11 persons killed in MP explosion; 174 injured Harda: Eleven persons were killed and 174 others injured in an explosion at a crackers factory in Harda district in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday. The reasons for the fire were not known immediately. Besides fire brigades, ambulances, doctors, NDRF and SDRF teams were rushed from neighbouring districts to speed up rescue efforts | PTI THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l wednesday l February 07, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION 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 Foreign univ campus plan opens cracks in ruling CPM Uttarakhand’s UCC bill tabled, live-in registration mandatory S o v i Vid yadharan / M P P rashanth Among the major talking points of the Uniform Civil Code bill that was tabled in Uttarakhand’s special assembly session on Tuesday was the stipulation that live, in partners must register themselves within a month with district officials or face imprisonment. Anyone in a live-in relationship for more than a month without getting it registered could face up to three months in jail or a fine of up to `10,000 or both. Those providing false information could be asked to cough up `25,000. On the flip side, children born of such relationships will be considered legitimate and deserted women will be entitled to maintenance from their partners. Live-in partners cannot be under 18. If any one of them is under 21, the registrar would be mandated to inform their parents or guardians, bill states. During the debate on the bill, the opposition Congress pressed for it to be sent to a House panel for review. The bill was originally stated for debate and passage on Tuesday But since the opposition de. manded more time to study it, Speaker Ritu Khanduri said the discussion will continue on Wednesday . @T’Puram/Kozhikode Differences within the CPM over allowing foreign universities to set up campuses in the state came to the fore on Tuesday with its student arm, SFI, object, ing to the proposal amid reports that the party has not yet discussed the matter that implies a major policy shift. Treading with caution, Higher Education Minister R Bindu clarified that the government has not taken a policy decision on the contentious issue. In his budget speech on Monday, Finance Minister K N Balagopal announced that the government will examine opportunities to establish foreign university campuses in the state. In a major embarrassment to the CPM and the LDF government, the SFI made it clear that it was against the proposal. “We are really concer ned over the issue. SFI cannot agree with the concept. There is no need for foreign university camNo decision has puses in Kerala,” SFI been taken on state president K Anushallowing foreign universities in ree told reporters in the state. It may Kozhikode. SFI would have found take up the matter with mention in the the government. budget owing to The SFI had fiercely the investment resisted moves to allow potential. private and global playFurther discussions need ers in the state’s higher to be held on the education sector, espematter cially during the tenure of the previous UDF R Bindu, Higher government. Education Minister CPM sources wondered how such an important policy shift be announced by the finance minister in the assembly without the party’s approval. “No decision has been taken on allowing foreign universities in the state. It may have found mention in the budget owing to the investment potential. Further discussions need to be held on the matter,” Bindu told TNIE. Senior functionaries of the state higher education council also admitted off the record that they were taken aback by the mention of foreign universities in the budget without even conducting preliminary discussions. Meanwhile, academics are of the view that setting up of foreign university campuses in the state may not entirely address the migration of students ● More on P4 abroad. Opposition seeks more time to study legislation; wants it sent to House panel for vetting Key features N A R E N D R A S E T H I @ Dehradun Uniform divorce law across all religions Provision for compulsory registration for live-in relationships Across-the-board bar on polygamy Consistent regulations for post-divorce financial support Uniform adoption law irrespective of religious beliefs Equal property rights for girls across the board Legal marriage age for girls to be set at 18 years universally Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami holds a copy of the Constitution at Vidhan Sabha Bhawan Tribal communities exempt from UCC The bill proposes a uniform process for the registration of marriage and divorce. Couples and officials have also been assigned responsibilities and accountability. Failing to register a marriage or not complying with the rules would attract a maximum fine of `25,000. Among the other significant recommendations made by the UCC panel were the prohibition of practices such as polygamy halala, iddat, and child marriage, , the establishment of a uniform age for marriage for girls regardless of religion, equal inheritance rights for all genders. Members of the ruling BJP referred to the Shah Bano case several times during the discussion, accusing the Congress of changing the law instead of respecting the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Shah Bano case. The BJP 47 MLAs in the 70-member assembly. Education minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat said, “The UCC committee visited various regions of the state and sought suggestions from people in open meetings before framing the bill. It received a total of 2,32,961 suggestions.” Breach in Goa guv security: BJP seeks Hockey player Kumar stern action against CPM leader’s son Varun POCSObooked under Act E x press N e w s S er v i c e @ Kozhikode The incident of letting off CPM Kozhikode district secretary’s son, who allegedly breached the security of Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai, after paying a fine for traffic violation is snowballing into a political controversy with BJP demanding strong action against the accused. Police picked up Julius Nikithas, son of CPM district secretary P Mohanan, for violating security for the VIP at 7.50 pm on Sunday . Pillai was returning home after attending a private function at Marad in the city Nikithas drove . the car into the convoy as soon as the governor’s vehicle passed near Thiruthiyad in Kozhikode. The police vehicles that were following the governor were left behind Nikithas’ car. Immediately the governor’s security officers stopped Nikithas’ vehicle. The security personnel shouted at the youth who shouted back at the police. He refused to follow the instructions of the police to take his car back, and tried to continue Not yet summer, but state sweats under blazing sun Tuesday, Kannur recorded the highest temperature of 37.9 deIt is only the first week of Feb- grees Celsius followed by Thiruruary but Kerala is reeling un- vananthapuram city, which re, der a scorching sun. With mete- corded 36.2 degrees Celsius. Weather experts attributed orologists finding no possibility the unusual rise of rain for the Maximum temperature in temperature to next couple of recorded on Feb 6* El Nino, which is weeks, Kerala is at its peak. (El bracing for the Kannur 37.9 Nino is a climate hottest summer T’Puram city 36.2 pattern that leads in a decade. MeanVellanikara (Thrissur) 35.8 to unusual warmwhile, power coning of Ocean wasumption has Punalur (Kollam) 35.2 ters which can started soaring, Palakkad 34.8 impact trade forcing the KSEB winds and atmosto purchase an additional 9 million units (MU) pheric temperature. As the per day from the real-time mar- warm ocean releases excess heat into the atmosphere, the ket at a high rate. The state recorded a depar- temperature rises). “The temture of 1.5 -3 degrees Celsius in perature has been hovering daytime temperature during above normal, but we can’t say the past week. The scorching it is an indicator of a scorching sun coupled with high humidity summer,” said IMD senior sci● More on P4 has left the state sweating. On entist V K Mini. * Degrees Celsius M an o j Vis w anathan @ Kochi the journey. The local police took the youth into custody and took him to the Kasaba police station. He was later released after paying a fine of Rs 1,000 for traffic violation. The Kozhikode city police commissioner said that he would look into the incident. BJP state president K Surendran demanded that Nikithas should be taken into custody to know his intention. He said that there were many cases against the CPM leader’s son. BJP district president V K Sajeevan alleged that the police charged a petty case after realising that the accused is the son of a CPM leader. He said a case under Section 124 of the IPC should be registered against Nikithas. Police should carry out their duty and no special privilege should be given to anyone. If the incident was a mistake, the person should have expressed regret. Instead, he quarrelled with the police. “The police should invoke the relevant section as the incident was a conscious one,” Sajeevan said. E X PRESS READ DMK to attend Kerala’s protest in Delhi T’Puram: In a major boost to the state government’s efforts to bring together non-BJP ruled states against the Union Government’s alleged discrimination against states, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin informed CM Pinarayi Vijayan that DMK will attend the protest by Kerala in New Delhi on February 8. P5 Net loss of public sector enterprises increases T’Puram: The net loss of public sector enterprises under the state government increased by Rs 53 crore in 2022-23. The net profit of all the state public enterprises together increased to Rs 4,811.73 crore, a rise of 1.10% from the previous year’s Rs 4,758.98 crore, according to annual report of the Bureau of Public Enterprises. P5 16 pages, including 4 pages of THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Express E x press N e w s S er v i c e @ Bengaluru Bengaluru Police have booked feted hockey player Varun Kumar under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act following a complaint by a 21-year-old woman, who accused the Arjuna awardee of sexually abusing her when she was a minor. The woman, who hails from Hyderabad and is currently working with an airline, said she met Kumar in 2018 when he was training at the Sports Authority of India in Bengaluru, where she was also training for volleyball. She said Kumar later contacted her through Instagram and insisted on meeting her. He then allegedly proposed to her and started physical relationship with her with the promise of marriage. In her complaint to police, the woman said said she continued their physical relationship for over five years based on his promise to marry her. She finally filed a complaint when he allegedly stopped responding to her calls and messages and also refused to marry her. In jolt to Pawar Sr, ECI holds Ajit-led group as real NCP Par v e z S u ltan & S u dhir S u r ya w anshi @ New Delhi/Mumbai IN a major setback to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday recognised the faction led by his nephew Ajit Pawar as the real NCP and allowed it to use the party’s symbol Wall Clock. Sharad Pawar will have to apply for a new party and symbol by Wednesday 4.00 pm; otherwise, his MLAs will be recognised as independents. While adjudicating the matter in favour of the Ajit camp, the ECI said Sharad Pawar failed to prove he enjoys the support of a majority of NCP legislators. The ECI followed three tests — test of aims and objectives of party constitution, test of party constitution, and test of majority — to adjudicate the case. Both factions failed to pass the first two tests, while the Ajit-led group passed the third test of majority . The ECI found that Ajit enjoys the support of 41 MLAs and 5 MLCs in Maharashtra, 7 MLAs in Nagaland, one MLA in Jharkhand, and two Lok Sabha MPs and one Rajya sabha MP. Sharad Pawar has got the support of 15 MLAs and 4 MLCs in Maharashtra, two MLAs in Kerala, and 4 Lok Sabha MPs and 3 Rajya Sabha MPs. One Lok sabha MP has given affidavits for both sides. Reacting to the decision, NCP MP and Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule said they will move the Supreme Court within two days. “We are clearly doing two things. First, we are going to the Supreme Court in the next 48 hours. Second, the Election Commission has given us an option to give them three names and three symbols by tomorrow (Wednesday) evening, so we will of course do that…What was done with Shiv Sena earlier is happening with us now. It is not a new order. Only the name has changed but the content is the same,” she said. Ajit Pawar had split the NCP in July last year after he walked away with a majority of MLAs and joined the Eknath Shinde government as deputy CM along with eight other NCP legislators as cabinet ministers. study to unravel past Scuba divers stumble on mystery shipwreck off Varkala S hain u M o han @T’Puram A regular scuba diving expedition off Varkala has turned out to be a thrilling and memorable experience for a group of divers. Little did they expect that their marine exploration trip would lead them to the discovery of a shipwreck. The mystery shipwreck discovered 10km offshore of Nedunganda Beach, located between Varkala and Anchuthengu, is expected to transform Varkala into a sought-after international destination for scuba diving. Efforts are on to unravel the history of the sunken ship, lying 45m deep. Multiple assumptions are doing the rounds about the story of the sunken ship. Some believe it could be a British cargo A video grab of the shipwreck discovered by scuba divers off Varkala ship that was torpedoed by Japanese submarines during World War II. Another assumption is that it is the wreckage of a Dutch ship that was sunk centuries ago. A team of three divers from Varkala Watersports, a scuba diving club, had discovered the wreckage last week. “Although the divers spotted the wreck- age, nothing much about it could be confirmed,” said Vinod Radhakrishnan, administrator of Varkala Watersports. “We have around eight diving sites at Varkala and the discovery was unexpected and unbelievable. F rom the preliminary examinations, the ship could be 80 or 90 years old. But all these are assumptions. A detailed scientific study should be undertaken to unravel the history of the wreck. The wreckage is so deep that only skilled divers can reach and enter it,” he said. The discovery has opened new avenues of tourism at Varkala. According to tourism department authorities, the news could draw adventurers and divers from across the ● More on P4 globe.  Stay off troubled Rakhine State: India to nationals Yeshi S e l i @ New Delhi With the rebel Arakan Army capturing a major part of Rakhine State in Myanmar amid intense battles with the military India on Tuesday urged its , nationals to stay away from that province. “In view of the deteriorating security situation, disruption of means of telecommunications, including landlines and severe scarcity of essential commodities, all Indian citizens are advised not to travel to the Rakhine State of Myanmar. Those citizens who are already there are advised to leave the state immediately said the ad,’’ visory issued by India. India has a stake in the province as it developed the Sittwe Port in Rakhine state, which is part of the ambitious $484 million Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Project.