DHARMAPURI l tuesday l january 28, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l city EDITION India and China agree to resume Kailash Mansarovar Yatra Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who is in Beijing on a two-day visit, held wide-ranging talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday Direct flight services to be restarted During their talks, the two sides decided to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in the summer of this year. “The relevant mechanism will discuss the modalities for doing so as per existing agreements,” a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said. They also agreed in principle to resume direct air services between the two countries ■ 2025 both sides should seize opportunity: Wang ■ “The two sides should seize the opportunity... commit to mutual understanding, mutual support, and mutual achievement,” Wang said On resuming the provision of hydrological data and boosting other cooperation related to trans-border rivers, it was agreed to hold an early meeting of the India-China Expert Level Mechanism marks 75 years since India and China established diplomatic relations 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 Waqf Bill gets feting new ideas, old wisdom JPC nod with 14 amendments adaptive testing models and emphasised aligning entrance exams with school curricula to reduce the reliance on coaching centers. In a forward-looking session on AI, Shekar Nair, Co-founder of Upekkha, tackled the hype and reality of AI. Nair emphasised the need to adapt to AIdriven changes in the workplace. Those who fail to embrace AI risk being replaced by it, he said. E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Chennai Report expected to be tabled in Parliament ahead of February 5 Delhi assembly polls P r ee t h a N a i r @ New Delhi What is new Right to appoint officer to determine whether a property is Waqf or not given to the state govt instead of the District Collector in proposed bill Mandatory clause to include 2 non-Muslims in Central Waqf Council and state Waqf Boards dropped. Proposes change in the composition of the Waqf Board by increasing it to three members, including a scholar What next JPC will circulate final draft among the members on Tuesday It will meet on January 29 to adopt the report Report to be submitted to LS Speaker on January 31 and tabled in Parliament before Feb 5 Delhi polls A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) scrutinising the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, approved it on Monday setting the tone for its ta, bling for discussion and passage during the forthcoming Budget session of Parliament. While the panel led by BJP MP Jagadambika Pal adopted 14 amendments suggested by the ruling NDA members, all those proposed by the Opposition were rejected 10:16 by voice vote. The bill, introduced during the Monsoon session, had proposed 44 amendments to the Waqf Act, 1995. While the Opposition was up in arms against the panel chairman for allegedly breaking rules and bulldozing the proceedings, Pal said that the amendments were put to vote in a democratic manner. However, DMK MP A Raja said, “The chairman himself called the names of the mover of the amendments (given by us) and he himself moved the amendments on our behalf and conducted the head count. And he announced the rejection of our amendments. We will move the Supreme Court if it becomes a bill.” Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Pal said one of the alterations aims to empower the state government to appoint an officer to determine whether a property is Waqf or not — instead of the District Collector who was given absolute powers to do so in the proposed bill. In the Waqf Act 1995, that power is vested in survey commissioners and additional commissioners. The panel also approved changes to another contentious provision that mandated the inclusion of two non-Muslim members in the Central Waqf Council and state Waqf Boards. It dropped the term mandatory and proposed changes in the composition of the Waqf Board by increasing it to three members, including a scholar. Another change was on the ‘Waqf by user’ provision. While the bill knocked it off entirely the , panel approved amendments that said the the ‘Waqf by user’ law will not apply retrospectively , so long as the property is registered. However, Congress MP and JPC member Imran Masood contested the proposal saying 90% of Waqf properties are not registered. Speaking to this newspaper, Masood accused the government of trying to create unrest by bringing in the new bill. I mpactful conversations and thought-provoking debates marked the 13th edition of the ThinkEdu Conclave, presented by SASTRA University, held at ITC Grand Chola in Chennai on Monday. A stellar lineup of speakers, from policymakers to academicians, reflected on the contemporary challenges and opportunities in education and beyond. The day began with a Saraswati Vandana by the students of MOP Vaishnav College for Women, followed by ceremonial lighting of lamp. In his welcome address, Prabhu Chawla, editorial director of The New Indian Express, highlighted the legacy of ThinkEdu as India’s leading education conclave, underscoring its commitment to fostering dialogue between modernity and traditional knowledge. Prabhu Chawla also cautioned against the over-reliance on artificial intelligence (AI), emphasising the importance of balancing pro g ress with values. The inaugural session featured Justice V Ramasubramanian, Politics, culture, aspiration NHRC Chairperson V Ramasubramanian inaugurates the 13th edition of ThinkEdu Conclave 2025 in Chennai by lighting the lamp on Monday; (from left) SASTRA University V-C S Vaidhyasubramaniam, Dinamani Editor K Vaidiyanathan, TNIE CEO Lakshmi Menon and Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla are seen | P Ravikumar Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), who tackled the complex relationship between rights, duties, and the Indian soul. Moderated by Dinamani editor K Vaidiyanathan, Justice Ramasubramanian highlighted India’s diversity as both a strength and challenge. He underscored the need to balance rights with duties to build a just society He . also raised concerns about the delay by the Global Alliance of J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi India and the US are committed to a mutually beneficial and trusted partnership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X on Monday after his first , telephonic conversation with Donald Trump after the latter’s swearing-in as the 47th president of the United States. “Delighted to speak with my dear friend President @realDonaldTrump @POTUS. Congratulated him on his historic second term,” Modi said. “We are committed to a mutually beneficial and trusted partnership. We will work together for the welfare of our people and towards global peace, prosperity, and security Modi wrote. ,” Modi congratulated Trump on his “historic second term”, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The two leaders discussed various aspects of the wide-ranging bilateral comprehensive global strategic partnership and measures to advance it, including in the areas of technology, trade, invest- Sanatana Dharma: SC bins plea against Udhaya New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Madras HC direction asking TN to conduct a departmental inquiry into the leak of FIR in the case of sexual assault of a student of Anna University. The bench also stayed certain observations made by the HC against the state police | P9 New Delhi: The Supreme Court has rejected a batch of petitions seeking criminal action against TN Dy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin for his remarks on Sanatana Dharma. “The writ petition under Article 32 could not be maintained,” a bench comprising Justices Bela M Trivedi and Prasanna B Varale said | P9 HC reserves order on plea for MUDA probe by CBI E XPR E SS N E WS S E RVIC E @ Bengaluru THE Karnataka High Court on Monday reserved its judgment on a petition seeking transfer of the MUDA case, currently being probed by the Lokayukta police, to the CBI. The high court also took on record the sealed-cover report submitted by the Lokayukta police on its investigation into the alleged illegal allotment of 14 sites to Karnakata Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife B M Parvathy by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). A single bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna directed the Lokayukta police not to file the final report of the probe before the trial court till the high court pronounces its judgment in the matter. Appearing for the petitioner, Mysuru-based social activist Snehamayi Krishna, senior advoc ate Maninder Singh argued that the matter should be referred to the CBI for impartial investigation, considering the administrative and political compulsions of the Lokayukta agency . Opposing the transfer of the case to the CBI, the state government’s counsel senior advocate Kapil Sibal argued that the probe is underway and a status report is already filed. Meanwhile, the high court stayed the summons issued to Parvathy and state urban development minister Byrathi Suresh by the Directorate of Enforcement in connection with the MUDA case. The stay is till February 10. Without knowing anything about the contents of the report and how the investigation has been conducted, can it be transferred out? —Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Karnataka govt Chancellor of SNDT Women’s University, and Prof Basuthkar J Rao, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad, shared insights into making campuses more inclusive in the session titled, “A Campus for Everyone: Making Higher Education Inclusive.” Prof Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, UGC Chairman, spoke on the need to rebuild India’s examination system in his session on “Testing Times.” Moderated by Prof S Vaidhyasubramaniam, Kumar proposed Modi, Don discuss West Asia, Ukraine express read Anna University FIR leak case: SC stays HC order National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) in according accreditation to the NHRC. Following this, Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament, delved into India’s parliamentary proceedings. In a session moderated by senior journalist Kaveree Bamzai, Tharoor decried the rising animosity between the government and opposition, emphasising the need to restore trust and communication in Parliament. Dr Ujwala Chakradeo, Vice- Back to battered home Tens of thousands of Palestinians streaming into the most heavily destroyed parts of Gaza on Monday after Israel lifted its blockade in the north for the first time since the war with Hamas began, following a ceasefire pact | AP @ Madurai THE Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday ordered the removal of all flagpoles installed by political parties and other organisations in public places and on government land across the state within three months. The court observed that there is no legal provision to permit the perma- nent installation of flagpoles in public places. Authorities, however, may allow temporary installation by collecting rent, the HC said. If not cleared by three months, jurisdictional authorities should remove the flagpoles and recover the cost incurred from the parties or organisations concerned, ruled Jus- @ Chennai Checks at US gurdwaras for illegal immigrants Officials from the US Department of Homeland Security have started visiting gurdwaras in New York and New Jersey to search for undocumented immigrants after Trump administration removed protections shielding religious places from immigration and customs enforcement actions ment, energy, and defence, the PMO said in a statement. They exchanged views on global issues, including the situation in West Asia and Ukraine, and reiterated their commitment to work together to promote global peace, prosperity and secu, rity it said. , They agreed to remain in touch and meet soon at a mutually convenient date. Uttarakhand 1st state to implement uniform civil code CM Pushkar Singh Dhami announced UCC’s implementation on Monday, saying “the constitutional and civil rights of people across all religions have become uniform” tice GK Ilanthirayan while dismissing three petitions filed by AIADMK and VCK functionaries seeking permission to instal flagpoles in public places in Madurai district. In the case of private land, flagpoles may be installed after obtaining permission from authorities concerned for which the state should frame necessary guidelines, the judge said. State labour dept recognises Samsung India Workers Union N i r u pa m a V i s w a n at h a n ‘Remove flagpoles from TN roads within 3 months’ J E G A D E E SWARI PA N D IA N The afternoon sessions shifted focus to political and cultural narratives. In “The Culture Project: Values for the Viksit Bharatiya,” Mukunda CR, joint general secretary of the RSS, advocated for a three-language policy encompassing one’s mother tongue, a regional language, and a career language. Praveen Chakravarty chair, man of the Professionals’ Wing and Data Analytics for the Congress party shared his vi, sion for “The Future of the Congress.” In the session moderated by TNIE Editor Santwana Bhattacharya, Chakravarty highlighted the need for the Congress to focus on aspirational politics that appeals to the youth and middle class. He praised Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra as a symbol of love and justice. P9 Installation of flagpoles with or without permission amounts to encroachment of public places, roads, streets etc, which lead to traffic congestion and inconvenience to the public, the judge said. “No one has any right to erect any flagpole by obstructing public users,” he said. Besides, he noted that 114 FIRs are pending across the state over disputes in flagpolerelated incidents. P9 After a prolonged battle, the Tamil Nadu Labour Department, on Monday, issued the certificate of registration to the CITU-affiliated Samsung India Workers Union (SIWU) under the Trade Unions Act, 1926. The approval came hours before the lapse of the six-week deadline set by the Madras High Court for the department to decide on the application for registration filed by SIWU in July 2024. As per the Trade Unions Act, the department must decide and issue the certificate of registration within 45 days. “During this period (of more than six months), we were not asked for any additional documents or clarifications, which means that there was no reason for the delay Nevertheless, this . is a big win for the workers’ protest,” said E Muthukumar, CITU’s Kancheepuram district secretary and SIWU president, who led the protest by Samsung workers in September that went on for 37 days, attracting global attention. The registration of the union by the labour department and the subsequent recognition by the company were among SIWU’s major demands during the protest, which saw the participation of around 1,000 Samsung workers, which is roughly two-third of the workforce of the company’s manufacturing plant in Sriperumbudur, besides CITU members. The protest was called off on October 16 after a series of conciliatory talks involving the state government, representat ive s o f t h e S I W U, a n d Samsung. SIWU had said the protest was called off after Samsung agreed to respond to their charter of demands, which included a wage revision of `36,000 per month over three years and the reduction of an hour from their everyday work schedule. P9