mondAY 30 80% december, 2024 epaper.morningstandard.in fall in number of malaria cases in india between 2015 and 2023: Modi facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard Urges people to banish hate from society israel He described the upcoming ‘Maha Kumbh’ as the ‘mahakumbh of unity’ and asked the people to resolve to banish hate from the society netanyahu goes under knife Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu got his prostate removed on Sunday. His close aide and Justice Minister Yariv Levin will hold the fort as acting PM Page 9 A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS l New Delhi l J8.00 179 killed as South Korean plane crash-lands, erupts into fireball Two crew members of Bangkok-Muan flight survive; landing gear glitch, bird hit suspected Narrow escape for passengers as Air Canada jet catches fire Ag e n c i e s Rescue team members carry the body of a passenger at the crash site at Muan International Airport, South Korea on Sunday | AP/Pti A G ENCIES IN one of the worst aviation disasters in recent times, all but two of 181 people on board a passenger flight were killed after it skidded off the runway while landing at South Korean’s Muan international airport on Sunday and burst into flames. Horrific visuals of the accident showed the plane skidding across the airstrip at high speed after its landing gear failed to deploy, overshooting the runway, ramming a concrete wall, and exploding. The Korean transport ministry said the Jeju Air plane was a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet that had arrived from Bangkok and landed at Muan, 290 km south of Seoul, around 9 am. South Korean officials said the airport control tower had issued a bird strike warning to the plane shortly before it intended to land. The pilot reportedly sent out a distress signal shortly before the plane touched down without using its wheels or any other landing gear. The flight had 175 passengers and six crew members on board. According to officials, 85 wom- How it happened The Boeing 737-800 with 181 people on board approached to land at South Korea’s Muan International Airport around 9 am local time Pilots aborted the first landing attempt due to bird strike, which reportedly damaged the jet’s landing gear Soon, the pilots issued a “mayday” call and tried to land the plane again, this time without the landing gear deployed A bird strike is a collision between a bird and an aircraft in flight en, 84 men, and 10 others whose gender could not be immediately identified, died. Emergency workers managed rescue two crew members. Officials described their condition as ‘not life-threatening’. Lee Jeong-hyeon, chief of the Muan fire station, said the plane was completely destroyed, with only the tail assembly remaining recognisable among the wreckage. The two persons who survived the crash were rescued from the tail section. Lee said investigators were looking at various possibilities for the crash, including whether the E x p r e ss r e a d Manmohan’s ashes immersed in Yamuna The ashes of former PM Dr Manmohan Singh were immersed in Yamuna near the Majnu ka Tila Gurdwara on Sunday as per the Sikh rituals. His family collected the ashes from Nigambodh Ghat in the morning. | P7 plane was struck by birds. South Korean authorities deployed 32 fire trucks and several helicopters to contain the blaze. Over 1,500 firefighters, police officers, soldiers, and other officials were also rushed to the site to manage the situation. Footage of the crash aired by local television channels showed thick plumes of black smoke billowing from the plane, which was still engulfed in flames. The passengers were predominantly South Korean. Thailand’s foreign ministry said two Thai passengers were among the fatalities. Open contest set for Fasting farmer leader refuses medical aid A team deputed by Punjab government on Sunday tried to persuade fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal to take medical aid, but he declined. Meanwhile, the state’s farmers have called for bandh on Monday. Upon touchdown, the plane skidded down the runway and hit a concrete barrier before bursting into flames Another aviation tragedy was averted on Saturday night after an Air Canada flight suffered a suspected landing gear failure and a part of it caught fire as it skidded down the runway of Canada’s Halif ax airport. All 73 passengers and crew members are safe, Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick said. He added that there was a suspected landing gear issue as the plane arrived to land. A spokesperson for the Nova Scotia Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which responded to the incident alongside paramedics, said some passengers suffered minor injuries. The people on board were evacuated, and then taken to a hangar to be checked out by paramedics, AP reported. A passenger told a local television channel she heard a loud noise when the plane landed. “We heard a pretty loud—what almost sounded like a crash— sound as the wing of the plane started to skid along the (runway), along with what I presume was the engine,” she said. She said the plane then skidded down the runway for a “decent” distance as the pilots worked to stop the plane. “The plane shook quite a bit and we started seeing fire on the left side of the plane and smoke started coming in the windows,” she said. The Air Canada Express flight operated by Pal Airlines was arriving from St John’s, Newfoundland. Flight operations at the Halifax airport were temporarily suspended. thrilling climax Lyon, Boland stand firm After reducing Australia to 91/6 in the second innings, India had a real chance to bowl the hosts for cheap. However, Marnus Labuschagne and Pat Cummins survived some scares to add to their first innings lead of 105. To add to India’s woes, Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland added 55 runs for the last wicket, taking Australia to 228/9 and more importantly, putting them ahead by 333 Day Four of the ongoing Boxing Day Test in Melbourne was a gripping contest. Indian bowlers ripped through the Australia top-order before being frustrated by the tailenders. All three results are possible on Day 5. A look... Record attendance It began with a little over 87,000 fans on Day 1, but as the Test enters Day 5, it has already become the most-attended Boxing Day Test at the historic venue (2,99,329), surpassing 2017-18 Ashes (2,71,855) Milestone man Bumrah It’s been a happy series for Jasprit Bumrah, 29 wickets in eight innings at 13.24—12 more than Cummins. On Sunday, Bumrah became the first-ever bowler to take 200 wickets at a Test average of less than 20 l PAGES 12 Modi also spoke about the growing global resonance of Ayurveda. He said in Paraguay, a large number of local people are reaching out to the Indian embassy where Ayurveda consultation is offered Constitution has stood every test of time, says prime minister MoDi The Constitution has stood every test of time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his monthly radio address Mann ki Baat on Sunday Calls the document ‘our guiding light’ “It is a matter of immense pride for all of us. The Constitution which its makers gave to us has stood every test of time. It is our guiding light,” the prime minister said, adding that he reached “this position in life” because of the document. He asked the people to visit www.constitution75.com and learn about India’s constitutional heritage and legacy | P7 New intel Tax dept to tap Digi yatra data to go after evaders DI PA K MONDAL @ New Delhi If you are a frequent user of Digi Yatra app but don’t file income tax returns, don’t be surprised if you get a notice from the tax department. According to sources, the tax department has accessed the entire passenger data captured on the Digi Yatra app, and the same is being reconciled with tax filings to check for discrepancies in the declared income. The tax department would start issuing notices in 2025 based on the Digi Yatra data, said sources. Digi Yatra app is a civil aviation ministry-led initiative to make air traveller’s journey seamless and paperless. It uses facial recognition technology, and collects passengers ID, biometrics, and details of air tickets to give easy access at airports. It is, however, not mandatory for fliers to download or use the app. According to sources, the tax department will first go after those who don’t file tax returns, and then target those who under-report their income to avoid paying taxes. The department is perusing the data of both international and domestic air travellers. Frequent or high-value travel, particularly international trips, could flag individuals whose reported earnings do not justify such expenditures, prompting further scrutiny . “Data provided by Digi Yatra is inherently clean, relia- Globetrotters under the lens According to sources, the financial records of frequent international fliers could be subjected to scrutiny to check for any income suppression in their I-T returns ble, and verifiable, making it a robust source for government use in tax administration. Once integrated and reconciled with income tax filings, it can effectively identify non-filers, placing them at the forefront of scrutiny Sub. sequently taxpayers engaging , in income suppression or under-reporting could also be Crackdown on illegal immigrants: 15 Bangla nationals deported e x p r e ss n e ws s e r v i c e @ New Delhi The Delhi Police have deported 15 Bangladeshi nationals, including a family of eight, police said on Sunday . Those deported include Jahangir, his wife, and their six children; Mohd Umor Faruk, Riyaj Miyan (also known as Remon Khan), and five women. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Surendra Choudhary stated that the Vasant Kunj South police station team was assigned to identify illegal immigrants. “As part of the intensified efforts to address concerns about unauthorised migrants, the police carried out door-to-door verifications of 400 families in Rangpuri. Verification forms were sent to suspected individuals’ addresses in West Bengal, and a special team was dispatched to manually verify their documents,” he said. During the verification drive, the team identified Jahangir and his family, who confessed to their Bangladeshi origins migrant ‘menace’ takes centrestage as poll mercury rises Seven apprehended The south district police apprehended seven people from Bangladesh. DCP (South) Ankit Chauhan said that on Saturday, they received specific information about illegal migrants. A raid was conducted near Arjan Garh metro station, resulting in the detention of the seven people. during questioning, the DCP said. The deportation process was carried out in coordination with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO). In a separate operation, the south district police apprehended seven people from Bangladesh. DCP (South) Ankit Chauhan said that on Saturday , they received specific information about illegal migrants. Following this, a raid was conducted near Arjan Garh metro station, resulting in the detention of the seven people. During interrogation by the police, they disclosed that they had illegally migrated from Bangladesh. With Delhi polls nearing, political slugfest is reaching its crescendo. This time, the hue and cry, and policing and administrative actions have been focused on undocumented immigrants. | P4 systematically targeted,” said a source. According to tax experts, Digi Yatra data holds immense potential as an alternative to the government’s earlier attempts to gather travel data through loyalty programmes of air travel companies—a move constrained by privacy concerns. “By leveraging such data, authorities can achieve greater transparency and precision in tracking high-risk taxpayers, provided that appropriate safeguards for data privacy and proportionality are in place,” says Rajat Mohan, seni o r p a r t n e r, A M R G & Associates. Questions sent to the tax department and Digi Yatra on the issue remained unanswered till the time of filing of this report. It must be recalled that air travellers have raised privacy concerns over the collection data on the app. However, the authorities have maintained that data is not stored in any central repository, and that it is stored locally in the phone of the passenger. New Year to begin on a chilly note j i t e n d r a c h o u b e y @ New Delhi A cold and chilly New Year is on the cards, with dense fog and light to moderate rainfall impacting transportation, aviation, and public health in Northwest and East India. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), cold wave conditions accompanied by dense fog will affect northwest India over the next few days. Additionally, several fresh western disturbances are likely to impact the region during the first week of January. These cold wave conditions are expected to significantly lower minimum temperatures, which will persist for at least a week. The weather office has forecast a drop in minimum temperatures of 4-6°C in Uttar Pradesh over the next five days and a decline of 3-4°C in Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, and Rajasthan over the next three days, with no significant changes afterward. Moreover, Central and East India will see a drop in temperatures by 3-5°C in next 24 hours, while Maharashtra is projected to experience a drop of 2-4°C. On Sunday, the IMD recorded minimum temperatures ranging from 6-12°C in many regions of Northwest India and from 1218°C in various parts of Central, West, and East India, with Sikar (Rajasthan) reporting the lowest temperature at 5.7°C. Two fresh western disturbances will affect Northwest India in the start of January . grand finish Chess high on year-end as Humpy captures second world rapid title in USA a j ay t o m a r @ Hyderabad There is a different joy of being a mother. India’s Koneru Humpy had won the World Rapid Chess Championship on Saturday but when she spoke about the win a day later, she could not help but speak about her s eve n - ye a r- o l d d a u g h t e r. Humpy’s daughter was a thousand miles away in Vijayawada with her parents. “My daughter won a gold medal in abacus yesterday (Saturday), so she was having her own moment,” Humpy told this daily from New York on Sunday . For Humpy her daughter’s vic, tory seems to be as big as her second world rapid medal, a record she shares with China’s Ju Wenjun. “I spoke to my daughter just after the win.” The 37-year-old from Vijayawada last won the title in 2019. Sleep deprived, missing her daughter while playing against some of the stalwarts of the game, yet she remained unflustered and finished the event with 8.5 out of 11 points. The year 2024 was not as she would have liked it to be. There was a time when she was mulling quitting the sport. The win was cathartic. “It was a rough year for me. I started with Candidates (tied for second) but then in Norway Chess and the Tata Steel Chess, my performance was very bad. Koneru Humpy I was feeling very low at that time. I even thought of quitting professional chess. But I was not ready to accept the defeat and finish my career on a bad note,” she said, adding that she spent the whole of November training for the World Rapid and Blitz event. Chess could not have asked for a better end to the year. Men’s world champion in D Gukesh, Candidates, World Cup finalist, Chess Olympiad gold for men and women and now a world rapid woman champion. “There were a lot of spectators cheering considering it was being organised in the Financial District of New York (at Wall Street). I was ranked 10th at the start and lost the first round. I finished the day with only 2.5 points in four games. I did not imagine then that I could win. I was only looking to fight back after the first game’s loss. On Day 2, I won all the four games that helped me to climb to the joint lead. But after Day 3 ended in draws, I was expecting tie-breaks. I did not know that I had won and was preparing for tie-breaks. It was only when the arbiter told me I realised. I was surprised.” On winning the event for the second time, Humpy said, “With time, the younger generation is competing fiercely and it is not easy to repeat the feat. You are more poised and energetic to win something the first time. Winning for the second time is even tougher as many players are half my age.”