hyderabadl tuesday l february 04, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION Trump tariffs : Rupee plunges 55 paise to low of 87.17 against $ Rupee suffered significant pressure from sustained foreign fund outflows and strong US dollar demand from oil importers surge in u.s. dollar index weakens rupee Forex traders said the plunge was due to a surge in the US dollar index after US President Donald Trump levied tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, triggering fears of a broad trade war. “We expect the rupee to trade with negative bias on strong US dollar and FII outflows amid weak domestic markets,” said Anuj Choudhary, Mirae Asset Sharekhan ■ 319 fiis offloading equities led to fall ■ Finance Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey on Monday said there is no concern over the rupee value, and the Reserve Bank of India is managing the volatility of the local currency | P10 Foreign institutional investors offloaded equities worth `1,327.09 crore in the capital markets on Saturday, contributing to the fall points drop in the 30-share BSE Sensex on monday 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 TG to hike BC reservations to 42% SC quota likely to be enhanced to 17% from 10%; reservation increase for STs likely to be 1% M a n da Rav i n d e r R e d dy It’s All in the house @ Hyderabad The state government is set to allocate 42% of the seats in local bodies, education and employment for Backward Classes, and also enhance reservations for SCs and STs, taking the total reservations for various sections to around 66-67%. A bill to this effect is likely to be tabled in the Telangana Legislative Assembly and Council during the daylong special session scheduled for Tuesday . A highly placed source confided to TNIE that the state government has proposed to increase reservations for BCs to 42% in education and employment from the existing 25% (excluding 4% for backward Muslims), and 42% reservations in local bodies from 23%. In the elections to local bodies held in 2018, the government at the time reduced the BC quota in local bodies from 34% to 23% to keep the total reservations below the 50% threshold mandated by the Supreme Court of India. The source pointed out that the recently conducted caste survey put the SC population in the state at 17.43%. If sources are to be believed, the Congress government has drafted the Telan- Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and Appointments or Posts in the Services Under the State and Seats in Local Bodies) Bill set to be tabled in Assembly on Tuesday Bill is likely to propose increasing Once the state Legislature passes the Bill will propose increasing reservations reservations for BCs to 42% in bill, it will be sent for the assent of for SCs to 17% from the existing 10% education and employment from the President of India, with a request the existing 25% (excluding 4% Government will propose enhancing to include it in the Ninth Schedule of for backward Muslims), and 42% reservations for STs by 1%, to a total of 7% the Constitution as was done in the reservations in local bodies from the case of Tamil Nadu existing 23% in line with the promise This will take the total reservations It may be recalled here that the made by the Congress during the to around 66-67%, far beyond the state Legislature passed a bill 2023 Assembly elections in the form Supreme Court ceiling of 50% in April 2017 seeking to increase of the “Kamareddy Declaration” reservations for Muslims from How will the Congress implement It’s clear that BCs form 50 to 52% 4% to 12% and for STs from 6% to proportionate reservations? Will it of the population. Sadly, the govt 10%. The President is yet to clear it concluded that BCs account for 46.2% of the population K Kavitha, BRS MLC gana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and Appointments or Posts in the Services Under the State and Seats in Local Bodies) Bill. The source revealed that the bill will propose to increase reservations for SCs to 17% from the existing 10%. Similarly, the bill will propose enhancing reservations for Scheduled Tribes by 1%. Presently ST communities ben, once again try to blame the BJP or the Union government? Aleti Maheshwar Reddy, BJP MLA efit from 6% reservations. Sources said that though the survey revealed that the BC population in Telangana is 46.25%, the state government has decided to provide 42% reservation in line with the promise made by the Congress during the 2023 Assembly elections in the form of the “Kamareddy Declaration”. With the state government’s decision to increase reservations for BCs, SCs, and STs, the total reservations would be around 66-67%, far beyond the Telangana allocated `5,337 crore in railway budget, increase of `1 crore E x p r e ss N e ws S e r v i c e @ Hyderabad Telangana has seen a marginal increase in railway budget allocation for 2025-26, with an additional `1 crore compared to the previous year. Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed in a virtual press conference on Monday that the state has been allocated `5,337 crore for various railway projects. This is up from `5,336 crore in 2024-25. In contrast, the allocation for AP touched `9,417 crore, an increase of `266 crore from last year’s `9,151 crore. Vaishnaw stated that the allocation for Telangana was “a record high, aimed at enhancing rail infrastructure.” Announcing the completion of railway network electrification in the state, Vaishnaw compared the current allocation to the average annual outlay of `886 crore for undivided AP between 2009-14. He said that the increase in funding over the years has been consistent. Vaishnaw disclosed that `41,677 crore was being invested in Telangana for rail infrastructure — new railway lines, station upgrades, Kazipet coach factory and new workshops. Tracking it interim order Centre, states can’t reduce forest cover: SC @ New Delhi `5,337 cr, an increase of just `1 cr from 2024-25’s SCR general manager Arun Kumar Jain along with other officials during the virtual press conference on the Railway budget at Rail Nilayam in Secunderabad | Vinay Madapu `5,336 cr Vaishnaw’s words 22 projects ongoing in Telangana involving 2,529 km of new railway tracks at a cost of `39,300 crore  The railway network in Telangana is now fully electrified  Telangana leads in Kavach implementation; 627 route km covered; tenders floated for 1,100 km, and another 1,326 km sanctioned Supreme Court ceiling of 50%. Once the state Legislature passes the bill, it will be sent for the assent of the President of India, with a request to include it in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution as was done in the case of Tamil Nadu. It may be recalled here that the state Legislature passed a bill in April 2017 seeking to increase reservations for Muslims from 4% to 12% and for STs from 6% to 10%. That bill is still waiting for the assent of the President. S u c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y The Railway budget for Telangana in 2025-26 is  Total investment of `41,677 crore planned for Telangana for new railway lines, station upgrades, coach factory at Kazipet and workshops BC population in Telangana is 46.25% (as per the caste survey report)  Redevelopment of 40 railway stations in Telangana underway with a budget of `1,992 crore.  Kavach to be deployed across the entire Indian railway network within six years  50 Namo Bharat, 200 Vande Bharat, and 100 Amrit Bharat trains have been approved; five Vande Bharat trains already operate in Telangana  Railways to replace 7,000 km of old tracks to support train speeds of 100-160 kmph on various routes IN a stern warning, the Supreme Court on Monday restrained the Centre and state governments from reducing forest areas without providing compensatory land. The interim order came after a batch of petitions challenged amendments to the 2023 forest conservation law, which allegedly excludes nearly 1.99 lakh square kilometres of forest land from the definition of “forest”. A bench of justices B R Gavai and K Vinod Chandran, directed the Centre to submit a status report in three weeks. The court stressed it will not allow any reduction in forest area without compensatory land being provided. The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill was passed by Parliament in 2023. The pleas challenged the constitutionality of the amended law, seeking it to be struck down. The petitioners argued that the 1996 Godavarman judgement mandated protection of forests regardless of classification or ownership. intrusion alert @ Hyderabad Actor Lavanya has lodged a complaint with the Narsingi police claiming that she “obtained” a 4TB hard drive from one Ravi Bavaji Masthan Sai which has some private video clips of actor Nikhil, among hundreds of other videos. The complaint says that Lavanya, who is involved in a dispute with actor Raj Tarun, obtained the hard drive—containing hundreds of video clips of women recorded by Masthan Sai without their knowledge— from his house in November 2024. It adds that the private video clips are of married and unmarried women, along with hacked personal data of several individuals. “The complainant further stated that the hard drive also contained hacked videos from the phone of the Varalakshmi Tiffins owner, as well as private videos from the mobile phone of actor Nikhil,” the FIR reads. Lavanya alleged that the hard drives contained numerous call recordings, explicit videos, photographs, and details of Masthan Sai’s criminal activities and escape plans. She alleged that Masthan Sai engaged in illegal activities, including hacking into the mobile phones of teenage girls and gaining unauthorised access to their Google and iCloud accounts. “Several victims, fearing for their reputation, remained silent. Masthan Sai’s father, Ravi Ram Mohan Rao, actively supported and shield- Hyderabad: The one-man commission on SC sub-classification submitted its report to the Cabinet sub-committee constituted to study the Supreme Court orders on sub-classification within SC and ST communities | P4 The caste census findings are shocking. Dalits, Adivasis, BCs and minorities make up almost 90% of Telangana’s population. I am sure the OBC population of this country is at least 50% Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP and leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha In the works, PM-Trump talks in the US on Feb 13 J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to travel to Washington for a meeting with President Donald Trump after attending the AI summit in Paris on February 10 and 11. While there has been no official word from either the White House or the External Affairs Ministry both sides are looking at Feb, ruary 13 and 14 as the possible dates. The Indian side has been eager for an early engagement between the two leaders, hoping that their strong personal rapport would help establish a foundation for deeper collaboration, especially as the new US administration begins implementing measures such as raising tariffs and cracking down on illegal immigration. If these plans work out, the two leaders could hold discussions on February 13 to lay out the roadmap for their future cooperation. During his trip, Modi is also expected to hold meetings with business leaders. The prime minister will be attending the AI Action Summit in France on February 10-11 at the Grand Palais after which he will be travelling to Washington. According to a statement from the Élysée Palace, the AI summit will gather heads of state and government, international organisation leaders, business executives, academics, NGOs, artists, and civil society members. If the subsequent US trip is firmed up, Modi will arrive in Washington on February 12 depending on his final engagements in France. “The leaders (Modi and Trump) discussed plans for Prime Minister Modi to visit the White House, underscoring the strength of the friendship and strategic ties between our nations,” a White House read out said after a phone call between Modi and Trump on January 27. President Trump has said Modi was likely to visit the White House for a meeting in February. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, en route to Joint Base Andrews from Florida, Trump said on the day of is phone call with the Indian prime minister: “I had a long talk with him this morning. He is going to be coming to the White House, probably in February We have a very good . relationship with India.” Rahul raps slide in manufacturing P r e e t h a N a i r @ New Delhi In a departure from his usual combative mode, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi addressed the Lok Sabha on Monday touching upon all the key is, sues that currently dominate the Budget season — unemployment, border security, Election Commission, China and caste census — among others. He began his address on a conciliatory note, saying that both the Congress-led UPA governments and the BJP-led NDA failed to address the burning issue of unemployment. Though he hailed the prime minAttempt to ister for his flagship ‘Make in India’ hurt image initiative, he pointed out that NarenJaishankar dra Modi failed because manufacaccused Rahul turing went from 15.3% of GDP to of damaging 12.6% now, the lowest in 60 years. India’s image “The record of the country in orabroad. “Rahul ganising production is dismal,” he Gandhi’s lies said, adding that India has handed may have over production to the Chinese. political intent, Showing his mobile phone, Rahul but they harm said though it is assembled in India, the nation all the components including the internationnetwork are owned by China. he ally,” he said also alleged that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was sent to the US to secure an invite for the PM to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration as US President. In his pushback, Jaishankar said, “Rahul Gandhi deliberately spoke a falsehood about my visit to the US... At no stage was an invitation for the PM discussed. It’s well-known that our PM doesn’t attend such events. India is generally represented by Special Envoys.” Indra Nooyi’s sis wins Grammy R u pa m J a i n @ Chennai ‘Blackmailer’ has 100s of clips, claims Lavanya E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e sub-classifcation of SCs: report submitted ed his son from legal consequences,” the complaint says. It adds that Masthan Sai recorded intimate moments between himself and Lavanya. “She was a victim of Masthan Sai’s offenses, stating that he recorded 40 video calls with her without consent and hacked into all her email accounts. In 2023, she visited Guntur to attend the marriage of Masthan Sai’s sister, during which she confronted him about her videos. She claims that he then physically and sexually assaulted her,” the FIR reads. Following this, she filed a complaint with the Pattabhipuram (AP) police.  continued on P5 Chandrika Tandon, a Chennai-born Indian-American businesswoman and musician, claimed her first Grammy at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in 2025. She is the elder sister of Indra Nooyi, former chairperson and chief executive officer of PepsiCo. Chandrika, 71, won the prestigious award in the Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album category for her album Triveni. A captivating blend of Vedic chants and modern world music, Triveni is a collaboration with South African flautist Wouter Kellerman and Japanese cellist Eru Matsumoto. The album’s title, inspired by the confluence of three sacred rivers in India, symbol- From right, Chandrika Tandon, Wouter Kellerman and Eru Matsumoto accept the Grammy for their album, Triveni | AP ises the fusion of diverse musical traditions, resulting in a meditative journey of inner healing. Chandrika’s win marks the culmination of a career that spans both business and music. Born into a Tamil Brahmin family, she studied at Madras Christian College before earning an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. She went on to become the first Indian-American woman elected partner at McKinsey & Company, later founding Tandon Capital Associates. Despite her business success, Chandrika’s passion for m u s i c n e ve r w ave r e d . Trained in Hindustani and Carnatic classical music, she earned her first Grammy nomination in 2011 for her album Soul Call. Triveni, released in 2024, includes seven tracks, each representing a step in a spiritual journey with pieces like Path, way to Light and Seeking Shakti. In her acceptance speech, Chandrika expressed her gratitude, saying, “Music is love, music is light, and music is laughter.” Her win is a tribute to her commitment to both business and art, proving it’s never too late to pursue your passions. Beyonce’s first Grammy: P9