BHUBANESWAR  MONDAY  MAY 26, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 12  LATE CITY EDITION INDIA IS NOW THE FOURTH LARGEST ECONOMY, AHEAD OF JAPAN: NITI India has become the fourth largest economy in the world, overtaking Japan, NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam said, quoting IMF data BVR Subrahmanyam, NITI Aayog CEO IMF FORECAST OF APRIL ON RIGHT TRACK INDIA’S PER CAPITA INCOME DOUBLED IN 10 YRS The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its World Economic Outlook (WEO) report released in April, said that India is expected to be the fourth largest economy in the world with a GDP of $4.19 trillion in 2025, ahead of Japan. Citing IMF data, Subrahmanyam said, “We are the fourth largest economy as I speak. We are a $4-trillion economy” ■ ■ India’s nominal GDP for 2025 (FY26) is expected to be $ 4.18 billion, marginally more than the likely GDP of Japan which is estimated at $4.187 billion, the IMF had said in its report on economic outlook According to data from the IMF, India’s per capita income has doubled from $1,438 in 2013-14 to $2,880 in 2025 6.2% IS INDIAN ECONOMY’S PROJECCTED GROWTH RATE IN 2025-26 AS PER IMF 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 Lalu expels elder son from RJD, snaps ties R A M A S H A N K A R @ Patna MSC Elsa 3, which was on its way from Vizhinjam port to Kochi port, sinking in the Arabian sea on Sunday morning | EXPRESS Container ship sinks with hazardous cargo off Kochi E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Kochi POSING a major environmental risk to the Kerala coast, MSC Elsa 3, the container ship which was reported to have listed on Saturday, sank to the depths of the Arabian Sea on Sunday morning off Kochi coast. All 24 crew members have been rescued. The ship was carrying 643 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 holding calcium carbide. It also had 84.44 metric tonnes (MT) diesel and 367.1 MT of furnace oil in its tanks. The Coast Guard said a comprehensive pollution response has been activated. A Dornier aircraft equipped with advanced oil spill mapping technology is carrying out an aerial assessment of the area. An emergency meeting of the state Disaster Management WHAT WENT CARGO: 643 containers 100 CONTAINERS HAZARDOUS CARGO: 13 containers DOWN fell off vessel and floating in the sea Location of capsize: 38 nautical miles from Kochi Depth at location: 53 m CALCIUM CARBIDE: 12 containers EMPTY CONTAINERS: 73 FURNACE OIL: 367.1 metric tonnes DIESEL: 84.44 metric tonnes Authority issued an alert for the coastline. Fishermen have been told not to conduct fishing operations in a 20-nautical-mile radius around the spot where the ship sank. Coastal residents have been asked not to approach any floating objects. The Department of Factories and Boilers, Kerala will form two teams to safely recover the containers while the State Pollution Control Board has set up two rapid response teams to deal with potential oil spill. According to authorities, around 100 containers are floating and moving at a speed of 3 km per hour towards the Kerala coast. The remaining containers have sunk to a depth of 53 metres along with the ship. “Presently, no oil spill has been reported. The Coast Guard is fully geared up to respond to the emerging scenario and is closely monitoring the environmental impact,” said defence spokesperson Cdr Atul Pillai. The shipping firm brought technical experts to salvage the containers. However, the efforts failed due to rough sea conditions and strong winds. CM showcases Subhadra, aid for farmers at PM’s NDA meet EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE AHEAD of the Bihar assembly election, RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Sunday expelled his elder son and MLA Tej Pratap Yadav from the party for six years and snapped all family ties with him for posting pictures on social media, ‘revealing’ his 12-year-old relationship with a woman. Announcing Tej Pratap’s expulsion, Lalu said on X, “Ignoring moral values in personal life weakens our collective struggle for social justice. The activities, public conduct and irresponsible behaviour of the eldest son are not in conformity with our family values and traditions.” The RJD supremo’s action came a day after a post from Tej Pratap’s Facebook handle went viral. In the post, Tej Pratap is seen with a woman, Anuskha Yadav, in a photograph where he said that he had 12-year-long relationship with her. After the post gained traction, Tej Pratap claimed on ‘X’ that his social media platforms had been hacked. CHIEF Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday shared impactful initiatives of his government with his counterparts of NDA-ruled states at the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Of the several programmes initiated by the BJP government after coming to power in Odisha, Majhi is learnt to have highlighted two signature schemes - Subhadra Yojana and Samrudha Krushak Yojana which have empowered women and far mers of the state through financial support. Subhadra Yojana is a flagship woman-centric scheme under which the state government is providing `50,000 cash in half-yearly installments of `5,000 each to beneficiaries between the age group of 21 and 59. More than one crore women of the state have benefited from t h e s c h e m e, w h i c h w a s launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday on September 17 last year, the CM said. Majhi also highlighted how the farmers of the state have benefited from the Samrudha Krushak Yojana under which Pak sees India as Not a one-off military ‘existential threat’, says US report action, says Modi OPERATION SINDOOR RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi OPERATION Sindoor was a turning point in the global fight against terror showing India’s growing strength and clarity of purpose, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday . “Operation Sindoor is not just a military mission; it is a picture of our resolve, courage and a transforming India and this picture has infused the whole country with a sense of patriotism and has painted it in the hues of the tricolor,” Modi said in his monthly radio broadcast programme Mann Ki Baat. Terming the precision with which Indian forces attacked the terrorist infrastructure across the border as “extraordinary”, the PM B’DESH COURT BEGINS FIRST TRIAL OF HASINA-ERA OFFICIALS emphasised that the operation was not a one-off military action, but a reflection of a changing and resolute India. Crediting India’s homegrown defence capabilities for the mission’s success, he said: “This was the ultimate bravery of our soldiers, backed by the power of weapons, equipment, and technology made in India.” Modi said Operation Sindoor has infused the entire nation with a sense of patriotism with people preferring Made in India goods over imported ones. Notably leaders of the rul, ing National Democratic Alliance (NDA), who had gathered in New Delhi for a meeting of NDA CMs and deputy CMs, for a meeting, listened to the PM’s radio broadcast together. A Crimes Tribunal accepted charges against Dhaka’s former police commissioner and seven others for crimes during last year’s uprising in Bangladesh | P9 J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi PAKISTAN continues to view India as an existential threat and is expanding its nuclear arsenal accordingly while India treats China as its , primary strategic adversary and views Pakistan as a secondary concern. This assessment comes from the United States Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in its 2025 Worldwide Threat Assessment, which raises fresh concerns over rising tensions and military buildups in South Asia. The report highlights Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to modernise its military capabilities, particularly its nuclear weapons programme, with support from foreign sources — primarily China. Islamabad, it says, is committed to developing battlefield nuclear weapons to offset India’s conventional military superiority . “Pakistan regards India as an existential threat and will continue to pursue its military modernisation effort, including the development of battlefield nuclear weapons,” the DIA stated. Pakistan is also deepening its military relationship with China, which is believed to be the main supplier of defence technologies supporting Pakistan’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programmes.As of 2024, Pakistan is estimated to possess around 170 nuclear warheads. While Islamabad remains focused on India, New Delhi is prioritising its response to China. “India views China as its primary adversary and Pakistan more an ancillary security problem to be managed,” the report says. The DIA warns that despite temporary calm, the risk of future escalation remains high. Big embarrassment: Burglars clean up cop’s house on police station campus in Rourkela P R A S A N J E E T S A R K A R @ Rourkela COCKING a snook at the Rourkela police, burglars pulled off an audacious theft from the official residence of a cop right on the Plant Site police station campus in broad daylight and made away with gold and silver ornaments worth over `15 lakh on Saturday . The incident came to light after the havildar with the reserve office (RO), Subrata Hota, lodged a complaint on Saturday night. The burglary has made a complete mockery of Rourkela police which has been tom-toming its Operation Surakhsa, specifically aimed at containing property offences and keeping hardcore and habitual offenders under constant surveillance. Hota said the family including his wife and two children were away to the nearby Lathikata block from 9.30 am to 6 pm on Saturday during which the theft took place. On their return at around 6 pm, they were shocked to find the lock of the main door broken and rushed inside. He said gold and silver ornaments worth over `15 lakh were cleaned from the wardrobe and almirah, adding four door locks were cut open or broken to enter the house. Zone II DSP Amarendra Sandh said Hota was posted with the RO. He had returned home on May 21 after a four-month training. On the day of the incident, he was away from home with CONTINUED ON P5 family . The official quarter is just at the backyard of the Plant Site police station, which is well-guarded with boundary wall. The burglars decamped with `15 lakh worth gold and silver ornaments Sources @ Bhubaneswar Proudly showcased Odisha’s impactful initiatives and drew inspiration from the success stories of other NDA governed states. Reaffirmed our unshakable resolve to deliver good governance. Mohan Charan Majhi, CM input assistance of `800 is given over and above the minimum support price of `2,100 per quintal of paddy under decentralised procurement. This has benefited nearly 17 lakh farmers, he said. Issues of good governance, best practices by states, security measures, and development initiatives were discussed at the meeting after passing of two resolutions on the success of Operation Sindoor and the prime minister’s announcement on caste census, said deputy chief minister KV Singh Deo, who also joined the meet- ing along with his counterpart Pravati Parida. In a post on X, Majhi said, “A day of high-energy discussions, bold ideas, and actionable insights on governance, development and nation-building. Proudly showcased Odisha’s impactful initiatives and drew inspiration from the success stories of other NDA governed states.” “Reaffirmed our unshakable resolve to deliver good governance, ensure national security and drive inclusive growth for every Indian. One mission. One goal. Viksit Bharat,” he wrote. In his social media post, Singh Deo said, “I had the opportunity to engage in meaningful deliberations that shape the future of our nation. Key discussions centered on governance, security and national development. NDA Chief Ministers also shared key welfare and development initiatives from their states, contributing to the exchange of best governance practices.” “As Odisha strides ahead in infrastructure, agriculture, and sustainable growth, our participation in such dialogues strengthens our resolve to deliver impactful leadership and policies that benefit every citizen,” he added.