HYDERABAD SATURDAY JULY 06, 2024 `9.00 PAGES 16 LATE CITY EDITION AHEAD OF MODI’S RUSSIA TRIP, ARMY GETS 35,000 ‘KALASHNIKOV’ RIFLES Indo-Russian Rifles Pvt Ltd has delivered the first batch of made-in-India Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles to the Indian Army AMETHI-BASED JV TO MAKE 6 LAKH AK-203s MADE IN INDIA WITH RUSSIAN TECHNOLOGY IRRPL, located in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi, is a joint venture of Indian defence PSUs with Concern Kalashnikov and Rosoboronexport of Russia. The first phase of the project has been completed with the production and transfer of 35,000 rifles to the Army, Rosoboronexport said. The JV plans to make over 6 lakh assault rifles for the Indian defence forces ■ “The Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifle is a version of the AK-200 rifle chambered for the 7.62x39mm cartridge used in the Indian Army. The weapon has the traditional advantages of Kalashnikov assault rifles: reliability and ease of maintenance,” Rosoboronexport said in a statement ■ AK-203s are manufactured in India in compliance with Russian technologies `1,26,887 cr OVERALL VALUE OF DEFENCE PRODUCTION IN INDIA IN FY24, ACCORDING TO GOVT DATA 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 NAIDU IN HYD, TO MEET CM TODAY Govt, NTA affidavits oppose Rejuvenated TDP Telangana cadre offer rousing reception to Andhra chief minister; 10 yrs after bifurcation, CMs of sibling states to discuss pending issues related to APRA for first time LIKELY ON S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y AGENDA @ New Delhi Revanth, Naidu expected to focus on institutions listed in IX and X Schedules of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 (APRA) No disputes over 68 out of 91 institutions in IX Schedule. But sibling states couldn’t reach consensus on 23 institutions in last 10 years 30 institutions in X Schedule and their assets would also likely feature in the talks as disputes persist. These institutions include Telugu Academy, Telugu University and Ambedkar University Issues over power dues too. TG says AP has to give it `24,000 crore; Andhra claims it has to receive `7,000 crore from TG Over 30 meetings conducted by officials over disputes between the states in last 10 years, but this is the first time that the CMs would be discussing bifurcation issues TDP cadre welcome Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at Begumpet airport in Hyderabad on Friday | VINAY MADAPU EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad FOR the first time after the thumping victory in the recent Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, TDP president and AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu arrived in Hyderabad on Friday. After he landed at Begumpet airport from Delhi, TDP workers in the city extended a rousing reception to him. Naidu reached his Jubilee Hills residence amidst a huge rally organised by the rejuvenated TDP Telangana cadre, who waved party flags and applied kumkum and gave aarti to the Andhra chief minister. Naidu is in Hyderabad to participate in a meeting with Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday on pending bifurcation issues related to AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 (APRA). Ten years after the bifurcation of combined Andhra Pradesh on June 2, 2014, the CMs of the sibling states will be meeting over pending bifurcation issues related to APRA for the first time. The meeting is scheduled for 6 pm on Saturday at Praja Bhavan. Naidu and Revanth are expected to focus mainly on institutions listed in the IX and X Schedules of the APRA. The Sheela Bhide Committee on bifurcation constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs tried to resolve the division of some institutions in the Revanth delivers body blow to BRS by targeting MLCs, more jolts in offing I R E D DY S R I N I VAS R E D DY @ Hyderabad THE midnight jolt — in the form of six MLCs switching loyalties — delivered by the Congress to the BRS has left the main Opposition shaken, and its strength in the Legislative Council falling perilously close to the halfway mark. The implementation of this phase of Operation Akarsh was totally unexpected, since it was believed that the focus of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was on BRS MLAs and not MLCs. The suddenness of the move caught BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao off guard as he was fully focused on protecting his MLAs from being poached by the Congress. This allowed Revanth to open another flank in his battle of supremacy with KCR. The latest success of Opera- tion Akarsh has also set off speculation in both the ruling Congress and BRS camps that another group of six MLAs or MLCs are getting ready to shift loyalties in the coming days. However, some of the BRS legislators are reportedly hesitant due to the current Ashada season, which is traditionally considered inauspicious for major decisions. The Congress welcomed six MLAs in the first phase — Danam Nagender, Kadiyam Srihari, Tellam Venkat Rao, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy K Yadaiah and , M Sanjay Kumar. Following Over 20 Agniveers dead within a year of induction M AYA N K S I N G H @ New Delhi ON a day the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi continued to allege that compensation has not been paid to the next of kin of Agniveer Ajay Kumar who died in a landmine blast in J&K in January it emerged that , around 20 Agniveers lost their lives in less than a year of their induction. The first batch of Agniveers joined the Army in August 2023. Around 18 Agniveers who passed away are from the Army Most of them died in ac. tion or due to some ailment. The latest is of death by suicide in the Air Force, a first for an Agniveer in the IAF. Srikant Kumar Chaudhary, 22, allegedly died by suicide demand to scrap NEET-UG while on sentry duty at the Air Force Station in Agra late on Tuesday night. He hailed from UP’s Ballia district. A Board of Inquiry has been set up to probe his death. Incidentally, the first death of an Agniveer within the Army was also by suicide. It had stirred a controversy as a military funeral was not accorded to him since it’s the Army’s policy not to glorify deaths by suicide. After Rahul Gandhi alleged in the Lok Sabha that Agniveer Ajay Singh’s family wasn’t given compensation, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hit back, saying `1 crore compensation is paid to to families of Agniveers who die in the line of duty . this, everyone expected more MLAs to defect from the BRS, but interestingly it was a group , of six MLCs that dumped the BRS for the Congress. Now the discussion in both parties is who would comprise the next set of MLAs to defect and when, and the plight of the BRS if another chunk of MLAs defect in the next phase of Operation Akarsh. Some said that this group would be made up of Gadwal MLA B Krishna Mohan Reddy, two MLAs from Adilabad and another four from Greater Hyderabad limits. However, well-placed sources said senior Congress leaders and the core team of Revanth are discussing giving a much bigger jolt to KCR, this time targeting 12 MLAs. This was more or less corroborated by senior Congress leaders, on condition of anonymity CONTINUED ON P5 . IX Schedule. There are no disputes between AP and Telangana over 68 out of 91 institutions listed in the IX Schedule. However, the sibling states could not reach a consensus formula in the last 10 years over 23 institutions. With regard to 142 institutions in the X Schedule, there are disputes between the states over 30 institutions including Telugu Academy, Telugu University and Ambedkar University. Their assets and cash are yet to be divided amicably . There is also a long-pending dispute between AP and Telangana over power dues. While Telangana says AP has to give it `24,000 crore, Andhra claims that it has to receive `7,000 crore from Telangana. A solution is expected on the power dues in the meeting. CONTINUED ON P5 CONG’S NEXT TARGET: 12 PINK PARTY MLAs The grand old party is planning a much bigger jolt to KCR, this time targeting over a dozen MLAs: Two from Adilabad Eight from Greater Hyderabad limits One each from Rangareddy and Mahbubnagar districts LEGISLATORS GIVE BRS MEETING A MISS Some BRS MLAs failed to attend a meeting of legislators and corporators from GHMC limits held at the Telangana Bhavan on Friday, setting off more tremors in the pink party Sources said that Uppal MLA Bandaru Laxma Reddy, Kukatpally MLA Madavaram Krishna Rao, Quthbullapur MLA KP Vivekanand, Serilingampally MLA Arekapudi Gandhi and Malkajgiri MLA Marri Rajasekhar Reddy skipped the meeting DAYS before the Supreme Court begins its hearing on petitions seeking the scrapping of the NEET-UG on July 8, the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Friday filed separate affidavits opposing its cancellation, arguing it would be counterproductive and seriously jeopardise the efforts of lakhs of honest candidates who took the test. “Scrapping the exam in its entirety would seriously jeopardise lakhs of honest candidates who attempted the question paper in 2024,” the affidavit filed by the Union Ministry of Education said. It said demands for cancellation and the retest based on surmises and conjectures must be rejected. NEET-PG on August 11 The NEET-PG 2024 will be held on August 11 in two shifts, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences announced. Scheduled to be held on June 23, it was put off a day before the exam For its part, the NTA, which conducted the exam, said the entire NEET-UG 2024 was carried out fairly and with due confidentiality without any illegal practices. It sought to rubbish the claim of mass malpractice during the exam, arguing it was “completely unfounded, misleading, and lacks any basis”. “It is submitted that the present case is not a case wherein the entire examination process conducted across 4750 centres in 571 cities (including 14 cities abroad) has U.P. STAMPEDE DESPITE RISKS HC PERMITS 12-YR-OLD Rahul blames RAPE VICTIM TO ABORT it on lapse by 26-WEEK PREGNANCY administration POCSO Act and arrested them. As per the orders of the AFTER 26 weeks of ordeal, high court, the Gandhi hosa 12-year-old gang-rape vic- pital authorities submitted tim finally got relief as the a report on Friday stating Telangana High Court on that termination is not adFriday permitted her to un- visable and they would prodergo medical termination ceed if the high court perof pregnancy . mits it. The victim’s mother, a doDr M Raja Rao, superinmestic worker, had ap- tendent of Gandhi Hospital, proached the high told TNIE: “The court on Thursday pregnancy is well after Gandhi Hosinto the second tripital doctors remester. Terminatfused to terminate ing at this stage The pregnancy is the pre gnancy poses severe health well into the c i t i n g m e d i c a l second trimester. risks to the young problems. mother”. Terminating at “Medical guideThe bench headthis stage poses severe health lines typically ed by Justice B Vijaysen Reddy then risks to the young restrict terminamother. ... Our tions beyond directed the Gandhi Hospital doc- evaluation found 20 weeks unless that proceeding there are exceptors to refer with a tional circumstancthe matter to a termination es. However, be it medical board and would endanger humanitarian or submit a report by the girl’s health any such grounds, Friday morning. significantly the ter mination The doctors then Dr M Raja Rao, can be done only replied that if the superintendent of with court orders. high court permits Gandhi Hospital In this case, our them, they would evaluation found perform the that proceeding abortion. It may be recalled that the with a termination would 12-year-old girl was alleg- endanger the girl’s health edly raped by 10 persons significantly,” the Gandhi in Neredmet in the city. Hospital superintendent The police registered cases explained. CONTINUED ON P5 against the accused under P R I YA R AT H N A M & T G N A I D U @ Hyderabad Left turn with mega Labour landslide in UK LOOK WHERE IT CROSSED 400 Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi AFTER sitting on the opposition benches for more than a decade, the Labour Party on Friday stormed to power in the UK, ending 14 years of Conservative rule. Labour leader Keir Starmer assumed charge as the 58th prime minister after his customary audience with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. “Our country has voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics for public service,” said Starmer in his inaugural address from a lectern outside 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British PM. Starmer, 61, noted that people have become disillusioned and cynical about politics and his priority is to restore their faith in government. PM Narendra Modi congratu- TOTAL SEATS 650 28 BRITISH-INDIANS WIN IN ELECTION MAJORITY MARK 326 412 (+211) Labour Party Britain’s Labour Party Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria wave to the crowds from the doorstep of 10 Downing Street in London on Friday | AP/PTI lated Starmer adding he looks forward to a constructive collaboration to strengthen IndiaUK relations. Modi also thanked on outgoing PM Rishi Sunak’s for his contribution to deepen ties between India and the UK. suffered systematic failure, as it has not been vitiated by all pervasive factors of unfair means or paper leak etc,” the agency said. It added that the alleged irregularities were confined to certain centres in two cities — Patna and Godhra. The NTA said other individual instances of the alleged use of unfair means are very few and do not have any co-relation with the malpractices referred to by the petitioners. In all, 63 cases of use of unfair means were reported, and a committee submitted its recommendations for action. The panel recommended withholding the results of 33 candidates, debarment of 22 up to three years and declaring the result of nine. Exam functionaries of NEET (UG) 2024 have also registered 13 FIRs in cases of unfair means at different exam centres, the NTA said. 9 (-38) Scottish National 121 7 (-251) 29 LABOUR: Preet Kaur Gill, Kanishka Narayan, Navendu Mishra, Satvir Kaur Tan Dhesi, Seema Malhotra, Valerie Vaz, Lisa Nandy, Jas Athwal , Kanishka Narayan, Baggy Shanker, Harpreet Uppal, Warinder Juss, Gurinder Josan, Sonia Kumar, Sureena Brackenbridge, Kirith Entwistle, Jeevun Sandher, Sojan Joseph CONSERVATIVE: Rishi Sunak, Suella Braverman, Priti Patel, Claire Coutinho, Gagan Mohindra, Shivani Raja LIBERAL DEMOCRAT: Munira Wilson IND: Shockat A Patel, Iqbal Mohamed (+63) Sin Fein (+15) Others (FIGURES IN BRACKETS ARE INCREASE/ DECREASE FROM 2019 ELECTION) 71 Conservative Party * RESULT OF 1 SEAT PENDING AT PRESS TIME Rahul Gandhi consoles a woman, whose family member was a victim of the Hathras stampede, in a village | PTI N A M I TA B A J PA I @ Lucknow LEADER of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday said there were administrative lapses that led to the recent Hathras stampede, which killed 121 people, but added that he did not want to make it a political issue. “There have been mistakes and those should be looked into. The most important thing is that the bereaved families from the poor and deprived sections of society must be given more and more compensation in this difficult hour,” he said. Rahul urged UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to arrange generous financial relief. “It will be insignificant if delayed and paid after six months, a year,” said Rahul, who visited Aligarh and Hathras to meet the injured getting treatment in hospitals. Both the UP and the Central governments have already announced ex-gratia of `2 lakh each to the next kin of the deceased and `50,000 to the injured. So, each family that lost its kin would get `4 lakh and the injured would get `1 lakh. Rahul, who met the relatives of the victims in a park, later said most of the injured had complaints about the administration. “The required police mobilisation to handle such a gathering was not there.” Most of the victims seemed annoyed with the Bhole Baba, who held the congregation but fled after the stampede.
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