SAMBALPUR  TUESDAY  AUGUST 19, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 12  CITY EDITION INDIA’S JOB MARKET SHOWS RELIEF AS UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FALLS A government survey on Monday said the unemployment rate dipped to 5.2 per cent in July, down from 5.6 per cent in June MARGINAL RISE IN URBAN YOUTH JOBLESSNESS The Periodic Labour Force Survey released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation said the pace of joblessness among men stayed slightly higher at 5.3 per cent compared to that of women at 5.1 per cent. The rate of unemployment in urban areas for 15-29 age group saw a marginal increase to 19 per cent in July from 18.8 per cent June | P10 ■ 89,505 LABOUR PARTICIPATION RATE SEES A SPIKE ■ The Labour Force Participation Rate among persons of all age groups rose to 41.4 per cent in July 2025 as compared to 41 per cent in June In rural areas, the Labour Force Participation Rate of all age groups was 42 per cent, as against 41.5 per cent in the preceding month. In urban areas, it was 40.1 per cent in July, up from 39.8 per cent in June HOUSEHOLDS WERE COVERED BY THE PERIODIC LABOUR FORCE SURVEY 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 Putin dials Modi, briefs INDIA parties mull impeaching CEC Have clarified all queries him on Alaska summit of BJD, Cong; Odisha SIR P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi Both leaders discuss prospects of a lasting solution to Ukraine war J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday—their second call in the past 10 days— to brief him on his summit with US President Donald Trump in Alaska. Putin’s telephone call came amid mounting pressure from US over India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, which Washington claimed was funding Moscow’s war in Ukraine. During the call, Putin shared his take on his meeting with Trump and Modi responded by reaffirming India’s position: support for a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy . “Thank my friend, President Putin, for his phone call and for sharing insights on his recent meeting with President Trump in Alaska,” Modi posted on so- Trump-Zelenskyy meeting under lens Late on Monday night, US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders at the White House, in an attempt to bring the Russia-Ukraine war to an end | P9 cial media. “India has consistently called for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict and supports all efforts in this regard.” The two leaders also discussed expanding bilateral cooperation, underscoring their intention to deepen the ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’. They agreed to stay in close touch. “Prime Minister underlined India’s consistent position for a peaceful resolution of the conflict through diplomacy and dialogue. He reiterated that India supports all efforts in this regard,” the Ministry of External Affairs said. The timing of the conversation is politically charged. Just weeks ago, Trump slapped a 25% punitive tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi’s refusal to scale down energy imports from Russia. This came on top of a 25% reciprocal tariff imposed by India, signalling rising trade friction. New Delhi has pushed back, with the MEA stressing that India’s energy policy is dictated by national interest and market realities, not external pressure. “India-Russia relations are a steady and time-tested partnership,” it said, warning against viewing the relationship “through the prism of a third country”. Monday’s telephone call follows Modi and Putin’s August 8 conversation, which came a day after National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met with the Russian president in Moscow. IMD issues red Odisha emerges key location alert for rain in for JSW Steel-POSCO plant Konkan, South J I T E N D R A C H O U B E Y @ New Delhi THE India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday issued a ‘red alert’ for extremely heavy rains in the next 24 hours in Central and Southern India along with the Western Ghats. The alert said there was a risk of flash floods in Maharashtra, South Interior Karnataka, and isolated areas of Chhattisgarh. The IMD forecast indicates a higher possibility of extremely heavy rainfall over coastal Andhra Pradesh, southern Chhattisgarh, southern Odisha, Telangana, South Interior Karnataka, the Konkan region (including Mumbai), Goa, the Western Ghats area of Madhya Maharashtra, and coastal Karnataka and Gujarat in the next two days. IMD’s bulletin predicted flash floods over several watersheds in north Interior Karnataka, Telangana, Konkan-Goa, and Maharashtra in the next 24 hours. Besides, there is a low to moderate risk of flash floods in some watersheds in south Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, and Marathwada during the same period. ENS ECONOMIC BUREAU LEADING steelmaker JSW Steel and South Korea’s POSCO Group have signed a non-binding Heads of Agreement (HoA) to jointly explore setting up a 6 million tonne per annum (MTPA) integrated steel plant in India. Odisha is among the key locations being considered for the plant with the site most likely to be in Keonjhar, the home district of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. The HoA builds on the MoU signed by both parties in October 2024 and outlines the broad framework for the proposed 50:50 joint venture towards establishment of an integrated steel plant in the country with an initial capacity of 5 MTPA. The partnership also aims to explore synergies in battery materials and renewable energy . The HoA was signed in Mumbai in the presence of Lee Ju-tae, representative director and president, POSCO Holdings, and Jayant Acharya, joint managing director & CEO, JSW Steel. Tak- @ Bhubaneswar TWO-DAY VISIT The Chinese foreign minister on Monday held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who called for “a candid and constructive approach” to reset ties. Wang will meet National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Tuesday Patna: A day after chief election commissioner asked Rahul Gandhi to submit an affidavit on his vote theft slur or apologise in a week, the Congress leader on Monday said he was not afraid of such threats | P7 BJP throws a dare at opposition parties New Delhi: BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra on Monday dared INDIA bloc parties to dissolve state assemblies where they are in power if they doubt the Election Commission’s fairness. sentatives of eight opposition parties including Congress, TMC, SP, DMK and RJD hit out at the CEC, alleging that instead of responding to questions raised by them, he chose to attack them at his presser on Sunday. TMC’s Mahua Moitra said the Lok Sabha should be dissolved as the last elections were held on “faulty” voter list. When the Lok Sabha met at 11 am on Monday opposition , MPs, including those from the Congress, were on their feet, raising slogans and showing placards with demand for discussion on the Special Intensive Revision in Bihar. Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House following the bedlam. to start next month: CEO E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Bhubaneswar DAYS after the BJD announced that it will move the Orissa High Court over large-scale irregularities in 2024 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state, chief electoral officer (CEO) of Odisha RS Gopalan on Monday said the Commission has already responded to the points raised by the BJD twice. The CEO also said that the special intensive revision (SIR) of voters list will be conducted in the state from next month. Addressing a media-conference here, Gopalan said the ECI has responded to all issues raised by political parties, especially the BJD and state Congress, and assured the public of a fair and transparent electoral process. “Baseless allegations should not be made to undermine the credibility of the Election Commission or shake the public’s trust in the democratic process,” he added. Baseless The BJD had submitted memorandum to allegations the ECI in November last year alleging that should not be there were large-scale irregularities in the As- made to sembly and Lok Sabha elections including dis- undermine the crepancies in number of votes cast in the credibility of the Election EVM and those counted. The party had also Commission or raised the differences in the number of votes shake the in the Assembly segments and Parliamentary public’s trust in constituencies. The party has announced that the democratic it will move the Orissa High Court on the is- process sue as no steps have been initiated by the poll RS Gopalan, body to satisfactorily address its concerns. CEO Odisha While stating that all the queries of BJD and also Congress have been responded to in detail, Gopalan said the first point raised by the BJD was about discrepancies in the number of votes in the EVM and after counting. It has been clarified earlier that in such cases counting is done taking into account the VVPAT slips. “Some discrepancies occur due to non-deletion of mock poll data in a control unit. Counting is done through VVPAT slips in case the margin is less than the total votes polled in the EVMs,” CONTINUED ON P5 he said. EXPRESS READ ‘70% Indians don’t have health cover’ New Delhi: About 29.8% of women and 33.3% of men aged 15–49 years in India have health insurance coverage, according to a study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia. The researchers said these figures also underline the fact that a large segment of the population remains uninsured | P7 Robbers flee with `25 cr diamonds in Gujarat heist MINIMUM CITY Commuters wade through a waterlogged road following heavy rain in Mumbai on Monday. The civic body was forced to order closure of all schools and colleges. Across Maharashtra, seven people were killed and more than 200 stranded | PTI Rajnath dials Naveen, seeks support INDIA bloc Vice-Prez for Radhakrishnan as Vice-President pick to be decided today EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE WANGON YI IN INDIA ing the project ahead, JSW and POSCO will undertake a detailed feasibility study to finalise the plant’s location, investment ter ms, resource availability, and other critical factors. Given its natural resource base and logistical advantages, Odisha is a frontrunner for the project. Commenting on the development, Acharya said, “This partnership brings together JSW’s proven execution capabilities and strong domestic footprint with POSCO’s technological leadership in steelmaking. The proposed venture aligns with India’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and will help create a globally competitive manufacturing hub to serve both domestic and export markets.” Lee Ju-tae said, “India is central to the future of global steel demand. Our collaboration with JSW is based on mutual trust and a shared long-term vision. This initiative represents our commitment to supporting India’s industrial growth while creating long-term value for both organizations.” AS the face–off between the Election Commission Of India (ECI) and the Opposition intensifies over allegations of ‘vote theft’ and poll rigging, the INDIA bloc on Monday said it is mulling an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The move comes a day after the CEC asked Rahul Gandhi, leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, to either file an affidavit substantiating his vote theft allegations or apologise. The proposal for an impeachment motion was discussed at the INDIA bloc meeting on Monday morning. Several Opposition leaders met in the chamber of Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, and held discussions on how the CEC on Sunday addressed a press conference without answering any of the questions raised by them, according to a leader who attended the meeting. T he Opposition also decided not to cooperate with the government on the special discussion on the impact of astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s space mission. The Lok Sabha is having a twoday special discussion on the issues. Some opposition MPs said they feel this fight has to be taken forward and suggested an impeachment motion against the CEC, sources said. Addressing a joint press conference on Monday repre, We’re not afraid of poll panel’s threat: Rahul EVEN as Naveen Patnaik is recovering from dehydration at a private hospital here, Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Monday called the BJD president and sought the support of his party for NDA’s vice-president candidate CP Radhakrishnan. The BJD has seven Rajya Sabha members. While it had earlier supported all NDA candidates, the party’s stand has changed after it lost power to the BJP in the state and failed to secure a Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 elections. The BJD has since opposed all major decisions of the NDA govern- A decision on BJD’s stand on vice-president election will be taken only after complete recovery of the party president Naveen Patnaik Senior party leader ment at the Centre in the Parliament. “A decision on BJD’s stand on vice-president election will be taken only after complete recovery of the party president,” a senior leader said. The condition of the former chief minister, who is undergoing treatment at SUM Ultimate Medicare, has shown marked improvement since he was admitted on Sunday evening. A bulletin issued by the hospital said he has been shifted from the observation room to a cabin on Monday afternoon and his condition has remains stable. “Naveen Patnaik is feeling fresh and his treatment is continuing,” it added. Naveen also thanked the people for their good wishes. In a video message, the leader of Opposition said, “The doctors and staff in the SUM Ultimate Medicare are taking wonderful care of me. If you want to see me, you are more than welcome to come to Naveen Niwas here at Bhubaneswar,” he said. BJD vice-president Sanjay Das Burma also said that the party president has recovered from the dehydration problem and is likely to be discharged from the hospital soon. P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi THE Opposition INDIA bloc is likely to announce its candidate for the Vice Presidential election on Tuesday aftern o o n . A c c o rd i n g t o sources, though top leaders of the bloc discussed a few names at a Zoom meeting on Monday the final call , will be taken on Tuesday . “A meeting of leaders of all Opposition parties in Parliament will be held at 12.30 PM Tuesday Aug 19 at 10, Rajaji Marg,” wrote Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on X. Sources said names that came up in the meeting include former ISRO scientist and Padma Shri awardee M Annadurai and Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi; and DMK leader M Annadurai. The Opposition’s candidate will be vying with NDA pick Maharashtra Gover nor C P Radhakrishnan. Sources said the Opposition wants to field a non-political face who has national standing and stature senior DMK leaders have proposed the name of M Annadurai, who hails from Tamil Nadu and is well respected, for the vice-president’s post. Ahmedabad: Surat was rattled by one of the biggest heists in recent years after burglars broke into a private diamond company’s facility in Kapodra area, making short work of a heavy safe with gas cutter, and vanished with diamonds worth over `25 crore, cash, and CCTV-DVRs | P8 Lens on quarry owners-Maoist link after seizure Bhubaneswar/Berhampur: Even as the Centre has set March 2026 deadline to eradicate Naxalism in the country, the alleged nexus between Maoists and mines/stone quarry owners in the state has come under the scanner of Odisha Police after seizure of over 9 tonne of explosives | P4