26072025-TTB-01.qxd 7/26/2025 12:42 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 205 | 26 PAGES | ~7.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  DELHI 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 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. “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 Macron:France settorecognise Palestineasstate SC lists norms to curb student 7 Rajasthan students killed in building collapse suicides, protect mental health 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. INSIDE Satya Prakash Tribune News Service NO SEGREGATION, RESTRICTED ROOFTOP ACCESS ■ Install tamper-proof ceiling academic performance at coaching centres ■ Implement robust mechanisms to prevent incidents involving sexual assault, harassment, ragging, bullying Kota, July 25 The 35-year-old building of a government upper primary school in Piplod village collapsed on Friday, resulting in the death of at least seven children and injuries to 29 others, with 13 in critical condition, officials said. In response to the tragedy, An Army man was killed and two others injured in a landmine blast along the LoC in J&K’s Poonch district on Friday, officials said. During area domination patrolling in the general area of Krishna Ghati, a mine blast took place, in which Agniveer Lalit Kumar of 7 JAT Regiment was killed and two others injured, they said. INSIDE 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 highlighted “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 Hospitals treating patients as ATM: HC Panchayats reject Punjab land pooling policy PRAYAGRAJ: Say attempt being made to snatch their livelihood; ready to take govt head-on Army jawan killed in Poonch mine blast JAMMU: 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 Modi betters Indira in unbroken PM run NEW DELHI: Narendra Modi on Friday overtook Indira Gandhi to become the second longest serving Indian PM in consecutive terms. Modi completed 4,078 days in office on Friday. Gandhi’s unbroken stint in office was of 4,077 days, from January 24, 1966, to March 24, 1977. — PTI Ruchika M Khanna Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 25 Baljinder Singh, who owns four acres of land in Balion village near Samrala, has heaved a sigh of relief after a tense June as residents have decided to oppose the Punjab Government’s new land pooling policy. After the government notified 250 acres in his village for acquisition under the policy, Baljinder said the very thought of losing his small landholding and moving to a new place did not let him sleep. “Most villagers felt the same way. But now, helped by farmer unions, our village panchayat has passed a resolution rejecting the government move to acquire our fans, restrict access to rooftops, balconies at residential-based institutions ■ Refrain from segregating students’ batches on basis of J-K MEDICO DIES BY SUICIDE IN RAJASTHAN Jaipur: A final-year BDS student from J&K, Sweta Singh, was found hanging in her hostel room in a private medical college in Udaipur, officials said on Friday. In her suicide note, she accused the faculty of mentally harassing students and not conducting exams on time, officials said. PTI coaching hubs, including Jaipur, Kota, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai, to implement heightened mental health protection and preventive measures. The guidelines would apply to all educational institutions, including public and private schools, colleges, universities, training centres, coaching institutes, residential academies and hostels, irrespective of their affiliation, it said. “This policy shall be reviewed and updated annual- ly and made publicly accessible on institutional websites and notice boards of the institutes,” it said, directing states and union territories to notify, as far as practicable, rules within two months mandating registration, student protection norms, and mechanisms to redress grievances for all private coaching centres. Directing the Centre to file a compliance affidavit within 90 days detailing the steps taken to implement the guidelines continued on page 14 OPPN LEADERS MISLEADING FARMERS: AAP The policy brought ❝regime andwas first Congressby the AkaliBJP later the government carried on with it. They are now misleading farmers for their own gains. The policy stands to benefit farmers. Aman Arora, PUNJAB AAP CHIEF land. This is the first legal hurdle we have cleared in what we assume will be a long fight with the state government,” he told The Tribune. Balion sarpanch Maninder Singh said they had even put up boards in the village, warning government officials against entering their village. In Bhattian village near Phillaur, where 700 acres of land is to be acquired, village sarpanch Ranjit Singh Batth said the “atmosphere is charged. The panchayat passed a resolution against the acquisition a few days ago. They want to take away our land and livelihood and give us tiny residential and commercial plots… how ridiculous? We know it will be a long road before we can secure our land, but we are ready,” he said. As the state government notified its amended land pooling policy today, adding MoD inks ~2K-cr deal with BEL for firecontrolradars DELHI: Maintaining a robust air defence posture in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, the Ministry of Defence on Friday signed a Rs 2,000-crore contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the procurement of specialised fire control radars for the Army. These radars, which will have a minimum of 70 per cent indigenous content, are designed to detect all airborne threats, including fighter jets, attack helicopters and drones. — TNS NEW the new incentives announced earlier this week, the farmers’ anger over the policy does not seem to have subsided. The state government had notified 65,533 acres (including 21, 550 acres for industrial zones) it wants to acquire through the land pooling policy. Though the AAP government ministers as well as CM Bhagwant Mann say the acquisition will happen only if the farmers volunteer for it, the opposition to the policy has been growing as the farmers are not convinced. According to Harinder Singh Lakhowal, a prominent leader of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, 107 panchayats have already passed resolutions, declaring they will not give up their land. c m y b five teachers from the school were suspended and a highlevel inquiry had been ordered by the state Education Minister, the officials said. The injured are currently receiving treatment at the SRG Hospital in Jhalawar and the Community Health Centre in the Manohar Thana area of the district. Denying allegations that the school building was in a dilapidated condition, Jhalawar District Education Officer Narso Meena claimed that heavy rainfall in the region, combined with accumulation of rainwater in the adjacent field behind the school building, caused water seepage into the wall of one of the classrooms. This seepage led to the collapse of the classroom ceiling. Meena said the school Principal had been told to avoid holding classes in that particular room, but the instructions were ignored. — PTI