THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l thursday l june 26, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE city EDITION Qatar, U.S. CLAIM momentum in Gaza deal after Israel-Iran ceasefire Qatar’s PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said informal talks between Israel and Hamas could begin in the next two days Very close to reaching a deal: Trump Bibi may soften stand, call snap polls US President Donald Trump claimed there has been “great progress” in efforts to end the Gaza conflict, adding that his special envoy Steve Witkoff has told him “Gaza is very close”. He linked his optimism about imminent “very good news” for the Gaza Strip to a ceasefire agreed on Tuesday between Israel and Hamas’s sponsor Iran to end their 12-day war ■ However, neither Israel nor Hamas has confirmed any truce deal yet ■ Israel’s official position is it will eliminate Hamas and its leaders, while the outfit demands complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza ■ Reports said Netanyahu is ready to cut a deal with Hamas, call snap polls, and seek to retain power on the back of the victory over Iran Seven Israeli troops killed in one of the deadliest attacks against IDF in Gaza 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 CBSE to conduct Class 10 board exams twice a year from 2026 IFRAH MUFTI @ New Delhi STARTING next year, Class 10 students will be allowed to take CBSE board exams twice year – in February and again in May. The first attempt in February will be mandatory . Taking the second chance in May is optional and is mainly for those wishing to improve their scores. The move, recommended in the new National Education Policy (NEP), is expected to reduce stress among students over annual exams and give them an opportunity to score better marks. “The first phase will be conducted in February and second in May. The results for the two phases will be announced in April and June, respectivel y, ” s a i d S a n ya m Bhardwaj, Examination Controller, Censecond shot tral Board of Secondary Education. In the second In the second phase attempt in May, of examination in students can May, students will be improve their scores allowed to improve in any three subjects their performance in out of science, any three subjects out mathematics, social of science, mathematscience and ics, social science and languages languages, he added. Class 10 students from winter-bound schools will be allowed to appear for exams in any of the phases. Internal assessments will be conducted only once during the academic session. Exams under the first phase will begin on February 17, 2026 and the results will be declared in April. The second exam is scheduled to commence on May 5, 2026 and the results will be out in June. The Ministry of Education said the new system will reduce pressure on students, offer flexibility and promote stress-free learn, ing. “It is a landmark shift towards competency-based assessments that value understanding over rote learning. This reform empowers students with choice, confidence, and second chances,” it stated. express read 35 cases based on Hema panel report dropped, govt tells HC Kochi: The SIT tasked with probing sexual harassment allegations in the Malayalam film industry has dropped further action in 35 cases that emerged from Justice Hema Committee report due to non-cooperation by victims, the state government has told the Kerala HC | P4 FSSAI: Food safety standards must in appam, aravana production Kochi: The Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has informed the Kerala HC that Sabarimala Sannidhanam, as a food business operator, must comply with provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act in the production of appam and aravana | P4 16 pages, including 4 pages of THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Express What a ride! India re-enters Democracy placed space odyssey after 41 years under arrest by Cong govt 50 yrs ago: Modi Emergency anniversary Narendra Modi, prime minister Today marks 50 years since one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history, the imposition of the Emergency... No Indian will ever forget the manner in which the spirit of our Constitution was violated Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses an event on Emergency in Delhi | PTI Shah went ballistic against the Congress on the Emergency, saying it was imposed to Prime Minister Narendra preserve dynastic politics. As Modi on Wednesday set the for Bihar Chief Minister Nittone for the commemoration ish Kumar, he said Emergenthe 50th anniversary of Emer- cy symbolised Indira’s dictagency describing it as one of , torial streak, adding its the darkest chapters in India’s imposition marked a “black democratic history . day in history”. Attacking the then Con“The anti-Emergency movegress government led by In- ment was a learning experidira Gandhi, he said it was as ence for me. It reaffirmed the if it had placed devitality of preservmocracy under aring our democratic rest. All values enframework. At the shrined in the same time, I got to Constitution were learn so much from set aside, fundamenpeople across the potal rights were suslitical spectrum,” pended, press freeModi said in his post dom extinguished on X. In his foreword and several political to the book, former leaders, social workPM H D Gowda said ers, students and orpeople like Modi dinary citizens were built a strong netThe cover of The jailed, he pointed work of communicaEmergency Diaries out in a post on X. tion and resistance. Later in the day, Modi urged others The Emergency Diaries — who still remember the tyrYears that Forged a Leader, a anny of Emergency, to share book that chronicles Modi’s their experiences on social journey during that time, media so as to enhance awarewhen he was a RSS prachar- ness of those dark days. ak, was released by Union In his reposte, Congress home minister Amit Shah. chief Mallikarjun Kharge Shah said Modi, then 25, used charged that there was an unto work underground at that declared emergency in India time against Emergency, since the last 11 years. He acsometimes as a saint, some- cused the BJP of staging a times as a Sardarji, sometimes ‘drama’ of observing Samvidas a hippie, sometimes as an han Hatya Diwas to mark the incense stick seller or some- proclamation of Emergency times as a newspaper seller. to hide governance failure. RA J E SH K UMAR THA K UR @ New Delhi mallikarjun kharge, Cong president 2-minute silence, resolution The Union Cabinet on Wednesday passed a resolution condemning the proclamation of Emergency 50 years ago and observed a twominute silence to pay tributes to those whose constitutionally guaranteed democratic rights were taken away and who were then subjected to “unimaginable horrors” | P7 Kuldip Nayar’s caution the day before emergency I edit page Coming, a scenic cruise on Kerala’s waterways K r i s h n a K u m a r K E @Kochi The electric boat – on the lines of the Kochi Water Metro vessel -- is under construction. With a height of around 4m, it is specially designed to sail through the tunnels (passage) at Chilakkoor and Varkala An official with the CM’s Office vessel till Chettuva this year itself, and gradually extend the trip in line with the project’s progress. “The cruise vessel will offer an unforgettable experience to tourists. One of the highlights will be the journey through the tunnels at Chilakoor and Sivagiri in Varkala, during which travellers can enjoy immersive light and sound shows played via an on-board projector,” said a senior official with the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). The first phase of the Kovalam-Bekal West Coast waterway will be commissioned in another four months, said the official, adding that the work, including dredging, in this section is nearing completion “The on-board projector will start automatically when the boat enters the Varkala tunnel Namaskar to all my countrymen. What a ride! After 41 years, we are back in space and what a ride it has been.” These were the first words of Axiom-4 mission pilot and the first Indian to travel to space in 41 years, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (nicknamed Shux), when the mission was launched at 12.01 pm Wednesday from Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, after six postponements since May 29. The commercial space mission by Axiom Space was launched in collaboration with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and the European Space Agency (ESA). The spacecraft is now scheduled to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday 4.30 pm, 28-and-half, hours after launch. After acclimatising with the environment in space, the mission’s four-member crew comprising Shukla, mission commander Peggy Whitson from the US, and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu will carry Shukla is the second Indian in space after Sqn Ldr Rakesh Sharma, who was a crew member of the Soyuz T-11 in April 1984, and will be the first Indian to pilot a spacecraft. Shukla is carrying a ‘surprise’ for Sharma to the ISS, which will be known only later SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon capsule lifts off | pti out 60 experiments; seven of them will be done by Shukla. As part of their 14-day mission, the astronauts will hold live classes and interactive sessions with students, experts and VIPs from the ISS, using Amaetur Radio on the ISS. Before heading to his designated seat inside the spacecraft attached at the top of the twostage Falcon 9 launcher, Shukla listened to his favourite song Vande Mataram from the movie Fighter, starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone. Before heading to the spacecraft for takeoff, the astronauts are allowed to listen to their favourite music and say farewells to their dear ones. After lift-off, Peggy revealed the name of the Dragon Spacecraft: Grace. She also released a baby swan soft toy named Joy , which was seen bobbing up and down in zero-gravity . Ten minutes after the launch, when the pilots were in the designated low earth orbit, they changed their space suits and had their first meal in space. Before reaching the ISS, the Dragon will orbit the earth and the astronauts will have at least three interactive checks with the base stations. The four astronauts had been in a four-week quarantine since May 25, the longest in any modern space missions. The longest ever before was three-weeks-long, ahead of the P4, 8 Apollo Moon Mission.  These people failed in governance. People are concerned over inflation. The govt has no answer to unemployment, corruption and economic failure. To hide their lies and failure they have staged this drama All aboard How about a cruise tour along Kerala’s stunning waterways, all the way from Kovalam in the south to Bekal in the north? The state government plans to roll out a two-day cruise trip along the 590-km West Coast waterways, for which a specially-designed AC cruise vessel is under construction. The 21-seater electric boat will be ready by the time the first phase of the ambitious West Coast waterways project — a 235-km stretch from Akkulam in Thiruvananthapuram to Chettuva in Thrissur — is commissioned later this year. If everything goes well, authorities plan to start operating the Second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma B OS K Y K HA N N A @ Bengaluru to entertain visitors with a light and sound show,” the official said. The two-day tour package will see the boat halting at five destinations at least, and these will be developed as tourist spots. “The Kerala Shipping & Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC) is manufacturing the vessel,” he said. An official with the Kerala Waterways Infrastructure Ltd (KWIL), the special purpose vehicle under Cochin International Airport Ltd and roped in by the government for the National Waterways project, said tourism will benefit the most once the 235-km stretch of the waterways is commis● More on P4 sioned.  Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla (second from left) and the three others aboard the SpaceX Dragon bound for the ISS | pti KU turns battle zone as Bharat Mata image at guv event sparks protests E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @T’Puram Display of the Bharat Mata image at an event attended by Governor Rajendra Arlekar in Kerala University (KU) triggered massive protests by SFI and KSU activists on Wednesday, leading to tense situation for nearly two hours at the varsity’s senate house campus. The trouble began when the image of the Bharat Mata holding a saffron flag, allegedly used by the RSS in its functions, was spotted at the Senate Hall, the venue of the event organised to mark the 50th anniversary of the Emergency The . programme, scheduled to begin at 5.30pm, was organised by Sree Padmanaba Seva Samithi, a pro-right wing organisation and attended by BJP leaders, party workers and supporters. On being informed, KU Registrar K S Anil Kumar told the organisers that religious symbols could not be used in a programme held at the varsity As . organisers were reluctant to call off the programme, Anil told them in writing that the event had been cancelled for violating the terms and conditions for using the hall. By then, SFI workers gathered outside the hall in huge numbers, shouting slogans. Pro-left Syndicate members joined in. KSU workers also marched to the varsity and some attempted to enter the hall, leading to arguments and eventually fist fights with BJP supporters who were in the audience. The police soon intervened. Meanwhile, Arlekar informed the registrar he would be attending the event. Amid tight security, he ar rived around 6.25pm and offered floral tributes before the image of ● More on P4 Bharat Mata.  Police prevent SFI state secretary P S Sanjeev from entering the Kerala University campus during the stir against display of Bharat Mata image on Wednesday | Vincent Pulickal SC says ‘Police summons to lawyers a threat to justice’ E x p r e s s N e w Se r v i c e @ New Delhi The Supreme Court on Wednesday said probe agencies cannot directly summon lawyers over matters involving their clients, calling such actions a direct threat to the administration of justice. A bench comprising justices K V Viswanathan and N Kotiswar Singh took suo motu cognizance of the matter while hearing a plea by a lawyer who had been summoned by the Gujarat police in connection with a case involving his client. “Permitting the investigation agencies/police to directly summon defence counsel or lawyers who advised parties in a given case would seriously undermine the autonomy of the legal profession and would even constitute a direct threat to the independence of the administration of justice,” the court said. The court framed two questions: When an individual is involved in a case solely as a lawyer advising a client, can the investigating agency pros, ecution, or police directly summon the lawyer? And even if the agency believes the individual’s role goes beyond that of legal counsel, should such instances still require judicial oversight before any summons is issued?