WEDNESDAY 11 JUNE 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00 X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR SHEKHAWAT CASTS DOUBT ON KEEZHADI EXCAVATIONS’ ANTIQUITY INDIA USHERED IN A NEW ERA IN 11 YEARS OF PM MODI'S LEADERSHIP: CM P3 SENSEX 82,391.72 q53.49 WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. DUST RAISING WINDS (SPEED 20-30KMPH) OCCASSIONALLY GUSTING TO 40KMPH. HEAT WAVE CONDITIONS AT A FEW PLACES. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 45 AND 29 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: 000.0 Mm ISRAEL DEPORTS GRETA THUNBERG P8 NIFTY 25,104.25 p1.05 P9 ` vs $ 85.55 GOLD `99,170 THUMBNAILS STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 10 JUNE N ChatGPT suffers global outage, including in India: OpenAI's popular chatbot ChatGPT suffered an outage on Tuesday, as users across the world, including in India, were facing problems with loading and accessing results to prompts. The company said there are “elevated error rates and latency” that users have been experiencing on various AI platforms. "We are investigating," said the company. About 88 per cent of complaints from India cited the chatbot not responding to queries, 8 pc reported issues with the mobile app, and 3 pc faced API-related problems. (Page 9) BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 67.30 “And we don't care where they are. If they are deep in Pakistan, we will go deep into Pakistan,” he added. Min: 27.8 °C (-0.2) SUN SETS 19:19 hrs MOON SETS 05:23 hrs Women dressed in traditional Himachali attire perform during the foundation stone laying ceremony of 'Sarhad Van Udyan' - a green development project near the IndoTibet border, at Shipki-La in Kinnaur on Tuesday. nANI SILVER `1,06,800 EAM said that India had inflicted extensive damage on the Pakistani Air Force Min. 25% TEMPERATURE Max: 43.8°C (+3.9) SUN RISES 05:23 hrs MOON RISES 19:42 hrs P12 India’s population reaches ‘India ready to strike 1.46 billion, sees decline in inside Pak if provoked’ fertility rate: United Nations RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 71% ‘ALL-TIME GREAT STATUS BECKONS AUS TEAM’ early three weeks after the end of a confrontation between India and Pakistan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has asserted that the root causes of the brief conflict remain unchanged and that India stands ready to strike anywhere in Pakistan if provoked by terrorist attacks. “It [Pakistan] is a country very steeped in its use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy. That is the whole issue,” he said in an interview with Politico during a visit to Brussels. Asked if the conditions that led to the outbreak of the war last month were still in place, he said: "If you call the commitment to terrorism a source of tension, absolutely it is." Mr Jaishankar did not deny the destruction of Indian Air Force planes, but said the appropriate authorities would communicate on the matter when ready. He argued that India's fighter planes and missiles had inflicted far more extensive damage on the Pakistani Air Force than vice versa, forcing Pakistan to sue for peace. “As far as I'm concerned, how effective the Rafale was or frankly, how effective other systems were — to me, the proof of the pudding is the destroyed and disabled airfields on the Pakistani side,” he said. “The fighting stopped on the 10th for one reason and one reason only, which was that on the 10th morning, we hit these eight Pak- istani airfields, the main eight Pakistani airfields, and disabled them.” “And don't take my word for it, these images are available on Google. You can look at those runways and those hangars which have taken the hit,” he added. Mr Jaishankar, who was in Brussels for highlevel trade talks with the European Union, further asserted that Pakistan was training “thousands” of terrorists in the open and “unleashing” them on its neighbour. “We are not going to live with it. So our message to them is that if you continue to do the kind of barbaric acts that they did in April, then there is going to be retribution. That retribution will be against the terrorist organisations and the terrorist leadership.” European Commission condemns Pahalgam attack: EAM Jaishankar on Tuesday met President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels and welcomed her strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack and solidarity in combating terrorism. In a social media post on 'X' after the meeting, Mr Jaishankar wrote: ''Welcomed her strong condemnation of terrorist attack in Pahalgam and solidarity in combating terrorism. Discussed efforts underway to deepen the India-EU partnership. Agreed on the potential benefits of stronger cooperation in trade, technology, connectivity, and security for both our regions.'' In her post on 'X', the senior European Commission official said: ''Welcome to my friend Dr S Jaishankar. The EU-India strategic partnership is getting stronger. We’re working on a Strategic Agenda based on growth with an ambitious FTA, tech & innovation, and security & defence. I look forward to adopting it with PM Modi at our next Summit." As of 2025, life expectancy at birth is projected to be 71 years for men and 74 years for women. AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 10 JUNE While India continues to be the most populous country, with an estimated 1.46 billion people in 2025, the country's total fertility rate has fallen to 1.9, below the replacement level of 2.1, according to the latest report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) released on Tuesday. The 2025 State of World Population (SOWP) report underscores that the real crisis lies not in population size, but in the widespread challenges to support individuals’ right to decide freely and responsibly if, when, and how many children to have. The UN report estimates “India's population at present at 1,463.9 million”. “India is now the world’s most populous nation, with nearly 1.5 billion peo- ple -- a number expected to grow to about 1.7 billion before it begins falling,” the report said. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in India is currently 2.0 children per woman. This means that on average, a woman in India would be expected to have 2 children during her childbearing years (typically ages 15-49). This rate has remained constant since 2020, according to the Sample Registration System (SRS) report for 2021. However, the new report showed it has declined to 1.9 births per woman, which means that, on average, Indian women are having fewer children than needed to maintain the population size from one generation to the next, without migration. Despite the slowing birth rate, India's youth population remains significant, with 24 per cent PM hosts all-party delegations that visited various countries to highlight India's stance on terror India ready to move forward on trade agreement with USA: Piyush Goyal STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Karunanidhi, Nationalist Congress Party (SP)’s Supriya Sule, and Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Eknath Shinde. NEW DELHI, 10 JUNE Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hosted members of the various delegations who went to various countries to highlight India's stand against terror and India's commitment to world peace during their visits to various nations at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg. During the meeting, delegation members briefed the Prime Minister about their meetings in different nations, a government source said. The delegations, consisting of MPs from across Party lines, former MPs and distinguished diplomats, had highlighted India's stand against terror and India's commitment to world peace during their visits to various nations. The government had dis- patched multiple delegations of Members of Parliament from across the political spectrum to major world capitals for a diplomatic outreach to expose Pakistan's hand in the recent Pahalgam terror attack and to mobilise global support against cross-border terrorism. In the context of Operation Sindoor and India's continued fight against cross-border ter- Jan Man survey on NaMo App generates significant attention with over 5 lakh responses STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 10 JUNE The Jan Man Survey on NaMo App has generated significant attention, with over 5 lakh responses from citizens across India within just 26 hours of its launch, a document released by the government Tuesday said, based on feedback. To mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi's uninterrupted 11 years in office, the Narendra Modi App or NaMoApp has launched the 'Jan Man Survey.' “This dynamic survey has garnered significant attention, with over 5 lakh responses from citizens across India within just 26 hours of its launch,” the document said. Aiming to empower citizens in the democratic process, the Jan Man Survey offers a platform for citizens to directly share their feedback and opinions with the government on various aspects of governance and leadership. By collecting responses from all corners of the country, the survey ensures that people's voices are heard and considered in shaping future policies. The survey has so far witnessed overwhelming participation, with Uttar Pradesh leading in volume with 1,41,150 responses. Other top-performing states include Maharashtra with 65,775 responses, Tamil Nadu with 62,580 responses, Gujarat with 43,590 responses, and Haryana with 29,985 responses. rorism, seven All-Party Delegations visited key partner countries, including members of the UN Security Council this month. The MPs who led the seven delegations included Congress’ Shashi Tharoor, Bharatiya janata Party’s Ravi Shankar Prasad, and Baijayant Panda, Janata Dal (United)’s Sanjay Kumar Jha, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s Kanimozhi PM lauds progress in defence sphere: PM on Tuesday expressed satisfaction over the remarkable progress India has made in the defence sector over the past 11 years with a clear focus on modernisation and self-reliance in defence production. “The last 11 years have marked significant changes in our defence sector, with a clear focus on both modernisation and becoming selfreliant when it comes to defence production. It is gladdening to see how the people of India have come together with the resolve of making India stronger! #11YearsOfRakshaShakti,” he posted on X. NEW DELHI, 10 JUNE The Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, on Tuesday said that India is ready to move forward with a trade agreement with the United States by first addressing simpler, less contentious issues. “I am a born optimist,” the Union minister said in Bern, Switzerland, when asked whether something conclusive could be expected before 9 July. Speaking on the Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), the Union minister said there is no declining trend in FDI into India, though periodic fluctuations may occur sometimes due to global interest rate changes. He added that India is seeing renewed overseas inflows and the government is open to suggestions and will adopt new measures to promote FDI in the country. Mr Goyal outlined some figures relating to FDI and said over the last eleven financial years (2014-25), India attracted FDI worth USD 748.78 billion, an increase of 143 per cent over the previous eleven years (2003-14), which saw USD 308.38 billion in inflows. Additionally, the number of source countries for FDI increased from 89 in 201314 to 112 in 2024-25, underscoring India's growing global appeal as an investment destination. Given these figures, "I don't think that there is any declining trend, periodically there may be some changes, and that happens more due to changes in interest rate cycles in other countries, so if the bond yields in some countries become exorbitantly high, money tends to flow into those countries. we have once again seen money flowing back into India," Mr Goyal said. Mr Goyal is currently in Bern, Switzerland, on an official visit to engage with Swiss government leaders and business representatives. Odisha CM showcases achievements, milestone reforms ahead of anniversary STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BHUBANESWAR, 10 JUNE Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday delivered a powerful statement of intent and progress, outlining the transformative achievements of his government in less than a year. With a clear focus on serving the poor, farmers, youth, and women, the CM declared that Odisha is witnessing a new era of people-centric governance, transparency, and rapid delivery of promises. Addressing his first press conference ahead of the completion of one year in office, CM Majhi underscored the government's swift action on key electoral commitments. "It didn’t take us 24 years— it took just 24 minutes to fulfill four major promises," he said, drawing a contrast with the previous regime. In just 24 minutes, decisions to open all four gates of the Jagannath Temple in Puri, symbolising spiritual access and transparency, and for launch of the Subhadra Yojana, providing 10,000 annually in two installments to empower women, for input subsidy of 800 per quintal for paddy to farmers and establishment of a dedicated corpus fund for temple management and Jagannath culture preservation were taken, he said "We have already fulfilled 11 out of the 21 promises in our manifesto in under a year," he asserted, adding that this is just the beginning. The government, he said, has laid the foundation for a Vision 2036 framework comprising 36 ambitious programmes, which will be unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 20 June. Highlighting administrative reforms, CM Majhi empha- sised that the government has shown "zero tolerance to corruption." A recent example is the arrest of a senior IAS officer, he noted, adding: "This is a government that acts." He assured the public that inquiries into past scams— including mining and chit fund irregularities—are ongoing, and appropriate legal steps will be taken without delay. CM Majhi placed special emphasis on agriculture and industrial development. Key highlights include: 800 additional input subsidy on paddy procurement above the MSP, Cold storage units in every subdivision to strengthen farm logistics, coverage of 15 lakh dairy farmers under the Mukhyamantri Kamdhenu Yojana, 19,000 crore loan disbursed to 36 lakh farmers. The CM further cited investment proposals exceeding 16 lakh crore, with several projects already grounded— marking a decisive shift from the MoU-centric approach of previous governments. Reiterating the government's commitment to "Odia Asmita," Mr Majhi announced a 500 crore corpus for Jagannath culture, and 200 crore for Odisha’s art, literature, and heritage. The government has made efforts to address the unemployment problem and usher reforms in the education system, said the CM. in the age bracket of 0-14, 17 per cent in 10-19, and 26 per cent in 10-24. While 68 per cent of the population accounts for the 15-64 age bracket, the elderly population (65 and older) stands at seven per cent. As of 2025, life expectancy at birth is projected to be 71 years for men and 74 years for women. The UN report also placed India in a group of middle-income countries undergoing rapid demographic change, with the population doubling time now estimated at 79 years. “India has made significant progress in lowering fertility rates -- from nearly five children per woman in 1970 to about two today -- thanks to improved education and access to reproductive healthcare,” said Andrea M. Wojnar, UNFPA India Representative. “This has led to major reductions in maternal mortality, meaning million more mothers are alive today, raising children and building communities," Wojnar added. Man, his two children jump off 7th floor, die in bid to escape fire STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 10 JUNE Three people, including two children, lost their lives after they jumped off the seventh floor of a building to escape a massive fire that broke out in southwest Delhi’s Dwarka Sector-13, police said on Tuesday. Officials added that the two children, a boy and a girl, both aged 10, were declared dead on arrival at Akash Hospital. Their father, Yash Yadav, 35, who was reportedly engaged in the flex board business, also jumped from the balcony and was declared dead at IGI Hospital. According to initial reports the fire erupted at 9:58 a.m, engulfing the eighth and ninth floors of the Shapath Society. After the information, five fire tenders were rushed to the scene to contain the blaze, officials from the Delhi Fire Service said. The wife and one relative of the deceased were able to escape the fire and are alive. Later, they were shifted to IGI Hospital for medical assistance, an official mentioned. As a precautionary measure, all the residents of the society were evacuated, and all facilities like electricity and PNG connections were shut down, a police officer said. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have been notified to assess the structural stability of the building, said police. Medical and support teams have been deployed at both Akash and IGI Hospitals to assist the affected family.