SAMBALPUR  TUESDAY  JULY 15, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 12  CITY EDITION SHUBHANSHU SHUKLA, AXIOM-4 TEAM ON RETURN PATH TO EARTH After an 18-day stay at the International Space Station (ISS), astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others set off for return on Monday WILL SPLASH DOWN OFF U.S. AT 3.01 PM TODAY SPACECRAFT WILL BE EXPOSED TO 1,600°C Shukla, the second Indian astronaut to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 odyssey, will board Dragon spacecraft at 2 pm IST and embark on the return journey two hours later. “Undocking from ISS is scheduled for 4.35 pm IST,” Axiom Space said. After a 22.5-hour journey, the crew will splash down off California at 3.01 pm IST on Tuesday ■ ■ Final preparations include detaching the capsule’s trunk and orienting the heat shield ahead of atmospheric entry, which will expose the spacecraft to temperatures nearing 1,600 degrees Celsius Parachutes will deploy in two stages — first stabilising around 5.7 km altitude followed by main parachutes at roughly two km `550 cr WAS PAID BY ISRO FOR SHUKLA’S TRAVEL TO THE ISS 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 Prez visits self-immolation victim at Time to address AIIMS-BBS, meets family members de-escalation: E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Bhubaneswar WITH the girl student of FM (Autonomous) College at Balasore, who attempted self-immolation over alleged harassment by the head of the department, continuing to battle for life at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, President Droupadi Murmu on Monday visited the burn unit of the hospital and enquired about her health. Ahead of the President’s visit, Sahadevkhunta police arrested the principal of the college Dillip Ghosh, who had been suspended by the government immediately after the incident on July 12. He Video grab of Prez Murmu visiting the burn unit has been charged with abetment of suicide. The prime accused and head of the Health minister Mukesh Mahaling and department of teacher education Samira MP Aparajita Sarangi accompanied the Kumar Sahoo had also been arrested on President. the day of the suicide bid by the girl. Earlier in the day, Pradhan visited the The President is on a two-day visit to girl and enquired about her condition the state to attend a series of events in- from the doctors. He also met her family . cluding the 5th convocation of “Our priority is to save her life. AIIMS-Bhubaneswar. ImmediThe state government has made ately after addressing the convoit very clear from the beginning cation ceremony and handing that no one will be spared. Some over the degrees to passing stuaction has been taken, and in the We gave an dents, Murmu went to meet the update about the coming days, the action will deficondition of the patient. She saw the patient from nitely be more stringent. The patient to the outside the critical care unit and state government has formed a talked to the treating doctors President and the committee to address the adminline of treatment about her condition. She also istrative and legal aspects of this being provided to spoke to the family members of her in consultation matter. The police are doing the girl, who were present there. with experts from t h e i r j o b, ” P r a d h a n t o l d Director of AIIMS-Bhumediapersons. AIIMS-Delhi baneswar Dr Asutosh Biswas Meanwhile, the Governor also Dr Asutosh Biswas, said, “We gave an update about sought details of the circumDirector AIIMS-BBS the condition of the patient to stances that led to the incident the President and the line of and the steps being taken to adtreatment being provided to her in consul- dress the situation from Higher Educatation with experts from AIIMS-Delhi. tion Minister Suryabanshi Suraj. The The patient is still on ventilator support. minister assured that the matter is being Nothing concrete can be said on her prog- taken seriously and that necessary measnosis till passage of 72 hours. All we can ures have been initiated to provide supsay now is she is critical but stable. Best port and ensure accountability, he said. possible care is being provided to her and “The safety, mental well-being and digthe team of experts is constantly monitor- nity of students must be protected at all ing her.” times. I have urged the authorities to act Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, with urgency empathy and responsibility , Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Un- to prevent such incidents in the future,” ion Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, state he said. Govt directs varsities, colleges to form ICs within 24 hours D I A N A S A H U @ Bhubaneswar THE Higher Education department on Monday directed all the universities and colleges in the state to constitute and notify their internal committees (IC) under Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, within 24 hours. In a directive to registrars of all public and private universities and principals of degree colleges (both aided, unaided and government) the department sought immediate compliance in complete adherence to Section 4 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act. Under the section, every workplace employing more than 10 persons has to constitute an internal complaints committee which is responsible for addressing complaints of sexual harassment and ensuring a safe working environment. The committee should have appropriate representation of women members and external representatives. The institutions are mandated to display the names and contact numbers of all the IC members at strategic locations on the campus for convenience of the students and upload details of the committee members in the department’s HIMS portal. The department has also asked the institutions to submit photographs of geo-tagged campus locations where the details of the CONTINUED ON P5 ICs are displayed. Yoga and Pranayam crucial for mental peace: Murmu SUDARSAN MAHARANA @ Bhubaneswar A change in lifestyle and Indian way of healthy living - yoga and pranayam - are key to mental peace, health and cure for depression, opined President Droupadi Murmu on Monday . Addressing the fifth convocation ceremony of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar here, Murmu said depression is becoming a major issue in the society and medicine alone is not enough for its treatment. “Apart from medicine, awareness and counselling is also necessary to treat depression. Lifestyle changes can provide mental peace, while yoga and pranayam, an integral part of Indian life, also play a significant role in mental health,” Murmu said. She said advanced research in medical science was making treatment easier, and advised doctors to focus on solving local problems. Highlighting that two diseases - Japanese Encephalitis and Sickle Cell Anaemia - are prominent in the tribal society, Murmu stressed that doctors should do as much research as possible for the treatment of these diseases. “AIIMS-Bhubaneswar is a contribution of visionary leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The institute has grown significantly over the last 12 years. In the last one year, more than 10 lakh outdoor patients have received treatment in AIIMS-Bhubaneswar while 17 lakh diagnostic tests and 25,000 surgeries have also been conducted,” the President said. President Droupadi Murmu addressing the convocation ceremony of AIIMS Speaking on the occasion, Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati said in a little span of over one decade, AIIMS-Bhubaneswar has become a beacon of excellence in medical education, research and patient care. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the Odisha government stands committed to supporting institutions like AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, strength- ening healthcare infrastructure, promoting research and ensuring quality medical services for everyone in the state. “Looking ahead, we envision Odisha as a hub of medical excellence and innovation, with AIIMS-Bhubaneswar playing a vital role,” he added. Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan called upon graduating doctors to be more conscious about their duties and take care of the aspirational society . A total of 59 gold medals were awarded to meritorious students of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar from different disciplines in the convocation ceremony. Around 643 students were also conferred degrees including 196 MBBS degrees, 158 MS, 49 MDs and 116 post-doctoral fellows. EAM to Wang Yi Jaishankar meets his Chinese counterpart, urges lifting of restrictive trade practices J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi IN a firm and forward-looking message during talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said that that lasting peace along the India-China border remains the bedrock for restoring strategic trust and advancing bilateral relations. Jaishankar, who is China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers meeting, told his Chinese counterpart that that recent progress in resolving border friction and maintaining tranquility helped ease tensions, laying the groundwork for broader normalisation. “We have made good progress in the past nine months for the normalisation of our bilateral relations. It is a result of the resolution of friction along the border and our ability to maintain peace and tranquility there. This is the fundamental basis for mutual strategic trust and for smooth development of bilateral relations,” he said. “It is now incumbent on us to address other aspects related to the border, including de-escalation,” Jaishankar said. “Our bilateral relationship requires that we take a far-seeing approach to our ties,” Jaishankar said. The minister, who is visiting China for the first time after the 2020 border clashes, said over the past year, both sides have made tangible progress toward nor malising ties, thanks to resumed dialogue and increasing high-level engagement. “In recent times, the two of us have had several opportunities to meet at international events and carry out strategic communication. It is our expectation that this will now become a regular feature and take place in each other’s countries,” he said. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi Need to maintain momentum in ties Jaishankar referred to the 2024 meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan, saying “Since then, the relationship has been gradually moving in a positive direction. Our responsibility is to maintain that momentum.” Jaishankar highlighted the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations that the two countries are marking this year. He also acknowledged the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after a five-year pause, expressing gratitude to China for its cooperation. Touching on trade and people-to-people engagement, Jaishankar called for the removal of barriers that hinder mutual growth. “Measures towards normalising people-to-people exchanges can foster mutually beneficial cooperation. It is also essential that restrictive trade practices and other roadblocks are avoided,” he said. Certain export control measures have caused unease in India in recent times. J&K CHIEF MINISTER SCALES BURIAL GATE TO PAY TRIBUTE A defiant Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday scaled the gates of the Naqshband Sahib graveyard to pay tribute to 22 people killed by the Dogra army in 1931, and said he was subjected to “physical grappling” but was not to be stopped or deterred | P8 Last-ditch efforts on to save Indian nurse J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi AS the execution date of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya draws near, intense efforts are underway to convince the victim’s family to accept blood money , the only legal route to saving her life under Yemeni law. Nimisha Priya, a native of Kerala, is reportedly scheduled to be executed on July 16 for the alleged 2017 murder of her Yemeni business partner Talal Abdo Mahdi. “All efforts are on to save Nimisha Priya,” her lawyer Subhash Chandran told this paper. “In the latest efforts, through the intervention of influential Sunni Muslim cleric Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar, we have reached out to one of the family members, as well as some local authorities and religious leaders. We are trying our best so that the family accepts the blood money and the Kerala nurse is spared from death row,” he Nimisha Priya said. According to sources close to the negotiations, Musliyar — who holds the title of Grand Mufti and is officially known as Sheikh A bu b a k r A h m a d — h a s stepped in personally and is making “all possible efforts” to open a channel of reconciliation. He has held talks with religious authorities in Yemen, who in turn are in contact with the victim’s family . “Right now, the only hope is that the family accepts the blood money said a source fa,” miliar with the developments. While there are still “grey areas”, the negotiation team is working with the understanding that July 16 could be the execution date. An office has been opened at Musliyar’s headquarters in Kerala to coordinate these efforts. However, there has been no official confirmation from the victim’s family . Earlier today the Centre in, formed the Supreme Court that it has limited diplomatic levers to intervene in the matter. Appearing before a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, Attorney General R Venkataramani said, “the government is trying its best...” The fate of Priya now hinges on the willingness of the victim’s family to accept the blood money offer. People must know value OH LORD’S: TAIL COMES GOOD BUT FALLS 22 SHORT of freedom of speech: SC F I R O Z M I R Z A @ London S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi OBSERVING that citizens must know the value of freedom of speech and expression, the Supreme Court on Monday said people should observe self-regulation. The bench said it would consider issuing a set of guidelines to regulate offensive posts on social media. “Citizens must know the value of the fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression. The state can step in, in case of violations. Nobody wants the state to step in,” said a two-judge bench comprising justices B V Nagarathna and K V Viswanathan. The court made these observations after hearing a plea filed by Wazahat Khan, booked in several states, includ- ing West Bengal, for his objectionable posts on X against a Hindu deity Justice Nagarathna . said divisive tendencies on social media needs to be curbed, adding it did not mean censorship. “There should be fraternity among citizens,” she said. Khan had filed a police complaint against another social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli for allegedly making communal remarks in a video. On June 23, the court had granted Khan interim protection from coercive action till July 14. The bench on Monday extended the interim protection till the next date of hearing in the case. The court asked Khan’s lawyer to assist in dealing with the larger issue of self-regulation of freedom of speech and expression. IT was as if the final day was on slow burn. It was cooking, but slowly; one run at a time across one over after another. Runs were coming in ones. The boundaries had dried up. Yet, the capacity crowd kept egging the players. This was Test cricket garbed in its finest orb. It was getting increasingly irritating for Ben Stokes and Co a s R av i n d r a Jadeja and Nos. 10 and 11 — Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj — were trying to enact one of modern cricket’s greatest heists. What looked improbable at lunch looked promising by tea. It is not always that a crowd cheers a leave or a forward defensive. Not always do tail-enders play over 80 balls. On Mon- Proud the way team played: Shubman LONDON: Shubman Gill said he was proud of the way team put up a fight. He felt that one fifty partnership and Rishabh Pant’s first innings run-out made the difference. “Extremely proud it was as close a Test match... I was pretty confident of our chances with plenty of batting left. We needed a couple of 50-run partnerships but we weren’t able to get that,” Gill said | P11 England players celebrate after India’s final wicket (Mohammed Siraj) falls in the third Test at Lord’s on Monday | PTI day, they just did that and brought India closer to England’s target of 193. While Bumrah and Siraj were being cheered loudly for their defence, the Bharat Army were chanting ‘Oh Ravi Jadeja’, a song to the tune of the ‘Seven Nation Army’ they have composed for the all-rounder. Jadeja played 181 balls for his unbeaten 61 while Bumrah (5) and Siraj (4) faced 54 and 30 balls. All together, they played 212 legal deliveries. Like the Test, even the end was slow. Siraj blocked a Bashir’s delivery but the revs on the ball took it to the leg stump. A feather touch dislodged one bail. Jadeja looked on helplessly from the other end. The hosts, exhausted and forlorn until then, erupted in joy . Just like they had done at the same venue six years ago when England were crowned world champions by the barest of margins. At the centre of that win was Ben Stokes. The England skipper was the beating heart of this latest win as well. On the evidence of London, Manchester could be another P11 cracker.