kochi l Sunday l april 06, 2025 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late 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. er Ashok Dhawale is also under consideration. Baby enjoys the support of Karat and the powerful Kerala unit. He has also been functioning in New Delhi for long. The stance taken by CM Pinarayi Vijayan will be crucial in this regard. If elected, Baby will be the second leader from Kerala CPM, after E M S Namboodiripad, to become general secretary . Meanwhile, a section of leaders from the Hindi belt and a few from West Bengal favour peasant leader Dhawale. The 72-year-old president of All India Kisan Sabha has a national persona, they feel. His grasp over Hindi would also make him more appealing to Hindispeaking comrades.  ● More on P5 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 On Sunday, the CPM will get the sixth general secretary in its history With hours remain. ing for the 24th Party Congress to elect the new general secretary senior Kerala leader M A , Baby remains the top contender. The crucial politburo (PB) meeting, late on Saturday night, seems to have arrived at a general understanding on Baby to lead the party in the next three years. PB coordinator Prakash Karat reportedly proposed Baby’s name in the meeting. While all indications point to Baby — who turned 71 on Saturday — being elected to the top post, the name of Maharashtra lead- 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 Prez gives assent to changes in Waqf laws ED: Gokulam group violated RBI norms New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which was passed by Parliament earlier this week following heated debate. Murmu also gave her assent to the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2025. Kochi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has stated that the ongoing investigation into the Gokulam Group has revealed that the company collected over C592 crore from NRIs as subscription for its chit funds in violation of central bank regulations. P5 WITH THIS ISSUE The Revivalists PLUS 12 PAGES