30012026-TTC-01.qxd 1/30/2026 12:35 AM Page 1 c m y b 13 UK, CHINA HAIL RESET IN BILATERAL TIES WORLD /thetribunechd CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 10 NO. 29 | 18 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 friday | 30 january 2026 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com India set to log 7.4% growth in FY26, maintain lead among top economies ADIEU, AJIT Economic AGE CURBS FOR USING SOCIAL MEDIA FM Nirmala Sitharaman speaks during the Budget session. ANI Survey 2025-26 Aditya Rangroo ■ Economic Survey calls for age bar for using social media ■ Says youngsters vulnerable to Tribune News Service Home Minister Amit Shah consoles NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar at the state funeral of Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar at Baramation Thursday. The black box of the plane involved in the crash has been recovered. PTI Dangerous, can be misused: SC stays UGC caste regulation Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 29 Terming as “vague and capable of misuse”, the Supreme Court on Thursday put in abeyance the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, that triggered widespread protests on educational campuses across the country. “If we don’t intervene, it will lead to dangerous impacts…. It will divide society and will have grave impacts,” said a Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. The Bench issued notices to WILL DIVIDE SOCIETY ❝ If we don’t intervene, it will lead to dangerous impacts…. It will divide society and will have grave impacts. CJI-led SC Bench the Centre and the UGC on petitions challenging the UGC’s controversial regulation, which restricted caste-based discrimination grievance mechanisms to SC, ST and OBC categories. The top court posted the matter for further hearing on March 19. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta accepted the notice on behalf of the Centre. NOT ERA OF DISRUPTIONS: PM TO OPPN BACK PAGE Exercising its plenary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Bench, however, revived the UGC’s 2012 regulations on the issues to ensure that the victims of caste discrimination were not left without any remedy. “Unity of India must be reflected in educational institutions…. In a country after 75 years, all that we have achieved is to become a classless society…. Are we becoming a regressive society? Worst thing which is happening in ragging is that children coming from south or north-east... they carry their culture and continued on page 8 edit: Tackling caste bias New Delhi, January 29 India’s economy is projected to grow at 7.4 per cent in FY26 and between 6.8 per cent and 7.2 per cent in FY27, reaffirming its position as the fastest-growing major economy for the fourth consecutive year, according to the Economic Survey 2025-26. The pre-Budget guidance document, tabled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament today, attributed the growth outlook to regulatory reforms, a strong macroeconomic base, renewed call for private sector investment and robust domestic demand. Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran, author of the survey, said, “Given the good growth performance and the kind of foundation laid for sustained growth into the second half of this decade, we are now projecting FY27 growth between 6.8 per cent and 7.2 per cent… notwithstanding the global situation, on the back of domestic reforms and accomplishments.” The survey highlighted policy reforms in recent years as key drivers lifting the economy. “Medium-term growth potential is closer to 7 per cent. With domestic drivers continued on page 8 edit: Cautious optimism IMPACT OF INFLATION, AI ON ECONOMY ■ Survey says FY27 to be a year of adjustment as economy adapts to changes in GST ■ Cautions against broader financial contagion if AI boom fails to deliver expected gains ■ FY27 inflation likely to be higher than FY26, but unlikely to be cause for concern ■ Pitches for policy to reshape terms of work for gig workers 4.4% fiscal deficit target of GDP govt aims to attain in FY26 NO STOPPING INCREASING GOLD, SILVER PRICES Prices likely to increase further as safe-haven demand soars amid global turmoil GOLD SILVER ~1,83,000 ~4,04,500 ADOPTING SWADESHI AS KEY STRATEGY ■ Says it’s necessary in wake of compulsive use, unsafe content ■ Social media platforms be held responsible for age verification, age-appropriate defaults REDUCE DEPENDENCE ON ONLINE TEACHING ■ Calls for promoting offline teaching in place of online ■ Simpler devices for kids like basic phones, education tabs FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS KEY TO BOOSTING MANUFACTURING | HORTICULTURE BRIGHT SPOT INSIDE Rupee a ‘victim’ of geopolitics, hit by dwindling foreign inflows in 2025 New Delhi, January 29 As the rupee neared the all-time low of 92 against the US dollar on Thursday, the Economic Survey said the Indian currency has become a “victim of geopolitics and strategic power gap, and a casualty of foreign inflows drying up in 2025”. POLL DOLES TO IMPACT BORROWING COSTS With states splurging on poll doles, the Survey warned states’ fiscal indiscipline will impact their sovereign borrowing costs. “India runs a trade deficit in goods. Its net trade surplus in services and remittances is not enough to offset it. The country depends on foreign capital flows to maintain a healthy balance of payments. When they run dry, rupee stability becomes a casualty,” the survey said about the rupee, the worstperforming Asian currency in 2025. With the growth being good, outlook favourable and continued on page 8 Today’s issue is of 18 pages, including four-page Jalandhar Tribune. A New Address for Inspired Homes CHANDIGARH Sector 7-C, Madhya Marg @omaliving www.omaliving.com c m y b 7428614004 Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 29 Detained under the National Security Act (NSA), 1980, in Jodhpur Central Jail since September 26 last year, activist Sonam Wangchuk on Thursday denied exhorting his supporters to overthrow the government like Arab Spring and asserted his democratic right to criticise and protest. SC orders his medical check-up, seeks report export control and technology REVAMP RTI ACT FOR denials by developed nations SENSITIVE REPORTS ■ World must move from ‘think- Stresses revamp of RTI Act to exempt secret reports; aligning Re/$ ing about buying Indian’ to ~91.99 ‘buying Indian without thinking’ it with global best practices Tribune News Service Wangchuk denies asking supporters to overthrow govt On behalf of Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali Angmo, senior advocate Kapil Sibal told the Supreme Court that the police relied on a selective video to mislead the detaining authority. “Look at the video. What he says (according to the police) is if the Government of India will not give statehood, he will overthrow the government like the Arab Spring. He does not say so. I will give the transcription continued on page 8 EAM, Gor discuss trade, rare earths NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday held discussions with US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on trade, defence cooperation and critical minerals. The meeting assumes significance as Jaishankar is expected to travel to the US to attend a critical minerals ministerial meeting in Washington DC on February 4. BACK PAGE