SATURDAY 07 JUNE 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 16 |` 5.00 SINCE 1818 X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR Respe ecting Every Grain, Rewarding Every Effort 01101 1/13/0009/2526 With a histor rise, MSP now 150% of the cost ric given to farmers for wheat and paddy procurem t ment at MSP in the last decade; 3 times compared to 2004-2014 e com mpared 2004 2014 WEATHER Partly cloudy sky. Rain/thundershower likely in some areas. Maximum and Minimum Temperature likely to be around 35˚C and 27˚C respectively. RAINFALL: 3.5 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 95% TEMPERATURE Max: 34.6˚C (-0.6) SUN RISES 04:51 hrs MOON RISES 15:01 hrs Pak attacked ‘insaniyat’, Kashmiris’ livelihood: PM ‘Op. Sindoor will always haunt Pakistan, terror infrastructure was destroyed in minutes’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Min. 54% SP SHARMA Min: 26.6˚C (-1.0) SUN SETS 18:20 hrs MOON SETS 02:21 hrs Full Moon on 11 June THUMBNAILS Goats are displayed for sale at a livestock market ahead of Eid al-Adha near Jama Masjid, in the capital on Friday. n Subrata Dutta Starlink gets DoT satcom licence: Elon Musk-run affordable satellite internet service Starlink has finally received a satcom licence in India to offer its commercial services, possibly later this year or early next year. According to reliable sources, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) permit to the US company. The trial spectrum is also set to be issued to Starlink in coming days, as the company has fulfilled all security compliance requirements outlined in its letter of intent (LoI). Starlink is now the third satcom company to get a GMPCS permit after Eutelsat's OneWeb and Jio-SES to provide services in the country. Starlink now needs approval from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), and has already submitted necessary documents. NEW DELHI, 6 JUNE KATRA (JAMMU), 6 JUNE S lamming Pakistan for the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 tourists were gunned down, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called it an assault on ‘insaniyat’, Kashmiriyat and livelihood of Kashmiris. Speaking after the inauguration of several railway infrastructure projects, including the landmark Chenab Rail Bridge, the world’s highest railway arch bridge, which will provide direct rail connectivity to Srinagar, Mr Modi said: “Pakistan attacked both humanity and the soul of Kashmir in Pahalgam. The motive was to spark riots across India and crush the livelihoods of hardworking Kashmiris. That is why tourists were targeted.” He said that the attack on tourists wasmeanttosabotagetheflourishing tourism industry in Jammu and Kashmir, which had witnessed record-high visitor numbers over the past few years. “Pakistan’s malicious intent directly impacted local workers, including horse owners, porters, guides, guest house owners, and shopkeepers, aiming to destroy their livelihoods. Pakistan is also the enemy of the poor's bread and butter”. He praised the courage of young Adil, who stood against terrorists, but tragically lost his life while striving to support his family through honest labour. The Prime Minister said : “‘Operation Sindoor’ will always haunt Pakistan and whenever it hears the name of the ‘Operation’ it will recall the shameful defeat. The Pakistani Army and terrorists would never have thought that India would attack them so deep inside their territory. Their terror infrastructure was turned into rubble in a matter of minutes”. Mr Modi stated that Pakistan was left in shock and frustration, reacting by targeting innocent civilians in Jammu, Poonch, and other districts. He condemned Pakistan’s brutal attacks, pointing NEW DELHI, 6 JUNE Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Sanjay Malhotra on Friday announced that the central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to reduce the policy repo rate by 50 basis points (bps) to 5.5 per cent. The MPC decided to change the stance from ‘Accommodative’ to ‘Neutral’, he added. Further, in a major boost to banks, the RBI announced a reduction of the cash reserve ratio by 100 bps. The Governor announced that the CRR cut would be done in four equal tranches during the year. “Will release primary liquidity of Rs 2.5 lakh crore in the banking system. CRR cut in four tranches 25 bps each starting from September 6, out that the world witnessed how it destroyed homes, bombed schools and hospitals, and shelled temples, mosques, and gurudwaras. He also warned that anyone trying to derail Jammu and Kashmir’s development would have to “face Narendra Modi first”. Lauding the resilience of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the Prime Minister stated that their firm stand against Pakistan’s conspiracy sends a powerful message. PM Modi confirms participation in G7 summit in Canada STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 6 JUNE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received an invite from his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on Friday to attend the 51st G7 Summit to be held at Kananaskis in Alberta from 15-17 June. “Glad to receive a call from Prime Minister @MarkJCarney of Canada. Congratulated him on his recent election victory and thanked him for the invitation to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis later this month,” Mr Modi wrote on microblogging platform 'X'. He said that as vibrant democracies bound by deep peopleto-people ties, India and Canada will work together with renewed vigour, guided by mutual respect and shared interests. Mr Modi said he looks forward to his meeting with the Canadian PM at the summit. There were speculations that Mr Modi may not receive the invite for the summit in Canada, given the chill in bilateral ties. The two countries downgraded diplomatic ties after Justin Trudeau, the then Canadian PM, alleged RBI cuts repo rate by 50 bps to 5.5 per cent, CRR by 100 bps, releasing `2.5 trillion liquidity in banks STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Stampede fallout: CM’s aide sacked, officials arrested October 4, November 1, and November 29 this year,” the Governor added. On the GDP projections, Governor Malhotra said the real GDP growth rate for this year 2025-2026, is projected at 6.5 per cent, continuing with our earlier forecast, with Q1 at 6.5 per cent, Q2 at 6.7 per cent, Q3 at 6.6 per cent, and Q4 at 6.4 per cent. Notably, the Indian economy demonstrated robust performance with a 7.4 per cent GDP growth in the January-March 2025 quarter. The growth was driven by sectors like construction and manufacturing. Mr Malhotra also announced the inflation forecasts for this fiscal year, with Q1 at 2.9 per cent, Q2 at 3.4 per cent, Q3 at 3.9 per cent, and Q4 at 4.4 per cent. “Inflation has softened significantly over the last six months from above the tolerance band in October 2024 to well below the target with signs of a broad-based moderation,” the Governor added. The CPI headline inflation continued its declining trajectory in March-April, with headline CPI inflation moderating to a nearly six-year low of 3.2 per cent (y-o-y) in April 2025. “On both inflation and growth fronts, the Indian economy is progressing well and broadly on expected lines. Strong macroeconomic fundamentals and benign inflation outlook provide space to monetary policy to support growth, while remaining consistent with the goal of price stability,” the Governor highlighted. India, England to battle for Anderson-Tendulkar trophy now STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 6 JUNE Adding a fresh chapter to one of cricket’s most storied rivalries, the iconic India-England Test series will now be played for the AndersonTendulkar Trophy, named in honour of two titans of the game ~ James Anderson and Sachin Tendulkar. The announcement was jointly made by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), with the official unveiling set to take place at Lord’s during the World Test Championship(WTC)final,starting 11 June. Fittingly, both Tendulkar and Anderson will be present to inaugurate the trophy that now carries their names. The decision ushers in a unified identity for India-England Test contests, replacing the previously alternating trophies depending on the host nation. Traditionally, the Pataudi Trophy, named after former India captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, was awarded in England, while the Anthony de Mello Trophy, named after a founding figure of Indian cricket administration, was presented when the series was held in India. The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy brings consistency, prestige and a shared legacy to the bilateral rivalry. Anderson, the most successful fast bowler in Test history with 188 appearances, retired in July 2024 while Tendulkar, regarded as one of the greatest batters of all time, brought the curtains down to his glorious career in 2013 after playing 200 Tests. SC permits NBE to hold NEET-PG 2025 on 3 August NEW DELHI, 6 JUNE The Supreme Court on Friday allowed the National Board of Examinations (NBE) to conduct the NEETPG 2025 exam on 3 August, granting an extension from the earlier deadline of 15 June, after the top court had ordered the conduct of examination in a single shift instead of two shifts as planned by the examination agency earlier. A vacation bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Augustine George Masih passed the order. SNS in 2023 the potential involvement of the Indian establishment in the killing of “Khalistan” activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. New Delhi rejected the charge as “absurd” and “motivated”. The G7, an informal forum of seven major industrialised democracies, comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Amid the backlash over the stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium during the RCB's celebrations in which 11 persons were killed, the Karnataka government on Friday sacked K. Govindaraju as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's Political Secretary, even as police arrested a senior RCB official and two top officials of an event management company in connection with the incident. The government has not given any reason for the ouster of Govindaraju, a close confidant of Siddaramaiah and a Congress MLC. However, sources say that the move has come following severe criticism from various cabinet ministers for organising the felicitation programme for the RCB players at the Vidhana Soudha. According to the sources, there was an outburst from ministers in the cabinet meeting held on Thursday evening. CM Siddaramaiah had reportedly given permission for the felicitation programme due to pressure from Govindaraju, who is also the President of the Karnataka Olympic Association. The state government has also transferred ADGP, Intelligence, Hemant Nimbalkar, following criticism that it is hesitating to take action against him as his wife is a Congress leader and former MLA. Bengaluru Police, meanwhile, arrested RCB’s head of marketing and revenue, Nikhil Sosale, in connection with the deadly stampede. Mr Sosale was apprehended at Kempegowda International Airport, reportedly while attempting to leave the city. Kiran Kumar, senior event manager at DNA Entertainment Network, and Sunil Mathew, vice president, business affairs, were also arrested. DNA Entertainment was the event management firm responsible for organising the celebratory roadshow that turned tragic. The developments come in the wake of a massive public outcry and police investigation after 11 lives were lost and dozens injured in a stampede-like situation outside the stadium where thousands had gathered to celebrate RCB’s maiden IPL title. Eyewitnesses and early reports pointed to overcrowding, lack of barricading and poor crowd control as key causes of the chaos. On Thursday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the state cabinet decided to form a one-man judicial commission, while he also ordered arrests of the RCB representative and DNA event managers.