15072025-TTC-03.qxd 7/15/2025 12:36 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 9 NO. 194 | 12 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 COURT RESERVES ORDER IN ED CASE AGAINST GANDHIS NATION /thetribunechd GOVT HUMILIATED IN POLICE STATE, SAY OPPN PARTIES J&K I-T DEPT CRACKS DOWN ON BOGUS CLAIMS OF DEDUCTIONS BUSINESS RUSSIA TO IMPORT 1 MN SKILLED WORKFORCE FROM INDIA BACK PAGE tuesday | 15 july 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com EAM raises LAC de-escalation, ‘restrictive trade’ with Beijing HEADING DOWN On rare earth export curbs, India says competition mustn’t end in conflict AjayBanerjee Tribune News Service Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla with the Ax-4 mission & ISS crew before embarking on the return journey to Earth along with three others. PTI BACK PAGE Can’t do much to save nurse: Govt to SC Kerala medic likely to be executed tomorrow for murdering Yemeni national Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 14 All hopes of saving Indian nurse Nimisha Priya — likely to be executed in Yemen on July 16 for murdering a Yemeni national — appeared to be fading away, with the Centre on Monday telling the Supreme Court that there was nothing much it could do in the matter. CHAMPION RUN ENDS “There is a point till which eral R Venkataramani told a the Government of India can Bench of Justice Vikram Nath go. We have reached it. We also and Justice Sandeep Mehta. asked the public prosThe Attorney Genecutor if the execution eral, however, said, could be suspended. “We got an informal But it has not worked communication that out. Nothing matters the execution would to the Yemen governbe put in abeyance, ment… We also got Nimisha Priya but we don’t know if involved with a sheikh it will work out. Not who is influential there. It did an area where the governnot work out,” Attorney Gen- ment can be asked to do Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 14 The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday issued a formal order directing all Indian airlines to inspect Boeing aircraft for potential disengagement of fuel control switch locking mechanisms by July 21. The safety concern was first highlighted by the US aviation regulator in 2018. HP judge Chauhan among 5 elevated as CJs, four shifted Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 14 In a major judicial reshuffle, the government on Monday notified the appointment of new chief justices of the Madhya Pradesh, Gauhati, Karnataka, Patna and Jharkhand high courts. Additionally, four chief justices and 18 judges, including three from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, have been transferred. Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan of the Himachal Pradesh High Court has been named Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court, while Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has been elevated as the Chief Justice of the same court. Others appointed as chief justices are Justice Vibhu Bakhru (Karnataka), Justice continued on page 8 External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Monday. PTI FOCUS ON FLIGHTS, RIVER DATA During the talks, India and China agreed to take practical steps to ensure direct flight connectivity between the two countries. Jaishankar underlined the need for cooperation on trans-border rivers, including resuming sharing of hydrological data by China. nent de-escalation of troops. Jaishankar lauded the progress made over the past nine months for the normalisation of relations. “It is a result of the resolution of friction along the border and our ability to maintain peace. This is fundamental to strategic trust and smooth development of relations,” he said. Addressing the recent curbs imposed by China on the export of rare earths (needed to produce electronic parts), Jaishankar said, “It is also essential that restrictive trade measures and roadblocks are avoided.” He said the bilateral relationship required a “farseeing approach”, adding, “Stable and constructive ties are best done by handling relations on the basis of mutu- DGCA orders fuel switch checks on all Boeing jets Ujwal Jalali Marathon runner Fauja Singh (114) died in a hit-and-run in Jalandhar on Monday. BACK PAGE something beyond a defined limit.” “The Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, is also here. He is also briefing me. There is a communication even at 10.30 am requesting for suspension (of execution). But nothing has happened. This may even prove counterproductive. These are highly confidential (matters),” he submitted. Asking the parties continued on page 8 NewDelhi, July14 India and China must resolve border-related issues, including disengagement, and avoid “restrictive trade measures” to normalise their relationship, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing today. “It is now incumbent upon us to address other aspects related to the border, including de-escalation,” Jaishankar told Wang, according to a statement by the MEA. The two sides don’t have a demarcated border and the Line of Actual Control (LAC) serves as the de facto boundary. The issue of de-escalation has been pending since October last year when the neighbours agreed to disengage from two friction points, following which both countries called a truce to the standoff that began in 2020. This is the second time in three weeks that India has referred to the need for de-escalation on the LAC. Last month, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had, with his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun, stressed the need for a “permanent solution” to the border issue. He had also suggested a roadmap for perma- al respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity.” The minister reminded Wang that differences should not become disputes, nor should competition ever become conflict. Since PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting in Kazan in October 2024, the India-China ties have been gradually moving in a positive direction. “Our responsibility is to maintain that momentum,” Jaishankar told Wang. He also suggested bilateral meetings be held regularly in each other’s countries. He highlighted measures towards normalising people-to-people exchanges, which could foster mutually beneficial cooperation. Jaishankar is on a two-day visit to China to attend a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) — his first trip to the country since the military standoff started in May 2020. He is scheduled to visit Tianjin (China) for the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting whose primary mandate is to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism. “This is a shared concern and India hopes that zero tolerance for terrorism will be strongly upheld,” the minister said. He also called on Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng during the day. US aviation regulator had flagged risk in 2018 NO MECHANICAL ISSUES IN CRASHED AIRCRAFT: AI CEO Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the AAIB probe hadn’t found any mechanical or maintenance issues. “All mandatory maintenance tasks had been completed on the aircraft, the fuel quality was normal and the pilots had cleared their preflight medical checks,” he said in an internal message to staff. The directive follows findings from the ongoing investigation into last month’s fatal crash of Air India Flight AI171 in Ahmedabad, where both engines lost power shortly after Arbitrary’: SC quashes appointment ‘ of 1,158 Punjab asst profs, librarians Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 14 The Supreme Court on Monday quashed the appointment of 1,158 assistant professors and librarians in government degree colleges in Punjab, holding there’s “total arbitrariness” in their selection that was done in violation of the University Grants Commission (UGC) norms. “In the case at hand, the state did not adhere to UGC regulations and took the posts out of the purview of the commission without following the procedure prescribed under the law. And, this was done suddenly without any valid reason and thus, it would amount to arbitrariness and cannot be sustained in the eyes of law,” a Bench led by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and K Vinod Chandran said. The Bench, which also included Justice K Vinod Chandran, continued on page 8 take-off. The accident resulted in 260 casualties, including 241 passengers and crew. On June 12, The Tribune reported on a 2018 Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB NM-18-33) issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which warned of possible fuel control switch issues in Boeing aircraft, including the 787 series operated by Air India. The FAA advisory specifically addressed switches with part number 4TL837-3D—the same type installed on the crashed Air India aircraft. However, Air India informed investigators that the recommended inspections under the FAA bulletin were not conducted, as the notice was classified as “non-mandatory guidance” rather than a compulsory airworthiness directive. Despite this, the continued on page 8 HIGH STAKES Ashim Kumar Ghosh CHANDIGARH: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah jumps over the gate of Mazar-e-Shuhada to pay tributes to martyrs after being stopped by the security forces in Srinagar on Monday. ANI INSIDE New Delhi, July 14 Bowing to coalition pressure, the Centre on Monday accommodated key ally Telugu Desam Party by appointing its senior leader and former Union Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju as the Goa Governor. This is the first time in the 11-year tenure of the BJP-led NDA regime that someone from outside the saffron party has been appointed to the gubernatorial post. Former West Bengal BJP president and academic Ashim Kumar Ghosh was appointed the Haryana Governor. Veteran RSS leader and former J&K Two pregnant teachers stuck in flood-hit Mandi, students deliver Dipender Manta Tribune News Service Students carry a teacher of the College of Horticulture & Forestry, Thunag. Mandi, July 14 In a remarkable act of courage and compassion, two pregnant teachers from the College of Horticulture and Forestry in Thunag, Mandi district, were carried to safety on foot through treacherous terrain by their students and colleagues. Their heroic efforts not only saved the lives of the expectant mothers but also helped bring two newborns into the world. Dr Neha Thakur delivered a healthy baby boy on July 8 at the Civil Hospital in Sundernagar, Mandi, while Dr Sarita gave birth to a baby girl on July 12 at Sai Hospital in Hamirpur. Without this daring rescue, the lives of both mothers and their unborn children could have been in grave danger. The rescue took place amid the devastation caused by relentless rains in the Seraj region, which severed road access, disrupted power and water supplies and c m y b Heroic 11-km trek ends in new beginning as both deliver healthy babies left over 115 homes and 100 shops damaged. Tragically, five lives were lost in Thunag alone. Stranded in the disaster-stricken area, Dr Neha and Dr Sarita, both nearing their due dates, urgently needed medical care. With roads impassable and emergency services unable to Gajapathi Raju WB BJP ex-chief Ghosh is Haryana Guv, TDP’s Raju gets charge of Goa Tribune News Service Punjab Govt tables anti-sacrilege Bill The Punjab Government on Monday introduced a draft anti-sacrilege Bill in the House, proposing punishment ranging from a minimum of 10 years to life term for desecration of religious texts. The discussion on the draft Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scripture(s) Bill, 2025, was deferred to Tuesday. INSIDE Kavinder Gupta reach the remote college, students and faculty members banded together on July 2 for an extraordinary mission. They fashioned makeshift palanquins and embarked on an arduous 11-km trek from Thunag to Bagsyad, navigating dangerous mountain paths, swollen streams and unstable terrain. Leading the heroic effort were students, including Prikshit Verma, Shivang, Tushar Thakur, Uday Thakur, Dipak Thakur, Aryan, Vineet, Aryan Atri, continued on page 8 Former J&K Dy CM Gupta Ladakh L-G FIRST NON-BJP LEADER GETS POST IN 11 YEARS ■ In TDP leader Gajapathi Raju’s appointment, the BJP has given in to coalition pressure ■ It’s the first time in 11 years the BJP govt has appointed a non-BJP leader as Governor ■ Short of majority, the TDP and JD(U) are BJP’s crucial allies Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta was made the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Ladakh. Gupta’s appointment came as President continued on page 8 RETAIL INFLATION AT 6-YEAR LOW 2.1%Year-on-year inflation rate based on Consumer Price Index in June Reason:Subdued prices of food items, including veggies, driven by widespread monsoon 2.82% 5.08% 1.97% MAY JUNE PAST LOW 2025 2024 (JAN 2019) WPI in -ve: (-) 1.06% annual wholesale price inflation during June, a first in 19 months