THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l thursday l January 23, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 18 l LATE city EDITION 20 cheetahs to arrive from Kenya between February and September File Photo 15-day quarantine at Gandhi Sagar sanctuary The third batch of 20 cheetahs will arrive at Madhya Pradesh’s Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary between February 25 and Sept 25 Kuno National Park now has 25 cheetahs The cheetahs will undergo a 15-day quarantine before their release into the wild, officials said. A separate enclosure has been created at the sanctuary to house them during the quarantine period. A team of wildlife scientists will inspect the facility. Efforts will be made to pair male and female cheetahs, Dr Abhijeet Pawde, a senior wildlife scientist, said ■ ■ Twenty cheetahs—eight from Namibia in 2022 and 12 from South Africa in 2023—have been brought to India under ‘Project Cheetah’, the Centre’s initiative to reintroduce the species to India Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park now hosts 25 cheetahs, including the 12 from South Africa and their 13 cubs born here 1952 when cheetahs were declared extinct in India 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 Sebi moots mini SIPs at `250 a month 12 killed as they jump off train, hit by another Su d h i r s u r ya w an s h i @ Mumbai B E N K OC H U V E E D A N @ Mumbai Seeking to increase financial inclusion among the underserved sections and inculcate the habit of systematic saving, capital markets regulator Sebi has proposed that fund houses launch sachet-sized systematic investment plans (SIPs) starting `250. These small-ticket SIPs would be offered at lower costs but the discounted rates would apply only for three plans per investor. According to Sebi’s consultation paper, released on Wednesday the scheme is to help small , investors who are new to the mutual fund industry. Therefore, existing investors and those who opt for large SIPs would be excluded. The proposal caps annual investment at `50,000 per investor, per mutual fund, without PAN. However, Aadhaar verification is mandatory . Investors are expected to make a commitment for five years (60 instalments), though there will be no restriction on closing the plan early . The paper also suggests ways to help the asset management companies (AMCs) to recover the additional costs they incur by subsidizing these sachetsized SIPs. It says the AMCs can be compensated from the investor education and awareness fund maintained by the mutual fund industry Sebi esti. mates that AMCs will be able to break even within two years. Sebi will accept industry feedback till February 6. A crowd at the site of the accident, near Pachora railway station | PTI At least 12 rail passengers were killed and 55 other injured after they jumped off their train reportedly over a false fire alarm and were hit by another speeding train around the same time while crossing the tracks in Maharasht r a ’s J a l g a o n d i s t r i c t o n Wednesday . Reports said someone on the Pushpak Express, which was traveling from Lucknow to Mumbai, pulled the chain, raising a false alarm. As the locopilots applied break to slow down the fastmoving train, sparks either from the hot axle or brake-jamming and the smoke spread into the cabin. It triggered panic among passengers who assumed a fire had broken out on the train. In an attempt to save themselves, some passengers jumped off the Pushpak Express unaware that the Karnataka Express was fast approaching from the opposite direction. As they tried to cross the track, many of them were mowed down by the Karnataka Express.The accident took place between Maheji and Pardhade stations near Pachora, more than 400 km from Mumbai. Both trains later Irregular migration a concern: US to India Rubio tells Jaishankar US wants to bolster bilateral ties J AYA N T H J A COB @ New Delhi IN his first bilateral meeting after taking charge as US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio told External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar that the Trump administration is keen to strengthen the US’ strategic partnership with India and urged him to address concerns of ‘irregular migration’. Jaishankar said India strongly supports legal migration. Later, talking to reporters in Washington, he said he flagged the delays faced by Indian citizens in obtaining US visas. Jaishankar-Rubio meeting was held at the headquarters of the State Department on Tuesday. That Rubio, a China hawk and an ardent advocate of India-US relationship, chose to have his first bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart is seen as a signal that the Trump administration is keen to bolster ties with India. During the meeting, they discussed ways to expand the strength and scope of their relationship and a possible meeting between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a ‘mutually convenient, earliest date’. “Secretary Rubio also em- Exchanged views on a wide range of regional and global issues — S Jaishankar, EAM Quad meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with US Secy of State Marco Rubio | pti phasized the Trump Administration’s desire to work with India to advance economic ties and address concerns related to irregular migration,” the State Department read. Jaishankar said the Trump administration has substantial interest in the ongoing cooperation between the US and India, adding that he is optimistic about the trajectory of the bilateral ties. He said the emerging and critical technologies, semi conductors, and alternative supply chains are the focus areas of the new Trump administration. No small fry! Malayalis’ beloved banana fritter caught in tax tangle Raje s h Ra v i @Kochi The batter is leaving a bitter aftertaste! The humble banana fritter, known to Malayalis variously as ‘pazhampori’, ‘ethakkaappam’, ‘vazhakkappam’, etc., depending on where in Kerala you ask, finds itself caught in a tax tangle. The beloved fritters are being slapped with a hefty 18% GST, while their cheeky country cousin, the ‘unniyappam’ — those adorable mini browns — enjoy a leisurely life in the cozy 5% tax slab. According to the Bakers Association Kerala (Bake), traditional snacks like ‘pazhampori’, ‘vada’, ‘ada’, and ‘kozhukatta’ are subjected to differential treatment due to differences arising on account of classification of products under the Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN). Every item has a corresponding HSN code, which determines its tax rate. Although HSN codes are standardised globally by the World Customs Organisation, countries can set their own tax rates for each code. In India, the GST Council is responsible for deciding these rates. Kiran S Palakkal, president of Bake, points out that many sweetmeats and snacks are classified under lower tax slabs, while oth- Why though? Traditional snacks like ‘pazhampori’, ‘vada’, ‘ada’, & ‘kozhukatta’ are subjected to differential treatment due to differences over classification of products under the Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) Every item has a corresponding HSN code, which determines its tax rate ers, due to slight variations in ingredients or preparations, are placed in higher tax slabs. Sherry Oommen, a jurist specialises in tax, commercial and constitutional law, notes that the question of classification is a vexed issue within GST. “The GST Department tends to adopt a stance where preparations not specifically covered for reduced levies are taxed ● More on P4 at 18%.”  In a strong signal to China, foreign ministers from Quad countries opposed any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion | P7 Trump on H-1B visa Trump said he likes ‘both sides of the argument’ on H-1B foreign guest workers’ visa, noting that he likes “very competent people” coming into the country” Tata, Manmohan Singh lead the Bharat Ratna race R A J E S H K U M A R T H A K U R @ New Delhi It’s that time of the year when speculation mounts over the possible recipients of the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour. Among the awardees this year could be towering politicians. There could also be a surprise element on the list that is released around Republic Day . Sources said industrialist Ratan Tata and former PM Manmohan Singh are in the preliminary shortlist for the most coveted award, albeit posthumously The demand for . conferring it on Tata picked up pace after his demise in October. The demand for honouring Singh came from Congress and a few NDA partners, after his demise on December 26. Another legacy could be up for grabs if Dalit icon and BSP founder Kanshi Ram figures on the list. Other names doing the rounds include SP’s Mulayam Singh Yadav, Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar, educationists Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule, Bihar’s first CM Shri Krishna Singh, B P Mandal, whose Mandal Commission report triggered social engineering and gave reservations to OBCs, and ex-Odisha CM Biju Patnaik. 18 pages, including 4 pages of THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Express reached their respective next stations and the accident site was cleared, a police official said. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, expressing grief over the incident, said, “The tragic incident of the loss of lives in a very unfortunate incident near Pachora in Jalgaon district is deeply distressing. I pay my heartfelt tributes to them,” he said. “We are monitoring the situation. I am in touch with the district administration,” Fadnavis said, adding, Jalgaon General Hospital and nearby private hospitals are being kept ready for treating the injured passengers. Chennithala, Satheesan bury differences E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @T’Puram Rajesh (minister) is concerned that we raise allegations against the government separately. We came here unitedly to dispel his concern V D Satheesan, Leader of Oppn In a public show of unity, apparently orchestrated to dispel the popular notion of a bitter feud brewing between them, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala buried the hatchet and displayed mutual warmth at a joint press meet on Wednesday . The two warring leaders called the media conference at the behest of the AICC general secretary in-charge of the state, Deepa Dasmunshi. Chennithala and Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala V D Satheesan vying to outdo each other in the race for chief ministership in case the UDF comes to power in 2026, held a personal meeting before the presser to iron out differences. Dasmunshi had earlier warned party leaders that there was no point in her continuing as the state in- charge if there was no unity within the Congress leadership in Kerala. Referring to Excise Minister M B Rajesh’s jibe that both the leaders were holding separate press conferences on the same issue, Satheesan said, as a beaming Chennithala looked on, “Rajesh is concerned that we raise allegations against the government separately. We came here unitedly to dispel his concern.” He also ridiculed Rajesh for asking why the Opposition did not raise the corruption allegation as an adjournment motion.  ● More on P4