FRIDAY 12 JULY 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR BALANCED DIPLOMACY SOME STRAY THOUGHTS ON INDIA’S SPORTING JOURNEY P7 SENSEX 79,897.3427.43 WEATHER GENERALLY CLOUDY SKY. LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN/THUNDERSHOWERS/LIGHTNING ACCOMPANIED WITH GUSTY WINDS(SPEED 2535 KMPH). THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 36 AND 28 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 93 % TEMPERATURE P6 NIFTY 24,315.958.50 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 11 JULY PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 11 JULY D enying any mass malpractice in the conduct of the NEET-UG 2024 exam, the Central government has told the Supreme Court that data analytics done by the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, shows that there is neither any indication of mass malpractice nor a localised set of candidates being benefitted leading to abnormal scores. Apparently, this is in reference to 67 candidates scoring perfect 720 marks. In 2020 one candidate scored perfect 720 marks, three in 2021, one in 2022 and two in 2023. The Central government, in its affidavit, filed on Thursday, also said that the counselling will be conducted in four rounds starting from the third week of July. Assuring that wrongdoers would not be permitted to go scot-free, the central government has said: “For any candidate, if it is found that he/she has been the beneficiary of any malpractice, the candidature of such person would be cancelled at any stage during the counselling process or even afterwards.” Terming as fake the video showing a photo of the NEET-UG paper leaked on Telegram on 4 May, the National Testing Agency EAM calls for deeper cooperation among Bay of Bengal nations STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 11 JULY in July last year, Mr Jaishankar said much has happened since then and this should spur their endeavours to deepen and broaden the activities of BIMSTEC. The BIMSTEC Charter, for a start, has come into effect from 20 May this year. “Global and regional developments also make it imperative that we find more solutions amongst ourselves,” he said. He said there are longstanding goals such as capacity-building and economic cooperation that have acquired a new urgency. ''And not least, a grouping that is so com- plementary and so congenial in its membership should surely harbour higher aspirations. Our hope is that these would be expressed as shared and ambitious BIMSTEC Vision.” Mr Jaishankar regretted that collaborative potential of the Bay of Bengal has long remained underrealised. ''Our challenge is to change that for the better, and to do so rapidly. The retreat is meant to exchange ideas openly, candidly and fruitfully. We all benefited from the last such exercise in Bangkok. This one now has a particular importance as it serves to prepare strong outcomes for the Summit to be held later in the year,” he said. The retreat in New Delhi, he said, will revolve around connectivity, institutional building, cooperation in trade and business, collaboration in health and space, digital public infrastructure. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested key accused Rakesh Ranjan alias Rocky from Bihar's Nalanda in connection with the NEET paper leak case. Ranjan's arrest brings a significant advancement in the investigation, the agency said on Thursday. Rakesh Ranjan, who is believed to be a one of key player in the NEET paper leak network, was taken into custody following a planned operation by the CBI. “Before his arrest, the CBI set a trap and conducted raids at four locations in the vicinity of Patna and in Kolkata,” a senior CBI official told ANI. Ranjan's arrest is seen as a crucial step towards uncovering the full extent of the malpractice that has cast a shadow over the integrity of one of India's most important entrance examinations, the agency said. The CBI's investigation has so far resulted in the arrest of over dozen of suspects, each allegedly playing a role in the leak and distribution of the NEET exam papers. in its affidavit has said: “The timestamp was manipulated to create a false impression of an early leak.” Stating that it has carried out an analysis of distribution of marks of candidates in NEET-UG 2024 at National, State and City level, the NTA has said: “This analysis indicates that the distribution of marks is quite normal and there seems to be no extraneous factor, which would influence the distribution of marks”. The SC on Thursday adjourned for 18 July the hearing on a batch of petitions seeking the cancellations of the NEET-UG 2024 exam on the grounds of paper leak and other irregularities in the conduct of the examination on 5 May 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with IAS officer trainees of 2022 Batch posted as Assistant Secretaries, in New Delhi on Thursday.  ANI STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 11 JULY Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday interacted with 181 OfficerTrainees of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), 2022 Batch, who are attached as Assistant Secretaries in various Ministries and Departments, at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan here. During the interaction, the Officer-Trainees shared with him their experience of the training undergone by them. The Prime Minister too recalled his earlier interaction with them during the Aarambh programme in 2022. Speaking about the Assistant Secretary programme, he said that the intent behind it was to provide opportunities of experiential learning to the young officers from officers, at the top to the bottom of the administrative pyramid. The Prime Minister said that New India is not satisfied with the lackadaisical approach and demands pro-activeness and they should endeavour to provide the best possible governance, quality of manufacturing, and quality of life to all citizens. Talking about schemes like Lakhpati Didi, Drone Didi, PM Awas Yojana, etc., he said all of them should work with a saturation approach to take these schemes further to the people. He said that the saturation approach ensures social justice and prevents discrimination. Now, it will be their choice whether they will be speed-breakers or a superfast highway in serv- STATESMAN NEW SERVICE HYDERABAD, 11 JULY In a horrific incident, three minor boys allegedly gangraped and killed an eightyear-old girl in Nandyal district of Andhra Pradesh. Police had pressed sniffer dogs after the girl remained missing for four days. Although one of the boys confessed to the rape and killing, the body of the victim is yet to be traced. According to police the girl, who was studying in class III went missing on 7 July and her father had registered a police complaint saying she did not come back after going off to play in a nearby playground. After failing to trace the girl the police had brought in a sniffer dog which led to the three boys studying in classes VI and VII of the same school as the victim. One of the boys confessed that they had called her to play with them and later raped her According to police the girl, who was studying in class III went missing on 7 July and her father had registered a police complaint saying she did not come back after going off to play in a nearby playground. at a desolate spot near the irrigation pump house. Apprehensive they would be caught if the girl complained to her parents the trio murdered her by pushing her into the canal. Following the confession police are searching the backwaters of river Krishna near the Muchumarri Lift irrigation pump house. Since the water in the canal is quite deep during the monsoon season authorities say there is a possibility that the body has been washed away. The SDRF was also pressed into service with boats to search for the body of the victim. The incident has sent shockwaves throughout the state. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 11 JULY Ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with economists and sectoral experts on Thursday. The meeting also saw the participation of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Notable figures including Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery and other members of the planning body attended the meeting. At the gathering, in-depth discussions took place aimed at shaping the economic direction of the country for the coming fiscal year. One of the main subjects of discussion was job generation. Among the experts and economists who attended were Surjit Bhalla, A K Bhattacharya, Prof Ashok Gulati, Gaurabh Ballabh, Amita Batra, Mahendra Dev, and K V Kamath. The Pre-Budget con- Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a meeting with economists ahead of the Union budget which will be presented on 23 July, in New Delhi on Thursday. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is also present.  ANI sultations for Union Budget 2024-25 started from 19 June 2024 onward in the Ministry of Finance chaired by Finance Minister and concluded on 5 July. In the course of the inperson consultations, over 120 invitees across 10 stakeholder groups, including experts and representatives from farmer associations and agriculture economists; trade unions; education and health sector; employment and UNITED NATIONS, 11 JULY In this 11 July 2023 picture, a nurse lays newborn babies on a bed on World Population Day at the Government Kasturba ANI Gandhi Hospital in Chennai. than anticipated a decade ago. As of 2024, population size has peaked in 63 countries and areas, including China, Germany, Japan, and the Russian Federation, and the total population of this group is projected to decline by 14 per cent over the next 30 years. For another 48 countries and areas, including Brazil, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Turkey, and Vietnam, the population is projected to peak between 2025 and 2054. "In the remaining 126 countries, including India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the United States of America, the population is expected to increase through 2054 and potentially peak in the second half of the century or later," the report pointed out. In nine countries of this group, including Angola, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger, and Somalia, very rapid growth is projected, with their total population doubling between 2024 and 2054. The demographic landscape has evolved greatly in recent years, said Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. "In some countries, the birth rate is now even lower than previously anticipated, and we are also seeing slightly faster declines in some high-fertility regions. The earlier and lower peak is a hopeful sign. This could mean reduced environmental pressures from human impacts due to lower aggregate consumption. However, slower population growth will not eliminate the need to reduce the average impact attributable to the activities of each individual person," he said. The earlier population peak is due to several factors, including lower levels of fertility in some of the world’s largest countries, especially China. Globally, women are having one child fewer, on average, than they did around 1990. In more than half of all countries and areas, the average number of live births per woman is below 2.1 ~ the level required for a population to maintain a constant size over the long term without migration. By the late 2070s, the number of people aged 65 years or older is projected to surpass the number of children (under age 18), while the number of people aged 80 and higher is projected to be larger than the number of infants (under age one) already by the mid-2030s. skilling; MSME; trade and services; industry; economists; financial sector and capital markets; as well as, infrastructure, energy and urban sector, participated. Notably, in her address to the joint sitting of Parliament last month, President Droupadi Murmu indicated that the government would come out with historic steps to accelerate the pace of reforms. Statesman interview catches Vice President Dhankhar’s eye STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE ice delivery. Mr Modi said they should aspire to be catalytic agents and they will have satisfaction when they see change happening in front of their eyes. The Prime Minister said that Nation First is not just a slogan, but his life’s aim and exhorted the officers to walk with him in this journey. He said that the accolades they had received after their selection as IAS are things of the past, and instead of staying in the past, they should move ahead towards the future. Minister of State (Personnel) Jitendra Singh, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister P K Mishra, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, and Secretary (Home and DoPT) A K Bhalla and other senior officers were also present during the interaction. Minor boys gang-rape, Budget 2024: PM convenes meeting murder 8-yr-old in Andhra with economists, sectoral experts India’s population will peak in second half of the century, says UN report on World Population Day The population of India is expected to increase through 2054 and potentially peak in the second half of the century or later, according to a report released by the United Nations on World Population Day, celebrated annually on 11 July. It is expected that the world’s population will peak in the mid-2080s, growing over the next 60 years from 8.2 billion people in 2024 to around 10.3 billion in the mid-2080s, and then will return to around 10.2 billion by the end of the century, stated the report titled 'World Population Prospects 2024'. The size of the world’s population in 2100 is now expected to be six per cent lower — or 700 million fewer — BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 83.000.27 CBI arrests key accused in NEET paper leak case A group of students meet Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at his residence over the NEET-UG examination, in New Delhi on Thursday.  ANI External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday called upon the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) countries to infuse new energies, new resources and a new commitment into cooperation among the seven members of the grouping. “For India, BIMSTEC represents the intersection of its ‘Neighbourhood First’ outlook, the ‘Act East Policy’ and the ‘SAGAR’ vision,” he said, addressing the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ Retreat. The meeting is being attended by the foreign ministers or senior representatives of the governments of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar. Recalling that the BIMSTEC countries had last met in a similar format in Bangkok SILVER 95,5001000 Counselling to start from third week of July: Central govt to Supreme Court THUMBNAILS Centre sets up panel to verify candidature claims, other details of IAS probationer Puja Khedkar: The Central government on Thursday constituted a single-member committee to verify the candidature claims and other details of Puja Manorma Dilip Khedkar, probationary IAS officer posted in Pune, who was transferred to Washim in central Maharashtra on Tuesday after she was found at the center of a controversy over her alleged misuse of power as a civil servant. GOLD 73,420220 P12 ‘No indication of mass No lackadaisical approach, PM Modi tells IAS trainees malpractice in NEET’ Min: 27.2 °C (0) SUN SETS 19:22 hrs MOON SETS 23:19 hrs The Dharmaveer Swarajya Rakshak Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Mumbai Coastal Road (South) project was temporarily opened for ANI traffic in Mumbai on Thursday. P10 ` vs $ 83.56 Min. 57 % Max: 38.8 °C (+3) SUN RISES 05:33 hrs MOON RISES 11:59 hrs GAMBHIR WANTS TEN DOESCHATE IN COACHING STAFF RAHUL REITERATES DEMAND FOR PM’S VISIT TO MANIPUR NEW DELHI, 11 JULY Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday mentioned The Statesman in his interaction with members of the FICCI FLO Chennai Chapter at the Vice-President’s Enclave and referred to the exclusive interview of FLO National President Joyshree Das Verma published in the newspaper. He said: “This morning, I was pleasantly surprised. What a coincidence. The Statesman published from West Bengal, a state where I had been Governor for three years, carried a big interview of FLO chairperson Joyshree Das Verma.” “A very detailed interview, extensive. It was absolutely soothing to note. And meeting you on this occasion with this background is impor- tant.” Mr Dhankhar said the FICCI-FLO was over 40 years old and in this period the status of women had undergone a sea change in the country. He said: “Congratulations, you are 40 plus. Am I right? Having started in 1983. The world is increasingly being dominated by your gender. Bharat Nari Shakti has been nurtured and it is blossom- ing our democracy now.” The Vice President said: “It was a historic occasion. In September 2023, when Parliament passed the Women's Reservation Bill, that was on the table for three decades. For one reason or the other, it could not get through. It finally got through.” “One-third reservation in Parliament and state legislatures. And that reservation is horizontal and vertical. So it will have societal representation of all segments of society. What an achievement.” Mr Dhankhar also applauded the Supreme Court judgment regarding “equitable, uniform assistance to women, irrespective of their religion,” thereby upholding the right of all married and divorced women, including Muslim women, to seek maintenance from their husbands.