18072024-TTC-01.qxd 7/18/2024 12:23 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 144 NO. 198 | 12 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 FORMER RIVALS HALEY, DESANTIS ENDORSE TRUMP WORLD /thetribunechd PM MODI TO CHAIR NITI AAYOG MEET ON JULY 27 NATION ADB RETAINS INDIA’S GROWTH FORECAST AT 7% BUSINESS CJI-LED BENCH TO HEAR PETITIONS ON SCRAPPING NEET TODAY BACK PAGE thursday | 18 july 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com 8Indiansrescued off Oman coast NEW DELHI: Nine of the 16 missing crew members of oil tanker MV Prestige Falcon have been rescued by the Indian Navy’s warship INS Teg. Of the nine, eight are Indian nationals while one is from Sri Lanka. MV Prestige Falcon had capsized about 25 nautical miles southeast of Ras Madrakah, Oman, on July 15. The Navy joined in the rescue effort on Tuesday. The search and rescue by Indian and Omani assets is being undertaken in challenging weather conditions as the area is experiencing rough sea and strong winds. BACK PAGE ‘I’mnotaterrorist’, Kejri tells Delhi HC NEW DELHI: Asserting that he was “not a terrorist”, but the CM of Delhi, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday assailed his arrest by the CBI in a corruption case linked to the excise policy “scam” and sought his release on bail, saying his arrest was not as per the law. Opposing Kejriwal’s petition, CBI counsel DP Singh said terming the arrest an “insurance arrest” was unjustified. Justice Krishna, who heard the matter on a holiday on account of Muharram, reserved the order on Kejriwal’s pleas challenging his arrest and seeking interim bail. INSIDE Chief briefs PM 10% job quota, easy loans Armyafter fresh firing inModi, Shah Doda for ex-Agniveers in Haryana Tribune News Service State announces reservation in police, forest guard, mining, warder posts Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 17 Months ahead of the Assembly elections, the BJP government in Haryana today announced a 10 per cent reservation for Agniveers in the recruitment for constables, mining guards, forest guards and jail warders, besides quota in other posts. The Tribune was the first to break this story in its July 11 edition, mentioning that the Haryana Government was planning to provide 10 per cent quota to Agniveers to stem criticism over the Agnipath scheme. Addressing the media here, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said the government had also decided to give 5 per cent horizontal reservation for Agniveers in direct recruitment to civil posts in Group C and 1 per cent horizontal reservation in Group B. “An age relaxation of three years will be given for Agniveers in Group B and C posts. However, there will an age relaxation of five years for the first batch of Agniveers,” the CM said. continued on page 8 THREE TO FIVE-YEAR AGE RELAXATION ■ Age relaxation of 3 years for Agniveers in Group B, C posts ■ Relaxation of five years for the first batch of Agniveers ■ 5% horizontal quota in direct recruitment to Group C civil posts; it will be 1% in Group B ■ Interest-free loan of up to ~5L for setting up business ■ Industrial units to get annual ~60,000 subsidy for hiring an Agniveer at ~30,000/month The Tribune report on July 11 on the Haryana job quota for Agniveers K’taka pvt job quota Bill put on hold Aksheev Thakur Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 17 The Congress-led Karnataka Government on Wednesday put on hold a Bill directing private firms in the state to reserve jobs for Kannadigas. The state Cabinet had on Tuesday approved the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, Provides for up to 75% reservation for locals 2024, mandating 50 per cent reservation in management and 75 per cent in non-management jobs for locals in the private sector. The move had drawn the ire of industry leaders and INDIA allies alike. After the uproar, CM Siddaramaiah in a post on X said, “The Bill intended to be implemented to provide reservation for Kannadigas in private sector institutions, industries and enterprises is still in the preparation stage. A final decision will be taken after comprehensive discussion in the next Cabinet meeting.” The CM earlier deleted a post in which he said the state would mandate 100 per cent reservation for locals in continued on page 8 Ahead of byelections for 10 seats, UP BJP president calls on PM Modi, offers to quit Yogi meets his ministers |Organisational changes in party’s state unit likely Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 17 Ahead of the crucial 10 Assembly bypolls in Uttar Pradesh, state unit president Bhupendra Choudhary met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday and offered to resign, it is learnt. Later, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the party’s principal strategist for UP also , held parleys with Modi. In Lucknow, Chief Minis- ter Yogi Adityanath met Governor Anandiben Patel fuelling speculation of a possible state cabinet rejig with sources saying Yogi would stay the CM. A section in the party, however, said the CM met Patel in connection with the upcoming Assembly monsoon session. Choudhary had last night met BJP president JP Nadda and taken responsibility for the party’s underwhelming show in the recent Lok Sabha elections offering to step aside thereby paving the way for the state party unit revamp. Sources said UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, a senior OBC face, could return to the party as the state chief with the BJP keen on fielding a Backward Class leader in the position after a poor show in the UP LS elections. The BJP won 33 of the 80 seats, as against 62 in 2019. Choudhary assumed the charge as the UP party chief in August 2022 to allay Jats who were then cross with the saffron outfit. Maurya, who has been repeatedly saying “the party is bigger than the government” (he said this on Sunday and again today on X), was the BJP UP president in 2017, when the party won the Assembly polls. Yogi, meanwhile, signalled he was in the saddle by meeting top continued on page 8 Fitness on mind, UGC bans pizzas, burgersincolleges Tribune News Service The General Post Office in Amritsar is set to undergo restoration and conservation work. VISHAL KUMAR Stamped with old-world charm, Amritsar GPO to get expert care Neha Saini Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 17 The iconic landmark of the holy city — General Post Office (GPO) — is all set to undergo restoration and conservation work. Experts from the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Punjab, will collaborate with their Delhi counterparts to initiate the work to mark the centenary year of the GPO’s establishment. BRITISH-ERA MARVEL ■ Construction of the single- storey building in Amritsar was completed in December 1925 ■ It’s a fine example of architecture and craftsmanship of British era ■ The iconic building was declared a heritage structure on February 15, 1993 Set up as a local sub-post office, the Amritsar GPO was upgraded to a head office in 1894. The head post office was shifted to its current premises, a single-storey structure located on the Court Road, in March 1926, although the building was completed in December 1925. It was declared a heritage structure on February 15, 1993. The building is a fine example of architecture and craftsmanship of the British era with jack arch ceilings, archways, front porch with a grand doorway, skylights, continued on page 8 New Delhi, July 17 Lip-smacking junk food, including pizzas, burgers and samosas, will no longer be available in college canteens as the University Grants Commission on Wednesday issued a directive prohibiting the sale of unhealthy food in educational institutions. Expressing concern over rising obesity among stu- SHOWS CONCERN OVER RISE IN OBESITY AMONG STUDENTS dents, the UGC said the consumption of junk food had an adverse impact on health. The new directive follows an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) report in May, which said, “Ultraprocessed foods tend to be excessively high in fats and can lead to obesity. They can hasten ageing and are associated with a higher risk of heart attacks, strokes and diabetes… lead to poorer overall health”. The commission said good health was a fundamental privilege for humanity. continued on page 8 c m y b New Delhi, July 17 Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi today called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah as the security forces intensified their combing operations after a fresh exchange of fire with terrorists in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. It is learnt that the security situation in J&K in the wake of the surge in terror attacks was discussed at the meeting with the PM though Army sources insisted it was pre-scheduled. General Dwivedi, who took over as the Army Chief on July 1, has earlier served as Northern Command chief. The Army Chief also met Amit Shah, briefing him on the counter-terror operations in the state. Four soldiers lost their lives in a terrorist attack on a search party in Doda on July 15. In the past three years, some 40 soldiers have lost their lives in the Jammu region. Since April 2023, at least 28 soldiers have been killed in terror-related incidents in J&K. Meanwhile, the combing operations in the Jammu Army men on Wednesday carry equipment in Desa village of Doda district, which witnessed an encounter with ultras on Monday. PTI WON’T LET TERRORISTS ESCAPE: VILLAGE GUARDS Village defence guards (VDGs), armed with .303 rifles, are helping the security forces in the Desa forest of Doda district in their search for the terrorists who killed four soldiers on Monday night. The VDGs have vowed not to let the terrorists leave the area. INSIDE region were intensified after security forces and terrorists exchanged fire twice briefly within a span of four hours on the intervening night of July 16-17 in a forest area in Doda district. There are no reports of any casualties in the latest exchange of fire. Taking advantage of the darkness, difficult terrain and thick foliage, the terrorists managed to slip away, officials said. Troops of the Rashtriya Rifles and Special Opera- tions Group of the Jammu and Kashmir Police had launched a joint cordon and search operation in the Desa forest belt, some 55 km from Doda town, late Monday evening following information about the presence of terrorists. The Army is using drones to locate the terrorists hiding in the forests, but the dense foliage is hindering its task. The Army suspects that the terrorists could be former soldiers of the Pakistan army.