FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 BRIEFLY SC issues guidelines to protect transgender rights: | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI Tejas Mk1A takes first flight, new production lines go online PARWINDER SANDHU H i n d u s t a n Aeronautics Limited’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A successfully completed its maiden flight in Nashik on Friday, marking a major milestone in India’s indigenous defence aviation programme. The aircraft, set to replace the iconic MiG-21 fleet, was accorded a ceremonial water cannon salute to celebrate the achievement. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who witnessed the historical flight, described the state-of-the-art aircraft as a shining symbol of India’s growing Aatmanirbharta in defence. Singh also inaugurated the third Production Line of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A and the second Production Line of Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) at the Nashik facility of The LCA Tejas Mk1A completed its maiden flight as Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the third Tejas production line and the second HTT-40 line at HAL in Nashik on Friday. SNS Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Addressing the gathering, Mr Singh said that there was a time when the country was dependent on other countries for meeting its defence needs, and about 65-70 per cent of the defence equipment was imported. “But today this situation has changed. Now India is doing 65 per cent of its manufacturing on its own India won’t stop, won’t halt: PM Modi at World Summit 2025 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New delhi, 17 October Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday declared that "India won't stop, India won't halt," signaling the nation's unstoppable momentum amid remarkable economic growth and reform achievements. Addressing the NDTV World Summit, PM Modi highlighted India's confidence saying: "India is not in the mood to stop today! We will neither pause nor slow down. 140 crore Indians will move forward together with full momentum." His speech highlighted India's dramatic transformation from being part of the "fragile five" economies to now standing tall among the world's top five economic powerhouses. "Today, from chips to ships, India is self-reliant and filled with confidence in every sphere," he stated, underscoring the country's strides across diverse sectors. The PM spotlighted key initiatives shaping India's progress, including the e-Sanjeevani digital healthcare platform, which has already benefited over one lakh people, and the development of a domestic 4G stack, reflecting India's growing technological prowess. Critiquing previous Congress-led administrations, PM Modi highlighted their failure to revitalise public sector undertakings (PSUs), which he said were "locked up" under their watch. Contrastingly, the current government has revived these entities, with PSUs now breaking profit records. Addressing national security, PM Modi condemned Maoist terrorism as "a great injustice and a grave sin against the nation's youth," reporting significant progress with over 303 Maoists surrendering in the last 75 hours and a marked reduction in affected areas. On the economic front, the Prime Minister projected sustained growth above 7 per cent, accompanied by inflation under 2 per cent, positioning India as a reliable and responsible global partner. soil. Very soon, we will also take our domestic manufacturing to 100 per cent,” he added. Speaking about the changing warfare, Mr Singh said that in today's time, the modus operandi of warfare is changing. “Today, things like Artificial Intelligence, cyber warfare, drone systems and next-generation aircraft are determining the direction of the future. Now wars are being 25-member Gujarat Cabinet takes oath; Sanghavi new deputy CM STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Gandhinagar, 17 October The BJP-led Gujarat cabinet, with 25 newly-inducted ministers, was unveiled on Friday with Harsh Sanghavi taking oath as the deputy chief minister. Mr Sanghavi had secured a landslide victory in 2022 Assembly polls by defeating an AAP candidate by over 1 lakh votes. He took oath as CM Bhupendra Patel's deputy at the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar in the presence of Governor Acharya Devvrat. The move to bring in new faces to the cabinet comes just three years into the state government's formation, and two years ahead of the 2027 Legislative Assembly elections. No foul play suspected in Garg’s death, say Singapore Police; awaiting coroner’s findings STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Guwahati, 17 October The Singapore Police Force (SPF) on Friday issued an official statement addressing widespread speculation surrounding the death of singer and composer Zubeen Garg, and said the preliminary investigations have found no evidence of foul play. “SPF does not suspect any foul play,” the statement, released by the SPF’s Public Affairs Department, said. According to the police, the case is being investigated under Singapore’s Coroners Act 2010, and the findings will be submitted to the State Coroner once the process is complete. The Coroner will then decide whether to hold a formal inquiry to determine the cause and circumstances of Garg’s death, which occurred in Singapore in September this year. “The SPF’s investigation, which may take up to another three months, is being conducted thoroughly and professionally,” the statement read, urging the public not to “speculate and spread unverified information.” The police added that although the investigation is ongoing, a copy of the autopsy report and the BHUBANESWAR | Saturday, 18 October 2025 Confusion, discontent prevail as INDIA bloc finalises seat-sharing IMRAN MOJIB Patna, 17 October New Delhi, 17 October New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday constituted a committee and issued certain guidelines to ensure the protection of the rights of transgender persons in India. The ruling issued by Justice J B Pardiwala-led bench stated that the said committee, which is to be headed by former Delhi High Court judge Justice Asha Menon, will look into issues concerning equal opportunities, inclusive medical care and protection for gender non-conforming and gender-diverse persons. The committee will include transgender activist Grace Banu, Akai Padmashali, CLPR Bengaluru member Gaurav Mandal and Dr Sanjay Sharma from the Association for Transgender Health in India. | SPF’s preliminary findings were shared with the High Commission of India in Singapore on 1 October 2025, at the Indian authorities’ request. This move followed mounting public interest and official communication between the two governments over the singer’s passing away. Zubeen Garg (52), was in Singapore to perform at the North East India Festival when the tragedy struck. Reports indicate that he was swimming off Singapore’s Lazarus Island during a yacht gathering, organised as part of the “North East India Festival”, when he began feeling uneasy. He was rushed to Singapore General Hospital, where he was declared dead. In Assam, where Garg was a cultural icon, his death triggered an outpouring of grief and a growing wave of suspicion over the circumstances leading to the incident. The Assam government subsequently ordered a second post-mortem after his body was brought back home and formed a judicial commission to examine the case further. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been set up to coordinate with Singapore authorities, seeking CCTV footage and other evidence relevant to the case. fought not only on land or in the sky but also on many frontiers. India has to always be ahead in this new race,” he said. Speaking about Operation Sindoor, the Defence Minister said that in the entire history related to India's security, there have been only a few moments when the entire system has been tested simultaneously. “Operation Sindoor was one such mission. In this mission, our forces not only displayed their valour, but also proved their faith in indigenous platforms.” The seat-sharing agreement within the INDIA bloc was finalised late Thursday night, after prolonged bargaining that stretched to the last moment, leaving candidates with only a single day to file nomination papers for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections 2025. The deadline for nominations was Friday. In the final arrangement, Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) was allotted only 15 seats, a significant drop from the 40 he had demanded. Disappointed by the delay and outcome, Mr Sahani announced that he will not contest the election himself this time. However, it remains unclear how many seats the RJD, Congress, and Left parties will contest. So far, the Congress has released a list of 48 candidates, while the RJD announced nominees for 46 seats. The RJD list features a mix of veteran leaders and fresh faces. Notably, Bhojpuri film star Khesari Lal Yadav has been fielded from Chhapra, adding celebrity appeal to the party’s campaign. As expected, Tejashwi Yadav will contest from his traditionalstrongholdofRaghopur. The inclusion of a film star has sparked political discussions, with observers seeing it as an attempt to energise younger voters and increase visibility. Meanwhile, discontent has surfaced within the Congress. Several leaders have publicly criticised the ticket distribution process. Senior leader and Katihar MP Tariq Anwar expressed his displeasure on social media, writing on X, “Former MLA Gajanand Shahi lost the last election by only 113 votes, yet was denied a ticket. Meanwhile, candidates who lost by over 30,000 votes have been renominated.” The last-minute finalisation also led to confusion on the ground. In several constituencies, both Congress and other alliance partners filed nominations, causing clashes over seats and coordination breakdowns. VIP national spokesperson Dev Jyoti said the party will contest the election with full strength and remains committed to representing the poor, Dalits, and marginalised communities. He asserted that Bihar’s voters are ready for a change. Meanwhile, the Congress released a list of 40 star campaigners, which includes Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Chief Ministers, Deputy Chief Ministers, and state unit presidents are also expected to campaign in Bihar. • More reports: Page 5