thrissur l friday l september 04, 2026 l `10.00 l PAGES 14 l city EDITION Days After hiring Varthaman, FLY91 Orders 40 New Aircraft $1 bn order one of largest for atr planes FLY91, which recently welcomed former Air Force Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman as pilot, on Thursday ordered 40 new ATR 72-600 aircraft second INNINGS FOR iaf VETERAN It is the single-largest order for ATR turboprop planes by a regional carrier globally, valued at $1 billion. “The landmark order for 40 aircraft will provide the scale to build a much larger regional network and connect more unserved and underserved cities across the country,” the airline said in a release. Varthaman joined the airline as a commerical pilot in August ■ ■ Varthaman downed a Pakistani jet amid an aerial combat during ‘Operation Bandar’ in 2019. He was held captive for three days by Pakistan. In 2021, he was honoured with the Vir Chakra award The 43-year-old took premature retirement from the Indian Air Force in March, after completing more than 20 years in service 280 WEEKLY FLIGHTS CURRENTLY OPERATED BY FLY91 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 Fatima win undercuts call to keep women at home: Murali 10-year plan to strengthen def diplomacy, arms trade footprint E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Kozhikode Taking a dig at ally IUML, Health Minister K Muraleedharan said the victory of League candidate Fatima Thahliya in Perambra showed that people had little regard for the view that women should stay out of public life. “Everyone should be ready to read the writing on the wall. Women and men have equal rights,” he told reporters on Thursday . J avaria R ana @ New Delhi India on Thursday unveiled its first consolidated public blueprint for defence diplomacy , with defence minister Rajnath Singh releasing the ‘RAKSHA’ framework, a 10-year roadmap aimed at expanding military partnerships, defence capacity building, indigenous manufacturing, arms exports and maritime security The framework rests on four pillars: . strategic partnerships, capacity building, indigenous defence manufacturing and exports, and maritime security. The defence ministry said it “marks a shift in India’s strategic engagement”, linking national security objectives with greater international defence cooperation. The document sets a “10-year roadmap to strengthen global security partnerships” and seeks to “position India as a key defence manufacturing hub”, as India looks to leverage its expanding domestic defence industry to build deeper strategic relationships and increase exports. Defence exports reached an all-time high of `38,424 crore last year, rising 62.66% from `23,622 crore in the previous financial year. Defence public sector undertakings accounted for 54.84% of exports and private companies for 45.16%. Exports by DPSUs rose 151% year-on-year, while private-sector exports increased 14%. India now exports defence equipment to more than 80 countries and has set a target of `50,000 crore in annual defence exports by 2029. The maritime-security pillar focuses on strengthening India’s role as a “Net Security Provider and First Responder” in the Indian Ocean Region. It builds on the Navy’s sustained operational presence in the region, including mission-based deployments, antipiracy operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster-relief missions. Capacity building, meanwhile, covers military training, exchanges, institutional cooperation and assistance to partner countries, particularly in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Army Chief Gen Dhiraj Seth, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar, MEA Secretary (East) Rudrendra Tandon, Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar and Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Air Marshal Tejinder Singh were among those present at the launch. IUML state president Panakkad Syed Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal had defended Sunni leader Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musaliyar’s controversial remark that women should be confined to their homes, calling it “a scholarly opinion” aimed at ensuring their safety . In the run-up to the assembly elections, IUML leaders had highlighted the party’s decision to field two women candidates for the first time — Fatima in Perambra a n d Jaya n t i R a j a n i n Koothuparamba. Their candidature was hailed as a “revolutionary change” in the outlook Noorbina Rashid and Khamarunnisa Anwar, were defeated in the 2021 and 1996 elections, respectively. “Simply giving Fathima Thahiliya, or any other Muslim woman, an opportunity does not make the IUML women-friendly or progressive. The party is merely trying to project itself as one. So, I am not surprised by IUML’s support for Kanthapuram, nor do I think it surprises any woman in our community said writer ,” and activist Dr Khadeeja ● More on P6 Mumtaz. After dollar deluge, RBI Law students out of BCI’s ambit: SC fights excess liquidity S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N TY @ New Delhi Defence minister Rajnath Singh releasing the RAKSHA document on defence diplomacy | PTI As defence diplomacy is a core pillar of India’s foreign policy, this document provides a clear, actionable vision for the next decade, ensuring that India remains an anchor of peace, stability, and rulebased order in an evolving global landscape Defence ministry Strategic ties The new framework focuses on strategic partnerships, capacity building, indigenous manufacturing, exports and maritime security SIT led by ADGP Vijayan to probe Messi visit row Nepal stares at huge challenge of aid T’Puram: The state government has constituted a special investigation team (SIT) led by Law and Order ADGP P Vijayan to investigate the alleged irregularities surrounding the aborted proposal to bring Argentine footballer Lionel Messi and his team to Kerala. P6 Kathmandu: The United Nations warned on Thursday of the immense challenge of reaching Nepal flood survivors, with destroyed roads forcing relief and aid workers to consider using cargo drones and porters to reach isolated Himalayan communities. P11 In a major setback to the Bar Council of India, the Supreme Court on Thursday said taking disciplinary action against law students was beyond the statutory body’s remit. The court quashed two BCI notifications to bar the enrolment of NALSAR University graduates and seeking a probe against the students and faculty for their campaign against the Chief Justice of India, saying they were bad in law. This was despite the BCI itself withdrawing them within The August 14 mess The controversy had erupted on August 14 after the BCI directed State Bar Councils not to enrol NALSAR’s 2026 grads as advocates until further orders over allegations relating to a campaign against CJI Kant’s proposed visit to the university hours of their issuance. The bench said it is the institution’s job to take action against students. The BCI has no power over them till they enrol as advocates. “We are of ‘Are we slaves?’ Kenya orders Tata Chem out D I PA K M O N D A L @ New Delhi IN a setback for Tata Chemicals, Kenyan President William Ruto said on Thursday that he has directed Tata Chemicals to cease operations in the country, saying the Indian firm’s centurylong presence at Lake Magadi in Kajiado County did not benefit the country . He said his government would bring in new investors to take over the site. Ruto said any new investor for the resources around Lake Magadi should establish both a glass processing plant and a chemical processing facility locally before being allowed to operate. He said he asked the Mumbai-based company’s unit to leave because it had been exporting raw soda ash rather than William Ruto processing it domestically into finished goods. The announcement escalates an ongoing dispute that began weeks ago. In an earlier regulatory disclosure to stock exchanges, Tata Chemicals said that its subsidiary Tata Chemicals Magadi Ltd received a notice on July 28 from the Kenyan government to suspend mining operations. Later, in a separate order, the company was asked to halt soda ash exports. In a statement dated August 17, the company said operations were suspended on July 28 pending the outcome of a government review. When contacted, Tata Chemicals declined to respond to the Kenyan president’s remarks. social media connect From patrols to posts, state’s police officers ‘command’ attention online He may wear his khaki uniform to work, but on Instagram, deputy inspector general (DIG) Yathish Chandra G H speaks a language far from traditional police briefings. With more than 160 posts and 115,000 followers, the officer has become one of Kerala police’s most visible faces on the platform — sharing glimpses of policing and public life Yathish is not alone. From S Sreejith to P Vijayan and Nidhinraj, a growing group of state IPS officers have massive audiences on Instagram, while officers such as Manoj Abraham and Karthick have an active presence on Facebook. Moreover, Kerala police’s official Instagram account has now crossed T’Puram: The CPM leadership has outrightly rejected Samastha leader Kanthapuram Aboobacker Musaliyar’s remarks on restrictions on women in public places, despite a section of Left fellow travellers backing them. P6 and approach of a party whose support base is predominantly Sunni, a section that has traditionally opposed women’s participation in public life. Many had believed that the IUML had finally overcome the clergy’s resistance and was becoming more women-friendly But Sadiq Ali Thangal’s re. action to Kanthapuram has revived doubts over whether the party is yet to break free from patriarchal influence. IUML’s previous women candidates from Kozhikode South, whiplash aganst bar body express read A bhira m i A ni l @ Kochi CPM comes out against Kanthapuram’s remarks The Copfluencers Yathish Chandra G H 115K followers on Instagram Nidhinraj 46.8K (On Insta) S Sreejith 14.8K (On Insta) P Vijayan 24.1K (On Insta) Manoj Abraham 93K (On FB) Karthick K 36K (On FB) 2.3 million followers, turning the force itself into a social-media powerhouse. The platform is increasingly be- coming another public-facing service for the police. Cyber expert Nandakishore Harikumar sees this as a significant shift in the way policing can engage with society . “For someone who wants to reach out to a police officer, social media can provide direct outreach. It is a good thing for good governance,” he said. “This is a very good way to engage the younger generation. Allowing them to develop greater trust in the police. There was an impression that the force was somewhat distant or negative, and social media can help completely change that impression,” Nandakishore added. According to him, the possibilities extend beyond ● More on P6 digital policing. the opinion that the Advocates Act, 1961... does not confer any express or implied power upon the BCI or any State Bar Council to take any disciplinary action against the students of law. Such a power is preceded by registration of a law graduate as an advocate under the said Act. So far as students are concerned, it is their parent institution or the authority prescribed under the regulations/ byelaws of such institution which alone are competent to take disciplinary action,” the bench said. B E N N K O C H U V E E D A N @ Mumbai THE exceptionally high dollar haul of $137.34 billion through Reserve Bank of India’s special dollar-rupee forex swap facility has created a problem of plenty for the banking system, which is now loaded with `10 lakh crore of excess liquidity . Analysts say RBI needs to drain the surplus liquidity before it puts downward pressure on short-term interest rates or creates inflationary pressures. They suggested a combination of liquidity-management tools, including VRRR (variable rate reverse repo) auctions, raising the cash reserve ratio (CRR), and deploying the Market Stabilisation Scheme and Open Market Operation sales. Aditi Gupta, economist at Bank of Baroda, said system liquidity moved from a surplus of `1.6 lakh crore initially to `6.7 lakh crore by August-end and to `9.7 lakh crore as of September 2. RBI has been absorbing excess liquidity, having already announced VRRR auctions of `53.5 lakh crore between August 6 and September 2 to manage liquidity surplus, said Aditi. Radhika Rao, senior economist at DBS Bank, suggested a temporary CRR hike.