FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 BRIEFLY Jadavpur University student found dead in campus pond: Kolkata: A third-year English honours student of Jadavpur University was found dead late Thursday night in a pond inside the university campus, sparking outrage among students and fresh demands for stronger security measures. The student, identified as 21-year-old Anamika Mondal of Majerhati Nimta, was discovered around 10.20 p.m. floating near Gate No. 4 of the campus, close to the Arts Faculty student union room, police said. Fellow students pulled her out and attempted CPR before rushing her to KPC Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared her dead. Police have registered a case of unnatural death and sent the body for postmortem examination. Page 3 | Pages 16 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA LC | NEW DELHI STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 12 September P rime Minister Narendra Modi will visit ethnic conflict-hit Manipur on Saturday amid hope and scepticism in the north-eastern state. The visit is part of a five-state tour to inaugurate projects worth Rs 71,850 crore. PM Modi said ahead of his trip that the government was fully committed to ensuring inclusive and all-round development of Manipur. In a series of social media posts, PM Modi said: “I will be attending programmes in Churachandpur and Imphal tomorrow, 13th September. We are fully committed to STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 12 September Security is tightened in Manipur ahead of PM Modi’s visit. ANI furthering inclusive and all-round development of Manipur.” “The foundation stone for road projects, National Highway projects, women hostels and more would be laid. The projects being inaugurated include the Civil Secretariat at Mantripukhri, the IT SEZ Building and the New Police Headquarters at Mantripukhri, a unique all-women’s market in various districts,” PM Modi said. The Prime Minister, from Delhi, would first arrive in Mizoram’s capital to inaugurate the 51.38-km Bairabi-Sairang railway project, making Aizawl the fourth capital city in the Northeast to be connected by rail after Guwahati (Dispur), Agartala and Itanagar. From Aizawl, he would fly to Manipur’s Churachandpur and Imphal to attend a series of events and interaction with people. Saturday’s Manipur visit would be the PM’s first visit since ethnic violence broke out in the state in May 2023. Coming as it does nearly 29 100 per cent tariff on India and China for their continued purchase of crude oil from Russia. “Chinese and Indian purchases of Russian oil are funding Putin’s war machine and prolonging the senseless killing of the Ukrainian people. Earlier this week, we made it clear to our EU allies that if they are serious about ending the war in their own backyard, they need to join us and impose meaningful tariffs that will be rescinded the day the war ends,” the report quoted a US Treasury department spokesperson as saying. Recently, India, China and Russia shared the diplomatic stage at the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit with signals of a closer relationship among its members at a time when the world has been roiled by US trade policies and tariffs. The two-day event, attended by more than 20 leaders of non-Western countries, was seen as showcasing Beijing’s ambition for a new global security and economic order that poses a challenge to the USA. However, recently, in a social media post, Mr Trump hinted at a softened stance towards India. India, EU reaffirm commitment to early conclusion of FTA talks: Goyal STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 12 September Union Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said a balanced and mutually beneficial FTA between India & the European Union (EU) will unlock new opportunities. Taking to social media, Minister Goyal wrote: "As the India-EU FTA negotiations continue, we reiterated our shared commitment towards its early conclusion. A balanced and mutually beneficial FTA will unlock new opportunities for people & businesses on both sides." Nepal’s former Chief Justice, Sushila Karki, takes oath as interim PM after days of chaos AGENCIES Kathmandu, 12 September Sushila Karki, 73, was sworn in as Nepal's interim Prime Minister late Friday evening to a transitional administration after a deadly wave of protests swept the nation this week, toppling the government of K P Sharma Oli. Karki, who was also the country’s first woman Chief Justice, took the oath of office from President Ram Chandra Poudel who held extensive consultations with leaders of the Gen-Z protests, constitutional experts, and the chief of the Nepal Army throughout the day. Karki was the pick of the activists who have taken to the streets against the Oli government, chosen through a public vote held by Gen Z leaders on the SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR Modi to visit Manipur today amid hope and scepticism Trump to pressure G7 to impose higher tariffs on India, China: Report United States President Donald Trump will pressure G7 member nations to impose higher tariffs on India and China, the two largest buyers of Russian oil, according to a media report. The move is part of an attempt to compel Moscow to engage in peace talks with Ukraine. In a video call, finance ministers from the Group of Seven leading economies are set to discuss a US proposal for new measures as President Donald Trump intensifies efforts to broker a peace deal in Ukraine, the Financial Times reported. Recently, the European Union has also been asked by Mr Trump to impose a | online platform Discord. Discussions with the Gen-Z protesters and other stakeholders were prolonged over the issue of dissolving the House of Representatives, the lower house of Parliament, before the new Prime Minister is sworn in, or after it. The dissolution of Parliament was one of the key demands of the Gen Z protesters. There is no constitutional provision allowing anyone who is not a member of the House of Representatives to hold the post of Prime Minister. Karki has been appointed under the "principle of necessity". Karki was Nepal's first female Chief Justice, serving from July 2016 to June 2017, and is known for her integrity and landmark judgments on transitional justice and electoral disputes. She began practising law in 1979, became a senior advocate in 2007, and served as a Supreme Court Justice from 2009. The Gen-Z movement backed her for her neutrality and credibility. Police, meanwhile, put the death toll in the Gen-Z protests at 51, including three police officers and one Indian woman, with the fatalities occurring nationwide. The Indian casualty is identified as Rajesh Gola, a tourist from Ghaziabad, who died after she was fatally injured while trying to escape from her Kathmandu hotel that had been set on fire by protesters on 9 September night. months after ethnic violence erupted in the state, resulting in over 260 deaths and displacement of thousands, the PM’s visit to Manipur, which will last for only three hours, has sparked debate and scrutiny. Critics, including Congress GeneralSecretaryJairamRamesh, have questioned the brevity of the visit, labeling it an "insult" to the people of Manipur. They ask if the three hours are sufficient to address the complex issues plaguing the beleaguered state. Countering the criticism, former Union Minister Rajkumar Ranjan Singh said he believes that trust cannot be rebuilt overnight, but the visit might prove a stepping stone towards ensuring lasting peace in the embattled state. Apart from Manipur, PM will visit Mizoram, Assam, Bengal, and Bihar as part of the five-state visit. He will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth over Rs 71,850 crore across these states. | Saturday, 13 September 2025 CP Radhakrishnan takes oath as India’s 15th Vice President STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 12 September Chandrapuram Ponnusami Radhakrishnan was sworn in as the 15th Vice President of India on Friday at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr Radhakrishnan. Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who resigned suddenly in July, made his first public appearance since stepping down, attending the swearing-in of his successor. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP National President J P Nadda, several Union ministers, and former Vice Presidents Hamid Ansari and M Venkaiah Naidu were also present on the occasion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Mr Radhakrishnan on his taking over as the 15th Vice President of India and wished him a successful tenure. “A dedicated public servant, he has devoted his life to nation-building, social service and strengthening democratic values. Wishing him a successful Vice Presidential tenure, dedicated to the service of the people,” Mr Modi posted on social media. Rahul Gandhi, and most Opposition leaders were absent from the ceremony.