chennai l Monday l august 25, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE CITY EDITION Pujara retires from all forms of cricket The Saurashtra batter who served as India’s Test No 3 for more than a decade calls it a day... thirteen-year-long Test career comes to an end Classical match-winner in modern era Pujara, who last played for India in the 2023 World Test Championship final, announced his retirement on Sunday. “Wearing the Indian jersey, singing the anthem, and trying my best each time I stepped on the field—it’s impossible to put into words what it truly meant. But as they say, all good things must come to an end, and with immense gratitude I have decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket,” the 37-year-old posted on social media ■ ■ With 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60 from 103, Pujara is eighth Indian among the highest run-getters in the format An old school batter, the 37-year-old defined some of India’s historic Test wins in last decade especially in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia (SENA countries) | P11 11 he featured in 11 Test wins in SENA countries, the most for any Indian 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 First flight-test of home-grown air defence weapon system successful India’s air defence shield poised to get major upgrade to defend against aerial threats MAYANK SIN G H @ New Delhi IN a big boost to India’s air defence capabilities, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted the maiden flight-test of the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS), the Ministry of Defence said on Sunday . IADWS is a multi-layered air defence system comprising the quick reaction surface to air missiles (QRSAM), very short range air defence system (VSHORADS) missiles, and a high-power laser-based directed energy weapon (DEW). The indigenous air defence system was flight-tested at 1230 hours off the coast of Odisha on Saturday . “During the flight-tests, three different targets including two high-speed fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle targets and a multi-copter drone were simultaneously engaged and destroyed completely by the QRSAM, VSHORADS and High Energy Laser weapon system Navy, Coast Guard to get 76 helicopters DRDO conducts maiden flight-tests of Integrated Air Defence Weapon System | PTI at different ranges and altitudes,” the defence ministry said. It added that all the weapon system components, including the missile systems and drone detection and destruction system, command and control mechanism along with communication and radars, performed “flawlessly”. The performance of the system was confirmed by the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur. The missiles successfully intercepted and neutralised the i n d i g e n o u s l y d eve l o p e d , SHIKRA aerial targets, manufactured by Anadrone Systems. These targets fly at high speeds of 650 kmph with operational altitude of 9000m and ranges up to 200 km. The Ministry of Defence on Sunday issued a Request for Information (RFI) to procure 76 naval utility helicopters for the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard. Fifty-one helicopters will go to the Navy and the remaining for the Coast Guard. These twin-engine choppers, which will replace the Chetak helicopters, will be procured under ‘Buy and Make (India)’ category. RFI is the first step in the procurement process | P7 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented DRDO, the armed forces, and the defence industry for the successful development of IADWS. He said the flight-tests established the country’s multi-layered airdefence capability . The integrated air defence system will undergo more tests before being commissioned. BJP, JD(U) likely to contest equal number of seats in Bihar election r a m a s h a n k a r @ Patna Chief Minister MK Stalin presents a bronze statue of Thiruvalluvar to V-P candidate Sudershan Reddy in Chennai | Express Reddy labelled Naxal to hide centre’s fault, says Stalin E X P RESS NEWS SERVICE @ Chennai Accusing the BJP of wearing a Tamil identity mask to seek support for its Vice-President candidate CP Radhakrishnan, Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Sunday said it is ideologies and not individuals that guide politics as individuals are just symbols. “We should support the ideology that stands for the people,” he said. Addressing a meeting of leaders of INDIA bloc and the alliance’s MPs from Tamil Nadu in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to support Justice B Sudershan Reddy’s candidature for the V-P election, in Chennai, the CM also hit out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah for targeting the former SC judge over Naxalism. “The centre could not end Naxalbased extremism and in order to hide its incompetence, Justice Reddy was labelled a ‘Naxal’ by Shah,” the CM alleged. “You (Reddy) are eminently qualified for the post of Vice President of India. That is why the INDIA bloc has declared you as our candidate. At a time when the BJP is attempting to undermine the Constitution, we need a judge who has defended it once to safeguard it again. Justice Reddy is also one who respects Tamil Nadu and its sentiments,” Stalin said. Recalling Reddy’s call for withdrawal of the new National Education Policy (NEP), Stalin said Reddy had said the NEP is against human dignity since it would only promote ‘I-MeMine culture’.  P4 SEAT-sharing talks between allies of the NDA for the upcoming Bihar assembly election are in the final stages with sources pointing towards BJP and JD(U) expected to contest an equal number of seats, likely around 100 each. However, both parties are likely to face a challenge in satisfying smaller allies like Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM), which are demanding 40 and 20 seats, respectively . A senior LJP (RV) leader on a condition of anonymity said, “We have made it clear to contest not less than 40 seats in the elections.” Even if Chirag’s LJP (RV) relents, it is not expected to contest less than 30 seats, sources added. On the other hand, a senior The LJP HAM leader said, “My party question would not settle for less than 20 seats. We should not be of- In the 2020 fered fewer seats than what poll, even LJP gets. We have four legis- though LJP lators in the state assembly won one seat despite while the LJP has none.” Bihar JD(U) president contesting 135 Umesh Kushwaha confirmed seats, it cost seat-sharing talks are under- Nitish’s JD(U) way and it will be finalised at dearly by , the appropriate time. “We cutting votes will let you know when it is finalised,” he said. Sources said the seat-sharing negotiations among NDA allies is likely to be finalised either by the end of August or the first week of September. JD(U), sources said, would not contest less than 100 seats in any condition. This means, sources said, that the BJP will also not accept less than 100 seats. The other ally former un, ion minister and MP Upendra Kushwaha has not opened his cards so far, but would like to contest on a ‘respectable’ number of seats. In the 2020 Assembly elections, JD(U), led by chief minister Nitish Kumar, contested 115 seats and won 43, while the BJP fought on 110 and won 74 seats. BJP says Aadhaar alone can’t give voting rights; Rahul slams EC Pa r v e z S u lta n & R a m a s h a n k a r @ New Delhi/Patna THE BJP on Sunday accused the Opposition of indulging in propaganda after the Supreme Court said that voters excluded during the ongoing SIR exercise in Bihar can submit Aadhaar along with other documents, asserting that the Supreme Court did not say Aadhaar alone can be a valid document to get voting rights. Aadhaar is only a proof of identity and residence and does not establish citizenship, BJP’s IT department head Amit Malviya said on X. “It is amusing to see the various interpretations of the Supreme Court’s order dated Aug 22 in ADR vs ECI case, particularly with respect to Aadhaar… Nowhere in the judgment does the Supreme Court even suggest, let alone direct, that Aadhaar should be used as a valid document for SIR,” Malviya wrote on ‘X’. “The truth is simple: SIR is intact, Aadhaar alone cannot get you enrolled; dead, fake, Bangladeshi and Rohingya names will be removed and only Indian citizens will elect the next government – not foreigners. Don’t fall for propaganda. The Supreme Court has seen through the ‘game’,” Malviya said. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, during his ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Araria district of Bihar, said SIR in Bihar was an “institutionalised attempt” by the Election Commission to benefit the BJP “The poll panel is . working to help the saffron party But it will . not succeed as the people of Bihar are alert,” he said. Rahul also accused the BJP-RSS of “closing the doors of opportunity” for Dalits, backward classes, women and the poor, and of attempting to “destroy the Constitution.” ONGC gets nod for exploration wells, TN asks green body to revoke consent SV KRISHNA CHAITANYA @ Chennai A few hours after reports emerged that the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has granted environmental clearance to the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) for drilling 20 onshore exploratory wells in Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu Environment and Climate Change Minister Thangam Thennarasu said the state has advised the SEIAA to revoke the clearance accorded to the ONGC. In a statement issued on Sunday evening, Thennarasu said the government “would not allow any project relating to hydrocarbon in any part of the state, either now or in the future”. The statement also said Representative image that “it has come to the notice” of the state government that the SEIAA had “directly” granted the clearance. The clearance, issued on March 11, allows ONGC to explore a designated block spread across 1,403 sqkm in the Ramnad sub-basin. Each well is expected to be drilled to depths of 2,000-3,000 metres, with operations lasting up to four months. Though the environmental clearance is granted, the ONGC New India-Japan framework on AI, economic security JAYANTH JACO B @ New Delhi india and Japan are in the process of finalising a new bilateral framework to strengthen cooperation in economic security with a focus on securing , stable supply chains for critical goods coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan on August 29 and 30. The framework is expected to cover key sectors including semiconductors, essential minerals, communications, clean energy arti, ficial intelligence (AI), and pharmaceuticals, sources said. Both sides are also preparing to announce a dedicated AI Cooperation Initiative, aimed at supporting collaboration between startups and tech firms in the emerging artificial intelligence space. The initiative aims to promote ties between Japanese and Indian firms. “Such cooperation is a win-win and mutually beneficial and can contribute to the growth of the Japanese economy,” a source said. The announcement is set to coincide with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Japan. Modi may also travel to Sendai to see an experimental bullet train and visit a leading chip-making equipment manufacturer. Japan is home to major players in the global semiconductor industry including Kioxia, Re, nesas Electronics, Sony Semiconductor Solutions, and Toshiba Electronic Devices. These companies are central to advancements in chip-making and related technologies. Sendai, where Prime Minister Modi is expected to visit, is part of a region that has been increasingly focusing on semiconductor innovation and development, positioning itself as a hub for next-generation tech. Modi is set to visit Japan on August 29-30 at invitation of Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba, to participate in the 15th IndiaJapan Annual Summit During the visit, the two leaders will review the progress of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership, with discussions also covering key areas such as defence. can commence the work only after obtaining Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL) from the state industries department, for which an application has already been filed and is pending for approval, sources told the TNIE. “Considering the welfare of farmers and the general public, it is the firm policy decision of CM MK Stalin that no hydrocarbon-related projects can be permitted in any part of TN,” Thennarasu’s statement said. Environmentalists say the block where the 20 exploratory wells are proposed is close to ecologically-sensitive areas like Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park and several notified bird sanctuaries. The environmental clearance has also raised questions over transparency  . P4 express read No V-Cs in 14 TN univs, 2 more may join list soon Chennai: The administrative void in Tamil Nadu’s public-funded higher education sector is reaching an alarming level with 14 of the 22 state-run universities already functioning without V-Cs and two more to become headless in four months. V-Cs of two universities were given one-year extension by the governor recently | P2 Man sets wife, son afire over family spat in Nellai Tirunelveli: Enraged over a domestic spat, a 66-year-old man locked up his wife and son inside a room and set the room on fire using fuel, killing them both at Araikulam, Tirunelveli, on Sunday. Saveriya, the accused, later set himself on fire but was rescued and admitted to Tirunelveli govt medical college hospital | P5 MAYHEM SIX KILLED IN RAIN FURY IN RAJASTHAN Six people, including four minors and a government school teacher, died in separate rain-related incidents as heavy to very heavy rain battered parts of Rajasthan in last 24 hours; Dausa was the worst hit In step with the holy scripture People from the Sikh community carry the ‘Guru Granth Sahib’ in a palanquin during the ‘Nagar Kirtan’ procession at the Golden Temple on ‘Guru Granth Sahib Parkash Utsav’, in Amritsar, on Sunday | PTI One in four rabies deaths in TN caused by pet dogs, show recent data S i n d u j a J a n e @ Chennai With the recent Supreme Court judgments triggering intense and polarised debates on the issue of increasing stray dog population, dog bites and rabies cases, data show that of the 64 rabies deaths recorded in Tamil Nadu in the last 18 months (January 2024 to Au- gust 2025), 15 deaths (23.4%) were caused by pet dog bites and rest due to attack by stray dogs (76%). According to the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine data accessed by TNIE, of the 43 rabies deaths recorded in 2024, 41 were due to partial or complete lack of vaccination, and two persons died Stray dogs roaming on a street in Coimbatore district | file picture even after completion of full vaccination schedule due to possible viral load. Experts said the data underscored the need for dog owners to get their pets mandatorily vaccinated once every year as the trend indicated that a large number of pet dogs may be unvaccinated. Doctors also emphasised the need for people to take required doses of rabies vaccine (along with rabies immunoglobulin depending on the nature of the bite) as part of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) even if they are bitten by their vaccinated pet dogs. Though the chance of getting infected could be minimal in case of vaccinated dogs, there is a remote possibility of infection if the victims skip PEP ex, perts said. Of the 43 rabies deaths last year, 33 were due to stray dog attack, and remaining 10 were due to attack by pet dogs.  P5 3 children, 20 others hurt in stray dog attack in Mayiladuthurai | P5