WEDNESDAY 29 JANUARY 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR BRS FILES COMPLAINT AGAINST T’GANA CM REVANTH REDDY SERBIAN PRIME MINISTER RESIGNS P9 SENSEX 75,901.41p535.23 WEATHER SMOG/SHALLOW FOG LIKELY IN THE EVENING/NIGHT. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 23 AND 10 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 97 % TEMPERATURE THUMBNAILS Farmers carry harvested cauliflowers wrapped in cloth on their heads in Jammu on Tuesday. n ANI Seven killed in religious programme in UP: At least seven devotees were killed and more than 75 injured when the stairs of a 65 feet high stage collapsed during the Nirvana Laddu Festival of the Jain community in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat on Tuesday morning. Officials said that the death toll could increase and there are several police personnel among the injured.The accident took place in Barot tehsil, 20 km from Baghpat city. GOLD 82,740.00 P12 SILVER 1,04,000 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 77.70p0.62 India lodges strong protest with Lanka over firing on fishermen Odisha is set to become one of the top states in the country in terms of development: PM STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday emphasised on sustainability, a green future and building a robust supply and value chain to overcome global volatility. Inaugurating the Utkarsh Odisha ~ Make in Odisha Conclave here on Tuesday, the Prime Minister said the world is shifting towards sustainability and a green future and India is leading the way with clean energy initiatives. He stressed on solar, wind and green hydrogen technologies which will be pivotal in ensuring energy security for a developed India with immense potential for green jobs emerging in the process. He also called for strengthening India’s supply chain to reduce dependence on fragmented and import-based systems. “We must build a robust, integrated supply and value chain to withstand global disruptions and ensure sustainable Prime Minister Narendra Modi being felicitated by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi during the 'Utkarsh Odisha' - Make in Odisha Conclave 2025, in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. n ANI economic growth,” he said. Speaking on new age sectors, he encouraged private-sector investment in the green and circular economy, as well as sectors like healthcare and eventbased industries. “India’s growth lies in building an inclusive economy where ‘Heal in India’ and ‘Wed in India’ reflect the potential for services and experiences,” he added. West Asia is extended neighbourhood for India, says Jaishankar in Abu Dhabi STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 28 JANUARY “We certainly recognise the risks, but we are equally cognizant of the opportunities,” he added. Mr Jaishankar pointed out that West Asia is a region crucial to India’s strategic interests. “Our trade is in the region of $160-180 billion annually. The energy dimension is the most visible; but there is much more to it than that,” he added. The minister said that whether it is projects, technology, education, health, or services, the Indian presence in the Gulf is both pervasive and crucial. More than nine million Indians live and work in the region. “But the Gulf also serves as a gateway to the MENA region and to the Mediterranean. Our annual trade with the Mediterranean incidentally is another $80 billion. And the Indian diaspora there is close to half a million. We have significant interests in fertilizers, energy, water, diamonds, defence and cyber,” he said He said India's projects in the region include airports, ports and railway to phosphates, green hydrogen, steel and submarine cables. Material factors aside, this larger geography is a very critical connect between the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic. “And as our history underlines, there is a symbiotic relationship between us. We certainly have stakes that are continually rising; but increasingly, India also has contributions to make that would influence the direction of events,” he added. The conference and live concert economy are growth areas with global artists performing in the country and attracting a huge consumer base in the form of youth. It comes with associated benefits like security, event management, grooming of artists etc, he said. The 21st century is an era of connected infrastructure and multi-modal connectivity for India, said Islamists attacking minority communities in B’desh: Report DHAKA, 28 JANUARY Groups promoting extremist Islam are attacking minorities, particularly those from Hindu and Ahmadiyya communities in Bangladesh, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has revealed in its latest report that also highlights "a disturbing pattern" of security force abuses in the country after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ouster last August, targetting the Awami League supporters and journalists. The report titled 'After the Monsoon Revolution: A Roadmap to Lasting Security Sector Reform in Bangladesh' offers various recommendations to the interim government, including seeking technical assistance, monitoring, and reporting by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other UN rights experts. AGENCIES ISRO ready for its 100th launch from Sriharikota today AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 28 JANUARY ISRO is ready to make its 100th launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on 29 January. The GSLV F15 will lift off from the second launch pad at 6:23 am on 29 January, carrying the NVS-02 navigation satellite. This will be the 100th launch to lift off from Sriharikota. The Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV) was the first big rocket to lift off from Sriharikota on 10 August 1979. “Standing tall and ready for the skies! Here’s the mighty GSLV-F15 all set to launch the NVS-02 satellite,” ISRO shared in a post on social media platform X. GSLV-F15 is the 17th flight of India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and the 11th flight with an indigenous cryo stage. “It is the 8th operational P6 ‘India leading way as world shifts towards sustainability’ BHUBANESWAR, 28 JANUARY Min: .05.6 °C (-2.8) SUN SETS 17:58 hrs MOON SETS 17:48 hrs External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday underlined that the history of India and West Asia are inextricably linked, saying the region is an extended neighbourhood with which New Delhi has now reconnected in full measure. “Whether it is commerce or connectivity, ideas and beliefs, or customs and traditions, we have actually seen an interplay over centuries. Interestingly, although India has influenced its extended neighbourhood in all directions, the one to our West has had the deepest impact on its own society,” he said at the Inaugural session of Raisina Middle East in Abu Dhabi. Mr Jaishankar is in the UAE on a two-day visit. He said an India with wider interests and growing capabilities today contemplates the world with confidence. ` vs $ 86.57 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Min. 32 % Max: 25.4 °C (+3.3) SUN RISES 07:10 hrs MOON RISES 07:52 hrs P8 NIFTY 22,957.25p128.10 BUMRAH HONOURED WITH SIR GARFIELD SOBERS AWARD BUDGET IMPERATIVES flight of GSLV with an indigenous Cryogenic stage and 100th Launch from India’s Spaceport Sriharikota,” the space agency said. GSLV-F15 payload fairing is a metallic version with a diameter of 3.4 metres and it will place NVS-02 satellite in a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. The NVS-02 is part of the second-generation satellites for the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) system ~ India’s own navigation system. The navigation satellite system is designed to provide accurate Position, Velocity, and Timing (PVT) service to users in India as well as to regions extending about 1500 km beyond Indian land mass. The new NVS-02 satellite comes with new features such as supporting the L1 frequency band, which will improve its services and reliability. “The NVS-02 satellite is the second generation of NavIC satellites, featuring a standard I-2K bus platform. It will have a lift-off mass of 2,250 kg, power handling capability of around 3 kW, navigation payload in L1, L5, and S bands, ranging payload in C-band and will be positioned at 111.75 degrees E, replacing IRNSS-1E,” ISRO said. NavIC will provide two types of services, namely, Standard Positioning Service (SPS) and Restricted Service (RS). NavIC's SPS provides a position accuracy of better than 20 meters and a timing accuracy of better than 40 nanoseconds over the service area. the PM and highlighted that the scale and speed at which specialised infrastructure was being developed in India was making the country an excellent investment destination. He referred to dedicated freight corridors connecting the east and west coastlines, providing faster access to the sea for previously land-locked regions and creation of industrial cities with plug and play facilities. The PM called on industries to support MSMEs and young startups, stressing the importance of research and innovation for growth. He added that the government was creating a vibrant research ecosystem in the country, with a special fund and a package for internships and skill development. He said India will host the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) for the first time next month. The event will showcase India's creative power to the world. Eastern India is a growth engine in the development of the country and Odisha plays a key role in it, said Mr Modi while underscoring the region’s legacy as a gateway for trade and commerce with South East Asia, a role Odisha is poised to reclaim with its dynamic port infrastructure. Odisha is set to become one of the top states in the country in terms of development, blue economy and tourism, he said. Praising Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and his team for their developmental initiatives, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that Odisha is on track to become a model state for sustainabilitydriven industrial growth. “Now is the right time to invest in Odisha’s green development journey, and investors will find unparalleled opportunities for success,” he assured. The Utkarsh Odisha conclave is the biggest ever business summit in the state and there are around 5 to 6 times more investors participating in the Conclave, he noted. Recently the President of Singapore visited the state and eight MoUs were signed. Odisha has started attracting global attention. NEW DELHI, 28 JANUARY India on Tuesday lodged a strong protest with Sri Lanka over an incident of firing by the Sri Lankan Navy on the 13 Indian fishermen in proximity of Delft Island in the early hours of this morning. The Ministry of External Affairs said Sri Lanka's acting High Commissioner, Priyanga Wickramasinghe, was called in to the foreign office to lodge the protest. “Our High Commission in Colombo has also raised the matter with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Sri Lankan government,” the Ministry of External Affairs said. In the incident, out of the 13 fishermen who were on board the fishing vessel, two sustained serious injuries and are currently receiving treatment at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital. Three other fishermen received minor injuries and have been treated for the same. Indian Consulate officials in Jaffna have visited the injured fishermen at the hospital to seek their welfare and are extending all possible assistance to the fishermen and their families. “The Government of India has always emphasised the need to treat issues pertaining to fishermen in a humane and humanitarian manner, keeping in mind livelihood concerns. The use of force is not acceptable under any circumstances whatsoever. Existing understandings between the two Governments in this regard must be strictly observed,” the MEA said. The detained fishermen, hailing from Rameswaram and Pudukottai in Tamil Nadu, were taken to Jaffna, where they are expected to face judicial proceedings. Their mechanised fishing boat was also seized. The total number of Tamil Nadu fishermen detained by Sri Lankan authorities in the last three days now stands at 47, with three high-value mechanised boats also confiscated.