WEDNESDAY 17 $22 bn JULY, 2024 ONCE INDIA’S MOST VALUED START-UP, BYJU’S VALUATION HAS GONE BELOW $3 BN epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard BOARD SUSPENDED, ASSETS FROZEN BANGLADESH 3 KILLED IN GOVT JOB QUOTA PROTEST Police fired teargas and rubber bullets as students demanding quotas battled with counterprotesters backing Awami League, fighting with sticks. BYJU’S FACES INSOLVENCY PROCESS FOR FAILURE TO PAY `158.9 CR TO BCCI A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9 CONDITION STABLE Jailed Kavitha taken to hosp with high fever  NEW DELHI  J8.00 JAILED BRS leader K Kavitha was on Tuesday taken to a hospital from Tihar Jail after she suffered from high fever, a senior prison official said. Katvita is an accused in the Delhi liquor policy scam case. After remaining at the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital in West Delhi for four hours, she was taken back to her cell in the jail. Officials told this newspaper that the BRS leader started feeling uneasy around 4 pm after the medics at the jail were intimated. “The medics inside the jail examined her and she was taken to DDU hospital, keeping in mind the sensitivity of her health,” according to officials. According to sources, the 46-yearold daughter of for mer Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao often faces gynaecological issues in prison and a team of doctors looks after her in Tihar Jail. “Today when the medics found she was running high fever, she was immediately taken to the hospital,” officials said. At the hospital, her blood samples were taken and some medicines were also administered. After her fever subsided, she was taken back to the prison, the officials said. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 15 arrested Kavitha from Hyderabad in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy case. The ED accused Kavitha of laundering money . Earlier this month, the Delhi High Court had denied her bail in the money laundering and corruption cases linked to the alleged liquor scam.  PAGES 12 Capt, 3 jawans killed in encounter Joint search operations by Army and J&K Police in Desa forest area of Doda dist attacked CAPT FOLLOWED THE CALL OF DUTY, SAYS PROUD DAD U J W A L J A L A L I @ New Delhi B A L A C H A U H A N @ Bengaluru (Clockwise from top-left) Captain Brijesh Thapa, Sepoy Bijendra, NK (OFC) Dokkari Rajesh and Sepoy Ajay Kumar Singh, who were killed in the Doda district encounter; and jawans carry the mortal remains of Sepoy Bijendra | PTI JAMMU TERROR July 16: 4 soldiers, including a Captain killed in gunfight in Desa forest of Doda July 8: Militants ambush Army convoy in Madeshi area of Kathua, killing five soldiers and injuring five others July 7: Soldier injured in militant attack on Army camp at Manjkote in Rajouri June 26: 3 Pakistani militants killed in encounter in Gandoh, Doda June 10-11: 2 Pak militants killed in two-day encounter in Hira Nagar area close to IB in Kathua. One CRPF man also killed June 12: Policeman injured in encounter at Kota Top area in Gandoh in Doda district June 11: Militants attack Army’s Temporary Operating Base in Chattargalla area of Doda, injuring five soldiers and policeman June 9: Militants attack pilgrim bus in Reasi, killing 9 persons and injuring 43 others F AYA Z W A N I @ Srinagar EIGHT days after five soldiers were gunned down in an ambush on their convoy in Kathua, four Army men, including a Captain, were killed in an overnight gunfight with militants in the mountainous Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu-based defence spokesman Lt Colonel Suneel Bartwal said a joint operation was launched by Army and J&K Police at Dhari Gote Urarbagi in Desa forest area in Doda district on Monday evening after receiving inputs about the presence of a group of militants there. “The search party established contact with the hiding militants in the forest area around 8.40 pm. In the militant firing, a Captain and three soldiers were injured,” he said, adding there was a brief exchange of gunfire. All the injured were evacuated to military hospital, where they succumbed to injuries. The deceased were identified as Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D Rajesh, sepoy Bijendra and sepoy Ajay . The militants, taking advan- tage of low visibility and the thickly forested and mountainous area, managed to escape after the encounter. “Additional troops and equipment have been inducted to track down the terrorists. Drones and other technical resources are being used to pinpoint their movement,” Lt Col Bartwal said. Sources said the elite para commandos have also joined the search operations, assisting the troops on the ground. “It is suspected that a group of four-five militants are hiding in the forest area. There has been no fresh contact with the militants after the initial gunfight,” they said. Doda is one of the heavily forested hilly districts in the Jammu region. Militants are making concerted efforts to shift their operations to the Jammu region from Kashmir. About 50 foreign militants are said to be operating in the Jammu region. J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condemned the attack, adding “We will avenge the death of our soldiers and thwart the evil designs of terrorists and their aides.” P7 “BRIJESH spoke to me last Sunday, July 14, at 9.30 am. He said he had just come down (from the higher reaches where militants are holed up) and that he has been asked to go back to the hills following an intelligence input. He said he would be leaving soon and I asked him to be careful,” Col Bhuwanesh Thapa, father of Captain Brijesh Thapa who died in a gunfight with terrorists in J&K’s Doda district on Monday night, told this newspaper over telephone. Col Thapa learnt about the loss of his son at 10.45 pm on Monday from the Army. “The CO called me and said that Brijesh fought The terrain is well but unfortunately difficult but when there is we lost him. As a former an intel Army officer and father I input, an always stressed upon BrArmy officer ijesh on how to operate in has to go. In insurgency-hit areas the Army, each time he spoke to things can go me,” the distraught but wrong proud father said. “I am proud of Brijesh. Col Bhuwanesh Thapa He fought from the front and gave up his life for the country He didn’t run away It’s a . . hard climb of six to seven hours, where they had to go up,” said Col Thapa. Brijesh is survived by his parents and an elder sister. “He was born in the military hospital in Jalandhar in January 1997. He had applied for short service commission (SSC) and joined the Army as an officer in September 2019 after completing BTech in computer science,” he added. Capt Brijesh’s mortal remains will be brought on Wednesday to his hometown Darjeeling. 12-hr disruption in water supply in city on July 18 EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi Donald Trump appears with bandaged ear at Republican convention in Milwaukee | AP Indian connection of Trump’s running mate AGENCIES REPUBLICAN presidential candidate Donald Trump’s decision to pick his former critic Senator J D Vance as his running mate has come as a surprise, but the spotlight seems to be on the latter’s wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance (38), a devout Hindu with Indian roots. According to media reports, Usha’s father Radhakrishna and mother Lakshmi ( both professors ) migrated to the US from Chilkur village in Andhra Pradesh’s Godavari district. Some reports say they belong to the Kamma community . Usha and Vance met at Yale Law School and got married in 2014, with a separate ceremony that was blessed by a Hindu pundit. While Vance is a Roman Christian, Usha is a practising Hindu. Both continue to follow their respective faiths after marriage, in a show of pluralism. They have two sons — Ewan (6) and Vivek (4) —and a daughter Mirabel (2). The tribunal appointed Pankaj Srivastava as interim resolution professional, suspending the firm’s board of directors. Srivastava will be in charge of running the firm till the lenders form the Committee of Creditors. The firm’s assets will remain frozen while the proceedings continue. BCCI filed the plea last year against Byju’s parent Think & Learn Pvt The Bengaluru bench of the National Company Law Tribunal on Tuesday Ltd for defaulting on dues admitted BCCI’s plea against the Byju Raveendran-led ed-tech firm | P10 PARTS of the national capital will face a 12-hour water supply disruption on July 18, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) said on Tuesday The DJB attributed . the problem to the shutdown of a 600mm diameter sluice valve near the Radisson Blu Hotel. The water supply will be cut off at 9 am and is likely to be resumed by 9 pm. According to a statement, the areas to be affected include H-1 Archana Apartment, Shubham Enclave, RBI Colony near Double Twin Water Tank, G Block Pushkar Enclave, State Bank Nagar Outer Ring Road, Meera Bagh B Block, GH-4 DDA Flats, Meera Bagh JJC Paschim Vihar, GH5&7 to GH-14, Sundar Vihar, Ambica Vihar, Bhera Enclave, Peeragarhi, Jwalapuri, Miyanwali Nagar, Guru Harkishan Nagar, Syed Nangloi Village, and surrounding places. In June, the capital witnessed a severe water shortage amid scorching temperatures, sparking a political clash. The ruling AAP accused Haryana of withholding water and the L-G of not acting in the city’s best interests. EXPRESS READ IMF upbeat over India, predicts growth at 7% Republican V-P candidate J D Vance and his wife Usha Chilukuri Vance | AP Usha was raised in a suburb of San Diego, California, with a strong emphasis on education and hard work. A law graduate from Yale, Usha’s last job was with Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP as civil litigation attorney which she resigned on , Monday after her husband was picked as Trump’s running mate. Her professional credentials include serving as managing editor of the Yale Journal of Law & Technology and executive development editor of The Yale Law Journal. According to US media, Usha would be the first Hindu spouse of a vice president. P9 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday revised upward its projections for India and said the country is now expected to grow by seven per cent in 2024, compared to 6.8 per cent projected in April. “The forecast for growth in India has been revised upward to 7 per cent this year, with the change reflecting carryover from upward revisions to growth in 2023 and improved prospects for private consumption, particularly in rural areas,” the IMF said in its latest edition of the world economic outlook update. | P10 1 Indian dead, another Nadda meets Maurya, hurt in Oman shooting triggers speculations One Indian national was killed and another injured during the shooting incident in Oman, the Indian Embassy in Muscat said on Tuesday. A shooting by multiple attackers at a Shia mosque in the Wadi Kabir neighbourhood of Oman’s capital Muscat had killed five people on Monday, the embassy said. The Indian embassy on Tuesday offered its condolences to the family of the deceased and reaffirmed its commitment to offer all assistance to them. Amid buzz of organisational changes in UP BJP, party national president JP Nadda met Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya and state party chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary at the party headquarters in New Delhi late Tuesday night. The BJP may take some major decisions to revamp its organisation in UP after the party’s poor show in Lok Sabha elections. “Key issues concerning the state were discussed. Also, some leaders from UP may be inducted in the Union cabinet. WATCH OUT H-1 Archana Apartment, Shubham Enclave, RBI Colony near Double Twin Water Tank, G Block Pushkar Enclave, State Bank Nagar Outer Ring Road, Meera Bagh B Block, GH-4 DDA Flats, Meera Bagh JJC Paschim Vihar, Sundar Vihar, Ambica Vihar, Bhera Enclave, Peeragarhi, Jwalapuri, Miyanwali Nagar, Guru Harkishan Nagar, Syed Nangloi Village In the midst of a severe heatwave in May-June, water shortage was reported in parts of Central, East, South-East and North-East Delhi MOST AFFECTED LOCALITIES SANJAY CAMP CHANAKYAPURI GEETA COLONY EAST DELHI MAYUR VIHAR-1 OKHLA PHASE-2 Panel gets 37,000 suggestions for NTA revamp E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ New Delhi CLEAR guidelines on grace marks, what rules will apply in case of any lapse during examinations, proper communication about change in schedules, and infrastructure checks at exam centres are among the 37,000-odd suggestions received by the high-level panel tasked to review the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA). The government-appointed panel, headed by former ISRO chief R Radhakrishnan, received suggestions from a cross-section of stakeholders including students, parents, CBI MAKES TWO coaching institutions, school MORE ARRESTS teachers, academic institutions, The CBI has arrested and even career counsellors. two persons including The Centre had formed the panPankaj Kumar alias el after controversies erupted Aditya, a 2017-batch over the conduct of the NEET-UG civil engineer from the exam, including paper leak alleNational Institute of gations, and arbitrary award of Technology grace marks. The panel has been tasked with recommending re- Jamshedpur, who forms in the examination proc- allegedly stole the ess, enhancing data security pro- NEET-UG paper from tocols and reviewing the structure the NTA trunk in and operations of the NTA. It has Hazaribagh P7 two months to file its report. Bulk of the suggestions came from students, who expressed concerns about several aspects of the examination process. Key issues highlighted include the need for clear guidelines regarding grace marks and examination centre infrastructure. Some suggestions called for eliminating the normalisation process altogether, while others requested greater transparency to prevent score inflation or reduction. Normalisation is the method by which the NTA calculates the percentile of for each candidate by comparing their raw marks with other candidates in the same session. PUJA KHEDKAR IAS OFFICER’S TRAINING PUT ON HOLD The govt on Tuesday put on hold the training programme of controversial the IAS officer and called her back to Mussoorie academy | P8 Murder of VIP chief’s Ajmer dargah cleric let father triggers storm off in hate speech case R A M A S H A N K A R @ Patna R A J E S H A S N A N I @ Jaipur THE murder of Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief and former Bihar minister Mukesh Sahani’s father Jitan Sahani in Darbhanga district has created a political storm with leaders across partylines demanding action against the perpetrators of crime. VIP is now a part of the RJD-led grand-alliance in Bihar. Sahani belongs to Mallah (fishermen) community, which comes under Extremely Backward Classes (EBC), which has a sizable population in the state. Jitan Sahani’s mutilated body was found on his bed at his ancestral home in Darbhanga district on Tuesday morning. The chilling incident has sparked off panic among locals. The police have detained two suspects for interrogation. Sources said Jitan Sahani was alone in the house when unknown assailants attacked and murdered him. Jitan’s body bore fatal injuries. PM Narendra Modi and CM Nitish Kumar called Mukesh Sahani and expressed their grief over the murder of his father. Sahani also had discussions with Home Minister Amit Shah. AN Ajmer court on Tuesday acquitted all the six men accused of raising inflammatory slogans outside the Ajmer dargah in Rajasthan against BJP leader Nupur Sharma in June 2022. The six, including main accused Khadim Syed Gauhar Chishti, benefitted from technical flaws in the police probe. The police were unable to authenticate the video of the incident presented in court. The seventh accused remains at large and has been declared a fugitive. The incident, which occurred on June 17, 2022, involved the raising of slogans and delivering provocative speeches on the stairs of Nizam Gate, the main entrance of Ajmer dargah. In a video of that incident which went viral, Khadim Gauhar Chishti and others were seen raising provocative slogans against BJP’s Nupur Sharma. Sharma had become a centre of controversy after she made derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad during a TV debate in the context of Kanhaiyalal murder case in Udaipur. Sharma, who was suspended by BJP, complained about receiving death threats over her remarks.