DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2025, KOLKATA, LATE CITY, 14 PAGES SINCE 1932 `6.00 (`12 IN NORTH EAST STATES, `20 IN ANDAMAN) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM 2021 CASE: TOP COURT SAYS PEOPLE NOT GIVEN ‘REASONABLE OPPORTUNITY’ TO RESPOND TO NOTICES Demolitions in Prayagraj inhuman and illegal, shock conscience, says SC, orders `10-lakh each in 6 weeks Meet the girl who ran with books: 8 yrs, wants to become ‘IAS adhikari’ ‘Girl running away from demolished hut with clutch of books... shocked all’ ANANTHAKRISHNAN G NEW DELHI, APRIL 1 CRITICISING THE demolition of some houses by local authorities in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj in 2021 as “inhuman and illegal”, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said the “high-handed” manner in which this was done “shocks our conscience”. It directed the PrayagrajDevelopmentAuthority topayRs10lakheachtothoseaffected within six weeks. The bench of Justices A S Oka andUjjalBhuyanwashearingan appeal against the Allahabad High Court's decision, on March BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY 8, 2021, to dismiss a clutch of petitions against the demolitions carriedoutthepreviousday.The petitioners included a professor, a lawyer and three others. Saying that the appellants werenotgivena“reasonableopportunity” to explain their position, the SC said: “These cases shockourconscience.Residential premises of the appellants have been high-handedly demolished... Carrying out demolition insuchamannershowsinsensitivity on the part of the statutory developmentauthority...Theauthorities, and especially the development authority, must CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MAULSHREE SETH LUCKNOW, APRIL 1 A screenshot of a video clip of a girl running with her books during a demolition drive in Ambedkar Nagar, UP, March 21 FOR EIGHT-YEAR-OLD Ananya Yadav, the schoolbag containing Hindi, English and “ginti ki” (maths)booksishermostprized possession,amediumtooneday become an “IAS adhikari” and “protectthecountry”.So,whena shed close to where the bag was kept caught fire during a demolition drive in Uttar Pradesh’s Ambedkar Nagar on March 21, SHYAMLAL YADAV NEW DELHI, APRIL 1 DAYS AFTER a teachers' association under the University of Allahabad publicly alleged administrative delays in the ViceChancellor's office, the institution has issued a circular asking teaching and non-teaching staff to“strictlyrefrain”frompublishingarticlesandairingtheirviews in the media, and warning of “strict action”. The circular, dated March 29 and issued by Registrar Prof Ashish Khare, states that “all the teaching and the non-teaching staff members of the University of Allahabad must strictly refrain from publishing articles, news, comments and views in print or digital media, which explicitly or implicitly tarnish the image of the University of Allahabad”. It also warns that “failure to comply will result in appropriate action against the erring staff member, as per the provisions laid out in the Act, Statutes and Ordinances of the University”. On March 25, the Allahabad University Constituent Colleges Teachers Association (AUCCTA) had issued a press release, followingitsgeneralbodymeeting, stating that “several members were angry and agitated that files of colleges are piled up in the Vice-Chancellor's office for months and (they) have to make frequent visits to the V-C's office for even minor work.” AUCCTA president Umesh Pratap Singh could not be CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 USTR FLAGS KEY BARRIERS: INTERNET SHUTDOWNS TO CURBS ON GM FOODS India finalises US trade deal terms, Trump says Delhi ‘dropping’ tariffs Gujarat offer for stents with US FDA nod: Twice the price PMO’s intervention helps finalise Terms of Reference of bilateral pact Teachers’ body criticises V-C’s office, Allahabad University gags all its staff she rushed to save it. Little did Ananya know that a video of her running with the bag would catch the attention of the country’s top court. During a hearing on Tuesday, a Bench of JusticesASOkaandUjjalBhuyan cited the video that is viral online and said it had “shocked everyone.” “There is a recent video in which small huts are being demolished by bulldozers. There is a small girl running away from RAVI DUTTA MISHRA NEW DELHI, APRIL 1 A DAY before the US reciprocal tariffskickinonApril2,Indiahas agreedtotheTermsof Reference for the Bilateral Trade Agreement with the US following an intervention from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The ToR outlines the framework of the BTA and typically requires clearance from the highest political office before negotiations begin. “The PMO is keenonaswiftfinalisationof the deal,” a senior government official told The Indian Express. Finalisation of the ToR was still pending on Saturday when US negotiators left India after four days of talks. Both sides are now ready for formal negotiations where India is expected to lower tariffs on American goods in exchange for US concessions, the government official said. US President Donald Trump saidTuesdaythatIndiawaswilling tocuttariffs,hintingatpossible relief for India from sweep- KAUNAIN SHERIFF M NEW DELHI, APRIL 1 President Donald Trump’s tariff orders are to kick in on April 2. Reuters file ing US tariffs. “I heard that India is going to be dropping its tariffs substantially. A lot of countries are going to drop their tariffs,” Trump said during a White House press briefing. A query to the Commerce and Industry Ministry spokesperson did not elicit a response till late evening. PuttingpressureonIndiaand other trading partners, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) also raised a range of concerns in its report ‘Foreign Trade Barriers’ CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 BSE Sensex fell 1,390.41 points Tuesday. Ganesh Shirsekar Ahead of tariffs today, Sensex plunges 1.8% HITESH VYAS MUMBAI, APRIL 1 THE DOMESTIC stock market came under heavy pressure on Tuesday,thefirstdayofthefinancialyear2025-26,withtheSensex crashing1.8percentandtheNifty tanking 1.5 per cent amid uncertainty ahead of US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs to be announced on April 2. The BSE’s 30-share Sensex lost 1.8 per cent, or 1,390.41 points, to close at 76,024.51. The broader Nifty 50 fell 1.5 per cent, or 353.65 points, to end at 23,165.7. “Amid heightened global volatilityaheadof theanticipated CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 WEST BENGAL IN AN ORDER being viewed as favouring American businesses, theGujaratgovernmenthasintroduced a differential pricing system for stents to be used to treat patients under the flagship Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme. The order says stents approved by the United States Food and Drug AdministrationwillbepricedatRs25,000 perstent,andthoseclearedbythe Indiandrugregulatorwillcostless than half, or Rs 12,000 per stent. Currently, all drug-eluting stents (DES), used to treat blockedheartarteries,arepriced at Rs 35,000. Indian medical manufacturers have now raised concerns over the new pricing policy,callingit“discriminatory” and urging the government to CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Chile President Gabriel Boric Font ahead of their meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Tuesday. Praveen Khanna REPORTS,PAGES4,11 SUVENDU MOVES HC, SEEKS NOD TO VISIT CLASH-HIT MOTHABARI PAGE 3 Opposition members protest in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. PTI LIZ MATHEW NEW DELHI, APRIL 1 THEGOVERNMENTwillbeintroducing the contentious Waqf (Amendment)BillonWednesday, two days before the Budget Session concludes on April 4, ignoring the Opposition’s protests. Accusing the government of “bulldozing” through its agenda and ignoring issues they wanted to raise in Parliament, a united Opposition walked out of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting which was held Tuesday to decide allocation of time for discussions in the Lok Sabha for the rest of the session. TheOppositionpartiescalledthe EXPLAINED LAW THE WAQF BILL DEBATE PAGE 9 Bill an “assault” on the Constitution. However, later in the evening, a meeting of 22 INDIA bloc parties decided to take part in the discussion and voting on the Bill on Wednesday. “All the 22 parties in the INDIAblochavedecidedtotakepart inthediscussionandvoteagainst theBill.Wehopethegovernment does not do any mischief and CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Delhi court orders FIR against Kapil Mishra on 2020 riots complaint NIRBHAY THAKUR NEW DELHI, APRIL 1 A CITY court Tuesday directed the registration of an FIR against BJP leader Kapil Mishra, now the Delhi Law and Justice Minister, on a complaint alleging he had a role in the 2020 riots in Northeast Delhi. Additional Chief Judicial MagistrateVaibhavChaurasiaallowed the application of the complainant,YamunaVihar resident Mohammad Ilyas, who hadsoughtanFIRagainstMishra and the then SHO of Dayalpur police station and five others, including BJP MLA Mohan Singh Delhi Law and Justice Minister Kapil Mishra Bisht and former party legislator Jagdish Pradhan. Allowing the plea, the judge noted that a cognizable offence was made out against Mishra. In his complaint, Ilyas had listedfiveincidents.Of thesefive, the court found merit in the complaint regarding one incident—investigationwasalready underwayinrelationtotheother CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Path forward may be difficult, we are prepared to walk: Misri on China ties NEW DELHI, APRIL 1 GUEST FROM SANTIAGO 22 INDIA bloc parties decide to take part in discussion, voting on Bill PRESIDENTS, PMs EXCHANGE MESSAGES ON 75 YEARS OF RELATIONS SHUBHAJIT ROY TOLL RISES TO 8 IN DHOLAHAT BLAST; TWO BROTHERS BOOKED Govt to introduce Waqf Bill in House today, Opp says ‘bulldozing’ agenda SETTING THE stage for a “path forward” after a bitter military standoff along the Line of Actual Control, Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages with President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday, the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India. Premier Li Qiang also exchanged congratulatory messages with Prime Minister The Tianjin window THE MEETING between Xi and Modi in Kazan last year set the stage for disengagement at two key points along the LAC, and all eyes now are on a possible meeting this autumn during the SCO summit in Tianjin. Narendra Modi. The messages were released byBeijing,notDelhiwherethere is cautious optimism — the Chinese outreach is the latest ever since Modi and Xi met last October on the sidelines of the BRICSSummitintheRussiancity of Kazan. Thetwoleadersareexpected to meet on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Tianjin in China later this year. These congratulatory messages are intended to create a positive atmosphere for the two leaders to meet though the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 TMC-Govt double engine powers Abhishek Diamond Harbour delivery model PAGE 1 ANCHOR SWEETY KUMARI, RAVIK BHATTACHARYA & ATRI MITRA DIAMOND HARBOUR (SOUTH 24 PARGANAS), APRIL 1 DRIVING DOWN the longest flyover in West Bengal, a 7.5-km stretch in South 24 Parganas district, it is hard to miss Abhishek Banerjee. The Trinamool Congress MP towers in billboards on either side, welcomingpeopleto‘SebaashrayHealth Camps’ in his constituency Diamond Harbour. The TMC national general secretary claims that between January 2 and March 20, the first phaseof theinitiative,morethan 12 lakh people availed of free services at the Sebaashray camps, with expenses of those referred to private hospitals also taken care of. The health camps were just the latest, and most visible, aspect of Abhishek’s much-touted ‘DiamondHarbourModel’—the othersbeingpensioncamps,fasttracking of government services andmegaprojects,andoutreach measureslike‘EkDaakEAbhishek (Abhishek a call away)’ — ensuring that the constituency stands apart from the other 41 Lok Sabha seats in the state. FortheOpposition,thisflows from the privilege of being the No. 2 in the ruling party, and the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. And proof thattheoverallsystemislagging. Health camps Under the 75-day Sebaashray first phase, 40-50 health camps were held for around 10 days in each of the seven Assembly segments falling under Diamond Harbour. For every 42 health camps (or Billboards of Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee in Diamond Harbour constituency. Partha Paul roughly an Assembly segment each), there was a ‘model camp’. TMC leaders said Abhishek personally monitored the scheme, with his — and the party’s — social media feed full of details and visuals from the camps every day. Abhishek’s MPLADS funds took care of most of the expenses, with the MLAs (all seven underDiamondHarbourbelong to the TMC) and councillors pitching in. Lok Sabha data shows 100% utilisation of his MPLADS funds by Abhishek — with Rs 13.46 crore spent on infrastructure and allied areas, Rs 1.28 crore on health and Rs 0.42 crore on education. There was no dearth of support,saysAbdulKhalequeMolla, the MLA from Metiabruz. The programme’soverallmedicalcoordinator, Dr Akhbar Hossain, says around 1,200 government doctorswere“volunteers”—this has also raised eyebrows — with 12 hospitals brought on board for referral cases. Partha Sarathi Dasgupta, a TMC local booth president and thein-chargeof acampinBudge Budge town, in the Assembly segment by the same name, told The Indian Express that the idea was to “augment government health care”. “The primary health centres (PHCs) lack infrastructure.Andif onegoestoabig government hospital (there are twointhevicinity),testscantake months. We did the basic tests here, and for those such as MRI, we took patients to model camps.” One of the doctors who volunteered at the Budge Budge campwasIndranilBagchi,anMD posted at Barasat Government Hospital, nearly 55 km away. He was at the camp on his weekly offs,Bagchisays,withtheTMCorganising their pick-up and drop. ManburAli,adoctorwiththe Kolkata Municipal Corporation, CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 Kolkata