KOLLAM l thursday l November 07, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Collateral-free education loan under PM-Vidyalaxmi scheme The Union cabinet on Wednesday approved PMVidyalaxmi scheme to provide financial support to meritorious students for higher education over 22 lakh students to benefit each year L10,700 crore equity infusion in FCI Anybody who gets admission in Quality Higher Education Institutions (QHEI) will be eligible to get collateral-free, guarantor-free loan from banks and financial institutions to cover the full amount of tuition fees and other expenses related to the course. The scheme will cover 22 lakh students every year. An outlay of D3,600 crore has been approved ■ ■ In other major decisions, the cabinet approved infusion of I10,700 crore as equity in Food Corporation of India (FCI) in 2024-25 Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this will enhance FCI’s ability to manage food procurement and distribution efficiently, besides ensuring better support for farmers and helping improve food security 860 Higher Education Institutions in India to be covered under pm-vidyalaxmi scheme 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 Trump beats a female rival for the second time in a presidential election victory helped by high anti-incumbency, voters’ frustration over high prices Don power again in U.S. This will truly be the golden age of America... I am going to stop wars DONALD TRUMP Total votes so far 7,18,51,772 (51%) - Donald Trump, US president-elect President-elect Donald Trump gestures at supporters during an election event at the West Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Wednesday | AFP 292 224 Total votes so far 6,69,80,370 (47.5%) 270 to win ZEKE MILLER, MICHELLE L. PRICE, WILL WEISSERT and JILL COLVIN @ Washington (AP) Had a great conversation with my friend, President Donald Trump. Looking forward to working closely together once again Narendra Modi, PM Look forward to an era of a strong US under President Trump’s decisive leadership. We rely on continued strong support for Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy D onald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday , an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago, sparked a violent insurrection at the US Capitol, was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts. With a win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency . The victory validates his bareknuckle approach to politics. He attacked his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, in deeply personal—often misogynistic and racist—terms as he pushed an apocalyptic picture of a country overrun by violent migrants. The coarse rhetoric, paired with an image of hypermasculinity resonated , with angry voters—particularly men— in a deeply polarised nation. “I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president,” Trump told cheering supporters in Florida even before his victory was confirmed. In state after state, Trump outperformed what he did in the 2020 election while Harris failed to do as well as Joe Biden did in winning the presidency four years ago. Upon taking office again, Trump also will work with a Senate that will now be in Republican hands, while control of the House hadn’t been determined. “We’ve been through so much together, and today you showed up in record numbers to deliver a victory,” Trump said. “This was something special and we’re going to pay you back”. In his second term, Trump has vowed to pursue an agenda centred on dramatically reshaping the federal government and pursuing retribution against his perceived enemies. The results cap a historically tumultuous and competitive election season that included two assassination attempts targeting Trump and a shift to a new Democratic nominee just a month before the party’s convention. Trump will inherit a range of challenges when he assumes office on January 20, including heightened political polarization and global crises that are testing America’s influence abroad. His win against Harris marks the second time he has defeated a female rival in a general election. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to speak to Trump to congratulate him on his victory  P9 . ‘GOLDEN AGE FOR u.s.’ | P9 ‘Trump’s win positive for India’s IT industry’ | P10 Senate results House results 52 Republicans 38 seats not up for poll, Trump’s A team ELON MUSK Expected to head a new entity called the efficiency commission, which will audit the government and recommend drastic reforms, including possible scrapping of entire depts Democrats 42 3 Flipped 50 204 Republicans 5 Flipped 28 seats not up for poll Democrats 182 218 to win 2 Flipped Helped Trump gain popularity among the young generation. Trump said he would love to have him around, heading a department: “He’ll do a better job than anybody you can think of.” ‘Samosa Caucus’ gets a little bigger A g en c i e s @ Washington Trump’s first term witnessed high turnover rate with many of his team members resigning, being fired, or reassigned. This time, he is expected to fill his Cabinet with loyalists. Here’s who could be part of the Trump-Vance team in 2025 VIVEK RAMASWAMY Harris expected to speak at Howard University at 4 pm local time, call Trump to concede poll Kamala Harris RIC GRENELL KASH PATEL Former US ambassador to Germany who also served acting director of national intelligence, enjoys good rapport with Trump. Could be considered for Secretary of State or NSA Served in various roles in the defence and intelligence communities during Trump’s first term; impressed him with ideas over security and defence issues. Could be made NSA or the CIA chief Indian-American lawyer Suhas Subramanyam created history by becoming the first from the community to be elected from Virginia and the entire East Coast to the House of Representatives. He joined the ‘Samosa Caucus’ in the US Congress that currently comprises five Indian Americans — Ami Bera, Raja Krishnamoor thi, Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal and Shri Thanedar. All five of them were reelected. Subramanyam defeated Mike Clancy of the Republican Party . He is currently a Virginia State Senator. “I am honoured and humbled that the people of Virginia’s 10th District put their trust in me to take on the toughest fights and deliver results in Congress. This district is my home,” Subramanyam said. He had previously served as a White House Advisor to President Barack Obama. Subramanyam’s parents arrived in the US through Dulles Airport in the late 70s. Shri Thanedar was re-elected for the second consecutive term from the 13th Congressional District of Michigan. He won it for the first time in 2023. Raja Krishnamoorthi won the seventh Congressional District of Illinois for the fifth consecutive term. Ro Khanna who represents the seventeenth Congressional District of California and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who represents the seventh Cong ressional District of Washington State, retained their respective seats. Dr Ami Bera, the senior-most Indian American Congressman representing the sixth Congressional District of California since 2013, was re-elected for the seventh consecutive term. FIXED! Early-morning raid or voting? Will stand with people of Munambam: CM a B D U L N A Z E R M A @Palakkad Police prevent a Mahila Congress worker from scaling the Secretariat wall on Wednesday during the protest against the raid in Palakkad | Vincent Pulickal I was in Kozhikode on the day when the dramatic search operations were going on, and there is no cash in my bag, just clothes for a brief two-day visit — Rahul Mamkootathil, UDF candidate The script for this midnight raid was crafted with the knowledge of the CMO and BJP leadership. If cash boxes need searching, it should be done at Pinarayi’s Cliff House, not in the rooms of Congress leaders — K Sudhakaran, KPCC president Raids are common during election times. I don’t see why Congress should find it unusual. Despite being a minister, my vehicle was inspected during the LS polls. I don’t understand why they’re panicking so much— M B Rajesh, minister Kerala’s highly charged political scene reached a boiling point on Wednesday after an early morning police raid at a Palakkad hotel where Congress leaders were staying for bypoll campaign. A few CPM leaders and BJP workers were also staying in the hotel. The police claimed they were acting on a tip-off about black money transactions for UDF candidate Rahul Mamkootathil, but Congress leaders alleged it was a planned attempt to implicate them, and gain advantage ahead of the November 20 by-election. As police searched the premises, tension escalated into chaotic confrontations between leaders and workers of the CPM, the BJP and the Congress. The threehour search, which concluded at 3:30am, yielded no illegal funds, police said. Clashes erupted between Congress workers and police, with MPs Shafi Parambil and V K Sreekandan attempting to defuse the situation. Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan alleged conspiracy, while CPM and BJP workers claimed Mamkootathil was present during the raid. The CPM accused Congress workers of deliberately enacting a melee to facilitate his escape. Congress leaders disputed this, stating the candidate had left to meet with religious leaders. The Palakkad Town South Police conducted another raid at the hotel on Wednesday afternoon, re-inspecting rooms and gathering information from KPM Regency’s CEO. CPM and BJP leaders filed complaints calling for investigations into alleged black money transactions and demanding comprehensive inspection and seizure of CCTV footage. In a dramatic turn of events, the CPM released CCTV footage from the hotel, showing Congress worker Fenny Ninan, the first accused in the fake ID scam in connection with the Youth Congress Organisational election in which Mamkootathil is also under the police scanner, with a trolley bag alongside senior leaders. The UDF candidate is also seen in the footage. The CPM alleged that the bag contained black money. However, the Congress swiftly countered, accusing CPM of spreading false information and overstepping their brief by doing the police’s job. Mamkoottathil questioned how CPM got the video, which was actually collected by police. Following the raid and ensuing commotion, UDF leaders and party workers marched to the Superintendent of Police’s office. During the march, a minor clash erupted between the protesters and the police. In his address inaugurating the protest, KPCC president K Sudhakaran condemned the raid as a staged “midnight drama” and accused minister M B Rajesh and his brother-in-law of conspiracy P4 . M P P r a s h a n t h @Kozhikode As the row over Waqf Board’s claim on the land by more than 600 families at Munambam in Ernakulam becomes a political hot potato, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said the government will stand with the residents. The CM made the statement during a public function held as part of the Wayanad byelection campaign of LDF candidate Sathyan Mokeri in Kalpetta. “The government will stand with the residents of Munam- bam. The issue is now getting wide media attention. A meeting will be held after the byelection and a decision will be taken accordingly he said. ,” Meanwhile, All Kerala Waqf Protection Committee came out ag ainst Leader of Oppn V D Satheesan for making “irresponsible and reckless” remarks on the “Waqf land at Munambam” for deriving political mileage from the controversy . “Satheesan’s intervention is ill-motivated as the UDF wants to put pressure on the government. Satheesan’s consideration is purely political,” said Abdul Khader Karanthoor, general secretary of the committee. Satheesan had recently said that the land at Munambam was not Waqf property . He had also alleged that the government and Kerala Waqf Board were creating a favourable political atmosphere for the Sangh Parivar by promoting communal polarisa- J&K House passes resolution seeking restoration of spl status, guarantees F aya z w a n i @ Srinagar The newly-elected Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution calling on the Centre to initiate dialogue with the elected representatives of the Union Territory to work out mechanisms for restoring special status and constitutional guarantees to the erstwhile state. “That this legislative assembly reaffirms the importance of the special status and constitutional guarantees, which safeguarded the identity, culture and rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and expresses concern over their unilateral removal,” it said. The resolution was moved by deputy J&K chief minister and senior National Conference leader Surinder Choudhary. BJP members, including the leader of opposition Sunil Sharma, opposed it. Sharma said the resolution was not part of the listed business of the House. “Article 370 is history. Nothing is going to happen as Article 370 abrogation was passed by Parliament and supported by the Supreme Court,” he said. Amid the uproar, Speaker Abdur Rahim Rather asked the BJP lawmakers to speak. “If the opposition members do not want to speak, I will put it to vote.” As the protests continued, the Speaker put the resolution to voice vote and it passed. When the Speaker announced that the resolution was passed, the BJP members intensified their protests with some rushing into the well of the House chanting Jai Shri Ram and slogans against the resolution. Assembly did its job: Omar J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the Assembly has done its job. “The assembly has done its job. I will only say this much,” he said on the passage of the resolution tion. “Different courts, from the munsiff court to the High Court, have categorically said the land is a Waqf property. The Ernakulam collector, after a detailed survey also recorded , it is Waqf land,” Khader said. He said in 2019, the Kerala Waqf Board led by Panakkad Rasheed Ali Shihab Thangal had noted that the Waqf land at Munambam should be protected. The Nizar Commission appointed by the V S Achuthanandan government too attested to the Waqf claim on the land, he said.  ● More on P4 EXPRESS READ Clean chit to Nivin Pauly in rape case Kochi: The police have given a clean chit to actor Nivin Pauly in a case registered against him and five others for allegedly raping a Malayali woman in Dubai last year. The police filed a report in court to discharge Nivin in the case after it was found he had not been in Dubai when the alleged incident took place. P5 Order capping pvt bus ops at 140km quashed Kochi: The HC on Wednesday quashed the government notification limiting the maximum trip distance of private buses to 140 km and allowing KSRTC to operate on these long-distance routes. Major private bus associations have welcomed the order. P5