FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR Israel marks 2 years since 7 Oct attack amid Gaza war Ties with Britain Page 6 BRIEFLY Death toll in cough syrup case rises to 17 in MP: PERSPECTIVE Learning from the mess that Gurugram now is PM to launch multiple projects in Mumbai PM greets Russian President Putin on his 73rd birthday STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 7 October Bhopal: Another kid has died of kidney failure in Madhya Pradesh due to suspected consumption of the now-banned toxic cough syrup ‘Coldrif’, taking the death toll in the state to 17. Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress has questioned whether a bulldozer would be sent to demolish the house of MP Health Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla? The latest fatality was of one-and-a-half-year-old girl, Dhani Deharia, the daughter of Naveen Deharia from Chhindwara, while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Nagpur, Maharashtra on Monday night. Page 8 Senior Haryana IPS officer dies by suicide at Chandigarh residence: Chandigarh: In a shocking development, senior Haryana IPS officer Y. Poonam Kumar, holding the rank of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), was found dead at his official residence in Chandigarh's Sector 11. Police officials confirmed that he allegedly died by suicide after shooting himself. The incident took place at House No. 116, Sector 11, where Chandigarh Police immediately reached the spot. SSP Kanwardeep Kaur also visited residence as part of investigation. The reason behind the officer's drastic step is not yet known.His wife, Aman P. Kumar, a senior IAS officer, is currently accompanying Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and other officials on an official tour to Japan, which began on October 5. Page4 P STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 7 October Aviation Fuel (SAF), solar power generation of approximately 47 MW, and EV bus services for public connectivity. The airport will be the first in the country to be connected by Water Taxi. During his visit, PM Modi will also inaugurate Phase 2B of the Mumbai Metro Line-3, stretching from Acharya Atre Chowk to Cuffe Parade, constructed at an estimated cost of around Rs 12,200 crore. With this, he will dedicate the entire Mumbai Metro Line 3 (Aqua Line) to the nation, marking a major milestone in the city's urban transport transformation. The PM will also launch "Mumbai One," India's first Integrated Common Mobility App for 11 Public Transport Operators. On 9 October, PM Modi will host UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Mumbai, where they will attend the 6th edition of the Global Fintech Fest at Jio World Centre. The conference's central theme is "Empowering Finance for a Better World" ~ Powered by AI, Augmented Intelligence, Innovation, and Inclusion. World Bank raises India’s GDP forecast for FY26 to 6.5 per cent STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 7 October The World Bank raised India’s gross domestic product (GDP) forecast for 2025–26 (FY26) to 6.5 per cent from 6.3 per cent projected in June. It further revised downwards the estimate for 2026–27 (FY27) by 20 basis points to 6.3 per cent due to higher-than-expected tariffs on India’s exports to the United States. In its South Asia Outlook, the World Bank said India is expected to remain the world’s fastest-growing major economy, supported by continued strength in consumption growth. The report further noted that almost one-fifth of India’s goods exports went to the United States in 2024, equivalent to about 2 per cent of GDP. IN ITS SOUTH ASIA OUTLOOK, THE WORLD BANK SAID INDIA IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN THE WORLD’S FASTEST-GROWING MAJOR ECONOMY, SUPPORTED BY CONTINUED STRENGTH IN CONSUMPTION GROWTH. The government’s reforms to the Goods and Services Tax (GST), reducing the number of tax brackets and simplifying compliance, are expected to support activity. The forecast for FY26/27 has been downgraded, however, as a result of the imposition of a 50 per cent tariff on about three-quarters of India’s goods exports to the United States, the report added. “India is expected to be the world’s fastest-growing source of energy demand in the VP chairs meeting with floor leaders of all political parties of the Rajya Sabha medium term and will surpass China to become the single largest source of energy demand by 2050,” the report added. Recently, Morgan Stanley said India’s economy needs to expand at an extraordinary 12.2 per cent pace each year to solve its underemployment crisis. It underscored the risk that millions of young Indians may remain locked out of productive work, fueling social strains at home. India’s economy grew 7.8 per cent in the June quarter, outpacing expectations, but that pace still falls far short of what’s needed to absorb the 84 million people set to join the workforce over the next decade, Morgan Stanley said. The report also pointed to poverty levels as a lingering drag on household consumption in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended warm wishes to Russian President Vladimir Putin for good health and success in all his endeavors on his 73rd birthday, a government release said. In a telephonic conversation, the two leaders reviewed the progress in bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India & Russia. PM conveyed to the Putin that he was looking forward to welcoming him to India for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, which is expected to further bolster the bilateral relationship. The summit will provide a platform for both the leaders to discuss key issues, sign important agreements, and chart out future cooperation areas. Top Aussie stars return for limited-over series against India Page 12 Page 7 Page 10 rime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Maharashtra on 8-9 October, where he will inaugurate several key infrastructure projects. On 8 October, PM Modi will arrive at Navi Mumbai and undertake a walkthrough of the newly built Navi Mumbai International Airport. At 3:30 p.m, he will officially inaugurate the airport's Phase 1, built at a cost of around Rs 19,650 crore. The Navi Mumbai International Airport is India's largest Greenfield airport project, developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). The airport is designed to handle 90 million passengers annually and 3.25 million metric tonnes of cargo. Some of its notable features include a transit system planned to connect all four passenger terminals for smooth inter-terminal transfers, dedicated storage for Sustainable Wednesday, 08 October 2025 SPORTS WORLD EDITORIAL PAGE | Curfew lifted in Cuttack STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Cuttack, 7 October The administration on Tuesday lifted curfew in Cuttack following 36 hours of peace after the violent communal clashes that marred the Durga idol immersion on 5 October. Heavy police deployment, however, continues in sensitive pockets of the city to prevent any flare-up. Bhubaneswar–Cuttack Police Commissioner S. Dev Datta Singh said the situation has remained under control since Sunday’s violence, when a VHP bike rally taken out without permission led to vandalism and clashes with police. The mob had attempted to move towards communally sensitive areas, prompting police intervention. At least 31 people, including 10 policemen, were injured in the two incidents of violence, while nine persons have so far been arrested. Though the curfew has been withdrawn, the police have maintained intensified patrolling in view of the upcoming Kali Puja and other festivals. The Vice-President of India and Chairman, Rajya Sabha, C. P. Radhakrishnan, chaired his maiden meeting with floor leaders of all political parties of the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Welcoming the 29 floor leaders, the Chairman thanked them for their overwhelming response and for their goodwill messages on his assumption of office. The Chairman emphasised the importance of ensuring that the Rajya Sabha functions with the dignity, discipline, and decorum it deserves. He said dialogue, deliberation, debate, and discussion are the basic tenets of parliamentary democracy. Highlighting the opportunities available to Members to raise issues of public concern, the Chairman referred to Zero Hour, Special Mentions, and Question Hour as vital instruments that allow Members to bring forth matters of urgent public importance. He reminded Members that the Constitution of India and the Rules Book of the Rajya Sabha serve as the guiding framework for parliamentary discourse. The Chairman reaffirmed his commitment to upholding the rights of all Members within this framework, while stressing the shared responsibility of all to maintain the sanctity of the House. The floor leaders of political parties urged the Chairman to give adequate opportunity to the Opposition parties to raise their voices in the House through various Parliamentary devices. New Delhi, 7 October The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that the final electoral roll prepared during the SIR exercise in Bihar had been notified, and that most of the 21 lakh names added were those of new voters, with only a small portion belonging to IMRAN MOJIB Patna, 7 October Following the announcement of the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025, political activity has intensified in the state with parties ~ from Congress, to the BJP and the JD(U) ~ looking to finalise the first list of candidates in the coming days so that the election campaign can begin on time. A series of meetings on seat-sharing were held on Tuesday by the parties. JD(U) leaders and ministers arrived at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s residence in Patna. Apart from the party supremo, senior leaders Vijay Choudhary and Sanjay Jha met colleagues to assess the ground situation. The JD(U) held detailed discussions on candidate selection and seat allocation. There is speculation that this time, more opportunities may be given to women and youth candidates. While the seat-sharing formula between the BJP and JD(U) is nearly finalised, managing coordination within the NDA remains a challenge. The BJP leadership is making continuous efforts to appease its allies, as LJP (Ram Vilas) previously registered electors. A Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, while hearing a batch of petitions challenging the SIR, noted that there appeared to be some “confusion” over whether the voters newly added to the rolls were from among 65 lakh names earlier deleted from the draft list or were entirely new names. president Chirag Paswan and HAM(S) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi remain firm on their respective demands. On Tuesday, BJP Bihar in-charge Vinod Tawde, election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, and Bihar minister Mangal Pandey met with Mr Paswan in Delhi to resolve the deadlock. On the other hand, seat-sharing activity is also gaining momentum within the INDIA alliance. Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani told the media that alliance partners have reached an internal agreement, and a formal announcement will be made on Wednesday evening through a press conference. Meanwhile, the Congress Party held a closed-door strategy meeting in Patna in which Congress Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru, state president Rajesh Ram, and legislative party leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan were present. After finalising their candidate list, party leaders are expected to leave for Delhi. A meeting of the Congress Central Election Committee is scheduled in Delhi on Wednesday, where the final approval of candidates for the Bihar Assembly elections is likely to take place. US scientists bag 2025 Nobel Prize for Physics for experiments in quantum technology New Delhi, 7 October New Delhi, 7 October PARMOD KUMAR Seat-sharing talks intensify across NDA, INDIA blocs for Bihar polls AGENCIES STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Bihar SIR: Most of the 21 lakh names added in final list are new voters, ECI tells SC Three scientists from the USA have been conferred the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics for their experiments on a chip that revealed quantum physics in action. The prestigious prize has provided opportunities for developing the next generation of quantum technology, including quantum cryptography, quantum computers, and quantum sensors. Two of the winners are from the University of California, Berkeley and Santa Barbara ~ John Clarke and John M. Martinis. Michel H. Devoret is from Yale University, New Haven, and the University of California, Santa Barbara. The trio will share the prize money of 11 million Swedish kronor. “The 2025 #NobelPrize in Physics has been awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit,” the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences posted on social media. Quantum mechanics allows a particle to move straight through a barrier, using a process called tunnelling. As soon as large numbers of particles are involved, quantum mechanical effects usually become insignificant. The laureates’ experiments demonstrated that quantum mechanical properties can be made concrete on a macroscopic scale. They conducted experiments with an electrical circuit in which they demonstrated both quantum mechanical tunnelling and quantised energy levels in a system big enough to be held in the hand. “It is wonderful to be able to celebrate the way that century-old quantum mechanics continually offers new surprises. It is also enormously useful, as quantum mechanics is the foundation of all digital technology,” said Olle Eriksson, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics to John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton for pioneering research in machine learning. The scientists received the award "for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks".