visakhapatnam l thursday l january 23, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 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 ■ 1952 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 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 12 killed as they jump off train, hit by another In first meet, US flags irregular migration issue Sudh i r s u r ya w an s h i @ Mumbai 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 Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district on 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 fast-moving 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. Dhule Jalgaon In an attempt to save themselves, some passengers jumped off the Pushpak Express unaware that the Buldhana Nashik Karnataka Express was fast approaching from the opposite direction. Aurangabad A crowd at the site of As they tried to cross the track, many of them the accident, near Maharashtra were mowed down by the Karnataka Express. Pachora railway station | PTI The accident took place between Maheji and Pardhade stations near Pachora, more than 400 km from Mumbai. Both trains later reached their respective `5 lakh ex-gratia announced next stations and the accident site has been cleared, a Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced police official said. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, ex- a `5 lakh ex-gratia for the next of kin of pressing grief over the incident, said, “The tragic inci- those killed and said the government will dent of the loss of lives in a very unfortunate incident bear the cost of treatment for the injured near Pachora in Jalgaon district is deeply distressing. I pay my heartfelt tributes to them,” he said. “We are Toll could increase monitoring the situation and all necessary assistance is being provided immediately I am in touch with the dis- The Jalgaon district administration said 12 . trict administration,” Fadnavis said, adding, Jalgaon bodies were recovered from the track. It said General Hospital and nearby private hospitals are being the toll could go up as some of the passengers have sustained serious injuries kept ready for treating the injured passengers. Naidu meets Bill Gates, proposes health and AI partnerships with AP E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i ce @ Vijayawada Sebi moots mini SIPs at `250/ month B E N K O C 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. As per Sebi’s consultation paper, released on Wednesday the , scheme is to help small investors who are new to the mutual fund industry Therefore, exist. ing 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. 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 AMCs to recover the additional costs they incur by subsidizing these SIPs. It says the AMCs can be compensated from the investor education and awareness fund maintained by the mutual fund industry. Sebi estimates that AMCs will be able to break even within two years. Sebi has sought industry feedback by February 6, following which it will announce final rules. It was a busy day for Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who is attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. On day three, Naidu highlighted the State’s strategic advantages for global investment and engaged with leaders of top multinational corporations to promote Andhra Pradesh as an ideal destination for cuttingedge technology, green energy, and infrastructure projects. One of his key meetings was with Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). Their discussions centred on forming a partnership to transform Andhra Pradesh into a global hub for health, education, and innovation. Naidu proposed the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Health Innovation and Diagnostics in the State, emphasising its potential to deliver cutting-edge healthcare services to the public. He also highlighted Andhra Pradesh’s commitment to using innovation to improve public health outcomes. Naidu invited Bill Gates to join the advisory board for the proposed Artificial Intelligence (AI) University in Andhra Pradesh. The University is intended to position the State as a leader in AI research and development, aligning with global advancements in technology and education. Expressing interest in implementing BMGF’s successful programmes, such as health dashboards and other social init i a t ive s, w i t h i n A n d h r a Pradesh, Naidu underscored the need for collaboration to adapt global innovations to address local challenges, ensurP4 ing maximum impact.  Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu with Microsoft founder Bill Gates during the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday I Express Rubio’s first bilateral meet of his tenure with Jaishankar indicates trajectory of India ties J AYA N T H J A C O B @ 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, the minister 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. 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 emphasized the Trump Administration’s desire to work with India to advance economic ties and address concerns related to irregular migration,” a statement of the State Department read. Illegal and irregular migration was a key issue Trump raised during his campaign. In October last year, the US Department of Homeland Security deported over 1,100 Indian nationals as part of its efforts to target unauthorised migration. Jaishankar said India needs to verify the nationality of these nationals, adding: “We are open to legitimate return of people.” He 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 emerging technologies, semi conductors, and alternative supply chains are the focus areas of the new administration. qUAD HAS A MESSAGE FOR CHINA In a 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 NUANCES h-1b STAND 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 Diversity STAFF SENT ON LEAVE Trump administration directed that all federal diversity, equity and inclusion staff be put on leave. Agencies told to develop plans to lay them off |P9 Darknet operator pardoned External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a meeting, in Washington DC | PTI No aspiration to join Modi Cabinet, task is to rebuild AP: CM E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i ce @ Vijayawada Ruling out the possibility of joining the Union Cabinet, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday emphasised that he is focused on the task of rebuilding Andhra Pradesh. In an interview with a media organisation in Davos, Naidu was asked if there was any chance he might be invited to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet. In response, he said, “I do not have any such aspirations. I am fully engaged in rebuilding the state. As of today that is my , priority Andhra Pradesh has suffered be. cause of bifurcation and has faced numerous challenges over the past five years.” He stressed that the people have faith in the NDA, which comprises the TDP, BJP, P4 and Jana Sena.  express read Panel constituted to probe Tirupati stampede HUDCO approves release of `11,000 cr for Amaravati Vijayawada: The State government has constituted the Commission of Inquiry, headed by M Satyanarayana Murthy, former Andhra Pradesh High Court Judge, to probe the stampede at Padmavathi Park in Tirupati on January 8 during the distribution of tokens for Vaikunta Dwara Darsha | P4 Vijayawada: Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) has decided to release `11,000 crore for the development of Amaravati. MAUD Minister P Narayana said on Wednesday that the approval was granted during a board meeting of HUDCO in Mumbai Andhra High Court gets two new judges New Delhi: President of India Droupadi Murmu has approved the appointment of Justice Avadhanam Hariharanatha Sharma and Justice Yadavalli Lakshmana Rao to the Andhra Pradesh High Court as recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium | P4 Trump pardoned Ross Ulbricht, who was sentenced to life for running Silk Road darknet marketplace that allegedly facilitated sale of drugs Prelim list Tata, MMS lead 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 . While all sorts of names are doing the rounds, sources said industrialist Ratan Tata and former prime minister 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 Maharashtra cabinet, too, passed a resolution recommending it. The demand for honouring Manmohan Singh came from the Before or after Congress and a few NDA partners, Republic Day after he passed away on December The government could 26. The government in its outrecommend threereach offered two plots within the four names for the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal to build Bharat Ratna before his memorial. Republic Day or after Another legacy could be up for February 5, when grabs if Dalit icon and BSP foundDelhi is scheduled to er Kanshi Ram figures on the list. go for polls BSP chief Mayawati has repeatedly pitched for his recognition with a Bharat Ratna. Among the other names that are doing the rounds are Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar, educationist couple Jyotirao Govindrao Phule and Savitribai Phule, Bihar’s first chief minister Shri Krishna Singh, B P Mandal, whose Mandal Commission report triggered social engineering and gave reservations to OBCs, and former Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik.