kochi l thursday l march 06, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION Cabinet OKs ropeway projects for Kedarnath, Hemkund sahib The Centre on Wednesday approved two ropeway projects in Uttarakhand to ease pilgrim access to Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib shrines Cuts travel time From 9 hrs to just 36 mins sky lifts to ferry 11,000 pilgrims daily The 16-km uphill trek to Kedarnath from Gaurikund is currently covered on foot, ponies, palanquins or helicopters. The I4,081 crore ropeway will cover 12.9 km, using advanced tricable gondola technology to carry 18,000 passengers daily, ensuring all-weather connectivity between Sonprayag and Kedarnath by cutting travel time from 9 hours to just 36 minutes ■ ■ The Hemkund ropeway, to be developed at I2,730 crore, will span 12.4 km from Govindghat, using monocable and tricable gondolas, carrying 11,000 people daily and enhancing last-mile connectivity Hemkund Sahib is a revered pilgrimage site and remains open from May to September, drawing 1.5 to 2 lakh pilgrims annually A6,811 crore worth projects are expected to be completed in 4-6 years 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 Reciprocal levies on India from Apr 2 Delhi hopes that understanding reached between Don & Modi will help resolve trade issues highlighting that the US has long faced high tariffs from sevPresident Donald Trump eral countries, including India. announced reciprocal tariffs He announced that his adminon India starting April 2, sign- istration would impose reciproaling a tough path ahead in the cal tariffs on several countries bilateral Free Trade Agree- starting April 2. ment (FTA) negotiations as The White House had earlier they could clash with these put out a factsheet on India’s sweeping tariffs. tariff regime: “The US But New Delhi reaverage applied Most mains hopeful that the Favored Nation (MFN) understanding reached tariff on agricultural between Prime Minisgoods is 5%. But India’s ter Narendra Modi and average applied MFN President Trump on tariff is 39%. India also February 13 will help charges a 100% tariff on Piyush Goyal resolve trade issues and US motorcycles, while keep the September we only charge a 2.4% deadline for signing the first tariff on Indian motorcycles.” tranche of the FTA, as ComHowever, New Delhi is hopemerce and Industry Minister ful that “trade issues can be Piyush Goyal began his US trip sorted mutually” as India-US on Monday to meet the new ties are “multifaceted” in line United States Trade Represent- with understanding arrived at ative (USTR), Jamieson Greer. the meeting between Modi and In his first address of his sec- Trump. “We have a roadmap ond term to a joint session of that will ensure we sort out any Congress, President Trump de- issue through consultations,” fended his strict tariff policies, said a source. Jayan t h Ja c o b @ New Delhi Finance Minister K N Balagopal hoists the party flag at Ashramam Ground in Kollam on Wednesday, on the eve of CPM state conference, in the presence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, state secretary M V Govindan and other leaders | Express | P4 All eyes forward CPM state 24thKollam on conference begins in Thursday. District hosting the event after a gap of 30 years. Politburo member and CPM coordinator Prakash Karat to inaugurate the meet, which will set the political agenda of the party and Left front for upcoming local body and assembly elections CM Pinarayi Vijayan, state secretary M V Govindan, senior state leaders, 486 delegates from various districts, 44 observers, and other guests will take part in the event Left to pave new Kerala’s path with global intentions Eyeing global, while still retaining its Leftist character would be the focus of the CPM-led government. The ‘Novel Paths for a New Kerala’ document to be presented by CM Pinarayi Vijayan would touch upon measures to elevate the state to international standards. TN parties want retention of state LS seats till 2056 E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Chennai As many as 59 Tamil Nadu political parties on Wednesday unanimously demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi unequivocally assure in Parliament that the 1971 population census will remain the basis for delimitation of Lok Sabha seats for another 30 years — till 2056 — by adopting a resolution to this effect at the all-party meeting chaired by Chief Minister M K Stalin. The resolution, proposed by the CM at the meeting held to discuss the impacts of the delimitation of Lok Sabha seats expected in 2026, also urged for a constitutional amendment ensuring the same. Chief Minister Stalin at the TN all-party meeting on Wednesday | Express It was also resolved that formal invitations would be sent to form a Joint Action Committee, comprising MPs from southern states, to carry forward delimitation-related demands and spread awareness among the public. Air India trainer pilot among 30 sacked for lapses, 10 grounded E x p r e s s ne w s s e r v i c e @ New Delhi AIR INDIA has fired a simulator trainer pilot for lapses and removed 10 pilots, who underwent training under the trainer pilot, from flying duties pendi n g i nve s t i g a t i o n , t h e Tat a G ro u p a i rl i n e s a i d Wednesday . The action came after a whistleblower flagged the simulator trainer pilot of dereliction of duty while training others. “A detailed investigation was conducted and, following a review of the evidence, the allegation was corroborated. Accordingly, the said trainer pilot’s services are being terminated. As a precaution, 10 pilots who underwent recurrent training under the trainer pilot have been removed from flying duties pending further investigation,” said an Air India spokesperson. Air India has reported the matter to aviation regulator DGCA. While Air India did not disclose details of the incident or the trainer’s conduct, a source familiar with the matter said the trainer pilot was repeatedly absent during training sessions and violated several other protocols. Air India also said that it terminated 30 employees in 2024 for various ethical breaches, with numerous others handed disciplinary action. “Immediately following the privatisation of Air India under the Tata group, the airline implemented the Tata Code of Conduct to establish clear behavioural expectations and accelerate cultural change to that of a Tata Group Company,” the airline said. This included comprehensive training for all employees on Tata’s ethos and ethics-related policies, such as anti-bribe r y, a n t i - c o r r u p t i o n a n d whistleblowing, among others. Air India said that an Apex Ethics Committee led by senior management oversees efforts to foster a culture with zero tolerance for unethical behaviour. The all-party meeting strongly and unanimously registered its opposition to the delimitation exercise based on present population, which it termed as a “grave threat” to the representative rights of TN and other southern states and the country’s federal polity . Of the 66 recognised and registered parties invited by the TN government for the meeting, only the BJP Naam Tami, lar Katchi and five other smaller parties skipped it. Another resolution passed stated that if parliamentary seats are to be increased, TN’s existing share of 7.18% of the total seats in Lok Sabha must not be reduced under any circumstance. TTto walk icon set into sunset The final game Multiple Commonwealth and Asian Games medallist Sharath Kamal says it’s time to hang racquet and his iconic bandana. The World TT in Chennai to be his last competition as a professional | More on p11 EXPRESS READ ‘Ayyankuzhi industrial region uninhabitable’ Kochi: A Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) study has deemed the Ayyankuzhi industrial region near Ambalamedu uninhabitable due to severe pollution. The KSPCB said this in a report submitted to the Kerala HC after a 30-day study, according to District Collector N S K Umesh. The findings mean that over 44 families currently residing on nine acres in the region will soon have to be rehabilitated | P3 Kerala Bank to write off landslide victims’ loans Kalpetta: Kerala Bank officials have announced that it will write off 207 loans to the tune of `3.85 crore availed by MundakkaiChooralmala landslide victims in Wayanad. The bank authorities are writing off the loans of the disaster victims who are the customers of Kerala Bank’s Chooralmala and Meppadi branches | P5 16 pages, including 4 pages of KOCHI Express I feel, stepping away as a player gives me more time to help and develop the sport Photo: P Jawahar Donald Trump addresses his first joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday after beginning his second term as US President | AP Steps to open the door to US products India has taken steps to enhance market access for US agricultural products like alfalfa hay, duck meat, and medical devices and lowered tariffs on US products such as bourbon whiskey, motorcycles, ICT products, and metals. “The plan we have chalked out while setting a trade target of $500 billion by 2030 is mutually agreeable. It has many elements as agreed between the leadership of two countries, including increasing US industrial exports to India and expanding Indian exports of labour-intensive products to the US,” a source said A Muthuvan MalaDy: Birth control pill overuse hurts numbers Va r s ha S o m a r a j @T’Puram Call it irony a bitter twist , of fate. Mala D birth control pills, supplied to women of the Muthuvan tribe in settlements in Munnar under the National Family Welfare Programme over three decades ago, are now posing a serious threat to the community’s numbers. Reason: excessive use of the pills by women to prevent their periods. Why? To cater to outdated ideals. The situation is especially grim in the Thayyanamkudy and Chinnaparakudy settlements within the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. At present, the Muthuvan community in 13 settlements in Marayoor comprises 1,185 males and 1,165 females from 870 families. Of this, the Thayyanamkudy and Chinnaparakudy settlements together have just 36 families — a combined population of 104. Excessive consumption of the Mala D tablets has contributed to the declining population, a wor rying trend noticeable in settlements like Nellipettikudy and Edamalakudy too. , “We were first given these pills when the families here typically had 10 to 15 children each. But times have changed. One of the main reasons women continue taking the pills is the custom of moving to the ‘Valaaymapura’ (a separate hut) Sharp drop Muthuvan tribe population in Idukki as per 2011 census Families 4,708 Population 12,193 Muthuvan tribe population in Marayoor panchayat (2025) Males 1,185 Females 1,165 Families 870 (The Integrated Tribal Development Project office only has 2011 data on the Muthuvan tribe. A new survey remains pending) during menstruation. During that time, they are unable to take up household res p o n s i b i l i t i e s, p u t t i n g pressure on both women and men. To avoid this, men encourage their wives to take the pills and even go to great lengths to obtain the tablets. Still, we lack a clear understanding of its longterm side effects,” said a tribal woman from Thayyanamkudy, wishing to stay anonymous. Siby George, Reproductive and Child Health Officer, Idukki, said Mala D, initially supplied as part of population control efforts, is no longer recommended for tribal communities due to its long-term impact on pop● More on P4 ulation.  Palm-leaf scrolls uncover roots of rich heritage Long before the advent of paper, Kerala had an elaborate method for preserving ancient knowledge and wisdom. The ancient people collected leaves of palm trees, dried them and etched letters onto them using a stylus, ‘narayam.’ The wellcrafted palm-leaf manuscripts (thaliyola) are not just records, but rather bridges that connect the past and the present. The discovery of a large collection of such manuscripts at the Kumaranalloor Devi tem- ple, in Kottayam, has opened up a treasure trove of insights into the rich cultural heritage of Kerala, especially Central Travancore. The documents and ‘thaaliyola grantha’ (books made from palm-leaf manuscripts) were recovered from the attic of the temple office last year. After a nearly yearlong dedicated effort, with the help of an epigraphist, temple authorities salvaged nearly 37,200 leaves, marking one of the largest recoveries of manuscripts from a temple in India. Believed to be three centu- Hari C T, the administrator of the proposed Sevadhi museum, displays the palm-leaf manuscripts | Vishnu Prathap ries old, they shed light on life and times during the royal era. According to temple authori- New Zealand to face INdia in CHampions Trophy Final in Dubai Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson led the Black Caps to 50-run win over South Africa, setting up the title clash with the Men in Blue on March 9 Settlements 14 temple tale A B H I L A S H C H A N D R A N @Kottayam kiwis in ties, the collection includes temple documents, information on rites and rituals performed at the temple, details of ‘Brahmini pattu’-- a traditional style of devotional singing at temples, scores of title deeds from the re gion, revenue records, account details, communication notes, and so on. Some of the documents have proved difficult to decipher due to the use of ancient scripts such as Vatte zhuthu and Kolezhuthu. Thus far, only 10% of the documents have been ● More on P4 analysed.  Kerala govt ordered to frame rules to curb ragging E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kochi The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the state government to frame rules under the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1998, for the effective implementation of antiragging norms in the state. A special bench comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice C Jayachandran was considering a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KeLSA) seeking the court’s intervention in the wake of increasing ragging incidents reported at educational institutions. The KeLSA counsel substantiated existing statutes under the Prohibition of Ragging Act and the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act, and explained various Kerala HC judgments and circulars issued by government bodies to prevent ragging in educational institutions in the state. After going through the various legislation, the court observed that there are already provisions against ragging in Kerala. On this, the KeLSA counsel said effective implementation of these acts and court judgments must be en● More on P4 sured.