WEDNESDAY 25 DECEMBER 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 16 |` 5.00|LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR DHANKHAR ANGUISHED OVER OPPOSITION’S NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION ISRAELI DEFENCE MINISTER ADMITS TO KILLING HANIYEH P12 SENSEX 78,472.87q67.30 WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. SMOG/SHALLOW FOG IS LIKELY IN THE EVENING/NIGHT.THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 22 AND 08 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: 000.4 MM RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 100% TEMPERATURE P6 23,727.65q25.80 ` vs $ 85.16 P9 GOLD 78,250.00 CT 2025: India to play all matches in Dubai P16 SILVER 99,000 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 72.86p0.54 Budget 2025: PM Modi meets economists India-Pakistan match to take place on 23 February; final on 9 March Min. 54 % Max: 20.8°C (0) SUN RISES 07:12 hrs MOON RISES 2:52 hrs NIFTY ROHIT REFUSES TO REVEAL BATTING ORDER FOR MCG TEST MAN WHO NEVER RESTED ON HIS LAURELS TRIDIB BAPARNASH Min: 09.9 °C (+2) SUN SETS 17:32 hrs MOON SETS 13:21 hrs THUMBNAILS Devotees visit the Sacred Heart Cathedral Church on the eve of Christmas festival in New Delhi on Tuesday. ANI 5 soldiers killed in mishap in J&K's Poonch: Five Army soldiers were killed and five others critically injured when a truck in which they were travelling plunged into a nearly 300 ft deep gorge along the Line of Control in Poonch district on Tuesday evening. The Army has ruled out a terrorist-Initiated Incident. The mishap occurred around 5.40 p.m when the Army vehicle of 11 Maratha Light Infantry, fell into the gorge near the Ghora Post. (P4) NEW DELHI, 24 DECEMBER F our days after confirming that estranged neighbours India and Pakistan will not play in each other’s territories at least till 2027, the International Cricket Council on Tuesday unveiled the official schedule of the Champions Trophy 2025 that runs from 19 February to 9 March with Pakistan hosting their first global cricket tournament since 1996, alongside the UAE which was confirmed as the neutral venue for matches involving India. The decision to hold India's matches away from Pakistan, the official host country, was finalised after Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman, met with Sheikh Nahyan Al Mubarak in Pakistan. Sheikh Nahyan is a senior UAE minister and also the head of the Emirates Cricket Board. Accordingly, the Indian team will begin their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign against Bangladesh in Dubai on 20 February, a day after the tournament officially kicks off in Karachi with a match between defending champions Pakistan and New Zealand. The highly-anticipated match between archrivals India and Pakistan will be played on 23 February in Dubai before the Men-in-Blue take on the Black Caps for their final group stage match on 2 March in Dubai. The 19-day competition will feature eight teams, divided into two groups of four each. President Murmu appoints new Governors of five states Congress stages protests over Shah’s remarks STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 24 DECEMBER NEW DELHI, 24 DECEMBER The President’s Secretariat on Tuesday notified the appointment of Governors of five states. In a press communique, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said that the President has appointed Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati, the incumbent Governor of Mizoram, as Odisha’s Governor. Further, the communique said that General (Dr) Vijay Kumar Singh, PVSM, AVSM, Among others, The President has appointed Arif Mohammed Khan, the incumbent Governor of Kerala, as Bihar Governor. YSM (Retd.) has been appointed as Governor of Mizoram. Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Governor of Bihar, has been appointed as Kerala’s Governor, it added. The President also appointed Arif Mohammed Khan, the incumbent Governor of Kerala, as Bihar’s Governor. Former Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla has been given charge as Manipur’s Governor. “The above appointments will take effect from the dates they will assume charge of their respective offices,” the press communique said. It added that the President has accepted the resignation of Odisha’s Governor Raghubar Das. Leaders and party workers of the Congress on Tuesday took to the streets in various states and UTs in protest against Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent remarks on Babasaheb Ambedkar. Demonstrations in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh,MadhyaPardesh,Bihar,Punjab,Telangana,Assam and other states were held as part of the nationwide protest announced by the Congress againstMrShah’sremarks.SNS A tribute to Atal Ji, the statesman who shaped India with his vision and resolve NARENDRA MODI Today, 25th December is a very special day for all of us. Our nation marks the 100th Jayanti of our beloved former Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji. He stands tall as a statesman who continues to inspire countless people. Our nation will always be grateful to Atal Ji for being the architect of India’s transition into the 21st century. When he took oath as PM in 1998 our nation had passed through a period of political instability. In about 9 years, we had seen 4 Lok Sabha elections. The people of India were getting impatient and also sceptical about governments being able to deliver. It was Atal Ji who turned this tide by providing stable and effective governance. Coming from humble roots, he realised the struggles of the common citizen and the transformative power of effective governance. One can see the longterm impact of Atal Ji’s leadership in so many sectors around us. His era marked a gigantic leap in the world of In-formation Technology, telecom and communications. This was particularly important for a nation like ours, which is also blessed with a very dynamic Yuva Shakti. The NDA Government under Atal Ji made the first serious attempt to make technology accessible to the common citizens. At the same time, there was foresight in connecting India. Even today, most people recall the Golden Quadrilateral Project, which connected the length and breadth of India. Equally notable were the Vajpayee Government’s efforts to enhance local connectivity as well through initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Similarly, his Government gave a push to metro connectivity by doing extensive work for the Delhi Metro, which stands out as a world-class infrastructure project.Thus, the Vajpayee Government not only boosted economic growth but also brought distant regions closer, fostering unity and integration. When it comes to the social sector, an initiative like the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan highlights how Atal Ji dreamt of building an India where mod- ern education is accessible to people across the nation, particularly for the poor and marginalised sections. At the same time, his government presided over many economic reforms which set the stage for India’s economic surge after several decades of following an economic philosophy which encouraged cronyism and stagnation. A wonderful example of Vajpayee Ji’s leadership can be seen in the summer of 1998. His Government had just assumed office and on 11th May, India conducted the Pokhran tests, known as Operation Shakti. These tests exemplified the prowess of India’s scientific community. The world was stunned that India had done the tests and expressed their anger in no uncertain terms. Any ordinary leader would have buckled, but Atal Ji was made differently. And what happened? India stood firm and resolute with the government calling for another set of tests two days later, on 13th May! If the tests of the 11th showed scientific skill, the ones on 13th showed true leadership. It was a message to the world that gone were the days when India would buckle under threats or pressure. (Turn to page 4) India, Bangladesh, New Zealand and Pakistan form Group A while Afghanistan, Australia, England and South Africa are in Group B. The matches for both groups - apart from the India games - will be played across Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi. A total of 12 group-stage matches will be played, followed by the semifinals and final. The tournament returns to the cricket calendar for the first time since the last edition was staged in 2017. The two semi-final matches will take place on 4 and 5 March, and with both games being allocated reserve days, it's not impossible that they end up taking place on the same day, though Dubai is usually dry at that time of the year. The final is slated for 9 March, with a reserve day. The first semi-final will be played in the UAE, irrespective of India’s involvement, while the second semifinal will be played in Lahore. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 24 DECEMBER Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday interacted with a group of eminent economists and thought leaders in preparation for the Union Budget 2025-26 at NITI Aayog. In his remarks at the meeting, Prime Minister Modi thanked the speakers for their insightful views. The Prime Minister emphasised that Viksit Bharat can be achieved through a fundamental change in mindset which is focused towards making India developed by 2047. During the meeting which was also attended by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, economists shared suggestions on wide range of topics including employment generation, skill development, enhancing agricultural productivity, attracting investment, boosting exports among others. First JPC meeting on ONOE Bills on 8 Jan STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 24 DECEMBER A 39-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) will hold its first meeting on the Bills related to 'One Nation, One Election' bills on 8 January, next year, sources said. The JPC was constituted on Friday to review two Bills related to “one nation, one election”. According to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, BJP MP PP Chaudhary has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Joint Parliamentary Committee. The panel com- prises 39 members, with 27 from the Lok Sabha and 12 from the Rajya Sabha. Among the members of the JPC are Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (Congress), Anurag Thakur and Anil Baluni (BJP), as well as other Opposition leaders such as Kalyan Banerjee (TMC), and Dharmendra Yadav (Samajwadi Party). The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth) Amendment Bill, 2024 and The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 were introduced in the Lok Sabha on 17 December