kochi l saturday l june 07, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION Elon Musk’s Starlink gets India licence for broadband internet Elon Musk’s Starlink has bagged a licence for satellite internet services, a milestone towards launching commercial operations in India licence hours after trump-musk spat strict security rules await foreign co Starlink is the third company after Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications to get a licence from the Dept of Telecommunications to provide satellite internet services in the country. A fourth applicant, Amazon’s Kuiper, is still waiting for approvals. Notably, the licence came hours after an ugly, public spat between Musk and Donald Trump | P10 ■ ■ TRAI last month recommended that satcom companies like Starlink pay 4% of their adjusted gross revenue as spectrum charges to govt—a rate steeper than what these firms had lobbied for India’s rules mandate satcom firms to demonstrate capabilities with respect to security aspects, including monitoring, before operations 550 km above earth is world’s largest low Earth orbit used by starlink 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 Double delight: RBI cuts repo by 50 bps, CRR 1% Signals pause in rate cut cycle for the time being; releases C2.5L cr into banking system sense of certainty to the market with a 50 bps cut. The Reserve Bank of India Malhotra said the Monetary (RBI) has ‘frontloaded’ the dose Policy Committee’s decision of relief for borrowers. On Fri- was taken in view of durable day the central bank’s rate-set- disinflation and the need to , ting panel surprised the Street boost private consumption and with a 50 basis point cut investment. “Inflation in the repo rate—the has softened, with headbenchmark lending line CPI falling to 3.2% in rate—to 5.5% against the April—below the 4% tarexpectation of a 25 basis get,” he said. “We now point reduction. The project inflation for FY26 panel also shifted its polat 3.7%, down from our icy stance from ‘accomearlier forecast of 4%.” modative’ to ‘neutral’, On reverting to the signalling an end of rate ‘neutral’ stance from ‘acMPC will cut cycle for now. With commodative’, he clariFriday’s cut, RBI has carefully assess fied this change indicates data to chart lowered the repo rate by a “very limited space” out future a cumulative 100 basis for further monetary polcourse of points (bps) in 2025. icy action. A neutral monetary policy To ease liquidity constance will mean rates in ditions, RBI also an- Sanjay Malhotra, future can go either way . RBI guv nounced a 100 bps cut in “It will depend on how the cash reserve ratio the data comes in. If (CRR) from 4% to 3%, to be im- growth is weaker, it can mean it plemented in four tranches will go down. If growth is good, starting September 6. This is ex- inflation is going up, the repo pected to release `2.5 lakh crore rate can go up,” he said. into the banking system. Meanwhile, real GDP growth Speaking to the media, RBI for FY26 has been retained at Governor Sanjay Malhotra said 6.5%, with Q1 projected at 6.5% the move was aimed at ensuring and Q2 at 6.7%. The governor policy certainty. He said RBI said the domestic economy recould have done the rate cut in mains resilient, supported by P10 tranches, but it wanted to give a several positive factors.  D i pa k M o n d a l @ New Delhi Highs and lows 7 6 5 4 3 40 50 50 50 35 Repo Rate (%) 25 0 Change (bps) -25 4.4 4.9 5.4 5.9 6.25 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.25 may ’22 june aug sep -25 6 dec feb ’23 june sep ’24 dec feb ’25 apr -50 5.5 june PM dedicates Projects worth C46,000 crore to nation India’s Operation Sindoor will haunt Pakistan forever, says Modi in J&K RAJ E SH KU M AR THAKUR & FAYA Z WA N I @ Katra / Srinagar Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lit into Pakistan, accusing the ‘unfortunate neighbour’ of conspiring to derail the economy and empowerment of Jammu and Kashmir through the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. “Pakistan attacked both insaniyat (humanity) and Kashmiriyat (Kashmir’s social harmony) in Pahalgam. It wanted to spark communal riots in India and rob Kashmiris of their livelihood,” Modi said in his first visit to J&K after the April 22 terror attack. His comments came while addressing a rally after inaugurating the world’s highest single-arch rail bridge over the Chenab river, India’s first cable-stayed Anji bridge, and flagging off Vande Bharat trains to mark the completion of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway link that providies direct train connectivity to the Kashmir Valley . In all, Modi inaugurated development projects worth `46,000 crore for the region. “On the night of May 6, doom was let loose on Pakistan’s terrorists,” Modi said, adding that Pakistan will be reminded of its shameful defeat whenever it hears the name Operation Sindoor. “The edifice of terror that Pakistan built over the years was reduced to rubble in minutes. Development and peace of J&K is the Modi guarantee which nothing can hamper,” he said. He also lauded the people of Jammu and Kashmir for Messi will Stampede: RCB marketing come, asserts head, three others arrested sports min E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bengaluru E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @Kochi Raising fresh hopes of Lionel Messi playing in Kerala, Sports Minister V Abdurahiman on Friday posted on Facebook that the Argentina footballer and his team will visit the state. “Messi is coming,” the minister posted. Though no dates or venues have been officially confirmed, the announcement comes amid speculation that Argentina may not play in Kerala. “Messi is definitely coming, that is for sure. The remaining details will be out shortly Ab,” durahiman told TNIE. Last November, he announced the visit of the world champions for two international friendlies in ● More on P4 Kerala.  16 pages, including 4 pages of KOCHI Express IN connection with the death of 11 persons in a stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during the IPL title triumph celebration of RCB, four persons, including the marketing head of the RCB franchise, were arrested in a joint operation by the Central Crime Branch(CCB) and Cubbon Park police, when they were reportedly flying to Mumbai on Friday . Nikhil Sosale, the marketing head of RCB franchise, was arrested at the Kempegowda International Airport when he was, allegedly trying to escape. , The other three are employees of the DNA Entertainment Networks Private Limited. Its director and vice- president Sunil Mathew, manager Kiran Kumar and Sumanth, working in the ticketing section, were also arrested from the airport. The arrests were made in the early hours of Friday after the Cubbon Park police registered Omar raises statehood issue India launches pre-feasibility study to divert Chenab water ‘Livelihood hit’ J i t en d r a C h o u b e y @ New Delhi Modi said the Pahalgam attack directly impacted local workers in J&K—horse riders, porters, guides, shopkeepers and guest house owners INDIA has launched a prefeasibility study for the construction of the ChenabRavi-Beas-Sutlej link canal project aimed at diverting water from the Chenab currently flowing into Pakistan under the currently inactive Indus Water Treaty (IWT). The project proposes to channel 15-20 million acrefeet (MAF) of water from the Chenab to Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, as part of a broader effort to strengthen domestic water infrastructure and assert greater control over Indus basin resources. The move follows the effective suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty under which India was permitted to use 20% of the basin’s water. Additionally, a team has begun assessing the existing canal structures across Jammu, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. An officer involved in planning the study at the Ministry of Jal Shakti stated, “We need to evaluate if the water diverted from the Chenab through these canals is being delivered in proper condition and determine investment required for restructuring the canal system.” In addition to the ChenabRavi-Beas-Sutlej link canal project, India is fast-tracking several new storage and run-of-river projects to support these initiatives. Under the IWT, India was allowed to use up to 20% of the water for non-consumptive purposes, and plans to demand permission to use up to 40% of the water in case of renegotiations, an officer said. Praise for Adil PM praised the courage of Syed Adil Shah, who was killed by terrorists when he tried to save tourists from bullets Top: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, MoS Jitendra Singh, J&K L-G Manoj Sinha, and CM Omar Abdullah during inauguration of Chenab rail bridge; Above: Vande Bharat flagged off by PM, crosses the rail bridge on Friday | PTI standing firm against terrorism. Reaffir ming the Centre’s commitment to J&K’s all-round development, he said improved railway connectivity would transform the region with all-weather connectivity . Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was present on the occasion, praised the successful completion of the rail link—a feat he said even the British attempted but failed.He also used the occasion to reiterate his demand for restoration of statehood to J&K. He joked he was demoted from the CM of a fullfledged state to CM of a Union Territory, while L-G Manoj Sinha, who was MoS earlier, got a promotion. He expressed confidence that J&K would regain statehood under the Modi’s watch. Carney invites Modi to attend g7 summit J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi IN a major signal of improving ties between India and Canada following erosion of diplomatic relations under former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday confirmed his participation in the upcoming G7 Summit, to be held in Kananaskis, Alberta, from June 15–17. Confirming his attendance, Modi said he looks forward to meeting the newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney . Taking to X on Friday, Prime Minister Modi said. “Glad to receive a call from Prime Minister @MarkJCarney of Canada. Congratulated him on his recent election victory and thanked him for the invitation to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis later this month. As vibrant democracies bound by deep people-to-people ties, India and Canada will work together with renewed vigour, guided by mutual respect and shared interests. Look forward to our meeting at the Summit.” India’s ties with Canada turned frosty under Carney’s predecessor Justin Trudeau over a host of issues, including the activities of Khalistani separatists in the country . express read Shine’s father dies in road accident Thennala Balakrishna Pillai no more Dharmapuri: C P Chacko, the father of actor Shine Tom Chacko, died in a road accident near Paraiyur in Palacode, Tamil Nadu, in the early hours of Friday. The actor, two other family members, and a close aide sustained injuries and were admitted to Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital. They were en route to Bengaluru when the accident happened. P5 T’Puram: Former State Congress president Thennala Balakrishna Pillai, who was known as the gentleman politician of Congress, passed away on Friday. He was 95. Thennala was a two-time MLA and three-time MP. P4 The New Indian Express wishes its readers on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. Our offices will remain closed today. There will be no issue of the paper tomorrow. camp for divorcees RCB officials at the Cubbon Park police station in Bengaluru on Friday | PTI three FIRs, including a suo motu FIR against the RCB franchise, DNA Entertainment Private Limited and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Administrative Committee. FIRs were registered accusing them responsible for the deaths of 11 people in the stampede at different gates of the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday . All four were taken for medical tests at Bowring Hospital around 11.05am on Friday They . were produced before a local court in the evening before being remanded in judicial custody till June 19. Coming together to redefine heartbreak & healing P o o j a N a i r @ Kozhikode In a room filled with tea cups, quiet tears, and bursts of unexpected laughter, a group of women, strangers just hours ago, are bound by something deeper than words. They are not here for therapy or legal advice, but for the opportunity to breathe freely, speak without shame, and to remind themselves — and one another—that life after divorce can still be beautiful. Launched under the banner of Break Free Stories, this unique initiative is the brainchild of 30-year-old Rafiya Afi Vagamon camp participants — a divorcee herself — who transformed her personal pain into a platform for hope. “I thought I was alone in my grief,” she recalls. “But when I started sharing my story on social media, I realised hundreds of women were silently suffering, too. That’s when the seed for the camp was planted.” What started as a modest WhatsApp group for legal support and emotional sharing has now blossomed into a fullfledged movement. Now, over 100 women across the state —from Kochi to Kozhikode to Thiruvananthapuram — are in talks with Rafiya for the conduct of such gatherings. The first camp, held recently in Vagamon, welcomed 15 women with different stories but one common thread--the pain of a fractured marriage. Some had finalised their divorces; others were still enduring the slow grind of legal battles. The event offered them something they rarely find: A nonjudgmental, all-women circle focused not on what went wrong, but on what could still go right. “We’re not here to cry over the past,” Rafiya emphasises. “But to learn to smile again.” From self-expression sessions and healing conversations to activities like team cooking, storytelling circles, and light trekking, the camp weaved together wellness and joy in subtle but ● More on P4 powerful ways.