DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE `6.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 Mo Modi Sarkar ki Guarantee Prosperous Farmers, Prosperous Nation Scan for more information Hamara Sankalp Viksit Bharat 5 fold rise in agriculture budget in last 10 years; Loan facility of ₹ 1 lakh crore under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund भारत सरकार Government of India cbc 22201/13/0271/2324 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2024, LUCKNOW, LATE CITY, 16 PAGES Fali Conscience 22-yr-old from Punjab Nariman dies as Haryana uses force to stop farmers CENTRE CALLS FOR CALM, TALKS 1929-2024 Jurist & humanist secured many a verdict shaping modern India Protest march on hold; CM Mann promises action over death KANCHAN VASDEV & NAVJEEVAN GOPAL COOMI KAPOOR NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 21 FALI SAM Nariman, the exceptional jurist and humanist, a colossus in the courts who helped secure many a landmark verdict in modern India, whose moral authority steered and even shaped the judiciary, passed away in his sleep at his home in New Delhi an hour after midnight Wednesday. Nariman was 95. The family issued a statement that the burial will be held February 22 at the Parsi Aramgah and a prayer meeting at the Parsi Anjuman in New Delhi at 4 pm the same day. Nariman,perhapsamongthe lastofadistinguishedgroupoflegal luminaries, including Nani Palkhivala, C K Daphtary, Ashok Desai, Homi Seervai and Soli Sorabji, was universally respected.Hewasunafraidoffreely voicing his opinion on decisions takenbysuccessive governments andSupremeCourtswhenhefelt thattheyhadcrossedtheline.He vigorouslytookupcudgelsonbehalf of freedom of speech and fundamental rights. In his last book You Must Know your Constitution, published just four months ago, Nariman warned that governments with huge majorities led by populist leaders tend to CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 21 PRESIDENT DROUPADI Murmu mourned the passing of the “titan among legal luminaries”; Vice President Jagdeep Dhankharcalleditan“unbridgeable loss,” and his legacy and contribution a “guiding light to the nation.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “among the most outstanding legal minds and intellectuals” who “devoted his life to making A 22-YEAR-OLD Punjab farmer diedof aheadinjuryWednesday at the state’s Khanauri border crossinginSangrurdistrictwhen Haryanasecuritypersonnelused teargasshells—andaccordingto farmers, even rubber bullets — against them as they set out on their ‘Dilli Chalo’ march to seek a minimum support price (MSP) guarantee. Punjab officials said a total of 26 people were injured at the Khanauri and Shambhu border crossings which had been barri- NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 21 THE CENTRAL Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is considering Open Book Examinations(OBE)forstudents of Classes 9 to 12 in line with the EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE Farmers at Khanauri on Punjab-Haryana border Wednesday. Jasbir Malhi caded by Haryana Police to stop the march. Shubhkaran Singh, a youth from Balloh village in Bathinda district,becamethefirstcasualty in the protest by farmers after he died of a head injury. He was declared “brought dead” at the Rajindra Hospital in Patiala. It was not clear what caused Shubhkaran’s head injury. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE CENTRE Wednesday decided to hike the Fair and RemunerativePrice(FRP)of sugarcane to Rs 340 per quintal for SugarSeason 2024-25(OctoberSeptember) from the existing Rs 315 per quintal. A decision to this effect was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs which met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The announcement is significantespeciallyforUttarPradesh and Maharashtra, the two biggestsugarcanegrowingstates which are also among states CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Opp pact in UP: SP & Co from 63 seats, Cong 17 MAULSHREE SETH LUCKNOW, FEBRUARY 21 AFTER WEEKS of tense negotiationsandhardbargaining,INDIA bloc partners Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress finalised their seat-sharing pact in Uttar PradeshandMadhyaPradeshfor the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Under their agreement for UP, the Congress will contest 17 out of 80 seats in the state, leaving the remaining 63 seats for the SP and its smaller allies. In MP, the Congress has agreed to allot the Khajuraho seat to the SP and will field its candidates from the remaining 28 constituencies in the state. CongresssourcessaidthatAll India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra played a CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Karnataka to make MNCs display their Kannadiga staff details At Nariman’s home in New Delhi Wednesday. On the wall is a photo of him with wife Bapsi who died in 2020. Anil Sharma justiceaccessibletocommoncitizens.” Supreme Court, Chief Justiceof IndiaD Y Chandrachud called him “great giant of an intellectual.” Fali Nariman’s death early Wednesday evoked an outpouring of grief, respect and a deep sense of loss with voices — cutting across party lines — joining in to mourn his passing. From Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge; Sonia and CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY RELATED REPORTS PAGES 7, 12 CBSE to conduct test run of open-book examinations in select schools this year VIDHEESHA KUNTAMALLA NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 21 SHAMBHU, KHANAURI, FEBRUARY 21 There can’t be another Fali: Nation pays tribute APURVA VISHWANATH Cabinet clears 8% increase in sugarcane FRP recommendations of the new NationalCurriculumFramework released last year, The Indian Express has learned. According to sources, the Boardhasproposedapilotrunof open-book tests in a few schools for English, Mathematics and Science for Classes 9 and 10 and English, Mathematics and BiologyforClasses11and12later this year to evaluate time taken by students to complete such testsandstakeholders’response. In an open-book exam, students are allowed to carry their notes, textbooks, or other study materialandrefertothemduring theexamination.However,OBEs CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 AKRAM M BENGALURU, FEBRUARY 21 THEKARNATAKAgovernmentis framing rules that would mandate multinational companies (MNCs) to display details of Kannadigas employed by them. KannadaandCultureMinister ShivarajTangadagitoldreporters on Wednesday that discussions were underway in this regard. “Rules are being framed. There is a committee for it, which is headed by me. There are secretaries from various departments and MLAs (as members) who have given suggestions,” he said. BJP MLA C N Ashwath Narayan, however, said the government cannot implement such laws. “This will just remain onpaper...Itisapoliticaldrama,” he said, adding that such rules will be misused to harass companies operating in Bengaluru CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE WORLD DEAL SEALED IN PAK: SHEHBAZ WILL BE PM, ZARDARI THE PRESIDENT PAGE 14 The voice of radio’s golden age SUANSHU KHURANA NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 21 AMEEN SAYANI 1932-2024 “NAMASKARBEHNOaurbhaiyon, mainaapkadostAmeenSayanibol raha hoon,” announced Ameen Sayani in 1952 from his underground outpost of Radio Ceylon in Sri Lanka and had a newly independent nation in a thrall. Almostinstantly,thewarmth and affability of a voice from the radiointerruptedthesanctioned solemnity and sternness that came in the guise of authoritative baritones, perfect pronunciations,anddiction—allof which were associated with stateowned All India Radio (AIR). Sayani’s was a salutation in Hindustani,withalltheetiquette in place; what he spoke was friendlyyetcultured,simplytold, somewhat urban, and thus, modern.Thevoicejokedwithits audiences, teased them, gave interesting trivia, interviewed celebrities, and punctuated it all with “filmy sangeet”, the kind that was a rage at the time. For decades, one cocked one’s ears to Binaca Geetmala, as Sayani entered our homes and hearts and played the top 10 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Lucknow