HYDERABAD  TUESDAY  JANUARY 28, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 18  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 | P9 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 I EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Chennai Report expected to be tabled in Parliament ahead of February 5 Delhi assembly polls P R E E 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. 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. INSIDE 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 The inaugural session featured Justice V Ramasubramanian, 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 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 ASSESS PERFORMANCE, NOT DNA OF NHRC: RAMASUBRAMANIAN I P5 THAROOR: ENGAGING WITH PEOPLE REWARDING THAN ATTENDING PARL I P5 A A R T I K A S H YA P @ Hyderabad THE Telangana Education Commission (TEC) has identified water contamination, poor storage facilities, undercooked food, lack of utensils and unhygienic conditions as key reasons for food contamination in state-run residential schools. The TEC inspected over 250 state-run institutions, including residential schools, hostels, KGBVs, welfare schools and Anganwadi centres across 33 districts following a series of food poisoning incidents that affected several students and resulted in one death in November 2024. The commission, led by chairman Akunuri Murali and members Prof Vishweshwara THE RECOMMENDATIONS  A 50% increase in meal costs  Streamlined weekly payments to SHGs supplying ingredients  Standardised preparation practices and uniform menus across schools COSTS AND BENEFITS  Centralised procurement of food grains and cooking ingredients  Additional `191 crore  Adequate lighting, ventilation, sanitation and access to hot water in hostels 28 Rao, Dr Charakonda Venkatesh and Jyotsna Siva Reddy, conducted a two-week investigation, including overnight stays at the schools to observe living condition of students. The commission found that most schools lacked access to J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi PRIME Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump discussed a range of issues, including the wars in West Asia and Ukraine, in their first telephonic conversation after the latter was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. “Delighted to speak with my dear friend President @realDonaldTrump @POTUS,” he 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 on X. ,” Modi congratulated Trump on his “historic second term”, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement. The two leaders discussed various clean drinking and cooking water; food grains, vegetables, eggs and other ingredients were poorly stored, often leading to spoilage; many schools, especially in remote areas, faced logistical challenges in procuring fresh food materials. Checks at US gurdwaras for illegal immigrants Officials from the US Department of Homeland Security have started visiting gurdwaras in New York and New Jersey to search for undocumented immigrants after Trump administration removed protections shielding religious places from immigration and customs enforcement actions | P9 aspects of the wide-ranging bilateral Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and measures that could be taken to advance it, including in the areas of technology, trade, investment, energy, and defence, the PMO said in the statement. They exchanged views on global issues, including the situation in West Asia and Ukraine, and reiterated their commitment to work together to promote global peace, prosperity and security it said. , , EXPRESS READ RTC staff serve strike notice Tens of thousands of Palestinians streaming into the most heavily destroyed parts of Gaza on Monday after Israel lifted its blockade in the north for the first time since the war with Hamas began, following a ceasefire pact | AP | P11 lakh students to benefit ‘Late night films not for kids’ Hyderabad: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the TGSRTC on Monday served a strike notice to the RTC management, warning of an indefinite strike from February 9 if the state government fails to resolve long-pending demands | P2 Hyderabad: Pointing to the negative impact on kids, the Telangana High Court on Monday asked the state govt to issue directions regulating the entry of children under 16 into cinema halls between 11 pm and 11 am | P4 Politics, culture, aspiration 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. DIRECTOR TOLD ME NOT TO TAKE CHARACTERS HOME: KARTI I P5 TEC recipe to end food poisoning in schools Modi, Don discuss West Asia, Ukraine BACK TO BATTERED HOME 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, ViceChancellor 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 adaptive testing models and emphasised aligning entrance exams with school curricula to reduce the reliance on coaching centres. 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 AI-driven changes in the workplace. Those who fail to embrace AI risk being replaced by it, he said. It found that budget constraints hindered the availability of quality meals. The TEC submitted a detailed report, “Recommendations on the Midday Meal Scheme and Food Quality and Safety in Government Educational Institutions”, to Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari. The report includes two sections focusing on mid-day meals in non-residential schools and food quality in residential schools. The TEC chair man told TNIE: “For the mid-day meals, we suggested a 50% increase in the cost of the meals and streamline the payments of the SHGs who provide the cooking material from their own pockets to weekly basis instead of CONTINUED ON P7 monthly . Tapgate case: SC grants bail to cop E N S @ Hyderabad THE Supreme Court on Mond ay g r a n t e d b a i l t o M Thirupathanna, a suspended police officer and accused in the sensational “Tapgate” case where phones of bureaucrats and high court judges were allegedly tapped. Thirupathanna had spent 10 months in jail following his arrest. A bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma allowed the bail plea while emphasising that the trial court may impose stringent bail conditions. The bench warned that any breach of these conditions would lead to immediate cancellation of CONTINUED ON P7 bail.