HYDERABAD l Wednesday l march 12, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE CITY EDITION Airtel, Elon Musk’s SpaceX join hands for satcom service airtel gains heft versus rival eutelsat Bharti Airtel on Tuesday said it signed an agreement with Musk’s SpaceX to offer high-speed internet services under Starlink to its customers in India deal set to benefit both companies The development assumes significance as Sunil Mittal-led Bharti Airtel was at loggerheads with Starlink over licence fees and spectrum pricing for satellite-based internet service providers. Airtel is also the single-largest shareholder with a 21.2% share in Starlink’s rival firm Eutelsat OneWeb, which has got the nod to start operations in India ■ ■ The agreement will enable Airtel and SpaceX to explore how Starlink could complement and expand Airtel’s offerings Airtel said that its agreement with SpaceX is subject to receiving authorisations to sell Starlink’s satellite communications-based services in India. The deal will be symbiotic in nature | P10 8% of adjusted gross revenue is what telcos are charged as licence fee 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 morning madness 1 Attackers blew up railway tracks between Pehro Kunri and Gadalar in Sibi district of Balochistan in Pakistan 2 Armed men stormed the train, taking over 100 passengers, including security men, women and kids, hostage 3 Security forces have launched an operation to rescue the hostages, with local media reporting a fire exchange late in the night Balochistan Liberation Army said it seized control of the train when it was minutes away from the Mashkaf tunnel on the Pehro Kunri route in Sibi district Peshawar Railway Station Islamabad Railway Station afghanistan Quetta Railway Station illustration: sourav roy pakistan india Bolan Pass Provisions to deny foreigners’ entry, restrict their movement; harsh penalty for violators The taking of Jaffar Exp Pak train hostage drama with 500 aboard QUETTA: Suspected Baloch insurgents opened fire at a passenger train in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan region on Tuesday and shot dead 20 soldiers while taking hundreds of passengers, including women and children, hostages. Pakistan media reported late Tuesday that 80 hostages had been rescued and 13 terrorists eliminated after an operation by special forces. There were still close to 400 hostages on the train. The insurgents bombed the track before storming the Jaffar Express, headed from Quetta to Peshawar, between Pehro Kunri and Gadalar stations in a remote, mountainous area of Sibi district in Balochistan province which borders Afghanistan and Iran. Government spokesperson Shahid Rind termed it as a “terrorist attack.” The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) took owed up the attack, and warned “all hostages would be executed” if Pakistan army intervened. BLA, banned in Pakistan, the UK and the US, is fighting for independence and accuses outsiders of profiting from the region’s vast mineral wealth. Controller of Railways Muhammad Kashif said that the train, comprising nine coaches, has around 500 passengers on board. There are 17 tunnels in the area on the railway line and due to the difficult terrain, trains move at a slow speed, Kashif said. The train was ambushed near Mashkaf tunnel in Sibi district. Dawn.com said security forc- es had surrounded the area and launched a clearance operation that would continue till the aggressors were eliminated. An emergency has been declared at local hospitals, and rescue teams are on their way to the site. However, the rocky terrain is making it difficult for officials to reach the area. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack, and said: “The beasts who fire on innocent passengers do not deserve any concessions.” The siege comes amid a surge in terror attacks in Balochistan, with over 1,600 people killed in attacks in 2024. In November 2024, at least 26 people were killed in a suicide blast at Quetta railway station.  AP/AFP MU K E S H RA N J A N @ New Delhi Security forces later surrounded the tunnel and began flushing out ops Reports suggested that the Balochistan Liberation Army insurgents used civilian passengers as human shields before issuing a warning that any interference from the Army would lead to the death of the hostages Assembly session begins No rejig of KLIS loans for now, state told today, Budget on Mar 18 E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad The state government has proposed to enhance reservations for BCs to 42% and clasThe Budget session of the state sify SCs into three groups. As Legislature, which will com- the total reservation would mence on Wednesday, is likely cross the 50% cap, the state govto be stormy as the ruling Con- ernment plans to send the Bills , gress and the Opposition BRS to the Union government with have sharpened their claws. a request to include it in the 9th While the BRS has made it Schedule of the Constitution. clear that it intends to expose The state government may the “failures” of the Congress, take up short discussions on Inthe ruling party has readied its tegrated Residential Schools, ammo to counter the Indiramma houses, pink party. The rul- BAC to finalise e m p owe r m e n t o f ing party is leaving duration today women, and other isno stone unturned sues. The ruling parThe Business and asked its legislaty will highlight its Advisory tors and ministers to achievements, welCommittee is come with all relefare and development vant information to expected to meet schemes. give a fitting reply to on Wednesday and BRS president and finalise the the Opposition. Leader of the Opposiduration of the Governor Jishnu tion K Chandrasekhar session Dev Varma will adRao will attend the dress the joint sesfirst day of the session of the Assembly and the sion. However, it is unclear Council on the first day. On whether he will attend the reThursday, the Assembly will maining days. The Opposition take up the motion of thanks to is expected to raise farm loan the Governor’s address. waiver, Rythu Bharosa, and Deputy Chief Minister Mallu standing crops not getting sufBhatti Vikramarka, who also ficient water in some parts of holds the Finance portfolio, is the state. likely to present the Budget esThe recent Srisailam Left timates in the Assembly on Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel acMarch 18. The state govern- cident may also come up for ment will introduce three Bills discussion in the House. to provide reservations to BCs The eight newly elected and SCs. The BRS has also de- MLCs will take oath in the cided to back the reservations. Council during the session. E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad Disclosing that a request seeking the restructuring of the loans taken for Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme has been received from the state gover nment, Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary on Tuesday told the Rajya Sabha that Rural Electrification Corporation (REC), which had extended the loan, has told Telangana that any rebate on Immigration law has more teeth in new bill in LS the interest rate may be considered only upon completion or closure of the project. In a written reply to a question by Congress MP Anil Kumar Yadav, the MoS said that the request sought the restructuring of loans raised by the Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) that are serviced from the state consolidated fund under KLIS. He stated that, as per the information received from the Ministry of Power, the state government has been informed that Kaleshwaram Irrigation Project Corporation Limited (KIPCL), an SPV established to construct KLIS, was financed by Power Finance Corporation Limited (PFC Ltd) and REC Ltd, with total project costs of `37,737.11 crore and `30,536.08 crore, respectively “These Non. Banking Financial Companies raise funds from various sources in the domestic and offshore markets. Based on their cost of borrowing, they determine the lending rates, which also depends on the grading of the borrower,” Chaudhary stated. The government on Tuesday introduced the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha, seeking to overhaul existing immigration laws and streamline various services related to foreigners’ entry, exit, and stay in the country . Introducing the bill on the behalf of Home Minister Amit Shah, Minister of State Nityanand Rai said that once the proposed law is passed, it will replace the colonial-era Foreigners Act, 1946; Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920; Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939; and the Immigration (Carriers’ Liability) Act, 2000. According to the bill, the objective is to enhance national security, control immigration procedures, and introduce stricter penalties on foreigners who violate visa rules. It says any foreigner posing a threat to national security, sovereignty or the integrity of the nation “will not be allowed into the country or will be denied the permission to stay in India”. It further mandates registration for foreigners upon arrival. The bill proposes heavy penalties for violations. Those overstaying, violating norms, or trespassing in restricted areas face three years imprisonment and fine of up to `3 lakh. Transport carriers carrying foreigners without valid documents face up to `5 lakh fine. If a foreigner is denied entry the , carrier will be responsible for their removal from India. The bill also empowers immigration officers to arrest individuals without a warrant. Meanwhile, the opposition dubbed the bill as violative of SLBC: Robots with AI cams join rescue efforts E x p r e ss N e ws Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad Officials monitoring the efforts to trace and rescue the seven workers still trapped inside the collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) have pressed robots with AI-based cameras into service. Continuing their efforts on Tuesday, the 18th day, to ascertain the workers’ whereabouts, the officials engaged the services of Hyderabad-based Anvi Robotics. Company representatives Vijay and Akshay, along with the robots, went inside the tunnel in the evening. The robots and cameras were remotely connected to the company’s office. The services of the ro- bots were used to ensure that there would be no danger to the rescue teams or the workers. Officials are also using cadaver dogs. It was with the help of these dogs that the officials retrieved the body of Gurpreet Singh, an operator, on Sunday . Disaster Management special chief secretary Arvind Kumar and Nagarkurnool district collector B Santhosh held a review with officials from the NDRF, SDRF, Singareni Collieries Company Limited, South Central Railway cadaver dog squad, , rat-hole miners and others. As the tunnel boring machine is heavy, cutting it and removing its parts has become a difficult task for the officials. Robots with Artificial Intelligence-based cameras reach the Srisailam Left Bank Canal tunnel to assist with the rescue efforts on Tuesday Garbage hill sucks the smartness out of Karimnagar @ Karimnagar Sanitation workers try to douse a spontaneous fire that erupted at the dumping yard in Karimnagar on Tuesday (above); schoolchildren cross a littered road in Karimnagar Karimnagar — listed as a Smart City under the Smart Cities Mission in Telangana — has been stinking over the past year, the stench gradually intensifying and now almost overpowering. The reason for the stink is not too far from the city — the dumping yard close to the Manair river now resembles a hill made up of approximately four lakh metric tonnes (MT) of gar- bage. This hill has grown at a faster pace — adding about 150 MT of garbage per day — ever since the biomining machine, and the plant, shut down more than a year ago. This 150 MT of garbage is collected by sanitation workers from households, commercial areas and industrial zones across the city . A thick carpet of smoke from the dumping yard covers nearly a five-kilometre radius in Karimnagar city causing respira,  Mandatory registration of foreigners upon arrival; restrictions on their movement, name change, and stay in protected/restricted areas  Mandatory for universities, hospitals and accommodation providers to report about foreign nationals  Burden of proof on individuals to establish they are not foreigners  International transport carriers must provide passenger data Punitive charges  Entry without valid documents:  Up to 5 yrs in prison or `5 lakh fine  Use of forged documents: 2-7  years in jail and `1-10 lakh fine  Overstaying Visa: Up to 3 years in  jail or `3 lakh fine Enforcement powers  Immigration officers empowered to arrest without warrant  Authorities can remove foreigners violating the law  No appeal provision in proposed law constitutional provisions. Briefly intervening during the introduction of the bill, Congress MP Manish Tiwari said it doesn’t even have the right to appeal. He said the government should withdraw the bill or send it to the Joint Parliamentary Committee. TMC MP Sougata Roy also opposed the bill, saying: “I beg to oppose the Immigration and Foreigners Bill. There are already four laws in the country for the entry and exit of foreigners.” Ministry lifts suspension, WFI calls trials F i r o z M i r z a @ Chennai perennial problem N a v een K u m a r Ta l l a m Key provisions tory issues such as frequent coughing, throat irritation and allergies among residents. There have been persistent requests for authorities to address the issue. The smoke also impacts visibility on Rajiv Rahadari, particularly in the early morning and nighttime, posing a risk to vehicular traffic. Every summer, fires erupt at the dumping yard due to the presence of Refuse-Derived Fuel in municipal solid waste. The accumulation of waste generates methane gas, which ignites spontaneously Over the . past 40 years, garbage accumulation has transformed the site into a massive landfill. Laxmi, a resident, said she suffers from persistent cough and allergies due to the pollution. The biomining project, initiated under the Smart Cities Mission with an investment of `16 crore, was supposed to segregate dry and wet waste for composting.  Continued on P5 Months of uncertainty gave way to hope as the sports ministry through an order dated March 10 revoked suspension of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). The suspension was imposed on December 24, 2023, days after the elections of the executive committee following which Sanjay Kumar Singh was elected as the president. There was ambiguity over selection and participation in international competitions was also getting affected. The development meant the Indian wrestlers, who had to miss two Ranking Series last month, could now compete at the Asian Championships this month. Had they missed this, they would have rendered ineligible to compete at the World Championships. Sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the decision was taken keeping in mind the welfare of wrestlers. The WFI chief thanked the prime minister, home minister and sports minister for lifting suspension. Due to the suspension and an order of the single bench of the Delhi High Court, the WFI was not able to hold selection trials. The WFI is planning to hold trials on March 15. On Tuesday the , Delhi High Court disposed of an appeal challenging single bench order on IOA’s ad hoc panel. P11