mangaluru l saturday l january 11, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 18 l city EDITION Laurene powell Jobs to observe kalpavas at kumbh The American entrepreneur and widow of Steve Jobs is set to observe an ancient spiritual practice of austerity at Maha Kumbh Understanding the Spiritual Practice Maha kumbh: A Spiritual Gathering Kalpvas is a month-long period of austerity, meditation and selfpurification, deeply rooted in the Sanatan tradition. Practitioners, known as Kalpvasis, renounce comforts, live in temporary tents, and engage in daily worship, including holy dips, spiritual discourses and devotional music. The practice is meant for inner purification and spiritual growth ■ ■ The Maha Kumbh, organised every 12 years, is a religious gathering of Sanatan devotees attracting millions from around the world Laurene is liekly to stay at the camp of Swami Kailashananda (pic), the Mahamandaleshwar of Niranjani Akhara. She will be there till the third Amrit Snan (royal bath) on Mauni Amavasya on January 29 | P10 JAN 13 WHEN THE MAHA KUMBH MELA KICKSTARTS IN PRAYAGRAJ IN UP 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 India cagey about Starlink licence after Manipur breach Govt may not give any exemption to Elon Musk firm or treat it as a special case RA K E S H K UMAR @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks to Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath in a podcast | PTI Mistakes are inevitable, I’m human, not God, says PM Narendra Modi Rajesh kumar thakur @ New Delhi PRIME Minister Narendra Modi in his debut podcast described himself as a person for whom designation holds no significance in his dedication to serving the nation. In a candid tete-a-tete hosted by Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, the prime minister said that his designations and situations may have changed but he still remains the same individual who once used to sit on the floor. Modi said he is always willing to abandon old ideas and adopt new ones if they align with his core ideology of “Nation First.” In a reply to a question if he had planned for the future beyond his tenure, focusing on training people he trusts for the next 20-30 years, Modi said, “I can see people with a lot of potential. When I was in Gu- jarat, I would say that I want to prepare a team for the next 20 years. I am doing it. My success lies in how I prepare my team who will be able to deftly handle things. This is my benchmark that I’ve set for myself.” Stressing the need for participation of youth in politics, he said that the country needs young leaders who are driven by a mission rather than ambition for top positions. When asked about his early approach to leadership, Modi said, “When I became CM, I said I will not do anything for myself. I will not do anything wrong out of bad intentions. I have made it a mantra of my life. Mistakes are inevitable. I must have made mistakes. I am a human too, not a god.” He also reiterated his commitment to reserving one-third of seats for women in legislative assemblies and the Lok Sabha in the near future. IN a setback to Elon Musk’s satellite communication company Starlink, India may not allow it to operate in the country due to security concerns. The government will do a thorough risk analysis and look at all aspects before considering the firm’s application for a licence, a senior Department of Telecommunications (DoT) told this newspaper. The government’s decision comes in the wake of discovery of Starlink satellite antennas and routers from Manipur and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the DoT official said, adding: “Incidents like these have prompted the government to scrutinise Starlink’s licence application.” Gauri Lankesh murder accused out on bail A Bengaluru court granted bail to Sharad Bhausaheb Kalaskar, citing delay in trial. With this, all the 17 accused facing trial in the case are now out on bail CAG raps K’taka over conservation and preservation of monuments The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has rapped the Karnataka government over preservation and conservation of monuments and antiquities. Non-utilisation of funds, encroachment of monuments, delay in digitisation, poor preservation, acute staff shortage and inadequate civic amenities are among the key issues, the CAG cited in its report. The report, “Performance Audit on Preservation and Conservation of State Protected Historical Monuments and Antiquities in Karnataka,” was tabled in the state Legislative Assembly on December 12, 2023. Article 49 makes it binding Pic for representation S L a l i t h a @ Bengaluru Conservation of 239 Roerich paintings at the Museum and Venkatappa Art Gallery in Bengaluru is yet to be completed, says CAG report on the state to protect every monument or place of object of artistic or historic interest from spoliation, disfigurement, destruction, removal, disposal or export as the case may be, the report stated. The shocking aspect was the inadequacies in utilisation of funds allocated for five years from 2017. The report said, “As against the budget allocation of Rs 146.81 crore, the department utilised only Rs 81.58 crore towards core activities such as preservation and conservation. The remaining amount went towards administrative, maintenance and grants to heritage authorities.” The primary function is to conserve and maintain heritage sites and only a small outlay needs to be spent on administration. However, 30% had been spent on administration, the report said.  P7 The Musk-owned firm has been seeking certain exemptions to enter the Indian market, citing technical limitations. Sources said the Centre was earlier open to easing some conditions for Starlink as a special case, but it is now treading very cautiously . Till date, the government has granted licences to Bharti Groupbacked OneWeb and the Jio-SES joint venture Jio Satellite Communications to provide satellite communication services in the country Musk’s Starlink and Ama. zon’s Project Kuiper have also applied for licences but neither has been approved by the government. In 2021, Starlink courted controversy when it accepted preorders from Indian consumers before obtaining the licence to operate in the country Follow. ing this, the DoT asked it to refund the pre-orders. Fresh problems for Starlink emerged in December 2024, when the company’s routers and antennas were discovered in ethnic strife-torn Manipur. Additionally, police in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands found that drug smugglers were using Starlink Mini—a portable satellite communication device with an integrated WiFi router—to communicate. Although Musk claimed that Starlink had “turned off ” its services in India, security agencies suspsect the devices were used in sensitive areas like Manipur, providing internet access to militant groups. Hence the government’s rethink on Starlink. SC junks pleas seeking speedy implementation of women’s quota S UCHI T RA K A LYAN M O HAN T Y @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Friday dismissed two public interest litigations (PILs) against the 2023 Nari Shakti Vandan Act, popularly known as the Women’s Reservation Act, which reserves one-third seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The petition filed by the National Federation of Indian Women, the women’s wing of the Communist Party of India, challenged the constitutional validity of the clause that stipulates delimitation of constituencies as a prerequisite to implementing the Nari Shakti Vandan Act. The SC said NFIW can approach the high court if it wants to challenge the constitutionality . The other plea by Congress leader Jaya Thakur said the Constitution amendment for the women’s reservation law can’t be withheld indefinitely for the Census and delimitation. “We don’t find any merit in the batch of pleas filed before us. The same are rejected,” a bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and P B Varale said in its order. On November 3, 2023, the top court while hearing Thakur’s plea had said it would be “very difficult” for the court to strike down a part of the women’s reservation law which would come into effect after the census. The Constitution amendment bill to implement women’s reservation in legislature got parliamentary nod on September 21, 2023. The law will be implemented only after conducting a fresh census followed by a delimitation exercise — redrawing of Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies. ‘Harassment’ by lenders: Families flee homes in Ch’nagar K S h i v a K u m a r @ Mysuru Hundreds of families have fled their homes in Chamarajanagar district owing to the alleged harassment by private microfinance companies for not repaying their loans. Many villagers said agents of lenders allegedly harassed the defauters for not paying monthly installments and also not clearing their loans on time. In some cases, children have discontinued their studies and joined their parents to work in farms and plantations in neighbouring districts and states, fearing the alleged harassment by the agents, they said. Mohan, a student, has appealed to the government to allow him to Locked houses in Heggawadipura village | Express sell one of kidneys to clear the loan taken by his father. The agents abused his mother in foul language whenever they visited their house, he alleged. The agents also visited the houses of defaulters at night and allegedly harassed them in the presence of their children, the villagers said. People from Heggawadipura alleged that the microfinance companies disbursed loans at 24% interest. A few companies were run by some trusts. Companies from neighbouring Tamil Nadu also operated in the district. The companies lend money not only to individuals, but also to women’s self-help groups, they said. Children of a few defaulters said that their parents sometimes spoke about committing suicide as they were unable to repay their loans. Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Shilpa Nag has appealed to the defaulters not to leave their villages. She said the defaulters may approach her or the assistant commissioner for help. They may also approach tahsildars or local panchayat officials. Four teams have been formed to visit villages and submit a report. The district administration has plans to hold special panchayat meetings to educate people, she said. I appeal to government to allow me to sell one of my kidneys to clear the loan taken by my father. The agents abused my mother in foul language when they visited my house Mohan, a student hush money case Don gets felony sentence without any punishment Agencies The government is taking the suspected use of Starlink devices in Manipur very seriously and is carefully considering all aspects before granting licence to the Elon Musk company DoT official express read Join Viksit Bharat mission: Prez to Indian diaspora Bubaneswar: President Droupadi Murmu on Friday appealed to the Indian diaspora to contribute to the realisation of the mission of Viksit Bharat by 2047 | P7 ISRO’s SpaDeX satellites closer to docking Bengaluru: The feat of docking two satellites in ISRO’s Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission is set to get a boost on Saturday after the scheduled January 7 docking was postponed twice as the drift between the two satellites was found to be more than expected | P10 US President-elect Donald Trump was on Friday sentenced in the hush money case without any punishment. It will make him the first person with a felony conviction to serve as president. In a post online after the sentencing, Trump called the trial a “despicable charade” and said he will file an appeal. Trump’s sentence was his first-ever so far. Manhattan Judge Juan M Merchan awarded him an unconditional discharge on all 34 counts, doing legal gymnastics since he is president-elect. He was charged with 34 felonies and convicted by a jury on every count in May last year, yet he got full discharge. Trump was found guilty of fudging his business’ records to conceal a $130,000 payoff to porn actor Stormy Daniels. She was paid in 2016 not to tell the public about her sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier. Trump, however, rejected the claim. And the allegations didn’t have an impact on voters, who elected him to a second term. Judge Merchan could have sentenced the 78-year-old accused to up to four years in prison. Instead, he chose a sentence that sidestepped thorny constitutional issues by effectively ending the case. Merchan said when facing any defendant, he had to consider any aggravating factors before imposing a sentence. But the legal protection that Trump will have as president is a factor that overrides all others. “Despite the extraordinary breadth of those legal protections, one power they do not provide is that they do not erase a jury verdict,” Merchan observed. Briefly addressing the court virtually Trump , said, “It’s been a political witch hunt. It was done to damage my reputation so that I would lose the election, and obviously that didn’t work.” , The prosecution requested no prison, probation or fine as a sentence. Judge Merchan obliged. He called it an extraordinary case and a paradox with a lot of attention but ordinary court proceedings. Prosecutors, however, criticised Trump’s fierce attacks on the legal system.  P12