THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l Wednesday l January 15, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 18 l LATE city EDITION J&K incomplete without PoK, says Defence Minister in akhnoor Rajnath Singh on Tuesday described PoK as India’s ‘crown jewel’ and said that Pakistan is using the ‘foreign territory’ ‘for terrorism’ end terror or face consequences, Pak told battle of akhnoor holds significance Rajnath Singh warned Pakistan to end terrorism or face consequences. “J&K is incomplete without PoK. People there are deprived of a dignified life. Pakistan makes efforts to mislead and provoke them against India in the name of religion. PoK’s land is being used for terrorism,” he said, adding that Pakistan will have to put an end to its nefarious designs ■ ■ The Battle of Akhnoor is significant as the Army successfully thwarted Pak’s Operation Grand Slam and advanced towards Lahore ‘History stands as a testament that Pakistan has lost every war against India — be it the tribal invasion of 1948, 1965, 1971, or 1999 Kargil. In each case, Pakistan has faced humiliation and defeat’ 1,20,355 sqkm is the total area of Jammu and Kashmir, including poK 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 House panel to summon Meta over Zuckerberg election claims Will seek an apology from the social media giant for ‘factually incorrect’ statements R A J E SH K UM A R TH A K UR @ New Delhi Chairman of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology Nishikant Dubey announced on Tuesday that the panel would summon Meta chairman Mark Zuckerberg over his “factually incorrect” statements about the outcome of the 2024 Lok Sabha poll. The panel will seek an apology from the social media giant for “tarnishing” India’s image. On Monday, I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had lashed out at Zuckerberg for his remarks. Zuckerberg founded Meta, which owns Facebook. “My committee will summon Meta for this incorrect information. Incorrect information about any democratic country tarnishes its image. This organisation will have to apologise to Parliament and the people here for this mistake,” Dubey wrote on ‘X’. On Monday Vaishnaw react, ed strongly on ‘X’, tagging Meta and saying, “It is disappointing to see misinformation from Mr. Zuckerberg himself. Let’s uphold facts and credibility .” Vaishnaw said: “From free food for 800 million, 2.2 billion free vaccines, and aid to nations worldwide during COVID, to leading India as the fastestgrowing major economy, PM Modi’s decisive 3rd-term victory is a testament to good gov- Meta founder’s podcast remarks In a podcast with Joe Rogan, Meta founder Mark Zukherberg said that 2024 was a big election year globally, and in several countries, including India, incumbents lost the polls. ernance and public trust.” Vaishnaw said that Zuckerberg’s “factually incorrect” remarks failed to acknowledge India’s achievements and the strong mandate secured by the government. The remarks are part of the Meta founder’s comments in a podcast with Joe Rogan. Zuckerberg said that 2024 was a big election year globally, and in many countries, including India, incumbents lost the polls. “There is some sort of global phenomenon — whether it was inflation due to the economic policies to deal with Covid or just how the governments handled Covid — which seems to have had a broad effect not just in the US, but globally leading to , a decrease in trust in incumbents and perhaps in democratic institutions overall,” he stated in the podcast. In the 2024 elections, while the BJP fell short of a majority on its own, its alliance secured enough seats to form the government, reinstating Modi as PM for a third straight term. Kerala to rally other states to fight UGC’s new regulations A n u K u r u v i l l a @ Kochi Worried over new UGC regulations, which it feels would rob the state universities of their autonomy the Kerala government , is planning to garner the support of other state governments to exert concerted pressure on the Union government to withdraw the contentious clauses in the proposed guidelines. Terming the new regulations “concerning and disappointing”, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the Union government and the UGC are adopting an approach aimed at destabilising the universities under state governments. “State universities function according to acts formulated by elected legislative assemblies, and the creation of such regulations undermines this autonomy The Union government and the . UGC should refrain from such actions and respect the autonomy of universities and the rights of states in matters concerning education,” Pinarayi said, inaugurating the ‘International Conclave on Next-Gen Higher Education’, at Cochin University of Science ● More on P4 and Technology (Cusat), Kalamassery on Tuesday . sacred ascenT The Thiruvabharanam (sacred ornaments) for the deity, which was brought from the Pandalam temple, being taken up the Holy Steps of the Sabarimala shrine for Makaravilakku on Tuesday | Shaji Vettipuram | P7 for boby chemmanur While granting bail to the businessman in a sexual harassment case, the High Court observed that body shaming is not acceptable in our society | P4 Over 4,000 Pocso cases reported in state last yr Ra h u l R @Kollam Sexual abuse of children continues to be a major concern in Kerala, with 4,196 incidents reported under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, 2012, last year, until November. According to a source with the State Crime Records Bu- reau, the figure is expected to exceed 4,500 once data consolidation for December 2024 is completed, which is expected by the first week of February . In 2023, a total of 4,641 Pocso cases were registered in the state. Among the districts, Thiruvananthapuram reported the highest number of cases (541), followed by Malappuram Govt to declare those missing in Wayanad landslides as dead E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @T’Puram The state government has decided to declare those who went missing in the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslides as dead, which will help their immediate relatives get ex-gratia payments. On Tuesday, the government issued a directive to form committees which will carry out the procedures required to declare the missing people as dead. The decision has come as a huge relief for families of people who went missing in the disaster that struck havoc in the hilly region in Wayanad on July 30 last year. As p e r t h e g ove r n m e n t record, 266 persons were reported dead and 32 missing in the disaster. With the latest decision, the death toll would become 298. The government had earlier announced guidelines to provide financial aid, including ex-gratia, to the relatives of those who died in the mishap. The committees will be formed at the local as well as the state levels. According to the government order, the revenue department officials will collect FIRs registered in connection with missing people. The officials will prepare special inquiry reports, marking that the missing persons could not be located. The local-level committee will include the panchayat secretary village officer, and the police sta, ● More on P4 tion house officer as members. 18 pages, including 4 pages of THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Express Akhadas get right of way to sangam Pa r a m i ta G h os h @ Prayagraj The day of the first Shahi Snan of Maha Kumbh, 2025, was, like always, primarily the day of the akhadas. Shahi Snans are the red-letter days on the Kumbh timetable, and for the devout, who have come from far and wide to take a dip in the Sangam on the occasion of the first Shahi Snan of Makar Sankranti, there is a slight interruption in programme — when the Naga sadhus, their lithe bodies resplendent with ash and health, break into a run for the river. For most, this is the marquee event of the mela, as sadhus wielding swords, maces, and tridents, blissed out on life, wave to the crowds, creating a few moments of intense connection as they move towards the Sangam. It is believed that the dip taken after the babas have bathed will yield Bail At least 1.38 crore people took holy dip on Makar Sankranti on Tuesday | pti great spiritual benefits. The gesture of making way for others is part of the Kumbh tradition. “It all began in 1801 when fights broke out between the different sects and denominations, or the akhadas. On being petitioned to broker a peace, the Peshwa intervened and decreed the sequential order of the akhadas at the Shahi Snans,” says Herambh Chaturvedi, a retired professor of Allahabad University Ever . since, that order — which gives the sects of Naga sanyasis the first right of way to the Sangam — has been enforced by the Akhada Parishad and followed by the different sects of ascetics and renunciants. Tuesday’s Shahi Snan passed without incident except for a brief period of chaos when devotees pushed through the security cordon and entered the area reserved for the sadP10 hus.  (465), Kozhikode (416), and Kollam (397). Soja Thulsidharan, special prosecutor for Pocso cases in Kollam, said there has been a surge in the number of child sexual abuse cases in the state in recent years — with a large number of such incidents originating from the victims’ home and educational institutions. She also highlighted an increase in cases involving male victims. Soja said there has been an increase in awareness about reporting sexual abuse of male children. “Earlier, abuse cases involving male victims were limited to one or two. But now around 50 such cases are reported annually,” she ● More on P4 said. Pocso cases in 2024 (Until Nov) T’Puram 541 Palakkad 248 Kollam 397 Malappuram 465 P’Thitta 150 Kozhikode 416 Alappuzha 296 Wayanad 178 Kottayam 211 Kannur 198 Idukki 212 Kasaragod 140 Ernakulam 393 Thrissur 340 Railway police Source- State Crime Records Bureau 11