The Editorial Page: In age of uncertainty, patriotism is a poor substitute for statecraft 8 ThuRSDay, May 14, 2026 JoUrnaliSm of CoUrage kolkATA, lATe CITy, 16 PAgeS ₹6.00 (₹12 in north east states, ₹20 in Andaman) l www.indianexpress.com DA I ly f r o M : A h M e DA B A D , C h A n D I gA r h , D e l h I , J A I P U r , ko l k ATA , l U C k n o w , M U M B A I , n Ag P U r , PAT n A , P U n e , VA D o DA r A AMid PriMe MiniSter’S CALL FOr AUSteritY MeASUreS An InVesTIGATIOn by The Indian Express has found that the money used to build, or refurbish, these world-class facilities meant for some of the country’stopbureaucratscame fromthenationalsportsDevelopment Fund (nsDF) — a fund created to train athletes and build sporting infrastructure, and allotted by a committee of bureaucrats. The Indian Express investigated five years of official records and data obtained under the RTI Act, and interviewed current and former Governmentofficials,tofindthatwhile a chunk of these funds was indeed allotted for sports facilities, a slice of the pie was also channelled into civil services institutions and the Delhi colony for bureaucrats. ravik Bhattacharya threechurch leaderskilled inManipur ambush Sukrita Baruah Guwahati, May 13 ThRee ChuRCh leaders have been killed and four injured after an attack on their vehicles whiletheyweretravellingfrom Churachandpur to Kangpokpi in Manipur on wednesday morning. The deceased, who have been identified as Reverend Vumthang sitlhou, Reverend Kaigoulen Lhouvum and Pastor Paogoulen sitlhou, are part of the Thadou Baptist Association and were reportedly returning to Kangpokpi after a church leaders’ meeting in Churachandpur. According to the police, the attack took place between Kotzim and Kotlen in Kangpokpi while the group was travelling in two vehicles. A security official said that militant groups are suspected to be responsible for the attack, though the matter is subject to investigation. Thefourinjuredweretransported to the state capital, Imphal, for treatment, and Chief Minister yumnam Khemchandvisitedthemonwednesday afternoon, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho and home Minister Govindas Konthoujam. “Ivehementlycondemnthe dastardly terror attack of the armedmiscreantsfiringupona group of civilians this morning »COntinUed On PAGe 2 Kolkata, May 13 The new BJP government in west Bengal has directed the statepolicetoreviewallcasesof politicalviolencethattookplace in2021followingtheTMC’svictory in the Assembly polls. Thepolicewillalsolauncha majordriveagainstillegalarms, ammunition, and explosives from May 16. Inadirectiveissuedtoallpolicesuperintendentsandpolice commissioners of the state, Additional Director General (Law &Order)AjayRanadestatedthat there are “serious complaints” regarding the investigation of »COntinUed On PAGe 2 related reports, p 3 & 5 West Bengal chief minister suvendu adhikari bows down on the steps of the assembly building before entering for the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected mLas, kolkata, Wednesday. ATrI MITrA NEET whistleblower first Karnataka scraps went to police, no FIR, so hijab ban order, students can wrote to testing agency Hamza Khan Sikar, May 13 ATAROunD1:30amonMay4, several hours after the neeT(uG) 2026 examination hadwrappedup,ateacherwith aprominentcoachingcentrein sikar reached the district’s udyognagarpolicestationwith a bunch of pages in his hand. “he had brought a stack of papers with him, alleging irregularities in the just concluded neeT paper,” udyog nagar shO Rajesh Kumar told The Indian Express. “The staff present at the police station heard him and handed him a blank sheet of paper, asking him to submit a written complaint. however, he simply left,” claimed the shO, denying claims that the police turned him away. ItwasontheeveningofMay 3 that the teacher had received the handwritten ‘guess paper’ from his landlord in sikar, asking if it was indeed genuine. The landlord, in turn, had received it from his son in Kerala. Once he cross-checked the paper, the teacher found that the ‘guess paper’ indeed had questions that appeared in the actual neeT examination and decidedtoapproachthepolice. For the next few days, he contemplated the magnitude ofwhathehadjustcomeacross »COntinUed On PAGe 2 related reports, page 7 wear limited faith symbols Kiran Parashar »COntinUed On PAGe 15 This temperature-controlled swimming pool at the new moti Bagh clubhouse in new delhi is one of the sports facilities funded by a rs 2.2-crore nsdF grant in 2024. MIhIr VASAVDA Parliament panel’s red flag: Fund is shrinking, use it responsibly Mihir Vasavda l nsdF:dipping Mumbai, May 13 COnTRIBuTIOns TO the national sports Development Fund (nsDF) have more than halved in three years — from Rs 85.26 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 37.02 crore in 2025-26, records obtained by The Indian Express under the Right To Information (RTI) Act show. TheslidepromptedaParliamentary panel to raise the red flag last August, linking the decline to waning corporate faith in the sports Authority of India (sAI) and a growing preference amongdonorsforprivatelyrun sports organisations. »COntinUed On PAGe 15 Happening today lUS PreSident Donald Trump will hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Besides trade, the talks will also cover the Iran war and US arms sales to Taiwan. Track These and more on www.indianexpress.com Bengaluru, May 13 FOuR yeARs after the then BJP-led government banned the wearing of headscarves including the hijab in government and government-aided education institutions in the state, the Karnataka governmentwednesdaywithdrewthe order, and allowed students to wear limited religious or faithbased symbols along with the prescribed uniform. The February 5, 2022 order had led to protests and heightenedcommunaltensions business as usual By EP uNNy »COntinUed On PAGe 2 l acquIred u.s. cITIzenshIp In 2022, has sInce Been TraveLLIng on an amerIcan passporT Punjab heartthrob Diljit Dosanjh’s no to politics may have another reason — he’s now a US citizen Varinder Bhatia Chandigarh, May 13 LeADInGPunJABIsingerand BollywoodactorDiljitDosanjh, who has turned down an appeal to enter politics in Punjab, is not an Indian citizen. not for a while now. Dosanjh, whose signature, pride-filled declaration Main Hoon Punjab (I am Punjab) serves as a powerful affirmation of his cultural identity and roots, acquired us citizen- ship in 2022, The Indian Express has learnt. he has been travelling on a us passport since september 1, 2022. his last Indian passport was issued in Mumbai in 2018. Prior to that, his Indian passport was issued in Zambia. Dosanjh’s spouse sandeep Kaurtooisausnational.Atthe time of acquiring us citizenship,hehadshownhisresidential address — a 5-bedroom, 3107sqmbungalow—inanupscale locality of California. diljit dosanjh’s last Indian passport was issued in 2018 he used his us passport to travel to India last month. sourcessaidhehasbeentravelling to India on an e-visa since september 2022 — this means he does not hold an OCI card. Last saturday, a think tank of retired IAs officers, Defence personnel and professionals in Punjab issued a full-page advertisement in a leading newspaper, urging Dosanjh to take over the political leadership of Punjab “brought to its knees by successive dispensations”. Dosanjh,however,declined the offer. In a post on X, he said, Kadey v Nahi (never). Mera kaam entertainment karna (My job is to entertain people). Am very happy in my field. Thank you so much.” even if he were to change his mind, Dosanjh cannot just jump into Indian politics. under section 6 of the Indian Citizenship Act, a foreign national can apply to seek Indian citizenship if he or she satisfies »COntinUed On PAGe 2 Kolkata Fundmanaged by12-member council,grants okayedbypanel ofsixofficials Mihir Vasavda contributions Mumbai, May 13 ₹37.02 cr Crackdown on illegal arms and explosives across state from May 16 l About 3 km away, a squash court at the Civil services OfficersInstitute(CsOI)sitsempty on a mid-week afternoon. scuff marks on the side walls hint at aneveningrush.Outside,asignboarddeclarestherulesofentry: no ID, no access. 2025-26 Bengal police to review all 2021 post-poll violence cases l Tucked inside new Moti Bagh, an upscale residential complex in Lutyens’ Delhi where many of India’s top bureaucrats live, children slice throughthewaterinatemperature-controlled pool beneath a transparent canopy. nearby, a teenager drills forehands on a gleaming tennis court. The facilities look public, but guards at the gate decide who gets in. ₹70.16 cr »COntinUed On PAGe 2 New Delhi, Mumbai, May 13 2024-25 depreciation. It closed at 95.71 to a us dollar on wednesday, losing almost 5 per cent since the beginning of the west Asia conflict. There are discussions already in the government about hiking petrol and diesel prices with global crude oil sizzling at over $100 a barrel and Mihir Vasavda ₹85.26 cr page 7 2023-24 TO PReseRVe foreign exchange, the government wednesday hiked the customs duty ongoldandsilverimportsfrom 5% to 10%, and Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) from 1% to 5%, taking the total effective import duty to 15%. This may be the first of a series of measures to bring stabilitytothecapitalaccountand prevent the rupee from further inside govt bans sugar export Official panel disbursed National Sports Development Fund money to build, refurbish sports facilities in showpiece New Delhi residential complex for bureaucrats. Funds also went to Civil Services Officers Institute ₹43.88 cr New Delhi, May 13 whole or a part of a piece of jewellery in place. Platinum findings will attract a 5.4% import duty. The effective import duty on platinum has also been increased to 15.4% from 6.4%. Additionally, a 3% Integrated GsT (IGsT) will be payable on all imports of precious metals in addition to the basic customs duty and AIDC. All these measures will help reduce outflows of foreign exchange; since the onset of the conflict, foreign exchange reserves have been depleted by almost $38 billion. Managing the current account credibly, financing it, 2022-23 Aanchal Magazine state-owned oil marketing companies suffering losses of almost Rs 1,000 crore to Rs 1,200 crore a day. The import duty hike on goldcomesinthewakeofPrime Minister narendra Modi’s call for austerity measures and appeal to citizens to reduce petroleumconsumption,avoidnonessentialforeigntravelandgold purchases for a year as part of measures to help the country deal with global disruptions and challenges. The government has also increased import duty on gold and silver findings to 5% – the findings are small components such as hooks, clasps, clamps, pins, screws used to hold the ₹15.13 cr Officials say move intended to curb non-essential imports, support rupee Ministry’s special fund is for top athletes, bureaucrats dip into it to upgrade their own sports facilities 2021-22 Gold, silver import duty now at 15% to secure forex expressinvestigation SoUrCe: rTI What is the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF)? The nsDF was established in 1998 under the Charitable endowments Act, 1890. It is fundedbydonations from the public and private sectors, non-Resident Indians (nRIs), and charities or non-profits, with contributions from the Government. E. »COntinUed On PAGe 15