FRIDAY 31 JANUARY 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 Pages 12 |` 5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘MODI GOVT HAS DONE NOTHING TO ADDRESS INEQUALITY’ ‘DRAVIDIAN IDEOLOGY FOLLOWERS CONTINUE TO MOCK MAHATMA GANDHI’ P5 P4 SENSEX 76,759.81p226.85 WEATHER Partly cloudy. Hazy in the evening. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 30°C and 21°C respectively. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 90% NIFTY 23,249.50p86.40 P7 ` vs $ 86.64 GOLD 83,800.00 No survivors after US mid-air disaster Jet with 64 on board collides with military chopper near Washington AGENCIES Min. 72% TEMPERATURE Max: 30.2˚C SUN RISES 06:15 hrs MOON RISES 07:35 hrs INDIA AIM TO SEAL SERIES IN 4TH T20I AGAINST ENGLAND SHIFTING SANDS IN SOUTH ASIA ARLINGTON, 30 JANUARY Min: 21.3˚C SUN SETS 17:24 hrs MOON SETS 19:20 hrs A Full Moon on 12 February THUMBNAILS A sculptor from Rajasthan gives the final touch to an idol of Goddess Saraswati ahead of Saraswati Puja, in Amritsar.n ANI Govt holds all-party meet ahead of Budget session of Parliament: Ahead of the commencement of the Budget session of the Parliament, an all-party meeting was held in New Delhi on Thursday during which the government appealed to all political parties to contribute through positive participation with high quality debates and discussions during the session. The Budget session of Parliament will begin on 31 January and, according to the schedule, will conclude on 4 April. t least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, officials said Thursday. Crews were still searching for other casualties but did not believe there were any other survivors, which would make it the deadliest U.S. air crash in nearly 24 years. “We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” said John Donnelly, the fire chief in the nation’s capital. “We don’t believe there are any survivors.” The body of the plane was found upside down in three sections in waistdeep water. The wreckage of the helicopter was also found. "At this point, we don't believe there are any Emergency response units assess airplane wreckage in the Potomac River near the Ronald Reagan National Airport, Washington, on Thursday. n AGENCIES survivors from this accident," D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly said Thursday There was no immediate word on the cause of the Wednesday collision, but officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet coming from Wichita, Kansas, with US and Russian figure skaters and others aboard, was making a routine landing when the helicopter flew into its path. The plane ~ American Eagle Flight 5342 ~ was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members while the US Army’s Blackhawk helicopter had three service members. “On final approach into Reagan National it collided with a military aircraft on an otherwise normal approach,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said. “At this time we don’t know why the military aircraft came into the path of the ... aircraft.” Images from the river showed boats around the partly submerged wing and what appeared to be the mangled wreckage of the plane’s fuselage. President Donald Trump said he had been “fully briefed on this terrible accident” and, referring to the passengers, added, “May God Bless their souls.” P12 SILVER 1,06,000 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 76.41q0.17 Kejri suspects arrest in 2 days as ECI seeks explanation for Yamuna poisoning claims STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 30 JANUARY AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday made a sharp attack on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, accusing him of acting in favour of the BJP in a “desperate bid” for a post-retirement job and stated that he suspects his arrest in the coming two days. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has responded to the AAP chief's reply sent on Wednesday night regarding his remark on Yamuna poisoning. The commission has granted him another opportunity to explain why action should not be taken over the serious allegations against him of promoting disharmony and enmity between different groups, and causing overall public disorder and unrest. Mr Kejriwal further said that history will never forgive Rajiv Kumar for the irreparable damage he has inflicted on India's democratic system. The AAP chief alleged that Delhi's election process has been reduced to a sham under the poll panel's watch, claiming that cash and blankets are being openly distributed to influence voters, with the ECI turning a blind eye to such anomalies. In a fiery challenge, he dared Mr Kumar to step out of his bureaucratic cover and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener Arvind Kejriwal in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and party MP Sanjay Singh addresses a press conference on the 'Yamuna poison' row, at the party’s HQ in New Delhi on Thursday. n ANI contest an election against him if he wanted to engage in politics. Senior AAP Leaders, including Satyendar Jain, MP Sanjay Singh, and CM Atishi, were also present at the interaction. Responding to a media query at the party headquarters, Mr Kejriwal said:` “Cash is being openly distributed in Delhi, but they fail to see it. Every day, blankets are being distributed—even yesterday evening, blankets were handed out. But they don’t notice that either. We even pointed out whose house is being used to store the money, yet they turn a blind eye to it.” Asserting that the ECI is engaging in politics, he said that CEC Rajiv Kumar wants a post-retirement job after 28 February. “I want to tell Rajiv Kumar Ji—history will not forgive you. The amount of damage you have done to the Election Commission, I don’t think the Election Commission has ever been tarnished this badly in India's history,” Mr Kejriwal alleged. He added: “I know that within two days, they will put me in jail. Go ahead, put me in jail. The kind of language the Election Commission has used today is unprecedented. This is not the job of the Election Commission.” India’s Shubhanshu Shukla to serve as pilot India to develop its own AI model after NASA approves Axiom-4 mission to ISS in next 10 months, says Vaishnaw AGENCIES NEW YORK, 30 JANUARY ISRO astronaut and Indian Air Force (IAF) officer, Shubhanshu Shukla, will take on the role of pilot on the Axiom Mission 4, or Ax-4, that will fly to the International Space Station (ISS) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida no earlier than Spring 2025, the US space agency said on Thursday. Group Captain Shukla will make history as the first Indian astronaut to join the orbiting laboratory. A serving officer in the IAF, he has also been chosen as an astronaut for India’s Gaganyaan Mission. Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and Director of Human Spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the commercial mission, while ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Shukla will serve as pilot, said NASA. The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. “I am excited to see continued interest and dedication for the private astronaut missions aboard the International Space Station," said Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s International Space Station Program at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “As NASA looks toward the future of low Earth orbit, private astronaut missions help pave the way and expand access to the unique microgravity environment,” said the US space agency. The first private astronaut mission to the station, Axiom Mission 1, lifted off in April 2022 for a 17-day mission aboard the orbiting laboratory. The second private astronaut mission to the station, Axiom Mission 2, also was commanded by Whitson and launched in May 2023 with four private astronauts who spent eight days in orbit. The most recent private astronaut mission, Axiom Mission 3, launched in January 2024; the crew spent 18 days docked to the space station. The Ax-4 mission is a significant collaboration between India and the United States, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the US last year. As part of their preparation, Group Captain Shukla and his backup, Group Captain Prashanth Nair, have undergone extensive training with international partners, including Nasa, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Meanwhile, NASA on Thursday said it is "working expeditiously" along with SpaceX to safely bring back Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and astronaut Butch Willmore, currently stuck in the International Space Station (ISS) for 238 days. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE India’s large language model (LLM) is expected to be ready within the next 10 months, said the Minister of Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday. “We have created the framework, and it is being launched today. Our focus is on building AI models that maintain the Indian context and culture,” he said at a press conference on the India AI Mission. He said the project will be supported by the India AI Compute Facility which has procured 18,693 GPUs to facilitate the creation of an LLM designed specifically for India. The minister also emphasised India’s AI capabilities by comparing the country’s infrastructure to global benchmarks. “DeepSeek AI was trained on 2,000 GPUs, ChatGPT Stampede-like scene at Kotla as Kohli fans flood Ranji match TRIDIB BAPARNASH NEW DELHI, 30 JANUARY Broken phones, lost slippers and shoes lying around the Feroz Shah Kotla before a pitch invader breached security to touch Virat Kohli’s feet were some of the unprecedented scenes that summed up the iconic batter’s return to domestic cricket after more than 12 years. The former India skipper’s much-anticipated return to domestic cricket created a surreal atmosphere at the Kotla that houses the Arun Jaitley Stadium, witnessing unprecedented scenes on the opening day of the inconsequential Ranji Trophy contest between Delhi and the Railways. On a chilly and foggy Thursday morning, thousands lined up outside the stadium for hours to make their way inside, creating an electrifying atmosphere, rarely seen in domestic games. As the gates to the stadium opened up, a stampede-like situation emerged near Gate 17 with broken phones, lost slippers and shoes lying around, and an unfortunate incident which left a police bike badly damaged. The Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) had anticipated around 10,000 fans for Kohli’s return. However, as the morning progressed, the numbers exceeded their expectations. The officials later confirmed that more than 15,000 fans were in attendance during the opening day. Chants of “Kohli…Kohli” echoed through the stadium, electrifying the atmosphere as the local hero took the field. Amid the excitement, cheers of “RCB RCB” erupted, a nod to his unwavering loyalty to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) since joining the IPL franchise in 2008 following his U19 World Cup triumph. Once Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni elected to field, Kohli was spotted manning the slip cordon, amid loud cheers from the crowd. Acknowledging the support, the iconic cricketer occasionally turned back to respond to the cheers. The excitement, however, reached a boiling point when an ardent Kohli fan ducked security, ran onto the field and touched Kohli’s feet before being whisked away by the security guards. The incident occurred during the 12th over, momentarily disrupting the match. As the fan sprinted towards him, the crowd erupted in cheers. Security personnel rushed in to remove the intruder, but Kohli, ever composed, gestured for them to The minister said the project will be supported by the India AI Compute Facility which has procured 18,693 GPUs to facilitate the creation of an LLM designed specifically for India. NEW DELHI, 30 JANUARY go easy on him. The dramatic moment summed up the fervour around Kohli’s first domestic appearance in more than a decade. Despite the frenzy around Kohli’s return, Delhi’s bowlers maintained their focus, reducing Railways to 66/5. Railways recovered with half centuries from Upendra Yadav, who fell five shy of a century and veteran Karn Sharma to eventually reach 241. For Delhi, Siddhant Sharma and Money Grewal claimed two wickets each early in the morning session while Navdeep Saini and Sumit Mathur emerged the pick of the bowlers with three wickets apiece. In response, Delhi lost opener Arpit Rana cheaply, but Sanat Sangwan and Yash Dhull went back undefeated with the hosts reaching 41/1 at stumps, thus keeping alive the excitement of Kohli turning up at the crease for Friday. was trained on 25,000 GPUs, and we now have 15,000 high-end GPUs available. India now has a robust compute facility that will support our AI ambitions,” a media report quoted him as saying. “The technical partners started working and investing well before the finalisation.This facility will be available for everyone to use,” Mr Vaishnaw added. The IT minister also praised Chinese startup DeepSeek for shaking up the sector with its low-cost AI assistant, likening its frugal approach to his government's efforts to build a localised AI model. Mr Vaishnaw also said that Indian servers will host DeepSeek for India, which will address privacy concerns. “DeepSeek is open source and will host it on Indian servers soon. This will address the privacy concerns regard- ing cross-border data transfer,” the minister said. DeepSeek has triggered a dramatic rethink on artificial intelligence spending around the world, claiming it took just two months and cost under $6 million to build an AI model using Nvidia's less-advanced H800 chips. Downloads of its app recently surpassed OpenAI's ChatGPT on Apple's App Store, while the cost and performance of its tools upended industry beliefs that China was years behind U.S. rivals in the AI race. Sebi cracks down on finfluencers to end illegal advisory businesses STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 30 JANUARY In a major blow to the financial influencers (finfluencers), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has restricted their use of live stock market data in educational content. Stock market educators can now only use stock prices with a three-month lag, a Sebi circular said, effectively preventing them from offering real-time trading tips disguised as education. “A person engaged solely in education shall mean that such person is not engaged in any of the two prohibited activities. Such person should not be using the market price data of the preceding three months to speak/talk/display the name of any security including using any code name of the security in his/her talk/speech, video, ticker, screen share etc. indicating the future price, advice or recommendation related to security or securities,” said the circular. This move is expected to end the illegal advisory businesses that many finfluencers operate without Sebi registration. Sebi first restricted associations between registered and unregistered entities in its October 2024 circular, and the latest update on 29 January further tightens the rules. “These regulations have come into force with effect from August 29, 2024,” it said. The circular said that the stock market educators cannot use live stock prices, allowing only data with a three-month lag. The registered market entities cannot associate with finfluencers in any way that involves monetary or nonmonetary compensation. Further, investor education is allowed, but educators must not give investment advice or make performance claims without Sebi’s approval. Educators cannot use stock names, codes, or price data from the past three months in any form that could imply investment advice, it said. Sebi said it is the responsibility of the persons regulated by Sebi to ensure that any person associated with them or their agents, directly or indirectly, does not engage in any of the above-mentioned two prohibited activities, directly or indirectly.