BHUBANESWAR l friday l july 31, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late CITY EDITION European nations to boycott FIFA competitions in protest UEFA and its member nations have agreed to boycott FIFA events if the global body goes ahead with its privatisation plans. A look... FIFA President Gianni Infantino Infantino plan faces major backlash FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the WC to private equity investors was hit hard on Thursday by his former colleagues at UEFA, who agreed to boycott all the FIFA competitions in protest. “UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions,” the European body said after an online meeting of its 55 member nations ‘Some things are too important to sell’ ■ ■ Some things are simply too important to sell,” UEFA said in a statement. “The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.” The meeting was called to counter Infantino’s offer of $20M to each of FIFA’s 211 members that has to be accepted by mid-September Sept 5 is when Women’s U20 World Cup, the next fifa event, will begin 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 No legal action against protesters HC penalty on false complaints The Delhi government said it will not pursue any further legal action against people involved in the Jantar Mantar protests, while making it clear that the relief will not apply to those with criminal antecedents In the first penal action against NEET-UG retest students who filed false complaints alleging tampered OMR (answer) sheets, the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court has imposed a fine of `5,000 each Pellet guns can be used in exceptional cases, says SC Directs govt to preserve ammunition log of the Rapid Action Force s u c h i t r a k a lya n m o h a n t y paper leak bill clears rs @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Thursday said pellet guns cannot be banned as long as the existing advisory permits their use for crowd control in exceptional circumstances by security agencies, while making it clear that allegations of specific misuse can be examined on a caseby-case basis. The court was hearing a plea on the use of metallic pellet guns during the recent students’ protests against NEET -UG paper leak in Delhi. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana also asked the Centre to preserve the ammunition log of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) deployed at the Jantar Mantar. Observing that police, as per the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) advisory are empowered to use pel, let guns in exceptional situations, the bench termed the demand in the plea for a complete ban on such usage as vague. “Prayers are not to use pellet guns. In exceptional cases, police regulations permit the use of pellet guns. If you are interested in phasing out pellet guns, you will have to challenge that very provision as ultra vires to Article 21 (right to life),” Justice Bagchi observed. Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge during a debate on the bill | PTI The bench also took note of submissions of senior advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for the petitioners, and asked the Delhi government to provide the best treatment to Prashant Kumar, Sheikh Irshad Mansoori and others who suffered pellet gun injuries during the July 20 protest. Former Central Information Commissioner and retired IPS officer Yashovardhan Azad and the two victims had moved the court seeking a complete ban on the use of metallic pellet guns to deal with law and order situations. The petition also sought compensation, medical treatment and rehabilitation for those injured in the Delhi protests. Grover said,“There can be rubber, plastic and metallic pel- The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 by a voice vote amid an Opposition walkout. The legislation had been approved by the Lok Sabha a day earlier. Reiterating the government’s “zero tolerance” policy towards paper leaks, Dr Jitendra Singh said no one would be allowed to jeopardise the future of the country’s youth. Leading the Opposition side of the debate on the bill, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge linked the Bill to recent nationwide student protests, stating that the amendment had been introduced only after sustained pressure from the Congress and Opposition parties | P7 lets. These were metallic and recovered from the bodies...” She added that she is confining her reliefs to metallic pellets. Justice Bagchi said the court is “not averse to examining the use of pellets in individual use”. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the forces may have to take on-the-spot decision based on the event. The bench said a bona fide protest may turn violent at any point, perhaps due to the infiltration of anti-social elements, and “graded responses” by law enforcement might sometimes be necessary . Floods ravage 19 districts, toll rises to 5 E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar The devastating flood that has nearly seven lakh people in its grip in Odisha has damaged standing crops over more than 24,000 hectare, according to preliminary estimates released by the government on Thursday The deluge has, so far, af. fected 19 districts across the state. With two more deaths reported from Rayagada and Dhenkanal districts on Thursday, the official death toll has risen to five. However, unofficial sources put the toll at six, with one more fatality reported from Angul district. The deaths in Rayagada and Dhenkanal A youth takes a picture of Gokarneshwar temple, which has been submerged by Brahmani river in Dharmashala block of Jajpur district, on Thursday I Akshya Rout were caused by wall collapse. Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas in Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore and Keonjhar districts to assess the situ- Wasia back on boil, Modi takes stock M U K E SH RA N J A N @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday chaired the fourth special meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to review the evolving situation arising from the ongoing conflict in West Asia and assess the preparedness of various ministries to mitigate its impact. Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan briefed the committee on the geopolitical situation and outlined measures taken to safeguard the country’s energy security and ensure uninterrupted supplies of petroleum products, including LNG, LPG and fertilisers. Somanathan said the government has diversified sources for LPG procurement, while overall stocks and supplies of major petroleum products remain adequate. “Sufficient availability of crude oil has enabled stateowned refineries to operate at 100% capacity, ensuring contin- Two tankers with Saudi crude headed for India Two tankers carrying Saudi crude for India exited the Red Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait by sailing “dark” after Houthis in Yemen announced a blockade on Saudi shipments, a Reuters report said. Tankers Amazon and Rodos loaded with 17 lakh barrels of crude switched off their transponders, the report said ued production of petrol, diesel and other essential fuels,” he said. The CCS was briefed on steps to reduce dependence on LPG through the expansion of the piped natural gas network. “The government is accelerating the rollout of the National Gas Grid, augmenting LNG import and regasification capacity expanding , City Gas Distribution networks and fast-tracking pipeline and last-mile connectivity approvals,” a statement said. The committee also reviewed fertiliser availability ahead of Mahanadi dispute will be resolved before Diwali: Majhi E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar Odisha and Chhattisgarh on Thursday agreed to intensify technical consultations to resolve the long-pending Mahanadi river water sharing dispute within the next three months. Following a high-level meeting chaired by Union Jal Shakti minister CR Patil in New Delhi, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said both the states are ready to work towards resolving the dispute before Diwali. The meeting, attended by Majhi and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Vishnu Deo Sai, was part of the latest efforts by the Centre to facilitate an amicable settlement through dialogue and cooperative federalism. “I attended a crucial meeting on Mahanadi water sharing and management chaired by Union Jal Shakti minister Patil along with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai. We have agreed to settle the issue within the next three months and most likely before Diwali,” Majhi told mediapersons after the meeting. Majhi said Odisha’s position was articulated firmly and unequivocally, placing the rights of its people, the interests of farmers and the protection of the state’s water resources. “We remain committed to securing an amicable, equitable and lasting resolution through constructive dialogue, mutual cooperation and goodwill between both states,” he said. The meeting reviewed the progress made by the joint technical committee which has achieved consensus on several technical issues. It also took note of the expanded technical committee, headed by the chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC), whose first meeting was held on July 29 to carry forward consultations on the remaining technical issues. Patil described the Mahanadi as a lifeline for millions in both states and said dialogue, technical cooperation and mutual trust offered the best path towards an equitable and sustainable solution. Both chief ministers appreciated the facilitation provided by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the CWC and expressed their com- CM Mohan Charan Majhi greeting his Chhattisgarh counterpart Vishnu Deo Sai during the meeting with Jal Shakti minister CR Patil in New Delhi mitment to continue the technical consultations in a constructive spirit. Thursday’s meeting was the third interaction between Majhi and Sai on the issue. The two leaders had first met on the sidelines of the All India Water Ministers’ Conference in Rajasthan in February 2025, followed by talks in Bhubaneswar in March last year. We have agreed to settle the issue within the next three months and most likely before Diwali Mohan Charan Majhi, Chief Minister Hockey jersey blues Criticism from all quarters as India change colour to orange s w a r o o p s w a m i n at h a n @ Bengaluru WHAT’S in a colour? For a sports team, it’s everything; a lifeblood. It gives them a sense of pride, belonging and an identity It is this . identity that Hockey India (HI) has changed with less than three weeks to go for the next edition of the World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands. At the quadrennial event, both senior teams will swap their iconic blue jerseys to wear one bathed in saffron. On Thursday , a few days after Hockey India (HI) quietly made it known via a press release, the issue made a huge noise right from Parliament to X, where a former India captain, Viren Rasquinha, termed the change ‘embarrassing’. V Baskaran, who led India to gold at the Moscow Olympics in 1980, can only laugh. “Blue isn’t just a colour for Indian hockey and our fans,” he tells this daily . “It’s an emotion.” The comments that Rasquinha had received on his X feed were also clearly political. “I’m seeing many unnecessary political comments on this,” he said while sharing an earlier comment he had made on the is- ation. He was accompanied by additional chief secretary Rev, enue and Disaster Management, Arabinda Padhee, and special relief commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil. So far, 100 blocks, 503 gram sue. “I don’t want to get into any of that. My simple & humble point is on pride, identity & legacy India is to hockey what Argen. tina is to Football. Will we ever see Argentina wearing Orange and White stripes as their 1st jersey?” The federation, via another press release on Thursday, said the change was ‘based on support staff and players’ recommendations and detailed consultations with them’. And was necessitated because of the blue astroturf. “But this saffron colour and new design is not the final one. This is for the upcoming World Cup and Asian Games but we will keep taking feedback from the players and coaches,” HI president Dilip Tirkey told this P3 & 11 daily  . the upcoming Rabi season, with discussions focusing on meeting projected demand and identifyi n g a l t e r n at ive s o u rc i n g options. The welfare of Indian seafarers serving on both domestic and foreign-flagged vessels operating in conflict zones also figured in the deliberations. Modi directed officials to establish a dedicated mechanism for providing timely infor mation, emergency assistance and counselling to affected seafarers and their families. Emphasising the need to safeguard Indian citizens and the diaspora from the fallout of the conflict, the PM called for sustained coordination across ministries and agencies. He further directed that a unified and coordinated monitoring mechanism should be put in place to track developments in West Asia on a regular basis and ensure swift implementation of measures to protect national interest. panchayats, 1,460 villages and 11 urban local bodies (ULBs) have been declared flood-affected. Pujari said Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar were the worst-hit districts. More than 1.99 lakh people have been evacuated to safer places as part of the ongoing relief and rescue operations. The minister said the flood situation in northern Odisha is expected to improve gradually as rainfall has subsided in the upper catchments of the Baitarani, Brahmani, Budhabalanga and Jalaka rivers. However, a medium flood in the Mahanadi due to heavy rainfall in its upper catchments is Continued on P5 likely  . express read Vande Mataram bill clears Parliament New Delhi: A day after it cleared the Rajya Sabha, the Lok Sabha on Thursday passed a Bill that makes any insult to the national song Vande Mataram a punishable offence, amid protests by the Opposition. The government asserted that The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 will grant status to Vande Mataram on par with national anthem | P7 E20 fuel does no engine harm, says govt New Delhi: The government on Thursday defended its ethanol blending programme, saying extensive testing and large-scale field experience had found no evidence that E20 petrol causes abnormal engine wear, corrosion or reduced vehicle life. It has strengthened India’s energy security and reduced exposure to global oil price volatility | P7