HYDERABAD l wednesday l april 23, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE City EDITION Maharashtra rolls back its diktat on Hindi as 3rd language Maharashtra has stayed its order to make Hindi mandatory as a third language for Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English-medium schools decision comes after stiff opposition The decision taken last week met with stiff resistance from different quarters, including some opposition parties, and comes days after the Maharashtra government’s language consultation committee urged CM Devendra Fadnavis to revoke the decision. School Education Minister Dada Bhuse said the Centre did not pressure them to “impose” Hindi ■ 3 learning hindi will be made voluntary ■ A senior minister of Maharashtra government said a new order will be issued making it voluntary to learn Hindi in these classes Rahul Rekhawar, Director of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), said efforts will be taken to ensure students do not feel any pressure of learning a third language language formula is part of the new curriculum under NEP 43604/8 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 Illustration: Mandar Pardikar Tourists enjoying a balmy afternoon at Baisaran meadow, a non-motorable spot about 5-10 km from Pahalgam Terrorists in combat uniform emerge from the dense forest around the site, ask tourists to identify themselves Terrorists selectively open fire on Hindus; 28 killed, including two foreigners and a couple of locals 28 massacred in J&K Faya z Wan i @ Srinagar In one of the biggest attacks on tourists coinciding with the visit of US Vice President JD Vance to India, terrorists on Tuesday massacred 28 people, most of them tourists, in J&K’s Pahalgam area and injuring many others. Among the victims were two foreigners from UAE and Nepal and a couple of locals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia and returned home after the business part of his trip was over. Official sources said twothree terrorists emerged from the dense forest around the Baisaran meadow, a scenic but non-motorable spot about 5–10 km from Pahalgam around 2.30 pm. They were heavily armed and in combat uniform. The terrorists separated the Hindu tourists from the rest after checking their identity and fired on them indiscriminately sources said. , Waseem Khan, a security guard, said he heard the firing but initially thought it was firecrackers. “The firing continued for 10 minutes. As there were cries, we rushed to the spot and saw bodies lying on the ground. Some of them were dead and some injured,” he said. Baisaran, which is known as mini Switzerland for its lush green meadows, can be reached only through foot or on horses. “You cannot go to the area in the vehicles because there is no motorable road,” he said. In a viral video, a woman tourist, whose husband was shot at by militants, said, “We were enjoying bhelpuri and my husband was sitting by my side, when an individual came and shot at him. He thought he is not a Muslim and fired.” “Please save my husband,” she pleaded. One of the victims was Manjunath Rao, a businessman from Shivamogga district of Karnataka. The victims included Prasant Kumar Satpathy from Odisha, Manish Ranjan from Hyderabad and another from Kochi. A tourist from Maw Nagar, Gujarat, said he was travelling on horse back when the terrorists fired. “I was hit in the right arm,” he said. He is under treatment in Anantnag. The Resistance Front, a shadow group of Lashkar-eToiba, claimed responsibility for the attack. Manish Ranjan Lidder river Baisaran Valley Pahalgam Amarnath Yatra Base Camp A Revanth Reddy, chief minister Officer serving in Hyderabad among victims E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad Manish Ranjan, a section officer in the Administration Wing of the Central Intelligence Bureau (CIB), Hyderabad, was one of the victims in Tuesday’s terror attack. According to sources, Manish was shot dead in front of his wife and two children. The section officer was availing LTC to visit Kashmir with his family . Sources disclosed that a native of Bihar, Manish, who was around 42, was transferred to Hyderabad two years ago. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy wrote on X: “Deeply anguished by the horrific terror attack on innocent civilians at Pahalgam... Those responsible will not be spared. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured.” BRS working president KT Rama Rao posted: “Deeply saddened and anguished by the tragic loss of lives in the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam... My heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims.” Resolve to fight terror unshakable: Modi “Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice... they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger,” PM Modi said The perpetrators are animals, inhuman: CM “This attack on our visitors is an abomination. The perpetrators of this attack are animals — inhuman and worthy of contempt. No words of condemnation are enough,” CM Omar Abdullah said E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad en s @ Hyderabad Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks at the fighter jets of Royal Saudi Air Force escorting his aircraft as it arrives in Jeddah on Tuesday | PTI Modi cuts Saudi visit short, returns E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narenda Modi will depart for India from Saudi Arabia tonight, cutting short his visit in view of the terrorist attack in Kashmir. Earlier in the day, he reached out to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, directing him to take immediate charge of the situation. Following his instructions, Shah held a high-level meeting with senior officials through video conferencing soon after the attack and landed in Srinagar by 9 pm. Condemning the incident in the strongest terms, Modi said those responsible would face the full force of the law. Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, senior Army officials, and the Director Generals of the CRPF and J&K Police joined the emergency video conference called by Shah. Later in Srinagar, the home minister chaired a detailed security meeting. According to sources, the Cabinet Committee on Security will meet to assess the situation and consider additional measures to tighten the security grid. Earlier in the day India and , Saudi Arabia have agreed to deepen cooperation across multiple strategic sectors, including defence, investment, culture, and space after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The announcement came during the second meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) the two leaders. The state government has proposed the establishment of the “Hiroshima Telangana Automotive and Mobility Corridor”, focused on electric vehicles, electronics and advanced manufacturing. A delegation led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy also proposed fostering academic linkages and student research exchanges between Hiroshima Institute of Technology and leading universities in Telangana. The delegat i o n i nv i t e d H i r o s h i m a ’s expertise in disaster-resilient design, underground Metro engineering and smart city solutions for Hyderabad. As part of his ongoing visit to Japan, the chief minister met with Hiroshima Prefecture Vice-Governor Mika Yokota to discuss avenues for collaboration. UPSC: 2 from Warangal in top 50, state scheme a blessing for 7 beneficiaries Those involved will not be spared, says Shah “Those involved in this dastardly act of terror will not be spared. We will come down heavily on the perpetrators with the harshest consequences.” Union home minister Amit Shah said CM moots TG-Hiroshima auto and mobility corridor Ghose panel to reach Hyd today, may examine KCR The Commission of Inquiry on Kaleshwaram is likely to cross-examine former chief minister K C h a n d r a s e k h a r R a o, former irrigation minister T Harish Rao, and former finance minister Eatala Rajender this week. The Commission Chairman, PC Ghose, is scheduled to arrive in Hyderabad on Wednesday evening and is expected to resume cross-examination on Friday . As the Commission has already examined all officials, retired officials, and representatives of contracting agencies, it is now likely to begin the crossexamination of politicians. However, it is unclear whether the Commission will require the politicians to appear in person or allow written responses instead. If not summoned, the Commission may send written questions and ask for replies in writing. The Commission of Inquiry was constituted in March 2024 and has so far cross-examined over 120 people. Since its formation, the government has extended its tenure every two months. As per the latest orders, the Commission’s term is set to end on April 30. I condemn the attack in the strongest possible terms. Such incidents cannot weaken the selfconfidence of the Indian people. I urge the Centre to take strict action against terrorist groups. I pray that the souls of the deceased may rest in peace During the meeting, he acknowledged Hiroshima’s global leadership in peace, resilience and technological advancement. Revanth reaffirmed Telangana’s commitment to innovation, sustainability and peace. IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu presented a comprehensive overview of potential areas of cooperation between the two states. These include clean technology and wasteto-energy solutions, joint projects in municipal waste processing and sewage treatment, renewable energy, urban innovation, infrastructure development, industrial cooperation, education and cultural exchange programmes. The delegation also proposed collaborating on Peace Park initiatives, cultural exhibitions and Buddhist heritage. Shakti Dubey AIR-1 E Sai Shivani AIR-11 R Jayasimha Reddy AIR-46 A a r t i K a s h ya p @ Hyderabad Warangal was the toast of Telangana on Tuesday with two candidates from the city making it to the top 50 in the UPSC Mains examination. Ettaboyina Sai Shivani achieved All India Rank 11 while Ravula Jayasimha Reddy secured AIR 46. A total of 1,009 candidates qualified nationwide, with several successful aspirants from Telangana. Sai Shivani, daughter of E Raju, a medical representative, succeeded in her second attempt. Jayasimha Reddy an , IIT-Hyderabad graduate in electrical engineering, is currently undergoing IPS training. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy congratulated the seven candidates who received financial assistance under the Rajiv Gandhi Civils Abhayahastam scheme, and successfully cleared the UPSC Civils. In a message, the chief minister said that it was a matter of great pride that seven beneficiaries of the scheme were selected for the prestigious Civil Services in the very first year of its launch. The candidates who received financial assistance under the state government’s scheme and cleared the examination are: Ettaboyina Sai Shivani, Hari Prasad Potharaju, Preethi Raparthi, Nagaraja Naik Banothu, Suryateja Thogaru, Anjaneyulu Gokamalla and Ramtenki Sudhaker.  Continued on P5 hc blasts cops for failing to trace missing boy for over a year despite having lakhs of cctv CAMERAS AT THEIR DISPOSAL | P2 ‘indefensible’ Delhi HC tears into Ramdev on ‘Sharbat jihad’ S h ek h a r S i n g h @New Delhi can hold views in head, not express them: Judge “He (Ramdev) can hold these opinions in his head, need not express them,” ruled Justice Amit Bansal of the Delhi High Court, before listing the matter for further hearing on May 1 YOGA guru and Patanjali founder Baba Ramdev on Tuesday was ordered by the Delhi High Court to take down videos in which he made communal remarks targeting food company Hamdard and its popular drink ‘Rooh Afza’. The move follows a civil lawsuit filed by Hamdard National Foundation (India) after Ramdev accused the company of funding reli- gious institutions and used the term ‘sharbat jihad’ to describe their product. Justice Amit Bansal of the Delhi High Court said the Patanjali founder’s comments in the videos were “indefensible” and “shocked the conscience of the court.” Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Hamdard, submitted, “This is a case which goes beyond disparagement. This is a case of creating communal divide, akin to hate speech. It will not have protection from law of defamation,” Rohatgi submitted. The video, posted on April 3, contained explicit references to Rooh Afza, with Ramdev alleging that buying the drink funded religious extremism. Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayar, appearing for Ramdev, said the videos are being taken down Justice Bansal directed Ramdev to file an affidavit that he would refrain from posting divisive content on social media in future.