HYDERABAD l saturday l august 30, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION 3-member panel formed to probe landslide on Vaishno devi route Committee to submit report within 2 weeks The probe panel will be headed by additional chief secretary, Department of Jal Shakti. Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar and Inspector General of Police B S Tuti are the two other members. The threemember committee will submit its report within two weeks to Sinha, who is also the chairman of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday constituted a three-member panel to inquire into the reasons behind the landslide ■ 34 yatra stopped before cloudburst: Board ■ ■ The committee will examine the reasons behind the tragedy, point out lapses, and suggest appropriate preventive measures The probe comes amid protests against Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board for allegedly allowing the yatra despite weather warnings The Board said it stopped the pilgrimage ahead of the cloudburst Pilgrims were killed and 20 others injured in the landslide on aUGUST 26 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 Robust govt spending boosts Q1 growth India, Japan unveil 10-yr economic roadmap GDP grows 7.8%, beats estimates D i pa k M on d a l @ New Delhi AMID unprecedented global uncertainties precipitated by US President Donald Trump’s tariff war, India’s GDP grew to a 5-month high of 7.8% in the April-June quarter, beating all estimates and surprising many . Most analysts had expected India’s growth to come in below 7% during the period. Even the RBI projection for the first quarter was a moderate 6.5%, which showed the spectacular resilience of the Indian economy . The strong performance was driven by a buoyant services sector, which registered a substantial real GVA (gross value added) g rowth of 9.3%, and the manufacturing sector, which grew 7.7% during the quarter. Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran said the growth was broad-based. “Agriculture GVA rose 3.7%, which is usually expected to be modest in this quarter. Manufacturing expanded by 7.7%, while services also recorded strong growth, consistent with robust PMI services readings in recent months,” he said. Both manufacturing and construction sectors demonstrated robust growth, with 15 6 3 6.9% 6% 9.7% 9.3% 9.5% 4.8% 5.6% 8.4% Q2 V Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor Q3 Q4 Q1 2022-2023 Q2 Q3 2023-2024 Q4 7.8% 7.4% 6.4% 6.5% Q1 After seeing the resilience of Q1 growth, we are retaining the growth rate projections for current fiscal at 6.3-6.8% Crests and troughs 13.5% 12 9 In absolute terms, the real GDP for Q1 of 2025-26 is estimated at `47.89 lakh crore, up from `44.42 lakh crore in the same quarter last year. The nominal GDP for the quarter stands at `86.05 lakh crore, up 8.8% Q1 Q2 Q3 2024-2025 Q4 Q1 FY26 Prime ministers Narendra Modi and Shigeru Ishiba | PTI world counting on India, says Modi in Japan J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi Amid a shifting global trade landscape, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday used his first foreign visit since the US imposed sweeping 50% tariffs on key Indian imports to deliver a clear message from Tokyo: the world is counting on India. “The world is not just watching India. It is counting on India,” Modi said, addressing top business leaders at the India-Japan Economic Forum alongside his Japanese counterpart China ties to stabilise Shigeru Ishiba. India and Japan unveiled a economic 10-year economic roadmap order: PM aimed at long-term stability, Given the strategic cooperation, and mu- volatility in the tual resilience. Its centerpiece world economy, is to secure critical supply it is important chains, expand AI and digital for India and cooperation, and deepening China to work private sector investment. together to Japan committed to mobils- bring stability ing 10 trillion yen (approxi- to the world mately $68 billion) in private economic order, investment in India over the Modi said | P7 next decade — a move widely seen as a vote of confidence in India’s economic trajectory at a time of global realignment. “We have laid a strong foundation for a new and golden chapter in our Special Strategic and Global Partnership,” Modi said. “This roadmap aligns with the priorities of both nations and meets the challenges of a changing world.” The summit launched the India-Japan Economic Security Cooperation Initiative, aimed at a “whole-of-nation” approach to bolster strategic sectors like semiconductors, rare earths, clean energy AI, telecom, and biotech.  , P7 Affordable AI: Reliance to partner with Meta, Google RAKESH K U M AR @ New Delhi Unveiling its mega plans for the artificial intelligence space, India’s largest conglomerate Reliance Industries on Friday announced a wholly owned subsidiary, Reliance Intelligence, to bring AI solutions for users in India and select international markets. RIL will also join hands with global tech giants Meta and Google to bring cutting-edge AI tools to India. Reliance In- Plea on SIR in SC on Sept 8 S U CHITRA KA LYA N M O HA N TY @ New Delhi The Supreme Court on Friday decided to hear on September 8 the RJD plea seeking one more week for filing claims and objections on voter registration as part of the special intensive revision (SIR) in Bihar. Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the RJD, mentioned the matter before a three-judge bench of justices Surya Kant, Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, seeking an extension to the September 1 deadline. Bhushan said over 1,75,000 claims and objections were made before and after the August 22 court order. telligence will build gigawattscale, AI-ready data centres, powered by green energy and engineered for training and inference at a national scale. Also on the cards is a joint venture with US firm Meta to build and scale enterprise AI solutions for businesses, with an initial joint investment of `860 crore ($100 million), with Reliance holding a 70% stake and Meta holding 30%. Announcing the details on Friday , Jio listing next year Jio Platforms, the entity that houses Reliance Industries’ telecom and digital businesses, is gearing up for an initial public offering and stock market listing in the first half of 2026 | P10 RIL’s chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani said partnering with Meta fulfils the firm’s vision of providing AI to every Indian and enterprise by combining Meta’s Facial recognition must in edu institutions: CM Express News Service @ Hyderabad Stating that facial recognition-based attendance should be made mandatory for students and teaching staff in schools, colleges and professional institutions, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday said it would improve attendance and help avoid irregularities. Chairing a review meeting on the Education Department, the chief minister directed officials to ensure quality education across all levels, from schools to universities. He said that standards in education must be improved further. A study in contrast b k a r t h e e k @ Hyderabad Real GDP at `47.89 lakh crore GVA rates of 7.7% and 7.6%, respectively The agriculture . and allied sector also showed healthy improvement, rising to 3.7% from 1.5%. Private consumption grew 7%, lower than 8.3% a year ago but still strong. The CEA said rural consumption had held up well. “We would even argue that urban consumption hasn’t been as weak as some indicators suggest. Rural consumption has been supported by sharply rising real wages in agriculture,” he said. Gover nment spending provided a boost, with final consumption expenditure rising 7.4% during the quarter. Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF)— spending on infrastructure and asset creation—rose 7.8%, higher than 6.7% in Q1 FY25. Economists attribute the Q1 growth to front-loaded government spending and a surge in exports to the US, which grew 22% during the three-month period. The Q1 GDP numbers were for the period before Trump imposed tariffs on Indian goods. Analysts fear GDP data for the second quarter may take a hit with the impact of the US tariffs on Indian goods factored in. Monsoon session from today, TG govt to move BC quota bill Caste-wise report sought The chief minister directed officials to submit a report giving the castewise breakup of students studying in government schools over the past decade, noting that over 90% of them belong to BC, SC, ST and minority communities. Revanth noted that different departments were currently handling construction of additional classrooms, kitchens, toilets and compound walls in educational institutions. The chief minister directed officials to ensure quality standards by bringing supervision, fund allocation and accountability under a single department. continued on P4 most widely adopted open source Llama models with our deep expertise across multiple industries. The deal is subject to regulatory approvals. RIL also announced expansion of its partnership with Google Cloud. Reliance will build a modern cloud data centre in Jamnagar, along with associated network infrastructure. The facility will meet Google Cloud’s global technical specifications and standards, making it capable of handling advanced AI workloads. inside TG lost `27k cr in ’24-’25 due to GST: Bhatti I P4 The state government is set to introduce the Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in the Legislative Assembly in the monsoon session scheduled to commence from Saturday The . bill will pave the way for implementing reservations beyond the existing 50% cap. This bill is part of the government’s efforts to implement 42% reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) in rural local bodies. An ordinance on the issue continues to await Presidential assent. According to sources, the election notification for the Deputy Speaker’s post is also expected to be issued on Saturday or during this session. The ruling party has declared Government Whip Jatoth Ram Chander Naik as its nominee. The Assembly will also take up the Justice PC Ghose Commission of Inquiry report on alleged irregularities in the planning, design, construction, quality control, operation and maintenance of the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme. The session will begin with The Governor approved the amendment to Panchayat Raj Act in March 2025, allowing renaming of certain villages and altering survey numbers. In contrast, the Telangana BC (Reservation of Seats in Rural and Urban Local Bodies) Bill, 2025 and the Telangana BC, SC and ST (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or Posts in the Services under the State) Bill, 2025 await Presidential nod. condolence motions before being adjourned for a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee and a Cabinet meeting scheduled within the Assembly premises, sources said. The government had earlier issued an ordinance after the Telangana High Court, in June, directed the state to complete the reservation process within 30 days and hold local body elections by September 30. Governor Jishnu Dev Verma forwarded the ordinance to the President for her consideration. The amendment bill now before the House seeks changes to Section 285A of the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018, which currently maintains the 50% ceiling on vertical reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and BCs in local self-governments. The proposed change would allow the cap to be exceeded under exceptional circumstances, supported by empirical data on demographic and socioeconomic conditions, political backwardness and inadequate representation. The government says this amendment is backed by findings from its caste survey, which it cites as grounds for extending BC reservations to 42%. The state government was expected to issue a GO to implement the revised quota, if approved by the Governor. Rain impact 6 districts — Kamareddy, Medak, Nizamabad, Nirmal, Rajanna Sircilla, Siddipet — hit rescued in 1,646 peopleoperations 31 major Crops damaged in over 2.2 lakh acres, 1.43 lakh farmers affected, as per preliminary estimates Security personnel stand guard at the inundated Basara temple on Friday Basara under a sheet of water after four decades S R a j a R e d d y @ Adilabad Torrential rains in Adilabad district and in the upper catchment areas in Maharashtra have pushed the Godavari river above danger levels at the temple town of Basara in Nirmal district, for the first time in four decades. Three lodges have been submerged and eight families, including elderly people, women and children, had to be rescued by the NDRF and police teams using boats. They were shifted to safer locations as floodwaters swept through the temple town. District SP Dr G Janaki Sharmila inspected the inundated areas, travelling by tractor to reach the submerged lodges. She assured residents that shifting arrangements were in place and coordinated with rescue teams on site. Police and revenue officials restricted tourist entry as crowds gathered to witness the swollen Godavari. Villagers said they had never seen the river rise to such dangerous levels in decades. In low-lying areas such as Autonagar and Rahulnagar, residents were evacuated as water from the Gadanna vagu project was released. Transport links were cut off after floodwaters flowed over low-level bridges, isolating several habitations. The release of water from upstream projects has added to the precariousness of the flood situation in Basara town.   related reports on p2 n  personnel worked till Fire 11.30 pm on Wednesday at GR Colony, Kamareddy, where flood levels were high n  Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao directed officials to assess damages, form teams and file reports n  Minister A Revanth Reddy Chief conducted aerial survey; Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said that a report will be sent to the Centre soon Off the track n  Floodwaters submerged tracks in the Bhiknur-Tadmadla, Akanapet-Medak, GajwelLakudaram and Bolsa-Karkheli sections of the SCR n  was the third consecutive This day train operations in Telangana have been affected n  According to SCR, 45 trains were cancelled and 14 diverted on Friday alone n  Wednesday, as many as Since 211 services have been disrupted on the Akanapet-KamareddyNizamabad route Project Inflows Gadanna vagu 25,248 cusecs Ourtflow 37,000 cusecs (5 gates open) Sriramsagar 4,30,000 cusecs 5,71,217 cusecs Yellampalli 7,26,974 cusecs 7,45,558 cusecs (41 gates open) Current level 1.686 tmc (FRL: 1.83 tmc) 62.673 tmc (FRL: 80.5 tmc) 12.908 tmc (FRL: 20.175 tmc) Empty Benches Centre says 2,245 schools in Telangana ‘empty’ M e g h n a N at h @ Hyderabad As many as 2,245 schools in Telangana recorded zero student enrolment, according to the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2024-25 released by the Union Education Ministry . At the national level, 7,993 out of 14.71 lakh schools recorded no students. West Bengal topped the list with 3,812 such schools, followed by Telangana. In comparison, Telangana Year 2024-25 2023-24 2022-23 ‘Vacant’ schools 2,245 2,097 1,672 Reasons for falling admissions n  Remote school locations n  transport access Poor n  Parents preferring private schools had 1,672 schools without students in 2022-23; the number rose to 2,097 in 2023-24 and is now 2,245. Of the state’s 43,154 schools, including government, social welfare and private institutions, 2,245 currently have no enrolments. While Telangana’s numbers are rising, the national trend shows a decline. In 2022-23, India had 6,054 zero-enrolment schools, falling to 5,895 in 202324, and further reducing to 5,001 in 2024-25. Together, these schools enrolled 62,288 students this year, averaging about 12 students per teacher. In Telangana, government schools enrolled 3,97,263 boys and 4,35,806 girls this year. The report notes that the state fares slightly better than Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh, which recorded higher proportions of zero-enrolment schools. Educationists said the issue is most visible in government schools in rural and remote areas. “Many schools are in isolated locations with poor transport links, which discourages parents from sending children. A growing preference for private schools is also contributing to the decline,” they said.