13012025-TTC-01.qxd 1/13/2025 12:50 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 9 NO. 13 | 18 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 INDIAN-ORIGIN ANITA ANAND EXITS CANADA PM RACE WORLD /thetribunechd PM TO INAUGURATE Z-MORH TUNNEL TODAY J&K YOUTH TO DRIVE NATION’S RISE, SAYS PM MODI NATION KEJRI: WON’T CONTEST IF SLUM DWELLER CASES ARE DROPPED BACK PAGE monday | 13 january 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com EAM Jaishankar to represent India at Trump swearing-in ceremony on Jan 20 First time External Affairs Minister to attend American President’s inaugural Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 12 External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will join a clutch of international leaders and captains of top technology companies at the swearingin of US President-elect Donald Trump on January 20 in Washington DC. This is the first time an External Affairs Minister will be attending the inaugural of a US President. Jaishankar’s presence in DC on that day is indicative of the high importance with which India holds the Trump administration in particular, notwithstanding the anticipated hiccups over trade tariffs, H1-B visas and technology transfer. SEVERAL WORLD LEADERS TO ATTEND ■ Besides India, Trump has invit- DONALD TRUMP During the visit, Jaishankar will also meet with representatives of the incoming Trump administration, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Sunday. “On the invitation of the Trump- ed several world leaders to the swearing-in. The Chinese delegation is likely to be led by either Vice-President Han Zheng or Foreign Minister Wang Yi ■ Other notable attendees include Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, Argentinian President Javier Milei, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele and Hungarian President Viktor Orban Vance (JD Vance) Inaugural Committee, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will represent the Government of India at the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Donald J. Trump as the 47th Pres- S JAISHANKAR ident of US.” Jaishankar will be looking to meet two vital Trump appointees — Secretary of State-elect Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser-elect Michael Waltz. Rubio, a long-time votary of stronger US-India ties, had last year introduced the United States-India Defense Cooperation Act of 2024, which aims to enhance the military relationship between the two nations. Rubio has batted to treat India akin to a NATO ally in specific defence deals. His leadership could push forward technology sharing in the defence sector. Michael Waltz, the NSAelect, is co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans. He will co-chair, along with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, the important USIndia Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies continued on page 8 To firm up joint course, farm unionstomeetinPatialatoday Aman Sood Tribune News Service Patiala, January 12 Following a unity call, a meeting of all major farmer unions of Punjab will be held at Patran in Patiala district on Monday. The meeting was earlier scheduled for January 15. The outfits, including Samyukt Kisan Morcha (AllIndia), will “discuss the united way ahead” to press the Centre for “another round of dialogue with them”. Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) leaders have been holding rounds of protest in Punjab and Haryana following the deadlock between the Centre-led panel and the farmer union members over various issues, including MSP . The two groups have been holding fort at Shambhu and Khanauri, with the majority of Fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal at Khanauri on Sunday. PROTESTING FARMER DIES Jagga Singh (80) of Godara village in Faridkot died at Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, on Sunday. He had suffered a paralytic attack during the protest at Khanauri morcha 10 days ago and was shifted to Rajindra Hospital for treatment. other unions maintaining a distance. The national highway near Shambhu remains blocked due to the agitation as the Haryana Police raised barricades to prevent the protesters from entering their state. The other unions in Punjab had occasionally stayed away from the agitation as they felt they were not consulted. On tomorrow’s joint meeting, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, continued on page 8 Lid offMBBS exam scamat Rohtak university Bangla raises border tensions with Indian envoy 2 suspended |Services of 3 outsourced staffers discontinued | Panel to probe matter Ravinder Saini Tribune News Service Rohtak, January 12 A scam involving MBBS exam papers has surfaced at the Pt BD Sharma University of Health Sciences in Rohtak. Employees of the university and students of three private medical colleges in the state have been implicated in it. The scamsters reportedly charged between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 5 lakh per subject from MBBS students to ensure that they cleared the exams. Students used erasable ink pens to write the exams following which the answer sheets used to be sneaked out SCAMSTERS USED ERASABLE INK ■ Students used to write ■ The exams using erasable ink ■ Answer sheets were then sneaked out of the varsity ■ The writing would be removed using a hair dryer answer sheets were rewritten and submitted for evaluation ■ MBBS students were charged between ~3 lakh and ~5 lakh per subject to clear the exams of the university. The writing would then be removed using a hair dryer and the answer sheets submitted for evaluation after being rewritten, claimed a complaint lodged by an MBBS student with the university authorities. According to the complaint, the scamsters were involved not only in MBBS exams but also in helping students pass other competitive exams such as the NEET-UG and the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination. They were also involved in leaking MBBS semester exam papers to “impress and help students”. They would collect advance cash payments from MBBS students, according to the complaint. Sources said the university authorities had received evidence about two separate online transactions made by students to its outsourced employees on instructions from the scamsters. Acting on the complaint and the report of a preliminary investigation into the matter, Dr HK Aggarwal, who took over as Vice Chancellor of the university over a month ago, has suspended two employees and discontinued the services of three outsourced staff members with immediate effect pending inquiry. continued on page 8 Dhaka, January 12 Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Mohd Jashim Uddin on Sunday expressed his country’s “deep concern” over the recent border tensions during a meeting with Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma ISRO’s docking experiment inches closer to success NEW DELHI: ISRO’s maiden experiment of docking two satellites in space is inching closer to success. The satellites were brought within 3 metre and then moved safely back in a trial attempt. The space agency said the docking process would be done after analysing the data further. “A trial attempt to reach up to 15 metre and further to 3 metre is done. Moving back spacecraft to safe distance. The docking process will be done after analysing data further,” ISRO said in a post on X. The Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) project has missed two announced schedules for docking experiments on January 7 and January 9. The experiments were deferred after scientists felt that the process required further validation. BACK PAGE 5 Naxalites gunned down in encounter at C’garh’s Bijapur BIJAPUR: Five Naxalites, including two women, were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Sunday, the police said. The gunfight broke out in the morning in the forest of Bandepara-Koranjed villages under Madded police station limits when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxalite operation, Baster Range IGP Sundarraj P said. BACK PAGE Today’s issue is of 18 pages, including four-page Jalandhar Tribune. c m y b at the Foreign Ministry here. The state-run BSS news agency earlier reported that Verma was “summoned” by the Foreign Ministry to discuss escalating tensions along the border. However, a statement issued by the min- istry did not use that term. “Foreign Secretary Mohd Jashim Uddin today expressed Bangladesh’s deep concern to the High Commissioner of India Pranay Verma over the recent activities of the BSF along the India- Bangladesh border,” the ministry said in the statement. Verma’s meeting with the Foreign Secretary lasted about 45 minutes. “I just met the Foreign Secretary to discuss India’s commitment to continued on page 8