FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 16 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA LC | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR | Thursday, 04 December 2025 SPORTS WORLD US–Russia Ukraine talks ‘constructive’, says Putin aide EDITORIAL PERSPECTIVE End of the road for street dogs? Finding his voice BRIEFLY 12 Maoists, 3 DRG personnel killed in Chhattisgarh: Raipur: Three personnel of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) were killed and another injured on Wednesday during a major anti-Maoist operation along the Bijapur–Dantewada border, as security forces continued an aggressive push inside the Bastar Division in South Chhattisgarh. The exchange of fire that began at around 9 a.m, has so far resulted in the recovery of 12 Maoist bodies from the encounter site. Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Yadav said teams from DRG Dantewada and Bijapur, along with STF, CRPF and CoBRA units, had launched a coordinated search operation early in the morning. Intermittent firing continued for several hours as forces advanced through thick forest terrain. Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P, confirmed the recovery of SLR rifles, .303 rifles and other arms and ammunition from the spot. Page 5 Govt rescinds Sanchar Saathi pre-installation mandate STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 3 December F ollowing widespread protests, including by the Opposition parties, the government has decided not to make preinstallation of the Sanchar Saathi app mandatory for mobile manufacturers. The Ministry of Communications made this announcement on Wednesday, hours after Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia rejected in Parliament the Opposition’s charge that the app could be used for snooping on citizens. The Ministry, however, claimed that the app is secure and purely meant to protect citizens from bad actors in the cyber world. It said the government, with an intent to provide access to cyber security to all citizens, had mandated pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on all smartphones. “It helps in ‘Jan bhagidari’ by all citizens in reporting on such bad actors and actions while protecting users Calcutta HC restores 32,000 teacher jobs, overturns cancellation order UNITED NEWS OF INDIA Page 16 Page 9 Page 11 Page 8 Virat scores second successive ton, SA level series Snooping is neither possible nor will it happen with the Sanchar Saathi safety app. JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA, MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS themselves. There is no other function other than protecting the users in the app and they can remove the app whenever they want. This has been clarified by the Government,’’ an official statement added. It said that so far 1.4 crore users have downloaded this app and are contributing to information on 2,000 fraud incidents per day. The number of users has been increasing rapidly and the mandate to install the app was meant to accelerate this process and make the app available to less aware citizens easily. Just in the last one day, 6 lakh citizens have registered for downloading the app which is a 10x increase in its uptake. This is affirmation of faith by citizens on this App for protecting themselves provided to them by the government, the statement claimed. Earlier, speaking in the Lok Sabha, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia dismissed the Opposition charge that the Sanchar Saathi app could be used for snooping on citizens. Responding to queries, he said the app has no surveill- ance capability and will not be activated unless a user decides to register. “Snooping is neither possible nor will it happen with the Sanchar Saathi safety app,” he said. The minister stressed that the app has been designed only to protect users, not monitor them. His remarks came in the wake of a storm raised by the Opposition after the government directed smartphone manufacturers to pre-install Sanchar Saathi on all new devices. SIR part of BJP conspiracy to capture Bengal: CM Mamata STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Siliguri, 3 December Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday sharply criticised the implementation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, accusing the BJP ~ particularly Union Home Minister Amit Shah ~ of engineering a conspiracy to “capture Bengal” ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. Addressing a political rally at Gazole in Malda, which centred on what she described as the “protection of voters’ rights in West Bengal,” the Chief Minister alleged that the SIR exercise was being misused as a political tool. “No matter how hard you try, reaching your goal is now a far cry. By engaging in SIR, you have dug your own grave,” Miss Banerjee said, launching a direct attack on the BJP. “You captured Bihar by implementing SIR, but West Bengal is different. You will not be able to capture Bengal. Even the British failed to capture Bengal — what will you do? You have no capability to capture it,” she added. Miss Banerjee claimed that the BJP had “hatched a plan” PM meets Bengal BJP MPs, tells them SIR process must be kept simple, transparent STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi/Kolkata, 3 December A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday set aside a single bench order of the court, which cancelled the appointment of about 32,000 primary teachers in the cash-for-jobs TET recruitment scam case and ordered continuation of services. The Division bench of Justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Reetobroto Kumar Mitra passed the order setting aside the 12 May<2023, single-judge bench order of then judge of Calcutta High Court, and current BJP Lok Sabha memb er Abhijit Gangopadhyay for the cancellation of 32,000 primary teacher jobs in the state. Justice Gangopadhyay passed the order acting on petitions filed by some candidates alleging that many secured recommendations for appointments despite ranking much lower in the recruitment examinations. Advocate Ashish Kumar Chowdhury said the double bench ordered the continuation of the services of the 32,000 primary teachers with a note that if the jobs of the teachers were discontinued after nine years for some people’s mistakes, then it would affect the teachers and their family members. • Details on Page 3 MAMATA BANERJEE, CHIEF MINISTER server. “They are trying to intimidate people. Genuine citizens are being made to prove that they are Indians. You may fill up the SIR form and submit it, but there is no guarantee ~ after the draft publication, the Commission may summon anyone for a hearing,” she said. • Another report: Page 3 Modi-Putin private dinner meet to be ‘key point’ of visit STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 3 December Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held a crucial meeting with BJP MPs from West Bengal in New Delhi, that focussed on the party’s strategy for the 2026 Assembly elections and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. During the meeting, convened at the Prime Minister’s Office inside Parliament, the PM also sought a detailed account of the recent attack on party MP Khagen Murmu. According to sources, the meeting began around 10.30 a.m. and continued for several hours. Twelve MPs from the state were present, including Union Ministers Sukanta Majumdar and Shantanu Thakur. The attack on Mr Murmu, to introduce SIR barely months before the Assembly polls. “In February 2026, the election will be declared. They have started SIR so that the administration gets fully engaged in this process and developmental work in the state is halted,” she alleged, repeating that the move was a deliberate political ploy. She further accused the BJP of misleading the public through “lies, looting and the misuse of AI,” adding: “After ‘Note Bandi’, they have now started ‘Vote Bandi’ through SIR.” The Chief Minister said development initiatives in the state had been stalled for the past six months owing to the SIR exercise. She also raised concerns about the reported downtime of the Election Commission’s They are trying to intimidate people. Genuine citizens are being made to prove that they are Indians. You may fill up the SIR form and submit it, but there is no guarantee — after the draft publication, the Commission may summon anyone for a hearing. New Delhi, 3 December the BJP MP from Maldaha Uttar, became a key point of discussion. Officials present during the meeting said the Prime Minister asked for a detailed briefing on the circumstances under which the MP came under attack and the individuals allegedly involved. He also expressed concern over what BJP leaders described as mounting pressure from the state police and administration on party workers. The organisational condition of the Bengal unit was reviewed as well. With regard to the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision process, the state leaders are reported to have informed the Prime Minister that, according to grassroot reports, the SIR could backfire in Bengal. Even as the central party leadership is of the opinion that if the voter list undergoes a comprehensive revision, the BJP could achieve success in Bengal, the state leaders conveyed to the Prime Minister that as the first phase of the voter list revision progresses, indications have emerged that a large portion of the names that are likely to be removed so far belong to the BJP's voter base. According to sources, PM Modi attentively listened to all concerns and has advised that, keeping in mind the upcoming Assembly elections, the ongoing SIR process in Bengal must be kept simple and transparent. He emphasised that the SIR process should not be overly complicated and that the message should reach the general public. The two-day visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, which will commence from Thursday, will provide an opportunity for the leadership of the two countries to review progress in bilateral relations, set the vision for strengthening the ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’ and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Mr Putin will start his visit to India on Thursday with an informal meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence, Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov said in Moscow on Wednesday, calling the upcoming meeting during a private dinner between the two leaders as “one of the key points of the Russian leader's visit.” . Mr Putin’s visit will deliver significant outcomes across strategic, defence, energy and trade sectors, with several agreements slated to be signed during the trip. India and Russia would sign a programme for the development of strategic areas of economic cooperation until 2030, according to Mr Ushakov. PM Modi and Mr Putin will also make a joint statement to the media. Top BJP leaders hold discussions, reignite buzz on new party chief Rupee crashes to below 90 per VIBHA SHARMA New Delhi, 3 December Following a high-level meeting in Parliament on Wednesday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President JP Nadda and BJP General Secretary BL Santhosh, the buzz has again started about the BJP finally getting its new national president. According to sources, the name of the party chief for Uttar Pradesh was also finalised at the meeting, spearheaded by Mr Santosh and focusing on electing Nadda’s successor. The party has been awaiting its new president since mid-2024, as the BJP's rules mandate completing elections in 50 per cent of state units before electing a national president ~ a process that began in August 2024 but continued into December 2025 because of various issues, including the long process of organisational polls in various states. Speculations continue about Mr Nadda's possible successors, including Union ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Dharmendra Pradhan and Bhupendra Yadav ~ all known for their administrative experience and organisational abilities. Other names in circulation include those of VD Sharma, BL Santhosh, Vinod Tawde, Devendra Fadnavis and Nirmala Sitharaman, making it anyone’s guess given the BJP’s track record of springing surprises while making appointments. Today’s huddle builds on recent coordination efforts in Uttar Pradesh involving Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and RSS leaders, where names for the state chief were discussed. Apparently, the name of the new UP chief will be announced first, followed by the new national chief. The UP appointment is crucial given the importance of the state in the BJP's strategy for the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the key Hindi-belt state that elects as many as 80 MPs. Currently it is the upcoming Bengal elections that are a key factor in timing. Although no official dates have been announced yet, the BJP wants strong organisational leadership in place ahead of Assembly elections in the key state in 2025. All eyes are now on who will guide the BJP into the next phase. Initially appointed working president in June 2019, Mr Nadda assumed the role of BJP chief in January 2020, succeeding Amit Shah in a unanimous election and beginning a term originally set to conclude in January 2023. His leadership navigated several challenges, including disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic delayed internal organisational polls, prompting extensions first to June 2024 and then further as state-unit elections continued. By 2025, Mr Nadda’s tenure had stretched beyond five years ~ among the longest extensions given to a BJP president. Under him, the BJP won several important elections and also facing setbacks, including defeats in Karnataka, Himachal and Telangana and a modest performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. dollar, CEA says not losing sleep STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 3 December The Indian rupee fell sharply on Wednesday, slipping past the crucial 90-per-dollar level for the first time ever. The currency dropped to a new record low of 90.13 against the US dollar, breaking its previous all-time low of 89.9475 touched just a day earlier. The decline in the rupee came amid weak trade and portfolio flows, along with growing uncertainty over the India-US trade deal. These factors kept the currency under continuous pressure throughout the session. The sharp fall in the rupee also weighed on domestic equity markets. The Nifty index slipped below the 26,000 mark, while the Sensex also dropped nearly 200 points in early trade as the weakening currency raised concerns about inflation and foreign investor activity. Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran, meanwhile, said the rupee is set to improve against the dollar next year, and right now, it is not hurting our exports or inflation. "It will come back next year. Right now, it's not hurting our exports or inflation. I am not losing my sleep over it. If it has to depreciate, now probably is the right time," Mr Nageswaran said on the sidelines of a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) event in New Delhi. Notably, the rupee has slipped about 4-5 per cent since April amid sustained dollar strength. The rupee is depreciating amid foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows and sustained buying of dollars by banks. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed the currency to largely follow market dynamics, intervening only to curb excessive volatility. India's GDP has shown growth of 8.2 per cent in Q2 FY26, following a 7.8 per cent rise in the June quarter. Inflation has stayed below the RBI’s targets, with retail inflation cooling to 0.25 per cent in October due to recordlow food prices. • Rupee’s fall from grace, hit by trade deficits, tariff wars and stronger dollar: Page 12