WEDNESDAY 22 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 MILIND DEORA FOR AUDIT OF IMMIGRANTS IN MAHARASHTRA ‘INDIA’S SPACE ECONOMY PROJECTED TO TOUCH $44 BN IN NEXT DECADE’ P10 SENSEX 75,838.36q1,235.08 NIFTY KERALA ASSEMBLY URGES WITHDRAWAL OF DRAFT UGC REGULATIONS P5 23,045.30q299.45 P8 ` vs $ 86.59 GOLD 81,855.00 Generally clear. Hazy in the evening. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 28°C and 16°C respectively. SILVER 1,04,000 14 Maoists killed in Dandakaranya region along Chh’garh-Odisha border BHUBANESWAR, 21 JANUARY STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Max. 76% MALDA/KOLKATA, 21 JANUARY Min. 60% TEMPERATURE C Min: 16.8˚C SUN SETS 17:18 hrs MOON SETS 11:12 hrs New Moon on 29 January THUMBNAILS Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts during his quarterfinal match against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain at the Australian Open in Melbourne Tuesday. Djokovic won 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to enter the semifinals. n AP (See Page 12) At least 66 dead and 51 injured in a hotel fire at a ski resort in northwestern Turkey: A fire raged through a 12-story hotel at a popular ski resort in northwestern Turkey early Tuesday during a school holiday, killing at least 66 people ~ at least two of them when they jumped from the building to escape the flames, officials said. The fire occurred near the start of a twoweek winter break for schools, when hotels in the region are packed. (Page 9) hief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday reiterated her discontent with the life sentence awarded by the court to the accused in the RG Kar rape and murder case, calling it a grave injustice. Speaking at a public distribution programme in Malda, she criticised the judgment for not categorising the case as one of the "rarest of the rare crimes." Her statement came not long after the West Bengal government approached Calcutta High Court, challenging the special court's verdict sentencing Sanjay Roy, convicted in the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, to life imprisonment. “I was shocked by the judgment,” Miss Banerjee said, adding: "I am a lawyer myself and have studied law. How is this not a rarest of the rare crime? It is a sensitive and heinous act. If such West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a public distribution programme in Malda on Tuesday. n SNS criminals manage to escape, what message are we sending? Law must not offer such protection to perpetrators.” She emphasised the need for stricter punishments, including the death penalty, to deter future crimes. “What is life imprisonment? Criminals can be released on parole. We must ensure exemplary punishment to prevent such incidents,” she added. Earlier on Tuesday, State Advocate General Kishor Datta approached the division bench of Justice Debangshu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi seeking the death penalty for the convict. The division bench has admitted the petition from the state government. After the special court pronounced the quantum of sentence on Monday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced that the state government would approach Calcutta High Court challenging the verdict. She also said the state government will be seeking the death penalty for the convict. Speaking at the Malda event on Tuesday, Miss Banerjee also addressed rising tensions along the Indo-Bangladesh border due to the erection of barbed wire fencing in North Bengal. She urged the public to avoid altercations with people from Bangladesh and reminded them that border security is the responsibility of the Border Security Force (BSF). "If there’s any trouble or altercation, do not get involved. Let the BSF handle it," she instructed. At the same time, she called for vigilance against infiltration. "Both the administration and locals must closely monitor the situation to prevent militants or criminals from neighbouring countries from taking shelter in rented houses or hotels," she said. Miss Banerjee also appealed to those living on the Bangladesh side of the fencing but holding Indian citizenship to relocate inside India for their safety. SHISHIR ROY CHOWDHURY/ MANOJ KAR Security forces have dealt a significant blow to the Maoist insurgency in the dense Dandakaranya region along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border. In a meticulously coordinated operation, forces from both states killed over 14 Maoists, including Jayaram alias Chalapathi, a Central Committee member and one of the most wanted insurgents, carrying a Rs 1-crore bounty. The encounter began on Sunday evening in the Kulhadighat area within Mainpur police station limits in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district. It is still ongoing with sporadic exchanges of fire. “The casualty tally in the Maoist camp is expected to rise. We will confirm the final count only after our personnel return from the mission," Gariyaband SP Nikhil Ashok Rakhecha told The Statesman. The elimination of Jayaram marks a significant milestone in the fight against Maoist insurgency. Known for orches- NEW DELHI, 21 JANUARY India welcomes neutral expert's ruling on Indus Water Treaty Saif back home after discharge from hospital STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE The MEA said the decision upholds and vindicates India's stand that all seven questions that were referred to the neutral expert, in relation to the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir, are differences falling within his competence under the treaty. NEW DELHI, 21 JANUARY Ratle hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir, are differences falling within his competence under the treaty. New Delhi said it has been India’s consistent and principled position that the neutral expert alone has the competence under the treaty to decide these differences. Having upheld his own competence, which comports with India’s view, the neutral expert will now proceed to the next (merits) phase of his proceeding. This phase will culminate in a final decision on the merits of each of the seven differences, it noted. The MEA said that being committed to preserving the sanctity and integrity of the treaty, India will continue to participate in the neutral expert process so that the differences are resolved in a manner consistent with the provisions of the treaty, which does not provide for parallel proceedings on the same set of issues. For this reason, India does not recognise or participate in the “illegally constituted” Court of Arbitration proceedings, it said. “The Governments of India and Pakistan also remain in touch on the matter of modification and review of the Indus Waters Treaty, under Article XII (3) of the treaty,” it said. MUMBAI, 21 JANUARY Actor Saif Ali Khan has reached his residence at the Satguru Sharan apartment complex in Bandra West on Tuesday, after being discharged from Lilavati Hospital. Mumbai police have recorded the actor's statement about the attack on him at his residence, five days ago. As the actor returned to his residence in a car, a large number of people including his fans and media persons gathered outside his residence, where he was stabbed by an intruder five days ago. A panel of four doctors recommended that the actor continue resting for several more days to ensure a full recovery. The medical panel said that while he is able to walk and talk, his complete recovery and healing will take about a month, especially the area on his back where he was stabbed. Trump 2.0 begins with slew of executive orders AGENCIES WASHINGTON, 21 JANUARY DAY 1 ACTS 4Pardons for those who took part in the 6 Jan Capitol attack 4Withdrawing from the World Health Organization and the Paris climate agreement 4Launching immigraimmigration and citizenship. Reversing several immigration orders from Joe Biden’s presidency, he declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border and said he plans to send US troops to help support immigration agents and restrict refugees and asylum. Mr Trump also temporarily suspended the US Refugee Admission Program, and pledged to restart a policy that forced asylum seekers to wait over the border in Mexico. He has also promised a mass deportation operation involving the military, which he says will target those he called “criminal aliens”. Mr Trump also signed an order to end automatic birthright citizenship for children of non-permanent residents, marking another major change in US immigration policy Mr Trump signed an order immediately withdrawing the US from the Paris Climate Accord, removing the world’s biggest historic emitter from global efforts to fight climate change for the second time in tion crackdown: Declares emergency at US-Mexico border, issues order to end automatic birthright citizenship for children of non-permanent residents. 4ÂRestoring biological truthÊ: Repeals various executive orders promoting diversity programmes and LGBTQ equality. a decade. He also signed an order for the United States to exit the World Health Organization, insisting Washington was unfairly paying more than China into the UN body. Mr Trump also said the global health agency had mishandled the Covid-19 pandemic and other international health crises. Mr Trump also repealed various executive orders promoting diversity programmes and LGBTQ equality. Both are major shifts in federal policy and are in line with his campaign promises. One order declares that the federal government would recognise only two immutable genders – male and female. Under the order, federal prisons and shelters for migrants and rapevictimswouldbesegregated by sex as defined by the order. Additionally, federal taxpayer money could not be used to fund “transition services". US Senate confirms Rubio as Secretary of State: Page 9 trating several high-profile attacks in the region, his death is expected to create a leadership vacuum within Maoist ranks. While over 14 bodies have been recovered so far, security forces are continuing to comb the area in an effort to track down any remaining insurgents who may have fled during the gunfight. Personnel from the Gariband Operation Group E30, COBRA 207, CRPF Battalions 65 and 211, and the Special Operations Group (SOG) from Odisha’s Nuapada participated in the operation. Platform to allow trading of shares before listing soon: Madhabi Puri Buch STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE US President Donald Trump repealed dozens of former President Joe Biden’s actions, began his immigration crackdown, withdrew the USA from the Paris climate accords, and pardoned hundreds of people for their roles in the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol, as he began the first day of his new term with a flurry of executive orders. As he had promised repeatedly during his election campaign, Mr Trump pardoned hundreds of people for their roles in the 6 January attack on the US Capitol. The act effectively wipes away legal consequences for all but 14 of the nearly 1,590 people charged over the riot, while others will be released from federal prison. Mr Trump signed various orders aimed at reshaping how the United States manages BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 78.86q1.93 RG Kar case: CM seeks stricter punishment RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY India on Tuesday welcomed the ruling of the World Bankappointed neutral expert that he is competent to address certain issues related to projects under the Indus Water Treaty, in what is being seen as a setback to Pakistan. “The Neutral Expert has issued a press release on 20th January 2025 on his competence to address certain issues related to projects under the Indus Waters Treaty. India welcomes the decision given by the Neutral Expert under Paragraph 7 of Annexure F to the Indus Waters Treaty, 1960,” the Ministry of External Affairs said. The MEA said the decision upholds and vindicates India’s stand that all seven questions that were referred to the neutral expert, in relation to the Kishenganga and P12 State government moves Calcutta HC seeking death penalty WEATHER Max: 28.7˚C SUN RISES 06:18 hrs MOON RISES 19:11 hrs KOHLI SET FOR RANJI TROPHY RETURN AFTER 12 YEARS SEBI chief Madhabi Puri Buch on Tuesday said the capital market regulator is actively considering a platform to allow share allotees in a public issue to trade in the security even before the formal listing. She was speaking at an event and said that the focus is not on determining the “right price” of an IPO but ensuring that investors have access to all necessary data to assess whether the price is appropriate. “I think the test that all of us put on every IPO document that comes is that if we were the investor and we were reading the document, particularly the section on pricing, is there enough information there which will help us to assess whether this is a good price or a not-so-good price? So that is the test,” she said. “Between the three days when the shares are allotted to the time the shares start trading, there is a lot of curb trading,” Ms Buch said. If investors want to do this, why not give them the same opportunity in a properly regulated space, she added. Ms Buch also discussed the regulations introduced for non-profitmaking companies and their KPI disclosures.