FRIDAY 06 DECEMBER 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR JHARKHAND CABINET EXPANDED WITH 11 MLAS TAKING OATH AS MINISTERS FRANCE'S PM REMOVED IN ROHIT CONFIRMS MOVE TO MIDDLE NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE ORDER ON THE BRINK P5 SENSEX 81,765.86 p809.53 WEATHER SMOG/MIST IS LIKELY IN THE MORNING. MAINLY CLEAR SKY. SMOG/SHALLOW FOG IS LIKELY IN THE EVENING/NIGHT. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 26 AND 07 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. TEMPERATURE NIFTY 24,708.40 p240.95 ` vs $ 84.68 P9 GOLD 78,770.00 P12 SILVER 92,000 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 72.41 Fadnavis takes oath as 21st Maharashtra CM Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde and NCP's Ajit Pawar also take oath as deputy chief ministers RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 100 % P6 Min. 34 % Max: 25.1 °C (0) SUN RISES 07:00 hrs MOON RISES 10:36 hrs Min: 08.5 °C (1) SUN SETS 17:24 hrs MOON SETS 20:03 hrs THUMBNAILS Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan with state CM-designate Devendra Fadnavis during the latter's oath-taking ceremony in Mumbai on Thursday. n ANI PM Narendra Modi with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during the latter's oath-taking ceremony in Mumbai on Thursday. nANI STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE MUMBAI, 5 DECEMBER A Sikh devotee performs Gatka during a religious procession on the eve of the Martyrdom Day of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, in Amritsar on Thursday. n ANI Justice Manmohan sworn in as SC judge: Justice Manmohan, former chief justice of Delhi High Court, was sworn in as the Supreme Court judge on Thursday. He was administered the oath by Chief Justice of India Justice Sanjiv Khanna at a ceremony held in the Supreme Court. With the swearing-in of Justice Manmohan, the working strength of the SC judges is now 32 -- two short of its sanctioned strength of 34 judges. The Supreme Court collegium – comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice B R Gavai, Justice Surya Kant, Justice Hrishikesh Roy, and Justice Abhay S Oka – on 28 Nov unanimously recommended the elevation of Justice Manmohan – then the Chief Justice of Delhi HC– as a judge of the top court. B JP leader Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the 21st Chief Minister of Maharashtra, while Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde and NCP's Ajit Pawar took oath as deputy chief ministers on Thursday, ending the prolonged suspense over ministry formation in the wake of the Mahayuti alliance's massive victory in the state. This is the third time that Mr Fadnavis took oath as Maharashtra chief minister. The swearing-in ceremony took place at the historic Azad Maidan ground here in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president J P Nadda, and others. It is the result of almost two weeks of hectic negotiations among the Mahayuti parties after the results of the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections were declared on 23 November. Shortly after the ceremony, Mr Fadnavis, and his two deputies held a cabinet meeting. Mr Fadnavis later addressed media persons at the sixth floor of the Mantralaya (state secretariat). Mr Fadnavis stated that the very first file he signed sanctioned an amount to be used for the bone marrow transplant of a cancer patient from the Chief Minister's health fund. Mr Fadnavis said that decisions related to solar energy, river linking and irrigation would be expedited by his cabinet in the coming days. He also stated that discussions regarding ministerial portfolio allocations are at the "last stage". Earlier during the day, the Shiv Sena stated that Eknath Shinde is all set to meet Amit Shah after the swearing-in ceremony to hold discussions about the contentious home portfolio, which has been eyed by both the BJP as well as the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. In a related development, BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar said, “It is most likely that the council of ministers will be sworn in before the winter session of the Maharashtra assembly begins, in order to avoid administrative disruption," after he was asked when the rest of the ministers of the cabinet would take oath. The ceremony was also attended byabevyofBollywoodstars,including Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit, Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor, among others. Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and his wife also graced the occasion. The Mahayuti parties won 236 seatsinthe288-memberMaharashtra Assembly. The BJP won 132 seats, the Shiv Sena 57 and the NCP 41. Mr Fadnavis was sworn in as Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the third time. He was Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 2014-2019. In 2019, he was the chief minister of the BJP-NCP government for 72 hours. Mr Shinde, the chief minister in the Mahayuti’s previous term, was a minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led government. Later, he became chief minister after he rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray, split the Shiv Sena, and formed the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition government with Devendra Fadnavis as Deputy CM. Ajit Pawar became Deputy Chief Minister in 2010 for the first time. On Thursday, Ajit Pawar took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister for a record sixth time in the present Devendra Fadnavisled government. Mr Pawar was Deputy CM under four Maharashtra Chief Ministers, namely Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde. Putin praises Modi’s initiatives for PM reiterates commitment to Bhutan’s development India's economic development STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 5 DECEMBER Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "IndiaFirst" policy and the "Make in India" initiative , emphasising how these policies have contributed to India's development. Speaking at the 15th VTB Russia Calling Investment Forum, he acknowledged India's efforts to foster a stable environment for growth. His remarks came days after the Kremlin announced that President Putin will visit India next year for the annual IndiaRussia Summit with PM Modi. The "Make in India" initiative, aimed at boosting manufacturing and attracting foreign investment, has played a key role in strengthening India's position in the global economy, the Russian leader stressed. He lauded the Indian government and its efforts in creating “stable conditions” for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly highlighting the economic initiatives spearheaded by PM Modi, with a special focus on the "Make in India" programme. President Putin drew parallels between Russia's import substitution programme and India's “Make in India” initiative, expressing Moscow's willingness to establish manufacturing operations in India. Investments in India are profitable, he added. He also emphasised that India's leadership has focused on prioritising its national interests. “Prime Minister Modi has a similar programme called Make in India. We are also ready to set up our manufacturing operations in India. The Indian government, under the Prime Minister's leadership, has been creating stable conditions, driven by a policy of putting India first. We believe that investing in India We should not throw baby out with bathwater: CEA Nageswaran on Q2 GDP growth figures STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 5 DECEMBER Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran on Thursday cautioned against ‘overinterpreting’ the disappointing gross domestic product (GDP) growth performance in the second quarter of the current financial year as the underlying growth story remains intact, and “we should not throw the baby out with the bathwater”. Speaking at the Assocham’s Bharat@100 Summit ‘Fuelling Bharat's Global Rise’, Mr Nageswaran said that the drop in economic growth “should not be over interpreted as a spike in global uncertainty index”. He added that private consumption has held up and exports have improved in the challenging environment. The CEA said the global environment is not conducive for India. "India’s path to lower middle income to upper income is during the scenario when the relative periods of global peace are becoming scarce. Global environment is far from conducive for us, we have to pull all domestic levers for growth," he said. India also needs to integrate itself with China's supply chain to unlock the global supply chain, which can provide a further boost to growth, he argued. Mr he said that with pickup in some sectors, achieving a GDP growth of 6.5 per cent to 7 per cent in FY25 is still feasible. “To achieve 6.5 per cent GDP in FY25, we need 7 per cent real GDP growth in Q3 and Q4, which is doable with pickup in some areas," the CEA said. It is to be noted that as per the recent government data, India's economic growth slowed down in the September quarter to a 7-quarter low of 5.4 per cent on contraction in mining growth, manufacturing and utility services. is profitable,” stated the Russian President. He also said that Russian company Rosneft invested USD 20 billion in the country recently. President Putin also highlighted the significance of Russia's import substitution programme in the context of BRICS's evolution, focusing on the growth of SMEs and the necessity for a rapid dispute resolution mechanism to facilitate smooth business transactions for SMEs in BRICS countries. He pointed out the rise of new Russian brands that are replacing Western brands that have exited the market, noting the success of local Russian manufacturers in sectors such as consumer goods, IT, high-tech, and agriculture. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 5 DECEMBER Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday reiterated India's strong commitment to the economic development in Bhutan, highlighting the doubling of New Delhi's development support to the Himalayan nation for its 13th Five Year Plan period. PM Modi this morning received King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck in New Delhi. He extended his greetings to the guests from Bhutan and fondly recalled the exceptionally warm hospitality accorded by the government and the people of Bhutan during his state visit in March. The PM and the Bhutan king expressed satisfaction at the excellent state of bilateral relations, encompassing development cooperation, clean energy partnership, trade and investment, space and technology cooperation, and people-to-people ties. They reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening this exemplary partnership across all sectors. The leaders reviewed the progress in enhancing economic connectivity between the two countries, and exchanged ideas on the Gelephu Mindfulness City initiative, a visionary project spearheaded by the Bhutan king to catalyse Bhutan’s development and strengthen linkages with adjoining border areas in India. The Bhutan king expressed gratitude to the PM and the people of India for steadfast support of Bhutan’s aspirations for happiness, progress and prosperity. Indian govt supports two-state solution to W Asia conflict: EAM STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 5 DECEMBER While asserting that issues of terrorism and hostagetaking cannot be underplayed or ignored, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday reiterated India's support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, he explained the reasons for India's decision to abstain from voting in some of the resolutions regarding the Gaza conflict in the United Nations General Assembly. In response to TMC MP Saket Gokhale's question on India's stance on a two-state solution to Palestine, Mr Jaishankar said: "We support the two-state solution and we have been public and unambiguous about that. So, there should be no cause for confusion regarding the two-state solution." On being asked about the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former defence chief Yoav Gallant and Hamas leader Mohammad Deif, Mr Jaishankar pointed out that India is not a member of ICC. "The honourable member would be aware that India is not a member of the International Criminal Court. When the International Criminal Court was constituted, the question of our membership was considered. For very good reason after a great deal of deliberation, India considered not becoming a member. So, with regard to any decision passed by the ICC, it is not binding on us. So, it is not a matter on which we have taken a formal position." Elaborating on the details regarding India's assistance for Palestine, the minister said India gives an annual contribution of $5 million to The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which he called the "main assistanceproviding agency." As regards India's abstentions from some UN resolutions regarding Gaza, Mr Jaishankar said the resolutions that "do not reflect the entire reality" of the situation by downplaying the 7 October terror attack by Hamas, can't be supported by India, which is itself a 'victim of terrorism'. In response to a query raised by DMK MP Tiruchi Siva on India abstaining from voting in a resolution on Gaza in UNGA, he said: "With regard to the particular resolution, which the honourable member referred to, we abstained, in fact, during this period, there have been in the General Assembly a number of resolutions, we have voted in favour of many, we have abstained on some." ISRO launches PSLV-C59 with ESA’s PROBA-3 formation-flying mission from Sriharikota AGENCIES SRIHARIKOTA, 5 DECEMBER The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the PSLVC59/PROBA-3 mission from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on Thursday. The PSLV-C59 vehicle is carrying the Proba-3 spacecraft into a highly elliptical orbit as part of a dedicated commercial mission by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL). The mission, originally scheduled for Wednesday, was postponed due to an anomaly detected in the PROBA-3 spacecraft. The PSLV-C59 mission is a joint initiative between ISRO and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL). Proba-3 is a technology demonstration mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and marks ESA's first precision formation-flying mission. It involves a pair of satellites flying together in a fixed configuration, as if forming a single large rigid structure in space, to showcase innovative formation-flying and rendezvous technologies. According to ESA, the mission will demonstrate formation flying within the context of a large-scale scientific experiment. The two satellites will create an approximately 150-metre-long solar coro- nagraph to study the Sun's faint corona closer to the solar rim than has ever been achieved before. In addition to its scientific goals, the mission serves as a benchmark for achieving precise positioning between two spacecraft, employing a wide range of new technologies. Proba-3 will function as an orbital laboratory, demonstrating acquisition, rendezvous, proximity operations, and formation flying while validating advanced metrology sensors and control algorithms. This mission aims to pave the way for innovative approaches to mission control. The two satellites will main- tain a fixed 150-metre configuration in space, aligned with the Sun, enabling the Occulter Spacecraft (OSC) to block the solar disk for the Coronagraph Spacecraft (CSC). This alignment will provide uninterrupted views of the Sun's faint corona for scientific study. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is India's first launch vehicle to feature liquid stages and is employed to carry satellites and other payloads into space based on ISRO's requirements. The PSLV's first successful launch took place in October 1994. According to ISRO, PSLVC59 involves four stages and carries a total payload mass of approximately 320 tonnes.