TIRUPATI l tuesday l june 02, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l ANANTAPUR EDITION Ten days before FIFA WC begins, ‘Z’ secure India broadcast rights After weeks of anticipation over whether the marquee event would be aired/streamed in the country, ‘Z’ group bags the rights on Monday The Mexico City Stadium in Mexico City will host the opening game on June 11 | AFP Zee to telecast major FIFA events till 2034 deal to be estimated around $30-35 mil The World Cup, to be co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, will be broadcast live on television by Zee Entertainment through their newly launched Unite8 Sports network, while live streaming will be available on Zee 5 app. The deal covers 39 major FIFA tournaments across men, women and youth events to audiences in India until 2034. ■ ■ While the announcement did not mention the valuation of the deal, it is expected to be anywhere between $30-35 million It is significantly lesser than what FIFA had initially asked for. While 2026 WC has timezone issues, the next edition will happen in Morocco and Spain after the first few games in Argentina and Uruguay | P7 39 Zee will telecast 39 major fifa events till 2034 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 Rajasthan’s Kota factory churns out JEE Advanced toppers, yet again S Lalitha & Rajesh Asnani @ New Delhi/Jaipur Students celebrate in Kota after the results were announced; (inset) topper Shubham Kumar | Express Six of top 10 from same institute Kota-based Allen Career Institute on Monday claimed that six of the top 10 rank holders in the JEE (Advanced) 2026 results were its students. The institute said 24 of its students featured in the top 50 rank Kota kept up its reputation for churning out JEE Advanced toppers in factory mode yet again, with the first three ranks secured by candidates from coaching centres there. Of the top 10, six received coaching in the city . Shubham Kumar from Bihar, who went to Allen Career Institute in Kota, is the all-India topper with a score of 330 out of 360 marks. Kabeer Chhillar from Gurugram is second with 329 marks, and Jatin Chahar from Rajasthan Oman FTA kicks in, opens new doors to GCC, Africa Much of its coastline outside Strait of Hormuz, along the Arabian Sea Piyush Goyal: Most parts of India-US pact finalised Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday said India and the US have finalised most elements of the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement. The talks will take place in New Delhi from June 2-4. “...mostly everything is finalised. As you know, US ambassador said 99% of things have been finalised. Discussions are on about small issues, commas and full stops.” Factory output expands at slower pace in April India’s industrial production or IIP expanded at a slower pace of 4.9% in April due to tepid growth in the energy sector amid the West Asia crisis, according to official data released on Monday. The IIP’s growth rate was 3.2% in March 2026. This is the first data released after the revision of the base year to 2022-23 from 201112, rejigging index elements | P10 Gross GST collections grew 3.2% in May Gross GST collections rose 3.2% to over `1.94 lakh crore in May on higher supplies of goods and services, as well as collection from imports, government data showed on Monday. Net GST revenues went up 3.3% to `1.67 lakh crore. Gross GST collection was `1.88 lakh crore in May 2025. The govt has budgeted to mop up `10.19 lakh crore from GST in the current fiscal | P10 Pu s h p i ta D e y @ New Delhi THE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Oman came into force on Monday, providing tariff-free access for a majority of Indian exports and creating a strategic trade corridor to Gulf and African markets through Oman’s ports. Under the accord, Indian exporters will receive immediate zero-duty access on nearly 99% of exports by value, covering 98.08% of Oman’s tariff lines. “This balanced FTA opens doors to our exports to Oman while protecting livelihoods at home. The doors it opens are wide because Oman is a gateway to the wider GCC, East Africa and the Indian Ocean economy through its various ports,” Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said. Oman’s logistics hubs at Sohar, Duqm and Salalah would provide Indian exporters easier access to the broader Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and East African markets. The pact assumes added significance amid rising geopolitical tensions in West Asia. Unlike most Gulf nations that depend heavily on shipping routes through the Strait of Hor muz, much of Oman’s coastline lies outside the Strait, along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman. Trade experts note that ma- jor ports such as Salalah and Duqm remain accessible even if traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted. “This allows Oman to continue functioning as a reliable trade and energy gateway during periods of regional conflict or instability said Ajay Srivas,” tava, founder, the Global Trade Research Initiative. Pankaj Khimji, advisor for Foreign Trade and International Cooperation at Oman’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, said the country is willing to align its petrochemical and fertiliser exports with India’s needs. “India remains a major importer of the petrochemicals that Oman manufactures, and we can more than happily serve that requirement,” he said. The FTA is expected to benefit labour-intensive sectors including gems and jewellery, textiles, leather, footwear, marine products, engineering goods, processed food and pharmaceuticals. India has offered tariff liberalisation on 77.79% of tariff lines, covering 94.81% of imports from Oman by value, while retaining safeguards for sensitive sectors. “We have agreed with the Omani side that for investments made by Indian companies, Indian workers will be given preferential ability to serve, subject to local requirements,” Goyal said. is third with 319 marks. Both Kabeer and Jatin also got coached in Kota. “I feel absolutely wonderful. I came to Kota after completing my 11th standard,” Shubham said. “I never attempted to rote-memorise topics. Instead, I always concentrated on strengthening my basics and concepts,” he added. Sharing his success tips, Kabeer said, “I broke down my studies into small, manageable targets, created concise notes, and cultivated the habit of re gular revision.” Arohi Deshpande from Pune is SCoR Zone begins ops from Vizag Major Political churn Annamalai Roach party may quit BJP, plans Sat launch party spectacle D h a r m end r a Re g a n a / U s h a Pe r i @ Srikakulam/Visakhapatnam Su b a s h i n i V i j aya ku m a r @ Chennai U D AYA N K ISH O R E @ New Delhi Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai, who left for New Delhi on Monday , is likely to resign from the party according to , sources. He is expected to meet BJP national president Nitin Nabin and Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit. Speaking briefly to reporters at the Chennai airport on Monday, Annamalai said he would speak “freely” in two days. Sources indicated that he is considering launching a new political outfit and might even contest upcoming Assembly by-elections, which is expected to be held within six months. Tensions between Annamalai and the BJP leadership came to the fore after the party re- Annamalai sees an opportunity to build vived its alliance with the an independent AIADMK ahead of the political platform 2026 Assembly election. at a time when a Annamalai was also resection of voters appears to be placed by Nainar Nagendisillusioned with thran as the state BJP Dravidian majors president, a move many within the party saw as Sources necessary to preserve the alliance and maintain cordial ties with the AIADMK. While the BJP’s decision-making process remains largely centralised, Annamalai is believed to have sought greater autonomy to shape the party’s growth strategy in the state. However, despite these differences, he eventually campaigned for the BJP-led alliance during the election, though he chose not P5 to contest.  Delhi’s political climate heated up a tad on Monday after Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke announced his return to India from Boston on June 6, issuing an ‘Delhi airport chalo’ call to his followers to lead a protest demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over exam related lapses. In a video message on X and Instagram, he urged people to meet him at the airport, from where, “together we will go to the Parliament Police Station and seek permission to protest peacefully at the Jantar Mantar”. He added that over eight lakh people had signed a petition demanding Pradhan’s exit. I still have hope Dipke’s movement built that our country is around cockroaches, mea democracy... The mes and satire sprung up time has come for after Chief Justice of Inall of us to come dia Surya Kant on May 15 together, follow the Constitution, likened roaches to a secand peacefully tion of the unemployed raise our voices youth. Though the CJI later clarified that his reAbhijeet Dipke, CJP marks were directed at those with fake law degrees, the social media buzz refused to die down. Within days, the CPJ’s Instagram account had over 22 million followers, surpassing both the Congress and the BJP’s accounts on the platform by a huge margin. On May 29, the Delhi High Court denied interim relief on Dipke’s plea to unblock the CPJ’s X account, saying the matter had “farreaching consequences”. Pensions, jobs, investments drive AP’s welfare-led governance: CM Pink ball could be used in Tests if bad light affects play The International Cricket Council has decided to test usage of pink balls on trial basis if Test matches are affected by bad light. A look at some of the highlights from the two-day meeting in Ahmedabad E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e A match can start with red ball but if there is bad light, pink ball could be used under floodlights for overs that could be lost or wasted. For example, if 60 overs are bowled in a 90-over a day match, then the rest 30 overs can be bowled under lights with pink balls @ Kakinada Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has asserted that the State has entered a new phase of welfare-driven governance, with pensions, skill development, and industrial investments transfor ming lives across the state. Addressing a massive public meeting during the NTR Bharosa Pension Distribution Praja Vedika programme at Chamavaram village of Tuni mandal in Kakinada district, he highlighted the coalition government’s comprehensive achievements in social security, education, healthcare, and employment creation, while also warning citizens against what he described as divisive conspiracies orchestrated by the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). Chandrababu Naidu empha- the female topper with a score of 280. She ranks 77. “My whole family shifted from Pune to Kota,” she said. “I regularly appeared for tests and analysed mistakes after each,” she added. A total of 56, 880 candidates qualified in the 2026 JEE Advanced. As many as 1,79,694 candidates appeared for the exam, which was held on May 17. Of the top 10 candidates, five are from the Delhi zone, three from the Madras zone and two from the Bombay zone. The pass percentage at 31.65% is the highest in the last four years. India will play the 2028 Women's T20 WC at a neutral venue with Pakistan hosting the event Union Minister for Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu unveiled the South Coast Railway Zone (SCoR) name board and formally inaugurated it at the AS Peta railway track near Ichchapuram Railway Station in Srikakulam on Monday . Speaking on the occasion, Ram Mohan Naidu said that with the establishment of the South Coast Railway Zone headquartered in Visakhapatnam, the long-standing aspiration of the people of Uttarandhra had finally been fulfilled. He expressed pride that the dream had been realised during his tenure as a Union Minister. “I had raised this issue many times in Parliament and even staged protests at Ichchapuram Railway Station as a public representative. At one stage, I fought for it as a common representative of the people. Today as a Union Minister, to see , this dream fulfilled and to inaugurate the Zone myself is an unforgettable milestone in my life,” he said and recalled the efforts of late KYerran Naidu, who had worked relentlessly for the cause, and said their asp i r at i o n s h a d n ow b e e n realised. Later, Ram Mohan Naidu said major development works were being taken up in Srikakulam district, including the sanctioning of more than 50 railway overbridges at a cost of P4 `3,300 crore.  The ICC will also allow coaches to be on the field during drinks break like in T20 time outs. Even support staff can go onto the field to discuss strategies The ICC Board approved a change of the window for the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027, moving the tournament from June-July to 14-28 February 2027 ns to be All decisio implemented from October 1, 2026 SC refuses plea on online NEET-UG retest s u c h i t r a k a lya n m o h a n t y @ New Delhi CM Nara Chandrababu Naidu handing over the NTR Bharosa pension to a toddy tapper at Chamavaram in Tuni constituency of Kakinada district on Monday | Express sised that the administration’s primary objective is to build an inclusive economic model where immediate social safety nets coexist with long-term wealth creation, thereby permanently elevating the standard of living for the State’s most vulnerable demographP4 ics. THE Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant urgent hearing to a plea filed by Rashtriya Janta Dal MP Sudhakar Singh and others demanding that the re-test of NEET-UG 2026, scheduled for June 21, be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode, after observing that the National Testing Agency (NTA) is already under significant pressure. A two-judge bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Aravind Kumar said NTA “is already faced with too many problems” due to the re-conduct of the exam. “They are reholding the exam. The kind of pressure they have. We will post (this matter) after vacation,” Justice Narasimha said while declining urgent listing and hearing of the plea. Petitioner Singh and others, had sought a direction to shift the NEET-UG re-test from the existing pen-and-paper format to CBT mode, citing concerns over transparency and integrity. The court refused to pass any interim order directing the change in mode and posted the matter for hearing on July 27, after the summer vacation. The NEET-UG 2026 exam was originally conducted on May 3. However, the NTA cancelled it on May 12 amid allega- tions of a paper leak and other irregularities. Meanwhile, top officials from NTA told a parliamentary standing committee on Monday that the agency’s focus for now was to hold the June 21 NEET-UG re-test properly in pen-paper format. Responding to concer ns about the potential for hacking in computer-based tests, the NTA responded that a special committee has been formed to examine this issue.