tadepalligudem l saturday l may 31, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION FSSAI bans use of ‘100%’ on food labels citing potential misuse Mandar pardikar all food businesses asked to fall in line The apex food regulator asked all Food Business Operators (FBOs) to refrain from using the term on food labels, packaging, and promotional content, owing to its ambiguity and potential for misinterpretation within the existing regulatory provisions. it said the terminology is not only undefined but also misleading and likely to create a false impression Food Safety and Standards Authority of India on Friday advised not to use the term ‘100%’ in food labelling, citing concerns over its misuse claims must be truthful, unambiguous ■ ■ As per the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018, the term “100%” is not defined or referenced in any manner under the FSS Act, 2006, or rules under the Act Sub-regulation 4(1) of the 2018 rule says the claims must be truthful, unambiguous and help consumers to comprehend the information 2006 food safety act is the basis of most regulations in 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 Economy grew 7.4% in Q4, beat estimates Full-year growth for FY25 pegged at 6.5%; manufacturing slips DI PAK MO N DAL @ New Delhi INDIA’s economy ended 2024-25 on a strong note, with real GDP growth accelerating to 7.4% in the fourth quarter (Q4) driven by robust performances in construction, public administration, and financial services, provisional estimates of GDP released on Friday showed. This is, however, lower than the 8.4% growth reported in Q4 of the previous financial year, but higher than 6.4% in the third quarter of FY25, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The data surprised most analysts who had forecast the GDP growth to be below 7% in Q4. The real GDP growth for FY25 stood at 6.5%, in line with RBI’s projections. In FY24, the GDP had grown at 9.2%. The surge in the fourth quarter was led by construction (10.8% growth), public administration & defence (8.7%), and financial services (7.8%), signalling strong infrastructure and government-led activity. Agriculture (primary sector) rebounded to 5.0% growth in Q4, a sharp recovery from 0.8% in the same quarter last year. Manufacturing growth declined sharply year-on-year to 4.8% in the fourth quarter of FY25 compared with 11.3% in Real gdp growth 15 13.5% 2022-23 12 9.7% 7.6% 9.2% 6.5% 2023-24 9.3% 9.5% 6% 6.4% 9 6.5% 6 5.6% 3 Q1 Q2 the corresponding quarter previous year. For the full year, the manufacturing sector in real terms grew at 4.5% against 12.3% in the previous year. Private final consumption expenditure (PFCE) rose 7.2% in FY25, showing robust demand. However, PPCE moderated to 6% in Q4. Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran said contribution of private consumption to GDP rose to 61% (current prices) in FY25—the highest since FY04. Investment, or gross fixed capital formation, slowed down in FY25 to 7.1% against 8.8% in the previous year. However, investments picked up in Q4 of FY25 to 9.4%, the highest quarterly growth during the year. 2024-25 8.4% 7.4% 6.9% 4.8% Q3 Q4 The CEA said industrial growth picked pace in Q4, helped by the monetary policy —by lowering rates and easing liquidity, while the services sector maintained its pace. Nominal GDP rose 9.8% in FY25 to `331 lakh crore, or $3.92 trillion in dollar terms. Nominal GDP growth hit 10.8% in Q4, reflecting both real expansion and inflation. For FY26, CEA estimated the growth in the 6.3-6.8% range. “If we continue with the efforts to bring in FDI and private capex, and urban consumption picks up on the back of higher capital formation, and tax cuts, we can achieve the growth around 6.8%,” Nageswaran pointed out. Join AP in its growth journey, says CM Express News Service @ Vijayawada Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who is keen to transform the State into a $2.4 trillion economy by 2047, has invited industry leaders to participate in the Swarna Andhra Vision 2047. Addressing the annual Business Summit 2025 of the CII in New Delhi on Friday the Chief , Minister called for deeper collaboration in innovation, infras t r u c t u re, a n d i n cl u s ive growth. “Entrepreneurs generate wealth, and with it, we can implement impactful welfare programs,” he said. Recalling the CII Partnership Summit held in Hyderabad , “it brought immense visibility and invest- Apex Court for conducting NEET-PG in just one shift s u c h i t r a k a lya n m o h a n t y @ New Delhi IN a surprising order, the Supreme Court on Friday issued directions that the post-graduate medical entrance exam scheduled on June 15 be conducted in a single shift, saying holding it in two shifts “creates arbitrariness”. A three-judge vacation bench comprising justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Kumar and N K Anjaria rejected the decision of the National Board of Examination to hold NEET-PG 2025 in two shifts. “Holding the exam in two shifts leads to arbitrariness and cannot give a level playing field. The question papers in the two shifts can never be of the same difficulty level… The examining body ought to have considered making arrangements for holding the examination in one shift,” the bench said. The court was hearing petitions challenging the the two shifts. Counsel for NBE told the court that to hold the exam in one shift, 900 extra centres will have to be arranged, which is not possible before June 15. The counsel further said NBE has limited centres to hold the exam in one shift. After hearing NBE’s submissions, the court said, “We are not ready to accept that examining body could not find enough centres to hold the examination in one shift.” The bench, however, clarified that NBE can apply for extension of time if they fail to make the arrangements by June 15. @ Visakhapatnam President Droupadi Murmu will attend the first convocation of the Central Tribal University of Andhra Pradesh (CTUAP), to be held at the Andhra University Convention Centre on RK Beach Road in Visakhapatnam on June 10. In a review meeting held at the Collectorate on Friday mor ning, Collector M N Harendhira Prasad, along with University Vice-Chancellor T V Kattimani, discussed the necessary arrangements. Officials from various departments were instructed to coordinate closely for the smooth conduct of the event. According to the schedule, the President will arrive at Visakhapatnam International Airport at 11.30 am on June 10 and travel by road to the AU Convention Hall. The convocation is slated to Destiny has given me the opportunity to build a greenfield capital Amaravati. I invite you all to become partners in this historic journey. Under the transformative Swarna Andhra Vision 2047, we aim for more than 15% annual growth, reaching a $2.4 tn economy by 2047 — N Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister Look who’s seeing merit in Art 370’s INDIGO abrogation in J&K TO end pact with Turkish Airlines DGCA on Friday asked IndiGo to terminate its leasing of two Boeing 777 aircraft from Turkish Airlines by August 31 Prez to attend CTUAP’s 1st convocation in V’patnam Express News Service CM N Chandrababu Naidu at the annual CII Summit in New Delhi on Friday | Express take place from 12 pm to 1 pm, after which the President will return to the airport and depart. Speaking on the occasion, the Collector emphasised the need for beautification and road repairs along the convoy route. He asked the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) officials to address potential waterlogging issues at the Gnanapuram railway underpass and to arrange for motor pumps in case of rain. He also instructed the officials to clear the road from INS Dega to the convention venue of any hoardings, electric lines, or P4 other obstacles. election with 65% participation. There’s an elected governDays after the Cong ress ment in Kashmir today, and squir med after its leader therefore, for people to want to Shashi Tharoor aligned him- undo everything that has hapself with the government’s Op- pened, the prosperity that has eration Sindoor against Paki- come to Kashmir, it would not stan’s terror nests, another be advisable,” the Congress veteran leader Salman Khur- leader added. shid on Friday went completely The delegation led by Janata against the party line, Dal (United) MP Sanjay saying the abrogation Kumar Jha reached Jaof Article 370 in J&K in karta on Wednesday as 2019 ushered in prosperpart of India’s diplomatity and democratic ic outreach on Operation progress to the region. Sindoor. It engaged with Speaking to members various think tanks, inof Indonesian think cluding the Indonesian tanks and academia as Council of World Afpart of an all-party Infairs; Centre for Stratedian parliamentary delgic and International For people to egation, Khurshid acStudies; Foreign Policy want to undo knowledged that the everything that Community of Indonespecial status previous- has happened, sia; The Habibie Centre; ly granted to J&K had the prosperity Indo-Pacific Strategic Incontributed to a sense that has come telligence Centre for Into Kashmir, it of separation from the donesia Policy Studies, would not be rest of India. University of Indonesia, advisable “Kashmir had a maand the Indonesia Air jor problem for a long Power Studies Centre. time. Much of that was reflectThe BJP national spokespered in the thinking of the gov- son Shehzad Poonawalla used ernment in an Article called Khurshid’s comment to poke 370 of the Constitution, which Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. somehow gave the impression “Hope Congress does not desigthat it was separate from the nate Salman Khurshid as “Surest of the country But Article . per Pravakta” after he has 370 was abrogated and it was busted their narrative on 370... finally put to an end,” Khur- Will Rahul Gandhi admit Art shid said. 370 was his family blunder?” he “Subsequently there was an wondered. , Pa r v e z Su lta n @ New Delhi rich ecological habitat Kondakarla Ava set to become State’s first ‘Conservation Reserve’ U s h a P e r i @ Visakhapatnam Soon, Andhra Pradesh will designate Kondakarla Ava in Anakapalle district as the state’s first-ever ‘Conservative Reserve’. Located about 50 km southwe s t o f Vi s a k h ap at n a m , Kondakarla Ava is the secondlargest natural freshwater lake in the state after Kolleru. Fed by the Sarada river and Anakapalle Ava, the lake is surrounded by farmlands and supports both agriculture and inland fishing. It is also a rich ecological habitat, home to diverse flora and fauna. On May 27, Anakapalle Collector Vijaya Krishnan held a coordination meeting with officials from the forest, tourism, irrigation, fisheries, and revenue departments to review progress on the proposal. Anakapalle District Forest Officer (DFO) M Samuel told TNIE, “This will be the state’s first A view of Kondakarla Ava in Anakapalle district | G Satyanarayana conservation reserve. The Collector has directed all departments to provide inputs regarding boundaries, scope, and n e c e s s a r y i n t e r ve n t i o n s. Around 700 acres have been marked as the proposed conservation reserve. We will meet again next week to present these reports and move forward collectively .” He added that the proposal has already been sent to the government. “We have already sent the representations and approvals to the government, and it is very keen on declaring Kondakarla Ava as a conserva- tion reserve,” he noted. Highlighting the importance, Samuel explained, “This move will primarily help us protect the bird species found here. It will also improve the livelihoods of local fishermen who depend on the lake. It will also help streamline rights and re- sponsibilities under a unified framework, opening doors to CSR funding and other developmental resources.” The lake is a haven for biodiversity, hosting over 123 birds species, including pheasanttailed jacanas, pur ple swamphens, bitter ns, and ducks such as the tufted duck and fulvous whistling-duck. The vulnerable smooth-coated otter is also found here, along with 24 aquatic plants. Over 100 households depend on the lake for fishing, with traditional palm boats still in use. More than 20 species of fish have been recorded in the lake, making it a vital source of income and food for the local community . Welcoming the proposal, environmentalist Vivek Rathod, founder of Wildlife Conservation Through Research and Education (WCTRE), emphasised the need for an ecologically balanced approach.  P4 ment. Now, I seek your support to bring investments to Andhra Pradesh so we can continue to create wealth. We are truly at an inspiring moment in time, Naidu said. “The economic reforms initiated by former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao changed India forever. Today many of the , world’s top achievers are Indians and about 30% of them are Telugus. India is poised to serve the global community for centuries to come. Technology has matured, and the world is moving forward rapidly with developments in AI, quantum computing, wearables, CCTV and , drones. If real-time data can be harnessed effectively, India, with its pool of outstanding entrepreneurs, can lead this revoP4 lution,” Naidu said.  3 convicted Ex-BJP neta’s son gets lifer in ’22 Ankita Bhandari case N ARE N DRA SETHI @ Dehradun A court in Kotdwar on Friday sentenced three accused to life imprisonment in the 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case. Additional district and sessions judge Reena Negi found Pulkit Arya, Saurabh Bhaskar, and Ankit Gupta guilty under sections 302, 201, 120B, and 354A of the IPC and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. “Justice has been served,” said those present in the courtroom as the verdict was delivered. Besides the life sentence, the court also slapped a fine of `50,000 each on all three convicts and directed a compensation of `4 lakh for Bhandari’s family . Bhandari (19), a receptionist at Vanantra Resort located in Yamkeshwar of Pauri district, was killed on September 18, 2022 by resort operator Pulkit Arya and his two employees Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta. Police investigations revealed that Ankita was being pressured by resort owner Pulkit Arya and his associates, Ankit Gupta and Saurabh Bhaskar, to engage in immoral activities. According to the prosecution, Bhandari and Arya had a dispute after which the three pushed the woman into the Cheela canal in Rishikesh. After her body was found from the canal, police arrested all three. Pulkit Arya is the son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya. The party showed the door to Vinod Arya soon after the verdict was delivered on Friday . express read Serious lapses found in SSC evaluation Vijayawada: Exposing serious lapses in evaluation, errors were found in 11,175 scripts involving 10,159 students after the reverification and recounting process of the SSC Public Examinations held in March 2025 | P3 No postponement of DSC-2025, says govt Vijayawada: The State government has made it clear that the Mega DSC-2025 examination will be held as scheduled from June 6, 2025, dismissing the widespread demands on social media | P4