log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline MONDAY MAY 5, 2025 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 317 45 days after fire, Naqueri firm resumes propellant transportation to Verna unit 2 3 GOA Private jetty at Malim finds echo at Penha de Franca gram sabha Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Cervical cancer and the significance of early health checks A DAY AFTER THE DEADLY STAMPEDE… >> pg 6 From Fed decision to LoC tensions: 8 factors that could move markets IN SHORT >> 6-yr-old girl drowns off Baga beach MAPUSA: In a tragic incident a 6-year-old girl from Noida, Uttar Pradesh, drowned in the sea off Baga late Sunday. The girl had reportedly entered the water with her elder brother after slipping away from the person assigned to watch over her. Her lifeless body was later found near some rocks. She was immediately rushed in a police vehicle to the Candolim Health Centre, where doctors declared her brought dead.   >> See pg 2 Applications for professional courses PANAJI: The Directorate of Technical Education will accept applications for professional degree programme seats like engineering and medical in Goa from May 7. The deadline for submitting applications is May 16.   >> See pg 3 AI flights face delays, disrupt travel plans PANAJI: Passengers on two Air India flights faced major inconvenience on Sunday after long delays disrupted travel plans. An Air India flight from Indore to Mopa airport was delayed for several hours, with around 180 passengers complaining of confusion due to being given different departure times. Meanwhile, an Air India Express flight from Goa to Delhi was also delayed by over eight hours. Blackout rehearsal held at Ferozepur NEW DELHI: The Ferozepur Cantonment Board conducted a 30-minute blackout rehearsal on Sunday amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. The blackout rehearsal was conducted in the cantonment area from 9 pm to 9:30 pm. WEATHER >> Max: 36.1 C Min: 27.4 C Humidity: 70% TIDES Low: High: 10:41 04:33 ---18:13 Shirgao revives its spirit, age-old ritual continues ‘KAOULA’ PLAYS HEALING ROLE IN UNITING COMMUNITY AGNELO PEREIRA THE GOAN I MAPUSA Just a day after a heart-wrenching stampede at the famed Shirgao zatra claimed six lives and cast a dark cloud over the usually jubilant celebrations, the village is showing remarkable resilience as it re-engages in its centuries-old traditions. The ‘kaoula’ – a cherished ritual in which the blessings of Goddess Lairai are taken from house to house – resumed, gently stitching a community back together after the shock of tragedy. Ritual rooted in faith The ‘kaoula’ is a deeply symbolic ritual unique to the Shirgao zatra. Each year, after the main procession and fire-walking ceremonies, a group of devotees, led by traditional custodians of the temple, move Shirgao zatra: Sawant promises better festival management BICHOLIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant emphasized the need for better organisation of the festival and assured that the government would take special measures to ensure this. Terming the tragic incident at the Devi Lairai zatra in Shirgao deeply unfortunate, Sawant urged devotees to remain vigilant and cooperative during the festivities. He added that the special investigation team looking into the matter would require some time and is expected to submit its report in the coming days. >> See pg 3 door-to-door carrying the symbolic blessings of Devi Lairai. At each of the nearly 350 homes in the village, a short puja is performed and the ‘kaoul’ – a sacred object believed to embody the deity’s grace – is offered with prayers for prosperity, protection and peace. “This practice has been part of our identity for generations. No matter what happens, the blessings must go to every home,” said Upendra Gaonkar, a long-time participant and respected villager. Grief lingers, ritual continues early hours of Saturday, when a sudden surge in the crowd during the peak moments of the fire-walking ceremony resulted in a deadly stampede. Six people, including women and elderly devotees, lost their lives, while several others were injured. The incident left the village stunned. But rather than letting the tragedy silence their spirit, the people of Shirgao have turned to their faith to begin the process of recovery. “Things are gradually returning to normal. The blessings of Devi must continue. In grief, faith becomes even more important,” said Dinanath Gaonkar, President of the Devi Lairai Devasthan Committee. “People were informed to avoid gathering in large numbers. That’s why the crowds are slightly thinner, but the >Continued on P5 The tragedy struck in the 9 SPORTS Bayern Munich claims Bundesliga title following Bayer Leverkusen draw Zatra had tense moments last year too: Probe panel JACQUES PROBE REPORT UNLIKELY TODAY THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The government-constituted fact-finding committee, investigating the stampede during Devi Lairai zatra at Shirgao, was informed about a similar incident during the festivities last year, but on a minor scale with no injuries. The committee, led by Commissioner-cum-Revenue Secretary IAS Sandeep Jacques, is unlikely to submit its report to the government on Monday, though it was asked to submit it within 48 hours. Based on the findings, necessary action will be initiated. “The committee will need some time to investigate and submit the report. They are working on it. It will take little time as they have to probe all angles,” Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Sunday. The committee members had on Saturday evening visited the temple site and convened a special meeting with various representatives, as part of a probe into the tragedy which claimed six lives GMC starts emergency protocol, 2 stampede victims still critical PANAJI: The Goa Medical College and Hospital had activated a special ‘emergency protocol’ to manage the coordinated treatment by different departments of the victims of Saturday’s stampede at the Shirgao Devi Lairai zatra, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said after visiting and interacting with some of those undergoing treatment on Sunday. “As per today’s update, three out of the five critical patients are showing signs of improvement, while the remaining two continue to be critical but stable,” Rane said, adding that ‘Code Red Goa’ was activated. >> See pg 3 even as 80 others were injured. Sources informed that during the committee discussion, it was revealed that a similar incident on a minor scale was reported even last year; however, no injuries were reported. Sources said that the incident, infact, took place at the same site, where it happened in the wee hours of Saturday. The committee has recorded the statements of Collector Sneha Gitte, SP Akshat Kau- Suicide aftermath: Winds of change at BITS Pilani PANAJI Following three cases of student suicide at the institutions in the last five months, ahead of examinations, the BITS Pillani’s Goa campus has announced that it is in process of revamping the curriculum while proposing to offer flexibility to the students to appear for exams later if they are under stress. The Institution has also informed that new courses on mental and physical wellness and stress management will be included in the revised curriculum. A 20-year-old student was found hanging in his hostel room earlier this week. His family suspected foul-play and even refused to accept the body. Before that two deaths were reported in December, 2024 and in March, respectively. The institute has also initiated an internal review of the support system available to students on campus. 1 A missile launched by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen briefly halted flights and commuter traffic at Israel’s main international airport after an impact left a plume of smoke and caused panic among passengers. CHARTING A NEW COURSE „„Separate committee constituted to streamline academic content „„Courses on mental, physical wellness & stress management to be included in the revised curriculum „„Students in distress under the current circumstances given flexibility to take examinations at a later time „„Student Wellbeing Dashboard being developed to provide personalised support and timely interventions   “We are revamping the existing curriculum, and a separate committee has been constituted to streamline the academic content. Students in distress under the current circumstances have been given the flexibility to take examinations at a later time. New courses on mental and physical wellness and stress management will be included in the revised curriculum. A Student Wellbeing Dashboard is being developed to provide personalised support and timely interventions,” the institute said in a statement issued on Sunday. The institute has urged stu- dents to take that crucial first step and ask for help. “Acknowledge when you are struggling and reach out for support. Trust the process of therapy and maintain open communication with family and loved ones. No matter how robust our support systems are, they can only help when students choose to engage with them. Reaching out is not a sign of weakness. It is a courageous act of self-awareness and strength. If you are finding it difficult to cope, please speak up. Help is available, and you do not have >Continued on P5 shal, Deputy Superintendent of Police Jivba Dalvi, Deputy Collector Bhimnath Khorjuvekar -- who all are transferred from the jurisdiction following the incident. The committee also met temple committee members, some Dhonds and villagers.   Deputy Inspector General of Police Varsha Sharma, Transport Director Pravimal Abhishek (IAS) and  Tikam Singh Verma are the other members of the committee. Houthi missile targets Israel airport; AI diverts flight n CURRICULUM CHANGES UNDERWAY n FLEXIBLE EXAM POLICY ON CARDS THE GOAN I NETWORK 12 HELL HOLE: The newly-laid concrete road at St Inez dug up to access a sewage chamber. With the monsoons approaching, most Smart City roads have been recently resurfaced with a new layer of tar, but questions remain over re-digging of surface.  Narayan Pissurlenkar Over 20L students answer NEET-UG PTI NEW DELHI More than 20.8 lakh students appeared for medical entrance exam NEET-UG on Sunday at more than 5,400 centres under strict security measures amid sporadic incidents of protest and arrest. More than 22.7 lakh candidates had registered for the exam, which was also conducted in 14 cities abroad. National Testing Agency (NTA) officials said more Around 5,000 appear in Goa PANAJI: Approximately 5,000 students in Goa appeared for the NEET-UG 2025 qualifying examination held on Sunday. than 20.8 lakh candidates appeared for the exam. Mock drills were held at all National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) centres on Satur- day to ensure smooth conduct of the nationwide exam. Most of the centres were located in government and government-aided schools, colleges, universities and institutions. While no untoward incidents have been reported so far, members of Brahmin community held a protest outside an exam centre in Kalaburagi, demanding accountability after some students were asked to remove their ‘’janivara (sacred thread)’’ before entering the exam hall. 2 The attack on BenGurion International Airport came hours before top Israeli Cabinet ministers were set to vote on whether to intensify the country’s military operations in the Gaza strip. The missile launch Sunday set off air raid sirens in multiple parts of Israel. A plume of smoke was visible at the airport, according to footage shared by Israeli media. Passengers were heard yelling and scrambling for cover. 3 An Air India flight from the national capital to Tel Aviv was diverted to Abu Dhabi on Sunday as there was a missile attack near the airport in the Israeli city, according to sources. The airline has also suspended the Tel Aviv flights till May 6. >> See pg 7 Soon, a unified digital platform DAYS AFTER SUSPENDING INDUS WATER TREATY… for all election-related services India now curtails flow of Baglihar dam water ECI TO LAUNCH ECINET MERGING MULTIPLE APPS THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In a major initiative, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is all set to launch a new user-friendly One-stop digital platform ‘ECINET’ that will integrate and reorient over 40 existing mobile and web applications offered by ECI. According to ECI, ECINET will have an aesthetic User Interface (UI) and a simplified User Experience (UX) by providing a singular platform for all electoral-related activities. This move is also designed to alleviate the burden of the users for downloading and navigating multiple Apps and The new initiative is designed to alleviate the burden of users for downloading and navigating multiple Apps and remembering different logins remembering different logins. “ECINET has already reached an advanced stage of development and rigorous trials are being conducted to ensure smooth functionality, ease of use, and robust cyber-security measures. It is being developed after an elaborate consultative exercise involving 36 CEOs of all the States/UTs, 767 DEOs and 4,123 EROs of their States/UTs and after reviewing 76 publications comprising 9,000 pages of the electoral framework, instructions and handbooks issued by ECI from time to time,” ECI. ECINET will also enable users to access relevant electoral data on their desktops or smartphones. To ensure that data is as accurate as possible, the data on ECINET will be entered solely by the authorized ECI official. ECINET will subsume existing Apps like the Voter Helpline App, Voter Turnout App, >Continued on P5 PTI NEW DELHI welve days after suspending the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, India has curtailed the flow of water through the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab and is planning similar measures on the Kishanganga Dam along the Jhelum. India imposed fresh punitive measures against Pakistan on Saturday, including a ban on the import of goods, suspension of exchange of mails and parcels via air and surface routes and entry bar on Pakistani vessels into its ports. Pakistan on late Saturday evening announced banning T The Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Project built on the Chenab Indian-flagged ships from its ports with immediate effect. The source familiar with the matter said these hydroelectric dams -- Baglihar in Ramban in Jammu and Kishanganga in north Kashmir -- offer India the ability to regulate the timing of water releases. The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, has governed the use of the Indus River and its tributaries between India and Pakistan since 1960. The Baglihar Dam has been a longstanding point of contention between the two neighbours, with Pakistan having sought World Bank arbitration in the past. The Kishanganga Dam has faced legal and diplomatic scrutiny, especially regarding its impact on the Neelum River, a tributary of the Jhelum. On Sunday, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi met the PM on Saturday and briefed him about the overall situation in the Arabian Sea. No further details were available about the two meetings. At a meeting last week, the PM said that the Indian armed forces had his full confidence and “complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets and timing” of India’s response. Addressing an event in the national capital on Sunday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said it is his responsibility to work with the armed forces and give a “befitting reply” to those who cast an evil eye on India. He said people are familiar with the PM’s determination and the way he has learned to “take risks” in his life. “I want to assure you that under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, what you desire will certainly happen,” Singh said. Singh is expected to host his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani for wide-ranging talks on Monday.