tirupati l monday l september 08, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l anantapur EDITION japan pm to resign following party’s defeat in july election Shigeru Ishiba’s decision to quit follows growing calls within his conservative Liberal Democratic Party to take responsibility for the historic defeat ldp was eyeing early leadership election The resignation came one day before Ishiba’s party was to decide whether to hold an early leadership election, which would have amounted to a virtual no-confidence motion against him if approved. In July, Ishiba’s ruling coalition failed to secure a majority in the 248-seat upper house in a crucial parliamentary election, weakening his government’s stability | P9 some time to take responsibility for his party’s election loss, but was first determined to make progress in tariff negotiations with the US ■ He said the moment had arrived after Donald Trump lowered tariffs on Japanese cars and other products to 15 per cent from 25 per cent rate 68-yr-old ishiba: was waiting to get u.s. tariffs cut ■ Ishiba told a news conference on Sunday that he had intended for ISHIBA, A self-confessed defence geek, WAS AT THE HELM FOR LESS THAN A YEAR 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 Pic: PTI Last push by NDA, INDIA bloc ahead of V-P election Both sides strive to shore up their numbers, eye cross-voting gains India win Asia Cup, seal WC spot An utterly efficient India beat South Korea 4-1 to win their fourth Asia Cup. A look... 2026 World Cup bound As hosts of the previous two World Cups in 2018 and 2023, India were automatic qualifiers. This time, though, they had to win this or they would have found themselves playing a tricky qualifying tournament next year. They can now plan and attack that tournament with 11 months to go India go aerial to find some joy Both China and South Korea man-marked the Indian players. To reduce that effect, India went long to bypass midfield and transfer pressure. This ploy worked a treat Forwards come to the party Earlier in the tournament, the forward line was generally profligate. They were snatching at chances as composure was a worry. They addressed those issues as the likes of Dilpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh and Abishek sounded the board after some teething troubles AP records 1.56 m rise in groundwater level Y B r a h m a j i @ Vijayawada Andhra Pradesh has recorded a significant improvement in groundwater levels, with the average rising by 1.56 metres (5.11 feet) across the State. Currently, water is accessible at 7.95 metres (26.08 feet) below ground level (MBGL) in Coastal Andhra, and 9.62 metres (31.56 feet) in Rayalaseema. This recovery marks progress from May 25, when the groundwater was accessed at 10.02 metres (32.87 feet). Now, the average is 8.46 metres (27.75 feet). The main reasons behind this remarkable improvement are timely monsoon, excess rainfall, and replenishing activities of major and minor reservoirs, and check dams in the State. Presently, all major reservoirs are filled to capacity and , water bodies and other storage structures are also brimming with water. In just three months, from May to August end, majority water bodies were filled to capacity offering , relief to far mers, and communities dependent on borewells. Several districts have reported remarkable recoveries. Prakasam district, which faced deep summer depletion at 18.62 metres in May bounced back to , 16.19 metres by August end, gaining 2.43 metres (8 feet). NTR district recorded an improvement of 8.6 feet, while Guntur improved by 9.2 feet, and Nandyal posted strong gains of 9.5 feet. The biggest turnaround was 4.49-foot rise in water level in Annamayya. In terms of groundwater storage, Andhra Pradesh has a total of 697.52 TMC now. Alluri Sitarama Raju district leads with 50.94 TMC, followed by Prakasam with 43.48 TMC, and Eluru with 40.98 TMC. The districts with the least depth to access groundwater are Konaseema, where water is available at just 2.93 metres depth, followed by Bapatla at 3.05 metres, and Guntur at 3.08 metres. This rise in groundwater levels is expected to benefit farmers during the upcoming Rabi season. express read SIT challenges bail to 3 in liquor case Vijayawada: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged multi-crore liquor scam, has filed a house motion petition in the Andhra Pradesh High Court, challenging the ACB court’s order granting bail to three accused. The ACB Court on Saturday granted bail to Dhanunjaya Reddy, Krishna Mohan Reddy and Balaji Govindappa, key accused in the scam that took place during previous YSRCP regime. While admitting the petition, the High Court said the matter would be heard in regular court on Monday. Meanwhile, the three accused in the liquor scam walked out of Vijayawada District Jail after securing bail. RAJ E SH K U MAR T HA K U R & PR E E T HA N AIR @ New Delhi didate, B Sudershan Reddy. YSRCP has 7 MPs in the Rajya Sabha and 5 in Lok Sabha. with just a day left for TuesWhile BRS chief K Chanday’s Vice-Presidential elec- drashekar Rao is yet to disclose tion, both the ruling BJP-led his preference for a candidate, NDA the Congress-led opposi- party insiders believe the retion have intensified efforts to cent turmoil within the BRS is boost their numbers. likely to tilt the scales in favour The NDA, which was the first of the NDA nominee. to announce candidate for the The BRS, BJD, and YSRCP V-P poll on August 17, has since have supported the Narendra been engaging with its MPs Modi government in passing to ensure victory for crucial bills in Parliaits nominee, C P ment in the past, but Radhakrishnan. opposition strategists On his part, the are not ruling out adRadhakrishnan has ditional votes from concluded his camcross-voting by some paign by meeting all MPs from these parMPs of the alliance, ties. “Though we do t r ave l l i n g a c ro s s not expect major surstates and in Delhi. prises, we expect to Although the final improve our performC P Radhakrishnan result is a foregone ance this time. We conclusion in favour have reached out to of NDA’s nominee, all the three independeyes are on fence sitent MPs as well,” said ters and neutral para senior opposition ties, including Naveen leader, who did not Patnaik’s Biju Janata wish to be named. Dal (BJD) and K As the principal Chandrashekhar partner of the NDA Rao’s Bharat Rashtra and the party responSamithi (BRS), which sible for nominating B Sudershan Reddy are yet to show their the consensus candihands. The BJD has date for Vice Presiseven Rajya Sabha MPs while dent, the BJP is not taking any the BRS has four. chances and has asked all its Congress sources told this MPs to reach Delhi by Monday paper that they don’t expect ahead of Tuesday’s election. It any surprises in Tuesday’s vot- has also begun training the ing, as most southern parties MPs to ensure they cast their appear to be inclined towards votes correctly and avoid any supporting the NDA nominee. technical errors. A senior BJP Sources said the Opposition leader said first-time MPs are reached out to YSRCP chief Ja- especially given thorough traingan Mohan Reddy for support ing in the voting process and but he conveyed his unwilling- taught how to handle the secret ness to back the opposition can- ballot papers. Oppn MPs to practise with ‘mock poll’ P r eet h a N a i r @ New Delhi Opposition MPs would be briefed on Monday on the procedure to vote in the September 9 vice presidential polls, sources in the INDIA bloc said on Sunday . They said a ‘mock poll’ would be conducted in the Central Hall of the old Parliament House at around 2:30 PM on Monday after the briefing on the procedure to vote in the vice presidential polls. To ensure smooth voting and to avoid invalid votes, the Congress has also appointed coordinators to conduct training sessions with its allies. Though Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was to host a dinner for the opposition MPs on Monday evening, it has been cancelled in view of the flood situation in the country . Meanwhile, in a fervent appeal to MPs, joint opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy on Sunday exhorted them not to let party loyalty guide their choice and asserted that by entrusting him with this office, they would be ensuring that the Rajya Sabha stands as a true temple of democracy . In a 12-minute-long video message, Reddy told the MPs that he seeks their support not for himself but for the “values that define us as a sovereign democratic republic”. Vizag railway station gets GGBC’s ‘Platinum’ rating for eco practices E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Visakhapatnam Visakhapatnam Railway Station, under the East Coast Railway Zone, has been awarded the Green Railway Station Certification with the highest ‘Platinum’ rating by the Global Green Building Council (GGBC). The certification recognises the station’s adoption of eco-friendly measures and sustainable practices aimed at reducing environmental impact. The Green Railway Station rating system was developed by the Environment Directorate of Indian Railways, in collaboration with the GGBC. It focuses on national priorities, including water conservation, scientific waste management, energy efficiency, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, minimal use of virgin materials, and ensuring the health and well-being of passengers and staff. Waltair Divisional Railway Manager Lalit Bohra congratulated the officials and staff involved in the P4 green initiative.  t r a il b l a z e r s Devi Awards honours Odisha’s fab fourteen E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar SPEAKER of Odisha Legislative Assembly Surama Padhy on Sunday called upon women to step forward and make their mark in every sphere of the society . Presenting the 33rd Devi Awards, instituted by The New Indian Express, Padhy said women are the cornerstone of the society “A society tru. ly advances when its women are respected and given opportunities,” she said. She said real development of women is possible through their participation and inclusion in education, health, employment, social security and politics. When women become self-reliant and experience economic growth, it lends speed and strength to devel- Devi awardees seen alongside Odisha Speaker Surama Padhy, TNIE CEO Lakshmi Menon, TNIE Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla, TNIE Bhubaneswar Resident Editor Siba Mohanty at the award ceremony in Bhubaneswar on Sunday | DEBADATTA MALLICK opment and progress of the entire country, starting from individual families. “I hope women will step forward and make their mark in every sphere of society,” Padhy added. The fourth edition of Devi Awards in Odisha honoured 14 trailblazing women from a crosssection of the society, who have stood out through their achievements, excellence and impact. They include conservation architect Vijaya Amujure, the first girl from the primitive Didayi community to crack NEET Champa Raseda, disability activist Gargi Bhattacharya, farmer and preserver of Shree Anna (millets) Raimati Ghuria, ENT specialist Dr Smruti Swain, globally-acclaimed Odissi exponent Sujata Mohapatra, entrepreneur and innovator Minushri Madhumita, scientist Jyotirmayee Dash, social activist Nibedita Lenka, chef Madhusmita Soren, lacquer doll craftsperson Kanakalata Das, the valorous forest guard who captured 17 poachers Khirabdi Seth, award winning Ollywood actor and philanthropist Archita Sahu and Odisha’s sprint queen Srabani Nanda. Editorial director of TNIE Prabhu Chawla, TNIE Group CEO Lakshmi Menon and resident editor, TNIE Odisha, Siba Mohanty were among those present. n m c s i d e lin e d ? integrated BAMS, MBBS course to be of over 5 yrs k a v i ta b a j e l i - d att @ New Delhi THE Centre’s proposed new integrated MBBS-BAMS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery and Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) course at JIPMER in Puducherry will be a degree course spanning more than five years, with a one-year internship leading to the dual degrees, an RTI reply has revealed. The proposal, which has been prepared by Auroville Foundation and announced with great fanfare by Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and AYUSH, Prataprao Jadhav, on May 27, also states that the syllabus for phase 1 is ready and is prepared on the competency-based curriculum (CBME) proposed by the National Medical Council (NMC), a statutory body that regulates medical education, medical professionals, institutes, and research. However, key regulatory bodies including the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM), which decide on new courses and syllabi, were not involved in the proposal, as per RTI documents. This paper was the first to report on the Centre’s push for the integrated medical course that would combine MBBS and BAMS. Following the report, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), representing over four lakh medical practitioners, strongly condemned the move to “mix different systems of medicine unscientifically” and demanded that the government withdraw the “regressive proposal” in public interest. Despite the announcement by the Union Minister, JIPMER refused to share any details of the course after Keralabased activist Dr K V Babu filed an RTI. Moreover, Auroville secretary Dr Jayanti S Ravi, who acknowledged in her January 25 letter that discussions were held over the last several months with Dr VK Paul, Member, NITI Aayog; Dr Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, AYUSH, and others, had also failed to share comments on the integrated course with the Union Health Ministry despite repeated reminders. Speaking to this paper, Dr Babu said: “There is no provision under any law in India to award MBBS and BAMS degrees together after any course. From files availed using RTI, it seems the government is supporting the proposal to award a dual degree of MBBS and BAMS by the Auroville Foundation in association with JIPMER and some satellite centres... There is nothing to suggest that the regulatory body in this case, NMC, had ever discussed it with other regulatory bodies, which is mandatory under the statute.” press clusive