BHUBANESWAR  WEDNESDAY  APRIL 09, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 12  LATE CITY EDITION SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THEY HAVE RESURRECTED THE DIRE WOLVES CLOSELY RESEMBLES ITS ANCESTOR, GRAY WOLF By harnessing ancient DNA, cloning, and gene-editing technology, scientists have created three dire wolf pups, essentially a hybrid species that closely resembles its extinct ancestor, the gray wolf. The dire wolf, a formidable predator and inspiration for HBO series “Game of Thrones,” was characterised by its size, wider head, thicker fur, and stronger jaw Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas biotech company, has successfully “de-extincted” the dire wolf, a species that roamed America 12,500 years ago RARE TOOTH AND SKULL USED IN STUDY ■ ■ The researchers studied a 13,000 year-old dire wolf tooth unearthed in Ohio and a 72,000 year-old skull fragment found in Idaho They took blood cells from a gray wolf and genetically modified them before transferring the genetic material to an egg cell from a domestic dog. Embryos were then transferred to surrogates | P9 62 DAYS IS THE TIME IT TOOK FOR THE NEW ENGINEERED PUPS TO BE BORN 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 APEX COURT INVOKES SPECIAL POWERS TO DECLARE 10 TN BILLS AS PASSED Guv sending reiterated bills to Prez illegal: SC FOUR TIMELINES SET FOR EXPEDITED ACTION 1 2 3 In the case of withholding of assent or reservation of the bills for the President upon the aid and advice of the state’s ministers, the governor has to act within a month If assent is to be withheld, contrary to the advice of the ministers, the governor must return the bills with a message within 3 months If bill is to be reserved for the President, contrary to the advice of ministers, guv must do so within 3 months der Article 142 to make the bills re-presented to the governor, as deemed to have been IN a landmark verdict, the Su- passed. preme Court on Tuesday held The court pronounced the the action of Tamil Nadu Gov- verdict after hearing a plea ernor R N Ravi to reserve 10 filed by the Tamil Nadu govbills for the President’s consid- ernment against Governor eration despite their reitera- Ravi for sitting over bills — tion by the state assembly “il- some for over three years — legal and arbitrary”. and later escalating them to The governor has no option the President. The bills were but to give assent to the bill sent to the President shortly that is presented to him after another bench in after re-passage in the the Punjab governor’s state assembly if it is case ruled that the unchanged, a two-judge gover nor does not bench comprising jushave pocket veto or tices J B Pardiwala and absolute veto over R Mahadevan said. bills by squatting over The court said the them. governor must act on “The governor canthe aid and advice of Governor R N Ravi not sit on bills and exthe state legislature. ercise pocket veto over “Under Article 200 of them. Article 200 gives the Constitution, the governor the bills passed by the state asdoes not possess any discretion sembly the authority of an Act. and has to mandatorily act on Without this Act, it is only a the aid and advice of the coun- document of aspiration of peocil of ministers.” Article 200 of ple which does not come into the Constitution deals with as- effect,” said Justice Pardiwala, sent to bills. who authored the judgment. The bench said once the gov- Pocket veto is an indirect veto ernor withholds assent, he is of a bill by leaving it unsigned obligated to follow the proce- till it is too late for it to be dealt dure prescribed in the first with. proviso of Article 200, which is The court said though there on returning the bill to the was no specific time limit unHouse as soon as possible. It der Article 200 for the governor exercised its special power un- to take his call, it cannot lead S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi Waqf Act comes into force, govt files caveat in Supreme Court 4 If a bill is reiterated by the state assembly without change, the governor must grant assent within a month Justice J B Pardiwala to inertia. “Despite there being no prescribed time limits, Article 200 cannot be read in a manner which allows the governor to not take action on the bills, which are presented to him for assent and thereby delay, and essentially roadblock law-making machinery in the state,” it said. For the first time, the court set timelines for gubernatorial clearance of bills, adding failure to adhere to them could invite judicial scrutiny. It gave governors just one month to decide if they wanted to reserve a bill for the President’s consideration. If they wanted to withhold assent without the aid and advice of the council of ministers, they have to return the bill within three months. If the bill is reiterated after re-consideration by state assembly, the governor will have to mandatorily give his assent within a month. The governor must perform his role as a friend, philosopher and guide with dispassion and not be guided by political considerations, the verdict said. “In times of conflict, he must be the harbinger of consensus and resolution, lubricating the functioning of the state machinery by his sagacity wisdom, and not run it into , a standstill.” BILLS THAT WERE CLEARED 2020 Bill to amend the Tamil Nadu Fisheries University Act, 2012 2020 Bill to amend the TN Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Act, 1989 2022 Bill to amend the TN Universities Laws (i) 2022 Bill to amend the TN Dr. Ambedkar Law University Act, 1996 2022 Bill to amend the TN Dr MGR Medical University, Chennai, Act, 1987 2022 Bill to amend the TN Agricultural University Act, 1971 2022 Bill to amend the TN Universities Laws (ii) 2022 Bill to amend the Tamil University Act, 1982 2023 Bill to amend the TN Fisheries University Act, 2012 2023 Bill to amend the TN Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Act, 1989 CM Mohan Majhi with Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri during the Odisha Investors’ Meet in Delhi on Tuesday. Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Jual Oram and state Industries minister SC Swain also present E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Bhubaneswar THE state government on Tuesday signed a series of high-value MoUs entailing investments to the tune of `98,880 crore with leading industry players of the country The proposals . have a potential to create employment for more than 67,000 people. Overall, 13 MoUs were signed and 15 investment intents were received during the two-day Odisha Investors’ meet. These investment proposals are worth `1,03,090 crore and promise employment opportunities for around 95,915 people. On the second day of his visit to the national capital for attracting investments to Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi held several rounds of one-on-one discussions with top industry captains. The highlight of the second day was the agreement with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) for setting up a dual-feed naphtha cracker project at Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district with an investment of `58,042 crore. The state also entered into an agreement with the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL) for a crude oil storage facility at Chandikhol in Jajpur district and Petronet LNG to Cong resolution calls Waqf Act polarising EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court is likely to hear on April 15 a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. A final causelist is yet to be uploaded on the court website. The Centre on Tuesday filed a caveat in the Supreme Court and sought a hearing before any order was passed in the matter. A caveat is filed by a party in courts to ensure that no orders are passed without hearing it. Former Additional Solicitor General (ASG) and senior Supreme Court lawyer, K C Kaushik, speaking to this newspaper, said the Centre wanted a representation before any order is passed by the SC. “No ex-parte order should be issued without prior notice and an opportunity to be heard. The government wants to be the prime respondent in the matter,” he said. In another significant development, the Waqf (Amendment) Act came into force on Tuesday with the government issuing a notification. “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 (14 of 2025), the Central Government hereby appoints the 8th day of April, 2025 as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force,” the Ministry of Minority Affairs notification said. Majhi’s Delhi roadshow bags investment intent worth over `1 lakh crore Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Sonia Gandhi during the CWC meeting | PTI P R E E T H A N A I R @ Ahmedabad NATIONALISM PITCH FROM opposing the Waqf Act to India’s foreign policy, One Nation, One Election bill and proposed delimitation to economic and education policy, the political resolution being discussed at the All India Congress Committee session in Ahmedabad vows to strengthen organisational capacity and competence to fight for Nyay (justice) for every Indian. The Congress Working Committee meeting on Tuesday finalised the draft resolution; it is expected to be passed at the AICC session on Wednesday . Terming the Congress party’s idea of nationalism as one that binds people together, the resolution said ‘the pseudo-nationalism of the BJP-RSS’ seeks to divide the nation over region, language, attire, and food habits Reaffirming the party’s opposition to the Waqf Act and anti-conversion laws, the resolution said the laws are part of BJP’s polarising strategy . “We will not allow India to be divided, nor will we allow those who seek to divide it to succeed in their diabolical designs. Our path is clear: Quit hate, Unite India,” it said. Terming the Centre’s foreign policy a weak-kneed one, the resolution said the BJP government has compromised the country’s foreign policy at the altar of individual branding and serving vested interests. “Though Congress remains a strong votary of close ties with the US, it can never happen at the expense of India’s national interests,” said the resolution. “During the PM’s visit to Washington, D.C., we were publicly insulted and our country was labelled as a ‘Tariff Abuser’. Indian migrants were treated like animals and deported from the US in chains and handcuffs,” it said. On the border dispute, the resolution said China has illegally occupied 2,000 sq km of Indian territory . Yet, the BJP government has failed to restore the status quo ante, as it existed before April 2020, the Congress resolution noted. SPECIES RIDDLE Odisha’s Olive Ridleys genetically distinct A S I S H S E N A PAT I @ Kendrapara A new study has found that Olive Ridley sea turtles nesting in Odisha are genetically distinct from global populations, and significantly differ from those in Sri Lanka. The study, jointly by Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, was published in a report ‘Monitoring Sea Turtles in India 2008- 2024’ by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Dakhin Foundation of Bengaluru. Scientists of WII and CCMB ex- amined the molecular genetics of sea turtles along the mainland coast and islands of India. It suggested the Indian Olive Ridley sea turtles and Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles could be remnants of a global population which was otherwise extirpated following climatic changes before and after the closure of the Isthmus of Panama. The Indian Ocean region, thus, may have served as a source for Ridley re-colonisation following the extirpation of populations in other ocean basins. Long-term monitoring of nesting and foraging populations is vital to detect biologically significant trends and patter ns for species like sea turtles. The Dakhin Foundation, in collaboration with IISc and Forest department, initiated research and monitoring in the late 2000s for Olive Ridley sea turtles in Odisha and leatherback turtles in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. CONTINUED ON P5 develop a LNG terminal at Gopalpur in Ganjam district. These MoUs were signed in the presence of Majhi, Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Dharmendra Pradhan and Jual Oram, and state Industries minister Sampad Chandra Swain. Addressing the meet, the chief minister said the partnerships with IOCL, ISPRL and Petronet LNG will significantly enhance the state’s petrochemical infrastructure and manufacturing capabilities. “The MoU with IOCL is a landmark moment in Odisha’s industrial journey It reflects not just a . shared vision but a strong belief in the state’s potential to lead India’s petrochemical revolution from the east. Paradip, with its strategic location and evolving infrastructure, is poised to become a transformative industrial hub - much like Dahej in the west,” Majhi said. Assuring the industry leaders of his government’s commitment to providing necessary infrastructure, streamlining regulatory processes and investing in skill development aligning with industry needs, Majhi said, “This is the right time to be in Odisha. Odisha is ready and we invite you to invest in our bright future.” CONTINUED ON P5 104% U.S. TARIFF ON CHINA President Trump is set to impose a whopping 104% in levies across all Chinese imports, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said | P9 Infighting in TMC plays out in open S U L A G N A S E N G U P TA @ Kolkata THE infighting within West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) surfaced on Tuesday after a video showing an alleged verbal duel between party MPs and screenshots of their exchanges from its official WhatsApp group went viral on social media. Amit Malviya, head of BJP’s IT cell, shared the screenshots, claiming they revealed a bitter argument between TMC MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Kirti Azad. The authenticity of the screenshots couldn’t be independently verified, but many senior TMC leaders didn’t refute the incident. In the purported video, senior MP Kalyan Banerjee could be seen angrily talking about a ‘rude’, ‘uncivilised’ woman MP , while two other lawmakers are seated. In the leaked chat, Banerjee apparently congratulating the “gentleman who opened the beautiful activities of versatile inter national lady.” In response, another Trinamool MP and ex-India cricketer Kirti Azad said, “Take it easy Kalyan. You have had one too many. Don’t act like a juvenile delinquent. You have been entrusted with a very serious responsibility by Didi to take everyone along with you.” An angry Banerjee shot back, saying Azad was thrown out of BJP for doing internal politics and that he doesn’t “come from any quota”. Banerjee told reporters in Kolkata on Tuesday that the woman MP had “hurled abuses” at him. He, however, didn’t mention the name of the MP . In response, senior TMC MP Sougata Roy chided Banerjee for damaging the party’s reputation. “What he did has tarnished the party’s image. He should be immediately removed from the position of chief whip,” Roy said. Senior TMC leaders said the issue has reached party chief and chief minister Mamata Banerjee and national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.