BHUBANESWAR  SUNDAY  JUNE 29, 2025  `12.00  PAGES 24  LATE CITY EDITION DNA TEST IDENTIFIES LAST VICTIM OF PLANE CRASH; FINAL TOLL 260 Over two weeks after the Ahmedabad plane crash, the toll now stands at 260, down from 270 reported earlier, officials said on Saturday REMAINS OF ALL 260 VICTIMS HANDED TO KIN The bodies of all 260 victims have been handed over to the relatives. Of the 241 passengers and crew members who died, the mortal remains of 240 had been identified earlier while one body was pending for match. The matching of the DNA samples confirmed the victim’s identity on Friday. Till June 23, officials had confirmed the identity of 259 victims ■ 2 weeks ‘DNA MATCHING PROCESS TOO COMPLICATED’ ■ An official release said DNA matching was complicated as several bodies had to be identified since they were beyond recognition The 260 victims of the plane crash included 200 Indians — 181 passengers plus crew and 19 ground victims. The others included seven Portuguese nationals, 52 British nationals and one Canadian WAS TIME TAKEN TO COMPLETE IDENTIFICATION OF DNA SAMPLES 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 Award will open Agniveer Don’t play politics over induction door into forces Lord’s ‘leela’: Harichandan CHARIOTS REACH GUNDICHA Gallantry medal or participation in global event will make the cut M AYA N K S I N G H @ New Delhi ANTI-DUMPING Now, India imposes jute import bar from B’desh J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi INDIA has imposed immediate restrictions on import of jute and allied fibre products from Bangladesh, reflecting growing tensions in bilateral relations. These new measures apply to all land and seaports across the country with the , exception of Nhava Sheva seaport in Maharashtra, a notification from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said. However, these restrictions will not apply to goods exported by Bangladesh to Nepal and Bhutan. At the same time, the “re-export” of such Bangladeshi goods from Nepal or Bhutan into India “will not be allowed.” Under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement, Bangladesh’s jute exports currently enjoy duty-free access to the Indian market. Concerns, however, have persisted for years within the Indian jute industry about the adverse impact of dumped and subsidised imports, particularly jute yarn, fibre, woven fabrics, and bags originating from Bangladesh. “This has been putting Indian industry in disadvantageous position as there is credible evidence that Bangladeshi jute exports continue to benefit from subsidies by the government,” said a source. In response, the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties had earlier imposed anti-dumping duties on jute and related goods from Bangladesh. But those duties didn’t work t o I n d i a ’s b e n e f i t a s expected. WITH THIS ISSUE THE SWORD OF DAVID PLUS 12 P AGES AGNIVEERS who participate in any international event or get gallantry medals, including the Sena Medal, will be inducted permanently into the services, as per a new document seen by this newspaper. They would be part of the 25% who make the cut for permanent induction after four years of serving as Agniveers. Over all, Agniveers will undergo four sets of evaluations. For context, the first batch of Agniveers are in their third round of assessment. “Agniveer recipients of the Sena medal and above like Ashok Chakra, Kirti Chakra, and Shaurya Chakra, will surely be retained as permanent soldiers,” the document says. These awards are given for exceptional acts of bravery cour, age or self-sacrifice. Those who get ‘Mention in Dispatches’ will get 25 extra marks. Mention in Dispatches is awarded for distinguished and meritorious service in operational areas and acts of gallantry, which are not of a suf- PRESS CLUSIVE THREE, TWO KA ONE Tests at the regimental centre include drill, physical test and firing. The recruits get three chances in each test; only the best score is uploaded in the data. In the subsequent phases of tests, they are given two chances ficiently high order to warrant gallantry awards. Similarly ex, tra marks will be given to Agniveers getting Commendation cards from the Chief, Army Commanders and the Corps Commanders. Besides, Agniveers recruited as sportspersons and others participating in any international event will get permanent recruitment. Also, those participating in national events will be given 10 extra marks. Participation in services level events will give them six more marks in their assessment tests. The total assessment will be of 1,000 marks, which will have to be completed and entered in the data sheet three months prior to the Agniveers completing their four-year service period and returning home. As for the first batch, the assessment data entry has to be wrapped up by October 2026. Of the four levels of assessment, the first one will be within 31 weeks of the Agniveer’s induction; the second at 18 months; the third in 30 months and the last in 42 months, just six months before exiting the unit as Agniveer. To make it transparent, the first assessment is done at the regimental centre; the second and third at the unit; and the final one by the higher formation like the division/brigade under which the unit functions. Remittance tax cut PARAG to 1% in latest big, beautiful bill draft JAIN APPOINTED NEW CHIEF OF RAW $38 bn sent home from US India was the top remittance recipient in 2024. Its total remittance receipts stood at $137.70 billion during 2024 (on a calendar year basis). As per an RBI report, 28% of India’s inward remittances came from the US – making it $38 billion D I PA K M O N D A L @ New Delhi PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s tax on outward remittance could pinch NRIs much less than was anticipated. In its latest update to its draft, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act seeks to impose a 1% levy against the earlier proposal of 3.5% on money sent overseas by non-US citizens. The bill had originally suggested a 5% tax, which was reduced to 3.5%, and now 1%. Senate Republicans released their updated draft of the proposed One Big Beautiful Bill Act on June 27 and have set a self-imposed deadline of July 4 to try to pass the bill. The updated Senate version significantly changes the remittance transfer provisions that were passed by House Republicans. Apart from proposing a much-reduced tax rate, the proposal exempts transfers from accounts held at banks and other financial institutions and also excludes transfers made via debit and credit cards issued in the United States. The remittance transfer tax will apply only to any remittance transfer for which the sender provides cash, a money order, a cashier’s check, or other similar physical instrument to the remittance transfer provider. This tax will apply to transfers made after December 31, 2025. “This should come as a huge relief to the NRI community in the US,” said Lloyd Pinto, Partner — US Tax, Grant Thornton Bharat. Parag Jain, one of the brains behind the meticulous planning of ‘Operation Sindoor’, has been appointed as the new Chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), according to an official order issued here on Saturday | P7 EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Puri/Bhubaneswar LORD Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath reached their destination Shree Gundicha temple on Saturday with lakhs of devotees pulling all the three chariots and completing the process by early afternoon. All the three deities had to be halted on the Badadanda (Grand Road) on Friday after the chariot of Lord Balabhadra deviated from the path and blocked the movement of two others. The Nandighosa Rath of Lord Jagannath moved a few metres from Singhadwara of Shree Jagannath temple after which the chariot pulling was stalled for the night. Pulling of the three chariots resumed at around 9.35 am in the morning after the rituals were over. Three sets of priests simultaneously performed the daily chores of the deities on their chariots, beginning with Mangal Arati, Mailum, Tadap Lagi, Abakash, and offered bhog. They dressed the deities in new clothes. The Taladhwaja chariot of Lord Balabhadra was pulled first, clearing the way for movement of Darpadalan Rath of Devi Subhadra and Nandighosa of Lord Jagannath. Deputy chief minister Pravati Parida, Law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, chief secretary Manoj Ahuja and DGP YB Khurania participated in the pulling of chariots along with devotees, officials and police personnel. All three chariots reached the Gundicha temple at 1.20 pm. The deities will be taken inside the Gundicha temple IN a tragic incident, three women en route to Puri on their twowheeler to witness the Rath Yatra were killed after coming under the wheels of an Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) bus here on Saturday afternoon. The deceased were identified as Rimjhim Priyadarsini Sahoo (20), Elina Das (20) and Kajal Das (22). They were rushed to the Pipili community health centre (CHC) where doctors declared them received dead. Police said, the incident took place at around 4 pm near Tarakaja Chhak within Pipili police limits. The trio was going to Puri on their scooty when they had to abruptly change the lane to avoid collision with an over-speeding two-wheeler coming from the wrong side. Soon after, they reportedly lost balance and fell only to come under the rear wheels of the OSRTC bus that was behind them. Police said the OSRTC bus with passengers on board was also en route to Puri. Though the driver fled after the incident, he was nabbed by the cops after Since 1977, all the chariots have not reached Gundicha temple on the first day. In most of these years, the yatra of the deities was completed on the second day Prithiviraj Harichandan, minister on Sunday in a ceremonial procession as per rituals. As the chariot pulling on the second day concluded smoothly, Law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan lashed out at the politics playing out on the issue. “This is not the first time that chariot pulling during Rath Yatra has been delayed. It has been the same for decades together. Since 1977, all the chariots have not reached Gundicha temple on the first day. In most of these years, the yatra of the deities was completed on the second day ,” he said. Attributing the delay in chariot pulling to the huge turnout of devotees which led to massive overcrowding, Harichandan accused the Opposition parties of indulging in cheap politics on the issue of the “leela of Lord Jagannath”. “Those who are indulging in politics will have to face the consequences sooner or later,” he added. Temple chief administrator Arabinda Padhee said, “Today, all the chariots have reached Gundicha temple. Tomorrow (Sunday), Adapa Mandap pahandi will be done and all the preparations are in place. The timing of Adapa Mandap pahandi will be decided as per the nitis atop the chariots,” he said. Padhee added that in the past years too, chariots had not reached Gundicha temple on the day of Rath Yatra and were pulled the next day. “Our focus is always on completion of rituals on time and as far as this is concerned, there has been no lapse on the part of the temple administration,” he said. Sky is never the limit, Shux tells PM from space B O S K Y K H A N N A @ Bengaluru Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, aboard ISS | PTI 3 women on way to Puri crushed to death by OSRTC bus A S I S H M E H TA @ Bhubaneswar Devotees gather in large numbers outside the Shree Gundicha temple to get a glimpse of the three deities atop their grand chariots, at Puri on Saturday | SJTA a few hours. “Pipili police have registered a case and detained the bus driver besides seizing the vehicle. Efforts are on to identify the erring two-wheeler rider who was driving on the wrong side of the road,” said a senior police officer. As per information, Rimjhim’s aunt and mother were also travelling on another twowheeler when the mishap occurred. Sources said Rimjhim and Elina were studying togeth- The trio was going to Puri on their scooty when they had to abruptly change the lane to avoid collision with an over-speeding two-wheeler coming from the wrong side. Soon after, they reportedly lost balance, slipped and came under the wheels of the OSRTC bus – Police er at Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya in Bhubaneswar. Elina and Kajal were cousins and natives of Kendrapara district. The duo was staying on rent at Rimjhim’s house in Old Town’s Barik Sahi area. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed grief over the accident. He took to X to pay his condolences and announced a compensation of `4 lakh each for the families of the deceased. The accident comes at a time when Odisha Police boasted to have covered the entire stretch from Uttara to Puri with AI-enabled CCTV cameras to regulate traf fic during the chariot festival. INDIA’S Group Captain Shubanshu Shukla, who is also the mission pilot of the Axiom-4 mission, during his interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, from the International Space Station (ISS), said: “Sky is never the limit, not for me, not for you, and not for the 140 crore Indians” — a progressive departure from the famed Indian Air Force motto, “Sky is the limit.” During the 18.05-minute-long conversation with the PM on Saturday, Shukla (call sign ‘Shux’) said the mission was a step towards India’s own Gaganyaan space mission scheduled for 2027, setting up the Bhartiya Antriksh Station (BAS) by 2035 and ISRO’s indigenous lunar manned mission by 2040. Shux told the PM that all the astronauts aboard the ISS hailing from different nationalities had expressed their desire to visit the BAS when it is ready and up in space. “I am absorbing all that I’ve learnt during my year-long training and what I am now learning on the ISS like a sponge. This will help India in the upcoming missions,” Shukla told Modi. The Prime Minister said: “This mission of Shukla is not just limited to space, but will speed up and channelise India’s Viksit Bharat journey .” EXPRESS READ ‘Kaanta Laga’ girl dies of cardiac arrest at 42 RBI tightens AePS norms to curb frauds CHENNAI: Actor Shefali Jariwala, widely recognised as the ‘Kaanta Laga’ girl, passed away on Saturday, at the age of 42. Shefali experienced a heart attack late at night on Friday and was taken to a private hospital in Mumbai by her actor-husband Parag Tyagi. She was declared dead at the hospital. According to reports, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) shared that the doctors have reserved their opinion after the postmortem of Shefali, and the cause of death is still not clear. Shefali captivated audiences with her performance in the 2002 remix music video for the song ‘Kaanta Laga’ | P8 MUMBAI: In its effort to further strengthen customer protection by preventing frauds, and also to bolster the trust in Aadhaarenabled payment system (AePS) transactions, the Reserve Bank has issued tighter compliance directives for banks and also the National Payments Corporation (NPCI). These guidelines, issued on Friday, mandate rigorous due diligence and risk management measures for AePS touchpoint operators, and will come into force from January 1, 2026, the RBI said in a circular. The move aims at addressing identity theft and fraud incidents, which have been rising of late, enhancing financial inclusion in rural areas | P10