DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE Army Vice-Chief flags 2047 agenda: Social, communal harmony, manufacturing, jobs KAMAAL SAIYED SURAT, JANUARY 17 VICE-CHIEF of Army Staff Lt General N S Raja Subramani FridaysaidthatIndia'smanufacturing sector, lack of adequate employment opportunities and the human development index, apart from the unsettled borders, were among the country's weaknessesthatneedtobefixed tofulfilthevisionof ViksitBharat by 2047. Speaking on ‘National Security (External and Internal)’ at the Lit Fest on the Bharat@2047 theme organised bytheSuratLiteraryFoundation, TWO DOZEN POLICE TEAMS JOIN MANHUNT False lead & new footage later, Saif stabbing suspect remains elusive Policesaysuspect changedclothes tomisleadthem, releasenewphoto VIJAY KUMAR YADAV & MOHAMED THAVER Army Vice-Chief Lt General N S Raja Subramani at the Lit Fest in Surat on Friday Lt General Subramani said, “Do hazaar saintalis ke liye hamara kya vision hai? Hame yeh janna chahiye ke hamari strength kya hai hamari takat kya hai, hamari CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 New photo of the suspect put out by police; (left) Saif’s mother Sharmila Tagore at Lilavati Hospital, Friday. ANI MUMBAI, JANUARY 17 MORETHAN40hoursafteractor Saif Ali Khan was stabbed in a brazen attack inside his Bandra (West) residence, the suspect continued to elude Mumbai police. Police believe he could be a “hardenedcriminal”sinceheappearstohavechangedhisclothes to mislead investigators after he left the scene of the crime. Friday saw a massive manhunttotracethesuspect,withat least two dozen teams from the local police, Crime Branch and crime intelligence unit working to make headway. In the morning, the Bandra Junior doctors at Midnapore medical college begin ‘partial’ cease work KOLKATA, JANUARY 17 ADAYaftertheWestBengalgovernment suspended 12 doctors including six postgraduate trainees of the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital (MMCH), for “negligence” in the wake of the death of a woman after she gave birth, the junior doctors of MMCH, launched an “indefinite”ceaseworkonFriday morning, demanding withdrawal of the suspension orders and alleging that they are being “scapegoated for systemic failures”. However, on Friday morning, hospitalservicesweremostlynormal as doctors partially lifted the strike,sayingthattheywere“prioritising care of patients”. “We are organising a partial strikeandwillensurethatpatient services are not disrupted,” said Dr Sayon Ghosh, a junior doctor. “Further protest plans will be decided soon.” In a letter to the college principal,thejuniordoctorsexpressed their “deep dismay”, saying that they were being “framed as enemiesofthesociety”whilestriving tosavelives.Theyallegedthatthe suspensions were an attempt to divert attention from “adverse drug reactions and multiple deficits and corruptions in the health system on the part of the administration.” Theprotestingjuniordoctors are also emphasising the need for a “thorough and transparent investigation” into the matter. Lastweek,awomandiedand three others fell critically ill after childbirth at the state-run medicalcollege.Thefamiliesof allthe women alleged that expired intravenous (IV) fluid was administered to the women, leading to the worsening of their health condition. Those suspended included the Resident Medical Officer of Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, two assistant professors, a head of the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 police detained a “suspect” and brought him in for questioning. But five hours later, he was let go as police found that he had no linkwiththecase.Policesources saidthemanwaspickedupashe resembledtheaccused,whowas caughtonCCTVatSaif’sbuilding, and had a history of petty crime. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 RELATED REPORTS PAGE 8 President’s At Home this R-Day ‘will sound, taste and feel like South India’ 12 DOCTORS SUSPENDED AMID ‘SALINE CONTAMINATION’ ROW EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE `6.00 (`12 IN NORTH EAST STATES, `20 IN ANDAMAN) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 RAHUL BAJORIA SPECIAL TO THE EXPRESS RUN-UP TO BUDGET 2025-26 PAGE 18 EXPRESS NETWORK MEA: 12 INDIANS WITH RUSSIAN MILITARY KILLED SO FAR PAGE 6 LIZ MATHEW NEW DELHI, JANUARY 17 THE AT Home event at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Republic Day this year will have a southern flavour. With President Droupadi Murmu keen on showcasing the cultural diversityof the country, the fivestates of the South will feature big, right from the welcome programme to the artistes featured and part of the guest list and cuisine, sources said. The invites sent out for the At Home, which is hosted by the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 The Rashtrapati Bhavan invitation with a southern theme. Express JAISHANKAR WILL ATTEND Day after Trump inaugural, Quad meet likely with India at table Secy of State nominee Marco Rubio backed Indo-US ties to counter China SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, JANUARY 17 AS EXTERNAL Affairs Minister S Jaishankar heads to the US to attend the inauguration of US President Donald Trump on January 20, a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Quad grouping is likely to take place in Washington DC. This could mark the first meeting of the Quad foreign ministers — from US, Japan, Australia and India — under the Trump 2.0 administration and is expected to take place on January 21. Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the four ministers are expected to be at the inauguration. Japanese Foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya; Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong; and Jaishankar will have the opportunity to meet US Secretary of StatenomineeMarcoRubioon thesidelinesof theinauguration. Rubio is known to be a China CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 TRUMP DIALS XI PAGE 21 BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY EXPLAINED SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 2025, KOLKATA, LATE CITY, 24 PAGES E Choppy waters ● ahead THE QUAD is seen as a counter to China’s growing assertion in the IndoPacific region. With Trump, who revived the Quad in his first term, now threatening to impose higher tariffs on China, tensions are likely to mount on both strategic and economic fronts. Kolkata