visakhapatnam l sunday l february 01, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late city EDITION Rybakina edges past Sabalenka to lift the Australian Open Elena Rybakina took out Aryna Sabalenka to win in three pulsating sets. This is the Kazakh’s second Slam and first since 2022 Wimbledon Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina raises a toast after her victory on Saturday | AFP Kazakh keeps her cool at arena after women, over to men’s final The Kazakh, born in Moscow, is one of the hardest hitters in the game. Sabalenka, who had yet to drop a set this year, had started the final as a favourite, but very soon came under fire. Being played indoors because of rain, she recovered but the Kazakh won the first set. Sabalenka roared back to take the second but her opponent ultimately prevailed 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 ■ ■ Novak Djokovic, featuring in his first Slam final since 2023, has the chance to equal the record of most Majors. He has superior head to head against Carlos Alcaraz 5-4 Alcaraz, who survived a five-setter against Alexander Zverev, can become the youngest to win all four Slams 10 Djokovic has 10 Australian Open titles 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 Sunetra dy CM, Sharad Pawar sore Maha gets its first woman deputy CM; Sharad Pawar says NCP merger may hit a roadblock Sudh i r Su r ya w an s h i @ Mumbai SUNETRA Ajit Pawar was sworn in as deputy chief minister of Maharashtra on Saturday at the Governor’s House in Mumbai, becoming the first woman to occupy the position in the state. She was allotted excise, sports, minority development and Aukaf (Waqf) departments, but not finance and planning which her late husband Ajit Pawar held. The brief swearing-in ceremony at the Lok Bhavan took place three days after deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar died in an air crash in Baramati on January 28. A commerce graduate, Sunetra, 62, resigned from her Rajya Sabha membership, and is expected to contest the byelection to the Baramati assembly Immediate challenges before Sunetra Pawar From left, CM Devendra Fadnavis, Governor Acharya Devvrat, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar after her swearing-in in Mumbai | PTI MUMBAI: Sunetra Pawar’s first challenge is to win the Baramati by-election since her miffed father-in-law, Sharad Pawar will not cede control over their bastion easily. Sunetra had lost the 2024 Lok Sabha election to Supriya Sule from Baramati. Both Sharad Pawar and Sule were invited to her swearing-in ceremony, but refused. She also needs to develop her panMaharashtra foothold. constituency represented by her late husband. After Ajit Pawar’s demise, the 85-year-old Sharad Pawar had called a meeting of the Pawar family on Friday night to discuss the merger of both factions of the NCP. But Sunetra and her two sons, Parth and with Ajit for the merger of NCP . It was his wish that both factions should come together... it appears the process may hit a roadblock following the accident,” Sharad Pawar said. Parth then rushed back to Baramati to mollify his grandfather as P8 well as Supriya Sule.  Jay skipped it and left for Mum, bai for the NCP’s legislative party meeting and oath-taking ceremony An apparently miffed . Pawar told the media in Baramati a day later that he had no idea that Sunetra was going to be sworn in as deputy CM. “We had several meetings RSASTF nabs international smuggler Ambati arrested for making abusive remarks against CM; Guntur tense E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Tirupati @ Vijayawada The Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force (RSASTF) has nabbed an international red wood smuggler as part of its crackdown on smuggling activities in the Seshachalam forest. Under the guidance of Tirupati SP and RSASTF chief L Subbarayudu, RSASTF SP P Srinivas formed special teams to curb the smuggling of red sanders in the Seshachalam forest with an iron hand. As part of the special operation, Mohammed Muzammil (38) of Mysuru, an international red sanders smuggler involved in several cases, was apprehended at Thanapalli Cross on the Chittoor-Naidupeta Road in Tirupati rural mandal on Saturday . Police said Muzammil was involved in exporting red sanders logs to China after procuring them from smugglers of Karnataka. He utilised the services of Ravi of Bengaluru to get government permission for export of red sanders by falsely showing the wood was sourced legally Muzammil was . assisted by a Chinese national identified as Jojo. The role of Michael, the representative of a Chinese company in India, is under scrutiny. Senior police officials appreciated the efforts of RSASTF special teams, and Additional SP J Kulashekhar in arresting the smuggler. E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e Tension gripped Guntur on Saturday when a large number of TDP activists allegedly ransacked the office of senior YSRCP leader and former minister Ambati Rambabu, following his controversial remarks against Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. Nallapadu police registered a case against Ambati based on complaints lodged by TDP leaders, accusing him of abusing the CM. The former minister was arrested, and shifted to police station. According to police sources, Ambati used abusive language while criticising Naidu. His remarks sparked widespread anger among the TDP rank and file, leading to violent confrontations between the ruling and YSRCP leader Ambati Rambabu makes derogatory comments against CM Nara Chandrababu Naidu | Express the opposition groups at multiple locations in the city . Ambati was allegedly stopped and attacked by TDP activists while he was on his way to Gorantla to of fer special prayers at Venkateswara Swamy temple. The prayers were part of a protest against NDA leaders for making “unverified allegations” that animal fat was mixed in the ghee used for preparing Tirumala laddu prasadam. TDP activists allegedly pelted stones at Ambati’s car, and used sticks in an attempt to attack the YSRCP leader, even in the presence of police. When police prevented Ambati from reaching Gorantla, the ex-minister reportedly lost his cool, and made the offensive remarks against Naidu. “In the spur of the moment, I have made objectionable remarks against Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. But those remarks were not intentional. In an attempt to protect myself, I raised my voice strongly and , lost control over my tone. Shockingly, police did not prevent TDP activists from attacking me. They played a role of mute spectators,” said Ambati, adding that he was ready to P4 face the consequences.  General Budget today TDP hopes for G Ram G spend compensation P r eetha N a i r @ New Delhi Under G RAM G, rural projects are linked to the PM Gati Shakti national master plan. I believe this will largely reduce repetition (in MGNREGA), as the scheme focuses on specific priority areas. It will also create lasting assets for communities and villages Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu Flaws in NREGA Pointing out flaws in MGNREGA, Devarayalu said the scheme often involved the same work being repeated year after year. G Ram G will address it. On tech hassle, he added, “4G is widespread. We will ensure offices are in place in areas with poor connectivity so no one is left out.” Ahead of Sunday’s Union Budget, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a key ally of the NDA, said while the recently enacted Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (G RAM G) is expected to add an estimated `2,500 crore burden to Andhra Pradesh’s state budget, it is confident that the Centre will step in with financial support to bridge the gap. In an interview with this newspaper, TDP parliamentary party leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu said the party has already taken up the matter with the Centre. “We have sought the Centre’s support for implementing G RAM G, and we have received a lot of confidence from them. We expect to receive a substantial allocation for the Purvodaya scheme to meet the additional cost for G RAM G,” he said. The state is also expecting allocation of funds for river interlinking projects and the development of horticulture across at least 40 lakh acres in Rayalaseema and other backward districts in the Union Budget, added Devarayalu. Under the G RAM G Act, the guarantee of work has been increased from 100 days to 125 days per financial year, and states are required to cover 40% of the expenditure for the rural job scheme. Under this revised funding formula, Andhra Pradesh is expected to shoulder an additional Rs 2,500 crore. To meet the additional cost, the state is exploring two potential sources, the Purvodaya scheme and the Rayalaseema drought mitigation scheme, said Devarayalu. “We are hoping to secure as much funding as possible for both in the Union Budget,” he said. The Purvodaya scheme is aimed at the sustainable development of Eastern India, specifically Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh. A recent report by research group Libitech said that Andhra Pradesh is already burdened with nearly `10 lakh crore in debt. In 2024–25, Andhra Pradesh spent around `7,800 crore under MGNREGA, with the state contributing about `780 crore. Under the new Act, the state’s share is projected to rise sharply to nearly `3,120 crore. “We have a strategy in place, and going forward, the funds will be augmented. We will ensure that the scheme is fully implemented,” he said. Shah slams TMC, vows jail for corrupt S U B H E N D U M A I T I @ Kolkata E x p r e s s Re a d Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday attacked the Trinamool Congress in pollbound West Bengal, alleging that no other administration in the country was as corrupt as the Mamata Banerjee-led regime and asserting that BJP would jail corrupt leaders if voted to power. Addressing BJP workers at meetings in Barrackpore and Siliguri, Shah said the party would form the government with an absolute majority. He said BJP aimed to secure over 50 per cent vote share, compared to 38 per cent in the 2021 Assembly polls and 39 per cent in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where it won 77 Assembly seats. Home minister Amit Shah addressing a rally in Bengal | Special Arrangement He accused the state government of giving corruption an institutional shape and shielding tainted leaders. Targeting Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, Shah alleged corruption exceeding `1,000 crore and questioned whether jailed Trinamool leaders would be renominated to prevent disclosures. Shah referred to alleged scams including Saradha, Narada, coal and cattle smuggling, school recruitment and the public distribution system, and said corruption continued despite arrests. He accused the state of blocking border fencing by denying land to the Border Security Force and alleged infiltrators were being protected for electoral gains, adding a BJP government would secure the border within 45 days. Referring to the factory fire that killed 25 workers, Shah alleged corruption and administrative failure and asked why the owners had not been arrested. Woman alleges apathy at KGH, Pawan steps in ishan roars, sanju quiet Visakhapatnam: A woman has alleged that medical negligence by doctors and staff at KGH, Visakhapatnam, led to the death of her unborn child. Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan responded to the complaint and directed officials to bring the woman and her family to his office at the State Secretariat on Monday for a detailed review | P4 Chittoor distributes 5,555 e-cycles in 24 hrs, enters Guinness No clean chit to YSRCP regime in ghee case: FM Vijayawada: Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav on Saturday categorically rejected the YSRCP’s false claim of having received a ‘clean chit’ in the Tirumala laddu adulteration case, stating that the SIT, CFTRI and NDDB reports together clearly establish ghee adulteration, suppression of evidence and corruption during the previous YSRCP regime | P4 Ishan Kishan in scintiallting form as he scores a hundred against New Zealand on Saturday. Here he celebrates with Hardik Pandya. On the other hand, Sanju Samson manages only 6 runs. Ishan’s run: 8, 76, 28, DNP, 103; Sanju: 10, 6, 0, 24, 6 I BP Dipu E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Tirupati Chittoor district has created a Guinness World Record by distributing 5,555 e-cycles to beneficiaries in Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s home constituency Kuppam, marking a major step towards promoting eco-friendly transport. Representatives of the Guinness World Records officially announced the feat after the distribution of e-cycles on Saturday . Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu received the Guin- ness World Record certificate at the Prajavedika programme in Kuppam, and presented it to Chittoor District Collector Sumit Kumar. The initiative is part of a broader vision to develop Kuppam as a clean and green Assembly constituency . The Chief Minister distributed ‘Super e-Cycles’ to women beneficiaries at Prajavedika Sabha organised under the Pedala Sevalo programme. Naidu rode an e-cycle for about 3 km from his residence at Kadapalli to the Prajavedika venue at Thumsi to promote the Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu rides an e-cycle in Kuppam on Saturday | Express use of eco-friendly transport in Kuppam. Naidu said the e-cycles would be very useful, enabling women to travel up to 60 km easily for work and daily needs.” People voted for the cycle symbol in the last elections. Now, we are using the cycle to reduce pollution, and protect the environment, besides improving public health,” he said. Naidu expressed happiness that 5,555 e-cycles were distributed within 24 hours, calling it not just a record, but the beginning of a new phase in KupP4 pam’s development.  WITH THIS ISSUE The Disaster Diary PLUS 12 P AGES 2 yr deputation at Centre must for IPS officers of SP/DIG rank M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi FACING an acute shortage of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers at the Centre, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended promotion guidelines to make central deputation mandatory for empanelment to senior ranks. In an order, the MHA has revised its norms stating that IPS officers would now be required to complete a minimum of two years of central deputation at the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP) and Deputy Inspector General (DIG), or an equivalent level, to be eligible for empanelment as Inspector General (IG) or its equivalent cadre. The decision follows repeated reminders from the MHA to state governments to nominate an adequate number of IPS officers for central deputation in line with the Central Deputation Reserve (CDR). These reminders have come even from the level of Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, highlighting persistent gaps in staffing at the Centre, particularly at the SP and DIG levels. According to the order, the revised guidelines will apply to IPS officers of the 2011 batch onwards. A senior MHA official said younger IPS officers have shown reluctance for central deputation due to the appeal of field postings in districts where they lead police forces and exercise direct command. As a result, many officers prefer to remain in their respective state cadres during the early and middle stages of their careers. Officers become more inclined to serve at the Centre only after reaching the IG level or above. This imbalance prompted the rule tweak. Another official, however, emphasised that the intent is to ensure that officers gain adequate experience at the Central level before being considered for senior leadership positions in the Union government.