India named in u.s. drug Report The 2025 Annual Threat Assessment of US Intelligence Community claims China and India directly and indirectly supply materials to drug traffickers targeting US 52,000 Panel graphic Non-state groups are often enabled, both directly and indirectly by China and India as sources of precursors and equipment for drug traffickers, the report claims | P7 Says India, China among primary source nations for fentanyl precursor chemicals and pill pressing equipment HYDERABAD l thursday l march 27, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late cITY EDITION Opioid deaths were caused by cartels, which also facilitated 3 million illegal migrant arrivals in 2024, straining US resources 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 No bypolls even if BRS legislators switch sides: CM Major reorganisation and redeployment of troops New Army division to defend Eastern Ladakh E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Hyderabad Referring to a case in the Supreme Court seeking the disqualification of 10 party MLAs who had switched loyalties to the Congress from BRS while invoking constitutionally guaranteed immunity from judicial scrutiny over legislative proceedings, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday made it clear that there would be no byelections in the state. He was responding to concerns raised by opposition MLAs in the state Legislative Assembly during the discussion on the Demands for Grants for 2025–26. Highlighting the state government’s focus on welfare and development rather than byelections, he statEven if they (BRS) ed, “Honourable Speaker desire to have bypolls sir, through you, I want to for their seats, there assure the members that will be none. The they need not worry about same traditions and byelections. No byelections conventions followed by the first and second will happen. Even if they ( B R S ) d e s i r e t o h ave Assemblies would be one for their seats, there followed will be none. Even if their A Revanth Reddy, members switch sides, chief minister there will not be any byelections.” Citing the defections that occurred during the BRS regime, Revanth stressed: “There is no change in justice, the Speaker’s office, the Constitution or the ruling and opposition parties, then how could there be a byelection? As per the Constitution drafted by Dr BR Ambedkar, previous precedents and parliamentary conventions, there will be no byelections. The same traditions and conventions followed by the first and second Assemblies would be followed.”  Continued on P4 New division to boost strategic deterrence M aya n k S i n g h @ New Delhi 72 division to Guard Ladakh The new division is in process of getting raised. The headquarters are being raised with one of its brigade headquarters already deployed in Eastern Ladakh and it has begun functioning Sources The new permanent Army division being raised in Eastern Ladakh under the Northern Command is called 72 Division. This is in addition to the 3 Division, responsible for entire LAC Uniform force To move back In an ad-hoc decision, Jammu Division-based counter terrorism unit Uniform Force was moved to the Line of Actual Control. It will now go back to Jammu The Indian Army is in the process of raising a divisionlevel formation to be permanently positioned in the sensitive Easter n Ladakh area, sources told this newspaper. This will be in addition to the 3 Division, which is responsible for the entire Line of Actual Control (LAC). Terming it a major re-ORBAT move, sources said the new formation will be called 72 Division. ORBAT means ‘order of battle’ and Re-ORBAT is reorganising and redeployment of existing troops. In the Army a division com, prises 10,000-15,000 combat troops and 8,000 support elements, commanded by a Major General, and made up of 3 to 4 brigades. A brigade has a troop size of 3,500-4,000 with a Brigadier as commander. “The headquarters are being raised; one Brigade headquarter is already deployed in Eastern Ladakh and has begun functioning,” sources said. The larger elements of the formation are being trained in the western parts of the country “to synchronise the personnel, equipment and organisation as per specific tasking,” sources added. The 72 Division will be permanently placed under the Leh-based 14 Fire & Fury Cor ps, which was raised in September 1999 after the Kargil war. The Corps handles some of the most sensitive frontiers and battlefields in the world. The area that will be under the control of the 72 Division is currently being taken care of by the counter insurgency wing called ‘Uniform Force’. Its elements, in lesser numbers, were moved as an ad-hoc arrangement to fill the gap. The Uniform Force will soon move back to its old location in Reasi, Jammu Division. The Army’s decision to raise a permanent division in East Ladakh is important as the situation along the 832-km LAC remains sensitive, which calls for constant vigil and strategic preparedness. A standoff took place between Chinese and Indian troops in May 2020 at Finger-4 near Pangong Lake, followed by a deadly clash in June in Galwan valley . After several rounds of talks, Indian and Chinese troops completed their disengagement in the Depsang and Demchok areas of Ladakh in October last year, following which patrolling resumed. However, the troops from both sides remain in the vicinity of the LAC. express read Not allowed to speak in Lok Sabha: Rahul New Delhi: Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday claimed he was not allowed to speak in Parliament after Speaker Om Birla made “unsubstantiated” remarks about him. He also accused the Speaker of running the House in an “undemocratic manner.” Rahul’s remarks came after Birla asked him to follow parliamentary rules and maintain the dignity of the House | P7 Under-construction building collapses in Bhadradri, 2 trapped Khammam: Two workers are feared trapped under the debris of a five-storeyed under-construction building that collapsed in Bhadrachalam on Wednesday. According to sources, the builder, who had become a Swamiji, has been carrying out the construction for months without obtaining the necessary permissions | P2 TG to form SIT SC stays totally insensitive Allahabad HC remark to enforce strict ban on online gambling CM Revanth emphasised the need to enhance penalties for those involved and stated that a review would be conducted to assess the inclusion of CB-CID officials in the SIT. He also announced plans to enforce a strict ban on gutka | P2 S u c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y @ New Delhi The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the Allahabad High Court’s recent observations on the grabbing of a minor girl’s breasts and pulling the drawstrings of her “pyjama” not amounting to an attempt to rape and said it reflected total “insensitivity” and “inhuman approach”. Taking strong exception to the HC’s observations, the court termed it a “very serious matter”. The court took suo motu cognisance of the matter after “We the Women of India” collective wrote to Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna. Accused Pawan and Akash allegedly grabbed the breasts of an 11-year-old girl in the Kas- ‘Strict action must be taken against judge’ The National Federation of Indian Women demanded action against Allahabad HC Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra over his controversial observations. It demanded gender sensitivity training for judges ganj district of UP Thereafter, . one of them broke the string of her pyjama while trying to pull it down, attempted to drag her beneath a culvert and allegedly tried to rape her. But due to the intervention of passers-by they , couldn’t proceed. “It is a very serious matter,” Justice Gavai said, “exhibiting total insensitiveness on the part of the judge.”