thrissur l Sunday l april 06, 2025 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l city edition Justice Yashwant Varma takes oath of office away from public gaze Justice Varma, who was transferred to his parent Allahabad HC, was allegedly administered the oath of office on Saturday in a “clandestine” manner fallacious, unacceptable: BAR association The Allahabad High Court Bar Association, which had opposed the repatriation of the judge from Delhi HC, questioned why his oath was not notified to the Bar and alleged that this act has once again eroded the trust of people in the judicial system. “Legally, the oath administered to Justice Varma is fallacious and unacceptable,” said the Bar association ■ 3 Sworn in at Chief justice’s chamber ■ An in-house inquiry was ordered by the CJI after sacks of partially burnt currency notes were found in the New Delhi residence of Justice Varma following a fire incident last month, leading to his transfer According to sources, Justice Varma was sworn in by Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court Arun Bhansali in his chamber at 9.30 am member panel formed by supreme court to inquire ‘cash burn’ case 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 India, Lanka ink first-ever defence cooperation pact Security of both countries interlinked, co-dependent, says Modi ing, exchanges in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), increasing naval port calls, and exploring defence industry cooperation. “We believe we have shared security interests. The security of both countries is intercon- nected and co-dependent,” Modi said after meeting Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The two countries have agreed to work together on the Colombo Security Conclave and Security Cooperation in the Indian Ocean, Modi said. Dissanayake assured Prime Minister Modi that Sri Lanka will not allow its territory to be used in any way that threatens India’s security interests and conveyed to him that Sri Lanka values India’s assistance. India also signed a trilateral MOU for developing Trincomalee as an energy hub along with the UAE. unit. Since he has been functioning in New Delhi for long, he could be the most likely choice. The stance taken by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will be crucial. A section of leaders from the Hindi belt and a few from West Bengal favour peasant leader Ashok Dhawale. The 72-year-old presi- dent of the All India Kisan Sabha has a national image, they feel. His grasp over Hindi would make him more appealing to the Hindi-speaking comrades. Going by seniority, B V Raghavulu from Andhra Pradesh is the senior most in the politburo. However, chances of him being considered to the top post are relatively less, said ● More on P5 sources.  J aya n t h j a c o b @ New Delhi INDIA and Sri Lanka on Saturday signed an ambitious defence cooperation pact, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlining a comprehensive roadmap for deeper bilateral ties and highlighting the interconnected security of both nations, a sentiment reciprocated by president Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The first defence agreement between the two countries serves as an umbrella framework to restructure existing defence cooperation, focusing on enhancing high-level visits, joint exercises, capacity build- Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a press meet in Colombo on Saturday | PTI M A Baby frontrunner for CPM top post A n i l S @ Madurai With Hours remaining for the 24th Party Congress to elect the sixth general secretary in CPM’s history, senior Kerala leader and former minister M A Baby remains one of the top contenders. While all indications point to Baby — who turned 71 on Saturday — being elected to the top post, the name of Maharashtra leader Ashok D h aw a l e i s a l s o u n d e r consideration. The crucial politburo (PB) meeting late on Saturday decided to take a final call on the general secretary on Sunday morning. Baby enjoys the support of PB coordinator Prakash Karat and the powerful Kerala New rules for foreign univ degree recognition K a v i ta B a j e l i - D at t @ New Delhi With the aim of promoting internationalisation in Indian higher education, the University Grants Commission (UGC) on Saturday introduced a new set of regulations for the easy recognition and equivalence of foreign qualifications. UGC Chairman Prof M Jagadesh Kumar said, “Many students return with international qualifications to seamlessly integrate into India’s higher education system or workforce. Such students need a structured procedure to evaluate foreign credentials without unpredictable delays and procedural ambiguity .” Acknowledging this challenge, he said, the UGC has decided to establish a standardised equivalence framework by bringing in a new regulation. “This move is crucial given the National Education Policy 2020’s vision of transforming India into a global study destination. If Indian institutions are to attract international students, we must ensure fair recognition of degrees earned abroad,” he said. The rules are expected to benefit Indian students who study abroad and seek to continue their academic or professional journey in India. e x p r ess r e a d ED: Gokulam group violated RBI norms Nobody happy when Naxal is killed: Shah Kochi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has stated that the ongoing investigation into the Gokulam Group has revealed that the company collected over Rs 592 crore from NRIs as subscription for its chit funds in violation of central bank regulations. P5 Raipur: Union Minister Amit Shah made an appeal to Maoists to surrender and join the mainstream. “Nobody feels happy when a Naxalite is killed,” Shah said in Dantewada, while reiterating the Centre’s commitment to eliminating left-wing extremism by March 2026. WITH THIS ISSUE The Revivalists PLUS 12 PAGES