Kochi l saturday l june 21, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION Govt panel to check fairness of entrance exams, need for coaching The Ministry of Education has set up a panel to suggest ways to reduce students’ dependency on coaching centres for transition to higher education To plug Gaps in current schooling system flags proliferation of ‘Dummy schools’ “The committee will examine the gaps in the current schooling system that contribute to students’ reliance on coaching centres, particularly the limited focus on critical thinking, logical reasoning, analytical skills and innovation and the prevalence of rote learning practices,” news agency PTI quoted a senior Ministry of Education official as saying on Friday ■ ■ Many students prefer to take admission in ‘dummy schools’ so that they can focus solely on their preparations for competitive exams. They don’t attend classes and directly appear in the board exams The panel will also study the effectiveness and fairness of competitive entrance examinations and their influence on the coaching industry 9-member Committee to be headed by Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi 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 Mahan Air flights Iran eases curbs to fly out 1,000 stranded Indians J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi leeds from front India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Shubman Gill scored hundreds in the first Test against England at Leeds on Friday. Gill became the fifth Indian to score a hundred in the first Test as leader. The visitors ended Day 1 on 359 for 3 | AP | P11 Tharoor on fresh diplomatic push, leaves for Russia 2-week assignment handed by Modi comes at a time when Pak-US axis is building up P r ee t h a N a i r @ New Delhi Days after wrapping up a multi-nation tour on Operation Sindoor, the Centre has assigned Congress MP Shashi Tharoor a second round of diplomatic outreach to countries such as Russia, the UK and possibly Greece, said sources. The Thiruvananthapuram MP who left for Moscow on Fri, day, is on a two-week mission, said sources familiar with the developments. The mission aims to further bolster India’s position among all-weather allies and to amplify the count r y ’s vo i c e, s a i d sources. During the twoweek trip, Tharoor will be liaising with Indian diplomatic missions in various countries. His visit to Russia assumes significance amid the softening of the ties between the US and Pakistan. India has reasons to worry after Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, recently held a one-on-one meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House for more than two hours. Sources said that the government was keen on sending Tharoor for another round of dip- lomatic push as the all-party delegation led by him was considered as one of the most impactful ones. The team led by Tharoor has also visited the United States, where they met Vice President J D Vance and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. During the meeting with Landau, the Tharoor-led delegation explained to him India’s stance against terrorism, with Operation Sindoor being launched in response to the brutal April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Tharoor and all the other members of the all-party delegations of Operation Sindoor at his residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg last Tuesday sources said , that the PM held a separate meeting with Tharoor the next evening. “The PM spoke with Tharoor for an hour on the new assignment and his responsibilities,” said the source. During his meeting with the MPs, the PM is learnt to have said that such endeavours could be institutionalised in future. It was not clear whether Tharoor had informed the Congress leadership about the new diplomatic mission. IN a major diplomatic move, Iran has eased its airspace restrictions to facilitate the evacuation of Indian nationals stranded there amid escalating conflict. The decision, described as a special gesture by Iranian authorities, allows India to operate emergency evacuation flights to bring its citizens home safely . Three special flights operated by Iran’s Mahan Air will carry 1,000 Indians, including a large number of students, pilgrims, and others, from Iran’s Mashhad and Ashgabat to New Delhi, diplomatic sources said. The first flight will reach India on Friday at 11.30 pm. The other two flights will land at 3.00 am and 4.30 pm on Saturday . EU-Iran talks The evacuation in Geneva effort comes under Operation Sindhu, Iranian Foreign which successfully Minister Abbas brought back 110 In- Araghchi on Friday dian students from held talks with his Iran. The students British, French, were first moved to German, and A r m e n i a , f r o m European Union there flown to Doha, counterparts, in and finally arrived Geneva, marking a in Delhi on Thurs- fresh bid by Europe to revive dialogue day morning. I r a n ’ s d e p u t y on Tehran’s nuclear chief of mission in programme New Delhi, Mohammad Javad Hosseini, on Friday reiterated Tehran’s commitment to the safety of foreign nationals and highlighted the cooperation between Iran and India in times of crisis. He said about 10,000 Indians are living in Iran and those wishing to return are being evacuated, hinting at more evacuation flights ahead. The evacuation comes amid mounting regional instability as the conflict between Iran and Israel entered the eighth day on Friday . Several Indians remain stranded in both Iran and Israel. Journalist Raavish Zaidi, a Lucknow native, had a narrow escape when an Israeli missile struck his office inside the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting headquarters in Tehran. His father Amir Abbas Zaidi rued that Raavish could not attend the last rites of his mother, who passed away a few days ago in Lucknow. Shia cleric Maulana Saif Abbas said he was approached by several families whose P9 relatives are stranded in Iran.   (With inputs from Namita Bajpai in Lucknow) press Intake Leaders present brave faces, but Nilambur leaves parties anxious | P4 IUML expels four members for inviting Anvar to event | P4 tradition in a bowl Pre‘serving’ a Deccan legacy with nostalgic delicacy tastes, Suthiriya Ka Kheer remains a nostalgic symbol of tradition for Kerala’s DecIn a scenic lane in Fort Kochi, the aroma of cani Muslims, keeping alive stories of micardamom and boiling milk hangs heavy Its gration, memory and community . . origin: The kitchen of Mumtaaz M, where Despite its rich flavour and heritage, the she carefully rolls tiny beads of refined, dish has remained largely confined within kneaded flour with her finthe community. Now, its gers, shaping them into diamembers are taking to social monds, while coconut milk media to share the recipe, simmers on the stove. hoping to introduce it to a The 65-year-old is preparwider audience. Recently, ing Suthiriya ka Kheer, a traMumtaaz recorded and ditional dessert from the shared on social media a vidDeccan region, so named afeo demonstrating the dish’s ter the diamond shapes that preparation, detailing its inSuthiriya ka Kheer are called Suthiriya. g redients and cooking For Mumtaaz and other process. “Our food culture has changed a lot. To the members of the Urdu-speaking Deccani Muslim community in Kerala, preparing young, it is an unfamiliar dish. They – and savouring – the kheer is a way to stay must have heard about it, but they won’t connected to their roots. As Kerala’s culi- crave it like we did in our childhood,” says ● More on P4 nary scene evolves with contemporary Mumtaaz.  R a h u l R @Kollam Declined Trump’s invite to the US to be in the land of the Mahaprabhu, says PM E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he declined US President Donald Trump’s invitation for a visit to Washington since he did not want to miss being in Odisha, the sacred land of Mahaprabhu Jagannath. Addressing the gathering here to mark the first anniversary of the BJP government in the state, Modi said it was more important for him to be in the land of Jagannath. “Two days ago, I was in Canada for the G7 Summit when I received a call from Trump. He said since you are already in Canada, why don’t you come down to Washington... I told him it was very important for me to visit the land of Lord Jagannath and declined his offer,” Modi said. Guv’s rights, duties to be part of syllabus E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @T’Puram Opening a new battlefront in its spat with the Raj Bhavan over use of the Bharat Mata image, the state government has decided to incorporate the constitutional rights and duties of the governor in the school curriculum. General Education Minister V Sivankutty said the government is planning to include the governor’s rights and duties in the second volume of the revised Class X Social Science textbook, to be published shortly “It . will also be included in the Plus-I and Plus-II texts that are set to be revised soon,” he told reporters in Thiru- express read AX-4 put off, ISRO to recall group captains Shukla, Nair New Delhi: ISRO has decided to recall Group Captains Shubhanshu Shukla and Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair after Axiom Space announced indefinite postponement of the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) space mission | P7 Cops, family at odds over Kannur woman’s suicide Kannur: The family members of Kannur native Raseena K, 40, who ended her life, insist her male friend was to be blamed for her death, even as the police arrested three SDPI activists on charges of moral policing | P5 16 pages, including 4 pages of KOCHI Express ‘Nothing wrong with it’ Raj Bhavan sources said the governor was of the view that there was nothing wrong in incorporating constitutional matters in school curriculum. However, he will take up with the CM the alleged ‘protocol violation’ by Sivankutty. vananthapuram on Friday He . said the school curriculum has been revised upholding constitutional values and the government wants students to imbibe the same in their daily lives. Sivankutty’s remarks came a day after his walkout from an event held at the Raj Bhavan, in protest against the display of a Bharat Mata image, allegedly used in RSS functions. The Raj Bhavan had termed his act as protocol violaton and an insult to the office of the governor. The government’s move is seen as part of adding more teeth to its charge that Governor Rajendra Arlekar was exceeding his rights. After the minister’s walkout from the event attended mostly by students, the Raj Bhavan said his action had set a “wrong model.” In his speech, Arlekar had criticised those opposed to ‘Bharat Mata’. “I need not teach you anything. Compared to others, some politicians, you are far, far ahead. You know what is Bharat Mata and what are we for,” he told students on Thursday ● More on P4 . Dalai may make reincarnation announcement on July 2 B a l a C h a u h a n @ Bengaluru The ageing Dalai Lama, Tibet’s highest spiritual leader, will make an important announcement, most likely on his reincarnation on July 2, four days before he turns 90. Penpa Tsering, president of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) told TNIE that the Dalai will make an “important announcement on July 2. It is likely to be on his reincarnation.” The Dalai is scheduled to meet senior leaders of the four Buddhist sects, Sakya, Kagyu, Nyingma and Gelug, between July 2 and 4 at Dharamshala, the headquarters of the CTA. The identity of the Dalai’s reincarnation is keenly awaited not only by Tibetans but by people in the Himalayan region as well. China, too, wants to know, as it sees the Dalai as a separatist leader and symbol of Tibetan resistance. In March 2011, the Dalai relinquished his role as political head of the Tibetans in exile. He had said his successor will be born in a free world, in a clear message to China on claim on having the sole right to choose the next Dalai Lama.