FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 BRIEFLY India continues to hold top position in global milk production: New Delhi: India continues to hold the first position in global milk production and contributes nearly a quarter of the world's supply, according to an official press note. Currently, dairy is the largest agricultural product in India, contributing 5 per cent to the national economy and directly employing more than 8 crore farmers. The sector touches more than 8 crore rural households, many of whom are small and marginal farmers. Women play a significant role in production and collection, which makes dairy a strong driver of inclusive growth, the data shows. | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR | Tuesday, 30 September 2025 SKY hails PM Modi, PCB ‘Benefits of GST reforms must reach common man’ Chief Naqvi whines STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 29 September P rime Minister Narendra Modi Monday, inaugurated the new office of the Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party unit at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, emphasising that the benefits of GST reforms and initiatives like 'Make in India' must reach the common man. The ceremony coincided with the auspicious occasion of Saptami during the Navratri festival. PM Modi highlighted that the next-gen GST reforms will save nearly Rs 20,000 on a family's annual expenditure of Rs 1 lakh for meeting daily needs. He emphasised the importance of reducing dependence on foreign products, stating that it will benefit the country. He recalled the complexities of filing Income Tax returns during the previous government’s regime, before 2014. He said the citizens earning even Rs 2 lakh had to pay income tax, while now, under his regime, it has been brought down to Rs 12 lakh. The Make in India initiative, launched in 2014, aims to transform India into a global manufacturing hub, promoting economic growth, innovation, and job creation. To reach the common man, the government has been working to increase awareness and implementation of these initiatives at the grassroots level. PM Modi congratulated all the workers of Delhi BJP, saying, "In these holy days of Navratri, today Delhi BJP has received its new office... This is a moment filled with new dreams and new resolutions." The office's construction began in June 2023 with a bhoomi pujan ceremony performed by BJP National President JP Nadda. Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva described the occasion as a "historic moment," thanking PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP chief JP Nadda for their visionary leadership. Top leaders attended the inauguration ceremony, including BJP National President JP Nadda, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Ministers, MPs, MLAs, Councillors, and grassroots workers. after Asia Cup debacle AGENCIES Dubai, 29 september Men in Blue T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav expressed gratitude for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's support and enthusiasm after Team India won their 9th Asia Cup trophy, beating Pakistan three times in the tournament, walking away with the title with a five-wicket win in the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday. After India won the Asia Cup final against Pakistan with a score of 150/5 against Pakistan's 146/10, PM Modi, in a post on X, referenced "Operation Sindoor on the games field", likening India's win to the military operation launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. PM Modi applauded India's famous win, saying, "Operation Sindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same - India wins! Congrats to our cricketers." Speaking with ANI, Suryakumar Yadav, appreciating PM Modi's support, said, "It feels good when the country's leader himself bats on the front foot; it felt like he took the strike and scored runs." He expressed his admiration for PM Modi's leadership, saying the players felt motivated and played freely with the country's leader supporting them. "Operation Sindoor on the games field. It feels good when the country's leader himself bats on the front foot; it felt like he took the strike and scored runs. It was great to see, and when Sir is standing in front, then definitely the players will play freely," said the skipper. "The most important thing is that the whole country is celebrating. When we go back (to India), it will feel good, and we will get more inspiration and motivation to do well," he added. Earlier, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief and the country's Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi who humiliated himself on the word stage when he walked off with the Asia Cup trophy after India refused to accept it from his hands, is now claiming that India has disgraced the spirit of the game. Singed by a resounding defeat at the hands of India the PCB Chief, Mohsin Naqvi whose X account is withheld in India, responded on the microblogging platform to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's congratulatory post after the game. "If war was your measure of pride, history already records your humiliating defeats at Pakistan's hands. No cricket match can rewrite that truth. Dragging war into sport only exposes desperation and disgraces the very spirit of the game," said Naqvi. FM Nirmala Sitharaman bats for SOP for rallies, to brief PM & HM on Karur stampede Instability in neighbouring nations spills into seas, says Rajnath Singh STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Chennai, 29 September Advocating a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for public rallies to prevent recurrence of the tragic stampede anywhere in the country, Union Finance Minister on Monday said she has come not to pass a verdict on what had happened but to meet the families of the victims and the injured to offer condolences and share their grief. “I have not come here to pass a verdict, but to meet the bereaved families and the injure d to convey condolences, listen to them and share their grief on the direction of the Prime Minister. There is nothing else. But, I will report to him and the Home Minister on what I heard,” she told the media at Karur in response to a question. Earlier in the day, she visited a few families of the victims and interacting with the injure d at the Government Medical College Hospital after visiting Velusamypuram, where the tragedy took place in the Saturday night’s massive rally of actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) which claimed 41 lives. On the urgency for evolving an SOP for public gatherings, she said, “We are rather too late unlike other countries. But no time is a bad time for bringing an SOP, particularly when there are huge assemblies. It is not just for one state, but across the country we should have a better way of managing gatherings.” Leh Apex Body to boycott statehood talks with Centre until peace returns to Ladakh STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Jammu, 29 September In a major decision, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) on Monday announced its decision to boycott the ongoing talks with the Home Ministry until peace that has been shattered after the killing of four people in police firing was not restored in the region. They will also not attend the talks with the Home Ministry in New Delhi on 6 October. The LAB announced in Leh that they will not engage in any further talks with the Centre till peace is restored and a judicial inquiry by a retired judge of the Supreme Court is ordered into the indiscriminate firing by CRPF personnel, killing four protestors and injuring more than 90. “We appeal to Amit Shah and the administration to douse the atmosphere of fear in Ladakh. Till necessary steps are taken, we wouldn’t participate in talks”, LAB Chairman Thuptsan Chhewang said. The LAB, which, along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), is spearheading the agitation for statehood for Ladakh and other constitutional provisions, said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Union Territory administration should take immediate steps to restore the confidence of Ladakhis and take steps towards the return of normalcy and remove fear from the locals. The LAB had to leave for New Delhi today for preliminary discussions with the MHA team ahead of the 6 October talks. Cherring Dorje, co-chairman of LAB, said that "LG Kavinder Gupta linked our agitation with Nepal. DGP SD Singh Jamwal, also, in his press conference, linked Sonam Wangchuk with Pakistan. We will not tolerate such allegations by the government and “Godi Media” labelling us as anti-national.'' "Were the government agencies sleeping if Wangchuk had any links with Pakistan? The government is trying to hide its wrongs by making such baseless allegations,'' he claimed. “It is greatly hurting and my heart is overflowing with sorrow and when I heard the victim’s families, there was a churning in my stomach. Most of the victims are breadwinners for their families. Some have lost their children. They narrated the hardship and trauma that they are undergoing. Some of them who are construction workers have sustained injuries in their hands which has effectively prevented them from going to work and earning their livelihood,” she bemoaned. She said Prime Minister Narendra personally called her and Dr Murugan to visit the families of the deceased and convey his condolences as he was unable to visit Karur though he desired to be here. New Delhi, 29 September Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that instability in neighbouring countries often spills into the maritime domain and urged the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) to respond swiftly to external developments. Addressing the inaugural session of the 42nd Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Commanders’ Conference in ICG Headquarters here, the Defence Minister cited frequent developments in Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, and other regional nations that impact coastal security, especially in the Bay of Bengal, through refugee influx, illegal migration, and irregular maritime activities. Urging the ICG to maintain not just routine surveillance but also geopolitical awareness and readiness to act swiftly to external events, Singh underlined the force’s critical role in safeguarding India’s 7,500-km-long coastline and island territories. Stating that maritime threats are becoming increasingly technology- driven and multi-dimensional, he said, “What were once predictable patterns of smuggling or piracy have now evolved into sophisticated operations using GPS spoofing, remote-controlled boats, encrypted communications, drones, satellite phones, and even networks operating on the dark web.” He also warned that terrorist organisations exploit modern tools such as digital mapping and real-time intelligence to plan their activities. “Traditional methods are no longer sufficient, we must be ahead of criminals and adversaries by integrating Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning-based surveillance, drones, cyber defence systems, and automated response mechanisms into our maritime security framework,” he highlighted further. The defence minister further cautioned that cyber and electronic warfare are no longer hypothetical threats but present-day realities. “A nation may attempt to paralyse our systems not with missiles, but through hacking, cyber-attacks, and electronic jamming. ICG must continuously adapt, upgrading its training and equipment to guard against such threats. Automated surveillance networks and AI-enabled systems are essential to reduce response time to seconds and ensure readiness at all times,” he said. Linking maritime security directly with India’s economic well-being, Singh underscored that ports, shipping lanes, and energy infrastructure are lifelines of the nation’s economy. “A disruption in maritime trade whether physical or cyber can have cascading effects on security and economy alike. We must treat national security and economic security as one and the same,” he stressed. EY raises GDP projection to 6.7 pc, Icra predicts 6.5 pc growth for FY26 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 29 September India's real gross domestic product (GDP) projection for the financial year 2025-26 (FY26) has been raised to 6.7 per cent by EY. This is up from the previous 6.5 per cent on the back of strong growth in the June quarter and goods and services tax (GST) reforms. "With 1QFY26 real GDP growth at 7.8 per cent and stimulation of demand through GST reforms on the one hand, constrained by global headwinds affecting India’s export prospects, both in goods and services, we expect India to still show an annual real GDP growth of 6.7 per cent in FY26," EY said in its 'Economy Watch' report for September 2025. EY highlighted that the ongoing tariff-related uncertainties and supply chain disruptions provide an opportunity for India to re-examine the pattern and composition of its international trade with the rest of the world, especially with the US and China. It further said that the base of India’s export destinations and import sources is narrow. "India is considerably dependent on the US and, to some extent, on China. India may do well to diversify its export destinations and import sources, seeking more opportunities amongst the BRICS countries and reducing its reliance both on the US and China," said DK Srivastava, chief policy advisor, EY India, in the report. According to EY, the ongoing tariff-related uncertainties and supply chain disruptions provide an opportunity for India to re-examine the pattern and composition of its international trade with the rest of the world, especially with the US and China. Recently, ICRA has also revised the GDP forecast in its September 2025 macroeconomic update. India's real GDP growth forecast for FY2026 has been revised to 6.5 per cent, up from previous estimates. Icra's revised projections indicate a nominal GDP growth of 8.3 per cent for FY2026, with a potential for a rate cut by the RBI if inflationary pressures remain subdued and economic growth continues to strengthen. Icra's Chief Economist Aditi Nayar highlighted that the GST rate cuts are expected to moderate inflation and stimulate demand across various sectors. While the immediate effect on the CPI inflation is anticipated to be minimal, the long-term benefits are expected to support economic growth.