FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 BRIEFLY SC to hear on 4 November pleas challenging SIR in Bihar: | Pages 16 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA LC | | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR Friday, 17 October 2025 THE US PRESIDENT HAD SAID ON WEDNESDAY: “I WAS NOT HAPPY THAT INDIA WAS PURCHASING RUSSIAN OIL, AND HE (PM MODI) ASSURED ME TODAY THAT THEY WILL NOT BE BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA ... THAT'S A BIG STEP. NOW I'VE GOT TO GET CHINA TO DO THE SAME THING.” New Delhi, 16 October T he Ministry of External Affairs on T h u r s d a y categorically denied any knowledge of a phone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump yesterday, contradicting the US President on his claims that PM Modi had assured him on Wednesday that India would not purchase Russian oil. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a briefing: "I am not aware of any conversation between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump yesterday". Mr Trump’s statement, made to reporters in Washington on Wednesday, seemed to claim credit for influencing India’s energy policy. “I was not happy that India was buying oil (from Russia). And he (Modi) assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big stop,” Mr Trump was reported as saying. Regarding the US President's claims on India's purchase of Russian oil, the MEA spokesperson referred to a statement issued in the morning, in which the government has stated that India's energy import policies are guided entirely by the objective of safeguarding the interests of the Indian consumer. The statement had read: "India is a significant importer of oil and gas. It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective. "Ensuring stable energy prices and secured supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy. This includes broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions. "Where the US is concerned, we have for many years sought to expand our energy procurement. This has steadily progressed in the last decade. The current Administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing." President Trump, while claiming that PM Modi had assured that India would stop purchasing oil from Russia, described the move as a "big step" in pressuring Russia over the Ukraine war. The MEA spokesperson said Mr Modi and Mr Trump spoke on 9 October, during which Mr Modi congratulated the US President on the success of the Gaza peace plan. “Well, the telephone call happened between the Prime Minister and President Trump. It was a call where he also congratulated President Trump on the success of the Gaza peace plan and they also reviewed the progress in trade negotiations," he said. India, Sri Lanka discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in education, capacity building Air India crash: Pilot’s father moves SC for judicial probe STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE The father of late Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, pilot-incommand of the ill-fated Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed near Ahmedabad in June this year, killing all 260 passengers on board, has approached the Supreme Court seeking a judiciallymonitored, independent investigation into the tragedy. The petition, filed by 91-year-old Pushkaraj Sabharwal along with the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), calls for the constitution of a court-monitored committee, headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, comprising independent aviation experts, to ensure a fair, transparent, and technically sound inquiry into the incident. The plea contends that the New Delhi, 16 October External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Thursday met Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and both the leaders discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation between India and Sri Lanka in education and capacity building. Ms Amarasuriya arrived in India on Thursday for an official visit, marking her first trip to the country since assuming office. The visit continues the tradition of regular and close engagement between the two countries, strengthening the deep-rooted bonds of friendship. The Sri Lankan prime minister, | No Modi-Trump call on oil on Wednesday: MEA STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday posted for 4 November the hearing of a batch of petitions challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. A Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi heard submissions from the petitioners, who alleged irregularities in the revision process and sought a direction to the ECI to separately publish the list of voters added and deleted during the recently concluded SIR exercise. NEW DELHI who will be in India till October 18, is scheduled to meet senior political leaders to discuss key bilateral issues and avenues for strengthening cooperation in multiple sectors. After meeting the Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Mr Jaishankar said in a post on X, "Pleased to meet PM Harini Amarasuriya of Sri Lanka this morning in Delhi. Discussed India's continued support to Sri Lanka and strengthening our cooperation in education and capacity building." Talking to a news agency about the purpose of her visit, the Sri Lankan prime minister said it was intended to further increae and strengthen the India-Sri Lanka relationship." The Sri Lankan leader, who is on her maiden visit to India as prime minister, visited Hindu College in New Delhi, where she once studied. During her interaction with students, she reflected on her time at the institution and expressed optimism about the future. "It is lovely to be back. It is lovely to see the current students. I become so hopeful when I see them," Ms Amarasuriya said. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Hyderabad, 16 October ongoing probe conducted by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ~ and its preliminary report dated 15 June ~ is “defective, perfunctory, and suffers from serious infirmities and perversities.” It seeks that the DGCA’s investigation and preliminary report be declared closed, and that all relevant records, data, and materials be transferred to the proposed independent committee or a new court of inquiry. “Respondents have conducted a perfunctory, biased, and technically deficient investigation into the crash of Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (VT-ANB), ignoring critical inconsistencies, material evidence, and plausible systemic causes, thereby undermining the credibility of the inquiry,” the petition states. Devout spirit Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee offered prayers at the Mahakal Temple before leaving Darjeeling. SNS ‘United Nations still reflects the realities of 1945, not 2025’ PARWINDER SANDHU New Delhi, 16 October Pushing for global institutional reform, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday warned that international organisations risk becoming irrelevant and losing legitimacy if they fail to adapt. Addressing the concluding day of the United Nations Troop Contributing Countries’ (UNTCC) Chiefs Conclave 2025, organised by the Indian Army, Mr Jaishankar urged the United Nations to transform into a more democratic, inclusive, participatory, and fully representative organisation that represents the realities of the twenty-first century rather than the outdated power structures of the past. Coming down harshly on the United Nations, the EAM said that it still reflects the realities of 1945, not of 2025. “Eighty years is a long time by any standards, and during this period the UN membership has actually quadrupled. It must amplify the voices of the developing world and reflect the aspirations of a rising Global South. The UN’s legitimacy, and I would say the UN’s credibility depends on it doing so,” he told the delegates. He acknowledged the widespread desire among UN members for reform, including the expansion of both permanent and non-permanent categories of Security Council membership. However, Mr Jaishankar pointed out that the reform process itself is often used to derail progress. “As a result, historical injustices still continue. India affirms its commitment to assume greater responsibilities in a reformed United Nations and in a reformed multilateralism.” Calling UN Peacekeepers the “true torchbearers of multilateralism,” the EAM emphasised that the evolving geopolitical landscape, the increasing complexity of global affairs, and the changing nature of conflicts have all influenced the demands placed on peacekeeping efforts. He underlined the key issues that the United Nations must take into account while planning peacekeeping operations. Stressing the importance of consulting both troop-contributing countries and host nations when drafting mission mandates, Jaishankar said, “Peacekeeping can only be effective when the mandates are matched with the resources available. These mandates must be both realistic and clearly defined. The primary responsibility for the protection of civilians continues to rest with the host state.” Highlighting the critical role of innovation, Mr Jaishankar noted that “technology and peacekeeping go hand in hand,” describing technology as a “force multiplier” for such missions. He affirmed India’s readiness to serve as a technology demonstrator to boost the operational effectiveness of peacekeeping forces. Addressing the importance of strategic communication, he called for stronger efforts to combat misinformation and disinformation. Government report for 2023 reveals decline in Time to move on from the shoe-throwing incident: SC birth registrations & rise in mortality figures PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 16 October The Supreme Court on Thursday indicated that it was not inclined to prolonged discussions over the recent shoe -throwing incident targeting Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, saying the judiciary must focus its attention on “more pressing matters” pending before it. A Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi made the observation when Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Vikas Singh mentioned the incident and sought early listing of a criminal-contempt case against advocate Rakesh Kishore, who had tried to hurl a shoe at the CJI inside the courtroom on 6 October. “This cannot go unaddressed. The person has shown no remorse. Consent from the Attorney General has already been obtained. Social media has gone berserk,” Mr Singh said, urging an immediate hearing. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta supported the request, calling it a “serious matter touching the integrity of the institution.” The Bench, however, questioned the wisdom of repeatedly revisiting the episode. “The Chief Justice has shown magnanimity; it shows the institution is not shaken. Why should we spend more time on this when so many urgent matters ~ people awaiting bail or justice ~ need attention?” Justice Bagchi said. He warned that keeping the issue alive would only amplify social media outrage. “Algorithms thrive on hate, anger, and caste. The more we discuss this, the more it gets monetised. Let it die a natural death,” Justice Bagchi remarked. Earlier in the day, Attorney General for India R. Venkataramani had given his consent for initiating criminal contempt proceedings against Mr Kishore. MEENAKSHI BHATTACHARYA WHILE THE DECLINE IS MODEST, IT MARKS THE THIRD SUCH INSTANCE IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS, WITH PREVIOUS DECLINES NOTED IN 2020 AND 2021. THIS TREND SUGGESTS A FALLING BIRTH RATE ALONGSIDE A RISING DEATH RATE. New Delhi, 16 October India recorded a decline in birth registrations in 2023, with over 200,000 fewer entries compared to 2022 ~ representing a drop of nearly one per cent, according to data from the Civil Registration System (CRS). While the decline is modest, it marks the third such instance in the past five years, with previous declines noted in 2020 and 2021. This trend suggests a falling birth rate alongside a rising death rate. The report notes an increase of just 9,749 death registrations in 2023 compared to the previous year ~ an uptick of 0.1 per cent. The statistics were released by the Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI), which functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs. They form part of the 2023 CRS report, a key national dataset tracking registered births and deaths. Although not all births and deaths are registered, the 2023 CRS figures align with survey-based estimates from the Sample Registration System (SRS) report, published on 3 September 2023. The SRS also indicates a year-on-year decline in both birth and death rates. According to the CRS, 25.2 million births were registered in 2023 ~ a decrease of 232,094 or 0.9 per cent from 2022. In contrast, 8.66 million deaths were recorded, reflecting a marginal increase of 9,749 or 0.1 per cent. The report highlights a downward trend in institutional births, which fell to 74.7 per cent from 75.5 per cent in 2022. Meanwhile, the proportion of deaths occurring without medical attention rose from 50.7 per cent in 2022 to 53.4 per cent in 2023.