TUESDAY 8 JULY 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR CHOUHAN BATS FOR NEW LAWS TO TACKLE DUPLICATE FERTILISERS ISSUE CONG CALLS OUT GOVT'S ATTEMPTS TO HIDE UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS P5 P4 SENSEX 83,442.50 p9.61 WEATHER GENERALLY CLOUDY SKY. LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN ACCOMPANIED WITH THUNDERSTORM/ LIGHTNING. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 34 AND 24 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: 000.5 Mm NIFTY 25,461.30 p0.30 ` vs $ 85.92 TRUMP AND NETANYAHU TAKE A VICTORY LAP ON IRAN P9 GOLD `99,635 TEMPERATURE cussing bilateral ties in economic cooperation, development partnership, fintech, capacity building, science and technology, disaster management, and healthcare. Additionally, PM Modi held a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, discussing ways to enhance bilateral cooperation. "Had a good conversation with PM Pham Minh Chinh of Vietnam on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Brazil," PM Modi shared. Min: 22.9°C (-5.0) SUN SETS 19:23 hrs MOON SETS 03:38 hrs THUMBNAILS STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 7 JULY A Red-wattled lapwing spotted sitting at the bank of Karimpur Beel in Nadia on Monday. nANI Bear mauls 3 people to death in MP, 5 injured: A bear mauled three people to death and injured five others in a village near the Sanjay Gandhi Tiger Reserve in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh Monday morning. Irate villagers surrounded the bear and thrashed it to death with sticks and clubs, soon after it attacked the villagers. P rime Minister Narendra Modi engaged in a series of bilateral meetings on Monday with world leaders on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The meetings underscored India's commitment to strengthening global partnerships and cooperation. During his meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the sidelines of the summit, the two leaders reviewed the progress in bilateral relations since Ibrahim's state visit to India in August 2024. They discussed trade and investment, defence, education, healthcare, tourism, and people-to-people contacts. Modi thanked Ibrahim for his strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack, emphasising the need for global cooperation against terrorism. "We reviewed the ground covered in our bilateral relations, including the progress made since PM Ibrahim's visit to India last year. Futuristic sectors like IT, renewable energy, and infrastruc- Cash recovery case: VP says we must have courage to confront uncomfortable truths STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 7 JULY Emphasising that India being a mature democracy which is governed by a rule of law, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday raised concern over the case involving Delhi High Court Justice Yashwant Varma, from whom official residence a significant amount of unaccounted cash was recovered, saying every crime must be investigated and an FIR be registered. Interacting with the students and faculty members of National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) in Kochi, Kerala, the Vice President noted that the world looks at India as a mature democracy and equality before law means every crime is probed properly. “…If the money is so huge in volume, we have to find out if it is tainted. What is the source of this money? How was it stocked in the official residence of a judge? It belonged to whom? Several penal provisions are violated in the process. I do hope an FIR will be registered,” he said while addressing the gather- ing. A huge amount of unaccounted cash was found at the official residence of Delhi High Court Justice Yashwant Varma after a fire incident in March. The discovery led to an in-house inquiry by a committee of senior judges appointed by the Chief Justice of India. Dhankhar, describing the situation as “worrisome” further told the students and faculty members of the college that uncomfortable truths in our institutions must be confronted. “We must have courage to confront problems. We must not rationalise failures. We must always remember we belong to a nation that has to define a global narrative. We have to be architects of a world that lives in peace and harmony. We must have first courage to confront uncomfortable truths within our own institutions,” he, according to an official press release, said. He, however, also appreciated the work being done by the judiciary in the country, saying judges who do a lot of work must be protected. “I'm all for the independence of the Judiciary. I'm a strong votary of protecting judges. Judges deal with very difficult situations. They decide cases against the executive. They deal in certain areas where legislature matters. We must protect our Judges from frivolous litigation. So I'm not against the mechanism evolving, but when something like this happens. Some things are worrisome,” he was quoted as saying by the official communique. “The judiciary in our country commands immense trust, immense respect for the people. People believe in the judiciary like no other institution. If their faith is eroded -- shaken in the institution -- we will be faced with a grim situation. A nation of 1.4 billion will suffer,” he added. ture are those where bilateral ties are growing strongly," PM Modi said on X asserting: "Also discussed how to improve investment and trade relations between our nations." The two leaders also explored cooperation in the multilateral arena and regional security, with Modi congratulating Malaysia on its successful stewardship of ASEAN. They welcomed the prospect of strengthening the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. PM Modi also met with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, dis- EAM meets counterparts from Russia and Iran STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 7 JULY External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his counterparts from Russia, Iran and Mexico on the margins of the BRICS Summit in Brazil. Mr Jaishankar is part of the Indian delegation, led by PM Modi, which participated in the BRICS Summit. ''Good to meet with FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia on the sidelines of #BRICS2025. Discussed bilateral cooperation, West Asia, BRICS and SCO,'' the Indian minister wrote on X after meeting his Russian counterpart. The recent conflict between Iran and Israel is understood to have figured during talks between Mr Jaishankar and the Iranian foreign minister. ''Glad to meet FM @araghchi of Iran this evening. Our conversation focused on recent regional developments,'' he wrote on X. Lodged protest with India for extending B’day greetings to Dalai Lama: China STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 7 JULY China on Monday said it has lodged representations (protest) with India over Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Indian leaders congratulating the 14th Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday. ''The Indian side should fully recognize the highly sensitive nature of Xizang (Tibet)related issues, recognize the anti-China separatist nature of the 14th Dalai Lama, adhere to its commitments on Xizangrelated matters, be prudent in its words and deeds, and stop using Xizang-related issues to interfere in China's internal affairs,'' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said at a media briefing in BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 66.13 SC to hear petitions against EC’s revision of electoral rolls in Bihar Additionally, Modi holds meeting with Vietnamese PM to discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperation Min. 57 % Max: 35°C (-1.6) SUN RISES 05:31 hrs MOON RISES 17:34 hrs P12 SILVER `1,10,000 PM meets Malaysian & Cuban leaders on sidelines of BRICS RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 100% SANJOG GUPTA TAKES OVER AS NEW ICC CEO Beijing. She said China has already lodged representations with India regarding this matter. In a post on X, Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong wrote, "It has been noted that some Indian officials recently made some remarks regarding the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama." The Chinese envoy said Beijing "opposes any attempts by overseas organizations or individuals to interfere in or dictate the reincarnation process." Responding to a question on reports that China closely assisted Pakistan at the expense of India in the recent conflict between the two South Asian nations, the Chinese spokesperson said ChinaPakistan relations are not directed at any third party, and that Beijing encourages both India and Pakistan to resolve differences through dialogue and consultations and jointly uphold regional peace and stability. Meanwhile, the Chinese Defence Ministry dismissed reports about Beijing's effort to dent the appeal of Frenchmade Rafale jets, which were used by India in the conflict against Pakistan, as "pure groundless rumors and slander. Modi calls for global cooperation on environment and health at BRICS summit: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the session on ‘Environment, COP30, and Global Health’ at the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, emphasizing the importance of global cooperation in addressing environmental and health challenges. Expressing gratitude to Brazil for initiating a discussion on these critical topics, the Prime Minister said: "I'm grateful to Brazil for initiating a discussion on these topics at the BRICS Summit because these are important subjects for the future of humankind." PM Modi stressed the need for comprehensive reforms in global institutions to address the marginalization of the Global South and 21st-century challenges. PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 7 JULY The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to list on July 10 a batch of petitions — including by the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms, TMC MP Mahua Moitra, RJD MP Manoj Jha, and civil society activist Yogendra Yadav — challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to carry out a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar, ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. The matter was mentioned before a vacation bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Joymalya Bagchi by Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, who sought an early hearing in view of the July 25 deadline set for voters to furnish proof of citizenship under the new ECI directive. Senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Gopal Sankaranarayanan, and Shadan Farasat, appearing for various petitioners, were also present during the mentioning. The petitions seek a stay on the June 24 order issued by the Election Commission and its eventual quashing, alleging it violates fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19, 21, 325, and 326 of the Constitution. The petitioners have contended that the move also contravenes the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and Rule 21A of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. According to the petitions, the directive imposes the burden of furnishing fresh documentation, which would disproportionately affect rural, poor, and marginalised communities in Bihar. The exclusion of widely held documents like Aadhaar and ration cards as acceptable identity proof is particularly prejudicial, they argue. The ADR petition flags the “unreasonably short timeline” of July 25 for submitting the documents and cautions that it risks the mass disenfranchisement of genuine voters.