FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW Page 4 New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar is likely to travel to the United States next week. It is reported that he will be attending the Critical Minerals Ministerial, hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, D.C., on 4 February. US Ambassador Sergio Gor had assured that India would be invited to join the US’s eight-nation Pax Silica “Silicon supply chain” next month, promising that the two countries also hoped to make progress on long-delayed trade negotiations, following months of tensions over trade, tariffs, and India’s import of Russian oil. “The United States and India are bound not just by shared interests, but by a relationship anchored at the highest levels,” Mr Gor said during his “arrival speech” on 12 January 2026. Listing the achievements of the Modi government, President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said the ruling dispensation has sent out a clear message through Operation Sindoor that any terrorist attack on India will receive a firm and decisive response, adding that it is only with the spirit of fearlessness that the security of the nation can be ensured. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Baramati, 28 January A jit Pawar, the powerful deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, died in a plane crash on Wednesday morning while the aircraft was landing at Baramati airport. The death of the Maratha strongman and nephew of Sharad Pawar, which is being seen as the end of an era, has shocked political circles and plunged the state of Maharashtra into mourning. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in paying tributes to the veteran politician. Modi has said that he is "shocked" by the "untimely" death and described pawar as a "leader of the people". Pawar and four others died after the chartered plane they were travelling in crashed at the airport in Baramati at around 9:15 a.m. As the plane landed, it reportedly developed a technical malfunction, caught fire, and crashed on the runway. Local administration, fire brigade teams, and emergency Sequence of events just before the crash Ajit Pawar’s business jet was cleared to land minutes before it crashed on Wednesday morning, according to the civil aviation ministry. The ministry stated that the Learjet 45 was instructed to descend under visual meteorological conditions, meaning there was enough visibility to navigate while keeping a safe distance from terrain and other aircraft, at the pilot’s discretion. New Delhi, 28 January The government is mulling a far more liberalised foreign direct investment (FDI) regime for its defence sector in the forthcoming budget. Top officials said that among a bunch of Budget proposals is a move to raise the FDI limit to 74 per cent under the automatic route for existing licensed defence manufacturers. “The move aims at accelerating technology inflows, joint ventures and domestic production in a strategically sensitive industry. We need to woo both capital and new technology into high-tech defence areas and this is one step which is being actively considered," a senior official said. The move would lift the current ceiling of 49 per cent for such firms and allow foreign investors to acquire majority stakes without requiring prior approval from either the Reserve Bank of India or the government. Currently, only new firms coming into high-tech defence manufacturing can apply for a 74 per cent FDI under the automatic route. Officials familiar with the discussions said the change is “also intended to create parity between new and existing licence-holders, while simplifying conditions that have long been seen as ambiguous or cumbersome.” The government is also considering dropping requirements such as the need to demonstrate access to “modern technology” for foreign investments beyond 74 per cent, which have often led to “subjective interpretations” affecting investments in key components needed for the defence industry. Besides giants like Lockheed Martin, GE, Thales, Dassault, Rostec conglomerate, the move is expected to help smaller The operator cleared the plane to land at 8:43 a.m. There was no response. “Shortly after, at 08:44 IST, ATC observed flames near the threshold of runway 11.” The wreckage came to rest on the left side of the runway. Baramati is an “uncontrolled airfield,” and does not have navigational aids to help pilots operate during low visibility. ATC functions are managed by flying schools. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has taken charge of the investigation. services rushed to the spot immediately. However, due to the intensity of the fire and multiple explosions, rescue efforts proved unsuccessful. The aircraft involved in the accident was a Learjet 45, operated by VSR Aviation, New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu’s reference to the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act during her address to a joint sitting of Parliament on Wednesday triggered protests from Opposition parties, who raised slogans demanding rollback of the law set to replace MGNREGA. The President was addressing a joint sitting of both the houses of Parliament ahead of the Budget Session when Opposition members objected to the scrapping of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). As slogans, such as “vapas lo” (roll back the Act), were raised, President Murmu had to take a brief pause. “India has proved that power can be used with responsibility and prudence. The world has witnessed the valour and prowess of the Indian Defence Forces during Operation Sindoor. Using its own resources our country destroyed the base During their approach to runway 11, the aircraft reported that the runway was not visible. They then executed a go-around. After the go-around, the aircraft was asked to report its position, and the crew confirmed they were on the final approach. “They were instructed to report when the runway was in sight. The crew replied, ‘The runway is currently not in sight; we will call when it is.’ A few seconds later, they reported that the runway was visible,” the ministry said. with registration number VT-SSK. The jet is commonly used for VVIP travel and is designed to carry 8–9 passengers. An eyewitness near Baramati airport said, "The aircraft appeared to skid while landing. Moments later, there was a camps of terrorists. The suspension of the Indus Water Treaty is also a part of India’s fight against terrorism,’’ she said, addressing a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on the opening day of the Budget Session. The President also stated that in line with the policy of the government, security forces have acted decisively against Maoist terror. For years, there has been an atmosphere of insecurity, fear and distrust in 126 districts of the country. Maoist ideology pushed the future of many generations into darkness. “Today, the challenge of Maoist terror has been reduced to just eight districts from 126 districts. Out of these, only three districts remain the most-affected. During the last one year, nearly two thousand individuals associated with Maoism have surrendered. This has brought back peace to the lives of lakhs of citizens,’’ she said, adding that the whole country is now witnessing transformation of the areas affected by Maoism. Govt weighs raising defence FDI cap to 74 pc in Budget push JAYANTA ROY CHOWDHURY Page 12 Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar dies in plane crash Oppn protests during President’s address, govt calls it deplorable: New Delhi, 28 January ‘I was lucky’ says Djokovic after setting up Australian Open semifinal against Sinner PERSPECTIVE President Murmu: Any terror attack on India will receive firm, decisive response ASHOK TUTEJA Thursday, 29 January 2026 India, Europe bet on each other’s future Page 9 EAM likely to travel to the USA next week: | Page 7 Shankaracharya ends his protest on the 11th day 2 federal officers fired shots during encounter that killed Alex Pretti BRIEFLY MUMBAI SPORTS WORLD NATION | firms making components and accessories for defence industry buy into Indian component manufacturing. European defence firms, which may feel reassured by the Security and Defence Partnership Agreement signed earlier this week and the ‘security of information’ agreement currently under negotiation, could be among the first to use the new facility, officials said. India currently imports around 70 per cent of its military hardware, despite rising defence budgets and an ambitious push to build an export-oriented domestic industrial base. Analysts said allowing up to 74 per cent FDI under the automatic route would enable global defence majors to secure controlling stakes more quickly, potentially unlocking larger capital commitments, faster decision-making and deeper technology transfers. Analysts see the move positively impacting larger groups such as Tata Advanced Systems, Mahindras, Larsen & Toubro as also smaller and mid-sized licensed manufacturers that are seeking capital to scale up production and exports. (Representational image) massive explosion and the plane was engulfed in flames. We rushed towards the site, but the fire was uncontrollable. There were several blasts. It was horrifying and impossible to save anyone." Ajit Pawar is survived by his wife Sunetra Pawar and sons Parth and Jai Pawar. Soon after news of the crash broke, Supriya Sule, Sunetra Pawar, and Parth Pawar immediately left for Baramati. Supriya Sule and Sunetra Pawar were in Delhi attending the Budget Session of Parliament and rushed back without delay. Also killed in the incident were Capt. Sumit Kapoor, Pilot-in-Command, with over 16,000 hours of flying experience, and Capt.Shambhavi Pathak, First Officer, Pinky Mali, flight attendant and Vidip Dilip Jadhav, Ajit Pawar’s personal security officeer (PSO). The civil aviation ministry, quoting the Air Traffic Control (ATC) official at Baramati airport, said Pawar’s jet was cleared to land a minute before it crashed. The ministry stated that the Learjet 45 was instructed to descend under visual meteorological conditions, meaning there was enough visibility to navigate while keeping a safe distance from terrain and other aircraft, at the pilot’s discretion. The ministry added that the flight crew had also asked about wind conditions and visibility. The crew was told that winds were calm and visibility was approximately 3,000 metres. “During the final approach to runway 11, the aircraft reported that the runway was not visible. They then executed a go-around on their first approach,” the ministry said in a statement. After the go-around, the aircraft was asked to report its position, and the crew confirmed they were on the final approach. “They were instructed to report when the runway was in sight. The crew replied, ‘The runway is currently not in sight; we will call when it is.’ A few seconds later, they reported that the runway was visible,” the ministry said. The aircraft was cleared to land on runway 11, but did not provide a readback of the clearance, the ministry said. “Shortly after, at 08:44 IST, ATC observed flames near the threshold of runway 11.” The wreckage came to rest on the left side of the runway. The ministry said Baramati is an “uncontrolled airfield,” with the ATC managed by flying schools. • Related reports: Page 5