250225_PL_01R-FOR epaper.qxd 25-02-2025 18:16 Page 1 DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2025, CHANDIGARH, LATE CITY, 20 PAGES `5.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF WAR WAR OF WORDS IN PUNJAB US joins Russia to vote 32 AAP MLAs and ministers ready to against UN resolution jump ship, says Cong’s Bajwa; AAP: on Ukraine war; India ‘LoP has advance booking with BJP’ and China abstain KANCHAN VASDEV CHANDIGARH, FEBRUARY 24 UN passes resolution: 93 in favour, 18 against, 65 abstain; rejects US resolution CBSE to start 2 levels of Science, Social Science in Class 9 next year ABHINAYA HARIGOVIND NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 24 IN A major shift approved by its governing body, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will introduce two levels — standard and advanced — for Science and Social Science subjects in Class 9 from next year. As first reported by The Indian Express on December 4, 2024, the Board’s curriculum committee had decided to offer the two subjects at two levels. The CBSE’s governing body, its highest decision-making authority, has now approved the proposal, paving the way for its implementation in Class 9 from next year and for the Class 10 board exam in 2028. For the board exam, there could either be separate question papers for the two levels, or one question paper with an additional set of questions for the advanced level, said a source who did not want to be identified. The decision to offer Science and Social Science at two levels aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which recommends that “all subjects and corresponding assessments, beginning with Mathematics, could be offered at EXPLAINED CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 E ● BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY Vote results are displayed at the UN headquarters. Reuters SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 24 FOR THE first time since Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago, the US voted with the Russians in an attempt to block a draft resolution by Ukraine at the UN that called for a “de-escalation, an early cessation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution” of the war against Ukraine. The resolution was passed with the Europeans and the G7 (minus the Americans) voting in Shivraj Singh Chouhan; units deal with tech support, research Finance dept over-rules Rural, calls for merger, budget cuts in three key units HARIKISHAN SHARMA NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 24 THE DEPARTMENT of Expenditure (DoE) has asked the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), headed by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, to absorb two autonomous bodies under its charge while cutting the annual outlay of a third to just a fraction of its previous allotment in the Union Budget — despite requests from the ministry to reconsider, The Indian Express has learnt. According to records, the DoE has asked for the National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA) and National Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (NRLPS) to be merged with MoRD by March-end, saying it “may be difficult” to release any more funds for the two autonomous bodies. At the same time, the DoE has slashed the budget of MoRD’s National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR), which is based in Hyderabad and functions mainly as a think tank, to Rs 1 lakh for the financial year 2025-26 from Rs 73.68 crore in revised estimates of the 2024-25 fiscal and Rs 75.69 crore in 2023-24. Among the four autonomous bodies under MoRD, only Bharat CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 IN THE five years since Covid-19 pandemic, the revenues from AC class and all Second Class tickets including Sleeper Class (which offer a berth), have more or less flipped, according to the analysis of Budget documents by The Indian Express. In 2019-20, revenues from passengers travelling on AC (AC First Class, AC 2-Tier, AC 3-Tier and AC Chair Car), were just over one-third or 36 per cent of the total passenger revenues of Rs 50,669 crore. That from passengers travelling non-AC (excluding sub-urban) accounted for a bulk of 58 per cent. This trend has almost reversed now. Partap Singh Bajwa (left) and Aman Arora "We had earlier said the Congress does not have any intention to topple this government. I am reiterating that 32 MLAs are in touch with me. Not only MLAs, but even ministers are in touch with me. Aman Arora is also CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Tunnel rescue ops hit new challenge: Wall of mud and water No contact with eight trapped inside SREENIVAS JANYALA & RAHUL V PISHARODY HYDERABAD, FEBRUARY 24 MANN GOVT TO DCs: ‘INSPECT ONE SUB-REGISTRAR OFFICE EVERY DAY’ P8 In 2019-20, non-AC contributed 58%, now just 41% NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 24 FOR THE board exam, there could be different question papers for the two levels, or a common question paper with additional questions for ‘advanced’ students. favour of the draft resolution. India abstained along with China, one of Russia’s closest allies since the war broke out. The final score: 93 countries, including major European countries like Germany, UK, France and the G7 (minus the US) voted in favour; 18, including Russia, US, Israel and Hungary voted against; and 65, including India, China and Brazil, abstained. That’s lower than previous votes, which saw over 140 nations condemn Russia’s aggression. In five years since Covid, flip in Rlys revenue from AC, non-AC DHEERAJ MISHRA What it means PUNJAB CONGRESSleader Partap Singh Bajwa Monday claimed that 32 AAP MLAs were in touch with him to switch sides and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was “in touch” with the BJP, sparking a sharp reaction from the ruling party's state unit chief Aman Arora who claimed that it was in fact the Leader of Opposition (Bajwa) who made an "advance booking" to join the BJP. Bajwa further claimed that he has “45 years of political experience” and that he has never made any false statement. aware of this matter," claimed Bajwa. Addressing media outside the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, he said that the the AAP legislators know that this is their last term. “They are looking for new parties to get tickets. I am in touch with them... Nobody can given them a safe passage (other) than the Congress. But the party high command will decide who will be taken in, who is likely to win the polls...It will happen at an appropriate time,” said the Qadian MLA. He claimed that CM Mann too was in touch with the BJP. "When (Arvind) Kejriwal decides to remove him, he (Mann) In 2024-25, those travelling AC classes in the Railways are expected to contribute 54 per cent of total passenger revenues of Rs 80,000 crore. And those in nonAC classes (excluding sub-urban) are estimated to contribute just 41 per cent. The non-AC classes include Second Class Mail/ Express, which run long distances and are CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE RESCUE operation at the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district, where eight men have been trapped since Saturday morning, has become more difficult with heavy seepage of water and mud, rescuers told The Indian Express. NDRF's 10th Battalion Commandant Prasanna Kumar told The Indian Express on CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 At the site of the tunnel collapse in Nagarkurnool, Telangana, on Monday. PTI Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal meets UK’s Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds in Delhi. ANI STALLED DUE TO ELECTIONS In shadow of US tariff, India back to table for trade talks with UK, EU High tariffs to protect domestic businesses from non-market economies, says Goyal RAVI DUTTA MISHRA NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 24 AS US President Donald Trump moves to upend the world trade order with tariff threats against allies and rivals alike, New Delhi Monday re-started negotiations for two long-stalled, big-ticket trade deals with Britain’s new Labour Party-led administration — just days ahead of President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen’s visit to India for trade talks. After an eight-month pause due to general elections in India, the UK and European parliamentary elections, New Delhi and London announced plans to CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 INDIA’S IMPORTS FROM UK ($ bn) 2021-22 7.02 2022-2023 8.96 2023-2024 8.41 2024-2025* 5.43 INDIA’S EXPORTS ($ bn) TO UK 2021-22 10.46 2022-2023 11.41 2023-2024 12.92 2024-2025* 9.60 Source: Commerce and Industry Ministry *(Apr-Nov)