BENGALURU l sunday l december 01, 2024 l `12.00 l PAGES 30 l late city EDITION CT schedule: PCB, BCCI still trying to find tangible solution ICC is yet to announce any formal schedule for Champions Trophy. Though hybrid model is likely, yet ICC, BCCI & PCB are thrashing out finer points File picture of Mohsin Naqvi, PCB chairman PCB may not play ICC events in India till 2031 India tournaments might get affected After two days of discussions, Pakistan Cricket Board chief Mohsin Naqvi told a few reporters in Dubai that they would take a decision in the best interest of cricket. However, he also said that whatever decision the ICC takes now will have a bearing on the future ICC tournaments hosted by India till 2031. If India doesn’t travel, Pakistan too won’t come to India ■ ■ There are at least three major ICC men’s events scheduled in India — the 2026 T20 World Cup jointly with Sri Lanka, the 2029 CT and the 2031 ODI World Cup jointly with Bangladesh In women’s, the One Day International (ODI) World Cup will be held in India this October | More on P17 2025 Tentative dates for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy: feb 19 to mar 9 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 Fengal makes landfall; rain, wind sweep TN Cyclone touches land at 6.30 pm near Pondy, Rainfall likely in 4 districts in TN today E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Chennai (From left) Devi Awardees, Vimor Co-founder Pavithra Muddaya; Professor & Dean (Research), NCBS, TIFR, Dr Vatsala Thirumalai; classical dancer Nirupama Rajendra; TNIE CEO Laxmi Menon; Mitti Cafe Founder and CEO Alina Alam; two-time Olympian Anju Bobby George; TNIE Chairman Manoj Kumar Sonthalia; former Infosys CEO SD Shibulal; TNIE Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla; Nimhans Director Dr Pratima Murthy; TNIE Editor Santwana Bhattacharya; Science Gallery Bengaluru Founding Director Jahnavi Phalkey; Director of Events Xpress, Neha Sonthalia Periwal; Founder and Managing Trustee of Neev Schools, Kavitha Gupta Sabharwal; restaurateur Sonali Sattar; author Samhita Arni; and Founder and Managing Trustee of Sanket Trust, Arundhati Nag, pose with their awards at the 29th edition of the Devi Awards in Bengaluru on Saturday. Kalyani (second from right) collected the award on behalf of Portea Medical Co-founder and Chairperson Meena Ganesh | Vinod Kumar T Devi Awards celebrates woman power, pays tribute to 12 trailblazers Twelve trailblazing women -- from a serial entrepreneur to a handloom revivalist to an Olympian to an inclusive activist -- who have made an impact and transcended boundaries, were bestowed with the prestigious Devi Awards by The New Indian Express, at the 29th edition of the awards ceremony here on Saturday evening. After nine years, the Devi Awards event was back in Bengaluru to celebrate the accomplishments of the distinguished women at a gala event graced by the glitterati. The awardees were two-time Olympian Anju Bobby George; theatre exponent Arundhati Nag who founded the popular Rangashankara; Nimhans Director Dr Pratima Murthy; serial entrepreneur Meena Ganesh; author Samhita Arni; founder of Mitti Cafe Alina Alam; educationist Kavita Gupta Sabharwal; handloom revivalist Pavithra Muddaya; founding director of Science Gallery Bengaluru Jahnavi Phalkey; classical dancer Nirupama Rajendra; researcher Dr Vatsala Thirumalai and designer Sonali Sattar, who started Grasshopper. The prestigious Devi Awards were instituted in New Delhi in December 2014, and has since paid tribute to about 300 women achievers from across the country in the preceding 28 editions. Co-founder and former CEO and MD of IT giant Infosys SD Shibulal, who presented the awards, was all praise for The Maharashtra govt swearing in on Dec 5 Maha row: EC-Cong meeting on Tuesday S u d h i r S u r ya w a n s h i @ Mumbai MUK E SH RA N JA N @ New Delhi Days after the Mahayuti alliance retained power in Maharashtra, the first clarity on the new government came in the form of the date and venue of the swearing in ceremony. Apart from the NCP’s participation in the government, all else was hazy . Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the oath-taking ceremony will be held at Azad Maidan here in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday December 5, at 5 pm. , While he was silent on the identity of next chief minister, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis continued to be the front runner for the post. NCP head Ajit Pawar is likely to take his oath as well as deputy chief minister but there was no clarity about caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Sources said a meeting of the BJP legislative party would be held on December 2 or 3 to choose its leader, who would go on to be the new CM. Earlier in the day Union min, ister of State for Civil Aviation Muralidhar Mohal’s name was in circulation as a dark horse in the race of CM. He represents Pune in the Lok Sabha, is a Maratha, and is close to the top leadership of the BJP The specula. tion was he could helm the government while Fadnavis may be elevated as BJP’s national president. But Mohal quickly tamped down the speculation saying he is not at all in the CM race. A day after the Congress submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission of India (ECI) charging that the Maharashtra assembly election process was suspect, the poll body on Saturday invited a delegation of the party for a meeting next Tuesday at 5 pm to discuss its concerns. However, in its pushback, the ECI reiterated that polling through the electronic voting machines was completely transparent, adding candidates and their agents of all parties were involved at every stage of the process. The panel said it will review all legitimate concerns and provide a written response after hearing the party’s delegation at the December 3 meet. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, too, wrote to the E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bengaluru New Indian Express Group. “I am particularly happy to share this stage with The New Indian Express Group, an organisation that has consistently amplified the voices of trailblazing women across India,” he remarked. “Devi Awards are a testament to the unwavering commitment to spotlight extraordinary women who exemplify dynamism and innovation. By recognising and celebrating women’s contributions through platforms like the Devi Awards, we are not just honouring their work but also reinforcing the belief that the future belongs to those who dare to lead, innovate, and inspire. Throughout history and across the globe, women have demonstrated an ECI seeking to know how voter turnout increased by 7.83% after the official polling time had ended. His allegations pertained to “arbitrary deletion of voters and subsequent addition of over 10,000 voters in each constituency from the final voter lists” and the inexplicable increase in voting percentage between 5 pm and the final figures at 11.30 pm on polling day . Rebutting the allegation on addition and deletion of voters in Maharashtra, the ECI said “electoral rolls are always prepared and finalized with close involvement of all political parties”. The panel, however, said it would get the issues raised by the Congress examined. As for questions swirling around the voter turnout data, the ECI asserted that there is no discrepancy as the data is avail, able with all candidates polling station-wise and is verifiable. exemplary ability to lead in ways that transform not only enterprises but entire economies and societies...” He pointed out that studies have ascertained the truth that companies with greater gender diversity outperform their peers across key verticals such as innovation, productivity and profitability “In my own journey I . , first witnessed a unique and holistic approach to leadership in my mother who began working at the age of 20,” he recalled. Apart from his mother, an employee with the excise department, Shibulal holds his wife Kumari and daughter Shruti as role models who have struck a balance with professional and personal lives... “each of whom seems to so intuitively carry the truly inspiring quality of combining innovation and leadership with empathy”.  P2 The cyclonic storm ‘Fengal’ made landfall between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram close to Puducherry on Saturday night, bringing very heavy rain to districts along the north Tamil Nadu coast, including Chennai. Chennai received over 18cm of rainfall in 24 hours from Friday evening to 5.30 pm on Saturday. The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) said the spiral bands associated with the cyclone had touched land at 6.30 pm and would cross the coast over the next 3 to 4 hours, with a wind speed of 70-80kmph gusting up to 90kmph. The storm was continuously monitored by the doppler weather radar at Chennai. S Balachandran, director, RMC, told reporters that it was a very dynamic cyclonic storm constantly changing moving speeds. “As per the latest ocean satellite data, the landfall process might take several hours for the eye of the storm to com- Residents of Chennai fasten roof tiles to prevent wind damage | p ravikumar ST Corpn scam accused claims threat to life in jail by ‘real culprits’ Yat h i r a j u @ Bengaluru Claiming innocence, G Satyanarayana Varma, accused no. 1 in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation scam case, has expressed apprehension before a special court that there is a danger to his life at the hands of the main culprits, who are trying to end his life in jail. Varma, through his advocate during the hearing of the bail application, also alleged that he was a normal person who had been victimised, and noticed that the investigating agency, the CID, is avoiding taking action against the real culprits, including ex-minister B Nagendra, under the influence of the ruling government, despite his complaint dated June 28, 2024, with a request for entrustment of the investigation to the CBI. P4 WITH THIS ISSUE A Doom PLUS 12 PAGES with a View Drugs controller suspended over deaths of postpartum women in Ballari E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bengaluru Following the deaths of four postpartum women at the Ballari District Hospital recently, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the suspension of Drugs Controller Dr Umesh S for dereliction of duty and the pros, ecution of a West Bengal-based pharmaceutical firm, whose ‘substandard’ Ringer’s lactate is suspected to have caused the deaths of the women. The decision comes after a high-level meeting was con- vened to address the issue, which raised serious concerns over the safety of medical supplies in the state. The CM said the West Bengal-based company responsible for supplying the Ringer’s lactate solution used at the hospital has been blacklisted, and a criminal case has been filed against it. The deaths occurred be- tween November 11 and 17, with the women suffering from complications like multiple organ failure, hemodialysis, and acute kidney injury. While three other patients who faced similar complications are recovering, the tragic incident has prompted immediate investigation. In response to the deaths, the state gover nment also announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased.  P5 pletely move inland.” Officials said all the important lake catchment areas in and around Chennai received good rains boosting the level of water in reservoirs. The rains were not threatening as they occurred in intermittent spells. The rainfall ranged from 10cm to 13cm in most of the weather stations. In Chennai, the highest rainfall of 13.2cm was recorded by the automatic weather station at Jaya Engineering College, followed by Meenambakkam with 11.4cm and Nungambakkam with 10.4cm. Puducherry, where the landfall took place, recorded 10.4cm, while the Mailam station in Villupuram recorded 13.6cm. This data is from the 8.30 am to 5.30 pm window on Saturday and the weather by and large cleared up thereafter. On Sunday rainfall is expect, ed over Villupuram, Kallakuruchi and Cuddalore districts and Puducherry, where a red alert has been issued. No more use of IV Ringer’s Lactate Glucose The health department has suspended the use of IV Ringer’s Lactate in all government hospitals across the state | P5 express read ‘2 more Hindu priests arrested in B’desh’ Kolkata: Two more Hindu priests were arrested in Bangladesh, ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson Radharamn Das claimed on Saturday. “I have received information that two more ISKCON monks have been arrested by police in Bangladesh,” he said. P12 Pak court finds Imran guilty of abetting riots Lahore: A Pakistani court on Saturday said jailed former PM Imran Khan is guilty of conspiring with perpetrators of the May 9 riots. Khan was booked in several cases in Lahore, in connection with the 2023 violence, including for inciting his supporters to attack government buildings.