DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA REG.NO. MCS/067/2018 - 20 RNI REGN. NO. 1543/57 JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2024, MUMBAI, LATE CITY, 16 PAGES BUSINESS AS USUAL ● `5.00 ● WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 DOVALANDWANGTOMEET early for boundary talks IMPORTANTTOHANDLE differences, disputes: Modi BOTHATKEYPHASEINOUR progress... world watching: Xi Modi-Xi handshake BY UNNY POLL RESHUFFLE DGP office seeks list of Mumbai police officers eligible for transfer MOHAMED THAVER MUMBAI, OCTOBER 23 A MAJOR reshuffle is on the cards in Mumbai police after the DGP’s office Wednesday sought a list of officers who fit the criterion for transfer, in the wake of Assembly polls in Maharashtra. Sources said that around 250 officers from police stations and SP,DIGandIG-levelofficers,who have served three of the last four years in Mumbai police in executive posts, will be transferred. Transfers are likely in Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) andNaviMumbaipoliceCommissionerates. Themovewassetin motionbynearly50policestation officers who approached Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) against their transfer alleging that some other officershadnotbeentransferred. These officers had been transferred last month after the Election Commission pulled up theMaharashtragovernmenton Peace on border our priority: Modi and Xi after their first bilateral meeting in 5 yrs With 85 seats each, MVA strikes deal, consensus eludes on 33 constituencies SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 23 TAKING THE first step to revive bilateral ties frozen ever since Chinese incursions in eastern Ladakh over four-and-a-half years ago triggered a military standoff along the Line of Actual Control,PrimeMinisterNarendra Modi and President Xi Jinping held talks Wednesday and underlinedthat“maintainingpeace onbordershouldbeourpriority” and “mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity should be the basis of our ties”. While both Modi and Xi emphasised the “importance of properly handling differences and disputes”, Xi also called for “more communication and cooperation” and said “people in our two countries and the international community are paying great attention to our meeting”. Meeting in Russia’s Kazan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, the two leaders welcomed the agreement between their countriesonpatrollingalongthe LAC as part of a process they hope will eventually lead to disengagement and de-escalation. Foreign Secretary Vikram MisrisaidSpecialRepresentatives on the India-China boundary CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi at a press conference in Mumbai on Wednesday. Express ALOK DESHPANDE & VALLABH OZARKAR MUMBAI, OCTOBER 23 PM Narendra Modi meets Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan on Wednesday. ANI The first steps THE BORDER patrolling pact and the bilateral meeting between the leaders of the two countries are the first steps aimed at eventual disengagement and de-escalation. At the same time, the two sides hope to revive ties frozen since the start of the standoff. We support dialogue & diplomacy, not war... no double standards on terror: PM SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 23 CALLING FOR “single-minded, firm support of all” to “counter terrorism and terror financing” andmakingclearthat“thereisno placefordoublestandardsonthis serious matter”, Prime Minister NarendraModitoldleadersofthe BRICS grouping Wednesday that India supports “dialogue and diplomacy, not war”. In his statement at the BRICS leaders’ summit in Kazan, Modi framed the challenges of the time: “Our meeting is taking place at a time when the world is facing several pressing challenges such as wars, economic uncertainty, climate change and terrorism. The world is talking about the North-South divide and the East-West divide. Preventing inflation, ensuring food security, energy security, health security, water security are matters of priority for all countries in the world. And in this era of technology, new challenges have emerged such as CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 WITHLESSthanaweektogobefore nominations close in Maharashtra for next month’s Assembly polls, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance on Wednesday announced a compromise formula to keep contentious seats aside for now and declared a seatsharing agreeDECISION ment for 255 of 2024 the 288 conMAHARASHTRA stituencies in the state,witheachof the three parties in the coalition getting 85 seats. There is still no decision on 33 seats after two days of marathon meetings. Both the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) of Uddhav Thackerayhavestakedaclaimto more than 100 seats each. “No consensushasyetbeenreached. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NCP list: Ajit from Baramati AJAYJADHAV,MANOJ MORE&ALOKDESHPANDE PUNE,OCTOBER23 PUTTINGSPECULATIONStorest, the NCP on Wednesday announced that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will contest the Assembly elections from Baramati,while declaring the Ajit Pawar party’s first list of 38 candidates. Setting the stage for the second political fightwithinthefamily,AjitPawar is likely to be challenged by his nephew Yugendra Pawar of the NCP(SP)inthePawarstronghold. “Yes, Ajit Pawar will file his nomination from Baramati on CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 7th Remembrance Seva Parmo Dharma IN CONVERSATION Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya Scindia in conversation with Vandita Mishra, National Opinion Editor, The Indian Express, and Rishi Raj, Executive Editor, The Financial Express, at the Express Adda in New Delhi. Renuka Puri To get cheetahs better suited for home, India goes to Kenya 24/10/2024 99 PAGE 1 ANCHOR 127 157 75 NIKHIL GHANEKAR NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 23 DECISION 2024 ● Sena UBT releases first list of 65 candidates, renominates 14 MLAs ● Raj Thackeray fields son, sets a target on Uddhav’s Sena ● Shinde picks 37 of 41 MLAs who chose him PAGES 4 & 7 WITH SOURCING of cheetahs on agenda, a four-member delegation of the Union Environment Ministry and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is in Kenya to discuss finalisation of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on wildlife conservation. Under the ambitious Project Cheetah, which saw the intercontinental translocation of African cheetahs to Madhya Pradesh,thegovernment’saimis tointroduceeightto14cheetahs each year, subject to availability. A draft of the MoU was first exchanged and discussed by officials of the two countries in May when a six-member Kenyan delegation visited Delhi as well as Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Under Project Cheetah, the government aims to introduce eight to 14 cheetahs each year. Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. A key component of the MoU is “promotionandexchangeof relevant wildlife species”, indicatingthediscussionsthecountries have undertaken on potential import of cheetahs from Kenya and discussions that are likely to happen on the issue during the visit of the Indian delegation. India has been exploring the optionof sourcingcheetahsfrom Kenya for Project Cheetah as it is believed that they would adapt better to India’s tropical climate, aspartof theAfricancountrylies in the northern hemisphere. Cheetahssourcedfromsouthern hemisphere countries — Namibia and South Africa — had developed winter coats during Indian monsoon, and the dampness led to fatal infections under their radio collars. Sourcesawareofthedevelopments said that Union Environment Minister BhupenderYadavhasgreenlitthe MoUpriortotheofficialvisit.“The visit is aimed at advancing talks on partnerships with Kenya on theissueof wildlifeconservation andtheMoUoutlinestheactionable issues of the partnership. Sourcing cheetahs from Kenya is one of the issues on the agenda,” said a highly-placed source. Some of the other major collaborations on wildlife conservation outlined in the MoU include capacity building, research, training of field staff, wildlife management and habitat management. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Late Rasiklalji Manikchandji Dhariwal A remarkable presence, who enriched the lives of many remains indelibly imprinted in the hearts of those who knew him. His generosity and the teachings of his great leadership continue to inspire us. The flame of his noble virtues guides our lives. We offer our humble tribute to his memory. Prakash Rasiklalji Dhariwal Aaditya Prakash Dhariwal Dina Prakash Dhariwal Sakshi Prakash Dhariwal Dhariwal Family Shirur, Pune