BHUBANESWAR  THURSDAY  DECEMBER 05, 2024  `9.00  PAGES 12  LATE CITY EDITION RESERVE BANK INCREASES UPI LITE’S PER-TRANSACTION LIMIT TO `1,000 The Reserve Bank of India also enhanced the on-device wallet’s total limit at any point in time from `2,000 at present to `5,000 MOVE TO WIDEN SCOPE OF OFFLINE PAYMENTS... ...AND TO ENCOURAGE DIGITAL TRANSACTIONS The central bank on Wednesday amended the ‘offline framework’ issued in January 2022 to facilitate small-value offline digital payments. Till now, the upper limit for a UPI Lite transaction was `500 and the maximum amount of money you could hold on your on-device wallet was `2,000. The RBI had announced its decision on raising the limits in October ■ ■ ■ Transaction and wallet limits are being raised to encourage wider adoption of the popular instant payment system UPI Lite payments don’t require an Additional Factor of Authentication like a PIN or a password and transaction alerts are not sent in real-time UPI Lite was introduced in 2022 with a per transaction limit of `200 516 mn IS THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAILY UPI TRANSACTIONS IN NOVEMBER 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 SWEARING-IN TODAY; NOVEMBER 25 TNIE REPORT SAID HE WAS THE LIKELY CM PICK AJIT PAWAR TO BE DY CHIEF MINISTER; SUSPENSE CONTINUES OVER SHINDE Fadnavis to be Maha CM S U D H I R S U R YA W A N S H I @ Mumbai Operational Demonstration being carried out during Navy Day at Blue Flag Beach, in Puri on Wednesday | DEBADATTA MALLICK Future-ready Indian Navy key to Viksit Bharat: President Murmu H E M A N T K U M A R R O U T @ Puri AMID rising threat perceptions along the sea routes in the changing global geopolitical situation, President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday exuded confidence that Indian Navy will continue to ensure maritime security that is essential to enable the country rise to a Viksit Bharat by 2047. “India has always been a strong maritime nation with our fortunes, glory and identity , being defined by the seas. With 63 ships being built in the country, the Navy’s single-minded focus to be an Atmanirbhar force by 2047 provides the inspiration to all to pursue innovation in mission mode and make India a super power,” she said after witnessing the Operation- Prez Droupadi Murmu, Guv Raghubar Das, CM Mohan Majhi at Navy Day event al Demonstration conducted by Indian Navy to mark the Navy Day at Puri. This was for the first time that the Navy Day was celebrated along the eastern coast in Odisha and second time outside a naval station. The President said India’s geography has endowed its citizens with all the elements necessary to be a great maritime nation. A long coastline, island territories, seafaring population, and developed maritime infrastructure encouraged India’s maritime activities along the coast and across the oceans for more than 5,000 years, she said. “As India’s economy grows and influences expand across the globe, the country with a glorious maritime heritage and history to look back upon and a future full of promise to look forward to, will continue to showcase its supremacy. The seamless integration of advanced technology tactical acu, men and sheer courage displayed during the Operational Demonstration aptly summarise the evolution of our Navy into a combat-ready, futureready and credible force,” MurCONTINUED ON P5 mu said. ENDING days of speculation, Devendra Fadnavis was on Wednesday unanimously elected the leader of Maharashtra BJP Legislative Party, paving the way for his swearing in as chief minister. This newspaper had on November 25 reported that Fadnavis was likely to be picked as Maharashtra chief minister. Fadnavis will take oath on Thursday at 5.30 pm, after Governor C P Radhakrishnan invited him to form the new government in the state. Two deputy chief ministers, including NCP leader Ajit Pawar, will also be sworn in at the ceremony at the sprawling Azad Maidan in south Mumbai on Thursday . There is no clarity on whether Shiv Sena leader and outgoing CM and Eknath Shinde will be a part of the new government, though Fadnavis said he has requested him to join. In the joint press conference with Fadnavis and Pawar, Shinde said he has offered his support to the new government to be led by Fadnavis, but he refused to clarify whether he will become deputy chief minister. Shinde said he needs time to think over it and he will take the decision by consulting his people. BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, and NCP chief Ajit Pawar share a light moment during a press conference, in Mumbai on Wednesday | PTI Meanwhile, Shinde is facing pressure from his party to join the government. “We are hopeful that Shinde saheb will listen to us and be part of the government,” said Shiv Sena MLA and former minister Uday Samant. Sources said Shinde has demanded the home portfolio with an added condition that there should not be any interference in his ministry. Shinde has also handed over the list of names of probable ministers from the Shiv Sena to Fadnavis, who said he would consult the BJP’s top leadership and get back on the demands. “There is pressure over Shinde by his own MLAs and former ministers to be part of the new government. The BJP is offering urban development revenue ministry instead of home ministry We are confident ... that he will accept the deal,” said a BJP leader. This is the third time in 10 years that Fadnavis is becoming the chief minister of Maharashtra. In 2014, he made history as the state’s first Brahmin chief minister in nearly 40 years. In 2019, he managed to form government with the help of Ajit Pawar but it lasted only a few days. ‘BJP-LED GOVT WILL HELP STATE GROW’ Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP’s central observer for the legislature party meet, said on Wednesday that BJP governments in Maharashtra and the Centre will help the state become a greater economic powerhouse in the country NO ROOM FOR TAINTED LEADERS, ALLIES TOLD According to BJP sources, Fadnavis wants to have leaders with clean image in his cabinet so that his government can deliver on the poll promises. Alliance partners Shiv Sena and the NCP have reportedly been told not to recommend ‘tainted and painted’ MLAs as ministers | P8 CB preps to deploy cyber commandos Rahul, Priyanka stopped to fight online crime in Odisha soon from visiting Sambhal A S I S H M E H TA @ Bhubaneswar Police in plain clothes subdue a man (in black pants) who tried to shoot Sukhbir Singh Badal | PTI The suspect being taken away by the police | PTI Sukhbir Badal narrowly escapes assassination bid other police personnel, Jasbir Singh and Parminder SHIROMANI Akali Dal Singh, overpowered him and (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh the bullet hit a wall.” Badal on Wednesday narrowBhullar said 175 police perly escaped an assassination sonnel in plain clothes were attempt outside the Golden deployed at the site. The fore Temple in Amritsar. was headed by an AIG-level Badal was performing the officer. Chaura was arrested duty of ‘sewadar’ at at the spot and his the main gate of the gun was seized by the shrine when a former police. He was alBabbar Khalsa Interready facing charges We demand a national terrorist in 30 cases, including High Court Narain Singh Chauone under the Explomonitored ra tried to shoot him probe into the sives Act. around 9.30 am, but entire incident Pronouncing to unmask the missed. ‘tankhah’ (religious conspiracy Standing a few mepunishment) for Subehind it ters away from Badal, khbir Singh Badal Chaura took out a and other leaders for Bikram Singh pistol and tried to the “mistakes” comMajithia, SAD shoot Badal, but was mitted by his governleader quickly subdued by ment in Punjab from the security personnel in 2007 to 2017, the Akal Takht plain clothes. A bullet was had on Monday directed fired, which missed Badal Badal to wash dishes and and hit a wall. clean shoes at the Golden Detailing the incident, Temple in Amritsar as a Amritsar Police Commis- ‘sewadar’. sioner Gurpreet Singh BhBadal has a Z-plus security ullar said, “One of the police cover, which means both the personnel Rashpal Singh saw Punjab Police and the cenChaura and followed him. As tral forces are part of his prohe tried to fire at Badal, two tection detail. H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh THE Crime Branch (CB) of Odisha Police will soon have seven cyber commandos, trained by various institutions in cyber security under the supervision of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), to probe complex online crimes taking place in the state. At least 16 officers of the CB had appeared for the screening test but seven were selected for the six-month-long programme organised by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). CB sources said four are undergoing training at International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT)-Raipur, two at Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) in Pune and one at Gandhinag a r ’s R a s h t r i ya R a k s h a University . The cyber commandos are expected to be assigned duties as per the expertise they develop during training in digital forensics, incident response and securing the information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure. Amid growing cyber threats, the MHA had earlier issued an advisory to all states over establishment of a special wing of cyber commandos. The cyber commandos will be assigned duties in digital forensics, incident response and securing the information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure Sources The cyber commandos will be significant for Odisha Police as the state has witnessed an exponential rise in cyber crimes in the recent years. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi informed the Assembly on Monday that cyber criminals cheated over `125 crore from the people in the state between 2021 and 2023. He said 6,368 cases were registered and as many as 1,388 people arrested during the period. In the recently-concluded DG& IG conference, Prime Minister Narendra Modi too made suggestions and advised the states to robustly combat the growing cyber crimes. “We are hopeful that cyber commandos will enhance our ca- pabilities in diverse aspects of cybersecurity and deal with complex online crimes,” said a senior police officer. The training of the first batch of cyber commandos will be over by March after which the CB will send the second batch of officers to undertake the programme in various institutions across the country . The MHA plans to raise 5,000 cyber commandos over the next five years. Currently , 286 police personnel of all the states are undergoing cyber commando training at eight different institutes like National Forensic Sciences University, New Delhi, NFSU, Gandhinagar, Rashtriya Raksha University, DIAT as well as IITs in Kanpur, Madras and Kottayam. Sources said I4C will conduct the training for the second batch of officers next year and its screening test is likely to be organised in January “Any rank police per. sonnel having basic knowledge of computer networks and operating systems can appear for the screening test. We received around 111 applications and their names were sent to the Centre,” said a CB officer. P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi BJP SLAMS RAHUL A Congress delegation led by Rahul Gandhi was on Wednesday stopped by the Uttar Pradesh police from visiting the violence-hit Sambhal district where prohibitory orders were in place. “We want to go to Sambhal and see what happened there. We want to meet the people but I’m not being allowed my constitutional right. This is a new India where attempts are on to end Ambedkar’s Constitution,” he said. Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and general secretary K C Venugopal, were sent back to Delhi after a two-hour standoff at the DelhiUttar Pradesh border. Holding up a copy of the Constitution in his hand at the Gazipur border, Rahul termed the police action as undemocratic. The BJP on Wednesday flayed Rahul Gandhi for trying to visit Sambhal without giving prior intimation to authorities Rahul said though he was ready to go alone to Sambhal in a police vehicle, the police did not heed to his request. “I said that I am ready to go alone, I am ready to go with the police, but they did not accept that either. Now they are saying that if we come back in a few days, they will let us go”. Violence erupted in Sambhal on November 24 over a courtordered survey of a mosque, killing four people and injuring several others. “He is different from other people. He cannot be stopped. He has the constitutional right to go and meet the victims, he should be allowed,” Wayanad MP Priyanka said. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at the Ghazipur border on Wednesday | PTI DARK SIDE OF SPORT India cricketers heckled and body-shamed in Adelaide E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Chennai PERHAPS, the organisers never expected such a crowd. The open nets session for India at Adelaide before the second day and night Test match against Australia turned carnivalesque. Almost. It turned into chaos. About 3,000 (some put that figure at 5,000) spectators descended at the practice wickets at Adelaide to watch their favourite stars going through their practice rituals. According to reports, the crowd started to laugh and tease players whenever they got out or were missing the ball. On the other hand, Australia team practice did not see a turnout of more than 100 people. Things started to turn ugly as some of the spectators started to request for selfies, even while batting, and if reports are to be believed, some were even doing Facebook live from the practice centre. Re- ports also indicated that players were even laughed and mocked at. The crowd also seemed to have gone personal, attacking certain player for fitness. What really irked the team was that the vociferous crowd distracted them and concentration while batting was getting difficult. “It was complete chaos. During the Australian training session, not more than 70-odd peo- ple turned up but during India’s session, 3,000 came. No one expected so many fans to turn up,” a senior Indian cricket board official told a news agency. The anonymity cricketers held may be in the last century is slowly changing with more engagement from the South Asian communities in Australia. The BCCI has banned all net sesP11 sions after this.