Saudi to buy $142 bn worth arms from U.S. “The united states and saudi arabia signed the largest defence sales agreement in history,” the white house said | P9 The deal was inked during US President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi, the first foreign tour in his 2nd term hyderabad l thursday l may 15, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION Plans for more Indus basin projects readied for Cabinet Include 3 new hydro projects & converting run-of-rivers into storage structures project (800 MW) on the Marusudar river within the Indus After putting the Indus Wa- basin. Also, the Uri Stage II (260 ters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance, MW) on the Jhelum commisthe government is considering sioned in 2013-14 is yet to realise three new hydropower projects its full potential. on the Indus River Basin be“As many of our projects sides fast-tracking two other have not moved forward in the projects. Additionally, discus- past four decades, the governsions are underway among top ment is aiming to scale up opofficials to convert the existing erations as soon as possible. run-of-river hydro projects into Since the treaty is on hold, the storage projects. government will The treaty not entertain signed in 1960 reany objections Additional stricts India’s usfrom Pakistan,” power points age of the western said a senior ofrivers — Indus, ficer in the MinJhelum, and Chenistry of Jal ab — to benefit PaShakti. kistan. Ever since, The Per ma4 5 Pakistan has been nent Indus Com1 3 2 stalling Indian mission, which proposals to conis mandated to struct hydropower meet annually, 1 Sawalkot Stage II plants on the three has already been 2 Kirthai Stage II rivers under varion the back ous pretexts. bur ner since 3 Dulhasti Stage II India put the two years. 4 Uri Stage II* treaty in abeyance Many of Infollowing a hordia’s large and 5 Bursar project rific terrorist atmedium scale * Uri Stage II commissioned but tack on April 22 in projects on the full work yet to be completed Pahalgam, killing Indus basin have 26 people. been stalled The Ministry of Jal Shakti since 1984. The Sawalkot hydrohas prepared detailed project power project (1,856 MW) had to reports for submission to the be shelved despite its conceptuCabinet. The proposed projects alisation in 1984 following Pakiare Sawalkot Stage II (1,856 stani opposition. While the MW), Kirthai Stage II (930 MW) Kirthai-II (930 MW) was concepand Dulhasti Stage II (260 MW) tualised way back in 1984, work on the Chenab. on Kirthai I is in its pre-conBesides, the ministry has re- struction stage. quested Cabinet approval to Dulhasti Stage-II (260 MW) fast-track projects that had ei- over the Chenab was conceived ther slowed down or been aban- in 1997-98 and the Bursar project doned due to Pakistani road- (800 MW) on the Marusudar blocks. They include the Bursar river in 2008. J i t e n d r a C h o u b e y @ New Delhi 21 pak crew barred from disembarking Paradip: Security agencies have barred 21 Pakistani crew members from disembarking a crude oil tanker that arrived at BSF jawan Purnam Paradip Port on Wednesday. Shaw after being Sources said the decision was taken keeping in mind the tense handed over to situation with Pakistan | P7 India | PTI How Chinese air defence systems were bypassed m aya n k s i n g h @ New Delhi IN a show of strength of the technological might of India’s armed forces, the government on Wednesday said Chinese air defence systems supplied to Pakistan were hoodwinked during Operation Sindoor, with the mission wrapped up in 23 minutes. “Air Force bypassed and jammed Pakistan’s Chinese-supplied air defence systems ... demonstrating India’s technological edge,” the government said. All three services of Pakistan have a major presence of Chinese weapons and systems including Air Defence systems, J-10, JF-17 fighters, submarines and warships to include a few. On the night of 7-8 May Pakistan , tried to engage a number of military targets in Northern and Western India, but those were neutralised by the Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems. On May 8, India targeted Air Defence Radars and systems in Pakistan, apart from taking down an Air Defence system in Lahore. India’s multi-tier defence prevented Pakistan Air Force attacks on our airfields and logistic installations on the night of May 9–10. All strikes were executed without loss of Indian assets. MP minister booked after HC fiat over gutter language sance of media reports and digital evidence, after which An FIR was filed against it ordered the police to file an state minister Vijay Shah afFIR against him on charges ter an appalled Madhya of promoting enmity and haPradesh High Cour t on tred. Shah had obliquely reWednesday lit into him for ferred to Col Qureshi as the Vijay Shah his scurrilous remarks, say“sister of terrorists”. ing he used the “language of Col Qureshi, along with the gutters” against Col Sofia Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, Qureshi, who was part of the nation- was the face of the armed forces meal briefing on Operation Sindoor dia briefing. against Pakistan. Castigating Shah, the bench said the The court took suo motu cogni- armed forces were perhaps the last inA n u r a a g S i n g h @ Bhopal stitution in this country that reflect integrity industry discipline, sacri, , fice, selflessness, character and indomitable courage. It directed that the matter be listed on top priority for Thursday “ the function in Raikun. At da village in Mhow (Indore), the minister made a nauseating remark against Col Sofia Qureshi by way of an innuendo,” the court observed. Sources said the BJP top brass in New Delhi is extremely angry Shah . may be asked to step down as Cabinet minister soon, they added. Nod for HCL-Foxconn joint venture in UP r a k e s h k u m a r @ New Delhi New CJI sworn in Justice B R Gavai after taking oath as the 52nd Chief Justice of India, at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday, as President Droupadi Murmu looks on | PTI THE Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a `3,706 crore semiconductor plant at Jewar in Uttar Pradesh, to be set up by the HCLFoxconn joint venture to manufacture display driver chips for mobile phones, laptops and automobiles. Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw said with this approval, India now has six semiconductor units in advanced stages of construction. “With this sixth unit, Bharat moves forward in its journey to develop the strategically vital semiconductor industry,” said Vaishnaw. The new plant near Jewar Airport in the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) region will manufacture display driver chips for a wide range of devices including mobile phones, laptops, automobiles, and PCs. Kerala agency to forensically audit Dharani B K a r t h e e k @ Hyderabad The state government has expedited steps to conduct a comprehensive forensic audit into alleged irregularities involving the use of the Dharani portal — the integrated land revenue records management system — during the BRS regime. According to credible sources, a Kerala-based state-run investigative agency has been given in-principle approval to c o n d u c t t h i s h i g h - l e ve l investigation. During the recent Assembly session, the state government announced its plan to launch a forensic audit into disputed transactions processed through Dharani. Although the government has since replaced the Dharani portal with the newly introduced Bhu Bharati, it has retained the necessary data required for the investigation. The purpose of the audit is to establish a detailed transaction history of the disputed land deals. The key points the audit will focus on include: who was involved in the transactions; the specific locations and times of the deals; the roles of officers; and any suspicious IP addresses or login details associated with the transactions. The forensic audit will also examine the parties involved and seek to clarify the circumstances surrounding these land transfers.  Continued on P4 closer look The forensic audit will look at 15,000 to 20,000 suspicious land transactions across the state. However, primary focus will be on the districts of Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medchal, where most of the irregularities are believed to have occurred. Trump and Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also signed a host of bilateral pacts 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 ■ After interacting with the 39-year-old crown prince, Trump said: “I really believe we like each other a lot” Trump and Saudi Crown Prince bin Salman | ap/pti India rejects China renaming places in Arunachal Pradesh | p7 ■