CMYK SUNDAY www.thestatesman.com 08 JANUARY 2023 FIND US ONLINE Scan this with your smartphone twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd facebook.com/thestatesman1875 Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘SOCIAL JUSTICE MAIN AIM OF DIGITAL INNOVATIONS’ RELENTLESS P4 Mainly clear sky with mist/fog in the morning. Temperature likely to be in the range of 23-12 degrees Celsius. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY TEMPERATURE Max: 22.1 °C (-3) SUN RISES 06:18 hrs MOON RISES 17:25 hrs P6 P10 Cold wave grips North India WEATHER Max.91% MCCARTHY ELECTED HOUSE SPEAKER IN ROWDY POST-MIDNIGHT VOTE Min. 50% Min: 12.0 °C (-2) SUN SETS 17:8 hrs MOON SETS 06:37 hrs Full moon on 07 January THUMBNAILS Commuters paddle their bicycles during sunset, in Nagaon District of Assam on Friday.  ANI India thrash Lanka, clinch series: Arshdeep Singh made a strong comeback to take three wickets after Suryakumar Yadav dazzled with his third T20I century as India thrashed Sri Lanka by 91 runs in the series-decider in Rajkot. Chasing a target of 229, Sri Lanka was skittled out for 137 (16.4 overs) as India won the three-match series 2-1. (Earlier reports on Pg12) Durga Puja tableau on Republic Day : West Bengal will showcase Durga Puja, which bagged the UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage tag, in its tableau at the upcoming Republic Day parade in New Delhi.The decision to have the biggest festival in West Bengal as the tableau theme was taken to depict before the entire nation the PG3 global accolades it was earned. Minimum temp are in the range of 1-5 C in many parts of northwest India & in isolated pockets of MP 0 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 7 JANUARY old wave conditions and the dense fog is being witnessed all over North India with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting that the similar conditions would continue in the first half of next week as well. Around 34 domestic departure flights from the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI), Delhi were delayed due to fog and other weather related issues on Saturday, according to the airport authorities. Not just flights but as many as 32 long-distance trains were running behind their scheduled time by seven or more hours due to low visibility and the rough weather.In several parts of Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, cold wave to severe cold wave was observed on Saturday. The cold wave was also witnessed in some areas of East Uttar Pradesh, East Rajasthan and in isolated pockets over West Rajasthan, East Madhya Pradesh.Many parts of East Madhya Pradesh, West Uttar Pradesh and isolated pockets over Himachal Pradesh, Pun-  In several parts of Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, cold wave to severe cold wave was observed on Saturday C Delhiites experienced the coldest day of this season so far on Saturday with minimum temperature being recorded at 2.2 degrees Celsius, five degrees below normal. People beside bonfire to beat the biting cold, in the Capital on Saturday. SUBRATA DUTTA jab, Bihar and West Madhya Pradesh are also experiencing extreme cold wave. The minimum temperatures are in the range of 1-5 degrees Celsius in many parts of northwest India and in isolated pockets of Madhya Pradesh. The minimum temperature in many places in the northern belt reached close to the freezing point, with Bikaner in Rajasthan recording the lowest at exactly 0 degrees Celsius. While the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh recorded a minimum temperature of 0.2 degree Cel- sius on Friday night. Delhiites experienced the coldest day of this season so far on Saturday with minimum temperature being recorded at 2.2 degrees Celsius, five degrees below normal. According to the IMD, the Safdarjung Observatory, the primary weather station here, had recorded the minimum temperature. Meanwhile, in the wake of extreme cold conditions in Jaipur, the government and private schools in the city will remain closed till January 14.Jaipur District Collector Prakash Rajpurohit had issued an order extend- ing the winter vacations of schools till January 14 for Classes 1 to 8. However, the examinations being conducted in the schools will continue during this period. There will be no change in exam timings, the order issued on Friday evening said.The order further says that preparations for the programme to be held on Republic Day will continue. Students performing on Republic Day at Sawai Man Singh Stadium will come to schools for practice. Action can be taken against the operators of the schools who disobey the order. Earlier, winter vacations in the city were declared from December 25 to January 5. The IMD said cold day to severe cold day conditions prevailed in many parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, West Madhya Pradesh; in some areas of East Rajasthan; isolated pockets of West Rajasthan, Bihar and cold day conditions in isolated pockets over Uttarakhand. The IMD predicted that the due to continuation of prevailing light winds and high moisture near surface over the Indo-Gangetic plains, dense to very dense fog very likely to continue in some/many parts during night & morning hours over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh during next 24 hours and over Uttar Pradesh during next 48 hours; in isolated pockets thereafter for subsequent 3-4 days over the region. WORLD NO. 1 ALCARAZ PULLS OUT OF AUSTRALIAN OPEN P12 PM: No scope for over regulation in New India STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 7 JANUARY Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked Chief Secretaries of States to focus on ending mindless compliances, laws and rules which are outdated when India is initiating unparalleled reforms. “In a time when India is initiating unparalleled reforms, there is no scope for over regulation and mindless restrictions,” he told the senior bureaucrats at the second national conference of the Chief Secretaries chaired by him. Tweeting on the conference he said “Some of the other issues I talked about include PM Gati Shakti and how to build synergy in realising this vision. Urged the Chief Secretaries to add vigour to Mission LiFE and mark the International Year of Millets with wide-scale mass participation.”“Over the last two days, we have been witnessing extensive discussions at the Chief Secretaries conference in Delhi. During my remarks today, emphasised on a wide range of subjects which can further improve the lives of people and strengthen India's development trajectory,” the Prime Minister tweeted. Officials said the conference had heralded a "new era of cooperative federalism" by making the process of policymaking and implementa- tion more collaborative and consultative.” Addressing the conference on its concluding day, he said the States should formulate policies and schemes focusing on human development, while there should be spread of higher skills. The three-day conference focused on rapid and sustained economic growth in partnership with States.He said quality should be the mainstay in any decision and States must address the issues of malnutrition.He said the conference was a wonderful forum to exchange views on important policy related subjects and to strengthen team spirit to take India to newer heights.The idea behind this conference is that Cooperative Federalism, through Central Ministries and Departments working together with States in seamless coordination, is an essential pillar for the development and progress of New India. With this vision in mind, PM Modi had conceptualised this conference, which was held for the first time last year in Dharamshala. AI row: Shankar Mishra sent to 14-day judicial custody SNS&AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 7 JANUARY The Patiala House court here on Saturday sent Shankar Mishra, who's accused of urinating on an elderly female copassenger in a drunken state on a New York-New Delhi flight in November last year, Avani Chaturvedi to be 1st IAF woman pilot to participate in aerial wargames NEW DELHI, 7 JANUARY The first-ever air combat exercise between India and Japan this month will register another first. Squadron Leader Avani Chaturvedi will soar high on her Sukhoi30MKI jet, becoming the first IAF woman fighter pilot to take part in such aerial wargames in a foreign country. Squadron Leader Chaturvedi,who became the first woman to fly a MiG-21 ‘Bison’ solo in February 2018, is part of the IAF contingent headed for Japan for the ‘Veer Guardian’ exercise from January 12 to 26 at the Hyakuri airbase, an IAF officer said on Saturday. Avani Chaturvedi was born in Madhya Pradesh. Before joining the IAF, she underwent six months of intensive training at the Air Force Academy in Telangana’s Dundigal.India and Japan will hold their first bilateral air exercise in reflection of the growing defence ties amid increasing concerns over China’s military muscle flexing in the Indo-Pacific region. The exercise ‘Veer Guardian-2023’ involving the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) will be held at Japan’s Hyakuri air base. SNS & AGENCIES CMYK to 14-day judicial custody. The order came after the investigating officer (IO) submitted in the court that Mishra is not cooperating with the probe. The police had moved the court seeking three-day remand of Mishra. However, the court sent the accused to 14-day judicial custody.The court also said that prime facie, it seems that the accused was deliberately avoiding joining the investigation.In its order, the court also said that the physical presence of the accused is not required to question other witnesses and statements under Section 164 CrPC can be recorded without taking him into police custody.