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 | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI Sensex down over 1,000 points on IT sell-off Page 11 Sri Lanka v New Zealand Supersub Sesko strikes again US Senators move to refund Trump tariffs NATION Jairam Ramesh criticises PM’s Israel visit Page 5 Page 10 Modi’s Israel visit to boost defence ties NIKHIL VYAS New Delhi, 24 February BRIEFLY Australia PM evacuated from residence after ‘bomb threat’: Canberra: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was temporarily evacuated from his official residence in Canberra on Tuesday evening after authorities received a bomb threat, prompting a security response from federal agencies. Albanese was moved from The Lodge at around 6 pm local time while security agencies carried out an investigation. He was taken to a separate secure location for several hours and returned to the residence at about 9 pm. P rime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for Israel on Wednesday for a two-day visit which is expected to focus on strengthening cooperation in defence, technology, agriculture, trade, counter-terrorism and long-standing strategic partnership between the two nations. PM Modi will pay a State Visit to Israel on February 25-26 at the invitation of his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officially announced on Tuesday. The visit marks PM Modi's second visit to Israel, following his 2017 trip when he became the first-ever Indian Prime Minister to visit the country. "This will be the second visit of the Prime Minister to Israel," the MEA said. "During the visit, PM Modi will meet Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. The two leaders will review the significant progress made in India - Israel Strategic Partnership, and discuss further opportunities in various areas of cooperation, including science and technology, innovation, defence and security, agriculture, water management, AI Summit protest: IYC president Uday Bhanu Chib sent to 4-day police custody UNITED NEWS OF INDIA New Delhi, 24 February A Delhi court on Tuesday sent Uday Bhanu Chib, president of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), to four days of police custody in connection with a “shirtless” protest at the India AI Impact Summit. Chib was arrested at 4:30 am and produced before the court, which granted the police four days of custody for questioning regarding his role in the protest. Police officials had sought seven days of custody, according to his counsel. During the protest, IYC members removed their shirts to reveal T-shirts with slogans critical of the central government. With Chib’s arrest, the total number of people arrested in connection with the protest has reached eight. The IYC condemned the arrests on social media platform X, calling them an attack on democratic rights and asserting that their members were raising legitimate concerns in the interest of farmers, workers, and national interest. Bhupesh Baghel, Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, also strongly condemned the arrests, Wednesday, 25 February 2026 SPORTS WORLD BUSINESS | describing them as "illegal". Taking a dig at the central government, he said that “in a democracy, young people raising their voice, asking questions, and protesting is not a crime; it is the strongest weapon of democracy.” “Our young Congress workers, without any violence or provocation, peacefully highlighted the Prime Minister’s compromises and the unheard suffering of the youth,” he added on X, calling for the immediate release of Chib and other IYC workers and the withdrawal of all charges. Saying that the arrest was an attack on freedom of expression and democracy, the Congress leader demanded the immediate release of Chib and other IYC workers, withdrawal of charges imposed on them. trade and economy, and people to people exchanges," the MEA said. The leaders are also expected to exchange perspectives on regional and global issues of mutual interest. PM Modi will also call on Isaac Herzog, the President of Israel. "This visit will reaffirm the deep and long-standing strategic partnership between the two countries and will present an opportunity to review the common challenges as well as realign efforts towards achieving their shared vision for a robust partnership between two resilient democracies," the statement added. Ahead of PM Modi’s visit to Israel, its Ambassador to India Reuven Azar said on Monday that the two nations 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.” Page 12 Cabinet approves alteration of name of ‘Kerala’ to ‘Keralam’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 24 February The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday approved the proposal for alteration of the name of the state of ‘Kerala’ as ‘Keralam.’ After approval of the Union Cabinet, the President of India will refer a Bill, namely the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to the State Legislative Assembly of Kerala for expressing its views under provision of Article 3 of the Constitution of India. After receipt of the views of the State Legislative Assembly, the Centre will take further action and the recommendation of the President will be obtained for introduction of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 for alteration of the name of ‘Kerala’ as ‘Keralam’ in Parliament. The state Assembly passed a resolution on 24 June, 2024 to alter the name of “Kerala” which is as under: “The name of our State is 'Keralam' in Malayalam Language. States were formed on the basis of language on the 1st day of November, 1956. The Kerala Piravi Day is also on the 1st day of November. Since the time of National Independence Struggle, there has been a strong demand for the formation of United Kerala for the people speaking Malayalam language. But in the First Schedule to the Constitution the name of our State is recorded as 'Kerala'. This Assembly unanimously appeals to the Central Government to take urgent steps as per Article 3 of the Constitution for modifying the name as 'Keralam'." Thereafter, the Government of Kerala requested the Centre to take necessary steps to amend the First Schedule to the Constitution by altering the name of the state of ‘Kerala’ as ‘Keralam’ as per article 3 of the Constitution. The matter regarding alteration of name of ‘Kerala’ was considered in the Ministry of Home Affairs and with the approval of Home Minister Amit Shah the draft note for the Cabinet for the alteration of name was circulated to the Ministry of Law and Justice. It concurred with the proposal for the alteration of the name of the state. WB SIR: SC allows Calcutta HC CJ to deploy civil judges; permits drawing judicial officers from Odisha, J’khand PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 24 February In a significant relaxation of its February 20 order, the Supreme Court on Tuesday permitted the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to additionally deploy Civil Judges (Senior and Junior Division) with at least three years’ experience to adjudicate claims and objections relating to voters placed in the “logical discrepancies” and “unmapped” categories in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. A Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi clarified that this direction is in continuation of, and in addition to, its earlier order directing deployment of District Judges and Additional District Judges, including retired judicial officers for the adjudication of claims and objections of the persons included in the logical d i s c re p a n c y/u n m a p p e d categories. The fresh directions were issued after the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court informed the apex court that around 250 District and Additional District Judges had been assigned the task of examining nearly 50 lakh claims and objections. Even if each officer disposed of 250 matters daily, it would take about 80 days to complete the exercise. Taking note of the time constraints, the apex court said further judicial manpower was necessary to complete the work on priority. The Court also ruled that if the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court still requires more judicial officers, he may approach the Chief Justices of the High Courts of Odisha and Jharkhand to request serving or retired judicial officers of similar rank to assist in the SIR exercise. It requested the Chief Justices of those High Courts to sympathetically and urgently consider such requests. The Election Commission of India (ECI), the court ordered, will bear travel, boarding and other expenses of officers deputed from Odisha and Jharkhand. To streamline the verification process, the Court clarified that scrutiny shall be confined to documents specified in earlier notifications and Supreme Court orders — including the October 24 notification commencing SIR in West Bengal, the September 8, 2025 order permitting acceptance of Aadhaar, and the January 19, 2026 order allowing submission of Madhyamik (Class X) admit cards and pass certificates. All such documents submitted physically or electronically on or before February 14, 2026 must be considered. It further directed that it will be the responsibility of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant EROs to satisfy the judicial officers regarding the authenticity of the documents. The Court maintained that the final electoral roll shall be published on February 28, 2026. If verification of certain claims remains pending, the ECI may publish supplementary lists on a continuous basis. Invoking its plenary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Court declared that voters included in such supplementary lists shall be deemed to have been part of the final roll published on February 28. Cabinet adopts landmark resolution at first meeting in ‘Seva Teerth’, reaffirms commitment to Viksit Bharat Steve Bucknor admits LBW error against Sachin STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 24 February New Delhi, 24 February The Union Cabinet on Tuesday adopted a landmark resolution at its first meeting held at the newly inaugurated Prime Minister’s Office complex, ‘Seva Teerth’, terming the occasion a “new beginning in India’s development journey.” The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the new complex. Announcing the decision, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the resolution signals a renewed push toward citizen-centric governance and the long-term national objective of building a developed India by 2047. Reading from the resolution, Vaishnaw said the new Prime Minister’s Office complex is a “direct expression of the reconstruction of a New India,” reflecting the aspirations of a nation shaped by centuries of civilizational effort. “For decades after Independence, governments operated from South Block, preserving our legacy while envisioning the future. ‘Seva Teerth’ represents the tangible embodiment of our dream of an India that is indigenous in thought, modern in outlook and limitless in potential,” he said. Constructed at the site of erstwhile British-era barracks, the complex symbolizes India’s transition from a colonial past to a confident, self-reliant future. The Cabinet described the space as being inspired by the ideals of duty, service and dedication — intended to function with the sanctity of a “teerth,” or sacred place. The resolution reiterates that every decision taken at ‘Seva Teerth’ will be guided by a spirit of service toward 1.4 billion citizens and aligned with the broader goal of nation-building. “The work culture here will be rooted in constitutional values — dignity, equality and justice. Every policy and decision will reflect accountability to the aspirations of the people,” Vaishnaw said. Reaffirming the principle of “Nagrik Devo Bhava” (The Citizen is Divine), the Cabinet emphasized that the complex is not meant for the display of authority, but as a hub for empowering every Indian, particularly the most marginalized. The resolution also outlined the transformative impact of key government initiatives undertaken in recent years under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership. It highlighted that over 250 million people have been lifted out of poverty in the past decade. Major programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana and the Swachh Bharat Mission were cited as examples of policies designed to improve quality of life and simplify citizens’ daily experiences. In addition, more than 40 million houses have been constructed and millions of rural households have gained access to drinking water under the Jal Jeevan Mission. The Cabinet noted that reforms under the “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance” philosophy — including GST, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and Digital India — have strengthened transparency, efficiency and citizen-centric administration. As a result, the resolution said, India has secured a strong position among the world’s leading economies. Reaffirming its commitment to the national vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’, the Cabinet described it as a long-term mission in which today’s decisions will shape the destiny of future generations. “With the new energy of ‘Seva Teerth’ and the accelerated pace of reforms, we are committed to ensuring India’s place among the world’s top three economies in the near future,” Vaishnaw said. The resolution underscored that the new complex represents not just modern infrastructure, but a new governance culture driven by technology, efficiency and outcome-oriented administration. It called for prudent resource utilization and sustained reform momentum. UNITED NEWS OF INDIA Former West Indies umpire Steve Bucknor has admitted that he made a mistake in giving India batting legend Sachin Tendulkar out leg-before wicket during the 2003–04 Brisbane Test against Australia, a controversial decision that continues to be discussed even today. Speaking in an interview with the West Indies Cricket Umpires' Association, Bucknor acknowledged the mistake. “Giving Sachin Tendulkar out leg before wicket, and it's a matter of knowing that it was a mistake, but until this day, every day, people talk about it,” he said. “Why did I give him out? Was he out and so on? But then in life, mistakes happen. I have accepted that it was a mistake, and life goes on,” he added. The controversial decision came during the Brisbane THE CONTROVERSIAL DECISION CAME DURING THE BRISBANE TEST WHEN TENDULKAR, THEN AT THE PEAK OF HIS CAREER, WAS GIVEN OUT LBW FOR JUST THREE RUNS AFTER THE BALL STRUCK HIS PADS WHILE HE ATTEMPTED TO LEAVE THE DELIVERY. Test when Tendulkar, then at the peak of his career, was given out LBW for just three runs after the ball struck his pads while he attempted to leave the delivery. Bowler Jason Gillespie and the Australian players appealed, and Bucknor raised his finger, even as Tendulkar appeared visibly surprised. Television replays later suggested the ball would have passed well over the stumps. In commentary, Tony Greig reacted strongly, saying, “That is a dreadful decision. Have a look at this, look at the bounce and movement.