SATURDAY 07 JUNE 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 16 |` 5.00|LC SINCE 1818 X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 40 AND 26 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: 000.0 Mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 78% 41% Parliaments of 10 BRICS nations condemn Pahalgam terror attack ‘Op Sindoor will always haunt Pakistan, terror infrastructure was destroyed in minutes’ Min. SP SHARMA KATRA (JAMMU), 6 JUNE TEMPERATURE Max: 38.2°C (-1.8) SUN RISES 05:23 hrs MOON RISES 15:55 hrs Pak attacked ‘insaniyat’, Kashmiris’ livelihood: PM Min: 25.6 °C (-2.0) SUN SETS 19:18 hrs MOON SETS 02:57 hrs THUMBNAILS Goats being displayed for sale at a livestock market ahead of Eid al-Adha near Jama Masjid in the Capital on Friday. n SUBRATA DUTTA Starlink gets DoT satcom licence: Elon Muskrun affordable satellite internet service Starlink has finally received a satcom licence in India to offer its commercial services, possibly later this year or early next year. According to reliable sources, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) permit to the US company. India-US trade talks spill over into next week: Indian and U.S. officials engaged in highlevel trade negotiations in New Delhi to arrive at an interim deal on tariff cuts, ahead of the 9 July deadline, have decided to extend their ongoing talks into next week, according to a senior official. India's negotiating team, headed by Additional Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, has held talks over two days in Delhi with senior officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). S lamming Pakistan for the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 tourists were gunned down, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called it an assault on ‘insaniyat’, Kashmiriyat and livelihood of Kashmiris. Speaking after the inauguration of several railway infrastructure projects, including the landmark Chenab Rail Bridge, the world’s highest railway arch bridge, which will provide direct rail connectivity to Srinagar, Mr Modi said: “Pakistan attacked both humanity and the soul of Kashmir in Pahalgam. The motive was to spark riots across India and crush the livelihoods of hardworking Kashmiris. That is why tourists were targeted.” He said that the attack on tourists wasmeanttosabotagetheflourishing tourism industry in Jammu and Kashmir, which had witnessed record-high visitor numbers over the past few years. “Pakistan’s malicious intent directly impacted local workers, including horse owners, porters, guides, guest house STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 6 JUNE owners, and shopkeepers, aiming to destroy their livelihoods. Pakistan is also the enemy of the poor's bread and butter”. He praised the courage of young Adil, who stood against terrorists, but tragically lost his life while striving to support his family through honest labour. The Prime Minister said : “‘Operation Sindoor’ will always haunt Pakistan and whenever it hears the name of the ‘Operation’ it will recall the shameful defeat. The Pakistani Army and terrorists would never have thought that India would attack them so deep inside their territory. Their terror infrastructure was turned into rubble in a matter of minutes”. Mr Modi stated that Pakistan was left in shock and frustration, reacting by targeting innocent civilians in Jammu, Poonch, and other districts. He condemned Pakistan’s brutal attacks, pointing PM Modi confirms participation in G7 summit in Canada STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 6 JUNE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received an invite from his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on Friday to attend the 51st G7 Summit to be held at Kananaskis in Alberta from 15-17 June. “Glad to receive a call from Prime Minister @MarkJCarney of Canada. Congratulated him on his recent election victory and thanked him for the invitation to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis later this month,” Mr Modi wrote on microblogging platform 'X'. He said that as vibrant democracies bound by deep peopleto-people ties, India and Canada will work together with renewed vigour, guided by mutual respect and shared interests. Mr Modi said he looks forward to his meeting with the Canadian PM at the summit. There were speculations that Mr Modi may not receive the invite for the summit in Canada, given the chill in bilateral ties. The two countries downgraded diplomatic ties after Justin Trudeau, the then Canadian PM, alleged RBI cuts repo rate by 50 bps to 5.5 per cent, CRR by 100 bps, releasing `2.5 trillion liquidity in banks STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 6 JUNE Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Sanjay Malhotra on Friday announced that the central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to reduce the policy repo rate by 50 basis points (bps) to 5.5 per cent. The MPC decided to change the stance from ‘Accommodative’ to ‘Neutral’, he added. Further, in a major boost to banks, the RBI announced a reduction of the cash reserve ratio by 100 bps. The Governor announced that the CRR cut would be done in four equal tranches during the year. “Will release primary liquidity of Rs 2.5 lakh crore in the banking system. CRR cut in four tranches 25 bps each starting from September 6, out that the world witnessed how it destroyed homes, bombed schools and hospitals, and shelled temples, mosques, and gurudwaras. He also warned that anyone trying to derail Jammu and Kashmir’s development would have to “face Narendra Modi first”. Lauding the resilience of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the Prime Minister stated that their firm stand against Pakistan’s conspiracy sends a powerful message. October 4, November 1, and November 29 this year,” the Governor added. On the GDP projections, Governor Malhotra said the real GDP growth rate for this year 2025-2026, is projected at 6.5 per cent, continuing with our earlier forecast, with Q1 at 6.5 per cent, Q2 at 6.7 per cent, Q3 at 6.6 per cent, and Q4 at 6.4 per cent. Notably, the Indian economy demonstrated robust performance with a 7.4 per cent GDP growth in the January-March 2025 quarter. The growth was driven by sectors like construction and manufacturing. Mr Malhotra also announced the inflation forecasts for this fiscal year, with Q1 at 2.9 per cent, Q2 at 3.4 per cent, Q3 at 3.9 per cent, and Q4 at 4.4 per cent. “Inflation has softened significantly over the last six months from above the tolerance band in October 2024 to well below the target with signs of a broad-based moderation,” the Governor added. The CPI headline inflation continued its declining trajectory in March-April, with headline CPI inflation moderating to a nearly six-year low of 3.2 per cent (y-o-y) in April 2025. “On both inflation and growth fronts, the Indian economy is progressing well and broadly on expected lines. Strong macroeconomic fundamentals and benign inflation outlook provide space to monetary policy to support growth, while remaining consistent with the goal of price stability,” the Governor highlighted. NEW DELHI, 6 JUNE Adding a fresh chapter to one of cricket’s most storied rivalries, the iconic India-England Test series will now be played for the AndersonTendulkar Trophy, named in honour of two titans of the game ~ James Anderson and Sachin Tendulkar. The announcement was jointly made by the England and Wales Cricket Board STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday launched the UMEED Central Portal, a centralised digital platform for real-time uploading, verification, and monitoring of Waqf properties The portal is expected to bring about a paradigm shift in how Waqf assets are administered by introducing greater transparency, accountability, and public participation “The UMEED Portal will add a new chapter in the history of Waqf property management and administration in India. It will bring transparency and help the common Muslims, particularly women and children," said Mr Rijiju after launching (SEE ALSO P-13) (ECB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), with the official unveiling set to take place at Lord’s during the World Test Championship(WTC)final,starting 11 June. Fittingly, both Tendulkar and Anderson will be present to inaugurate the trophy that now carries their names. The decision ushers in a unified identity for India-England Test contests, replacing the previously alternating trophies depending on the host nation. Traditionally, the Pataudi Trophy, named after former India captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, was awarded Centre launches digital platform for monitoring Waqf properties NEW DELHI, 6 JUNE India, England to battle for Anderson-Tendulkar trophy now STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE in 2023 the potential involvement of the Indian establishment in the killing of “Khalistan” activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. New Delhi rejected the charge as “absurd” and “motivated”. The G7, an informal forum of seven major industrialised democracies, comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. in England, while the Anthony de Mello Trophy, named after a founding figure of Indian cricket administration, was presented when the series was held in India. The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy brings consistency, prestige and a shared legacy to the bilateral rivalry. Anderson, the most successful fast bowler in Test history with 188 appearances, retired in July 2024 while Tendulkar, regarded as one of the greatest batters of all time, brought the curtains down to his glorious career in 2013 after playing 200 Tests. SC permits NBE to hold NEET-PG 2025 on 3 August Strongly condemning the heinous 22 April Pahalgam terror attack, parliaments of 10 BRICS nations have agreed to cooperate on a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism. The 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum was held in Brasilia, Brazil on 4–5 June, with participation from the parliaments of all 10 member countries, including India. The Indian delegation was led by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, along with a highlevel parliamentary team. The 10 BRICS countries represented in this year’s forum were: India, Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Indonesia. Delegations from the parliaments of these countries actively participated in the conference and played a key role in shaping the joint declaration. After multiple rounds of intensive discussions and deliberations, a broad consensus was reached on key global issues such as the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), global trade and economy, inter-parliamentary cooperation, global peace and security. India’s stance on various issues was widely appreciated and was unanimously incorporated into the final joint declaration. In particular, India’s firm policy on countering terrorism was strongly acknowledged. India unequivocally condemned all terrorist attacks and emphatically advocated for the adoption of a zero tolerance policy towards terrorism. The joint declaration strongly condemned the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India, and member parliaments agreed to act collectively against terrorism. The UMEED Portal will bring transparency and help the common Muslims, particularly women and children, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said after launching the Portal. the Portal. Calling it a historic step, he emphasised that the portal is more than a technological upgrade. “It is a symbol of the government’s firm commitment to safeguarding the rights of minority communities and ensuring that community-owned Waqf assets are utilised effectively and fairly, for the poor Muslims, for whom it was originally meant,” he added. Key Features of the portal include the creation of a digital inventory with geotagging of all Waqf properties; online grievance redressal system for better responsiveness; transparent leasing and usage tracking; integration with GIS mapping and other e-Governance tools; and public access to verified records and reports. Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Chandra Shekhar Kumar, said he expected the portal to become the backbone of digital Waqf governance, thereby ensuring that the Waqf assets contribute meaningfully to education, healthcare, livelihood generation, and social welfare, especially for underprivileged sections within the Muslim community. FISHING NEW DELHI, 6 JUNE The Supreme Court on Friday allowed the National Board of Examinations (NBE) to conduct the NEETPG 2025 exam on 3 August, granting an extension from the earlier deadline of 15 June, after the top court had ordered the conduct of examination in a single shift instead of two shifts as planned by the examination agency earlier. A vacation bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Augustine George Masih passed the order. SNS People use fishing nets to catch fish in the flood water at Murkata village in Morigaon. (ANI)