tirupati l tuesday l january 28, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l late city EDITION India and China agree to resume Kailash Mansarovar Yatra Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who is in Beijing on a two-day visit, held wide-ranging talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday Direct flight services to be restarted both sides should seize opportunity: Wang During their talks, the two sides decided to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in the summer of this year. “The relevant mechanism will discuss the modalities for doing so as per existing agreements,” a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said. They also agreed in principle to resume direct air services between the two countries ■ ■ “The two sides should seize the opportunity... commit to mutual understanding, mutual support, and mutual achievement,” Wang said On resuming the provision of hydrological data and boosting other cooperation related to trans-border rivers, it was agreed to hold an early meeting of the India-China Expert Level Mechanism | P11 2025 marks 75 years since India and China established diplomatic relations 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 Waqf Bill gets feting new ideas, old wisdom JPC nod with 14 amendments E xpress Ne w s S erv i c e adaptive testing models and emphasised aligning entrance exams with school curricula to reduce the reliance on coaching centers. In a forward-looking session on AI, Shekar Nair, Co-founder of Upekkha, tackled the hype and reality of AI. Nair emphasised the need to adapt to AIdriven changes in the workplace. Those who fail to embrace AI risk being replaced by it, he said. @ Chennai Report expected to be tabled in Parliament ahead of February 5 Delhi assembly polls P ree t h a N a i r @ New Delhi What is new Right to appoint officer to determine whether a property is Waqf or not given to the state govt instead of the District Collector in proposed bill Mandatory clause to include 2 non-Muslims in Central Waqf Council and state Waqf Boards dropped. Proposes change in the composition of the Waqf Board by increasing it to three members, including a scholar What next JPC will circulate final draft among the members on Tuesday It will meet on January 29 to adopt the report Report to be submitted to LS Speaker on January 31 and tabled in Parliament before Feb 5 Delhi polls A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) scrutinising the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, approved it on Monday setting the tone for its ta, bling for discussion and passage during the forthcoming Budget session of Parliament. While the panel led by BJP MP Jagadambika Pal adopted 14 amendments suggested by the ruling NDA members, all those proposed by the Opposition were rejected 10:16 by voice vote. The bill, introduced during the Monsoon session, had proposed 44 amendments to the Waqf Act, 1995. While the Opposition was up in arms against the panel chairman for allegedly breaking rules and bulldozing the proceedings, Pal said that the amendments were put to vote in a democratic manner. However, DMK MP A Raja said, “The chairman himself called the names of the mover of the amendments (given by us) and he himself moved the amendments on our behalf and conducted the head count. And he announced the rejection of our amendments. We will move the Supreme Court if it becomes a bill.” Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Pal said one of the alterations aims to empower the state government to appoint an officer to determine whether a property is Waqf or not — instead of the District Collector who was given absolute powers to do so in the proposed bill. In the Waqf Act 1995, that power is vested in survey commissioners and additional commissioners. The panel also approved changes to another contentious provision that mandated the inclusion of two non-Muslim members in the Central Waqf Council and state Waqf Boards. It dropped the term mandatory and proposed changes in the composition of the Waqf Board by increasing it to three members, including a scholar. Another change was on the ‘Waqf by user’ provision. While the bill knocked it off entirely the , panel approved amendments that said the the ‘Waqf by user’ law will not apply retrospectively , so long as the property is registered. However, Congress MP and JPC member Imran Masood contested the proposal saying 90% of Waqf properties are not registered. Speaking to this newspaper, Masood accused the government of trying to create unrest by bringing in the new bill. Uttarakhand 1st state to implement uniform civil code CM Pushkar Singh Dhami announced UCC’s implementation on Monday, saying “the constitutional and civil rights of people across all religions have become uniform” | P10 CM POST People first, posts next for me: Pawan K K a lya n K r i s h n a K u m a r @ Vijayawada Jana Sena chief and Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan has asserted his commitment to public service over political positions, urging the party rank and file to uphold the dignity of alliance. His message to the party cadre attains significance in the wake of recent political developments as they want to see him as the Chief Minister of the State, when some TDP leaders raised the issue of HRD Minister Nara Lokesh’s elevation as the Deputy CM. In a message circulated to JSP activists on Sunday, he highlighted the coalition’s historic victory in the 2024 general elections, securing 164 of 175 Assembly seats with 94% strike rate. The JSP won all the 21 Assembly and two Lok Sabha seats it contested. He credited the victory to the people’s faith in the alliance, driven by their dissatisfaction with the YSRCP’s five-year misrule and p4 large scale corruption. I mpactful conversations and thought-provoking debates marked the 13th edition of the ThinkEdu Conclave, presented by SASTRA University, held at ITC Grand Chola in Chennai on Monday. A stellar lineup of speakers, from policymakers to academicians, reflected on the contemporary challenges and opportunities in education and beyond. The day began with a Saraswati Vandana by the students of MOP Vaishnav College for Women, followed by ceremonial lighting of lamp. In his welcome address, Prabhu Chawla, editorial director of The New Indian Express, highlighted the legacy of ThinkEdu as India’s leading education conclave, underscoring its commitment to fostering dialogue between modernity and traditional knowledge. Prabhu Chawla also cautioned against the over-reliance on artificial intelligence (AI), emphasising the importance of balancing pro g ress with values. The inaugural session featured Justice V Ramasubramanian, Politics, culture, aspiration NHRC Chairperson V Ramasubramanian inaugurates the 13th edition of ThinkEdu Conclave 2025 in Chennai by lighting the lamp on Monday; (from left) SASTRA University V-C S Vaidhyasubramaniam, Dinamani Editor K Vaidiyanathan, TNIE CEO Lakshmi Menon and Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla are seen | P Ravikumar Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), who tackled the complex relationship between rights, duties, and the Indian soul. Moderated by Dinamani editor K Vaidiyanathan, Justice Ramasubramanian highlighted India’s diversity as both a strength and challenge. He underscored the need to balance rights with duties to build a just society He . also raised concerns about the delay by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) in according accreditation to the NHRC. Following this, Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament, delved into India’s parliamentary proceedings. In a session moderated by senior journalist Kaveree Bamzai, Tharoor decried the rising animosity between the government and opposition, emphasising the need to restore trust and communication in Parliament. Dr Ujwala Chakradeo, Vice- Trust me, I will deliver despite Modi, Trump discuss West severe financial challenges: CM Asia situation, Ukraine war S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada Accusing the previous YSRCP dispensation of causing destruction beyond imagination, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said his prediction when in Opposition that the State was turning out to be another Sri Lanka came true with the AP Fiscal Health Index (FHI) 2025 released by NITI Aayog revealing that the Debt Sustainability of the State reached zero in 2022-23. Naidu said though his government is sincere to fulfil the poll promises like Thalliki Vandanam, Annadata Sukhibhava and others, it is taking time because of the adverse financial conditions of the State. Making a PowerPoint presentation at the State Secretariat on Monday Naidu said the FHI , highlighted significant challenges in managing the State’s finances. In FY 2022-23, capital expenditure reached a record low, amounting to only 3.5% of the total expenditure. Furthermore, committed expenditure, including salaries, pensions, and interest payments, consumed approximately 51% of revenue expenditure, severely curtailing the scope for development investments. Additionally, the State’s revenue growth slowed drastically , slumping from 17.1% in 2018-19 to just 9.8% in 2022-23, while public debt escalated at an average annual rate of 16.5%. The State’s Debt Sustainability collapsed to zero in FY 2022-23, , he p4 explained. I don’t need Deputy CM HC reserves order on plea for MUDA post, asserts Lokesh probe by CBI S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada Putting an end to the ongoing political debate over his elevation to the Deputy Chief Minister post, Human Resource Development and IT Minister Nara Lokesh made it clear that he has no such aspirations. “I will continue to work as a TDP activist, and the Deputy CM post is not needed to me,” Lokesh said, while speaking to mediapersons in Visakhapatnam on Monday . Expressing his willingness to discharge whatever responsibility given to him by TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, Lokesh said he will make every effort to further strengthen the party. “I will discharge every responsibility entrusted to me by the party with discipline,” he averred. Reiterating his personal opinion that one person should not hold a post for more than three consecutive terms, he said the issue will be discussed in the party platforms, including in the Politburo to take a decision. “Also, I feel that I should not continue as TDP national general secretary this time. The party seniors will Chancellor of SNDT Women’s University, and Prof Basuthkar J Rao, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad, shared insights into making campuses more inclusive in the session titled, “A Campus for Everyone: Making Higher Education Inclusive.” Prof Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, UGC Chairman, spoke on the need to rebuild India’s examination system in his session on “Testing Times.” Moderated by Prof S Vaidhyasubramaniam, Kumar proposed The afternoon sessions shifted focus to political and cultural narratives. In “The Culture Project: Values for the Viksit Bharatiya,” Mukunda CR, joint general secretary of the RSS, advocated for a three-language policy encompassing one’s mother tongue, a regional language, and a career language. Praveen Chakravarty chair, man of the Professionals’ Wing and Data Analytics for the Congress party shared his vi, sion for “The Future of the Congress.” In the session moderated by TNIE Editor Santwana Bhattacharya, Chakravarty highlighted the need for the Congress to focus on aspirational politics that appeals to the youth and middle class. He praised Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra as a symbol P7 of love and justice. E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V IC E @ Bengaluru take a decision on bringing a revolutionary change from the village to Politburo level,” Lokesh asserted. Maintaining that every promise he made to people during his padayatra are being fulfilled one after another, Lokesh said the NDA government will fulfil all its poll promises . Making it clear that no person who violated the law will be spared, Lokesh said YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy does not have faith in his own mother and sister. “Then how can he repose faith in party activists? Jagan is a leader, who offers his own party for sale, and this is turning out to be true as YSRCP leaders are quitting the party one after the othp4 er,” he remarked. THE Karnataka High Court on Monday reserved its judgment on a petition seeking transfer of the MUDA case, currently being probed by the Lokayukta police, to the CBI. The high court also took on record the sealed-cover report submitted by the Lokayukta police on its investigation into the alleged illegal allotment of 14 sites to Karnakata Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife B M Parvathy by the Mysuru Urban Develo p m e n t Au t h o r i t y (MUDA). A single bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna directed the Lokayukta police not to file the final report of the probe before the trial court till the high court pronounces its judgment in the matter. Appearing for the petitioner, Mysurubased social activist Snehamayi Krishna, senior advoc ate Maninder Singh argued that the matter should be referred to the CBI for impartial investigation. Opposing the transfer of the case to the CBI, the state government’s counsel senior advocate Kapil Sibal argued that the probe is underway and a status report is already filed. J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi India and the US are committed to a mutually beneficial and trusted partnership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X on Monday after his first , telephonic conversation with Donald Trump after the latter’s swearing-in as the 47th president of the United States. “Delighted to speak with my dear friend President @realDonaldTrump @POTUS. Congratulated him on his historic second term,” Modi said. “We are committed to a mutually beneficial and trusted partnership. We will work together for the welfare of our people and towards global peace, prosperity, and security Modi wrote. ,” Modi congratulated Trump on his “historic second term”, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). They exchanged views on global issues, including the situation in West Asia and Ukraine, and reiterated their commitment to work together.
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