FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR US, Ukraine reach consensus on key issues LAW Justice in the Dock Cooked Slowly Page 6 Page 9 Delhi HC directs GST Council to consider lower GST on air purifiers UNITED NEWS OF INDIA New Delhi, 24 December With the deteriorating air quality in the Capital, the Delhi High Court today directed that the issue of reducing or rationalising Goods and Services Tax (GST) on air purifiers be placed before the GST Council for consideration at the earliest. Hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), a Bench headed by the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court took note of the adverse impact of severe air pollution in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) and the need to examine whether air purifiers should attract a lower GST rate. The PIL was filed by Advocate Kapil Madan and argued by Senior Advocate Arvind Nayar. The petitioner contended that air purifiers perform a preventive and health-protective role and ought to be classified as "medical devices", thereby attracting a concessional GST rate of 5 per cent instead of the existing 18 per cent. During the proceedings, the Court was informed that decisions relating to GST rates fall within the policy domain of the GST Council, a constitutional body comprising representatives of the Union and the States. The respondents submitted that recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, which have suggested the reduction or abolition of GST on air purifiers, are already under consideration. Page 11 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 24 December F acing flak over the new 100 -metre definition for the ecologically-sensitive Aravalli hills, the Environment Ministry on Wednesday announced a complete ban on the grant of new mining leases across the entire Aravalli Range from Delhi to Gujarat, It also asked the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) to identify additional areas or zones where mining should be prohibited. The prohibition, it said, applied uniformly across the entire Aravalli landscape and was aimed at preserving the integrity of the ancient geological ridge while curbing illegal and unregulated mining activities. The directions seek to safeguard the Aravallis as a continuous ecological and geological formation extending from Gujarat to the National Capital Region, according to UNITED NEWS OF INDIA an official statement issued by the ministry. It also directed the ICFRE to identify additional areas or zones across the Aravallis where mining should be prohibited, over and above the areas already notified by the Centre. This identification will be based on ecological, geological and landscape-level considerations. “The ICFRE has been directed to undertake this exercise while preparing a comprehensive, science-based Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) for the entire Aravalli region. The Plan, which will be placed in the public domain for wide stakeholder consultation, will assess the cumulative environmental impact and ecological carrying capacity, THE CORRIDOR IS EXPECTED TO BENEFIT AROUND 60,000 OFFICE-GOERS AND NEARLY TWO LAKH VISITORS DAILY BY PROVIDING DOORSTEP ACCESS TO THE KARTAVYA BHAWANS AND NEARBY LANDMARKS. New Delhi, 24 December network globally,” said Minister Vaishnaw. The new corridors aim to enhance connectivity and ease commuter traffic across the national capital, contributing to more efficient and sustainable urban transportation. The Ramakrishna Ashram Marg–Indraprastha corridor Vijay Hazare: Kohli, Rohit tons in domestic comeback steal show Page 12 Aravallis: Centre clamps ban on new mining leases Cabinet approves 3 new corridors for Delhi Metro expansion The union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the addition of three new corridors to the Delhi Metro network as part of the Phase VA expansion, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced at a press briefing on Wednesday. The approved corridors include Ramakrishna Ashram Marg to Indraprashtha, Aerocity to IGI Airport-1, and Tughlakabad to Kalindi Kunj. The expansion project is estimated to cost Rs 12,015 crore and is expected to be completed within three years. “With this significant expansion, the Delhi Metro network will surpass 400 kilometers in length, further strengthening its position as the second largest metro Thursday, 25 December 2025 SPORTS WORLD EDITORIAL | will span 9.9 km at a cost of Rs 9,570.4 crore, the Aerocity– Airport Terminal-1 corridor will cover 2.3 km costing Rs 1,419.6 crore, while the Tughlakabad–Kalindi Kunj corridor will be 3.9 km long with an estimated expenditure of Rs 1,024.8 crore. According to official details, the R.K. Ashram Marg– Indraprastha corridor will be an extension of the Botanical Garden–R.K. Ashram Marg line and will provide Metro connectivity to the Central Vista area, which is currently under redevelopment. The corridor is expected to benefit around 60,000 office-goers and nearly two lakh visitors daily by providing doorstep access to the Kartavya Bhawans and nearby landmarks. The stations on the R.K. Ashram Marg–Indraprastha stretch will include R.K. Ashram Marg, Shivaji Stadium, Central Secretariat, Kartavy Bhawan, India Gate, War Memorial–High Court, Baroda House, Bharat Mandapam and Indraprastha. The Tughlakabad–Kalindi Kunj section will have stations at Sarita Vihar Depot, Madanpur Khadar and Kalindi Kunj, while the Aerocity station will be further connected to IGD Terminal-1. The Aerocity–IGD Airport Terminal-1 corridor and the Tughlakabad–Kalindi Kunj corridor will connect south Delhi with the domestic airport via Saket, Chhatarpur, Tughlakabad and Kalindi Kunj. The Delhi Metro caters to an average of 65 lakh passenger journeys per day, with the highest-ever ridership of 81.87 lakh journeys recorded on 8 August 2025. identify ecologically sensitive and conservation-critical areas, and lay down measures for restoration and rehabilitation. “This exercise by the Centre would further enlarge the coverage of areas protected and prohibited from mining in the entire Aravallis, keeping in mind the local topography, ecology and biodiversity,” it said. For mines already in operation, the Centre said concerned State governments must ensure strict compliance with all environmental safeguards and in conformity with Supreme Court orders. “Existing mining activities are to be regulated stringently, with additional restrictions where necessary, to ensure environmental protection and adherence to sustainable mining practices,” the statement said. The statement, however, is silent on the contentious definition that classifies an “Aravalli Hill” as any landform rising at least 100 metres above its surrounding terrain. PM to dedicate ‘Rashtra Prerna Sthal’ on Vajpayee’s birth anniversary: New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on Thursday to commemorate the 101st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a government release said on Wednesday. During the visit, at approximately 2:30 pm, the Prime Minister is scheduled to inaugurate the Rashtra Prerna Sthal and subsequently address a large public gathering. The Rashtra Prerna Sthal stands as a monumental tribute to the life of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Thackeray cousins reunite, announce Sena-MNS alliance STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Mumbai, 24 December Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Raj Thackeray, who is Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) founder president, officially announced an alliance on Wednesday to contest elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) as well as six other municipal corporations, at a joint press conference held at the Blue Sea Hotel, Worli. The announcement of the alliance between the parties of the Thackeray cousins comes ahead of elections for 29 municipal corporations, including Mumbai and Pune, which are scheduled for 15 January. Speaking at the press conference on Wednesday, MNS chief Raj Thackeray said: “I had said in an interview that Maharashtra is bigger than any dispute or fight. From there, we have come together today. Who will contest how many seats and what will be the number? We will not reveal it to you.” Though the seat sharing formula was not revealed, just before the press conference, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena leader Kishori Pednekar said: “My ticket is confirmed and I myself will contest. The Thackeray brothers will win more than 130 seats in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. Now that the Thackeray brothers will come together, the ground has shifted from under the feet of the BJP. Mumbaikars know about the good work we have done.” Days after IndiGo crisis, Centre gives With BlueBird-6 launch, India’s ‘Bahubali’ sets yet another milestone nod to two new domestic airlines PM Modi hails landmark in India’s STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 24 December Days after the IndiGo crisis, the Narendra Modi-led government has given initial clearance to two new domestic airlines to begin operations. Over the past week, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu met teams from three upcoming domestic airlines ~ Shankh Air, Al Hind Air, and FlyExpress. While the Uttar Pradesh-based Shankh Air has already received the no-objection certificate, Al Hind Air and FlyExpress were given the nod this week. Mr Naidu said that the Civil Aviation Ministry has been encouraging more airlines in the Indian Aviation market, which is currently dominated by IndiGo with over 60 per cent market share. “It has been the endeavour of the ministry to encourage more airlines in the Indian Aviation sector, which is amongst the fastest-growing aviation space mission: MR NAIDU SAID THAT THE CIVIL AVIATION MINISTRY HAS BEEN ENCOURAGING MORE AIRLINES IN THE INDIAN AVIATION MARKET, WHICH IS CURRENTLY DOMINATED BY INDIGO WITH OVER 60 PER CENT MARKET SHARE. HE EMPHASISED THAT GOVERNMENT SCHEMES LIKE UDAN HAVE ENABLED SMALLER CARRIERS TO PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY WITHIN THE COUNTRY. markets in the world owing to the policies of the government of Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi,” Mr Naidu said in a post on Tuesday night. He emphasised that government schemes like UDAN have enabled smaller carriers ~ Star Air, India One Air, Fly91, etc. ~ to play an important role in the regional connectivity within the country. He also added that there is more scope for further growth. The development comes just a few weeks after India's largest domestic carrier IndiGo suffered unprecedented disruptions in its services. The airline cancelled thousands of flights, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded at airports across the country. The crisis, one of the worst in India's aviation sector, stemmed from IndiGo's failure to comply with the DGCA's new duty rules. IndiGo said that Flight Duty Time Limitation (FTDL) rules led to crew shortage and several other issues, such as bad weather conditions, which led to the disruptions in its services. The crisis also prompted allegations of monopoly and duopoly in the aviation market. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said that the IndiGo fiasco was the cost of the government's monopoly model that ordinary people had to pay. VENKATACHARI JAGANNATHAN Sriharikota, 24 December India’s heavy-lift launch vehicle LVM3, popularly known as ‘Bahubali’, on Wednesday successfully launched and placed the US-based AST SpaceMobile’s advanced communication satellite BlueBird-6 into a Low Earth Orbit (LEO), marking a major milestone in India’s commercial space capabilities. At over 6 tonnes, BlueBird-6 is the heaviest satellite launched from Indian soil. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday hailed the successful launch of the LVM3-M6 rocket, carrying the BlueBird Block-2 satellite, as a “proud milestone” in India’s space journey. “A significant stride in India’s space sector... The successful LVM3-M6 launch, placing the heaviest satellite ever launched from Indian soil, the spacecraft of USA, BlueBird Block-2, into its intended orbit, marks a proud milestone in India’s space journey,” PM Modi said in a post on X. After a smooth 24-hour countdown, the 43.5-metre-tall, 640-tonne LVM3 rocket lifted off majestically from the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR here at about 0855 hrs. The launch was briefly delayed by about 90 seconds from the scheduled 0854 hrs as a routine precaution, generally undertaken to avoid possible space debris interference. Following the initiation of the Automatic Launch Sequence 15 minutes prior to liftoff, the rocket ascended right on time, belching bright orange plumes. About 16 minutes into its flight, the LVM3 successfully injected the 6.1-ton BlueBird-6 (BlueBird Block-2) satellite into a 520-km circular LEO. In a post on X, ISRO said: “Liftoff! #LVM3M6 launches the BlueBird Block-2 spacecraft from SDSC SHAR.” Addressing scientists from the Mission Control Centre, ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space, Dr V. Narayanan, announced that the US satellite had been successfully and precisely placed into its intended orbit. “This is a great achievement. All the vehicle parameters performed normally. "This is the second LVM3 mission in a short span of 52 days," he said, congratulating the entire ISRO team. He added that this was the third commercial mission of LVM3 and the first involving a satellite from US-based AST SpaceMobile, thanking the company for reposing confidence in Indian launch capabilities.“We have lined up more launches in the coming days,” he said. Scientists at the Mission Control Centre, including former ISRO chairmen, senior ISRO officials, and representatives from AST SpaceMobile, closely monitored the flight as real-time data streamed in. LVM3-M6 marked the sixth operational flight of the LVM3 and maintained its impeccable record of eight consecutive successful missions.