BHUBANESWAR l friday l june 19, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late CITY EDITION Latest IMD data puts Monsoon rain deficit at whopping 41% With the southwest monsoon stalled over Maharashtra, India is facing a nationwide rainfall deficit of 41% between June 4-18, the IMD said A dried-up pond at Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary, Tirunelveli dist | KARTHIKALAGU IMD’s reasons for weak monsoon surge weak phase of madden-julian oscillation There are five main factors behind the slowdown in monsoon’s northward progress. First, the current monsoon flow lacks a strong surge from the Arabian Sea, according to IMD. Second, low-level southwesterly winds associated with the monsoon circulation have weakened over the Arabian Sea. Third, the cross-equatorial flow over the western Indian Ocean ■ ■ IMD said the fourth reason is cyclonic circulations over the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, or an offshore trough along the west coast that facilitates monsoon advancement, are absent The last factor is the weak phase of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), a moving system of wind, cloud, and pressure that brings rain 4-5 days more wait for maharashtra for rainfall to resume, predicts IMD 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 No fresh textbooks, teachers to handle corrections: SCERT Sudarsan Maharana corrected and communicated to teachers through a corrigendum. Teachers will now rectify Even as Odisha government the mistakes and teach stuhas formed a three-member dents accordingly she added. , panel to probe large-scale erSources said around 2.8 crore rors in the new textbooks pre- textbooks had been printed, of scribed for classes I to VIII, the which more than 85 per cent State Council of Educational have already been distributed. Research and Training (SCERT) Meanwhile, acting on the inon Thursday made it clear that structions of Chief Minister no fresh books would be issued. Mohan Charan Majhi, the govInstead, teachers will have ernment has constituted a to use a corrigendum to three-member committeach students from the tee headed by Developsame textbooks during ment Commissioner D the current academic K Singh to investigate year. the errors. The comThe responsibility mittee has been tasked of rectifying the erwith identifying the rors and ensuring stages at which the proper learning will mistakes occur red rest with teachers at and fixing responsibilThe same books the school level, the will continue to be ity on the officials or council said. While eragencies concerned. used with necessary rors in textbooks for The panel also incorrections. primary classes will cludes secretary of However, the be corrected by teachthe Odisha Language, council will take ers, students of higher Literature and Culall measures to classes will make the ture department Bijay ensure that such corrections in their lapses do not recur Ketan Upadhyay and books under their deputy secretary of Madhusmita Sahoo, teachers’ guidance. the General AdminisSCERT director S C E RT d i re c t o r tration department Madhusmita Sahoo, Smita Pani. who acknowledged the errors, According to the Chief Minsaid the books printed under ister’s Office (CMO), the comthe new syllabus had already mittee has been directed to been distributed. “The same complete the inquiry and subbooks will continue to be used mit its report within seven with necessary corrections. days. However, the council will take The move comes in the wake all measures to ensure that of the detection of 1,678 factual, such lapses do not recur from grammatical and typographithe 2027-28 academic session cal errors in the revised texto n w a r d s , ” S a h o o t o l d books introduced this academmediapersons. ic session in line with the She said the errors brought National Education Policy to SCERT’s notice had been (NEP) 2020.  Continued on P5 @ Bhubaneswar Majhi orders proceedings against 128 absentee docs E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar Several doctors remain absent from duty even after being appointed to public service. Such conduct cannot be tolerated under any circumstances Mohan Charan Majhi, CM Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday directed disciplinary proceedings against 128 medical officers and dental surgeons who have remained absent from duty for more than five years. The action comes amid the government’s efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery and ensure availability of medical professionals in public healthcare institutions across the state. As per official sources, the 128 doctors were found to be unauthorisedly absent from the respective postings in various government hospitals. The Health department had earlier issued public notices through newspapers seeking information regarding their whereabouts and service status. Following non-compliance with the notice, the chief minister directed the department to initiate disciplinary proceeding against the erring officials. In another development, Majhi ordered dismissal of former medical officer of Kandhamal Police Hospital, Dr Bichakshana Panigrahi from gover nment service, over his re por ted absence from duty without authorisation since Continued on P5 2012.  Diaz Kane hero for Colombia sets stage alight Skipper Harry Kane, coming of a record-breaking domestic season with Bayern Munich, sparkled as his brace helped them overcome Croatia 4-2 in a thriller. The striker, who equalled England’s World Cup record of 10 strikes (Gary Linekar), will be key if they are to match the exploits of 1966 when they won it for the only time Luis Diaz, who has gone up a level over the last 12 months, was all-action as Colombia saw off Uzbekistan 3-1 in Wednesday’s final game in Mexico. Later on Thursday, Teboho Mokoena’s late penalty helped South Africa hold Czechia 1-1 and keep their WC hopes alive Three Lions roar with four England got off their campaign to a rousing start while Colombia eased past the challenge of Uzbekistan as the World Cup’s first round comes to an end. A look... Today's matches USA vs Australia l 12:30 AM Scotland vs Morocco l 3:30 AM Brazil vs Haiti l 6AM Turkiye vs Paraguay l 8:30 AM Live on United8 Sports & ZEE5 (All IST Saturday) India-UK free trade pact to kickstart on July 15; bid to energise economy on fast track UK steel deal clears FTA rollout path P u s h p i ta De y @ New Delhi India has secured additional concessions under the free trade agreement with the United Kingdom, resolving all outstanding issues that had delayed its implementation, setting the stage for its roll out on July 15. The gains include an extension of the social security contribution exemption for Indian professionals working temporarily in the UK from three years to five years and a resolution of concerns over Britain’s proposed steel safeguard measures. The Ministry of Commerce on Thursday said around 85% of India’s steel exports have been kept outside the UK’s new import restrictions. “The key issue which was holding us back was the new steel measures. Around 85% of our exports to the UK are outside the steel measures,” an official said. The UK had announced a 60% reduction in tariff-free steel import quotas from June and imposed a 50% duty on shipments exceeding those quotas to protect its domestic steel industry In its pushback, In. dia had warned that it could revisit the concessions under the FTA if the issue remained unresolved. Since nearly 85% of India’s steel exports to the UK fall outside the product categories covered by the British safeguard regime, it will ensure continued market access through a combination of countryspecific quotas, residual quotas and an authoriseduse mechanism. Of India’s nearly $900 million steel exports to the UK, only about $137 million will now be subject to the new safeguard measures. Sources said both countries spent the last two months negotiating the outstanding issues. Under the revised agreement, Indian professionals employed by Indian companies in the UK, as well as employees transferred to subsidiaries or affiliated entities, will be exempt from making social security contributions in the UK for up to five years, provided they continue contributing to India’s social security system and obtain a Certificate of Coverage (CoC). Earlier, the exemption was limited to three years. As for the UK’s proposed Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), discussions will continue separately . Modi call to democratise technology Multiple areas have been negotiated. Course corrections in multiple areas have been discussed and finalised. We have resolved all issues Union commerce ministry official Deft balancing “Balancing has been done in a manner that does not impact FTA. Also, the proportionate benefits and market access to both sides under Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement have been preserved,” the official said Final FTA text by July 1 Prime ministers Narendra Modi and Keir Starmer announced on Wednesday that CETA will come into force on July 15. The final legal text and details of the agreement are expected by July 1 PM meets French CEOs The PM also met Benoit Bazin, Chairman and CEO of SaintGobain, Martin Sion, CEO of Alstom, and Arthur Mensch, co-founder and CEO of Mistral AI. The talks were part of the broader effort to draw investment J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday positioned India as a global hub for inclusive technology and innovation, telling business leaders and entrepreneurs at the VivaTech Summit 2026 in Paris that technology can drive progress only when it is accessible to everyone. He also met top French CEOs to discuss fresh investments and expansion plans across sectors including artificial intelligence, shipping, logistics, railways and construction. Speaking at VivaTech, Europe’s largest technology and startup event, where India is the Country Partner and has set up the largest national pavilion, Modi highlighted India’s technology-led transformation over the past decade and presented a vision of AI that prioritises inclusion and broad-based growth. “When it comes to technology along with , innovation, what matters is access. Technology can lead to progress only when it is democratised. India believes that in this era of disruption, technology must deliver for all,” Modi said. His comments assume significance amid growing global debates over access to advanced AI technologies and recent restrictions by the United States on the use of certain cutting-edge AI models by foreign nationals. Using a phrase that drew applause from the audience, Modi said: “For India, AI means ‘All Inclusive’.” He said artificial intelligence should be leveraged to improve lives, expand access to services, accelerate economic growth and support sustainability goals. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the PM’s discussions focused on strengthening collaboration across shipping, logistics, railways, construction and AI. Prominent among the key meetings was the one with Rodolphe Saade, Chairman and CEO of CMA CGM, where discussions centred on maritime shipping, logistics and global supply chains. Saadé said: “I believe India has a major role to play in the supply chains of the world. The fact that we are now in a position to build container ships in India is definitely a good step forward. The future of India is happening now.” Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut during a press meet in New Delhi on Thursday | PTI Uddhav Sena on the verge of a split, again PR E E THA NAIR @ New Delhi As the Shiv Sena (UBT) appears to be headed for a second major split, six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs skipped the parliamentary party meeting on Thursday signalling that a for, mal crossover to the ruling Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is imminent. The MPs who skipped the meeting are Nagesh Aashtikar, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Dina Patil, Omprakash Rajenimbalkar, and Bhausaheb Wakchaure. The party issued a show cause notice to them to explain their absence within seven days. Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waje attended the meeting, along with Sanjay Raut, the party’s lone Rajya Sabha MP . Raut said the MPs’ no-show will be considered a violation of the party whip and legal action will be initiated to disqualify them as lawmakers. He also claimed the rebel MPs had been given an additional `10 crore, over and above the `15 crore paid earlier, and moved to a safe location in Rajasthan. He warned the party would launch ‘Operation Tudwa’ (bash up) against the “traitors”. Sources said all six dissident MPs have signed a letter seeking a merger with the Shindeled Sena and submitted it to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The process, however, is not complete as the Speaker’s office requires the physical appearance of some of the MPs for verification and that is “expected to happen in the coming days”, they said. HC’s poser on proportionality of Telegram ban IPS officer dayal Gangwar placed under suspension u d aya n k i s h o r e @ New Delhi Application of mind SOCIAL media App Telegram was banned “temporarily” to prevent misleading crores of students so that they do not come on the streets, the Centre told the Delhi High Court on Thursday claiming that the app was the most preferred platform for terror activities. The Centre made the submission after Justice Tejas Karia questioned how can the rights of 150 million people just be stopped because one set of citizen are appearing in examinations. “The question is can you block somebody else’s rights to Telegram, through senior advocate Dhruv Mehta, questioned the logic behind the ban. “NEET will affect the sovereignty and integrity of India? What is the application of mind? On WhatsApp people are marketing,” Telegram’s counsel said protect someone else’s rights,” the judge asked. The judge reserved verdict on Telegram’s plea challenging the government order banning the platform till June 22 in view of the NEET re-exam. Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, said Telegram, because of its architecture, was a “Frankenstein”. “If a country like ours cannot take preventive action, where do we go?” Solicitor Gen- eral Tushar Mehta, for the government, said Telegram operates through cloud, “even if we block something and someone does a mischief, law enforcement agency can’t reach the person... This is the most preferred platform for terrorist activities,” the SG submitted. To this, the bench asked, “How can we stop rights of 150 million people?” The law has been laid down in the Anuradha Bhasin judgment of the SC, the bench said. The Centre’s counsel said the Supreme Court judgment in Bhasin does not prohibit blocking in any sense. E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday suspended 1998 batch IPS officer Dayal Gangwar who had found himself embroiled in a controversy over allegedly engaging railway constable Soumya Ranjan Swain for non-official duties. Gangwar was in the middle of a storm after Soumya was lynched by a mob in Balianta area on May 7. His parents claimed that the senior IPS officer compelled him to perform personal duties unrelated to official work. Amid the controversy, Gangwar who was serving as ADG Communications, was transferred and posted last month as officer on special duty in the Home department. Sources said the DGP submitted a confidential report regarding retention of eight GRP personnel by Gangwar for work in his residence even after his transfer from the post of ADGP Railway & Coastal Security without approval of competent authority . Earlier, an NHRC team had held discussions with Soumya’s parents, eye-witnesses and local police to collect more information about the lynching incident. They had also questioned railway police to ascertain if the senior officer had indeed harassed Soumya by engaging him for his personal works.