hyderabad l Wednesday l June 18, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION Modi reaches Canada for G7 Summit, to hold key bilateral meetings Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Kananaskis, Canada on Tuesday, to attend the G7 Summit, marking his first visit to the country in a decade Talks with Carney, Zelenskyy on the cards India eyes Reset in relations with canada Modi met with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo on the sidelines of the Summit. He is also likely to hold important one-on-one meetings with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni | P9 ■ Modi’s talks with Zelenskyy could centre on Russia-Ukraine conflict ■ The Modi-Carney meeting could pave the way for renewed cooperation in trade, counterterrorism, and diaspora engagement ■ Meetings with German and Italian leaders will likely focus on deepening partnerships in defence, clean tech, and innovation 6th This is the sixth consecutive participation by Modi at G7 summit 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 S i d d h a r d h a g att i m i @ Hyderabad While 110 Indian students at Urmia University of Medical Sciences in Iran have been relocated to neighbouring Armenia, there seems to be no immediate end to the anxiety of those studying at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). Through a video message, the Indian students at TUMS said that they have been shifted to relatively safer locations within Tehran following the attack by Israel. However, the sounds of explosions are too close for them to feel safe. The students said that the hostels they are residing in have been damaged. “We have been living in constant fear for the past five days. We are hearing explosions and are unable to sleep,” said one of the students. Meanwhile, the students of Urmia thanked the Indian Embassy for relocating them safely to Armenia. Muskan Shabir, a 4th-year MBBS student, said, “Exactly 110 students of Urmia University have been accommodated in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Three days ago, we were in a terrible situation, but now we are safe.” Zahir Ali, a final-year student of Iran University of Medical Sciences, told TNIE that thousands of students were relocated to Qom where they are safe. In Israel, expatriates from Telangana said that they are safe. Israel Telangana Association president Soma Ravi said that the Israeli government had issued alerts thrice since Monday night. Asked about the evacuation efforts, he told TNIE that registrations are being made and a decision will be taken based on the situation. M e a n wh i l e, A I M I M M P Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday urged the MEA to evacuate around 120 Indian pilgrims stranded in Iraq. Telangana govt’s helplines Vandhana, PS to resident commissioner +919871999044 G Rakshith Naik, liaison officer +919643723157 Javed Hussain, liaison officer +919910014749 Ch Chakravarthi, PRO +919949351270 India ramps up evacuation efforts as distress calls pour in from Iran 110 students safely shifted to Armenia; over 1,000 people of Uttar Pradesh stranded in Iran J AYA N T H J ACOB & N A M I TA BA J PAI @ New Delhi / Lucknow As military tensions between Iran and Israel escalate, India has launched a wide-scale evacuation mission, deploying several buses to transport its citizens from the Iranian cities of Tehran, Isfahan, Gorgan, and Kermanshah to safer zones near the Armenia border. So far, 110 Indian students have been safely evacuated to Armenia, with a special flight to Delhi scheduled for Wednesday . Over 1,000 people from Uttar Pradesh are also among those stranded in Iran. Sources said many of them are pilgrims visiting Shia holy sites in Iran. Shias in UP routinely visit Iran’s key religious cities including Mashhad, Qom, and Tehran. Mashhad is home to the shrine of the eighth Shia Imam Hazrat Ali Raza, while Qom houses the shrine of Bibi Fatima, daughter of Imam Musa al-Kazim. Both cities are considered religious capitals for Shia Muslims and host thousands of international pilgrims and students each year. The relatives of families hailing from Lucknow said their kin are stuck in Qom after their return flight was cancelled. The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association said all 110 students—90 are from J&K—who crossed into Armenia have been accommodated in hotels in Yerevan. More evacuations are expected in the coming days as the Indian government monitors the volatile situation closely . Meanwhile, calls for help continued to pour in from those stranded with communication networks remaining patchy and fear of war deepening. In Kerman, Faizan Nabi, a 21year-old student and the Iran coordinator for the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, said: “The situation is not as bad here as in Tehran. But there is still fear. We are hoping we will be relocated to some safe location soon.” On Monday, Indian students in Tehran—spread across three Armenia Map not to scale Blasts too close for comfort, say medicos Iraq Israel Iran Afghanistan Saudi Arabia Smoke billows from a oil refinery site in the city of Haifa, following a fresh barrage of Iranian missiles | afp ‘Nuclear site damaged’ The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Tuesday Israeli airstrikes on Iran’s Natanz enrichment site damaged the underground centrifuge halls major universities—were moved to Qom, a city deemed relatively safer. “There is fear all around. We’ve had trouble contacting our families due to weak internet,” said Ehreen Zaffar, an MBBS student at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Huzaif Malik, a student at Urmia University of Medical Sciences, said, “Luckily we were in Urmia, which was safe. We have reached Armenia.” But many others, like Ajmal Mohmed who travelled to Lar for a medical exhibition, remain stuck there. Back in India, families wait in fear. Shuja Hasan from J&K, whose daughter is now sheltering in Qom, said his daughter and other students are stuck in their hotels, unable to leave. “We just want them to return safely. Their funds are depleting,” said a relative of Maulana Nusrat from Lucknow, who is on a religious sojourn to Iran. Evac routes Pakistan india UAE 13 Air India Dreamliners cancelled in a day E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ New Delhi/ Ahmedabad Troubled airliner Air India cancelled as many as 13 of its Dreamliner flights on Tuesday due to various reasons, aviation regulator DGCA said. The highest number of cancellations in a day was 14 on Sunday In all, Air India cancelled . 66 B787 Dreamliner flights since the horrific June 12 air crash that killed 241 on board. The DGCA also said that the recent enhanced surveillance on Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet did not reveal any major safety concerns, adding maintenance systems were found to be compliant with existing safety standards. One of the cancelled flights on Tuesday was AI 159 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, London. Its earlier call sign AI 171 was retired following the Ahmedabad aircrash. “Flight AI 159 has been cancelled due to the unavailability of aircraft, resulting from airspace restrictions and addition- Don threatens Khamenei, seeks Tehran’s ‘surrender’ Banakacherla: TG calls Ag e n c i es @ Jerusalem / Dubai / Washington As the Israel-Iran war entered the fifth day on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump waded into the conflict, threatening to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei unless Tehran stops further attacks and surrender forthwith. “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there -- We are not going to take him out, at least not for now,” Trump said on Truth Social. “But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added, later posting another message that said: “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” The series of posts came hours after he asked the 10 million residents of Tehran to “evacuate immediately”. Earlier in the day Trump had , said the US was not looking for a ceasefire but a “real end” to the conflict, without elaborating what he meant by that. On Tuesday both Iran and Is, rael continued to launch air strikes, deepening worries of a drawn-out conflict that could engulf the region and beyond. So far, over 450 people have reportedly been killed in Iran since the Israeli offensive began last Friday while the toll in , Israel has stood at 24. Israel’s military said it launched ‘extensive strikes’ targeting missile and drone sites in western Iran on Tuesday. Reports said explosions were heard in Iran’s western city of Tabriz, which houses a major air force base. In Israel, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv came under attack. Sirens sounded in some cities including Dimona town, home to a nuclear power plant. Israel said it intercepted the missiles.  P9 all-party meet of MPs E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Hyderabad The state government will convene a meeting on June 18 at the Secretariat to seek the views and suggestions of MPs from Telangana regarding Andhra Pradesh’s proposed Godavari-Banakacherla (G-B) project. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will attend the meeting. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy and Minister of State Bandi Sanjay have also been invited. In a statement on Tuesday , Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the AP government submitted its plans on the G-B project to the Ministries of Jal Shakti and Finance. “ According to a preliminary study, the project appears to violate the state of affairs RTE Act implementation delay: Of family disputes and a judge’s angst It’s just a small matter of money T G N a i d u @ Hyderabad M e g h n a N at h @ Hyderabad The Telangana government’s inability to implement a key provision of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, despite a high court directive, appears to boil down to one simple reason: lack of money . Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE Act, 2009 mandates that 25 per cent of seats in private schools be reserved for students from disadvantaged groups in areas where there is no government school within a radius of 5 km to 10 km. However, the state government has not put this into effect for the current academic year, even after the Telangana High Court ordered its immediate implementation. Officials say in private that the matter hinges not on intent but on funding. Even basic liabilities remain unsettled. Dues amounting to roughly `200 crore owed to private schools under the Best Available Schools scheme have not been cleared for three years. Additionally, the state government is yet to pay approximately `6 crore to owners of private Students at a school for underprivileged kids run by an NGO at the Punjagutta Community Hall in Hyderabad. properties who lease buildings for government primary and secondary schools. “Private schools are understandably reluctant to participate in RTE implementation under these circumstances. If the state has not cleared old dues, how can we expect new commitments to be honoured?” said Y Shekar Rao, chief adviser of the Telangana Recognised School Management Association. “Many private schools are already on the verge of closure due to mounting unpaid bills.” The situation reveals a deeper issue: the state’s education promises, no matter how legally binding, are falling prey to its weak financial footing. Parents, meanwhile, remain caught in a cycle of hope and disappointment. “We expected the government to implement the Act this academic year, especially after the High Court’s order,” said Asif Hussain Sohail, president of the Telangana Parents Association for Children. “But again, there is no movement. The RTE Act is not a gift; it’s a guarantee. The delay is not just procedural, it’s personal for every child left behind,” he added. Attempts by TNIE to obtain a formal response from the Education department were unsuccessful. One official, speaking on condition of anonymity ad, mitted, “We have not received any direction from the state government regarding implementation of this provision.” However, as the numbers suggest, the problem lies not in policy or legal clarity It lies in . an empty treasury . al precautionary checks, leading to longer than usual turnaround of aircraft, and not due to any technical snag,” a Air India spokesperson said. Aviation regulator DGCA’s fiat to Air India on enhanced checks of its Dreamliner fleet created the temporary shortage. Another aircraft failed its pre-flight check. It delayed the the Delhi-Paris AI 143’s takeoff. “In view of the AI 143 coming under restrictions on night operations at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport, the flight was cancelled,” the spokesperson added. Also, AI 142 from Paris to Delhi was cancelled. Besides, an Air India Express Boeing IX 1113 from Delhi to Ranchi with over 150 flyers on board developed a technical issue midair and had to return to the Indira Gandhi International Airport. IX 1113 took off at 4.40 pm and was to scheduled reach Birsa Munda airport at 6.20 pm. However, it returned to Delhi. Ground checks were done and the flight took off at 7.30 pm, a source said. Without mincing words, Justice B Vijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court on Monday stated that if he had the authority to do so, he would place disputed properties involved in family and matrimonial conflicts under judicial custody to avoid protracted legal battles and their adverse effects. Making pointed observations on the damage being caused to societal and familial relationships, the judge said: “If I had the authority I would place all , disputed properties under the court’s custody during the trial of family and marital property disputes. This would resolve many problems. People fight over properties and end up gaining nothing. Even those who eventually win the property in court find no happiness.” The judge drew attention to the impact of such disputes by referring to a case in which six individuals were contesting ownership of just 270 square yards of land, each claiming approximately 45 square yards, an area not even eligible for construction approval. “No one becomes wealthy out of this. What do they really achieve in If I had the authority, I would place all disputed properties under the court’s custody during the trial of family and marital property disputes. This would resolve many problems Justice B Vijaysen Reddy the end? The biggest problem is ego,” he said. Justice Reddy suggested that a mechanism similar to the Insolvency Professional Framework under the National Company Law Tribunal could be applied to property disputes. This would involve an expert taking custody of the assets to manage and distribute them, potentially reducing conflict. He observed that even financially secure and well-educated individuals are often drawn into bitter disputes over minor properties. “Even if someone wins 1,000 square yards after fighting with their own family , it won’t bring future satisfaction,” he noted. The judge also proposed that children should refrain from demanding their share in ancestral property during their parents’ lifetime to maintain family unity . In a related matter, Rahul Mahendrakar, a Chartered Accountant, filed a petition seeking enforcement of a prior court order for the demolition of an illegal structure in Suryapet. He also sought a direction for equal division of the land among the concerned parties following demolition. Responding to the petition, Justice Reddy directed Suryapet Municipality to comply with its speaking order issued in February 2024 and submit a status report on the actions taken. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for July 28, 2025. Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal award of 1980 and the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. The project as envisaged will adversely affect the water rights of the people of Telangana,” Uttam said. “I had written on January 22, 2025 to the Union Ministers of Finance and Jal Shakti, stating the objections of the Telangana government to the G-B project. Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil replied to me on May 28, assuring that the DPR had not been received by the Centre. He said that once received, the Centre will examine it in accordance with the extant guidelines, existing tribunal awards, inter-state agreements, and the various provisions under the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014,” Uttam stated.  continued on p4 Express Read SIT confirmed my phone was tapped: TPCC chief Hyderabad: The SIB is said to have tapped the phone of TPCC chief B Mahesh Kumar Goud during the BRS regime, accusing him of supplying provisions to Maoists. The SIT conveyed this to Mahesh when he appeared before it as a witness in the phonetapping case on Tuesday. He told TNIE that the SIB recorded his name without any suffixes or prefixes to make it appear as if he were a Maoist supporter | P4 NHAI debars MEIL for sloppy work on NH-66 Kochi: After KNR Constructions Ltd, another concessionaire faced punitive action for “sloppy” construction work as part of widening of the NH-66 in Kerala on Tuesday. The NHAI debarred Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd from participating in future bids, following the collapse of slope protection work at Cherkkala in Kasaragod along the ChengalaNeeleswaram section | P5 CM directs officials to draw up policy for protection of cows | p2