2021 SATURDAY 22 FEBRUARY, 2025 THE LAST TIME PAK BEAT INDIA AT AN ICC EVENT epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard RUSSIA NOT KEEN ON PEACE, SAYS UK PAGE 9 BLOCKBUSTER WEEKEND AS ARCH RIVALS FACE-OFF IN CT Heavyweights England & Australia play on Saturday in Pakistan before the marquee India-Pakistan clash in Dubai on Sunday UKRAINE Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he saw no appetite for peace from Russia in Ukraine after listening to top diplomat at G20 meeting in South Africa. Ryan Rickelton’s century helps South Africa beat Afghanistan in Karachi | AP ONE-SIDED CONTESTS FAIL TO GRAB EYEBALLS A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS $21 mn for ‘voter turnout’ deeply troubling: India Trump labelling controversial USAID fund as kickback scheme sparks BJP-Cong sparring Musk posted on X a list of funds disbursed by USAID, which inINDIAN authorities are inves- cluded $21 million allocated for tigating “deeply troubling” re- voter turnout in India. ports raising “concerns about “Relevant authorities are US government interference in looking into, and hopefully we India’s internal affairs,” fol- can come up with an update lowing President Donald subsequently Jaiswal said. ,” Trump’s suggestion Trump, addressing a that a US agency spent gathering of state Govmoney to influence ernors from his Repubelections. lican Party, opined: “I On Thursday Trump , would say in many casreiterated his criticism es, many of these casof the $21 million US es, anytime you have government funding no idea what we’re p rov i d e d t o I n d i a talking about, that through USAID during means there’s a kickWe have seen the Biden administraback because nobody information on tion for ‘voter turnout’, has any idea what’s gocertain US calling it a “kickback ing on there.” He also activities and scheme” and adding: questioned grants of funding. These are “What the hell do I deeply troubling $ 2 9 m i l l i o n t o care about it? We got “strengthen the politiRandhir Jaiswal enough problems (of c a l l a n d s c ap e ” i n our own).” Bangladesh. “We have seen information Building on Trump’s “kickthat has been put out by the US back” remark, BJP’s Amit administration regarding cer- Malviya and Pradeep Bhandari tain USAID activities and fund- alleged that the $21 million had ing. These are obviously very been used to support “deep deeply troubling. This has led state assets” in India, accusing to concerns about foreign inter- Rahul Gandhi and the “Conference in India’s internal af- gress ecosystem” of benefiting fairs. Relevant departments from the funds. and agencies are looking into The Congress hit back, allegthis matter,” External Affairs ing the CIA had paid RSS to Ministry spokesperson Ran- destablise the Congress govdhir Jaiswal said on Friday . ernments in the past and deThe Department of Govern- manded a white paper on USment Efficiency headed by Elon AID funds in the past decade. J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi MISTAKEN IDENTITY Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu accuses Hamas of violating the ceasefire deal by handing over the body of a woman from Gaza instead of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas | P9  NEW DELHI  J8.00 If New Zealand beating Pakistan came as a spoiler for the local fans, on Friday, South Africa overpowered Afghanistan to establish their standing in Group B. In an event where one bad loss could ruin a team’s chances, both Black Caps and Proteas seem to have consolidated their net run rate. This weekend could well decide the semifinalists PAGES 12  AMID CROSS-BORDER FIRING, BOTH SIDES AGREE TO HONOUR TRUCE strong protest over recent instances of unprovoked cross-border firing, apart from infiltration attempts by terrorists and smuggling of narcotics and weapons. The meeting took place in a congenial atmosphere and both sides agreed to honour the ceasefire agreement in the larger interest of peace along the border, sources said. “Pakistan army officials were warned of a befitting response in case of cross border firing,” sources said. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah welcomed the flag meeting, saying it’s a good thing as it aims to reduce tension without using force. F AYA Z W A N I @ Srinagar INDIA and Pakistan held a Brigade Commander-level flag meeting along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Friday in an ef, fort to de-escalate tension after several recent incidents of crossborder firing and an IED attack. The flag meeting took place in the Chakkan-Da-Bagh crossing point area, with both sides highlighting the need to maintain peace along the border. At the 75-minute-long meeting that started around 11 am, the Indian army delegation lodged a Ceasefire violations along the border of Jammu and Kashmir have been uncommon since February 2021 when the two countries decided to strictly adhere to the November 2003 border ceasefire agreement. On February 10, an IED blast along the LoC in Akhnoor triggered by militants killed an army captain and a jawan. Another soldier was injured in the explosion. The extent of damage on the Pakistani side in the retaliatory action was not known immediately but officials had said the enemy forces also suf fered “heavy casualties.” There is no question of imposing any language on any state or community What will they do if we refuse to pay the taxes collected from Tamil Nadu? - Dharmendra Pradhan - MK Stalin NEP fight: Pradhan asks TN to rise above politics; don’t provoke Tamils, retorts CM KAVITA BAJELI-DATT & BAGALAVAN PERIER @ New Delhi / Cuddalore THE language war between the BJP-led union government and the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu intensified on Friday. While Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan accused the state government of turning ‘progressive reforms into threats for politics’, Chief Minister MK Stalin dubbed the National Education Policy (NEP) as a tool to promote Hindi and not education. “I urge the union government not to provoke Tamil people again. Do not throw stones at a beehive. You cannot enter as long as I and the DMK are here,” Stalin said. In his reply to a letter sent by the CM to the PM seeking the release of funds held back by the centre over the implementation of NEP, Pradhan slammed Stalin for his opposition to NEP 2020 and schemes linked to it, accusing him of having a “myopic vision”. There is no “question of imposing any language on any state or community Pradhan ,” said in his three-page letter to Stalin. S p e a k i n g at a n event in Cuddalore on Friday evening, the CM lambasted Pradhan for calling the state’s opposition to NEP as politics. “The union minister claims Tamil Nadu did not receive `5,000 crore because we did not implement NEP schemes. What will they do if we refuse to pay the taxes collected from Tamil Nadu? TN minister gives 12 reasons against NEP Chennai: Listing out “12 key” reasons for rejecting the NEP, minister Anbil said TN is committed to linguistic identity and federal autonomy. “Our two-language policy has ensured high literacy and global competitiveness. A third language is an indirect attempt to impose Hindi,” he said Federalism is based on mutual cooperation, which is the foundation of our constitution. Unfortunately those who , do not understand this philosophy are ruling the country today .” Stalin reiterated that NEP was introduced not to develop education but to promote Hindi. “As people would oppose direct implementation, they are trying to introduce it gradually The union minister . claims they are developing regional languages, but we know how to develop Tamil. Ask those who lost their mother tongues due to Hindi imposition. Tamil does not need their support for its growth,” he said. The CM also faulted the centre for withholding funds from Tamil Nadu. “Through GST, they take all the state’s revenue and refuse to return the rightful share. They are not announcing any new schemes for the state and are even denying funds for joint schemes. Despite these obstacles, we have managed to grow, which has irritated them. Now, they are trying to block our progress by creating new laws,” the CM said. Ayushman: Delhi govt to fund `5L top-up insurance After TMS report, MEA makes it official A S H I S H S R I V A S TA V A @ New Delhi THE Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has sought the waiver of diplomatic immunity for the son of a Kenyan diplomat posted in New Delhi who is accused of sexually assaulting a five-year old girl in a city school. This newspaper on February 19 reported that the MEA sought the waiver of diplomatic immunity granting of which will help the police to investigate the case. “We have requested the Kenyan government to waive diplomatic immunity of the person concerned so that the investigation into the matter can go forward,” said MEA spokesper- THE Delhi government will bear the cost of the top-up of `5 lakh that will be provided under the Ayushman Bharat scheme as an insurance cover to poor and vulnerable families. This means eligible families will get a total of `10 lakh coverage for med expenses. The decision comes a day after Rekha Gupta-led Delhi government approved the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme in its first cabinet meeting. The National Health Authority (NHA) has already started backend preparations, including training workers and setting up systems to roll out the scheme soon. “As what we call wallet sequencing in our IT system, the initial `5 lakh will be given by the Centre while the rest `5 lakh will be given by the Delhi government. We are working on how it has to be processed,” said Kiran Gopal Vaska, Joint Secretary and Director of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. The NHA and the health department are finalising key aspects such as identifying beneficiaries, processing claims, and setting up a grievance redressal system. They are also working on integrating hospitals into the scheme. The Delhi government and the health ministry will soon sign a MoU to launch the expanded health insurance scheme in the city . Immunity waiver for Kenya diplomat’s son accused of sexual assault E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ New Delhi COMBING OPS Security personnel during a search operation in Manipur on Friday | PTI Mohalla clinics to turn Aarogya Mandir soon A S H I S H S R I V A S TA V A @ New Delhi CM Rekha Gupta-led government is all set to overhaul the city’s healthcare system. With implementation of the Ayushman Bharat in the first cabinet meeting, the BJP government has decided to “upgrade” AAP’s flagship mohalla clinics into Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) as modern primary healthcare centers adding Ayurveda facilities there. According to a document accessed by this newspaper, the health department has drafted a proposal to rebrand the mohalla clinics as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs under the Ayushman Bharat Infrastructure Mission Scheme (PM-BHIM). 14 CAG reports top agenda of 3-day session from Feb 24 | P3 The aim is to establish 1,139 such centres, including the conversion of 553 existing mohalla clinics and the construction of 413 new ones. All 11 districts will have one model Arogya Mandirs each, and the initiative will extend to dispensaries under both the Delhi government and MCD. To ensure a swift rollout, district officials have been told to identify lands and buildings for setting up these primary health centres. The department has set a deadline of 30 days post-Cabinet approval to implement the initiatives. The government also aims to enroll the first one lakh beneficiaries under Ayushman Bharat scheme, said Health Minister Pankaj Singh. Gupta junks Atishi’s claims of broken promises | P3 eks ‘i MEA se mmunit y’ waive r TMS reported on Feb 19, 2025 son Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday. He said that the government was pursuing the matter with Kenya. According to the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the “immunity from jurisdiction of diplomatic agents and of persons enjoying immunity” can be waived by the sending state, in this case, Kenya. Under the Vienna convention, family members of a diplo- matic agent who are part of his household and are not nationals of the receiving state enjoy the same privileges and immunities as the diplomatic agent. “The accused has been rusticated by the school. I know that the MEA has asked the Kenyan embassy to revoke the accused father’s diplomatic immunity ,” the survivor’s mother said told this newspaper on Tuesday . The alleged incident took place last August and an FIR was lodged on September 18 under Section 75(2) (sexual harassment) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 10 (aggravated sexual assault) of the Pocso Act in the Greater Kailash police station. ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ Govt slams Erdogan’s Kashmir take on Pak trip EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi INDIA has lodged a strong protest with Turkey over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent remarks on Kashmir during his visit to Pakistan last week. “We reject such objectionable comments on matters that are internal to India. We have lodged a strong protest with the Turkish ambassador. Such unwarranted statements on India’s territorial integrity and sovereignty are unacceptable. Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. Last week, Erdogan following his talks with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had said: “The Kashmir issue should be addressed according to the UN resolution t h ro u g h d i a logue and keeping in mind the aspirations of the people of Kashmir... our state and our nation, as in the past, stands in solidarity with our Kashmiri brothers today .” India’s stated position is that Kashmir is a bilateral issue where any third party has no role to play . Meanwhile, during his recent meeting with Bangladesh interim government’s foreign affairs advisor Touhid Hossain in Muscat, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar conveyed that Bangladesh “should not nor malise terrorism,” the spokesperson said. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the 8th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) in the Omani capital last week, where Hossain urged Jaishankar to consider convening a meeting o f t h e S A A RC S t a n d i n g Committee. GREAT ESCAPE Kerala finds divine touch to enter maiden Ranji final F I R O Z M I R Z A @ Chennai THIS seemed to have jumped straight out of Ripley’s Believe It or Not show. Call it providence, sheer luck or tenacity, Kerala lived up to its moniker God’s Own Country The team . needed divine intervention to make a match out of the semifinal a g ainst Gujarat in Ahmedabad, just like they did in the quarterfinal match against Jammu and Kashmir. Kerala started on the back foot on the last day of their Ranji Trophy semifinal at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday. Hosts Gujarat needed just two runs to reach Kerala’s 457 first innings score, when No 10 batter Arzan Nagwaswalla hit a ball to the leg side. Instead it flew to the short leg and hit Salman Nizar’s helmet — the man who was Man of the Match in the quarterfinal against J&K where Kerala managed to take just one-run lead from a desperate situation. Nizar turned the saviour once again. The ball ricocheted off the helmet and flew over the head of the batter and wicket- Kerala celebrates after edging past Gujarat on the basis of first innings lead | EXPRESS keeper Mohammed Azharuddeen — time almost stopped so did their hearts. As the ball quietly lodged into the safe hands of skipper Sachin Baby, Kerala players could hardly believe what happened. Wild celebration ensued and lasted until the end of the day. Kerala, who made their debut in 1957, took the all important tworun lead and at the end of the day it made sure they made it to their maiden Ranji final against Vidarbha who beat Mumbai on Friday, from February 26. If a magical last-wicket 81run partnership saved Kerala against J&K, a helmet intervention saved them the day. The Kerala skipper admitted God has been kind to them. “There was a help from the Almighty I would say,” Baby said. P11