FRIDAY 27 JUNE 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR P5 NO JASPRIT BUMRAH FOR EDGBASTON TEST? KHAMENEI WARNS US IN FIRST STATEMENT SINCE CEASEFIRE ‘BJP ALLIANCE IS IN DANGER, NOT RELIGION’ RAHUL HIGHLIGHTS MUMBAI'S HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CRISIS P8 P9 SENSEX 83,755.87 p1,000.36 NIFTY 25,549.00 p304.25 WEATHER P12 SCO must name and shame terror sponsors: Rajnath VERY LIGHT TO LIGHT RAIN ACCOMPANIED WITH THUNDERSTORM/ LIGHTNING TOWARDS EVENING/ NIGHT. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 37 AND 27 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: 000.0 Mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 85% Min. 54% TEMPERATUR Max: 38°C (+0.8) SUN RISES 05:26 hrs MOON RISES 08:10 hrs Min: 28.6°C (+0.7) SUN SETS 19:23 hrs MOON SETS 21:24 hrs THUMBNAILS Devotees throng Kamakhya Temple to offer prayer after the conclusion of the four-day 'Ambubachi Mela' in Guwahati on Thursday. nANI 3 die, 10 missing as bus to Char Dham falls into Alaknanda river in Rudraprayag: Three pilgrims died, eight were seriously injured, and ten were missing after a bus going towards Badrinath Shrine fell into a 300-metre-deep gorge in Rudraprayag on Thursday morning. Rescuers have recovered two bodies while the search for the missing persons was going on. Tragedy occurred near the State Bank turn, at Gholtir area in Rudraprayag, when a 31-seater Char Dham pilgrimage bus went out of control and plunged into the Alaknanda River, nearly 300 metres down the road. ` vs $ 85.69 GOLD `1,00,000 SILVER `1,08,000 He also called for proactive steps to prevent the spread of radicalisation among the youth STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 26 JUNE I n stern words, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) should not hesitate to criticise nations indulging in cross-border terrorism and harbouring terrorists. “Peace and prosperity cannot coexist with terrorism and proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the hands of non-state actors and terror groups,” Singh said in his address at the SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting at Qingdao, China. Clearly outlining India’s stance taken against terrorism during Operation Sindoor, Singh said that dealing with the challenges requires decisive action. “It is imperative that those who sponsor, nurture and utilise terrorism for their narrow and selfish ends must bear the consequences. Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide shelter to terrorists. There should be no place for such double standards. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations,” he added. Defending India’s military actions during Operation Sindoor, Singh said that it was in response to the heinous terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and the country exercised its right to defend against terrorism and pre-empt as well as deter further cross-border attacks. “During the Pahalgam terror attack, victims were shot after they were profiled on religious identity. The Resistance Front, a proxy of UN-designated terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) claimed responsibility for the attack. The pattern of the Pahalgam attack matches with LeT’s previous terror attacks in India. India’s zero tolerance for terrorism was demonstrated through its actions. It includes our right to defend ourselves against terrorism. We have shown that epicentres of terrorism are no longer safe and we will not hesitate to target them,” he said. Stating that there was a need to hold the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of reprehensible acts of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, accountable and bring them to justice. He termed any and every act of terrorism criminal and unjustifiable regardless of their motivation, whenever, wherever and committed by whom-so-ever. SCO members must condemn this evil unequivocally, he said, reaffirming India’s resolve to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Calling upon the member countries to unite in eliminating the menace for collective safety and security, Singh said that the biggest challenges faced by the region are related to peace, security and trustdeficit, with increasing radicalisation, extremism and terrorism being the root cause of these problems. He also called for proactive steps to prevent the spread of radicalisation among the youth, acknowledging the significant role of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) mechanism in tackling the challenge. “The joint statement of the Council of SCO Heads of State on ‘Countering Radicalisation leading to Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism’ issued during India’s Chairmanship symbolises our shared commitment,” he stated. Underscoring the importance of countering the technology used by terrorists, including drones for cross-border smuggling of weapons and drugs, pointing out that traditional borders are no longer the sole barriers against threats in this interconnected world. He stressed that the world faces an intricate web of challenges that range from transnational terrorism and cyberattacks to hybrid warfare. These threats, he said, do not respect national boundaries and demand a unified response rooted in transparency, mutual trust, and collaboration. Stating that globalisation has been losing momentum, and the weakening of multilateral systems has made it harder to address urgent challenges, from maintaining peace and security to rebuilding economies after the pandemic, the defence minister said that competition between major powers is intensifying, with trade and technology being increasingly used as tools in geopolitical rivalries. “India believes that reformed multilateralism can help build cooperation to prevent conflict between countries by creating mechanisms for dialogue and collaboration,” he said. The Union minister also spoke about India’s commitment to increasing its connectivity with Central Asia. “Better connectivity not only enhances mutual trade but also fosters mutual trust. However, in these efforts, it is essential to uphold the basic principles of the SCO charter, particularly respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states,” he said. He also added that India has been consistent and steadfast in its policy in support of peace, security and stability in Afghanistan. “As Afghanistan’s largest regional development partner, India continues to implement capacitybuilding initiatives for the Afghan people,” he said. Indian languages to be strengthened to cement unity further: Amit Shah STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 26 JUNE Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that the BJP-led NDA government would strengthen the Indian languages, and make them a powerful medium to unite the country further. "In the last few decades, language was used as a means to divide India. They could not break it, but efforts were made," Shah said while speaking at the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Official Language Department in the national capital. "We will ensure that our languages become a powerful medium to unite India. For this, the Official Language Analysis of black box data of crashed India evacuated over 4,000 Indians from AI plane currently underway: Centre Iran, Israel under Op Sindhu so far: MEA STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 26 JUNE The Centre said on Thursday that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have started the data extraction process of the Black Box and the Cockpit Voice recorder (CVR) of AI-171, which had crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. The Ministry of Civil Aviation said following the unfortunate accident involving Air India Flight AI-171, the AAIB promptly initiated an investigation and constituted a multidisciplinary team on 13 June 2025, in line with prescribed norms. "India, as a signatory to the ICAO Chicago Convention (1944), investigates aircraft accidents in accordance with ICAO Annex 13 and the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is the designated authority for such investigations," the Ministry said. The analysis of the data from Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVR) and Flight Data Recorders (FDR) – recovered from the crash site of Air India Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft in Ahmedabad – is currently underway in full compliance, it said. The team, constituted as per international protocol, is led by DG AAIB, and includes an aviation medicine specialist, an ATC officer, and representatives from National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) which is government investigative agency from the state of manufacture and design, (the USA), as required for such investigations, it said. "Both the Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVR) and Flight Data Recorders (FDR) were recovered—one from a rooftop of the building at the crash site on 13 June, 2025 and the other from the debris on 16 June, 2025," the Ministry said in a statement. "All actions so far related to Black Boxes have been taken in full compliance with domestic laws and international obligations in a timebound manner," the statement said. “Standard Operating Procedures were issued for their secure handling, storage, and transportation. The devices were kept under 24x7 police protection and CCTV surveillance in Ahmedabad,” the Ministry said. Subsequently, the black boxes were brought from Ahmedabad to Delhi by IAF aircraft with full security on June 24. “The front black box arrived at AAIB Lab, Delhi with the DG, AAIB at 1400 hrs on 24 June, 2025. The rear black box was brought by a second AAIB team and reached AAIB Lab, Delhi at 1715 hrs on 24 June, 2025,” the statement said. NIKHIL VYAS NEW DELHI, 26 JUNE Over 4,000 Indian nationals have been brought back from Iran and Israel so far under Operation Sindhu, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. The Indian government launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate all the Indian nationals from Iran and Israel amidst the escalating tensions between both countries, which had gripped the region for the past couple of weeks before a ceasefire was agreed on Tuesday. Addressing his weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, while sharing an update on Operation Sindhu, said India has evacuated 3,426 Indian nationals from Iran and 818 Indian nationals from Israel till date under Operation Sindhu. "We launched Operation Sindhu on June 18. We have around 10,000 people from the Indian community in Iran and around 40,000 people in Israel who are Indian nationals," he said. He further said from Iran, India has so far evacuated 3,426 Indian nationals, 11 OCI cardholders, 9 Nepalese nationals, some Sri Lankan nationals as well and one Iranian national who happens to be the spouse of an Indian national. The MEA spokesperson said 14 special flights were from Iran, Armenia and Turkmenistan and one final flight is en route from Armenia. "In all, we mounted 14 flights to bring back Indian nationals from Iran. These flights, they flew from Mashhad, as well as from Yerevan in Armenia, and Ashgabat, Turkmenistan," Jaiswal added. ‘Mediation not only about Shukla makes history, becomes first Indian to enter ISS reunion in marital cases’ MUSKAN BHATIA PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 26 JUNE The Supreme Court on Thursday said that mediation in matrimonial disputes is not undertaken solely with the objective of reuniting estranged spouses, and that an amicable separation is also a legitimate and acceptable outcome of the process. “In matrimonial matters, the moment we say mediation, the bar feels we are directing the parties to be together. We only want a solution, not insisting on the parties to be together. We prefer the parties are together. But parting ways can also be a solution,” remarked Justice KV Viswanathan heading a BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 67.03 NEW DELHI, 26 JUNE vacation bench also comprising Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh. The observation came while referring a matrimonial dispute to mediation. Justice Viswanathan underscored that the role of mediation is to facilitate resolution, not to impose reconciliation. “We are not insisting on reuniting the parties; we are seeking an amicable settlement” he said. Adding to this, Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh noted that pre-institution mediation is statutorily mandated in commercial disputes under the Commercial Courts Act, thereby highlighting the growing significance of mediation in diverse legal domains. Making his entry through the Harmony module of the International Space Station (ISS) at 5:55 pm IST on Thursday, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla carried with him not just his space kit, but the hopes and aspirations of over a billion Indians. At that moment, history was scripted: Shukla became the first Indian to set foot aboard the ISS, etching his name into the chronicles of India’s space odyssey. A feat never before accomplished by an Indian national. While Shukla is the first to board the ISS under the Indian flag, two astronauts of Indian origin – Sunita Williams and Raja Chari – have previously journeyed to the space station as part of NASA missions. Shukla piloted the mission led by Axiom Space aboard Grace, the latest addition to SpaceX’s Dragon fleet, travelling at a staggering 27,000 km/h. The spacecraft docked in automation mode seamlessly with the orbiting laboratory at an altitude of 422 km, with contact established at 4:01 p.m. IST on Thursday. After docking, it took nearly two hours to complete mandatory checks and leak tests before the crew was cleared to enter the International Space Station. The Axiom-4 team – led by NASA veteran and mission commander Peggy Whitson – was the first to step aboard, followed by Shubhanshu Shukla and fellow mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. They were greeted with handshakes and embraces by members of Crew-73, currently stationed aboard the ISS. Twenty-four hours into their voyage, the Axiom-4 crew connected with mission control to share reflections on their first experience in Earth’s orbit. Led by Peggy Whitson – America’s most seasoned astronaut – the four-member team spoke of their spacecraft, Grace, their zero-gravity mascot Joy, and offered heartfelt greetings to their nations and those watching from Earth. In a message delivered in Hindi, Shukla said, “Namaskar from space”. He noted the historic significance of their launch, which took place from the same site as Apollo 11’s Moon mission, and added: “Not for a moment have I felt alone. It feels as though the entire nation is with me.” Department will work. I believe that the foundation that is being laid under the leadership of Modi ji will create a great India in 2047, and on the way to creating a great India, we will develop our Indian languages, make them rich, increase their utility," he added. Shah also advocated for the greater use of Indian languages in governmental communications. "Indian languages should be used as much as possible in government work, not only in the central government but also in the state governments. For this, we will also contact the states, try to convince and persuade them," he said. NHRC seeks report from Odisha on public humiliation of migrants from Bengal STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BHUBANESWAR, 26 JUNE The National Human Rights Commission has sought an action taken report from Odisha police on the alleged harassment – stripping and parading of migrant workers from West Bengal in Sundargarh district. Acting on a petition filed by rights activist and lawyer Akhand, the NHRC asked the Odisha police to ensure the needful action and submit the action taken report within four weeks. Though the incident took place over allegations of misconduct towards a woman on 11 December last year, police kept mum by not arresting the miscreants , the petitioner alleged. The actions of the mob constitute a blatant violation of Fundamental Rights , International Human Rights norms International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and legal provision under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), it said. The petition also sought for adequate compensation to the victims for the mental agony, physical harm, and violation of their dignity.