,” said Rajnath. He stated that it was the spirit of national pride at the core of their values who protected the unity and integrity of India. He asserted that the sole aim of the Government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is to safeguard the interests of the Nation and it has taken a series of steps to develop a self-reliant defence ecosystem that provides indigenous state-of-the-art weapons and equipment to the armed forces to fight all kinds of future wars. Speaking about the country’s first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru, when China occupied India’s area in Ladakh in 1962, Rajnath said I will not question his intentions that can be good but the same does not apply to policy. However, today’s India is one of the most powerful countries in the world, he added. Sharing his views on the numerous challenges faced by India post-independence, he said, the entire area of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh became the ‘Main War Theatre’ during 1948, 1962, 1965, 1971 and 1999 wars, when enemies tried to cast an evil eye, but whose plans were thwarted by the gallant Indian soldiers. He also paid respects to the Indian soldiers who displayed unmatched bravery during the Galwan valley incident and ensured that the Indian tricolour continues to fly high. 4th monkey pox case: Govt holds high-level meet SNS & AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 24 JULY The Union ministry of health and family welfare held a high-level review meeting on the monkeypox disease on Sunday following the detection of the fourth case of the virus in the country. Earlier in the day, Delhi reported its first case of the zoonotic infection after a 31-year-old man with no history of foreign travel tested positive for the virus. He is undergoing treatment at the state-run LNJP hopsital.He was admitted to hospital around three days ago with fever and skin lesions. His samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune on Saturday, which came out positive. FACT FILE TOTAL CASES 4,38,88,755 ACTIVE CASES 1,52,200 NEW CASES 20,279 NEW RECOVERIES 18,143 TOTAL DEATHS 5,26,033 UNION HEALTH MINISTRY FIGURES AS OF 8.00 A.M.SUNDAY 24 JULY 2022 Bengal recorded 1,817 cases and six deaths