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 | Monday, 22 June 2026 SPORTS PERSPECTIVE EDITORIAL El Niño and India’s monsoon question Argentina take on Austria in key Group J encounter WORLD US-Iran high-level talks begin in Switzerland False respite Page 7 Page 12 Page 9 Page 6 PM leads Int’l Yoga Day celebrations, says yoga has unique power to unite nations ASHOK TUTEJA Kolkata, 21 June S oon after the sun rose over this historic city on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demonstrating India’s soft power, kicked off the 12th International Day of Yoga (IYD) celebrations, highlighting the significant benefits of this meditative exercise for physical and mental well-being. Dressed in traditional white kurta-pajama, Mr Modi, who performed the ‘asanas’ among the crowd of yoga practitioners at the iconic Red Road, said yoga is not only an exercise to make the body flexible but a path for inner development. More than 30,000 people, including top politicians, bureaucrats, intellectuals and social and religious workers, joined the PM at the IYD, which the United Nations also now promotes as a worldwide campaign to raise awareness about the benefits of practicing yoga. On the dais at the Red Road, the PM was joined by West Bengal Governor R N Ravi, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Minister of State (Independent Charge) Prataprao Jadhav. The PM’s enthusiasm for yoga was evident as he moved around the celebration venue, guiding many participants in performing different 'asanas' like a school teacher. The mega event was preceded by a three - day citywide celebration in Kolkata which included the “Run for Yoga” marathon, boat-based wellness sessions, and the “Vande Yogam” cultural programme along the Hooghly River. Even as the PM launched the celebrations in Kolkata, top Central Ministers and BJP Chief Ministers anchored the IYD events in different parts of the country. Government officials say IYD was organised at nearly 2,500 locations worldwide, including over 200 Indian missions abroad. This year’s theme reflects the growing global focus on healthy ageing amid rising life expectancy and increasing concerns over noncommunicable diseases and lifestyle-related health issues. The emphasis is shifting from merely extending lifespan to improving health span, quality of life, and overall well-being through preventive and holistic approaches such as yoga. In his address to the participants, Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted that 21 June had evolved into one of the largest collective celebrations in the world, with people from different countries and cultures coming together through the practice of yoga. He said yoga has the unique power to connect people, societies and nations, and continues to strengthen the bonds of human unity. Over 22 lakh candidates appear for NEET-UG retest amid heightened security Seven workers die after ammonia gas leak in seafood factory near Chennai STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 21 June Chennai, 21 June More than 22 lakh candidates across the country and at a few overseas centres appeared for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination on Sunday, with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan visiting the National Testing Agency (NTA) headquarters in Delhi's Okhla during the test to review its conduct, according to Ministry of Education officials. NTA officials briefed the minister on the logistical, technical and security arrangements put in place to ensure the smooth and transparent conduct of the examination, the ministry said. According to officials, the examination was conducted in more than 95,000 examination rooms, each equipped with CCTV cameras. A total of 1,38,560 CCTV cameras were installed, with their feeds monitored at the At least seven workers, all women, died and more than 60 others fainted following leakage of ammonia gas in a private prawn fish processing centre near Periyapalayam in Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu on Sunday afternoon. Reports received here said all the seven workers died in two private hospitals where they were rushed for treatment after they fainted due to breathing problems caused due to inhaling the highly toxic gas. All the deceased were said to be hailing from north India. Bulging of lungs due to excess inhaling of the gas was said to be the reason for the deaths. The leakage took place at the St Peter’s Paul Seafood Exports Private Limited’s prawn processing centre. About 120 migrant workers, mostly women labourers national, state and ministry levels. To prevent electronic malpractices, the NTA also deployed 51,311 signal jammers. The extensive security arrangements followed the cancellation of the 3 May NEET-UG examination after allegations of a paper leak surfaced in Rajasthan. The National Testing Agency cancelled the examination on 12 May and rescheduled it for 21 June. While the re-examination concluded without any major disruptions, protests demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan continued for a second day at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. The demonstration was led by Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Sharing videos from the protest site on social media, Dipke wrote: “The protest will continue tonight,” and reiterated his demand for the education minister’s resignation, saying, “Dharmendra Pradhan, resign!” from Assam, Odisha and Jharkhand, were staying on the factory premises. The company had provided accommodation for the workers within the campus. According to police sources, the ammonia leak originated from the seafood processing unit and quickly affected the residential area inside the campus. Several workers inhaled the gas and swooned due to difficulty in breathing. Some of them also bled through their nose and mouth, while some other complained of irritation in their eyes. According to reports, more than 60 workers were rushed to private hospitals in ambulances summoned from all nearby hospitals. While 46 workers (21 in ICU) were admitted to Vels hospital at Manjankaranai in the district, 21 others were taken to Venkateswara hospital. Soon after their admission, six died in Vels hospital, while one succumbed at the Venkateswara hospital. Several of the injured were said to be critical and were being treated at the ICU. Bengal will play a crucial role in India’s maritime ambitions: PM Modi STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 21 June Underlining West Bengal’s long association with ports, river trade and shipbuilding, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the state has a crucial role to play in the country’s maritime future. The Prime Minister, who commissioned three indigenously built ships for the Indian Navy at the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port here, used the occasion to project Bengal as a key driver of India’s maritime and defence manufacturing ambitions. Referring to Bengal's long association with ports, river trade and shipbuilding, he said the Hooghly River had witnessed history unfold and the state’s strengths in industry, talent and workmanship could power a new phase of sea-based economic growth. “The state’s strengths in ports, industry and maritime infrastructure have positioned it to play a larger role in India’s coastal and blue economy ambitions. It can emerge as a major centre for maritime manufacturing, logistics and coastal development,” he said. The PM said India has transformed itself from being one of the world’s largest defence importers into a country increasingly capable of designing and manufacturing advanced weapon systems. “Earlier, India was heavily dependent on defence imports, and because of this dependence, we faced strategic challenges. After coming to power, we initiated reforms to make the country self-reliant in defence. Today, India can design and manufacture modern weapon systems,” the PM said. The three naval platforms ~ INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak and INS Agray ~ have been built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) with more than 75 per cent indigenous content, a senior defence official said. The ships were inducted into the Indian Navy at a formal ceremony led by Mr Modi and attended by the state’s Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Governor R.N. Ravi and Indian Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan. The three ships fulfil distinct maritime roles. INS Dunagiri is the fifth Project 17A stealth frigate and is equipped with advanced weapons, including BrahMos surface-to-surface missiles and the Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile system. INS Sanshodhak is the fourth Survey Vessel (Large). It is designed for coastal and deep-water hydrographic surveys and for collecting oceanographic and geophysical data for defence and civil applications. The third ship, INS Agray, is a submarine hunter. It is the fourth of the Arnala-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft and is equipped with lightweight torpedoes, indigenous rocket launchers and shallow-water sonar systems to detect and engage underwater threats in littoral waters. Admiral Swaminathan said the commissioning of the three ships reflected fresh momentum in India’s warship construction programme and underscored growing confidence in indigenous shipbuilding. “On the occasion of this tri-commissioning achievement today, I heartily congratulate the dedicated GRSE team. I also express my gratitude to our industry partners and MSMEs whose support has made this success possible,” the Navy Chief said. India, US to hold trade talks this week to finalise interim pact Kalyansinghpur mob horror: 23 held STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 21 June India and the United States will hold ministerial-level trade talks this week as both countries seek to finalise the framework for the first phase of the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA) ahead of a key tariff deadline next month, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Sunday. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is scheduled to arrive here for a two-day visit, during which he will hold discussions with Mr Goyal. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal had recently said that the discussions between the two ministers are expected to focus on giving final touches to the framework agreement while also advancing talks on the broader bilateral trade pact. Earlier this month, Mr Goyal had said that India and the US were moving towards closing all the open issues in the interim trade agreement and expressed confidence that the first phase of the BTA could be concluded by the middle of next month. On Saturday, Mr Goyal had said India cannot implement the proposed trade agreement with the United States until it secures a competitive advantage over competing nations, indicating that tariff-related issues remain the final hurdle in the negotiations. Speaking to the media, Mr Goyal had said the framework agreement has already been finalised, but implementation depends on resolving outstanding tariff concerns. “We have finalised the framework agreement and announced it as well. The (US) Supreme Court’s order regarding tariffs came after that,” Mr Goyal said at a Press conference at the BJP headquarters. Explaining the pending issue, the minister said: “We cannot implement the FTA until we secure a competitive advantage. The issue currently pending is that our duties need to be lower compared to those of competing nations; once this is settled, the trade agreement will be implemented.” The 10 per cent temporary tariff imposed by the US on all its trading partners is scheduled to expire on 24 July. The temporary tariff, announced by the US administration in February, is levied over and above the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) duty rates. Once the 150-day period ends, Washington is expected to put in place a revised tariff regime. The meeting comes after chief negotiator-level discussions between the two countries were held in the national capital from 2 to 4 June to advance negotiations on the proposed pact. Moreover, the negotiations are taking place amid ongoing investigations by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974 against several countries, including India, on issues related to excess industrial capacity and labour practices in global supply chains. for stripping, assaulting woman STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Rayagada, 21 June Police have arrested 23 persons in connection with the shocking Kalyansinghpur mob violence case in which a young woman was allegedly stripped, sexually assaulted and brutally attacked by a frenzied mob after being falsely suspected of child lifting. Several others have been detained and further arrests are expected. The Odisha Police have designated the incident a “Red Flag Case” on the instructions of Director General of Police Y.B. Khurania, citing the extreme brutality and sensitivity of the crime. The State Cyber Crime Unit has also joined the investigation. Special squads have been formed to hunt for absconders, some of whom may have crossed the border to neighboring Andhra Pradesh. Police warned that strict legal action would be taken against those involved in recording and circulating videos of the assault. Disturbing footage showing the victim being stripped and humiliated by the mob has triggered widespread outrage across the state. The incident occurred on 16 June when an intern from outside Odisha, working with an NGO in Kandhamal district, and her male companion lost their way while travelling on a two -wheeler through Kalyansinghpur. As the girl spoke in Hindi while seeking directions, some locals reportedly suspected the pair of being child lifters. A mob soon gathered, chased them down and subjected the woman to a horrific public assault. The victim was rescued by a couple of villagers, including Balaram Bag, who courageously intervened despite being attacked himself. The rescuers provided the traumatised woman with clothing and helped police shift her to a health centre for treatment. The barbaric incident has sparked statewide condemnation and renewed concerns over mob justice and deteriorating law and order. Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik said the episode had brought shame to Odisha before the nation.