The New Indian Express wishes its readers a bengaluru l wednesday l january 01, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 22 l late city EDITION India’s Core sector production improves to 4.3% in November Output of cement, coal, steel, electricity, refinery products, and fertilisers showed positive growth in November, commerce ministry data showed Cement sector emerges top performer Output Growth hits four-month high Coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement, and electricity are the eight infrastructure industries collectively known as the core sector. The cement sector grew 13% in November, followed by coal at 7.5%, steel 4.8%, electricity 3.8%, petroleum refinery products 2.9%, and fertilisers 2%. Crude oil and natural gas output contracted 2.1% and 1.9% ■ ■ The latest data for November shows a four-month high in terms of positive growth in core sector output. In August 2024, overall core sector growth showed a contraction of 1.6%. In September and October, the growth was 2.4% and 3.7% (revised), respectively In November 2023, the core sector had recorded 7.9% growth 40.27% Core sector’s contribution to the index of Industrial production 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 Punjab twist Farmer on fast seeks talks with Centre, SC grants time S u c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y @ New Delhi welcome 2025!!! People usher in 2025 on Brigade Road in Bengaluru. There were celebrations across the country and elsewhere to mark the New Year | vinod kumar t 309 illegal houses set for demolition at Karanth Layout S L a l i t h a @ Bengaluru As many as 309 houses and an apartment complex, which have been constructed illegally at Dr Shivaram Karanth Layout in North Bengaluru, are set for demolition. They have been built in violation of the city’s master plan. The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), armed with a recent high court order, will soon issue notices, asking the residents of these houses and the apartment complex to vacate at the earliest. “We will be issuing notices to owners of these houses next week. We have identified the houses, which have been illegally built. Those residing there will be given three months to vacate,” a BDA official said. The official said houses have been built on public roads in the layout in violation of the Revised Master Plan (RMP) of 2007, which is being followed by the BDA as the new master plan for the city has not been finalised yet. Layouts should have roads with a width of 30 metres and 45 metres (in some places) for smooth movement of people and vehicles as per the RMP, the official added. Seventeen villages have been included in the layout. Those who have built houses there have not taken permission from the BDA, another official pointed out. “The town planning section would not have approved their building plans if they had approached it. They are not minor violations,” he said. The houses will be demolished after the three-month deadline, the official added. express read High Court relief for cricketer Robin Uthappa BENGALURU: The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday stayed the proceedings and arrest warrant issued against cricketer Robin Uthappa under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, holding him liable for defaulting in payment of EPF by Centaurus Lifestyle Brands Private Ltd. Sorry CM apologises for loss of lives due to ethnic strife Urges people to forgive and forget past mistakes P r a s a n ta M a z u m d a r @ Guwahati On the New Year’s eve, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh apologised to the people of the state for the loss of lives during the ethnic violence. “I feel regret and I want to say sorry to the people of the state for what happened since May 3 last year. Many people lost their loved ones. Many people left their homes. So, I really feel regret and would like to apologise to all natives,” Singh said at a press conference. Pointing out that there has been some progress towards peace in the last three-four months, he said he was hopeful about the return of normalcy and peace on the New Year. “Whatever happened has happened. We have to forgive and forget the past mistakes and make a new beginning for a peaceful and prosperous Manipur,” the CM said, adding, “We all recognise 34-35 tribes. We should live together in the future.” While over 200 people died in the ethnic violence, 12,247 FIRs were registered and 625 accused arrested. Also, 5,600 arms and 35,000 ammunitions were recovered. “So, there is a good progress in tackling the issue. Centre provided enough security per- sonnel and funds to help the displaced families. Altogether 2,058 families with a population of 7,549 persons have been resettled,” Singh said. Meanwhile, several Kuki women were injured on Tuesday when Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) allegedly used force to disperse protesters at Saibol village in the Kangpokpi district. The trouble began when the local women allegedly resisted the “forceful occupation of community bunkers” by the Central forces. Condemning the assault, the women wing of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum claimed I feel regret and I want to say sorry to the people of the state for what happened since May 3 last year Biren Singh, Manipur CM that more than 30 women were injured during their “peaceful protest against the violence in Saibol-Twichin area of Kangpokpi district”. The organisation demanded CAPF immediately cease its “intrusive operations” and allow the people to celebrate the New Year in peace. “The government must stop being biased and take concrete steps to prevent such incidents and ensure that those responsible for the violence are held accountable,” the organisation stated. After the CM’s outreach, the Congress wondered why PM Modi hasn’t gone there yet. the Supreme Court on Tuesday granted three more days to the Punjab government to comply with its December 20 order to provide medical aid to 70-year-old farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on a fast-untodeath strike since November 26, and shift him to hospital. The court was hearing a contempt petition against the Punjab chief secretary and DGP for not complying with its order to shift Dallewal to hospital. A vacation bench of justices Surya Kant and Sudhanshu Dhulia accepted the Punjab government’s plea for three more days after Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh told the court that Dallewal has agreed to accept medical aid if the Centre is ready to hold talks with the protesting farmers. The protest is over non-fulfilment of farmers’ demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price for crops. “We will not comment on what is going on, about negotiations... As of now we are only concerned with the compliance of our orders,” Justice Kant said. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that he has no instructions on the submissions made by the Punjab AG. “Taking into the consideration the totality of circumstances and keeping the interest of justice in view, we are inclined to accept the request to afford some more time for compliance with the directions issued by the court,” the bench ruled while posting the matter to January 2, 2025 for further hearing. Manipur accounted for 77% of violence in northeast last year MU K E S H RAN J AN @ New Delhi Strife-torn Manipur accounted for about 77% of all violent incidents in the Northeast in 2023-24, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs said in its annual report. It attributed the spike in violence in Manipur as compared to 2022, to ethnic clashes between the majority Meiteis and the Kuki-Zo community Of the 243 violent inci. dents in the Northeast that year, 187 were in Manipur. “The counterinsurgency operations in Manipur resulted in killing of 33 insurgents and arrest of 184 insurgents besides recovery of 49 weapons,” the report read. While the state government is primarily responsible for dealing with violence, the MHA took a series of “immediate and sustained” measures to manage the situation. Senior Punjab police officials meet farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal at Khanauri border in Sangrur district on Friday | pti Defence chiefs to get aides from other services MAYAN K S IN G H @ New Delhi TAKING a crucial step in the process to integrate Armed Forces personnel, the personal staff officers of the service chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force will be appointed from other services with effect from January 1, 2025. Till now, the chiefs were getting Aides-de-Camp (ADCs) from their own units. “This change has been adopted by all the three service chiefs, signalling some major changes in 2025. It may appear a small step but it is a big message for transforming the defence forces,” sources said. To begin with, the Army chief will get ADC also from the Air Force, the Air Chief from the Indian Navy and the , Navy chief from the Army . This is part of the several Aides-de-Camp such changes that will roll out Aides-de-Camp over the next year. Sources said (ADCs) are the the initiative is led by the Chief personal staff of of Defence Staff, General Anil defence chiefs, Chauhan, who is working on a usually in the ranks of long-term plan to move the forcCaptain/Major or es towards the Integrated Theaequivalent ranks from tre Commands. other services. The Under the human resources ADCs serve the three reforms being undertaken, the service chiefs, force first set of cross-posting of juncommanders, and ior officers was executed in midcorps commanders. 2023, with mid-level and senior Defence personnel officers being placed in imporposted with t a n t b i l l e t s ove r s eve r a l governors are months. also ADCs A special Joint Division has been created at the Defence Services Staff College to foster a collaborative and interservice approach to ensure jointness and integration in warfare and focus on inter-service understanding and cooperation. This, sources said, will empower them to function effectively in the era of Theatre Commands. “Due impetus has been given towards developing greater tri-services synergy and enhancing jointness and integration under eight key domains—operations & intelligence, operational logistics, capability development, communications & infotech, training, maintenance & support services, human resources, and administration & legal aspects,” sources elaborated. India will be the first democratic country to adopt theaterisation through consensus building among the three services, they added. ’25: K’taka’s ability to innovate & reform gives reason for cautious optimism A s 2024 draws to a close, Karnataka stands at a crossroads. This year has been marked by a spectrum of events, from political shifts and economic recovery to social challenges and governance reforms. The state, one of India’s leading contributors to GDP, education, and technology also , faces the complexities of managing its growth, ensuring social equity and addressing sys, temic governance issues. As we look ahead to 2025, it is time to take stock of Karnataka’s journey critically examine , the challenges, and chart out bold solutions that can set the state on a path of sustainable, inclusive growth. The political landscape in Karnataka has been dynamic in 2024, with general and state Assembly elections, and a series of local polls marking the year. Karnataka saw the return of Congress to power, securing a significant victory in the As- Gurucharan Gollerkeri Director, School of Social Sciences, Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences sembly elections. However, the state’s political environment remains polarised, reflecting broader national trends. The shift in political power has been pivotal in shaping the governance narrative. The Congress government has focused on welfare programmes such as ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ scheme for women’s empowerment and ‘Yuva Nidhi’ for youth employment. However, promises have often collided with implementation bottlenecks, with many programmes delayed or falling short of their targets, leaving potential beneficiaries disappointed. The contentious issue of reservation and its impact on social justice has been another flashpoint. Calls for an overhaul of Karnataka’s reservation policy, especially in the context of SC/ST and OBC quotas, have fueled debates on caste, equity, and meritocracy . The state will need a far-reaching dialogue and comprehensive reforms to balance social justice with the aspirations of all communities. Karnataka’s economy one of the better per, forming ones in India, has seen a moderate recovery in 2024. Despite the global economic slowdown, Bengaluru, the state’s capital, continues to be a hub for technology and innovation. Karnataka’s Information Technology (IT) and startup ecosystem remains a key driver of growth, accounting for over 40 per cent of the country’s IT exports. The sector has shown resilience, with the state attracting over $6 billion in FDI in 2024 alone.  CONTINUED ON P4