Justice Varma sworn in in ‘clandestine’ manner New Delhi: Justice Yashwant Varma, who was transferred to the Allahabad High Court amid cash-at-home allegations, was administered the oath by Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court Arun Bhansali in his chamber at 9.30 am on Saturday. The High Court Bar Association, in a letter to the CJ, criticised the ‘clandestine’ oathtaking ceremony, asking why was it not notified to the Bar Justice Yashwant Varma COIMBATORE l sunday l april 06, 2025 l `12.00 l PAGES 26 l LATE city EDITION 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, SL ink 1st ever defence agreement Security of both nations, co-dependent: Modi J aya n t h ja c o b @ New Delhi WITH THIS ISSUE The Revivalists PLUS 12 PAGES 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 building, 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 interconnected and codependent,” Modi said after meeting Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a press meet in Colombo Saturday | PTI 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 permit its territory to be used in any way that threatens India’s security interests and conveyed to him that Sri Lanka deeply values India’s assistance in times of need and its ongoing solidarity. India also signed a trilateral MOU with Sri Lanka for developing Trincomalee as an energy hub with UAE. New rules for easy degree recognition from foreign univs K a v i ta B aje 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 stu- dents 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 through a new regulation. “This move is crucial given the NEP 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 ear ned abroad,” he told this paper. UGC has taken a decisive step towards making India’s higher education system more inclusive and futureready Jagadesh Kumar Nobody happy when Naxal is killed, says Shah E J A Z K A I S E R @ Raipur Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday in Dantewada made an appeal to Maoists to surrender and join the mainstream. “Nobody feels happy when a Naxalite is killed,” Shah said while reiterating the government’s commitment to eliminating left-wing extrem- ism by March 2026. Speaking at the closing ceremony of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar Pandum festival in Dantewada, Shah said the region had suffered from violence for decades, but the time had come for Bastar to be known for its tribal heritage, folk traditions, a n d d eve l o p m e n t rather than Naxalism. “The days of bullets and bombs in Bastar are over. I appeal to Naxalite brothers to surrender. You are our own people. No one feels happy when a Naxalite is killed. Just lay down your arms and join the mainstream,” he said, offering an olive branch to the outlawed movement. Shah emphasised that those who surrender will be fully protected. As many as 521 Naxalites surrendered in 2025. Villages aiding surrender will get `1 crore for development, he said, apart from announcing that Bastar Pandum featuring tribal artists will go national next year.