INDIAN GIRL IN ANTARCTICA AND THE ARCTIC CEO SPEAKS ON HEALTHY MOMOS 29 JUNE 2025 INDIA’S LOWER ORDER WORKING ON BATTING SKILLS, SAYS PRASIDH www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 PAGE 20 SINCE 1818 PAGES 20 |` 5.00|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER Generally Cloudy sky with a few spells of light rain/ thundershower very likely to occur. RAINFALL: 018.5 mm Group Captain Sudhanshu Shukla interacts with PM Modi from on board ISS RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 98% ‘India looks very big, very grand from space’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Min. 94% NEW DELHI, 28 JUNE TEMPERATURE Max: 28.6˚C ( -4.3 ) SUN RISES 04:54 hrs MOON RISES 08:34 hrs Min: 26.5 ˚C ( -0.3 ) SUN SETS 18:25 hrs MOON SETS 22:17 hrs Full Moon on 11 July THUMBNAILS A priest performs rituals before the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra during the Goncha festival at Janakpuri in Jagdalpur, Bastar. n IANS Mid-air altercation on AI flight: An unruly passenger was handed over to airport security at Delhi airport after a mid-air altercation on Air India flight AI-454 from Amritsar to Delhi on Saturday, the airline said. The individual was standing in the aisle engaged in a verbal altercation with another passenger, who told the cabin crew that he was being abusive, the airline said. The crew de-escalated the situation and the disruptive passenger was handed over to airport security after the flight landed. I ndia looks “very big and grand” from space, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS), told Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. “Jab pehli baar Bharat ko dekha, Bharat sach mein bohat bhavya dikta hain, jitna ham map pe dekhten hain, usse kahin jyada bada (When we saw India for the first time, we saw that India looks very grand, very big, much bigger than what we see on the map),” Group Captain Shukla said during his interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Group Captain Shukla also said that from space, it seems as though no borders exist on Earth. “The first view was of the Earth and after seeing the Earth from outside, the first thought and the first thing that came to mind was that the Earth looks completely one, no border is visible from outside. When we see the Earth from outside, it seems that no border exists, no state exists, no countries exist. We all are part of humanity, and the Earth is our one home, and all of us are in it," he said. Group Captain Shukla, who is the second Indian to reach space, said he feels very proud as India has reached the International Space Station and it is a collective achievement of the country. “I am feeling very emotional and happy after having a conversation with you and 140 crore Indians. I feel very proud as India has reached the International Poll panel begins Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar IMRAN MOJIB Space Station...I have learnt a lot in the entire journey. This is a collective achievement of the whole nation...I want to send a message to the younger generation that if you work hard, the future of the nation will be good. The sky is never the limit,” he said. PM Modi said that after the success of Chandrayaan, the youth of the country have developed a new interest towards science. “There is a new enthusiasm to explore space... Today, children not only look at the sky, but they think they can reach it. This spirit is the Senior IPS officer Parag Jain appointed as new R&AW chief STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 28 JUNE PATNA, 28 JUNE The Election Commission of India (ECI) has said that the Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls has started successfully in Bihar for verifying the eligibility of each elector with full participation of all political parties. In a press note issued on Saturday, the ECI asserted that all activities relating to the Special Intensive Revision are progressing well as per schedule. The ECI stated: “Printing as well as door-to-door distribution of new Enumeration Forms (EF) for all the existing 7,89,69,844 electors of Bihar has already started in each of the 243 Assembly Constituencies of Bihar. Online filling of the new Enumeration Forms (EFs) has already been enabled and has also started successfully.” It added: “Out of the existing 7,89,69,844 electors, 4.96 crore electors, whose names are already in the last intensive revision of Electoral Roll on 01.01.2003, have to simply verify so, fill the Enumeration Form and submit it.” Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav had questioned the ECI’s attempt to revise the registration list of 8 crore voters in just 25 days, saying that a similar exercise conducted 22 years ago was completed in two years. He had also alleged that this move fuels suspicions of a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise vulnerable populations, including the poor, marginalised communities, Dalits, Adivasis, and minorities. Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor also said that following the Maharashtra elections, the Election Commission’s conduct has led to public concerns that the BJP might pressure the Commission to remove non-supporters from the voter rolls. Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi strongly rebutted the opposition’s accusations. He said that they are aware of areas with significant numbers of fraudulent voters—ranging from 25,000 to 30,000 in some places. The removal of these fake entries should concern only those involved in wrongdoing, Mr Manjhi said. base of our future space missions... We have to take Mission Gaganyan forward, we have to make our own space station, and we have to ensure that an Indian astronaut lands on the Moon," PM Modi said. Group Captain Shukla said Indian scientists have prepared seven unique experiments for the mission. PM Modi congratulated Group Captain Shukla for hoisting the Tricolour in space and said while “you are away from our motherland, you are the closest to the hearts of Indians”. (With agency inputs) The government has appointed senior Indian Police Service officer Parag Jain as the next Secretary of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), the country’s foreign intelligence agency, sources said. The Appointments Committee of the cabinet has approved Jain’s appointment, who will succeed Ravi Sinha, and his tenure is said to begin from 1 July 2025. Mr Jain is a 1989 batch IPS of the Punjab cadre, whose term as R&AW chief will be for the coming two years, while Mr Sinha is retiring on 30 June. “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Shri Parag Jain, IPS to the post of Secretary, Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) under Cabinet Secretariat for a tenure of two years from the date of assumption of the charge of the post until further orders, whichever is earlier...” an order said. The officer’s career includes significant experience with the country’s external intelligence agency and also includes contributions in anti-terror operations in Punjab. He has extensive experience in the field, as well as good global exposure and experience. Before this, Mr Jain was the head of the Aviation Research Centre, an organisation that deals with aerial surveillance, SIGINT operations, photo reconnaissance flights (PHOTINT), monitoring of borders and imagery intelligence (IMINT) and is widely credited as the mastermind behind the planning of 'Operation Sindoor, providing intelligence support that enabled the armed forces to execute precise strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) Chaos mar Puri Rath Yatra STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BHUBANESWAR, 28 JUNE The famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri descended into a spectacle of mismanagement and disorder on Friday, as chaos, largely caused by the overwhelming presence of cordon pass-holders, brought the chariot procession to a near standstill for hours. For the first time in over three decades, Nandighosh ~ the majestic chariot of Lord Jagannath ~ remained immobilized until 7:45 p.m, barely moving a few symbolic metres. What should have been a moment of spiritual grandeur turned into a near disaster, with the state government drawing sharp criticism from devotees, civil society, and opposition leaders alike. While the rituals were reportedly completed almost on time, what followed was a shocking breakdown in management. Taladhwaja, the chariot of Lord Balabhadra, led the procession but moved in a disorderly and erratic manner, causing delays that snowballed across the sequence. Devi Subhadra’s chariot was held back, and Nandighosh stood unmoving for hours. The overcrowded inner cordon choked the system and completely disrupted the pulling of the chariots. Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan attempted to downplay the fiasco, saying, “The crowd was multiple times more than our estimates,” and suggesting “the will of the Lord.” Injuries were reported . Several people sustained minor injuries while four were seriously injured. The inner cordon, which traditionally clears once the deities are placed on the chariots, was flooded with ruling party workers and pass-holders, leaving little room for police and security personnel to function. Even VVIPs, including the Governor, Chief Minister, and Union Ministers, who are seated at vantage points on a dias appeared visibly helpless amid the disarray. Veteran leader and former minister Bijay Mahapatra said: “There were thousands of cordon pass-holders, many of them BJP party karyakartas. Was this a Rath Yatra or a BJP Yatra? The CM had promised a ‘historic’ yatra—indeed it was, for all the wrong reasons.” He pointed out that such a delay in pulling Nandighosh, till well past dusk – 7.45 p.m, has not occurred in 33 years. The BJD, in a media conference today, said Jagannath devotees across the world are hurt and feel disillusioned over the failure of governance. Senior BJD leader and former minister Pratap Jena said the overcrowding in the cordon area was because 10,000 passes were issued by BJP ministers instead of 1,000 or a maximum of 2,000 passes. Several people including journalists were injured. The chariot of Lord Jagannath did not move till 7.45 p.m. and this has never happened in the past, said the BJD leader, adding that CM Mohan Charan Majhi who holds the home portfolio must own moral responsibility and resign or the Law Minister must quit. This marks the second consecutive embarrassment for the BJP-led government in handling the Rath Yatra. In 2024, during their first Yatra in power, the idol of Lord Balabhadra had fallen while being carried in a ceremonial procession ~ an unprecedented mishap that sparked outrage. Though an inquiry was ordered, the report is still awaited, further raising doubts about the government's seriousness. Country has remained united and strong during crisis: CJI BR Gavai AGENCIES NAGPUR, 28 JUNE The Chief Justice of India, B. R. Gavai, on Saturday said that whenever the country has faced a crisis, it has remained united and stood together, attributing this to Babasaheb Ambedkar’s vision of one Constitution to keep the country united. Speaking at the inauguration of the Constitution Preamble Park at the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Law School, Nagpur University, CJI Gavai said the Supreme Court drew inspiration from Dr. Ambedkar's vision of a united India under a single constitution while upholding the Central government’s decision to abrogate Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. “Babasaheb Ambedkar was criticised for our Constitution being too centralised, and it provides too much of centralism and federalism. Babasaheb had replied to that criticism by saying the Constitution is neither centric nor federal. We are giving the country a Constitution suitable for all challenges, and I can assure you that it will keep the country united in times of war and peace. Today we are seeing in our 75-year journey what is the situation around us, in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, whenever this country has faced any crisis, it has remained united and strong,” said the CJI. The function was attended by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari among others. Justice Gavai was also felicitated for taking over as CJI on 14 May. Referring to the Supreme Court judgment upholding the abrogation of Article 370, the CJI said it was in line with Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s argument that the country needs one Constitution. “The Supreme Court accepted that the country needs to be governed by one constitution,” he added. He hailed Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s efforts in uniting the nation through the Constitution and noted the Constitution Preamble Park’s significance in Nagpur, where Ambedkar embraced Buddhism. Earlier, on Friday, the CJI, in his speech at a felicitation function organised by the Nagpur District Court Bar Association, asserted that the judiciary should not intervene in every matter, emphasising the need for a delicate balance between activism and restraint while upholding constitutional values. He also highlighted the importance of maintaining constitutional boundaries between the three organs of democracy while cautioning against judicial overreach. CJI Gavai stressed that the judiciary, executive, and legislature must operate within their constitutional boundaries, with the judiciary stepping in only when laws violate constitutional principles. He further argued that judicial activism should not turn into judicial terrorism or adventurism. Security guard of law college arrested STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 28 JUNE The security guard of the South Kolkata Law College has been arrested in connection with the alleged gang rape of a student, marking the fourth arrest in the case following the detention of three accused individuals, including the prime accused, Manojit Mishra. Kolkata Police, meanwhile, set up a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Assistant Commissioner (South Suburban Division) Pradip Kumar Ghosal to oversee the investigation into the case. According to police sources, the security guard — identified as Pinaki Banerjee — was on duty at the time of the incident. The victim alleged in her complaint that Banerjee failed to respond to her distress calls. Police stated that Banerjee was taken into custody after several inconsistencies were found in his statements, which appeared to corroborate the victim’s account as outlined in her formal complaint. (More reports on Page 3)