DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 2025, LUCKNOW, LATE CITY, 14 PAGES BY UNNY CABINET NOD FOR CONTINUING WITH `3,500/TONNE SUBSIDY Govt extends special subsidy on DAP, weakening rupee upsets calculations Immediate priority: Ensuring fertiliser availability for next kharif season HARISH DAMODARAN NEW DELHI, JANUARY 1 Cops at Lucknow hotel, Wednesday. Vishal Srivastav THECENTREhasextendedaspecialsubsidyof Rs3,500pertonne on di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), which was to end on December 31, for a further oneyearperiodfromJanuary1,2025. The decision, cleared by the Union Cabinet Wednesday, is aimed at containing any surge in farmgatepricesof India’ssecond most-consumed fertiliser. That pressure is more, given the rupee’s recent slide against the US dollar. The Modi government has informallyfrozenthemaximum retail prices (MRP) of all nonurea fertilisers. This is despite them being “decontrolled” on paper, unlike urea whose MRP has been statutorily fixed at Rs 266.50 per 45-kg bag (after neem-coating and goods and services tax) since November 2012. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 E EXPLAINED BUSINESS AS USUAL What industry is ● flagging THE GOVERNMENT said its decision to extend the special subsidy on DAP will help farmers, but concerns are rising over the impact of the falling rupee. The industry is underlining that DAP imports will not be viable unless the government increases the subsidy or allows it to revise the MRP upward. Rs 824.77 cr fund for tech infusion, extension for 2 crop insurance schemes HARIKISHAN SHARMA NEW DELHI, JANUARY 1 THEUNIONCabinetWednesday approved continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme until 2025-26. Prime Minister Narendra AGRA WOMAN, 4 DAUGHTERS FOUND DEAD IN LUCKNOW HOTEL, SON ARRESTED ■ After five members of a family, a 49-year-old woman and her four daughters, from Agra were found dead inside a hotel room in Lucknow city’s busy Naka area on Wednesday, police have arrested the 24-yearold son of the woman, who reported the incident at the local police station. According to police, Arshad confessed to killing his mother and sisters. “During questioning, Arshad confessed to killing his four sisters and mother. He claimed his family was being harassed by neighbours, leading him to fear what might happen to his mother and sisters if anything happened to him. REPORT, PAGE 3 UTTAR PRADESH CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 SPORT AFTER 2024 LEAP, THE LANDING YEAR PAGE 7 UP minister and Apna Dal leader claims threat to life from state Special Task Force Ready for CBI probe, he says on graft charges by estranged sister-in-law BHUPENDRA PANDEY LUCKNOW, JANUARY 1 UTTARPRADESHCabinetminister Ashish Patel has accused the state Special Task Force of “conspiring” against him and alleged a threat to his life from the agency. Patel belongs to the Apna Dal (Sonelal), a crucial ally of the BJP. His wife Anupriya Patel, who heads the party, is a Union Minister of State. Ashish’sclaimsfollowallegations made by Anupriya’s estranged sister Pallavi, a Samajwadi Party MLA, against the department under him. Ashish heads the Technical Education,ConsumerProtection, Weights & Measures Ministry, and Pallavi has allleged irregularitiesandcorruptioninpromotion to 250 posts of Heads of Department across the state in the Technical Education Department. Denying the “baseless” allegations,Ashishhasclaimedalineage to Sardar Patel, as well as claimed an anti-OBC agenda. SpeakingtoTheIndianExpress, Ashish Patel; his wife Anupriya Patel is Union MoS Ashish said: “I have said that the Chief Minister (Yogi Adityanath) may get a CBI probe done into all the decisions taken by me… I do not fear anybody or any consequences, but I am facing a threat from the STF. I will speak on the whole issue tomorrow.” AshishaddedthatPallaviwas actingatsomeone’sbehest.“Iam well aware of those behind her and who is pulling her strings.” He also claimed that at Pallavi’s dharnaduringtheAssemblysession on the matter, two people had been allowed with her, despite House premises being out of bounds for “outsiders”. On Wednesday, Pallavi met UP Governor Anandiben Patel seeking her intervention for a probe into the alleged irregularities and corruption in the TechnicalEducationDepartment. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Polls over, reunion calls from both NCP groups: Sharad Pawar is our deity, says Praful Patel Air India first airline to roll out Wi-Fi for select flights in country MANOJ MORE SUKALP SHARMA AMONG THE many prayers made on New Year’s Day, one stands out in Maharashtra. On Wednesday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's mother Asha Pawar visited the temple town of Pandharpur and, in her own words, prayed for the reunion of Ajit and his uncle and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar. “All disputes should end… Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar shouldreunite,”AshaPawartold reporters after visiting the Vithal-Rukmini temple in the temple town, adding that she hadalsoprayedfor“allwishesof Ajit Pawar” to come true. While some would argue that the two wishes are irreconcilable, Asha isn't the only one wishing for “reunion” less than a month after the Maharashtra AIR INDIA on Wednesday rolled out Wi-Fi internet connectivity services on board domestic flightsoperatedbyselectaircraft initsfleet—AirbusA350,Boeing 787-9 and some Airbus A321neo. The Tata Groupowned airline was already offering internet connectivity on international flights operated by these aircraft as part of a pilot programme. AirIndiaisthefirstIndianairline to offer internet connectivity on domestic flights. In a statement, the airline said Wi-Fi will be offered free of chargeforalimitedintroductory period, but did not specify the duration. “The deployment of Wi-Fi on domesticroutesfollowsanongoing pilot programme on international services operated by the Airbus A350, select Airbus A321neo and Boeing B787-9 aircraft serving international destinations including New York, London, Paris and Singapore. As with the domestic offer, Wi-Fi is complimentary for an introductoryperiod.AirIndiawillprogressivelyrollouttheserviceonother aircraft in its fleet over time,” the airline said in a statement. On-board internet services are fast becoming a standard offering,particularlyamongmajor full-service carriers globally. Air India has ambitions to be countedamongtheworld'sforemost full-service carriers. BesidesthenewA350planes, which Air India started operating in 2024, the other aircraft are PUNE, JANUARY 1 AHEAD OF MAHA KUMBH People arrive for the Maha Kumbh Mela, to be held from January 13 to February 26, in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj Wednesday. PTI New turn to Battle of Begums: Bangladesh rewrites textbooks on 1971 liberation war PAGE 3 HIMANTA: NO HINDUS AMONG BANGLA ILLEGALS CAUGHT AT ASSAM BORDER ED MAY BOOK ITS SHIMLA OFFICER NAMED IN BRIBERY CASE PAGE 5 Modi, who chaired the Cabinet meeting, said, “Ours is a Government fully committed to furthering the welfare of farmers. We are proud of all our farmer sisters and brothers who work hard to feed our nation. The first Cabinet of 2025 is dedicated to enhancing prosperity for our farmers. I am glad that EXPLAINED LYNCHING OVER ‘CATTLE SLAUGHTER’: VICTIM’S AIDE HELD, ‘Khaleda husband Ziaur Rahman, not NO ARREST IN MURDER CASE Sheikh Mujib, declared independence’ EXPRESS NETWORK `6.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 ARJUN SENGUPTA NEW DELHI, JANUARY 1 TEXTBOOKS IN Bangladesh will now state that Ziaur Rahman — not ‘Bangabandhu’ Sheikh MujiburRahman—declaredthe country’s independence in 1971, The Daily Star reported on Wednesday. The new textbooks have also removed Mujib’s title of ‘Father of the Nation’. “The new textbooks for the 2025academicyearwillstatethat ‘onMarch26,1971,ZiaurRahman declared the independence of Bangladesh, and on March 27, he made another declaration of independence on behalf of Bangabandhu’,”ProfAKMReazul Hassan,chairmanof theNational Curriculum and Textbook Board, Sheikh Hasina, Khaleda Zia told The Daily Star. Ziaur was the founder of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and husband of current BNP chief Khaleda Zia. Mujib, father of recently deposed Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, led the Bangladesh liberation struggle. This is not the first time that Bangladesh textbooks have CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE WORLD TRUCK RAMS INTO CROWD IN NEW ORLEANS, 10 DEAD RUSSIA’S GAS ERA IN EUROPE COMES TO AN END PAGE 12 NEW DELHI, JANUARY 1 Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar election results gave Ajit an edge overSharadPawar,underwhose shadow the nephew had long stayed — and finally rebelled against. Praful Patel, a senior member of the NCP led by Ajit, said: “Sharad Pawar is our deity. We have a high degree of respect for him. If the Pawar family comes together, it will make us extremely happy. I consider myself a member of the Pawar family.” Narhari Zirwal, an NCP MLA, echoed the same, saying “it felt CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 For Kerala nurse on Yemen death row, hope hangs on a thread — pardon from victim’s kin SHAJU PHILIP THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JANUARY 1 WITH YEMEN President Rashad al-Alimi approving the death sentence for 37-year-old Indian nurseNimishaPriya,forherfamilyinKerala,anyhopeof reprieve now hangs by a thread — a pardon from the family of Talal Abdo Mehdi, the Yemeni citizen whose murder she has been Nimisha Priya was convicted in murder case convicted of. According to the prosecution's case, Nimisha, who worked as a nurse in Yemen, allegedly murdered Talal in July 2017 by “injecting him with sedativestogetherpassportthat was in his possession’’. Samuel Jerome Baskaran, a social worker who is currently involvedinthenegotiationswith government officials in Yemen andTalal'sfamily,told The Indian Express that the President’s order reached the prosecutor on Monday, December 30. “The key to Nimisha’s life now rests with the family of Talal. She will live if they forgive her. Our job is to convince the family to do that,’’ he told The Indian Express. Samuel, however, said the negotiators were chasing a very tightdeadline.“Wehadanexcellent first phase of mediation. We established contact with Talal's family,butthemediationdidnot continue because the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council (set up in 2020 to raise the required funds for negotiations) did not send the second installment of funds. Our CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 A network of doctors in J&K brings ‘golden hour’ to remote areas PAGE 1 ANCHOR NAVEED IQBAL SRINAGAR, JANUARY 1 IN 2016, a 35-year-old pilgrim undertaking the long trek to the Amarnath cave suffered a heart attack in the Baltal area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. As he was broughtintothemakeshiftmedical bay set up for pilgrims, a young doctor — unsure of administering drugs to thrombolyse the patient — called his sen- ior,cardiologistDrImranHafeez, for assistance. “He was a bit unsure, but I told him to stay on the call and administer the drug. Once the pain settled, the patient was brought over to the Sher-eKashmir Institute of Medical Sciences(SKIMS)inSrinagarand saved just in time,” Dr Hafeez told The Indian Express. The incident was the spark that led to the creation of a network of doctors across J&K that has been working on ensuring that patients on the peripheries of the state’s healthcare infrastructure get the required treatmentwithinthe“goldenhour”— the first 60 minutes after a heart attack,duringwhichpropertreatment can significantly improve chances of survival. The network, Save Heart Foundation, connectsover 1,200 doctors from 130 hospitals across J&K over WhatsApp, allowingeventhosewithlittlecardiology experience to provide life-saving treatment to patients at makeshift medical camps and primary health centres by tapping into the expertise of senior cardiologists. According to its members, over 6,000 lives have been saved through early intervention via their WhatsApp group since the The network connects over 1,200 doctors from 130 hospitals across J&K over WhatsApp network started in 2017. Currently, the network covers nearly all hospitals in Kashmir, large parts of Jammu and some areas of Ladakh. Every few minutes, Dr Hafeez’s phone lights up as his colleagues interact on the WhatsApp group, uploading ECGs and seeking the expertise of cardiologists on the platform. “In remote corners, say at a primary health centre, the setupincludesamedicalofficerand consultants. So, when a patient with heart complications comes in, whether or not the person on duty is a cardiologist, they upload the ECG on our WhatsApp group and the cardiologist available at the time responds and guides the doctor on further treatment before they are referred to SKIMS or a district hospital if required,” he said. SKIMS is the Valley’s premier health institute and caters to a majority of Kashmir’s patient load. Dr Hafeez, who has been a cardiologist here for 20 years, said, “In cardiology, time is muscle. So, ideally, the sooner a patient reaches us, the better the chancewehavetosavetheheart. With our topography and the distances involved, a patient can sometimes take even four hours before reaching the hospital.” In places like Kupwara and Kulgam, which have remote villages that often face issues of connectivity,theexpertiseof the cardiologists on the group has helped save several lives. Dr Aijaz Ahmad Bhat, posted at the Sub-District Hospital in Kupwara, said that while he has been posted at the hospital for the last 19 years, he first conducted thrombolysis on a patient with assistance from doctors on the group in 2017 and since then, “thousands of patients have been saved through early intervention of the doctors on the group”. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Lucknow