HYDERABAD l Wednesday l April 30, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late 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’ u.s. keen to engage with india on ipr 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 ■ ■ 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 25 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 3 Pakistani infiltrators still in Hyd Chitha l uri R e v a n th @ Hyderabad As of Tuesday — the deadline for Pakistani citizens visiting India on medical visas to leave — three infiltrators from the neighbouring country were still in Hyderabad. There are several cases registered against these three. “One of these Pakistani nationals is in jail, another is in a detention centre, while the last one has been released on bail, is living in the city and is under police watch,” a source in the Hyderabad Police told TNIE. It may be noted that only four of the 200-odd Pakistani nationals staying in Hyderabad police commissionerate limits had arrived in the city on short-term visas. One of them left for Pakistan on April 26 and the other three the next day . A police official told TNIE that most of the Pakistani nationals who came here have relatives in the city and some even married Indian citizens. “Most of these couples had met in Dubai,” the officer said. Interestingly one of the Long, Term Visa holders staying in the city had renounced his Indian citizenship and is a Pakistani national.  continued on P5 Full freedom to forces Modi gives the armed forces full operational freedom to decide the mode, targets and timing of their action against terror outfits and ecosystems RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday gave the security forces full operational freedom 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 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 NCERT sparks outrage with rhino blunder P rasa n ta M a z um d ar @Guwahati THE National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has come under fire for incorrectly depicting the Indian rhinoceros with two horns in a Class 4 math textbook. The illustration, featured in the “did you know” section, has sparked outrage among conservationists and the public. The statement accompanying the illustration contains several errors, including the claim that the Indian rhino has two horns and that its horn has medicinal value.  CONTINUED ON P5 @ New Delhi THE government possessing the Pegasus spyware for security purposes is not wrong, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday Allegations 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 during the hearing of the Pegasus spyware matter. The bench said a technical committee’s report on the issue can’t be made public as it involves national security How. ever, 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 the Israeli software to snoop on activists, journalists, and others. The petitioners said targeted surveillance using militarygrade 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. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for one of the petitioners, said he wanted to place on record a judgment of a US District Court that mentioned India as one of the affected countries. ‘Laggard’ BJP leaders get an earful from Bansal I re d d y S ri n i v as R e d d y @ Hyderabad The BJP state unit office-bearers’ meeting on Tuesday was a torrid affair, with the party’s state affairs incharge Sunil Bansal reportedly taking a stern view of the delay in forming mandal and other local committees. During a closed-door meeting of office-bearers, chaired by state chief G Kishan Reddy Bansal is understood to , have explicitly conveyed his dissatisfaction with the pace of internal organisational work. According to a senior leader present at the meeting, Bansal bluntly told the party’s district presidents to finalise the committees by May 15 or resign from their positions. The source, requesting anonymity, revealed that Bansal repeated his warning that laggards would not be tolerated and should step down. Leaving some squirming, Bansal is said to have raised concerns about irregularities in the recent membership drive. He reportedly told the meeting that there were indications that around 13,000 fake active memberships were registered. This has been brought to the attention of the party’s national leadership, he reportedly stated. Bansal also instructed leaders at both state and district levels to escalate public protests and agitations targeting the ruling Congress, especially its failure to fulfil its promises. 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 to 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 Modi’s official residence on very few occasions ever since he 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 `1,000 and `500 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 his supporters after winning the Canadian Federal Election Tuesday | AFP J AYA N T H J A CO 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 politics and looking at ties with India.  P9 IPS officers ask HC to lift stay on Nagaram land T G Nai d u @ Hyderabad A group of senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, including Ravi Gupta, Tarun Joshi, Renu Goyal, BK Rahul Hegde, Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat, Sowmya Mishra and Swathi Lakra, as well as Rekha Sharaf, the wife of Umesh Sharaf, have filed three writ appeals before the Telangana High Court challenging the April 24, 2025, order by a single judge. The single judge, hearing a writ petition filed by one Birla Mahesh, had ordered status quo on all land transactions pertaining to Survey Nos. 181, 182, 194 and 195 of Nagaram village in Maheshwaram mandal, Rangareddy district. Mahesh had alleged large-scale fraudulent activity, including forgery ED seizes documents in Bhoodan land case Hyderabad: The Directorate of Enforcement on Tuesday revealed that it has seized incriminating documents related to the fraudulent sale and purchase of government and Bhoodan land, `23 lakh in Indian currency and 12,000 UAE Dirhams | P2 of documents, manipulation of official records and illegal transfer of over 26 acres of government and Bhoodan land. The petitioner also claimed that these acts were carried out with the alleged involvement of high-ranking IAS and IPS officers in collusion with local revenue and re gistration officials. Challenging the order, the appellants contended that the single judge’s directive was passed without issuing any notice to them or other affected landowners, thereby violating the principles of natural justice. They argued that no grounds were made out for an ex-parte order of such sweeping nature, particularly when the main relief sought in the writ petition was limited to the non-consideration of representations dated February 19 and March 10, 2025, and an interim direction to submit progress reports on the ongoing investigation. The officers further asserted that the observations made by the court regarding fraudulent activity, at such a preliminary stage and without hearing the respondents, had caused irreversible damage to their rights and had led to serious prejudice. According to them, the single judge’s order extended far beyond the scope of the original writ petition and amounted to adjudicating a private grievance disguised as a public interest issue under Article 226 of the Constitution. In their plea, the appellants requested the bench to set aside the stay order in respect of the land situated in Nagaram village and to pass any other appropriate orders deemed fit under the circumstances. TGERC: No hike in power tariff for any category of consumer for 2025-26 | p4