log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SATURDAY APRIL 6, 2024 GOA Goan co-founder says Akasa Air offers seamless Goa-Mumbai-Doha connect Further discourse on wellbeing and Sapien Labs report IN SHORT >> Cops ready for duty at Cujira complex PANAJI: The Goa police have expressed their willingness to maintain a 24x7 vigil at Cujira educational complex as parents are concerned about their children's safety after the daring crime during the school hours on Wednesday. SDPO Sudesh Naik stated that they are prepared post their personnel for students' safety subject to suitable infrastructure and essential amenities for operation.  >> See pg 3 Water pipeline damaged at St Inez PANAJI: Thousands of liters of water went down the drain after a water pipeline was damaged due to ongoing smart city works. Till late night, the trenches dug for the ongoing work were filled with water. Guard falls off 8th floor, succumbs VASCO: A 31-year-old security guard from Jharkhand was found dead under mysterious circumstances, after he allegedly fell off the terrace on the 8th floor of a building in Dabolim on Friday. This is the second fatal incident of person falling off the 8th floor of a building in Dabolim in a fortnight.   >> See pg 3 CBI opposes plea of Monserrates MARGAO: The Central Bureau of Investigations has opposed the plea made by Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserrate and his wife Jennifer seeking directions to the investigating agency to produce the closure report in the Panjim police attack case.  >> See pg 2 Belagavi staring at huge water scarcity BELAGAVI: Belagavi is staring at a huge water scarcity in recent times due to the weak monsoons in 2023. The soaring temperatures are adding to the problem as the major water resources supplying water to the city and the district are depleting at a fast pace.   >> See pg 3 The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME IX, NO. 289 On campaign trail, Pallavi makes pit stop at Cavelossim, gives ear to locals’ woes page 6 Facebook.com/thegoan 2 GOA Locals decry poor services, facilities at Canacona CHC 3 NEW DELHI latest report on the health scenario in India on Friday indicated a significant growth in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) across the nation and said the country was witnessing fastest rise in cancer cases. On average, at least one in three Indians today were pre-diabetic, two in three were pre-hypertensive and one in 10 were depressed, the 4th edition of Apollo Hospitals' flagship Health of Nation Report on World Health Day 2024, said. The report sheds light on the concerning rise of NCDs in India, including cancer, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and mental health issues, all of A RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Best home remedies for glowing skin 9 ‘Way of the Cross’ hit by smart road at St Inez FOUR OR FIVE CROSSES IDENTIFIED; TO BE RELOCATED OFFICIALS COMMENCE DIALOGUE WITH RESIDENTS THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In a move which could possibly stir up emotions, the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) on Friday said it has initiated a dialogue with residents of St Inez in the capital city on its proposal to relocate several wayside Crosses. A statement issued by IPSCDL on Friday said the proposal is aimed at ensuring clear pathways for the ongoing road works being undertaken in the St Inez locality. The Statement quotes without identifying a senior official "as saying thus: "We have identified approximately 4-5 wayside Crosses which proposes relocation in close proximity to their existing locations. This adjustment will allow us to efficiently complete our road work while maintaining the necessary carriage width along the roads of St Inez." Officials cut one tree at St Inez; citizens hold candlelit protest Vivanta Junction Pioneer Medicals All the identified Crosses are situated within a half-kilometer radius stretching from the Taj Vivanta junction to Kamat Plaza, the IPSCDL statement said. Cong LS manifesto vows MSP, hike in quota, NEP review REJECTS IDEA OF ‘ONE NATION, ONE POLL’ PTI OTHER PROMISES NEW DELHI Right to apprenticeship, a legal guarantee for MSP, passing a constitutional amendment to raise the 50 per cent cap on reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs, a nation-wide caste census and scrapping of Agnipath scheme are among the promises made by Congress in its Lok Sabha polls manifesto released on Friday. The manifesto, focusing on five “pillars of justice” and 25 guarantees under them, was released at AICC headquarters in the presence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. The Congress said it will review the new education policy brought by NDA. In the 45-page document titled ''Nyay Patra'', featuring pictures of Kharge and Rahul and Bharat Jodo Yatras, „„Full statehood to Jammu & Kashmir, special status to Andhra „„Amend National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 „„To fill nearly 30 lakh vacancies in sanctioned posts „„Cashless insurance of up to Rs 25 lakh „„Nationwide socio-economic and caste census „„Comprehensive prison reforms the Opposition party said it would implement 10 per cent quota in jobs, educational institutions for economically weaker sections for all castes, communities without discrimination if it comes to power. Kamat Plaza Noberts Gym It added that the proposal will entail improved right of way, enhanced pedestrian access and a more aesthetic >Continued on P5 SHOCKING STATISTICS IN INDIA „„At least one in three Indians are pre-diabetic „„Two in three Indians are pre-hypertensive „„One in 10 face depression issues „„Escalating cancer cases compared to global rates making India 'cancer capital of the world' „„Cancer, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and mental health issues impacting nation's overall health which significantly impact the nation's overall health, the hospital said in a release. Particularly alarming was the incidence of cancer in India compared to global rates, making India the 'cancer capital of the world', it said. The annual report predicted a potential surge in healthcare burdens due to conditions such as pre-diabetes, pre-hypertension, and mental health disorders manifesting at increasingly younger ages. Highlighting the importance of regular health screenings, the report underscores role in reducing blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) levels, thereby lowering the risk of cardiac-related ailments. PANAJI: A group of citizens and activists prevented the cutting down of an age-old banyan tree in St Inez, allegedly at the behest of Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) by calling in the Forest department A child holds a candle to protest officials. the partial cutting of the Banyan Range Forest Officers tree at St Inez on Friday. (Late came to the site and night tree-cutting photo on pg 3) stopped some workers  Narayan Pissurlenkar from going ahead with the tree cutting, eyewitnesses said. The Tiswadi executive magistrate (mamlatdar) also reached the site after a number of people gathered to prevent the tree from being cut. A candle light vigil was also held near the banyan tree. After the vigil, officials visited the site yet again and issued orders to remove the tree. Two trees were identified as obstacles to the implementation of a smart road from Madhuban Circle to Sheetal Hotel in St Inez under the Smart City Project. Translocation process of the banyan tree is to be completed by April 15. SPORTS Markram stars as SRH beats CSK by six wickets 14 All eyes on date for joint inspection of Mhadei river sites GOA TO PRESENT PLAN TO PRAWAH THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar on Friday said the State will prepare a plan of sites along river Mhadei's course in Karnataka which it wants examined to PRAWAH, the Mhadei River Authority which has agreed to a request from Goa for a joint inspection by all three States involved in the dispute -- Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Shirodkar, who was addressing a press conference at the State secretariat said, PRAWAH has directed the three States -- Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra -- to submit their suggestions for the joint inspection. PRAWAH will then fix a date for the joint inspection and communicate to all party-States in the dispute as to when the inspection will be held, Shirodkar said adding that the process should get completed by next Tuesday. According to Shirodkar, PRAWAH met for the first time in February last year and since then the State has written four times to the authority seeking a joint inspection. Will inspection go on if K'taka raises objection? PANAJI: Maharashtra has given its instructions but Karnataka has not, as yet. Shirodkar said if Karnataka refuses, PRAWAH will take a decision suo motu either to have the inspection or not. He added that he would not like to make any comments as of now whether an inspection will be held if Karnataka objects to it, since the Authority is seized with the matter. "After the first meeting we (State) wrote to PRAWAH four times seeking the joint inspection, the first of these in August 2023," Shirodkar said, adding that reminders followed on November 25, 2023 and a third letter on December 10. Finally on March 22 this year, the last one was sent to which PRAWAH finally responded, Shirodkar said. >Continued on P5 NCERT tweaks textbooks of Std 11 & 12 4-member panel to deal with cash haul at Dabolim DROPS REFERENCES TO BABRI MASJID, GUJARAT RIOTS, HINDUTVA THE GOAN I NETWORK PTI PANAJI A four-member committee headed by South Goa Collector, Ashwin Chandru, IAS, will adjudicate and decide what will happen to the money involved in the rogue seizure by the election flying squad of Dabolim last Sunday. The Delhi-based businessmen duo -- Ashok Chaudhary and Pawankumar Verma -whose car was stopped and their money confiscated at Dabolim claimed the amount was Rs 16 lakh but only Rs 8 lakh of it is recovered in the criminal investigation launched by the Verna police. Two officials, Anirudha Pawar who headed the flying squad and Nitesh Naik, an LDC in the IT section of the Election Cell, have since been suspended for failing to report the seizure and follow procedures prescribed by the Election Commission of India. Interestingly, a top election official told The Goan that since Rs 8 lakh is now recovered, the liquid cash will have NEW DELHI Dropping references to the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, the killing of Muslims in Gujarat riots and Hindutva and tweaking the reference to Manipur's merger with India are among the latest set of revisions made public by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in its textbooks. While NCERT did not comment on the topics being dropped, officials said the tweaks are part of the routine >Continued on P5 India turning into ‘cancer capital’: Report PTI Instagram.com/thegoanonline Apollo's data further found that while there continued to be a need to increase the penetration of health checks in India, people are increasingly choosing more comprehensive health checks today than before, a positive step towards safeguarding one's health and wellness. Dr Preetha Reddy, vice chairperson, Apollo Hospitals, said the importance of health in our nation's development cannot be overstated. "With our Health of Nation report, we hope to draw attention and awareness to the ever-increasing burden of non-communicable diseases and strongly believe that the entire healthcare ecosystem and the nation needs to come together and have a unified outlook so that we can combat NCDs," she said. ONE CASE IN POINT „„Chapter 8 on Secularism in class 11 textbook earlier said, “More than 1,000 persons, mostly Muslims, were massacred during the post Godhra riots in Gujarat in 2002.” „„It has been changed to more than 1,000 persons were killed during the post Godhra riots in Gujarat in 2002. NCERT's rationale behind the change is in any riots people across communities suffer. It cannot be just one community updation and are not linked to the development of new books as per the New Curriculum Framework (NCF). The changes have been made in Political Science textbooks of classes 11 and 12, besides oth- ers. According to a document detailing the changes prepared by the curriculum drafting committee of the NCERT, the references to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement has been tweaked “as per latest development in politics”. Chapter 8 on Secularism in class 11 textbook earlier said, “More than 1,000 persons, mostly Muslims, were massacred during the post Godhra riots in Gujarat in 2002.” It has been changed to more than 1,000 persons were killed during the post Godhra riots in Gujarat in 2002. The NCERT's rationale behind the change is in any riots people across communities suffer. It cannot be just one community. >Continued on P5