26072025-TTC-01.qxd 7/26/2025 12:54 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 205 | 22 PAGES | ~7.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 HC SEEKS NIA REPLY ON RASHID’S PLEA AGAINST COSTS J&K /thetribunechd THAILAND, CAMBODIA EXCHANGE HEAVY ARTILLERY FIRE WORLD LATE CHIEF’S MOTHER NOT SHAREHOLDER, CLAIMS SONA BUSINESS CASTE CENSUS DELAY MY MISTAKE, ADMITS RAHUL BACK PAGE saturday | 26 july 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com India resets ties with Maldives, extends $565-mn credit line; talks on FTA soon Modi, Muizzu vow strategic alignment, reaffirm cooperation in defence, maritime security Ubeer Naqushbandi Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 25 India on Friday extended a $565 million line of credit to the Maldives as part of its renewed push to deepen the bilateral ties with the island nation. The two sides also agreed to begin negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and move forward on a bilateral investment treaty, signalling a broader economic and strategic reset after months of strained relations. “India is also proud to be the most-trusted friend of the Maldives,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after his meeting with Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu. Modi landed in the Maldives on Friday for a two-day official visit, where he will serve as the chief guest at the country’s 60th Independence Day celebrations. Upon arrival, he was welcomed by Muizzu and greeted with a traditional cultural performance. According to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, this marks the first official state visit hosted by President Muizzu since he assumed PM Narendra Modi meets Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu at President House in Male on Friday. ANI proud to be most-trusted friend of the Maldives... ❝ India is alsothe Maldivesthestrengthen its defence capabilities. India will always support to Narendra Modi, PM office in November 2023. The trajectory of the IndiaMaldives ties over the past 18 months offers a clear illustration of how regional diploma- cy in South Asia is shaped by domestic politics, but ultimately guided by strategic priorities. The Rs 4,850 crore credit line — equivalent to nearly $565 million — is expected to finance infrastructure and development projects in the Maldives, where India is seeking to maintain influence amid a growing Chinese presence. While anti-India rhetoric may yield short-term electoral gains, the demands of governance often require course correction. India’s response, marked by strategic patience, development financing, and restrained diplomacy, helped prevent a rupture and brought the relationship back from the brink. As the Foreign Secretary puts it, “There will always be events that will impact or try to intrude on the relationship. But I think this is testimony to the kind of attention that has been paid to the relationship, including attention at the highest levels…we’ve continued to work at it, and I think the result is there for you to see.” That result is now on display in the Maldives: the diplomatic ties once under pressure are now back on a path of strategic alignment. Modi and Muizzu also reaffirmed mutual cooperation in defence and maritime security. “Mutual cooperation in the field of defence and security is a testament to mutual continued on page 14 SC lists guidelines to curb student suicides Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 25 The Supreme Court on Friday issued 15-point pan-India binding guidelines to deal with suicides by students in educational institutions and coaching centres as it high- lighted “legislative and regulatory vacuum” and lack of a unified framework for prevention, besides rise in mental health issues among them. A Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta said these measures should remain in force until such time as appropriate legislation or regulatory frameworks were enacted by the competent authority. Taking cues from the “Ummeed” draft guidelines, the “Manodarpan” initiative, and the National Suicide Prevention Strategy, the top court directed all educational institutions to adopt and implement a uniform mental health policy. It directed all coaching hubs, including Jaipur, Kota, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai, to implement heightened mental health continued on page 14 Macron:France settorecognise Palestineasstate PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday France will recognise Palestine as a state, in a bold diplomatic move amid snowballing global anger over people starving in Gaza. Macron said he will formalise the decision at the UN General Assembly in September. The symbolic move puts added diplomatic pressure on Israel as the war and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip rage. France’s announcement exposes differences among the European allies. INSIDE Modi betters Indira in unbroken PM run NEW DELHI: Narendra Modi on Friday overtook Indira Gandhi to become the second longest serving Indian Prime Minister in consecutive terms. Modi completed 4,078 days in office on Friday. Indira Gandhi’s unbroken stint in office was of 4,077 days, from January 24, 1966, to March 24, 1977. — PTI Hospitals treating patients as ATM: HC PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad High Court has expressed displeasure over patients being treated as “guinea pigs or ATM machines” by private hospitals and dismissed a doctor’s plea against the criminal action initiated against him after a pregnant woman admitted in his facility lost her foetus. — PTI c m y b Justice Varma ouster process to start in LS as RS motion junked Lok Sabha Speaker Om BirTribune News Service la,” Rijiju said, stressing the New Delhi, July 25 bipartisan nature of the Days after Jagdeep Dhankhar motion in the Lower House. resigned as Vice-President Dhankhar had on July 21 after mentioning a controver- admitted a separate motion sial Opposition-backed motion signed by 63 Opposition MPs in against Justice Yashwant Var- the Rajya Sabha. The motion ma in the Rajya Sabha, the lacked bipartisan support and government on Friday broke left the government embarsilence on the issue saying the rassed as no NDA member was removal proceedings aware of the move. would now unfold in Government leadthe Lok Sabha. ers said they were Parliamentary completely in the Affairs Minister dark over the “OppoKiren Rijiju said sition’s attempts in “there should be no the Rajya Sabha to doubt in anyone’s hijack the bipartisan mind that the pronature of the issue for ceedings to remove claiming credit in the Justice Varma Justice Varma (for fight against corruphis alleged role in the cash tion in the judiciary”. recovery row) would take It was in the backdrop of place in the Lok Sabha”. He accepting this controversial said the parallel motion in motion and its hasty menthe Rajya Sabha had not tioning in the Rajya Sabha been admitted. that House Chairman “All parties had unani- Dhankhar had to resign. mously decided to move Dhankhar, while citing protogether decisively against visions of the Judges Inquiry perceived corruption in the Act, 1968, said if a motion for higher judiciary. According- removal of a judge was prely, 152 MPs across party lines sented in both Houses the signed the notice of motion same day, the right of the for (Justice Varma’s) Rajya Sabha Chairman and continued on page 14 removal and submitted it to Aditi Tandon RSSecyGentobe returning officer for V-P election Animesh Singh Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 25 The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday set the process rolling for the election of Vice-President, as it appointed the Secretary General of Rajya Sabha, PC Mody, as the Returning Officer to oversee the poll process. The poll panel also appointed Garima Jain, Joint Secretary, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, and Vijay Kumar, Director, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, as Assistant Returning Officers for the election. Later in the day, the appointments were notified through a gazette notification also. “In pursuance of sub-section (1) of Section 3 of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952 (31 of 1952), the Election Commission, in consultation with the Central Government, hereby appoints the Secretary General, Rajya Sabha, Parliament House, New Delhi, to be the Returning Officer for the Vice-Presidential Election, 2025,” the notification said. The Tribune had reported on July 24 that the notification for the VicePresident’s election is likely to be issued within a week as the poll is to be conducted continued on page 14
The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising four eminent persons as trustees.
The Tribune, the largest selling daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the paper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.
The English edition apart, the 133-year-old Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).
