TUESDAY 08 APRIL 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 Pages 16 |` 5.00|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR P8 SENSEX 73,137.90 q2,226.79 WEATHER Partly Cloudy Sky. Maximum and Minimum Temperature most likely to be around 35˚C and 27˚C respectively. RAINFALL: 0.0 mm P5 NIFTY 22,161.60 q742.85 ` vs $ 85.82 P10 Min. 50% STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 7 APRIL Max: 34.6˚C (-0.6) Min: 27.2˚C (+2.0) D SUN SETS 17:54 hrs MOON SETS 02:02 hrs Full Moon on 13 April THUMBNAILS A teacher who lost her job holds a placard outside Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata before meeting West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in the wake of the Supreme Court upholding Calcutta HC order to cancel the appointment of over 25,000 staff in Bengal schools by SSC, on Monday. nSNS LPG price hiked by Rs 50 per cylinder: The price of LPG cylinders has been increased by Rs 50 per 14.2 kg cylinder for both subsidised and non-subsidised consumers with effect from April 8, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced on Monday. The price increase applies to both Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) beneficiaries as well as other consumers. "For PMUY beneficiaries, the price will rise from Rs 500 to Rs 550 per cylinder. For other consumers, it will increase from Rs 803 to Rs 853," the minister said. He added that the revision is subject to the periodic review that takes place every two to three weeks. ays after decrying the Supreme Court's verdict on the appointment of 25,000 government school teachers in West Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee today assured the affected candidates that she stands by all those who have lost their jobs. Nearly 25,753 school teachers, who lost their jobs overnight, following a Supreme Court order on the 2016 recruitment panel gathered at the Netaji Indoor Stadium on Monday, clinging to hope and awaiting direction. In response, chief minister Mamata Banerjee offered a strong message of assurance, promising that all “eligible” teachers would be reinstated within two months. The Supreme Court, in a recent ruling, scrapped the 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment panel, citing “institutional corruption” and declaring the panel “unconstitutional.” As a result, thousands of teachers were rendered jobless, including around 7,000 termed “ineligible.” The fate of the remaining teachers could not be determined due to lack of clarity in records, SSC had informed the court. Addressing the gathering, Mamata Banerjee said: “The state government will ensure jobs for all eligible candidates within two months. Your service will not be considered broken. The government takes full responsibility for your employment.” The chief minister further advised the affected teachers to voluntarily continue teaching at their schools until formal instructions are issued. “No one will stop you from going to school. Work voluntarily if you can. Two months of hardship will ensure 20 years of reward,” she said. Banerjee also raised concerns over the Supreme Court judgment, questioning whether there was any “conspiracy” behind the sweeping cancellation of appointments. “Those who have performed well and cleared the tests are now being labelled as thieves by the court. Is that justice? We hope the voice of justice does not remain unheard,” she remarked. Pointing to the ambiguities in the 3 April verdict, Banerjee said her government would write to the Supreme Court seeking clarity and request a list of eligible candidates. “We want to know what will happen to those who have been declared eligible. If justice is denied, we have alternative plans,” she added. For those declared ineligible, the chief minister made her stance clear: “Let us first make arrangements for the eligible ones. If someone is proven ineligible, nothing can be done.” Electronic surveillance being installed along India-Pak border, says Shah STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE JAMMU, 7 APRIL Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the government is installing an electronic surveillance system to further strengthen border security and the work will be completed on the entire India-Pakistan border within the next three to four years. Shah, who was speaking to BSF troops at the Vinay forward post in Kathua, lauded the BSF for safeguarding the country's borders in challenging circumstances. Before flying to Srinagar in the afternoon, he also met families of 11 martyrs who lost their lives in terrorist attacks. He handed over government job appointment letters to them in the Raj Bhavan. Shah told the BSF troops that technology will be used to detect underground crossborder tunnels and also destroy them. “You serve the nation in adverse weather and challenging conditions. The two models of electronic surveillance system we want to establish will help you receive information about infiltration and cross-border tunneling and assist you in responding in case of any incident. The Beware of fraudulent calls impersonating TRAI: Govt STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 7 APRIL The government on Monday clarified that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) does not initiate communication with customers regarding mobile number disconnection through messages or otherwise. The clarification came in the wake of media reports in recent times that the consumers are being targeted through telephonic calls or messages by fraudsters posing as TRAI officials threatening disconnection of mobile connection for being involved in illegal activities and for the extraction of money. A government press note said the TRAI has also not authorised any third-party agency to contact customers P16 SILVER `94,000 GOLD `91,505 Won’t allow eligible teachers to lose their jobs: CM Mamata TEMPERATURE SUN RISES 05:24 hrs MOON RISES 13:11 hrs KKR LOOKING TO SEIZE MOMENTUM AGAINST LSG BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 64.58 Bloodbath on D-Street Miss Banerjee assures jobs for ‘eligible’ teachers within two months RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 89% TRUMP STANDS BY TARIFFS, CALLS THEM ‘MEDICINE’ AS MARKETS REEL ‘PEOPLE FROM WEAKER SECTIONS TREATED AS SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS’ ‘BENEFITS GALORE FOR VENDORS IN KARNATAKA’ for such purposes. Therefore, any form of communication (call, message, or notice) claiming to be from the TRAI and threatening Mobile Number disconnection should be considered a potential fraudulent attempt and must not be entertained. The disconnection of any Mobile Number due to Billing, KYC, or misuse,e if any, is done by the respective Telecom Service Provider (TSP). Citizens are advised to be vigilant and not panic. To prevent the misuse of Telecom Resources for Cybercrime and Financial Fraud, citizens were encouraged to report suspected fraudulent communications through the Chakshu facility on the Department of Telecommunications Sanchar Saathi platform. system will detect the crossborder tunnels," he said. The Home Minister said that the electronic surveillance system would be first installed along the India-Pakistan border and then on the IndiaBangladesh border. He said that the BSF was the first line of defence and has played a crucial role in defending the borders like the Army during the wars with Pakistan. Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, Home Secretary Govind Mohan, DG BSF Daljit Singh Chaudhary and other senior officers were present on the occasion. Shah, currently on a threeday tour of Jammu and Kashmir, visited Kathua where a massive operation against Pakistani terrorists is under- way for the past fortnight. He assessed the ground situation at the BSF Outpost ‘Vinay’ to assess the ground situation. Later, he left for Srinagar where he will on Tuesday review the security situation in J&K, particularly in the Jammu-Samba-Kathua areas that have witnessed heightened terror activities in the past few months. Four policemen and two terrorists were killed in a fierce gunfight in the Kathua district on 27 March. Shah reached here on Sunday evening and held a closeddoor meeting with BJP MLAs and office-bearers. This is Shah’s first visit to the Union Territory after the formation of the National Conference government in October last year. In a show of solidarity, Mamata Banerjee assured the jobless teachers: “You will not have to beg. We are not heartless. There is a conspiracy to dismantle the education system, but we won’t let that happen. I promise, no eligible teacher will lose their jobs.” The rally was marked by emotional appeals, passionate slogans, and a glimmer of hope that justice and employment might soon be restored. While she was addressing the gathering of jobless teachers at Netaji Indoor Stadium, Mamata Banerjee launched a sharp attack: "Have you forgotten the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh? There was a scam in NEET too. But no one lost their jobs. Is it only in Bengal that every issue is branded a conspiracy? There is a plot to dismantle Bengal’s education system. Isn’t there some hidden agenda behind this verdict?" The nationwide medical entrance examination had sparked a massive outcry about a year ago over allegations of corruption. It was found that some scorecards showed marks higher than the total possible score, and the merit list was published based on those. This anomaly exposed the scam, leading to widespread uproar and accusations that genuine meritorious candidates were denied opportunities. Referring to these past scams, Mamata targeted the BJP, saying: "As long as I’m alive, I won’t let deserving candidates lose their jobs. I want to tell the Supreme Court—if you can’t grant jobs, at least don’t take them away. To protect the education system, teachers should be allowed to continue their work.” RITWIK MUKHERJEE NEW DELHI, 7 APRIL The Nifty 50 and Sensex crashed on Monday to 9month lows, succumbing to global pressure. Little wonder therefore that it has already been described as Black Monday, a day that has shaken Indian markets. Interestingly, Indian benchmark indices had witnessed significant volatility following retaliatory actions by China and other nations in response to the United States imposing reciprocal tariffs on key trading partners, including China and India, on April 2nd. The Nifty50 opened with a sharp gapdown of over 1,100 points, while the BSE Sensex declined more than 5 per cent, opening at 71,449.94. All sectoral indices traded in negative territory, with the metal and IT sectors emerging as the worst performers. Amid escalating trade tariff uncertainties, market volatility is expected to persist in the near term. However, long-term investment opportunities remain viable at current levels. Sectors such as Finance, Oil & Gas, Con- Govt raises excise duty on petrol, diesel by `2 per litre; Kharge lashes out STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 7 APRIL The Central government has raised the excise duty on petrol and diesel prices by ₹2 per litre. An official notification by the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, said the change would take effect from 8 April. According to the order, the excise duty on petrol was increased to Rs 13 per litre and Rs 10 on diesel. While the excise duty has been increased, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas confirmed that there would be no burden on the common man as there will be no increase in retail prices of petrol and diesel. The retail selling price of petrol in Delhi is Rs 94.77 per litre, and diesel is being sold for Rs 87.67 per litre. Crude prices have softened over the past from over USD 70 per barrel to USD 63 per barrel on Monday, raising margins for the oil marketing companies (OMCs). "PSU Oil Marketing Companies have informed that there will be no increase in retail prices of petrol and diesel, subsequent to the increase affected in Excise Duty Rates today," the oil ministry said in a post on X. Lashing out at the government over the move, Congress said it should not have been satisfied with the losses due to the stock market slump that it was rubbing salt into the wounds of people. In a post on X in Hindi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Vaah Modi Ji Vaah!! The international crude oil prices have fallen by 41 per cent as compared to May 2014, but your plundering government, instead of reducing the prices of petrol and diesel, has increased the Central Excise Duty by Rs 2 each." "You must not have been satisfied after the small and big investors in the stock market lost Rs 19 lakh crores in one go due to the deep 'Kumbhakaran-like' sleep on the tariff policy, that your government has come to rub salt into the wounds!" he said. Notably, in December 2024, the government scrapped the windfall profit tax on domestic crude and fuel exports, first imposed on July 1, 2022, amid falling global oil prices. Our govt will invest in different aspects of people’s well-being: PM Modi STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 7 APRIL Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reaffirmed commitment to build a healthier world on World Health Day. PM Modi said the government will keep focusing on healthcare and invest in different aspects of people’s well-being. Good health is the foundation of every thriving society. In a post on X, the Prime Minister said, “On World Health Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to building a healthier world. Our Government will keep focusing on healthcare and invest in different aspects of people’s well-being. Good health is the foundation of every thriving society!” Sharing a video along with the post on X, the Prime Min- ister flagged the issue of obesity and urged people to reduce their consumption of cooking oil by 10 per cent. PM Modi quoted - ‘Aarogyam Paramam Bhagyam’. The Prime Minister addressed the rising concern of lifestyle diseases, particularly obesity, which has become a significant health threat and referred to a recent report predicting that by 2050, over 440 million Indians will suffer from obesity. “Aarogyam Paramam Bhagyam, means, Aarogya hi param bhagya, param dhan hai” (Health is the ultimate fortune, the ultimate wealth). Better health is the way to the creation of a better future. Today, our changing lifestyle is challenging for our health. Recently, there was a report on obesity which states that more than 44 crores will suffer from obesity in 2050. These numbers are scary. We have to work on that from now onwards. We have to cut our cooking oil consumption. This would be a huge step in cutting obesity. We have to make exercise a part of our lives. Keeping yourself fit will be a huge contribution to Vikshit Bharat," PM Modi said. On World Health Day 2025, with WHO's theme "Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures," India continues to strengthen its healthcare systems through initiatives like Ayushman Bharat and the National Health Mission, marking significant progress in improving maternal and child health, expanding digital healthcare access, and enhancing public health infrastructure. World Health Day, observed annually on April 7, underscores the importance of global health and calls for collective action to address pressing health challenges. Started by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1950, it unites governments, institutions, and communities in addressing critical health priorities each year. According to an official release, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has made substantial strides in improving India's public health outcomes through various key initiatives and programmes. The National Health Mission (NHM) has played a central role in this progress. sumption, and FMCG are likely to offer relative stability for long-term investors. Market analysts are of the view that investors and traders must stay calm. Investors should avoid panic selling, continue SIPs, and consider buying quality stocks at discounted prices. One should review portfolios and maintain diversification. Traders must prioritize capital preservation, stick to their trading plans, and avoid overtrading. Volatility brings opportunity, but only with strong risk management. Use proper stoplosses and position sizing. Monitor global cues like the US markets and crude. This phase too shall pass. And therefore, investors and traders should focus on process over profit, and don’t hesitate to lean on trusted communities or analysts for clarity during uncertain times. Stay disciplined and strategic. Significantly, one has to keep in mind that the US President Donald Trump has announced a 27 per cent reciprocal tariff on Indian imports, which could significantly affect major export sectors. (See Page 10,12) Crown Prince of Dubai to be in India on 2-day visit today STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 7 APRIL Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, will be on a two-day visit to India from Tuesday at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This would be the first official visit of Sheikh Mohammed to India as the Crown Prince of Dubai. He will be accompanied by several ministers, senior government officials and a high-level business delegation. PM Modi will host a working lunch for the Crown Prince on Tuesday. Sheikh Mohammed will also hold meetings with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The visiting dignitary will also visit Mumbai, where he will participate in a business roundtable with prominent business leaders from both sides. ''The interaction will strengthen India-UAE economic and commercial cooperation across traditional and futuristic areas,'' the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday. Traditionally, Dubai has played an important role in India’s commercial, cultural and people-to-people exchanges with the UAE. The majority of India’s around 4.3 million diaspora in the UAE reside and work in Dubai. ''The visit of the Crown Prince will further solidify the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and strengthen our multifaceted ties with Dubai,'' the MEA added.