tirupati l tuesday l august 19, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION India’s job market shows relief as unemployment rate falls A government survey on Monday said the unemployment rate dipped to 5.2 per cent in July, down from 5.6 per cent in June marginal rise in urban youth joblessness labour participation rate sees a spike The Periodic Labour Force Survey released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation said the pace of joblessness among men stayed slightly higher at 5.3 per cent compared to that of women at 5.1 per cent. The rate of unemployment in urban areas for 15-29 age group saw a marginal increase to 19 per cent in July from 18.8 per cent June | P10 ■ ■ The Labour Force Participation Rate among persons of all age groups rose to 41.4 per cent in July 2025 as compared to 41 per cent in June In rural areas, the Labour Force Participation Rate of all age groups was 42 per cent, as against 41.5 per cent in the preceding month. In urban areas, it was 40.1 per cent in July, up from 39.8 per cent in June 89,505 Households were covered by The periodic labour force survey 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 INDIA parties mull impeaching CEC p r ee t h a n a i r @ New Delhi AS the face–off between the Election Commission Of India (ECI) and the Opposition intensifies over allegations of ‘vote theft’ and poll rigging, the INDIA bloc on Monday said it is mulling an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The move comes a day after the CEC asked Rahul Gandhi, leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, to either file an affidavit substantiating his vote theft allegations or apologise. The pro- posal for an impeachment motion was discussed at the INDIA bloc meeting on Monday morning. Several Opposition leaders met in the chamber of Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, and held discussions on how the CEC on Sunday addressed a press conference without answering any of the questions raised by them, according to a leader who attended the meeting. The Opposition also decided not to cooperate with the gov- ernment on the special discussion on the impact of astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s space mission. The Lok Sabha is having a two-day special discussion on the issues. Some opposition MPs said they feel this fight has to be taken forward and suggested an impeachment motion against the CEC, sources said. Addressing a joint press conference on Monday representa, tives of eight opposition parties including Congress, TMC, SP DMK and RJD hit out at the , Putin dials Modi, briefs him on Alaska summit Both leaders discuss prospects of a lasting solution to Ukraine war JAYA N TH JACO B @ New Delhi Minimum city Commuters wade through a waterlogged road following heavy rain in Mumbai on Monday. The civic body was forced to order closure of all schools and colleges. Across Maharashtra, seven people were killed and more than 200 stranded | PTI Counter Amaravati submergence rumors: Naidu told TDP leaders E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e believing the false news if it is @ Vijayawada not condemned in time. “Apart from talking good, we Chief Minister and TDP su- should also sensitize the peopremo N. Chandrababu Naidu ple about the misinformation. has asked the party leaders to Party MLAs, MPs, in-charges, condemn the alleged false and activists should be more propaganda being spread by disciplined on the false propathe YSRCP and its affiliated ganda spread against them,” media regarding the submer- Naidu told the TDP leaders. He gence of the capital city Ama- highlighted the success of the ravati, and other “Suparipalanalo Thoprojects. li Adugu” (First step “There is a party in good governance) with a criminal hisprog ram, which tory in the state. The aimed to explain the leaders of that party government’s will continuously schemes to the spew venom and people. propagate lies Naidu said that the through their affilimassive outreach ated media and social program had conmedia. We have to nected directly with YSRCP’s misinformation on condemn them from 1.24 crore families Amaravati being time to time,” Naidu across the state and submerged is told TDP MLAs, minreceived positive baseless. We must isters, MPs, and othfeedback. counter it with er leaders during a facts, or people may The movement of teleconference on believe it to be true. party leaders during Monday . the campaign was Present the facts Referring to retracked through a and set the record straight” ports that Ponnur dedicated app to was submerged for monitor which vilCM Chandrababu Naidu Amaravati and the lages were visited non-functioning of and when. Naidu atKondaveeti Vagu lift irrigation tributed the success to the efpumps, Naidu alleged that the fective implementation of the YSRCP is trying to confuse Super Six schemes, which inpeople with false propaganda. clude increasing pension Underscoring the need to amounts, Thalliki Vandanam, condemn the fake news being Annadata Sukhibhava, and spread by the YSRCP the Chief , free bus travel to women. Minister said that ministers He advised the leaders to and party leaders should be mingle with people and explain cautious on such issues, as the programs being impleP there is a possibility of people mented by the government.  4 RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday—their second call in the past 10 days— to brief him on his summit with US President Donald Trump in Alaska. Putin’s telephone call came amid mounting pressure from US over India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, which Washington claimed was funding Moscow’s war in Ukraine. During the call, Putin shared his take on his meeting with Trump and Modi responded by reaffirming India’s position: support for a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy . “Thank my friend, President Putin, for his phone call and for sharing insights on his recent meeting with President Trump in Alaska,” Modi posted on so- Trump-Zelenskyy meeting under lens Late on Monday night, US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders at the White House, in an attempt to bring the Russia-Ukraine war to an end | P9 cial media. “India has consistently called for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict and supports all efforts in this regard.” The two leaders also discussed expanding bilateral cooperation, underscoring their intention to deepen the ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’. They agreed to stay in close touch. “Prime Minister underlined India’s consistent position for a peaceful resolution of the conflict through diplomacy and dialogue. He reiterated that India supports all efforts in this regard,” the Ministry of External Affairs said. The timing of the conversation is politically charged. Just weeks ago, Trump slapped a 25% punitive tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi’s refusal to scale down energy imports from Russia. This came on top of a 25% reciprocal tariff imposed by India, signalling rising trade friction. New Delhi has pushed back, with the MEA stressing that India’s energy policy is dictated by national interest and market realities, not external pressure. “India-Russia relations are a steady and time-tested partnership,” it said, warning against viewing the relationship “through the prism of a third country”. Monday’s telephone call follows Modi and Putin’s August 8 conversation, which came a day after National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met with the Russian president in Moscow. Rajnath singh calls jagan, seeks support @ Vijayawada YSR Congress Party is reportedly backing National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Vice-President candidate CP Radhakrishnan, although no official confirmation has been made yet, publicly . The vice-presidential election is scheduled for Se ptember 9. Sources indicate that Union D e fence Min- ister Rajnath Singh, who is tasked with securing support from other parties, had a phone conversation with YSRCP President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy . Jagan stated that the party would finalize its stance after an internal meeting. According to sources, after consulting with party leaders, Jagan communicated YSRCP’s support for the NDA’s vice-presidential candidate through the party’s parliamentary leader, YV Subba Reddy . With four Lok Sabha seats and seven Rajya Sabha seats, YSRCP’s support could play a role in the election. Patna: A day after chief election commissioner asked Rahul Gandhi to submit an affidavit on his vote theft slur or apologise in a week, the Congress leader on Monday said he was not afraid of such threats | P7 BJP throws a dare at opposition parties New Delhi: BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra on Monday dared INDIA bloc parties to dissolve state assemblies where they are in power if they doubt the Election Commission’s fairness. IMD issues red alert for rain in Konkan, South J i t en d r a C h o u be y @ New Delhi THE India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday issued a ‘red alert’ for extremely heavy rains in the next 24 hours in Central and Southern India along with the Western Ghats. The alert said there was a risk of flash floods in Maharashtra, South Interior Karnataka, and isolated areas of Chhattisgarh. The IMD forecast indicates a higher possibility of extremely heavy rainfall over coastal Andhra Pradesh, southern Chhattisgarh, southern Odis- ha, Telangana, South Interior Karnataka, the Konkan region (including Mumbai), Goa, the Western Ghats area of Madhya Maharashtra, and coastal Karnataka and Gujarat in the next two days. IMD’s bulletin predicted flash floods over several watersheds in north Interior Karnataka, Telangana, Konkan-Goa, and Maharashtra in the next 24 hours. Besides, there is a low to moderate risk of flash floods in some watersheds in south Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, and Marathwada during the same period. Express read AP braces for heavy Lokesh seeks rain, strong winds centre’s support Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) on Monday issued an alert as a depression over the west-central and northwest Bay of Bengal is expected to cross the coast between Gopalpur in South Odisha and North Andhra by early Tuesday. Heavy rains are expected in coastal districts, with Alluri Sitarama Raju, Eluru, and NTR districts likely to receive moderate to heavy rainfall | P3 Vijayawada: Minister Nara Lokesh met several Union Ministers in New Delhi, discussing key projects and initiatives. He urged support for the Duggirajapatnam Major Port project, which could attract `26,000 crore in investments. Lokesh also sought fast-track approvals for highway expansions, including the Kuppam-Bengaluru-Chennai industrial corridor. He discussed urea shortage with Union Minister JP Nadda | P4 Ysrcp’s strength: 4 LS mps, 7 rs mps YSR Congress Party likely to back NDA in Vice-President Election E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e CEC, alleging that instead of responding to questions raised by them, he chose to attack them at his presser on Sunday . TMC’s Mahua Moitra said the Lok Sabha should be dissolved as the last elections were held on “faulty” voter list. When the Lok Sabha met at 11 am on Monday, opposition MPs, including those from the Congress, were on their feet, raising slogans and showing placards with demand for discussion on the Special Intensive Revision in Bihar. Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House following the bedlam. We’re not afraid of poll panel’s threat: Rahul Notably, the party has previously supported NDA candidates in presidential and vice-presidential elections. Given the NDA’s numerical strength in both houses of Parliament, the victory of the NDA candidate appears certain even without YSRCP’s support. However, like in previous presidential and vice-presidential elections, the NDA seems to be seeking a vast majority . INDIA bloc Vice-Prez pick to be decided today P r ee t h a N a i r @ New Delhi THE Opposition INDIA bloc is likely to announce its candidate for the Vice Presidential election on Tuesday afternoon. According to sources, though top leaders of the bloc discussed a few names at a Zoom meeting on Monday the final call will be , taken on Tuesday . “A meeting of leaders of all Opposition parties in Parliament will be held at 12.30 PM Tuesday Aug 19 at 10, Rajaji Marg,” wrote Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on X. Sources said names that came up in the meeting include former ISRO scientist and Padma Shri awardee M Annadurai and Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi; and DMK leader M Annadurai. The Opposition’s candidate will be vying with NDA pick Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan. Sources said the Opposition wants to field a non-political face who has national standing and stature senior DMK leaders have proposed the name of M Annadurai, who hails from Tamil Nadu and is well respected, for the vice-president’s post. Swachh Ratham: Waste to Wealth initiative brings groceries to villagers doorstep B a n d h a v i Ann a m @ Guntur Imagine handing over a bag of old plastic bottles or rusted iron scraps and walking away with rice, soaps, or shampoos in return. That’s exactly what’s happening in Guntur Rural Mandal, where the Andhra Pradesh gover nment has launched Swachh Ratham, a pioneering pilot project that transforms waste into daily essentials. As part of the state’s Swachh Andhra campaign, specially designed vehicles are visiting villages to collect dry waste directly from households. In return, villagers receive grocer- ies and daily-use products of equal value, all at no cost. Announcements are made before the vehicle arrives, and staff collect the waste on the spot, ensuring maximum participation. The pilot project, designed by the Swachh Andhra Corporation and the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department, is currently confined to seven panchayats in Guntur Rural Mandal. Despite its limited scope, the project has al- People receiving groceries for dry wastes at Swachha Ratham, a pilot project launched by Swachh Andhra Corporation in Guntur Rural mandal | Express ready yielded striking results. Over 15 days, Swachh Ratham’s collected 2,599 kg of dry waste, including 1,271 kg of plastic, 490 kg of old books, 448 kg of iron, 208 kg of cardboard, 92 kg of steel, 75 kg of paper. The waste was valued at `47,373, for which villagers received comP4 modities worth `47,604.