DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE `6.00 (`12 IN NORTH EAST STATES & ANDAMAN) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 Modi Sarkar ki Guarantee Digital India strengthening the economy Government of india भारत सरकार India accounts for 46% of global digital payments nts Hamara Sankalp Viksit Bharat cbc 22201/13/0266/2324 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2024, KOLKATA, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES Scan for more information At 5.1% in Jan, IN CUSTODY SINCE AUG 2022; HANDED DEATH PENALTY, LATER COMMUTED retail inflation at 3-month low; factory output at 3.8% in Dec Qatar frees eight former Indian Navy men, PM will go to Doha tomorrow NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 12 RETAIL INFLATION slipped to a three-month low of 5.1 per cent inJanuaryprimarilyduetolower food prices after having risen to a four-month high in December, data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) on Monday showed. Separately released data by the NSO showed that the factory output, as measured by the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), rose to 3.8 per cent in December from 2.4 per cent in the previous month, but was lower than 5.1 per cent in the year-ago period. Theretailinflationrate,based on Consumer Price Index (Combined), slowed in January after having risen for the previous two months. While it marked the 52nd month of retail inflation staying above the 4 per cent mark in the 4+/- 2 per cent band of medium-term inflation target set by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the core inflation—non-food,non-fuelsegment — fell to a 50-month low of 3.6 per cent in January. Economists said the continued fall in core inflation indicated that RBI’s monetary policy tightening is having an impact but elevated food inflation continues to be a worry. “This (core inflation) is a 50-month low and suggests that RBI’s monetary CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 INSIDE 7 have returned, appreciate Emir’s decision to enable release: Govt Families got news once men had boarded flight home, say ‘grateful to PM’ SHUBHAJIT ROY RITIKA CHOPRA & SHAJU PHILIP NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 12 MORE THAN three months after they were sentenced to death, eight former Indian Navy personnel have been released from custody in Qatar and seven have returned to India. This was announced by the Ministryof ExternalAffairsinthe early hours of Monday. Hours later, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said Prime NEW DELHI, KOCHI, FEB 12 Some of the former Indian Navy personnel after their arrival in New Delhi early Monday. PTI Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Qatar on February 14 and meet Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, after com- pleting his visit to the UAE that starts Tuesday. Relieved families hailed the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 PAGES 7 & 10 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 E ● The road via Doha WHILE THE release of the eight men and the PM’s decision to travel to Doha underline the behind-the-scenes effort, it also charts the course for a new chapter in IndiaQatar relations, more so because Doha is a key player in the Middle East. West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose with a resident of Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district, Monday. Express Bengal Governor in Sandeshkhali, Mamata says those responsible for violence arrested Governor Bose says situation ghastly, shocking, and shattering to senses EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, FEBRUARY 12 Ashok Chavan latest to quit Cong, says no call yet on joining BJP ALOK DESHPANDE MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 12 Barricades being put up at Delhi border Monday. Praveen Khanna FARMPROTEST2.0,EXPLAINED With talks inconclusive, Punjab farmers to set out for Delhi today RAHUL ASKS PM TO RELEASE MGNREGA WORKERS’ WAGES TN GOVERNOR GIVES ‘SHORTEST’ SPEECH FAMILY MEMBERS of the eight former Indian Navy personnel, in Qatari custody since August 2022, were informed of their release by the Indian government late Sunday after they had boarded flights to return home. Of the eight, only Commander Purnendu Tiwari, whose EXPLAINED AANCHAL MAGAZINE KANCHAN VASDEV CHANDIGARH, FEBRUARY 12 TWOYEARSaftertheyforcedthe Centre to repeal three farm laws before ending their year-long protestatDelhi’sborders,Punjab farmer unions announced late Monday night that farmers wouldsetoutfortheCapitalat10 am Tuesday to press their demands,includingalegalguarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops. The decision to march to Delhi – ‘Dilli Chalo’ – was taken after marathon talks in Chandigarh remained inconclusive, the farmer unions said. SamyuktaKisanMorcha(nonpolitical) convenor Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee coordinator Sarwan Singh Pandher were amongthosepresentatthemeeting with Union Food and ConsumerAffairsMinisterPiyush Goyal,AgricultureMinisterArjun CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 IN ANOTHER setback to the CongressinMaharashtra,former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan quitthepartyonMondayandresigned as MLA too. Amid speculation that he would join the BJP, Chavan said he had not taken any decision yet. This is the third big exit from the state Congress unit in less than a month. Last month, former Union minister Milind Deora quit the party to join the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Last week, former Congress MLA Baba Siddique joined the NCP led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. AICC in-charge for Maharashtra Congress, Ramesh Chennithala,hascalledanurgent Chavan after resigning from the Congress, in Mumbai on Monday. Sankhadeep Banerjee meeting of all senior party leadersinMumbaionTuesdayafternoon. The party fears that a few more MLAs will join Chavan — four-five names are already doing the rounds. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MORE REPORTS PAGE 10 AS WEST Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Monday visited Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district following protests in the area against a local TMC leader facing land grabbing and corruption charges, Chief MinisterMamataBanerjee said that those responsible for the violence have been arrested and necessary steps have been taken to maintain law and order situation in the area. The CM's remark came soon after Governor Bose, who cut short his Kerala trip to visit Sandeshkhali, described the situation as “ghastly, shocking, and shattering to my senses”. “Those who have instigated violence (in Sandeshkhali) have been arrested... The situation is beingmonitoredcloselyandnecessarystepsarebeingtaken,"the chief ministertoldmediapersons on the sidelines of an event at Dumurjala in Howrah district. On Sunday, police arrested three political leaders — suspended TMC leader Uttam Sardar, BJP observer for Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency Vikas Singh, and CPI(M) leader and CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CM Mamata Banerjee in Howrah, Monday. Express LOP AMONG 6 BJP MLAS SUSPENDED FROM ASSEMBLY ■ Six BJP MLAs, including Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, were suspended from the Assembly Monday for the rest of the Budget session as they demanded a statement from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the Sandeshkhali protests.On Monday, BJP MLAs rushed squatted in the Well of the House raising slogans and blowing whistles. FULL REPORT, PAGE 3 FULL COVERAGE PAGE 3 Easy win for Nitish as three RJD MLAs, RLD confirms: Will join NDA, faced Haldwani: Police station ‘missing’ JD(U) MLAs surface on his side injustice in INDIA bloc, pride at stake to come up at site, accused told to pay Rs 2.44 crore B U SANTOSH SINGH LALMANI VERMA USINESS AS PATNA, FEBRUARY 12 THREERJDMLAscrossedoverto the NDA while five absent JD(U) MLAs turned up with just a few minutes to go for voting, helping Chief Minister NitishKumarwin the trust vote easily on Monday with 129 votes in his favour. There was no vote against, as the Opposition walked out before the voting. The NDA's tally stood at 130, if the Deputy Speaker's vote was PAGE 1 ANCHOR SUAL BY UNNY NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 12 ENDING SPECULATION, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief and Rajya Sabha MP Jayant Chaudhary on Monday confirmed that his party would join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Speaking to reporters at the party office here, after paying tribute to his father and party founder Ajit Singh on his birth Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in Patna on Monday. ANI included. In the House of 243, simple majority is 122. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary anniversary, Chaudhary said: “I havespokentoallmypartyMLAs andworkers,andhavetakenthis decision after speaking to them. There has been no big planning behind the decision, it is not like we had decided it much earlier.” The RLD is a key player in western Uttar Pradesh politics. “We had to take this decision in a short period of time, considering the situation. Our intentions are good... we want to do goodforourpeopleandcountry. We are overwhelmed that the BharatRatnahasbeenconferred (on Chaudhary Charan Singh),” said Chaudhary, who is the grandson of Charan Singh. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 AVANEESH MISHRA Clear message from our govt: CM Dhami HALDWANI, FEBRUARY 12 UTTARAKHAND CHIEF Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Mondayannouncedthatapolice stationwouldbebuiltatthespot in Nainital’s Haldwani city where the demolition of a mosque and a madrasa, which authorities said were built on governmentland,ledtoviolence in which five people were killed and several injured. Themainaccusedinthecase, AbdulMalik,wasservedanotice CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 It’s sunny side up when solar physicists unites to bust myths ANJALI MARAR BENGALURU, FEBRUARY 12 WHILE RELOCATING from Finland’s University of Helsinki to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) for her second post-doctoral studies in January 2023, solar physicist Anshu Kumari, 32, felt the absence of a support group within the scientific community when she needed help with a software. The challenges she faced sowed the seeds of the Indian Network for Dynamical and Unified Solar (INDUS) Physicists in her mind. Starting with a humble WhatsApp group, team INDUS launched a website on August 15 last year. Their online presence has only grown since then. The voluntary initiative is led by Indian researchers pursuing PhD, postdoctoral studies and young scientists working in the field of solar and heliospheric studies who share common areas of research interests. The “open” nature of this space seeks to encourage young researchers to discuss their scientific requirements, look for guidance from domain experts or even request a senior fellow toholdtheirhandduringtheini- tialdaysof theirresearch.“There are occasions when budding researchers are not comfortable speaking to their guides about, say, a house, a source for specific scientific data or local logistics support.INDUSisaforumwhere they can open up within their community and seek help on any issue. Above all, it is a network of Indian solar physicists from around the world,” said Kumari. The solar physicist steers at least six active working groups of INDUS that handle distinct roles, starting from website and graphics designing, newsletter and website content creation, Around 50 INDUS members met recently at the 42nd meet of the Astronomical Society of India in Bengaluru. INDUS scouting for regular updates fromthefieldtoupdatingthejob database, networking, coordinating mentorship activities, organising online seminars and routinghelpwheneverrequired. INDUS currently has 215 members spread across 21 countries and three continents. As researchers of the Sun who are inspired by the star itself, INDUS is alive round the clock, with its members operating from five different time zones. Team membersconstantlyupdateand monitor the website content for the community. Though they havemostlybeeninteractingonline for the past six months, around 50 team members met recently for the first time at the 42nd meet of the Astronomical Society of India in Bengaluru. To smoothen the path for young researchers, the forum also provides mentorship to budding solar physicists. During herpost-graduationdays,Ketaki Deshpande, now a third-year PhD student at KU Leuven, a research university in Belgium, worked closely with Kumari, who also taught two other undergraduate students online for 1.5 years and even introduced them to solar physics. Her heart fills with pride to see the growing number of womensolarphysicistssinceshe entered the field a decade ago. “When I started my integrated M.Tech-PhD programme at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in 2013, I was the only woman researcher in the four institutes working at the Gauribidanur RadioObservatory in Bengaluru. But now, within a decade, nearly 60 per cent of INDUS members are women solar physicists. A welcome trend indeed,” said Kumari, who is currently a postdoctoralprogrammefellowwho works with scientist Nat Gopalswamy at NASA’s Solar Physics Laboratory, GFSC. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Kolkata