FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 16 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR | Tuesday, 26 August 2025 SPORTS WORLD BUSINESS ‘We are at critical juncture’ NATION Jairam Ramesh slams HM for comments on Justice Reddy Page 11 Page 12 BRIEFLY ‘Test cricket is challenging and draining’ 4 journalists killed in Gaza hospital strike, officials say Page 5 India, Fiji’s aspirations sail in same boat: Modi NIKHIL VYAS ‘India becoming empowered under BJP’s leadership’ New Delhi, 25 August SC Collegium: New Delhi: The Supreme Court collegium on Monday recommended the elevation of Bombay High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Patna High Court Chief Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi as judges of the apex court. 17 workers from J’khand trapped in Cameroon return home: Ranchi: Seventeen migrant workers from Jharkhand, who had been stranded in Africa's Cameroon for the past several months, returned home safely on Monday following the intervention of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The workers, belonging to Bokaro and Hazaribagh districts, were among 19 people who had travelled to the West African nation through a private agency to work. P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India and Fiji may be oceans apart but their aspirations sail in the same boat as the two countries reaffirmed their resolve to build a broad-based, inclusive, and forward-looking partnership in areas such as defence, health, agriculture, agro-processing, trade and investment, development of small and medium enterprises, cooperatives, culture, sports, education and skill development. Making a joint press statement after his official talks with visiting Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, PM Modi said, " We see Fiji as a hub for cooperation with Pacific Island countries. We both support a free, open, inclusive, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Prime Minister's vision of 'Oceans of Peace' is a very positive one. We welcome Fiji to join India's Indo-Pacific STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Ahmedabad, 25 August Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka at Hyderabad House, in New Delhi on Monday. ANI Ocean initiative." "India and Fiji may be oceans apart, but our aspirations sail in the same boat," PM Modi said, adding that the two nations are partners in building a world order where the independence, ideas and identity of the Global South are respected. PM Modi said the two countries have decided to strengthen mutual cooperation in the field of defence and security. "For this, an action plan has been prepared. To enhance Fiji's maritime security, India will provide cooperation in training and equipment. In the areas of cyber security and data protection, we are ready to share our experience," he said. The Prime Minister said both countries were united against terrorism. "We agree that terrorism is a big challenge for the whole of humanity. We express our gratitude to Prime Minister Rabuka and the Government of Fiji for their cooperation and support in our fight against terrorism," he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday said that "India is becoming empowered today by walking on the path shown by Sudarshan-Chakradhari Mohan & Charkhadhari Mohan." Addressing a gathering in Ahmedabad after launching key projects worth over Rs 5,400 crore and aimed at strengthening connectivity, improving public services, and driving economic growth, Modi said, emphasizing the country's progress under his leadership. "Today, we do not spare terrorists and their masters, no matter where they are hiding," the Prime Minister said emphasizing that "Every type of industry is expanding here on the land of Gujarat. It has become a manufacturing hub." Page 16 Infiltration bid foiled in Uri, Pak drones sighted in Poonch STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Jammu, 25 August The Indian Army on Monday foiled an infiltration attempt along the Line of Control (LoC) in Baramulla district of north Kashmir, officials said. The infiltration attempt was detected in the Torna area of the Uri sector, where troops observed suspicious movement near the LoC. The infiltrators were challenged, resulting in a brief exchange of fire. No casualties have been reported so far on either side. A large-scale search operation is currently underway in the area, officials said. Meanwhile, another massive search operation has been launched in the areas along the LoC in Poonch district after several drones from Pakistan were spotted hovering along the border. About six drones were detected on Sunday night over the forward areas in the Mendhar sector, including Balakote, Langote and Gursai nallah, officials said. People living in bordering areas helped army during Op Sindoor: Rajnath Singh STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 25 August Emphasising that national security is every citizen’s responsibility, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday noted that people in the bordering areas fully supported Indian armed forces during Operation Sindoor. “People in border areas provided full support to the Armed Forces during Operation Sindoor, which is testament to the fact that the security of the nation is not just the responsibility of the Government or the military, but of every citizen,” the minister said in Jodhpur. As per an official release, Singh emphasised that the country can face any difficulty & become stronger, if citizens, especially the youth, remain aware & dedicated towards their duties. New Delhi: After a gap of almost eight years, the DMRC has revised the passenger fares with effect from Monday. "The increase has been minimal, ranging from Rs 1 to Rs 4, depending on the distance of travel," a DMRC spokesperson said. A similar increase has also been implemented for the Airport Express Line where the increase ranges from Rs 1 to Rs 5. According to the DMRC, the base fare to travel in the Delhi metro has been hiked from Rs 10 to Rs 11. Chief Minister Mamata asks CS to plug loopholes in SC, ST list PARMOD KUMAR Delhi Metro fares revised: SC asks five comedians to apologise for remarks on persons with disabilities Kolkata, 25 August New Delhi, 25 August The Supreme Court on Monday directed stand-up comedians Samay Raina (photo), Vipul Goyal, Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Nishant Jagdish Tanwar, and Sonali Thakkar (Sonali Aditya Desai) to tender unconditional apologies on their social media platforms, including YouTube, for their alleged insensitive remarks against persons with disabilities. A Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi also asked the Union government to place before the Court draft guidelines it is preparing to regulate online content and ensure that the dignity and rights of all communities are safeguarded. The Bench noted that humour and satire are integral to free expression but cautioned that commercialised content cannot cross the line of dignity. “Humour is part of life and we can take jokes on ourselves. But when you start making fun of others, there is a breach of sensitivity,” Justice Kant observed. Justice Bagchi underlined that commercial speech stands on a different footing from free speech. “It’s not just freedom of speech but the question is of commercial speech. When we talk of commercial speech, then there is no freedom there,” he said. The Court emphasised that India’s diversity required particular sensitivity, adding: “These are so-called influencers of today. When you are commercialising speech, you cannot use the community and hurt their sentiments.” Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, said that there cannot be a blanket gag on speech, stressing balancing freedom of expression with respect for dignity and equality. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today asked the state chief secretary Manoj Pant to look into the irregularities plaguing the SC, ST list and also directed the tribal ministers to visit the tribal-dominated areas more often to arrest any discontent that may be brewing among their population, sources at the state Secretariat at Nabanna claimed. The CM's instructions to her Cabinet colleagues and the state chief secretary to be more proactive in looking into the irregularities comes on the heels of the Tribal Advisory Council meeting, which she presided over today. Sources said she expressed resentment at the possibility of anomalies plaguing the list of SC and ST, which had reportedly come to notice since 2021, claimed a source. The chief minister in the meeting said that the list of SC, ST had names of several candidates not qualifying, which should be looked into and asked the chief secretary Manoj Pant to take immediate steps to eradicate the alleged anomalies plaguing the list. She also believed to have asked the chief secretary to furnish an action taken report to her on the particular issue. In the same vein, she also alerted the state administration to be vigilant against any kind of deprivation by the Tribal communities from the rights of the forest . By asking her tribal ministers to reach out to the people of SC, ST communities in tribal areas more frequently, she has tried to strengthen her party’s grip in weaning away the tribal groups by reclaiming areas wrested by Opposition BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, sources claimed. Govt to resume seaplane services in October Taiwan bats for enhanced cooperation with India in semiconductors, other key sectors STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE ASHOK TUTEJA Bhubaneswar, 25 August Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu (photo) on Monday highlighted the rapid growth and inclusive transformation of India’s aviation sector, announcing that seaplane operations will resume in October with two aircraft under revised guidelines in Kerala, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Andhra Pradesh. Speaking at the Eastern Region Ministers’ Conference here, Naidu said the government’s focus was on expanding the country’s airport network by utilizing 450 unoperationalised airstrips, converting them into cargo airports, satellite airports and heliports. The UDAN scheme has been revolutionary in enhancing regional connectivity. From 74 airports eleven years ago, India today has 162, and our aircraft fleet has doubled from 400 in 2014 to 800, he said, noting that the sector has grown at 7.4% annually. The minister announced that UDAN, which has already added 50 new routes taking the total to 637, will continue in a modified form for another 10 years with more routes and upgraded airstrips. He said the rising demand for pilots and aviation professionals requires India to establish global standards in Flying Training Organisations (FTOs). About 3,000 new pilots are needed annually, and from October, FTOs will be graded to guide students on quality training opportunities. He also urged industry players to promote aerosports. Naidu inaugurated the UDAN Yatri Café at Biju Patnaik International Airport and witnessed the signing of two MoUs between the Odisha government and Air Works—one to set up Anchor MRO facilities at BPIA and another to impart six months’ skill training to youth. Taipei, 25 August Amid efforts by India and China to mend fences after prolonged tensions in the wake of the Ladakh military stand-off, Taiwan has expressed confidence that New Delhi will continue to support its cause and take steps to deepen India-Taiwan cooperation in diverse areas, including the critical semiconductor sector. “Taiwan and India are indispensable partners in the global democratic community… it is a marriage made in heaven,’’ Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (photo) told a group of senior journalists from Indo-Pacific nations. Rejecting Beijing’s repeated claim that Taiwan is a part of China, he asserted that Taiwan is an independent nation with strong democratic credentials. “China has not ruled Taiwan even for a single day. They (China) are writing a novel perhaps… even if they tell a lie 100 times, it won’t become a truth (that Taiwan is a part of China),’’ he added. Mr Lin also spoke about the recent controversy during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit, when the Chinese media reported that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told the Chinese minister that India considered Taiwan as part of China. New Delhi subsequently vehemently denied any change in its position on Taiwan. The Taiwanese minister wondered why Beijing is applying pressure on other democratic nations to reduce their engagement with Taiwan while China’s own trade with the island nation has been increasing. ‘’India has a relationship with Taiwan that focuses on economic, technology and cultural ties…why should China oppose it? Our economies are highly complementary,’’ he said. Mr Lin was of the view that India and Taiwan should aspire to conclude a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) at an early date, disregarding any objections from China. ‘’An FTA will allow a comprehensive economic partnership between our two nations and also enable us to meet the challenge posed by the tariff announced by President Donald Trump,’’ he added. The minister noted that many Taiwanese are taking their investments out of China to other destinations and pointed out that India could be a very good destination for them. “The best way for us is to sign an FTA…this will also help our businesses move out of China. I sincerely urge India to have this strategic thinking,’’ he added. Mr Lin also hoped that the two countries would ink a wide-ranging Migration & Mobility Agreement that they have been discussing for some time. ''We have come across some difficulties on the Migration & Mobility Agreement. We need to find a solution,’’ he added. On the Dalai Lama, he said Taiwan has the highest respect for the Tibetan spiritual leader, who has been living in exile in India.