THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l monday l august 11, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Air India set to upgrade its Dreamliner fleet Air India’s move to upgrade its 26 Dreamliners is to reduce operational disruptions and better overall reliability first aircraft in california for upgrade re-configuration to be done if needed Air India’s Dreamliner fleet—26 legacy 787-8s and seven 787-9s—had undergone checks, including fuel switches, after the fatal crash on June 12 in Ahmedabad. Under the $400 million fleet retrofit programme announced in December 2022, the airline has flown its first Dreamliner to a Boeing facility in California in July ■ The retrofit programme entails analysis of maintenance and configuration records for these aircraft, followed by modifications based on Boeing’s service information bulletins, Air India said ■ As part of a Reliability Enhancement Programme, the airline will upgrade the avionics of its 26 legacy B787-8 aircraft 190 narrow-body and wide-body planes are part of air india’s fleet 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 Rajnath targets Trump, says India’s rise irks some people Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during the foundation stone laying ceremony of BRAHMA project to make rail coaches, in Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh | pti Express News Service @ Bhopal IN a veiled dig at US President Donald Trump for his tariff action and repeated targeting of India, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that some people are not willing to accept India’s economic progress and influence on the world stage. Describing India’s economy as the world’s most “dashing and dynamic”, Rajnath said that some people who consider themselves as Sabke Boss (everyone’s boss) are unable to digest India’s progress and economic development. “They think that we are everyone’s boss and how is India moving forward so fast? Many people are trying to do something, so that when things made by the hands of Indians in India go to other countries, they become more expensive than the things made in those countries,” he said of Trump’s tariff action against India. “But, I’m confident that the pace at which India is pro- gressing, no global power can stop our country from becoming a major world power,” Singh asserted during his speech after laying the foundation of BEML Rail Hub for Manufacturing (BRAHMA) -a greenfield rail manufacturing facility at central Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district. Describing Operation Sindoor as a symbol of India’s self-reliance and self-confidence, Singh asserted that the armed forces effectively utilised indigenous equipment, which played a pivotal role in the success of the operation. “India was able to reach this position only because it has taken the pledge to become Aatmanirbhar in the defence sector,” he added. Singh said India is now not only manufacturing equipment on its soil, but is also catering to the security needs of friendly nations. “When Modiji became PM for the first time in 2014, the defence sector exports from India were merely `600 crore, which 10 years later have soared to `24,000 crore.” Munir meets US military brass Pak Army chief Asim Munir, currently in the US, met top US military leaders, the army said. Munir met Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine and invited him to visit Pakistan, the Pak army’s statement said. This is Munir’s second visit to US since India’s Operation Sindoor. Prime Minister Narendra Modi being received by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot in Bengaluru | Express India is the world’s fastest growing economy: Modi UPA dispensation. “In 2014, India had only 74 airports, and now, there are Days after US President Don- over 160. Then, only three naald Trump’s ‘dead economy’ tional waterways were operabarb, Prime Minister Naren- tional, now there are 30. The dra Modi on Sunday asserted country had only seven AIIMS that India is the fastest grow- and 387 medical colleges, but ing economy in the world. today we have 22 AIIMS hospi“In the last 11 years, our tals and 704 medical colleges, economy has gone from 10th adding 1 lakh more medical place to top five. We seats in the past 11 are now moving rapyears. The number idly towards becomof IITs has risen from ing one of the top 16 to 23, IIITs from 9 We are moving three economies,” he to 25, and IIMs from fast to become said after inaugurat13 to 21,” Modi said. one of the top ing the Yellow Line three economies. “Before 2014, Inof Bengaluru Metro dia’s total exports How we got this rail and laying the were only $468 bilspeed? Through the spirit of foundation stone for lion. The figure is ‘reform, perform Phase-3. $824 billion now. Inand transform’ Attributing the dia used to import Prime Minister growth momentum mobile phones; we Narendra Modi to the spirit of ‘reare among the top form, perform and five exporters of motransform’, he said: “The bile phones,” he added. journey to a Viksit Bharat India has become a global will move forward hand in example of low-cost, highhand with Digital India.” tech space missions, he said, Modi’s remarks were also emphasising that India is proaimed at Leader of Opposi- gressing in all areas of futurtion in the Lok Sabha Rahul istic technologies. “Our next Gandhi, who had drawn eco- big priority should be becomnomic parallels between the ing self-reliant in technology ,” NDA government and the Modi said. D eva ra j B H i r e h a l l i @ Bengaluru Aug 13 event to honour families of brain-dead organ donors U n n i k r i s h n a n S @T’Puram Looking to counter growing misconceptions about organ donation, the Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplantation Organization (K-SOTTO) has decided to honour deceased organ donors and their families. The special event will be held in Thiruvananthapuram on World Organ Donation Day—August 13. The event comes at a critical time, when organ donations from braindead patients in Kerala are on a steady decline despite awareness campaigns. The programme aims to recognise 120 families who made the courageous decision to donate the organs of their loved ones who were declared brain dead, even as negative campaigns and legal controversies have cast a shadow over the initiative. Families from other states, including Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, who chose to donate the organs of their loved ones who were declared brain dead in Kerala, will be in attendance, too. “There has been overwhelming response to the programme. It’s as if the families were waiting for such an event,” said Dr Noble Gracious, K-SOTTO ex● More on P4 ecutive director.  Indigenous Stealth frigate Indian Navy’s advanced frontline stealth frigate Himgiri (F34) ahead of its commissioning in Visakhapatnam. Another advanced frigate, Udaygiri (F35), will be simultaneously commissioned on August 26. Both are part of Project 17A stealth frigates | PTI Karnataka EC officer sends notice to Rahul for proof of ‘vote theft’ express news service @ Bengaluru/New Delhi IN the wake of ‘vote theft’ allegations levelled by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi against the Election Commission of India at a press conference in New Delhi on August 7, the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Karnataka on Sunday served a notice to the Congress leader, asking him to share documents based on which he had alleged that a woman voted twice. Gandhi had alleged that there was an instance of duplicate voting, citing the case of one Shakun Rani, who he claimed had voted twice in the Mahadevapura constituency in the 2024 general election and had stated that the document was from the ECI. The ECI, however, stated that its preliminary inquiry found no such evi- Rahul Gandhi dence, with Shakun Rani herself asserting that she voted only once and the “tick-marked” document Gandhi displayed not being an official record issued by a polling officer. The CEO has asked Gandhi to submit the documents he relied upon to support his allegations, so that an investigation can be conducted. The Karnataka CEO’s notice to Gandhi was followed by a reminder from the CEO of Hary- Car driver mixes up brake & accelerator, 5 injured in T’Puram E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @T’Puram Five people were injured, four of them critically after a youth , lost control of his car and crashed it into the footpath in front of Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital around 12.15pm on Sunday . Autorickshaw drivers Kumar, Shafi from Pettah and Surendran from Kannammoola, and pedestrians Sreepriya from Muttathara and Anjaneyan from Sasthamcotta were injured in the incident. Shafi, Sreepriya and Anjaneyan suffered severe head and leg injuries and have been placed on ventilator support at the Medical College Hospital, while Surendran is in the ICU. The police have arrested the driver, Vishnunath, 25, of Vattiyoorkavu. Vishnunath, his uncle Vijayan, 65, and autorickshaw driver Kumar suffered minor injuries. The police said Vishnunath was practising driving when the incident took place. “Vishnunath had obtained his licence in 2019 but had not driven for a long time. He was driving through the city with his relative to practise when the incident occurred,” said Cantonment SHO Prejeesh Sasi. RTO Ajith Kumar said the accident took place as the driver applied the accelerator instead of the brakes. The RTO The mangled remains of the car involved in the accident in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday | B P Deepu Case registered Cantonment police have booked Vishnunath under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Sections 281 (rash or negligent driving), and 125 a & b (endangering life of others). The licences of both Vishnunath and his uncle Vijayan will be cancelled, the RTO has said. inspected the vehicle and confirmed there was no mechanical fault with it. Sreepriya had come to the stand to board an autorickshaw when she was knocked down by the car, which then rammed the autorickshaws and the drivers, broke through the footpath’s iron railing, and moved another 5m before coming to a stop. The police said there was no evidence of alcohol or drug use by the driver. Patient among two dead in ambulance-car collision Thrissur: A patient was among two persons killed after a car collided with the ambulance he was on at Kunnamkulam in Thrissur on Sunday. Kannur resident Kunjiraman, 81, who was in the ambulance, and Pushpa, 52, of Koonamoochi, who was in the car, are the deceased | P4 ana asking for Gandhi’s declaration under oath that there was vote theft. On Sunday ECI , authorities said: “Rahul Gandhi should either give a Declaration on Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka’s first Notice and Chief Electoral Officer, Haryana’s reminder on time or apologise to the country .” In response, AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal dismissed the ECI’s demands, stating, “We are not afraid of any notice.” Upping the ante over Gandhi’s poll rigging claims, the Congress on Sunday launched a web portal for people to register and demand accountability from the EC against “vote theft”, and express support for the demand for digital voter rolls. “Join us and support the demand for transparency from ECI,” he said on X. missing baby Cops plan brain mapping test on tribal woman S h a n A S @T’Puram The Kerala Police are planning to conduct brain mapping test on a 31-year-old tribal woman to shed light on the disappearance of her three-year-old daughter in Nilambur last year. Sources said the Pookkottumpadam police will soon move the Nilambur Judicial Magistrate Court seeking the nod to conduct brain mapping on the woman, who hails from Cholanaikkan tribe – deemed a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group – and is a person with intellectual disabilities. They said the cops decided to seek the nod after they could not make any headway in the case as the woman did not reveal what happened to her child. Brain mapping or brain fingerprinting is a technique in criminal investigation where the brain is prompted to “talk”. A few electrodes are attached to the scalp after which cues connected to the incident under probe are given. They act as stimuli prompting the brain to generate waves as responses which are examined using a software. The technique was used in high-profile cases such as the Aarushi Talwar case and Sr Abhaya case. As per an SC ruling, the test cannot be conducted without the subject’s informed consent. In the woman’s case, the consent of her immediate relatives are required. If the police get the nod, it will be the first instance of a female member of one of India’s most isolated and endangered tribal groups undergoing the test, said a source. ● More on P4 habitat concerns Grrr... India’s Asiatic lion population jumps 32% in five years J i t e n d r a C h o u b e y @ New Delhi INDIA’s Asiatic lion population has grown from 674 in 2020 to 891 in 2025, a 32.2% increase, per the 16th Lion Population Estimation report released on Sunday This conservation suc. cess is tempered by concerns, as most lions now live near human settlements, altering their natural hunting instincts and increasing reliance on livestock or human-provided food. Asiatic lions are exclusively found in Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat. Data analysed by experts re- veal only 20% of lions reside in the 258 sq. km core area of Gir National Park (GNP), Gujarat, where they can prey on wild animals. The park, with its buffer zone, spans over 1,400 sq. km. A senior Gujarat forest officer stated that the remaining lions, living near humans, “primarily prey on livestock or consume dead livestock that humans dispose of.” This proximity is troubling for locals. A June 2025 study by the Wildlife Institute of India, Gujarat Forest Department, Macalester College (USA), and NCBS (Bangalore) found lion attacks on livestock rising by 10% annually, with livestock losses per village up by 15% yearly Human attacks, av. eraging 21 per year, show no significant increase. “Lions receive food from locals and share space with them, while local communities benefit from enhanced livelihoods through tourism,” said Yadvendradev V Jhala, a study . author and former WII chief. To accommodate the growing population, the government ex- The Asiatic lion in Gir National Park, Gujarat. A recent study found that Asiatic lion attacks on livestock near Gir have increased by 10% per year | ANI panded the lions’ habitat to 30,000 sq. km, designating Barda in Porbandar as a secondary sanctuary GNP hosts 15 . lions per 100 sq. km, but outside, the density drops to three per 100 sq. km. “Populations are sparse outside the forest, making them more habituated to living near humans. This may change their natural behaviours,” officials noted. Officials questioned why lions, like tigers requiring 7001,000 sq. km of human-free habi t a t u n d e r t h e Wi l d l i f e Protection Act, aren’t given similar protected spaces.