tirupati l friday l february 27, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l anantapur EDITION No addl fee for changes within 48 hours of air ticket booking You can now cancel or change air tickets without additional charge within 48 hours of booking, subject to certain conditions, the DGCA said | P7 Representational image Facility if departure date is over 7 days Regulator DGCA revises Refund norms Fliers will get a ‘look-in option’ for 48 hours after booking tickets. During this period, a passenger can cancel or amend the ticket without additional charges. “This facility shall not be available for a flight whose departure is less than 7 days for domestic flight and 15 days for international flight from booking date when ticket is booked directly through airline website” ■ ■ “In case of purchase of ticket through travel agent/portal, onus of refund shall lie with the airlines as agents are their appointed representatives.” Refund must be processed within 14 working days No addl fee allowed for name correction if the flier points out the error within 24 hours of booking directly through the airline’s website March 26 Operational date for the new passenger-friendly norms 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 Late-night hearing in HC over ‘Kerala Story 2’ release E XPR E SS N E WS S E RVIC E @ Kochi hours after a single judge of the Kerala High Court stayed the release of the movie Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond, a division bench held a late-night emergency hearing of an appeal filed by producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah, seeking to quash the single judge’s order. The bench, comprising justices Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and P V Balakrishnan, reserved its order. Earlier in the day Justice Bechu Kurian Tho, mas had stayed the release of the film for 15 days. The single judge passed the order on petitions filed by Sreedev Namboodiri of Kannur and Freddy V Francis of Ernakulam, challenging the theatrical, digital and satellite release, as well as further exhibition and circulation of the film. In the appeal before the division bench, the producer submitted that the court should allow the release as the film is scheduled to be screened in more than 1,800 theatres across the country and in 355 centres abroad. If the film is not released on the scheduled date, the makers would suffer financial losses. Counsel for the producers submitted that the single judge erred in substituting his own assessment of the film’s content for the expert determination of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), the sole statutory authority constituted under the Cinematograph Act, 1952, to examine and certify films for public exhibition. The CBFC examined the complete film, ordered several cuts, which were duly complied with, and then granted certification. Senior Supreme Court lawyer Neeraj Kishan Kaul, appearing for Shah, said: “Today we are , 75 years into the republic. Are we so frail in this country of great harmony that we can say portrayal of a social evil in one religion, or a section of a religion, will scandalise the faith and tenets of that religion? There is nothing in the movie to denigrate the state of Kerala. It is a state loved by everyone. It only shows a protagonist emerging from the state, and the narrative goes beyond it. If a section within a religion is shown practising a social evil, that cannot be ter med an insult or denigration of the religion.” The counsel added that the CBFC had taken a clear view that the film does not denigrate the State. The protagonist is not from Kerala alone, but from other states as well as the narrative extends to Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Justice Thomas: Could endanger public order Repeated portrayal of the theme in a second movie of almost the same name and concept could create contempt towards a religious group in the State and towards the State itself, promote communal and fanatical attitudes, and endanger public order, Justice Thomas said There is a possibility that Kerala, otherwise known for its communal harmony and friendly natives, may be perceived by viewers globally as a hub of fanaticism & communal divide Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas SC orders ban, seizure of NCERT book Says heads must roll, slaps contempt notice on NCERT director and Secretary, Department of School Education SUC H ITRA K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Thursday imposed a blanket ban on the NCERT’s Class 8 social science text book containing a controversial section on ‘corruption in the judiciary’, and issued a contempt notice to the NCERT director and Secretary Department , of School Education and Literacy . A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant held that the book contains “offending” material not suitable for young students in their formative years. “As an abundant precaution, @ Vijayawada Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has reiterated his government’s commitment to ensuring irrigation facility to every acre of farmland in Andhra Pradesh, describing it as a “water tribute to Telugu Thalli.” During a discussion and voting on demands of grants for the Water Resources Department for 2026-27 in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday , he announced that a comprehensive blueprint will be released soon to complete all the pending irrigation projects in the State. Naidu emphasised that water security is a key aspect in the NDA government’s Swarnandhra Vision 2047. He noted that industries and invest- ments depend on reliable water resources, and highlighted upcoming responsibilities such as hosting the Godavari and Krishna Pushkarams. “We treat rivers and water as sacred resources, and our government is committed to their responsible management,” he said. He underlined the impor- Will probe the matter and take action: Pradhan The Union education ministry wrote to the ministries of information and broadcasting, and electronics, asking them to stop the dissemination of the NCERT textbook through digital platforms and electronic media. Earlier in the day, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said an inquiry would be conducted and action taken against those involved in preparing the book, adding there was no intention to disrespect judiciary. nal contempt of court. The court directed the NCERT to submit the members of the national syllabus committee who approved the “offending chapter”, names of the textbook development team responsible for drafting the chapter, and the original minutes of all meetings where the chapter was deliberated and finalised. J aya n t h J a c ob @ New Delhi India and Israel on Thursday elevated their ties to a “Special Strategic Partnership” during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second state visit to Israel in nine years. The move signals a deepening of cooperation across defence, trade, technology and regional connectivity, even as both sides underscored shared concerns over terrorism and instability in the Middle East. Following delegation-level talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, Modi described the relationship as “time-tested” and rooted in trust and democratic values. “Our relationship is founded on the strong bedrock of deep trust, shared democratic values, and human sensitivities. Our bond has stood the test of every trial of time,” Modi said at a joint press conference. A series of agreements were signed to boost collaboration tance of linking the rivers from Vamsadhara to Penna to ensure water availability across all regions. He recalled national-level discussions on interlinking the Ganga and Cauvery rivers, expressing hope that such projects will eventually materialise. At the State level, he said river-linking will prevent wastage of floodwater, pointing out that nearly 3,000 TMC of Godavari floodwater flows into the sea annually . He highlighted that `68,000 crore was spent on irrigation during 2014-19, and an additional `20,000 crore has been invested in the past 20 months. He cited the expansion of the Handri-Neeva canal, which now supplies water to Paramasamudram tank in Kuppam, and the provision of drinking P4 water to Madakasira. Full support to Gaza peace plan, says PM Modi reaffirmed India’s support for peace efforts in Gaza. “India’s stance is clear: humanity must never become a victim of conflict. A path to peace has been created through the Gaza Peace Plan. India has fully supported these efforts,” the PM said, adding New Delhi would “continue dialogue and cooperation with all countries.” in trade, agriculture, energy, cyberspace and digital payments. The two sides agreed to work towards finalising a “mutually beneficial” free trade agreement. Modi also announced the launch of a new partnership on critical and emerging technologies, aimed at accelerating cooperation in artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and critical minerals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu before his departure from Jerusalem on Thursday | PTI “I am pleased that an agreement has been reached for the use of UPI in Israel,” Modi said, referring to India’s digital payments interface, in a move expected to strengthen fintech linkages. Security ties remained central to the talks. Modi reiterated India’s firm opposition to terrorism in all forms. “India and Israel are completely clear that there is no place for terror in the world. In any form, in any expression, terrorism cannot be accepted.” ED gets prosecution police sanction for PC in launch ‘oP Chinnari 2 alleged graft cases Thalli’ E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi With the Centre granting sanction to prosecute former Union finance minister P Chidambaram in two separate money laundering cases, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday shared the orders with a special court in New Delhi and urged it to expedite trials. Prosecution sanction in the INX Media and Aircel-Maxis deal cases were granted on February 10. The agency has approached Centre to get prosecution sanction following a Supreme Court verdict in November 2024, which held that prosecution sanction under Section 197(1) of the CrPC is mandatory even for complaints filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. In the INX Media case, the ED began probe under PMLA in 2017 based on a case registered by the CBI against INX Media and others, including Chidambaram’s son Karti. Where students risk their lives to attend Inter exams S r een u B a b u Pat i v a d a @ Parvathipuram-Manyam At least 100 students from various villages in Komarada mandal appearing for the Intermediate examinations, are forced to wade through the Nagavali river despite potential danger due to the inordinate delay in the construction of a high-level bridge connecting Purnapadu and Labesu. The students are taking the risk to save travel time. Otherwise, they need to travel 45 km to reach All these must be produced on March 11, the next date of hearing, it said. “It is my duty as head of the institution to find out who is responsible; heads must roll… We won’t close the case,” the CJI said, adding, “We would like to have a deeper probe.” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the chapter had already been withdrawn and only 32 copies had reached the market. Blaming the NCERT for the goof-up, the bench observed that there appeared to be a deep-rooted conspiracy to demean the dignity of judiciary . “They have fired a gunshot and the judiciary is bleeding,” the CJI said. The bench refused to accept the apology tendered by the NCERT on Wednesday night, hours after the SC took suo motu cognisance of the matter. “The question as to whether the apology has been tendered genuinely... or to evade the consequences... we will consider at an appropriate stage,” the order said. India, Israel forge special strategic partnership Govt to come up with blueprint soon to complete pending irrigation projs E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e a complete blanket ban is hereby imposed on any further publication re: printing or digital dissemination of the book titled ‘Exploring Society India , and Beyond’,” said the order by the bench, also comprising justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi. The SC ordered that all physical and digital copies of the book currently in circulation— including those held in storage, retail outlets, or educational institutions—be immediately seized and removed from public access. During the hearing, the bench observed that publication of the book with offending references amounts to crimi- their examination centres. The construction of the Purnapadu-Labesu bridge across Nagavali is one of the long pending projects in Parvathipuram-Manyam district. At least people of 60 tribal hamlets under 31 Grama Panchayats have been facing difficulty to reach the mandal headquarters Komarada for the past several decades due to lack of the bridge connectivity Crossing the river is danger. ous during the rainy season when P4 it is in spate.  Risking their lives, girls of Komarada cross the Nagavali river to attend Inter exams. Otherwise, they need to travel 45 km to reach exam centres | EXPRESS Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said mobility had emerged as a “sunshine sector” in bilateral ties. Israel will open its manufacturing and restaurant sectors to Indian workers, with over 50,000 Indian workers expected to travel to Israel over the next five years under a newly signed protocol. The leaders also reviewed progress on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and cooperation under the I2U2 framework grouping India, Israel, the UAE and the US. The initiative, spearheaded by the Women and Child Safety Wing, aims to curb atrocities against minors and ensure a protection mechanism across AP | p3 express read Hearing on NBW plea against Naik deferred Vijayawada: The Guntur mobile court has adjourned hearing of police petition seeking nonbailable arrest warrant against Bihar cadre IPS officer M Sunil Kumar Naik, who is an accused in the case of custodial torture of the former Narsapur MP | p3 Today’s Match 7pm: England vs New Zealand (Colombo)