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 | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI Quality must define India’s manufacturing future: Goyal Page 12 Drug Lord El Mencho killed in military operation NATION Academicians slam Congress protest at AI Summit Page 5 Page 11 ‘Modi’s visit to Israel will help deepen partnership’ England v Pakistan BRIEFLY Charter aircraft with five occupants crashes in Jharkhand: New Delhi: An air ambulance carrying five occupants crashed near Simariya in Chatra district after it went off radar shortly after taking off from Ranchi Airport, sources in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Monday. The plane departed Ranchi at 19:11 and lost contact at 19:34 near Atali. After departure, initial contact was established with the next air traffic control station, following which control was formally handed over. However, communication was subsequently lost, and the aircraft did not re-establish contact with Ranchi Airport. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 23 February A head of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel later this week, its Ambassador to India Reuven Azar said on Monday that the two countries will deepen defence partnership by updating security agreements and discuss engaging in more sensitive projects. In a video shared on X, he said, "Namaste, this is an exciting moment for India-Israel relations. We are looking forward to welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel. Now when India and Israel come together, it's never just a meeting. It's a partnership built on trust, powered by innovation and guided by a clear understanding of the challenges of our time. During this visit, we will move forward decisively." Noting that India and Israel are moving forward to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Azar stated that the ties between the two countries will also be advanced in other sectors like transportation, water, agriculture and academic cooperation. ‘’First on security and defence, India and Israel have worked closely for years and we are proud of this strong cooperation. But, the world is changing fast and so are the threats. In order to meet them, we will deepen our defence relationship by updating our security agreements. This will allow us to engage in more sensitive projects and develop technological solutions together,’’ the envoy said. "Second, our economic partnership is gaining real momentum. We signed a bilateral investment treaty and we are moving forward to sign a Free Trade Agreement, hopefully this year," he added. Azar stressed that PM Modi's visit will be crucial in forging partnerships in areas like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum and Cyber. He said that ties between India and Festival airfare surge being examined at top level, government tells apex court THE FEDERATION OF INDIA AIRLINES (FIA) SOUGHT IMPLEADMENT IN THE CASE, BUT THE COURT DECLINED FOR NOW, SAYING THE SAME CAN BE CONSIDERED AT A LATER STAGE. Trump scoffs at ‘dumb’ SC verdict, warns of ‘higher tariffs’: New Delhi: US President Donald Trump on Monday warned that he can do “absolutely terrible things to foreign countries,’’ and ridiculed the country’s Supreme Court for its February 20 ruling striking down the unilateral Tariffs. He said that any country that wants to “play games” with the ridiculous Supreme Court decision, especially those that have “Ripped Off” the U.S.A. for years, and even decades, will be met with a “much higher Tariff,’’ and worse, than that which they just recently agreed to. UNITED NEWS OF INDIA New Delhi, 23 February The Supreme C our t on Monday expressed concern over the surging charges imposed by airlines during festival seasons and holidays. A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a petition seeking regulatory guidelines to control these fluctuations in the airfare. The Federation of India Airlines (FIA) sought impleadment in the case, but the court declined for now, saying the same can be considered at a later stage. According to the petition before the Court, air travel is no longer a luxury but an essential service for millions, and sought directions to the Central government and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to frame binding rules on airfare pricing, cap surge pricing, regulate baggage and extra charges, among others. App earing for the government, Additional Solicitor General Anil Kaushik said the government was looking into the issue at the highest level, and a response will be submitted within four weeks. The Court then deferred the matter for fur ther consideration on March 23. Israel, during PM Modi's visit, will be advanced in other sectors like transportation, water, agriculture and academic cooperation. "Third, the visit will be crucial in forging partnerships in areas like AI, Quantum and Cyber. Israel would like to see Indian infrastructure companies coming to Israel, we want to streamline our financial cooperation and promote innovation. Other crucial fields like transportation, water, agriculture and academic cooperation are going to be advanced during this visit as well. India and Israel are not just partners. We are true friends shaping the future together," he said. His post came a day after, Modi acknowledged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's personal tribute during a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, where the latter described the Indian leader as a “dear friend” and hailed his upcoming visit as a milestone in bilateral ties.’’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE growth outlooks. Seeking to calm concerns, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra underscored the resilience of India's financial system. "We are watching the development. There is no systemic issue," he said, signalling that the central bank does not see broader financial stress emerging from global uncertainties. On the monetary policy trajectory, the Governor reiterated that rate decisions would remain data-driven. "The interest rate decision will depend on evolving growth and inflation dynamics. We will give durable liquidity to all markets," he added, indicating the RBI's readiness to ensure adequate liquidity and stability. The post-Budget meeting, attended by Minister of State for Finance MP Chaudhary and RBI board members, reviewed macroeconomic conditions, financial sector stability, and the outlook following the union Budget. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he wants a global tariff of 15 per cent, up from 10 per cent he had announced a day earlier after the U.S. Page 16 Last Cabinet meeting before polls scheduled for Thursday STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 23 February Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is scheduled on Thursday to chair what is most probably the last routine C abinet me eting of her outgoing government prior to the Assembly elections in the state. This would be the second Cabinet meeting within 10 days, the last one being held on 17 February. UNITED NEWS OF INDIA Dhaka, 23 February Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin has accused former Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus of having repeatedly failed to adhere to almost any constitutional protocol during his tenure as head of the interim government, and allege d that several ordinances issued by Yunus were both unnecessary and lacked any kind of proper constitutional grounding. In an interview with Kaler Kantho, the President, reflecting on what he termed as a rather turbulent period, said that under constitutional provisions, whenever a Chief Advisor travels abroad, he is required upon return to meet the President and brief him on SEEKING TO CALM CONCERNS, RBI GOVERNOR SANJAY MALHOTRA UNDERSCORED THE RESILIENCE OF INDIA'S FINANCIAL SYSTEM. "WE ARE WATCHING THE DEVELOPMENT. THERE IS NO SYSTEMIC ISSUE," HE SAID, SIGNALLING THAT THE CENTRAL BANK DOES NOT SEE BROADER FINANCIAL STRESS EMERGING FROM GLOBAL UNCERTAINTIES. New Delhi, 23 February When instinct turns liability: The Abhishek Sharma conundrum A series of crucial policy decisions are likely to get the Cabinet seal in the presence of the Chief Minister, like recruitments, employment generation by creating more posts in various departments, investment opportunities, land distribution, reconstruction of infrastructure, and financial clearance for some of the proposals. These issues are likely to top the agenda. Besides, Miss Banerjee is likely to take stock of the ongoing camps in the state, including the much-vaunted scheme "Banglar Yuva Sathi" for the unemployed youth, which is being held across the state to huge turnouts. It is expected she may attempt to tide over any shortcomings that could have cropped up, putting the officials in a spot. According to political observers, Thursday's Cabinet meeting has also been convened with a focus on expediting the government's massive outreach programmes to the people before voting comes along. Chief Advisor Yunus did not adhere to constitutional norms and protocols, says Bangladesh President ‘Too early to comment on US tariff changes’ Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said it was too early to assess the US tariff impact on the Indian economy, and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is reviewing the situation. "It is too soon to comment on the impact on the Indian economy from US tariff changes. The Commerce Minister is reviewing the situation," Sitharaman said after addressing the presser here after customary post-Budget meeting of the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India in the national capital. Her remarks come at a time when global markets are reacting to fresh tariff measures by the United States, prompting economies to reassess trade exposure and Tuesday, 24 February 2026 SPORTS WORLD BUSINESS | Supreme Court struck down many of the far-reaching taxes on imports that he had imposed over the last year. The court’s Friday decision struck down tariffs Trump had imposed on nearly every country using an emergency powers law. Trump now said he will use a different, albeit more limited, legal authority. He’s already signed an executive order enabling him to bypass Congress and impose a 10 per cent tax on imports from around the world, starting on Tuesday, the same day as his State of the Union speech. the outcomes of the visit. Additionally, the Chief Advisor must also inform the President in writing about discussions held, agreements reached and the nature of off icial engagements undertaken -- none of which was done by Yunus. "He travelled abroad perhaps 14 to 15 times. Not once did he inform me. Not once did he come to see me," the President said. He added that during that period, he received what he described as steadfast backing from the armed forces. While acknowledging that some ordinances may have been issued in haste in order to respond to some urgent circumstances, Shahabuddin noted that for almost no ordinance did Yunus even once meet the requirements laid out in the Constitution. According to Shahabuddin, senior military officials reminded him that as president, he was the supreme commander of the armed forces and that his removal would be tantamount to an institutional defeat. "They told me only one thing: 'Your Excellency, you are the supreme commander of the armed forces. Your defeat would mean the defeat of the entire armed forces. We will prevent that at any cost.' In the end, they did exactly that," he said, adding that service chiefs met him at various times to boost his morale. The President further alleged that there had been attempts from within the interim government to remove him from office. On those occasions as well, he claimed, the chiefs of the three services stood by him and conveyed directly to the head of the interim administration that they would no t p ermit any unconstitutional action. Government asks Indian nationals to leave Iran STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 23 February The government on Monday asked Indian nationals in Iran to leave the country, exercise caution and avoid areas of protests and demonstrations in view of the developing situation in the Islamic nation. In a travel advisory, the Indian Embassy in Tehran said Indian nationals currently in Iran, including students, pilgrims, business persons and tourists, should leave Iran by available means of transport, including commercial flights. The embassy, while reiterating the January 14 Advisory, said ‘’all Indian citizens should exercise due caution, avoid areas of protests and demonstrations, stay in contact with the Indian embassy and monitor local media for any development.’’ The advisory said all Indian nationals should have their travel and immigration documents readily available and contact the embassy on emergency helpline numbers. Meanwhile, India has advised its nationals in Mexico to take precautions about their safety and avoid areas ‘’around law enforcement activity’’ in the wake of violence after the killing of a drug lord in a gun battle with Mexican Police last night. Drug lord Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, nick-named ‘El Mencho’, of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was wounded in a clash with soldiers. He died while being flown to Mexico City. His death sparked off widespread violence in the area. The Indian Embassy, in its advisory, asked Indian citizens to avoid areas around law enforcement activity, be aware of their surroundings, seek shelter and minimise unnecessary movements outside.