MORE THAN 21 LAKH PEOPLE DIED IN INDIA DUE TO AIR POLLUTION IN 2021 THURSDAY 20 JUNE, 2024 Globally 81 lakh deaths were due to breathing in polluted air, up from 66 lakh in 2019, says the report by US-based Health Effects Institute epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard 99% SOUTH AFRICA WORLD LEADERS, INDUSTRY CAPTAINS ARE ATTENDING DAVOS WEF RAMAPHOSA SWORN IN AS PRESIDENT In a ceremony held in Pretoria on Wednesday, Cyril Ramaphosa was sworn in as President for a second term, with the help of a coalition for the first time A LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG CHILDREN A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9 NEW DELHI J8.00 For children, exposure to air pollution was the second-leading risk factor for death globally in 2021, after malnutrition. As per the report, about 7.09 lakh children worldwide, including 1.69 lakh in India, died as a result of breathing polluted air. About 72% of these deaths were linked to exposure to household air pollution from burning solid fuels for cooking | P7 PAGES 12 Ahead of key state polls, MSP for 14 crops hiked Govt open to fresh RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi AHEAD of elections in key states like Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir later this year, the Centre on Wednesday raised the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for 14 Kharif crops for the 2024-25 marketing season. The MSP for ‘common’ grade paddy has been raised `117 to `2,300 per quintal, while for the ‘A’ grade variety it has been hiked to `2,320 per quintal for the upcoming Kharif season, Union information and broad- casting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters. The MSP hike is in line with the 2018-19 announcement of fixing it at a level of at least 1.5 times of the all-India weighted average cost of production, the government said. “By increasing MSP the gov, ernment aims to provide a safety net for farmers, enabling them to cover their cost of production and secure a fair return on investment,” a senior leader of the NDA said. However, critics said while the MSP hike provides immediate relief to farmers, it must be complemented with broader reforms. CENTRE ISSUES ADVISORY Seeks data from states/UTs on number of heatwave cases and deaths since March 1 Asks states/UTs to disseminate early warnings of heatwaves issued by IMD daily after 4 pm, with forecasts for the next four days, to health facilities and vulnerable populations HEALTH MINISTER J P NADDA ANNOUNCES PLANS TO SET UP SPECIAL HEATWAVE UNITS IN CENTRAL GOVT-RUN HOSPITALS Tells states/UTs to investigate suspected heatrelated illness death by a medical officer/ epidemiologist Asks states/UTs to consider heatrelated illnesses in surveillance, medical management and response planning 80 Indian Hajj pilgrims die of extreme heat Over 900 dead as day-time temperature in Mecca goes past 50°C; 600 are from Egypt Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi AT least 922 people, including 80 Indians, have died of scorching heat during the five-day Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. A number of Indians are reportedly missing. “Nine of the dead are from Jammu and Kashmir. The deaths are due to extreme heat and also due to old age. Two Indians died in road accidents,” said a source. Nearly 1.75 lakh Indians went for Hajj, which commenced from June 13. Official sources said India extended all possible support to make the pilgrims’ stay comfortable and even facilitated their transfer to Makkah from Riyadh on a highspeed train. According to AFP 600 of the , 922 who died are Egyptians. Fatalities have been confirmed by Jordan, Indonesia, Iran, Senegal, Tunisia, and Kurdistan. Last year more than 200 pilgrims were reported dead, most of them from Indonesia. This year’s tragedy could be the third deadliest incident at Hajj after the 2015 stampede in Mina that killed 2,400 pilgrims and the 1990 stampede that killed 1,426 people. The Saudi government has not provided any official information on fatalities so far, though it flagged 2,700 cases of ‘heat exhaustion’ on Sunday . Sources said the toll could go up as scores of pilgrims are reported missing by their relatives, who scoured hospitals and took to social media. Facebook and other social media networks were flooded with pictures of the missing and requests for leads. About 1.8 million people from all over the world, many old and infirm, took part in the days-long, mostly outdoor pilgrimage, held this year during the ovenlike Saudi summer. Temperatures are hovering over 50 degrees Celsius in Mecca, Islam’s holiest city . According to a Saudi study published last month, temperatures in the area are rising 0.4 degrees Celsius each decade. Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It is considered a must for every Muslim who can afford the trip and is physically able to make it. Nearly 1.75 lakh Indians went for Hajj this year, which commenced from June 13. Official sources said India extended all possible support to make the pilgrims’ stay comfortable and even facilitated their transfer to Makkah from Riyadh on a high-speed train. The decision comes amid continuing protests by farmers over various demands including guaranteed MSP and the criticism from some quarters that the BJP government’s alleged failure to address farmers’ demands contributed to its lacklustre performance in the Lok Sabha elections. In the three poll-bound states, farmers make up a large chunk of the population, especially in rural areas, and can play a key role in shaping the outcome. The MSP hike comes despite the Food Corporation of India holding a record stockpile of 53.4 million tonnes of rice. MSP 2024-25 Cost* KMS 2024-25 Margin over cost (%) MSP 2023-24 Increase in 2024-25 NEET-UG for all if the SC issues orders Common 2,300 1,533 50 2,183 117 K E TA N N A R O T TA M TA N N A Grade A^ 2,320 - - 2,203 117 Hybrid 3,371 2,247 50 3,180 191 MINIMUM SUPPORT PRICES FOR ALL KHARIF CROPS FOR MARKETING SEASON 2024-25 Values in Rupees per quintal CROPS Paddy Jowar - - 3,225 196 Tur /Arhar 7,550 4,761 59 7,000 550 Moong 8,682 5,788 50 8,558 124 Maize 2,225 1,447 54 2,090 124 Cotton (Medium) 7,121 4,747 50 6,620 501 Maldandi” 3,421 Warmest Delhi night in 55 years J I T E N D R A C H O U B E Y @ New Delhi DELHI on Wednesday recorded the highest-ever minimum temperature in the past 55 years, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The Safdarjung weather station recorded a minimum temperature of 35.2°C, which is 8°C above normal. It is the highest daily minimum temperature among all months in the period between 1969 and 2024. The earliest was observed on May 23, 1972, when it recorded 34.9 °C. The weather office has issued a red alert in the Northwest region, including Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, advising people to stay indoors. As per reports, the intense temperature is leading to heatrelated illnesses and heatstroke induced deaths among all ages. 8°C ABOVE NORMAL TEMP 35.2°C Delhi recorded its warmest night in 55 years on Wednesday, indicating severe heatwave conditions even at night. It was 8°C above normal The IMD, however, said that the night heatwave condition will improve in the next two days in the northwest region. On June 18, the highest-ever minimum temperatures recorded in Alwar was 37°C in the country since 1969. The IMD has forecast warm to severe warm night conditions It was the highest daily minimum temperature in Delhi since 1969. The earlier record was 34.9°C on May 23, 1972 On Tuesday, the minimum temperature recorded in Alwar was 37°C, the highest in the country since 1969 over many parts of Punjab, Haryana-ChandigarhDelhi, Uttar Pradesh and north Rajasthan. Seven districts of Haryana have also witnessed warmer nights. The night temperatures’ departure from the normal was in the range of 4.5°C to 7.3°C. P3 & 8 @ New Delhi THE Union Education Ministry is not averse to conducting a fresh round of the National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance TestUndergraduate (NEET-UG), subject to directives from the Supreme Court’s scheduled hearing on July 8. An official source told this paper that the ministry is ready to organise a retest for all 24 lakh NEET-UG aspirants if the Suprmem court wants. Sources suggested that one potential approach is to not limit the retest to the 1,563 candidates who were given grace marks and open it to all the students who want to go for re-examination. The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducted the medical exams, informed the Supreme Court that retest for the over 1,500 students will be conducted on June 23 and the results will be announced by June 30. The court has not stalled the counselling process, which will begin from July 6. When asked whether this would entail a comprehensive retest rather than a selective approach, sources acknowledged the possibility of a complete new exam if directed by the court. They also highlighted Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s “profound concern” regarding the NEET-UG controversy, underscoring his commitment to ad- US team meets Dalai Lama Kejriwal to stay in India amid China protest in jail till July 3 in liquor policy case Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi Dalai Lama being greeted by Nancy Pelosi at the former’s residence in Dharamsala on Wednesday | PTI It is still my hope that one day His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his people will return to Tibet in peace —Michael McCaul AMID warnings from China, a bipartisan US Congressional delegation met the Dalai Lama and officials of the Tibetan government-inexile in Dharamsala on Wednesday The delegation, . led by US House Foreign Aff airs Committee chair Michael McCaul and comprising ex-House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, assured the spiritual leader of US support for full autonomy for Tibet. McCaul said Beijing’s claim that Tibet has been part of China since ancient times is false. Lashing out at Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pelosi said the Dalai Lama will live long and his legacy forever. “But you, the President of China, will be gone and nobody will give you credit for anything,” she said. The visit follows passage of the Resolve Tibet Act by the US Congress, which urges China to re-engage with Tibetan leaders. The Dalai Lama will fly to the US this week for knee surgery P7 . E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ New Delhi A local court on Wednesday extended the judicial custody of CM Arvind Kejriwal till July 3 in a money laundering case linked to the alleged liquor policy scam. The AAP convenor’s custody was extended by vacation judge Niyay Bindu after he was produced before the court through video conference on the expiry of his judicial custody . Underscoring that Kejriwal had not been made an accused in the scheduled offence to date, his counsel opposed the ED’s application seeking extension of his custody Claiming that the . case is based on statements, Kejriwal’s counsel said, “Those statements are of those people who have confessed themselves to be guilty They are not saints . here. They are those who are not only tainted but it appears, some were arrested and they were given a promise of bail and promise of being granted pardon. Approvers. And there is another category who have not been arrested.” Opposing his bail application, the ED claimed that the CM demanded a `100 crore bribe from the ‘South Group’ for his party It added that if . the AAP commits a crime, the person in charge of the party will be held guilty . The judge also heard the CM’s regular bail plea and scheduled the next hearing for Thursday . Report sought The education ministry said the issue of grace marks in NEET-UG has been resolved and a report has been sought from the Economic Offences Unit of Bihar police regarding reported irregularities during the exam in Patna. It added the government will proceed with necessary action upon receipt of the report. dressing it as a “top priority”. “The minister’s main objective is to identify the root cause and rectify it as soon as possible,” a source said. This year’s exam posed a unique challenge: a record number of candidates got the perfect score on 720 on 720, significantly altering the ranking dynamics and intensifying competition for medical college admission, especially in government colleges. Since the announcement of results on June 4, the NTA has come under severe criticism for alleged paper leaks, number of high rankings, discrepancies in the allocation of grace marks, fraudulent activities and other irregularities. Students, parents, educators and even medical associations have called for a retest and a CBI probe. Around 30 petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court on the matter, besides a large number of pleas in various high courts. UGC-NET exam cancelled, CBI probe ordered E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ New Delhi The Ministry of Education on Wednesday cancelled the UGCNET June 2024 examination following indications that the integrity of the exam may have been compromised. The matter is being handed over to the CBI for thorough probe. Fresh exam will be conducted for which dates will be announced later. The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted the UGC-NET June 2024 Examination in OMR (pen and paper) mode on June 18, in two shifts across the country . On June 19, the University Grants Commission got inputs from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the MHA on the exam. These inputs primafacie indicate that the integrity of the aforesaid exam may have been compromised. The UGC-NET is a standardized examination to assess eligibility for the roles of assistant professor in universities and colleges, and also for the award of Junior Research Fellowship or both. EXPRESS READ 5-term CM Naveen to be Odisha’s new LoP Ahead of Modi’s visit, EAM in Colombo today PG admissions in DU to start from June 22 Darshan paid `30L to murder accused: Cops India pips Pakistan in N-arms race: Report Maha BJP told to take ‘collective decisions’ ‘Drafting own laws on religious conversions’ BJD president Naveen Patnaik, the five-term CM of Odisha, will be the Leader of Opposition after his party lost power to the BJP. Speaking to reporters, Patnaik said the decision was taken at the BJD’s legislature party meeting held on Wednesday. P5 External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to visit Colombo on Thursday ahead of PM Modi’s likely trip to the island nation. During his visit after the formation of the new government, Jaishankar is expected to meet his Sri Lankan counterpart Ali Sabry as well as President Ranil ickremesinghe, and hold meetings on a wide range of partnership issues. | P7 Delhi University will announce the first round of seat allocation for post-graduate courses for the 2024-25 academic session from June 22, as per the admission schedule released on Wednesday. The first round of seat allotment will begin at the Common Seat Allocation System portal at 5 pm. The second round is scheduled to begin on July 2. Actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, accused in the Renukaswamy murder case, is said to have confessed to his involvement in the case, as per the remand application filed by the police. The actor reportedly confessed to having given `30 lakh to one Pradosh to manage the police and lawyers and to pay those who would claim that they had committed the crime. | P5 India has strengthened its nuclear arsenals, getting ahead of Pakistan and ranking sixth among the nuclear-armed nations in the world. Swedish think-tank SIPRI, in its latest Yearbook, stated, “India appears to be placing growing emphasis on longer-range weapons, including those capable of reaching targets throughout China.” | P7 Introspecting on the Lok Sabha poll debacle in Maharashtra, the BJP leadership has asked the state party leaders to make collective decisions on the state parliamentary board, saying no individual should dominate the discussions. On Tuesday, BJP national president JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting to deliberate on the party’s poor show. | P8 The Rajasthan government, in response to a PIL, filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying it was in the process of bringing its own legislation against religious conversions in the state. The PIL, filed by BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyaya, had sought appropriate directions to prevent fraudulent and forceful religious conversions.
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