tirupati l saturday l december 14, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l anantapur EDITION Champions Trophy: Hybrid model agreed in principle ICC likely to announce CT formula on Saturday after Pakistan and Indian cricket boards reportedly agree in principle to play at neutral venues Dubai most-likely venue for india other seven teams to play in Pak It is understood that India could play in Dubai during the CT next year to be held from February 19 to March 9. Reports indicate that when India host 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup and 2026 men’s WC, Pakistan will not travel here and play against India at a neutral venue (could be Colombo for men’s WC). If India reach final then it could be at a neutral venue ■ ■ ■ The CT features eight teams, divided into two groups and all countries, except India, have agreed to play in Pakistan The PCB had said that it was willing to accept the hybrid model only if the same arrangement will be made for all ICC events India have not travelled to Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup 8 Number of teams to play in the Champions trophy 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 Allu Arjun arrested, granted bail T G N a i d u @ Hyderabad actor Allu Arjun was on Friday arrested in connection with the death of a woman at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre during the premiere of his movie Pushpa-2 on December 4. Hours after the arrest, the Telangana High Court granted him interim bail for four weeks. As part of the bail conditions, Justice Juvvadi Sridevi directed Arjun to furnish a personal bond of `50,000 and to refrain from influencing witnesses. The actor was also instructed to file a fresh petition for regular bail in the trial court. The next hearing is scheduled for December 21, 2024. However, the actor was not released till reports last came in, as the jail authorities were yet to receive the bail order. A 35-year-old woman died and her eight-year-old son was critically injured when the crowd at the theatre rushed to have a glimpse of the actor at the premiere of the movie on December 4. The police, acting on the complaint by Revathi’s husband alleging negligence on the part of the event organizers and Arjun, arrested the actor from his Jubilee Hills residence on Friday afternoon. He was then taken to Gandhi Hospital for medical examination before being produced before the Nampally court, which sent him to 14 days remand. Last week, the actor had announced `25 lakh to the family of the deceased. Allu Arjun at the Gandhi Hosp. for checkup | pti Rajnath, Priyanka trade barbs Switzerland RETALIATION Coronation day D Gukesh receives the World Chess Championship trophy during a closing ceremony in Singapore on Thursday. He won the match yesterday | FIDE RG Kar ex-head, cop get bail in rape-murder case S u l a g n a S e n g u p ta @ Kolkata A Sealdah court on Friday granted bail to Sandip Ghosh, former principal of state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, and Abhijit Mondol, former officer in-charge of the Tala police station, in the horrific rape-murder case of a junior doctor four months ago. While Mondal was accused of delay in filing the FIR in the case, Ghosh was charged with tampering evidence. The court granted them bail as the CBI failed to submit its chargesheet within the mandatory 90 days. For its part, the CBI said its probe against the accused is ongoing. Jathwani case: Conspiracy by CMO alleged E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Vijayawada Advocate General Dammalapati Srinivas alleged that a conspiracy was hatched by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) under the previous YSRCP regime to register a case and arrest actress and model Kadambari Jathwani. He presented his arguments while the High Court on Friday was hearing the anticipatory bail pleas filed by IPS officers Kanti Rana Tata, Vishal Gunni, police officers Hanumantha Rao and Satyanarayana, and advocate I Venkateswaralu in the case pertaining to the alleged harassment of Kadambari Jathwani. The AG stated that higher officials in the police department had plotted to implicate Jathwani, even before businessman Kukkala Vidyasagar had registered a case against her.Dammalapati argued that IPS officer Vishal Gunni, who was transferred from Vijayawada to Visakhapatnam, was sent to Mumbai to supervise the Jathwani case. As evident by Gunni’s testimony before the disciplinary committee, the then Vijayawada Commissioner of Police (CP) Kanthi Rana Tata informed him that he will be relieved once he returns from Mumbai, he pointed P4 out.  The shocked parents of the RG Kar hospital victim waiting for justice said the system is failing them. “We thought the CBI would speed up the probe. But now, with the accused being granted bail, it feels like the system is failing us,” said the mother of the murdered doctor. Massive protests had erupted across the country after the rape-murder of the doctor in the hospital on August 9. The police arrested Sanjay Roy a civic volunteer, a day , later. The CBI has filed its chargesheet against Roy . While Mondal is expected to walk out of prison, Ghosh will remain in jail in another case of alleged financial irregularities at R G Kar. Fiery debate in the House of the People to commemorate the 75th year of the Constitution P r e e t h a N a i r @ New Delhi The much-anticipated debate to commemorate the 75th year of the Constitution kicked off on Friday with the ruling BJPled NDA and Opposition INDIA bloc sparring over Constitutional values, its relevance and key political issues. Initiating the debate in the Lok Sabha, Union defence minister Rajnath Singh attacked the Congress saying a particular party always tried to ‘hijack and appropriate’ the framing of the Constitution. Rajnath said the Congress made 28 Constitutional amendments during Indira Gandhi’s tenure and 10 during Rajiv Gandhi’s rule. And the Manmohan Singh government made seven amendments. The BJP has never compromised the independence and autonomy of institutions and always adhered to the Constitution, Rajnath said. The Constitution talked about religious freedom and it had been specified that the state would not have a religion but be secular, he added. “Opposition leaders carry the Constitution in their pockets, they Rajnath Singh and Priyanka Gandhi participating in a debate in LS on Friday | PTI Prime minister expected to speak today The eight-hour long fiery debate saw heated exchanges on Constitutional values in the Lok Sabha. On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to speak in the Lower House have done this for generations, but the BJP holds it to its forehead,” Rajnath said. Deliberating on the democratic journey of the country, he said the ideas of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, Lala Lajpat Rai, Sardar Bhagat Singh and Veer Savarkar have strengthened the basis of the Constitution. This invited protests from the Opposition. Opening the debate for the Opposition, Congress MP Priy- anka Gandhi Vadra rebutted Rajnath’s criticisms. “Treasury bench members keep talking about the past and Nehru. Why don’t you talk about the present? Tell the country what you are doing. Is everything Nehru’s responsibility?” she asked in her first address in Parliament. Priyanka also hit out at the government over the Adani issue, which invited protests. “Farm laws have been changed for industrialists. Cold storages in Himachal Pradesh were given to Adani by the Centre. Ports, airports, factories, mines and public sector units are controlled by one person. The poor are getting poorer, while the rich are getting richer,” she alleged. Referring to Rajnath’s criticism of Emergency, Priyanka said, “Learn from what happened in 1975. Why don’t you go back to ballot paper?” Striking an emotional chord, Priyanka said she had met the rape victims in Unnao and the Sambhal violence victims. “They told me they will fight for justice till the end. They derive strength from the Constitution,” she said. “The prime minister is not bothered about Manipur or Sambhal. Maybe he hasn’t understood that this is the Constitution of India, not the Sangh’s,” she added. Responding to Rajnath’s barb on caste census, she said the Lok Sabha results forced the government to talk about Constitution. “They would have changed the Constitution, if the Lok Sabha results were in their favour. People want caste census,” she alleged. cm pitches for decentralisation of development Five-Year Target E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Vijayawada VISION 2047 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE Population: ~5.8 Cr population (~5.3 Cr currently) Median Age: ~40 years (~32.5 years currently) 15% Urbanized population: ~60% (~36% currently) Projection for yearly economic growth SOCIAL PROFILE ECONOMIC PROFILE Literacy rate: 100% (~72% currently) GSDP (nominal): >$2.4 Trillion (~$180 Billion currently) Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR): >80% (~45.8% currently) Per capita GSDP: >$42,000 (~$3,400 currently) Unemployment rate: <2% (~4.1% currently) Exports: >$450 Bn (~$20.7 Bn currently) Share of Skilled Workforce in Total Workforce: >95% (20-30% currently) Share of RE in state needs: >75% (30-35% currently) Life Expectancy: ~85 (~70.6 years currently) GOVT’S 10 GUIDING PRINCIPLES Zero Poverty Product Perfection Employment Swachh Andhra Skilling & HRD Deep Tech-All Water Security Walks Of Life Farmer-Agri Global Best Technology Logistics Cost Optimisation – Energy & Fuel Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu released the ‘Swarna Andhra Vision-2047’ document aimed at achieving a ‘wealthy, healthy and happy’ Andhra Pradesh, during a grand event held at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation (IGMC) Stadium in Vijayawada on Friday . Naidu declared that the vision, which encompasses 10 principles, intends to elevate the Telugu society to unparalleled heights on the global stage. He asserted that the document, unveiled just six months into his administration, demonstrates his government’s commitment to reform and develop the State. Terming the document foundation for a new era, he asserted, “The ‘Swarna Andhra Vision-2047’ is not just a document, but a resolve to build a better future for generations to come.” Elaborating on the TDP-led NDA government’s plans to ensure balanced growth in the State, he declared, “We aim to achieve decentralisation of power and development by setting up 175 industrial parks, one in each AsP4 sembly constituency .” high income, zero poverty Naidu said the State government’s goal is to create a poverty-free society and reduce economic inequalities The CM shared his target to increase the State’s per capita income from current $3,000 to $42,000 by 2047 withdraws MFN status for India DIPA K M O NDA L @ New Delhi in a retaliatory action, Switzerland has withdrawn the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status granted to India, which will result in higher tax implications for Indian companies operating in the central European country The Swiss action came after . India’s Supreme Court rejected automatic applicability of MFN clause under the bilateral tax treaty in a case related to Swiss firm Nestle. In its order dated December 11, the Swiss government said the Supreme Court’s ruling shows Switzerland’s interpretation of MFN clause under the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement is not shared by the Indian side. Therefore, it said it was waiving its unilateral application of MFN clause with effect from January 1, 2025. Accordingly, income accruing on or after January 1, 2025 may be taxed in Switzerland at higher rates. The applicable residual rates on dividend paid by Indian firms in Switzerland would now be 10% instead of the 5% under the MFN clause. The MFN clause provides for lowering of rate of taxation at source on dividends, interest, royalties, or fees for technical services similar to concessions given to other countries with similar tax treaties. “Switzerland’s decision marks a shift in bilateral treaty dynamics... This move underscores the growing emphasis on reciprocity and mutual agreement in the interpretation of treaty provisions,” said Sandeep Jhunjhunwala, M&A tax partner, Nangia Andersen. Amit Maheshwari, tax partner at AKM Global, said there is a concern that more countries may follow suit. “Switzerland is of the view that it is not receiving the same treatment India grants to other countries with more favourable tax treaties. The main reason is reciprocity, which ensures taxpayers in both countries are treated equally and fairly he said. ,” digital age learning AI integrated in curriculum for KGBVs, residential schools in N Andhra S r e e n u b a b u pat i v a d a @ Srikakulam The State government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Quest Alliance and Leadership for Equity (LFE) under Amazon’s Future Engineer (AFE) programme to create and equip young learners for the digital future. Samagra Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) signed the three-year agreement on behalf of the government, to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) as part of the school curriculum in all KGBVs (Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas) and residential model schools in Srikakul a m , Vi z i a n a g a r a m a n d Visakhapatnam districts. The AI curriculum has been effective from November for academic year 2024-25 for classes VII to X. Teachers trained for the AI programme have been conducting the classes in their respective schools under the guidance of the Quest Alliance support team. Speaking to The New Indian Express, Srikakulam District Education Officer (DEO) Dr S Tirumala Chaitanya said, “Integration of AI curriculum will help equip students with skills needed for future careers in technology while fostering critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. We have been implementing this AI curriculum in as many as 100 schools, including 38 schools in erstwhile Srikakulam district, from this academic year.” Further, he explained that the Quest Alliance team trained two teachers from each schools for two months. “Our teachers have gained valuable expertise through con- tinuous training in Artificial Intelligence using Amazon Alexa provided by the Quest Alliance team to explore AI,” he explained. He emphasised that this initiative holds the promise of creating a lasting positive impact and preparing our classrooms for the demands of the 21st cenP4 tury .