FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 16 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI | SPORTS PERSPECTIVE WORLD Journalism’s test Page 9 Page 8 India bag six medals on Day 12, tally rises to 66 Hegseth announces new drone command, 20 pc cut in generals Gandhi’s ideas have found expression under Modi EDITORIAL Page 16 Page 12 Captain Smit Machchhar hailed for averting 9/11-like attack ‘As a pilot I was simply doing my duty’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 1 October C aptain Smit Machchhar, the Flydubai pilot who fought off an apparent attempt by his copilot to crash the Israel-bound plane on Wednesday, has been hailed as a hero, with his actions to thwart the disaster drawing praise. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called Captain Machchhar a “hero”, saying his extraordinary courage in confronting the violent cockpit attack helped prevent what could have been another 9/11-like aviation tragedy and save the lives of 174 people on board. In a post on X, Mr Modi said Capt. Machchhar had displayed “the highest form of courage” by confronting the danger despite the threat to his own life. “Captain Smit Machchhar has shown the world the highest form of Centre tightens sugar stock rules ahead of festive season STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 1 October The government has tightened sugar stockholding norms from 15 October to ensure adequate availability and keep prices under check during the festive season, as the new sugar season begins from 1 October. Under the revised rules, sugar dealers will be allowed to hold stocks for a maximum of 15 days from the date of receipt. The stockholding limit has also been capped at 1,000 quintals at any location across the country. The revised restrictions will remain in force from 15 October to 30 November 2026, with specific exemptions for Kolkata and its extended metropolitan areas and Assam. For Kolkata and its extended metropolitan areas as well as Assam, the government has set a higher stockholding limit of 2,000 quintals. Page-13 Friday, 02 October 2026 NEHA PURAV Mumbai, 1 October courage. Without fearing for his own life, he fought valiantly and prevented another 9/11 like attack from happening. 140 crore Indians salute Captain Smit and are praying for his well-being,” Mr Modi wrote. Mr Modi also spoke over the phone with the wife and parents of Captain Machchhar. Hailing Capt. Machchhar, President Droupadi Murmu in a post on X, said: “The nation is proud of Captain Smit Machchhar. His heroic courage and incredible presence of mind have deeply touched us all.” Political leaders from across the spectrum also praised Capt. Machchhar, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also praised Capt. Machchhar, describing his actions as instrumental in preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster. Capt. Machchhar was taken to a hospital in Tabuk after the emergency landing. Reports later said that he underwent surgery. Displaying extraordinary grit and courage under horrific circumstances, Mumbai-born Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, a resident of Bhanushali Wadi in Ghatkopar, saved the lives of over 170 passengers by thwarting an alleged mid-air hijacking and crash attempt by his co-pilot aboard a Flydubai flight. Reflecting on the terrifying experience, Captain Machchhar remained remarkably humble while giving his reaction to this correspondent: “As a pilot, I was simply doing my duty. The plane landed safely, and everyone is out of harm’s way ~ that is all I am grateful for.” The harrowing incident unfolded on a Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Israel. Mid-flight, the Omani co-pilot abruptly turned hostile, reportedly attacking Captain Machchhar and attempting to hijack and crash the aircraft in what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later termed a potential 9/11-style suicide attack. Despite sustaining severe injuries, Captain Machchhar fought back fiercely, managed to trigger emergency protocols, and ensured the cockpit door was unlocked. This allowed alert crew members and brave passengers to rush in, overpower the attacker, and stabilise the aircraft before it made an emergency landing. Captain Smit Machchhar, a veteran commercial aviator with over 9,700 flying hours, has roots in Ghatkopar, Mumbai. ODI World Cup schedule announced New Delhi: India will begin their 2027 ICC men’s ODI World Cup campaign against defending cham pions Australia in Cape Town on 7 October, in a revamped 14-team tournament that potentially marks the final global showpiece for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The marquee 50-over competition will be staged across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from 2 October to 21 November. At UPSC centenary celebrations, PM Modi calls for ‘Nation First, Citizen First’ in public service India’s Q2 growth seen at 7.3 per cent, global risks test outlook: Finance Ministry STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 1 October India’s economy is expected to grow by 7.3 per cent in the second quarter of FY27, supported by resilient domestic demand and investment, but higher oil prices, tightening global financial conditions and trade uncertainty pose challenges to sustaining momentum, the Ministry of Finance said in its Monthly Economic Review for September 2026. The review said the economy entered the second quarter from a position of strength after recording 7.8 per cent growth in the first quarter, the highest first-quarter growth in the current series. However, it cautioned that India cannot take its growth performance for granted as geopolitical polarisation and disruptions across global supply chains intensify. “Our nowcasting measure, unveiled in the Economic Survey earlier this year, anticipates a real GDP growth rate of 7.3 per cent in the fiscal second quarter,” the review said. High-frequency indicators suggest that growth has continued into the second quarter, although at a more measured pace. E-way bill generation and manufacturing activity have moderated, while services activity strengthened in August, supported by new business and employment. Healthy growth in electricity and fuel consumption, sustained bank credit expansion and stronger production of capital and infrastructure goods point to continued investment momentum. Automobile sales across rural and urban markets also indicate broad-based consumption demand, the ministry said. The investment rate reached its highest level in the current series in the first quarter. Manufacturing grew by 9.2 per cent, while services expanded by 10 per cent, underscoring the breadth of the economic expansion. The review also outlined a strong export outlook, with total merchandise and services exports rising by 15.5 per cent year-on-year to USD 399.3 billion during April-August FY27. “At the current run rate of nearly USD 400 billion in the first five months of the year, India’s overall export value for the full financial year could approach a trillion US dollar,” it said. The ministry linked this momentum to India’s trade agreements and said further agreements could provide additional support. In August, merchandise exports grew by 26.1 per cent, while the services trade surplus offset 65 per cent of the merchandise trade deficit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the UPSC centenary celebration at Bharat Mandapam, in New Delhi on Thursday. IANS STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 1 October Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday participated in the centenary celebrations of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in New Delhi, marking 100 years of the institution and the culmination of year-long commemorative events that began on 1 October last year. Addressing the gathering, Mr Modi described the occasion as not merely a celebration of the UPSC’s century-long journey but also of the institutional legacy and public trust associated with it. “Today is a celebration of 100 years of the UPSC, but it is also a celebration of a legacy. It is a celebration of the aspiration that millions of young people hold every year,” he said, adding: “It is a celebration of the trust that every Indian has in this institution.” The PM said the functioning of public institutions and the recruitment of public servants must remain anchored in two fundamental principles ~ “Nation First” and “Citizen First”. He emphasised that the civil services should attract young people motivated by the opportunity to serve society rather than the status associated with holding public office. He said the recruitment process should go beyond testing a candidate’s knowledge and seek to understand the motivation and commitment that drives a young person to enter the civil services. “We have to bring such youth into public services who are attracted not by public office, but by public service,” he said, adding that the recruitment examination should assess not only “how much a candidate knows” but also “why that young person wants to enter the civil services”. Underlining the importance of citizen-centric governance, Mr Modi invoked the traditional expression “Nagrik Devo Bhava”, saying that citizens must remain at the centre of the public administration. “Our mantra is Nagrik Devo Bhava. This means that for us, the citizen of the country is no less than a deity. For us, service to the citizen is paramount,” he said. The PM said India in the 21st century was moving forward with a new work culture whose central principles were “Pro-People, Pro-Active, Good Governance”. The centenary celebrations also highlighted the evolution of the UPSC as a key institution in India's constitutional and administrative framework. Mr Modi inaugurated and inspected a specially curated exhibition tracing the century-long institutional journey of the Commission, its historical evolution and its constitutional role in recruiting personnel for the country's higher civil services. Tata Sons board unlikely to clear Noel Tata’s proposal to restructure the holding company HDFC Bank names ICICI veteran Anup Bagchi new MD and CEO STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 1 October Mumbai, 1 October The Tata Sons board is unlikely to clear a proposal sent by Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata (photo) to the Tata Sons board to consider and approve a strategic reorganisation which would take Tata Sons outside the regulatory framework which triggered the RBI’s directive to list the holding company on the stock exchange, sources said here on Thursday. Earlier, Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata sent a proposal to the Tata Sons board to consider and approve a strategic reorganisation involving the merger of Tata Electronics Systems Solutions Pvt Ltd (TESS) and Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE) with the holding company, Tata Sons. Noel Tata proposed the move since it would take Tata Sons outside and beyond the regulatory framework which triggered off the RBI’s directive to list the company on the stock exchange, sources said. However, Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) vice-chairmen and trustees Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh have questioned the process through which the Tata Trusts sent the proposal. Both Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh have already approached the Charity Commissioner of Maharashtra requesting an investigation into the affairs of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) which function under Tata Trusts. Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh are known to support listing Tata Sons on the stock exchange, as directed by the RBI. In terms of the voting support inside the Tata Sons board, Noel Tata is being opposed by five Tata Sons directors who incidentally don’t own even a single share in Tata Sons, yet happen to be on the Tata Sons board because of the benevolence of the late Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata, sources said. Tata Sons is scheduled to hold its annual general meeting (AGM) before December, and the issue of the continuance of N Chandrasekaran as Executive Director of the Tata Sons holding company will be decided at the AGM. However, since Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) vice-chairmen and trustees Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh have already requested the Charity Commissioner of Maharashtra to investigate the affairs of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT), there may be complications at the AGM, sources said. In fact, the move by Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh to write to the Charity Commissioner of Maharashtra is being seen as a deliberate and well-timed attempt to block Tata Trusts from exercising its voting rights at the AGM, though the Tata Trusts collectively hold a 66 per cent stake in Tata Sons. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE HDFC Bank has appointed Anup Bagchi as its next Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, bringing an end to the closely watched succession process at the country’s largest private-sector lender. The appointment follows approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), with Mr Bagchi set to take charge after the retirement of incumbent MD & CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan. The RBI approved Me Bagchi’s appointment and his remuneration on 1 October, 2026. HDFC Bank’s board has appointed him as an Additional Director from 2 October, while his three-year term as MD & CEO will begin on 27 October, subject to shareholder approval. Mr Bagchi is a veteran of the ICICI Group and brings more than three decades of experience across banking, financial services and capital markets. He joined ICICI Limited in 1992 and over the course of his career has worked across retail banking, corporate and investment banking, treasury, credit policy and data analytics. He holds an engineering degree from IIT Kanpur and a management degree from IIM Bangalore. Mr Bagchi has also held senior leadership positions within the ICICI Group. He became Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Securities in 2011 and was associated with the expansion of its retail and institutional broking, financial-product distribution, wealth-management and corporate-finance businesses. HDFC Bank’s appointment of Anup Bagchi as its next Managing Director and CEO comes after a turbulent year for the lender, marked by an abrupt chairman exit, questions around corporate governance, scrutiny of internal practices and uncertainty over the succession of Sashidhar Jagdishan. The leadership transition is particularly significant because Mr Jagdishan’s tenure was already nearing its scheduled end on 26 October 2026. The bank had initially been expected to go through a routine succession process, but developments at the board level earlier this year added another layer of uncertainty.