MANGALURU l MoNdAy l AuGuSt 31, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l CIty EdItIoN over 2.63 lakh appear iN Neet-pG, re-test at two ceNtres iN jaipur NEET-PG 2026 was successfully conducted across the country on Sunday, but not at two centres in Jaipur due to an internal power failure action against technical partner The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has scheduled a re-examination for the affected candidates in Jaipur at 3 pm on September 5, while also calling an immediate meeting to decide the course of action against the technological partner and agency responsible for ensuring adequate infrastructure at the examination centres | P7 ■ 2,445 biometric authentication at all centres ■ As part of the measures to further strengthen examination security and prevent impersonation, Aadhaar-based authentication of candidates was successfully undertaken at the examination centres The examination for admission to PG medical courses was conducted by NBEMS in computer-based mode in one shift from 9 am-12.30pm caNdidates from jaipur will appear for re-test oN sept 5 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 Justice Bhuyan calls for hiring top jurists as SC judges s u c h i t r a k a lya N m o h a N t y @ New Delhi SUPREME Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan on Sunday strongly favoured appointing distinguished jurists as judges of the top court, saying such a move would diversify the bench and enable reputed scholars to contribute to decision-making. Speaking at the 13th convocation of National Law University, Delhi, Justice Bhuyan said Article 124(3)(c) of the Constitution specifically provides for this category. Yet, in more than 76 years, no one other than high court judges or practising lawyers have been elevated to the Supreme Court. “It is regrettable that this provision has remained one of our Constitution’s unused mandates,” he said. Either the Centre and the Collegium believe Indian academia lacks sufficient depth for serious consideration, or the provision has simply not been explored properly, he said. Justice Bhuyan dismissed the common argument that legal scholars lack practical experience as a “very s ha l low objec tion”. He pointed out that distinguished academics routinely serve as judges of constitutional courts in the United States, Britain, Canada and Kenya. The purpose of the “distinguished jurist” clause, he said, was to bring in judges whose academic scholarship would free them from rigid technical constraints and equip them better to handle complex public law issues. indo-Uzbek uranium pact in works Bilateral ties elevated to strategic partnership; 11 agreements signed; $5-bn trade target set @Bengaluru Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the delegation-level talks with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent | pti 1 2 In the joint statement, India and Uzbekistan “unequivocally condemned terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, in all forms and manifestations” and reiterated zero tolerance to terrorism. Both sides called for action against terror outfits and their financing networks Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with Uzbekistan’s highest state honour. Modi described the recognition as a moment of “great pride” and dedicated it to the 140 crore Indians, saying it reflected the strength and depth of India-Uzbekistan relations been “positive” and that the two countries were close to signing an agreement shortly . He said the upgraded strategic partnership would include a foreign minister-level coordination group and elevate the existing ‘joint commission mechanism’ from secretarylevel to ministerial. The two sides called for concerted action against terrorist organisations and their financing networks, safe havens and infrastructure, while stressing that those responsible for terrorism, as well as their backers, facilitators and affiliates, must be brought to justice. Cooperation in intelligence-sharing, law enforcement, countering violent extremism, organised crime, illicit drug trafficking and cyber threats will also be strengthened. Defence cooperation is another area where the two countries intend to move beyond traditional exchanges. Modi said India and Uzbekistan would encourage their defence industries to establish direct linkages and pursue co-development and co-production of military equipment. Highlighting Uzbekistan’s strategic importance, Modi said: “Uzbekistan is at the heart of Central Asia and is at the heart of India’s engagement in the re gion,” describing a stronger bilateral partnership as a “powerful force for peace, progress and prosperity in Central Asia.” express News service @ New Delhi ed for his role in a conspiracy linked to the proscribed ISIS terror organisation. NIA said he participated in conspiracy meetings and purchased tents and knives from a Decathlon showroom for jungle camp training of Al-Hind members. NIA stated that the conspiracy was allegedly masterminded by prime accused Mehaboob Pasha, who held several meetings at his residence in Gurap- panapalya, Bengaluru. During these meetings, Al-Hind members allegedly planned targeted killings with the intention of triggering communal riots and advancing ISIS agenda. The investigation found that they were allegedly working towards establishing an ISIS/ Daesh wilayah (province). The case was initially registered by the Karnataka police in Bengaluru on January 10, 2020. Senior citizens’ Woman dies, BF critical after assn in every jumping from seventh floor village likely ing treated at a hospital. Both express News service @Mangaluru THE Karnataka government is considering setting up Senior Citizens’ Association in every village on the lines of Bharat Jodo Yuva Sangh to bring together elderly citizens and promote their active participation in society said Health and Fam, ily Welfare Minister UT Khader here on Sunday . The minister said the government will explore implementing it on a pilot basis in Mangaluru city before expanding it elsewhere. P2 Governor accepts Nagendra’s resignation Four armed men killed in Meghalaya gunfight Bengaluru: Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Sunday accepted the resignation of Planning and Statistics Minister B Nagendra who had been facing opposition heat over the alleged Valmiki Corporation scam. Following this, Chief Minister Shivakumar left for New Delhi to meet the high command | P4 Shillong: Four armed men were killed in an exchange of fire with a joint team of Meghalaya Police and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in East Garo Hills district in the early hours of Sunday. Police said the identities of the four men are yet to be established, and they are verifying their criminal antecedents. Toll nears 800, rescue ops intensify Seven-year jail for accused in Al-Hind B’luru case A special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) convicted and sentenced Syed Fasiur Rehaman, a key accused in the Bengaluru Al-Hind ISIS terror conspiracy case, to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and fined him Rs 48,000. According to an NIA press release, Rehaman was convict- THE Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Saturday arrested IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar in connection with the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) veterinary officer recruitment scam. A court on Sunday remanded him to 14-day judicial custody . G a n g w a r, a 2016-batch Karnataka-cadre IAS officer from Uttar Pradesh, is currently posted as director, Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises under the state commerce and industries ministry . He served as the controller of examinations at the KPSC from 2024 to March 2026, when express read Vidhana Soudha illuminated in pink to mark the third anniversary of the Congress government’s flagship Gruha Lakshmi guarantee, in Bengaluru on Sunday | Kevin nashon @Bengaluru 3 Uzbekistan will remove visa requirements for Indian citizens for stays of up to 30 days, which will encourage tourism, business travel and wider people-topeople contact. Indians travelling to Uzbekistan would be able to use UPI-enabled applications within a year pink glow express News service the alleged scam occurred. The police said the arrest was made after Gangwar failed to provide satisfactory answers to sustained questioning by the CID for two days. The preliminary probe revealed Gangwar’s alleged role in the irregularities and manipulation of OMR sheets. Meanwhile, the CID sent 329 OMR sheets of candidates who appeared for the examination to the State Forensic Science Laboratory for examination. The sleuths produced Gangwar before the 1st Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) at the judge’s residence in Koramangala on Sunday He was re. manded to 14-day judicial cusCONTINUED ON: P4 tody . express News service j aya N t h j a c o B @ New Delhi INDIA and Uzbekistan on Sunday agreed to establish a longterm arrangement for uranium supplies from Uzbekistan to India as part of their civil nuclear cooperation, while elevating bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The decision was taken during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent, where the two sides also set a target of increasing annual bilateral trade to $5 billion by 2030. The two sides also signed 11 agreements covering areas including trade, investment, infrastructure, critical minerals, mining, defence, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, information technology, education and digital public infrastructure. Uranium emerged as a key new area of cooperation in the civil nuclear energy sector. During delegation-level talks, Modi said the two countries would establish a long-term arrangement for uranium supplies from Uzbekistan. “We will also establish a longterm arrangement for the supply of uranium,” Modi said, adding that India and Uzbekistan should develop a roadmap to fully realise the potential of their partnership. Secretary (West) in the MEA Sibi George later said discussions on uranium supplies had IAS officer Gangwar arrested in KPSC scam express News service @Bengaluru IN a horrific incident, a 23-yearold woman died and her boyfriend suffered critical injuries after they both alle gedly jumped from the seventh floor of a paying guest (PG) accommodation in the Whitefield pol i c e l i m i t s o n S u n d ay afternoon. The deceased, Janani (23), was a software engineer who was staying at the PG accommodation on ECC Road in Whitefield. Her boyfriend Manickavelu (30), who works at a logistics company in Puducherry is be, hailed from Puducherry . The police said Janani had been staying at Radha Krishna Co-Live PG for the past eight months. She and Manickavelu had been in a relationship for the past six years, and Manickavelu had travelled to Bengaluru to meet her. Around noon on Sunday the , couple allegedly went to the seventh floor of the PG building and jumped. Janani died on the spot, while Manickavelu sustained severe injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital by local residents. He is currently undergoing treatment. NIA took over the investigation and re-registered the case on January 23, 2020. NIA so far filed three chargesheets against 20 accused. Haneef Khan was convicted on July 14, 2026, after pleading guilty during the trial, which began in October 2025. NIA said the probe is continuing and efforts are on to trace the online handler who planned and coordinated in setting up the module in the conspiracy . INDIA has stepped up its rescue and relief operations in floodhit Nepal, deploying tunnel engineers, doctors, paramedics and forensic experts as rescuers race against time to reach people feared trapped in hydropower tunnels on the fifth day of the disaster. Nepal’s disaster authority said 781 people had died and 2,502 remained missing. Across the border in China’s Gyirong County authorities re, ported 16 deaths. Bodies have been recovered from eight affected districts as security forces and specialist teams continue clearing debris and searching inundated areas. As of 5:30 pm on Sunday 149 , Indian nationals had been rescued, an update from the government said. India has so far provided 68.5 tonnes of relief material and deployed specialised technical and forensic teams. A fourth Indian flight carrying 11 tonnes of assistance reached Nepal on Sunday . The latest consignment included a tunnel technical team and equipment for search-and-rescue operations, forensic equipment for DNA analysis and es- 68.8 tonne aid from india India has so far provided 68.5 tonnes of relief material and deployed technical and forensic teams. A fourth Indian flight carrying 11 tonnes of aid reached Nepal on Sunday. It includes a tunnel technical team and equipment for search and rescue A woman carries essentials as she walks along a muddy road in the aftermath of recent flash floods, at Belkotgadhi, in Nuwakot district, Nepal, Sunday | pti sential relief supplies. The supplies included blankets, sleeping bags, tarpaulin, plastic sheets and hygiene kits. An 11-member Indian technical team, comprising doctors, paramedics and tunnel engineers, in Kathmandu conducted reconnaissance of hydropower tunnels in the flood-hit Trishuli area of Nuwakot district. The team carried out an aerial survey of Chilime and Langtang before beginning work around the tunnel sites. The rescue effort is focused on the Upper Trishuli hydropower complex, where authorities received information that around 350 people could be trapped inside a tunnel. An 82-member joint team of the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police has been working since Friday night to clear debris and reach those believed to be trapped. On Sunday, Nepal’s military airlifted heavy machinery to the remote site. P5, 9 No true Hindu rejects Muslims in India: RSS chief rajesh kumar thakur Five -point plan @ New Delhi RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday called upon the Indian diaspora in the US and across the world to contribute to both their “janmabhoomi” and “karmabhoomi” with the loyalty and values India has given them. Addressing a packed gathering at New York’s Madison Square Garden during the Universal Oneness Celebration, Bhagwat said no nation is merely a piece of land. “All nations have a destiny to fulfil. This is the Bharat’s destiny. Let us awake, as Bharatiyas, to that destiny and fulfil our duties in our Karmabhoomi as well as RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in New York on Sunday | pti our Janmabhoomi.” He told the diaspora that their primary duty is to their place of work. Serving the motherland is desirable but not obligatory. “Your Janmabhoomi expects you to live the values it has imparted on you.” Bhagwat underlined unity in The gathering, which attracted delegates from 853 cities across 39 US states, opened with 180 religious leaders from 30 countries presenting a five-point resolution rejecting the use of religion to justify hatred or violence, which was formally submitted to Bhagwat diversity as India’s DNA. Defining dharma as the principle that unites, upholds and balances everything without causing rifts, he said diversity must be celebrated and respected even as the feeling of oneness is kept alive. Quoting Swami Vivekananda, he said Bharat’s mission is to realise and make the world realise this unity in diversity . In a strong message on inclusiveness, Bhagwat declared that anyone who calls himself a Hindu but believes there should be no Muslim in India cannot be considered a Hindu. “If any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslim in Bharat, he is not a Hindu. If you want to call yourself Hindu, you must believe that all paths are leading to the same goal and that every human has dignity”. Earlier, speaking on ‘One World One Humanity’, Bhagwat said the RSS stands for global unity and the dignity of every human being. P7