CMYK JUNE 25 SATURDAY 32 32 An aged couple runs for shelter after being caught in rains at Chittaranjan Avenue in Central Kolkata on Friday. 27 Precipition: 80% Humidity: 89% Wind: 19 KM/H PAGE 3 Rs. 3 KOLKATA SATURDAY , 25 JUNE, 2022 PG-12, YEAR—8, ISSUE—391 (RNI NO.: WBENG / 2014 / 56803) Presidential poll: Draupadi Murmu files nomination in Modi's presence Government to bring e-passports for easier travel MI News Service, New Delhi: candidate Draupadi Murmu on Friday filed her nomination for the post of President in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior BJP and alliance leaders. Murmu filed her papers in the chamber of the Rajya Sabha Secretary General and the Returning Officer in the Parliament House complex. PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Pralhad Joshi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Assam MI News Service, New Delhi: The Central government is working to roll out e-Passports to make easier international travel and enable protection against identity theft and greater data security, the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday. Reaffirming the government’s commitment to improving citizen experience and public delivery, Jaishankar delivered a message on the occasion of the ‘Passport Seva Divas’. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), along with the Central Passport Organization, have been marking this occasion and renewing our commitment to provide passport and passport-related services to citizens of India in a timely, reliable, accessible, transparent and efficient manner. The external affairs minister noted that passport services were rendered even during the testing times of the Covid-19 pandemic. “I am happy to note that passport services were rendered with the same vigour and enthusiasm even during the testing times of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Ministry rose to the occasion to meet the increased demand for passport services built up due to two and half years of the pandemic, and dealt it swiftly with an impressive monthly average of 9.0 lakhs, with 4.50 lakhs additional applications granted in the last one month, thus setting a record,” Jaishankar said.“As we commemorate the Passport Seva Divas on 24th June this year, we continue our commitment to deliver the next level of citizen experience,” he added. Jaishankar also mentioned that the government has been very successful in simplifying the passport rules and procedures for the citizens.He also informed that the Passport Seva System has also been integrated with the DigiLocker system to facilitate a paperless documentation process. According to sources, the Ministry in collaboration with the Department of Posts operationalized 428 Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs).As per sources, the Passport Seva Programme (PSP) will be embarking on PSP V2.0, an improved and upgraded version of PSP V1.0, which would ensure a digital ecosystem among all stakeholders and offer enhanced passport services to citizens. India sends aid to quake-hit Afghanistan CMYK Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sawat, besides the Chief Ministers of other BJPruled states, many minis- Jairam Thakur, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Goa Chief Minister Pramod ters of the Modi cabinet, MPs and BJP veterans were present ❑ Continue PG 3 IAF starts registration for ‘Agnipath’ MI News Service: Indian Air Force started Bharat Sevashram Sangha sends cooked food aid to flood-hit Assam on a bamboo-shaft. Thousands of people are affected in the fresh flood in Assam recently. 'Devoid of merit', SC junks Zakia Jafri's plea against clean chit to Modi in 2002 Gujarat riots MI News Service, New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the appeal filed by Zakia Jafri, wife of Congress leader Ehsan Jafri who was killed during the violence at Ahmedabad's Gulberg Society in 2002, challenging the SIT's clean chit to the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and others during the riots in the state. A bench headed by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and comprising Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and C.T. Ravikumar upheld the decision of the magistrate in accepting the final report submitted by the SIT and rejecting the protest petition. The bench said the appeal filed by Zakia Jafri is "devoid of merits and deserved to be dismissed". Detailed judgment in the matter will be uploaded later in the day. In December last year, the top court had reserved the verdict on Jafri's plea. During the hearing, senior advocate Mukul Ro- hatgi, appearing for the SIT, submitted that the top court should endorse the decision taken by the Gujarat High Court on Jafri's plea. He added that it will become an endless exercise, being pushed by some motives of social activist Teesta Setalvad -- the second petitioner in the petition. Concluding the arguments, Rohatgi submitted before the bench that nobody had "raised a finger" against it on the probe in the 2002 Gujarat riots. Jafri challenged the 2017 Gujarat High Court order rejecting her ❑ Continue PG 3 Modi to attend G7 meet in Germany on June 26 MI News Service, New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Germany at the invitation of Chancellor of Germany, H.E. Mr. Olaf Scholz, for the G7 Summit under the German Presidency on June 26-27, 2022. During the Summit, Prime Minister is expected to speak in two sessions that include environment, energy, climate, food, security, health, gender Equality and democracy. In an honest endeavour to strengthen international collaboration on these important issues, other democratic nations such as Argentina, Indonesia, Senegal and South Africa have also been invited. On the sidelines of the Summit, Prime Minister will hold bilateral meetings with leaders of some of the participating countries as well. The invitation to G7 Summit is in MI News Service, New Delhi: The Centre has dispatched 27 tons of emergency relief assistance to earthquake-hit Afghanistan, Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday. "In the wake of tragic earthquake that struck Afghanistan on June 22, 2022 causing massive destruction and loss of precious lives, the Government of India, as a true first responder, has dispatched 27 tons of emergency relief assistance in two flights for the people of Afghanistan", an MEA statement said. The relief assistance to Afghanistan includes essential items such as family ridge tents, sleeping bags, blankets, sleeping mats, etc. As per the report, the relief consignment will be handed over to the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and Afghan keeping with the tradition of strong and close partnership and high-level political contacts between India and Germany. Prime Minister’s last visit to Germany was on May 2, 2022 for the sixth edition of the India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations. According to MEA source, after attending the G7 Summit, Prime Minister will be travelling to United Arab Emirates (UAE) on June 28 2022 to pay his personal condolences on the passing away of H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the former UAE President and Abu Dhabi Ruler. The MEA sources also said that PM will also take the opportunity to congratulate H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on his election as the new President of UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi. Red Crescent Society (ARCS) in Kabul. "As always, India stands in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, with whom we share centuries old ties, and remains firmly committed to providing immediate relief assistance for the Afghan people", the ministry said. India has also deployed a technical team in Embassy of India, Kabul. Indian technical team reached Kabul on Thursday. "In order to closely monitor and coordinate the efforts of various stakeholders for the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance and in continuation of our engagement with the Afghan people, an Indian technical team has reached Kabul and has been deployed in our Embassy there", the MEA had said on Thursday. the registration process for recruitment under the Agnipath scheme on Friday which will continue till July 5. The online examination will be held on July 24. As per the IAF notification issued, “The age group must be between 17.5 years to 21 years. “Candidates born between 29 December 1999 and 29 June 2005 (both days inclusive) are eligible to apply. In case, a candidate clears all the stages of the Selection Procedure, then the upper age limit as on date of enrolment is 23 years.” In a notification, the IAF gave important dates for interested candidates to apply under the scheme.The candidates will be selected on the basis of online test, physical fitness test (PFT), adaptability test-I, adaptability testII and medical examination. The notification further stated, “Agniveervayu will be enrolled in the Indian Air Force under Air Force Act 1950 for a period of four years. Agniveervayu would form a distinct rank in the Indian Air Force, different from any other existing ranks. Indian Air Force is not obliged to retain Agniveervayu beyond the engagement period of four years.” The notification further added that the Agniveervayu will not have any right to be selected for further enrolment into the Indian Air Force. Selection of the Agniveervayu for further enrolment, if any, shall be at the discretion of the Indian Air Force, it added.