MONDAY 29 JANUARY 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Twitter.com/thestatesman Facebook.com/thestatesman KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR P4 WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. SHALLOW TO MODERATE FOG IN THE MORNING. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 22 AND 07 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 97 % TEMPERATURE Max: 28.6 °C (-3) SUN RISES 7:11 hrs MOON RISES 21:11 hrs MANY PATHS TO SAME GOAL ‘BJP DECIDED IN FAVOUR OF BIHAR PEOPLE’ ‘CONGRESS COMMITTED TO CASTE CENSUS’ P5 P7 Nitish takes oath as Bihar CM for record 9th time Snapping ties with ‘Mahagathbandhan’, he says his alliance with NDA will remain forever AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 28 JANUARY Min: 06.0 °C (-2) SUN SETS 17:58 hrs MOON SETS 09:46 hrs THUMBNAILS Participants of the Republic Day Parade 2024 who attended a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu (unseen), at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on Sunday.  ANI 1 dead, 17 injured after stage collapses at Kalkaji temple in Delhi: One person died and 17 others were injured after a stage collapsed at the Kalkaji temple early Sunday. The tragic incident occurred at around 1230 am. According to police, a 'Mata Jagran' at Mahant Parishar at the Kalkaji temple was organised, which was being done for the past 26 years and there was a gathering of (P2) around 1500-1600 people. P12 PM: NDA will leave no stone unturned for development of Bihar NIKHIL VYAS Min. 67 % SINNER CLINCHES AUSTRALIAN OPEN MEN’S TITLE Congress: Nitish giving tough competition to ‘chameleons’ I n a major development ahead of Lok Sabha polls this year, Janata Dal-United chief Nitish Kumar on Sunday took oath as Bihar Chief Minister for the record 9th time with the support of the BJP after walking out of the 'Mahagathbandhan'. Mr Kumar was sworn in again as the Bihar Chief Minister at a ceremony which was held at Raj Bhavan in Patna this evening, hours after he dissolved his Cabinet after snapping ties with the “Mahagathbandhan" to once again align with the saffron party. Bihar Governor Rajendra Arlekar administered the oath of office to Mr Kumar during the ceremony. Bihar unit BJP chief Samrat Chaudhary, and Vijay Kumar Sinha were named Deputy Chief Ministers. Mr Choudhary was on Sunday chosen as the leader of the BJP's legislature party, paving the way for him to become the Bihar Deputy Chief Minister. BJP's Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, and six other ministers including JDU's Vijay STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 28 JANUARY JD-U president Nitish Kumar with Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar after taking oath as the Bihar chief minister for the 9th time as he along with his party joined the BJP-led NDA bloc during the swearing-in ceremony, in Patna on Sunday.  ANI Kumar Chaudhary, JDU's Bijendra Prasad Yadav, BJP's Dr Prem Kumar, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) president Dr Santosh Kumar Suman, JDU's Shravan Kumar, Independent MLA from Chakai Sumit Kumar Singh took oath as ministers in the new Nitish Kumar-led government. BJP national president JP Nadda was also present at the swearing-in ceremony. Soon after the swearing-in ceremony, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Mr Kumar for becoming the chief minister of Bihar, and Sam- rat Chaudhary and Vijay Sinha for becoming deputy chief ministers of the state. In a post on X in Hindi, the prime minister said: “The NDA government formed in Bihar will leave no stone unturned for the development of the state and to fulfill the aspirations of its people. I am confident that this team will work in a dedicated manner for my family members of Bihar." After taking oath for the ninth time as Bihar Chief Minister, Mr Kumar asserted that his alliance with NDA will remain forever, adding that now there The Congress on Sunday launched a scathing attack at Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar after he severed ties with the INDIA bloc, and said the latter is giving tough competition to the "chameleons" in changing colours. "Nitish Kumar, who frequently changes political partners, is giving tough competition to the chameleons in changing colours," said Congress general secretary incharge of communication Jairam Ramesh in a post on X after Kumar resigned as Bihar Chief Minister. Without naming anyone, Ramesh, who is also the Congress' MP in Rajya Sabha, said," The people of Bihar will not forgive the experts of this betrayal and those who made them dance on their tune." Attacking the ruling BJP at the Centre, he said, "It is quite clear that the Prime Minister and the BJP are scared of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and this political drama has been created to divert attention from it." is no question of going anywhere else. "I was with them (NDA) earlier too. We went on different paths, but now we are together and will remain so. Today, eight people have taken oath as ministers, the rest will take oath soon. Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha have been appointed as Deputy Chief Ministers," Mr Kumar told reporters. When asked about RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's statement that "JDU will be finished in 2024", the Bihar CM said that his party will work for the development and progress of the state. "We work for the development and progress of Bihar. We will keep doing the same, nothing else. Tejashwi was not doing anything. Now I came back to where I was (NDA) and now there is no question of going anywhere else," he added. NEW DELHI , 28 JANUARY Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for taking the oath of office again- this time for the record 9th times. In a post on X, the PM said that the NDA government formed in Bihar under Nitish Kumar will leave no stone 'unturned' for the development of the state. “The NDA government formed in Bihar will leave no stone unturned for the development of the state and to fulfil the aspirations of its people. I congratulate Nitish Kumar, Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha on taking oath as CM, Deputy Chief Ministers of Bihar," he posted. JD(U) president Nitish Kumar was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Bihar for a record ninth term. Governor Rajendra Arlekar administered the oath of office at the Raj Bhavan in the state capital. Along with Kumar, BJP leaders Vijay Kumar Sinha and Samrat Choudhary took oath as ministers in the Kumar-led government. JD(U)'s Vijendra Yadav and Shrawan Kumar also took oath along with HAM's Santosh Kumar Suman and Sumit Kumar Singh who is an independent candidate. Kumar had earlier in the day resigned as the chief minister, saying "Things were not working well" for him in the 'Mahagathbandhan' and in the opposition bloc INDIA, and staked claim to form a new government with the BJP, which he had dumped less than 18 months ago. Nitish Kumar cited the state of affairs being "not right" under the Mahagathbandhan alliance as his reason for quitting. He said that he has been receiving suggestions from everywhere, including his party workers, and he listened to all of them to come to this decision. “I have resigned as the CM today and have asked the Governor to put an end to this government. Party leaders were giving me advice. I heard what they said and have resigned. The situation was not good. So, we have broken ties," Nitish Kumar told reporters outside the Raj Bhavan. 'No reserved teacher post is ‘Rule of Ram was source of inspiration for Indian Constitution’ to be de-reserved': MoE, UGC STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 28 JANUARY AGENCIES NEW DELHI,28 JANUARY The Ministry of Education and University Grant Commission (UGC) on Sunday clarified that no reserved post for faculty members in higher education institutions will be de-reserved. This comes amid a report that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued draft guidelines for de-reserving vacancies in higher education institutes (HEIs). Talking to ANI, Jagadesh Kumar, Chairman of UGC, clarified that it is only a draft guideline and was released for public feedback. “Let me clarify that we will put out a final document that will not have any de-reservations. There has been no dereservation of reserved category positions in Central Educational Institutions (CEI) in the past and there is going to be no such de-reservation," Kumar said. In a post on X, the Ministry of Education also said it has given directives to all the Central Educational Institutions to fill up the vacancies strictly as per the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Act, 2019. “Reservation in Central Educational Institutions (CEI) is provided for all posts in direct recruitment in Teacher's cadre as per the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Act, 2019," the ministry said in the post. "After enactment of this Act, no reserved post is to be de-reserved. The Ministry of Education has given directives to all the CEIs to fill up the vacancies strictly as per the 2019 ACT," it added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the rule of Lord Ram was a source of inspiration for the makers of the Indian Constitution. The consecration ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22 has brought crores of people of the country together, Modi said in the 109th episode of his monthly programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’ broadcast on All India Radio (AIR). “In part three of the original copy of this very Constitution, the fundamental rights of the citizens of India have been described and it is noteworthy that at the beginning of Part three, the makers of our Constitution had allotted due space to the pictures of Bhagwan Ram, Mata Sita and Lakshman ji," the prime minister said. "The rule of Prabhu Ram was also a source of inspiration for the makers of our Constitution and that is why on January 22 in Ayodhya, I had talked about 'Dev se Desh'… I’d referred to 'Ram se Rashtra'," he added. The prime minister further said, "The occasion of Pran Pratishtha in Ayodhya seems to have bound together crores of people of the country with a common thread. There is unanimity in everyone's feelings; everyone's devotion is in unison… Ram is in everyone's words, Ram is in every- one's heart." Modi recounted how many people of the country sang Ram Bhajans dedicating themselves to Lord Ram during the period. On the evening of January 22, the entire country lit 'Ram Jyoti' and celebrated Diwali, the prime minister said. "During this time, the country saw the power of togetherness, which is also a major basis for our resolves of a developed India," he said. In his address, Modi also talked about the Padma awards announced recently. "I am very happy that the system of Padma awards has completely changed in the last decade. Now, it has become the People's Padma. There have been many changes in the system of conferring the Padma awards. People even have a chance to nominate themselves now. This is the reason why this time 28 times more nominations have been received compared to 2014. This shows that the prestige of The Padma Award, its credibility and respect for it is rising every year. I once again extend my best wishes to all those receiving the Padma Awards," the prime minister said.In the broadcast, Modi also talked about organ donation. "We have seen that some people perform their duties through social service, some by joining the army, some by teaching the next generation, but friends, there are some among us who even after the end of life, fulfill their responsibilities towards society and life and their medium for that is organ donation," the prime minister observed. Strong judicial system foundation of a vibrant democratic BRO achieves major breakthrough India, says PM Modi at SC’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations at tunnel on highway leading to LoC STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 28 JANUARY Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that a strong judicial system is the foundation of a vibrant democratic and developed India coupled with the ease of justice being the right of every citizen and suggested drafting court judgements and orders in simple language for better understanding of the people. Stating that the in the changing landscape of global geopolitics, the eyes of the world are on India and its trust is constantly increasing, Prime Minister Modi emphasised the “need to capitalise on all opportunities coming our way and mentioned ease of living, ease of doing business, travel, communication and ease of justice as the nation’s top priorities.” Mr Modi said this while inaugurating the diamond jubilee celebration of the Supreme Court – that had Prime Minister Narendra Modi being felicitated with a statue of BR Ambedkar by Chief Justice of India Justice DY Chandrachud during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the Supreme Court of India, in New Delhi on Sunday.  ANI commenced its working on January 28, 1950 - two days after India celebrated its first republic day in 1950. Mr Modi launched multiple technology initiatives - Digital Supreme Court Reports, Digital Courts 2.0 and new website of Supreme Court. Commenting on the dig- ital initiatives of the Supreme Court that were launched today, he expressed happiness about the availability of the decisions in a digital format and the beginning of the project of translation of the Supreme Court decision in the local language. He expressed the hope for similar arrangements in other courts of the country. Underlining that at the foundation of a vibrant democratic and developed India is a strong judiciary and the Supreme Court is pivotal to it, the Prime Minister said that the “makers of the Indian constitution saw the dream of a free India based on freedom, equality and justice and the Supreme Court has continuously tried to preserve these principles” and “Whether it is freedom of expression, personal freedom or social justice, the Supreme Court has strengthened India's vibrant democracy.” Recalling his suggestion to “draft laws in simple language for a better understanding of the people”, the prime minister suggested a “similar approach to drafting court judgements and orders.” Stating that “India's economic policies today will form the basis of tomorrow's bright India”, Mr Modi said, “The laws being made in India today will further strengthen the bright India of tomorrow”. Speaking on the achievements in the use of technology for the furtherance of the justice delivery system and taking the system closer to the people and making the e-filing 24x7, Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said: “Let us begin the conversation on long vacations and whether alternatives such as flexitime for lawyers and judges is possible.” The chief justice said: “In the near future, we must address the structural issues affecting the judiciary, such as pendency of cases, archaic procedures, and the culture of adjournments. Our effort in our work as Judges and administrators must be to ensure dignity to the district judiciary, which is the first point of contact for citizens. Our ability to remain relevant as an institution requires us to recognise challenges and begin difficult conversations.” (Pg4) STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE JAMMU, 28 JANUARY The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has achieved a major breakthrough of the 700 metre long Naushera Tunnel on the strategic AkhnoorPoonch Road (NH-144A). The “Golden Arc Road” is a very old and highly strategic 200 km stretch, which connects South Kashmir and Jammu region to the West of Jammu and Kashmir. Lt General Raghu Srinivasan, DG BRO, attended the breakthrough ceremony, underscoring the importance of this project signifying a major step forward in enhancing regional connectivity and facilitating smoother transportation along the National Highway. It connects important border districts of Akhnoor, Rajouri and Poonch. There are four major tunnels in this stretch, viz, Kandi tunnel, Sungal tunnel, Naushera tunnel and Bhimber Gali tunnel. The tunnel spanning an impressive 700 metres is a crucial link connecting South Kashmir and Jammu region to the western part of J&K. The construction of a pivotal infrastructure project National Highway 144A connecting Akhnoor to Poonch reached a significant milestone today as the breakthrough ceremony for the Naushera Tunnel took place. The tunnel spanning an impressive 700 meters is a crucial link connecting Akhnoor and Poonch. Last year on 25 November, the breakthrough of the Kandi tunnel was achieved signify- ing the efforts of BRO towards providing connectivity across the areas of Rajouri and Poonch. The progress of National Highway has taken pace and the project is expected to be completed by 2026 before its specified time. During his address, Lt General Raghu Srinivasan mentioned that BRO is spearheading crucial road projects to connect remote areas with major centers in the JammuPoonch region.