thrissur l sunday l October 12, 2025 l `12.00 l PAGES 26 l city EDITION Protecting girl child must be core Priority of digital governance: CJI ‘Today’s challenges more sophisticated’ “From online harassment, cyberbullying, and digital stalking to the misuse of personal data and deepfake imagery, the challenges have grown both in scale and sophistication,” Gavai said. Despite constitutional and legal guarantees, many girls across India continue to be denied fundamental rights and even basic necessities, he added B R Gavai on Saturday flagged the heightened vulnerability of the girl child in the digital age and said that protecting her must be the core priority Need better enforcement, education: gavai ■ ■ Gavai emphasised that laws addressing online sexual exploitation, digital trafficking, and cyber harassment must be complemented by effective enforcement, as well as robust education and awareness Rabindranath Tagore’s poem, Where the Mind is Without Fear, captures the very essence of what is sought for girls in India, CJI said CJI was speaking at an event organised by SC’s juvenile justice committee 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 K35,440 crore push to boost farm US envoy-designate meets PM, production, achieve self-reliance EAM amid efforts to reset ties J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi PM Modi launches two key agriculture schemes, urges farmers to tap global markets M UK E SH RA N J A N @ New Delhi PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched two major agricultural schemes with a cumulative outlay of `35,440 crore, including a mission for self-reliance in pulses. Launching the schemes at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute campus here, Modi urged farmers to increase production to meet domestic and global demand. “On one hand, we have to be self-reliant. On the other, we also have to produce for the global market. Friends, we must knock on the doors of the world,” Modi said, asking farmers to focus on crops that have global demand. The two schemes—`24,000 crore Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) and a `11,440 crore Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses—are aimed at “changing the fate of millions of farmers”, he said. express read Munambam: CM calls meeting on Monday Kochi: CM Pinarayi Vijayan has convened a high-level meeting on Monday to discuss further proceedings on the Munambam Waqf land issue. The move follows the HC upholding the government’s decision to appoint an inquiry panel to resolve the dispute. P4 CU shut indefinitely following clashes Malappuram: Calicut University has been shut down indefinitely following violent clashes on campus during departmental student union elections on Friday. students have been instructed to vacate the hostels. P4 Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an interaction with farmers at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, in New Delhi on Saturday | PTI PM-DDKY aims to transform 100 low-performing agricultural districts based on the Aspirational Districts Programme model. The scheme will focus on enhancing crop productivity and diversification, improving irrigation and storage facilities, and ensuring credit access in the selected districts. Modi urged farmers to increase cultivation acreage by 35 lakh hectares by 2030 to boost production and achieve self-reliance, as it targets raising production from the current 252.38 lakh tonnes to 350 lakh tonnes by 2030-31, thereby reducing import dependency . The PM also inaugurated Gill-ton heights Jadeja among wickets again On a low, slow strip devoid of spin, Ravindra Jadeja adjust focuses on repeatability and doing the simple things well. He did that and the West Indies batters perished in different ways to give the left-arm spinner three wickets to close out the day India captain Shubman Gill continued his rich vein of form as he notched up a fifth 100 in seven Tests since being named captain. His ton strengthened India’s hold in the second Test of the series against West Indies in New Delhi. A look... Shub’s the man The No. 4 displayed his full range of stroke-making on a largely batting friendly surface as he brought up his 10th century of his Test career. He entertained the 15,000+ weekend crowd to an exhibition of classy batting against both pace and spin as India raced passed the 500 mark before declaring after lunch. Hosts finally declared at 518 for five projects valued at over `5,450 crore in agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries and food processing sectors, while laying the foundation stone for additional projects worth around `815 crore. These included Artificial Insemination Training Center at Bengaluru and in Jammu & Kashmir; Centre of Excellence at Amreli and Banas; Establishment of IVF Lab in Assam under Rashtriya Gokul Mission; Milk Powder Plants at Mehsana, Indore and Bhilwara; Fish Feed Plant under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana at Tezpur, Assam; Infrastructure for Agro-processing Clusters, Inte g rated Cold Chain, and Value Addition Infrastructure, among others. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh and Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary were present during the event. The state crime branch has registered two FIRs in connection with the alleged misappropriation of gold in Sabarimala temple. Unnikrishnan Potti, a priest-turnedbusinessman, has been listed as the main accused in the FIRs. According to police sources, the FIRs also reportedly include staff of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) as accused. The FIRs will be handed over to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the charges. The crime branch filed the cases based on the recent findings of the devaswom vigilance. While one FIR pertains to the irregularities in the gold-cladded panels of the dwarapalaka idols, the other is connected with the alleged misappropriation of gold from the side frames and lintel of the Sabarimala sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum). The probe will examine allegations of unauthorised extraction of gold, its illegal transportation and fraudulent transactions. On Friday, the Kerala High Court observed that the misap- Better display from visitors In front of Brian Lara, Vivek Richards and the board CEO, Chris Dehring, they put up and improved showing. As many as three batters got starts with the impressive Alick Althanaze taking the attack tot he spinners. But he was dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav. They still trail by 378 runs with six wickets in hand Separate cases One FIR pertains to the irregularities in the gold-cladded panels of the dwarapalaka idols The other is connected with the alleged misappropriation of gold from the side frames and lintel of the Sabarimala sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) propriation of gold in the side frames and lintel of the Sabarimala sreekovil appeared similar to the earlier fraud detected in the gold plating of the dwarapalaka idols. The court stated US ambassador-designate Sergio Gor meets External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi on Saturday | PTI are great”. “I had an incredible meeting with Prime Minister Modi. We discussed bilateral issues, including defence, trade and technology,” Gor said, adding that the discussion also touched upon critical minerals—an increasingly strategic domain for both economies amid global supply chain realignments. The US Senate confirmed Gor as the country’s next ambassa- caste identity row Thiyyas and Ezhavas are different: Study STs and Backward Classes O R Kelu told the assembly Amid calls for a separate that Ezhavas and Thiyyas caste identity for Thiyyas, a are recorded as single entry study by Kerala Institute for ever since the formation of Research, Training and De- Kerala State Service Rule in velopment Studies of Sched- 1958. uled Castes and Scheduled In a reply to MLA N A Tribes (KIRTADS) has Nellikkunnu, the minconcluded that Thiyister said Thiyyas yas in Malabar and are not considered Ezhavas in South as a sub caste of any Kerala are two difother caste. Howevferent communities er, the minister did culturally and not give a direct anthropologically . answer to the quesThe institute untion as to whether dertook the study a separate identity following a direc- If Thiyyas are not will be given to a sub caste of any tion from the Kerala other caste, what Thiyyas. State Commission Thiyya Kshema prevents the for Backward Sabha said the government Classes. minister’s reply from giving a Thiyya Kshema separate status to has only complithem Sabha had apcated the issue. proached the com“The government Vinodan Thiruthi, mission with the says Thiyyas are general secretary of request that Thiynot a sub caste of Thiyya Kshema yas should be conany other castes, Sabha sidered as a sepabut is silent on our rate caste and demand for sepashould not be bracketed with rate consideration. If ThiyEzhavas and Billavas. yas are not a sub caste, what It is learnt that KIRTADS prevents the government found out that Thiyyas are from giving a separate stadif ferent from Ezhavas tus to them,” asked Vinodan though toddy-tapping was Thiruthi, general secretary the principal vocation of of Kshema Sabha. both communities. The inMeanwhile, the SNDP Yostitute is likely to submit its gam has come out strongly report to the commission against separating the two soon. communities, saying it is a In a related development, move to weaken the Ezhava ● More on P7 Minister for Welfare of SC/ community . M P P r a s h a n t h @Kozhikode Sabarimala gold theft: 2 FIRs filed, Potti main accused E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @T’Puram amiD tariff tensions rocking India-US ties, US Ambassadordesignate Sergio Gor on Saturday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. “Glad to receive Mr Sergio Gor, Ambassador-designate of the US to India. I’m confident his tenure will further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership,” PM Modi wrote on X. Gor said the US values its ties with India and “under the strong leadership of President Donald J Trump and Prime Minister Modi, I’m optimistic about the days ahead for our nations”. He presented Modi with a signed and framed photograph from a joint press conference at the White House earlier this year, featuring Trump’s handwritten message: “Mr Prime Minister, you that the investigation revealed a substantial quantity of gold, around 474.9 g, had been hande d ove r d i re c t l y t o U n nikrishnan Potti. However, records do not show that an equivalent quantity of gold was ever entrusted to the TDB. Earlier, the court had appointed the SIT to investigate all aspects of the fraud related to dwarapalaka idols. In light of the latest revelations concerning the side frames and lintel, these matters will also fall under the purview of the special probe team, in addition to any other issues that may arise during the investigation. Highest Grosser Kantara: Chapter 1 in `500-cr club, sets pan-India benchmark A SHARADHAA @ Bengaluru Ruins greeT Gaza residents Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians managed to reach Gaza neighbourhoods on Saturday, weaving through dust-shrouded streets and damaged residential apartments, as the US-brokered ceasefire appears to hold | P11 Rishab Shetty’s Kantara: Chapter 1 has emerged as a boxoffice phenomenon, redefining the reach of Kannada cinema across India. Released on October 2, Kantara: Chapter 1 has already amassed over `500 crore globally in its opening weekend. Hombale Productions, which has backed the film, announced that the first week numbers (global box office) stand at `509.25 crore. In India, the Hindi and Kannada versions have amassed over `100 crore, with the Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam versions contributing `64 crore, `31.5 crore, and `26.5 crore, re- spectively. Interestingly, the original Kantara (2022) concluded its lifetime run at `450 crore. “What truly matters is that audiences of all ages and backgrounds are coming to watch the film; we made this cinema for them, and if they enjoy it, that is the ultimate satisfaction for me as a technician and for the entire team,” says Rishab Shetty who not only starred in , the film but also directed the cultural phenomenon. Commenting on the success of Kantara: Chapter 1, noted Tamil Nadu distributor and theatre owner Tiruppur Subramaniam points out that the film will have an unrestricted run Pic: Kevin Nashon in Tamil Nadu till Diwali. “Non-Tamil films usually run only in multiplexes, and have limited reach beyond cities. But Kantara: Chapter 1 is an all-centre film and even single screens in villages are running housefull,” says Subramaniam. Echoing his sentiment, Narayan Gowda, owner of the Veeresh Theatre in Bengaluru, says, “Family audiences are turning up in large numbers, and in four days, we earned `60 lakh. We expect to hit the `1-crore mark in eight days.” This has been the story, not just in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, but all across India. While Akkshay Rathie, Director, Ashirwad Theatres, Nagpur, believes that the Hindi version could reach `200 crore next week, Aamer Bijli from PVR Inox Ltd, reveals, “Within five days, it crossed 30 lakh admits in PVR INOX cinemas.” Mirroring this sentiment, Ganesh of Kamala Cinemas, Chennai, says, “Budget and language don’t matter if the content connects.” That’s probably why many Tamil Nadu theatres are planning to shift Kantara: Chapter 1 to their main screens. Ruban Mathivanan, owner of Chennai’s GK Cinemas, says, “At this rate, the footfall will only increase in the coming days and there will be no drop.” Summing it up, Kishore Kumar of Vaishnavi and Vaibhavi Cinemas, Bengaluru, says, “With no major releases until December 5, Kantara: Chapter 1 is on track for a 50-day blockbuster run, a milestone we haven’t seen in Kannada cinema for a long time.” dor to India on Wednesday. He arrived in Delhi on Friday . Earlier in the day, the ambassador-designate also held meetings with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. “Discussed the India–US relationship and its global significance. Wish him the best for his new responsibility,” Jaishankar wrote on X. Gor’s visit marks a significant diplomatic step ahead of his formal assumption of office early next year. It comes at a sensitive time, as steep US tariffs have driven bilateral ties to their lowest point in decades. Gor, a close aide of Trump and a key figure in Republican circles, is on a six-day visit along with US Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Michael J Rigas. A possible bilateral meeting between Modi and Trump on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia later this month remains on the cards. Going global Kochi Water Metro in talks with 9 nations to replicate model E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kochi After being entrusted with exploring the feasibility of replicating the Kochi model in 20 cities across the country, the Kochi Water Metro is now going global. The Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) is in talks with several countries to help implement a similar water transport system in those nations. “KMRL managing director Loknath Behera is holding the talks with the representatives of several countries. The names of the countries will be revealed after the discussions conclude,” Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, while inaugurating the Mattancherry and Willingdon Island metro terminals, in Kochi on Saturday According to sources, nine . countries, including developed nations, have evinced interest in replicating the Kochi Water M e t r o model. Inaugurating the terminals, P i n a r ay i said, “over 1,000 commuters are expected to commute daily in the High Court -Willingdon Island-Mattancherry section. The launch of the services will help boost the tourism sector majorly,” he said. The launch of the new services, from Sunday (8am to 6pm), will spur the development of Mattacherry by facili, tating quick and easy travel. The CM noted that the Water Metro, inaugurated in 2023, has in just two years increased its ridership to nearly half a crore, comprising both daily commuters and tourists. “The water metro will soon expand to Kadamakudy where the terminal , construction is in the final stages. The tendering process for the Edakochi and Thoppumpady ter minals will begin ● More on P7 soon,” he said. WIT H T H IS ISS U E Life in the Time of Solitude PLUS 12 P AGES
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