www.thestatesman.com | FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd India’s National Newspaper since 1818 BRIEFLY | @thestatesmanltd Pages 16 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA NEW DELHI | SILIGURI Modi backs Trump’s Gaza peace push Gaza, 4 October New Delhi: In a bid to bolster its air defence capabilities, the Indian Army has floated a tender for purchasing six AK-630 30mm from state-owned firm Advanced Weapon and Equipment India Ltd (AWEIL). The move is being seen as the first step towards bringing Mission Sudarshan Chakra to life. According to officials, Indian Army Air Defence has floated an RFP for the procurement of six AK-630 Air Defence Gun Systems with Advanced Weapon and Equipment India Ltd (AWEIL). The system is a 30mm multi-barrel mobile air defense gun capable of a high rate of fire. Mounted on a trailer and towed by a high-mobility vehicle, it is designed to counter unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), rockets, artillery shells, and mortars (URAM). Defence sources indicate that the gun has an effective range of approximately 4 km and can fire up to 3,000 rounds per minute. (Page 5) | Hamas to free Israeli hostages, supports Trump’s Gaza plan AGENCIES Army launches procurement bid for AK-630 systems: People’s Parliament, Always in Session thestatesman1875 H amas on Friday (local time) agreed to release all Israeli hostages, whether dead or alive, as it partially accepted the 20-point Gaza peace plan introduced by US President Donald Trump earlier this week. “In this context, the movement affirms its readiness to immediately enter into negotiations through the mediators to discuss the details of this agreement,” Hamas said in a statement released on Telegram, quoted by Al Jazeera. The group also agreed to hand over the Gaza administration to an independent Palestinian technocrats' body “based on Palestinian national consensus and Arab and Islamic support.” “Other issues mentioned in President Trump's proposal regarding the future of the Gaza Strip and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people are connected to a unified national position and relevant international laws and resolutions," the statement said. “They will be addressed through a comprehensive Palestinian national framework, in which Hamas will participate and contribute responsibly,” the statement added. The development comes STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 4 October after United States President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Hamas, saying the militant group is “militarily trapped” and gave it till Sunday to agree to the peace deal that has been endorsed by regional and global powers. US President Donald Trump earlier in the week unveiled his peace plan, which includes an immediate ceasefire, the release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas, a staged withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and the introduction of a transitional government led by an international body. Hamas, while agreeing to release all Israeli hostages and hand over administration of Gaza to Palestinian technocrats, has notably not mentioned disarmament. The international community has welcomed Hamas’ response, with Qatar beginning coordination with mediator Egypt and the USA to continue talks on Trump's Gaza plan. Reciprocating Hamas’ response, Mr Trump Saturday asked Israel to “immediately stop bombing Gaza.” The Israeli military, however, launched fresh airstrikes in the enclave on Saturday that killed at least six people. The conflict between Israel and Hamas has resulted in significant loss of life, with over 66,000 people killed in Gaza since October 2023, according to Gaza health authorities. Israel began its military campaign after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday welcomed the leadership shown by US President Donald Trump in advancing peace efforts in Gaza, citing "decisive progress" in the peace process. The Indian government has been closely following the developments in the region and has been supportive of efforts to achieve a durable and just resolution to the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "We welcome President Trump’s leadership as peace efforts in Gaza make decisive progress. Indications of the release of hostages mark a significant step forward. India will continue to strongly support all efforts towards a durable and just peace," PM Modi said in a post on X. | BHUBANESWAR | 05 October 2025 Bihar elections: Parties urge post-Chhath poll schedule AGENCIES New Delhi, 4 October Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday termed political parties as “significant stakeholders of a strong democracy” as the Election Commission of India (ECI) began its two-day review of poll preparedness for the upcoming high-stakes Bihar Assembly elections. CEC Kumar, accompanied by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, held extensive interactions in Patna with representatives of national and state parties, including BJP, Congress, JD(U), RJD, LJP (Ram Vilas), RLJP, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML-Liberation), BSP, AAP and NPP. Calling upon political outfits to participate fully in the electoral process by appointing “polling and counting agents”, the Commission encouraged them to celebrate elections in a “festive spirit” along with voters. Political parties, in turn, thanked the ECI for completing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and purifying electoral rolls, reiterating their trust in the system. “To maximise the participation of voters in the elections, political parties suggested that the elections be scheduled immediately after the Chhath festival and for the elections to be completed in as few phases as possible,” the ECI said in its press note. They also praised recent ECI initiatives such as capping voters per polling station at 1,200, ensuring timely counting of postal ballots before the final rounds of EVM counting, and mandating that Form 17C be handed over to party agents before polling staff leave the station. UK PM Starmer to visit India next week, hold talks with PM Modi in Mumbai AGENCIES New Delhi, 4 October Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, will undertake a two-day visit to India starting 8 October at the invitation of PM Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Saturday. This will be Prime Minister Starmer’s first offi- cial visit to India. According to the MEA, during the visit, on 9 October in Mumbai, the two Prime Ministers will take stock of progress in diverse aspects of the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in line with 'Vision 2035', a focussed and time bound 10 -year Roadmap of programmes and key initiatives across sectors. “Both leaders will engage with businesses and industry leaders on opportunities presented by the India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) as a central pillar of the future India–UK economic partnership. They will exchange views on issues of regional and global importance,” read a statement issued by the MEA. India adds 17 crore jobs in six years Shubman Gill replaces Rohit Sharma as India’s ODI captain STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 4 October Unemployment in the country has fallen from 6.0 per cent in 2017–18 to 3.2 per cent in 2023–24, while 1.56 crore women have joined the formal workforce in the past seven years, an official statement said on Saturday. According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, total employment in India rose to 64.33 crore in 2023–24, compared to 47.5 crore in 2017–18 — a net addition of 16.83 crore jobs over six years TRIDIB BAPARNASH — reflecting the government’s focus on youth-centric policies and its Viksit Bharat vision. “This growth is especially significant because, from an economic standpoint, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) alone cannot fully capture a nation’s true development,” the statement said. A more accurate picture emerges when multiple macroeconomic indicators are considered — with employment being one of the most critical. According to the recent Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), at the all-India level, both key indicators of employment showed improvement between June and August 2025. The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) — which measures the share of people aged 15 and above who are working or seeking work — rose from 54.2 per cent in June to 55 per cent in August. The Worker Population Ratio (WPR), which reflects the share of employed persons in the population, also increased from 51.2 per cent in June to 52.2 per cent in August. New Delhi, 4 October Test skipper Shubman Gill has replaced Rohit Sharma as India’s new ODI captain, and will lead the side in the three-match series in Australia starting 19 October. Rohit, along with batting stalwart Virat Kohli, have been named in the squad with Shreyas Iyer as the vice-captain. Having retired from Tests and T20Is, both Rohit and Kohli were last seen in action during India’s successful campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy in March, this year. After the three ODIs in Australia, their next opportunities to play for India are in the three-ODI home series against South Africa in November-December and against New Zealand in January. The selection committee, led by former India fast bowler Ajit Agarkar, convened on Saturday in Ahmedabad, shortly after India’s innings-and-140-run victory over the West Indies in the first Test. The captaincy change was driven by the selectors’ intent to give Gill ample time to establish himself ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The decision was taken collectively by Agarkar in consultation with head coach Gautam Gambhir and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia. With the change in guard in ODIs, the 26-year-old Gill is now officially in the leadership role across all three formats, as Test and ODI captain and vice-captain of the T20I team. Agarkar brushed aside questions on his workload saying: “Hopefully not, he is still quite young.” The 38-year- old Rohit Sharma was India's fulltime ODI captain from December 2021. Overall, he led India in 56 ODIs, winning 42, losing 12, with one tie and another no-result. He led India to the 2018 Asia Cup title as stand-in captain, and then to the 2023 Asia Cup title as fulltime captain. Under his leadership, India made the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup. His tenure culminated in India winning the ICC Champions Trophy, earlier this year. PM Modi launches youth-focused initiatives worth `62,000 crore STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 4 October Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday unveiled a slew of youth-fo c ussed initiatives worth more than Rs 62,000 crore, with a special emphasis on poll-bound Bihar. The initiatives aim to boost education, skilling , and entrepreneurship across the country, with a focus on preparing the youth to lead the future. “With a strong focus on skilling and innovation, our government is preparing the Yuva Shakti to lead the future,” PM Modi said while speaking at the occasion. “India is a country of knowledge and skill. This intellectual strength is our greatest power. Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) are not only premier institutions of industrial education, they are also the workshops of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” he added. He further said: “A few years ago, our government started a new tradition of large-scale convocations for ITI students. Today, we are all witnessing another milestone in this tradition. I extend my best wishes to all the young ITI colleagues from every corner of India. Today's ceremony symbolises the importance India places on skills. Today, two more major education and skill development projects have been launched for youth across the country...” He also added that India was a fragile economy before 2014 and that it will soon become the top economy. Key initiatives of the launch include: 200 Eklavya Model Residential Schools across 34 states and union territories, providing hands-on training in 12 high-demand sectors. PM-SETU Scheme: A centrally sponsored scheme with an investment of Rs 60,000 crore, aimed at upgrading 1,000 government ITIs across the country in a hub-and-spoke model. The scheme will be industry-managed, with global co-financing support from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Mukhyamantri Nishchay Svyam Sahayata Bhatta Yojana: A revamped scheme under which nearly five lakh graduates in Bihar will receive a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 each for two years, along with free skill training. education loans of up to Rs 4 lakh, significantly easing the financial burden of higher education. Over 3.92 lakh students have already availed loans worth more than Rs 7,880 crore under the scheme. Bihar Student Credit Card Scheme: A redesigned scheme that will provide interest-free Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur Skill University: A new skill university in Bihar that will impart industry-oriented courses and vocational education to create a globally competitive workforce. Bihar Yuva Ayog: A statutory commission for people between the ages of 18 and 45, aimed at channelising and harnessing the potential of the state’s young population. Other initiatives include: Vocational Skill Labs: 1,200 vocational skill labs will be established in 400 Navodaya Vidyalayas and Appointment Letters: PM Modi will distribute appointment letters to over 4,000 newly recruited candidates in the Government of Bihar. Scholarships: Rs 450 crore in scholarships will be released through Direct Benefit Transfer to 25 lakh students of Class 9 and 10 under the Mukhyamantri Balak/Balika Scholarship Scheme. The initiatives launched on Saturday aim to boost youth development in Bihar through education, skill training, and employment opportunities. The timing of these initiatives, just before the Bihar Assembly elections, may have major political implications. The initiatives may boost NDA’s electoral prospects as the proposals demonstrate NDA government’s commitment to Bihar’s development, and may sway voters in favour of the alliance. The BJP also aims to consolidate upper-caste voters by showcasing its commitment to development and skilling initiatives. The initiatives may also impact the JD(U-BJP alliance, with JD(U) potentially seeking to assert its own identity amidst growing BJP dominance.