WEDNESDAY 02 JULY 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 16 |` 5.00 | LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR THAI PM SHINAWATRA SUSPENDED OVER LEAKED CALL ‘INDIA HAS EVERY RIGHT TO PROTECT ITS PEOPLE FROM TERRORISM’ P6 SENSEX 83,697.29 p90.83 Generally Cloudy sky with one or two spells of light to moderate rain/ thundershower very likely to occur. RAINFALL: 013.0 mm TEMPERATURE SUN SETS 18:25 hrs MOON SETS 22:49 hrs Full Moon on 11 July THUMBNAILS People enjoy the pleasant weather as monsoon rains bring relief from the heat in Chandigarh on Tuesday. n IANS T he Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has held Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) "prima facie responsible" for the stampede that occurred on 4 June outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during the team’s IPL 2025 victory celebrations, which tragically claimed 11 lives and left several others injured. “Prima facie it appears that the RCB is responsible for the gathering of about three to five lakh people. The RCB did not take the appropriate permission or consent from the Police. Suddenly, they posted on social media platforms and as a result of aforesaid information the public were gathered,” noted the tribunal. The tribunal was hearing a petition filed by Additional Commissioner of Police Vikash Kumar Vikash, who was suspended following the incident. In its ruling, the CAT absolved the police of blame and cited RCB’s lack of coordination as a key factor contributing to the chaos. In the order passed by Justice B K Srivastava and Administrative Member Santosh Mehra, CATBangalore Branch, citing lack of time to make arrangements, said the police were also human beings and neither “God or magician” having magical powers like “Alladdin ka Chirag” to make adequate arrangements in such short time. The tribunal also highlighted the lack of formal communication from the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). “It cannot be expected from the Police that within a short time of about 12 hours the Police will make all arrangements required in the Police Act or in the other rules. Police personnel are also human beings...To control the aforesaid type of gathering and for making the proper arrangements sufficient time should be given to the Police.” “But neither the information was given to the Police for making the arrangements nor the permission was applied or granted by the Police. The KSCA submitted a letter which also did not contain any request for granting the permission or for making the arrangements. The letter shows only the information regarding the intention. Therefore, it was not expected from the Police that upon the basis of a letter submitted before the Station In-charge of one Police Station, the Police will make all arrangements all of a sudden,” the tribunal stated. The Karnataka government, meanwhile, has stated that it will take a decision soon to file an appeal regarding the Central Administrative Tribunal’s (CAT) decision to quash the suspension order of senior IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash in connection with the stampede incident. TMC insists on 2024 as base year for revision of electoral rolls in Bengal MEENAKSHI BHATTACHARYA NEW DELHI, 1 JULY poll panel is attempting to navigate away from the ongoing barrage of criticism. Indian Navy controls major fire near Fujairah, saves entire crew STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 1 JULY The Indian Navy rescued 14 crew members onboard Palau-flagged tanker MT Yi Cheng 6 after it caught fire in the North Arabian Sea. In the incident which took place in the early hours of 29 June, INS Tabar on mission-based deployment, received a Mayday distress call from MT Yi Cheng 6. The vessel reported a major fire outbreak in its engine room whilst operating approximately 80 nautical miles east of Fujairah, UAE. A statement from the Navy spokesperson stated that INS Tabar proceeded BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 67.08 RCB ‘prima facie responsible’ for Bengaluru stampede: CAT NEW DELHI, 1 JULY The notification issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar has stirred a veritable controversy. There are numerous allegations from the Trinamul Congress, RJD, and other Opposition parties concerning the revision of the voter list. In light of this situation, the P16 SILVER `1,10,000 GOLD `1,00,125 TRIDIB BAPARNASH Min. 83% Max: 31.0˚C ( -1.6 ) Min: 26.2 ˚C ( -0.5 ) SUN RISES 04:56 hrs MOON RISES 10:24 hrs ` vs $ 85.60 P13 Tribunal absolved police of blame and cited RCB’s lack of coordination as key contributor to the chaos RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 97% P11 NIFTY 25,541.80 p24.75 WEATHER RAHUL SLAMS GST: ‘TOOL INDIA GRAPPLE WITH OF ECONOMIC INJUSTICE, BALANCE AHEAD OF CORP CRONYISM’ BIRMINGHAM TEST at maximum speed to provide assistance and upon reaching the vicinity of the distressed vessel, launched firefighting operations. Seven crew members were immediately evacuated to INS Tabar using ship’s boats. No injuries were reported, and all crew were examined by Tabar’s medical team. The remaining crew members, including the master, stayed onboard to assist with fire containment. Sustained efforts by the Navy’s firefighting team along with crew members successfully brought the fire under control. INS Tabar remains on station for continued support, the statement added. While the Bengal elections are scheduled for next year, voting will take place in Bihar at the end of this year. On Tuesday, a five-member Trinamul delegation met with officials of the ECI in Delhi where they raised the demand that 2024 should be used as the base year for the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bengal. After the meeting, MP Kalyan Banerjee stated: “They are somewhat deviating from their previous decision and have assured that they will give special consideration to the points we raised.” The Trinamul’s contention is that all voters present in 2024 will remain on the voter list without any conditions. Mr Banerjee stated: “We pointed out that although you are talking about revision, it is creating confusion. Under the statute, the revision roll should be based on 2024, that is the base level. This means that voters enrolled till 2024 should remain irrespective of any condition. We also highlighted that the main concern is the requirement for birth certificates (as proof of domicile).” He added that the poll panel took note of it and said they would consider it. “They said those who already are voters will remain voters. If any inclusion is made after this, it will be based on evidence,” he said. India calls for release of Indian prisoners, fishermen, missing defence personnel from Pakistan’s custody STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 1 JULY India on Tuesday asked Pakistan to expedite the release and repatriation of 159 Indian fishermen and civilian prisoners who have completed their sentences. “In addition, Pakistan has been asked to provide immediate consular access to the 26 civilian prisoners and fishermen in Pakistan’s custody, who are believed-to-be-Indian and have not been provided consular access so far,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. Pakistan has been requested to ensure the safety of all Indian and believed-to-be- Indian civilian prisoners and fishermen, pending their release and repatriation to India. India and Pakistan on Tuesday exchanged, through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad, the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in each other’s custody. “Under the provisions of the bilateral Agreement on Consular Access 2008, such lists are exchanged every year on 1st January and on 1st July,” the statement said. India has shared names of 382 civilian prisoners and 81 fishermen in its custody, who are Pakistani or are believed-to-be-Pakistani. Similarly, Pakistan has shared names of 53 civilian prisoners and 193 fishermen in its custody, who are Indian or are believed-to-be-Indian. “The Government of India has called for early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, fishermen along with their boats, and missing Indian defence personnel from Pakistan’s custody,” the MEA said. BJP moves closer to electing new national president as Nadda’s extended term ends Cloudbursts cause devastation in HP; 4 dead SHIMLA, 1 JULY SUSHIL KUMAR NEW DELHI, 1 JULY Monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across Himachal Pradesh with a series of cloudbursts in 10 locations in Mandi district and one in Kinnaur, causing significant loss of life and property. Four people lost their lives in the Gohar, Karsog, and Dharampur areas of Mandi. One death each was reported from Old Ma rket Karsog and Dharampur, while two deaths occurred in Gohar. Sixteen people were missing in various parts of Mandi, with search and rescue operations ongoing. According to the State Disaster Management Authority, cloudbursts were reported in Rakchham (Kinnaur), Thunag (Mandi), Kutti Bypass and Old Market (Karsog), Rikki (Karsog), Syanj, Bassi, and Talwara (Gohar), and Syathi and Bhadarana (Dharampur). The intense rainfall damaged 18 houses and 12 cow shelters. In Bijni, part of an under-construction tunnel collapsed, though workers at the site managed to escape. SNS The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has initiated the process to elect state units chiefs as a precursor to electing its national president to replace JP Nadda, the Union Health Minister in the Narendra Modi government, in July. The BJP, the country’s largest political party in terms of representation in Parliament and state legislatures, has initiated its internal organisational elections, starting with the appointment of state unit presidents across India. The internal election process in the saffron party’s 37 organisational states is expected to be completed in the next two to three weeks, party sources said, adding that in states like Jharkhand, the exercise would conclude by the end of next month. Several BJP state unit presidents are expected to be elected within the current week itself, they said. The BJP’s constitution requires the election of its presidents in at least 19 out of its 37 organisational states before the process to elect its national president begins, and the saffron party is set to cross the threshold on 1 July. According to the BJP constitution, district presidents are elected after polls are held in half of the party’s blocks; state presidents are chosen after elections in half of the districts; and the national president is elected only after state presidents have been appointed in at least half of the organisational states. The BJP now has new state presidents, including some who were re-elected, in 16 states, a figure that is likely to rise in the days to come. Some big states like Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh may follow suit in the next few days. The names of new BJP state presidents for Uttarakhand and Maharashtra are likely to be announced on 1 July. Next week, the BJP is expected to announce state unit presidents in several states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. The term of the party’s national president, JP Nadda, officially ended in January 2023. The party leadership had extended his tenure until June 2024 in view of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. A Decade of Digital India NARENDRA MODI T en years ago, we embarked on a bold journey into uncharted territory with great conviction. While decades were spent doubting the ability of Indians to use technology, we changed this approach and trusted the ability of Indians to use technology. While decades were spent thinking that use of technology will deepen the gap between the haves and the have-nots, we changed this mindset and used technology to eliminate the gap between the haves and the have-nots. When the intent is right, innovation empowers the less empowered. When the approach is inclusive, technology brings change in the lives of those on the margins. This belief laid the foundation for Digital India: a mission to democratise access, build inclusive digital infrastructure, and opportunities for all. In 2014, internet penetration was limited, digital literacy was low, and online access to government services was scarce. Many doubted whether a country as vast and diverse as India could truly go digital. Today, that question has been answered not just in data and dashboards, but in the lives of 140 crore Indians. From how we govern, to how we learn, transact, and build, Digital India is everywhere. Bridging the Digital Divide In 2014, India had around 25 crore internet connections. Today, that number has grown to over 97 crores. Over 42 lakh kilometres of Optical Fibre Cable equivalent to 11 times the distance between Earth and the Moon now connects even the most remote villages. India's 5G rollout is among the fastest in the world, with 4.81 lakh base stations installed in just two years. High-speed internet now reaches urban hubs and forward military posts alike including Galwan, Siachen, and Ladakh. India Stack, which is our digital backbone, has enabled platforms like UPI, which now handles 100+ billion transactions a year. Around half of all real time digital transactions happen in India. Through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), over 44 lakh crore has been transferred directly to citizens, cutting out middlemen and saving 3.48 lakh crore in leakages. dency, India launched the Global DPI Repository and a $25 million Social Impact Fund, helping nations across Africa and South Asia adopt inclusive digital ecosystems. Schemes like SVAMITVA have issued 2.4 crore+ property cards and mapped 6.47 lakh villages, ending years of landrelated uncertainty. Democratising Opportunity for All India's digital economy is empowering MSMEs and small entrepreneurs like never before. ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) is a revolutionary platform which opens a new window of opportunities by providing a seamless connection with huge market of buyers and sellers. GeM (Government E-Marketplace) enables the common man to sell goods and services to all arms of the government. This not only empowers the common man with a huge market but also saves money for the Government. Imagine this: You apply for a Mudra loan online. Your creditworthiness is assessed through an account aggregator framework. You get your loan and start your venture. You register on GeM, supply to schools and hospitals, and then scale up via ONDC. ONDC recently crossed 200 million transactions, with the last 100 million in just six months. From Banarasi weavers to bamboo artisans in Nagaland, sellers are now reaching customers nationwide, without middlemen or digital monopolies. GeM has also crossed ₹1 lakh crore GMV in 50 days, with 22 lakh sellers including 1.8 lakh+ women-led MSMEs, who have fulfilled orders worth ₹46,000 crore. Digital Public Infrastructure: India's Global Offering India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) from Aadhaar, CoWIN, DigiLocker, and FASTag to PM-WANI and One Nation One Subscription is now studied and adopted globally. COWIN enabled the world's largest vaccination drive, issuing 220 crore QR-verifiable certificates. DigiLocker, with 54 crore users, hosts 775 crore+ documents, securely and seamlessly. Through our G20 Presi- Startup Power Meets AatmaNirbhar Bharat India now ranks among the top 3 startup ecosystems in the world, with over 1.8 lakh startups. But this is more than a startup movement, it is a tech renaissance. India is doing extremely well when it comes to Al skill penetration and Al talent concentration among our youth. Through the $1.2 billion India Al Mission, India has enabled access to 34,000 GPUs at globally unmatched prices at less than $1/GPU hour making India not just the most affordable internet economy, but also the most affordable compute destination. India has championed humanity-first Al. The New Delhi Declaration on Al promotes innovation with responsibility. We are establishing Al Centres of Excellence across the country. The Road Ahead The next decade will be even more transformative. We are moving from digital governance to global digital leadership, from India-first to India-for-the-world. Digital India has not remained a mere government programme, it has become a people's movement. It is central to building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, and to making India a trusted innovation partner to the world. To all innovators, entrepreneurs, and dreamers: the world is looking at India for the next digital breakthrough. Let us build what empowers. Let us solve what truly matters. Let us lead with technology that unites, includes, and uplifts.