BHUBANESWAR l monday l june 24, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l JEYPORE EDITION T20 World Cup: afghanistan stun 2021 champs australia Defending a par total of 148, bowlers deliver a clinical performance as the Rashid Khan-led side beat Oz by 21 runs... Naib conjures magic in historic victory Afghanistan came close in the ODI World Cup, but couldn’t cross the line against Australia. On Saturday, however, the stars had aligned. Pat Cummins’ hat-trick didn’t matter. Neither did the fighting fifty from Glenn Maxwell. Naveen-ul-Haq (3/20) and Gulbadin Naib (4/20) rose to the occasion — sharing seven wickets between them — to take Afghanistan across the line | p11 ■ 45 Who needs to do what to qualify? ■ For Australia, its simple. They have to beat India by a significant margin. If it is a close result, they need Bangladesh to beat Afghanistan in the evening match Afghanistan will know what they need to do when they take the field. There is a chance of three teams finishing with 2 points each Mohammad Nabi has been part of int’l wins against 45 countries CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI CBI takes over NEET-UG probe, registers FIR Special teams formed, despatched to Bihar and Gujarat where cases of question paper leaks have been registered Poor turnout for retest as 50% candidates absent MU K E S H RANJAN @ New Delhi Mohan Charan Majhi holds roadshow at Ghatagaon on his first visit to Keonjhar district after assuming charge as chief minister, on Sunday| EXPRESS Was offered minister post, mining lease to stop fight against mafia, says Majhi B i j o y P r a d h a n @ Bhubaneswar Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday warned that he will not spare those who have looted the mineral resources from Keonjhar district in the last 24 years and send them to jail. In his first frontal attack on the BJD after assuming the charge as the chief minister, Majhi, who is on a two-day visit to his home district, also made a startling revelation that he was offered various gratifications, including ministerial berth and mining lease, by the previous government to desist from fighting against the mining mafia in the district. “I have been fighting against the BJD government since 2019. As I exposed their black deeds in the Assembly, they offered me ministerial berth and express read Modi raises hopes of J&K elections Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statements during his recent visit to Srinagar and the Election Commission’s announcement for special revision of electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir have raised hopes of early assembly polls in the Union Territory. The revision of electoral rolls will start in J&K on July 25 and culminate on August 20 | P8 Cong expels five for ink attack Congress on Sunday expelled five officebearers of different wings of the party in connection with the ink attack on president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Sarat Pattanayak at the Congress Bhawan here. The incident took place in the chamber of the president at the party headquarters | P3 Monsoon covers entire Odisha The southwest monsoon has covered the entire state and rainfall activity is expected to increase from Wednesday onwards, the IMD said on Sunday. In next two days, light to moderate showers or thundershower are likely to occur at a few places in Odisha. The rain is expected to intensify from Wednesday, the weather forecaster said | P2 mining lease. The BJP has been constantly fighting against the mining mafia. Now, the people of Odisha have elected me as chief minister. I will do justice to them,” the CM asserted. Addressing a public meeting at Keonjhar stadium after a grand reception and roadshow, he alleged that the organised loot of minerals from the district was facilitated by a handful of non-Odias who were controlling the administration of previous government. “All the mineral looters are under my close watch. I will spare none of them, all will be sent to jail,” he said. On his arrival in the district, Majhi visited the Ghatagaon High School where he interacted with the public. Soon after, he proceeded to the Maa Tarini temple in a procession to p ay o b e i s a n c e t o t h e Continued on P5 deity . THE Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday filed an FIR and initiated a probe into alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam NEETUG held on May 5 on a complaint it received from the Union education ministry officials , said. The complaint by the Department of Higher Education, now part of the FIR, cites “certain isolated incidents” in a few states during the conduct of the examination. In its communication to the CBI, the education department sought a detailed probe into conspiracy, cheating, impersonation, breach of trust, and destruction of evidence by candidates, institutes and middlemen. The department has also requested the CBI to look into the role of public servants, if any, connected with the conduct of the examination. The central probe agency has sent its teams Bihar’s Patna and also to Godhra in Gujarat, where cases of question paper leaks have been registered by local police, officials said, adding that the CBI may take over those cases. “The probe agency has accordingly registered a criminal case and initiated an investigation. Special teams have been formed by it to investigate the matter on top priority. Teams are being sent to Patna and Godhra, where local police have registered cases in this regard,” a senior CBI official said. The allegations of irregularities sparked protests in several cities and a litany of litigation. @ New Delhi Screen grab of CBI personnel confronted by villagers in Bihar’s Nawada district Probe team attacked in Bihar A team of CBI officials probing alleged irregularities in the conduct of the UGC-NET examination was attacked by a mob in Bihar’s Nawada district after which four persons were arrested by police on a complaint from the central agency, officials said Sunday. According to police, the villagers attacked the CBI team under the impression that they were imposters trying to harass them on the pretext of investigation. The incident occurred on Saturday evening when the CBI sleuths reached Kasiadeeh village. Some officials sustained minor injuries in the scuffle Opposition parties have also latched on to the issue to put pressure on the government ahead of Parliament session. Meanwile, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad questioned two teachers who run a private coaching centre in Latur in connection with the alleged irregularities. It is to be noted that besides NEET-UG, three other exams -UGC NET, CSIR-UGC NET, and NEET-PG -- have also faced controversy. The UGC NET was cancelled by the government a day after the exam, while the Parl session to begin today amid pro-tem speaker row P r e e t h a N a i r @ New Delhi AMID the row over appointment of seven-term member Bhartruhari Mahtab of the BJP as pro-tem speaker, the inaugural session of the 18th Lok Sabha is set to begin on a combative note on Monday . The first day of the special Parliament session will see oath-taking by 280 newly elected MPs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Council of Ministers. The remaining 264 parliamentarians including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will take oath on Tuesday. The focus will be shifted to the election of the Lok Sabha Speaker on June 26 and President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of the both Houses on June 27. The row over pro-tem speaker is likely to escalate on Monday as three Opposition MPs consider pulling out of the panel of chairpersons to assist Mahtab in carrying out the proceedings of the House till the election of the Speaker. Early this week, President Murmu appointed Mahtab as pro-tem speaker and nominat- ed a panel of senior MPs including Congress’ Kodikunnil Suresh, DMK MP T R Baalu, TMC’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay , and BJP leaders Radha Mohan Singh and Faggan Singh Kulaste to assist Mahtab. Speaking to this newspaper, K Suresh said a final decision on boycotting the panel will be taken on Monday . The Opposition is up in arms over Mahtab’s appointment. They allege the claim decision to award grace marks was strange, as the rule book clearly states that in the event THE NEET-UG retest for 1,563 of an exam delay, extra time candidates who were previous- should be granted at the centre. ly awarded grace marks saw The source highlighted that the poor turnout as only half of top 100,000 students from 4,750 them took the re-examination centres showcased the nationconducted on Sunday across wide desire to succeed. seven centres in Chhattisgarh, The re-exam saw varied atGujarat, Haryana, Meghalaya, tendance rates across different and Chandigarh. According to states and centres. Gujarat reofficials, only 813 (52%) attend- corded the highest attendance ed the re-test, while at 100%, while Chan750 (48%) chose to digarh had the lowest 63 debarred skip it. at 0%. In Chandigarh Sixty-three The re-test was (UT), none of the two candidates have held on the orders of eligible candidates been debarred the Supreme Court appeared. In Chhatnationwide for following complaints tisgarh, of the 602 elimalpractices of irregularities in gible candidates, 291 during the NEETthe medical entrance (48.34%) appeared. UG, according to exam after 1,563 canGujarat’s Surat had the NTA. This didates were given one eligible candidate includes 17 grace marks to make who attended, achievcandidates from up for the loss of time ing a 100% attendi n s o m e c e n t r e s Bihar and 30 from ance rate. In Jhajjar, Godhra where the test started Haryana, DAV Police late on May 5. Public School and Apart from the controversy Kendriya Vidyalaya saw 287 out over the award of grace marks, of 494 (58.09%) eligible candithe coveted entrance test was dates attend. In Meghalaya, 234 also marred by allegations of out of 464 (50.43%) eligible canpaper leak, putting the Nation- didates appeared for the exam. al Testing Agency, which conEducation ministry sources ducted the tests, in poor. said that education had been Speaking to this newspaper, “unbundled” with exam coacha high-level source in the Union ing centres being at the foreeducation ministry admitted front, driven by parents’ desire that the NTA did not “instill for their children’s success. Ofconfidence” among the public. ficials rubbished rumours that The source mentioned that the NTA portal has been hacked. K ETAN NAROTTAM TANNA of K Suresh, an eighth-term MP, to the post was bypassed by the government. Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju says that Mahtab has had seven uninterrupted terms as a Lok Sabha member, making him eligible for the post and the Congress is trying to mislead people. The Opposition and the government are likely to lock horns over the election of the Speaker and deputy speaker posts. While the government remains secretive about its Speaker candidate, the Opposition stands firm on its claim to the deputy speaker post. The debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, which begins on June 28, may also witness stormy scenes. The Opposition will try to pressure the government on various issues including NEET-UG and UGC-NET exams, new criminal laws, and the Kanchanjunga Express accident. The PM is likely to respond to debate on July 2 or 3. Both Houses will go into a brief recess and re-assemble on July 22 for Budget. CSIR-UGC NET and NEET-PG exams have been postponed. To combat exam malpractice, the central government has also notified rules to implement the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. This Act aims to prevent unfair practices in public examinations and address related issues. Also, high-level panel of experts chaired by former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan has been formed to ensure transparent, smooth, and fair conduct of examinaP7 tions. Dy CM commits Subhadra rollout in 100 days, but it is fraught with challenges Hemant Kumar Rout @ Bhubaneswar A day after Odisha government sought partial funding from the Centre for its flagship Subhadra Yojana, deputy chief minister Pravati Parida on Sunday said modalities for the scheme are being finalised and all women of the state will receive a cash voucher of `50,000 to be spent over a period of two years as promised, within 100 days. “The government is fully prepared for its rollout. The Centre has been urged to partially fund the scheme. Without waiting for anyone, the state government will implement it and provide the promised support to women in 100 days,” Parida, who holds the Women and Child Development (WCD) department, told mediapersons on Sunday . The first cabinet of the new BJP government held hours after the swearing-in ceremony on June 12 had cleared the Subhadra Yojana, a major promise of the party in the just-concluded elections. The government is fully prepared for its rollout. The Centre has been urged to partially fund the scheme. The government will implement it and provide the promised support to women in 100 days Pravati Parida, Dy CM However, the key questions over the eligibility criteria surround the scheme. While the government has emphasised that every woman will receive the cash voucher, the specifics on whether it will be limited to one woman per family or all women irrespective of income and domicile remain unclear. If the BJP manifesto and the announcement of the chief minister are to be believed, the scheme is intended to benefit all women residing in Odisha, regardless of their economic status and domicile. If that is the case, the state government will have to make a budgetary provision of over `1 lakh crore to cover more than 2 crore women population as per 2011 Continued on P5 Census. Security forces bust Maoist fake currency operation in C’garh E j a z K a i s e r @ Raipur Security forces on Sunday tracked down a Maoist-run facility in the Sukma district of Chhattisgarh which was allegedly being used for printing counterfeit currency notes. On receiving a tip-off, a joint team of security forces comprising personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Dis- trict Reserve Guards of the Chhattisgarh Police, and Bastar Fighters — a special force formed in 2022 to fight Maoist threat — launched a joint search operation. “Recovered a cache of counterfeit notes, colour printers, more than 200 ink bottles, printer cartridges, rollers and other equipment,” Sukma police chief Kiran Chouhan said. He added that the ultras managed to escape into a nearby jungle as the forces were closing in on the facility Sources said . currency notes of denominations of `50, 100, 200 and 500 were recovered during a search. Chouhan said Maoists have resorted to printing fake currency notes to cope with a fall in cash flow amid aggres- sive counter-insurgency operations by the security forces. “The pressure had mounted on the extremists after several new security camps that were set up in remote areas started derailing their funding source,” Chouhan said. In a separate incident, two CRPF jawans were killed when the ultras blew up a truck with an improvised explosive device in the Sukma district. The deceased jawans were identified as constable Vishnu R, 35, from Kerala, and driver Shailendra, 29, from Uttar Pradesh. The two belonged to the force’s jungle warfare unit CoBRA. The incident happened near Timmapuram village between Silger and Tekalgudem camps of the security forces. Isro’s Reusable Launch Vehicle ‘Pushpak’ lands during Sunday’s final test | PTI Isro’s reusable launch vehicle test successful Exp r e ss N e ws S e r v i c e @ Chitradurga It was super Sunday for the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) as it successfully conducted the Reusable Launch Vehicle Landing Experiment for the third consecutive time. The third and final Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Landing Experiment (LEX) was conducted at 7.10 am at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) at Kudapura in Challakere taluk of Chitradurga. The mission demonstrated the autonomous landing capability of the launch vehicle under more challenging conditions at the ATR. The vehicle, Pushpak, was released from an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter at an altitude of 4.5 km. Pushpak autonomously executed cross-range correction manoeuvres, approached the runway and performed a precise horizontal landing at the centreline. Because of Pushpak’s low lift-todrag ratio aerodynamic configuration, the landing velocity exceeded 320 kmph, compared to 260 kmph for a commercial aircraft. After the touchdown, the vehicle velocity was reduced to nearly 100 kmph using its brake parachute. Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Director S Unnikrishnan Nair said this success bolsters Isro’s confidence in critical technologies necessary for future orbital re-entry missions.
Express Network Private Limited publishes thirty three E-paper editions of The New Indian Express newspaper , thirty two E-paper editions of Dinamani, one E-paper edition of The Morning Standard, one E-paper edition of Malayalam Vaarika magazine and one E-paper edition of the Indulge - The Morning Standard, Kolkatta.