HYDERABAD l saturday l may 03, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late cITY EDITION now, Repairability index for smartphones in the offing Smartphone and tablet manufacturers will soon have to rate their products on a repairability index to help consumers make informed choices ‘tech ensures products have short lives’ A government panel on Friday submitted a report recommending introduction of the index. “Companies are not manufacturing devices for life. They are actually forcing consumers to buy another product as they have planned for their obsolescence. Technology has made sure products have short lifespans,” said Nidhi Khare, Consumer Affairs Secretary ■ 20,000 five-point rating scale being considered ■ The panel has recommended a five-point rating scale that should be prominently displayed at points of sale, on packaging, and websites The rating will be based on parameters including repairability of key components like display, batteries, camera, and speakers; ease of disassembly; availability of spare parts; and software update policies complaints received on faulty repair ecosystems 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 Accountability push CWC meet calls for fitting reply to Pak terror groups Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy attends CWC meeting in Delhi on Friday Cong to Centre: Adopt TG model for caste survey EN S @ Hyderabad Vizhinjam Seaport commissioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and others during the inauguration of the Vizhinjam International Seaport, in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday | Pti NIA sees Pak Army hand in Pahalgam terror attack Preliminary report points to role of LeT, ISI, and Pak Army: Sources MUKE S H RAN J AN @ New Delhi THE April 22 Pahalgam attack was perpetrated by the Lashkare-Taiba (LeT), Pakistan’s InterServices Intelligence (ISI), and the Pak Army, according to a preliminary report prepared by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Sources said the report mentions the conspiracy behind the brutal attack, in which 26 people were killed, was hatched by the LeT with directions and support from the ISI and the Pak Army . The preliminary probe found the involvement of around 20 active Kashmir Valley over ground workers (OGWs) in providing logistics support to the terrorists. OWG is a term used by security agencies to refer to people who provide logistics support to militants and assist them in their surreptitious movement. According to NIA sources, the identified OGWs are currently being intensely interrogated. During interrogation, it was revealed that both the main attackers were in touch with their Pakistani-based handlers and they received specific instructions on the timing, logistics, and execution. NIA sleuths will also question two key OGWs— Nisar Ahmad alias Haji and Mushtaq Hussain—who are currently lodged in Kot Bhalwal Jail in Jammu to ferret out information from them. “The duo are known associates of LeT and were earlier arrested for their role in aiding terrorists involved in the 2023 attack on Army convoys in Bhata Dhurian and Totagali,” a source said. According to the NIA report, two prime suspects identified as Hashmi Musa (alias Suleman) and Ali Bhai (alias Talha Bhai) are Pakistani nationals. The NIA sleuths also performed a 3D mapping of the attack site and extracted dump data from mobile towers around the valley sources said. , “Satellite phone activity in the region spiked in the days leading up to the attack. At least three satellite phones were operational in and around Baisaran and signals from two have been traced and analysed,” said an official. Terrorists entered Kashmir Weeks ago NIA found the terrorists entered Kashmir weeks before the attack and were helped by a network of OGWs, who gave them all the logistics support including shelter, navigation, and reconnaissance Recce at 4 places, including Baisaran NIA said the terrorists reached Pahalgam around April 15 and did recce at Baisaran Valley, Aru Valley, Betaab Valley, and an amusement park. They chose Baisaran due to thin security Shehbaz seeks help from Muslim nations Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif on Friday urged Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait, to impress upon India to de-escalate and defuse tensions, reports said Tapgate: HC rejects ex-SIB chief’s anticipatory bail plea T G N a i d u @ Hyderabad Justice J Sreenivasa Rao of the Telangana High Court on Friday dismissed the anticipatory bail application filed by former Special Intelligence Bureau chief T Prabhakar Rao. The court also rejected an implead petition filed by S Sreedhar Rao, managing director of Sandhya Conventions, who claimed to be a victim of illegal surveillance allegedly orchestrated under Prabhakar Rao’s direction. The high-profile hearing, which concluded earlier this week, saw intense arguments from both sides. Senior counsel T Niranjan Reddy, appearing for the former SIB chief, strongly opposed the implead plea filed by Sreedhar Rao, asserting that he had no locus standi in the matter. “This is our petition for anticipatory bail. Sreedhar Rao, who is facing 25 criminal cases, cannot be allowed to intervene in these proceedings,” Niranjan Reddy argued. He contended that Prabhakar Rao was being selectively targeted by the prosecution, and hinted that the alleged surveillance and destruction of evidence was sanctioned by higher authorities, including the then home secretary and review committees. However, public prosecutor Palle Nageswara Rao supported Sreedhar Rao’s right to voice objections, stating that the existence of criminal cases against him did not invalidate his claim of being a victim. He argued against anticipatory bail being granted in cases involving pending non-bailable warrants, ongoing extradition efforts, or Red Corner notices. In response to the defence’s assertion that extradition proceedings had not commenced, Nageswara Rao clarified that a letter rogatory had already been issued to a US court formally initiating the legal process for extradition. The CWC strongly urged the Centre to adopt the Telangana model for the national caste census. The endorsement followed detailed discussions during the CWC meeting held here on Friday and attended by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy . “In Telangana, the design of the caste survey was developed through a consultative and transparent process, with the active involvement of civil society , social scientists and community leaders. Rather than being a closed bureaucratic exercise, it was open to public input and scrutiny The CWC strongly urg. es the Union government to adopt a similar approach for the national caste census,” the resolution read. Revanth briefed the CWC on the modalities and methodology of the survey conducted by his government.  continued on P4 P r e e t h a N a i r @ New Delhi URGING the Centre to act with firmness in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and penalise Pakistan, a resolution passed by the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Friday said this is an opportune time to demonstrate the nation’s collective will to teach the neighbouring country a lesson for its export of terror. In another resolution, the party asked the government to announce a “clear timeline” for every stage of the caste census. The meeting chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also pressed for time-bound accountability into “serious lapses” in security and intelligence in one of the most heavily-guarded regions of the country . “The masterminds and perpetrators of this cowardly attack must face full consequences for their actions. The Congress urges the Government of India to act with firm- Consult all parties on caste survey: Congress New Delhi: The Congress on Friday said that the caste census process must be transparent and inclusive at every step. “All political parties must be taken into full confidence. Parliament must immediately have a debate on this crucial matter.” ness, strategic clarity and international coordination to isolate and penalise Pakistan for its continued export of terror into our territory the res,” olution said. The meeting was attended by former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. In the second resolution on Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Parliamentary party chair Sonia Gandhi and LoP Rahul Gandhi at the meeting in New Delhi on Friday | praveen negi The CWC has mentioned in its resolution that the Telangana government has undertaken the caste census scientifically, taking advice and suggestions from the entire civil society, intellectuals, leaders of various caste associations, and academicians in a transparent manner. This is a matter of pride for the state of Telangana, and I am very proud that Telangana has become a role model for the country in the process of initiating a great social revolution. On this occasion, I once again congratulate everyone who conducted the caste census in a most brilliant and transparent manner and raised the prestige of Telangana at the national level – A Revanth Reddy, chief minister Herald case: Rahul, Sonia get notices S h e k h a r S i n g h @ New Delhi A Delhi court on Friday issued notices to Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in the National Herald money laundering case, stating that the accused have the right to be heard before cognizance is taken and that this right is crucial for ensuring a fair trial. Notices were also sent to senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, Sunil Bhandari and firms Young Indian and Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd. Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue caste census, the party said it believed that the model followed by Telangana provided an effective and inclusive framework the government of India must emulate. The resolution also sought removal of the 50% ceiling on reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs. Court said, “Right to be heard at any stage breathes life into fair trial,” before posting the matter on May 8. Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the ED, referred to a past case where no notice had been issued before summons, leading to proceedings being stayed by the Supreme Court. In contrast, Raju said that in the current matter, he supported issuing notice in line with Section 223, as clarified in the Tarsem Lal judgment. The judge noted that the complaint was at the stage of notice consideration. He explained that the question was whether Section 223 required notice to be issued to the accused before cognisance. The court held that it did, and the provision was not inconsistent with the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The National Herald case revolves around a `90 crore loan extended by the Congress party to the Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the company that owns the National Herald newspaper. This loan was later transferred to Young Indian for a mere `50 lakh. It has been alleged by the Enforcement Directorate that this deal led to the wrongful acquisition of assets worth over `2,000 crore. express read Centre calls meeting to discuss Brijesh Kumar Tribunal award publication Hyderabad: Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil has convened a meeting of Irrigation ministers of four states on May 7 to discuss the publication of the award of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal 2 (Brijesh Kumar Tribunal), despite the fact that the matter remains sub judice | P4 PM restarts Amaravati works, wants AP to be the growth engine for India Vijayawada: Calling upon Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his Deputy Pawan Kalyan to transform Amaravati and Andhra Pradesh into a growth engine for a developed India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi restarted the construction of the capital city here on Friday | P5 Girl, 3, youngest to ‘take’ Santhara fast unto death A n u r a a g S i n g h @ Bhopal A three-year-old terminally ill child in Indore became the youngest to ‘embrace death’ through the Jain practice of Santhara. She passed away on March 21 minutes after the ceremony ended. Santhara or Sallekhana is a voluntary practice of fast unto death, which is undertaken when the end is imminent. But since patient Viyana Jain was just three, she couldn’t have taken the decision voluntarily . It was her parents Varsha and Piyush Jain, both techies, who took the call following advice from Jain guru Rajesh Muni Maharaj. Santhara was declared illegal by the Rajasthan HC in 2015. The order triggered massive protests by Jains, who argued that Santhara was for self-purification. A month later, the SC suspended the order. Viyana underwent surgery for brain tumour in Mumbai in January . Now, WhatsApp traffic violations on 94906 17346 E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Hyderabad The Cyberabad traffic police have posted a phone number — 94906 17346 — on social media platform X and asked citizens to WhatsApp photos and videos of traffic violations. Promising action against violators of traffic rules, the post said: “Wrong side driving? Capture a photo/video and send it to us with location, date and time of violation.” A flurry of responses followed, with an overwhelming majority of citizens posting about the traffic violations they were witness to. Details of the response on WhatsApp, however, were not shared by the traffic police. On X, a netizen pointed out that road safety was a shared responsibility — one wrong move can cost lives. “Let’s report, not ignore. Together, we can make our roads safer,” the netizen wrote. Another netizen questioned the police on whether generating challans based on WhatsApp complaints was possible. “Only authorised personnel can do this (impose fines) under the Motor Vehicle Act and you’re required to mention the Section of law, name of officer who imposed the challan, date, time, location for accountability the netizen wrote. ,” While there was no immediate clarification to this query on X, the fact that citizens can now report traffic violations through the ubiquitous WhatsApp is being seen as a welcome step.