WEDNESDAY 23 APRIL 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 16 |` 5.00| LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘INDIA, USA CAN STRENGTHEN ECONOMIC COLLABORATION’ MOILY RED-FLAGS K’TAKA CASTE SURVEY P6 SENSEX 79,595.59 p187.09 MAINLY CLEAR SKY. OCCASIONAL SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS (SPEED 10-20 KMPH). THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 41 AND 23 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY TEMPERATURE ` vs $ 85.18 P12 GOLD `1,01,580.00 P16 SILVER `1,01,000 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 66.83 Reports said that the tourists were fired upon after ascertaining their religion WEATHER Max. 51 % P10 NIFTY 24,167.25 p41.70 SRH SEEK REDEMPTION AGAINST UPBEAT MUMBAI POPE FRANCIS’ FUNERAL TO BE HELD SATURDAY Min. 13 % Max: 39.9 °C (+2.2) (+1.8) SUN RISES 05:47 hrs MOON RISES 03:21 hrs 28 tourists feared dead in terror attack in J&K Min: 20.9 °C SUN SETS 18:52 hrs MOON SETS 14:05 hrs THUMBNAILS STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE JAMMU, 22 APRIL Schoolchildren display banners and placards urging to save the Earth on 'World Earth Day', in Bikaner on Tuesday. nANI Minors above 10 years of age now allowed to open bank accounts: The Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday said minors of any age can open and operate savings and term deposit accounts through his/her natural or legal guardian. The RBI has issued comprehensive norms for opening of and operations in the deposit accounts of minors applicable to regulated banking entities, including commercial and cooperative banks. The central bank conducted a review to rationalise and harmonise the extant guidelines. Minors may also be allowed to open such accounts with their mother as guardian, RBI said in the communication. The revised norms come into effect from 21'April 2025. A t least 28 tourists are feared killed and many others injured in a targeted terrorist attack in the Pahalgam area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Tuesday. Unofficial reports have put the number of fatalities at 28 but officials have not yet confirmed the number of deaths and the injured. Unofficial figures were conflicting. A list of 16 dead so far has been released by the medical authorities. Reports say that two foreign nationals were among the tourists killed in the terrorist attack. The attack came during the India visit of the US Vice-President JD Vance. Strongly condemning the attack, Prime Minster Narendra Modi, who is on an official visit to Saudi Arabia, said on a post on X: “Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice...they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable, and it will get even stronger.” He said: “Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected.” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said: “There has been a horrific attack on tourists at Pahalgam. I’m shocked beyond belief”. Home Minister Amit Shah reached Srinagar this evening to review the security situation. Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, who was in New Delhi, has also come with Shah. The Home Minister held a security meeting at the Srinagar airport and then at Srinagar’s Raj Bhavan. Northern Army Commander Lt. General MV Suchendra Kumar has also reached Srinagar. The attack took place at Baisaran, a meadow accessible only by foot or ponies, where a group of tourists had gone this morning. Reports said that among the dead and injured were tourists from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bengal and other states. An officer of the Indian Navy, Vinay Narwal, who was married on 16 April and an officer of the intelligence bureau (IB) were among the killed. Prashant Sathpathy, an accounts officer with the central institute of petrochemicals engineering and technology, Balasore, also lost his life. According to an eyewitness, unidentified gunmen opened fire on the tourists from close range. Reports said that the tourists were fired upon after ascertaining their Pahalgam attack: PM Modi to cut short his Saudi visit, return home AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 22 APRIL Prime Minister Narendra Modi will cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia and return to the country in the wake of the terrorist attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam, sources said on Tuesday. Sources said that the Prime Minister also skipped the official dinner hosted by Saudi Arabia and has decided to cut short his visit. They said that PM Modi will leave for India tonight, while he was originally scheduled to return on Wednesday night. The Prime Minister has also called for an urgent meeting of the government’s topmost decision-making body - the Cabinet Committee on Security, over the Pahalgam crisis in Kashmir. Earlier, PM Modi strongly condemned the terror attack in picturesque Pahalgam hill station, vowing that those responsible for the “heinous act” will be brought to justice. “I strongly condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray B’luru road rage: Victim released, IAF officer booked in assault case LAKSHMANA VENKAT KUCHI BENGALURU, 22 APRIL In a stunning reversal in the Bengaluru road rage case, the delivery boy involved in the incident, Vivek Kumar, has been released and the role of the IAF officer, who is now absconding and is believed to be in West Bengal, is being investigated. The police have issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against the officer in an attempt to murder case. Once arrested, he will be prosecuted for fake ‘evidence in videos’ he posted on social media. The delivery boy-biker Vikas Kumar, after his release on bail on Tuesday, told the media that he retaliated in self-defence. Bangalore Commissioner of Police B Dayananda too noted the fact that the IAF officer had lied in the video and posted it on social media. State Home Minister G Parameshwara said that the accused, Siladitya Bose, was absconding and is believed to be in West Bengal. What began as a minor road rage case on Monday morning quickly morphed into a major row, drawing in top politicians to defend Brand Bengaluru and rubbish the attempts of an IAF officer to defame Kannada and Karnataka as he played the victim card in an attempt to escape from punishment. that the injured recover at the earliest. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected,” PM Modi posted on X. In a stern warning to the perpetrators, he added, “Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice... they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will only grow stronger.” Shortly after the incident, PM Modi held a telephonic conversation with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, directing him to ensure all necessary measures are taken. Following this, Shah announced he would travel to Srinagar to personally assess the situation and chair a high-level security review meeting. “Anguished by the terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. My thoughts are with the family members of the deceased. Those involved in this dastardly act of terror will not be spared, and we will come down heavily on the perpetrators with the harshest consequences,” the Home Minister posted on X. religion. In videos circulating on social media, purportedly of the incident, the trousers of some of the dead and injured tourists are seen pulled down, apparently to ascertain their religion. Unofficial reports said that six to seven civilians were injured. Among the injured, four were tourists. All the injured have been rushed to the hospital at Pahalgam. Military helicopters were used to evacuate the injured. Terrorist outfit TRF, an offshoot of the LeT, has claimed responsibility for the attack. Disturbing videos of women crying and seeking assistance for their injured husbands have surfaced on social media. A distress call was initially received by the police from a female tourist from Pahalgam’s Baisaran forests. She informed that gunmen targeted trekkers in the area. A viral video showed a woman crying “my husband was shot in the head”. The woman is heard saying that her husband was shot because he was not a Muslim. The woman pleaded for help in evacuating the injured to hospital. People in the area said that gunshots were heard in the Baisaran valley in Pahalgam, following which security forces rushed to the spot, police said. The area was immediately cordoned off by the Army and security forces. The presence of terrorists in the area is a cause of concern because the area is the base camp for the annual Amarnath pilgrimage that will begin on 3 July. Indo-US ties will define the 21st century: Vance STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE JAIPUR, 22 APRIL US Vice President JD Vance praised the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asserted that the future of the 21st century will be shaped by Indo-US ties. Delivering his speech on trade and technology at the Rajasthan International Centre here on Tuesday afternoon, Vance said: “The governments Parl is supreme, elected representatives its ultimate masters, says Dhankhar STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 22 APRIL Amid the ongoing judiciary versus executive debate, VicePresident Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said Parliament is supreme and the elected representatives are its ultimate masters. Speaking at an event in Delhi University, he asserted that there is no visualisation in the Constitution of any authority above Parliament. “Parliament is supreme and that being the situation, let me tell you, it is as supreme as every individual in the country. Part of ‘We the people’ is an atom in democracy and that atom has atomic power. That atomic power is reflected during elections and that is why we are a democratic nation,” Mr Dhankhar said. Referring to the Constitution, he said: “The Constitution is encapsulated, its essence, its worth, its nectar, in the Preamble of the Constitution. And what does it say? ‘We, the people of India’, the supreme power is with them. No one is above the people of India. And we, the people of India, under the Constitution, have chosen to reflect their aspirations, their desires, and their will through their public representatives.” The VP said the people holds the representatives accountable ~ severely accountable, on occasions ~ through elections. In an apparent reference to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Mr Dhankhar said: “A Prime Minister who imposed Emergency was held accountable in 1977. And therefore, let there be no doubt about it: the Constitution is for the people, and its repository of safeguarding is that of the elected representatives. They are the ultimate masters as to what the Constitution’s content will be.” Reflecting on the duty of citizens in a democracy, the VP said: “Democracy is not only for the government to govern. It is participatory democracy, just not laws, but also culture and ethos. Citizenship demands action, not merely status….Democracy is shaped not by governments, democracy is shaped by individuals. Because individuals bear the responsibility to uphold our symbols, preserve our heritage, defend sovereignty, foster brotherhood……” UPSC results out; a dream come true for topper Shakti Dubey among 1,009 candidates PARWINDER SANDHU NEW DELHI, 22 APRIL The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), on Tuesday, announced the results for the Civil Service Examination 2024 with three among the top five toppers being women. A total of 9,92,599 candidates applied for this examination. Of them, 1,009 (725 men and 284 women) have been recommended by the Commission for appointment to various Services following multiple screening processes. An annual affair, the civil services examination is conducted in three stages including preliminary, main and interview. As per the statement from the UPSC, a total of 1,129 vacancies are to be filled through this recruitment process which includes 180 posts in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), 55 in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and 147 in the Indian Police Service (IPS). Additionally, there are 605 vacancies in Central Services Group ‘A’ and 142 in Group ‘B’ Services, the Commission mentioned. It also stated that the marks will be made available on the website within 15 days from the date of declaration of result. Hailing from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, Shakti Dubey topped the list with All India Rank 1. A science graduate in Biochemistry from University of Allahabad, Dubey’s father serves in the police while her mother is a housewife. Dubey qualified the examination with Political Science and International Relations as her optional subject. A commerce graduate from MS University of Baroda, Harshita Goyal, bagged the second rank. She also qualified with political science and international relations as her optional subjects. Securing AIR 3, Dongre Archit Parag from Pune, is a graduate in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from VIT Vellore, as per the reports Dongre quit his IT job to prepare for the UPSC exams. This was his second attempt at the highly competitive examination, the first being in 2023 where he was placed at Rank 153. Dongre chose Philosophy as his optional subject. Securing AIR 4 is Shah Margi Chirag. She has a Bachelor of Engineering degree in computer engineering from Gujarat Technological University, Ahmedabad, and qualified sociology as her optional subject. Born and brought up in Delhi, Akash Garg secured AIR 5 in the results. An alumnus of CRPF Public School, Rohini Garg completed his B Tech degree in Computer Science (CS) and Engineering from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi. Son of a businessman Garg opted for Sociology as his optional subject. The top 25 candidates comprise 11 women and 14 men. Their educational qualifications range from graduation in Engineering, Humanities, Science, Commerce, Medical Science, and Architecture from premier institutions of the country such as IIT, NIT, VIT, JNU, University of Delhi, and University of Allahabad, the statement went on to read. of both countries, under the leadership of President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have worked hard to finalize a trade agreement.” “We have finalised the terms,” he said. Dispelling concerns amid the prevailing trend of tariff wars, the visiting Vice President said: “The rebalancing of terms is going to benefit the people of both countries." Vice President Vance emphasised that America comes to India as a partner, not to preach. He said that US President Donald Trump wants both countries to grow together. “I believe that our nations have much to offer one another, and that's why we come to you as a partner,” he said. India’s GDP to grow at 6.2 pc despite tariff woes: IMF AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 22 APRIL Citing trade tensions and uncertainties oozing from ‘Trump-tariff’, International Monetary Fund (IMF) has slashed down growth forecast for global economy by 0.5 per cent for this year to 2.8 per cent, though it expects India’s GDP growth to remain above 6 per cent, despite all the odds. The IMF released the April 2025 World Economic Outlook (WEO) report in Washington on Tuesday. The report said that shortly after the January 2025 WEO Update, the US announced multiple waves of tariffs on major trading partners and critical sectors. “For this reason, we expect that the sharp increase on April 2 in both tariffs and uncertainty will lead to a significant slowdown in global growth in the near term,” the report said, while projecting global growth to drop to 2.8 per cent in 2025 and 3 per cent in 2026 - down from 3.3 percent for both years in its January update. The outlook report pegs the Indian economy to grow at 6.2 per cent in 2025 and 6.3 per cent in 2026. In January 2025, before the tariff came into the picture, the IMF had predicted 6.5 per cent growth for both years. “For India, the growth outlook is relatively more stable at 6.2 per cent in 2025, supported by private consumption, particularly in rural areas,” said the report. While for China, the growth projection has been slashed to 4.0 per cent for 2025 and 4.6 per cent for next year, the US is expected to be more affected with 1.8 per cent GDP growth forecast this year, followed by 1.7 per cent in 2026.