HYDERABAD  THURSDAY  DECEMBER 05, 2024  `9.00  PAGES 16  LATE CITY EDITION RESERVE BANK INCREASES UPI LITE’S PER-TRANSACTION LIMIT TO `1,000 The Reserve Bank of India also enhanced the on-device wallet’s total limit at any point in time from `2,000 at present to `5,000 MOVE TO WIDEN SCOPE OF OFFLINE PAYMENTS... ...AND TO ENCOURAGE DIGITAL TRANSACTIONS The central bank on Wednesday amended the ‘offline framework’ issued in January 2022 to facilitate small-value offline digital payments. Till now, the upper limit for a UPI Lite transaction was `500 and the maximum amount of money you could hold on your on-device wallet was `2,000. The RBI had announced its decision on raising the limits in October ■ ■ ■ Transaction and wallet limits are being raised to encourage wider adoption of the popular instant payment system UPI Lite payments don’t require an Additional Factor of Authentication like a PIN or a password and transaction alerts are not sent in real-time UPI Lite was introduced in 2022 with a per transaction limit of `200 516 mn IS THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAILY UPI TRANSACTIONS IN NOVEMBER 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 CM urges people to ostracise those skipping caste survey EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Peddapalli BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, and NCP chief Ajit Pawar share a light moment during a press conference, in Mumbai on Wednesday | PTI SWEARING-IN TODAY; NOVEMBER 25 TNIE REPORT SAID HE WAS THE LIKELY CM PICK AJIT PAWAR TO BE DY CHIEF MINISTER; SUSPENSE CONTINUES OVER SHINDE Fadnavis to be Maha CM ‘BJP-LED GOVT WILL HELP STATE GROW’ Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP’s central observer for the legislature party meet, said on Wednesday that BJP governments in Maharashtra and the Centre will help the state become a greater economic powerhouse in the country NO ROOM FOR TAINTED LEADERS, ALLIES TOLD According to BJP sources, Fadnavis wants to have leaders with clean image in his cabinet so that his government can deliver on the poll promises. Alliance partners Shiv Sena and the NCP have reportedly been told not to recommend ‘tainted and painted’ MLAs as ministers | P8 S U D H I R S U R YA W A N S H I @ Mumbai ENDING days of speculation, Devendra Fadnavis was on Wednesday unanimously elected the leader of Maharashtra BJP Legislative Party, paving the way for his swearing in as chief minister. This newspaper had on November 25 reported that Fadnavis was likely to be picked as Maharashtra chief minister. Fadnavis will take oath on Thursday at 5.30 pm, after Governor C P Radhakrishnan invited him to form the new government in the state. Two deputy chief ministers, including NCP leader Ajit Pawar, will also be sworn in at the ceremony at the sprawling Azad Maidan in south Mumbai on Thursday . There is no clarity on whether Shiv Sena leader and outgo- ing CM and Eknath Shinde will be a part of the new government, though Fadnavis said he has requested him to join. In the joint press conference with Fadnavis and Pawar, Shinde said he has offered his support to the new government to be led by Fadnavis, but he refused to clarify whether he will become deputy chief minister. Shinde said he needs time to think over it and he will take the decision by consulting his people. Meanwhile, Shinde is facing pressure from his party to join the government. “We are hopeful that Shinde saheb will listen to us and be part of the government,” said Shiv Sena MLA and former minister Uday Samant. Sources said Shinde has demanded the home portfolio with an added condition that there should not be any interference in his ministry Shinde . has also handed over the list of names of probable ministers from the Shiv Sena to Fadnavis, who said he would consult the BJP’s top leadership and get back on the demands. “There is pressure over Shinde by his own MLAs and former ministers to be part of the new government. The BJP is offering urban development revenue ministry instead of home ministry We are confi... dent that he will accept the deal,” said a BJP leader. This is the third time in 10 years that Fadnavis is becoming the chief minister of Maharashtra. In 2014, he made history as the state’s first Brahmin chief minister in nearly 40 years. In 2019, he managed to form government with the help of Ajit Pawar but it lasted only a few days. CALLING upon the people to socially ostracise those who do not participate in the ongoing caste census, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday wanted to know why BRS top leaders like K Chandrasekhar Rao, KT Rama Rao, T Harish Rao and J Santosh Kumar did not participate in the exercise. “Are you anti-BC? Don’t you want to give BCs their due share?” the chief minister asked the BRS leaders, and called upon the Backward Classes to think about this. Addressing a Yuva Vikasam public meeting organised here as part of the Congress regime’s first anniversary, Revanth dared BJP and BRS leaders to a debate on the number of vacancies filled by his government in the past year. Before addressing the meeting, the chief minister handed over appointment letters to 8,084 candidates selected for Group-IV jobs and pointed out that this brought the total number of posts filled by his Sukhbir Badal narrowly escapes assassination bid H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh SHIROMANI Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday narrowly escaped an assassination attempt outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Badal was performing the duty of ‘sewadar’ at the main gate of the shrine when a former Babbar Khalsa International terrorist Narain Singh Chaura tried to shoot him around 9.30 am, but missed. Standing a few meters away from Badal, Chaura took out a pistol and tried to shoot Badal, but was quickly subdued by the security personnel in plain clothes. A bullet was fired, which missed Badal and hit a wall. Detailing the incident, Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said, “One of the police personnel Rashpal Singh saw Chaura and followed him. As he tried to fire at Badal, two other police personnel, Jasbir Singh and Parminder Singh, overpowered him and the bullet hit a wall.” Bhullar said 175 police personnel in plain clothes were deployed at the site. The fore was headed by an AIG-level officer. Chaura was arrested at the spot and his gun was seized by the police. government to 55,143 so far. Stating that even in the last 25 years, recruitment on such a massive scale did not take place in Gujarat, Revanth said: “I am ready for a debate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this. I will arrange a special flight for Modi. He can come and discuss with me at the Telangana Secretariat.” He alleged that the previous BRS regime failed to fill vacant posts in the government sector B K A R T H E E K @ Hyderabad Wall of a house in Eturunagaram that collapsed due to the tremor on Wednesday 5.3 magnitude temblor Another feather in Hyd’s cap: Google rocks TG, no casualties to set up Safety Engineering Centre EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad GOOGLE on Wednesday entered into an agreement with the Telangana government to set up the Internet giant’s Safety Engineering Centre (GSEC) in Hyderabad. The GSEC in Hyderabad will be Google’s second in the Asia Pacific region, after Tokyo, and fifth in the world, along with Dublin, Munich and Malaga. GSEC is a specialised international cybersecurity hub that plays a vital role in developing advanced security and online safety products in the context of India. The centre will focus on research, AI-driven security solutions and creati n g a c o l l ab o r at ive platform for leading experts and researchers in cybersecurity, according to an official release from the CMO. The GSEC is aimed at fostering skill development, boosting employment and enhancing cybersecurity capabilities in the Talking points Google in discussions to establish a major Cloud Centre of Excellence (Google C-CoE) in Hyderabad Google to explore an agreement to partner with Telangana govt to set up India’s first Googlepowered Intelligent Traffic Management System. This will harness the power of Google Maps, AI, Live Camera Stream data management, real-time traffic signaling management, among others country. Google has its largest employee base in Hyderabad and is building its largest office in the world in the city out, side of its headquarters. The GSEC was announced on October 3, at the Google for India 2024 Conclave, leading to a feisty competition between states to bag the investment. The state government played a proactive role in ensuring Google exploring ways to power Hyderabad Future City to develop one of the Globally Smartest Cities Google and Telangana are exploring ways to partner in education to enhance the entire school education system Google and the state govt to explore partnerships in startup ecosystem, including establishing a Google Startup Hub Google to explore programmes to support Young India Skill University harnessing AI and Cybersecurity skills and competencies that this state-of-the-art facility is set up in Hyderabad. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy took up the matter during his visit to Google Headquarters at USA. “We are very proud that Google has chosen Hyderabad for setting up the GSEC. This partnership is a testament to Hyderabad’s standing as a leading IT and innovation hub in the country, and world,” Revanth CONTINUED ON P5 said. RESIDENTS of Hyderabad and parts of Telangana experienced moderate tremors on Wednesday morning, following a 5.3 magnitude earthquake centered in Mulugu district. The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) confirmed the quake occurred at 7:25 am at a depth of 40 km. No loss of life or significant structural d a m a g e h ave b e e n reported. A resident of Hyderabad recounted her experience saying: “I felt disoriented while cutting vegetables, thinking it was vertigo, until my son infor med me about the tremors.” Wednesday’s temblor marks the second major earthquake in the region after a 5.7 magnitude quake in Bhadrachalam in 1969. Tremors were felt in multiple areas, including Kothagudem, Bhadrachalam, Khammam, Warangal, Hanamkonda, Mahabubabad, Mulugu, Sultanabad, Odela, Kalva Sr- THAT SHAKY FEELING The epicentre of Wednesday’s temblor was 18.44°N and 80.24°E with a focal depth of 40 km. The epicentre was approximately 85 km northeast of Warangal, 65 km southwest of Bijapur (Chhattisgarh), 218 km northwest of Hyderabad and 212 km north of Vijayawada. HISTORICAL SEISMIC ACTIVITY IN THE REGION 1969: 5.7 magnitude quake in Bhadrachalam. 1983: 4.8 magnitude quake in Medchal 2021: 4.6 magnitude quake in Pulichintala irampur and other areas in the state. Prantik Mandal, a senior scientist at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), assured the public there was no cause for alarm. “Earthquakes of this magnitude are not uncommon, and there is no history of quakes exceeding a magnitude of 6 in Telangana in the last 100 years,” CONTINUED ON P2 he said. DARK SIDE OF SPORT India cricketers heckled and body-shamed in Adelaide E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Chennai PERHAPS, the organisers never expected such a crowd. The open nets session for India at Adelaide before the second day and night Test match against Australia turned carnivalesque. Almost. It turned into chaos. About 3,000 (some put that figure at 5,000) spectators descended at the practice wickets at Adelaide to watch their favourite stars going through their practice rituals. According to reports, the crowd started to laugh and tease players whenever they got out or were missing the ball. On the other hand, Australia team practice did not see a turnout of more than 100 people. Things started to turn ugly as some of the spectators started to request for selfies, even while batting, and if reports are to be believed, some were even doing Facebook live from the practice centre. Re- in the 10 years it was in power. “It was the Congress government that took up the responsibility of providing employment to the youth,” he said. Alleging widespread corruption in BRS rule, Revanth stated that the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme has collapsed. “Even in the absence of Kaleshwaram water, the state produced 1.50 crore tonnes of paddy creating a record this year,” , CONTINUED ON P4 he said. State Cabinet expansion likely before end of the year V V B A L A K R I S H N A @ Hyderabad Police in plain clothes subdue a man (in black pants) who tried to shoot Sukhbir Singh Badal | PTI Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy interacts with students during the Praja Palana-Praja Vijayotsavalu celebrations at SKVBR Botanical Garden in Peddapalli on Wednesday ports also indicated that players were even laughed and mocked at. The crowd also seemed to have gone personal, attacking certain player for fitness. What really irked the team was that the vociferous crowd distracted them and concentration while batting was getting difficult. “It was complete chaos. During the Australian training session, not more than 70-odd peo- ple turned up but during India’s session, 3,000 came. No one expected so many fans to turn up,” a senior Indian cricket board official told a news agency. The anonymity cricketers held may be in the last century is slowly changing with more engagement from the South Asian communities in Australia. The BCCI has banned all net sesP11 sions after this. THE much-anticipated expansion of the state Cabinet is likely to take place before the year ends, confirmed well-placed sources in the government. However, they refused to provide clarity on the number of vacancies to be filled in the Council of Ministers led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy . The Congress government will complete its first year in office on December 7, with six of the 18 Cabinet berths vacant. Through the year, the chief minister has been warding off pressure from veteran and firsttime MLAs eyeing berths. According to party sources, the Congress high command is considering P Sudharshan Reddy Komatireddy Rajagopal Red, dy, Malreddy Ranga Reddy, N B a l u N a i k , G Vive k Venkataswamy, Vakiti Srihari and Amer Ali Khan for the vacant berths. It is learnt that TPCC chief B Mahesh Kumar Goud and MLC Balmoor Venkat are also trying to make it to the Cabinet. If matters had proceeded as per plans, the Cabinet expansion would have taken place during Dasara. In fact, at one point of time, it was rumoured that the Governor’s office was requested to make arrangements for the swearing-in ceremony following the chief minister’s Delhi tour. However, the exercise got delayed owing to elections for the Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assemblies. CONTINUED ON P4 EXPRESS READ Rahul Gandhi stopped from visiting Sambhal New Delhi: A delegation of Congress leaders led by Rahul Gandhi on its way to violence-hit Sambhal was stopped by UP police at Ghazipur border here on Wednesday and had to return, with the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha terming it as “anticonstitutional”. The Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi, returned to Delhi | P7