Justice B R Gavai is 52nd chief justice Justice B R Gavai after taking oath as the 52nd Chief Justice of India, at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday, as President Droupadi Murmu looks on. The 64-year-old Gavai succeeded Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who demitted office on Tuesday | PTI chennai l thursday l may 15, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 20 l late city EDITION 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 Includes 3 new hydro projects Converting run-of-river projects into storage structures Plans for more Indus basin projects readied for Cabinet Besides, the ministry has requested Cabinet nod to projects After putting the Indus Wa- that had either slowed down or ters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance, been abandoned due to Pakithe government is considering stani roadblocks. They include three new hydropower projects the Bursar project (800 MW) on on the Indus River Basin be- the Marusudar river within the sides fast-tracking two other Indus basin. Also, the Uri Stage projects. Additionally, discus- II (260 MW) on the Jhelum comsions are underway among top missioned in 2013-14 is yet to officials to convert the existing realise its full potential. run-of-river hy“As many of our dro projects into projects have not Additional storage projects. moved forward in power points The treaty the past four decsigned in 1960 reades, the governstricts India’s ment is aiming to usage of the scale up operawestern rivers— tions as soon as 4 5 Indus, Jhelum, possible. Since the 1 3 2 and Chenab — to treaty is on hold, benefit Pakistan. the gover nment Ever since, Pakiwill not entertain 1 Sawalkot Stage II stan has been any objections stalling Indian from Pakistan,” 2 Kirthai Stage II proposals to consaid a senior of3 Dulhasti Stage II struct hydropowficer in the Minis4 Uri Stage II* er plants on the try of Jal Shakti. three rivers unThe Permanent 5 Bursar project der various Indus Commis* Uri Stage II commissioned but pretexts. sion, mandated to full work yet to be completed India put the meet annually has , treaty in abeybeen on the back ance following a horrific ter- burner since two years. Many rorist attack on April 22 in Pa- of India’s projects on the Indus halgam, killing 26 people. basin have been stalled since The Ministry of Jal Shakti 1984. The Sawalkot hydropower has prepared detailed project project (1,856 MW) had to be reports for submission to the shelved despite its conceptualiCabinet. The proposed projects sation in 1984 following Pakiare Sawalkot Stage II (1,856 stani opposition. While the MW), Kirthai Stage II (930 MW) Kirthai-II (930 MW) was conand Dulhasti Stage II (260 MW) ceived in 1984, work on Kirthai on the Chenab. I is in pre-construction stage. J i t e n d r a C h o u b e y @ New Delhi 21 pak crew barred from disembarking BSF jawan Purnam Shaw after being handed over to India | PTI Paradip: Security agencies have barred 21 Pakistani crew members from disembarking a crude oil tanker that arrived at Paradip Port on Wednesday. Sources said the decision was taken keeping in mind the tense situation with Pakistan How India bypassed Chinese air defence systems to hit Pak m aya n k s i n g h @ New Delhi DISPLAYING the technological might of India’s armed forces, the government on Wednesday said Chinese air defence systems supplied to Pakistan were hoodwinked during Operation Sindoor, with the mission wrapped up in 23 minutes. “A i r Fo r c e by passed and jammed Pakistan’s Chinese-supplied air defence systems ... demonstrating India’s technological edge,” the government said. All three services of Pakistan have a major presence of Chinese weapons and sys- tems including Air Defence systems, J-10, JF-17 fighters, submarines and warships. On the night of 7-8 May, Pakistan engaged a number of military targets in Northern and Western India, but those were neutralised by the Integrated Counter UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) Grid and Air Defence systems. On May 8, India successfully targeted Air Defence systems in Pakistan. India’s multi-tier defence prevented Pakistan attacks on Indian airfields and logistic installations on May 9-10. All strikes were executed without loss of Indian assets. MP minister booked after HC fiat over gutter language V-C search panels told to file report to govt, not governor A n u r aa g S i n g h @ Bhopal E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Chennai An FIR was filed against state minister Vijay Shah after an appalled Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday lit into him for his scurrilous remarks, saying he used the “language of the gutters” against Col Sofia Qureshi, who was part of the national briefing on Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. The court took suo motu cognisance of media reports and digital evidence, after which it ordered the police to file an FIR against him on charges of promoting enmity and hatred. Shah had obliquely referred to Col Qureshi as the “sister of terrorists”. Vijay Shah Castig ating Shah, the bench said the armed forces were perhaps the last institution in this country that reflect integrity discipline, sacri, fice, character, honour and indomitable courage. It directed that the matter to be listed on top priority for Thursday. “At the function in Raikunda village in Mhow (Indore), the minister made nauseating remark against Col Sofia Quraishi by way of an innuendo,” the court observed. Sources said the BJP top brass in New Delhi is extremely angry Shah may be asked to . step down as cabinet minister soon, they added. In first such orders issued for state universities under higher education department, the search panels constituted to choose vice-chancellors for four universities have been mandated to submit their recommendations to the state government and not the Governor-Chancellor as has been the practice so far. The Tuesday notification, issued after the landmark verdict of the Supreme Court regarding assent to bills that allowed Tamil Nadu government instead of the governor to appoint vice-chancellors, also extends the tenure of these search panels appointed earlier to August 13, 2025. The four universities are Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University (TNTEU), Annamalai University (ANU), Anna University (AU) and Madurai Kamaraj University petition in hc against univ amendment acts Chennai: The Madras High Court on Wednesday sought TN’s reply to a petition seeking to declare ultra vires the amendment Acts and gazette notification that took away the powers of governorchancellor to appoint V-Cs to state universities and vest those powers with the state government | P2 (MKU). Though three-member search panels were constituted and notified for these universities on October 19, 2022, December 9, 2024, December 13, 2024, and January 10, 2025, respectively, these committees could not complete their work due to the tussle between Governor R N Ravi and the state gover nment with the governor insisting on the inclusion of a nominee of UGC chairperson as the fourth member in each of these search panels. P7 express read TN gives `25L each to Pollachi rape survivors Cabinet nod for chip joint venture in UP Chennai: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday said the survivors of the Pollachi sexual assault case will get `25 lakh each as relief assistance from the state government in addition to the `85 lakh overall compensation awarded by Mahila Court | P4 New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a `3,706cr semiconductor plant at Jewar in Uttar Pradesh, to be set up by the HCL-Foxconn joint venture to manufacture display driver chips for mobile phones, laptops and automobiles | P14