FRIDAY 07 MARCH 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 16 |` 5.00|LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR PRESIDENT MURMU TO LEAD INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY CELEBRATION IN CAPITAL TRUMP ISSUES ‘LAST WARNING’ TO HAMAS TO RELEASE HOSTAGES P11 SENSEX 74,340.09p609.87 WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. MIST LIKELY IN THE MORNING. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 30 AND 13 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 60 % TEMPERATURE P5 22,544.70p207.40 ` vs $ 87.12 GOLD 88,385.00 Min: 12.2 °C (1.2) SUN SETS 18:25 hrs MOON SETS 02:38 hrs THUMBNAILS Cadets of Uttar Pradesh’s 15 Battalion NCC conduct a cleanliness drive on the bank of the river Ganga after the culmination of Mahakumbh, in Prayagraj. n ANI Judicial panel blames UP police, organisers for Hathras stampede: The judicial commission formed to investigate the stampede during the 'satsang' (religious programme) of Suraj Pal alias Bhole Baba on 2 July last year in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras has blamed the organisers along with the police and administration officials for the incident. At least 121 people were killed in the stampede in Phulera Mughal Sarai village of Sikandra tehsil of Hathras on 2 July last year. (Page 8) NEW DELHI, 6 MARCH I ndia on Thursday strongly condemned the heckling of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar by Khalistani extremists in London, saying it "deplores the misuse of democratic freedoms by such elements". In a statement, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India expects the host government to live up to its diplomatic obligations. "We have seen the footage of a breach of security during the visit of EAM to the UK. We condemn the provocative activities of this small group of separatists and extremists. We deplore the misuse of democratic freedoms by such elements. We expect the host government in such cases to fully live up to their diplomatic obligations," he said. Hours later, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said: "We strongly condemn the Kashmir issue will be resolved when PoK is returned to India: Jaishankar STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 6 MARCH External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said the final resolution of the Kashmir issue will come when the "stolen part" under illegal Pakistani occupation is returned to India. He made the remarks during a discussion with Bronwen Maddox, Director and CEO of think tank Chatham House in London on Wednesday. He was responding to a question by a journalist reportedly from Pakistan on steps taken by India to resolve the Kashmir issue. "Removing Article 370 was step number one; restoring growth and economic activity and social justice in Kashmir was step number two; and holding elections with a very high turnout was step number three,” the minister said. "I think the part we are waiting for is the return of the stolen part of Kashmir which is under illegal Pakistani occupation. When that is done, I assure you Kashmir will be solved," he added. Mr Jaishankar also rejected the idea of any third party involvement when asked if Prime Min- ister Narendra Modi could use his friendly ties with US President Donald Trump to resolve the issue. When Maddox raised the issue of alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir, the external affairs minister dismissed them, saying "I think any sort of sweeping concern on human rights is really misplaced. I do not see justification for it at all." incident that took place outside Chatham House yesterday during the Exter- nal Affairs Minister’s visit to the UK. While the UK upholds the right to peaceful protest, any attempts to intimidate, threaten, or disrupt public events are India developing affordable Artificial Intelligence ecosystem: Government STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 6 MARCH For the first time, the government is actively shaping an Artificial Intelligence (AI) ecosystem where computing power, GPUs, and research opportunities are accessible at an affordable cost. Unlike in the past, AI in India is no longer confined to a privileged few or dominated by global tech giants. Through forward-looking policies, the Ministry of Electronics & IT on Thursday said it is empowering students, startups, and innovators with world-class AI infrastructure, fostering a truly level playing field. Initiatives such as the IndiaAI Mission and the establishment of Centres of Excellence for AI are strengthening the country’s AI ecosystem, paving the way for innovation and self-reliance in this critical sector. These efforts align with the vision of Viksit Bharat These efforts align with the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, where India aspires to become a global AI powerhouse, leveraging cutting-edge technology for economic growth, governance, and societal progress. by 2047, where India aspires to become a global AI powerhouse, leveraging cuttingedge technology for economic growth, governance, and societal progress. India is rapidly building a strong AI computing and semiconductor infrastructure to support its growing digital economy. With the approval of the IndiaAI Mission in 2024, the government allocated Rs 10,300 crore over five years to strengthen AI capabilities. A key focus of this mission is the development of a highend common computing facility equipped with 18,693 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), making it one of the most extensive AI computing infrastructures globally. This capacity is nearly nine times that of the opensource AI model DeepSeek and about two-thirds of what ChatGPT operates on. The initial phase of the mission has already made 10,000 GPUs available, with the remaining units to be added soon. This will enable the creation of indigenous AI solutions tailored to Indian languages and contexts. India has also pioneered the launch of an open GPU marketplace, making highperformance computing accessible to startups, researchers, and students. Unlike many countries where AI infrastructure is controlled by large corporations, this initiative ensures that small players have an opportunity to innovate. The government has selected 10 companies to supply the GPUs, ensuring a robust and diversified supply chain. Barbados award for PM Modi STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 6 MARCH In a ceremony held in Bridgetown, Barbados, Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles Pabitra Margherita received the prestigious ‘Honorary Order of Freedom of Barbados’ Award bestowed upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi in recognition of his strategic leadership and valuable assistance during the Covid-19 pandemic. The award announcement was made by Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Amor Mottley, during a meeting with Prime Minister Modi on 20 November 2024, held on the sidelines of the 2nd India-CARICOM Leaders’ Summit in Georgetown, Guyana. PM Mottley acknowledged the vital role played by PM Modi in strengthening international cooperation. PM pitches for ‘Wed in India’, encourages prioritising Uttarakhand as destination for winter weddings STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE DEHRADUN, 6 MARCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday reiterated his appeal to the people of the country to "Wed in India" and encouraged prioritising Uttarakhand as a destination for winter weddings. He also emphasised the importance of making tourism a year-round activity in Uttarakhand, saying that there should be no “off-season” for tourists in the state. The prime minister was participating in a programme to push winter tourism and flagged off a trek and bike rally at Harsil in Uttarkashi district. Addressing a gathering, he also condoled the recent deaths of eight workers in the 28 February avalanche in Chamoli district’s Mana village. During the trip, Mr Modi also visited the winter seat of Gangotri Dham in Mukhwa. He reiterated his earlier appeal to youths to make Uttarakhand their destination instead of going outside the country. He stressed that the wedding economy in India was worth thousands of crores of rupees and requested youths to perform their destination marriages in the country. “I have similar expectations from the film industry of India. Uttarakhand has been bestowed with the most film friendly state award. It's developing all modern amenities and infrastructures and can become a favourite destination of India for shooting films as well," he said. Mr Modi also recalled his visit to Baba Kedarnath, where he had declared that “this decade would be the decade of Uttarakhand”. He noted that the commitments made for Uttarakhand's development are being realised through continuous achievements and new milestones. He added: “Winter tourism is a significant step in this direction, aiding in harnessing Uttarakhand's economic potential” and congratulated the Uttarakhand government for this innovative effort and extended his best wishes for the state's progress. “Diversifying and making the tourism sector a yearround activity is important and necessary for Uttarakhand”, said the prime minister, remarking that there should be no "off-season" in the hill state, and tourism should thrive in every season. He mentioned that currently, tourism in the hills is seasonal, with a significant influx of tourists during March, April, May, and June. P16 SILVER 1,08,000 India slams heckling of Jaishankar in London STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NZ SKIPPER SANTNER WARNS INDIA AHEAD OF CT 2025 FINAL P4 Randhir Jaiswal said the country expects the host govt to live up to its diplomatic obligations Min. 20 % Max: 28.4 °C (+1.0) SUN RISES 06:39 hrs MOON RISES 11:46 hrs NIFTY FADNAVIS CLARIFIES AMID ROW OVER RSS LEADER’S REMARKS completely unacceptable.'' The UK said the Metropolitan Police acted swiftly to address the situation, and London remains fully committed to ensuring the security of all diplomatic visitors, in line with the nation's international obligations. The statements from the two countries came after Mr Jaishankar was heckled by Khalistani extremists on Wednesday when he was leaving Chatham House after attending an exclusive event. In a purported video of the incident that is doing rounds on social media, pro-Khalistani protesters are seen heckling the external affairs minister. One of the protesters comes in front of the minister's convoy and tears up an Indian flag before being taken away by the police. On the other side of the road, several protesters holding pro-Khalistani flags shouted slogans against India. The man was briefly detained by the local police. No harm was caused to the Indian minister in the incident. BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 69.61p0.31 Govt closely watching ongoing trade negotiations with USA: Finance Minister Sitharaman STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 6 MARCH With a 2 April deadline approaching for the reciprocal tariffs initiated by President Donald Trump, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday that the government was closely watching the ongoing trade negotiations with the United States. “We will have to see how the Commerce Ministry handles the negotiations in the US,” Mrs Sitharaman said. She reassured that the interests of Indian exporters have been effectively communicated to US counterparts, and key actions taken by the government, such as conducting stakeholder consultations prior to negotiations, facilitating active discussions led by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in the USA, and maintaining ongoing datasharing with relevant industry groups, to ensure that exporters' concerns are addressed and protected. Mrs Sitharaman’s comments came at a time when Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is on a visit to the US for discussions aimed at safeguarding Indian exporters' interests. The finance minister was speaking at the launch of the book 'The Glimpses of World History' in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. A couple of days ago, the US president set 2 April for reciprocal tariffs to take effect, adding that India would not receive any concessions. Addressing a joint session of Congress, he said: “India charges us 100 per cent tariffs; the system is not fair to the US, it never was. On April 2, reciprocal tariffs kick in. Whatever they tax us, we will tax them. If they use nonmonetary tariffs to keep us out of their market, then we will use non-monetary barriers to keep them out of our market.” The finance minister had earlier said that India would need to play a crucial role in the "global reset" as the new world order will not be determined by the developed nations.