bengaluru l Thursday l September 24, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 24 l late city EDITION Germany ready to sign $8 billion submarine agreement with India The India-Germany deal to build six submarines under Project 75(I) has been finalised on the German side, its envoy to India Dr Jasper Wieck said Waiting for India’s green light: German envoy Review of tech transfer package pending “It has already been finalised and the German side has agreed to it. It is now up to the Indian side to complete and conclude its internal processes,” Wieck said. The proposed deal, estimated at `90,000 crore, sees India’s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders partnering with Germany’s Thyssenkrupp to build six conventional submarines in India, with technology transfer ■ ■ A review of the proposed technology-transfer package remains among steps before the project can get final approval in India A key aspect of the proposed deal is the transfer of fuel-cell Air-Independent Propulsion technology, which allows conventional submarines to operate longer without the need to access surface air 2023 When Germany stepped in as foreign partner for project 75 (i) 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 commotion in Assembly Cong MLA’s resignation sparks heated debate E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bengaluru Constitution bench to hear case on axing CJI from ECI pick panel In split verdict, Justice Dipankar Datta raps ’23 law dropping CJI from selection committee The state Assembly witnessed a heated exchange between ruling and Opposition members on Wednesday over the resignation of Congress MLA Yashwanthrayagouda Patil of Indi in Vijayapura district. Patil had submitted Chief Minister DK Shivakumar in the his resignation to Speaker GS Assembly on Wednesday | Express Patil, triggering an opposition onslaught against the govern- seeds and fertilisers. But later, ment’s handling of the there was no rain and the drought situation. Speaker crops dried up. I can underPatil said he had not accepted stand the pressure on the the resignation as it was not MLA from the people of his in the prescribed format. constituency he said. ,” During a discussion on He said if an area fails to drought, Leader of Opposi- meet the prescribed parametion R Ashoka raised the is- ters, it cannot be declared sue of Patil’s resignation and drought-hit. “Certain paramcriticised the government’s eters have to be met, following handling of the situation. which deputy commissioners “This is a certificate of the will send reports to the Govgovernment’s performance ernment of India. All 224 conand drought management. It stituencies have received less is shameful. Your MLA sub- rainfall. But even my constitmitted a plea to CM DK Shiva- uency Kanakapura, is not de, kumar and Deputy CM G Par- clared drought-hit,” he said. ameshwara, but when there Parameshwara blamed the was no response, he was dis- Centre’s drought assessment appointed and tendered his parameters for the delay in resignation,” Ashoka said. declaring drought-hit taluks. There were heated arguments The state government has between members of the rul- written at least 10 letters to ing and opposition parties. Prime Minister Narendra Shivakumar said he spoke Modi and the ministry conto the MLA and convinced cerned seeking relaxation of him not to quit. “There was the parameters. Once relaxed, rain initially in his constitu- the government is ready to deency based on which farmers clare more areas drought-hit, , took loans and purchased he added. P4 express read Uber driver molests woman passenger BJP does major rejig of state party in-charges Bengaluru: A woman has accused an Uber driver of molesting her after she fell asleep during the journey. The incident occurred at around 1.45 am on Sunday near Konanakunte Cross in Doddakallasandra | P3 New Delhi: The BJP has appointed Vinod Tawde as its in-charge for poll-bound UP, along with four co-in-charges, as part of an organisational reshuffle covering all 28 states and eight UTs | P10 v Union of India case directed that appointments to the poll panel be made on the advice of T HE S u p r e m e C o u r t o n a committee comprising the Wednesday directed that a Prime Minister, Leader of Opbatch of petitions challenging position (LoP) in the Lok Sabthe 2023 law governing the ap- ha, and the Chief Justice of pointments to the Election India until Parliament enacted Commission be decided by a a law. Constitution bench after a diviWhile the law—the Chief sion bench delivered a split ver- Election Commissioner and dict on whether the matter other Election Commissioners should be referred to a larger (Appointment, Conditions of bench as sought by the Centre. Service and Term of Office) Justice Dipankar Datta re- Act, 2023—retained the format jected the Union’s plea for a ref- of the panel, it replaced CJI erence to a larger bench, while with a Union minister. Justice Satish ChanJustice Datta made dra Sharma saw the strong observations need for substantial about the composition interpretation of law. of the selection panel, Justice Sharma said saying it hands the exin his separate opinecutive a veto in apion that the arguments pointments. He said advanced on behalf of the Union minister, the Centre by the Atserving at the pleasure Justice Dipankar tor ney General R of the PM, cannot act Datta Venkataramani and as a neutral check in Solicitor General the selection panel. Tushar Mehta for re“Free and fair elecferring the issue to a tions depend on a truly larger bench are wellindependent ECI. It is founded. not enough for the ECI Despite the differto be independent; it ences in opinion, both must appear to be injudges directed that dependent,” he said, Justice Satish the papers be placed adding a “PM’s nomiChandra Sharma before the Chief Jusnee cannot be expected tice of India for setting to defy the PM.” up a Constitution bench of not Consequently, Justice Datta less than five judges, noting also said, the LoP becomes a that sending the matter to a mere ornamental presence, unthree-judge bench could only able to further the purpose of delay adjudication. his inclusion as an independBoth judges also recorded ent voice. concerns over the pendency of Justice Datta also criticised Constitution bench matters the selective manner in which and requested the Chief Jus- the Central government clears tice to explore the possibility of Supreme Court collegium proforming a permanent Constitu- posals at times. He added that tion bench. the judiciary often chooses not The 2023 law was enacted by to confront the executive on Parliament after the Supreme such matters to avoid head-on Court’s Constitution Bench conflicts and avert a possible judgment in Anoop Baranwal Constitutional crisis. SUCHITRA K ALYA N M OHA N TY @ New Delhi PARV E Z SULTA N & M u ke s h R a n j a n @ New Delhi Opposition parties on Wednesday lit into the Centre and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar after a media report suggested that the two election commissioners—Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi—objected to some orders pertaining to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, even as the poll panel claimed all its decisions were unanimous. Citing the report, Opposition parties called for action against the CEC and demanded that SIR be scrapped. While the Congress renewed its demand for Kumar’s impeachment, the TMC, AAP, and Shiv Sena (UBT) called for his arrest. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said any wrongdoings committed by the poll body amounts to “treason” and should be treated as such. DMK president M K Stalin said CEC Kumar has no right to continue in office and must resign forthwith. He also demanded that the SIR exercise be halted and called for an impartial probe “into everything that transpired within the EC” and called for action against those responsible. Rejecting the claims made in the media report, the Election Commission said differing views are a normal part of deliberation in any institution and stated that all its orders “are an Gyanesh Kumar, outcome of the unanimous decisions of the full CEC Commission in the past one year”. According to the report, the two ECs’ objections were about the way the statutory voter registration Form 6 was amended, the handling of additions and deletions from voter lists, and centralised control over the electoral roll database. Speaking to this paper, former Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat said the way changes to Form 6 were brought about was “absolutely wrong and illegal”. According to him, the reported objections raised by the two ECs were ‘a very serious issue’. He said: “The way Form 6 has been amended is wrong and illegal.” Rawat, who served as CEC from January to December 2018, said the law did not permit such changes without following the prescribed procedure. He referred to Supreme Court rulings which, he said, have held that changes to the statutory framework governing Form 6 require action by the government. “Such a situation has perhaps rarely emerged in the Election Commission. I have also been there, but I saw that decisions were always taken unanimously Rawat said.  ,” P7 India raises concerns over Russia sanctions law with US State plans warning labels on salt packets Gayathri M Kurup @ Bengaluru The state government is planning to introduce warning labels on salt packets to caution consumers against excess salt consumption. It is also contemplating bringing in a law to ensure that only salt considered beneficial for health is manufactured and sold. The warning labels would be similar to those on cigarette packets and advise people to limit their salt intake. Health Minister UT Khader said here on Wednesday that the government is also considering introducing a law to ensure that only healthy salt is manufactured and sold. Emphasis will be on fortified salt as part of these measures, he added. He suggested that salt packets should be sold with a spoon indicating the appropriate quantity to be used. Consumers add salt without measuring it and providing a spoon could help them regulate the quantity he added. , Public health experts, however, said warning stickers on salt packets will only be a first step and it should be supported by wider measures. Public health researcher Prasanna Saligram of Sarvatrika Arogya Andolana Karnataka (SAAK) said clear labelling of salt content is essential, particularly in packaged foods. “It’s a first step, but it is not enough. The first starting point is labelling,” he said. P6 Oppn renews demand to scrap SIR, impeach CEC Gyanesh Kumar J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi Mirabai Chanu celebrates her silver medal on Wednesday | PTI Weight, wait off lifter Mirabai’s shoulders Indraneel Das Express @ asian games Nagoya F IRST, the news. Mirabai Chanu, 32, won her first Asian Games medal here on Wednesday: silver, India’s first in any weightlifting discipline at this level since Karnam Malleswari in 1998. It is like completing the Grand Slam for a tennis player or a treble with the World Cup for a footballer. But the story of her medal goes beyond the news. Mirabai’s lifting is no longer about barbells and weights. It has transcended that. Doctors, physios and nutritionists have become part of her life. Preparation no longer depends only on lifting weights and physical training. It goes beyond that. Every time she has been written off, she has found a way That is why this . medal would be rated among the biggest of her career. Not because it took her 12 years, but because of the timing — when the body is ageing, with aching bones and muscles because of multiple injuries and when the end is in sight. Just before the Paris Olympics, one of her coaches had narrated a poignant story Af. ter returning from the last Asiad, it seemed like the walls were closing. No one came to wish her. “When I lose, no one comes; it’s really sad,” the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist had said. She was hurt. Physical pain is part and parcel, but it was this disregard that had caused her more pain. On Wednesday she had some pro, found words to say “My life is . complete now.” And it’s easy to see why This was the only . thing missing from her CV. Now, she feels relieved. A burden has been lifted. Her support cast — head coach Vijay Sharma, physio Rohit Chhabria, nutritionist Tajinder Kaur, psychologist Mugde Bavare and doctor Dinshaw Pardiwala — has also played an integral part in her journey . External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has raised India’s “interests and concerns” over the United States’ new Russia sanctions legislation during a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly . “Reiterated India’s interests and concerns with regard to SRIA. Also discussed the Gulf and Ukraine situations,” Jaishankar said in a post on X. The talks between the two leaders came after US President Donald Trump signed the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 into law last Friday It gives the US Pres. ident the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries, including India and Chi- External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar greets US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the UN General Assembly | PTi na, that purchase Russian oil and gas. The legislation is widely seen as a rapid expansion of Washington’s sanctions framework targeting Russia. The White House said the law “authorises and expands statutory sanctions, tariffs, and prohibitions on Russia and extends existing sanctions on Iran.” India continues to purchase Trump backs IMEEC corridor US President Donald Trump said he strongly supports India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, saying there is a need to shift energy infrastructure away from Iranian checkpoints amid multiple strikes on West Asian countries Russian energy which has been , an important part of its strategy to secure affordable supplies amid disruptions. Jaishankar’s meeting with Rubio also covered the conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine. Sources said Rubio is likely to visit India on October 19. And he may travel to Australia for the QUAD foreign ministers meeting. IIT Prof sent on leave over student death, panel formed S u d h i r s u r ya w a n s h i @ Mumbai IIT Bombay Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who is an accused in the alleged suicide death of a 20-year-old second-year B Tech student Sahil Wakode, has been sent on compulsory leave to enable an impartial probe, sources said on Wednesday . Earlier, he was removed as the dean of Administrative Affairs. It comes as IIT Bombay’s Board of Governance formed a 10-member highlevel panel to examine the circumstances surrounding Sahil’s death on the campus. It will also look into the concerns raised by the student’s parents, including allegations of c a s t e based harassment at t h e institute. S Doolla The panel has a week to submit its findings. Prof Ramesh Venkateswaran, chairman of the Board of Governors at IIT-Palakkad, will head the panel, which has three students, members of the faculty an administra, tor, a former vigilance officer, and a psychiatrist. Meanwhile, Mumbai police crime branch revealed that after returning from the exam hall on September 18, Sahil went to his hostel room around 1.30 pm. He dialed a friend at 2.20 pm. In what was likely his last call, Sahil reportedly said, “I made a mistake. My earlier Thermodynamics paper did not go well either, and now this has happened.” Seafarer from India killed in ship attack off Oman An Indian seafarer was killed in an attack on a merchant vessel, MV Cape Dao, off the east coast of Oman while it was transiting towards India, the Indian Embassy in Oman said. The ship had 20 Indian seafarers Labour of learning Schoolkids made to fetch water from 100 ft away Subhash Chabdra NS @Hodike Shirur (Uttara Kannada) Students carry water in a bucket to use in the toilet | Express Students of a government primary school at Hodike Shirur, which is 8km from Honnavar town in Uttara Kannada district, are forced to draw water from a well and carry it to the toilets. They are also forced to fetch water for drinking purposes, too. As photographs and videos of the plight of students went viral, the school and district authorities drew the ire of students’ parents and local residents. But school authorities dismissed the charges, saying these were temporary issues that have cropped up because of damaged water pipelines. The students are said to be carrying water from a well that is 100 ft away from the school. Though the school claimed it was a temporary problem, local residents said the children have been doing this for the last couple of months. One of the parents, who wished not to be identified, said, “This is pathetic. We send our children to the school to study. They are doing everything except studying.” P7