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 | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI | Monday, 01 June 2026 SPORTS PERSPECTIVE EDITORIAL Between heaven and the street WORLD Israeli army captures strategic castle in Lebanoni Rural exodus Page 6 Page 7 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 31 May T he Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Bengal is set to complete the formation of its full-fledged Council of Ministers on Monday, with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announcing that 35 ministers will be sworn in at Lok Bhavan. The announcement was made by the chief minister through a social media post on Sunday. “Tomorrow, the full-fledged Cabinet of the nationalist government elected by the people of West Bengal will be formed. As part of the Cabinet expansion, 35 ministers of the Government of West Bengal will take oath at Lok Bhavan at 11 a.m. Hon’ble Governor R.N. Ravi will administer the oath of office and secrecy,” Mr Adhikari wrote. The expansion comes less than a month after the BJP registered a historic victory in the Assembly elections, defeating the Trinamul Congress and forming its first-ever government in West Bengal. Mr Adhikari was sworn in as chief minister on 9 May at a grand ceremony held at Brigade Parade Ground in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Five other ministers had taken oath along with him, resulting in a six-member ministry at the time. Since then, political circles have been abuzz with speculation over the composition of the full Cabinet and the timing of its expansion. The issue gained momentum last week when Mr Adhikari and state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya separately met the party’s central leadership in New Delhi. Those meetings fuelled expectations that a Cabinet expansion was imminent. The BJP has now chosen the first day of June to formally induct a large number of ministers into the government. With the addition of 35 new members, the strength of the Council of Ministers will rise to 41, including the chief minister. The proposed size of the ministry remains within the constitutional limit. Under Article 164 of the Constitution, the total number of ministers, including the chief minister, cannot exceed 15 per cent of the total strength of the Legislative Assembly. In West Bengal’s 294-member Assembly, the maximum permissible number of ministers is 44 . According to sources in the state BJP, the delay in constituting the full Cabinet was not accidental. Party leaders were engaged in extensive consultations to ensure balanced regional representation in the ministry. BJP leaders believe that the party’s electoral success was built on support received from nearly every district of the state, and efforts were therefore made to accommodate representatives from different regions. “The leadership wanted to ensure that all major districts and regions find adequate representation in the Cabinet. That process required careful consideration and consultation,” a senior BJP functionary said. Political observers are also closely watching the Cabinet formation for indications of the government’s administrative priorities and internal power balance. The allocation of key portfolios is expected to provide important clues regarding the BJP’s governance strategy in its first term in the state. Sources indicated that Chief Minister Adhikari may announce the distribution of portfolios immediately after the swearing-in ceremony. However, neither the chief minister nor the party leadership has provided any indication regarding which legislators will be inducted into the ministry. The BJP secured a commanding mandate in the Assembly elections, winning 208 seats in the 294-member House. India, Australia to hold 2nd Defence Ministers’ Dialogue in New Delhi Chief negotiators of India and the USA to meet; talks to finalise interim trade pact STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 31 May India and Australia are set to further deepen their strategic and defence partnership as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles co-chair the second India-Australia Defence Ministers’ Dialogue in New Delhi on 1 June. The high-level dialogue will review the progress in bilateral defence cooperation since the inaugural meeting in Australia in October 2025 and explore new avenues for collaboration in key strategic sectors. According to the Ministry of Defence, discussions are expected to focus on strengthening defence and security cooperation, enhancing military interoperability between the armed forces of the two countries, and expanding defence industry collaboration, including opportunities for co-development and co-production of defence technologies and equipment. The two leaders will also discuss regional and global security developments of mutual interest, with particular emphasis on maintaining peace, stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region. New Delhi, 31 May The four-day talks between India and the United States (US) are set to being on Monday with the chief negotiators from both the countries set to meet to finalise the details of the interim trade pact. The US team will be led by its chief negotiator Brendan Lynch while India's chief negotiator is Darpan Jain, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce. “Both sides are proposed to finalise the details of the interim agreement and take forward the negotiations under the broader BTA on multiple areas such as market access, non-tariff measures, customs and trade facilitation, investment promotion, and economic security alignment,” the commerce ministry said. India and the United States are in the final stages of concluding a much-anticipated interim trade agreement, with the deal expected to be signed within the next few weeks or months, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor had said earlier. Speaking at the US-India TRUST Initiative event at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, Mr Gor said bilateral negotiations had entered the last 1 per cent phase. “Just last week, India had sent a team to Washington DC to finalise the last 1 per cent of that trade deal. Next week we will welcome a US delegation here to continue those talks,” he said. “We fully expect that the trade deal will be signed over the next few weeks and months,” the ambassador added. His remarks come days after India’s Commerce Ministry announced that a high-level US trade delegation will visit India from 1 to 4 June to finalise the remaining clauses of the proposed bilateral agreement. PM Modi highlights India’s sporting rise, cultural heritage and grassroots changemakers in 134th Mann Ki Baat STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 31 May Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday used the 134th edition of his monthly radio programme, Mann Ki Baat, to spotlight India’s emerging sporting excellence, celebrate the return of priceless cultural artefacts, encourage scientific curiosity among young people, and highlight inspiring stories of ordinary citizens whose efforts are transforming communities across the country. Opening the programme with a tribute to India’s growing achievements in athletics, the Prime Minister congratulated athletes who recently set new national records at the National Senior Athletics Federation Competition in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Nearly 800 athletes from across the country participated in the event, where four national records were broken across different disciplines. Modi reserved special praise for sprinters Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur, whose performances in the men’s 100-metre race captured national attention after the national record was broken three times in just two days. “You both have achieved something remarkable. Together, you have created history,” the Prime Minister said during an interaction with the two athletes. Comparing their rivalry to a “jugalbandi”, he remarked that one athlete repeatedly challenged the other to perform better, creating a Page 12 Page 9 Suvendu Adhikari govt set for major Cabinet expansion today healthy competitive spirit that elevated Indian athletics. During the conversation, Gurindervir Singh, an officer in the Indian Navy and India’s fastest sprinter, recounted his journey from a middle-class family to becoming the first Indian to run below the 10.1-second barrier in the 100 metres. He credited his father, a former volleyball player, with inspiring him to pursue a sport that many believed Indians were not naturally suited for. “People used to tell me that the 100 metres was not an event for Indians. But my father and I decided we would prove them wrong,” he said. Animesh Kujur, who hails from Chhattisgarh and currently represents Odisha, shared how he switched from football to athletics only a few years ago and eventually rose to represent India on the international stage. He said the recent achievements had demonstrated that Indian athletes could excel in sprinting despite long-held assumptions to the contrary. “People often said Indians could not run below 10 seconds or even 10.1 seconds. But now we have shown that Indians can do it,” Kujur said. Praising their friendship and sportsmanship, Mr Modi said their success represented a positive model of competition in which athletes motivate and support one another while striving for excellence. “You challenge each other, help each other and move forward together. This is the true spirit of sportsmanship," he said. As large parts of the country continue to experience intense heatwave conditions, the Prime Minister urged citizens to remain vigilant and prioritise their health. He advised people to stay hydrated, avoid unnecessary exposure to the sun and follow guidelines issued by government agencies. Recalling his recent visit to the Netherlands, Mr Modi described the return of ancient Chola-era copper plates to India as a moment of immense national pride. The artefacts were formally handed over during a special ceremony attended by Dutch leaders. Highlighting the significance of the copper plates, he said they provide valuable insights into the reign of Rajendra Chola I, the maritime strength of the Chola Empire and its links with Southeast Asia. Gabriel’s penalty heartbreak as Arteta speaks of ‘pain’ and ‘pride’ at Champions League loss General N S Raja Subramani takes charge as India’s third CDS PARWINDER SANDHU Admiral Krishna Swaminathan takes over as Indian Navy’s 27th Chief New Delhi, 31 May General N.S. Raja Subramani on Sunday assumed charge as India's third Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Secretary, Department of Military Affairs, outlining an ambitious agenda centred on military integration, indigenous capability development and organisational reforms aimed at strengthening national security. Soon after taking over the country’s highest military appointment, General Raja Subramani paid homage to the nation's fallen soldiers by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial. He was later accorded a ceremonial Tri-Services Guard of Honour at South Block. Addressing officers and personnel after assuming office, the new CDS reaffirmed his commitment to advancing the government's vision of transforming the armed forces through greater synergy among the three Services. “Navy, Air Force, Ministry of Defence, strategic institutions and all stakeholders stand united as part of the whole-of-nation approach to strengthen India’s security,” he said. “We are committed to implement the vision of our Honourable Prime Minister: JAI, Jointness, Aatmanirbharta and Innovation. Transformation of the Armed Forces and organisational reforms to enhance jointness, synergy and integration will be the primary focus,” General Raja Subramani added. The new CDS stressed that self-reliance in defence production would remain a key priority in the years ahead. New Delhi: Admiral Krishna Swaminathan on Sunday assumed charge as the 27th Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), succeeding Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, who retired after more than four decades of distinguished service in the Indian Navy. A highly decorated officer and specialist in Communication and Electronic Warfare, Admiral Krishna Swaminathan brings with him nearly 39 years of extensive operational, command and staff experience. He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 1 July 1987, and has held several key appointments across the naval hierarchy. CBSE says addressing vulnerabilities in OnMark portal, evaluation process STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 31 May Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding its On-Screen Marking (OSM) evaluation process, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Sunday said it has been closely monitoring vulnera- bilities flagged in the OnMark portal of its service provider and has deployed cybersecurity experts to strengthen the system. In a post on X, CBSE said an expert team comprising cybersecurity professionals from various government agencies and the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) has been working over the past few days to secure the platform. CBSE stated that the identified vulnerabilities have been contained and efforts are underway to ensure that no other exploitable weaknesses remain in the system. “We are grateful to all alert citizens and ethical hackers pointing out such weaknesses, and have gotten in touch with some of them directly,” the CBSE said. This comes at a time when the CBSE is facing mounting pressure following reports of technical failures in its post-result portal and discrepancies in evaluated answer sheets. Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had questioned the transparency of the CBSE tender process for its digital evaluation system, alleging that technical norms were repeatedly diluted to enable a particular company to secure the contract.