TUESDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 16 |` 5.00|LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR P10 SENSEX 75,996.86 p57.65 WEATHER SMOG/MIST LIKELY IN THE MORNING. PARTLY CLOUDY SKY. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 28 AND 11 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 100 % TEMPERATURE RUSSIAN OFFICIALS MUJEEB TO REPLACE TO HOLD TALKS WITH INJURED GHAZANFAR IN US IN SAUDI MI SQUAD FOREIGN INVESTORS SELLING INDIAN EQUITIES DUE TO ‘PROFIT BOOKING’ ‘SIDDARAMAIAH IS THE UNDISPUTED LEADER IN KARNATAKA’ P14 NIFTY 22,959.50 p30.25 ` vs $ 86.88 P12 GOLD 87,750.00 Max: 29.0 °C (+4.6) SUN RISES 06:56 hrs MOON RISES 23:27 hrs SILVER 1,00,500 PM Modi receives Amir of Qatar at Delhi airport The Amir was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Ministers, senior officials Min. 31 % Min: 11.2 °C (+0.2) SUN SETS 18:13 hrs MOON SETS 10:19 hrs THUMBNAILS A trash skimmer operates to remove garbage from the Yamuna river as part of the cleaning process initiated in the national capital on Monday. Subrata Dutta CBSE assures students that no paper leaks in 2025 Board exams: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has officially quashed the viral rumors surrounding a potential paper leak for the ongoing 2025 Class 10 and Class 12 board exams. Issuing a clear statement on February 17, CBSE refuted all claims that circulated on social media platforms, describing them as "baseless rumors" intended to create panic among students and parents. NIKHIL VYAS NEW DELHI, 17 FEBRUARY B reaking the protocol, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tonight received the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani who is on a two-day visit to India from February 17. In a special gesture, the Prime Minister went to the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital to receive the Amir of Qatar. Both leaders shared a warm hug as they met each other. The Amir was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Ministers, senior officials and a business delegation. After receiving the Amir of Qatar at the Indira Gandhi Inter- national Airport, Modi in a post on X said, "Went to the airport to welcome my brother, Amir of Qatar H.H. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani. Wishing him a fruitful stay in India and looking forward to our meeting tomorrow." During his visit, the Amir will meet President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Indian Railways rolls out safety overhaul after New Delhi Station stampede STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 17 FEBRUARY Two days after the tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station in which 18 people lost their lives and over a dozen were injured, the Railway Ministry, on Monday, rolled out a series of safety measures aimed at preventing overcrowding at all the stations across India and also to ensure smoother passenger flow. Announcing a comprehensive overhaul of crowd management protocols across the country, the Ministry said 60 high-traffic railway stations will now feature designated holding areas to control crowds effectively. Advanced monitoring systems will track passenger density, particularly during train delays. Local railway officials will receive specialised training in situational awareness and crisis management, the Ministry said. As part of a special sixmonth campaign, Delhi’s railway stations will undergo significant improvements to enhance passenger safety and streamline their movement. Thirty-five key railway stations connected to Prayagraj will be under constant surveillance by the Central Railway War Room. New Delhi Railway Station alone has seen the installation of 200 CCTV cameras to enhance security and monitoring. With passenger numbers reaching 17 lakh at a single railway station during Mauni Amavasya, strategic measures have been introduced to manage such surges. Holding areas and colour- coded enclosures will guide the movement of passengers in a more structured manner. Arrows and separators will help passengers navigate towards designated holding areas efficiently. Twenty-one underpasses have been constructed in the last two years to ease pedestrian movement, the Ministry of Railways said. Given that 90 per cent of Kumbh devotees travel from within a 300 km radius across four states, targeted monitoring will be implemented at relevant railway stations. As per the new measures, cameras will be used to prevent congestion and unauthorised sitting on staircases and landing areas. These proactive measures reflect the Railways’ commitment to passenger safety and efficient crowd management, ensuring that India’s bustling railway hubs remain secure and organised. Earlier, the Delhi Police deployed six inspector-rank officers at the New Delhi Railway Station to enhance crowd management. These officers, drawn from different districts, were specifically chosen for their experience in handling operations at the New Delhi Railway Station, one of the busiest transit hubs in the country. Some of these officers had earlier served as Station House Officers (SHOs) at the station, giving them a strong understanding of the logistical and security challenges posed by large crowds. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has ordered an enquiry and set up a twomember high-level committee to investigate the lapses. Following the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station, other stations in the country have also implemented emergency measures. On Saturday night, a stampede at the station resulted in the deaths of at least 18 people, including five children, and left over a dozen injured. The tragedy occurred due to a sudden surge of passengers waiting to board trains bound for Prayagraj. PM Modi-led panel holds meet to select new CEC STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 17 FEBRUARY A crucial meeting of the threemember committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to choose the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) was held here on Monday, a day before Rajiv Kumar demits office as the CEC. Besides Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is also part of the selection committee meeting for the selection of the CEC. Notably, this will be the first appointment of the CEC under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023 which came into force in December 2023. Under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioner Act, 2023, appointments of the CEC and Elections Commissioners (ECs) are made based on a majority or consensus decision within the selection committee. Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi at a press conference said, “The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023 brought by the Modi government has been challenged in the Supreme Court. So far the Supreme Court passed three orders and the next hearing is scheduled to take place on February 19. Therefore, the stand of Congress regarding the selection of the CEC is very clear, that the meeting held today should have been postponed.” "Removing or trying to keep the Chief Justice out of the appointment (of CEC) process as an independent entity, the government has made it clear, they want only control but not credibility. The most important thing for the Election Commission is credibility," he said. It may be mentioned that Kumar had joined ECI as Election Commissioner on September 1, 2020 and assumed charge as the 25th CEC of India on May 15, 2022. His tenure spanning 4.5 years in the Commission was characterized by silent yet deeprooted reforms across various domains spanning structural, technological, capacity development, communication, international cooperation and administration. P16 and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. At the invitation of PM Modi, the Amir of Qatar, is on a State visit to India from February 1718. This is the second visit of the Amir of Qatar to India. He earlier visited India on a State Visit in March 2015. He will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan on Tuesday. During his visit, the Amir will hold discussions with President Droupadi Murmu, who will also host a banquet in his honour. The Amir will hold talks with PM Modi covering various aspects of the bilateral relations, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday. India and Qatar have deeprooted historical ties of friendship, trust and mutual respect. In recent years, the ties between the two countries including in the areas of trade, investment, energy, technology, culture and people-topeople ties have continued to strengthen. The Indian community residing in Qatar forms the largest expatriate community of Qatar, and is appreciated for its positive contribution in the progress and development of Qatar. The visit of the Amir will provide further momentum to our growing multifaceted partnership. BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 74.66 Pitroda’s remark sparks new storm, BJP flays Congress STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 17 FEBRUARY Congress veteran Sam Pitroda, who heads the party's overseas unit, has courted a new controversy after claiming that the threat from China is often blown out of proportion. The BJP lambasted the grand old party saying that friendship between Congress and China is quite old. In an interview, Pitroda has said he does not understand the threat from China that India is facing. He claimed that the threat from China is often blown out of proportion and that the US always has a 'tendency to define an enemy'. Hitting back, the BJP said the crux of the Congress's obsession with China lies in a 2008 Memorandum for Understanding between the Congress and the Chinese Communist Party, the party that runs the neighbouring country. The Congress distanced itself from Pitroda's statement about China and said that his statements were not the views of the party. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said,'' The views reportedly expressed by Mr Sam Pitroda on China are most definitely NOT the views of the Indian National Congress.'' He stressed that '' China remains our foremost foreign policy, external security, as well as economic challenge. The INC has repeatedly raised questions on the Modi Government's approach to China, including the PM's public clean chit to it on June 19, 2020. Our most recent statement on China was on 28th January, 2025. '' It is also extremely regrettable that Parliament is being denied an opportunity to discuss the situation and express a collective resolve to meet these challenges effectively, he pointed out further.