Monday Youth power will make India a developed country by 2047: PM 13 January, 2025 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said India’s young population will power the country’s rise towards becoming a developed nation epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard $10 trillion i m pea c h m e n t yoon to skip first hearing on jan 14 South Korea’s suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol will not attend the first hearing of his impeachment trial next week because of safety concerns Page 9 ‘Citizen’s help necessary to reach big goals’ A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS l New Delhi l J8.00 EAM to attend Trump’s inauguration Jaishankar expected to have a short call on with the new US President, Secretary of State J AYANTH J ACOB @ New Delhi External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be representing India at the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Sunday . According to sources, Jaishankar is likely to have a short call on with Trump as well as Marco Rubio, the incoming Secretary of State. The meetings are expected to set the tone for India-US relations under the Trump administration. India-US relations have traditionally enjoyed bipartisan political suppor t. However, poll pledge Cong promises `8,500 a month for jobless youth A s h i s h S r i v a s ta v a @ New Delhi After targeting women, the Congress aims to woo youth in the lead-up to the Delhi assembly election with a new guarantee. In a major pre-election announcement, the party on Sunday promised to give `8,500 to every educated unemployed youth for one year under ‘Yuva Udaan Yojana’ if voted to power. Congress leader Sachin Pilot made the announcement on Sunday at Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee office. “This is more than financial support. It’s an investment in the future of Delhi’s youth. We aim to provide them with work opportunities in industries aligned with their qualifications,” he said. The Delhi assembly election is scheduled to be held on February 5. The votes will be counted on February 8. The contest for the 70-member Assembly is a high-stakes battle between the AAP, BJP and Congress. Pilot also criticised the ruling AAP and the BJP-led Central government, accusing them of failing to address the aspirations of the young generation. Congress has already announced two other guarantees — ‘Pyari Didi Yojana,’ offering `2,500 per month to women, and ‘Jeevan Raksha Yojana,’ promising free health insurance coverage of up to `25 lakh. Trump’s inauguration comes amid concerns over trade disruptions due to his hawkish tariff policies. Trump has said he will strive to boost American manufacturing and cut down on international engagements. Traditionally, US Presidential inaugurations are a low-key a f f a i r. H o w e v e r, Trump has extended invitations to leaders from a clutch of select countries including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. For India, the invitation was for Jaishankar. “EAM will also have meetings with representatives of the incoming Administration, as also some other dignitaries visiting the US on that occasion,” the Ministry of External Affairs said. While bilateral ties under the outgoing Joe Biden administration saw improvement, such as the successful Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies, political ties were strained following Gurpatwant Singh Pannun murder plot. Trump’s tariff discussions and the policy of bringing man- BJP may follow Bihar NDA model to woo Purvanchalis in Delhi Sharma,” noted a former BJP leader from Purvanchal. The BJP is set to release its Further sources revealed that fourth candidate list on Mon- Sharma’s name was considered day and is reportedly adopting for the Babarpur seat but was the Bihar NDA model by coordi- not included in the meeting of nating with its state allies, JDU the party’s Central Election and LJP. These allies are look- Committee. Ongoing deliberaing to field candidates tions over candidates in constituencies with for constituencies such a significant Purvanas Gokulpuri, Wazirchali population. pur, Delhi Cantonment, So far, the BJP has and Shahdara have also announced 58 candicreated discontent. dates, including five An inter nal party women, for the 70-mem- Differences source stated that the ber Assembly . BJP is keen to consoliSources said However, sources date Purvanchali votes there are within the BJP indicate by fielding candidates differences that there are differencfrom Bihar and Uttar over certain es regarding certain Pradesh, having alcandidates. candidates, including ready announced five Discussion Nupur Sharma. These such candidates. internal disagreements continued late The party is also rehave made the party on Sunday over portedly considering althe Sharma’s cautious as it seeks to locating 2-3 seats to its avoid potential revolts. candidacy and allies, JDU and LJP, in the possible Speculation continued an effort to gain further inclusion of late on Sunday that dissupport from the PurMeenakshi cussions surrounding vanchali community . Lekhi and Nupur Sharma’s candi“To avoid unrest Smriti Irani dacy and the possible among sitting candiinclusion of former Undates, we are proceedion ministers like Meenakshi ing with caution, ensuring wide Lekhi and Smriti Irani are caus- consultations and taking all facing unease among the party tors into account,” he said. leadership. The BJP is expected to field “There have been demands candidates in 8-9 of the remainwithin the party to nominate ing 12 constituencies, leaving former MPs, including Nupur 2-3 for its allies, JDU and LJP . RA J ESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi ufacturing back to the US are raising concerns in India but New Delhi is optimistic about smoother bilateral relations. This confidence is based on the strong foundation of India-US ties and the personal rapport between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to Jaishankar, India is better equipped to deal with these global disruptions. Speaking in Sydney last November, he had said: “There was already a reordering of supply chains, and this is likely to accelerate following the US election results. While some disruption may occur, India sees it as an opportunity .” new pitch Saikia, Prabhtej take charge Devajit Saikia and Prabhtej Singh Bhatia were elected unopposed as the new secretary and treasurer, respectively, of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at the Special General Meeting in Mumbai on Sunday | P11 10,000 acres Budget Total Snans State’s budget: `54,000 cr Jan 14, Jan 29, Feb 3, Feb 12, Feb 26) Centre Total ghats `75,000 cr Six (Jan 13, `21,000 cr 41 cottages I knew I had to be here,” she said. In contrast, the kalpavaasis, or short-term dwellers leading an austere life at the Kumbh, can stay in tents free of charge. “There is convenience at the Kumbh for every class. If God has given you wealth, you stay in luxury tents,” says Anand Shukla, a priest from Mumbai, whose father did kalpavaas during Kumbh in the past.  Continued on: p8 Express news service @ Bengaluru WHAT looked like an inevitable achievement in the early hours of Sunday was put on hold by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists, who are closely observing and controlling the two spacecraft of the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission. After bringing the two spacecraft — SDX01 and SDX02 — as close to 230 metres on Saturday evening, at 3.11am Sunday ISRO , said on ‘X’ that the two satellites were close to each other and were spotted from an intersatellite distance of 105m. Two hours later, ISRO said Chaser and Target spacecraft were visible 15m apart. The news brought cheer among space science enthusiasts hoping for a successful maiden docking mission. At The two spacecraft, Chaser and Target, to be launched into space Successful docking A successful docking is when the two spacecraft lock into each other for easy transfer of supplies, equipment and even astronauts. Before this, the docking of SDX01 and SDX02 was twice postponed on January 7 and January 9 6.19am, the ISRO team shared the news that the two SpaDeX satellites had been put on hold position at 15m, along with pho- tographs of the craft clearly visible at close range. However, at 7.06am, the scientists decided to put on hold the docking exercise until further analysis. They said they were successful in bringing the spacecraft just 3m from each other. The scientists did not divulge any reason for moving the spacecraft away to a ‘safer distance’, after they were close to completing thedocking experiment crucial for future Gaganyaan and Indian space missions. Experts, however, are speculating the reasons for the delay in the docking trial. While some said the two spacecraft were not aligned accurately for the docking to take place, others said the distance between the two was much more than wh at t h e s c i e n t i s t s h a d announced and that there were errors in calculation. E x p r e s s r ea d 5 Maoists killed in Bijapur encounter SKM calls for nationwide tractor march Five Maoists, including two women cadres, were killed in an exchange of fire with the security forces at the Bandepara-Koranjed forested terrain under the Indravati National Park in strife-torn Bijapur district about 400 km south of Raipur on Sunday. Efforts to identify the deceased are underway | P8 Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Sunday called for tractor marches across the country on January 26 and demanded that PM Narendra Modi hold talks with farmers over their pending demands. The call comes amid growing concerns over the health of the fasting farmer leader, Jagjit Singh Dallewal | P3 A fire-fighting helicopter illuminates a smouldering hillside as the Palisades fire grows in Los Angeles on Sunday | AFP Total area in the tent-city. While some seek spiritual enlightenment, others are drawn to the luxury and convenience offered by the Kumbh Mela. Somesh Tripathy , an advertising personnel from Noida, is here for the holy dip. So is Puspendra Singh from nearby Pratapgarh. Judy a New Yorker, has opted , for a `3-4 lakh per night tent, complete with yoga facilities and a stunning view of the Sangam. “The moment I saw those ISRO to reassess strategy after space docking trial put on hold, yet again war scene in los angeles M a h a k u m b h d e co d e d Baba Yashwant Swaraj, who claims he is a rage on the internet, at the Kumbh in Prayagraj on Sunday. The mela kicks off on Monday | Paramita ghosh PAGES 12 EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi Where grandeur bumps into spirituality Pa r a m i ta G h o s h @ Prayagraj l Modi said it was time for a quantum leap. “Big targets have to be set for a country to march forward. This is what today’s India is doing,” he said, adding the government alone cannot drive the country forward and achieving ambitious goals requires participation of every citizen. Hosting the Olympics in the next decade is one of the goals, he said | P7 Border tension: B’desh conveys ‘deep concern’ to Indian envoy kumbh 2025 AT the ground zero of Kumbh, Malwa’s Baba Yashwant Swaraj — goggled, high, and tridentwielding — is having a ball. He says he is “wi-fi Insta famous”, and pats the top of his trident on which he is convinced his guru, having shed his material form, sits as a flower. He gets a crowd but after a few minutes it moves on. At every bend in Kumbh, everyone is looking for a spectacle to match the hype. Saurabh Basu, an advocate at the Allahabad High Court, says that for ages, there has been no business in Allahabad as profitable as the Kumbh. “It was so when it was a Mughal city; now when it’s Prayagraj, it gives the riverine economy a boost.” For the 40 crore devotees expected to land in Prayagraj for the Kumbh, said to be the largest congregation anywhere in the world, the main target are the Shahi Snans, the first of which is on January 14 (Makar Sankranti). And there have been early movers, who have already made themselves home will be the size of India’s economy by the next decade: Modi Each snan takes off with bathing of saints and seers of 13 different Akharas. 13 Akharas divided into 3 categories — Sanyasi, Bairagi and Udaseen Expected footfall on snan days: 2 crore; On Jan 29 snan: 8-10 crore Over 750 German hangers installed Total population at tent city: Two crore with one crore seers and 30 lakh kalpvasis Anthem row: Stalin-Guv confrontation escalates the CM “should not forget that Bharat is the supreme mother The face-off between Tamil and the Constitution is the suNadu Governor RN Ravi and preme faith for her children”. “They will not like or tolerate the DMK government hit a new low on Sunday with the Raj such brazen insults,” the Raj Bhavan describing Chief Min- Bhavan posted on X, while tagister MK Stalin as arrogant af- ging the Union home minister and the office of the ter the latter had ‘Childish’ Prime Minister. termed Ravi’s decision & ‘absurd’ Reacting to the Raj to avoid delivering his address at the state As- After CM Stalin Bhavan post, water resembly “childish”. termed Governor sources minister and DMK general secretary Reacting sharply the , RN Ravi’s Raj Bhavan, in a post decision to skip Duraimurugan, speaking in Vellore, said, “It on X, said that by his his address in has been the convenremarks, the CM has the Assembly asserted that insisting as ‘childish’, the tion followed in the TN on due respect to the latter said the Assembly to recite national anthem and CM insists that Thamizh Thaai Vaazperforming the funda- due respect to thu before the governor’s address and the mental duties ennational national anthem after shrined in the Constianthem is the address. The govertution are “absurd” ‘absurd.’ nor wanted to change and “childish”. “Thanks for betraying the the convention, so he is wrong. true intentions of the coalition He says the CM is arrogant, but of interests and ideologies, to it’s he who is haughty .” which he is a leader who does DMK spokesperson Constannot accept and respect Bharat as tine Ravindran said that no otha nation and her constitution. er governor has issued such a Such arrogance is not good,” statement that is contrary to the Raj Bhavan said, adding that the Constitution. T M u r u g n a n d h a m @ Chennai Bangladesh on Sunday summoned India’s High Commissioner in Dhaka, Pranay Verma, to express its “deep concern” over recent actions by the Border Security Force (BSF) at the border, amid growing tensions between the two countries. “Foreign Secretary Ambassador Md. Jashim Uddin today expressed deep concern of Government of Bangladesh to the High Commissioner of India Pranay Verma at his office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the recent activities of the BSF of India along the Bangladesh-India Border,” Bangladesh Foreign ministry stated. According to sources, the meeting between the two officials lasted 45 minutes. The Indian envoy was summoned shortly after Dhaka accused India of attempting to construct fences at five locations along the border, claiming it violated a bilateral agreement. “I just met foreign secretary to discuss India’s commitment to ensuring a crime-free border, effectively addressing challenges of smuggling, movement of criminals and trafficking,” Verma told media after the meeting, “We have an understanding with regard to fencing the border for security. BSF and BGB (Border Guard Bangladesh) have been in communication in this regard. We expect that understandings will be implemented and there will be cooperative approach to combating crime.” The Bangladesh foreign secretary “stressed that such activities, particularly the unauthorised attempt to construct barbed wire fencing and the related operational actions by BSF, have caused tensions and disturbances along the border,” the statement read. “He emphasised that the construction of barbed wire fences without proper authorisation undermines the spirit of cooperation and friendly relations between the two neighbouring countries,” it added.