FRIDAY 17 JANUARY 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Pages 12 |` 5.00 |LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR NETANYAHU SAYS 'LAST MINUTE CRISIS', DELAYS GAZA TRUCE PRASHANT KISHOR ENDS HUNGER STRIKE P9 SENSEX 77,042.82p318.74 NIFTY P5 23,311.80p98.60 Partly cloudy. Hazy in the evening. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 26 °C and 15 °C respectively. ` vs $ 86.44 SILVER 1,03,000 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 81.59q0.44 12 doctors suspended for dereliction of duty The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Thursday successfully completed the docking of two spacecraft as part of the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX), making India the fourth country after the USA, Russia and China to accomplish the feat. The Indian space agency also announced that after the docking, completed on Thursday morning, control of the two spacecraft as a single object was successful. “Spacecraft docking successfully completed! A historic moment. Let’s walk through the SpaDeX docking process: Manoeuvre from 15m to 3m hold point completed. Docking initiated with precision, leading to successful spacecraft capture. Retraction completed smoothly, followed by rigidisation for stability. Docking successfully completed,” it said in a post on social media platform ‘X’ announcing the achievement. “Undocking and power transfer checks to follow in coming days,” the space agency said. With the successful docking of the spacecraft, India has become the fourth country after the USA, Russia and China to accomplish the feat. ISRO had launched two small spacecraft, SDX01, the Chaser, and SDX02, the Target STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Max. 74 % Min. 66 % KOLKATA, 16 JANUARY Min: 15.3˚C SUN SETS 17:34 hrs MOON SETS 08:29 hrs T ‘Mohan Bhagwat’s statement anti-national’ TEMPERATURE New Moon on 29 January THUMBNAILS The entryway of the Atal Tunnel at Rohtang covered in a thick blanket of fresh snowfall, in Kathua on Thursday. n ANI Final hearing in Godhra train blaze case: The Supreme Court has posted the final hearing on appeals by the Gujarat government and several convicts in the 2002 burning of a coach of the Sabarmati Express at Godhra railway station to 13 February. Along with appeals filed by the convicts against their convictions, the Gujarat government had also approached the top court seeking death penalty for 11 convicts whose sentences in the case were commuted to life terms by Gujarat High Court. he state government today suspended 12 doctors of the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital on charges of dereliction of duty that led to the death of two patients, including a new mother and a newborn baby, allegedly due to the use of contaminated saline. This was announced by chief minister Mamata Banerjee at a press conference at Nabanna on Thursday. Miss Banerjee told mediapersons that two separate teams, one made up of senior doctors and the other a CID team, had found that the doctors had neglected the patients, that led to the death of two of them. The teams found that these doctors had assigned their juniors and were not present in the operation theatre while the junior doctors had conducted the surgery, she said. A woman who had given birth at the hospital had died earlier this week, while a newborn baby died this morning, after KOLKATA, 16 JANUARY falling sick allegedly due to the administration of expired saline. Three other new mothers are also sick. Miss Banerjee said three of the affected mothers have been admitted to the SSKM hospital where the condition of two is stated to be stable while the third one is said to be critical. “We cannot compensate the husband who lost his wife or the baby who lost its mother. We will pay them Rs 5 lakh as compensation and will give jobs if the families are willing,” Miss Banerjee said. The individuals suspended included Dr Jayanta Kumar Rout, MSVP; resident medical officer Dr Somen Das; assistant professors Dr Dilip Kumar Pal and Dr Himadri Nayak; head of department (gynaecology and obstetrics) Dr Mohammad Alauddin; senior resident Dr Pallabi Banerjee; and six postgraduate trainees ~ Moumita Mandal, Bhagyasree Kundu, Sushanta Mandal, Pooja Saha, Manish Kumar and Jagriti Ghosh. Miss Banerjee said Dr Pal was found to have attended a private nursing home located at Balichak, which is 30 km away from the hospital, during duty hours. “This is unacceptable. The doctors in staterun hospitals are supposed to work for 8 hours. After that they can do private practice. Due to their negligence two patients died,” she said. Saif Ali Khan undergoes surgery after stabbing attack STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE MUMBAI, 16 JANUARY to his spinal cord. The incident took place at Mr Khan's house in Bandra around 2 a.m, after a thief intruded into the house and went straight to the maid's room, after which the maid began screaming. Mr Khan came out of his room and tried to catch the thief. However, the thief attacked him and fled from the scene. After Mr Khan was injured, his son Ibrahim Ali Khan was informed about the incident. Ibrahim reached the building and rushed Mr Khan to Lilavati Hospital in an autorikshaw. Mr Khan sustained a thoracic spinal cord injury, as per Dr Nitin Dange of Lilavati Hospital. “Saif Ali Khan was admitted to the hospital at 2 a.m. with alleged history of assault by some unknown person. He sustained a major injury to the thoracic spinal cord due to a lodged knife in the spine. A surgery was performed to remove the knife and repair leaking spinal fluid,” the doctor informed. Saif also suffered deep wounds on his left hand and neck. “Two other deep wounds on his left hand and one other on his neck were repaired by the plastic surgery team. He is completely stable now. He is recovering well and out of danger now,” Dr Dange added. Dixit Gedam, „Saif Ali Khan was admitted to the hospital at 2 a.m. with alleged history of assault by some unknown person. He sustained a major injury to the thoracic spinal cord due to a lodged knife in the spine. A surgery was performed to remove the knife and repair leaking spinal fluid,‰ the doctor informed. DCP Zone 9 of Mumbai Police, who is part of the team investigating the attack on Mr Khan, said that one of the accused has been identified. “It has been discovered that the accused used the fire escape to enter their house. So far, the investigation suggests that it was an attempted burglary. We are making every effort to arrest the accused as soon as possible. Once he is arrested, we will be able to disclose further details," he said. ‘Gambhir highlights indiscipline in Indian dressing room’ TRIDIB BAPARNASH NEW DELHI, 16 JANUARY In the aftermath of consecutive Test series losses to New Zealand (3-0 whitewash at home) and Australia (3-1 loss in Australia), the BCCI’s review meeting in Mumbai last Saturday opened a can of worms with head coach Gautam Gambhir reportedly complaining of indiscipline in the Indian dressing room, leading to the board implementing strict protocols on travel itineraries of immediate families of players during overseas tours. Following the team’s return to the country from the forgettable tour Down Under, where Rohit Sharma & Co conceded the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to the Aussies for the first time in a decade, besides losing their chance to feature in the upcoming ICC World Test Championship final, scheduled at Lord’s in June, the captain and coach along with chief selector Ajit Agarkar GOLD 81,320.00 P12 ISRO successfully executes SpaDeX docking experiment; India joins elite club of nations RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Hindi film actor Saif Ali Khan was injured after he was attacked by an intruder with a knife inside his residence in Mumbai early Thursday morning. Mr Khan was taken to Lilavati Hospital at Bandra West where he underwent surgery and is reported to be out of danger. “An unknown person entered actor Saif Ali Khan’s residence late at night. He attacked Saif Ali Khan and injured him. Investigation is on,” a Mumbai police spokesperson said. According to police. the intruder had tried to attack the actor in his children’s room and after he tried to protect his children (Jeh and Taimur) as well as his wife Kareena Kapoor, he ended up getting stabbed in the process. Some family members of the actor were also present in the house at the time of the incident, the police spokesperson said. Mr Khan was seriously injured in the attack, with a knife blade penetrating close P7 Negligence charge over Midnapore Medical College & Hospital deaths WEATHER Max: 26.2˚C SUN RISES 06:18 hrs MOON RISES 20:27 hrs SINDHU ENTERS QUARTERFINALS OF INDIA OPEN 2025 A STRATEGIC RESTORATION OF TIES met the BCCI top brass, including president Roger Binny and secretary Devajit Saikia, for a review meeting. During the meeting, Gambhir had reportedly pointed fingers at the “indiscipline” in the dressing room, and suggested that family time be limited on both short and long tours. Going by the coach and a senior player’s suggestions, the board decided to revive the touring protocols for the national men’s team, including a restriction on how much time families can spend with players. It has been learnt that the board, in a bid to promote a more professional and unified team culture, has also decided to bar any independent transport for players while commuting for practice and match- es, while any extra luggage, exceeding the limit of 150 kgs, will be at their own expense. Additionally, sources revealed that the BCCI has also decided to bar personal staff from accompanying the players. The BCCI's new policy for players also bars players from engaging in personal shoots or endorsements during ongoing series or tours. Participation in BCCI's official shoots and functions will be mandatory. Players will also travel together on tour and not with their families, even when the latter are allowed to accompany them ~ the players' partners and children (under 18) will be allowed one visit of up to two weeks per series in case the players are absent from India for more than 45 days. The BCCI has also made playing domestic matches mandatory for players to be considered for selection in national teams or central contracts. Bengal chief minister and Trinamul Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee today condemned the recent statement of Mohan Bhagwat, RSS chief, that India’s Independence Day should be 22 January, the day when the Ayodhya Ram Mandir was inaugurated last year, and not 15 August, 1947, as anti-national and said it was uncalled for. The Chief Minister further said that Mr Bhagwat must take back his statement. Coming down heavily on Mr Bhagwat, she said: “I cannot dream of someone making such a statement. I condemn it and request him to take it back.” SNS (Details on Page 3) STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Cabinet approves `3,984 crore third launch pad at Sriharikota BENGALURU, 16 JANUARY STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 16 JANUARY in a low-Earth circular orbit on 30 December and placed at a distance of around 20 km from each other to facilitate a gradual rendezvous through the closing of the distance for a final docking. The mission earlier missed two docking schedules on 7 and 9 January due to technical issues. The postponement of the SpaDex docking schedules also came amid the announcement of a change of guard at ISRO. Distinguished scientist V Narayanan took charge as ISRO’s new chairman on 14 January. A trial attempt was carried out on 12 January to bring the two spacecraft up to 15 metres and 3 metres from each other and capture each other’s photos. The SpaDex (Space Docking Exercise) mission is a costeffective technology demonstrator mission for the demonstration of in-space docking using two small spacecraft launched by PSLV. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday approved the establishment of the Third Launch Pad (TLP) at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre of ISRO at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The Third Launch Pad project envisages the establishment of the launch infrastructure at Sriharikota for the Next Generation Launch Vehicles of ISRO and also to support as standby launch pad for the Second Launch Pad at Sriharikota. This will also enhance the launch capacity for future Indian human spaceflight missions. The Project is of national importance. The TLP is designed to have configuration that is as universal and adaptable as possible that can support not only NGLV but also the LVM3 vehicles with Semicryogenic stage as well as scaled up configurations of NGLV. (Details on Page 4) US short seller Hindenburg Research shuts shop, BJP targets Congress AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 16 JANUARY The founder of the US based short Seller-Hindenburg Research, Nate Anderson (photo) announced on Thursday that he has decided to close down the operations of his investigative firm. Mr Anderson, in an open letter, said the decision to disband was not due to any external threats, personal health, or major issues. Instead, it was motivated by a desire to step back from the intensity of his work and focus on other aspects of life. The timing of Hindenburg’s closure, however, has sparked speculation. It comes days before Donald Trump’s anticipated inauguration as the US President, with the upcoming administration expected to scrutinise financial entities linked to systemic disruptions in global markets. In January 2023, Hindenburg Research published a report accusing the Adani Group of financial irregularities, leading to a significant drop in the company's stock price. The group at the time had rubbished these claims. Hindenburg Research later accused Securities and Exchange Bureau of India (SEBI) chief Madhabi Buch and her husband of having held “stakes in both the obscure offshore funds used in the Adani money siphoning scandal.” The Buchs, too, have denied the charges. Reacting to Mr Anderson’s announcement, the ruling BJP said that the US-based short seller's reports were ‘supari’ taken against India's rising economic power. Speaking to ANI, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that Hindenburg's report was sponsored, organised, orchestrated and manipulated act of economic anarchism and economic terrorism. “Hindenburg report was ‘supari’ taken against India's rising economic power ... Rahul Gandhi, your international alliance partner Hindenburg has shut its shop, now when will you stop your propaganda against India? What is your relationship with Hindenburg? Was it a Sorossponsored report? Today, Congress should clarify and apologise. Congress and its eco- system are anti-national,” Mr Poonawalla said. Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, in a statement on ‘X’ said: “The closure of Hindenburg Research does not, in any way, mean a clean chit for Modani.” He pointed out that the Hindenburg report, which accused Adani of financial irregularities, was serious enough to prompt the Supreme Court to set up an Expert Committee. “The matter goes far deeper. It involves the abuse of Indian foreign policy to enrich the PM's close friends at the expense of the national interest. It involves the misuse of investigative agencies to force Indian businesspersons to divest critical infrastructure assets and help Adani build monopolies in airports, ports, defence and cement. It involves the capture of once-respected institutions such as SEBI whose discredited chairperson continues in her position despite clear evidence of conflicts of interest and financial links to Adani,” he said. (See Page 5) RBI reviews FEMA to boost cross-border transactions in INR Cabinet approves constitution of 8th Pay Commission STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 16 JANUARY The dealer banks' overseas branches can open INR accounts for residents outside India, facilitating the settlement of permissible transactions with residents in India NEW DELHI, 16 JANUARY The Reserve Bank of India, in collaboration with the central government, has reviewed current regulations under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999. In a statement on Thursday, the central bank said the move is to promote crossborder transactions in rupees and other local or national currencies. The amendments made to the existing FEMA guidelines are that the authorised dealer banks' overseas branches can now open INR accounts for residents outside India, facilitating the settlement of all permissible current and capital account transactions with residents in India. It also said that the residents outside India can use the balances in their repatriable INR accounts, such as the Special Non-resident Rupee Account (SNRA) and SRVA, to settle legitimate transactions with other non-resident individuals. Further, the residents outside India can use their repatriable INR account balances for foreign investments, including Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in non-debt instruments. Indian exporters are now allowed to open foreign currency accounts abroad to settle trade transactions, receive export proceeds, and use those funds to pay for imports, it said. Notably, the Reserve Bank has also signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the central banks of the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and Maldives, to encourage crossborder transactions in local currencies. Further, in December 2023 the Foreign Exchange Management (Manner of Receipt and Payment) Regulations were revised to enable cross border transactions in all foreign currencies (including local currencies of trading partner countries) and INR. The Union Cabinet has decided to set up the 8th Pay Commission to revise salaries of central government employees and allowances of pensioners. I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the decision to set up the 8th Pay Commission was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Since India's independence in 1947, there have been seven pay commissions formed to revise the salaries and benefits of central government employees. The 7th Pay Commission was set up in 2016, and its term will end in 2026. Mr Vaishnaw emphasised the commitment of PM Modi to maintain a regular schedule for the establishment of pay commissions. (Details on Page 10)