BRIDGING THE PROTEIN DIVIDE 11 MAY 2025 INDIA’S RED-BALL TRANSITION BEGINS: ASHWIN, ROHIT GONE, KOHLI NEXT ACTORS SALUTE THEIR MOTHERS www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 PAGE 12 SINCE 1818 PAGES 12|` 5.00 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER Mainly Clear sky. Hot and Humid weather very likely to prevail. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 39 °C and 29 °C respectively. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 90 % Min. 42 % All military action, air, land, and sea, to Stop; India, while agreeing to ceasefire, says ready to respond to any Pakistani misadventures Min: 29.1˚C (+2.1) SUN SETS 18:07 hrs MOON RISES 22:02 hrs PARWINDER SANDHU TEMPERATURE Max: 39.1˚C (+3.4) SUN RISES 04:58 hrs MOON SETS 10:51 hrs India-Pak ceasefire goes into effect after 4 days of hostilities Full Moon on 12 May THUMBNAILS Residents celebrate after the announcement of the India-Pakistan ceasefire agreement, at Salani village in Poonch on Saturday. n ANI Explosions heard in Srinagar: Barely a few hours after a ceasefire was announced between India and Pakistan, explosions were heard in Srinagar. Air raid sirens were also sounded in Udhampur and parts of Srinagar. In a tweet, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wrote on X, “What the hell just happened to the ceasefire? Explosions heard across Srinagar!!!” Amidst the announcement of ceasefire between the two countries, India has warned that its armed forces are ready to hit back if there are any "misadventures" on the part of Pakistan. The ceasefire was announced after days of heightened escalation between the two nations following the Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent launch of Operation Sindoor. NEW DELHI, 10 MAY E nding days of hostilities following the launch of Operation Sindoor four days ago to punish those responsible for the Pahalgam terror attack of 22 April in which 26 people were massacred, a ceasefire between the Indian and Pakistani militaries went into effect this evening. India has, however, warned that its armed forces are ready to hit back if there are any "misadventures" on the part of Pakistan. “An understanding has been reached to stop all military activities at sea, in the air, and on land. The Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force have been instructed to adhere to this understanding,” IAF Commodore Raghu R Nair said while addressing a Ministry of Defence briefing on Saturday evening. He said that the Indian military forces will adhere to the ceasefire agreement but would be ready for any eventuality. The ceasefire announcement was first made by US President Donald Trump in a post on Truth Social on Saturday evening. “After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am Indus Waters Treaty likely to continue to be in abeyance AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 10 MAY There is no pre- or post-condition to the understanding concerning military action between India and Pakistan reached on Saturday and the Indus Waters Treaty will remain in abeyance, MEA sources said. The DGMOs of India and Pakistan on Saturday agreed that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land and in the air and sea with effect from 1700 hours Indian Standard Time. The call was initiated by Pakistan. India had taken a series of steps against Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists were killed. The steps taken over Pakistan's support to cross-border terrorism included putting the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance. The Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960 after nine years of negotiations between India and Pakistan with the help of the World Bank, which is also a signatory. The Treaty allocates the Western Rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan and the Eastern Rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) to India. At the same time, the Treaty allows each country to allocate certain waters of the rivers to the other. The treaty gives India 20 per cent of the water from the Indus River System and the remaining 80 per cent to Pakistan. RajouriÊs additional deputy commissioner Raj Kumar Thapa and a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Army were among six persons who were on Saturday killed after Pakistan escalated its artillery and drone attacks in the civilian areas of the border towns of Jammu and Kashmir. An infant and a woman were among those killed. Photo: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah consoles the parents of Raj Kumar Thapa pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE. Congratulations to both countries for using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote on the microblogging site. India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, confirmed the same, stating that Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations contacted his Indian counterpart earlier. Stating that both countries agreed to halt all the ongoing military actions, the ceasefire was announced from 1700 hours Indian Standard Time (IST). "Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) called the Indian DGMO at 15:35 hours earlier this afternoon. It was agreed between them that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land and in the air and sea with effect from 1700 hours Indian Standard Time." "Today, instructions have been given on both sides to give effect to this Masood Azhar’s brothers-in-law, including man behind IC-814 hijacking, among terrorists killed in Op Sindoor STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 10 MAY Five of the terrorists killed in India’s precision strikes on nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on 7 May, as part of Operation Sindoor, have been identified. Among them are two individuals reportedly closely related to Maulana Masood Azhar. The identified terrorists include Mudassar Khadian Khas, also known as Mudassar and Abu Jundal, of the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiyyaba (LeT); Hafiz Mohammed Jameel, Mohammad Yusuf Azhar, also known as Ustad Ji, Mohammad Salim, Ghosi Sahab, who was wanted in A photo, authenticity not yet verified, purportedly showing Pakistani military officials at the funeral of Mudassar Khadian Khas. connection with the IC-814 hijacking, Mohammad Hassan Khan, all affiliated with Jaishe-Mohammed (JeM), and Khalid, alias Abu Akasha, of the Lashkar-e-Taiyyaba. According to sources, Yusuf Azhar, a key member of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), was responsible for handling weapons training for JeM operatives and was involved in multiple terrorist attacks in Jammu & Kashmir. Azhar was also involved in the conspiracy to hijack Indian STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kerala leads nation in maternal and child health: 2021 SRS report KOLKATA, 10 MAY STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Widow of Pahalgam victim granted Indian citizenship NEW DELHI, 10 MAY The widow of an Indian IT professional killed in last month's terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir has been granted Indian citizenship, the Union government confirmed on Saturday. Sohini Roy, the wife of Bitan Adhikari, was one of the survivors of the 22 April terrorist ambush in Pahalgam, where 26 people were killed. Bitan, originally from the Patuli neighbourhood in Kolkata, was among those fatally shot. The couple, along with their child, had been residing in the United States, where Bitan worked in the technology sector. Union Minister of State for Education and BJP’s West Bengal President Sukanta Majumdar announced the citizenship grant at a Press briefing in Kolkata. With nearly 70 per cent fewer deaths among mothers, newborns, and children under five, Kerala has topped the Maternal and Child Health Indicators, according to a Sample Registration System (SRS) Report 2021 released by the Registrar General of India (RGI) on Wednesday. The southern state has already met the 2030 health targets set under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in all three key areas: deaths of mothers during childbirth, newborn deaths, and deaths of children under five. The state’s current numbers are 20 maternal deaths, 4 newborn deaths, and 8 underfive deaths per 100,000 or 1,000 births—well below the targets of 70, 12, and 25, respectively. understanding. The Director General of Military Operations will talk again on the 12th of May at 1200 hours,” he added. Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also confirmed the ceasefire. “Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect. Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity." Meanwhile, addressing a press conference, Colonel Sophia Qureshi lambasted Pakistan for the spread of lies and misinformation pertaining to Operation Sindoor and India. “Pakistan made false allegations that the Indian Army damaged mosques. I want to make it very clear that India is a secular nation and our army is a very beautiful reflection of the constitutional value of India,” said the officer, adding that all the military operations have been strictly targeted at terrorist camps and infrastructure linked to anti-India activities. "In the highest regard, our operations have been aimed exclusively at terrorist camps and facilities being used for anti-India activities. No religious sites have been targeted by the Indian Armed Forces," she said. Besides Kerala, seven Indian states have kept maternal deaths during childbirth below the target of 70 per 100,000 live births—Maharashtra (38), Telangana (45), Andhra Pradesh (46), Tamil Nadu (49), Jharkhand (51), Gujarat (53), and Karnataka (63)— with Maharashtra recording the lowest among them. In contrast, the national average for Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is still 23 points above the SDG target, despite a nearly 30 per cent decline from 130 deaths per 100,000 live births (2014–16) to 93 deaths (2019–21), as reported in the SRS 2021 report. Similarly, based on insights from the health ministry report, the country has seen a 26.9 per cent drop in newborn deaths, falling from 26 per 1,000 live births in 2014 to 19 in 2021—but a further 36.8 per cent reduction is still needed to reach the SDG target of 12 or fewer deaths. Meanwhile, fewer states have managed to meet the SDG target for Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR), as per the data cited in the press statement. Following Kerala, which leads the chart, Delhi ranked second with 8 deaths per 1,000 live births, twice Kerala’s number. Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra followed in third and fourth place with 9 and 11 deaths, respectively. Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh shared the fifth spot, each recording 12 deaths—the exact threshold set by the SDG target.While several states have seen significant improvements in Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR), the national average has declined from 45 in 2014 to 31 in 2021, still requiring a further 22.6 per cent reduction to reach the 2030 target of 25. Despite the need for further improvement, India's progress in reducing maternal and child mortality has so far outpaced global averages, as stated. Airlines aircraft IC-814 from Kathmandu (Nepal) to Delhi. A Red Corner notice number A-565/6-2000 was issued against him. Sources confirmed that several of these individuals were related to Masood Azhar, the founder of Jaish-eMohammed. In a surprising development, Pakistani authorities accorded state funerals to many of these terrorists while publicly claiming that India had targeted and killed civilians in the strikes. Globally designated terrorists such as Hafiz Abdul Rauf, along with senior Pakistani military and police officials, reportedly attended the funerals held in various parts of the country. Before ceasefire, India struck key military sites in Pak Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, NSA Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi and Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, at his residence in New Delhi on Saturday. n ANI STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 10 MAY Before the ceasefire between the Indian and Pakistani militaries went into effect on Saturday evening, Indian forces launched multiple precision attacks on Pakistan’s identified military targets in response to the targeted strikes carried out by the latter on civilian and military infrastructures since last night. Indian armed forces struck Pakistan’s technical infrastructure, command and control centres, radar sites and weapon storage areas. Addressing a joint media briefing organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Defence, Col Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said that Pakistan military targets at Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Chunian were engaged using air-launched precision weapons from fighter jets. Radar sites at Pasrur and Sialkot aviation bases were also targeted using precision ammunition. “Pakistan attempted multiple air intrusions targeting civilian infrastructures and killing some civilians,” they said. It was also revealed that Pakistan used Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) drones, long-range weapons, loitering munitions and fighter aircraft to target civilian areas and military infrastructure along the Western front. “From Srinagar to Naliya, in more than 26 locations, airspace infiltration was attempted. There were also high-speed missile attacks, which were noticed subsequently at 1:40 am at several air bases in Punjab,” said Col Qureshi. “Pakistan military also resorted to air intrusion using drones and firing of heavy-calibre weapons along the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan. Limited damage was sustained to equipment and personnel at Indian Air Force Stations at Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur and Bhuj,” said Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. Heavy exchange of artillery, mortars and small arms fire in Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajouri and Akhnoor sectors also continued, to which the Indian Army has responded effectively and proportionately, causing extensive damage to Pakistan's army. Calling Pakistan’s strike a “deplorable cowardly act,” the officers said that a medicare centre and school premises at the airbases of Srinagar, Awantipora, and Udhampur were also attacked. IMD forecasts onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala on 27 May STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 10 MAY The southwest monsoon is likely to set in over Kerala on 27 May, earlier than the usual date of 1 June, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday. If the monsoon arrives in Kerala as per the predicted date, it will be the earliest onset over the Indian mainland since 2009, when it began on 23 May. As per the IMD data, last year, the monsoon arrived on 30 May, a day before the expected date while in 2023; it set in on 8 June. The weather department observed that the advance of the southwest monsoon over the Indian mainland is marked by its onset over Kerala and is an important indicator characterising the transition from the hot and dry season to the rainy season. Moreover, as the monsoon progresses northwards, relief from scorching summer temperatures is experienced over the areas. The southwest monsoon normally sets in over Kerala on 1 June with a standard deviation of about 7 days. It typically covers the entire country by 8 July. It starts withdrawing from northwest India around 17 September and completes the withdrawal by 15 October. The IMD has been issuing operational forecasts for the date of monsoon onset over Kerala from 2005 onwards with an indigenously developed state-of-the-art statistical model with a model error of ± 4 days. The IMD had, in April, forecast above-normal cumulative rainfall in the 2025 monsoon season, ruling out the possibility of El Niño conditions, which are associated with below-normal rainfall in the Indian subcontinent. The southwest monsoon accounts for three-fourths of India’s total annual rainfall and during this, average rainfall over the plains is about 87 per cent. Its significance lies in its critical role in replenishing water resources and supporting agriculture across the country.