BHUBANESWAR l sunday l august 09, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late CITY EDITION India plans high-risk mission to bring ‘Green Boots’ home India is seeking a specialist recovery team to retrieve the remains of Dorje Morup, a 48-yearold lance naik of ITBP, from Mt Everest’s summit Part of historic everest expedition For nearly 30 years, a body known as “Green Boots” has been frozen under a rock near Mount Everest’s summit. Morup was part of a historic 1996 ITBP expedition aiming to become the first Indian team to summit Everest from the Chinese side. Three climbers reached the top; but a blizzard claimed all three. Two bodies remain missing. The third was Morup’s ■ 300 tricky recovery has september deadline ■ Authorities hope to return Morup’s remains to his family in Ladakh for DNA confirmation and final closure, the BBC reported Recovery from the death zone at 8,500 metres is hazardous. Temperatures can fall to -40°C, and the Chinese side lacks helicopter evacuation. ITBP aims to complete the operation by September. at least 300 people have died in the region since records began CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI PM addresses IIT-D convocation; in UP, Rahul says no jobs available CM ends Delhi outreach with `66.3K crore investment pitch E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 57th Convocation of IIT Delhi, flanked by Education Minister Pralhad Joshi | PTI Badal party on BJP’s page on delimitation H a r p r ee t B a j w a @ Chandigarh A day after Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhir Singh Badal met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, triggering speculation about a SAD-BJP alliance for the 2027 Punjab assembly elections, the Akali party on Saturday demanded the immediate implementation of the women’s reservation bill and a fair and equitable delimitation to ensure equal representation to all states. “After detailed deliberations on key issues before Parliament, the SAD demands a fair and equitable delimitation that ensures equal representation to all states,” Badal said, adding his party supports the Union government’s proposal for a uniform increase of 50% seats across all states. SAD has just one MP in the Lok Sabha. Senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said his party had earlier opposed delimitation based on the 2011 Census, but after deliberations it decided to support the Centre’s proposal for a uniform expansion of seats. He was, however, cagey on an electoral alliance with the BJP in Punjab. Responding to questions on Arvind Kejriwal’s claims on a possible tie-up, he said it shows the fear of AAP. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi interacts with students in Prayagraj on Saturday | PTI Question Dard, data, ideas, Modi daulat pitch tells Gen Z by Rahul I f r a h M u f t i @New Delhi N a m i ta b a j pa i @ Lucknow ADDRESSING the 57th convocation of IIT Delhi on Saturday Prime Minister Narendra Modi ex, horted graduating students to question ideas accepted without a thought while stressing that they should not stop at questioning but summon the courage to find solutions too. Challenges, he said, become opportunities for only those who innovate boldly . Returning in person to IIT-D after a virtual address during the pandemic, the prime minister told the Class of 2026 that an IIT education’s true value lies beyond degrees, CGPA or placements. “Your degree tells the entire world that you know exactly how to solve highly difAmidst all this ficult problems,” he said. rapid change, The PM recalled IIT-D’s remember hostel rivalries among Kumy words: the maon, Aravali, Karakoram, Vindhyachal, Nilgiri, Kaione who lash and Himadri, and locontinuously cal favourites like Jia learns is the one Sarai’s poha and Satpura who will win mess parathas, saying campus memories would enerNarendra Modi, gise them amid future Prime Minister responsibilities. He advised students to keep their curiosity alive in life.”The fundamental reason for the success of many alumni was that they boldly identified those crucial questions which the world had stopped considering as questions.” The university conferred degrees on over 3,000 graduating students, including 587 PhD scholars, during the ceremony which also saw , the first graduating batches of Bachelor of Design, Executive MBA, MSc in Biological Sciences and MA in Culture, Society Thought. , Of the 587 PhD graduates, 245 were women, on which PM Modi said it would have been “a little nicer” to see one or two more daughters on that list, before correcting himself: “not one or two, but far more.” Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday described India’s youth as the country’s “greatest strength,” asserting their power was unmatched and unparalleled. Addressing the ‘Chhatron ki Goonj’ programme in Prayagraj, he told a large gathering of students and competitive exam aspirants: “You are the power and pride of India. When I say this, I am talking about every Indian citizen.” The Congress leader said nations like China, America and Russia were often called major global powers, yet their strength paled in comparision to the potential of Indian youth. In a nearly 20-minute adToday, education dress, he took a jibe at the certificates have education system, noting that families spent hardno meaning in earned money on BA and India because MA degrees that failed to they cannot give generate employment. Only a dozen out of every 1,000 you jobs. All youngsters, he claimed, sedoors of cured permanent jobs. employment “This evening, I want to are closed speak to you about dard (pain), data, and daulat Rahul Gandhi, LoP (wealth),” Rahul said. He argued that all doors of employment were “closed”, blaming a decline in manufacturing, difficulties in securing loans, exam paper leaks and artificial intelligence replacing jobs for hurting young people’s prospects. Despite waterlogging and muddy patches at the venue, the event drew a sizeable crowd. On the recent student protests across the country, Rahul said the youth had “lit a light in the darkness” by confronting their fears and, in doing so, helped change the nation. “We will never resort to hatred or violence. We will change the system with love and affection,” he said, urging the audience to follow the same path. Students present at the venue raised concerns about hostel problems and competitive examinations. India opts for France-led FCAS to enter sixth-generation fighter race J a v a r i a R a n a @ New Delhi India has begun efforts to join France’s sixthgeneration fighter programme, choosing its Future Combat Air System (FCAS) over the rival British-Italian-Japanese Global Combat Air Prog ramme (GCAP), as it seeks a foothold in next-generation combat aviation. In its Action Taken submission to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, the defence ministry said it had “initiated efforts in a concerted manner to co-join” FCAS, a programme spearheaded by the French government. The disclosure, contained in the committee’s Twenty-Fifth Report for 2025-26 tabled in the Lok Sabha on Friday provides , clarity on a choice the ministry had left open in March. It had then told the committee that the Indian Air Force was looking to join one of the two competing sixth-generation fighter programmes. The move comes as major military powers race to develop combat aircraft designed around stealth, artificial intel- No clarity on nature of participation There is no clarity yet on the precise form of participation in FCAS, including whether it is seeking an observer role, a development partnership, production workshare or access to specific tech. The panel has sought a “status report, roadmap, timeline” on the sixth-gen programme in its next submission ligence (AI), advanced sensors, electronic warfare and mannedunmanned teaming. Unlike conventional fighter programmes, sixth-generation systems are being developed as a “system of systems”, with the crewed fighter expected to operate alongside unmanned aircraft, remote carriers and other networked assets while receiving and sharing data across the battlespace. The technology has growing relevance for India as China expands its air-combat capabilities. The People’s Liberation Army Air Force operates the J-20 and J-35 stealth fighter and is developing a wider ecosystem involving unmanned systems, long-range weapons, airborne sensors and electronic warfare capabilities. It has also flown two prototypes of its sixth-gen fighters. The choice of France also comes against the backdrop of a rapidly expanding bilateral defence ties. FCAS was originally conceived by France, Germany and Spain as a broader combat system comprising a new-generation fighter, unmanned remote carriers, advanced sensors and a combat cloud. The fighter was intended to eventually replace France’s Rafale and the Eurofighter. It was, however, was hit by disagreements between French company Dassault Aviation and Airbus over the division of work, development leadership and intellectual property . fcra bill missing from govt house agenda Proposed legislation finds no mention in agenda for Monday’s Business Advisory Committee meeting, as Opposition seeks withdrawal | P7 The state government’s investment outreach in DelhiNCR region, led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, has secured investment proposals worth `66,392 crore with a potential to generate 54,135 jobs. The chief minister’s outreach resulted in 38 MoUs worth `64,703 crore with an estimated employment of 46,071. Another `1,689 crore came through investment intention forms (IIFs), which could generate 8,064 jobs. Majhi’s engagements focused on manufacturing, engineering goods, textiles and apparel, aluminium downstream industries, electronics, consumer durables and allied supply chains. The state government said the discussions were aimed at converting investor interest into projects, strengthening local value chains and creating employment opportunities. On the second day, Majhi visited the Haier manufacturing facility in Noida, where he interacted with senior company officials and technicians and got to know its manufacturing processes. The visit also explored opportunities for strengthening Odisha’s ecosystem for electron- CM Mohan Charan Majhi and minister Sampad Chandra Swain along with officials at the Haier manufacturing facility in Noida on Saturday Odisha is building an ecosystem where the industries can grow, create jobs and build long-term values. The focus is not merely attracting capital but also strengthening local supply chain Mohan Charan Majhi, Chief Minister ics, consumer durables, ancillary industries and supply-chain development. “Odisha is building an ecosystem where the industries can grow, create jobs and build long-term values,” Majhi said and added that the state’s focus is not merely attracting capital but also creating employment and strengthening local supply chain. The chief minister subsequently held one-on-one meetings with industry leaders in Noida and discussed expansion plans, investment opportunities and sector spe- Man set ablaze over land US V-P dials dispute in Sundargarh PM Modi village, battles for life J aya n t h j a c o b @ New Delhi him on fire and fled the spot. Bibhisan said Kanhu screamed in pain before local A 35-year-old man is battling for villagers rescued him and his life after two miscreants al- rushed him to the Lahunipada legedly set him on fire over a community health centre land dispute at a village under (CHC). He was later shifted to Lahunipada police limits in Rourkela Government HospiSundargarh district tal and subsequently early on Saturday . admitted to IGH after The victim, Kanhu his condition Charan Mahanta, susdeteriorated. Bibhisan said Kanhu tained critical burn injointly owns a piece of juries and is undergoroadside land with his ing treatment at Ispat brother. “However, a General Hospital (IGH) portion of the land has in Rourkela. The inciKanhu Charan been encroached upon dent took place at GaniMahanta, victim by a private fuel filling gasha village in Bonai station without his consub-division. The two suspects who alleg- sent or knowledge. Kanhu was edly poured petrol on Kanhu set ablaze due to enmity over have been detained by police for the land dispute,” he alleged. He also claimed that Kanhu questioning. Kanhu was out for a walk in worked as a Gajasathi volunteer. the morning when the two ac- However, Bonai forest officials cused arrived on a motorcycle refuted the claim. Lahunipada and dragged him to a nearby IIC Prashant Pradhan said the nullah, where they allegedly investigation was underway forced petrol into his mouth from all angles. “The victim is and poured it over his body said able to speak and police are try, the victim’s brother-in-law Bib- ing to record his statement,” he Continued on P5 hisan Mahanta. They then set added.  E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Rourkela No UPI user fee for consumers: Govt E x p r e s s ne w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi THE government on Saturday reiterated that consumers will not have to pay any fee for making UPI payments and that a vast majority of merchant transactions will continue to remain free, even if merchant discount rate (MDR) is introduced in the future. The clarification came after Parliament passed the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to amend Section 10A of the Pay- cific requirements. Three sector-focused roundtables provided another platform for investor engagement. The engineering goods manufacturing session, organised with the Indian Industries Association, explored industrial infrastructure, ancillary development and supplychain integration. The textile and apparel roundtable, organised with the Noida Apparel Export Cluster, focused on manufacturing, exports, skilled manpower and employment-intensive investments.Continued on P5 ment and Settlement Systems Act (PSS Act), enabling introduction of MDR on UPI transactions. The government said the amendment does not impose any charges on UPI transactions. Any MDR, if introduced, would apply only to a limited set of merchant transactions ab ove a s p e c i f i e d threshold and at a nominal rate, significantly lower than MDRs applicable to debit and credit cards. “All person-to-person transactions will continue to be free of charge,” the govern- ment said in a statement, adding that the vast majority of merchant transactions would also remain free. Once the amendment comes into force, the UPI and Services Steering Committee, headed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), will decide on the MDR, if any . The amendment is an enabling provision to ensure longterm sustainability of UPI, rather than an immediate move to impose charges on users or merchants, the government said. A similar clarification was issued by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday, followed by the Payments Council of India on Friday . US Vice President JD Vance rang up Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday as India and the United States seek to steady bilateral ties and maintain momentum in their strategic partnership. During the phone call, the two leaders “reviewed progress in the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership” and “noted the sustained momentum in the high-level engagements,” according to an official release. They “reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation in trade, defence, critical and emerging technologies, energy security and critical minerals,” the release said. Modi and Vance also exchanged views on regional and global developments of mutual interest. Modi later said in a post on X: “Received a phone call from US Vice President JD Vance. We discussed ways to deepen IndiaUS Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.” The Prime Minister also congratulated Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, on the birth of their son. express read Melanistic tiger dies in Similipal, dept on alert Bhubaneswar: A five-year-old melanistic tigress has died in the core area of Similipal Tiger Reserve, putting wildlife officials on alert over possible spread of disease. The severely-ill tigress, identified as T43, was spotted by patrolling staff near Jatiani camp under the Upper Barakhamuda (UBK) range of Similipal South Division on Thursday afternoon | P2 WITH THIS ISSUE The Brain Game Brigade PLUS 12 P AGES