log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline TUESDAY APRIL 9, 2024 GOA THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (GBSHSE) has clarified that students who attempted a Class 12th Mathematics question in the board exams, which was later found to be incorrect, will still receive marks for their solutions. However, only the solution steps of the incorrect question will be considered for grading. Those students who didn’t attempt the faulty question won’t receive any marks for it. Board Chairman Bhagirath Shetye assured that the issue has been addressed, stating that the faulty question was accompanied by an optional question. “Some students may have chosen to attempt the alternative question but those who attempted the incorrect one will receive marks based on the steps they took in their mathematical solutions,” he said, speaking to The Goan. IN SHORT >> MPA registers 18.98% increase in cargo VASCO: The Mormugao Port Authority has registered an increase of 18.98% during the financial year 20232024, which is highest as compared to other major ports. MPA stated that the Port handled a total traffic of 20.62 M/T during this year as compared 17.33 M/T handled during last year.  >> See pg 3 Sonsodo waste on fire again The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 13 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME IX, NO.292 2 Candidates hit markets to rally support as Lok Sabha poll campaign intensifies Board clarifies on error in Class 12 Math question Facebook.com/thegoan GOA N Goa polls: Battle of supremacy unfolds in key Bardez constituencies 3 Max: 34 C Min: 25 C Humidity: 87% TIDES Low: 04.57 High: 11.34 17.19 23.10 INFO Summer Hair Care: Tips to keep your locks luscious and fresh 10 SPORTS Vidit Gujrathi falters at FIDE Candidates chess tournament  8 VEHICLES DAMAGED IN 3 ACCIDENTS  7 SUFFER INJURIES THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI It was a tragic Monday as three persons lost their lives and seven persons were injured in three different road mishaps at Maxem in Loliem-Canacona, Nandram-Mollem and Torda in Salvador do Mundo. As many as eight vehicles – one bus, three cars and four two-wheelers – were damaged in the three road mishaps. Locals and paramedics attend to the injured persons at Maxem in Loliem-Canacona. (Right) The car which met with an accident at Nandran-Mollem. CANACONA A journey towards a temple in Shiroda ended in tragedy for a family from Gadag-Karwar, when one person was killed and five other family members were seriously injured, while a bus passenger also sustained minor injures in a road mishap at Maxem in Loliem-Canacona. The incident took place at about 8 am on Monday, when the Vernekar family were travelling in a Goa-registered car towards Shiroda, while the KTC bus was in the opposite direction. According to police, the car driven by Rajesh Vernekar which was proceeding from Gadag-Karwar was proceeding towards Shiroda and was descending the Maxem slope, when the car veered to the right side, before crashing into an oncoming KTC Bus which was ascending the Maxem slope. The KTC bus driver who spoke to media persons at the site said the car was descend- ing the slope in the wrong lane and he stopped the bus to avert a mishap. “The car, however, hit the bus head-on and with the impact, the front portion of the car got crushed and half of the car got badly mangled. I immediately dialled 108 and also informed police about the accident,” the driver said. Motorists and locals gathered in large numbers, as the injured car occupants >Continued on P5 THE TRAGIC MISHAP AT MOLLEM PONDA: Two persons died on the spot when a car proceeding from Goa to Hubballi rammed into a tree at Nandram-Mollem on Monday at 6 pm. According to sources, the car was travelling at a high speed when the driver lost control of the car and the vehicle rammed into a roadside tree. Two persons, Bharat M Tagarsi (43) from Hubbali and Navin Nagesh Raikar (36) from Dharwad died in the mishap. Their bodies were sent from the Pilaye Primary Health Centre to the South Goa District Hospital at Margao for an autopsy. Locals claimed there have been many fatal accidents at the Nandram-Mollem turn and have requested authorities to widen the road between Anmod and Mollem. 13 Houses damaged in gelatin blast at Bhironda, 1 held THE GOAN I NETWORK VALPOI A gelatin stick exploded at a house in Ansolem-Bhironda in Sattari, damaging a number of houses in the vicinity on Monday night. No casualties were reported and one person has been arrested in this connection. According to Valpoi police, the incident took place at about 8 pm, when a gelatine stick exploded at a house in Ansolem. The impact of the explosion was such that a number of houses were damaged in the vicinity. A Valpoi police team rushed to the spot and began investigations into the source of the explosion. Police later arrested one Naseer Hussain Jama- dar late at night in connection with the explosion. Valpoi police confirmed that a number of houses had been damaged. “Investigations are in progress to ascertain if anyone else is involved. This is a serious matter and the illegal use of gelatin sticks is a crime under the law,” said a source. Meanwhile, in a statement on the social media X, Poriem MLA Deviya Rane said she had received reports of a blast at Ansolem. “No casualties reported at the site. An FIR will be filed under the Explosives Substance Act, and a thorough investigation is underway. Stringent action will be taken once the investigation is concluded,” stated Rane. The damage caused by a blast at a house in AnsolemBhironda in Sattari. Clashes erupt during Palkhi Greens see red as St Inez banyan tree relocated again in late night operation Fest in Arvalem, chairs fly CONCERNS RAISED OVER SECRECY, HAPHAZARD PLANNING THE GOAN I NETWORK Man drowns in Parsem river WEATHER >> RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Tragic Monday snuffs out lives of 3 in road mishaps MARGAO: Fire has returned to haunt the Fire brigade and the Margao Municipal Council as Sonsodo as the waste management complex played host to a massive fire past midnight. Fire tenders from Margao and Verna were pressed into service to contain a massive fire.  >> See pg 2 PERNEM: A man drowned in the river at Chonsai-Parsem in Pernem on Monday. Responding to a call, a team from the Pernem Fire Services led by Pradip Kumar Asolkar rushed to the site. The body of Santosh Ramji was later retrieved from the river and handed over to Pernem police. Instagram.com/thegoanonline The Bhandari community members attending the procession at the Rudreshwar temple at Arvalem-Sanquelim. THE GOAN I NETWORK SANQUELIM Clashes erupted during the Palkhi festival at Shree Rudreshwar Devasthan at Arvalem-Sanquelim on Sunday night, prompting the police to intervene to bring the situation under control. The Bhandari community had appealed to members to participate in the monthly Palkhi festival in large numbers on Sunday. Accordingly, leaders from the Bhandari community also were present at the temple, including Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik, AAP Goa President Adv Amit Palekar and others. According to sources, there was tension in the proces- sion when some people tried to make it a prestige issue. It was understood that someone threw chairs and some people were injured in the process. Timely intervention of the police brought the situation under control. A large number of police force was deployed at the venue, and a special CRPF team was on duty in the temple complex. PANAJI After a haphazard removal process that has nearly damaged the iconic banyan tree at St Inez and saw its branches callously chopped, the authorities conducted yet another late night operation to relocate the 200-year-old tree from its replanted spot at the recently renovated football ground at Campal. Within 24 hours after it was translocated to Campal, the tree was moved around 25 meters from its previously replanted location with the reason behind this sudden move yet not clear. These actions have sparked further outrage among environmental activists, who vehemently opposed the initial uprooting of the tree. They demanded a considerate approach while also suggesting that if there were indeed pressing reasons for its relocation, it should have been undertaken during the rainy season when the ground and air provide ample moisture to facilitate the tree’s adjustment. “I have no words... it (de- Activists, residents mull PIL in HC PANAJI: A group of green activists and residents of Panaji are expected to file a Public Interest Litigation with the Bombay High Court in Goa on Wednesday, against the uprooting of Banyan Tree at St Inez. Sources said the petitioners are finalizing details of the PIL, which is being prepared by legal representative. The government, Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd, The banyan tree that Forest Dept, and other agencies are was relocated for the first time at Campal. likely to be named as respondents. “We have observed clear violations by the agencies and all this should be brought to the notice of the High Court. The fate of the tree is uncertain because the manner in which the entire translocation process has taken place is concerning. Moreover, it was relocated twice,” said an activist speaking to The Goan. cisions) shows absolutely no planning. Moving the tree in such harsh weather was the first big mistake, followed by another mistake. They (officials) seem to be having no idea about translocation and treating a majestic tree as furniture,” Uday Krishna, founder-trustee of the Vata Foun- dation, said speaking to The Goan. His views were backed by the Goa Banyan Project who also termed the entire move as erroneous. The organization also raised concerns about the secrecy surrounding the operations conducted under the cover of night. Negligence of proper process brought to fore PANAJI: Convener of Goa Green Brigade, Avertino Miranda, personally present during the initial uprooting of a tree, alleged negligence and violation of the order of Forest Dept. Miranda claims workers failed to take precautions, resulting in cracked barks and detached roots. “The translocation process was not followed with the crane abruptly removing the tree. Most roots suffered damage, and the govt violated its own order as it did not permit cutting branches. “Overall, cutting down a legacy tree which is 200 years plus is erroneous… these large giants rely on their secondary and tertiary root systems which now no longer exist due to excessive cutting, trimming and relocation >Continued on P5 Sex change, surrogacy grave 41% seats have candidates with criminal cases: ADR ADR REPORT: FACTS & FIGURES threats to dignity: Vatican PTI POPE APPROVES 20-PAGE VATICAN’S DOCTRINE PTI VATICAN CITY The Vatican on Monday declared sex change operations and surrogacy as grave threats to human dignity, putting them on par with abortion and euthanasia as practices that violate God’s plan for human life. The Vatican’s doctrine office issued Infinite Dignity, a 20-page declaration that has been in the works for five years. After revision in recent months, it was approved The policy says God created man and woman as biologically different, separate beings… they must not tinker with that plan or try to ‘make oneself God’ March 25 by Pope Francis, who ordered its publication. In its most eagerly anticipated section, the Vatican repeated its rejection of gender theory or the idea that one’s gender can be changed. It said God created man and woman as biologically different, separate beings, and said they must not tinker with that plan or try to ‘make oneself God’. It follows that any sex change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the time of conception. It distinguished between transitioning surgeries, which it rejected, and genital abnormalities that are present at birth or that develop later. Those abnormalities can be resolved, it said. NEW DELHI orty-two of the 102 Lok Sabha seats going to polls in the general election’s first phase are constituencies that have three or more candidates facing criminal cases, F LOK SABHA POLLS PHASE-1 according to a poll rights body. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 1,618 candidates out of the 1,625 contesting the elections in its first phase on April 19. Out of the 1,618 candidates, 16 per cent or 252 candidates are named in criminal cases, with 10 per cent or 161 candidates facing serious criminal charges, according to the analysis of their affidavits by the organisation. Seven candidates have murder cases lodged against them, while 19 are implicated in attempt to murder cases. Eighteen candidates have declared in their affidavits cases related to crimes against women, and one of them, faces rape charge under section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the ADR, which did the analysis along with National Election Watch, a coalition of civil society groups for domestic election monitoring, said. The organisation said that 35 candidates are linked to cases of hate speech. „„Out of 1,618 candidates, 16% or 252 candidates named in criminal cases „„10% or 161 candidates face serious criminal charges „„Seven have murder cases lodged against them, while 19 are implicated in attempt to murder cases „„18 candidates have declared cases related to crimes against women „„35 candidates linked to cases of hate speech „„41% of 102 seats scheduled to go to polls in the first of the seven-phase elections are “red alert” constituencies The analysis showed 42 or 41 per cent of the 102 seats scheduled to go to polls in the first phase elections are “red alert” constituencies. “Red alert” constituencies are those where three or more candidates have declared criminal cases in affidavits. The analysis showed that among major parties, there are criminal cases against all four candidates of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), 13 (59 per cent) of 22 candidates of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), three (43 per cent) of seven candidates of the Samajwadi Party (SP), two (40 per cent) of five candidates of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), 28 (36 per cent) of 77 candidates of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and 19 (34 per cent) of 56 candidates of the Congress. The number stood at 13 (36 per cent) out of 36 candidates of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and 11 (13 per cent) out of 86 candidates of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). In tandem with the revelations on criminal backgrounds, the ADR said the analysis also highlights wealth disparities among candidates.