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 ■ ■ Waves crash against a stone wall along a road in Kakinada district on Tuesday | Prasant Madugula hyderabad l wednesday l october 29, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 18 l late city EDITION torrential rains across andhra pradesh & odisha Severe cyclonic storm Montha made landfall in AP around 8 pm, unleashing torrential rains and high-velocity winds across coastal AP and Odisha Standing crops on 38,000 hectares hit in AP Under the influence of the severe cyclonic storm, Nellore district in Andhra recorded the highest amount of rainfall on Tuesday. Standing crops spread over 38,000 hectares and horticulture crops in 1.38 lakh hectares were destroyed in the state, said a press release from the Andhra CM’s office. A woman died in Konaseema district after an uprooted tree fell on her ■ Montha Life out of gear in 15 districts in oDISHA ■ The AP government has set up 488 control rooms at the mandal level. Nearly 76,000 people have been shifted to relief camps, and 219 medical camps have been set up at various locations Normal life was affected in 15 districts of neighbouring Odisha too with heavy rains causing landslides, damaging houses | p7 Thailand gave the name, which means ‘fragrant flower’ in Thai language Cyclone Montha makes landfall, heavy rains likely in state today Alerts for today Train, flight services hit SCR cancelled 126 passenger and express trains through coastal AP and Odisha (Oct 28–30) Orange alert yellow alert districts 7 districts @ Hyderabad 35 flights connecting Hyderabad with Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Rajamahendravaram were cancelled on Tuesday North and east Telangana likely to see heavy to very heavy rainfall. Hyderabad is expected to see moderate rains till afternoon, with a gradual reduction in the evening 11 E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e 8 trains diverted and 29 rescheduled. A total of 169 services affected Commuters navigate an inundated street at Krishna Nagar, Yousufguda, Hyderabad, on Tuesday | SRI LOGANATHAN VELMURUGAN With Cyclone Montha making landfall near Antarvedi in Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district in Andhra Pradesh around 8 pm on Tuesday Telangana is like, ly to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall on Wednesday . Some areas, particularly in the northern and eastern districts, may receive 100–150 mm of rain, according to the IMD. Central Telangana is expected to witness moderate to heavy rainfall, while 8th Pay Commission announced Cabinet clears panel’s terms of reference; revised salaries, pensions likely wef Jan 1, 2026 M UK E SH RAN J AN @ New Delhi In a big boost to around 48 lakh central government employees and 67 lakh pensioners, the Centre on Tuesday announced the long-awaited 8th Central Pay Commission and approved its terms of reference (ToR). Briefing the media after a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the panel, to be headed by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, has been given 18 months to submit its report. The revised pay structure is expected to come into force on January 1, 2026. The commission will examine existing salary slabs, allowances, grade pay structures, pension formulae and other financial components that shape government compensation. The review is expected to take into account macroeconomic realities, fiscal considerations and employment competitiveness. “The 8th Central Pay Commission will be a temporary body. The Commission will comprise one Chairperson; One Member (Part Time) and o n e M e m b e r- S e c r e t a r y, ” Vaishnaw said. IIM Bangalore Professor Pulak Ghosh has been named as the member of the panel and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Secretary Pankaj Jain as the member-secretary . The government had in principle decided to constitute the panel in January Commenting . on the delay in the rollout of the process, Vaishnaw said: “The Narendra Modi government has taken the decision in a record time, as it required wider consultations before finalising the ToR and the panel with a whole range of stakeholders, including large ministries like Defence, Home and Railways, as well as state governments and unions.” The pay commission recommendations are important as it will affect not just central government staff but also influence the compensation frameworks across state governments, public sector units, autonomous institutions and even private sector pay-benchmarking in some segments. The announcement comes ahead of the Bihar elections, to be held on November 6 and 11. Justice Ranjana Desai to head the commission The panel’s chair, former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, is also the chairman of the Press Council of India. She has headed major panels, including Delimitation Commission for UT of J&K ‘ToR cleared after consulting states’ Information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the ToR of the panel was finalised after consultation with various ministries, state governments and staff side of joint consultative machinery Telangana to repair Kaleshwaram barrages On Tuesday, CM A Revanth Reddy reviewed the condition of the three barrages and directed officials to prepare detailed and constructive plans for the restoration | P6 southern parts of the state may see light to moderate showers. Hyderabad is forecast to receive moderate rain from morning to afternoon, with a gradual reduction towards the evening. For Wednesday, the IMD has issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in Adilabad, Mancherial, Nirmal, Jagtial, Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam and Mahbubabad districts. A yellow alert has also been issued for isolated heavy rainfall in Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Nizamabad, Rajanna Sircilla, Hanamkonda, Jangaon, Siddipet and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri districts. Although a red alert was in place on Tuesday for three districts and orange for eight, most parts of the state recorded only light to moderate rains. Amrabad of Nagarkurnool district witnessed most rains in the state at 8.93 cm. Meanwhile, Hyderabad received light intermittent rains on Tuesday night.   continued on p7 SJ-100 Deal with Russia to MAnufacture passenger jet M AYANK SINGH @ New Delhi In a first of its kind deal for India, Russia moved beyond joint defence manufacture to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on building a twin-engine narrow-body passenger aircraft for short-haul flights in the country. The deal comes ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s scheduled visit to India and US squeeze to end the Ukraine war. The MoU between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Russia’s Public Joint Stock Company-United Aircraft Cor poration (PJSCUAC) for production of civil commuter aircraft Superjet (SJ)-100 was signed in Moscow on Monday . The HAL called it the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Indian aviation industry as, “The manufacturing of the SJ-100 aircraft will also be the first instance wherein a complete passenger aircraft will be produced in India.” The last such project was HAL’s production of AVRO HS-748, which started in 1961 and ended in 1988. As on date, more than 200 SJ-100s are under operation by more than 16 commercial airline operators. The aircraft can be a game changer for short-haul connectivity under the UDAN scheme in India. Under the agreement, HAL will have the rights to manufacture SJ-100s for domestic customers. As per HAL’s estimates, “over the next 10 years, the Indian aviation sector will require over 200 jets in this category for regional connectivity and an additional 350 aircraft for the Indian Ocean region to serve nearby international tourist destinations.” HAL saw it as a step towards fulfilling the dream of ‘ atmanirbhar Bharat’ in the A civil aviation sector. Manufacturing will also strengthen the private sector and create direct and indirect jobs in the aviation industry HAL’s . Prabhat Ranjan and PJSCUAC’s Ole g Bogomolov signed the MoU. SJ-100’s maiden flight was in 2008. Tejashwi stamp on Opposition’s manifesto Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy waves to supporters at an event organised by the TFI Employees Federation and 24 Crafts Unions in Yousufguda on Tuesday  TG to mandate 20% of ticket price hike profits for film workers’ welfare E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad In a major announcement for the Telugu Film Industry (TFI), Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday said his government would bring in legal provisions mandating that 20% of the profits from films that receive permission for ticket price hikes be contributed to a soon-to-be-constituted ‘Workers’ Welfare Fund’. Speaking at a massive felicitation event organised by the Telugu Film Industry Employees Federation and 24 Crafts Unions at the Police Grounds in Yousufguda, the chief minister also announced a one-time government contribution of `10 crore towards the fund to support needy workers. The government, he said, would also establish a school for the children of film workers, providing free breakfast and lunch to students up to Class 12. He urged industry representatives to identify land, preferably in Krishna Na- gar, for the proposed school, which would function at corporate standards. He also announced free medical services for film workers and their families under the Aarogyasri scheme. Without directly referring to the upcoming Jubilee Hills bypoll, the chief minister said he was fulfilling the ‘dharma of friendship’, likening himself to Karna from the Mahabharata. “I know how hard you work — day and night, without rest. Your dedication is the backbone of Telugu cinema,” the chief minister told the cheering crowd of producers, directors and technicians. Additionally, Revanth said land would be allotted within Bharat Future City for the film industry’s stunt department to train fighters and stunt artistes. The government, he added, was also ready to provide financial aid for constructing a Film Workers’ Association building and would address housing issues faced by TFI workers.  continued on p7 R a m a s h a n k a r a n d P r ee t h a N a i r @ Patna/ New Delhi The Opposition INDIA bloc on Tuesday released its joint manifesto that had a large photograph of chief ministerial candidate and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on its cover, and spoke of his vows for total transformation, ahead of the upcoming Bihar assembly election. It dwarfed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s thumbnail image on the top-left corner of cover page. The manifesto pledged to en- act a law within 20 days of forming the new government to ensure one government job per family. The process of job distribution would begin within 20 months of assuming power, it assured. It said Jeevika Didis would be granted permanent status as government employees with a monthly salary of `30,000; all contractual and outs o u rc e d wo rke r s would be made permanent; and the old pension scheme would be restored. T he manifesto also pledged to resist any “unconstitutional law” imposed by the Centre and to protect the constitutional rights of all minority communities. The grand alliance promised that the Waqf Amendment Act would be put on hold and the management of Waqf properties will be made more welfare-oriented and beneficial by making them transparent, while the management of Buddhist temples in Bodh Gaya will be handed over to the people of the Bud- dhist community. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s no-show at the event became a talking point. He apparently was cross because RJD boss Lalu Yadav declined to meet a party delegation, saying it could be done only after the Chhath festival. Rahul was also upset about the allies are fighting against each other in at least 11 seats. These ‘friendly fights’ indicate the failure to arrive at a consensus despite several rounds of talks. Rahul will begin campaigning from Wednesday . Mehli Mistry voted out of Tata Trusts B E NN K O CHUV E E DAN @ Mumbai IN a dramatic shake-up within Tata Trusts, Mehli Mistry— once known as Ratan Tata’s closest confidant—has been voted out of the board, marking an abrupt end to his rapid rise in the $180-billion Tata conglomerate’s power structure. A majority of trustees on Tuesday voted against his reappointment, ending his threeyear term as trustee of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust. Together, these two cornerstone entities hold 52% of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group. Mistry, handpicked by Ratan Tata in October 2022, was a contender for a future seat on the Tata Sons board. His uncereexit signals a clear consolidation of control by Noel Tata, who now asserts himself as the chairman of all Tata Trusts that owns 66.6% of Tata Sons. Sources said a bloc led by Noel and others voted against Mistry’s continuation. Express Read Senior Maoists lay down arms, join mainstream Hyderabad: Two senior CPI (Maoist) leaders, Central Committee Member Pulluri Prasad Rao and State Committee Member Bandi Prakash, laid down arms on Tuesday. “This is not a surrender. We have joined the mainstream to work towards development,” Prasad said | p4 India in cross-hairs Inside the Centre’s huddle on information warfare S u m i t K u m a r S i n g h @ New Delhi Behind closed doors at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan last week, some of the country’s top bureaucrats gathered for what insiders described as a “crucial and unusually candid” discussion. The task before them: to draw up a coordinated strategy against ‘misinformation’ — the new battlefield where foreign entities are said to be targeting India. The day-long meeting on October 25 brought together all Union government secretaries. It was chaired by the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretaries, P K Mishra and Shaktikanta Das, along with Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan and Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju. The objective, according to officials, was to ensure that every ministry speaks in one voice and that communication reflects what they called a “whole-of-government and whole-of-society” approach. A messaging rethink Sources said the meeting was part of a wider effort to align the government’s communication with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Reform, Perform, Transform and Inform.” Somanathan, they added, called this the “guiding principle” in the thrust towards a Viksit Bharat — a developed India. Beneath the polished phrasing, however, was a clear sense of concern. Officials acknowledged that ‘misinformation’ campaigns — especially those believed to be orchestrated by foreign actors — are becoming more sophisticated and targeted. One example was of Operation Sindoor, cited as an instance of coordinated information warfare aimed at undermining India’s image abroad. From coordination to credibility The first part of the meeting dealt with tightening coordination among ministries to ensure a swift and unified response to false or misleading narratives. The second explored new digital tools and emerging technologies that could help the government tell its story better — and more directly to citizens. Officials stressed the importance of simplicity and authenticity in communication. “Policies must be explained in the language people understand,” one participant said. “It’s not just about visibility anymore — it’s about trust.” Reducing the middlemen The meet also turned inward, examining how the government itself handles outreach. Participants discussed cutting down on the use of private agencies for official publicity The Ministry of . Information and Broadcasting, they suggested, should take the lead in crafting and disseminating communication material across platforms. The underlying message, one senior official summed up, was that the age of one-way communication is over. “Public messaging has to be credible, consistent and connected,” he said. “That’s the only way to win the information war.”