DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024, AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 30 PAGES BY UNNY UAVs ALSO BEING USED FOR VERIFICATION AT DEPSANG PLAINS, DEMCHOK Disengagement completed at 2 points, stage set for resumption of patrolling Relations at new starting point, China ready to work with India, says envoy SHUBHAJIT ROY SHIMLA, OCTOBER 30 IN THE second death of a paragliderinHimachalPradeshin two days, a 43-year-old woman fromtheCzechRepublicdiedafter she crashed into a mountainside at Marhi near Manali on Wednesday, officials said. On Tuesday, a 65-year-old paraglider from Belgium, identified as Patrice Feyaerts,diedafter he collided mid-air with another paraglider at Bir-Billing in Kangra district. Thedeathscomedaysbefore the hill state hosts an international paragliding event at BirBilling. A total of 130 paragliders from 50 countries are expected to competeinthe championship which is being organised from November 2 to 9. Officials identified the solo paraglider who died on Wednesday as Dita Misurcova. “Initial reports suggest that she lost control and fell with the glider. She crashed into a mountainside.Shewasrushedtoahospital in Manali, where she was declared dead,” Vikas Shukla, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Kullu, told The Indian Express. “She probably failed to control her glider due to fast winds. She was an experienced solo paraglider,” he said. Roshan Lal Thakur, a founding member of the Manali Paragliding Association, said the weather conditions were considered normal for paragliding CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ADITI RAJA VADODARA, OCTOBER 30 Burtse 11A 12 Leh Darbuk 13 Dharti JivanNala Bottleneck (Y-junction) Pangong Tso Chushul Demchok LineofActualControl(LAC) ing new development opportunities. China stands ready to work with India to lift bilateral economicandtradecooperation to a new height.” According to news agency ON THE eve of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated projects worth Rs 284 crore during his visit to the Statueof UnityatEktaNagar,formerly known as Kevadia, in Gujarat’s Narmada district. Theprojectsincludea50-bed sub-district hospital, 10 smart bus stops, a 4 MW solar project and two walkways with sprinklers at the statue site for the comfort of tourists. Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Gujarat, also interacted with officer trainees of the 99th Common Foundation Course, and addressed the gathering on “Roadmapfor AtmaNirbharand Viksit Bharat”as part of the sixth editionof Aarambh—theannual six-day training programme for young civil servants. Later,thePrimeMinistersaid in a post on X: “Interacted with young civil servants during Aarambh 6.0. We had extensive discussions on how to improve governance with the spirit of Jan Bhagidari (public participation). Alsohighlighted theimportance of havingstrongfeedbackmechanismsandimprovinggrievance redressal systems. Urged the young civil servants to improve ‘Ease of Living’ for citizens.” The 99th Common Foundation Course includes 653 Officer Trainees from across 16 civil services of India and 3 civil services of Bhutan. AfterhisarrivalatEktaNagar, around 200 km from Ahmedabad, the Prime Minister first inaugurated the projects, which are expected to boost the RISING TOURIST FOOTFALL AT STATUE OF UNITY Bharuch 27.45 51 41.32 34.29 12.81 4.5 Source: Gujarat govt. PM Narendra Modi lays the foundation stone of various infrastructural and development projects, in Ekta Nagar on Wednesday. ANI TIMELINE 2018: Inauguration of Statue of Unity, Vishwa Van, Wall of Unity, Cactus Garden, Valley of Flowers and Shrestha Bharat Bhavan 2019: Butterfly Park 2020: Children's nutrition park, Zoological Park and Jungle Safari, Jetty service, Ekta Mall, infrastructureof thecitythathas seen a rapid growth in tourist footfalls ever since the Statue of Unity site was thrown open to the public in 2018. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Mirror Maze, Arogya Van, Ekta Cafe, Ekta Nursery, Tent City, Khalvani Eco-tourism, Zarwani Eco-tourism, Nauka Vihar and River Rafting, Mountain Trail and Cycling, Water aerodrome for the seaplane flight to Ahmedabad 2021: Narmada Aarti at Gora Ghat In the six years since the inauguration of the 182-metre statue — the world’s tallest, built at a cost of Rs 2,989 crore— projects worth at least Rs 500 crore 2023: Heritage Train from Ekta Nagar to Ahmedabad; project for live Narmada Aarti; Kamalam Park; a walkway within Statue of Unity; 30 new e-buses, 210 e-bicycles and multiple Golf Carts; City Gas Distribution Network at Ekta Nagar and ‘Sahkar Bhawan’ of Gujarat State Cooperative Bank. have been added to the site to boost visitor experience and infrastructure to the tourist city. Mostof theseprojectshavebeen CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 LEAK TO WASHINGTON POST Canada minister says he ‘confirmed’ Shah behind campaign against separatists India saw dip in TB cases and deaths in 2023, Canada security adviser claims but target still far: WHO report Trudeau’s office aware of ‘strategy’ NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 30 StatueofUnity ■ Numberof touristsinlakh PTI, Ambassador Xu, responding to a question on the disengagement process, said, “I hope that under the guidance of this consensus, relations will be moving forward smoothly in the future and not be restricted and interrupted by specific disagreements between the two sides. Themostimportantthingishow to handle the differences.” Army sources said the verification of disengagement is in progress and the patrolling modalities are to be decided between ground commanders. Theverificationisbeingdone physically as well as with ANONNA DUTT Ahmedabad 2023 SAURABH PARASHAR Raki Nala Roadto DBO Daulat Beg Oldie Depsang Plains Ladakh Galwan Hot Springs Patrolling Improve Ease of Living for citizens, PM Modi tells young civil servants 2022 Czech woman paraglider dies in Himachal, second death in two days 11 Limitof PP10 Hospital to walkways, PM flags off projects at Statue of Unity site day before Patel birth anniv 2021 PAGE 22 2020 IN MAHARASHTRA FIGHT, LAST-MINUTE NOMINATION JITTERS JHARKHAND GOVT TO HC TO EC, EX-DSP’S NOMINATION SAGA SETTING THE stage for resumption of patrolling in the Depsang Plains and Demchok areas of eastern Ladakh, India and China have completed the process of disengagementatthesetwofriction points along the Line of Actual Control. Confirming the completion of the disengagement process, Army sources said Wednesday 2019 2024 2018 DECISION NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 30 that patrolling will commence soon and talks will continue at the level of local commanders. It is expected that there will be an exchange of sweets between the two sides Thursday, also the Diwali day. Xu Feihong, China’s AmbassadortoIndia,inaposton X about his speech at a special session of the Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI) in Kolkata, said, “China-Indiarelationsarestanding at a new starting point, fac- THE DEPSANG PATROLLING POINTS INDIA REPORTED a slight decrease in the estimated number of tuberculosis (TB) cases and deaths in 2023, but remains far from its elimination targets, according to the Global TB Report released by the World Health Organisation on Tuesday. Globally,82lakhpeoplewere diagnosed with TB last year — the highest number recorded since the WHO began monitoring in 1995 — and there were 12.5 lakh deaths, making TB the world's top infectious disease killer, overtaking Covid-19. In 2022, there were 74.6 lakh cases and 11.3 lakh deaths. Accordingtothereport,India saw an estimated 28 lakh TB cases and 3.15 lakh deaths last year.Thismarksaslightdecrease from 2022, when the country sawanestimated28.2lakhcases and 3.31 lakh deaths (see chart). Between 2015 and 2023, India reportedan 18per cent decrease in TB cases — still a long way from the WHO’s target of a 50 per cent reduction by 2025. Similarly, TB deaths declined by 24 per cent over the same period, falling short of the 75 per cent reduction target set for 2025, according to the WHO report. The findings are crucial, especially for India, which has set an ambitious goal of eliminating TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global target. Importantly, India is estimated to have accounted for 27 per cent of the world's cases of multi-drug-resistant TB, which CONTINUEDONPAGE2 MANRAJ GREWAL SHARMA & SHUBHAJIT ROY CHANDIGARH, NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 30 CANADIAN PRIME Minister Justin Trudeau’s National SecurityandIntelligenceAdviser Nathalie Drouin and Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison have acknowledged leaking information to The Washington Post which first reported that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was behind the campaign of targeting Khalistan separatists in Canada. Morrison told Parliament members of the national securitycommitteethathehad“con- Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison; Nathalie Drouin, NSIA to PM firmed” Shah’s name to The Washington Post which first reportedtheallegations.“Thejournalist called me and asked if it was that person. I confirmed it was that person,” Morrison told the committee. He did not say how Canada CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Ottawa dials up the offensive, casts a longer shadow on bilateral ties SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 30 BY NAMING Union Home Minister Amit Shah in connection with its case related to the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Ottawa has significantly dialled up its diplomatic offensive on the issue. Sources said there’s a sense in Delhi that naming Shah in the case — wherecourtsubmissionsareexpected — makes a climbdown harder and will only lengthen the shadow over bilateral ties. Canada is due for elections next year and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is sliding in domestic polls facing a restive caucus within his party. However, even if there’s a change of guard — polls say Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is ahead — it will be a challenge to walk back for whoever replaces Trudeau. “Trudeau’s plan ● looks like a scorchedearth policy,” said an official. “On this issue, his political rivals have not been very harsh on him except calling out his E EXPLAINED BUSINESS AS USUAL `5.00 ● WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 With feedback from 5,000 girls, officials work to make Nainital dist safe PAGE 1 ANCHOR LALMANI VERMA NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 30 UNIFORMS AND identity cards for auto drivers, crackdown on “eve-teasing” and action against property owners whose abandoned plots are being used for “unlawful” gatherings — these are among measures that the Nainital district administration has taken over the last month in anattempttomakethecitysafer for girls. In Haldwani, a city grappling with rising public safety concerns, the Nainital district administration is undertaking an innovativeprogrammetoensure the security of schoolgirls. Based on their discussions with over 5,000 girl students from 41 schools over the month of September, the district administration has identified 480 “vulnerable”locationsinthecitythat they consider most unsafe. These areas include auto stands, parks,abandonedplotsandeven shopping malls. Of these, 89 spots were listed as “highly vulnerable” for reasons such as their seclusion and the lack of adequate street lighting there, making them particularly prone to crimes against women. This drive is significant following a recent viral video from Haldwani that purportedly showed some men harassing some girls who were returning homelateinthenight.According to officials, the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata furtherencouraged theNainital administration to run such a “sensitisation” programme under the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign. Last week, Chief Secretary Radha Raturi issued orders to At a sensitisation workshop in Haldwani. Express have the administration’s drive replicated across Uttarakhand. “A total of 102 people have been arrested under the Uttarakhand Police Act during this drive. Periodic police patrolling is being done at the locations that the girls identified. Feedback has also been received from schools,” city magistrate A P Bajpai told The Indian Express, addingthatwhilesomeareasare stillunattended,“rigorousaction will be taken there too”. According to the district administration, in the first week of September, Nainital District Magistrate Vandana Singh constituted a team of five female of- ficers from various departments — including the police — to hold gendersensitisationworkshops. The team, helmed by nodal officer Richa Singh, Uttarakhand’s additional director, training and employment, was tasked with holding workshops in schools and asking girl students about the areas that they felt unsafe. “Beingawoman,Icanunderstand when girls go out, parents have so many apprehensions and it affects the children’s educationandcareer.So,wethought of making a team of women officers to directly talk to the girls and ask them where they feel unsafe and how we can make that area safer,” Singh said. According to officials, the girl students reported being groped at auto-rickshaw stands and inside autos, and being harassed outside their schools and even shopping malls. On the basis of these reports, the district administration has drawn up a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Under this, raids were conducted, with police also arresting those drinking atroadsideeateries.Likewise,action was taken against people who gathered without reason near schools and coaching centres, vacant plots and also on CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Ahmedabad