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 Wednesday, 07 October 2026 SPORTS WORLD Test of Trust Francis Halzen wins Nobel Prize in physics for work on neutrinos Page 6 Page 12 EDITORIAL | PERSPECTIVE Society must go beyond smashing the patriarchy Page 7 Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as India captain, Mandhana to succeed her Page 12 World Bank raises India’s growth forecast to 7.1 pc Oppn’s ECI march: Rahul detained after 9-hr dharna STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 6 October New Delhi, 6 October The World Bank has raised its growth forecast for India for the financial year ending March 2027, citing resilience in the industrial and services sectors despite risks from a weaker monsoon and elevated energy prices. The multilateral lender now expects India’s economy to grow 7.1 per cent in FY27, an upward revision of 0.5 percentage point from its previous estimate. The latest projection is also higher than the 6.7 per cent growth forecast by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The upgrade comes amid a series of more upbeat assessments of India’s economic outlook. The RBI is also expected to revise its growth projection when it announces its monetary policy decision on Wednesday. According to the World THE UPGRADE COMES AMID A SERIES OF MORE UPBEAT ASSESSMENTS OF INDIA’S ECONOMIC OUTLOOK. THE LATEST PROJECTION IS ALSO HIGHER THAN THE 6.7 PER CENT GROWTH FORECAST BY THE RESERVE BANK OF INDIA Bank’s latest South Asia Development Update, continued momentum in industry and services is expected to support economic activity even as India faces weather-related risks and higher energy costs. The stronger forecast suggests that domestic economic activity could provide a buffer against external shocks, particularly those arising from elevated crude oil and other energy prices. The World Bank’s assessment comes at a time when energy markets remain under pressure, with the fallout from the US-Iran conflict pushing up global prices. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE L eader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, was detained by Delhi Police late on Tuesday after he and several other Opposition leaders spent nearly nine hours staging a dharna at Akashvani Bhavan in central Delhi, dramatically escalating the INDIA bloc’s confrontation with the Election Commission of India (ECI). Police moved into the premises to clear the protesters after the Opposition leaders refused to leave unless they were allowed to proceed to the ECI headquarters or were provided an alternative venue for their demonstration. Mr Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other leaders were subsequently taken away. Earlier in the day, the Opposition MPs set out from Parliament around 11 a.m. under the banner of a “Save Democracy” march, demanding accountability from the ECI and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations relating to electoral rolls and what the Opposition termed “vote theft”. The march brought together leaders from several parties of the INDIA bloc, with Biju Janata Dal MPs also joining the demonstration. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamul Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, NCP (SCP) leader Supriya Sule, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut and RJD leader Manoj Jha were among those present. Delhi Police halted the march near the NITI Aayog and Akashwani Bhavan areas, where heavy barricades and a large security deployment were in place. A prolonged stand-off ensued with the Opposition MPs insisting they should be allowed to proceed to the ECI office. At one point, Mr Gandhi climbed over a security barricade and waved the national flag. As police began detaining Opposition MPs, Mr Gandhi and Ms Vadra then entered the Akashwani Bhavan premises and began a dharna there. Mr Gandhi, speaking to the media, said the ECI was afraid of meeting the Opposition MPs. “If the Election Commission will not meet the MPs who represent the voice of the country, then what is the meaning of democracy?” he asked. Mr Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and CEC Gyanesh Kumar of collectively undermining India's democratic system. “What has been done to India is treason,” he said. “Nobody will escape. Action will be taken against all of them,” he said. (Photo: Subrata Dutta) Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit named 29th IAF chief: New Delhi: The government on Tuesday appointed Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit as the next Chief of the Air Staff, succeeding Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who is set to retire this month. Air Marshal Dixit, currently serving as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, will assume charge as the 29th IAF chief with effect from the afternoon of 31 October. Before taking over as Vice Chief of the Air Staff on 1 July, Air Marshal Dixit served as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff from May 2025 to June 2026. Prior to that, he was the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Air Command. Page 5