THURSDAY 13 MARCH 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 Pages 16 |` 5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR MUSK COMES VISITING ‘T.N. GOVT LETTER DOESN’T EVEN MENTION 3-LANGUAGE POLICY’ P6 SENSEX 74,029.76 q72.56 WEATHER Mainly clear sky. Maximum and Minimum Temperature most likely to be around 36˚C and 24˚C respectively. RAINFALL: 0.0 mm P10 ` vs $ 87.19 Min. 26% NEW DELHI, 12 MARCH Max: 34.7˚C (+1.1) Min: 22.8˚C (+0.2) SUN RISES 05:48 hrs MOON RISES 16:10 hrs SUN SETS 17:45 hrs MOON SETS 04:38 hrs Full Moon on 14 March THUMBNAILS Women take part in a protest march to mark the 66th Tibetan Uprising Day, in Leh on Wednesday. nANI Parliament passes Oilfields Amendment Bill, 2024: A Bill seeking to amend the existing law governing oil and gas exploration and delink petroleum operations from mining to attract investments in the sector got Parliamentary approval on Wednesday with the Lok Sabha passing it. The Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill, 2024, was passed by the Rajya Sabha on 3 December 2024. The Bill seeks to amend the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Act, 1948, which regulates the exploration and extraction of natural gas and petroleum. Replying to the debate on the Bill, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said prices in the neighbourhood are at least 15–25 per cent higher than in India. P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India fully respects the sovereignty of Mauritius with regard to the Chagos archipelago as the two countries signed eight Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) including one on sharing of white shipping information. Addressing a joint press conference alongside Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam on the second and final day of his state visit to the island nation, PM Modi said: "We fully respect the sovereignty of Mauritius with regard to Chagos. We will extend our cooperation through forums such as the Colombo Security Conclave, Indian Ocean Rim Association, and Indian Ocean Conference." India has welcomed the agreement between the United Kingdom and Mauritius on the return of Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, where there is a key US military base, emphasising that the treaty completes the decolonisation of Mauritius. The agreement meant that Mauritius would assume sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday received the highest civilian award of Mauritius at the 57th National Day Celebrations of the island nation. During the celebrations, Mauritius President Dharambeer Gokhool conferred the Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (G.C.S.K) award, the highest civilian award of Mauritius, on Prime Minister Modi. This is the first time that an Indian leader is receiving this honour. n ANI PHOTO Territory (BIOT) of Chagos Archipelago, with the UK authorised to exercise the sovereign rights of Mauritius on Diego Garcia. Mr Modi’s two-day official visit to Mauritius which concluded this evening witnessed the inking of eight MoUs and agreements on currency settlement system, credit facility agreement, sharing of white shipping information, among others. During the visit, PM Modi also announced India’s support for setting up of a new Parliament Building in Mauritius, and Phase-II of High Impact Community Development Jaffar Express hijacking: Security forces claim operation over, 346 hostages rescued AGENCIES ISLAMABAD, 12 MARCH Security forces have eliminated all militants and rescued 190 hostages in a clearance operation launched after an unknown number of heavily armed terrorists stormed a Peshawar-bound train in Balochistan's Bolan district, media reports said here on Wednesday. According to security sources, the forces successfully rescued altogether 346 hostages, including women and children, who had been used as human shields by the terrorists. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry was quoted as saying that least 33 terrorists involved in the audacious attack were also eliminated. The Jaffar Express, with over 400 passengers on board in nine bogies, was on its way from Quetta to Peshawar when it came under attack in the Dhadar area of Bolan Pass on Tuesday, according to security sources. Following the attack, the security forces launched an immediate clearance operation, leading to the deaths of all terrorists, security sources reported. “Operation concluded, site has been cleared. All hostages released. Total rescued 346 - 168 last night and Digital arrest: Centre blocks over 3,962 Skype IDs, 83,668 WhatsApp accounts AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 12 MARCH The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has proactively identified and blocked more than 3,962 Skype IDs and 83,668 WhatsApp accounts used for Digital Arrest scams so far, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday. The I4C under the Ministry of Home Affairs, in collaboration with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), launched a caller tune campaign for raising awareness about cybercrime and promoting the Cyber Crime Helpline Number 1930 and ‘National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal’ (NCRP). The caller tune is also being broadcast in regional languages, BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 70.42 PM reassures Mauritius CM Mamata slams LoP on Chagos sovereignty Adhikari for comments NIKHIL VYAS TEMPERATURE P16 SILVER `1,00,000 GOLD `88,630 India, Mauritius agree to elevate relationship to Enhanced Strategic Partnership RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 89% P9 NIFTY 22,470.50 q27.40 HARDIK PANDYA SETS SIGHTS ON T20 WORLD CUP UKRAINE AGREES TO 30-DAY CEASEFIRE DURING TALKS WITH THE USA delivered 7-8 times a day by telecom service providers (TSPs). The government and telecom service providers (TSPs) have also devised a system to identify and block incoming international spoofed calls displaying Indian mobile numbers appear to be originating within India. Till 28 February, more than 7.81 lakhs SIM cards and 2,08,469 IMEIs as reported by police authorities have been blocked by the government, the MoS in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha. Directions have been issued to the TSPs for blocking of such incoming international spoofed calls. 178 rescued today. 50 terrorists eliminated,” one source was quoted as saying. Security sources also said that the terrorists responsible for the attack on the Jaffar Express were in contact with their mastermind in Afghanistan. According to security sources, the armed gunmen forced the train to a halt in a remote, mountainous area of the province on Tuesday afternoon, with the assault immediately claimed by the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a terrorist group behind rising violence in the province, according to media reports. Sources indicated that the railway tracks had been destroyed with explosives, causing the train to stop, after which firing began, resulting in the death of the driver and several passengers. projects to further enhance the development partnership. The Mauritius Prime Minister said PM Modi and he personally agreed to strengthen the relations to Mauritius-India Joint Vision Document for an Enhanced Strategic Partnership. Mr Ramgoolam said through this move, they aim to take India-Mauritius relations to the next level. "During this visit, the Prime Minister and I had constructive discussions on how to take our bilateral relations to even greater heights. In this perspective, I am pleased to announce that His Excellency Shri Narendra Modi and myself have further agreed to strengthen our relations to the Mauritius-India Joint Vision Document for an Enhanced Strategic Partnership," Mr Ramgoolam said at their joint press conference. Mr Ramgoolam said their shared vision was to increase cooperation across various sectors. "Our shared vision is to increase our cooperation in existing and emerging sectors, such as space research, AI, digital health, ocean economy, pharmaceuticals, ICT, FinTech and Cyber security," he said. Mr Modi said: "Today, Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam and I have decided to elevate the India-Mauritius partnership to an 'Enhanced Strategic Partnership’. We’ve decided that India will cooperate in building a new Parliament building in Mauritius. This will be a gift to Mauritius from the Mother of Democracy. Efforts will be made to modernize a 100 km long water pipeline in Mauritius." Mr Modi further said he and the Mauritius Prime Minister agree that Defence Cooperation and Maritime Security are key pillars of both countries' strategic partnership. against minority MLAs STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 12 MARCH Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari in the Assembly today, condemning his remarks about Muslim MLAs. She urged him to refrain from misleading people in the name of religion and disrupting the House by tearing up official documents. “Learn to respect the Chair,” she asserted. In a fiery speech, Miss Banerjee addressed Adhikari's absence due to suspension, stating: “You play the religious card, but humanity is a bigger issue. You cannot insult any religion and must respect the Chair.” Referring to the Prime Minister's visit to Saudi Arabia, she added: “The Prime Minister visited Saudi Arabia, where the majority is Muslim. Your Leader of the Opposition talks about throwing out Muslim MLAs. How dare he make such comments? We won’t tolerate sermons on religion from him.” The BJP MLAs, as on previous occasions, disrupted the House with slogans during Miss Banerjee's speech on the censure motion against Mr Adhikari. Miss Banerjee said: “The Leader of the Opposition's remarks seem aimed at securing the BJP state president's post, which is up for grabs. To be president, one doesn’t need to wage war; the deserving candidate gets the job." Addressing the BJP's unruly behaviour, Miss Banerjee said: “I will give you the chance to speak first, but you must listen when I address the House. You should not leave your seats.” She criticised the BJP MLAs’ conduct, calling it intolerable and disruptive, particularly their habit of tearing papers. BJP MLA Sankar Ghosh A day after Airtel, Reliance Jio announces Starlink tie-up Oppn slams Sitharaman over apparent remarks on Periyar STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE MUMBAI, 12 MARCH NEW DELHI, 12 MARCH Mukesh Ambani-owned Jio Platforms Limited officially announced on Wednesday that it has signed a deal with the Elon Muskowned SpaceX to bring Starlink's internet services to India, a day after its competitor Bharti Airtel announced a similar deal. “This agreement, which is subject to SpaceX receiving its own authorisations to sell Starlink in India, enables Jio and SpaceX to explore how Starlink can extend Jio’s offerings and how Jio can complement SpaceX’s direct offerings to consumers and businesses,” the company said in an official statement. (Details on Page 12) STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Opposition members on Wednesday hit out at Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman after she accused the DMK of hypocrisy over the ongoing language row. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Mrs Sitharaman on Tuesday lashed out at the DMK, questioning its stance against implementing the New Education Policy (NEP) and its three-language model in Tamil Nadu. She alleged that an “elderly person", that the DMK worship, had once described Tamil as a “barbaric” language that “cannot even help beggars get alms.” While Mrs Sitharaman did not name the individual, she was apparently referring to Periyar, the towering leader of the Dravidian movement. “But a man who repeatedly says Tamil is a barbaric language, they keep his photograph in every room, they garland him and worship him and say he is the icon of the Dravidian movement. Look at their hypocrisy,” she said. Her remarks sparked sharp criticism from opposition leaders, who accused her of acting against the interest of southern states. “Periyar never demeaned Tamil language... Nobody can question Periyar's love and sacrifice for Tamil society. Our Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is a senior politician... she is well aware of this fact, but she is trying to politicise the issue...,” MDMK MP Durai Vaiko said. CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar also slammed Mrs Sitharaman, stating: “Nirmala Sitharaman is infamous for such controversial remarks. In her attempt to blindly support the BJP, she is always acting against the interest of southern states. She should introspect this personally because she is the Finance Minister; she should treat all the states equally. It seems that she is having a special kind of vengeance against southern states...” Retail inflation falls to 7-month-low at 3.61 per cent in February; IIP for January recorded at 5 per cent STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 MARCH The consumer price index (CPI)-based retail inflation for February fell to 3.61 per cent amid a decline in the rate of price rise in vegetables and protein-rich items. The consumer price indexbased retail inflation was at 4.26 per cent in January and 5.09 per cent in February 2024. There is a decline of 65 basis points in the headline inflation in February in comparison to January, which had the lowest year-on-year inflation after July 2024. Further, the year-on-year inflation rate based on the All India Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) for February compared to last year is 3.75 per cent (Provisional). The corresponding inflation rates for rural and urban are 4.06 per cent and 3.20 per cent , respectively. The National Statistical Office (NSO) said that the significant decline in headline inflation and food inflation during February is mainly attributed to the decline in inflation of vegetables, egg, meat and fish, pulses and its products, and milk and its products. In the rural sector, a sharp decline in headline and food inflation was observed in February. The Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) based food inflation in the rural sector is observed as 4.06 per cent in February in comparison to 6.31 per cent in January. Further, for the urban sector, a significant decline from 3.87 per cent in January to 3.32 per cent (provisional) in February is observed in the headline inflation of the urban sector. A similar decline is observed in food inflation, which decreased from 5.53 per cent in January 2025 to 3.20 per cent in February 2025. Notably, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which has been mandated to ensure retail inflation remains at 4 per cent (+/- 2 per cent), reduced the short-term lending rate (repo) by 25 basis points last month to ease concerns on the inflation front. The year-on-year housing inflation rate for February was recorded at 2.91 per cent as compared to 2.82 per cent last month. The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation has also released the Quick Estimates of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). accused Miss Banerjee of vandalism in the Assembly, prompting the Speaker to urge restraint. Miss Banerjee countered: “I did not break any chair. If you can prove otherwise, I will resign. Opposition parties should not resort to daily vandalism just because they are in opposition.” Meanwhile, Mr Adhikari, demonstrating outside the House, accused Miss Banerjee of insulting Hindus by referring to the Mahakumbh as a Mrityu (death) Kumbh.” He declared: “Your fate will be like Arvind Kejriwal's. I will defeat you again, this time in Bhabanipore, in the 2026 Assembly polls.” Opposition walkout in LS over energy projects near Indo-Pak border STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 MARCH The Lok Sabha witnessed a huge uproar on Wednesday over the clearance granted by the government to a renewable energy project near the India-Pakistan border. Opposition members led by the Congress staged a walkout on the issue. Raising a supplementary during Question Hour, Congress MP Manish Tewari said national security and energy security have to go hand in hand. He claimed the mixed renewable energy project would run up to one kilometre of the International Border (IB). He asked whether any relaxation was granted to the proposed project. Mr Tewari noted that, as per security protocol, any big infrastructure project should be at least 10 km away from the IB. Responding to the query, Union New and Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi asserted that nods and licences to any proposal are granted after obtaining clearances from the Centre, the state and relevant agencies. He said that the government was keen to produce renewable energy in the country. The Opposition, however, termed the reply incomplete and misleading. Opposition lawmakers alleged that the government was working under the influence of the Adani Group and was not answering important questions related to this project. Not content with the minister's reply, Congress members raised slogans on national security and stormed the Well of the House before staging a walkout along with DMK members.