HYDERABAD TUESDAY JULY 23, 2024 `9.00 PAGES 16 LATE 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 GARG POWER PRODUCTS PVT.LTD. 5-36, Type-I, 10/A, Prashanthi Nagar, Kukatpally, Hyderabad - 500 072, India. Phone: +91-40-23074040 / 50, Cell No. 99481 23459, E-mail: garg@gdpl.org, Website: www.gdpl.info 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 Excessive speculation and overconfidence of retail investors in stockmarket a matter of grave concern Growth story pared with dose of realism Economic Survey contradicts the government’s anti-China stance; seeks to shift the responsibility of job creation to the private sector D I PA K M O N D 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 P10 not been helping India. KANWAR YATRA SC stays order to eateries to show owners’ details S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ 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 T H A N A 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 coun- SC sets up IIT panel The SC asked the IIT-Delhi director to set up an expert panel to go into a NEET-UG’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 try 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 proac- tive approach of Bihar Police, only in one place in Patna and surrounding points, there is an incident of anomaly CBI is get. ting into the details. Some action has been taken. We are hiding nothing. Everything is on record,” he said. While Rahul demanded a oneday discussion on the issue, the minister said, “I am here at the mercy of my leader, the prime minister. Whenever question of accountability comes, my government is answerable to that.” When 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.” CRUSHING FALL Locals look on as GHMC workers clear the remnants of a tree that uprooted and fell on commuters, killing a motorist, at Shamshergunj in Hyderabad on Monday | VINAY MADAPU | P3 @ 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 cate gory status was granted in the past by the National Development Council to some states, based on certain criteria, which did not 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-party meet. Reacting to the Centre’s response, JD(U) spokesperson K C Tyagi said: “JD(U) would keenly looking at I R E D D Y S R I N I V A S R E D D Y @ Hyderabad FIREWORKS are expected through the Assembly session that is set to commence from Tuesday with the key combat, ants — the ruling Congress and the main Opposition BRS — looking to go for the jugular. The two parties are sure to enter the Legislature with all guns blazing and score crucial brownie points ahead of the local body elections. For the ruling Congress, the alleged “misdeeds” of the previous BRS regime will be the key to corner the pink party The BRS will likely raise the issues . of defection of its leaders, the “unfulfilled promises” of the Congress and more. One of the more intriguing questions that is currently being discussed in political circles is whether BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao attends the session. If KCR, who is also the Leader of Opposition (LOP), again prefers to give the session a miss as he did on the last two occasions, the treasury benches will surely go hammer and tongs at the BRS. If KCR does attend, he can corner the Congress with the acerbic wit he is known for. Meanwhile, sources insist that KCR will attend the session on July 25, the day Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka presents the Budget. In the last session, the BRS was able to confidently take on the treasury benches on several issues, including the Kaleshwaram project and Rythu Bharosa, as well as the perceived shortcomings in the vote on account Budget, with senior leaders like Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and Kadiyam Srihari leading the charge in KCR’s absence. However, much water has flown down the Musi since, with the BRS weakened by the defection of 10 of its MLAs, including the aforementioned legislators, to the ruling Congress. Though this is a big setback for the BRS, it has enough firepower in the form of former ministers T Harish Rao, KT Rama Rao, G Jagadish Reddy Vemula Prashanth Reddy , and others to counter the government. CONTINUED ON P5 REVANTH CM seeks `10K cr for Musi project ASKS CENTRE TO ALLOW OMCs to receive payment of LPG subsidy in advance | P5 Centre rejects special category status for Bihar PREETHA NAIR & RAMASHANKAR Cong, BRS glove up as Assembly convenes today 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. M A N DA RAV I N D E R R E D DY @ Hyderabad CHIEF Minister A Revanth Reddy has sought `10,000 crore from the Union government for the Musi Riverfront Development Project. On Monday, Revanth met Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil in Delhi and urged him to allocate `10,000 crore under the National River Conservation Plan for the project. The chief minister said that the state government has focused on developing the 55-km Musi river in Hyderabad city. As sewage water is entering the Musi in Hyderabad city the , state government is keen to rejuvenate the river, the chief minister said, and sought `4,000 Musi Riverfront Development Corporation desilts the river near Chaderghat in Hyderabad in this file picture crore for this purpose. The chief minister requested another `6,000 crore to take up the project to fill Himayatsagar and Osmansagar with Godavari waters as part of the National River Conservation Plan to conserve and develop rivers in the Deccan Plateau. Stating that a recent survey revealed that 7.85 lakh houses do not have tap connections in the state, Revanth requested the Union Jal Shakti minister to release funds to Telangana under the Jal Jeevan Mission. To provide tap connections to houses constructed or being constructed under PMAY-Urban and Rural schemes, a total of `16,100 crores will be required, the chief minister said. He told the Union minister that since launching of Jal Jeevan Mission in 2019, no funds have been given to the state till date and urged him to release `16,100 crore under Jal Jeevan Mission. RELATED REPORT ON P5
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