WEDNESDAY POWERFUL TIBET EARTHQUAKE KILLS 126, INJURES NEARLY 200 JANUARY, 2025 The massive earthquake struck the high-altitude region on Tuesday morning, flattening over 1,000 houses and trapping several people under rubble 08 6,900 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard TEMBLOR JOLTS NEPAL, BHUTAN, NORTH INDIA HAMAS COMMANDER DEAD IN WEST BANK RAID Israeli military launched raids in West Bank overnight and into Tuesday, killing at least three, including senior Hamas commander Jaafar Dababsah. PAGE 9 Result on Feb 8 A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS Kejriwal fights anti-incumbency  NEW DELHI  J8.00  The epicentre was in Tibet’s Tingri county, where India and Eurasia plates grind against each other. The China Earthquake Networks Center said the quake’s magnitude was 6.8, while the US Geological Survey (USGS) measured it as 7.1, striking at 9.05 am local time. Reports said the tremors were felt in Bihar and several parts of north India, Nepal, and also Bhutan | P9 PAGES 12 BJP has to prove its urban appeal reaches capital AAP vs BJP in Delhi Dangal on Feb 5 MUKESH RANJAN & ASHISH S R I V A S TA V A @ New Delhi THE Election Commission of India on Tuesday announced a single-phase polling for Delhi Assembly on February 5. The votes will be counted on February 8. With the announcement of the schedule, the model code of conduct is now in force in the national capital, Chief Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar said in a press conference. The stakes are higher than ever, not just for the political future of the city but for the ambitions of the three most significant political forces — AAP BJP and Congress. , For AAP the poll is a fight to , retain its relevance and a referendum on its ability to sustain its governance-focused model amid charges of corruption. The party’s first term was marked by a transformational approach to governance. Now, as it enters its third term, AAP faces anti-incumbency, compounded by scams involving its leaders and governance lapses ranging from corruption in liquor policies to mismanagement of public funds. There is also an intense scrutiny on Arvind Kejriwal’s leadership. His admission that promises like cleaning the Yamuna and reducing air pollution have not been fulfilled has EXPRESS READ Delhi 2nd most polluted city in 2024: Report A new report prepared by a climate-tech startup after analysing the data on the sixthanniversary of National Clean Air Programme states that Delhi was the second most polluted city in the country in 2024. Delhi, at 107 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/ m3), was only second to Meghalaya’s Byrnihat (127.3 μg/ m3). Besides, Gurugram, Faridabad, and Greater Noida, were flagged as areas that need urgent attention. | P4 SC to examine age bar for surrogate mothers The Supreme Court on Tuesday decided to examine on February 11 issues over the age bar for surrogate mothers under the laws. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma asked the Centre to file its written submissions in the case over the constitutional validity of the twin laws on two counts — existing provisions covering medical expenses and insurance which were inadequate, and, the issue of age bar for surrogate mothers. | P7 PEOPLE LIVE IN 27 VILLAGES WITHIN A 20-KM RADIUS OF THE EPICENTRE MARK THE DATES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Date of issue of notification: January 10 Last date of making nominations: January 17 Date for scrutiny of nominations: January 18 Last date for withdrawal of candidature: January 20 Date of Polling: February 5 Date of counting: February 8 Last date of election process: February 10 70-MEMBER ASSEMBLY PA R T Y P O S I T I O N TOTAL SEATS: 70 58 12 GENERAL RESERVED 2020 2015 AAP: 62 AAP: 67 BJP: 8 BJP: 3 Congress: 0 Congress: 0 MORE REPORTS ON P3 given fodder to the opposition. To counter growing disillusionment, the AAP has adopted a soft Hindutva approach, suddenly introducing a monthly honorarium of `18,000 for Hindu and Sikh priests. For the BJP, it’s a chance to prove that its urban appeal is not just limited to larger states but can extend to the national capital as well. BJP’s strategy is combative: attack AAP on corruption and inefficiency and position itself as the over-arching solution to urban woes. For Congress, the elections are perhaps the most critical, as the party struggles to stay relevant. After suffering defeats in the last two assembly elections, Congress is faced with an identity crisis. The party’s biggest challenge is regaining any traction in urban constituencies, where AAP has firmly entrenched itself. Exclude Delhi-specific provisions from Budget, poll panel tells Centre P R A B H AT S H U K L A @ New Delhi CHIEF Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar announced on Tuesday that the Election Commission would notify the cabinet secretary to ensure that the upcoming Union Budget includes no Delhi-specific provisions that could disrupt the level-playing field ahead of the Assembly elections. Polling for the 70-member Delhi Assembly is scheduled for February 5, with counting on February 8. The Budget, traditionally presented on February 1, will occur days before the polls, raising concerns about potential voter influence. Responding to questions about the timing of the Budget, Kumar stated, “We will write to the Cabinet Secretary to ensure that no Delhi-specific provisions are included in the Union Budget that could disturb the level-playing field.” The EC’s directive aligns with enforcing the Model Code of Conduct, which takes effect once election notifications are issued. The MCC aims to ensure fair elections by preventing ruling parties from leveraging government announcements to sway voters. It requires governments at both Union and state levels to avoid actions that could influence voter sentiment or provide an undue advantage to any political party The EC’s . directive aims to maintain neutrality and ensure no electionrelated benefits are embedded in the Union Budget. The allocation for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) in the last Union Budget presented in July remained at `1,168 crore, the same as the previous year’s. In response, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had slammed the BJP-led Centre for “injustice” towards Delhi. Cong struggles to stay relevant CEC junks charges on voter list, calls them misleading A S H I S H S R I VA STAVA @ New Delhi IN a firm rebuttal, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday dismissed allegations of tampering with the voter list for the assembly elections and assured that the commission’s strict procedures eliminate any such possibility . He emphasised that the process for additions and deletions is transparent, rigorous, and immune to arbitrary changes. A d d re s s i n g c o n cerns raised by CM Atishi about potential voter list manipulation in the New Delhi constituency he , said: “Every step of the electoral roll process is rooted in transparency and accountability. Deletion of names is not possible without adhering to strict protocols, and every party has the right to raise objections at various stages.” The CEC outlined the panel’s approach to adding or removing names. “Additions are verified extensively by BLOs, whereas removals, especially those exceeding a 2% threshold at any polling station or due to death, necessitate additional crossverification and documentary evidence, such as certified death certificates. Also, a period is allocated for public objections following the online publication of the notices.” Criticising the timing of raising such claims, he said they tend to surface around poll periods. Kumar argued that allegations of mass deletions are misleading without evidence and undermine public trust in the system. “Where every vote matters, raising doubts about the deletion of thousands of names without evidence is misleading. The processes we follow leave no room for manipulation.” The CEC added that political parties were involved at every stage of voter list preparation with full disclosure. On the allegations of manipulation of EVMs, Kumar said that courts have ruled on 42 occasions that voting machines are not hackable. GDP GROWTH MAY Icy wind brings chill in capital, dense fog continues SLIP TO 4-YR LOW I F R A H M U F T I @ New Delhi D I PA K M O N D A L @ New Delhi THE Indian economy is slowing and is likely to post the weakest GDP growth numbers since 2021-22, according to the first advance estimate by the National Statistics Office (NSO). The NSO data, released on Tuesday, show that real GDP growth in FY25 is likely to have decelerated to 6.4% compared to 8.2% in the previous financial year. NSO’s estimate for FY25 is lower than the 6.6% growth forecast by the Reserve Bank of India. If GDP grows at 6.4% in FY25, it will be the lowest since FY21 when the country witnessed a negative growth of 5.8% due to the pandemic. Growth recovered to 9.7% in FY22 largely due to the base effect, and it grew 7% in FY23. The moderation in growth expectation can be attributed to the slow pickup in gov- ernment and private investments, which grew at 6.4% in FY25, compared with 9% in FY24. The NSO estimates also show a 7.3% growth in private consumption in real terms in FY25 compared to 4% in the previous year. This comes as a surprise amid all the talks of consumption slowdown. Analysts attribute the consumption growth to rural demand pickup. “Rural consumption, which constitutes about 60% of India’s total private consumption, will receive a boost from healthy kharif production and promising prospects for the rabi season. This is reflected in higher agricultural growth estimated for this fiscal,” said Dharmakirti Joshi, chief economist, Crisil. The advance estimates are important because they will be used in preparation for the Union Budget. A cold wave swept through Delhi on Tuesday morning, bringing freezing temperatures and icy winds that led to dense fog covering the city. The weather department predicted that the maximum temp e r a t u r e wo u l d b e around 19 degrees Celsius, but after 7 pm, the temperature dropped to 11 degrees. The dense fog disrupted railway services, causing delays for 25 trains, including Poorva Express, Vikramshila Express, RJPB Tejas Express, Patalkot Express, and Mewar Express. The delays caused long waits at the stations for commuters, who were unsure if their trains would arrive on time. The IMD has issued warnings for cold to severe cold day conditions from January 6-8. A yellow alert has been issued for very dense fog in the National Capital Region (NCR). TRAINS AFFECTED The dense fog disrupted railway services, causing delays for 25 trains and long waits at stations. The IMD has issued warnings for cold to severe cold day conditions from January 6-8 and issued an alert for very dense fog. According to the IMD, Delhi is projected to have a minimum temperature of 12.8 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 21.8 degrees Celsius on Wednesday . Meanwhile, talking about the visibility, the IMD said, “The minimum visibility of 150 metres in dense fog with northwesterly winds at 11-13 kmph was reported over Palam between 5 and 5.30 am, gradually improving to 700 metres in shallow fog with westerly winds at 13 kmph by 8.30 am.” Most areas could anticipate smog and mild fog, with isolated areas seeing intense fog, the department stated. According to CPCB statistics, the national capital’s air quality remained “very poor”. ISRO GETS A NEW HEAD IN V NARAYANAN V Narayanan was on Tuesday appointed the new chairman of ISRO as incumbent S Somanath is due to retire on Jan 14. Narayanan at present is director, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre in Valiamala Rescue operations in progress at the mine in Dima Hasao, Assam | PTI After poll defeats, Cong set for big-ticket rejig 3 dead, 6 trapped; Navy P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi STUNG by the electoral setbacks in the assembly elections, the Congress is set for a major organisational shake-up in the coming months. It is in tune with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s announcement during the Congress Working Committee meeting in Belagavi that 2025 will be marked by ef for ts to implement the Udaipur Declaration and equipping the party with necessary skills to win polls from the booth to the central level. According to sources, the party will effect major changes in AICC, state units, general secretary/ secretary levels and state in-charges among others. It is finalising the process of restructuring, which is likely to be announced by early February, said sources. Sonia to inaugurate new party HQ on Jan 15 Congress leader Sonia Gandhi will inaugurate the party’s new HQ at 9A, Kotla Road in Delhi on January 15 in the presence of party president Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP Rahul Gandhi | P7 According to sources, there will be a major overhaul in states such as Haryana, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. Maharashtra will see major restructuring from top to bottom, said a party source. “The party faced huge embarrassment after the defeat of senior leaders such as Prithviraj Chavan and Balasaheb Thorat. Many heads will roll in the state,” said a senior leader. In UP, the grand old Kumari Selja party has already dissolved its state and district committees. The state will go to polls in 2027. AICC general secretary in-charge of Chhattisgarh Kumari Selja, may also face the axe in the reshuffle, said sources. After the party’s debacle in Haryana, Selja had questioned the election management of the leadership in the polls. Multiple leaders told this paper that the party is likely to go in for a leadership change in the communication department, headed by AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh. Others who work in the communication department include Pawan Khera, chairman of the media and publicity department and Supriya Shrinate, chairperson of social media and digital platforms. Though Kharge said that the party will implement the Udaipur Declaration, which bars its leaders from holding an organisational position for more than five years, it is not clear whether it will affect AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, who has been holding the post for six years now. “We will fill all the vacant posts. We will equip our organisation, right from the level of the AICC to booths, with the necessary skills to win elections,” Kharge had said. roped in for rescue ops P R A S A N TA M A Z U M D A R @ Guwahati AT LEAST three of the nine miners trapped inside a coal mine near Umrangso in Assam’s Dima Hasao district were reported dead even as deep divers from the Indian Navy joined forces with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Army to rescue the miners. State government officials in Assam confirmed that three bodies had been seen inside the mine. “The bodies are yet to be recovered,” an official said. The nine workers got trapped in the coal mine on Monday. The mine has a 20 ft radius and is about 300 ft deep. The water level inside it rose to more than 100 ft. It is yet to be ascertained what caused the flooding. Rescue operations got delayed due to the remote location of the mine. The Navy team is now spearheading the operation. Special DGP Harmeet Singh said that divers from Army’s special forces, NDRF and SDRF had recced the area and shared their findings with the Navy’s divers. “The Navy team came along with deep diving equipment. There are tunnels inside the mine and more equipment will be required to go there,” Singh said. Singh said prima facie, it appeared to be an illegal mine. Police have arrested Punish Nunisa for operating the illegal coal mine. A deep diver of the Indian Navy from Visakhapatnam prepares to enter the mine in Dima Hasao on Tuesday | PTI ASSAM CM SEEKS HELP Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on X that he had sought help from central agencies to rescue the miners. “Distressing news from Umrangso, where labourers are trapped in a coal mine. The DC, SP, and my colleague, Shri Kaushik Rai, are rushing to the site. Praying to God for everyone’s safety. We have requested the Army’s and Navy’s assistance in the ongoing rescue.’’