@thegoanonline TUESDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2026 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 226 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 3 2 BITS Pilani rocked by another suicide, 6th death in 13 mths SDM extends sealing of Sunni Gulistan Masjid till February 7 GOA INFO New medical college to be set up in Pernem, says Sawant Vaccines and cancer prevention: What every Indian family must know  20-YEAR-OLD ENGINEERING STUDENT FROM BENGALURU FOUND DEAD IN HOSTEL ROOM  SUICIDE NOTE FOUND THE GOAN I NETWORK VASCO In yet another shocking incident at the BITS Pilani Goa Campus, a 20-year-old student from Bengaluru was found dead in her hostel room on Sunday night. Sixth deaths have been reported at the institution in the last 13 months, raising yet again serious concerns over student safety and mental health on the campus. The deceased, identified as Vaishnavi, was a third-year Electronics & Communication Engineering and was reportedly under depression. Police sources said the incident came to light late at night after Verna police received a phone call from BITS Pilani PRO Arjun Halankar reporting a suspected suicide on the campus. A Verna police team rushed to the spot and found the student dead in her room. According to information with the police, preliminary inquiries have revealed that >PG 6 CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN GOA: A GROWING CRISIS A NEW CHAPTER: GOA SET FOR ITS FIRST BOOK FESTIVAL IN SHORT >> Church body flags anti-conversion law NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre and 12 States, including Rajasthan and Arunachal Pradesh, on a fresh PIL filed by the National Council of Churches in India challenging the validity of their respective anti-conversion laws. >> See pg 7 Shigmotsav to begin on March 5 PANAJI: The 14-day-long traditional Shigmotsav will begin from Ponda on March 5, as the Tourism Department on Monday held a marathon meeting focusing on ensuring the smooth and successful execution of the annual celebrations.  >> See pg 5 WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: 33.3 C 20.5 C 80% STUDENT DEATHS AT BITS PILANI Are SC norms being implemented? DEC 2024: Om Singh, second-year student died by suicide AUG 2025: Kushagra Jain, third-year student found dead in hostel MAR 2025: Atharv Desai, third-year dual degree student ended his life SEPT 2025: Rishi Nair, a second-year student found dead MAY 2025: Krishna FEB 2026: Vaishnavi, a Kasera found dead in hostel third-year student ends life room in hostel a suicide note was recovered from the room. Police sources stated that the student was undergoing depression. “The parents of the deceased arrived in Goa for post-mortem formalities. Verna police conducted the panchanama at the spot. Statements of the parents as well as fellow students have been recorded. The post-mortem examination has been conducted and the body has been handed over to the family for final rites. A suicide note was found at the site and further verification is being carried out,” a police source said. Verna police have registered a case of unnatural death under Section 194 of the BNSS. An inquiry has been initiated to ascertain the circumstances that led the student to take the extreme step. Police said the contents of the suicide note and the stu- MARGAO: As another student of BITS Pilani, Goa, died on campus, a familiar and troubling question has resurfaced for the administration and education stakeholders alike: Are the Supreme Court’s norms on student mental health and suicide prevention being implemented in Goa—and if so, are they being followed in both letter and spirit? Following widespread outrage last year, South Goa District Collector Egna Cleetus, IAS, initiated steps to implement the apex court’s guidelines on student mental health at BITS Pilani. However, questions remain over whether these directions have been extended to other educational institutions in the State, particularly higher education institutions.  >> See pg 2 >> ON PAGE 2 BITS IMPLEMENTED MENTAL HEALTH MEASURES AFTER EARLIER DEATH: COLLECTOR AFTER SIXTH DEATH, BITS PRESSED FOR ANSWERS DEATH SPARKS OUTRAGE dent’s academic and personal background are being examined as part of the investigation. The investigation is being AFTER BUDGET LETDOWN… Govt may take debt route to fund Kushavati district Eyes 50-year interest-free central scheme THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI With Goa’s key demand for special central funding for the newly notified Kushavati district remaining unaddressed in the Union Budget 2026–27, the State government is now exploring the option of borrowing under the Centre’s 50-year interest-free Special Assistance to Capital Investment (SACI) scheme to meet the capital and developmental requirements of the third district. The proposed borrowings will also be used to fund the State’s industrial corridors project. During a pre-Budget meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had sought an overall budgetary support of around Rs 4,000 crore for Goa. A key demand was a special allocation of Rs 500 crore for Kushavati district, which the government projected as a major administrative reform Goa sets sights on `5,570 cr from Centre PANAJI: Amid Opposition allegations that Goa’s demands were overlooked in the Union Budget, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said the State is set to gain substantially, announcing Rs 5,570 crore as direct benefit from tax devolution from the Centre for FY 2026–27, in addition to Rs 3,000-Rs 4,000 crore towards road infrastructure development. Addressing a press conference, Sawant described the Union Budget 2026–27 as a “visionary budget” that lays the foundation for Viksit Bharat 2047. He said Goa will benefit across multiple sectors, including tourism, MSMEs, agriculture-particularly coconut and cashew promotion and infrastructure.   >> See pg 3 aimed at improving governance delivery in interior and fast-growing regions. The State had stressed that early central assistance was critical for setting up offices, connectivity and essential public services. Speaking to media, Sawant admitted that the special funding for the district did not materialise in the Budget. He said the required infrastructure and administrative setup would now be undertaken using funds borrowed under the interest-free scheme. “This is a 50-year interest-free loan. Under this scheme, we can borrow more than Rs 500 crore to carry out the necessary administrative changes,” he said. The Chief Minister also said the government would fund its Rs 1,000-crore industrial >Continued on P9 carried out under the supervision of Verna police inspector Anand Shirodkar and the >Continued on P9 Trump announces trade deal with India, cuts tariffs 14 Chhetri-led Bengaluru FC players agree to pay cuts for truncated ISL Beware! AI cams to monitor key junctions in South Goa Surveillance to go live by month-end THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Fourteen junctions in South Goa will come under artificial intelligence-based traffic surveillance in the first phase of the State’s ambitious road safety enforcement drive, with AI-enabled signals and cameras set to begin live monitoring by February-end. The rollout is a part of a wider plan covering 92 locations across Goa under an integrated, technology-driven traffic management system. Transport Director Pravimal Abhishek said that the AI-based Traffic Management System and e-challaning project are currently in the testing stage and will be activated in phases. “Testing is going on and these locations will be made live by this month-end. The system is capable of detecting both static and dynamic violations. It will automatically generate challans,” he said, speaking to The Goan. The first-phase rollout in South Goa will cover major traffic junctions including Old Market junction, Fatorda junction, Arlem Circle, BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING! „„Major junctions in South Goa including Old Market, Fatorda, Arlem Circle, Bolshe Circle, Munj Vihara, Power House, Gorvotti, Goa Ceramic, Tata Showroom, Nuvem Bypass, Loutolim (Missing Link), Navelim, Bellem, Birla Cross to be covered in Phase-1 „„Remaining junctions will be added in a phased manner as testing and calibration finish „„AI-enabled system uses evidence-based enforcement and reduces manual policing, provides 24x7 monitoring „„Capable of detecting violations like triple-seat riding, number plate irregularities etc Bolshe Circle, Munj Vihara, Power House Circle, Gorvotti junction, Goa Ceramic junction, Tata showroom junction, Nuvem bypass junction, the Missing Link at Loutolim, Navelim junction, Bellem junction and Birla Cross junction. In North Goa, the Merces junction has also been included under the larger project framework. Abhishek said the remaining identified junctions across the State will be brought under live surveillance in a phased manner as testing and calibration are completed. As per details shared with the media last week, the AI-enabled system is designed to rely on evidence-based enforcement, reducing dependence on manual policing while ensuring round-the-clock monitoring. The smart cameras, the Director had said, will be capable of detecting a wide range of traffic violations, including triple-seat riding, number plate irregularities and other offences. The decision to revive the >Continued on P9 INDIA MATCH BOYCOTT `2,300 CR SHOCK LOOMS FOR PAK With a few days to go for the T20 World Cup, Pakistan’s decision to sit out against India has put PCB on a collision course with serious ICC sanctions PTI WASHINGTON The United States and India have agreed to a trade deal, US President Donald Trump said on Monday after a phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, announcing a cut in reciprocal tariffs and deeper economic cooperation. Trump said the US will reduce its reciprocal tariff on Indian goods to 18 per cent from 25 per cent, under the new agreement, in a bid to strengthen bilateral trade ties. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump described Modi as 'one of my greatest friends' and said the deal includes commitments by India to reduce its own tariffs and non-tariff barriers, and to buy more American goods, particularly in energy, technology and agriculture. The announcement also referenced India's potential shift away from Russian oil purchases, part of broader discussions that touched on geopolitical issues including the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The agreement marks a significant development in US-India economic relations amid ongoing negotiations over trade and tariff barriers.  >> See pg 9 11 SPORTS FINANCIAL LOSS India-Pak match valued at Rs 2300 cr PCB may be forced to bear entire amount PCB risks losing share of ICC distributions IMPACT ON PSL Pak will find it difficult in getting NOCs for overseas players for its PSL Hardline stance may potentially isolate PCB in global cricket ICC RELATIONS log on to thegoan.net PCB reportedly has little support within ICC Agreements with other cricket boards could come under strain Locals turn up heat on Bondvoll lake, give govt one week to act THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Escalating their agitation over alleged inaction by authorities to protect the notified wetland, St Cruz villagers have threatened to launch a hunger strike if the government fails to notify the influence zone of Bondvol lake within a week. The villagers who gathered at Azad Maidan in Panaji on Monday further alleged that the authorities ignored repeated representations seeking immediate notification of the zone of influence around the lake. They alleged that permissions for construction are being granted beyond 50 metres from the wetland, in violation of the spirit of the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, despite the High Court recommending an influence zone of 200 metres around Bondvol lake. The protesters also stated that while there are clear national guidelines for wetland conservation, these are being misinterpreted at the State >Continued on P9 Minister passes the buck, points to Govt: CEC overstepped SC mandate on tiger reserve local bodies to handle stray dogs GOA’S SUBMISSIONS IN SUPREME COURT THE GOAN I NETWORK SAYS HIS DEPT IS ONLY A SCHEME FACILITATOR THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA Amid mounting public concern and sharp observations by the Supreme Court over rising dog-bite incidents, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Minister Nilkant Halarnkar said the responsibility for setting up shelters and relocating stray dogs in Goa rests with municipal bodies and village panchayats, not his department. Clarifying the State government’s role amid rising concern over stray dog attacks, A YEAR ON, GOA’S FEROCIOUS DOG POLICY REMAINS TOOTHLESS >> See pg 3 Halarnkar said the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) and the Directorate of Panchayats are the competent authorities to set up dog shelters and ensure the relocation of stray animals after sterilisation and vaccination. “The Animal Husbandry department functions only as a facilitator for implementing the Goa Small Animal Rescue Management Scheme through local bodies. We provide Grant-in-Aid, but the operational responsibility lies with the municipal councils and village panchayats,” the minister said. He informed that the department extends financial assistance under the scheme to several non-governmental organisations, including People for Animals, Noah’s Animal Care Shelter, Panjim Animal Welfare Society, Goa Animal >Continued on P9 PANAJI he Goa government strongly contended before the Supreme Court alleging that the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) while recommending tiger reserve in the State, acted beyond the scope of authority granted to it by the apex court. The Court has listed the matter for further hearing on February 16. In its submissions, the State argued that the CEC “enlarged the scope of its enquiry” and proceeded well beyond the mandate laid down in the Supreme Court’s order dated September 8, 2025. The government maintained that the CEC was expected to T „„CEC was required to conduct limited, objective inquiry, not issue binding directions „„CEC directed State to notify a tiger reserve, an action it had no authority to take „„Directions issued under the guise of recommendations, which is impermissible „„Reference to CEC was limited to examining whether Cotigao-Mhadei forest complex should be notified as tiger reserve under conduct a limited and objective examination, but instead issued what were effectively directions to notify a tiger reserve-an action it claims the committee had no authority to take. Wildlife Section „„CEC failed to first assess existence and status of tigers in the region „„Report focused disproportionately on local inhabitants, relocation issues „„Report rests on erroneous assumption that notifying a tiger reserve was inevitable „„Threshold question -- whether a tiger reserve should be notified at all --was completely bypassed “Under the guise of making recommendations, the CEC has issued directions to the petitioners to notify a tiger reserve for areas identified in the report,” the State said, adding that such directions “clearly fall outside the scope of the authority vested in the CEC by this Court.” The State government clarified that the specific issue referred to the CEC was whether, based on prevailing facts and circumstances, the Cotigao– Mhadei forest complex -- comprising five protected areas --ought to be notified as a tiger reserve under Section 38-V(1) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. These protected areas include the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhagwan Mahavir National Park, Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary, and Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary. However, the State contended that instead of first examining the existence and status of the tiger population in the region, the CEC focused disproportionately on the presence of local inhabitants. >Continued on P9