visakhapatnam l wednesday l april 09, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION scientists believe they have resurrected the dire wolves closely resembles its ancestor, gray wolf 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 Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas biotech company, has successfully “de-extincted” the dire wolf, a species that roamed America 12,500 years ago ■ 62 rare tooth and skull used in study ■ 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 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 spl powers to declare 10 TN bills as passed; sets deadline for guvs 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 der Article 142 to make the bills re-presented to the governor, as deemed to have been In a landmark verdict, the Su- passed. preme Court on Tuesday held The court pronounced the the action of Tamil Nadu Gov- verdict after hearing a plea ernor R N Ravi to reserve 10 filed by the Tamil Nadu govbills for the President’s consid- ernment against Governor eration despite their reitera- Ravi for sitting over bills — tion by the state assembly “il- some for over three years — legal and arbitrary”. and later escalating them to The governor has no option the President. The bills were but to give assent to the bill sent to the President shortly that is presented to him after another bench in after re-passage in the the Punjab governor’s state assembly if it is case ruled that the unchanged, a two-judge gover nor does not bench comprising jushave pocket veto or tices J B Pardiwala and absolute veto over R Mahadevan said. bills by squatting over The court said the them. governor must act on “The governor canthe aid and advice of Governor R N Ravi not sit on bills and exthe state legislature. ercise pocket veto “Under Article 200 of the Con- over them. Article 200 gives the stitution, the governor does bills passed by the state assemnot possess any discretion and bly the authority of an Act. has to mandatorily act on the Without this Act, it is only a aid and advice of the council document of aspiration of peoof ministers.” Article 200 of ple which does not come into the Constitution deals with as- effect,” said Justice Pardiwala, sent to bills. who authored the judgment. The bench said once the gov- Pocket veto is an indirect veto ernor withholds assent, he is of a bill by leaving it unsigned obligated to follow the proce- till it is too late for it to be dealt dure prescribed in the first with. proviso of Article 200, which is The court said though there on returning the bill to the was no specific time limit unHouse as soon as possible. It der Article 200 for the governor exercised its special power un- to take his call, it cannot lead Su c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y @ New Delhi 4 If a bill is reiterated by the state assembly without change, the governor must grant assent within a month Justice J B Pardiwala to inertia. “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 essentially 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 governor 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.” bills that were cleared 2 020 Bill to amend the Tamil Nadu Fisheries University Act, 2012 2 020 Bill to amend the TN Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Act, 1989 2022 Bill to amend the TN Universities Laws (i) 2 022 Bill to amend the TN Dr. Ambedkar Law University Act, 1996 2 022 Bill to amend the TN Dr MGR Medical University, Chennai, Act, 1987 2 022 Bill to amend the TN Agricultural University Act, 1971 Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Sonia Gandhi during the Congress Working Committee meeting in Ahmedabad on Tuesday | PTI Cong resolution calls Waqf Act polarising, foreign policy weak 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, 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 linguistic, 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 India 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 government 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 Abuser’. 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 resolution noted. Pawan’s younger son injured in Singapore fire accident 2022 Bill to amend the TN Universities Laws (ii) 2 022 Bill to amend the Tamil University Act, 1982 K K a lya n K r i s h n a K u m a r @ Vijayawada 2023 Bill to amend the TN Fisheries University Act, 2012 2023 Bill to amend the TN Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Act, 1989 Nationalism pitch Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan’s younger son, Mark Shankar, sustained injuries in a fire accident at his school in Singapore | Express Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan’s younger son, Mark Shankar, aged eight years, sustained injuries in a fire accident at a summer camp in Singapore. The incident reportedly occurred when a fire broke out on the campus, causing injuries to his hands and legs. He also suffered smoke inhalation and was immediately rushed to a hospital where he is currently undergoing treatment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the Indian High Commissioner in Singapore and directed him to extend full support to Pawan Kalyan’s family and closely monitor the condition of his son. Pawan Kalyan while speaking to mediapersons in Hyderabad on Tuesday evening about the incident, confirmed that his son is safe but sustained burn injuries to his hands and legs and suffered severe P4 smoke inhalation.  Bitter infighting within the Trinamool Congress spills out into the open in West Bengal S U L A G N a SE N G U P TA @ Kolkata THE infighting within West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) surfaced on Tuesday after a video showing an alleged verbal duel between party MPs and screenshots of their exchanges from its official WhatsApp group went viral on social media. Amit Malviya, head of BJP’s IT cell, shared the screenshots, claiming they revealed a bitter argument between TMC MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Kirti Azad. The authenticity of the screenshots couldn’t be independently verified, but many senior TMC leaders didn’t refute the incident. Steady rise in price offers glimmer of hope for tariff-hit shrimp farmers Express News Service @ Vijayawada/Rajamahendravaram A day after the aquaculture stakeholders’ meeting with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, shrimp prices in Andhra Pradesh have shown signs of a slow but steady increase over the past two days, offering a glimmer of hope to the beleaguered aqua industry . Efforts by the state government to stabilize the sector, which has been reeling from the adverse impacts of U.S. President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, appear to be bearing fruit. Official data indi- express read US levies 104% tariff on China in counterpunch Beijing: Additional US tariffs on Chinese imports are set to reach 104% on Wednesday, the White House told AFP, as Washington doubles down on planned action after Beijing vowed a “fight to the end” on levies. China said it will “fight to the end” against the US to safeguard its own interests | P9 cates that prices for various shrimp counts (per kg) have risen by Rs. 20 in many cases. The 100-count shrimp, previously priced at Rs. 200, is now fetching Rs. 220, while the 90count has increased from Rs. 210 to Rs. 230. Similarly the 80, count shrimp is now sold at Rs. 250 (up from Rs. 230), and the 40-count and 50-count varieties have climbed to Rs. 340 and Rs. 320, respectively, from Rs. 320 and Rs. 300. However, the 30count shrimp saw a slight decline, dropping from Rs. 410 to Rs. 400. The state government has been proactive in addressing the industry’s concerns. CM Naidu recently wrote to the Union Commerce and Industry Minister, seeking intervention to mitigate the impact of the US tariffs, which include a 26% reciprocal tariff, a 2.49% antidumping duty, and a 5.77% P4 countervailing duty  . In the purported video, senior MP Kalyan Banerjee could be seen angrily talking about a ‘rude’, ‘uncivilised’ woman MP , while two other lawmakers are seated. In the leaked chat, Banerjee apparently congratulat- ing the “gentleman who opened the beautiful activities of versatile international lady.” In response, another Trinamool MP and ex-India cricketer Kirti Azad said, “Take it easy Kalyan. You have had one too many . Waqf Act comes into force, govt files caveat in Supreme Court E x p r e s s 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 to ensure that no orders are passed without hearing it. Former Additional Solicitor General (ASG) and senior lawyer, K C Kaushik, speaking to this newspaper, 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. Tribal couple alleges 15 years of bonded labour B a n d h a v i Ann a m @ Guntur The long-ignored miseries of the Yanadi tribal community in Andhra Pradesh’s Repalle mandal resurfaced this week when an elderly ST couple, Namburu Padma and Agni, stepped forward and alleged that they had been held in bonded labour for nearly 15 years. Their harrowing experience has cast light on the larger, systemic exploitation of over 400 tribal families in the region. At a public grievance redressal meeting at the Bapatla Collectorate, the couple revealed they were taken from their native Bobbarlanka village to Elisetidibba in Krishna district under the pretext of employment. There, they were forced to hunt for crabs and forest produce in the mangrove forests without wages, but receiving only meagre rations like rice and vegetables. What followed was even worse as Padma and Agni had alleged that they were “sold” multiple times from one middle man to another middle man for `40,000, then to another man for `70,000, and finally P4 for `1.2 lakh.  Don’t act like a juvenile delinquent. You have been entrusted with a very serious responsibility by Didi to take everyone along with you.” An angry Banerjee shot back, saying Azad was thrown out of BJP for doing internal politics and that he doesn’t “come from any quota”. Banerjee said on Tuesday that the woman MP had “hurled abuses” at him. He, however, didn’t mention the name of the MP .