BENGALURU  THURSDAY  JANUARY 11, 2024  `9.00  PAGES 22  LATE CITY EDITION FIRST INDIGENOUSLY DEVELOPED DRONE HANDED OVER TO THE NAVY Adani Defence & Aerospace on Wednesday handed over its indigenously manufactured Drishti 10 Starliner Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to the Navy NAVAL CHIEF CALLS IT A TRANSFORMATIVE STEP AN ALL-WEATHER MILITARY PLATFORM Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar flagged off the medium altitude long endurance UAV, which left from Hyderabad for Porbandar. “This is a transformative step in India’s quest for self reliance in advanced Intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance technology, and maritime supremacy. Drishti 10’s integration into our operations strengthens our preparedness,” he said ■ ■ The UAV has a 36 hours’ endurance and 450kg payload capacity. It is the only all-weather military platform with STANAG 4671 certification and clear to fly in both segregated and unsegregated airspace | P9 Apart from manufacturing the drone, Adani has also created an ecosystem for MRO and strengthening Navy’s preparedness, Kumar said 35 DRONE ATTACKS HAVE HAPPENED IN PAST 40 DAYS IN RED SEA, ARABIAN SEA 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 Shinde faction is the real ‘World looks at India as global growth engine’ Shiv Sena: Maha Speaker D I L I P S I N G H K S H AT R I YA @ Ahmedabad Refuses to disqualify any MLA; Uddhav says it is contempt of SC S U D H I R S U R YA W A N S H I @ Mumbai MAHARASHTRA Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Wednesday held that the group led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is the ‘real’ Shiv Sena and rejected cross-petitions filed by both Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray factions to disqualify each other’s MLAs. “All the petitions seeking disqualification of MLAs are rejected. No MLA is being disqualified,” Narwekar said. Reacting to the decision, Uddhav Thackeray said it is contempt of the Supreme Court. He said that the apex court clearly stated that the legislative party cannot be called as a political party but the Speaker , has given a contrary order by accepting the Shinde faction as a political party . “The main petition was about disqualification of the MLAs under the anti-defection law for their anti-party activities, but here, not a single MLA got disqualified—neither from Shinde’s side nor our side. The Speaker himself has gone into multiple political parties; therefore, he could have failed HC quashes 100% quota for women nursing officers EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar | ANI SENA CONSTITUTION: 1999 VS 2018 The 1999 constitution of Shiv Sena made the Rashtriya Karyakarini (national executive) the supreme body, whereas the amended constitution of 2018 made Paksha Pramukh (president) as the top leader who will have the final say to understand the anti-defections law and its procedure,” Thackeray said. The Shiv Sena had split in June 2022 after Shinde rebelled against then CM Thackeray claiming the support of majority of MLAs. Thackeray re- Two arrested for moral policing in Haveri dist @ Bengaluru E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Haveri THE Karnataka High Court has struck down 100% reservation for women in the recruitment of “nursing officers” under Section 6 of the Indian Military Nursing Services Ordinance, 1943, terming it unconstitutional. The court observed that the exclusive reservation facility was made when women were reluctant to join the defence forces as “nursing officers” in the 1940s. “This court is of the view that exclusive reservation for women in recruitment of ‘nursing officers’ under Ordinance, 1943, does violate the rights guaranteed under Articles 14, (equality) 16(2) (equal opportunity in employment), and 21 (The Right to Life and Right to Personal Liberty) of the Constitution,” said Justice Anant Ramanath Hegde. IN a moral policing case, a couple was beaten up by a g roup of 12 people at Hangal in Haveri district on January 7. Two of the accused have been arrested in this connection. The incident occurred in a lodge, according to the police. The victims belong to different communities and are married. After assaulting the couple, the group dragged them COVID IISc COMING UP WITH ‘PROMISING’ VACCINE Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science have completed pre-clinical trials of a heat-tolerant vaccine and are gearing up for human testing | P2 signed on June 29, 2022 without facing a floor test. Narwekar said the Shinde had the support of an overwhelming majority of 37 of 55 MLAs when rival factions emerged. “Therefore, he is the real Shiv Sena,” he added. Narwekar said Sunil Prabhu of the Sena (UBT) ceased to be the whip from June 21, 2022, and Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde group became the authorised whip. However, the Speaker rejected the Shinde faction’s petition to disqualify UBT group’s MLAs citing discrepancies in the way the whip was issued by Gogawale. He said Gogawale’s whip did not reach the MLAs and it was not issued in person. Whip sent through WhatsApp is not valid, he said. Narvekar took 1 hour and 40 minutes to read out his order. He first tried to establish how the Thackeray-led Sena is not the real party He said the 1999 . party constitution submitted to the Election Commission was the valid constitution for deciding the issues and refused to accept the amended constitution of 2018. out of the lodge and attacked them again. The woman was sent home by the group after the incident. On Monday night, the video of the couple being beaten up went viral on social media. The woman’s family members lodged a complaint with Hangal police on Wednesday. Acting on the complaint, the police arrested two persons. A search is on to nab the other accused, the police said. PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India has emerged as a new ray of hope amid many uncertainties being faced globally, and the world looks at it as a place of stability, a trusted friend, and an engine of growth in the global economy . Speaking at the inauguration of the 10th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, which saw participation of state heads and CEOs of top private companies, Modi said: “The world looks at India as an important pillar of stability A . friend who can be trusted, a PM Narendra Modi at the inauguration of Vibrant Gujarat summit in Gandhinagar | PTI partner who believes in peoplecentric development, a voice that believes in global good, an engine of growth in the global economy a technology hub for , finding solutions, a power- CEO made son drink cough Congress sheds ambivalence, to syrup before killing him: Cops AY O D H YA C O N S E C R AT I O N skip ceremony @ Bengaluru REVENUE Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Wednesday said that all Sakala services in the state will be digitised soon. At a Sakala progress review meeting here, he directed the officials to work towards achieving it. If digitised, people can apply for Sakala services from their smartphones. The minister said Sakala is the way for the state government to reach the people and the services should be digitised and implemented effectively without any delay . He pointed out that during the chief minister’s recent Janatha Darshan programme, many complained about the delay in Sakala services. Sakala services should reach people within the stipulated time, he said. ENDING its ambivalence about the Ayodhya temple consecration, the Congress on Wednesday “respectfully declined” the invitation to attend the ceremony. Terming it a ‘political project’ of the BJP and RSS, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and leader of the party in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury will not attend the consecration on January 22. The three leaders had got the invitation last month, but they did not say whether they would attend the ceremony or not. “Inauguration of the incomplete temple by the leaders of the BJP and the RSS has been obviously brought forward for electoral gain,” Ramesh said in a statement. CPI(M) was the first party to decline the invite. Later, TMC, JD(U), RJD, and Shiv Sena (UBT) said they would not attend the event. Congress’s indecision had invited criticism from INDIA bloc partners as well as state units of the party Sources said the party’s decision was . after weighing in several factors, including the potential backlash if it boycotts the event. It finally decided to go with the majority view, said a leader. Byre Gowda told the officials to make arrangements to receive applications online at Sakala centres. People in rural areas can apply at cyber centres or Gram One centres or even from their cellphones. Officials have to work towards easing the problems faced by the people. Many of the services in the Revenue Department are provided online. Why can’t Sakala services be given online?, he said. In the next five years, we have to take steps towards digitisation of all services offered by the Revenue Department,” he said. 500 more services Over 500 new services are expected to be brought under Sakala soon. Various depts have approached the government to be part of the mission. TECH SOLUTION Can’t escape toll, GPS-based collection system soon A K N I S R E E K A R T H I K @ Bengaluru THE National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has taken up a study to explore the possibility of introducing a GPS-based toll collection system on highways across the country . “In this system, motorists need not wait at toll plazas to make payments and also they need not pay for the entire stretch of the highway they use. The toll fee will be fixed only for the distance travelled using GPS technology. To implement this system, we are collecting data on traffic, revenue, vehicle-users’ behaviour, etc.,” a top NHAI official said. Experts are developing a software programme to calculate the distance travelled by motorists through geo-fencing. Discussions are on with banks regarding toll collection, the official said. “We have chosen five highways across India, including the Bengaluru-Mysuru access-controlled highway, to implement the GPS-based toll collection system. It will be on a pilot basis on one of the five highways which will be selected by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Based on the outcome of the pilot project, it will be extended to other four highways,” the official said. This GPS-based toll collection system will soon replace the toll plaza-based system, he added. NAUSHAD BIJAPUR @ Panaji/Belagavi P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi All Sakala services will be digitised: Min EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE house of talented youth, and a democracy that delivers.” Sharing his government’s achievements, the Prime Minister said India has become the fifth largest economy now from eleventh ten years ago, and is on track to become the thirdlargest, which analysts are betting on. “All major rating agencies are of the opinion that India will be among the three largest economies of the world in the next few years,” Modi said, adding that it is his guarantee that the country will achieve this. The PM elaborated on the government’s focus on structural reforms for the economy’s resilience and momentum as they have enhanced the country’s capacity, capability, and competitiveness. “It is time for new dreams, new resolutions, and continuous accomplishP13 ments,” he added. To implement this system, we are collecting data on traffic, revenue, vehicleusers’ behaviour, etc. NHAI official Boy laid to rest in B’luru 4-yr-old Chinmay was laid to rest at Harishchandra Ghat in Rajajinagar on Wednesday morning. The last rites were performed by the boy’s father Venkat Raman. After autopsy in Chitradurga, the body was shifted to the house of Raman’s parents. REPORT:P3 SUCHANA Seth, the CEO of a Bengaluru-based AI startup, who allegedly smothered her four-year-old son Chinmay to death in a Goa hotel, made him drink a cough syrup before committing the crime, according to Goa police. Two bottles of cough syrup have been recovered from the hotel room where Seth stayed. She had one bottle of cough syrup in her bag when she checked in and had asked the hotel staff to get another bottle, claiming that she had a sore throat, police sources said. During questioning, the hotel staff confirmed that she had asked them to get a bottle of cough syrup, they said. The sources said Seth, how- ever, continued to maintain that she did not kill her son and claimed he died in sleep. She told the investigating officers that she will speak to them only after meeting her lawyer. The sources said Seth is under the care of a psychiatrist, purportedly to study her mental condition. She is likely to undergo some tests soon. Seth visited Goa with her son several times after her relationship with her husband Venkat Raman strained, the sources said, stating that a family court in Bengaluru was scheduled to pronounce its verdict on the child’s custody on January 10. The divorce case was filed in 2020. The court had granted visiting rights to Venkat Raman every Sunday, but Seth was not happy with this.