TUESDAY 17 JUNE 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00 X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR FORMER NITI AAYOG CHIEF AMITABH KANT RESIGNS ASSAM CM SLAMS CONG FOR ‘APPEASEMENT POLITICS’ IRAN MISSILE ATTACKS ON ISRAEL KILL 5 P4 SENSEX 81,796.15 p677.55 WEATHER LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN/ THUNDERSTORM/ LIGHTNING WITH GUSTY WINDS (SPEED 40-50 KMPH)TEMPORARILY REACHING 60 KMPH DURING THUNDERSTORM TOWARDS EVENING/NIGHT. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 34 AND 27 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY RAINFALL: 000.0 Mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 77% Min. 60% TEMPERATUR Max: 35°C (+3.8) SUN RISES 05:24 hrs MOON RISES 23:53hrs Min: 29°C (+1.5) SUN SETS 19:21 hrs MOON SETS 11:50 hrs THUMBNAILS 165 Infantry Bn (Territorial Army) (Home & Hearth) Assam observe 84th Assam Regiment Raising Day by organising a wreath laying ceremony at Assam Regiment War memorial located at Babupara Traffic Point in Imphal on Monday. nANI Israeli strike cuts off Iran's state TV during live broadcast: Iran's state-run news agency said Monday that its governmental television station abruptly stopped a live broadcast after an Israeli strike. During a live broadcast, the sound of an explosion could be heard as a the news presenter hurried off camera amid dust and debris wafting in the air. Israel had issued a warning the evacuate the area of Iran's capital where the TV studios are located an hour earlier, ahead of impending Israeli strikes. It's the fourth day of a conflict between the regional foes began when Israel attacked Iran over Tehran's nuclear programme. P5 NIFTY 24,946.50 p227.90 ` vs $ 86.06 P9 GOLD `1,02,180 P12 SILVER `1,06,800 Cyprus supports India in its fight against terrorism: PM NIKHIL VYAS NEW DELHI, 16 JUNE E ven as India and Cyprus shared concern over the ongoing conflicts in West Asia and Europe, Prime Minister Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday thanked the Mediterranean nation for strongly condemning the Pahalgam terror attack and expressing solidarity with India in its fight against terrorism. Modi also thanked Cyprus for reiterating its support for India’s permanent membership of a reformed UNSC as he held wideranging talks with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides in Nicosia. The two leaders discussed a range of issues, including bilateral matters as well as global developments, including the conflicts in West Asia and Europe. Addressing a joint press briefing with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides in Nicosia after the two leaders held bilateral talks, Modi said India and Cyprus have expressed shared concerns over the ongoing conflicts in West Asia and Europe and both the countries believe that "this is not an era of war". This statement holds significance amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel and Russia-Ukraine. "We expressed worry over the ongoing conflicts in West Asia and Europe. We believe this is not an era of war," PM Modi said. Later, after concluding his two-day visit to Cyprus, PM Modi left for Canada where he will be attending the 51st G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, on Tuesday. Earlier, addressing the joint press conference, PM Modi said, "We are grateful to Cyprus for supporting India's permanent membership in the Security Council." "After two decades, an Indian Prime Minister has visited Cyprus. This is an opportunity to write a new chapter in the India-Cyprus partnership. President Nikos Christodoulides and I held bilateral talks. Cyprus's Vision 2035 and India's Viksit Bharat 2047 have similarities. That is why we will be working together towards our shared growth. Over the next five years, we will develop a robust roadmap to provide strategic direction to our cooperation," PM Modi said. "We are grateful for Cyprus' continued support in India's fight against cross-border terrorism. To prevent terrorism, drugs and arms trafficking, a mechanism for real-time information exchange between our agencies will be developed," he added. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 16 JUNE Central govt notifies population census, to be conducted in two phases Christodoulides said he and PM Modi discussed expanding bilateral ties and synergy in various sectors, and agreed to work on defence cooperation, innovation, and tourism. "We discussed expanding our bilateral relations and synergy in various areas. We want to work on defence cooperation, crisis management, tourism, innovation and Artificial Intelligence. We agreed to work together so that we can produce concrete results," the Cyprus President said. PM Modi held official talks with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia. During the talks, the leaders reaffirmed the shared values that underpin India-Cyprus relations and they reiterated support for respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each other. The Prime Minister also reiterated India’s support for Cyprus’s unity and for a peaceful resolution of the Cyprus Question based on UN Security Council resolutions, the inquiry into the cause of the crash, helped by teams from the US and the UK. On Sunday, officials from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) surveyed the site of the plane crash. Moreover, officials from Boeing, the manufacturer of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft, also visited the accident site to help the investigators. Following the accident, doctors said 270 bodies had been recovered from the site of the crash. More than 90 victims have been identified through DNA matching, Dr Rajnish Patel of Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital said on Monday. He added that 47 of the identified bodies have been sent to their families. Among the identified victims is Vijay Rupani, the former chief minister of Gujarat, whose funeral was conducted on Monday. Rupani, whose political career spanned more than 50 years, was laid to rest with full state honours in Rajkot city. A high level committee under the chairmanship of Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan has been formed by the government which includes Secretary Ministry of Civil Aviation, Senior Officials from Home Ministry, Officials of Home Department and State Disaster Response Authority of Gujarat, Police Commissioner of Ahmedabad, Director General of Inspection and Safety in the Indian Air Force and Director General of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. international law, and the EU Acquis. Both leaders took stock of the ongoing cooperation in various aspects of the bilateral relationship, including trade and investment, science and research, cultural cooperation and people-to-people ties, and explored avenues for collaboration in the new areas of fintech, start-ups, defence industry, connectivity, innovation, digitalization, AI and mobility. The two sides agreed to establish a five-year road map to strengthen cooperation in strategic areas. They also agreed to establish cyber and maritime security dialogues and a mechanism to have real time exchange of information on terrorism, drugs and arms trafficking issues. The leaders appreciated the Bilateral Defence Cooperation Programme signed in January 2025 which would give concrete shape to the defense partnership between the two countries. They welcomed the establishment of the India-Greece-Cyprus (IGC) Business and Investment Council to deepen economic engagement. Both leaders also discussed enhancing air connectivity to strengthen business, tourism, knowledge and innovation linkages. The Prime Minister emphasised that the India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor [IMEC] would contribute towards peace and prosperity in the region. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism and reform of global governance institutions, including UN Security Council reform. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 16 JUNE The Ministry of Home Affairs, on Monday, issued an official notification for population census in the country. The exercise that to collect humongous data, including the caste details, will be conducted in two phases, it said. The first phase, to cover the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, and two hilly states – Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand – will begin on October 1, 2026. The rest of the country will be covered during the second phase that will start on March 1, 2027. "A census of the population shall be undertaken during the year 2027. The reference date for the said census shall be 00.00 hours of March 1, 2027, except for the Union territory of Ladakh and snowbound non-synchronous areas of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand,” the notification issued under Section 3 of the Census Act, 1948 (37 FATF slams ‘brutal’ Pahalgam terror attack AGENCIES PARIS/NEW DELHI, 16 JUNE In a major development, the global Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Monday severely condemned the "brutal terrorist attack" in Pahalgam on April 22, stating that it could not have taken place without "money and the means" to move funds between terrorist supporters. "Terrorist attacks kill, maim and inspire fear around the world. The FATF notes with grave concern and condemns the brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025. This, and other recent attacks, could not occur without money and the means to move funds between terrorist supporters," the FATF said in a statement on Monday after its plenary meeting. It mentioned further: "As highlighted by the FATF Pres- ident at the recent No Money for Terror Conference in Munich, no single company, authority, or country can combat this challenge alone. We must be unified against the scourge of global terrorism. Because terrorists need to succeed only once to achieve their goal, while we have to succeed every time to prevent it." As many as 26 innocent tourists were massacred in the Pakistan-sponsored terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. Investigations into the Pahalgam terror attack brought out the communication nodes of terrorists in and to Pakistan. A group calling itself The Resistance Front (TRF) - a front for the UN-proscribed Pakistani terror outfit Lashkare-Taiba - had claimed responsibility for the attack. India had given inputs about the TRF in the halfyearly report to the Monitoring Team of the United Nations' 1267 Sanctions Committee in May and November 2024, bringing out its role as a cover for Pakistan-based terrorist groups. Earlier too, in December 2023, India had informed the monitoring team about LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammad operating through small terror groups such as the TRF. Pakistan's pressure to remove references to TRF in the April 25 UN Security Council Press Statement were highlighted by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) during Operation Sindoor. Review petition filed against SC’s mandate for 3-year practice to enter judicial service PARMOD KUMAR In its May 20 ruling, the top court had held that practical courtroom experience was essential for young lawyers entering the judiciary, and that it helps foster maturity, legal acumen and judicial temperament. NEW DELHI, 16 JUNE The Supreme Court has been moved seeking the review of its May 20, 2025, judgment that made three years of legal practice mandatory for the candidates aspiring to enter the judicial service at the Civil Judge (Junior Division) level. While prescribing mandatory requirement of threeyear practice for entry at the Civil Judge (Junior Division) level, a bench comprising Chief Justice BR Gavai, Justice Augustine George Masih, and Justice K Vinod Chandran, had said that the condition would be applicable prospectively and not to the selection processes already underway as on the date of the judgment. Advocate Kunal Sen Yadav, the petitioner seeking BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 73.70 Modi also thanks Cyprus for reiterating its support for India’s permanent membership of UNSC Air India flight: Investigators recover cockpit voice recorder from crash site The investigators on Monday recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), a crucial piece of evidence to know what happened in the last few minutes, from the crashed Air India flight in Ahmedabad. The CVR captures audio from the cockpit, including pilot conversations, alarms and ambient sounds. The flight data recorder (FDR), which logs crucial flight parameters like altitude, speed and engine performance, had been recovered from the debris on Friday. Together both CVR and FDR form what we call ‘black box’ in common terminology. Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading GAMBHIR SET TO REJOIN TEAM INDIA IN LEEDS the review of May 20, judgment, has urged the Court to defer the implementation of the three-year practice rule to 2027. He has contended that the enforcement of mandatory three-year legal practice condition would unjustly exclude law graduates from the batches of 2023–2025, who had been preparing based on the earlier eligibility criteria that did not prescribe mandatory practice. The plea states that the judgment suffers from “apparent errors on record” warranting a review. It further states that the newly imposed condition violates Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution, which guarantee equality and non-discrimination in public employment. “The direction mandating a minimum of three years of legal practice disproportionately impacts aspirants from economically weaker sections and socially disadvantaged communities, particularly Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC),” the petition states. It also points to the absence of comprehensive empirical data before the Supreme Court while concluding that fresh law graduates underperform as judicial officers. The petitioner submits that no comprehensive study or performance audit was placed before the bench to justify such a sweeping restriction. In its May 20 ruling, the top court had held that practical courtroom experience was essential for young lawyers entering the judiciary, and that it helps foster maturity, legal acumen and judicial temperament. The review petition now raises key questions about the balance between meritocracy, access to opportunity, and structural barriers in the legal profession, particularly for first-generation lawyers and those from underrepresented communities. The review petition will be considered by the same bench—Chief Justice BR Gavai, Justice Augustine George Masih, and Justice K Vinod Chandran—and, as per established practice, is likely to be examined in chambers by circulation, unless the bench decides to hold an open court hearing, if such a request is made by the petitioner seeking the review. of 1948), read. "In respect of the Union territory of Ladakh and snowbound non-synchronous areas of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date shall be 00:00 hours of October 1, 2026," it added. Notably, this is the first time that caste enumeration will be undertaken as part of the mammoth census exercise. The Central government, in a recent cabinet meeting, had given clearance for caste enumeration in the Census, saying it would enable it to frame policies with better precision. The green light for caste-based Census also stirred political slugfest with the Congress claiming that the Modi government was forced to include its idea of social justice and social empowerment. The BJP mocked the Opposition, saying they only claimed to be champions of the backward classes but it was the NDA government which was effecting a decisive change at the ground level. India’s nuclear arsenal bigger than that of Pakistan: SIPRI STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 16 JUNE India with its nuclear arsenal going up from 172 warheads in 2024 to an estimated 180 in 2025, maintains an overall lead over Pakistan as it has also made significant progress in developing advanced nuclear delivery systems in the recent past, a report said. According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)'s annual assessment of the state of armaments,India's new canisterised missiles, which allow warheads to be pre-mounted and transported more safely, could potentially carry nuclear warheads even during "peacetime". Key findings of the ‘SIPRI Yearbook 2025’ are that a dangerous new nuclear arms race is emerging at a time when arms control regimes are severely weakened. "India is believed to have once again slightly expanded its nuclear arsenal in 2024 and continued to develop new types of nuclear delivery systems. India's new canisterized missiles, which can be transported with mated warheads, may be capable of carrying nuclear warheads during peacetime, and possibly even multiple warheads on each missile, once they become operational," the report said. India's next-generation delivery platforms include Agni Prime (Agni-P) missile and the Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV)-capable Agni5 system. Agni-P is India’s new-generation, advanced variant of the Agni series of missiles. The latest test of the AgniP was conducted last year, according to the Defence Ministry of India.