kottayam l wednesday l april 30, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION India put on ‘priority watch list’ for IP rights violations The US, after the move, said New Delhi remains a major economy for protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights ‘many long-standing concerns remain’ The US Trade Representative’s (USTR) 2025 Special 301 report, an annual review of the global state of IPR protection and enforcement, said that over the past year, India has remained inconsistent in its progress on intellectual property protection and enforcement. It said there is a lack of progress on many long-standing IP concerns ■ 25 u.s. keen to engage with india on ipr ■ The report comes in the backdrop of India-US negotiating a bilateral trade agreement to boost two-way commerce to $500 billion by 2030, and said patents are of particular concern The report said US intends to continue to engage with India on IP matters, including through intellectual property working groups countries including china, russia on the list apart from india 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 Bhagwat makes rare visit to the PM’s residence R A J E S H K U M A R T H A K U R @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi with NSA Ajit Doval, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and chiefs of the armed forces, at a high-level meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday | PTI Kharge, Rahul seek special Parl session New Delhi: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, requesting him to convene a special session of the Parliament to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack and demonstrate a collective resolve to take on the conspirators | P7 Zipline operator picked up by NIA Srinagar: Zipline operator Muzamil Ahmed Kumhar, who was heard chanting ‘Allahu Akbar’ as terrorists fired on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam meadow on April 22, has been picked up for questioning by the NIA. His father said Muzamil had visited his home in Anantnag yesterday and was picked up by policemen in the evening | P7 India brands Pak a rogue state at UN New Delhi: India has branded Pakistan a rogue state at the UN, citing Pakistani Defence Minister Khwaja Asif’s “open confession” to funding and supporting terror groups. “This open confession exposes Pakistan as a rogue state fuelling global terrorism and destabilising the region,” said Yojna Patel, Deputy Permanent Representative to UN | P7 Nothing wrong in using Pegasus for security: SC S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi THE government possessing spyware for security purposes is not wrong, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday Allega. tions of it being used against private individuals can be looked at, it added. “What’s wrong if a country is using spyware? To have spyware is not wrong… against whom you are using it is the question. You can’t sacrifice the security of the nation,” a bench of justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh said. The bench said a technical committee’s report on the issue can’t be made public as it touches upon the country’s security and sovereignty . However, affected individuals can be informed, it added. SC’s remarks came while hearing petitions seeking a detailed probe into allegations against the government over the use of Israeli software Pegasus to snoop on activists, journalists, and others. The petitioners argued that targeted surveillance using military-grade spyware is a violation of the right to privacy . Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, said, “Terrorists can’t claim privacy rights.” To this, the bench said private civil individuals, who have the right to privacy will be protected under , the Constitution. Full freedom to forces Modi says they have operational freedom to decide the mode, targets and timing of their decisive action against terror outfits and their ecosystem RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday gave the security forces full operational freedom to to decide the mode, targets and timing of their decisive action against the terror outfits responsible for the Pahalgam brutality against tourists and also smash their ecosystem. The directive came at a marathon meeting at his residence with defence minister Rajnath Singh, the chiefs of the armed forces and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Modi expressed complete confidence in the professional abilities of the armed forces. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan was part of the meeting. Sources said the PM, after listening to inputs from the top officers, underscored the national resolve to deal a crushing blow to terrorism. Parallelly Union home secre, tary Govind Mohan held a highlevel meeting with chiefs of Central Armed Police Forces and two other central security BSF lodges protest The BSF has lodged a protest with Pakistan Rangers over the custody of a jawan who inadvertently crossed the international border in Punjab last week. Pakistan has remained non-committal about his whereabouts agencies. Among those who attended the meeting were the Directors General of Border Security Force Daljit Singh Chaudhary, National Security Guard Brighu Srinivasan and Assam Rifles Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera, sources said, adding that Additional Director General of the Sashastra Seema Bal Anupama Nilekar Chandra was present. Later, the Union home secretary held a video conference with the chief secretaries of all the states and Union Territories and asked them to ensure that all Pakistani nationals whose visas were revoked leave Three children drown in marsh while playing caring for their one-year-old baby. No one noticed the chilWhat began as a normal after- dren wandering off until they noon of play turned into a failed to return. Immediately after noticing nightmare at the Thudikkode tribal colony near Meenvallam that the children were missing, the family members in Palakkad on Tuesalong with neighbours day as three children and other residents be— two brothers and gan a search. By around their cousin — drowned They perhaps 5pm, the children’s footin a marshy area near got stuck in the wear were found near their home. mud while trying the water body located Pradeep, 5, and Prato play. The inside a private properjeesh, 3, sons of Pratragedy has ty and rarely visited by kasan and Anitha of devastated the entire anyone. Fearing the Thudikkode tribal colcommunity worst, villagers searched ony, and Radhika, 9, the water, and it was daughter of Prakasan’s Jaffer H, sister Madhavi, report- panchayat member Krishnan, Prakasan’s brother-in-law, who edly drowned when they stepped into the water- pulled the children out. The children were found lylogged area while playing. The children, playing outside ing motionless in the muddy the house, were reported miss- water. Radhika was rushed to a ing around 3pm. At the time, hospital in Thachampara, Prakasan was admitted to the while Pradeep and Prajeesh Palakkad District Hospital for were taken to Palakkad District treatment of heart-related ill- Hospital. But the three were deness while Anitha was at home clared brought dead. ● More on P4 E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Palakkad the country within the stipulated deadline. After the meeting with the defence leadership, Modi also met with Union home minister Amit Shah, amid growing indications of a major crackdown on terrorism. By earlier announcing that the security forces would go the ends of the earth to bring the perpetrators of the Pahalgam massacre to justice, adding that the terrorists would be subjected to punishment beyond their imagination, the PM set the bar very high for kinetic action. Sources suggest that the final contours of the government’s response may be decided during the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting, scheduled for Wednesday following a meeting of the Union Cabinet. The buzz is the government is preparing for a multi-pronged offensive against terror — diplomatically and, if required, militarily — including possible strikes on terror camps in the days ahead. After a day of marathon meetings, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a rare guest at home — RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. Bhagwat had been to his official’s residence on very few occasions ever since Modi took over as prime minister in 2014. Coming as the meeting did after Modi chaired two high-level meetings on the country’s response to the Pahalgam carnage, it sparked speculation about the RSS’s stance on the possible kinetic action against Pakistan. Union home minister Amit Shah is also said to have participated in the meeting with Bhagwat. According to a senior BJP source, the RSS chief may also have addressed other ongoing issues between the organisation and the government. A BJP leader noted that the Pahalgam attack had disrupted the party’s organisational momentum, including the process of electing a new BJP president. Recently, during a book launch, Bhagwat had emphasised the king’s duty to protect the people and take all necessary measures to ensure their safety. He also remarked that while India adheres to the principle of non-violence, confronting perpetrators of violence is an inherent part of that principle. Without naming Pakistan, he stated that India does not provoke or harm its neighbours but seeks to guide even the violent towards a path of non-violence. Reacting to the Pahalgam attack, the RSS had said, “All political parties and associations should rise above their differences and condemn this terror act. Government should ensure all relief and assistance to the affected families and ensure appropriate punishment for the people responsible for the attack.” Justice Gavai appointed next CJI Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai was on Tuesday appointed the next Chief Justice of India. He takes charge on May 14 Justice Gavai, the 52nd CJI, was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court in 2019. He will have a tenure of over six months He was part of a five-judge Constitution bench which in December 2023 upheld the Centre’s decision to abrogate Article 370 in J&K Another bench he was part of annulled electoral bonds scheme He was also part of a fivejudge bench which approved the Centre’s 2016 decision to demonetise D1,000 and D500 denomination notes Justice Gavai was part of a Constitution bench, which by a 6:1 majority held that states are empowered to make subclassifications within the Scheduled Castes Modi congratulates Carney, seeks reset in ties with Canada Canadian Prime Minister and Liberal Party Leader Mark Carney speaks to supporters after winning the Canadian Federal Election on Tuesday | AFP J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday congratulated Canadian PM Mark Carney on his Liberal Party’s stunning victory in the federal elections, expressing hope for a reset in India-Canada relations after years of strain under former PM Justin Trudeau’s leadership. Notably, Khalistan sympathiser Jagmeet Singh failed to retain his seat and resigned as leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) after the party’s disastrous showing with seat count plummeting from 24 to 7. Trudeau had depended on NDP for support to stay in power for four years. However, last September, the NDP parted ways with Singh accusing Trudeau of yielding to corporate interests. Congratulating Carney and the Liberal Party, Modi said: “I look forward to working with you to strengthen our partnership and unlock greater opportunities for our people. India and Canada are bound by shared democratic values, a steadfast commitment to the rule of law, and vibrant people-to-people ties.” Modi’s message indicates a hopeful turn in India-Canada relations, which have faced multiple diplomatic flashpoints under ex-PM Trudeau’s watch. Bilateral relations touched a low point after Trudeau’s public remarks following the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023 and his open platforming of pro-Khalistani elements, which India described as interference in its internal affairs. Carney’s victory may provide an opportunity to recalibrate the relationship and India hopes that the new government will take care of its security concerns. A former central banker, Carney has emphasised diplomacy, multilateralism, and unity—qualities New Delhi hopes will extend to dealing with sensitive diaspora poliP9 tics and looking at ties with India.  Pa r t y p o s i t i o n s express read SSLC exam results to be announced on May 9 Kerala top in health & edu, but poor in fiscal segment T’Puram: General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Tuesday said the results of the SSLC exam will be announced on May 9. This year, a total of 4.27 lakh students had appeared for the SSLC examinations held from March 3 to March 26. P4 Kochi: Kerala secured the top position in social indicators, which include health and education, but stood at a poor 15th spot among 17 large states in the fiscal segment, in the ranking of states released by CareEdge Ratings on Tuesday. P2 Green Party 1 NDP 7 Majority mark 172 Liberal 168 Bloc Quebecois 23 Conservative 144  Canada has a “first-pastthe-post” electoral system  Results are preliminary and include seats where parties are leading, but not confirmed to have won  The Liberals are on course to win the most seats in key provinces of Ontario and Quebec App roll-out tomorrow ‘Kerala savaari’ reloading with backing from Bengaluru’s ‘Namma Yatri’ K r i s hna K uma r K E @ Kochi ‘KERALA savaari’, an online ride-hailing app backed by the Kerala government, is set to be reintroduced on May 1 in a new avatar, with the support of Bengaluru’s highly popular ‘Namma Yatri’ app. The new version of ‘kerala savaari’ app — which promises a technologically advanced form and a better management system — is expected to give giants Uber and Ola a run for their money by providing “affordable” rides to customers, officials said. In its reloaded version, ‘kerala savaari’ 2.0 will be managed by ‘Namma Yatri’, the popular ride-hailing app in Bengaluru that operates on a zero-commission model — meaning drivers keep 100% of the fare. Since the model will enhance driver earnings, the app has got the backing of all major trade unions, including CITU and IN- An autorickshaw driver in Kochi gets ready to operate under the digital platform ‘kerala savaari’ | A Sanesh TUC. While the new app will be up and running from May 1, an official launch will be held on a later date, said officials. “Commuters using the app will be charged only government-fixed rates, which will be among the lowest. Also, we are not charging any commission from the drivers. If they run for, say `1,000, they can keep the full amount,” said an official with the motor vehicle department. This comes even as some of the ride-hailing giants are charging up to 30% towards commission from the drivers. The app, backed by both the state transport and labour departments, will be fully live in Thiruvananthapuram and Ko● More on P4 chi initially  .