hyderabad l wednesday l april 09, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE City EDITION scientists believe they have resurrected dire wolves Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas biotech company, has successfully “de-extincted” the dire wolf, a species that roamed America 12,500 years ago closely resembles its ancestor, gray wolf rare tooth and skull used in study By harnessing ancient DNA, cloning, and gene-editing technology, scientists have created three dire wolf pups, essentially a hybrid species that closely resembles its extinct ancestor, the gray wolf. The dire wolf, a formidable predator and inspiration for HBO series “Game of Thrones,” was characterised by its size, wider head, thicker fur, and stronger jaw ■ ■ The researchers studied a 13,000 year-old dire wolf tooth unearthed in Ohio and a 72,000 year-old skull fragment found in Idaho They took blood cells from a gray wolf and genetically modified them before transferring the genetic material to an egg cell from a domestic dog. Embryos were then transferred to surrogates | P9 62 days is the time it took for the new engineered pups to be born 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 Court invokes special powers to declare 10 TN Bills as passed Guv sending reiterated Bills to Prez illegal: SC Four timelines set for expedited action 1 2 3 In the case of withholding of assent or reservation of the Bills for the President upon the aid and advice of the state’s ministers, the Governor has to act within a month If assent is to be withheld, contrary to the advice of the ministers, the Governor must return the Bills with a message within 3 months If Bill is to be reserved for the President, contrary to the advice of ministers, Guv must do so within 3 months its special power under Article 142 to make the Bills re-presented to the governor, as deemed to In a landmark verdict, the Su- have been passed. preme Court on Tuesday held The court pronounced the the action of Tamil Nadu Gov- verdict after hearing a plea filed ernor R N Ravi to reserve 10 by the Tamil Nadu government Bills for the President’s consid- against Governor Ravi for siteration despite their reiteration ting over Bills — some for over by the state assembly “illegal three years — and later escalatand arbitrary”. ing them to the President. The The governor has no option Bills were sent to the President but to give assent to the Bill that shortly after another bench in is presented to him afthe Punjab governor’s ter re-passage in the case ruled that the govstate assembly if it is ernor does not have unchanged, a two-judge pocket veto or absolute bench comprising jusveto over Bills by squattices J B Pardiwala and ting over them. R Mahadevan said. “The governor canThe court said the not sit on Bills and exergovernor must act on cise pocket veto over the aid and advice of Governor RN Ravi them. Article 200 gives the state legislature. the Bills passed by the “Under Article 200 of the Con- state assembly the authority of stitution, the governor does not an Act. Without this Act, it is possess any discretion and has only a document of aspiration to mandatorily act on the aid of people which does not come and advice of the council of into effect,” said Justice Pardiministers.” Article 200 of the wala, who authored the judgConstitution deals with assent ment. Pocket veto an indirect to Bills. veto of a Bill by leaving it unThe bench said once the gov- signed till it is too late for it to ernor withholds assent, he is be dealt with. obligated to follow the proceThe court said though there dure prescribed in the first pro- was no specific time limit under viso of Article 200, which is on Article 200 for the governor to returning the Bill to the House take his call, it cannot lead to as soon as possible. It exercised inertia. S u c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a nty @ New Delhi express read 73 hospitalised after consuming toddy Kamareddy: The number of people hospitalised after consuming toddy in Kamareddy district rose to 73 on Tuesday even as four persons were arrested in the case. Police officials said that they were waiting for the forensics report | P2 104% U.S. tariff on china President Trump is set to impose a whopping 104% in levies across all Chinese imports, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said | P9 inside infighting within tmc out in the open I P7 4 If a Bill is reiterated by the state Assembly without change, the Governor must grant assent within a month Justice J B Pardiwala “Despite there being no prescribed time limits, Article 200 cannot be read in a manner which allows the governor to not take action on the Bills, which are presented to him for assent and thereby delay and es, sentially roadblock law-making machinery in the state,” it said. For the first time, the court set timelines for gubernatorial clearance of Bills, adding failure to adhere to them could invite judicial scrutiny. It gave governors just one month to decide if they wanted to reserve a Bill for the President’s consideration. If they wanted to withhold assent without the aid and advice of the council of ministers, they have to return the Bill within three months. If the Bill is reiterated after re-consideration by state assembly the gov, ernor will have to mandatorily give his assent within a month. The governor must perform his role as a friend, philosopher and guide with dispassion and not be guided by political considerations, the verdict said. “In times of conflict, he must be the harbinger of consensus and resolution, lubricating the functioning of the state machinery by his sagacity wisdom, and , not run it into a standstill.” related report: p5 Commercial Taxes wing registers 7.2% growth E N S @ Hyderabad Revenue mobilisation by the Telangana Commercial Taxes department increased by 7.2% in 2024–25, touching `75,149 crore. This is an increase of `4,428 crore over the almost stagnant `70,721 crore in 2023–24 and `70,636 crore in 2022–23. An official statement credited the growth to the guidance of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy It said that the depart. ment successfully arrested the downward spiral and laid the groundwork for recovery through a series of progressive and reform-driven measures. The government said that this growth highlighted the department’s resilience and proactive approach, including strengthened GST demand generation and r e c o ve r y m e c h a nisms, enhanced compliance measures and a sustained crackdown on fake registrations through continuous verification drives. The department has set a target of `89,368 crore for 2025–26, reflecting confidence in a stable economic environment and improved tax administration. AP gets NSP charge, TG officials tense A S E S HA C HAR Y U L U @ Nalgonda Tensions have resurfaced at the Nagarjunasagar project with the Telangana government on Tuesday objecting to the presence of Andhra Pradesh forces guarding the dam. Until Monday the dam — un, der Telangana’s jurisdiction — was protected by a CRPF battalion from Mulugu district. On Tuesday following instructions , from senior officials, the Telangana unit was relieved. A CRPF battalion from Visakhapatnam, previously deployed on the Andhra Pradesh side, immediately took over security . This development has raised PPA agrees to joint survey for submergence in TG Hyderabad: Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) Chief Executive Officer Atul Jain on Tuesday said that a joint survey to assess the potential submergence of areas in Telangana, including the temple town of Bhadrachalam, under Polavaram backwaters would be undertaken soon | P4 concerns among Telangana officials, who fear Andhra Pradesh might divert water to suit its own needs. As per Union government orders, Andhra Pradesh is responsible for securing the Srisailam Dam, while the Nagarjunasagar project is to be secured by Telangana. Telangana authorities have reportedly filed a complaint with the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), objecting to Andhra Pradesh’s growing role at the Nagarjunasagar project. Moving forward Guv sends BC quota Bills to President HC confirms death to five Dilsukhnagar blast convicts T G N a i d u @ Hyderabad B K a r t h e e k @ Hyderabad Governor Jishnu Dev Varma has sent the recently passed Bills — which propose raising the Backward Classes (BC) reservations to 42% in education, employment, and politics — to President Droupadi Murmu for consideration. The Governor also approved the Telang ana Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservations) Bill, 2025. This Bill sets out a new framework for the classification of SC reservations. Telangana could become the first state to implement SC sub-categorisation after the Supreme Court allowed states to enact laws based on local needs. On March 18, the Assembly passed The Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointment or Posts in The Services Under the State) Bill, 2025, and The Telangana Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Rural and Urban Local Bodies) Bill, 2025.  continued on P4 Riyaz Bhatkal, Yasin Bhatkal believed to be the was arrested near co-founder of the the Nepal border Indian Mujahideen, in August 2013, is the prime following which accused in the the NIA launched case. He remains a comprehensive absconding investigation Deadly details n  deadly explosions rocked Two the crowded Dilsukhnagar area on February 21, 2013 n  first blast took place at a The bus stop and the second near an eatery (A1 Mirchi Centre) n  blasts left 18 people dead The and over 130 injured n  December 13, 2016, the NIA On court convicted Mohd Ahmed Sidibapa alias Yasin Bhatkal, Pakistani national Zia-ur-Rahman alias Waqas, Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi, Tehseen Akhtar alias Monu and Ajaz Shaikh and sentenced them to death. Riyaz Bhatkal, the prime accused, is believed to be hiding in Pakistan The Telangana High Court on Tuesday rejected the criminal appeals filed by the five Indian Mujahideen operatives challenging the death sentence awarded by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) fast track court in the 2013 Dilsukhnagar bomb blasts case. While the key accused, Riyaz Bhatkal, remains absconding, the fast track court had in 2016 sentenced Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi, Zia-ur-Rahman alias Waqas, Md Tahseen Akhtar alias Hassan, Mohammed Ahmed Siddibapa alias Yasin Bhatkal, Ajaz Shaikh alias Samar Armaan Tunde and Syed Maqbool Zuber to death. Maqbool died while undergoing treatment for a chronic ailment in July 2024. The trial included examina- tion of 157 witnesses, revealing the meticulous planning and execution of the attack. In its orders, a bench of Justice K Lakshman and Justice P Sree Sudha said: “We found that apart from the reasons given in the impugned judgment, the trial court has taken into consideration all relevant facts and circumstances and chosen to award death penalty, life imprisonment and other sentences.” The judges independently reviewed the case materials, including witness testimonies, psychological evaluations and reports submitted by the probation officer and other authorities. After analysing both aggravating and mitigating factors, they concluded that there was no scope for reformation or rehabilitation of the convicts.  Continued on P3 I was near the 107 bus stop when the blast occurred. Right in front of my eyes, I saw at least 2 people die. Many others lost limbs – Krishnakanth Waghmari, hawker Congress resolution calls Waqf Act polarising P r e e t h a N a i r @ Ahmedabad From opposing the Waqf Act to India’s foreign policy, One Nation, One Election bill and proposed delimitation to economic and education policy the , political resolution being discussed at the All India Congress Committee session in Ahmedabad vows to strengthen organisational capacity and competence to fight for Nyay (justice) for every Indian. While the Congress Working Committee meeting on Tuesday gave the draft resolution its final shape, it is expected to be passed at the AICC session on Wednesday . Reaffirming the party’s opposition to the contentious Waqf Act and anti-conversion laws, the resolution said the party is committed to fighting the politics of religious, linguistic, Nationalism pitch Terming the Congress party’s idea of nationalism as one that binds people together, the resolution said ‘the pseudo-nationalism of the BJP-RSS’ seeks to divide the nation over region, language, attire, and food habits Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Sonia Gandhi during the CWC meeting | PTI caste-based, and regional divisions. The resolution said the Waqf and anti-conversion laws are part of BJP’s polarising strategy “We will not allow In. dia to be divided, nor will we allow those who seek to divide it to succeed in their diabolical designs. Our path is clear: Quit hate, Unite India,” it said. Terming the Centre’s foreign policy a weak-kneed one, the resolution said the BJP govern- Waqf Act comes into force, govt files caveat in Supreme Court E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court is likely to hear on April 15 a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. A final causelist is yet to be uploaded on the court website. The Centre on Tuesday filed a caveat in the Supreme Court and sought a hearing before any order was passed in the matter. A caveat is filed by a party in courts to ensure that no orders are passed without hearing it. Former Additional Solicitor General and senior Supreme Court lawyer, K C Kaushik, speaking to TNIE, said the Centre wanted a representation before any order is passed by the SC. “No ex-parte order should be issued without prior notice and an opportunity to be heard. The government wants to be the prime respondent in the matter,” he said. In another significant development, the Waqf (Amendment) Act came into force on Tuesday with the government issuing a notification. “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 (14 of 2025), the Central Government hereby appoints the 8th day of April, 2025 as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force,” the Ministry of Minority Affairs notification said. ment has compromised the country’s foreign policy at the altar of individual branding and serving vested interests. “Though Congress remains a strong votary of close ties with the US, it can never happen at the expense of India’s national interests,” said the resolution. “During the PM’s visit to Washington, D.C., we were publicly insulted and our country was labelled as a ‘Tariff Abus- er’. Indian migrants were treated like animals and deported from the US in chains and handcuffs,” it said. On the border dispute, the resolution said China has illegally occupied 2,000 sq km of Indian territory in Eastern Ladakh. Yet, the BJP government has failed to restore the status quo ante, as it existed before April 2020, the Congress resolution noted.