TIRUNELVELI l tuesday l july 23, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l CITY EDITION sailor missing after fire erupts aboard navy vessel in Mumbai One sailor was missing after a fire erupted onboard INS Brahmaputra, which was undergoing refit at Mumbai’s Naval Dockyard, on Sunday night blaze put off, but Ship lists to one side Though the fire was brought under control by Monday morning by the ship’s crew with the help of fire fighters from the dockyard, the ship later started listing to one side. Despite all efforts, the ship could not be brought to an upright position, the Navy said. “The ship continued to list further alongside her berth and is presently resting on one side,” it said ■ 2000 Search on for missing junior sailor ■ A search was underway for the junior sailor who was missing. All other personnel who were on the ship have been accounted for The Navy said further follow-on actions, including sanitisation checks for assessment of residual risk of fire, were carried out on the ship, which is an indigenously-built multi-role frigate When INS brahamputra was commissioned into service 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 MUTED GROWTH FORECAST Survey says GDP growth in FY25 would slow to 6.5-7% from 8.2% in FY24 The projection is lower than 8.2% estimated in 2023-24 and RBI’s forecast of 7.2% The muted projection is due to global uncertainties and various domestic challenges SURVEY SURPRISES Review FDI policy to bring investments from China Chinese firms can make in India, to tap export market Govts should “renounce some powers” to help improve governance Artificial intelligence could impact workers, regardless of whether they are low-killed or high-skilled Private sector and state govts need to do more to create jobs: Corporates must invest in tandem with their profit growth and states need to formulate policies and incentives for job creation Private companies contribute to ‘toxic mix of habits’ among workforce such as social media, screen time, sedentary habits, and unhealthy food High stock market participation and overconfidence of retail investors a matter of concern Long road to Viksit Bharat: Eco Survey Pre-Budget document contradicts government’s anti-China stance; seeks to shift the responsibility of job creation to the private sector DIPA K MOND A L @ New Delhi INDIA’s march towards Viksit Bharat in 2047 may not be a walk in the park amid rising global uncertainties, climate change risks, and the ‘huge pall of uncertainty’ cast by artificial intelligence (AI). Premised on this reality check, the Economic Survey 2023-24, tabled by Finance Minister Nir mala Sitharaman in Parliament on Monday, presents a mixed picture of hope and high water. Though the Survey asserts that India’s economy is on a “strong wicket and stable footing, demonstrating resilience in the face of geopolitical challenges”, it outlines in great length the challenges ahead. In this context, the report pegs GDP growth rate at a conservative 6.5-7% for FY25, lower than the estimates of many domestic and international agencies. “It is not that we are not optimistic about growth, we are just making aware of the challenges it faces going forward,” said Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran. He outlined three major challenges facing India’s growth – geopolitical tension and growing inward looking economic policies in the developed world; climate change and global To boost manufacturing and plug India into the global supply chain, it is inevitable that India plugs itself into China’s supply chain Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran warming; and, the AI casting a huge pall of uncertainty on workers across all skill levels. Overcoming these challenges will need a ‘grand alliance’ of Union, state governments, and the private sector, says the Survey. The three stakeholders should work in tandem for generating productive employment by reducing the skill gap, boosting the MSME sector by easing compliance burden, de-cluttering financing bottlenecks, and managing the China conundrum, it adds. Raising concerns about inequality and the poor health of the young population, the Survey ticked off the private sector for encouraging sedentary habits among employees. With the external sector remaining uncertain, the Survey says the domestic sector should do the heavy lifting. Notably, the Survey seeks to shift the responsibility of job creation to the private sector. “Employment generation is the real bottom line for the private sector,” says the CEA, under whose supervision the Economic Survey report was drafted. It also says that private sector investment has not been commensurate with the benefits it received from the corporate tax rates in 2019. Cautioning that the deployment of AI could have deleterious impact on jobs, the Survey says deploying capital- and energy-intensive AI is probably the last thing a lower-middleincome economy needs. In a clear departure from the general anti-China stance of the government, the Survey bats for more Chinese investment to boost domestic manufacturing, adding that India must ‘plug itself ’ into China’s supply chain. “Whether we do so by relying solely on imports or partially through Chinese investments is a choice that India has to make,” it says, hinting that the anti-China policy has not been helping India. P10 Kanwar yatra SC stays order to eateries to show owner’s details S u c h i t r a K a lya n M o ha n ty @ New Delhi The Supreme Court on Monday issued an interim stay on directives issued by the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh asking eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names, addresses and mobile numbers of their owners. “Food sellers may be required to display the kind of food they are serving. But, they must not be forced to display the name/identity of the owners and also the employees,” a two-judge bench comprising justices Hrishikesh Roy and S V N Bhatti said. It was hearing pleas filed by the Association For Protection of Civil Rights, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and Prof Apoorvanand, challenging the state governments’ orders. During the hearing, Justice Bhatti said he used to frequent a vegetarian restaurant in Kerala run by a Muslim. “Without disclosing the name of the city, there is a vegetarian hotel run by a Hindu. There is another vegetarian hotel run by a Muslim,” Justice Bhatti said. “I was going to the hotel run by a Muslim for vegetarian food. When it comes to food standards and safety he , was displaying everything,” he said. The bench issued notices to all three states and asked them to file their responses in time for the next hearing slated for July 26. Welcoming the order, the Congress said it hopes Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make BJP CMs aware of their raj dharma. Sparks fly over NEET-UG on budget session day 1 P r e e tha Na i r @ New Delhi Facing heat from the Opposition on the opening day of the Budget session in the Lok Sabha over the NEET-UG row, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan rebutted all charges on Monday during Question Hour, saying his government is not hiding anything, adding there is no evidence of paper leak in the last seven years. Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi led the offensive, alleging many are convinced that the Indian exam system is a fraud. “The education minister has blamed everybody except himself. I don’t even think he understands the fundamentals of what is going on here... The issue is that there are millions of students in this country who are extremely concerned about what is going on and who are convinced that the Indian exam system is a fraud,” Rahul charged. Countering the argument, Pradhan said “only one case” of malpractice has come to light in Bihar and the CBI is investigating it. “Regarding anomalies and information of some malpractices, out of 4,700 centres, due to proactive approach of Bihar Police, only Minister Dharmendra Pradhan speaks in the Lok Sabha on Monday | PTI SC sets up IIT panel The SC asked the IIT-Delhi director to set up an expert panel to go into a NEETUG’s Physics question for which the answer key said there were two correct answers. The panel was directed to submit its report by Tuesday noon | P7 in one place in Patna and surrounding points, there is an incident of anomaly. CBI is getting into the details. Some action has been taken. We are hiding nothing. Everything is on record,” he said. While Rahul demanded a one-day discussion on the issue, the minister said, “I am here at the mercy of my leader, the prime minister. When- ever question of accountability comes, my government is answerable to that.” When other Opposition leaders like SP chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the Modi government will create new records in paper leaks, Pradhan hit back, saying: “I do not want to do politics, but I have a list of how many paper leaks happened when Akhilesh Yadav was CM.” Later, writing on X, Pradhan questioned why the Congress-led UPA failed to implement bills to stop malpractices in educational institutions, including the Prohibition of Unfair Practices Bill, 2010, when it was in power. “The LoP and his cabal are all but shedding crocodile tears. The ground reality on paper leaks during the UPA regime and when Akhilesh was at the helm of UP, will open a can of worms for both Gandhi and Akhilesh,” Pradhan wrote. “Maybe Rahul Gandhi understands the fundamentals and maths of unfair practices too well. That explains why Congress govt failed to implement the bills to stop malpractices in educational institutions, including Prohibition of Unfair Practices Bill, 2010,” he said. narrow escape for 30 A private omni bus plying from Tiruvannamalai to Coimbatore caught fire near Avinashi Road on Monday. Around 30 passengers were evacuated safely and the fire was put out | Express Bus corporations & workers oppose TN govt’s minibus plan e x p r e s s n e w s s e r v i c e @ Chennai The state government’s proposal to extend minibus services to more areas across the state seems to be facing headwinds as the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) and six other corporations of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC), along with the employees’ federation of transport corporations, have opposed the plan at the public hearing conducted in Chennai on Monday by the Home (Transport) department. The department issued a draft notification last month for a New Comprehensive MiniBus Scheme 2024 to extend bus connectivity to more places across the state, including Chennai, Coimbatore, and other urban areas. Under the scheme, operators will be permitted to run buses up to a distance of 25km, with 17km on un-served routes and up to 8km on routes served by gov- Draft notification ernment or private buses. issued last month Currently, the maximum dis- The Home (Transport) tance allowed for a minibus is department issued a draft 20km, with 4km allowed on notification last month for served routes. a New Comprehensive Mini Speaking at the public hear- Bus Scheme 2024 to ing, Alby John Varghese, Man- extend bus connectivity to aging Director, MTC, said that more places across the in continuation with the prac- state, including Chennai, tice followed in metropolitan Coimbatore, and other cities, private players should urban areas not be allowed to run buses in Chennai city . He mentioned that the draft notification permits the operation of minibuses in eight zones in extended areas of Chennai, designating them as un-served areas, though the MTC operates 1,700 buses in these areas. He stressed that a real-time monitoring system for minibuses should be established to prevent violations by operators before launching the scheme. Continued on p5 No special status for Bihar: Centre PREE T H A N A IR & R A M A S H A N K A R @ New Delhi/Patna THE Centre on Monday ruled out granting special category status to Bihar, a long standing demand of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United), a crucial ally of the NDA government. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary cited an inter-ministerial group report of 2012 to assert that a case for granting special category status to Bihar is not made out. He said special category status was granted in the past by the National Development Council to some states, based on certain criteria which doesn’t apply in Bihar’s case. The development comes a day after JD(U) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha voiced his party’s demand for the status at an allparty meeting. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), also a BJP ally, and the RJD, too, raised the demand at Sunday’s all-paty meeting. Reacting to the Cen- tre’s response, JD(U) spokesperson K C Tyagi said: “JD(U) would keenly looking at Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget speech on Tuesday to what is on offer for Bihar.” The JD(U) has already said that it is willing to settle for a special financial package. Meanwhile, the RJD hit out at Nitish Kumar demanding his resignation. “He should resign immediately, he has said that he will get special state status,” RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said. 32K crore project Centre gives nod for site clearance for new airport in Parandur Stalin Launches portal Building plan approval for plot sizes of up to 2,500 sqft can now be obtained based on self-certification | P4 S V K RIS H N A C H A I TA N YA @ Chennai The steering committee on greenfield airports has recommended grant of site clearance to the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited (TIDCO) for the development of a greenfield airport at Parandur, Kancheepuram district, on July 9, 2024, said Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu. The minister made the statement on the floor of Rajya Sabha on Monday, while replying to a question raised by P Wilson, a senior advocate and member of the Upper House. Earlier this month, Wilson had written a letter to the minister to expedite the site clearance, citing the delay of more than 500 days since application. As per the Greenfield Airports (GFA) Policy, 2008, TIDCO submitted an application to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on August 19, 2022, for grant of site clearance for development of a greenfield airport at Parandur. The pro- posal was then examined in consultation with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Defence/Indian Air Force as per Policy . “After completion of the consultation process, the proposal was placed before the steering committee and it recommended for grant of site clearance to TIDCO,” the minister said. As per the GFA Policy the re, sponsibility of implementation of airport projects, including the funding, land acquisition, etc., rests with the airport developer concerned, TIDCO in this case, he added. P5 Can TANTEA operate Manjolai estate, asks HC e x p r e s s n e w s s e r v i c e @ Madurai The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday, while hearing a batch of petitions on the Manjolai tea estate issue, directed TANTEA to file a report on whether it can take over the operations of the estate. After the state forest department opposed the proposal to hand over the tea estate to TANTEA, a bench of Justices R Suresh Kumar and G Arul Murugan directed the state government to file a comprehensive report on welfare measures for rehabilitating the tea workers and other issues after deliberating with TANTEA and the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Limited (BBTCL). The high court also said the government, as a special case, can enhance the subsidy amount given to workers for building houses under the Kalaignar Kanavu Illam Scheme so that they could build their houses or apartments entirely for free. P5
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